Opinion
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Guest Opinion
Oregon will receive $157 million from the federal government to help connect about 17,000 homes and businesses to the internet, the White House announced Wednesday. The money, which comes from the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package passed by...
Letters to the Editor
Americans have more media options than ever. We are inundated with stories, memes, videos, and promotions 24 hours a day. Most of us are on social media, which is built to provide an endless feed of content to keep us glued to our screens....
Guest Opinion
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the McKenzie Valley School District. The recent McKenzie School District board meeting illuminated a pressing iss...
Ridin' the Rapids
Growing up it was a festive month with plenty of cake to go around because we celebrated my Mom’s birthday, and five days later, mine. That was many years ago and now far away as I moved around the country before settling in Oregon. Three years...
Letter to the Editor
Today I heard the news that a vital part of our community is gone. Sue O’Brien passed away last week of heart failure. When her own heart was failing she continued to serve and lift others. For many years Sue was Sister John’s right hand. She...
Guest Opinion
Life isn’t seamless, but some people swing that way. I’ve been working on a Substack piece that was getting kind of ponderous and it occurred to me just this morning that I really should be writin...
Letter to the Editor
We would like to send a special thanks to the Patio RV Park. They are allowing fire staff to use camping sites, showers and laundry. We can be a difficult group with loud trucks and dirty showers. We...
Mismanagement of lands causing grief in wildfire season
As I sit here writing this, the hazy air brings up anxiety reminiscent of September 2020. It also brings up frustrations over the continued mismanagement of our federally managed state lands. I’m...
Letter to the Editor
After much thought and consideration, the board members of the Vida McKenzie Community Center have decided to cancel the McKenzie River Poker Fundraising event scheduled for Saturday, August 19th. We believe our community will be best served without...
Guest Opinion
As I inhale the smoke and listen to the helicopters racing back and forth over the house, fighting yet another fire in the Central Cascades and McKenzie River Valley, my thoughts wander to the Permian Period of Earth’s history which ended in a...
Letter to the Editor
The 8-13-23 “Very Soft Opening” of Vida McKenzie Community Center was a wonderful success and the Board of VMCC wants to extend a “Thank You” to everyone who attended and who supported the...
Ridin' the Rapids
“The longest-running newspaper in southern California has ceased publication after filing for bankruptcy.” That email is part of a depressing trend as the United States continues to see...
Oh, Canada…damn You're just like us, without the routine mass murder and the widespread ignorance
And look, you’ve got a Lake Agnes. In Alberta there, eh? Agnes was my mom’s name, so of course we had to go see. She’s a beauty, set apart and overlooked, maybe. And an uphill 3.5-kilometer...
Letter to the Editor
Two years ago, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2021, which requires Oregon’s investor-owned electric utilities to phase out fossil fuels by 2040, producing all electricity from renewables—mostly wind and solar. But renewables have a prob...
Guest Opinion
As we move closer and closer to the next election, and continue to debate the role of the media in American politics, we might want to stop for a moment and reflect on just how fragile our free-expression rights can be. In mid-July 1798, Congress...
Guest Opinion
The Fourth of July holiday is an incredibly festive time nationwide. Across the state, families come together for gatherings and BBQs; there are parades, festivals, concerts, and fireworks. July Fourth is also America’s top beer-drinking holiday,...
Here's how to bridge Oregon's urban-rural divide
I was standing in line at OHSU — Oregon Health and Science University, Oregon’s premier medical facility — when I overheard the clerk ask a patient ahead of me, “Do you want your pronouns...
Shop local: Protecting the free flow of public information
There's admirable support for independent local businesses these days. Many expected Amazon to put local bookstores out of business, but after a steady decline in the aughts, independent stores have h...
Letter to the Editor
The Oregon Senate has come to a standstill over the past several weeks. Most Republican Senators are boycotting floor sessions due to objections about both policy and process. Media accounts have portrayed the missing Senators in a negative light,...
Guest Opinion
Oregon taxpayers have spent tens of thousands of dollars paying senators who are participating in the GOP-led Senate walkout. And their salaries and per diem are just part of the cost of the stalled...
Letter to the Editor
The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman who posted highly classified documents on social media should not have received a top-secret security clearance or any security clearance based on his terrible background. He discussed violence and murder and...
Guest Opinion
Each April Fools’ Day, you might brace yourself for tricks from friends and family and on social media. With all the swirling in our information universe, it can start to feel like April Fools’ Day all year long. The skills you use each April 1...
Letter to the Editor
The results of this election and the renewal of the Lane County Public Safety Levy show that this community remains committed to our safety. I am very thankful that Lane County residents recognize the need for a functional jail system including...
Guest Opinion
Many veterans struggle with substance use and mental health disorders, often leading to overdose and suicide. On Memorial Day, millions of Americans will take time to honor the memory of those men and women who lost their life while serving in the U....
Ridin' the Rapids
When then meets now. The morning of May 21, 1998, seemed like most others. Inside the Whitewater Cafe in Blue River, the regulars had ordered their regulars, and the small talk was flowing. Until someone said, “Turn that up.” Those words came...
