Make the McKenzie Connection!

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  • Guest Opinion

    Eric Mortenson|Sep 7, 2023

    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 writing about golf lessons instead. The annual tournament, put on by the United States Golf Association and played over four days, is open to women over 50. Many of the competitors were international stars when they were younger. I’ll go ahead and tell you now that Trish, our favorite, won the U.S. Senior Wom...

  • Letter to the Editor

    Aug 31, 2023

    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 really appreciate the Patio Park. Lookout Fire Group...

  • Mismanagement of lands causing grief in wildfire season

    Melinda Montgomery|Aug 31, 2023

    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 Melinda Montgomery. My roots in Lane County go back to the 1850s when my great-great-grandfather Parvin settled in Dexter. The Montgomery side arrived in Noti about 100 years ago and I am one of three generations living on the family timberlands today. We actively manage our property by maintaining l...

  • Letter to the Editor

    Aug 24, 2023

    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 the added stress of this event during this time due to the two wildfires in our immediate area. We appreciate everyone’s support of this event, including those of you that had planned a fun day on the river while helping with the rebuilding process of our community center. Those who donated p...

  • Guest Opinion

    Francesca Anton|Aug 24, 2023

    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 mass extinction, and how this summer, with all it’s disturbing weather and environmental news, is reminding me of the conditions on Earth about 250 million years ago (mya) that brought the Permian to an end. In story form, Pangea, the most recent supercontinent, attained its condition of maximum tec...

  • Letter to the Editor

    Aug 17, 2023

    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 event. For the first time since the Spring of 2020 (remember COVID) the Center was exactly what it is meant to be: a gathering place where friends, neighbors, and even out-of-town visitors meet. A special thanks to McKenzie Crest Wines who donated the sip tastings, to JoDee’s Cakes for donating the sweet bit...

  • Ridin' the Rapids

    Ken Engelman|Jul 27, 2023

    “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 newspapers die at the rate of two per week, according to another report on the state of local news. News “deserts” are growing. It’s estimated that some 70 million Americans live in a county with either no local news organization or only one. Locally, though, I hope you’ve been enjoying the work of Mc-Kenzie R...

  • Oh, Canada…damn You're just like us, without the routine mass murder and the widespread ignorance

    Eric Mortenson|Jul 27, 2023

    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 hike to reach, a little over 2 miles. But with a sweet tea house at the end of the trail, welcoming you when you get there. We were in Alberta for about 10 days, including for Canada Day on July 1, and it was one of those trips that make you sigh if you know what I mean. We stayed in Calgary and Canmo...

  • Letter to the Editor

    Jul 20, 2023

    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 problem: Wind and solar are notoriously unreliable. They must always depend on on-demand “dispatchable” resources, which in Oregon means natural gas and hydro. New hydro is nearly impossible to build, and with other dispatchables outlawed, Oregon could find itself without electricity when it’s really needed...

  • Guest Opinion

    Larry Burriss, Free Speech Center|Jul 20, 2023

    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 passed the Sedition Act, which made it a crime to publish false, malicious, or scandalous writing about the government. Despite the First Amendment, which guaranteed a free press and free speech, despite all of the talk about freedom from tyranny, despite all of the newspapers springing up, with the...

  • Guest Opinion

    Michael Leach|Jun 29, 2023

    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, with an estimated one billion dollars spent on beer during the holiday. Heavy drinking does have its pitfalls. These environments are challenging for anyone sober or in recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 17% of adults over 18 binge d...

  • Here's how to bridge Oregon's urban-rural divide

    Eric Mortenson|Jun 29, 2023

    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 added to your chart this morning?” The country boy in me raised his eyebrows and stifled a smirk, because what could be more Woke, more Portland, more urban lib, than brandishing your preferred pronouns? (Mine are singular.) Right there, standing at ground level in OHSU’s Center for Health and Healing com...

  • Shop local: Protecting the free flow of public information

    Ken Paulson|Jun 15, 2023

    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 had a resurgence, fueled in large part by a sense of community and the need to support businesses in our own backyards. We've seen the same thing with independent record stores. Though few saw the revival of vinyl coming, there has long been a concerted effort to support local record stores because o...

  • Letter to the Editor

    Jun 8, 2023

    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, but voters should ask why the majority party has driven Republicans to such extreme measures. Democrats hold all the power, so only they can broker a compromise. They’ve been unwilling to do that. One of the most basic rules of political leadership is to treat minority members with respect, because y...

  • Guest Opinion

    Ben Botkin, Oregon Capital Chronicle|Jun 8, 2023

    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 session. Since May 3, most Republican senators and an Independent senator have boycotted Senate floor sessions, denying the upper chamber its two-thirds majority needed to conduct business. Senators face no financial consequences for failing to show up for floor sessions: They get paid their salary...

  • Letter to the Editor

    Jun 1, 2023

    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 the use of an assassination van on social media. He also looked up mass shootings and government standoffs on his government computer. He was suspended from high school for discussing the use of Molotov cocktails and other weapons and making racial threats. Why didn’t an FBI background check, w...

  • Guest Opinion

    Jessi Hollis McCarthy|Jun 1, 2023

    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 can be used year-round to fight the onslaught of junk media content in our media-saturated world. If you are feeling overwhelmed by your daily dose of media, even when it’s not April 1, know you aren’t alone. This is a longstanding challenge of navigating the environment created by a free press. George...

  • Letter to the Editor

    May 25, 2023

    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 local jail beds to help hold those accused of violent and dangerous crime accountable. Renewal of this levy will allow the Lane County Jail to continue to operate with a minimum of 255 local jail beds, as well as 8 youth detention beds and 8 youth treatment beds at Lane County Youth Services. Renewal of...

  • Guest Opinion

    May 25, 2023

    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.S. military. Outside of this day, we must never forget the veterans who lost the battle against addiction and mental illness and the many more who are still struggling. Fortunately, there are supports and ways families can help. In Oregon are over 280,000 veterans. Most of these vets are wartime vet...

  • Ridin' the Rapids

    Ken Engelman|May 18, 2023

    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 from someone pointing to the black and white TV screen in the cafe. On it was an image with the words, “Thurston, Oregon.” At first, all of us were bemused to see a local place appearing on a national TV network. But our bemusement was quickly dashed - turning to horror and disbelief. What we were watchin...

  • Everyone wins when we support small businesses

    May 18, 2023

    Small businesses play a critical role in creating jobs, driving economic growth, and contributing to the overall well-being of rural communities. In many areas, they are the backbone of the local economy, providing essential goods and services. Spring offers a good reminder of the importance of these entrepreneurs’ contributions, with National Small Business Week, Small Business Month, and other recognitions celebrated in May. For consumers, it’s a great time to research what’s available in their community, instead of hitting the road to shop...

  • Letter to the Editor

    May 11, 2023

    Now that we are past the pre-election discussions surrounding the election for our local school board candidates, and voting has begun, I’m wondering if our community, based on our recent experience, can come to some agreement about how we might improve the process for future elections. What have we learned from this McKenzie School District Board of Directors election? We’ve learned that it would have been more helpful to have been able to see statements from our candidates in the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet. Not all states enjoy this aspec...

  • Letter to the Editor

    May 11, 2023

    No one has filed for Position 5 for the McKenzie Fire and Rescue Board. I would like to suggest David Rose as a write-in candidate. He is a relatively new resident to the river, but not inexperienced in the fire service. He has been a firefighter for 29 years, was a Captain in his past district, earned a fire suppression degree at Chemeketa College, and is an EMT and Emergency Room RN. He has a great deal to offer the community and would be an asset. Please write him in to be your representative. Ann Penny Springfield...

  • Letters to the Editor

    May 4, 2023

    I have lived for 45 years on the banks of the McKenzie River, and therefore witnessed, and voted in, dozens of local elections for school boards, school levies, fire district boards, and fire district levies. Fortunately, I have never witnessed anything remotely resembling the refusal of one half of the candidates to attend the candidate forum sponsored by the McKenzie Education Association. Ironically, the no-shows each trumpeted their commitment to “transparency” in the Voters’ Pamphlet. I have never equated a refusal to appear with trans...

  • Letters to the Editor

    May 4, 2023

    I was disappointed to see that half the candidates did not show up at the McKenzie School Board Forum on April 28th. This was a great opportunity for the candidates to help us become informed voters in what is often an uncontested election. What I did see at the Forum were thoughtful and well presented answers to relevant questions, and a very polite and supportive audience as befits our small community. Voter pamphlet statements are intentionally vague; each of the missing candidates promised transparency and yet none pro-vided even a written...

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