SALEM, Oregon— Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) temporarily banned campfires at most Oregon State Parks due to dry conditions and the strain on firefighting resources from wildfires burning across the state.
Campfires and open flames are banned at all parks east of the Cascades due to the low humidity and risk of wildfires. They’re also restricted at parks in high-risk areas across the state until conditions improve. Most bans impact parks east of the Cascades and in the valley with some restrictions at select coastal parks.
“We understand that campfires are an important part of the experience at Oregon State Parks. We don’t make the decision lightly to restrict the use of fire, but unfortunately conditions require that response. The decision is made in consultation with our local fire agencies. Thank you for helping us do our part to reduce the risk of any new wildfires,” said JR Collier, OPRD’s deputy of statewide operations.
Campfire restrictions generally ban all “open flame,” but often make exceptions for propane cooking as the flame is contained. Check individual park webpages for details on any restrictions before visiting. Restrictions are listed in alphabetical order in a feature story at stateparks.oregon.gov/ or on the individual park pages.
OPRD also encourages visitors to know before they go when it comes to the impact of wildfires across the state:
Several parks have been closed due to wildfires including Battle Mountain Forest State Scenic Corridor, Farewell Bend State Recreation Area, East and West Hatfield Trailheads on the Columbia River Highway State Trail and Ukiah-Dale Forest State Scenic Corridor. Check park webpages at stateparks.oregon.gov/ and search by park. Some parks have reduced air quality due to wildfire smoke. Check DEQ’s website for air quality information at www.oregonsmoke.org/ Several roads and highways have been closed due to wildfires. Please use TripCheck to learn about closures and alternative routes. Relying on GPS might lead drivers into unsafe conditions For more information about current wildfires around the state, go to the Oregon Department of Forestry’s website: https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/firestats.aspx.
For more information about wildfire prevention, please visit the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s webpage at https://www.oregon.gov/osfm/education/pages/prevent-wildfires.aspx.
Confession time: in English class, during my senior in high school, we were given an assignment to read a Shakespeare play of our choosing then give a detailed written and oral report about it.
Because I was always looking for shortcuts, I bought a copy of the Cliffs Notes (CN) guide to the play. For those unfamiliar with CN, they were available for many, many, famous written works.
They typically included a summary of the story, character bios and major themes, among many other helpful tidbits regarding the subject.
Many classmates used CN to help them understand their chosen stories. However, I used mine to write my entire report on Much Ado About Nothing (at the time the irony of the play’s name was lost on me despite having studied irony as a writing tool previously in the class).
I wrote my paper, gave my oral report and got an A+ all without ever actually reading the play as written. Initially, I felt pretty good about myself but part of me knew I was a fraud and had only cheated myself and my audience out of the intended experience.
Fast forward to July 2024. Whenever I see memes on social media about The Heritage Foundation (HF) Project 2025 I am reminded of my slick Shakespearean tragedy from long ago.
Why?
The original document created by the Heritage Foundation is over 900 pages long.
But who has time to read all that when Democracy Forward (DF) has told us in their People’s Guide to Project 2025, “We read Project 2025’s entire 900+ page “Mandate for Leadership” so that you don’t have to.” Click here to see document
Immediately, a red flag goes up for me when I read posts such as this popular one that are designed to agitate its readers, most of whom will not bother to fact-check the information.
So, this time, rather than just accepting the Cliffs Notes interpretation of Project 2025 produced by DF (headed by Marc Elias who helped create proven hoaxes such as the Steele Dossier, Russiagate, etc.), I decided to dig a little deeper and find a copy of the original document.
When I discovered that the original paper was over 900 pages long (click here), I no longer wondered why DF’s not entirely true version (click here) would be sent to their ministry of propaganda to be blended in a palatable Pablum for public consumption.
I understand the base desire to provoke emotions, up to and including rage. After all that’s what gets clicks.
But, perhaps, we all should take a step back and ask ourselves, “Am I getting the original truth or just someone’s interpretation of the truth? Usually, it’s the latter and that is what upsets me. So much propaganda is being disguised and spread as truth using engaging memes.
I encourage everyone – including myself – to do the necessary homework and seek the truth, not just someone’s biased Cliffs Notes of that truth before we blast out propaganda that fits our narrative.
It requires more work, but you will feel better about yourself, avoiding that terrible nagging feeling like I have carried with me all these years; thinking that I was a fraud and had cheated myself and my audience.
It might save you (and others) from passing on emotion-driven half truths that may actually turn out to be Much Ado About Nothing.
According to reports from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) several dogs were sickened from salmon poisoning around Newport recently. Salmon and trout carcasses may harbor bacteria in their blood that can be fatal to dogs.
According to ODFW Veterinarian Julia Burco, “Salmon poisoning is caused by the bacteria Neorickettsia helminthoeca which is transmitted through a parasitic flatworm or “‘luke’. Without treatment, salmon poisoning in dogs is often fatal. Symptoms include severe vomiting and diarrhea. Fortunately, with treatment most dogs will survive.
The bacteria can infect a dog after they eat, bite, or even lick an infected fish carcass.” Cautions Burco “And symptoms may begin showing 5-7 days after exposure. A lot of time you may notice your dog not being as bouncy as it was.” Burco added.
ODFW warns Dog owners to be vigilant about keeping their dogs away from dead fish, especially from September through December. If you see your dog eating a dead salmon or trout, or even around one, take them to the veterinarian right away. Don’t wait for your dog to get sick as prophylactic treatments can prevent a more serious illness. The sooner your dog gets treated, the less likely they will get sick and need expensive treatments.
Burco advises, “Pet owners should keep their dogs on a leash and in sight to prevent them from coming across fish carcasses. Collect and bag up all garbage associated with cleaning fish, clean your coolers and gear and do not leave fish parts spread on the landscape that dogs could encounter.
The highest risk of salmon poisoning is usually September when salmon gather in rivers to spawn and die. These cases early in the year are unusual.”
Wesley Shum’s dog, Ukee, was sickened after a trout fishing trip to a lake in June. “She went from being an energetic puppy to lethargic and would barely get up off the couch. She lost her appetite and then she started throwing up every time she drank water.” The vet tested for salmon poisoning and results showed that she had the flukes that carry the bacteria in her fecal matter. According to Shum, “Ukee spent five days at the emergency vet and has since recovered and returned to her energetic self.”
An avid trout fisherman, Shum said he is diligent in keeping things clean but noted that even the smallest amount of blood or fish slime left on a boot can expose a dog to salmon poisoning.
France’s official stinky spokesman Gerard Dippitydoo (photo Armenian News)
As an American I can only speculate at how bad Europe usually smells in the summer. But, come the beginning of the Summer Olympics, add another half a million people to a country the size of 3 square shaped states and the risk of olfactory assaults rises exponentially.
Then, on top of that, toss in a few thousand athletes wearing nothing but tennis shoes, tank tops and nylon shorts and you’ve got a recipe for fungal disaster.
French Ambassador Pepe Le Pew encouraging French athletes at the Olympics (Warner Bros)
The place is going to smell. But what is one to expect from a country who’s national symbol is a cartoon skunk?
Opening ceremonies will wisely be held on a river so the concentration of stink emanating from the French population mixed with the rest of unhygienic European Union won’t kill birds mid air. There is talk of slowly sinking every athlete-laden barge navigating La Senne so to at least force one bath on everyone before things get real funky.
There has been concerns raised about whether or not the Parisian patisseries can keep up with the demand for croissants and other Pillsbury dough products. Chinese prisons, sorry-factories are working overtime to supply Jerry Lewisville with four inch replicas of that huge elevator in the middle of their town. And while scattered shortages of tchotchke does seem a possibility, The French government has posted assurances online that not one store has run out of deodorant or most toiletries. “Sacre Bleu!” said whoever is sitting on the revolving door of a seat as Prime Minister, “We Frenchies have been doing our part to conserve le no pew pew by not using it and brushing our teeth with brie since we signed the Treaty of Versailles!” He then raised his arms above his head, began shouting “Vive Le…” but stopped short when four visiting journalist from Tokyo succumbed to the overwhelming stench wafting from his mouth and sweat stained armpits.
Now, I’m not saying we Americans don’t have our share of sporting events that smell like the business end of flatulent dog that’s been eating nothing but Oscar Meyer wieners and chili at a fourth of July picnic. We do-it’s called Rodeo. Large groups of sparkling clean people, freshly bathed in the sweet water of liberty, congregate to watch mighty men and women (who by the way could beat the crap out of any Euro) wrestle and ride cattle and horses. And the smell of the road biscuits dropping from the behinds of American raised and fed thoroughbred cows and horses still smells better than anything that ever came out of Belgium-and yes, that include Jean Claude van Damme.
As I think about the dangers that might appear during the Olympics-for one must consider security-I fear most for the poor people that will be seated at the end of each race’s finish line. This is where the athletes always flap their arms and gesticulate their hands high above their heads. I have been given top secret information that every European country’s flags have been doused with Old Spice so as the winner drapes the flag across their shoulders the repulsive aroma of sweat and cheese curds emanating from them will be suppressed and hopefully drift like a giant Air Wick over the pathetic loser who fell behind. Look for record breaking times from American runners that will strain every muscle in their bodies to get upwind of and away from the perspiration puddle running next to them.
I have heard rumors that the Olympic torch is going to be replaced with a candle sponsored by Bath & Body Works; a wise decision sure to cut through the cloud of condensed stink floating above the venue and attract more female viewers.
I also have it on good authority that because of the expected heat during the games that misting stations will be set up around arenas and many cities. Each mister has been set up to dispense Febreze in various delightful fragrances -much to the chagrin of many a European mother who won’t be able to identify their children by smell alone.
News release: July 21-27 is Probation, Parole, and Community Supervision Week in Lincoln County Public invited to July 24 barbecue
July 18, 2024 – The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners proclaimed July 21-27, 2024, to be Probation, Parole, and Community Supervision Week in Lincoln County, recognizing the many contributions of the county’s parole and probation officers, who supervise approximately 450 justice-involved adults and juveniles in our community. These professionals work with the Oregon Department of Corrections and Criminal Justice Commission, Circuit Courts, Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office, mental health providers, substance abuse treatment providers, and other community partners to make referrals and create opportunities for justice-involved individuals that reduce criminal activity and recidivism, as well as make effective use of public resources. According to Lincoln County Community Justice Director Tony Campa, his department’s staff work within Oregon’s changing criminal justice landscape, adapting to legislative and regulatory changes to provide the appropriate level of intervention and behaviorchange services for all their clients. “I greatly admire our staff and their efforts on behalf of the people we serve,” Campa said. Commissioners unanimously approved the Probation, Parole, and Community Supervision Week proclamation during their regular meeting Wednesday, July 17. “I want to recognize our Community Justice team and their partners for leading the way in alternatives to incarceration,” Commission Chair Casey Miller said. “Their dedication to providing accountability as well as access to opportunities has enabled many pathways to a more successful, enriching life for community members involved in the justice system.” To celebrate Probation, Parole, and Community Supervision Week, the public is invited to a barbecue outside the Community Justice office in Newport on Wednesday, July 24. Everyone is welcome to come to 218 W. Olive St. between 11 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to enjoy hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixings. For questions, please contact Public Information Officer Kenneth Lipp at [email protected] or 541-265-4100.
SALEM, Ore. July 17, 2024 – Oregon House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) and Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) today called on Gov. Tina Kotek to remove Cass McLeod-Skinner from her position as director for the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners over her amplification of comments supporting the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
McLeod-Skinner reposted a social media post that expressed disappointment that the shooter had not succeeded in murdering the former president and current Republican nominee for President of the United States.
Helfrich and Bonham said the following: “Political violence has no place in American politics. Certainly, those who believe that it does should not be in positions of authority in Oregon state government. With her amplification of pro-assassination messages, Cass McLeod-Skinner has demonstrated that she is unfit for the position she holds with the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Gov. Kotek rightly denounced violence in the aftermath of the shooting, and now she has an opportunity to put her words into action by removing McLeod-Skinner from her position to signal that such dangerous rhetoric is unacceptable.” You can find a copy of a letter Republican Leadership sent Governor Kotek here.
It was a weekend for counterfeit bills to visit Lincoln City. The Lincoln City Police Department (LCPD) reported three separate instances of fake $100, $5 and $1 bills used or attempted to be used at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort on Sunday July 14. According to reports no arrests were made nor suspects noted.
On Friday 12 a counterfeit bill was intercepted at O’Reilly’s Auto Parts. Though an involved subject was noted, no arrest was made or citation issued.
The Lincoln City Police Department encourages citizens and business to be sure to take the time to examine the currency they receive, especially larger denomination bills to be sure they are real US currency and to contact the local law enforcement agency immediately if they receive any suspected counterfeit currency. Information regarding counterfeit currency and how to spot it is available at the police department free of charge.
Donald Trump escorted by Secret Service agents(photo WP)
(Miriam-Webster’s dictionary)
assassination noun 1: murder by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons : the act or an instance of assassinating someone (such as a prominent political leader)
2: treacherous destruction of a person’s reputation character assassination
Saturday June 13th found me taking a breather from some weekend chores around our house. Normally, I park my cell phone on its charger and studiously avoid news and most entertainment channels on the television. This is my land, my castle, my sanctuary and I don’t lightly invite strangers in-especially strangers that want to lie to me, depress me or attack the things that I believe in. Such is current popular culture, network news and the hurricane of voices on the internet.
As I took a moment to appreciate the cleanliness and order of the refrigerator something prompted me to pick up my phone and open the “X” app. Posts were flowing in like an avalanche speeding down a mountainside. Post after post were showing a photo of Donald Trump, blood trickling from his ear down his cheek and onto his lips. Each post had a variation on the news that he had been shot or shot at. The news was just breaking and no facts were available for confirmation except that everyone posting from the event or being interviewed on site agreed that shots had been fired at the former president’s campaign rally.
As the proverbial dust began to settle and order returned from chaos, the horror of the moment was beginning to be realized; someone tried to kill Donald Trump. That person was dead on a roof 130 yards away.
A rallygoer in the bleachers behind the speaker’s podium was dead. Two other people in the bleachers had been wounded. An emergency room doctor on scene, his white t-shirt soaked with blood and perspiration described, on camera, to a reporter how he tried to save the man that died.
So many thoughts rush through my mind at these moments of unfathomable evil. And, oddly, they usually begin with asking myself; “When did this first seem like a good idea to this person (the perpetrator)?”
I recall my stint in rehab and a point brought up by a psychologist who shared with us the cycle of use of an addict. He said (paraphrasing) “Everything begins with a decision and is followed by planning.” For alcoholics like me that hit home. Drinking always involved the decision to drink on any particular day and ended with a plan to make it happen.
The same thing happened with the the assassin. For whatever reason-under whatever influence-he made a decision to shoot Donald Trump dead. The last days of his short life were consumed with planning.
“Similar to patients with orbitofrontal cortex lesions, substance dependent individuals (SDI) show signs of impairments in decision-making, characterized by a tendency to choose the immediate reward at the expense of severe negative future consequences… One of the important characteristics of human drug addiction is the continuous consumption of abused substances, despite a rise in negative consequences, including medical, social and legal problems.”
What substance was the shooter abusing? That is not known. What can be clearly extrapolated is that he was consuming something-whether drugs, alcohol or ideas that filled his brain with the notion that killing Donald Trump would solve his problems.
He was, like all addicts, consuming a product that was torturing him and seeking a way to ease the self induced pain.
According to a paper titled, “American Presidential assassins and would-be assassins by S. Cain published in PubMed, “…revealed substantial evidence to suggest that most U.S. assassins have been psychotic at the time they attempted to kill their victims and that the most frequently rendered diagnosis was ‘paranoid schizophrenia’. It was also reported that many of the assassin subjects had either sent threatening correspondence to their victims prior to the assassination attempt or had recanted the justifiable nature of their ‘heroic deed’ in letters or personal diaries which were recovered shortly after the assault.”
If, indeed, the shooter is found to have been a paranoid schizophrenic but free from chemical substance abuse he surely was a consumer of ideas that made him believe that the death of a complete stranger would quell the demons in his mind.
From WebMd, “Schizophrenia is the most common example of this mental illness. It is a kind of psychosis, which means your mind doesn’t agree with reality. It affects how you think and behave. This can show up in different ways and at different times, even in the same person. The illness usually starts in late adolescence or young adulthood.”
I keep returning to what the shooter’s mental diet consisted of. Was it a steady diet of character assassination in print and broadcast form? Because of this moment I recalled old friends who no longer will speak to me because I voted for Trump. In fact they wouldn’t visit our mutual dying friend or attend his funeral because he also voted for Trump. Their derangement is nearly inexplicable except that they were huge consumers of left wing media and found soul mates for their failures in life. Like the Nazis and modern day Iranians it’s easier to have a pretend enemy in Jews instead of facing their own shortcomings and working to improve them.
I mentioned earlier I’m very protective of what enters both my home and my mind. There was a time when I was mentally unstable due to alcohol consumption and the loneliness that it brings along with it as a playmate. I knew paranoia and delusion and I was open to nearly any kind of stupidity that wafted into my brain. Fortunately, violence against someone else was never an option. I physically only punished myself-but by extension punished my family and friends.
My deluded mind that said I was fine did not agree with the reality that I wasn’t.
So the question begs, what rot was filling this 20 year old mind? What images of Donald Trump had he conjured because of the media he was consuming? How great a threat was Trump to him and how heroic a figure would he have been (in his own mind) if he had succeeded?
It’s clear that the man was not an acquaintance of Trump’s. He had no personal interaction with the former president so he really did not know him. Rather he formulated an opinion based on the thoughts of others. He necessarily had reinforced his hate on a steady consumption of opinions that lead him to believe that Donald Trump posed a large enough threat that he needed to die.
New Republic cover with Trump mirroring Hitler.
Bottom line: Donald Trump lives on. A brave firefighter named Corey Comperatore, by the act of protecting his family, is dead. A sad, sick and confused young man is dead.
The Holy Bible says in the book of James Chapter three paragraph 16 through 18:
” For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
My prayer is that good fruits will come of this tragedy and the voices of hate that poison young minds will find peace.
The Siletz Bay Music Festival has named Sue Parks-Hilden as their 2024 Dick Hyman For Love of Music Award honoree and will present the award at the festival’s August 23 benefit event at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort.
The Dick Hyman Award is presented annually to a festival supporter who personifies the love, enthusiasm and exuberance that Dick Hyman brings to his playing. Hyman is a national endowment of the arts jazz master fellow, an Emmy and ASCAP Award winning pianist, composer and arranger, and was a mainstay of the Siletz Bay Music Festival from its inception until his retirement in 2018.
Sue Parks-Hilden helped found and shape the Siletz Bay Music Festival with the late Artistic Director, Yaki Bergman. She served as the organization’s first Executive Director, and has participated as a board member, board chair and currently, as advisor to the board. She has also been active in many Lincoln County initiatives and organizations and has lent her support and advocacy to Family Promise and to the children of Lincoln County’s public schools.
Portland-based dance party band, ironically named “Mr. Vale’s Math Class” will help animate the dance floor at the event. With notes of funk, Latin beats, saxophones, trumpets, bells, and catchy cheers, the band’s music adds up to a fun musical experience for both toe-tapping at the table or dancing on the floor. The band’s exuberant performances have earned accolades from Portland press, which hailed them as “Most fun band in Portland right now.”
The August 23 event is billed as a “low-key fundraiser.” Although donations will be gratefully accepted, there’ll be no auction, no paddle raise, no pressure.
Tickets for this year’s benefit dinner are $85 and are available, along with all other festival events, at siletzbaymusic.org.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will join Union Pacific Railroad, The Portland Board of Transportation (PBOT), Metro, TriMet and Multnomah County in the coordinated corridor cleanup from I-5 to I-205.
PORTLAND — Five miles of Interstate 84 will close in both directions to rail and highway traffic overnight from 11 p.m. Saturday, July 13 to noon Sunday, July 14 for graffiti cleaning and trash removal between I-5 and I-205.
In addition to the I-84 closure in Sullivan’s Gulch, northbound Interstate 5 will be closed over the Marquam Bridge with traffic diverted onto northbound Interstate 405. Crews will take advantage of the overnight closure to carry out bridge maintenance activities. The Morrison Bridge and North Weidler Street ramps to northbound I-5 will remain open.
The coordinated effort by six agencies — ODOT, Union Pacific Railroad, TriMet, the Portland Bureau of Transportation, Metro and Multnomah County — will target one of the most visible parts of the Portland area and an area particularly hard hit by graffiti and trash.
Upwards of 100 workers from the six agencies will join private contractors to remove trash and clean graffiti along the corridor, working from west to east. All on-ramps leading to I-84 will be closed as well.
For real time traffic information during the closure, go to TripCheck.com. This work is weather dependent and the schedule may change.
As a detour, motorists should use I-205 or local roads to bypass the overnight closure. Travelers should plan ahead and expect delays in the area.
During the closure, Union Pacific may need to run a train on occasion through their corridor.
TriMet may need a couple of hours to resume MAX service once I-84 has reopened as crews will need to reenergize the system.
You can sign up now for service alerts to arrive by email or text by going to trimet.org/emailupdates.
All highway lanes will reopen by noon Sunday, July 14. MAX Blue, Green and Red Line trains will also be disrupted during the closure between the Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center and NE 7th Ave to allow crews to access the right of way. Shuttle buses will serve closed stations during the disruption.
News release-
So, this time, rather than just accepting the Cliffs Notes interpretation of Project 2025 produced by DF (headed by Marc Elias who helped create proven hoaxes such as the Steele Dossier, Russiagate, etc.), I decided to dig a little deeper and find a copy of the original document.
News release: July 21-27 is Probation, Parole, and Community Supervision Week in Lincoln County
It was a weekend for counterfeit bills to visit Lincoln City. The Lincoln City Police Department (LCPD) reported three separate instances of fake $100, $5 and $1 bills used or attempted to be used at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort on Sunday July 14. According to reports no arrests were made nor suspects noted.
