“We did not come here from some other country like the white men did. We have always been here. Nature placed us in our lands.” — Yellow Wolf, Nez Perce The original people of North America are known to have been here for the past 19,000 years or more. Their[Read More…]
Author: Jim Parr
Remember when
Remember when the usual conversation of America was about family, kids, school, careers, concern for others, community, hard work, and, in general, the pursuit of happiness? Now it seems that the topic of American conversation is politics. The problem with politics is politics. Especially party line politics because it exaggerates,[Read More…]
Climate change in Keizer?
Have you noticed that March, and so far April, weather has been noticeably cool? Daily average temperatures are running about five degrees below normal and the early morning hour temperatures have been closer to eight degrees below average. Numerous low temperature records have been broken around the area over the[Read More…]
LETTER: Power lines down
Last week’s wind storm left a few Keizer neighborhoods without power for the better part of two nights and days, long enough to get one’s attention. After a few days and nights without power, you begin to adapt. Projects and chores that require light have to get done before sunset. You[Read More…]
LETTER: Columbia crossing
To the Editor: A new bridge over the Columbia River is back on the radar screen of both the Oregon and Washington legislatures. Why should this matter to Keizer residents? Mostly because the tax payers will have to pay for the new bridge Presently, there isn’t enough money available to replace the[Read More…]
Is Claggett Creek in trouble?
With the continued dry weather and back-to-back very dry years, you may be wondering “what keeps Claggett Creek flowing this time of year”? If you take a look at the creek now you will notice that there is presently very little flow. You will also notice extensive growth of stream side[Read More…]
Letter: Natural laws
To the Editor: There is a force, a law, that exists throughout the universe. It is constant and unrelenting. It is Entropy. Some of its pathways include corrosion, decomposition, decay, radiation, erosion, gravity and chaos. Entropy serves to reduce and return higher forms of energy to the lowest form of energy. For example,[Read More…]
Will Oregon Shrink?
How does this sound: Coos Bay-Idaho, Crater Lake-Idaho, Medford-Idaho, Redmond-Idaho, Baker City-Idaho, Burns-Idaho, etc. Some of the residents of southwest, central and eastern Oregon, approximately three-fourths of the state, want to become part of a greatly expanded state of Idaho. Should it become partially or totally true, what could be left of[Read More…]
Letter: What can we do?
To the Editor: The Trump Administration is rolling back environmental programs and safeguards on a fairly regular basis. Our state legislature could step in to manage and oversee the voids that are being created by the roll backs. But if there isn’t the political will, interest, and money to do[Read More…]
LETTER: Bring cursive back to schools
To the Editor: A growing number (at last count about 17) of state legislatures, including New Jersey, Illinois, Texas and California are planning to bring back cursive reading and writing to elementary second and third grade school curricula. State leaders are realizing that by not teaching cursive since about 2010, a[Read More…]