Philomath fire Old Mill burnt down Chapel Rd.

click on photo to enlarge

Scecret entrance to Cape Arago Lighthouse

As you head south on Cape Arago Highway towards Sunset beach look to the right for a sign that says Lighthouse Rd. You will see a private drive only for the few residents that own homes there. The sign above that says no access to Lighthouse is also displayed on Lighthouse Rd. continue past the road and pull over along side the road. The property is not maintained and can be maneuvered through by falling trails that are embedded in the landscape from wildlife. Walk towards the ocean and along side the private property behind Lighthouse rd. eventually you will arrive on a road that is closed off with a chain seperating the residential area from the closed lighthouse property.

"Long before white settlers arrived in 1853, the Coos Indians lived in villages near the bay, which now bears their name. Just south of Coos Bay and 2.5 miles north of Cape Arago (originally known as Cape Gregory), is a small, detached piece of land with sheer cliffs called Chief's Island by the Indians. The shape of the island has been aptly described as a bony right-hand fist, with an extended index finger pointing northward. It was on the tip of this finger-like extension that the first Cape Arago Lighthouse would be erected in 1866."(lighthouse friends, par.1)

Update in my neighborhood

I had some time to look through my photos and crop them today. I believe this variety is much better then my first presentation of my neighborhood in Philomath. Now you get a better perspective of the town as a whole.

Top left: The local Dairy Queen at the corner has been here since around 1967 or 1968 when it was listed in the local phone book ,said Mary Gallagher with the Philomath Museum.

Top right: Philomath Museum; Historical landmark and first chartered University in Oregon.

Middle Left: Dave Campbell (owner of the Java Connection) making coffee for brothers Dennis and Fred Farris: Bottom left.

Middle right: Local Police keeping our community safe.

Bottom right: Walk and bike safty group from Clemens Primary School led by Sonlla Heern.

Center: Greengable Farm

Resource Fair at LBCC

Double click on picture and it will expand in size

Students gathered Wednesday, May 20, in the center of LBCC to exchange information with many groups represented at LBCC.

Top second and fourth: pictures are representatives for a sustainability group that is just getting started.
Top third: Recycling tech.
Top fifth: Overview
Center Left: We were fortunate to have Jamba Juice representation.
Center Right: Nick Bowman (student body president), Stephen Roderick (Former Student Programming Board member ), Jesus Alcaras (SPB publicity coordinate), Jessica Van Atta
(student ambassador)
Bottom Center: Caleb Doner, Phi Theta Kappa member.

LAYOFFS AT LBCC HEARTFELT

Because of lay-offs at The Commons cafeteria at Linn Benton Community College several faces of people we have come to know will no longer be seen.

After 23 years of service Janet Jones is one of those faces at LBCC cafeteria. With a smile on her face and tears in her eyes Jones checks out each patron at the cash register.

“I’m worried I could lose 50 percent of my PERS retirement, approximately $50,000 if I'm unable to find another job with PERS benefits. There is a stimulus package available to help with 65 percent of the monthly payment for my family health insurance for nine months. My cost is $365.60 and my unemployment doesn’t kick in until September."

Jones is one of several employees impacted by cutbacks in the college's funding. Some of them will be finishing their service at the end of spring term.

"I have given my heart to this program.” Jones said. “ I am not the only person you should be talking to, there are several other people that are being laid off and having a more difficult time, like Ramone. He has seven children.”

How difficult it must be to still have your job and watch your co-workers lose their jobs. “Nobody feels safe. I feel bad about the loss; it’s kind of like a sudden death,” Pam Adams said.

Ramone Pena said, “I was looking forward to starting my 11th year at LBCC. I had a management position and I was shocked when I found out I am going to be laid off at the end of this term. I thought at the minimum another job would be offered.”

"I feel numb. I just want to be strong for my kids. I have seven children, six adopted and one child we have legal guardianship. They are between the ages of four and 11 years old and one is a special needs child. I am fortunate to have the support of my wife, a natural grandparent of one of the adopted kids that helps as well as an aunt and uncle that watch our special needs child once a week to give us a break,” said Pena.

“Maybe I’ll go back to school. I really do not know what is available out there yet. We are supposed to get some information to help us from the school in a couple of weeks. I cannot give up, I have to stay strong for my kids,” said Pena.

LBCC has an expected $2.6 million in shortfalls, said Marlene Propst, director of College Advancement.

Anyone looking for more information to understand what LBCC is being faced with financially can visit the LBCC Web site. (Click on college address video.)

Baseball at LBCC Last Home Game

Click and go to the Portland Zoo

Walk & Bike Safety

The grant for School in Routes program SIRP was initiated after couplet created a unsafe environment for children to walk to school and paves the way for infrastructure improvement.


SIRP components:

Objective #1 SIRP is to increase safety awareness among young children. To encourage a healthy lifestyle in walking and biking and teach safety empowerment benefiting the whole community.
Objective #2 Infrastructure Projects:
Covered bike area at schools. Installing traffic slowing devices on 19th street.
Building a bike path that connects to the school is the final phase and is seeking funding

SIRP pilot project has been operating for one and a half weeks and has another one and a half weeks to go. Focused on providing safety walks with all first graders at Clemens Primary.

Collegiate Day

May 8
Eleven universities were represented from around Oregon at the Oregon Newspapers Foundation Collegiate Day. The conference was held in the Memorial Union building on The Oregon State University campus. Students representing Linn Benton Community Colleges newspaper The Commuter are seen in this photo.

There were two session and four topics to choose from .

Design: Lisa Cowen, from the Oregonian
Internships: Bill Morrill, from The University of Oregon
Pete Peterson, from UO school of Journalism and Communication
Online Journalism: Greg Dewar, Moderator from The Commuter LBCC
Panilists: Pam Cytrybaum, from OSU
Dan Shryock, from the New Register
Kevin Hardin, from the Pamplin Media Group
Open session/meetings & Legal/Ethics
Judson Randall, from PSU
Duane Bosworth, from David Wright Tremaine lawfirm
Sports Writing: Jim Walker, News-Register

Advisor Rountable

Contest and Awards Luncheon Presenter: Martha Wells, President, ONPA

Several awards were given to Staff on The Commuter.

My Neighborhood

Photo credits: Lillian Love

Sonlla Heern in charge of the walk and bike safety program accompanies students at the elementary school in Philomath taken May 7 . In the center is the historical Philomath College Museum. Portrait of Dave Campbell owner Java Connection .Campbell serves patron Dennis Farris .

Same Sex Marriage Approved

May 6 Governor John Baldacci signed a bill making Maine the fifth state to allow same sex marriage.
I think it is interesting that the governor does not see this as a marriage but as a civil union.
He speaks about fairness and equal protection regarding the law. It is our constitutional right to live a life where "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech."

Are not the religious entities the people that appose same sex marriage?
I pose this question what is marriage?

My definition of marriage is is a contract between two individuals that unites their lives legally, economically and emotionally.
Marriage gives legitimacy to their sexual relationship .
Does this definition conflict with what the Constitution says. I say no!


http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=254850&ac=PHnws

Baldacci said in a statement that while he has opposed gay marriage in the past, “I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage.
“This new law does not force any religion to recognize a marriage that falls outside of its beliefs," the governor said. "It does not require the church to perform any ceremony with which it disagrees. Instead, it reaffirms the separation of church and state.
“It guarantees that Maine citizens will be treated equally under Maine’s civil marriage laws, and that is the responsibility of government," Baldacci said.

WHAT'S NEXT

Gay-marriage opponents have promised to organize a people’s veto campaign that would put the issue to a statewide vote in November. To do this, opponents would have to gather 55,087 signatures within 90 days after the adjournment of the Legislature, expected to occur in mid-June. The law would then be put on hold until after the vote on Election Day.

Greengables

http://www.greengable.com/

A close up of a tulip. Photo taken by Lillian Love
Nice contrast and cropping.
April 2009 at the Greengable Gardens on Grange Hall Road in Philomath by Lillian Love
Old abandoned greenhouse. I love the shadows and the contrast.