Jeb Bladine: The PERS question: Asked and answered
Seventeen years ago in this space, I posed a question: “How long will Oregonians accept the excessive cost of the Public Employees Retirement System, which produces benefits that far outstrip those ...
Dave Robinson: Principles of disaster prep
Call them core values, immutable truths or life rules; I feel one must form his or her own personal “prepper philosophy.” The following 10 principles I’ve developed are a work in progress. ...
Jeb Bladine: Congress dives into drug-cost scandals
Nationwide scandals about rising drug costs are unfolding in two congressional hearings this week. Wednesday, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs began inquiry into profiteering charges involving ...
Nick Walton: The power of the Schnecken
We produce a product not necessary for the sustenance of human life. That was the realization I had, sitting on the floor of our kitchen, crying with my wife one night the first winter our coffeehouse ...
Jeb Bladine: Minimum wage? How about reducing COL?
Liberal politicians, union interests and many well-intended citizens want Oregon’s minimum wage raised by 50-60 percent. Like so much political noise, however, it’s a proposal made behind blinders ...
Seamus McCarthy: Transformative wellbeing
“Pain is different for each person.” Sadly, Chris Trunde knows the subject well, from personal experience. From a childhood automobile accident, from arthritis and from his 48 years of living, ...
Jeb Bladine: Palin re-emerges as a newsmaker
Regrettably, Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Donald Trump was big news this week. New York Times reporters Alan Rappeport and Maggie Haberman, dripping with etiquette, portrayed Palin as a political ...
Tom Hastings: Cruzing for love
“We will carpet-bomb them into oblivion. I don’t know if sand can glow in the dark, but we’re going to find out!” — Ted “Aspirational War Criminal” Cruz OK, carpet ...
Michael Crabtree: A healthier Miller Woods
The Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District (district) completed a much needed thinning project at our Miller Woods property last summer. Managing a forest for the overall health of the trees, understory ...
Jeb Bladine: Attention spans continue to shrink
If one thing is clear — and I’m not sure anything truly is clear these days — it’s that our attention spans have grown dangerously short. Some blame 24/7 news programming, while ...
Kathy Beckwith - Breaking the habit of war
Have people given up on “Peace on Earth?” When January rolls around, do we pack the words away with the decorations for another year, and assume it’s a nice, but unlikely, concept? Perhaps ...
Jeb Bladine: By all means, don't tamper with the 2nd
Although I prefer congressional legislation to unilateral executive decree, I understand President Obama’s frustration. Despite the ongoing slaughter, Congress refuses any common sense action seeking ...
Ellie Gunn: Building community one block at a time
Last summer I was alone most of the time as my husband was on a long distance hike on the Pacific Northwest Trail. My neighbors helped me with various garden chores, and I only had to text someone if I ...
Jeb Bladine: Smallest stories can be the biggest
It’s time again to look back on the year’s news and remember some high profile stories. Sometimes, however, the biggest stories are the smallest. It’s hard to argue with various selections ...
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
[Much of the holiday season traditions are repeated each year, from watching favorite movies to singing timeless carols. In the newspaper industry, there is no tradition that can hold a candle to that ...
