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D O T Y B L O G
Fair and Balanced Discussion from Southern Oregon
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Infrastructure
Many academic and professional groups have for many years produced countless reports on mounting unpaid public costs for updating our crucial physical infrastructure, including bridges, but going way beyond those to, for example, roads, water and sewer systems, tunnels and much more. Make no mistake: The deeply researched and totally supported case for a massive national infrastructure spending program could not have been clearer. But spending on infrastructure is not sexy and politicians at ALL levels of government have found countless excuses for not facing the totality of the problem. Instead, public spending is dribbled out, dealing with the most urgent problems or, worse yet, the ones that are the most visible to the public. But unaddressed are massive numbers of problems, such as the Minneapolis bridge and thousands more bridges, that our bureaucratic system has learned to game, postpone, rationalize and, therefore, put the public safety at considerable risk.
Oregon has MANY bridges, not to mention tunnels, dams, rail, water treatment, and other public works projects that are approaching a point in their lifespan where they need to be evaluated or already have been. Oregon is also one of the states where the anti-tax movement has a foothold. That is a problem pairing of circumstances that must be addressed or the tragedy of the Twin Cities will been seen somewhere in this state.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
The 2008 Races have begun...
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Medical Update - my father
This time, it was a head impact and he has a sizable amount of blood pressing on his brain. And there isn't much we can do about it now.
[Update - 08 Jul] Dad passed away this morning at about 5:20. Mom and I were with him and it was a peaceful end.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Trib Misses the Point...
After a year without steadfast leadership, North Medford High School is slated to get a new principal next school year.So yes, we are looking for a principal, but not, as Ms Achen asserts, becasue the one we have is somehow lacking... It is because the one we have isn't an option. Ron Williams took an interim post in June following the departure of Doug Mackenzie. Some would phrase that departure as a loss, some would not, so part of Achen premise of a sudden void of steadfast leadership is already a debatable point. But as the body of the article unfolds, we see Achen isn't perhaps going to the most reliable source. Not that talking to students isn't a valid way yot get a read on a school, but when the quotes come from sophomores and freshmen, the ability to present valid comparisons and contrasts of a previous administration and a current one is seriously in doubt.
I've only been there only two years myself, but I get a very sound sense that the current staff would NOT object to the continued service of Mr. Williams. But such a committment was never in the cards and a job search was fated from the get go.
But the leadership point aside, the remainder of the article seems to be a have/have not comparison between North and South Medford High and shines the light pretty soundly on South as a success and North as not. The 1st and 2nd year students interviewed point to school spirit and sports success, though seem to have not noticed the comaprative success of North's soccer, girls' hoops, baseball, tennis, track, and football teams, leaving the Panther state hoops title as the be-all and end-all.
Achen fails to point out the tremendous success of North's performing arts - district band and choir triumphs, a huge surge in interest in drama and triumphant performances in SIX full length productions on North's two stages this year. Achen fails to address much. I could go on. And on. One of our students did, and since her letter is likely too long to appear in the Trib as a rebuttal, I will ask permission to post it here.
North has much in need of addressing and it will be part of the new principal's job to do so. But it had much MORE in need of addressing in the year that is wrapping up and much of it has been dealt with by a very well-regarded interim principal and an energized team of deputies in the form of our trio of vice principals.
I suppose that Achen didn't approach teachers because she didn't think we'd really talk frankly - sugar coating the bad, spinning, etc... because that's what everyone does, right? Maybe this is one more case of only reporting the bad things and not getting the good news out there. Whatever it is, it missed the mark, and the opening sentence is a unjust and unwarranted blow aimed at a man who stepped into an unexpected void and filled it quite capably and to the appreciation on nearly everyone involved.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Help raise funds - thru May 31
Monday, December 25, 2006
Merry Christmas, from St Paul, MN
Watchin' football and eatin' turkey. It doesn't get much better than this!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
More sooner than expected
It's been a very busy few months - three full length plays produced at NMHS already and I've also been functioning without a kitchen since June (remodeling and going slower than I thought I would). But THAT has an end in sight... probably have an electrical inspection by the end of the week and have at least a functional kitchen space by the end of the weekend (though not all the cabinetry will be in place). I CAN'T WAIT. Took advantage of the Sears deferred interest program for Kenmore appliances and upgraded to far more energy efficient range and fridge. Am looking into what I can do to augment my hot water and other electrical demands via solar, as we get a lot of good exposure days on this lot.
Took out the diseased plum tree from the curbside and will be replacing it with two flowering ornamental trees...probably cherries or plums.
Am REALLY looking forward to the concept phase of the new school project at North. Have a lot of ideas concerning the theater and can't wait to get some of them on the table - performing arts could really be a flagship program for the Black Tornado, choral, instrumental, and dramatic efforts are all amazing to be part of.
The current crop of movies has escaped my notice, thus far (busy with wrapping up both Dream and the kitchen), but I expect to catch up during the holiday - look for film review posts during my time in Minnesota with Jen. Also good TV - I've been keeping up with Heroes, Galactica, Studio 60, and Without a Trace this year - everything else is on when I don't have time to watch...and much is worth missing. I'll probably start some open comment threads on programs that seem particularly relevent (Galactica has a good history for that - not sure how this season is going to shake out as political allegory, but I can't imagine it won't tread down some very thought-provoking paths).
More later!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Bond Passes, "Dream" closes, and other news
We closed Midsummer Night's Dream the weekend before T-giving, and thus completed our third full-length production this year, already equalling the full year output of recent seasons. Antigone (Feb) will be our fourth and match last season's total. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Mar) will give us a record season, and we will still have Seussical (Apr) coming. Busy year for NMHS Theater. Next season, we are already lining up The Fantastiks for the workshop piece to launch the year, with a comedy in th Fall, something older in Feb and hopes for the vocal talents to tackle Pirates of Penzance come spring. Looking hard at what we might need to do in line of alternate facilities, should construction eat into our production calendar.
Finally, Parkinson's has been getting a lot of press in the aftermath of Limbaugh's digs at Michael J Fox. My dad fell again in early November and his mobility continues to be greatly impaired. He's been living here in Medford since August - we moved him over from Bandon to keep him closer to me, as well as Mom, who has also moved back to the valley.
That's the sporadic update for now. I'll be back in early 2007.