Travel is one of the activities that gives me an expanded context and frame of reference for my life. Nothing in my experience has amazed me as much as my recent trip to Egypt and the Nile. About 96% of Egypt’s total area is desert. The Nile River, which starts[Read More…]

The second annual Harvest Fair Saturday was a blast. If you missed it, put it on your calendar for next year.Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and our fundamental right and responsibility. Tuesday, Nov. 8 is Election Day. There are state, county and city issues in this election that[Read More…]

I just returned from the League of Oregon Cities 97th annual conference in Bend. Councilor Jean Ann Miles also attended. The conference was jam packed with attendees, workshops and meetings. Some of the highlights for me, in addition to connections made with other city leaders, were workshops on: combating the[Read More…]

I am back from an amazing trip to Fairbanks, AK. Did you catch my mistake in the last letter that said I would be back in November? Wishful thinking? Visiting Alaska, the 49th state of the Union is a worthwhile experience. After many late nights watching the sky, we finally[Read More…]

Here are some of the things that keep our Public Works Department busy.There was a walk through with Copeland and Civil West on the new ADA ramps being installed. Unfortunately, not all the panels and approaches met ADA standards. ADA requires very specific slopes to be consistent from end to[Read More…]

I get a lot of questions about what is happening with the Junction Inn. This is the current update. First keep in mind that this has been and will remain a slow process. As frustrating and slowly this has moved along, courts do not hastily make decisions when it comes[Read More…]

I hope you had an opportunity to participate in some way in the IV Lions Club Labor Day festivities. It has been a while since there was an “all out” event in Jubilee Park. Thank you to all the organizations and individuals who made it happen. It was my first[Read More…]

I wasn’t sure what to write about this week. Then just when I was feeling overconfident that we would get through the summer season without a wildfire or much smoke, the Rum Creek Fire expanded, and the wind conspired to slam the Illinois Valley. My heart aches for the land,[Read More…]

I recently attended the 2022 Oregon Mayors Association Conference in Newport. The cooler weather was appreciated, and it was energizing being with over 100 mayors from around the state. Some of the sessions I attended included: social media networking, barriers to serving as a local government leader, financing city programs[Read More…]

I spent last weekend in northern California at a yearly “family” reunion. This was not a biological family, but rather a family of friends, fondly named the “logical family.” Like many families it has been three years since we gathered. It was a wonderful time to have great conversations and[Read More…]