Richard Chambers: Father of the Bottle Bill

My home state of Oregon just celebrated its 160th birthday this month, while also receiving an A+ in a subject that helps to define the character and culture of this beautiful land: recycling. A report issued earlier this month indicated that in 2018, 90 percent of all cans and bottles sold in Oregon were returned […]

Simon Benson, the Man Behind Multnomah Falls.

Today is the 102nd anniversary of the Dedication of Multnomah Falls. They are the second highest waterfalls in North America, and are visited by two million people a year. We collectively breathed a huge sigh of relief this week as the falls area, and historic lodge were saved by the brave and hardworking firefighters. […]

The Man Who Bombed Oregon, and an Incredible Story of Redemption

75 years ago today, during World War Two, a Japanese plane dropped two incendiary bombs near Brookings, Oregon. It is the only time that a foreign adversary bombed the mainland of the United States during wartime. The plane had taken off from a submarine parked off the coast of southern Oregon that no American even […]

The Painful Lessons of the Eagle Creek Fire

Outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers in the Pacific Northwest wander in a collectively misty eyed daze today. Their playground, cathedral, and the pallet on which the artist many call “God” performed some of his his best work is gone. It has all been savagely and suddenly taken, never to be replaced in any of our […]

Vortex One: When Oregon Hosted The Only State Sponsored Music Festival In American History, and Provided a Story of Leadership.

Wild, weird…….and smart. 47 years ago this week, Oregon hosted the only state sponsored rock music festival in American history: “Vortex One”. The story is one of bold, creative, problem solving by then Governor Tom McCall, some young hippies, and other government officials. The summer of 1970 was a tense one across America. Protests over […]