Pictured: The rear entrance of the Independence Civic Center leading to the event center, where many of the budget meetings have been held; Inset: screen shot of The Independence Hotel’s Ginger Melton (photo: city Youtube).
Budget committee struggles with funding slash for Indy Days in 2026
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 9, 2025
Independence budget committee members seemed to be aware at their Wednesday meeting that the axe was going to fall hard on the Fourth of July in 2026 – and, when it did, their vote left zero dollars for city allocation of Indy Days.
Proposed actions to put dollars in a “place holder” fund for next year – by taking money from either the contingency fund or the economic development-loan fund – failed. “I urge that we do this,” said City Councilor Dawn Roden before making a motion to set aside $100,000 from the contingency fund – a motion that was defeated.
The “no” vote followed a warning by City Manager Kenna West about the city’s financial status.
“We have a fiscal deficit coming,” West said. “We have a cliff; We have a precipice.” She’d have to “shut things down” if the budget committee put her in a position too financially precarious for fixing emergencies, she said.
Two budget committee members, Alex Paraskevas and Bill Boisvert, had voiced support for a scaled-down version of Independence Days with far less need of city staff – and City Recorder Myra Russell confirmed down-sizing would require less revenue.
In fact, a more modest proposal for Indy Days was recommended last week by Brew & Tap’s co-owner Mitch Teal, in public testimony to the committee. On Wednesday, the same concept was advocated by Ginger Melton, sales director of The Independence Hotel.
Melton, who also took the public podium, expressed worry that if the city exited Indy Days entirely, it could have sad consequences. “What if no other organizations carry on with this event? Does the excitement over Independence just fade away like other small towns?”
Her coauthor on those comments, the hotel’s general manager, Joey Jones, didn’t speak at the microphone. But she conveyed her deep disappointment following the vote.
“I am disappointed that the entirety of the board didn’t see the value this brings to the community,” Jones said. Early on, meetings with downtown merchants, non-profit groups and interested citizens should have been held, or at the very least notified, instead of “me learning about this second-hand,” she said.
Although the city posted a message on Thursday stating that just such a summit had happened, including a digital survey, several residents said they never saw anything targeted to alternatives for Independence Days, any outreach seeking ideas or solutions.
Outside the meeting, budget committee member Dana Sharman, a longtime resident, stressed that in the not-too-distant past Independence Days was a largely volunteer-run event, backed by the city. It’s only been in the past few years, that a city staffer, with the title, downtown manager, had taken it over. That downtown-manager position is being vacated in August, and it will be left unfilled, according to West.
At the meeting, City Councilor Marilyn Morton emphasized that it appears no local group will be stepping in soon to take over. Neither the Independence Downtown Association nor the Monmouth Independence Chamber of Commerce seemed prepared to do so. The M-I chamber board voted down the idea, she said.
Morton predicted the event will become an “amalgam” of efforts “to make it happen.” Traditionally, Independence Days has included family activities, music, food and drink vendors, and of course, fireworks. (Photo credit: City Independence Days website)
The 4th of July Parade isn’t affected by the current budget discussions – the project is carried out by Rotary Club annually.
Two committee members, Erin Seiler and Jesica Porter, pointed out that the city's financial squeeze was impacting the museum and library. The already under-funded budget is necessitating the planned sale of a park and the museum building, the proposed consolidation of museum operations into the library, and a reduction in library operations, among other city belt-tightening.
These proposed cuts may be on the agenda this coming Wednesday, as the budget committee convenes again to discuss how to adjust a budget affected by a reported shortfall of more than $750,000. The shortfall was explained in the question-and-answer information posted on the city’s Facebook Page; It was attributed to inflation and personnel costs. ▪
Budget committee struggles with funding slash for Indy Days in 2026
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 9, 2025
Independence budget committee members seemed to be aware at their Wednesday meeting that the axe was going to fall hard on the Fourth of July in 2026 – and, when it did, their vote left zero dollars for city allocation of Indy Days.
Proposed actions to put dollars in a “place holder” fund for next year – by taking money from either the contingency fund or the economic development-loan fund – failed. “I urge that we do this,” said City Councilor Dawn Roden before making a motion to set aside $100,000 from the contingency fund – a motion that was defeated.
The “no” vote followed a warning by City Manager Kenna West about the city’s financial status.
“We have a fiscal deficit coming,” West said. “We have a cliff; We have a precipice.” She’d have to “shut things down” if the budget committee put her in a position too financially precarious for fixing emergencies, she said.
Two budget committee members, Alex Paraskevas and Bill Boisvert, had voiced support for a scaled-down version of Independence Days with far less need of city staff – and City Recorder Myra Russell confirmed down-sizing would require less revenue.
In fact, a more modest proposal for Indy Days was recommended last week by Brew & Tap’s co-owner Mitch Teal, in public testimony to the committee. On Wednesday, the same concept was advocated by Ginger Melton, sales director of The Independence Hotel.
Melton, who also took the public podium, expressed worry that if the city exited Indy Days entirely, it could have sad consequences. “What if no other organizations carry on with this event? Does the excitement over Independence just fade away like other small towns?”
Her coauthor on those comments, the hotel’s general manager, Joey Jones, didn’t speak at the microphone. But she conveyed her deep disappointment following the vote.
“I am disappointed that the entirety of the board didn’t see the value this brings to the community,” Jones said. Early on, meetings with downtown merchants, non-profit groups and interested citizens should have been held, or at the very least notified, instead of “me learning about this second-hand,” she said.
Although the city posted a message on Thursday stating that just such a summit had happened, including a digital survey, several residents said they never saw anything targeted to alternatives for Independence Days, any outreach seeking ideas or solutions.
Outside the meeting, budget committee member Dana Sharman, a longtime resident, stressed that in the not-too-distant past Independence Days was a largely volunteer-run event, backed by the city. It’s only been in the past few years, that a city staffer, with the title, downtown manager, had taken it over. That downtown-manager position is being vacated in August, and it will be left unfilled, according to West.
At the meeting, City Councilor Marilyn Morton emphasized that it appears no local group will be stepping in soon to take over. Neither the Independence Downtown Association nor the Monmouth Independence Chamber of Commerce seemed prepared to do so. The M-I chamber board voted down the idea, she said.
Morton predicted the event will become an “amalgam” of efforts “to make it happen.” Traditionally, Independence Days has included family activities, music, food and drink vendors, and of course, fireworks. (Photo credit: City Independence Days website)
The 4th of July Parade isn’t affected by the current budget discussions – the project is carried out by Rotary Club annually.
Two committee members, Erin Seiler and Jesica Porter, pointed out that the city's financial squeeze was impacting the museum and library. The already under-funded budget is necessitating the planned sale of a park and the museum building, the proposed consolidation of museum operations into the library, and a reduction in library operations, among other city belt-tightening.
These proposed cuts may be on the agenda this coming Wednesday, as the budget committee convenes again to discuss how to adjust a budget affected by a reported shortfall of more than $750,000. The shortfall was explained in the question-and-answer information posted on the city’s Facebook Page; It was attributed to inflation and personnel costs. ▪
Pictured: Independence Elementary School, where parent Courtney Azorr has a child enrolled but is worried about several issues and considering another placement; Inset: Her Mother's Day photo.
Mom expresses frustration with alleged failure to communicate with district at school board meeting
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 9, 2025
Courtney Azorr, a youth soccer coach whose job is in Salem, said she’s made numerous attempts to contact school board members about concerns she has with her son’s education. She’s heard nothing back – no email was acknowledged, she said.
By the time she arrived at the school board Monday night, she was ready to put her frustration into public testimony. “What does it take to get a response from the school board?” she asked, adding that not one board member has contacted her. “Why is that?”
In an interview outside the meeting, she said she became concerned when her son started reporting disruptive classes at Independence Elementary School. She worried that learning was being lost – IES has some of the lowest test results in the district, overall.
But Azorr believes her concerns were met with opposition and, eventually, she filed a formal complaint (see sidebar at end on district advice on steps involved). Despite her advocacy efforts, no “proactive communication” occurred at the school or at the district level, according to Azorr.
Then accusations about her own son began, which Azorr said she considered “minor infractions.” An attempt to suspend him was launched, she said.
"I felt it was retaliation," Azorr asserted. After the matter was settled, she decided to contact the school board again. She'd already heard about other issues that had gone before them, and she wanted to add her own. She showed up Monday night to express them, in descriptions that ranged from “toxic” interactions to being ignored.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Board Chair Byron Shinkle said he does sometimes fail to communicate after receiving emails. “I should be better about acknowledging those,” he said. Difficulty in doing so include lack of time and the complexity of some correspondence, which includes a multi-layered process.
Board member Jann Jobe said she acknowledges a large majority of those messages she receives, and simply says “thank you for reaching out” before sending them on to a person who can respond appropriately.
Superintendent Jennifer Kubista said more clarity on how to reciprocate is needed – and will be addressed.
Azorr is one of several parents who told Trammart News they have reached a breaking point, with some deciding to remove their children from CSD 13J. One had a child within two blocks of IES and opted for a charter school much further away. Another placed a child in a Dallas school.
A few decided to go the private route. “I know there are many fine educators in the school district,” said Marty Manfredi, whose daughter is no longer in public elementary school. “But this just wasn’t the experience I wanted her to have.” Like other parents, Manfredi felt she didn’t want to battle uphill for change.
“We are always sorry to see families choose to transfer their students out of Central School District,” said CSD’s Communications Coordinator Emily Mentzer, who was asked to respond. “At the same time, we want what is best for all students, even if that means going somewhere else,” she said.
Some parents say the schools have become undependable – canceling classes for reasons ranging from computer outages to staff shortages. In mid-April, the Oregonian published a special report on teacher absenteeism and included school closures as a problem “in the small Polk County town of Independence.” IES was singled out as an example.
Trammart News reported that, in January, IES grade-schoolers spent as many days out of school that month as they did days in session, due to staff and teacher illnesses, holidays and computer outages.
The shift of parents to out-of-district alternatives poses a significant threat to the local schools in the words of former CSD District Superintendent Buzz Brazeau, who died in 2022. Before he left the school district, Brazeau, a onetime player for the NFL, told Trammart News that strong, engaged parents can be the invisible backbone of a school.
Like a team that performs well together, the loss of one star athlete may not immediately impact the winning record, but it only takes a few similar departures to turn the tide.
"I am just so discouraged. It shouldn't take this much effort for legitimate concerns to be handled. At the very least, there should be an open door of communication and transparency, " Azorr said.
The district is in the middle of some administrative transitions, according to a flurry of announcements this past week.
Central High School welcomed a new principal, Rick Dormer, who will be taking over in the 2025-26 school year. At CHS, Vice Principal Virginia Antunez, who is on leave, has that office filled by Jason Clark, a longtime CSD district administrator and Brian Green, who also has two decades of outside administrative experience – he is from Corvallis.
Ash Creek Elementary School announced that Jeremy St. Germain has accepted the role of the new assistant principal there.
------SIDEBAR: CSD’s Parent Complaint Process ------
When a member of the public or staff makes a general complaint according to the complaint process, the ultimate goal is to solve any concerns or issues at the lowest level.
1) Step one is to take your concern to the staff member involved. If that does not resolve your concern, you can file a signed written complaint with their supervisor/principal. After the supervisor/principal investigates the concerns, they will let you know of their decision.
2) If you are still unhappy, you can file a signed written complaint with the superintendent, who will conduct an investigation and look into the concerns. She will then prepare a written report of her findings and her conclusion.
3) If you are still unhappy with the results, you may appeal the decision to the School Board. The Board may hold a hearing to review the findings and conclusion of the superintendent, to hear the complaint and to take any other evidence as it deems appropriate. That decision is final. The board of directors is essentially acting as a body of appeal for complaints.
4) A note of caution: An email to the entire board should be avoided; If one of them replies and includes all, it starts to violate public meeting laws. Technically, it's a discussion between the elected body that should be in public.
(Information on sidebar is provided by CSD 13J.) ▪
Mom expresses frustration with alleged failure to communicate with district at school board meeting
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 9, 2025
Courtney Azorr, a youth soccer coach whose job is in Salem, said she’s made numerous attempts to contact school board members about concerns she has with her son’s education. She’s heard nothing back – no email was acknowledged, she said.
By the time she arrived at the school board Monday night, she was ready to put her frustration into public testimony. “What does it take to get a response from the school board?” she asked, adding that not one board member has contacted her. “Why is that?”
In an interview outside the meeting, she said she became concerned when her son started reporting disruptive classes at Independence Elementary School. She worried that learning was being lost – IES has some of the lowest test results in the district, overall.
But Azorr believes her concerns were met with opposition and, eventually, she filed a formal complaint (see sidebar at end on district advice on steps involved). Despite her advocacy efforts, no “proactive communication” occurred at the school or at the district level, according to Azorr.
Then accusations about her own son began, which Azorr said she considered “minor infractions.” An attempt to suspend him was launched, she said.
"I felt it was retaliation," Azorr asserted. After the matter was settled, she decided to contact the school board again. She'd already heard about other issues that had gone before them, and she wanted to add her own. She showed up Monday night to express them, in descriptions that ranged from “toxic” interactions to being ignored.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Board Chair Byron Shinkle said he does sometimes fail to communicate after receiving emails. “I should be better about acknowledging those,” he said. Difficulty in doing so include lack of time and the complexity of some correspondence, which includes a multi-layered process.
Board member Jann Jobe said she acknowledges a large majority of those messages she receives, and simply says “thank you for reaching out” before sending them on to a person who can respond appropriately.
Superintendent Jennifer Kubista said more clarity on how to reciprocate is needed – and will be addressed.
Azorr is one of several parents who told Trammart News they have reached a breaking point, with some deciding to remove their children from CSD 13J. One had a child within two blocks of IES and opted for a charter school much further away. Another placed a child in a Dallas school.
A few decided to go the private route. “I know there are many fine educators in the school district,” said Marty Manfredi, whose daughter is no longer in public elementary school. “But this just wasn’t the experience I wanted her to have.” Like other parents, Manfredi felt she didn’t want to battle uphill for change.
“We are always sorry to see families choose to transfer their students out of Central School District,” said CSD’s Communications Coordinator Emily Mentzer, who was asked to respond. “At the same time, we want what is best for all students, even if that means going somewhere else,” she said.
Some parents say the schools have become undependable – canceling classes for reasons ranging from computer outages to staff shortages. In mid-April, the Oregonian published a special report on teacher absenteeism and included school closures as a problem “in the small Polk County town of Independence.” IES was singled out as an example.
Trammart News reported that, in January, IES grade-schoolers spent as many days out of school that month as they did days in session, due to staff and teacher illnesses, holidays and computer outages.
The shift of parents to out-of-district alternatives poses a significant threat to the local schools in the words of former CSD District Superintendent Buzz Brazeau, who died in 2022. Before he left the school district, Brazeau, a onetime player for the NFL, told Trammart News that strong, engaged parents can be the invisible backbone of a school.
Like a team that performs well together, the loss of one star athlete may not immediately impact the winning record, but it only takes a few similar departures to turn the tide.
"I am just so discouraged. It shouldn't take this much effort for legitimate concerns to be handled. At the very least, there should be an open door of communication and transparency, " Azorr said.
The district is in the middle of some administrative transitions, according to a flurry of announcements this past week.
Central High School welcomed a new principal, Rick Dormer, who will be taking over in the 2025-26 school year. At CHS, Vice Principal Virginia Antunez, who is on leave, has that office filled by Jason Clark, a longtime CSD district administrator and Brian Green, who also has two decades of outside administrative experience – he is from Corvallis.
Ash Creek Elementary School announced that Jeremy St. Germain has accepted the role of the new assistant principal there.
------SIDEBAR: CSD’s Parent Complaint Process ------
When a member of the public or staff makes a general complaint according to the complaint process, the ultimate goal is to solve any concerns or issues at the lowest level.
1) Step one is to take your concern to the staff member involved. If that does not resolve your concern, you can file a signed written complaint with their supervisor/principal. After the supervisor/principal investigates the concerns, they will let you know of their decision.
2) If you are still unhappy, you can file a signed written complaint with the superintendent, who will conduct an investigation and look into the concerns. She will then prepare a written report of her findings and her conclusion.
3) If you are still unhappy with the results, you may appeal the decision to the School Board. The Board may hold a hearing to review the findings and conclusion of the superintendent, to hear the complaint and to take any other evidence as it deems appropriate. That decision is final. The board of directors is essentially acting as a body of appeal for complaints.
4) A note of caution: An email to the entire board should be avoided; If one of them replies and includes all, it starts to violate public meeting laws. Technically, it's a discussion between the elected body that should be in public.
(Information on sidebar is provided by CSD 13J.) ▪
Pictured: Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge is a special home of the Fender's Blue Butterfly, a relatively rare species that proved hard to find this May; Inset: the butterfly on the outdoor wall of the Heritage Museum.
An essay on the hunt for Fender's Blue butterfly, a living hidden treasure in the Willamette Valley
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 9, 2025
I feel compelled to explain why I spent quite a bit of time recently going uninvited into yards in Independence, snooping through foliage by the Willamette River and, in one memorable moment, tripping for no reason whatsoever on a bank by Ash Creek in Pioneer Park.
I wondered if anyone saw me and thought: “Well, now we have proof that this woman really is unbalanced.”
I was searching for the Fender’s Blue Butterfly.
The reason is so corny you may feel like reaching for the butter and a saltshaker. I saw this little one-inch winged flyer in the spring after I started the news outlet nine years ago, Trammart News, which is now bringing you an account of this trip down memory lane. I took my butterfly encounter as a sign.
I was in Riverview Park, working on an article, and periodically contemplating why on a rare spring day I would be seated at a picnic table typing, for Pete’s sake, instead of … frolicking! A tiny sky-blue butterfly landed near me. The back-and-forth motion of its wings looked like a happy wink.
For those of you who think a four-leaf clover is a sign of good luck, let me assure you that in the prairie state where I grew up, it’s a butterfly – one that stops close enough to touch. Midwestern mythology also suggests that it means you’re on the right path.
When I learned that it was a Fender’s Blue Butterfly, an endangered species, I knew the universe had given me a positive, fatalistic tap because I obviously was, y’know, so special and all.
After all, there is only one place in the whole wide world it exists. That’s right: The Willamette Valley.
So, this spring, when I noticed a painting of a Fender’s Blue Butterfly, in all its blue-blazing glory, on the outside wall of the Heritage Museum, I thought it was another sign. Not that I am that big on signs, actually. But it seemed time to go find one, to snap a picture, and to share a photo of this beautiful little creature.
I searched to no avail. Independence resident Ginger Bowman, who walks daily through town and by the river, hadn’t seen any butterfly matching that description. Several people looked at me as if I was loony-tunes for even asking.
One guy told me to go look on the wall across from the post office, where the museum building had one displayed, if I wanted to see a blue butterfly. What extraordinarily helpful advice.
Another Independence resident, Patrick Melendy, posted online that they could be found on Marys Peak. Indeed, they are, according to the scientific literature. But having stumbled over nothing at all on my quest by Ash Creek, I figured a hike to a high place was probably not in my environmental wheelhouse.
In desperation, I asked all three of our Polk County commissioners after their board meeting Wednesday if they’d seen one. Why? They all live in rural areas.
Alas, this is the first time I’ve ever gotten blank looks from these elected officials. How could that have happened? This county is one of the very few places these butterflies even exist!
Fortunately, there was a visitor that day from the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners, Bubba King. Yes, that really is his name. He is the first “Bubba” I’ve ever met, and he knew the very insect I was referencing – and directed me to The Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District. The executive director there was most helpful.
He identified the plant on which they can be found, Kincaid’s Lupine. From that point on, it was easy-peezy.
I googled the plant along with the butterfly and came up with a beautiful video, taken 11 months ago by film-maker Matt Cook, who had encountered the same challenge – finding the Fender’s Blue Butterfly was darn hard, even for an experienced nature photographer.
He discovered it in Baskett Slough, a place I had trekked, as well.
Meanwhile, I had sent an inquiry to the person most often mentioned as the Oregon expert in Fender’s Blue Butterfly, Matt Benotsch, of Greenbelt Land Trust in Corvallis.
Benotsch advised me that the earliest emergence of adults of the species is in the last few days of April. I may be reading too much into this, but he seemed suspicious that I truly knew what I was looking for (this may have been because I kept calling the butterfly the “Fender Blue,” as if it was a car part, instead of the right moniker, Fender’s Blue.)
“I am curious where you see Fender's in Independence?” Benotsch wrote. “There are a few small blue butterflies that look very similar to each other, and they are all more common than Fender's Blue,” he stated.
“In some cases, you have to get a good look at the underside of the wing to make an identification,” he added. Well, this was something I hadn’t done. So, there you go, Matt Benotsch – you’re likely right. I probably saw a different butterfly alight near me all those years ago.
But I like the answer that came from Matt Cook, the film-maker, best of all. He reassured me that “the butterfly is definitely elusive.”
So, thank you to both the Matts and a Bubba.
Matt Cook is allowing me to show you his Fender’s Blue video, which I found inspiring. The link is below. Also, if you want to see blue butterflies en masse, I found a whole bunch of stickers of them at Hi-School pharmacy – but I think I cleaned out their current supply.
By the way, if you do an internet search, you’ll find that the Fender’s Blue Butterfly is no longer on the endangered list but has become only “threatened.” There is a long list of how this happened – habitat protection, sympathetic landowners – but I think I know the main reason.
These butterflies are one of the most skilled of any in the animal kingdom at hide-and-seek.
Matt Cook and Fender%27s Blue Butterfly fights extension at Baskett Slough Wildlife Refuge In Oregon - Search Videos ▪
An essay on the hunt for Fender's Blue butterfly, a living hidden treasure in the Willamette Valley
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 9, 2025
I feel compelled to explain why I spent quite a bit of time recently going uninvited into yards in Independence, snooping through foliage by the Willamette River and, in one memorable moment, tripping for no reason whatsoever on a bank by Ash Creek in Pioneer Park.
I wondered if anyone saw me and thought: “Well, now we have proof that this woman really is unbalanced.”
I was searching for the Fender’s Blue Butterfly.
The reason is so corny you may feel like reaching for the butter and a saltshaker. I saw this little one-inch winged flyer in the spring after I started the news outlet nine years ago, Trammart News, which is now bringing you an account of this trip down memory lane. I took my butterfly encounter as a sign.
I was in Riverview Park, working on an article, and periodically contemplating why on a rare spring day I would be seated at a picnic table typing, for Pete’s sake, instead of … frolicking! A tiny sky-blue butterfly landed near me. The back-and-forth motion of its wings looked like a happy wink.
For those of you who think a four-leaf clover is a sign of good luck, let me assure you that in the prairie state where I grew up, it’s a butterfly – one that stops close enough to touch. Midwestern mythology also suggests that it means you’re on the right path.
When I learned that it was a Fender’s Blue Butterfly, an endangered species, I knew the universe had given me a positive, fatalistic tap because I obviously was, y’know, so special and all.
After all, there is only one place in the whole wide world it exists. That’s right: The Willamette Valley.
So, this spring, when I noticed a painting of a Fender’s Blue Butterfly, in all its blue-blazing glory, on the outside wall of the Heritage Museum, I thought it was another sign. Not that I am that big on signs, actually. But it seemed time to go find one, to snap a picture, and to share a photo of this beautiful little creature.
I searched to no avail. Independence resident Ginger Bowman, who walks daily through town and by the river, hadn’t seen any butterfly matching that description. Several people looked at me as if I was loony-tunes for even asking.
One guy told me to go look on the wall across from the post office, where the museum building had one displayed, if I wanted to see a blue butterfly. What extraordinarily helpful advice.
Another Independence resident, Patrick Melendy, posted online that they could be found on Marys Peak. Indeed, they are, according to the scientific literature. But having stumbled over nothing at all on my quest by Ash Creek, I figured a hike to a high place was probably not in my environmental wheelhouse.
In desperation, I asked all three of our Polk County commissioners after their board meeting Wednesday if they’d seen one. Why? They all live in rural areas.
Alas, this is the first time I’ve ever gotten blank looks from these elected officials. How could that have happened? This county is one of the very few places these butterflies even exist!
Fortunately, there was a visitor that day from the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners, Bubba King. Yes, that really is his name. He is the first “Bubba” I’ve ever met, and he knew the very insect I was referencing – and directed me to The Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District. The executive director there was most helpful.
He identified the plant on which they can be found, Kincaid’s Lupine. From that point on, it was easy-peezy.
I googled the plant along with the butterfly and came up with a beautiful video, taken 11 months ago by film-maker Matt Cook, who had encountered the same challenge – finding the Fender’s Blue Butterfly was darn hard, even for an experienced nature photographer.
He discovered it in Baskett Slough, a place I had trekked, as well.
Meanwhile, I had sent an inquiry to the person most often mentioned as the Oregon expert in Fender’s Blue Butterfly, Matt Benotsch, of Greenbelt Land Trust in Corvallis.
Benotsch advised me that the earliest emergence of adults of the species is in the last few days of April. I may be reading too much into this, but he seemed suspicious that I truly knew what I was looking for (this may have been because I kept calling the butterfly the “Fender Blue,” as if it was a car part, instead of the right moniker, Fender’s Blue.)
“I am curious where you see Fender's in Independence?” Benotsch wrote. “There are a few small blue butterflies that look very similar to each other, and they are all more common than Fender's Blue,” he stated.
“In some cases, you have to get a good look at the underside of the wing to make an identification,” he added. Well, this was something I hadn’t done. So, there you go, Matt Benotsch – you’re likely right. I probably saw a different butterfly alight near me all those years ago.
But I like the answer that came from Matt Cook, the film-maker, best of all. He reassured me that “the butterfly is definitely elusive.”
So, thank you to both the Matts and a Bubba.
Matt Cook is allowing me to show you his Fender’s Blue video, which I found inspiring. The link is below. Also, if you want to see blue butterflies en masse, I found a whole bunch of stickers of them at Hi-School pharmacy – but I think I cleaned out their current supply.
By the way, if you do an internet search, you’ll find that the Fender’s Blue Butterfly is no longer on the endangered list but has become only “threatened.” There is a long list of how this happened – habitat protection, sympathetic landowners – but I think I know the main reason.
These butterflies are one of the most skilled of any in the animal kingdom at hide-and-seek.
Matt Cook and Fender%27s Blue Butterfly fights extension at Baskett Slough Wildlife Refuge In Oregon - Search Videos ▪
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