Danny Jaffer By Anne Scheck
On a field just outside Independence, Danny Jaffer stands on sunburned grass flattened like parchment. The ground is bone dry. But deep below him are layers of clay and shale that hold a liquid as essential to life in the Willamette Valley as oxygen – water.
For the past eight years, Jaffer has been president of the board of directors of the Luckiamute Domestic Water Cooperative, which serves an area spanning 170 square miles across this agricultural land.
With four wells and 1,100 individual meters, it’s a water district that suffers from periodic line breaks, power outages and personnel struggles. But those are relatively minor issues, according to Jaffer. What worries him is the “drawing down” on the water supply – he thinks about this the way some people do about spending beyond their income level.
Drier winters have become "the new normal,” threatening needed replenishment of the subterranean water table, Jaffer said. Yet the public presumption is that water “will always be there," Jaffer noted, adding that drinking water is a commodity that is almost totally taken for granted – unless there’s a shortage. "If somebody loses power, they'll usually just wait it out," Jaffer said. "But turn on a faucet without water, and you have something that's seen as an emergency."
Oregon has been called “the webfoot state” for its seeming abundance of water. But even the City of Independence has been urged to take steps to increase its municipal water supply – a 2015 water-management report for the city found there is "potential inadequacy of existing source capacity." Next year a new well will be built to add more potable water, and the city also recently obtained surface rights to a part of the Willamette River. The purchase means well-drilling can be expanded closer to the shoreline, explained Tom Pessemier, Independence city manager.
Serious water-shortage worries throughout the region began about five years ago, when the US Environmental Protection Agency reported that 25 counties in Oregon were in a “drought emergency.” Since that time, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has published accounts warning that the groundwater supply – which includes the co-op’s aquifer – is potentially imperiled. Multiple attempts seeking comment from the USGS on these findings failed to elicit a response, but several academic publications have listed the dire possibilities.
Groundwater is easy to steal, said Isaac Castellano PhD, author of “Water Scarcity in the American West,” a book published this year about the unauthorized use of water and its future implications. Portland attorney Souvanny Miller wrote an analysis three years ago for the journal Environmental Law asserting that wells are drying up and water tables are dropping in some of Oregon’s groundwater-dependent regions – and attributed this “overdraft risk” to lax oversight by the state. State law prohibits this “groundwater mining,” according to Miller’s study, but the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) policy “runs afoul of that prohibition.”
On a field just outside Independence, Danny Jaffer stands on sunburned grass flattened like parchment. The ground is bone dry. But deep below him are layers of clay and shale that hold a liquid as essential to life in the Willamette Valley as oxygen – water.
For the past eight years, Jaffer has been president of the board of directors of the Luckiamute Domestic Water Cooperative, which serves an area spanning 170 square miles across this agricultural land.
With four wells and 1,100 individual meters, it’s a water district that suffers from periodic line breaks, power outages and personnel struggles. But those are relatively minor issues, according to Jaffer. What worries him is the “drawing down” on the water supply – he thinks about this the way some people do about spending beyond their income level.
Drier winters have become "the new normal,” threatening needed replenishment of the subterranean water table, Jaffer said. Yet the public presumption is that water “will always be there," Jaffer noted, adding that drinking water is a commodity that is almost totally taken for granted – unless there’s a shortage. "If somebody loses power, they'll usually just wait it out," Jaffer said. "But turn on a faucet without water, and you have something that's seen as an emergency."
Oregon has been called “the webfoot state” for its seeming abundance of water. But even the City of Independence has been urged to take steps to increase its municipal water supply – a 2015 water-management report for the city found there is "potential inadequacy of existing source capacity." Next year a new well will be built to add more potable water, and the city also recently obtained surface rights to a part of the Willamette River. The purchase means well-drilling can be expanded closer to the shoreline, explained Tom Pessemier, Independence city manager.
Serious water-shortage worries throughout the region began about five years ago, when the US Environmental Protection Agency reported that 25 counties in Oregon were in a “drought emergency.” Since that time, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has published accounts warning that the groundwater supply – which includes the co-op’s aquifer – is potentially imperiled. Multiple attempts seeking comment from the USGS on these findings failed to elicit a response, but several academic publications have listed the dire possibilities.
Groundwater is easy to steal, said Isaac Castellano PhD, author of “Water Scarcity in the American West,” a book published this year about the unauthorized use of water and its future implications. Portland attorney Souvanny Miller wrote an analysis three years ago for the journal Environmental Law asserting that wells are drying up and water tables are dropping in some of Oregon’s groundwater-dependent regions – and attributed this “overdraft risk” to lax oversight by the state. State law prohibits this “groundwater mining,” according to Miller’s study, but the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) policy “runs afoul of that prohibition.”
Well site Just as Miller states, adequate enforcement is key, according to Castellano, an assistant clinical professor at Boise State University’s School of Public Service. However, in a recent case, the OWRD’s effort to regulate certain groundwater wells – by shutting them off within 500 feet of a waterway in the Upper Klamath Basin – went down to defeat.
The court ruled that the agency had exceeded its authority, a decision seen as likely to prevent the same action from being taken again. The attempt was described as part of a “smothering blob” of unnecessary interference and “regulatory over-reach” in a recent newsletter by Sen. Dennis Linthicum, who represents the state district where the wells are located.
The recent court ruling suggests that a “critical groundwater designation” is needed for successful regulation, but so far OWRD doesn’t have a timeline for establishing it, according to Racquel Rancier, the department’s senior policy coordinator. The OWRD believes water conservation is important, she said. How much groundwater is available now? That was a question asked this past January at a forum that featured a panel of water utility directors – including Jaffer – co-sponsored by the Independence-based Luckiamute Watershed Council (LWC) and held at the Monmouth Senior Center. Conservation practices “are something that we’ll be looking at in the future,” said Kristen Larson, LWC’s executive director.
The court ruled that the agency had exceeded its authority, a decision seen as likely to prevent the same action from being taken again. The attempt was described as part of a “smothering blob” of unnecessary interference and “regulatory over-reach” in a recent newsletter by Sen. Dennis Linthicum, who represents the state district where the wells are located.
The recent court ruling suggests that a “critical groundwater designation” is needed for successful regulation, but so far OWRD doesn’t have a timeline for establishing it, according to Racquel Rancier, the department’s senior policy coordinator. The OWRD believes water conservation is important, she said. How much groundwater is available now? That was a question asked this past January at a forum that featured a panel of water utility directors – including Jaffer – co-sponsored by the Independence-based Luckiamute Watershed Council (LWC) and held at the Monmouth Senior Center. Conservation practices “are something that we’ll be looking at in the future,” said Kristen Larson, LWC’s executive director.
Quail Flats Farm owners Brandon & Andrea Wagner Some local residents already are doing that. Yards with native drought-resistant plants and rock gardens are far more common in Independence now, as shown by one neighborhood of about 50 houses in the north part of town – two of the lawns have been converted to decorative gravel over the last few years.
One of those homeowners, Mary Woolley, said she cut her water bill by at least a third when she replaced grass with stones.
Even bigger water savings are being attained by Quail Flats Farm in Independence, which is known for "zingy" tomatoes achieved by “dry farming.” Plantings are placed five or six feet apart rather than the typical two-and-a-half-foot distance, which forces crops to “take water already in the soil,” explained Brandon Wagner, who co-owns the farm with his wife Andrea. The process results in a “flavorful” taste, he said.
Currently, the Luckiamute Domestic Water Cooperative (LDWC) is taking its own water-conserving steps, such as only allowing watering for gardens up to half an acre. Those pumping significant amounts of water out of the ground onto their fields or large gardens are doing so from their private wells, the kind used for irrigation, Jaffer observed.
But springtime snow melts aren't as large as they once were. "It doesn't get cold as early and it doesn't stay cold as long," said Jaffer, who was elected to his unpaid volunteer position in 2011 and chosen president by the board a year later.
He grew up in the area and knows many of the nearly 3,000 residents served by the LDWC. Generally, the underground water tapped into by the LDWC provides drinking-quality water straight from the ground, Jaffer said. However, sodium hydroxide and chlorine are added. The former is a chemical that helps prevent metal – copper or lead – from leaching out of household pipes; the chlorination is a requirement of the state to prevent organic contaminants in the water, he explained. So, purification doesn't pose a challenge.
“It’s the best water I have ever tasted,” said Joshua Brandt, whose water comes from the LDWC. He’s lived in a lot of places, he said, including Portland, where “Bull Run” water from the tap is touted as the best. “It’s not,” said Brandt. “It tastes better here.”
More than 50 years ago a small population comprised largely of farmers identified the need for drinkable water – water that would be delivered to their homes, Jaffer recalled. That’s how the LDWC was formed, he said.
"Water, clean water, is a precious resource. We should all treat it as such," Jaffer stressed. That’s a view also strongly held by Rep. Paul Evans, who grew up near Jaffer and who represents both Independence and Monmouth in the Oregon State Legislature. “There is nothing more important to our community growth and sustainability than our groundwater,” he said.
One of those homeowners, Mary Woolley, said she cut her water bill by at least a third when she replaced grass with stones.
Even bigger water savings are being attained by Quail Flats Farm in Independence, which is known for "zingy" tomatoes achieved by “dry farming.” Plantings are placed five or six feet apart rather than the typical two-and-a-half-foot distance, which forces crops to “take water already in the soil,” explained Brandon Wagner, who co-owns the farm with his wife Andrea. The process results in a “flavorful” taste, he said.
Currently, the Luckiamute Domestic Water Cooperative (LDWC) is taking its own water-conserving steps, such as only allowing watering for gardens up to half an acre. Those pumping significant amounts of water out of the ground onto their fields or large gardens are doing so from their private wells, the kind used for irrigation, Jaffer observed.
But springtime snow melts aren't as large as they once were. "It doesn't get cold as early and it doesn't stay cold as long," said Jaffer, who was elected to his unpaid volunteer position in 2011 and chosen president by the board a year later.
He grew up in the area and knows many of the nearly 3,000 residents served by the LDWC. Generally, the underground water tapped into by the LDWC provides drinking-quality water straight from the ground, Jaffer said. However, sodium hydroxide and chlorine are added. The former is a chemical that helps prevent metal – copper or lead – from leaching out of household pipes; the chlorination is a requirement of the state to prevent organic contaminants in the water, he explained. So, purification doesn't pose a challenge.
“It’s the best water I have ever tasted,” said Joshua Brandt, whose water comes from the LDWC. He’s lived in a lot of places, he said, including Portland, where “Bull Run” water from the tap is touted as the best. “It’s not,” said Brandt. “It tastes better here.”
More than 50 years ago a small population comprised largely of farmers identified the need for drinkable water – water that would be delivered to their homes, Jaffer recalled. That’s how the LDWC was formed, he said.
"Water, clean water, is a precious resource. We should all treat it as such," Jaffer stressed. That’s a view also strongly held by Rep. Paul Evans, who grew up near Jaffer and who represents both Independence and Monmouth in the Oregon State Legislature. “There is nothing more important to our community growth and sustainability than our groundwater,” he said.
Karin Johnson THE CIVICS LESSON: City Recorder is Golden Lark Winner
Trammart News, publisher of The Independent, gave its “Golden Lark Accolade” for community education this year to Independence City Recorder Karin Johnson, who was recommended for it by citizens from both Independence and Monmouth. The honor comes with a cash award, which Ms. Johnson donated to the Oregon Association of Municipal Recorders.
City recorders are considered essential to a city’s success. There are so many aspects to the job it’s probably best described by the late Harvard scholar William Bennett Munro PhD: "No other office in municipal service has so many contacts.” City recorders serve the mayor, the city council, the city manager and all of the administrative departments. The continuous workload takes a multi-tasking individual with “versatility, alertness, accuracy and no end of patience,” Professor Munro stated.
How does Ms. Johnson manage to cheerfully tie up so many loose ends on a daily basis? Over the past several years, technologic gains have helped her immeasurably, she said (See below, Behind Scenes at Civic Center: City Recorder’s Magical Management). However, some of those who brought her name forward for the award say it’s her personal style that is key to her success in the position.
“I see my role is that of public servant, in the best sense of the term,” she said. “I genuinely like to help people,” Ms. Johnson said. --AS
Trammart News, publisher of The Independent, gave its “Golden Lark Accolade” for community education this year to Independence City Recorder Karin Johnson, who was recommended for it by citizens from both Independence and Monmouth. The honor comes with a cash award, which Ms. Johnson donated to the Oregon Association of Municipal Recorders.
City recorders are considered essential to a city’s success. There are so many aspects to the job it’s probably best described by the late Harvard scholar William Bennett Munro PhD: "No other office in municipal service has so many contacts.” City recorders serve the mayor, the city council, the city manager and all of the administrative departments. The continuous workload takes a multi-tasking individual with “versatility, alertness, accuracy and no end of patience,” Professor Munro stated.
How does Ms. Johnson manage to cheerfully tie up so many loose ends on a daily basis? Over the past several years, technologic gains have helped her immeasurably, she said (See below, Behind Scenes at Civic Center: City Recorder’s Magical Management). However, some of those who brought her name forward for the award say it’s her personal style that is key to her success in the position.
“I see my role is that of public servant, in the best sense of the term,” she said. “I genuinely like to help people,” Ms. Johnson said. --AS
INDY HOP: The Great Dandelion Divide, Friend or Foe?
It's time for the great dandelion debate. The yellow-headed plants are sprouting around town. Are they a weed in need of eradication or a flower helping pollinators thrive? A lawn is a “highly managed ecosystem,” noted Suzanne Teller, outreach coordinator for the Luckiamute Watershed Council. Dandelions are full of nectar and pollen, so they’re good for bees. And there’s a tall, thin one native to the area – its growth can signal compacted soil, said Karin Stutzman, manager of the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District. So, is there a way to settle the divide between dandelion defenders and detractors? Not likely. Whether to whack it away or welcome it “is up to the individual,” Ms. Stuzman said. Dandelion deterrence can be a dirty decision ... -- AS
It's time for the great dandelion debate. The yellow-headed plants are sprouting around town. Are they a weed in need of eradication or a flower helping pollinators thrive? A lawn is a “highly managed ecosystem,” noted Suzanne Teller, outreach coordinator for the Luckiamute Watershed Council. Dandelions are full of nectar and pollen, so they’re good for bees. And there’s a tall, thin one native to the area – its growth can signal compacted soil, said Karin Stutzman, manager of the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District. So, is there a way to settle the divide between dandelion defenders and detractors? Not likely. Whether to whack it away or welcome it “is up to the individual,” Ms. Stuzman said. Dandelion deterrence can be a dirty decision ... -- AS
Cassandra & Jeremy Ainsworth The Success of Distance Learning Depends on Staying Connected
Due to patchy internet service and the relative isolation at her home in Kings Valley, Central High School sophomore Cassandra Ainsworth discovered a character that helped her clinch the top grade in her English class, when her teacher asked students to write an essay comparing themselves to someone fictional.
She chose Anthony DiNozzo, who can’t be found in any search of classical literature. Ainsworth, like so many during the pandemic, happened upon him while watching some fairly old episodic television, which she viewed with her parents. "We all watch NCIS now," she explained, referring to the long-running series about US Naval investigators that began in 2003.
When her teacher, Ben Gorman, made the assignment Ainsworth knew that “Tony” from the TV show – a guy who’s always trying to please his boss,
makes corny jokes and is lovable despite his flaws – was someone with whom she truly identified. Asked why she considers herself like him, she said she always wants to please her parents and tries to inject a little humor into every situation she can. Her humor is paying off – the internet remains problematic.
As youths like Ainsworth transition to “distance learning,” the new normal for Central School District 13J in the pandemic, some students struggle – interruptions in internet service like those in the Ainsworth household can be one of the challenges. In fact, it’s a fairly frequent occurrence for those who live in a more rural parts of Polk County, explained Ainsworth’s dad, Jeremy. Videos freeze during zoom meetings; Online access slows or shuts down. However, the losses from switching to internet-based education aren't limited to technological problems.
"This is isolating to kids who are in formative years, when there is a lot of interpersonal development," he observed.
Separating adolescents from peers could have effects that aren't yet recognized, he suggested. They’re missing out on ordinary, everyday teenage events, from chatting with friends at school to participating in extracurricular activities, like job-shadowing to learn about different professions, he said.
Central School District has done a good job of trying to fill in the gaps where internet is unavailable, but it has been a rocky transition just the same, according to interviews with district educators. What’s the impact of an online “virtual learning academy”? Significant differences in pupil support for learning were present before COVID-19, but now new strategies are needed to address them – some students lost the engagement they may require, such as hands-on lessons, according to a recent investigation by the RAND Corporation, a policy think tank that surveyed nationally representative samples from K-12 public schools this past spring.
Measures such as distance-learning are considered a necessary alternative in this pandemic, but it isn't simply academics that suffer when the switch is made to more computer-based education, in the opinion of some parents. From the loss of team sports to the lack of hallway interaction, "for kids, it's like when adults lose their jobs," said Shane Cyphers, a counselor at Central High School (CHS). And, for youth, the absence of these daily routines with peers isn't just a hardship – it comes at a time when they are finding their way to adult identities. For those who already were facing emotional challenges and needed the stability of school, "this just exacerbates it," he said.
“It's certainly not what's best for kids," said Gorman, a CHS language arts teacher. "But it's the only way to keep them safe, and that is our highest priority."
Students like Ainsworth and his own son Noah, also a CHS student, like to dive into books. They’re able to flourish in this new learning environment, Gorman explained. But for students who need in-person interactions, "this has been incredibly difficult," he acknowledged.
And, as a teacher, the loss of personal contact creates challenges in ways he couldn't have predicted – gone are the visual and auditory cues that enabled him to stay attuned to students. Even silence on the part of a student in his classroom could be a tip-off, he said. "Maybe you'd see someone being really quiet, looking at the ground, and you'd know something was wrong that day," he said.
Gorman doesn't believe the much-discussed hybrid model would be better. "We falsely compare the traumas our kids may face at home to the safety some felt at school before. But this would not be normal school. I'd be standing 12 feet away from some of my students and wearing a mask. And imagine if some of their teachers or peers got sick and died. It would just be a different kind of trauma," he said.
To connect students to online learning programs, Chromebooks were issued by Central School District 13J. A grant of nearly $240,000 from Oregon Business – initially announced by MINET with the City of Independence as the fiscal sponsor – aims to implement municipal broadband to those who need it.
Last year, in an effort to do just that, the district provided “hotspot” units on buses – transportable hubs that provide wireless internet service to users who live within range of them or drive and walk to a destination where the system can be accessed.
Polk County, like many other counties with small cities and large agricultural zones, has areas without internet connection. In survey results published last year, the Polk County Board of Commissioners determined that many of these locations largely are in hilly regions, from Prospect Hill by Independence to the rolling landscape near Pedee.
Working to provide internet connection to help fill in this rural divide now is a goal, noted Commissioner Craig Pope, who helped initiate the survey. It showed that more than 25% who responded had service below standard internet access, in terms of speed and function, and almost 90% were well below the federal definition of broadband service.
"I’ve been working on this for nine years," said Mr. Pope. "We specifically wanted to know where the weakest spots are, and we found them."
It turns out that lack of internet access occurs largely in two ways: spotty connectivity or none at all. By working with entrepreneurial providers, like Alyrica Networks in Benton County and Salem-based Adaptive Broadband, some outlying areas have been provided with a connection that was presumed to be highly unlikely.
In one case, for example, a family with two teenagers in the hills outside West Salem – where secure reliable internet access wasn't thought possible – found themselves in a critical need for it during the onset of the pandemic. Adaptive Broadband, through creative engineering, was able to utilize some of the existing technology in the area and now the family has it, Mr. Pope said.
Commissioner Pope added that the situation is one that "the market could fix over time, but government intervention can expedite this," he said. As a result, the county is expecting to use about a million dollars of CARES Act money to get WIFI throughout the county where it is needed, he said.
For CHS student Ainsworth, reliance on a keyboard is complicated by the fact that she broke her ring finger practicing softball, determined to keep up her skill as an outfielder in the sport she loves. But it hasn’t stopped her. She's staying active mentally -- reading the iconic young adult novel The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin and writing daily entries in her journal.
The two habits – physical activity combined with mental stimulation – offer a successful way to cope with this stressful time, according to the research. However, staying connected to others online is essential, too, said Peter DeWitt EdD, whose popular syndicated blog “Finding Common Ground” has been addressing education in the pandemic.
A recent poll that he conducted – answered by more than 100 students in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – shows they all want the same thing, to be able to converse with others. In a recent podcast, he summed it up in three words: “dialogue is good.”
Whether it is a zoom meeting or a chat room, “Students learn better when they engage in dialogue with other students,” he said. --AS
Due to patchy internet service and the relative isolation at her home in Kings Valley, Central High School sophomore Cassandra Ainsworth discovered a character that helped her clinch the top grade in her English class, when her teacher asked students to write an essay comparing themselves to someone fictional.
She chose Anthony DiNozzo, who can’t be found in any search of classical literature. Ainsworth, like so many during the pandemic, happened upon him while watching some fairly old episodic television, which she viewed with her parents. "We all watch NCIS now," she explained, referring to the long-running series about US Naval investigators that began in 2003.
When her teacher, Ben Gorman, made the assignment Ainsworth knew that “Tony” from the TV show – a guy who’s always trying to please his boss,
makes corny jokes and is lovable despite his flaws – was someone with whom she truly identified. Asked why she considers herself like him, she said she always wants to please her parents and tries to inject a little humor into every situation she can. Her humor is paying off – the internet remains problematic.
As youths like Ainsworth transition to “distance learning,” the new normal for Central School District 13J in the pandemic, some students struggle – interruptions in internet service like those in the Ainsworth household can be one of the challenges. In fact, it’s a fairly frequent occurrence for those who live in a more rural parts of Polk County, explained Ainsworth’s dad, Jeremy. Videos freeze during zoom meetings; Online access slows or shuts down. However, the losses from switching to internet-based education aren't limited to technological problems.
"This is isolating to kids who are in formative years, when there is a lot of interpersonal development," he observed.
Separating adolescents from peers could have effects that aren't yet recognized, he suggested. They’re missing out on ordinary, everyday teenage events, from chatting with friends at school to participating in extracurricular activities, like job-shadowing to learn about different professions, he said.
Central School District has done a good job of trying to fill in the gaps where internet is unavailable, but it has been a rocky transition just the same, according to interviews with district educators. What’s the impact of an online “virtual learning academy”? Significant differences in pupil support for learning were present before COVID-19, but now new strategies are needed to address them – some students lost the engagement they may require, such as hands-on lessons, according to a recent investigation by the RAND Corporation, a policy think tank that surveyed nationally representative samples from K-12 public schools this past spring.
Measures such as distance-learning are considered a necessary alternative in this pandemic, but it isn't simply academics that suffer when the switch is made to more computer-based education, in the opinion of some parents. From the loss of team sports to the lack of hallway interaction, "for kids, it's like when adults lose their jobs," said Shane Cyphers, a counselor at Central High School (CHS). And, for youth, the absence of these daily routines with peers isn't just a hardship – it comes at a time when they are finding their way to adult identities. For those who already were facing emotional challenges and needed the stability of school, "this just exacerbates it," he said.
“It's certainly not what's best for kids," said Gorman, a CHS language arts teacher. "But it's the only way to keep them safe, and that is our highest priority."
Students like Ainsworth and his own son Noah, also a CHS student, like to dive into books. They’re able to flourish in this new learning environment, Gorman explained. But for students who need in-person interactions, "this has been incredibly difficult," he acknowledged.
And, as a teacher, the loss of personal contact creates challenges in ways he couldn't have predicted – gone are the visual and auditory cues that enabled him to stay attuned to students. Even silence on the part of a student in his classroom could be a tip-off, he said. "Maybe you'd see someone being really quiet, looking at the ground, and you'd know something was wrong that day," he said.
Gorman doesn't believe the much-discussed hybrid model would be better. "We falsely compare the traumas our kids may face at home to the safety some felt at school before. But this would not be normal school. I'd be standing 12 feet away from some of my students and wearing a mask. And imagine if some of their teachers or peers got sick and died. It would just be a different kind of trauma," he said.
To connect students to online learning programs, Chromebooks were issued by Central School District 13J. A grant of nearly $240,000 from Oregon Business – initially announced by MINET with the City of Independence as the fiscal sponsor – aims to implement municipal broadband to those who need it.
Last year, in an effort to do just that, the district provided “hotspot” units on buses – transportable hubs that provide wireless internet service to users who live within range of them or drive and walk to a destination where the system can be accessed.
Polk County, like many other counties with small cities and large agricultural zones, has areas without internet connection. In survey results published last year, the Polk County Board of Commissioners determined that many of these locations largely are in hilly regions, from Prospect Hill by Independence to the rolling landscape near Pedee.
Working to provide internet connection to help fill in this rural divide now is a goal, noted Commissioner Craig Pope, who helped initiate the survey. It showed that more than 25% who responded had service below standard internet access, in terms of speed and function, and almost 90% were well below the federal definition of broadband service.
"I’ve been working on this for nine years," said Mr. Pope. "We specifically wanted to know where the weakest spots are, and we found them."
It turns out that lack of internet access occurs largely in two ways: spotty connectivity or none at all. By working with entrepreneurial providers, like Alyrica Networks in Benton County and Salem-based Adaptive Broadband, some outlying areas have been provided with a connection that was presumed to be highly unlikely.
In one case, for example, a family with two teenagers in the hills outside West Salem – where secure reliable internet access wasn't thought possible – found themselves in a critical need for it during the onset of the pandemic. Adaptive Broadband, through creative engineering, was able to utilize some of the existing technology in the area and now the family has it, Mr. Pope said.
Commissioner Pope added that the situation is one that "the market could fix over time, but government intervention can expedite this," he said. As a result, the county is expecting to use about a million dollars of CARES Act money to get WIFI throughout the county where it is needed, he said.
For CHS student Ainsworth, reliance on a keyboard is complicated by the fact that she broke her ring finger practicing softball, determined to keep up her skill as an outfielder in the sport she loves. But it hasn’t stopped her. She's staying active mentally -- reading the iconic young adult novel The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin and writing daily entries in her journal.
The two habits – physical activity combined with mental stimulation – offer a successful way to cope with this stressful time, according to the research. However, staying connected to others online is essential, too, said Peter DeWitt EdD, whose popular syndicated blog “Finding Common Ground” has been addressing education in the pandemic.
A recent poll that he conducted – answered by more than 100 students in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – shows they all want the same thing, to be able to converse with others. In a recent podcast, he summed it up in three words: “dialogue is good.”
Whether it is a zoom meeting or a chat room, “Students learn better when they engage in dialogue with other students,” he said. --AS
Western Meadowlark State of Oregon Behind Scenes at Civic Center: City Recorder’s Magical Management
The Golden Lark Accolade is an award given to an outstanding community educator. This year’s choice is Karin Johnson, City Recorder.
Independence City Recorder Karin Johnson was selected by local residents who value her quick responsiveness and organizational skills. How does she manage both people and documents so deftly?
“I genuinely like to help people – I think that’s probably the one item cities should look for when hiring a recorder,” Ms. Johnson said. For example, if someone comes to the Civic Center in Independence, and is “angry, loud or belligerent, I know that, very likely, it’s not personal to me, that they are frustrated with the situation they are in,” she said.
“One of my favorite things is to help them, get a resolution and have them leave satisfied – and if I get a smile from them at the end, my day is made!” --AS
The Golden Lark Accolade is an award given to an outstanding community educator. This year’s choice is Karin Johnson, City Recorder.
Independence City Recorder Karin Johnson was selected by local residents who value her quick responsiveness and organizational skills. How does she manage both people and documents so deftly?
“I genuinely like to help people – I think that’s probably the one item cities should look for when hiring a recorder,” Ms. Johnson said. For example, if someone comes to the Civic Center in Independence, and is “angry, loud or belligerent, I know that, very likely, it’s not personal to me, that they are frustrated with the situation they are in,” she said.
“One of my favorite things is to help them, get a resolution and have them leave satisfied – and if I get a smile from them at the end, my day is made!” --AS
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