“My dog knows it! He’s just being stubborn.” Do you find yourself saying this when your dog doesn’t follow your cue? We are guilty of thinking or saying this statement. I did it out of embarrassment in training class before I became a trainer. What is happening with the dog is a lack of “generalization” of the behavior. My dog would do the behavior with some success in my living room.

If you haven’t caught a winter steelhead from one of Oregon’s coastal rivers this season, you are not alone. What looked like a promising start to the season on the Selitz, Alsea and Siuslaw, dwindled down to a grind for most anglers, as catch rates even on days with good conditions could only be described as “poor to fair.” Because hatchery raised two salt year steelhead returned in very low numbers this winter.

The names of dead friends in my contacts list are growing. Embracing mortality with a touch of humor, I’ve been joking for the past few years that I leave the dead ones in so when they outnumber the live ones I know it’s my turn to go. Years ago at a family wedding a cousin said, “You know, we’re going to live well into our hundreds.” I responded, “I have no desire to live to be a hundred.” This bothered him so I explained that I’m not looking just to pack on years. As long as I feel good and there’s a reason to live I’ll do what I can to stick around, but it’s okay to die.

Five hundred names. A nice, round figure. The list was composed of people (and a few pets) I met during our first 10 months in the southern Willamette Valley, 50 people at a time each month. We celebrated the list in December 2019 and pulled out fun facts – such as the most-common first name, the locations where I met most of the people, and pets vs. people.

The last year was significant not only for the local response to the pandemic and wildfires, but also for the many accomplishments that were still achieved in a year unlike any other.

If you’re a rural resident of Lane County, there might be a bicycle in your future. Becky Taylor grew up riding her bicycle everywhere as a child in Lane County north of Coburg. “My best friend lived just across the county line and we rode to and from our homes all the time.” Today, Taylor is Lane County’s senior transportation planner and understands “biking isn’t as easy these days due to increased vehicle traffic or other impediments that make biking a less desirable option.”

SPRINGFIELD – In a Feb. 11 article in The Chronicle, in an interview with the president for the local chapter of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a comment was published that was not verified about the Springfield Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD – Looking for a solution to slow the spread of the coronavirus among the unhoused, the City of Springfield is considering setting up pallet shelters. Lane County is partnering with cities, property owners and service providers to provide non-congregate temporary housing options for the unhoused. County staff will set up pallet shelters in small settings with basic services, and under Springfield’s existing emergency declaration, upon request, the City’s community development coordinator Tom Boyatt could do the same.

CRESWELL – The Creswell Chamber of Commerce has nearly shriveled into nonexistence and will disband if several board vacancies cannot be filled by the end of March, said chamber president Raina Napper, who is calling for volunteers to keep it alive.

CRESWELL – The City of Creswell is considering what it would take to stage a safe and affordable Fourth of July Celebration. The Creswell Chamber of Commerce traditionally organized the celebration – that is, until the pandemic shut down tourism and the revenue associated with it. The Chamber has been nearly dormant for the past year, and with only two of the seven required board members, the Chamber is incapable of organizing the 2021 event.

State health officials’ decision to designate Lane County as “high risk” instead of “extreme” pandemic conditions was a much-needed morale boost for Creswell High’s girls volleyball program, its legendary coach said Tuesday afternoon. “The kids are excited to play, and excited to wear our brand-new uniforms,” said Anna Baltrusch, the longtime coach who passed 500 career victories last season.

The team at Creswell Wellness Center celebrated two major milestones this month: Their second anniversary and the launch of their own vitamin line.

Lane County will move to the “high risk” category on Friday, Feb. 26, dropping from the “extreme risk” level thanks to improvements in COVID-19 case counts. The result of the new classification could provide local businesses – including restaurants – some relief with limited indoor dining again.

A bit of nostalgia and the story of a ship and a man who served on that ship in wartime. While researching a future article for The Chronicle having to do with a relative starting her teaching career in one-room schools in rural Montana in the 1940s, I called Susan Metcalf, the superintendent of schools in Sweetgrass County, Mont. In asking questions about my subject, the conversation led to many other aspects of life in Montana in the 1940s and 1950s that I experienced as a young boy.

Our world continues to rapidly change, with 10,000 people turning 65 every day in the United States. The caregiving workforce is continuing to grow. Businesses are examining policies and corporate cultures to create environments where caregivers can thrive. Working daughters, like working motheres, need flexibility, paid family leave and expanded eligibility requirements.

The lunar new year inspired many people to ask about their luck in 2021. One reader asked about his love life. He was born under the sun sign Gemini during the lunar year of the Dog. He wanted to know what sign he would be compatible with and if he would be lucky enough this year to find someone.

The company’s website is a wealth of information for people who are considering getting a yurt. Among other resources and links, there is an interactive 3-D yurt builder that guides a potential yurt buyer through building a model allowing them to select size, colors, accessories, options, and even allows them to place their virtual yurt in various settings to see how it will look once it lands on their property.

In last week’s issue we learned how local-born Pacific Yurts came into being. This week we are going to see how far they have come and where they are going. Happy employees are a key feature of Pacific Yurts’ success story. The company employs 36 local folks. There is longevity on the staff, with many having been there 15, 20, or more years. Older employees mentor newer ones to help instill the expertise and attention to detail that has developed along with the continually evolving products.

Cottage Grove’s tiny house village project on East Madison received a matching grant of $50,000 to help complete the project funding. Every donation received will be matched by the grant, doubling the impact.

Oregon Health Authority released its biennial Oregon Healthcare Workforce Needs Assessment report recently, which shows that the racial/ethnic diversity of the healthcare workforce does not match the diversity of the Oregon population. OHA also released its Healthcare Provider Incentive Program (HCPIP), which showed how Oregon’s incentive programs are performing in addressing workforce challenges.

CRESWELL – It was just a small line item in the Creswell School District Board Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 10, listing the recent installation of 250 air filters for schools across the district. It’s something that happens every year. Except this year, the timing was especially important.

While no two men are raised in the same way, there are many similarities in men’s beliefs about how they should act as men. Some of the ways we were taught to be men are not helpful in coping with a pandemic. Men are often taught that they should be in control of all situations. However, most men are feeling a lack of control with what is happening to us. People are losing their jobs. schools, restaurants, bars, gyms and most of the things we do for fun are closed or diminished.

UPDATE: Creswell's Atheltic Director Brandon Standridge reacts to the latest OSAA sports guidance. The Oregon Health Authority made a timely audible -- one that may have saved the high school football season. The Governor’s Office announced on Wednesday, Feb. 10 that the OHA is revising its guidance for outdoor contact sports (football, soccer, cross country) and will ease restrictions for schools that have returned to at least limited in-person learning.

This week, Jim became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. He is 81, and we are eagerly awaiting the phone call or email that will give him a time to go in for his first shot. It’s been a long time coming, and we are so thankful that our son, a granddaughter and Jim’s brother John have already been vaccinated. Our daughter Michele, who is a teacher, will be getting hers this week, too. We know that, even after we have received the vaccine, we will need to continue being masked – which is no big deal, really – and socially distanced until enough vaccines have been administered to make it safe to discontinue the practices that have become almost “normal.”

Football, girls volleyball, and boys and girls soccer won't have state champions in 2021. Schools evaluating how to best use the extra week for their teams.