It was a couple of years ago that I wrote a column about my experience being injured while descending from Mt. Hood. The theme of that article was about the kindness of strangers in helping me off that iconic mountain. Well, as luck (the bad kind) would have it, I[Read More…]
Author: MICHAEL DUNNE - [email protected]
Tiny homes are a small, critical part of big issue
Maybe they are the antidote to the “McMansion” craze of Western living, or a Hail Mary attempt to put a roof over more people’s heads, but the idea of tiny homes is one that seems like it’s here to stay. After all, the movement is trying to solve one of[Read More…]
Business owners seek to wipe out graffiti problem
SPRINGFIELD — Believe me, there are many, many more crimes that occur in our community that warrant significant attention and resources above something like graffiti. Violent crime, hate crime, robbery, and so many more leap to mind. If those crimes are like a cancer on our society, graffiti might be[Read More…]
Housing crisis a multi-faceted issue
It’s a crisis in our community which, on paper, has a very easy solution, yet in practice might be the hardest challenge we have – creating enough affordable housing to meet our needs. Indeed, a perfect storm of factors have conspired to make Lane County’s housing situation unsustainable and untenable.[Read More…]
Bridging the Digital Divide
The famous line, “If you build it, they will come” is taking on a new and significant meaning in Oregon with regard to critical infrastructure. For when it comes to expanding broadband into the more rural areas of the state, the sentiment is very much, “If you manage it, they[Read More…]
Real and perceived outdoor dangers
Recently, I was in a conversation with several young adults about their favorite outdoor spots in Oregon. They were new to the area, and new to outdoor recreation. It was a passing-the-time kind of discussion, with no real focus, and so the group aimlessly veered toward listing some of the[Read More…]
Death doula brings comfort to the unknown
I’ll be honest, the first time I heard the term “Death Doula” it immediately conjured up an image in my mind of some Marvel Comics villain. But I guess anytime you include the word death into a title or phrase it gets our minds moving down a pathway of emotions,[Read More…]
Oregon Metal Roofing perseveres, sees opportunities in trying times
For many people, when they see a crisis, they only see the negative. There are a few people who can see beyond the immediate problem and instead envision opportunity. That is true for Shane Navarro, owner of Oregon Metal Roofing and Gutters LLC of Cottage Grove. “I started working in[Read More…]
Beyond pay and benefits; Experts: How to keep, attract employees in tight labor market
The timeless game of picking a petal off of a flower and chanting, “she loves me, she loves me not,” has been replaced in many circles by instead reciting, “recession, recession not.” Experts and regular folks agree that we are no closer to predicting if and when we will head[Read More…]
A ‘spark’ of inspiration
Hands-on opps for youth coming to Booth-Kelly SPRINGFIELD — “Sparks” will soon be flying at the Booth-Kelly Center in Springfield — ones that will intersect community, education, and business for the county’s young and underserved population. This spring, Connected Lane County, an organization which creates educational and occupational opportunities for[Read More…]
