Category Opinion & Editorial

FILE PHOTO Residents in Springfield attend a flag-raising event in November 2020 for Veteran’s Day. Statement from Lane County Board of Commissioners Chair Joe Berney in response to today’s events in Washington, D.C.:   Berney What we are witnessing in our nation’s Capitol does not…

Blum I received this note from two Italian friends. It reminds me how important America is – not just to us, but to many around the world. In light of Covid, perhaps a celebration of democracy could happen by July 4. “We think there is…

Richard Heyman From the desk of the Colonel. “In all my 90 years out of the 96 I have lived, never did I witness anything to embarrass, enrage me or make me so ashamed as the large numbers of Citizens of our great nation when…

FILE PHOTO Veteran’s Day 2020 had a different feel as veterans and residents physically distanced at a ceremony in front of the Creswell memorial and fire station. “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all…

Need a penny? Take a penny. Have a penny? Leave a penny.  Sentiments often seen at convenience stores, usually scrawled on a piece of paper next to a dish with a few pennies, nickels and dimes.  Is it just a simple way to help others?…

Blum “Waist deep in the big muddy, and the big fool says to push on.”   – Pete Seeger The Fool referred to in the above lyric was President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who, despite sober assessments that the war in Vietnam was unwinnable, continued escalating…

There is not enough candy in the world to sugarcoat this year. The pandemic has blanketed our lives with a slime that sops us to our fingertips. It’s been 10 months and we’re still trying to scrub it off.  We can probably agree that we…

Blum “It’s coming on Christmas, they’re cutting down trees, they’re putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace, Oh I wish I had a river, I could skate away on.”    – River,  Joni Mitchell We received our first Christmas letter the day…

Blum How did you spend your Thanksgiving week? The Monday before Thanksgiving, I experienced an abdominal attack that was so concerning we called 911 at two o’clock in the morning. Thirty minutes later, a welcome cavalry of ambulances and EMT’s showed up at our door…