March - The Northwest Connection

Transcription

Vo l u m e 1 0
•
Number 110
C o m p l i m e n ta r y I s s u e Saint Patrick’s Day,
And Other Holidays
to party, a holiday for a few
good pints of Guinness, and
a dinner of shepherd’s pie or
corned beef hash. But why
do we celebrate this Irish
holiday in our country?
By Helen Maguire
W
hen we lived in
Fairview Village, I
loved to see the cheerful
yellow daffodils signal the
end of winter cold and the
return of warmer days. They
were among the first flowers
to burst into bloom every
spring, along with the little
crocus and hyacinth. If you
were born in March, daffodils
are your birthday flower.
In the language of flowers,
daffodils symbolize friendship,
chivalry, respect, modesty and
faithfulness. From at least the
1500s the flowers have been
playfully called “Daffadown
Dilly,” or “paperwhites.”
In North America daffodils
(genus narcissus) are also
known as jonquils, the
Spanish name for the
flower. Daffodils range in
size from 5-inch blooms on
2-foot stems to half-inch
flowers on 2-inch stems and
have a sweet fragrance.
The Mystery Of The
Passionflower: A
Reflection Of Easter
By JoLinn Kampstra, Publisher,
The Northwest Connection
Maybe it is time to look into
the historic reasons behind
By Paula Olson, The
our holidays. For instance, do
Northwest Connection
any of us really know much
about who Cupid is besides a
t’s March and the 17th will
cherubic-looking being with
be Saint Patrick’s Day. This is a quiver and arrows, most
a day most kids associate with often seen on Victorian-styled
wearing green, so that they do Valentine cards and old
not get pinched by relentless
ladies’ bathroom wallpaper?
siblings or scheming peers,
In February, you might have
cutting out shamrocks and
looked into the myth of how
four-leaf clovers, and drawing Cupid was the son of Roman
leprechauns with rainbows
goddess Venus and god Mars.
and pots of gold. Like many
He was sent on a mission by
once-religious holidays, it is
his mother to do a little evil
often in the United States
matchmaking on princess
viewed as an opportunity
continues on pg. 12
History tells us that in 1620,
a Jesuit priest came across
the plant we now know as
f you’ve ever had the pleasure passionflower. Enthralled
of walking Glendoveer Golf with its beauty, that night he
Course in Portland, you can’t
had a vision likening its floral
help but
parts to the
pass by one
elements of the
of the most
Crucifixion
fascinating
or Passion of
flowers ever
Christ. The five
created—the
petals and five
passionflower.
sepals became
It is incredible
the ten apostles
in design,
(omitting Peter
Species Passiflora: The Passionflower
beauty and
and Judas).
elegance.
The three
Laced with rich colors
pistils became the nails of
of purple and white
the cross. The purple corona
spindles, this flower boasts
was the crown of thorns,
many other elements,
and the stemmed ovary
which adds to the mystic
was the Lord's goblet.
appearance of this flower.
continues on pg. 23
Justice Antonin Scalia:
A Hard Act To Follow
Voter-Approved Road
Funding Package
March Flower
Daffodil—
The Daffadown Dilly
March 2016
I
I
Spring is on it's Way!
report, Scalia arrived at the
ranch on Friday and attended
a private party with about 40
people. When Scalia did not
appear for breakfast, a person
associated with the ranch went
to his
room
and
found
his
By Tootie Smith, Clackamas County Commissioner
T
to you. We must have highly
he 1.3 million acres that
functional, well-maintained
makes up Clackamas
County is covered with 1,400 infrastructure in order to
attract new businesses that
paved miles of roads and 180
will create
bridges – more
jobs in our
than any other
community.
By Helen Maguire, The
populous
Northwest
Connection
Higher-wage
county
in
Although a favorite of the
local jobs
the state! For
ancient Greeks and Romans,
mean less
too long,
by around 1600 daffodils
upreme Court Associate
commute time
past county
had fallen out of favor. But
Justice
for Clackamas
leadership
that changed in 1629 when
Antonin Scalia
citizens, many
prioritized
a group of English gardeners
was found dead
who have
mass transit
body.
championed the daffodil and it of apparent
hour-long
projects
while
regained its popularity among heart attack
Antonin
commutes
largely
ignoring
plant and flower lovers.
on Saturday,
Gregory Scalia
into
investment
February 13th,
— “Nino” to
Though very beautiful,
Washington
opportunities
family, friends
daffodils can be toxic. Florists at a luxury
County.
that would
resort in West
and colleagues
sometime get daffodil itch:
have improved
Texas, federal
In my time
— was born in
dryness, fissures, scaliness
and maintained
officials
said.
on the
Trenton, N.J.,
on the hands and thickness
our roads and Commissioner Tootie Smith
commission,
on March 11,
under the nails due to
Scalia, 79, was
highways.
I’ve
remained
1936, and
exposure to calcium oxalate
a guest at the
As your county commissioner, committed to seeking
grew up in
Cibolo
Creek
Justice Antonin Scalia 1936-2016
continues on pg. 10
voter approval on policies
I understand that
the New York
Ranch, a resort
that directly impact your
infrastructure is one of the
City borough of Queens.
in the Big Bend region south
core
services
we
can
provide
of Marfa. According to a
continues on pg...2
continues on pg...16
S
Daffodils in bloom
Soleil Clean ..pg 7
Coloring Contest...pg 3
Booker T. Washington
...pg 13
March Recipe...pg 14
2 | The Northwest Connection
March 2016
The Northwest
Connection
The Northwest
Connection
from the Publisher
Change has a considerable psychological impact
on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening
because it means that things may get worse. To the
hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better.
To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge
exists to make things better.
—King Whitney Jr.
JoLinn Kampstra
and Staff would like to
thank all of our readers,
columnists, and advertisers
for their continued support.
Voter-Approved Road...
continued from pg. 1
effects of the recession.
However, if we want to
checkbook. While I certainly
insulate ourselves against a
understand voter hesitation for future economic downturn,
approving a gas tax increase or we must have functioning
additional vehicle registration infrastructure that will
fees, I believe part of my job is attract successful employers
to inform you of the issues in
to our region. Postponing
our county, and then let you
maintenance and waiting for
weigh in on the solutions.
our roads to deteriorate further
will cost county taxpayers
The commission is planning
to include an advisory vote on more in the long run.
the May ballot to gauge public With your input, the
sentiment, but I am personally county can demonstrate
seeking more specific input
decisive leadership today
from Clackamas citizens about so that we leave our roads
your ideas for how you would in better shape for future
like the Commission to fund
generations, instead of kicking
transportation infrastructure.
the can down the road.
The commission has discussed When you get your May
a Vehicle Registration Fee, a
ballot, please respond to the
gas tax, or a combination of
question about road funding
both. My preference would
for Clackamas County.
have been to have a more
I value the opportunity
robust selection of options
to have primary voters
for voters to consider this
weigh in on this important
May, so I’m opening my
decision. Your response will
door for the public to weigh
help Commissioners craft
in with me, directly.
a balanced road funding
I’ve also advocated for
establishing a sunset date on
any package approved by the
voters. When we consider new
revenue-raising proposals,
funds raised should be for a
specific set of projects and
then we should stop collecting
those funds when the projects
are finished. That way, we can
show voters the results and
ensure they received a good
value for their investment.
Many taxpayers are still
experiencing the economic
package for voter approval
in November. The result
of better roads – increased
safety, new jobs, and vibrant
tourism, will help increase
prosperity across the county.
With your input, you can
count on your commissioners
to deliver a thoughtful
transportation package that
will have positive and lasting
results for our future.
You can contact
Commissioner Smith
directly at: 503-655-8581
JoLinn Kampstra Frank & Helen Maguire
Publisher/Editor
107 East Historic Columbia River
HighwayTroutdale, OR 97060
www.nw-connection.com
503–328–8416
Jolinn@nw–connection.com
Copy Editors
Mark Ellis
Editorial Assistant
Rex Caffall
Photographer
Dale Seale
Sales/Advertising
Our mission at The Northwest Connection is to provide an educational, informative community
newspaper that promotes free market principles. We support and honor the Constitution and
our founding fathers. Our goal is to stimulate the local economy by promoting area businesses
and to encourage citizen involvement, which, in turn, will build stronger communities.
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signed with full name, address and phone number. Articles will be published on a space available basis. We do not necessarily endorse any advertiser, public opinions and or columnists.
The Northwest Connection | 3
March 2016
Oregon’s Unions May Be The Only Ones
Pleased By The Minimum Wage Hike
By Anne Marie Gurney
O
regon businesses – the
ones that employ about
90% of the state’s workers –
didn’t want the minimum wage
lifted. Nearly every newspaper
in the state editorialized against
an increase, too. It’s hard
to say how Oregon’s voters
felt about the issue, since
they weren’t given a chance
to express their opinion.
The state’s public-sector
unions, however, thought it
was a grand idea. And not
surprisingly, the Democratdominated Legislature agreed.
Two weeks ago, Oregon’s
House of Representatives
caved in to the hooting,
jeering labor agitators bussed
to the Capitol just for the
occasion and passed a juryrigged law that divides the
state into three regions,
each with its own arbitrarily
increased minimum wage.
“Today's action advances one
of my priorities for 2016: raise
the minimum wage,” Gov.
Kate Brown crowed. “I started
this conversation last fall,
bringing stakeholders together
to craft a workable proposal;
one that gives working families
the much-needed wage boost
they need, and addresses
challenges for businesses and
rural economies presented
by the two impending ballot
measures. I look forward
to signing this bill.”
the site of a noisy minimum
wage fight two years ago that
ended with a ballot initiative
calling for an increase to $15
an hour winning a narrow
victory. What the media
reports didn’t tell you, though,
is that the new standard didn’t
apply to unionized businesses.
Her scripted lies fooled no one. Thus, employers were given
a choice between letting
One Oregon newspaper
the unions get a foot in the
published an editorial that
door of their workplace or
observed, “… (legislative
increasing their personnel
Democrats) don’t want to
costs by 20% or more
see public employee unions,
with the stroke of a pen.
which dump so much money
Table of Contents...
The Northwest Connection-Cover Stories
1. Saint Patrick's Day, And Other Holidays
By Paula Olson, NW Connection
1. The Mystery Of The Passionflower: A Reflection Of Easter
By JoLinn Kampstra, Publisher, NW Connection
1. Antonin Scalia: A Hard Act To Follow
By Helen Maguire, NW Connection
1. Voter-Approved Road Funding Package
By Tootie Smith, Clackamas County Commissioner
Public Opinion and Editorials
3. Oregon's Unions May Be The Only Ones Pleased By The Minimun Wage Hike
By Anne Marie Gurney
3. Coloring Contest
More than one took the former 4. You Don't Pay Taxes- They Take Taxes
and so much people power
option and, counterintuitive
into Democratic legislative
By Bill Wehr, Damascus Council President
as it may sound, workers in
campaigns in this state, have
4
.
Troutdale
Taxpayers To Cough Up Unspecified Millions to spend their dollars on what those companies actually
In A Binding Agreement For Urban Renewal.
could well be a bruising battle wound up earning less than
By Rich Allen, Troutdale City Councilor
those in non-union shops.
over the minimum wage.
5.
Extending
Oregon's Open Enrollment Law Empowers What better way to keep one’s But the unions themselves
Parents
own coffers full than to help
came out ahead because
donors save money elsewhere?” they wound up with
By Kathryn Hickok, Cascade Policy Institute
5. The American Dream-Will It Be There For Our
more members.
But the conspiracy is even
Grandkids?
more complicated. Why, you
And more members means
By Stephen Bates
might be asking yourself,
more dues money with
6.
Oregon
Health Authority Urges Schools To Amass Data are the unions so eager to
which to bribe the politicians
see the minimum wage
From
Students About Their Beliefs And About Their who make these absurd
increased at all? Wouldn’t
Parents' Home Behavior
laws in the first place.
that close the gap between
By Lori Porter, Parents Rights in Education
unionized and non-unionized As always, Oregon gets
6. Historic Supreme Court Decision
the best government
workers and eliminate the
By Gordon Fulks, PhD (Physics)
union money can buy.
incentive to join one?
7. Oregon Right To Life President Loses Day Job Over Pro-
Anne Marie Gurney is
It would if they weren’t
Life Beliefs
the Oregon coordinator of
also busy carving out
By Mark Ellis, NW Connection
the Freedom Foundation,
exemptions for themselves
a free market think tank
from the very laws they
Family / Health / History
that advocates for limited,
work so diligently to pass.
accountable government in
SeaTac, WA, for example, was the Pacific Northwest.
8. History Of Election Year Supreme Court Replacements
March Coloring Contest!
Mail Coloring Contest ~ The Northwest Connection
PO Box 61 Troutdale, OR 97060
Winner receives $5.00 Gift Certificate from Dairy Queen!
By Helen Maguire, NW Connection
9. Nice Try
By Brian F. Mayer, Co-Founder, Phonics Phactory
10. Do You Know How To Eat?
By Victoria Larson, N.D.
13. Hampton University And American Hero Booker T. Washington
By Frank Maguire, NW Connection
15. Kicking Off Your Spring Gardening
By Delia Lopez
Seasoned Citizens
17. And God Looked Down...
By Johnny Olson, NW Connection
Poetry Corner
19. Caricatures
By Marlon Furtado, Greater Gresham Baptist Church
Faith and Words of Encouragement
20. Is Trust Outdated?
By Bill Ehmann, Wood Village Baptist Church
20. Talking With The Spirit Of God
By William Ames Curtright
21. Kingdom Living
By Tj Saling Caldwell
Name and address to mail gift certificate to:
Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Business Briefs
22. How Should You Respond To Market "Correction?"
- Submitted by Lynne Page
March 2016
Public Forum
You Don't Pay Taxes
– They Take Taxes
By Bill Wehr, Damascus
Council President
T
he City Charter of
Damascus starts, “We
the voters of the City of
Damascus, Clackamas
County, Oregon exercise our
power to the fullest extent
possible under the Oregon
Constitution and laws of the
state, enact this Home Rule
Charter.” The Charter then
goes on to define what these
powers are and how they
are to be to be exercised.
These voters and taxpayers
should be first in the minds
of our state legislators,
county commissioners and
city council. Instead, they
are first to pay and last to be
refunded any remaining.
The City of Damascus is
a municipal corporation.
As a corporation, a city
organizational chart was
drawn up years ago to reflect
the hierarchy of authority
over who would carry out
the responsibilities of the
workings of this corporation.
The citizens, demanding
efficiency and accountability
in how their money is spent
are placed at the top of the
organizational chart. Next
comes the Council, who
are the elected or appointed
representatives of all the
citizens. After that, comes
the city manager over
various department heads
and the rest of city staff.
This organizational chart will
be turned upside down if
Measure 93 is passed by our
voters this May. The citizens
who are at the top of the chart
will then be at the bottom
and the County government,
which isn't there now, and
paid city staff will be at the
top. This is a symbolic model
for how the money reserve of
over $8 million plus the real
estate properties would be
distributed. The very citizens
who paid this money to start
with are the last to get a
share of it. And the taxpayer
will wait for his share until
sometime convenient for the
County after January 2018.
Measure 93 states “majority
‘yes’ vote disincorporates
City of Damascus, property
to Clackamas County, net
assets to taxpayers.” If there is
a “yes “ vote, the city will be
required after 30 days to settle
all obligations then transfer
all money and property
to Clackamas County.
On the 61st day the city will
surrender its charter and cease
continues on pg 6
Troutdale Taxpayers To Cough Up
Unspecified Millions In A Binding
Agreement For Urban Renewal.
By Rich Allen, Troutdale
City Councilor
Preface: Before you stop reading
and wonder why you should
care about Troutdale. This
type of problem has become
widespread in our country and
only the voters can change it.
I
shouldn’t be surprised that
in today’s city government
what I would call corruption
may be perfectly legal; in fact
it may be business as usual.
Millions of dollars of taxpayer money gets committed
in a binding agreement and
you may never understand
why your life gets harder.
When Troutdale City
Councilors Morgan and
Anderson were appointed to
the urban renewal negotiating
team by Mayor Daoust, I was
concerned; Morgan hoping
for a future career in politics
and seeking future donors,
and Anderson being good
friends with counsel for the
developer was concerning to
me. These two were supposed
to represent the best interests
of Troutdale. Still, I felt
any deal they negotiated
would be well vetted by the
whole city council where
reason may prevail. Instead,
the binding agreement was
rushed through to a vote.
On the February 9th
2016 meeting we had an
unprecedented executive
session in the middle of a
city council meeting. The
person who video tapes our
meetings was sent home.
The public that waited until
11:48pm wasn’t allowed to be
called back before the mayor
resumed the public meeting.
Then on February 16th 2016
a specially called joint meeting
of the Urban Renewal Agency
and the City Council occurred.
People had to plea to get this
meeting videotaped as council
meetings usually are. The room
was filled by many people
that don’t live in Troutdale
to give strong support. We
had only a few days to notify
our Troutdale residents of the
deal on a holiday weekend.
Perhaps this was by design.
I don’t understand why the
majority of Council would
support what I would call
shady practices, when it seems
we all want to see urban
renewal be successful. All
we were asking for was a fair
process to objectively look
at the binding agreement
before it was voted through.
For that some will vilify us.
Mayor Daoust, along with
Councilors Morgan, Wilson,
and Anderson voted for
the binding agreement.
Councilors White, Ripma,
and Allen voted no.
I dream of a government
of the people, instead of a
government of the money, by
the money, for the money. The
hardworking taxpayer is losing
and they may not realize by
how much until it is too late.
Editors Note: Below is a graph
that explains how urban
renewal works. An opinion
that many citizens hold as the
greatest administrative evil ever
hatched against taxpayers.
March 2016
Public Forum
Think Tank- News And
Views from the Cascade
Policy Institute
Extending Oregon's
Open Enrollment Law
Empowers Parents
their local school district—
permission that was often
denied. Other winners include
rural district schools which
have worked hard to attract
incoming transfer students by
focusing on strong academics.
Instead of more bureaucracy,
Oregon needs effective
By Kathryn Hickok,
accountability in K-12
Cascade Policy Institute
education by empowering
every parent to hold his or her
ecently, the Oregon State
child’s school accountable and
Senate passed an extension to ensure that their children
of Oregon’s open enrollment
are getting the education they
law, Senate Bill 1566. The
deserve. Oregon legislators
bill extends for three more
should be commended for
years the sunset provision
supporting the Oregon
of a 2011 law which allows
open enrollment law, a
students to attend public
relatively easy way to promote
schools in different districts
accountability and continuous
from their home residences, as improvement within the
long as the receiving district
public school system. When
is accepting transfers. The bill parents can choose the
is expected to pass the House
schools that are best for
before the end of the session.
their children, students have
Oregon’s open enrollment law better chances to learn and
is a victory for parents, because succeed; and school districts
have both the incentives and
it gives them more power to
choose among Oregon public the opportunities to shine.
And that can only be a plus
schools without requiring
for education in Oregon.
transfer permission from
R
The American Dream – Will It
Be There For Our Grandkids?
from the state to collect taxes.
It did not take much to
start a business then.
By Stephen Bates
Steve Bates is a 38 year
resident of Boring, Oregon; an
unincorporated community
in Clackamas County. He
is also a declared candidate
for Clackamas County
Commission Position No. 3.
I
am living the American
Dream. My understanding
of the American Dream
includes Opportunity, Hard
Work, Home Ownership and
the Financial Rewards thereof.
At the age of 18, I started
my first business as an adult.
Steve’s Shell Service.
One thing led to another
and then I found myself
traveling the western
United States as a District
Marketing Manager for a
corporation headquartered
outside of Cleveland, Ohio.
We moved to Oregon and
started another business.
This business proved to last
through the years and still
exists today. There were times
of trial and concern, and other
times of unbridled success.
This is the pinnacle of my
American Dream experience.
A business license was not
required for this business.
The state of Oregon required
a filing with the secretary of
state to set aside the business
name. Upon incorporation,
a filing of corporation papers
was required. It did not take
much to start a business then.
I was the youngest Shell Dealer Could I start this same
in Shell Oil Company’s history. business today?
I had a business license from
Maybe, maybe not.
the city and a certification
Since this business was started,
capital requirements have
changed and governments
have adopted volumes of
laws and rules that limit
entrepreneurs. County rules
for land use limitations are a
concern today. County rules
actually stopped the expansion
of our business several years
ago. The building project
that we spent years and many
dollars planning was cancelled
by the banks. The banks
withdrew because county
rules added significant cost
(an additional twenty percent)
to the building project.
Today, banks have different
rules that are even more
stringent when it comes to
financing business startups.
These banking rules are
the result of additional
government regulations.
What are the entrepreneurs
of today supposed to do?
All of these government
regulations require additional
expense and capital.
If the entrepreneurs do
continues on pg 13
continues on pg. 6
DISCLAIMER: The Northwest Connection’s public opinion editorials are an opportunity for all citizens to voice their opinions on issues. We do not necessarily
endorse any columnist or published public opinions. All are encouraged to respond and submissions will be published on space available basis.
March 2016
Public Forum
Historic Supreme Court Decision
Citizen Voices
strong protests from scientists of bad science, dire
Oregon Health Authority
who know that carbon dioxide predictions of impending
catastrophe, bullying,
is far from a pollutant. The
Urges Schools To Amass Data
and refusal to consider
president was having great
success with his 'War on Coal' economic consequences to
From Students About Their
get their way on scientific
by threatening to bankrupt
coal companies and coal-fired matters. They argued that
Beliefs And About Their
their rules should not
power plants that do not
submit to his demands.
be delayed until they are
Parents’ Home Behavior
actually finished, giving them
By Gordon Fulks, PhD (Physics)
P
resident Obama had every
reason to expect that the
US Supreme Court would go
along with his Clean Power
Plan (CPP) for coal-fired
In the SWS, children are
power plants as they had
asked specific questions
with his other initiatives.
about their parents’ behavior
They upheld his signature
and their experiences with
health care law despite strong
parents who consume beer,
challenges. They upheld
wine,
or
alcoholic
beverages.
the Endangerment Finding
By Lori, Porter, Parents
Rights in Education
The Oregon Health Authority for carbon dioxide that his
Environmental Protection
also wants to know if the
Agency (EPA) had produced,
parents have ever been
November 4, 2015 letter
separated or divorced, and how despite strong challenges from
from Oregon Health
fossil fuel companies and
many times
Authority
the student
Director,
You Don't Pay Taxes, ...
has changed
Lynn Saxton
homes
since
strongly
kindergarten.
recommends
to exist. Enacted House Bill
that Oregon
In this survey, 3086, triggered if Measure 93
School
students
passes, sets the pecking order
Boards
are asked
of who gets the money. It's
give their
to diagnose
A survey you should know about
now the new bottom of the
approval
their own mental
organizational chart that gets
of what
health and are also asked if
the crumbs. Measure 93 states
some parents would deem
someone in the home is/was
in the explanatory statement,”
an intrusive survey given
depressed or mentally ill.
any remaining funds in excess
to their children while at
of the amounts necessary ….
An informational letter
school. All the data will be
to former taxpayers.” In other
about the Student Wellness
collected between February
words, no guarantee of money.
Survey may be sent home,
1 - April 8, 2016 from what
There have been attempts to
is called the ‘Student Wellness but if parents/guardians
do
not
opt
out
their
child,
get a reasonable amount of
Survey’ (SWS); 6th - 8th
Oregon
6th,
8th
and
11th
money back to the taxpayers
grade and 11th grade.
grade children will be given
sooner rather than later if
In this survey, children
this survey by default.
Measure 93 passes. The city
are asked: “How do you
finance committee, made up
identify? Female, Male,
of citizen volunteers, has been
Transgender, Other.” They
exploring this option. I have
brought a refund subject up
to council several times.
are also asked, “Which best
describes you? Heterosexual,
Gay or Lesbian, Bisexual,
Queer, Other, Not Sure.”
A
Opposition has been strong
in certain quarters against
an early refund. Even the
Clackamas County Board
of Commissioners informed
the city they are against an
But suddenly on February
9, five justices on the high
court ordered the Obama
Administration to “stay”
implementation of their
CPP until lower courts and
the Supreme Court have a
chance to rule on the various
legal challenges claiming that
this administration has far
exceeded the authority granted
to it under the Clean Air Act.
What was different this
time? For years, the Obama
administration has been
using the same combination
early refund. This is in spite
of the citizens first being
advised there was $4 million
to disburse back, then over
time down to $3.2. The latest
estimate is down to $2.3.
It's dropping like a rock.
In the last council meeting in
February there was a motion
time to force compliance
before the courts can act.
But the justices were wise to
this ruse having witnessed
the Mercury and Air Toxic
Standards (MATS) fiasco
where power companies
were forced to comply
with Obama's wishes at
great economic cost, only
to have the standards later
invalidated by the courts.
The lead plaintiff for 29
states, West Virginia Attorney
continues on pg. 18
passed 4-2 to discontinue
any formal discussion of
early refund of money to
our taxpayers. Comedian
Chris Rock was astute when
he once observed “You
don't pay taxes – they take
taxes.” He could have been
talking about Damascus.
March Sudoku Puzzle
Credit www.puzzles.ca/sudoku Solution is on page 22
March 2016
February News Briefs
Oregon Right To Life President Loses
Day Job Over Pro-Life Beliefs
I
“My sister and I did not hide
our Christian faith, but we
never discussed politics with
employees or coworkers, even
when our liberal co-workers
brought the subject up.”
Daws says she only discussed
s the January 22 firing of
Harmony Daws another
instance of a Christian being
penalized for their sincerely
held religious beliefs?
It sure looks like it. But
Daws and her sister
Verity Grant--who quit
her job at the same
housecleaning company
in solidarity--aren’t letting
it slow them down.
They’ve opened up their
own housecleaning
service, Soleil Clean,
and calls from potential
clients are pouring in.
Harmony Daws and Verity Grant
Previously employed by a
Corvallis-area housecleaning
company, Daws was let
go when the company’s
owner learned she had been
named the new president
of Oregon Right to Life.
“I was told that my political
writing online exposed the
housecleaning business to
liability and accusations of
discrimination,” says Daws.
“I had just given my first
public speech as president in
Pioneer Courthouse Square.”
Daws was the Operations
Manager for the company that
the sisters have respectfully
declined to name, though
local media reports did
identify it. Grant was the most
senior supervisor/cleaner.
“We conducted ourselves
with utmost professionalism
and were [the company’s]
most valued employees, says
Daws. “The firing came as
a tremendous shock.”
Asked whether she and her
sister ever discussed sensitive
religious or political topics
at work, Daws says no.
her pro-life beliefs with
the owner of the business,
within what she viewed as the
context of their friendship.
Harmony plans no legal
action or action of any kind
that might harm her former
employer’s business.
How is Soleil Clean doing so
far? “We're only a month in,
but getting lots of phone calls
already! We are well on our
way to being very successful.”
Daws has big plans for the
growth of her business.
“Within 5 years I expect to
have annual revenues of $1
million, and a team of 15-20
full-time employees. I am
basing this on the growth my
previous employer experienced
while her business was
under my management.”
Daws and Grant each
share final thoughts:
Harmony: “Throughout past
centuries, countless Americans
have paid with their lives for
our freedom. Throughout
the past two millenniums,
countless Christians have paid
with their lives for the causes
of justice and mercy. I want to
pay a price too! I want my life
to matter. If I’d known going
in that I'd lose my job as a
result of becoming president of
Oregon Right to Life, I'd
accept the ORL position
again in a heartbeat.
Before I'd be silent about
the ongoing killing of
innocent human life in
the womb, I would gladly
lose my job, my freedom,
and even my life.”
Verity: “I chose to walk
away from my job
after my employer fired my
sister with no cause, based
purely on Harmony’s beliefs.
I have been volunteering for
Oregon Right to Life since I
was ten years old. Abortion
is a controversial issue and
many people hold personal
pro-life convictions but I
never share those with anyone
else. I wasn't raised that way.
I can't be silent. I believe in
the innate right to life of each
innocent human being.”
Franklin Graham To
Visit 50 State Capitals
C
hristian evangelical
Franklin Graham
announced late last year
that he will visit all 50
state capitals as part of his
Decision America 2016 tour.
Graham has already visited
capitals in the early primary
states, Des Moines, Iowa on
January 5th, and Concord,
New Hampshire on January
19th, and Columbia, South
Carolina and Atlanta,
Georgia on February 9th
and 10th respectively.
Graham, the son of evangelical
leader Billy Graham, very
publically quit the Republican
Party in December over the
GOP’s failure to mount serious
opposition to the funding
of Planned Parenthood.
“No political party,” Graham
said at the tour announcement,
“offers a solution to the
nation’s troubles. “I have
no hope in the Democratic
Party. I have zero hope in the
Republican Party. My only
hope is in the body of Christ.”
Graham’s visit to Salem, OR
To read Harmony’s story in her is not yet scheduled.—the
own words Google “On Being Northwest Connection
Fired-Harmony Daws—the
March 2016
History
History Of Election Year
Supreme Court Replacements
By Helen Maguire, The
P
rior to Antonin Scalia’s
passing, eight Justices died
while actively on the Court’s
bench during a presidential
election year since 1789,
according to official records.
In some of these cases, the
nomination and confirmation
of replacement Justices came
quickly, but in other cases, the
Senate delayed confirmations,
with two instances of a
replacement process taking
more than two years.
Justice Robert Trimble
died in August 1828 as the
election campaign between
President John Quincy
Adams and Andrew Jackson
was concluding. Adams
nominated John Crittenden in
December 1828, after Jackson
won the general election.
The Senate postponed any
vote on Crittenden until
Jackson became President,
and John McLean was quickly
approved to replace Trimble.
Justice Henry Baldwin died
in April 1844 during the
campaign that eventually
saw James Polk elected as
President. Baldwin’s death
came at a time when President
John Tyler lacked any political
support in the Senate and he
saw a total of eight Supreme
Court nominations fail. It
took more than two years for
Tyler and then Polk to get
a replacement approved for
Baldwin, when Robert Grier
was confirmed in August 1846.
Justice John McKinley
died in July 1852 during
the presidential campaign
between Franklin Pierce and
Winfield Scott. President
Millard Fillmore nominated
three candidates to replace
McKinley. The Senate didn’t
act on two candidates and
one withdrew. The next
President, Pierce, had his
candidate, John Campbell,
confirmed in March 1853.
The nomination
or confirmation
of Justices
in election
years, where
seats became
the Senate by
vacant for other
two votes, but
reasons, is more
Fuller won his
common, but
nomination
still rare in the
by 21 votes.
modern era.
Justice Joseph
Of the 112
Bradley died
Justices who
in January
have served on
1892, the
Chief Justice Melville Fuller
the Court, 16
election year
were
confirmed
that saw
during an election year.
Cleveland regain the
presidency from Harrison.
Harrison nominated George
Shiras Jr., the cousin
of GOP leader
James Blaine, to
replace Bradley.
Shiras’s nomination
and confirmation
took a week in
Senate controlled
by the Republicans;
the approval was
by voice vote.
Justice
Peter Vivian
Daniel
died in late
May 1860
during the
race that saw
Abraham
Lincoln win
the White
House.
And Justice Joseph
President
Rucker Lamar,
James
who had been ill in
Buchanan
Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase
1915 and planning
failed to
to
retire,
died
in early 1916.
get Jeremiah Black confirmed
President
Woodrow
Wilson
as Daniel’s replacement in
nominated
Louis
Brandeis
February 1861. Lincoln finally
had Samuel Miller confirmed as Lamar’s replacement. He
in July 1862 to replace Daniel. was eventually approved by
the Senate after a four-month
Chief Justice Roger Taney
process, even though Wilson’s
died in October 1864 just
party controlled the Senate.
before Lincoln won re-election.
Lincoln nominated Salmon
P. Chase to become Chief
Justice on January 6, 1865
and Chase was approved on
the same day by the Senate.
first nominee for that post
since 1795 to fail to win Senate
approval. The following year,
he became the first Supreme
Court justice to resign under
threat of impeachment,
when it was discovered that
he had accepted a dubious
position from the Wolfson
Foundation. In exchange for
$20,000 per year for life.
In November 1987, President
Reagan, a Republican,
nominated Anthony Kennedy
to the Court, after two prior
replacement attempts (Robert
Bork and Douglas Ginsburg)
didn’t succeed. Kennedy was
confirmed unanimously by a
Democrat-controlled Senate
in February 1988.
President Lyndon Johnson
failed with two nominations
during the contentious
1968 election
year when
Other Justices who
Republicans
either resigned
filibustered Abe
or retired during
Fortas’s elevation
presidential
as Chief Justice
election years
to replace Earl
included Oliver
Warren, who
Ellsworth, Alfred
had announced
Moore, Samuel
retirement plans.
Nelson, William
Warren and
Strong, Ward
Fortas stayed on
Justice Earl Warren
Hunt, Oliver
the Court while
Wendell Holmes,
Homer Thornberry was denied Charles Evans Hughes,
a chance to replace Fortas as an and Sherman Minton.
Associate Justice. Abe Fortas
Successful election-year
had served as an associate
confirmations included
justice of the Supreme Court
William Johnson, Roger
since 1965. Nominated to
Brook Taney (elevated to
replace Earl Warren as chief
justice by Lyndon B. Johnson Chief Justice), Philip Barbour,
in 1968, Fortas became the
continues on pg. 14
Chief Justice Morrison
Waite died unexpectedly in
March 1888 during President
Grover Cleveland’s re-election
campaign against GOP
candidate Benjamin Harrison.
Cleveland nominated a
replacement, Melville Fuller,
in April 1888, and he wasn’t
confirmed until July 1888.
The Republicans controlled
-Antonin Scalia-American Judge
If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.
—Ronald Reagan
March 2016
Family/Health
Nice Try
By Brian F. Mayer, Co-Founder,
Phonics Phactory
I
f you never have watched
a preteen club volleyball
tournament, you never have
had blood pressure medicine
prescribed. I always thought
the volleyball was to travel over
the net. Frustrating as that not
happening may be, listening
to the parents in the not-socheap-seats proves the point:
life skills matter. If it was heard
once, it was heard innumerable
times echoing through the gym
(in which three such games
were being played at one
time!). Nice try! Good try! Nice
try! Good attempt! Nice try! All I
could hear in my head was the
simple philosophical notion of
an imaginary creature named
Yoda: Do. Or do not. There is
no try. They were not great
tries. They were not even good.
Maybe mediocre. Why? After
three matches, the ball was still
hitting the floor all too often.
Trying is one of those things
that a lot of kids are confused
by — how can they be faulted
if they did not get the results
that were expected of them
when they put in 50% of
their effort? Poor volleyball
coaching? I don’t think so.
Poor coaching at home?
Probably. The Little Engine
that Could is not just about
trying, it is not just about
100% effort, or believing
or feeling good about one’s
self. It is about the ball
going over the net, not just
wanting to be given a pat
on the back for showing up
and wearing the uniform.
Welcome to the real world,
kids…a world where effort
is all well and good, but it
will always play a back seat to
results. And home is where
that lesson must be learned.
Johnny Appleseed Day,
and west of the Ohio river
March 18
were opened for settlement in
Home life skills matter. They
will determine the way the
game of life is played. Parental
coach-ing these days only
seems to be confined to an
over-scheduled sports agenda
where the singular goal is a
college scholarship. Realistic?
Hardly. The
percentage
of high
school
students
who receive
athletic
scholarships
have not risen higher than
1.8% since 1995. This
notion of playing club ball
in early ages (now club
preschool soccer leagues?)
serves to expose the real
motivation of the youth
sports club movement for
far too many parents: not
having to pay the price for
their student’s education. It
is not just the millennials
who are feeling the Bern.
Providing a child’s higher
education is now the
government’s job. Investing
Appleseed had him spreading
apple seeds randomly,
everywhere he went. In fact,
he planted nurseries rather
than orchards. His methods
he states of Oregon and
the early 1800’s, Chapman was
were simple. He went into the
Washington are renowned among the very
wilderness with a
for their bountiful and varied
first to explore
bag of apple seeds
apple orchards. Did you ever
the new territory.
on his back until
wonder how these orchards
For nearly half
he found a likely
originated? Where did the
a century he
spot for planting.
saplings come from? Well, I
roamed the
There he would
have a theory that they may
Northwest
clear the land by
have originated with the work Territory from
chopping out
of Johnny Appleseed. Oh, he
which the
weeds and brush
was only a legend, you might
states of Ohio,
by hand. He
say. Actually, Johnny Appleseed Michigan,
planted his apple
was a real, live person.
Indiana, and
seeds in neat rows
Illinois were
John Chapman was born on
and built a brush
later formed.
September 26, 1774 near
fence around the
When settlers
Leominster, Massachusetts.
area to keep out
arrived, they
By the time he was 25 years
straying animals. Some of his
old, he had become a nursery found Chapman’s young apple nurseries were only an acre or
trees ready for sale. In the
man and had planted apple
so, others covered many acres.
trees in the western portions of years that followed, he became He would leave the nurseries
known as the Apple Tree
New York and Pennsylvania.
in the care of a neighbor
Man, or Johnny Appleseed.
who sold trees on shares. He
When the rich and fertile lands
The
popular
image
of
Johnny
lying south of the Great Lakes
continues on pg. 12
T
in a child is more than
having to pay the price for
college tuition. Not teaching
children at home to have a
work ethic produces an even
costlier scenario: having your
child live in your basement
the rest of your life.
chores were less successful.
Why are chores not in vogue
today? Lives consumed
with digital entertainment,
homework, driving to and
from countless sports, the
arts, and social media time
has left all exhausted.
As a home life
parental coach,
building a work
ethic starts
with the role
of basic chores.
Keeping the
bedroom clean,
making their lunches, taking
care of their belongings are
things all of us must do to
look after ourselves, which is
our first obligation. A child
who does chores beyond those
(performing chores for the
sake of the entire family) has
a greater chance of success
in the game of life according
to a recent University of
Minnesota study. And those
most successful began doing
chores at three to four years of
age, whereas those who waited
until their teen years to start
Families are guilty, today, of
doing what is urgent rather
than what is important.
For a child to get the ball
over the net, try teaching
children they must work for
their dreams before they ever
get to the game rather than
coaching them to feel entitled.
Believing in one’s self is not
enough to keep the ball from
hitting the ground. Trying,
alone, never brings results.
If life skills are not mastered
first, choose the games your
child plays wisely. If at first
you don’t succeed, skydiving is
not for you.[ Steven Wright]
March 2016
Family/Health
Do You Know How To Eat?
stores have put on sale (fixed
by the large corporations who
manufacture those items).
By Victoria Larson, N.D.
I
'm not going to tell you
to chew your food thirty
times (though that wouldn't
hurt) or to not drink ice
water with your meals
(though you shouldn't) or
to give up chocolate (though
limiting wouldn't be a
bad idea). Eating is a fairly
complex issue these days.
While there are those who
peruse the grocery stores
flummoxed by choices,
declaring that "everything
seems to be bad for you" we
can begin to ferret out some
good choices. How do you
know what to eat? What
influences your choices?
Primarily, we learn from
what we were fed as children,
though these choices may not
necessarily be the best for us.
Ethnic background, religion,
values, all may confine our
choices. Or expand them.
Many have lost their familial
and religious heritage. That
leaves knowledge of food
to come from news blips
(mere seconds long), ads on
the "Internet" (why do we
capitalize the word as if it
were "God"), or from what
Frankly, most people don't
have a clue how to eat.
They feel vindicated and
knowledgeable to be glutenfree or vegan or whatever the
latest eating trend may be.
Unfortunately, these are the
people who think they're doing
the right thing when they
subsist on gluten-free pizza or
vegan French fries. Pizza and
fries are still not the answer.
In fact, eating out, though
immensely enjoyable, is
often not the best choice
for top nutrition. Most
communities, no matter
how small, have more than
one fast food choice! But, is
that really a choice? There
are fewer and fewer sit-down
restaurants because we are
always so rushed. Perhaps
there's a key issue there?
The Slow Food Movement
(have you even heard of
it?) looks at how we view
food, with consciousness
and mindfulness. People
who eat out too often (more
than twice a week I'd wager)
put themselves at higher
risk for diabetes and weight
gain. But how could they
know. There are all those
choices out there, right?
It's a matter of viewpoint. I
remember going to a fast food
taco establishment with a
pre-med friend of mine. While
she declared she was having
health food, I relinquished
myself to having what I
called junkfood! Though
tasty, I know it wasn't my
best choice and used to come
away from there saying "two
beans or not two beans"
just to lighten my distress.
Learning to cook at home
(part of the worldwide Slow
Food Movement) does so
much for you - better health,
slows down your hectic life,
and saves tons of money. Get
a crockpot (or two) and put
stuff in there in the morning.
You'll come home to a ready
hot meal at a time when you're
admittedly tired, hungry, and
may even too cranky to cook.
Whew, doesn't a pre-made
dinner sound like a good idea?
for the most nutritious foods.
If you must venture within
the inner aisles, choose wisely.
I certainly understand the
need to purchase things when
they're on sale, but not because
some huge corporate advertiser
just changed the packaging of
some new junk food offering.
sugared foods. You'll never see
an advertisement for broccoli
or cauliflower on TV but the
kids may be willing to gobble
it up if served with some tasty
hummus or a good yogurt dip.
Don't rely on advertisements
or "sound bytes" on the TV
or Internet to tell you what to
Look mostly for protein
eat. Go back to your heritage
(fish, beans eggs, meat) and
and religious upbringing.
vegetables (ANY vegetables)
Fish Friday (or any other day
and read the labels on
of the week) is a great boost
everything else carefully. Any
to your nutrition. Nonna's
food that has sugar as its first
potato latkes, lovingly cooked,
ingredient should be removed would be a better choice than
from your cart. A diet of white fast food French fries cooked
flour and white sugar will
in oil reheated innumerable
wreak havoc on your health
times. Most importantly, if
and the health of your kids.
the first ingredient on any
Turn off the TV so the kids (or jar, bottle, or package is
you) don't watch the ads for
sugar, don't buy it. Period.
Shop, mostly, on the edges of
your preferred grocery store
March Flower..
in the sap. The plant itself is
only slightly toxic, but the
bulb is very dangerous.
Daffodils secrete a substance
that is damaging to other
flowers sharing the same water
in a vase. Keep them separate
for at least 24 hours before
putting daffodils with other
flowers. Change the water
often to keep the secretion
from damaging other flowers.
But, by all means, keep this
beautiful harbinger of spring
among your garden flora.
For Sale/Owner Financing Available!
Happy
Easter
Egg
Hunting!
• (503)267-8924 or Email: [email protected]
March 2016
Places to Go & People to See
Leading The Charge
By John Ludlow, Chair,
Clackamas County Commissioner
I
t’s campaign season.
It so happens that the
Clackamas County Board of
Commissioners have several
pressing issues to contend with
at the same time that all five
Commissioners are running (a
first) for office. I will continue
to perform the duties of Chair
while taking the time to
convince the public that I am
worthy of continuing in office.
The County has three looming
issues on the horizon. They are
to address a shortage of sewer
capacity for the future, a shortage of job producing lands
for the next 20 years, and the
continuing shortage of road
maintenance funds.
The County’s two sewerage
districts, Clackamas County
Sewer District #1 and the
Tri-City Sewer District, have
three to four years left before
they will not have the capacity
to accommodate growth. We
need to be ready for growth
and we are working hard to
get through the technical part
of the plan for the future. The
last thing our County needs is
a building/remodeling moratorium due to a sewer problem.
The map that reflected the
creation of Urban and Rural
lands in Clackamas County is
now six years old and not yet
approved. By confirming the
map we would restrict zoning/
use changes on some properties
for up to 50 years. The majority of the Commission believe
that things have changed
enough in the past six years to
alter the designations on three
small areas in the County.
Metro adamantly disagrees.
The struggle for local control
continues.
Clackamas County is responsible for the maintenance of
over 1,400 miles of roads.
That’s more than any other
County is responsible for and
it’s enough miles to drive from
here to Mexico. Timber tax
revenue used to be a large financial contributor to our road
maintenance. Those times are
no more. We need to ask the
public to make up a portion of
our $17 million shortfall each
year.
Two sitting Clackamas County
Commissioners are running
against me. Each of our five
County Commissioners are
leaders, or they wouldn’t be
where they are. What chair
is the only one they can lead
from? The only difference
between me and the four other
Commissioners is that I approve the agendas and preside
over meetings. Are those the
duties they absolutely have
to get or are they hoping that
effectiveness will come with
the seat? If it ain’t broke, don’t
fix it.
March 2016
Places to Go and People to See
St. Patrick's Day.
Psyche. The events, in good
mythological fashion, took an
ironic turn and Cupid fell in
love with Psyche. The story
goes on but the point is one
of our major holiday icons
of this and the last century
is tied to myths of ancient
Rome but we typically don’t
know a whole lot about it.
known for demonstrating
love, care and kindness
toward the Irish. He died on
March 17, 461 AD and was
later canonized a saint by
the Catholic Church. And
thus we have Saint Patrick’s
Day, a cultural holiday
when people celebrate Irish
customs as well as give thanks
at church for Saint Patrick
and his work in Ireland.
Johnny Appleseed.
Mississippi Rivers. This was
his service to mankind.
would return every year or
two to tend the nursery.
John Chapman never
married, but he loved people
and especially children. As
the settlers moved into the
wilderness, his lonely nights
were fewer because he was
a welcomed guest at every
cabin. Many a night after the
simple meal, he would hold
them all enthralled with his
stories or read to them from
the Bible or from some of the
religious material he carried.
John Chapman was a practical
businessman as well as a
sincere Christian. Somewhere,
he had caught a vision of
the wilderness blossoming
with apple trees, orchard
after orchard of carefully
nurtured trees, whose fragrant
So, as you savor your Irish
Well, the same goes for Saint
blossoms gave promise of a
stew, soda bread, cocannon
Patrick, who was a real flesh
fruitful harvest for the settlers.
(potato and kale dish) and
and blood person. His story
Willingly he endured the
dark pints this month, and
goes something like this: The
hardships of his wilderness
while you don your leprechaun life as he worked to make his
man we know as Patrick was
hats with an orange and
born in Britain sometime
dream come true. His sturdy
around 380 AD and was raised green scarf around your neck, young trees lightened the
remember Saint Patrick and
in a Christian family. He was
hearts and lifted the spirits of
remember to share the stories
kidnapped at age sixteen,
many settlers, for there is a
taken to Ireland, and made to behind the holiday with your
suggestion of a permanent and
children so they have a base of loving home when one plants
be a slave who herded sheep.
understanding. It is a chance
Six years later he escaped and
fruit trees around a cabin.
made his way back to Britain. to talk about how things
change and how they stay the He sold his trees for a few
After living thoughtfully
same; how times were different pennies each, accepting
and quietly in his homeland,
any of the coins current on
then and what remains
he found himself called to
the frontier. Some had no
consistent in human nature;
religious study so he might
cash, and from those he
or where Ireland is on a map.
return to Ireland to teach
accepted a simple promise
people about God. In 432 AD Your children will know a bit
to pay at a later date. Few
the Pope named him Patricus more about the man behind
failed to keep their word.
the holiday and every March
(Patrick) when he became
17 when they sport their green No one knows how many
a priest and eventually a
bishop. As a bishop he traveled they’ll recall the kindness that millions of seeds he planted
one man brought to many.
in the hundreds of nurseries
back to Ireland preaching,
he created in the territory
building churches and starting
lying south of the Great Lakes
schools. In addition to those
and between the Ohio and
accomplishments, he was
It was with such friends that
he spent his last night. He
had been living near Fort
Wayne, Indiana, when word
came one March day that
cattle had broken through
the brush fence around one
of his nurseries some twenty
miles away. Although it was
a raw spring day, he set forth
immediately to repair the
damage. On his return trip
he was stricken with a disease
known as the winter plague.
He found shelter with friendly
settlers but failed to survive
the attack. A newspaper
account gives the date of his
death as March 18, 1845.
Many of his young seedlings
may have crossed the plains
in covered wagons during
the great migration along
he Oregon Trail to produce
their bountiful fruit in the
western states. Certainly,
his fame did, for the name
of Johnny Appleseed is
known throughout all
of the United States.
Wikipedia.com
March 2016
History
Hampton University And American Hero Booker T. Washington
Grand Contraband Camp
that gathered nearby. These
facilities represented freedom
to former slaves, who sought
refuge with Union forces
during the first year of the war.
The American Missionary
Association (AMA) responded
in 1861 to the former slaves’
need for education by hiring
By Frank Mcguire,
its first mulatto teacher, Mary
NW Connection
Smith Peake, who had secretly
been teaching slaves and free
blacks in the area despite the
ampton University (also
state’s prohibition in law. She
HU, or Home by the
first taught for the AMA on
Sea) is a private historically
September
black university
71, 1861 and
located in
was said to
Hampton,
gather her
Virginia. It
pupils under
was founded
a large oak.
in 1868 by
After the tree
black and
was the site in
white leaders of
1863 of the
the American
first reading
Missionary
in the former
Association
The Emancipation Oak
Confederate
after the
states
of
the
American Civil
Emancipation Proclamation,
War to provide education
it was called the Emancipation
to freedmen. In 1878 it
Oak. The tree, now a symbol
established a program for
of the university and of the
teaching Native Americans,
city, is part of the National
which lasted until 1923.
Historic Landmark District
The campus looking south
at Hampton University.
across the harbor of Hampton
The Hampton Agricultural
Roads was founded on the
grounds of “Little Scotland,” a and Industrial School, later
former plantation in Elizabeth called the Hampton Institute,
was founded in 1868 after
City County not far from
the war by the biracial
Fortress Monroe and the
leadership of the AMA, who
were chiefly Congregational
and Presbyterian ministers. It
The American Dream ...
was first led by former Union
H
not find the appropriate
backing, their ideas are
muffled and pass away.
Furthermore, if the
entrepreneur finds the
appropriate backing, he is
then subjected to additional
government regulation and
interference when it comes
to being an employer.
In Oregon, we have a state
government that expects
you to pay a tax even if your
business does not make a
profit. Then, of course, there
is the extreme burden of the
Affordable Care Act which
is known as “Obamacare”.
Government regulation is
needed in some instances.
However, we find that we
are stifling opportunity.
Opportunity results in
economic growth and jobs.
The laws and rules are
just too numerous and in
some instances onerous.
Unless we start relaxing the
government takeover of our
lives, our grandkids will never
know the success known
as the American Dream.
General Samuel
Chapman
Armstrong.
Among the
school’s famous
alumni is Dr.
Booker T.
Washington,
an educator
who founded
the Tuskegee
Institute,
another college
supported by
the AMA.
age of 16. He
worked his
way through
Hampton,
and then
went on
to attend
Wayland
Seminary in
Washington
D.C. After
graduation,
he returned
to Hampton
and became
a teacher.
Booker T.
Washington
Booker T. Washington: Great American Washington
was sent to
arrived from
Alabama at age 25 to head
West Virginia in 1872 at the
another new normal school.
This new Institution eventually
became Tuskegee University.
Washington built Tuskegee
into a substantial school and
became nationally famous as
an educator, orator, and fundraiser as well. He collaborated
with the philanthropist Julius
Rosenwald in the early 20th
century to create a model
for rural black schools.
Rosenwald established a fund
that matched monies raised
by communities to build
more than 5,000 schools
for rural black children,
mostly in the South.
March 2016
Places to Go and People to See
Minton retired. The move was
seen to attract votes in the
following month’s presidential
Salmon Chase (elevated to
election. President Eisenhower
Chief Justice), Ward Hunt,
William Woods, Lucius Lamar, was a Republican, while
Brennan was a Democrat and
Mahlon Pitney, John Clarke,
Catholic.
Benjamin
Brennan’s
Cardozo,
official
Frank Murphy,
nomination
and Anthony
and
Kennedy.
confirmation
It’s notable that
were in 1957.
while Kennedy’s
According
confirmation
to Article
was in 1988, he
II, Section 2
was nominated
of the U.S.
in late 1987.
Constitution,
President
the president
Johnson’s
may choose to
nominations
Justice Potter Stewart last justice
make
a recess
in the 1968
placed on the court during
appointment,
congressional recess
election
which would
year were
avoid
the
need
for
Senate
unsuccessful. President
Franklin Roosevelt’s successful confirmation. But, in that
case, the justice’s term would
nomination of Murphy in
end with the end of the next
1940 was the last time a
candidate was nominated
and confirmed within a
presidential election year.
History of Election Year..
William J. Brennan was
named as a recess appointee
by President Dwight D.
Eisenhower in October 1956,
the same day that Justice
session of Congress (at most,
less than two years), rather
than the lifetime appointment
provided by Senate
confirmation. There have
been 12 recess appointments
made to the Supreme Court,
most in the 19th century,
according to the Congressional
Research Service.
March Recipe
Hearty Ham and Potato Soup
From TJ's Kitchen!
Ingredients:
4 Medium Red Potatoes
(you can use any potato Of those recess appointments
– only Chief Justice John
but red potatoes don't
Rutledge was not subsequently
need peeling)
confirmed for a regular
4 Cups Chicken Broth
appointment. No president
since Dwight Eisenhower
2 Cups Water (Can al(who made three such
ways add more broth and water depending on
appointments) has made a
desired consistancy)
recess appointment to the
Supreme Court and the
1 Medium Onion
practice has become highly
3 to 4 Cloves Garlic crushed
controversial even when
applied to lower federal courts. 3 medium Carrots sliced 1/4 inch thick
During the 110th Congress,
4 Tbl Butter
the Democratic leadership of
4 Tbl Flour
the Senate specifically blocked
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to taste
continues on pg. 17
3 Cups Milk
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 to 2 Cups Ham diced
Directions:
1) Cube Potatoes in 1-inch cubes and slice carrots
(set aside)
2) Finely Chop onion. Melt butter in a large
saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to sauce
pan; cook, stirring frequently about 2 to 3 minutes
then add garlic and cook for minute longer.
3) Add Flour to saucepan and season with red
pepper flakes and black pepper.Cook 2 to 3 minutes more.
4) Gradually add chicken broth and water.
5) Add Potatoes and Carrots to pot; bring to boil
and simmer for about 20 minutes.
6) Next add Milk, Ham and sugar; bring to boil
again and simmer another 10 minutes.
7) Last add Cheddar Cheese on low heat; cook
and stir until cheese is melted and potatoes and
carrots are tender (5 to 10 min. more)
Serves: 8-10
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March 2016
Family /Health
Kicking Off Your Spring Gardening
Black Egg grew well for me
and Black Beauty is an old
favorite. The growth rate and
productivity of Rosa Bianca
won hands-down and the
purple striped
fruits are a thing
of beauty.
I have a large cloche and small
hoop protectors over most of
my garden beds so I get things
transplanted out very early. I
use gallon jugs of water inside
The Purple
Cherokee and
Black Krim
seeds I planted
ardening season is upon
germinated
us, well almost. I can
immediately.
never wait. I generally plant
my snow peas on my birthday It looks like
a 100%
Feb. 14 and potatoes on
germination
St Paddy’s Day Mar 17.
rate. So far,
I’ve already cleaned up my
Baker Creek
seed starting set up and started heirloom
seeds. I just wash everything
Get those seeds going now for delicious produce
seeds are
with soap and water. I use an
performing well,
antibacterial liquid soap.
the hoops to absorb heat
I am also working on
breeding a flavorful nice-sized during the day and radiate
I generally use the little six
pack trays you buy in the little indeterminate paste tomato.
I have the second generation
green house set ups. I always
start two or three seeds in every up and growing and the
germination rate was excellent.
spot and end up with a lot of
extra. You can never guess the Siskiyou seeds onion seeds
germination rate in advance.
jumped right up and started
Some give 100% germination growing. I plant a large
and then I have too many.
number of onion seeds in
Then there are those where you a 4” pot and transplant
grow nothing but dirt. I used
them out very early.
to blame myself thinking I did
something wrong. The truth
is the seed is the problem.
By Delia Lopez
G
I have had mostly good
results with Territorial seeds
in Cottage Grove with the
exception of Casper eggplant.
They gave me a new pack of
seeds after I used the entire
first pack and grew nothing.
I did manage to grow four
plants out of the second pack
of seeds! I have a seed mat
to provide bottom heat to
speed up germination and I
grow several other varieties
of eggplant with good result.
So I blame the seeds. I was
impressed with Millionaire
eggplant’s vigorously fast
germination. They grew well
in the starter set up, but
stayed tiny and produced
nothing worth eating!
My favorite for last years
eggplant was Rosa Bianca,
TINA HUSAK
graphic designer
Specializing in
Single and Multiple page layouts
Marketing Materials
Identity Packages
Advertising
503-267-2233
[email protected]
www.husakdesign.net
it out on chilly nights. I am
pleased with the improvements
in growth rates. I start lettuce,
cabbage and broccoli inside
now and transplant them out
once they are large enough.
Inside the hoops I have already
direct seeded beets, carrots,
spinach and
snow peas. I
use a standard
4’ florescent
shop light for
starting seeds
in my garage.
cinnamon and chili sauce)
home-made tortillas and salad
made up while you watch.
Shots of local tequila while
you shop. The local store had
an alcohol tasting with several
varieties of tequila, Kahlua,
wine, and other beverages
to taste before you buy!
The variety of things for sale
was truly amazing. I think all
of this would be illegal if we
were in the USA. The recently
passed food safety bill (should
have been called the giant
I took a few
agricultural monopoly bill)
pictures in the
will make things worse. As the
mercado in
feds ramp up their persecution
Mexico City this of raw milk farmers we get
year. The produce a glimpse of things to come.
was amazing.
Another sad fact is out taxes
Watching them
pay to do so many things we
skinning goats
do not want done, while they
and lambs right there was a
cut spending on the things
different experience. People
we would choose to pay for.
bring in jugs of fresh honey or How do we restore the people’s
home made mole (a chocolate, control of government?
March 2016
Special Feature
Scalia spent his early career
as a lawyer in private practice
in Cleveland, Ohio and as a
law professor at the University
of Virginia (1967-71) and
the University of Chicago.
document and what it meant
to the society that adopted it,”
Scalia said at his confirmation
His father, Salvatore, came
hearing. He added that this
through Ellis Island at 17; he
approach guarded “against
learned English and became
the passions of the moment
a professor of Romance
languages at Brooklyn College. In 1982, he was appointed as a that may cause individual
Justice Scalia’s mother, the
judge of the Court of Appeals liberties to be disregarded.”
former Catherine Panaro, was for the District of Columbia
He established a solidly
a second-generation Italian
Circuit by President Ronald
conservative voting record and
American and an elementary
Reagan. In 1986, Scalia
ideology, advocating textualism
school teacher. Not only was
was appointed by Reagan
in statutory interpretation and
Nino their only child, he was
to the Supreme Court to
originalism in constitutional
the only child of his generation fill the associate justice seat
interpretation. He was a strong
on either side of the family.
vacated when Justice William defender of the powers of the
The whole extended clan
Rehnquist was elevated to
executive branch, believing
doted on him, Joan Biskupic
Chief Justice. Scalia was
presidential power should be
reported in her biography
unanimously confirmed by
paramount in many areas.
“American Original,” and
the Senate, becoming the first He opposed affirmative
expected achievement.
Italian-American justice. His
action and other policies that
“You’re not everybody else,”
approach to understanding
treated minorities as groups.
Catherine Scalia would say,
the Constitution focused
He filed separate opinions
“Your family has standards.”
not on the framers’ intent
in many cases and often
but
on
the
meaning
of
the
castigated the Court's majority
After completing public
words to ordinary citizens
in his minority opinions
elementary school, he
in
1787.
He
rejected
the
using scathing language.
obtained a scholarship to
notion
that
the
framers
Justice Scalia was a stalwart
Jesuit Xavier High School in
wanted
the
Constitution
defender of the Constitution,
Manhattan, graduating first
to
be
a
“living”
document
particularly on the issues of
in his class. He admitted that
designed
to
accommodate
life, marriage, parental rights,
he spent much of his time
changing
circumstances
and the right to self-defense.
on schoolwork, “I was never
and
social
values.
cool." With degrees from
During oral argument before
Georgetown University (1957) “The starting point, in
the Court, Scalia asked more
and Harvard Law (1960),
any case, is the text of the
questions and made more
Antonin Scalia...
comments than any other
justice—and a 2005 study
found that he provoked
laughter more often than
any of his colleagues.
He asked so many questions
in his first sitting as a justice
that Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr.
whispered to Justice Thurgood
Marshall: “Do you think he
knows the rest of us are here?”
His goal during oral arguments
was to get across his position
to the other justices. University
of Kansas social psychologist
Lawrence Wrightsman
wrote of Scalia's style, "he
communicates a sense of
urgency on the bench, and
his style is forever forceful."
Dahlia Lithwick of Slate
described Scalia's technique:
“Scalia doesn't come into oral
argument all secretive and
sphinxlike, feigning indecision
on the nuances of the case
before him. He comes in like
a medieval knight, girded for
battle. He knows what the
law is. He knows what the
opinion should say. And he
uses the hour allocated for
argument to bludgeon his
brethren into agreement.”
He mocked the notion of a
“living” Constitution, one
that evolved with changing
times, as simply an excuse
for judges to impose their
ideological views.
Scalia warned that if one
accepts that constitutional
standards should evolve with
a maturing society, "the
risk of assessing evolving
standards is that it is all too
easy to believe that evolution
has culminated in one's own
views." He compares the
Constitution with statutes,
which he contends are not
understood to change their
meaning through time.
When Scalia's originalist
approach came under attack
from critics, he responded
that his originalism "has
occasionally led him to
decisions he deplores, like his
upholding the constitutionality
of flag burning," which,
according to Scalia, was
protected by the First
Amendment. He cited his
vote on flag-burning as one
instance when his allegiance to
the Constitution outweighed
his personal views. “If it was
up to me, if I were king,” he
said, “I would take scruffy,
bearded, sandal-wearing
idiots who burn the flag and
I would put them in jail.”
“Bear in mind that brains
and learning, like muscle
and physical skill, are articles
of commerce. They are
bought and sold. You can
hire them by the year or by
the hour. The only thing
in the world not for sale is
character.” (Commencement
address, College of William
continues on pg. 19
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March 2016
Seasoned Citizens
History of Election Year..
up the federal courts with
cronies and ideologues.
close the tap on the nominee
pipeline before Scalia’s death.
And God Looked Down
Republican President George
W. Bush from making any
recess appointments with the
use of pro forma sessions.
With Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
in opposition, it will be
difficult, but not completely
impossible, for Democrats
to advance a nominee out
of committee and to a
Senate floor vote. Harry
Reid (D-Nev.) could file a
written motion to discharge a
nominee out of the Judiciary
Committee and move the
motion directly to the Senate
calendar for consideration. The
motion to discharge would
have to remain one legislative
day under Senate Rule XIV
before Reid could move
to proceed to it, according
to a Senate source with
knowledge of the process.
So far in 2016, the Senate
has confirmed five Obamanominated judges, including
two this past month.
There are 11 others who
have been approved by
the Judiciary Committee
and await a floor vote.
By Johnny Olson
The traditional but unofficial
Thurmond-Leahy rule dictates
that the Senate halt all judicial
confirmations in the last
six months of a president’s
time in office. Named for
its originator, the late Sen.
Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.),
this rule of political conduct
stipulates that the party
not occupying the White
House shall block any and
all judicial nominees brought
before the Senate during a
presidential campaign season.
There is a two-fold rationale
for the rule: It preserves
an incoming president’s
right to nominate for open
positions, and it keeps a lame
duck president from loading
With the remaining time left
in office, Obama hasn’t run
up against that six-month
cutoff date yet. However,
pressure is already mounting
on Senate Republicans to
The Window Through Which We Look
A young couple moved into a new neighborhood.
The next morning while they were eating breakfast,
The young woman saw her neighbor
hanging the wash outside.
‘That laundry is not very clean,’ she said.
H
ere is a preview for
those of you who
are not seniors...
in His wisdom there might
be calls of nature more
frequently requiring more
Most seniors never get enough trips to the relief station and
that would burn calories.
exercise. So in his wisdom
God decreed that
God looked down and
seniors would
saw that it was good.
Outside groups on both sides
become forgetful
of the spectrum were quick
Seniors were obliged
so they would
to stake out their position.
to
exercise more
have to search for
from
these senior
The legal group Alliance
their glasses, keys
shortcomings
and did
Defending Freedom noted that and other things
become
more
active
“it is unlikely that a new justice misplaced and do
as
a
result.
So if
will be installed prior to the
some walking.
you
find
you
election of our next president.”
And God
are required
According to The National
Looked
to get up and
Review, “It’s been more than
down
down more
80 years since a Supreme
and saw
as you age,
Court justice was confirmed
that
remember
in an election year to a
it was
it’s God’s will
vacancy that arose that year,
good.
and in your
and there has never been an
best
interests
Then
election-year confirmation
even
though
you
mutter
God saw there was yet another
that would so dramatically
under your breath!
need. So God in his wisdom
alter the ideological
made seniors lose coordination
composition of the Court.”
so that they would drop things
Sources: Townhall.com; bio.
which would require them to
com; Scott Bomboy, National bend and reach and stretch.
Constitution Center; rules.
And God looked down
senate.gov.com; Wikipedia.
and saw that it was good.
com; biography.com
Then God considered
the functioning of seniors
bladders and decided that
‘She doesn’t know how to wash correctly.
Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.’
Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would
hang her wash to dry,
The young woman would make
the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was
surprised to see a nice clean wash on
the line and said to her husband:
‘Look, she has learned how to wash correctly.
I wonder who taught her this.’
The husband said, ‘I got up early this morning and
Cleaned our windows.’
And so it is with life. What we
see when watching others
Depends on the purity of the window
through which we look.
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For Advertising Rates!
Solution is on page 19
March 2016
Special Feature
Historic Supreme Court...
General Patrick Morrisey,
cited the significant problems
caused by MATS as evidence
that the CPP should not
be forced on them until
the courts have a chance to
review its legality. This time
the Supreme Court not only
prevented the President
from pulling the same stunt
twice, but by granting the
stay, indicated that they felt
the states would prevail.
Since the court issued only
a “stay,” the President can
continue to have his EPA
finalize the rules that he
wants imposed on coal-fired
power plants but not force
compliance. The states who
won the stay indicated that
they will wait for the court
process to finish before taking
any action. That process
will take years, according to
attorneys familiar with it.
This means that it will not
be completed until long after
Obama leaves office. Even
in the unlikely event that
the courts should side with
Obama, a new President
will have the final say.
by the lower courts anyway.
While the death of Justice
Antonin Scalia just days after
he wrote the historic opinion
for the court majority may
have broad implications for
the balance of power on the
Supreme Court, the process
of replacing him may run
into next year and hence
fall beyond Obama's grasp
too. Time is running out
for this president, especially
in the areas where he most
wants a legacy. That must
frustrate him but is surely a
good omen for America.
When the lower courts
do so, they typically give
Federal agencies complete
deference to specify the
As a scientist, I would have
preferred for the Supreme
Court listen to the scientific
arguments that we presented
to them in 2014. They did not,
despite our efforts to point
out that Obama's science does
not pass elementary scrutiny.
One reason they are probably
reluctant to listen is that they
do not consider themselves
competent to sort out the
science. But the procedural
reason is that scientific matters
are supposed to be addressed
'Best Science,' without having
to prove it. This grew out of
the original purpose of these
agencies to police industry.
Unfortunately as with all
policing, there need to be
procedures in place to make
sure that the police do not
run wild. With the Obama
administration we have the
added problem of the
'chief of police' running wild
and packing agencies that
are supposed to be objective
with political appointees
who are clearly not.
One way to reign in the
most out-of-control agencies
(Obama's EPA and National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration) would be to
force them to follow what is
known as the “Data Quality
Act,” a law requiring that
important decisions be based
on empirical data that have
been thoroughly vetted by the
scientific community and not
merely made up by compliant
bureaucrats. To this end 300
of us including Nobel Laureate
in Physics Ivar Giaever asked
the Chairman of the House
Committee on Science and
Technology to insist on
enforcement of this law.
If Congress and the Courts
do so, President Obama's
misuse of Federal agencies
may come to a screeching
halt. And future Presidents
may be discouraged from
scamming the science for
political purposes. That
would be even more historic
than the Supreme Court
“stay” that stopped Obama
in his tracks this time.
Gordon J. Fulks, Ph.D. lives in
Corbett, Oregon, and can be
reached at gordonfulks@hotmail.
com. He holds a doctorate in
physics from the University
of Chicago, Laboratory for
Astrophysics and Space Research.
March 2016
Poetry Corner
Antonin Scalia...
and Mary, 1996.)
Paul J. Larkin Jr., senior legal
research fellow in the Center
for Legal and Judicial Studies,
wrote: “Scalia taught us that
the law matters, that the law
is the written word, and that
the written word takes its
meaning from how history
understands it, not what we
wish it might mean.” Larkin
added: “He maintained that
view of a judge’s role even
when it was unfashionable
to hold that belief because it
may lead to outcomes we may
not like. But he believed that
it was his duty to uphold the
rule of law, because only that
rule separated us from the
many nations on the Earth
governed by the rule of might.”
“His views on textualism and
originalism, his views on the
role of judges in our society,
on the practice of judging,
have really transformed the
terms of legal debate in this
country,” Elena Kagan said
about Justice Scalia when she
was dean of Harvard Law
School. “He is the justice who
has had the most important
impact over the years on how
we think and talk about law.”
He was a fixture at
Georgetown parties; he
loved opera and led carolsinging at the court’s annual
Christmas parties.
Caricatures
Scalia and Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg served together on
the D.C. Circuit and respected
each other’s intellect. Scalia
and his wife, and Ginsburg
and her husband celebrated
most New Year’s Eves together.
Ginsburg said no one made
By Pastor Marlon Furtado,
her laugh as much as Justice
Greater Gresham Baptist Church
Scalia did. “I love him. But
sometimes I’d like to strangle
him,” she once said.
aricatures are usually
comical with their
In September 1960, Scalia
EXAGGERATIONS.
married Maureen McCarthy,
whom he met on a blind date Huge chins, protruding
ears, scrawny necks, huge
while he was at Harvard Law
smiles with massive teeth.
School. Maureen had been
an undergraduate at Radcliffe But the caricatures I’ve seen
College when the two met,
of God aren’t so comical. In
and subsequently obtained
fact, He looks GROTESQUE,
a degree in English from the
like a monster. I’ve seen
school. The couple raised nine sketches of Him with...
children, five boys and four
1. a huge fist - just waiting
girls and had 28 grandchildren. to strike you down
C
DailySignal.com,
WashingtonPost.com,
Wikipedia.com, Who2.com
2. bulging eyes - always
pointing out your faults
3. deep scowl - sucking
out all the joy in life
4. as a sneering judge
with a huge gavel INDISCRIMINATELY
pardoning some and
condemning others
But these are NOT
EXAGGERATIONS. They are
MISREPRESENTATIONS.
God isn't like that.
I choked out the words,
‘Dad, I’ve sinned against
you and God. I’m no longer
worthy to be your son.’
How do I know? Because
Jesus shows us the character
of God in perfect balance.
Before I could ask for a job,
he shouted to his hired
hands, “Bring my son fresh
clothes. Then prepare a feast.
We’re going to CELEBRATE
that my son is home!”
To describe God accurately,
Jesus told a story about my
dad. You may have read it
in the Bible. I’m known
as the Prodigal Son.
“I was the younger son and I
was Bored to death with life
on the farm. I couldn’t stand
it! I needed ADVENTURE.
I demanded my dad give me
my part of the inheritance
NOW. I took the cash and
ran off to the big city. Finally,
life was exciting...thrilling...
till the money ran out…
and then my friends ran
out. The only job I could
find was feeding pigs.
The day their slop started
looking tasty was my day
of clarity. I realized I had
been selfish and brought
deep grief to my dad. With
my tail between my legs,
I headed back to the farm
to ask dad’s forgiveness…
and hope for a job.
“You’ll never guess what
happened. As I crested the
rise near our farm, I saw my
dad in the distance. Instantly
he started running toward
me. I didn’t know what to
expect, but I braced myself
for a lecture… I knew I
DESERVED one. “But I
wasn't prepared for what
happened next - a huge smile
& crushing bear hug.
No lecture. No shame. No
belittling. No chewing me
out. He didn’t make me beg
or grovel. He just loved me
and was glad I came home.
“THAT is what God is like! …
Full of mercy and compassion.
“My older brother was mad
that dad hadn’t punished me.
• In this story, I represent
those who see their
need for forgiveness;
• My brother represents
the self-righteous people
who use religion for
self-advancement...
Funny, they were the
ones always accusing Jesus
of hanging out with the
wrong kind of people...yet,
they received Jesus’ most
stinging rebukes for their
pride and hypocrisy.”
Jesus is not a caricature. He's
the perfect picture of God…
He loves you and wants
a personal relationship
with each of you.
March 2016
Faith Encouragements
If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from
Is Trust Outdated?
is a broken world and there
will always be broken trust.
If we focus on the problem,
we will trust no one. If we
ignore the reality, we will get
hurt over and over again.
By Pastor Bill Ehmann. Wood
Village Baptist Church
I
t would be interesting,
perhaps disheartening, to
survey children and teens with
this question: “Whom do you
trust?” In a world where trust
is basic to all relationships,
we are taught not to trust.
Children are told not to talk
to strangers – for obvious
reasons – and to a child,
nearly everyone is a stranger.
Far too often a parent tells
a child, “I don’t love your
mommy (or daddy) anymore
and I’m leaving – but I still
love you!” What does that
say to a child about trust?
For starters, we can commit
to being trustworthy adults.
We can build and maintain
strong marriages and stay with
the process regardless. We can
treat each other with respect
and guard the dignity of even
those people who are hard
to love. We can be quick to
admit our failures and allow
our kids to learn from our
mistakes. Often, they learn
more from watching us deal
honestly with mess-ups than
from what we do correctly.
The ultimate trust is learned
from the Master of the
Universe – Creator God.
Through the writer Solomon,
He gave us three assignments
and one promise: “Trust in
the Lord with all your heart,
do not lean on your own
understanding, in all your
If a teenager is encouraged to
ways acknowledge Him – and
be interested in community
and national happenings, they He will direct your paths”
(Proverbs 3:5-6). When we
must be confused when they
hear people calling each other trust Him fully, we are in
liars, going to prison for fraud a position to develop trust
and being exposed for all kinds relationships with humans.
of immorality. When they ask Trust is as relevant today
the question, “Whom can I
as it was when Adam and
trust?” how will we answer?
Eve heard God talk about
Trust is as tough and powerful it. It was the issue when the
counterfeit god, Satan, enticed
as an elephant and as fragile
them into breaking trust with
as a snowflake. When trust
Creator God. Our broken
is built and maintained over
trust today is the result of
time, it can handle amazing
this inherited sin. But God
challenges. And when it is
broken, it melts away quickly. has the desire and ability
to take our commitment
A trust relationship that has
to building trust and bless
endured much hardship can
break like a pie crust with one it with His faithfulness.
careless statement or action.
Our kids are the winners
and we get the joy.
In high school, I spent many
hours in “shop” – later called
[email protected]
“industrial arts.” We bonded
boards together with Elmer’s
glue and the joint was so
secure that a chisel could
not separate them – it tore
the fiber of the wood but
did not break the bond.
Talking With The
Spirit Of God
Spiritual Laws In A Physical World
blessings. God loves it when
those He has created gather
together to pray to Him.
Through prayer we gain
understanding of these
spiritual truths:
That God exists and loves
us. That God has a plan for
each of us. It is prayer to God
that leads us back to Him
ould you like to have a
when sin has separated us
two-way conversation
from Him. Through prayer,
with God? We talk with
we can talk to God, receive
our voice, God talks with
miracles, answers, blessings
blessings of the Holy Spirit.
and forgiveness (Jesus Christ is
To learn about how to
a symbol of God's forgiveness).
communicate with God, we
Constant prayer keeps us
and God's Holy Spirit to call
close to God and elevates our
upon. To talk to God, we have spiritual level. At the highest
to talk in the language of God, of these spiritual levels are
which is the Holy Spirit.
God, miracles, and angels.
With prayer we are talking
God's Holy Spirit
in His language. From the
When Jesus died, His Holy
Bible we gain His wisdom.
Spirit came to those who
First John 2:20 tells us, “You
believed in Him. In the
have unction (divine wisdom)
beginning, before all time,
from the Holy One and know
God the Father, Jesus the
all things.” In John 17:5,
Son and the Holy Spirit
Jesus says, “and now Father,
were present in perfection
glorify me with yourself with
and joyfully alone in the
the glory which I had with
Trinity (Ephesians 1:4-5; 2
you before the world was.”
Timothy; John 17:24). Before
Prayer brings us back to
the universe was created, we
God. It is also the way we
know that Jesus was with
acknowledge that we are not
God in all the glory given
God, but a conduit to God.
Him "before the world was:
Prayer is calling on a responsive " (John 1:1 and John 17:5).
Holy Spirit for help and
By William Ames Curtright
W
continues on pg. 22
Trust is that powerful, and
when someone breaks it, the
fiber of the relationship is
torn. It will never be the same
again. Sincere repentance
and forgiveness can mend
the relationship and restore
trust, but there will always
be an element of concern
that it might happen again.
So from whom will kids
and teenagers learn trust?
And how can we help them
balance trust with reality?
We admit that no human is
completely trustworthy. This
January 2016
March 2016
Faith Encouragements
their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Kingdom Living
1) BE FRUITFUL AND
for the people around us.
MULTIPLY by SPREADING 3) SUBDUE the land by
the LOVE of Jesus. When
DRIVING the enemy out.
God
gave
the
command
in
God told Joshua “Every place
to work the land around us
the
Old
Testament
to
be
that the sole of your foot will
and to subdue it. (Genesis
fruitful and multiply, Jesus
tread upon, I have given you.”
1:28; 2:5). What does that
gave a similar command in
(Joshua 1:3). I believe our
look like for the people of
the New Testament but rather communities are promised
God today? I don’t think the
in a spiritual sense, “He who
lands from God for us to claim
command has changed, but
abides in Me and I in him, will for His Kingdom. I can hear
multiplying, cultivating and
HIM saying…. “You shall
subduing might have a slightly bear much fruit. For without
Me
you
can
do
nothing”
tread upon the lion and the
different meaning for our
(John
15:5).
As
we
stay
cobra, the young lion and
current living conditions.
connected to JESUS, we will
the serpent you shall trample
By Tj Saling Caldwell
Make no mistake, God
be fruitful and multiply in our under food”. Psalm 91:13.
wants to use you to bless
communities the LOVE, Work “Be strong and courageous,
and Good News of Christ.
o you believe God wants the land and change the
do not be afraid, nor be
atmosphere around you.
to, and can, use you to
2)
CULTIVATE
AND
WORK
dismayed (don’t give up!), for
change your community? Look We are contagiously blessed
the
land
by
HUMBLING
the Lord your God is with you
around you, the neighborhood through our relationship with ourselves through PRAYER.
wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
where you live, is it enhanced Jesus Christ. He created each
Our prayers change the
We were made for this! We
of us for a special purpose.
because you are there? What
spiritual soil around us.
are Kingdom people! We have
You
have
gifts,
abilities
and
about your work environment;
Jeremiah 4:3 says “Break up
the ability and opportunity
talents
unique
only
to
you
has the atmosphere changed
the fallow ground and do not through Christ to spread the
that
God
wants
to
start
using
because of your presence?
sow among thorns”. Start
atmosphere of His Kingdom
NOW. As we discover His
From the very beginning
praying
for
your
neighbors,
and transform the land around
individual plan for our lives
God has called us to bless the
leaders,
the
lost
and
the
us. Start believing that you
land; be fruitful and multiply; (our destinies!), and start living poor in your community
are contagiously blessed
it out, He knits us together
and watch as the atmosphere
and that God has specific
in such a way as to transform
our lands (communities) into changes and God starts to heal ways He wants to use you to
our land. Our prayers pull
enhance your community by
healthy, fruitful and thriving
spiritual weeds and thorns
spreading His love, praying
environments. This isn’t
in
our
hearts
allowing
our
His Kingdom down and
dreamland; this is Kingdom
love
and
concern
to
grow
driving the enemy out.
Living; and the abundant
Life He promised us in John
Stop Dreaming and Start Flying
10:10 “The thief does not
come, except to steal, kill and
Quality, Affordable, Safe flight instruction at
destroy. I came that you might
Gorge Winds Aviation Troutdale Airport.
have life, and that they may
have it more abundantly”.
D
Here’s one way to view
God’s command from
Genesis and live a more
abundant life today:
January 2016
Call Steven Cochrane 503-703-6766 or
email at [email protected]
Make 2016 the year to do it!
March 2016
Business Briefs
How Should You Respond To
Market “Correction?”
supposedly “cut your losses,”
you may find that now is
a good time to buy more
shares of quality companies,
when their price is down.
Submitted by Lynne Page,
AAMS Financial Advisor
A
s an investor, you may be
gaining familiarity with
the term “market correction.”
But what does it mean?
And, more importantly,
what does it mean to you?
A correction occurs when a
key index, such as the S&P
500, declines at least 10%
from its previous high. A
correction, by definition, is
short-term in nature and has
historically happened fairly
regularly – about once a year.
However, over the past several
years, we’ve experienced fewer
corrections, so when we have
one now, it seems particularly
jarring to investors.
How should you respond
to a market correction? The
answer may depend, to some
extent, on your stage of life.
• If you’re still working
… If you are in the early or
middle parts of your working
life, you might not have to
concern yourself much about
a market correction because
you have decades to overcome
a short-term downturn.
Instead of selling stocks, and
stock-based investments, to
Talking With The Spirit of God...
you do, you may be “selling
low.” (Remember the most
common rule of investing:
Buy low and sell high. It’s
not always easy to follow, but
it’s still pretty good advice.)
So, to avoid being forced
into selling, you need to
Also, you may want to use the
be prepared. During your
opportunity of a correction
retirement years, try to keep
to become aware of the need
at least a year’s worth of cash
to periodically review and
instruments on hand as well
rebalance your portfolio.
as short-term fixed income
Stocks, and investments
investments. By having this
containing stocks, often
money to draw on, you may
perform well before a
be able to leave your stocks
correction. If their price has
alone and give them a chance
risen greatly, they may account
to recover, post-correction.
for a greater percentage
And it’s important to maintain
of the total value of your
a reasonable percentage
portfolio – so much so, in
of stocks, and stock-based
fact, that you might become
vehicles, in your portfolio,
“overweighted” in stocks,
even during retirement –
relative to your goals, risk
because these investments may
tolerance and time horizon.
provide the growth necessary
That’s why it’s important for
to help keep you ahead of
you to proactively rebalance
inflation. Consequently, as
your portfolio – or, during a
a retiree, you should have
correction, the market may
a balance of stocks and
do it for you. To cite one
stock-based vehicles, along
aspect of rebalancing, if your
with fixed-income vehicles,
portfolio ever does become too
such as bonds, certificates
“stock-heavy,” you may need
of deposit, government
to add some bonds or other
securities and so on.
fixed-rate vehicles. Not only
Being prepared can help
can these investments help
keep your portfolio in balance, you get through a correction
– no matter where you
but they also may hold up
are on life’s journey.
better during a correction.
• If you’re retired … After
you retire, you may need
to take money from your
investment accounts – that
is, sell some investments – to
help pay for your cost of
living. Ideally, however, you
don’t want to sell stocks, or
stock-based vehicles, during
a correction – because when
The
Northwest
Connection
is now on
the web.
visit us at
www.nw–
connection.
com
On earth God's Holy Spirit
is a blessing; a gift that can
be tapped into. We can pray,
"God, through your Holy
Spirit, help me and guide
me!" That is the power of
prayer; it is a direct line to
God through His Holy Spirit.
When man talks about God,
praises God, and prays and
sings to God, miraculous and
wonderful things happen.
God has always been there
to guide and comfort us
as we walk through life.
we pray?" Jesus replied, "Our
Father, Who art in heaven" (by
calling His name) "Hallowed
be Thy name; "(tell God how
great He is, praise Him) "Thy
kingdom come, Thy will be
done; "(a call for help and
guidance) "on earth as it is in
Heaven" (this is a call to make
earth like it is in heaven)
How Should We Pray?
a few times when I asked my
instructor to take over and a
few times when I asked God
to take over. God gives us
free choice, so when we pray,
we give Him permission to
take the controls. "Lord;'
we might say, "Take over, I
cannot do it anymore:' God
then steps in. Extraordinary
events begin here.
When we pray, God loves us
and takes us back, over and
over. Jeremiah 24:7 "I will give
them a heart to know Me, for
I am the LORD; and they will
Prayer Can Heal
be My people, and I will be
Can prayer heal? The answer is their God, for they will return
"yes!" Prayer and faith can heal to Me with their whole heart:"
and create miracles. Prayer can Enjoy and praise Him
change a situation. Prayer with and His creations around
faith can move a mountain.
you. Thank Him.
"Faith the size of a mustard
Miracles from Prayer
seed is sufficient;" Jesus said.
A book I read recently by
The answer for soldiers,
Suzie Federer, Miracles in
police officers, servants of
American History, talks about
man or troubled youth is
George Washington, who
prayer. Prayer and faith can
constantly prayed and ordered
save that officer, that soldier,
his troops and citizens to pray
that child in this imperfect
and fast. Washington prayed
world. Prayer can save a life.
often, as our military should.
Physical and Spiritual Laws
When we pray, we receive
Why God created this
miracles and guidance.
world for us is beyond our
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin
comprehension. Physics
writes in "Black Hawk Down"
or physical law, as well as
that God loves a soldier. He
time and the universe, are
loves and provides miracles
gifts God gives us to help us
for them. Mr. Boy kin can
understand and define our
certainly tell you about
planet Earth. We live in a
prayers and miracles. His
physical body, but it contains
helicopter received 46 bullets!
God's Spirit through Christ.
In Mogadishu, he was shot
God creates life. Only He can with a .50 caliber bullet and
create it. Thus, we pray for
survived. As a pilot in Vietnam
guidance and understanding.
and in the bush, I remember
In order to talk to God, we
must ask that He be present
with us. Our attempts to
communicate with God
must be with humility and
submission while asking for
God's guidance and help.
When his disciples asked,
"Father, Teacher, how shall
Sudoku Puzzle Solution
I can tell you. I have
been there.
Dr. William Ames Curtright,
DBA, founded "Gathering of
the Eagles," which annually
hosts the West Coast's largest
assembly (over 50 groups) of Tea
Party, Conservative Republican
and liberty-minded people
(www.gatheringoftheeagles.
com). He is also CEO of
Ames Research Labs and an
accomplished bush pilot. A
Vietnam veteran and three-time
candidate for Oregon governor,
he is a descendant of the
Ames family of Massachusetts.
Many of his family helped
start our nation. Dr. Ames
helped establish and fund the
Ames Shovel Archives and
Museum at Stonehill College.
March 2016
The Northwest Connection ..........
The Mystery of the Passionflower... action is different than that
of most sedative drugs, thus
making it a non–addictive
There are over 460 known
herb to promote relaxation.
species of Passiflora. These
While the safety and
“maypops,” as they’re also
effectiveness of this plant has
known, have woody vines
with flowers in a combination not been thoroughly proven
in scientific studies, one study
of colors. The plant produces
including 36 men
small, berry–like
and women with
fruit called
generalized anxiety
granadilla or
disorder found
“water lemon.”
that passionflower
The aerial parts
was as effective
of the plant
as a leading anti–
can be gathered
anxiety medication
during fruiting
season and
Granadilla, or "water lemon" when taken for
one month. A
then dried for
second study including 91
future processing.
people with anxiety symptoms
In addition to its symbolic
appearance, the passionflower revealed that an herbal
European product containing
has medicinal attributes.
passionflower and other
It can be used in the
treatment of insomnia
nervousness, and it is also
used as a sedative in nervous
disorders (including some
gastrointestinal complaints),
difficulties in sleeping, anxiety,
or restlessness. Among
herbalists, passionflower is
known to reduce spasms and
depress the central nervous
system. Better yet, studies
have shown that its mode of
herbal sedatives significantly
reduced symptoms
compared to a placebo.
Interestingly, passionflower
may also relieve anxiety in
people who are recovering
from heroin addiction. In a
study including 65 heroin
addicts, those who received
passionflower in addition
to a standard detoxification
medication experience
significantly fewer feelings
of anxiety than those who
received the medication alone.
There are no reported side–
effects for passionflower with
most herbalist’s suggested
dosages. However, it is not
recommended for use in
pregnant women or children
under the age of two. If
already taking a sedative
or tranquilizer, consult a
health-care professional
before using passionflower.
For more information on
the passionflower visit
www.passionflower.org.
The Northwest
Connection
Consistantly
Brings You
Fresh Content,
Positive and
Educational
Stories to
Increase Your
Awareness and
Community
Input!

March - The Northwest Connection

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