Heart Of Oregon

Oregon in Pictures 4 by Brad Lee Allen

2009-09-09T23:23:00Z

John Day

2009-09-08T13:47:00Z

The city was named for the nearby John Day River, which had been named for a Virginian member of the 1811 Astor Expedition, John Day. The city was incorporated in 1901. The largest part of early John Day was composed of the Chinese community, commonly called Tiger Town.

The area around John Day contains some of the most important paleontological resources known. From about the time the dinosaurs disappeared right up until the Pleistocene, the region was subjected to significant volcanism and other processes that preserved fossils. Because the matrix in which the fossils are entombed is datable, the fossils themselves can be dated with excellent precision. This gives paleontologists the ability to study how species changed over time and also how the relationship between ecosystems and climate changed.

Boardwalk through the red rock of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

A visit to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is like taking a journey into ancient Oregon. Whether you tour the museum at Sheep Rock, hike a trail at the Painted Hills, or picnic at Clarno, Oregon's exciting past will be revealed.

Sheep Rock, towering 1,100 feet above the John Day River, gives its name to this unit of the monument. This unit also features the park visitor center.

West of the town of Fossil, the Clarno Palisades march across the horizon. These pillars of mud preserve the remains of brontotheres, creodonts, palm trees and bananas.

Rich in color and texture, the Painted Hills are an excellent example of the power of erosion.

Wallowa Lake

2009-09-07T14:00:00Z

Wallowa Lake is a perfect morainal lake, which means it was formed by glaciation approximately nine million years ago. On the south end of the lake is a small community made up of vacation homes, lodging, restaurants, as well as other small businesses. Wallowa lake has been used for recreation since at least 1880.

The lake is 5 miles long, and a mile wide, with a depth of 283'.

The Chief Joseph Trail, the Aneroid Lake Trail, and the West Fork Trail are the three main trails that go into the Eagle Cap Wilderness from the Wallowa Lake area. Easily reached vistas and overlooks, wild flowers, and stunning autumn colors are readily available for the casual hiker. Hiking to the nearest high lake is a 12 mile round trip with a 3,000 foot elevation gain but you can go as far as the top of 10,000 foot peaks.

Located near the lake is a aerial cable gondola lift. It runs from the bottom of the valley to the top of Mount Howard, which is measured at 8,000 ft (2,400 m). It was built in 1968 and opened to the public in 1970. From the tram car the passenger can see spectacular views of Wallowa Lake as well as the surrounding mountains. In June 1992 a malfunction occurred in the operating system of the Tram and all passengers had to be evacuated by helicopter. There were no injuries and the incident serves as the only such problem that has occurred on the Tramway.

Oregon in Pictures 3 by Brad Lee Allen

2009-09-06T17:27:00Z

OSU BEAVERS

2009-09-05T17:01:00Z

The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University, a university located in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10). Oregon State's mascot is Benny Beaver

The football program has been a part of Oregon State University since 1893, working as a platform for over a hundred players to enter the NFL, such as Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker and current Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. They have won their conference championship five times.

The primary rival of the Beavers are the Oregon Ducks of the University of Oregon. The football rivalry between the Beavers and Ducks, known as the Civil War, is one of the longest-running in the country, having been contested 112 times as of the end of the 2008 season.

Reesers stadium opened in 1953 and was originally known as Parker Stadium, named after Portland businessman Charles T. Parker. Parker played a major financial role in the construction of the stadium, which was funded entirely by donations. The Parker name is now associated with the plaza located between Reser Stadium and Gill Coliseum. Parker Plaza is the site where most of the pregame activities are held. The stadium was renamed in June of 1999 honoring Al and Pat Reser, who made a long term seven figure gift to the athletic department.

The Eugene Celebration

2009-09-05T14:50:00Z

The Eugene Celebration was created in 1983 by the City of Eugene to bring together the Eugene community for three days of music and fun. In 1997, the City offered the management of the Celebration to the public and private sectors. Downtown Eugene, Inc. (DEI), a property owners association, stepped forward to accept the offer. In April 1998, Downtown Events Management, Inc. (DEMI) was launched to manage the Celebration.

DEMI dba Eugene Celebration is registered with the State of Oregon as a Eugene-based non-profit corporation, the Eugene Celebration works to bring attention to community issues and concerns regarding environmental responsibility within the greater context of a weekend festival.

Oregon in Pictures 2 by Brad Lee Allen

2009-09-05T01:52:00Z

Ruckus

2009-09-04T04:29:00Z

The Ruckus is an annual event in Junction City and Harrisburg Oregon with Hot rods, roadsters, cars, motorcycles, 4×4s, rock crawlers, and other Big Boys Toys are gathering in Junction City and Harrisburg this Labor Day Weekend! car show ‘n shine, motorcycle show ‘n shine in Junction City on E. 6th Ave. and Deal St.

The 4×4 tough truck competitions, rock crawler competitions, 4×4 and truck show ‘n shine and RC Crawler competitions will be held in Harrisburg, 1/4 mile up Peoria Road! You wont want to miss it!

This year’s Labor Day Ruckus in Junction City will have concerts on Friday and Saturday evening as well as other performances throughout the weekend.Our featured performers are Satin Love Orchestra, Code Red, Johnny Limbo and the Lugnuts, Coupe de Ville and the Phoenix Players.

Ruckus Website

Oregon Ducks

2009-09-04T02:09:00Z

The football program began in 1893 and played its first game on February 22, 1894, defeating Albany College 46-0. The football team moved to its new home, Hayward Field in 1919 where it shared the facility with the track and field team until Autzen Stadium was completed in 1967.

Winning its first Rose Bowl in 1917 against the University of Pennsylvania under head coach Hugo Bezdek, the Ducks have returned to the Rose Bowl three additional times in 1920, 1957, and 1994

After the 1994 season, former head coach Rich Brooks left the program and announced his then offensive coordinator Mike Bellotti to be the next head coach who became the winningest coach in program history with 116 wins. Bellotti suffered only one losing season during his tenure and built a national reputation as an offensive powerhouse. Following in his predecessor’s footsteps, Bellotti announced in March 2009 that his offensive coordinator Chip Kelly would assume the role as head coach while he becomes the athletic director for the University.

The Oregon Ducks football complex is located north of the main campus. The complex includes Autzen Stadium where the games are played, the Len Casanova Center where the locker rooms and training facilities are located, the indoor practice field called the Moshofsky Center, and the outdoor training field named Kilkenny Field. These facilities are said to be among the best in the nation, much of the price tag paid for by the prominent university boosters Phil Knight, Ed Moshofsky, and Patrick Kilkenny.

The Oregon Ducks have an in-state rivalry with the Oregon State Beavers in which they play for the Platypus Trophy. The rivalry has been dubbed the Civil WarThe Oregon Ducks and the Washington Huskies have enjoyed a border rivalry that some consider to be even more fierce than the respective teams’ in-state rivalries. The rivalry began to build steam in 1948, when the Ducks and the California Golden Bears tied for the conference win and the Huskies’ vote went to Cal which inked them in for a trip to the Rose Bowl. A few years later, there was a move to remove Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington State from the Pacific-10 Conference and the Huskies did not object.

GO DUCKS!

GoDucks.com

Oregon in Pictures by Brad Allen

2009-09-03T13:34:00Z

Mt. Angel

2009-09-02T03:28:00Z

Mt. Angel was originally settled in 1850 by Benjamin Cleaver, who later planned a townsite which he named Roy.

Rev. Fr. Adelheim Odermatt, O.S.B., came to Oregon in 1881 with a contingent of Benedictine monks from Engelberg, Switzerland, in order to establish a new American daughter house. After visiting several locations, he found Lone Butte to be the ideal location for a new abbey, and shortly afterwards ministered to several local Roman Catholic parishes, about the same time large numbers of immigrants from Bavaria settled in the area. Due to his efforts, the city, post office and the nearby elevation Lone Butte came to be known as Mount Angel (an English translation of Engelberg) in 1883.

Mount Angel Abbey is still located on Mount Angel. The original Kalapuyan name of the butte is Tapalamaho, which translates to "Mount of Communion." At the request of the Archbishop of Oregon City, the abbey opened Mount Angel Seminary in 1889 for the training of priests. The original wooden buildings at the foot of the butte were destroyed in a fire in the 1890s, and another disastrous fire in 1926 consumed the second monastery, an imposing five-story edifice of black basalt at the top of the butte. The current monastery building was completed in 1928, and subsequent structures followed, including a library built by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto in 1970. A bell tower was added to the abbey church in 2007 which contains eight bells, one of which is the largest swinging bell in the Pacific Northwest.

Mt. Angel Abbey, set high above Mt. Angel on a 300 foot bluff. Views from the bluff include Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, as well as the lush Willamette Valley farmland. The beautiful library, designed by Alvar Aalto, stores a priceless collection of illuminated manuscripts, and features a display of rare, hand printed books. Guided tours can be arranged by appointment.

Reedsport

2009-08-30T13:06:00Z

It was named for a local settler, Alfred W. Reed, who founded the city in 1912.

Built on marshy ground, for much of its history Reedsport has struggled with frequent flooding; most of its early buildings were elevated three to eight feet above ground. Following a devastating flood in 1964, a dike was constructed to protect the lower town. During this flood, the waters reached the fish hatchery and overflowed the fish troughs allowing hundreds of thousands of small-mouth bass to be introduced into the Umpqua River. According to fishing reports small-mouth bass became the most abundant fish in the Umpqua River.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, Reedsport has struggled with the collapse of the Oregon timber industry. In the last two decades, Reedsport has seen an increase of tourism. Part of this is due to its close proximity to the fishing of the Umpqua River and due to the sand dunes that are near Reedsport.

Today the Reedsport area abounds with wonders. The Umpqua is navigable for miles both upstream and downstream from Reedsport. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area stretches for 50 miles north and south from nearby Winchester Bay. The Umpqua River Lighthouse is one of only a few that feature both red and white beams.There are 30 freshwater lakes, 40 miles of hiking trails and over 40 percent of the area is open to off-road vehicles, making it a favorite tourist destination.

Northwest Art and Air Festival

2009-08-29T11:17:00Z

August 28-30, 2009 for the best festival in your backyard!

    * Hot-air balloon launches
    * Night Glow on Friday night with laser light show and concert
    * Two classic car shows on Saturday and Sunday
    * Over 70 artists with demonstrations daily
    * FREE airplane rides for children 8-17 through the “Young Eagles” program

Seventy artists from throughout the Northwest are expected to sell their wares. Such work will include wood, metal, jewelry, raku, and other pottery, porcelain, stained glass, fused glass, fiber, oil and watercolor paintings, and collages.

A play area for toddlers and pre-schoolers, maze, and young artists selling their creations, are all part of the village. It is located at the south end of Timber Linn Memorial Park near the new Veterans Memorial.

Morning Launches, Watch as balloons fill the morning sky near Timber Linn Park. Liftoff is promptly at 6:45 a.m., Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Night Glow, Is a display of brilliant colors as balloons tower over the crowd, lighting up the night sky the Night Glow is full of joy and amazement for the entire family.
Curtis Salgado performs on the Festival Stage before and after the Night Glow.

Main Stage - Saturday, August 29 at 8 p.m Creedence Clearwater Revisited

Dufur

2009-08-28T13:26:00Z

Dufur is a farming community, with wheat being an important crop, along with tree fruit and grapes.

Dufur was named after Andrew J. Dufur and his brother Enoch Burnham Dufur. In 1859 they began raising stock on 600 acres of land located where the city now stands.

On the second full weekend of August, Dufur holds its annual Threshing Bee, a harvest festival celebrating the local agricultural economy. The festival includes demonstrations of horse-drawn harvesting equipment, and a steam tractor that powers a belt-driven threshing machine.

Every month people from all over gather at the Dufur Grange Hall to play music. The first Sunday of the month from 2-6PM, you will find people gathered to share singing, guitar strumming, fiddle playing, and banjo picking good times. There is always a feast of homemade pies. Everyone is invited to this event, and there is no admission charge.
The population of Dufur was 588 at the 2000 census.

The Willamette Country Music Festival

2009-08-28T00:50:00Z

The Willamette Country Music Festival and the community of Brownsville would like to invite country music fans from all over the country to attend this exciting 3 day outdoor country music concert event featuring nearly a dozen of country music's biggest stars. In 2008, the WCMF featured stars John Michael Montgomery, Josh Gracin, Restless Heart, Jamie O'Neal, Bomshel, Jason Meadows, Rockie Lynne and many others.

The WCMF is also dedicated to helping those in the community. The Willamette Country Music Festival is pleased to once again assist in the funding of sports and arts programs to many of the areas local high schools. Sports team members of participating local high schools dedicate their time and efforts as volunteers and in return, they're rewarded with funding and or uniforms for their respective teams. We're also pleased to help "Sharing Hands", a local non-profit organization that provides food and clothing for those less fortunate who reside in the Brownsville community. In 2009, the Willamette Country Music Festival will be implementing a significant food and clothing drive directly benefitting "Sharing Hands". We're asking all 2009 ticket holders to give non-perishable food and clothing for this worthwhile organization.

2009 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Friday August 28th, 2009

1:00pm Gates Open
3:00pm COYOTE CREEK
5:00pm CONCRETE COWBOYS
7:00pm OPENING CEREMONY
7:15pm CHRIS YOUNG - Opening Ceremony
9:00pm EMERSON DRIVE

Saturday August 29th, 2009

11:00am Gates Open
1:00pm TARYN CROSS
3:00pm DEREK SHOLL
5:15pm ROCKIE LYNNE
7:00pm JASON MICHAEL CARROLL
9:00pm KEITH ANDERSON

Sunday August 30th, 2009

12:00pm Gates Open
2:00pm ALEXIS EBERT
4:15pm AMY CLAWSON
6:00pm LONESTAR
7:30pm NEAL McCOY

Willamette Country Music Festival Site

Sacajawea Peak

2009-08-27T13:34:00Z

Sacajawea Peak is the tallest mountain in the Wallowa Mountains. At least it is the current tallest peak, the alternate tallest peak being the Matterhorn at 9824 feet.

Sacajawea's prominence of 6,377 ft (1,944 m),makes it one of the most topographically prominent peaks in the United States. It is ranked 18th among peaks in the 48 contiguous states

Sacajawea Peak is named for Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who traveled with the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Waldport

2009-08-26T12:29:00Z

Waldport sits at the mouth of Alsea Bay and overlooks the central portion of the Oregon Coast.

Waldport is best known for its abundant crabbing and fishing opportunities. More than 5,000 vessels frequent Alsea Bay and River every year either to catch Dungeness crabs or to take advantage of the area’s superb Chinook salmon season.

Waldport area was home to the Alsi (Alsea) Indians. The bay and river got its name from the Indian word Alsi, which means peace. During the winter, extended families lived in large plank houses located around the lower Alsea estuary. From these small villages, they traveled to campsites between Seal Rock and Tenmile during the year to fish, hunt and collect shellfish and plants in season.

The first white settlers floated down the Alsea River, bringing all their food and building supplies by canoe and homemade boats to Waldport.

Salmon fishing was a major part of early Waldport history. Native villages in 1888 shared the bay with salmon canneries. The fishing nets were made by hand and repaired with the wood needle. In 1937, 137,304 pounds of Chinook salmon were netted. Commercial fishing was closed in 1957, leaving the salmon for sport fishing.

Waldport Website

Oregon State Seal

2009-08-25T13:26:00Z

The Seal of the State of Oregon is the official seal of the U.S. state of Oregon. It was designed by Harvey Gordon in 1857, two years before Oregon was admitted to the Union. The seal was preceded by the Salmon Seal of the Provisional Government and the Seal of the Oregon Territory.

The first seal for Oregon was during the Provisional Government that ran from 1843 to 1849. That government used the Salmon Seal, a round seal featuring three sheaves of grain and a single salmon.

With the arrival of Governor Joseph Lane in 1849 the territorial government took control of the region. That year the government adopted a new seal featuring a motto and a variety of motifs. In the center was a sailing vessel used to represent commerce, and above that was a beaver to symbolize the fur trade that was prominent in Oregon's early recorded history.

In 1857, the Oregon Constitutional Convention was held in the capital of Salem where the delegates drafted a constitution to prepare for statehood and adopted a new seal to be used once statehood was achieved.

According to ORS 186.020, the seal consists of an outer ring with the text "State of Oregon", "1859". The inner circle contains an American eagle atop a shield. The shield depicts mountains, an elk, a covered wagon, and the Pacific Ocean. In the ocean, a British man-of-war is departing and an American steamer is arriving, symbolizing the end of British rule in the Oregon Country. The elk represents the plentiful game found in the state.The second quartering shows a sheaf, a plow, and a pickaxe. These symbolize mining and husbandry.The banner is inscribed "The Union". Thirty-three stars surrounding the shield represent the number of states upon Oregon's entry into the union in 1859.

The seal appears on the obverse of the state flag of Oregon.

Eugene Man Swims with Sharks

2009-08-24T13:15:00Z

ABC's "The Shark Tank" is Based on the Japanese reality show (also adapted in the UK as Dragon's Den, currently on BBC America), five successful businessmen and women judge budding entrepreneurs to determine whether to invest in their ideas or not.

Brian Parks of Eugene Oregon, whose company is called Chopstick Art. He wanted $100k for 10% of his company. Brian discovered 25 million pairs of chopsticks are thrown out each year and thought it was such a waste, so he’s designed products made with recycled bamboo chopsticks. He had a really cool basket that folded up flat that the Sharks loved, But, Kevin H. believed it was not a “gotta have” product, so he was out.

Robert and Kevin O. were out next. Daymond felt the product wasn’t big enough for him, so he was out. Barbara was last out telling Brian he was too small for the Sharks. Oh well, good try Brian.

Brian's Chopstick Art Website

Timberline Lodge

2009-08-23T12:58:00Z

Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977, Timberline Lodge located on the southern flank of Mount Hood just below Palmer Glacier, is one of Oregon’s most popular tourist attractions, drawing nearly two million visitors every year. Considered an architectural wonder, it’s still being used for its original intent—a magnificent ski lodge and mountain retreat for all to enjoy.

The Timberline Lodge was used for the front exterior for the movie "The Shining", but all the interiors as well as the back of the hotel were specially built at Elstree Studios in London, England. The management of the Timberline requested that Stanley Kubrick not use 217 for a room number (as specified in the book), fearing that nobody would want to stay in that room ever again. Kubrick changed the script to use the nonexistent room number 237.

Timberline Lodge Website