NO GUTS, NO GLORY

Willamette Week's winning the Pulitzer for its investigation of the Neil Goldschmidt sex scandal, kept secret for 28 years, proves the importance of the market place of ideas.  According to my 'journalistic source' only two other times has a small daily or weekly newspaper won a Pulitzer.  In 1981 the Longview Daily News won for its coverage of Mount St. Helens and in the mid-1970s  the Point Reyes Light won for its investigation of Synanon. The investigative prize in particular is usually the monopoly of the establishment, the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Chicago Tribune or the regional dailies like the Seattle Times or the Oregonian. It's the journalistic equivalent of the small town basketball team beating the big city champs for the state championship in Hoosiers.  Right on WW!  While  Neil G was in 'high spin cycle' with the Oregonian, WW was putting the finishing touches on it's story.  The Pulitzer folks noticed the difference between journalism and cooption!  Of course this story is a Shakespearean tragedy in many ways because Portland minus Mayor Neil Goldschmit would not be the 'shining city on a hill' it has become!  The wicked irony of history?  Having worked in Mayor Goldschmit's office as a faculty intern in the spring/summer of '76 I witnessed his strategic brillance and vision coupled with a bright staff at work redefining Portland.  Like Bill Clinton - there was much to admire, but alas in retrospect the price was too high!  Fortunately for Portland, you can't turn the clock back.  Not so fortunately for the victim. 

SOULESS IN SALEM

I was watching the 11 p.m. news on KOIN-TV last Tuesday night April 12. The headline story was legislators visiting Oregon City's DHS office, a field office which has seen its share of cases that seemed to slip between the cracks. The coverage included a clip of testimony by social workers suggesting that the state needed to hire more social workers, in contrast to providing more oversight by adding another administrative layer [Speaker Minnis' solution]. Now whom do you believe - legislators in Salem or social workers on the front lines everyday? But the 'lived experience' of social workers was dismissed by Representative Mitch Greelick (D, Beaverton). He felt there was no money for more social workers and that we would have to find other ways to address the issues DHS faces.  Now unless Representative Greenlick's comment was taken out of context - I must take issue with him. The only way to help DHS do a better to protect kids is to have 'more' social workers and smaller case loads.  Representative Greelick ought to talk to experts in social work at PSU and ER nurses at OHSU. Perhaps if Representative Greenlick was a regular watcher of "Judging Amy" – the Amy Brenneman's excellent TV depiction of parenting, the juvenile justice and the child protective systems - perhaps he'd get a clue! Since Measure 5's passage in 1991 – DHS case loads have increased significantly. As Governor Barbara Roberts said in her inaugural speech that year - because of Measure 5's passage - people will die! Well the events at Springfield's Thurston High proved her right, as did the case of the two teenage girls from Oregon City who became the unwitting victims of Ward Weaver. I'm sorry Representative Greenlick, your attitude is part of the problem! Child abuse is both a social problem and a health care issue. As long as well intentioned legislators as Representative Greenlick bow to the gods of budgetary 'realism' unintended tragedies will happen in Oregon. Legislators are not the only people who are to blame - WE citizens are also to blame as long as we believe that you can get 'more from less'. Oregonians have a choice – to design state services using the Wall Mart model or the Target model. Until legislators such as Mitch Greenlick are willing to face the truth and to tell the truth [at the risk of not getting re-elected] - nothing will change. It will be deja vu all over again! The only thing one get's from less is less.

RAD LINE OF THE DAY

MPV in action at NCSL
  Just returned from 4 days in Washington DC.  Conferencing and seeing good friends from the 'east'.  If you are into fine dining and Inside the Beltway - try Tenpenh - an Asian-European fusion restaurant.  The lobster is a must!  Desserts are to die for...  if you leave room for 'em.  Thanks MPV for covering the tab! 

GOLFING IN THE KINGDOM

Ghost Creek, PR GCSpent most of Saturday watching Tiger Woods come back from the pack in the Masters to get within 4 strokes of front runner Chris DeMarco. Who knew what the final round would bring - but Tiger is without a doubt the 'best' golfer of this era which boasts some great ones - Mickelson, Els, Goosen, Singh and add DiMarco - after Sunday's thrilling end. But Tiger is 'the magician' who can get in horrendous trouble and despite adversity come out on top or make a run at it. Victories in 9 'majors'; 43 PGA victories, an historic streak of making 152 cuts and he's only 29! Just for the record, nobody ever started changing/lengthening courses until Tiger showed up, why? I met Tiger's Dad at KPTV several years ago, I saw where he get's his determination! Growing up in Roseburg, I loved watching golf on TV - Ben Hogan was my 'favorite' and the Masters 'the' golf tournament - which begins the golf season for most golf wannabe's. Amen corner was not merely a challenging venue for the golfers, but gorgeous with its azaleas and rhododendrons - the promise of spring and summer to come. But I grew up playing baseball not golf from sixth grade through my sophomore year at RHS. At age 16 I 'transitioned' from Babe Ruth baseball to golf. I was too small for the next step - American Legion ball and terrified of a 90 mile an hour fast ball. But a summer of golf did not increase by love for the game - so I quit - never to pick up a club until age 50. Then Jason cajoled me into playing with him as he practiced golf as a member of his high school team in 'the Grove. I humored him just hacking around. But then at a pre-school conference at Kah Nee Tah, Marsh Lee (historian and golf coach at Pacific) gave me some pointers. I began believing the myth I 'could' play this game! My addiction was just beginning... In 1996 I followed then two time US Amateur champ Tiger Woods around Pumpkin Ridge the week he won his third US Amateur Championship, months before he turned pro. To see him up close and personal was thrilling and the virus that is golf set in. The Portland metro area is blessed with some great golf courses - Pumpkin Ridge and The Reserve are the most famous, hosting US Women's Opens and Senior Opens. What's even nicer they are a mere 15-20 minute drive from home! We also have a great links course, Quail Valley and a traditional tree lined course, Forest Hills, both a short drive from home. Jason and his best high school friend, Fraser Horn, used to team up against their 'Dads' for some rousing matches. The 'old farts' often pulled rabbits out of the hat to sneak bye the 'young turks'. Since Jason works at Witch Hollow, the private side of Pumpkin Ridge, I get an occasional free round. Tony and I have shared rounds at Yakima's Apple Tree course and Washington National, the UW's home course south of Seattle. But my golf partners are more likely to be Marsh Lee, George Evans and H. Joe Story - the fearsome 'foursome'. I also play rounds with a former student, Patrick Clark - and last summer we were joined for two rounds at Camas Meadows and Ghost Creek with Dietrich and Andra. And then there's Marc Volavka, from PA - with whom I've shared golf memories and experiences out 'east' and 'west'. Over the years I've had fun in Maui - at Kapalua, in San Diego at Torrey Pines, in Tucson with George and Donna Evans, at the 'Ranch' with Marsh Lee et al and last summer in BC at Whistler with Whitman alum-friend - Ward Mowry. With my retirement from Pacific, but not from making trouble in the classroom (PSU) or beyond [Metro/Salem?] - I will have more time to work on my 'game' which needs a lot - given an official USGA handicap of 21. But at best golf is not about the score but a state of mind - 'living in the moment', enjoying the company of friends and relishing some of the most beautiful scenery around... Standing on a tee box at Kapalua and looking across at Molokai requires no 'post-modernist' de-construction to understand the magic of golfing in "the Kingdom".
Kapalua GC, MauiFORE!!!

TRAIN DREAMING

Pacific grads should know that AC Gilbert - one of Pacific's illustrious alums (who finished at Yale) - was the creator of the Erector Set, a Chemical Set AND American Flyer Trains (2 rail, S gauge). He's the "Man who saved Christmas" in WWI. Old College Hall includes a display case in his honor. Check it out when you are on campus. Several faculty - Don West, Paul Kohl (optometry) and I are AF/S gauge collectors and operators. Don Marty, a Pacific alum @ '60 is our local train 'doctor' and is well known among train show attendees from Seattle to Sacramento. He repairs/buys/sells all gauges. My first train was a Christmas present from my Dad in 1948, a Pennsy 4-6-4 steam loco with 5 freight cars. Some of you who have visited our home remember that half of the living room was devoted to my layout. Well, after remodeling our garage into a guest room - it's also the "Train & Teddy Bear Room". I found this quote which explains the 'magic' of model trains: "...For me as a boy a lot of the fun of trains was looking at the ads for the various locos and accessories and imagining what it would be like to have them on my layout. 'Catalog dreaming' was one of my favorite train-related pastimes. A lot of trains and cars that I would like to purchase now command very high, almost outrageous prices, at train shows. So when I finished my catalog browsing (it took several hours) I know I had rediscovered an old way to enjoy model trains on a limited budget. While I may never have all the time, skill and cash to make my layout 'perfect,' I know that as long as I have my imagination and a few old AF catalogs, I can always build that perfect version of 'model train heaven' in my head!" Author Joe Sullivan, "American Flyer Memories" column in the South Jersey S Scalers Club newsletter. For your own experience in 'catalog dreaming' about S-Gauge trains check out S Helper Service, American Models or e-Bay (under American Flyer trains) on the internet.

2-8-0 Consolidation
S Helper Service
'on order' for RAD