Constitution Day - My First Online Assembly Experience

Well, the assembly was mostly on our voting responsibility - or at least that's what I got out of it.  The instructor asked.  What is November 11?  Here are some of the answers:

"Doomsday"  

"the best liar wins"

 

"Election hot mess, the day of voting"

We were referred to this website and quote.

John Adams said:

"There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution."

We watch a less-than-exciting video and then the conversation starts up again:

"I've heard that many reports say that the voting system is rigged, can be hacked, is faulty, that is fixed, that we just show up with false hopes in that the decision is already made by the 5 big families"

"The election is like, you have to pick your poison. My question is this. If the votes do not go the way that the ones who govern our land. Who has overall finally say so?"

"Trump is going to make our country file for its own bankruptcy"

"you can vote for any one even Mickey Mouse"

"there is a city in Georgia in which it's illegal to vote for Mickey Mouse - I don't know how they enforce that as our ballots are supposed to be private"

"what happens if someone gets the most votes to be president and they weren't running or don't even want to be president?"

The instructor didn't know, as it has never happened; perhaps we'll learn this year?

"So basically make sure you complete your ballot and won't no one vote for you, pretty much is what you are saying?"

"I get my ballots mailed to me...so I'm definitely voting"

"When did the popular vote start?  Article II Section I talks about electorates, equal to the number of reps and senators per state, and they vote.  So why do we even have the popular vote?"

"Utah is a Republican State.  I only know of one time when all 5 electorial votes weren't all Republican.  One time.  If I were to vote Democrat, I feel like it's such a waste.  It's like my vote doesn't even count.  Heck, just in my own household we seem to cancel each other out."

". . . but if almost the whole republican state vote democrat than what? because i know Idaho is a Republican state but I remember a year we were blue so that confuses me a little"

"At the Constitutional Convention, Ben Franklin stated his belief that public servants should not be paid a salary, for in paying the civil service, our government would not be made of "the wise and the moderate ... the men fittest for the trust" but instead by "the bold and the violent, the men of strong passions ... in their selfish pursuits.'"

"funny how I learned all of this in government and i don’t remember anything and everything you are saying right now is like a reminder of oh yah we learned about that."

Our instructor asked the question, which constitution states: “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,”

"15

no"

"i honestly have no idea"

"How 14"

"the one in the Constitution"

"14"

The next set of comments were made during the second video.

" i like Donald Trump's hair!"

" Isn’t that awesome??"

"exactly

lol"

"Donald Trump and Martin Van Buren.  Fine hair."  

"This is true; They might be related lol"

"There is a lot of awesome Presidential hair out there- Van Buren and Buchanan both had Presidential hair!"

"What happens to the money left over after they get the job? It is not going towards the US debt. Which I think It needs too. Since getting a government office is just pretty much based on

how much money you can raise."

"It goes onto a server in their basement..."

". . . fine haircuts"

"Elvis has left the building!"                       - I don't know why that got put in there

Now, this video and comments

"blast from the past"

"Please say that is the Steven Crowder video..."

"now that takes me back"

"I love this!"

"omg i member watching this in government class lol"

"i watched this in high school"

"Really school house rock....lol"

"I love SNL version better lol"

"This used to be on Saturday Morning cartoons.  I loved this!"

"i watched  this as a kid every sat morn"

"Saturday morning cartoon were the best!"

"yea i watched in a history class my Junior year"

"I know they should put these back on for our children"

"yup...good ole Saturday morning cartoons...and Reading Rainbow...<shutting up before my age starts shining thru"

"LOL…me, too"

"great and fun way to learn"

"hahah!!"

"Everything I know about history, I learned from schoolhouse rock"

"The good way to Learn"

LOL…. I hope you learn more here!"

Of course that was only just some of the dialogue.  Conclusion.  Class members said their good-byes and the assembly was over.  90 minutes after it started. 

"Hey, it's Barbie Girl!"

            Coffenberry Middle School (the school that Jenna currently attends) starts each morning with a meeting.  To make it fun and entertaining, they often call for volunteers to perform skits or lip sinking songs or what have you. Two weeks ago, Jenna and her friend Annett performed "Barbie Girl" Just last week, I drove her to the school to pay a lunch fee.   Someone recognized her as we got out of the car.  "Hey, it's Barbie Girl!" 

            I find it ironic that Jenna hadn't played with Barbies that often - they were just too girly.  There is very little about Jenna that seems girly - and yet she takes it as a compliment when someone calls her Barbie Girl.

            Jenna is not afraid to be herself.

            When Jenna met Elena on the bus last year, I was so excited.  We both thought since they both took the same bus that perhaps a friendship would form.  Not really.

            Turns out Elena is a target for bullies,  and though Jenna has tried to console Elena and assist her with self-esteem, Elena refuses to listen.  So why would she listen to those that bully her?

            Those who have tried to bully Jenna become frustrated as  she doesn't allow words to bother her.  She usually turns words or snide remarks around and says, "Why thank you." Or else she'll agree, which actually irks the bully.

            Jenna is definitely her own person.  I think that's awesome.

Middle School Workout

Jenna's school is made of several buildings.  The other day when we received our voter's "pamphlet" we also received a card for a separate measure - a district bond.  I had not known until then how old some of the buildings are.

Her sixth-period class is in a building that was built in 1930.  Her 2nd and 5th-period classes are in a building that was built in 1935 with annex (that may be where she meets) built in 1948.  The main building was built in 1947 and the elementary school (not included in her schedule) was built in 1949.  The oldest building (not on her schedule either) was built in 1927.  It looks it.

Roland made a fuss over why this bill or measure wasn't presented 30 or 40 years ago.  Maybe it was.  We weren't here so we don't know.

Meanwhile, Jenna walks from building to building.  And you are seeing it accurately.  It is all uphill.  The colored broken lines represent Jenna's footprints throughout the day.  

The Right to Vote

Yesterday was the last day to register to vote - at least for this upcoming election.  

We received the "Voter's Pamphlet" although I don't know why they call it that.  It's more like a book - a thin text book with lots and lots of words.  It is our first time voting in Oregon.  Our  "pamphlet' included a page

 If you are a US citizen, live in Oregon, and are 18 years old and have registered to vote

You have the right to vote . .

. . . even if you are homeless

. . . even if you have been convicted of a felony but have been released from custody, even if you are on probation or parole.

. . . even if you have a guardian and even if you need help reading or filling out your ballot

. . . or cast your ballet if you are in line by 8pm on Election Day

. . . to know if you are registered to vote

. . . to choose whether or not you want to register as a member of political party

. . . to use signature stamp or other mark but first you have to fill out a form NO ONE CAN SIGHN IT FOR YOU

. . . to ask for help from elections staff or from a friend  or family member.  There are some people who cannot help you vote . . .

. . . to a secret vote.  You don't have to tell anyone how you voted.

. . . to get a "provisional ballet", even if you are told you are not registered to vote.

. . . to get a new ballot if you make a mistake.

. . . to vote for the person you want.  You can write in someone else's name if you don't like the choices on your ballot.

 . . . to vote yes or no on any issue on your ballot

. . .  to leave some choices blank on your ballot.  The choices you mark will still count.

. . . use a voting system for all Federal Elections that make it equally possible for people with disabilities to vote privately and independently.

. . . to know if your ballot was accepted for counting

. . . to file a complaint if you think your voting rights have been denied.

I thought my brother had posted about the trauma we faced the last time my mom voted, but haven't  found it.  Perhaps I had seen it on his facebook account.

He had taken her to a pre-voting or something.  I had gone with them just for support, but had already voted by mail.  I think Corey voted by mail also, but my was still registered to vote at the walk-in polls.  She had her paper with the information on how she was hoping to vote - but her dementia was really bad that day and I suspect she had forgotten what she was even doing there.  I remember that it took her a long time, and she was frustrated.

The Unmagical History Tour

Ever since we moved to Myrtle Creek, I had been looking online for any history of the town or library.  It hadn't occurred to me that the library would have its own scrapbook - one that I'd love to copy and share.  Let me just start with the introductions on the display case - excluding the pictures that I don't have.

Humble Beginnings

The first library in Myrtle Creek was established in 1912 in a two room, unheated cabin by a group of local citizens that staged a parade and fair to collect enough books.  The monthly rent for the location was $5.00.  Patrons war charged $1.00 a year to use the library.  It was run solely by volunteers, which were hard to get because the place was unheated, and operated by donations.  Sadly, it was eventually closed because all the members of the group responsible for the library moved out of town.

New Beginnings

In 1950, the Girl Scout library in the basement of a local church became open to the public.  It was a very populate venture and due to the need for more space, the library was moved that same year to the second floor of [what was then] City Hall.  However, this location was not up to code and the Fire Marshall had to shut it down for safety reasons.  The library was moved to a much smaller location that did not fit its needs.  Our community still wanted their library system and the City stepped in to provide it.

The Library and the City

In 1952, the City of Myrtle Creek contracted a new police station that included space for the library our community needed.  While the library eventually outgrew that space, that cooperation has since been continued and the City is still dedicated to providing a safe and accommodating space for the library.

When the old city hall was demolished in 1958, the new plans [were made.  The library was located where public city council meetings are now conducted] The library remained in that space for eighteen years.  

Joining the Douglas County Library System

In 1955, the Douglas County Library System was founded with the Roseburg Library as the headquarters.  Cities were contacted about a cooperative effort to create a county wide library system.  Myrtle Creek already had an established library with an active library board and they were concerned about new leadership hindering the wonderful thing the library was doing.  The state librarian at the time, Eleanor Stephens, wrote to the library board stressing the importance of cooperation to maintain a strong library system. [Though Myrtle Creek had done well on their own, it] was pointed out how much more efficiently things could be accomplished with the support of a county library.

Sixty years ago, in 1956, the Myrtle Creek Public Library became the Myrtle Creek Branch of Douglas County Library Systems

Your Library's Current Home

Forty years ago, in the summer of 1976, the city of Myrtle Creek completed the construction of our current building. [Our librarian at that time was Wilma Gore who] retired in 1977.  The City of Myrtle Creek has continued to assist, recently helping the library replace the carpeting and will soon install a new outdoor book drop.

I'd gone to the library last week to meet with one of the board members to go through my binder and hopefully get a bit more insight to my new position.  Because of my management class and recent post, I had asked about our vision statement, which she didn't know.  She didn't think we even had a mission statement; that I had found in the binder and thus she wanted to look at it.  Meanwhile I googled the subject and found this from two years ago:

Mission: Douglas County Libraries is a passionate advocate for literacy and lifelong learning.

Vision: Through engagement, education and entertainment, Douglas County Libraries transforms lives and builds community.

I edited my discussion post to include the vision and mission statements and added this:
Our goals right now are to save the library.

She reminisced a bit about growing up in Myrtle Creek, what it was like then and how so much has been lost over the years.  She remembered seeing more traffic.  Before Mill site park, there was actually a grist mill.  The park includes a brief history, though I don't recall a fire being mentioned.  I think she said whatever remained of the building burned down in the late '70s.    This is what I learned about Myrtle Creek during my research:

oldest known photo of Myrtle Creek

Settlers first came to the valley in 1837 and by the 1850s' farmlands and homesteads were esablished in the area. The Myrtle Creek area was originally settled in 1851 and the town was established in 1865. The town's name is derived from groves of Myrtle trees found in the vicinity along the banks of North Myrtle, South Myrtle and Myrtle creeks. Oregon Myrtlewood is a broadleaf evergreen native to Southwestern Oregon and Northwestern California and rarely found anywhere else.

Timber was as important to the area during the last century as it remains today.  By the 1870s there were two mills in the Myrtle Creek area.  The planning mill that was attached to the grist mill and a sawmill, up North Myrtle Creek, which could produce about 5,000 board feet per day. 

Milling has been a major part of the City of Myrtle Creek’s economy.  Lazarus Wright constructed a grist mill at the edge of town (adjacent to the creek) that had a capacity of 45 barrels of flour a day.  A planning mill was attached to the grist mill.  An electrical generator was incorporated into this facility prior to 1912.  It was renamed the Myrtle Creek Water, Lighting and Milling Company.  

The grist mill depicted in this mural was built along Myrtle Creek in the early 1850s. It was originally run by a man named Lazarus Wright and was a landmark as it was the only grist mill in the south county area. It was later converted to hydro-electric plant. The grist mill changed ownership a number of times, including John Hall, founder of Myrtle Creek. He bought from Wright (c.1863) and later had town surveyed & platted (ca.1868). Other owners of the mill included Hans Weaver, Henry Adams, F. M. Gabbert and Willis Kramer.

The grist mill was torn down prior to 1930 by the Oregon State Highway Commission to make way for a new bridge across Myrtle Creek as part of the Pacific Hwy improvement project.
The mural was painted in 1997 by local artist Susan Comerford, who still has an art studio in Roseburg, Oregon. The mural is located in Myrtle Creek’s Millsite Park, and is painted on the old sawmill bunker building (aka power house) for the Fir Manufacturing and March Logging Company. The sawmill was built in 1944 to help feed the demands of a nation at war, and supplied the lumber to build the decks of aircraft carriers. Another of the mill’s claims to fame is that it supplied the lumber for building the handrails for Madison Square Gardens in New York.

Eventually the sawmill closed and was abandoned. Then a fire destroyed the wooden mill buildings, almost taking the downtown area of Myrtle Creek with it. After the fire, the city acquired ownership of the land to build a city park under the condition that the land never be used for a profit making business. The bunker building was a very plain building and was almost torn down until the City was approached to have a mural painted on it. The building is now used by the Myrtle Creek Parks Department.


– Mural and historical information provided by Carolyn Shields, Myrtle Creek City Recorder and Maureen Butler, Myrtle Creek Historical Society
Photo by Gary Halvorson, Senior Archivist, Oregon State Archives

I've taken and posted several pictures of Mill Site park in Myrtle Creek. Ed Cadman had taken several pictures that were posted to this site:   

 This giant saw blade, from the old sawmill here, is preserved as part of the park.

Ed Cadman   http://www.smalltownoregon.com/08umpquavalleys/myrtlecreek.html

This is the grindstone and plaque

Karen Rivera      November 2015

Ed Cadman   http://www.smalltownoregon.com/08umpquavalleys/myrtlecreek.html

This plaque tells the story of how the Horse Creek covered bridge arrived in Myrtle Creek.

John Trax / Alamy Stock Photo

  Horse Creek Covered Bridge, spanning Myrtle Creek adjacent to Millsite Park, was built in 1930 and is currently used as a pedestrian bridge. This bridge originally spanned Horse Creek in Lane County but was removed in 1987. The bridge's wooden timbers were given to the City of Cottage Grove for salvage. Cottage Grove used some of the timbers and the remaining lumber was donated to the City of Myrtle Creek in the spring of 1990. 

 

Ed Cadman   http://www.smalltownoregon.com/08umpquavalleys/myrtlecreek.html

Karen Rivera        November 2015

 

Myrtle Creek is well known for its old bridges.  The Neal Lane covered bridge across the South Myrtle Creek in one of the six in Douglas County.  In addition to Horse Creek Covered Bridge is the Neal Lane Bridge, which I have also photographed and posted.

From the 1950's: Myrtle Creek itself flooded every year. Ed Cadman had sent a picture depicting the flood  just south of the Dairy Queen where the main highway went into town. You can find more of his pictures here.  This is the only picture I could retrieve from the internet.

 

I pulled my sources from the following websites:

 

Historical Sites Downtown Myrtle Creek

https://pocketsights.com/tours/tour/Myrtle-Creek-Historical-Sites-Downtown-Myrtle-Creek-501

Myrtle Creek - Tri City Area Chamber of Commerce   http://www.myrtlecreekchamber.com/touristinfo.html

The City of Myrtle Creek      http://www.cityofmyrtlecreek.com/index.asp?Type=B_LIST&SEC=%7B7310598F-D7C0-48D7-A7F8-BE0A06062102%7D

Myrtle Creek Historical Society

http://www.myrtlecreekhistory.com/p/membership.html

At Least She Supports the Arts

           

            Roland has two daughters, age 22 and 20.  When they were younger, Frances liked to draw and paint - mostly paint, but she learned a variety of artistic methods.  Pamprin was very theatrical.  She enjoyed singing and performing.  Both were skilled at what they enjoyed.

            Their biological mother had enrolled each in various classes according to their interests. Pamprin had performed in the Salt Lake  children's choir.  Her mother also drove her to several auditions for commercials. Frances had entered several of her paintings into contests.  One she had painted of Adam and Eve.  It hung on our wall for a few weeks before she took it down to enter in another contest.  We never saw it again.

            When I first started blogging, I hadn't mentioned the true identities of Roland's ex or his two oldest girls - or any of us really.  There have been so many complications with the ex that my mentioning their names would have probably just complicated things further.  We have wanted to stay in touch, but evidently, the feeling is not mutual.  That doesn't mean that we've forgotten them or don't think about them.

            They had moved from Utah to Hawaii three years before I started my blog. They must have moved to Kansas (or maybe Missouri) just shortly after we had moved to West Valley.  Through Google and referring links, I have discovered that Pamprin has won awards playing Kala in the musical of Tarzan and now performs as an Alto in a church choir.  Unlike me, who have joined the church choir solely for body count, Pamprin really does have a nice voice (or I assume she sings even better than the last time I heard her) Frances is a student at the Kansas City Art Institute.  It's nice to know that they were able to pursue their dreams.  I hope that they continue and can use their talents to their benefit.  

            Still would be nice if we could learn these things from them.  I hope that one day they will have the desire to reach out to their dad or brothers or even Jenna - who really doesn't know them, but knows of them.