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February 8th, 2021News, Events & Updates |
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The Threats Against María Eugenia ContinueDear Friends, On Friday January 29th and Saturday January 30th the human rights defender María Eugenia Mosquera was threatened by Whatsapp for the second time, while she was in Buenaventura, Colombia with representatives from FOR Peace Presence, Fellowship of Reconciliation Austria, and Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective. She received Whatsapp messages to her personal cellphone. The threat fits into a larger context of threats against social leaders in Buenaventura. The same assailant (cell phone number +57 317-694-3450) threatened human rights defender Orlando Castillo on January 31st. Orlando is one of the leaders of the Puente Nayero Humanitarian Space in Buenaventura. Threats have also been made against leaders of the Buenaventura Civic Strike and particularly against the Committee for Access to Justice, Victims, Protection and Memory, of which María Eugenia Mosquera is a member, and there has been intimidation of members of the La Esperanza Community Council. There is a new surge of violence in Buenaventura, with six people killed by illegal armed structures in a single day, December 30, 2020. These groups are responsible for forced recruitment of youth and are trying to impose their control in the city through fear. They are also using extortion and other tactics to promote what they call a social “cleansing” in the city. El Espectador journalist Ariel Ávila found in his research that there are several factions of armed groups fighting for control over the city, and that local authorities have been largely absent in preventing the escalating violence. You can help us take action today for María Eugenia. These kinds of threats should not be tolerated. Follow the link below, set up by our friends at Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective, for more. |
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Take action for human rights at the JOCO Jail |
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Statement from Grace Warner, a member of Josephine Social Justice Alliance: Dear friends, We have community members trapped inside a county facility with a deadly virus, with little to no control over their own exposure. As people who care about social justice and human rights, we have a moral imperative to speak out and demand that our public officials take swift action for the safety of people in the jail and for the community at large. Here’s one way we can take action today: Our friends at the Siskiyou Abolition Project have created this “phone zap”– a phone-in campaign to demand immediate action from the Josephine County Sheriff’s office. Sheriff Dave Daniel is an elected official, and his office manages operations at the Josephine County Jail. To participate in the phone zap, call these four officials: Dave Daniel, Josephine County Sheriff: 541-474-5123
Nate Gaoiran, Director, Community Corrections: 541-474-5165 ext. 3713
Scott Hyde, Deputy Director: 541-474-5165 ext. 3708
Angela Brown, Administrative Services: 541-474-5165 ext. 3727 If you reach someone, or if you are able to leave a message, please share the following demands: 1. Compassionate release for all adults in custody who are elderly, immuno-compromised, pregnant, or within 6 months of their release date.
2. Immediately offer vaccines to all adults in custody at the Josephine County Jail, following the federal court’s mandate for the Oregon Department of Corrections to offer the vaccine to state prisoners.
3. Mandate and enforce the proper wearing of PPE (masks, etc) by Josephine County Sheriffs, corrections officers, and county officials.
4. Immediately provide additional PPE and disinfectant supplies for all adults in custody. After you call, let folks know how it went by emailing siskiyouabolition@protonmail.com Love and solidarity, Grace |
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Black History Month Features |
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NewsCOVID The Environment The Nation International EventsClimateSocial Justice- Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice
- K.A.W.S. – Keeping Ashland Women Safe
- Oregon Peace Works
Community Films UpdatesLegislation Housing |
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Black History Month Features |
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| |  | | Premieres February 16th | | PBS Presents: The Black Church | | In this intimate four-hour series from executive producer, host, and writer Henry Louis Gates, Jr., we trace how this came to be in the 400 year-old story of the black church in America, all the way down to its bedrock role as the site of African American survival and endurance, grace and resilience, thriving and testifying, freedom and independence, solidarity and speaking truth to power. | |
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Jackson County COVID StatisticsCurrent as of 02/05/2021: View updated stats HERE Jackson County COVID-19 TESTING SITES |
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COVID-19 Vaccine Updates Vaccination gives us hope that the pandemic will end. Still, in the meantime, we need to continue safety measures to keep the virus from spreading: Wear a mask, physically distance from others, wash your hands, avoid gatherings and stay home when you’re sick. Phase 1B, Group 1 (early childhood educators and staff, childcare providers and staff, public and private K-12 educators and staff) are now eligible to be vaccinated statewide. Jackson County offered the vaccine early for Phase 1B, Group 1, at the vaccination event held at the Jackson County Expo. For those who are eligible in Phase 1B Group 1 and were not vaccinated for their first dose at the Expo, they can reach out to one of the providers listed on the Jackson County Health and Human Services COVID-19 Vaccine website. Other COVID-19 providers are working directly with some organizations that employ or contract with people in Phase 1B, Group 1 to assist with vaccination. This information was taken from Jacksoncounty.org |
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Dr. James Hildreth is a world renowned AIDS expert and immunologist who has spent more than 40 years studying infectious diseases ranging from hepatitis to ebola. As president of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., he is overseeing clinical trials for a potential additional COVID vaccine and demonstrating how to effectively engage the Black community in clinical trials and vaccination. “Meharry’s been here in Nashville for 145 years, and we were founded as a place to make sure that people from disadvantaged communities could get healthcare. So I think we’ve just come to be, over a long period of time, a trusted institution,” Hildreth, a noted expert in racial health disparities, told The Skanner. “We also have strong connections to the church, and that’s been an important factor as well. “You may have scientifically grounded messages that are potentially impactful, but they won’t be unless the messenger delivering those messages, that information, is somebody the communities trust.” In October, Meharry and several other historically Black colleges and universities — including Howard University College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Xavier University of Louisiana, Hampton University, Tuskegee University, Florida A&M University, and North Carolina A&T University — were chosen to split a three-year, $15 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to equip testing facilities and support screening for the coronavirus. Read More … Return to top |
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When President Biden rescinded a crucial permit for the Keystone XL pipeline last week, it marked the culmination of one of the longest, highest-profile campaigns in the North American climate movement. The opposition to Keystone XL included large environmental organizations, grassroots climate activist networks, Nebraska farmers, Texas landowners, Indigenous rights groups and tribal governments. Few environmental campaigns have touched so many people over such large swaths of the continent. The Keystone XL resistance was part of the ongoing opposition to the Canadian tar sands, one of the most carbon-intensive industrial projects on the planet. Yet, it came to symbolize something even bigger. Many activists saw stopping Keystone XL as a measure of success for the climate movement itself. Read more… Return to top |
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A Potentially Fatal Blow Against Jordan CoveThere’s already a lot we could say about 2021, but today we’re celebrating another big victory in the fight against Jordan Cove LNG project! Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) upheld the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s denial of a key permit for the proposed Jordan Cove LNG export terminal and Pacific Connector fracked gas pipeline. The fight is not won yet, but this is a potentially fatal blow. |
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| “The FERC decision is very encouraging. It is certainly our hope that Pembina will give up on this devastating project once and for all,” said Chairman Don Gentry of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin Tribes. Amidst this series of victories in our fight against the pipeline, Siskiyou Rising Tide has focused on other crises impacting our community, including the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, wildfires that raged throughout our communities, and the rise of American fascism. The climate crisis ties into all of these things, and we are looking at current and future impacts and what we can build now to help our communities weather them. Return to top |
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Despite multiple court rulings denying its permit on valid environmental grounds, the Dakota Access pipeline continues to pump noxious oil through the heart of my homeland every day. As you know, this injustice has to be corrected. And if the courts won’t take the necessary steps to protect my relatives on the Standing Rock Nation, then once again it’s up to us — the grassroots — to use our voices and find a political solution. Fortunately, as you can see in our new blog and video, our movement to stop DAPL has gained new traction. I feel echoes of the days when our protest camps filled with tens of thousands. Four Lakota tribal leaders, several organizations, and an online army of folks like you have taken up the call to tell President Biden to use his authority as the chief executive and stop this dangerous pipeline before it spills and kills. We’re distributing all our videos to other concerned organizations via a sharing tool created by Earthjustice, the law firm representing the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in its NoDAPL legal resistance effort. It’s an all-hands-on-deck moment, and many organizations — from the Sierra Club to one affiliated with actor Mark Ruffalo — have joined the effort to pressure the president and the Army Corps of Engineers to do right by my people. I offer my gratitude to you for standing with us. The president has already made several positive decisions on pipelines and the environment, but he has yet to show that he understands the gravity of our plight here at Standing Rock. Our immediate goal is to make sure that he does — ideally before this Wednesday, the pipeline’s next day in court. By working together and by reforging our movement in bigger numbers, with more volume than ever, I believe we can do it. Wopila tanka — I can’t thank you enough for your activism and your prayers! Phyllis Young
Standing Rock Organizer
The Lakota People’s Law Project Return to top |
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 Nuclear Power In Oregon Again? Dear Friends, Oregon PeaceWorks is the grandchild of the successful statewide 1980 ballot measure campaign that halted the development of nuclear power in Oregon. That ballot measure required that in order to site a nuclear plant in Oregon, an operating federal nuclear waste repository had to exist and the proposal had to be subject to a vote of the people of Oregon. Despite nuclear proponents’ claims during the campaign, the industry was not able to meet either of these criteria. Thus our ballot measure has protected Oregonians from the costs and dangers of nuclear power for 40 years. This year we are seeing three legislative attempts to overturn Oregon’s voter-approved nuclear power policy. HB 2692 and SB 360 are companion bills which grant exemptions from the provisions of our ballot measure for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). HB 2332 is an outright attempt to repeal our popularly elected provisions. We would like to think that Oregon legislators are smart enough and have sufficient integrity to turn their backs on these three bills, but one never knows. Therefore we are urgently requesting that you help protect Oregon from another attempt by the nuclear power industry to build nuclear power plants in Oregon. Please visit http://oregonpeaceworks.org/nuclear-power/ where you will find a legislative alert explaining the bills. We are asking you to do two things:
 Print copies of the action alert flyer and distribute them to your friends and family, or send out the link via email. Contact your state senator and representative and urge them to reject these three bills. (Find their contact information here.) Return to top |
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Oregon is poised to be the next hot spot for mega-polluting mega-dairies. The expansion of these large-scale commercial dairy operations is wreaking havoc on Oregon’s family farms, rural communities and the environment. Smaller family farms are being displaced by industrial mega-dairies with thousands of cows in confined spaces. But we’re fighting to put a stop to this destructive practice by Big Ag. Food & Water Watch is a member of the Stand Up to Factory Farms coalition, which has been working to stop the spread of mega-dairies in Oregon. This 2021 legislative session, Senator Michael Dembrow (D-23) and Representative Rob Nosse (D-42) are introducing legislation to enact a moratorium on new and expanding mega-dairies in Oregon. The time for our legislators in Oregon to take bold action to stop mega-dairies is now! Urge your legislators to co-sponsor this critical legislation! Mega-dairies are harming our state and our communities in a multitude of ways. Mega-dairies: - Create colossal volumes of waste
- Cause water and air pollution
- Contribute to climate change
- Take large amounts of water from our rivers, streams, and aquifers
- Harm the welfare of animals
- Push family-scale farms out of business
Our legislators must take urgent action to protect Oregon from dangerous mega-dairies. Urge them to support a mega-dairy moratorium. |
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‘The Capitol Insurrection Was as Christian Nationalist as It Gets.’By Thomas B. Edsall – Opinion, New York Times
 It’s impossible to understand the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol without addressing the movement that has come to be known as Christian nationalism. Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry, professors of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the University of Oklahoma, describe Christian Nationalism in their book “Taking America Back for God”: It includes assumptions of nativism, white supremacy, patriarchy and heteronormativity, along with divine sanction for authoritarian control and militarism. It is as ethnic and political as it is religious. Understood in this light, Christian nationalism contends that America has been and should always be distinctively ‘Christian’ from top to bottom — in its self-identity, interpretations of its own history, sacred symbols, cherished values and public policies — and it aims to keep it this way.
In her recent book, “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism,” Katherine Stewart, a frequent contributor to these pages, does not mince words: It is a political movement, and its ultimate goal is power. It does not seek to add another voice to America’s pluralistic democracy, but to replace our foundational democratic principles and institutions with a state grounded on a particular version of Christianity, answering to what some adherents call a ‘biblical worldview’ that also happens to serve the interests of its plutocratic funders and allied political leaders.
This, Stewart writes, “is not a ‘culture war.’ It is a political war over the future of democracy.” Read More… Return to top |
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The Other Shoe Drops: Reflections on Myanmar’s Latest Coup |
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On February 1, 2021, the day before a new Myanmar parliament was to be sworn in following an election in November, the majority civilian government was ousted by the Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s military. With tanks and armored cars rolling through the streets of Yangon and other cities, the military declared a one-year “state of emergency.” Full leadership was claimed by General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services. In early morning raids, State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, along with numerous ministers, deputies, members of parliament, and known activists were swept up and taken to jails or to house arrest.  While this coup surprised most of the world, its rumbling approach could be felt in the few months since November’s national election. The Tatmadaw, which directly or indirectly has controlled the government and economy of Myanmar (also known as Burma) for nearly sixty years, saw a vast majority of parliamentary seats—396 of a total of 476 seats—assigned to Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD). Only 33 seats were won by the military’s proxy, the Union Solidarity and Development Party. According to the 2008 constitution, the Tatmadaw itself is given the power to appoint 25% of the parliament, but the results of last November’s election would have given the NLD a super-majority, which might have enabled them constitutionally to break the iron grip of the military. Read More… Return to top |
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Government GroupMonday, February 8 from 2:00 to 3:30 via Zoom
Link to SOCAN Calendar Event Thanks to Governor Brown, Oregon state agencies are developing plans to achieve meaningful greenhouse gas emission reductions and carbon sequestration in the state. Members of this group are engaging with the statewide Oregon Climate Action Plan coalition to promote agency efforts. We will also be promoting relevant legislative proposals. Contact Alan Journet if you are interested in federal and state action and are not on the current email list. We have established a County and City project that will start meeting in February. Contact Lorrie Kaplan if you are interested in this project. |
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 Forests & Fire ProjectForests and Fire Project will meet via ZOOM to review updates of current actions. The Forest and Fire project meets monthly on the 3rd Wednesday, currently via ZOOM. Contact Gary Clarida for the Zoom link if you are not already on the list. Return to top |
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Coastal SOCANWednesday, February 17 from 5:30 – 7:00 via Zoom
Link to SOCAN Calendar Event
Ann Schmierer, Executive Director, Wild Rivers Land Trust will discuss permaculture, including suggestions and lessons for those of us who want to start or expand our home gardens. Contact Bill Gorham for the Zoom link if you are not already on the list. Return to top |
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Sustaining Climate ActivistsSaturday, February 27 from 11:00 to 12:00 am via Zoom
Link to SOCAN Calendar Event
A facilitated support group addressing the fatigue, distress and grief for those engaged in climate action. Facilitators: Liz Olson (Clinical Chaplain) and Ken Deveney (Trainer of Re-Evaluation Counseling). Contact Liz Olson if you are interested in attending and are not on the current email list |
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Saturday, February 13, 10 a.m. to noon via Zoom Diane Randall, General Secretary of Friends Committee on National Legislation, will speak about the status in Congress of greenhouse gas reduction legislation. To receive the Zoom link, send a request to Ken Deveney at kenndev@yahoo.com. Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a nonpartisan grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change. It focuses on fee-and-dividend legislation as holding the greatest promise for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In order to generate the political will necessary for passage of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, it trains and supports volunteers to build
relationships with elected officials, the media and their local community. There are more than 600 CCL local chapters across the United States. |
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The Oregon Legislature is now in session! This 2021 Session, in particular, offers opportunities to expand Sanctuary protections for immigrants, reimagine public safety and policing in ways that strengthen our communities overall, and adopt policies that will address the climate and economic crises and simultaneously support the health and well-being of BIPOC, immigrant, rural and low-income communities. Let us do our part to ensure that this session helps move our state closer toward a shared horizon of Life for all! Throughout the duration of the legislative season, we (Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice) will host IMIrJ Advocacy Nights on the 2nd Monday of each month from 6:00-7:30pm, starting this coming Monday, February 8th. In this space, we’ll hear from our movement partners, share timely updates on the legislative process and specific bills we are tracking, talk strategy, and take faithful action together. RSVP here and invite your friends to join you! All are welcome. Feel free to add your name to this letter to our Oregon State Legislators, as we urge them to practice accountability, defend democracy and advance justice alongside us this season. Return to top |
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| K.A.W.S. – Keeping Ashland Women Safe |
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 February 19, 4:30 p.m., Zoom: WEBINAR – 1619 AND THE LEGACY THAT BUILT A NATION A lecture by Nikole Hannah-Jones, who will explore the lasting impact of black enslavement on our nation specifically, how black Americans pushed for the democracy we have today. Award-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones was the lead writer for New York Times Magazine’s “The 1619 Project,” a major viral multimedia initiative observing the 400th anniversary of the first African slaves arriving in America. She will speak about “The 1619 Project” and participate in a panel discussion with UO faculty and students about the need to remain vigilant in the fight against racial inequality at a time when the United States is deeply divided. The event will include an audience Q&A. Register https://uoregon.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qMvWmrcTSRWT7qFtFPoDuA |
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Building Rural Communities Safe from State Violence Wednesday, February 10, 6:30-8 pm PST Human dignity groups that make up the ROP network have been hard at work dismantling collaboration between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement for decades. The network has recently been making major strides holding rural police and sheriffs accountable for not breaking Oregon’s sanctuary law by using local resources to enforce federal immigration policy while upholding the demands coming from the Movement for Black Lives. Groups are working to create community-based alternatives to policing, successfully ousting corrupt sheriffs, and are building pressure to meet the demands for justice for those harassed and killed by police. What’s working and where do we go from here? Register here to join the conversation by phone or computer! Return to top |
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Crossing Party Lines – FILM CLUB |
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Ashland Independent Film Festival |
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February 12-21 Ticket Price: $10.00/$8.00 AIFF Members Trailer: To make ends meet, people in the U.S. are working longer hours across multiple jobs. This modern reality of non-stop work has resulted in an unexpected phenomenon: the flourishing of 24-hour daycare centers. Through the Night is a verité documentary portrait of Deloris Hogan, a heroic daycare provider, and the ecosystem of parents and children for which she is the beating heart. “Through the Night is both celebration and indictment. A sympathetic depiction of “women’s work” in all its unsung dignity, it’s also a quietly damning portrait of a merciless economy’s effect on working-class mothers.” – Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter. |
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February 19-28 Ticket Price: $12.00/$10.00 AIFF Members Trailer: In 1999, filmmaker Davy Rothbart met Emmanuel Sanford-Durant and his older brother, Smurf, during a pickup basketball game in Southeast Washington, D.C. Davy began filming their lives, and soon the two brothers and other family members began to use the camera themselves. Spanning 20 years, this story illuminates a national, ongoing crisis through one family’s raw, stirring, and deeply personal saga. Made from more than 1,000 hours of footage, it all starts on the street where they lived in 1999, 17 blocks behind the U.S. Capitol. “An essential viewing doc about race & class in America… A documentary with Cinema Verite sensibilities and no qualms whatsoever about the honest presentation of its subjects, 17 Blocks is both heartbreaking and inspiring.” – Warren Cantrell, The Playlist |
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Online screening of a remarkable film NAILA AND THE UPRISING. The film highlights the role of women in leading and organizing massive, non-violent resistance to the Israeli occupation. The film is extremely informative and inspirational, with important lessons about the role of women that are as relevant today as they were in 1987. WHEN: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18th TIME: 6 – 8 PM Just Vision will send you a ZOOM link After the film there will be a moderated discussion over Zoom. The discussion will be led by a staff member of Just Vision, who will also update us on the people in the film and the women’s movement in Palestine. Just Vision is the organization which produced and distributes the film and is dedicated to increasing the power and reach of Palestinians and Israelis working to end the occupation. For more info on Just Vision go to: https://justvision.org/about I hope you can join us for this illuminating film. Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Avram Sacks Membership Coordinator, Jewish Voice for Peace, Rogue Valley Chapter |
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| A Note from Jeff About the New Congress There’s no doubt about it — this is a dark winter. More than 400,000 Americans have lost their lives to this pandemic over the last twelve months. Another twenty million have been sickened, and while many have been fortunate enough to recover, tens of thousands are still fighting for their lives. Businesses have shuttered, and millions of hardworking Americans have lost their livelihoods. But amid this darkness, we have the power to turn this new year and Congress into a harbinger of hope — to turn the page and deliver the resources to help our families weather this storm, frontline health workers do their jobs and stay safe, and Main Street businesses stay afloat. That’s why I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that the upcoming coronavirus relief package will bring this round of stimulus payments up to $2000, for both adults and children; robust funding for rapid vaccine distribution; a moratorium on utility shut-offs; loans for our businesses; resources to help our schools reopen safely and to help states, localities, and tribes avoid layoffs to educators, first responders, and health staff; and personal protective equipment for our dedicated health care heroes and essential workers. Read More… Also: State Senator Jeff Golden is now a co-sponsor of the Anti-Racism Curriculum Act (SB 683) Return to top |
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| January 2021 Dear friends and neighbors, While the start of a new year didn’t solve all of our problems, I’m optimistic. As difficult as 2020 was, our response to multiple crises demonstrated that we can meet whatever challenges come our way with resilience, tenacity and compassion. As the 2021 legislative session begins, I’m hopeful that the legislature will act quickly and decisively to spur recovery. And, with the inauguration of a new administration in Washington, we have good reason to hope that our country and our state will begin moving toward a more sustainable and equitable future that truly celebrates diversity and fosters unity. Still, it is undeniable that the pandemic and wildfires have affected every aspect of our lives. The most vulnerable among us have suffered the most. Low-income workers and people of color have been disproportionately affected by the public health crisis and resulting economic fallout. Small businesses have struggled to pay their bills and keep their employees. Our legislature will need to take bold and even transformative action to ensure that every resident and community across the state shares in a robust recovery. Given the pandemic, much of the 81st legislative session will be conducted virtually—including all committee hearings. While I yearn for the day when we can safely open the Capitol, virtual operation will be a boon for those of us who live hundreds of miles from Salem. Until now, Southern Oregon residents who wanted to participate in a legislative hearing were forced to spend four hours (each way) on the freeway for the opportunity to speak for five minutes in front of a committee. Virtual hearings mean that anyone will be able to testify on a bill or policy from the comfort of the kitchen table or office via a computer or telephone. I’m confident that electronic and audio testimony will become a permanent part of the legislative process. As always, please stay in touch. Under the circumstances, this legislative session promises to be critical to the health and welfare of families and communities. Your feedback, questions, comments and criticism will help us to get it right. COVID Vaccine RolloutIf you are reading the headlines, the COVID vaccine news probably has you pulling out your hair. Early last week, Oregon Health Authority announced that the state would be working with local communities to set up mass vaccination clinics for educators/school staff and adults over the age of 65. That promising news changed quickly Friday morning, when the federal government announced that the state would not be receiving an increased supply of vaccines–because the federal government has no reserve. The disappointing update is that there is currently no surge of vaccine on the way to Oregon. However, there is some good news. Statewide, we are administering about 12,000/doses per day, which has been our goal. We continue to prioritize individuals in phase 1A, which includes front line health care workers, long term care residents, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caretakers, and emergency workers. The latest numbers indicate that we have administered 173,000 doses across the state, which puts Oregon 30th in the nation at 2.8% of population vaccinated. Forty percent of those in phase 1A have been vaccinated. By January 30th 300,000 people, or 75% of those eligible in the first phase, will be complete. While we are short on the vaccine itself, OHA is working with public health and health care providers to create the infrastructure needed for large-scale vaccine locations, once product is available. The National Guard will be employed at these sites when appropriate. OHA is also creating mobile clinics to ensure that individuals who cannot attend large site vaccination clinics (for example, fragile residents in long term care or group facilities) will not be left out. ASSUMING THAT THE VACCINE IS PROVIDED, the state is now planning on the following schedule: On January 25, educators and school staff will begin to receive the vaccine. This group, totaling approximately 100,000 individuals, could be largely completed within two weeks.
On February 8 Oregon’s 800,000 seniors will become eligible for vaccination, prioritized in four waves: - 80 and older
- 75 and older
- 70 and older
- 65 and above
Please note that the CDC is still recommending two doses. That means that a 2nd dose will need to be set aside for individuals who received dose #1. That also means that it will take longer to roll out administration to everyone who is standing in line.
Finally, there is a new chat tool on the state’s vaccine website to help with your questions. It should pop up on the right side of the screen at https://covidvaccine.oregon.gov/, or scroll to the “vaccine eligibility & FAQ Tool” about 2/3 of the way down the page. We hope that there will be a hotline available soon. No question that it is frustrating to see this news shift so frequently, when we are so anxious to move on from this pandemic life. Please stay tuned. The new Biden administration has already announced a significant investment in the national vaccine program, and the State of Oregon is getting better at understanding how to get product out and administered. I hope that will result in a predictable, stable and coherent schedule very soon. Continue Reading this Message |
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Joyce Puccini Chapman Jackson County Board of Commissioner Work Session (01/26/2021)1. Discussion of a Request for a Letter of Support for the Southern Oregon Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee – Rick Dyer. Dyer began by saying that he’d sent an email explaining this to the BoC and asking if there were any questions. — Dotterer asked what the background of the request was. Who would be running this project and who was making the request? Dyer said that Tom Walker of Adroit Construction sent the email. He asserted that it is well known that there are not enough trained construction workers, especially in the trades, such as electricians and plumbers and more. He asserted that the program would bring in more people and that they are desperately needed. He acknowledged that the BoC has supported trade programs at local schools in the past. Dotterer said that it appears to be an organization based in Klamath Falls and covers Southern Oregon and that they have made a request to BOLI. He noted that CTE is a big deal in the state and has a special funding stream and he enthusiastically supports efforts at training people in the trades. — Jordan explained that he only saw this request this morning. Dyer made a direct request to have this item on the agenda. Staff has not had a chance to review or create a draft letter of support because of it not coming to staff first for analysis. Usually if it happens this way, the group making the request provides a draft letter. Dyer said they only provided samples. Read More… |
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Judi’s Midnight Diner — New Mobile Warming SpaceWe wrote last spring about Siskiyou Rising Tide’s work supporting houseless communities during the pandemic. The lack of housing and the continued criminalization of houseless individuals means that people are sleeping in dangerously cold temperatures this winter. That’s why we’ve created Judi’s Midnight Diner, bringing heated pop up tents and hot drinks to folks around Jackson county. Even more people are displaced or living on the streets this winter because of COVID and wildfires. Unfortunately, the cities, county, and state have not found ways to support these folks, and we’re seeing far fewer emergency shelters this year in Medford and Ashland. The shelters that do exist are full and have high barriers for access. We believe in harm reduction approaches to houselessness. People have the right to exist. Locations and days vary each week depending weather forecast, so we’ll be sharing fliers at the Southern Oregon Equity Coalition’s daily meal in Hawthorne Park and at the Phoenix Fire Relief Center (located at the Shoppes at Exit 24). Judi’s is all-volunteer run! We need people to help with night shifts as well as daytime support roles (like prepping food and drinks) so email us at sorisingtide@gmail.com if you’d like to help. Donations to Judi’s Diner help us purchases food and supplies for free distribution — you can donate through Venmo to Siskiyou Street News, @siskiyou_sn. Just note it as “for Judi’s.” Or check out our Amazon Wishlist: https://tinyurl.com/JudisMidnight |
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| | A night out at Judi’s Midnight Diner |
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Ashland group receives $4.2 million grant to convert motel into shelter facility |
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ASHLAND, Ore. — An Ashland-based organization will receive a $4.2 million grant from the state in order to buy and convert a local motel into a shelter facility, part of Oregon’s newly-funded “Project Turnkey.” The Oregon Community Foundation announced on Thursday that Options for Helping Residents of Ashland (OHRA) had been selected to be the first recipient of a Project Turnkey grant. The funds are meant to be used to create a resource center and shelter facility for people in the community “negatively impacted by wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.” OHRA plans to convert the Super 8 motel building at 2350 Ashland Street into a shelter, with hopes of having the center open at a limited capacity in March for the most vulnerable members of the community. At the outset, the new building will offer 20 separated living areas that can accommodate as many as 30 people, but will eventually expand to 50 available rooms for up to 70 people. Read More … Return to top |
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