Posted inMiscellany

Still HinesSight: blog design just got modernized

Wow, old bloggers CAN learn new tricks. I've been thinking about changing the design of my two blogs for quite a while, but wrongly thought this would be difficult. It wasn't. Just took a bit of clicking around today. I'm trying out a "responsive" TypePad style that is mobile friendly. I also deleted some extraneous stuff in the sidebar. To me the look and feel is considerably cleaner and more modern now. And I've heard that the Great God Google has taken to rewarding web sites that are mobile friendly in his/her/its search results. So... another benefit.
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Posted inSalem

Four possible sites selected for new Salem police facility

Well, after more than five years of planning -- much of it poorly done -- a Salem City Council subcommittee has selected four possible sites in this town where a new 150,000 sq. ft. police facility could be built.  This happened tonight at a meeting in a third-floor conference room at City Hall. I and some other members of the Salem Community Vision (SCV) steering committee attended the meeting, sporting purple stickers with the SCV position: $50 Million Police HQ & Seismic  Salem Community Vision has the answer to this question — a 75,000 square foot facility, 50% larger than the police facilities we have — with…
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Posted inSalem

Decision to demolish LeBreton Hall points to habitual Salem City Council dysfunction

Going to a Salem City Council meeting isn't the most entertaining way to spend a Monday night. But for me these meetings are interesting on several different levels.  There's (1) what is going on between City officials and the public in the present moment, and also (2) how these interactions point to habitual ways of acting by the City Council -- which is sort of like Blake's "see the world in a grain of sand" notion. Last night the City Council -- which consists of Mayor Anna Peterson and eight city councilors -- voted to accept a recommendation by city…
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Posted inSalem

Speak up for low-income housing at Dec. 14 City Council meeting

Yesterday I heard from an advocate for Salem's homeless who asked me to publicize this important message: Advocate for low-income housing on Monday! The Salem Housing Advisory Committee is asking that the City set aside 25% of the repurposed State Hospital property for low income housing.  The Salem Housing Commission will receive this recommendation on Monday.  Date: 12/14/2015 Time: 6:30 PM -‎ 10:00 PM  (Housing is first hour or so of meeting)Location: City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 240. Let's show up en masse in the early part of the evening to support more low income housing in Salem.How about signs "Off our steps, off the streets-housing for the…
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Posted inHome life

I’m loving my Public Rec “All Day Every Day” pants

Kickstarter rocks. I've enjoyed every product that I've gotten after contributing some cash to a start-up company via Kickstarter. But I'm absolutely loving the pants that Public Rec sent me -- which they're calling the All Day Every Day men's pant. When I saw the video that was part of their Kickstarter appeal, and read a description of the pant, I was immediately sold.  Here's the video. It could have used some narration, I suppose. However, before viewing it I'd already perused the features list. Elastic waistband with internal drawstring for maximum comfort Two deep, front zipper pockets to keep your valuables…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Anti-abortion zealots supporting domestic terrorism have blood on their hands

Today it became totally clear that the man who shot up the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado, Robert Dear, was motivated by a hatred of abortion and those who provide abortions.  From the New York Times story, "Colorado Shooting Suspect Declares 'I'm Guilty' in Court." In a bizarre scene at what was expected to be a routine hearing, Robert L. Dear on Wednesday disrupted his first in-person court appearance since a shooting rampage at a Planned Parenthood clinic here with angry outbursts, a declaration of his guilt and vehement expressions of his anti-abortion politics. “I’m guilty. There’s no trial. I’m a warrior…
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Posted inSalem

Devastating critique of Salem Statesman Journal by experienced journalist

Baby boomer guy that I am, I'm old-fashioned when it comes to newspapers. Meaning, I still read them! My wife and I subscribe to the print versions of both the Salem Statesman Journal and the Portland Oregonian. I also have a digital subscription to the New York Times.  Given that I like newspapers, and have read one or more almost every day of my life, I've been saddened by how far down the Journalistic Quality mountain our home-town paper, the Gannett-owned Statesman Journal, has slid. I've written numerous criticisms of the newspaper on this blog. Type "Statesman Journal" into the…
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Posted inSalem

Strange Up Salem logo: story behind the art

I'd never compare the new Strange Up Salem logo to the Mona Lisa, but... No, wait! I would!  Art is art. Unless it isn't art. But clearly, this logo is. It is an original creation by Ryan James Rhoades of Salem's Reformation Designs. And moi. (Now that I am an artist of sorts, having collaborated with Ryan on the logo -- not to mention paying for it -- I am going to speak more French; but wear a beret? Non.) Regarding the Mona Lisa, imagine that it was possible to know what Leonardo da Vinci was thinking when he created…
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Posted inSalem

Salem officials want to demolish another historic building, Fairview’s LeBreton Hall

Another day, another worrisome effort by City of Salem officials to demolish our town's history for no good reason.  Recently they overturned a Historic Landmarks Commission recommendation to preserve Howard Hall, the last remaining building on the School for the Blind property. Instead, the City Council voted to tear Howard Hall down. (So Salem Hospital could build an over-sized parking lot.) Now LeBreton Hall, a majestic 1908 structure that was one of the first to be built on the Fairview Training Center property (which used to be called the State Institution for the Feeble-Minded; we've made progress) is on the…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Another mass shooting. No more “thoughts and prayers.” Gun control ACTION!

Another week, another mass shooting in America. At least 14 dead, another 14 wounded. And what are we going to do it about it? Mostly offer our "thoughts and prayers" to the victims. And their families And the first responders.  Which, obviously, does precisely zero, nada, zilch to stop the next mass shooting. And it will come soon. Because the next one always does. Only in America do we have this much gun violence. Why? Because we have way more guns per capita than any other nation. So we have way more gun deaths.  Responsible gun control is the answer.  Thoughts and…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

Salem’s Climate Justice march/rally: 3 things to know

Yesterday I took part in the "Salem to Paris: Support Climate Justice" march and rally that was sponsored by our local 350.Org group. It was part of a worldwide movement to support the climate change talks in Paris -- one of the largest gatherings of world leaders ever. Here's three things you should know about Sunday's event: (1) People in Salem turned out! Yay for citizen activism! Since this was the weekend after Thanksgiving, I headed to the intersection of Court and High in downtown Salem figuring that just twenty or so aging baby-boomers would march to Riverfront Park, where the…
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Posted inSalem

Enlightened Theatrics “The 1940’s Radio Hour” — see it, Salem!

Last night my wife and I enjoyed an Enlightened Theatrics' musical show at Salem's downtown Grand Theatre just about as much as we liked a previous production, "Hair."  "The 1940's Radio Hour" is much different, of course -- a generation apart in setting. Which gave it much of its appeal. I was born in 1948. The Radio Hour show is set in 1942. When I first heard the name of this production, I thought, "That's ancient history, the 1940's; I'm not sure if I want to listen to old-folks music." But when I first heard a mention of 1942 from one…
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Posted inSalem

Take down those illegal signs, Kelly’s (and other Salem sign scofflaws)

I hate the illegal signs that have sprouted all over Salem on the public right of way. But today I, and some unknown other Fighter Against Urban Ugliness, struck blows against one of the worst offenders -- Kelly's Home Center. Turning from River Road into Minto Brown Island Park to exercise in the early afternoon, I saw three Kelly's "Big Sale" signs between the road and railroad tracks. This is one of them. Wanting to do my Streetstrider (outdoor elliptical bike) ride first, after I was done I vowed to walk from Parking Lot 1 up to the road and…
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Posted inSalem

Salem’s Mayor wrongly believes marijuana kills brain cells

Often it's frustrating to live in Salem, Oregon. Nestled in an Uncool Zone between the more with-it towns of Portland and Eugene, our city officials are prone to archaic attitudes that belong more to 1955 than 2015. Case in point: Salem Mayor Anna Peterson believes that marijuana kills brain cells. If this were true it would be bad news for Oregonians, given that medical marijuana has been legal here since 1998, and adult/recreational use was legalized in 2014.  This is what Mayor Peterson said on a local conservative talk show. I'm frankly fed up. It's against the law federally. The science proves…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

Why do poorer areas, in Salem and elsewhere, vote against their own interests?

Laurel and I picked a great weekend to visit my daughter, Celeste, and her family for the first time in Laguna Niguel, California, where they moved the rea few months ago. The late November weather was in the 80's. The sky was clear and sunny. Here we are in a triple-selfie -- Laurel, Celeste, me -- enjoying the nearby Dana Point beach, where bikini-clad southern Californians defied the calendar (I guess there were men on the beach also, but I didn't notice them). Soon after we landed at the Orange County Airport and reached the Laguna Niguel area I started…
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Posted inSalem

New Salem Police Facility getting supersized (and super expensive!)

Like Topsy, a new police facility here in Salem, Oregon just keeps on growing. When it was first proposed by Mayor Anna Peterson and her staff, a 75,000 square foot replacement for the current 48,000 sq. ft. police department was in the works. Now, consultants have recommended a 148,000 sq. ft. facility -- almost twice as large.  I don't want to get much into the tangled web of how planning for this new police facility has unfolded over the past five years. For the next few weeks, you can read all about it on this Salem Community Vision web page.…
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Posted inSalem

Quick trip to Olympia shows some contrasts with Salem

This weekend my wife and I made a quick trip to Olympia, Washington. Well, our focus was Lacey, a smaller town adjacent to Olympia -- sort of comparable to Salem and Keizer, I guess. Laurel and I went to take a look at Panorama, a retirement community in Lacey. But that isn't my focus in this post.  Rather, I want to share some impressions of Olympia -- which is, of course, Washington's capital, just as Salem is the capital of Oregon.  Olympia is quite a bit smaller, about 50,000 population versus Salem's 160,000. But the population of the urban area…
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Posted inSalem

Black walnut deaths point to more Salem tree dysfunction

Salem, Oregon is steadily strengthening its reputation as the city where public officials are either incompetent or uncaring when it comes to our trees.  Today I talked with an anonymous reputable source (love that term! makes me sound like an investigative blogger!) who told me some disturbing tales about the black walnut trees being cut down on the State Hospital campus.  A black walnut tree Here's an excerpt from a recent Statesman Journal story by Tracy Loew, "Historic Salem trees felled due to new disease." Six century-old black walnut trees on the Oregon State Hospital campus are being felled this week due to…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

I scream at the TV during the Republican presidential debate

Well, I've got to give credit to the GOP and the Fox Business Network for this: last night they got this proud progressive involved in Republican presidential politics. OK, briefly involved -- for as long as the debate went on. And my involvement consisted of me loudly yelling at our television when I heard one of the candidates say something especially stupid or wrong. Which was frequent. PolitiFact has put together a partial truthfulness scorecard of what was said by Trump, Carson, Rubio, et. al. They didn't fare well on the truth scale. Nobody got better than a "Half True." Florina…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Salem

My advice to Cherriots bus system: be true to Salem’s values

Tomorrow is the one week anniversary of last Tuesday's disappointing defeat of the small (.21%) payroll tax that would have paid for much-needed improvements to Salem's behind-the-times Cherriots bus system -- which lacks late evening and weekend service. Cherriots faces some tough choices now. As do others in this town who care, or claim to care, about creating viable, appealing, modern mass transit options in Salem.  Two recent letters to the editor in the Statesman Journal did a good job of summing up the situation. Defeat of transit tax ruined Salem's chance to shine What a sad day for Salem.…
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