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Posts published in “Day: May 12, 2021”

A gift

May 12, 2021

meador

When you write about food and drink, recurring topics will crop up out of necessity. This isn’t because a writer has nothing new to write about. On the contrary, there’s always a new restaurant, dish, brew or wine to be tasted and described. But certain characteristics of a community will frequently make guest appearances — local themes around which to craft stories. In Yamhill County, the most common characteristic from my food-and-beverage days was the area’s incredible sense of hospitality, the community’s unquestioning generosity of spirit, its willingness — indeed, its desire — to give.

All communities have certain groups who work to ensure their city’s image is a good one. But McMinnville has these people and this quality in spades.

I recall one of the first projects I worked on after moving here — it was some charitable event. I remember seeing a successful older local businessman working side-by-side with a single mother of modest means. This city father and this dedicated mother were working toward the same goal — two people from opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum were joined in a common purpose to benefit someone who wasn’t them. I marveled at this sight then, so rare was such a pairing in my experience.

Since then, I have seen the same scene play out hundreds of times. And I’ve written about it probably dozens of times.

This community has a spirit of giving unlike any community I have ever witnessed. It’s really quite amazing. Since I’ve become a local, myself, now, I know we take a quiet pride in the way we step up when there’s a need, the way we don’t hesitate to offer what we can give when it’s needed. We’re proud not in a haughty way, but in that quietly confident manner earned from knowing we will do what’s needed when asked, every time.

Against the backdrop of this community spirit of giving, it’s fitting for one of the all-time great community gifts to have occurred right here in the Yamhill Valley. With no fanfare, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde presented the region with a fantastic act of generosity. When the tribe had completed administering COVID vaccinations to its members and the staff of its casino and hospitality ventures, it decided there was no reason to stop there.

So they offered free vaccination to anyone who wanted it.

After what was probably the craziest year of my lifetime, what a delightful breath of fresh air!

But the most remarkable aspect may have been the low-key manner in which the tribe gave their gift. As the Native people behind one of Oregon’s top tourist destinations, Spirit Mountain Casino, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde is well-versed in the need to keep their gaming property in the minds of consumers, particularly as other tribes attempt to enter the Portland market. That’s why Spirit Mountain has sponsored highly visible events like the Portland Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade. But when the tribe could’ve generated a great deal of publicity for itself as it gave away vaccines, it chose to do so quietly, instead.

The reason was simple.

“It was the right thing to do,” said Sara Thompson, Communications Director for the tribe. “Vaccinations provide everyone with a rare opportunity to be proactive in our fight against COVID-19 and begin to heal.”

Fully staffed by qualified clinicians, the tribe’s vaccine clinics were organized to minimize lines, waiting and contact between people. Medical professionals were on hand to answer questions and follow-up appointments were scheduled on the first visit. As word-of-mouth and social media posts spread the tribe’s generosity, people from all over the region took advantage of the tribe’s incredible generosity. The Portland Trailblazers even received the tribe’s incredible gift!

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde has long been a highly visible part of the state’s charitable landscape. If I remember correctly, the tribe held the top spot as Oregon’s biggest philanthropist for a number of sequential years, as early as the 1990s and 2000s. I had difficulty finding figures from this period to confirm my recollection but, according to Thompson, the tribe remains a big player among Oregon’s givers today. “The tribe is the largest tribal philanthropist in the state,” said Thompson. “We have always believed in continuing the Native tradition of potlach, a ceremony where good fortune is shared and distributed.” Thompson explained the potlach principal guides the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, which was founded in 1997. To date, the fund has donated over $85 million to Oregon non-profits.

Acknowledging the catastrophic damage caused when her people first encountered Europeans, Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy encouraged vaccination. “That’s the same kind of thing we’re facing now,” said Kennedy in a Facebook Livecast a week ago. “But we have an answer!”

Thompson said participants all have their own reasons for getting vaccinated. “Whether it’s the immune-compromised grocery store worker, the grandparents who want to hug their grandchildren or the spouse who wants to protect their partner who recently beat cancer, they all have their reasons,” she said. “Getting the vaccination allows them to breathe a little easier and take a step back towards normal.”

So far, the tribe has administered over 17,000 vaccinations, all free of charge.

I no longer write much about food or drink. But I will undoubtedly continue to write about life in this area and I will almost certainly mention again the spirit of giving that marks the local population as special. At the end of a crazy year of unprecedented political gutter fighting, unending wildfires and a once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) pandemic, how grateful I am that the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde offered us the gift of vaccination. It’s fitting that such an enormous gift given with such grace happened right here in the Yamhill Valley.

Two sides of teacher appreciation

May 12, 2021

malloy

As the nation celebrated “Teacher Appreciation Week” earlier this month, Gov. Brad Little offered some encouraging words in expressing his gratitude for the fine work that Idaho teachers do.

“We all should signal to our educators that we value them, and we want to keep them in the profession,” the governor wrote.

Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin has been sending a different message in the last few weeks, particularly to those teaching civics, history or offering opinions about social justice. She is putting together a task force, led by Rep. Priscilla Giddings of White Bird, that will spend the next four months exploring how Idaho teachers – many of whom belong to unions and vote for Democrats – are brainwashing kids to the “liberal” points of view.

Little, of course, has nothing to do with this effort. Instead, he offers further praise for educators: “Teachers get to work early so they are prepared for a productive day of learning when their students walk through the classroom doors.”

McGeachin, while firing up her conservative base, suggests there is little that is “productive” about what kids are learning. She wants Idahoans to offer feedback about liberal indoctrination as Idaho education continues to take shape.

But the governor is not deterred: “Teachers are adapting all day long, tailoring lesson content to a variety of learning styles so each and every student can walk away with a better foundation of knowledge and skills. Teachers are passionate about preparing students for eventual careers and creating an environment where students feel safe and supported.”

Not exactly, according to McGeachin. Teachers are putting together lesson plans on critical race theory (CRT), which sheds a positive light on the concepts of socialism, communism and Marxism. She wants critical race theory rooted out of Idaho schools, and she has plenty of friends on her side. According to a writer with the Idaho Freedom Foundation, one school in Garden City has been pushing “anti-gun, pro-Black Lives Matter propaganda” on students.

This is merely a warmup of what McGeachin’s task force will be hearing over the next few months. And McGeachin, no doubt, will expand on her claim that the Biden Administration, barely past the 100-day mark, is pushing for a new rule that will insert critical race theory into K-12 education nationwide.

“The Biden Administration is incentivizing our elementary and secondary school systems to incorporate teaching and learning practices that ‘take into account systemic marginalization, biases, inequities, and discriminatory policy to practice in American history,’” McGeachin says. “In other words, the Biden Administration wants to perpetuate a false narrative of history in which America is a villain rather than recognizing our historical role as the world leader in improving and advancing human condition.”

And you thought that Biden has been focused on vaccines, COVID relief and a big-spending infrastructure bill.

“We know that critical race theory has burrowed deeply into our institutions of higher education, but we are receiving more and more examples of this kind of indoctrination occurring now in our K-12 public schools as well,” McGeachin says. “Are Idaho education leaders even aware of the Biden administration proposed rule and this new onslaught of indoctrination that is at our doorstep?”

McGeachin is far from being alone on this issue. A year ago, President Trump signed an executive order banning CRT on the federal level, which was repealed by Biden after he took office – which probably explains Little’s relative silence on the issue. These days, it’s political suicide for a Republican officeholder to oppose Trump on anything.

Chances are that many Idaho educators had not even heard about “critical race theory” before McGeachin and some legislators brought it up. There’s no mention to CRT in Little’s commentary about teachers.

“To all the Idaho teachers, I thank you on behalf of the people of Idaho for your dedication to our students,” Little wrote.

But here’s a word of warning from McGeachin and friends. Politicians are watching and teachers may want to think twice about digging too deeply into historical issues such as the practices of the KKK, Civil Rights marches and Vietnam protests.

Lord help those teachers who dare tell our children that President Biden was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election.

Chuck Malloy is a long-time Idaho journalist and columnist. He may be reached at ctmalloy@outlook.com