Monday, October 3, 2016

Antiques in the Streets 2016


From knickknacks to antique stores, Albany is selling everything

Antiques in the Streets: An annual Albany event that encapsulates everything “Downtown” into one big garage-sale-like mish-mash of music, food, and antiques.

The band Blue Honey played at the Albany Farmer’s Market, with members Melinda Pride, Glory Butler, and Bill Lewey playing Americana and Blues as shoppers swarmed the Farmer’s Market.

Further down the street, at the intersection of Broadalbin Street and 2nd, the heart of the event was marked by Glenn Anderson’s Mystery Machine blaring music.

Over 50 vendors lined the streets, one of which was Micki Korff. Korff and her husband drive from Couer d’Alene, Idaho for Oregon’s antique events and sell from year to year.

“You see a lot of the same people,” said Korff.

They not only travel with their antiques and clothing for sale, but with their three Cocker Spaniels, Zoey, Molly, and Patches.

Jewelry flew off the shelves in downtown Albany. Lisa Russel, owner of Two Dollar Vintage in Valley River Center was there with boards full of pins and bins overflowing with necklaces, broaches, and various silver pieces.

“We’ve sold over 400,000 pieces in four years,” said Russel.

Not only were various bits and pieces for sale, but also a full store.

Linda Swanson, owner of Whispering Willows is selling her business.

“Due to health issues, I'm selling the shop,” said Swanson.

Antiques in the Streets isn't just antiques; there was also a car show with over 100 vehicles on display, competing for the various awards given out by businesses.

A few of Pixie’s pinup girls from Pixie’s Pinups in downtown Albany were also out in full pinup regalia at the car show. Kass, Grace, Jay, and of course Pixie herself were out to represent.

All the proceeds from the event, including tickets sold for a raffle went to Habitat for Humanity.

If you're interested in attending next year, mark your calendar for the Saturday after Labor Day.

Art and Air Festival 2016



Photo by Katrina Wilson


 The Art and Air Festival of 2016 was another high-flying success.

Hot air balloons soaring over sunrise stained clouds are an iconic part of summer in Albany, and have been for over 20 years.

The hot air balloons of the Art and Air Festival are a major part of what makes this Albany classic so enticing. From the magic of Night Glow to the majesty of the early morning lift offs, Art and Air wouldn't be the same without them.

Art and Air occurs every year on the third weekend of August. This year’s festivities were Aug. 23 to 28. The festival has everything from live music to art sales, but the balloons are always the main attraction.

Getting up before sunrise is rough, but becomes less rough when you get to see giant hot air balloons getting inflated.

There's good reason behind being an early bird, though. Dawn and dusk are the best times to fly balloons, because the sun hasn't stirred up the winds at that point, and it's much safer to fly.

The owner of the Skydancer Company, Brian Smith, has been flying for over 20 years and has been running Skydancer for three years.

His balloon, “Sundancer” made an appearance among many others on the first day of the festival.

“It's able to hold five average houses worth of air...it's eight stories tall, so to put that into perspective, that's 120,000 basketballs,” said Smith.

Balloons from the festival will often head towards Freeway Lakes for a splashdown, or water landing.

On the second day of the festival, no balloons were able to land in the lakes, but they all landed  just outside Albany, most of them gathering in one large field.

On Aug. 24, balloon launches were cancelled in the morning due to weather concerns, but the people of Albany got one last show of balloons soaring overhead on the final day.

“Ballooning is not a practical form of transportation...it's an adventure,” said Brian Smith.


6 Things You Learn From Buying a Shitty Van


The author leans on her very own shitty van.

When life gives you lemons, buy a lemon.

One sometimes finds themselves plunked into the brutal market of shady car dealerships and dubious craigslist ads. Whether it’s moving out, an unfortunate accident or Martians have suddenly abducted your car, it’s occasionally necessary to cave and buy a beater just to get you through your next term. I know I did, and here’s what I learned from obtaining my own spectacularly shitty van. (A rusty 1996 Ford Windstar with the Phoenix Inn logos barely peeled off.)

  1. Decisions Are Hard
There is nary a more vulnerable feeling than standing on a car lot, trying to decide if the Camry chop shop special to your left is less likely to make you die in a fireball than the hulking Windstar on your right. The salesman stares into your eyes, making you wonder if you should just take up biking. In the end, you just have to test drive and see where things go. Don’t be afraid to leave and come back again, but just bite the bullet in the end.

  1. Just Because it Doesn’t Have a Key Doesn’t Mean it Won’t Start
Apparently, all you need to look like the sketchiest driver in the world is a large screwdriver and an even sketchier van. Make sure to keep your licence, title, insurance, and all the paperwork on you at all times, and leaving the price tags on the vehicle until you make it to the DMV to put your newest addition to the family in your name doesn’t hurt either. Re-keying your ignition and doors is also a lot less expensive than you’d think, so don’t worry.

  1. Just Because it Starts Doesn’t Mean it Won’t Have Problems
The first time I experienced my van stalling on me was in the middle of an intersection. After my near-death experience, I quickly made sure my will was in order, and then took my van in for a check up. A word to the wise, auto parts stores are less likely than a mechanic to charge you nearly $300 to not tell you what the problem is, and are more likely to plug in a diagnostic tool and help you get the right parts. I learned this the hard way.

  1. Just Because it Has Problems Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Fix Them
After your moment of existential dread concerning what happens to you after you die in yet another intersection, you will be more than happy to buy a few parts, and get some knowledgeable friends or even a mechanic to help you replace them. YouTube and auto parts stores are a wealth of knowledge, don’t be afraid to ask questions and use your search bar heavily.  
  1. You Will Hate Your Vehicle
There will come a moment when you break down yet again, and honking cars swerve around you, and that an insatiable urge to light your vehicle on fire and never look at it again will wash over you. Ignore this urge.
  1. You Will Love Your Vehicle

There will also be times where you are parked out in the country, sitting on your crappy van, car, Vespa, or bike, and genuinely appreciate the decision you made in that dusty, hot, sketchy car lot. Hold on to these moments and save them for when your car breathes its lemony last and you have to set out yet again to purchase your next one.

Life Hacks: Sunburn

1.Prevention
Always remember your sunscreen and to reapply often. It also helps to wear wide brimmed hats and clothes that are loose and cool, yet still cover your skin. For swimming, there’s shirts and bottoms with sun-fighting properties woven into the fabric to keep you safe.

2. Aloe Vera
One must be picky with their aloe products. Aloe gels often contain fragrance and coloring which can be extremely irritating to skin, especially sunburned skin. When choosing your aloe gel, pick one that is 100% aloe, or even just buy a plant. When using a plant, simply cut off a leaf and cut it in half and squeeze out the juice. If you buy a bottle of aloe gel, you can pop it in the fridge to make it extra cool and soothing.

3. Vinegar
Did you disregard Step 1? That’s okay. Right after you get inside take a cotton pad and pour some diluted apple cider vinegar onto it. Rub it onto your skin, and rinse off the vinegar soon after to prevent further burning.  

4. Tea
Black tea is also known to help with a sunburn. Tying a couple bags to the faucet as you run a bath, or just dumping a mug in is known to help calm your skin woes.

5. Avoid soap and perfume
The alcohol, fragrance, and oil stripping properties of perfume and soap will make it even harder for your skin to heal. Avoid soap for a day or two after your burn to give your skin a chance to heal up.



6. Take a Cool Bath Before Bed

Sleeping with a sunburn is a miserable experience, and cooling off before bed can help calm your inflamed blood vessels.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Daniel Thompson, Published Video Game Critic and High School Student

Daniel Thompson sits in the Albany, Oregon Fred Meyer's Starbucks on May 28, 2016
Daniel Thompson, a West Albany High School student who turns 17 on June 1, 2016 is already an active entertainment critic online. Though he's in the Class of 2017, Thompson has been pursuing his goal for nearly 5 years.

"Through these endeavors, nobody really knew how old I was...I deleted a lot of my old videos. My voice was way too high." Thompson said.

Thompson began freelancing when he was 12, by producing video reviews in middle school and posting them to the ever popular video hosting website, YouTube.

"I grew up reading a lot of books, so going into writing my reviews was easy." said Thompson.

Thompson then rolled towards getting published in the most unexpected way.

"I got into an argument with this kid...he was asking me how to write reviews, and I said to just start doing it. I told him that just by Googling it, I could find applications for people looking for writers. So I did, and there was a lot of applications! So I decided to throw e-mails out there and see what happened." said Thompson.

KeenGamer snapped him up, and the rest is history. Thompson began writing for KeenGamer, then Playstation Insider.

With another year left in high school, he's itching to move on.

"When I go to school, I just think of it as seven to eight hours where I could be writing or working on videos...AP Comp takes precedence over writing about 'TV toys', but I was still up till 2 a.m. figuring out Twitch streaming last night." said Thompson.


At-A-Glance

Birthday: June, 1 1999
Age: 17
Family: Grandparents, Joan and Frank Thompson
High School: West Albany High School
Ideal College: Full Sail University

Daniel's YouTube Channels: 1  2

Monday, May 16, 2016

The Silenced: Children Ignored by DHS in Oregon

Photo illustration by author, May 14, 2016


On Sept. 4, 2009, I called 911 at 1:50 a.m. for someone to come save my mother, who I believed was being beaten. My call is only a number in the system, and report 09-17840 did nothing. It only mentions that my father was advised not to drive, as he was drunk. He was allowed to drive anyway.


The report does not mention the door torn angrily from the hinges, nor the china shattered across the house.


The report does end the way I remember it, though. An officer explained to me it was better safe than sorry; so thank you very much for calling.

The case was never opened, an investigation never launched. I was a child completely lost and overlooked by the system, joining thousands of others. I was just a trace along the edge of the shadow of the nightmare that haunts every overworked social worker at night. We are the children they might have saved.

I am not the only child to fall through the cracks like this. Susan Goldsmith, an Oregonian reporter, wrote Oregon DHS repeatedly failed to help abused girl, report finds” on January 27, 2010. DHS ignored 4 out of 5 calls made to them about Jeanette Maples over a four year period, they ignored that California’s office had taken her from her mother, because her mother was determined to be dangerous. They responded to one call, and concluded that Maples was okay because she was 15, and therefore old enough to report it herself.


Jeanette Maples was murdered December 9th, 2009 by her mother and stepfather. The article was later updated to say that Jeanette Maples was starved, and beaten to the point where her bedroom was described as “bloodspattered”. Her step-grandmother was urged not to view the body, as it was too horrific.

Another girl, mentioned in The Oregonian’s Steve Mayes’ article, was 4 when she was raped on three occasions while in foster care in 2015.

The Statesman Journal reported that nine medically fragile children from ages 2 days to 3 years old were repeatedly sexually abused by their foster parents for years. The foster parent who did most of the abusing, James Mooney, was given permission to foster parent despite his heavily questionable background.

Governor Kate Brown called out DHS in December 2015.

“I want you to hear it from me. In no way do I see this level of services as being acceptable.” Brown went on to state that despite funding being an issue, too many children were being abused by the system. Brown is advocating for more funds to go into the system, but overall sees that, “...there is no excuse, there is no policy, there is nothing in the state of Oregon that justifies what happened to these kids.”

There is nothing in this world that justifies what's happening to children in the state of Oregon. Children can’t publish articles, they can’t call up their Representative and ask for change, they are silenced. We must lend them our voices.

My story wasn’t woven from just one bad night, or one missed call to DHS. It was a lifetime of misses. Calls were made, teachers and doctors told, and nothing happened, the abuse and neglect continued.

While not as severe as what happened to Jeanette Maples and so many others, the system had left us behind after far more than just one chance to make a difference. Yet all so many children are met with silence, until they age out of the system, or die early, whether through murder or by their own hands.

This is not acceptable and letting the system fail us for so long while we turn a blind eye will be a blight on our history.

Brown got the ball rolling in 2015 by starting to audit DHS and trying to figure out where the problems lie, and how we can fix them. The investigation is ongoing, and in The Statesman Journal's article from April 2016, Gordon Friedman wrote that DHS in Oregon fails all of the federal child care standards.

Without public advocacy for change, kids will keep slipping through the cracks for decades to come.

One can write directly to their representative or governor, but even in day to day life, you can make a difference. If you see a child who is obviously being abused, or a child says they are being abused, call. Do not pause, do not wait and sleep on it. Call DHS, call the police, notify someone. With enough calls, that child cannot be ignored.

Will you stay silent?



At a Glance:

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

The Boys and Girls Club Apologizes to DieHard Piercing and Tattoo

Carrie Harrington, Donor Relations Director of the Boys and Girls Club since February 2016 apologized to DieHard Piercing and Tattoo this morning for "...multiple miscommunications" concerning the denial of DieHard's $800 sponsorship for a field.

At first, when the Boys and Girls Club reported back to DieHard concerning the sponsorship after they had said they had accepted it, they came across quite sour. "The head directors had a meeting and basically said it was inappropriate for a tattoo shop to support the Boys and Girls Club," said Jeremy McClain.

"We never intended to deny the sponsorship, we are always excited to partner with new businesses" said Harrington.

"We don't own the fields that are played on, we're in charge of maintenance. It's not up to us what is posted there, we were waiting to hear back." said Harrington.

Harrington also mentioned that Jeremy McLain has been invited to speak at Leadership and T3 classes through Boys and Girls Club, so kids can hear from a self made businessman.

"It was miscommunication between three or four individuals on their end...it ended up good, I'm glad it's over. I was tired of checking my phone to see 57 notifications on it." said Jeremy McLain, owner of DieHard. "All I want is to help the community, it's awesome to help the Boys and Girls Club."