Stevenson Grange #121 Meeting

Stevenson Grange #121 will have its regular 1st Monday meeting at the Hegewald Center, on Dec. 3rd, 2012, at 6:30 p.m.  Call Mary Repar, at 509.427.7153, for information.

Seeking the Greatest Good

"Seeking the Greatest Good:  The Conservation Legacy of Gifford Pinchot," is a new documentary about the USDA's first Forest Service chief, Gifford Pinchot.  It premiered at the Skamania Lodge on Nov. 16th, but will be also shown on Public Broadcasting Stations.  Check your local stations.  The documentary is short and it might be useful to read Pinchot's autobiography, Breaking New Ground, to get a refined picture of the man, his times, and his outlook on conservation.  The time has come to revisit Pinchot's, Muirs, and Douglass's views on our natural world and what we humans will have to do stay alive in it.  Our very survival is in question.  And yet people are still debating climate change.  The debate is over, folks.  Climate change is here.  Humanity's survival is not a given or predestined in this new world.  We either learn to live with Nature or we will be obliterated by it.  The Earth doesn't care if humans survive.  Do we care if we survive?  The next few years will tell the tale.  We have to look to the past in order to discern our future--and Gifford Pinchot's learned views are a good place to start learning about our past, the past where we humans have extracted the Earth's treasures without thought of the consequences.  "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it."  (Santayana)  If we repeat our past this time, we will be doomed.

War of ideas between the sexes??

PRESS RELEASE                                                              25 JUNE 2012             

Female Vet Vies for Against 3 Men for Commission Job

Mary Repar, a 15-year US Air Force Reserve veteran, faces three men in the August primary, in the Skamania County District #2 Commissioner race.  In a county dominated by Republicans in elected offices, Repar is going against the odds as an independent Democrat.  Repar states, “Our county faces some rough times, now and in the future.  How we got here should be a lesson learned and this lesson should provide impetus for changing the way business is conducted.  Our future should be based on accountability and transparency in our government.  We should look at these challenges as opportunities to make our county a better place to live and work, for all of us.” 

Considered too radical by some for advocating more vocational educational opportunities for adults and more science training for community children, Repar believes that Skamania’s future lies in becoming a county with the best educated people who will be able to work on the NEON project and other projects that deal with global climate change.  NEON—the National Ecological Observation Network, which has been approved, but still does not have adequate funding, for the USFS portion of the Wind River Nursery, can be an incubator for high paying local jobs.  Repar says, “I see this program as a way to keep and bring our children home to Skamania County.  This project will provide family wage jobs for our community.  I want to make sure that it is our citizens who get these jobs.”

Ms. Repar also wants the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to be used to earn money for the county, but not by cutting down more trees than necessary for forest health.  “Carbon sequestration is an important tool in the fight against global climate change, which is already happening.  Carbon sequestration can help us earn money through cap and trade.  Instead of fighting over the Gifford Pinchot, we can make it work for us and help our environment at the same time.  Why spend our time and energy re-fighting the same old battles?  We can pool our resources to fight for a better future for us and our children.”

Ms. Repar has a scientific and analytical background, having worked as a geophysicist for major oil companies, both in the U.S. and overseas, and having worked as a Intelligence Officer in the USAF Reserves.  She also advocates for county energy independence and conservation.  Her goal is to make homes and businesses energy independent by working to get grants and loans for upgrades and renovations to existing buildings and homes.  “Solar energy and innovative rooftop wind turbines are just a start.  Fuel cells for homes and businesses are now a reality and should be investigated.  The Sixth Northwest Conservation and Electric Power Plan states, ‘…substantial amounts of conservation to be cheaper and more sustainable than most other types of generation… The plan finds enough conservation to be available and cost-effective to meet 85 percent of the region’s load growth for the next 20 years,’” Repar says.  “We can do this.  It’s not impossible.  But we have to think and plan ahead.”

Perhaps Repar’s most innovative goal is to garner Federal dollars for Skamania County through changing the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act into a retooled “Secure Resources Act.”  Ms. Repar states, “Skamania County produces fresh, clean water and lots of nice, clean oxygen for our fellow humans, and I believe we should be rewarded for keeping our county in forests and waterways instead of developing it.  To that end, the Federal government should pay us for our resources.  The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act needs to be re-tooled into the Secure Resources Act.”

Repar has other goals for Skamania.  If elected she wants to work on the following issues:

• Utilities--Undergrounding our utility poles so that we don’t have to worry as much about storm outages, and to provide a safer working environment for our utility workers.  The aesthetics of our locales are being impacted and this impacts our quality of life, and it impacts tourism, one of our main economies.  We can work with other government entities to achieve this benefit for our community.

• Small Business Incubators:  Work on getting our small businesses to be the incubators of our work force.  It is small businesses that will make our community stronger and keep it thriving.  If we depend on one or two big employers, then we will be subject to their ups and downs—and in a small community those ups and downs can be devastating to both our citizens’ and our county’s welfare.
• Affordable High Speed Internet:  If we want to have businesses in rural areas that don’t have the populace to support these businesses, then we will have to help our small business people with affordable high speed Internet services that will open up their economic horizons and bring their products and services to the attention of a wider audience.
• Education:  Work with our school district to provide sites and opportunities for ongoing adult education, night school classes, and other opportunities for adult learning and re-training.

As District #2 commissioner, Ms. Repar will make sure that constituents are kept in the loop on decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods.  “There is no worse feeling than to be blindsided by events about which one knew nothing or was not forewarned.  We have to look to the future instead of dwelling on the past.  I want to work for the people of District #2 and Skamania County.  Together, we can achieve our common goals by pooling our resources and working toward a better future,” Repar says.

Currently, Ms. Repar is the Secretary for the Skamania Lions Club, serves on the Stevenson Board of Adjustment, and is president of the Stevenson Grange.  She has also served on the following:  County Fair Board, Skamania County Public Health Advisory Board, and Stevenson’s Comprehensive Plan Review Committee.  Ms. Repar was president of the Friends of the Stevenson Library for 12 years.  Her hobbies are mushrooming, reading, and artistic endeavoring.

She worked as a geophysicist in the oil industry, and served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve as an Intelligence Officer, retiring as Major.  Her education includes a B.S. in Applied Physics from Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan.

]Mary Repar has a blog, skamanianewsportal.blogspot.com and can be followed on Facebook, Repar for Skamania County Commissioner.  Reach Mary at telephone number 509.427.7153.]

Candidate's Statement for Commissioner, District #2

Candidate’s Statement

Mary J. Repar,

Commissioner, District #2

Our county faces some rough times.  How we got here is a lesson learned and should provide impetus for changing the way business is conducted.  Our future should be based on ACCOUNTABILITY and TRANSPARENCY in our government, and COMMUNICATION with all our citizens.  We must invest in our people instead of buildings.  How we do that is by fostering education opportunities (vocational and academic), creating small business incubators (small business is critical to our economic well-being and survival), creating a economic hub zone for small businesses and start-ups, making high speed Internet affordable for businesses and citizens, and much more.

• Elected Experience:   Elected as Park and Recreational District commissioner, in 2010.  (Not in office, since the levy did not pass.)

• Other Professional Experience: U.S. Air Force Reserve, Intelligence Officer, Major, retired—served as operations and plans officer, political/military analyst, executive officer, supervisor, etc.;  Geophysicist and seismic interpreter for major oil companies, consultant.

• Education: Bachelor of Science (’75) from Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI

• Community Service:  Society of Exploration Geophysicists, 29 years;  Stevenson Board of Adjustment, 12 years;  Skamania Fair Board, 5 years;  Skamania Lions, Secretary, 6 years, present;  Stevenson Toastmasters, 7 years;  Friends of the Library, President, 12 years;  Skamania County Public Health Advisory Board, 2 years;  Stevenson’s Comprehensive Plan Review Committee, 18 months;  Stevenson Grange #121, President, present.

Stevenson Grange #121 Is Back!

Great News!  Stevenson Grange #121 has achieved the required membership for re-charter.  With 14 members, the Stevenson Grange is now on its way to being a fully functioning Grange.  Officers are still to be elected.  Already, there is a volunteer Lecturer (Program Director), who is full of great ideas for our educational programs.  We look to have 25 members by the end of the year so that we will have more members to do all the work that needs to be done for our community!

The next meeting of the Grange is on Monday, May 7th, at 6:30 p.m., in the Stevenson Library Gallery.  Call Mary Repar at 509.427.7153, for more information about our Grange and/or joining.  Yeah!!

Stevenson Grange #121 March Meeting

The next Stevenson Grange #121 meeting will take place on Monday, March 5th, at 6:30 p.m., at the Rock Creek Hegewald Center, at 710 Rock Creek Drive.  Interested community members are urged to attend this very important re-chartering meeting.  New members are needed to revive the Grange.  The Grange is a non-partisan, diverse organization open to all community members.  Call Mary Repar 509.427.7153 for more information.

Notes from our February 6th Grange meeting:  The important news from this meeting is that there may be monies available from some organizations to rehabilitate and preserve the old Grange building--if we qualify and IF we can get the county commissioners to rent the Grange to us (for a very reasonable yearly sum, that is!).  I wrote to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), now called the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and the following is a summary (with some edits for clarity) of their reply:

The short answer to your question about funding for the Grange Hall is “no” there currently is not a funding program through DAHP for rehabilitation, renovation, and preservation work at the hall.

However, the longer answer is that there are other programs out there that may be worth pursuing:

The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation (http://preservewa.org/Washington-Preserves-Fund.aspx) has its Washington Preserves Fund for small rehabilitation projects. I see from the website that applications for 2012 are due in October, so you have time to plan your application. Grants have tend to be small ( in the $500 to $1,000 range) but may be worth checking into.

The Kinsman Foundation in Portland is interested in giving grants for historic preservation projects. Check out their website at: http://kinsmanfoundation.org/ for more information about grant requirements and application procedures.

The Heritage Capital Grant program is probably the most likely source for substantial funding for preservation projects. The program is administered by the Washington State Historical Society. Go to the website at http://www.washingtonhistory.org/heritageservices/grants.aspx for information and getting on mailing lists for the application workshops coming up this spring. As a note, this program has been hit by budget cuts in recent years and therefore available funds are more difficult and competitive to obtain.

Finally, you should be aware that there is much discussion in the current State Legislature about the State selling bonds to finance some construction projects that are “shovel ready.”  Our hope is that if this comes about, it will include some funding for historic properties. Rep. Hans Dunshee is the primary sponsor behind the program. You might want to contact your state representative for more information about the status of the proposal.

In regard to the above programs, funding for projects is often targeted to properties that have a historic designation, such as listing in the National Register of Historic Places, Washington Heritage Register, or a determination of eligibility for the Registers. There is no information on the Grange Hall in the WISAARD historic property inventory database. So, you are encouraged to provide us with any photographs of the building so that  its eligibility can be assessed. If you are interested in doing so, simply email some digital photos (interior shots as well) so that DAHP can provide you with an assessment as to whether the hall might be eligible for the Registers.

So, this is where we are at.  We have an opportunity to revive the Stevenson Grange #121 for our community.  I believe, and so do others, that this Grange can serve as a community focal point for all the various groups that are now out there, gestating in their own efforts.  The Grange can serve as a place for community gatherings, educational venues, etc., and as an umbrella for all those efforts to connect with our Earth.  The Grange can offer structure and organization to all our efforts.  If you are interested in this community revival, please come to the March 5th meeting and meet your neighbors.

  

Repar's Candidate Statement

Candidate’s Statement

Mary J. Repar,

Commissioner, District #2

Our county faces some rough times, now and in the future.  How we got here should be a lesson learned and this lesson should provide impetus for changing the way business is conducted.  Our future should be based on accountability and transparency in our government.

We should look at these challenges as opportunities to make our county a better place to live and work, for all of us. 

As your District #2 commissioner, I want to work on the following issues:

• Energy independence and conservation:  Make our homes and businesses energy independent by working to get grants and loans for upgrades and renovations to existing buildings and homes.  Solar energy and innovative rooftop wind turbines are just a start.  Fuel cells for homes and businesses are now a reality and should be investigated.  The Sixth Northwest Conservation and Electric Power Plan states, “…substantial amounts of conservation to be cheaper and more sustainable than most other types of generation… The plan finds enough conservation to be available and cost-effective to meet 85 percent of the region’s load growth for the next 20 years.”
• Utilities:  Undergrounding our utility poles so that we don’t have to worry as much about storm outages, and to provide a safer working environment for our utility workers.  Our utility poles are getting taller and there are more and more lines on them.  There is a limit to their size and weight.  Also, the aesthetics of our locales are being impacted and this impacts our quality of life, and it impacts tourism, one of our main economies.  We can work with other government entities to achieve this benefit for our community.
• Small Business Incubators:  Work on getting our small businesses to be the incubators of our work force.  It is small businesses that will make our community stronger and keep it thriving.  If we depend on one or two big employers, then we will be subject to their ups and downs—and in a small community those ups and downs can be devastating to both our citizens’ and our county’s welfare.
• Affordable High Speed Internet:  If we want to have businesses in rural areas that don’t have the populace to support these businesses, then we will have to help our small business people with affordable high speed Internet services that will open up their economic horizons and bring their products and services to the attention of a wider audience.
• NEON—the National Ecological Observation Network, which has been approved, but still does not have adequate funding, for the USFS portion of the Wind River Nursery, can be an incubator for high paying local jobs.  I see this program as a way to keep and bring our children home to Skamania County.  This project will provide family wage jobs for our community.  I want to make sure that it is our citizens who get these jobs.
• Education:  Work with our school district to provide sites and opportunities for ongoing adult education, night school classes, and other opportunities for adult learning and re-training.
• Carbon Sequestration:  Carbon sequestration can help us earn money through cap and trade.  Instead of fighting over the Gifford Pinchot, we can make it work for us and help our environment at the same time.  Why spend our time and energy re-fighting the same old battles?  We can pool our resources to fight for a better future for us and our children.
• Federal Dollars:  Skamania County produces fresh, clean water and lots of nice, clean oxygen for our fellow humans, and I believe we should be rewarded for keeping our county in forests and waterways instead of developing it.  To that end, the government should pay us for our resources.  The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act needs to be re-tooled into the Secure Resources Act.

As your District #2 commissioner, I will make sure that my constituents are kept in the loop on decisions that affect our lives and livelihoods.  There is no worse feeling than to be blindsided by events about which one knew nothing or was not forewarned.  We have to look to the future instead of dwelling on the past.  I want to work for the people of District #2 and Skamania County and I look forward to hearing about your issues and concerns.  Together, we can achieve our common goals by pooling our resources and working toward a better future.

Meeting time and place for "Let's Talk Food: Menu for the Future"

Posted by request:

The location and time for the Stevenson Menu for the Future meeting is 6 p.m., on Wednesday evening, Feb 22nd, at Jolinda’s, located on Rock Creek Drive, near the corner of Hwy. 14 and Rock Creek Drive, on the west end of Stevenson.  Anyone interested should just show up at the door.

Let's Talk Food!: Menu for the Future

 Posted by request:

Dear Stevenson/Carson Gorge Grown Residents:

This week the Mosier Gorge Grown is launching a project throughout the Gorge (You may have seen the advertisements in our E-news and Facebook for “Let’s Talk Food!”--that’s what I’m talking about). The project creates discussion groups centered around the Menu for the Future book from Northwest Earth Institute. The book has six modules, and the group gathers for 6 weeks to discuss what they’ve read. The chapters explore the complexities of our food system, and participants gain a true understanding what it takes to make food. You can read about the modules here: http://www.nwei.org/discussion_courses/course-offerings/menu-for-the-future

The Mosier group used this book for their own discussion group last year, and it has had profound changes for them. This is why they are helping groups throughout the Gorge use it too. 

The first meeting for the Stevenson/Carson/Cascade Locks group is THIS WEDNESDAY. The group will be meeting Wednesday evenings, and then all the groups in the Gorge will gather for a potluck in Mosier at the end. 

The book cost $17, but Gorge Grown is providing scholarships so don’t let that deter you. Can’t make one of the gatherings? That’s ok! You can still participate. 

We would love to see the Stevenson Menu for the Future group grow in size to gain additional momentum for all the great projects your community has going on—the Co-op, the food forum, the farmers’ market, and more! PLEASE help us spread the word and forward this to your friends in Stevenson/Carson. We’ve got a great core started, and we’re just trying to get a few more folks for this group. 
To register, call Emily Reed @ 503-360-3532 today! 

Thank you!!

Michelle McGrath
Gorge Grown Food Network

http://www.gorgegrown.com/event/MenufortheFuture.cfm

Breaking News: Repar will run for County Commissioner in District #2

I am running for county commissioner in District #2, as a Democrat.  (I think the county commissioner office should be non-partisan, but that's not the way the system works.)  I believe that our county is on the brink of great opportunities and I would like to be a part of setting our 21st century agenda.  If we want to change our future, we have to stop voting for the past.  We are in for some tough times but we can get through them, all together, if we look to the past and learn from it.  I hope we have a vigorous discussion about the future of our county and its citizens in the coming election season.  I will be posting a more detailed memo on the subject, in the near future.

If any one would like to help my campaign for commissioner, please contact me at 509.427.7153.

River Rally 2012 in Portland, Oregon!

The River Rally 2012, an international gathering of the watershed conservation community, will take place from May 04 - 07, 2012,  in Portland Oregon.  The 2012 River Rally is being co-hosted by River Network: Connecting People, Saving Rivers and the Waterkeeper Alliance.  "River Network is leading a national watershed protection movement that includes more than 2,000 state, regional, and local grassroots organizations whose primary mission is to protect rivers and watersheds."  "Waterkeeper Alliance is the global environmental movement for clean water, uniting nearly 200 Waterkeeper Organizations on 6 continents and 21 countries.  We focus our citizen advocacy on issues that affect our waterways, from pollution to climate change.  Waterkeepers patrol more than 1.5 million square miles of watersheds worldwide."  For more information about River Rally 2012, go to www.rivernetwork.org and on Facebook at www.facebook/pages/River-Network, and www.waterkeeper.org.

Stevenson Grange #121 Meeting on Feb. 06, at Carson P.U.D.

The Stevenson Grange #121 meeting will take place at the Carson P.U.D., at 6:30 p.m., on Monday, February 6th.  This meeting is our ongoing effort to charter the Grange, and is open to the public.  For more information, please call Mary Repar at 509.427.7153. 

The Grange is a community organization open to all.  We encourage all rural farmers, gardeners, future farmers, 4-H members, etc., to come and learn about the Grange.

Women, Farms & Food: Women in Agriculture Conference

The Women in Agriculture Conference is scheduled for February 11, 2012, and will be held simultaneously in 15 county locations throughout the state of Washington.  Go to WomenInAg.wsu.edu for more information, or contact Margaret Viebrock, WSU Extension, at her e-mail, viebrock@wsu.edu for more info. Or call your local extension agent in Skamania county, Todd Murray, at 509.427.3930.  No presentations are scheduled for Skamania, but Klickitat county is on the schedule.  Stay tuned for more information!

Although this is Women in Agriculture, all agricultural producers are welcome to attend.