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The Bill Meyer Show: Guests for: Monday, January 15, 2018:
6:35: Rick Manning, President of Americans for Limited Government talks with Bill. Today, we’ll talk immigration reform, DACA and the work toward a budget deal to avoid a government shutdown.
Check out more at: NetRightDaily.com.
7:35: Capt. Bill Simpson, retired U.S. Merchant Marine officer, emergency preparedness expert and outdoor journalist talks with Bill this morning.
Today, we’re talking about possible predation on Capt. Bill’s own ranch, and we’ll discuss Jeff Merkely’s townhall meeting in Brookings. Is it nothing but a Trojan Horse?
See more from Capt. Bill at MyOutdoorBuddy.com and The Western Journal.
8:10: Dr. Dennis Powers, retired Professor of Business Law and local historian joins Bill, live in studio for today’s edition of “Visiting Past & Present.
Kim Novak
By
Dennis Powers
Born in 1933, Marilyn Pauline Novak’s father was a Chicago railroad dispatcher and her parents were of Czech descent. As she grew up, she wanted an art career and won a scholarship to the Chicago Art Institute. Kim Novak’s curvy figure, low voice, and natural beauty, however, led into work as a teen fashion model and a later national tour in 1953 promoting refrigerators as “Miss Deepfreeze.” She came into films by accident. Kim was visiting a movie studio in Hollywood with a friend after being in San Francisco on a modeling job. She was asked to do a walk-on as a model in the Jane Russell movie, “The French Line.” Columbia soon put her under contract.
When domineering Columbia head Harry Cohn demanded that she change her name to “Kit Marlowe,” she refused, saying that this was not a real person; she only compromised by changing her first name to “Kim”. Her film debut was in “Pushover” in 1954 for which she received good performance reviews. In six years, she made fourteen films, including starring roles the following year. Novak’s signature films of “Picnic” (1955), “Pal Joey” (1957), “Bell, Book and Candle” (1958), and “Vertigo” (1958)—her most famous film—were made during this time. With her meteoric rise to stardom, she was on the front cover of magazines such as Time and one of Hollywood’s top box office stars in the late fifties and early sixties.
After playing the title role in the 1965 film, “The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders,” Novak left Hollywood to take time off. She didn’t like the system, its underpayment of actors (especially actresses), and wanted time to herself. She would return to perform in other films, including for television, but the time between the roles grew longer. Hollywood’s demands were getting in the way of her personal life.
She married Robert Malloy in 1976, an equine veterinarian who had been treating her animals, and they built a log home along the Williamson River near Chiloguin, which flows into Upper Klamath Lake. Kim’s ties to Oregon dated back to her father’s family, the Novaks, who settled in Scappoose, now a Portland bedroom community. They came from Czechoslovakia and settled there; her grandfather had been a logger. Even after her father moved to Chicago to take the railroad job, her parents and Kim headed back to Portland every year for a family reunion.
Her love of painting (oils, pastels, and watercolors), riding her horse, being outdoors, and living beside a river became her life. After using the Williamson River home as a weekend retreat, she and her husband eventually moved there fulltime to enjoy the outdoors of canoeing, hiking, and skiing. They came to the Rogue Valley in 1997 and settled along the Rogue River in what had once been a hunting and fishing lodge. When it burned down in 2000, this also destroyed many of her souvenirs of the Hollywood days, including an autobiography that she had been writing. Although a new home was built to their specifications and design, the irreplaceable memorabilia couldn’t be replaced. She took this as a sign that “it wasn’t supposed to be” and moved on.
A few years ago, the couple found themselves in a dispute with the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) over their property. When two large trees pulled away by the roots and plunged into the Rogue River, the ensuing bank began to erode, a common problem on the river. To save the bank, the couple supported it with large rocks along a 345-foot stretch of frontage. Unfortunately, they didn’t obtain different permits. Although the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was agreeable to giving an after-the-fact permit, complications arose on the design approval for a new “rip-rap” wall due to all of the involved agencies.
This didn’t deter, of course, from their enjoyment of the Rogue River and Southern Oregon. Her lifelong passion for art carries on, as she continues to work with other artists, including painting a poster in 2010 for Jacksonville’s Britt Music Festival. Although her films are classics, Kim Novak saw her acting career years ago as being a detour from living “life a lot.” And that she has done.
Sources: Kristi Turnquist, “Interview with actress Kim Novak, who lives in Oregon and is revisiting her cinematic past,” The Oregonian, July 31, 2010, at Kim Novak’s Story (With Images); Michael Logan, “Reclusive Film Legend Kim Novak Opens Up About Life, Regrets, and Her TCM Tribute,” TV Guide, March 5, 2013, at Interview (With Image); Edwin Battistella, “The Oregon Encyclopedia: Kim Novak,” at Kim Novak Background; Damian Mann, “Actor, Husband Resolve River Permit Issue,” Mail Tribune, Sept. 1, 2009, at Rogue River problem.
The Bill Meyer Show, Guests for: Thursday, January 11, 2018:
6:35: Eric Peters, automotive journalist, and libertarian thinker chats with Bill. Well, are cars about to be able to talk to one another? Eric penned an article at his website: EPAutos.com that says yes, and its just another step toward the government’s plan to get you into self-driving vehicles.
READ: “The V2V Bee Hive”
Don’t forget to check out Eric’s website for more great content, including reviews of the latest cars, trucks and bikes. EPAutos.com.
7:35: State Representative E. Werner Reschke (R-Klamath Falls) calls the show today to let you know what’s happening over east of us.
8:35: Bryan Platt from Jackson County Right To Life joins Bill, live in studio. Jackson County Right To Life is joining with Oregon Life United to bring former Arkansas Governor, and Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee to Medford to speak on pro-life issues at the 2018 Speak Life! rally.
When: Monday, January 22, 2018 from 7 to 9pm.
Where: Bethel Church, 4245 Vista Point Drive in Medford.
For more information on the event go to: JacksonCountyProLife.Weebly.com.
Early Bird tickets for the event are on sale now for $15. Click here to get your tickets today.
TRANSPORTATION MEETING THOUGHTS…aka “DId you Bring Stickers”?
Went to the first planning/transportation open house last night at N. Medford High. You were given stickers, and you put stickers on transportation projects you liked, you couldn’t vote against anything. It was pretty much the problem that I’ve seen with these agenda-driven stakeholder group processes. Pure Delphi Technique….War on the car, don’t tell us what you think about the plan or process, no disagreements, just tell us which ones you want us to work on. Weighing in on pre-determined outcomes is thin gruel, given the road diets and real harms the state and NGO greens wish to stuff down your throat.
Talked with the planner, and Councilman Gordon, and my impression is that Gordon isn’t totally on board with the plan. I’m thinking about taking my concerns to the council in the near future. This TSP proposal, imo, needs scrapped. Start with a clean sheet of paper, true CITIZEN input, and no pre-determined agenda. The planner indicated that many of the projects they hope to have paid by “cap and invest” – assuming Kate rams that through next month. Think, folks…do you honestly think Commie Kate will dangle transportation grants from a cap and trade plan that will be FRIENDLY to the individual citizen driving his/her vehicle? If you think “YES”, you’re high…put down the bong, and fight for your right to travel as you see fit.
The Bill Meyer Show, Guests for: Wednesday, January 10, 2018:
6:35: Michelle Owens, a spokesperson for SAVE – aka Stop Abusive and Violent Environments talks with Bill today.
The Presumption of Innocent until proven guilty – throw that out the window.
Due Process Rights – Forget those.
Lady Justice, blindfolded and holding the scales – Nope.
Those scales are completely tilted now in the favor of… the person that claims they are a victim. It’s an idea that feminists and the Left have been pushing for decades, and this past Monday they managed to get 2 Republicans onboard, John Cornyn (R-TX) and Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN) with this destructive idiocy that will fundamentally change the American Justice System. It’s called The Abby Honold Act, once sponsored by Al Franken. Yes. Al Franken.
7:35: Lt. Kerry Curtis of the Medford Police Department drops by the studio for the Crime Stoppers Case of The Week.
January 10, 2018
Medford Police and Crime Stoppers of Southern Oregon need your help in locating Kristian and Juan Nunez-Gomez. The two men are brothers, and are both wanted by police.
Kristian is wanted for eluding police on more than one occasion. He’s 24 years old and is described as having black hair and brown eyes. Do not approach him if you see him as he is considered extremely dangerous.
Kristian Nunez-Gomez 
Juan Nunez-Gomez
Juan is wanted for violating the terms of his parole. He’s 23 years old and has black hair and brown eyes.
If you have any information on these two suspects, call or text Crime Stoppers of Southern Oregon at: 1-800-850-0580. Refer to case number KMED 011017.
8:35: Phil Grammatica, a firearms instructor with the Medford Rifle & Pistol Club talks with Bill in studio. There are several concealed carry classes taking place this weekend.
Refuse To Be A Victim Personal Protection Training
Handgun License (OCHL, CHL) class to develop in the students the basic knowledge, skills, attitude, and confidence essential to the safe and efficient use of a concealed firearm for protection of self, family and those who cannot protect themselves and to provide information on the law-abiding citizen’s right to self-defense.
The Bill Meyer Show, Guests for: Tuesday, January 9, 2018:
6:15: Dr. Peter Ward, a retired U.S. Geological Survey climate scientist, who once worked under Vice President Al Gore, talks with Bill today about his new book:
“What Really Causes Global Warming? Greenhouse Gases or Ozone Depletion.”
For the last 20 years, Dr. Ward has been working intensely, trying to resolve several enigmatic observations related to climate change.
You can read Dr. Ward’s analysis and theories on his website: WhyClimateChanges.com, and don’t forget to pick up his book. To do so, you can click the image below
. 
7:35: State Representative Sal Esquivel calls the show to bring to you an update on the latest goings on Salem. We’ll talk Measure 101 and other issues facing you.
8:10: Mr. X, Bill’s crack researcher and expert on all things Gang Green, leaves the safety of his hidden, Southern Oregon bunker, and joins Bill live in studio. Today marks the first of four open house meetings, to be held by the Medford City Planning Commission to address the proposed, Transportation Plan.
Don’t forget:
Ward 1: Tonight! Tuesday, January 9, 2018, at North Medford High School Commons. 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
Ward 4: Wednesday, January 17, 2018, at The Smullin Health Education Center. 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
Ward 2: Tuesday, January, 23, 2018, at The Medford Library – Carpenter Room. 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
Ward 3: Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at The Santo Community Center. 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
8:45: Mark Knipple & Mike G with the Britt Festival drop by the studio to announce the Britt Orchestra Season a bit early today.
The Bill Meyer Show: Guests for: Monday, January 8, 2018:
6:35: Keith Koffler, award winning reporter and author of the book: “Bannon: Always The Rebel,” talks with Bill today. Though, Steve Bannon was fired by President Donald Trump, he continues to support the president. Keith Koffler’s book offers some insight into the man himself.
He helped engineer one of the greatest upsets in political history—the election of Donald J. Trump as president of the United States—and he’s far from finished. Veteran White House reporter Keith Koffler, who had ten hours of exclusive one-on-one interviews with Bannon—both during and immediately after his tenure at the White House—and countless interviews with his friends, family members, and former colleagues, offers a penetrating portrait inside the mind of the man in his profound new book, Bannon: Always the Rebel (Regnery; $27.99; November 13, 2017).
Now Bannon wants to restore America—its prosperity, its sense of self, and its ability to survive a perilous twenty-first century. To do that, the former Trump White House strategist intends to transform the Republican Party from a club for establishment flunkies into a populist political force powerful enough to take on America’s military, economic, and cultural adversaries.
Proactive, original, concise, Bannon: Always the Rebel might just change the way you think—not only about Steve Bannon, but about politics and America’s future.
In Bannon: Always the Rebel, readers will get a never-before-seen look at:
- How Bannon plans to remake the GOP as a workers’ party that will attract minority voters and become the dominant political force of the twenty-first century
- How Bannon’s core values come from his Catholic faith, his working-class background, and his service in the Navy
- How Bannon’s faith helped him stop drinking
- Why Bannon—even as a Harvard Business School grad—was always an outsider
- How he made his money in Hollywood—and then became both a maverick writer, producer, and director of conservative documentaries and the leader of a political movement at Breitbart.com
- Why Bannon believes America is a civilization in crisis
7:10: Greg Roberts, the man known as Mr. Outdoors from RogueWeather.com calls in to bring to you the Monday, Water World Boat & Powersport, Outdoor Report.
8:10: Dr. Dennis Powers, retired Professor of Business Law and local historian, joins Bill, live in studio for today’s segment of “Visting Past & Present.” Be sure to pick up Dr. Powers’ new book at: Hellgate Press.
This Week:
“Two Bits” The World War II War Hero
by
Dennis Powers
A determined fox terrier by the name of “Two Bits” became a canine war hero during World War II. This wasn’t due to his feats in combat under fire, but instead was owing to surviving his station on Whiskey Peak Lookout in Josephine County during the war efforts at home. The term “Two Bits” then meant 25 cents, or a quarter, and usually described something that wasn’t too expensive.
Whiskey Peak Lookout was an isolated U.S. Forest Service fire-spotting point that was used during World War II to warn about incoming Japanese aircraft. This was before radar could be developed or even installed at such places. A 14- by 14-foot, sparse structure with a pitched roof had been constructed on top of 6,497-foot-high Whiskey Peak, located in the remote wilderness of Rogue River National Forest in southeastern Josephine County. A 600-foot plunge to the valley below was next to it.
During the winter of 1942-1943, Bill Ziegler—the terrier’s owner—and a partner worked for the Army Air Corps and used a crank telephone to report each aircraft that they spotted. Forest Service men skied to the lookout every two weeks to bring in the necessary food and supplies. The men watched for enemy planes in 12-hour shifts during the tough winter conditions owing to the lookout’s high elevation.
Two-Bits loved to chase the chipmunks that persisted in begging for food, scampering around the heavy snows and winter ice that built over the nearby cliff. In January 1943, the fox terrier ran after one with too much enthusiasm and ended up sliding across the ice to disappear over the cliff. Bill Zeigler watched in horror at the tragedy and assumed that his dog couldn’t have survived the plunge. He sadly went about his duties.
One week later, Bill headed down the trail to cut a pole. He had navigated around the first snowed-in curve when—to his total amazement—he watched Two-Bits climbing slowly up towards him, head down and tongue out, but with a happily wagging tail. It turned out that the terrier had fallen into a deep snowdrift that cushioned the fall; after digging himself out, the dog then worked his way up the snow-covered, 2-1/2 mile trail back to his master. After a meal and some rest, Two-Bits went back to his normal habits.
A few weeks later, the fox terrier slid over the cliff again and disappeared once more from view. If that wasn’t enough, the little dog again reappeared later at the top of Whiskey Peak to the men’s amazement.
Once their duties were over, Two-Bits and Zeigler left the mountain in the summer of 1943 and returned to their Jacksonville home. The news of the canine surviving not only one great plunge, but two, and “without physical impairment or loss of morale,” came to the attention of the Medford Mail Tribune that broke the story. This news went national and became a symbol of the home war efforts’ dedication and “winning ways,” as newspapers across the country and even Life magazine ran it.
Two-Bits lived a good life and died a few years after the war ended. The Whisky Peak Lookout was abandoned in the mid-1970s, fell into disrepair, and was dismantled later to use its wood at another location. The story of Two-Bits, however, lives on.
Sources: “Oregon (Forest) Lookouts: Josephine County,” at On “Two Bits”; Jeff LaLande, Oregon Encyclopedia: “Two-Bits, the World War II Lookout Dog” at https://oregonencyclopedia.org/; JPR-As it Was, “Chipmunk-Chasing Dog Becomes War Hero,” January 22, 2015.
8:35: Kim Wallan, Medford City Counclior from Ward 4, drops by the studio to chat with Bill. Big things are coming in Medford. Kim is here to talk about Transportation Plans, and other issues of concern for the city.
Bill’s Guests for: Friday, January 5, 2018:
6:10: Dr. Steven Greenleaf, “Steve The Marine,” talks with Bill this morning. Today, we talk about the fledgling marijuana industry, and the Trump Administration’s new decree that the federal government will not slack when enforcing marijuana laws.
7:10: Greg Roberts, Mr. Outdoors himself from RogueWeather.com calls in to bring to you the Friday, Water World Boat & Powersport, Outdoor Report.
7:15: Capt. Bill Simpson, retired U.S. Merchant Marine officer, emergency preparedness expert and outdoor journalist at MyOutdoorBuddy.com and The Western Journal talks with Bill.
Capt. Bill has been trying to respond to an op-ed that was printed in the Medford Mail Tribune, but has not had much luck, for whatever reason. He checks in to talk about it.
8am State Representative Julie Parrish (R-Tualatin/West Linn) talks with Bill briefly. Rep. Parrish is here to talk about some of the issues, regarding some upcoming measures in the special election. Especially Measure 101, which looks to tax you on your health insurance.
January 4, 2018
The Medford City Planning Commission is set to hold a series of four open house meetings concerning transportation plans in the city. The goal is to gain input from residents on the future of transportation in Medford. The meetings are tentatively scheduled as follows.
Ward 1: Tuesday, January 9, 2018, at North Medford High School Commons. 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
Ward 4: Wednesday, January 17, 2018, at The Smullin Health Education Center. 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
Ward 2: Tuesday, January, 23, 2018, at The Medford Library – Carpenter Room. 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
Ward 3: Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at The Santo Community Center. 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
Bill’s Guests for: Thursday, January 4, 2018:
6:35: Gary Byrne, former Secret Service agent and New York Times Bestselling author of the book: “Crisis of Character,” talks with Bill today. Gary has penned a new book, and is here to talk about it with Bill today!
“Secrets of The Secret Service: The History and Uncertain Future of The U.S. Secret Service.”
Gary’s new book offers an inside peek of the Secret Service and the inner-workings of an agency plagued by politicization and corruption, and why Congress needs to hold oversight hearings before one of the most important agencies in the world suddenly poses serious danger to the President and the nation. Gary provides eyewitness accounts and reporting that reveal politicians who routinely break protocols to serve their personal needs, while at the same time the agency doesn’t do enough to discipline those who break protocols within their own ranks.
Pick up your copy today by clicking this link!
7:35: State Senator Alan DeBoer calls in to tell you what to expect as we head into the next State legislative session.
8:10: Cliff Maloney, President of Young Americans for Liberty calls the show today.
Today, Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) confirms that, thanks to the efforts of YAL students and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), Skyline College has eliminated its unconstitutional restrictions on free speech that prevented student and YAL Chapter President Eric Corgas from passing out copies of the U.S. Constitution and rolling around a free speech ball.
Young Americans for Liberty is comprised of students who engage in activism to promote the ideas of liberty and freedom. YAL activism includes handing out copies of the U.S. Constitution on college campuses to promote an open and civil discussion as a part of the national Fight for Free Speech campaign. YAL’s efforts have restored First Amendment Rights to 633,080 students and revised 30 unconstitutional free speech policies.
In October, Eric and other YAL members were holding a free speech ball event and handing out copies of the U.S. Constitution when Skyline administrators informed them that they needed to complete a permit application before engaging in any expressive activity on campus.
Following the incident FIRE attorneys informed Skyline College and the San Mateo County Community College District, of which Skyline is a part, that its policies violated the students’ First Amendment rights and were inconsistent with a district policy on expressive rights on campus. The college responded in agreement and subsequently amended its policies to ensure students can engage in expressive activity outside of the school’s free speech zone. Furthermore, permits are now no longer required to exercise First Amendment rights on campus.
“There are too many colleges like Skyline that have unconstitutional free speech policies restricting students’ abilities to educate their peers on the ideologies they believe in” said YAL President Cliff Maloney. “The First Amendment does not require a permit, and I am glad Skyline College now agrees.”
“Public colleges can’t limit student expressive activity to ‘free speech areas’ or require that they fill out permits before engaging in expressive activity,” said FIRE Staff Attorney Brynne Madway. “We commend Skyline and the District for changing Skyline’s policies so quickly in response to our letter, and we are glad that Skyline students will return to school in 2018 with policies that would earn a ‘green light’ in our Spotlight Database.”
Follow the Young Americans for Liberty on Twitter: @YALiberty, and, check out their website for more great content, and to find a local chapter of YAL: YALiberty.org.
Bill’s Guests for: Wednesday, January 3, 2018:
6:35: Dr. Paul Nathanson, an inter-sexual dialogue academic, and co-author of the book: “Spreading Misandry: The Teaching of Contempt for Men in Popular Culture,” talks with Bill.
Perhaps it was inevitable that equal time should have been granted to those who claim that modern popular culture is biased against men. Nathanson and Young (religious studies, McGill Univ.) use an extensive appendix of antimale bias in film, television, and even greeting cards to show that in the past ten years, the pendulum has swung too far.
During the last 2 decades journalists and ideologues exploited media events in ways that created a worldview based on gynocentrism and misandry. In that atmosphere, courts and legislatures established systemic discrimination against men. This not only institutionalized misandry, but also undermined the moral and democratic foundations of society.
In the first three volumes of this series, Paul Nathanson and Katherine Young challenge theories about patriarchy that ideological forms of feminism have promoted. In this volume, they argue that we must replace those misandric theories with one that takes seriously the needs and problems of boys and men no less than those of girls and women; at the same time, they add, we must maintain the reforms that egalitarian forms of feminism have promoted.
Get your copy of the book right HERE.
7:10: Dr. Tracey Wilen, author of the book: “Digital Disruptions: The Future of Work, Skills, Leadership, Education and Careers in A Digital World,” talks with Bill. Dr. Wilen joins the show today to bring you 10 Disruptive Predictions for 2018.
You can pre-order your copy of her new book at Amazon.com, and check out Dr. Wilen’s website: TraceyWilen.com. You can also follow Dr. Wilen on Twitter: @traciwilen, on Instagram and Facebook.
7:35: Lt. Justin Ivens of the Medford Police Department drops by the studio to bring to you the Crime Stoppers of Southern Oregon Case of The Week.
8:45: Lee Greene from JC Concerts joins Bill, live in studio, and also, Ron DeStefano a singer and professional tap dancer calls in from New York City for today’s segment of “Whose Business Is It Anyway?” This Sunday is JC Concerts presentation of: Two On Tap.
Bill’s Guests for: Tuesday, January 2, 2018: Happy New Year!!
7:10: Greg Roberts, Mr. Outdoors from RogueWeather.com, calls in to bring to you, the Water World Boat & Powersport, Outdoor Report.
7:15: Capt. Bill Simpson, retired U.S. Merchant Marine officer, emergency preparedness expert and wilderness survival journalist calls in. Today, we’ll break down how a Greenie professor pretends to want to buy Capt. Bill’s land to spy on his “Wild Horse,” brigade.
Dear Editor:
I think it only fair that I have equal access to air my perspective and provide a rebuttal to the assertions made by Dennis Odion, Dominic DiPaolo and Dominick A. DellaSala (‘ODD”) in their Guest Opinion: All the king’s horses can’t make wildfires go away, which you published 12:01 on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017. Using misleading statements, they have attacked my thesis regarding instrumental role that grass and brush plays in relatively recently evolved super-hot catastrophic (abnormal) wildfires that are now plaguing the western United States, as well as a reasonable cost-effective solution known as Wild Horse Fire Brigade.
Here is my rebuttal for publication:
—————————————————————————
The Local Wildfire Policy Battle Has Begun: Let’s Save Our Forests And Much More!
By: William E. Simpson II
Recently an opinion article was published in the Medford Mail Tribune titled All the king’s horses can’t make wildfires go away, by Dennis Odion, Dominick DellaSala & Dominic DiPaolo; hereinafter referred-to as ‘ODD’).
From my perspective as well as those of their many critics, they seem to prefer to let our forests burn and in doing so, kill much of the wildlife, flora and fauna and devastate watersheds and fisheries rather than re-introduce native-species wild horses into and around carefully selected wilderness forest areas where they rightfully belong and had existed for millennia. Wild horses have existing in North America for many millennia, as well as the past hundred-years or so as recorded in local newspapers and writings.
I am sorry that ODD hasn’t had the time, the money or both that are needed to accumulate the prerequisite knowledge and years of field experience with wild horses and their behavioral ecology required to fully comprehend the thesis posited by the Natural Wildfire Abatement And Forest Protection Plan, also known as the Wild Horse Fire Brigade, which has found support and endorsement by many scientists, politicians and tens of thousands of American voters.
Most readers don’t have any idea as to who I am, so a cursory introduction seems indicated. Sure, I earned couple college degrees, so what? Does a PhD or any degree for that matter come with some guarantee of unconditional trust, reliability, infallibility, or fiduciary duty? I think not.
I believe that motive and experience are just as important (maybe more?), and that book-learning, field trips and videos are no substitutes for spending years (24/7-365) in an ecosystem. Also of great import is how much a person truly cares for the well-being and livelihood of fellow Americans, including complete strangers, as evidenced by walking the talk. And caring enough that, with forethought, placing your own life on the line for others, as our military, police, fire and EMS personnel do, is evidence of such caring.
I have done that for my fellow man on several occasions by sailing-out into a tempest when all other sailors were desperately seeking a safe port, to search for complete strangers lost overboard in the angry seas (http://williamesimpson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/USCG_rescue.jpg).
I care for people, I care for our Country, and I care for our natural resources, which are finite. This is no hobby for my family and I, it is our way of life. We own and manage hundreds of acres of wilderness lands and forest with an eye for sustainability and a bright future for our children, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and our neighbors. So we have skin in the game. Our lands share the fence with Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, which is dangerously overgrown and loaded with ground fuels; a tinder-box ready to burst into a firestorm. And so that potential fire problem is also our fire problem. And it’s not a matter of ‘if’, it’s just a matter of when.
As I read the Opinion by ODD, it seemed as if they were disconnected from the realities of catastrophic wildfires and their true causation due to excessive grasses and brush stemming from severely depleted deer populations, which had previously abated these annually grasses and brush.
ODD seems to fail to understand or even acknowledge what citizens have already endured on the west coast! Such as; wildfires that can jump across two-miles of water, as the Eagle Creek wildfire did when it jumped the Columbia River (so much for defensible space, right?); toxic smoke so dense it sends people in towns and cities miles from the fires into the hospitals with cardio-pulmonary issues. And wildfires so hot they devastate millennia-old fire-resistant genetic lines of conifers, while pasteurizing soils with abnormally high temperatures that devastate soils, and in some cases altering them permanently.
ODD seems to care little (if any?) for the millions of west coast citizens who, thanks to the previous 30-years of obtuse influence on forest and wildlife management policy by similarly-minded environmentalists, have seen their family members, friends and/or neighbors burned-alive in California’s recent wildfires, their homes incinerated by the thousands, and who are now seasonally exposed to deadly toxic wildfire smoke, as is detailed in this report: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5010409/
The published Opinion of ODD contains the following glaring disparities:
1) The authors (‘ODD’) completely avoid the debate about deadly ground fuels (grass and brush) as seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WepUi3U5J3o
Instead they focused on the debate related to “thinning forests” and with good reason; the logging debate is where they had past success (ca. 1990), and is much easier ground for their debating experience.
Wild Horse Fire Brigade is about abating ground fuels, wildfire prevention, and rebuilding fire-damaged soils using native species American wild horses, something they know little (nothing?) about.
Unlike ODD, we live among wild horses and have done so on our privately-owned forested lands for the past 4-years. We have studied, documented, photographed and videoed the behavioral ecology of the wild horses in the local ecosystem. Added to this, a highly experienced ODF firefighter has traveled our lands over the past years and has seen the positive effect that wild horses grazing have had on our lands and had this to say:
“I have seen the work they [wild horses] have done on your property and it looked good but spotty with the low numbers they have. Additionally I really think they have a place in the fuel reduction world. ”
2) ODD falsely claimed I spoke at Senator Alan DeBoer’s town-hall in Medford, OR; I did not have that privilege. I did speak at the town hall in Ashland, OR, and I saw Mr. Dominic DellaSala sitting in the front of the church where the event was held, nodding his head in agreement to much of what I said (what was that about?). ODD whines about my opportunity to present a solution to wildfire, but failed to mention that; at the publicly-owned BLM building in Medford, OR, where the first town hall was held, ODD’s comrades from KS-Wild were there handing-out their propaganda at the front door to attendees, as they also did at the Ashland town hall.
3) ODD incorrectly termed American wild horses that are protected under the Wild Burro and Horse Protection Act, as “feral”; they are not. They are a North American native species according to Dr. Ross MacPhee of the prestigious American Museum of Natural History, and that is the best representation of the science today given his status as the ‘curator of vertebrates’, as we read here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-zNiS1uqCWZ9PimwJpaVdY7NC57hxdGKDCLXbCEYb8c/edit?pli=1#!
And here: https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2017/10/23/three-great-myths-america-wild-horses
4) The misleading by ODD continued when they incorrectly claimed that American wild horses are “livestock”; they are not. Livestock (Cattle, sheep and goats) are all invasive ‘exotic’ species in North American ecosystems, which were previous imported from overseas into America. American wild horses are a native species that evolved in North America. And the best available science shows that invasive species (‘exotics’) used in fire-grazing, exacerbates the wildfire regime in wilderness and in other areas.
Furthermore, none of these men (‘ODD’) posited any knowledge of the disturbances to the soils and riparian areas caused by cattle and sheep, a problem that is well researched and expounded upon by numerous leading scientists, and, as we read here: http://www.publiclandsranching.org/htmlres/wr_history_politics.htm
None of the ODD men seem to comprehend or detail the differences of the hoof anatomy between cattle and horses and the effect such differences in anatomy have upon ground-loading, soils disruption and erosion, as is detailed in this article titled: Evolution of wild horses and cattle and the effect on range damage; https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2017/09/25/evolution-wild-horses-cattle-effect-range-damage
5) ODD misled readers by implying that American wild horses had previously been tried as a means of pre-fire ground-fuel abatement and post-fire soils rebuilding by dredging-up an antique study from 1910 about cattle; yep they had to go that far back into ancient history to find anything!
The reality is; pre and post fire regime management has never been tried with American wild horses!
‘Livestock’ (invasive species ‘exotics’ cattle, sheep and goats) grazing has been tried, and such grazing is proven to be further damaging to post-burned areas. On the other hand, wild horses are highly beneficial to post-burned and pre-fire wilderness areas, as outlined in this article titled: ‘Fire Grazing’: Impact of Wild Horses vs. Livestock On Wildfire Regime
As of Dec. 1971, the lands in and around the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM) should have legally become a Herd Area (‘HA’) under the auspices of the Wild Burro And Horse Protection Act, since wild horses had previously and up to that date existed in and around the entire area of the Cascade-Siskiyou Monument and in many nearby areas numbering in the hundreds and reported in various editions of local publications (including Medford Mail Tribune ca. 1907… 1960’s). They has existing in the area east and south of Medford, OR and north of Yreka, CA in the mountains and alpine valleys since the days of the early settlers, and this is also a fact recorded in numerous historical journals.
Interestingly, the former chairwoman (Grace Bennett; 4th generation rancher) of the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors (now in her retirement) has stated in an email to me that her father (deceased) had, like many ranchers, rounded-up a few wild horses from time to time from the herd area prior to the formation of the Monument (ca. 1950s-1970s) for use as riding horses.
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act, or FLPMA required(s) that: “… wild horses and burros shall be considered comparably with other resource values in the formulations of land use plans” 43 CFR Sec. 4700.0-6
So, when the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument was established in June 2000, those existing local wild horses, heritage wildlife, were a ‘natural resource’ and arguably became a resource also protected under the Antiquities Act, as has been consistent with recent interpretations of the Antiquities Act in regard to preserving bio-diversity of the associated flora and fauna, and are also therefore included.
Today, we find that the local BLM office has arguably omitted and failed in providing full and complete disclosure and reporting requirements in land planning under FLPMA, obfuscated facts and has arguably violated their fiduciary duty to the public to protect the local wild horses on the Monument, where there are also wild horse fossils reported. Of course, that is only a whispered fact; and an inconvenient truth.
Now we have these three environmentalists, ODD, who in their opinion piece seem to ostensibly align themselves with the same goal of the BLM in their campaign to demonize American wild horses so as to make their management into extinction less appalling to the public. The Freudian slips comes with their use of the label for our heritage wild horses as “feral” (the ones in the BLM corrals that we seek to repatriate back into and around selected forest wilderness areas). The term ‘feral’ is merely a construct by men to malign almost any animal as something of a ‘pest’.
The Wild Horse Fire Brigade has the support of numerous scientists, who unlike the ODD men, are smart enough to admit that; what had been thought might work has failed since 1990, and it’s time to move on.
Let’s never forget that environmentalists of ODD’s ideology said this in 1990:
Taken from a published document at the University of SantaClara: scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v4n1
“Environmentalists admit that saving the owls’ habitat could cost jobs. But, they argue, these jobs will vanish no matter what. For if cutting continues at its current rate of 125,000 acres a year, the old-growth forests will be gone within thirty years and the mills forced to close anyhow.”
The stark reality of the foregoing folly and lack of vision is now upon us like a horrible plague!
We are now burning forests at a large multiple of their 1990 predicted rate for deforestation due to logging. Environmentalists like ODD are virtually batting ‘0’, but they still want to run the show and coach everyone on how to hit a homerun. Still worse, they are happy to shutdown anyone or any idea ‘they’ don’t like. ODD suffer from the intoxication of their own outdated dogma, which is proven a failure empirically.
Contrary to ODD’s assertion that the Wild Horse Fire Brigade ‘is not a workable plan’, it is eminently workable. Wild Horses are available to counties and states at virtually no-cost simply for the asking under the existing Law (S-3068, Section 110, Humane Transfer of Excess Animals). And private entities can adopt them directly from the local BLM and USFS wild horse storage facilities.
People don’t need a PhD to know that wild horses do not engage in logging, and each native species wild horse deployed eats 30-pounds of grass and brush per day, as we see in this video of a wild horse eating some woody ground fuel: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5zON7zDatuqZG9sOWFxdVFuNWc/view
Now along with other scientists and politicians, we have a renowned ecologist and wild horse expert who has endorsed the Wild Horse Fire Brigade Plan; this article features this revelation:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2017/12/27/renowned-wildlife-ecologist-wild-horse-fire-brigade/
Maybe ODD would be more apropos in asking citizens how would we like our forests and wildlife; extra crispy? How about a dab of fire retardant on top? And what about your wildfire smoke? Extra acrid OK?
Read more from Capt. Bill at: My Outdoor Buddy, and The Western Journal.
7:45: Duane Ehmer, a man headed to prison for a year, for digging a hole on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge during the 2016 standoff chats with Bill. Duane is in Grants Pass, and is getting ready to ride his horse, yep you read that right, to Lompoc Prison in California.
8:10: Dr. Dennis Powers, retired Professor of Business Law and local historian joins Bill, in studio for this week’s edition of Visiting Past & Present.
This week:
Lost Creek Lake: Its Lost Villages
By Dennis Powers
Life along the upper Rogue River in years past was like many in Southern Oregon: tiny towns and villages, farms, auto campgrounds, covered bridges, hunting lodges, rustic homes, orchards, and even gravel roads. This was a wild and beautiful section of the river then, with excellent fishing riffles for steelhead and deep holes for the salmon. It all changed after the 1964 Christmas flood when the Rogue River flooded and inundated towns, including the tiny communities of Laurelhurst and McLeod.
Owing to this, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished construction in 1977 of the William Jess Dam north of Shady Cove. The dammed Rogue River created 10-mile-long Lost Creek Lake with its 675 square miles that also covered what was left of these villages–Laurelhurst along the east bank and McLeod on the west.
Laurelhurst’s history dated back to 1867, when William and Frances Rumley settled the first homestead near the river and close to what became the lower end of Laurelhurst Road. A gravel road once dropped to the upper Rogue near Rogue’s Roost, a rustic lodge built in the 1920s with a deck overlooking the river. Nearby was another landmark, the Flounce Rock Ranch.
Under the waters near the Takelma boat ramp on the west shore lies what was once Uncanny Canyon–marked by its towering, painted totem pole–and tilted buildings that created optical illusions modeled after the famous Oregon Vortex (but also where water seemingly ran uphill). Below the dam, Casey’s Auto Camp had operated: A rustic resort with cabins, outhouse, home cooking, and the antics of a captive black bear named “Jerry the Bear” that included holding and drinking a bottle of soft drink or milk.
Once a thriving community of 200 people, Laurelhurst was dismantled to become buried under the waters. The Army Corps needed to clear the land for the reservoir and shoreline: Houses, strawberry and pig farms, pear orchards, a fruit-packing facility, trees, a store or roadside stand, and more structures were cleared.
A piece of the old Laurelhurst Road started near Crowfoot Road and Highway 62 by Casey State Park. McLeod Bridge once crossed the river there, until the 1964 flood wiped it out, and this was the main road to Prospect. In Stewart State Park, pear trees are in the campgrounds where a pear orchard once was.
Laurelhurst boasted a bridge even before McLeod came on the scene: The Peyton covered bridge was built in 1899. It linked the eastern end of Laurelhurst Road with Fort Military Road, a forerunner of Highway 62, on the west side of the river. Replaced by a nearby concrete bridge after the 1964 flood, Lost Creek Lake also swallowed up this bridge—all to be replaced by the long spanning Peyton Bridge that now crosses the wide lake.
A massive dam and lake with over 200 campsites, marina, store, café, and adjacent state parks (Casey and Stewart State Parks) has now replaced the tiny villages that once were. It’s hard to imagine what once used to be there.
Sources: Vicki Aldous, “Stories lie hidden beneath Lost Creek Lake,” Mail Tribune, September 14, 2017, at Lost Villages; Bill Varble, “Once-Thriving Oregon Town Is Lost Forever, Thanks To Dam,” Mail Tribune, March 15, 1992 (online at Seattle Times) at Additional Facts.
8:45: Randal Lee & Brent Homan, the men from Advanced Air & Metal join Bill, live in studio, for today’s segment of “Whose Business Is It Anyway?”
You can find out more at: AdvancedAirandMetal.com, or give them a call for a free quote at: 541-772-6866.