Another gem at the Library, this Sunday, 2/8

Don't miss the special shows this year! A little bird warns that they may be scarce in years to come ...

Camerata Musica
Cello Connection
2:30 p.m. Sunday, February 8, Loucks Auditorium

Eight-cello ensemble, Cello Connection, returns for a sixth show in the Camerata Musica series. The cello octet will feature especially Bruce McIntosh, Hekun Wu, and Georgienne Young. Among the pieces on the program will be the Americana Suite, written for cello orchestra by Norman Leyden, beloved conductor of the Oregon Symphony.

It is requested that audience members arrive on time. Late-comers will only be seated between pieces. Camerata Musica concerts are funded by the Salem Foundation and contributions from patrons. More information about the series is available online at www.cameratamusica.org, or by phone from George Struble at 503-364-3929.

Another reason we need to relocalize the food supply

Check out the size of the hypersized factory "pharms" discussed in this waste management plan. In these "pharms," animals are packed together like sardines -- giant disease-carrying, million-gallon waste producing sardines, in plants that are a vision of hell on earth, a blight on the land and a scourge to all the real farmers.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) & Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) are proposing to renew Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System General Permit #01. This permit regulates disposal of manure, litter, and process wastes to prevent contamination of groundwater and surface waters from approximately 580 CAFOs. CAFOs include, but are not limited to, dairies and poultry and beef operations. Public notice and renewal documents will be available at ODA's website later today: http://oregon.gov/oda/nrd or call ODA at 503-986-4699.

This is a new proposal. Comments are due by 5 p.m., Monday, March 16, 2009. Comments on the proposal announced by ODA and DEQ on September 11, 2008 will not be considered and must be resubmitted.

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For all those who block sidewalks when parking

Consult Section VIII of the Salem Revised Code, Chapter 95, Section 700:

95.700. Pedestrian Interference.

(a) No person shall block or interfere with, or attempt to block or interfere with, any other person along a public sidewalk by any means, including but not limited to standing on that part of the sidewalk used for pedestrian travel or placing any object or vehicle in such area, with the intent to interfere with free passage.

Odd, that "with the intent to interfere with free passage" bit. A judge might say that simply parking in your driveway does not constitute pedestrian interference because there's no showing of "intent to interfere with free passage." On the other hand, a judge might find that parking across the sidewalk -- the public thoroughfare -- night after night is so completely careless for the public's right to use the sidewalk that it would allow a finding of intent to interfere . . . .

Maybe it would just be better for all concerned if nobody parked so that they were blocking the sidewalks.

Q: Why is relocalizing food sources -- like keeping urban chickens -- such a great idea?

A: Because the industrial food system wastes tremendous amounts of energy and is collapsing to boot:

FDA Announces New Product Recalls in Peanut Contamination

Federal officials have released a tidal wave of fresh recalls in the past 24 hours as they connect the dots in the supply chain of tainted peanut-related products.

The latest recalls by 25 companies listing dozens of items include Walgreen's chocolate candy with peanuts, Best Brands peanut butter cookie dough and Hain Celestial's frozen pad Thai dinners, including one made for Trader Joe's.

On Saturday, Harry and David of Medford joined the recall, pulling Olympia Delight Trail Mix products, and Berkeley, Ca.-based Clif Bar and Co. pulled eight more of its protein bars.

The recall has reached a fever pitch since it was expanded to include all products - from roasted peanuts to peanut butter -- from Peanut Corporation of America's plant at Blakely, Ga., where Food and Drug Administration investigators found two strains of salmonella and evidence that on 12 occasions in 2007 and 2008 the company sold food even after it had tested positive for salmonella.

In a startling revelation on Saturday, the Atlanta Journal Constitution said the president of Peanut Corp., Stewart Parnell, serves on an industry advisory board that helps the U.S. Department of Agriculture set quality standards for peanuts.

While Salem shovels money at roads and cuts libraries

In just one day's stories, we see

Ashland, with heavy city involvement with figuring out how to be sustainable;

Corvallis, buying more green power than any other place; and of course,

Portland and the Metro Area figuring out how to make commuter rail happen.

Meanwhile, in Oregon's capital city, we've just lost the other half of weekend transit service, are slashing funding for libraries, and dropped $5 million on improvements to the airport that has no airline service.