Latest news with #SistersHighSchool
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oregon Rep. Janelle Bynum plans 10 summer town halls as Democrats push back against Trump
U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Oregon, speaks with constituents in Silverton. (Photo by Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle) The first-term Democratic congresswoman in Oregon's closest congressional district plans to hold seven in-person and three telephonic town halls over the next three months in a major change from her predecessor, whose lack of meetings inspired constituents to question a cardboard cutout. Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Oregon, plans to hold meetings in big cities and small towns through Clackamas, Deschutes, Linn, Marion and Multnomah counties as part of her 'Give 'Em Hell' tour. She described it as an effort to connect with constituents of Oregon's 5th Congressional District and fight back against the Trump administration. 'Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the rest of this administration are making life more expensive, tanking our economy, and ripping away key programs that we rely on, all while dismantling the foundations of our country in the process,' Bynum said in a statement. 'We can't let that happen. I'm traveling across my district to turn up the heat on Donald Trump and Republicans — they will hear our stories and they will feel our outrage. Let's give 'em hell Oregon!' Democrats nationwide have stepped up their use of town halls following Trump's return to the White House, but Oregonians have long been accustomed to frequent in-person town halls. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley famously hold town halls in every county every year, and Wyden has won multiple awards from a grassroots national group for having more open meetings with constituents than any other U.S. senator. But Bynum's predecessor, one-term Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, deviated from that practice. Instead of public meetings in the district, she held quarterly telephonic town halls, which she defended as a more efficient way to reach all constituents. Activists in the district organized a series of events where constituents asked questions to a cardboard cutout of Chavez-DeRemer and volunteers tried to answer them based on her public statements and their own research. Bynum has held five town halls since taking office in January. Her full summer schedule, with details of most events to be announced: May 10: Sisters with Merkley 5:30 p.m., Sisters High School, 1700 W. McKinney Butte Road, Sisters, OR 97759 May 27: Portland June 2: Albany June 10: telephonic June 16: Lake Oswego June 28: Redmond July 16: telephonic July 28: Molalla Aug. 2: Silverton Aug. 4: telephonic Merkley has additional May 10 town halls scheduled in Crook and Jefferson counties, with details here. Other members of Oregon's congressional delegation haven't announced summer town halls yet, but Oregonians can find meetings as they're announced by Wyden, Democratic Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Maxine Dexter and Val Hoyle and Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz on their congressional websites. Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, shares town hall information on social media and constituent newsletters. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
This central Oregon town was just certified as an international dark sky community
Oregon is noted for having the largest dark sky sanctuary in the world, as well as the best national park in the US for stargazing, and now, multiple towns are being recognized as official dark sky communities. Sisters was recently certified as an international dark sky community, becoming the latest addition to Oregon's growing list of international dark sky places. Here's what to know about the community and others like it. Sisters, located in central Oregon outside of Bend, was just certified as the second international dark sky community and seventh overall dark sky place in Oregon by DarkSky International, a nonprofit focused on limiting light pollution and restoring the nighttime environment. This designation comes nearly two months after Antelope became Oregon's first international dark sky community. In 2000, Sisters High School introduced an astronomy program that began the city's commitment to dark sky preservation. Since then, the community has worked to educate residents on the importance of dark sky preservation through educational outreach like newsletters, social media, newspaper articles, and community events, according to DarkSky International. The city's certification was the combined results of its updated dark skies outdoor lighting ordinance, astronomy clubs and education, and "secured commitments from city officials to retrofit non-compliant lighting," according to DarkSky International. DarkSky International has designated five different types of dark sky places that can receive certification worldwide. They include dark sky sanctuaries, dark sky reserves, dark sky parks, dark sky communities and urban night sky places. Dark sky sanctuaries are typically in remote, isolated areas with less potential for light pollution. The isolation of dark sky sanctuaries "significantly limits opportunities for public outreach, so a sanctuary designation is specifically designed to increase awareness of these fragile sites and promote their long-term conservation," according to DarkSky International. Dark sky parks are publicly or privately owned land certified based on the exceptional visual quality of stars in the night sky and nocturnal environment "specifically protected for its scientific, natural, or educational value, its cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment," according to DarkSky International. Find the nearest dark sky places here or at the DarkSky International website, Oregon now has a total of seven dark sky places including: Oregon Outback, eastern Lake County - International Dark Sky Sanctuary Sisters - International Dark Sky Community Antelope - International Dark Sky Community Prineville Reservoir State Park - International Dark Sky Park Cottonwood Canyon State Park - International Dark Sky Park Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve: International Dark Sky Park Sunriver - International Dark Sky Development of Distinction Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@ or on X at @GinnieSandoval. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Sisters becomes second Oregon international dark sky community
