There may not be a Who Am I for the next few days because I am putting together a Christmas Contest for the blog which will be based on the Who Am I's. I may throw in some surprises and some new ones in the contest but a lot of the questions will be about the women and men we have discovered of the past several months. I will announce the contest and the rules one day next week. Unlike the past contests anyone will be able to enter this contest whether or not they have posted on the blog. The contest will be announced between now and next Friday. And once the contest is announced unlike past contests you will have short time to enter. Keep your eyes open and maybe bring home the win that will make your Christmas Shopping a little easier! The answer to yesterday's Who Am I is the first woman dentist, Lucy Hobbs Taylor.
What is the big story in your state? In your city? What is going in your state of residence?
The big story here is The Civil War. No, not the one with North against the South. The Civil War is what the football game between Oregon and Oregon State is called. Each year for over one hundred years they have played a football game for bragging rights in the state. Beaver fans (Oregon State's nickname) hate Duck fans (University of Oregon's nickname). Never in the over one hundred years of the game has it meant as much as does this year. This year an Oregon team will represent the Pac 10 in The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Yes, that is right, the winner of the game between Oregon and Oregon State takes on Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. The last time the Oregon State Beavers played in the Rose Bowl was in 1965, The last time the Oregon Ducks went there was 1994. In over their one hundred years of history Oregon has only been to the Rose Bowl four times and Oregon State three times. One of Oregon State's visits to the Rose Bowl was in 1942 when they played the game at Durham, North Carolina against Duke University. The game was originally scheduled to be in California but after the attack on Pearl Harbor just a few weeks earlier there was a fear that Japan could reach the West Coast with some of their bombs. There was a fear of an attack on any venue that attracted large crowds. Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt recommended that the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl festivities be canceled. The Rose Bowl committee originally planned to cancel the game. On December 16, 1941, Duke University invited the game and Oregon State to Duke's home stadium in Durham, North Carolina. Duke was so heavily favored that some didn't think Oregon State should even bother to make the trip. The Beavers made the trip and upset Duke 20-16.
Because the game has more importance than any other game in the history of the rivalry we are getting overloaded with game history and game stories. There is a huge amount of hype leading up to this year's Civil War which will be played next Thursday on ESPN at 9 PM Eastern Time.
Kenny Wheaton is a former Duck player who with one play and one moment in time is said to have changed the history of two schools. For years the Ducks had struggled with their football program, having one losing season after another. In his freshman season in 1994, he made arguably the most famous play in Ducks' history known as "The Pick." As time was winding down the University of Washington was driving down to the Oregon nine-yard line. With a Washington score they win the game. Wheaton intercepted a Damon Huard pass and ran it back ninety-eight yards for a touchdown to save the game. Oregon went on to become a national power and Washington struggled.
Rachael Bachman is a reporter and one of my favorite writers for The Oregonian. Today she completed a three part series about Wheaton. A story of pain and forgiveness that has nothing to do with football but everything to do with life. A murder of a loved one by a loved one. A story of pain but also of support and charity. I will bring you the three part series to the blog during the next three days. The series is titled Kenny Wheaton's Run To Daylight. Today is part one:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2009/11/post_3.html
A hint for the readers of the blog. If you want to go shopping when there aren't any crowds and you just might be the only one in the mall. Come to Oregon and Next Thursday at 6 PM West Coast time head out to the malls. Because everyone living in Oregon is going to be in front of their TV sets then.
That is the big story of the week in Oregon. Now tell me the big story in your neck of the woods.
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I wish I could tell you the big story... or stories... in my little town of Burbank. But alas, they are so complicated that I don't understand them myself. We have major problems in our Police Dept., that everyone has always loved because of their quick response time and accessibility. We still appreciate those things, but there are something like 8 lawsuits pending regarding interior harrassment, denial of promotions due to race, unfair firings, gosh knows what-all else. The chief will "retire" sometime this month, and local bloggers are trashing 4 of the 5 City Council members, the City Manager, the City Attorney and some other smaller fish in city gov't. There are two investigations going on, one by the FBI and another by the Sheriff's Dept. regarding undue force complaints.
The frustrating thing for me is that I get information only in bits and pieces, from bloggers that are clearly taking a stand against city gov't. They make good points including some I've come to on my own over the years, but so far there is no comprehensive information coming from any unbiased source, and the problems date back so far that the references to them don't make anything clear and apparently were never written up in our local papers.
So I watch with interest, try to reserve judgment where things are not obvious, and hope it all becomes clear at some future date and doesn't end up bankrupting the city.
Hi Pat
We are also having problems within the Portland Police. An officer recently fired a bean bag round at close range into the leg of a twelve year-old girl while she was lying on the ground. The city commissioner in charge of the police force and the police chief suspended him but the police union came out in force and marched through the city in support of the officer.
The officer that shot the bean bag was previously involved in a high publicity case of excessive force against a mentally ill man that died in police custody. The police force lost one one million dollar lawsuit over that encounter (county) and a three million dollar lawsuit starts in March about the same encounter (City). The mentally ill man had something like one hundred injuries. The police didn't take him to the hospital, instead they put him in jail where he died.
The police union is taking a no confidence vote on Monday against the mayor and the police chief. The citizens are up in the air that police refuse to take accountablility for their actions.
Bill
Far as I know, nbo big sgories in our area, altghough I assiduously avoid the local paper, so there could be lots happening.
Bill, loved the story on Wheaton and look forward to the next two installments.
We did the Big Convert today to the laptop and I am going to have to learn a lot of new nonsense. Why they must fix what isn't broke isn't broke is beyond me, including eliminating Outlook Express. I can receive messages on the new system, but can't send without setting up accounts and aliases (which of course are not explained). Have to buy a new keyboard tomorrow, since using the one on the laptop is a real pain and my old ergonomic doesn't have the right connector. At this point I'm not having fun, but Himself assures me it will get better. I hope that includes finding all the data for MS Money, that apparently didn't transfer! I guess that's my story from here (wry s)
Bill, it sounds like you're having similar, if not so widespread problems. I forgot to mention that the Police Union did a vote of no confidence in the chief. I wish they'd included the mayor and city mgmt. We have one City Councilman who seems to ask the hard questions. He is badly treated by the other 4 on the Council, which I guess tells us something.
One wrinkle here is that one of the cops involved in the discrimination lawsuit is targeted in the excessive force investigation. Since the case is over 3 years old, some think it's being put forth to damage his credibility. And other similar stuff going on. It's all very hard to figure out since the news stories are, to say the least, scanty. One police officer who was involved somehow in both cases, committed suicide by shooting himself on a residential street, or so the story goes.
Hi DR
I think you converting computer systems is a big story! I don't understand why anyone would want to kick Outlook Express out. That really is awful. I am sending good vibes out there that you find just the right keyboard. And I certainly hope you don't have to reenter all your financial data.
I found the Wheaton story interest because none of us new anything about his personal trauma. And what happened to him. And it doesn't hurt that an award winning journalist wrote the story.
Bill
Hi Pat
I think I would like the councilman that is asking the hard questions. The point of an investigation should be to find out the truth not protect the police.
It does seem a little fishy they are investigating a three year old case at the same time he is suing the city for discrimination. It is just tragic that the officer committed suicide. I might even wonder if it was really a suicide.
Bill
I do like the councilman that asks the hard questions. I sure hope that our next elections brings more like him. And gets rid of the 4 others, who are more or less idiots. One maybe not so much an idiot as corrupt, it's beginning to seem.
As to the suicide, I questioned that, too, especially since it seemed so strange for a cop to shoot himself in the chest. But nobody else seems to be questioning it, so perhaps I just watch too much tv. But since we get so little real news here, perhaps others are wondering, too, I have no idea.
Hi Pat
I also watch a lot of TV and read a lot of crime books. I was kind of curious about things to watch for to determine if it is suicide and believe our not google gave me this:
Shots through clothing: A suicide victim will rarely shoot through clothing. If he shoots himself in the chest, which is unusual, he will open his shirt to expose the skin. Shots through clothing suggest homicide.
Where on the body the injury occurred: A shot to the side of the head, in the mouth, or to the front of the chest is usually suicide. Wounds located anywhere else are most likely homicide.
Number of shots fired: After one shot, even if a suicide victim isn't dead, he would likely be unconscious or physically unable to fire a second time. Multiple shots usually indicate homicide.
Bill
Interesting stuff, Bill. I'd have believed it instantly if the fatal wound was to the head. The chest just seemed weird to me. About the clothing, nothing reported. If he shot himself, there should be "stippling" around the wound, on clothing or skin. Nothing reported about that, either. Only one shot, as far as I know.
Since his family is apparently accepting it as suicide, I have to assume that's the case.
Hi Pat
It is just that skeptical nature I developed after years of dealing with the IRS makes me question most things. However, if the family is fine with it I guess I am.
Bill
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