Follow the link to see my Oregon Encyclopedia article about OSU basketball great, Carol Menken-Schaudt.
The Oregon Encyclopedia: Carol Menken-Schaudt
Literary Ladies Guide: E.L. Konigsburg
As it turned out, both titles made the Newbery Medal list: a winner and a runner-up. Konigsburg was the only author to have ever achieved that milestone. In 1997 she won the Newbery for her 13th book, The View from Saturday.
MarionTalk: Reading is Fundamental
Perhaps local book clubs like Salem Book Groups or the myriad groups sponsored by local bookstores such as Salem’s Book Bin have always known that reading stories about challenging experiences and then discussing them in a group setting creates an opportunity to discuss difficult topics
Literary Ladies Guide, The Mother of Social Science: The Works of Harriet Martineau
As a writer, she engaged readers of novels, travelogues, biographies, and much more – she probably would have a book in every section of the library if her work were still in print today.
Marion Talk, The Legend of Art Lacey’s B-17G Bomber
The legend of Art Lacey’s B-17G Bomber is one of the history books. According to Lacey’s daughter, Punky Lacey Scott, the story began at Art Lacey’s 34th birthday party in 1947. Lacey announced his idea to put a bomber atop his gas station, and one of his friends told him that he could never do it.
Marion Talk, Salem-Area Ghost Towns in State Parks
Ghost towns occur when a community forms around the production, excavation, or otherwise manufacture of resources, but those resources dry up or become obsolete. Some ghost towns arise when a natural disaster strikes and destroys the town. Sometimes, these ghost towns are preserved to share history with visitors from far away or to be celebrated by curious locals. Fortunately, a few ghost towns near Salem also happen to be visitor-friendly and welcoming, such as Oregon State Parks.
Literary Ladies Guide, Beverly Cleary, Prolific Author of Children’s Novels
Without ever receiving a single rejection, Mrs. Cleary became the writer children all over the world loved to read.
Guest Blog Post at Voyager of History, Nana Yaa Asantewaa Queen Mother of Ghana
The legend of the golden stool begins when the supreme god, Nyame, decided to bring all the local tribes of the Ashanti regions together under one chief. Nyame sent a magician/healer, Anotchi, to the chiefs and along with him followed a dark cloud. In the midst of the cloud, all could clearly see a golden stool. When Anotchi instructed the stool to fall from the cloud and land before he who would be king, the stool landed before chief Osai Tutu, making him the first king of the unified kingdom and solidifying the stool as a sacred object to be protected at all cost.
Literary Ladies Guide, Hazel Hall: Portland Oregon’s Emily Dickinson
Though Portland was host to much lively activity and trade, young Hazel Hall couldn’t take part in any of it. Being confined to a wheelchair from the age of twelve, she sat in the upper room of her home watching life in its myriad of shapes and sizes parade before her.
Guest Blog Post at Amazing Women in History
When China was hit with the longer, colder winters caused by falling average temperatures, famine exploded all over the north. Not enough crops could be grown to provide food and many of the starving soldiers banned together in gangs who ravaged the countryside. 1629 is also the year Lin Siniang (Lean Shinjang) was born to a struggling military family.
Woods Reader, The People’s Tree
Of all the trillions of trees in the nearly two-hundred million acres of National Forest in the United States, only one tree gets chosen to be THE PEOPLE'S TREE, the one tree chosen each year to adorn the west lawn of the United States Capitol in Washington DC. This tree which stands before the People's House every holiday season, embellished in sparkling regalia and festive colors, is ultimately chosen by the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), but is initially picked out by the people of the state it is coming from. Every year since 1970 a National Forest has been chosen to provide a tree to adorn the Capitol's west lawn for the people, by the people, of the people.
Woods Reader, The Valsetz Star
In 1937 the town of Valsetz was still owned by its originators, Cobbs & Mitchell Lumber. Dorothy Ann Hobson was a precocious youngster who, at the age of 9, announced that she was going to edit a newspaper for Valsetz.
The Woman They Could Not Silence; an interview with Kate Moore
As terrifying as the situation was, once Elizabeth got a handle on the reality - she was not the only sane woman in the asylum - she began to fight back.
Our USA: American Nostalgia
It is no secret to my family that I have a deep affection for American cars. The contemporary aluminum, fiberglass, or plastic American-made cars are not the vehicles that catch my eye, but I gape open-mouthed at those beautiful classics of steel and chrome of yesteryear. Nothing can turn my frown upside down as quick as seeing a muscle car or a vintage pickup truck driving down the road. The memory card in my cell phone is filled with pictures of gleaming classic trucks and the curvaceous or angled vehicles that have been known to stop my heart mid-beat from time to time
Five Covered Bridges
The Roaring River empties into Crabtree Creek near Larwood Bridge - it's the only river to flow into a creek; an oddity in U.S. geography that was featured in Ripley's Believe it or Not.
Willamette Valley Life: Ghost Towns
Aurora and Independence both have historic districts full of structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
My Own Wayback Machine
18th Century History Writing-World.com Newbie-writers.com Newsletter (Fall, 2008) Brandlady.com Woman's Info. Herstoria Magazine Oregon Home Magazine Praise and Worship Website The Muffin, "WOW"s blog Slab Literary Journal Notes and Grace Notes More.com This I Believe Our Town Life, Sept 20. 2011 Willamette Valley Life, Fall 2011 Our Town, Dec 1. 2011 Here are some internet links to... Continue Reading →
Sometimes I've worked with a publication for several issues. Willamette Valley Life: Our Town (they published the wrong date) https://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=2071 https://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=1946 I have Some older published pieces posted on this blog.
Tami Richards 