The Jefferson Exchange

The Jefferson Exchange: March 10, 2014 Hour 1A:Food Stamp Preservation LoopholeThe latest federal figures show more than 47 million Americans receiving "food stamps," the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). But that number is already smaller than a year earlier. Few people celebrate the reduction, because it has less to do with life circumstances improving than with Congress simply voting to cut the program. But there is a possibility of a reprieve, or at least a delay, in some of the cuts. We hear from Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon about the current status.

The Jefferson Exchange: March 10, 2014 Hour 2:Rainforests And "Ecosystem Services" From Standing TimberThrow another log on the fire of debate over proper use of forests in the region. Scientists from here and Germany just released a study making the case for the benefits of leaving trees standing. Our region is right smack in the middle of a band of temperate rainforests from the Redwoods to Alaska. And the study shows the preservation of forests under the Northwest Forest Plan provided benefits for more than spotted owls and other forest-dwelling critters. Dominick DellaSala of the Geos Institute co-wrote the published study; he'll be our guest.

The Jefferson Exchange: March 7, 2014, Hour 1A: The dawn of a new month means the approach of another First Friday Arts segment on The Jefferson Exchange. Here's the gist: Charlotte Duren and Geoffrey Riley run through a list of arts events submitted to the Community Calendar here at iJPR.org.Then we have all those phone lines and the email box... so YOU can join us with details of arts events coming to your community.  Don't be shy; this is a great chance to trumpet the work of arts organizations big and small, from high school to the pros. First Friday Arts airs on the Exchange on Friday morning, March 7, 2014.  We take our first calls about 8:12 AM, and wrap the segment around 8:30. Join the party: 800-838-3760 anywhere in the area, 541-552-6782 in the Rogue Valley, or via email at JX@jeffnet.org.    

The Jefferson Exchange: March 7, 2014, Hour 1B:Politicians like to talk about helping out small businesses and "job creators," but they seldom talk specifically about people who work for non-profit organizations. Homebuilding with the non-profit Habitat for Humanity. And there are millions of those across the country. Sometimes a little note-comparing can help, and that's exactly the activity coming to the Rogue Valley next month. The Oregon Non-Profit Leaders Conference gives not-for-profit operators a chance to learn from each other's experiences. We visit with the conference co-chair and another person planning to attend. 

The Jefferson Exchange: March 7, 2014, Hour 2:The last time we talked to Jacob Hess, it was about politics. This time, it's about romance.  So much for avoiding the touchy subjects. The same Dr. Jacob Z. Hess who teamed up with Phil Neisser for a book on liberals and conservatives actually talking observes that romantic couples seem to have great difficulty talking these days. And Hess says our whole cultural attitude toward romance may be out of whack. His book on the subject is Once Upon a Time... He Wasn't Feeling It Anymore/What's Killing Romance in America.   

The Jefferson Exchange: March 6, 2014 Hour 1A:Market Research For Small BusinessesOne of the challenges of starting a small business is having information about the potential market for a product or service. Market research costs money, sometimes a lot of it.  So the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network just launched a Market Research Institute to perform market research for clients of the OSBDCN's centers. We get the details on who is eligible for the service, and what is provided.

The Jefferson Exchange: March 6, 2014 Hour 1B:Keeping Gray Matter Sharp In Golden Years"School is out completely!"  Alice Cooper sang that more than four decades ago, and a few people took the words seriously. But whether we seek education or not, we're still learning things as we live, and the process helps keep aging brains supple. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) dedicates itself to providing educational and social opportunities to older adults. We'll get the picture on OLLI activities in the Rogue Valley.

The Jefferson Exchange: March 6, 2014 Hour 2:50 Jobs In 50 StatesWe change jobs and even careers more often than in the past, but 50 jobs in a year? That's what Daniel Seddiqui did.  His own experiences with the job market after college graduation sparked an idea: to spend a year working a job in each of the 50 states, a week at a time. Seddiqui's journey--50 Jobs in 50 States--included jobs ranging from TV meteorologist to coal miner. He talks about his many jobs tonight (Thursday 3/6) at Southern Oregon University; we get a preview.

The Jefferson Exchange: March 4, 2014 Hour 1A:Fat, Sweet and Gooood: Chocolate FestivalChocolate is not just for February 14th and October 31st.  Not by a long shot. We may be in the middle of a chocolate renaissance, as chefs around the world find new ways to prepare chocolate, in exciting new combinations with other foods. The Oregon Chocolate Festival returns to the Ashland Springs Hotel this weekend, and we get a tasty preview.

The Jefferson Exchange: March 4, 2014 Hour 1B:E-Cigarette Fire WarningIt looks like a cigarette, feels like a cigarette… and sometimes even burns like a cigarette. Medford's fire department just put out a warning about electronic cigarettes, the "E-cigarettes" that are all over the news of late. MFD responded to two incidents in recent months in which the (theoretically) non-burning cigarettes started small fires when being charged. The fire marshal visits to talk about the causes, and possible prevention techniques.

The Jefferson Exchange: March 4, 2014 Hour 2:Successful Authors Explain The SuccessMaybe we'll read them on glowing screens, but books--in whatever form--are not going away. There's still a thirst for a good read, and more than enough authors working to slake the thirst. Ashland-based Molly Tinsley is a published author and a co-founder of Fuze Publishing. She and Fuze stablemate Jim Sulzer join us to talk about the process of writing for today's audiences, and what it took to get published in the first place.

The Jefferson Exchange: March 3, 2014, Hour 1A:Oregon teachers and principals have more paperwork to fill out, but the latest addition is voluntary. The TELL Oregon survey takes information from the teachers and principals about their working conditions, and it's quite detailed. TELL is an acronym for "Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning," and the survey is a joint project of the Oregon Education Department and the Oregon Education Association. OEA's president joins us with details on the survey and how it will be used.   

The Jefferson Exchange: March 3, 2014, Hour 1B:It's not this year, but a previous one, that may be weighing on the minds of California farmers. 2008's Proposition 2 requires more spacious quarters for egg-laying hens, but it gave farmers more than six years to comply.Animal-rights activists at the Humane Society and other groups say many farmers have yet to make any changes, and could miss the deadline. We'll check on the progress of un-caging the hens.   

The Jefferson Exchange: March 3, 2014, Hour 2:Richard Blanco already had a number of accomplishments under his belt. And then he was invited to deliver one of his poems at the second inauguration of President Obama.Blanco is known for his poetry and for his ability to connect with students. He'll get a chance to connect with an audience during an appearance in Ashland tonight (March 3), and he'll join us in the studio beforehand.   

The Jefferson Exchange: February 28, 2014 Hour 1A:Far Out: Historical Society Relives The 1960sBreak out the tie-dye, man.  It's the 60s again at the Southern Oregon Historical Society.  SOHS is assembling a display called "Far Out: Southern Oregon in the 1960s," coming to the Woolworth Building in down Medford beginning in late March. It was a decade of significant change for the region: Interstate Five opened, the Shakespeare Festival began staging plays indoors, and JFK visited Medford on his way to the White House. Amy Drake of SOHS joins us for the word on which artifacts will best represent the time