The Jefferson Exchange

The Jefferson Exchange: January 21, 2014 Hour 2:Say This, Not ThatThink about the number of times you meant to say something soothing or encouraging, and the person receiving took it the wrong way. Was it them, or you?  It might have been you. We often say the wrong thing at the right time, and frequently, a better choice of words would have made the difference. Marriage and family therapist Carl Alasko has some ideas for getting the words right in his book Say This, Not That: A Foolproof Guide to Effective Interpersonal Communication.

The Jefferson Exchange: January 20, 2014, Hour 1A:Klamath County is another of the counties constrained by a small public safety budget. Now a group is proposing a fee on every household and business in the county to fund jail operations. Citizens Organized for Public Safety--COPS--suggests a $144 dollar fee, not a levy based on property values. COPS wants the item on the May election ballot. Randy L. Shaw of COPS is our guest. 

The Jefferson Exchange: January 20, 2014, Hour 1B:Maybe we're not always talking nicely, but you have to admit, the election and re-election of Barack Obama certainly got us talking about race just a bit more. In fact, Southern Oregon University made race its campus theme for the current academic year. The year's events include the first annual Social Justice Conference this week, focused on racial inequities and community building strategies. Marvin Woodard of the SOU Multicultural Resource Center joins us. 

The Jefferson Exchange: January 20, 2014, Hour 2:It's often been said of the legislative process that (like sausage-making) it's best not to watch. Now just imagine the process of getting a candidate elected. There must be something fun about it, because Cathy Allen keeps doing it.  She is the president and owner of The Connections Group in Seattle and the veteran of many a political campaign. Allen works primarily to get women elected and connected to the political process. She joins us with stories from the campaign trail. 

The Jefferson Exchange: January 17, 2014 Hour 1A:MLK Day Observances Take ShapeCalling all MLK events: Martin Luther King, Jr. will be remembered across the nation on Monday, the day his birthday is observed as a holiday. Organizations in Ashland have thrown themselves into the MLK event whole-heartedly for years now. Participants include the Oregon Shakespeare Festival...Associate Producer Claudia Alick visits the studio to talk about the events planned, and we invite listeners to join us with details of MLK events in their communities.

The Jefferson Exchange: January 17, 2014 Hour 1B:SOU Professor Wins Oregon Literary FellowshipRobert Arellano's passion for writing is noticed by his students at Southern Oregon University. Somebody else noticed the passion and recognized it: Arellano is a recipient of an Oregon Literary Fellowship for 2014. He is one of eight people so honored, and will travel the state engaging with audiences of readers and would-be writers. He joins us to talk about his duties as a fellowship winner.

The Jefferson Exchange: January 17, 2014 Hour 2:The Universe We Cannot SeeThe wonders of the universe continue to unfold with an ever-stronger array of telescopes and other devices for seeing into deep space. Then there's all that stuff we can't see, and that's what James Brau wants to talk about. Dr. Brau is the director of the University of Oregon Center for High Energy Physics, and an expert on the parts of the universe we can't see: dark matter. He'll explain the theories in a public talk at the Eugene Library on Saturday (Jan. 18) and visit with us for this segment.

The Jefferson Exchange: January 16, 2014 Hour 1A:Lane County Jail Releases Slow DownThe Lane County Jail was one of several in Oregon that earned a reputation as a “revolving door” jail. Inmates seemed to depart soon after they arrived, because there simply was not room enough to hold all the people awaiting trial. The passage of a levy in May 2013 appears to have had the desired effect: it put a lock on the revolving door. But the decrease in early releases is even steeper than expected. We talk to the Sheriff's Office about several factors affecting jail releases.

The Jefferson Exchange: January 16, 2014 Hour 1B:ICE A Cell Phone For WinterMild as it's been so far, there's a lot of winter ahead of us. We can expect snow and rain and ice and ICE.  That second version stands for In Case of Emergency. And a Rogue Valley campaign organized by Visiting Angels intends to help seniors ICE A Cell Phone. Entering emergency numbers under “ICE” in a phone makes it easier to reach emergency contacts and keep vulnerable seniors safe through the winter and through the year.

The Jefferson Exchange: January 16, 2014 Hour 2:If Time Is Short: "The Priority List"Stop and think: if you got a diagnosis of a potentially fatal illness, how would you change your life? Teacher David Menasche faced just such a situation after years of teaching high school English. After his disease robbed him of the ability to teach, he decided to set out across the country, to visit as many of his former students as he could. David is still with us, and will join us to talk about his journey, recounted in his book The Priority List.

The Jefferson Exchange: January 15, 2014, Hour 1A:Not very long ago, Oregon and other states sued the federal government to force a new set of regulations on wood stoves and heaters. And here they come… the Environmental Protection Agency just announced a proposal for stricter standards, so newer wood-burning heaters will burn cleaner. The Department of Environmental Quality oversees air quality in Oregon; DEQ's Rachel Sakata joins us. 

The Jefferson Exchange: January 15, 2014, Hour 1B:Do you think your city (or county or state) should ban pit bulls or any other breed of dog. Would you like your city (etc.) to drop any investments in fossil fuel companies? Let's hear what you think...We do not schedule guests for Wednesday at 8:30, because that's the time for VENTSday, your chance to vent (politely, please) on a pair of topics in the news. We bring the topics, you bring the opinions.  It's VENTSday on The Jefferson Exchange, and you participate by calling 1-800-838-3760 or 541-552-6782 or emailing JX@jeffnet.org.This week's topics again: Bans on pit bulls or other dog breeds Divesting from fossil fuel companies

The Jefferson Exchange: January 15, 2014, Hour 2:At some point in your life--maybe recently--did you get mad enough about something in society to take action? Did you know what to do next? Plenty of us have at least flashes of ideas that we think will change the world, but no idea how to get those ideas out to the rest of the world. Not only is it easier to disseminate ideas in today's media landscape, there is also a guide or two out there. Those include The Activist's Handbook, by longtime activist Randy Shaw, now in its second edition.  Randy visits with highlights. 

The Jefferson Exchange: January 14, 2014 Hour 1A:Flu Season And How Not To Be Part Of ItFlu season is in full swing in Oregon. At least, health officials hope it does not get any fuller than this. This year's flu is sending people to the hospital, and it is the suspected cause in several deaths in Oregon. You'll hear the numbers and the ideas for prevention from the Acute & Communicable Disease Prevention Section of the Oregon Public Health Division.

The Jefferson Exchange: January 14, 2014 Hour 1B:Changing What Defines "Poverty" For SchoolsSchools with higher numbers of students from poor families frequently get additional financial support. Plain and simple, education must be more intensive for children of poverty. A change is underway in Oregon… a change in HOW poverty is calculated. The state Department of Education must carry out the change, under orders from the legislature. And it is possible that some school districts will get more money... while others will get less.