The Jefferson Exchange

The Jefferson Exchange: March 1, 2013, Hour 1: First Friday in the Arts It's the first Friday of another month, time for our First Friday Arts Segment… we run down a list of events in the performing and visual arts and invite you to add to the list, or add details to items you've heard.  Call in during the program at 800-838-3760 or 541-552-6782. +  Conversation Project Some of the issues facing our communities could stand a good, rousing public discussion.  We certainly understand that at The Exchange.  And we're not alone; Oregon Humanities is looking for more speakers for its Conversation Project. The project started in 2009 and offers non-profits free humanities-based discussions. 

The Jefferson Exchange: March 1, 2013, Hour 2: Petroglyphs Stolen It was the kind of vandalism we've seen in other countries, but might not expect in America: petroglyphs thousands of years old were hacked off canyon walls in California last fall, in what federal agents called the worst act of vandalism ever seen on any BLM land in the country.  An archaeologist and a tribal representative will talk about the significance of the works, and the efforts to solve their theft and vandalism. 

Jefferson Exchange – February 28, 2012, HOUR 1 GMO Labeling, Future Tense Proposition 37 failed at the polls in November in California, but the desire to require clear labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMO) is not going away.  Pamm Larry was the chief petitioner for Prop 37; she is the featured speaker at the GMO Forum this evening in Ashland.   Cooking Vegan Mac 'n cheese and cornbread may never be the same.   At least not in the hands of Roanne Lewis.  Lewis is an Ashland author, holistic nutritionist. and cooking instructor. Her new vegan cookbook has just been released, "For the Love of Eating."

Jefferson Exchange – February 28, 2012, HOUR 2 Earth Too Big To Fail We got used to the term "too big to fail" when banks, investment houses, and even insurance companies ran into money trouble at the outset of the Great Recession.  The term is much more broadly applied at the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, starting today at the University of Oregon Law School in Eugene.

Jefferson Exchange — February 27, 2013, HOUR 1 Arming the Campus Police The University of Oregon is in the process of building its own campus police force; the state legislature only created the unit two years ago.  At this point, the campus police are unarmed, but a discussion is underway on the appropriateness of outfitting the officers with guns.  Lane County District Attorney Alex Gardner joins us to talk about the issues involved... and the road ahead. VENTSday No guest, two topics, and all the calls and emails we can fit in half an hour.  That's the general structure of our weekly VENTSday segment, a chance for listeners to vent politely on topics in the news.  Take part by calling 1-800-838-3760 or 541-552-6782 or emailing JX@jeffnet.org THIS WEEK: --The sequester: who to blame, where to cut? --Driving Laws in Oregon

Jefferson Exchange — February 27, 2013, HOUR 2 Life on the Brink There is little question that the human impacts on the Earth would be less if there were fewer humans living on the planet.  But bringing up population in an environmental context can be hazardous for the person discussing it.  Several authors join up for just such a discussion in "Life on the Brink: Environmentalists Confront Overpopulation," a series of essays on the subject.  Editor Philip Cafaro and essayist Charmayne Palomba will join us.  

The Jefferson Exchange: February 26, 2013, Hour 1: Pernsteiner Departs The Oregon University System has been through many ups and downs since the state began cutting funding in the early 90s… a lot of downs, mostly.  And now OUS is going through another change, as Melody Rose takes the reins as interim chancellor, replacing George Pernsteiner, who resigned.  Pernsteiner will join us to talk about his experiences.  + Chocolate? Samples? Chocoholics unite at the 9th annual Oregon Chocolate Festival, this weekend at the Ashland Springs Hotel.  We'll talk about the festival events and the art (science?) of chocolate-making in particular.  Sorry, no samples. 

The Jefferson Exchange: February 26, 2013, Hour 2: Animal Wise We often wonder what our pets are thinking; some of us wonder IF they are thinking.  Ashland resident and science journalist Virginia Morell confirms that yes, they are.  Morell visited laboratories and field sites around the world to compile the stories in her book "Animal Wise."  She'll speak about it this evening in Ashland; we'll get a preview visit.

Jefferson Exchange – February 25, 2013, HOUR 1 Youth Symphony New Work The Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon continues to prove that classical music is not just for adults.  This week the YSSO presents an original work, "The Orchard City".  Composer Mark Elliot Jacobs joins us to describe the composition and play recorded portions of it.   Tracking Hate Groups We may live in an idyllic part of the country, but our states are not immune to some of the ugliness of the human condition.  The Southern Poverty Law Center, famous for tracking hate groups around the country, recently released a report on hate groups active in Oregon.  

Jefferson Exchange – February 25, 2013, HOUR 2 The Ellington Century In a century of huge developments in music, the work of Duke Ellington stands out.  And he gets his due credit in "The Ellington Century," a book by Reed College professor, composer and journalist David Schiff.  His book tells the story of 20th century music and the breaking of barriers between genres, with Ellington's work at the center of it all.

The Jefferson Exchange: February 22, 2013, Hour 1: Cottage Grove Makes All-Star The Oregon Heritage Commission has a new Oregon Heritage All-Star Community award status. The first award was given to Albany in November, now Cottage Grove joins the list.  You'll hear about the program from the Heritage Commission, and h ear the reaction from the city. + Training for Sustainability It's more than a way of thinking about resources and the environment, it's also a college program.  The University of Oregon offers a graduate certificate program that is growing rapidly: The Oregon Leadership In Sustainability (OLIS) program.  You'll hear about what OLIS students do to earn their credentials, and what they can do with those credentials after graduation.

The Jefferson Exchange: February 22, 2013, Hour 2: Energy and Endless Growth Journalist and educator Richard Heinberg never tires of warning people that the concept of perpetual economic growth is unsustainable and ultimately impossible.  Heinberg wrote the introduction and contributes a pair of essays to the large-format book "ENERGY: Overdevelopment and the Delusion of Endless Growth," which features work by many big names in the environmental movement. 

Jefferson Exchange – February 21, 2013, HOUR 1 Oregon Boat Inspections Boating season is still a long way off for most of us, but Oregon Fish and Wildlife is not taking any chances on invasive species running wild in the state's bodies of fresh water.  Boat inspection stations are open already in Oregon to target invasive species like quagga and zebra mussels. Mark Helfrich's SOU Connection Football is not a frequent topic here, but we could not pass up the chance to connect past and future for new University of Oregon football coach Mark Helfrich.  His own football playing days were spent as a Raider at Southern Oregon University.  Helfrich will pay a visit to talk about playing then and coaching now, and former SOU assistant coach and current athletic director Matt Sayre will join him.

Jefferson Exchange – February 21, 2013, HOUR 2 Uncle John, Fully Loaded Here's proof necessity is the mother of invention: a man visits the restroom and realizes he has nothing to read in there.  So he creates a book of trivia and laughs under the title "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader."  Now, 25 years, several editions and 10,000,000 books later, the reader is continually updated.  The current "Uncle John," Gordon Javna, will join us to talk about "Uncle John’s Fully Loaded 25th Anniversary Bathroom Reader."

Jefferson Exchange — February 20, 2013, HOUR 1 Choosing Options We don't like to think about the end of life, but it comes to all of us eventually.  So, many groups and organizations encourage people to make their plans known while they are still relatively whole in mind and body.  Choosing Options, Honoring Options (think COHO) performs that service in the Rogue Valley, and you'll hear it described.  VENTSday No guest, two topics, and all the calls and emails we can fit in half an hour.  That's the general structure of our weekly VENTSday segment, a chance for listeners to vent politely on topics in the news.  Take part by calling 1-800-838-3760 or 541-552-6782 or emailing JX@jeffnet.org. THIS WEEK: --Oregon legislature considers in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants; your thoughts? --If your town buried a time capsule today, what would you put into it?