Homeless: Why Grants Pass must have a designated resting area

In Oregon, if a city does not provide designated places for homeless individuals to rest or sleep, it faces both legal and practical challenges due to state laws and recent court rulings. This will hopefully explain, even with the recent supreme court ruling, why Oregon cites (like Grants Pass) must offer designated areas for resting. Legal Obligations Under Oregon Law Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 195.530 (also known as HB3115) mandates that any Oregon city or…

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Oregon versus Idaho: Homelessness and Drug Addiction (Part II)

If you missed Part I of this serious please check it out: Oregon versus Idaho: Homelessness and Drug Addiction (Part I) - A Voice Within In part II - How does Oregon compare to Idaho for money allocated to homelessness and drug addiction? Oregon and Idaho, despite being neighboring states, allocate vastly different resources to address homelessness and drug addiction. Oregon: Significant Investment Amid Ongoing Challenges Oregon has committed substantial funding to combat homelessness and…

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Oregon versus Idaho: Homelessness and Drug Addiction (Part I)

What separates Oregon from Idaho when it comes to homelessness and drug addiction? After all, Oregon and Idaho are neighboring states. Yet Oregon ranks among the highest in both homelessness and drug addiction, while Idaho ranks near the bottom in both categories. Despite their close proximity, these two states show a stark contrast in these critical issues. Homeless: Oregon #5, Idaho #21 (This is per 10,000 people in 2024) https://usafacts.org/articles/which-states-have-the-highest-and-lowest-rates-of-homelessness Drug Addiction: Oregon #12, Idaho…

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Bike Riding At The Greenway

First day bike riding at the Rogue River Greenway for this year. It was spectacular, very nice day with lots of blooming flowers and spring scent in the air. We usually park at Rogue River City visitor center and bike down about 5 miles and have lunch and than come back for a nice 10 mile bile ride. If you are not familiar with the Greenway I highly recommend checking it out. It is an…

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Homeless Shelter: Say No To Vine St. Homeless Project

Temporary Resting Areas At the most recent city council meeting, the increase in designated “campsites” or “resting sites” was approved. There are a few important points to consider: This action was necessary to comply with the current legal injunction that prevents enforcement of certain homelessness regulations. Without these designated areas, homeless encampments could proliferate unchecked, with no legal means to intervene. There is no question that these temporary campsites which are located in the downtown…

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Restore Transparency and Community Engagement in the Pathway to Stability Program

I must express my concern with the direction some members of the Grants Pass City Council are taking regarding the Pathway to Stability program. There appears to be a rush to push this initiative through without sufficient dialogue with the community. A troubling lack of communication and transparency is evident among certain council members. When the new city council and, for that matter, the county commissioners took office in January, I urged them to prioritize…

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Native American Music: sacred spirit chants

These are a few of the Native American musical video that I have grown to enjoy over the years. A certain connection I feel when I listen to these. https://youtu.be/zpRNjoL-BjM?feature=shared https://youtu.be/WmOWkB1pi2k?feature=shared https://youtu.be/ug2TrGD7INY?feature=shared https://youtu.be/X6Y4kpZ7xQk?feature=shared

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Open Letter to City Council and Mayor: May 1st, 2025

Dear Mayor and City Council, I feel we are being betrayed by the very same people we helped elect and put our faith in. There has been no real outreach effort with the community on this shelter proposal. Many questions and concerns have gone unanswered. We have a vagrant drug addiction problem more than anything else. That is what is destroying our community, fix that issue and you have solved the worst part of our…

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Musical background from earlier days

Music is and was a large part of my life. I plan on posting a number of musical videos and topics that are dear to me, as time goes by. When I was very young, maybe 12 or 14 years old I took up playing the drums. I initially wanted to be a full time drummer but never really had the talent needed to make it work. My interest range from Rock, Blues, Motown to…

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