[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2008-12-11

[Heritage Info]

In this issue:
1.  Portland company recognized for site protection
2.  Hood River firm honored for work
3. "Stuff" writing sought by magazine
4. Oregon history to be summed up in 10 minutes


PORTLAND COMPANY RECOGNIZED FOR SITE PROTECTION

A Portland company and two of its employees have been honored by the
Heritage Programs of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department for
their discovery of looting at an excavation site and taking steps to
prevent further damage.

In October, Stacy Schneyder and Meris Mullaley of ICF Jones & Stokes
were walking by a downtown Portland lot where a building had been
recently demolished. They noticed a man digging and removing items from
an open pit. Schneyder and Mullaley recognized the items as historic
artifacts. Being archaeologists, they recognized the objects were being
handled inappropriately and approached the man. They requested to see
the state-issued permit that is required before archaeological
investigation begins. He did not have a permit, and quickly packed up
and left.

Schneyder and Mullaley immediately notified Portland city officials,
police and the State Historic Preservation Office. Their employer, ICF
Jones & Stokes, understood the gravity of the situation, and allowed
them to stay at the location on paid time to ensure no further
violations. Schneyder and Mullaley remained at the site for four hours
until it was secured. 

 *It took great courage and dedication on the part of Stacy and Meris
to confront the looter and then stand guard over the site until they
knew it was protected,* said state archaeologist Dennis Griffin. *It
took real altruism on the part of ICF Jones & Stokes to grant them paid
time to ensure that a valuable historic resource was protected.*

The Heritage Stewardship Recognition Program was initiated to raise the
profile of Oregonians who go the extra mile in protecting the state*s
cultural heritage. Heritage stewardship encompasses many actions, from
the reporting of an archaeological site to preserving historic
buildings.

OPRD Assistant Director and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
Roger Roper says the stewardship certificate is one way these
extraordinary efforts can be spotlighted. *We are happy to create a
way to recognize people doing good deeds for historic resources in the
state,* he said.

Heritage Programs of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department includes
the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, the Oregon Heritage
Commission, the Oregon Historic Trails Advisory Council and the State
Historic Preservation Office. See previous awardees at
www.oregonheritage.org. For more information or to recommend someone
for a certificate contact Kuri Gill at Kuri.Gill at state.or.us or (503)
986-0685.


HOOD RIVER FIRM HONORED FOR WORK

Beam & Couch Excavation Co. of Hood River has been honored by the
Heritage Programs of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department for its
handling of the discovery of human remains during an excavation
project.

In November, while digging a trench, a company crew discovered human
remains, immediately stopped work and contacted local authorities. A
high probability that the remains were Native American was determined so
the State Police and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) were
notified. The two agencies worked with the appropriate Native American
Tribes to treat the remains sensitively.

Both the SHPO and the participating Tribes are thankful for the prompt
response and respectful treatment of the remains by Beam and Couch
Excavation Co. Tara Gauthier, an archaeologist with the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs, stated that the excavators, along with the
property owner, *were all very helpful, and did their best to do the
right thing. Because of their help we were able to quickly return the
ancestral remains to the ground.*

Beam & Couch showed that companies can work ethically and still
complete their projects in a timely manner, instead of covering up the
discoveries in hopes that will save time and money.  *SHPO wants to
thank the four excavators for having the *right stuff* and doing the
right thing',* said assistant state archaeologist Susan White.


"STUFF" WRITING SOUGHT BY MAGAZINE

For the Summer 2009 issue of Oregon Humanities, the Oregon Council for
the Humanities is seeking essays and articles on the theme of "stuff."
Its editors are especially interested in writing that explores the
conflicts between consumerism and American culture: How do we use stuff
as proxies that explain who we are? What can we learn from historical
and artistic representations of American consumer culture? Is shopping a
patriotic act that keeps America's economy afloat?
  
All forms of nonfiction writing, including scholarly essays, personal
essays, and journalistic articles. Currently the magazine is distributed
to 12,000 readers. Essays from Oregon Humanities have been reprinted in
the Pushcart Prize anthology and the Utne Reader.
 
If you are interested in contributing to this issue, you can
familiarize yourself with Oregon Humanities and review its writers'
guidelines read more about the planned summer issue at the OCH website
at www.oregonhum.org The deadline for proposals and drafts is Jan. 20.
Send submissions to Kathleen Holt, Editor, Oregon Humanities magazine,
Oregon Council for the Humanities, 813 SW Alder St., Suite 702,
Portland, OR, 97205, or kholt at oregonhum.org  No phone calls, please.
 

OREGON HISTORY TO BE SUMMED UP IN 10 MINUTES

"10,000 Years of Oregon History Abridged in 10 Minutes" is the title of
one of the activities and presentations that will take place Dec. 19-23
at Mission Mill Museum as part of its 9th annual "Magic at the Mill."

Living history and entertainment are planned for the five days from
5:30-8 p.m. Living history actors will portray people who lived and
worked at the Willamette Mission
or at the Thomas Kay Wooden Mill, including Chloe Clark Wilson and
Fanny Kay Bishop. Kylie Pine will present the Oregon history
abridgement.

For more information, a more detailed schedule of the events each
evening, and/or contact information of performers and activities, call
503-585-7012 or visit the Mission Mill Museum website at
http://www.missionmill.org 

Mission Mill Museum is a non-profit, five acre, historical museum that
preserves and interprets two homes from the 1841 Methodist Mission
Station in Salem, the 1847 home of the Oregon Trail traveling John D.
Boon Family, the oldest Presbyterian Church in the Pacific Northwest,
and the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill established in 1889.  It is located at
1313 Mill St., Salem.  
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Oregon Heritage News is a service of the Oregon Heritage Commission,
which can be contacted at heritage.info at state.or.us