Mr. Tie Dye

After a short spell of selling books and creating tie dye goods, a craft learned by way of a purchased kit, sales of the books had slowed but the tie dye was decent. Word of mouth had spread and Carl McClellan was in the business, as they say.

The tie dye business started in Pendelton, and expansion into La Grande followed a couple of years later.

But he had no working title, no company name. Sure, a few had come to mind. And his friends had suggested a couple. But none were really right.

A teacher friend had asked McClellan to instruct a class on the tie dye art and its methods. The kids in the class had a hard time saying the tie dye instructors name.

"Mr. Tie Dye," came a little voice. "Can you help me Mr. Tie Dye?" And then another. Soon, the class was calling McClellan MR. TIE DYE. He had found a name.

Mr Tie Dye began the adventurous, multi-splashed journey in northeast Oregon. After running a couple of small tie dye stores in the sparsely populated corner of the state, McClellan brought the art to the Willamette Valley. Selling in various "Saturday Market" type venues, and creating a fan base, proved successful.

Publicity in the valley, and a continuing spread of reputation, has McClellan working full time. Mr Tie Dye's reputation has led to community gigs and out of state ventures that keep that word-of-mouth an ongoing conversation.

The success is founded in the expressive quality of McClellan's inventory. Mr. Tie Dye the brand, has built a devoted and persistently growing fan base. Learning the trade and its artistic infinity, has enabled McClellan to generate revenue without a "brick and mortar" store. Inventory on Etsy and other social media helps, but the word of mouth goes beyond customers. They tell their friends...and they tell their friends. And, and and, and and.

Mr Tie Dye on ETSY

Mr Tie Dye has attended conventions in South Dakota and Utah, and done presentations at Warm Springs Reservation and Western Oregon State College. In addition to the Etsy store, the multi-colored business sells on The Mountain, a well-known tee shirt company and "green" retailer.

McClellan also focuses on teaching the craft to anybody who is interested. Classes and forums are part of the artistic process and Mr Tie Dye uses those outlets to stay in tune with the medium. Schools, clubs, private groups, and seminars are available, and encouraged.

Mr Tie Dye with the Rolling Stones Lips Tie Dye

The "old days" of Saturday Markets is over for McClellan, saying "The focus now is mostly on custom orders." Mr Tie Dye has managed to stay fairly busy during the recession and business is growing every day.

Growth brings challenges. "I love a challenge," said McClellan. From sun-glass wearing guitar pics to one woman who wanted "hearts on my butt", Mr Tie Dye has it covered. Anything is possible, even Converse All-Stars tie dyed by McClellan. And that only spurs more requests. People see the quality of the product and the care invested into the art, and they ask for more.

The colorful array of merchandise available through Mr Tie Dye ranges from the typical t-shirt to shoe-laces, bandanas, sheets, tapestries, socks, shoes, hoodies, dresses, ties, and just about anything else that one could think of.

Since 2004, McClellan has chased the artistic depths of tie dye, and his goal is satisfaction. If you would like a Mr Tie Dye product, or would like to set up a class, that is always available upon request. Carl McClellan is Mr Tie Dye, at carl@mrtiedye.com , 503-569-5832.

Super Cool Converse All-Star Chuck Taylor's

What is The Electoral College?

The election is over(YAY!!), and we know who is America's leader is for the next 4 years. Voters have tallied their ballots for that result, but do we really know how that vote was interpreted? The Electoral College manages the vote for President. But how?

It is not a college at all, but rather a process to elect The President of the United States of America. The Electoral Vote consists of 538 possible votes for President, and is based on votes in the U.S. Congress- 435 for Representatives and 100 for Senators(2 in each state), and 3 votes for the District of Columbia.

Essentially, the popular vote in a state is tallied, and upon that result, the electors vote based on those popular results. Each party on a state's ballot has electors, who as a rule, act faithfully in respect to the popular vote. Most states operate the process as "winner take all", meaning if a candidate wins the popular vote in a particular state, the candidate gets all of the Electoral votes for that state.

Two states, Maine and Nebraska, employ the "Congressional" method of allocating those elector votes. The Congressional method selects an elector from each Congressional District(popular vote) and has two electors based on statewide popular vote.

The procedure itself was implemented by the Founding Fathers at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. After a lengthy debate, study, and brainstorming, the founders signed into law the use of "Electors" to elect a President.

The main reasons for this kind of vote are two-fold. The first reason was about shortcomings of the popular vote, those being discrepancies in voter population. The south had many more slaves than the north and therefore would be at a disadvantage in a popular vote. The other reason was general population, as the founders wanted equal representation and did not want a more populated state to have unequal manipulative power.

The states have differing methods of electing electors. Some are elected prior to the parties' conventions, some by popular vote, and others nominated by the party itself. The electors are essentially required to vote as the population did, and some states have laws and consequences regarding a faithful vote from electors.

Electoral Map

In the map above, notice the split-up votes for Maine and Nebraska. The circled votes are Congressional votes.

So, as you can see, America votes democratically at the state level and uses a representative to vote federally. That process is what is called The Electoral College.

LBCC Sex Offenders: Predators Among Kids, A Look At Predators Among Us

Sex Offenders

Linn Benton Community College(LBCC) and Oregon State University(OSU) are similar to society in that they both have sex offenders in their midst.

Society runs its daily schedule much like a clock. The clock is always moving forward in time without bias to time, and people moving ahead are also caught in time, moving forward. Society sees what it wants to see as it moves its feet one after another to pursue a grasp of its goals and visions.  In that pursuit of happiness, predatory sex offenders are integrated into that motion of the clock, living among us. Sometimes…those offenders are undetected.

It is not the subject of the day. Nobody wants to talk about predatory sex offenders. Certainly discussion about those offenders living in neighborhoods, working at jobs, and going to schools- is not wanted conversation.

It is needed, however.

How safe is the general public? How safe are the public’s children? Who provides that safety? Can society help that process? And at places like LBCC and OSU, can sex offenders be integrated as well? These are questions that deserve answers.


Supervision
 
In Linn County Oregon, the Parole & Probation Office supervises the county’s 250 convicted sex offenders. About 20 of those are classified as predatory. The office goal and agenda is two-fold. The main objective is to provide public safety through not only monitoring, but rehabilitation of the offender. Lie detector tests, sobriety screening, and personal check-ups help Linn Parole to increase society’s safety. The lie detector tests help to keep provisions such as no alcohol or drugs, no internet, no bars/taverns, and no areas of children- adhered to by the offender. The tests are efficient in providing accountability and rules. And the general rules regarding the offender’s daily life, are tailored to public safety. Meaning , if the parole officer thinks a particular place is a problem, then that environment is restricted.

Counseling and check-ins with the parole office also help to keep the offender from re-violating.

Continuously supervised offenders are less likely to re-offend, and statistics show about "a 2 to 3% occurrence of sex offenders re-offending" under this type of non-stop supervision, Linn Parole employee Maureen Robb said.

Another focus of the parole office is to create awareness, in the public, AND in Law Enforcement. The parole office sends out “Alerts” to public entities such as local police, schools, and places where large groups of children or potential victims may congregate. The idea is to help the public increase awareness of social atmosphere, and to help law enforcement monitor offenders.


O.S.U. & LBCC Offenders Cause Concern

In October, KATU News and local newspapers ran stories about an offender named Christopher Wacek, a listed predator on the state website, who is employed at Oregon State University(OSU). The two articles in the local newspapers were summary articles plucked from the AP wire, and were very vague. The KATU broadcast of the story, interviewed a few employees and an administrator from OSU, and did not interview anyone involved with Wacek's supervision. KATU reported Wacek's status and employment at OSU as well as OSU staff concerns regarding Wacek.

Linn County Parole & Probation, and Wacek himself, are exceptional examples of successful supervision. Wacek's crime was 20 years back, and Wacek has not re-offended or violated any terms of his parole. "You have to not want to re-offend," said Wacek. Although the public should be aware of Wacek, society should also be aware of the offender treatment and supervision, and of the little threat that Wacek poses to society. And that Wacek seems committed to a better existence. "Wacek is not considered a threat," said Ric Bergy, Director of Linn County Parole & Probation.

During Fall Term 2012-13 at Linn Benton Community College in Albany Oregon, a number of those alerts were visible to the school’s faculty, student body, and security personnel. "Communication with the parole office helps us stay informed," LBCC Safety Office Manager  Marcene Olson said. Awareness and communication is paramount to successful integration of offenders into society’s daily grind. Those alerts are posted publicly as flyers, and emails of the flyer and relevant info, are mailed to students and faculty. LBCC has a 9 person security unit, with 6 of those being security guards, Olson added.

The LBCC Campus Security Office keeps a list on record, of sex offenders who are registered students, employees, and local threats. The communication with the parole office allows the LBCC Security team to assess risk, provide a safety plan, and monitor the sex offenders. The Security Office then implements a dialogue with those offenders to keep them “on track” and focused on continual rehab. That communication includes mapping the campus and avoiding trouble spots, detailing school policies, and once-a-month conferences.


Awareness

The public’s perception of returning offenders to society after the prison sentence is one of distaste, anger, misinformation, paranoia, and vigilantism. It is not so odd to have a sort of reluctance to having a predator sex offender at a school where children attend. Your children. But the fact is that more often than not, the people in charge of safety- provide good safety. The inter-agency communication and alerts to the public, make both the offender and potential victim aware of circumstances involving public safety.

The term "predator" is applied by the state to classify the risk of certain offenders. This assessment is mostly based on offender history, but can include a wider scope. The risk associated with a one- time statutory offender is less than a repeat offender who targets 8 year old children. That classification is essential for public awareness, even when an offender has completed treatment, prison, and probation.

Public awareness is the key. Good examples of this are “neighborhood watch” coalitions that employ many pairs of eyes and ears to help “police” the streets where they live. It is no secret that group-sourced projects are successful in society. When people get together for a common and agreed cause, one that benefits society, the success of those causes multiplies. In theory, if the entire population of a college campus were aware of a predator on that campus, the efficiency in keeping the campus safe would exponentially rise.

If a victim is unaware, that victim is a target. Why is that? The potential victim in this situation is not conscious of surroundings or behavior that risks safety(campus at night, etc..), and becomes a liability to personal and social safety.

If the public is not aware, then it is useless in the constructive management of offenders, because now the general public has zero information about the offender. That, theoretically, creates an unsafe environment and lends power to temptation. How can society help maintain quality of safety without knowledge of potential threats? It cannot. Knowledge is gold in the safety arena. Awareness of one’s surroundings is liberating in the sense that nothing catches one off guard. As a society, the public should always be prepared for adversity. Knowledge, preparation, and common sense are the best tools to protect society’s investment into the future.

Why is public awareness so important in the face of outstanding supervision?

Obviously, public discussion on the topic of sex offenders, is paramount to a week’s worth of dental surgery. Nobody wants that. The problem is, of course, that a root canal won’t harm society’s children. The idea of discussing sex offenders and their crimes is creepy and disgusting. These crimes ruin lives and crush hearts. But the braveness of discussion can only help the status quo, because if society leaves the supervision up to the professionals, peak efficiency in combating re-offenses is lost. And let’s not assume that those supervisors do not make mistakes.


Minimizing Mistakes

In the human inter-change of supervision, communication and supervision, is not always achieved. Mistakes have, and will, be made. Some disclosures get lost. Mail does not get delivered. And some in the field simply believe that it is “solely” law enforcement’s task to “police” the offender. These kinds of supervisors have little or no faith in the public's help, and that can be counter-effective, as most are aware that many pairs of eyes are better than just one pair.

LBCC has 18 registered sex offenders as students. Some are listed as “Predatory” by the State Police Sex Offender Website. And some facts concerning these offenders were unknown to some of the LBCC Security Staff.
 
Sometimes as a society, comfortable conditions can breed mediocre performance.
         
The reasons for these lapses are general  ignorance. The fact is that most of society does not want to risk the interaction with such violent, violating crimes. They cannot be blamed, but rather, they should be educated- and informed. But when a law enforcement entity has that same ignorance and mediocrity, lives are at risk. No matter how small that risk, an assessment is in order. The best way to do this is to change society’s behavior towards sex offenders as neighbors. When both the public and law enforcement, join an “open” agenda of awareness, education, rehabilitation, and supervision- only then do we have peak efficiency in protecting citizens.

When law enforcement adopts a lazy approach to continued supervision, public interest is not served. Professionals are not above accountability. Accepting that accountability has been Linn County  Parole & Probation’s driving force in their success.

LBCC Security has had the same kind of success. Sex offender crime on campus is virtually a non-issue, which is a credit to the office and past success. But in the last few months, exposed lapses in supervision warrant a review of policy and mechanics. In no way should a security staff member at any college ever be unaware of an offender or an offender’s risk to campus safety. LBCC Security reported 18 offenders on campus and that none were predators. Yet, in fact, more than one is listed on the Oregon State Offender site as a Predator Sex Offender. And at least one was on the state list but was not on LBCC's list of offenders.

Part of the response in defense of “minimal public policing” and public awareness, is that the public is more vigilante than productive support. That is simply not true. Does the concern have any validity? Maybe, in a very few instances of vigilantism, and even some basic civil rights violations. But the reality is, when education and information is available, society benefits in a positive and assertive way.

In a macro study of the field, vigilantism is a non-factor.  The fact is this, an educated and informed public body, is aware of the successes of sex offender therapy, and of law enforcement’s diligence in preventing re-offenses. And society can only help to reach perfection in that regard, if possible. Perfection is ZERO re-offenses.

The offenses by some of those 18 offenders registered as LBCC students is alarming. In the face of good supervision, striving for the best supervision should be society's goal, as well as law enforcement's priority. If a student at any college campus has multiple convictions for violent and disturbing sex crimes, regardless of that offender's supervision- the public should be informed.

One of the LBCC offenders is Richard Aldridge. His status was unknown to Security. If the public was informed, and the Security office diligent in its approach to information- LBCC students receive a safer education experience. One mistake has the potential to be catastrophic, and that is simply unnecessary and unacceptable.

Keep in mind that Linn County Parole and the LBCC Safety Office were both involved in Aldridge's registration at the college, but somewhere communication broke down. Fixing that breach of student confidence can be addressed rather easily by accepting facts and addressing solutions.

Sometimes, when confronted with offender questions, the public is extreme in its response. The public either wants to see the offender hanging from a tree, or the public questions the very topic of offenders. A more "critical thinking" approach is needed. Education and information is relevant. Rhetoric is not.


Safety Risk

Generally, the risk to the public is somewhat low. But risk is risk. When integrating sex offenders back into society, managing that risk is essentially managing life. The more involved one is, the better chances at successful co-existence with convicted sex offenders. When the public has relevant information, and the public acts responsibly- only then can society increase awareness and safety. Education about risk is essential to this cause.

Do not ignore that risk or its management.

Are you willing to take that chance with your child’s safety? Are you willing to take ANY chance with that safety?

The LBCC Courtyard Clock ticks towards the weekend, as fall colored leaves dominate.

At Oregon State University, students enjoy October outdoors.

Albany Writers Network, Albany Oregon

On a typically cool and damp and already dark October evening, I soaked my feet inside the worn-out laceless faded blue sneakers, as I walked the half mile or so to the Albany Writers Network once-a-month-for-twenty-years meeting.

Writers from all strands of life, meet to share their writing passion with each other as a group. All ages are encouraged to attend the meeting at Ray's Market in North Albany. I met with the group at their October meeting and have to say, the stories were fantastic. The half dozen or so members that made it out on such a normal autumn night took turns reading to the group. Meetings generally last an hour and a half and everyone is encouraged to read a bit of writing that they like. Coffee is on tap, as standard as the literature. This is their story.

The network has a number of leaders- responsible for different tasks.

The club's facillitator, Evedene Bennet read from a book called "Between Us", by Thrity Umrigar. The short but savvy reading offered critical thought to the general reader, encouraging reading and writing as a social medium. Bennet is the group leader and contact, and one of Bennet's published(paid) writings appeared in P.I. Magazine.

Another in the group, teacher Dinaz Rogers, read a personal Haiku. The poetry was alive with emotion and vivid scenes, in just a scant handful of words. Her enthusiasm is not only palpable, but rather contagious- as all that were present seemed to share that fervor for good writing.

Henry and Shirley Pollak, a married couple that attend regularly, read as well. Shirley Pollak read from a story her husband brought, written by her sister. The story, "Thunder and Mud", told a family upbringing tale of parenting, sibling influence, and heartwarming drama- brought to life with Shirley Pollak's sister's writing, and her husband's voice.

Henry Pollak reads "Thunder and Mud".

The group meets in North Albany on Wednesday nights 7 P.M.(Tuesday for the November gathering) at the Conference Room in Ray's Market. Club readings include all genres, from poetry and documentary- to biography and fiction. Readings are not too long, so everyone has a turn.

For 20 years the Albany Writer's Network has been regularly meeting. And on Wednesday nights at that. The meeting usually consists of a group circle that takes turns reading from a personal choice. Sometime, more often than not, a conversation will follow the reading. In November the network of writers(and readers) will try Tuesday evening, and that may continue into the new year. Check the Democrat-Herald for info.

Sometimes a speaker is present and "one time we had Hasso speak to the group," said Bennet. Hasso Hering was the long-time editor of the Albany Democrat Herald. Other times they meet at the Albany Library and just recently a few members attended an "open mic" at the library.

"The excitement one night was an ambulance," said Henry Pollak. But it wasn't actually needed, Pollak added.

Generally, the membership is local, with its furthest commuter from Scio. But all writers are always welcome. The smallish group does enjoy the coziness however, and members are good friends. The group celebrates Christmas together and sometimes gathers in the summer for the standard barbeque.

The Albany Writers Network, on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, is open to anyone and new literature enthusiasts are always encouraged. Bring some writing that you would like to read. A favorite author...or your own writing.

Albany Veteran's Parade 2012: Faces & Flags

 

 

                                              

 

 

 

                                                                             

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From myself, and everybody I know...THANK-YOU to all Veterans.