CTE – Investing in our Future
Over the past few decades we’ve seen a steady decline in career and technical education (CTE) in our schools. From wood working to auto shop, classes that teach vocational skills have fallen by the wayside as cash-strapped schools increasingly focus on preparing kids to pass mandatory tests in the core humanities and sciences. While these […]
The Spirit of Giving Isn’t Seasonal at Hampton
The year is coming to a close and the holidays are upon us. For many, it is a time of giving and warmth and bounty in food and gifts. It is also a time when the unmet needs of many in our communities are at the forefront of our thoughts. In reality, people are in need […]
Collaboration is the name of the game
The concept of forest collaboratives for federal forest lands was established by Congress five years ago in the hopes that diverse local stakeholder groups could come together to find ways to restore ecological, economic, and social sustainability in rural communities where federal forest land is prominent. Many local rural groups have been working collaboratives for […]
We’ve got the family in our family-owned business!
Family-owned businesses may be the oldest form of business organization. A family-owned business may be defined as any business in which two or more family members are involved and the majority of ownership or control lies within a family. Farms were an early form of family business in which private life and work life were […]
Now, more than ever, we need strong state leaders
Here’s a short quiz for those interested in the future of Oregon: What would you guess is the critical focus of the Oregon Legislature during its first weeks of a new session? A. A failing education system that has an abysmal K-12 graduation rate and no world-class universities? B. Rural and child poverty rates that […]
Hampton 2014: The Art of Giving
With 2014 coming to a close and the holidays upon us, it makes me think of what I have to be thankful for… and I have a lot to be thankful for. High on my list is working for a company that has so many people who think of other people first. Our sawmill employees […]
Throw Oregon’s rural economy under the bus to make a point?
I love the excitement expressed earlier this month by the Portland Tribune’s editorial boardfor Intel Corp’s plan to invest $100 billion in Washington County over 30 years. It gives me a thrill to know that an important portion of our state’s economy is making such a commitment. However, I am dismayed that the editorial board […]
Tooting your own horn or just the facts?
How do I communicate the good things happening in an organization for which I have leadership responsibility without sounding like I am patting myself on the back? It is really not that hard because most of the charitable activity goes on without any input or impetus from me. The forest products industry takes a bad […]
It’s all in the water…
Water quality is topic that catches the attention of a variety of folks. Oregon is unique in the U.S. with its approach to water quality: strong land use planning, science-based forest practices, and an army of local volunteers working on habitat restoration makes our state different. Oregon Forest Resource Institute (“OFRI”), created by the Legislature […]
Senator Wyden’s O&C Timber Bill
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on Senator Wyden’s O&C timberlands legislation earlier this month, a bill which the Senator introduced late last year and couched with, “Nobody will get all they want. Nobody will get all they think they deserve, but everyone will get what they need.” Testimony at the […]
