Oregon Books

"Cody's Guide to Oregon's South Coast" is a CD-Rom that provides a series of 23 maps and over 1,100 color photographs of over one hundred miles of Oregon's South Coast from Bullards Beach State Park to the California state line. "Cody," in this case, is J. Cody Couch, a native of the area whose Internet marketing day job does not stop him from combining his love of hiking and photography in this guide to his native environs.

When you start up this CD-Rom, which you can use on a Windows PC without any installation, you start off by zooming in on one of the 13 areas defined by overlapping boxes on "The Big Picture." Doing this will take you to a corresponding map that provides more detail and there are some additional sub-maps where appropriate. The maps provided include: Bullards Beach State Park, Bandon State Park to Floras Lake State Park Map, Cape Blanco Area, Port Orford Town, Gold Beach Area, Otter Point State Recreation Site, Brookings-Harbor, and Harris Beach State Recreation Area. By purchasing "Cody's Guide" you get the right to print up the maps to use when you go check out these locations on your own.

Each of the detailed maps have blue arrow icons which mark photo locations: when you put your mouse on the icon (there are over 400 of them) it will tell you the photo caption and then you can click on the icon to see the color photograph taken at that spot. Many of the icons will take you to pages in the middle of a photo-series, which is how you get to the rest of the over 1,100 photographs. The photographs all have captions; just enough to provide key details without being overly informative.

Everything is really interconnected on this CD-Rom, so there are lots of ways of getting from one part to another. If you actually go to the Table of Contents, instead of plunging right in, you will find sections on How to Use Cody's Guide; Composite Photos; Flora & Fauna; Places to See; Printable Maps; Rocks, Islands & Reefs; Signs; and Web Links.

The inclusion of all the Signs is interesting (there is everything from "Fresh Sea Food" to "Messy Activities Prohibited"), but if you have ever tried to follow directions that involve looking for signs then actually getting to see the sign would be helpful. The one on Rocks, Islands & Reefs is key because as you look through the photographs of these various sites you will quickly see that these are the main attractions along Oregon's South Coast. I also like the photographs of the lighthouses. However, the section on Flora and Fauna is limited to what Cody happened to capture with his camera when he was out and about; the section is not intended as a real guide, but rather as an indication of what you might see on a trip. Besides, you would want to be lugging around a book not a lap top computer when you are out hiking around these areas.

As Cody explains on the back of the jewel case, you can use this guide either to plan your next trip to this area or you can simply enjoy a tour in the comfort of your own home. I was tempted to say that once you watch "Cody's Guide to Oregon's South Coast" there is no reason to go there, but that is not really the case. I am going out to the northern part of the state this summer and driving down the coast to see some of these sites in the south certainly is appealing to me, especially Coquille Point and the Brookings Area.

The format of this CD-Rom is both interesting and effective and I can see how it could be used for capturing all sorts of locations around the world. Of course, for all I know there could be similar projects like this devoted to anything from the Everglades to Westminster Abbey, but I have not seen anything like this before so I get to be impressed at this point. Where "Cody's Guide" would be different from similar CD-Roms is that it is clearly a labor of love that should provide a nice boost to tourism in this region.

COLEGIO CESAR CHAVEZ documents the founding and brief existence of the college that once existed in Mt. Angel, a town about 12 miles north of Oregon's capital city of Salem. "Colegio César Chávez" was, in its day, the only four-year Chicano college in the United States. Colegio César Chávez was years in the planning, but it stayed open only long enough to graduate about one class of students. Maldonado demonstrates how Colegio was destined for failure, and was even referred to by some as "the longest running death in history." He says that Colegio should be studied for its opportunity to provide future colleges with a guidebook of pitfalls and how to avoid them.

The obstacles Colegio faced were many. Colegio was a college-without-walls organization, which meant students met with teachers whenever they wanted and many students did not even attend classes on site but were correspondence students (some from as far away as New York and Canada) and therefore little sense of campus community was formed. Another problem was the apathy, and at times distain, of the local community - largely a farming community - for a college named after a man considered by many farmers to be a rabble-rouser; Maldonado argues that if Colegio had been founded in either California or a state in the South West - where the Mexican community is most vibrant - it may've succeeded. Yet another problem Colegio faced was the wave of political conservativism of the 1980s and what the author refers to as the collapse of the "Chicano" movement. And to top it off, the staff of Colegio was too small, too inexperienced, too over-worked, and eventually succumbed to infighting. After reading about the tortured history of this innovative idea, I was left thinking that longevity was perhaps not the true goal of Colegio's founders. I think the founders wanted simply to make a statement to the larger community in the Willamette Valley, and Oregon as a whole, the statement that they had a voice and mattered. Colegio may have closed its doors, but the statement was made.

On a personal note, I am thankful that Mr. Maldonado wrote this book about Colegio because it helped me understand an aspect of my life history: my family and I lived on the campus of Colegio -my father, Arthur Olivo, was the grounds keeper of the college and he tutored some of the students - for the last two years of the college's existence. Over the years I have thought a lot about Colegio and had many unanswered questions (and since my father's death in 2001, Colegio has come to be, in my mind at least, a symbol of my father). Mr. Maldonado answered many of the questions I had.

COLEGIO CESAR CHAVEZ will be of interest to those with a strong interest in all aspects of the "Chicano" movement, César Chávez, and Mexican American history in the Pacific Northwest and specifically in the state of Oregon. Such readers would most likely also be interested in the book NOSTOROS: THE HISPANIC PEOPLE OF OREGON which contains a subsection about Colegio César Chávez. I didn't know at the time (I was only six-years-old when my family and I moved from the campus) that I was living through a part of Chicano history, and I am honored to know that I did. I'm very happy to know that a book has been published about Colegio and that others will come to know about my former home.

Ms. Schlick is the uncontested expert on native American basketry of the Columbia Plateau (eastern Washington and Oregon) and she knows and has the admiration of many--perhaps all--of the current weavers. Her book finally puts a face and name on the creators of the baskets and sees them as individual artists. I can't believe this book has been allowed to go out of print--get it while you can.

It used to be that forests were the concerns of government and big business. But it has become impossible to separate forests from we the people of the United States. For there are people whose well-being depends upon being able to visit forests. That's one of the big ways the Forest Service makes money. It's not just about keeping the forests safe for the trees. It's not just about keeping endangered species and wildlife safe. It's also about keeping forests picturesque for people who want to see all our beautiful native and naturally diverse heritage among the trees. There are others who live in forests. Over the past 15-20 years, people have been moving into what Virginia Tech advanced master gardening calls the urban-wildland interface. That means they live among trees, whether that be along city outskirts, in countryside woodlands or close to our forests and parks. Finally, there are still others who make their living from forests. It's not just big business. It's ordinary taxpayers who make their small-scale livings as loggers, mushroom and berry gatherers, and brush pickers.

Editors Robert G Lee and Donald R Field say this has had a definite impact. The impact of COMMUNITIES AND FORESTS can be clearly seen WHERE PEOPLE MEET THE LAND. Forests have changed. We've changed the way we look at forests. And hopefully so will forest science and forest management. Forests can't be managed without people values coming into the picture. They're not just sources of wood and wood products. They're settings for home, play and work. For example, the forests of our upper lake states are known as beautiful, tree-filled wildlife settings for people to visit and for retirees and seasonal residents to build homes. Recreation and residence needs are as important as resource demands. Seeing just like big business and government won't build up local communities. Instead, it'll be taking into account community well-being, forest conservation and forest product sales.

For the best decisions about forests should come from the pooled opinions of forest workers, forest residents, forest product customers, forest managers, and forest lovers. But is it possible and practical for government and big business to co-operate with people and workers? The Canadian government thinks so. It's trying shared decision-making of the country's forests with communities whose livelihood and well-being depend on trees. The US government doesn't copycat. So it's sponsoring the National Community Forestry Center. That Center helps community forestry efforts of organizations outside the government.

The book is well-organized. There's a good index. The contributing witers have filled their chapters with supportive examples and complete references. Realistic solutions are as well covered as the problems. In some places, the wording is a bit academic. But the overall message sounds clear throughout.

I've not been disappointed with any of the books I've read in the Compass Guides series. This book, like the rest, is written by a very knowledgeable native.

I used this beautiful and informative book to plan a fabulous Yamhill County, Oregeon wine tasting day with friends. The book had wonderful, accurate information about an incredible number of Oregon wineries. I am pretty fussy about wine and go tasting frequently in California. The authors of this book gave great recommendations and the wineries we picked based upon their endorsements were all top-notch. No disappointments! We left the book with our friends in Oregon, but I am buying another copy to keep at home to use for navigating the Oregon section of our local wine stores. One caveat: the authors find something nice to say about every winery they review, and they cover a lot of them. So, if you are looking for a great pinot, and the review for a particular winery focuses on the lovely garden, you may want to visit elsewhere!

Fred Lockley's compilation of interviews with Northwest pioneer men gives a rare glimpse and frequently humorous twist into the lives of those who participated in the westward expansion during the mid-1800's.

As a compliation of oral history, it gives a picture of the western territories (California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho) from those who emigrated on the Oregon Trail. Outlaws, lynchings, gambling, indian skimishes, military operations, economics, gold mines, disease and life on the trail are all part of these unedited stories.

While told from a pioneer perspective, the stories themselves clearly outline the conflicts that arose in the struggle for land, culture and natural resources that ensued during the migration.

This book would be a great supplement to the teaching of this period of history. Many of the stories contain events that could be used by teachers or parents to facilitate discussion of current world events.

We read the book to our grade school boys and had no difficulty keeping their attention, which speaks volumes for the book!

Overall, an entertaining read!

This was a fun read with lots of accurate historical information. The pictures are fascinating and if you know the area you will find it very enjoyable.

Mallett's local history on the migration to and settlement of the Gresham, Oregon area. Spans the 1850's into the 1970's. Families such as Powell, Brown, Cathey, Akin, Duvall, Hall, Metzger, Johnson, Sherwood, and Hessell are discussed. Trade paperback, over 50 illustrations.

Once again, these diaries and letters of the "Covered Wagon Women" series detail the extraordinary stamina of early day pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail.
The year 1852 not only had the heaviest trail traffic westward, but it was also rife with hundreds of human cholera deaths. As Parthenia Blank solemnly relates, "it makes it seem very gloomy to us to see so many of the emigrants buried on the plains". At the end of her journey, Martha Read had counted 750 graves, "but I suppose that a small part, for there were so many campt off from the road and buried their dead".
Life on the trail also took its toll on livestock. Martha Read further notes the tally of "600 dead cattle and 50 horses" from "hollow horn"(anthrax), alkali water, poisonous plants, "want of good care", little food, lack of foot care, etc.
Even in the early stages while crossing the Iowa River, Polly Coon is quoted as saying, "What a brittle thread has life and how uncertain that another moment is ours" after witnessing three men drowning during the river fording.
Seventeen year old Abigail Jane Scott's lengthy diary is complete not only of daily routines, observations of the countryside and the many hardships associated with trail life, but also the vivid and harrowing descriptions of the deaths of her mother and brother during the journey. She further says, "If it wasn't for hope, the heart would fail".
Editing by Dr. Kenneth Holmes and David Duniway brilliant. Introduction by Dr. Ruth Moynihan excellent.