It's hard enough to consider life in a nursing home; the prospect of other people having to take care of us is not comforting. And the prospect of leaving home is that much worse when it potentially includes leaving the community entirely. But that may loom for Humboldt County seniors, as three nursing homes make plans to close in the near future. Linda Stansberry has been covering the issue in the North Coast Journal.

The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument by the state line could expand. The monument, created by presidential order in 2000, protects public lands in a zone where the ecosystems of the Cascade, Klamath and Siskiyou Mountains meet. A proposal to expand the monument by thousands of acres is under consideration in Washington. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and a top official in the Interior Department will take testimony Friday afternoon in Ashland (October 14th).

The recent flaring of concern over racism in our country reminds us that bad days are not that far behind us. Lynchings of black men took place well into the middle of the 20th century. Karlos K. Hill is an expert on the history of lynching and the author of Beyond the Rope: The Impact of Lynching on Black Culture and Memory.

We had a practice a bit just to be able to say the name "Cthulhu." It's a character from a horror story by H.P. Lovecraft... and now the central figure in a musical! With puppets! "Cthulhu: The Musical" is being presented at an Ashland tavern (Oberon's) by the wonderfully named troupe "Puppeteers For Fears."

Southern Oregon's representation in the state legislature was already headed for a big change even before the sudden death of Sen. Alan Bates. Because Rep. Peter Buckley of Ashland had already announced his retirement from the House. Buckley had a huge impact beyond the district, as the chief budget-writer in the House. Pam Marsh of Ashland is the Democrat running to succeed Buckley. Steve Richie is the Republican running (after Alan DeBoer opted to run for Senate instead).

One person's trash is another person's treasure. That is proven frequently by Washed Ashore on the Oregon Coast. The organization takes its name from the plastic and other trash that washes up on the beaches... which artist and Executive Director Angela Haseltine Pozzi turns into art representing sea creatures and scenes. It's a fascinating look at the beings that are threatened by human trash in the oceans.

For a place with a lousy reputation, lots of people want to become members of the U.S. Senate. And four of them want to oust a long-entrenched Oregon incumbent to get there. Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden is running for another six years in the November election. He faces challenges from Republican Mark Callahan, Libertarian Jim Lindsay, Shanti Lewallen of the Working Families Party, and former Ashland city councilor Eric Navickas, running as the Pacific Green Party candidate. They've all got ideas

Most of our trash goes out of sight, out of mind in landfills. But plenty of the world's refuse ends up in waterways, to end up in the ocean. And plastics in the ocean can present hazards to sea creatures and the health of creatures up the food chain. The organization called Algalita is dedicated to studying plastic trash and its effects at sea.

For a guy who is around water a lot, Tim Palmer seems like he's thirsty. But thirsty for more experiences with the beautiful and wild places of the west. Tim is the author of Field Guide to Oregon Rivers, Field Guide to California Rivers, and many other books. He recently weighed in on the Malheur wildlife refuge trial with a column in the Oregonian spelling out his view of the value of public lands (hint: it stays public).

Even in relatively quiet fire seasons like the one just past, you can count on the Klamath National Forest for at least a couple of tough fires. Rugged terrain and hot, dry summers make the Klamath River country highly prone to wildfire. So it should come as no suprise to find people training there now, with an emphasis on prescribed fire. A TREX--Training Exchange--is currently underway, with a focus on protecting communities from wildfire.