“In Oregon what comes after two straight days of rain…? Monday!”
- James Cloutier, Orygone 1

Oregon’s 150th Birthday Celebration One Year Away!

Valentine’s Day 2009 is the 150th anniversary of Oregon’s statehood. (Yes, you only have 13 months to figure out how to pronounce “sesquicentennial.”)

In January 2009 the 9-month birthday celebration kicks off with the sale of the US Postal Service’s commemorative stamp (pending Postmaster General approval).

Oregon’s 150th is a time to remember what is great about our state – to celebrate and sustain the Oregon spirit and go confidently forward.

Oregon 150 Honorary Chairman Gov. Theodore R. Kulongoski is asking all Oregonians to become involved. Have your organization join our Official Partners Program (see below) or take part in our signature projects:

Take Care of Oregon Day (May 16, 2009)
Oregon Stories
Youth Legacy Projects
Travel Oregon 150  
The Oregon Dreamers Blog

First Oregon 150 Official Partners Announced

Any organization can become an “Oregon 150 Official Partner” and use the OR 150 logo and website to promote their related activities. Gov. Kulongoski announced the Oregon 150 Official Partnership Program at his ceremonial office last fall.

The Oregon State Fair will be themed around Oregon’s 150th, will your parade or festival? It’s a great marketing opportunity!

To become an official partner, your 2009 project must support the Mission, Vision and Values of Oregon 150.

Vision: Appreciate the past, celebrate the present, imagine the future

Mission: Oregon’s sesquicentennial will inspire people across the state to remember, experience, and celebrate Oregon and, together, create a robust and sustainable future

Values: The sesquicentennial will involve Oregonians from all walks of life

• All ages, income levels, and ethnic backgrounds
• New and longtime Oregonians
• Rural and urban

 Here are the first OR 150 Partners:

“The Oregon Encyclopedia”
Portland State University & The Oregon Historical Society
www.oregonencyclopedia.org
Portland, Oregon

“The Reconstruction of Fort Umpqua”
Elkton Community Education Center, Inc.
www.elktoncommunityeducationcenter.org
Elkton, Oregon

“City Wide Clean-Up”
Creswell Chamber of Commerce, http://www.creswellchamber.com/
Creswell, Oregon

“Oregon Nikkei History on the Road”
Oregon Nikkei Endowment, http://www.oregonnikkei.org

“Oregon Reads 2009”
Oregon Library Association, www.olaweb.org

“Take Care of the Cemetery Day”
Eugene Masonic Cemetery, www.eugenemasoniccemetery.org
Eugene, Oregon
“The Revitalization of the Finnish Classroom Project”
The Finlandia Foundation, Columbia Pacific Chapter
Project Chairman David Alford, dave3lotae@hotmail.com

“U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sharing Oregon’s History for 150 Years”
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, www.nwp.usace.army.mil

Tell Your Oregon Story

Oregon 150 invites you to share your story about what it means to be an Oregonian.

The sesquicentennial “Oregon Stories” project is a personal invitation to you and your family, friends, community, school, tribe, or company to contribute your favorite stories about life in Oregon, and then share these stories throughout the state.  

All Oregon stories are yours to tell – you can write them, sing them, sew them, photograph them, film them, or paint them.

We’ll take the best stories from every region and share them statewide through radio, television, online and print “Oregon Stories.” As a lasting legacy, all of these Oregon Stories will be stored at the State Archives.

Submit your Oregon Story today – find out how at www.oregon150.org

Corporate Sponsors Step Up

CH2M Hill has made a $25,000 gift to support “Take of Oregon Day,” reports First Lady Mary Oberst, chair of Oregon 150 Development and Business Relations Committee.

Oberst and committee members have completed 30 informational interviews with businesses, foundations, and industry alliances throughout Oregon, which will shape and guide the income strategies and project plans for Oregon 150. 

As of today, we estimate the resource needs to support the statewide Oregon 150 activities at $3 million, with about $1 million for administrative costs and $2 million for our projects.

In other news, Pendleton Woolen Mills is working on sesquicentennial commemorative blankets.

Find out more about Oregon 150 sponsorship opportunities: Email Sharon Leighty at sleighty@oregon150.org or call (541) 408-5060.

A very special THANK YOU to:

• John Russell, for our beautiful office space on the mezzanine level in PacWest Tower across from Portland City Hall.
  
• Wieden & Kennedy, for the OR150 logo and other design work.
• Sokol Blosser Winery for our donated phones.
• CMS Enterprises for installing our phones.
• Communications Done Right for installing our voicemail system.
• David and Paul Parson and Solteri Bakouros for helping us move our office.

Oregon 150 Wish List

Oregon 150 is a 501(c)(3) charity that receives limited funding from State Lottery dollars and depends on private donations.

In addition to the fundraising goals above, here are some other things we need:

• Pro bono PR or web agency to help with the sesquicentennial
• A digital camera
• A digital video camera
• Office chairs for visitors
• Plants for the office
• Kitchen stuff – a coffee maker, thermal carafe, microwave, refrigerator
• File cabinets

150 Official Partner Updates: Events Planned for Oregon’s 149th Birthday

Oregon 150 Official Partner, the Oregon Encyclopedia, officially launches its website on Statehood Day, February 14, 2008, from 5-6:30 p.m. in a public celebration at the Oregon Historical Society. Join sponsors Portland State University and the Oregon Historical Society, and emcee David Sarasohn and Oregon's Poet Laureate Lawson Inada for a virtual tour, music, food and more. Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park Avenue, Portland. Additional info at www.oregon150.org

The Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program has announced “The sesquicentennial Award,” which will be given to 14 Oregon families who have continuously farmed the original family acreage for 150 years or more. Awardees will be honored in a Statehood Day ceremony in Salem on February 14, 2008.  Join the families, legislators, program board members and other friends in recognizing the spirit and endurance of these Oregon family farmers at a ceremony in the Veteran’s Building, 700 Summer Street, N.E. at 12:30 p.m. Reception follows at 1:30 p.m. in the Oregon Department of Agriculture Building, 635 Capitol Street N.E., which is adjacent to the Veteran’s Building.
Additional info: http://www.oregonfb.org/programs/century_farm_ranch.shtml

The Elkton Community Education Center, received a $10,000 grant for the Fort Umpqua replication project. The Fort replication project is expected to cost $100,000, of which $20,000 has been raised. Construction is expected to wrap up in time for the sesquicentennial celebration.

Around the Beaver State

• In preparation for Oregon's 150th birthday celebration in 2009, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are seeking proposals to conserve Oregon's symbolic fish and wildlife species – the western meadowlark, chinook salmon, Oregon swallowtail butterfly and American beaver - and the habitats on which they depend. With key habitats that support these species in decline, OWEB has dedicated $1 million in Oregon Lottery funds for on-the-ground projects to aid in their conservation. "Our state symbols are woven through our history, culture, economy and ecology," said OWEB Executive Director Tom Byler. "We can't think of a greater way to mark this milestone than to help sustain healthy fish, wildlife and habitats for future generations." The money will be made available through a conservation grant process. Find out more at www.dfw.state.or.us/conservationstrategy/oregon_150_grants.asp.
• The Consortium for Public Radio in Oregon, comprising 22 stations,  will produce daily two-minute Oregon Story broadcasts and provide them to all public and commercial radio stations statewide. The stories will be broadcast from September 2008-September 2009. Corporate sponsors are being sought to underwrite the project.
• Oregon State Agencies will soon receive a memo from the Governor’s Office outlining how they should participate in the sesquicentennial.
• The Oregon Education Community, from K-12 through Secondary and Higher Education, is well along in incorporating the 150th into curricula – historical and civics-related – as well as school and campus activities.
• A partnership has been formed between Oregon 150, SOLV, Oregon Volunteers, and the Rural Development Initiative to manage the Take Care of Oregon Day(s) project.
• Need a little inspiration figuring out what to do to commemorate the sesquicentennial in your community? Oregon 150 is preparing a Community Organizing Toolkit to provide you with ideas.
• If you are an Oregon 150 Official Partner, be sure to send your related press releases to us for posting on the press area of our website. Send your releases to info@oregon150.org!

  “You can always tell an Oregon Native…by the moss growing on the north side of his nose.”
             - James Cloutier, The Best of Orygun

Sesquicentennial Announcements

February 2008 Meeting: The Oregon 150 Board invites you to join them at their monthly board meeting on Friday, February 15, at the Mission Mill Museum in Salem, Oregon. If possible, please note the time of day.

First Lady Addresses Association of Oregon Counties: First Lady Mary Oberst addressed the annual meeting of the Association of Oregon Counties on Nov. 15, 2007. She asked ccounties to organize sesquicentennial commissions to help oversee local observance of the commemoration. Contact your local county commission if you want to volunteer!

Pennie Trumbull Hired as Managing Director/Chief Marketing Officer:  Pennie Trumbull started her new position at Oregon 150 on Nov. 12… just in time for the office move!  Since arriving, Pennie has improved the office systems and produced personnel and protocol manuals for Oregon 150.  In her 24 years of marketing and management experience, she has participated at the senior level on several of the largest events in the US, including the 1984 Olympics. Her networking, creativity, project management and motivational experience are truly great assets to Oregon 150.  “I’m excited about working with the Oregon 150 Board and Committees,” she states.  “It’s a tremendous opportunity to connect with all Oregonians throughout the entire state and I want 2009 to be memorable to all.”

Aili Schreiner Promoted to Oregon 150 Project Manager: With Oregon 150 since its inception, Aili now staffs the Oregon Stories signature project. Aili is a graduate of Lewis & Clark College, where she majored in history.

Thank You and Happy New Year!
The Oregon 150 Team

p.s. 400 days until Oregon turns 150!

A direct link to this newsletter is available at www.oregon150.org.