—3— Book Club: Mining environmental havoc As a follow-up to the RAPS program speaker Michael Munk, we read The Portland Red Guide: Sites & Stories of Our Radical Past. This book is a tour guide of places in Portland linked to local radicals and their activities. It gave us a glimpse into a unique Portland history of which most of us were unaware. Our book club will be hosted on June 17 at 1:30 p.m. by Felicia Wertz at 1125 SW St. Clair Ave., Portland. Call her at 503-227-7902 to RSVP and for directions. We will discuss Coal River written by Michael Shnayerson. This nonfiction book is described by Publishers Weekly: Through vivid first-person reporting and a thorough culling of court transcripts, newspaper clippings and corporate reports, Vanity Fair contributing editor Shnayerson (The Killers Within) has crafted an incriminating indictment of the Appalachian King Coal industry in West Virginia, and of the man he defines as its rapacious kingpin, Massey Energy’s CEO, Don Blankenship. The author’s sympathies lie clearly with opponents of mountaintop mining, most prominently young attorney Joe Lovett and citizen activist Judy Bonds. Both have fought against a form of mining that shears off the tops of hills and dumps rubble into valleys and streams—a process abetted by the collusion of the state’s often-lackadaisical Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ propensity to grant stream-destroying permits without oversight, and the easing of environmental controls by the Bush administration. Shnayerson’s compelling take on toxic mining methods, and their heartrending impact on Appalachian inhabitants and their culture, has a wider focus than Erik Reece’s 2006 title, Lost Mountain, which reported on one mountaintop’s destruction, and strong echoes of the stomach-churning legal machinations recounted in Jonathan Harr’s 1995 bestseller, A Civil Action. We have not yet selected books and meeting places for the rest of the summer. Contact Mary Brannan at brannanmg@comcast.net or 503-239-1077 for the summer schedule. —Mary Brannan RAPS club reports PAST TENSE Forbes becomes first woman vice president After receiving her baccalaureate in nursing from the University of New Mexico in 1960 and her M.S. in nursing from OHSU in 1966, Orcilia Forbes began her career in university administration as assistant director of Student Health Services at Portland State University. In 1975 she was appointed to the position of dean of students. Then, in 1978, President Joseph Blumel took the bold step of changing her appointment to vice president for Student Affairs, which required specific approval by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education. This gave her the honor of being the first female vice president in the Oregon State System of Higher Education. After an exemplary career at PSU, she resigned to accept the post of vice president for student affairs at the University of New Mexico in 1989. She retired from her final university position, vice president for advancement at Oregon State University, in 2003. She now lives in Portland’s Pearl District. Past Tense features glimpses into Portland State’s history. To submit a story (or an idea for one), email the RAPS History Preservation Committee at raps@pdx.edu. continued on page 4 Hikers: Get ready for summer hikes The May hike to North Columbia Slough was wet with a constant drizzle. Although most of the birds weren’t out, we still saw three Great Blue Herons plus some other water and songbirds. The Fourth Friday hike schedule is: June 27—Mosier Tunnels along the old Columbia River Highway. Lunch in Mosier. July 25—Lewis River east of Cougar. Four waterfalls, 5.6 miles out and back. Approximately 200foot elevation change. Sack lunch. August 22—Salmon Creek Greenway just north of Vancouver. Paved level trail along creek. Six-mile loop or three-mile with car shuttle. Lunch in Vancouver. September 26—“Stub” Stewart State Park. Oregon’s newest full-service park on the Banks-toVernonia rail line. Walk park trails. Sack lunch. Because this is the last RAPS Sheet of the academic year, contact Larry Sawyer for more details on these hikes. Regular hikers will receive updates and reminders by e-mail. Please confirm your participation by the Thursday before the hike to Larry Sawyer (503771-1616 or larry_sawyer@comcast.net). —Larry Sawyer Orcilia Forbes
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