Portland State University Professor Catherine Howells teaches a class on Portland's water. She says: "The minute I mention to my students that much of the bottled water in this area comes from the Wilsonville treatment center that gets its water from the Willamette River, they never bring bottled water back into my class." Both industry and environmental sources say bottled water uses millions of plastic bottles a year and that most go unrecycled. And while a gallon of tap water costs about .0225 cents a gallon, bottled water purchased in single-serve containers can add up to $8 a gallon.
Presentation by Paula Lucas, founder of The Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center. The Crisis Center works with abused Americans and their children in foreign countries to provide domestic violence and child abuse advocacy, resources and tools so that they can navigate the complicated jurisdictional, legal and social international landscapes, to be able to live their lives free of abuse both in the foreign country and back in the United States. This is achieved by way of an international toll free crisis line accessible from 175 countries, serving a population estimated at over five million American civilians overseas.
Ann Shannon spoke to us as a representative of her daughter Lisa Shannon. Some years ago, Lisa was inspired by an episode of Oprah that described the horrors suffered by women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lisa made a life-changing decision at that point, which brought her to the Congo to learn first-hand what was happening there. Since then, she has engaged in fund-raising efforts to benefit women there, particularly the Runs for Congo Women, one of which is held in Portland. Even more importantly, Lisa has become an activist, even testifying before Congress, regarding the factors that have led to conflict, oppression, and unimaginable violence in the Congo. Through this whole evolution, Ann has been at her daughter’s side and participated in many of Lisa’s travels and efforts, and will be speaking to us about what both she and Lisa have experienced and learned during this incredible journey.
Oregon's Poet Laureate program is a collaborative project of the state's five cultural partners: Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Humanities, and State Historic Preservation Office, with funding from the Oregon Cultural Trust. Paulann Peterson has given readings in hundreds of spots from Powell's in Portland to Omsania University in India, from Ross Ragland Theater in Klamath Falls to the Museum Hotel in Central Turkey, and in virtually every nook and cranny of Oregon. Her poetry is featured on Trimet public transportation as part of Poetry in Motion. She frequently teaches workshops for colleges, high schools, libraries and writers' organizations. Paulann will read some of her poems and discuss poetry in general. For more information about Paulann's publications and awards, visit her website at Paulann.net.