Ross Island sits mid-Willamette just south of downtown Portland, and has a history of being built up and exploited by men, but today it is ruled primarily by nature. From Friendly House, Mike Houck, Director of the Urban Greenspaces Institute, will present his vision of how it can serve as one. Mr. Houck has been a leader in urban nature issues since 1980 when he founded the Urban Naturalist Program at the Audubon Society of Portland. He has co-founded Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF); The national Coalition to Restore Urban Waters (CRUW); The Intertwine Alliance; and The Nature of Cities forum.
Video of Programs (search and sort)
Sources of American Music
11/26/2017
Ed Goldberg
Presentation by Ed Goldberg of radio station 89.9 FM. Music is older than civilization, but civilization has shaped it from its rough roots. Goldberg discusses Africa and Europe as the sources of modern music and how ragtime, string band, operetta, and American music evolved. What we call classical music came from church and folk musics. Ed Goldberg was born in the Bronx in 1943. He has a longstanding interest in music and he has been a journalist and commentator on jazz and theater as well. Guest appearance courtesy of All Classical Portland (KQAC 89.9 FM).
Freedom From Religion Foundation
11/19/2017
Cheryl Kolbe
Presentation by Cheryl Kolbe. Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is an organization of nonbelievers whose purpose is to protect separation of state and church and to educate the public about non-theism. She discusses the challenges that arise in our current environment. Ms. Kolbe is founder and president of the Portland Chapter of FFRF and now serves on its National Board.
M. Louise Hunt, World War I Resister
11/12/2017
Kimberly Jensen
Presentation by Kimberly Jensen. In 1918, Portland librarian M. Louise Hunt refused to purchase a U.S. World War I bond. The immediate public assaults against Hunt led to her resignation. Hunt’s case provides a lens through which to examine opposition to war and claims to civil liberties. Ms. Jensen is professor of History and Gender Studies at Western Oregon University. She is the author of Mobilizing Minerva: American Women and the First World War (2008).
Making Better Photos
10/29/2017
Robert Sanford
Many people are disappointed with the photos they take of family or vacations. They don’t get the photos they thought they took. Robert Sanford, a serious photographer, shows us simple ways to increase the quality of our photos. Sanford has been a member of HGP since 1998. He served as Sunday Meeting emcee for seven years. He's given several programs for us: some on poetry and some on his travels in India, Turkey, Tunisia, and the Balkans. In recent years, he has also managed four regional free-thought conferences.