Tuesday, October 31, 2006

500 page report shows Cleveland voting problems

Ohio, once again, is a key state in federal elections. And, once again, the integrity of the voting system there is in doubt, says this WIRED article. I am soo glad we Vote By Mail in Oregon, a Diebold-free state.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

How to steal an election by hacking the vote

This ArsTechnica article shows why Oregon's vote-by-mail system is the only way to assure that elections are not a fraudulent exercise (can any say, 'Ohio?')

Our national election infrastructure is now largely an information technology infrastructure, so the problem of keeping our elections free of vote fraud is now an information security problem. If you've been keeping track of the news in the past few years, with its weekly litany of high-profile breeches in public- and private-sector networks, then you know how well we're (not) doing on the infosec front.

Over the course of almost eight years of reporting for Ars Technica, I've followed the merging of the areas of election security and information security, a merging that was accelerated much too rapidly in the wake of the 2000 presidential election. In all this time, I've yet to find a good way to convey to the non-technical public how well and truly screwed up we presently are, six years after the Florida recount. So now it's time to hit the panic button: In this article, I'm going to show you how to steal an election.


Read the whole darned thing. Now.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Oak Lodge Community Planning Organization agenda

AGENDA
October 25, 2006
Oak Lodge Sanitary office
Oak Grove, Oregon

7:00 PM -- Call to Order: Dick Jones, Chairperson

ROLL CALL: Bill Bader, Bill Brown, Wilma Brown, Frank Budwill, Sue Conachan, Edith Coulter, Rosemary Crites, George Dietz, Jerry Foy, Bryn Gillem, Chuck Gode, Milo Haas, Thelma Haggenmiller, Eleanore Hunter, David Jelinek, Dick Jones, Jim Knapp, Alan Koch, Gloria Koch, Elinor Kuhns, Bill Neels, Elaine Neels, Chuck Petersen, Margaret Pritchard, Paul Savas, Henry Schmidt, George Schneider, Eugene Schoenheit, Eric Shawn, Susan Shawn, Kent Squires, Julie Stanley, Blair Stephens, Charlie Stephens, Dr. Elton Storment, Bob Waldt, Leonard Waldemar, Don Wake, Suzanne Wake, Roy Wikman and Doug Woods.

7:02 PM – Introduction of Attendees

Name, area of residence and position in the Oak Lodge Community Council, if applicable.

7:05 PM – Council Reports

Approve minutes of the September 27th meeting.

Treasurer’s Report – Sue Conachan

7:10 PM – Sheriff’s Report – Lt. Chuck Slaney

7:15 PM – Special Presentation – Public Safety Levy 3-246 - Lt. Chuck Slaney

7:50 PM – District Reports

New Urban High School-Tim King

Clackamas County Fire District #1 – Oak Lodge Engine Crew

Oak Lodge Water District – Jim Knapp

Oak Lodge Sanitary District – Kent Squires

Clackamas County Service District CAC – Jim Knapp
Page 2

8:15 PM – Land Use Issues for Voting

Introduction of procedures by Chairperson. Eligibility for Voting, Time Limits, presentations by those in favor, the Council’s on-site review and those opposed.

Z0710-06 This is request for an interpretation of section 1206 regarding Nonconforming use provisions of the ZDO. One parcel where this may affect is at 14702 Rupert.

Z0783-06 This is a request to allow a two-lot partition. One lot will be about 9,000 s.f. and the other parcel containing an existing house of 17,000 sf. This is located at 17246 Oatfield Rd The area is .5 acres and zoned R-8.5.

Z0805-06-Z0807-06 This is an application partition a .94 acre parcel into 2 parcels. One parcel will be a single family house and the other 3 multifamily structures containing 14 living units. These dwelling were built in 1972. This activity will not result in any increase in density. It is located at 15512 East Av. And is zoned MR-1.

Z0810-06 This is a request for a temporary permit for a modular office at Cranston Machine (2251 Oak Grove Blvd).

Update on Land Use Applications:

The County is proposing to modify C-3 (General Commercial District).

8:40 PM General Matters for Discussion

Review letter to the BCC relative to CCSD#1 CAC report.

Sexual Predator update: No new information

Trolley Trail update- Thelma

FUTURE PUBLIC MEETINGS

Council meetings:
October 25, 2006
December 6, 2006
January 24, 2007

OLCC/CIA at Rose Villa unless otherwise noted
December 13, 2006
January 10, 2007

Special meetings, if required to vote on land use issues, will be held in conjunction with the monthly CIA meeting normally on the second Wednesday of each month.

9:00 PM – Meeting Adjourned

Monday, October 16, 2006

DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE !

Tomorrow, Tuesday 17th, is the deadline to register to vote. It's too late to mail it in, but you can print this form, complete and sign it, and hand carry it to the Elections Office from 8:30 AM to 5 PM at 925 Portland Ave in Gladstone, which is about a five minute walk off either the 32 or 33 bus lines. Here's the FAQ on registration.

Voting systems are not perfect, so call the elections office at 503.655.8510 if you want to confirm you're registered.

And, if you're curious, here's the map for our ten districts and their precincts.

Community events this week

Several events of importance to us occur in the week ahead. On Tuesday 17th 7 PM is Oak Lodge Sanitary’s Open House where they will share their Master Plan. The Open House will be held at the New Urban High School 1905 SE Oak Grove Blvd. You should have received a flyer advertising this event. When things are going to happen each of us needs get involved.

On Wednesday the 18th 6 PM at Oak Grove School on Torbank will be the Trolley Trail Design Open House. This will give us the opportunity to review survey maps, aerial photos, the 2004 Master Plan and learn about the next steps in trail design needed before construction can occur.

On Thursday the 19th the Three Bridges on the Springwater Trail will be dedicated. This will take place at SE 19th and Ochoco at 10:30 AM.

One last item John Bartley has posted on his web site: http://clackablog.blogspot.com/ the following. We as OLCC members should help him in this great endeavor.

Companies build stores with them. The USN uses them (modified with lights, ventilation) to house crew on ships. You can buy them outfitted as bunkhouses and as offices. Architects study how to use them for housing, which is increasingly common. Washington schools use them to house disaster supplies. I could go on about how they're becoming ubiquitious.

They're popping up all over the county, as we heard at the last Oak Lodge CPO meeting. And, the county has no ordinance or regulation about where they can be used in residential neighborhoods.

They're intermodal shipping containers, a system fifty years old, and we're going to see a lot more of them around home.

E-Mail me your pictures of shipping containers you find in the county, along with the time and location you took the picture. I'll make them a Flikr stream, put them all on a Google map, and once assembled, suggest the county consider looking at the issue of where they can be placed and how they can be used.


John’s E-mail address is (at the top of this web page).

Have a nice day,
Dick J

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Forum: County Commission Candidates, Ballot Measures

The Citizens Informed and Aware group of the Oak Lodge Community Council is hosting a Forum for County Commissioners Candidates and County/Regional Ballot Measures.

The Discussion is scheduled for 7:00 PM on Wednesday, October 11, 2006
at the Rose Villa Retirement Center Fellowship Hall.
The location is 13505 SE River Road in Oak Grove OR.
(Parking is available on the East side of River Road or along the curb on the West side of River Road. Please do not park on Rose Villa’s property West of River Road.)

The first hour will be for the three County Commissioner Candidates. The second hour will be presentations for four ballot measures.

For residents of the unincorporated parts of the County the County Commissioners are our governing board. It is important to know what their positions are and they know our views on the many subjects they will be deciding.

More on Shipping Containers in Residential Neighborhoods

Companies build stores with them. The USN uses them (modified with lights, ventilation) to house crew on ships. You can buy them outfitted as bunkhouses and as offices. Architects study how to use them for housing, which is increasingly common. Washington schools use them to house disaster supplies. I could go on about how they're becoming ubiquitious.

They're popping up all over the county, as we heard at the last Oak Lodge CPO meeting. And, the county has no ordinance or regulation about where they can be used in residential neighborhoods.

They're intermodal shipping containers, a system fifty years old, and we're going to see a lot more of them around home.

E-Mail me your pictures of shipping containers you find in the county, along with the time and location you took the picture. I'll make them a Flikr stream, put them all on a Google map, and once assembled, suggest the county consider looking at the issue of where they can be placed and how they can be used.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

[Ballot Measures] Blue Oregon misses the mark, again

The bald assertion at the head of this Blue Oregon article slamming Measure 48 misses the boat. The very purpose of this is to create a Rainy Day Fund with which to deal with such disasters.

Now, that being said, it is *especially* important to be ready to deal with the first 96 hours *yourself* as *no* relief effort is worth much in the first day, and the next three days are *so* much easier to deal with if you have your own basics. At least, that's been my observation, from personal experience on the inside of Donna, Betsy, Frederic and Hugo, plus many less memorable disasters.

Be proud of your city. Competent, realistic planning and frequent practice is a Portland hallmark. The TICOFF exercise last week demonstrated the city's committment to doing a decent job in the event of a disaster, and although I am not an official, I can say the exercise showed much forethought without the 'fairy dust' commonly seen in similar exercises elsewhere. But, they can't do everything, and self-preparedness is YOUR key to a highly less sucky result when the inevitable disaster occurs.

*Please* do not forget a solution to care for your pets, as Federal law prohibits pets (not working animals, but pets) in federally funded shelters, as per the WSJ. We have a folding cart which not only carries our water (gallon a day a person), tent, Coleman stove, pot, rations, TP, meds, books and other necessities, but also cat carriers, with a pack of kibble, dishes, litter, harnesses and leashes, litterbox and a roll of chicken wire to make a pen for our four-footed bosses. We have also chipped them so if they freak and run, we may find them again.

And, if you're concerned about the issue, the Oregon Trail Chapter provides free disaster relief training to their volunteers, including free First Aid/CPR/AED. The Portland Office of Emergency Management has free and useful courses in the NET/CERT program of light duty rescue relief. Helping people recover from disaster is addictive, and a cheap hobby in which you benefit the community while assuring the safety and well being of folks you care about.

Calendar of Public Meetings, October 2006

Calendar of Public Meetings
October 2006

Monday the 2nd
6:00 PM Dedication of Alder Creek Middle School Park at Alder Creek Middle School.

Tuesday the 3rd
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.

Wednesday the 4th
9:00 AM Board of Commissioner’s M37 Hearing in Board Hearing room at PSB.
7:00 PM Traffic Safety Commission meets at SSC.

Thursday the 5th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC) 9101 Sunnybrook Blvd.
No Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.
6:00 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary Master Plan Advisory Committee meets at OLSD.
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.

Tuesday the 10th
No Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
6:30 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary monthly Board meeting at Board offices.
7:00 PM North Clackamas Planning Assoc. meets at Bilquist School.

Wednesday the 11th
7:00 PM Oak Lodge CIA (Citizens, Informed and Aware) Candidates Forum for County Commissioner Candidates and Local Ballot measures at Rose Villa.

Thursday the 12th
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.
6:00 PM North Clackamas Parks and Rec District Advisory Board meets at the Aquatic Park.

Monday the 16th
6:30 PM CCSD#1 Wastewater study committee Open House at SSC.
7:00 PM Fire District No. 1 Board meets at Mt. Scott Fire Station.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Water district monthly Board meeting in District offices.

Tuesday the 17th
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary Master Plan Open House at the New Urban High School, 1905 SE Oak Grove Blvd.

Wednesday the 18th
9:00 AM Board of Commissioner’s M37 Hearing in Board Hearing room at PSB.
6:00 PM Trolley Trail Design Open House at Oak Grove school.

Thursday the 19th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at SSC.
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.
6:00 PM Clackamas Co. Fire District #1 offers CPR training for $25. For questions or to make a reservation, contact the Training Division at 503-742-2682.
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.

Saturday the 21st
9:00 AM Clackamas Co. Fire District #1 offers First Aid training for $40. For questions or to make a reservation, contact the Training Division at 503-742-2682.

Monday the 23rd
6:30 PM Planning Commission meets at SSC.

Tuesday the 24th
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
5:30 PM NCCWC Board meets at the Plant on the Clackamas.
7:00 PM Jennings Lodge CPO meets at Homewoods Heights.

Wednesday the 25th
9:30 AM Board of Commissioner’s Land Use Hearing in Board Hearing room PSB.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Community Council meets at OLSD office.

Thursday the 26th
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting including CCSD#1 Hearing.
1:30 PM Sunnyside Road Phase II dedication, location TBA.

Monday the 30th, 6:30 PM CPO’s Chairs meeting at PSB.

Tuesday the 31st, 8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.

Note meeting times and places may change so data should be confirmed in advance.

Milwaukie’s Sunday Farmers' Market from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM across from City Hall.

Oregon City’s Saturday Farmers' Market from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM at the PSB parking lot.