Think Out Loud

Oregon strawberries are renowned for their deep-red color and exceptional sweetness. They’re a special fruit, but the high sugar content that makes their flavor pop also makes them difficult to ship and store. Most of the state’s berries go into the processed market, to be used in ice cream, pastries and other goodies. But as reported in the Capital Press, California strawberries account for more and more of that market, meaning fewer profits for Oregon farmers. The shift has led to a decline in strawberry production across the state. Oregon growers produced just 11 million pounds of strawberries in 2021, down from 40.2 million in 2001. Jayson Hoffman grows strawberries and serves as the chairman of the Oregon Strawberry Commission. He joins us with more details on the state of the industry and an update on this year’s strawberry season.

Gaza war protesters at two Oregon universities have made progress on their demands after weeks of demonstrationsOn Friday, the Associated Students of Portland State University and PSU President Ann Cudd released a joint statement condemning the violence in Gaza and  announcing new initiatives on campus. At the University of Oregon, a deal has been struck to disband the encampment students established more than three weeks ago. Tiffany Camhi is the higher education reporter for OPB. Nathan Wilk is a KLCC reporter. They join us to share details about what is happening on the two university campuses.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently recommended the approval of a new blood test that can detect colon cancer. This comes at a time when more young people are getting diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Flavio Rocha is the physician-in-chief at OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute. He joins us to share more on what this trend means and what new advances in technology can tell us. 

It’s been three months since the main branch of the Multnomah County Library reopened after being closed for nearly a year for renovations. The improvements include new and updated meeting rooms, a new designated teen space, new gender-inclusive and family restrooms, charging and internet improvements and a variety of safety changes, like lowered shelves, new fire alarms and air quality monitoring equipment.  Shelly Jarman, the regional manager of the Central branch, says library staffers are well equipped to help all the community members who come into the library, from unhoused Portlanders who need social services to school kids researching papers and others looking for specific books or periodicals. For many of the people who work in the building, the purpose of the library is to help people, which varies from person to person and day to day. Jarman and library PIO Shawn Cunningham  join us to tell us more about how the last few months have gone and what they’re hearing from patrons.

Oregon’s largest school district is facing a $30 million deficit and the prospect of cutting some 250 positions districtwide. Interim Superintendent Sandy Husk has presented her proposed budget, which the school board tentatively approved last week. Schools across the state face budget cuts, citing rising costs, limited state funding, the end of federal COVID relief money, heightened student needs since the pandemic and declining student enrollment. Portland also experienced its first-ever teachers strike in the fall, which resulted in a 14.4% cost-of-living adjustment over the next two years. Interim Superintendent Husk joins us to talk about the budget and what’s ahead for Portland Public Schools, along with Renard Adams, Chief Accountability and Equity Officer.for the district.

Author David Grann often writes about obsession. His stories feature people doing extraordinary, and often dangerous or morally questionable things, in pursuit of ambitious goals. He’s the author of the books “Lost City of Z,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and his newest, “The Wager.” Grann is also obsessive about the research and details he puts into his books. We talk to Grann in front of a group of students at Nelson High School in Happy Valley.

A new sport could be coming to schools across Oregon. At the beginning of this school year the Oregon School Activities Association voted to make boys volleyball an emerging sport, meaning that it has the potential to become an official sport through OSAA. But how does boys volleyball differ from the girls version of the sport? And how much interest has the game had in schools? To answer these questions and more, we’re joined by Emily Kernen, the head volleyball coach for the boys team and the freshman girls team at Bend High School. We’ll also hear from two players she coaches, senior Justin Seung and junior Will Albert.

Earlier this month, the body of a juvenile gray whale was found washed onto a beach in Bandon on the Southern Oregon coast. Bite marks on the body suggested it was likely killed by orcas, which hunt gray whales. Typically, reports of a beached whale would trigger a response from government officials to authorize the collection of samples to determine the cause of death. But in this case, officials at the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department went one step further. Realizing the cultural significance of this discovery, they alerted the Coquille Indian Tribe, whose ancestral lands span the Southern Oregon coast. According to Tribal Chair Brenda Meade, “within an hour or so” about 50 Tribal members had assembled at the beach to take claim of this “gift” and honor it with an intergenerational ceremony that included prayer and song. Meade shares details from that special day on the beach, and how the whale continues to provide sustenance for the Coquille Indian Nation on the eve of the 35th anniversary of the restoration of its recognition by the federal government. 

Teachers and classified staff at Gresham High School recently held a vote of no confidence against school leadership and called for the removal of Principal Erika Whitlock. The vote follows what teachers have described as two years of growing disciplinary concerns, including students skipping class, bringing weapons to school and getting into increasingly violent fights. It also comes as the union continues to negotiate its contract with the district. Christopher Keizur is an associate editor and reporter for the Gresham Outlook. He’s been covering this issue, and joins us with more details.

Salem voters appear to have elected a new mayor. Julie Hoy, a restaurant owner and Salem city council member, appears to have defeated incumbent Chris Hoy, although he still has yet to concede. Julie Hoy holds a 12-point lead in the race, according to primary election returns posted on the Oregon Secretary of State’s website Friday morning. The two Hoys are unrelated.  According to the Salem Reporter, Julie Hoy raised nearly $300,000 - a record for a Salem mayoral race - mainly from businesses and real estate groups to help defeat the incumbent mayor who backed a payroll tax measure which voters overwhelmingly rejected last year. Salem Mayor-elect Julie Hoy joins us to talk about her vision for leading Oregon’s second-largest city and priorities when she takes office in January.