Written by Keegan Van Hook
A few hours after the Almeda Fire started burning through Talent and Phoenix, the SBM crew and I took it upon ourselves to start an emergency information broadcast from Jackson County's public access TV station, Rogue Valley Community Television (RVTV). We didn't exactly get overt permission to do this, but Miles is a student employee, as was I, and with little to no emergency communication coming from the government's EAS system or mainstream news outlets, we felt it was something that had to be done.
Our broadcast was pretty simple-- just slides with information from Jackson County Emergency Management's Facebook page, live evacuation map, and other government sources. We played some "Lo-Fi Beats to Relax and Study to" in the background, with the Jackson County police and fire scanner interrupting with the occasional radio chatter. Thankfully, despite us doing this without approval, it turns out it was the right move. The higher-ups at RVTV, Joe Brett and Brandon Givens, were pleased with what we had done, and we got great feedback from the community as well. Now, there is a small movement growing within the RVTV public access producer pool to establish a more official protocol for emergency communications to come out of RVTV when a crisis hits us again in the future. Ideally, the next time something like this happens, it will be "by the book" and involve more people, enabling a far more comprehensive style of emergency broadcast. I really look forward to seeing what comes out it. I'm really proud of what we did, and I'm really proud of my crew mates for being on board from the get-go, and carrying it through with me for a little over a full week. It was a long haul, but I think it was the best thing our crew could have done with its time during the crisis. It's really nothing compared to the work of firefighters and other first-responders... but we don't have that training. So, it was nice to be able to do something that felt helpful instead of having to simply wait out the situation. We are blessed to have been able to do this. We were lucky to have been sparred from the fire and fortune to have access to the technology necessary to do this. It may not be this way in the future, but in the meantime I'm thankful that Tripp, Miles, and I were able to have a role to play. On the last day of our foray at RVTV, when little was changing and the fires were on a downward trend, we enjoyed ourselves in the studio adjacent to the control room we had been camped out in, and took the head shots you see below.
Thanks to all those who assisted us with even the small things, like snacks and Red Bull, and the big things, like information, advice, and encouragement. I hope a need for something like this never again rolls our way... but this is real life we're living in. So, until next time: good luck, stay safe, and have a great day.
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It's been twelve days since the Almeda Fire tore through North Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, and South Medford, and only now has the burn zone been opened to the public again. On Saturday we drove into the zone to survey the damage and talk to survivors and volunteers about what's been lost in the fire and what's being done to recover. Once again, we are rendered speechless by what we find. The inferno left little in its path, reducing even metal objects nearly to ash. Yet the response to the crisis seems to be as fierce as the fire itself, as once again we find a throng of support from community members, both fortune and unfortune. Little can be said to appropriately encompass this situation, but one thing is for sure: the path ahead is long, but hopeful.
Interview timestamps: 00:01:19 - Laura Quintero, Talent Maker City Board Member 00:06:41 - Petra Angula, Talent resident and fire survivor 00:12:45 - Dylan Wandler, Talent resident and fire survivor In the wake of the disastrous Almeda Fire, which laid waste to much of North Ashland, Talent, and Phoenix, we explore the now-accessible areas of the burn zone. The scope of the destruction is truly hard to describe... the video itself doesn't even do it full justice. After wandering the ruins of a home belonging to one of Tripp's friends, we talk to Branch Shiveley, who tells us about his escape and his hopes to rebuild. Later, we go to the Phoenix Home Depot, where a relief station has been set up by volunteers from the Phoenix School District, and talk to the organizers. It's amazing to see how many people have come out to give their time and resources to help those who have been left needy by the crisis. As Mr. Rogers once said, "look for the helpers."
Resources for crisis victims and how to give your support to the needy of this community: http://www.ashland.or.us/Page.asp?Nav... And here's a link to Pastor Lee's "I care" church website: https://www.medfordneighborhoodchurch... We make our videos free to watch, but they are not free to make. If local independent journalism is important to you and you wish to give us your support to have it continue, please consider supporting our efforts on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/sailorboymedia Right now we have no Patrons, so even a small donation is a big start. *The views and opinions expressed on Us As We Are are those of our subjects, and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sailor Boy Media, LLC or its members. In the late morning of Tuesday the 8th of September, a grass fire broke out in the north of Ashland, which then quickly spread into Talent. Over the course of the day, the fire spread further into Phoenix and even to the south edge of Medford. The devastation is massive. There's nothing else to say. More videos on this subject of course coming soon.
A protest against "Oregon White Supremacy, Homelessness, & Child Sexual Assault" assembled in the Downtown Plaza of Ashland, OR on Friday. This, as usual, provided us the opportunity to speak to a broad spectrum of people. At the beginning in the plaza, we talk to Mmmingpha, who organized the protest. We speak with several of the protesters around him as well. Once a certain number of people had gathered, chanting begins lead my Mmmingpha and Tobiah Tillman. The crowd then marches to Railroad Park, where a vigil sight for victims of police violence had been set up (then torn down and built up again). Here there is more chanting, stories are told, and prayers for the victims, specifically Jacob Blake, are made. The march then heads for the HQ of the Ashland PD. While Tobiah is speaking, a person who opposes the protest shouts at the crowd from across the street. Shortly after, somebody saying variations of "all lives matter" and "no skin colors matter" enters the crowd, which generates more yelling before most of the protest crowd begins marching towards Garfield Park. We briefly interview the "counter-protester" before he goes to praise the police officers. The march loops around Garfield Park and then turns down Siskiyou/Main until arriving back at the Downtown Plaza. Here Mmmingpha leads more chanting before concluding the demonstration. Afterwards we get closing thoughts from Tobiah Tillman and then Mmmingpha.
These programs are free to watch but not free to make. If this video means something to you, and you want to support independent local media, consider supporting us on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/m/sailorboymedia (we currently have 1 Patron at $5 monthly) Timestamps of interviews & important moments: 00:00:16 - intro 00:00:49 - interview with Mmmingpha, protest organizer 00:05:14 - interview with Kyle, Ashland resident 00:07:50 - interview with Torin McKnight, protester 00:11:07 - interview with Clarence Carr, local activist and frequent Facebook streamer 00:19:04 - interview with Sylvia, visitor from LA 00:20:04 - Tobiah Tillman, protest co-organizer, speaks publicly 00:22:34 - Mmmingpha speaks publicly 00:25:05 - Mmmingpha and Tobiah play song over loud-speaker 00:28:17 - Mmmingpha speaks publicly 00:30:38 - Clarence Carr speaks publicly (criticizes Julie Akins) 00:36:42 - Tobiah Tillman responds to Clarence publicly 00:38:29 - marching begins 00:40:13 - march arrives at Railroad Park (vigil) 00:40:35 - Tobiah Tillman speaks publicly 00:43:36 - Mmmingpha speaks publicly 00:45:55 - Tobiah Tillman tells story about personal experience with police racism 00:47:30 - Mmmingpha talks about Hardesty Property occupation and asks for sign-ups to a planning council 00:49:04 - more public speakers from the crowd (names unknown) 00:53:32 - Mmmingpha speaks publicly 00:54:39 - marching begins again 00:55:22 - march arrives at Ashland Police Department 00:55:46 - Tobiah Tillman speaks publicly 00:56:53 - mild encounter between lone opposer of protest 00:59:38 - interview with another opposer of the protest, argument between him and protesters 01:03:57 - marching continues 01:04:10 - interview with Daniel Cornett, protester with guitar 01:06:22 - interview with Robert, protester who recently lost wife 01:14:18 - march arrives back at Downtown Plaza 01:15:10 - Tobiah Tillman speaks publicly 01:15:40 - Mmmingpha speaks publicly 00:18:09 - concluding prayer by Mmmingpha 01:19:52 - somebody calls protesters “racist Cultural Marxists” 01:20:09 - interview with Tobiah Tillman 01:24:52 - interview with Mmmingpha 01:28:49 - conclusion *The views and opinions expressed on US AS WE ARE are those of our subjects and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sailor Boy Media, LLC and its members.
On Tuesday the 18th, demonstrators gathered in Ashland's Downtown Plaza to contest the renewal of Ordinance 3176, which enables police officers to arrest suspects for refusing to identify themselves. Many prominent members of the community spoke during this demonstration, including mayoral candidate Julie Akins and City Council candidate Gina DuQuenne.
Timestamps for interviews and important moments: 0:00:37 - Interview w/ Tobiah Tillman 00:06:05 - Gina DuGuenne speaks publicly 00:08:09 - Mmmingpha speaks publicly 00:10:12 - Tobiah Tillman speaks publicly 00:11:48 - organizer for Rogue Actions Center speaks publicly 00:14:55 - Julie Akins speaks publicly 00:15:58 - Sarah Westover speaks publicly 00:18:50 - beginning of open forum on loud speaker 00:36:38 - Gina DuGuenne speaks publicly again 00:44:09 - interview w/ Gina DuGuenne 00:45:44 - interview w/ Eric Navickas 00:53:17 - interview with Daisia* 01:04:49 - interview w/ Mmmingpha PLEASE, if you are getting something out of this program, consider supporting us on PATREON: ttps://www.patreon.com/m/sailorboymedia *The views and opinions expressed on US AS WE ARE are those of our subjects, and not necessarily reflective of the views and opinions of Sailor Boy Media, LLC or its members. Up until now, the majority of our coverage and interviews have focused on those on the left side of the political spectrum. So, in this video, we seek out people who hold opinions differing from Ashland's liberal majority. Our original intent was to find the anti-mask group that was discussed in our last video, but they were nowhere to be seen, so instead we speak with the following:
00:00:49 - Kath, a user of Chinese medicine and supporter of the Ashland police department. 00:03:59 - Randy Dolinger, a vocal Trump supporter and former candidate for City Council. 00:30:28 - Jess, a wandering trader of rocks and jems with a worldview all his own. PLEASE, if you get anything out of our content, consider supporting our work on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/m/sailorboymedia |
The CrewKEEGAN VAN HOOK
producer, host, editor, manager TRIPP WHITE
producer, first camera, creative assistant, editor LOUIS BENGTSON
contributing correspondent, researcher, host/personality, chef |