Us As We Are

On the road again (and again), and lighting up the coast

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7fe1f90/2147483647/strip/false/crop/960x528+0+0/resize/792x436!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F82%2F5e%2F217aabd14577a1fcf91e36e3cd89%2Fjx-draw-3.jpg] Some of the earliest evidence of human habitation in North America was found in the Fort Rock, Oregon [https://www.thenorthwestnomads.com/ ] area north of Silver Lake. People--not just anthropologists--still like to hang out there, like the attendees of this fall's Northwest Nomads gathering. The people who gathered live a nomadic lifestyle (#vanlife) and shared fellowship in the high desert. That is just one of the events covered in the latest edition of Us As We Are [https://www.pbs.org/show/us-we-are/ ] from Southern Oregon PBS. Keegan Van Hook provides the audio from his TV program, from the nomad event and from the Nature's Coastal Holiday Festival of Lights [https://naturescoastalholiday.com/], which brightens the long winter nights at Azalea Park in Brookings.

On the road to the big lithium mine and visiting Agness

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7fe1f90/2147483647/strip/false/crop/960x528+0+0/resize/792x436!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F82%2F5e%2F217aabd14577a1fcf91e36e3cd89%2Fjx-draw-3.jpg] The all-electric or at least mostly-electric future we keep hearing about will require batteries, lots and lots of them. And at the moment, the prevailing technology is the rechargeable lithium-ion battery. One of our country's largest lithium deposits is in the Nevada desert, a few miles from Oregon. This is one of the stories covered in the latest edition of Us As We Are [https://www.pbs.org/show/us-we-are/] from Southern Oregon PBS. Keegan Van Hook covers this story and alsospends time visiting tiny Agness, up the Rogue River from the Oregon Coast.

Flying machines and your great-grandfather's bar featured in Us As We Are

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7fe1f90/2147483647/strip/false/crop/960x528+0+0/resize/792x436!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F82%2F5e%2F217aabd14577a1fcf91e36e3cd89%2Fjx-draw-3.jpg] When the Pioneer Saloon opened for business in Paisley, Oregon, the Wright Brothers were still teenagers, far from their breakthrough in human flight. Just the same, flying machines and the saloon share top billing in the latest edition of Us As We Are from Southern Oregon PBS [https://www.pbs.org/show/us-we-are/]. Keegan Van Hook tells the story of the saloon's long history--140 years--and a recent celebration of the anniversary, and hangs out with lovers of very small planes. The Rogue Eagles fly radio controlled (RC) craft, and recently celebrated an air show in Eagle Point. This radio version precedes the TV edition of Us As We Are, airing Saturday at 7 PM on SOPBS.

Camping demonstrators and browsing antiques

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7fe1f90/2147483647/strip/false/crop/960x528+0+0/resize/792x436!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F82%2F5e%2F217aabd14577a1fcf91e36e3cd89%2Fjx-draw-3.jpg] The city of Ashland recently set up a public camping area in order to curtail camping on other public property in town. Homeless people had been camping on a series of public sites to demonstrate displeasure with anti-camping ordinances. Keegan Van Hook of Southern Oregon PBS spent time getting to know the campers for the latest edition of Us As We Are [https://www.pbs.org/show/us-we-are/], which debuts in video on SOPBS on Saturday (June 3rd) and on the JX in audio here. And as with all editions of UAWA, there's an additional feature: a visit to the recent antique show at the Medford armory.

Earth Day and the rocks of the Earth celebrated

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7fe1f90/2147483647/strip/false/crop/960x528+0+0/resize/792x436!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F82%2F5e%2F217aabd14577a1fcf91e36e3cd89%2Fjx-draw-3.jpg] 53 years after the original Earth Day, we're still here. Is it possible we're doing something right? We look back at the Earth Day of 2023 in the Rogue Valley in the latest chapter of Us As We Are, with Keegan Van Hook of Southern Oregon PBS [https://www.pbs.org/show/us-we-are/]. This edition--the video version runs on SOPBS on Saturday--also includes a visit to the Roxy Ann Gem & Mineral Show, where we learn about the fascination people have with rocks, and not just the shiny ones.