Salem-News.com Outdoors articles Page 6

Infant Hours

What does too much time in front of the TV mean for kids in the long run?

(MADRID) - It is not wrong to spend hours in front of the T.V. What is wrong is the social passivity that reality has created; it does not know how to look for other ways to spend its leisure time. This represents an empirical example of something that is not working. In principle, it seems as if reading, discussions, family time, friend reunions and studies are things of another world.

This issue becomes somewhat critical when the ones to be affected are children that spend too much time in front of the television.

Surfrider Foundation`s 9th Annual Clean Water Classic

The 2010 Classic will include over 100 contestants from Washington, Oregon and British Columbia, covering all ages and levels with divisions for pro/am, men, masters, women, juniors and kids.

(WESTPORT, Wash.) - Over the weekend of May 14-16, Westport, WA will welcome back the Surfrider Foundation for this year’s 9th annual Clean Water Classic—the longest running surf contest in the Pacific Northwest.

The event is a benefit for the Pacific Northwest chapters of the Surfrider Foundation and was awarded the national Chapter Event of the Year in 2008.

Olvera Street and the Threat from Los Angeles

LA's Monument Commission seems bent on destroying the city's most important history.

(LOS ANGELES) - The birthplace of Los Angeles is under threat of financial siege and elimination over a move from city bureaucrats who according to records, are operating in violation of a 1999 City Council Mandate.

Every day this is where old world entertainment meets Mexican and Spanish culture, and it has been happening consistently for almost 200 straight years.

Eleventh Annual Global Cannabis March

Winner of the “Open 4 Snoop Dogg” contest, Bad Habitat, is just one of the bands set to perform.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Saturday, May 1, 2010 marks the eleventh annual Global Cannabis March in Portland, Oregon. This year’s march and rally runs from 10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m.

Participants will gather in Pioneer Courthouse Square to march at high noon through downtown Portland, accompanied by a police escort. Cures-Not-Wars and Urbage Designs join Oregon NORML as sponsors of this event.

Sandbox Property Rights

Reexamining the famed Tonka Wars that affected so many American youth.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Spring is here. The rain is less omnipresent. The sun has regained a bit of its brilliance, and the temperature occasionally flirts with something that could be called reasonably warm. Our story begins, on one of these glorious-by-contrast spring days, at the local playground.

Amongst the dozen odd young children swinging on swings, sliding on slides, and participating gleefully in other very literally named activities, Johnny and Timmy sat in a sandbox playing with a large yellow Tonka dump truck and crane.

A Story About Springtime and Turtles

Wildlife viewing is an incredible and peaceful activity. We can learn to live together.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Finally, the first days of spring are upon us. The birds are singing, flowers are popping up, and creatures are starting to emerge from their winter nooks to explore once again. Who doesn’t love spring? We, as Oregonians, have an outdoor culture.

We cannot resist the temptation of getting out and feeling the sun on our shoulders, breathing in the fresh air. It is, of course, our wilderness that we love so much.

Snowboarder`s Death on Mt. Hood Under Investigation

Although this death is being investigated as accidental, the exact cause has not been determined.

(MOUNT HOOD, Ore.) - Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Patrol notified the Hood River County Sheriff's office Monday at about 6:30 p.m., that a snowboarder had been found deceased after being reported missing about an hour earlier.

Detective Matt English with the sheriff's office says the snowboarder was later identified as 18-year old Levi Krukowski of Portland.

Sternwheeler Willamette Queen Runs Aground Near Oregon City

No injuries or serious damage was reported.

(OREGON CITY) - The Coast Guard is responding to the grounding of the sternwheeler Willamette Queen near Oregon City Sunday. Reports indicate that the 87-foot riverboat was being escorted by two Coast Guard Auxiliary vessels when it ran aground with 80 passengers and eight crew on board at approximately 5:30 p.m.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, two Coast Guard 25-foot smallboat crews from Station Portland, and a tugboat from Newburg, Ore. were dispatched to the scene, while the two Auxiliary vessels stayed with the Willamette Queen.

New Skatepark is First of its Kind for Gresham

Gresham worked closely with residents and community groups to ensure the park will be compatible with other nearby uses.

(GRESHAM, Ore.) - The city of Gresham recently opened the first phase of its planned 14,000 square foot skate plaza at Main City Park on S. Main Avenue.

Laura Bridges-Shepard, Gresham's Communications Manager, says the first phase is comprised of street elements that include stairs, banks, ramps, ledges, and other urban street course design features totaling 5,710 square feet.

Motorcycle Freestyle and Trials Reach New Heights

The featured video with this article shows Julien Dupont in the streets of historic Lyons, France doing absolutely amazing freestyle maneuvers that defy gravity and logic, but work beautifully.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Le Parkour meets trials riding. I admit that I'm out of the loop with all the latest motorcycle trends, but the advances in recent years of this motorized human art form have certainly been record setting.

Applying the technology of today to an already good idea of yesterday rarely fails, and today's trials bikes; motorcycles with super high ground clearance specifically designed to climb over logs and rocks and the like.