Once Upon A Time In Philomath[Posted by Emily Harris on Tue, April 29] LISTEN TO "Once Upon A Time In Philomath" (24MB MP3)  Once upon a time, in the Willamette Valley town of Philomath, families lived off the felling and sawing of logs. Young men skipped college, sometimes high school, for good jobs in the woods and mills. They took pride in the tough work and the community they built on the bank of Mary's River. Some players in the timber industry got rich, a few very rich. The 1950s were the heyday. In '53 the annual Frolic and Rodeo began. Long log trucks paraded down Main Street every Fourth of July. In '59, wealthy Philomath timber baron Rex Clemens and his wife Ethel decided all the town's children needed a chance to go to college. They set up a foundation to grant scholarships to every graduate of Philomath schools. It became an expectation of the community, considered by some, eventually, almost a right. In 2002, that changed. The adminstrators of the foundation, nephews of Rex and Ethel, were unhappy with a cultural shift they felt was transforming the town, particularly the schools. The spotted owl had slowed logging and "urban immigrants," people with different values than the traditional timber community, had moved in to town - from far away California as well as nearby Corvallis. After months of wrenching public debate, the Clemens Foundation trustees added criteria to the scholarship to emphasis traditional values. The national media swooped in on the story. A local boy turned filmmaker documented the painful community divisions in Clearcut: The Story of Philomath, Oregon. Later, the foundation suspended grants to Oregon State University, the one time ag college down the road. Earlier this month, the foundation again narrowed the scholarship criteria to make only second generation Philomath students attending a small handful of schools eligible. The latest decision again generated debate in Philomath, as some high school seniors faced an abrupt change of plans. We visit Philomath to see how a community recovers from a divide such as the one spawned in 2002; how the "natives," as Mayor Chris Nusbaum calls them, are getting along with the urban immigrants; and how much of the change Philomath has faced resonates in other former timber towns across Oregon. If you are from Philomath, how do you remember the Clemens Foundation conflict? If you live elsewhere, has your community seen a shift in "culture" as it grows? How was it handled? What issues have triggered conflict? How do they get resolved? Photo credit: Peter Richardson, Bicoastal Films
I am a 1986 Philomath graduate and Clemens scholarship recipient now living in Portland. At that time, I don't remember receiving any information about the scholarship or any encouragement to use it. It felt to me that few graduates were really taking advantage of the offer and I would be curious to hear some statistics about how many really have over the years. If the scholarship has enticed families to move into the area, I think it can only be good for the community. I fear that the appathy towards a college education continues to be prevailant in Philomath (as it certainly was when I lived there) and I would love to see that change.
The reality is that all communities are changing across America. While any foundation has the right to define who benefits from their programs, it is an unfortunate situation to change things midway ... especially for youth who had looked at this an opportunitiy to support their educational futures. How painful this whole situation must be for this community. As a person who has moved many times over my lifetime, several times beyond my control for various reasons, it is disheartening to hear about a community that is so obviously disenfranchishing part of their community. Change and growth are the only for sure things in our lives currently in America. I would wish that Philomath would look toward the future and decide how they can grow and sustain themselves to be a vibrant and healthy community that celebrates all of its members.
I am a 1999 graduate of Philomath High School, and I used the clemens scholarship to complete my bachelors of science from Oregon State University. It was at the end of my junior year at OSU that the foundation decided to stop funding students to attend OSU, and I received a letter informing me that if I transfered to a different school I would continue to receive money, but would be cut off if I completed my degree at OSU. Being the only university in the state that offers degrees in Botany, I explained my reasons for not transferring. The funny thing is, the foundation made a lot of publicity noise about cutting that funding, but in the end they sent me a check for my last year without any formal reply. I'm extremely grateful for the education the clemens foundation helped me receive, but I'm appalled how the current board is using the money to push their agenda instead of using the money for its original purpose - to fund all students extended education. I think Rex and Ethel would be ashamed.
Upon first read I think this is a real dissappointment. It's unfortunate that the foundation directors don't see the value of a college education, regardless of the studies or school attended.
However, I think the bigger issue that it touches on is the outrageous amount of money it costs to attend college in Oregon and most other states. Even vocational training is extremely expensive. Additionally, this "personal whim" is what happens when a town, organization or other group relies on a private foundation to fund a program.
My niece is part of the graduating class of 08 at Philomath High School. She spent her entire school experience in the Philomath system. Our entire family was born and raised in Oregon. She is a 5th or 6th generation Oregonian, depending on which of our family you consider. Ironically, my father put himself through college in Oregon,and supported his family with logging jobs. We were a logging family. The recent change of requirements for the Clemens grant punishes young native Oregonians who had opportunities to go to other schools, but stayed and contributed to the excellent environment at Philomath High School, because they and their families trusted the scholarship would be there. My niece will hopefully find other scholarship opportunities, but other students who will depend entirely on that scholarship are being unfairly punished.
Jeff Mishler
Aside from the political decisions, when I lived in Philomath in the late 1980s there were families who had moved to Philomath so their children could take advantage of the scholarships. Some of these families had no history with Philomath and some moved to the area to work at Hewlett Packard. If the initial intent was to help the children of the community including timber workers, it seemed to me that there needed to be some criteria other than a physical address so the resources could be used for the purpose of assisting the town's heritage in it's children.
I concur entirely! As a fifth generation Oregonian and the grandson of two loggers I am embarrassed by the attitudes behind this story. The Clemens Foundation is a private organization and free to use its money (earned through the unsustainable rape of the forests) to advance any conservative, religious or wacko agenda they like. But to hear the MAYOR of Philomath call new residents immigrants (despite the backpedaling when called on it) speaks to the closed minded attitudes that keep Oregon in the backwaters. Everywhere I turn (not just small towns) I hear Oregonians expressing fear, hatred and distrust of those that have different social, political, or racial backgrounds than they do. Fortunately I have lived in enough other places to recognize that diversity and inclusiveness strengthen a society. Hopefully enough of these "immigrants" will be open minded individuals to keep our communities from being destroyed by divisiveness.
Hi there,
The term that ought to be used in describing Steve Lowther's role in this controversy is "HIJACKED". It is obvious to the locals that he has HIJACKED the Clemens Foundation to use it as a tool to spread his ultra-conservative, fundamentalist Christian beliefs. He is not even a direct descendant of the Rex and Ethel - and many old-timers (including the PHS principal who worked with Rex back when the foundation was set up) have adamantly reported (e.g. recently in the Gazette Times) that Rex and Ethel would certainly not agree with the current (ultra-conservative, fundamentalist) direction of the foundation. Let's start calling it for what it is - a foundation that has been HIJACKED by a right-wing whacko!
This attitude is exactly what many in Philomath are wanting to avoid. I grew up seven miles south of Philomath, though not in the Philomath School District, and spent lots of time there growing up. I have always understood this foundation to have been set up by a traditional, conservative couple. As such, they would surely want their values to guide their foundation. I wouldn't call that hijacking. Some that don't hold the same values and morals obviously have a tendancy to run roughshod over others of a different view. That strikes me as rather intolerant and discriminitory. This seems to be why the Clemens foundation chose to withold scolarships from OSU among others: they are trying to stem the tide of moral flippancy.
Though folks don't seem to bring it up because it is not "PC", I believe this is an undercurrent of the conflicts in Philomath. Generally speaking the Philomath "natives" have traditional values, whereas "newcomers" do not. Are the newer, less traditional folks running "roughshod" over the original population? Changing values in the school system as well as the town? And why is conservative, fundamental and Christian equated with evil? Please use facts and not feelings in debating the merits of an issue.
It is sad that he IS a right-wing-conservative-fundamentalist-Christian that happens to behave in a discriminatory way. Not all Christians agree with him and of course, not all "old timers" do either. I am a 2nd generation and my father knew Clemens - who also donated the public pool, too; he was generous without discrimination and certainly didn't put restrictions on who could or could not use it. So, not all "old timers" from Philomath have his "traditional values" - i.e. against those with higher education, homophobic, against new ideas and change, against anything "green", and against anything "PC". He is "against" so much! You are getting at definition, really. The word "value" should mean something positive, but it doesn't always. His "values" and they way he goes about implementing them is hurtful and discriminatory. He sent a public letter to all the citizens of Philomath ranting against the High School's Gay-Straight Alliance (they had to rename it) and the counselor that (by the way, is a Christian) was the advisor for that group; he helped shut a high school play down, he opposed allowing students to dye their hair or have piercings, because it wasn't conducive for his 6-year old nephew, (and had student's afraid that they would loose the scholarship if they participated in drama...or anything besides forestry). He called and accused our principal (she is no longer there) of "making students gay", because she allowed a group to participate in the National Day of Silence. He definitely has an agenda to push his political and religious beliefs - fine, but don't do it with such antagonistic, discriminatory, controlling behavior. Just a few years ago some students were NOT taking the scholarship, because of their values. They did not want money that backed hateful, discriminatory views - it was tainted to them. They directly expressed this to me. I do see values changing in the Philomath school system, for the better. I see caring educators genuinely working to provide the best environment for learning for ALL students (those in art or science and those in forestry and those that are in BOTH, along with those in the Bible club and those in GSA, these do not have to oppose each other as he wants them to). The definition of "value" here could stand for accepting the inherent worth and dignity of all students/people, versus a type of political or religious belief. I put this "undesirable stuff" out there, because people in Philomath and especially in the school district do not feel safe saying anything about what "THE FOUNDATION" had done.
I have re-read it...your point? Remember, this is supposed to be about the kids and their future, not the businesses or the Christians. The day of silence is not a "reward" for helping Philomath. Do you know what it is? If businesses and Christians want a day of silence or maybe recognition, then go do it...make one...and it too will most likely be recognized at the school, because we have great Christians and businesses in our town that do indeed need acknowledgement, as we do Pagans, Buddhists, Atheists, Secular Humanists, Homosexuals, Heterosexuals, Native Americans, Hispanics, White, and the labeling list goes on. We can celebrate everyone...not just one group. On this point of helping, yes, many religious and non-religious groups have given freely to Philomath. We have lots of community support and help; it is wonderful. I have definitely put into this community...but this isn't about me...it shouldn't be about politics or religion either, or about certain values or morals or judgments, but about a gift to the the children of the community to help them fulfill their dreams. The kids have been the ones suffering while everyone debates the true simmering issue: liberalism vs conservatism. So to them...get the scholarship if you are in line with it, if not move on. This is an age-old "fight" that is going on in America. If you have ideas to solve it or make it better...go for it. I know Philomath's teens are, as are so many teens everywhere, more with it, accepting, practical, tolerant, and intelligent than people know. Some of the teens sent amazing letters into the Gazette Times when some of this was going down a few years ago. Do whatever you feel is following your OWN life's purpose (college or not). If someone wants to give you a gift, make sure you don't have to sacrifice your beliefs, dreams, lifestyle, and so on, and be aware and careful if there are any "strings attached" that compromise any part of you.
You can buy a copy of Clear Cut at Java Connection in Philomath. They are out on the counter.
If you are coming from Corvallis Java Connection is on the left side of Main Street across from Independent Motorcyle Repair....just past the Thriftway. You can't turn left there anymore (since the couplet) so getting there is a bit of an adventure. Good Luck.
I am an 80's graduate of PHS and received the Clemens scholarship for one year of my undergraduate work and then applied the rest to my graduate work. I came back to Philomath to teach at the high school. I am a the daughter of a logger and my 19 year old is a 3rd generation, but now cannot get the scholarship. I can remember students moving to Philomath my senior year (my class grew before we graduated) to get the scholarship. One girl on my basketball team openly stated that is why she moved to this school. To stop this the scholarship requirements changed over the next few years while my son was in school. Some of the changes were that you had to attend the high school all 4 years; then you had to go 8 years, with the last 4 at the high school (so 4 elementary OR junior high). Then, while I was teaching there the real issues began. Steve Lowther started getting involved in more than just the scholarship, he began to get involved in the school (voicing how he thought it should be run...like the good ole' days). He fought against the gay/straight alliance, content of a school play, and school dress codes, to name a few. He likened new people to our town to that of new trees poisoning the old. A few of my students got the scholarship, but had to listen to Lowther tell them his views (against spotted owl and environmentalists and his political stances (He wanted them to agree with him in order to get the scholarship.) He spoke at the school and likened liberals to Hitler. He said people were too "politically correct" and he was against diversity. He then was upset at OSU for their sustainable logging practices and an incident that involved a fight with a white and black student there, then yanked the scholarship from kids at that school, first. It became evident that he was interested in reversing the intent of the scholarship from what the Clemens' had built it for. I was always told in school, that they wanted to give back to the community and saw the timber industry as something that was not sustainable and wanted small town kids to be able to go out and get an education and move into professional careers in order to compete with kids from bigger towns. Lowther, on the other hand, is reversing it and wants them to stay in those troubled industries. He has raged against educated professionals coming into the town and changing things (they were coming into the town to help the students make it in today's world).
I understand the restriction about "second generation" to receive the scholarship - but I don't understand the University restriction - is there any published information about that? I used the scholarship at a small private college in Oregon and it ended up not helping me at all - when the college found out about the scholarship, they just subtracted that amount from my financial aid package and included it in what they expected our family to contribute. I'm not sure that expecting Philomath graduates to attend private colleges is realistic - many have aspirations that OSU and U of O specialize in. It would seem appropriate to support our state schools by encouraging Philomath grads to attend through funding.
The foundation is big into religious morality, thus the schools they have picked are in line with their convictions. I, too, understand the "second generation" idea. As I stated earlier, kids were coming in just to get the scholarship. Unfortunately, now, it is about religion, politics, and fear of diversity/change. So now they make "personal judgments" about schools and kids for their scholarship. It is, though, private money and they can make the rules. I just have difficulty with his desire to "run" the school and school board/town/citizens etc. with promise of his "gift". I ho |
04/30/2008 8:15:21 AM
