First Tuesday Talk Sponsors:
The Mill Casino Hotel
Previous First Tuesday Talks
JANUARY: No First Tuesday Talk
FEBRUARY: Oregon’s Black History: 450 Years in 45 Minutes presented by Zachary Stocks
Zachary Stocks is a public historian and museum professional, and is the Executive Director of Oregon Black Pioneers, Oregon’s only statewide African American historical society. Zachary has a BA in History from the College of William & Mary and a Master’s degree in Museum Studies from the University of Washington. Over the past 10 years, Zachary has interpreted early American experiences at Colonial Williamsburg, Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, Historical Seaport, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, and the Northwest African American Museum. Zachary lives and works in Astoria.
People of African descent have lived and worked in Oregon since before the founding of the earliest English-speaking settlements in the Americas. Despite this, the popular narrative of our state’s history excludes the experiences of African Americans before the mid 20th century. This erasure is the result of historic legal and social marginalization that contribute to the ignorance of Oregon’s Black heritage, as well as influence contemporary disparities in housing access, community investment, and policing. Zachary Stocks of Oregon Black Pioneers will attempt to correct the record by highlighting key individuals and events that characterize Oregon’s unique and centuries-old Black history.
MARCH: Everyday Lives of Indigenous Women presented by Patricia Whereat Phillips, Courtney Krossman, and Ashley Russell
Patricia Whereat Phillips is Miluk Coos Tribal Member and linguist for the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians. Patricia was raised in North Bend, studied biology at Oregon State University (1992) and linguistics at University of Oregon (1996). She has been working on revitalizing the Hanis, Miluk and Siuslaw languages.
Courtney Krossman is a Miluk Coos Tribal Member who is enrolled with the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians. Courtney attended the University of Oregon, majoring in Anthropology with an emphasis on archaeology and Native American Studies. Courtney works in a professional capacity for the Tribe in the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources as the Cultural Resources Protection Assistant. She currently serves as a Trustee for the Coos Historical Society.
Ashley Russell is a Miluk Coos Tribal Member and Water Protection Specialist and Cultural Assistant for the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI). Ashley is an Oregon State University (OSU) graduate of Environmental Sciences with an emphasis on Fisheries and Wildlife Science. She is currently enrolled through the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine and pursing her herbal certification. Ashley is recognized for her knowledge of culturally significant species, including Tribal first foods and weaving materials, as well as her art and singing.
Join Patricia Phillips, Courtney Krossman, and Ashley Russell in exploring the rich Indigenous Culture of the Coos Bay Area and the women that have helped shape its history. They will be highlighting the strength of their female ancestors, while demonstrating the fact that gender disparities were few and far between. Journey through the past to explore the incredible lives of Native American women from pre-contact thru today.
APRIL: ODCC: Enhancing the Image of Oregon Dungeness Crab presented by Tim Novotny
A former journalist, for both broadcast and print media, Tim Novotny worked in Idaho, Illinois, and Wisconsin, before arriving on Oregon’s south coast in 1999 where he would became the news director and main news anchor at KCBY-TV in Coos Bay in 2000. He worked at the TV station for 12 years before moving to the World Newspaper for three more years, reporting and doing multi-media journalism for the website. While working at the newspaper, Novotny went back to school online and earned a master’s degree in public relations. He put that degree to use when he joined the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission in 2017 as Communications Manager/Assistant Administrator. No stranger to the seafood industry, having covered sport and commercial fishing as part of his regular duties at both media outlets, it has still proved to be an eye-opening experience.
The Oregon Dungeness Commercial Crab fishery is the most valuable single-species fishery in the state. Over the last ten years alone, using a conservative economic multiplier of two, the fishery has brought in over one billion dollars to the Oregon economy. Needless to say, there are many fans of Dungeness crab in the state and some may even know that there is a commission that bears its name. But, a precious few seem to have a firm grasp on what role that commission plays or what brought it into existence in the first place. There are Dungeness crabs to be found in Alaska, California, Washington…but you will only find one Dungeness Crab Commission, and that is here in Oregon. The commission does not manage the fishery, and it does not set a price or help in the price negotiation process. But what the commission does is vital to the overall continued long term success of the industry in so many ways. I will try to shed some light on the work being done by the Crab Commission, and help provide some historical context as to how we got here.
MAY: The History and Mystery Behind the Egyptian Theatre presented by Kara J. Long
Kara Long is the Executive Director and Theatre Manager of the Egyptian Theatre and has been since 2014 when the theatre reopened. She is from Delaware, Ohio where she very successfully managed the operation of another historic theatre, The Strand, as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director for 12 years. In addition to over 17 years of management experience in theatres like the local Egyptian, Kara has been interested and involved in the movie business since she was 16 years old. She says that hearing an audience laughing, screaming, singing, or clapping is what keeps her coming back for more each day.
Have you ever wondered why it’s called the Egyptian Theatre, what’s behind the curtain, or what it’s like to operate an historic theater? I will highlight the history of the Egyptian Theatre, while discussing the history of the movie exhibition business, and how to run an historical building. Come to have all of the questions about your local Egyptian Theatre answered – the history and mystery revealed.
JUNE: The Return of Sea Otters: Considering the Ecological and Cultural Dimensions of Restoration presented by Peter Hatch
Peter Hatch is the Secretary for the Board at the Elakha Alliance. He is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and works in the tribe’s Cultural Resources office. He’s been fishing, clamming, and crabbing in Lincoln County his entire life, and wants to ensure that his descendants can always do the same.
It is hard to appreciate the historical, cultural, and ecological significance of a species that disappeared from Oregon’s coastal waters over a century ago. What has the loss of sea otters meant to Oregon’s indigenous peoples? What does their absence mean to the health of nearshore ecosystems? What might be gained from the return of sea otters to Oregon? Peter Hatch from the Elakha Alliance and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz will discuss the history and possible future of sea otters in Oregon.
JULY: No First Tuesday Talk
AUGUST: Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative: From Electrifying the Rural Frontier to Advancing High-Speed, Reliable Broadband on the Southern Oregon Coast presented by Brent Bischoff
Brent Bischoff is the General Manager/CEO of Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative, Inc. and CEO of Beacon Broadband Inc. Brent joined Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative in January 2019 and in 2020, became the Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Broadband, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the cooperative. Prior to joining CCEC, Brent served as an Electrical Engineer for the Bonneville Power Administration, the General Manager of Skamania County PUD, and Senior Manager of Power Delivery Engineering at Grant County PUD. Brent received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Brigham Young University and a Master of Engineering in Electrical Power Engineering from University of Idaho. Over the past twenty years, Brent’s energy sector experience has spanned engineering, operations, power delivery, and administration.
Over 83 years ago, Ivan Laird, and the founding members of Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative, identified that for-profit electric 
SEPTEMBER: Bicycle Power: Past, Present, and Future presented by Eric Clough
Like most children born of this land Eric loved riding/crashing bikes as he grew up. His current passion for bicycles did not rebirth until he approached retirement years and searched for ways to bring fulfillment and purpose to his life. After 25 years of working in the petroleum world – and commuting by bicycle to work almost every day of those years – he has become committed to seeing a change from our addiction to fossil fuel consumption. He believes bicycles are an important part of a sustainable and healthy future. He has lived in Coos Bay since 2001 with his spouse and they have raised two children here. In 2017, they founded Front Street community Bike Works and hope to see it become a recognizable part of our local culture.
Join Eric Clough as he explores the history of the bicycle, the present condition of bicycle culture here in the Coos, and advocacy for the possibilities of a deeper reliance on pedal power locally. The miraculous invention of the bicycle goes back to early 19th century and local historical records can be found from the early 20th century. Bicycles represent a real form of freedom to move and explore. Most of us know this freedom personally as we learned to balance and pedal on two wheels. Bicycles were an important part of emancipation for women in the early 20th century and they remain an important means of empowerment for community members who can’t afford the costs of those costly and dangerous internal combustion engine machines we call cars. This talk will suggest the possibilities that bicycle transportation may provide for a healthier, quieter, safer, and more sustainable future. Park your car! Ride your bike!
OCTOBER: Coos Head Food Co-Op: 50 Years of Growing Community presented by Jamar Ruff
Jamar Ruff has been a part of the Co-op going on 2 years and has been advocating in our local community going on 4 years. When thinking of the Co-op Jamar thinks of the community. Getting to work alongside small business owners, local producers, and local organizations has truly be amazing. I am originally from a small town by the name of Roberta in South Georgia, I love peach cobblers, good food and a lot of laughs with good company.
Join Jamar Ruff for a walk through Coos Head Food Co-op history, showcasing the cooperative business model along with the different types of cooperatives. Education and creating access for community members have been at the heart of the co-op. We are governed by 7 principles of cooperatives which are influential in everyday operations. We are 100% member owned and supported, however, the co-op is open to everyone in the community. 
NOVEMBER: A Journey of Nuu-Wee-Ya’ (Oregon Dene/Athabaskan) Language Revitalization presented by Dr. Jaeci Hall
Jaeci Hall has made it her life’s work to learn and teach Nuu-wee-ya’ (Oregon Dene/Athabaskan). In 2002 Hall began to learn language from Tututni Elder Gilbert Towner and began to pursue academic training to help analyze, learn and teach Nuu-wee-ya’ (‘our language’). She got a B.A. in Anthropology from Linfield College in 2005; a Master’s in Native American Linguistics in 2008, and completed her PhD in 2021. Her PhD research has included description of Nuu-wee-ya’ language structure through the analysis of Nuu-wee-ya’ archival texts as well as discussions of how to approach language revitalization with an Indigenous perspective. She spends her time working on her language, teaching it to her children and enjoying the rivers of Oregon.
This presentation describes Dr. Hall’s journey of language revitalization of Nuu-wee-ya’. This language is a traditional indigenous language of Oregon and Northern California that is connected to multiple tribal communities. She will discuss how she began this journey through language camps with Elder day-sri Gilbert Towner, her collaborations with tribal communities, the process of researching and describing Nuu-wee-ya’ and why language revitalization matters.
DECEMBER: Christmas Trees on the Coast Range presented by Jeff Maddess
Jeff Maddess is a native Oregonian born in the Willamette valley. After completing high school he worked in a sawmill, accumulating college credits during the day while working nights. Over the years the mill work provided funding and eventually Jeff graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelors in Business Management. Supervision jobs in the wood products industry kept Jeff busy for the following ten years. During that time he was married and him and his wife were blessed with a beautiful daughter. After a serious car accident his life focus changed to teaching, so Jeff worked his way through sixty Graduate hours receiving a teaching certificate in Special Education. His entire teaching career was spent right here in the Bay Area and he and his wife retired four years ago. They presently work a Christmas tree farm taking breaks to travel and visit their daughter who is a paramedic in Washington.
Join Jeff Maddess as he explains the undertaking of a family Christmas tree farm. Stonehouse Trees is located at a historic Coos county location, the Stonehouse homestead alongside the West Fork Millicoma river. Jeff will discuss the history behind their unique location as well as their part in growing Christmas trees for the largest producer in the nation – Oregon! The history of our state’s special row crop will be explored along with practical tips of the trade. Learn about their specialization in Noble Fir (the Cadillac of Christmas trees) and the minimum nine-year ongoing support of each and every tree which is exacting, and at times elusive.