Adventure Traveler

A Real Mother Goose

A Sutherlin resident nurses an injured goose back to health and gets a surprise visitor months later.

Story by Sarah Smith Photo by Thomas Boyd

Mother Goose is often cited as the author of hundreds of children’s stories and nursery rhymes, which have been passed down from generation to generation and remain synonymous with joy, childhood and storytelling. But who is Mother Goose? Many have theorized the origins of the sweet bonnet-clad character, but none have ever successfully attached Mother Goose to an individual writer or orator. Is it possible she could be living in a nice subdivision in Sutherlin? No, of course not. But Elly Shafer couldn’t be blamed for wanting to borrow her moniker. A few years back, Elly found an injured juvenile goose on the hill behind her house. “He couldn’t walk or swim very well because he had a large golf ball-like growth in the middle of his wing,” Shafer recalls. “The day I spotted him, he was with his siblings staggering around.” Shafer wasn’t able to capture him that day, but early the next morning Shafter managed to corner the critter, whom she would name Sid, and relocate him to a small cage in her garage. She suspected that Sid suffered from a vitamin and calcium deficiency. After weeks of treatment (and laps in his own kiddie pool), Sid’s health improved, the growth disappeared, and feathers replaced his baby down. Sid claimed Shafer as his adopted mother, following her everywhere. Geese learn everything from their parents, including migratory routes and how to swim. “Whenever I went out to mow the lawn on my riding mower, he would run or fly after me,” Shafer says. “He joined our neighborhood picnics, and whenever he saw my neighbor in the early morning in her pink bathrobe, he would fly over to her, talking while she walked.” All good things must come to an end is a proverb dating back to the 1300s that reminds us nothing

“Even as I looked for Sid I knew it was futile. He was with the wild ones, just as it should be.” — Elly Shafer

lasts forever. Applied to this story, it serves as a reminder that the day will come when children leave the nest. Geese remain with their family group for about a year before forming flocks with other young geese. So it was that Sid’s time to move on would arrive. “One October day, I heard him honking up a blue streak,” Shafer says. “I was in the house and ran out to see what was going on. I called for him, but there was no answer. Even as I looked for Sid, I knew it was futile. I knew he was with the wild ones, just as it should be.” Geese have a very strong instinct to return to their general area of birth to mate and nest. They will either return to the exact site or to a nearby body of water. “I never thought I would see him again, but the following spring, a pair of geese flew into my driveway,” Shafer says. “I knew it was Sid and his mate. I couldn’t go up to him, but at least I knew he was safe and not alone. They stayed for a couple of weeks and left.” It has been six years since Shafer first happened upon Sid. Every once in a while, a flock of geese will land in her field. Knowing geese can live up to 25 years, she’s hopeful that one day she and Sid will have another reunion. “I enjoyed every minute of knowing him,” Shafer says, “and I’m grateful that I was able to help another fellow creature.”

Ripples Effect

Building on the foundation of their first successful TEDxRoseburg event, Aaron and Andre Larsen are setting the stage to share even more great local ideas to the rest of the world.

Story by Jenny Kormendi Photos by Ray Hull

Speaker Leila Goulet and Wildlife Safari co-workers. A aron and Andre Larsen didn’t always imagine they’d be helping bring the diverse ideas of the Roseburg community to a global stage. But in the aftermath of the 2016 shooting at Umpqua Community College, they were moved by the innovation and resourcefulness shown by the people of Douglas County. Andre saw so much camaraderie, even beauty, in the community’s response and was moved by the support people gave each other. Aaron recalls experiencing “that surreal moment where everybody was feeling like they needed to do something because it was so difficult to process this experience.” Wondering how they could positively contribute, a light bulb began to glow as Andre settled in to another typical evening in front of the computer, watching TED Talk videos. TEDx Talks are programs licensed by the TED organization that feature short, inspiring features from experts around the world in the areas of technology, entertainment and design (or, TED). As she watched, Andre asked herself, “Why not amplify the hidden gems in our community and lift up the wonderful voices of Roseburg on a global platform by hosting a TEDx talk?” TEDx was developed to give smaller communities like Roseburg a voice on a larger stage. Over the course of nine months, the Larsens sifted through a 200-page rule book and mulled whether or not to organize an event locally. Ultimately, Andre decided to press forward. The first TEDx Roseburg was presented in July 2017 and featured 15 local speakers and an audience of just 100 individuals, per TEDx regulations. After a successful first attempt, the couple knew they wanted to organize a second event on a larger scale for this year. They turned to social media and asked their followers to come up with a theme. “Themes that aligned with community and the Umpqua river were quite popular, so we brainstormed words that relate to water,” Andre says. “We chose ‘Ripples’ because it symbolizes

The first TEDxRoseburg event featured 15 local speaker, including UV writer Jenni Kormendi (front row between the E and D).

“We related (our Ripples theme) to community because if one person steps up and does something great for the community, others are inspired to do the same.”

— Andre Larsen

the fact that one small action can create a cascade of actions. We related it to community because if one person steps up and does something great for the community, others are inspired to do the same. We believe that is how great communities thrive.” In order to host a larger audience, the TED organization requires TEDx organizers to meet additional criteria, including attending a bona fide TED talk experience, which Andre did in November 2019. “It was a fantastic experience that really set expectations high,” she says. “When we were approved for next TEDx event we had the possibility of hosting up to 1,000 people, or 10 times larger than our first event.” Once approved, the TEDx team set about finding local voices with engaging topics to share. The speaker interviews started before the global pandemic was declared but, despite the unpredictable times, the Larsens were determined to proceed with creating the platform for these individuals to share their ideas. The second TEDxRoseburg will air Saturday, April 10. Speaker themes include education and training, gardening and biology with tie-ins to geography and art. The Larsens say they are excited to offer themes of unification in a time of division. For example, one talk focuses on the divide between rural and urban communities and ways they can be brought together. The possibility of a live audience is still up in the air, and the Larsen’s hoped-for audience of 1,000 is, of course, out of the question. But nothing will stop the event from going on. Individuals will be able to watch live from home, and there’s an option to purchase a party pack complete with decorations and gift cards for local restaurants. In a time of unpredictability, one thing is certain: Aaron and Andre Larsen are determined to provide the stage from which the ripples of great local ideas can spread.

Learn more about TEDx Roseburg and how to stream the event at TEDxRoseburg.com/UV

Full Steamboat Ahead

A treasured landmark along the North Umpqua, Steamboat Inn begins the recovery process after the Archie Creek Fire.

Story by Taylor Perse

In their three years as owners of Steamboat Inn, Melinda and Travis Woodward have seen reservations curtailed because of wildfire smoke and a global pandemic. But the Archie Creek Fire was something else altogether. Last September’s wildfire, one of Douglas County’s worst ever, started along the North Umpqua River then spread through the forests along Oregon Highway 138. The flames threatened to engulf everything in their path, including buildings along the river, and in many cases did. The historic inn was spared, but not untouched. The fire caused thousands of dollars in damage, but it also inspired the Woodwards to rebuild and keep the business going. “We did not think Steamboat would survive,” says Melinda Woodward. “We actually got a call that the firefighters had to abandon the structures and that the lodge probably wouldn’t be there in the morning. Luckily, it was.” Built in 1957, Steamboat Inn is a familiar cornerstone of the Umpqua region, situated next to the river near a bend in the highway. With rooms and cabins surrounded by lush forests — and right out back, the rippling river — the inn offers a weekend escape or a stop on the way through to somewhere else. On Sept. 8, the first day of the fire, Melinda woke at 5 a.m. to get her daughter ready for school and found the power was out. She glanced outside and downriver. The sky glowed an ominous orange, and Woodward knew immediately that a fire was close. She and Travis awakened the guests and onsite staff and told them they needed to leave immediately. They then took off for Bend, arranging to stay with family and, on the way, just missed the Thielsen fire that started later that morning. “We just had to leave and hope for the best,” Melinda says. For Amanda Watts, a Steamboat employee off and on since 1995 and a permanent part of the staff since 2014, the inn is a second home. Watts remembers a few wildfires getting close to the inn, but not reaching the building as Archie Creek did. “This blew up fast, and we had the east winds,” Watts says. “None of the other fires have ever gotten that close.” The devastating fires are long extinguished but Steamboat Inn isn’t yet out of the woods. The 64-year-old building is intact, but

Steamboat Inn owner Melinda Woodward feels fortunate she still has a deck to stand on. Photo by Robin Loznak.

Photo by JD Elegance.

Photo by JD Elegance.

Photo by Joshua Rainey.

flames narrowly missed a few buildings. One has water damage from firefighting, and a tree across the river fell, pulling out all of the plumbing from the front building. The worst damage was to the inn’s water and septic system, connected to a spring across the road. As it tore through, the fire ruptured water lines and destroyed a 55,000-gallon holding tank. “Unfortunately, insurance is not covering the in-ground pipes, which had the most damage,” Melinda says. Recent septic repairs, however, were expected to facilitate a partial reopening in March with the Woodwards hoping they are fully open again in June. “We have a lot to do in order to get up and running,” Watts says. “There’s definitely been progress, but we don’t know the extent of the damage after we turn everything on.” The uncertainty over Steamboat Inn’s future has inspired expressions of concern from former guests and from community members, who regard the inn on the river as a local landmark. “We have felt a lot of love and support from the community,” says Melinda. “Many people have come by and been relieved to see the inn still standing. We have received hundreds of emails from people all over the world so happy that the inn survived.” Watts says people have faith in the Woodwards’ ability to restore the inn. “I knew once the inn was left standing Melinda and Travis would get it going,” she says. “They put their heart and soul and their whole life — everything — into this.”

“We actually got a call that the firefighters had to abandon the structures and that the lodge probably wouldn’t be there in the morning.”