The armed militia members in Oregon who have seized a federal wildlife refuge are continuing their standoff. But not without a note from their mother.
In an unexpected turn of events, Carol Bundy, the mother of militia leader Ammon Bundy, has issued a plea to supporters for some much-needed supplies. It seems these rugged men of the wilderness, willing to take up arms and battle their own government, are in need of a little French vanilla creamer.
Their list of supplies, as provided by Carol Bundy, includes slippers, Miracle Whip, conditioner, throw rugs, antibacterial hand soap, eggs, sour cream, cigarettes, and the aforementioned French vanilla creamer.
This note from mom is exactly the reason I question our need to bear arms in order to form “a well-regulated militia.” We might talk all big and powerful about what we’re going to do in this country, but when it comes down to it Americans have become so pampered we can’t do without coffee creamer.
How are we going to revolt against our government when we won’t even get off the sofa to change the channel? We may want to protest, but that protest better not last longer than the life of our cellphone battery because all sorts of problems arise when we can’t check Facebook. We’ll fight for freedom, provided we can still access the drive-thru window.
What makes matters worse is these gun-toting militia members in Oregon are men of the brave frontier. They live in the remote countryside in a world filled with nothingness and they can scarcely make it a week without asking mom for hotdogs and brats. It’s an embarrassment.
To show just how much this armed group is being ignored, their leaders hoped to have a meeting this Monday to explain their demands, but county officials denied them use of the local fairgrounds for such a meeting. The Harney County sheriff told them simply to go home.
That certainly seems like the best advice at this point. If you’re going to assemble a militia to fight the government, maybe you should get a group that can make it a week without body wash.

McMinnville Green tackles recycling

There was great concern, at least from Business Cheetah, when the county halted its plastic recycling efforts because there wasn’t a company willing to accept the plastic.
Fortunately, the county has resumed its plastic recycling and a business on Needmore Road is to thank. John Hoch and his business, McMinnville Green, have agreed to take the county’s plastic as the business looks to grow its recycling efforts.
“A lot of people want to recycle,” said John, “but they don’t know what to do. We’re trying to get this going, but we’re hoping to get some help.”
I’m one of those people who wants to recycle but doesn’t know exactly what to do so I’m glad to get pointers from John. For starters he says No. 1 and No. 2 plastics are all he can recycle. That’s a wide range of products that includes containers for milk, soft drinks, shampoo, bleach and other products.
John says most containers indicate what number plastic it is on the bottom or on the label. The number will be inside the triangular arrows that serve as the main recycling logo.
John asks for recyclers to gently rinse the container to get rid of the residue and to take the cap and throw it in the regular trash. He can’t recycle the caps at this point.
“I’ve probably removed 100,000 caps over the last month,” he said.
Plastic grocery bags are accepted. John recommends stuffing about 15 to 20 bags inside one bag and then tying the handles together.
As for cardboard, corrugated cardboard can be recycled. This includes pizza boxes.
“But please remove the pizza,” said John as he said leftover pizza is a crusty problem.
He says other cardboard, like a Sun Drop drink box, can’t be recycled now.
Sorting through the trash is a tiring job as John says it takes about two days to sift through one load of recyclable material to remove all the stuff that can’t be recycled.
“We recommend if people want to start recycling that they start out small and concentrate on one thing,” said John. “When they get used to that, they can work on expanding.”
I think there are many people interested in recycling, but many of us are new to this game and don’t know what’s OK and what’s not. John realizes this too and wants to provide as much information as possible.
McMinnville Green is open Monday thru Friday at 655 Needmore Road. John says he’s available to answer any questions and he’s excited the city and county are concerned about recycling.

Standard brings in marketing swami

If you’re a business owner, chances are you’re interested in growing your business. Proper marketing is one way to achieve this goal.
It’s with prosperity in mind, your hometown Southern Standard has recruited world-class marketing expert Mike Blinder to conduct two seminars this Wednesday and Thursday. The seminars, both held at Warren County Administrative Offices, are absolutely free, free, free!
The sessions are Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m., and Thursday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided Wednesday and breakfast will be provided Thursday. Classes are limited to 40 people per session and were roughly half full as of Friday. Pre-register by calling the Standard at 473-2191.
The Standard is offering the marketing sessions as a service to local business owners who may not otherwise have access to such expertise. Blinder is like a swami. He’s nationally known for his marketing strategies and can provide assistance in building a simple website, or conducting more comprehensive campaigns. His methods are as refreshing as a waterfall, and his presentation is as engaging as a black hole. You can’t help but get sucked in.
From my perch, I see this as a great opportunity for local business owners to attain some valuable insight for the best price available – free! Don’t pound your head against the wall trying to build a better mousetrap. Blinder has already done it and he’ll tell you how this Wednesday and Thursday.

Amphitheater now available venue

Many of us have fond memories of Pish La Ki, the restaurant and amphitheater that was located atop Harrison Ferry Mountain. Some folks saw legendary George Jones perform there, while others, like me, enjoyed making the trip up the mountain for a meal with a view.
Ruby Dixson has owned the 71 acres that is Pish La Ki for about seven years. She’s been making gradual upgrades, has changed the name to Stonewood Bluff and Amphitheater, and now is offering the facility for rent as a venue for special occasions.
She’s also working on getting the cabins ready for rent and she has plans to bring concerts back to the amphitheater this spring.
“There are things we hope to accomplish,” said Ruby. “We have a phase 1, a phase 2, and a phase 3. So far reopening the restaurant is not in any one of those phases. Cabin rentals are in the plans and so are special events. It’s great for weddings. My son got married there and it was very nice.”
If you’re angling for an outdoor wedding, it’s hard to beat the scenic beauty offered at the amphitheater, which sits dangling over the mountain’s edge. There’s a stage for the wedding ceremony itself and seating for around 250 if you really have a crowd. The building, which was formerly the restaurant area, can seat about 100 people for indoor activities.
“We’ve done some tree trimming to open up the view,” said Ruby. “We have 71 acres in all.”
Stonewood Bluff and Amphitheater can be found on Facebook, or call 815-7474 for more information about reserving the facility for your event.

More talk about Plaza

The rumors continue to swirl around Plaza Shopping Center with many folks eager to talk about what might happen there next.
One person who is not delighting in all this talk is Kenzeroni’s owner Jeff Acre. He called me on Wednesday to say he’s heard a number of the rumors, some of which have his pizza parlor going out of business.
“We don’t have plans to go anywhere,” said Jeff. “People keep asking when we’re leaving.”
I can understand how going out of business talk would be frustrating to hear as a business owner, especially if it pertains to your business, so I told Jeff I would publicize his plans to stay open to the best of my ability. The report you just read is the best of my ability.

Neale rounds up 40 Under 40 Award

Three cheers and a yeehaw go out to McMinnville resident Lauren Neale, who has been honored as a recipient of Vance Publishing’s 40 Under 40 Award for her work with the Tennessee Cattleman’s Association. The organization, headquartered in Murfreesboro, serves about 7,000 members across the state. Lauren is its director of communications.
“I like doing the warm and fuzzy stories,” said Lauren, who helps publish a monthly magazine called Tennessee Cattle Business and manages the organization’s social media sites. “The big push in the industry now is to tell the story of the farming families, to show there are people behind the food that’s produced. It’s not just some big corporation. We feed the same beef to our kids that you feed to your kids.”
Lauren has a fascinating story of how she made her way to Warren County. She was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and made her way out to Montana in 2010 to work for the Montana Skygrowers Association. In this role, she traveled all over the desolate state documenting the lives of ranchers in videos and photos.
“It’s a different life, like the Old West meets modern day,” said Lauren. “The ranches are thousands and thousands of acres and you better not run out of gas because there might not be another town for an hour. There wasn’t much cellphone coverage either.”
So how did Lauren make it from Montana to McMinnville? She met her husband, Ben, through the National Cattleman’s Association and two began to strike up a relationship. Lauren was eventually persuaded to leave the companionship of Montana sheep for normal adult conversation in Warren County. Today she has a 3-month-old baby named Corbin and has a job that allows her to work from home for a healthy career balance.
The Tennessee Cattleman’s Association gets involved in some legislative issues and works hard to promote the beef industry. Business Cheetah is pleased to congratulate Lauren on her impressive 40 Under 40 Award and wish her the best of luck in the future.

Let there be skin care

If you’re looking for waxing, skin care, and nail work, Mileah Crawford has joined the staff at Silver Scissors and is ready to revitalize your look.
Mileah offers a full wax menu, deep dermal treatments, facials, skin analysis, nail tip applications, and a wide range of other services for the betterment of your body.
If feeling more confident about your skin is your goal, give Mileah a call at 808-5169. She’s a Georgia Career Institute graduate who is also a licensed instructor, which indicates she must know her stuff.
Silver Scissors has also added a craft and consignment room for your shopping pleasure. If you have consignment items you’d like to contribute to the inventory, bring them in. Silver Scissors can be reached at 473-7574.

That’s all folks

After last week’s column where I made fun of Nicolas Cage, it’s been an exhausting week. I never realized the world has so many Nicolas Cage supporters, but I’ve learned my lesson. It’s not wise to belittle bad actors.
Phone in business tips by calling 473-2191. If I don’t answer, I may be busy rounding up a militia. But we’re going to wait till the weather gets warmer, and we’ll make sure to stay in the Domino’s delivery area, when overthrowing the government.