Radio Highlights Metro's Garbage Contribution

by Ilsa Perse

Carl Wolfson, host of 620 KPOJ AM's morning talk show, interviewed dump neighbor and activist Ramsey McPhillips and Pink Martini luminary Thomas Lauderdale about the damage Riverbend Landfill is to doing to Yamhill County.  The show, which aired on September 13th, also promoted Pink Martini's highly successful benefit concert for the Stop the Dump Coalition.

This is the first time there has been such a thorough airing of the issues to a large listening audience.  Wolfson found the discussion interesting enough to ask McPhillips and Lauderdale to stay on the show for a longer-than-scheduled interview in order to continue the conversation.

Even though the concert is over, Thomas Lauderdale continues to spread the word to residents, businesses, and officials in Portland and the Metro area about problems at Riverbend.  Hopefully, Wolfson will also continue to inform his audience about the serious issues a landfill on prime farmland on a river poses for western Oregon.  Contact Wolfson at carlwolfson.com to request more information!

Pink Martini Concert a Huge Success!

by Susan Watkins

On a perfect Sunday afternoon, 350 happy fans danced, sang, and swayed along with Pink Martini, China Forbes, and the Von Trapp great-grandchildren at Pink Martini's benefit concert for the Stop the Dump movement.

Surprise guest puppeteer Basal Twist wowed the audience with an ethereal performance.

The concert, held at Youngberg Hill with its beautiful vistas overlooking the South Yamhill River Valley (and alas the dump), earned rave reviews from participants.  Many loyal Pink Martini fans thought they'd never attended a finer performance.

Youngberg Hill offered attendees its award-winning wines, Salt and Straw "farm to cone" creamery donated ice cream, and vendors The Chicken Coop and Bert's Chuckwagon offered yummy meals with a local flavor.

"VIPs" who donated extra funds to the cause mingled with members of both bands after the concert, dining on delicious Yamhill County-themed hor-d'oeuvres catered by Fred Ellis, a dump neighbor, and champagne provided by Youngberg Hill.

The generosity of Pink Martini's Thomas Lauderdale, a long-time Stop the Dump supporter, in proposing and promoting the concert, the enthusiastic willingness of Nicolette and Wayne Bailey of Youngberg Hill to host the event, and the tireless efforts of dump neighbor Ramsey McPhillips to organize everything, raised a substantial amount for our community movement.

Representative Earl Blumenauer pumped up the audience with a reminder that most of the garbage that bloats Riverbend Landfill is not generated locally.  Wherever we hail from, we can cut waste and ask our officials to keep trash off farmland and out of river basins.

Waste Not and the entire Stop the Dump Coalition extend our deepest gratitude to Thomas, China and the rest of Pink Martini, Basal, the Von Trapps, Rep. Blumenauer, and Wayne and Nicolette for their generosity and contagious enthusiasm!