Oregon GrownRaised in Astoria, Oregon, Peter Huhtala enjoyed a rare childhood: He often fished for trout and salmon with his grandfather and worked in his dad’s woodworking shop. Decades later, Peter spent time in Washington, DC, where he advocated for healthy marine environments and fair treatment of sport and commercial fishing. He served as a Clatsop County Commissioner from 2011 to 2015. He has called Tigard his home for the past eight years.
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Bicycles were the favored means of transport for me and a crew of twelve and thirteen-year-old boys in a modest Washington County suburb in the 1960s. Most of the bikes sported single speeds with wide tires to propel us out of our backyards, bounce us down mud trails in the deeply shaded forest, and deposit us on a
backroad of a working farm, complete with a swiftly deteriorating barn crumbled in heaps of grey wood.
I'm astonished by the economic growth Washington County has enjoyed over the past several decades. Opportunities to build wealth and provide jobs sprung from the dreams of a few and the work of many. The government should nurture our visionary friends and the workers who bring their dreams to reality to benefit all.
Washington County has been investigating routes for an auto road through Scholls' gorgeous farmland and wetlands. It seems like a nifty section of an alternative route between Tualatin and Hillsboro. Are we revisiting the wildly rejected Westside Bypass? I hope not. A new highway is not what this county, state, or planet needs. The clean alternative for commuters between Tualatin and Hillsboro is the Westside Corridor of the light rail system.
My thoughts cycled back to people without housing. Some lost their homes after falling behind on their rent or house payments. Root causes include the 2008 recession, the Covid-19 pandemic, mental illness, depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) derived from military service or childhood abuse.
A brutally compelling reason to reclaim our cities is the proliferation of hard drugs. In 2020, Oregonians passed Measure 110 to legalize small amounts of dangerous drugs such as heroin, meth, and fentanyl,. The voters made clear Oregon offered compassion and therapy for people with addiction rather than shame and
incarceration. The war on drugs didn't work. Unfortunately, neither did Measure 110.
Drug use and drug deaths increased in the wake of the ballot measure. Very few addicts accepted the opportunity for treatment.
Many Oregonians realized that a system without consequence wouldn't work. Lawmakers and concerned citizens considered new approaches. I studied the possibilities and decided that the proposal offered by The Coalition to Fix and Improve Measure 110 made the most sense.
Smart growth, anticipated with plans that serve all our people with respect for the Earth and its life, resonates with me. The health of our planetary home is inextricably tied to our physical, mental, and emotional health.
As Governor Kotek, Oregon's legislators, and our emeritus work on the Measure, I suspect we will witness a resurgence of The Oregon Way. Bright and caring people will recall the inspiration that drew them to the public square and leave their differences in the trucks. Keep an eye out. History will be made.
backroad of a working farm, complete with a swiftly deteriorating barn crumbled in heaps of grey wood.
I'm astonished by the economic growth Washington County has enjoyed over the past several decades. Opportunities to build wealth and provide jobs sprung from the dreams of a few and the work of many. The government should nurture our visionary friends and the workers who bring their dreams to reality to benefit all.
Washington County has been investigating routes for an auto road through Scholls' gorgeous farmland and wetlands. It seems like a nifty section of an alternative route between Tualatin and Hillsboro. Are we revisiting the wildly rejected Westside Bypass? I hope not. A new highway is not what this county, state, or planet needs. The clean alternative for commuters between Tualatin and Hillsboro is the Westside Corridor of the light rail system.
My thoughts cycled back to people without housing. Some lost their homes after falling behind on their rent or house payments. Root causes include the 2008 recession, the Covid-19 pandemic, mental illness, depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) derived from military service or childhood abuse.
A brutally compelling reason to reclaim our cities is the proliferation of hard drugs. In 2020, Oregonians passed Measure 110 to legalize small amounts of dangerous drugs such as heroin, meth, and fentanyl,. The voters made clear Oregon offered compassion and therapy for people with addiction rather than shame and
incarceration. The war on drugs didn't work. Unfortunately, neither did Measure 110.
Drug use and drug deaths increased in the wake of the ballot measure. Very few addicts accepted the opportunity for treatment.
Many Oregonians realized that a system without consequence wouldn't work. Lawmakers and concerned citizens considered new approaches. I studied the possibilities and decided that the proposal offered by The Coalition to Fix and Improve Measure 110 made the most sense.
Smart growth, anticipated with plans that serve all our people with respect for the Earth and its life, resonates with me. The health of our planetary home is inextricably tied to our physical, mental, and emotional health.
As Governor Kotek, Oregon's legislators, and our emeritus work on the Measure, I suspect we will witness a resurgence of The Oregon Way. Bright and caring people will recall the inspiration that drew them to the public square and leave their differences in the trucks. Keep an eye out. History will be made.
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Peter wrote and recorded this song many years ago, yet, it still resonates with truth today!
We all want to be able to know better days ahead. We can only acheive this by working together. Let's turn this mess around and help all to thrive! |
Peter's book of 50 short stories of his remarkable life was published in 2017.
He has been a carpenter, songwriter and musician, lobbyist for environmental causes in DC, a county commissioner, and a single father who raised three children alone.
Currently, Peter helps his wife Deborah O'Brien share sacred spiritual enlivenment processes, known in Japanese as Reiki, to support others to access better health and self-empowerment. Together they started this service oriented business Holy Love Reiki.
He has had remarkable healing with these holistic practices to recover from what doctors diagnosed as Parkinsons back in 2003. He is a powerful example of what the Finnish people recognize as Sisu.
Peter has always cared deeply about humanity's problems and the world we live in.
He has been a carpenter, songwriter and musician, lobbyist for environmental causes in DC, a county commissioner, and a single father who raised three children alone.
Currently, Peter helps his wife Deborah O'Brien share sacred spiritual enlivenment processes, known in Japanese as Reiki, to support others to access better health and self-empowerment. Together they started this service oriented business Holy Love Reiki.
He has had remarkable healing with these holistic practices to recover from what doctors diagnosed as Parkinsons back in 2003. He is a powerful example of what the Finnish people recognize as Sisu.
Peter has always cared deeply about humanity's problems and the world we live in.