That's A Wrap

After an extended hiatus from in-person activities and professional development tours due to the pandemic, the UO Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America reemerged in a big way with trips to Eugene, Seattle and Portland, and a wildly successful fundraising event called PRom.

The Seattle excursion had an inauspicious start when an 18-wheeler wiped out on I-5, closing all northbound lanes near the Canby rest area for several hours. Northbound traffic, including those of us heading to Seattle, Washington, was painstakingly re-routed through the rest area.

It literally took us two hours to travel eight miles at a crawl from the Aurora exit to the Wilsonville exit, where we stopped for lunch. Continuing on up 1-5, we made it through Portland traffic without incident and finally reached our hotel in North Seattle a full nine hours after leaving Eugene.

Arriving at the Hotel Nexus, I adjourned to adjacent Saffron Grill and met Josh, a Latin teacher at a local Catholic school by day and bartender by night. Josh educated me on the finer points of making a rum tiki masala and more. I find that bartenders are some of the most interesting people.

For the next two days, we toured WE Communications in Bellevue, then InkHouse Public Relations, Starbucks Headquarters and The Fearey Group in Seattle. Despite the busy schedule, we had time to tour the Pike Place Market on the Seattle waterfront and Pioneer Square.

On our Portland trip, we visited Edelman Public Relations, where Account Supervisor (and former UO PRSSA Progamming Director) Casey Olsen, led a lively discussion on how Edelman helps its clients achieve their business goals. Next up was Gard Communications, where I was able to visit with my former students Hannah Smith and Liz Vargas, now both working as public relations account managers for the agency.

The finale of the day was a visit to Providence Park, home of the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorn men's and women's soccer teams, where we learned about sports marketing. For me, it was my first visit to the park since I played varsity baseball there for Lincoln High School back in the day.

In the 1960's, I spent many summer evenings (in what was known then as Multnomah Stadium) watching the Portland Beavers, which featured future stars like Luis Tiant, Lou Pinella and Sam McDowell. The park has been significantly upgraded since I last played baseball there in 1971.

The coup de grâce was PRom, a fundraiser devised by the UO PRSSA leadership team (below). As many college students missed the own proms due to the pandemic, the team believed the event would be successful. It was, with more than 150 tickets sold, and a good time was had by all.

Dog Whisperer

Growing up in Portland, Oregon, we weren't allowed to have dogs in the family home. Mom might have approved, but she wasn't in charge. Dad ruled the roost, and he said "absolutely not." So naturally, when the five siblings grew up left the nest, we all immediately adopted canine companions.

Robert was the first in our family to buy a dog, and he preferred the Airedale Terrier. Originating in the Valley of the River Aire near Yorkshire, England, Airedales are known as "King of the Terriers" because they are the largest of the terrier breeds. Soon after, we all had pups of our own.

Eventually, Robert branched out a bit with Bouviers, known officially as "Bouvier de Flanders," a herding breed originating in Flanders, Belgium. Both Airedales and Bouviers are intelligent, loyal and familial breeds that were -- in the days before security systems -- great watch dogs.

In 1985, Robert left the City of Roses to attend a dog training and school in College Station, Pennsylvania, where he met his wife, Elaine Petrov, also a dog lover. He remained in Philadelphia, and pursued another passion, cinema studies, as projectionist and film curator at International House Philadelphia.

Robert, our resident expert on canines, provided counsel and guidance as we adopted many other breeds, including Golden Retrievers, Labradors, English Bulldogs and more. He maintained his passion for dogs throughout his lifetime and will be remembered as our "dog whisperer."

Renaissance Man

Sometimes there's a man -- I won't say a hero, because what's a hero? -- but sometimes there's a man, and I'm talking about Robert Emilio Cargni-Mitchell here. Sometimes, there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He just kind of fits right in there -- a renaissance man.

Beloved brother, uncle, great-uncle, friend and colleague, Robert passed away at home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday, May 1. Born Robert Cameron Mitchell in Portland, Oregon on February 18, 1954 to Charlotte Nitta Cargni Mitchell and Ralph Cameron Mitchell, he joined the family with his older brother, John, and later, Richard, Carla and Stephanie.

Robert grew up in East Portland on Mt. Tabor, attending Ascension Catholic Grade School and Mt. Tabor Elementary School, and graduated from Lincoln High School. A lifelong learner, Robert matriculated at Portland State University, University of Oregon and University of Pennsylvania.

We were raised in a matriarchy by our Italian grandmother, Gemma Emilia Brichetto Cargni, and our mother for the first half decade of our lives. Our father, a school teacher, worked in remote locations of Oregon. We didn't really know our father until he secured a teaching position in Portland.

In 1958, the family moved to the Cherry Park neighborhood on the eastern outskirts of Portland and welcomed Richard and Carla into the family. In 1961, we moved to the Mt. Tabor neighborhood, closer to Ascension Catholic Grade School and welcomed Stephanie, completing our family of five.

We played on various and sundry sports teams, particularly baseball, and one year competed on the same club, Kings Drive-In, coached by our Dad, in the Montavilla Little League (Robert is first row, far left; John is top row, third from the right; Dad is the second coach from the right).

In the mid-1960s, Dad bought beachfront property in Road's End, the northernmost village in Lincoln City on the Central Oregon Coast. All of us at one point or another spent weekends during the school year and summers helping build and finish the structure over a period of time.

The siblings also accompanied their father on weekend camping excursions in the High Cascades of Oregon. Later, the boys joined their father on mountain climbing expeditions, particularly Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood (Robert, standing toward the front on the left, below).

As long-suffering fans of the University of Oregon football team, we were all excited when the team's fortunes improved in the mid- to late-1980s. When the Oregon Ducks were invited to their first bowl game in 26 years, Robert joined me in Shreveport, Louisiana for the Independence Bowl. Despite unseasonably cold temperatures in Shreveport, the Ducks squeaked out an exciting 27-24 victory over the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

Robert managed two movie houses, the Aladdin and Oregon theaters, while majoring in film studies at PSU. In 1985, he moved briefly to Los Angeles, then College Station, Pennsylvania to attend a dog training school before relocating to Philadelphia. He married Elaine Petrov in 1987.

Once settled in Philadelphia, we would see Robert on occasion when he would travel back to Oregon, and also when some of us would venture to the City of Brotherly Love. Yet, we always kept in constant contact by way of phone, text and email often to keep up on what was happening in our lives.

In Philadelphia, Robert worked for a nonprofit film theater specializing in repertory, independent and avant-garde film, and as the projectionist and technical support analyst for International House's S.A. Ibrahim Theater. He was promoted to Associate Director of International House in 2014.

At the nonprofit film theater, Robert focused on showcasing artistically significant and socially relevant motion pictures and programs from around the world, rescuing many films from obscurity. He was also the Special Programs Curator for the America-Italy Society at Penn.

In addition to his family, Robert was adored by his many friends and colleagues in Philadelphia. Said one: "Robert was loved and esteemed by many. His passing is an irreparable loss for all of us, but his memory, sweet smile, profound attachment to his friends, and cinema legacy will remain."

More tributes: "May the world of moving images and sounds cover his gentle face and memory." "Robert was a wonderful curator of films and a great asset to the Philadelphia film community." "He was the soul of kindness. He mentored and gave freely of himself to so many."

While we continue to grieve the loss of our beloved brother, uncle, great-uncle, friend and colleague, plans are currently underway by family and friends for celebrations of the life for Robert Emile Cargni for later this summer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Portland, Oregon.

Editors note: This is the first in a series of posts on the life and times of of Robert Emile Cargni, the artist formerly known as Robert Cameron Mitchell. Future posts will focus on his wide spectrum of interests: movies, television, music, art, automobiles, sports and so much more.

Stumptown Soiree

The University of Oregon Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America hit the road once again for its second professional development tour of the year, this time in Portland. Joining the group as UO PRSSA professional advisor, we toured Edelman, Gard Communications and the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns soccer teams.

The tour started at the Portland office of Edelman public relations/marketing with an discussion led by Account Supervisor Casey Olsen, a University of Oregon SOJC graduate in the public relations sequence and former programming director for UO PRSSA. There, we were joined by my fellow PRSA Oregon board member, Dianne Danowski Smith.

Next up, we visited Gard Communications, an agency specializing in corporate and public policy communication. I reconnected with my former students Hannah Smith Perreault and Liz Vargas, now both working as account managers at Gard. Since 1979, Gard has become one of the Northwest's most respected creative, digital and public relations firms.

The final stop on our tour was Providence Park, home of the Portland Timbers and the Portland Thorns, the popular professional men's and women's teams. The park is adjacent to Lincoln High School, my alma mater, where I played varsity baseball. Known as Multnomah Stadium back then, the park served as the home field for the Lincoln Cardinals.

Here, we received an extensive tour of the facility from UO SOJC public relations graduate Kacie Van Stiphout and learned about the dynamic world of professional sports teams from Collin Romer and Brian Costello, who provided insights into life as a communications professional in the wide, wide world of sports. Overall, it was a most memorable day.

Failed Coup

Moving to Eugene from Portland to attend the University of Oregon in the early '70s, I rented in Springfield before settling just west of campus in what's known as "Midtown Eugene." Returning later as a graduate student with a family, we settled in the same neighborhood.

Later, the City of Eugene formed neighborhood groups to connect residents and we became part of the "Jefferson Westside Neighbors." The neighborhood includes homes and businesses between 13th Avenue and 18th Avenue and Willamette Street to Jefferson Street.

The area is an eclectic mix of university students, seniors and young families, with commercial enterprises of all shapes and sizes. The Jefferson/Westside Neighbors is a nonpartisan entity directed by volunteers who have the time and energy to contribute to activities in the neighborhood.

Soon after arriving in town, I learned that Eugene was a mecca for all stripes of activists ready to support any worthy cause or protest any injustice. While that perception still holds true, it's also a fact that neighborhood groups struggle to fill board positions to carry out their mission and goals.

As is typical this time of the year, another election was on the docket and the Jefferson Westside Neighbors scheduled the activity for its April meeting. Just enough volunteers agreed to run for board positions as usual. Until last week that is, when I received a tip from a neighbor.

"We have discovered that an alternate slate of candidates is intending to run unannounced and if you appreciate the service and job we have done, it is critical that you show up and be heard. The outcome should not be decided by a small group" who has organized their own voting bloc.

"While certainly more people running is better and many neighbors could do the job, this group has not contacted the JWN to find out what is involved, so we could not list them or prepare the online ballot. The fact that none of these folks has reached out is a huge red flag."

"The danger is a small group can mobilize their friends and, if the turnout of other neighbors is low (since the slate has been posted as uncontested), can effectively take control of the neighborhood association." While that is certainly politics, the approach is neither transparent nor inclusive.

The board chair contacted the rouge group known as JWN For Everyone, which eventually prompted a public declaration for the open board positions. Their reply: "Please consider this 'our announcement.' Our understanding was and continues to be that all seats can be nominated from the floor."

Meanwhile, their true intent was posted on a Reddit site. Addressed to the neighborhood, they noted: "We have the opportunity to build a new neighborhood association. The entire executive board is up for election and (we have) a slate of folks to take the JWN in a new direction."

Further learnings indicated that the group known as JWN For Everyone was clearly organizing a hostile takeover of the board. Subsequently, both sides appealed to their constituents to turn out and vote for their candidates either in person at United Methodist Church or via Zoom.

In the end, the election was "quite a circus," according to one neighbor. JWN For Everyone was "nasty and uncivil, spouting tropes of all varieties," including painting current board members as "fascists. Their leader seemed unhinged, and touted his membership in the Socialist Party."

"Apparently, they view neighborhood associations as tools of capitalism," the neighbor continued. "None of them has been to meetings, volunteered on committees or shown up at work parties. They clearly intended to decommission the existing neighborhood association."

The contentious election "attracted a record number of voters," noted another neighbor. "With the Zoom feed, many more people participated than usual, but the room itself was packed nonetheless. We had a mind-blowing 200 or so votes for each seat." In the end, the rebel cause fell flat.

The attempted coup d'etat "mostly fizzled," said one neighbor who witnessed the spectacle. (Only) "one of the seven (candidates from JWN For Everyone) won, (but that candidate) promptly resigned when she realized that none of her comrades were elected."

While reason ultimately prevailed, the board clearly has work to do, including revising its by-laws to prevent such a nefarious intervention in the future. Participation in neighborhood associations is undeniably a good thing, but open communication is vital to its success.

Duck Rant

Editor's Note: As a longtime Duck basketball fan, and in response to recent news/editorials in The Oregonian lamenting the lack of attendance at games, I sent the following email to Rob Mullens, the University of Oregon Director of Athletics.

"As a Duck basketball season ticket holder, I was disheartened to read in The Oregonian that Dana Altman, whom I consider a great coach and one of the best hires ever, was so frustrated after the NIT game against Wisconsin that he took way too much responsibility for the lack of fans in the stands.

 

While appreciating Dana as a stand-up guy, the actual reasons for the dearth of fans at the game extend way beyond the performance of the team or the coaches. The UO Athletic Department should become more circumspect and consider the real issues for poor attendance numbers at men’s games: lack of parking, overpriced tickets and too many late games.

 

Let’s start with the the severe lack of parking. Clearly, the parking allotment underneath Matthew Knight Arena is woefully insufficient to accommodate the number of fans in a full -- or even partly full -- arena. Furthermore, street parking has for all intents and purposes been banned by a shortsighted and draconian Eugene City Council.

To add insult to injury, city parking police monitor the neighborhoods near the arena and pounce on unsuspecting fans with expensive parking tickets. Fans also have the option of paying for parking at the limited number of lots available nearby, but that adds to the cost of the experience.

 

Speaking of cost, the men’s basketball team has been a victim of its own success, as witnessed by increased ticket prices over the years. By comparison, tickets for women’s basketball are much more reasonably priced, and they seem to be attracting decent crowds for their NIT games.

Whatever happened to Bi-Mart two-for-one tickets? The UO Athletic Department should devise more creative ways to price tickets in the interest of attracting more fans.

 

Another key detriment to attendance has been the sheer welter of late games, with 7-8 p.m. start times effectively putting a damper on attendance. How many fans from Portland, UO’s largest alumni base, are willing to spend 4-6 hours on Interstate 5 on game nights, especially when they can watch the contest on television? 

 

Admittedly, the coronavirus pandemic hasn't helped with attendance over the last few years, but attendance at men’s basketball games, in stark contrast to the women’s basketball games, is not demonstrating resiliency.

 

Dana Altman is not the problem. He is a Hall of Fame coach-in-waiting who recruits well and has won consistently. I hope he will remain at Oregon for many years to come.

The athletic department needs to develop new approaches to address the real issues for the lack of attendance: provide more parking options and get creative with sliding-scale ticket prices and scheduling of game times.

 

As always, go Ducks!"

Vanishing Point

The largest glacier between the high volcanic peaks of Mount Rainier and Glacier Peak has finally disappeared after a long battle with global warming. For thousands of years, the Hinman Glacier graced the crest of the Washington Cascades in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Fifty miles due east of downtown Seattle, Mount Hinman sits deep in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, midway between Snoqualmie Pass and Stevens Pass. Until recently, the Hinman was one of four named glaciers that provided cool water to the Skykomish River in the hottest, driest time of the year.

The glaciers of the Skykomish basin have lost 55 percent of their surface area since the 1950s. As Hinman Glacier dwindled in recent decades, late-summer flows diminished in the Skykomish River, bad news for salmon and farmers. The glacier was ancient, though how ancient is unknown.

In the 1950s, the Hinman Glacier flowed a mile and a half from the broad top of 7,492-foot Mount Hinman to the valley floor nearly 2,000 feet below. Mount Hinman gained protection from direct human disturbance in 1976 when it was designated part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

But Hinman’s snow and ice were no match for the rising temperatures of the fossil fuel era. In 1958, the Hinman Glacier covered 320 acres, about half the size of Seattle’s Lake Union. In August 2022, the biggest patch of ice found was about 10 acres — too small and too thin to flow.

Glaciers are rivers of ice that flow from year to year, as their own weight compresses snow into ice. Most include striking features like deep crevasses and deep-blue ice, sculpting the land beneath them as they go. Two other glaciers on Mount Hinman, preceded the Hinman into oblivion.

The rounded peak and the glacier on its northwest side were named for Everett dentist and mountain climber Harry B. Hinman in 1934. He started the Everett branch of the Mountaineers in 1911. Few ever touched the Hinman Glacier, reachable only by off-trail scrambling and mountaineering.

Visiting the site in 2009 while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Stevens Pass to Snoqualmie Pass, we found the area to be magical. The Hinman Glacier touched many people by keeping the Skykomish River cool and flowing each summer and providing water. Sadly, however, it is now gone.