8 The Columbia Press February 12, 2021 Upcoming events Bird expert will have you appreciating the local owls A bird enthusiast will Feb. 15. lead listeners in an in- Owls can be found in troduction to backyard urban, suburban, rural owls during the next “In and forested areas of the Their Footsteps” lec- world, including Clatsop ture. County and the many Barbara Linnett’s vir- varied habitats of Oregon tual talk is set for 1 p.m. and Washington. Sunday, Feb. 14, through “In Their Footsteps” is the Lewis and Clark Na- presented by Fort Clat- tional Historical Park’s sop, the National Park Barbara Linnett Service, and the Lewis YouTube channel. Linnett is a retired The northern saw-whet owl lives in and Clark National Park nurse and wildlife volun- forested areas of North America. Association. teer who volunteered for To listen to the talk live, the Wildlife Center of the nell Lab or Ornithology and go to YouTube.com and North Coast for more than will be a presenter during search for Lewis and Clark this year’s Great Backyard National Historical Park. eight years. She participates in Proj- Bird Count, which takes For more information, call ect Feeder Watch for Cor- place today, Feb. 12, through 503-861-2471. Professor presents fresh approach on political ideology Oregon Historical Society hosts Boston College pro- fessor Heather Cox Rich- ardson during its “Histori- ans and the News” lecture at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15. Richardson teaches 19th century American histo- ry and is an expert in the transformation of political ideology from the Civil War to the Theodore Roosevelt presidency. She has written nu- 350,000 readers. merous books, includ- The series is hosted ing the 2014 “To Make by Christopher McK- Men Free,” a history of night Nichols, an Or- the Republican Party. egon State University Her most recent book professor and Oregon is “How the South Won Historical Society Richardson trustee. the Civil War.” She writes a daily Those interested in newsletter, “Letters From attending should register an American,” that provides in advance at orhs.ejoinme. an overview of the previ- org/HCR. The virtual pro- ous day’s news to more than gram will be live on Zoom. Ombudsmen sought to help those in care facilities Oregon’s Long Term Care Ombudsman program needs volunteers. “With vaccines for COVID-19 now being admin- istered, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Natascha Adams, volun- teer recruiter. “However, Or- egonians living in long-term care facilities continue to be isolated while having some of the highest rates of infection and deaths.” Long-term care ombudsmen serve as advocates for those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The ombuds- man becomes the resident’s voice. “Residents in care facilities frequently face impossible decisions regarding their care and quality of life,” Adams wrote in a press release. “If they push their call button and no one comes for 45-minutes, do they report the issue and possibly suffer retaliation? Do they take a deep breath and continue to wait, knowing this problem will continue to be an issue? Many residents also feel isolated and alone, espe- cially now due to COVID-re- lated limits on visitation with family and friends.” More than 100 volunteers are needed statewide. There are two online train- ing sessions scheduled this spring. The six-class trainings will be in March and April via Zoom. Those interested should complete an application and must make at least a one-year commitment. They’ll also un- dergo a background check. To learn more or to sign up, contact the statewide om- budsman office at 800-522- 2602 or email ltco.info@ore- gon.gov.