Oregon Lives

Samantha Swindler and Tom Hallman tell the stories of two lost-and-found class rings. One was returned to its rightful owner after 40 years. The provenance of the other remains a mystery.You can support this podcast and local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Brent Marr created his own costume of the Sleestak monster from the 1970s children’s show, “Land of the Lost.” You might come across one of his “Sleestak Attacks” around Portland.You can support this podcast and local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We speak with Rose Queens from the Portland Rose Festivals in 1947, 1962, 1980 and 2020, and the festival, a changing Portland, and a changing Rose Court.You can support this podcast and local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the midst of the pandemic, a monument of sorts has been created on a quiet neighborhood street in Portland’s Southwest Hills, not far from Council Crest.You can support this podcast and local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tired out from an onslaught of bad news in the era of COVID-19, Mark Lawton set out to scour the world for good stories that lifted his spirits.See his map at oneworld-stories.org. Read more about Lawton's project.You can support this podcast and local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Whitney Rutz made a giant cinnamon roll to cheer herself up. She ended up making more than 100 of them while raising thousands for the Oregon Food Bank.Support local journalism and this podcast by subscribing to OregonLive for just $10 a month. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office spent days searching for the body of 27-year-old Saul Gallegos Ruiz in the Willamette River, without success. Then the family called on Gene and Sandy Ralston, a retired couple from Idaho, to find him. This week’s episode is about the many lives that the Ralstons have touched here in Oregon.Support local journalism and this podcast by subscribing to OregonLive for just $10 a month. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tom Hallman and Samantha Swindler sat down with Portland actress Wendy Westerwelle (outside, six feet apart) for some perspective during the coronavirus pandemic. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There’s a place in Portland where you can admire more than a half-mile of painstakingly created art — and sit on it. The needlepoint pew cushions of Westminster Presbyterian Church, which have been part of a 30-year volunteer project, offer a glimpse of Portland history, and a reminder of the power of an old-fashioned, barn-raising, group effort.Reliable local journalism matters now more than ever. Please support our work for just $10 a month. Subscribe now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A few years ago, I wrote a column about the lyrics to Oregon’s state song. Afterward, I was contacted by Amy Shapiro, a Beaverton woman who had been working for years to update the song for modern times. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Last November, Tom Hallman and I went to a military funeral for two veterans who died with no family to claim their bodies. Crystal Purdy-Newland, the funeral director who oversees military honors for Portland-area veterans whose bodies are unclaimed. Often, these men and women have died with no known family, or only distant family. Many of them were homeless. But, she says, unclaimed does not mean unloved. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Everybody's heard about biker gangs, the wild ones. Well, 97-year-old Mel Hayes has a gang of his own.Read the story and watch the video. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The mystery of a very special wedding ring: how it was lost, re-discovered, and took a long journey back home. Want more? Read the story and watch the video. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to Oregon Lives, the new podcast in which Tom Hallman and Samantha Swindler introduce you to Oregonians with stories to tell. Subscribe today and don't miss a single episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.