For the Oregon Sesquicentennial in 2009, The Oregonian created a statewide contest to redesign the state flag. The newspaper collected and published the entries with the public voting on the winning design. The winning design was created by Randall Gray, a map maker for Clackamas County. In his design, Gray emphasized the beaver found on the current flag's reverse. The star represents Oregon's place in the Union while the green represents the natural wilderness and forests of Oregon. After the contest had started with votes being cast, there were requests for the Oregonian to add an 11th option, "NONE OF THE ABOVE", meaning, keep the current state flag as it is. In the final tally of votes, "NONE" received the most votes.
In 2013, a bill was introduced to the Oregon Senate that would have made several changes to the flag design, however, the bill never made it out of committee.
The flag field is navy blue with all lettering and symbols in gold, representing the state colors of Oregon. On the obverse, the legend STATE OF OREGON is written above an escutcheon, which also appears in the Oregon state seal. The shield is surrounded by 33 stars, representing Oregon's admission to the Union as the 33rd state. Below the shield is written 1859, the year in which Oregon became a state.
Oregon's flag is the last remaining state flag in the U.S. in which the obverse and reverse sides have different designs. Paraguay is the only country that still has a two-sided flag. Two-sided flags were previously more common, but have been reduced due to increased costs of manufacturing a flag with two different designs. On the reverse of the flag is a depiction, also in gold, of a beaver, the state animal of Oregon, the beaver, fully stretched on a log.
For dress or parade use, the flag may feature a gold fringe. For standard use, no fringe is required.
A Cumberland Pie is sort of like a shepherd's pie or a cottage pie, which means it's made with mashed potatoes, gravy, and lots of tasty veggies. The difference is, you can use whichever meat you prefer (we used ground beef in ours!) and it's topped with a sprinkle of our homemade, cheesy bread crumb mixture. This dinner pie is hearty and delicious!
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 (18-ounce) jar beef gravy
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (24-ounce) container refrigerated mashed potatoes
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 slice bread, toasted and finely crumbled
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 1-1/2-quart baking dish or deep dish pie plate with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil until hot; saute carrots and onion 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beef and cook until beef is crumbled and no longer pink; drain. Stir in gravy, thyme, salt, and pepper; mix well. Pour mixture into baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine potatoes and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Gently spoon potato mixture evenly on top of beef mixture.
- In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and butter; mix well. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over potatoes.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly and top is golden.
October is prime time for National Sports Day. That’s why on October 16th, the fans, families, and athletes of all the sports converge to celebrate their favorite athletic events. All disciplines of a sport take the field, from the youngest to the seasoned professional.
While golfers hit the links to get at least nine more holes before the snow flies, hoopsters gear up for the season ahead. The puck hits center ice early in October, while baseball aims for the bleachers and clears the bases.
Football is heating up with tackles, kicks, and offsides. Don’t forget, volleyball digs midseason, too. Runners in most of the country love October. Events like 5k, half, and full marathons throughout the nation feature opportunities to enjoy the fall weather and beautifully changing landscapes. In the Western Hemisphere, families gather to watch soccer’s final kickoff. The intensity builds, and every game ends with memories of wicked kicks or the goalie’s best save.
From a young age, family road trips took many to cheer on siblings in a variety of sports. We hauled our gear from place to place, and the team knew the season was drawing to a close when the duffle bags began to smell.
Gather your friends to enjoy watching your favorite team. Get out and play, too. No matter your skill level, relishing the challenge and physical activity will be worth it.
With all sports, practice is vital. However, time touching the ball under the pressure of competition makes players excel. With the support of great coaches working their magic, these young novices mature into confident players. How exciting to watch their confidence grow.
The Registrar at National Day Calendar® proclaimed National Sports Day in 2019 to be observed on October 16th, annually.
Q. What is the most popular sport in the world?
A. With over 3.5 billion fans worldwide, soccer clearly harnesses the favored sport status. FIFA estimates 265 million play the sport. The sport’s top tournament lasts a month-long every four years and captures an audience of 517 million viewers. In 2018, over 3 million fans attended the tournament, not to mention the billions who watched or listened around the world.
Q. What is the world’s oldest sport?
A. Wrestling earns the title for oldest competitive sport. Evidence of the sport dates back 15,000 years.
Q. What is the oldest team sport?
A. Ulama is not only the oldest team sport, but it is also the oldest known sport to use a ball. The game developed around 3,500 years ago in Central and Southern America.
