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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, September 18, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 29, 2004 Since You Asked Smokey’s memory lingers I read the other day about Smokey the Bear’s birthday being celebrated this week at the Oregon State Fair up in Salem. How do they know it’s his birthday? Is he still alive? — M. W., Yreka Where there is smoke there is fire, at least in the case of the coming celebration, M.W. They are having a 60th anniversary party at the state fair on Friday but it’s for the creation of the campaign to stamp out human-caused wildfires. The bruin birthday bash is being organized by the Keep Oregon Green Association, Oregon Department of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office. Advertisement The celebration begins at noon in the fairground’s natural resource area next to the poultry and horse barns. Smokey Bear — his middle name "the" was dropped years ago — began his career in 1944 when artist Albert Staehle created the nation’s top fire-prevention symbol. He drew a bear pouring a bucket of water on a campfire. The bear was named after "Smokey Joe" Martin, the popular assistant chief of the New York Fire Department from 1919 to 1930. As for the real bear, he was a bear cub rescued from a forest fire in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico. He was sent to the national Zoo in Washington, DC to become the living symbol of Smokey Bear. The original Smokey Bear died of old age in 1976. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities