Valsetz Blog

THE NEW VALSETZ WEB SITE

2012-01-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

Every body enjoys pictures, but not ever one likes taking pictures. (More on this later)

I started taking pictures in the fifties with an camera that was bought from a comic book. This camera was a simple, took black & white pictures, no flash, and maybe a grade higher than one made from a box.

I took many a pictures with that camera with a great passion. I would have to say it was one of the first point and shoot cameras. This camera had no settings at all just point, focus, & shoot.

I lost that camera somewhere after high school.

I served my time in the US Army and, I found myself in Germany. I then got the photo bug again when I found my assigned post offered photo & dark room classes.

I bought a a nice German made 35 mm camera with all the bells. I took pictures for two & 1/2 years not just b/w but color slides. A few Buddy's and my-self

would take photo trips around city's of Germany & local towns. (back to ones that don't like taking photos) For army folks I would say about one in 20 had a camera.

German folks on weekends were walkers. When out on weekends you would German family's walking all over the county side, but you saw very few cameras.

Again after getting back to the USA I again got lax taking pictures other than of family and again lost the camera.

Years after moving down to Reno, Nev. I again got into Photography. This time I went whole hog I even set up a complete dark room.

My wife started it all when she gave me a nice 35 mm camera for my birthday. I thanked her by spending 2 hours taking pictures at the Golden Gate Bridge as she set there in the car. Doris (my wife) from that day on said "she regrets giving me that camera for my birthday even today.

After buying all the lens I thought I needed, and setting up the dark room, I got into video and upgraded to developing color images in my dark room. all was fine until around 1995 then all the camera was taken from our home. I replaced the video camera with one that you could take still images from. Never got back into photo taking until around 1997 I went to Dallas, Oregon for the Valsetz Reunion I then got back into the reunions then the Valsetz web site. I have bought two new cameras since 2007, but only have used them on occasions.

Here is the news: there will be a new web site called Valsetz Stuff, I hope to have it set up as a interactive site allowing exchange photos and information between members, allow reunion and other videos I have made to be downloaded to your computer, free soft wear and other downloads for your computer, advice and how to do it instructions.

Please check in for progress of the site at valsetzmall.com

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2011-06-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

History was made in Valsetz,Oregon over the weekend ( 6/24 Thru 6/26 2011 ) The first Valsetz Reunion to be held in Valsetz Oregon since 1984 took place. The Valsetz Going home reunion was a 3 day event, starting on Fri.the 24th and ending on Sunday the 26th.

This writer not having gone to this event may have missed the event of a life time! But as I understand it may have another chance in 3 or 4 years to attend the 2nd reunion in Valsetz.

The was a big success, & a lot of fun had by all. The main attraction was the showing of a film made by Ronan Feely.

Ronan will show the film at the anual Valsetz Reunion on 8/6/2011 at the Falls City Park. To order your own copy please go to

http://www.catch-films.com/

If you can make it to a Valsetz Reunion, This One Is the one is the one to catch! 8/6/2011

Sorry, I have been so lax on the Blog but health problems have taken it's toll this year.

Hope to see you at Falls City THIS YEAR!

2010-10-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

Valsetz Web Site History
During a conversation with another Valsetzer back in late 90's at the annual Valsetz Reunion the topic of having a Valsetz web site arose. Out of this conversation I some how became the person to begin and become the Web Master of the Valsetz, Oregon Web Site. I had no idea where and how to begin. I believe I took on this project to help pay back the old Valsetz community for what in had done for my family. At first I used what I had collected from reunions,photos, annuals, and new paper clippings. Slowly the site has been built for what it is today.
The Future Of The Valsetz Web Site
I have enjoyed building the web site, the long hours, & the time I spent will always be with me, I could never have built the Valsetz site to what it is today with out the help and encouragement from all of the Valsetzers. The only thing that's hard and sad that I dislike doing is, receiving the name of a Valsetzer that has passed. I recently received a e-mail with the name of a Valsetzer that had just passed.I had went to school, worked with at the Polk Co. Sheriff Office, and expected to see at the yearly Valsetz Reunion.This year I did not make it to the 2010 reunion, he did. With my last visit with him in 2009 I thought he was in a lot better shape than I. After receiving the e-mail and placing his name on the site's memorial page sadly I done a memory research and said good bye to the long time friend. I sat in front of the old computer wondering about my time and the time left for the Valsetz website.
What To Do
In the past I put up a few polls and made a attempts to gain funding to keep the site going as long as it could. I had one person to donate to the site, and one person buy from the shirt shop. So now I have decided that you the Valsetzers that wanted and supported building the Valsetz Web Site will decide if it ( old political term ) withers and dies on the vine or is funded after I pass on.

As long as I am able to fund the Valsetz Web Site I will give it the complete funding as I have from day one. I will also remain the webmaster until I'm unable make & remove the post.

I would like to set up a fund to keep the Valsetz Web Site up long after I pass on.
I plan to build web site with complete Valsetz store open to public
Will need donations for future funds for site space
To train and work with people to become webmaster when I no longer can post or remove post.

To do this ,will take commitment from Valsetzers to keep Valsetz alive as long as an Valsetzer or kin is alive.
To aid in this program please e-mail me at www.valsetzmail@aol.com

THAT WAS MY DAD

2010-04-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

On The Bean Farm In Colorado Before Brother Pat Arrived

John (Slim) Blackwell, Lois Blackwell, & Jerry

These writing are about some of my best memories of my dad.
My last blog spoke of my dad, this time I'm writing about some of My memories I have retained of my dad in the short 17 years I was able to spend with him as he passed away from cancer of the throat June 16 1959 at the age of 47.
If you remember back in the fifties (in Valsetz) when a truck load of planner ends would be delivered to your home, more than likely it was your chore ( and as I hated it) to stack it in the wood shed. Your mother used this wood to cook your meals, and the wood your dad keep throwing into the furnace or wood stove to keep your family warm. The Man that brought that wood to you by the truck load WAS MY DAD John H. Blackwell known as Slim!
April 24 1912 was the month dad started life and left life in June 16 1959, 2 years after the loss of my brother Patrick Leon in June of 1957.
My memory of dad begin before our family got to Valsetz, I must have been about 5 or 6 years old.
I remember riding down this old dirt road with mom and dad heading to our bean farm when dad spotted a pheasant sitting in the middle of the road. No not a local person but a foul, a bird. Dad hit the gas not the break, the old Chev pickup hit the bird head on right smack in the top of the grill as the pheasant tried to fly out of the way of the pickup. After stopping the pickup dad and mom jumped out, mom grabbed that pheasant dad grabbed a small tub from the bed of the truck. Mom got back in the truck putting the bird on the floor board of the truck then covering it with the tub. Dad said, "son we having a special dinner tonight".
Years later I found out it was not pheasant season, and that was why the bird went under the tub not in it, which was lucky because the bird was not dead but just knocked unconscious for a long time. When that bird came out of his stupor all hell came from the tub. if he would have been in it the tub there may have been serious injury to one or all of us.
The first time I can remember dad loosing his temper (and the last time) was when the the three of us (there was no brother at that time) again on the dirt road dad slammed on the brakes of the old pickup. Before the old truck came to to a complete stop dad was out of the truck swearing and jumping around like a crazy man. dad then pulled the hood off that old Chevy and tossed it over a barbwire fence.
At that moment mom said"your dad has lost his temper " after dad got the hood back on the old Chevy and as he was climbed back into the truck. "I ask him if he had found his temper". with this (if you knew my dad) that big smile came out then dad said "Yes son I did, let's go home".
Dad and the other farmers did a lot of deer hunting at night not only was it at night but was not during hunting season.
I remember going out and riding in back of the old pickup and spotlighting deer. Mom and the lady folks of dad's friends butchering and canning the venison. For the ones that don't know what venison is, it's deer meat, Bambi. Venison was a main staple of the farmers in the forties And earlier years.
Not only was deer hunting for food but it helped to keep the deer population down saving their crops.
I remember when Dad became quite sick during harvesting season of the pinto beans. All the hired hands except one white guy ( dad's jack of all trades Foreman) were local Navajo from the near by reservation. they had camp just a few hundred yards from the main farm house.
I remember one day dad came home very sick and spent the day and night in bed.The Navajo spent all night showed how concerned and how much they liked my dad that night when they began trying to drive the sickness spirits from dad's body.

It must have worked, dad was up the next day and telling mom he was working no matter how bad he felt because he was not about to be keep awake another night with the whooping and dancing all night.
I can remember how I played my dad when he took me into town on a Saturday where he spent the afternoon playing cards with friends. Dad would drop me off at the movie theater then he went to play poker. I had it made movie money plus goodies money.
I learned real quick that after the show was over to find dad before spending the money I had left over from the movies. I would find dad playing poker,as usual. I then would walk up behind him and observe the game for a few minutes then tug on his arm and say"dad are you ready to go home yet? I want to go now". Dad would look at me and and say" son I can't leave right now, take this and have some fun". Depending how much longer he was to play poker was the deciding factor of how much money he gave me not if he was winning or loosing. There was times he played longer then he expected, then I was back again tugging on his arm. It worked ever time! Not once did my dad make me believe he was upset with me.
Dad always had a heart of gold no mater what or who you wereI remember only one time dad let me down. A good friend of the family and dad was building dad a boat ( If you read my blog about Mr. Brown, this is the boat I used) I spent some time helping them but should have helped more. They finished the boat just about the time fishing season was to start.
To kick off fishing season in Valsetz they had what was called the Fisherman's Ball, as they did come hunting season, (also called Fisherman's Brawl and of coarse hunters brawl).
As most fishermen do in Valsetz they attend this Ball drinking & dancing. Well dad did as others had done those nights, drank way to much and couldn't get out of bed the next morning.
After I became a young adult and become a member of the Polk Co. Sheriff's office I worked these festivities and was able to understand what happened to dad. Perhaps I will blog about these balls at a later date.
Come the next morning my brother and I was up at dawn, and very exited about going fishing in our new boat. As time ticked by hour after hour our disappointment mounted. About noon dad emerged from his room looking worse than I had ever seen him before. With apologies flowing about not taking us fishing. By 3 PM Pat and I were fishing with dad and our new boat.

My Christmas gift during my eight grade year in Valsetz I received a 22 rifle. I wanted a deer rifle but I enjoyed many hours with that 22.

Come freshman year I wanted to play football more than hunting.
Mom was against me playing and I'm sure she put dad between a rock and hard place. A week or so before foot ball practice dad and mom set me down and made me the following offer.Dad Said " son mom don't want you playing football she don't want you to get hurt. If you don't play I will give you my old 3230 deer rifle. (I flashed back) dad using that gun in Colorado on the bean farm. I accepted the deal. I don't know who looked the sadder, dad or me. I moped around the house the next few days. I had not touched the rifle sense the deal I made with my folks. Some how dad knew I was unhappy with the deal and finally could not contain him-self. Dad told me "I'm sorry about you not playing football I want you playing and you don't have to stick with the deal we made.( with that Dad's famous grin appeared) he went on to say you keep the rifle I will handle your mom". I could see mom was pissed at dad for a few days.
I was very happy to see both my mom and dad at the games. I only had one injury ( a sprained ankle ) Both mom and dad was at that game. After the game Not a word was said about me getting hurt.
Each memory brings to mind another wonderfully memory of my dad.

When I see a child throw a temper today (this is like ever time I'm in public) I always think
back to how my folks handled the situation in a swift
manor with one swift swat to the butt.

One night dad was replacing a lamp cord and having a tough time of it. My brother & I was not helping with our foolishness. After a few warnings dad grabbed the light cord, I was in my shorts, and dad nailed my butt good with one swing. Dad instantly begin apologising
then I blew it. I said " the hell you are" YES, Dad nailed me again. That was the last time dad ever heard me swear again.

I will write about this one last memory and close this blog. There is more family memories I will write about at a later date.
I believe it was during summer before my freshman year one of Valsetz mills longest strike took effect. This strike hurt many of the Valsetz workers. My dad and mother worked in the fields to get us Thu until the strike was over. Even when the strike ended we were in bad times and very short on cash. My family was just getting by.
After football season was over there was the traditional letters being given out to the players. At that time the letter was put on a Letterman's sweater if you owned one. As a freshman I of coarse had none. I knew of coarse that money was tight and there was no way I would have a sweater to wear to that event.
Come the night of this event after dinner Dad said" its was time to go and get Jerry's letter". With that dad excused him-self leaving the room. Mom started talking and I told her I had to get my coat. as I started out in came dad wearing his big grin and a blue and gold Letterman's sweater with a gold cougar on the back.
That night could have been 100 plus degrees I would have never taken that sweater off.
I believe my dad was the best father any kid could ever have. I have always wondered what it would have been to spend more of my teen and adult life with my dad. John (Slim ) Blackwell
The man that Valsetz loved
The man I've tried to live up to That was my Dad

Valsetz's Gold Fish Pond

2010-03-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

Are you wondering what in the world is a Gold Fish Pond doing with in Valsetz History or do you have a big smile on your face because you have your own knowledge of the Valsetz Gold Fish Pond.
I wrote about the fish aquarium in my last writing. What I did not tell you was that my wife and I are reminded of gold fish in Valsetz when viewing fish in an aquarium.
When I speak of Gold Fish I'm not talking about a small one inch fish. But as large as one foot plus.
As the story goes, the superintendent of the valsetz Mill (as many people today) had built a fish pond in the back of the home then stocked it with gold fish (which is carp)
In Valsetz in case you are not aware was touted as the wettest place in Oregon. To be the wettest place in Oregon you will have a lot of rain. After a lot of rain this fish pond had to collect water to a over flowing condition.
Not only was the fish pond over flowing but the man made lake not to far from the fish pond was also over flowing.
The lake flooded over so bad the pond and lake become one.
After the lake water receded the fish pond was left empty.
The Valsetz lake up into the sixty's was well know for the naive trout fishing, German Browns was one native trout that made you a fisherman if you was to bag a large one.
I became disenchanted with fishing in Valsetz in the mid sixty's due to someone had entered bass fish into the lake and had destroyed trout fishing in the lake.
As a freshman in high school I was caught skipping school by one German Brown Trout.
I was suckered in by a very nice day and our boat was closer to my house then the school. I just had that feeling it was my day to catch a old Brown Trout. Not really I just skipped school to go fishing.
I had spent most of the day paddling around the lake trolling, still fishing,and become bored from not catching any fish. But before I could go home I had to wait until school was out or mom would have knowned I had skipped school.
Then it happened this old Brown trout grabbed my baited hook and I spent what I thought must have been hours landing that big brown.
With out thinking I headed to shore grabbed Mr. Brown and headed to the company store (The only general store in Valsetz, it was company owned) where they would give my brown a place of honor on ice and show my name for catching that big brown.
I come out of the store beaming more than a full moon beam off the calmest of lake water. Then it hit me, crap it was only 2:00 pm and the date and time was on the information about Mr Brown's being my catch. I then started to brace myself for the evening. In trying to make myself believe my dad would not know for a few days then mabey it would be to late for punishment. I was very pleased with my self but unhappy as I was not able to share my catch with my family.
That evening when dad got home I knew he knew I skipped school that day
when he asked me how was school today. Dad had never before ask me how was school today. I did get to share the catching of Mr. Brown with my family.
One time when Dad, my brother, and I were out in the boat fishing in the Valsetz lake when from a distance we see this large fish jumping around and looked as large as a beaver.
I never seen my dad get so worked up and exited about a fish in all my life. I swear he grabbed the oars and made it to where this fish was before you could say bait my hook. This fish jumped as if it was coming into the boat and then disappeared. Dad took the boat straight to dock and rushed us home told mom get in the car and headed straight to Falls City's store that sold fishing gear. When dad came out he had a heavy duty pole, reel, line, and great big jigs and lures.
Then back to home we went. We knew just what dad had in mind to do.
By the time we got back home and had traveled 32 miles of crooked gravel road my mom, brother, and myself could not contain our-self's
any further and begin laughing out out. Dad started to get mad then he saw the comedy of what had happened. Dad took the fishing gear back to the store with out even trying to catch his dream fish. This is one fish that did get away.
Dad found out later the fish that was seen by us, was what was know as a Loch Leven trout a subspecies of the German Brown.
Back to the gold fish. The gold fish from the pond was now in the man made lake. The gold fish pond was a short distance from water around the mill. AS the mill water was a lot warmer then the lake water it was natural for the gold fish to wind up around the mill. The gold fish grew not only in size but in numbers. The gold fish were seen in the water around the mill. The mill now had it's own gold fish pond.
I as others remember seeing the gold fish when we went cat fishing at night around the mill, others have been said have seen gold fish in other parts of the valsetz lake.
I would just about bet there was no larger gold fish ponds than the Valsetz Lake was.

WAY BACK WHEN

2010-02-25T17:58:00.000-08:00

Valsetz Mill & Log pond During mid 1920's

It's been a good month old February 2010 has. I guess it all started by making the wife happy on her birthday with flowers and sweets. Keeping her happy over Valentine's Day by making her forget Valentine's Day.

This was done by keeping my promise of finding a 55 gallon fish tank and getting it setup, I finished his task by putting the fish in the tank this week. Now the snow is melting and sun shining, the week end should be just great.

The best part is at the first part of February I received a e-mail from A Mr Donald A. Davis with his Valsetz Story and told me he would send pictures. Then I received this large envelope containing pictures dating back into the Valsetz day's of the 1920's and 1930's. Now I had pictures to go along with this very fine story about life in Valsetz from a man that was born and lived in Valsetz in the 1920's and 1930's. This man wrote his own story at the age of 82.

The only part of his story I'm telling you about is the parts about Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon.

Please see : http://www.valsetzoregon.com/ WAY BACK WHEN for Mr. Davis's story.

Again February has been great. While working with Mr Davis on his story and getting it in print I receive a email from Phillip Clay also from Valsetz, but many many years later than Mr. Davis. Come to find out both of these Valsetzers had something in common. " Western Oregon University".No they were not alumni of W.O.U. in fact nether went to W.O.U.

Nether new the other or about the stories each had.

Do I have your attention yet?

Mr. Davis had in his story: "I had no problem by starting school in our small town or having teachers right out of normal school in Monmouth." That school now is known as WOU, Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon .

The e-mail from Mr. Clay stated he had recently learned of a dinning hall called Valsetz Hall located on WOU in Monmouth. It seems as when he visits family in Monmouth Or. he takes walks on the WOU Campus with family members living in Monmouth.

Before I could get back To Mr. Clay he had solved the mystery. And I thought Philip was a lawyer not a detective, But wasn't there a called lawyer Perry Mason that was also a great detective? I will tie the two stories together in a few minutes after we find out what Mr. Clay Found about The Valsetz Dinning Hall and it's history.

Mr. Clay wrote " The University was founded in 1856 as Monmouth University. Other names followed: Oregon Normal School, Oregon College of Education and Western Oregon State College. Its mission for years was the training of teachers for Oregon schools but has expanded to achieve University status to include a broad range of educational studies but its graduate program still appears to be oriented to educators. Valsetz Hall, would be a good destination for any old Cougar."

If you remember the quote from Mr. Davis "I had no problem by starting school in our small town or having teachers right out of Normal school in Monmouth." Mr. Clay had contact with a WOU faculty member who had a long association with the university. She explained that it had long been the policy of WOU to give buildings only generic names. She believed that she remembered that Valsetz Hall had originally been called simply, the dining hall. She went on to explain that in the early 1980's, about the time that Valsetz was being closed and was much in the local news that the committee charged with naming the hall learned that a large number of teachers who had gone on to teach in Valsetz had been graduates. She did not recall the precise number but indicated the percentage of Valsetz teachers who had graduated from the University was stunning. This led the committee to select the name, Valsetz Hall. She also indicated that in the foyer of the building is a tribute with photographs to the town of Valsetz, with pictures contributed by many of these same teachers.

Isn't it intriguing that two different times in Valsetz history could bring one story together.

Just a note: I want to thank Mr Davis and Mr. Clay for there Stories, and as a result I plan to add a new page to the Valsetz Web Site called Did you Know? Please watch for it .

VALSETZ VALENTINES

2010-01-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

Valentine Day, The days of your life you were groomed to celebrate differently as you went Thur the stages of your life well into adult hood, to believe the day of Valentines cards, love, dances, dinners, diamonds and flowers for the ladies.

This is a story most guys may not be into but I believe the ladies may enjoy it and both may learn something about karma.

Many years ago in a little mill town that sat in a valley of the Oregon coast range mountains comes a story about a Valentine's day school dance. Few Valsetzers know of this story, but many more know the people but not of their involvement in the story. I will not reveal names or date this dance occurred on, or will I confirm your inquires of whom you believe it to be.

But first lets all sit back in the chair, close our eyes and remember your last Valentines school dance and grade school Valentines days.
Remember back in grade school we were taught we must give Valentines to the other kids in the class even at times when boys disliked girls. Most of us have passed it on to our children and they to theirs. What happens to the guy that breaks that tradition is what this story is about.

A great many years ago in Valsetz, Oregon the yearly February plans were being made for the Valsetz school Valentine Day's dance that would be held in the Valsetz gym. The decorations and trimmings committee were busy making decorations and plans to trim the gym for the dance. The girls were all Gitty and excited. The guys were talking about who they were taking to the dance and the young male talk.

Then there was a few guys that were busy making a bet that blank couldn't get date with this one cheer leader. The bet went like this: You will have to get this girl named blank to accept your invitation and have witness she accepted.

Finally the scene was set for the boy to ask the girl to the dance. After a couple attempts the guy finally got nerve up and asked the girl with-in ear shot of the others for her to go to the Valentine's Dance. The Girl accepted
his invitation. The boy won his bet and was happy with himself. The girl
was looking forward to going to the dance.

Come the day of the big Valsetz Valentine's Dance the girls were getting their hair done and all the things they do before a big dance date. The guys were all doing their thing.
Come the night of the dance all the guys were picking up their dated and heading out to the dance.

That is except the guys that bet blank couldn't get the date. They were hanging out at the Rec Hall with no intentions of going to the dance.

When the time came to pick up the girl at her home this guy was wearing jeans and walking up to the Rec Hall door eager to collect his bet from the others at the pool tables with no intentions of picking up the girl for the dance let alone telling her. The pretty young cheer leader didn't know she was being stood up by a jerk.

After hearings others at the school talk about the dance, and seeing the girl he had stood up ( who ignored him, as he deserved) started to think just how bad he had screwed up.

That is the story of what happened, I know because I was a member of that group of numskulls.

Now comes the part of the story about the revenge the pretty young cheer leader got upon the jerk that stood her up.

That Year after school was out the young cheer leader and her family moved out of Valsetz.

Jumping ahead about 3 years the jerk also moving out of Valsetz. It so happened that the jerk moved to the same town as had the cheer leader.

That summer the jerk was driving around town with a friend when the jerk observed a girl walking down the street he knew was from Valsetz. Stopping and asking her if she wanted a ride. After she accepted the jerks friend and the girl hit it off right away. Riding around in his car the jerk found out the girl was staying with a friend that lived in the town and was from Valsetz.

After spending a few more hours riding around town, a plan had been made by the girl and the jerks friend as followed.

His friend and the girl wanted to go to the drive in theater, his friends car was broken down so they needed the jerk to date the friend she was staying with. Great plan the jerk must have thought, a blind date. The girl (no cell phones in that day and age) wanted to go to the home of here friend to make arrangements for the movie date.

When the three arrived they found the girls good looking friend on the front porch reading a book. I swear, no one knows where it came from, but the jerk just hollered out the window to the girl's friend, saying " if you want to go with us, get in the car." The girl walked over and got into the car not saying a word. After the girl got into the car she was introduced to the two guys. The jerk must have thought what a great blind date this will be.
The jerk thinking this good looking girl looked familiar but not able to place her. The girl knew who the jerk was right away but never said anything about their previous meeting. As the four drove around town they all decided to go to the drive in that night.

That evening The guys walked up to the porch to pickup the girls, rang the bell and when the door open only one girl was at the door. She spoke to say " I don't think (blank) is coming with us, wait on the porch I will see for sure." When she came back she was with the cheer leader.
It was latter found the jerk had the cheer leader's mother to thank for saving the jerks date with the cheer leader. The cheer leader was going to stand up the jerk just as he had done her at the Valsetz Valentine's Dance.
That date turned out to be the start of summer dating and the two couples
done and went ever where together. During the summer not one word was said about the Valentine Dance But it was told the jerk had it in the back of his head all summer that she might dump him to avenge his Valentine stunt.

This story could end here but I have a little more story about the jerk and cheer leader. The jerk was doing fine untill he pulled this stunt.

Everybody was ready for the Wagon Train to arrive in Independence, Or after coming from Independence, mo. When the jerk and his friend brought the girls home from the drive in on a Saturday night they promised they would take the girls to see the wagon train arrive in Independence. Come Sunday morning and time for the girls to leave for the train arrival, no jerk and friend. The girls waited and waited then waited some more. Come about 5P.M. the two showed up at the door. The jerk was told the cheer leader was in the kitchen. The jerk did not know what he was walking into. As the jerk got to the kitchen door he saw the cheerleader doing dishes and in her hand that soon came his way was a hand full of knives forks and spoons.
To my knowledge that was the last time the jerk ever stood up that cheer leader. The jerk and cheer leader have now been married forty some years.
It's been told the jerk said "if it had not been for karma and his mother in law he may not have been married to a girl out of his league, and that he has to be very careful around Valentine's Day".
Happy Valentine's Day All.

FOOTBALL AND TELEVISION

2010-01-12T04:44:00.000-08:00

Most guys have had four greats months of watching college and pro Football. Some had the privilege to watch sons play in Pee Wee, junior, High school, college and pro. The moms are happy to see it come to the end of the season.

The end of Fantasy Football has came to it's end with winners and losers.
All you Valsetzers should be happy that the team of Valsetz Cougars again won the championship of it's league.

I had a minor disaster at end of college bowl games and first pro playoffs
No I didn't loose my shirt with game bets. But I did loose my 50" big screen
TV when I turned it on to watch College Championship game Thursday night all I got was a loud pop and a black screen. What a hardship it was to watch the game on the little 21" flat screen in the bedroom. If it was not for the wife being home you know I would have headed to the nearest casino to watch the game.

Come Monday morning I was hot on the computer finding a Samsung TV repair shop to get them out and get that big screen up and going for the play off games on the up coming weekend.
My conversation went something like this after I told them about a led light lit on front of set spelling out lamp: The lamp is burned out, will take a week to get, we can install it when it arrives. The cost? Lamp $275.00 Service call and labor $150.00. Thank You I will let you know.
After I made a few statements to myself that might make a sailor blush I regained my composer and went to my old computer friend Google Search to find out about this expensive bulb. I found this little bulb is one of four expensive parts in a LED HD TV that puts the picture on the screen. This bulb last about 3-4 years of TV service. Keep this in mind if you buy a used LED set. ( I bought this set new in 2005 ) I also found it takes about 5 minutes to change the lamp in my set. I found no one in Northern Nevada had the replacement lamp. The good news was this lamp is sold on the Internet from $80.00 to $280.00 also it only took a few moments to remove the lamp from the TV. I'm now waiting for the lamp to arrive so life can get back to normal.
Have you ever wondered why is it so hard to go backwards and so easy to go forward. I have had a few thoughts about this while sitting and starring at a black TV screen. I begin to remember back during the fifties I was happy to have just a radio to hear. must admit I did look forward to summer trips to Hayward, Ca to visit my grandparents, but more so to visit my aunt & uncle, for they had a new type radio called TV. I never got an obsession to the TV so when leaving it to return home never bothered me.

I may be wrong and if so please correct me, the Roses were the first to have a TV in Valsetz. With the coming of TV to Valsetz I don't remember much of a change in my family evenings except the family time was around TV instead of the radio. My brother and I had no more or less time watching TV as we had with the radio.
The fifties TV sets had a screen size of 17 to 21 inch. I don't remember the size screen or even the TV make & model but I do remember Oregon State's Rose Bowl lost to Iowa of 35-19. I watched the game on a small black and white TV with my dad and brother and we very happy to have a TV to watch it on.
That was the last Rose Bowl Game The three of us was able to watch together as My brother Pat died from a Baseball accident while playing Pee Wee Ball that summer.
TV begin as a dream in 1880-1890. Click here to see from dream to today TV: http://www.tvhistory.tv/History%20of%20TV.htm
I got into TV after the color set was out and become popular. Now I'm hooked on large screens and HD TV, I just hate watching this 21" HD TV
I feel like I'm squinting and keep wondering how many pictures in picture I could get if I fitted this 21" TV inside my big screen.
Now the new HD WIDE SCREEN TVs are adding 3D to this years HD TVs, and ESPN will broadcast in 3D.
Mayby I've lost my lust for new TV technology, but I never could get into 3D, I always found the glasses got in the way at the drive in theaters.
It's been said 3D will never make it but after the movie Avitar and the new technology it may be successful, I do remember people saying TV would never make it.
Commercial TV was aired in united states July, 1, 1941 I was born July, 14, 1941 I've gotten old and strange, but TV was said it would never catch on has now gotten new and amazing along with amazing repair cost.

LED Trafic lights can't melt snow and ice

2009-12-17T17:10:00.000-08:00

I don't like involving politics or green talk into my Web Sites or Blogs but after reading below article I must speak up. After you read below article you may not get my meaning until after you have read my comments or have read the two articles below my comments. Please read on

Traffic Signal Project ($6 million)
Cities, counties and state entities would be eligible to submit proposals involving the synchronization of traffic signals through the installation, updating and/or maintenance of traffic synchronization technologies and/or the replacement of traffic signal lights with LEDs. Types of projects funded would include signal retiming, replacement of LEDs in old units, purchasing new signals, replacement of existing traffic signal control hardware and accommodating enhanced signal operations, and monitoring new signal timings to ensure the synchronization plan is working correctly.
Implementation for the Traffic Signal Project will be conducted on information or cost estimates to replace old signals with new ones, replacement of old lights with new energy efficient LED lighting, and estimates or invoices showing costs of monitoring.
SECO plans to allocate $4.8 million to traffic synchronization and $1.2 million for LED replacement. SECO has worked with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) to determine a procedure to estimate gallons of fuel saved as a measure of energy savings due to traffic signal synchronization. This will be a required piece of any proposal submitted and SECO can update this metric once proposals are approved and under contract.

Request for Application (RFA) - Traffic Signal Project:
Energy efficient traffic light save tax payers money not just protecting the environment we are told.

But after reading above article and below articles I had to speak out. I'm tired of hearing this excuse: Sorry about the damage and or death in saving the blab, blab, blab we didn't know blab, blab, blab would do that. You can't hold us responsible we had good intentions.

Did your city fathers spend x amount of money to replace street lights in your town with the new environment bulbs? and now are going to spend another truck load of cash on maintenance of these traffic lights this winter.

LED lights give off no heat so ice and snow won't melt on traffic lights. Some city's have had these lights for years now, with complaints from the start. We now are hearing this winter about all the city's with these new lights having a larger increase in traffic accidents, and now blamed in causing one woman's death.

Claims are now they are trying to find a economical way to solve the problem. My bet is before it's over we will have more deaths due to the LED lights.

They are telling ever one to drive as if the light is out. Most people will but there is always the ones that won't, how many fools do you see out on the road today? Plus I thing at times at a intersection that light will be obscured to some drivers and others drivers can see the light fine. There goes the err on the side of caution rule.

Again no one thought things Thur. No LED lights should have been installed in any location that have a chance of snow or icing in winter until a economical solution was found to solve the problem.

Knowing the problem from around 2000 they should have no excuse. As usual no solution for the known problem has been found. Now a life was lost because someone put energy saving in of front human life and property. The excuse will be we had good intentions , we were saving taxpayers money and saving the environment.

They started first installing these energy saving lights somewhere around 2000. These lights are very costly, and at the time only came in red.

Written by Ed Morrissey
Thursday, 17 December 2009 05:54
The effort to change the bulbs traffic lights from high-energy incandescents to low-power LEDs does make sense — in those areas of the country where snow is not a factor. Unfortunately, just as with the decision of Seattle to stop using salt for clearing roads of snow, the decision to go green has created fatal traffic conditions for no good reason whatsoever. At least one person has died from the use of LED traffic lights in snowstorms, as the LEDs are not hot enough to melt the snow when it covers them (via Instapundit):
Cities around the country that have installed energy-efficient traffic lights are discovering a hazardous downside: The bulbs don’t burn hot enough to melt snow and can become crusted over in a storm — a problem blamed for dozens of accidents and at least one death.
“I’ve never had to put up with this in the past,” said Duane Kassens, a driver from West Bend who got into a fender-bender recently because he couldn’t see the lights. “The police officer told me the new lights weren’t melting the snow. How is that safe?”
Many communities have switched to LED bulbs in their traffic lights because they use 90 percent less energy than the old incandescent variety, last far longer and save money. Their great advantage is also their drawback: They do not waste energy by producing heat. …
Illinois authorities said that during a storm in April, 34-year-old Lisa Richter could see she had a green light and began making a left turn. A driver coming from the opposite direction did not realize the stoplight was obscured by snow and plowed into Richter’s vehicle, killing her.
“Would the accident have occurred if the lights had been clear? I would be willing to bet not,” Oswego police Detective Rob Sherwood said.
The picture [above] shows the traffic light in Oswego that caused the death of Lisa Richter earlier this year. The snow made the traffic light useless. No driver could possibly have spotted a red light, and even the green would have been difficult to discern at speed, especially during the daytime. Oswego may just have well turned off its traffic lights and set up four-way stops at every intersection for all the good these systems do in snowstorms — when traffic lights are more necessary than ever.
I’m not opposed to the use of LED replacement technology in traffic lights. Not only do they use a lot less energy, they likely will last much longer, leading to fewer replacements and less down time. But clearly, politicians and bureaucrats are making big mistakes when they put environmental concerns ahead of safety, especially in areas where snow and ice are routinely issues. Illinois and St. Paul, MN, two jurisdictions mentioned in this article, should know better than to use low-heat traffic lights, perhaps especially in St. Paul, where snow and ice are constant issues in the wintertime.
Let’s use our heads. LED lights work well in warm-weather areas and should be pursued there. Incandescents have to remain available to cold-weather areas like Illinois, Minnesota, and much of the northern areas of the country. Salt has to go down on roads in order to ensure driver safety when ice and snow cover the asphalt. Common sense would go a long way in applying environmental solutions.

In conclusion I must think out loud, WHAT did the citys do with all the incandecents rough service light bulbs that was replaced with LED Lights.
Would they toss these bulbs that cost us about $3.98 a bulb in the trash?
What will it cost to dispose of the mercury filled LED bulbs when replaced.

Snow! It only gets deeper.

2009-12-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

My 30 foot noble fir tree in front yard & ice cycles

Snow is like S h*t it can only get deeper and stinks !
That was my perception when I was worked for a living.

This year is the first time a snow storm hit and I was not working. This year also is the first time since I became a working adult said, After I looking outside to find Snow piled up and Ice Sickles hanging from eves of the house "it's Snowing" without muttered that little four letter word .

As a kid living in Valsetz Oregon I had Always loved the snow covering all out doors and just couldn't wait to get out in the first snow.
The last part was the only difference in this year's first snow and as a boy in Valsetz.
Yesterday I took in the beauty and serenity but had no desire to go out and romp around in it.

The snow and local news telling of snow days for school kids around Northern Nevada did how ever put me to thinking about Snow days in Valsetz. WE NEVER HAD ONE! Not even when snow was up to and above the waist of first graders! Only when there was no heat in the school come noon did we get out of school.

I began to think of the great times we had as teens doing dumb things.
One of the dumbest was when we got in my friends Model A and drove out on the flats looking for large pools of water frozen over and would accommodate cookie cutting and in general screwing around with the Model A.

Most Valsetzer will remember the County Bridge was the starting point of
private property.

When I was a teen this was great for us kids because we could drive any where on Boise propriety without being cited for driving without a driver licensee.

The driver of the A was at so must risk. If any thing would have happened
he would have been in so much trouble.

Let's say the Model A had rolled over and passengers were hurt, what would he have to answer to? In today's society Reckless driving, careless driving, no driver licensee, no insurance, suits for injures and any thing else the suit happy public of today could think of.

But back then more than likely my friend would have at the most a risk of ticket for no driver's lic. and a big ass busting from his dad along with loss of driving privileges. What a different world is today. Lucky for all of us, the only thing that happened was we all had one hell of a good time!

The best thing about snow and Valsetz was the surrounding hills to go sledging on. And sled we did, all ages and parents. If I remember correctly the favorite spot was the hill up behind the school on weekends.

I hope I've stirred up some old memories of your old days in the snow.

The below story I found in an article from January 16,1969 out of the Oregon Statesman by Tom Wright

Valsetz Post Office and First Aid building

Trip Over Snowy Hill To Valsetz
Is Good Tonic For Tired Nerves

VALSETZ - I rode "shotgun" on the mail run to Valsetz Wednesday.
The hazards weren't the badmen from Black Rock, nor the sidewinders from Cold Springs, but the side-slippers from Dallas and knee-deep freeze from the pacific.

But the mail went Thu again, despite the heavy snow. And for Howard Terry, weathered fugitive from an Idaho Panhandle farm, it was just another "uneventful" trip on his six-times a week calender over "the Hill."

terry, the Dallas -Valsetz half of a brother team that hauls the mail from Salem to Dallas and way points, had already put in a half day's work tending his lambing ewes when he pulled hid mail-laden jeep out of the post office parking lot at 7:31 a.m.

"we're in for it today," he said into a frosty windshield.
He was right.

The highway to Falls City, the first stop on his daily-except-Sunday run,
was coated with ice like the rest of the mid-Willamette Valley.

By Falls City there was plenty of packed snow on the road.
then it got worse.

Fortunately, Polk County road crews had continued their fight through the night to keep the Falls City-Valsetz road passable.

Terry talked faster than he drove, which was fine with me.
Ever then at times we were inches away from the wall of snow on my side of the cab.

The 63 -Year Terry has been making the Valsetz mail (and milk run) for ten years. Seldom is the snow problem worse than it was with up to three feet of snow where the road crest the Coast Range at 2,300 feet.

Heavy snow on trees and the banks piled up by the snow-plows added to the visibility problem on the winding, narrow road
"we're safe until we get to the next corner, now," Terry said several times after craning his neck to see if anyone was coming from the other way.

There's a basic philosophy behind Terry's careful driving;His assertion that "I don't want to die on this mountain; I'm not in love with it," sums it up.

As the most regular driver over the 25 miles from Dallas, Terry is the expert on "the Hill." Everybody ask him how the road is and how deep the snow is.

Often his daily routine is broken by an unwary motorist in need of help, chains,or gasoline, or a ride one way or other. "I loaned my spare chains and didn't get them back. I loaned my spare can of gasoline and

didn't get it back. I don't do it any more," he sighed.

We had a passenger on the return trip. Room was made for a slender Valsetz youth on his way to Dallas to see a doctor about a broken finger.

On the way he smilingly told of another young man who rode over "the hill" with him on his way to duty in the South Pacific. The soldier wrote his father later saying he believed it was safer in Vietnam than riding out that hill.

While Terry is willing to leave the Moon and Mars to a younger generation

, he's given some thought to modernizing the Valsetz mail run. When I suggested that a helicopter would be just the ticket, he quickly replied: "I'm studying on it."

It was just 12:30 p.m. when he pulled back into the Dallas Post Office parking lot. Folks at Falls City and Valsetz had their mail again, as usual. And the kids at Valsetz and Falls City had their milk for lunch.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-20T18:12:00.000-08:00

Since my mothers passing, November has always been a special month for me. Not just because Thanksgiving is in November but of my mother's birthday falling on the twenty fourth of November. We observed mom's birthday on Thanksgiving as many of her years was in fact on Thanksgiving Day. Ever year around this time I begin thinking about my past birthday Thanksgivings. This year I'm sharing with you a couple of my memories .

I believe ever year in Valsetz my family had this ritual. ( as most American Family's has) Ours started on the night before Thanksgiving. As far back as I can remember it went like this. Just before dad got home mom would start telling me make sure you bring in enough wood for the kitchen stove tonight we are cooking turkey all night. My folks friends would start to show up after dinner. Mom had to work like crazy to get the kitchen table set up for card playing and us kids busy and out of the way for most of the night while the turkey cooked away in the oven of the old wood stove. I remember before television (3 channels in black & white ) we were giving permission by mom to sit in front of the radio as long as we could stay awake on that night.

Now a story I always think about. This happened in my later years I must have been about 13 year of age. Mom had told me repeatedly to bring in extra wood for the stove to cook the turkey. I had not even filled the wood box for the front room let along extra wood for the kitchen. Before I knew it dad was coming in the front door and I was making tracks to get out the back door. I was not fast enough mom was at the back door. Then my S*%$ hit the fan. Before I could say mom I'm getting the wood now my mom informed my dad she said " your son has yet to fill the wood box and bring in extra to cook the turkey" Dad then said "boy you get that wood in here for your mom now!" Then it happened I become the defiant teenager. I said to my parents "I'm not filling that wood box again Pat is old enough to fill the box". Then I went deeper in the dodo I said "I'm leaving home and you can eat that turkey with out me". I'm now thinking now do I get out of this? What in the hell have I done? Every one eats turkey tomorrow and I have to starve or beg for food. Then the tough teenager comes out again. I go on about being homeless and starving but I will make it. Thinking about it and not being a head doctor I believe I became of age of the defiant teen. But what a time to choose to become a defiant teen and leaving home. I think I shocked my folks because both stood there and said nothing. then I seen it in my dad's face you know the one I'm talking about if you are over 40 years of age.For those that have never seen the look it's the look of death the father give before he beats your butt for disrespecting your mother.

Mom then saved the day and my butt. Mom spoke up and said "Jerry it's your choice to leave or stay but we all will Miss you at dinner tomorrow." Then quickly she said' if you decide to leave will you please fill the wood box and bring in extra wood for the turkey before you go."

That was the best thanksgiving ever! By the way I never told my folks I was leaving home again.

I have one more story to tell you about my mom. This one happened years before we moved to

Valsetz,Oregon.

Most of my folks married life togather before Oregon was raising Pinto Beans in Colorado on farm land they leased.

I have to confess I was only about 5 or 6 so I don't know if this story is from hearing it ever year at Thanksgiving or From experience. Near the old farm house was a shed dad keep his farm equipment in with a fenced yard that contained chicken coops and chickens. in those days (late forties) we had chicken and ham on Thanksgiving day.

As the story goes mom went out to choose a chicken for Thanksgiving dinner. Mom spotted this
rooster that was limping around the yard. You got it right if you thought mom would pick that limping rooster for our Thanksgiving dinner.

So fate of that rooster was in mom's hands. After chasing the rooster around the yard for a while she finally caught him and then telling the rooster he was harder to catch than any other chicken she ever caught before mom grabbed the rooster by the head with both hands and began ringing the rooster's neck.

Mom had always killed her chickens in this manor I don't remember her ever useing a axe. After ringing the chicken's neck mom would then put the chicken in boiling water to make it easy to remove the feathers. I believe mom would have won first prize for chicken neck ringer
if there was ever a contest.

As I was saying mom grabbed the rooster by the head and begin swinging the body around in a circle, before mom got the rooster's neck rung the rooster slipped out of her hands and landed on the roof of dad's equipment shed. Mom was pissed and not about to climb up on the shed roof to retrieve the rooster, mom grabbed another bird and begin the task again.

Come Thanksgiving morning The roosters were crowing but one rooster sounded a lot closer to

the house than the others did.

Dad come in the house and was laughing so hard he looked as if crying. After gaining his composure dad told mom I was going to go upon the shed roof after the rooster you threw up there yesterday. Guess what I found ? I found your rooster crowing very loud and walking around with out a limp.

My guess is that is the first rooster with a Thanksgiving pardon and probably be the last.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

OUT HOUSE REVIEW

2009-10-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

I want to continue from the last blog I wrote about, The Two Story Out House.

If you remember, I was a bit stumped on how the two story john may have worked.

I don't know why but this thing haunted me for a few days. I had used my imagination over and over and all I could come up with was I would never want to be the one using the bottom level potty.

If this has kept you up at nights and you haven't found out for yourself I will give you the answer I found. The answer was so simple when I found it I was a little red faced the answer was so simple.

Looking at the picture of a two story Out House you could not tell the secret was in side the wall of the structure. This is what I found after a search of Two Story Out Houses.

A double Decker outhouse sounds absurd to a generation weaned on indoor plumbing. (Hah hah, pe-pe on floor I get poop on Head.) But this "sky scrapper" is no joke. Its upper- and lower-floor holes are discreetly placed on opposite sides, and a second, inset wall on the ground floor forms an invisible chute. Droppings from above plummet unobstructed and out of sight, although not out of earshot.
Samuel Gammill built the outhouse at the rear of his general store. There were apartments upstairs, and the second floor of the building connected to the second floor of the outhouse across a short ramp, giving 19th century tenants a private bathroom. The store was torn down in 1984, but the outhouse was carefully spared. Gays, Illinois had been promoting it as a tourist attraction since the 1960s.

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2527

So now we all know how a Two Story Out House works. Who knows it might come in handy if the government keeps pushing us back to the stone age with all the environment regulations they are putting on us for our own good.

Here in Reno they say "we are saving water with a new style urinal." They are placing them in the men's restrooms they call them the waterless urinals. In using this system it's like using a port a potty. I found there is always a faint port a potty smell in a rest room using this system. Maybe the Out House is on it's way back.

Have all of you good folks of Valsetz made your way to the Valsetz after midnight and spent time inside looking around. I had fun building it and learned how to improve the one for next year.

Of course all Valsetzer know there was no Grave Yard in Valsetz, it's nice to have a grave yard at least once a year. I hope the ones that found and played around in Valsetz After Midnight enjoyed it. Even if you are not from Valsetz you will enjoy the site.

I plan on leaving Valsetz After Midnight up and make changes Thu out the year or until I need the web space if you have any ideas let me know.

Halloween is now upon us knock on wood no tricks this year. I have had no tricks pulled on me or my property since arriving in Reno, NV in 1978.

My Halloweens in Reno have been years of not much doing. Living in the sticks out side Reno

for 26 of my 31 years here we had not one visit from any Halloween creatures for treats or mischief. The last few years we had average of 50 Goblins asking for a hand out.

The sad things about Halloween is now we have the Halloween Nuts that put items into the kids bags with intent to harm the youngsters. I feel for these kids of today not having the Halloweens I had as a Valsetz Kid. I remember Halloween was fun for ever one in Valsetz there wasn't these worries of you child getting apples with razer blades in it or some one doing harm to your child.

The Halloween nights I went trick and treating in Valsetz my folks only instructions was have fun get lots of candy but don't do any damage. Valsetz parents knew the most the kids would do is soap a window or two and spread a little tp and the worst egg something. There was very Little egging and paper spreading because we knew it cost our folks money to replace them and would get a good ass busting if got caught. One bad thing for kids in the Valsetz community was the ability the parents had in watching ever ones kids. If I done something wrong My folks knew about it before I got home. I swear their system was far better than any thing on the market today as far as security and surveillance.

If I as much as give back talk to the store clerk my folks had me by the butt when I walked in the front door.

Trick and treating was always an adventure. I honestly believe ever child in Valsetz went to ever house in Valsetz. You've heard the old postman saying about wind,rain,snow blah,blah,blah that was kids in Valsetz on Halloween Night no matter what we went Trick & treating for those goodies, eating candy about ever step until you could eat no more.

The kids going trick and treating this Halloween have no idea of how restricted they are.

Halloween has almost become a thing of the past with all the restrictions on kids. I've seen news reports of some schools now are doing away with Halloween in the school, kids can't eat the treats until parents check there treats, and kids arrested for soaping Windows.

I as other Valsetzers give thanks for a Valsetz childhood.

Looks as all the tricks will be on the kids this Halloween.

Happy Halloween!

I don't do Out Houses on Halloween

2009-10-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

Halloween, As many others, I have always loved Halloween Especially the tricks part, the candy part isn't so bad ether.

I have done many a tricks ( some call them stunts )over my life time and hopefully may pull off a few more.

Remembering back to my childhood days of Valsetz Halloweens I had one of the tricks (or pranks if you wish) come back and bite me in the butt as no other Halloween trick ever has.

Back in the early fifties some of the houses in our part of Valsetz were still using out door plumbing. No, out door plumbing is not bringing water into the house for the purpose of drinking ,cooking and, flushing the toilet Nor is it doing your business in the bushes.

For the ones that were born in the sixties and not living in the Boon Docks, out door plumbing

referees to little buildings you walk out to when you need to do your business, they called them Out Houses.

Have you seen a home with a up stairs and down stairs Out House? I never knew they existed.
As I remember each Out House always sit over a hole a in the ground!
Makes you wonder how this type Out House worked.

Here is another lesson for all you people that though unisex bathrooms was something new. Now you know unisex bathrooms have been around since who knows when.

Sorry for straying but to get the most of my story I needed for you as a reader to know what Out Side Plumbing was.

Back to my story of being bit in the butt after pulling a Halloween trick.

This Halloween would be the first year my friends and myself felt we were to big to be going door to door trick or treating.
As most young boys of this age we decided we would go tricking Halloween night. Who wanted to go to an old Halloween dance. But what tricks to do and who do you trick was now our only thoughts. As we planned our capers for the fate full Halloween night we got more excited as each caper was planned. Some where during all this excitement I come up with this big Idea that was to make this Halloween the best ever. It turned out different for me, this Halloween become the biggest butt biter I ever was to have.

Things would have been fine if we would have stopped with just one, but no we had to do the neighbors too.

You might have guessed by now we pushed over the Out House to my house and then done neighbors.

Like I said If we would have stopped at shoving over the Out House to my house we would have been fine.

As far back as I could remember I had heard of Halloween story's of pushing over People's Out Houses. What give me the Idea to push over our Out House was my family did not need Out Side Plumbing any more because inside plumbing at our house had been completed a few weeks prior. No harm No foul right.

The problem was the neighbors inside plumbing was not completed (whoops.)

The following morning we were awoke by our neighbors in need of our facility. As I lay in bed I could hear the conversation going on between my folks and the neighbors. It went some thing like this. Paraphrasing, I got up to go out back to do my business and to my surprise no Out House .

So I headed to your, it was gone also, it good you got yours inside because your old Out House is down the hill by the tracks and busted up bad. I heard my dad mumble a few obscenities and then told the neighbor lets go out and put yours back over the hole. The neighbor spoke can't it busted up when it hit the ground. Then he asked dad, I hate to impose but can I use your toilet?

Dad laughed and told the neighbour sure you and the wife are welcome to use it any time you feel the need. After the neighbor finished his business my mom gave him a cup of coffee. When she handing the coffee to him she ask who in this town would do something as stupid as this? The neighbour replied I'm sorry to say this but I think Jerry had something to do with it. I saw him with a bunch of boys milling around town last night, and I found what looks like one of your old work gloves next to the hole you know the ones that had blue pain on them, I left it out side it smelled so bad. My dad then told the neighbor I will find out if Jerry was involved we thought he was at the Halloween dance.

That's when I started wondering if I could get to the green timbers with out being caught. To late not a chance I could heard dad heading toward my room.

I don't think I have the space nor the time to repeat the conversation my father had with me, nor the one with my mother.

I have always been told the truth will set you free. After confession to my folks that I indeed with help from my friends had pushed the two Out Houses over and those were the only ones we had ever done begin to think this truth will set yo free was bull S*%#.

Not only did I get a good butt beating but blistered hands filling in the holes of the old Out Houses.

I had to go and apologize to the neighbours and tell the them how sorry and stupid I was (my Mom insisted I use the word stupid) then as my mom said" tell them they could use our toilet any time they feel the need." The waiting for the neighbors to get their own indoor plumbing was the worst punishment of all. Their need was quite often and lasted for over a month. The topper was when our indoor plumbing was installed they built the little room by walling a section off from my bedroom and the wall was next to by bed, and no insulation was put in the wall.

Come the Halloweens of following years I give Out Houses a wide berth.

Make sure you don't miss VALSETZ AFTER MIDNIGHT Halloween special at
http://valsetzhalloween.homestead.com/index.html

Or you can find the link on http://valsetzoregon.com/

Week from Hell

2009-09-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

Here I sit 10:00 P.M. This Friday Night and I decided to vent by writing about my week.
I must apologize for not writing about Valsetz this week, but it's been A Week In Hell.

It all started late Friday afternoon the 18 of September, 2009 when I picked up my old computer paying near $300 bucks. I was told it would be around $200 to have my old computer with XP Windows rebuilt and brought back to life,he also had a used monitor he would toss in. I'm thinking the monitor was not free.

On the way home I decided to wait until Saturday to set it up,and make sure I would be ready Monday for Charter to set up the three computers, and the X Box with a new high speed Internet.

Come Saturday I goofed around with the *Vista computer ( *Terms I will use for types of Microsoft Windows system on a computer)setting up my Fantasy Football Teams for Sunday's games until almost noon. That was a big mistake, if I had known, and should have. Murphy's Law was about to bite me in the butt.

It was noon before I had the xp wired up,and running. Now the time had come to play with an old friend.Hitting the power switch the computer started to boot up. Then as Windows logo appeared the computer came to a stop frozen and displaying Windows 7 on monitor screen. I restarted the computer, it replied with instructions how to get computer booted. I played around with 7 for a while, installed one program, then shut it down. Restarting it I found it would not boot up again. After I followed the same procedure as before I now noticed there was no sound. I then wanted to know more about Windows 7 I now had on my computer. I Googled Windows 7, then I saw it. Windows 7 was not due to be release yet.

My little mind begin to click I shut down google and there it was in fine print (Trial Edition). Again the little wheels begin to spin, trying to remember what the computer guy in broken English was telling me. He was trying to tell me try Windows 7,and if I didn't like it he would

put my requested and trusting XP Windows Back on the computer at no cost.

What I did not pickup in the conversation was, the trial of Windows 7 is only good for three months from Install and you must reinstall XP or windows Vista. ( that I found when Googling

Windows 7.)

Come Monday I hot foot it down to the Computer guy's shop.

Once there I found his door closed with a note he was on service call. Rushing back to house to make my appointment with Charter to set up the new cable Internet system. I needed not to rush the Internet guy showed up about 1 p.m. looking around for about 15 minutes he told me there has never been cable run to this house and he would have to get a crew out to run new cable to house. He then told me hopefully they would be back and job would be completed by about 6p.m.

With that, I headed back to the computer guy's place. I caught him this time. I just give him the computer and told him no audio and install my XP please, he replied tomorrow morning ready.

come Tuesday I watched TV and puttered around the house not wanting to put any more on the Vista computer, & waited for calls from the Computer Guy and Charter that never came. I called the computer guy he told me computer not done that he would call me when done.

Come Wednesday no calls from Charter or Computer Guy. I wanted to go to Rail City for my usual Wednesday Meat Ball soup and Sandwich but didn't dare for missing the Charter people.

That was the best choice I made this week because about quarter till Two Charter knocked on the door. By 4:00 cable was run to the house but they had a new problem they could not find a good ground and may have to get another crew member to drive a grounding rod. An another hour went by they found ground,and had cable inside the house by 6:30 I had High Speed Internet to one computer and was informed his boss was to have brought components for connecting the other two computers and X Box. One computer was still at the Computer Shop

and The X Box and up stairs computer were not any big deal.

Thursday no calls from Charter or my Computer Guy. looks like another long do nothing day.

About two pm I got a call from charter telling me he had another 30 minutes on a job in Sparks and then be would coming to finish my project. He never showed and I got no call from the Computer Guy.

Friday I new I was up %#&@ River the week end was very near and I knew the wife wanted some family time this week end. I jumped in the the trusty old HHR of mine and went down to the Computer guy's shop I seen his van pulling in to traffic as I pulled into his shop. sure enough

the sign on the door said"on service call call this telephone number" "damn" I thought, I will miss Clam Chowder and sandwich today. Then calling The number on door I was talking to the Computer Guy and this is what he said" computer done will call you when back"

As I started to put my phone back in my pocket it rang. It was my wife, she was at home. I thought I'm screwed, sure she was going to ask if we could leave town tonight.

My mind was running wild, how was I going to get out of this pickle, I had Football bets to make waiting to get computer and Charter coming to finish the job, what the hell is she doing home at 1:30 p.m. any way.

"Yes Dear" I said "where you at" hoping to not tip my hand. And there it came my Wife said " I hope it is OK if I work for about an hour or so Sat. morning." I said in relief "Yes Dear." Things started to turn then.( I thought) I then called the Charter Guy (who by now new my name) saying he would be at my house to finish job in about two hours.

Two hours later had no call from Computer Guy or Charter Guy.Come 4:00 p.m. Charter called be there about 20 minutes. I thought to my-self I won't see him until Monday. About 30 minutes later Charter was knocked on my door. About 5:15 p.m. he was done and all that was left to do is my XP to complete his job. He left me the parts and software to complete the XP.

I wondered, as he got in his truck if his week was as bad as mine.

I jumped back in the HHR knowing traffic would be backed up on the freeway so I took back streets to the Computer Guys shop. Arriving at his shop I saw his shop van was not in the lot

but the sign was missing from the window. The door was open,and standing at back of shop

was an Oriental Lady. She spoke to me in broken English that I had a very hard time understanding. She understood I was after a computer,she then called the computer Guy.

I asked if my computer was ready. He said "done", I then ask him to explain to the lady it was done and there was no charge. I smiled as I handed her back the phone.

Getting home I was like a little bee, unplugged the Vista and setting up the XP computer Then I begin to set up the network I then begin setting up the vista, thinking things had definitely changed, I thought this Hell week is over. I plug Vista in to the used monitor The computer guy gave me. Firing it up I'm in seventh heaven until I see That computer Guy gave me a bad computer monitor. I sorry I can't use the words I then said out loud.
After regaining my composure I then went in spend the evening with my wife. After the
wife went to bed I went back to the computer.
What has taken place in this Country where truth and trust just don't exist any more? Could it be something in the water or just that the things that we grew up believing in, have now, as ever thing else in today's world just turned to $#!*

Valsetz's Fishy Stories

2009-09-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

I planned on telling Fish Stories this week, then I got a telephone call from a supposed BBC Producer from Ireland telling me he wanting to do a Video about my beloved Valsetz.

After a few calls and E-Mails from Ronan Feely, I've come believed he was serious about doing the video because of his fish story.
Also his fish story fell in line with the fish story I was about to reveal.

My fish story is about (I normally I don't use real names, this writing may be the only exception)(not) A young intelligent Valsetz girl that never got a bad grade in school, ( you know the prissy , scholar do no wrong type.) Unlike me, I'm the just get by type guy, that doesn't over work oneself. I will bet anyone that above example 50 years later would be as follows The young Valsetz girl would become a workaholic, and the guy as in me, would still be just wanting to get by with out over working himself. I can attest to this as fact

The fish story about the above Valsetz Girl: May 25 1957 Headline of a Salem News Paper, Top Student's Eye Lid Pierced By Fish Hook. The story, Valsetz grade school valedictorian, 14 narrowly escaped a serious eye injury today when her eye lid was pierced cast by an angler. The Valsetz girl was taken to a Dallas Doctor by John Richardson, first aid attendant at Valsetz. Where the hook was removed.

The girl said tonight she would give her speech as scheduled on Monday and she was feeling fine except her eye was a little sore. No bandage was required she said.

I know your thinking, that is not a fish story, nor did you tell us the girl's name. First, the fishy part of the story. Well it seem that the goody two shoe girl wandered off the straight path, instead of staying home to take care of a youngster her mother left in her care left the house taking the child with her. After meeting her boy friend, they then went down to the river so her friend might fish. Now here is the real fishy part of the story, could they really have been fishing? For it was her friend that cast the hook in the Valsetz's girl eye.

As I said before I'm telling Names. The Valsetz Girl , Now, my wife Doris Chancellor, daughter of Dick and Winnie Chancellor.

While writing this story another part of the story became very, very fishy, and I'm sharing this with you. Remember the name of the First Aid person, the one who drove 16 miles over a graveled curvy mountain road to take the girl to the Doctor? In the newspaper article the way his name was printed had a page break, John Richard-son. Our first child was a son named John Richard. Is that in it's self not a little fishy?

If any of you Valsetzers would like to be a Film Star, or help make the video On Valsetz by supplying photos and Valsetz History Please contact Mr.Ronan Feely at: Phone # 541-996-1211

I had planned to tell more than two fish story's but I found more than two with the Video story will be about all I have room for today. I will do more later I promise.

Oz the Wizard of Valsetz land, got his on the opening day of fishing season, was the way it was wrote by a one time Friend of mine.

Ted took Larry Osland (the Principal of Valsetz High School at the time )out on the Valsetz Pond the afternoon of opening day of fishing season. Oz wasn't very adept at walking on the logs in the pond. He would stand on one that would hardly bear his weight. As it started to sink he would hop to another. The others in the group recognized that the teacher was cutting his margin a little to thin each time. It was inevitable that Oz would fall in the pond. HE DID. But he kept the worms he carried tightly clutched in his hands.

He managed to get back on the log that figured in the disaster just in time to plunge in on the other side. Still he kept the worms.

Finally the Oz, wet to the chin, managed to get out and sat drenched and gasping, still hanging on to his fish worms.

when asked, did the gentle Oz lose his temper? Oh, no Ted (still hoping for a passing grade in algebra, after telling the story) vouches for the fact that Oz never said a word that wouldn't be fitting and proper in a class room.

Would you believe none in the group of fishermen laughed during the Oz's adventure on would that be another fish story?

Below is E-Mail from Ronan Freely's fish story about Valsetz
E-Mail at: ronanfeely@hotmail.com

An Independence, Oregon resident wants to make a short film about the story of Valsetz. Before moving to Oregon, Ronan Feely was a producer for the BBC in Ireland and when he stumbled upon the Valsetz story while looking for a fishing hole, he thought it was so unique and moving that it should be told to a larger audience.Ronan says, "I was checking out Google maps and noticed this huge lake in the coastal range. But when I looked at satellite photos of the area, there was no lake. That's when I googled for Valsetz Lake and found out the whole story ... and what a story."Ronan is looking for any former residents of the town to get in contact with him so that he can talk to them about their memories and their own personal stories, and then to bring them back to the town site so they can explain to the viewers where all the buildings were located, etc.Even if you don't want to appear on camera, the producers are searching for old archive; so all your old school and family photos are invaluable. One important piece of the puzzle is Super 8 Film that any of the locals might have shot. Do you have some old Super 8 Home movies of Valsetz? Or do you know the whereabouts of a friend or neighbor who does? This old moving archive will give the while venture a fantastic look and feel.Another document that the producers would love to see is the letter from the timber company informing residents of the plan to turf them out of their homes.Ronan goes on, "The picture Jerry put on his blog last week of the young men in school jackets watching their town burn. That sums it up. If we could speak to one or all of those guys, it would give us a whole new slant to the story. The last day of school in Valsetz."If you would like to help out then please email Ronan at ronanfeely@hotmail.com and he will get right back to you.Oh, and of course the documentary will be available for all former residents to watch, right here at Valsetz Blog.

My Rambling Thoughts Of Coach H.

2009-09-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

I'm about to take a trip back in time. No I didn't build a time machine that works. And you are

invited to come along, all you have to do is stay with me by reading my following ramblings.

It's 1956 I'm back in Valsetz, walking with my best friend JR ( all names are fictious) down a gravel road, we have gotten out of school, been to my house and now are heading to JR's house in Western with plans to return to the school for Basketball practice as we did every day.

With time to spare before Basketball practice, we made a stop at the mill dump to find just the right piece of wood to mount JR's model boat motor on to. Looking through wood scraps, I must tell you this dump was used for all refuse, including home garbage.

As we were looking for the desired piece of wood we both watched our Grade School Basketball coach get out of his car, look at us, then get back in his car and drive off.

After we finished the motor project and tested it we headed back for Basketball practice.

The following event would have been funny if it was not so hurtful to JR & Myself.

JR and I were the tallest members of the team, as 8Th graders both JR and I was tall for our ages. Most of the team members were around 5 foot JR and I was about 5'9".

When we arrived at the gym for practice the coach seen us as we entered the gym, we both felt he was waiting for us to arrive.We were right, the coach begin telling us all about how unsanitary the dump was and telling us he would not have people that scrounge in the dump playing on his teams.

This coach did not quit with just the lecture. He said "your banned from playing any sports the rest of the school year." We thought it was unfair but never challenged him. Before we left the gym we watched our replacements (both under 4 foot) trying to get the basketball up to the rim.

JR and I left the gym full of laughter but very sad on the inside. later on we had the comfort of watching the coach loose ever game of the season, and the entertainment watching our replacements trying to play Basketball.

Some time later in the school year I had the pleasure to see the old Basketball coach,( who also taught school ) humiliate him-self by busting into the Boy's Room, and grabbed the shoulder's of a youngster standing at the urinal. The coach then spun him around and begin shaking him. That was the old coaches big mistake. Now everyone in the boys room saw the fountain flowing from the youngster, everone then started to laugh at the coach standing there in his wet shoes, and pants legs.

Talk about karma

September! It's Back to School for Kids! Old Memories Of School for the parents!

2009-09-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

What the Valsetz School Bus. ( In my vision ) might look like in 2009

Summer is winding down Pro Football is only a week away and the kids will be going back to School.

For many, the memories of old school days will flash by as they prepare their young for the coming school year.

There will be a lot of these kids going to the same schools, and attending the same school functions as their parents did at their age.

What if you had been told the day you graduate from High School your future children would never have a chance to see, let along attend the school you had, and loved so dear .

Your family was given notice in December telling you the same day you graduate in may you and your family must vacate your home and never return to your Home Town.

You would be leaving your home town, never again able to return or visit your town, School, Church, Theater,Restaurant or Homes of your Family,Friends or Neighbors.

Not because you were banished from your home town. But because the owner, Boise Cascade would Finish completion of razing your home town . Boise Cascade will removed your home town's existences piece by piece. Then the remanding Debris will be dozed and burned.

In December of 1983 workers and residents of Valsetz Oregon got the following notice from Boise Cascade Corp. That it would shut down the Polk County town when school ended. they citing financial losses of the company's veneer plant. The nearly 200 people who lived here then have dwindled to less than 75 most of whom remain only to see school's end.

The mill was dismantled in February. Many houses have been replaced by mud puddles and the remaining structures are expected to be torn down by the end of June

When summer turns to fall, the town, nestled in Oregon's Coast Range at end of a 16 mile gravel road, will be a tree farm.

For a 17 or 18 year old kid,in their last year of school should be having the time of their lives. To be hit right between the eyes and then have to carry this fate on their backs was just plain rotten. Not just to them but any one living in that community. Boise Cascade, I believe screwed ever one in that community.

I believe there is no way a big company like Boise Cascade would not have known long before December they were going to shut down. I feel Boise should have given at least one year notice to the community. They owed this much to such a loyal community that served them for that many years.

Some parents of this community, them-selves went to school in Valsetz and their kids were or had been students of Valsetz Schools. Some workers were in their fifties to young to retire, and at the age to find work would be very hard and time consuming.

That was the fate of nine seniors, (The Last Class to graduate from the Valsetz High School )graduation class of 1984.

In Sen. Mark Hatfield commencement speech to the nine graduating Valsetz Seniors encourages the seniors to "move ahead with change".

Tony Johnson, class valedictorian, too, spoke moving with change to "survive in this ever-changing world." But his speech was tinged with sadness.
"For many of us, this has been our only home, our security, and now it has been torn out from under us," Johnson said. "We have been forced into a situation in which we were not in favor, but had no control over. We are putting our energies forward and our past behind. so we can better contribute in our new communities and to this great nation.

The following is from interviews of seniors on there graduation day.

Tony Johnson "nobody really likes this situation" he said" but we're trying not to think about it."

Kimberly Carter,18, the only girl in the senior class, hugged her mother Norma, and both began to weep.
"I've lived here 16 years and I always thought I was going to graduate and then I could leave and come back," Kimberly said"Now I can come back up here and see the trees, but I won't. It won't be the same"

Above photo Valsetz seniors gather moments before the final graduation ceremony

School Superintendent Bob Hanson who plans to retire, has witnessed many tearful graduations, but this he agreed was the saddest.

"Sure," he said" It's the end

Valsetz high school students watch helpless as their home town burns up around them

One interesting note! The Town went broke, but Valsetz schools had over one Million Dollars in funding at the closing of the schools! What happened to these funds?I'm not revealing this bit at this time, but promise, I will tell you in one of my future blogs.

It's been twenty five years since the closure of the last class to graduate from Valsetz High School- GO COUGARS

As I, I'm sure others all over this fine country are thinking about Their Home Town,( The town may be gone but is still in the hearts of all Valsetzers) and the time they spent in Valsetz Oregon.

CLASS OF 1984

LAST VALSETZ HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CLASS

KIM CARTER RICH GWINN DALE HOWE RON HUCTHISON

KENNY JESKE TONY JOHNSON BOBBY O'DONNELL

DEAN RECKARD JEFFREY WHEELER

Please Email me at Valsetzmail@aol.com if you were a student in Valsetz School in 1984 or was there in closing Valsetz.

2009-08-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

Valsetz Rain

Before I start with The Rain,I must Tell you all: I'm now a Brand New Great Grandpa (weighing in at 21 inches 7lbs. Mendel Joe Gillett

Just Another Thursday Morning, sitting in front of the old computer with stacks of Valsetz material looking at me. Reminds me of that Television commercial, where you see this stack of cash with great big eyes balls watching.

I'm like the proverbial kid in the candy store, so many goodies I'm having a very hard time in choosing just what I want.

Late last night when I was looking for what I was going to write about in to days blog. I checked in on Face Book, While looking over the writings I got this Idea of asking Valsetzers for ideas
to write about today. Jeff Wheeler suggested Valsetz rain. Well Jeff Valsetz Rain has it.

Valsetz folk's claims to have the distinction of being the nation's rain capital. Valsetz rain fall average is 140 inches per year while Dallas Oregon, only 26 miles east only gets 44inches.

What was living with this much rain like you ask? Maybe The Poem I composed a few years back will give you a little in site. ( I warned you Jeff )( referring to telling Jeff in choosing rain as subject he may suffer from me choosing the subject he chose)

A few years back added to the Valsetz web site (over 40 pages as of today) I added a new segment called, from the hearts of valsetz. In the directory you will find it as Valsetz Poems

http://www.valsetzoregon.com/valsetzhearts.html

This segment only had 202 visits since it's beginning.( kinda discouraging) this page contains Poems wrote by Valsetzers some that are no longer with us today.

My Poem goes like this:

IN A VALLEY WITH TREES SO GREEN WHERE THE WATER RUNS SO BLUE AND CLEAN.
THERE IS SMALL RIVER CALLED SILETZ, NEAR BY IS THE SMALL MILL TOWN CALLED VALSETZ. AFTER LIVING IN THIS SMALL TOWN, THE SECRETS OF IT BEING SO CLEAN AND GREEN WAS SOON FOUND.
THE SECRET BECAME SO VERY PLAIN, IT'S VALSETZ RAIN.
ON SPRING MORNINGS AS OF MANY DAYS OF THE YEAR, YOU AWOKE TO HEAR
THE PITTER PATTER OF RAIN AS IT DANCED UPON THE ROOF.
ALL DURING THE DAY YOU WOULD HEAR THE PITTER PATTER OF RAIN DANCING UPON THE ROOF.

AT NIGHT YOU MIGHT FALL OFF TO SLEEP TO THE PITTER PATTER OF RAIN DANCING UPON THE ROOF.
THAT VALSETZ RAIN COULD ALSO BE A PAIN IN THE BUTT, AS IT DANCED UPON THE ROOF.

From clippings of news papers in my stack I found

Webs on the feet of Valsetz residents must be cracking because of a relative"dry"year in the mountain community of only 148.23 inches of precipitation for 1956. That's only12.35 feet of water for the 12 months period.

November and December caught only17.46 inches in 1956 these months caught 69.48 inches.

This is more than in the year 1955 of only 129.48 inches of 1955 it is quite a bit less than the 168.11 inches that fell in 1950, and is 20.65 inches off of the record of 168.88 in 1937.

The heaviest rain of the 1956 year was on January 4 when Valsetz was deluged with 5.15 inches.

The first seven days of 1956 brought 14.63 inches, but that wasn't a week's record.

In the last week of October, 20.64 inches fell.This started October 25 getting 3.82 reaching its peak of 4.32 on October 28.

I must add this little bit from an 1957 news paper column: Young Teddy has been getting fan mail since the Associated Press carried his Valsetz 1956 Valsetz Rainfall story(it quoted Teddy)...A Los Angels reader wrote that he couldn't find Valsetz on the Map... A Texas man wondered if everbody in Oregon had drowned except the ducks...and an annonymous letter from Albany,N.Y., contained only three words... Obviously referring to 146 inched of rain Teddy measured in Valsetz last year, the letter said only "You'r a Liar."

I like rain only when I have the benefit from it,unlike my wife another Valsetzer who really enjoys the rain. I honestly believe Doris (my wife) was disappointed this year spending the week in Oregon, we had only about 30 minutes of rain mist. I believe it's the first year I'v been up to Oregon with out finding my self in a heavy rain storm.

As I was telling you Rain I like only when it benefits me.I love seeing the rain come down when I have a Honey do list requiring work out side or going to some out side function I'm not fond of , just love seeing it rain, when its time to water the lawn.

One thing that just drives me crazey is when, "It's raining," I'm telling Doris, It's raining out side. She never fails to say , "your from Valsetz, you played Football in big mud puddles, you didn't let rain stop you then, why now?" ( What can you say to that)

OOH those were the days, for those that never played Football on the Valsetz Football field
made of 100% dirt and the precipitation of October And November, ( see above the perception for these months) your talking about Boys happier than pigs in S#@$

Here is how I explain Oregon Rain after I become a resident of Reno, Nv : I thought I had a nice tan, , But Then I found out it was only rust.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF VALSETZ RAIN?
DO YOU LIKE THE RAIN?
Please leave your comments on comment section

FROM TRUST TO DISGUST IN 57 YEARS

2009-08-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

VALSETZ 1984

VALSETZ 2009

VISIT MY WEB SITE FOR HISTORY AND PICTURES

http://www.valsetzoregon.com/

As a small boy back in 1952 (bringing with me, my father,mother and younger brother ) moved to this small community of Valsetz located in a Valley of The Oregon coast range. This little town was entirely owned by a Lumber Mill. I'm talking General Store, Bowling Alley (wait until I tell you about the Bowing Alley ) Pool Hall, Theater, Schools, Church, and Employee's Homes

Today you will not find (at times this community supported as many as 1,200 people and more ) any community that believed in trust as they did

This trust I was raised with and believed in, may have bit me in the butt

I will explain further in coming paragraphs

As I tell you about this trusting community. ( try remember about your community back in your child and teen years then compare it to my community) During my years in this community I don't remember having locks on doors, let along my friends and I having keys to unlock doors to our homes.I do remember vacations, being them weekends or weeks. I also remember the big union strike this community endured for a few months.

Not one home was locked at any time, not a thing was removed from any one's house, even during the months family's were out of town picking crops to survive the strike .

These are the words from an old Valsetzer,( I'm now paraphrasing ) "NO one had locked doors,
you may come back home and find your booze missing, taken by the the neighbors. But the neighbors that took the booze brought you a replacement ." "There may be times you come home you find someone has been inside your house, and left fresh venison or Elk, ( for the ones not from Valsetz or a hunter, Venison is deer meat) in your freezer."

I remember of not one home invasion during my years in Valsetz, do you?

If you made a promise or was promised something, is was an automatic done deal!

As I remember all merchants in Oregon was trusted, I remember Valsetzers spent a lot of time and money in Lincoln City and still do.( I will connect the dots about my butt in my opening statements and Lincoln City a little further in the story)

Giving trust and believing in the News Media ,Government, & Politicians was at a very high rate

ABOVE WAS THE TRUST NOW FOR THE DISGUST

In my experience after leaving Valsetz in 1959, I have found, what to me has become a slow progressive distrust of anyone and ever thing. Today ever thing is locked or protected by (Even your body ) locks, services and your own pepper spray,stun guns,and fire arms

Have you noticed the tearing down of Religion and what there calling political correctness?
How low today's trust in state or federal government and all employees.

politicians are at its lowest trust in history & dropping fast

It is become as of late harder to find truth in newspaper and TV ads

Most Americans are becoming more disbelieving of daily news from major TV net works, cable stations & newspapers

This brings me to The Web sites on the Internet, (Please stay with me) I'm about to tie this all together,connect the dots & etc., "trust me" ( how many times have you heard these two words said and then abused) We are told you must be very very careful with who you deal with and what you do on the Internet. I of all people know this, after 10 years of Internet use, I forgot it

Now comes The meat of it, the big Finish,the climax (any way I will get on with it)

The Bite me in butt statement I referred to & connecting it to Lincoln City is due to the Time spent in Valsetz. This is not an excuse for my forgetting to be very careful of who you deal with on the Internet, but of how one's mind can revert back to way you was raised to make a decision because of things you trusted

As most of you know, if you read my other blogs, I just spent a week or so on the Oregon Coast before attending the 2009 Valsetz Reunion (you beginning to connect the dots?)

Since I returned home to Reno, NV I've been looking for the right Web Sites Host that might help with the finance support of the Valsetz Community Web Site

I chose this ESB Host to use & buy Domain Names from, with out checking it out completely.

I have never made a purchase in last 10 years over the Internet in this reckless manor.

I'm not a Head Shrink , but after replaying past events in my mind & asking myself why I did do such a stupid thing. I came to the following conclusions

I had just spent a day with people that was raised in the same elements as I, and believing in same trust as mine.

Along with my time spent visiting the same places along the Oregon Coast I had trusted for many years

I believe the trigger to my down fall was, this Vendors location was listed as in Lincoln City, Oregon

Did I connect the dots?

Who, What, How, & Why has the United States Americans turned the Trust of Americans into so many Disgusted Americans?

I now will turn your attention to (in my opinion)the Vendor who abused my trust and may have fleeced me of my time & cash ( I have not positive proof yet

Below are my reasons to believes I had been riped off by ESB Host.com

#1 No confirmation of purchase sent to me with any information of my purchase, tried to sign into my account on ESB Hoist.com, told they had no account record of e-mail address I was using

#2 Got billing from a company, (Thru Pay Pal) I had never heard of

#3 Only after contact with Pay Pal did I receive information ( Phone number & E-mail address)

#4 No return calls from ESB host after two days of Phone Calls left on their answer machine

#5 Emails I sent were answered evening of third day

In order to be fair to EsB Host, I will not print any Information I have received until investigation on ESB Host is completed

If it is found I was riped off their butts are mine, not for a small sum of $26.oo
but I will want ESB where they don't take any one else

Please post all your comments good or bad, on today's content!

I found this link I believe everyone of all ages will benefit from reading

http://www.seniormag.com/legal/internet-scams.htm

Dedication To A Friend

2009-08-11T05:20:00.000-07:00

Most Blogs today are about today, you will find most of mine to be about the yesteryear
If you read my first Blog, you found I"m not homeless, but Hometownless (new word?) After my home town was dozed and burned.

If you will check these links to pages of my website, http://www.valsetz.com/ they will give you back ground and insight into this Mill Town that Was Dozed and Burned that I will be blogging about http://valsetz.homestead.com/untitled8.html and Blogs wrote by Valsetzers http://valsetz.homestead.com/untitled14.html

If you become a follower of my blogs you will read pieces of history of a small Company Town ,about people of this small town and events that they shared.

When I decided to begin writing these Blogs my intentions were to write by
the seat of my pants.

When attending ( again I refer to first Blog ) Valsetz Reunion in Falls City Or.
I was given (to use) a life time collection of news paper articles and photos about this little town of Valsetz Oregon, and the people that made up this fine little comunity.

These items was given to me by the daughter (Teri Charest) of Jean Kaye Dively (Stallings)(Weaver), Jean and I had became good friends over the past years,whom I met at theValsetz Reunions

I'm sad to say "JEAN passed away June 19, 2007"
JEAN TOLD ME as others, I'm sure, " Her Final Resting Place Request was to be, scatterded in the Hills of Valsetz" Her Request has been granted.

In JEAN"S Honor, I Dedicate The Valsetz Blog .

Jean Kaye Dively (Stallings)
(Weaver)

THE DAM DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

2009-08-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

I just had to jump on the this one! I got so excited to share this with you that I just had to get it in print. This is not my writing, but a E-mail sent to me by a fellow Valsetzer. It's a story I believe to be true, even thou this supposely happend Dec. 2006. I believe it happend because of how a lot of our politicans & beauracats treat you & me today. They act as they have no commen sense,and if they had commen sense, don't how to use it! Read it for your- self then please make your comment!

This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries regarding a pond on his property. It was sent by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania This guy's response is hilarious, but read The State's letter before you get to the response letter.
State of Pennsylvania's letter to Mr. DeVries:
SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec 20; Lycoming County
Dear Mr. DeVries:
It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:
Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.
A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.
The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2007.
Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action.. We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.
Sincerely, David L. Price District Representative and Water Management Division.

The Dam pictures

Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries:
Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County
Dear Mr.Price,
Your certified letter dated 12/17/06 has been handed to me to respond to. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane , Trout Run, Pennsylvania .
A couple of beavers are in the (State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood 'debris' dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials 'debris.'
I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.

These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking. As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.
My first dam question to you is: (1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or (2) do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?
If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. (Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.)
I have several dam concerns. My first dam concern is, aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer.
The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names.
If you want the damed stream 'restored' to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.
In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).
So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2007? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice by then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them.
In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your dam step! The bears are not careful where they dump!
Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.
THANK YOU,
RYAN DEVRIES & THE DAM BEAVERS