LED Trafic lights can't melt snow and ice

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.