THAT WAS MY DAD

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

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

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

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

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

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.