News: Local | "Bay Area sea lions may have come to Oregon" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon

News: Local | "Bay Area sea lions may have come to Oregon" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon: "Hundreds of sea lions that abruptly blew out of San Francisco Bay’s Pier 39 last Thanksgiving apparently have found a new home at another tourist attraction — 500 miles north on the Oregon coast.

Thousands of California sea lions started showing up in December at Sea Lion Caves, a popular tourist draw because of the Stellar sea lions living in the caves."

Unclaimed money is owed to a million Oregonians | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal

Unclaimed money is owed to a million Oregonians | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal: "The state of Oregon is in possession of more than $360 million in financial assets and some of it could be yours, according to the State Treasurer's office.

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The money, which really belongs to more than 1 million people, has ended up in the state's possession because the rightful owners could not be located, said James Sinks, the spokesman for Treasurer Ben Westlund."

Scientists say dolphins should be treated as 'non-human persons' - Times Online

Scientists say dolphins should be treated as 'non-human persons' - Times Online: "Dolphins have been declared the world’s second most intelligent creatures after humans, with scientists suggesting they are so bright that they should be treated as “non-human persons”."

On Public Restrooms...

Last night the LVH CERT team held its first meeting of the year. I was surprised to hear the members ask why I hadn't written anything about our trip home from CA. Evidently, some find those essays to be humorous?

So, I started to tell them about a constant pet peeve I've noticed everywhere we travel. It got laughs so I am going to put it in today.

Somehow, there is an element of sadism across America these days that is taken out on travelers when they are at there most vulnerable position... hunkered down over a restroom toilet.

Oh yes, there have been made great strides in public restrooms since I was a kid. Take for instance the larger stalls that accommodate wheelchairs and those chrome handrails that can be a big help for old arthritic joints... Kudos to Americans for such thoughtfulness even if laws and ordinances had to be passed in order for them to become a reality.

But........

There is always a "but" isn't there? Buts tend to wipe out anything nice that was said before in a conversation like this and so it is now.

The toilet paper roll! Owners of public restrooms are either cruel or unconscious... maybe even cheap... It's hard to say..

Here you are, ensconced on the throne and it is time... well it's time to gather toilet paper to finish the job. Where is the roll? Oh! Here it is in a plastic container mounted upside down ... right here down between my ankle and knee???? You're going to need those handrails my friend as you try to coax toilet paper from the plastic, upside down, dispenser. You can't see the paper but if the oversized roll inside is big enough ..you can with use of the handrails, and a twisting action get the roll to spin and hopefully the tail of the roll will drop down enough that you can grab it. With this minor triumph in hand you must pull, ever so gently, straight down because the toilet paper is 1ply and will rip off if you so much as blink. This causes the toilet paper to twist and should you be successful in getting a piece you will have to straighten it out... Eventually, your piece of paper will break off due to to much pulling stress and that will be what you have. Now to go back a bit, should you start your pull of the paper in the dispenser at an angle instead of straight down you will have the convenience of having a serrated knife on the dispenser slice of an inch or two of paper for you.

My two knees which have been renamed, "Snap, Crackle and Pop", complain constantly about the above indignity for hours after the task is completed and my back which has been renamed, "Pain in the", isn't to happy about the situation either. My thought is that you should carry a roll of T-paper with you into any public restroom or be prepared for a gymnastic struggle with the toilet paper dispenser.

Competition brings deals to online shopping websites on clarkhoward.com

Competition brings deals to online shopping websites on clarkhoward.com: "The Wall Street Journal lists the Big Three online merchandising sites as Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and Ebay.com. In their testing, they found the best overall shopping experience was to be had on Amazon. Ebay came in second, featuring cheaper prices overall. Walmart lagged behind, with a far inferior user experience."

People in 541 area code will need to dial 10 digits | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal

People in 541 area code will need to dial 10 digits | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal: "Starting Jan. 10 in much of Oregon that uses a 541 area code, every phone call we make, even to someone on the other side of the street, will require that we dial a full 10 digits, instead of the seven needed now."

News... Follow in a new way

I am a news junky. If you want to see how viewing news a new way developed by the New York Times and Google makes a giant leap forward watch the below article on U-tube. Then click the above link and set it up for yourself. Be informed about what you are talking about...Give it a trial run.

News: Local | "Law helps place automated electronic defibrillators" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon

News: Local | "Law helps place automated electronic defibrillators" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon: "Now another life-saving device — automated electronic defibrillators, or AEDs — are starting to gain traction as a standard feature of any building where large numbers of people congregate. And a new state law that takes effect today is expected to accelerate that trend. The law requires owners of buildings that are at least 50,000 square feet, and where at least 25 people congregate, to have an AED on the premises."

Starting today, you can't just trash that old TV or monitor | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal

Starting today, you can't just trash that old TV or monitor | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal: "Residents who toss TVs, computers or monitors in the trash could draw more than disapproving looks from environmentalists. As of today, it's illegal in Oregon and could mean a $500 fine.

Oregon joins 11 other states and New York City with laws banning the disposal of certain electronics."

Ron & Ryan's Excellent trolley adventure.

For years I have wanted to ride the trolley that runs down the way from my daughter's house. So this morning grandson Ryan and I took the trolley all over the place. We were going to just go a short way and come home later. 4 hours later and a transfer to the wrong train we found ourselves in Milpitas quite away from where we were supposed to be. The train kept going somewhere else instead of where I wanted it to go.

When we bought our tickets from a machine at the station it said it would take a twenty dollar bill and make change. Tickets cost $15. I figured it would give me 3 $5's but it tarted spitting out quarters like a Casino Machine. Didn't seem like enough quarters though... Turns out to be $1 coins.. Then I spent the rest of time hiking my pants up as the dollars would drag them down.

Jolly Man in Red Makes Apparent Emergency Landing on Oregon Beach

Jolly Man in Red Makes Apparent Emergency Landing on Oregon Beach

Ron & Jacky in San Jose

We arrived at our daughters home today... Let the festivities begin.

On the way here we saw 3 elk herds... One near Prairie Creek in California another outside of Eureka and a monster herd south of Laytonville. It was chilly on the way down but no snow. Today was clear and sunny all the way to San Jose. On the way out of Eureka today we saw a big hairy cow. I saw a Gnu at a Tokyo zoo when I was in the service and this looked like one of those. It could of been a Yak maybe.

Part of my fun when going this way is to watch Jacky try to navigate the traffic circle at the off ramp in Arcata. It's been there for years and she has been in it dozens of times but will always choose the wrong way to go and then panic, crying out, "Which way? Which way?" It's one of my favorite rituals. :)

Weight Watchers bit the dust when we walked in the door... Oh well, there's next year.

While driving through the city we saw a funny thing at stop lights ... There would be maybe 20 cars when we stopped at a light and not once did we see more than 2 of them to be American cars and we were one of them.

Before leaving home I saw Marlene Crites at the mailroom and her car had broken a timing belt which blew her engine apart. She is looking at a $4500 repair job on a car which is worth about $1500... and that she owes about that much on. Anybody got any ideas that would help her?

Well that's all for now... Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a little sunshine...perhaps a cupa cheer too.

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Sent in by Jim Dodds...
As seen on CNN

Oregon Law relating to the right of first refusal

Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 90.760, 90.800, 90.8010, 90.815, 90.820, 316.791

When is notice required? The owner of the community must provide written notice when all or any portion of the community is subject to a listing agreement, and also within ten days of receipt of an offer that the owner intends to consider.

When must the owner provide the notice? The owner must notify the tenants’ association or facility purchase association (a group of three or more tenants who reside in a community and have organized for the purpose of eventual purchase of the community) within 10 days of any written offer he receives to purchase the facility, which he intends to consider; or any listing agreement entered into to sell the community. Notice must be mailed.

To Whom? The owner must provide written notice to no more than three people or addresses within the tenants’ association and the facility purchase association.

Will notice be provided automatically? No. The tenants’ association (or a facility purchase association) must give written notice to the owner requesting notice if all or a portion of the community is put up for sale. The statute can be interpreted, however, to require the owner to give the tenant association or facility purchase association notice of an offer to purchase the community even if the association has not sent this notice to the owner.

Do residents have a right of first refusal? No. They are entitled to notice. Within 14 days of delivery of the notice, the tenants’ or facility purchase association must notify the community owner that it is interested in purchasing the community. The owner is then obligated to negotiate with the tenants’ or facility purchase association in good faith and provide the association with the same opportunity that a bona fide third party would have to purchase the community.

Any exceptions to the requirements? Yes, notice is not required for any sale or transfer to: (1) the owner’s heirs; (2) by gift, devise or operation of law; (3) by a corporation to an affiliate; (4) by a partnership to a partner; (5) conveyance of interest incidental to financing; (6) any conveyance resulting from foreclosure of the mortgage or deed of trust; (7) between or among joint tenants or tenants in common; (8) exchange of the community for other real estate; and (9) under eminent domain.

Is there a tax incentive? Yes. Proceeds from the sale of a community to a tenants’ or facility purchase association, a tenants’ association supported nonprofit, a CDC, or a housing authority are exempt from taxation. This is a temporary provision, originally applying to tax years 2006 and 2007, but extended in 2007 to apply to tax years beginning 2006 through 2013.

Penalty: None specified

another interesting link regarding financing of a park....

http://www.oregon.gov/OHCS/HFS_Mobile_Home_Parks_Purchase_Program.shtml

Art Beat | Weekly Poem: 'From Here to There' | Online NewsHour | PBS

click the link for more...

Art Beat |
Weekly Poem: 'From Here to There' | Online NewsHour | PBS: "There are those great winds on a tear
Over the Great Plains,
Bending the grasses all the way
Down to the roots
And the grasses revealing
A gracefulness in the wind's fury
You would not otherwise
Have suspected there."