LVH CERT NEWS:
pictures by Ed Simon


This has been a hallmark week for the LVH CERT team. On Wednesday Greg Pfalmer brought his motorhome to the clubhouse where the entire team participated in a hands on training session. We are confident that every team member can hook up and start the generator and knows all of the safety features and where the circuit breakers and GFI reset buttons are. The unit is capable of 6500watts or 65 amps. This was explained and how not to overload the generator.

We have one more person in the park offering the use of a portable generator and we will be getting with him soon to learn the "how to" on that unit. Meanwhile Greg has made his unit available whenever it is in the park.

Greg Pfalmer's motorhome with the generator enclosure open.

The LVH CERT Team inspects the generator control s.

Generator control.

Greg educates the team on what to do to turn on the generator.

Greg says, "This is the Fuel Primer".

Here we see which control does which job.

Six minutes after the generator starts you have power on this outside outlet unless the GFI is tripped inside next to the shower.

Here is the circuit breaker inside ..underneath the bed.

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.'"

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it.'"

Surfing For Surgery, Online Comparison Shopping Is Helping Some Patients To Save On The Cost Of Medical Procedures - CBS News

Surfing For Surgery, Online Comparison Shopping Is Helping Some Patients To Save On The Cost Of Medical Procedures - CBS News: "Like millions of Americans, Gary Garcia is shopping online, CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews reports. But he's not on eBay or Amazon.com. Garcia needs a new heart valve, and he's shopping for surgery.

Using a Web site called Health Grades.com, Garcia learns which nearby hospital is the best at heart surgery — and then, to his amazement, he gets an estimated breakdown of the costs. He gets the list price for his operation, the discounted price his insurance will pay and his estimated co-payment. "

CHARLES BURKE... from an email

Just a few lines to let you know that Charles was not operated on yesterday 11/06/06, he became very sick the night before his operation and now he is at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene with double pneumonia. Charles had a high fever of 102.5,with chills and was very disoriented. Today he is in good spirits and is resting comfortably. He should be discharged on Sat if all goes well.

Frida

Ben Davi

Ben was taken to the hospital last night at 9:30pm by ambulance and returned home at 1:30am He had some chest discomfort but was ok'd to come home when he felt better.

SUNSET FROM LVH

If you're Baking stuff...

Think about the wonderful Fire Dept and volunteers that show up here to lend a helping hand everytime one of us is in trouble. You might think about the Pacific Ambulance Service too. A few cookies dropped off at the station just to say thankyou for being there might be a nice gesture.

CHRISTMAS WREATH OR ARRANGEMENT

MONDAY DECEMBER 11 @ 1PM AT THE CLUBHOUSE

$4 SUPPLY CHARGE

SUPPLIES NEEDED TO BRING
CONTAINER FOR ARRG OR METAL WREATH FORM(DOLLAR STORE HAS THEM). THIS WREATH SHOULD HAVE THE GREEN BULLPINE ON IT
WIRE CUTTERS
HAND CLIPPERS
HOLIDAY PIKS (TO DECORATE YOUR ITEM)

RON WILL CUT THE FOREST DOWN SO THE GREENS WILL BE FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS COULD TAKE A COUPLE OF HOURS SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO BRING A SALTY OR SWEET SNACK TO SHARE.. COME JINGLE AND MINGLE.......
JACKY THOMAS

ART CLASS

TINA HAINES IS HAVING A GREAT ART CLASS MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY--DECEMBER 11,12, AND 13 AT 6PM (ALL THREE DAYS). $5.00 PER CLASS. ...WE WILL BE DRAWING ALL SORTS OF CHRISTMAS ITEMS AND ON THE THIRD NIGHT WE WILL DO A LARGE NATIVITY SCENE.. SOUNDS FUN.. PLEASE COME AND JOIN US AND COLOR... TIS THE SEASON ...EACH CLASS WILL BE 1 1/2 HOURS.....
JACKY THOMAS

We've heard....

That Jack Mitchel was taken by ambulance to the hospital on Tuesday night.. Anyone know how he is doing?

That Charles Burke went for more back surgery... anyone know how he is doing?

The drive around the park at night is fun looking at the Christmas Lights.

The Rose's will be headed home on the 16th

Some folks would like some computer classes (about what?)

Midge Southwell is enjoying her stay in Arizona.

CERT team will be doing Radio tests Friday with our HAM radio operator.

Speaking on Scan USA

Yesterday we were at the clubhouse to register those that would like to have a tsunami warning and many others sent to their cell phones or email by the innovative warning system introduced by AT&T in partnership with government and law enforcement agencies. We had only one.

Those of us who watched the chaos that is still New Orleans and South East Asia tsunami are determined not to let it happen here by preparing our communities. What we ask of you is so minor.

The warning comes to you immeadiately after it is issued.

Please consider getting this free service it could save your life. We found the registering process to be a bit difficult for those not skilled in computer gobbley-gook. So here is what we can do for you if you would like the service.

• 1st, you only need a cell phone or an internet email address to register.
• Secondly, give us your internet email address and or cell phone # and the cell phone provider eg., Verizon.
• That's it we will have you registered in a jiffy.
• Or go to ScanUSA on the internet and register yourself CLICK HERE.
• If we do it for you email the information to ..CLICK HERE
  

A Serious Use For Silly String, One Of Many Innovations By U.S. Troops In Iraq - CBS News

A Serious Use For Silly String, One Of Many Innovations By U.S. Troops In Iraq - CBS News: "In an age of multimillion-dollar high-tech weapons systems, sometimes it's the simplest ideas that can save lives. That's why a New Jersey mother is organizing a drive to send cans of Silly String to Iraq.

American troops use the stuff to detect trip wires around bombs, as Marcelle Shriver learned from her son, a soldier in Iraq.

Before entering a building, troops squirt the plastic goo, which can shoot strands about 10 to 12 feet, across the room. If it falls to the ground, no trip wires. If it hangs in the air, they know they have a problem. The wires are otherwise nearly invisible. "

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous - everyone hasn't met me yet.'"

Newport the Center of Whale Watch Tourism on Oregon Coast

Newport the Center of Whale Watch Tourism on Oregon Coast: "Newport, Oregon) – You could say, “Seein’ is Baleen in Newport” these days.

It’s no fluke that Oregon State Parks schedules its annual Winter Whale Watch for the week after Christmas. This year it’s set for Dec. 26, 2006, to Jan. 1, 2007 - a week when both gray whales and the people who love them are on the move. For these seven days, volunteers will be stationed at overlooks and parks all over the central coast, helping both children and adults learn about gray whales and how to spot them in the ocean."

State Government - StatesmanJournal.com

State Government - StatesmanJournal.com: "Oregonians with no prescription plan may enroll in new program

About 600,000 residents eligible for pool created by Measure 44

BY SARAH SKIDMORE
The Associated Press

December 7, 2006

PORTLAND -- Beginning today, thousands of Oregonians who do not have prescription-drug coverage will be able to enroll in a purchasing pool to buy medicine at a discounted price.

The expansion of the Oregon Prescription Drug Program is a result of Measure 44, which voters overwhelmingly passed in November. According to the state, the pool offers savings of as much as 60 percent on medicine for an estimated 600,000 uninsured residents of Oregon."

Barb Dudley Tries her hand at Blogging !!!

Visit Barb's website and watch it grow. There is a new link on the left. I put a star by it so you can find it fast. Make sure to leave some words of encouragement in her comments. RT

Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: Offerings to a Stone Snake Provide the Earliest Evidence of Religion -- 70,000-year-old African ritua

Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: Offerings to a Stone Snake Provide the Earliest Evidence of Religion -- 70,000-year-old African ritual practices linked to mythology of modern Botswanans: "Offerings to a Stone Snake Provide the Earliest Evidence of Religion
70,000-year-old African ritual practices linked to mythology of modern Botswanans
E-mail ArticleE-mail Print ViewPrint LinkLink RSSRSS del.icio.usdel.icio.us digg reddit
Science Image: rock
Image: SHEILA COULSON
SSSTONE SSSNAKE: An elongated rock, carved to enhance its resemblance to a snake, offers evidence of ritualistic or religious behavior 70,000 years ago in Africa.
The discovery of carvings on a snake-shaped rock along with 70,000-year-old spearheads nearby has dramatically pushed back the earliest evidence for ritual behavior, or what could be called religion. The finding, which researchers have yet to formally publish, comes from a cave hidden in the Tsodilo Hills of Botswana, a mecca of sorts for the local people, who call it the Mountain of the Gods."

Salesman donates million-mile car to museum - CNN.com

Salesman donates million-mile car to museum - CNN.com: "MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- As a traveling salesman, Peter Gilbert has put a few miles on his car -- 1,001,385 miles, to be precise.

It took the Glendale man 17 years to cross the million-mile mark with his 1989 Saab 900 SPG. He recently donated the durable vehicle to the Wisconsin Automotive Museum after Saab verified the mileage."

CORKS

At the Fall Dinner someone mentioned they collected corks. We can't remember who said they wanted them but Jim Hart has some corks to go to a good home. Just give Jim a call.

leave home dog

Just for Fun

Funny Commercial

When Is a Fish Like a Carrot? - New York Times

When Is a Fish Like a Carrot? - New York Times: "A wild carrot, to most people, is barely a carrot, but the flower called Queen Anne’s lace."

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'Her virtue was that she said what she thought, her vice that what she thought didn't amount to much.'"

Bill Bradbury - A Better Way to Vote - washingtonpost.com

Bill Bradbury - A Better Way to Vote - washingtonpost.com: "A Better Way to Vote

By Bill Bradbury
Sunday, November 19, 2006; Page B07

SALEM, Ore. -- This month, as controversies emerged in other parts of the country over polling place problems and malfunctioning touch-screen machines, we here in Oregon prepared to swear in a new crop of elected officials with nary a question about the legitimacy of the count or the functioning of our electoral process. We accomplished this with a turnout on Nov. 7 that was, once again, among the highest in the nation. How? With Vote by Mail.

One episode that highlights its success occurred in Tillamook County, where 13 inches of rain on Election Day sent many citizens scrambling to the safety of shelters under a declared state of emergency. Despite the fact that many roads were impassable and parts of the county were inaccessible -- conditions that would have crippled turnout in a state that relied on conventional polling places -- 70 percent of the voters cast ballots. Only voting by mail could have led to this outcome.

Voting by mail was launched statewide through a people's initiative in 1998, which passed by a 70 to 30 percent margin. Every registered voter receives a paper ballot in the weeks before Election Day. The ballot can be either mailed back or dropped off at one of a number of secure sites statewide.

The system has proven to be fraud-free. Oregon is one of only two states in the nation to verify every single voter signature against the signature on that voter's registration card. Our process is transparent and open to observation. "

How to Fold a Shirt

You won't beleive this RT

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things.'"

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties.'"

2006 Christmas Tree Decorating Party..

 

Adopt a Family...

In the past was founded and spearheaded by Marlene Crites who has been the driving force behind arranging for our adopted families and seeing that they receive the gifts in such a manner as not to be seen as charity. Her perception and kindness have been translated into a lot of hard work in the past. Jim and Bonnie Rose were her special elves sharing the work in the background.

Now she has passed this tradition onto Barb Dudley and Ginger Dale. Why Marlene has bowed out as the leader of this event is simple... She has found new interests to devote her attention to and realizes she cannot do a great job on a lot of things and so has chosen to focus on her latest projects.

Marlene is concentrating on her position of Team member on the Longviewhills CERT TEAM (Community Emergency Rescue Team) and to reforming the Neighborhood Watch program. At times these new duties can be overwhelming and so she chose to become an advisor to Barb and Ginger who are our new Adopt a Family committee.

Personally, I would like to thank Marlene for all she does for our residents and to add to Ginger and Barb to call on me if you need help.

THE CERT TEAM WILL HELP INSTALL A HIGH TECH WARNING SYSTEM ON YOUR CELL PHONE OR YOUR COMPUTER!!!

http://www.scanusa.com/

SCAN USA... SAFE COMMUNITY ALERT NETWORK. Presented by AT&T

Some of you have seen the poster on the bulletin board. Above is the link to where you can sign up. Here is how it works...

AT&T and government and private partners are providing this as a free service to Americans all over the country. They will call your cell phone or send you an email immediately when an alert is posted on a local or national network. You select the alerts you want to be notified about and assign each one whether it is a cell ph alert or an email alert or both..

Personally, I have signed up for alerts pertinent to Lincoln County but if you have a relative you are watching after anywhere in the states you can sign up for that too by zip code.

We will list the alerts you can have momentarily but we would like to take a minute and explain one type of alert to you.

Tsunami.... This alert is very important to us here on the coast. Within minutes of an alert being generated you can have this one sent to your Cell Phone and to your computer. Now that will cover a lot of time for a lot of us. However, it is missing one ingredient.. What about the time when we are sleeping at Oh dark thirty? CERT team members are going to set up a duty roster on which 2 members at a time keep their Cell phones on 24/7 and by their beds just to cover this eventuality. We will sound the alarm if you are asleep.

We think this is a vital way to look after the community’s well being. All the other alerts we would like to have we are having sent to our individual email. Tsunami, though is one you need to have on your cell phone. If your neighbor doesn’t have a cell phone make a deal with them to inform them of a tsunami alarm.

Alert Type:

• Health Advisory
• Sexual Predator Alert
  
• Environmental Alert
• Neighborhood Crime Alert
  
• Weather Alert
• Public Safety
  
• Cyber Alert
• Neighborhood Announcement
  
• Amber Alert
• Local Emergency Alert
  
• Consumer Fraud Alert
• Homeland Security Alert
  
• Consumer Information
• Fire
  
• School Emergency
• Traffic EmergencyAlert
  
• Tsunami Alert
• FDA Recall Alert
  

You can set up one or all of the above alerts. You can have them sent to your cell or computer or both.

Now we know that some don't have a computer... You don't need one if you have a cell phone. We also know that enrolling in programs such as this are mindboggling for some of you. You simply have a hard time with the computer...

So, CERT (we) will enroll you if you have a computer. Here is what we can do. You can send us your name and email address and what alerts you want from the above list and tell us whether you want them sent to your cell phone, email or both. We will go online and register you. When we are done SCAN USA will send you an email saying you are registered and to visit their site to confirm you are the right person. We will give you a password so that you can do that.

From then on you are on your own.. Change your password if you like, add or drop alerts or cancel out of the service.

I just read the December "View From The Hill". I am sure everyone will agree with me that we have a real find in Charley Currey. He is witty, intelligent and charming and will definitely be a great addition to Longview Hills. I am just wondering if Bentley should have had his name included on the front page . . . Welcome, Charley, and thanks.

TO ALL LVH RESIDENTS

We all have the opportunity to make Christmas extra special for some deserving people. We are initiating the “Adopt a Family” program again this year, and those who would like to participate may do so.

Take a look at the large poster in the clubhouse. There are a number of “ornaments” on the tree. Each has the name, age and request of a recipient. Please take one or more ornaments and purchase the gift(s). If it is difficult for you to get out and shop, you may make a cash donation. Place your cash or check (payable to LVH Social Club) and write “Adopt a Family” in the memo area. Place in a sealed envelope and drop into the safe Social Club slot under the personal cubby holes.

There will be a box marked “Adopt a Family Gifts.” Place your wrapped gift, with the first name of the recipient attached, into the box. It will be emptied daily by someone on this committee. All gifts will be delivered to the family in need, before Christmas. From all of us . . . thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity. Happy Holidays!

L.A. Auto Show Highlights 'Green' Designs, Automakers Display Commitment To Fuel-Efficient, Environmentally Friendly Vehicles - CBS News

L.A. Auto Show Highlights 'Green' Designs, Automakers Display Commitment To Fuel-Efficient, Environmentally Friendly Vehicles - CBS News: "Friday's opening of the international Los Angeles Auto Show will feature the usual leggy models draped across carnauba-waxed chassis. It will showcase the usual engine housings, gleaming under spotlights, and futuristic dashboards twinkling like front-yard Christmas displays. "

News - StatesmanJournal.com

News - StatesmanJournal.com: "Landmark eatery at the coast burns

CAPI LYNN
Statesman Journal

December 1, 2006

Salem residents were heartsick Thursday to learn that one of their favorite coastal destinations had been destroyed by fire.

The Dory Cove Restaurant, a landmark just north of Lincoln City, was gutted by a two-alarm blaze Wednesday night."

Puffing on Polonium - New York Times

Puffing on Polonium - New York Times: "uffing on Polonium

WHEN the former K.G.B. agent Alexander V. Litvinenko was found to have been poisoned by radioactive polonium 210 last week, there was one group that must have been particularly horrified: the tobacco industry.

The industry has been aware at least since the 1960s that cigarettes contain significant levels of polonium. Exactly how it gets into tobacco is not entirely understood, but uranium “daughter products” naturally present in soils seem to be selectively absorbed by the tobacco plant, where they decay into radioactive polonium. High-phosphate fertilizers may worsen the problem, since uranium tends to associate with phosphates. In 1975, Philip Morris scientists wondered whether the secret to tobacco growers’ longevity in the Caucasus might be that farmers there avoided phosphate fertilizers."

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.'"

Crying doll gives teen parenting, driving lesson - CNN.com

Crying doll gives teen parenting, driving lesson - CNN.com: "he perils of parenting apparently can be discovered through a classroom project.

A startled 17-year-old girl swerved her car into a freeway guardrail and slammed into a pickup truck after the realistic-sounding baby doll in her care suddenly began to cry.

The teenager had just picked up the doll as part of a school project on responsible parenting minutes before the accident occurred Tuesday on I-580, said Steve Creel, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol."

Rose's new granddaughter and grandsons

















1










2
















<==== The one in the striped shirt is Bonnie


3

Not-So-Glamorous Conservation Works Best, Little Things Like Fluorescent Bulbs And Efficient Appliances Can Make A Big Difference - CBS News

Not-So-Glamorous Conservation Works Best, Little Things Like Fluorescent Bulbs And Efficient Appliances Can Make A Big Difference - CBS News: "When high school science teacher Ray Janke bought a home in Chicopee, Mass., he decided to see how much he could save on his electric bill.

He exchanged incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents, put switches and surge protectors on his electronic equipment to reduce the 'phantom load' — the trickle consumption even when electronic equipment is off — and bought energy-efficient appliances.

Two things happened: He saw a two-thirds reduction in his electric bill, and he found himself under audit by Mass Electric. The company thought he'd tampered with his meter. 'They couldn't believe I was using so little,' he says. "

SPONSOR AN ANIMAL:

Central Coast Humane Society publishes an ad with pictures of dogs and cats up for adoption in the Newport News Times monthly. We are in need of sponsors to keep this program going. The cost is $20.00 per animal and the ad will run monthly on a Friday. Your name or organization will be printed under the picture of the animal as the sponsor.

If you have an interest in this worthwhile project please contact Lee Smith at lee015@centurytel.net

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Ancient 'Jaws' had monster bite: "Ancient 'Jaws' had monster bite
Dunkleosteus terrelli Image: Field Museum, Chicago
The fish would have been a formidable predator
A prehistoric 'Jaws' that roamed the seas 400 million years ago had the most powerful bite of any living fish.

The extinct creature, Dunkleosteus terrelli, could bring its jaws together with a remarkable force of 5,000 Newtons (1,100lbs-force).

This performance surpasses all known fishes, including today's great white shark, and puts it up with some of the most powerful bites in all animals.

Details appear in the UK Royal Society journal Biology Letters"

Probe's close-up of Sun eruption
Eruption (NAOJ)
Hinode captured an eruption around a sunspot near the Sun's limb

Japanese scientists have expressed their delight at the performance of the Hinode spacecraft which was sent into orbit in September to study the Sun.

The probe has returned remarkable close-up images of solar features that researchers hope will yield valuable new insights into the star's activity.

Hinode's primary goal is to investigate solar flares, colossal explosions that occur in the Sun's atmosphere.

The platform was built with the assistance of UK/US research teams.

Dallas, Oregon today

In an email from Wayne Hill....

Also, I need to dispose of an old pc. I have a 17" monitor that works great and a keyboard and mouse if you know anyone that is interested. I could use some ideas on disposing of the computer.

Thanks,
Wayne

Mount St. Helens's "Drumbeat" Quakes Caused by Stuck Plug?

Mount St. Helens's "Drumbeat" Quakes Caused by Stuck Plug?: "Mount St. Helens's 'Drumbeat' Quakes Caused by Stuck Plug?
Richard A. Lovett
for National Geographic News
November 22, 2006

The current eruption of Washington State's Mount St. Helens, which began about two years ago, has been marked by a series of weak, shallow earthquakes, or 'drumbeats,' that occur every couple of minutes, a new study says."

BBC NEWS | Health | Face transplant woman can smile

BBC NEWS | Health | Face transplant woman can smile: "Face transplant woman can smile

The results of the operation have been dramatic

The recipient of the first partial face transplant has recovered so well she can go out without people noticing her scars, her surgeon has said.

Isabelle Dinoire, from Amiens, France, received the graft from a brain-dead donor after being mauled by her dog."

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "We worry too much about overhyped threats, and ignore the things that really put us at risk"

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?'

"

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.'"

Phishing attacks now using phone calls - USATODAY.com

Phishing attacks now using phone calls - USATODAY.com: "Phishing attacks now using phone calls
Posted 11/26/2006 10:54 PM ET E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions | Subscribe to stories like this Subscribe to stories like this
By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — And consumers thought they were safe by not clicking on links in unsolicited e-mails.

Now comes a new batch of phishing scams that rely on an old tool — the phone — to trick people into giving away their personal information.

Vishing — short for voice phishing — is one of the latest iterations of phishing, a long-running e-mail scam that instructs recipients to click a link in the e-mail to confirm data such as their Social Security number and credit card number. But the link is really connected to a bogus website where the data are stolen."

HEY LVH RESIDENTS ARE YOU BORED, LOOKING FOR A WORTHWHILE HOBBY? CAN YOU KNIT OR CROQUET?

LINCOLN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER IS ALWAYS IN NEED OF SMALL CROQUETED OR KNITTED PADS APPROXIMATELY 12x20” FOR THE CAT CAGES. IF YOU HAVE EXTRA YARN, TIME ON YOUR HANDS AND NEED A HOBBY FOR THESE WINTER MONTHS I KNOW LOTS OF FURRY FRIENDS THAT WILL APPRECIATE YOUR HELP.

WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED EITHER DROP OFF AT LINCOLN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER OR CALL ME AND I WILL PICK UP. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR HOMELESS ANIMALS

DONNA
265-5530

FOR SALE:
AUTOMATIC LIFT CHAIR:

EXCELLENT CONDITION - PAID $900.00 IN JULY 2006 SELL FOR $350.00 OR BEST OFFER CALL JACKI AT 265-7405

Arctic Gull Recorded in Southern Calif., Bird Watchers Abuzz After Arctic Gull Spotted in Calif., Far Farther South Than Ever Before - CBS News

Arctic Gull Recorded in Southern Calif., Bird Watchers Abuzz After Arctic Gull Spotted in Calif., Far Farther South Than Ever Before - CBS News: "Arctic Gull Recorded in Southern Calif.
Bird watchers abuzz after arctic gull spotted in Calif., far farther south than ever before

CALIPATRIA, Calif., Nov. 24, 2006
(AP) A small white gull with an ordinary name had bird watchers flocking to the Salton Sea for what they call a 'mega-rarity.'"

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'Laughter is the closest distance between two people.'"

Sensing You’re Too Drunk to Drive - New York Times

Sensing You’re Too Drunk to Drive - New York Times: "Sensing You’re Too Drunk to Drive

There aren’t many social problems that can be solved with a “technical fix,” but drunken driving may be one of the most amenable. Technologies that are already in limited use can lock the ignitions of cars whose drivers have high alcohol levels in their breath, thus preventing them from turning their vehicles into lethal unguided weapons."

Photo Gallery: Ancient Structures & Ruins

Enter this webpage and enjoy the beauty of our ancient relatives.

Photo Gallery: Ancient Structures & Ruins: "Here are the photos I have classified as Ancient Structures & Ruins. Please keep in mind that most photos are certainly likely to fall under more than one subject, but for the sake of simplicity I have tried to choose the category which I think best suits the image."

A NEED FOR TOWELS

From a phone conversation with Sue Wilson...

Sue called and wanted me to put an ad on the website. You know the Wilsons and Simons are involved in the capture and nurturing of wild birds that have become injured. Seems that in the course of their work they have used up a lot of towels...

Towels you say? Yep.. They get the birds stablized, put then in a box lined with a nice warm towel and a bottle of water then send them off to Astoria to be helped by a vet and then after they are recovered back into the wild they go.

A while back you saw them releasing a bald eagle back into the forest after her broken wing healed from pictures here on the web page.

The Wilsons would appreciate any used towels that you were planning on recycling for this good purpose. Sue said she really does not want dirty towels if you take my meaning. I already tried to get her to launder our towels and return them but her response was less than enthusiastic.

She pointed out that some of these animals have sharp beaks and the towel can help there too. I never saw a beak sharpening towel but if you have one the birds and the Wilsons would appreciate your donation.

Give them a call.

Thanksgiving @ LVH

Where friends and neighbors gathered to share a traditional meal and a bit of socializing. If you missed it you missed a good one. There was, as usual more than could be consumed. A wonderful bounty. For those who wish to be with good company on one of the best holidays.. You can't beat it. The large screen TV had football on and you knew from the moment you arrived you were home. (clicking on a picture will enlarge it)

Quick Change Artists on America's Got Talent

lion sleep tonight

"HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL"

The Burkes, Frida and Charles would like to send our wishes to your home for a Very Blessed Thanksgiving Holiday. May you be thankful for what you have.. Have a great day!

Best to all.............Frida and Charles Burke

Jim Dodds shares pictures of their new home.

Here we are on a trip to Jim Dodds' new home in Wyoming. For a real treat click on the picture to enlarge it and then again to get a terrific veiw.



The view from Jim Dodds' Front Door


And then the back door

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'Against logic there is no armor like ignorance.'"

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.'"

Golden Retriever

I've seen it before but this just bears watching again.

Rob Thomas our county Assesor emailed this to me today and asked that I pass it along. I think it is good that he sees us as a community to care about... Thanks Rob.

Dear Oregon County Tax Assessor:

The Oregon Department of Revenue recommended that I contact county tax assessor offices directly in order to assist in Social Security's efforts to reach Medicare recipients with limited income.

These individuals -- or those that help them -- may be visiting your offices to apply for Oregon's property tax and/or special assessment deferral programs. Likewise, Social Security offers a financial assistance program, Extra Help, for those aged and disabled people with Medicare who meet certain income and asset criteria. This help can cover much of the cost associated with Medicare's new Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D) insurance.

In cooperation with Oregon's Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) workers, Social Security employees are working to disseminate information about this important FREE assistance. The following two (2) brochures explain Extra Help and the contacts available to assist Oregon residents statewide:

Extra Help: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10124.pdf

Oregon SHIBA contacts: http://www.oregonshiba.org/DCBS/SHIBA/docs/sponsors_broch.pdf

Social Security and Oregon SHIBA would like to provide for your offices a supply of each printed brochure. As seniors and the disabled must apply for tax deferral programs during certain periods, those with Medicare may only enroll in Prescription Drug Coverage during fixed dates. An individual may apply for Extra Help at anytime.

Please consider displaying these important brochures in your county tax offices. Simply reply with the quantity of each that you would like, and provide me a mailing address. Additional program information can be found at the following agency websites:

Social Security: http://www.ssa.gov/medicareoutreach2/index.htm
Oregon SHIBA: http://www.oregonshiba.org/

Thank you for your consideration and assistance in spreading this vital assistance program information. I look forward to your prompt responses!

Alan Edwards
Public Affairs Specialist
Social Security Administration
tel: (503) 760-8402 x 1-262
fax: (503) 761-3761
alan.edwards@ssa.gov

Ron & Jacky....

Having escaped from California earlier in the morning are now home free. They did not pass GO and did not collect $200 but they did go and spend $200.

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'My husband gave me a necklace. It's fake. I requested fake. Maybe I'm paranoid, but in this day and age, I don't want something around my neck that's worth more than my head.'"

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong.'"

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong.'"

DIVERSITY

When you read this website you see Ron Thomas' personality. You see what I am interested in. Recently Jacky said you need to get back to reporting what's going on in the community. My retort is that is what is interesting to you.. Why don't you write that?

Donna Talarski writes about what interests her. Abused animals and frauds and other things.
Barb Dudley wrote some travel logs that everyone enjoyed.
Kathy Furgason used to write humorous stuff.
Charles Burke regaled you with pictures.
Jim McCrea wrote about a lot of stuff.

This was not meant to be the Ron Thomas show. All of you, including grandchildren and children are welcome to write here. The more people that write the more you will like stopping by and reading. The daily commitment to get something posted on the website is mine alone and to make it easier on myself I do write and post articles about what interests me.. How else could you do it?

If you want to write an occasional thing or if you want to post pictures you are welcome. Writing is easy. I send you an email address... when you email what you have written to that address it will publish your article right on the website, automatically. Write as often as you like, when you feel like it. Pictures are different and there are 2 ways to go to do that. You can learn a little how to from me which I am willing to share with you (Ask Barb Dudley or Charles Burke or Donna Talarski how easy it is).

The second way to submit pictures is to email them to me with an explanation of what they are and I will get them on when I have time. To email any of the people that write on this page just click on their names at the top of the links column on the left side of the website.

Caveats:
(Here are the NO's for writing on this site.)

NO political articles.
No religious articles.
One way or another some people will be offended and that is not what this site is about.

Here is the DO for writing on this website:
Be nice! Follow the Golden Rule.

Emergency Notification Please Read this

If you are a child or grandchild of someone in our community I want you to hound them to get this done. If you are a resident that does not have to be hounded do this right now. If you have expertise as a professional nagger we need you now. Naggers we love you... Make this a cause. Block Captains ..plead, cajole and make funny faces. Everyone get this done and don't rest until everyone you know and don't know has it. Welcome committee point this out..

We have given you a sample in the last few weeks. You have seen the weather alerts flashing on our page. That is only a part of the emergency notification network. Be notified of all emergencies in Lincoln County no matter where you are.

Be notified of these categories that you select (FREE):

Severe Weather Information
HOMELAND SECURITY Code
CYBER Threats to your computer (limited time Free trial)
Organ Donation
Daily Weather Forecasts (if available)
Routine Blood Drives/Red Cross
MISSING CHILDREN AMBER ALERTS (as available)
DO NOT SEND National Disaster News
Keep this service FREE. I agree to receive
info from our Sponsors WHO make it possible(they send ads to your computer with the alert RT)

Select how you will be notified:

email
Computer or Blackberry
Cell Phone
Digital Pager
FAX

Here is the link to the page: (This is the form to fill out. At the top you can go back to the home page and read all about it) If grandma doesn't have email you can sign her cell phone up to receive messages if she agrees.)

http://www.emergencyemail.org/add.asp?src=&lc=41410

We are thinking this is a good way to get Neighborhood Watch notification of really important emergencies.

This article was originally posted on the Longview Hills website but is also showing up on the Newport and North Lincoln County CERT webistes. If you are a police or fire official or emergency official look at his website to determine if we need to get this out to all the community and all CERTS

Emailed to Rob Thomas, Lincoln County Acessor


Rob,

We think the community is about done asking questions. Thank you for your answers and insights. We will leave the session up in case somebody wants to fire a final shot across your bow but in a few days it will automatically migrate off the page and into the site archives. This has been an interesting Q&A experiment and we might ask other government officials to join us on other topics in the future. What we have done here is both a unique and informative way for citizens to become informed.

Email answered by Rob Thomas


Ron,
Taxes are always a good way to get attention. I hope that I was able to help ease some concerns and even though taxes aren't likely to lessen, I hope our values don't either.
Thanks,
Rob Thomas

AP nation news - StatesmanJournal.com

AP nation news - StatesmanJournal.com: "Rhodes Scholarships were created in 1902 by the will of British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes. Winners are selected on the basis of high academic achievement, personal integrity, leadership potential and physical vigor, among other attributes."

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.'


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NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis.'"

Has everybody asked all their questions of Rob Thomas the Tax Assessor?

If it is done we will let the discussion migrate off the page and into the archives where you can access it forever. If not we will bring it to the top of the website and let it continue.

This type of discussion will be improved with a chat room format that Jim Dodds has sent in. Now you see how a long range Q&A session can work we will try a chat room where the discussion is over a shorter time frame and can involve you and your relatives and community residents. All we need is a topic that is of interest to the community.

Why don't you suggest a topic in the comments below and we will see what we can do about getting the chat set up and under way. This is a community enlightening project. You are learning new ways to use your computer that will help all of us get more out of life. I am going to put my choice for a community chat in the comments now.

Has everybody asked all their questions of Rob Thomas the Tax Assessor?

If it is done we will let the discussion migrate off the page and into the archives where you can access it forever. If not we will bring it to the top of the website and let it continue.

This type of discussion will be improved with a chat room format that Jim Dodds has sent in. Now you see how a long range Q&A session can work we will try a chat room where the discussion is over a shorter time frame and can involve you and your relatives and community residents. All we need is a topic that is of interest to the community.

Why don't you suggest a topic in the comments below and we will see what we can do about getting the chat set up and under way. This is a community enlightening project. You are learning new ways to use your computer that will help all of us get more out of life. I am going to put my choice for a community chat in the comments now.

AMTRAK Adventure Awaits You!

When Betty and Bill Hanus took the train back east last summer they returned with glowing accounts of their trip. I thought that might be a fun way to travel to California and join up with Jacky and return home next week.

Here then is the saga of Ron on the train.

Jim Rose took me over to the train depot in Albany on Tuesday. I thought it was out of friendship but he informed me on the way that he just couldn't figure any other way to get rid of me. He would be a hero when he returned to LVH and I would be gone. Pretty good deal.

At any rate we arrived at the newly renovated station in Albany which is beautiful. They've done a terrific job fixing it up. We arrived 2 hours early... I have this thing about being on time. The Amtrak system does not feel the same way. My 2 hours stretched into 6 hours as the train was delayed outside of Portland... Do you know what the term "heavy metal music" is?

The newly renovated train station has a wonderful new sound system.... Speakers are everywhere so that your soul can be soothed by heavy metal music turned up 4 clicks higher than is comfortable. It never stops.. Go to the restroom a brand new speaker seranades you. Go outside.. speakers at every bench under every kiosk.. all the way to the parking lot. Relentlessly for 6 hours... GAAAAAAAH! ARGHHHH!

Somehow the tinitus (ringing in ears) that I have had since the service provides a welcome releif from the constant barage.. of music???

I get on the train. It is baloney that the seats are not filled and you can switch seats if you don't like the one you have. I'm put in with the Snoring champion of the 4 western states. He is very very good.

Aha! I'll try the dining car. You don't get to sit where you want even if all the tables are empty.. No they seat you with someone you've never met.. part of the charm of rail travel and all. I sit across from Ned who is talking to a guy wearing a black suit from the 1800's with a leather hat with some kind of symbol on it... A yeah.. charm of the rail uhmmm! Well, the tables are all built for skinny people which is another group I don't belong to. Although I am starving the total discomfort of the table and the ambiance of my travel companions leaves me hurriedly finishing the meal and leaving never to return. I subsisted on the sugar free care package that Bonnie Rose packed for me before leaving.

I discover the observation car on my way back and no one is there so I get my book from my assigned seat and head for it. Pretty good but the seats are really stiff. Choice between here or snoresville. An hour later my back is killing me and the train drunks are holding a party all over this car. They include two 45 year old leches tring to glomb onto some 20 year old girls by plying them with drink.. That includes the two strange people from the diner.

Back to the snore champ and across the aisle from me s a couple of ladies with a baby born maybe 32 seconds ago. So it went untill Redding. The Snore King debarked. I fell instantly asleep only to awaken minutes later as the baby decided to express himself.

Sacramento, the baby is gone. Maybe now... Nope here come the hippies. Now this is not going to sound like the truth but I swear on Bill furgason's sox it is. The hippies have a filthy, medium size poodle with a hat on. It is not in a cage .. sits right there in the seat with them no leash, nothing. Train people don't mind at all. She has a melage of clothing nose rings and boots. He is in Levis and an undershirt. Both stink to high heaven. The head drunk from last night moves into the seat in front of them. They are noisy and pungent.. My cup runneth over.

Ariving in San Jose 5 hours late and exhausted. They close the baggage claim area.. No one there. Finally after waiting for someone to show up I go find a ticket person who says they will get it for me.

I love the train... U betcha!

FOR SALE... ONE USELESS CAT!

Cat Talking

Hood River in the recent Storm. Sent in by Ed Simon.












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This is a scam to get your social security number,

JURY DUTY SCAM: This has been verified on Snopes.com (link listed below) and by the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summons for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of scam has surfaced. Fall for it and your identity could be stolen, reports CBS. In this con, someone calls pretending to be a court official who threateningly says a warrant has been issued for your arrest because you didn't show up for jury duty . The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo! Your identity just got stolen. The scam has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado . This (scam) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people int o giving information by pretending they're with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud. Check it out here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel05/092805.htm

Property tax discussion

EDITORS NOTE:
Now that storms are out of here we put this discussion back on the top of the thread (a thread is computer geek talk for a srolling blog such as ours) 8 of you in the poll said you wanted to join in this chat with our Tax Assessor, Rob Thomas. So, where is your input? Down the road we willask other county officials to do this same type of thing. It is a good way for you meet your government.

Our Tax assesor speakes to the community

Here begins our series on property taxes.. Rob Thomas, Assesor is writing directly to our community website and will answer your questions with articles and in the comments below.

This article will stay at the top of the webpage for a few days..

All,

Let's start with a little history.

Oregon's property tax system began when Oregon became a state in 1859. Back then the Sheriff was the tax collector, and the property tax system financed all government including the state.

As you can imagine, people felt that the system was over used and that property taxes were too high!! The legislature tried to deal with the issue but failed for many years. Finally, in 1929 they were able to implement the first property tax relief measure to help ease the burden on the property tax system. That legislative action implemented the income tax system which was intended to help finance the state.

In 1990 the voters approved measure 5 (a constitutional amendment) to limit the amount of tax a property could pay to support general government and education services. These limits are still in effect today and they are $10. per thousand of assessed value for government and $5 per thousand for schools. Of course, there are allowances for bonds and local option levys passed by local voters.

Then in 1997 measure 50, another constitutional amendment, was implemented into the property tax system. This amendment was called the "cut and cap" amendment. The 1997 assessed value was figured by taking the 1995 real market value less 10% and using that number as the 1997 assessed value and maximum assessed value. This new maximum assessed value is limited to 3% growth per year. However, the final assessed value is the lesser of the maximum assessed value or real market value.

As a result, when a property has been paying on the real market value because it was less than the maximun assessed value the assessed value could increase as much as the real market value increases....up to the maximun assessed value.

There are some very good publications that explain this process better than I can. Please click on the link below to get a list of Oregon Department of Revenue publications on these and other topics.

http://egov.oregon.gov/DOR/PTD/ptd_pubs.shtml

Rob Thomas

Assessor

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'The scientific name for an animal that doesn't either run from or fight its enemies is lunch.'"

Focusing on the Issue of Aging, and Growing Into the Job - New York Times

Focusing on the Issue of Aging, and Growing Into the Job - New York Times: "Q. Your report mentions that the elderly are left out of most emergency planning. Why is this important?

A. Because most of the people who died in New Orleans were older. Following 9/11, my wife, Myrna Lewis, who was a social worker and who died in 2005, went to seek out the elderly in the neighborhoods around the World Trade Center. She found lots of older people who were really neglected in the emergency. They went without medications. Home health aides couldn’t get through to them. Some were living in feces.

Both events should get us thinking about what happens to older people in assisted care and nursing home facilities during emergencies — tornados, blackouts, hurricanes. Society is not sensitive to the fact that old people are not as able to survive under perilous circumstances. Homeland Security needs to be considering this."

Graph

If you click on the image you will see it is very sharp and easy to read. It is a picture of the traffic on our website. I told Cleda I would post something so she could see how many people visit us on a daily basis.




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I have received info that the "youtube" shorts I put on this site cause a computer to flash erradically when they are scrolled over... Anybody else out there seeing this problem?

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK

Be Careful all you beach walkers!

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
534 AM PST MON NOV 13 2006
ORZ001-002-WAZ021-141400-
NORTH OREGON COAST-CENTRAL OREGON COAST-SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST-
534 AM PST MON NOV 13 2006
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST
OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
A HIGH SURF ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS MORNING.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN LATER TUESDAY NIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY.

The Clubhouse Door

For a long time we (the community) were not suppose to use the Clubhouse door for announcements. Then slowly, due to a lot of us, we began to use the door as announcement place to communicate what was immanent ...Like it was happening tommorow and we wanted the word to get out. Now the door has become the bulletin board.

The trouble is there just to much stuff on it and people are not reading it again. I mean, would you like to stand in the cold and read all those posters? Probably not. Maybe it's time to rethink how we do announcements. The Bulletin Board wasn't working to well because a lot of folks don't take the time to read it which is peculiar to me as one thing we all have is all the time there is in a day...being retired we have all 24 hours.. there is no more than that and we have it all. An old Platitude urges us to, "Slow down and smell the roses"... That probably is good advice even so I think Jim and Bonnie Rose might not appreciate it.

My inclination is to turn to technology to fix a problem. That is simply the way of my mind. We were thinking about some sort of sign announcing the latest event or storm warning on a sign as you leave the park or a mini radio station that broadcasts to the park. See how a techie starts looking at things?

A lot of folks use the calendar as a place to find their information. Did you know that the calendar can be continously updated by anyone? Right now it's just Jacky and me. Suppose we get the clubs together and the Social Club Board and just interested folks and show them in ten minutes how to put stuff on the calendar. I would keep the guts of it under control so the calendar program could not be hurt but you could put in whatever you want.. Change times, fix mistakes, cancel events. All that on your computer in just a few minutes.

This is so very easy..

Make announcements here on the website.. You don't have to learn anything if you know how to send an email. Just write an email to the website and it publishes itself. Remember Barb Dudley's stories as they traveled across the USA last month? All she did was email them to the website's email address and they were published instantly... She had to know absolutely nothing about the website... Ask her in the comments.

Barb found it so much fun that we sat down for an hour and showed her how to write with more features and how to do the calendar. Then she built her own website.. Took about an hour for all that.

You know we built a state of the art computer lab and we could have classes in this stuff.. You could do it whether you are 59 or 90 at some level from very easy to pretty easy.

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.'"

Machu Pichu

Discover ancient Machu Pichu follow the link. The controls allow you fly over the city and see it viewed from the air... Drill down to look at people walking the ruins or fly high above. Fascinating..

Click here

CERT Team prepares... for Hi wind.

We had warning that high winds were on the way. That could mean power outtages from a few days to a few hours.

There was one person in the park that had indicated on her Neighborhood Watch form that she needs oxygen to survive. What if we had a power loss of a few days like they did when the roof blew off IZZY's restaurant. This person could use up her reserves and be in trouble.

We searched the park for a good samaritan with a motorhome that had an electrical generator. We found one and drove the home to our neighbor's home and wired it all up for emergency power so they would not have to worry about losing their life saving oxygen.

In addition, like many of you in the park, the person did not have an emergency FRS radio yet. We have spares that were donated to us and one of our members took one to the person and taught her how to use it.

Our volunteer HAM Radio operator volunteered to come from his home on the other side of
US 101 and sleep in our parking lot if we thought we might need him. Another motorhome was offered... One more of our team came to learn how to hook up the motor home.

We are prepared for the worst now and got it all done ahead of the storm. I would like to thank all those who helped with donated time and material.