QUOTE FOR THE WEEK: “A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.
** George William Curtis **

Celebrating our 50,000 visitor to this web page!

On June 8, 2005 I put a counter on this page. We have already gone over 50,000 "HITS." This is proving to be a very busy web page!
Are you aware that this is the very FIRST city web page in Lake County, on-line in 1998?

Klamath Falls Veterans Memorial

The City of Klamath Falls, in cooperation with Kingsley Field Air National Guard and local Veteran's organizations, seeks to honor the Klamath Basin men and women of the armed forces. The project consists of a pavilion and monuments at Veteran's Memorial Park in downtown Klamath Falls on the shore of Lake Ewauna. The monument walkway will be constructed of dedicated brick pavers, with each brick paying tribute to a military member and their service to our country.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) there will be an accessible walkway leading to the monument. This project will provide enduring recognition of our veterans at Veterans Memorial Park.

In addition to dedicating brick pavers, there are other opportunities to contribute to this Memorial. The 173rd Fighter Wing and 173rd Civil Engineer Squadron are donating their time and efforts to the project.

Mosquito Festival in doubt for 2008.

The "Official" information from the Paisley City Council is: "25th Annual Mosquito Festival... At this time, we do not know if there will be a Mosquito Festival this year." (http://cityofpaisley.tripod.com/id9.html) Any questions, call the Paisley City Hall at: (541) 943-3173 or email your question to: Paisley City Council

I have received no information about the festival for this year. The V.I.P.s (Lioness) have always run the great Bar-B-Q and will NOT be doing it this year. There will be no Air Show. There will be no Car Show N' Shine. Will anyone take over? If anyone knows anything about a festival this year, PLEASE, let me know so I can post it! PaisleyOregon@AOL.COM.

How safe is your computer security?

When it comes to computer security, there are many things to think about. You need antivirus software, anti-spyware programs and a firewall. But if you think security ends there, you're mistaken. Your computer could be at severe risk of attack.

The Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer will help your assess your computer's security. It will make sure Windows and Office are updated with all the necessary security patches. You can also learn about other security issues that you might otherwise overlook.

If your password is weak, others might be able to access your account. The Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer will alert you if account passwords aren't strong enough. Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer gives you a detailed assessment that will be quite lengthy. Take the time to read it thoroughly and fix any problems listed. It is another tool in your arsenal to protect your machine.

Cost: Free

Link: www.microsoft.com

Why is Lake County unheard at the state level?

The fact is that 80 percent of Oregonians live within 20 miles of the Willamette River, and rightfully, enjoy 80 percent of the representation in both legislative chambers. That reality leaves more than 80 percent of Oregon’s geographic area, and 20 percent of her people, to be represented by only 9 Senators and 18 Representatives. In Fact, 13 Senators and 26 Representatives live in districts located entirely or partly within Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties.

Moreover, the effective representation or our more rural citizens is further diluted because a significant number of other Senate and House districts also include portions of that Willamette River corridor. It is readily apparent to those who do not live in that Willamette River corridor that rules and regulations that may be perfectly reasonable and appropriate for that heavily populated portion of Oregon, are neither appropriate nor reasonable for those who live in less densely populated area.

Christmas Valley Library Events

May 5th at 1pm – Joy Luck Club book discussion

May 19th at 7pm – Kim Wah Chung & Co. Museum presentation (at the CV Community Center)

June 2nd at 6:30pm – National Guard WWII presentation (at the CV Community Center)

Try out new features in IE 8 beta.

Internet Explorer 8 is currently in its beta testing phase. And it’s open to the public. So you can get a look at what’s to come. IE 8 will introduce new features. For instance, IE 7’s phishing filter has been renamed the Safety Filter. This filter already blocks known phishing sites. Now, it will also block sites known to contain malicious software.

The Safety Filter is a behind-the-scenes improvement. Another such addition is Automatic Crash Recovery. This helps you save your progress when the browser hangs or crashes. It tries to return the browser to its pre-crash state. It will return tabs to the last pages you visited. Two more prominent additions are Activities and WebSlices. Activities will let you easily transfer information between Web sites. Say you’re on a restaurant’s site, looking for directions. You find the address, but no map. Use Activities to map the address with your favorite service. The map will appear in a tool-tip window. You don’t have to leave the restaurant’s site. This saves you from copying and pasting from one window to another. The feature has other capabilities. All are based on moving information and content.

WebSlices operate like RSS feeds. But users can subscribe to a portion of a site directly. A feed must be updated in addition to the site itself. But a WebSlice will update the user whenever the site is changed. It can be housed in the Favorites Bar. The text in the bar will change when the WebSlice does. You can then click through and check out the new content. Speaking of the Favorites Bar, it has also been overhauled. In addition to links, it can now contain feeds and WebSlices. It can also house Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents for easy access.

IE 8 beta can be downloaded for a number of Windows versions. Remember that this is a beta version. You may see problems that should be fixed in the final release.

Desert Rose Quilt Shop.

They are a brick and mortar store in Silver Lake, as well as on-line store. They just made it to through our 1st year and are adding things almost daily. They have just added several collections to the SALE category. Are you looking for WESTERN Fabric, they have it. Cowboy, Cowgirl, Horse Fabric. Also have many Southwestern Fabrics.

They are open 10-4 Wed. - Sat. Visit them in Silver Lake or on-line at: http://www.desertrosequiltshop.com. You may call them at 541-576-3530.

The Chewaucan Challenge (Fly-Fishing tournament)

Chewaucan Challenge is the first elite fly fishing tournament on one of America's last wild fish rivers. Untouched and yet easily accessible, the full fifty miles of river will be open for tournament fishing. Novice anglers will find exceptional access to a wild river that does not require technical casts. Experienced anglers will relish a rare challenge: catching a wild fish on the fly. This river is one of the few left where all the red bands ARE wild. We have now been officially categorized as "The 36th best fishing spot in the Northwest!"

To reserve your three person team, or to ask any questions, contact the Tournament Director, Larry Duckworth at (541) 943-3141.

Held in Paisley, Oregon

Limited to 24 teams of three.

Must be 18 or older.

Catch and Release.

Meals and Lodging available.

Cash, trophy and Place Prizes.

Larry says it will be held June 15, 16, 17, & 18, 2008.

For details go to: http://www.paisley.presys.com/fish.htm.

Lake County United Fund needs members.

"We meet quarterly except during the campaign which runs from September thru January when we meet monthly." "We would like to see some representation from Paisley and North Lake on our board as well."

Christmas Valley Chamber resumes monthly meetings.

Christmas Valley Chamber monthly meetings are held at the Christmas Valley Community Hall. The General membership meeting is held the second Wednesday of every month at 1pm, the Board meeting is held directly after the General Membership meeting at 2pm.
The new 2008-2009 Tourist Guide is under way. Due to it's extreme popularity, an anticipated running above and beyond the 2007-2008 9000 copies will be published and given away to visitors this year. The theme is "A Tribute to the Hay Growers". CVCC is also sponsoring a 2007-2008 Tourist Guide Front Page Photo Contest in which a first place photo will be chosen to be the cover.
For participation in the photo contest or for information on placing a well viewed ad in this upcoming edition of the Tourist Guide, please contact the Christmas Valley Chamber of Commerce at 541-576-3838 or via internet at info@christmasvalley.org

Lake County Special Transportation Plan.

The County has confirmed that transportation funding for "senior and disabled" to medical care has been extended through this quarter. They have applied for an increase, but that is still pending. If you have comments please contact: Betty Riley at (541) 884-5593 or Bob Pardee at (541) 947-6003.

What are our gas prices as compared to the rest of Oregon? Where can you find the least expensive gas?

Attendants wanted for Ambulance Services in Christmas Valley, Paisley and Silver Lake.

Accelerated First Responder Training Oregon State Certifications Provided by Lake County EMS. Contact Glenna Wade for additional information and an application. Call: 541-977-0626.

The Cheuwacan Challenge (Fly-Fishing tournament)

Specifics will be published soon on this page, however we know the Chewaucan Challenge is the first elite fly fishing tournament on one of America's last wild fish rivers. Untouched and yet accessible, the full fifty miles of river will be open for tournament fishing. Novice anglers will find exceptional access to a wild river that does not require technical casts. Experienced anglers will relish a rare challenge: catching a wild fish on the fly. This river one of the few left where all the redbands ARE wild. We have now been officially categorized as "The 36th best fishing spot in the Northwest!"

To reserve your three person team, or to ask any questions, contact the Tournament Director, Larry Duckworth at (541) 943-3141.

Held in Paisley, Oregon

Limited to 24 teams of three.

Must be 18 or older.

Catch and Release.

Meals and Lodging available.

Cash, trophy and Place Prizes.

Larry says it will be held June 16, 17, & 18, 2008.

Christmas Valley Library.

The hours of operation are now...Tues & Thu. 10 am - 1 pm & 1:30 pm - 6 pm. Also Saturday: 10 am - 3 pm.

Look at this new Web site that lets you send a FREE printed postcard to the U.S. servicemen and women stationed overseas. All you do is pick your favorite card, enter your message and then Xerox does the rest! Visit www.LetsSayThanks.com and send the troops some mail today.

To send a card... Click on * Support our Troops. *.

Looking for a new job? WELCOME TO The Work & Career Connection... A One-Stop Career and Business Center that provides viable solutions and services around workforce needs. The Work & Career Connection is an affiliate of KLETI, a non-profit organization that dedicates itself to economic prosperity and human potential development. Customers can explore numerous job opportunities, while getting education and training programs, career guidance and planning, and personal assistance in reaching your job goals

To check it out... Click on * The Work Connection *.

Diabetis Support Group

The Lakeview Senior Center is starting a Diabetis Support Group. To attend or become involved, please contact D.J. or Calda at the Senior Center at 947-4966

Lake County Hospital development.

Lake Health District Board presented a final draft of the strategic plan for Lake District Hospital's ongoing expansion planning. The board voted to approve the finalized plan draft. Among the high priority goals were the need for additional doctor space that would include at least family doctor and one general surgeon. They will increase the number of beds from 17 to 25, ALL single person rooms.

A proposed solution included a 12,000 sq. ft single story building to house sleep lab, wound care, physical therapy and outpatient services. A new emergency room area is also a top goal. Rosvi Casteel, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors noted they are currently looking into solutions related to parking.

Summer Lake Wildlife Area

Wildlife biolgists at the Summer Lake WildlifeArea in North Lake County are starting an educational outreach program for hunters. Kiosks will be installed on various campgrounds in the area.

I have posted pictures and maps of the Winter Rim Fire of 2002.

This involved ALL of the Paisley and nearby communities. It, along with the Toolbox fire and the Silver Fire, burned almost 150,000 acres. The pictures are fantastic and frightening! Click to see them and read the details..., * Winter Rim Fire of 2002 *.

Fort Rock.

This is a prominent rocky landmark. The rock is an isolated mass, imperfectly crescent-shaped, nearly one-third of a mile across, and its highest point is about 325 feet above the floor of the plain on which it stands. It has perpendicular cliffs 200 feet high in places. It is not surprising that it has been likened to a fort. An item in the Bend Bulletin, June 20, 1925, says that William Sullivan, an early resident, named Fort Rock. Sullivan settled in what is now Lake County in 1873. In 1938, prehistoric artifacts were discovered in a large cave in a then-unnamed butte about a mile and a half to the northwest. This butte was subsequently named Reub Long Butte to honor the well-known Lake County rancher and writer, but the artifact cave has always been and continues to be known as Fort Rock Cave. Dr. L. S. Cressman of the University of Oregon supervised extensive excavations that uncovered weapons, tools, and even sandals, and subsequent carbon dating showed some items over 9,000 years old. The post office was established March 9, 1908. There was considerable activity in the Fort Rock Valley during the homestead period before World War I, but in recent years little remains.

My wife and I took our grand daughters to visit Fort Rock and the Pioneer Museum in our motorhome. Unfortunately, the museum is only open on Fri, Sat., and Sun. We were disappointed that no where in town could we park our motorhome overnight, even without hookups. We ate a good meal in a nice cafe and were informed the closest campground was several miles back on Hwy 31. Disappointing...and it takes business from the Fort Rock community. Perhaps the city would consider using some open field in town (The parking area by the Museum would be fine.) for RV's to overnight, thereby getting some tourists to visit. Just a suggestion. Us? We ended up driving to Ana Campground, near Silver Lake about 25 miles south for the evening.

I received this email responding to my posting:
"I always enjoy poking around in your website. Lots of goodies to read about! Thanks for doing this. It helps people find out more about Lake County.
I notice your story about a problem parking an RV in Fort Rock overnight. There are two good places to stay overnight here in town. Many people park directly across the street from the Waterin' Hole Tavern in a large gravelled lot. The other place available is in the Museum parking lot. Neither place has hookups, but the Museum parking lot is a WiFi hotspot. Our president Hank Burroughs has a StarBand satellite system and a transmitter at his nearby home. For $1 an hour and $0.02 per minute thereafter, you can do HiSpeed Internet here in town.
Thanks for the good work you are doing.
Mark Swisher

Being smart on line

1. Protect personal information. NEVER respond to an e-mail asking for information such as date of birth or social security number. If it seems suspicious, call the business at a phone number you KNOW is correct.

2. Know who you are doing business with. Read the "ABOUT US" section of the site. Watch out for copy cat sites that mimic a legitimate site.

3. Make sure your computer has current firewall, anti-virus, and anti-spy software.

4. Use a password that is as secure as possible. Avoid obvious, such as birthdays, childrens names, and words in the dictionary. Change passwords every six months.

5. To lean more, visit the Better Business Bureau on-line at bbbonline.org