The Monkey at GoLiNiel

Ideal ratio: 2 to 1.
Any higher and you’re not riding enough.
Any lower and you can’t focus on training because you are getting divorced.

~ Scott Martin

Scott Martin, author of the eBook Spin Again containing 181 of his witty, sometimes wacky, and occasionally heart-felt observations on road cycling.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Recently, the local paper in my old home town, the “Tri-County News” shutdown.  Falling victim to the failing economy and changing dynamics of how people get the information they need.  Newspapers still provide some useful functions, filling in the gaps that electronic media doesn’t seem to do well yet.

Here is a good effort to  resurrect a resource to fill in some of those gaps.

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(Taken from the ‘Junction City‘ website)

Good Morning,

As we begin publishing the new weekly Tri-County Tribune for circulation in the Junction City, Harrisburg and Monroe communities, we’d like to share with you, our readers, our vision for the paper and its role in the community.

First, we believe a local newspaper is as an integral part of a community. While more and more Americans, especially in larger urban areas, turn to their computers and other electronic media for their news, we believe many of you, especially in smaller communities, recognize and appreciate the role a local newspaper plays in your community. You like to read “hard” news with a genuinely local focus; you like to read and see action photos of your children, your grandchildren and your friends’ and neighbors’ children as they engage in school activities and sports; you like to read the “soft” side of the news….stories of community members and their special achievements, activities and interests; you like to read short features and announcements of upcoming community events; you like to read opinion pieces by local writers on local issues; you like to see ads promoting local stores and service providers; in sum, you like a paper that is, truly, your “hometown” paper. It’s our mission as the tri-community’s new paper, to be that “hometown” paper.

It’s no secret that times are tough for all Americans today. There are still more jobs being lost than gained. There are still more businesses closing than opening. And, across the country, there are, by far, more newspapers, both large and small, ceasing publication than starting. In such circumstances, you might ask: Why are you opening the paper? And how do you plan for its success? May we offer answers to those two sensible questions:

1) We’re opening the paper because we truly believe our three local communities need and deserve to have a local, community based, newspaper. We believe a community without its local paper is less of a community. We believe our tri-communities deserve to thrive and succeed and we feel we can play a part in achieving such success. We believe the communities will help us succeed as we help the communities succeed. We see the whole process as a partnership with all of us benefiting from that partnership.

2) We’re not foolish enough to believe the paper will make our fortune. We don’t have any dreams of being William Randolph Hearst or Rupert Murdoch. If we can publish the paper, distribute it to our readers, pay our staff, pay our venders, pay the rent, and keep the ink in the ledger black, we’ll be happy.

3) We have chosen to provide the paper at no cost to you. It will be mailed free to residents in the tri-community area and it will be available in local business establishments at no cost. We are depending on revenue from advertising to cover the cost of the paper. Our success depends on local businesses advertising in our community’s paper and you, our readers, patronizing those local businesses. We will strive to produce a paper “worth” reading….and a paper worth reading is worth advertising in.

4) However, if you find our paper “simply too good to be free”, we’ve got a deal for you. At each location where you can get your free paper, you may place fifty cents in a donation container and EVERY CENT you donate in appreciation of the paper, WILL GO DIRECTLY TO LOCAL CHARITIES. Times are tough and we realize that during such times more folks need help from charities, while, at the same time, those tough times make it more difficult for those charities to get donations. We’d like to join with you to help support those charities as they help our community members.

We have a very experienced, competent staff of journalism professionals. We’re all very enthused to publish a new paper for our communities. We’re all excited for this new adventure. We’re proud to become part of the Junction City, Harrisburg and Monroe communities and hope you will be proud to have us.

Please share this email with any of your friends or business associates that you think may be interested. As we move forward in this endeavor, we appreciate your feedback and support.

Sincerely,
Nelson Rosales
Tri County Tribune
Rodeo Steak House & Grill
Adelante Latino

Popularity: 13% [?]

“Hello Monday has designed Copenhagen’s new board game that draws inspiration from classics like Monopoly and Besserwisser. Authenticity is a key concept in the design and brings together historic and contemporary elements to give players a real Copenhagen experience.” —Hello Monday

For now the game is only available for purchase through Danish retailers: gamesweb.dk and DACbookshop.dk.

Popularity: 16% [?]

We snowshoed out from Bennett Pass rest area, along the ridge to one of our favorite viewpoints.
The rains and warmer weather has turned this weeks now into a crunchy walk, hard enough that our poles rarely penetrated the surface. And no snows on the trees at all. We were walking in the low laying clouds, but the temperatures were quite comfortable.

This is an out and back walk, simple to follow, with no significant elevation changes.
Here we encountered a downed tree on the trail that was no real obstacle while on foot.

It is at this point we like to stop for lunch and enjoy the view of the mountain.
Today there was no such mountain view.

Stopping at Timberline lodge, we were afforded a pretty good view through the clouds, of Mt. Jefferson.

Timberline has installed a new walkway to keep the snow drifts from the entrance.
Aesthetically speaking, it isn’t much of an improvement over the old Quonset hut style walkway it has replaced.
It really doesn’t seem to fit into the style of the Lodge, but I suppose its more about function than form.

Popularity: 16% [?]

We took a little time to ride around Oregon City prior to the new Year. It was really pretty cold, but sunny and clear, and with the right layer of clothing we kept pretty comfortable. The ride took us late into the day and snow began to fall as we made our way home. But, we made it home, and into the hot tub prior to the heavy accumulation began.

On the west side of the Oregon City bridge, above the locks on the road to Willamette, we had a great view of Mt. Hood.

The esplanade between Mcloughlin Blvd and the river is complete, and open. It is a great space, well designed for walking and biking.

Just opposite the Oregon City elevator, is Classic Cycle. It was closed on the Monday that we rode by. We hope to return on another day. They have several of these bikes in the area.

The bike boulevard on Spokane street, off Tacoma at the Sellwood bridge is done. These curbs are intended to slow traffic, constricting it, making it safer in the intersections.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Danish aebleskiver on Christmas.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Before all the Christmas festivities began, there was time, and sun, and the opportunity to get on the bike. So I decided to ride out over the bridge to take a closer look at some of the issues before work began. The planned January closing date has been pushed back to allow time for more study, but I was also anxious to see the progress made to the walkway along the river in Oregon City.

Most all the walkway railings are cracked.

In many places the concrete is just gone.

There is cabling stretched around some of the pillars.

All the pillars and arches have cracks in the concrete.
This is actually just the covering over the underlying steel, so it may not be as dangerous as it first appears, but still…..

The bridge is tired, worn and dirty but it remains a visually pleasing structure.

On closer look you can see that work to gain access has begun underneath.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Victorhill Farm.

This is where we have cut our Christmas tree for the last 4 years.  We found it because it opened earlier than most, which allowed us to prepare for a Christmas party. Once there, Honey has discovered that her taste matches that of Blenda the artist/owner. She loves the stuff they sell in their barn, and we spend as much time looking at the wreaths and decorations as we do the tree.
And they have a lot of very good u-cut trees.

Popularity: 32% [?]

Bad news good news.

Honey is gone to visit family for 5 days, so shes not here.

She left me in control while she’s gone.

Popularity: 35% [?]

We have installed hummingbird feeders in front and back.  The feeders have been pretty busy in the dawn and dusk hours.  Honey makes new nectar every week in order to keep it fresh and our little hummers seem to appreciate it.  We have begun to study their habits, and note which birds seem to make the best effort to claim the feeders as theirs.  We have even started to name some of the regulars which help us track their usage.  Tippy seems the most dominant, though Ducky makes frequent visits.  Just the last few two weeks we have begun to see this red headed hummingbird quite every day as well. No name for him yet.

Popularity: 37% [?]

Demolition of the southwest Portland home known as the Canterbury Castle started back in May of 2009. We made a quick trip out to see it one last time.

Haven’t been back there since that time, so unsure where they are in that whole process.
And not much on the web about the progress.  Guess the process of tearing it down is not as big news as the decision to start.

Time for another road trip.

Popularity: 38% [?]

Remember, the Oregon City Bridge is closing after the first of the year.
For like two years.
So, guess that means even more traffic for the Sellwood, Oregon’s most heavily travelled two lane bridge.

Looks like they are going to be shuttling bikes and walker though.
One more reason to ride a bike?

For more info: ODOTs site

Popularity: 38% [?]