I Hope the Lifeguards get/got a Raise

         The workout and pool activity here in Myrtle Creek has always been more than reasonable. When they raised their prices this year it did not seem like such a big deal.  In fact, the attendance has increased within the class.  We have never had as much as 8 people show up the first week (or sometimes even the entire first month) let alone 11.  Of course most of us are getting the pass deal – which really is a deal. 

          A few years before the pandemic there was a fundraiser created to help build added features to the South Umpqua Memorial Pool.  The fundraiser (here) took place in both 2018 and 2019.  I don’t know what happened to the money that was raised or what improvements were made.  I don’t see that anything tangible was added. 

          Initially we were told that the money would be going towards a splash pad – but that never happened.  An electric pool cover would be more beneficial I think.  I didn’t think about it so much until this morning when I saw all the hard work that goes into taking off the giant tarp and probably more work putting it up as we have had the challenge of the wind the last few days.

          The pool is normally uncovered by the time I get there, but I watched in both admiration and unbelief as I watched two female life guards moving and handling the sandbags and then pulling off the tarp.  I watched as the instructor joined them in removing the cover that has been keeping the pool warm this year.

          In years’ past once the pool gets uncovered it remained uncovered until the end of the season – but this year I was told they decided to save on energy and heating expenses.  I wish they would have thought about that the last two years as the pool had always felt cold.  But it really has kept it warm – at least for the morning.  But the wind does seem to cool it down rather quickly.

          It has also been more clean though not totally free of bugs and debris – there’s definitely not as much.  I remember lifeguards scooping out unwanted guests with a giant net.  They haven’t had to do that this year.  And I know the year has just started.

          I would like to see the lifeguards spend less time setting up and taking down equipment and focus on what their purpose is for being there.  Thus far I have not seen any that have had cause to jump in and save someone.  Aside from the class they seem to be babysitters as far as reminding patrons of pool rules.  Walk, don’t run.  Don’t perform unwanted acts. Common sense stuff.  They also teach swim lessons.

          In years past the pool seemed to have a good amount of lifeguards.  I’ve been told that this year they only have six.  That’s not good.  I don’t know how many are used at one time.  Two are needed for the morning class.  I don’t know how many for open swimming.  I would think all of them.  Probably have to limit the amount of people that are let in. I usually only do morning class.  And Jaime prefers the uncrowded river  as opposed to the crowded pool. 

          I had heard that is why the pool was built in the first place – to keep the youth out of the river.  I was only a year old when it was built and living in Utah.  I had no incline of its existence until we moved here in 2015.  I am grateful it is here.  I am grateful to the community who support it.

Dinner on the Deck

                Dinner was very nice.  There was a lot of food.  Halibut steak cooked to perfection, clam chowder, shrimp, carrots, jumbo baked potato and roll provided by Midtown Grill.  I enjoyed the food but did feel like a fish out of water.  Some people have money and are willing to share.  I think others just want to make an appearance.  But that's all speculation on my part.  I had four of the five people at our dinner table - my "close-knit-pool-group" and Sue's husband.  I saw a couple from our ward and Susan who has come to our swim class this year and whom Jaime and I had assisted with the Riddle booth during SummerFest here.

 

                There were over a hundred people for the turn-out at the pool.  The deck had been set up for 18 tables with six chairs at each table.  Carolyn seemed to know a lot of people - mostly former students that she had taught - or their parents.  Dan made jokes about how prestige it was to be with a near-celebrity which Carolyn didn't agree with.  I think Dan probably knew the least amount of people from all of us.  

                Of course, we all know Josh and many of the lifeguards by name.  Sebastian, who had been Jaime's swim instructor the year we had moved in, had been assigned as our waiter.  I really enjoy how the community pulls together and create a positive environment.  The man at our table whom I had not met until last night had given a brief history of the project of building the pool back in 1963.  Evidently, there had been statics given for each year children had died playing in creeks and rivers.  One of the ideas behind building the pool was to teach the community's children how to swim.

photos by Joe Glaspie

                Sue's husband took several pictures.  I hope I will have an opportunity to see some of them.

                 I brought my cheesecake home mostly because I didn't have room for it, but also wanted to share with Roland and Jenna. 

St. Patrick's Grunge Pledges

                Our Saturdays are usually tied up with plans - most of the time it's been going to Roseburg to do shopping, though there are the occasional weekends our plans are attending various activities here in Myrtle Creek or surrounding areas.  Occasionally we actually have a free Saturday which is what I had supposed this last weekend, but Jenna reminded me that I said I would drive her over to the pool to watch the "Grunge Plunge". 

                Most of the pictures I share are cropped screenshots of live event video posted to South Umpqua Memorial Pool page on March 17, 2018

  

                On March 4 last year, South Umpqua Memorial Pool held its first ever "Grunge Plunge".  I didn't even know about it until after the fact - which is actually kind of weird as social media, namely facebook, seems to be this town's most important source of marketing. It appears that there were ten jumpers last year.

2017 Jumpers holding up awarded t-shirts saying:

I Survived South Umpqua Memorial Pool's 1st Grunge Plunge

          Those that had pledged help raise 2,600 and added a pooling carpet to the hurtful cement floors in the dressing rooms and spruced them up to look nice.  Their goal this year was to raise over that amount - which they did.

         The pool site was/is in need of a makeover and the Grunge Plunge provided the community with a unique fundraiser by making pledges for certain individuals to jump into the grungy (and I would imagine frigid) pool that, although covered by a tarp since September, has still had elements effect the conditions of what was once clean water.  

SUMP facebook page cover this month

            I think Jenna would like to do the jumping, but the jumpers have to be over sixteen years of age.  I like that as she had been sick last year and was barely getting over her cough this year.  Four teachers and principal challenged their students to raise at least 200 dollars.  They announced that each of them would jump for every 100 raised after that and if 600 was raised, all five would jump.  There was also call for a germ phobic who said she would go in if 1,000 was raised.  They also challenged South Umpqua High School.  I didn't notice a response.  

 

            This year they did not have to jump as individuals but could do so in groups.  They could also choose to jump from either side of the deep end (shallow end still covered in tarp) or they could go off the diving board.  There were 13 groups or individuals that were sponsored to jump.  We had representatives from Coffenberry, Myrtle Creek Fire Department, State Farm and the mayor among others.  

            Josh Norton was the emcee who passed out awards/trophies before anyone jumped in. Our mayor received one for his attire 

our mayor accepting his award

and the water treatment boys received one for the most money raised.   

2018 trophy

Toward the end, Josh challenged one of his lifeguards to jump as well.  He didn't seem happy about it but accepted the challenge.  Josh jumped in last and thanked the community for the amount of money that was raised: more than twice the amount as last year.

See the crowd all around the pool

calm waters before the jump

Before the jump

After the jump

water with jumpers

            It was a fun event.  Crowded.  I'm happy that it was recorded as It was easier to watch and identify some of the people on the video than it was from behind the fence.  Jenna had gone inside to stand with the crowd to cheer on the Coffenberry instructors.  I prefer standing away from the crowd - or next year - sitting in my pjs and watching the video.  Then I don't have to worry about parking either.  I LOVE living in a small community!                    

Scrabble Triggers

        Apparently the two classes I've been assigned both deal with criminal acts and contracts - at least this first week.  Weird.  I am actually done for the week.  Tomorrow Roland and I are going to the Riddle Library to enter a Scrabble tournament.  Roland has every ounce of confidence that I can win - even though he has beaten me several times.

        It's a luck of the draw.  When all we draw is one point letters, it doesn't matter how great or long the word, it has only been worth 7-14 points at most.  The longer words give the other players more options of places to go instead of a crammed up board filled with small words because they happen to be worth more points 

       In addition to the Myrtle Creek Library annex, the fund raisers have included a wine walk which I did not participate in.  The latest is with selling tickets to a spaghetti dinner that takes place on Monday evening.  It sounds like a great deal of tickets have been sold.  I hope it is profitable for those involved.  P/R and marketing is not my thing.  Roland should be more involved as it is his.

        To each his own, I guess.  Don't much care for army sized crowds, but do enjoy playing games.  I would rather an Upwords tournament than Scrabble.  Perhaps we will be able to have Upwords tournaments after we break the Riddlers of Scrabble.  LOL

        When I think of Scrabble, I remember a sister from my mission who attended the Woodbridge ward.  She LOVED playing Scrabble.  She and her family had moved to Missoula Montana before I had finished my mission.  I have not heard from them for quite some time.  It appears that she and her husband now live close to Tillamook, Oregon.  Wow.  Would have been nice to have known that sooner.  I'll put a letter in the mailbox today - or perhaps I should just call the landline number I have.  Not much of a phone talker.  Would be nice to get in touch again.

I'm Grateful That My Plans Didn't Work Out

                I had made contact with different family members about my plans of sending Jenna to Utah by herself to visit family and we would pick her up in August.  It had been a thought is all.  It's not that I was trying to get rid of her during the summer.  I just know that she's been homesick for her brothers and cousins and probably a week would not be enough for her.

         She did want to march in the parade at the end of last month and this month - only this month didn't work out for anybody in the group except for Jenna.  We manned the booth instead.  Jenna and I had been assigned for the very first shift, and then she got recruited to stay (see here).  Her actions certainly helped with funds but even better (in my opinion) was that it gave her  a confidence that she has somehow kept hidden for many years.  She enjoyed doing it, and she enjoyed being needed.

          She did taper off that last day however, palling around with a group of kids - which was also good for her.  In addition, we assist at the library every Monday (at least for the summer) with the summer reading program, and she enjoys that.  She enjoys the children - which surprised me.  Other than her cousins (and sometimes even the boys have been exceptions) she has never shown an interest in children - especially really little ones.  But she has often told me how much she misses Devin and Ally - and she didn't even get to spend that much time with them.  I'm happy to hear that she misses them.  I really would have liked to spend more time with them myself.  But it doesn't feel like it was meant to be.

          Uncle Ted will be buried on Tuesday.  I wished I could be with the family again.  But I knew before we left to move out here than it would be highly doubtful for us to go back. I didn't know the return back to Utah would be so hard on me.

          I miss seeing my family.  At the same time I am truly excited to watch Jenna grow and gain new confidences.  I'm glad this summer has been working out to be a positive experience.

Bake Sale & Economy

          The tax proposal didn’t pass in November.  It wasn’t so much because people were opposed at having or keeping the library – they’ve just been opposed to paying for it.     On March 30, the Myrtle Creek library closed its doors.  They remain locked as some of us continue to fight for the cause.  I don’t know who is responsible for establishing the group, or just where everybody came from.  It was announced that a group would be forming for a non-profit organization which we had yet to name.

          The first four meetings or so took place at the school part of the Nazarene church.  There were over 30 people who attended.  Where were they when the library was looking for a new board member to replace Marilyn?  The only ones I recognized were those on the library board – and though it appeared some were on this new-founded committee, it didn’t appear that any of the board members were solely in charge.  I know Julienne had contributed to that first meeting but she wasn't the one conducting.  I was impressed by so many people with organizational skills that had brought us together for the same cause - but still felt somewhat confused with where that leadership had even come from.

          We decided to call our organization Friends of the Myrtle Creek Library, but ended up dropping “the”.  Someone had suggested that we have a bake sale not so much to raise money as it was to raise awareness.  The bake sale was on Saturday.  Richard and Jenna had gone to Roseburg and I was without a car until about 2:30 or so.  The bake sale had started at 11:00.  I didn’t arrive until between 2:30 and 3:00.

          Poor little Julienne.  She’d been there all day – or so it appears.  The day started out typical of last month, overcast and cool in the morning and didn’t warm up until 4:00 – which is when the bake sale ended.  I said  Jenna and I could stay if they needed us to.

          Julienne was wrapped in Jeanne’s coat.  She’d been freezing all morning .  Jeanne took Julienne home and Jenna and I stayed with Bob for the last hour of the bake sale.  Jenna was a natural saying “Hi” to each passerby and doing her best to sell the remainder of the baked goods.  Bob and I were talking about my most recent class.

          Funny how when I started my Philosopy class, I thought “eww. . .” and it turned out to be one of my favorite classes.  My economy class has also been a lot more enjoyable than what I had predicted – especially after eight weeks of feeling lost on a foreign language and loathing the teaching methods of and not relating to my instructor at all.

          I had done some research for this week’s topic. thought I would try a new approach for my assignment and had a large variety of references.  I can’t believe how smoothly my thoughts flowed and how I was able to segue one topic into the other.  It was great.  I stopped at 546 words thinking I would finish up sometime today with the other 54 plus. (600 are required) I actually did find a way to finish, but not in a way I would have expected.

          Yesterday, after I walked into the courthouse (as we no longer meet at the Nazarene and I think the city council is just more convenient for everybody involved) Bob handed me a book he had written.  He had even marked a page where I could find reference to go with my topic.  I think it’s really awesome – not only does it add value for my assignment but answers a few more questions about the history of Douglas County - Myrtle Creek in particular.

          Next week this class will be over and I will reveal this week’s two topics and share my posts and assignments.

Baking Donations: Another Fund Raiser

Ben and Khonnie Andrews are professional auctioneers – who just so happened to live in the ward where I grew up.  I remember several fund raisers featuring cakes or baked goods which Ben and Khonnie would take turns auctioning off.  It was wild.  A lot of competitiveness among certain ward members.  Some with deeper pockets than others.

 

I remember doing two cobblers one year – a blueberry and a cherry.  One sold for 35 and the other one sold at 5-10 dollars less.  And that was one of the lower priced items.  There were cakes that had sold for 80 dollars or more during various years.  It kind of put my second ward to shame as 25 was actually among the highest bids and the hand-picked auctioneer had little experience at auctioning. My second ward was a poorer area than my first homeward.

We attended an auction for the third time in this ward.  The last two times have been fund raisers for the Young Women, but last night’s event was for the cub scouts.  Hawaiian haystacks were the featured dish for all who showed up to eat.  It didn’t seem to be well attended from my point of view – well, perhaps the dinner itself was, but not so much the auction that was presented afterward.

First there was a skit about Peter Pan and the lost boys making plans to rescue Tiger Lily from Captain Hook’s lair – but they couldn’t follow through with their plans because they hadn’t attended scout camp and so were unprepared.  If we raised enough money through the auction, we would be able to send each of the boys to camp and the skit would turn out much differently – for they would have the needed skills to not only save Princess Tiger Lily, but be prepared for real life situations as well.

Jenna had gone to an auction only a few weeks ago with one of her brothers.  She is the one who suggested that we make a campfire cake – which Roland looked up on the internet and found a picture.  Jaime and I made a practice cake on Monday;  Roland and I decorated it Monday night.  It looked good.  I wasn’t as impressed with the taste of the cake.  But it did go rather quickly.  The last piece was being eaten while the donation cake was being cooked.

Overall, I liked the appearance of the first a lot better – although I did borrow the marshmellow idea from this blog and liked the way it enhanced the look of the cake.  So thank you,Jessica for sharing this. Your cake looked the most impressive. 
I think we might have found a better choice of candy as we never had a true orangish look.  I thought the flames on the second cake appeared more like Dorito’s chips with chicken pox.

Roland decided to match the price that the cake sold for – thus ours was the highest sold item at 51.00.  Had he not matched the price, the highest bid-on item would be the éclairs that went for 35.00 and apparently were devoured as the auction continued. And I think the auctioneer had actually paid 40 for chocolate chip cookies that she wouldn't even give opportunity for the rest of us to bid on.

There was a large variety of desserts and more than enough to bid on.  Some sold quickly – some not so much.  Our auctioneer has a really great sense of humor. It wasn't professional like Khonnie and Ben's, but it was fun. 

No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Concent and yet . . .

fund raisers seem necessary

for raising money for

different causes

charities 

one may go from door to door

seeking collections

usually with product that

no one wants or

can afford  or

doesn’t like     

parties at both ends

feel emotion   

the recipient fells bad that

he can’t contribute     

or feels anger towards

the very idea of

having walked across

the room to open

the door to something he

may not even believe in         

or resentment because he

has purchased the product

when he knows it could

have been used more wisely              

the seller (or cause promoter)

either gives up because

she is discouraged that

no one wants to buy  

or else she continues

but with an attitude full

of regret and resentment and

eventually cries because

not being able to raise funds

has made her feel like a failure

Fund Raisers Should Not Stir

Up Emotion in Such a Negative Way

missionary work seems necessary

for the benefit of

saving souls 

one may go from

door to door preaching

the gospel and

sharing a message that

others may not know 

those individuals on

each side of the door

feel emotions  

the one inside

of the house

feels anger towards

the very idea of

having waked across

the room to open

the door to something he or

she may not believe in

or resentment because she

doesn’t feel the need to

change and feels that she is

being told to

change her ways         

the missionary often feels

like giving up because

he is discouraged that

no one seems to want

to hear the gospel or

else the missionary may

continue with diligence and

prayer sometimes feeling

regret and may eventually

come to resent the church

Sacrifice and Service

Should Not Stir Such

Negative Emotion

we are told that

we must be sealed

in the temple and

we are taught that

families are forever and

we are taught to live a

certain way so that

we may enter into

the temple but sometimes

there are those who

enter by themselves

because the family members

don’t always lead the same values

or maybe they do but

there is one part that

doesn’t seem in

harmony with the gospel

Our loved ones stand

outside feeling emotions

of anger

or respect

or admiration

or exclusion

wondering why a church

that promotes families

don’t allow the family members

see their loved ones get married

and those inside

wish that their

loved ones could share

in their happy moment

and may one day

resent having excluded

certain family members and

may one day be

outside the walls

themselves

We Should Never Feel

Discrimination.  God

Doesn’t Discriminate.

Man Does.

Not Even a Haircut or a Cheesecake

Today was the PTO prize drawing - right after the talent show.  I don't think the PTO raised the money that they had hoped - though each day seemed to get a little more money than the first.  I'm thinking this morning was our busiest morning.  Maybe not.  I just felt like it was.

Jenna did not beat the odds this time.  She did not win the scooter or the summer pack.  9 consolation prizes were picked from all of the tickets entered in each drawing.  Three kites, two water bottles, four cheesecakes and two haircuts. I bet they could have done key chains and t-shirts as well - perhaps it was discussed at a former meeting.  I don't know.  I wasn't there.

The child who had turned in the most money received a $50. gift card to Wal-Mart.  It had come from a kindergartner who had two other prizes.  The money she had received earned her over 60 tickets - most which went towards the baby doll - which she won.  

I think our competitor - who checked the status every morning - should have gotten a  consolation as well. It was only $5.00 difference.  But I didn't think about it until after I returned home - not that I actually had a say in it.  It wasn't my project or my idea.  I was just trying to put in some missed volunteer hours.

I had really jumped the gun by titling this post.  Sick most all of February.  And I'm still not quite there. And since spring break will be starting tomorrow, I can't see that my routine will be that until after Jenna returns to school on the 8th.  She will be nine when she returns.  Right now she is eight. 

We'll have another PTO meeting right after spring break.  Perhaps I can find a routine then.

volunteers needed and fundraisers

I’ve done volunteer work for the PTO and the PTA. I have never served on the board or chaired a committee. I’ve been approached three different times to volunteer/head the fundraiser.  Oh, no.  I hate fundraisers.  How could I possibly be in charge of something I loathe so much?

The first school that my daughter attended seemed to get a lot of support for the PTA involvement.  The PTA president had asked me if I would volunteer one or two days a week to make copies for various teachers.  As I was already coming in once a week to assist with the preschool and kindergarten teachers – one or two extra hours in the copy room didn’t seem like a big deal.

In that first school all of the paper was kept in the room behind the office along with the copy machines.  We were asked to record how much paper was being used and for what teachers. 

I never made copies at Jenna’s second school.  I volunteered to help out her teacher once a week - but I have no idea how the copy system worked there or where the copier(s) was/were located.  Had only gone to one PTA meeting in which I was asked if I would like to be the PTA teacher for the following year.  Were they serious? It was my first meeting at that particular school.  The only reason that anything was said in English is because I was present and so somebody translated for me.  I think a bilingual PTA president would have been more practical.  But PTA support in that school was less than pathetic.

Making copies in this current school is different from the first – each teacher is responsible for his or her own paper.  In first grade I would forget and get to the copier and realize I would have to go back to the classroom for paper.  The PTO seemed to have a lot more support in the first two years (in which Jenna attended) than it does now.  I still make copies for teachers but have actually not been involved a whole lot with the PTO until recently.

I haven’t participated actively for almost an entire year because of other pressing matters (namely mom’s dementia) and so just came back to the PTO meeting and I have gotten involved. Ironically my participation at present has to do with the fundraiser.

Jenna likes the idea of  “selling” and is quite competitive when it comes to prizes – or at least she was.  We don’t live in the greatest financially conditioned neighborhood.  Everybody’s struggling just to make ends meet and as the children in the neighborhood attend a tremendous amount of schools, it is not possible to support every single school – and who needs all those “worthless” trinkets anyway?  Or wrapping paper three times the price that one would pay in the store?  Or one dollar chocolate bites? Or expensive cookie dough that actually doesn’t taste all that superior?

Jenna had sold two tubs of cookie dough and two cookie scoopers our first year here.  Of course she was the only one in kindergarten that sold which earned her a price – and they had cool prizes here – way more cool than her first school.  But Roland would have to sell them all in order to get the prize that he truly wanted.  Jenna was happy with the soundmaker keychain. 

Last year there was the option: If you don’t want to buy, you can still donate, and your child would still get his ducks and a ticket for the drawing.  Jenna never did receive her ducks.  And she only got one ticket.  She did beat the odds however.  Her one ticket is the one that was drawn and she received the I-pod Shuffler that had motivated many of the children to go out and sell.  Funny thing, I think she would have rather had the plastic ducks on key chains.

I really like the fundraiser this year and did contribute money wise – but not for the prizes to be won.  This time instead of selling worthless and expensive crap (in which the PTO/PTA receives only a small percentage) why not just skip to the incentive?

This year prizes were donated: scooters, a bike, a summer fun set (includes hula hoop, ball, paddles, bubbles, a kite, etc.) a night at the Hampton (not that the kids care, but the donors might) an I-Pod, an I-Home, gift cards to Lowes or Costco, a Furby, a baby doll (that appeals to our first grade and kindergartners) amoung others.  Five dollars will get you one ticket to enter the drawing of your choice – each additional five dollars will get you two more additional tickets.

I thought Jenna would really want a scooter, but she’d rather have the ball.  So we have tickets in both the scooter drawing and the summer fun set.  And there will still be prizes left that aren’t in the drawing (such as cheesecake and extra kites)

Unfortunately it hasn’t been well advertised or the parents just aren’t getting it, or something.  We haven’t been as busy as we’d like or had the support we would hope to see.  But there haven’t been a lot in the way of volunteers either.  I don’t know why.  Nor do I understand why there isn’t a bigger priority on education or extra curricular learning that the funds aren’t automatically made available. 

I am so grateful for those who take the time to educate our children and for those volunteers who support growth.  I’m grateful to those who are creative enough to come up with great ideas like this one.  I hope it fans out for everybody involved.