Next Issue
February 22nd
Submit your letter or story
by February 10th
Submit your letter or story
by February 10th
Posted by Jonathan Crane on December 18, 2011 at 10:45 pm
Tualatin’s Police Officers Annual Physical Fitness Test: ORPAT Written by: Jonathan Crane
i was talking to officer Eric Hermann a few weeks ago and he mentioned that Tualatin Police officers were going to do their annual physical fitness testing the following week, so I asked the Chief if he’d fill me in on the details and perhaps allow me to participate. Officer Eric Hermann was also kind enough to take
some great photos.
The course was set up at Hazelbrook Middle school November 9-13 for officers to test. Chief Barker’s description to me of the event, its practical function and the results it produces, was so clear I thought I’d run it virtually the way he sent it to me. Officers not only compete for bragging rights, but also earn a pay incentive for successfully performing the test in less than 5.5 minutes. It’s just
another example of how our Police force stays prepared to keep Tualatin safe. Click here for Full story and Photos
Posted by Jonathan Crane on at 10:33 pm
Murder and Intrigue in Old Tualatin by: Loyce Martinazzi
Deputies were gathered. Dad saw one of the deputies come out of the brush vomiting. It was typical May weather and Ristman had been dead 10 days. His skull had been crushed.
The story was front page news for weeks. Thompson was tried on second degree murder charges (there being no penalty set for first degree as the State at that time had abolished the death penalty). The courtroom in Hillsboro, the seat of Washington County, was packed.
Thompson was convicted on circumstantial evidence. Stains on his undershirt were an exact match to a shirt found on the trail down to the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Thompson was sentenced to life in the state pen, and he died there in 1940, still claiming he was innocent. Click here for Full Story and Photos
Posted by Jonathan Crane on December 14, 2011 at 7:39 pm
Come Join A Great Group of Men Whose Sole Purpose is to Help Our Veterans Submitted by: Terry Pennington
The Tualatin VFW Men’s Auxiliary exists to provide support to local veterans and their families in times of need. They were there forus and we do our best to be there for them.
Many people believe that you must be a veteran in order to belong to the VFW and that’s true. That’s why the VFW Men’s Auxiliary was formed because a lot of us realized that the need keeps growing and OUR VETERANS DESERVE ALL THE HELP THEY CAN GET.
In order to be a member of the VFW Men’s Auxiliary all you need is proof that you are directly related to veteran of a foreign war. Any of the following qualifies you for membership: a son or a daughter, father or mother, a brother or sister, grandparents, great grandparents, uncles or aunts, even cousins in any of those generations.
Our current activities include a Benevolence Program for emergency needs of Veterans and their families; participation in the Regatta Run; the Tualatin Crawfish Festival; and distribution of Buddy Poppies on Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day and at other appropriate events.
“Serving Those Who Have Served is our Mission Statement. You too can give back to those who have given so much”
You can help us expand our service by joining with us. For more information visit our website www.tualatinvfw.com Please joinus at our next meeting, Thursday Dec 15th, 6:30pm at the VFW Post above Mashita’s in Tualatin. Ring the door bell for entry.
Click Here for Full Story with Photos
Posted by Jonathan Crane on December 6, 2011 at 10:55 pm
By: Jonathan Crane Each month I tend to feature feel-good, pay-it-forward types of stories not because I seek them out, but because that is what is sent in. I am truly amazed at the general goodness of people and their willingness to step up and rise to the occasion when needed.
When Gabe Karapando had his snowboarding accident, people rallied. When the Food Pantry needed additional donations, they received them. When our local charities needed additional funding, we supportednthem. There are dozens of examples I could list, but I think you get my point.
It is typical to have such stories during the holiday season, but we have them every issue because people needing people is a year round event.
In this issue there are two stories that ask you to think differently. They offer a means to make subtle changes which can translate into major impacts on other peoples lives.
The first such story (page 21) was written by a very close friend of mine who was weeks away from losing his life to liver failure, but through a transplant was able to get well and has a new lease on life. He discusses organ donation and how it saved
his life.
The second is the front cover story. Susan Saari received an e-mail that she passed on which empowers us to make some simple adjustments in our shopping patterns which could have profound effects on our local economy. Just raising our consciousness of this topic is a great start.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Tualatin Life. There are many features which highlight what a vibrant and engaging community in which we live. Tualatin’s Gateway Feature is being constructed which will dramatically change the look of our main road. The CIO’s (Citizen Involvement Organizations) are in their infancy but seem to be taking root. The Tualatin Police had their annual physical testing which I’ve highlighted on page 7. Softball teams and other spring sports are forming. There is a lot going on.
Please make every effort to shop locally during this peak retail season. The impacts will be felt all year long.
Have a safe and happy holiday and please keep your stories rolling in.
Posted by Jonathan Crane on at 10:41 pm
The City of Tualatin strives to foster a sense of place and belonging along with a unique identity for the City. Tualatin takes pride in being known as a warm and welcoming community for new businesses, retail shoppers, and residents alike – indeed, this is central to our unique identity. Nowhere in our community do we welcome more people than on Tualatin-Sherwood Road. In fact, Tualatin-Sherwood Road is one of the most heavily travelled roads in the region. While this presents to facilitate significant amounts of traffic, it also presents an opportunity forus to showcase our beautiful City. Click here for Full Story and Photos
Posted by Jonathan Crane on at 10:34 pm
A New Home for the Holidays
Written by: Nancy Truax As many of you are bustling around town doing your holiday shopping, decorating your homes, and preparing for guests, Oregon Dog Rescue (ODR), an all-breed, no-kill, non-profit organization, will be moving into its first dedicated home. My original columnin Tualatin Life (June 2009) was about my volunteer experience with ODR and wasentitled “The Best Job in the World”. Since then, I have watched this incredibly dedicated group of volunteers work tirelessly to place dogs in the very best homes, train the more difficult ones to make them family-friendly, and nurse quite a few injured or ill dogs back to health so that they are adoptable. Deb Bowen and Krystyna Schmidt, the women who started the organization, and their devoted volunteers,
have found permanent homes for 1200 dogs since July of 2007. Click here for Full story and Photos
Posted by Jonathan Crane on at 10:28 pm
I’m Alive Because Someone Donated – Have you talked to your family about organ donation?
Submitted by: Mike Antonelli
This year I have a lot to be thankful for. Six months ago I was dying of liver failure. I couldn’t get up from the couch without help. Walking across the house left me completely winded. My body had accumulated 120 lbs. of fluid retention, primarily in my abdomen. I was experiencing life threatening bleedingin my esophagus as a result of my blood not being able to pass through my liver. I was struggling to think clearly as my liver no longer filtered the ammonia from my blood stream. All potential treatment options had been exhausted. The only thing that would extend my life would be a liver transplant. Click here for Full story and Photos
Posted by Jonathan Crane on at 10:22 pm
Tualatin’s Police Officers Annual Physical Fitness Test: ORPAT
by: Jonathan Crane I was talking to officer Eric Hermann a few weeks ago and he mentioned that Tualatin Police officers were going to do their annual physical fitness testing the following week, so I asked the Chief if he’d fill me in on the details and perhaps allow me to participate. Officer Eric Hermann was also kind enough to take some great photos. The course was set up at Hazelbrook Middle school November 9-13 for officers to test. Chief Barker’s description to me of the event, its practical function and the results it produces, was so clear I thought i’d run it virtually the way he sent it to me. officers not only compete for bragging rights, but also earn a pay incentive for successfully performing the test in less than 5.5 minutes. Click here for Full Story and Photos