CLOSED LOCKS CREATE A DIVIDED WILLAMETTE

The Corps of Engineers closed the Willamette Falls Navigation Canal and Locks in West Linn in November for repairs to the gudgeon arms and anchors on Gates 2, 3, and 4, as well as other yet-to-be-described issues that will require a sizable maintenance investment.

We urge river users to contact their local elected officials, to let them know the importance of maintaining the option of marine freight and recreation through our locks, and what financial effects a closure of any length may impose upon their businesses, workers and customers in the communities along the river.

AUTHOR APPEARANCE AND BOOK SIGNINGS---

$1.09 an hour and glad to have it--
Conversations with 17 mid-20th Century Crown Zellerbach millworkers 
 
2012-- Many thanks to the Oswego Heritage Council for inviting Sandy Carter to appear at its "First Wednesday" lecture series at the Heritage House March 7.
It was a great audience and the accompanying displays are wonderful.

We also thank the Clackamas County Heritage Council for the time on its March meeting program and the Tigard Public Library for inviting us as a "Book Talk" guest speaker in January
       
We survived the 11 day run-up to Labor Day at the Oregon Authors' Table at the State Fair, where we placed about 30 books in the hands of history-loving Oregonians from Woodburn, Gladstone, Salem, Rhododenron, Happy Valley, Damascus, Canby, Eugene, Oregon City, McMinnville, North Bend, West Linn, Portland, Silverton, Wilsonville, and Shedd, raising nearly $900 for the work of the Foundation. Favorite buyer in October? Wisconsin Historical Society! Favorite sale of the winter: 22 books to The Book House, also in Wisconsin.

All proceeds from sales go back into the project, which was grant-funded by the Kinsman Foundation and the Clackamas County Cultural Coalition.  Thanks to all of you who have called and ordered and shared your mill family stories, papers and connections.

New Office OPEN HOUSE:

About a dozen friends dropped by on Friday, July 29, to see our new space, chat and buy books. We're in Suite 101 of the Promenade Building, 421 High Street, just off the Promenade path. (Call ahead, 503-650-9570, as we're only in the office part time.)

Oregon City Mill Silent and up for bids--
It is with great sadness that we witnessed the February closure of the Blue Heron paper company and the loss of so many well-paid jobs in Oregon City on this historic industrial site. (NOTE: Although many confuse the two mills at Willamette Falls, the closure of Blue Heron has nothing to do with the West Linn Paper Company mill in West Linn, which has different ownership and produces high-quality coated papers, rather than recycled products.) Blue Heron had kindly allowed us to operate in rent-free office space at the OC mill since 2006.
         
         As Oregon City and the region look at the now-silent mill complex and consider its future, we trust people will remember what the great floods are capable of doing to that site--a recurring situation that the mill has been able to adapt to, but that might not be as amenable to other, less sturdy uses.  In the not-too-distant past,  the Oregon City mill built its own temporary dam at the south end of Main Street (which runs through the property and ends near the boat basin spillway), to protect Oregon City's downtown from disastrous flooding. With several National Register-eligible historic resources on the Oregon City property, we hope to see a thoughtful long-term adaptive reuse of the site, incorporating some kind of new industry, increased public access to falls viewing, and on-site heritage interpretation.
           The rich history of the Oregon City mill site may be found by going to:
 http://www.blueheronpaper.com/about_hist.html.
          Here is a beautiful image of Blue Heron painted by Phil Juttelstad for our "Art Contemplates Industry: Hawley Powerhouse" exhibit in 2008.