Thanksgiving Thoughts

Posted on November 28, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

What a year it’s been, and the post below is an amalgamation of a bunch of random thoughts and clips I’ve collected. Although a time of upheaval, we have much about which to be thankful.

As the photo (above right) suggests, why not raise a mug of my favorite Benedictine Brewery beer – Hairshirt IPA. Perhaps it can also help allay your guilt while you enjoy a great beer.

Here’s to Our First Responders and Health Care Professionals

I’m extremely thankful for both first responders and health care professionals – not only at this time of year, but every day. I admit a bias, because both of our daughters are registered nurses (Lisa – radiation/oncology clinic and Laura – hospital pediatric emergency department) and I am proud and amazed at their dedication and expertise.

I could go on, but these two photos (both from the archives) express it more aptly:

Oregon Health Sciences University is a large organization and gets a lot of bad press, but the patient care we have gotten there from every provider and all staff has been outstanding.

Dr. Laura Byerley, our primary care physician in the Department of Internal Medicine, who is also an assistant professor at the Medical School is the most notable example. She is an outstanding doctor and we are grateful for her. (#2 – #4)

The City of West Linn is a suburb twelve miles south of Portland, where we’ve made our home for the last forty-two years. With a population of 28,000, it’s an ideal place to reside.

The City Government is effective and services including the Police Department are excellent. It’s across the Willamette River from historic Oregon City, where I lived from the time I moved to Oregon in 1959 and graduated from high school. (#5 – #7)

I met Janet, my wife of forty-four years, at an Oregon City Planning Commission meeting in 1979 and she subsequently became the Assistant City Manager of West Linn, before working in the private sector.

I’d been impressed with the West Linn Police Department and after we both retired, I decided to try to support them and find out a little bit more. So in 2022, I took advantage of the program entitled “Meet the Chief” and had a wonderful chat with him over coffee.

Chief Peter Mahuna is a native of Maui and a former college athlete (basketball) at Pacific University where he graduated with a BS in Social Work. He has extensive law enforcement credentials and has been Chief since November 2021. (#8 – #9)

wlpd_photo_102024

I’d always wanted to schedule a “Ride-along” with a police officer and based on the positive experience with the Chief signed up in the winter of 2023:

“(The goal is to) provide an opportunity for the community to see first-hand, the day-to-day workings of law enforcement, including familiarizing the public with the complex and unpredictable nature of police work.”

I rode along with Officer Matthew Goode on a Wednesday evening from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. He introduced himself and gave me a tour of the Police Station which is a nice facility. During that period, we only encountered traffic violations, but I had a chance to have a great conversation.

Officer Goode earned a BS in Finance and then graduated from the Oregon Police Academy before becoming a WLPD officer in 2019. Chief Mahuna is a big man, but Matthew is significantly taller as you can see from the photos.

He’s a fine representative of the Police Dept. and loves his job although he was candid about the frustrations and challenges in serving, given perceptions of the police by many citizens.

For example, our last stop occurred after we followed a car for about a mile that was weaving and crossing the yellow line in a sparsely populated area of the City. It certainly appeared as if the driver was intoxicated.

When he could safely pull the car over, it was in the driveway of the owner. Rather than being intoxicated, the young woman, aged 16, had just obtained her driver’s license and had not driven at night previously.

Mathew cautioned her and didn’t issue a citation, but the girl’s young neighbor came out of her house and chastised him for making the stop in the driveway with his red-lights flashing – go figure!

He also told me that for every encounter or call, they have to enter in the car’s computer, the gender, race and age of the person stopped which goes to the State of Oregon. Each department’s statistics are analyzed to determine if there is a preponderance of race from the people stopped.

I was impressed with Officer Goode and it did not surprise me last week to see that he and a fellow West Linn officer received lifesaving awards for separate incidents. Goode, in response to a call on Sept. 11 helped save the life of an unconscious 2-year-old who had stopped breathing. Chief Mahuna stated:

“You immediately began administering CPR, checked the child’s pulse and began chest compressions. TVF&R arrived and you continued chest compressions working alongside TVF&R in your attempt at saving this child’s life.

After many minutes the child began breathing again. The child was then rushed to the hospital and the following day the child’s vital signs had finally been stabilized.” (#10)

Officers receive award

Life in West Linn

West Linn is an upscale community and has a lower crime rate than many cities. Recent statistics from one data source based on 11/23 figures show:

There were 310 total crimes committed in West Linn the last reporting year.
On a rate basis, there were 1,154.9 total crimes per 100K people in West Linn.
The overall crime rate in West Linn is -50.31% below the national average.
West Linn ranks #11 safest out of 103 cities in Oregon.
West Linn ranks #4,253 safest out of 9,869 cities in the United States.

I assume that one frustration for officers is the volume of mundane and frivolous calls to which they have to respond. The West Linn Tidings reports these each week and I’ve been saving some of the best which are somewhat humorous.

That said, I’m well aware that a police officer never knows when a routine call might be hazardous or involve saving a life. As unbelievable as it sounds, none of these are made up. Heres’ some from the last several years.

10/13/ – 4:55 pm – A woman said a man was sitting outside a church and followed her, so she had to run inside and lock the door. Police contacted the man who was a volunteer at the church and had arrived a bit early for an event that evening. (#11)

Bank security issues?

6/13/ – 4:22 pm – A caller expressed concern about a bank on Hood Street closing early.

4/10 – 9:54 am – An employee of a bank on Salamo Road called police because of suspicious circumstances. An occupied vehicle had been in the parking lot outside the bank for a half-hour and another vehicle showed up fifteen minutes later. An officer contacted the vehicles’ occupants who were just waiting for the bank to open. (#12 – #13)

Musical Instruments

7/11/ – 5:44 pm – Police received a complaint about people playing bagpipes on Willamette Drive.

8/4 – 2:41 pm – A woman complained about a husband and wife playing the accordion on Hood Street.

Children and Young People (#14 – #16)

7/25 – 2:04 pm – A missing child was found in a garage. Apparently he hid there after he was scared by a shadow in the backyard.

3/15 – 12:09 am – Girls buying two cases of toilet paper at Walmart claimed it was for a “school project.”

8/7 – 8:12 pm – A caller said a staff member at an undisclosed location grabbed a child’s tongue and yanked it.

1/28 – 11:48 am – Police received a call about a sixteen year-old who was expressing sexual frustration about his mother during therapy.

But the most bizarre incident has to be demonstrated with the headline from the West Linn Tidings and the news clip.

And just so you don’t think my former residence and crosstown high school rival isn’t squeaky clean, I leave you with this one from the City of Oregon City Police Log:

6/18 – An unconfirmed report of marijuana plants growing in the Senior Citizens’ Gardens remains a mystery. (#17)

The above incidents were culled from hundreds contained in the clippings I’ve saved and I have many more which I may post in the future. My wife will at least be thankful that I’m finally recycling these!

Happy Thanksgiving!

External Photo Attribution

#1. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:2010.08.22.150922 Umzug Bierfass Kirwa Sulzbach-Rosenberg.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: Hermann Luyken – 22 August 2010.

#2. OHSU Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=651984720287167&set=a.352160336936275).

#3. OHSU Website (Laura K. Byerly MD | Health care provider | OHSU).

#4. Wikimedia Commons (File:Oregon Heath and Science University, Marquam Hill, Portland – DPLA – 6e01f529e825c50a836d4955c257acca.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by Oregon State Archives as part of a cooperation project. Source: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives – 31 October 2019.

#5. Wikimedia Commons (File:Willamette Falls, Willamette River, Oregon City and West Linn – DPLA – 0649218212d8dc8ee462ef1911a3b29c.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Source: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives – 15 March 2021.

#6. Wikipedia (File:WL flag.jpg –

#7. Wikimedia Commons (File:Oregon City Bridge, Arch Bridge, Willamette River, Oregon City, West Linn – DPLA – b22b1b5705bedfad1bdb35b488a24655.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Source: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives – 20 March 2019.

#8. City of West Linn Website (Police Home | City of West Linn Oregon Official Website).

#9 – #10. City of West Linn Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/@WestLinnPD/).

#11. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Chase Bank branch in Palatine, IL.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Mysterymanblue / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain.

#12. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Gaita seivane brocada.JPG – Wikimedia Commons) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: Susana Seivane.

#13. Wikimedia Commons (File:Scandalli Extreme Diva 1.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author:
Zygmusc – 3 December 2022.

#14. Wikimedia Commons (File:Shadow 2 – panoramio.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: marco mini – 15 April 2007.

#15. Wikimedia Commons (File:Toiletpapier (Gobran111).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) L licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license. Author: Brandon Blinkenberg – 9 September 2004.

#16. Wikimedia Commons (File:زبان tongue.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Mahdiabbasinv – 12 March 2016.

#17. Wikimedia Commons (File:Cannabis sativa (marijuana plants) (Manhattan, Kansas, USA) 14 (48971448801).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: James St. John – 18 July 2015.

November Notes

Posted on November 9, 2022 by Thebeerchaser

Happy Thanksgiving!

There have been many stories about problems with law enforcement personnel. It’s important to remember that the overwhelming majority of these public servants are dedicated and conscientious individuals who deserve our support. Two examples are related below:

City of West Linn

We live in this suburb of Portland. While it might not seem to be a big deal, I initially contacted the City in 2015 with a letter expressing concern over lack of adequate signage/lights at a crosswalk across a busy arterial two blocks from our house.

My letter stated, in part:

“There is a crosswalk which is heavily used by a diverse group ranging from school kids to runners to residents like us who use the crosswalk on exercise walks or just to walk to the nearby commercial district….The warning light for the crosswalk is totally inadequate and does not serve the purpose of warning drivers that the crosswalk is occupied…”

As you could glean from the December 2021 post about my Dad’s long battle with the City of Madera, Ohio regarding the sewage system, when I was in grade school, he taught me that one needs to be persistent to resolve a problem. ( (External photo attribution at end of the post #3)

Two appearances at the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee and essentially annual letters helped result in a speed limit change but no change in the light or signage.

Unlike in Ohio, the City of West Linn was very responsive in communicating and admitted that both the placement of the crosswalk and the light were problems, but budget constraints precluded resolution.

That is until 2022, when the City informed us that new lighting had been ordered and would be installed in August. Police Chief, Peter Mahuna and Captain Oddis Rollins also were very communicative about enforcement of speed limits and the plans for a new motorcycle traffic officer. Supply chain issues delayed the installation until October, but the effort was finally rewarded.

Having worked in local government for seven years, I understand the constraints, but also know when a government unit is just blowing off a citizen initiative. This was not the case with any of the multiple City personnel with whom I dealt. Take a look at the change! (In the video, the pedestrian had already finished crossing.)

The Chief – Overcoming Bad News with Good News

West Linn had very serious problems with its Police Department prior to Chief Mahuna assuming the position. It resulted in the termination of a sergeant against whom criminal charges were subsequently filed, the former Police Chief was fired and a substantial law suit settlement was paid by the City.

Chief Mahuna realizes a major part of his job is regaining the Department’s credibility with the community and communicating with its citizens. This effort was quite apparent in my dealings with him as evidenced in these e-mails. (The first one is an excerpt).

May 26 – “Mr. Williams, Thanks for your letter and I completely understand your frustrations. I wanted to address the speeding and crosswalk concerns you mention in your letter. The PD conducted crosswalk missions last year and we were able to educate several drivers about the safety concerns in crosswalks.

Unfortunately, with our severe personnel shortages we don’t currently have enough people to conduct them until our staffing gets back up.

………Due to the geography of West Linn and access routes, Salamo Road gets more police cars up and down it throughout the day than most streets in our City. That being said, we will ask our troops to keep an extra eye out on Salamo. Respectfully, Peter”

Sept. 2 – “This is great to hear. Thanks for the follow up. Just a reminder that we will be hiring our motorcycle officer on September 12^th. Once he gets settled in his focus will be traffic related issues around the city to include monitoring crosswalks. Thanks for the email. Peter”

He is a very busy man and I’m a retired guy, so I was impressed with his communication and responsiveness and told him that I hoped to meet him at some point. Within an hour I got the following response:

Sept. 2 – “Would love to meet. Sign up for “Coffee with the Chief” on our website. We can meet at PD or Salamo Starbucks. Peter”

Well, I signed up and at 8:00 on October 13th, I spent almost forty minutes with Chief Mahuna in his office – we had a great chat, which I both enjoyed and appreciated. (#4)

Chief Mahuna is a native of Maui and a former college athlete (basketball) at Pacific University where graduated with a BS in Social Work. He has extensive law enforcement credentials and is sincere in his efforts. For example, he’s asked citizens to participate in interview panels for new officers.

Soon after I met with him, I saw that two reps from his Department were meeting with a Citizens’ Group and his personnel are getting involved in the community.

I wish him success in these efforts.

And Speaking of Good Law Enforcement Administrators

In my January 2020 post on our road trip through the Southwest including several days in Pueblo, Colorado (home of some of the best dive bars I visited since the start of Beerchasing), I mentioned having a beer with Kirk Taylor and his family.

At the time, Kirk was the Sheriff of Pueblo County with responsibility for law enforcement and corrections – first elected in 2007 and re-elected three times. (#5- #6)

Kirk is a USMC Veteran and started as a patrolman in the narcotics division for the City of Almarosa, CO. After earning his associate’s degree and while ranching full-time, he completed his BA.

While working as an investigator for the District Attorney’s Office, he attended and graduated from law school at the University of Colorado. He has been a leader in law enforcement serving on numerous state task forces in addition to teaching at the State Police Academy.

Kirk is a man of faith, family, an avid outdoorsman. He coaches youth athletics and is active in civic and non-profit organizations such as 4-H. He’s also a national authority on the impact of legalizing marijuana including an appearance on a CBS 60 Minutes special.

I’m happy to report that on October 20th, Kirk was sworn in as 31st United States Marshal for the District of Colorado after being nominated by Pres. Biden and confirmed by the US. Senate. He and his wife are moving to downtown Denver in November. (#7- #8)

Congratulations to US Marshal Taylor!

The Cycle of Life – Puppy Version

As I related in a June 10, 2022 blog post, Janet and I during the forty-three years we’ve been married, have never had a pet. That said, our two daughters and their spouses each had wonderful dogs and they became our “Grand-puppies.”

We always looked forward to our visits with Sullivan – an amazing thirteen-year old Havanese and Wesley – a beautiful six-year old Golden Retriever.

First there was “Sully Bear.” He lived in Lake Forest Park, WA and always waited with anticipation at the window for his “parents” to come home and was the ultimate lap dog – he loved to cuddle with his two young “sisters.”

“Wesley Walter” loved to run and swim especially at the river near his home in Portland and the beach – a big dog, but he always gentle with the babies at his house.

Our granddaughters and their parents loved these pups and family get-togethers were always enhanced by their presence. They got along with each other very well.

We were grief-stricken on March 10, 2021, when Wesley, after a few cardiac episodes, died of a heart-attack. Exactly one year later, his “brother” Sullivan succumbed to multiple health issues based on his advanced years.

The memorial stones below will always provide memories of these wonderful members of our family.

The good news is that this coming weekend we’ll meet the new addition to the Magnusson family. Archie was welcomed to their family on October18th as you can see from the photos below. The new puppy is a Golden Cavapoo

His appearance brings back memories of Sullivan, who we still hold in our hearts. There will be an extended family welcome with the four granddaughters et. al. in Portland.

Okay, but What About Beerchasing!

The pandemic in 2020-1 and then major back surgery in June this year severely curtailed my Beerchasing exploits other than scattered reviews and one recent road trip, but I’m back on the trail again. Stay tuned for the next post and I’ll give an update and some future plans.

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving to Those Who Celebrate It! (#9)

beer picture cRedCruiser- Trader Joes