This is the HTML version of the IndexWa.org newsletter. Sent to a WHOPPING 103 MEMBERS monthly (well, most of the time).  News As It Happens has 63 members.  Join'em.

IF YOU HAVE NEWS TO REPORT AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT IN OUR NEWSLETTER OR BLOG, EMAIL IT TO US.  WE ACCEPT NEWS THROUGH THE 3RD WEEK OF THE MONTH.  NEWS AS IT HAPPENS IS AND BLOG NEWS IS ACCEPTED AT ANY TIME.

It appears that the Index Arts Festival truly was the biggest and best ever.  The turnout was so large that the septic system could not keep up.  Plans are in the works for Porta-Potties at the next Festival.

WOW!!!  That's all we can say.  WOW AGAIN!  IndexWa.org celebrated it's 2nd year on line on August 8, 2009 and WOW (yet again), it is booming on views and hits.

What started off as a "what if" has turned in to a part time job unexpectedly.  "We ain't complaining" though.  It's always a tug at the heart strings and a bit emotional when there is success where none was really planned.  We expected a few hundred hits a month from the locals, and that's about it.

2008 gave us 335,452 requests to the server with 58,843 page hits.

Through August 5, 2009 we have had 334,351 and 30,910 page hits.  Looks like we are tracking for 1,000,000 requests shortly.

UPDATE:  The server showed 430,000 and 74,900 respectively for the year but the server was reset on our anniversary date.  THAT SUCKS but guess we need to deal with it.

The blog has been very busy on top of it all. It was never intended to be this busy.  We have people visiting from all over the world and amazingly once in a while we meet somebody from Switzerland or Germany that found us and decided to visit Index and stay here a few days.

The site has brought new historical information to the Pickett Museum, found lost relatives of Wes Smith and helped the general public find answers to their questions.  (We get a lot of our answers from David Cameron and others when we just don't have the answer).

Thanks to everybody, near and far, for giving us the opportunity to succeed.

Thank You

Thank you to those that have been watching our back and have come up with job offers (that I have had to turn down).  No, I'm not lazy but have a few health issues (they don't keep me from working) but they do limit what I can do.

Also a BIG THANK YOU to Mark Reubish (www.teamrs.net) and Louise Lindgren/David Cameron (www.heybrookridge.org) for their generous donations to IndexWa.org.

These donations keep IndexWa.org alive and well.

Mossyrock Staycation

For the past 15 years or so, this webmaster and his wife have spent a week or so every year in Mossyrock, visiting family at yearly reunions however; we never really LOOKED at Mossyrock.

Mossyrock is located south of Chehalis and 21 miles east of I-5, near Mt. Saint Helens. It’s beautiful, but it does not have the mountainous beauty of Index. It’s beauty is in the lay of the land (green hills, trees, lakes).

The town itself has a population of about 350 permanent residents but Mossyrock extends for miles in several directions, bringing the population of Mossyrock to 3,500 – 4,000. In the summer months that population increases by 1,500 or so due to camping at Riffe Lake.

Riffe Lake is a man made lake. About 40 years ago, a dam was built and Riffe Lake evolved. The town of Mossyrock had to move a few miles west at that time and the OLD MOSSYROCK is now under water at Riffe Lake. Surprisingly, Riffe Lake is 27+ miles long!!

Unlike Index, Mossyrock does have a small but good sized grocery store, 2 beauty parlors, a tavern, 2 gas stations, 3 schools (they graduate 40 students a year on average), gift shop, flea market, auto parts store and a deli. The tavern, called the Pioneer Tavern, has been in business since 1960 and is still run by the same family that started it. They are famous for their DAM BURGER and friendly owners.

Industry? Nope. Mossyrock was formerly a logging town and there still are a few loggers around but they all work for companies outside of Mossyrock. If you live in Mossyrock and are lucky, you may find employment in the nearest “big town”, Morton, approximately 12 miles east of Mossyrock on Highway 12. Morton is another story for another time but of interest in Morton is the yearly Loggers Jubilee on the 2nd weekend of August each and every year. You may just get real lucky and find a job right in the town of Mossyrock but the jobs are limited.

So all in all, Mossyrock has similarities to Index. If you want to work, you need to commute. It has beauty and the people are down home friendly.
 

Our Documents Page

We've "re-vamped" the Documents Page on IndexWa.org.  The navigation is much simpler now and a few docs have been added.
 

Here is what is available:

• Town of Index Annual Newsletter and Consumer Confidence Reports, 2008 & 2009

• S.E.P.A. Form (State Environmental Protection Act)

• Special Events Environmental Checklist

• Outdoor Burn Permit and Regulations

• Application to Become A Volunteer Firefighter

• IRS Forms1040, 941, W-4 and W-9

We will add more documents as time passes.  Stay tuned.

Kelly Schmidt
 

Remember Kelly Rose Schmidt?  The woman who lost everything in a fire on the North Fork?  We had an opportunity to interview Kelly and the story is posted HERE.

A Site to See:

http://www.DiscoverTheForest.org - This site, from the U.S. Forest Service, can help locate all the outdoor spots in areas you're traveling to by ZIP code. Get ideas on what to do once you get there, how to use a compass, where to camp and much more.

This Months Quote:

Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll buy a funny hat. Talk to a hungry man about fish, and you're a consultant. - Scott Adams

Ed

PS - as a subscriber to IndexWa.org, you may hit REPLY to comment on anything in the newsletter. Please do not quote the complete newsletter, only the piece you are responding about. We have read the entire newsletter already. (grin)

To change your preference, see footer.