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To tell a little bit about myself, I was in a logging accident in December 1971 on Sugar creek near Prospect, Oregon. After felling a tree, a "widow-maker" (a branch) hit me on the head,breaking my neck at C6/7 level, thus becoming a Quadriplegic. I was pretty active up to that time, being in the outdoors all of my life. I guided, ran a 200 mile trap line in Alaska, hunted, fished and camped in Alaska, Oregon and California. Outdoors was my life and I never dreamed I'd have to learn it all over again.
After the accident, I went to RIO (Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon in Portland) to learn a new life. I meet a lot of great people there; that inspired me to keep on trying. Dr. Leland Cross and a Social Worker named Betty Nelson, they were my main mentors, they said I can do anything well almost anything. It just takes a "little longer" and in a different way, but it can be accomplished. After being discharged and being in a New World on wheels, I moved back to Medford, Oregon to begin challenging life. After contacting several agencies to learn a new vocation, I discovered these agencies wanted me to do income taxes for my career; they said this was all that they had available for me to do at the time.When I told them I wished to take Engineering, they sort of laughed. My caseworker, in Medford, said that I was not trainable and closed my case. At that time; there was nothing accessible for wheelchairs in southern Oregon; most classes being on the second floor that I wished to take. After bouncing around from one place or another for almost a year and trying to raise my young four children; I became ill and had to return back to RIO.
After being discharged from RIO once again, Dr. Cross and Betty Nelson, kept reminding me to go to school. I kept telling Betty, that I was not trainable, I had been 'brainwashed' into believing this!. Then when the summer session at PCC (Portland Community College) was just getting underway, Betty said "would you just go over to PCC and see if you would like it". Being of unsound mind, I said okay but you know the Old saying, "you can't train aN 'Old logger". She just laughed like she always did. Well I found out that the Old saying; "you can't train an 'Old logger" unfounded and not true! Before the end of the day, I had signed up for 21 credits (Math and English being a prerequisite to Mechanical Engineering). Definetly an unsound mind!
Yep, I said Engineering, PCC was accessible and I was able to travel all over it, except the PCC at the Cascade Campus and this is another chapter in itself.
At PCC, I met another mentor, Dick Wysong, my Engineer Instructor and I’d say "I can’t", he would say, "like hell you can’t, you can". Dick was one of most inspirational Instructors our class ever did see. If any one had a rough night and fell asleep, they would get an "eraser"! Dick was "expert" at throwing "erasers", he never missed! In his class, we had 8 hour class sessions 7:30 am to 4:00 p.m. every day, 5 days a week. With 4 hours or more homework assigned every night and if that wasn't enough, he made sure we had homework for Saturday and sometimes Sunday. Most of the students went to the classroom on Saturday that Dick provided for us. I was sick for a couple of terms and had to drop most of my classes, but was able to complete the math and computer courses during this period. This prevented me to completing my two-year Associate degree in two years. Instead, it took me five years to graduate. For several semesters, the Engineering class moved to the PCC Cascade Campus, which was NOT accessible for wheelchairs. Dick with his own money provided a 35 foot ramp to the Cafeteria and Library that the Students helped to construct over several weekends.
To make a long story short, between Betty Nelson and Dick Wysong and their support, I finally graduated with a 3.3 grade average. Eh, now who says, "you can’t train an 'Old logger"!
After my hard earned graduation in 1978, I went to work for Boeing in Portland as a Manufacturing Planner. A Manufacture Planner plans the manufacturing process of airplane parts, this was exciting.Remember this was the first work I was able to do in 7 years. Boy what a great feeling to get back in the work force. But in 1981, Boeing had a reduction on airplanes laying off about 300 workers and me too. Six months later I was re-hired back as a N.C. Programmer (program machines to fabricate parts). Then after about 6 years, I finally had the opportunity to work for Computer Information Systems and I'm still with them now.
During those years, I had fished only a few places, it was difficult to find accessible locations, I dreamed of getting a boat but what kind was the question. With most boats not to accessible to an electric wheelchair. After looking over many, I finially saw a Godfrey pontoon boat on the Internet. I purchased a 1996 24 foot Sweetwater ‘fish & cruise model with a 50 horse four stroke and 9.9 four stroke from Cascade Marine Center in Portland. To run the Columbia River, everyone should have two engines, a little one for insurance and it's great for trolling too. I had the front gate widened for my chair so I WOULD be able to load from the beach. I also, modified several seats to allow me to steer the boat. When I made my first launch, ah … "yes, the first launch, that day", this was heaven, Freedom that no one could imagine, it was "breath taking". I now get on the river ever chance I get!
Well, I hope you folk's enjoy this site. When you see a NEW accessible location to fish or camp, please email me with this information, I'll place it on the web. And by chance you catch a fish, please, also, email the location, type and size of catch and I'll start keeping this record on the database for everyone to visit, we'd all enjoy seeing and hearing the fisherman's tales!
Thank U for stopping by….
Doug
Just one of your handi-angler's...
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