By: abbiecakes

abbiecakes — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:01:22 +0000

HI Tricia
I wanted to comment on Philomath. I lived in Philomath until I was 12. My grandparents lived there until their death, and my aunts and uncles all went to school there. I am very familiar with the Clemens family and all that they provided the families of what used to be a logging town. The local swim pool and the track were donated by The Clemens. My recreation consisted of 1. going to the skating rink on the west end of town or 2. going swimming at the pool. We had swimming lessons in school starting in first grade. The town was pretty different back then. Lots of log trucks rolled through town and the silos burned the waste. We moved to Corvallis when I went into 7th grade and I graduated from Corvallis high. My Mother continued to work in Philomath at city hall. It was unfortunate that I was unable to take advantage of the Clemens scholarship. But I never wined about it and never expected it. And yes it is unfortunate that it did become so political. People were moving to Philomath to take advantage of the Clemens generosity. People who had no idea that what started out as a foundation for less advantaged kids, turned into a free for all. And why not? It was to good to be true. Families in Philomath relied on the timber industry and when that took a beating it really hit hard. It was unfortunate that the Clemens pulled the scholarship. I was unaware that they had reinstated it. If kids want to go to school they will find a way. I did and believe me I will be paying many years for my education. I have seen the film Clearcut and I know many of the people interviewed. I was sad to see such controversy over what began as a wonderful opportunity. When I went to school there the Clemens were local hero’s of sorts. Rex Clemens was a very nice and generous man. Philomath was a very conservative town and everyone knew each other. I guess this is all due to growing pains. I also thought the film showed a lot of whining kids who felt it was their right to take money from the Clemens. I failed to see any respect for what had once been offered. I hope people don’t form an opinion based on the film because I don’t feel it presented the whole story. It is best if you have a little bit of history and view it from another perspective. All said, Philomath was a wonderful place to grow up and my heart will always be there. I have so many happy memories of living there with all my extended family around me. I was excited when I saw that Cocoa Daisy was based in Philomath. What a small world. Sorry for the long message. I love the lay outs!

Comments on: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

By: abbiecakes