Last year I posted about this project ([msg]208753[/msg]) I was working on for the local historical society – a failed irrigation system which the State tried to fix by building a reservoir at Bull Flat. Cut to the chase – the reservoir floor leaked and 100 years later the “reservoir” is still a sagebrush flat with a big unused dam at one end of it.
This last February I put on the presentation at a local HistoryPub (a monthly history night at a local pub). It turns out the next week a C-SPAN3 crew was coming into town to interview various folks about local historic topic for their American History TV series and, seeing the posters for my presentation the previous week, they took an interest and I ended up being interviewed. It actually aired this last weekend, but like it or not it now lives on in perpetuity on the interweb:
[flash width=420 height=315]//www.youtube.com/v/mBTYXD-yEu4?hl=en_US&version=3[/flash]
It was an interesting experience. My 9 minutes 40 seconds of infamy is the result of over 2 hours of Q & A on an unusually rain day at the dam site. The video journalists, Adrienne, was a real trooper. They flew in from D.C. and then had to tramp around all over the countryside for the good part of a week. Then in a month's time they edited 7 segments into a 1 hour show which was probably viewed by hundreds across the country last weekend.
100 Million Attaboys are Hereby Awarded
That is fantastic. As a local history buff I find this to be wonderful.
100 Million Attaboys are Hereby Awarded
Well 100 million thanks right back at you Cow. I was hesitant to post anything about this but a couple of friends who were aware of this threatened to do so. Pa always told me "If they're going to build a gallows for you and you have an opportunity to help, do it!"
Such a great job Mike, Thank you for sharing.
:good:
Nicely done Mike!
Well, that's 9 min 40 sec ....
that I won't get back. 🙂
But it was interesting and you told the story very well. Good job!
Very interesting and nicely done Mike!
Well done, thanks for sharing. A lot better than the "Reality TV" stuff!
> .....a failed irrigation system which the State tried to fix by building a reservoir at Bull Flat. Cut to the chase – the reservoir floor leaked and 100 years later the “reservoir” is still a sagebrush flat with a big unused dam at one end of it.....
That's a Dam Shame....:'( 😉
Great job Mike! Keep up the good work!B-)
Sure it wasn't the "shrinking" ground water levels that sucked the reservoir dry? Last I'd heard, State Water Resources have all but shut down well drilling due to the groundwater sucking water back out of the Deschutes river! 😉
GREAT work...!!!
Very nice presentation!!
Get your agent now, I imagine Hollywood will come looking soon!
Berry is a Peach
I am proud to admit that I am one of the folks who threatened to post this video if Mike didn't do it himself.
He didn't want to, he's a humble guy. How many of you even knew that he's the County Surveyor of Deshutes County, Oregon?
I called him the Huell Howser of Oregon, but maybe only Californians know what that means:-)
Don
OMG, Mike
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but.........when that beard goes 90 percent gray..............you could pass for my younger twin brother.
Watching that was a bit like watching myself on a video shot for a television show a few years ago. In my case, the show was featuring a small town cafe. I was the "local color" guy providing some of the history of the town and how it had come into existence, grown and slowly almost disappeared. Maybe a minute or so was used out of over an hour of taping.
Thanks y’all, glad you enjoyed the dam and pony show. Although this all came about unexpectedly, it was fun to get a rare opportunity to share my passion for some of these obscure local events in a larger venue. This irrigation story is much more complex and intriguing, to me anyway, than could be told in the allotted time. A veritable rogue’s gallery of sleaze balls march though this narrative.
My only disappointment is one part that got left on the cutting room floor. The fact that this story seems quaint and droll through the sepia tones of olden times, but during the recent boom we had hundreds of locals bilked of life savings and livelihoods by sharp dealing realtors, lenders and investors. Nothing picturesque and humorous about those stories. Maybe in a hundred years…
Gray beard, bring it on...
I never thought I'd say this Cow, but I can't wait for it to go completely gray. It's getting there, sort of a salt and cayenne pepper look, but still red enough to where I have this conversation with strangers more that I'd like to:
Stranger: Hey man, you look familiar.
Me: That guy, Pat the Subaru mechanic on Division Street, he and I get confused a lot...
Stranger: No, man, like someone on TV or something...
Me: Alan. Alan from "The Hangover".
Stranger: YEAH DUDE, THAT'S IT! Zach Galifianakis! HAHAHAHA. Where's Carlos man? Where's the baby?
Me: In the stolen cop car.Napping
