Skyline Happenings

Thanks to Bob P.

Thanks to Bob P.

thanks to Bob P.

Thanks to Mike C.

Thanks to Bob P. for this whacky story from historylink.org.

On October 26, 1954, Roy Bergo pilots a child’s bathtub equipped with an outboard motor in an attempt to travel 1,200 miles from Edmonds, Washington, to Alaska. He returns the next day, having made it as far as Whidbey Island.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

The 50-year-old adventurer had quit his guard’s job at the Washington State Reformatory in Monroe earlier that year, and planned his voyage to publicize the International Canoe Racing Association, which he founded. During construction of his unique vessel, Bergo reduced his weight to 144 pounds, because the baby bathtub — measuring 18 x 36 inches and 11 inches deep — could not accommodate his 178-pound frame.

He attached two stovepipes to the washtub, outrigger-style, to act as pontoons. The craft was powered by a 2-horsepower outboard motor. Besides Bergo, the tub was stuffed with a seat cushion, a jug of extra gas, a tarp, a rain jacket, an oar, and other items essential for ocean travel. His plan was to gas up wherever he camped ashore each evening. He wouldn’t state how much money he was carrying, but said he had plenty of sandwiches and candy bars to eat.

The High Seas Await

Intentionally missing from his inventory of goods were maps, charts, and navigational instruments. “I will rely on my own judgment,” he stated. “I have the utmost confidence in my own ability and judgment.” Bergo expected his trip to take 25 days, and he hoped to acquire a sponsor by the time he reached Port Angeles.

More than 100 spectators gathered at Jim’s Boathouse in Edmonds to bid him bon voyage. Newspaper reporters, along with television and newsreel camera operators, were there too. Bergo’s wife and daughter were also in attendance, as were Coast Guard officials. Bergo was not to sail alone. Coast Guard officials planned to follow him as far as he went, and were ready to issue him a ticket for reckless operation if his craft floundered or sank.

Dressed in a wool cap, sweatshirt, and blue jeans, the intrepid navigator made a few statements to the press. He kissed his wife and daughter and then climbed into the craft. Out on the water, he lit up a smoke, waved goodbye, and away he went.

Journey’s End

By nightfall he had traveled 12 miles to Double Bluff, Whidbey Island — just past Useless Bay — and decided to camp for the evening. He set out the next morning, but after 15 minutes into the second leg of his trip, his motor conked out. Bergo tinkered with it, but could not repair it.

His glorious adventure over almost before it had began, Bergo signaled the Coast Guard for help. The perturbed guardsmen took him aboard, gave him passage back to his camp at Double Bluff, dropped him off, and informed him that he’d have to make his way back to Edmonds on his own.

Leaving his one-of-a-kind craft on the shores of Double Bluff, he began the long walk back home. As one observer later stated, “The poor guy. Bergo didn’t even bring back the ring from his tub.”

llie Young, 34, started the Ride to the Polls campaign in 2020 to register new voters in person and online

Melissa Hellmann in The Guardian (thanks to Pam P.)

In Diné, or Navajo, culture, the horse symbolizes strength and resilience, as well as a connection to the earth. Cowboy culture is so relevant to Native communities, that horseback trail rides are used to draw awareness to issues within the community including suicide prevention, and alcohol and drug use, said Allie Young, a 34-year-old Diné grassroots organizer. This fall, Young has harnessed the trail ride to engage Diné voters for the presidential election: her group’s voter-registration events will culminate with 100 Indigenous voters riding on horseback to a polling station in Arizona on election day.

“When one mounts a horse and is in rhythm with the horse, that reconnection happens,” Young, founder of the Indigenous-led civic engagement program Protect the Sacred, told the Guardian. “So when we’re connected with the horse, we’re then reconnected to Mother Earth and reminded of our cultural values and what we’re fighting for, what we’re protecting.”

Native American turnout is especially critical in the upcoming election, when tribal sovereignty could be threatened by the conservative blueprint Project 2025, which states that fossil fuel drilling should be facilitated on tribal lands. Political representation that brings needed resources into Native communities is particularly important on tribal lands, where 75% of roads remain unpaved. In part due to Young’s advocacy, Native American voters are credited with flipping the historically red state of Arizona to Democrat during the 2020 election. That year, up to 90% of the roughly 67,000 eligible voters in the Navajo Nation voted for Joe Biden, according to data. (click on Page 2 to continue)

Thanks to Pam P.

Thanks to Sybil-Ann

Thanks to Kate B.

Thanks to Mike C. who notes that this should be THE issue.

Videos by Chevaz Clarke and Aaron Byrd

By Peter Baker and Dylan Freedman

Please click on this link to view the article and videos.

An ampersand (&) is a symbol that represents the word “and”. It originated from the ligature of the Latin word et, which also means “and”. The term “ampersand” comes from the phrase “& per se and”, which was shortened by English speakers over time. The treble clef is a symbol used in Western music notation to indicate the pitch of higher-pitched notes. It’s also known as the G-clef because the innermost curl of the symbol encircles the note G on the second line of the staff.

It’s kinda fun.

And maybe your friends will like it, too.

Take any 3 digit #.

Like 222.

Repeat it.

Like 222222.

Then divide by 13.

Then divide by 11.

Then divide by 7

You’ll get your original 3 digit #.

I feel a year younger already!