Ten Ladies Dancing Tag Sale Dec. 12 10 - 3

Join us Saturday, December 12th from 10 - 3 for a community tag sale inside the schoolhouse where we're hoping it's a LOT warmer. What have we got? Nine jars of homemade soup, eight dozen cookies, seven stampers stamping, six multi-colored umbrellas (and an antique parasol), five golden napkin rings, four hand-sewn grocery bags, three big boxes of floral display materials, two motorcycle helmets and one ladies' flashy purple wetsuit.

You are invited to a
FREE
Wreath Making Party
Sunday, December 6th , 1:00-500 pm
Enjoy the Holiday Spirit with friends and family
at the Schoolhouse making and decorating your own Holiday Wreath

We have grapevine wreath foundations, ornaments, silk flowers, swags and greenery. Bring a wreath foundation and wired ribbon if you have them to share (available at any dollar store)

If you don't have them, come anyway
we'll share what we have!

Other ideas to bring: Cookies or treats to share, holiday ornaments, pinecones, unusual greenery, silk flowers, dried flowers or seedpods.

Bring what you need for a special color or themed wreath.
We will help you make it!
Refreshments and Door Prizes

Raffle tickets sold and drawn for prizes at the party
Thank you to the following business for helping us out:

DeWils - Mini Refrigerator
Battle Ground Rockery - $100 gift certificate
B.G. Subway Stores - Sandwiches
B.G. Supercuts - Haircuts

More to be added

We Can Flush!

We have a flushing toilet in the schoolhouse!

This has been a TREMENDOUS task -- raising the money, finding material donations, hiring professionals for the parts we couldn't do and being blessed with donations of labor from our wonderful neighbors. Everyone has done their part from banging nails in the bathroom walls (Carl Stuart spent WEEKS in that little room!) to bidding on cookies at the auction to help raise funds.

We still have a bit more to do and need to raise about $800 more to pay for materials we've already purchased and buy a few more things -- a light for above the mirror, paint for the walls and ceiling, an electric fire exit sign that goes above the kitchen door, a bureau to store cleaning materials in, and a few more small items to finish up.

The annual fall potluck was great fun! Everyone must have bid extra high on our cookies this year because we made $162 on the auction alone and brought in more on the quilt raffle than we ever have before.

Two upcoming events:

* Wreath Making at the Schoolhouse

Sunday, December 6 from 1 - 5

Make your own holiday wreath. Free!

* Winter Tag Sale at the Schoolhouse

Saturday, December 12 from 10-3.

Come and see what we've got that you can use!

Heirloom Apple Festival

Heirloom Apple Festival -- over 200 kinds to taste!

Co-sponsored by Friendly Haven Rise Farm and the Venersborg Community Club

Saturday, October 17 from 11-4

At the Venersborg One-Room Schoolhouse

We're hosting an Heirloom Apple Tasting with 200+ different varieties to sample and nearly all of them are delicious. Some taste sweet, some tart ones pucker up your mouth but make great cider. Others taste like honey, bananas, roses. Some are long and narrow, some have red flesh, others are white as snow, and some are breeds from the 1600s. Admission lets you sample as many as you'd like, just point and we'll give you a taste of each of them. Come hungry!

If you find an unusual variety you like, we'll graft a tree for you from that breed.

Cast your vote for best flavor, prettiest, most unusual shape, tartest, sweetest, best scent, and strangest flavor.

If you have old apples trees growing in your backyard we'll do our best to identify them. Recently we found an old variety on our farm that was thought to be extinct!

Venersborg and the surrounding area were old fruit-growing communities. Apple trees can grow for 80-100 years and the old varieties planted in our early days are coming up on the end of their time. If these trees are identified and branches from the old trees grafted onto new tree stock, these varieties will continue. We'd like to encourage people who have (or know of) an old apple tree on their land to bring them in so we can look at them. At last year's apple event about a half dozen apple varieties were identified that were pretty rare.

If you'd like your apples identified, bring 5 from each tree in a separate paper bag. Don't wash or polish them because some of the characteristics are in the bloom. The apple ID crew is from the Home Orchard Society and love doing this.

What else can you do? You can buy unusual apples and apple trees to plant; eat homebaked apple pie, cookies and beef-dogs; drink fresh cider; and enter your name in the raffle for the extraordinarily beautiful handmade quilt. At 2pm we'll have an apple pie making demo by local pie-making experts. Come and learn their secrets. Tours of the old school and its history will be given hourly.

Admission is $5, $10 for families. Apple tasting, tree identification, pie making demo, tours and one quilt raffle ticket are all included in admission.

Held at the historic Venersborg one-room schoolhouse at the corner of 209th St and 242nd Ave in Venersborg, ten minutes east of Hockinson. Part of the proceeds go to the Venersborg Community Club "flush fund" to install a real bathroom to replace the still-in-use outhouses.

More info at http://www.FriendlyHaven.com

Fiddlers Festival Successful

The Fiddler's Fest was wonderful. We raised about $400 as the folks there generously contributed to our fund and bought raffle tickets, ate a dozen kinds of homemade cookies, found flowering shrubs and herbs to bring home from the plant sale, gorged on steamed hot dogs and then made more donations for tickets for the quilt raffle in October. Much fun had by all.

Click on the video and hear it again. Thank SO MUCH to all the members who helped and especially to the fiddlers who sounded fantastic. What a lovely day to sit outside the old schoolhouse and listen to them play.

Fiddlers Festival

Build-a-Bathroom Fiddlers Festival

Sunday, August 16 3-6pm

Over the past few years we’ve gathered enough money to purchase a septic system to replace our ancient outhouses. We need about $5000 more in materials and labor to build the bathroom.

Help us raise money while enjoying a day of fiddling and festivities. Come hear old time music, take a tour of the 97 year old one-room schoolhouse, play horseshoes and meet your neighbors.

See the homemade quilt and other raffle prizes. We’ll pass the hat for donations and if you’re handy with a hammer, we’ll invite you to help build the bathroom during work parties in the next few weeks. Our goal is to have this bathroom in and working in September. Can we do it? With your help, it's very likely we'll be ready flush soon.

The Venersborg Schoolhouse is on the National Historic Register and is fully supported by community donations and the loving care of the Venersborg Community Club members.

LAST PHASE OF OUTHOUSE REPLACEMENT

The Venersborg Community Club has been working on fundraising all year to install a bathroom to replace the outhouses at the historic old one-room schoolhouse that serves as our community center.

L&S Contractors of Yacolt did a fine job getting our septic system into the ground. They had to maneuver around big boulders under the ground and managed to find a path to put the pipes. They only had to blast one small area of rock and that went smoothly.

We had a surprise contribution from Progress Electric, a Venersborg electrical contracting company, who installed the electric system for the septic and donated their labor, saving us hundreds of dollars.

Tom Dunn brought many yards of nice loamy soil to fill in the holes. After hours he drove the dump truck up to his home in Yacolt, dug up the soil and then drove it back to the schoolhouse and unloaded it, all for free to us.

The Hockinson Fire District 3 donated $1500 they raised at the Hockinson Fun Days Pancake Breakfast. This photo was taken when they came to the schoolhouse and presented us with the check.

The Dietel family donated $1000 in memory of Rolland and Jeaneane Dietel. High Valley Homeowners Association donated $500 and many donations have been made in smaller amounts from Venersborg residents who are, like us, eager to get this project completed.

That money paid the balance on our new septic system. We are deeply grateful to everyone for their generosity. Observe vice president BJ Schulte's response to these donations!

Now we're ready for the last phase -- building the bathroom. We need a few talented volunteers to help. If you have some carpentry or architectural design skills and a bit of free time, let us know.

We still need about $5000 more for the building materials. Our goal is to have the bathroom built and in use by September. Can we make it?

To help raise money we are having an old time fiddlers' afternoon on Sunday August 16 from 3-6. Come and hear the fiddlers, play horseshoes, snack on our home-baked goodies, admire the handmade quilt we'll raffle off in October. We'll have local prizes to raffle, too. We hope you enjoy yourself so much you'll make a donation.

Carpentry volunteers can call with a time they are available to do a few hours work. If you or your business have something you'd like to donate to our fiddlers raffle, call Jacqueline Freeman at 687-8384.

Generous Donations from Community

We have had wonderful support lately from people in the community. Recent donations include $100 from the Dietel family in memory of their parents,

Brenda and Scott Wilson donated $50 in memory of Brenda's godmother,

and $1500 from Fire District 3 from their pancake breakfast on Hockinson's Fun Day on May 30th. Oregon Electric Group donated a large fire extinguisher and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers #48 gave us a check for $300 to purchase another - net about $250!

The donations come pretty close to paying the bills for installing the septic system, leaving us a balance of about $500 more to come up with. Once we have that paid, we'll go ahead with the next (and final!) step of building the bathroom onto the back of the building. We're looking forward to our first flush!

Septic System is IN!

L&S Contractors of Yacolt (686-3827) did a fine job getting our septic system into the ground.  They had to maneuver around those big ol' boulders under the ground and managed to find a path to put the pipes. They only had to blast one small area of rock and that went smoothly.

We had a surprise contribution from Progress Electric (687-3561), a Venersborg electrical contracting company, who installed the electric system for the septic and donated their labor, saving us hundreds of dollars. 

Basil (L&S) saved out a few big boulders to put around the edge of the drain field so we can keep cars from driving on it. One of their employees, Tom Dunn, donated a few yards of really nice loamy soil to fill in the holes. After hours he drove the dump truck up to his home in Yacolt, dug up the soil and then drove it back to the schoolhouse and unloaded it, time and soil as a donation, too.

Next Dennis Moore is finishing up detailed drawings of the new bathroom so he can take it down to the county office and get a permit. We'll need more donations to pay for that and get the bathroom project underway. Two Eagle Scouts have taken on building a handicapped ramp and building a new inside entrance and are raising funds to handle their projects. We couldn't be more grateful for their initiative and commitment to helping us do these projects.

warmly,

Jacqueline Freeman, president

Digging Begins for Septic Tank

Next time you drive by the schoolhouse you'll probably see a lot of big machinery in the yard. Basil from  L&S Septic and his crew are installing the septic tank this week.

Next we need to build the room for the bathroom off the back of the building. If you'd like to volunteer carpentry skills, call Dennis Moore at 687- 3549. Also we are hoping to find a volunteer licensed plumber and licensed electrician who can get everything hooked up. 

Our estimate right now is that we still need to raise about $3800 - $5000 more. Ideas or donations are all welcome. Call Jacqueline if any light bulbs go off. 687-8384.

Sweethearts Dance

Please come to our

SWEETHEARTS DANCE

on Valentine's Day from 7-10pm.

Romantic Music and Candlelight

Age 18 and over

Suggesting a donation of $3

Proceeds benefit the "flush fund" for a toilet to replace our historic outhouses.

**UPDATE -- The Sweetheart's Dance earned our flush fund $350 and another $100 donation from a former Venersborg resident who now lives in Arizona who gave $100 more. Wow!

Want to help? Kristine White 666-4829 or

Jacqueline Freeman 687-8384

Look at these wonderful donations!

Please patronize the businesses

who so generously offered their help.

Door Prizes

Battle Ground Fitness -- 3 one-month passes

Battle Ground Best Western -- one night stay ($120 value)

Main St. Floral -- gift basket

Rocky's Pizza -- one large pizza

Goodwill -- vases for centerpieces

Prestige Theaters - 2 movie tickets

Domino's Pizza in BG -- 3 free pizza cards

Raffle Items

DeWils Interiors -- new counter top refrigerator

Les Schwab in Battle Ground -- alignment & rotation ($89 value)

Great Clips -- two free haircuts

Olive Garden -- $20 gift certificate

Gary's Place -- heirloom blueberry bush

Dazzling Designs -- Purse and two hats

Heartfelt Designs by K. -- valentine heart beaded necklace and matching earrings

Flowers that Inspire (Hockinson intersection) -- Roses!

Frank Adams Floral Supply (Swan Island) -- More flowers!

Battle Ground Safeway -- three boxes of chocolates

Great Clips for Hair (Padden/136th) -- $75 hair care products

Donations for upcoming raffles

Coffee Port -- $15 gift card

Papa Murphy's -- pizza gift certificate

Prestige Theaters -- two movie tickets

Raffle tickets $1 each, 7 for $5, 15 for $10

Can't make the dance but want to be in the

drawing for the raffle? Call Jacqueline 687-8384

Thanks to our good neighbors for donations and help:

Tami & Paul Vinson, Matt Freeman, John & Lana Wollam, Teri Koskiniemi, Roger Bullock, Corwin Beverage Co., Kelsey Wollam and Mackenzie Wolf, Safeway for centerpiece flowers, Bill & Kay Richards and especially to Kristine White for having the idea and pulling it all together. Way to go, Kristine!

A special thank you to Mark Collier of Collier Septic Design who offered to design our septic system for free. Oh, had we only known about this when we paid for our septic plans last summer! Nonetheless, we thank him for making such a generous offer.

If you'd like to donate time, talent or materials to help us build the bathroom, install the plumbing or electrics, or paint it when it's done, please call Jacqueline at 687-8384. This is a community project and we sure can use your help.

Venersborg Potluck

.
Saturday, October 11, 6 pm at Schoolhouse

Enjoy good neighbors, good food, buy raffle tickets for the quilt and afghan, go home with cookies, pies and gifts from our auction. All Venersborgians welcome!

Susan Tripp bought a raffle ticket and won the handmade quilt Mary Jo made!

Please bring:
Family - children are welcome!
Food -- A family recipe main dish, salad, dessert
Utensils -- Your own plates & silverware
Auction Items -- wrapped & tagged baked goods or gift items                                                                      
                                                        

... and money for the raffles and cookie auction! All proceeds go to the Potty Fund to build a bathroom with a real flush toilet to replace our historic out-houses.