Sports
Alexander among winners in Oregonian contest
by Stephan! Veff
would receive a fishing trip
designed just for him or her.
Alexander, not being one to
fish herself, thought she would
enter the contest and try and
win the trip for her husband and
son who are both avid
fishermen.
At first she thought her story
was pretty “dumb” and almost
didn’t send the story in after she
sent the story in she forgot all
Opinions Editor
Isn’t it always said that the
best things happen on the “spur
of the moment?” Well, luck
seemed to be on Suzy Alex­
ander’s side during Spring
Break when she and her hus­
band and children made their
way to the beach. Alexander
was reading The Oregonian dur­
ing the trip and, due to the trip’s
length, read the sport’s page. “I
never read the sport’s section,”
claims Alexander.
In this edition a contest was
announced asking people to
enter their best fish tales. The
tale could not be longer than
500 words and the grand prize
winner would be chosen from
among 12 weekly winners. The
12 weekly winners would each
receive a trout print valued at
$125 and the grand prize winner
who admitted that finding her
name and story in print embar­
rassed her. One of her later I
thoughts was, “Why can’t I win ?
Í
the lottery?”
Alexander, who has been the
secretary for both student
publications and the health
center here at Clackamas Com­
munity College for the last five
years, said thait, “If I fish I will
not bait the hook or take thtl
“Why can't I win the lot tery?”
about it until she got a call
around 7 a.m. one morning
from one of her husband’s
friends in Bend. Her story had
been chosen as one of the 12
weekly winners.
“At first, I thought, ‘Oh no,
I don’t want anyone to see
this,”’ confessed Alexander,
fish off unless I have pliers or i
leaf to take it off.”
A somewhat humorous com
ment from someone who ha
written a poignant, touchin
story about an experience sh
shared with her little girl
Maybe we should draft her fc
The Print.
SUZY ALEXANDER- Had story printed in The Oregonian.
Photo by Von Danlol
Classified Ads are
available to both
students and staff
free of charge. Forms
may be picked up at
the Student Activities
Office or Trailer B.
Or call ext. 309
(657-8400). Deadline,
Tuesday 2pm prior to
publication.
Not just another fish story
by Suzy Alexander
on the hook. Teasing my
daughter,, I jtold her to cast the
I’ve often tried to imagine line and see if she could catch a
what it was like to be a pioneer,
fish. The stream was very shallow
and not long ago my daughter and the bank was flat and so we
and I had an experience that sat down on the edge in the sun­
took us back in time.
shine.
Coming from a family of
Leslie, my daughter, was very
fishermen, we are used to going content to hold onto her “pole”
fishing and camping and enjoy­ and watch the line float back and
ing the outdoors. Usually my forth in the water. It was a good
daughter and I are not as serious day to just relax and enjoy each
about catching fish as my hus­ other’s company.
band and son. We are just out to
In a matter of minutes, her
have a good time and enjoy the stick started to shake and I notic­
scenery.
ed her line was taut. The tales 1
Last fall our family decided to had been telling her about the
picnic and hunt pigeons near past were re-occurring before our
Molalla.
eyes. I tried to calm down and
My husband and son found a told Leslie to slowly lift her stick
nice spot for us along the bank, up and pull her line in.
stream and my six-year-old
Surprisingly, she had a fish
daughter and I spread out a on...a small speckled trout about
blanket with all her toys and seven inches long. She was able to
books and said we would see land the fish on the bank and I
them in an hour or two.
helped her get the hook out of its
Oregonian Contest Winner
“Usually my daughter
and I are not as serious
about catching fish as my
husband and son.”
After a short time, we decided ■
to explore. I told her a story
about how the pioneers and In­
dians used to fish with a stick,
make their own fishing line, and
use berries, seeds, worms, or bugs
for bait. Before we knew it we
ran across a piece of discarded
fishing line with a small hook on
it*
Not far down the bank(was a
wild rose bush with bright orange
rose hips on it. I explained how
fish are sometimes attracted to
brightly colored things. I picked
up a long stick and attached the
line to it and placed the rose hip
“I'll bet you didn't catch
yours with a stick and a
seed pod."
I also thought that my hus­
band and son would never
believe our story when we
returned because we didn’t have
a fish to prove that we had
caught one.
In the meantime, two
fishermen walked up the other
side of the stream with a str­
inger of fish and they offered us
the rest of their bait. I declined
because I didn’t have a license
qpd hadn’t planned on fishing. I
said silently to myself: “I’ll bet
you didn’t catch yours with a
stick and a seed pod!” I didn’t
care if their fish were bigger.
Looking back at some of the
fishing trips I’ve been on I still
think that of all the fish I’ve
ever caught, that little trout
meant more tof me than any big
fish I’ve caught and kept.
mouth without any damage,
We quickly put the trout in a
pool of water formed on the side
of the bank so we could watch it.
It was beautiful and full of life.
In a few minutes the fish found
its way back into the stream. We
were sad to see it swim away, but
happy it was able to return to its
home.
I was so excited that Leslie
could catch a fish and ex­
perience the thrill of seeing a
story come to life. F also felt a
little fear, thinking “Oh no, I
don’t have my fishing license
with me.” I didn’t plan to fish.
The more you drink, the more coorcunation y
That's a fact, plain and simple.
It’s also a fact that 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine and
1*A ounces of spirits all have the same alcohol content. And
consumed in excess, all can affect you. Still, people drink too
• much and then goout and expect to handle a car.
When you drink too much, you can't handle a car. .
You can't even handle a pen.
A public service message from WfflcRogetè Institute
Pag* 10
Clackamas Community Colli
ee observer
Density