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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 2019)
PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, APRIL 5, 2019 Invisalign & Traditional Braces Customized Financing FOR A FREE CONSULT CALL 503.362.0500 orthodontics for children, adolescents & adults www.haveagreatsmile.com Truly Amazing Smiles SCHOOLHOUSE SQUARE 5099 RIVER ROAD N, KEIZER for kids by kids The Beaver State’s Top 8 Cryptids “Keep Portland weird,” is a very common bumper sticker, but Portland isn’t the weirdest part about Oregon. In fact, some of the local residents and fi shing spots have been known for strange inhabitants known as cryptids. Cryptids are animals, sometimes half-human animals, that have never actually been proven to exist but often make for great stories. Sasquatch - Blue Mountains There seems to be some controversy over whether there is only one Sasquatch or Bigfoot. According to author Stan Johnson, there are multiple Sasquatches that come from MEETING FLIX : The Conser Lake Monster By LAUREN MURPHY Of No Adults Allowed The air is crisp and the sky is dark. You and your friend are walking through the woods, a morbid curiosity creeping through your body, a voice comes through the air, “I am called Flix. There are many like me, but I am the one called Flix.” You look up to see a large shadowy fi gure and hear boots crashing through the woods as he runs off . This is what Betty Westby and her psychic friend claim to have experienced in 1960. Her friend wished to stay anonymous, but claimed that the message came to her telepathically, which means that she heard it in her head. The message came from the Conser Lake Monster, though he prefers to go by Flix. He has been described as a semiaquatic, albino Bigfoot; with cat ears and webbed feet. Standing more than seven feet tall, Flix is quiet the sight. That is if you can fi nd him. Conser Lake is out in Millersburg, Ore., between Keizer and Eugene. It’s known for having something in the air. The town’s paper mill (which is now shut down) mixed with the scent of the local mint farms to give off an unique smell. Apparently, encounters with Flix make the smell disappear (or maybe they are just replaced with the strong smell of soggy lake monster). In 1959, a man claimed to see a large white furred primate running alongside his truck, which was going 35 miles an hour. Imagine a giant ape running next to your car as you drive down River Road, but in the forest and in the dark ... spooky. In the 1950s, teenagers liked to hang out in the woods – without technology what else would you do? A group from Albany (which is a stone throw away from Millersburg) went down to the lake to hang out. The story goes that two people in the group went ahead and hid in the bushes to scare the others. The joke was on them, because behind them stood Flix. They ran as fast as humanly possible and told everyone that Conser Lake did in fact have a monster. The town quickly rallied and set out to fi nd the alleged monster. Thrill seekers and monster hunters came from all over to try and catch the mysterious being. According to Westby, the monster hunters are what scared Flix off from their otherwise pleasant conversation during her trip to Conser Lake. the fi fth dimension. Johnson says they are ambassadors of peace and they serve their queen, La Tara, from the planet Sitka. Watery Whatsis - Oregon Coast How people settle on names for a monster is one of life’s great mysteries; Captain Edgar Avery found a loophole. The Watery Whatsis seems to be a migratory creature. It swims up and down the coast line from Oregon to California, as far as monsters go its pretty laid back and does not appear to have any recorded incidents with humans. Amhuluk, the Water Dragon - Forked Mountain Lake Unlike the laid back Whatsis, Amhuluk was a little high strung. He was known for his love of drowning people. Not the best reputation. The Kalapuya Indians have several tales of the cruelty of this monster. Colossal Claude - Columbia River Some creatures like to make friends, Claude was one of them. Much like the bond between a grumpy dad and the cat he didn’t want, Claude made friends with the Columbia River lightship (which is basically a light house on water). There were many sightings until the 1950s when he disappeared. Marvin the Monster - Astoria The (possible) cousin of Claude, no one really knows what Marvin is. Footage of him was captured by Shell Oil Company and turned over to Universities in California, Texas and Washington. All of them came to the same conclusion, it could be a lot of things. Devil’s Lake Monster - Devil’s Lake (north of Lincoln City) Like a lot of sea monsters in Oregon, the fi rst recorded sighting of the Devil’s Lake Monster was by the Native Americans. In 1950, Marubell Allum found a cow on the beach .. kind of. It had the body of a cow, hair all over the body, and nine tails. Some descriptions said it had feathers too. The locals called it Old Hairy since it was old and, well, hairy. Caddy - Northern Oregon, Vancouver Island, Canada Like most sea serpents, Caddy has a long body with front fl ippers on the sides and big, fan-like, fl ippers in the back. There are many possibilities to what Caddy may be, a dinosaur that survived the ice age, a pack of sea lions, a • The Phoenix was a creature that could live for up to 1,400 years. Some people believed when they fi nally died they would burst into fl ames, others believed they simply died. • The “Troll under the bridge” came from a Nowegian fairytale “Three Billy Goats Gruff ” • Unicorns are seen as a symbol of purity • It’s rumored that dragons can never be drowned • Ogres are one of the newest mythical creatures • The griffi n has been portrayed as the king of all creatures giant oarfi sh, a basking shark or a pipefi sh. The Melrose Creep - Melrose The Melrose Creep doesn’t have much of a history and he doesn’t seem very concerned with humans and their dealings. He was described as being three to four feet tall with a human-like head and red eyes. He had no hair, stubby clawed feet, long arms and six-fi ngered hands. During • In medieval times it was said that one encounter, the little guy just sat and stared. When he fairies stole children and replaced them with, “changelings” • Werewolves and vampires are allegedly immortal. • When monsters are described as immortal it means they cannot die of old age, they can die of other causes. approached the observer he ran away. Why did the werewolf go to bed early? He was dog tired