Rooster-Sauvie Volunteers are hosting the event, which starts with a beach cleanup at Rooster Rock State Park on Saturday at 9am. We will have our traditional hotdog cookout at noon, and then enjoy a refreshing swim in the lagoon, with amazing views of the Columbia Gorge.

This year we will be stationed on Sand Island. So we’ll have signs guiding you from the parking lot to Shirley’s registration table.

In the evening we head out to Mountaindale Sun Resort, where once again they are giving volunteers a free dinner at 6:30 pm, and waiving grounds fees!

Camping Fees are still the same.  $10 for Tent, $12-$15 for RV hookup. Thanks again, MSR for your continued support of public lands!

MSR also has a special sale on right now, until October of this year.  AANR members will pay only $ 5.00 per day on week-days and $ 10.00 on week-end-days; non AANR members will pay $ 6.00 and $ 12.00.

On Sunday Aug 2nd we meet at Sauvie Island at 9am, for another litter patrol, and spend the rest of the day just enjoying the beach, with views of the Columbia River and Mt St Helens.

If you can only make it for one day, that’s fine! All help is appreciated.

We’d like to make one request this year — Please do not bring more coolers, beach chairs, etc. to Rooster Rock than you can carry. The park rangers may not be able to cart a lot of stuff around as in past years. They will have their hands full on a busy summer weekend.

Thanks for your support, and we’ll see you at the beach!

Mark

Rooster-Sauvie Volunteers

zonkersun {at} yahoo.com

AANR Mourns the Loss of a Member and Good Friend

This week we were saddened to hear of the passing of K Mathesius.  Those of you who have been active in the Association’s leadership for some time may recall that K was the Secretary of the Eastern Sunbathing Association for many years and was a much loved and respected supporter of AANR all her life. According to Susan Weaver, she lived at White Thorn and spent winters at Sunsport with her partner of the last few years, Tex.

One saying of K’s was that she often pronounced “AANR” with a soft “a”
sound, so it rhymed with “honor.”  She used this pronunciation because she
said it was an “honor to belong to AANR.”

With Many Thanks for Your Quick Response

Yesterday we distributed an e-mail to all clubs asking for information relating to whether your club is adjacent to any federal lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management.  Steve Hubbard, AANR Public Lands Liaison, and I would personally like to thank the many of you who responded so quickly with information.  This will be very helpful as we prepare for visits to Washington, D.C., in just over one week.

AANR Helping Members

On Thursday, AANR Club/Member Liaison Terry Justice and I worked with a husband and wife who are members of AANR/AANR-Northwest.  They have been threatened with “legal hassles” by an ex spouse should they continue to attend clubs or practice any nudity in the presence of their daughter.  We have provided written information and discussed legal scenarios with the couple.

MUZAK Update

Those who telephone our offices at 1-800-TRY-NUDE will hear an all-new Muzak greeting if placed on hold.  Set to beach music, the message announces the world record skinny-dip event, provides dates of upcoming summer conventions, and a pitch to join or renew membership.

See You in the Funny Pages

Yesterday’s Beetle Bailey comic strip depicted America’s favorite soldier and an army buddy standing near a sign announcing a nude beach.  While Beetle states that he would prefer to look for a “spectator’s section,” his friend has doffed his shorts and is ready to join in by the second panel.  The online site for this comic lags several weeks behind print content so we are not yet able to provide a link, but perhaps you can check a day-old copy.

If you’re like me, you welcome such developments. As more people are introduced to the concept of nude recreation–whether by hearing about the World Record Skinny-Dip or by reading the funnies at their breakfast table–it helps to create a more receptive audience for our message.

E-Mail Trouble Continues-But on a Smaller Scale

Our webmaster has changed servers, so our IP address had to be changed. Although many providers now recognize our new address, there are still some e-mails that are being kicked back. Please let your friends and clubs know about this problem in case they don’t receive this e-mailed report.

The inbound e-mails are working just fine.

Linda Berry, Director of Publications

Message Boards

The AANR message boards have reopened after a renovation. New features include heightened security and a slightly different interface that will make the new boards more user-friendly.

Log in to the Member Benefits section of aanr.com, click on Message Boards in the left margin and start connecting with other AANR members.

May 28 Edition of the E-Bulletin

More than 13,200 subscribers read about an opportunity to bid on Sunshine Park, the historic nudist landmark in New Jersey. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.aanr.com .

The Alltogether

AANR’s blog at http://blog.aanr.com/ is gaining in popularity. Desert Sun in California was the first club to purchase ad space on the blog, but there are more slots available. Contact Martha Young at bulletinads {at} aanr.com for details.

The Cyber-Bulletin

A great advertising spot has become available on the Cyber-Bulletin. Visit the link to see the site at http://www.aanr.com/cyber_bulletin.html . Contact Martha Young at bulletinads {at} aanr.com for pricing.

Prime Space Available in The Bulletin

Your club or business will definitely get noticed if it has a two-page spread ad in The Bulletin. The center spread is now available for a price you can’t refuse. Call Martha Young at 800/879-6833, ext. 228 for more information.

Only One Space Available

Every person or couple who joins AANR or renews their membership receives a set of coupons with special offers for members only. There is one coupon space available for YOUR OFFER.  Contact Martha Young at bulletinads {at} aanr.com for details. It will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis so don’t delay.

Terry Justice, Club/Member Liaison

Directory Changes

I would like to welcome a new club. It is a non-landed, proprietary club.

The information is as follows:

American Association for Naturist Family Recreation
P.O. Box 6662
San Pedro, CA 90734
310.404.5153
www.aanfr.com
aanfr-mbeals@hotmail.com

There is a change of address for AANR-NW:

AANR Northwest Region
P.O. Box 937
Marcola, OR 97454

Great Lakes Sunseekers has an address change:

c/o Bruce Rosander
5250 Pockington Road
Tecumseh, MI. 49286

Sadly, I have to report a club closure.

LCNC Coastal Sun Raiders of Charleston, South Carolina, has disbanded.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Debra Sue Stevens, Government Affairs

REQUEST: Print the following in your Club Newsletter or send to your members in your E-News, when timely and appropriate.  We want the members to know what GAT does for them!

Public Indecency Addressed at Rooster Rock State Park
Submitted by Shirley Gauthier, AANR-NW Public Lands Liaison

SOLV’s “Down By The Riverside” event provided an educational opportunity for Oregon State Park staff, law enforcement, and AANR volunteers to address public indecency concerns.  Rooster-Sauvie Volunteers, a newly formed 100% AANR club, hosted the 14th annual SOLV event.

A Rooster Rock State Park Safety meeting held in 2008 and organized by Park Ranger Lisa Midlam contributed to the creation of a sign advising beach users of indecency laws and the introduction of a visitor beach card.  This meeting included law enforcement officers (state police and Multnomah County Sheriff agencies), state park staff, and AANR members, and addressed public indecency concerns.

The sign and beach cards introduced at the cleanup welcome beach visitors, cite the Oregon State Law on public indecency and make it easy to report illegal or inappropriate behaviors by providing phone numbers for the Multnomah County Sheriff, Oregon State Police, and the Rooster Rock State Park Managers.

Multnomah County Sheriff Deputy Bryan White presented information specifically addressing Public Indecency.  Deputy White explained the law and how visitors can assist law enforcement.  Deputy White made it clear that illegal or sexual behavior will not be tolerated.

AANR is proud to partner with SOLV (http://www.solv.org/ ) and appreciated SOLV Business Manager Denise Smith attending and taking the group photo.  Thanks to Laurel MacMillan of Rural Development Initiatives (RDI) for attending.  RDI (http://www.rdiinc.org/) is a private non-profit organization.

A special thanks to the SOLV staff, Multnomah County Sheriff Deputy Bryan White, Rooster Rock State Park Rangers Mark Stevenson, Lisa Midlam, Glenn Littrell, John Cowan, David Bjorge,  Cassie Bostrom, and Gorge District Manager Kevin Price.

AANR dues-paying members who volunteer their time, energy, and finances are the driving force to promoting and preserving nude recreation.  If you missed this event join the Rooster-Sauvie Volunteers Club, August 1-2, for the AANR beach cleanup weekend at Rooster Rock-Mountaindale Sun Resort (mountaindalesun.com) and Sauvie Island.  Contact rooster.sauvie {at} yahoo.com for details.

Glassbar Island State Park – Cleanup Report for 5/16/09
Submitted by Shirley Gauthier, AANR-NW Public Lands Liaison

Glassbar Island State Park near Eugene, Oregon, became even more user group friendly at the annual SOLV “Down By The Riverside” cleanup on May 16th.   A porta-potty was installed near the nude beach area of the clothing-optional state park.  This is huge history making news for user groups.  Do take the time to do the porta-potty happy dance.

Glassbar Island Nude Beach Volunteers (GINBV) a 100% AANR club registered 29 volunteers.   Chris Orsinger, Executive Director Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, shared that “we were glad to lend a hand with habitat enhancement and cleanup at Glassbar Island.  We look forward to collaborating in the future to advance habitat enhancement, especially floodplain restoration work that would improve aquatic habitat and water quality.”  Rick Hammond GINBV Webmaster and cleanup photographer said, “I have never seen such a diverse group at the park as I have this year on sunny days.”

Volunteers removed invasive species, planted six different wildflowers, completed litter patrols, and cleaned land belonging to the state and county.  GINBV President David Rosenblatt asked that a special thanks be given to the SOLV, Oregon State Park Dept., Lane County Waste Dept., Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, AANR-NW for providing the hotdog barbecue, and to GINBV members who have worked daily at the park for years.

Many people visit the clothing-optional area at Oregon’s Rooster Rock State Park in the Columbia Gorge.  However, early in the season you may be disappointed that you will not be able to reach Sand Island by foot because the water level is too high.

But there is a solution so you do not miss this jewel of a clothing-optional area in such a scenic setting.  Access to Sand Island at Rooster Rock State Park in Oregon can be determined by looking up real-time water level data from the USGS website:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/or/nwis/uv?14128870

This is data from the a water level gage upstream near the Bonneville Dam.  If the gage height (water level) is less than 12 feet, you should be able to walk to the island in dry to ankle-deep conditions.  If the water level is between 12-14 feet, an adult should be able to wade to the island with water below the waist.  The water level is usually a bit lower during the daytime than at night.

The default graph on the USGS website is 7 days.  You may enter a value to for a graph of one to sixty days duration.  You may also click on “Summary of all available data for this site ” and get historical data.

When you know it is a good time to go, walking around Sand Island is very pleasant.  As you can walk toward the east end of the island, the Columbia Gorge scenery unfolds in front of you.  The Columbia River and the Washington cliffs are to the left and the interesting sand cliffs of the island to your right.

As the dry season progresses, the beach gets wider and wider (near Rooster Rock, the Columbia River is wide, but it is also shallow with one deep channel near the Washington shore),  and you may be able to walk more than halfway out into the riverbed.  Looking into the Columbia River Gorge from the middle of the river is my favorite nude view!  Also during the dry period, it is possible to hike completely around Sand Island – about 2-1/4 miles.

So don’t overlook the opportunity to take in the scenic beauty of the Columbia River Gorge while walking naked on the beach.  The USGS website will help you determine when to go.  Be sure to stop in at the office and ask for some of the new AANR-Rooster Rock State Park welcome cards.  The cards include welcome, beach etiquette, and law enforcement numbers to call should you see any illegal or inappropriate behaviors.

 We’ve got special news. A guest speaker from the Multnomah Sheriff’s Dept will speak on the issue of Public Indecency at Rooster Rock, and how nudists can help prevent this problem. We will also be presenting new beach cards. The new beach cards provide Oregon State Park information on how to report suspicious or illegal behavior on one side and AANR information on the other side. This is a huge demonstration of the value of our working relationship with OSP, Multnomah County Sheriff Department and Oregon State Parks Department who truly value and trust AANR as the credible voice for nude recreation.
 
Event plans include installing a new Parks Dept. sign.  The sign will welcome beach users and educate users on public indecency laws.  The sign encourages users to report inappropriate behaviors by including law enforcement telephone numbers.  Thanks to Shirley Gauthier, AANR-NW Public Lands Liason, and Lisa Midlam, of Oregon State Parks, who worked together to create these historic documents!
 
We’d also like to remind volunteers that we will now be having Potluck lunches.  So please bring a little something to eat or drink, even if you don’t cook and have to buy something. We also ask that you bring a re-usable container for water, as we are trying to avoid using plastic bottles.
 
Please join Rooster Sauvie Volunteers for this historic event, as we do our part to preserve, protect and promote family-friendly nude recreation on public lands!
 
To sign up, go to –
 http://www.solv.org/programs/down_by_the_riverside.asp#sitelist
 
–then scroll down to the “Rooster Rock Beach Cleanup” event, and
click on “Register Now!”

Any questions? Drop us a line at rooster.sauvie@yahoo.com

Starting May 4 the pools will be closed for a period of four to five weeks. The plan is to have at least the upper pools completed and the hot springs reopened by Memorial Day Weekend.

For more information go to Terwilliger Hot Springs web site.

Thank you,

Shirley

Our friends the park rangers tell us that although the river levels are very high, we should have no problem getting to one of our usual “dipping spots” this Saturday, Jan. 10th at Noon.

It doesn’t look like snow will block our way, and so far the weather forecast is for sun and temps in the 50′s – Woohoo! Sounds like picnic weather. But we will be going to a local restaurant to defrost with hot food and drink. So join us for a nude welcome to the new year in the great outdoors.

Rooster Rock State Park is located on Interstate 84 in the Columbia Gorge, about 20 min. east of Portland. Go to the East (right) end of the parking lot and you’ll find us near the bathroom building.

Don’t be late–we start walking soon so we don’t lose our nerve!

Questions? Email Rooster-Sauvie Volunteers at zonkersun@yahoo.com

You can get your annual Oregon State Park pass for $20 through the month of December.  That is a $5 savings and really adds up if you regularly visit our Rooster Rock State Park nude beach. The passes are good through December 31, 2009.

The annual holiday sale started in the year 2000.  Oregon turns 150 in 2009 and there will be a lot of statewide events that increases the value of your pass.  This is a great holiday gift giving idea for friends, family or AANR members who volunteer at our nude beach.

Passes can be purchased by charging to Visa or MasterCard credit cards at (800) 551-6949.  They can also be purchased at major Oregon Park & Recreation Department (OPRD) offices, Joe’s sports and outdoor stores, and selected local businesses throughout the state.

For more information see www.prd.state.or.us/news.php?id=1164?AANR-NW.org

Over eight years ago Oregon State Park employee John Cowan suggested the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) partner with the Rooster Rock State Park employees. John felt it would be a perfect partnership and the American Association for Nude Recreation – Northwest could not have agreed more.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Visitor Services Team Leader Lisa Midlam deserves a huge AANR thank you. Lisa created a forum type meeting November 17-2008 that brought together over thirty-five interested people to address public indecency concerns at Rooster Rock State Park clothing optional beach.

The forum panel included facilitator Visitor Services Team Lead Lisa Midlam, Assistant Area Manager of the Columbia Gorge Management Unit at Rooster Rock State Park Kevin Price, Oregon State Senior Troopers B.I. Zeckman, Senior Trooper Ken Poggi, Multnomah County Sheriff Joseph Graziano, and AANR-NW Public Lands Liason Shirley Gauthier. Participants included Columbia Gorge Management Unit employees, Oregon State Park Volunteer Hosts, and Volunteers in the Gorge.

AANR-NW President Mike Parker, Linda Johnson, Linda Stockett, Mel Kanner, Richard Stockett, Phil Owensby, Rick Hammond, Eric Shetterly, Robert Kelsey and Jim Braddock represented AANR. Mark Buchweitz who has a long history of working with the park employees attended representing the new AANR affiliated Rooster Sauvie Volunteer beach club.

It was made clear at the beginning of the meeting that there was absolutely no problem with nudity but that the discussion would be about public indecency and how can we work together to address the challenges.

Trooper Poggi shared information about recent arrests at the clothing optional nude beach that involved public indecency. Topics of discussion included the definition of public indecency, how to report suspicious or unlawful activity to law enforcement, what does it mean to be a witness, when would a person need to be a witness,

Kevin Price discussed new tools that park employees have that decrease the response time to incident reports. Kevin said, “we think of the clothing optional beach as an asset and another recreational opportunity.”

Senior Troopers Zeckman and Poggi committed to a higher level of visibility at the park and solicited AANR members to partner with them to address the problems. Multnomah County Sheriff Joseph Graziano addressed his area of patrols and pledged to support the coalition efforts as his time allows.

A work in progress is new signs that will be posted in visible areas providing phone numbers to report incidents. Visitors will be educated and encouraged to use the numbers to report incidents.

AANR clubs, resorts and members have over the years provided thousands of hours of volunteer time to promote nude recreation at Rooster Rock State Park. Your continued support is not only valued but essential for continued success. Contact Shirley Gauthier at sherbog {at} msn.com to see how you can contribute.

We’re the new AANR beach club in Portland, and our first event of the new year is coming up!

Hey folks, this event is getting bigger every year. We’ve got brave (crazy?) people who jump into the cold water, and we’ve got people with more sense who cheer us on from shore and get a good laugh.

We’ll meet on Saturday, Jan 10th, at 12 Noon, at the East end of the parking lot at Rooster Rock State Park. (In the Columbia Gorge, 25 min. east of Portland on I-84, just past Corbett.) Look for the AANR flag, surrounded by people with nervous smiles, asking themselves, “WHY are we doing this, again?”

After the polar dip we’ll pick up any trash on the way out, and go for some hot food & drink.

See you there!