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Jan Cline Oppressed by the City of Salem Please Help Out

The Survival Podcast Posted on by

Jan Cline is a women who spent her life being very independent, she was a business owner who was doing well even during the recession.  Then about a year ago she heard some of the worst words you can ever hear from a Doctor, “I’m sorry you have terminal cancer”.

Not just cancer bone cancer so aggressive that in her own words at this point she could literally, “break a bone in her leg just by walking”.  The expense of this of course has her pushed to the edge, dying is sadly very expensive in America.

Rather than seek hand outs though this proud woman did the only thing she could.  She began selling her life’s possessions in her back yard.  Then one turd of a neighbor complained about the weekend sales and the local city of Salem Oregon shut her down because they have a law that limits yard sales to three a year.  Clearly one thing Salem’s local code enforcement doesn’t have is common sense and decency.

Friends of Jan set up a way that we can donate to help her during this time.  The donations are made via etapestry.com though paypal (though you can use a credit or credit style check card to donate if you don’t use paypal).  I have verified that the funds go directly into an account set up at Key Bank and that account can only be accessed by Jan Cline and her current care giver Dave.

You can see a local news report about this unfortunate event here.  You can also hear me discuss it in today’s edition of TSP (Episode 727).

I seldom ask this audience to contribute money, this is one time though that I will.  This is an individual liberty issue folks, the idiots in Salem stole her liberty to have some dignity in her last months on earth.  Friends, when you get to a point where you know your days are measured in months, dignity becomes seriously important to you.   It may be up to the people of Salem to fix this on the legal end but what we can do for now is all chip in a few bucks.  If 10% of you give just 5 bucks that will do more than her yard sales ever could have.

I personally made a 100 dollar donation this morning, when you make your donation send me a copy of your receipt.  If this audience collectively donates 1,000 dollars I will double my personal donation matching the first 1000 dollars with a 10% match.  To be counted for the match just email your receipt to jack at thesurvivalpodcast.com

You Can Make a Donation to Jan Here

Note– Jan passed away on Oct. 6th 2011 so I have removed the link for donation.  All in all TSP as a community donated close to 20K dollars to Mrs. Cline and her family.  She was very grateful for our support, thanks to all who helped to right this injustice.

Comments

Jan Cline Oppressed by the City of Salem Please Help Out — 151 Comments

    • I don’t know what link wasn’t working Dene as they all worked for me, must be a browser thing or something, perhaps a DNS zone issue. So I changed all of them to have the www after the http.

      • Yeah, something was wrong with the redirect, but it seems to be working now. So glad you posted this link. My heart goes out to this lady.

  7. Thanks for alerting me to this. My aunt had bone cancer. Hard to believe Salem could be so heartless.

  8. I’d like to make a donation but won’t use PayPal. Checked the site but no address to send a check. Do you have one.

    • @Jan, you don’t need a paypal account, you can use a visa, mastercard, etc or like we have a visa check card. Just because they are receiving with a paypal account doesn’t mean you need one. I do hope this has nothing to do with the MYTH that paypal is anti gun. They are no more anti gun than anti Indian artifacts or anti alcohol.

    • Nope. Just don’t like ’em. Please see my post below regarding my contact with Salem City Councilman Daniel Clem. At least this guy seems to have his s*** together.

  9. Some neighbors aren’t very neighborly. I’m glad the City is trying to work with her though.

    I’m unemployed right now so I can’t send her anything. But I re-posted this a few other paces on the web.

    God bless her.

    • Spreading the word is very very important. Gets the message out and when the message gets out the possibility of more donations come in! Word of mouth is tops!!

  12. Made a donation, wish we could know our communities progress. Not that I intentionally want to cause you to spend money Jack but I’d like to see this lady get the help she needs and see our community show our strength in numbers.

    • There have been a dozen or so receipts sent thus far. I want to spend the extra c-note so don’t worry about that if we hit two grand I may even do it a second time. I know a lot of folks catch up on stuff over the weekend so I will report the total on Monday. So far though you guys are at about 125 dollars (those who mailed in receipts anyway).

      Remember to forward your receipt to be by email for it to be counted posting a comment here isn’t something I can verify for the official count. Still we are at over 10% of the initial goal in less than an hour so I expect I will be happily opening up the wallet by the morning.

      • Jack, you match 10% of the first $1000 and I will match 10% of the second $1000. This is a challenge to see who will match 10% of the third $1000.
        I saw this story on last night’s local news and thought what a sucky city. That was it. Then you come along and show us a way to actually help. Thanks for the kick in the ass.

    • Update from the time I left the office until I got home roughly another 585 dollars has come in from this audience. roundabouts donated 200 alone, thanks so much for that! So that total is now about 815 bucks. Awesome guys! That alone should cover a week or two with no yard sales.

  14. Donated and posted on Facebook.
    Hard to believe they are being so hard nosed about this in my own backyard (sort of).
    The neighbors could show a little empathy, sympathy and class.

  15. I posted this issue at another message forum and in less than 20 minutes got over 10 responses. And the responses just keep coming. All the responses are in support of that lady.

    Her’s the most intense response yet so far:

    “As someone undergoing cancer treatments, I totally understand what she was doing.

    My family is to the point where I am picking which medications I need the most because we can’t afford any more prescriptions. No pain meds, nothing for the acidic daily vomit from having stomach cancer, nothing to help me sleep, just the chemo.

    I lost my short term disability and my job, and we have 3 kids. We have cut down every possible expense but the internet and we struggle.

    We have borrowed from our one remaining parent, the bank, cc’s, etx. Sometimes you just have to do whatever you can, which is a garage sale or blood donation. My husband is considering donating sperm to cover my middle son who chipped a tooth and needs a cap we can’t afford right now. We literally pay our rent and bills and doctors and there’s about 300 left over for food, clothing, and anything that doesn’t keep us alive.

    Some people are just heartless. Especially THOSE people. I should hope they never get cancer or have a REAL problem, I don’t think that karma would treat them very nicely.”

  16. I wish I could give her some money but right now we are really tight financially here since I am out of work. It is sad that a city will do something like this. Another idea her friends might be able to do is hold the sales for her throughout the city.

  21. Horrible way the city of Salem handled this situation.
    $20 on the way to Jan and her family and posted to facebook and twitter.

  22. Guess posted in the wrong spot before oop donated $200 and passed the word on to all I could think of have had 5 responses since I have started this post. Have offered to truck stuff down to her neighborhood so they could hold a big ass yard sale in the front yard of course! TSP ROCKS

  25. Jack and interested others, I emailed the City Manager and all of the Salem Council People (?). Just received the following very gracious reply from Councilman Daniel Clem

    “Jan – thank-you for your email. Kind of a surprise to me as well.
    City Councilors are energized to fix this situation. Council and staff are now working to assist Ms. Cline so that she can conduct her garage sales without being violation of City code and without upsetting her neighbors. Also, discussions are underway with local business and faith-based groups to help her. An assistance website has been set up at: http://janclinecancerfight.bbnow.org/index.php
    While changing City code can take time and process, we are searching actively for something that can happen a lot quicker.
    We will fix this asap.
    Dan”

    Sometimes just asking works.

    • @Jan,

      Good to hear, how about you email him back and say, “why not just by the power the council holds simply issue her a special exception permit”.

      Nothing has to be complicated, changing the code might take time but for the love of god making the exception could be done by decree in five minutes if anyone just has the stones to do so.

      I still say every neighbor in the neighborhood should go visit the turd and tell them they don’t appreciate the way a fellow neighbor was treated. Politely of course. The turd that turned her in is the biggest problem here. If peer pressure can make a kid take dope it can cause a turd to shut up as well.

    • I know/knew Mr. Clem personally and he is a good man, father and retired officer of some kind. It wouldn’t surprise me if he is a listener too. I trust he will do something to make this right, he has likely already made his donation.

    • @John Willis – Thanks brother, I appreciate you and the honor you always display.

  27. This is disgusting, and hits close to home since I live in Salem and my daughters grandma is fighting cancer as well. I don’t have much to donate but plan to give what I can. I know the donations are made online and saw her po box was also posted, but if I can do anything else locally I will

  28. Sorry Jack…didn’t know about forwarding receipt to you. $50 here if you are still counting.

  29. $5.00 donated. Thanks for letting us know. I’ll bet as “all things work together for good”just like the fire that paid the mortgage when we were out of work, this will cause people to rally and send aid.

  30. Jack, I just emailed receipt for $5 (paypal donation) to you from Longshadow via Hotmail.

  31. Add my $10 to the pile, it’s not much, but its what I can do. Now if the people of Salem will get behind her and change this, it could be a start towards taking back our lives.

  35. Not a lot of gravy these days, which is why it’s probably even more important to try and help. Donated $20.

  36. I live 60 miles from Salem – I say protest the crabby neighbor!
    Anyone want to picket / protest in front of Jan’s neighbors house?
    I have media access and a video camera
    No yard sale for cancer / medical help allowed = Protest call-out!
    If interested contact me through my website at joeanybody.com

  37. Donated and receipt on the way! God bless her and her battle with cancer. Way to go TSPers and thanks Jack for the head’s up!

  39. Pingback:Giveaway to benefit Jan Cline Fight Against Cancer |

  40. Just forwarded my receipt to you.
    I was also wondering if Jan could have friends run interference and be a proxy for her. If 100 friends can each hold 3 sales per year, just sayin’

  43. Jack,

    Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

    $10 sent. Receipt in the e-mail.

  45. $20.00 donated and receipt forwarded. Wish I was in the position to do more, but I’m hoping to get others to contribute.

  47. Just watched the local news @ 5 KATU they said she has at least 8k! YES!! However the assclown mayor say she is TRYING to find a solution. keep passing the word. I guess the mayor will be making a statement on the 6 oclock news I’ll be watching

  48. In for $20, it’s so nice to see the amount of people here willing to help her.

    Jack, if possible I’d love to know how many people donated just in the past day (in addition to counting on Monday), but it’s understandable if that’s a lot to go through. Thanks for letting us know!

  49. Just watched the local news at 6. Mayor was interviewed saying “they are trying to find a commercially zoned location so she can continue to have sales” What a bunch of crap. Why should this woman be forced to travel and leave her home to have a yard sale?

    The good news is the TSP web site was shown on the air!! This community rocks.

    • @roundabouts,

      Well that is cool but someone should tell this dumbass moron of a Mayor all he/she needs to do is grow a pair and issue a waiver. May be the Mayor can look up the word waiver in a dictionary and not screw up the definition like the idiot in Oak Park did with the definition of simple. May be we should have everyone call the mayor tomorrow and explain to him/her what a waiver is and how it works.

  50. Isn’t amazing how God can turn a bad situation into something that brings a community together.

    Thanks for the opportunity to serve.

  51. Hey, Gang, remember we don’t know what happened. We don’t know why the neighbor complained. Maybe the yard sales were going on too late at night. Maybe, with the ongoing yard sale, there were too many fast cars on the street. Maybe it was too loud. Maybe some strangers, checking out the yard sale, had tromped on the neighbor’s garden. Liberty is great — essential. But being judgmental without knowing the facts is a mob mentality and is very dangerous as well.

    • @Debra or for the love of God there always has to be one in every thread. Seriously how the F is liberty conditional, it either is or is not. You are so screwed up in this! Yes we know what happened an assclown turd of a neighbor bitched because a dying woman was selling the last of her possessions to die in as much comfort as she could muster. I have no time for idiots taking the side of the state in something like this.

    • @Debra,

      Well, either way, donating a few bucks might make it so she doesn’t have to sell her stuff in a yard sale, so it helps her AND it will give her neighbors nothing to complain about.

      Thing is…haven’t you ever had that busy-body neighbor that sticks their nose into everyone else’s business? This doesn’t seem too hard to imagine.

      Donating a bit of money on Jack’s word and the information he’s presented is not “mob mentality” A few bucks freely given isn’t going to hurt anyone.

      • @KAM most people that don’t get the busy body neighbor, are the busy body neighbor.

        • @kam, @ Modern Survival:

          See what I mean? I feel terrible for this woman and glady donated a few dollars for her. I am not taking the tattletale neighbor’s “side.” But the hatred and venom with which you speak — even toward me, when I was just suggesting you not jump to conclusions without knowing the facts — is telling. Both of you are mean. Mean people are dangerous. They shoot first and talk later. People like you hurt the cause of liberty.

          No one would call me a busybody, btw. So once again your poor judgment is showing.

        • @Debra, don’t try that martyr crap and don’t go taking up for a turd that bitched about a dying woman selling some stuff. If a person “trampled on the garden” which I highly doubt it is vandalism and trespassing, so report the offender.

          I am “mean” oh F, GTFOOH! I am so mean that I went out and did all I could to help a dying woman, that is really mean isn’t it? No one SHOT anyone, you are far to sensitive. The facts are simple the neighbor is a TURD the city government is full of TURDs and cowards. The mayor is a coward she is afraid to issue a waiver and go out on a limb for what is right, etc.

          This city is F’d seriously F’d just wait until the next listener feedback show when you see the level of shit in the APPLICATION TO KEEP A CHICKEN IN THE CITY OF SALEM. 10 pages of legalize bullshit to keep a few hens!

    • If any of those scenarios were the case, then the neighbor should have talked to Jan. It’s pretty obvious that said neighbor did not do this; if they had, I highly doubt they would have griped to the city officials.

      • @wanikki, VERY GOOD POINT. All neighbors should at least talk to any neighbor they have an issue with before calling in the enforcement clowns!

        • That is 100% correct, Jack and wanikki.
          There are two sides to liberty. We must not aggress on others and we must not be aggressed upon. Calling the thugs to bring in the fist of the State (city governments operate by the use of aggressive force therefore they are the State) is an act of aggression. Simple communication between individuals can solve most issues.
          If Jan was being a problem and the neighbor tried talking to her first and couldn’t get satisfaction, the neighbor should have asked another neighbor to ring in as an arbitrator, rather than calling the goon squad.
          This is how liberty functions. Not by using the aggressive force of government. Aggression can never create liberty, only oppression.

  53. How cool is this This is what happens when we can get the word out!
    from a post on her FB page

    URGENT to get info to Jan Cline! We at EQ BioSciences can help Jan with her cancer and her bills. Need to arrange a call with her. The Eppley Cancer Research Institute University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha with 38 million in federal grants from the National Cancer Institute, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Dept. of Defense has a supplement that will BLOCK the triggering mechanism of her cell mutation. Dr. David Westbrock one of our nation’s top Endocrynologists is calling for every doctor to have every patient on this product. It is very inexpensive and saving lives. Please contact me. We want to help, thank you.

    Just had to pass this info on

  54. I donated $10. My mom died of breast cancer on 12/25/2010. My prayers go out to Jan Cline. Doom on Salem’s code enforcement and Jan’s inconsiderate neighbor.

  55. Hey Jack, I just donated $25.

    This story is absolutely gut wrenching. She is dying of cancer and can’t even sell her things on her own property. This is disgusting. I get flaming mad at the fact that some bozo got upset about a silly yard sale. Then on the other side of the emotion spectrum her story of dying of cancer and selling everything she owns just to make ends meet makes my eyes tear up.

    I hate most charities as I don’t want to pay some fat cat’s back pocket or some marketing A holes salary but these are the types of thing that I will donate to.
    Receipt for Your Payment to Blackbaud, Inc.

  57. Contributors just received an email from Brad Brunhaver saying

    “Thank you for all you have done today… this makes a huge difference and today is a day that we won’t forget ever! So far $16,400 when I checked 3 minutes ago… Wow…. TY All for what you have done and the Family is extremely greatful for your response and of course Jan! 🙂

    Keep spreading the word… tomorrow is another day and we can only imagine what it will bring!

    Have a great night… and will touch base again tomorrow! :)”
    ______________

    And TSP hasn’t even gotten fully cranked up yet. With all the facebook postings, the family should be doing OK by Monday.

    Now, you folks in Oregon, hammer the Salem Legislators. Jack is right, they could call off the cops (“enforcement”) of this stupid law in 5 minutes.

    This isn’t just about helping one family. Jack is right, it is about LIBERTY.

  58. Just donated $6.00 I know it’s not alot but together we van make it alot!! Thanks jack for the info!!

  60. Hey Jack sent the donation recipe to you and I did not include any note of any sort just the donation recipe..The last post on here donation website said they have collected $16,400 total from her story going nation wide I guess good things can come from ignorant city trying to enforce stupid laws..

  64. We the People, will always trump bad government. Thanks, for alerting us, Jack. $25 sent.

  65. Jack, happy to donate $5 from over here in the UK.

    We found out the hard way how much medical care in the US costs during a recent holiday to Nevada when my wife was taken ill.

    Thank you so much for helping this lady; restoring her dignity and showing compassion when her immediate neighbours would not do so.

  67. I’m about 20 episodes behind on the podcast so I’m not really up to speed on what your doing here.

    I just put in $30 so if you need to mark me down on some tally or something please feel free.

  68. She is active in both the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the Keizer Chamber of Commerce, is on the Board of Directors of the PGE Festival of Lights Holiday Parade and chairs one committee within the parade, is a recent past board member of Soroptomist International of Keizer, and is part of the crew of Balloon Flying Service of Oregon (a Salem Hot Air Balloon Company). Jan is a mother of 3 grown children, a proud grandmother of one adorable granddaughter, and runs her own home-based business with DISCOVERY TOYS (for 29 years!).

    She has a huge support system. Still runs the Discovery Toy business. There are so many avenues of income for her. She did discovery toys to “support her lifestyle” according to her own words on her business website which has a sale in August so she must sitll be running it. Both her businesses are sit down jobs. The house in the story does not match the one in the assessors records that she owns and could get funds from.

    People, she does NOT need your money.

  69. Starlight Limousine in Salem, OR (owned by Jan Cline) is a private company categorized under Limousine Service. Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of $500,000 to $1 million and employs a staff of approximately 5 to 9.
    So either she was running these sales on the side because she just cant get enough change or her lifestyle is crimped with medical bills and she wants more $$. Look at her hair! That is a $150 to $200 hairstyle with the highlights and frost.

    • Nat, If maybe we didn’t get the straight poop on this situation we can chalk it up to erring on the side of compassion. I’m curious as to your apparent zeal in discrediting the woman though.

    • HOW DARE YOU – Star Light is owned by her boyfriend Dave, She is living at his house because she can’t bathe herself. The employees are drivers that don’t work full time. She doesn’t own the house in Keizer which she can’t get up the stairs in…. I am just shocked that you feel you know so much about her and would spread these awful things. I send you love because you obviously need it.

  72. Has she sold the limousines???? Those could bring in 100 grand as opposed to what she says is a couple hundred a week on backyard yard sales.

    • Nat clearly believes that when a business has 500K-1million in sales that the person running it gets a million dollars. This ladies business is probably barely floating, may be she isn’t taking from it, may be when she DIES she wants to leave something to her children. The bill collectors will take the house, any insurance, etc. Who knows but what I do know flat out is no one sells the last of what they own when they are dying for fun. No one should be harassed for doing it either. Nat asks if she sold the limmos, dumb ass there is probably nothing to sell. Each of them is probably financed and the financing on them is paid by the revenue they bring in.

      Jan did very well at one time in her life, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve our help. People like Nat are generally people who have never once in their lives signed the front side of a paycheck. As for me I am off to make the matching donation of 10% on the first 2K, so I am in for another two hundred bucks. Now if her grand kids end up with her business after she is gone because I helped her, that is something I can feel very good about as well!

      • Nat is kind of ignorant. That hairdo is probably a wig, because she probably has no hair due to cancer treatments. I condemn Nat in the strongest possible terms. There’s always one source of negativity in the crowd.

        Home Run for you Jack! Glad we can help.

    • they are not hers to sell they don’t belong to her. Maybe I cold come and sell you things…plus do you own your car or do you make payments on them? Maybe you are upside down too and can’t get what the value is….ugh idiots piss me off

      • Sadly Nick she doesn’t own the limmos, they belong to her boyfriend who now spends his days caring for her because she can’t do it for herself. Just another place where Nat was wrong, you are right though he did get owned. I think Samantha did an even better job than me though. In fact I would say as the kids do she pwnd him.

  73. Jan: I am tired of compassionate people getting taken for a ride. Give your $$ to acutal charities like cancer research for children. My zeal comes from spending too much time seeing good people give away their hard earned cash to the wrong places. New agencies run stories, they go viral and people believe everything they read.

    • you are a sad person – if you can’t help fine but to donate to a cancer fund that will untimely charges $1,000 per pill….yeah Brilliant idea! Jack ass

  74. @Nat I am glad you think you know everything! Have you ever had bone cancer? Have you ever tried to run a business while you have bone cancer? Do you really think she isn’t going bankrupt at this point? What ever dude! I doubt she would sell the last of what she owns just for something to do while she dies. Find another place bitch about this man.

  75. Jan

    Please view Copay advocate foundation it is NOT public assistance! It is a direct financial assistance for you $ 1,500

    Call me if you need more info

    713-822-6322 Mikey Freeland

    I am a recipient of the Copay advocate foundation
    They are awesome!

  76. How dare you comment on her hair. Jan was diagnosed with cancer in July. She has not had her hair done in months and her daughter is a hair dresser. The house in the story belongs to her boyfriend where she is having to stay because she can’t even bathe herself. He owns the limo company and she helps him run it. Her discovery toys business has moved to the internet so people can buy toys from her – You should be ashamed of yourself. She needs help and may wonderful people have helped. If you decide not to that is your choice but DO NOT assume that she doesn’t need help. How dare you

  77. Jan

    It’s Mikey again, also contact M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston! With respect to your hardship & illness, they very often treat, free of charge, in many cases. Research their successes, you will be pleased. They will arrange housing for you here in Houston, if unavailable you can stay at my place!

    Mikey Freeland 713-822-6322

  78. @Samantha, thank you for filling us in! Nat, you should definitely be ashamed of yourself now more so with Samantha filling us in.

  79. Jan is a VOLUNTEER withe both Chambers and VOLUNTEERS with the PGE festival of lights parade – there is no income from those – I am sick about the comments about her hair….her daughter does it…. FREE!

  81. @Samantha Don’t upset yourself over it. Notice that out of all of us, only one or two people are mislead fools. I never trust anyone 100% other than myself, but Jack is a pretty sharp guy and if Jan has his blessing than for most of us that means its all koscher. Being someone that believes fully in karma, Nat will have his day, and everything will come full circle. Nat if you would you post your addy, I make a pretty mean tin foil hat.

  82. @all, I apologize for the comments by a person posting as “Obama”. His comments are racist and political and have no place here. I have banned his ass from the TSP server.

  84. Pingback:City Shuts Down Yard Sale for Cancer Victim | Bad Quaker Dot Com

  85. Government employees, paid or elected, under the constitution (“we the people, in order to..”) are OUR servants. Not our ‘leaders’, masters, police or parents.

    I hope my $100 helps this member of OUR community.

  86. In for $50 and receipt sent. The b’tard, otherwise known as Mark Levin (may he burn), brought the story up the same day as this was posted and gave the contact info for the bank.

    Nat, kind of ironic that this was about ECONOMIC LIBERTY and you’re just too dense to understand that it ALSO means we can put our money WHERE THE HELL EVER WE CHOOSE!

    You can’t save all the starfish.

  88. When I saw the news report, I looked up the email addresses for all of the members of the Salem City Counsel and sent the following email to all of them.
    Dear _____;
    I’m a retired 65 year old Vietnam Veteran who was about to start our three week vacation, going from Texas up into the Northwest area of out country. On of our stops that we have planned is in your beautiful city of Salem, Oregon. We had planned on staying for 3-4 days in your city to see the sights, shopping and some fishing.
    Today, we saw a story about your city, denying Jan Cline the right to have a garage sale IN HER BACK YARD, in an effort to sell her belongings so that she could pay her bills since she can’t work because of her bone marrow cancer. I was shocked and angered at how your city treated her. Yes, you do need rules, but in certain issues, rules can be bended. Remember they are just rules that are not chiseled in stone. You would be surprised at how much benefit your town would have if you could bend the rule for her and others who are in dire need of help.
    I know you are a busy man but please bare with me and listen to my story and the results of my bending the rules.
    Back in the summer of 1972, I was working as a YMCA Camp Site Director of one of 13 summer camp sites set up by the YMCA to provide a place to give kids between the ages of 6 to 17 to have fun and keep out of trouble. My camp site consisted of 150 kids, 7 counselors, 7 assistant counselors, secretary and a handyman/bus driver. One day my boss, the YMCA Director brought over to my camp site a young 13 year old black kid. He had been kicked out of two other camp sites because he was fighting both counselors and other camp kids as well as breaking windows and just being out of control. The Director, after telling me in front of the boy, all of the things he had done, gave me the choice of taking him on or not. If not, the boy would not be able to be in the YMCA summer program and left to wander the streets. I was told that he was living with his mother who was an alcoholic and his father had left him when he was 3 years old. After hearing all of the bad things, the Director pulled me aside and said that I was his only chance of being turned around, since I was the only male director of all of the YMCA sites. He did not want to see this kid turn out bad and was trying to save him. I agreed with him and told him I would take him into my program. When the Director left, I took the boy into my office and told him the following. “Sam (that was his name)…I heard all of the things that are bad that you have done. As far as I’m concerned, that is in the past. Right now, you have a new leaf. Its up to you on how your handle yourself. If you have a problem, come to me and we will talk about it. Just remember, you are the only person who can determine how you are going to be. If you need help, come to me.” I took him to the older group and introduced him to his counselor. That very same day we had a field trip that would take the kids to Luby’s for lunch and then on to the Caverns just outside of San Antonio. Myself and two other counselors were walking around making sure the kids behaved. I caught Sam taking some mashed potatoes on the tip of his butter knife and flipping it across the table hitting another kid in the face. I made him pick up his plate and sit down at the table that the counselors were eating at. I told him that for the rest of the day, he was going to be my shadow. He was to stand on my shadow were ever I went. He settled down that day but did get into some minor trouble over the next few days. One of my rules (our camp site was located on half of the military academy we were renting for the six weeks during the summer and had the gymnasium that had a stage on it for assemblies) was “no one on the stage unless, I or one of the counselors authorized it.” Every day, at 3 pm I would have all the kids come into the gymnasium and sit down for an afternoon 30 minute break. The younger children usually would take a nap and the older children would sit and talk quietly. During the last 15 minutes of the break time, I would have three of the older children, set up a table and bring out the little containers of both mild and chocolate mild and individually wrapped twinkies or cupcakes. These three boys would then pass them out after the break was over. One day, two of the boys who were brothers had dropped out of the program because their parents were taking them on their summer vacation which left me to find replacements. That day, I looked out over the kids to see who I would chose to fill these vacancies. I saw Sam sitting in a chair on the stage. He was looking at me sort of daring me to say something. I motioned with my finger to come to me. He did, but did so like a hip rocker would walk to get attention. When he got to me I put my arm around his shoulder and kept walking with him towards the office. While we were walking I said in a quiet voice, “I have a problem that I think you can help me out, if you want to. Two of the boys who were handing out the snacks, are no longer going to be here. I need someone to replace him. This person will be in charge of getting the key from the office every day at 3:15, set up a table, and open the refrigerator. Basically, just get everything set up like we do everyday. This will be done everyday and I feel that you are a responsible young man that can handle this job. What do you say, can you do it?” He immediately stood up straight, looked me straight in the eye and said, “Yes Sir, I can do it.” I gave the job to him and for the rest of the program, he did a great job. A side note: When a kid did something wrong, I would punish him or her by making them sweep the entire gym floor. The next morning, he was waiting at the gate for me to open up. He asked me if there was anything he could do to help and I could not think of anything so he walked off. A few minutes later I noticed that he had taken the dust mop and was sweeping the gym floor. The YMCA Director, who brought him to me, happened to stop by and saw him dusting the floor. He asked what Sam had done to be made to sweep the floor. I told him “Nothing! He is doing it because he wanted too.” The Director was amazed at the transformation of this boy. On the last day of the program, I assembled all of the kids and gave all of the a bag that contained all of their school needs to start school. You know, paper, pencils, glue, etc. I also gave out prizes to each one of the groups for things like, perfect attendance, best behaved, etc. Finally, the last prize was for the person who had changed for the better and that prize went to Sam. It was a nice Erector Set which cost over $90 back in 1972, about double that in today’s money, He was so proud of the prize and as they all left to go home that last day, Sam came up to me and hugged me. He told me that the five weeks he had been there was the best in his entire life. As he walked out the gate, I felt I would never see him again. WRONG. About 6 years ago, I was in a local Wal-Mart here in Houston. This nice looking young black man walked up to me carrying a small 2 year old girl. He asked me if I was Mr. Miller who was the camp site director in San Antonio, back in the seventies. I told him I was and he said, “You don’t remember me do you?” I look hard at him and admitted that I didn’t. He said, “Its me, Sammy!” I then remember him, all grown up, with a nice family. He told me that he could never forget me. I was the first person who had faith in him. He told me that he enjoyed that Erector Set so much that he finished high school an the went to Texas A & I and got his masters degree in structural engineering. He is now working for Brown & Root Drilling, has a wonderful family and has turned out to be a fine citizen of this state and country. All because I was able to bend a rule.
    I understand that rules are important but under certain situations, exceptions to the rule can be and should be allowed.
    I am going to follow up on this situation with Mrs. Cline and watch to see if you make an exception to the rule in her case. If not, I will make other plans so that I will not spend anytime in your city. I also belong to Good Sam’s Club which allows all RV and Campers to get together and talk about their travels. I will advise them of how your treated Mrs. Cline and I’m sure that they also will avoid Salem. This will effect your economy, not much but its your citizens who will be most effected.
    It’s your choice. You can stand by the rules or do what is morally right and bend the rules.
    Thank you for your patience.

    Mr. William Miller

    • Mr. Miller. I am a closefriend of Jan. She would be happy to tell you the. City has been very helpful and responcive to her. It would upset her to think you would bypass her beautiful city and possibly a chance to meet her! Please reconsider

      • @Samantha,

        I agree that bypassing Salem may not be the thing to do here. However all cities out there that get tons of phone calls over issues like this need to deeply consider that calls from outside your city and state do still matter. When people make decisions about where to start a new business, where to vacation, where to have a convention, where to move to, etc. stuff like this does impact their decisions. I live where I live chiefly for the freedom it allows me in how I live.

    • @RedElk, thank you for your service to our nation and thank you for letting your voice be heard! But may be you should go to Salem and meet Jan and tell her how her story mattered to you.

  89. just waiting for my paypal “added funds” to clear, give me till the end of next week for another $10.

  92. Wow you stay away from the site for a few days and miss all the fun, I just donated $20.

  93. A bit late, heard about this and said I would give $50, after seeing the response, I had to double down.
    Jan, God bless you, your family and friends. This comunity is with you, even if yours (at least a couple of them) have forsaken you!

  94. Thanks for letting us know about this story, Jack! I also shared it on our facebook page. +$100 from The Patriot Garden. Very happy to help Jan out. The TSP community rules!

  95. Mayor Peterson,

    I can see from your bio, you have had much leadership experience. It really grieves me that a person of your experience cannot, or will not, bend the “rules” and take personal responsibility for the action. A simple “waiver” for a sad predicament would have earned a vote from someone like me. There are reasons for laws, and there are reasons for judges and leaders, those reasons are to enforce the “spirit” of the law, not the letter of the law. The leader that enforces the letter of the law have no moral sense, and no business leading the people. I urge you to enforce the “spirit” of the law, Salem deserves that type of mayor.

    Austin Teel

  96. Mr. Spirko, you are a person of high moral integrity and that is coming from a Marine so I know something about it. I haven’t made the decision as to whether I will let the city of Salem hear from me but I am very sure that some of my 1900 + followers on twitter probably will. I gave a donation and I will be keeping tabs on this situation. To me this is just another example of how government chooses to punish good people while rewarding the stupid. God bless you Jack for standing up for what is right.

  97. I just wanted to let you all know that by giving to Jan and standing up you all have given me a invaluable sense of peace safety and security. You have restored my belief in people and that there are great folks like you that will stand up speak out and do whats right just because it is right. This time we live in it is so important to know we can all come together if need be. I feel so good to be a part of a community that is not afraid to stand up for what is right. I had to say this because I felt it was important so those of you that say you want to do more well you have probably more than you will ever know. THANK YOU ALL

  98. I sent in $20/paypal, going to mail Jan a card, emailed Mayor. Will also email paypal receipt in and circulate the info. on my social sites. I think it’s great to do what a person can do to help another. . Thanks Jack and everyone.

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