Q & A From Nicole P.

Q.  Hi,
First off, Index is one of my favorite places on earth.  I went around the country and explored many places but when it came down to it…index was my favorite place.

I am a climber and Index has the best climbing in the country (in my humble opinion).  The problem with Index.  Index has the worst camping in the country.
1-There is a group of people that live across from the town wall parking lot for free.  Their dog barks 24/7. The place is a mess.
2- People that visit Index looking for the best climbing place in the country are disappointed by the horrible camping situation.
3- Index is known as a beautiful wonderful place filled with a bunch of “tweekers”.
4-  Their is people going to the bathroom in the river, throwing junk all over the place.  ITS HORRIBLE!!

Don’t the people of Index care?????  The people of Index are wonderful, friendly, and make the town look like the small town that everyone wishes they lived in.

I ask you why then do they not mind the tweekers moving in for free and trashing the place?

I want to help.  I want to turn the camping area into paid camping.  I would love to initiate a fund to clean up that area and keep it clean and I know I can do it.

But I need some help with the details.  Who owns the area?  how can I get into contact with this person?  Do the people of Index even care?

Please help out and make Index the destination spot that people from around the country want to visit.

A.  Thanks for the email Nicole.

At first glance of your email, I thought you were shooting the piano player, however upon reading it twice; your concerns are more than valid.  They are a fact.

The Town Council is well aware of the issue(s) you talk about.  As a matter of fact our Mayor, Bruce Albert, has written a letter to the folks that actually own the property or portions thereof, in the past.

Some council members and residents have even been to the area and cleaned it up more than one time but the problem persists.  The Sheriff has removed “tweekers” as you call them (squatters is what I call them) but they show up again.

It’s your job Nicole, to call the Sheriff to have the squatters removed.

During a council meeting a few months back it came out that the area you are speaking of (I believe it is as you go up Reiter Rd. just out of town), is not town property and there is not a whole lot they can do except keep the Sheriff involved or we clean it up our self.  Check out some of the meeting minutes we have posted online and you will find well documented information about this issue.

Now to the meat of your email.  There is no doubt that you have valid concerns and that you are serious about raising funds to clean up.

That said, I would recommend that you show up at the Town Council Meetings and state your concerns during public comment (public comment is always at the first part of the meeting and you are welcome to leave after you have had your say).  You will be surprised at the positive responses you will hear.

As yesterday was a holiday, and the Town Council meets on the 1st Monday of the month at 7 PM at the old Fire Hall next to Town Hall, the meeting will be TODAY, TUESDAY, or next Monday at 7 PM.  I have not had a confirmation as of this writing.  You may call 360.793.2488 or email index@premier1.net to find out when the meeting will be.

Thanks again for taking the time to write to us.

UPDATE 08:15 AM.  Just got a note from Lisa, our Town Clerk and all around smart person!!  She said that yesterday was NOT the first Monday of the month.  Next Monday is!!  What was I thinking?  or NOT thinking?

Q & A From Toni O.

My husband and I would love to visit Index. We are wondering what the hours were for the museum. We will most likely base our trip around the hours of the museum. Thank you!

The Pickett Museum is closed for the season, as it runs from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September. There’s not enough volunteers to serve as docent, (and attendance drops off when the weather changes) to work year ’round.

We passed on some phone numbers to Toni that we feel should not be passed on in the blog for the public, to arrange a special tour. We also have some personal email addresses that you can send a request to if you would like to set up a time and date to visit the museum. A volunteer will be meet you at the museum. You may also contact the Index Town Hall at 360.793.2488 for more information.

Volunteers will be working inside on projects and creating new exhibits during the off season.

So, the short answer is NO, the museum is not open at the moment and YES you can still get into the museum by request.

Q & A From Dan J.

I used to make regular trips out to the Bush house for lunch or dinner, and am really bummed that it has been closed down.

Has there been any buyers for the property yet or has the city bought it and is working on making it a historical landmark?

Great question Dan and hopefully I can answer it.  Corrections are welcome.
To my knowledge, nobody has stepped up to buy it.  It needs a LOT of work.  Septic, foundation, rotting out and the list goes on.

On the bright side, there are attempts at the present to make it an
historical landmark.

Before we moved here, we used to eat there 5-6 times a year.  Great food.  Lousy service (no labor pool up here so you get what you get).  They had the best pepper steak for miles and miles around.

The building is owned by one of the Nordstrom’s grand-daughters (heresay?), and she is probably in her 80′s.  The house that came with it was purchased a few years back and the folks have been working on it pretty steady.  I think they moved in finally and continue to work on it but they have done a fine job getting back to a habitable state.

Time will only tell what happens next.

Question From Michael S. – Lookout Point

• Q. Do you know where Lookout Point is? And, if so, do you have to be a rock climber to get to the Point?
• A. Thanks Michael, and thank you for your many friendly emails over the past two months. FINALLY an easy question!

Our backyard faces Lookout Point. Our landlord hikes up there once in a while and I know of a few others that take the trek a few times a couple times a year.

NO. You do not need to be a rock climber to hike to Lookout Point. I cannot vouch for the hike as I have not been up there but have seen a lot of people on the ledge up there.

I can vouch for the people that have been up there that I personally know. It is said to be a challenging hike as it is steep. The challenge is coming down from what I hear.

We will leave this one open for comments from the general public and for the people that have been to Lookout Point.

PS – Below is a picture of Lookout Point (I just stepped out my back door to shoot this). In the center of the circle is the American Flag which denotes Lookout Point. Click on the picture for an 800 x 600 view. 117kb.

Question From Bob F.

• Q. Undoubtedly you have been asked before but, what is the origin of the name of “Bush House”? Family name? Was it an early reference to it’s location?
  Very curious about it.

• A. Thanks Bob. As I am relatively new to this area (only been here for 5+ years), I had to direct this right to the President of The Index Historical Society, David Cameron, PhD.

The Hotel was first owned by Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Bush, thus the name. But on closer examination in the 1916 Polks Directory, Mr. Cameron discovered at that time only Mrs. Ella Bush is listed, so her husband, Clarence may have been deceased at the time.

Thanks to Louise Lindgren and David Cameron for their assistance on this answer.