James Bruvold

After 7 years in and out of college, I got a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from NDSU in Fargo. Hired by Boeing, I worked on the final manned tests of the Apollo at NASA' deep space environment laboratoryin Houston. I went on to design and operate another deep space simulation lab in Denver where I tested flight hardware for the Skylab and Viking Mars Lander. A second career after those 7 years was hard to match, but I went on to energy management for large faciilities like Seattle Swedish Hospital and Denver's Stapleton International Airport, where I was the Construction Inspector for a new $5-million energy management system, controlling the air conditioning, fire alarm and security. A few years later I was granted a Professional Engineers Liscense in Colorado, and later in Oregon, where I have been in private practice for the past 15 years. I specialize in Passive Solar, alternative energy and environmental sciences. I have served on the Veneta City Planning Commission since 1996, and serve as an Associate Director of our local Soil & Water Conservation District, related to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to administer grants to improve water quality and soil conditions for local landowners. I helped to found the Long Tom River Watershed Council, a non-profit citizens organization that helps landowners secure grants and volunteer help to improve water quality and fish habitat in our basin, which includes the city of Eugene, about half the population of Minneapolis, and the second largest city in Oregon. The Council has been very successful over the past 13 years since it's founding, with over $4.5-million in grants and services on the ground as completed projects. I am currently semi-retired, working on a proposal to clean up the radioactive contamination at the Hanford nuclear weapons production facility in Richland, Washington with the Washington Dept of Ecology and other professionals.

The crowd that I ran with played music every day under the dirction of Albert Swanson, "Swanny". I got into so much trouble one day when I was supposed to be in a practice room with just my string bass, not my girlfriend, that Swanny took me by my ear, not gently, and led me all the way down the hall to the Vice Principal's Office for proper punishment. Later that same group of musicians may have been responsible for the Russian flag that appeared over the front doors on morning in May,,, who knows? Music and fast cars drag racing down the streets are my favorite memories. We were a good group, and we all turned out well.