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http://www.omniture.com --> Email Story to a Friend June 15, 2006 John Aitkin volunteered to manage the sports and tools section of this weekend�s Rogue Valley Manor Sale, but found himself testing for workable lamps. Rogue Valley Manor residents donated about 100 lamps for the sale, which draws thousands of shoppers every year. (Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell) Time for the Manor Sale By Sanne Specht Mail Tribune The Medford Armory appears under siege. Young khaki-garbed soldiers from the Oregon Army National Guard wander wide-eyed through a building overrun by silver-haired volunteers busy sifting, sorting and pricing an eclectic mix of goodies in anticipation of this weekend's Manor Sale. From tasteful displays of fine furniture, porcelain and china to tables of Tupperware and baggies of used golf tees, the armory is stacked to its towering rafters with items donated from residents of the Rogue Valley Manor. Ninety-nine percent of the contributions for the three-day sale come from the residents, says event chairman and five-year Manor resident Bob Lindstrom. All proceeds go to the Rogue Valley Manor Foundation and will benefit residents, he adds. "We are hoping to raise about $120,000 before expenses," says Lindstrom. The premier goods are tastefully assembled in the center of the main room. Inlaid wooden cabinets, hand-woven carpets and even a sweet-voiced violin await new owners at a silent auction. The instrument has an initial bid of $150 and a "take it now" price of $300. The annual fundraising sale gets bigger every year, says Lindstrom. This is the third year the sale has been at the armory. "I think it's our 20th year for the sale," Lindstrom says. Manor resident Doris Mayfield is one of the event's 250 volunteers — and has been for 12 years, she says. This year, Mayfield is in charge of the fine china area which will also feature a silent auction. Spode, Royal Copenhagen, and Lenox plates, cups and saucers reside on tables adjacent to glittering crystal vases and polished silver candlesticks. Nearby, rows of television sets declare themselves to be in working condition. All are tuned to Fox News. At the other end of the great room, artwork hangs on displays. A sign carries a message in French and English to would-be critics, "Chacun a son gout" "Each to his/her own taste". Upstairs and down the hall there is more. Rows of books stacked on rows of tables beckon from a room down the hall. From glossy new hardbacks to tattered and dog-eared paperbacks, the topics run the gamut from historical biography to children's poetry. Mercifully, there are no donations of defunct law libraries, says Lindstrom. "We have had retired attorneys turn over boxes and boxes and boxes," he says. "Thank goodness we don't have them this year." Climbing up one set of stairs, a forest of lamps stands in tasseled, gilded and beaded greeting before rows of garden tools and sporting goods. Up the other set of stairs is a plethora of goodies for the low-dollar dealers. Videos, tapes, games and Mr. Coffee makers from various eras sit near a sign that says, "Purchase must total to whole dollars." But this is not all. More than 30 percent of the Manor's goods are still sitting in a warehouse just waiting for sales to make available space in the armory, Lindstrom says. "As this goes out, we'll bring more in," he says. The Rogue Valley Manor's annual sale and auction is set from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The half-price sale is Sunday. The sale is at the Medford Armory, 1701 S. Pacific Highway. Admission is $2. Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail [email protected] . Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy