Welcome to the Walnut Hill Gazette. The month of July sees the site reaching over 70,460 visitors, the average being around 1,000 visits per month. During 2007, we broke an attendance record with 26,442 viewers. Many of these folks are young people from the large art communities in cyberspace, where we have built portal pages such as those at deviantART and Renderosity, to name a few.

On July 5th, someone took it upon themselves to down our server in the middle of the night with the front panel switch instead of going through the start menu. There were several threads running on the machine at the time. Suffice it to say that a considerable amount of damage to the file system resulted from this. As a result, we will get further behind as we attempt to repair the damage done. The logic behind this action was stated as "the machine uses too much power if left on." We ran some calculations and determined that it costs about five dollars a month to let it run, and each time it is shut down, about that much cost in wear and tear damage occurs. Some things make absolutely no sense.

July has been a very interesting month. There has been lots of rain in the desert, accompanied by some intense thunderstorms. This has caused some flooding in the city and it has also wreaked havoc with our internet and telephone services. Getting new material on the website has been iffy at best, but we seem to be moving into a period of drier weather. The good part of all this is the many fires burning around us are now largely under control at Mother Nature's helping hand, and the lakes and streams are full once again. Also, we have our mighty organ singing again!

On July 20th, just one day before my father's 85th birthday, my good friend Cyrus Roton helped me get the Mighty Conn 650 Analogue Electronic Theatre Organ going again. One of the switching transistors in the Great 2-2/3 Tibia had burned out and a coupling capacitor in the power amplifier had failed. She is once again singing out in all her majesty. New YouTube videos are being posted, one of which can be seen above.

The City of Ridgecrest in Kern County, California received over one and one half inches of rain Sunday, July 20, 2008. The unusually heavy rain fell in a short period of time, triggering major flooding within the city. Disabled police vehicles, flooded residences, businesses and road closures were commonplace. Most people showed some form of excitement seeing roads turn into rivers.

David Johnson, a reporter who delivered this footage for the internet news IReport, told us this: The streets I know of that were affected are Downs, Upjohn, Sierra View, Norma, Las Flores, Drummond, Atkins, China Lake Blvd., Ridgecrest Blvd., Church, California, Gateway, College Heights, Highway 178 heading towards Trona, Boman and, of course, Balsam Street. I'm sure there were other areas, but these are the ones I know of.

Fellow IReport member RCarmygrl20 told us this after seeing the footage: WOW! I've lived in Ridgecrest my whole life until I joined the Army. I'm 21 and have never seen it get that bad. The most I remember is a little flooding down on China Lake Blvd. Wow! My mom sent it to me all the way over here in Korea and I was just blowen away. Wow!

Fellow IReport member deadhead told us this: I live on a street shown in the video, and the volume of water was simply unbelievable. We shot some stills, but this video really gives a perspective of what we endured. Thanks so much for posting this! BTW, I observed lots of folks throughout the neighborhood offering a helping hand to those in trouble.

Unfortunately, a few knuckleheads in their fast-moving vehicles (mostly four-wheelers) created wakes of water that surged into many residences, which was the biggest complaint from those whose homes were threatened. We were fortunate to be home during the storm and sandbagged the house in time to prevent any real water damage beyond some mud and debris. Gotta get my kids to see this video (they've since moved away)... They won't believe it!

Since Casa Todd is in one of the highest parts of the city, we were unaffected by the flooding. However, the internet was out for the bigger part of four days as waterlogged underground cables and a huge increase in bandwidth usage caused major congestion of the system. We simply do not have rain like this in Ridgecrest, expecially during this time of year.

Walnut Hill is on the move again, this time overseas. The move will take place sometime in the summer of 2009, hopefully at the end of May. Details are not clear yet, but we can tell you that we are relocating to the Stockholm, Sweden area. This will afford us the opportunity to help out with the only known instrument of its kind in the country, the 2/7 Mighty WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ now being restored for possible reinstallation in its original home in the Skandia Theatre. Stay tuned as the story unfolds. Click here to learn more about this wonderful little TPO and the folks who love her and are working hard to bring her back to life.

May 2008	June 2008
July 2008	August 2008

We have been working overtime to catch things up on the site, and major progress has been made in our Featured Organ of the Month section on our May, June and July articles. We have even posted the August feature ahead of time. Many pictures and lots of text have yet to be added, as well as a massive amount of new recordings which are still in the editing phase waiting to be posted. But we are making progress, slowly but surely. Some of this progress has already been made with the addition of four songs from the Rosen Roxy 2/11 Mighty WurliTzer featured in August. Enjoy!

I want to thank each and every person who visits this site during this Summer Season and beyond. Without you, our loyal patrons, there would be no Walnut Hill. We are indeed making a difference in the Land of the King, preserving a wonderful and important slice of American and World History. Blessings be to one and all.

Richard Mogridge
Webmaster/Executive Producer
Walnut Hill Productions
Ridgecrest, California

This is the Bone Doctor at the console of the 4/89 Mighty Allen Digital Classical Organ installed at the Naval Air and Weapons Station in China Lake, Ridgecrest, California. He is playing a song from Regelia Prime entitled Pipes of the Astral Temple. Click here to learn more about this wonderful instrument and listen to more selections from the Good Doctor at the console. Enjoy!

A sad day in the Land of the King saw the loss of two Mighty Theatre Pipe Organs and the venues where they lived in during the recent flooding of downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

In the picture above, we see the damage to the Paramount Theatre, including the distruction of the stage and loss of the 3/12 Mighty WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ console.

In the picture below, we can see from an airplane fight over downtown Cedar Rapids just how extensive the damage is. Note that traffic is still moving along the freeway, one of the few structures in the city still above water. This truly is a major tragedy.

Though folks in the Land of the King are greatly disturbed by the loss of these instruments, an even greater sorrow is the loss of all those homes and businesses in the Cedar Rapids area, many of which were not insured. Although the property is now gone, the banks are still expecting payment. This is a travesty beyond words. It is hard to imagine how these hard working people will cope in the face of such wide scale destruction, but Iowa is blessed with strong determined people. Our hearts and prayers go out to them as they struggle to rebuild their city and their lives.

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids' two original theatre organs, rare treasures that were damaged by the flood, will be stored at The History Center, 615 First Ave. SE, while their caretakers determine whether they can be restored.

The consoles — or keyboards, controls and seats — of the Paramount Theatre's 3/12 Mighty WurliTzer and the Iowa Theatre's 3/14 Grande Rhinestone Barton pipe organs were both damaged.

"We don't currently know how much of the original consoles can be preserved," Neal Marple, secretary of the Cedar Rapids Area Theatre Organ Society, said in an e-mail.

The two organs are among about 40 in the country that remain in the theaters they were built for. They were once used to accompany and provide sound effects for silent movies.

The Paramount Theatre's 3/12 Mighty WurliTzer Balaban 1A was installed when the Paramount opened in 1928.

Marple said neither instrument has a price tag because their value lies in their location and their originality to the theatres.

The Mighty WurliTzer organ was removed from the Paramount Theatre on June 18. The Grande Barton organ was removed from the Iowa Theatre on Tuesday. That removal was sponsored by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. What happens next for the Mighty WurliTzer depends on what happens with the Paramount. The city of Cedar Rapids owns the theatre and the organ.

The Grande Barton console was damaged by the floodwaters, but the impact to the organ was not as visible and dramatic as the Paramount’s Mighty WurliTzer. The Barton console, hit with 4 feet of floodwater, remained standing on the 4-post Barton lift unlike it’s sister at the Paramount which was toppled over and tossed around, subjected to 8.5 feet of water and weakened significantly by the experience.

To see a complete photodocumentary of the damage to these instruments and the movie palaces they once lived in, click here. Be warned. The images are very graphic, enough to make any TPO buff cry like a baby.

The Iowa Theatre's 3/14 Grande Barton organ is owned by Cedar Rapids Barton Inc., a non-profit group formed exclusively for the maintenance and preservation of the organ. That organization and the Cedar Rapids Theatre Organ Society have set up an organ restoration fund. Gifts are tax deductible, and donations can be submitted by visiting www.cr-atos.com. You can also send a donation via PayPal by clicking the "Donate" button below:

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Website Hit Count
Since Founding Day 04/02/2004

The Main Data Server at Walnut Hill.

The figures below represent the approximate daily hit count for the site since going online on April 2nd of 2004. Counter checks begin around ten in the morning and end around ten in the evening, Pacific Daylight Savings Time. Currently, that total stands at over 70,460 happy campers in the Land of the King!

07/01/2008 - 69,372 07/02/2008 - 69,411 07/03/2008 - 69,441 07/04/2008 - 69,472 07/05/2008 - 69,511 07/06/2008 - 69,546 07/07/2008 - 69,579 07/08/2008 - 69,611 07/09/2008 - 69,638 07/10/2008 - 69,671

07/11/2008 - 69,720 07/12/2008 - 69.753 07/13/2008 - 69,792 07/14/2008 - 69,844 07/15/2008 - 69,882 07/16/2008 - 69,927 07/17/2008 - 69,976 07/18/2008 - 70,030 07/19/2008 - 70,079 07/20/2008 - 70,122 07/31/2008 - 70,461

07/21/2008 - 70,153 07/22/2008 - 70,168 07/23/2008 - 70,214 07/24/2008 - 70,247 07/25/2008 - 70,272 07/26/2008 - 70,308 07/27/2008 - 70,342 07/28/2008 - 70,387 07/29/2008 - 70,424 07/30/2008 - 70,442

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Slow Dog's Place on deviantART

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Slow Dog's Place on YouTube

There are now 24 videos featuring the Mighty Conn 650 Analogue Electronic Theatre Organ now available for audition at The Slow Dog's Place on YouTube. Click here to view them all. Stay tuned for more in the days ahead.

Walnut Hill Productions has been operating at Mister Todd's residence in Ridgecrest since October of 2007. This location, though serving us well, was known to be temporary at best. Operating the fledgeling company is continuing to be quite difficult and expensive, and things have changed in the Bone Doctor's life that spell major changes and historic events in the near future.

Our stay in Southern California has been both productive but difficult. We have managed to visit several wonderful installations in the area and also be active in the local Ridgecrest Organ Club. However, it has been hard to juggle editing time with household time while doing production, thus we have gotten way behind on many things pertaining to the site.

We cannot determine exactly how long Doc will be at his current location in Ridgecrest, but it is expected that he will remain here until the latter part of May, 2009 when we expect him to be on the move again, this time to the Stockholm, Sweden area.

One of the reasons Doc is moving to Sweden is to help fellow Walnut Hill Organ Club and Wall of Fame member Per Olef Schultz with the restoration of the 2/7 Mighty WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ, this being the only one of its kind in the entire country, which originally had a home in the Skandia Theatre in Stockholm. Our goal is to see this great instrument returned to the theatre.

Doc and Tom Hoehn have created a Pay Pal account for easily and securely receiving contributions from all who want to see this relocation take place, which will allow Walnut Hill to make major strides forward for the King of Instruments.

Below is a listing of those who have genorously contributed funds and items to date:

Name Tom Hoehn Gareth Howells Jim Reid Cyrus Roton William Spalding Larry Chamberlin Kent Allman Fred Willis Joseph Loewy Ronald Shreve Dan Rowland Eleanor Winnemore Earl Hurty Edward Burnett Charles Walls David Knudtson Frank Towle Charles Ekstrand Erika Laur Rosenbäck

Amount $ 50.00 $ 50.00 $450.00 $500.00 $100.00 $100.00 $100.00 $200.00 $ 50.00 $ 25.00 $ 50.00 $100.00 $ 35.00 $ 50.00 $100.00 $ 25.00 $ 20.00 $100.00 $100.00

Method PayPal PayPal PayPal Check PayPal Check PayPal PayPal PayPal PayPal PayPal Check Check PayPal PayPal PayPal PayPal PayPal PayPal

Name Bob Upward Paul Kealy Fred Willis Mister Todd

Item Zoom H4 Conn 650 A/V Gear Office

Description Recorder Organ Studio Residence

These most kind and generous folks have earned memberships in the Walnut Hill Organ Club and will be notified of their membership status when the club goes official after the move to Sweden. We have decided to push forward with the organization while awaiting an ATOS charter. We will post our progress in the Gazette during the fledgeling phase of this project.

We still need to find ten ATOS members who want the charter. When the chapter is official and viable as a public entity, Club members will receive printed certificates and membership cards, plus access to the WHOC online community via direct email notifications. This is just a small token of appreciation for all who are making the Walnut Hill website possible and freely available for the world to enjoy.

Second Relocation Fund Drive Now Open

Permanent office and residentual space is needed once Doc arives in the Land of the Midnight Sun. There will be friends waiting for him once he arrives there, so the transition should not be that dificult. However, the move is expected to be rather expensive, roughly estimated to be around two thousand dollars. Further details about how we intend to accomplish this lofty goal will be released later in the year, around the later part of October. Once this new location is known, we will update the Office address and phone numbers posted throughout the site.

Most of the company's original equipment was left in Tennessee due to the high cost of shipping it to the current California location. These items must eventually be shipped to Sweden or replaced. Many have aready been replaced, but some of these will remain in California when we travel to Sweden, such as the Conn 650 Analogue Electronic Theatre Organ which was a gift from fellow Wall of Fame member Paul Kealy. The Mighty Conn, which would be prohibitively costly and too fragile to ship, will be replaced with a computer system running the Mighty MidiTzer.

Below is a partial listing of the items we need for the studio in order to get back to the recording sessions Doc would like to complete, including albums from the Sub Urban Cowboys and Doc at the Mighty MidiTzer.

Anyone can contribute as much or as little as they see fit by clicking the "Make a Donation" button above. You can also send checks via standard mail to the following address, should you choose to not use the Pay Pal account. Please make checks payable to Richard Mogridge, with the words "Relocation Fund" in the memo line. The address is:

Richard Mogridge Walnut Hill Productions 1229 Sims Street Ridgecrest, California 93555

If you have questions about the relocation fund, you can call the Bone Doctor at the Walnut Hill Office of Operations to learn more. That telephone number is 1-727-230-2610.

All contributors will get recognized at the site should they choose, or they can remain anonymous, simply by letting the Bone Doctor know their preferences via email.

This is yet another major move forward for Walnut Hill Productions, one of the fastest growing TPO sites on the internet. Become a part of history by making your donation today. Please help us to continue the work we are doing as we continue to grow, adding new features and more services such as broadcasting audio and video for all to enjoy. You'll be glad you did.

We are thanking you in advance for your generosity and support in this grand endevour.

• Richard Mogridge - The Control Room
  All about recording the King of Instruments
• Tom Hoehn - Console Up!
  How to play the Mighty Theatre Pipe Organ
• Per Olof Schultz - Skandia WurliTzer
  The last WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ in Sweden
• Russ Ashworth - Mighty MidiTzer
  Playing the Theatre Organ virtualy every day!
• Jim Reid - Hauptwerk
  Martyn Dyde's highly accurate virtual organ from Crumhorn Labs

Download MidiTzer Version 0.881

Did you ever imagine you could put a Theatre Pipe Organ inside your computer? Well, now you can, with the Mighty MidiTzer by Jim Henry and Crew Glazjev. Best of all, it is absolutely free!

Just click the picture to the left to get started on your way to playing the Style 216 2/10 Mighty WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ virtually every day!

Listen to the Mighty MidiTzer!

Below are some cuts from various Featured Artists here at Walnut Hill that will give you an idea of what the Mighty MidiTzer sounds like.

1. The Bone Doctor - Higher Ground
2. Tom Hoehn - Crazy
3. Gerhard Kletchowitz - Little Orphan Annie
4. Frank Vanaman - The One I Love