COMMENT: Preliminary to the Subject Topic- My Juno Account froze while ans'g. e-mail, so to those who wrote to me to my Juno Account, or addressed me within the PSR Topics, I will get back to you but I must get my Juno Acct. "unfrozen" so that I can get to its screens & continue ans'g e-mail, etc. My Notice reads: Program Error Closing current program. If the problem persists notify the vendor. I have notified Juno Support & the President of this msg. I rec'd the usual automated reply after e-mailing them via this account. Last year this happened & it was a vendor whose banner was at fault and Juno corrected it after I kept after them. Will get back on Juno asap as it is my favorite e-mail only site. <><><> NOW, for EXEMPLARY DIG: REF. The Herald (Everett, WA.) Tues. Jan 12, 1999 Section B Local News, p 1B, 2B QUOTED AS FOLLOWS: p. 2b Header 'Boodah' boy and his tractor are seldom parted Snohomish teen has yen to make the grade KRISTI'S NOTEBOOK Kristi O' Harran (Herald writer) PIX The Herald/Justin Best captioned Austin Bougie shows off two pewter John Deere tractors from his collection: models 60(left) and 4010. (Story) After 14 years, Austin Bougie's parents still laugh about their only child's first word. Austin's initial uttering was "Boodah." "Boodah," it became clear he was talking about bulldozers. His first word was prescient, Austin has grown to be a nice looking young tractor nut. He wants to own his own earth moving company. He already hires out around the neighborhood to push gravel, rototill, now, clear or spread topsoil. His family is building a beautiful new home on Camano Island. Austin has done the grading, has installed ditches and has leveled the land so accurately that water from the drainage-plagued hillside doesn't touch the basement. "It's dry as popcorn," his mother, Kristine Bougie said."He saved us thousands of dollars." Austin's Snohomish driveway is as smooth as ice. It's been manicured, manicured and manicured by a boy and his beloved machinery. Austin is a well-known customer at Barnett Turf and Tractor in Snohomish. You know how other teenage boys might hand around a baseball trading card shop, the mall or McDonald's? Austin likes to browse round the tractor store. He reads farm implement manuals. His grandparents give him tractor prints for Christmas. He fell asleep one night sitting on the middle hjmped seat of his tractor. He had to write an essay in school about the worst day of his life. For his topic, he poured out his heart about the day his vavorite tractor salesman left the Snohomish shop. That would be John VanPelt, 43, former Barnett general manager who now works for Skagit Valley Best Produce in Mount Vernon. The pair bonded through their mutual love of machinery. "Austin is an incredible young man," VanPelt said. "That kid is going to do well. He's just awesome." VanPelt said they clicked because they have so much in common. ?They love to know how things tick. VanPelt helped arrange a major Christmas surprise for Austin, who was saving every penny of his earnings to upgrade his John Deere Model 455 to a spiffy John Deere Model 4200. His parents, Kristine, 48, and Jerry, 52, told Austin they would pay for the new tractor if he made up the financial difference between the old and new model. For his part-time work, Austin has his own business cards that read: "Austin's Lend-A-Hand, A small tractor get big results." His mother said Austin never says he needs, this or that. He says he'll save his money for things he wants. Through VanPelt's conniving, the teen received an official-looking but phony recall notice for his 455. When he took his old tractor to the store, the surprise was sprung when a door opened to reveal the new 4200. VanPelt came down for the unveiling of Austin's brand new tractor. That might be the end of a cute story, but it's only the first chapter if we're going to get to know Austin. The eightth-grader as Centennial Middle School, north of Snohomish, is captain of his Seattle Junior Hockey Association team. He has won so many photography prizes at the Evergreen State Fair he has to enter the master's division. Austin collects Boeing airplanes and has created an impressive three-dimensional airport display. He is managing editor for his school's closed circuit TV new show. He coordinates music used during the broadcast. He's also a teacher's assistant for his wood and metal shop class. OK, so he has to be reminded to load the dishwasher, doesn't keep his room up to snuff and talks too much. Those traits only show Austin to be a down to earth teen. "He really has a gentle and caring soul," Kristine Bougie said. "Under all that technical, mechanical, inventive, practical young exterior is one nice kid." When I talked to Austin and his parents, it seemed like four adults shooting the breeze. An only child, he seems mature, like many I've known, but the Nikes on his feet and Lego collection in his bedroom remind you of his real age. Austin just finished reading a book about John Deere titled "Pioneer Plowmaker." His mother said that when she goes to change his sheets, she finds hundreds of pages of tractor specs stuffed under the covers. "He gets specs off a Web site," Kristine Bougie said. "I think he has a unique interest." Austin's mother doesn't mind her son's hobby, er (sic) passion, tking up a good portion of his time. Even if hsi favorite reading material concerns farm implements, at least he is reading, Kristine Bougie said. "We're all motivated by what we love," she said. "I'm lucky he loves something harmless." Kristi"s Notebeook appears Tuesdays and Fridays. If you have an idea for her, call 425-339-3451 or send information to o'harran@heraldnet.com p. B1 PIX The Herald Justin Best Teen really digs it Austin Bogie, 14, sits in the scoop of his new John Deere tractor. The Snohomish youth has been enthralled with tractors for most of his life. He wants to own his own earth-moving companyu and hires out around the neighborhood with hsi machines. He even corrected the drainage at the site of his family's new house on Camano Island. Columnist Kristi O'Harran writes about this unusual teen-ager on Page 2B ( Austin sitting in the bucket, or scoop of his tractor has a wry, but mature, pleasant smile on his accomplished face. A Big 14). END OF QUOTED article from The Herald. Further Comment: We hear of so many negative things about teenagers on TV, and via the newspapers that it is refreshing to an Austin that we need more of. Carroll in Snohomish. Thanks to GTE. <><><><>