Foundation CEO Peter Ogle and Senator Anderson cut the blue ribbon to launch the USS Ranger Foundation office.

Using a supercarrier set of scissors, Foundation CEO Peter Ogle and Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson made quick work of the ribbon to invite all the guests into the office.

The guests checked out the office space which includes military and USS Ranger memorabilia in a donated display case, the Ship’s Store, the Team Ranger meeting area/workroom and the administrative office.

The packed crowd enjoyed hot coffee donated by Caffeinated Culture Coffee and fresh baked scones provided by Bumper’s Restaurant next door which were brought fresh from the ovens by smart looking bakers. The sunny weather added to the festive party environment.

The Foundation would like to thank all who attended the ribbon cutting for their support and good wishes. A community heritage center can only happen when area citizens support the project. Team Ranger staff, volunteers and board members appreciate the day-to-day encouragement we get from area businesses and residents.

Keep up with us as we move the project along by checking out our new Google Calendar on the events web page which highlights all the activities on schedule for this summer. We expect big things this summer for Ranger, Fairview and Oregon.

We’ve included the credits of the showing to let everyone see how fabulous Top Gun looked on the big screen. We also learned from AC2 Scott Wells, who served aboard Ranger from 1985 to 1988, that the location used on Ranger for the radar scenes was  incorrect in a previous post. We thought the CIC didn’t look quite right. Wells told us the Carrier Air Traffic Control Center (CATCC) was used since the radar displays in the CATCC were “large and fairly brightly lit which makes them much more photogenic than the CIC scopes” they were standing in for. The movie Top Gun is copyrighted by Paramount Pictures.

At the end of the film the audience clapped and hollered. We look forward to playing Top Gun on Ranger’s flightdeck when she gets to Fairview and really making some noise. Enjoy the video!

The Foundation cannot thank the local community enough for all their support. Bringing Ranger to Fairview, East County and Oregon is a huge project. We would not be where we are today without the cooperation of all our partners.  We would like to thank all the supporters who helped with the Top Gun event in Gresham. Watch for the video wrap up soon.

Big thanks to our special guest Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson for her welcome to the crowd. The succesful silent auction was possible due to the generous support of our donors; Best Burger, Creative Visions Landscapes, Dana Fuller, Embassy Suites-Airport, First Aid Only, Gresham Barlow Education Foundation, Gresham Ford, Honest 1 Auto Care, Kimberly Cook, Renny Price-Hammerhead Aerobatics, Southwick Specialty Advertising, Susan’s Alterations, US Bank, USS Ranger Foundation,United Rentals, and the Victorian House.

Our fabulous vendors helped out by being present for the movie goers and we appreciate Best Burger, HF Video, Susan’s Alterations, Night Owl Custom Apparel, Take Shape for Life, Thirty One Gifts, and First Aid Only for their time and effort.

It takes people power to pull off this type of event and we have that with our dedicated support team of  Team Ranger staff and volunteers, including the Fairview VFW, Jay with JBL Productions and the wonderful Mt. Hood Theatre and their staff. A special word to the great movie technicians who made Top Gun look and sound fabulous on the big screen. Ranger looked amazing! The actors didn’t look too bad either. A big Ranger thank you to all our ticket buyers. Including the mate in Australia!

A portion of all sales of the Ranger Burger will be donated to the Foundation from the Cartisser family. “My construction business was hit hard during the recession and I prayed for guidance,” he said at the event. “Food and service seemed the way to go. I built this food cart and got orders to build three more at the same time for other clients.”

Cartisser is no stranger to hard work and long hours. He served as a medic aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on her maiden voyage and during the first Gulf War. “When I went to my second Gresham Chamber of Commerce meeting and heard about the Ranger project, I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

When Ebonie Johnson of Radiah Technologies, Team Ranger IT Hero and Navy veteran, asked John if he would consider putting a Ranger Burger on his menu, Cartisser took the idea further. A sign hangs right next to the order window telling about Ranger and proclaiming the Best Burger Gourmet Street Food cart as the official home of the Ranger Burger. He is also putting information about Ranger on the back of his new menus.

Best Burger is becoming a favorite hang out for Team Ranger staff. The menu includes burgers, sandwiches and hot dogs, with BBQ and steak too. Chicken and Gardenburgers are also available. Cartisser uses only fresh ground steak for his burgers, keeping them lean and tasty.

The Ranger Burger is worthy of a supercarrier with a burger and brisket making a good size meal. Stop by and check out Best Burger at SE 185th and Stark, in the USA Pawn parking lot with plenty of parking. Hours are Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Sunday. www.bestburgercart.com

Don’t forget to bring a supercarrier sized appetite and tell John and his staff you want to try the famous Ranger Burger. The Foundation sends a big thank you to the Cartisser family and John’s staff for their support. It’s burger time!

Tickets are flying out the door for our May 6 Top Gun fundraiser at the Mt. Hood Theatre in Gresham. Don’t wait to get your tickets to see Ranger play her important role in the movie. We want as many Ranger and Top Gun fans as possible to help support our gray lady. See the post further down on this web page for ticket locations and to purchase tickets online.

We wanted to remind you of the great flying scenes in the movie, so here is one more clip to help folks remember this legendary film. When Ranger gets to Fairview we are going to “request a fly by” from her new air support unit flying F-15 Eagles, the 142^nd Fighter Wing, Oregon Air National Guard Redhawks based out of Portland International Airport. See you at the movie!

Ranger appeared in several films during her active duty career, but her best known role was in Top Gun. Since she earned the title “Top Gun of the Pacific” during her service, she is the Top Gun among aircraft carriers. The filming of Top Gun aboard Ranger included scenes in the Combat Information Center. We thought it would be a good idea to let sailors in today’s Navy tell you what the Combat Information Center is all about in the video above.

We also wanted to make sure Top Gun fans in Oregon and Washington know where they can purchase tickets for watching the movie on the big screen May 6 from noon to 3 p.m. In addition to buying tickets online further down this web page, there are multiple locations where you can pick up advance tickets for $10 each. Click over to our events page for more information about the fundraiser.

We look forward to seeing all our Top Gun and Ranger fans at Mt. Hood Theatre in Gresham.

Ticket Locations:

USS Ranger Foundation Office, 21935 NE Halsey Street, Suite 300, Fairview, OR 97024 M-Th 9-4pm

Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce, 701 NE Hood Avenue Gresham, OR 97030

Radiah Technologies Group, 21733  SE Stark Street Gresham, OR 97030

West Columbia Gorge Chamber of Commerce,  226 W. Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale, OR 97060

A big thanks to all our great ticket sellers. We plan on packing Mt. Hood Theatre with all of Ranger’s fans to see Top Gun!

The $10 ticket price includes the movie ticket and and a donation to The USS Ranger Foundation. Only 500 seats are available for this event, so buy your tickets fast using the Paypal button below. Tickets will also be available at the Foundation office starting April 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 21935 NE Halsey, Suite 300 in Fairview, next to Bumpers Restaurant.

Come see Top Gun again on the big screen and relive the magic. Don’t wait! We “feel the need, the need for speed” to bring Ranger to Fairview!

We also wanted to send a special thank you out to everyone who came and visited us at the Gresham Chamber of Commerce’s A.M. last Friday. We filled the Fairview City Hall Council Chambers and people overflowed into the hallway. Thank you.

A very wide-angle camera view of the USS Ronald Reagan in Bremerton, WA on Feb. 3, 2012. Navy Photo by MCS 3rd Class Stewart

Part of the challenges with a project and ship of this size are making sure everything is the best it can be to make Ranger’s new home perfect. While Ranger’s anchors serve aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, we thought you might like to see what the bottom of an aircraft carrier looks like, up close. The USS Ronald Reagan is in dry-dock for maintenance in Bremerton, Washington, just a short distance from Ranger.

The USS Ronald Reagan’s crew is working hard to spiff her up and get her in shape to go back out to sea. This approximately one year maintenance rotation is keeping the entire crew and the shipyard workers  busy updating and doing maintenance. Ranger will need the same amount of time to get herself ready with the help of shipyard crews. First a general touch up and makeover will be needed to clean and paint her, and then install needed elevators and stairs for visitors.

If folks are starting spring cleaning at home right now, you can imagine what that job will be for Ranger. We look forward to shining, cleaning and polishing our great gray lady for her new home port in Fairview, Oregon. Thank you for helping us on this journey.

In case you need a reminder of what an aircraft carrier does on active duty, here is a good example made by a former Navy sailor. This was filmed on board the USS Enterprise and USS Roosevelt in 2001. While Ranger won’t be launching aircraft when she gets to Fairview, we thought a close look at what these floating cities/airports can do in action. Looking forward to seeing Chamber members in Fairview on Friday!

P.S. Don’t forget to scroll down and print the flyer for The Rock and come on Saturday, St. Patrick’s Day, to help raise funds for Ranger. Present the flyer with your meal payment and they will donate 20% of your bill to the Ranger. Let’s all eat and drink up! Team Ranger staff will be at The Wood from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to eat and visit!

Fairview embraced the Ranger project with open arms and the passion of dreamers. One of those supporters was Fairview Councilor Larry Cooper. Team Ranger staff members enjoyed his
enthusiasm and upbeat support for Ranger from the start. When Larry passed away unexpectedly in December, not only did his family and community grieve, but the Foundation lost a very good friend.

Recently the Fairview City Council selected his son, Brian Cooper, to fill his father’s position on the council. Brian was sworn in February 15. Cooper’s father had encouraged him to try for City
Council. They talked about Fairview issues working together every day in the family business, Cooper Tractor & Equipment, where Brian is the operations manager.

Brian Cooper told the Gresham Outlook newspaper he was “looking forward to the USS Ranger being docked at Chinook Landing.” Cooper feels Ranger “will attract more business and visitors to the city.” Cooper is committed to civic service and wants to take on this challenge to “honor his father’s memory.”

In the military true leaders lead by example. It’s not the big events which define a person and a community, but day to day actions which tell the true story of a city and its people. The Foundation recognizes the Cooper family’s commitment to Fairview, Ranger and their community and thanks them for their past and future support.

It’s never the size of a community that matters when reaching for a dream, it’s their hearts. The Cooper family’s and Fairview’s are supercarrier size.