So, do you know the location of Spikeville?

Dust off your fedora, put on your leather Indiana Jones jacket,

grab your whip and follow the compass coordinates below to Spikeville.

Longitude: N 44°53.554’  Latitude: W 123°04.243’

Quick info

Spike was born in 1947 to Michael D. and Mary Jane in West Virginia.

Spike is the oldest of five children.  He has three brothers — Nick, Mark and Rick — and one sister, Shelley.

Spike moved to Salem, Ore., in February 1976, and he now considers himself an Oregonian.

Spike retired from a career in journalism in February 2007, spending 38 years working for newspapers in West Virginia and Oregon.

Spike is very health-conscious, having survived a heart-bypass surgery in February 1998.  He walks frequently and attend a cardiac exercise class at Salem Hospital’s Rehab Center.

Hmmm . . . significant events in Spike’s life seem to happen in February.

Talents

Spike’s passion in life is his art.  He paints portraits and illustrations in oil, acrylic and pencil — in black & white and and color.  He has an art business, MLA Studio. His work can been seen at www.mlastudio.com.

In the past year, Spike has also earned kudos for his travel photography (such as the photo of Waikiki above).  His travel photography can be see on Google’s Picasa photo galleries, www.picasaweb.google.com/spike3147.

Spike also is an actor.  He was an extra and had a speaking part in a Independent short film, The Tao of Joy, in 2004. 

Spike plans to pursue work as an extra in movies filmed in the Portland area in the coming year.

Spike likes to entertain friends in his home.  He’s a good cook and favors making Italian dishes, as well as Southern dishes.

Interests

Spike has many interests, foremost of which is film.  Spikeville.com will feature his Top 10 list of best films in general, as well as the Top 10 list of best gay films.

Spike is an avid walker.  He walks everyday he can, usually 6 to 7 times a week and goes to a cardiac therapy exercise class twice a week at Salem Hospital’s Rehab center. 

Spike also created and runs a gay men’s social group in Salem, the Triangle Community.  The group, started in November 2003, is designed for gay men in the Salem-Keizer area who want an alternative to bars and clubs.  The TC, as it is known, is in it    s fifth year.  Visit the TC Web site at www.trianglecommunity.org.

Last year, Spike also created a second gay men’s social group, Cherry City Guys, in the Salem-Keizer area.  The group is designed for the

21 through 35 age demographic. Visit CC Guys’ site at www.cherrycityguys.org.

Activism

Spike is active with Basic Rights Oregon, the state’s gay-rights advocacy group.  Spike served on the panel that monitored the validation of petition signature forms.  The two gay-rights measures passed by the Oregon Legislature withstood challenges by the conservative religious right and are now law.  Laws passed dealt with the anti-discrimination in the workplace and domestic partnerships.

Spike also has served on the City of Salem’s Human Rights Commission, working with several committees to create a Community Response Team that will assist authorities in investigating incidents of hate crimes against members of Salem’s gay community.

Here’s the skinny on all things Spike

SPIKEVILLE

The official Web site of Michael Lewis

Current photo

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