Donald Hall:  

After High School I moved to Gresham, Oregon and attended Mt. Hood Community College. After that I worked for one year at Portland Radio Supply where we sold ham radio equipment and electronics parts. I was laid off in 1980, along with four others. Business was down and they couldn't afford to keep us. In fact, they went out of business in 1995. I moved back to Vancouver and attended Clark College, majoring in Electronics. In 1984, just when I was finishing, Washington's on line lottery was getting started. I went to work for Automated Wagering on January 5, 1984. I actually worked out of Vancouver and not Olympia as the job link indicates. Back then Automated Wagering was part of Ticketron, which was owned by Control Data. The company has gone through numerous ownership changes since then. It is currently part of Scientific Games, better known for scratch off tickets. In 1988 Automated Wagering won the contract to run Florida's on line lottery. I moved to Gainesville. In 1996 I married Margaret Johnston. She moved from Ohio to Jacksonville about the same time I moved to Gainesville. We met at a contra dance in Gainesville. Margaret currently works for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida as a customer service representative. She is also a student at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville where she is majoring in Psychology. After this term and two more classes this summer she will have her bachelor's degree. Next she will go on and get her masters degree. She wants to be a councilor and help young girls. She is also interested in helping the homeless. Our church is part of what is called the Interfaith Hospitality Network. Different churches host homeless families on a rotating basis for one week at a time providing shelter, meals, and help with finding work and permanent housing. Volunteers at each church do all the needed work. Until recently Margaret was part of that group. My step daughter, Lael Johnston turned 20 in November. At a young age she showed a lot of talent in drawing. She would use that in the evening as a way of processing her day. She had a talent that was far beyond anything I had at that age. Margaret saw this talent too and encouraged Lael to continue. When Lael was in elementary school an after school arts program was starting near her school. Margaret got her enrolled in that. The year Lael entered middle school an art magnet middle school was opening in Jacksonville. One of the requirements for entry was that she have some kind of formal art training. Lael didn't have any of that. She mostly taught herself. There was no art teacher at her elementary school and, for some reason, the after school program didn't count as art training. When they saw the quality of the work she was doing at that time they accepted her. The art magnet school has various departments, including music (instrumental), music (singing), writing, dance, and painting and drawing. Lael, of course was in painting and drawing. She had these extra art classes along with the regular academic work. There was already an art magnet high school in Jacksonville. Lael was accepted there. She graduated in 2007. After graduating Lael wanted to take some time off from school. Although she got to learn a lot of art school was stressful for her. She has a learning disability, mostly a processing disorder. I think Lael could make a career at art if she really applied herself. That summer she moved to Dayton, Ohio to help take care of her grandfather. Her grandmother died in July, 2006 so he was by himself. She was a big help to him but it turned out to be more than she could handle. After five months she wanted to come home. I drove up to get her and all her stuff. Margaret's dad is getting good care at home, even without Lael there. The State of Ohio has a program to help elderly people get the care they need and stay in their homes. My son William turned 11 in January. He has sh...Expand for more