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January 2007February 2007 March 2007

April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007

September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007

January 4, 2007

News

Main Street issues address at MCTC meeting

Alturas' Main Street project is not yet complete, and here are some safety and maintenance issues that need to be dealt with in the neat future

Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes is concerned that none of the traffic signs have been put up, including parking restrictions, no U-turn, or even something as simple as speed limit signs
In addition, the curbs have not been painted with parking designations. Barnes said regardless of that fact, it is illegal to park with 15-feet of a fire hydrant

There are several areas on Main Street where parking is an issue. The intersection of Carlos and Main is especially hazardous when drivers park too close to the corner on both streets. Barnes asks that drivers adhere to the 15-foot distance.

Barnes is trying to contact the contractor to have the traffic signs installed.
Several issues involving Main Street will be on the docket at the Modoc County Transportation Commission meeting Jan. 11, 3 p.m. at City Hall.

Alturas City Councilman and MCTC member Rod Gately said he has several issues he'll want addressed by the MCTC. He's concerned about the streetlights being too bright and although correction measures have been agreed to, nothing has been done yet. He's also concerned about the quality of the pavement at intersections, where it appears to be breaking up and creating lots of gravel on the street. He is also concerned about the lack of signage and curb parking zones being painted.

He said he understands the project is not yet completed and there will be some issues addressed in the coming months. But, he said, he'd like to see some measures taken now to deal with safety concerns.

Bone Marrow transplant working for Deena

Deena Bhavindhu and her family have reason to celebrate each day and especially the coming of the new year.

Doctors had said, at best, that Deena's bone marrow transplant in April 2006, had only a 50 percent chance of success. "We are glad we took that chance, even though it was a 50/50 chance that it would work," says her father Dino Bhavindhu, while taking a break from working at he and wife Nipa's "Nipa's Thai and California Cuisine" restaurant in Alturas last week. The doctors attribute some of Deena's recovery to her healthy status before she had treatments.

All other medical avenues of treatment had been exhausted and her seven years of life would have ended, believed the doctors and her parents, had they not made the decision to go through the bone marrow transplant, said her father.

Deena's bone marrow transplant in April 2006 was done at the University of California San Francisco.

Deena's recovery is surprising even the head of Hematology and Oncology at UCSF, Dr. Cooper, who meets weekly with the team of doctors on Deena's medical case. The Pediatric Oncology Department at UCSF is using Deena's situation as a case study as well, while Deena continues to be doing well.

"She has had no transfusions for the past six months," said her father. Before the April transplant, Deena was having transfusions weekly.

For the next six months, she will be closely monitored and kept home to ensure her immune system is strong enough to withstand returning to normal activity, such as school, said her father. Deena continues to do her school studies at home in Redding, where she lives with her family, including her twin brother and sister Jamie and Nicole and where the family also operates their second Thai cuisine restaurant.

County officials swearing in Jan. 8

Modoc County officials will be sworn into office January 8, 12 noon at the upstairs Modoc Superior Courtroom in the courthouse.

Taking the oath of office will be: Gary Woolverton, Modoc County District Attorney; Mark Gentry, Modoc County Sheriff/Coroner; Gary Jones, Modoc County Superintendent of Schools; Cheri Budmark, Modoc Assessor; Dan Macsay, Supervisor District I; Dave Bradshaw, Supervisor District 5; Cheryl Knoch, Modoc County Treasurer/Tax Collector; and Judi Stevens, Modoc Auditor/Recorder/Clerk.

Modoc County Clerk Maxine Madison will officially retire Jan. 8 but will continue on a part-time basis as Clerk of the Board. Outgoing officials include District Attorney Jordan Funk and Modoc Sheriff Bruce Mix.

Obituaries:

Pauline "Polly" Filomeo

Pauline "Polly" Filomeo, 84, passed away peacefully at her home in Antelope, OR with her husband Bob at her side December 23, 2006.

Polly was born December 12, 1922, in Achille, OK to Lynn and Beulah Boyce. She moved at a young age to Martinez, CA, graduated from Alhambra High School in Martinez; worked at the Naval shipyard in Vallejo during WWII, the title company in Martinez, and was a private secretary for the CEO of the San Francisco branch of Lloyd's of London Insurance Company.

Polly married Bob Filomeo February 14, 1948, in Reno, NV after a three-year courtship. They moved to Stone Coal Valley in Modoc County in 1959 and lived there many years ranching and raising their\ three daughters. Bob and Polly moved to Antelope, OR in 1991.

She loved gardening, fishing, cooking, quilting, leather tooling, knitting and crocheting. She was an accomplished pianist and an expert seamstress.

Polly was preceded in death by her parents Lynn and Beulah Boyce, her aunt Eula May Varner, an infant brother, brother Lynn Boyce, Jr., sisters Oleta Green and Juanita Smock. She is survived by her husband Bob, daughters Catherine Filomeo of Alturas, Judy Picotte of Alturas, Alicia Wise of Vacaville, and also a son, Tony Herndon of Martinez and daughter Linda Karp of Clayton, CA from a previous marriage; her brother Fred Boyce of Odessa, TX, 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at the Catholic Church in Antelope, OR at a later date.

Sports

Wood fourth in Reno invite

Modoc sophomore Josh Wood placed fourth in the huge Reno Sierra Nevada Classic last week. There were 94 teams from eight states at the event including many of the top ranked wrestlers from California, Nevada and Oregon.

Wood went 7-2 in the 189-pound division and his losses came to senior wrestlers who were on top of their sport.

Modoc's Sheridan Crutcher, 140 pounds, went 2-2 in the event, Shawn Brownfield, 215, was 1-2, Victor Garcia, 125, Kevin Richardson, 112, Jacob Ketler, heavyweight, Tyler Wood, 145, and Brandon Anderson, 160, were all 0-2, but coach Shaun Wood said they wrestled some serious contenders.

Modoc top wrestlers head to the classic Anderson tournament this weekend and the junior varsity team will head to the Mt. Shasta tourney.

Coming in sports:

This week in sports:

Modoc's wrestling team will be competing at the big Anderson tournament Jan. 5-6 and will be going to Burney Jan. 12-13.

Modoc boys and girls basketball teams will open league play Jan. 9 at Weed and will host

Burney Jan. 12. Mt. Shasta comes to Alturas Jan. 16.

Surprise Valley's Hornets will be at Butte Valley Jan. 13 and host Dunsmuir Jan. 16

January 11, 2007

News

Boxer offers help in Secure Schools funding

There may be some help on the way for the nearly dead Secure Rural Schools and Communities Act, which was not funded by the last Congress and expires this year.Modoc County Superintendent of Schools Gary Jones said he has received notice of Senator Barbara Boxer's intent to re-visit the issue.

"If Senator Boxer is going to help, Senator Feinstein may re-engage," Jones said. "The tandem could be a real boost to reauthorization this year. So, there is a little hope on the horizon."

The Act expires this year, after a six-year run, and the loss of funding to Modoc County Schools and Roads would be about $3.3 million annually. The Act was passed to offset the loss of timber receipts from logging's serious decline and near disappearance from much of the northwest. The Forest Receipts Program allocated 25 percent of production receipts from the forests to local counties. Those funds were split evenly between county road and schools. That split with the Secure Rural Counties Act worked out to about $1.3 million to Modoc Schools and the same amount to County Roads. In addition, about $600,000 was allocated annually to the Forest's Resource Advisory Committee for projects.

The loss of funds locally is substantial. For instance, a loss of the funding would amount to about $730,000 annually to the Modoc Joint Unified School District, Surprise Valley Joint is $141,923 and Tulelake Joint $169,240.

According to Curtis, the annual funding of the Act amounted to about $530 million and covered 750 counties and 4,400 school districts in those counties.

According to Sean Curtis, Modoc Resource Analyst, the main stumbling block on the issue for Congress remains the Act's lack of a funding source. It was passed six years ago with a sunset this year and was considered by some at that time as temporary relief.

The goal of the Forest Counties Coalition was to get the Act extended at least for one more year, giving them time to come up with a permanent replacement and possible funding source. It is possible that now that the 110th Congress is seated, the Act will be extended, but there are no guarantees and it puts local schools and counties in a tight spot. Help from Boxer and Feinstein is crucial.

"In its closing hours, the 109th Congress failed to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools And Community Self-Determination Act, the law that has stabilized payments to rural forest counties and funded a myriad of local projects," Senator Boxer states. "While this was disappointing news for many counties and schools, I wanted to let you know that I have joined in an effort to make sure reauthorization of this program is a priority in the coming Congress."

She said that in 2000, following a 20-year decline in payments to rural counties, Congress passed the act to address the needs of National Forest Counties.

"This landmark legislation addressed the needs of the National Forest Counties and helped establish a new cooperative partnership between citizens in forest counties and our federal land management agencies to develop forest health improvement projects on public lands while stimulating job development and economic stability in rural communities," Boxer said. "A strong effort was made to extend this legislation for one year, but was unsuccessful. You can count on me to continue to work with many of my Senate colleagues, including Senator Diane Feinstein, to enact a longer term reauthorization in the new Congress."

Jones cautions that the loss of the forest funding would be a major blow to county schools. He is somewhat skeptical that it will be reauthorized by the incoming Congress, but has some guarded optimism with Boxer's announcement.

Bob Douglas, president of the Forest Counties Coalition, out of Red Bluff, is continuing to work hard on the issue. He wrote in a memo to the NFCSC members that stresses quick action. "Let Congress know that planning for the 2007-8 budget cycle starts now and layoff notices will need to, by law, be sent to staff (schools) by March or April. We absolutely need to convince the members of Congress to act to renew our legislation by March 1, 2007."

City hears ideas on streets

The Alturas City Council Tuesday night addressed some issues involving Alturas Main Street, dealing primarily with unfinished items.

One of the major issues facing the City is the street lighting, which has been the subject of numerous complaints. The primary concern is the lights are too bright, shining directly in drivers' eyes and obscuring vision, especially when it comes to seeing pedestrians.

In addition, Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes is very concerned that there are no traffic signs indicating parking areas, restrictions, speed limits or U-turn restrictions. Also, there are no curbs painted with the "no parking" red zones and drivers are parking too close to fire hydrants and to the intersections, creating possible hazards.

The City is also concerned that there are no street signs identifying the streets coming off of Main Street. Councilman Rob Gately has said the improvements and safety issues need to be addressed now, and not wait until spring.

A meeting with the Modoc County Transportation Commission, including a Caltrans representative, is scheduled for today at 3 p.m. at City Hall. While work on the project has been stopped for this season, it could resume in the spring.

The Council also heard a proposal from the Modoc Economic Vitality group to fund a "point person" for Economic Development with the City's share of $25,000 per year.

The first time the issue was proposed last year it was contingent on Modoc County also dropping $25,000 into the position. The county opted not to fund the proposal, pretty much making the city's position moot.

The council took no action on the issue Tuesday night and City Treasurer Kathie Alves explained the city's tight financial position as well as upcoming issues that could be a priority.

Hospital debt up again in December

At the end of December, 2006, Modoc Medical Center's debt to Modoc County went up to $6,887,505 from November's $6,570,715, an increase of $316,790,
according to Modoc County Auditor Judi Stevens.

October's debt stood at $6,417,812. The end of August's $5,989,192.44 went to $5,991,165 at the end of September. That was only an increase of $1,972.

August's debt had grown $387,234 from July's $5,601,957.81. That was up from June's $5,355,838.60.

The debt has increased since September 2005's $4,690,812 by a total of $2,196,693.
The Modoc Record will continue to publish the actual debt at the end of each month.

Niles Theater seat tickets remain

The Board of Directors of the Alturas Community Theater, Inc. has announced that, due to slower than anticipated raffle ticket sales, it was not able to hold the drawing on New Years Eve as had been hoped.

"At this point a little over half of the 400 tickets have been sold, and we need to sell them all in order to have the drawing," A.C.T. President, Karen Hays said. "Ticket sales were going well until we announced that we have received a $9,285 grant from the McConnell Foundation. "I am afraid that the public thinks that the grant money can be used to pay off the loan that the Cedarville Rancheria made to A.C.T. for the seat purchase, and that is a misconception. The grant money can only be spent for aisle lighting and seat installation and cannot be spent to pay for the seats. We must sell all of the raffle tickets before we can begin to install the seats. We realize that $50 is an expensive ticket, but it is a very good cause and with only 400 tickets the odds of winning a prize are good."

The seats are rocker style seats with cup holders and were removed from a theater in San Francisco after only a short time. They will be a welcome change from the worn and uncomfortable seats currently in the theater. The raffle is a "Sponsor-A-Seat" benefit and only 400 tickets are sold at $50 each. All ticket purchasers will have their names included in a list of "New Seat Donors." This list will be hung permanently in the theater lobby next to a list of "Original Seat Donors," those people who helped A.C.T. when it originally purchased the theater in 1994. The proceeds will be used to pay off the purchase loan and to fund the cash prizes. The first prize will be $3,000. The second prize will be $1,500. And the third $500.

Do the community a favor and purchase a chance to win big bucks by buying your ticket(s) now. Tickets are available at the Niles Theater, Seab's True Value, Plumas Bank, Modoc Farm Supply, TEACH, K & K Distributing, the Modoc Record and Antonio's, as well as from the individual members of the A.C.T. Board of Directors: Karen Hays, Duanna Knighton, Russ Milton, Seab McDonald, Fritz Barclay and Ken Franklin.

A.C.T., Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to keeping the Niles Theater open for movies, plays, concerts, school and other community events.

Obituaries:

Patricia Ann Barry

Patricia Ann Barry was born on Nov. 29. 1928, in Reno, Nevada, to Laurance and Edna Russell Fee.
She passed away on Jan. 2, 2007, at the Lake District Hospital in Lakeview, Ore., from cancer-related causes. She was 78 years old.

Pat spent most of her youth in Surprise Valley on her parents' ranch in Fort Bidwell, Calif. The ranch was established in 1867 by Pat's pioneer great-grandparents James and Martha Fee.

Pat attended high school in Reno, Nev., and, after graduating from high school, attended the University of Nevada at Reno, where she earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in history.

She then spent several years in Germany, where she taught English courses to enlisted men during the Korean War.

Upon returning to the United States, Pat began her career as a high school teacher. Her first teaching position was at Yuba City High School. She next taught at Tulelake High School. The majority of her teaching career and her final teaching position was at Surprise Valley High School in Cedarville, Calif. At Surprise Valley High School, Pat taught English literature and was also a student counselor.

She once estimated that she had over 1,300 students in her career.

Always considering how she might help her students advance their education, Pat taught not only basic English lessons, but a variety of related subjects ranging from Latin conjugation to oratory presentations.

She was beloved by her students for this variety of education and her down-to-earth good humor. Many of her pupils have kept in contact with her over the years.

Pat Barry was extremely well read and enjoyed many forms of art. While teaching at Surprise Valley High School, she initiated the practice of taking students to Ashland, Ore., to attend the Shakespearean Festival. Pat also directed and choreographed several student productions during her tenure, including an all-community cabaret in 1976 in commemoration of the national bicentennial.
Pat was also a prolific writer. She wrote numerous articles for the Modoc County Historical Journal, for which she served as editor for many years. She also wrote numerous articles for magazines, such as Range Magazine, and for newspapers. In addition to the individual articles, Pat authored several ongoing series such as the "Echoes" series she wrote for the Modoc County Record.

She was an accomplished genealogist. In addition to the genealogies she assembled for her family, she was always happy to assist anyone who might need a helping hand in historical matters from genealogy to the early settlement of Surprise Valley. In her later years, she enjoyed visiting historical places of the Great Basin with friends and explaining the history of the area. Evenings were spent at the local fishing hole.

Throughout her life, Pat Barry held a deep affection for Surprise Valley and Modoc County. She loved all things related to ranching, but most of all she was drawn to horses, caring for, training, and most of all riding them.

Without a doubt, Pat's greatest love was her family and friends. In recent correspondence to one of her students, Pat wrote "At the end of the day, or at least getting into the afternoon, my greatest accomplishment is having my sons to admire and love. Secondly, my friends. So be it. Life does not rewind."

Over the years, Pat developed long-term friendships with a number of remarkable people who continued to assist her in her final difficult years. Her family is immensely grateful for the generosity and love bestowed upon her by these wonderful friends.

Pat will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Pat is survived by her brother Jim Fee and wife Susie; her son Ernest James Givan and family Acinda, Fernando, Elizabeth and Christian; her son James L. Olmsted and son Sage Fox. Also surviving Pat are her nephews and nieces Will Cahill and wife Susie, Hugh Cahill and wife Lesa, Joe Cahill and wife Chandra, and Frank Cahill and wife Cynthia, Tom Fee and wife Alyssa, Shannon May and husband Matt, Katie Fee, Mary Gates and husband Byron; grandnephews and grandnieces including James, Jackie, Bill, Donna, Terry, Carley and Rachel Cahill, Savannah, Bailey, Jake and Grace Fee, Jackie, Jeffery, Christopher and Sam May, Taylor and Justin Ritchie, Caralina and Amanda Gates.
Pat was preceded in death by her parents Laurance and Edna Fee, her sister and brother-in-law Martha and Terry Cahill and husband Nick Barry.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007, at noon at the Fort Bidwell Community Church. Pallbearers are Will, Hugh, Joe, Frank, James and Bill Cahill and John Cales. Honorary pallbearers are Jim Hobbs and Terry Cahill.

Donations in memory of Pat Barry may be made to Fort Bidwell Civic Club or Fort Bidwell Cemetery c/o Jane Higgins, P.O. Box 124, Fort Bidwell, CA 96112, or the Modoc County Historical Society, 600 Main St., Alturas, CA 96101.

Ousley Osterman Huffstutter Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements, (541) 947-326.

Susan 'Suze' Flournoy

Susan 'Suze' Flournoy passed away peacefully Thursday morning, January 4, 2007 at Mercy Medical Center in Redding, CA, ending a brief battle with cancer.

Susan was born in Alturas, California, September 3, 1944, to Rob and Lizzette Flournoy. She was raised on the family ranch in Likely, CA, where she attended South Fork Elementary School.
Suze graduate from Modoc Union High School in 1962. She was an accomplished horsewoman and a Modoc County Fair princess.

She attended business school in San Francisco, CA, where she was later employed in the business office of Cleveland Wrecking Company. She went on to live and work on the Atlantic Coast in Pennsylvania, New York, Maine and New Jersey.

She returned to South Fork Valley briefly before meeting Rich Hamel. She and Rich were married and Suze joined Rich's family in the operation of Oak Meadows Registered Hereford Ranch near Herald, CA. They often traveled promoting and studying agriculture and cattle production in the U.S., Australia, and Canada. Rich and Suze relocated Oak Meadows Ranch to Modoc County on the Romero Place north of Likely.

Later, Suze cooked aboard a commercial fishing vessel in the Bering Sea, which she compared to cooking for cowboys on the tailgate of a pick-up. She became an on-board liaison representing small commercial interests in exchanges of fish to a Japanese processor ship. Her duties took her to Japan and all over the Bering Sea. She developed a love of puffins there and operated a photo finishing business in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, before returning to Modoc.

Suze enjoyed working with friends in Likely and caring, as necessary, for beloved family members. Although she had no children of her own, she helped raise many who treasure crocheted items Suze crafted with love. Suze also enjoyed music, reading, and English language arts and skills.

She leaves her parents, brother Pearce Flournoy and wife Lorraine, of Likely; brother Craig Flournoy and wife Valerie of Alturas; sister Joanne Beeson and husband Dwight of Alturas; sister Shelley Flournoy Cooper of Sacramento; Rich and Chris Hamel of Likely, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and numerous dear friends and her cat Kraken.

A celebration of Suze's life is planned at the Likely Fire Hall, Saturday, Jan. 13 at 1 p.m. in conjunction with a potluck.

Ardellas Poindexter

Ardellas Poindexter passed away in the Canyonwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Benton Drive in Redding on November 16, 2006, at the age of 85. She was laid to rest in the Alturas Cemetery on November 22, 2006.

Born Ardellas Poindexter on the XL Ranch November 1, 1921, she lost her father to the flu in 1922. She lived with her mother and stepfather in Davis Creek and then Alturas. Her first marriage in Reno was to a man in the Army, "who never came back," shared Neil Crabtree, whom she later married on May 1, 1948. Neil and Ardellas moved to Wendel, CA in 1950, then she moved to Redding for a time. She returned to Neil in Alturas on October 24, 1964, and worked as a housekeeper at the Niles Hotel and for Bill Laxague in Cedarville. Neil and Ardellas lived in Cedarville until May 1, 1974. On September 9, 1980 they moved to 1535 First Street in Anderson, CA.

She is survived by Neil Crabtree of Anderson; three half-sisters Dorothy Blocker of Anderson, CA; Alice Doop of Marysville, CA and Margaret Brown of North Platte, Nebraska. She was preceded in death by one sister Marie; nephew Bruce of Sacramento; brother Perry of Alturas and brother Kerry of Idaho. Information submitted by Neil Crabtree.

Gilbert D. 'Buck' Purcell

Eagleville resident Gilbert D. "Buck" Purcell, 83, passed away January 8, 2007, at Surprise Valley Hospital, Cedarville, CA. Services will be held at graveside at the Eagleville Cemetery on Friday, Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. A gathering will follow at the Eagleville Community Hall.

Mr. Purcell retired as an Industrial Engineer with the U.S. Federal Government. He had made Eagleville his home for the past 33 years.

A native of California, he was born February 21, 1923 in Roseville. He is survived by his wife Dorothy of Eagleville; son Daniel Purcell of Eagleville; son Michael Purcell and wife Ann and their children Tyler and Jessica, all of Chandler, Arizona. Mr. Purcell's photograph and complete obituary will be published next week. Services are under the direction of Kerr Mortuary.

Sports

Braves face brutal test at Anderson

Modoc Braves' wrestling coach Shaun Wood described this year's Anderson Tournament as "brutal" and as tough as the huge Reno tournament.

The Braves took just five of their top wrestlers to the Anderson invite Jan. 5-6 and the rest the team traveled to Mt. Shasta. Modoc placed 20th out of 40 teams in Anderson.

Josh Wood, recovering from the flu, took a third place at 189 pounds. He lost a one-point match in the semi-finals. The top 189-pound wrestler in the section was at Anderson and won the event.

Bill Hammerness wrestled very well in a tough weight and placed sixth at 171 pounds. Jesse Harer took an eighth at 215 pounds and Sheridan Crutcher took an eighth at 145 pounds. Jacob Ketler went 0-2 at heavyweight, but placed second in the elimination tourney.

Modoc had two individual winners at the Mt. Shasta tournament: Josue Madrigal won at 140 pounds and Kyle Hartman won at 152 pounds.

Cain Madrigal took a second place at 130 pounds, Tyler Wood was third at 145 pounds, Miguel Torres was third at 215 pounds, Tyler Stains was fourth at 189 pounds, Alex Moreo was fourth at 103 pounds and Victor Garcia was fifth at 215 pounds.

Modoc now travels to the Burney Rotary Invitational and are the odds-on favorites to win the team title this weekend.

Modoc girls open SCL with a win

Modoc's varsity girl's basketball team beat the Weed Cougars 40-21 in Weed Tuesday night to open the Shasta Cascade League. They host Burney Friday and Mt. Shasta comes to town Tuesday.

Modoc took an 11-6 first period lead and led 16-11 at the half. Modoc jumped up 28-17 after three and outscored Weed 12-4 in the fourth. Catherine Lowry led the scoring with 12, Sarah Catania added nine with Kelly Campagna and Alysha Northrup each getting six.

Braves drop league game to Weed

Modoc's varsity boys team lost a Shasta Cascade League game to Weed Tuesday night, 61-49 at Weed. The Braves host Burney here Friday and Mt. Shasta next Tuesday.
Modoc coach Buk Richardson said the Braves were flat, but credits Weed as a solid contender in the SCL.

Weed led 20-8 in the first period and held a 34-15 lead at halftime. By the end of three, the Cougars had built a 47-29 lead and went on for the 61-49 win.
Ross Burgess led Modoc with 29 points and Trent Schmidt had nine.

January 18, 2007

News

Caltrans assures Main Street will be fixed

Caltrans representatives assured the Modoc County Transportation Commission, MCTC, last Thursday that corrections will be made to Alturas' Main Street project as soon as possible. The timeline on some of the issues will have to wait for warmer weather.

Eric Akana, Caltrans Project Manager, said he was aware of the issues confronting the project and asked the commission and public to be candid about their concerns.

The major issues facing the project are the streetlight brightness, signage along the street and curb painting, and most significantly the condition of the new asphalt and lane markings.

The streetlight issue was upfront and measures were taken last Thursday to move towards a remedy. Crews installed four 75-watt metal halide bulbs in the lights from Carlos to Modoc Street and four 100-watt MH bulbs from Modoc to First Street as a sample of how different lighting would appear. The bulbs originally installed are 175-watt metal halide.

Thursday at about 6 p.m. members of the public and the MCTC surveyed the new lighting and most agreed the 75-watt change would be the best in addition, it was suggested that the lights be changed from the metal halide, which produce a white-blue light, to a high pressure sodium which will be more of a warm tone.

Akana said he would be taking those suggestions back to Redding and dealing with the lighting contractor for a solution. He said there was funding available in the project to make the changes. That project will not have to wait for a change in the weather.

The biggest complaint concerning the lights was that they are too bright and create a hazard.
Akana also said that new traffic signage will be put up in the next few weeks. Those will be speed limit and other traffic directional signs, including No U-turn signage. The actual street identification signs will be put up and should be installed by April. Painting of the curbs will have to wait for warmer weather.

"The asphalt is not performing and we'll be remedying that problem next spring," Akana said. "We want to assure you that we will be correcting these issues. We're going to ask for a little patience, because some things can't be done until it warms up. Before we leave this project, we'll take care of it. We'll be working with the contractor to get it fixed,"

He said experts will be testing the "crumb rubber" asphalt mix to see why it's not performing as expected. Akana said he felt the contractor, Eagle Peak Rock and Paving, had done a good job.
Akana pointed out that the same asphalt mixture was used on a separate project last summer, under a different contractor, on U.S. 395 from the Brass Rail north to the county border and it is holding up perfectly. In addition, he said the mixture is used successfully in several areas in the north state including Weaverville's Main Street, State Route 139 and State Route 299 over Hatchet Mountain.

Some of the pavement may have to be reground and repaved, Akana said. He stressed that Caltrans is well aware of the issues and fully intends to have the project complete and corrected this summer.

MTA, MJUSD at impasse crisis meeting in works

The Modoc Teachers Association's leadership team held a meeting late Wednesday afternoon to chart a course following receipt of a letter from the Modoc Joint Unified School District rescinding any previous offers in salary negotiations.

The MTA and MJUSD have been at formal impasse in negotiations. MTA spokesperson Patti Carpenter said the MTA has not felt the district has been making a good faith effort at the bargaining table.

The letter received by the MTA this week states that pending the possible loss of over $725,000 from the Secure Schools and Roads Act, the district was rescinding any and all previous offers.

In addition, the district will pay to have a third party auditor review the district's financial status and come back to the Board of Trustees with a report. That report could take a few weeks to prepare.
The Secure Schools and Roads money, worth about $3.3 million annually to the county was not passed by the last U.S. Congress, but it may be acted upon by the incoming Congress. There is no guarantee it will be reauthorized, and likewise, no guarantee it will completely disappear.

Carpenter said the MTA would be issuing a statement following yesterday's meeting, but it would be too late for this edition. That statement and a response from the district will be reported next week.

SVJUSD board rethinks management decision

Over the holiday weekend, the Governing Board of Surprise Valley Joint Unified School District called a special board meeting for Tuesday evening, January 16, at SV High School.

The sole agenda item consisted of the evaluation of the seventh and eighth grade program and reinstatement of the junior high's lead teacher, Jenny Grove. Most of the meeting took place in closed session where all personnel issues are discussed, but several people spoke in support of Grove at before the Board adjourned to close session.

"The prime concern of our board is to support the education of our children at all times", stated President Robert Staton on Sunday. "We will also be looking at ways to support the junior high teacher and help keep her on track as she continues in her position."

During the closed session portion of the board's regular monthly meeting on January 11, members originally supported Interim Superintendent Debra Schoeppach's "management decision" to shift positions of some members of the teaching staff. She undertook to implement those changes on Friday afternoon.

But upon further reflection, the board agreed on January 14 to call the special meeting. Staton said he personally expected the board would vote to rescind the previous decision.

"One of our main jobs is to help all of our teachers help our kids", said Staton who refused to criticize any of the district's teachers or administrators. However, at least one teacher (not Grove) was so disturbed by the way the decision was implemented, that she left school early on Friday.

On Friday evening, Schoeppach, who accepted the position of Interim Superintendent following the departure of her predecessor Michael Sherrod in November, informed Staton she would be resigning that position. He said she would continue to serve as Principal at Surprise Valley Elementary School.
"With Mike Ray serving as High School Principal and Debbie at the elementary school, we'll be okay", said Staton. "The board will operate for now without an acting superintendent."

The issue of Schoeppach's possible resignation was not part of the discussion Tuesday night and no decision was announced.

Modoc County Superintendent of Schools Gary Jones said he will offer to assist the district, but the request for that assistance will have to come from the SVJUSD Board.

Many parents have been unhappy since the board decided early last spring to move junior high age students from their deteriorating portable classroom at Surprise Valley Elementary School to a new classroom at the high school.

That portable wasn't designed for weather conditions in Modoc County and is slated to be demolished and replaced by new and better-designed model using modernization grants. Moving the seventh and eighth grade combined class to the other school site also made the district eligible to reclassify SVES as a "necessary small school", leading to increased funding from the state.

In the months since the plan to move the students was implemented, the board has dealt with many questions and concerns about everything from keeping the younger students segregated during recess and lunch periods to how Student Council, dances and fundraisers would be handled. "Everyone has had to make some difficult adjustments this year", said Staton.

At the December board meeting, Schoeppach introduced new teacher Leanne Copsey who was hired to work with Grove and the junior high students each afternoon. This month, the daily schedule was again revised and a new lunch period was instituted. "We have continued to make changes that help our day flow better", said Grover at January's regular board meeting. "This new schedule should help our day run smoother with fewer interruptions."

Following the November election, the school board swore in new members at their regular meting on December 14. Alissa Fee was elected to represent Fort Bidwell and Penni Borghi will represent Cedarville. The new five-member board selected Bob Staton of Eagleville to serve as President, while Bill Bostic of Lake City is now Vice-President, and Cedarville's Jim Laacke will serve as the board's Clerk.

Stewardship steering committee meets January 18

Members of the Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship steering committee will discuss wide ranging natural resource topics when they meet Thursday, January 18 at the Cedarville Community Church Hall, corner of Center and Bonner Streets in Cedarville.

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. and is open to the public.

Agenda topics include a report on management of fen meadows (marshy areas), updates on environmental impact statements being developed for sagebrush steppe ecosystems and noxious weed management, and an update on wind energy development proposals in northeast California.

The members also will discuss a proposal for involving livestock grazing permit holders in cooperative rangeland monitoring, and hear plans for upcoming national meetings of the Experimental Stewardship Program and the Society for Range Management.

The Modoc National Forest and Bureau of Land Management will provide updates on agency activities, and representatives of the ESP member agencies will report on significant events and projects.

The 17-member steering committee provides natural resource management advice to the BLM Surprise Field Office and the Forest Service Warner Mountain Ranger District. One of three such committees established by congress, the group works on a full consensus basis to promote innovative approaches to range management and to provide incentives for excellence.

For more information, contact BLM Public Affairs Officer Jeff Fontana at (530) 252-5332

Obituaries:

Fran Breshears

Fran Breshears passed away on Monday, January 15, 2007, at her Alturas, CA home. Mrs. Breshears was born in Columbus, Texas on September 7, 1924, and grew up in San Diego, CA. After raising her children, and a brief medical career, Fran relocated to Modoc County with her husband Paul, in the early 1960s, where they owned and operated B&W Alturas Pharmacy for 25 years. After retirement, Fran and Paul enjoyed traveling all across America. Fran's passion was her family, knitting and baking pies from scratch. She is survived by her uxorious husband Paul, her daughter and son-in-law Johnalynn and Ray O'Malley of Alturas, and her son and daughter-in-law Joe and Joyce Greer of San Diego. Fran had five grandsons that were the light of her life: Ray and Carrie O'Malley of San Diego; Tom and Julie O'Malley of Alturas; Kevin and Jennifer Greer and Michael and Diane Greer, each of Minnesota, and Brian and Kelly Greer of Salem, Oregon, as well as 10 great-grandchildren that she enjoyed knitting for.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Alturas City Volunteer Fire Department Family Emergency Fund, 103 South Howard Street, Alturas, CA 96101.

The family invites friends to join them in a celebration of Fran's life and "martini memories" on January 19, 2007, at the home of Ray and Johnalynn O'Malley, 312 West Third Street, Alturas, CA, from the hours of 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Mary Jane Sheppard

Mary Jane (Merritt) Sheppard, 73, passed away on January 15, 2007, surrounded by family, after struggling for many years with health issues.

Viewing at Davenport's Chapel of the Good Shepherd in Klamath Falls, OR, is scheduled Friday, Jan. 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A wake will follow at Assembly of God Church, Chiloquin, Oregon, from 5 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20. A memorial service commences at 10 a.m., with luncheon to follow. Burial will be at Wilson Cemetery in Chiloquin at a later time.

Born October 14, 1933, at Klamath Agency, Oregon, to Fred Sankey and Hosie (George) Merritt, Mary was raised at the family ranch near Williamson River and Agency Lake, Oregon. She attended school in Chiloquin, Oregon.

Mary married Vard McNair in the early-fifties, and had two children. She later married Marlyn Floyd Sheppard, June 21, 1957. They had five children together, and took in one of Mary's nieces.

Mary raised her family on the same ranch where she was raised. After remarrying Marlyn, and having two children, she attended Beauty College in Denver, Colorado. When her youngest daughter entered kindergarten, Mary volunteered in class, and followed her daughter into grade school. She was then offered a job as a teacher's aide, and continued for several years. She also worked in the potatoes for the Cheyne Brothers many more years.

Mary enjoyed playing board and card games and watching all kinds of sports on TV. She especially liked traveling to different casinos and playing Blackjack, and bore the honorary title Miss Kla-Mo-Ya. She attended many pow-wows with family and friends. One of the biggest joys in her life was visiting people - friends, family and strangers, alike - making people smile, laugh, and blind with the flash of her camera.

Survivors include brother-in-law and sister-in-law Ben and Betty Sheppard of Gresham, OR, special sister and brother-in-law Marion and Donald Preston of Alturas, CA; daughter Neena McNair from French Corral, CA, niece and husband Milli and Randall Whiting from Klamath Falls, OR, daughter and son-in-law Tweet and Ronnie Samson, son and daughter-in-law Randy Sheppard and Joy Donahue, daughter and husband, Marylyn Sheppard-Blair and Bruce Blair, and daughter and son-in-law, Toni Sheppard and Jace Ahboah, all from Chiloquin, OR. Grandchildren: Kimberly and Matthew McNair, Randee Jo, Leticia "Tisha", Drew, Meticia "Mag", Steven "Audie", and Sankey Sheppard; great-grandchildren: Zachary and Justin Brennan, Devon and Josalyn McNair, Dymond and Tatiana Jackson, and Jordan Sheppard. Niece Cindy Neese, nephew Gary Sheppard, great-niece Marnie Whiting, great-nephew Casey Whiting, great-great niece Baylie Whiting, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Mary "adopted" many children young and old throughout the years, many called her "Mom" and "Grandma."

Mary, preceded in death by her parents, brothers and sisters, son Mike McNair and baby daughter, now joins beloved husband Marlyn Sheppard.

Davenport's Chapel of the Good Shepherd, directors are in charge of the arrangements.

Sports

Modoc beat Burney 56-38

The Modoc Braves boy's varsity basketball team whipped the Burney Raiders 56-38 Friday night at home.

Modoc took a 15-6 first period lead and built that to a 33-19 halftime advantage. Modoc led 44-26 after three and both teams scored a dozen in the final period. Ross Burgess led Modoc with 24 points; Trent Schmidt added 13 and Dustin Philpott had nine.

Foul trouble in the first period set the tone for an ugly loss to Mt. Shasta Tuesday night 56-36 in Alturas.

Mt. Shasta started with a 12-8 first quarter lead and Modoc fought back to a 21-18 halftime deficit. The Bears ran away to a 38-27 lead after three and added 18 in the fourth, to Modoc's nine.

Burgess had 10 points in the game to lead the Braves.

Modoc has Fall River at home Friday and travels to Etna Saturday.

Modoc beats weak Burney squad

Modoc's girl's varsity basketball team beat a weak Burney Raider squad 65-22 in Alturas Friday night.

The Braves led 11-0 after one and 29-8 at halftime. Modoc led 41-15 after three and outscored Burney 24-7 in the fourth. Catherine Lowry led the scoring with 19, Sarah Catania added 16, and Kelly Campagna had 10.

The Braves beat Mt. Shasta 55-50 here Tuesday night. Modoc led 12-10 in the first 30-23 at halftime and trailed 36-38 after three. They put together a 19-12 fourth quarter for the win.

Lowry led the scoring with 21, Catania added 13 Alysha Northrup had seven and Tacie Richardson six.

Modoc wrestlers win Burney Invite

It came as no surprise that Modoc's wrestling team won the Burney Rotary Invitational last week, but it was tougher than normal.

Coach Shaun Wood said several big schools attended the tourney and made it more competitive than it had been recently.

The Braves won the 210 points, followed by Foothill at 182, Upper Lake 132, Middleton 116, Quincy 114, Trinity 92, Corning Two 84, Mt. Shasta 76, Hamilton City 74, Portola 73, Chester 58, Truckee 55, Fall River 48, Burney 44, Bonanza 43, Etna 41, Modoc Two 19, Big Valley 11 and Weed 6.

Four Braves won individual championship at Burney: Sheridan Crutcher 140 pounds, Bill Hammerness 171 pounds, Josh Wood 189 pounds and Jesse Harer 215 pounds.

Taking second place were Jacob Ketler at heavyweight and Cain Madrigal at 130 pounds. Brandon Anderson took a third at 160 pounds.

Fourth places went to Kyle Voth, 125 pounds, Josue Madrigal 135 pounds and Miguel Torres 215 pounds.

Modoc travels to Fall River this weekend for a smaller tournament.

Modoc JV boys win pair

Modoc's junior varsity boy's team won a pair of Shasta Cascade League games this week.
They beat Burney 65-47 Friday night, leading 18-8 in the first and 35-22 at half. By the end of three Modoc led 49-35. Justin Estes led the Braves with 29 and Dee Hunsaker added 19. Tyler Dowdy had nine.

The boys beat Mt. Shasta Tuesday after spotting the Bears an 18-12 first period lead. Modoc took the lead 35-26 at halftime and 52-46 after three. Estes led the scoring with 33 points and Hunsaker added 23.

January 25, 2007

News

MTA cites concerns and possible violation by district

The Modoc Teachers Association this week sent a letter to the Modoc Joint Unified School District expressing serious concerns over the district's decision to rescind any wage offers."We are extremely concerned by your January 10 letter to Modoc Teachers Association," the MTA states. "In that letter you state that the district has withdrawn its 'economic settlement' offer for the 2006-2007 contract year. MTA's position is that your act constitutes regressive bargaining, and, is, therefore a violation of EERA. Should the district maintain that position, MTA will be left with no choice but to file an unfair labor charge with the Public Employee Relation Board."

MTA President Gene Hess said the association believes the teachers deserve a raise for 2006-07 and stressed a cost of living increase from the state was already received by the district this year.
The MTA and MJUSD have been at formal impasse in negotiations. MTA spokesperson Patti Carpenter has said the MTA has not felt the district has been making a good faith effort at the bargaining table.

The letter received by the MTA last week states that pending the possible loss of over $725,000 from the Secure Schools and Roads Act, the district was rescinding any and all previous offers.
In addition, the district will pay to have a third party auditor review the district's financial status and come back to the Board of Trustees with a report. That report could take a few weeks to prepare.
The Secure Schools and Roads money, worth about $3.3 million annually to the county was not passed by the last U.S. Congress, but it may be acted upon by the incoming Congress. There is no guarantee it will be reauthorized, and likewise, no guarantee it will completely disappear.

There are some indications that the state will backfill the Secure Schools and Roads funding for at least next year. But that has not been formalized.

"It is MTA's position that compensation negotiations for the 2006/2007 contract year are based on funding already received in the district - those funds include an 8.49 percent increase on the base revenue limit, of which 5.9 percent is a designated COLA, and full Forest Reserve funding in the amount of $725,000."

The MTA wonders that if the district was "informed" of the loss of the Forest Reserve funds in early December, why it was not immediately informed of the issue. The teachers had requested the district hold Budget Advisory Committee meetings monthly to allow all stake holders to be active in the budget process. That suggestion has not been implemented.

"We have additional concerns that at this point in the budget year, the district feels compelled to retain an 'independent third party' to review the financial status of the district and determine the 'appropriate economic offer for this year," the MTA states. "It is our position that 'an appropriate economic offer for this year should be determined through the bargaining process, looking at the 2006/2007 budget figures that were used to guide other district expenditures and compensation packages with other employees of the district."

The MTA wants the board to respond to three questions covering that independent review. First, they want to know who that will be; second, what the cost would be; and third, when that review would be completed.

"Finally, consider this letter as a formal request that the district reconsider its position on the 'economic settlement offer for 2006/2007 and advise MTA of the results of that reconsideration, by written response no later than 5 p.m. January 26.

Hess said he believes the MTA has been operating in good faith, and wouldn't predict what action might be taken by the organization if the district's response is deemed inappropriate.

Schoeppach resigns as Super in SV

By Patricia Hemsley
Special to the Record

At a special meeting on Monday, January 22, school board members accepted the resignation of Interim District Superintendent Debra Schoeppach. "The decision to resign was in her own and the district's best interests", said Bill Bostic who represents Lake City on the 5-member board. "It was a courageous decision. But we hope Debbie will stay with our district a long, long time. She is a very positive asset in our schools and in our entire community."

Over thirty residents and staff members attended the special meeting. Many joined in a lengthy discussion on the night's second agenda item that involved administrative reorganization within the district.

"We want to provide for continuity, stability and even growth", said board member Jim Laacke, who explained some of the district's recent history. He said the board determined as early as last June to move toward operating without a full-time superintendent. "When Dr. Sherrod left earlier than anticipated, we had to look at other options. We are still adjusting and will work through this reorganization plan, always staying open to change as we discover what works and what doesn't."
Board President Bob Staton (Eagleville) concurred with one blunt parent who phrased the district's problems as "Your 'customer service' sucks!" Staton said that while everyone's main goal is to educate the valley's children and prepare them to succeed in life, "We also need to be of service to the parents". Staton pointed out many parents have made the decision to exercise "other options" such as enrolling their students in a charter school or homeschooling them on their own."
High School Principal Mike Ray added, "We need to find out what these parents feel we are lacking."

"To get back in the customer service business, we will need help", said Staton. "We are open to constructive suggestions. While we have many dedicated people already serving in various roles, including excellent teachers, we still need direction from our community."

Several in the audience remembered a time when the valley's schools were the "heart of the community" and said they hoped to see that happen again.

It was pointed out that the School Site Council has set up four committees to collect and digest community input prior to developing a "Mission, Vision and Goals" statement sometime within the coming months. Committee chairmen will be inviting parents, teachers, administrators, board members and community volunteers to serve on these committees. Bostic said they will all be open to public input as well.

Many teachers attending agreed that both the elementary and high school staff should meet together at least once a month and work toward integrating curriculum and increasing communication. "We are a tiny district and we need to work together more", said Ray. The board approved a scheduled minimum day on February 5 so staff could hold a combined meeting at 1:00 PM.

The next regular meeting of the school board is scheduled for Thursday, February 8 at 7:00 PM. Meetings are held in the library at Surprise Valley High School on Lincoln Street.

Modoc jobless rate in December up to 7.6%

Modoc's unemployment rate for December 2006 went up to 7.6 percent, according to the California Employment Development Department.

In November it had been 6.5 percent and in Dec. 2005 it was 8.1 percent. In December 2005, there were 3,620 people employed and 320 unemployed. That compares to last month when there were 3,690 employed and 310 unemployed. The state unemployment rate for December was 4.6 percent and the federal rate was 4.3 percent.

Modoc ranked 41st of the 58 California counties for lowest unemployment. Lassen County also ranked 41st at 7.6 percent; Siskiyou County ranked 50th at 8.6 percent. Marin had the lowest unemployment rate at 3.1 percent and Colusa had the highest at 14.8 percent.

New planning fees take effect Feb. 18

The Modoc County Planning Department's new fee schedule will go into effect February 18.
The Board of Supervisors approved the fees at the regular meeting December 19, 2006. To obtain a copy of the new fees, please visit the Planning Department office at 203 W. 4th Street or call 530-233-6404.

Obituaries:

Gilbert D. 'Buck' Purcell

Graveside services were held for Gilbert D. "Buck" Purcell in Eagleville, Ca. on January 12, 2007.
Gilbert D. "Buck" Purcell of Eagleville, CA., passed away in Cedarville, Ca., on January 8, 2007.
Buck was born on February 21, 1923 in Roseville, California. He graduated from Roseville High in 1942 and began working at McClellan Air Force Base until he was drafted into the Army and later transferred into the Air Force. In 1943 he was sent to England as a mechanic to work on warplanes. Not long after he arrived in England he was transferred into the 745th Tank Battalion as a "gunner" under General Patton. This experience took Buck across Belgium, France and Germany. In addition, he participated in liberating Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany. After World War II ended, Buck returned home and continued working in government services at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento.

In 1948 Buck married Dorothy Stevens in Sacramento, CA. They resided in Sacramento and had two sons. In 1960, they moved to Auburn, Ca. where they lived until he retired in 1974. After retirement Buck and Dorothy moved to Eagleville, Ca.

During his life, Buck was a member of the Elks Lodge and a lifelong member of the Masons. He gave much of his time after retirement serving on the Modoc County Planning Commission. He was a member of the Eagleville Fire Department and served as the secretary for many years. In addition, Buck enjoyed woodworking, visits with his family, and numerous good times with his friends. Buck was respected and cherished not only by his family, but also by his many friends. His generosity and kind heart were an inspiration. He lived his life with integrity and bravery. Those who knew him will always remember his contributions to his country and community.

Buck is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Jack and Jim Purcell. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Purcell of Eagleville, Ca.; eldest son Daniel Purcell of Eagleville, Ca.; son Michael Purcell and wife, Ann, and two grandchildren Tyler and Jessica Purcell all of Chandler, Arizona.
Memorial contributions can be made to Surprise Valley Hospital, P.O. Box 246, Cedarville, CA 96104 or the Eagleville Community Church.

Sports

Modoc wins pair on good 4th quarters

Modoc varsity boys team will face the top two teams in the Shasta Cascade League this weekend at Mt. Shasta Friday night and then against unbeaten Trinity here Saturday afternoon.

Coach Bunk Richardson said both teams are good and Trinity is the real deal. He believes the Braves can play with them, but they'll have to play very well and together.

Richardson is buoyed by the team's performance in the last two games, a 60-43 win over Fall River and a 78-57 win at Etna. In both those games a stellar fourth period was the difference. In the Fall River game, the Braves scored 21 final period points and against Etna they poured in 33.

"We may be starting to believe we can play," said Richardson this week. "How we do this weekend will depend upon which team shows up. I believe we can play with the top teams."

In the Fall River game, the game was tied at 13 in the first and Modoc led 24-23 by half. The game stayed close through three with Modoc leading 39-32 and then the Braves opened up in the fourth. Ross Burgess led the scoring with 31 and Trent Schmidt added 11.

The Braves led 20-16 in the first period at Etna and held a 35-27 lead by halftime. Modoc led 45-39 at the end of three and then added the 33-point fourth.

Burgess led the scoring with 33 points.

The games against Trinity Saturday will start with the junior varsity girls at 2 p.m. and the varsity boys will probably start about 6 p.m.

Braves win Fall River, head to Corning for showdown

This weekend could set up one of the matches coach Shaun Wood is anxious to see – his 189-pound sophomore son Josh Wood against senior Kyle Bergstedt of Paradise, who is ranked number one in the state at that weight.

The two have been at the same tournaments this year but have yet to wrestle one another. Bergstedt is unbeaten and Wood has lost three, but only to top ranked wrestlers in the state and nation.

"We are looking forward to that match, and hope it happens this weekend," said the coach. "Corning is a tough tournament, so anything can happen."

Modoc has a dual at Central Valley Friday night and then travels to the Corning event on Saturday. Typically the Corning event draws the best schools and wrestlers in the north state. Wood is hoping is team finishes in the top five this year.

Modoc is coming off a championship win at Fall River last weekend, where Josh Wood could not wrestle because he was nearing the limit of matches.

Modoc won the event with 199 points; Trinity was second with 122 ands followed by Mt. Shasta 100, Fall River 57, Chester 49, Weed 46, Burney 39, Big Valley 32, Hamilton City 28 and Tulelake 0.

Sheridan Crutcher won the individual title at 140 pounds, David Holloway won at 160 pounds, Cain Madrigal won at 130 pounds, Bill Hammerness won at 171 pounds and Jacob Ketler won at 215.

Cody Book took a second at 103, Kevin Richardson was second at 112, Josue Madrigal was second at 135, Tyler Stains second at 189 and Miguel Torres second at heavyweight.
Kyle Voth was third at 125 and Kyle Hartman third at 152. Tyler Wood was fourth at 145 and Alex Moreo was fourth at 103 pounds.

Modoc girls beat Bulldogs, Lions

Modoc's varsity girls team remains on top of the Shasta Cascade League, beating Fall River and Etna this last weekend. This week they have two tough games, against Mt. Shasta Friday and Trinity Saturday.

Against Fall River, Modoc led 14-7 in the first and 26-17 by half. Modoc went on a 16-5 third period run and cruised for the 53-36 win. Catherine Lowry led the scoring with 19, Sarah Catania added 14 and Alysha Northrup had 10. The Modoc-Etna game was a slugfest, with the Braves holding on for the 34-32 win. Modoc has whistled for 23 fouls in the game and a pair of players fouled out.

Lowry led the scoring with 15 and Northrup added six.

Hornets lose a pair

The Surprise Valley Hornet girl's varsity lost a pair of Evergreen League games this week.
They lost to Big Valley 37-27 Friday after being down by three at halftime. Patricia Soletti led the scoring with 16. Big Valley's Leah Ackley had 15.

Tuesday night the Hornets lost to Tulelake 57-30 with Soletti and Tristin Teuscher each scoring nine. Jenna Gasser led Tulelake with 17.
The Hornets travel to McCloud this week.

JV boys split in SCL

The Modoc junior varsity boy's basketball team split this week in Shasta Cascade League action, beating Etna 59-50 and losing to Fall River 70-64.

The Braves led Fall River 16-9 in the opening period and 32-37 by half. The game got close after three, 50-49 and Fall River outscored the Braves 21-14 in the fourth. Dee Hunsaker led Modoc with 30 points; Justin Estes added 22 and Tyler Dowdy had seven.
Modoc took a 12-6 lead against Etna in the first and 25-20 by halftime. The game got tight after three 41-40 and Modoc outscored Etna 18-10 in the fourth. Hunsaker led with 24 points and Estes added 22 points.
Modoc is now 3-2 in the SCL.

Februry 1, 2007

News

Man dies, companion in hospital

An Alturas man died Sunday and his companion is in serious condition at a Redding hospital, while the cause of death is under investigation.

According to Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes, Trampis William Gress, age 35, was discovered in a travel trailer at Nifty's Trailer Park, Sunday about 4:40 p.m. by a neighbor.

According to police, Gress was found kneeling at bedside, but showed no signs of life. The neighbor pulled him out of the trailer. His companion, Julli Walter was on a bed, but was non-responsive when the neighbor also pulled her out. She was transported to Modoc Medical Center and airlifted to Redding where she was improving Wednesday afternoon.

An autopsy is planned to determine the cause of Gress's death. No foul play is suspected. Sheriff/Coroner Mark Gentry Wednesday said initial autopsy reports were inconclusive, pending toxicology results.

Police sealed off the trailer until it was determined there was no health hazard to officers or the neighbors. Modoc Agriculture Commissioner Joe Moreo, Environmental Officer Warren Farnum, police and sheriff's deputies searched the trailer Monday and found no dangerous chemicals.One thing that concerned police initially was the fact the two pet birds in the trailer were still alive. The investigation remains open.

BLM manager Billingsley stepping down

Owen Billingsley, manager of the U. S. Bureau of Land Management's Surprise Field Office in Cedarville, has announced his retirement from federal service. His last day on the job will be Friday, Feb. 2.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my work in Surprise Valley, and the good relationships between the public land users and BLM staff," Billingsley said. "I am proud that we have been able to bring various interests together to find common ground and reach solutions to natural resource management issues. I am certain that the good relationships between BLM, local government and the ranching community will continue, largely due to the positive influence of such community-based groups as the Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship Program"

BLM California State Director Mike Pool offered his thanks for Billingsley's five years of work.
"Owen believes deeply that communication and cooperation are the keys to success as we work together with our partners and communities to conserve and manage our natural resources. The BLM and our constituents owe him a debt of gratitude for bringing that positive attitude to his job," Pool said. "The natural resources of Surprise Valley and our public land stakeholders have been well served under Owen's leadership and his contributions to the community."

A replacement for Billingsley has not been named. Pool said various BLM staff members will fill the position temporarily immediately following his departure.

Billingsley is ending a 31-year career in natural resources management. He earned a BA degree in geology from Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif. and completed graduate work in geology at the University of Montana. He worked as a geologist for the Forest Service, the US Geological Survey and for the BLM in Utah and Montana. In 1995 he became the manager of the BLM's Havre, Montana Field Station, a position he held until his move to Cedarville in 2002.

Billingsley and his wife, Margaret, plan to stay in Cedarville, at least for the immediate future, where they plan to continue involvement in community and civic activities.

Alturas businesses burglarized

At least two Alturas businesses were burglarized sometime in the night or early morning hours of Tuesday and Wednesday.

Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes said the burglars broke a window to get into Russell‘s Service on 12th Street and apparently took some change. They also broke into neighboring business King Wah's through a window and made off with more change.

Barnes said a similar burglary had occurred recently to Holdorf's Recycling Center on Court Street. The incidents are under investigation.

Modoc Home Show set for March 31

The Fourth Annual Modoc Home Show is scheduled for March 31 at the Modoc High School Griswold Gym and Social Hall.

Taking the reins of the very popular show is Brooke Fredrickson, who has been involved from the very beginning. She is expecting a very full and exciting run for this fourth year.

The theme for the show is: "Modoc County: The heart of your home improvement needs!" The cost for a booth at the show is $40 and a door prize item worth at least $20 is required.

According to Fredrickson, the show is open to business owners who have an established business in Modoc County consisting of items or services for sale/rent/lease. The businesses must provide a copy of its business license, State Board of Equalization Resellers Certificate, and/or Contractor's license.
The show has always been open to only Modoc businesses and has filled both the gym and the social hall. Spaces will be assigned on a first come, first served basis, with returning businesses given priority.

In addition to the regular Home Show booths, the popular Kitchen Wars will also be held again this year.

Applications for entry into the show are available at the Modoc County Record and Altec Engineering, starting today. Those forms must be returned with fee no later than March 19 to either the Modoc Record, Altec Engineering or mailed to Modoc Home Show, c/o Brooke Fredrickson, P.O. Box 1245, Alturas, Ca. 96101. For more information or to volunteer to help with the show, call 530-233-8472 and watch for ads in the Record.

Howard's Gulch Restoration Work Begins

The Highway 139 Ecosystem Restoration Project has begun in the Howard's Gulch area and will continue for several years. The project will restore the watershed and plant communities in the black oak, sage steppe and meadow areas.

Upon completion, interpretive signs will be installed to educate visitors about the work and about the natural resources in the area.

"This is a great project," said District Ranger Jim Irvin. "I'm excited to work on this and do some much needed restoration on the land."

The project was designed by comparing 1946 aerial photos with the current situation. The comparison illustrates extensive vegetative changes including extensive juniper encroachment. The project will reduce the juniper to historic numbers. It will enhance and improve the oak and aspen stands by reducing the number of pines, which have also increased dramatically.

The project also includes stabilizing erosion caused by run off from the highway. Initially log and rock erosion control structures will be constructed in five head cuts. Over the next seven years, additional structures may be added to control and restore the erosion as needed.

The area is closed to firewood collection during the project. The use for the wood generated from the project is yet to be determined.

Please do not enter the project area during the work phase; it will be muddy and vulnerable to significant resource damage. The area is well signed. You can help protect your National Forest, by staying away during the restoration work. When it is complete the area will be reopened and there will be information explaining the project and its impacts and affects.

Howard's Gulch is an area identified as an interpretive stop on the Emigrant Trail Scenic byway. It is also a stop on the Basin and Range Birding trail. It is an excellent birding location with sightings of Bald Eagles, and many other species common.

Thank you for your help as we implement this important restoration work.

Obituaries:

Betty Jane Driscoll

Born May 24, 1925, to Edger and Eva Brown in French Camp, CA., Betty passed away January 23, 2007, at Renown Medical Center in Reno, NV.

She was a long-time resident of Likely, CA. She owned and operated the Likely Bar and Restaurant with her family for several years. Anyone who knew Betty called her Grandma Betty. She had a heart of gold and would help anyone who needed help. Everyone will miss her.

Betty spent her younger years around Quincy and Portola. From there she lived in Ravendale, Susanville, Alturas and then Likely.

Her mother Eva Butler, husbands William Hooper, Sip Longmire, Noel Driscoll, companion Joe Oakes, great grandson Quynn Hooper, stepchildren Bill Longmire and Erline Longmire preceded Betty in death.

Survived by her sons, Bill (Keri) Hooper, Fallon, NV, Doug (Trish) Hooper, Fernley, NV, grandchildren Bryan (Nikki) Hooper, Sparks, NV, Darin (Jennifer) Hooper, Converse, TX, Jim Hooper, Livermore, CA, Gary Hooper, Livermore, great-grandchildren Dokata and Brock Hooper, Taylor Hooper, Melissa Hooper, Kara Hooper. Betty also had several step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution to the Likely Fire Department or a charity of your choice will be appreciated.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007, at the Likely Cemetery with a fellowship to follow at the Likely Fire Hall. Services are under the arrangement of Walton's Sparks Funeral Home, Sparks, NV.

Clinton A. Smith

Services for Alturas born Clinton A. Smith will beheld today, February 1 at 2 p.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. Mr. Smith passed away January 29, 2007 in Medford, OR.

Born on February 19, 1928 in Alturas, CA, Mr. Smith graduated from Modoc High in 1946. He married Pauline Decker, on April 9, 1950 in Carson City, Nevada. Mr. Smith worked for Southern Pacific Railroad for 46 years and retired as a railroad conductor in 1975. He enjoyed RV'ing, and bowling and working on his computer. He was a 50-year member of the Alturas Elks Lodge and had also joined the Ashland, OR Elks Lodge. He had lived outside Modoc County for 33 years.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Pauline Smith of Medford, OR; daughters Terry (Larry) Turner of Sparks, NV; Sherry (Ed) Cavasso of Medford, OR; Karen (Rudy) Viola of Sparks, NV; son Richard Smith of Medford, OR; grandchildren Jennifer, LeAnn, Angie, Nichole, Katie and Great-grandchildren Hayden, Rebecca, Quinton, Katelynn, Laura, Mary, Justin and Jacob.
Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Eugene R. Hanks

Eugene R. Hanks, 88, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2006, in Medford, Ore.

Gene was born on March 21, 1918, in Fort Bidwell, CA to Roy and Vida Hanks.

As a teenager, he set out for Elko, Nev., to join his uncle Ed working as a cowhand on some of the area's largest ranches.

In 1940, Gene met and married Alice Jane McFarlane, the unlikely pair of a cowboy and a city girl in a marriage that would last 55 years until Jane's death in 1995.

After starting their family, Gene and Jane moved to Fallon, Nev., where he began working as a carpenter and farmer. Gene's skills and management style helped many of the area's carpenters to become contractors, including his son Alvin.

In 1978, Gene and Jane "retired" to their son Carl's ranch in Railroad Valley, Nev. Gene returned to his first love, being a cowboy. He always thought the world looked better from the back of a horse.
Following the death of his wife, Gene became restless, traveling until he met Vera Fern Fisher. Fern became his constant companion and faithful sidekick, or was he hers? No dirt road or cow trail was safe from this pair.

Gene is lovingly survived by his children and their spouses Carl (Carole) Hanks of Blue Eagle Ranch, Nev., Alvin (Tina) Hanks of Fallon and Nancy Landon of Missoula, Mont.; his companion Fern Fisher of Lakeview, Ore.; sisters Opal Daniels of Fallon, Zola (Jerry) Lewis of Grants Pass, Ore., and Norma Hapgood of Lake City, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

His wonderful grandchildren and continuously growing number of great-grandchildren will carry on Gene's legacy of love and laughter.

He was preceded in death by his wife Jane; brothers Carl and Jim Hanks; and three grandchildren.
To all who knew him as Grandpa Gene or just Grandpa and those who called him a friend, do not mourn his passing, but celebrate his life. Learn from his lesson and find humor in everything.
No funeral is planned at this time.

Iola B. James

A memorial service for long-time Davis Creek resident Iola Bessie James will be held Saturday, February 3 at 11 a.m. at the Davis Creek Community Hall. A potluck will follow. Minister Richard Landrith will conduct the service. Interment will be private and follow at a later date at the Davis Creek Cemetery.

Mrs. James passed away Saturday, January 27, 2007, in Lakeview, Oregon. She was 80.
Born in Westwood, CA. as Iola Watson on May 26, 1926, she finished high school in Ukiah. During her early 20s, she moved to Davis Creek and was married to Roland James for 49 years. He preceded her in death in 1997. The two owned and operated the Davis Creek Mercantile for about 10 years during the 1960s when Mrs. James was Postmaster there. She remained an active member of the Davis Creek Women's Auxiliary for the Volunteer Fire Department. She was also a member of the Modoc County Historical Society and a past Grange member. Mrs. James was a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and homemaker who kept active also doing woodcrafts and puzzles. She was an avid reader. She was proud to have passed her test for her drivers' license when she turned 80.

She is survived by her twin sister Viola Bailey of Houston, TX; son Robert and wife Carmen James of Klamath Falls, OR; daughter Charline Blair and husband Don of Davis Creek, CA; grandson Kary James, Redding; Kami Spriggs, Klamath Falls, OR; grandson Roland Baldwin, Alturas, CA; grandson Clint Baldwin, Caldwell, Idaho; Chet Blair, Battleground, WA; Scott Blair, Phoenix, AZ; great grandchildren, Thomas James, and Cammi James, Redding; Ashley Spriggs and Tyler Spriggs of Klamath Falls, OR; Chelsea Baldwin, Alturas, CA; Kyle Baldwin and Chance Baldwin, Caldwell, ID; Ty Blair and Morgan Blair, Battleground, WA; Robin Blair and Dean Blair of Phoenix, AZ.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the donor's charity of choice. Services are under the direction of Kerr Mortuary, Alturas.

Sports

Modoc favored to repeat as SCL wrestling champs

For the past two decades, the Shasta Cascade League wrestling championship has been owned primarily by the Modoc Braves and this year will be no different.

The SCL league finals are Friday and Saturday in Tulelake. Friday are dual meets and Saturday will be the team and individual championships. While some SCL teams have shown improvement, none are at the point of unseating the Braves this year.

Modoc will be coming into the league finals after placing a very respectable fourth at the huge Corning tournament last weekend and beating up on Central Valley Friday.

"We'll be fine this weekend and I'm just trying to keep everyone healthy," said coach Shaun Wood. "We get a week off after the league matches, so that'll help going into the section tourneys."

In Corning, the team results were as follow: Corning 180, Paradise 158, Pleasant Valley 149, Modoc 148, Oroville 91, Trinity 84, Middletown 82, Gridley 77, Enterprise 74, Willows 68, Portola 65, Las Plumas 62, Wheatland 61, Golden Sierra 60, Durham 57, Hamilton City 47, Central Valley 47, Chester 42, Live Oak 37, Hugg 34, Etna 27, Fall River 26, Esparto 23, Mt. Shasta 20, Biggs 19, and Hoopa 12.

Jesse Harer was Modoc's top finisher, winning the 215-pound category.

The billboard match between 189-pound Kyle Bergstedt of Paradise, the number one ranked wrestler in the state at that weight and Modoc's Josh Wood came off as planned with the pair meeting in the 189-pound finals.

Bergstedt, a senior, showed why he is that highly regarded, beating sophomore Wood 16-6 for the title.

"Bergstedt wrestled the best match I've seen him wrestle this season," said coach Wood. "He impressed me and we learned some things. But he is very good."

Modoc's Bill Hammerness took a second at 171 pounds, Sheridan Crutcher took second at 140 pounds, Brandon Anderson was fifth at 160 pounds and Jacob Ketler was fifth at heavyweight. In addition, several other wrestlers wrestled well at Corning, including Cody Book, Kevin Richardson, David Holloway, Cain Madrigal and Kyle Voth.

On Friday against Central Valley, Book won the 103-pound match, Voth won at 125 pounds, Cain Madrigal was second at 130 pounds, Crutcher won at 140, Tyler Wood won at 145, Kyle Hartman won at 152, Anderson won at 160, Hammerness won at 171, Wood won at 189, Harer won at 215 and Ketler was second at heavyweight.

Modoc favored to repeat as SCL wrestling champs

For the past two decades, the Shasta Cascade League wrestling championship has been owned primarily by the Modoc Braves and this year will be no different.

Modoc will be coming into the league finals after placing a very respectable fourth at the huge Corning tournament last weekend and beating up on Central Valley Friday.

"We'll be fine this weekend and I'm just trying to keep everyone healthy," said coach Shaun Wood. "We get a week off after the league matches, so that'll help going into the section tourneys."

Jesse Harer was Modoc's top finisher, winning the 215-pound category.

Bergstedt, a senior, showed why he is that highly regarded, beating sophomore Wood 16-6 for the title.

"Bergstedt wrestled the best match I've seen him wrestle this season," said coach Wood. "He impressed me and we learned some things. But he is very good."

Modoc girls split in ACL action

Modoc's varsity girl's basketball team had a tough time in Mt. Shasta Friday night, losing 50-37, but rebounded to beat Trinity here Saturday.

Mt. Shasta led after a cool first period 6-4, but by half, took a commanding 28-14 lead. Modoc stayed cold through three periods, trailing 35-19. Modoc scored 18 to the Bears' nine in the fourth. Catherine Lowry had 165 points for Modoc. Alysha Northrup had eight.
The Braves had no trouble against Trinity Saturday at home, winning 61-27. Sarah Catania led the scoring with 15, Lowry had 13, and Northrup added 12. The Braves lost Tacie Richardson, ranked third in the section in blocked shots with 78, to a broken wrist in the fourth period.

Modoc is 6-1 in league play and 13-4 overall.

Modoc boys lose a pair

Modoc's varsity boy's basketball team lost a pair of Shasta Cascade League games this week, and will face Weed here Friday and travel to Burney Feb. 6.

The Braves lost to Mt. Shasta, there, 65-34 Friday night. The Bears jumped out to a 15-9 first period lead and by halftime had built that to a 30-24 lead. By the end of the third, the Bears led 58-18. Modoc scored 16 in the fourth compared with the Bear's 17.

Keith Montague led the scoring with 10 and Dustin Philpott added nine.

League-leading Trinity beat the Braves in Alturas 64-50 Saturday. The Wolves had an 18-5 first period lead and led 29-21 by half. Trinity got hot in the third and led 59-38. The Braves fought back in the fourth to lose 64-50.

Montague led the scoring with 12 and Philpott added 10.

The Braves are now 3-4 in the SCL and 9-8 overall, with a good shot still at making the playoffs. Trinity and Mt. Shasta are in an upper division come playoff time.

JV boys split in SCL

Modoc's junior varsity boy's team lost to Mt. Shasta 67-42 Friday night there, but came home Saturday to avenge an earlier loss to Trinity 73-63.

Modoc played league-leading Mt. Shasta tough, down 26-24 by half. The Bears uncorked a 26-6 third period to go up 52-30 at the led of three. Dee Hunsaker led Modoc with 17 points, Justin Estes added 11 and Tyler Dowdy had six.

Modoc got hot early against Trinity, outscoring them 23-8 in the first and led 40-22 by half. Modoc maintained a 54-35 lead after three and went on for the 73-63 win.
Hunsaker led the scoring with 32 points, Estes added 21. The Braves improved to 4-3 in the SCL.

February 8th, 2007

News

There's very little snow in the hills

While it's obvious from looking at the Warner Mountains, the actual snow survey taken Jan. 30-31 confirms a serious lack of snowpack in the mountains.

The snow level at Blue Lake was 11 inches, just 44 percent of the 63-year average of 25 inches this time of year. The water content was 3.2 inches, just 42 percent of the average of 7.6 inches.

Last January, snow levels at Blue Lake measured 17.1 inches, containing 4.7 inches of water. That was 68 percent of normal for snow depth and 61 percent of water content. In 2005, Blue Lake had 15 inches of snow in January with a water content of 3.4 inches.

Cedar Pass had 18 inches of snow this year, just 51 percent of the average of 35 inches and 5.9 inches of water, 55 percent of the 10.7 inch average. Cedar Pass had 30.8 inches of snow last year containing 8.3 inches of water. The annual average for that spot is 35 inches containing 10.7 inches of water. In January 2005, the area had 27 inches of snow containing 7.8 inches of water.

Adin Mountain had 55 percent of its average snow depth at 15.4 inches this year containing 4.4 inches of water. That's 53 percent of its average moisture content of 8.3 inches. The average snow depth is 28 inches. In January, 2006 the area had 23.6 inches of snow with 6.6 inches of water. That was 84 percent of average snow depth and 79 percent water content.

The Warner surveys were completed byt the U.S. Forest Service's Jake Coffey and the Resource Conservation Service's Tom Hill.

January turned out to be a dry month in Modoc as just .44 inches of precipitation was measured, well below the average of 1.54 inches. That measured rainfall showed up in two days, Jan. 3 and Jan. 4.
It was cold during January, with the mercury going below zero twice, the coldest being minus six degrees on January 13. The high temperature for the month was 57 degrees on Jan. 25. The record low for January was on Jan. 20, 1937 at 32 degrees below zero. The record high was Jan. 21, 1961 at 69 degrees.

Carbon monoxide could be cause of death

Modoc County Sheriff/Coroner Mark Gentry reported this week that Trampis Gress, age 35, who died last week in a travel trailer at Nifty's Mobile Home park, had some level of carbon monoxide in his system, indicating a possible accidental death.

Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes, said his department is still investigating the incident and is waiting to talk with Julli Walter, who was also in the trailer and was recently released from a Redding hospital. Police hope she will be able to clear up what happened in the trailer.

Gress died January 28 and Walter was transported in serious condition to a Redding.

According to Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes, Gress was discovered in the travel trailer at 4:40 p.m. by a neighbor. He was found kneeling at bedside, but showed no signs of life. The neighbor pulled him out of the trailer. Walter was on a bed, but was non-responsive when the neighbor also pulled her out. She was transported to Modoc Medical Center and airlifted to Redding.

Last week, Gentry said initial autopsy reports were inconclusive, pending toxicology results.
Police had sealed off the trailer until it was determined there was no health hazard to officers or the neighbors.

Alturas puts out bid for sewer rehab

The City of Alturas has put its estimated $2.2 million wastewater system improvement project out to bid.

According to the City's Joe Picotte, the bids will be opened March 6, and he hopes to have the actual construction start in April. He anticipates construction to go through January 2008.

"This is a big project and one's that's necessary and overdue," Picotte said this week. "Once it's complete it will satisfy the state's requirements and the cease and desist order will be lifted."Alturas had been operating under that cease and desist order for several months, primarily due to pollution of the Pit River from the treated wastewater. The new system will clear up that problem.

According to Picotte, the major parts of the improvement project include a new clarifier mechanism, new trickling filter system, new sludge drying area encased in concrete, lift station improvements, mobilization, replacement of filter pumps and controls, improving the control building and more.
The sewer system will remain in the same location off of Centerville Road, but the improvements will bring it into the 21st century. Picotte stressed this is Phase I of the project.

The cost fro the project is a combination of loan and grant funding. It is anticipated the city will have to raise sewer and water rates to pay for the improvements as well as set up a fund for future improvements and maintenance

Thinning at Tionesta takes a new twist

They say if you wait long enough, everything comes back into style-an adage that apparently applies to forestry as well as fashion.

Make the forest pay for its own maintenance rather than using taxpayer dollars. That's the innovative motivation behind a large Forest Service project underway in the Modoc National Forest near Tionesta, just north of Big Valley.

Classified as a biomass project, this venture in the forest's Wildland Urban Interface (WUI, pronounced "woo-wee") is set to reduce fire-prone fuels and as the next phase of a plantation project begun nearly thirty years ago.

After wildfires decimated this area in the 1970s, the Forest Service promptly moved in to replant. Now those "plantations," as the foresters call these landscape-scale tree plantings, are beginning to mature. The average height of these trees is about 25 feet and their average diameter is about 6-inches-not large enough for commercial use, but useful as biomass.

So, the primary commercial value of the material removed in this thinning process-mandatory at this stage in the progress of a plantation if the forest is to remain healthy and fire safe-is as biomass to fuel the local power generating plant. But the cost of doing so can be prohibitive.

"Thinning like this … runs anywhere from about $250 an acre … up to $500 an acre," said Anne Mileck, a silvaculturalist with the Forest Service who has over 27 years of experience in forestry. "And, we didn't have that kind of money."

Of course, in the heyday of the logging industry, it was the commercial value of the timber that covered all the costs of its removal from the forests. But since logging in the national forests has become a hiss and a byword, what treatment has been done was almost always at taxpayer expense.

"That's the dilemma," said Mileck. "We knew that we had a huge landscape-about 6,330 acres of plantation out here-we knew we needed to treat it, but the dilemma was how because, we don't have the money anymore."

That part of the equation comes from the end user in this plan, who pays for the chipped biomass: the power producer. Small power plants are key to the disposal of unhealthy and unsafe fuels removed from local forests.

Big Valley Power's electric generating plant in Bieber depends upon a constant flow of biomass from local forests to provide valuable fuel for its operation. This will also be true for proposed biomass power planet in Alturas.

Crabtree noted that under this plan, otherwise costly thinning and removal programs become self-funded projects, saving taxpayer dollars while providing useful fuels for power generation. The forests benefit, the local economy benefits and electric power is produced. "I don't think anybody is losing, really," he said. "I'm convinced that with the success we've had here and the things we've learned, we will continue to expand this kind of operation. We're working on projects right now to keep going."

However, unlike the forestry of yesteryear, this project's primary objective is not to turn a profit. Today's foresters and logging contractors work to thin the forest to a more natural, healthy state rather than denude it for commercial purposes. The prime objective is to improve the health of the trees and thereby make the forest far less vulnerable to fire.

"Laurence and I are foresters," said Mileck. "So, the part that really touches us is the fact that these places are getting managed. We need to be out here, on the ground, taking care of this stuff. We can't plant and walk away."

"From my perspective, it's a little different prescription than we're used to," said Kurt Dowell, the thinning contractor for this project. "If you thin a stand out, that tree that you leave is going to grow faster and it's going to be healthier than if it's competing with a bunch of little trees and brush."

Dowell also sees the value of thinning in fire prevention and suppression. "It's a very good deal for the plantations out here, suppressing any fires that may come later, opening the stand up along the main roads a little more to ensure that if a fire does get started, they can get it stopped quickly," he said.

Explaining the enduring value of thinning Dowell also said, "I've worked in the woods all my life, and I like the thinning. I like to think that I'm improving things out here so that there will be something out here for our kids and grandkids that's not going to burn up or become bug infested."
"We know this is a fire prone area; we know we're going to have fires burning through here," said Laurence Crabtree, the district ranger for this part of the Modoc National Forest and the lead for this project. "So, we have this plantation. It's uniform. The crowns are down to the ground. We know it's going to be very difficult to protect (from fire), to keep these trees growing until they can become mature saw timber. That was what was driving us."

Seed money for the inception of this thinning was provided by a Forest Service grant to North Cal Neva RC&D under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act. Those funds were then leveraged to provide further funding from federal, state, county and private sources.

The project also includes large tracts of private land as well, mostly owned by W.M. Beaty & Associates and various smaller parcels belonging to private landowners. Their cooperation and support was solicited from the inception of the project. "We got the community of Tionesta in very early on with a couple of public meetings," said Mileck.

Other partners in the project are the Modoc County Fire Safe Council, North Cal Neva RC&D and the California Department of Forestry (CDF), each lending support and service.

"This whole thing was atypical, and everybody said it wouldn't work," said Mileck, citing the difficulty of working "outside the box."

"We were nervous," said Crabtree, "and we didn't want to prepare a project that couldn't be managed.

"The big key was pulling all the partners together and coming up with a plan," he said, continuing. "(And) we're going to definitely keep going … designing projects that are pretty much in balance economically. We have a lot of ground that we can do that on."

Obituaries:

Lynda Grimme

Former Modoc resident and business owner Lynda Joy Grimme passed away after a battle with cancer on January 24, 2007, in San Diego, CA. She was 57 years of age.

Lynda was born August 11, 1949, in Long Beach, CA and was adopted shortly after her birth by Irving and Gail "Goldie" (Wiesenthal) Donnenfield. She graduated with the class of 1967 at Westchester High in Westchester, CA. and enrolled in general education classes at Santa Monica City College, Santa Monica, CA. She married Tom Grimme in 1973 in Palos Verdes. Their two children, Jessica, born in Hollywood in 1977 and Nicholas, born in Alturas in 1981, were reared in Modoc County, where the family lived from 1979 to 1999. The Grimmes owned and operated the first Radio Shack store, tucked in between the Niles Hotel and Walt's Market in Alturas. They sold their business in the 1980s. Lynda had a vibrant personality. She was actively involved in the Alturas community in 4-H, Little League, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, PTO and Modoc Horseman's Association. She enjoyed traveling, sailing and had a great love of the ocean, music and culture. She also was artistic and enjoyed painting drawing and photography, along with gardening. Lynda thoroughly enjoyed spending time with friends and family. She and Tom divorced. Lynda left Modoc County eight years ago and was living in San Diego at the time of her passing. Up until December 2006, she worked as a legal assistant for Mulvaney, Kahan and Barry in San Diego.
A celebration of her life was held January 28 in San Diego.

She is survived by her son Nicholas Grimme of Homewood, CA; daughter and son-in-law Jessica and Jeff Fredrick of Alturas, CA; grandson Hayden Fredrick, Alturas, CA; cousins Marci Plopper, San Diego, and Michelle Denton, Pine Top, AZ; David Donnenfield, San Francisco; Paul Donnenfield, Santa Monica; Stephen Donnenfield, Lakewood, CA; Mitchel Fink, Pittsburg, PA; former spouse Thomas Grimme, Alturas, CA; faithful pet Schnauzer Ziggy.

Memorial donations may be directed to San Diego Hospice and Palliative Care, 4311 Third Ave., San Diego, CA 92103 or California Breast Cancer Research Program at www.cbcrp.org.

Gail Vivian Wellman

Loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt and Wildcats Fan

Gail Vivian Wellman, 57, of Forest Ranch, CA, passed away at home in the arms of George, her high school sweetheart and husband of 40 years, on February 2, 2007.

Gail was born at home on June 15, 1949 in Likely, CA, to Jim and Velma McCrary. She graduated from Big Valley High School in 1967 and married her only love, George Albert Wellman, that same year. A beautiful baby girl, Sheri Rene', entered their lives shortly after.

In 1969, the young Wellman family moved to Chico. Gail served lunches with a smile at the Chico Junior High Cafeteria for 11 years while she supported George in his pursuit of his MBA at CSU, Chico. She later delighted in serving up scrumptious lunches at Swenson's Ice Cream Parlor. In 1986 she received her certificate in Early Childhood Education from Butte College and enchanted little children with happy songs and hands-on learning at Play N' Learn School House.

In 1991 she and George moved to Forest Ranch. As her career as a paid employee ended, she became a professional volunteer for her new community. And then the real work began. She spearheaded the refurbishing of the Forest Ranch Community Center and served on the boards of The Forest Ranch Women's Club and Community Association, she also regularly contributed to the Forest Ranch Post. She proudly stated that "volunteers are made of gold" and her family and friends saw through her tireless service that no one was more golden than her.

For more than 40 years George and Gail were the best of buddies. They spent countless hours camping under the pines, challenging each other's fishing skills (Gail almost always won), singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at Wildcats baseball games and sitting next to each other in their lifetime seats at Acker Gym.

She was the heart of our family. Her avid quilting hobby was a metaphor for her life. She gathered people like scraps of cloth and pieced us together with her thread of love, she crafted us into something beautiful and held us all together. It was important to her to make personalized quilts for her family. We now find ourselves clinging to those beautiful blankets as a living reminder of her loving arms wrapped around us.

Gail Vivian Wellman was quite simply the best. Best Wife. Best Mom. Best Daughter. Best Sister. Best Aunt. Best Friend. She was instinctively able to be whatever it was that we needed her to be. Her legacy of love is survived by her husband, George Wellman, daughters, Rene' Wellman and Megan Olson, her mother, Velma McCrary, siblings Margaret Sherer, Mickey McCrary and Linda Montz, her grandchildren, Matt, Rachel, Cheyenne Allison and Justin Branch, brothers and sisters-in-law, John and Jeanne Wellman, Jane D'amelio, Gail McCrary and Bill Montz, nieces Genny Monchamp and Brooke Pebely, and numerous other nieces, nephews and close family friends.

She wanted her life to be celebrated and so we will gather to remember her and rejoice in the time we spent together on February 8, 2007 at Newton-Bracewell Chico Funeral Home at 10:00 a.m. Contributions in her memory can be made to University Foundation – Chico State Athletics Department or the Forest Ranch Community Association in care of the funeral home. View obituary and send condolences online at nbcfh.com.

Howard L. Harris

Bieber resident Howard L. Harris, 67, passed away February 1, 2007, of natural causes at Mercy Medical Center in Redding, CA. Father Vincent Juan of St. Stephens Catholic Church will give a graveside service with the family at a later date at the Adin Cemetery.

Mr. Harris was born in Alameda, CA on August 4, 1939. He had moved to Lassen County in 2003, from Lodi, CA. He had worked as a crane operator and in heavy construction for 35 years. He had served in the U.S. Coast Guard, was a member of the National Rifle Association, Lodi Elks Lodge and Operating Engineers Local Union #3.

He leaves his wife Kathy Harris of Bieber, Stepson David Hume or Hemet, Ca and daughter Kimberly Cook of Kilgore, Texas. He also has two grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Mercy Hospitality House, 2175 Rosaline Ave., Redding, CA 96001. McDonald's Chapel of Burney is handling arrangements. Condolences may be posted at www.mem.com.

Sports

Modoc wins 8th straight SCL title

Some of the names change each year, but the results don't. Modoc's wrestling team won its eighth straight Shasta Cascade League championship last weekend.

The Braves scored 224.5 points, well ahead of Mt. Shasta's 152.5, Trinity's 104, Etna's 75, Fall River's 53.5, Big Valley's 46, Burney's 45, Trinity's 11 and Weed's 3.

"I was very pleased with the boys," said coach Shaun Wood. "Every guy we took to league placed and that's a first. They did very well. We had 10 guys in the finals."

Six of those Modoc wrestlers won the title, and all by pin. The individual champions were: Cody Book, 103 pounds; Sheridan Crutcher, 140 pounds; Bill Hammerness, 171 pounds; Josh Wood, 189 pounds; Jesse Harer, 215 pounds; and Jacob Ketler, heavyweight.

Taking second places for the Braves were: Kevin Richardson, 112 pounds; Victor Garcia, 125 pounds; Cain Madrigal, 130 pounds; and Brandon Anderson, 160 pounds.

Coming in third place were: Alex Moreo, 103 pounds; Kyle Hartman, 152 pounds; David Holloway, 160 pounds; and Miguel Torres, 215 pounds. Fourth place went to Kyle Voth at 125 pounds, Tyler Wood at 145 pounds, Matt Mayes at 152 pounds and Tyler Stains at 189 pounds.

Modoc also dominated the dual matches at the league meet, beating Etna 60-25, Trinity 66-18 and Mt. Shasta 58-14.

Modoc now has a week off and travels to the North Section Small Schools Championships in Hamilton City Feb. 16-17. The top four qualifiers there will move into the North Section Master tournaments in Redding Feb. 23-24 and the top two in that tourney qualify for the state finals.

Wood said he fully expects to send 10 wrestlers to the Masters tourney and probably two, Josh Wood and Harer, have the best chances of qualifying for the state finals.

Modoc top four wrestlers have amassed the following season records: Josh Wood 37-4; Hammerness 32-6; Crutcher 32-9 and Harer 24-7.

Weak 4th period downs Braves

A weak fourth quarter against the weed Cougars cost the varsity boys Friday night, losing 59-43.

Weed led 15-12 after one and 29-25 at halftime. The Braves were still in the game after three, trailing 46-38, but the Cougars outscored them 13-5 in the fourth.
Dustin Philpott led Modoc with 14, Trent Schmidt had nine and Daniel Morgan added seven.

The Braves lost a tight game to Burney Tuesday night, 45-44. They had a chance with 10 seconds left, but could not get a shot off.

Modoc led 11-8 after one and 26-22 at halftime. By the end of three, Modoc led 32-31, but Burney caught them in the fourth. Schmidt had 21 and Philpott added 10.

The Braves have Etna for the last home game of the season Friday night, travel to Fall River Feb. 13 and to Trinity Feb.16.

Girls top Weed easily

Modoc's varsity girls had no trouble with the Weed Cougars Friday night, winning 52-32. They have Etna here Friday night, then travel to Fall River Feb. 13 and Trinity Feb. 16.

Modoc led 10-6 in the first and 17-9 by half. At the end of the third, Modoc led 40-15. Weed added 17 to Modoc's 12 in the fourth.

Alysha Northrup led the scoring with 20, Catherine Lowry had 16, Sarah Catania had seven and Tanya Blake five.

The girls beat Burney Tuesday night 39-27 with Northrup and Catania leading the way with 11 each. Modoc grabbed a 13-0 lead in the first and led 21-8 at halftime. Modoc led 30-14 after three.

Modoc is now 8-1 in the SCL.

JV boys win two

Modoc's junior varsity boys basketball team beat Weed 54-49 here Friday with Justin Estes scoring 24 and Dee Hunsaker adding 21.

On Tuesday the Braves beat Burney 64-40 in Burney with Estes getting 29 points and Hunsaker netting 16.

Modoc is now 6-3 in SCL play.

February 15, 2007

News

BREAKING News: Bradbury pleads guilty to lesser charge

At a hearing Thursday morning in Modoc Superior Court, Christopher Bradbury accepted a plea offer by new Modoc District Attorney Gary Woolverton and entered a guilty plea to a felony charge of accessory after the fact in the Betty Lou Parks murder case.

As a condition of his plea, the murder charge against him would be dropped, he would agree to cooperate in the prosecution of other people in the case and would accept a two-year prison sentence, with credit for time already served.

The plea offer is now under consideration by the court and will come back for sentencing, acceptance or rejection March 22, 1 p.m. following a review by the Modoc Probation Department.
Woolverton said the offer will have a dramatic effect on the Parks’ case. More details next week.

Forest funds still in limbo

A Senate spending bill likely headed to President Bush does not include a one-year, $400 million county payments extension sought by lawmakers from several Western states, and affecting Modoc County Schools and Roads

The county payments program, known as the Secure Rural Schools and Self Determination Act was not renewed in September.

Separate bills introduced by Western lawmakers in the Senate and House would extend the act for another seven years. No date has been scheduled for a vote on either bill.

"There's still a chance for a one-year renewal," Modoc County Superintendent of Schools Gary Jones said this week. "It's in a political quandary right now. No one's real positive at the moment. I don't think it's dead, we just haven't been able to find a path to give it life."

Jones said Senator Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein still seem to be on board and there is intent to re-visit the issue.

MJUSD is at impasse in contract negotiations with the Modoc Teachers Association and the forest funding is central to the issue.

According to Sean Curtis, Modoc's Resource Analyst, the annual funding of the Act amounted to about $530 million and covered 750 counties and 4,400 school districts in those counties.

According to Curtis, the main stumbling block on the issue for Congress continues to be the Act's lack of a funding source. It was passed six years ago with a sunset this year and was considered by some at that time as temporary relief.

The goal of the Forest Counties Coalition was to get the Act extended at least for one more year, giving them time to come up with a permanent replacement and possible funding source. It is hoped now that the 110th Congress is seated, the Act will be extended, but there are no guarantees and it puts local schools and counties in a squeeze.

Jones cautions that the loss of the forest funding would be a major blow to county schools.
In an article in the Sacramento Bee last week, forest counties estimated the loss of the Forest Funding could mean the termination of thousands of jobs across the northstate.

Bob Douglas, president of the Forest Counties Coalition, out of Red Bluff, wrote in a memo to the NFCSC members that stresses quick action. "Let Congress know that planning for the 2007-8 budget cycle starts now and layoff notices will need to, by law, be sent to staff (schools) by March or April. We absolutely need to convince the members of Congress to act to renew our legislation by March 1, 2007."

That date is rapidly approaching and as far as anyone can predict, March 1 is likely to pass without a resolution to this issue.

1994 assault case comes to court

In March 1994, Alturas Police arrested Johnny Cleo Freeman, then age 64, alleging assault with a deadly weapon.

On Tuesday, Freeman was arraigned in Modoc Superior Court on those assault charges, having been arrested in Napa on a warrant. Oddly, according to Alturas Police Chief Ken Barnes, the warrant was issued in 1994, but was not put "into the system" by the Sheriff's Office until recently. According to Barnes and other law enforcement officials, that has been standard practice of the Sheriff's Office.
New Sheriff Mark Gentry was surprised and said that certainly will not be the policy of his Sheriff's department. He said warrants would be put into the system as they come in, especially those for felony arrests.

On Tuesday, Public Defender Bill Briggs told the court Freeman, now age 77, would plead not guilty, would like the case continued and he would be filing a motion to dismiss the charges based upon the length of time since the offense.

The court case has been set for Feb. 22 and bail was set at $45,000. Freeman was remanded to the custody of the Modoc County Jail.

According to an article in the March 10, 1994 Modoc Record, Freeman was arrested March 5, 1994 during an incident at Alturas Gardens Apartments. He had allegedly broken an apartment window with a .25 caliber handgun and pointed the gun at a passerby. According to Police, while carrying the gun, he then chased the manager of the apartment complex, into an apartment where she locked herself in.

Larry Pickett, who was Chief of Police at that time, said after police were called to the scene, a standoff with Freeman took about 45 minutes. During the standoff, Pickett had called the Modoc Mental Health Department, who were successful in distracting Freeman.

According to the 1994 report, Pickett entered the Freeman apartment through the broken front window and was able to restrain Freeman. No shots were fired and there were no injuries.

New EIS rules spark debate

New rules proposed for governing the management of national forests in five Western States have sparked a heated debate, and local foresters have their own view of the issues at hand.

The Forest Service has proposed doing away with formal environmental impact statements (EIS) and environmental assessments (EA) in long-term forest management plans, saying that time and experience have demonstrated that certain actions have little or no effect on the forest, making it unnecessary to consider them in planning.

Instead, it is proposed that these considerations only come into play as each project is developed. "We still look at the environmental effects and consider that. But, that's (done) at the ground level, where it really makes a difference," said the planning officer for the Modoc National Forest, Robert Haggard.

"Instead of doing an environmental impact statement for the whole forest, the environmental work happens on a case-by-case, project-by-project level," said Laura Williams, public affairs officer for the Modoc National Forest, further explaining the proposed rules. "Under the new planning rule, we don't spend 10 years of our time planning. Instead, we take a year or two, and the projects get going on the ground. It saves a load of time for our specialists."

"We're spending more time and money doing analysis than we are in getting projects done on the ground," said Haggard.

There is little benefit in the old approach adopted nearly two decades ago, which is now in need of a major overhaul, according to Haggard, who has nearly 30 years of experience in forest planning.

"We spent over 10 years developing that forest plan," he said. "We knew in 1995 that we had a lot of problems with it."

According to Haggard, past predictions based on EIS assessments "never happened." He noted that projections for timber and biomass harvesting, forest treatment to reduce fire danger and improve forest health, deer herd increases and job stabilization were completely inaccurate, in spite of the many man-hours of work and study that went into the documents, "making them virtually useless."

To emphasize his point, Haggard reiterated his experience with the original forest plan. "Within a year of trying to implement the (present) forest plan, I knew it needed to be changed. Everyone in the Forest Service knew it needed to be changed."

To graphically contrast the paperwork associated with the new rules and the old rules, Haggard placed the governing documents for both plans side-by-side on his desk. The stack of documents for the old rules was nearly two feet high, while the documents for the new rules were less than an inch thick.

"The new planning process looks at planning like a regional plan or a city plan or a county plan that gives you broad goals that state what you want," Haggard said, thumping the two stacks of documents.

Critics charge that the new rules are an attempt to avoid environmental considerations in forest management. Lawsuits have already been filed in federal court to prevent their implementation.

"There is so much resistance from folks that don't understand what we're trying to do," said Haggard, explaining what he sees from his vantage point. "Politics is playing such a big part in managing the forests. Instead of managing what's best for the people and the land, we're managing for what's best for the politicians."

"People are still going to sue, and they're still going to object," said Williams. "We're just going to proceed as we can, doing what's right for the land."

Haggard maintains that the old process is slow, cumbersome, wasteful and largely ineffective—a condition he refers to as "analysis paralysis." He insists that the new rules would greatly streamline the process, providing more flexibility and more accuracy, but with no less consideration of environmental concerns.

"We are (still) looking at every detail; we're just not looking at every detail twice," he said. "It keeps the process focused at the project level rather than spending years doing analysis that produces inches-thick documents that are outdated within a year."

Opponents of the proposed rules point to the Bush administration as the culprit behind the proposed rules. But, Williams disagrees. "I think this transcends administrations," she said, pointing to the mid-90s start date for the revision process that has produced these new rules. "It's focusing on what we can do instead of having to check every single detail on (a ream of) 24 inches of paper.

"It takes a village to manage a forest," Williams said, referring to the continued public input for all projects under the new rules. "I would expect our naysayers to continue to be naysayers. We're just doing our best to create a process that's going to make things a little bit easier, but continue with as much analysis, project by project, as it ever has."

Haggard affirms that past inaction on the part of the Forest Service is largely to do the burdens imposed by over-analysis. For example, a project costing only a few thousands of dollars to do on the ground may require millions of dollars for analysis. "We can see that this stand needs to be thinned or this riparian area needs to be protected or we need to change this road location or we need to provide access to this particular area. But, we're encumbered with analysis and getting permission to get to what needs to be done."

Open Audition February 19 - Robin Hood seeks youth cast

Auditions will be held for Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT) production of Robin Hood on Monday, February 19, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the A.C.T. Niles Theater in Alturas. Those auditioning should plan to stay for the full two hours. Some of the cast members will be asked to stay for a rehearsal immediately following the audition.

Kindergarten through 12th grade students are encouraged to audition. No advance preparation is necessary. Assistant Director will also be cast to assist with the technical aspects of the production.
Missoula Children's Theatre touring productions are complete with costumes, scenery, props and makeup. The MCT Tour/Directors will conduct rehearsals throughout their week in Alturas.

Robin Hood will be presented on February 24 in two public performances. Among the roles to be cast this season are Robin Hood, Maid Marion, Marion's Maid, Prince John, the Sheriff of Nottingham, the Foresters, the Aristocrats, the Merry Band, the Guards, the Horsemen and the Skunks.

New season directors

This year's actor/directors will be Krystal Lease, a recent B.A. graduate of Southwestern College. This is her second season with MCT.

Megan Tucker, a graduate of Boise State University with a BA in visual arts, is also in her second season with Missoula Children's Theatre. She has been an on stage and offstage performer from the time she turned 11. Her most current appearance was with American Family Theatre in Pennsylvania.
Missoula Children's Theatre is the nation's largest touring children's theatre, has been touring extensively for more than 30 years now from Montana (based there) to Japan, and will visit nearly 1100 communities this year with 32 teams of Tour Actor/Directors. The tour team will arrive in Alturas with everything except the cast. Open audition will cast 50-60 local students to perform in the production. The show is rehearsed throughout the week and culminates with two public performances. All MCT shows are original adaptations of classic children's stories and fairytales . . . a twist on the classic stories that people know and love. Creativity, social skills, goal achievement, communication skills and self-esteem are all characteristics that are attained through the participation in this unique educational project. MCT's mission is the development of life skills in children through participation in the performing arts.

The Missoula Children's Theatre residency in Alturas is made possible by Modoc County Arts Council, Inc. and Alturas Community Theater. The opportunity is being sponsored by Frontier Communications, Modoc County Record, Carstens Motors and Antonio's.

This will be the 23rd year that Modoc County Arts Council Director Ken Franklin has coordinated the arrangements and sponsor/funding to bring Missoula Children's Theatre to benefit Modoc youth.
The February 24 performances at the A.C.T. Niles Theater will be at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door, or in advance at Antonio's for $8 for adults; $6 for students and senior citizens.

Obituaries:

Ernest "Omer" Overacker

Ernest "Omer" Overacker, 88, passed away February 10, 2007, in his home in Alturas, CA.
Ernest was born December 25, 1918, in Riverside County, CA to William and Edna (Smith) Overacker. He married Eithel Rossiter on September 1, 1938, in Visalia, CA, and enjoyed almost 65 years of wedded bliss.

Seven children were born from Omer and Eithel's union. Omer enjoyed and loved his family, along with his love of working. Work not alone was his job, but also his favorite hobby. He worked as a youth in Coachella Valley then moving into the San Joaquin Valley where he et and married his wife. In 1945, he started farming for himself and continued such until selling his business in 1976. Through the years he worked construction, until he and his wife moved to Alturas where they made their home. He spent a few years falling timber, then he returned to construction for a while before going to work for Leonard Fitch. Just before retirement he returned to farming with Alturas Ranches, retiring at the age of 80 years.

Omer is survived by daughters: Frances Gray, Alturas; Barbara (James) Woodman, Eureka, CA; Mary (Bill) Turner, Alturas; sons: Harold (Shirley) Overacker, Alturas; Edgar (Gail) Overacker, Stillwater, OK; Lonnie (Patricia) Overacker, Nampa, ID; two brothers: Elmer Overacker, Tulare, CA; Edward Overacker, Cushing, OK; 15 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and friends.

Omer is preceded in death by his wife of almost 65 wonderful years, his parents, one son Kenneth, a granddaughter Cynthia Ann Gray, four sisters and two brothers.

"We feel that Dad will be in good Hands and in the company of those he loved and with his wife, whom he longed for the last almost four years," says his family.

Pallbearers will be his grandsons Bobby Gray, II, Vincent Epker, II, James Gray, Christopher Turner, Robert Overacker, and Nicholas Epker. His grandsons will carry him the last mile. Honorary Pallbearers Bobby Gray III and Vincent Epker III will lead the way.

Brother George Wright of Tulare, CA will officiate the services on Saturday, February 17 at the Kerr Mortuary Chapel in Alturas at 10 a.m.

Family members named

Clinton A. Smith, who was born in Alturas and passed away January 29, 2007 in Medford, OR, has many relatives whose names were omitted in the "survivors" information provided from Medford, OR for his February 1, 2007 obituary. The family would like to add the following.

Clinton is survived by his parents, Elva and Bertha Smith of Alturas, CA; his oldest brother Norton Smith of Alturas, CA; his youngest sister Janis Smith of Redding, CA; his nephews Cole Smith, Toot Nelson of Alturas, and Mike Nelson of Great Falls, Montana. He was preceded in death by his twin brother Quintin and his sister Lorraine Nelson of Alturas.

Norman W. Christiansen

Norman W. Christiansen, age 90, passed away in Fresno, CA on January 29, 2007. Born on October 22, 1916 in Herman, Nebraska, he arrived in Alturas in 1939, where he met and married Alberta Addington. They were married almost 67 years.

Mr. Christiansen was a veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Navy as an Air Gunner. Following his discharge from the Navy, he returned to Alturas where he began a 34-year career with Bank of America.

He is survived by his wife Alberta of Fresno; his son Norman and daughter-in-law Susanne, his granddaughter Cynthia Lewandowski, her husband Bob and their two children Christian and Lauren, and his granddaughter Laura Mintzer and her husband Richard, all of Fresno.

Sports

Braves beat Etna

Modoc's varsity boy's basketball team beat Etna 65-60 on the home floor last Friday night. The Bravee travel to unbeaten Trinity for the final league game Friday.

Dustin Philpott led the scoring against Etna with 18, Daniel Morgan added 15, Trent Schmidt nine and Liam Iverson eight.

On Tuesday night, Modoc beat Fall River, there, 54-52 on a solid fourth-period comeback. Modoc led 14-13 in the first but trailed 30-25 at halftime. Fall River was up 43-39 after three, but Modoc won it in the fourth. Keith Montague had 19 and Philpott added 13.

The Braves are now 5-6 in the Shasta Cascade League and 11-10 overall.

Modoc girls beat Etna, finish league at Trinity

Modoc's varsity girl's basketball team will finish the Shasta Cascade League season at Trinity Friday night. The Braves are on top of the SCL at 10-1, and post an overall record of 17-4. They are favored to beat Trinity.

On Feb. 9, the Braves beat Etna 64-47 in Alturas. The Braves opened with a 16-6 first period lead and held a 34-20 lead by halftime. By the end of the third, Modoc held a 45-30 led and scored 19 to Etna's 17 in the fourth.

Catherine Lowry led with 29 points, Sarah Catania had nine, Marielle Nardoni and Tanya Blake each had six.

Tuesday the Braves beat Fall River, 58-44, behind Alysha Northrup's 23 points. Modoc trailed 16-11 in the first and 26-20 by halftime. A good third period put the Braves up 35-34. Modoc scored 23 to Fall River's 10 in the fourth. Lowry had 16 points and Catania added 12.

Wrestlers head to small school's meet

The Modoc wrestling team will be competing in the North Section Small School's Championships Feb. 16-17 at Hamilton City.

Coach Shaun Wood expects his team to be in a three-way battle for the title with Durham and Willows.

Wood expects several of his wrestlers to finish in the top four and move on to the North Section finals next week at Redding. Modoc's Josh Wood and Jesse Harer are expected to win individual small school's titles, with Bill Hammerness, Sheridan Crutcher, Jacob Ketler, Cain and Josue Madrigal, Cody Book, Kevin Richardson, Brandon Anderson, Tyler Wood and Kyle Hartman expected to do well.

Modoc will start its Youth Wrestling program next Wednesday with the middle school wrestlers practicing just after school and the fifth grade and under kids starting at 6 p.m.

Hornet girls win one of three

The Surprise Valley Hornet girl's varsity basketball team, suffering from in-eligibility and illness won one of three games this last week.

The Hornets beat Big Valley for Homecoming 39-24. Tristin Teuscher led with nine points.
The next day, the Hornets lost to Butte Valley 27-26. Teuscher led the scoring with 14, but injuries kept her out of the Feb. 13 game against Tulelake. The Honkers won that game 54-31. Hannah Goodwin led the Hornets with 11 points. The Hornets will finish against unbeaten Happy Camp at McCloud Friday.

February 22, 2007

News

Bradbury enters plea, agrees to reveal killer

At a hearing last Thursday morning in Modoc Superior Court, Christopher Bradbury accepted a plea offer by new Modoc District Attorney Gary Woolverton and entered a guilty plea to a felony charge of accessory after the fact in the Betty Lou Parks murder case.

As a condition of his plea, the murder charge against him would be dropped, he would agree to cooperate in the prosecution of a person he identified as the killer in the case and would accept a two-year prison sentence, with credit for time already served.

An arrest report is pending for the person identified by Bradbury as the killer, but his name has not been released.

The plea offer is now under consideration by the court and will come back for sentencing, acceptance or rejection March 22, 1 p.m. following a review by the Modoc Probation Department.

The victim's family, with the aid of former DA Jordan Funk, has said they will try to persuade the court from accepting the plea bargain.

Park's mother, Bonnie Dukes, said she still believes Bradbury was responsible of her daughter's death. Funk has stated he sees improprieties in the manner Woolverton has acted concerning the case and has questioned the validity of the polygrapher.

Woolverton is standing by the plea bargain and said he feels strongly that Bradbury was at the scene of the murder, but did not participate in the act. Woolverton said he contacted Department of Justice concerning a polygrapher, but was told it would take weeks. He then asked Modoc County Sheriff Mark Gentry to recommend a polygrapher. Gentry came up with two, and Woolverton selected one that Gentry had experience with in the past. Gentry expressed confidence this week in the polygrapher, who has conducted over 17,000 polygraph examinations.

According to Woolverton, Bradbury passed the polygraph examination with a high degree of truthfulness.

"First, I think Modoc County owes a large ‘thank you' to the California Department of Justice for the work they performed in getting this case to the front burner and moving towards resolution," Woolverton said. "As I read and studied the case, I began having some nagging suspicions that the case needed more work. After reading and studying everything available, I felt there were some loose ends that would only be resolved if law enforcement was able to take a statement from Mr. Bradbury."

With that in mind, Woolverton started a process that led to the plea bargain.

First he talked with Tom Gifford, Bradbury's attorney in an off-the record-discussion about the factual conclusion of the case. Gifford said Bradbury was not guilty of murder, but did know what happened.

Bradbury would not talk with law enforcement, but agreed to talk with Woolverton with Gifford present.

"The agreement that was reached was substantially as follows: The statements of Mr. Bradbury would not be admissible unless and until an agreement had been reached for him to plead guilty to some related charge," said Woolverton. "The agreement further provided that in the event I believed Bradbury's statement, that it would have to be followed up by a polygraph examination by a qualified polygraph expert, Bradbury would have to pass the exam and be available for testimony against any third persons that may be implicated in his statement. I researched the propriety of a DA taking the statement and determined that, although unusual, there was nothing ethically wrong with it, under these circumstances."

Woolverton then met with Gentry who agreed to facilitate the interview of Bradbury, and if necessary, go to an inspection of the murder site with Bradbury present. Woolverton said he had an agreement between his office, the Sheriff, Bradbury and Bradbury's attorney.

Following an interview with Bradbury, which was taped and given to Gifford, Woolverton, Bradbury and Gifford went to the area where Parks' body was found in Modoc Estates. An armed sheriff's deputy followed in a separate car.

Bradbury then walked Woolverton and Gifford through the events he said occurred at the scene.
Bradbury said on June 25, 1992, he and a friend (name not disclosed) were going swimming in that Modoc Estates area and while they were stopped for gas, Betty Lou Parks walked by the service station. Bradbury's friend asked her if she wanted to go swimming and she agreed. Bradbury said he never met Parks before June 25, 1992.

Once he got to the Modoc Estates lot, Bradbury said he went of down the trail to go swimming and his friend and Parks followed at a distance. He then heard some arguing and he saw his friend hit Parks in the head. She ran, and his friend followed her to behind a trailer at the site. According to Bradbury, his friend then killed Parks with a blow to the head. The friend moved the body to an area by some juniper trees and covered the body with a piece of plywood or article board. The two them left the area. Bradbury said they eventually came to an agreement that neither would ever say anything about what happened.

Following Bradbury's statements at the scene, coupled with his previous statement, Woolverton said he was inclined to believe Bradbury's story and the next stop was a polygraph.

That polygraph exam was done Feb. 2, 2007 and lasted about three hours.

"The statement provided to the polygraph expert was consistent with the earlier statement of Mr. Bradbury," Woolverton said. "With respect to the expert's conclusions on the truthfulness of Mr. Bradbury, he opined that Bradbury had told him the truth. On the numerical rating of truthfulness, Mr. Bradbury has passed with a high truthful quotient."

Woolverton then required Bradbury to provide a statement under penalty of perjury. Bradbury, Gifford, Woolverton and a court reporter met Feb. 14 and Bradbury provided that statement.

"As a result of the facts gleaned from Bradbury, and comparing them to the known objective evidence, it was my conclusion that he was not guilty of murder," Woolverton said. "It was my conclusion that he had no part in the planning of the murder and that he was completely shocked by what happened at the swimming hole-trailer house site. It was my conclusion that although he was not guilty of murder, he was guilty of being an accessory after the fact to a murder."

Woolverton said he does know the identity of Bradbury's friend, but is not going to disclose the name at this time.

Gentry said he believes the Parks' case is closer than ever to being solved, and believes justice will be done by the plea agreement. He also said he has absolute trust in the polygrapher and the results of that exam.

Gifford is also confident in Bradbury's story. "No day has ever been a good day to prosecute, or continue to prosecute, an innocent man for murder," he said. "It is just too bad that this resolution could not have been achieved earlier. Frankly, I think the prosecution was looking for angels on the head of a pin. Chris has much empathy for the Parks family, he just wishes he could have gotten this off his chest earlier."In court, Gifford said Funk had offered Bradbury a plea to the same accessory after the fact charge, although he would have required different preliminary circumstances, including a polygraph done by DOJ. Funk said the plea deal offered by Woolverton was not the same as he had considered.

Bradbury was facing murder charges in the 1992 death of 14-year-old Alturas resident Parks.
Bradbury, age 31, of Shasta Lake, was 17 years of age at the time of Parks death.

Testimony from Bradbury's ex-wife is key to the prosecution case. She has told Department of Justice investigators that Bradbury admitted to her that he had been a part of the Parks' murder.
Bradbury was arrested in May, 2006 at his job in Redding and remains in the Modoc County Jail on $500,000 bail. The case was turned over to DOJ in 2002 by the Modoc Sheriff's Office.

Parks disappeared on June 25, 1992, and her remains were found by a hiker at a remote Modoc Estates lot on May 16, 1993. She was buried in November, 1993.

Get into Home Show soon

Applications for the Fourth Annual Modoc Home Show scheduled for March 31 at the Modoc High School Griswold Gym and Social Hall are now available.

Brooke Fredrickson, who has been involved from the very beginning, is in charge of this year's event.
The theme for the show is: "Modoc County: The heart of your home improvement needs!" The cost for a booth at the show is $40 and a door prize item worth at least $20 is required.

The show is open to business owners who have an established business in Modoc County consisting of items or services for sale/rent/lease. The businesses must provide a copy of its business license, State Board of Equalization Resellers Certificate, and/or Contractor's license.

In addition to the regular Home Show booths, the popular Kitchen Wars will also be held again this year.

Applications for entry into the show are available at the Modoc County Record and Altec Engineering. Those forms must be returned with fees no later than March 19 to either the Modoc Record, Altec Engineering or mailed to Modoc Home Show, c/o Brooke Fredrickson, P.O. Box 1245, Alturas, Ca. 96101. For more information or to volunteer to help with the show, call 530-233-8472 and watch for ads in the Record.

Groups vow nonviolent defense of Medicine Lake

Several protestors gathered in front of the Alturas Bureau of Land Management Office on State Route 299 Tuesday at noon to protest the government's possible appeal of a decision on the geothermal development plans at Medicine Lake.

They are protesting the BLM's plans to appeal the Ninth Circuit Court ruling on Medicine Lake to the Supreme Court. The Ninth Circuit reversed a lower court decision indicating that the federal agencies neglected their fiduciary responsibilities to the Pit River Nation by violating the National Environmental Protection and the National Historic Preservation Acts and that the agencies never took the requisite "hard look" at whether the Highlands should be developed for energy at all.

"In spite of this ruling and although the federal government promised not to appeal the case, agency officials have recently indicated they will make this attempt. This notice came as no surprise to many Native peoples who are used to government policies and statements shifting like the wind," said Mark LeBeau, of the Pitt River Nation. "Tragically, BLM, California Energy Commission, and Calpine Energy Company do not care about preserving the natural and sacred Highlands, as they have been trying to build geothermal power plants there since the 1980's," said LeBeau.

He said the geothermal project would: require drilling to 9,000 feet beneath the surface; require injection and extraction of large amounts of toxins that can cause cancer or birth defects such as arsenic, mercury, and hydrogen sulfide; create a situation for accidental releases of acids and chemicals into the shallow water table or maintenance-related pipeline ruptures and explosions; replace the natural surface environment with toxic slump ponds, roads, pipelines, and cooling towers; have the potential to cause earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or avalanches; desecrate this sacred and traditionally important area; likely cause irreversible contamination of the air, water, plants, and wildlife in the region; harness this energy and peddle it as ‘green energy'; not simply trap steam or mine hot water from natural geysers; and threaten the underlying aquifer – which is California's largest pure spring system and flows into the Fall River and joins the Pit River and winds into the Sacramento River and San Francisco Bay.

"Native peoples, lawmakers, homeowners, ranchers, fishing enthusiasts, environmentalists and other citizens and surrounding towns have consistently opposed this project," said LeBeau. "Make no mistake about it; we will nonviolently defend Medicine Lake from any attempts to build power plants in this sacred and natural area. The federal government must ban such development out of respect for American Indian religious and traditional use rights and to fulfill its fiduciary responsibility to the tribal governments of the area and act in their best interests."

Sponsors of the protest include Advocates for the Protection of Sacred Sites, Seventh Generation Fund, International Indian Treaty Council, Indigenous Environmental Network, Citizens of the Pitt River Nation, and Redding Rancheria Cultural Department.

The proposal not only destroys fragile ecosystems, but also directly undermines Native American cultural integrity, trampling their right to religious freedom. The Medicine Lake Highlands have significant spiritual and cultural value to Pitt River Tribes (and putting a power plant there would desecrate this sacred and traditionally important area).

Over 200 tribal members and environmental justice advocates rallied in front of Calpine Energy Company's Headquarters on January 29, 2007 in San Jose. Pitt River tribal representatives handed Calpine a Notice Of Eviction.

Budget analyst sees some shortfalls in MJUSD

The independent auditor hired by the Modoc Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees to assess their budget picture, Michaela Elliot, found some shortfalls and areas of concern.

On Monday, Board President Fernand Larranaga met with members of the MJUSD teaching staff to go over the findings, in a meeting where no decisions on any wage or salary negotiations were made.
One of the major issues facing the district is the loss of $730,000 in forest reserve funding. The auditor states: "This represents 10 percent of the district's total unrestricted income for next year. There is some talk that districts will receive a small portion in future years, possibly 10-15 percent of what they received in the past. There is no way to confirm that amount at the present time."

She also points to the declining student population in the district. "Please review the ADA (average daily attendance) of the district for the last four years. You will note that the ADA has continued to decline. What is the loss of income this year due to declining ADA? What is the loss of income expected next year due to projected declining ADA?

The estimated loss of revenue limit income this year due to declining ADA (18 ADA) is $107,613. The estimated loss of revenue limit income next year due to declining ADA (13 ADA) is $81,088. The two years total is $188,701 or three percent of the district's total 2007-08 unrestricted income."
According to Elliot's analysis the district must reduce unrestricted revenue by 11 percent for next year (10 percent for lost forest reserve and one percent for 13 lost ADA). The anticipated COLA is only four percent for next year. In order to fund on-going expenditures with current year ongoing revenues, the district will have to make substantial program cuts.

The Board asked her to review the district's reserves and recommend whether ongoing salary schedule increases be paid with only money from reserves.

"No, it is not recommended that ongoing salary schedule increases be paid with one-time money. The reason is that the district can only cover the increased costs for one year without cutting programs," Elliot notes. "Ongoing salary increases must be funded with ongoing money. I would also caution the district about using other one-time money such as MAA and Mandated Cost Reimbursements. These are not reliable on-going sources."

Elliot is also blunt in her recommendations should the district actually lose the forest funding.
She suggest the following substantial program cuts if the forest funds disappear:

• Close the outlying Necessary Small school(s) that is losing money.
• Increase class size at all levels. The district's class size is enviable, but expensive.
• Eliminate middle and high school courses with very small class sizes.
• Reduce the Routine Maintenance Budget, it exceeds the three percent state requirement.
• Reduce or eliminate programs such as art and music.
• Reduce contributions to athletics and extra curricular activities.
• Eliminate or reduce the Cafeteria Fund encroachment. It is very high.
• Continue to streamline the Transportation program and decrease (or at least maintain) the encroachment.

When a four percent wage increase is factored into the equation, assuming the loss of the forest funding and the declining ADA, Elliot has a dire position.

"The loss of forest reserve funding and the loss of revenue from declining ADA makes it impossible to consider a salary increase for staff without first making significant program cuts," she concludes.
The MJUSD and Modoc Teachers Association are currently at impasse on salary negotiations and the board has told the MTA it is rescinding a previous offer of four percent raise, because of their view of the financial picture.

Obituaries:

Louis Edward Williamson

Services for Louis Edward Williamson of Alturas, will be held today, Thursday, February 22 at 11 a.m. at the Kerr Mortuary Chapel in Alturas, with graveside committal to follow at the Alturas Cemetery. Mr. Williamson passed away unexpectedly in Alturas, CA on February 19, 2007, while playing golf, the game that he loved.

Born in Palestine, Arkansas on February 12, 1933, to Nina and Boyd Williamson, Louis was one of seven children. His family moved to California during the Depression and made their home in Armona, CA, where they owned their own farm. At 17, Louis quit school and joined the Marines. He spent his 18th birthday in boot camp. After he left the Marine Corps, he was playing in a ball game where he met his future wife Evelyn Duty. They married December 11, 1954, in Las Vegas, NV. They made their home in the Laton area and later moved to Bakersfield where he worked in the oil fields. Louis and Evelyn had four children, one son and three daughters. They moved their family to Oregon and later settled in Alturas, CA where they have made their home since 1972. Louis worked for the Modoc County Road Department for 19 years, until he retired at age 55 in 1988. He was the delivery driver for Four Seasons/ACE Hardware for a time after his retirement. Louis, who was fondly known as Papa, was known for his exceptional gardening skills, his quirky sense of humor, and the love that he had for his family. During the past five years, he could always be found on the golf course. He will be greatly missed.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Tom Williamson, sister Audrey Osborne, and great-granddaughter Lanie Rose Lloyd. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Evelyn Williamson of Alturas, son Louis Jr. and Elizabeth Williamson of Alturas; daughters and sons-in-law Robin and Wade Teuscher of Cedarville, Lu Anne and Gary Spicer of Alturas, Lori and Jim Lloyd of Alturas. Grandchildren Jimmy and Michelle Lloyd of Alturas, Aaron Teuscher and Jami Harris of Shingletown, Brooke Spicer and Ames Jacoby of Eugene, Joe Lloyd and Ashlea Stanford of Alturas, Brett and Samantha Spicer of Alturas, Sarah Teuscher of Redding, Tristin Teuscher of Cedarville, and Zoey Williamson of Shasta Lake City; great-grandchildren James and Haley Lloyd of Alturas; sisters Dorothy Huddleston, Jean Diehl, brothers Boyd and Danny Williamson, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Donations in Louis' memory can be made to the charity of the donor's choice.

Roger Rose

Longtime Alturas resident Roger Rose passed away at Modoc Medical Center, Alturas, CA. on Monday, January 19, 2007. He was 78 years of age.

Graveside services will be held in Klamath Falls, OR. with arrangements being made through Ward's Klamath Falls Chapel. Mr. Rose was born in Klamath Falls, OR, and was a U.S. Navy veteran and had made his home in Alturas for 40 years. His daughter Debbie Dunn resides in Alturas. The Record will publish an obituary, as more information becomes available.

Dr. Donna Kennedy Jones

Doctor Donna Jean Kennedy Jones passed away at the age of 59 on February 17, 2007 at Mercy Hospital in Redding, CA after a long battle with breast cancer.

Dr. Donna came to Canby, CA to join the I'SOT Community and serve as a physician and Medical Director at the Canby Family Practice Clinic six years ago.

She was preceded in death by her husband Charles Nolan Jones who passed away September 28, 2000 in Bowens Mill, Georgia, where they had lived most of their married life.

Donna attended Georgia Baptist School of Nursing where she received her Registered Nurse degree; University of New Orleans where she received a B.A. in biology, and graduated in 1979 with a Medical Doctor degree. She received her post graduate training in Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine.

Donna was greatly loved by the I'SOT Community and those clients who came regularly to the clinic. She was known for her many stories and her wealth of knowledge in the medical field.

Donna is survived by her two children, Abigail Lee Jones, 21 and Gabriel Nolan Jones, 19, who came with her to Canby. Both are graduates of the I'SOT Private School. She is also survived by her 80-year-old mother, Evelyn Kennedy, sister Deborah Polhamus, and five nieces and nephews, all of Fitzgerald, Georgia.

There will be a memorial service at the I'SOT Tabernacle in Canby, CA on Sunday, February 25 at 10 a.m. It is open to all her many friends. Any contributions should be made in her name to Modoc County Breast Cancer Support, P.O. Box 1289, Alturas, CA. Attention: Mary Porter.

Robert Edward Hanks

Robert Edward Hanks, a native of Modoc County, passed away in Los Angeles, CA on February 5, 2007. Mr. Hanks had been living in Southern California with his son for the past 10 years.

He was born in Ft. Bidwell, CA to Ray and May Hanks and grew up in Alturas, where he graduated from Modoc High School. Mr. Hanks was a veteran of World War II. In his younger years he was a cowboy and in later years worked as a custodian at the Modoc County Courthouse. He was 84 at the time of his death. He is survived by his son Robert Hanks, II of Van Nuys, CA.
Mr. Hanks was buried at the Alturas Cemetery on February 21. Kerr Mortuary had care of arrangements.

Billie Anna Mary Ashpole

Billie Anna Mary Ashpole passed away Monday, February 19, 2007, at the age of 95, at Surprise Valley Hospital's long-term care facility, Cedarville, CA. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Mrs. Ashpole had made Modoc her home for the past 20 years. Burial will be in Palo Alto, CA on February 26. She is survived by a grandson Darroll Newton of Scotts Valley, CA. Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Sports

Modoc wins Small School's Wrestling title

Modoc's wrestling team came away from Friday's North Section CIF Small School's Wrestling Championships trailing in team points by 14. Coach Shaun Wood was a little worried.

However on Saturday, his Braves put five wrestlers in the finals, four of them wining, and some of the lower weight wrestlers pulled their part to give the Braves the Small School's Championship.

"It was a total team effort," said Wood this week. "Some of our smaller and younger wresters did really well, and while some may not have placed, they earned the points to get us over the top."The Braves now travel to the North Section Master's Tournament in Redding Friday and Saturday. The top two finishers in each weight class will qualify for the state finals. Wood said he has four legitimate state contenders: 140-pound Sheridan Crutcher, 173-pound Bill Hammerness, 192-pound Josh Wood and 215-pound Jesse Harer.

In the Small Schools Championships Friday and Saturday in Hamilton City, Modoc won with 173 points, followed by Willows 164.5, Durham 162, Esparto 100.5, Mt. Shasta 98.5, Trinity 97.5, Quincy 81, Portola 75.5, Hamilton City 71.5, Etna 65, Fall River 56, Chester 54, Burney 45, Los Molinos 37, Bishop Quinn 19, Weed 16, Big Valley 13, Tulelake 10, Redding Christian 4, Biggs and University Prep, each 0.

Crutcher won the championship at 140 pounds when he beat Josh Nolan of Quincy in the second overtime period 3-2.

Hammerness beat Rye Muller, of Esparto 11-5 for the 173-poud title.

Wood beat Brady Tharp, Esparto, by pin in the first round for the 191-pound title.
Harer pinned Matt Candaleria, of Willows, in the second round for the 217-pound title.
Modoc heavyweight Jacob Ketler placed second to Jeff Jones of Durham.

Modoc's 162-pound Brandon Anderson took a third at his weight and 103-pounder Cody Book took a fourth. Kevin Richardson was fifth at 114 pounds. Cain Madrigal took a fourth at 130 pounds. Victor Garcia placed sixth at 135 pounds.

Tyler Wood went 2-2 at 145 pounds and Kyle Hartman ran into some tough competition at 154 pounds. Modoc was without wrestlers Josue Madrigal and Kyle Voth because of injury and illness.

The opening rounds of the Master's will find Book taking on Pleasant Valley's Thomas Osequenda; Richardson getting Tanner Hermann of Portola; Madrigal getting Tyler Diamond of Oroville; Crutcher taking on Rowdy Robinson of Sutter; Anderson taking on Travis Shaffer of Red Bluff, Hammerness getting Justin Latrell of Durham; Wood getting Julio Lopez of Mt. Shasta; Harer getting Mike Berger of Foothill and Ketler taking on Cory Lugauer of Paradise.

According to MaxPreps, the Division 3-4 Championships results are as follows:
105 - 1. Cody Pack, Quincy; 2. Shoua Yang, Willows; 3. Sean Simmons, Los Molinos; 4. Cody Book, Modoc.

114 - 1. Tanner Hermann, Portola; 2. Brandon Bently, Trinity; 3. Jeno Yang, Willows; 4. Marcus Buchanan, Mt. Shasta.

121 - 1. Bo Stier, Burney; 2. Joe Solven, Trinity; 3. Cher Lee, Willows; 4. Nick Schwall, Etna.

127 - 1. Kevin Maelfeyt, Trinity; 2. Nolan Atkins, Durham; 3. Anyon Harrington, Esparto; 4. Mohammad Al-Rifai, Willows.

132 - 1. Evan Deluca, Durham; 2. Jonathan Ojeda, Etna; 3. David Tooker, Willows; 4. Cain Madrigal, Modoc.

137 - 1. Dustin Arevalos, Esparto; 2. Robbie Kreowski, Mt. Shasta; 3. Chance McDaniel, Durham; 4. Mike Lamarr, Etna.

142 - 1. Sheridan Crutcher, Modoc; 2. Josh Nolan, Quincy; 3. Nathan Long, Willows; 4. Josh Payan, Durham.

147 - 1. Kent Thayer, Willows; 2. Willie Lyons, Burney; 3. Justin Von Tengeln, Mt. Shasta; 4. Billy Anderson, Chester.

154 - 1. Shawn Adams, Quincy; 2. Max Struble; 3. Layn Strickland, Fall River; 4. Tyler Strohmeyer, Etna.

162 - 1. Tyler Hermann, Portola; 2. Aric Summer, Trinity; 3. Brandon Anderson, Modoc; 4. Trevor Delucci, Chester.

173 - 1. Bill Hammerness, Modoc; 2. Rye Muller, Esparto; 3. Justin Littrell, Durham; 4. Johnathon Schultz, Hamilton.

191 - 1. Josh Wood, Modoc; 2. Brady Tharp, Esparto; 3. Julio Lopez, Mt. Shasta; 4. Josh Dickens, Durham.

217 - 1. Jesse Harer, Modoc; 2. Matt Candelaria, Willows; 3. Donald Lee, Mt. Shasta; 4. Dustin Boster, Hamilton.

Hwt - 1. Jeff Jones, Durham; 2. Jacob Ketler, Modoc; 3. Cody Woolbert, Los Molinos; 4. Eddie English, Big Valley.

Modoc girls advance in playoffs

The heavily favored Modoc varsity girl's team had no trouble beating Los Molinos in the first round of the North Section basketball playoffs Tuesday night, 69-26.

The girls meet Quincy here Thursday at 7 p.m. in the second round. Modoc will still be favored, but Quincy comes in with an 8-0 league mark and a 17-4 overall record. Modoc is 10-2 in league and 18-5 overall.

Against Los Molinos, Modoc led 20-11 in the first period and 35-18 by halftime. Modoc outscored Los Molinos 18-6 in the third and 16-2 in the fourth.

Sarah Catania and Catherine Lowry each scored 14 for Modoc, Alysha Northrup added 10, Marielle Nardoni had eight, Tacie Richardson, Kelly Campagna and Marlana Bartram each added six.

The varsity girl's team tied for the Shasta Cascade League championship with Mt. Shasta, each with a 10-2 record. The Braves had a good shot at a solo league title, but lost their final game at Trinity Friday night 45-43.

Trinity took an 8-5 first period lead, but Modoc rebounded to lead 20-15 by half. Trinity pumped in 16 points to Modoc's eight in the third period to take a 31-28 lead and held on in the fourth, with Modoc scoring 15 and the Wolves 14. Modoc hit just nine of 21 free throws.

Catherine Lowry led the scoring with 17 and Alysha Northrup added 11.
The final league standings were: Modoc 10-2, Mt. Shasta 10-2, Trinity 8-4, Fall River 6-6, Etna 6-6, Weed 1-11 and Burney 1-11.

Modoc eliminated by Redding Christian

Redding Christian brought the number two-ranked team in the division to Modoc for an opening CIF playoff game Tuesday night and squashed the Modoc Braves boy's varsity 62-40.

The loss takes the Braves out of the playoff picture. Modoc had trouble with RC's full court press in the first half, scoring only nine points, three in the first period and six in the second. Modoc rebounded in the second half, outscoring Redding Christian 16-13 in the third, but RC put together a 24-point fourth while Modoc added 18.

Keith Montague led Modoc with nine points and Dustin Philpott added eight.

"You know we had a tough last two games against two of the best teams in this area," said coach Bunk Richardson. "Overall, I was very proud of how the team handled some adversity and they played hard."

The varsity boys lost the final league game of the season to Trinity 70-38 in Weaverville Friday.

Trinity led 16-11 in the first and 27-23 by halftime. The Wolves outscored Modoc 28-7 in the third period and 15-8 in the fourth. Keith Montague led with 10 points, Trent Schmidt had eight, Dustin Philpott and Liam Iverson each had six.

Trinity won the Shasta Cascade League with an 11-1 record, followed by Mt. Shasta 10-1, Weed 7-5, Modoc 5-7, Fall River 4-7, Etna 2-1 and Burney 2-10.

JV boys beat Trinity

Modoc's junior varsity boy's basketball team beat trinity 65-52 Feb. 16 in Weaverville, finishing their season with a six-game winning streak.

Trinity led 12-11 in the first, and 32-28 at halftime. Modoc used a 28-point third period to take a 53-40 lead and each team added a dozen points in the fourth period.

Dee Hunsaker led the scoring with 22 points, Justin Estes added 20, Jack Callaghan had eight and Tyler Dowdy seven.

With the win, Modoc improved to a 9-3 record in the Shasta Cascade League, behind winner Mt. Shasta at 11-1. Modoc was the only team to beat Mt. Shasta this season.

March 1, 2007

News

Arrest warrant in works for Parks' alleged murderer

Modoc County District Attorney Gary Woolverton said an arrest warrant for a person identified by Christopher Bradbury as the killer of Betty Lou Parks will be out soon.

Bradbury has accepted a plea offer by Woolverton and entered a guilty plea to a felony charge of accessory after the fact in the Betty Lou Parks murder case.

As a condition of his plea, the murder charge against him would be dropped, he would agree to cooperate in the prosecution of the person he identified as the killer in the case and would accept a two-year prison sentence, with credit for time already served.

The plea offer is now under consideration by the court and will come back for sentencing, acceptance or rejection March 22, 1 p.m. following a review by the Modoc Probation Department.

Parks, then age 14, disappeared on June 25, 1992, and her remains were found by a hiker at a remote Modoc Estates lot on May 16, 1993. She was buried in November 1993.

While the family of Parks has hired former DA Jordan Funk, to fight the plea bargain, Woolverton is confident his office is doing what's right.

Parks' mother, Bonnie Dukes, said she doesn't believe Bradbury's story, saying, "things just don't add up" in her mind. She said she contacted Funk because he already knew about the case, since he filed the original murder charges against Bradbury.

Funk has said he filed a complaint with the state Attorney General, basically stating Woolverton abused his power with the plea deal and didn't make his decision based upon the facts of the case.
Woolverton said this week that he operated well within the bounds of his office and believes his action will lead to justice being served in the old murder case.

"What Mr. Funk and Mrs. Dukes seem to be doing is providing information, some false, intending to make Modoc law enforcement and the DA's office look bad," said Woolverton. "We believe the search for the truth in this case has gone much further than that done previously. After studying the Bradbury case, it became quite obvious to me that not much work had been done since the arrest of Mr. Bradbury and that the people's case rested upon the believability of the ex-wife and a teenage boy. I was concerned about the fact that the wife had a motive to exaggerate the culpability or exaggerate the facts."

Woolverton said what he felt was missing in the case, partially, was information from Bradbury himself. According to Bradbury's attorney Tom Gifford, Funk had never spoken to Bradbury.
"I felt the only way we were going to resolve the case and get to the truth was by obtaining a statement from Brabury," Woolverton said. "But Bradbury wasn't prepared to make a statement to the Department of Justice or law enforcement. He didn't trust them. I consulted with Sheriff Mark Gentry and he agreed that nothing had been done on the case to provide additional information since Bradbury was arrested."

According to Woolverton, he initially contacted Gifford and suggested Bradbury talk with the DOJ or Sheriff's Office. If that interview and a planned polygraph disclosed Bradbury was not guilty of murder, he would be allowed to plead to an accessory after the fact charge. Another condition was that he would have to testify against the person who committed the murder.

"Gifford indicated to me that that offer was no better than he had been provided by Mr. Funk," said Woolverton. "Gifford said Funk had offered Bradbury a deal to plead to being an ‘accessory after the fact' if he could pass a DOJ polygraph. If he failed that polygraph, the statement taken by the DOJ would still be admissible at a later date. Gifford said that part of the deal was unacceptable."
Woolverton said he still felt a statement from Bradbury was necessary. He offered to interview Bradbury in the presence of Gifford, and if he believed him, he would take Bradbury to the site where Parks' remains were found to have Bradbury explain what had happened there in June, 1992. If Woolverton found Bradbury's statements consistent and believable, Bradbury would submit to a polygraph. The difference was if Bradbury failed the polygraph, none of his statements would be admissible. If he passed the polygraph, he would then be able to plead to the deal and would have to provide a sworn statement in the presence of a court reporter.

"I ran this plan by Sheriff Gentry and he was on board with it, stating that in his opinion, we would be no worse off than we were before the questioning began," Woolverton said. "My theory was that if Bradbury failed the polygraph, we would be simply going to trial and I would not be able to use the statement to me or to the polygrapher. But, it might provide me with some facts which I would then be able to follow up using DOJ or law enforcement, that would be admissible."

Woolverton said he believed Bradbury's story that he did not kill Parks, but was there and he saw who actually killed her. When Bradbury passed the polygraph "with flying colors" he moved forward on the plea bargain and an effort to bring whom he actually believes killed Parks to justice.
Gentry this week said he felt Woolverton's actions moved the case forward and he expressed confidence in the polygrapher he had recommended to Woolverton.

Once the arrest warrant is issued, Gentry said it will be put into the system immediately. The identity of the suspect has not been released by Woolverton.

Adin Mountain snowpack improves

The snow survey done on Adin Mountain February 26, before the last big storm showed the snowpack doubling since January 31.

According to the Modoc National Forest, the snow depth on January 31 was 15.4 inches containing 4.4 inches of moisture. On February 26 it was at 30.9 inches containing 7.6 inches of water. The long-term average for that area is 34.7 inches of snow containing 11.1 inches of water.

In January, 2006, the site which is three miles south of Manzanita Lookout at Sweagert Flat, had 26.7 inches of snow with 8.9 inches of water.

Some goof news for precipitation in the month of February was also reported. The average moisture for the month is 1.28 inches, but these late storms pushed the February total to 1.53 inches of precipitation. Nearly three-fourths of an inch fell Sunday through Tuesday. Storms are projected in the first week of March as well.

Carbon monoxide could be cause of death

The cause of death for Trampis Gress, age 35, who died January 28 in a travel trailer at Nifty's Mobile Home park, has been determined to be from carbon monoxide poisoning, compounded by coronary artery disease, according to Modoc County Sheriff/Coroner Mark Gentry.

Gentry reported the results of the autopsy last week, ruling the death accidental.

According to Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes, Gress was discovered in the travel trailer at 4:40 p.m. by a neighbor. He was found kneeling at bedside, but showed no signs of life. The neighbor pulled him out of the trailer. His companion, Julli Walter was on the bed, but was non-responsive when the neighbor also pulled her out. She was transported to Modoc Medical Center and airlifted to Redding.

Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes, said his department is still investigating the incident and is waiting to talk with Walter, who is still recovering. Police hope she will be able to provide some information as to what happened in the trailer.

Alturas man arrested after stabbing

An Alturas man was arrested Feb. 24, following a stabbing at the El Rancho Apartments, 400 E. 12th Street.

According to Alturas Police, Darryl W. Dragoman, age 34, went to his neighbor, James H. Hollis' door in the apartment complex about 10:25 a.m. As Hollis opened the door to let his cat out, Dragoman allegedly stabbed at him with a six-inch kitchen knife.

Police said Hollis put up his left arm to defend himself and was stabbed in the inside forearm.
According to Police, the two men had had ongoing problems Hollis had complained Dragoman was making noises and keeping him awake the night before.

Dragoman was arrested by Police alleging assault with a deadly weapon and booked into the Modoc County Jail.

Obituaries:

Roger ‘David' Rose

Roger D. Rose, 78, passed away February 19, 2007, in the Modoc Medical Center, Alturas, CA.
Roger was born May 23, 1928, in Klamath Falls, OR to Joseph and Elizabeth Marie (Schmeiser)

Rose. Roger served four years in the U.S. Navy, until his discharge in 1947.

He married three times. Those marriages were to Francis Serrles, Alfreda "Tiny" DeWitt and Connie Pearson. Five children came from the marriages. Those children are Sandy Tison and husband Tom of Medford, OR; Kathy Kohler and husband John of Klamath Falls, OR; Kathy Kaffenberger and husband Rick of Omaha, NE; Roger W. Rose, Canby, CA; and Debbie Dunn and husband Jerry of Alturas, CA.

Roger enjoyed and loved his family, along with his love of working as a delivery driver in retail sales and telling jokes. When he retired, he started a lawn care service and collected antiques and things.
Roger will be missed by all who knew and came to know him. He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister and one grandson.

Roger is lovingly survived by his children and spouses; three brothers, Norman Rose of Klamath Falls, OR; Donald Rose and Delmar Rose of Eugene, OR; one sister Marlene Griffin of Klamath Falls, OR; 10 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren, many nieces, nephews and friends.

Visitation was held at Ward's Klamath Falls Funeral Home on Monday, February 26, with graveside services at 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26 in Eternal Hills Cemetery, Klamath Falls, OR.

A memorial service will be held in Alturas at the Elks Lodge on Saturday, March 17 at 2 p.m.
Memorial donations may be made to the Cancer Treatment Center, 2610 Uhrmann Road, Klamath Falls, OR 97601.

Edith K. Garland

Edith Kathryn Garland passed away February 22, 2007, at age 82 at Mercy Hospital, Redding, CA. Born Edith Donaldson in St Paul, MN on February 27, 1924, she would have celebrated her 83rd Birthday on February 27, 2007. Pastor Mikie Henderson will officiate the Memorial Services at the Assembly of God Church on March 9 in Malin, OR. Following the Memorial Services will be a graveside service at Eternal Hills - Memorial Gardens, Klamath Falls, OR.

Marvin L. Hess

Marvin L. Hess died in Redding, CA on February 19, 2007. He was 90 years old. Graveside services were held at the Adin Cemetery in Adin, CA. on February 24 with Pastor Destry Campbell officiating.
Born in Adin, CA to Chester and Pearl (Nelson) Hess on August 10, 1916, Marvin had two sisters who preceded him in death, Stella Edgerton and Barbara Bouse. Mr. Hess was a World War II veteran. He worked for New York Life in Redding for numerous years. After he retired he lived in Alturas for about 10 years during the mid-1980s to early 1990s, before relocating to Redding, where he had been living for the past 10 years.

Being reared in Adin, his heart was always in Modoc where the catfish and wild plum jam was plentiful. He loved to fish and hunt and have family gatherings whenever he could.

Mr. Hess is survived by two daughters, Connie Carr and son-in-law Merrill of Bonanza, OR; Carole Gifford and son-in-law Bill of Redding; three grandchildren, Tracey, Jeff and Kelly and six great-grandchildren. McDonald's Chapel of Burney made the arrangements.

Elza Rudolph

Alturas resident Elza Rudolph passed away Tuesday, December 12, 2006, in Sacramento, CA at the age of 85. A private service was held in Sacramento.

Elza Diemer was born in Indonesia on November 9, 1921, and moved to the Netherlands at the age of 12. In 1957, she and her family moved to the United States.

In 1977, she moved to Alturas, CA with her two youngest children. Elza worked as an ombudsman and outreach worker for the California Department of Aging and became a member of the Board of Mental Health in Alturas. She also enjoyed working with children and was involved with the Latchkey Program for several years.

She was widowed by her husband Rudy Rudolph of Alturas and is survived by six of her eight children; son William van der Heyden of Watervalley, TX; daughter Ingrid van der Heyden of Pasadena, CA; daughter Elza Porter of San Francisco, CA; son Walter van der Heyden of Watervalley, TX; son Fred van der Heyden of Alturas, CA; daughter Julie Frost of Sacramento, CA. She was also the proud grandmother of 18 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

Elza enjoyed decorating her home and had a great sense of style. She will be missed.

Mildred Amy Eugene Loose

Mildred (Mid) was born July 25, 1931 in Douglas City, CA to Joseph K. and Elaine (Vitzthum) Eugene. She passed away February 9, 2007, in Roseville, CA.

Mildred was reared in Alturas and graduated from Modoc Union High School in 1949. She attended Heald's Business College in Sacramento. She married Walter M. Loose on February 1, 1953, and relocated to Pennsylvania following his military service. They soon returned to California and settled in North Highlands. They traveled extensively in the United States.

Prior to Mildred suffering a stroke in 1999, Walt and Mildred were "Hosts" during the summer months at Blue Lake, where they greeted Modocers and other guests and enjoyed the beauty of the area. In recent years, they have spent the winter months as "snowbirds" wintering in the desert near Yuma, AZ and enjoying the friendship of other campers from throughout the United States and Canada. Summer usually found them back at Blue Lake.

Mildred was predeceased by her parents and is survived by her loving husband Walter Loose, two daughters, Lynn of Glidden, Wisconsin and Betty of Sacramento, a granddaughter Theresa Jorgenson of Glidden and three great-grandsons, also of Glidden. She is survived by two sisters, Joanne Pattiani Molen of Las Vegas, NV and Marilyn Eugene of Newcastle, CA, and one brother Bill Eugene also of Las Vegas.

Memorial services were held in Fair Oaks, CA on February 14, 2007, at Mt. Vernon Mortuary. Donations in her memory may be made to the American Heart Association.

Sports

Modoc’s Harer third at Masters

Modoc’s 215-pound Jesse Harer placed third in the North Section CIF Masters Wrestling finals Saturday in Redding. He lost a final match for true second. Had he won that match, he would have qualified for the state finals.

Modoc’s 191-pounder Josh Wood, lost a tight match in the semifinals and was ejected from the tournament for a degrading comment to the referee. It’s probable he would have placed third had he remained in the event.

Sheridan Crutcher took a fifth at 142 pounds and Bill Hammerness took a sixth at 173 pounds. Jacob Ketler finished one match out of placing in the heavyweight division.
While not placing, Cody Book and Kevin Richardson each won matches at the Masters. Wood said seven of the nine Modoc wrestlers survived to wrestle in the second day of the event.

“Overall, I was pleased with how we performed,” Wood said.

Modoc bounced from playoffs

It came as no surprise to basketball enthusiasts, but the margin of victory was more than expected for Liberty Christian over Modoc in the CIF North Section Division V semifinal girls basketball game Tuesday in Redding.

Liberty Christian smothered Modoc on defense and did pretty much want they wanted on offense, winning easily 72-32. The Patriots led the Braves 64-28 by the end of the third period.

The Patriots’ Lauren Arrowsmith led with 25 points and Kim Crandell added 23. Modoc’s stats were not posted.

Modoc finished the season with a 10-2 Shasta Cascade League mark, tied for the title and a 19-5 overall record.

Modoc beat the Quincy Trojan varsity girls 61-57 in the second round of the playoffs at Modoc Friday night, after trailing 37-28 at the half.

Modoc put up 10 to Quincy’s three in the third and outscored them 23-17 in the fourth. Two of Modoc starters, Kelly Campagna and Catherine Lowry fouled out of the game.
Sarah Catania led the scoring with 20, Lowry added 17 and Alysha Northrup had 11.

March 8, 2007

News

Supervisors air frustrations concerning hospital

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday expressed serious frustration with a group of Modoc Medical Center employees who they feel are not working in the best interests of the facility or themselves.

The Board has set a meeting Friday at the Hospital to address the employee issues and exlpain the Board's position and that meeting is open to all hospital employees. That meeting will follow a report on a survey that begins at noon and will be held in the Warnerview cafeteria.

The Board discussion came following a meeting this week at the hospital where tempers of some employees reportedly flared, partially over Chief Executive Officer Bruce Porter's wife Christi, being involved in a practice survey as a volunteer.

According to the CEO, his wife is working on a survey that will help identify weak areas that need to be fixed before the state comes back in about nine weeks to do a Critical Access Hospital designation survey of the hospital.

That designation, he told the Board would be worth about $1 million per year in increased reimbursements for the facility, dramatically improving its financial status. Porter said his wife had worked, and was very instrumental, in helping the hospital during the last state survey, which resulted in successful recertification of the facility.

He told the board there "was no one else" who could do this practice survey and it was important for the hospital and the community to do everything possible to make sure the hospital passed the survey. While his wife did the past survey, the staff did not wholly appreciate her methods.

County CEO Mike Maxwell was blunt in his assessment of the situation. "I'm very concerned that the problems we have seen in the hospital over the years are raising their head again," he told the Board. "The CEO's wife has taken a strong interest in the hospital and is working well with state staff on this issue. This is becoming a personal attack on her and the CEO with no regard for what is trying to be accomplished."

Maxwell said he's concerned that some employees have shown disrespect for the CEO and a lack of support for what he's trying to do. And said he sees an effort by some employees to accept failure of the facility in turn for undermining the administration.

"If Mr. Porter does not succeed, the hospital will be closed," Maxwell said. "This lack of understanding of the situation and this personal interest to see someone fail has undermined my hope for success of this hospital."

Maxwell said the hospital is too important, in terms of health care, in terms of the economic health of the community and the employees for the board, to let a few employees try to destroy it, and the county can't let that happen. Maxwell suggested the Board meet with the employees and lay the situation on the line.

"I don't give a damn whether the employees agree or disagree with the CEO," said Maxwell. "The issue is if the employees do not get behind what we're doing. We're going to fail."Supervisor Mike Dunn said he agreed and said once Christi Porter's survey is done and an exit report is given on Friday, he guarantees the board will get a clear picture of who is doing their job and who isn't. He said many of the people complaining now will not come away looking very good.

He expressed frustration that the hospital is having to battle for survival on two fronts – convincing the public and changing its perceptions and then having to deal with the employee perceptions
"I felt the public battle is win-able," Dunn said. "But this last fiasco has taken the wind out of my sails."

Dunn said he can't understand why some employees of the hospital can't see the big picture and why they would work to cut their own throats.

Maxwell said one of the major issues coming out of the exit discussions on Friday will be accountability of employees. "They either get on the boat, get off the boat, or sink with the boat," said Maxwell.

Supervisor Dave Bradshaw said the employees need to know the Board is supporting the CEO and that "we're all in this together and we're not going to have another chance. We are sitting on the edge of closing the hospital."

Dunn said that Mrs. Porter was the only person at the hospital who could undertake this practice survey and she's undertaking it for the benefit of the hospital and on a volunteer basis.

Supervisor Pat Cantrall asked whether Mrs. Porter had the right to look at patient or employee records and was informed that she did, just as with other employees in that capacity.

Supervisor Dan Macsay, who met with some of the disgruntled employees earlier, asked why if employees were not doing their job, were they still there? The reason was that it's hard to find trained employees here, or to get trained employees to move here, according to Porter.

Macsay said he felt Porter was doing " a hell of a good job" but wondered why some issues remain the same as they were 14 months ago? He also asked if Mrs. Porter was going through other employees' desks as he had been told. Porter said he had not been informed of that.

Porter also said that the hospital has come a long way in 14 months but that some issues will never go away. Being recertified by the state was a huge step, he said and the Critical Access Hospital designation is the next big step. He also said they were negotiating with a new physician and a nurse practioner is on the way. He also explained that the hospital puts a $4 million annual payroll into this community and if the hospital closed; the community would lose that funding as well as about 200 employees.

Hospital debt improves in February

Modoc Medical Center's debt to Modoc County dropped to $7,223,025.55 at the end of February from $7,513,930.95 at the end of January.

The drop amounted to $290,905.40 improvement. That's a major difference from the increase in January of $626,425 from December's $6,887,505, according to Modoc County Auditor Judi Stevens.

In November, it was $6,570,715 and October's debt stood at $6,417,812. The end of August's $5,989,192.44 went to $5,991,165 at the end of September. That was the best month, showing only an increase of $1,972.

August's debt had grown $387,234 from July's $5,601,957.81. That was up from June's $5,355,838.60.

The debt has increased since September 2005's $4,690,812 by a total of $2,532,213.

The Modoc Record will continue to publish the actual debt at the end of each month.

Board approves hospital cost cutting plan

Modoc Medical Center has been bleeding red ink, and to help stop that flow, the Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a short-term strategy to reduce costs and reduce staffing.
Hospital Chief Executive Officer Bruce Porter told the Board the recent number of patients has dwindled and he wants to "align staffing to recent volumes and budget."

Porter said the decisions are difficult and there will be complaints coming from hospital staff because he's asking them "to step up and to do more than they ever have. You will be getting phone calls."
Porter said the cost cutting measures will cover a four-week period and there will be staff cuts, staffing level adjustments, schedule changes and responsibilities, elimination of overtime and some supervisors picking up floor shifts.

Supervisor Dan Macsay said it was time to get hospital management and staff on the same page in relation to what the hospital needs to do to survive. He said he sees some of the same problems at the hospital he did 14 months ago and wondered about a follow-up survey and the status of the Critical Access Hospital designation.

Porter countered that the major step last year was passing the state survey and getting the hospital recertified by the state. The Critical Access Hospital issue was now coming to a head, and he expects the state to be doing that survey in about nine weeks. Porter said the designation, as a Critical Access Hospital would mean an additional $1 million per year in reimbursements for the facility.

In order to prepare for that state survey, Porter has asked his wife Christi to do an internal practice survey this week. He said that survey will be finished by Friday and an exit report will be given on any weak areas. He said the hospital needs to be prepared for the state survey and his wife is volunteering her time to get this survey done. His wife had volunteered and was credited with getting the hospital past the last survey. Hospital staff does not wholly appreciate her involvement, however.
Porter said once the practice survey is completed and the weak areas identified, the hospital will initiate a plan of correction to improve the operation.

When it comes to cuts in staff or new hires, Macsay said he'd like to see the board have approval as well as the administrator. He said he felt the board needed to share those responsibilities, not just the administrator.

Supervisor Mike Dunn said he agreed the board needed to accept responsibility, but didn't think it should micro-manage the hospital.

Pat Cantrall asked whether it was appropriate or legal for Christi Porter, as a volunteer, to view patient and personnel records as a part of this survey. Bruce Porter said as a designated volunteer, she had that right, the same as other employees.

Dunn said he expects complaints with the cost reduction plan, but he advises employees to go through the chain of command at the hospital, and if they don't get results, then to call him. Supervisor Dave Bradshaw agreed with that policy.

Woolverton moves to recuse Funk from case

Modoc District Attorney Gary Woolverton has filed a motion that will be heard next week seeking removal of former DA Jordan Funk as the attorney for Bonnie Dukes in the Christopher Bradbury case involving the murder of Duke's daughter Betty Lou Parks.

Funk was the DA who filed the original murder charges against Bradbury last year. He formally left office in January after Woolverton was elected.

Woolverton has offered Bradbury a plea bargain, where he will plead guilty to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and will identify and testify against who he identified as the killer. He would be required to serve two years in prison. That plea bargain is scheduled for hearing March 22.
Funk has filed a protest of that plea bargain on behalf of the Dukes' family.

Rails to Trails on the Modoc Line

What do you do with a demolished, abandoned railroad right-of-way like the Modoc Line, the 86-mile-long rail bed between Alturas and Wendel, near Susanville? Once the rails and ties were removed, what's left is a narrow thoroughfare that stretches across many miles, no longer serving any useful purpose. In fact, it can become an eyesore, a useless scar across the land.

"I look at these railroad grades like rivers, in a way. Rivers aren't being created too much anymore, and neither are these railroad grades," said Stan Bales, an outdoor recreation planner working locally for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). "So, it's a resource … a very valuable resource that, I think, needs to be retained for the future."

So, do you keep the Modoc Line corridor intact in hopes that some railroad company will come along and put it to use again? Do you let it revert to its original owners? Or do you find another use for it?
"Perhaps, in the future, these corridors will be used again for rails," said Bales, who manages the Bizz Johnson trail near Susanville, a onetime railroad grade that is now a scenic hiking and biking trail. "In the meantime, they're valuable for recreational use, for our communities and for the residents who live here as well as a destination attraction."

"It's a great opportunity we don't want to lose," said Tim Burke, field manager for the Alturas, California office of the BLM, who is working diligently to secure the Modoc Line, intact, as a recreational resource. "Stan had the foresight to see that something had to be done to hold this together until somebody did take the initiative," said Burke, crediting his colleague in this project. "In the past year or so, I've come in to help out as best I could."

According to Burke, Bales applied to save the Modoc Line in 1996, "when Union Pacific originally applied to abandon the line. … He was definitely ahead of his time," said Burke.

Called "rail banking" or the "Rails to Trails" program, the concept was made part of the 1968 National Trails System Act by a congressional amendment in 1983. It provides the method for converting abandoned railroad rights-of-way to recreational trails. The Surface Transportation Board (STB) oversees these conversions.

Burke's concern is that the corridor will "fracture." That is, if nothing were done, the line would revert to underlying landowners. If that were to occur, "we'd lose the integrity of the corridor forever," he said. "It would be very difficult to put it back together again."

Anxious to resolve the situation, Union Pacific Railroad, who controls the right-of-way, is pressing for action, according to Burke. So, an application for a time extension of the proposed conversion has been filed with the STB in order to allow time for an appraisal of the line's value. Once that appraisal is completed, Burke expects negotiations to purchase the corridor to move forward quickly. "We will continue to make progress," he said.

Working to gather the funding for the corridor purchase, Burke has found supportive partners in both Modoc and Lassen counties, where the line is located. Both have contributed funds to underwrite the appraisal costs, and both are considering becoming the owners of the line. "It would be more appropriate for the counties to actually own the line," said Burke. "They like the aspect of county ownership because that gives them an assurance that the rails can come back in, rather than being concerned that it would just turn into a recreation project."

According to Burke, both Dave Bradshaw, a Modoc County supervisor, and Jack Hansen, a Lassen County supervisor, have both been "really helpful."

Burke has also partnered with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, a new state agency created to capitalize on natural resources in an environmentally safe and aware way. "(It) has been incredibly helpful in organizing the team and moving ahead. They have really good resources … that have money that could be used for this kind of thing.

"This is really their first big project out of the chute," he said, continuing. "So, they have a lot of interest in making sure that this is completed … that they can be an effective partner in developing things like this."

Also in Burke's supportive camp are the American Land Conservancy, a non-profit created for land acquisition and preservation, and the Lassen Land and Trails Trust, also a non-profit that acquires lands and trails for public use.

"This partnership is really neat because the American Land Conservancy is primarily interested in preserving the corridor as a recreation resource, where the counties' primary interest is economic development," Burke said. "And, because of this rail banking law we can work together to try and achieve the best benefit for everybody."

Obituaries:

Elnora A. Burrows

Elnora A. Burrows, 91, long-time resident of Modoc and Plumas Counties, passed away peacefully with her family by her side in Dixie Regional Medical Center, St. George, Utah on Monday, January 15, 2007.

Mrs. Burrows was born in Gutherie, Oklahoma, July 2, 1915, to James H. Fox and Arnetta M. (Kelly) Fox. Elnora met James T. Burrows in Westwood, CA. The two were married in 1937. In 1940, they relocated to Keddie, CA, where they were both employed by Western Pacific Railroad. They lived in Keddie for several years while raising their two children. During her time in Keddie, Elnora served as a reporter for Mile Post Magazine and wrote many articles for the Feather River Bulletin.

In 1966, Elnora began her career with t he Forest Service in the Supervisors Office on the Plumas National Forest. In 1972, she transferred to the Modoc National Forest, Warner Mountain Ranger District, where she later retired.

Elnora was an avid gardener who was known for the beautiful gardens she created. She enjoyed music, poetry and art. Elnora loved and respected nature. She spent many hours watching an listening to birds and wildlife. Prior to her passing she said of living in Modoc and Plumas County, "I lived in the most beautiful places in the world; so beautiful that the creator speaks to you, if you take the time to listen."

Elnora is survived by her two children, James B. Burrows and wife Barbara, Alturas, CA; Cathe R. Smith and husband Lynn, Lake City, CA; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, her cousin and caregiver Eva Tanner of St. George, Utah. She was preceded in death by her husband James T. (Jamie) Burrows in 1969, brother James B. Fox in 1937, grandson James Michael Schmid in 1968 and parents, James H. Fox in 1966 and Arnetta M. Fox in 1984.

A private memorial service was held in St. George, Utah, Thursday, January 17, 2007. A private interment will be held at Cromberg Cemetery, Cromberg, CA in the spring. Memorial contributions may be made to the Modoc National Forest Employee Association, att: Delonna Flournoy.

Arrangements and cremation were under direction of Metcalf Mortuary, St. George, Utah.

Kelly Blair

Kelly Blair was born April 22, 1957, the son of Woody and Joan Blair. He was taken from us on Mach 4, 2007. Before moving to Alturas in 1964, his early years were spent with his parents in his birthplace, Tehachapi, later in Paso Robles and Long Beach. He graduated from Modoc Union High School in 1975 and after a long courtship, married the love of his life, Candy Sears, in 1987. Kelly was a loving husband and his family was always uppermost in his feelings. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He loved the outdoors and could be regularly found camping, or gardening or in remote areas, hunting arrowheads.

His father, Woody Blair preceded him in death in 1989. Kelly is survived by his wife, Candy; his mother Joan Blair, now Joan Radkey of Alturas. Also, his brothers, Steve, of Alturas and Don, along with his sister-in-law Charline of Davis Creek; two step-brothers, Woodie D. Blair of Reno; Ronnie Blair of Washington state and step-sister Elaine Blair of Klamath Falls, OR; sister-in-law Cindy Upton and her daughter Rachelle of Alturas.

His nephews and nieces include: Stephanie and husband Dustin Hill and their son Kaleb, of Alturas; Jesse and wife Karlie Blair and their son Hayden of Alturas; Chet and wife Holly and children Ty and Morgan of Washington state; Scott and wife Katie and children, Robin and Dean of Arizona; Clint Baldwin and wife Stephanie and children Kyle and Chance, of Idaho; Roland Baldwin and wife Michelle and daughter, Chelsea of Susanville. Kelly Blair will be greatly missed by his wife, his family and all who knew him.

On Wednesday, March 7, Pastor Rod Bodmer conducted Memorial services at 2 p.m. A gathering followed at the home of Jesse and Karlie Blair. Arrangements under the direction of Kerr Mortuary.

Arthur Popejoy

Services for Arthur Popejoy are pending, with arrangements being made through Kerr Mortuary of Alturas. Mr. Popejoy passed away at his Alturas home on Wednesday morning, March 7, 2007. His mother, Stella Forrest resides in Alturas. Please call the Kerr Mortuary recorded message for updated service announcements at 530-233-5797.

Paul Delee Reece

Former Alturas business owner Paul Delee Reece, 89, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2007, in Lawton, Oklahoma, where he had been living. He was born in Glen Rose, Texas, to Maxwell James and Velma Odessa Lewallen Reece on September 8, 1917. He served with the U.S. Army in World War II, during the liberation of the Philippines.

He had been a cattle rancher and also had managed a ranch in Cedarville upon his arrival in Modoc County, over 30 years ago. He later moved to Alturas, where he operated his auto repair and body shop for many years, where Pioneer Auto Body is now located. Mr. Reece loved the hunting, fishing and rock hounding in Modoc County. Talented with his big hands, he created intricate and fine settings and jewelry from the rock gems. He was also active in the local lapidary club in Alturas.
He was a past owner of the now gone, Mary's Hotel on West Fourth Street, Alturas where his first wife Iola, ran a rockshop and he operated "Sunshine" Body Shop on the side of the big yellow building. In his 70s, he and Iola divorced. He relocated to Oklahoma, where a host of his relatives still live.

Mr. Reece remarried and continued to take pleasure in creating jewelry into his late 80s. He also loved to grow big vegetable gardens.

He is survived by his first wife, Iola of Alturas, and his second wife Beulah Roberts, whom he married September 10, 1993. He and Beulah shared their lives together the last few years, living in Cement, Oklahoma. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Paula and Don Murphy of Alturas; two daughters-in-law Gayle Harms, Brenham, Texas, and Michelle Reece, Winters, CA; three stepchildren, Ronald Roberts, Cement, OK; Carla Harris, Chickasaw, OK and Susan Wigley, Paul's Valley, OK and Imogene Huber and Inez Lawrence, both of Lawton, OK; 15 grandchildren: Shawn Murphy of Alturas, CA; Sharina and husband Sean Maloney of San Jose, CA; Daniela Deering and husband Jim; Maxwell Reece, Rodette Reece, Luke Reece, Hannah Reece, Aimee Reece, Emily Harris, Kelsey Harris, John Roberts, Jennifer Mink, Stephanie Wigley, Jessica Wigley and Jill Wigley and two great-grandchildren, Christian Deering and Blake Mink.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two sons, Roderick and Jonathan; seven brothers and sisters, Vela Reece Howard, Alidee Hood, Jewell Hood, David "Sonny" Talmadge Reece, Leonard Clay Reece, Roy Dalton "R.D." Reece, and Norman Daniel Reece.

Services were held in Lawton, OK. He was laid to rest near two of his long-time friends in a cemetery outside of Lawton.

Sports

Spring sports gearing up

With spring peeking around the corner, high school baseball, softball, track and golf seasons are gearing up.
Modoc's first baseball game is scheduled March 13 at Lassen for a double-header and at home against Lakeview for a double bill March 17, starting at 12 noon. Lost River comes to town March 20.

Softball is scheduled for a first game March 17 against Lakeview here and Lost River at home March 20.
Shasta Cascade League play will start March 23 at Trinity for softball and baseball.
Modoc track will start with the Hornet Invitational March 31.

Golf begins with a match against Weed, Fall River and Mt Shasta March 15 at Tuscan Ridge Golf Course.
The head coaches for spring sports are: Tim MacDonnell, baseball; Megan Royce, softball; Wendi Lowrey, track; and Harold Montague, golf.

SCL names All-League

Modoc's Catherine Lowry was named MVP for the girls' All League team. Coach Bill Hall was named Coach of the Year.

Sarah Catania and Alysha Northrup, of Modoc were named to the All-League team. Kelly Campagna received an honorable mention.

The rest of the All League team is as follows: Libby Grace, Lindsay Jones, Bella Campbell, Mt. Shasta Bears; Rena Kenessokkhamsene, Weed Cougars; Charmain Mortenson, Tracy Thackeray, Etna Lions; Jessica Neugebauer, Ashley Holscher, Fall River Bulldogs; Honorable Mention, Lisa Senko, Fall River Bulldogs; Macy Fackrell, Maggie Brown, Trinity Wolves; Kristy Bryd, Burney Raiders.

Modoc High School's Dustin Philpott was named to the boys' Shasta Cascade All-League by coaches this week. Keith Montague missed Honorable Mention by one vote.

The Coach of the Year was Danny Hansen of Mt. Shasta and the Most Valuable Player was Jamien Jones of Trinity.

The All-League team is: Andrew Cunningham, Chad Vegler and Peter Lackey, Trinity; Tyler Stoke, Zac Renouf and Zac Taylor, Mt. Shasta; Trevor Eastlick, Etna; Shane Roberston, Fall River, Jeff Williams, Weed. Honorable Mention went to: Mike Pearson, Burney, Marcus Newton, Weed; Patrick Lunney, Mt. Shasta; Jantz Elliot, Weed; ad Adam Brubaker, Fall River.

Spring sign-ups for soccer

The Modoc Youth Soccer League will have spring sign-ups for all youth ages four though 14, March 19 and 20 at the Child and Family Resources office from 5-6 p.m. each night.

The office is the building east of Alturas Elementary School with the flowers painted on the side.
The spring soccer season will run from April 21 through May 12. The season is shorts but gives the players lots of playing and practice time.

Children who are first time players or who is new to the Modoc Youth Soccer League must present a copy of their birth certificate. Registration is free if the child played in the Fall 2006 soccer season or if the parent is a coach. The cost for new players is $15 or $25 for a family of two and $35 for a family of three or more children. There will be a $10 late fee added after March 16.
For more information, contact Marlese at 233-5691.

Youth wrestling tourney this weekend

The Modoc Youth Wrestling tournament will be this Saturday at the Griswold Gym. Coach Shaun Wood expects a dozen schools to attend with about 200 kids ages four through eighth grade.

The under age six group will start wrestling at 9 a.m. and the regular tourney will start at about 10 a.m. Wrestling will continue to about 3:30 p.m.

Last week, Modoc took wrestlers to the Lakeview Middle School Tourney. Ty Hammerness won; with Austin Kresge, Riley Larranaga and Trent McQuarrie taking seconds; and Brandon Thompson and Fernando Alcala taking fourths.

March 15, 2007

News

MJUSD approves possible layoffs of teachers

Last Thursday, the Modoc Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees approved layoff notices for several teaching positions, anticipating a possible loss of Forest Reserve funding.

Board President Fernand Larranaga stressed that the layoff notices had to be in place by March 15 and those affected teachers notified by that time. The Board could reconsider the staff cuts if the forest funding is restored. That funding amounts to some $739,000 per year for the district. In addition some probationary positions will not be re-hired for next year.

Those positions affected by the cuts are the 7th/8th grade computer/reading teacher; one full time teacher at Alturas Elementary School; one full time teacher at the Community Day School; a small school K-8 teacher (Stateline); and four periods of auto shop at the high school.

The District and the Modoc Teachers' Association are at impasse in salary negotiations at this time and mediation is scheduled for March 26. The District had reportedly offered around a four percent wage increase but pulled that off the table, reportedly because of the Forest Reserve funding issue.
Larranaga said he feels the Board had to issue the notices and will be keeping close tabs on what happens with the forest funding. He said if that funding materializes, the Board would have to look at what options would be on the table.

Gene Hess, President of the Modoc Teachers' Association, said the teachers understand the District is undergoing possible budget problems and wants to work with the District for a solution.
He said he couldn't help but wonder if the District is positioning itself at this point in time to affect the mediation hearings.

He said the layoff notices "came as a complete surprise to the teachers" after they were told the district was facing about a $195,000 shortfall, but no layoffs were projected.

Hess said he felt the District was willing "to put the student programs in the red, to keep the District in the black." The state cuts will impact the student programs, he said, by increasing class sizes and limiting the program offerings. The District, Hess said, is still operating with 17 percent in reserves, even though the state only requires four percent.

"The MTA would like to meet with the public in a town hall meeting to explain our position," Hess said. A date, location and time for that meeting will be announced soon, he said.

Forest funding issue looks more positive

Both the Surprise Valley and Modoc Joint Unified School Districts have issued layoff notices to teaching staff this month in anticipation partly of a loss of Secure Rural Schools money.

According to Modoc County Superintendent of Schools Gary Jones, there is some mildly positive news coming out of Washington D.C. that the funding may be approved at least on a one year extension.

"Bob Douglas, President of the National Forest Counties and Schools Coalition has a meeting with Senator Diane Feinstein and came away feeling she was very supportive," Jones said this week. "I feel much better for the '07-'08 year and Bob is more optimistic."

A one-year extension reportedly has been added to the Iraq war supplemental funding bill, but it is not clear whether that will pass in Congress and survive a Presidential veto. Both Feinstein and Senator Barbara Boxer are supportive of the funding measure.

The Secure Rural Schools and Communities Act expires this year, after a six-year run, and the loss of funding to Modoc County Schools and Roads would be about $3.3 million annually. The Act was passed to offset the loss of timber receipts from logging's serious decline and near disappearance from much of the northwest.

The original Forest Receipts Program allocated 25 percent of production receipts from the forests to local counties. Those funds were split evenly between county road and schools. That split with the Secure Rural Counties Act worked out to about $1.3 million to Modoc Schools and the same amount to County Roads. In addition, about $600,000 was allocated annually to the Forest's Resource Advisory Committee for projects.

According to Modoc Resource Analyst Sean Curtis, the initial goal of the Forest Counties Coalition this year was to get the Act extended at least for one more year, giving them time to come up with a permanent replacement and possible funding source. He said he has some hope the funding will be approved for this year.

Douglas predicts thousands of teacher and staff layoffs in rural schools in northern California if the funding is not approved. What's happening in Modoc this week is happening throughout the north state, as possible teacher layoff notices must be issued by March 15.

"It's not too late for Congress to Act," Douglas said. "They can address a domestic emergency faced by rural schools and counties. We're estimating between 12,000 and 16,000 jobs will be lost. Most of those jobs being terminated at the end of June will not be available to school districts and citizens next year."

The annual cost to the Federal government of the Secure Schools Act is $520 million per year."
Jones said all school districts affected by the loss of Act's funding will be severely impacted and he believes Congress is aware of the situation. The issue is now political, but it has real impacts on schools and people.

"We're very optimistic that Congress will recognize the peril faced by rural communities and schools," Douglas has said in an interview with Monica Trauzzi of OnPoint. "We don't think the Congress of the United States wants to walk away from 9.049 million rural kids. It's difficult to find a solution, but we remain confident that if we continue to work with Congress we will find a solution before we have to devastate America's rural schools and communities."

Army soldier killed in Iraq

Sad news hit Modoc County this week with the report that Staff Sgt. Christopher Webb, 28, and two members of his unit were killed March 7, when an explosive device in Iraq hit their vehicle. Webb is the husband of Shalan Webb, who is from Alturas.

Webb met Shalan Harris and they were married in Alturas on June 30, 2000. His wife has been living in Alturas since he was deployed to Iraq in October 2006. His and Shalan's daughter, Mary Verana was born on September 2, 2006 and he was at the birth.

According to a report from the U.S. Department of Defense, SSGT. Webb, Spc. Shawn P. Rankinen, 28, of Independence, Mo., and Spc. Michael D. Rivera, 22, of Brooklyn, N.Y., died when an explosive detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad. All three were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, based in Fort Hood, Texas.

Webb grew up in Winchester, Calif. He joined the Army National Guard at 17 and enlisted in the Army as soon as he turned 18.

Webb has a brother, Coy Bullock, who also is deployed in Iraq.

His services will be in Alturas Saturday. Please see full obituary.

Crabtree appointed as Supervisor

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed Modoc rancher Shorty Crabtree as Supervisor in District Four to replace Ray Anklin who resigned in August 2006.

Crabtree was selected from four people who made application. State Senator David Cox announced the appointment Friday. Crabtree should be seated at the next Supervisors meeting providing the documentation from the Governor's office is received.

Crabtree will serve the remainder of Anklin's term throu

Monday is deadline to enter Home Show

The deadline to enter the very popular Modoc Home Show is March 19, and organizer Brooke Fredrickson says the entries have picked up pace in the past week.

The theme for the show set March 31 at the Griswold Gym is: "Modoc County: The heart of your home improvement needs!" The cost for a booth at the show is $40 and a door prize item worth at least $20 is required.

Thousands of people attend the popular show where local businesses, contractors and craftspeople can show off their wares and skills. The show features everything from building, hardware and tools, landscaping, solar power, interior decorating, new appliances and more.

In addition, the exiting "Kitchen Wars" will pit two-time winners Jayson West and Chris Kanagy against a new, yet unnamed, rival team.

The show has always been open to only Modoc businesses and has filled both the gym and the social hall. Spaces will be assigned on a first come, first served basis, with returning businesses given priority. If the show does not fill up with local businesses, Fredrickson said she may pull others from out-of-county businesses who have expressed an interest.

Obituaries:

Christopher Ralph Webb

Staff Sergeant Christopher Ralph Webb, who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, was killed in action March 7, 2007. SSG Webb was in Baghdad, Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations. SSG Webb was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

SSG Webb was born in Hemet, CA December 16, 1978, and grew up in Winchester, CA. He joined the Army National Guard at 17, as a fire support specialist. Once he turned 18, he enlisted in the Army active duty. After he completed AIT at Fort Sill, OK, he was sent to Camp Casey, South Korea from 1998-1999. When he returned from Korea, he was stationed at Ft. Lewis, WA. In 2000, he met Shalan Harris of Alturas, CA, and they were married June 30, 2001.

In 2003, he was assigned a three-year recruiting duty in Red Bank, NJ. He was named Top Recruiter for the Mid-Atlantic Battalion three consecutive years. He also earned the Gold Recruiter Badge and three sapphires. When his three years of recruiting were finished, he was sent to Ft. Hood, TX. From Ft. Hood he was deployed to Iraq October 30, 2006, but not before seeing the birth of his daughter Mary Verena on September 2, 2006.

SSG Webb or Chris, as he was known to his family and friends, was liked and respected by those who worked with him. He earned many awards while serving in the Army. They include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal (4 times), National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism (Service) Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (2 times), Army Service Ribbon, Basic Marksman Qualifying Badge, and finally the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Combat Action Badge.

Outside of the military Chris enjoyed riding and racing his motorcycle. He also enjoyed playing games on the computer with his friends and his brother. He loved his family and friends and will be missed not only by them, but by all who knew him.

Chris is lovingly survived by his wife Shalan and daughter Mary of Alturas, CA; his mother Teresa Bullock, stepfather Mike Bullock, sister Susan Webb and brother Army SPC Coy Bullock, all of Perris, CA and his father Robert Webb, Jr. and grandmother Pat Webb of Golden Valley, AZ, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. He is also survived by his "furry friends" Max, his Siberian Husky and Tiger, his kitty.

Services for Chris will be held on Saturday, March 17, 2007, at the Modoc High School Shirley Oxley Hall in Alturas, followed by a graveside service with military honors at Alturas Cemetery. Donations in Chris' memory may be made to Fisher House Foundation, 1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 600, Rockville, MD 20852. Fisher House benefits soldiers and their families in times of need.

Dorotha (Miller) Riley

Dorotha "Dot" Mae Riley, 88, passed away March 8, 2007 in Springfield, OR where she had been a resident of Lane County for the past four years. Born on the Weigand Ranch in Lassen County, 2.5 miles west of Adin, CA on October 5, 1918, she lived on the Stonecoal Valley Miller Ranch until age three. Her parents, Phillip and Claraetta (Weigand) Miller, moved to a ranch near Bieber, CA, in 1921. Dorotha lived there with her parents and attended school in Bieber and high school in Adin. In high school she met her future husband Euan Rex Riley. She graduated from Adin High School in 1936 and went on to Western Business School in Sacramento. She was married to Rex on Dec. 25, 1942, in Redding, CA, while he was home on leave from the Army. They lived together in North Carolina while Rex was in the military and then Dorotha returned home when Rex was sent to Dutch Harbor, AK. Rex passed away August 14, 1972. She is survived by her brother Alden Miller of Emmett, ID, two sons, John Patrick Riley of Fort Meyers, FL and Terry Rex Riley of Springfield, OR.; two grandchildren Sean Riley, San Francisco and Phipatrick James Riley of Springfield, OR.

Dorotha was active in the VFW Auxiliary, Cub Scout Den Mother, and a wonderful mother to not only her own children, but to many kids of the neighborhood. Some of her specialties remembered by all were her chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake, decorative birthday cakes and sweet and sour spare ribs. She loved sewing, bird watching, family history and scrap books. She will be missed.
Services will be held in Weaverville, Ca at 2 p.m. on March 15. Memorial contributions may be directed to Disabled Veterans of America.

Ralph Waldo deOng

Retired livestock rancher Ralph Waldo deOng of Lookout, passed away March 11, 2007, at Mayers Memorial Hospital in Fall River Mills, CA. Mr. deOng was born April 28, 1924, in Berkeley, CA. He had lived in Lookout for the past 38 years, with his wife Nancy, who called him a "true cowboy, who rodeo'd most of his life." He also loved fishing. He was 82.

He is survived by his wife Nancy of Lookout and his children. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 16 at the Lookout Cemetery. Arrangements being handled by Kerr Mortuary.

Arthur David Popejoy

In loving memory of Arthur David Popejoy, born in Redding, CA on April 22, 1940, and entered into his final rest on March 7, 2007, at the age of 66, in Alturas, CA.

Mr. Popejoy had called Alturas home since 1950 and graduated with Modoc High School's Class of 1958. He served stateside with the U.S. Army from 1962 until 1964, then returned to Alturas. He later moved to Klamath Falls where he worked for many years at the Hollandary DeHoops Dairy, before returning to Alturas.

Everyone knew Art as a craftsman and a creator of beautiful Indian beadwork. He loved music, dancing and attending Indian PowWows. In his earlier years he enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was a champion horseshoe player and always won. He was a devoted son to his elderly mom, caring for her and her house.

Art loved to play Pinochle and taught his daughter to play Cribbage. He couldn't stand it when she would beat him and stopped playing his mother, after she "skunked" him all the time. He was also an avid bowler and belonged to the Alturas Bowling League. He and generations of his family gathered for a reunion and bowling fest in Klamath not long ago, and had another family reunion planned.

Art never said a bad word about anyone and those who knew him, loved him. He helped anyone who needed him.

One of his greatest joys was walking his daughter down the aisle and when his grandchildren came along, it was the icing on his cake. Daughter "Star" was born in 1968, to Art and his former wife Peggy Spurgeon of Alturas. Art and Peggy's marriage ended in 1977.

Art also raised Darryl and Tammy Godsby as his own, after their father Kurt Godsby was killed in a car accident when they were very young. They are Star's half-brother and half-sister.

Art is survived by his mother, Stella A. Forrest of Alturas; his daughter "Star" Stella and her husband Kelley Mercier of Klamath Falls, OR; his grandchildren Conrad, Kiana, and Cooper; brother Poco E. Forrest; Darryl Godsby and wife Heidi and their daughter Megan of Portland, OR and Tammy Godsby of Las Vegas, NV and many family members and friends. He will forever be remembered and forever missed.

He was preceded in death by his father Romain (1948) and his brother Chester (1963).

He was carried to his place of rest by Conrad, Poco, Louie, Jim, Kelly and Darryl,
with military honors by the Alturas Veterans Group during graveside services conducted by the Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra on Monday morning, March 12 at the Alturas Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be directed to the VFW Post 3327 in Alturas. Kerr Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.

The family gives thanks to the Great Spirit and to everyone for all they have done for Art, both in his life and during his final journey. They are grateful for the thoughtful feelings and support during this time and give special thanks to those who brought food and flowers. When the time comes, we will all meet again.

Dennis E. Ward

Dennis Earl Ward, 48, passed away March 7, 2007, at his mother's home in Alturas, CA. Dennis was born on November 6, 1958, in Alturas, to Homer and Betty Ward. Dennis spent most of his life in and around Alturas where he liked to go camping and fishing. A graduate of Modoc High School, he later worked as a truck driver and enjoyed wood working, tile cutting and laying tile. He also enjoyed getting out into the forest for woodcutting.

Dennis had been ill for many years, yet he continued on with his life. He was a very loving and caring person.

He is survived by his mother, Betty, his daughter Brandy Dawn Ward of Roseburg, OR; two brothers Richard and Kenneth and wife Chris Ward of Tulare, CA; one sister, Lynda and Dan Colesworthy of Conrad, Montana; and his companion of eight years, Terri Canterberry; many nieces and nephews, family and friends.

Dennis was preceded in death by his father, Homer, in April 2006, and his grandparents Alvin and Julia Young.

Services were held at the Kerr Chapel in Alturas at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 10. The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra conducted the service, followed by a gathering at the Church of the Firstborn in Alturas. Interment will be private.

Dennis will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

Services for Roger Rose

Memorial services for Roger D. Rose will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 17 in the Alturas Elks Lodge. Mr. Rose passed away on February 19, 2007, in the Modoc Medical Center in Alturas. He was 78.

Sports

Modoc kids do well at youth tourney

The Modoc Youth Wrestling team fared very well at the Modoc Youth Wrestling tournament held Saturday in Alturas. About 200 wrestlers from throughout the region competed in age groups from under six to eighth grade.

Modoc kids who took first places were: Dillon Valencia, Jordan Royce, Daniel Staton, Case Picotte, Wyatt Larranaga, Tre Larranaga, Gibbons, Alex Valencia (2), Jarrett Royce, Macie Larranaga, Travis Northrup, Patrick Bell, Riley Larranaga, and Tyler Hammerness.

Taking second places for Modoc were: Brandon Hays (2), Tyler Ewing, Drew Culp (2), Wyatt Valena (2), Justin Valena, and Trent McQuarrie.

Modoc kids taking thirds were: Kyle Royce, Zack Bickford, Jarrett Royce, Macie Larranaga, Ben Bevil, Riley Larranaga, Jake Cruse, and Brandon Thomson.

Fourth places went to: Josh Vierria, Jeff Gouveia, Jess Picotte, Marlehna Torres, Paden Smith, Fernando Alcala, Felicia Torres and Austin Kresge.

Spring sports gearing up

The weather has been oddly cooperative in Modoc for high school spring sports to get in some needed practice.

Modoc's baseball team is home against Lakeview for a double bill March 17, starting at 12 noon. Lost River comes to town March 20.

Golf has a match against Weed, Fall River and Mt Shasta March 15 at Tuscan Ridge Golf Course.
The head coaches for spring sports are: Tim MacDonnell, baseball; Megan Royce, softball; Wendi Lowrey, track; and Harold Montague, golf.

Modoc track starts practice in good weather

Modoc's track team found something very odd when it started practice this week - 70-degree weather and sunshine. The Braves' first meet is March 31.

Coach Wendi Lowrey said she has 28 athletes on the team but expects more.

Those athletes who started practice this week are: ReaLea Vikerman, Robert Spedding, Danielle Grier, Jon Crnkovic, Katrina Hurley, Amanda Hess, Danielle Moriarity, Marielle Nardoni, Natalie Hoy, Stacey Main, Cain Madrigal, Spencer Fullerton, Kerin Porter, Kristi Zendejas, Jessie Kresge, Cam Hall, Michel Funk, Chrissy Abbott-Hall, Josh Wood, Rachel Field, Rebecca Field, Rachel Kersbergen, Dustin Philpott, Rachael Bratton, Catherine Lowry, John Lowry, Karissa Fulton and Dee Dee Curley.

Spring sign-ups for soccer

The Modoc Youth Soccer League will have spring sign-ups for all youth ages four though 14, March 19 and 20 at the Child and Family Resources office from 5-6 p.m. each night.

March 22, 2007

News

Modoc Court accept plea in Bradbury case

On Thursday afternoon, Modoc Superior Court Judge Fritz Barclay accepted the plea offer in the murder case of Christopher Bradbury.

Barclay said he agreed with District Attorney Gary Woolverton that there could be insufficient evidence to convict Bradbury of murder. As a part of the plea deal, the murder charge was dropped, and Bradbury pled guilty to an accessory after the fact charge. He was sentenced to two years in state prison, with credit for time served, 322 days plus "good time" of 160 for a total of 482 days.
As an additional condition, Bradbury must identify and testify against the person he said actually killed Betty Lou Parks in 1992.

Bonnie Dukes, the mother of Parks, initially opposed the plea bargain at Thursday’s hearing, but following Woolverton’s argument, withdrew that opposition and supported the plea.

Bradbury, was arrested in May alleging the murder of 14-year-old Betty Lou Parks in 1992 and has been incarcerated in the Modoc County Jail.

Woolverton said an arrest warrant for the person identified by Christopher Bradbury as the killer of Parks would be issued soon.

(See related story below).

Funk survives recusal motion

Former District Attorney Jordan Funk survived a current District Attorney, Defense Attorney motion Monday to disqualify him from representing the Bonnie Dukes family in the Chris Bradbury murder case.

District Attorney Gary Woolverton and Bradbury's defense attorney Tom Gifford had argued Funk has confidential knowledge of the case because he was the initial prosecutor, as well as inside knowledge as part of the "work product" of the DA's office.

Funk argued that nothing the DA stated had any relevance to him representing the Dukes family in opposition to the current plea bargain, which is on the court calendar for sentencing this afternoon at 1 p.m. Funk said the family had a right to legal counsel and all of the information he would be using is available and open to the public. Nothing, he said, was confidential.

Superior Court Judge Fritz Barclay said he agreed that the family had a right to legal representation and failed to see a conflict with Funk acting as their legal counsel in this matter, even though he said the issue was unusual.

Bradbury, who was arrested in May alleging the murder of 14-year-old Betty Lou Parks in 1992, has accepted a plea bargain offered by Woolverton and signed off by Gifford to a plea of accessory after the fact with the stipulation that he identify and testify against who said killed Parks. Bradbury would be sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for time served.

Woolverton said an arrest warrant for the person identified by Christopher Bradbury as the killer of Parks would be issued soon if the plea bargain is approved.

As a condition of his plea, the murder charge against him would be dropped; he would agree to cooperate in the prosecution of the person he identified as the killer in the case.

The plea offer is now under consideration by the court and has been reviewed by the Modoc Probation Department.

Parks disappeared on June 25, 1992, and her remains were found by a hiker at a remote Modoc Estates lot on May 16, 1993. She was buried in November 1993.

While the family of Parks is fighting the plea bargain, Woolverton is confident his office is doing what's right.

Dukes has said she doesn't believe Bradbury's version of what happened to her daughter and said Funk is "standing up for Betty."

Woolverton said he is well within the bounds of his office and believes his action will lead to justice being served in the old murder case.

Once the arrest warrant is issued, Sheriff Mark Gentry said it will be put into the system immediately. The identity of the suspect has not been released by Woolverton.

Brunnemer trial set in September

The murder trial of David Brunnemer has been set for Sept. 10 in Modoc Superior Court, scheduled as a five-day jury trial. That trial date was set at a hearing Tuesday and will be prosecuted by Modoc District Attorney Gary Woolverton.

Brunnemer, of Malin, Or. was bound over for trial setting last October in a case involving the death of an infant in 1979. He has entered a not guilty plea in the case.

Alturas Police Officers arrested Brunnemer, June 10, 2005, alleging murder in the death of infant David Dickson, which occurred November, 1979, in Alturas.

In 1979, it was determined after autopsy to be a possible SIDs death, but the current investigation ruled that out when the new information became available. The cause of death is now determined to be blunt force trauma. The coroner case had originally been handled by the Modoc County Sheriff/Coroner's Office. The baby had been at the Brunnemer's home for childcare, according to Police.

According to Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes, Brunnemer was interviewed in Malin in 2005 and turned himself over to Alturas authorities at the Oregon border.

The testimony of Brunnemer's wife, Debra, is essential in the case.

The Alturas Police Department, Modoc District Attorney's Office and the Klamath County Sheriff's Department handled the current investigation.

Brunnemer's bail was set at $100,000, which he posted and he remains in his position with the Modoc County Road Department in Newell.

Board censures Cantrall over hospital

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 on Tuesday to officially censure Supervisor Patricia Cantrall following an issue involving Modoc Medical Center.

A censure is an official expression of severe criticism and disapproval or condemnation by the Board to one of its members. It does not have any real impact on her capacity as a County Supervisor.
The resolution of censure which was voted in favor by Supervisors Mike Dunn, Dan Macsay and David Bradshaw and opposed by Cantrall, states that Cantrall "has contacted the State Department of Heath Services without the knowledge, consent or authorization of the Board of Supervisors" and that she "misrepresented certain facts" and did so "with reckless disregard of what is in the best interest of Modoc Medical Center or the Citizens of Modoc County."

New Shorty Crabtree, who was sworn into office Tuesday, abstained from the vote.

Cantrall said Tuesday evening that she had received questions and concerns from hospital employees about a volunteer at the hospital working on a mock survey and having access to individual medical and personnel records. She said she called the state to see if that was appropriate and never intended to file a complaint with the state. The County Board disagreed with that statement and Dunn has said it took hours for he and CEO Mike Maxwell to clear up the situation. Dunn said Cantrall had been informed on more than one occasion that the volunteer in question had been cleared to view those records and undertake the mock survey.

The resolution continues, saying: "Cantrall continues to abuse the power of her elected office after numerous attempts by the Board of Supervisors to correct her inappropriate behavior."
A copy of the censure letter was transmitted to the Department of Health Services.

Cantrall, who has always been outspoken, said she does not represent the Board of Supervisors, she represents the people of the county and will continue to do what she feels is in the best interests of the people. If she gets more complaints from hospital employees, she said she would continue to try and find the answers and solve the problems.
The Board would like Cantrall to get those answers from it or from Maxwell or hospital administrator Bruce Porter. Cantrall admits she does not always trust those answers.

Senate moves on Secure Schools, Roads Act

California U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer announced Tuesday that they would support a multi-year proposal to restore funding for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, commonly known as the county payments law.

Last year, California received $69 million from this program. But if the program is not extended, California's counties would receive nothing. Under this proposal, California's counties would receive $283 million from Fiscal Year 2007 – Fiscal Year 2011.

It is expected that the Emergency Supplemental Bill which will be considered by the Appropriations Committee today will include full funding for one year of the Secure Rural Schools program -- $525 million. This represents an addition of $425 million to the $100 million that would otherwise have been available from timber harvest receipts.

The remainder of the proposal is expected to be offered as an amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill on the floor of the Senate.

"California's counties face a devastating cut in federal funding as a result of the expiration of the Secure Rural Schools program," Senator Feinstein said. "This proposal, while not perfect, moves us miles closer to where we should be. It is much better for rural counties in California than earlier proposals.

California's most rural counties depend on this funding – to the tune of $69 million last year. Siskiyou County, for instance, receives $9.58 million a year from this program. Without this fix, Siskiyou would receive nothing. The same holds true for Modoc, Trinity, Shasta, Plumas, Lassen and California's other rural counties.

The federal government has an obligation to these counties, and this proposal takes a major step toward fulfilling that obligation."

Boxer said, "I am pleased that we have reached this agreement today to restore funding for so many schools in rural counties throughout California that are struggling to make ends meet. I want to thank Senator Wyden, Senator Reid, Senator Feinstein, and the rest of my colleagues who have worked tirelessly on this issue to ensure that all children, no matter where they live, are given the opportunity to learn and grow."

Earlier versions of the proposal would have cut California's share in the first year by approximately 13 percent – a total of $9 million.

Based on Senator Feinstein's efforts, the proposal was revised to hold California harmless in the first year. Feinstein also fought to include a provision that requires that counties would receive only gradual reductions in secure rural school funding over the next five years, rather than a sudden, catastrophic loss of funds.

The proposal-which includes approximately $5 billion for rural schools, counties and communities through 2012-is being offered for bipartisan consideration by Senator Feinstein together with Senators Harry Reid, Ron Wyden, Max Baucus, Jeff Bingaman, Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell, and Barbara Boxer.

The Senators' proposal would immediately address the pending budget crisis confronting rural communities by fully funding the county payments program for 2007.

This five-year plan gives counties a predictable stream of funding that allows counties to plan for the future.

That formula is based on the current funding formula and the current acreage of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and eligible Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, along with a mechanism to focus support on those communities in greatest economic need.

Additionally the plan includes five years of full funding for Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), which compensates states for loss of tax revenue from Federal lands in the state. Full funding of PILT would also provide California with an estimated $11 million or more additional dollars annually on top of the $21 million California currently receives from PILT.

About $500 million of the $5 billion package would be paid for with emergency spending in 2007 and offsets identified by the Senate Finance Committee would pay for the following four years.
Over 700 counties in 39 states received funding under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000, which was allowed to expire in September 2006. Despite repeated efforts by the Senators to reauthorize the bill last year, the Congress and Administration could not agree on a funding source for the legislation.

Obituaries:

Wayne Edwin "Mooney" Moore

Longtime Modocer Wayne Edwin "Moonie" Moore passed away Thursday, March 15 at his home in Alturas. Graveside services will be held at the Alturas Cemetery on Saturday, March 24 at 1:00 with a memorial following at the Alturas Elks lodge.

The youngest of seven children, Wayne was born in Roby, Texas on April 3rd 1928 to James and Snow Moore. The family relocated several times before finally settling in Alturas in 1942, where he graduated from Modoc Union High School in 1946.

On April 1,1950, Wayne married Beverly Benner, with whom he shared 53 years of marriage and had six children, twelve grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He worked as an auto mechanic at Carstens Chevrolet for many years before opening Wayne Moore's Automotive in 1973 and retired in 1999.

Wayne was preceded in death by his wife Beverly, son Michael, grandson Tommy Anderson, great-grandson Travis Madden, sister Ernestine and brothers Wayland Moore, and Vinnie Childes. He is survived by his daughters & son-in laws, Debbie & Jack Anderson of Alturas, Diann & Don Nelson of Elk Grove CA, Darlene Panner of Pacific Grove, CA, Donna Hamilton of Pollock Pines, CA, and son & daughter-in-law David & Cheryl Moore of Redding, CA. Grandchildren Amy & Jack Anderson, Toshia, Matthew, Michael and Whitney Nelson, Christopher & Murphy Panner, Rakaye Hamilton, Josh Moore, Courtney Moore, Great grandchildren, Breanna, Britney and Hunter. Sisters Geraldine Elkins, Daphine Caputo, and Waveney Troy,

Papa was an avid outdoorsmen who was never far from his fly rod or his squirrel gun, even when lightning threatened. He enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing, waterskiing, bowling, and life in general. His warm smile and "good advice" will be deeply missed by all who knew him. We love you Papa!

Charles M. 'Charlie' Hughes

Services for lifelong cattle rancher, Charles M. "Charlie" Hughes, 87, will be held at the Alturas Cemetery on Friday, March 23 at 10 a.m. Minister Curtis Barber will conduct the service with military honors by the Alturas Veterans' groups. A potluck luncheon will follow at the Alturas Elks Lodge.
Mr. Hughes was born in Alturas, CA August 26, 1919, and spent all his life in Modoc County, with the exception of leaving during his involvement in the U.S. Army. Charlie served with the 730th Field Artillery Battalion and was a participant during the World War II Normandy Invasion in Northern France. He served his country from May of 1942 until his discharge as a T5 on December 25, 1945.
For some 65 years, he owned and operated a cattle ranch outside Alturas. He loved watching old westerns and was a great storyteller. He loved his daughters and enjoyed spending time with friends and family. He also enjoyed running Cal Pines stables and being with horses. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Mr. Hughes passed away on March 15, 2007 at his home outside Alturas. He was preceded in death by his daughter Harriet C. Crenshaw; sister Amelia Chambers; mother Anna Hughes; father Harry Hughes.

He is survived by his daughter Shirley A. Hughes of Alturas; granddaughter Claire A. Crenshaw, Alturas; son-in-law and daughter-in-law Dave and Patty Crenshaw of Alturas; Dylan Sponseller of Alturas, whom he treated like a granddaughter, Damian English, like a grandson to him and Arminda Yagi of Alturas, like a granddaughter; special friends Pete Carey, Maxine Dockery, Winnie English and Stan Yagi of Alturas.

A memorial scholarship fund has been set up under the names of Charles M. Hughes and Harriet C. Crenshaw at Bank of America. Donations may also be directed to any charity of the donor's choice.
Services are under the direction of Kerr Mortuary.

Services for Franklin 'Bud' Schreiber

Franklin Eugene 'Bud' Schreiber, 75, of Cedarville, CA passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, March 18, 2007, in Redding, CA, while there for his wife Ila's surgery. Services for Mr. Schreiber will be held at the Lake City Cemetery, Lake City, CA on Saturday, March 24 at 4:30 p.m. A gathering will follow at the Lake City Fire Hall. Desert Rose Funeral Chapel in Lakeview, OR. is handling arrangements. Mr. Schreiber's obituary will be published in a future issue.

Sports

Modoc splits with Lakeview

Modoc's Braves won the first game of a double header against Lakeview 15-5, but fell in the second game 12-3. The Braves were rained out Tuesday and have a game at Trinity March 23.

'We just need to be more consistent," said coach Tim MacDonnell. “We can't afford to give up the walks and make the mistakes we made in the second game. We came out hot at the plate in the first game and Jesse Harer did a great job giving us five strong innings on the mound."

Harer allowed five hits. Struck out six, and allowed four walks. Modoc hitters collected 14 hits off Lakeview's Harold Down.

Modoc jumped out to a 5-2 first inning lead and led 9-2 in the second. They added five in the bottom of the third to lead 14-2 and added one in the fifth. Lakeview added three in the top of the fifth.

Trent Schmidt with three-for-four at the plate with two home runs; Michael Gaskey was three-for-four with one homer; John Hughes, Bill Hammerness, and Justin Estes went two-for-three.

Lakeview turned the tables in the second game going up 3-0 in the first and 6-0 in the second. Lakeview led 7-2 in the third and 9-2 in the forth. The Honkers added three in the top of the seventh and Modoc managed one in the fifth for Lakeview's 12-3 win. Lakeview collected 14 hits in the game to Modoc's seven and the Braves committed three errors.
Schmidt got the loss for Modoc, pitching four innings, allowing nine runs, on 10 hits; six walks and he fanned four.

Leading hitters for the Braves were Gaskey gong two-for-three and Hammerness, two-for-four.

Last week the braves lost a pair to a strong Lassen club, 12-0 and 15-5. Lassen jumped up 9-0 after two and 12-0 after three. Harer got the loss for Modoc, going just two inning, allowing two hits, one strike out and three walks. Lassen's Blake Nahlen allowed just one hit and struck out nine.

Modoc actually took an early lead 3-0 in the second game, but Lassen tied it at 3-3 in the second and took a 5-3 lead in the third. Modoc added two in the fourth, but Lassen added four to lead 9-2 and put the game away with a six-run fifth.

Schmidt got the loss for the Braves, allowing five hits, striking out four and walking eight. Modoc collected six hits but eight Braves struck out.

Jesse Cuevas was two-for-three at the plate for Modoc.

Modoc golfers hit well in first outing

The Modoc Gold team played quite well in its first outing of the season March 15 at

Tuscan Ridge Golf Course. They were greeted with a slight breeze, but temperatures in the 80s.

The Braves played five players in the top 10 of the tourney with Jeff Solomon and Dustin Philpott leading the way with scores of 86. Keith Montague shot an 87, Daniel Morgan shot an 87, Josue Madrigal had a 97 and Dustin Oates shot 118.

The individual winner of the event was Scott Lassen of Weed, who shot a solid 80.
Modoc golf team consists of: seniors, Montague, Oates, Philpott, and Clair Crenshaw; juniors, Jeff Barclay Josue Madrigal, and Daniel Morgan; sophomores Sara Jo Montague and Jeff Solomon; and freshman, Justin Lee, Matt Mayes, Dejah Montague, Alex Moreo, Drew Morgan and Danny White.

Modoc kid do well in Tulelake wrestling

Modoc Youth Wrestling team had another good showing at the Tulelake Invitational last weekend. Coach Shaun Wood said the Tulelake tournament featured hundreds of kids.
Taking firsts for Modoc were: Jordan Royce, Trevor Schluter, Wade Schulter, Wyatt Larranaga, Daniel Staton, Tre Larranaga, Christian Givan, Chance Galvin, Dillon Valencia, Alex Valencia, Jarrett Royce, Brandon Hayes, Ty Hammerness, Trent McQuarrie, Riley Larranaga and Travis Northrup.

Coming in second place were: Kyle Royce, Justin Valena, Brandon Hayes, Trent McQuarrie, Fernando Alcala and Wyatt Valena.

Third places went to Tyler Ewing, Ben Bevil, Jake Cruse and Brandon Thompson.
In fourth place were: Tyler Ewing, Josh Vierra, Lane Galvin and Patrick Bell.
The next tourney is the weekend in Burney.

March 29th, 2007

News

Modoc Court accepts plea in Bradbury case

Last Thursday afternoon, Modoc Superior Court Judge Fritz Barclay accepted the plea offer in the murder case of Christopher Bradbury.

Modoc District Attorney Gary Woolverton said an arrest warrant for the person identified by Christopher Bradbury, as the killer of Betty Lou Parks would be issued within a week.

Barclay said he agreed with Woolverton that there could be insufficient evidence to convict Bradbury of murdering Parks in 1992.

There is no physical evidence linking Bradbury to the murder. The case revolved around the testimony of Bradbury's former wife, Kim, and Jeremy McPike. Both of those witnesses contend that Bradbury told them years ago that he was involved in a murder in Alturas.

Barclay said he agreed with Woolverton that Kim Bradbury's testimony could be less than credible. Woolverton also argued that McPike's testimony was inconsistent.

Woolverton had argued that the former wife was angry and he felt that the possibility of a $50,000 reward was also relevant. That reward was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect in the murder of Parks.

As a part of the plea deal, the murder charge was dropped, and Bradbury pled guilty to an accessory after the fact charge. He was sentenced to two years in state prison, with credit for time served, 322 days plus "good time" of 160 for a total of 482 days.

As an additional condition, Bradbury must identify and testify against the person he said actually killed Betty Lou Parks in 1992.

Bonnie Dukes, the mother of Parks, initially opposed the plea bargain at Thursday's hearing, but following Woolverton's argument, withdrew that opposition and supported the plea.

Bradbury's attorney Tom Gifford made his final statement concise, saying there was no physical evidence linking Bradbury to the crime and no eyewitnesses.

"Don't we want justice in this case and to know who killed Betty Lou Parks?" he asked. "Doesn't Mrs. Dukes want justice? Do we want to convict an innocent man of murder? This will bring the perpetrator to trial, and my client will testify against him."

Gifford also emphatically pointed out that by coming forward in this case, Bradbury was putting his life in jeopardy. He asked to insure the court provide instruction to insure protection for Bradbury once he is sent to prison. Gifford said Bradbury has already received threats while in the Modoc County Jail.

Former District Attorney Jordan Funk, who filed the murder charges against Bradbury, the result of a California Department of Justice investigation, was representing the Dukes' family in opposing the plea bargain. While he had argued in the press and in opening comments last Thursday that the plea deal should not be accepted, he changed his mind following the argument of Woolverton.

In his opening argument Funk stated the prosecution had to prove there was insufficient evidence before Woolverton could offer a plea deal to Bradbury. He said he felt the prosecutions' case was stronger because of Bradbury' testimony, not weaker and called Bradbury's sworn statement "laughable and self-serving."

He said Bradbury's wife had also passed a polygraph test and that Bonnie Dukes did not believe Chris Bradbury had passed a polygraph. Bradbury, according to Woolverton and court documents, had passed the polygraph "with flying colors."

In closing, Funk said Dukes believed the court should recuse the Modoc District Attorney and have the Attorney General's office take the case to jury trial. That did not happen.

Woolverton said he believed there was clearly insufficient evidence to convict Bradbury of murder and that the strongest witness, Kim Bradbury had motive to lie.

She may have passed a polygraph, said Woolverton, but that didn't surprise him because she said Bradbury had told her she was involved in a murder in Alturas. "He never told her he killed Betty Lou Parks," said Woolverton. "He told her he was involved and when she had the polygraph she believed that to be true." Woolverton explained that no one knew the details of the case until he talked with Bradbury, who explained to him what happened at the murder scene.

Woolverton said McPike who had been with Bradbury in a group home had two or three different stories as to what Bradbury told him about the murder case. In no case, said Woolverton, had Bradbury said he killed Betty Lou Parks. He was concerned about relying on the 14 year old memory of a teenage boy to get a murder case past the reasonable doubt level.

"This case has holes in it," Woolverton said. He also pointed out that Funk, as DA, had offered Bradbury the same end result, to plead to the accessory after the fact charge. He would have required different preliminary actions, including a DOJ briefing and polygrapher.

Gifford said he could not have permitted his client to go along with Funk's offer.

Woolverton said once he took office in January, he realized that the DA's office had a problem with the case and he wanted to move it forward. It had been stalled since Bradbury was arrested last May.
He made the offer to Gifford that Bradbury talk with him with Gifford present. Bradbury related to Woolverton what he said happened to Betty Lou Parks. Bradbury, Gifford and Woolverton then went to the scene of the murder, where Bradbury took them through what he said had happened.

Woolverton said he was "very impressed' with the statement of Bradbury and believed it then and now. He then had Bradbury take the polygraph, with a polygrapher recommended by Sheriff Mark Gentry. That polygrapher has done over 17,000 polygraphs, Woolverton pointed out. When Bradbury passed the polygraph, Woolverton had him make a sworn statement to a court reporter, under threat of perjury if he ever changed his story. Bradbury also agreed to identify and testify against the person he said killed Parks.

Woolverton said he doesn't excuse Bradbury keeping quiet for all these years. That's why, he will have to accept the accessory after the fact sentence, said Woolverton.

Judge Barclay told the Dukes' family he could not pretend to understand the level of grief and trauma of the loss of their daughter the past 15 years and offered his sympathies.

He also told Bradbury there was no excuse for him keeping quiet all these years contributing to the suffering of the Dukes' family and he considered that an aggravating factor. The fact that Bradbury was under age 18 at the time of the death and that he had no criminal record as an adult worked in his favor.

Bradbury was arrested in May, 2006, alleging the murder of 14-year-old Betty Lou Parks in 1992 and has been incarcerated in the Modoc County Jail since that time.

Five arrested in Chevron burglary

Alturas Police have arrested five people in connection with a burglary March 21 about 11:15 p.m. to the Chevron Station, 12th and Main Street, Alturas. The burglars grabbed more than $6,000 in cash and checks and other merchandize and damage was estimated at $3,019.

According to Chief of Police Ken Barnes, the case remains under investigation and may lead to information that will clear other burglaries committed in Alturas in the recent past.

Barnes said that Brian Widby, age 18; Matt Rhodes, age 19; Dustin Conner, age 20; and Karl Greene, age 18; were arrested in the incident. In addition, an employee of Chevron, Rollen "Gabe" Allen, age 27, was arrested after the investigation revealed he was probably involved.

Barnes said the burglars gained entry by breaking through a rear door of the business. They removed four packets of checks and cash but dropped three at the door and removed the DVD security device, which they dropped by a back fence. According to Barnes the alarms started to go off after they entered the beer coolers and they panicked, dropping some of the stolen items. At least $4,139 of the loss was recovered by police. The suspects were arrested Saturday and Monday. They are being charged with criminal conspiracy and burglary.

Home Show set for fun Saturday

Everything's in order for the running of the 4th Annual Modoc Home Show Saturday at the Modoc High School Griswold Gym in Alturas, running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The theme for the show is: "Modoc County: The heart of your home improvement needs!" More than 30 exhibitors will be on hand for this year's show and it promises to be as much fun as the past three, said this year's organizer Brooke Fredrickson.

Local businesses, contractors and craftspeople are on hand to show off their wares and skills. The show features everything from building, hardware and tools, landscaping, solar power, interior decorating, new appliances and more. In past years, people have gotten some really good ideas about what's available from the local community. Some people are very pleasantly surprised with the offerings and skills available here. Each year, thousands of people march through the displays and come up with good ideas and products.

The cooking contest, "Kitchen Wars" will pit two-time winners Jayson West and Chris Kanagy (of Antonio's) against a new team headed by Luvina Albright. That pre-show is set to start at 10 a.m. with cooking competition at 11 a.m. The show will be in the Gym this year,

The show is open to business owners who have an established business in Modoc County consisting of items or services for sale/rent/lease.

Those businesses in the show this year are: Anything You Want; Alturas Chamber of Commerce; Chapman Roofing; Creative Printing; Cygnus Mortgage and Investments, Inc.; Dean Neer Modoc Realty; Ed Staub and Sons; Four Seasons Supply Center; Girl Scout Troop 1491 and 2; Handy Home Service; Heard Plumbing, Inc. and Modoc Drilling; High Desert Online; High Plateau Humane Society; Janie Erkiaga Realty; Likely General Store; Main Street Antiques and Collectibles; Maxwell's Nursery; Modoc County Title Company; Modoc Insurance Services; Modoc Medical Center; Occasions; Outback Barns; Pedrola Metal Craft (Family Footwear); Phillips Appliance; Plumas Bank; Property Connections; Seab's True Value and Electronics; Sturdy Built Structures; United Country Stevenson realty; US Bank; Walt Smith Landscaping and Wild Mustard/North State Homes.

Helping return Sage Grouse to its range

This area is for the birds-sage grouse, specifically-according to California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) biologist, Richard Shinn.

"There's lots of work going on with sage grouse right now," said Shinn, pointing to a map of the Western States. "We're on the edge of the range here in California."

Shinn is presently focused on programs in Modoc and Lassen counties to see a return of sage grouse populations to former levels locally. "Populations have been declining throughout the range," he said. "There are nowhere near as many sage grouse as their used to be."

Biologists track mating activity, which takes place in a location or breeding ground favored by the local grouse population, called a "lek." "If you're a sage grouse, a lek is pretty important in the lifecycle," said Shinn. "That's where all the breeding occurs."

Monitoring activity in a lek is a solid measure of local population viability. Of 46 known, active leks in one local area in the 1940s, that number declined to only 9 in 1977. Now there is now only one, indicating a need for corrective action if the birds are not to be placed on the endangered species list.
Shinn pointed out that it is not in the interest of landholders to see the sage grouse go on the endangered species list. "That would severely restrict the uses that would be available on a piece of ground."

In spite of declines in some areas, most grouse populations are still "doing well," thanks, in part, to local working groups or population management units (PMU) established to deal with declines in vital areas. These groups are comprised of local ranchers and grazing permit owners working in cooperation with state and federal agencies, who are anxious to see the grouse returned to former numbers. "We have very good participation from local ranchers and grazing permitees, who offered us a lot of very good information. They are long-time people in the community," said Shinn. "Those folks out there on the ground don't want to see these birds go away either."

While those groups, or PMUs, iron out programs designed to enhance the habitat for the grouse, which has been steadily declining due to the encroachment of juniper stands into areas that were once sagebrush steppe, they have instigated a program of translocation and augmentation, "simply as a place holder, if you will, trying to keep these birds around."

This program, begun three years ago, calls for bringing sage grouse in from other areas to augment declining local populations. "It was a last minute deal," said Shinn, "and there was some opposition-even within our own agencies. Translocations haven't been real successful in the past in other areas."

Shinn reports, however, that the augmentation program here has been encouragingly successful.
Presently focused on the Devil's Garden/Clear Lake area north and west of Alturas, the program is in its third year. The first year saw the relocation of 10 birds from the Heart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.

Unsure how the relocation would turn out, Shinn was pleased to learn, through careful monitoring, that "the survival was good. A year later, 50 percent of those birds were still alive." He added that at least two hens of those hens were known to nest, a necessary component of the program.
The second year saw 15 birds relocated, boosting the population still further.

This year, Shinn has set a goal of capturing 30 birds for release in the Clear Lake area. About half have already been relocated, with the remainder to be relocated this week. "So, we're going to do 30 birds this year," said Shinn.

The augmentation program is only a stopgap measure designed to maintain populations while conservation measures restore habitat.

Shinn pointed out that a lack of habitat is central to the declining grouse populations. He attributes the loss of that habitat primarily to juniper encroachment. "There's no doubt that juniper is a native tree, and it's always been here-but, not in the density that it is now."

Fire suppression, in Shinn's opinion, is responsible for the dramatic increase in juniper forestation over areas that were traditionally sagebrush steppe, ideal habitat for the grouse. The remedy is juniper removal and reseeding, thus encouraging the sagebrush understory to bring back the desirable habitat as part of sagebrush steppe restoration, thus promoting larger bird populations.

"It takes time for the habitat to respond," Shinn said, explaining the problem. "There is work going on right now."

"There are still some intact areas that have good habitat, good, intact areas of sagebrush. And then there are other areas where the shrubs have just gone away because the juniper canopy is so thick."
"Without a doubt," habitat restoration is key to the survival of the sage grouse, said Shinn. "The only way you're going to have a viable population out there is to have good habitat. Dumping birds out there is not going to do it. All we're simply doing is trying to keep some birds around while we work on habitat."

Things are looking better for the sage grouse in Lassen County. "There are some pretty important leks where there are 60 to 70 birds-just the males-on it. We don't really know the seasonal use, where those birds go at different times of the year, where they winter, the important brood rearing areas."

Capturing, cataloging and putting on transmitters to track and collect data on the birds is vital to understanding habitat formation and use. "We think there is adequate habitat for the birds we are bringing in right now plus the birds that are there," said Shinn. "The timing is right. There is the potential to do some good habitat enhancement and restoration work right now. It just takes time for the vegetation to respond."

Obituaries:

Charles Milton "Snooks" Bishop

C.M. "Snooks" Bishop, born to the Goose Lake ranching family of W.D. "Bill" and Lydia Bishop, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep at his Alturas home on Friday, March 23, 2007. Mr. Bishop was a very active 86-year-old, who had managed Ash Valley Ranch and Lakeshore Ranch among his ventures through the years. He was born October 2, 1920, and was a World War II veteran, serving at Iwo Jima with the U.S. Navy.

Graveside services will be held at the Davis Creek Cemetery at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 14. That same day, a memorial service will follow at 1 p.m. in the garden of Mr. Bishop's Alturas home at 802 Park Street, with a reception to follow. Lynn Schluter can be contacted at 233-3566 or Terri Haralson, 233-5216, if you wish to contribute a food item.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Hospitalized American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America or Outpost I, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Cowboy Heritage, P.O. Box 505, Hines, OR 97738.

Mr. Bishop's obituary will be published in The Modoc Record prior to the April 14 services.

Joseph S. Phillips

Well respected, former Alturas Mayor Joseph S. Phillips passed away March 22, 2007, at the age of 89 in Alturas, CA. Services were held at the Alturas Cemetery on Wednesday, March 28 at 11 a.m. with Don Wilson of the Alturas Elks Lodge, BPOE 1756 conducting the service.

Mr. Phillips, known as "Joe" to his constituents and community, was the second eldest of four children born on January 1, 1918 in Benicia, CA. The family moved to Calistoga when he was young and Joe began developing a strong work ethic from the time he landed his first job at a winery, cleaning vats when he was 12. He and his brother hunted game to keep the family supplied with meat.

At age 16, he took a train to Alturas to work on a dairy farm, owned by Willis Watkins in Davis Creek. Two years later, he landed a job at Davis Creek Mercantile and ended up marrying Surprise Valley-ite Barbara Hapgood in 1938.

Joe had intentions of buying the Davis Creek Mercantile someday, but two months after they were married, Barbara was ready to leave Modoc. The couple moved to Vallejo where Joe went to work as a sheet metal worker and returned to school for four years at Mare Island Naval Training School, while he worked nights and remained on call for active duty, until the war ended. The couple returned to Davis Creek, after the war, and purchased the Davis Creek Mercantile in 1946. When they separated in 1949, they sold the store.

Joe then worked for the state, as a heavy equipment operator, in highway maintenance and construction. He married Burnice Enyard in 1950 in Reno, and accepted a transfer to Madera County as Assistant Highway Supervisor. Not long after, they returned to Alturas and Joe took an early retirement in 1978.

During his retirement, he served as a devoted Alturas City Councilman for two years, when he was unanimously elected as Mayor in 1982. Joe held the respect of the city employees and was known for his dedication to his city council work and for his fairness and understanding in dealing with city employees and the public. As retired mayor, he continued to take an interest in the happenings of the City of Alturas and continued to make his Alturas his home. He was a long-time member of the Alturas Elks Lodge 1756.

He was preceded in death by his wife Burnice.

He is survived by two sons, Terry Phillips of Burney, CA and Ernie Phillips of Alturas, CA; daughter Norma Phillips of Seattle, WA and enjoyed his many grandchildren during his retired years.
Contributions in his memory may be made to any charity of the donor's choosing. Services were under the direction of Kerr Mortuary.

Franklin E. ‘Bud' Schreiber

Franklin Eugene "Bud" Schreiber of Cedarville, born July 14, 1932, in Visalia, CA, died Sunday, March 18, 2007, in Redding, CA, from a massive coronary. He was 75.

Bud was the second child of five born by his mother, Frieda. His father, Albert, died when Bud was only 12 years old and Bud began working to help support his family.

When Bud's brother, Norman, moved to Surprise Valley, Bud helped him make the move. Bud was so impressed with the valley, that he soon followed. His first job was at Bear Ranch but soon the opportunity to work for the State on the road construction for Cedar Pass presented itself and he jumped at the opportunity. His youngest sister, Elaine, moved up shortly after to help out with Bud's three children, Debbie, Gary and Lisa who came to spend the summer with their father. Soon, the whole Schreiber clan was here adding brother, John; sister, Melinda and mother Frieda.

When the construction job was completed, Bud, ever the entrepreneur, became "Bud the Buzzard" and filled a need for local ranchers by hauling the carcasses of dead livestock to the tallow plant in Tulelake for disposal. While this was not glamorous, it paid the bills until Bud took a job as a farmer for Jim Lorenzen where he learned about farming and he soon managed to purchase the Smith farm where he remained for nearly 10 years.

After purchasing the ranch, he wed again on January 10, 1970, this time to Ila Bullen, a marriage that increased his family size considerably. She brought to the marriage, two daughters Lana and Donna and two sons, Dale and Ross. Always willing to learn a new trade, Bud brought the "foam insulation" industry to the valley and then became a painting contractor which he did successfully for many years. He created his dream job by turning an old building at the end of Main Street into a bar for himself and a restaurant for his beloved wife Ila.

Of his many accomplishments, he was involved in developing the ski area. He built the first "state of the art" potato cellar in Modoc County, which stored 50,000 sacks of potatoes and was climate controlled. He was one of the first to bring sprinkler systems to the valley and as a result, the first to achieve four hay cuttings in one season. He organized and built the racetrack at the fairgrounds which brought revenue not only to the fairgrounds, but also to other establishments in Cedarville.

There are many methods of measuring a life. Some people gauge a life by financial wealth and some by great accomplishments, but not Bud. He lived his life to the fullest extent and never let anything hinder him in his endeavors. Like everyone, he had failures and successes, but through many business adventures over his lifetime, he was never afraid to try something new – to take a risk. One of his most wonderful qualities was resourcefulness. He could always figure things out and make something out of nothing.

Bud is survived by his wife Ila, Cedarville; brother John Schreiber, Alturas; his sisters Melinda Kirby of Burney and Elaine Purves of Sparks, NV; and by his children: Debora Leigh Lazarus of Folsom; Gary Schreiber, Hudson, CO; Lisa Chavez, Alturas, CA; Donna Schreiber, Nampa, ID; Dale Bullen, Darvy, MT; Lana Wood, Cedarville; Ross Bullen, Redding; 22 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Donations in honor of Bud, may be made to the Surprise Valley Hospital, Cedarville or Modoc Medical Center, Alturas.

Services were held at the Lake City Cemetery on March 24.

Marjorie J. "Jeannie" Sawdy

Marjorie J. "Jeannie" Sawdy, 50, died unexpectedly Sunday, March 25, 2007, while in Orland visiting her friends and family. Jeannie was born Marjorie Jean Boyles on June 16, 1956, in Eugene, OR. At an early age her family moved to Orland, where she attended local schools and was a member of the OHS Class of 1974. In November 1972, she met Daryl Sawdy just a few weeks after his return home from active duty service in the US Marine Corps. They fell in love immediately and married four months later on April 20, 1973 in Reno, NV. She and Daryl raised their family in Orland until moving to Ontario, CA, so Daryl could pursue his career in funeral service. Two years later they moved to Phoenix, AZ, where they lived until the moved to Alturas in June 2005. While living in Orland, Jeannie provided in-home childcare, in addition to numerous other jobs. She was a childcare provider for almost 25 years. She and Daryl were foster parents for 3-1/2 to four years, before having children of their own.

Jeannie enjoyed working with people and was a tenderhearted person who loved spending time with her family and close friends. Jeannie was always involved with her children's activities, volunteering as a Cub Scout Den Leader, score keeping at Little League baseball games an as a room mother in her kids' classrooms at school. She and Daryl loved to take the kids camping and trout fishing at Battle Creek and enjoyed watching the kids play sports, as they grew older. After moving to Arizona, in addition to her childcare, Jeannie started to help her husband part-time at the mortuary he was managing in Phoenix. Her role changed to full time office staff and all around "partner" when she and Daryl moved to Alturas to manage Kerr Mortuary. Jeannie was an avid reader and loved anything about Stephen King and anything to do with Harry Potter. A devout moviegoer, Jeannie loved going to the movies with anyone she could drag along. She had her favorite seat at the Niles Theater and was proud that she had "sponsored" some of the new seats that are being installed.

Jeannie was a blessing that Daryl and all others she leaves behind, will truly miss. She is survived by her husband of nearly 34 years, Daryl Sawdy of Alturas; children Alva Stephens and Steven Sawdy of Orland and Amie Sawdy of San Diego, CA; her five grandchildren who she loved more than life itself.

"I can't forget her three kitties, Ruby, Rose and Karl who she actually spoiled more than me, and more friends than you can shake a stick at!" describes her husband.

"While Jeannie and I have only been residents of Modoc County a short time, we have both been humbled by the acceptance we have experienced by the people of this community. I would like to invite those of you who can, to join us and share Jeannie's "Celebration of Life" service that is being held Saturday, March 31 at 1 p.m. at the Kerr Mortuary Chapel."

In lieu of flowers, donations in her name to any Children's Charity, would be greatly appreciated as children were her joy in life.

Sports

Braves open with two league wins

Modoc's boy's baseball team opened the Shasta Cascade League season with a pair of wins at Trinity March 23. They meet Burney at home Friday, 2 p.m.

Modoc won the first game 12-2 with Jesse Harer on the mound. He pitched all six innings, allowed two runs on five hits, struck out a dozen and walked a pair.

"We just did a great job at the plate collecting 15 hits," said coach Tim MacDonnell. "Jesse was dominant on the mound and he never really allowed Trinity to be in the game."

Michael Gaskey, Bill Hammerness, Justin Estes, John Hughes were each two-for-three at the plate and Jesse Cuevas, Trent Schmidt and Liam Iverson were two-for-four. Hammerness had three runs batted in; Estes and Iverson had had two.

The Braves won the nightcap 11-8, coming back with a five-run seventh for the win. Modoc led 1-0 in the first, 2-1 in the third and 4-1 in the fourth. Trinity went up by one with four runs in the fifth, and then added three in the sixth to take an 8-6 lead gong into the final inning.

"This was a huge win for us," said MacDonnell. " Our boys showed tremendous heart and just refused to be beaten. We scored five runs in the seventh, all with two outs. We had a chance to bury them early in the game, but could not put them away. We had some great clutch hitting in the last inning, capped by Estes' bases-loaded double."

The Braves were hot at the plate, collecting 15 more hits. Hammerness and Schmidt went three-for-five, Cuevas was two-for-four, Harer was two-for-five and Hughes was two-for-three. Hammerness had three RBI; Schmidt, Gaskey and Estes, two each.

Estes got the win for Modoc, coming in relief in the bottom of the fifth and going an inning and a third. He allowed no runs on no hits. Schmidt started the game, going five and two-thirds innings. He allowed eight runs on nine hits, fanned five and walked two.

Modoc softball wins beat Wolves

Modoc's varsity softball team beat the Trinity Wolves last Friday 4-3 and 7-3 in Weaverville.
The winning pitcher in the 4-3 game was Megan Thompson, who went seven innings, striking out 17, allowing three hits and walking four.

The game was tied at one in the third and Modoc took a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Both teams scored a pair in the seventh.

Sami Schmidt collected a hit for the Braves, while Natalie Cawthorne scored three runs after getting three walks. Amy Cruse scored the other run.

Emily Conner got the win the 7-3 game, going seven innings allowing seven hits, seven walks and striking out eight.

Modoc jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and added two in the second and one in the seventh. Trinity scored one in the third, one in the fifth and one in the seventh. Amanda Fain was two-for-three and Brynn Juanarena was two-for-four at the plate; Schmidt, Cawthorne, and Sarah Gibbons each had a hit.
Modoc meets Burney at home Friday, with game time set for 2 p.m.

Solomon leads Modoc golfers

Jeff Solomon shot a 76 at Lake Shastina March 22, placing second overall in the tournament to Scott Lassen of Weed, who shot a 74.

The Braves went 8-2 on the day, playing Weed, Etna, Mt. Shasta, Trinity, and Fall River. Modoc is now 18-2 overall, leading the Shasta Cascade League, with Weed at 17-3, Mt. Shasta 13-7, Trinity 7-13, Fall River 3.5-16.5 and Etna 1.5-18.5.

Modoc's Josue Madrigal and Keith Montague each shot 85, Daniel Morgan had an 87, Dustin Philpott an 88 and Dustin Oates fired a 90, his best game as a Modoc golfer.

Youth wrestlers bring medals

Modoc youth wrestling team did well at the Burney Invitational last weekend.

Taking first places were: Alex Valencia (2), Lane Galvin, Jarrett Royce, Tre Larranaga, Dillon Valencia, Chance Galvin, Trevor Schulter, Wade Schulter, Jordan Royce, Wyatt Larranaga, Tyler Hammerness and Ben Bevil.

Coming in with seconds were: Jarrett Royce, Austin Kressy, Wyatt Valena, Trent McQuarrie (2) and Riley Larranaga.

Third places went to: Wyatt Valena, Josh Vierria, Brandon Thompson, Tyler Ewing and Kyle Royce.
Brandon Hays and Josh Vierria took fourth places.

April 5, 2007

News

Modoc Northern takes over Lakeview line

By Anthony Larson

Special to the Record

Railroads are making a comeback in this area, thanks to growing business interests and some aggressive planning and marketing efforts.

The fledgling Modoc Northern Railroad has quietly acquired the track and is now in the process of securing the equipment needed to turn what was a dying industry into a reborn, profitable venture. "We provide a service in transportation, something you can't necessarily hold in your hand," said Don Blansett, president of Modoc Northern, which began operation of the Klamath Falls to Alturas line from Union Pacific in 2005. "But yet, we're a heavy industry unto itself."

The occasion for Blansett's optimism was acquisition of the 55-mile Lakeview to Alturas branch of the former Lake County Railroad in November last year, thus gaining control of the entire 160-mile rail corridor from Lakeview, through Alturas and on to Klamath Falls. "It grew to be a larger enterprise than the county could really efficiently handle on their own," he said of the Lake County line. "So we, in turn, acquired the railroad from the county."

Saying that making the two lines into one "makes a lot of sense," Blansett pointed out that Modoc Northern is now poised to better serve businesses in Siskiyou and Modoc counties in California, as well as Klamath and Lake counties in Oregon, with their connection to Union Pacific in Klamath Falls. "We are, in a lot of ways, the lifeline. If we were not able to bring the product out of Lakeview, it would be very difficult for that community to sustain itself the way it is.

"We feel very good about this property being one that's going to be successful," he said, explaining his vision of the need for railroads in this area. "We are seeing growth up in Lakeview."
Since Lakeview shipping business is the primary source of revenues for the fledgling railroad, Blansett is extremely pleased to now own the entire line. "It's critical for us to keep that intact," he said.

With a strong background in railroading, as well as a love of trains, Blansett seems to be the right person in the right place at the right time to bring a dying enterprise back to life. "I've got family that was in the railroad (business) back East. From the time I was about three years old, I was exposed to it. And so, I grew up always wanting to be on the railroad."

However, Blansett is no wide-eyed optimist when it comes to the realities of the railroading business. "It's been good to me, but it does open your eyes," he said. "I love what I do. Don't get me wrong. But, it's not necessarily all the glamour that you imagine growing up.

"That's why I like my models," said the avid model railroader, laughing as he contrasts models to managing the real thing. "I've got something I can control instead of it controlling me."

Blansett is betting on future growth in the area. "That's what we're after here. We see Alturas as a community that does have some things to offer to try and attract new industry."

He also plans to do the same with other communities along the line, encouraging agricultural and industrial growth. "We are only as strong as the communities that we serve," Blansett said. "What we're seeing is that the industry has shaken down to a point that the ones that are left, we feel confident, will remain.

"What we're trying to do now is show them that with our cost structures, we can get their product into a new market, and maybe they can make a little more money."

None of this is pie in the sky, since Blansett has done this before with the Utah Central Railroad, located in Ogden, Utah, a decaying rail system whose history goes all the way back to the building of the first transcontinental railroad in about 1869. "We started the Utah Central back in 1991," he said. "Our success in Utah was not just in bringing business back to the rail that had been de-marketed, though that was a part of it. Our real success there was in attracting new industry. We have a lot of control in what we're able to do in showing properties along our lines and incentives to get people to come to these towns."

Reversing the same sort of trend in Northeastern California can be done with proper management and promotion, according to Blansett. "What you've got here is 20 years of de-marketing rail business."
Using state sponsored business incentives and underwriting some to the costs to shipping customers, Modoc Northern is poised to turn things around. "In a community like we have here, where we're willing to put switches in and that kind of thing," said Blansett, "it helps encourage business to locate here.

"We had over $50 million in new plants and equipment locate to the Utah Central over a ten year period, beginning in 1995. I think the same thing can happen here," he said, explaining his business plan. "We have an awfully good infrastructure model. An industry can locate in Alturas or Lakeview, and the cost to ship by rail is identical if they were located in Klamath Falls. That right there takes (the cost of) transportation off the table."

Modoc Northern has made a commitment to obtain over $1million in new equipment, as well as improving maintenance to become even more competitive. "Locomotives aren't like an automobile. You just don't get in, start it up and away you go," he said, explaining how one builds a railroad on a budget. If you want to buy a locomotive, and you don't have the $2.8 million in your pocket to go to General Electric to order a brand new one, then the search is on."

Experience dictates that Modoc Northern be well managed. "It's easy to use up infrastructure," said Blansett. "But if you do that, at some point in time you'll pay the price."

Increased freight volume is the key to profitability, and bringing everything up to snuff makes that possible, according to Blansett, who expects to double the present 3,000 cars-per-year volume by 2010. "We try to run a first class property. We don't try to run this thing on a shoestring."

Now "in the market for two more locomotives," Modoc Northern presently employs 15. "Between now and 2010, we see the company going to 35 employees, total," said Blansett. "Alturas is where we will eventually have our engineering department located, and we will have a small operating contingent here.

"It would be nice to have the Alturas community support the railway and support the new industry coming to the community to utilize the rail."

Arrest leads to near death, revival

On Saturday, Modoc Sheriff's Deputy Mike Klassen with assistance from Department of Fish Game Warden Brian Gallaher enforced a restraining and move out order on Ronald Doggett, 35, in Davis Creek, which involved the first use of the new MCSO Tasers.

According to Klassen, when they confronted Doggett he was not cooperative and then turned to run. Klassen, who is certified and will be the instructor in the use of the Tasers, fired the weapon at Doggett.

One of the two prongs hit Doggett, but the other missed. Both have to hit for the Taser to be effective, Klassen said.

At that point, Doggett turned and charged Gallaher, knocking both of them to the ground. According to Klassen, both he and Gallaher fought with Doggett for about 17 minutes before they restrained his legs with his own belt and got him handcuffed.

Klassen said at that point, Doggett went into what is termed "in custody death syndrome." He was not breathing and there was no heartbeat. Klassen said they started CPR immediately and called for Emergency Medical Services. After about five minutes, Klassen said Doggett responded to CPR and started breathing.

He was transported to Modoc Medical Center in Alturas and then flown to Mercy Hospital in Redding. He was subsequently released.

According to Klassen, the Sheriff's Office has had a Taser training unit since December and recently received two Tasers for use. He has not yet trained the other deputies in their use, but should start that in the near future. Only one of the Tasers has been put into service.

Chevron burglars also hit King Wah, Russell's

The arrest of several people in the Chevron burglary last week may have also cleared up two late January burglaries, one to King Wah Restaurant and the other to Russell's Service both on 12th Street.

According to Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes, Brian Widby, age 18, and Matthew Rhodes, age 19, both of Alturas will be charged in those two burglaries as well as the Chevron burglary.

Police arrested five people last week in connection with March 21 Chevron case at 12th and Main Street, Alturas. The burglars grabbed more than $6,000 in cash and checks and other merchandize and damage was estimated at $3,019.

Barnes had said he believed the Chevron investigation would lead to information clearing up the other burglaries.

In addition to Widby and Rhodes, Dustin Conner, age 20; Karl Greene, age 18; and Rollen "Gabe" Allen, age 27, were arrested in the Chevron case. Charges against Conner were reduced this week to possession of stolen property and Greene's charges were changed to criminal conspiracy and vandalism.

Barnes said the burglars gained entry by breaking through a rear door of the Chevron station. They removed four packets of checks and cash but dropped three at the door and removed the DVD security device, which they dropped by a back fence. According to Barnes the alarms started to go off after they entered the beer coolers and they panicked, dropping some of the stolen items. At least $4,139 of the loss was recovered by police.

Hospital debt goes up again

Modoc Medical Center's debt to Modoc County jumped up again at the end of March to $7,724,243.85, an increase of $252,394.

Modoc County Auditor Judi Stevens also said the last of February's actually total was $7,471,849, not the number her office reported as $7,223,025.

At the end of January the debt was $7,513,930. The February drop was $42,081, not the reported $290,905 improvement. That's a major difference from the increase in January of $626,425 from December's $6,887,505.

August's debt had grown $387,234 from July's $5,601,957. That was up from June's $5,355,838.
The debt has increased since September 2005's $4,690,812 by a total of $3,033,431.
The Modoc Record will continue to publish the actual debt at the end of each month.

City building spurred by remodel

The demolition and remodel of the building at 110 W. 12th Street for a future Subway Restaurant perked up the city's total building permit value to $142,369, although only six building permits were issued.

The City issued six February permits worth an estimated $73,860, compared to January when the city issued 10 permits with a value of only $9,896.

In December, the City of Alturas issued 11 building permits, valued at $325,961.72. One remodeling permit was valued at $198,158.

The Modoc County Building Department issued just nine permits in March, worth an estimated $268,786. The installation of two manufactured homes made up nearly $170,000 of the estimated value.

The county issued 17 building permits in February, valued at an estimated $411,009, with half of that coming in the installation of three manufactured homes. The month before, the county issued 16 building permits worth an estimated $536,656.

City building spurred by remodel

The City issued six February permits worth an estimated $73,860, compared to January when the city issued 10 permits with a value of only $9,896.

In December, the City of Alturas issued 11 building permits, valued at $325,961.72. One remodeling permit was valued at $198,158.

The Modoc County Building Department issued just nine permits in March, worth an estimated $268,786. The installation of two manufactured homes made up nearly $170,000 of the estimated value.

Obituaries:

Erma Hickerson

Erma Hickerson died unexpectedly Saturday, March 31, 2007, in Reno, Nevada, after a fall in her Alturas home. Erma McTimmonds was born April 27, 1922, in Susanville, CA. She and her family lived on the Smoke Creek Desert in Nevada, where her father was a government trapper. When they were children, Erma, her sister Myrnie, and brother, Guy, attended a one-room school house in Flanigan, Nevada. Erma spoke fondly of living in the desert where they made pets of the orphaned animals her father brought home including a pet raccoon. The family relocated to Alturas when Erma was in the eighth grade. Erma told great stories about the desert kids who were faced with attending school in "town" and of the boys in the eighth grade class who dipped her red-haired braid in the ink well on the first day of school.

Erma graduated from Modoc Union High School in the first graduating class in the present high school building and continued her education by attending Chico Normal School, which today is called California State University, Chico.

Erma returned home to marry Charles, "Chuck" Hickerson on July 8, 1944. Two children were born to them, Barry Hickerson, now a retired surveyor, of Fernley, Nevada, and Bonnie Slinkard, who is a teacher in Alturas.

During their early- married years, Erma enjoyed traveling with her husband, Chuck, where his dance band performed at dance halls around the north state.

Erma was employed with the United States Postal Service for 36 years. She was a "fixture" at the postal window where she enjoyed greeting her Alturas customers, until she retired in 1979. She also helped Chuck establish his business, Hickerson's Town and Country variety store on Main Street in Alturas (the location of Phillip's Appliance today).

Erma was very active in community organizations especially as a lifetime member of The Native Daughters of the Golden West and Order of Eastern Star. She enjoyed dressing in her formal and was especially good at memorizing long passages of material to present at installations of officers. Erma was an excellent public speaker who often spoke at memorial services for friends and family.

For several years Erma volunteered as a kitchen helper at the Modoc Senior Citizens facility. After she was no longer able to do the volunteer work there, she enjoyed having lunch and visiting with her many friends. To her family Erma was known as a card shark! She played hours of Cribbage and Pinochle with family and friends. Erma and her little dog Oddie would often be seen on Saturday mornings at garage sales. She collected glass baskets from her travels and Fostoria glassware. After Erma retired, she enjoyed traveling throughout the United States on the Senior Citizen bus trips and with the Shriners Club to Europe, North Africa, Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii.

The Federated Church held a special place in Erma's heart. Even as her health declined in recent years she made the Sunday services a priority. She enjoyed the fellowship after church visiting with friends and with Pastor, Dr. Ben Zandstra. Erma is survived by her son Barry and his wife Valerie Hickerson of Fernley, Nevada, her daughter Bonnie and her husband Don Slinkard of Alturas; granddaughters Tera Hickerson of Portland, OR, Kerry Aude and her husband Chuck also of Portland, and her grandson Bryan Slinkard and his wife, Jenny, of Chico. Other surviving relatives include her sister-in-law Pat McTimmonds of Whitmore, CA; nieces Michelle Anderson and her family of Alturas and Jackie Turpin and family of Alturas; nephews Mickey Baldwin and his family of Alturas, Dan McTimmonds of Redding, Tim McTimmonds and his family of Portland, OR, and Kip Lybarger and his family of Alturas. She was predeceased by her husband Chuck Hickerson, mother Dorothy McTimmonds, her sister Myrnie Baldwin of Alturas and her brother Guy McTimmonds of Whitmore, California and her nephew Gary Lybarger of Alturas.

Family services were held graveside at the Alturas Cemetery on Wednesday morning, April 4 and a memorial service was held on that afternoon at the Federated Church. The family requests that donations be made to The Federated Church or The Modoc County Senior Citizens.

C.M. 'Snooks' Bishop

Charles Milton Bishop, better known as "Snooks"by his many friends and family, and a life-long resident of Modoc County, passed away unexpectedly at his Alturas, CA home, early Friday morning, March 23, 2007 at the age of 86.

Snooks, remembered for his wonderful sense of humor and his incredible ability to tell his favorite stories, will be remembered for his impressive contribution to cowboy history in Modoc County. He was so proud of his "honorable" cowboy profession and influenced numerous lives throughout the course of his life. As he would say, "I was a Cowboy and a good one."

Snooks was born in the home of his grandparents, Frank and Vida Wilson in Lakeview, OR on October 2, 1920. The home is listed as a historical landmark in Lake County, OR and still stands today. He was the youngest of three sons born to William and Lydia (Wilson) Bishop of Willow Ranch, CA. He attended Willow Ranch Elementary and New Pine Creek High School where he established friendships that he maintained until the time of his death. He graduated valedictorian of his class and went on to complete one year of college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA, when he made the decision to return to Willow Ranch to assist his father on the family ranch.

At age 19, with the assistance of his father William, he and his brother Ray purchased the first of two ranches, the "Reese Place" near Willow Ranch, CA. Snooks managed the cattle and Ray managed the farming. It was the beginning of a ranching career that would span nearly 60 years. That career was interrupted when Snooks felt compelled to join the U.S. Navy for service in WWII. He was an Aviation Cadet, V-5, U.S. Naval Reserve in Seattle, WA until he was medically discharged in December 1942 due to visual problems. He entered into active duty January 21, 1944. In June of 1944 he successfully completed Naval Training School (Gunner's Mate) in Farragut, ID. He served on a South Pacific transport, the U.S.S. Dickens APA-151 as Gunner's Mate Third Class. He was several years older than most of the young men on his ship and they looked to "Clem" for direction. He served at the battle of Iwo Jima and witnessed the raising of the flag on Mt. Suribachi. He met several of the individuals who raised that flag. He was discharged from military service March 12, 1946 after serving 3 1/2 years.

After his military service, he returned to ranching near Davis Creek, CA. On February 23, 1947 he married Kathleen Ann (Kay) Welch (Anklin) in Reno, NV and moved to their Davis Creek ranch. They raised two sons, William and Frank and a daughter, Dixie, from Kay's first marriage to Warren Welch, killed in Iwo Jima in March of 1945. They purchased several other parcels of land and loved ranch life and the home they built in 1955 near Davis Creek.

Snooks was best known for the years he managed several large Northern California cattle ranches. At the age of 40 he was hired by Roger Jessup to be the cow boss on the Lakeshore Ranch near Davis Creek, CA. Over the course of nearly 20 years he managed that ranch for several other owners, including Bill Grace of the Helen Grace Candy Company. At its peak, the 28,000 acre ranch ran up to 4,000 cattle and farmed 3,000 acres. Snooks loved the Lakeshore Ranch, its challenges and was very proud of his accomplishments there.

In 1967 Snooks and Kay sold their ranch property near Davis Creek and purchased two motels in Sacramento, CA. Together they owned and operated the Continental Motel and Dude Motel for nearly 10 years, selling both properties in 1977. During those years Snooks continued to work on the Lakeshore ranch, while Kay managed the motels. Also during those years Snooks and his close friend Eugene "Dusty" Dustman owned the Hard Rock Construction Co., building reservoirs throughout Modoc County.

In the 1980's Snooks was hired by Frank Freitas to run the Ash Valley Ranch near Adin, CA. He managed that ranch a total of 14 years, first for Frank Freitas and finally for Jack Sparrowk. His years at Ash Valley held a special place in his heart. He was a very sentimental man and he was proud to be a part of the restoration of the large wooden frame barn on that ranch.

Before his retirement at the age of 79, he did day work for several area ranchers and lovingly cared for Kay, his wife of 54 years. Kay passed away October 3, 2002 at Modoc Medical Center in Alturas, CA. Her death left a huge void in his life.

That void was filled when he met Debra (Houtsma) Mouw, a young woman from the Midwest who he married on October 18, 2003 in Alturas, CA. Over the course of the next 3 _ years they enjoyed horseback riding, caring for their flower garden, cutting firewood on the Devil's Garden, reminiscing and of course having coffee with their friends at the Wagon Wheel. Snooks often said that if he had his life to live over, he "wouldn't change a thing, 'cause if you change one thing you might change everything."

Snooks was extremely proud of the fact that he owned two horses that were inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, CO. He sold Miss Klamath and her offspring, Miss Red Bluff to Christiansen Brothers in the mid 1950's.

Snooks was also active in several organizations, including the Davis Creek Volunteer
Fire Department, Davis Creek 4-H, Modoc County Farm Bureau and Modoc County Soil Conservation Commission.

He is survived by his wife Debra Bishop of Alturas; brother Ray Bishop of Alturas; son Bill and wife Robin Bishop of Bakersfield, CA; Father and mother-in-law Andrew and Nelvina Mouw of Sibley, IA; son Frank and wife Lee Bishop of Minden, NV; stepdaughter Dixie (Welch) and husband Duane McGarva, Likely, CA; stepson Jeremy and wife Sarah of Sibley, IA; stepdaughter Martie and husband John DeKam of Sioux Falls, SD; grandchildren Mary Amaral, Tracey, CA; Abby Bishop, Berkeley, CA; Billy Bishop of Tehachapi, CA;Alisa and husband Travis Chase of Bakersfield, CA; Brandon and wife Stephanie Bishop of Eureka, CA; Lynne and husband Russell Hereford, Bozeman, MT; Aimee and husband Gary Hendrickson, Chandler, AZ; Scott McGarva, Paradise, CA; step-grandchildren, triplets Caden, Addalai and Dawson DeKam of Sioux Falls, SD; also eight great-grandchildren: Katie and Joey Amaral; Zoey and Sable Bishop; Matt and Anna Heryford, Pete Heryford; Brad and Joshua Hendrickson; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins who live out of the area.

He is preceded in death by his parents, a brother Warren, infant sister and a grandson, Nick Schultz.
Memorial Contributions may be directed to Hospitalized American Veterans, Paralyzed American Veterans, or Outpost I, dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the American Cowboy, P.O. Box 505, Hines, OR. Snooks was recently interviewed for their next publication entitled "The California Cowboy".

Kerr Mortuary in Alturas is handling the arrangements. Graveside services will be held Saturday; April 14 at 11:00 a.m. at the Davis Creek Cemetery. A memorial service will follow at his home at 802 Park Street at 1:00 p.m. with a tri-tip barbecue fellowship following the service. Anyone wishing to contribute food for the fellowship is asked to contact either Lynn Schluter at 233-3566 or Terri Haralson at 233-5216.

Charles 'Chuck' Taylor, Jr.

Charles Arthur Taylor, Jr., better known as "Chuck" passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on March 31, 2007, at his Alturas home. Mr. Taylor was 66 and had very much enjoyed his retirement years living in Modoc County over the past 16 years with his wife Bunny. Mr. Taylor was born in Petaluma, CA on August 3, 1940 and was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

To comply with his wishes, no services will be held. Donations may be made to any charity of the donor's choice. He is survived by his wife Bunny Taylor of Alturas; his son Charles E. Taylor and wife Sharon of Guerneville, CA and their two children Siera and Eddy; daughter Melinda Parmeter and husband Mike of Cazadero, CA and their three children Jenna, Taryn and Coleman; son Daniel A. Taylor of Beckworth, CA and wife Heather, and their children Cody and Chris; brother-in-law William Mackey of Alturas. He was preceded in death by his sister Jean Mackey.

The Record will publish Mr. Taylor's obituary in a future issue.

Henry Donald Silva

Alturas resident Henry Donald Silva passed away March 24, 2007 at the age of 68, at Surprise Valley Hospital in Cedarville, CA. Mr. Silva was diagnosed with lung cancer.

He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 25, 1939. Mr. Silva had retired from work as a long haul truck driver and in construction as a sandblaster. He loved to build things and he loved working on cars, until he was unable to, due to his declining health. He enjoyed videotaping and had created a collection of over 1,000 videos, mostly movies from which he removed the commercial breaks. He and wife Anita were married in old Mexico on October 31, 1972 and have shared 35 years together with their coming anniversary.

He is survived by his wife Anita Silva of Alturas; daughter Shannon and her husband Raymundo Coronado of Newell, CA. Among his many dear and close friends are Greg Jones, Greg and Nancy Atkins and Doris and John Chinn of Alturas and Edith Christen of Winneconne, WI. His parents and other family members predeceased him. Services were private and under the direction of Kerr Mortuary. Memorial donations may be directed to the American Cancer Society.

"Death leaves a heartache that no one can heal; Love leaves a memory no one can steal. We love and miss you."

Sports

Braves split with Burney

Modoc's baseball team split a doublebill with Burney Friday, winning the opener 11-0 and dropping the nightcap, 8-5.

Jesse Harer got the win in the first game, allowing four hits, walking one and fanning six.

"Jesse had another great outing for us, scattering four hits and getting the shut out," said coach Tim MacDonnell. "Our bats started a little slow, but we turned it on in the later innings and finished them off with Bill Hammerness's third home run of the season for the 10-run rule." (Game's over if one team is leading by 10 after five full innings).

Modoc scored three in the second, three in the fifth and five in the sixth. Jesse Cuevas, Justin Estes, Bill Hammerness, Liam Iverson and Trent Schmidt each had a pair of hits.

In the second game, Burney came back from a 4-1 Modoc lead in the third to score three in the fourth, one in the fifth and Modoc tied it at five with a run in the sixth. Burney won the game in the eighth with three runs.

"We looked like a completely different team in the second game, plain and simple," said MacDonnell. " We did not make the routine plays. You can't expect to win when you make six errors. I felt bad for Jesse picking up the loss. He pitched his butt off. He came in with the score tied in the sixth and ended up giving up three unearned runs in the eighth. It's not often you see a guy get a win and a loss in the same day."
Harer came in relief in the last three and got the loss. He allowed five hits, one walk and struck out four. Schmidt was on the mound for the first five, giving up seven hits, five runs, four walks and he struck out three.

Michael Gaskey and Harer each had two hits.

On Saturday, Modoc beat Bonanza 8-4 in Alturas with Gaskey getting the win on the mound. He went five innings, allowed three runs, five hits walked four and fanned five.

Modoc scored one in the first, one in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth and three in the fifth.
Hammerness and Harer each had two hits.

Braves lose pair to Raiders

Modoc's Braves softball team lost a pair of games to the Burney Raiders Friday, 2-0 and 13-0.
In the 2-0 loss, Megan Thompson was on the mound, facing 26 batters, allowing eight hits, two runs, one walk and she struck out seven.

Burney scored one run in the second and added another in the fifth. Modoc had just two hits in the game, one by Amy Cruse and another by Amanda Fain. Modoc hitters struck out 11 times.

In the 13-0 game, Burney jumped out to seven runs in the first inning, added two in the third, three in the fourth and one in the fifth.

Thompson faced 28 batters in that game, giving up 13 hits, walking two and striking out five. Emily Conner faced four batters, and allowed one hit.

Modoc hitters collected just four hits in the game, two by Brynn Juanarena, one by Conner and one by Fain.

Hall breaks girls 1992 shot record

Modoc's Chrissy Hall put the shot 33-8 Saturday at the Enterprise Hornet Invitational in Redding, breaking the Modoc High School record of 33-3 set by Elizabeth Richert in 1992.

Hall placed third in the event in Enterprise and fourth in the discus.

Modoc Track Coach Wendi Lowrey said the Enterprise officials did not send her the official times, but she was very pleased with the performances of her track team at the huge meet.

She said Cain Madrigal had a personal best in the 1600 meters and Mikele Funk is running some amazing times this early in the year, in distance, 800 and relay.

She said Josh Wood did well in the shot and hurdles, Cam Hall in the hurdles, Robert Spedding in the triple jump, Natalie Hoy in the long jump, Catherine Lowry in the 400 and relay, Rachel Field and Amanda Hess in the throwing events and Marielle Nardoni and Danielle Moriarity in the distance events.

"I am looking at several kids going to large schools this year in May," said Lowrey.

Braves lead golf teams

Modoc's golf team is holding a 28-2 record this season, staying ahead of Mt. Shasta's 19-11 and Weed's 25-5.

On March 29 at Eagle Point, the Braves shot 225 on the front nine and 228 on the back nine to win the day. Mt. Shasta shot 257 in both, Weed shot 252 on the front and 236 on the back.

Modoc's Jeff Solomon led the way with an 83 for Modoc, while Weed's Scott Lassen beat everyone with a 79. Dustin Philpott shot 90 for sixth and Josue Madrigal shot 91 for seventh. Keith Montague shot 94 for ninth, Daniel Morgan shot 95 for 10th, and Dustin Oates shot 111.

April 12, 2007

News

Snow survey confirms drought conditions

The snow survey completed in late March confirms what most people had suspected -- the drought conditions in Modoc could be severe this year.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, all three survey spots were short on snow and water content. Blue Lake was the most severe, with just 8.2 inches of snow measured March 28, containing just 1.2 inches of water. The average depth of snow is 27.4 inches at this time containing 9.9 inches of water. The snow depth is just 30 percent of average and the water content is 12 percent of average.

The snow survey taken Jan. 30-31 showed the snow level at Blue Lake at 11 inches, just 44 percent of the 63-year average of 25 inches that time of year. The water content was 3.2 inches, just 42 percent of the average of 7.6 inches.

Last April, Blue Lake had 32 inches of snow containing 11 inches of water.

Cedar Pass actually gained some snow since January, with 24 inches containing 6.6 inches of water measured last week. That's 54 percent of average snow (44 inches) and 40 percent (6.6 inches) of average water content.

Cedar Pass had 18 inches of snow in January, just 51 percent of the average of 35 inches and 5.9 inches of water, 55 percent of the 10.7 inch average. Cedar Pass had 30.8 inches of snow last year containing 8.3 inches of water. The annual average for that spot is 35 inches containing 10.7 inches of water.

The snow depth at Adin Mountain was 20 inches March 28, with a water content of six inches. The average for this time is 33.4 inches containing 12.7 inches of water. Adin Pass had about 59 percent of its average snowpack.

Adin Mountain had 55 percent of its average snow depth at 15.4 inches in January containing 4.4 inches of water. That's 53 percent of its average moisture content of 8.3 inches. The average snow depth is 28 inches.

In 2006, Adin Mountain had 43.5 inches of snow, with 15.4 inches of water content. That's 30 percent higher than the normal snow depth of 33.6 inches and 21 percent higher for water content of 12.8 inches.

The snow survey is at 6,200 feet at Adin Mountain, 7,100 feet on Cedar Pass and 6,800 feet at Blue Lake.

City sewer plant cost up, rates too

The Alturas sewer treatment plant upgrade bids came in about $800,000 higher than anticipated, forcing the city to increase the loan amount.

That increase in the loan from $600,000 to $1.6 million was approved at Tuesday night's Alturas City Council meeting. The larger loan will mean a larger increase in the sewer rates, projected at about $6.85 per month to city residential water and sewer users.

According to Project manager Joe Picotte, the funding for the project will be in a $2 million grant and a $1.6 million loan package. He said he recommended increasing the loan amount as the most prudent option to get the project completed.

Picotte said the work on revamping the sewer plant and lift stations should start around the middle of May. The Council will be holding public meetings to discuss the sewer rate increases and the public will have ample opportunity to voice its opinion.

The project will bring the city in compliance with the State Water Quality Control Board who has been threatening major fines if the improvements were not made. The overriding problem has been the amount of pollutants discharged into the Pit River.

According to Picotte, the project includes new trickling filter, new chlorine contract control center, new sludge beds, new operations center and secondary cleaning. It also includes the reconstruction of three lift stations in Alturas, which are old and in need of replacement.

While the new construction will satisfy the state, it will not add any more sewer capacity for the city. That issue will have to be addressed at a later date, said Picotte. The immediate issue was coming back into compliance with the state and making sure the sewer plant was operating in an efficient manner.
Currently, residential monthly rates for sewer in the city are $23.48 and water rates are $29.71. In addition, there is a $1.50 per month charge for mosquito control, making the total bill $54.69 for basic service. If the $6.85 is approved, the bill would go up to $61.54 and that does not include a possible increase in the water rate fee.

In other action Tuesday, the City placed a moratorium on an old ordinance prohibiting tattoo businesses, opening the door for a licensed parlor.

The council also approved the expenditure of Prop.40 Parks and Recreation grant funds of $20,000 for new 4-H livestock wash racks at the Junior Livestock Grounds, and $5,000 for repair to the Alturas tennis courts near Modoc Middle School.

MTA expresses MJU budget cut concerns

The Modoc Teachers Association and the Modoc Joint Unified School District remain at official impasse in wage negotiations and mediation last month did not move the issue forward. Another mediation is scheduled in May.

According to MTA President Gene Hess, the teachers feel that the district "seems to want to balance its projected budget deficit on the backs of certificated staff, cutting programs and impacting students."

He said he feels the teachers have been operating in a fair and open fashion, but the district just doesn't seem to want to move off of its position. The district had offered a raise, but rescinded that after concern for the loss of Forest Service funds in the amount of about $730,000 per year. The district has also issued possible layoff notices to several teachers.

That forest-funding issue remains uncertain, but Senator Barbara Boxer this week said the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Reauthorization Act has been passed as an amendment to the 2007 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill. That bill would provide about $5 billion over the next five years for schools and other projects in rural counties. While Boxer said she's confident the bill will end up being passed this year, it is attached to a bill President Bush has vowed to veto.

The MJUSD has a very healthy reserve, (well above the state's required four percent) and could weather a year without the forest funding, but the board has not yet decided whether to dip into those reserves.

"The Board's message seems to be that dollars are more important than education," said Hess. He said the teachers are vitally concerned about cutting a teaching position at Stateline Elementary School, the only school in the district meeting the state's target API test score of 800 and staff cuts at Alturas Elementary and the Middle School.

At AES, one of the cuts is in a fifth grade teaching position, which Hess said would increase the fifth grade classes to over 30 students each. He also said he sees and impact as a chain reaction down through the kindergarten classes. He feels there could be a loss of class size reduction funding, as well as a loss of improved education because of larger class sizes.

In addition, Hess said the teachers are very concerned about the loss of the computer/reading program at Modoc Middle School.

Hess said there were no layoffs projected for classified staff or adminsitrative staff, only for the teaching staff.

"The general reaction of the teachers is that we've tried to be very helpful," said Hess. "We've agreed to budget cuts of between $50,000 and $70,000 in many areas. The district seems determined to make cuts in staff. We don't think those cuts are necessary or good for students and programs. We understand the issues and declining enrollment and forest funds are major issues.

"Our question why can't we keep everyone in place and use some of the reserve to maintain programs and staff through this year. We're willing to try and preserve people's jobs."

Hess said he feels the teachers are more than willing to come to terms, but teachers just don't have complete trust in the leadership. "We are just not sure everything we're told by the leadership is true," said Hess.

Forest Service Begins Prescribed Burning

The Devil's Garden and Warner Mt. Ranger Districts will begin prescribed burning in the next week. As weather and road conditions permit, fire fighters will use drip torches to ignite vegetation. They will closely monitor the fires to ensure that fire remains in the prescribed areas.

These burn plans are very specific and consider the natural resources in the area, including wildlife, historic sites, human uses and marketable resources. Burning will improve wildlife habitat and reduce hazardous fuels. Prescribed burning has been found to reduce human impacts from wildfires and protect property and valuable resources.

Areas you may see burning in the next weeks include:

Bark Springs area - Hackamore Ecosystem Restoration Project; Henski Reservoir area - Hackamore Ecosystem Restoration Project; Crowder Block area - Devil's Garden Fuels Management Project; Fender Flat area - Fender Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project; Joseph Creek Basin area - Bolan Insect Salvage Sale and Connected Activities.

These prescribed fires are part of ecosystem management plans and are conducted by trained professionals to protect the homes and livelihoods of humans and wildlife.

If you are interested in a career in wildland firefighting, you are invited attend a free training course starting at 5:00 p.m. this evening at Modoc High School. Please contact Randy Scherr at 946-4141 or rscherr@fs.fed.us for more information.

New chairman for Pit River tribe

The Pit River Tribal Council appointed Ross Montgomery as its new chairman at the end of a meeting in Burney April 6. The action came after Tribal Vice-chairperson Maria Orozco-Cue declined the position because of possible conflicts.

Former Tribal Chairperson Jessica Jim was removed from the position after she allegedly took a series of steps to overthrow the Tribal government.

It is uncertain whether Cue will be allowed to retain her vice-chairperson position, but she did back the appointment of Montgomery.

"It seems to me that he is neutral on many issues, and that's what the Tribe needs right now," Cue said. She does hope to retain the vice-chair position, even though the rule has been that the vice-chair effectively resigns if that person refuses the chair position. Cue is the director of public relations for Win River Casino and the Redding Rancheria.

Montgomery said he was humbled and surprised by the appointment and vows to do the very best "for the people." He will issue a more final statement in a few days.

Tribal Administrator Robert Boyce was elated. "I have had to handle many of the duties that would normally be handled by the Chair during this period of conflict," he said. "And, it has been difficult to do both jobs and do them well. We still have many, many things to finish off in order to recover lost ground and to move the Tribe forward. I think Chairman Montgomery will have his feet solidly on the ground in a very short time and I am looking forward to working with him."

Obituaries:

Charles 'Chuck' Taylor, Jr.

Charles Arthur Taylor, Jr., better known as "Chuck," passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on March 31, 2007, at his Alturas home. Mr. Taylor was 66 and had very much enjoyed his retirement years living in Modoc County over the past 16 years with his wife Bunny.

Mr. Taylor was born in Petaluma, CA on August 3, 1940. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1958, as a heavy equipment operator and served in Vietnam, Laos and Asia until his discharge in 1962.
He and Mary Catherine "Bunny" Brown were married November 7, 1959 in Reno, NV and have shared a loving marriage for nearly 48 years.

Mr. Taylor had many skills. After his discharge from the Marine Corps, he worked in construction and truck driving. Then in 1966, he started his cattle ranching career at Twin Valley Ranch in Healdsburg, CA, owned by movie star Fred McMurray. Chuck showed his Angus at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. He then went to Elder Valley Ranch in St. Helena, CA where he raised purebred Galloway cattle and took the first Galloway bull to the Red Bluff Bull Sale in 1969. From there, he worked for R.C. Roberts in Standish, CA and raising purebred Charolais, before the family moved to Lincoln where he managed A and E Shorthorn Ranch. Mr. Taylor went to work overseeing the inmate crews for California Department of Forestry at Black Mountain Conservation Camp in Sonoma County. He also worked as a welder for PG&E for four years before he and his family moved to Cedarville where Chuck managed the Charlie Marx Ranch, an outside operation with commercial cattle.

The family moved to Ateco Brangus Ranch in Hopland, CA where Chuck took Grand Champion, Champion and Reserve Champion with the Brangus Cattle in Red Bluff in 1983. The final ranch move was to Wine Glass B Ranch in Quincy with Bunny. This was also a commercial cattle operation.

Mr. Taylor was a real cowboy and although managing the cattle ranches was a lot of work, he absolutely loved his work. He also showed cattle throughout the state, from north to south and into Klamath Falls, OR.

He and Bunny's dream came true when they were able to retire in Modoc County, a place he and Bunny had visited over the years. He spent what he considered the best days of their lives living in Modoc County, where he loved to hunt deer and waterfowl and fish.

A loving husband, proud and loving father and grandfather, Mr. Taylor loved nothing more than to spend time with his family. He also loved his horses, was an avid fan of the Miami Dolphins football team and a member of the National Rifle Association.

He is survived by his wife Bunny Taylor of Alturas; his son Charles E. Taylor and wife Sharon of Guerneville, CA and their two children Siera and Eddy; daughter Melinda Parmeter and husband Mike of Cazadero, CA and their three children Jenna, Taryn and Coleman; son Daniel A. Taylor of Beckworth, CA and wife Heather, and their children Cody and Chris and daughters Jessica and Melony; brothers-in-law William Mackey of Alturas and Bunny's brother, Edwin Brown, Jr. of San Anselmo, CA. He was preceded in death by his parents Charles Arthur, Sr. and Letha Mae Taylor and sister Jean Mackey.

To comply with his wishes, no services will be held.
Memorial donations may be made to any charity of the donor's choice.

Evelyn Price

Former Alturas resident Evelyn Price of Bangor, CA. went home to be with the Lord on March 24, 2007, while at the Oroville Hospital, Oroville, CA.

Evelyn was born in Enid, Oklahoma on December 27, 1922, to Samuel and Katherine Griffith. She had two brothers and three sisters and was number two. She loved working with her father outside and never really liked the indoor work. She became "Daddy's Little Hank."

She met her husband Connie Price in Durango, CO and they married in 1938. The moved to San Pablo, CA in 1940 and lived there until the death of her husband in 1982. Evelyn and Connie had three sons and a daughter. Evelyn belonged to the Assembly of God Church in San Pablo and was the head of the children's nursery for many years. She was extremely dedicated in most everything she did.

She retired from her job in Concord in 1988 and moved to Alturas to be with her son Tom and daughter-in-law Rhonda, along with grandsons Cole and Eddy and to be a part of the family's Rim Rock Motel. Evelyn watched the office many times for her kids, to allow them to take vacations and travel to sports events.

She was always chatting with the customers, making them feel at home. She became "Grandma" at the Rim Rock. She was also quite the bed maker. She loved to crochet and make baby quilts and large quilts. Her family members each have at least one quilt she made especially for them. Evelyn took a few vacations herself and she went on cruises to Alaska and the Caribbean with her daughter Wilma. She attended Faith Baptist Church with her family and became very close to the church family. Cole and Eddy both enjoyed having a grandma close by and she was able to spend some quality time with them.

She had many good friends whom she played bunko with, among them Lorraine Cantrall, Becky Hendrix, Ruth Westmoreland, Lucille and Warford Green and others.

In 1998, Evelyn moved to be by her son Jerry and they relocated to the hills of Oroville in the town of Bangor, where Evelyn has lived for the past five years, also with son David. She attended Assembly of God in Oroville.

Evelyn is survived by her son Jerry and wife Dannett Price of Bangor, CA; Tom and wife Rhonda Price of Alturas; David Price of Bangor and daughter Wilma Shafer of Bangor, CA; grandchildren Paul Shaffer of the U.S. Army in Germany, Cole Price of Centerton, Arkansas, Samuel Shaffer, Susanville, Eddy Price of Chico, Sheila Hickernell of Missouri; 21 great-grandchildren including David's children Dennis, Adam and Gina Price; Cole's children, Kyler and Quinton Price; Eddy's child Trinity Price; Paul's five children, Samuel's three children, Sheila's seven children and one great-great granddaughter, Dennis' child; Evelyn's brothers Fronz Griffith and Joe Tate and sister Rose Curtis all of Grass Valley.

Graveside services were held at the Rolling hills Cemetery in San Pablo, CA on March 30 at 1 p.m.
Her prayers on earth were for all of her family and friends to meet and know the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. We will all miss our Dear Mother, Grandma and friend but are comforted in knowing and trusting that she is gone here, but present with the Lord and has stepped into that Eternal Life that is promised to all those who have made it their choice. Her memories will still remain. We love you Evelyn.

Veda Liskey

Services for Veda Liskey will be held Saturday, April 14 at 11 a.m. at Eternal Hills Memorial Gardens, 4711 Highway 39 in Klamath Falls, OR.

Veda Sarilda Rose was born on February 24, 1915 in Riverton, Wyoming to Ezra and Cora Rose. When she was three years old the family moved to Napa, Idaho where her father built their first house. Veda's father was a horse trader and a carpenter and at that time the family traveled between Riverton, Wyoming and Unity, Oregon.

Veda was joined by a brother, Kenneth Otis Rose in 1917 and a sister, Vera Pearle Rose in 1918. The family eventually moved to Esculand, CA where they lived in a tent until Veda's father built a two-story home for them in Concord, CA.

Veda received her first harmonica when she was eight years old. This inspired a lifetime of skilled performances for family and friends. The family later moved to Martinez, California where her father made a living as a building contractor. Her parents divorced in November of 1924. Her mother moved them back to Unity, OR to live with Veda's maternal grandparents where she attended grade school.
When Veda was 17 years old she moved to Portland, OR to live with her aunt and uncle to take care of their children and attend Jefferson High School. After graduation she briefly attended Benke-Walker Business School in Portland. She returned to Medical Springs to help her mother on the farm. Veda's father moved the family to the Brush Creek place in Hornbrook, CA where Veda met a handsome young man named Jack David Liskey.

After a short courtship, they were married on March 31, 1936 in Medford, Oregon. The couple lived in the Klamath Basin for many years where Jack worked for his uncles on a turkey ranch in Malin, OR. In 1947 they moved to Poe Valley to work on the cattle ranch.

Veda and Jack raised four sons, Robert Jack Liskey, now of Yreka, CA; William David Liskey of Livermore, CA; James Leroy Liskey of Sublimity, OR and Jerald Louis Liskey of Walla Walla, WA.
In 1952 they moved to Dairy, OR. Then in 1955 Veda and Jack moved to the small community of Cedarville, CA, where they lived and worked for 40 years.

Veda had many occupations through the years from sorting potatoes in the Klamath area to being a Licensed Vocational Nurse at Cedarville Hospital. She received her LVN education at California State University, Chico. This allowed her to open an elder foster care facility in their Cedarville home from 1964 until 1991, which was her last occupation before retirement. When they retired, Veda and Jack enjoyed traveling and visited almost all the 50 states. Jack was a wonderful gardener and Veda would select and arrange their entries of flowers and vegetables for the Modoc County Fair, which they participated in for many years and won many blue ribbons.

After Jack's passing on September 2, 1994, Veda moved to Sublimity, OR where she had her own home on her son James' property until her passing, April 5, 2007. Veda is survived by her four sons and their wives, 13 grand children, 21 great-grandchildren, brother Kenneth Rose of Cedarville, CA; half-sister, Barbara Tonsberg of Angwin, CA and half brothers Richard Rose and Lester Rose. She will be buried next to her husband of 60 years at Eternal Hills Memorial Gardens in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Veda enjoyed the springtime and loved to visit the tulip fields when in bloom. Her poetry was enjoyed by all ages and she was musically involved with the children of First Christian Church in Silverton, OR.

Eternal Hill Memorial Gardens can be reached by phone at 541-884-3668.

Services for C.M. 'Snooks' Bishop

Charles Milton Bishop, better known as "Snooks" by his many friends and family, and a life-long resident of Modoc County, passed away unexpectedly at his Alturas, CA home, early Friday morning, March 23, 2007 at the age of 86.

Graveside services will be held Saturday, April 14 at 11:00 a.m. at the Davis Creek Cemetery. A memorial service will follow at his home at 802 Park Street at 1:00 p.m. with a tri-tip barbecue fellowship following the service.

Mr. Bishop is survived by his wife Debra Bishop of Alturas; brother Ray Bishop of Alturas; son Bill and wife Robin Bishop of Bakersfield, CA; son Frank and wife Lee Bishop of Minden, NV; stepdaughter Dixie (Welch) and husband Duane McGarva, Likely, CA; father-in-law and mother-in-law Andrew and Nelvina Mouw of Sibley, IA; stepson Jeremy and wife Sarah of Sibley, IA; stepdaughter Martie and husband John DeKam of Sioux Falls, SD; grandchildren Mary Amaral, Tracey, CA; Abby Bishop, Berkeley, CA; Billy Bishop of Tehachapi, CA; Alisa and husband Travis Chase of Bakersfield, CA; Brandon and wife Stephanie Bishop of Eureka, CA; Lynne and husband Russell Hereford, Bozeman, MT; Aimee and husband Gary Hendrickson, Chandler, AZ; Scott McGarva, Paradise, CA; step-grandchildren, triplets Caden, Addalai and Dawson DeKam of Sioux Falls, SD; also eight great-grandchildren: Katie and Joey Amaral; Zoey and Sable Bishop; Matt and Anna Heryford, Pete Heryford; Brad and Joshua Hendrickson; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins who live out of the area.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Warren, infant sister and a grandson, Nick Schultz.

Memorial Contributions may be directed to Hospitalized American Veterans, Paralyzed American Veterans, or Outpost I, dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the American Cowboy, P.O. Box 505, Hines, OR. Snooks was recently interviewed for their next publication entitled "The California Cowboy".

Kerr Mortuary in Alturas is handling the arrangements.

Sports

Modoc whips Lost River

Modoc's baseball team beat the Lost River Raiders 17-2 and 16-1 this week and lost to Bonanza 9-8.
Jesse Harer got the first win for the Braves against the Raiders. He pitched two innings and struck out five without allowing a hit. Modoc scored 10 runs in the first inning and went on from there.

Leading hitters for Modoc were Jesse Cuevas 4-4, Trent Schmidt 2-2, Harer 2-2, Bill Hammerness 2-2 and Justin Estes 2-3. Cuevas and Harer each hit a home run.

Michael Gaskey got the win in the second game; going four innings, allowing two hits and struck out 11. Modoc scored eight in the second, four in the third, and four in the fourth.

Modoc picked up 12 hits with Cuevas 3-4, Harer 3-3, Gaskey 2-2 and Hammerness 2-4. Harer had a pair of home runs and Gaskey hit another.

In the loss to Bonanza, Harer got the loss. He pitched two-and-two-thirds innings, allowing one run; one hit, struck out five and walked one. Bonanza tied the game at 2-2 in the second, and Modoc took a 3-2 lead in the fourth. Bonanza jumped out with six runs in the fourth and Modoc added three to trail 8-6. Modoc scored a pair in the seventh and Bonanza scored the winning one.

Leading hitters for the Braves were Harer 2-2 with two home runs; John Hughes 2-3 and Jeremy Anselmi 2-4.

Harer hit six home run in the past five games and got the loss on he mound for he second time without allowing an earned run.

Modoc maintains golf lead

Modoc golfers maintained their Shasta Cascade League lead, going 10-0 in week four, to put their overall record a 38-2, ahead of Weed's 33-7 and Mt. Shasta's 25-15. The other schools are well back.

Jeff Solomon continues to pace the Braves, shooting a 79 at Fall River April 5. Daniel Morgan had a very good round of 80, and Keith Montague came in with an 87. Dustin Philpott shot 91, Josue Madrigal had a 94, and Dustin Oates shot 100.

Weed's Scott Lassen continues to lead the league, shooting a 74 at Fall River. Mt. Shasta's Tyler Ames shot 76.

The Brave next match is April 19 at Mt. Shasta Resort.

Wood wins big Reno invite

Modoc's Josh Wood won the big Reno World of Wrestling 200-pound age 15 and under championship last weekend, beating at least 20 wrestlers in his age and weight group from several states.

Alex Valencia took fourth place in the eight and under 67-pound group. Tyler Wood went 2-2 in the 15 and under 145-pound division.

Sheridan Crutcher went 2-2 in the 18-year-old 140-pound division and Miguel Torres went 2-2 in the 200-pound division.

Cain Madrigal was 0-2 in the 18-year-old 130-pound division and Alex Moreo was 0-2 in the 15 and under 75-pound division.

According to Modoc Coach Shaun Wood, there were hundreds of wrestlers from 36 states competing at the event.

Tule post hunter meet set

The Tulelake office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold its Post Hunt Public Hunter meeting April 14, 3 p.m. at the Tulelake Fairgrounds. The meeting will probably last about two hours and the public is invited.

April 19, 2007

News

MJU board leaves Stateline intact

The Modoc Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to leave Stateline Elementary School in New Pine Creek intact with its two teachers and existing programs.

Stateline has been the only school in the District which has met the state's target score of 800 on the API testing, and is recognized as a fine facility.

The board held a work session in New Pine Creek Monday night and heard from a very supportive public.

The district had pointed out that Stateline would run $54,000 in the red for next school year. However, according to MJUSD President Fernand Larranaga, when all three necessary small school budgets (Stateline, South Fork in Likely and Arlington in Canby) are tabulated, the deficit to the district amounts to just $1,137.

Larranaga said the board felt the benefit to education and the students was well worth keeping Stateline in its present state. An anonymous member of the New Pine Creek community gave a $1,137 check to cover the deficit to teacher Patti Carpenter, which she presented to the Board on Tuesday.

Larranaga said the board will be holding a special meeting on Friday morning to address the teacher staffing issues.

The board also assigned current Modoc Middle School/Alturas Elementary School Principal Lane Bates as the Alturas Elementary School Principal and will advertise for a replacement for the principal at Modoc Middle School.

County watermaster services inching forward

The County plan to take over watermaster service in Surprise Valley, North Fork and the big Valley area is moving forward and appears to be gaining momentum, according to Modoc Land Use Analyst Sean Curtis.

The most important item on the agenda right now is collecting enough signatures from water users to take the issue to the Modoc Court for approval. In that vein, here are three meetings set to gather those signatures.

The first meeting will be at Alturas City Hall, April 25, 7 p.m.; followed by a meeting at the Adin Community Hall April 26, 9 a.m. and a meeting at the Surprise Valley Senior Center April 26, 7 p.m.
According to Curtis, the first part of each meeting will be to collect signatures and the second stage will be a general overview of where the proposal is at the state and local levels and what it means to water users.

The county embarked on this issue because the cost to water users using the state watermaster service was projected to rise two-a-a-half times the current amount. That rate increase is still on the table, and Curtis said the county will be able to handle the water maters service at the current rates.

What has to happen now is to collect at least the minimum number of user signatures and set a hearing in Modoc Superior Court for a ruling transferring the watermaster services from the State Department of Water Resources to the county.

This project has been in the works for some time with legal work done by the State Farm Bureau. It's been a little slow Curtis said because it's the first time the issues will be heard in a county court. Usually the issue is taken care of by state legislation. The process is not new, but this case marks a new set of hoops to jump through.

"It's important that we get the water users at these meeting so we can collect the necessary signatures to set a hearing as well as explain the situation and the probable results," said Curtis.

Curtis said the state will run the program through this water season with the actual switch to county taking place in the fall after the irrigation season ends. That time frame, he said, would make for a seamless transition and makes more sense.

But the next necessary step, he said, is making sure a hearing is set for the Modoc Courts to address the legal issues involved.

Price of gas in Modoc up to $3.57

The price of regular unleaded gas in Modoc County dropped to $3.43 from $3.57 this week, still well above the national average of $2.87 and the west coast average of $3.19.

The price of regular in Klamath Falls ranged from $3.01 to $3.11; in Reno it went from $3.02 to $3.29; and in Redding it went from $3.19 to $3.44.

Last year at this time the price of regular in Modoc was $2.97.

There could be some relief in gas prices coming in the near future as the Alturas Rancheria is planning a gas station to complement its Casino on County Road 56.

The gas station is still in the preliminary stages and no time line has actually been set for opening, but Casino Manager Sean Normington said it's definitely in the works and he sees prices being lower than current prices in Alturas.

Forest fire on Howard's Gulch

A pair of small forest fires were started in dry vegetation on Howard's Gulch Monday, and on Wednesday crews were in the mop-up stages.

According to Modoc National Forest Dispatcher Joan Chandler, the fires started about 2 p.m. Monday afternoon and the cause remains under investigation. She said the fires are very early in the season, a sign of how dry conditions are in the forest. She said there have been five fires reported on the forest since January, three of those human-caused.

One of this week's fires burned 23 acres and the other burned about an acre. There were five Forest Service engines, three hand crews, and a water tender on the fire with assistance from the California Department of Forestry, Canby Volunteer Fire Department, Alturas Rural Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol.

Obituaries:

Charlie E. Holloway

Long-time Modoc County resident and retired logger, Charlie Eugene Holloway of Alturas, passed away peacefully on the evening of April 17, 2007 at Merle West Medical Center in Klamath Falls, OR. He was 78. Mr. Holloway was the youngest and last surviving of five boys in the Holloway family. He is survived by numerous family members.

His immediate family includes wife Ruth Holloway of Alturas; son Rick Holloway of Alturas; son Kelly Holloway of Alturas, daughter Dixie Rager of Eugene, OR and daughter Nancy Richardson of Alturas. He was predeceased by his youngest son Chuck Holloway.

A time of fellowship and celebration of Charlie's life will take place Saturday, April 21 at 2 p.m. at the Alturas Elks Lodge. Mr. Holloway's obituary will be published at a future date.

Phillip Garbutt

Phillip Garbutt, a long-time resident of Adin, passed away of natural causes at the age of 85 on April 12, 2007, in Fall River, CA. Mr. Garbutt was a devoted member of the Adin Community Bible Church, where he served as an Elder, was substitute pastor and a Sunday School teacher. He was a well-loved pillar of the community.

He was born May 22, 1921, in Princeton, CA and graduated from Princeton High School. He graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry. Mr. Garbutt served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a private from 1944 to 1946. He received his training at the University of Washington and then saw duty primarily in Guam and the South Pacific. He later became a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Big Valley. He and wife Gerry (Mason) were married in Los Angeles, CA on June 24, 1956 and have shared over 50 years of marriage and made their home in Modoc County throughout their marriage.

Mr. Garbutt's professional career as a Forester included 20 years with Shasta Forest Company and Beatty Associates and most recently 12 years with California Department for Forestry and Fire Protection. He was a member of the Christian Loggers Association. Mr. Garbutt loved spending time in the woods. He also enjoyed worldwide travels with his wife Gerry. The two enjoyed several "memory making" cruises to Europe, South East Asia and China. They also traveled to Germany and Australia to visit family.

He is survived by his wife Gerry of Adin; son Charles Joiner and daughter-in-law Judy of Sebastopol, CA; grandson Matt Joiner of Santa Rosa; son Jack Joiner and daughter-in-law Ardell of Durham; granddaughter Ashley Joiner of Grass Valley; brother Lloyd and wife RoseElla Garbutt of Redding; brother Cameron and wife Ione Garbutt of Redding; sister Jane Nagel, Redwood City; sister Dorothy and husband Glenn Hardesty of Texas; numerous nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, April 28 at 2 p.m. at the Adin Community Bible Church in Adin. Pastor Ryan Harper will conduct the service.

Contributions may be directed to the Adin Community Bible Church Memorial Fund. Kerr Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Oral A. 'Sam' Gerig

Oral A. "Sam" Gerig of Bieber passed away April 7, 2007, after a prolonged illness.
Mr. Gerig was born June 8, 1915 and was a lifelong resident and rancher in Bieber, CA.

He was always a proud supporter of the community and had been a bank director for the Shasta County Bank for 20 years. He spent 10 years as a director for the Future Farmers of America and was pleased to have been nominated as an honorary Chapter Farmer. He served as a fire commissioner in Bieber for 15 years, was a founding member of the Lookout Stock Association and a lifetime member of the Bieber Chamber of Commerce.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years Gertrude Jackson Gerig of Bieber; his daughter Vicky Gerig of Bieber; son Robert Gerig of Bieber and daughter-in-law Janell. He leaves good memories with five grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.

All of his family would like to thank the Inter-Mountain chapter of Hospice for their kindness and care that allowed Oral to finish his life in the home where he was born. Interment was at Hillside Cemetery, Nubieber.

Sports

More sports, less body fat

Modoc High School coach and physical education teacher Shaun Wood surmised that the more sports a student participants in would result in lower body fat percentages.

He tested his students who take physical education and weight training this year and put them into four categories by gender: those who played no sports; those who played one sport; those who played two sports; and those who played three sports.

MHS students are required to take just two years of physical education. Wood's students this year had some level of physical education, and for next year, he would like to test the entire MHS student body to see a fully representative picture of the school's body fat index.

"I was actually slightly shocked that my results came out as I predicted," said Wood. "Each gender showed a clear drop in average individual body fat when compared to an increase in the amounts of sports they participated in."

He would like a larger sampling for future studies, especially since girls tend to not take P.E. or weight training after their sophomore year.

"Regardless, it's clear that the students need to get more physical activity," sad Wood. "Kids these days just don't get out and play like they used to. They spend a lot more time in front of a computer or television. They need to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day."

Wood knows that a combination of PE and sports works to keep students in better shape. In addition, he said kids who play sports tend not to snack as much early in the afternoon after school.

For his study, Wood used the Tanita body fat scale to measure the students' individual body fat. He then sorted the information by gender and put them into the four categories. He totaled the individual body fat for each category and divided by the number of students to find the average body fat for each group.

For girls, he found that the body fat index for those who played no sports was 32 percent; those who played one sports dropped to 29 percent; for two sports it dropped to 26 percent and for three sports it stayed at 26 percent. The problem with the two to three sports categories was there were only 11 girls who played two sports and only seven for played three sports so a larger sampling would be more accurate.

The difference for boys who played no sports to those who played three sports was significant. The body fat average for no sports was at 24 percent and it plunged to 13 percent for those boys who played three sports.

For boys who played one sport the body fat percentage was 15 percent and it dropped to 14 percent for two sports.

According to national statistics, obesity in kids is now at epidemic levels in the nation. More and more students are testing in the very high levels of body fat, with one in five kids being overweight, with 15.5 percent of adolescents being obese and 15.3 percent of children ages six to 11 in the same shape.

April 26th, 2007

News

MJUSD opts to bite bullet, keep staff

While the next budget may be tight, the Modoc Joint Unified School District has decided Friday to reinstate teaching positions and bite the bullet for next year.

"Our goal is to do what's best for the students and the programs," said MJUSD Board President Fernand Larranaga. "We'll deal with the negotiations as they come up."

The board decided to reinstate the computer/reading position at Modoc Middle School and the Community Day School position. The fifth grade position at Alturas Elementary School is on the table and a decision on that will be made once enrollment figures are learned, said Larranaga.

Last week, the board agreed to leave New Pine Creel's Stateline School with its two-teacher program, responding to concerns from the community. Larranaga said that a $1,137 donation check presented to the district last week to help the Stateline issue will not be placed into the district's general fund, but will be used at the school for what teachers need or desire.

The district has a very large and healthy reserve fund that can handle the next year and the Secure Rural Schools funding is still being debated in the U.S. Congress. Passage of those funds is expected, although they may come in progressively declining amounts over the next five years. The district receives about $730,000 annually from those funds currently.

The Modoc Teachers Association and the district are now at formal impasse in wage negotiations. A mediation session is scheduled this spring, after an initial session in March did not prove fruitful.
The MJUSD Board is holding a special budget workshop today, 3:45 to 5:30 p.m. at the District Conference Room on Fourth Street in Alturas. The public is invited.

Larranaga said he expects to be able to discuss next year's budget, with the impacts of the new decisions made by the board. He said the board will be able to discuss a variety of cost-cutting options presented by the teachers, staff and the district.

Drought conditions raise concerns among water users

Last year it was too much water; this year it's much too little.

Local water officials lament the lack of water in local reservoirs due to this winter's precipitation shortfall.

"The amount of runoff we received in reservoirs this winter is absolutely dismal," said Willy Hagge, president of the Hot Springs Valley Irrigation District that controls the Big Sage Reservoir.
Unlike past years, things are not looking good, according to Hagge. "This year is totally different. There is no snow pack in the Warner Mountains," he said. "We're sort of in a drought mode. We're going to be relying more on our reservoir because of the weather consequences this year."
"It will be tight," said Steve Clay, the wildlife refuge manager who closely monitors Dorris Reservoir, which is only half full of water. "Realistically, we're looking at it about as high as it's going to get."

"It could be a little tough here, unless we get some good moisture in May," said Jerry Wendland, watermaster for the South Fork Irrigation District, which owns the West Valley Reservoir.
Until the storms last week that added a little moisture, all three of the area's primary reservoirs were at slightly less than half capacity.

"Even though it turned into a pretty good rain, there was no runoff from it," said Hagge of the recent wet weather. "Basically, that rain went into the ground."

"We're just a little over half full," said Wendland, speaking of West Valley Reservoir's present status at 15,800 acre-feet, up slightly from last week's 14,400. Full capacity is 23,000 acre-feet. "This weekend helped a little bit," he said.

Dorris Reservoir stands at about 5,000 acre-feet, a little less than half of its 11,000 acre-feet capacity. "This last little storm that came through has given us a little bit of a shot in the arm," said Clay.
Big Sage Reservoir currently sits at 23,000 acre-feet, according to Hagge, who notes that 21,000 of that is left over from last year's prodigious accumulation. Thus far this season, Big Sage has only garnered about 2,000 acre-feet of additional water, an appallingly small amount.

"When we shut Big Sage down last year, we still had a significant amount of reserve in the reservoir," said Hagge, noting that his district is lucky to have a "large capacity" reservoir. "We feel very fortunate that we've got the water we have. The irrigation district feels that we have an adequate amount of water in storage to service all of our district members."

But, all agree that if this dry weather cycle continues into next season, the results may be dire.
"The big question mark, of course, will be the 2008 year," said Hagge, noting that Big Sage will certainly be heavily drawn down for irrigation this year. "We will need a good runoff next year. But, that's a long way down the road. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

"But for now," he said, "we are optimistic that we're going to be able to meet our irrigation needs this year."

"At this point, I'm a little bit optimistic still," said Clay. "I think the impacts won't be too great this year. But, if we have another bad one next year, then it will be pretty serious."

All three water officials commented on the May storm two years ago that rescued area water users from a shortfall. They hope that history might repeat itself in this case.

"Like we had a couple of years ago, a big, early May storm could make a huge difference," said Clay. "We're not completely out of the window of possibility.

"But, it's not looking very good at this point," he continued. "It would take, I think, a pretty substantial storm to really make a big difference for Dorris. We would need that kind of a big event to make any kind of headway on it."

Wendland also recalled the May water event two years ago, when a wet weather pattern overcame drought conditions in a brief two-week period, filling West Valley Reservoir. He said, "That's what I'm hoping for."

On the other hand, Hagge doesn't expect lightning to strike twice in the same place. "I don't see any kind of big storm showing up to give us any more runoff at this point. I don't see that happening at all. It would take a huge storm to refill the ground and get it saturated. I think it's a little late in the season for that to occur."

Hagge is hoping for more precipitation throughout the season. "Our range country in this area is very dependent on having timely rains show up every couple of months to help keep the grass growing and maintain our ranges.

"We'd like to see what we've seen in the last couple of weeks: little storms coming through that replenish our moisture and keep the grasses growing on our dry land ranges," said Hagge.
Emphasizing the value of area water storage reservoirs, Clay said, "Dorris helps us tremendously. Those folks that don't have a good storage reservoir are just going to be relying on what's flowing down the creeks. I think this summer's going to be kind of rough."

Clay's advice is: "Pray for rain. Even if it comes in a big deluge, we'll suffer the consequences to get that water.

"We've just got to hope for the best,' he said, "do the best we know how and keep praying for rain, I guess."

Modoc jobless rate to 9%

The unemployment rate for Modoc County dropped from February's 10.2 percent to 9.0 percent in March, according to the state Employment Development Department.

According to EDD, the county had a labor force of 3,980 people, with 360 unemployed. Government accounted for 1,380 of those jobs (38 percent), with 1,100 in local government, 200 in federal government and 70 in state government.

In March 2006, the county's unemployment was at 10.4 percent. In January 2007, it stood at 10.4 percent.

Modoc ranked number 44 for highest employment out of the state's 58 counties. Lassen County ranked 47th at 9.7 percent, Siskiyou ranked 48 at 9.8 percent and Shasta ranked 36th at 7.8 percent. The highest unemployment was in Colusa County at 16.2 percent and the lowest in Marin at 3.4 percent. The state's unemployment rate was 5.1 percent and the federal rate was 4.5 percent.

Medical waste issue clarified

Modoc's Environmental Health Officer, Warren Farnum, explained the Medical Waste issue in the county and specifically as it related to an incident recently at Modoc Medical Center.

In that case, MMC refused to accept a diabetic's used insulin needles in the packet the hospital had given her for disposal. She was concerned after a hospital spokesperson said to put the needs in a mayonnaise jar and put it with her regular trash. She didn't feel comfortable with that and ended up taking them to Surprise Valley Hospital, who helped her dispose of the needles.

Farnum said what MMC told her was legal, but he recommends a different disposal method if possible. He explained that the hospital stopped taking in public medical waste when its incinerator was shut down by the state. That meant the hospital had to contract for the medical waste disposal and it was costly.

New legislation in California will outlaw medical waste in landfills, except in an approved manner by Sept. 2008, said Farnum this week.

Currently patients have the options to mail in their used medial waste in the container provided by the drug company, or use a pre-treatment package which disinfects the needles before disposing of them, to send them to the landfills.

He said the mail-in and the pre-treatment packages are sometimes cost- prohibitive for people. He does have a sample of a pretreatment package at his offer,

What he recommends at the moment is that people take their used needles or other waste, put them in either a metal or plastic coffee can, and then fill that can with either plaster or concrete before tossing it into the trash.

Farnum said his concern is for the workers in trash collection and disposal and well as people who could come in contact with the trash. If those needles were in a container that could break or where they could puncture through and prick one of the workers, it causes unnecessary risk.

Obituaries:

Charlie E. Holloway

Long-time Modoc County resident and retired timber faller, Charlie Eugene Holloway of Alturas, passed away peacefully on the evening of April 17, 2007 at Merle West Medical Center in Klamath Falls, OR. He was 78. Mr. Holloway was the youngest and last surviving of five boys born to Lee Roy and Nancy Lula Bell Holloway. Charlie was born on the family's cattle ranch in Groesbeck, Texas on October 13, 1928. When hoof and mouth disease wiped out their cattle, the family moved from the Texas plains to Pie Town, New Mexico, in what Charlie's mother called "the last wagon train out of Texas" with two covered wagons, a car, livestock, chickens and children in tow, making the trek at 18 miles each day when Charlie was six years old in 1934.

The Holloways came to Modoc County's Big Lake logging camp near Ballard Reservoir in the 1940s, where Charlie's father and brothers worked as timber fallers. As a teen, Charlie worked on the railroad that hauled the logs from the mountain to the mill in Canby. Charlie was a timber faller for most of his life and a respected hard worker for many northern California and southern Oregon companies from Greagle, CA to Chiloquin, OR. After he retired at age 68, he drove the Modoc County Record newspaper for the Klamath printing run for the nine years that followed.

Charlie met Ruth Jay when her twin brother Dick introduced them at Modoc Union High School, which they were both attending. They were married in Reno, NV on May 10, 1947 and would have celebrated their 60th anniversary next month. Their first six years of marriage were spent in Canby, which suited the big Holloway family fine. Canby was a vibrant logging and railroad town, with an equal number of bars and churches. Charlie and Ruth moved into Alturas after that.

One of Charlie's great loves was country music, but he also liked swing and was a smooth dancer. He played second base on the "semi-pro" baseball team from Canby against the Alturas Tigers. He was also the second baseman for the very strong Canby Logger's softball team when softball was a big deal in Modoc and games were attended almost like current football games. Charlie coached Little League, Babe Ruth, organized and coached an American Legion team here. His Tierney Ford sponsored Babe Ruth team didn't lose a game for two years. His eldest child Rick played shortstop and pitched. Charlie was respected as a smart, winning and patient coach.

He also had the honor of coaching a softball team that consisted of his three sons, five nephews and only two players who weren't related. He always said those were some of the really fun parts of his life. Charlie was an avid bowler for decades. In 1998, his team won the Oregon Bowling Association Division 5 state championship. He was a sports enthusiast who was almost a walking encyclopedia of baseball, by far his favorite sport.

He was very proud of his family and his family likewise proud of him. He had his five children, but there was seldom a time when one or more of his nephews or nieces were not also at the family dining table. There was always room for one more at Charlie's table and anyone in the family knew the door was always open, often for extended times. If any of the kids, from the Holloway or Jay sides of the family, needed a place to stay, there was always a place for them under Ruth and Charlie's roof. Once his sons-in-law and daughters-in-law married into the family, they became family.

Charlie was a kind, intelligent, caring father, husband, uncle, grandfather, great-grandfather and good friend. He loved his work and worked hard, but also knew how to have fun and relax. His wit and his wonderfully honest smile will be missed. Charlie was a member of the Alturas Elks Lodge 1756, where a host of his family and friends gathered for a memorial service and time of fellowship on April 21.

He is survived by his wife Ruth Holloway of Alturas; son Rick and wife Jane Holloway of Alturas; son Kelly and wife Lori Holloway of Alturas, daughter Dixie Rager and husband Ron of Eugene, OR and daughter Nancy Richardson of Alturas. His grandchildren are Cody Holloway, Jeanne Goodyear and husband

John "J.P.", Barry Rager, Brandee Capaci and husband Mike, Niki Collier, Rochelle Richardson, Tacie Richardson, Sandi Lynch and husband Andrew, Courtney Holloway, D.J. Holloway and wife Katie, Erin Hikes and husband David; great-grandchildren Katelyn Goodyear, Chelsea Rager, Haley Rager, Zoey and Drew Lynch, Madison and Kailee Hikes and numerous nieces and nephews and extended family. He was preceded in death by infant daughter Virginia Lynn, youngest son Chuck, great-grandson Kyle Capaci, brothers Theron, Ralph, Ray and Adrian and nephews Leon and David Holloway.

Madilene Reeves

Madilene Marie Reeves, 82, passed away in Sandpoint, Idaho on Thursday

April 19, 2007. Interment was in Ft. Bidwell, CA Wednesday, where she was buried next to her husband Wilford.

Madilene was born on September 8,1924, to Clifford and Zella (Burgett) Carson in Milfay, Oklahoma. Her early childhood was spent in Oklahoma, sometimes staying in a covered wagon moving from place to place while her father looked for work.

Madilene married Johnnie William Cochran in Reno, Nevada in 1942. They had one son Johnnie Wayne Cochran. After her husband Johnnie was killed in WWII, Madilene moved to California where she married Wilford D. Reeves in Modesto, California in 1946. Madilene had one child, Johnnie and Wilford had three children, Gene, Vivian and Tommy. Together they had a son Leslie. All the children were raised as a family. Madilene and Wilford were married for 48 years.

They spent their married life in and around the Napa Valley, where she worked at Sugar Loaf Park for 25 years. After Wilford retired they moved to Ft. Bidwell, CA in 1975 where they enjoyed fishing, hunting and extended family.

In 1985 Madilene and Wilford moved back to the Napa Valley where she went to work for Tomorrow Mountain Café. She could make the best Hamburgers around.

Madilene enjoyed fishing at Lake Berryessa. She often said she'd rather fish than eat. The couple spent summers in Ft. Bidwell.

Madilene moved to Sandpoint, Idaho in 2005 to be closer to her son John. She resided in The Bridge and later Life Care Center. She loved going for car rides in the mountains looking at the colors and animals.

Madilene is survived by her son Johnnie and (Donna) Cochran, Sand Point, ID and daughter Vivian and (Harold) Crittenden of Los Alamitos, CA; 6 grand children Dale Crittenden and Denise Bajsec of Long Beach, Debbie Crittenden of Cedarville, Charlotte Oakley of Chelsea, OK, Danny Cochran and Melissa Dingler of Napa; nine great-grand children and five great-great grandchildren.

Madilene was the third child of 11 brothers and sisters. Her brothers surviving her are Alvie and (Hattie) Carson, CA; Delbert and (Claudette) Carson, OK; Hugh and (Alice) Carson, CA and her sisters surviving her are Dorothy and (Howard) Metcalf, CA; Charlene Hawkins, Delaware; Mona Graham, OK and Alta Wilson, ID.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands Johnnie and Wilford, an infant daughter, her sons Gene, Tommy, Leslie, a great grand daughter Echo Oakley, a brother Clebert Carson and sisters Lorene O'brian and Marvette Carson.

Family and friends are invited to sign Madilene's online guest book at www.coffeltfuneral.com. Funeral arrangements were under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service, Idaho.

Barry E. Hess

Barry Ernest Hess died unexpectedly at Discovery Bay, CA (near Sacramento) on April 18, 2007, of natural causes. He was 46. Family and friends gathered in Alturas on Sunday, April 22 to celebrate his life.

Barry was born on October 19, 1960 in Alturas, CA. He graduated from Modoc High School in 1978. Barry lived most of his life in Alturas and loved to return home to hike and fish in the Warner Mountains.

He loved to travel and loved the outdoors. His many work-related skills carried him wherever he chose to live and he lived in many beautiful places during his adult life, some of which included at Tahoe, while working as a ski instructor at Granlibakken Resort, Hawaii, Montana and Belize. Barry loved to hunt and fish and was described as an "awesome fly fisherman," and a naturalist by family members.

Barry is survived by his mother and father Marilyn and Ernest Hess of Alturas; brothers Mike and wife Marci Hess of Dallas, Texas and Keith and wife Lesley Hess of Chico, CA; grandmothers Margarie Nelson of Alturas and Minerva Hess of Cedarville; nieces and nephews Tim, 9Danielle, Whitney, Taylor, Nicolas and Alex; uncles and aunts on his father's side include Butch and Sandy Hess of Alturas; Leland and Kathy Ward of Alturas; Carla and Jay Cross of Discovery Bay, CA; Janice and Chuck Bishop of Quincy; Diana Jones of West Jordan, Utah.

Lawrence R. Stanley

Services for former Alturas resident Lawrence Raymond Stanley will be held at the Alturas Seventh Day Adventist Church on Saturday, April 28 at 2:30 p.m. Mr. Stanley passed away March 18, 2007 at Mercy Hospital in Nampa, Idaho. He had fallen and broken his hip and died eight days later. He was 92.

Lawrence was born at home near Hazen, North Dakota on December 1, 1914. He was the youngest of six children born to Levi and Arcelia Stanley.

Just after he graduated from Sheyenne River Seventh Day Adventist Academy in 1937, the family moved to Oregon because of his mother's health. He was an older student because he had stayed home and worked on the farm for some time after eighth grade.

On September 11, 1939, he married Ruth Wilson. They had three children, Loyal, Virginia and Lorrie. Virginia preceded him in death. Ruth and Lawrence divorced in 1962.

He married Letha Oaks in 1964. He retired from employment with Sonoma State Hospital in Sonoma, CA, around 1979. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1988. Letha had several children from a former marriage. The youngest child, Dorinda, considered Lawrence her dad.

He married Fae Crew on June 10, 1990. Fae was a widow with four grown children, Jim Crew of Paradise, CA; Judy McIntosh of Alturas, CA; Joe Crew of Nampa, Idaho; and Lauree Morgan of Arkansas; six grandchildren with two residing in Alturas who are MaryAnn Talbott and Monty Parks and seven great- grandchildren.

From the time they were married in 1990 until 2005, Fae and Lawrence lived on 30 acres on County Road 75 in Alturas and later moved to Modoc Estates, when they were no longer able to take care of a larger place.

They moved from Alturas to Nampa, Idaho in 2005, where they moved next door to Fae's son Joe and lived in their own home. Lawrence loved gardening and was able to have a nice, small garden.

Margaret Hill

Margaret Cameron Hill (Peggy) passed away in Helena, MT, on April 5, 2007 after a short illness. She was 92. Peggy was born on January 10, 1915 in Fort Bragg to Myrtle and Archie Cameron.

Private burial will be held in Cedarville, CA, at a later date. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Hagler-Anderson Funeral Home of Helena. Cremation has been through Anderson Cremation Services.

Peggy attended Fort Bragg schools, graduating in l933, and attended college in Sacramento. There she met her husband, Dan Hill, whom she married on May 4, l936. Peggy and Dan lived in Cedarville where they owned and operated a cattle ranch. They moved to Fort Bragg in l953 and spent the next 11 years there before returning to Cedarville where Dan accepted a position as manager of the Modoc County Fair. Peggy moved to Montana in l997 to be close to her daughter Cathi.

Peggy is survived by her brother Gordon Cameron and his wife Nancy of Redding, Connecticut; her daughters Cathi Burgoyne and husband Ron of Helena, MT and Sue Ann Mattiuzzo and husband Gene of Fort Bragg; grandchildren Jennifer Lestiko, Andy Burgoyne, Bobby Bednar and Geoffrey Mattiuzzo; and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Dan in l995.

Sports

Modoc splits with Mt. Shasta

The Modoc Braves baseball team participated in a pair of run fests against Mt. Shasta last Friday, winning the first game 17-9 and losing the second 18-9.

Jesse Harer got the win in the first game, going all seven innings, allowing four earned runs, nine hits, struck out four and walked four. Modoc collected 19 hits in the game.

Modoc scored five in the second, one in the fourth, two in the fifth, three in the sixth and six in the seventh. Mt. Shasta scored one in the third, four in the fourth and four in the fifth.

Jesse Cuevas hit a pair of home runs and Harer had one. Cuevas was 4-4 at the plate, Harer 2-3, Michael Gaskey 3-5, Bill Hammerness 2-4, John Hughes 2-5 and Jeremy Anselmi 3-4.

Mt. Shasta jumped on the Braves early in the second game, scoring nine runs in the first inning, adding one in the third, five in the fourth and three in the sixth. Modoc scored two in the first, five in the third and two in the fifth.

Gaskey got the loss for the Braves, pitching just one inning and allowing seven hits.

Modoc had 12 hits in the game and the Bears had 17. Gaskey was 3-4, Cuevas 2-4 and Anselmi 2-4.
"There was no shortage of offense," said Modoc coach Tim MacDonnell. "We combined for 53 runs and 57 hits. It looked like a track meet with all the guys racing around the bases. We just got ourselves in a hole early in the second game."

Modoc heads to Burney for track invite

Modoc' thinclads will travel to Burney for the Burney Invitational Saturday. They were rained out of last week's track meet in Chiloquin.

The last meet was at the Mt. Shasta Time trials and several of the Braves turned in some quality results.
For Modoc's varsity girl's team, Chrissy Hall won the shot put at 30-4.5 and the discus at 86-9. She also won the 300 hurdles in 55:47 and placed second in the 100 hurdles in 19.389.

Mikele Funk ran personal bests in the 1600 meters in 5:49.1 to place second and in the 800 meters at 2:38.13 for fourth. Funk, Stacey Main, Marielle Nardoni and Catherine Lowry took a second as the girls 4x400 relay team in 4:37.67.

Lowry won the 400 meters in 1:04.13, was fifth in the 800 at 2:47.73.

Main took a fifth in the 200 meters in 29.32 and in the 400 meters in 1:15.76. Amanda Hess was third in the shot at 26-6 and in the discus at 65-1.5. Natalie Hoy was fifth in the triple jump at 23-5 and ran a 7:12.97 in the 1600. Nardoni ran a 6:59.91 time in the 1600 meters. Tania Diaz ran 18.28 in the 100 meters and 38.53 in the 200.

For the varsity boy's team, Cam Hall took a fourth in the 110 hurdles at 18.68 and in the 300 meters at 47.87. Robert Spedding was fifth in the 400 at 56.74, ran 24.66 in the 200, long jumped 15-4 and triple jumped 33-7.5. David Holloway was fifth in the shot at 35-9 and in the discus at 77-2. He ran a 57.81 400 meters and a 26.20 200 meters.

Kristi Zendejas led the junior varsity girls with a 27-3.5 winning triple jump. Rachel Field was third in the shot at 25-0 and second in the discus at 73-10.

Rebecca Field was fourth in the shot at 23-9.5 and tossed the discus 60-3. Katrina Hurley was fourth in the 100 hurdles in 23.27 and ran 41.94 in the 200 meters. Rachael Bratton was fourth in the 3200 meters at 16:48.19 and sixth in the 1600 meters at 7:36.13. Beth Colbert was fourth in the 800 meters at 3:09.29. Danielle Grier was fourth in the 100 hurdles in 23.27, sixth in the 200 at 35.13 and high jumped 3-8. Rea Lea Vickerman ran 15.95 in the 100 meters and long jumped 9-11. Jessica Lowden put the shot 15-3,5 and tossed the discus 46-9.

Kevin Richardson ran a 2:52.27 80 meters and 6:30 in the 1600 meters for the junior varsity boys and John Lowry tossed the discus 29-8.

Golf host league event

Modoc's Golf team will host a Shasta Cascade League tourney today at Arrowhead Golf Course with Modoc and Fall River against Trinity and Etna and Mt. Shasta against Weed and Burney. The teams will tee-off at 1 p.m. with a shotgun start.

Modoc's events at Mt. Shasta last week were rained out and the makeup tourney was set for April 25. The individual league tourney is at Fall River May 2.

Modoc played in the Henley tournament April 20, coming in seventh with a team score of 373. Henley won with a 319, followed by Shasta 320, Pleasant Valley 323, Enterprise 332, Mazama 357, Weed 372, Modoc 373, South Umpqua 384, Klamath Union 429, Central Valley (incomplete team).

Individually for Modoc, Keith Montague and Josue Madrigal shot 89, Dustin Philpott shot 91 and Dustin Oates shot 104.

The MHS Golf team is having it fundraiser April 28, with a tee-time of 9:30 a.m. The format is two-man best ball with a blind draw for partners. Cost to enter is $20 per person.

May 3, 2007

News

Warrant issued for alleged Parks murderer

An arrest warrant was issued last week by the Modoc District Attorney's office for the individual identified by Christopher Bradbury as the murderer of Betty Lou Parks. The person has not yet been located, but an intense search is ongoing.

Because the suspect was age 17 at the time of the crime, his name has not been released by the DA. If he is arrested, he could face a court hearing to decide whether to try him as an adult, which is what happened in the Bradbury case.

In March, Modoc Superior Court Judge Fritz Barclay accepted the plea offer in the murder case of Bradbury.

Barclay said he agreed with District Attorney Gary Woolverton that there could be insufficient evidence to convict Bradbury for the 1992 murder of Parks.

There was no physical evidence linking Bradbury to the murder. The case revolved around the testimony of Bradbury's former wife, Kim, and then teenager Jeremy McPike. Both of those witnesses contend that Bradbury told them years ago that he was involved in a murder in Alturas.
As a part of the plea deal, the murder charge was dropped, and Bradbury pled guilty to an accessory after the fact charge. He was sentenced to two years in state prison, with credit for time served, 322 days plus "good time" of 160 for a total of 482 days.

As an additional condition, Bradbury must identify and testify against the person he said actually killed Betty Lou Parks in 1992.

Bonnie Dukes, the mother of Parks, initially opposed the plea bargain at March's hearing, but following Woolverton's argument, withdrew that opposition and supported the plea.

Bradbury's attorney Tom Gifford said there was no physical evidence linking Bradbury to the crime and no eyewitnesses.

Gifford also emphatically pointed out in March that by coming forward in this case, Bradbury was putting his life in jeopardy. He asked to insure the court provide instruction to insure protection for Bradbury once he is sent to prison. Gifford said Bradbury has already received threats while in the Modoc County Jail.

The DA then had Bradbury take the polygraph, with a polygrapher recommended by Sheriff Mark Gentry. When Bradbury passed the polygraph, Woolverton had him make a sworn statement to a court reporter, under threat of perjury if he ever changed his story. Bradbury also agreed then to identify and testify against the person he said killed Parks.

Bradbury was arrested in Redding in May 2006, alleging the murder of 14-year-old Betty Lou Parks in 1992 and has been incarcerated in the Modoc County Jail since that time. He remains in Modoc custody.

County watermaster programs moves forward

North state water users are engaged in the process of changing over from a state-run watermaster program to a privately operated plan. "At the worst, we're going to keep fees where they are and have a more accountable program, and there's the possibility that we will, at some point, reduce the fees," said Sean Curtis, of the Modoc County Farm Bureau, who is spearheading the movement, locally.
Watermasters fill a vital role in the agricultural community by administering the groundwater resources in a watershed or geographical area. Irrigators or water users depend upon their capable management of water resources, since water is the lifeblood of the agricultural community.

The Farm Bureau was instrumental in facilitating the changeover in the watermaster services, which became necessary, according to Curtis, when state legislators, struggling with the 2004-05 budget crunch, voted to shift the entire burden of the state's watermaster program to the shoulders of the water users. "The legislature, in an attempt to save some money, changed the water code to say that all the fees would be paid by the users," said Curtis.

Since water users had been paying half the costs of maintaining the state's watermaster program, it was assumed at first that their fees would simply double. But upon further analysis, the state's Department of Water Resources, which administers the watermaster program, determined that the fees would actually increase as much as five times. "The users were looking at a 500 percent increase in fees," said Curtis, incredulously.

Water users were disgruntled, to say the least. "I think they weren't thrilled with the service, but the service was acceptable," said Curtis, "But, it wasn't acceptable at five times what they were paying four years ago."

Noting that such an increase was "politically unacceptable," Curtis related that legislators subsequently revisited the issue. Through negotiations and budgeting, legislators were able to reduce that fee increase to a simple doubling.

"During those negotiations," said Curtis, "the state Farm Bureau was able to get the money allocated to once again make up the difference between the current level of (watermaster) fees and what the program (actually) costs."

Nevertheless, most water users felt that the doubling of fees was oppressive and unjustified. However, a faction in state government insisted the water users should shoulder the entire cost to the state of administering the watermaster program, and they renewed their political initiative to raise the level of those fees.

Opponents to raising those fee levels attempted to find cost savings in the state's administration of the program by reducing overhead and the duplication of services in the existing program. But, that was doomed to failure, according to Curtis, who said, "There was no way in the world we were ever going to get them to do some other method of allocating costs."

The final option was to amend the water codes in order to allow someone other than the state to provide watermaster services. "Our remaining option was to explore having somebody else provide the service, somebody other than the state," said Curtis.

According to Curtis, state senator Cox sponsored bill to amend the code, making it possible to for water users to exit the state's program. "Once that change in the water code took place, so that it was very clear that this could be done, then we set about determining who can take over that program," Curtis said.

Unlike Modoc County, which has three, distinct water groups, Lassen County, with only the Susan River water to administer, has chosen to use a special district to administer its watermaster program. "In this county (Modoc), because we have three service areas, we didn't have a special district in any one of these places that could handle that kind of a workload," said Curtis. "So, last fall, the Board of Supervisors agreed that the county could administer the program.

"So, once we had the water code change and we had somebody willing to take the program, it was time to initiate the effort to get enough signatures to present the issue to the Modoc Superior Court. So, that's where we are now, collecting those signatures."

The new provisions allowed the owners of the various "diversions" in the state to request a hearing before a judge to exit the state program in favor of another provider. By obtaining the signatures of at least 15 percent of the owners in a diversion or watershed, a hearing could be scheduled in the courts to allow that to happen. Said Curtis, "It goes to the judge, and the judge makes the decision."

Curtis and others in the Farm Bureau, statewide, are in the process of collecting those needed signatures. In three meetings last week with water users or irrigators in Big Valley, Alturas and Surprise Valley, Curtis rallied support and signatures for his initiative.

"The meetings went well," he said. "I think in at least two of the meetings we got more than the minimum number of signatures we needed right there." Curtis expects many others to sign that could not attend meetings, and he is fully confident that enough water users will sign on to make valid the petition for a hearing.

"What we're hoping to do is say, 40 or 50 percent," he said, declaring his desire to get many more signatures than the required 15 percent. "The more signatures we have the greater support it shows for the effort, which will help the judge make a decision. So, next spring, when the water measuring begins, it will be done under the auspices of the county."

Curtis is enthusiastic at the prospects of getting out from under the state's thumb. "We believe that we can run the program without any difficulty for what they are paying now," he said, noting that the state's costs were greatly inflated. "That's the way they build their budgets, and there was no way to solve that-plus the fact that those folks are well paid.

"We can provide the same service at the rate the users are paying now," he said, saying that after initial, startup expenses, he anticipates enough savings for the same level of services to be able to reduce the fees somewhat in the future.

"What we know for sure is that we will have staved off about a quarter of a million dollars a year leaving the county-coming out of the pockets of the users," said Curtis. "The program's going to be run locally instead of out of Red Bluff, which means that there should be more accountability for the program than there is now."

National Power planning move onto private land

National Power plans to build its proposed biomass power plant and small log sawmill on private land near the Alturas Mill Property, according to a National Power spokesperson.

The original plan was to put the plant on the city-owned mill property, but the city and National Power could not come to terms on the sale. In addition, a plan to use the Alturas Wastewater Treatment Plant also did not materialize. The city and National Power came to amicable terms in the end.

While the city plan has officially ended, the overall project is still on the table. According to National Power, the big issue framing the debate right now is the approval of the application to sell the power to Sierra Pacific Power by the Nevada Public Utilities Commission.

In August, the county took over as the lead agency on the project, following meetings between the county, city and National Power. It was felt the county was better able to handle the complexities of the project and had available staff on board.

Modoc County Chief Administrative Officer Mike Maxwell said the county stands ready to do what's needed once National Power gets the Nevada approval. He said the project is still moving forward, albeit slowly.

Last August, the Alturas City Council voted to allow National Power to choose the lead agency and the company opted for the county as the lead.

National Power is proposing to construct a 20-40 megawatt biomass power plant. The project also includes a small log sawmill.

The entire project is projected to create more than 100 new jobs in Modoc County, from actual plant workers to the logging and trucking industries.

The small log sawmill is an integral part of the project. In most cases, the power plants were used to generate electricity to run the sawmills. In this case, the sawmill will be the main supplier of fuel for the power plant, and the electricity will be sold to Sierra Pacific. The value of the plant is expected to be above $50 million. The loss of the sale of city land will mean less in taxes for the city.

National hopes to have all the permitting and land use issues settled and in place by the end of 2007. Construction could start in 2008 with the plant possibly coming on line in 2010.

National Power describes itself as an owner and operator of environmentally sensitive electric generating facilities, which has existing facilities in Australia and the United States. The company was founded in 1991 and is privately owned.

Applications are being accepted for Modoc District Fair Queen and Princess

The Modoc District Fair is soliciting applications for 2007 Modoc County Queen and Princess.
Applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 19, be able to ride a horse and enjoy meeting people as a representative of Modoc County. The queen and princess will attend surrounding fairs and rodeos as well as other county functions and events, serving as ambassadors to Modoc County. This exciting opportunity will allow the young women to have new experiences, travel and meet new people, as well as earn a $1,000 scholarship or bond for the queen and a $500 scholarship or bond for the princess.

Outgoing Queen Claire Crenshaw and Princess Rachel Stevenson will be crowning the 2007 Court at the Coronation Dinner on July 14 at the Modoc District fairgrounds in Cedarville.
Applications can be found at the following locations:

Adin - Adin Supply and the Adin Post Office.
Alturas - L&B Ranch Supply, Modoc farm Supply, Seab's True Value, and the Alturas Post Office.
Canby - the Canby Post Office.
Cedarville - Modoc District Fair office, Page's Market, and the Cedarville Post Office.
Eagleville, Fort Bidwell, Lake City and Lookout - Local post offices.
Likely - Likely general Store and the Likely Post Office.
Newell: Mile Post 44 Grocery.

For more information, contact the Modoc District Fair office at (530) 279-2315 or Wynarda Erquiaga at (530) 279-2748.

Public Health prepares exercise to test disaster response readiness

Are we ready? Is Modoc County prepared to respond to a disaster or a major health emergency? What if the pandemic flu outbreak we have been hearing about actually happens? What if at some point Health officials need to dispense vaccine or medication rapidly to a large number of persons?
On Wednesday, May 9, the Modoc County Public health Department will hold a "Mass Dispensing Exercise" to test dispensing capability. The Point of Dispensing (POD) will be the Church of Latter Day Staints at 1042 E. 13th Street. The Mass Dispensing Exercise will be a drive-through model. People in cars will drive through a series of checkpoints at the Church of Latter Day Saints, receive information, be screened and then receive an educational pamphlet for their families. There will be no shots or pills distributed at this exercise.

The public is encouraged to participate. "WE NEED YOU," say health officials. Participants need only come to the Church of Latter Day Saints on Wednesday, May 9 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and drive through as directed.

The first 300 participants will receive an Emergency Preparedness Starter Kit that will help families prepare for any disasters.

"Please tell your friends and neighbors to come to the Church of Latter Day Saints and drive through the POD on May 9. The more people who drive through, the better the practice will be for Public Health and the better prepared everyone will be to face potential emergencies."

Anyone who would like to volunteer to help set up the morning of the exercise or who would like to help during the exercise to register patients, please call 233-6311. Volunteers must arrive at the church between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. the day of the exercise.

"Thank you for helping to prepare your community for a disaster response."

Obituaries:

Melvin E. Smith , DDS

Melvin E. Smith, DDS, passed away at his home surrounded by family on April 27, 2007, after a long illness. He was born on May 2, 1922, in Alturas, CA.

While attending UC Berkeley, he was called to serve in the US Army during World War II. Upon his return, he completed his DDS at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in San Francisco. In 1950, he and his wife, Bea moved to Davis where he opened his dental practice. Following the sad loss of his infant son Danny and service as a dentist during the Korean War, he returned to Davis to continue his practice and raise a family. He retired from dentistry after 20 years, and subsequently worked for the State of California until his retirement in 1986. Retirement offered him time to pursue his many passions which included following Aggie football and basketball, as well as the many activities of his three granddaughters.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Bea; daughters Joan Smith-Maclean and husband Gerry Maclean of Davis, and Janet McCullough and husband Tim, of Moraga; grandchildren Hayley Maclean, Carrie Supinski and husband AJ Supinski, and Becky McCullough; cousins Carolyn Cranford and husband Larry, and Dick Smith and wife Karen; aunt Georgia Smith, Alturas; niece Barbara McDowell and nephew Bruce McDowell, and sister in law, Joyce McDowell.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Donations may be made to U.C. Davis Athletics (UC Regents, "In Memory of Mel Smith"), Yolo Hospice, the Sutter Davis Hospital Foundation, or a charity of choice. Mel's family thanks all of their friends who provided such kind and loving support during his illness.

Mary Cathleen Testerman

Mary Cathleen Testerman, 87, of Alturas passed away Friday, April 27, 2007, at Warnerview Convalescent Hospital, Alturas, CA.

She was born Mary Davis in Ohio in 1919 and moved to Whittier, CA in 1950 with her husband Harold Neiderhelman and their four daughters. Later in life she married Charlie Testerman and in 1990, she moved with her daughter Judy and husband Tom Moore to Alturas. Charlie and Mary lived in Brooks Park. After Charlie passed on, Mary made her home at Warnerview, where God Bless, all the people there, grew to be part of Mary's family and friends, "bless them all," says her daughter Judy Moore of Alturas.

"Mom was a real good fisherman/camper. She was very devoted to her church Faith Baptist. Mom's best friend is Jesus, who she is with now."

Mary was one of five generations and those generation family members lived near her in Alturas and include Judy Moore, Tammy Urban, Amanda Munoz, Alliyah Munoz.

She also had a very large family. She was preceded in death by her husband Charles Testerman, and both her parents Nita and Harry Hartman, sister Betty Weber, sister Ruth Seigroth and brother Robert Munday.

Mary is survived by many people including her loving younger sisters Shirley Mann and husband Bill of GermanTown Memphis, TN; and Theresa Wheels and husband Chuck of Idyllwild, CA.
Mary had four daughters, twin, Judy Moore and husband Tom of Alturas and Joyce Reid of Alturas; older daughter Mary Jane Corder and husband Neal of Nampa, ID; younger daughter Cathleen Susan Bolken and husband Mike of Wildomar, CA. Her grandchildren Norman and Julie Corder, Nampa, ID; Amy Corder, Sacramento; Beth and Russel, Nampa, ID; Karen and John Roels, Anaheim; Stephanie and Rick Urban, Altadena; Susan and Bill Blanch, Florida; April and Brian Little John, Ladera Ranch, CA; Margo and Richard Urban, Lake Elsinore; Tammy Urban and Joe VanEtten, Alturas; Debbie and Dewayen Urban, Sacramento; John and Joy Wisser, Alturas; Keith and Rebecca Moore, Alturas. Great-grandchildren Amanda and Mike Munoz, Alturas; Jeremy Urban, Lake Elsinore; JoJo Urban and April Oliver, Alturas; Heather Urban, Jennifer Urban, Sarah Urban, Sacramento; Christian Wisser, Adam Wisser, Alturas; Erin Moore, Alturas; Andrew Mortenson, Matthew Mortenson, Sean Mortenson, Kerry Russell, Nampa, ID, Brian Corder, Nicole Corder, Nampa, ID, Justin Collier, Jonas Collier, Alturas; Cody Wills, Anaheim, Nichole Wills, Anaheim, Steven Urban, Megan Urban, Altadena. Great-great grandchildren: Tarren Mortenson, Nampa, ID; Michael Munoz, Alturas; Aaliyah Munoz, Alturas; Andrew Munoz, Alturas; Matthew Urban, Alturas, Randi Urban, Alturas, R.J. Bigsby, Sacramento. Nieces Dorothy Jones and Charlie Jones, Alturas; nephews Herman and Jan Niederhelman, Port Orange, FL; Kathy and Dale Drown Roseau, Minn, and "our special Terri Larson, Elmonte. Teri was Mary's special girl. Thank you Terri for loving my mom," offers Judy. "God Bless all of mom's friends in Alturas; she loved you all."

Services will be held Saturday, May 5 at 2 p.m. at Faith Baptist Church, 810 West Carlos St., Alturas. Her very dear friend Pastor Rod Bodmer will conduct the service. Mary will be laid to rest at Alturas Cemetery next to her husband of 35 years, Charles Testerman.
"If I missed a loved one, I am truly sorry," offers Judy Moore.

Kerr Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Sports

Modoc continues to split double bills

Modoc's baseball team continues its habit of splitting league double headers. They won the opener against Weed April 27, 6-2, but lost the nightcap 8-4.

On May 1, they beat Fall River 7-2 in the first game and dropped the second game 9-8.
The key to wins all season has been the pitching of Jesse Harer, who got both wins this week. Against Weed, he went seven innings, allowed four hits, fanned eight and didn't walk a batter. In his win against Fall River, he went seven, allowed just two runs on five hits; two walks and struck out 14 Bulldogs.

In the first game against Weed, Modoc scored two in the first, two in the second and two in the sixth. Weed scored one in the second and one in the third. Harer went 2-3 at the plate and Hammerness was 2-3 for four RBI.

Modoc held a 4-0 lead going into the sixth inning in the second game, but Weed scored eight runs in the final two stanzas for the win. Trent Schmidt started the game and Harer relieved, getting the loss. Harer, Hammerness and Justin Estes went 2-3 at the plate.

In the opening win against Fall River, Modoc scored one in the second, one in the sixth and had a five-run seventh. Fall River scored two in the sixth. Estes went 3-4, Hammerness 2-3 and Michael Gaskey 2-3 at the plate.

In the second game, Modoc led 5-1 in the second and added one in the fourth and two in the fifth. Fall River put up two in the fourth and won it with a six run fifth. Estes went 3-4, Jesse Cuevas was 2-3 and Schmidt and Hammerness went 2-4.

Modoc wins 7th straight golf title

Modoc's Golf team won its seventh straight Shasta Cascade League title this year, finishing it off with a victory at Arrowhead last week.

In the final match at Arrowhead, Modoc claimed the top five spots. Jeff Solomon won with a 79, Josue Madrigal shot 81, Daniel Morgan shot an 82, Keith Montague and Dustin Philpott each shot 84. Dustin Oates shot a 95, but had the shot of the day with a hole-in-one on hole number four.

Modoc qualified five individuals for the SCL finals played yesterday at Fall River: Solomon, Morgan, Montague, Madrigal and Philpott. The top individual after yesterday's tourney will be the league Most Valuable Player and the next five best will be all-league.

In addition, teams from Modoc and Weed and individuals Tyler Ames and Will Russell of Mt. Shasta and Chris Shorten o Trinity qualify for the Division II Championships at Canyon Oaks in Chico May 8.

On April 25, Modoc made up a tourney at the Mt. Shasta Resort beating the field again. Modoc golfer shot 210 on the front nine and 208 on the back. Morgan led the team with an 81, Solomon shot 83, Madrigal shot 84, Montague had 86, Philpott and Dustin Morgan shot 89. Will Russell of Mt. Shasta had the best round of the day at 78 and Weed's Scott Lassen posted a 79 with Mt. Shasta's Tyler Ames.

MMS tracksters perform well at home

The Modoc Middle School Track team did well in the home meet April 26, according to coach Don Mason.

He said despite only 24 members on the team, mostly sixth graders, they competed well in the seventh grade divisions. Ashley Hoy won the long and triple jumps an Alex McQuarrie earned three seconds, in the 400, the hurdles and the 4x100 relay. Cameron Anderson was second in the long jump in the relay and third in the mile. Jonathan Morgan had a second and two thirds. Jeff Larson earned two thirds and a fourth. Courtney Knoch earned a second and two fourths and Hannah Gibbons earned a second, third and a fourth. Lady Lopez had two seconds and a third. James Jackson earned two fourths and Daniel Martin had a first, two seconds and a third. Trent McQuarrie had a first and two seconds and Blake Williams had a second and two thirds.

In the eighth grade, Collyn Server won the shot and discus and Nick McMaster was second and fourth. Candace Spedding earned three thirds and a fourth. Brook Hill finished with three thirds. Austin Hoy won the mile, was second in the triple jump and fourth in the high jump. Scott Stillinger won the triple jump and added two thirds.

Mason said that even though his team is small compared to past years, they have a great work ethic and are very competitive. He said his distance crew is the best he has had since moving to Modoc.

May 10th, 2007

News

Rural schools, road funding in limbo

The Secure Schools and Road funding died at the result of the president's veto last week, and Congress is trying to come to terms on the new supplemental bill.

Modoc County Superintendent of Schools Gary Jones is very concerned that any bill that comes out now will only be for one year, as an emergency measure.

According to Jones, the five-year plan endorsed by the Senate did not make it into the Emergency Supplemental bill that was vetoed last week; only a one year deal was included.

The feeling now, said Jones, is that House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi is viewing the supplemental in "emergency" mode and that means emergency funding for only one year.

"I think that one year isn't good enough, it keeps us where we are now, treading water," Jones said his week. "That puts us in a bad place, you know what next year brings but not the second year. We're hoping the Congress doesn't settle for a one year plan."Jones suggests it's critical that citizens contact their representatives and especially Pelosi to explain just how vital a five-year extension of the act is for rural areas.

Jones said that schools can't work on a year-to-year funding basis; it eliminates the necessity of proper program planning, implementation and continuity.

"The bottom line is we need a five-year program and shouldn't settle for one year," said Jones.
Senate moves on Secure Schools, Roads Act

Prior to the last supplemental, California U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer announced they would support a multi-year proposal to restore funding for the Act, commonly known as the county payments law.

Last year, California received $69 million from this program. But if the program is not extended, California's counties would receive nothing.

California's most rural counties depend on this funding - to the tune of $69 million last year. Siskiyou County, for instance, receives $9.58 million a year from this program. Without this fix, Siskiyou would receive nothing. The same holds true for Modoc, Trinity, Shasta, Plumas, Lassen and California's other rural counties."

The federal government has an obligation to these counties, and this proposal takes a major step toward fulfilling that obligation."

Earlier versions of the proposal would have cut California's share in the first year by approximately 13 percent - a total of $9 million.

The previous five-year plan would give counties a predictable stream of funding that allows counties to plan for the future.

That formula was based on the current funding formula and the current acreage of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and eligible Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, along with a mechanism to focus support on those communities in greatest economic need.

Over 700 counties in 39 states received funding under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000, which was allowed to expire in September 2006. Despite repeated efforts by the Senators to reauthorize the bill last year, the Congress and Administration could not agree on a funding source for the legislation.

Hospital debt dips slightly

Modoc Medical Center's debt to Modoc County was $7,698,232.34 at the end of April, a slight improvement ($26,011.50) from the end of March debt of $7,724,243.85.

Modoc County Auditor Judi Stevens also said the last of February's actual total was $7,471,849, not the number her office reported as $7,223,025.

At the end of January the debt was $7,513,930. The February drop was $42,081. That's a major difference from the increase in January of $626,425 from December's $6,887,505.

In November, it was $6,570,715 and October's debt stood at $6,417,812. The end of August's $5,989,192.44 went to $5,991,165 at the end of September.

The debt has increased since September 2005's $4,690,812 by a total of $3,007,420.
The Modoc Record will continue to publish the actual debt at the end of each month.

Pit River levee condition deemed fair to poor

The Pit River levee condition as it runs through Alturas was inspected last June by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the overall condition of the project was judged "fair to poor."

In a letter dated March 30, 2007, the Corps of Engineers sent a letter to Rick Hironymous, Modoc County Director of Public Works stating the inspection of Pit River Project resulted in a condition rating of "unacceptable" and listed a series of deficiencies to be addressed and corrected within a year.

Alturas Mayor John Schreiber went to the County Board of Supervisors with his concerns about the issue Tuesday. He said if the issues aren't corrected, the county could lose the project's rehabilitation funding.

The county has three months from March to submit a correct plan to the Corps which has to include: a schedule for correcting the noted deficiencies; a summary of the interim actions, including a flood evacuation plan; and an outreach plan to notify the public of the deficiencies and correction process.
The County did work with the Devil's Garden Conservation Camp crews to address some of the deficiencies, especially some weeds and trees cut back, but there still are some issues needing attention.

According to the inspection, potential problem areas include the installation of a new large drainage pipe hear the Main Street Bridge where some erosion has occurred because of the removal of gabions from the slope. That drain was part of last year's Main Street Project.

In addition, the inspection found that many of the concrete sacks along the upper banks are deteriorated or gone and there is substantial vegetation within the channel, on the slopes and on the access road. Most of the vegetation on the access road has been removed.

The inspection also noted erosion on the right bank near the old cemetery, within about 10 feet from the cemetery fence. There was some concern about the railroad bridge pilings and excessive debris in the pillars. There is also concern about the amount of shoaling within the channel at various locations.
Hironymous was contacted about the issue, but did not get back the to Record by presstime.

Building goes up

The Modoc County Building Department issued 14 building permits in April, worth an estimated $723,684. That's up from March, when only nine permits were issued, with an estimated value of $268,786.

One new home in Surprise Valley made up more than half of the building permit value. Storage and hay barns, agricultural pumps and a manufactured hoe installation amounted for most of the remainder.

The City of Alturas issued eight building permits in April, worth an estimated $95,353. Remodels and additions made up the bulk of the value.

The demolition and remodel for a future Subway Restaurant perked up the city's total March building permit value to $142,369, although only six building permits were issued.

The City issued six February permits worth an estimated $73,860, compared to January when the city issued 10 permits with a value of only $9,896.

In December, the City of Alturas issued 11 building permits, valued at $325,961.72. One remodeling permit was valued at $198,158.

Obituaries:

Margarie Nelson

Margarie Nelson, 92, of Alturas, passed away Wednesday morning, May 9, 2007, at Modoc Medical Center, Alturas, CA. A memorial service for the long-time Alturas resident, will be held at a later date. She was born Margarie Roberts on August 3, 1914 in Mangum, OK. Her daughter Marilyn Hess and husband Ernest and niece Sandy Hess and husband Butch Hess are of Alturas. Mrs. Nelson's obituary will be published in a future issue.

Services today for Tusons Cub Rhoades

Funeral services for two-month-old Tusons Cub Rhoades, will be held today, May 10 at 11 a.m. at McDonald's Chapel in Burney, CA. Graveside services will follow at Goose Valley Cemetery in Burney.

Tusons was born in Redding, CA on February 20, 2007 to Juana Galvon and Victorio Rhoades of Burney. The baby died May 5, 2007 at Mayers Memorial Hospital, Fall River Mills, CA.
Tusons is survived by his parents; his brothers Martin of Burney, Michael of Chico and Victorio, Jr. of Burns, OR; his grandmothers Linda Shockley of Cottonwood and Elsie Rhoades of Burney; grandfather Eladio Flores of Burney and great-grandmother Claudina Shockley of Alturas.

Sports

Modoc drops final two games

Modoc's Braves dropped the final two games of the regular season to Etna 13-0 and 8-1 May 4. The losses dropped them to a number five seed in the playoffs, putting them on the road against Mt. Shasta Friday, 4 p.m. in the opening round.

Etna jumped out with a 7-0 first inning lead in the opener and scored four more in the second and two in the fourth. Modoc could not get started. Modoc had just two hits, one by Bill Hammerness and one by Justin Estes. Jesse Harer got the loss, going just one inning and was relieved by Trent Schmidt. Harer allowed six hits in the first and Schmidt scattered six hits over the next three. Etna's Clint Johnson got the win with nine strikeouts and no walks.

"We came out flat and you can't afford to do that against a solid ball club like Etna," said coach Tim MacDonnell.

Etna got on board with two in the first added five in the second and one in the seventh in the second game. Modoc scored one in the fifth. Estes got the loss, going all seven, allowing 10 hits and striking out five. Jesse Cuevas, Michael Gaskey, John Hughes and Schmidt each had a hit in the game.

"I was very pleased with how Estes pitched," said MacDonnell. "He was one of the few bright spots on an extremely frustrating day. Being on the road in the playoffs may be a blessing in disguise as we seemed to play better on the road this year."

The Braves finished with a SCL record of 6-6. Final standings were: Mt. Shasta 9-3. Fall River 8-4, Etna 9-3, Modoc 6-6. Burney 4-8. Weed 2-8 and Trinity 2-8.

Modoc golf takes second

The Modoc Golf team placed second in the Division II Championships Tuesday and advance to the large school finals as a team for only the second time in team history.

"This team has exceeded my expectations and I'm very proud of what they've accomplished together," said coach Harold Montague. Modoc will play in the individual league championships at Fall River today.
East Nicolaus won the tourney shooting a 419 and Modoc came in second with a 458.

Jeff Solomon led Modoc with an 80. Dustin Oates shot 92; Keith Montague shot 94, Daniel Morgan 94, Josue Madrigal 99 and Dustin Philpott 103.

Fall River slams Braves

Fall River's girls softball team trounced the Modoc Braves May 1, 15-1 and 15-2. Modoc collected just four hits in the two games while Fall River batters pounded out 28 hits.

In the 15-2 game, Fall River's pitcher delivered a no hitter. The Bulldogs scored four in the first, one in the second, two in the third and eight in the forth for the win.

The Bulldogs jumped out early in the second game as well, scoring five in the first, four in the second, one in the third and seven in the fourth. Modoc scored one in the second and one in the third.

Emily Conner had two hits in the game, while Amanda Fain and Sami Schmidt each had one.
The Braves beat Etna in their final league games May 4, 6-3 and 7-0.

In the first game Modoc scored two in the second, two in the third, one in the fourth and one in the fifth. Etna scored one in the first and two in the second.

In the second game, Modoc jumped up 3-0 in the first added two in the third, one in the fourth and one in the fifth. Etna scored a pair in the third and one in the seventh.

The Braves finished the season with a 6-6 record and 11-7 overall. Fall River won the SCL at 11-1, Burney was 9-3, Mt. Shasta 7-5, Etna 7-5, Modoc 6-6, Weed 0-10 and Trinity 0-10.

Hall leads Modoc at Burney invite

Modoc's Chrissy Hall won the shot put at 30-1.5 and the 300 hurdles in 56.50 to lead the Modoc Braves in the Burney Invitational. She also placed second in the 100 hurdles at 20.10 and in the discus at 83-01.
Amber Hess won the discus at 96-05 and was fifth in the shot at 26-02.

Mikele Funk placed third in the 1600 at 5:51 and Natalie Hoy was in the third in the long jump at 12-6.
Marielle Nardoni placed fourth in the 400 at 1:17.53; Hoy was fourth in the triple jump at 24-10.75.
For the boys, Cam Hall placed third in the 100 hurdles at 18.37 and fourth in the 300 hurdles at 47.13. David Holloway was seventh in the 400 at 1:01.75 and Josh Wood was seventh in the shot at 34-0.
For the junior varsity girls, Rachel Field was first in the shot at 29-4.5 and second in the discus at 75-02. Danielle Grier was second in the 300 hurdles at 1:05.41 and third in the 100 hurdles at 22.38. Kristi Zendejas was third in the triple jump at 25-05 and sixth in the 100 meters. Beth Colbert placed third in the high jump at 3-10 and in the 800 at 2:57.06. Rebecca Field was fourth in the shot at 24-2. Rachel Bratton placed third in the 200 at 56.47 and sixth in the 1600 at 7:28.

At the Lost River meet, the Braves ran into some stiff competition.

For the girls, Catherine Lowry placed second in the 400 at 1:06.72 and third in the 200 at 28.81. Funk was third in the 1500 meters in 5:25 and fifth in the 800 at 2:38.86. Hall was fourth in the shot at 27-4.5, in the 300 hurdles at 55.16 and fifth in the discus at 77-7. Hess placed third in the discus at 89-4.
The 4x400 relay team of Danielle Moriarity, Funk, Lowry and Stacey Main placed third at 4:43.91. ReaLea Vickerman was fourth in the long jump at 112-10 and sixth in the high jump. Rachel Field was fifth in the shot at 27-3 and sixth in the discus at 75 feet.

For the boys, David Holloway was second in the 400; Cam Hall was third in the 300 hurdles and fifth in the 100 hurdles. Cain Madrigal was fourth in the 1500 and fifth in the 800. The 4x400 relay of Josh Wood, Madrigal, Hall and Holloway placed third at 4:05.96.

May 17th, 2007

News

Board chooses no action on Cantrall questions

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors Tuesday refused to act on Supervisor Pat Cantrall's request that Modoc Medical Center Administrator Bruce Porter answer a series of questions.

The Board took the issue into a closed session, which Cantrall believes was not legal. After the closed session, the issue died for lack of a motion.

Cantrall said she still intends to have the questions answered and was not accusing Porter of wrongdoing. She said she was asking what she considered legitimate questions, posed to her by the public and she had presented those questions to Porter and the board early so they could see what she wanted to know.

The somewhat odd agenda item stated "Consideration/Action: Does Board of Supervisors approve of MMC Chief Executive Officer spending the required time to answer questions requested by Supervisor Patricia Cantrall in a letter that was presented to Administration at 4:30 p.m. on Friday May 4, 2007."

Cantrall has been censured by the Board in regard to the hospital, but she said these questions were asked of her by the public and she felt she and the pubic have the right to know the answers.
And what were the questions? They are as follows:

"How many people have been fired by your administration since you became CEO?

"How many people have quit MMC since your appointment as CEO?

"What were the total off all salaries and benefits for all MMMC employees, including room and board, and travel, previous to your employment and as of this current last pay period for the month of April?

"Please provide me with a copy of all contracts issued by you and who wrote them.
"Since he sudden increase in patients being admitted to the acute part of MMC, and how much has been billed to Medicare on behalf of these patients? Total amount only.

"You contracted with Modoc Medical Center to perform the jobs of CFO and CEO. Now that you've hired the CFO, will your salary decrease?

"Have any lawsuits been filed or written complaints been filed against MMC or the County of Modoc in the past year"

Cantrall addressed the questions to Porter, the Board and sent copies to the Grand Jury, the Auditor, the District Attorney, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Attorney General.

Modoc Forest campgrounds set to open

Campgrounds across the Forest are scheduled to open for Memorial Day Weekend except for those in the Medicine Lake area due to late, heavy snow.The recent warm weather has melted the snow in the higher elevations of the Warner Mountain, Devil's Garden and Big Valley Ranger Districts and the campgrounds are now accessible to vehicle traffic. Changes in weather conditions may cause some of the remote campgrounds to become inaccessible. Please use caution as roads are still soft and vehicles pulling trailers may be difficult to maneuver or create resource damage.Blue Lake, Mill Creek, Soup Springs, and Howard's Gulch campgrounds have potable water available and fees are $6.00 to $7.00 per night.For more information on recreation and current road conditions, please call any of the following Forest offices: Supervisor's Office, 233-5811; Warner Mountain Ranger District, 279-6116; Big Valley Ranger District, 299-3215; Doublehead Ranger District, 667-2246.

DePaul will guide Modoc Fair

The Modoc District Fair Board has appointed Danette DePaul as the Modoc Fair Manager, replacing Traci Green who resigned the position this spring.The Board approved the hiring of DePaul, who is currently the Surprise Valley Hospital District Administrator, following candidate interviews May 7, and she is scheduled to begin work on May 24. DePaul said she will be working for a period of time to help with a smooth transition with the Hospital change in administration.

The SVHD Board approved the hiring of Wanda Grove this week to assume the duties of Hospital Administrator. She has been working at the facility for the past eight years.

Obituaries:

Beth A. Osterby

Returning Alturas resident Beth Anne Osterby, 17, passed away Saturday, May 12, 2007 as the result of a car accident in North Pole, Alaska where she had been living. Beth was born Feb. 6, 1990 in Fairbanks, Alaska. She attended North Pole Elementary School, North Pole Middle School and was a junior at North Pole High School. She had attended Modoc High School as a sophomore and had planned to fly back to Alturas, CA May 28, so she could finish her senior year at Modoc High School, and live with her mother Laurie and step-father Jason Teal of Alturas.

Beth was a former gymnast and a member of Order of Rainbow for Girls. She had a kind heart and was a beautiful, caring young lady who will be missed by everyone who knew her. She had many friends in Alturas and she was looking forward to returning to Alturas.

Her funeral will be held at 12:30 p.m. today, May 17, at Friends Community Church, 1485 30th Ave. in Fairbanks, AK. A reception will follow at the Masonic Lodge, 10th Ave. and Noble Street. Beth will be laid to rest in Sperry, Oklahoma.

Beth is survived by her father Ray Osterby of North Pole, AK; her mother and stepfather Laurie and Jason Teal of Alturas, CA; sister Teri Osterby Taylor of Hollywood, CA; brother Christopher Osterby of North Pole, AK; maternal grandparents Michael and Carol Smith; step-grandparents, James and Janice Teal; uncles Robert Curry and family, Daniel Osterby and uncle Charles Baxter and family; aunts, Diane Withorn and family, Marilyn Baxter, Shirley Merckley and family, Sharon Baxter and family and Cassandra and family; step-uncles, James Teal and family and Jesse Teal, and many friends.

Arrangements were by Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home.

Joan Norman

California Pines resident Joan Norman passed away of natural causes at her home on May 14, 2007. Mrs. Norman, age 60, was born in Lumberton, New Jersey on July 29, 1946. She was the owner and operator of bookkeeping services. She and husband Marc had moved to Modoc County eight years ago. Services are pending, with arrangements being made through Kerr Mortuary, Alturas.

Lillie May Kunert

Lillie May Kunert passed away April 15, 2007 in Redding, CA. Mrs. Kunert would have been 83 on May 30. She was born Lillie May Johnson in 1924 in Pontotoc Stonewall, Oklahoma and completed the eighth grade in Porterville, CA. She married her husband of 54 years, LeRoy Edward Kunert, Sr., on March 9, 1950, in Visalia, CA. Upon LeRoy's discharge from military service, the family resided in Porterville for 12 years. The family moved to Sisters, OR and arrived in Surprise Valley in 1974, where LeRoy worked on several ranches while Lillie tended the house, children and cooked for the ranch hands. The Kunert's resided in Surprise Valley for 31 years and upon LeRoy's passing December 23, 2004, Lillie moved to Alturas to be closer to her son. Lillie loved being with her family. She had an extensive collection of salt and pepper shakers and dolls. She enjoyed sewing and created many outfits for the dolls. She was a wonderful cook, wife, mother, friend and confidant.

As per her wishes, no services will be held. Donations may be made to any charity of the donor's choice.

Mrs. Kunert is survived by her daughter Judie Hunt and husband Bob of Porterville, CA; son LeRoy Kunert, Jr. and girlfriend Melissa Berkshire of Phoenix, AZ; son Jeff Kunert and wife Cheryl of Alturas, CA; grandson Robert Hunt and wife Carol of Lincoln, CA; granddaughter Kara Lee Kunert of Redmond, OR; grandson David Kunert and wife Angie of Tillamook, OR; grandsons Jeremy and Sean Kunert, Rex and Kaid Kunert of Alturas, CA; sister Edith Bettancourt and husband Tony of Morgan Hill, CA; sister Mary Woods and husband Woody of Pasadena, TX; sister Caludie Bowden of Arkansas; great-grandchildren J.C. Hammer, Jordan and Karia Newgen of Redmond, OR; Shelby and Carter Kunert of Tillamook, OR; Joshua, Melissa, Caleb, James and Mark Hunt of Lincoln, CA.

Margarie Nelson

Margarie Nelson died Wednesday, May 9, 2007, of natural causes at Modoc Medical Center in Alturas, CA. She was 92. Margarie was born August 3, 1914 in Mangum, Oklahoma, to parents Robert and Theo Roberts. She graduated from high school in Mangum, and on November 18, 1933, she married her high school sweetheart, Lonnie Nelson.

In 1947, Margarie, Lonnie and daughter Marilyn, moved from Oklahoma to Alturas, where she spent the rest of her life. Margarie worked for Henderson Motors for several years, then worked for the City of Alturas Clerk's Office. She retired from there in 1977. Margarie was a member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority. She loved to play cards and belonged to a duplicate Bridge club for over 25 years. She also loved to sew and she crocheted many afghans for her family. She and Lonnie enjoyed camping and fishing together. After Lonnie passed away in June 1993, she spent several winters at Lake Havasu with Marilyn and her husband Ernie. She will be remembered for her devotion to family and friends.

Margarie is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Marilyn and Ernie Hess, Alturas, CA; grandson Mike Hess and wife Marcie, Allen, TX; grandson Keith Hess and wife Lesley, Durham, CA; great-grandchildren Tim and Danielle Hess, Allen, TX; Whitney, Taylor, Nick and Alex Hess, Durham, CA; several nieces, nephews and friends.

Margarie was preceded in death by her parents; husband Lonnie Nelson; grandson Barry Hess; brother Lamar Roberts; sisters Lorene Stiles and Margie Lee Henderson.

Margarie will be laid to rest beside her husband. A memorial will be held this summer in Alturas. Donations may be made to the Federated Community Church, Alturas, CA.

Nancy Slosson and James E. Slosson, PhD

Nancy Jane (Samuel) Slosson, 82, a long-time resident of Sherman Oaks, California, passed away April 27, 2007, from complications of congestive heart failure.

Nancy was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 11, 1924. Nancy spent her early childhood in Douglas, Arizona, where her Welsh-born father, John Moore Samuel was a mining engineer, and her mother, Gladys Doane Samuel, was a school teacher She moved with her family to Los Angeles, California, and graduated from Los Angeles High School and the University of Southern California. Nancy was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority at USC and graduated with a BS in Business and Marketing in 1947. Nancy was an avid Trojan football fan, attending games as a school girl, and later, accompanied by her husband. A loyal Trojan fan, Nancy rarely missed a home game in over 65 years.
While at USC, she met and married James Edward Slosson. Nancy was a wildlife enthusiast and actively supported the Los Angeles Zoo and the San Diego Zoo, as well as other zoos across the country. Whenever she accompanied Jim to geologic conferences, she would always visit the local zoo. Her favorite animal was the Sea Otter, and she contributed to the Long Beach Aquarium Sea Otter Exhibit. Nancy and Jim were active supporters of USC Track and Field for their entire adult life. Nancy served as President and Business Manager for her husband's consulting geology practice, Engineering Geology Consultants, for over 30 years. Nancy was active in civic affairs, including the Federation of Republican Women's Club of the San Fernando Valley and the Carrousels, a San Fernando Valley service organization. Nancy was a volunteer at the Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys. Believing in public service, Nancy and Jim often hosted and organized candidate and public forum events in their home and at their favorite Topanga Canyon retreat, the Trippet Ranch. Nancy also volunteered on many local and municipal campaigns.

James E. Slosson, Ph.D., a native of Van Nuys, California, passed away the next day, April 28, 2007 at the age of 84 after a lengthy illness. They moved down the road as they had in life: together. Jim Slosson was born April 12, 1923 in one of the first ranch houses in Van Nuys. He graduated from Van Nuys High School, where he excelled in track competitions. He graduated from the University of Southern California and pursued his passion for track and field events, as well as an eventual profession in geology. Jim Slosson was a three-year varsity letterman on the USC track team in 1946, 1947 and 1948. In 1947, Jim married Nancy Jane Samuel, and began a life together that spanned 60 years.

Jim served in the U.S. Army during World War II, rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant. He also served as a reserve in the Naval Reserve and the California National Guard. Jim graduated from USC in 1950 with a Master's degree in Geology. After graduation, Jim was an assistant track coach at USC from 1955-1962, under the direction of Coaches Dean Cromwell and Jess Hill. He coached Max Truex, who competed with the U.S. Olympic Team in the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome games. Mel Hein was a member of the USC track team under Assistant Coach Slosson, excelling at the pole vault. Jim took joy in the many accomplishments of his student athletes and pupils, maintaining long relationships with many, near and far. In 1958, Jim received his doctorate from the University and began his career in geologic consulting. Jim was a charter faculty member of Los Angeles Valley College, serving as Professor of Geology and Chair of the Geology Department at Valley College from 1975-1984. He also served as California State Geologist and Chief of the Division of Mines and Geology from 1973 to 1975. As State Geologist, he introduced a series of Guidelines for Practice, which had enormous impact on raising the standard of care of engineering and environmental geologists, not only in California, but nationwide.

Dr. Slosson worked for the City and County of Los Angeles and the State of California. Dr. Slosson helped develop and pass the Seismic Safety Commission Act of 1975, which established the State Seismic Safety Commission to advise the Governor, State Legislature, state and local government on ways to reduce earthquake risk. He served on the Seismic Safety Commission for 8 years. James also served on the State Board of Geologists and Geophysicists. James was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Geological Society of America for 2 years and on the Board of Directors of the Dibblee Geologic Foundation. He was often sought after by the news media as a consultant following numerous earthquakes and landslides in California. He volunteered to develop basic applied geology programs for the education and training of geology inspectors and engineers, and presented numerous talks on earthquakes, landslides and other geologic hazards. Dr. Slosson had published over 100 articles emphasizing the geologic processes associated with landslides, sedimentation and flooding.

Jim and Nancy never missed a USC/UCLA Dual Track Meet. In fact, James watched the 2007 Dual Track Meet with his beloved family in his hospital room the day he passed away.

While their permanent home was located in the San Fernando Valley, Jim and Nancy also spent a great deal of time each year at their cabin in Modoc County, in the little town of Likely, California. The Slosson's first encountered Modoc County in the 1950's. They initially enjoyed a very primitive cabin near Soup Springs in Jess Valley, eventually exchanging that for a comfortable log cabin at Pine Shadow Village at the northeastern end of Jess Valley.

Jim acted as the County Geologist for Modoc and Lassen Counties for a number of years and worked on several geologic projects in the area. Coach Slosson also found summer work for many of his track athletes during the summer months in Modoc. They both enjoyed the country life at the end of the meadow in Jess Valley. Jim hunted and fished with Nancy and friends, and Nancy prepared his catches. They also shared a love of horses, golden retrievers and Jack Russell terriers.

Jim and Nancy are survived by their daughter, Bonnie Slosson and her husband, Michael D'Onofrio, of Sacramento, and their son, Thom Slosson, his wife, Lynn, and two grandchildren, Clint, 21, and Katelyn Slosson, 18. Jim is survived by his brother Jack Slosson and his wife, Eleanor, of Carmichael, CA. Jim and Nancy also shared their love with godson Gary Hein and his family of Walnut Creek, and the entire Hein family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the following organizations: Trojan Force of the USC Track and Field, Dr. James Slosson Academic Achievement Award, Attn: Ron Orr, USC Heritage Hall, Los Angeles, California, 90089-0602; Los Angeles Valley College Foundation, 5800 Fulton Ave., Valley Glen, CA 91401, Attn: Slosson Memorial; Richard O. Stone Scholarship Fund, USC College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, 3551 Trousdale Parkway, ADM 204, Los Angeles, California, 90089-4015; Likely Volunteer Fire Department , PO Box 515, Likely California, 96116; and Great Basin Institute, PO Box C, Cedarville, California, 96104,

Private celebrations of the lives of Jim and Nancy Slosson are being planned by the family at USC and Likely, California.

Sports

Braves trounce Bears in playoffs, beat Esparto 4-2

Modoc's Braves baseball team beat Esparto 4-2 in the second round of the North Section playoffs Tuesday in Esparto to advance to Saturday's Division III Championship game against Colusa.

The site of that game was not yet determined as of Wednesday morning, but will probably be played at a neutral junior college field, possibly
at Lassen.

"I feel really good about our chances," said Modoc Coach Tim MacDonnell. "Colusa's the number eight seed and beat the number one, but we beat Esparto, who was number two. I don't think Colusa is as tough as Esparto. I just think we match up well. It'll be exciting."

One thing working against Modoc will be that Harer will only be eligible to go three innings on the mound. High school pitchers can only go 10 innings in a week. MacDonnell knows he's going to miss the Harer factor, but remains confident his relievers will be able to compete well.

Harer tossed a solid game against Esparto, going seven innings, allowing just two runs, on seven hits, he walked five and struck out four. Harer also got things started on the offensive end, slamming a home run in the first inning following a double by Jesse Cuevas, putting the Braves up 2-0.

Modoc added two runs in the third, and Esparto scored one in the fifth and one in the sixth.
"We had a chance to blow it open, but left the bases loaded in the second and third innings," said MacDonnell. "Harer pitched outstanding ball and our defense was solid."
Harer was 2-3 at the plate, Justin Estes was 2-3, and Michael Gaskey, Bill Hammerness, Jesse Cuevas and Jeremy Anselmi went 1-4.

The Braves started the playoffs by upsetting the Shasta Cascade League champion Mt. Shasta Bears 19-3 Friday in the opening round.

Modoc scored one in the first, added seven in the second, 10 in the third and one in the fifth. Mt. Shasta scored one in the second and two in the fourth.

Harer got the win, allowing four hits, but gave up eight walks, and fanned three.
The Braves pounded out 20 hits in the game, led by Gaskey's two home runs and seven RBI. Anselmi, Hammerness and John Hughes went 3-4, Harer was 2-2, Trent Schmidt and Gaskey were 2-5 and Cuevas was 3-5.

"Our bats were on fire from the start," said Modoc Coach Tim MacDonnell. "Cuevas tripled on the first pitch of the game and it snowballed from there."

Braves head to Small Schools after SCL meet

Several of Modoc's track athletes will be competing in the Small School meet this weekend, having placed in the top three at May 10's Shasta Cascade League championships. Only the winners will qualify for the large school finals.

League champions for the Braves were led by Chrissy Hall who won the shot put at 29-02.25; the discus at 90-10 and the high hurdles at 18.88.
Catherine Lowry won the 400 meters in 63.9 and Cam Hall won the 300-meter hurdles in 45.6.

In the junior varsity ranks, Rachel Field won the discus with an 80-4 toss, Beth Colbert won the 800 meter in 2:52.37 and Rachael Bratton won the 3200 in 16:18.39.

Second place winners at the SCL meet were: Michel Funk in the varsity 1600 meters, 5:39.53; Colbert in the JV 1600 meters, 6:38.02; Cam Hall in the 110 hurdles in 17.86; Chrissy Hall in the 300 hurdles at 56.51; Danielle Grier in the JV 300 hurdles; Lowry in the long jump at 14-6; and Rachel Field in the JV shot at 28-10.

Third place qualifiers in the SCL were: Funk in the varsity 800 at 2:38.11; Josh Wood in the varsity shot put at 37-08.

Taking fourth places at league were: Rachael Bratton in the JV 1600 meters at 7:08.15; Marielle Nardoni in the varsity 300 hurdles at 58.51; David Holloway in the varsity shot at 37-04; Wood in the discus at 89-02; Rebecca Field in the JV shot 24-01; and Amanda Hess in the varsity discus at 83-03.

Taking fifth places were: Rebecca Field in the JV discus at 69-01 and Colbert in the JV high jump 4-0. Sixth places were: Grier in the JV 1600 meters, 7:25.7, Nardoni varsity 400 in 1:12.7; John Crnkovic varsity shot 29-06.5; Chris McMasters JV shot 29-09.5 and discus 61-01; Jessica Lowden, JV shot, 18-06; and Natalie Hoy, long jump varsity 13-02.
On May 4, the team competed at the Mt. Shasta Invitational with the following first place finishers: Lowry in the varsity girls 400 meters in 65.44; Chrissy Hall in the 100 hurdles at 19.34; Cam Hall in the 300 hurdles at 45.44; and Robert Spedding in the triple jump at 40-0.75.

Second places went to: Lowry in the varsity long jump at 14-4.5; Funk in the varsity 800 meters at 2:42.1; and Rachael Bratton in the JV 3200 meters in 18:08.

Taking third places were: Funk in the varsity 1600 meters; Colbert in the JV girls 800 meters in 3:03.1; Cam Hall in the 110 hurdles at 18.34; Chrissy Hall in the 300 hurdles at 57.15; Grier in the 300 hurdles at 67.28; Rachel Field in the shot at 26-6; Chrissy Hall in the varsity discus at 89-07; and Colbert in the JV high jump at 3-8.

Fourth places went to: Marielle Nardoni in the varsity 400 at 75.33; Chrissy Hall in the shot at 27-10.25; Rebecca Field in the JV shot at 26-01; Amanda Hess in the varsity discus at 81-07; Rachel Field in the JV discus at 82-04; Nardoni in the triple jump at 25-03.25 and Kristi Zendejas in the JV triple jump at 28-01.25.

Other results were: Spedding fifth in the varsity 400 at 56.54 and David Holloway, seventh at 58.14; Grier in the JV 100 hurdles at 21.74; Hess in the shot at 25-08; Hoy in the triple jump at 24-09.25 and Spedding in the long jump at 18-08.25; Cain Madrigal seventh in the 800 meters at 2:29.4 and in the 1600 meters in 5:21.4; Kevin Richardson in the JV 800 meters in 2:54.9; Hoy in the long jump at 12-04.5; and Wood sixth in the discus at 82-11.

Modoc golf finishes second

The Modoc Golf team took second in the North Section Division II finals to East Nicholas. Modoc shot 431 and East Nicholas shot 401 on the Lake Shastina course.

Jeff Solomon led Modoc with a fine 77, Daniel Morgan shot 82, Josue Madrigal shot an 85, Dustin Philpott an 89, Keith Montague a 98 and Dustin Oates a 100.

The overall individual winner was Nick Fasiano of Shasta who shot 68. Solomon finished 13th overall.

MMS track team does well in Lakeview meet

The Modoc Middle School track team finished its season with a good meet in Lakeview competing against 11 schools.

According to coach Don Mason, eighth graders Sarah Mason and Collyn Server completed their three-year junior high track career undefeated -- Mason in the 400 and Server in the shot put.

Other first place finishers were Jonathan Morgan in the 3,000, Austin Hoy in the 1500 and James Jackson in the 100 hurdles.

Second through fourth places finishers were: Alex McQuarrie, Trent McQuarrie, Cameron Anderson, Daniel Miller, Jeff Lansen, Courtney Knoch, Hanah Gibbons, Scott Stillinger, Lady Lopez and Blake Williamson. The team was without Ashley Hoy, in the triple, long jump and 800 meters.

Mason said Miller, Brooke Hill, Mick McMaster, Candace Spedding and Jason Murdock each had personal bests.

Mason was pleased with the team's performance and is looking forward to next season, especially in the seventh grade girls and boys divisions who he said should dominate.
Next fall Mason will also be coaching the cross-country team. Anyone with interest or questions should contact Mason at Modoc Middle School or at 233-5017 in the evening.

May 24, 2007

News

Search continues for Parks murderer

Law enforcement is continuing the search for the alleged murder of Betty Lou Parks, but the search has not been fruitful. According to the Modoc District Attorney's Office, local, federal and state agencies are involved.

An arrest warrant was issued in late April by the DA Gary Woolverton for the individual identified by original murder suspect Christopher Bradbury as the actual murderer of Betty Lou Parks.

In March, Modoc Superior Court Judge Fritz Barclay accepted the plea offer in the murder case of Bradbury agreeing that there could be insufficient evidence to convict Bradbury for the 1992 murder of Parks.

There was no physical evidence linking Bradbury to the murder. That case centered on the testimony of Bradbury's former wife, Kim, and then teenager Jeremy McPike. Both of those witnesses contend that Bradbury told them years ago that he was involved in a murder in Alturas.

As a part of the plea deal, the murder charge was dropped, and Bradbury pled guilty to an accessory after the fact charge. He was sentenced to two years in state prison, with credit for time served. Bradbury remains in the Modoc County Jail, awaiting transfer to state prison.

As an additional condition, Bradbury must identify and testify against the person he said actually killed Betty Lou Parks in 1992.

Bonnie Dukes, the mother of Parks, initially opposed the plea bargain at March's hearing, but following Woolverton's argument, withdrew that opposition and supported the plea.

Governor slicing Williams Act funds

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has created a major uproar in rural counties with his May budget revision, which cuts the Williamson Act subvention to counties.

According to the State Farm Bureau, the Williamson Act cut amounts to about $40 million each year. Modoc's share of the subvention money is $160,000 last year and Lassen's is over $430,00.
Basically, the Williamson Act was passed in 1965 and is designed to protect family farms and ranches from skyrocketing property taxes. The landowners must sign a contract with the county guaranteeing the land will remain in agriculture. In return for that promise, the contract guarantees a lower property tax for that land. The state agreed to make up the difference in the tax by providing subventions to cover the loss of property tax to counties.

The Modoc County Board of Supervisor will go on record as opposing the cut.

According to the Farm Bureau, the Williamson Act is the state's most effective farmland protection program. In addition, it also is environmentally sound practice. The Governor is encouraging local government to continue with the Williamson contracts, the state just won't provide the funding.
"The only logical explanation for the decision to cut funding is the Governor needed to add an item to the list of things that the legislature would want to fund," the Farm Bureau states. "Republican Assembly members will be particularly hard hit by the cuts because they tend to represent the rural areas of the state. Of course, Republican votes are needed to approve the budget because it takes a two-thirds majority."

According to the Farm Bureau, the "most frustrating aspect of the proposal is that rural counties can't continue the program without the subventions to backfill the foregone property tax revenue. The subventions can be a significant contributor to rural county coffers, yet it is only .036 percent of one percent of the state's budget. Also if the counties decide to withdraw from the program, more land will be subdivided for home sites, many in critical watershed areas, driving up the cost of fire protection in the State Responsibility Areas.

"Finally, in order to reduce California taxpayer's property tax burden, the California Constitution exempts homeowners from paying property taxes on the first $7,000 of the assessed value of their principal place of residence. The constitution also requires the state to reimburse local governments for revenues lost due to the homeowners' exemption ($70 per home) and that amounts to $467 million per year. If just one percent of the Williamson Act's 16 million acres of protected lands converts to residential subdivision at five units per acre, the state would be required to pay an additional $56 million in the Homeowner's Property Tax Relief Subvention.

"So by eliminating the $39.1 million in Williamson Act subventions, the sate could actually lose hundreds of millions of dollars."

Modoc Resource Analyst Sean Curtis said the issue is definitely on the table for cuts right now, but things could change by the time of the state budget is actually adopted. He feels it's vital for rural counties to voice their concerns to their legislators and the governor.

Modoc Forest campgrounds set to open

Campgrounds across the Modoc National Forest are scheduled to open for Memorial Day Weekend except for those in the Medicine Lake area due to late, heavy snow.

The recent warm weather has melted the snow in the higher elevations of the Warner Mountain, Devil's Garden and Big Valley Ranger Districts and the campgrounds are now accessible to vehicle traffic.

Changes in weather conditions may cause some of the remote campgrounds to become inaccessible. Please use caution as roads are still soft and vehicles pulling trailers may be difficult to maneuver or create resource damage. Blue Lake, Mill Creek, Soup Springs, and Howard's Gulch campgrounds have potable water available and fees are $6.00 to $7.00 per night.

For more information on recreation and current road conditions, please call any of the following Forest offices: Supervisor's Office, 233-5811; Warner Mountain Ranger District, 279-6116; Big Valley Ranger District, 299-3215; Doublehead Ranger District, 667-2246.

Local agencies gear up for fire season

As the Memorial Day holiday and fire season arrives, the Lassen, Modoc and Plumas National Forests as well as Bureau of Land Management, CAL FIRE and Lassen Volcanic National Park are staffing up to seasonal levels.

The agencies are opening fire stations that have been closed for the winter, fully staffing engines, crews, lookouts and fire personnel are completing their annual required fire training.

Paul Whitcome, regional fire management officer for the BLM commented, "I've noticed recently that vegetation is much dryer than it appears and sage brush fuels, which should have higher moisture content this time of year, are drying out much earlier than usual."

This year, the Susanville Interagency Fire Center (SIFC) will be ready to respond to emergencies with a total of 35 fire engines, 19 ground crews, three helicopters, an aerial tanker and an "air attack" airplane from CAL FIRE, Lassen National Forest, Bureau of Land Management and Lassen Volcanic National Park.

With Memorial Day weekend here, area fire agencies are cautioning northstate residents and visitors to be careful with any outdoor use of fire.

"It's important to begin incorporating fire safe practices into all your outdoor activities," said Jim Hedges, a co-manager at SIFC. Hedges suggested that spring is a good time to:

Clear vegetation and create "defensible space" around homes and property. Details on defensible space can be found online at www.firewise.org.

Complete mowing and burning projects early and only on calm days. Adhere to hours and conditions on burning permits.

Plan outdoor trips, such as fishing, camping, firewood cutting and back country exploring with fire safety in mind. Be equipped with a bucket and shovel. Be sure campfires are dead out when retiring or breaking camp.

Complete firewood cutting early in the day. Ensure that chainsaws have properly functioning spark arresters.

Fire restrictions are not yet in place, but they could be implemented when fire dangers increase this summer.

Area residents should also remember that debris burning permits have been required since May 1, and will be suspended July 1. Burn permit information is available from local fire departments, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), BLM offices and Lassen National Forest Ranger District offices.

SIFC crews provide fire protection and suppression in parts of Lassen, Modoc, Butte and Tehama counties, and parts of extreme northwest Nevada.

DePaul wants Modoc Fair to be inclusive, exciting

The traditional county fair has been largely eclipsed by more spectacular venues in this modern day and age. But the recently appointed manager of the Modoc County Fair, Dannette DePaul, hopes to preserve the local, "home town" version intact and functional.

"I think that people come to the fair to see other people," said DePaul, "to visit. It's the one time of the year that they shut down their operations, and they take the time to see people they haven't seen throughout the year."

She feels that the rural county fair has the character and uniqueness that harkens back to an earlier era. "It's a social event. There are family reunions. People come home. You see people you haven't seen in years.

"Kids participate, and that brings out the parents and the grandparents," she continued. "It's just a ‘home' atmosphere, a ‘country' atmosphere, a ‘social' atmosphere."

DePaul has been a noticeable fixture in the county fair since she and her husband Darrell moved to Surprise Valley in 1992. She had been raised in the valley, and longed to return. So, while living in Manchester in Mendocino County in 1986, the DePauls purchased property in the valley and subsequently relocated there.

She soon began working in the Surprise Valley Hospital in 1992 in the Human Resources office and served as assistant to the administrator for 12 years. "I became very familiar with the happenings at the hospital."

Acting administrator since 2004, DePaul feels that her hospital administrative experience helped her win her now position as the county fair administrator. "It's so similar: I answer to a board, (and) I manage budgets," she said, explaining the resemblance between the two positions.

An active participant in the Modoc County Fair over the years, she has entered her flowers and garden vegetables into competition, as well as her needlework and photography. "I like all of it," DePaul said, "I have been a huge participant."

Her enthusiasm for the county fair led her to first apply for the managerial position in 1999, but she was not selected then. "The fair has always intrigued me," said DePaul. "I love every aspect of the fair."

When she learned recently that the former fair manager, Traci Green, would be stepping down, DePaul once again offered to take the position. "When I saw the notice in the paper, I decided to apply. And then, when I went through the interview process, they selected me," she said, denoting the pleasant surprise she felt at being chosen.

She does not know why she was chosen, what "possessed them to give me the challenge," she said, laughing. "I'm just really honored that they're giving me the opportunity."

DePaul is set to formally begin her new job this week. She has been working through the "paper process" and getting to know her responsibilities and duties in the orientation phase. "I'm just looking forward to it," she said. "I feel very honored."

More to the point, she seems humbled by the selection process. "I don't know all the candidates that applied. But from what I understand, they had an excellent pool of applicants. I feel very honored to have been chosen. And, I hope I can live up to everyone's expectations. It's a challenge, and I'm really looking forward to it."

Her predecessor, according to DePaul, already completed most of the details for this year's fair, set for August 16 thru 19. "Everything's pretty much in place. I'll just have to fine tune some of the areas."

Actually, she'll be doing two jobs for a brief period while she trains a replacement in hospital administration, "to make a smooth transition here at the hospital," and while she learns the ropes in her new role as the fair manager. "I'm going to be juggling both (jobs) for a while," DePaul said.
She already has some ideas and plans she hopes to implement in the fair, encouraging more exhibitors and more involvement by local businesses. "I'd like to work on increasing the participation," said DePaul. "I hope to work with the producers, 4-H, and FFA children to increase those exhibits."

She hopes to thereby better "explore and exploit the county," as she put it. "The fair is all about Modoc County. It's educational; it's social; it's entertaining."

The program should be more inclusive as well, according to DePaul, who expressed a desire to work with "all the producers in Modoc County."

Her enthusiasm for her new task seems unbounded. "The fair is not just Surprise Valley; it's all of Modoc County," she said. "I want to try to reach out to all areas of the county.

"It's the one, big event of the year. I want to get out there and let everybody see what Modoc County is all about."

DePaul also sees room for upgrading in the fairground facilities, in spite of some recent improvement projects.

But, perhaps her greatest challenge in doing so will be finances. "In all the rural areas, funding is an issue," DePaul said. "You have a limited amount of resources to do things, and that makes it difficult. So, I will have to come up with some creative ways to boost the budget and sponsorships."
She already has one income-producing idea to help underwrite the expenses of the 10-acre facility. "I'd like to utilize the fairgrounds more, not just for the fair."

It is to her staff that DePaul will look for help in realizing her plans. "There are a lot of people that play an instrumental role," she said. These include Eunice Eelkima, the part-time secretary; Brandie Chaote, who will oversee the livestock events; and Jerry Mento, who is in charge of grounds and maintenance.

In addition, DePaul cites the truly unsung heroes of the fair, the many volunteers who quietly give of their time and talent to make the fair possible. "There are a lot of volunteers that help out," she said. "You depend on them."

Citing a long list of events slated for this year's fair such as the dog trials, the horse show, the rancher's day events, the softball tournament, the parade and junior rodeo, DePaul also mentioned the exhibits, shows and entertainment. "There are a lot of activities going on."
She also added that the barbeques are "wonderful!"

In summary, DePaul seems ready and willing to tackle the job. "I'm just really excited and looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity."

Obituaries:

Dixie Robertson

Former Alturas resident Dixie Nadine Robertson passed away March 24, 2007 in Placerville, CA. Graveside services were held March 30 at Westwood Hills Memorial Park, 2720 Cold Spring Road, Placerville.

Dixie was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 49 years, Lewis and her oldest daughter, Wanda. Dixie was born September 21, 1934 in Proctor, Oklahoma.

Lewis and Dixie started their family in El Dorado County in 1957, where Dixie drove a school bus for Buckeye Union School District for 23 and a half years. After rearing their family, they moved to Alturas for 14 years, where Dixie was also a school bus driver for Modoc Joint Unified School District for a number of years. She was a member of Clifford Harter American Legion Auxiliary #163 for 17 years, and was President of the Auxiliary for four years.

When Lewis became ill, they returned home to spend their remaining days with their family in El Dorado County.

Dixie will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Those surviving her are her daughter Tracy; son Keith; grandchildren John, Katey, Stephanie and Mellisa; great-grandchildren, Jacey, Joelle, Kyla and Riley; and sisters Vada, Charlene, Maxine, Patty and Bobbie.

Shane A. Rossmoore

Shane Alan Rossmoore entered into rest on May 19, 2007, after a lengthy struggle with cancer. He was 58 years old, born on May 15, 1949 in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Shane was a very talented artist. He painted the background where the medals were awarded for the summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984. He was somewhat of a pool (billiards) shark and had dozens of trophies. He was a loving soul and gave his friends, family and everyone he met, a whole lot of teasing. Shane would give a helping hand to anyone who needed it. He will be greatly missed by his numerous friends and family.

Shane was preceded in death by his father. He leaves behind his mother, Lillian McKenzie and her loving companion, James Barney; brother George McKenzie; sisters Anne Talbott, husband Glenn; Debbie Northrup and husband Rex; nephews Bud Talbott, wife Mary Ann, Jess Talbott and wife Katie; Garth McKenzie and D.J. Northrup; nieces Stephanie, Tara and Alysha Northrup; great-nephews Jace and Josh Talbott and Jesse James Talbott.

The family expresses their sincerest appreciation to Dr. Chuck Colas and the entire staff of the Surprise Valley Health Care District.

Services will be held graveside at the Alturas Cemetery on Friday, May 25 at 11 a.m. A celebration of life will follow at the home of Glenn and Anne Talbott.

Edith Schaedel

After a full life, Edith Rose Schaedel, age 92, peacefully went home to be with the Lord on May 21, 2007. She was born February 21, 1915, on the family farm in rural Boston, Ohio to Charles and Edith (Sell) Schaedel – delivered by her mother while her father took the horse and buggy to bring back the midwife.

In 1959, she moved to Los Angeles, CA and in 1966, relocated to Alturas, CA, where she worked in the hospital laundry while she began preparing to build the home in Modoc Estates where she would live for the next 35 years.

After becoming acquainted with the Schluter family in 1987, she enjoyed accompanying Bob Schluter to the bull sales in Cottonwood and going to the Fort Bidwell barbecues. Frequently, she could be seen driving around town in her four-wheel drive, stick-shift Chevy Blazer, dubbed the "chicken coop" by Bob. Having a love of the outdoors and fond memories of her early years on the family farm, Edith particularly enjoyed the time she spent at the Schluter Ranch.

In 2001, due to health reason, she moved to Santa Clarita, CA where she lived with her daughter, Barbara Switzer. She enjoyed working word search puzzles, crocheting and playing with her cats, Emmy, Hummer, Tabby and Pancake. Through cards and letters, she kept in touch with her friends and family members, and looked forward to the arrival of the postal carrier each day for their response.

Preceded in death by her three brothers, Charles, Julius and Edward, she is survived by her daughter Barbara Switzer of Santa Clarita, CA and son John Kogut of Boston, Ohio; three grandchildren Traci Lynes, Brenda Kogut and Jon Kogut of Ohio; six great-grandchildren: Mackenzie Lynes, Jackson Lynes, Henry Lynes, Carter Lynes, Caitlyn Kogut and Dakota Kogut of Ohio; three nephews: Don Schaedel of Raymond, CA, Richard Schaedel of Ravenna, Ohio and Robert Munro of Akron, Ohio.
Everyone who knew Edith loved her sweet smile and cute sense of humor. We'll all miss you, Mom.
Services and interment will be held at Chapel of the Oaks, Eternal Valley Memorial Park, Newhall, 10 a.m. Thursday, May 24. Services are under the direction of J.T. Oswald Mortuary, San Fernando, CA (818) 362-6283.

Joan Norman

Joan Norman passed away on May 14, 2007, after fighting a disease for over a year – that in the end took her life. There are so many ways to describe Joan. To her parents, she was a loving, wonderful daughter. To her friends, she was a real fireball with a zest for life. Joan was the kind of person who always spoke her mind; could find something good to say about you and who was a fierce champion for her animals.

Joan was a collector of many things- but all of them, even the seemingly ordinary, held a special place in her heart. To all those who knew Joan, she was resilient, persistent, independent, irreverent – and most of all, loved to laugh.

Joan was born on July 29, 1946 in Mount Holly, New Jersey. She was the mother of Daniel Higgins – her first and most important love. For 18 years, she shared her life with her husband Marc of California Pines. Joan is survived by her mother and father, Paul and Sara Morales, and her brother

Paul J. Morales.

Joan's wishes were to be cremated and her ashes spread over the ocean off the coast of Santa Cruz, a place that she always wanted to return to.

We will always love you Joan.

JODY SMITH (WINJE)

Joann (Jody)Audrey Smith passed away on Sunday, May 20, at the Surprise Valley Hospital, Cedarville, CA. She was born December 3, 1929 in San Francisco. Her father Albert Theodore Smith, (known as A-T) manufactured the Scripts booth vehicles in Seattle, Washington prior to the stock crash, and later built a trucking company in San Jose, CA. Her mother Josephine (Hartman) Smith was an accomplished homemaker.

Jody was raised in Redwood City, where she roamed the San Francisco Peninsula on her horse Bonnie as a young girl growing up. She was raised a horsewoman and continued to ride horses into her middle years.

In 1947, Jody was in Reno for the Grand Opening of the Mapes Hotel. In 1948, at the age of 19, Jody was crowned Queen of the Reno Rodeo. Her long affiliation with horses took her to Hollywood where she joined the Screen Extras Guild and participated in several movies as a horse rider and most notably in the film, Westward the Women where she specialized in driving six up and eight up wagons. Jody was well liked and became friends with many of the movie cowboys of that era.

After Hollywood, Jody relocated to Northern California where she and her brother Jim owned and operated a small motel in Shingle Springs for several years. She later moved to Lake Tahoe. In the 1970's, while living at Tahoe, she wrote and illustrated a book, The Three Pebbles, which she had published. She gave copies of this book away rather than sell them. Also during this time, she was employed by Harrah's Club where she worked 10 years directly with Bill Harrah as his event coordinator/decorator.

Following her employment with Harrah's, Jody moved to Doyle, California where she single handedly turned two acres of bare desert into a lush garden spot in a few short years. In 1982, while living in Doyle, she met Russ Winje. They moved to Surprise Valley in 1987. They lived as husband and wife for 20 years. While Jody had no children of her own, she and Russ raised his two children, Zev and Lanaya, on the ranch they bought together. With her green thumb and vast knowledge of plants and organic practices, they turned the old Martinez ranch into a garden spot. Jody was a consistent winner at the county fair in Cedarville for many years with her garden produce, theme displays and houseplants. Jody felt she had at last found her true home in the Valley.

Jody was well known and loved in the Valley and made many friends. While she didn't get out much, her home was always open to welcome a guest or visitor.

Her maternal grandfather was Native American and for the last five years Jody has been studying her past and connecting with her Native roots. She waited most of her life to make this connection and it gave her much peace to do so. She was a loving and generous person and will be missed by many who knew her and loved her.

Her parents and brother predeceased her. She is survived by a niece, Christine Smith of Lake Tahoe, Eric Smith of Las Vegas, and a half sister Sandy Martin of Illinois.

A memorial service is planned for June 9 at 11 a.m. at Lake City Fire Hall.

Thelma E. Gooch

Thelma Elaine Gooch, age 92, of Grants Pass, OR died Friday, May 18, 2007 at an adult foster home.
A graveside service was held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 23 at Cedarville Cemetery in Cedarville, CA. Thelma's grandson, Rick Hayes conducted the service.

Thelma Elaine Welch was born November 15, 1914, in Mandon, CA to George and Goldie Welch and grew up in Davis Creek, CA. On January 12, 1936, she married Winfred Gooch of Cedarville, CA. In 1948, they moved from New Pine Creek, CA to Grants Pass with three children. During her working years, Thelma was head cook at Fruitdale Elementary School. Also, she and Winfred were assistant managers of the Oregon Caves for seven years. The last seven years of Thelma's life were spent at Hollingsworth Adult Foster Care Home in Grants Pass where she received loving care.
She was a member of the Fruitdale School Board, PTA and Fruitdale Grange. She was very involved in Redwood Christian Church where among other things, she served as a Sunday school teacher.
Thelma volunteered as both a leaders for Brownies and Girl Scouts.

Her hobbies included gardening, sewing, cake decorating and coppertooling.

Survivors include a son, Phillip C. Gooch and his wife Elizabeth of Grants Pass; two daughter, Goldie A. Hayes and her husband Dick Hayes of Napa, CA; Evelyn A. McFarland and her husband Barry of Williams, OR; two sisters, Carolyn Smith of Sacramento and Shirley Linderman of Dunsmuir, CA; a brother, George Welch of Idaho; five grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Thelma was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, a sister and her husband Winfred.

Hull & Hull Funeral Directors were in charge of arrangements.

Remembrances may be made to Lovejoy Hospice, 939 SE Eight Street, Grants Pass, OR 97526.

Sports

Braves win section baseball title

Modoc's Braves won the North Section Division III varsity baseball title Saturday with an 8-4 win over Colusa at Lassen College in Susanville.

The Braves upset Mt. Shasta 19-3 in the opening game of the playoffs then dropped top-ranked Esparto 4-2 in the semi-finals.

"I am so proud of these guys," said coach Tim MacDonnell. "Nobody expected us to be here. We jut got hot at the right time and really got on a roll. It was an exciting run.

Modoc finished fourth in the Shasta Cascade League, with a mediocre 6-6 record, but in the playoffs got ride the arm of their strongest pitcher, Jesse Harer.

In the Colusa Game, Harer only got to go three innings, having tossed seven in the Esparto game. High School pitchers are only allowed to throw 10 innings each week. He allowed one run, five hits, struck out three and walked one. Justin Estes got the save, pitching two-and-two-thirds innings, allowing no runs on two hits. Trent Schmidt pitched one-and-a-third innings, giving up three runs on three hits and three walks.

Modoc and Colusa each scored a run in the first inning; Modoc added four in the third and three in the fourth. Colusa picked up three runs in the fifth.

"Jesse was only allowed to throw three innings due to the fact that he had thrown seven in the win over Esparto," said MacDonnell. "He looked great and I wish we could have kept him in, but Trent and Justin really stepped it up and did a great job in relief."

Harer also helped himself at the plate, going 2-for-3 and driving in three runs. Bill Hammerness went 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Estes and John Hughes each had a hit.
It's somewhat unusual for a team to win the section championship after finishing in the middle it its league. The Braves finished behind Fall River, Mt. Shasta and Etna in the Shasta Cascade League.

Harer led the league in home runs this year, with eight, and was second in the section. He was also third in batting average with a .483. Hammerness won the league batting title with his .507 average and was second in RBI with 37.

Philpott makes Junior Nationals program

Modoc High School Senior Dustin Philpott has been named to the USA Junior Nationals high school basketball competition.

Philpott was selected after "an outstanding performance" in the USA Junior Nationals all-state high school basketball competition in Las Vegas April 29. He's now invited to the USA Junior Nationals International Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, July 23-29.

Based in Ann Arbor, MI, the USA Junior Nationals provides one of the top amateur competitions in the United States and offers its program to all athletes who have a high talent level in basketball and want to develop their skills and techniques through statewide, national and international competition. Information about the players is provided to educational institutions throughout the U.S. and Canada for possible scholarship opportunities.

Philpott will be playing on a team formed from the California, Arizona and Nevada Junior National competition to represent that area. In Ohio, he'll compete with that team in a week-long pool play tournament and double elimination National Championship tournament against the top varsity players from across the U.S. and Canada.

Dustin is the son of Susan Philpott of Alturas. He plans on attending College of the Siskiyous in Weed this fall. He'd like to thank Modoc High Coach Bunk Richardson for the extra help and Tony and Penny Cruse of Eagle Peak Sand and Gravel for the travel expenses.

Fishing derby set at Ash Creek

The 12th Annual Pit River Rod and Gun Club and Department of Fish and Game Club Junior Fishing Derby is scheduled for June 16, at the Ash Creek Wildlife Area.

Applications are available at the Ash Creek Wildlife Area Office and Adin Supply. For more information call 294-5824.

May 31, 2007

News

Parks' murder suspect arrested Friday

The suspect in the 1992 murder of Betty Lou Parks was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation last Friday afternoon in Casper, Wyoming. He remains in custody in the Natrona County Jail, and has refused to waive extradition. His identity has not been released because he was a juvenile at the time of the crime.

An arrest warrant was issued in late April by Modoc District Attorney Gary Woolverton for this suspect after Christopher Bradbury identified him as the actual murderer of Betty Lou Parks. Local law enforcement, the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were involved in the search. Bradbury was arrested last May and charged with the murder of Parks. He continually denied killing the young girl.

The new suspect will face a court hearing to decide whether to try him as an adult, which is what happened in the Bradbury case.

In March, the county accepted a plea offer in the murder case of Bradbury based on insufficient evidence to convict Bradbury for the murder.

As a part of the plea deal, the murder charge was dropped, and Bradbury pled guilty to an accessory after the fact charge. He was sentenced to two years in state prison, with credit for time served. Bradbury was transferred from the Modoc County Jail to the High Desert Correctional facility in Susanville Tuesday morning.

As an additional condition of his plea, Bradbury must identify and testify against the suspect just arrested in Wyoming.

Bonnie Dukes, the mother of Parks, initially opposed the plea bargain, but following Woolverton's argument, with