News
Odd weather still on play, no change soon
The Alturas area ended December with one of the driest months on record, with just .10 inches of precipitation measured, well below the average of 1.56 inches.
And there has been no moisture in January, with none expected through Monday. Normal January precipitation is 1.54 inches, but last year only .43 inches was measured. In addition, this week, the forecast was calling for daytime temperatures in the 60’s. The record high for January was 69 degrees in 1961.
Since July, only 1.69 inches of precipitation has been measured, well below the normal of 5.5 inches. The area was actually very wet from March through June when 7.2 was measured. Normal precipitation for that period is 4.72 inches.
Proposed amendments to SRA fee regulations
A more defined State Responsibility Area fire protection fee structure has been proposed by the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, according to the Regional Council of Rural Counties.
The amendments include a change in the definition of "habitable structure" which now includes only structures for residential use (i.e., government buildings are now excluded), as well as a clearer definition of "dwelling unit."
The “Dwelling Unit” for purposes of this implementation is a unit providing independent living facilities for one or more persons, including provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation. Mobile and manufactured homes and condominiums are considered as dwelling units.
The Fire Board will be hearing the amendments at its January 11, 2012 Board meeting, which will be held at 8 a.m. at the California Resources Agency building. 1416 9th St., Sacramento, CA. Comments should be sent to the Board before the hearing at Board.public.comments@fire.ca.gov.
The Board has been directed by the legislature to impose a
$150 fee per habitable structure that will provide funding necessary for fire prevention activities on July 1, 2013 and at its June meeting prior to each
subsequent July 1.
Property owners of habitable structures within SRA and also within the boundaries of a local agency that provides fire protection services may receive a reduction of thirty-five dollars ($35.00) per habitable structure.
Hospitals continue to bleed money
Both local hospitals in Modoc, Surprise Valley and Modoc Medical Center in Alturas continue to struggle to make a profit.
Both are in hospital districts, with each collecting property taxes to help offset operating costs.
For November 2011, MMC reported a loss of $102,988, better than November 2010 when it lost $170,347. The facilities’ year to date loss is $694,377.
Surprise Valley Hospital reports a loss of $19,951 for November 2011, compared to a profit of $24,894 in November 2010. Their current year to date loss is $163,547.
MMC reports an overall decrease in patient revenue of $70,088 for the month, with in-patient down from $999,251 in November 2010 to $908,781 for November 2011. Outpatient revenue increased by $20,381.
Modoc will have a 2012 Fair
There will be a Modoc Fair this year, but it will depend more on local support and contributions as it’s running on reserve funding.
“California is in dire straights financially and the very existence of our Fair is in jeopardy,” said Fair Manager Dannette DePaul. “Public funding has been cut to the bone and completely eliminated. The Modoc District Fair will be operating on reserve funds for 2012, however, the loss of state fair funding has significantly impacted daily operations.”
She said in spite of California’s deep recession, fairs collaboratively proved a source of economic growth and stability for the state. Attendance during the 2011 Fair season rose to an estimated 14 million statewide – about a 10 percent increase from the previous year and Fairs generated a record $165 million in tax revenue to state and local governments.
“In spite of this, without traditional state funding sources our revenue stream will be seriously affected,” said DePaul. “Our continued success relies on the success of our Fair and revenues derived through interim events and the rental of our facility year round. We are fortunate to have incredible community supporters and are confident that our community will continue to show their support through these challenging economic times. As always, we sincerely appreciate everyone’s support and all of our volunteers. If you would like to learn more about opportunities for giving, please give me a call or contact me via email.”
People may contact the fair office by telephone: 530-279-2315, Fax 530-279-2555, e-mail: mdocfair@frontiernet.net or mail: P.O. Box 26, Cedarville, CA 96104.
Obituaries
William “Bill” Benner
Major William D. Benner, USMC (Retired), passed away peacefully at his home in Eagleville, California, with his beloved wife by his side on December 29, 2011.
Bill was born June 23, 1938, in Reno, Nevada to Elwood E. Benner and Cleo (Parker) Benner. He was the youngest of their three children.
Memorial services will be Friday, January 6, 2012, 1:00 p.m. at the Eagleville Church. A wake will follow at the Eagleville Community Hall. Interment will be with military honors, Cedarville Cemetery at a later date.
Donations may be made to the Dr. Roberts Fund or the Surprise Valley Hospital, PO Box 246, Cedarville, CA 96104.
Robert R. Reeves
Robert Richard “Bob” Reeves, 86, of Eagleville, California passed away at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada on December 20, 20ll, after suffering a stroke three days earlier.
Bob was born May 12, 1925, in Alameda, California, the only child of William Achel and Ramona Margaret Haymond Reeves.
Services will be held on January 7, 2012 at 2:00 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Cedarville, CA. A private consecration of the grave and interment was held previously at the Eagleville Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a charity of your choice. Contributions to the Surprise Valley Healthcare District or the Humane Society would be especially appreciated.
Luther Philip “Phil” Rychard
Former Alturas resident Luther Philip Rychard, 71, of Corning, CA passed away on December 12, 2011 from complications from lung cancer.
Phil was born April 22, 1940 in Yoncalla, OR to Cash and Kate Rychard.
A Celebration of Life service for Phil will be held on January 7, 2012 at the Westside Grange at 11:00 a.m., with private interment in the Westside Cemetery. A potluck dinner will be served in the Grange hall following the services.
Contributions in the memory of Phil may be made to the Westside Cemetery District, 15188 Westside Road, Lakeview OR 97630 or Nor Cal Engine & Tractor Club, 21670 Rusty Lane, Palo Cedro, CA 96073 or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Desert Rose Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Jeanne E. Brooks
A service to honor the life and love of Jeanne E. Brooks of Alturas will be held at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 310 North St., Alturas on January 7 at 11 a.m. Mrs. Brooks passed away Dec. 22, 2010 in Alturas. Memorial donations may be directed to St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 310 W. North Street, Alturas, CA 96101.
Sports
Modoc wrestlers head to Anderson
The Modoc wrestling team heads to the 50-school Anderson Invitational this weekend after a tough 96-school tournament in Reno last weekend.
Modoc Coach Shaun Wood said the Reno invite always has some of the toughest wrestlers in the region and Anderson will attract some of the top state wrestlers from the Sacramento area.
In Reno, Modoc heavyweight Jeremy Brandsted went 3-2 and was just out of the medals. Colton Reed also did well, going 2-2 and Zack Ratliff also had a good tourney going 2-2.
Wood explained that in Reno, the brackets had 64 wrestlers each and the top eight placed. “Pretty tough competition,” he said.
While no Modoc Brave placed in Reno, Wood said they gained some valuable experience. He expects some of his wrestlers to place in the top seven or eight at Anderson.
Going into the Shasta Cascade League season, Wood expects Chester to win the league, but figures the section race will be between Modoc and Durham.
Basketball enters league play
Modoc basketball enters Shasta Cascade League play against Fall River Jan. 10 here and travels to Weed Jan. 13.
The Brave girls come into the SCL in second place with a 7-3 record, behind Weed’s 9-1 mark. Fall River is at 6-4, Etna 3-7, Mt. Shasta 2-6 and Burney 0-6.
In Division Five, the Braves are ranked sixth behind Hamilton, East Nicolaus, Weed, Portola, and Colusa.
“Our first week will tell a lot,” said coach Bill Hall. “We are home to Fall River and then travel to Weed. Weed has only lost one game, but did not face a very tough pre-season. They are coming off a junior varsity championship. Fall River is tough while the others are just average with Burney not having won a game yet.”
Modoc will be without Ashley Hoy who is lost for the season with a knee injury. Hoy started and was a key player on both the offensive and defensive ends.
He said the Braves junior varsity still looks strong and for the first time in years Modoc could be looking at dual SCL championships.
Modoc’s varsity boys start the league season with a 7-5 record, behind Fall River at 9-2 and Mt. Shasta at 8-4. Weed is at 406, Burney 3-7 and Etna 0-7.
Modoc is ranked seventh in Division Five, behind Liberty Christian, Fall River, Chester, Mt. Shasta, Colusa, and Durham.
Modoc Coach Keith Weber expects to challenge for the SCL title, but has to open against Fall River Jan. 10 here. He hopes the home court advantage will give his team the edge.
Modoc is also blessed with a very strong junior varsity boy’s team which came out of pre-season with an 8-1 record.
News
MJUSD seeks public input on budget issues
The Modoc Joint Unified School District is now at about $1 million in deficit spending, and there will be some serious discussions started at the January 17 meeting. That meeting will be held at the Modoc Middle School Gym.
According to MJUSD Superintendent Mike Martin, there are one-time funds that will cover about three-fourths of the deficit, but there are going to be some changes in programs and the district wants to hear from the public concerning the public’s priorities. Any changes would be implemented in the next school year.
An early retirement package was offered to teachers this year and five long-time teachers took advantage of the program, said Martin. That means some programs may need to be changed if the positions aren’t replaced. One of those programs involves the elementary school music program and another could be the future of South Fork Elementary School in Likely. There could also be some changes in the works for alternative education programs.
Martin said he sees two priorities governing the district’s forward planning: first, that educational services to the students are maintained and second, that fiscal management of the district is solid.
“We have to do what’s best for the kids,” Martin said. “We need the public’s input, and we want the public to tell us what they think. We want to be able to manage the district to do the right thing, and we want to continue to provide a high quality education program.”
Martin stresses that some funding from the state and federal levels will probably be diminishing, and some of the future funding will depend on a November proposition offered by Governor Jerry Brown. The voters will have the chance to vote for an increase in sales tax to cover the state budget projection.
Bullock leads Supervisors 2012
Modoc County Supervisor Jeff Bullock will serve as Chairman of the Board for 2012, elected Tuesday by a 3-2 margin. He was nominated by Shorty Crabtree and that nomination was seconded by Patricia Cantrall.
Geri Byrne was selected as vice-chair.
The nomination of Bullock apparently surprised some members of the Board, and the confusion was palatable. Crabtree said he felt it was Bullock’s turn to have the gavel. Generally, the Board changes chairpersons each January.
County, city positions on June 5 election
The June 5 primary election will have a majority of seats open on the Modoc County Board of Supervisors and on the Alturas City Council.
The County Supervisor seats opening are those of Shorty Crabtree, Patricia Cantrall and Jeff Bullock. City Council seats up this year are those of John Schreiber, Bobby Ray and Cheryl Nelson.
In addition, Alturas City Clerk Cary Baker will be up for election.
None of the incumbents have stated definitively whether they will run for re-election, although several are expected to seek another term.
Candidates have between now and February 23 to collect signatures for the signature in lieu of filing fee period and the candidate nomination period is between Feb. 13 and March 9. If an incumbent does not file for re-election, the nomination period is extended to March 14.
New hospital plan not under contract
While there appears to be some consternation about the plan and cost to build a new hospital to replace Modoc Medical Center, there has been no contract signed.
A cost of $42 million was discussed at a Last Frontier Hospital District Board meeting, by the consultants.
“There is no contract at this point,” said Chief Executive Officer Monica Derner. “The $42 million number came from Sanderling’s presentation when they were here in December presenting the schematic drawings they were engaged to do with the grant funds. In their opinion, the $42 million was the optimal option. The board has yet to agree to that floor plan, much less committing to the cost of that option. There are places we can scale back and reduce costs. We haven’t even picked a site yet. So this is all very premature.”
Obituaries:
Vondalee Milton
Vondalee Mulroney Milton has always been one to keep her family and friends close to her heart and has never forgotten her Irish roots. Born to Merlyn E. Mulroney and Wanda Mae McClelland in Susanville, CA on December 1, 1939, Vondalee, who came to be known as Vonda, graduated from Lassen High School in 1957 and Reno Business College in 1960. She married high school sweetheart Russell E. Milton on April 30, 1960 in Reno, NV
Vonda passed away peacefully on January 9, 2012 in Alturas with her husband by her side. She will be dearly missed.
Services will be held on January 21, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 310 North St, Alturas, CA 96101.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to High Desert Hospice, 112 E. 2nd St, Alturas, CA 96101 or Alturas Community Theater, 127 S. Main St, Alturas, CA 96101
Vonda’s family so appreciates all your kind actions, thoughts and prayers during this time.
Gordon Heughen
Gordon Heughen, Jr. died January 2 at Modoc Medical Center in Alturas. He was born April 26, 1926 in Portland, Oregon.
The Alturas Veterans will hold a full military honors memorial service on Saturday, January 14, 11 a.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall in Alturas. He will be interred in the Northern California Veteran’s Cemetery in Igo, Ca. Gordon will be greatly missed.
Mae Walz
Mae Elizabeth Smith Walz, age 94, went to be with Our Lord January 1, 2012. Mrs. Walz passed away in Alturas, CA, her home since 1977.
Mae was born May 20, 1917 in Altoona, PA to the late John B. and Susan Smith. She was married to Charlie M. Walz on July 13, 1942.
Burial will be at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California. A graveside service will be held on January 10. Reverend Harold Peterson is to officiate.
A memorial Service for Mae will be held at the Faith Baptist Church in Alturas, CA on January 14 at 10:00 a.m. with Pastor Rod Bodmer officiating.
Linda Plumer Mathis
Linda Sue Plumer Mathis born January 25, 1965 in Alturas, CA was killed in a tragic accident in Reno, NV on December 30, 2011 along with her husband Robert Mathis. They were residents of Incline Village, NV.
No services are planned at this time. A memorial run will be held at a later date.
Winifred Mendiboure
Winifred Mendiboure, matriarch of the sprawling Mendiboure Ranch on Madeline Plains, passed away at the age of 81 on January 5, 2012 at Surprise Valley Hospital, Cedarville. Born on July 3, 1930 in Placerville,
Mrs. Mendiboure’s obituary will be published at a future date.
Ardis Sweeney
Ardis Zetave Wilkerson Sweeney, 85, of Winnemucca, NV passed away Thursday December 29, 2011. She was born on April 18, 1926 in Reno, Nevada to Louis and Mary Wilkerson. She was raised in Midas, Nevada and lived the majority of her life in Winnemucca with stays in Bidwell, California
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday January 7, 2012 at the Albertson Funeral Home in Winnemucca, NV. Those wishing to leave condolences for the family may do so at www.albertsonfuneralhome.com. A graveside service and burial will take place at the Fort Bidwell Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. Saturday January 14, 2012.
Tamara Chace Howell
Tamara “Tammi” Chace Howell of Cedarville, passed away January 4, 2012 in Cedarville. Born on Nov. 14, 1955, in Alturas, CA, Tammi attended Modoc High School and spent most of her years in Modoc County.
A Memorial Service will be at a later date to be announced. Her ashes will be scattered by family and friends. She is survived by her daughter Michelle Love of Benington, Vermont; brother Dr. Stan Chace, Lake Shastina, CA; sister Cheryl Chace, Alturas, as well as several nieces and nephews. Also survived by her good friend and longtime companion Doug Warrens of Cedarville, CA. Donations may be directed to Surprise Valley Hospital. Tammi’s wish was granted, to be a tissue donor, in order to help others with medical needs.
Sports
Braves lose openers to Bulldogs
Modoc’s boys and girls varsity basketball teams lost their Shasta Cascade league openers to Fall River here Tuesday night. They head to Weed Friday night.
Fall River hit a game winning show with three seconds left to drop the boys 59-57. The Bulldogs led 15-13 in the first and Modoc took a 26-24 lead by half. The Braves increased the lead to 43-39 after three, but Fall River won the fourth period 20-14.
Cam Anderson led with 15 points; Brett Boudreaux added 12 and Riley Larranaga 10.
Modoc’s girls got off to a slow start, trailing 15-9 in the first and 30-17 by halftime. They put up 14 to Fall River’s four in the third and both teams scored eight in the fourth.
Cheyenne King led the Braves with 18 points, Monicah Eppler added eight and Courtney Knoch seven.
Modoc’s junior varsity boys beat Fall River 50-40. They took a 13-4 first quarter lead and led 25-12 at the half. The score after three was 37-28.
Modoc wrestlers head to Lassen
After three very big and tough wrestling tournaments, the Braves will head to Lassen this weekend. While it will be a smaller tourney, it will still have some strong competition.
The Braves participated in the 50-school Anderson tourney last weekend, with about 40 wrestlers competing in each weight class. In order to place, a wrestler had to win at least five matches. The Braves team placed 25th out of 50.
Colton Reid took an eighth place in the 170-pound bracket and Jeremy Brandsted took eighth at heavyweight. While no other Brave placed, Modoc coach Shaun Wood said he is pretty happy with the progress the team is making individually and sees them getting much better week to week.
“I’m very happy with the way the kids are working,” he said. “They’re improving, they’re fighting hard and they don’t get gassed (winded) in a tough match.”
Wood expects Reid, Brandsted, Basileo Hernandez, Ethan Dunn, Benny Bevil, Zack Ratliff, Matt Froeming, Matthew Server, Cory Hall and several others to do very well this weekend.
News
No ‘backroom deals’ in sale of County buildings
While the sale of some county buildings is a big part of County Chief Administrator Officer Chester Robertson’s plan to deal with the county’s $13 million “debt,” the issue remains largely in the shadows.
Some people have expressed concern that “backroom” deals may be in the works, but Robertson said this week that the details will be forthcoming in the near future. He said the issues are complicated, but progress and more light should be shed on the project soon.
In addition, not everyone is on wholly board with Robertson’s plan, including some county officials and at least one Supervisor. The plan does have support in other arenas and with most officials, and once the actual details are opened in a public meeting the discussions will crystallize.
“The sale of public buildings will be publicly noticed via California government code, and require public hearings,” Robertson said in response to a backroom deal question. “You may choose to call it backroom deals but we simply have drummed up public interest anywhere possible by putting the word out there that the county intends to sell buildings in its plan. Pretty much ask anyone around me, and they will tell you I am always telling people to let us know if they know any potential buyers and to send 'em our way. Never know who may be out there. We've tried to compile a list of interested parties, so that if or when they're put up for sale, we have someone to send bid forms besides the newspapers. I would call this doing my job.”
He also welcomes anyone interesting in the buildings to contact him for information.
Robertson said one of the first things that has to happen is an appraisal of the buildings in question. Those include the Belli Building (Social Services) the Fourth Street Complex and perhaps some Oak Street properties. Robertson is hoping to raise between $2.5 and $3 million from the sale of the buildings. His view is that will reduce the amount the county has to finance with bonds to solve the debt issue.
State Fire fee facing opposition, change
The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has adopted the State Responsibility Area fire fee, including some changes.
According to Board Executive Officer Eric Huff, the Board adopted the regulation in December, but was withdrawn to make substantive changes to address some of the Legislative Analyst Office’s concerns.
These changes include: striking out “non residential structure” from the definition of a habitable structure; striking out references to “state fire plan” and $125 fee for multi-dwelling structures.
During the public comment period of the hearing the following issues were noted: fee level of $150 may have adverse impacts on local governments; concerns about mis-designation/ misclassification of SRA areas.
In addition, there are several agencies opposed to the fee itself.
The County Supervisors Association of California opposes the fee and emergency regulations. It has concerns about its effect on local programs and mutual aid and needs clarification of definitions of habitual structures.
The Regional Council of Rural Counties is also opposed, wanting greater definition of habitual structure and dwelling units.
State Assemblyman Jim Nielsen has introduced Assembly Bill 1506 as a principal coauthor, which would eliminate the SRA fee, a 'Fire Tax' of up to $150 per structure as determined by the Board of Forestry, imposed in rural areas.
“Besides being unnecessary and potentially unconstitutional, the Fire Tax is also unfair,” said Nielsen. “Many homeowners already pay extra property taxes for fire protection and now they will be taxed twice for the same level of service.”
City Council, Supervisor election on June 5 ballot
Three seats on the Alturas City Council and three seats on the Modoc County Board of Supervisors are up for election this year.
The County Supervisor seats opening are those of Shorty Crabtree, Patricia Cantrall and Jeff Bullock. City Council seats up this year are those of John Schreiber, Bobby Ray and Cheryl Nelson.
In addition, Alturas City Clerk Cary Baker will be up for election.
Cantrall said she is undecided at this time, while Crabtree has indicated he may not run. Bullock has said he will seek re-election.
Dahle to run for state office
Lassen County Supervisor Brian Dahle has announced his candidacy for the California First Assembly District.
“I could not stand idly by and let Sacramento continue down the path of self destruction,” he said. “Our children and families are currently saddled with an unbalanced state budget, a bloated bureaucracy, and one of the largest tax burdens in the nation.”
Supervisor Dahle’s campaign promises to sponsor a balanced budget amendment, reduce the size of state government, and remove state regulations that stifle economic freedom.
“The state of California has placed shackles that have restrained you and your family’s ability to prosper. I want to change that and give hope and prosperity to all Californian’s,” he said.
Obituaries:
Vondalee M. Milton
Services for Vondalee Milton will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 310 North St., Alturas.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to High Desert Hospice, 112 E. 2nd St, Alturas, CA 96101 or Alturas Community Theater, 127 S. Main St, Alturas,
Delphine DeHaven
Delphine DeHaven, age 67, passed away January 14, 2012 in Reno, Nevada. Delphine lived in Alturas, CA with her husband of 48 years, Larry DeHaven. She was born October 22, 1944 to Willie and Irene Fletcher in Portola, CA.
A private family memorial will be held at a later date.
Jed Parkinson
Jed Burnell Parkinson, 54, of Alturas, CA, passed away unexpectedly January 12, 2012 at Renown Medical Center in Reno, NV. He was born in Logan, Utah, on June 26, 1957 to Burnell C. and Rhonda Parkinson. He was raised in Wellsville, Utah and made his home in Alturas in 1997.
A memorial service will also be held in Alturas on Sunday, February 12 at 4:00 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, Main St. In lieu of flowers Tammy and her two daughters are requesting that donations be made to the Alturas Elks’ scholarships fund, after which an annual scholarship will be established in Jed’s name c/o Alturas Elks Lodge BPOE 1756, 619 N. Main St., Alturas, CA 96101.
Mary Bunyard
Mary J. Bunyard, 82, of Cedarville, CA passed away January 17, 2012, at the Surprise Valley Hospital Nursing Home. Services will begin with a Rosary on Sunday, January 22, at 6 p.m. at St. James Catholic Church in Cedarville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. James Catholic Church on Monday, Jan. 23 at 11 a.m. Burial to follow at the Cedarville Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Surprise Valley Hospital. Mrs. Bunyard’s obituary will follow in a future issue. Arrangements by Kerr Mortuary.
Sports
Braves top Weed
Modoc’s boy’s varsity basketball team beat the Weed Cougars 48-34 Friday night, using a 17-point fourth period to cement the win.
The Braves led 23-16 at halftime and 31-25 after three, but blew it open in the fourth while holding Weed to just nine points.
Brett Boudreaux led the scoring with 18, Cam Anderson added eight and Riley Larranaga seven.
Modoc beat Mt. Shasta here Tuesday night 57-52 in a tight game. The Bears led 16-14 in the first and Modoc took a 28-25 lead by halftime. Modoc increased its lead with a good third period 44-34, but the Bears cut into the lead with an 18-13 point fourth period advantage.
Anderson led the Braves with 17 points and Boudreaux added 15.
Modoc’s varsity girl’s team lost to the Cougars 40-31. The game had Modoc up 20-16 at halftime and 28-22 after three. Weed blew it open with an 18-3 fourth quarter. Cheyenne King led with 11 points.
The Braves lost to Mt. Shasta Tuesday night 38-30. The Bears led 19-13 at halftime and 29-21 after three. Each team scored nine in the fourth. Jodi Boudreaux led with 12 points and Courtney Knoch added nine.
Modoc junior varsity girls lost to Weed 28-23 in a low scoring game. Weed led 13-10 at hafltime and 19-16 after three. Kelsey Clay led the Braves with seven points and Jordon Marquardt added six.
The JV girls beat Mt. Shasta 39-34 in a tight game. The Bears led 10-8 in the first and Modoc took a 20-19 lead at halftime. The Braves got up 27-23 after three and won the fourth period 12-11. Clay had 12, Marquardt 10 and Lily Hallmark eight.
Modoc’s junior varsity boys team lost to Weed 50-39, suffering a poor first half shooting effort. They played a good defensive game, but shot just 4-for-27 in the first half scoring 13 points. They picked it up in the third quarter and trailed 35-30 going into the fourth, but Weed added 15 to Modoc’s nine in the final stanza. Tristan Axelrod and Ben Jones each scored 11.
The boys also lost to Mt. Shasta 69-40 on Tuesday. The Bears buried Modoc 21-5 in the first period and led 34-14 at halftime. The score stood at 47-28 after three.
Pair of Braves take Lassen titles
Two of Modoc’s wrestlers won the Lassen Invitational tournament last weekend in Susanville. The team is idle this weekend and heads to Durham next Friday and then to Corning on Saturday.
Colton Reed won his 170-pound division and Zack Ratliff won the 195-pound bracket.
Jeremy Brandsted took a third at heavyweight and Basileo Hernandez snagged a fourth. Ethan Dunn took a fourth at 126 pounds. Matt Froeming took sixth at 220 pounds and Steve Aceves was fifth at 106 pounds.
Overall the team placed seventh out of 17 schools, most of which were large schools.
“Overall, I was very happy with how the team wrestled,” said coach Shaun Wood. “A lot of the guys won matches and are showing real improvement.”
News
New Supervisor boundaries used for election
The June election will be based upon the new Supervisor District boundaries, which are different following the reapportionment approved last year. Maps of those new boundaries will be reprinted in the Record next week, and are available from the County Clerk’s office.
Three seats on the Alturas City Council and three seats on the Modoc County Board of Supervisors are up for election this year.
The County Supervisor seats opening are those of District Four’s Shorty Crabtree, District’s Three’s Patricia Cantrall and District Two’s Jeff Bullock. City Council seats up this year are those of John Schreiber, Bobby Ray and Cheryl Nelson.
In addition, Alturas City Clerk Cary Baker will be up for election.
Cantrall remains undecided at this time, while Crabtree has not made an official announcement on his intentions. Bullock has said he will seek re-election.
Storms improve water picture
The series of storms over the past week have improved the water picture in this area, but levels remain below seasonal averages.
As of Wednesday, .74 inches of precipitation had fallen in Alturas, still below the average to date in January of 1.12 inches. The monthly average for January is 1.54 inches. More rain is expected Thursday, but clearing is expected for the weekend. The wettest day was Jan. 20 with .34 inches of moisture and Jan. 23 with .21 inches.
While Alturas experienced about four inches of snow on Monday, an overnight rainstorm on Tuesday melted most of the snow.
Still, some of the mountain snow pack showed improvement. By Wednesday, Cedar Pass had 16 inches of snow at 7,100 feet, Adin Mountain had 11 inches, and Dismal Swamp had 31 inches. Those are all below averages.
Modoc facing major jump in solid waste fees
While there were no actual figures approved during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, a major increase in dump fees is on the way,
Public Works Interim Director Rick Hironymous told the Board the solid waste program is facing over a $150,000 deficit and will have to make substantial changes to hours of operation at transfer stations, as well as increases in user costs.
Chester Robert, County Chief Administrative Office said the biggest fee increase will probably be seen by curbside customers for Waste Management. As it is now, he said, people who take their own trash to the dump are paying about twice as much as people who utilize curbside pickup.
Simply, the County is going to have to increase the costs for Waste Management to dump its compacted trash truckloads at the transfer station in Alturas. That increase in cost will be transferred to WM customers.
Wandering wolf continues to move through area
Officials from the California Department of Fish and Game and Federal Fish and Wildlife Service updated the Modoc County Board of Supervisors on the movements of gray wolf OR7, which is apparently still in Lassen County.
Supervisor Patricia Cantrall popped up with the statement that it had better stay out of Modoc. “If I see it, it’s dead,” she said. That might not be such a good idea, since it’s a federally protected endangered species, and killing it could carry a fine of up to $100,000.
The main concern of Supervisors and many in the audience Tuesday was whether the wolf could be killed if it was chasing or attacking livestock. The chilling answer they got from the wildlife officials, was no. The only time it could be killed is if it was attacking a human, which they said is very rare.
That answer didn’t please Supervisors or the public. Actually, several members stated they were a little upset that the wildlife officials seemed happy to have the wolf population increasing.
Basically, wolf OR7 came from one of four wolf packs in eastern Oregon. Those wolves are descendents of wolves introduced into Yellowstone Park area in the 1990s. They have increased their territory, moving through Idaho and into eastern Oregon where about 25 wolves make up the four packs.
OR7 is a two-and-a-half year old male formerly from a pack about 200 miles north in Oregon being monitored through various means, including with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device that periodically transmits its location. It left the pack in September. It was collared in February. It is not possible to predict his next movements, but he has remained in eastern Lassen County for approximately one week.
Modoc jobless rate jumps to 14.4 percent
The unemployment rate for Modoc County in December 2011 jumped to 14.4 percent, up from November’s 13.4 percent. The December rate is lower than the 15 percent in December 2010.
For last month, the civilian labor force numbered 3,860 with 560 unemployed and 3,310 employed. That compares to a civilian labor force of 4,090 in Dec. 2010 with 620 unemployed. That represents a drop of 230 people from the labor force in a year and 170 fewer people employed.
Obituaries:
Thomas J. “Tom” Moore
Thomas John Moore of Alturas will continue to be loved, but will be missed tremendously by many, due to his unexpected passing last Thursday in Alturas, CA at the age of 61. Known as “Tom” to his family, friends and his many customers in and surrounding Modoc County, all feel he was taken too soon, when he died of a massive heart attack on the morning of January 19, 2012.
Tom was born in Philadelphia, PA on November 1, 1951
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 507 East Fourth St., Alturas, CA 96101 on Saturday, January 28 at 10 a.m.
Mary Jane Bunyard
Mary Jane Bunyard, 82, passed away on January 17, 2012. at the Surprise Valley Hospital, Cedarville, CA.
Mary was born on December 26, 1929 to Martin and Jean Lartirigoyen at home in Cedarville
Services were held Jan. 22 with a Rosary at St. James Catholic Church in Cedarville and a Mass of Christian Burial at St. James Catholic Church on Monday, Jan. 23 at 11 a.m. Burial was at the Cedarville Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Surprise Valley Hospital.
Rebecca K. Lee
Rebecca K. (Lee) Cloud Lee passed away at her home in Lakeview, Oregon on January 17, 2012. She was 60 years old
Memorial services are Saturday January 28, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at the Western Villa Recreation Hall at 1800 North 4th Street in Lakeview, Oregon.
Donations may be made to the society of your choice.
Arrangements by Huffstutter Funeral Chapel, Lakeview, OR.
Hope A. Burris
Hope A. Burris, 83, of Alturas, CA passed away January 25, 2012 at her Alturas home. A resident since March of 2004, the Burris’ relocated from Woodlake, CA. Mrs. Burris was a retired teacher. A memorial service will be held at a future date. Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements.
Thomas E. McMahon
Thomas Earl McMahon, 57-year old Siskiyou County native, passed away on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at Mercy Medical Center in Redding. Tom was born January 1, 1955 in Weed to Vernon and Earlene McMahon and was raised in Tulelake, graduating from Tulelake High School.
A memorial service will be held at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Tulelake on Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 3:30 p.m., with a reception to follow. Girdner Funeral Chapel is assisting the family. On-line condolences may be made at www.girdnerfuneralchapel.com.
Sports
Braves beat Burney Raiders
Modoc’s Braves girls’ and boys’ varsity teams beat the Burney Raiders Jan. 20 and travel to Etna Jan. 27 and to Mt. Shasta Jan. 31.
The Boys beat the Raiders 43-28. The Braves pretty much cruised though the game, opening up a 14-3 first period lead and led 24-11 at halftime. By the rend of the third, Modoc led 34-17.
Cam Anderson and Brett Boudreaux led with 10 points each and Randy Schmid added seven.
The girls team took a 14-13 first period lead and built that to a 25-20 halftime advantage. Modoc increased the lead to 33-25 and outscored the Raiders 12-9 in the fourth.
Cheyenne King led the Braves with 15 points and Alex McQuarrie added eight.
Modoc’s junior varsity boys’ beat Burney 50-26. They started with a 12-2 first period and led 24-10 at halftime and 34-24 after three. Ben Jones led with 22 points and Fernando Alcala added seven.
News
Cantrall says she won’t run for re-election
Modoc County District Three Supervisor Patricia Cantrall has said she will not seek re-election to another term. Cantrall has served four terms as Supervisor.
Recently retired Alturas City Treasurer Kathie Alves has taken out papers to run for that seat.
District Four Supervisor Shorty Crabtree told the Record Thursday that he will be seeking a third term. Two potential challengers have taken out papers, Pamela Owens and David Naylor.
District Two Supervisor Jeff Bullock will run for second term and is facing at least one challenger in Michael Conrad.
The June election will be based upon the new Supervisor District boundaries, which are different following the reapportionment approved last year. Maps of those new boundaries are in this Record, and are available from the County Clerk’s office.
January doesn’t boost moisture levels
December was incredibly dry and January didn’t make much of a dent in the precipitation picture either.
In addition, snow levels in the high mountains remain anemic.
Combining December’s .10 inches of precipitation with January’s .81 inches meant the area received just .91 inches of moisture over the two months, well short of the normal 3.25 inches. December’s average is 1.71 inches and January usually measures 1.54 inches.
The snow pack in the mountains Jan. 31 shows only 14 inches at Cedar Pass’s 7,100 feet; eight inches on Adin Mountain at 6,200 feet, two inches at Crowder Flat at 5,100 feet and 30 inches at Dismal Swamp’s elevation of 7,000 feet.
By comparison, this time during last year’s wet winter, Cedar Pass had 43 inches of snow, Adin Mountain had 36 inches, and Dismal Swamp had 75 inches.
County Super not optimistic on secure schools funds
Modoc County Superintendent of School Gary Jones is not overly optimistic about the Secure Rural Schools and Community Act making it through a dividing U.S. Congress.
He sent the following statement to district Superintendents this week: "I will summarize the discussion concerning Secure Rural Schools (Forest Reserve) at last week's meeting by stating that there are three "great divides" to overcome: 1) House/Senate disagreement; 2) partisan politics; and 3) pre-presidential politics. Remember nothing in Washington happens until it has to happen, and sometimes nothing happens at all. The headlines from the Klamath paper last Friday: ‘This is a desperate situation.’ We are in a difficult position today, hopefully that changes soon. In the mean time, only Tulelake can project SRS revenues for next year. (Siskiyou County pays one year after receipt of SRS revenues.)"
The SRS Act of 2000 expired Sept. 30, 2011 at the end of the federal fiscal year and provided between 15 percent and 20 percent of operating revenue for California rural schools. Oregon Schools face the same if not bigger problems than California Schools.
MMC shows gains for December 2011
Modoc Medical Center showed an $82,876 net operating income gain in December 2011, as opposed to a $77,331 loss in November.
The hospital also received $1,449,630 in its December Property Tax apportionment, 49 percent of the amount charged of $2,936,310. Another apportionment is due later in the year.
According to the financial report, there was a $50,124 increase in in-patient revenue and an increase of $84,348 in outpatient revenue.
There was an increase of $48,327 in emergency room with visits up by 51, $14,466 in ambulance, $15,171 in pharmacy, and $23,305 in physical therapy.
Obituaries:
Peggy Toney Page
Peggy Toney Page, 72, passed away January 27, 2012 in Cedarville, CA.
Services will be held today, February 2, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. at the Surprise Valley Community Church in Cedarville, followed by burial at the Lake City Cemetery and a social gathering at the Modoc Fairgrounds in Cedarville.
Donations can be made to the Surprise Valley Community Hospital, the Surprise Valley Community Church, PO Box 187, Cedarville, CA 96104 or a charity of your choice.
Hope Burris
Hope Burris, 83, went peacefully home to her Heavenly father on January 25, 2012, in Alturas, California.
Though the family lived in Elderwood, CA, she was born Carolyn Hope Ainley on Mother’s Day, May 13, 1928, in Los Angeles, CA. Hope was the fourth of five children born to Ralph and Jessie Ainley
Memorial services were held on Saturday, January 28 at Faith Baptist Church with Pastor Rod Bodmer officiating.
Wendell Cordeiro
Services for Wendell Cordeiro, 73, of Alturas, will be held Monday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 300 West Second St., Alturas. Visitation will be at the church at 9 a.m. Mr. Cordeiro passed away in Klamath Falls, OR on January 3, 2012. He had made Alturas his home for the past four years. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 13, 1938. Mr. Cordeiro’s obituary will be published in a future issue.
Winola Faulstich
Winola Faulstich, a native of Lake City, passed away in Fair Oaks, CA, on January 25, 2012, at the age of 93 years old.
Mother of Edwin (Averill) Geus, Georgia (Russ) Lile, Dorothy (John) Johnston and James (Naoma) Faulstich; Grandmother of Jeannie, George, Lisa, Joni, Marcia, Alex, Jerry, Jason, Jeanette, Nicole, Elizabeth and Kelly and Great-Grandmother of Benjamin, Julia, James, Daniel, Michelle, Jimmy, Michael, Jordan, Ashlyn, Mia, Cole, Melisa, Dilan, Megan, Marina, Sam, Sloan, Sophia, Secily, Journey, Jessica, Jenna, Juliet, Emily and Tyler and sister of Fern Negri. Services were held Saturday, January 28 at Price Funeral Chapel, 6335 Sunrise Blvd., Citrus Heights, 725-2109.
Interment was at Lake City, CA.
Sports
SCL wrestling title a tussle between Modoc, Chester
The Shasta Cascade League Wrestling Championship Friday and Saturday in Dunsmuir will come down to a battle between Chester and Modoc.
According to Coach Shaun Wood, the Braves are peaking at the right time and have a good chance at winning the title. He expects it to be close saying Chester has some great kids, but perhaps not enough of them to win the title. He expects three of Chester’s wrestlers to make it to state this year. Modoc also has some top wrestlers.
“It’s going to be a bit of a chess match,” said Wood. “Some of it will depend on which weights each of us covers. Chester has a really good team, but I expect we could win half the weights.”
Wood’s increased optimism comes from a very solid performance at the Corning Tournament last weekend. The Braves placed sixth out of 31 teams, beating every team of its size in the section. Chester, however, was not at Corning.
“I’m ecstatic with our tourney performance,” Wood said. “We did very well.”
Jeremy Brandsted dominated the heavyweight division, pinning every opponent he faced, including three section-ranked wrestlers. He moved up in the ranking from sixth. Basileo Hernandez took a fourth place at heavyweight.
Colton Reed continued a solid year by placing third at 172 pounds. Zack Ratliff took fifth at 197 pounds, while Ethan Dunn took fifth at 128 pounds. Alan Clark placed seventh at heavyweight, while Benny Bevil took an eighth at 135 pounds and Matt Froeming an eighth at 222 pounds.
Orland won the Corning tourney going away with 280 points, followed by Anderson 126, Corning 104, Gold Beach 102, West Valley 96.5, Modoc 94.5, North Valley (Reno) 93.54, Antelope (Sacramento) 93.5, Red Bluff 84, Durham 80 and the others.
Wood will start the Modoc Middle School and youth wrestling programs at the end of the month.
Boys beat Etna, girls lose
Modoc’s varsity boy’s basketball team beat the Etna Lions Friday 67-45 in Etna, while the girls lost 61-49. They have Weed at home Feb. 3 and head to Shasta Cascade League-leading Fall River Feb. 7.
A strong first half set the tone as Modoc led 21-10 in the first period and 35-17 by halftime. They outscored the Lions 30-28 in the second half.
Brett Boudreaux led with 18 points, Cam Anderson added 14 and Brandon Bains had 10.
The boys beat Mt. Shasta 68-54 Tuesday. Modoc used a 17-6 first period lead to set the tone and led 34-23 at halftime. They outscored the Bears 34-31 in the second half. Boudreaux led with 23 points, Anderson added 18 and Brandon Bains had 13.
Modoc’s girls led Etna 17-11 in the first quarter and 32-29 at the half. Etna buried them with a 15-6 third period and a 17-11 fourth quarter.
Courtney Knoch led the scoring with 15; Monicah Eppler added 14 and Cheyenne King eight.
The girls dropped unbeaten Mt. Shasta 41-24. The Bears led 18-16 at halftime, but scored just six points in the third and none in the fourth quarter, while Modoc pumped in 19 in the final stanza. Jodi Boudreaux and Eppler led with 13 each and Knoch had eight.
Modoc’s junior varsity boys led Etna through three-and-a-half quarters, but fell apart at the end. Etna took a 14-12 first period lead, but Modoc led 27-26 by halftime. A good third period put Modoc up 43-33 when the fourth period started. Etna poured in 22 points to Modoc’s 11 for the 55-54 win.
Ben Jones scored 23 points; Zack Delette added 10 and Fernando Alcala had nine.
The JV girls lost to Mt. Shasta 35-34 in overtime. They led 14-10 in the first but the Bears tied it with a 7-3 fourth period and outscored them 6-5 in overtime. Jordan Marquardt led with 11 points.
The JVs lost to Etna 52-33, falling victim to a 26-9 third period. Lily Hallmark led with six points.
SCL varsity standings for boys: Fall River 5-0; Modoc 5-1; Mt. Shasta 3-2; Etna 2-3; Weed 1-5; and Burney 0-5.
SCL varsity standings for girls: Fall River 4-1, Mt. Shasta 4-1; Weed 4-2; Etna 2-4; Modoc 2-4; Burney 1-5.
News
New State BLM Director tours Modoc County
Recently appointed Bureau of Land Management State Director Jim Kenna visited the Surprise Resource Area office in Cedarville and the Alturas BLM office while on a state-wide tour. He also met with concerned residents of the area, discussing issues of importance in the local area.
Kenna is familiar with the area having been stationed in the Lakeview BLM office several years ago. He is the former Arizona State Director.
“I want to focus my tenure as director on sustainability, heritage and community support,” said Kenna.
He looks on his position as being a multi-faceted job with long and short term goals.
Kenna believes in keeping an eye on the water, soil and vegetation to keep the environment healthy. He believes that wild horses are important as people like to see them and they create interest in the area. Yet he cautions that they also need to be managed to avoid overpopulation.
Kenna states that staying on top of the permits and evaluation of how they are being managed is also a priority in maintaining sustainability.
He believes that the handling of the sage grouse situation was a success, even to the point of being able to export sage grouse to other areas.
State rules fire departments must do audits
The State Controllers Office sent a letter to Modoc County Feb. 1 stating that Auditor Darcy Locken was correct when she said local Fire Departments were not exempt from independent audits.
The letter was in response to a county request sent Oct. 7, seeking clarification on the issue. At least one department, Likely Fire, this week has voted that they will not pay for an audit. Other departments will be discussing the situation now that the decision has been clarified by the state.
“Our understanding is that this issue arose as a result of a letter from Darcy Locken, the County Auditor to all fire districts,” Richard Chivaro, Chief Counsel to SCO wrote. “Apparently, Ms. Locken issued the letter in response to a finding and recommendation in the 2007-08 independent audit report of the County of Modoc prepared by Vavrinek, Trine, Day and Co., LLP. As noted in the Legislative Counsel's Digest for AB 2510, the revision to Section 26909 was intended to provide special districts with alternatives to an annual audit. Ms. Locken's letter to the fire districts appears to accurately describe both the previous and new alternatives and the actions that a special district, and in some cases the Board of Supervisors, must take to qualify for each alternative.”
Modoc County Supervisors took a stand in support of area volunteer fire departments and special districts last fall. The Board voted unanimously to submit the letter to the State Controller’s Office seeking its opinion on whether additional audits ordered by Locken would have to be performed.
No new candidates in June election
There is still plenty of time to take out nomination papers for the June primary, but no new candidates have shown up as of this week.
County Candidates have between now and February 23 to collect signatures for the signature in lieu of filing fee period and the candidate nomination period is between Feb. 13 and March 9. If an incumbent does not file for re-election, the nomination period is extended to March 14.
District Three Supervisor Patricia Cantrall will not seek re-election after four terms as Supervisor. Foremr Alturas City Treasurer Kathie Alves has taken out papers to run for that seat.
District Four Supervisor Shorty Crabtree will run again. Two potential challengers have taken out papers, Pamela Owens and David Naylor.
District Two Supervisor Jeff Bullock will run for second term and is facing at least one challenger in Michael Conrad.
The June election will be based upon the new Supervisor District boundaries, which are different following the reapportionment approved last year. Maps are available from the County Clerk’s office.
Eagle Lake pipe shut off by BLM
On February 2, Bureau of Land Management Eagle Lake Field Office Manager Ken Collum shut off and locked the valve on an eight-inch pipe that runs through the Bly Tunnel. That pipe drains Eagle Lake Water into Willow Creek.
On Dec. 21, 2011, the State Water Resource Control Board issued a request to turn off the valves. The water board also said all historic water rights had been revoked long ago. The California Department of Fish and Game also recommended shutting off the valve.
Shutting down the valve was a contentious issue, especially as the lake water levels continued drop over the past few years. While the entire issue may not be resolved, this first step was cheered by the Eagle Lake Guardians, a group organized to protect the lake.
Obituary
Laura M. (Van Horn) Putnam
Laura M. (Van Horn) Putnam passed away on February 6, 2012 in Sacramento, CA at 96 years of age. She was born on June 1, 1915 in Alturas, CA, lived in the Golden State all of her life and was a Native Daughter of the Golden West. Viewing will be Wed. and Thurs., Feb. 8 and 9, from 4-8 p.m. and services will be held at East Lawn Elk Grove Memorial Park, 9189 E. Stockton Blvd., Elk Grove, CA on Fri., Feb. 10 at 2 p.m.
Harold Fielding Tollett
Harold Fielding Tollett passed away peacefully at his home in Millville, CA on February 1, 2012. Harold was born in San Luis Obispo, CA on April 9, 1912.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Millville Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 32, Millville, CA 96062.
Jed B. Parkinson
A memorial service for Jed B. Parkinson will be held in Alturas on Sunday, February 12 at 4:00 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, Main St. In lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Alturas Elks’ scholarships fund, after which an annual scholarship will be established in Jed’s name. Alturas Elks BPOE 1756, c/o 619 N. Main St., Alturas, CA 96101.
Sports
Braves wrestlers pin SCL title for 16th time
The Modoc Braves wrestling team, which had a slow and uneven start for the season, dominated and won the Shasta Cascade League title in Dunsmuir last weekend.
The Braves are off this weekend and head to the Division III Tournament in Etna Feb. 18.
For Modoc coach Shaun Wood, the win makes the 16th SCL wrestling during his tenure. This is one he really didn’t expect.
“I really didn’t know how well we’d do; I figured we’d be in the hunt for the title, but we had a really good weekend,” Wood said Monday. “I can’t say enough about how much the team improved.”
The Braves won the title going away with 183 points, followed in order by Etna 123, Chester 100, Dunsmuir 56, Burney 42, Tulelake 34, Fall River 23 and Big Valley 16.
The Braves also won the dual matches in Friday, beating Chester 48-30 and Etna 45-33.
Modoc put 10 wrestlers in the finals and had five SCL Champions.
Ethan Dunn, at 125 pounds, won that division and was named the Most Valuable Lightweight at the tourney and Zack Ratliff won the 195-pound division and was named the Most Valuable Heavyweight.
Modoc’s Jeremy Brandsted won the 285-pound division and Colton Reed won the 160-pound title. Benny Bevil won the title at 132 pounds.
Cody Tiffany, a 106-pounder, took a second in the division while Destry Tiffany, at 120 pounds, took a second in his weight. Matt Server was second at 170 pounds, Matt Froeming was second at 225 pounds and Basileo Hernandez was second at 285 pounds.
Jesse Silva took a third at 152 pounds and Phillip Thompson took third at 138 pounds. Allan Clark was fourth at 285 pounds and Jack Pineo was fourth at 113 pounds. Bradley Widby took a fifth at 145 pounds.
Brave boys trounce Bulldogs for SCL tie
The Modoc boy’s varsity basketball team trounced the Fall River Bulldogs 48-27 in Fall River Tuesday night to earn a share of the Shasta Cascade League lead, with each team having one loss.
Modoc Coach Keith Weber said his team travels to Burney and has Etna here while Fall River still has to play Mt. Shasta. Weber is hoping the Bears can knock off the Bulldogs, giving the Braves the full title.
Modoc’s defense simply stymied the Bulldogs Tuesday, and the offense did its part. The Braves blanked Fall River with an 18-0 first period and the Bulldogs did not recover. Modoc led 25-8 at halftime and 40-21 after three. Modoc scored eight and Fall River six in the fourth.
Brett Boudreaux led with 18 points, while Cam Anderson, Drew Culp and Riley Larranaga each had six.
The varsity basketball team beat the Weed Cougars 56-44 here Friday night. They are at Burney Feb. 10 and Etna comes to Modoc Feb. 16 to round out the Shasta Cascade League season.
Modoc led only 9-8 in the first period but built that to a 26-17 lead by halftime. They led 39-28 after three and held off Weed with a 17-16 fourth quarter.
Brett Boudreaux led with 10 points; Alex Torres added eight while Cam Anderson and Randy Schmid each had seven.
Modoc’s girls jumped out to a 7-1 first period lead against Weed and maintained a 17-13 lead by half. But, historically, they have slumped in second halves, getting outscored by Weed 28-16 and losing 41-33.
Courtney Knoch led with 10 points and Monicah Eppler added nine.
The girls got into foul trouble early against Fall River and lost 51-47. They led 12-10 in the first, but got outscored 20-7 in the second quarter. They topped the Bulldogs 28-21 in the second half but couldn’t make up the difference. Cheyenne King led with 13 points, Jodi Boudreaux added 12 and Jakea Ratliff had 10.
Modoc’s junior varsity boys lost to Weed 65-43. Weed blew the game open with a 24-point second period and led 35-24 at half. The Cougars scored 30 in the second half while Modoc scored 19. Fernando Alcala led with 10 points.
Modoc’s JV girls beat Weed 35-30 with the teams tied at 14 by half. The Braves went up 26-19 after three and held off Weed in the fourth. Kelsey Clay led with 12 points.
The JV girls also beat Fall River 39-22 after taking a 19-7 halftime lead. They outscored Fall River 20-15 in the second half. Clay led with six and Valerie Traylor added five.
News
Sheriff, Auditor draft letters to Board critical of County governance
On Tuesday, Modoc County Auditor Darcy Locken and Modoc County Sheriff Mike Poindexter presented letters to the Board of Supervisors highly critical of county governance.
Specifically, both were concerned about the lack of transparency, apparent backroom deals and teamwork in the county, primarily since the change in administration.
“The Board of Supervisors has made a number of decisions over the past eight months, sometimes as individuals, sometimes collectively, that increasingly prohibit me from performing my job duties,” Locken stated. “As the Auditor I am, by law, the Chief Accounting Officer of the County. I oversee and monitor all of the Board-governed funds and the special district funds held in the treasury. I issue all checks, including accounts payable and payroll. I monitor the departments’ budgets and cash balances in all funds, and disallow checks that would exceed those limitations.
“In these difficult times I monitor and manage cash flow to ensure sufficient funds are available to run County programs. One of my main purposes is to enforce state and county laws as well as Board policies and procedures. My position and my office provide a crucial check and balance that protects the funds held in the treasury. If the Board does not allow my participation in financial matters, then that check and balance does not exist.”
Poindexter was equally as blunt. “I was catapulted into office just two days after the 2010 primary election nearly seven months early. At that time I found a very cooperative and transparent County Governing Board, albeit in dire straits financially, that Board was willing to trust my judgment and plans to move forward and professionalize the Modoc County Sheriff's Office,” he said. “Beginning around June or July of 2011, I noticed a change in the style and nature of the Board’s view toward transparency, cooperation and willingness to communicate with not only my office but others in the county as well. I noticed a shift toward secrecy, non-transparency, and mistrust which began to breed distention, double standards and eventually arriving where we are today in my opinion, which is generally a divide and conquer attitude.”
Auditor working with fire departments on audits
Modoc County Auditor Darcy Locken told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday that she was working with area fire departments on the options available to them for their state required audits.
She said she will provide some proposals publicly, and while the audits are required, she is trying to make them the least impacting to the fire departments.
One issue is whether the Board of Supervisors decides the County should pay for the audits. That may not be financially feasible. Locken said one option is for the districts to do five-year audit rather than once each year.
Locken will be holding workshops in three areas of the county with the fire districts and seeing what would be the best avenue for the county and the districts to handle the situation. She explained that as County Auditor, she cannot give an independent audit of their audits.
The State Controllers Office sent a letter to Modoc County Feb. 1 stating that Locken was correct when she said local fire departments were not exempt from independent audits.
The letter was in response to a county request sent Oct. 7, seeking clarification on the issue.
Last week the Record reported that Likely Fire had voted that it will not pay for an audit. In fact, their membership was united in opposition, but a formal vote was not taken. Other departments will be discussing the situation now that the decision has been clarified by the State. Locken stressed that refusing to do an audit was not a valid option.
One new candidate for Super in Dist 2
One new candidate has taken out papers to run for Modoc County Supervisor in District Two, John Pederson. Incumbent District Two Supervisor Jeff Bullock will run for second term and another challenger is Michael Conrad.
County Candidates have between now and February 23 to collect signatures for the signature in lieu of filing fee period and the candidate nomination period is between Feb. 13 and March 9. If an incumbent does not file for re-election, the nomination period is extended to March 14.
District Three Supervisor Patricia Cantrall will not seek re-election after four terms as Supervisor. Recently retired Alturas City Treasurer Kathie Alves has decided to run for that seat.
District Four Supervisor Shorty Crabtree will face two challengers, Pamela Owens and David Naylor.
The June election will be based upon the new Supervisor District boundaries, which are different following the reapportionment approved last year. Maps are available from the County Clerk’s office.
SV Hospital issues aired in meeting
The Surprise Valley Hospital Board of Directors held a special board meeting to follow up on the strategic planning retreat held by Philps and Assoc. During the seminar, Philps helped the audience identify problems existing and facing the hospital.
Starting the meeting, and not following the public posted written agenda, SV Hospital Administrator Wanda Grove gave a lengthy presentation discrediting the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ national hospital rating system (CMS) and minimizing the complaints filed against the hospital. Since the presentation wasn’t on the agenda and most of the standing-room-only audience had come to the meeting in order to suggest and work out solutions, the audience grew restless and after approximately 45 minutes, about a quarter of the audience walked out.
One well respected member of the community stated of Grove’s lecture, “I smell less manure in the middle of my corral.”
Many in the audience agreed, as one person stated, “It was a lame presentation to excuse poor behavior.”
The confusing of annual inspections with written complaints and the denial of any serious problems at the hospital by Grove was countered by 30-year career nurse Kathy Zandstra, a former employee at the hospital.
Modoc Library sets target on survival, future
A series of four public meetings held around the county concerning the Modoc County Library’s future brought several things into focus, and firmed up a conclusion that the public wants to keep its libraries open and operating.
Those meetings were held at the libraries in Cedarville, Alturas, Lookout and Adin and were well attended by the public. In some cases generous donations were offered and their acceptance will help keep the facilities operating.
A public meeting of the Library Advisory Board is scheduled for Feb. 29, 3:30 p.m. at the Alturas Library. A Help Keep Libraries Open meeting will be held at 1 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend both meetings. The public and its involvement will be integral in the future solvency and continuation of the Library system.
One of the major issues coming up at the community meetings was a desire for more communication from the Libraries to the public. Other topics, included more volunteer help, donations, taxes, sales tax effort, fundraising efforts, short, medium and long range planning, and more.
The Library advisory Board is appointed by the Board of Supervisors and has seven members, all off whom serve as volunteers. They serve in an advisory capacity for library policy and public liaison for the Board of Supervisors. Supervisors make the final decision on Library issues.
That Board includes Mark Steffek, Dick Mackey, Phillis Martin, Matt McCandless, Terry Williams, Carol Sharp and Larry Ludwig.
The Friends of the Library is a volunteer group that helps support the Library with fundraisers and help anywhere they show a need. They are an active group led by President Glenn Lantz. The next Friends meeting is Feb. 21, 5 p.m. at the Alturas Library and Lantz said more members are needed and welcomed.
Librarian Cheryl Baker said its important for residents to know that despite the current fiscal crisis, the library will survive and continue to operate, using funds generated by the $18 tax assessment.
“The question is, what level of services can be provided with that amount of funding and what level of services does the public want?” she said.
Obituaries:
Robin McDonald Greer
Robin McDonald Greer passed away February 11, 2012 at the age of 51.
Robin was born in Fortuna, CA to Robert and Ramona McDonald on February 20, 1961. Robin and her family relocated to Canby, CA at the age of 7, and then moved to Adin with her famil. Services will be held Saturday, February 18 at the Alturas Cemetery at 11:00 a.m.
Margaret Woodin Gard
Margaret Woodin Gard entered into rest Thursday, February 2, 2012, in Sacramento, California at the age of 96. Born August 6, 1915 in Bieber, CA, Margaret lived her entire life in Northern California and was a long time resident of North Highlands.
By her request, no services will be held. A gathering of family and friends will be held at the VFW Hall located at 3300 U Street, North Highlands on Sunday, February 26 at 1:00 p.m. To sign guest book and offer condolences please visit www.reichertsfuneral.com.
Sports
Modoc boys tied for SCL title
Modoc’s boy’s varsity team plays its last Shasta Cascade League game at home against Etna tonight, and a win guarantees them no worse than a tie for the league title.
The Braves are tied with Fall River, each with one league loss (to each other).
The boys had no trouble beating Burney last Friday 60-29 at Burney. They led 25-14 by halftime and buried the Raiders with a 16 point third period and a 19-point fourth. Burney scored just 15 in the second half.
Brett Boudreaux led Modoc with 16 points and Jonathan Jones added 13.
SCL standings for the boys are: Modoc 8-1, Fall River 8-1, Mt. Shasta 4-4, Etna 3-6, Weed 3-6 and Burney 0-9.
Modoc’s girls varsity also controlled Burney 47-34. They led 18-8 in the first and 30-17 by half. They took a 43-21 lead after three. Jodi Boudreaux and Cheyenne King each had 12 points, while Monicah Eppler added eight.
The SCL girls standings are: Mt. Shasta 7-1, Weed 7-2, Fall River 6-2, Modoc 3-6, Etna 2-7 and Burney 1-8.
Modoc’s junior varsity boys beat Burney 58-48. The game was tied at 12 in the first and Modoc led 31-25 at halftime. The Braves put in 15 to take a 46-33 lead after three. Burney scored 15 to Modoc’s 12 in the fourth.
Ben Jones led with 18 points, while Fernando Alcala had 17.
The girls JV Beat the Raiders 37-34. They built a 10-6 first period lead into a 19-15 halftime advantages. Burney came back and tied the game at 26-26 after three and Modoc outscored them 11-8 in the fourth. Kelsey Clay led with 11 points and Jordan Marquardt had eight.
Modoc’s boys are certain to make the CIF North Section Division Three playoffs, where the top two teams are Liberty Christian (19-1) and Tulelake 20-3. Fall River is third at 18-4; Chester fourth at 18-5 and Modoc fifth at 17-6.
Braves battle for section title
Modoc’s wrestling team heads to the Division III section finals this Saturday in Etna, where coach Shaun Wood sees a battle for the title between favored Durham and Modoc.
Wood believes Durham will be the toughest, since they are able to cover more of the weights and have talent in those areas.
Modoc has several wrestlers who can win the section title including heavyweight Jeremy Brandsted, Colton Reed at 160 pounds, Zack Ratliff at 195, Ethan Dunn at 126 pounds and Benny Bevil at 132 pounds. Also in the hunt will be Matt Froeming at 220 pounds. Matt Server can also do very well.
The top four finishers at Division III will qualify for the Masters (all school) Section finals in Redding Feb. 24-25.
Youth wrestling starts next week
The Modoc Youth Wrestling Program will start next Wednesday at the Modoc High School Gym.
Middle School students will begin at 3:30 p.m. and younger students will start at 5:30 p.m.
Wrestlers will sign up at the first practice and wrestlers should show up ready to practice.