2013 Archives

January 2013 January 3rd January 10th January 17th January 24th January 31st February 2013 February 7th February 14th February 21st February 28th March 2013 March 7th March 14th March 21st March 28th April 2013 April 4th April 11th April 18th April 25th May 2013 May 2nd May 9th

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2013 Archives

January 3rd, 2013

News

Police will be on hand for school opening

Law enforcement will be present at all three Alturas schools when classes resume Jan. 7, according to Chief of Police Ken Barnes.
The law enforcement presence is in response to a firearm threat by a student Dec. 16. That student remains in custody of behavioral health services outside of Modoc County.
“We don’t have an additional threat, but we aren’t taking any chances,” Barnes said this week. “We are working with the schools and will be providing protection.”
The juvenile was detained Dec. 16 after making threats to use a firearm at Modoc High School. According to Barnes, the student has allegedly identified several Modoc High School faculty members and students as targets.
The incident remains under investigation. Barnes said if the student is released from the behavioral health services facility, he would have to be turned over to law enforcement.
Following the horrific mass murder of 20 first graders and six adults at a school in Newtown, Conn., local law enforcement and the schools are taking no chances.
The Modoc Joint Unified School District has instituted a school safety committee that will meet Jan.10. That committee also includes law enforcement.

Crosby takes wheel of Road Department

Mitch Crosby has taken the wheel of the Modoc County Road Department, effective last week when he was hired by the Board of Supervisors as Road Commissioner.
Crosby has been an employee of the Road Department for the past 16 years, serving as Interim Director of Transportation from January 2012. He obtained his Professional Civil Engineering License in 2009 and has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Design degree from California State University, Chico.
He knows there will be challenges in the future, many stemming from lower levels of funding from the state and federal governments. Setting priorities for the available funding will be the key to the department’s success over the next several years.
He comes into the position with experience in all areas, and before serving as the interim director was the Deputy Director of Transportation. In that capacity he was actively involved in budgets preparation. Monitoring expenditures and approving purchases, supervising employees, worked as resident engineer for contracted construction projects, oversaw maintenance and operations, enforced polices, personnel issues and more. He has also managed several state and federal projects from grant application through to completion.

Barry Point Fire emergency effort stalls

Last week, the Record published an article detailing some differences in opinions and stances between Modoc County Sheriff Mike Poindexter and the Modoc National Forest on an emergency proclamation the County had approved on the Barry Point Fire on northern Devil’s Garden.
More of the comments are published this week.
Forest officials met Wednesday, December 19 with Modoc Sheriff Mike Poindexter and local residents to discuss the Barry Point South Salvage project.
The group made a site visit to the project area, 25 miles north of Alturas, and discussed information about the burned trees, firefighter and public safety during and after the fire, the timeline for the proposed salvage sale, and the decision making process for the project. 
During the visit, Forest Service officials explained the requirements for developing projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (1969), and listened to concerns from the residents about the amount of time it takes to complete the planning process.
The Forest’s proposed Barry Point South Salvage project covers about 1,600 acres and includes harvesting trees which were severely burned in the fire, planting pine seedlings, removing trees previously felled during fire suppression, constructing one-half mile of temporary road and removing three and one-half miles of existing roads.
Two of the key issues for Modoc County are the removal of hazard trees along county roads, as well as harvesting those trees still marketable.

Public asked for opinion on Devil’s Garden horses

The Modoc National Forest is seeking public comment on a Devil’s Garden Wild Horse proposal.
The area is located within Modoc County beginning about seven miles north of Alturas, California and comprises approximately 232,520 acres of federal land. This area is 97 percent National Forest System lands administered by the Modoc National Forest’s Devil’s Garden and Doublehead Ranger Districts (MDF) and three percent public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management’s Alturas Field Office.
A scoping notice was issued concerning the proposal on July 27, 2011. Comments were received and the Modoc Forest collected additional resource monitoring data and other information. Based on this information, the MDF’s proposal has been revised. The proposal also includes several non-significant amendments to the Modoc National Forest Plan.
The purpose of this notice is to invite meaningful public involvement on the proposal. To ensure ample opportunity to consider your comments, it is most helpful to submit them no later than January 14, 2013.

Obituaries:

Bernice Hetherwick
A celebration of Bernice Heatherwick’s life will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 12 noon at the Veterans’ Memorial Hall, 508 So. Main St., Alturas, CA 96101. Bernice Hetherwick of Alturas, born October 27, 1927 in Malin, Oregon, passed away peacefully on December 13, 2012.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations be made to the Alturas City Volunteer Fire Department, 103 So. Howard St., Alturas, CA 96101.

C. William “Bill” Harrington
C. William “Bill” Harrington of Burney, CA, formerly of Alturas, passed away Thursday evening, December 27, 2012 at Fall River Hospital, CA with his family by his side.
Bill was born February 24, 1937 in Oakland, CA.
At his request, there are no services.

Susan Parry Larson
Memorial services for Susan (Parry) Larson will be held Monday, January 7 at 10 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, Alturas. President Carl Hubble will officiate.
Born Susan Parry at St. Francis Hospital, San Francisco, CA, on January 8, 1947, she passed away of natural causes on October 11, 2012, in Alturas, CA.

Sports

School sports. . .

Modoc High School girl’s and boy’s basketball will get back to action Jan. 8 at Burney and will face Fall River there Jan. 11. They are at Mt. Shasta Jan. 15.
The Surprise Valley Hornets basketball teams are at Butte Valley Jan. 11 and at Happy Camp in McCloud Jan. 15. They face Big Valley at home Jan. 18.
The Modoc Wrestling team heads to the Anderson Tournament Jan. 4-5 and have the Lassen tourney Jan. 11-12.

January 10th, 2013

News

Police: no threat issues as school reopens

There were no threat issues when Modoc Joint Unified Schools re-opened this week, according to Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes.
Law enforcement officers were on hand at each of the schools and Barnes said everything went smoothly. He and MJSUD Mike Martin toured some schools inspecting security situations.
The law enforcement presence was in response to a firearm threat by a student Dec. 16. That student has had court hearings in Modoc this week and is now in the custody of the Modoc County Probation Department. He is being held outside of the County and further proceedings are pending.
Barnes said several aspects of the investigation are continuing, including involvement of outside agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Locally the case involves the Modoc Sheriff’s Department and APD.
The juvenile was detained Dec. 16 after making threats to use a firearm at Modoc High School. According to Barnes, the student has allegedly identified several Modoc High School faculty members and students as targets. He had also threatened his parents.

Byrne will lead Supervisors for 2013

District Five Supervisor Geri Byrne was elected Chairperson of the Modoc Board of Supervisors Tuesday, with Dave Allan named vice-chair.
Three newly elected Supervisors, District Three’s Kathie Alves, District Two’s Jon Pedersen and District Four’s Jim Wills were officially sworn in Monday and seated for Tuesday’s meeting.
Modoc County Chief Administrative Officer Chester Robertson, who worked for both the City and County, has resigned his position at the City of Alturas effective January 1 and will now be full time at the County. Joe Picotte has been named the City’s Public Works Director
The Board heard from Kevin Kramer, Modoc Medial Center Chief Financial Officer, concerning the upcoming changes to the Adin Ambulance service. Supporting the Adin Ambulance was creating between a $100,000 to $200,000 annual loss for MMC, and the new Last Frontier Hospital District simply could not afford to continue that service and notified the community in August that changes were needed. Adin is not within the District boundaries.
Kramer said the County, MMC and the Adin community are working on options for a solution, and he felt encouraged by the progress and effort on both sides of the issue.
Nancy Monchamp, a member of the Adin Ambulance committee was also on hand Tuesday, and was pleased with the MMC and County involvement to help find a solution.

Sheriff clears up strange death case

A case ruled a suicide back in 2010, where a man died of a gunshot wound to the head, but no gun was found at the scene, has now been solved by the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office.
To recount, on February 19, 2010, the Sheriff's Office located a body off of County Road 91 near the intersection of CR 84. The decedent was identified as Yuji Baba from the San Francisco Bay Area.  It appeared as though he had died from a single gunshot wound to the head, but no firearm was located at the scene of the crime.
Then Sheriff/Coroner Mark Gentry classified the death of Baba as a "suicide" although no firearm was ever located in the case investigation. In tracing back Yuji Baba's actions for the few days prior to finding of his body in Modoc County, it was learned that he had been a subject of interest in a recent shooting in the San Francisco Bay Area. 
Sabin told the Deputies that he obtained the stolen handgun from a co-worker, by the name of Dennis Gordon Baker also of Burney, California.
On Monday, January, 7, 2013, after several months of follow up investigation, Sheriff's deputies and an investigator from the Modoc County District Attorney's Office interviewed Baker regarding the now nearly three-year-old death investigation of Baba’s death. During the interview, Baker admitted to Sheriff's deputies that in February 2010, he happened to locate a body near the intersection of CR 84 and CR 91 in rural Lookout, and took the firearm from Baba’s body.
Baker failed to report the death of Baba to law enforcement. Baker was not arrested at the time of the interview, but the case will be forwarded to the Modoc County District Attorney's Office for criminal prosecution.

Obituaries:

Tyler E. Sykes
Tyler E. Sykes of Susanville, CA went home to the Lord on January 7, 2013.  He lost a brave battle to cancer at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Reno, Nevada at the age of 29. Tyler was born in Lakeview, Oregon to Douglas and Teri Sykes on March 20, 1983. 
Funeral services are at Honey Lake Valley Assembly in Janesville, CA on Saturday, January 12 at 10 a.m. with internment at Janesville Cemetery following.  There will be a celebration of life potluck following services at Honey Lake Valley Assembly.

Jerry Kistler Grove
Jerry Grove was born on May 27, 1929, in Reno, Nevada to David Leroy Grove and Irvine Kistler Grove. He passed away on January 6, 2013. Jerry grew up in Eagleville, California
A celebration of Jerry's life will be held on Monday, January 14, 2013 at the Eagleville Church at 12:00.  A private interment will follow at the Eagleville Cemetery with a potluck at the Eagleville Hall. The family requests memorial donations to be made to the Surprise Valley Health Care District or the Cancer Society. 

Cole Barry Smith
Cole Barry Smith, 54, passed away Saturday, December 22, 2012, at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, CA. Cole was born in Reno, NV and reared in Alturas, CA. His mother, Janis Smith of Redding, survives him. Donations may be made in Cole’s name to the Humane Society of your choice.

Ronald Harker
Services for Ronald Harker, son of Clayton and Alice Harker of Alturas, will take place at 12 noon on Thursday, January 10 at Kerr Mortuary, with graveside at 1 pm. at Alturas Cemetery. Mr. Harker was born October 28, 1943 in Fargo, North Dakota and passed away January 1, 2013 in Oxnard, CA. Obituary to follow.

Sports

Cedar Pass Ski Hill opens Saturday

The Cedar Pass Ski Hill will officially open on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. The slopes are groomed, the T-bar, rope tow, and equipment rentals are ready. The hill will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
This year getting the ski hill ready to use has presented volunteers with special challenges. During a recent violent windstorm several huge trees fell across and took down the cables on the T-bar about half way up the slope.
Firing up the sno-cat, Shannan and Robert Bickford, plus other volunteers climbed the steep slope and managed to limb and lift the trees off the lines. With cables attached they pulled the trees down the slope to be bucked up and used for heating the lodge. The crew then reattached the T-bar cables, got everything running and cleaned the lodge just in time for State Inspector Dave Owens of Truckee to do his official inspection. They passed and can officially open.  

Braves open SCL with win

Modoc’s varsity boy’s team opened the Shasta Cascade League loop with a 63-36 win at Burney Tuesday night.
Modoc is at Etna Saturday.
The Braves had no trouble with the Raiders, taking a 16-7 first period lead and doubling that to a 32-16 halftime advantage. They outscored Burney 17-5 in the third and scored 14 to Burney’s 15 in the fourth.
Modoc’s junior varsity boys had no trouble with Burney either, winning 51-22. They led 17-5 in the first, and 37-14 by half. They led 44-17 after three.
Modoc’s girl’s varsity beat Burney 40-29 after a slow start leading 2-0 in the first. They led 12-6 at halftime and 30-20 after three.
They play Etna on Saturday and they sit at 6-3 for the season and are 0-1 in league. Weed, Modoc and Trinity lead the SCL at 1-0 while Mt. Shasta has not played yet. Fall River, Etna and Burney are 0-1.

Braves head to Susanville meet

The Modoc wrestling team heads to the Susanville tournament this weekend, which is expected to be very tough.
Modoc is coming off two very big tournaments, one in Grants Pass of about 50 schools where no Brave placed and last weekend in a very competitive 48-school Anderson Tourney where the showings were a little better.
Ethan Dunn was the top finisher for Modoc, placing fourth in Anderson at 132 pounds. Tristan Osborne placed eight at 220 pounds. Not placing but wrestling very well were Benny Bevil and Alex Valencia.

School sports. . .

Modoc High School girl’s and boy’s basketball will face Etna there Jan. 12. They are at Mt. Shasta Jan. 15.
The Surprise Valley Hornets basketball teams are at Butte Valley Jan. 11 and at Happy Camp in McCloud Jan. 15. They face Big Valley at home Jan. 18.
The Modoc Wrestling team heads to the Lassen tourney Jan. 11-12 and is at Bonanza January 19.

January 17th, 2013

News

Modoc native receives the Medal of Honor

“In this war, more than 2,000 of America’s sons and daughters have given their lives. These are the patriots that we honor today, tomorrow and forever . . . next month I will present our nation’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, to Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha for his heroic service in Afghanistan,” announced President Barack Obama in a news conference, Jan. 11, 2013.
 With those words Romesha of Lake City, became only the fourth living American to receive the Medal of Honor for service in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Combat Outpost Keating was a small isolated military installation in northeastern Afghanistan nestled at the base of a narrow valley and hemmed in by mountains nearly twice the altitude of the Warner Mountains.
“No one sets out to get the Medal of Honor,” Romseha said Wednesday. “I will accept the Medal on behalf of all who were there that day and for the Mothers who support them.”
Some days are better than others. Romesha was at his desk working in North Dakota when his phone rang.
“I answered the phone and a secretary told me that the President wanted to speak to me. It was the President of the United States,” he said.
With that call Romesha’s life changed.

Cold spell keeps plumbers busy

Modoc plumbers have been busy for the past six days, trying to keep up with frozen pipes as the area has been in a deep freeze.
According to Janice Heard of Heard Plumbing and Billy Roberts of A and M Plumbing the phones have been ringing off the hook since last Friday and weren’t slowing down on Wednesday. They’re just trying to keep up and get those pipes thawed or repair those, which have burst.
The real cold started on Jan. 11 when the nighttime temperature dipped to nine below zero and on the 12th warmed only to 12 degrees in the day. That night it dropped to 19 below zero and only warmed up to eight on the 13th. That night, the mercury hit a low of 21 below zero. On the 14th the high temperature was 14 degrees and the low was 15 below zero. Tuesday reached a high of 31 degrees and a low of five below zero.
But take heart, the highs for the coming week are expected to be above freezing and the lows are supposed to be in the single digits above zero.
Of the first 15 days of 2013, seven had had temperatures below zero. The area is not close to a record low for January, which occurred on January 20, 1937 at 32 below zero. The coldest day on record for Alturas was Dec. 9, 1972 at minus 34 degrees.

City building still slow

There was little building activity in the City of Alturas for December, with the most dramatic being the demolition of the Main Street Family Diner restaurant.
There were six building permits issued, with an estimated value of $34,450. Three of those permits were for heating and air conditioning units and one was an electrical upgrade. Another was a truck barn for the City.

Obituary

Gabriela Holt
Gabriela Holt of Adin passed away Friday morning, January 11, 2013 at Mayers Memorial Hospital, Fall River Mills, CA.
She was born in San Francisco, CA on December 27, 1921, where she lived into her teens. Family and friends will celebrate her life and memory at an Irish Wake in her honor on January 19. God bless and keep her.

Sports

Wrestlers take third in Susanville

Modoc’s primarily young wrestling team took a third place in the Susanville Tournament last weekend, above Coach Shaun Wood’s expectations.
Big Schools Del Oro and Del Monte Ranch took first and second, while Modoc topped some other large schools like Hugg, Enterprise, Lassen, Sparks and Truckee. There were 15 schools in the event.
Taking second places for Modoc were 120-pound Alex Valencia and 220-pound Matt Froeming.
Third places were won by Ethan Dunn at 138 pounds and Benny Bevil at 145 pounds.
Taking fourth places were Cody Tiffany at 106 pounds and heavyweight Ben Correa. Steve Aceves took fifth at 113 pounds and Jarrett Royce was sixth at 134 pounds.
Modoc heads to Bonanza January 19, and then has a match with Oroville and Durham at Durham Jan. 25 and the big Corning Tournament Jan. 26.

Modoc beat Mt. Shasta in SCL

Modoc’s Braves beat the Mt. Shasta Bears in a pivotal game Tuesday night 45-43. The Bears were the third ranked team in the North Section and Modoc was fourth. That ranking will change as Modoc moved to 3-0 in league and Mt. Shasta to 2-1.
The Braves face Trinity in Modoc Saturday.
The game was back and fourth all night in Mt. Shasta. Modoc led 12-9 after one and the Bears took a 23-21 lead into the halftime talks. Modoc tied the game at 35 after three and won with a 10-8 fourth period.
The boy’s varsity started a little cool Saturday at Etna, but used a solid second half for a 68-42 Shasta Cascade League win.
The Braves led 15-12 in the first and 24-23 at halftime. They outscored Etna 23-9 in the third and 21-10 in the fourth.
The girl’s varsity lost to Etna 59-44, with second quarter foul trouble rearing its head.
Etna took a 13-7 first period lead and built that to a 33-16 lead by halftime. Etna led 47-28 after three, and went on for the win.
Modoc lost to Mt. Shasta Tuesday, 38-26, suffering through a 29 percent shooting effort. The Bears led 8-4 in the first and 14-12 at half. Mt. Shasta jumped out to a 29-17 lead after three and each team scored nine in the fourth.
The junior varsity boy’s team beat Etna 58-43. They led 18-9 in the first period and 34-13 by half. Etna crawled back in the third to trail 43-32, but couldn’t make up the deficit.

January 24th, 2013

News

Romesha’s courage surprises no one in SV

By Jean Bilodeaux
Special to the Record

Last week the Modoc Record told the story of Clint Romesha being awarded the nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor.
It was the story of Romesha, the warrior, who risked his life to save his comrades, who refused to accept defeat in the face of overwhelming odds against him. He is a man of courage and valor.
On Feb. 11, Romesha will be awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama at the White House. The significance of that honor is sinking in, especially in Surprise Valley where he grew up.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is presented to a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself “conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.”
The medal is frequently, and incorrectly, referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Medal is awarded or presented, it is never won.
The wearer of this medal is held in the highest regard and it is customary for all ranks to salute a recipient, regardless of the recipient’s rank. Wearers of the Medal of Honor are always saluted before others. Even Presidents have saluted Medal of Honor recipients instead of returning salutes. You salute to show respect and honor. Even if the recipient is a private, a general will salute him.

Vandals force P.O. lockup

Continuing vandalism to the Alturas Post Office has resulted in the facility being locked after business hours. David Rupert, a Post Office spokesperson from Denver, said the vandalism defaces and damages the property and could threaten the integrity of the mail. The vandalism includes graffiti, damage to waste receptacles, individuals urinating or defecating inside the buildings or on the outside doors, dirt and mud being tracked in the building and siphoning gas from vehicles. Rupert has decided the Alturas Post Office will be open Mondays through Fridays 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays 7:50 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Sundays. The doors will be locked after 5 p.m. each day and on Sundays.

Modoc jobless rate up to 14.4 %

The jobless rate in Modoc bumped up to 14.4 percent for December 2012, according to the state Employment Development Department.
That’s an increase from 12.9 percent for November 2012 but is below the Dec. 2011 rate of 14.7 percent. Modoc’s labor work dropped from 3,850 in Dec. 2011 to 3,660 in Dec. 2012. The number of people employed for that period dropped from 3,290 in 2011 to 3,140 in 2012. The number unemployed dropped from 560 to 530.

Obituaries:

Judith Ann Dickinson
Judith Ann Dickinson, 65, of Alturas, CA passed away on Friday January 18, 2013 at the Modoc Skilled Nursing Center (Warner View) in Alturas. Judy was born in Mason, Ohio on July 10, 1946, to Adam and Mildred Dickinson.
Her Funeral Service will be on January 23, 2013 at the Chapel of the Chimes Mortuary and Park, 32992 Mission Blvd., Hayward, CA, beginning at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Judy’s memory to the Modoc Skilled Nursing Center (Warner View), 228 W. McDowell St., Alturas, CA 96101.

Wilma L. Sweeney
Wilma Lenore Sweeney of Alturas, a loving mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, passed away at the age of 100, of natural causes on Friday, January 18, 2013 in Alturas, CA. She will be missed greatly by everyone who knew her.
She was born Wilma Lenore Roberts to James and Betsy Roberts in Lakeview, Oregon on January 9, 1913.
Kerr Mortuary will hold visitation from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24. Services will be held Friday, Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. at Fort Bidwell Community Church. Burial will be at Ft. Bidwell Cemetery.
Donations in Mrs. Sweeney’s memory may be directed to the Fort Bidwell Church or Fort Bidwell Cemetery, Fort Bidwell, CA 96112.

Wayne P. Goulden
Wayne Phillip Goulden passed away in St. George, Utah on January 17, 2013. The combination of pneumonia and bone cancer took his life.
Graveside services will be held Monday, January 28  at 11a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. Fellowship to follow.
He was born June 28, 1935 and grew up in Alturas, hunting ducks in the fall, ice skating in the winter, helping his dad Phillip, in the summers and being spoiled by his mom Irma, the rest of the year.

Sports

Bailey receives top Hunter Safety award

Local Hunter Education Instructor Paul Bailey has earned the coveted Director’s Achievement Award, for more than 40 years of service to the California Department of Fish and Game as a Volunteer Hunter Education Instructor.
The Director’s Achievement Award is the highest award that can be issued to a volunteer employee and carries with it the honor and prestige of only being given to the most exceptional individuals who have demonstrated the very finest acts of public service and resource conservation.
According to the DFG, during those 40 years of service, Bailey has instilled the basic knowledge of firearm safety, ethics and conservation into countless students, passing on these skills for many generations to come and preserving our hunting heritage.

Braves whip Trinity easily

Modoc’s varsity boy’s team continues its perfect run in the Shasta Cascade League and faces an important weekend.
Coach Keith Weber was very pleased with the team’s 67-39 win over Trinity here Saturday which sets up key match-up this weekend when Mt. Shasta comes to Modoc Friday and the Braves travel to Fall River on Saturday.
Modoc’s girl’s varsity beat Trinity 51-32, in spite of shooting just 29 percent from the floor
Modoc’s junior varsity boys lost to Mt. Shasta last week 54-50 and to Trinity 70-36. Illness caught up with the Braves against Trinity.
In Mt. Shasta, Modoc trailed 16-10 in the first and 24-18 at half. The cut the

Modoc wins Bonanza invite

Modoc’s wrestling team won the Bonanza invitational last weekend scoring 129 points, to Etna’s 95 and Bonanza’s 93.
Modoc heads to Durham Friday for a three way match against Durham and University Prep and participates in the Corning tournament on Saturday. More than 40 schools are expected at Corning.
In Bonanza, Ethan Dunn won the 138-pound weight class and other individual champions for Modoc were 113-pound Steven Aceves, 120-pound Alex Valencia, and 145-pound Benny Bevil.
Modoc’s Tim Reed at 106 pounds, Garrett Padgett at 182 pounds, Matt Froeming at 220 pounds and heavyweight Ben Correa all placed second.
Jarrett Royce took fourth at 138 pounds and David Buckley was fifth at 145 pounds.

January 31st, 2013

News

Wild enough to roam, but hungry enough to stay

Starving and “pitiful” looking, they’ve been hanging around day and night. They showed up mid-January so thin, ribs were showing. Judging by the blood in the snow where they congregate, there are injuries, but no one can get close enough without the “very aggressive male” ready to charge to protect his young and the females. Life this winter has been hard and it shows.
“In the 17 years I’ve lived here, this has never happened to me before,” said homeowner Ronda Ryan, her daughter by her side.
Her property has been a temporary oasis from the deep snow, lack of food and water for five to six horses, now identified as wild horses: three females, a foal or colt, and one younger and one older male. It is speculated they have come off Devil’s Garden to Ryan’s unfenced Modoc Recreational Estates yard.
Recalling information she read in the Sheriff’s Blotter in the Modoc Record, Ryan at first believed they were local horses reported missing. With scant knowledge of horses, Ryan felt compelled to feed the malnourished strays, until she could locate the owner(s).
Ryan went about contacting the Sheriff’s Office, CHP Officer Steve Hallmark, Brand Inspector Tony Frutuozo, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service. USFS employee Jenny Jayo visited the Ryan property to take a look at the horses and the situation. Ryan wondered if they could be corralled and moved. Jayo said she would return with some hay and be back in touch. When Ryan didn’t hear back from Jayo, she contacted her again Tuesday. Jayo said they didn’t have materials to corral the horses and she was awaiting further information from the Litchfield Wild Horse holding corral, although Jayo told Ryan was informed there was no space there to hold them. When the Record called Jayo Wednesday morning, she was unavailable for comment.

MMC hires Walt Beck as CEO

The Last Frontier Healthcare District Board of Directors has hired Walt Beck as its Chief Executive Officer, replacing Monica Derner who resigned.
Beck, who served as the Modoc Medical Center CEO for just over a year ending in November 2009, has been given a three-year contract. Derner will also be on hand to help when needed.
Beck is on site Tuesday through Thursday and available by phone seven days a week.
Beck said he is pleased with the staff and feels the hospital is in a good position for the future, but there will be some challenges ahead. There will be changes in the works and he is looking to recruit a new doctor and other health care professionals.

January cold and very dry

While January 2013 will go down in history as a very cold month, it will also go down as a very dry period.
There were no records set for cold, but 12 of January’s 31 days had temperatures below zero. And 10 of those days were in a row. The record low temperature for the month came in 1937 at minus 32 degrees. The coldest days for 2013 were January 13 at minus 21, January 12 at minus 19 and January 15 at minus 15.
Precipitation for the month came in at only .48 inches, well below the normal month total of 1.28 inches.
The snow pack in the mountains remains fairly healthy as follows: Cedar Pass 37 inches; Adin Mountain 23 inches; Dismal Swamp 64 inches and Crowder Flat nine inches.

Gaines calls for Cal Fire investigation

State Senator Ted Gaines has sent a letter to California Attorney General Kamala Harris requesting an investigation into the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) following recent reports revealing that the agency hid $3.6 million with the California District Attorneys Association instead of depositing it into the state’s general fund.
 “This is a very serious and disturbing matter that calls for a thorough investigation by the Attorney General to determine whether there are any related criminal charges that should be brought,” said Gaines. “Hiding funds outside the state system with an organization that is profiting from the account simply reeks of wrongdoing and demands to be looked into.”
 “How can the state get away with charging rural Californians a $150 illegal fire fee specifically to support Cal Fire operations, and at the same time Cal Fire is hiding millions in a secret fund?” said Gaines. “It’s no wonder there is such a high level of distrust between the government and its citizens. We deserve to know the truth behind what took place and why.”

Obituaries:
Thomas Michael Hinton
Thomas Michael Hinton, born September 5, 1947, passed away January 28, 2013 at his family farm in Lake City, California. A ten year resident of Modoc, avid farmer, carpenter, father, grandfather and man of God; he will truly be missed by all he blessed.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, February 1, 2013, the Rosary will be said at 9 a.m. at St. James Catholic Mission in Cedarville. Graveside service will follow at the Lake City Cemetery. A potluck memorial service will be held at the St. James hall following graveside; relatives and friends are welcome.
Memorial contributions are welcome and can be given to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org, St. Jude’s Children Hospital www.stjude.org, or Sacred Heart Parish - 507 E. 4th St., Alturas, CA 96101.

William “Bill” Howard Pray, Jr.
William Howard Pray, Jr. passed away at his home on January 24, 2013, in Alturas, CA. Beloved husband of Mary K. Pray and father of Jason Don Pray and Sheila Marie Pray, he is greatly missed. Services will be held at a later date to be announced.
Bill was born in Oakland, CA on Sept. 14, 1952. His birth father was Donald LeRoy Gage and his mother Joann Winkelmen.
His memory will be in our hearts and carried on forever.

Mark Andrew Smoot
Former Alturas resident Mark “Andy” Smoot, 40, of Inyokern, CA passed away following a motorcycle accident on Monday, January 21, 2013. He was born in Bellflower, CA on February 7, 1972. Mark grew up most of his life in Alturas, CA and  graduated from Modoc High School in 1991.
A memorial service for Mark was held at 2 p.m., Friday, January 25 at the Valley View Christian Church, 1805 Geiger Grade Road in Reno.

Elsie Verlene DeWitt
Elsie (Verlene) DeWitt of Alturas, CA went home, peacefully, to be with her Lord after a short battle with cancer at the age of 65 on January 28, 2013. She was born in Porum, OK on February 25, 1947 and enjoyed many years as a homemaker and proud mother of five children.
A memorial service will be held for her at Faith Baptist Church in Alturas, CA on Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Haven Humane Society or the American Cancer Society.

Elree Christian LeMay
Elree Christian LeMay passed away on Sunday, January 6, 2013 in Lakeview, Oregon. Elree (Frenchy) LeMay was born to Eleanor Bidwell LeMay and Remi LeMay on July 28, 1942, in Oakland, CA.
He was laid to rest at the Burney Cemetery in Burney, Ca. on January 10, 2013 at a graveside service.

Sports

Modoc beats Weed to stay in 1st place

The Modoc Braves beat the Weed Cougars 61-55 Tuesday to take over sole possession of first place in the Shasta Cascade League. The teams were tied at 5-1 in league to begin the night.
Modoc has Burney here Feb. 1 and Fall River pays a visit Feb. 5.
Weed jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the first period, but Modoc fought back to trail 14-13 when that quarter ended. The Braves led 25-24 at halftime and played an excellent third period, going up 44-34. Weed mounted a major comeback in the fourth, outscoring Modoc 21-17, but was not able to make up the third quarter deficit.
Modoc beat Mt. Shasta Friday night 57-53 to go 5-0 in the Shasta Cascade League, but was knocked off by Fall River Saturday 59-49 for their first league loss.
The Braves survived a hot start by the Bears as they hit four three-pointers in the first period and went up 12-1. Modoc fought back and trailed by just one, 28-27, at the halftime talks. Modoc took the lead 44-37 at the end of three and held on in the fourth for the 57-53 win.
Fall River beat the Braves, as Modoc shot just 35 percent from the floor.
The Bulldogs led 18-12 in the first and 32-25 at halftime. Modoc trailed 47-39 after three and Fall River scored 12 to Modoc’s 10 in the fourth.
Modoc’s junior varsity boys lost to Mt. Shasta 58-45 in a close game that was 26-23 at halftime and 38-32 after three. They beat Fall River 46-39 after trailed 20-19 at the half. They took a 31-30 lead after three. They beat Weed 59-44 coming off a 36-20 halftime lead.
Modoc’s varsity girls lost to Mt. Shasta 44-33 after taking a 9-2 lead in the first period and a 20-12 lead at halftime. The Bears held the Braves to just 13 points in the second half while scoring 32 of their own.
The girls lost to Fall River 52-30 in a game that was never close. The Bulldogs led 14-4 in the first and 30-14 at halftime. The score was 43-24 after three.
Modoc lost to Weed 40-32 Tuesday shooting just 27 percent from the floor. But the defense held Weed to just four field goals in the second half to climb back into the game.

Braves square off against Etna, Trinity for SCL wrestling title

The Shasta Cascade League wrestling championship will come down to a battle between Modoc, Etna and Trinity this Friday and Saturday in Etna.
Modoc Coach Shaun Wood said his team’s chances have been buoyed by serious improvement of his lightweight, and younger wrestlers.
“We’re peaking at the right time and we have a very good shot at winning the league title,” he said. “It might be close, but as long as we’re healthy, I think we’ll do fine.”
Braves who could win individual league championships are Ethan Dunn, Steve Aceves, Benny Bevil, Cody Tiffany, Ben Correa and Garret Padgett. Wood also sees some other wrestlers getting into the final round.
Modoc is coming off a good warm up for the SCL matches, finishing 11th of 34 teams in the Corning tournament last Saturday. They lost a dual match with Durham 46-36 last Friday, but that depended on the final pairing. Modoc also had to forfeit three weight classes to Durham, worth 18 points.
In Corning, Modoc’s Dunn placed third at 134 pounds. He lost just one match, his semi-final to a nationally ranked opponent. Aceves took a sixth at 115 pounds and Valencia took sixth at 122 pounds. Tiffany was seventh at 108 pounds and Bevil was seventh at 145 pounds. Jarrett Royce took an eighth at 138 pounds and Padgett was eighth at 182 pounds.

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February 7th, 2013

News

Romesha Medal ceremony Monday, 10:30 a.m.

The public is invited to watch the official White House Medal of Honor ceremonies on large screen television as Clint Romesha receives the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama on Monday, Feb. 11.
The TV will be set up in the Surprise Valley High School Gym and the doors will be open at 10 a.m. so all will be ready for the 10:30 a.m. program. Romesha is a 1999 graduate of SV High and his wife Tammy Small Romesha is a 2000 graduate of SV High. The Medal of Honor is the highest award given by the US military.
Romesha, of Lake City, becomes only the fourth living American to receive the Medal of Honor for service in Afghanistan or Iraq.
 “No one sets out to get the Medal of Honor,” Romseha has said. “I will accept the Medal on behalf of all who were there that day and for the mothers who support them.”

Wild Horses getting moved

They are no longer hanging out in her Modoc Recreational Estates yard and Ronda Ryan is feeling a sense of relief and a sense of loss about the six wild horses that have been hauled away.
When the wild horses showed up at her place around January 19, they were “starving and pitiful” looking. Thinking they belonged to someone, Ryan bought hay to feed them until the owners could be located. Problem was, there were no owners – they are wild horses and they stayed until February 5.
She sought help through local channels and contacted the Modoc National Forest. Last Thursday, Ryan received a call from Bureau of Land Management who questioned her about finding a good location to set up a pen as a trap for the horses behind her property. On Monday, the USFS coordinated with BLM to set up the pen off Jaguar Road, behind and off Ryan’s property. Ryan was instructed by Jenny Jayo at the U.S. Forest Service to stop feeding the six wild horses.
By Tuesday, five of the six horses moved into the pen/trap and were removed to the Litchfield Holding pen for “processing” to determine age, sex and receive vaccinations, said Punky Moore, Public Affairs Officer for the Modoc National Forest.
“Those under the age of six can be adopted. None of the horses will be relocated back to Devil’s Garden, as they would return to the area,” said Moore.

Drug bust tags several for sales

From September 2012 through January 2013, the Modoc County Inter-Agency Narcotics Task Force with the assistance of personnel from the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office, the Alturas Police Department and the Modoc County District Attorney’s Office conducted investigations into subjects selling marijuana within Modoc County.
The investigations resulted in obtaining search warrants and arrest warrants for subjects and their residences identified during the course of the investigations.
On January 31, 2013 personnel from the Modoc County Inter-Agency Narcotics Task Force, the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office, the Alturas Police Department, the Modoc County District Attorney’s Office and the California Highway Patrol served five search warrants and nine arrest warrants in and around Alturas. Modoc County Child Protective Services assisted with the investigation of child endangerment issues.

Board not cool with Junior Prom in Courthouse

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors were not in favor of the Modoc High School Junior Class request to hold its May 11 Prom in the Courthouse.
The issue was discussed Tuesday, but died because of a lack of a motion, but Supervisors expressed reservation about the idea.
The class wanted to decorate around a masquerade ball in Paris and felt the stately Courthouse with its grand steps and marble would fit the bill. They wanted to use just the downstairs for the dancing and perhaps the upstairs for seating.
Supervisor Dave Allan said he thought it was a nice idea, but that he looked at the Courthouse as a “serious buildings that does not strike me as a party atmosphere . . . it’s not a rec room.”
He also cited concerns about safety, security, insurance costs and the like.
Supervisor Jim Wills also was concerned about a variety of things, primarily liability insurance and security. Other Supervisors discussed the issue, but generally put a damper on the idea.
Several issues involving the Sheriff’s Office restructuring were on the agenda, but details were questioned by the Board and Administration. In the end, Sheriff Mike Poindexter agreed with a recommendation by Supervisor Jon Pedersen to send the issues back to committee. Pedersen felt there might not have been enough communication between Administration, the committee and the Sheriff’s office.

Obituaries:

Fern Evelyn Gooch
Fern Evelyn Gooch was born February 16, 1916, in Lake City, California. Her parents were Guy and Rozella Hotchkiss Jones. She died at the age of 96 on December 14, 2012, in Redding, California.
The memorial service for Fern Gooch will be on her birthday, February 16, 2013, at 11:30 a.m. at the Cedarville Community Church. After the service, the family will provide meat, beans and green salad in the church hall for a potluck dinner in Fern’s honor.

Melvin Firman Sam
Services for Melvin Firman Sam of Fort Bidwell, CA will be held Friday, February 8 at 11 a.m. in the Fort Bidwell Tribal Gymnasium in Fort Bidwell.
Mr. Sam, 85, passed away February 2, 2013 in Cedarville, CA. A 75-year resident of Modoc County, he was born October 20, 1927 in Adel, Oregon
His wife Mary Edna preceded him in death. He is survived by his daughter Mariellen “Tootie” Sam of Fort Bidwell, CA; grandson Kenny Sam of Fort Bidwell; granddaughter Nina Loretto of Edgewood, New Mexico and sister Sterling Reith of Cedarville. He also has three great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

Sports

Young Braves’ team wins SCL wrestling title

Modoc’s very young, and very improved wrestling team, won the Shasta Cascade League Championship last weekend in Etna.
Modoc won the dual portion of the championship matches as follows on Friday: Modoc 53 points-Mt. Shasta 24; Modoc 47-Etna 24: and Modoc 54-Trinity 18.
On Saturday they won the overall team title in strong fashion. Modoc had 165 points, followed by Etna 117, Trinity 113, Chester 111, Mt. Shasta 52, Fall River 32, Dunsmuir 25, Tulelake 22, Big Valley 14 and Burney 0.
The Braves were led by: Ethan Dunn, a junior who won at 132 pounds; Steve Aceves, a sophomore who won at 113 pounds; Alex Valencia, a freshman who won at 120 pounds, Matt Froeming, a senior who won at 220 pounds; and Ben Correa, a senior who won at heavyweight.
Sophomore Alan Clark took a second at heavyweight and freshman Tristan Osborne took second at 220 pounds. Senior Benny Bevil placed second at 145 pounds while sophomore Cody Tiffany placed second at 106 pounds.
Senior Destry Tiffany was third at 126 pounds and freshman Jarrett Royce was third at 138 pounds. Junior David Buckley was third at 152 pounds and senior Garrett Padgett was third at 182 pounds.
Sophomore David Burns was fourth at 126 pounds and freshman Tim Reed was fifth at 106 pounds.

Modoc remains atop the SCL hoop loop

Modoc’s Braves beat the Burney Raiders Saturday 62-46 and Fall River Tuesday 56-51 to remain on top of the Shasta Cascade League with just one loss.
Modoc travels to Trinity Saturday and has Etna at home Feb. 12 and a big game against Weed here Feb. 13. Modoc currently has a one-game lead on both Mt. Shasta and Weed.
Modoc’s varsity girl’s team beat the Burney Raiders 55-43 Saturday. They trailed 12-10 in the first period and 21-19 at halftime. They sparked in the third to take a 36-33 lead and outscored the Raiders 19-10 in the final stanza.
Modoc beat Fall River 39-35 in a defensive struggle Tuesday night. The Braves led 15-12 in the first quarter and 24-19 by halftime. Fall River picked up one point in the third and the teams played an even eight in the fourth.
Modoc’s junior varsity boys put together two wins this week, beating Burney 56-50 and Fall River 56-45.
Against Burney, the Braves took a 17-8 first period lead and led 30-23 by half. Burney crawled back to trail 41-37 in the third but Modoc kept going for the win.
They started 14-9 in the first against the Bulldogs, and doubled the score to 36-18 at halftime. They led 51-34 after three and held the fourth.

February 14th, 2013

News

Romesha awarded Medal of Honor Monday at White House

On Monday, at 10:45 a.m. on the West Coast, the nation was witness to the courage and emotion of Lake City Native Clinton Romesha as President Barack Obama presented the former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant with the nation’s highest award for courage, the Medal of Honor, at the White House.
The ceremony was broadcast over most national news outlets live and played later in prime time. It was a somber, emotional and impressive celebration, which brought people to tears and had most swelling with pride.
Clinton’s young son, Colin, brought a light moment to the event as he decided to tour the stage and President’s podium just before the actual ceremony started.
He explored the presidential podium, peeking out on both sides, before trying to take a seat in the chair reserved for the Afghanistan war hero. A Marine on the President’s staff gently corralled him and lifted him back into his mother Tammy’s arms just before the President and Romesha strode into the room.
“Colin is not as shy as Clint,” President Obama noted in his remarks. The family had met with the President and First Lady in the Oval Office prior to the ceremony. “He (Colin) was in the Oval Office, and he was racing around pretty good and sampled a number of the apples before he found the one that was just right.”
Romesha, a former active duty Army Staff Sergeant, received the nation’s highest award for valor for his actions to repel the deadly attack on Combat Outpost Keating on Oct. 3, 2009.

Alturas Post Office door repair coming

The repair of the vandalized side entrance door to the Alturas Post Office is on the list of repairs by the Postal Services mobile maintenance unit.
According to Postal Service Spokesman David Rupert, out of Denver, the repair has taken too long and they are taking measures to get it repaired as soon as possible. The door has been broken for about three weeks.
Vandalism prompted the Postal Service to close the Alturas facility recently after business hours. That continuing vandalism included broken doors, trash bin vandalism, graffiti, stealing gas and people actually urinating and defecating inside the Post Office.
A complaint has been taken to the Modoc District Attorney, targeting a juvenile who is suspected in some of the vandalisms.

Coyote Drive went well; Sheriff’s letter brings complaint

After some testimony last week in the State Fish and Wildlife Commission, the State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife decided to allow the Pit River Rod and Gun Club and Adin Supply Coyote Drive to take place in Modoc County last week, saying there was nothing illegal in the project.
Environmental groups were asking the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to halt the coyote hunt, saying it could pose a threat to OR-7 the endangered gray wolf, the first confirmed wild wolf in California in more than 80 years.
The wolf has not been in Modoc County fore several months. The hunt protest drew widespread news coverage throughout the state.
While there was some protest at the event, what drew more concern from the opponents of the coyote drive was a letter from Modoc County Sheriff Mike Poindexter, which the Record printed last week.
In a letter to Modoc District Attorney Chris Brooke, the opponents state: “We urgently seek an investigation of Modoc County Sheriff Mike Poindexter for his apparent violation of the U.S. Constitution, California state law, and the Law Enforcement code of ethics based on his statement of February 7 in which he ignores federal law and advocates that citizens violate said laws.
In the February 7, 2013 Modoc County Record, a Letter to the Editor by Sheriff Poindexter was published regarding Coyote Drive 2013, a coyote contest hunt co-hosted by the Pit River Rod and Gun Club and the Adin Supply Company scheduled for February 8-10, 2013 and headquartered in Adin, California.

IRWMP released for 30-day review period

The public review draft of the Upper Pit Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) will be released February 15, 2013 for a 30-day review period. Comments are due by March 15, 2013.
The outcome of this two-year process is the IRWM plan that covers the Upper Pit River Watershed including the sub-watersheds of Upper Pit, Fall River, Burney Creek and Hat Creek.
The plan has a 20-year planning horizon and was prepared using input from local residents and stakeholders in the region. It includes local projects designed to address high-priority water resource issues. Once the plan is complete, local residents and stakeholders can use it to procure funding for projects that benefit the watershed. A completed IRWM Plan will make the region eligible for state grant funds for project implementation.
Copies of the document can be obtained in a variety of ways. On the IRWMP website at www.upperpit.org, visit your local library in Alturas.

Obituary—

Betty Zwicky Dolby Brown 
Betty Zwicky Dolby Brown was born in Elgin, Illinois, on November 29, 1927. She was the youngest of eight children.
Betty Zwicky Dolby Brown of Alturas passed away in the comfort of her home surrounded by her loving family on Saturday, February 9, 2013, and was laid to rest on February 13, in the Alturas Cemetery next to her husband Chet. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends and remembered for her positive attitude, ready smile, and quick sense of humor.
Donations may be made to the Alturas Garden Club, P.O. Box 2102, Alturas, CA 96101, in Betty’s name.

Chance William Stokke
Chance William Stokke passed away peacefully on February 7, 2013.  He was 23. 
Chance was born in Dillon, Montana on July 1, 1989, Montana’s Centennial year. He will be laid to rest next to his maternal grandfather Kenneth Anthony Torri in Sierraville, California beneath the towering Ponderosa Pine. A remembrance is planned for late spring. Donations in his memory may be made to Shriners Children’s Hospital (http://www.shrinershq.org/). 

Gerry Garbutt
Gerry Garbutt, 94, a long time resident of Adin, CA, went to be with her Lord on February 7, 2013.  A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2013, at 1 p.m. at Adin Community Bible Church in Adin, CA.  Gerry was born on November 9, 1918 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Clifford William Mason and Susie Love Bass-Mason. 
Memorial contributions in Gerry’s name may be made to Adin Community Bible Church, P.O. Box 191, Adin, CA 96006.  Condolences may be sent to Gerry’s family at www.affordablemortuary.net.

Robert “Bob” H. Ridenour
Bob Ridenour, 86, passed away peacefully on February 6, 2013, surrounded by his wife of 63 years, Anna Mae, and their children Mary, John, Marcia and Steve.
Bob was born October 16, 1926, and raised in Columbus, Nebraska.  After high school graduation, he enlisted in the Navy and served two years in the western Pacific during WWII.
On Friday, February 15, visitation will be at 9:00 – 9:45 a.m. at Palm Memorial Sierra Chapel, 49269 Road 426, Oakhurst, CA 93644, followed by graveside service at 10:00 a.m. at Oakhill Cemetery in Oakhurst. A memorial service will follow at 11:00 a.m. at Oakhurst Lutheran Church, 39255 Black Road, Oakhurst CA 93644, with a reception to follow.
Then, on Sunday, February 17, a time of remembrance and celebration will be held at 12 Noon at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, 905 Redwood St., Oxnard CA 93033, followed by a reception.

Fern Gooch
The memorial service for Fern Gooch will be on her birthday, February 16, 2013, at 11:30 a.m. at the Cedarville Community Church. After the service, the family will provide meat, beans and green salad in the church hall for a potluck dinner in Fern’s honor.
Mrs. Gooch died at the age of 96 on December 14, 2012, in Redding, California.

Sports

Braves had Weed for league title last night

Modoc’s varsity boy’s team faced Weed last night at home after press time and a win would give the Braves the Shasta Cascade League Championship outright. A loss would put them in a three-way tie with Weed and Mt. Shasta at 9-2.
Will update score for Thursday.
The North Section Division Five playoffs will start next week, but seeding will not be known until Saturday.
Tuesday night Modoc beat Etna 56-40 starting quickly with a17-7 first period lead.
Modoc’s boys had a little sleepwalk trouble in the first quarter against the Trinity Wolves Saturday, trailing 24-13. They still trailed 37-27 at halftime.
Apparently they figured out that their league lead was evaporating before their eyes and woke up in the third period to lead 47-46. They dominated in the fourth with a 23-11 showing, taking a 70-57 win.
Modoc girls played tough but lost to the Wolves 37-32. The game was knotted at 9-9 after one and Modoc led 18-14 at halftime. Trinity took a 26-25 lead after three and outscored Modoc 11-7 in the fourth.
The girls beat Etna 50-45 Tuesday. They trailed 14-12 in the first and took a 29-22 lead by halftime. Each team scored 14 in the third and Etna won the fourth 9-7.
Modoc’s junior varsity boy’s team lost to Trinity, who made 11 three-point shots in the game, 70-42. Modoc trailed 18-11 in the first and 31-26 at halftime. They scored just two in the third when Trinity took a 47-28 lead and went on for the lopsided win.

Wrestlers at Durham for Divisions

Modoc’s wrestling team is at the CIF North Section Division III and IV Championships this weekend in Durham, when Modoc and Durham are favored.

February 21st, 2013

News

Wanted on felony charges

TIMOTHY SCOTT JOHNSON, age 49 years, a white male adult, born January 2,1964, gray hair, blue eyes, 5 feet 9 inches, tall 180 pounds. 
Johnson is wanted in California and Oregon on "no bail" felony warrants, charging six counts of burglary, grand theft, trespassing, violation of probation and felony assault on a peace officer.
Johnson is known to frequent the New Pine Creek and Lakeview, Oregon areas. There is no known vehicle for this subject at this time. 
Anyone who sees Johnson or knows his whereabouts  is asked to please call Modoc County Sheriff's Dispatch at 530-233-4416 in California or Lake County Sheriff's Dispatch at 541-947-2504 if seen in Oregon.

Medi-Cal hit would impact area hospitals hard

Local hospitals are bracing for the impact of a payback to the state on Medi-Cal reimbursements that could prove devastating for long-term care facilities as well as overall hospital functions.
In 2011, the state budget (AB 97) reduced Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for District Part/Skilled Nursing Facilities (like Warnerview and Surprise Valley Hospital Long Term Care) to rates that were applicable in the 2008-2009 rate year, less 10 percent, effective June 1, 2011, resulting in an effective rate decrease for most facilities of 25 percent.
According to Modoc Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Walt Beck, the annual loss to MMC would amount to about $1.038 million and $1.7 million as of the end of January.
Kelly Gentry, Surprise Valley Hospital Chief Executive/Financial Officer, said the annual negative impact to his facility would be about $293,601, and to date (June 1, 2011 to January 31, 2013) would amount to $489,335. The rate decrease would amount to a 21 percent decrease.
Both CEO’s and their District Governing Boards are figuring how to handle the major impact in their finances and wondering whether they’ll be able to maintain the long term care units, and more importantly, care for their patients.
Both are also following a legal appeal of the decision allowing the cuts. That case is in front of a full panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Beck believes MMC will be able to survive the cuts, but the loss would eat up a lot of the annual district tax-generated revenue. He believes there would need to be some serious adjustments in operation.

City animal ordinance tightened, expanded

After March 12, if you live in the City of Alturas, you could be fined up to $200 for failing to clean up your dog droppings on public property, for allowing your chickens to run loose in Alturas, for having more than four adult dogs at your residence, or aiding and abetting the keeping of a backyard cow. 
This is because the Alturas City Council, with input from the High Plateau Humane Society, passed a 16-page Animals and Fowl ordinance that will set the standard for animal control within city limits and update any previous laws in city code. 
Ordinance No. 495 basically says people who have pets in the city will not be allowed to let them annoy their neighbors. The new ordinance also establishes a commercial kennel permit requiring anyone breeding dogs for profit to fill out an application subject to Alturas City Council approval or disapproval.  The ordinance does not yet establish a fee for a kennel permit, however.  That is to be discussed later by the City Council and added as an amendment if necessary. 
The Humane Society called for a kennel permit process because over the years there have been situations where people were breeding dogs in unhealthy conditions.  The kennel license gives Animal Control the authority to limit the number of animals for breeding, inspect the premises, and insure that all animals involved are vaccinated and healthy. 

Modoc Forest ORV under study

The Modoc National Forest is submitting a proposal to the California State Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR) for funding in support of the Forest’s Travel Management program.  The OHMVR is currently soliciting proposals for the 2013 grant cycle, and the Modoc National Forest is considering one project for submission.  The project would assist with area patrols and law enforcement.
Preliminary applications for the 2013 projects have been made available for review and comment on the OHMVR Division's website at http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/.
In addition to the OHMVR Division’s website, public comments regarding the proposed project may also be submitted in writing to Duane Jackson, Patrol Captain, at 2550 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130, or electronically todajackson@fs.fed.us by April 1, 2013. 
Public comments will be used to finalize the proposal application.  Final applications are due to the OHMVR Division by May 6, 2013. 
For more information, please contact Duane Jackson at 530-252-6400.

Obituaries:

Gerry Garbutt
Gerry Garbutt, 94, a long time resident of Adin, CA, went to be with her Lord on February 7, 2013.  A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2013, at 1 p.m. at Adin Community Bible Church in Adin, CA.  Gerry was born on November 9, 1918 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Clifford William Mason and Susie Love Bass-Mason. 
Memorial contributions in Gerry’s name may be made to Adin Community Bible Church, P.O. Box 191, Adin, CA 96006.  Condolences may be sent to Gerry’s family at www.affordablemortuary.net.

Gerald C. Stratton
Alturas resident and retired Sheriff’s Department employee, Gerald Charles Stratton passed away Tuesday, February 19, 2013, in Alturas, CA. At his request, no services will be held. His wife Emiko of Alturas survives him. His obituary will follow in a future issue.

Sports

Modoc wins SCL hoop title, begins playoffs as 2nd seed

Modoc’s varsity boy’s team beat Weed 66-53 Wednesday to win the Shasta Cascade League Championship outright. They hosted Williams in the first round of the CIF North Section Division Five playoffs last night after press time.
Williams came into the playoffs seeded 15 out of 16 teams. Liberty Christian got the number one seed and met number 16 Esparto last night. If Modoc beat Williams they will host either Portola, seeded 5th or East Nicolaus seeded 10th, Friday at 6 p.m. One loss drops a team from the tournament.
Other first round match-ups are as follows: Tulelake (9) at Biggs (8); Pierce (5) hosts Los Molinos (12); Mt Shasta (4) hosts Durham (13); Weed (3) hosts Quincy (14); Hamilton (6) hosts Trinity (11); and Portola (7) hosts East Nicolaus (10).
In the league title game against Weed, the Cougars got a 19-16 jump on the Braves in the first period, but Modoc tied the game at 29-29 by halftime. Modoc took a 46-42 lead after three and won it with a 20-11 fourth period.

Modoc girls beat Tulelake, off to tough game in Durham

Modoc’s varsity girl’s basketball team beat the Tulelake Honkers 49-44 in Alturas Tuesday night in the opening round of the CIF North Section Division Five playoffs.
That win pits them against the number one seed in the playoffs Durham, there, tonight. Modoc came into the tourney seeded eighth, and Durham will be heavily favored.
The girls upset the previously league unbeaten Weed Cougars 40-37 in overtime here Feb. 13.
If the Braves beat Durham Thursday, they will also be on the road Feb. 27.
The playoffs look like this for the first round: Durham (12) has a bye; Modoc (8) hosts Tulelake (9); Portola (5) hosts Quincy (12); Fall River (4) hosts Williams (13); Mt. Shasta (3) hosts Esparto (14); Biggs (6) hosts East Nicolaus (14); Hamilton (7) hosts Etna (10); Weed (2) hosts Los Molinos (15).

Braves send 10 of 11 to Masters tournament

Modoc’s wrestling team will send 10 of the 11 wrestlers who competed at the Division Finals last weekend in Durham to the North Section Masters Finals in Redding this weekend.
Modoc finished second in the Division Three finals last weekend. Team scores were as follows: Durham 191, Modoc 169, Willows 157, Trinity 130, Hamilton City 68, U-Prep 50, Mt. Shasta 38, Esparto 10 and Williams 0. The Division Four scores were: Chester 138, Etna 88, Biggs 23, Dunsmuir and Fall River 19, Los Molinos 17, Tulelake 12, Big Valley and Elk Creek five and Burney two.
For the Braves, Stephen Aceves took the Division title at 115 pounds, Alex Valencia won at 122 pounds and Ethan Dunn took first at 134 pounds.
Matt Froeming placed second at 222 pounds while Ben Correa was third at heavyweight, Benny Bevil was third at 147 pounds, Garrett Padgett third at 184 pounds and Cody Tiffany third at 108 pounds.
Jarrett Royce took fourth at 140 pounds and David Buckley was fifth at 154 pounds.
Four of Modoc’s wrestlers are seeded in the Masters Tournament with Dunn leading the way at number three. Valencia is seeded sixth in his weight, Bevil is seeded eighth and Aceves is seeded ninth.

February 28th, 2013

News

Pit River Tribe vows to protect Medicine Lake from industrial development

On February 15, 2013, The Pit River Tribe unanimously affirmed a resolution opposing geothermal and other industrial developments in the sacred Medicine Lake Highlands.    
The resolution affirms that geothermal development would threaten the underlying aquifer and would result in the injection of toxins into the atmosphere and waters.
Further the Tribe maintains that the construction and development of even a single geothermal power generation plant would result in irreversible impacts to the sensitive cultural resources of the highlands and devastate the habitats of plants and animals. 
The Tribal resolution calls upon the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service to reject all proposed geothermal development in the sacred Medicine Lake Highlands.

Sage Stage new office plan revealed

Modoc Transportation Agency recently contracted with Larranaga Trucking and Construction for demolition of the property on 108 and 112 Main Street, Alturas.
The MTA plans to construct a new 3,500 square foot office in place. Bids were opened for the new office construction project on February 14, 2013. MTA received six bids for the new office construction project and are currently reviewing the bids.  The apparent low bidder is Wagner Construction Group, Inc. from Nevada City, California. Construction is estimated to take about 14 weeks once the contract documents and bonds are signed and in place.
The property was purchased November 2012 with the intent of remodeling the existing building; one bid was received for the remodel in September 2012. The cost to remodel the 5,500 square foot building exceeded the budgeted amount which caused the modification of the plans. 

Supervisors propose extension of marijuana moratorium

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 12, 2013, at 10 a.m. to consider an extension of “Uncodified Interim Urgency Ordinance 349-B” which imposes a temporary moratorium on medical marijuana cultivation within the County of Modoc pursuant to Government Code Section 65858.  Extension would be in effect until March 12, 2014. 
The public is invited to make comment during the hearing.
According to the Planning Department, in April 2012 the Board adopted the Urgency Ordinance which established a temporary moratorium on the cultivation of medical marijuana within the unincorporated areas of Modoc County. 
The existing Ordinance prohibits the outdoor cultivation of medical marijuana with the exception that a total of twelve (12) or fewer plants per a maximum of two (2) qualified patients per assessor parcel number shall be allowed during the interim period, consistent with the provisions of the California Health and Safety Code section 11362.7 et seq. and titled the “Medical Marijuana Program Act”.

County honors Clint Romesha

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors issued a proclamation Tuesday morning honoring Medal of Honor recipient Clinton Romesha, who was raised in Lake City.
Romesha’s father Gary, of Lake City, accepted the proclamation for his son, saying “they have him (Clinton) running all over the Country now.” He thanked the Board and also stated that it takes a “whole community” to raise children and credited family, teachers, neighbors, friends and grandparents, especially grandparents for much of his son’s upbringing. He also said that Modoc County produces fine young people.
Gary said he expects Clinton will visit Modoc sometime in the near future, and that he looks forward to coming up to visit friends and family. Clinton has been in high demand since he was awarded the Medal by President Barack Obama Feb. 11. He’s done several television shows, including the Today Show, David Letterman, and was hosted by the National Hockey League in New York and met the cast of Spiderman on Broadway. He was also feted at a reception at the North Dakota State Capitol.

Johnson nabbed

Timothy Scott Johnson was taken into custody at about 5:00 p.m. Feb. 21 on N. East Street in the City of Alturas by Alturas P.D., Modoc Interagency Narcotic's Task Force, Modoc County D.A.'s Office and Modoc County Sheriff's Office.
Johnson was wanted in California and Oregon on "no bail" felony warrants, charging six counts of burglary, grand theft, trespassing, violation of probation and felony assault on a peace officer.
He remains in Modoc County Jail. 

Obituaries:

Gerald C. Stratton
Gerald Charles Stratton of Alturas, CA passed away Tuesday, February 19, 2013, in Alturas, CA. He was 82.
Born in San Jose, CA on November 21, 1930, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1948, serving in Submarine Service 20 years, until Oct. 25, 1965, as a Submarine Chief Engineer (ENCA).
At his request, no services will be held. Memorial donations may be made to the Humane Society c/o Sheila McKenzie, 1405 W. 11th St., Alturas, CA 96101.

Jack Elton Britton, Sr.
Jack Elton Britton, Sr. was driven to accomplish much during his 87 years and did just that, leaving many tangible testaments, which show his life’s work, although he was a humble person. Upon his passing February 22, 2013, in Alturas, CA, Mr. Britton leaves many friends and a close family to cherish his memory.
Services for Mr. Britton will be held Friday, March 1 at 10 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Alturas, the church he oversaw construction of and served as Branch President for seven years.
Born in Hillsboro, Texas on February 10, 1926.

Alice Marie Criss
Alice Marie Criss of Adin, passed away February 26, 2013 in Fall River Mills, CA. Born in Adin on June 1, 1923, she was 89 at the time of her passing. Memorial services will be held in April. Kerr Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Criss’ obituary will be published in a future issue.

Gerry Garbutt
A memorial service for Gerry Garbutt, 94, a long time resident of Adin, will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2013, at 1 p.m. at Adin Community Bible Church in Adin, CA. Mrs. Garbutt passed away Feb. 7, 2013.
Memorial contributions in Gerry’s name may be made to Adin Community Bible Church, P.O. Box 191, Adin, CA 96006. Condolences may be sent to Gerry’s family at www.affordablemortuary.net.

Sports

Braves hosted Weed in semi-final playoff game

The Braves dropped Portola 74-61 Friday night to earn a birth in last night’s CIF North Section Division Five semi-final game against Weed. The game was played after Modoc Record press time.
The number one seed in the tourney, Liberty Christian, played Mt. Shasta in the other semi-final.  Winners will meet Saturday at Chico State in the Division V Championship.
Culp added 12.
The second-ranked Modoc Braves varsity boys beat number 15 Williams 67-37 Feb. 20 in the first round of the playoffs.

Durham knocks Braves from playoffs

Durham, the top ranked team in the tourney, beat the Modoc Braves varsity girls 54-42 in Durham Thursday night to knock the Braves out of the CIF North Section Division Five basketball playoffs.
The Braves stayed close in the first half, trailing 11-9 in the first period and 22-21 by half. A cold third period saw Durham outscore Modoc 15-5 for a 37-26 lead. Durham scored 17 and Modoc 16 in the final period.
Courtney Knoch led Modoc with 13 points, Kelsey Clay added 10 and Jodi Boudreaux nine.
The Braves finish the season with a 13-11 record and 6-6 in the Shasta Cascade League.

Dunn heads to state wrestling tourney

Modoc’s 134 pound Ethan Dunn, a junior, is heading to the California State Championships in Bakersfield with a first match on Friday.
Dunn placed second in the CIF North Section Masters Tournament on Saturday, which qualifies him for the State finals. The top three placers at the Masters in each weight division go on to the State finals. Dunn went three wins against one loss.
The State Finals start at 9 a.m. Friday and continue at 9 a.m. Saturday with the Championship finals set for Saturday starting at 7:15 p.m. Individual awards go from first through eighth place.
Wood said several of his wrestlers did very well at the Master’s Tournament. Freshman Alex Valencia, at 122 pounds, went 2-2, just one match out of the medal round and senior 115-pound Steven Aceves went 2-2 and also one match away from the medals.
Other wrestlers who did well included Cody Tiffany, 106 pounds, 1-2; Jarrett Royce 140 pounds, 1-2; Matt Froeming, 220 pounds, 1-2; and Garrett Padgett, 182 pounds, 1-2.

March 7th, 2013

News

AFD drawing winners
THE WINNER of the top prize in the Alturas City Fire Department fundraiser was Superior Court Judge Fritz Barclay who will pocket $500 in Modoc Bucks. Modoc Record Advertising Salesperson Maritza Romero pulled the winning ticket after Fire Chief Keith Jacques, right and Firemen Larry Cavasso, left, spun the drum. Second prize of $350 went to Don Wilson and third prize of $250 went to Rene Larranaga. Five fourth prices of $50 each went to: Spoiled, Jodie Ververka, George Studinski, Modoc Auction Yard, Allen Keller and Kim Dodds. Six people won $25 each: Yavette Goulden, Jeff Soloman, Beth Weber, Brenda Kresge, Janet Morgan and Bobby Ray. The fundraiser was very successful as the AFD sold 8,357 tickets. Most of the funding raised this year will go to advanced training for the volunteers. In addition, a scholarship has been set up in memory of Lester Porter and Berniece Hetherwick.

Little building in City

There was very little building activity within the Alturas City limits in February.
According to the Building Department, four permits were issued, worth an estimated $2,800. Permits included demolition, installation of a pellet stove, roofing and electrical work.
The city collected $223 in fees.

Emergency pot ordinance hearing set

Just what to do about marijuana cultivation in Modoc County will be the subject of a public hearing March 12, 10 a.m. at the Modoc County Board of Supervisor’s meeting.
Supeårvisors will consider an extension of “Uncodified Interim Urgency Ordinance 349-B” which imposes a temporary moratorium on medical marijuana cultivation within the County. The extension would be in effect until March 12, 2014. 
The public is invited to make comment during the hearing.
According to the Planning Department, in April 2012 the Board adopted the Urgency Ordinance which established a temporary moratorium on the cultivation of medical marijuana within the unincorporated areas of Modoc County. 

Fill out community survey
Health care organizations seek community input
Six local health care providers along Highway CA299 East are conducting a Regional Health Needs Assessment and are seeking the community’s input about health care needs and experiences.
The survey can be completed on line at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CA299 or can be picked up at the partner health facilities February 11th through March 8th: Modoc Medical Center and Clinic, Canby Family Practice Clinic, Surprise Valley Hospital and Clinic, Hill Country Health and Wellness Center, Burney Health Center, Fall River Valley Health Center, Mayers Memorial Hospital and Big Valley Health Center.
These health care providers have joined together to form the CA299 Health Collaborative and develop a Regional Health Needs Assessment, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program. To learn more about the CA299 Health Collaborative or with questions on the survey, please contact Eileen Tremaine, MPA, at (530) 524-5420, or etremaine@mtnvalleyhc.org<mailto:etremaine@mtnvalleyhc.org>.

Carl’s Sporting Goods. . .
The RECORD received several comments concerning the Sporting Goods sign exposed during the demolition of the Jay’s Men’s Store building and appreciate the history. It was owned during the 1950s by Carl Baehr and was called appropriately enough Carl’s Sporting Goods. The Record has found advertisements for Carl’s Sporting Goods in the 50s. Baehr was the father of Jean Brooks, who passed away recently. Floyd and Betty Smith bought the store in the late 1950’s and it was called Floyd’s Sporting Goods. It was sold finally to John Monroe, who ended up moving the store to where the Sports Hut now operates.

Sports

Liberty beats Modoc for Division 5 crown

The Liberty Christian Patriots, the top seed in the CIF North Section Division 5 tournament beat number two-seeded Modoc 56-48 in the championship game Saturday in Chico.
The Patriots got a hot start, taking a 22-9 first period lead and led 34-22 at halftime. Modoc came back in the third period to cut the lead to 45-39 and closed to within four points in the fourth. Liberty converted on the free throw line to win by eight.
“I was extremely pleased with how the boys battled back,” said coach Keith Weber. “Our bench and crowd energized the guys on the floor.”
Riley Larranaga led the scoring with 23 points, Cam Anderson had 13 and Matthew Weber had seven.
Modoc earned the Division 5 runner-up plague and earned a berth in the NorCal Regional playoffs.
They traveled to Stockton last night to meet Brookside Christian. The game was played after Record press time. Brookside came into the game averaging 86.4 points per game, while Modoc averages 58.9 points.

Dunn beats section champ

Modoc’s 134-pound Ethan Dunn lost his first match at the California State Wrestling Championships Friday, but came back to win his second match, soundly beating the Oroville wrestler who beat him for the Section Championship.
He lost his third match and was eliminated from the tourney.
“I was pleased with how he wrestled, the competition at State is fierce,” said coach Shaun Wood. “Ethan’s a junior, so he got to see what to expect, and I suspect he’ll get to go back next year. Beating the kid who beat him at the Masters was pretty special.”
This weekend, Wood takes his Youth Wrestlers program to a tournament in Chester.

Modoc softball hits field this weekend

Modoc’s girl’s softball team will open the 2013 season at the Cubs Classic Softball Tournament at the Field of Dreams in Redding Friday.
The Braves will meet Los Molinos at 9:45 a.m., followed by Portola at 1:15 and against Hayfork at 4:45 p.m. Saturday play will depend upon how the girls fare on Friday.
The baseball team opens in the Colusa tourney.

March 14th, 2013

News

Alturas Motocross Park moves forward

A proposal to build the Alturas Motocross Park near the old mill site is moving through the process, with a public hearing set April 17, before the Alturas Planning Commission.
The City just released a notice of intent to adopt a “mitigated negative declaration” for the project, proposed by the Modoc Motorsports Association.
The project is for a Use Permit to operate a motorcycle and ATV racetrack Friday through Sunday on a portion of a 103-acre industrial site from March through October. The site is just east of the old mill buildings and west of the Alturas Airport.

Board extends marijuana ordinance

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors, following a public hearing Tuesday, voted to extend the emergency ordinance on medical marijuana cultivation for another 12 months.
Most of the public comment on the issue was in agreement with the extension, although there was some vocal and heated opposition.
The extension would be in effect until March 12, 2014. 
Last April, the Board adopted the Urgency Ordinance, which established a temporary moratorium on the cultivation of medical marijuana within the unincorporated areas of Modoc County. 
The extended ordinance prohibits the outdoor cultivation of medical marijuana with the exception that a total of twelve (12) or fewer plants per a maximum of two (2) qualified patients per assessor parcel number shall be allowed during the interim period, consistent with the provisions of the California “Medical Marijuana Program Act.”

MJUSD stable into the future

The Modoc Joint Unified School District will have a positive cash flow balance in June 2013, 2014 and 2015, according to the second interim financial report.
The district continues to experience declining enrollment, with 2012-13 projected at between 754.50 students. That’s a sharp drop from 2008-09 when the annual average daily attendance was 849.33. Funding for the district is generated by the number of students.
According to the MJUSD, it is expecting a federal sequestration cut, amounting to a loss of $25,786 and it’s anticipated that 2012-13 will be the final year for Forest Reserve funding. The District received about $446,000 this year from Forest Reserves.

Parvo is major dog disease in Modoc

A child with a first puppy is delight defined. If that puppy gets sick, however, that delight can turn to disaster. No one wants to see their little fur ball of energy turn feverish with vomiting and diarrhea, refusing food and water, but it can happen if steps are not taken to ensure that pup a healthy start. 
The fever, vomiting, severe and sometimes bloody diarrhea is more often than not caused by Canine Parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), or Parvo, a virus that attacks the digestive system and can be fatal in puppies. Parvo seems to be on the rise in Modoc County, but there is a vaccine available that could make Parvo rare if people are vigilant about keeping up with their pets' inoculations.
"Parvo is definitely a prevalent disease in Modoc County. The virus is very stable and lives in the environment for a long time; therefore many yards, parks and sidewalks in the county have been contaminated by Parvovirus. We have treated around 15 Parvo puppies since the first of the year,” says Amy Fousek, DVM at Modoc Veterinary Center.
“There is nothing worse than watching a puppy suffer from Parvo.  It is also sad to euthanize a sick puppy before it had a chance to live. We have been in this situation because owners were not responsible for getting the necessary vaccines and could not afford the Parvo treatment," describes Dr. Fousek.

Firewood gathering season ends

The fuelwood gathering season ended Feb. 28, 2013 on the Modoc National Forest. Permits purchased before Feb. 28 and unused load tickets are no longer valid.
There will be no fuelwood gathering during March and April as roads across the forest are most susceptible to damage during this time. 
Fuelwood permits will go on sale again May 1, 2013. The woodcutting season will begin when weather and conditions allow. If you have any questions, please call 530-233-5811 for more information. 

Obituaries:

Leale Edgar Harris
Leale Edgar Harris of Cedarville, passed away March 11, 2013 at the age of 78 years. He was born January 17, 1935 in Cedarville to Edgar and Ruby Harris. Leale graduated from Surprise Valley High School and Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) in Klamath Falls, OR.
At his request, no services will be held.

Jeanne E. Gardner
Jeanne E. Gardner, born Eugenia Lee Ethridge on December 17, 1929, passed away January 21, 2013, at Surprise Valley Long Term Health Care Facility, Cedarville, where she lived for the past 12 years.
Jeanne was born in Clovis, CA and lived in Fresno, CA throughout her youth.
Remembrances of Jeanne can be made to the Dr. Roberts Fund, Surprise Valley Hospital, Cedarville, CA.

William M. Clark
William Milton Clark, a longtime Alturas resident, passed away March 12, 2013 at the age of 92 in Keno, OR where he had been residing the past two years with his daughter. Mr. Clark retired from Surprise Valley Electrification Corporation. He lived in Modoc County for 67 years and was a veteran of the Army Air Corps.
Services will be held March 20 at 1 p.m. at Kerr Mortuary Chapel in Alturas.
Daughter Betty Vaughn of Keno, OR survives. Mr. Clark’s obituary will follow in a future issue.

Ora E. Auble
Ora Eva Auble passed away on March 1, 2013 at Country Villa Riverview in Susanville, CA.  She was born on August 25, 1923 in Adin, CA; she was the third child of Charles and Mildred Bennett.
Graveside services will be held on May 4, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at the Adin Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to your favorite charity.

Jerry T. Preston
Jerry Thomas Preston, “a great fisherman and most loved husband,” passed away Wednesday morning, March 13, 2012 at Modoc Medical Center, Alturas, CA. Arrangements are pending for a memorial service to be held at Church of Christ in Alturas.

Sports

Braves fall to Brookside 77-52

The Modoc Braves had a tough task facing them March 6 when they traveled to Stockton to play Brookside Christian in the CIF State tourney. Brookside Christian was averaging 86.4 points per game, while Modoc averages 58.9 points.
That’s pretty much the way things shook out.
Brookside opened with a 16-10 first period lead and built that to a 38-25 advantage by halftime. They increased their lead to 58-38 after three and outscored the Braves 19-14 in the fourth.

Softball takes 2nd in Redding tourney

For softball junkies, last weekend’s Cub Classic tourney in Redding was just what the doctor ordered as Modoc’s girls played seven games in two days and wound up taking second.
The Braves beat Los Molinos 24-1, then fell to Portola 5-2, trounced Hayfork 18-0, topped South Fork 11-5, survived Yreka 3-1, whipped Central Valley 11-4 and lost the championship game to Anderson 14-3.
The final score in the championship game doesn’t reflect the entire picture. Modoc went into the seventh inning trailing 5-3, but then the wheels fell off.

Youth wrestling tourney here Saturday

Modoc wrestling coach Shaun Wood is expecting 200 to 300 young wrestlers to descend onto the Griswold Gym Saturday for the 22nd annual Youth Wrestling Tournament.
The under six years of age wrestlers will start at 9 a.m. and the older wrestlers will begin at 10 a.m. The event will last all day with the awards after the finals.
Youth wrestlers from throughout the region are expected, including northern California, Nevada and Oregon.

March 21st, 2013

News

THE ALTURAS branch of Bank of America will be closing its doors for good June 28. The news was not greeted positively by Modoc residents.

Bank of America closing

Bank of America mailed an official letter to customers who were supposed to receive the letter Monday in the mail. That letter states their local Bank of America Alturas banking center on Main Street will be “permanently closing as of June 28, 2013” and to “Please transfer or close your safe deposit box no later than June 7, 2013.”
The decision is official, Bank of America spokespeople confirmed this week, when contacted by the Record.
The closure affects many throughout Modoc County who do not have access to online or mobile banking options. Because of Modoc’s unique setting, the next closest BofA’s are located in Susanville, CA and Klamath Falls, OR, for those who wish to maintain a “brick and mortar” Bank of America for their banking needs or relocate their safe deposit box contents.
The Record was informed that any person who relocated or had a new address, different from their physical address, might not have received the official letter. Those letters were not forwarded to new addresses, according to the USPS and local postmasters. Customers who frequented the bank late last week were informed or overheard some customer service representatives (tellers) speak of the closing.

Martin moving to County Office of Ed

Modoc Joint Unified School District Superintendent Mike Martin is moving to the County Office of Education this summer. He has been the MJUSD boss since 2011.
“I would like to publicly thank the Modoc Joint Unified School District for 19 wonderful years,” Martin said this week. “I began in the district in 1994 as a math teacher, junior varsity football coach, and varsity girls basketball coach at Modoc High School. (Leading the Braves to a Division Five State Championship). In and out of the various positions I have held in the District, I have always been supported by the district’s fantastic staff.  I have also developed lifelong relationships that I will always cherish.”
Martin says the decision to move to the Modoc County Office of Education beginning July 1, 2013 was difficult.

Habitual truancy can result in arrest

Students who just decide they don’t want to go to school should know there are some legal ramifications for habitual truancy.
While the “truant officers” of old may not be patrolling the streets, there is an official body that deals with the issue.
The Modoc County Student Attendance Review Board, SARB, last week ordered the arrest of a 17-year-old Modoc High School student for racking up far too many unexcused absences. He had been warned in the past.
Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes, also a member of the SARB Board, picked up the student, turned him into the Modoc County Probation Department and the case will be filed with the Modoc County District Attorney. There is a possibility of fines and community service time as punishment.

Squirrel War all set for weekend

Local and visiting hunters armed with everything from trusty old .22s to more serious hardware are looking forward to this weekend’s valley-wide 21st Annual Squirrel Round-Up.
Whether the day brings the forecast “50-degrees with clouds” or we get a late blast of winter, close to 100 registered participants will be out and about in cultivated fields from Fort Bidwell to south of Eagleville. They come to hone their hunting skills while helping ranchers thin the “scurrys” of destructive Belding ground squirrels that proliferate in our area.
But on Saturday evening, March 23, the outdoor battles will cease for a while so hunters and their host ranchers can gather for a barbecue dinner and silent auction at the Modoc District Fairgrounds in Cedarville.
The annual fundraising event is sponsored by members of the Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce. They look forward all year to treating registered participants and other guests to an evening of great Western barbecue, loads of hearty hospitality and some just plain rowdy fun!

Obituaries—

William M. Clark
William M. “Bill” Clark, our friend and neighbor, passed away on March 12, 2013, at his daughter’s home in Keno, Oregon.  He was 92 years young. Bill was born on August 5, 1920, in San Rafael, California to Frank C. Clark and Esther Wonacott Clark.

Dolores A. Bowman
Dolores A. Bowman “went home” to be with her Lord on March 16, 2013.  She was born Dolores A. Bunyard to her parents Francis and Leora Bunyard on Dec. 1, 1925 in Davis Creek, Modoc County, California.  She was born in the home that her mother had been born in 17 years earlier.
A Memorial Service will be held in the future.  Because Dolores’ favorite charity was the Good News Rescue Mission, she would have been pleased to have donations go to the Mission at 3100 S. Market Street, Redding,CA 96001.

Service for Danny McManus
Memorial services for Danny Edward McManus will be held Saturday, April 6 at 3:30 p.m. at New Pine Creek Cemetery. Danny Edward McManus, 71, died on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, at the Lake District Hospital, Lakeview, OR.
He grew up at Willow Ranch and attended school in Alturas, CA until his senior year when he moved to Corning, CA where he graduated from high school.
He had been a New Pine Creek resident since 1996.

Sports

MHS sports schedule

Spring sports are under full sail in Modoc with baseball, softball, track and golf underway. The following are the upcoming events.
Softball: March 22-23, Maxwell Tournament.
Baseball:  March 22-23, Maxwell Tournament.
Track: March 21, Fair Weather Meet, Mt. Shasta; March 23, Burt Williams Invitational, Central Valley High School, starts at 10 a.m.
Golf: March 21, at Lake Shastina, Weed; March 25, at Pleasant Valley, Bidwell Golf Course, Chico.

Bonanza drops Braves in baseball

Modoc’s baseball team dropped a doubleheader to Bonanza 7-0 and 13-4 Tuesday in Alturas.
In the first game Bonanza scored three in the fourth and four in the fifth.
Bonanza jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the second inning of the next game, added one in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the sixth. Modoc scored one in the second, two in the fifth and one in the sixth.
The Braves went 1-3 in the Etna tournament last weekend. They opened with a 7-5 loss to Etna.
They beat Tulelake 21-5 in the second and Anderson dropped the Braves 11-2 in the third game, taking a 4-1 lead in the first, added one in the second and six in the third. Central Valley beat the Braves 17-5 in the final game, even after Modoc took a 3-1 first inning lead.

Modoc softball splits with Bonanza

The Modoc Braves softball team split a doublebill with Bonanza in Alturas Tuesday. They won the first game 11-3 and lost the second 16-14.

Locals do well in youth wrestling tourney

Modoc’s youth wrestling team fared very well in last weekend’s Modoc Youth Wrestling Tournament. They travel to Tulelake this weekend.
The following wrestlers and the finishing places are as follows;
Six and under 1st place winners: DJ Wellemeyer, Ryan Valco, Mickayla Egle, Hayes Price, Dustin Egle and Bronc Joanette.
Eight and under: Max Blankenship, 1st; Liliana Haddox, 2nd; Fernando Chavez, 3rd; Logan Lee, 3rd; Harley McLaughlin, 3rd; TJ Robbins, 4th; Cooper Gallaher, 3rd; Troy Lewis, 2nd & 3rd; Trace Holdorff, 2nd; Conor Boyle, 3rd and Jim Thomason, 2nd.
10 and under: Tre Larranaga, 1st & 2nd; Case Picotte, 2nd & 4th; Brett Waterman, 4th; Logan McLaughlin, 3rd; Alicia Chavez, 3rd; Cody Sphar, 3rd; Kaleb Hill, 3rd; Ashton Phillips, 4th; Brandon Holloway, 4th; Wyatt Warlick, 2nd; Brant, 4th; Adrian Haddox, 4th and Wes Gray, 4th.
12 and under: Jordan Royce, 1st & 2nd; Scott Lewis, 2nd & 3rd; Michael Rush, 3rd; John Thomasen, 4th; Chance Galvin, 2nd; Wyatt Larranaga, 3rd; James Lloyd, 4th & 2nd; Almis Reep, 4th; Joseph McNamra, 3rd and Christen Wisser, 3rd.
14 and under: Kyle Royce, 1st & 1st; Chantz Albrecht, 1st & 2nd; Jess Picotte, 4th & 3rd; Zack Norby, 2nd & 3rd; Lance Sholl, 3rd; Josh Vierria, 3rd; Lance Gavin, 2nd & 2nd and Kaitlynn Tiffany 5th. 

March 28th, 2013

News

Bullet shatters glass door, nearly misses SV resident

It has been said that there’s a thin line between life and death. Just how thin that line may be depends on the situation.        
For Bunne Hartmann that line was less than 30 inches.
She was working in her downstairs home office when the sliding glass door suddenly burst into thousands of pieces. Concerned about why this had happened she got her husband Tim Sachak, to take a look. Sachak discovered a bullet hole in the wall opposite the shattered door. Its trajectory was inches from where his wife had been working.
The couple called 911, then Sachak drove to the field below their home where hunters were shooting squirrels. He took down their license plate numbers, then walked up to them.
“You put a round through my house and almost killed my wife,” Sachak told the hunters.
The hunters were incredulous and very apologetic that it had happened, both to Sachak and Sheriff’s deputy Deputy Holshouser, who arrived on the scene. When Game Warden Brian Gallaher arrived the hunters admitted the shooting and apologized. Gallaher and Sachak dug a .223 bullet out of the home’s interior wall and determined it matched the firearm being used by the hunters. The shooter did not have a hunting license, but his insurance will cover the damage to the home.
“It was an accident, but one caused by being careless,” said Sachak.

Board adopts medical marijuana ordinance

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors will now have a year to put together a permanent ordinance dealing with medicinal marijuana cultivation.
The Board voted to extend the emergency ordinance on medical marijuana cultivation for another 12 months following the second reading on Tuesday. This is the final time the Board can adopt an emergency ordinance on the subject and must now work towards an ordinance that satisfies both the medical marijuana patients as well as the community while still meeting state law.
The interim Modoc County Planner told the Board Tuesday that it had “been prudent” in establishing the emergency ordinance as litigation continued to be going through the court system statewide and counties were adopting various positions.
She stressed that the effort to develop a permanent ordinance will be open and the public will have the opportunity of input in meetings.
She also explained that while the state law permits eight ounces of dried marijuana per patient and 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants, Modoc’s ordinance is more generous, allowing for 12 mature plants per patient.
In addition, she explained that the ordinance does not require anyone to register with any agency, but the identification card, which is voluntary, shows that person as a qualified medical marijuana patient.
The extension will be in effect until March 12, 2014. 

Modoc jobless jumps to 15.3%

The Modoc unemployment rate went up to 15.3 percent in January 2103, according to the latest figures released by the State Employment Development Department.
The rate went up from December’s 13.7 percent rate, but was lower than January 2012, when it stood at 16.6 percent. According to EDD, the civilian labor force was 3,790 in January with 580 unemployed and 3,210 employed people.
The workforce in January 2012 numbered 3,720 with 620 unemployed. In January 2013, government accounted for 1,170 jobs out of the 3,210 total. That’s down from 1,230 government jobs in November 2012.
Modoc’s 15.3 percent unemployment ranked it 41st out of the State’s 58 counties for highest unemployment. Siskiyou County at 17.1 percent ranked 54th and Lassen at 13.3 percent ranked 34th. The highest unemployment was in Colusa County at 27.7 percent and the lowest was Marin at 5.8 percent.

Fed sequestration will impact Secure Schools funds

Modoc County Resource Analyst Sean Curtis told the Modoc County Board of Supervisors Tuesday that federal sequestration will put a 5.1 percent dent in the Secure Rural Schools funding this year.
According to the Rural Counties Representives of California, RCRC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that payments to states under the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program are being subjected to “sequestration”. Specifically, the USDA is claiming that federal fiscal year 2012 payments – which were released to states at the beginning of February 2013 – are subjected to the Budget Control Act, which mandated budget reductions totaling $85 million for federal fiscal year 2013.
In a letter to Governors, US Forest Service Chief Thomas Tidwell stated, “As mandated by sequestration, we will need to withdraw 5.1 percent of the payment that has already been received or reduce the amount to be dispersed in the coming weeks.”

Obituaries—

Rylan Kobe Correa
Rylan Kobe Correa, born March 17, 2013 at Mayers Memorial Hospital in Fall River Mills, CA, passed away there the same day. Services will be held April 20 at 11 a.m. at the Brass Rail with potluck to follow. An account for donations has been set up for Jessica Correa at U.S. Bank to assist her after the loss of her precious son Rylan.

Jerry T. Preston
Pastor Dewey Potter will conduct a memorial service for Jerry Thomas Preston of Alturas on April 5 at 11 a.m. at the Church of Christ in Alturas.
Mr. Preston, 71, was born in Winchester, Tennessee.
Mr. Preston passed away March 13, 2012, in Alturas, CA.

Service for Danny McManus
Memorial services for Danny Edward McManus will be held Saturday, April 6 at 3:30 p.m. at New Pine Creek Cemetery. Danny Edward McManus, 71, died on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, at the Lake District Hospital, Lakeview, OR.

Sports

Modoc goes 2-1 in Maxwell tourney

The Modoc Braves girl’s softball team won two and lost one in the Maxwell tournament last weekend. They open Shasta Cascade League play Friday at Fall River.
They started with a 25-2 win over Williams. Maxwell beat the Braves 12-8 in the second game.
Modoc crushed Pierce in the third game 13-3.

Modoc wins one and drops two in Maxwell

Modoc’s baseball team beat Portola 5-4 and lost to Fall River 8-1 and Maxwell 8-1 in the Maxwell tourney last weekend. They open Shasta Cascade League play at Fall River Friday.

Track team weathers cold with good efforts

Modoc Boys and Girls Track teams participated last Thursday in Mt. Shasta at the opening track meet.
The annual Fair Weather Meet brought cold wind and good results.
Modoc Thinclads travel to Redding this Saturday for the Enterprise Meet.

Braves hit the golf circuit

Modoc’s Golf team played well at the big Pleasant Valley tournament Monday, although didn’t win the event. 
 “We are playing well, but are still shaking off the winter snow and trying to get our swings back to where we expect them,” said coach Harold Montague.  Modoc travels to Fall River on Thursday for a non-league match and then are off until Tuesday, April 9 when they host a non-league match with Fall River and Lakeview.
The Braves finished second to Trinity in a Shasta Cascade League match March 21 at Lake Shastina.

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April 4th, 2013

News

MJUSD interviews for new Super April 9

The Modoc Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees will be interviewing for a new Superintendent in a closed session April 9, 2 p.m. with open session scheduled for 4:40 p.m.
Current Superintendent Mike Martin is moving to the County Office of Education this summer. He has led the MJUSD since 2011.
In addition to the Superintendent interviews and possible hiring, the Board will also consider hiring a Modoc Middle School/High School Art teacher and an Alturas Elementary School teacher.
Martin says the decision to move to the Modoc County Office of Education beginning July 1, 2013 was difficult.

Deputy finds wreck, helps driver

On Tuesday March 26, at about 11:00 p.m. Modoc Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Barham was southbound on Hwy 395 on routine patrol.  Just south of Davis Creek he noticed debris and brush in the roadway.
Deputy Barham made a U-turn and drove back to investigate. Using the Sheriff's unit alley lights Barham located a 1974 Ford pickup that appeared to have rolled several times and come to rest on its wheels about 30 yards off the highway. 
Barham exited his patrol vehicle and approached the pickup. Inside the truck Barham found Harold P. Hunter 58, of Alturas. Mr. Hunter was injured and unable to exit the badly wrecked vehicle. Hunter said that several vehicles had passed, but had apparently been unable to see his wrecked truck. He had been at the location for over two hours.
Fire/Rescue and medics responded, treated and transported Mr. Hunter to Modoc Medical Center. He received further treatment and was subsequently air lifted to Redding.

Task Force nabs four on sales

On March 27, the Modoc County Inter-Agency Narcotics Task Force arrested Tammy Renee Hewitt, age 50, Sarah Michelle Hewitt, age 26, Christopher Michael Souza, age, 20, and Roxann Marie Telena, age 46, all out of Alturas on suspicion of  selling prescription narcotics and methamphetamine.
Roxann Marie Telena also faces additional charges of bringing drugs and/or narcotics into a jail facility and possession of drug paraphernalia. The four arrests were based on a several month long investigation conducted by the Modoc County Inter-Agency Narcotics Task Force. 

MMC moves to Digital X-rays

Modoc Medical Center’s radiology services have once again made great advances in the services that it provides to the community. The Radiology Department’s new and advanced digitalized equipment makes it possible for images to be sent immediately to a remote radiologist to be read. 
Dictated image reports will now have an average turnaround time of two hours, preliminary emergency CT scan readings will be read within thirty minutes and final reports will be completed within one hour. This service will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Obituaries:

Angeleana Rose Alonzo
Angeleana Rose Alonzo, known to her friends and others as Angel, of 127 Arroyo Road in Cal Pines/Alturas was born March 29, 1993, in Walnut Creek, California and died on Friday, March 15, 2013, at her family home in Alturas, CA. She lived in Cal Pines/Alturas for the past 12 years and was a graduate of Modoc High School, class of 2011.
Her services will be held at the Christian Life Assembly Church in Alturas, CA at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2013. There will be a luncheon provided by the church with a potluck of salads and desserts and a fellowship of her life immediately following her services.

Steven C. Young
Steven C. Young, age 71, of Visalia, and with many ties to Alturas, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on March 26, 2013, after a brief illness. He was a fuel salesman.
Steven was born on May 26, 1941 in Exeter, CA, to Alvin and Julia (Overacker) Young, who preceded him in death.
A celebration of Steven Young’s Life was held on Monday, April 1, 2013, at 1 p.m. at Salser and Dillard Funeral Chapel, 127 E. Caldwell Avenue in Visalia. Condolences may be e-mailed to info@salseranddillard.com.

Jerry T. Preston
Pastor Dewey Potter will conduct a memorial service for Jerry Thomas Preston of Alturas on Friday, April 5 at 11 a.m. at the Church of Christ in Alturas. Mr. Preston died March 13, 2013.

Danny McManus
Memorial services for Danny Edward McManus will be held Saturday, April 6 at 3:30 p.m. at New Pine Creek Cemetery.

Sports

Fall River takes first doubleheader

Fall River’s 13-1 baseball team took it to the 2-12 Modoc Braves Friday at Fall River in the opening Shasta Cascade League double-header.
The Braves lost the opener 10-0 managing just a pair of hits in the game. Fall River scored four in the third, four in the fourth and two in the fifth.
The second game was much tighter as Modoc took a 2-0 lead in the second inning and Fall River tied it at 2-2 in the fifth. Modoc went up 3-2 in the seventh, but Fall River scored three in the bottom half of the inning to win 5-3.
Modoc travels to Lakeview for a non-league game April 9 and is at Mt. Shasta for another SCL game April 12.

Modoc opens SCL with perfect double

Modoc’s varsity girl’s softball team opened the Shasta Cascade League with a pair of wins over rival Fall River last Friday. They are at Lakeview for a non-league contest April 9 and are at Mt. Shasta for another league game April 12.
The Braves beat Fall River 14-4 in the first game behind the pitching of Morgan Bagwell.
Modoc shut out the Bulldogs in the second game 11-0, allowing three hits, striking out a pair and walking none.

Braves improve in Hornet Invite

Modoc High's Track and Field teams took on their largest challenge of the year attending Enterprise High Schools Hornet Invitational on Saturday March 30th.
Modoc athletes set 15 personal records. Modoc Junior Claudia Serrano led the Braves with a 5th in the discus tossing the 1k, 91'9".  Sophomore Stephanie Gouveia set a personal record in the 1,600 at 6:05, with Madelyn Binning also setting a PR in the discus.
On the boys side Sophomore Allen Clark placed fifth in a huge field with a toss of 40'7.5" in the shot. Senior Daniel Martin set personal records in the 800, 1600 and Triple Jump. Patrick Bratton also set PR's in the distance gauntlet of 800, 1600 and 3200. James Brownlow set his best in the shot, Frosh Jonas Collier set personal best in the long jump and 400. Michael Blankenship also improved in the 800, 1600 and long jump with personal records in all.
Braves are off until April 13th at Central Valley.

April 11th, 2013

News

Questions abound in County’s land purchase scheme

The County and its Health Department are in negotiations for a major land purchase, involving nearly 600 acres of property, all part of the Alturas Mill estate.
On Tuesday, County Chief Administrative Officer Chester Robertson had an item on the agenda to retain Pioneer Realty of Alturas as an agent to “assist with a possible real estate purchase, including drafting of a purchase agreement.”
He had asked County Counsel John Kenny for an opinion as to whether the job could be awarded without a competitive bid process or without a competitive process. County Auditor Darcy Locken also questioned whether Pioneer could be hired without opening it up to other real estate professionals.
Kenny recommended to Robertson that a Request for Proposal be used to “procure the professional real estate service you require.” He explained that in consulting service, the variable is not price initially, but the quality of the services and a RFP would give the County a choice. In addition, other real estate professionals in Modoc expressed concern about the lack of a chance to provide the services.
Robertson, in the face of the legal opinion, still recommended going with Pioneer and not going out with a Request for Qualifications. The Board of Supervisors disagreed, not as an affront of Pioneer but as sense of fairness, and voted to go with the RFQ process.
There are plenty of questions surrounding this land purchase and whether it’s wise, legal or even possible.

County seeks past DFG taxes

In somewhat of a reoccurring nightmare, Modoc County is trying to get the Department of Fish and Game (now Wildlife) to pay its In Lieu taxes.
The Department has failed to pay the taxes for more than a decade and owes about $500,000, according to Resource Analyst Sean Curtis.
His opinion is that the department had too much money to acquire land, but not the money for management no to pay taxes.
The Board of Supervisors approved a letter Tuesday to State Senator Ted Gaines and Assemblyman Brian Dahle asking for their help in securing the taxes.
“The law is clear that when income is derived from property acquired by the state and operated as a wildlife management area (such as Ash Creek Wildlife Area in Big Valley) that the department shall pay annually to the County the amount levies by the County on thee property at the time the State took Title to the property,” said the letter.

O’Malley is new MJU Super

On Tuesday afternoon current Modoc High School Principal Tom O’Malley accepted the offer to be the next Modoc Joint Unified School District Superintendent following interviews with the Board of Trustees.
He will officially begin his new position July 1, 2013. 
O’Malley, a MHS graduate, returned to Modoc in July 2005 as assistant MHS Principal and took over as Principal for the 2006-07 school year.
He will replace Mike Martin who resigned and will go to work for the Modoc County Office of Education starting this summer.

County says no way to sequester of secure schools money

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors just isn’t going to agree to give Secure Rural Schools money back to the federal government as part of the federal sequester.
The funds are split between Modoc County Roads and Schools, with 15 percent going to what’s called Title Two and Three projects. The County has the power to put all 100 percent into roads and schools, but has opted to take the 15 percent out for various projects, many on Forest lands.
On Tuesday, the Board voted unanimously to send a letter to Governor Jerry Brown stating they believe the county and the state should say no to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s demand for repayment.
Brown has received a letter from USDA demanding collection, and the California Department of Finance and the State Controller’s Office are working to see how California would/could implement this reduction; however, several groups, including Modoc, are advocating to the Brown Administration that these payments are not subject to sequestration. 
Modoc Superintendent of School Gary Jones in a letter to the Board Tuesday stated: “I request that the Modoc County Board of Supervisors advise the governor to argue that the USDA's statement that they have ‘no alternative under sequestration’ but to demand repayment is fallacious. These funds were generated in fiscal year 2012, not the current fiscal year.”

Alturas Motocross Park moves forward

The Alturas Planning Commission will hold a public hearing April 17 at City Hall on a proposal to build the Alturas Motocross Park near the old mill site west of Alturas.
The City has released a notice of intent to adopt a “mitigated negative declaration” for the project. The project is for a Use Permit to operate a motorcycle and ATV racetrack Friday through Sunday on a portion of a 103-acre industrial site from March through October. It is proposed by the Modoc Motorsports Association. The site is just east of the old mill buildings and west of the Alturas Airport.
While the City study found that the project could have significant effects on the environment, “there will not be a significant effect in this case because revisions and mitigation measures have been agreed to by the project proponent, therefore a Mitigated Negative Declaration will be prepared.”

Obituaries:

Bette Carroll
Bette Ann Jacques was born Feburary 6, 1958 in Hollister, California to Keith and Barbara Jacques.
She was diagnosed with a brain tumor in December of 2011 and entered treatment shortly after. Bette passed away in her sleep in the early morning of April 3, 2013, where she was surrounded by her sisters and husband. A private graveside ceremony was held for the family on April 6, where she was laid to rest in Oakridge, Oregon.
A public memorial service will be held for Bette at Christian Life Assembly in Alturas on April 20 at 3:00 pm. Refreshments will be served following the service and those who attend are asked to bring photos they had of Bette to put into a memory book for the family. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the National Brain Tumor Society in her honor.

Robert J. “Bob” Thurston
Robert Joe Thurston, “Bobby Joe” to his long time friends and family members was called home on April 7, 2013. 
Bob was born July 1, 1933, to John Victor and Blanche (Lumley) Thurston in Warsaw, Missouri.
A celebration of life will be set for a future date in Alturas. Condolences may be sent to the Thurston Family at 2270 W. High Terrance, Laughlin, NV 89029.

Robert W. Wickenden
Robert Wallis Wickenden of Alturas passed away April 8, 2013 in Alturas. A graveside service will be held Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. Mr. Wickenden was born January 7, 1916. His obituary will be published in a future issue. Arrangements are through Kerr Mortuary.

Marvin Dale Conner
Alturas resident Marvin Dale Conner passed away April 9, 2013 in Reno, NV. Graveside services are pending. Mr. Conner was a resident of Alturas since 1969. His obituary will follow in a future issue. Arrangements are through Kerr Mortuary.

Joanne Kathryn Stringer
Joanne Kathryn Stringer passed away peacefully on April 1, 2013 at the age of 80.
She was born on October 16, 1932 in Allentown, Pennsylvania where she grew up and received her education
A memorial service will be held at the Lakeview First Baptist Church on Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. with a potluck in the fellowship hall following the service.
Contributions in the memory of Joanne may be made to the New Pine Creek Fire Department, P.O. Box 117, New Pine Creek, OR 97635 or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Peter R. Lorenzen
Peter (Pete) Ross Lorenzen, born February 5, 1936, in Fall River Mills, CA passed away on April 4, 2013 at his home in Day, CA. Pete was a lifelong resident of the Intermountain area.
Services will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2013 at Day Community Hall at 11:00 a.m. A potluck reception will follow. Memorial donations may be given to Intermountain Hospice or a charity of your choice.

Sports

Modoc baseball splits with Lakeview

Modoc’s baseball team split a double-header with Lakeview Tuesday on the Honker diamond. They are at Mt. Shasta Friday.
The Braves lost the first game 8-7 with Riley Larranaga getting the loss.
Modoc had to recover from a 7-0 Lakeview second inning lead in the nightcap to win 11-8.

Brave girls take pair from Honkers

The strong softball team took a pair of games from the Lakeview Honkers Tuesday in Lakeview. They travel to Mt. Shasta for a Shasta Cascade League game Friday.
Modoc won the first game 14-7 behind Morgan Bagwell, who allowed 10 hits, fanned four and walked four.
The Braves crushed the Honkers 17-10 in the second game.

MHS sports schedule

Modoc High School Spring sports schedule:
Softball: April 12 at Mt. Shasta; April 16, Burney here, 2 p.m.
Baseball: April 12 at Mt. Shasta; April 16, Burney here, 2 p.m.
Track: April 13, John Frank Invitational, Central Valley High School, Shasta Lake
Golf: April 11 Fall River, Burney at Fall River Golf Course; April 18 at Arrowhead, Modoc, 12 noon.

April 18th, 2013

News

Law enforcement airs frustration with DA

Law enforcement’s frustration with Modoc District Attorney Chris Brooke and his perceived lack of prosecutions came to a head this week.
Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes, Modoc County Sheriff Mike Poindexter, Interagency Narcotics Task Force members Tex Dowdy and Mike Klassen and Assistant Sheriff Mike Crutcher spoke with the Modoc Record on Tuesday morning. None were pleased with the DA.
Brooke was contacted Tuesday and said he would not respond at this time.
The frustration with Brooke has been simmering for quite some time, but when he rejected nine Task Force drug cases recently, patience ran out.
According to Dowdy, he found the folders of the nine cases returned in his in-box at the Alturas Police Department. There had been no advance contact with Brooke that the cases would be rejected and no communication to clear up any issues. Dowdy and Klassen were confident that at least six of the cases were very strong.
Dowdy said the Task Force had no problem with three of the cases being dismissed, but the other six should have been charged. He and Klassen were not pleased and decided to contact Brooke last week for an explanation as to why they were dismissed “in the interest of justice.”
That meeting did not go well and a disagreement ensued, resulting in the officers being asked to leave Brooke’s office. Brooke also sent a formal complaint to Poindexter and Barnes.

MNF says no consent on geothermal

Modoc Forest Supervisor, Kimberly Anderson, signed the Record of Decision for the Modoc National Forest Lake City Geothermal Leasing Project on March 12, 2013. 
The decision selects the No Action Alternative for 5,440 acres on the Modoc National Forest. The Pacific Southwest Regional Forester may subsequently implement this decision by notifying the Bureau of Land Management the Forest Service will not provide consent to lease.
This decision is subject to appeal pursuant to Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR 215. Appeals must be postmarked or received by the Appeal Deciding Officer within 45 days of the date of the publication of the legal notice in the Modoc County Record. The legal notice was published in the Modoc County Record March 28, 2013.
The Appeal Deciding Officer is the Regional Forester. Appeals must be sent to Appeal Deciding Officer, Attn: Appeals, 1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592, faxed to Regional Forester, Attn: Appeals at (707) 562-9229, or emailed to: appeals-pacificsouthwest-regional-office@fs.fed.us. Please put APPEAL and the name of the project in the subject line.  

MMC has alternative for Adin Ambulance

Kevin Kramer, Modoc Medical Center Chief Operating officer presented the hospital’s plan to provide advance life support service to Adin and Big Valley at last Tuesday’s Board of Supervisor’s meeting.
The Board accepted the alternative plan and offered its support. While the plan may not be perfect, it will leave an ambulance in Adin. That ambulance would be used for first response only, said Kramer, and would not be used for transfer or transportation.
The Last Frontier Healthcare District proposes to close down the Adin ALS ambulance service and support the community in their efforts to provide first response to the local area. The previous Adin Ambulance Service, under full operation, was simply not cost effective for the District to continue, Kramer said.
The hospital alternative is to provide the following items to the Adin Fire Protection District in an effort to support first response:
Continue to provide regular first response training in the community through the end of June 2013 in an effort to boost the pool of volunteers that can be used to provide first response with the fire departments.
Provide one ambulance, a 2008 Ford, to Adin Fire Protection District with the corresponding equipment and supplies that are currently on that ambulance, with the exception of all equipment and supplies that cannot be used by a first responder. 

City building remains flat

Building in the City of Alturas remained flat to non-existent for the month of March.
The Building Department reports just four permits issued worth an estimated $13,150. One of those permits was to demolish a building. Only four permits were issued in February, worth an estimated $2,800.

Obituaries--

Robert W. Wickenden
Robert Wallace Wickenden passed away quietly April 8, 2013, at Warnerview Convalescent Home in Alturas, CA.
Robert was born January 7, 1916 in Ely, NV to Joseph W. Wickenden and Clara Evelyn Darnell.
Bob was preceded in death by his loving wife Audrey of 71 years and an older brother Joseph Wickenden.
Graveside services were held Friday, April 12, 2013 at 10 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery.
Donations may be made to the Modoc County Museum, 600 South Main St., Alturas or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Bette Carroll
A public memorial service will be held for Bette Carroll at Christian Life Assembly in Alturas on April 20 at 3:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served following the service and those who attend are asked to bring photos of Bette they have, to put into a memory book for the family.
A private graveside ceremony was held for the family on April 6, where she was laid to rest in Oakridge, Oregon.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the National Brain Tumor Society in her honor.

Alice M. Criss

Alice Marie Criss, 89, of Adin, CA, passed away peacefully on February 26, 2013, at Mayers Memorial Hospital in Fall River Mills, CA. after a long bout with Alzheimer’s disease.
Alice was born on June 1, 1923 in Adin, California to Pete and Imogene Smelcer
A Celebration of Life will be Saturday April 27, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at the Adin Community Hall, with a potluck to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to Alzheimer’s Association – Northern California and Northern Nevada Chapter, 1060 La Avendia, Mountain View, CA 94043, (800) 272-3900 www.alz.org/norcal. Arrangements are through Kerr Mortuary.

Courtney D. Haddox
Courtney Dale Haddox of Alturas, CA went home to be with our Lord and Savior on April 11, 2013 in Alturas.
Courtney was born on June 22, 1954, in Pomona, CA to Willis and Juanita Haddox.
Courtney was a funny, caring and loving man. His sayings, jokes, conversations and stories kept everyone who knew him, laughing, crying and interested. He will be sorely missed, but always loved and remembered.
His services will be held at the California Pines Lodge on April 19, 2013 at 11 a.m. There will be a main lunch course provided by the Lodge and the family asks that anyone who can, please bring a side dish.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any and all donations be made to the American Cancer Society.

Marvin Conner
Marvin “Marv” Conner of Alturas, CA passed away due to a sudden and unexpected illness on April 9, 2013 in Reno, NV. Graveside Services were held Tuesday, April 16 at 1:30 p.m. at the Alturas Cemetery.
Marvin was born in Bancroft, Kansas on October 13, 1924.

Jerry T. Preston
Jerry Thomas Preston of Alturas was an outdoorsman. He was known to be ethical, considerate and kind and loved to tell stories. A native of Winchester, Tennessee, Mr. Preston was 71 when he passed away in Alturas, CA on March 13, 2013.
His memorial service was conducted by Pastor Dewey Potter at Church of Christ in Alturas on April 5. Some of the above information was also provided by Janet Hill and shared at the service.

Joanne Kathryn Stringer
Joanne Kathryn Stringer passed away peacefully on April 1, 2013 at the age of 80.
She was born on October 16, 1932 in Allentown, Pennsylvania where she grew up and received her education
A memorial service will be held at the Lakeview First Baptist Church on Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. with a potluck in the fellowship hall following the service.
Contributions in the memory of Joanne may be made to the New Pine Creek Fire Department, P.O. Box 117, New Pine Creek, OR 97635 or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Robert S. Gross
Robert S. Gross of Alturas, passed away April 13, 2013 at the age of 59. Mr. Gross was a U.S. Army veteran and a Modoc resident for the past 17 years. A memorial service will be held at Veterans Hall in Alturas on Friday, April 19 at 10 a.m.
Arrangements by Kerr Mortuary.

Rylan Kobe Correa
Services for Rylan Kobe Correa will be held April 20 at 11 a.m. at the Brass Rail in Alturas with potluck to follow.
Son of Jessica Correa of Alturas, CA. An account for donations has been set up for Jessica Correa at U.S. Bank to assist her after the loss of her precious son Rylan.

Jim Mize
Former Surprise Valley resident Jim Mize died April 16, 2013 in Cottonwood, CA. He was born March 26, 1949 in Modoc. Services will be held at the VFW Hall in Anderson, 3210 W. Center Street, April 20, 2 p.m. A full obituary will follow next week.

Sports

Modoc baseball takes 3 of 4 league games

Modoc’s baseball team took three of the four Shasta Cascade League games it played this week.
The Braves lost an opening game to the Mt. Shasta Bears Friday, 3-2. They bounced back the second game with an 11-6 win, collecting 12 hits along the way.
Blake Williams got the win 5-3 in the first game against Burney Tuesday. He went seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits, struck out 16 Raiders
Modoc won the second game 14-8 after exploding for seven runs in the fifth.
Modoc meets Etna here Friday, 2 p.m.

Braves drop Bears in double bill

The Modoc Braves softball team beat the Mt. Shasta Bears 6-3 and 13-6 in a double-header last Friday. Modoc meets a tough Etna team here Friday with start time of 2 p.m.
The Braves had no trouble with Burney on Tuesday, beating them 21-2 in the opening game and 12-1 in the nightcap in Alturas. The weather included hail, below freezing temperatures and cold wind.

Modoc chasing Trinity in SCL golf

Modoc’s golf team is chasing the Trinity Wolves in the Shasta Cascade League golf loop. The host a league match at Arrowhead Thursday with tee off at 12 noon.
Trinity leads the league with a 16-0 mark, while Modoc is at 12-4, Weed 8-8, Mt. Shasta 2-13-1 and Fall River 1-14-1.
The Braves are coming off a second place finish to Trinity April 11 at Fall River. Trinity shot 219 on the front nine and 200 and the back, while Modoc had a 227 front nine and a 223 back nine.
Jonathan Morgan led all golfers on the front nine with a 36 and shot 41 on the back for a total 77 which led all players. Matthew Weber shot 45 on the front and 37 on the back, while Alan Weber and Alex McQuarrie each went 46 on the front and 48 on the back. Clayton Bacon shot 54 on the front and 49 on the back and Travis McCulley had a 62 front and a 57 back.
Currently, Morgan leads the SCL All-league points with 43, followed by Roan of Trinity with 51.45. Matt Weber is fifth, Alan Weber is 11th and McQuarrie is 13th.

April 25th, 2013

News

DA decides not to respond to accusations

I am not going to publicly respond to the accusations leveled at me in the newspaper last week. Such accusations come as part of my duties as the elected District Attorney.
Additionally, the newspaper is not a good medium for resolving issues between departments. 
However, I feel the public should be aware of facts that were not mentioned in the article last week.
In the years I have been in Modoc County, I have witnessed law enforcement do a lot to keep our community safe. As such, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to all law enforcement officers in Modoc County and their families.  What law enforcement does for our community takes courage.  Each time they put on their uniform and go on duty, they put their lives on the line for this community. I know their families are well aware of the danger each officer faces. 

MHS grad ran Boston Marathon, finishes ahead of bomb blasts

Leah Wills, a 1999 graduate of Modoc High School, competed in the 117th Boston Marathon with over 27,000 runners and finished the race just over a half hour before the two bomb blasts went off.
She ran the 26.2 miles in 3:37.50, a very respectable time and bettered her qualifying time of 3:33.31 in qualifying in the California International Marathon.
The Boston Marathon was only the second marathon Wills had run and she used an intense 16-week training regiment to get herself ready for both races.
After she finished the Boston race, she and her family, husband Jess, mother and father Paul and Karen Siegel, of Alturas, made it back to their hotel.
She and eight other friends and runners from the Chico area competed in the 2013 Boston Marathon. One of those Chico runners crossed the finish line just ahead of the bomb blasts and texted Leah that there were two explosions at the finish.
“At first I didn’t think anything of it; could have been electrical issue or something,” she said. “Then our phones lit up with messages and we turned on the news. It just felt a little unreal; we had just been at the finish line. It was really weird and it was hard to wrap my head around what happened.”
One of the first things they did was try to contact the runners from Chico. All were fine and had made it across the finish line, the one just before the blasts. She was not hurt.

Jones to lead state association

Earlier this month, Modoc County Superintendent of Schools, Gary Jones, was nominated to serve the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) as President-Elect.
“This is overwhelming. As County Superintendent of Modoc County, I never expected to become CCSESA President. Typically, the biggest counties have the primary leadership roles in the state. Modoc has the third smallest student population,” Superintendent Jones said.

Wood permits offered May 1

Modoc National Forest officials announce fuelwood permits will be available for purchase May 7, 2013, weather permitting.
Fuelwood permits may be purchased at the Modoc Forest Headquarters and Ranger District offices.
There is a minimum purchase of four cords for $5.00 per cord. The purchase is non-refundable. Please read your firewood permit carefully and completely.
There may be times when conditions prevent woodcutting in certain areas across the forest. The permit holder is responsible to obey all regulations and rules printed on the permit. The removal of fuelwood is permitted only from National Forest lands.
If you have any questions, please call 530-233-5811 for more information. 

Obituaries:

James “Jim” Mize
 Former Surprise Valley resident James A. Mize, age 64, passed away April 16, 2013 at home in Cottonwood, CA.
Born to Robert W. and Lillian Mize, March 26, 1949, Jim moved to
Cottonwood at age 10, where he resided until his death.
Known for his sense of humor and many antics, Jim was loved by many.
A celebration of life was held at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall, Anderson, CA at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, 2013.

George R. Wright
George R. Wright of Likely, CA, died at Warnerview Convalescent Home in Alturas, CA on April 11, 2013. He was 89. George was born July 7, 1923 in Long Beach, CA to C.N. Wright and Mildred G. (Evans) Wright.
His wishes were to be cremated and no services.
Donations may be made to the organization or charity of the donor’s choice.
There will be a potluck on Sunday, September 1, 2013 at 1 p.m. at the Likely Fire Hall.

Dorothy Beryl Kober
Dorothy Beryl Kober passed away April 20, 2013, in Redding, CA. Services will be held graveside at the Cedarville Cemetery on Saturday, April 27, at 11 a.m. Pastor Brent Arnold will conduct the services.
Mrs. Kober was born Dorothy Beryl Wilson in Cedarville, CA on September 12, 1920.
Donations in memory may be sent to Mercy Hospice, 2175 Rosaline Ave., Redding, CA 96001.

Anita Silva
Former Alturas resident Anita Silva passed away March 30, 2013 at her home in Tulelake, CA.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 14, 1941, Anita grew up there and graduated from St. Mary’s Academy.

Marvin Conner
Marvin “Marv” Conner of Alturas, CA passed away due to a sudden and unexpected illness on April 9, 2013 in Reno, NV. Graveside Services were held Tuesday, April 16 at 1:30 p.m. at the Alturas Cemetery.
Marvin was born in Bancroft, Kansas on October 13, 1924
Mr. Conner is survived by his wife Letha of Alturas; his son Rick Conner of Alturas, CA; daughters Karen Puchta of Glendora, CA, Roberta (Bobbi) Helma, Honolulu, HI, Jacquie Hullinger and son-in-law Rick Hullinger, Alturas, CA as well as 13 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews and Garfield, his cat.

Sports

Braves split with Etna, tied for lead

Modoc’s softball team split a double-header with Etna Friday, winning the first game 7-2 and losing the second 7-5. Both teams now have one loss in the Shasta Cascade League.
Modoc meets Trinity April 27 and finishes the league loop against Weed May 3.
Modoc had some miscues on fly balls that gave Etna five runs in the second game and they did not hit the ball well, even though they faced the same pitcher as in the first game.
Modoc beat Lost River 15-1 in a non-league game here Tuesday.

Braves lose pair to Etna

The Etna Lions crushed the Modoc Braves baseball team in a doubleheader Friday, 13-0 and 12-3.
Modoc scored three runs in the first in the secoind game and was blanked the rest of the way. They still led 3-0 in the fourth and were tied at 3-3 in the fifth. Etna scored nine runs in the seventh inning.
The Braves beat Lost River here Tuesday 6-1.
Modoc faces Trinity here April 27 and is at Weed to finished the league season May 3. The Braves have to win three of the four games to make the playoffs.

Golfers have best 18 holes of season

Last Thursday Modoc High’s Golf Team swept the Shasta Cascade League teams at Arrowhead golf course. 
“We had our best 18-hole team score of the year,” said coach Harold Montague
On Tuesday at the Henley High Invitational at The Running Y Modoc placed 5th behind Chico (306), Pleasant Valley (307), Enterprise (326) and Foothill (337). 
 “The players had difficulty adjusting to the fast and firm greens, something we will have to improve upon for playoffs in a week and a half,” said Montague.
Modoc has one tune-up match in Portola next week before they travel to the NSCIF D-III Championships at Grizzly Ranch on Tuesday, May 7th.

Braves trying to earn funds for football camp

Modoc High football players are trying to earn some money to help offset the cost of football camp this summer in Reno, June 8-10.
Coach Shaun Wood said they will be holding a car wash in May and are also looking for odd jobs. He said anyone who needs some chores or yard work done around the house can call 233-4649 to set something up.

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May 2nd, 2013

News

Bear found in Alturas garage euthanized

An aged bear which had taken up refuge in an East 8th Street home garage was euthanized by the Department of Fish and Wildlife Monday afternoon.
The bear was discovered by former homeowner Aaron Fieguth about 12:05 p.m. Monday when he went to the garage to see if he had left a cordless drill on the workbench. Fieguth had recently sold the home and it appeared unoccupied.
It was semi-dark in the garage, but Fieguth saw a large black object on the floor, about eight feet away. When it raised its head, he realized it was a bear and it was alive and huge.
“I’m still shakin’,’” he said as law enforcement and DFW personnel were figuring out how to handle the situation. “It was a really big bear and I was standing in the exit; its main way out. I got out of there in a hurry. It didn’t try to get up or chase me.”
DFW Warden Brian Gallaher and Wildlife Biologist Richard Shinn, along with Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes, Lt. Sid Cullins and state trapper Kent Mullis responded and took up positions around the house and garage.
The DFW’s first plan was to try and dart the bear with tranquilizer, and if that worked, to take the animal back out of town to the mountains. They darted the bear, but did not knock the animal out.
After more than 90 minutes and about 30 minutes after the last dart was fired, the officers decided to approach the bear and see if it was unconscious. If the animal was out, they planned to load it into a pickup, if not, they would shoot it. When they approached, the bear was still awake and it was shot twice at close range.

Deputies, Alturas officers vote no confidence in DA

The Modoc County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, DSA, and the Alturas Police Officer’s Association, APOA, have each voted “No Confidence” in Modoc County District Attorney Chris Brooke.
The two associations presented letters to Brooke on Wednesday and released those letters to the Modoc Record. The letters follow a series of complaints aired by both departments two weeks ago. Those complaints centered around a perceived lack of prosecution of cases as well as a lack of effective communication with the departments on some cases.
Brooke chose not to respond to those complaints in a detailed fashion, saying, “Such accusations come as part of my duties as the elected District Attorney . . . Additionally, the newspaper is not a good medium for resolving issues between departments.”
That statement did nothing to quell the issue.

March jobless rate down to 14.2%

The unemployment rate for Modoc County in March 2013, dropped to 14.2 percent, from February’s 15 percent.
The March civilian labor force numbered 3,650 with 520 unemployed. In March 2012, the jobless rate stood at 16.1 percent, with a labor force of 3,790 with 610 unemployed. In January 2013 the labor force numbered 3,800.
The labor force dropped 150 people since January.
Government jobs account for 1,220 in the County. Total farm jobs numbered 260 and total nonfarm numbered 2,130.
The federal unemployment rate was 7.6 in March with the state rate at 9.4 percent.
Modoc ranked 44th out of the state’s 58 counties for highest unemployment. Lassen County ranked 35th at 12.5 percent and Siskiyou ranked 49th at 15.4 percent. The highest jobless rate was in Colusa at 23.9 percent and the lowest was in Marin at 5.2 percent.

Burn permits now required

Effective Wednesday, May 1, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Lassen – Modoc – Plumas Unit will require dooryard burning permits for residential burning within Lassen, Modoc and Plumas Counties.
Burning permits are required from May 1, 2013 to midnight June 30, 2013 for all residential burning on State Responsibility Area Lands.
Burning can only be done on permissive burn days.  To find out if it is a permissive burn day, contact your local Air Pollution Control District (APCD): Lassen County – (530) 257-2876 or 257-BURN, Modoc County – (530) 233-6401.

Obituaries:

Kathy Hinshaw Lowes

Kathryn Ella (Hinshaw) Lowes passed away after a lengthy illness on March 26, 2013 in Winfield, Kansas.
Kathy was born July 12, 1944, in Alturas, California, to Cleo and Eleanor (Reid) Hinshaw. Kathy attended school in Alturas and graduated from Modoc High School. She worked at various jobs, which included bookkeeping.
Kathy is survived by her son Gil Lowes and wife Tammy; sister Phyllis Hinshaw Myers; nieces Wendy Myers, Gwen Burton and husband Ed and many cousins.
It was Kathy’s wish that her ashes be brought back to Modoc and her son Gil, along with his wife Tammy, will bring her home to Modoc. A private family service was held.

Linda “DD” Lennon Wann

Linda Mary Lennon Wann passed away unexpectedly and peacefully on April 21, 2013 in her home in Big Valley. She was born in Fontana, CA on October 20, 1965 She will be missed greatly by all of us.
A memorial service potluck will be held on May 5, 2013 at Bieber Memorial Hall at 12 p.m. All are invited to attend.

Marcella Fillmore

Marcella Fillmore, age 63, passed away at Emerald Gardens Assisted Living Facility in Sacramento, CA on Friday, April 19, 2013 after a long illness.
Born in September 1949 in Shurz, NV and raised in Cedarville, CA, she was a longtime resident of Sacramento, CA.
A memorial will be held Saturday, May 4 at the Carson Colony Gym, Carson City, Nevada. The service time was unavailable at presstime.

Sports

Modoc escapes with pair of wins over Trinity

Trinity’s varsity softball team boasts one of the top strike out pitchers in the Shasta Cascade League, and Modoc had a little trouble timing her in a double-header Saturday here.
But they did enough to win both games and set up their final league games with Weed there on Friday. With the Trinity wins, Modoc remains in a tie for the SCL title with Etna.
Weed is at the bottom of the league with a 1-7 record.

Modoc faces must wins at Weed

Modoc’s baseball team split a double-header here Saturday with Trinity, and now must win both of their last games against Weed Friday to make the playoffs.
Modoc won the opener 9-6 behind a solid day on the mound from Blake Williams.
Modoc started with a 2-1 lead in the second inning of the nightcap, but couldn’t score after that. Trinity scored one in the second, two in the fourth and one in the seventh.
Jarrett Royce got the loss.

Trinity wins SCL golf title

Modoc finished second overall behind Trinity who won their first league championship in golf.  Modoc now advances to the NSCIF Division III Championship at Grizzly Ranch Golf Club on May 7. 
“We have been improving each week and although we split the nine-hole match with Trinity this week, our 18-hole score was better than that of Trinity,” said coach Harold Montague. “It’s good to know since the playoffs are based on 18-hole scores and not two nine-hole rounds.”
Modoc shot 205 and Trinity 227 on the front nine and Modoc had a 207 on the back with Trinity a 206. Modoc had an 18-hole score of 418 and Trinity had 435.

Thinclads place in OIT meet

Modoc High Track team participated in the Sterling Invitational last Saturday at the Oregon Institute of Technology. The Braves did well in all events improving their personal best in every event entered.
Sophomore Casey Burns was the highest placer grabbing a second in the women’s 3000 meters. Burns, coming off a severe ankle injury, showed she still has some stamina to help the Braves in the future in some running events.. The Braves travel to Mt. Shasta Friday for their final tune-up meet.

May 9th, 2013

News

Forest seeks input in Devils Garden Wild Horses 

The Modoc National Forest is seeking public comment on a preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA) involving wild horse management within the Devil’s Garden Plateau Wild Horse Territory (WHT).
The project involves management of the approximate 1,200 horse herd over the next 10-20 years. The WHT is located within Modoc County beginning about seven miles north of Alturas, Calif., comprising 232,520 acres of federal land.
Some of the more salient points in the EA are that the plan is to return the horse population to an “appropriate management level,” AML, in the range of 275-335 animals. It cites background information that wild horse population size has exceeded the AML upper limit since 2002 and the last helicopter head count in 2006 showed the horses exceed the percent of forage allocated to their use by 140-328 percent.
At the present time, according to the EA, the wild horse population in the Devil’s Garden unit is estimated at 994 animals.
The basic intent of the proposed action is to decrease the population of wild horses into what the Forest Service estimates to be an acceptable range, 275 to 335 horses. That means a reduction in the number of animals in the range of 650 horses.

System conversion at MMC presents challenges

It has been five months since Modoc Medical Center (MMC) went live with the financial applications for its new information system, Healthland Centriq, and the road to full implementation has not been easy.
Chief Operating Officer Kevin Kramer said while the new system will give MMC an integrated technology platform for both its financial applications and its medical records, the financial applications have provided some challenges. 
Modoc Medical Center is still working through some struggles related to the functionality of the new system.
“One of the largest challenges that MMC is currently facing is the inability to generate statements for patients,” said Kramer. “Statements from MMC have not been issued since January 2013.  In order for MMC to generate patient statements, a data file has to be created out of the new system that contains all of the necessary data components.  The data file that is needed has been extremely challenging to get formatted correctly to capture all the necessary data components.”

City details fire permit rules

The Alturas City Fire Department has specific rules regarding fire permits and stressed those in a mailing to residents this month.
One thing that residents need to understand is that burn barrels are prohibited within the Alturas City limits. Burning hours are from 6 a.m. until 12 noon, with no exceptions. These hours are in effect 365 days per year, whether or not a permit is required. The fire has to be “dead out” at 12 noon and not allowed to smolder.
Fire permits are required from May 1 through December 1. Residents need to call 233-4500 to acquire a permit, which are free. Inspection of the site and material to be burned is required before a permit will be issued.
Fire permits are for burning natural vegetation, such as cut weed, cut grass, cut brush, leaves, tree trimmings no larger than two inches in diameter and unprocessed lumber. Burning anything else is prohibited.

Deadline looms for Modoc State Fair booth

The deadline for funding the Modoc County promotional booth at the California State Fair and a display in the State Capitol faces a deadline of May 17.
Supervisor Jim Wills said some funds have been raised, but more is needed to bring the project to fruition.
The California State Fair will be held July 12 through 28 this year. The person who has been putting the display booth up for the last three years is willing to do it again. He is willing to put the booth together but at $1,500 with no personal pay. Wills believes that person should make at least $1,000 for his time, labor and materials.
Will’s goal is to raise $3,000 to $3,500 for this project and more for updating the County’s display case at the Capitol.  TEACH’s Carol Callaghan is working with Ken Rose, the owner of the Hot Springs in Cedarville on the design and contents of this display.
Wills said they are looking for a total of about $3,500 to $4,500 or more for both projects. Both projects will need pamphlets and items/photos from the community that can be put on display at both booths.  If someone has items for these projects, they should get in contact with Stephanie Wellemeyer at the Modoc Courthouse, Clerk of the Board. They can make arrangements to get the items dropped off and they will be transported to Sacramento at the end of May.

Obituaries:

Lewis Vermillion
Lewis “Louie” Edward Vermillion was born at home in Davis Creek, CA to George and Edna Vermillion on October 3, 1929 and passed away April 30, 2013 at the age of 83.
Memorial service to be held May 18, 4:00 p.m. at Modoc Fair Grounds, Cedarville. Family wishes all to join them for dinner after the service at Fairgrounds restaurant. Meat will be furnished, side dishes appreciated.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Surprise Valley Rotary Club for the upkeep of Louieville and the Buggies or the charity of your choice. Interment at a later date.

Roy Phillips
Roy Timothy Phillips, Jr. at age 89 died April 19, 2013 at Villa Del Rey in Lincoln, California. His son David Phillips was by his side.
He was born June 4, 1923, in Tucumcari, New Mexico to Roy Timothy Phillips, Sr. and Nadine J. Phillips.

Robert Stern
Alturas resident Robert Roy Stern passed away of natural causes in recovery, following heart surgery on April 9, 2013 in Reno, NV.
A service of tribute and love was held at Eternal Hills Chapel, followed by a reception and inurnment at Eternal Hills Memorial Gardens, Klamath Falls, OR.
Robert was born Oct. 29, 1928, in Payette, Idaho, to Robert and Louise E. Howard Stern.
He was preceded in death by his wife Donna in 2011 and his daughter Karla Frost in 2001.

Ronald Harden
A Celebration of Life for Ronald Gordon Harden of Alturas will be held at 12 noon on Saturday, May 18 at Federated Church Social Hall, Alturas. All those he touched during his life, are welcome to join this time of sharing with his family. The gathering will be catered.
“Ronnie” passed away at his home in Alturas, CA on April 30, 2013, at the age of 57. Born October 20, 1955 in Alturas, CA, he was a 1974 graduate of Modoc High School.

Wayve Goings
Wayve Martha Goings died February 18, 2013, in Red Bluff, CA. Mrs. Goings was born July 3, 1917, in Bonanza, Oregon to Vernon and Mary Hastings. Wayve graduated from Modoc Union High School, class of 1936. Wayve was a housewife and a cowgirl (she always said cowboy). She loved horses, dogs, reading novels and being outdoors.
A family memorial will be held in Red Bluff, CA, June 15, 2013 with Bishop Thomas Jacobsen (grandson) officiating.

Sports

Modoc golf wins 3rd straight Division III title

Modoc’s golf team won its third straight Division Championship at the NSCIF Boys Golf Division III Championship held Tuesday in Portola at the Grizzly Ranch Golf Club.  
Sophomore Alan Weber led all players with a 74, his lowest round of the year and matched his personal best round ever.  Modoc players finished as the top 3 medalists in the field of 39 players.  Jonathan Morgan (75) and Matthew Weber (84) played very well with Alex McQuarrie, Phil Thompson and Clayton Bacon contributing to the team’s D-III title defense.

Braves softball hosts playoffs next week

The Modoc Braves softball team should get the number two seed in the CIF North Section playoffs, and will have their first playoff game May 14 in Alturas.
The Braves finished the regular season with a 22-5 record, in first place. East Nicolaus will probably get the top seed sporting a 19-5 record, but had more big schools in their schedule.
The Braves were in good shape going into the final two games against Weed last Friday, but needed the two wins to stay atop the SCL and get that top seeding.
They beat Weed in the opening game 7-2. Morgan Bagwell got the win, pitching the entire game, allowing two runs on five hits, struck out six and didn’t walk a batter.
Leah Berryessa led the offense, having four hits bounce over the fence for four ground rule doubles. Bagwell went 2-4, while Courtney Knoch, Lynnzi Malcolm, Kristen Reed, Macie Larranaga and Pricila Madrigal each had a hit.
The Braves had a tougher time in the second game, trailing 6-3 in the top of the fifth. They hit the ball well and scored three runs to tie the game at 6-6 and then added the winning run in the sixth.

Braves splits with Weed, misses playoffs

The Modoc Braves baseball team needed to beat Weed twice Friday to earn a spot in the CIF North Section Playoffs. They got halfway there.
Modoc won the opening game 6-5 behind a strong performance by pitcher Blake Williams. He pitched all seven innings, allowing five runs (two earned), on six hits, walked four and struck out nine.’
Weed took the early lead 4-0 in the fourth inning. Modoc scored two in the fifth, three in the sixth and won the game with a run in the seventh. Weed scored one in the fifth.
Williams led the offense going 2-4, with Jarrett Royce, Michael Bickford, Ben Jones and Riley Larranaga each getting a hit.
Modoc started the second game in good fashion, leading 7-2 in the second, but a disastrous third inning saw Weed score eight runs to take a 10-7 lead. Modoc added one in the fifth and Weed added one in the sixth for the 11-8 win.