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 May 16th May 23rd May 30th June 2013 June 6th June 13th June 20th June 27th

July 2013 July 4 July 11 July 18 July 25 August 2013 August 1 August 8 August 15 August 22 August 29 September 2013 September 5 September 12 September 19 September 26 October 2013 October 3 October 10 October 17 October 24 October 31

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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.

May 16th, 2013

News

Brooke resigns position as Modoc District Attorney

Modoc County District Attorney Chris Brooke surprised several people Tuesday morning when he told the Modoc County Board of Supervisors he was resigning the position as of May 31.
Brooke, who was Assistant District Attorney under Gary Woolverton, defeated local attorney John Lawson in June 2010 with 1,660 votes (50.55 percent) to 1,611 votes (49.06 percent). He took office in January 2011 and would have served though January 2014.
“After a lot of prayer, pondering and many discussions with my wife, I have made the decision to resign from my position as the Modoc County District Attorney,” Brooke said. “My final day in office is anticipated to be May 31, 2013. A short time ago, I made the decision that I would not be seeking re-election. My plan was to announce that intention later this year. However, I feel it is no longer safe for me or my family to stay in my position and perform my duties.”
He has been under major criticism from local law enforcement over the past couple of months, with both the Modoc County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and Alturas Peace Officers Association vote of “no confidence” in his ability to prosecute cases.
It will now be up to the Board of Supervisors to appoint a replacement DA to serve out the remainder of Brooke’s term. They have a very short time frame and started to work on that this week.
“I would like to thank God for the many blessings He has given me,” Brooke said. “I would like to thank each and every member of my staff, without whom I could not have done my job. I would like to thank those law enforcement officers who have shown their continued support towards my office. I would like to thank the people of Modoc County for their kind words and support for me.”

Task Force busts illegal pot grow

On Tuesday, May 14 the Modoc County Inter-Agency Narcotics Task Force contacted two private property marijuana grows in the California Pines area. 
After investigating the first location near the intersection of Angels Camp and Woodleaf, two suspects, Merick Buxbaum and Nolan Burch both of Thousand Oaks, CA, were arrested for unauthorized cultivation of marijuana.
The pair had 154 marijuana plants growing on a vacant lot with no permitted residence, well or septic system. All marijuana plants were removed by the Task Force. 
Additionally, there were issues of trespassing, cutting trees on neighboring property and blocking public right of way roads. Both suspects were booked at the Modoc County Jail.

Forest, CDF declare fire season opens

It should come as no surprise that Modoc National Forest fire managers announce the 2013 Fire Season will officially begin Friday, May 17 at midnight. This means stations and the Modoc Interagency Communications Center will be staffed seven days a week with extra personnel and equipment to respond to fires. 
In addition, the Lassen-Modoc-Plumas Unit of CAL FIRE officially declared the opening of wildfire season Wednesday, May 1st.  This announcement is made each year to remind residents that as the weather warms, fire risks increase.  CAL FIRE resources have already responded to several large and devastating wildfires this month.
The MNF’s decision to declare the start of the official fire season is based upon many factors including fuel moisture, drought conditions, precipitation and weather trends.
“According to meteorologists at the Northern California Geographic Area Coordination Center in Redding, Calif., this has been one of the driest January-April periods in Northern California history,” Dave McMaster, Fire Management Officer, says, In addition, meteorologists report below normal precipitation, warmer than normal temperatures and moderate drought are expected to continue in Modoc County.
Modoc under 50% of precip average
The state of California and Modoc are experiencing an incredibly dry year, and the outlook for summer is for continued dry, probable irrigation shortages and a dangerous fire season.
The County to date is at 46.9 percent of normal precipitation and coming off last year when it was about 76 percent of normal.
According to local records, so far since January, there has been 2.90 inches of precipitation in Alturas, well below the normal to date of 6.18 inches. January measured only .48 inches (normal 1.65 inches), February had .25 inches (normal 1.45 inches), March had .32 inches (normal 1.52 inches) and April 1.44 inches (normal 1.56 inches). May has recorded .41 inches to date, with the normal full month average of 1.36 inches.

New FEMA flood maps affect Pit River, Alturas

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working with the city of Alturas and Modoc County, Calif., to update flood hazard risk information.
FEMA released preliminary flood maps that will help community officials, individuals and business owners identify known flood risks. When finalized, the maps will be used for flood insurance, land use and development decisions. The revised maps are digital, incorporating the latest technology to identity flood risk based on detailed engineering models, decades of rainfall, storm gauge information and current topographic data.
 The preliminary flood maps propose changes to areas for structures near the Pit River, North Fork Pit River and South Fork Pit River. Currently, there are approximately 210 structures located within the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) or high risk flood zone. The preliminary flood maps propose approximately 145 structures may be added to the SFHA, from moderate to high flood risk and 15 structures may be removed from the SFHA, from high to moderate flood risk. The last map update was June 4, 2010.

Obituaries:

Rawleigh Wilkerson
Rawleigh Wayne Wilkerson of Alturas loved living in Modoc County and exploring all it had to offer, from the events to the great outdoors and back roads everywhere.
Mr. Wilkerson was 78, when he passed away in Reno, NV on April 30, 2013. He was born in Los Angeles, CA in 1935. He was educated at Redondo Beach High School.
Church of Christ Pastor Dewey Potter conducted graveside services at 10 a.m. May 8, 2013 at the Alturas Cemetery with full military honors.

Louie Vermillion
A Memorial service for Lewis “Louie” Edward Vermillion will 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.
Memorial donations may 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. Mr. Vermillion passed away April 30, 2013 at the age of 83.

Ronald G. 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. A lunch 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.
Memorial donations may be made to Alturas Little League Baseball. Full obituary to follow. Services under the direction of Kerr Mortuary.

Sports

Modoc wins 1st playoff game, has Quincy here today

Modoc’s softball team beat Hamilton City 4-1 Tuesday in Alturas in the first round of the CIF North Section playoffs and will meet Quincy today, 5 pm. in the second round.
Melissa Knoch got the win for the Braves, allowing four hits, she struck out two and walked two. She relieved Morgan Bagwell, who started the game and went 1.5 innings, allowing one run on two hits, fanned three and walked four.
“Morgan started on the mound for us and did a great job, but we were struggling with the umps calling illegal pitches, so we brought in Melissa, who did an outstanding job for us,” said coach Jodie Larranaga. “We’ve been a week and a half off with no games and came out a little nervous, but the girls held their defense together well. We didn’t hit the ball well, but I look for the girls to be back in their comfort zone Thursday.”
The Hamilton game was tied a 1-1 in the second inning and Modoc put up three runs in the fourth, shutting out Hamilton the rest of the way.
Lynnzi Malcolm led the hitting with a 2-3 day, while Courtney Knoch, Pricila Madrigal, Macie Larranaga and M. Knoch each had a hit. Larranaga and M. Knoch had had doubles.

Graeagle Meadows Golf Course tough on Modoc

Modoc’s golf team didn’t play up to their normal levels Monday at the CIF North Section Championships at the tough Graeagle Meadows Golf Course.
“We entered the day hoping to get at least one of our players to qualify for next weeks NorCal Championship, but the course proved more difficult than expected,” said coach Harold Montague. “Alex McQuarrie played well for a course of this length, but the rest of our players performed to the high end of their scoring abilities as opposed to the low end.  Not only did our players struggle, but uncharacteristically high scores dominated the leader boards and for the first time in my memory of attending these events, a score out of the 70’s (80) qualified to advance to NorCals.”
Modoc’s team was led by Jonathan Morgan with an 83, while Matt Weber and Alan Weber each shot 87. McQuarrie shot 94, Phil Thompson shot 99 and Clayton Bacon shot 104.
Modoc’s overall team score was 450, well off the winning post of 394 of Pleasant Valley and Shasta’s 396.
“It’s been a very rewarding season and the team worked very hard to improve on a slow start to finish well,” said Montague.  “Next year will be a building year, but despite the loss of three starters I hope to be just as competitive.  The kids just need to put in the time this summer in improving their game.”

Gouveia is top SCL track athlete

Modoc's Stephanie Gouveia was named Co-Most Valuable Player of the Shasta Cascade League last week winning the 800 in 2:46, the 1,600 in 6:04 and the 3,200 in 13:31.
Junior Claudia Serrano won both the shot and discus. Serrano also won the Dr. Dahle Scholarship to the University of Oregon Track Camp. This award was voted on by all head coaches and goes to an underclassman who can benefit from increased exposure and training.
Emily Lowrey placed second in the 800 and sophomore Casey Burns ran an inspired 3,200 placing second. On the boys side Patrick Bratton will move on in the 800 and 1,600. Bratton set a personal record in the 1,600, running a 4:53. Hector Hernandez set a personal record qualifying for divisions in the 300 hurdles with a time of 45.8. The girls placed second and the boys placed third, respectively.
These athletes now travel to West Valley for divisions, formally known as Small Schools on Friday.

May 23rd, 2013

News

Falling tree breaks power pole in Cedarville

Quick thinking, action, incredible response time by civilians and emergency personnel all combined to avert a potential disaster in Cedarville on Tuesday afternoon.
Around 1:30 p.m. a windstorm blew a huge poplar tree over and onto Main Street. The falling tree snapped off a power pole, took power lines down for approximately one block and cut power to downtown. The pole’s transformer exploded on impact leaking insulating oil onto the highway with live wires falling into the oil.
Two people were trapped in their vehicles, several other vehicles had power lines on them and customers at the post office, the library and market were isolated in their respective buildings.
Monte Fenske of Cedarville was driving south on Main St. after getting his mail when he heard a low rumbling, followed by an explosion. He saw a flash of green coming at him through his passenger side window.
 “It was a tree falling toward me. I thought I was going to eat it right then. I swerved hard to the left and punched it, trying to avoid the tree,” said Fenske.
He then braked hard to avoid hitting a building across the street and tried to lie down across the seat to protect himself from the impact. His seat belt held him upright. Then he heard the loud noise of something hitting the cab of his pickup. He looked and saw a power line draped across the cab and inches from his cracked open window.
 “All I could think was that I had just avoided being crushed by a tree and now I’m going to be electrocuted. I was afraid to touch anything. I yelled at people to stay back,” remembers Fenske.
Fenske sat in his vehicle for 45 minutes before being safely extricated.
 “I want to really thank every member of the fire department and the deputy from the bottom of my heart. My motto from now on will be “live on,” in capitals,” adds Fenske.
Another woman was trapped in her vehicle by the downed lines, just down the street.
The sustained winds at this time were at 30 mph, with gusts into the high 40s. Power lines draped across other power lines were whipping in the wind; downed lines trapped empty vehicles from being moved. Two other power poles were leaning precipitously with one pole bulging at its base and appearing to be held upright only by east-west lines.
Two three-man crews with new poles were dispatched from Klamath Falls and worked through the night replacing poles and lines. A hazmat team cleaned the insulating oil spill. Around 2 a.m. the winds slowed and it started to snow. Power was restored between 3 and 4 a.m.

Campground fees to increase on the MNF

Modoc National Forest officials say fees will increase at some campgrounds starting Saturday, June 15, 2013. The recreation budget for the Forest has decreased four of the last five years while costs to maintain services at campgrounds have continued to increase.
Most lower elevation campgrounds will be open for the Memorial Day weekend. Contact the Forest at 233-5811 for actual situations.
The last fee increase on the Modoc NF was 1998.
“While this increase is necessary in some campgrounds, numerous recreation sites on the Modoc have no fees where visitors can enjoy many activities such as boating, fishing, hiking, horseback riding and a more rustic camping experience,” Tim Knight, District Ranger and Acting Recreation Officer said. “We will continue to do our best to meet the public’s needs, protect the resources and provide a diversity of recreation opportunities.”
Increased costs will be in effect June 15 at the following campgrounds: Doublehead Ranger District, Hemlock $14, Medicine $14, A.H. Hogue $14, Headquarters $14; Big Valley Ranger District, Willow Creek $12; Devil’s Garden Ranger District, Howard’s Gulch $12; Warner Mountain Ranger District, Mill Creek Falls $12, Soup Springs $12 and Blue Lake $14.

MNF hosts fire season public meeting

Modoc National Forest officials invite the public to attend a fire season public meeting at the Desert Rose Casino event facility in Alturas, Calif., Monday June 3, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Topics for discussion will include fire prevention, information and communication.  
Directions to the meeting facility are as follows: from Modoc NF Headquarters at 800 W. 12th Street, go east on CA-299 to the light, turn right onto N. Main St (US-395). Go for one mile, turn left onto County Road 56, and destination is 901 County Road 56. The meeting facility is to the right of the Casino.
For more information, please call Punky Moore at 530-233-5811.

Saturday event honors World War II and all veterans

A special event to honor World War II Veterans is scheduled May 25, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Desert Rose Event Center. The event also honors veterans of wars past and present.
The World War II Veteran’s Tribute and Fallen Heroes Fundraiser is coordinated by Jonathan Morgan, a senior at Modoc High School, as his Senior Project, under the Patriots for Veterans organization.
Patriots for Veterans is a non-profit organization, supporting both past and present wars and the families of our fallen heroes who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
For more information or to donate contact Morgan at 530-233-1286 or email to modocmorgan520@gmail.com.

Obituaries:

Gayla Philpott
Lifetime Modocer, Gayla Bernice Philpott, 69, of Canby passed away in Reno on May 3, 2013 at the home of her daughter, Darla Jay, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. She was born September 22, 1943 in Alturas, CA. She graduated from Modoc High in 1961 where she met her husband of 38 years, Charles (“Charlie”) Hugh Philpott.
A memorial potluck in celebration of her life will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, May 27, 2013 at the Canby Fire Hall.

Kerwin Allen Wyatt
Kerwin Allen “Alvin” Wyatt passed to the other side suddenly on May 10, 2013, at his home in Gardnerville, NV.  Alvin was born June 28, 1966 the youngest of 11 children to Elwood and Caroline Wyatt in Alturas, CA.
Services for Alvin were held in Dresslerville  May 18, 2013.  He will be buried in Carson City, NV.

Angie Duff
Former Alturas resident and business owner Angie Magallanez Duff, age 67, passed away on May 13, 2013, at home in Fernley, NV.
Angie was born November 28, 1945 in Mexico to parents Francisco and Petra.
In lieu of flowers, please support your local seniors and/or volunteer programs in your community.  No services will be held; however, please view and sign Angie’s Guest Book on the Smith Family Funeral Home Website: http://www.smithfamilyfuneralhomefallon.com.

Sports

Modoc girls runners-up in section

Modoc’s strong softball team ran into an even stronger Durham squad Saturday in the CIF North Section Division Five Championship game, losing 10-0.
Modoc had the title game at home since lower seeded Durham beat the top seed East Nicolaus. Modoc had the number two seed in the tournament and made it into the title game beating Quincy in Alturas 9-3 Friday.
While Modoc had some trouble in the title game, they played one of their best games in the semi-final win over Quincy.
Bagwell got the win, going seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walked one and fanned four.

Serrano wins Division IV title

Modoc Junior, Claudia Serrano won the North Section Division Four championship in the women's discus, with a personal record of 93' 1". Serrano now moves on to large schools on Friday in Cottonwood.
Shasta Cascade League Most Valuable Player, Stephanie Gouveia placed second in the 1,600 and 3,200 with a new PR in the 1,600 running a 5:57.52. Freshman Emily Lowrey also PR'd in the 800, placing third with a time of 2:45. Casey Burns ran the 3,200 at 14:19. The Modoc girls’ team placed 5th in Division 4.

Good turnout for True Value Golf event

There were 64 golfers competing in the 2013 Seab’s True Value Golf Tournament at Likely Place Golf Course May 18.
The event proceeds benefited Lassen, Modoc and Lakeview High School Seniors for post high school vocational or trade school education. Three scholarships will be awarded.
The results of the men’s team event were: first, Chuck Spirk and Doran Wheeler; second, Jonathan Morgan and Harold Montague; third, Mike Macdonald and Jose Madrigal; fourth, Jerry Wheeler Sr. and Jerry Wheeler, Jr.; fifth, Tom Swickard and Bill Weston; sixth, Keith and Kyle Weber.
The mixed team results were: first John and A.J. McQuarrie; second Joann and Brian Cain; third, Stephanie Wellemeyer and Rex Northrup; fourth, Rose and Harry Boulade.

May 30th, 2013

News

Board opts Deputy AG as interim DA

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday opted to accept an offer from the California Attorney General’s Office for an interim District Attorney.
Current Modoc DA Chris Brooke has resigned, effective May 31, and the Board has the duty of appointing a replacement to fill out the remainder of his term through 2014. Selecting a new DA will take some time.
County Counsel John Kenny told the Board, “The AG has offered to provide a Deputy Attorney General to assist for five or six weeks, which should be sufficient time to fill the vacancy. The Attorney General would cover the salary of the Deputy AG, but asks that the County cover travel expenses and other costs.”
The Board of Supervisors is charged with filling vacancies in elected offices, with the exception of Superior Court and Supervisors, Kenny pointed out. If Supervisors choose to hold interviews for the position, those interviews will have to be done in an open session of the Board.

County concerned about Governor’s health care budget

Modoc County Supervisors approved a letter to the State, asking the legislature to reject Governor Jerry Browns’ May Revise budget proposal, which could end up costing the County services and funds.
The issue was brought up at Tuesday’s board meeting in a detailed report by Kelly Crosby, Modoc County Deputy Director of Public Health/Director of Public Health Nursing.
According to Crosby, if the Governor’s revision is implemented and the 1991 realignment funds are switched from the County to the State over the next three years, the county could lose Public Health and Environmental Health local services by 2016.
Basically, the County receives $1,083,169 in realignment funds now, but if the Governor’s revision goes through, it stands to lose $231,356 of that in 2013-14,  $694,069 in 2014-15 and $1,002,544 in 2015-16.
In 1991, the state enacted a major change in the state and local government relationship, known as realignment. In the areas of mental health, social services, and health, realignment transferred programs from state to county control, altered program cost-sharing ratios, and provided counties with dedicated tax revenues from the sales tax and vehicle license fee to pay for the changes.

Supervisors long for old digs

Modoc County Supervisors are longing for a return to their old meeting room upstairs in the Courthouse, and made the first move to get that done Tuesday morning.
While an agreement with the City of Alturas to use City Council Chambers for their meetings was on the agenda for approval, that fell by the wayside as one by one, Supervisors Geri Byrne, Kathie Alves, Dave Allan, Jim Wills and Jon Pedersen expressed a sincere desire to “go back home” to Supervisors Chambers. They felt the Board should be meeting in the Courthouse and felt the Boardroom commanded more of a sense of pride and respect.
While it won’t be a quick transition and there are some technical and legal issues to get through, there is little doubt that’s where Supervisors meeting will be held long into the future.

Obituaries:

Shane Royal Estes
A memorial service for Shane Royal Estes of Alturas will be held at the Alturas Elks Lodge at noon on Saturday, June 8. Alturas B.P.O.E. 1756 Elk Danny Parker will conduct the service.
Shane passed away Sunday, May 26, 2013, at Lakeview, OR, due to cancer. Born June 21, 1963 in Fall River Mills, CA, Shane lived and worked in Alturas for 46 years of his almost 50 years.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Mary Earlene Workinger
Mary Earlene Workinger of Jacksonville, OR passed away Thursday, May 23, 2013 at Providence Hospital.
Earlene was born March 5, 1921 in Cedarville, CA to Earl and Hazel Benner. She married Bill Dolan July 17, 1938.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at Hillcrest Memorial Park, Medford, OR. Pastor Ron Allen of Trinity Baptist Church will officiate.
In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (offices in Portland and Eugene) in memory of Earlene’s husband Ken Workinger, and her longtime friend Ed Sakraida.

Shana Mae Sloan Hecker
Shana Mae Sloan Hecker was born July 29, 1983 in Fall River Mills, CA. She went to be with Jesus on May 20, 2013. Shana was recuperating at home in Alturas, after brain surgery May 6, when she unexpectedly passed away.
Services will be held Thursday, May 30 at 2 p.m. at the Modoc Full Gospel Indian Mission, 1010 Henderson St., Alturas. Rev. Ed Allen will conduct the service. A service will also be held in Fall River, with a wake at 6 p.m. Friday, May 31 at Fall River Full Gospel Indian Mission where the funeral will also be held Saturday morning, June 1 at 11 a.m. Burial to follow at Fall River Cemetery.

Stanley Brandenburg
Stanley B. Brandenburg died at Sky Lakes Hospital in Klamath Falls, OR on May 21, 2013.  Per his request, there will be no memorial service. Donations may be made to Surprise Valley Hospital, Cedarville or to a charity of your choice.

Wilda Rudderham
Wilda Page Rudderham of Cedarville passed away on May 26, 2013.  Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, June 3 at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Garfield and Washington St. Cedarville.  A potluck fellowship will follow.

David Ray Herring
David Ray Herring passed away peacefully on May 23, 2013 at Modoc Medical Center in Alturas, CA. Called “Moonie” by his family and friends, the Canby resident had called Modoc home for the past 12 years.
He was born December 16, 1942, in Richmond, CA and was raised throughout the Bay Area.
A celebration life will be held Saturday, June 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with coffee and desserts at the Canby Fire Hall. Desserts welcome.

Jo Nita Morris
Jo Nita Morris, age 71, passed away peacefully in her sleep with family by her side on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at her home in Payette, Idaho. She was  born December 22, 1941, in Carnegie, Oklahoma, the second youngest child of seven born to Wortha Vivian Butler and Floyd W. Butler.

Sports

Posse horse show does well

There were 23 contestants for the Modoc County Sheriff’s Posse’s 59th Annual Jr. Horse Show held on Saturday, May 25, 2013.
Contestants in the Senior Division, ages 14-18 were: Madelyn Binning, Cassiondra Castorena, Rachel Benz and Trisha Tomason.
Junior Division, ages eight-13 contestants were: Cody Nelson, Keith Nelson, John Tomason, Mallory Benz, Megan Benz, Ayiana Castoring, Paisley Palmer, Peter French, Anabel Farnam, Shelby Gibbs, Noelle Macdonnell and Mackenzie Binning.
The Green Horn Division, ages seven and under contestants were: Gracey Palmer, Teri Tomason, Emily Branson, Michael French, Jimmy Tomason, Jake Hallmark and Kati Hallmark.
First place overall Sr. Division: first place rosette ribbon, blanket and halter went to Madelyn Binning. First place overall Jr. Division: first place rosette ribbon, blanket and halter went to John Tomason. First place overall Green Horn Division: first place rosette ribbon, blanket and halter went to Jimmy Tomason.

Knoch on All-Star team

North and South teams for the annual Chico Breakfast Lions Club George Hibdon Classic high school all-star softball game have been selected.
The nine-inning game will be held Saturday, June 1 at 2 p.m. at a Hooker Oak Recreation Area softball field in east Chico. At 6 p.m. the same day in the same recreation area there will be the Lions Bob Busch Classic high school all-star baseball game at 6 p.m. A single admission of $6 will cover both games.
Modoc’s Courtney Knoch has been selected to a member of the North team.

Modoc Forest recreation report

The Modoc National Forest updated several public interest activities in a May 28 news release.
Residential Burn Permits for Modoc County are required now through June 30. These permits are available at Cal-Fire, BLM and the Forest Service.
You must obtain a California Campfire Permit if you plan to build a campfire, use a barbecue, use a lantern or use a stove outside any developed recreation area (campground or picnic area). Permits are available free of charge at offices of the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Campground fees will increase starting June 15, 2013. Check our website for more information. Campgrounds on Devil’s Garden are open with the exception of Howard’s Gulch. Open Warner Mountain Camps include Blue Lake (boil water advisory), Mill Creek (no water expected for the weekend) Soup Springs (boil water advisory) Patterson, East Creek, Pepperdine and Stough (no water).
Woodcutting is open across the forest with a valid wood permit and depending on road conditions. Permits can be purchased at any Modoc National Forest office. For further information please check the woodcutting recording at 530-233-8819.
There are reports of some large trout being caught in Blue Lake at this time of the year due to the very cold water. You can also access Clear Lake; you need to be aware of leaning trees on the trail. The water level at F Reservoir is above average, C and Duncan Reservoirs are full.
Crowder Flat Road (Co. Rd 73) has been plowed and is in good shape; please be aware of soft shoulders.
Hiking is always allowed in the South Warner Wilderness. Be prepared for ever-changing weather conditions that may occur. Tell a friend or relative where you are going and when you plan to be back.
There is still no access to Medicine Lake due to snow in the area. Please be alert to trucks working on the Cougar and Tionesta roads.
Day Use areas that people can use, but have no services (water, trash, etc.) are: Lower Rush Creek Ash/Dan Ryan’s Place Lava Camp (by Longbell) Red Tail Rim Trail North & South.

June 6th, 2013

News

City to start mosquito spraying soon

It’s getting warmer and residents are heading outside in large numbers to enjoy late spring and early summer. The City of Alturas is also keeping an eye on the mosquito population.
According to City Public Works Director Joe Picotte, city crews will begin spraying as soon as the mosquito conditions require. Weather patterns will have something to do with the start, but it could be soon as the little pests are starting to show up in large numbers.
Initially, spraying will be done once per week, but will go to twice a week when needed. The city will alternate spraying in the morning hours before the sun comes up, to late evening, as the sun begins to set.
Picotte reminds residents who have bees or vegetation they’re concerned about to have those covered or removed from the City limits.
To help keep the mosquito population in control, Picotte said residents can help by making sure all outdoor containers are emptied of water and when irrigating, making sure not to over-water.

New old stuff at the Museum

The Modoc County Museum has undergone some tumultuous times in recent years, from being closed by the county to eventually re-opening as a volunteer operated organization.
This last year the museum received a grant from the Milano family which upgraded the museum’s security system, allowed for cleaning and painting, plus the purchase of an original steel door, designed and made by Lee Pedrole.
The door features the Oxen and Wagon museum logo over a landscape scene of local wildlife. The Loring and Muriel White Trust Fund was accessed and displays, lights, carpet, a computer and a camera were purchased. A possible expansion to the building is being studied.
Museum hours are Mon.-Sat. subject to volunteers, with priority given to Sat. 10-4, then Thurs. and Friday mornings. If no one is at the museum call Dixie Server at 530-233-3724 or 530-640-0462 and she will arrange to have the museum opened.

Health issues take center stage in state, county

Public health issues and the upcoming implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act’s Medi-Cal expansion is taking center stage at the state and county level as varying plans are debated.
Last week Modoc County Supervisors approved a letter to the State, asking the legislature to reject Governor Jerry Browns’ May Revise budget proposal, which could end up costing the County services and funds.
The issue was brought up at Tuesday’s board meeting in a detailed report by
According to Kelly Crosby, Modoc County Deputy Director of Public Health/Director of Public Health Nursing, if the Governor’s revision is implemented and the 1991 realignment funds are switched from the County to the State over the next three years, the county could lose Public Health and Environmental Health local services by 2016.
Basically, she said the County receives $1,083,169 in realignment funds now, but if the Governor’s revision goes through, it stands to lose $231,356 of that in 2013-14,  $694,069 in 2014-15 and $1,002,544 in 2015-16.
In 1991, the state enacted a major change in the state and local government relationship, known as realignment. In the areas of mental health, social services, and health, realignment transferred programs from state to county control, altered program cost-sharing ratios, and provided counties with dedicated tax revenues from the sales tax and vehicle license fee to pay for the changes.
One area where Crosby expressed serious concern was over the requirement in the ACA that most U.S. citizens must have health insurance by January 2104. She doesn’t feel that’s a bad idea, but sees some quirks in the way it will be funded, or not.

Science experts counter feds wild horse strategy

A panel of scientific experts has cast a pail of cold water on the federal government’s efforts to control the wild horse population on public lands; basically stating those efforts don’t work.
The 14-member panel of the National Science Academy’s National Research Council came to the conclusion that the wild horse roundups are having the opposite effect of easing ecological damage and reducing overpopulated herds. The 451-page report, which was requested by the Bureau of Land Management, was released Wednesday morning. It recommends letting nature take its course. The Sacramento Bee detailed a part of the report.

Obituaries:

Wilda Marie Page Rudderham
Wilda Marie Page was born May 21, 1936 in Portola, California.  She was the
eldest of four children born to Francis and Dorothy Page. She died May 26, 2013 in a vehicle accident.
Memorial services were held Monday, June 3 at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Cedarville.

Stanley B. Brandenburg
Stanley Burke Brandenburg of Cedarville passed away at Sky Lakes Hospital in Klamath Falls, OR on May 21, 2013. Per his request, there will be no memorial service. 
Born August 1, 1932 in Dickinson, North Dakota, Stan was raised on farms and ranches with his single mother, his five brothers and his grandparents.
Memorial donations may be made to Surprise Valley Hospital, Cedarville or charity of your choice. 

Charles D. Stegman
Beloved husband, father and grandfather, Charles Dewayne Stegman passed away in his
Klamath Falls, Oregon home from natural causes Wednesday, May 29, two days shy of his 76 birthday. At the time of his passing, his wife, daughters, and two granddaughters
surrounded him.
A Rosary Vigil will be held Thursday, June 6 at 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, East Fourth Street, Alturas. Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 7 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart in Alturas.
Charlie was born May 31, 1937, in Ness City, Kansas and was the sixth and final child of
John and Margaret Stegman (both deceased).

John “Jay” Eppler
John Loren “Jay” Eppler, a long-time resident of Alturas passed away in Redding on November 3, 2012. A Memorial Mass will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 17 at Sacred Heart Church in Alturas. A fellowship gathering will follow at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall, East Fourth St., Alturas.
Jay was born in Elyria, Ohio on April 26, 1953 to Don and Betty Eppler.

Shane R. Estes
A memorial service for Shane Royal Estes of Alturas will be held at the Alturas Elks Lodge at noon on Saturday, June 8. Alturas B.P.O.E. 1756 Elk Danny Parker will conduct the service.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.

June 13th, 2013

News

Forest Service smokejumper dies on Saddleback

A 28-year-old firefighter from Susanville died Monday afternoon as a result of injuries received fighting a wildfire on Saddleback Mountain. The victim, Luke Sheehy, was a member of the California Smokejumpers, based out of Redding.
Sheehy was struck by a tree limb which fell about 60 feet, striking him in the head. He and two other Smokejumpers had parachuted into the Saddle Back Fire in the South Warner Wilderness about 20 air miles southeast of Alturas. The incident occurred just before 5 p.m. about a mile and a half southeast of Soup Springs Campground. The Forest Dispatcher requested only emergency priority radio communication on the system right after the injury report. Intensive efforts to resuscitate Sheehy were not successful.
Fellow smokejumpers reportedly performed CPR on Sheehy for more than an hour as the Forest Service and several other agencies worked to get emergency equipment and a helicopter into the scene in the Wilderness area. He was retrieved and was flown by helicopter to Modoc Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Modoc hires new legal advisor

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors voted to hire a new County Counsel at Tuesday’s meeting, replacing long time legal advisor John Kenny.
The new firm is Cota Cole LLP, out of Redding. They were selected by the Board’s Ad Hoc Committee from six applicants. The contract is for a base $10,000 per month, from June 2013 through June 2015.
One of the key aspects of the new hire is the flat monthly rate. That means the County won’t be billed for opinions given to department heads and other county officials on regular order of business. The firm vowed to keep the board and CAO informed of all activity and told Supervisors they pride themselves on timely responses.
The fact the legal counsel will attend all meetings of the Board was also a major selling point, along with the assurance that as legal counsel, they work for the Board.
The Board also had the second reading of an amended ordinance setting their regular meetings times for the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, starting at 10 a.m. The meetings will also now be held in the Modoc Supervisors Chambers upstairs in the Modoc County Courthouse. The changes do not take effect for 30 days from now.

Flood plain meeting Monday

There have been changes to the Flood Plain Map covering the City of Alturas, putting about one-third more structures in flood danger, and possibly requiring flood insurance.
City of Alturas Public Works Director Joe Picotte has set up a public meeting Monday, July 17, 5:30 p.m. with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to explain the map, the changes and ramifications. The meeting will be held at Alturas City Hall, 200 North Street.
Picotte said the new mapping could impact businesses and residences along both sides of the Pit River stretching a few blocks in each direction. FEMA has just issued the new maps and that’s what will be discussed.

Modoc schools see positive signs

Modoc County Superintendent of Schools Gary Jones and district administrators see some positive signs for Modoc Schools.
“Since February of 2009, much of the news we have provided to school boards, employees, and the community has centered on cuts and late payments from the state,” Jones said in a news release this week. “With state revenue cuts in excess of 20 percent and large payments paid after the end of the school year, the districts and county office of education had to close schools, eliminate programs, and reduce staff.
“There are now several positive signs regarding the state’s finances. The governor and legislature seem intent upon improving school funding and discontinuing the budgetary gimmicks that were used to redirect billions of dollars away from the schools.”
According to Jones, the new state budget will change the current Revenue Limit (RL) formula to the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The RL formula funds schools primarily based on student attendance. The LCFF funds schools based on student attendance and the types of students they educate, with increased funding for English learners and economically disadvantaged students.

Obituaries:

Audrey Cloud
Lifelong Modoc resident Audrey Cloud of Alturas, CA passed away June 6, 2013 in Reno, NV following complications after a stroke.
Born Audrey Cambron in Eagleville, CA, she graduated from Surprise Valley High School in Cedarville. She married Bill Cloud on September 4 and they were able to share a loving marriage for over 60 years and many travels.
At her request no services will be held. Her family will gather for a private memorial and reunion in July. Memorial donations may be sent to High Plateau Humane Society, P.O Box 1383, Alturas, CA 96101.

Franklin Hayes
Franklin Logan Hayes blessed the lives of Frank and Dianne Hayes on December 3, 1992. Franklin lived most of his 20 years in Alturas, CA, but also resided in parts of Southern Oregon, Northern California and the Bay Area. He was an enrolled member of the Gidutikad band of Northern Paiute and great grandson of Nanego Townsend.
Franklin departed our lives on earth June 3, 2013For condolences and additional support for services: Dianne Hayes P.O. Box 107, Alturas, CA 96101.
Services were held Saturday, June 8 at 10 a.m. at the Ft. Bidwell Indian Gymnasium.

Service for Bill Pray
A memorial service honoring Bill Pray will be held on June 15 next to the California Pines Lodge from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Bill Pray passed away after the cold spell on Jan. 24, 2013. He was 60 years old and will be dearly missed by all who loved and knew him.

Service for Jay Eppler
A Memorial Mass for John Loren “Jay” Eppler will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 17 at Sacred Heart Church in Alturas. A fellowship gathering will follow at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall, East Fourth St., Alturas.
Mr. Eppler is survived by his wife of 40 years, Gail Eppler of Alturas; a son Micah (wife Bekah / daughter Lydia) of Carlsbad, CA; a daughter Monicah in the United States Navy, stationed in Virginia Beach, Virginia; his mother Betty of Alturas; a sister Raney (husband John / daughter Mikayla) of Eagle River, Alaska; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. Jay was preceded in death by his father Don Eppler.

Sports

Outdoor Expo readies for June 22-23 run

The Modoc Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Committee’s annual Sportsman's and Outdoor Expo is Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23, 2013 hosted by the Desert Rose Casino Event Center in Alturas, Ca.
“This two day event is free to the public. The intent of this event is to market and promote this frontier region of northeastern California (Modoc County) as a premier outdoor recreation destination area,” said organizer Lorissa Soriano. “Although many Sportsman’s and Outdoor events generally take place in the more populous areas, M.O.R.T. felt that it would be more apropos to hold this type of event where people actually go to recreate. The 2012 Annual Sportsman’s & Outdoor Expo event was very well received. It is our hope that the 2013 will be even better. Because of Modoc County’s extraordinary location we feel that it has the potential to grow into a much larger venue in the coming years.”
Event activities begin with a Bird Watch Walk sponsored by Modoc County Public Health. Explore the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge and learn about the many different types of birds and other wildlife that inhabit the Modoc area.
Unique only to Modoc County and a “must see,” attraction at the 2013-Annual Sportsman’s and Outdoor Expo is the “Pride of Modoc” Big Buck display. This special and exclusive display showcases decades of trophy Mule deer, Pronghorn antelope and Rocky Mountain elk, taken only in Modoc from the early 1900’s to present.
In addition to the Big Buck Display, a 3-D archery competition and the popular youth duck calling contest will also be the highlight of the Expo. Archers will test their skills by shooting at 3-D targets strategically placed in various locations on the Refuge, while junior waterfowl hunters will demonstrate their duck calling abilities while being judged by the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge Staff and Ducks Unlimited Regional Director, Jim Giampaolo.
The Back Country Horsemen Association will demonstrate several projects that improved horse camps, trails and education of stock users in the backcountry. Visitors will also have opportunities to try out hands on packing skills using an iron mule and pack outfit. Learn how to pack supplies. Learn the box hitch. A Dutch oven cooking demonstration with samples available will be tasty. Join in campfire story telling in the evening at the horse camp.
Other well-liked activities include atladl throw, fly-fishing demonstrations, drunk goggles, camo face painting, portable cave, and new to the Expo is a hang gliding simulator. There will also be a variety of displays, vendor booths, raffles and prizes. “Our hope is to attract a diverse group of folks, families and all who enjoy the great outdoors as much as we do,” said Soriano. “Get fit, don’t sit, and explore the Modoc Outback!”
For more info you can call Reese Soriano at 530-640-0125 or Dan Ryan 530-305-3015 or email at: destinationmodoc@gmail.com or go to the website, www.modocoutdoorrecreationandtourism.org. (New info is added as updates are available).

June 20th, 2013

News

Sheehy honored by peers, others

Preparations are underway to support the family of recently deceased firefighter Luke Sheehy. The 28-year-old perished on June 10 as a result of injuries received on the Saddle Back Fire on the Modoc National Forest in northeast California.
There was a procession to honor and transport Luke Sheehy on Wednesday from Alturas, Calif. to Susanville, Calif.
Details on the agency memorial ceremony are currently pending. The ceremony is planned for June 23 at 1 p.m. at the Civic Auditorium in Redding, Calif. The Sheehy family has requested that family members, close friends, fire community and all those who want to honor Luke are invited to attend.
The family will be holding a separate memorial at the Walker Mansion Inn located in Westwood, Calif. on June 22 at 2 p.m.
Those interested in showing support for the Sheehy family can send flowers, cards and donations to: Doug and Lynn Sheehy or Sheehy Family, 2850 Main St., Suite 12 #386, Susanville, CA 96130
Or the Wildland Firefighter Foundation
Mail in donation: Care of Sheehy Family, make your check payable to: Wildland Firefighter Foundation, 2049 Airport Way, Boise, ID 83705
online at: http://www.wffoundation.org/. Or to any US Bank location; account number: 157501822199.

MHS named one of the "Best High Schools"

US News and World Report has chosen Modoc High School to be on the list of the Best High Schools in America.
They evaluated more than 21,000 public high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Schools were awarded gold, silver or bronze based on state proficiency standards and how well they prepare students for college. Of the 21,000, two percent were awarded gold, seven percent silver and 13 percent bronze. Modoc High School was selected to receive a bronze recognition.
Basically, of the 21,000 schools, only 4,620 received the awards.
"I am very proud of our staff and students," said MHS Principal Tom O'Malley. "The staff has been working very hard over the last several years on integrating critical reading and writing strategies into all subject areas. They have also emphasized the preparation of students for life outside of high school, be it career or college. The students, though they do push back at times, are understanding that all the demands we are placing on them are in order to prepare them for what lies beyond the doors of Modoc High School. They work very hard for us, and ultimately, for themselves."

Fire restrictions start on Modoc Forest

Officials with the Modoc National Forest will implement fire restrictions on Friday, June 21. These restrictions are deemed necessary to provide for public safety and protect natural resources. The fire restrictions will continue through the end of the 2013 fire season.
Fire restrictions limit use of open flame, charcoal fires, smoking and operation of internal combustion engines. The restrictions are: campfires will only be allowed in designated recreation sites and in the South Warner Wilderness. A valid California Campfire permit is required for campfires in the South Warner Wilderness; no smoking, except within an enclosed building, vehicle, designated site, or within an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren of all flammable material; operating an internal combustion engine, except a motor vehicle, outside designated recreation sites; possessing or using a motor vehicle off National Forest System Roads; welding or operating acetylene or other torch with an open flame; and using an explosive.

Super Bull is set this Saturday

It's time to dust off your boots, grab your favorite cowboy hat and get ready for the 17th Annual Super Bull Rodeo!
Celebrate the first full day of summer with a night of bull riding and bronc busting that starts at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 22 in the Grandstand Arena at the Modoc District Fairgrounds in Cedarville. A Barn Dance afterwards will round out the evening.
Modoc County's Super Bull features some of the best rodeo entertainment in Northern California. Twenty bull and another 20 ranch bronc riders will compete for handsome purses, huge silver belt buckles and priceless bragging rights.
Les Schwab Tires is sponsoring the prized silver belt buckle awarded to the night's Bronc Champion while Alturas Auto Parts (NAPA) is donating the top bull rider's buckle.
This is the first year Cow Riding will be on the program. Six women will compete for a purse and buckle.
Tickets are $12 if purchased at one of many local outlets including Page's Market, Woody's Saloon or the Corner Store in Cedarville and at Alturas Auto Parts (NAPA) and Seab's True Value in Alturas.
Those from out of the area may still reserve pre-sale tickets by calling (530) 279-6383 before tomorrow evening.
Tickets are $15 at the gate. Children seven and under enter free if accompanied by an adult. Parking is also free.

Obituaries:

Susan Clark
In Loving Memory of Susan Marie (Jordan) Clark, who was born April 20, 1950 in Los Banos, CA and passed away May 30, 2013 from complications of surgery.
Susan grew up in California, Texas and Alaska but finally settled in Alturas, CA where she lived for 31 years
Her memorial services were held at her sister's home in Waddell, AZ on Sunday, June 2, 2013. Her sons will inter her ashes at a later time.

Sports

Fish Derby pulls in winners

The Alturas Rotary Club’s 65th Kids’ Fishing Derby at Pine Creek Reservoir on Saturday, June 1, from 8 -10 a.m. was a great day of fun for about 75 children who participated. The derby was for ages 12 years and under. The smallest trout weighed five ounces and the largest trout three pounds, eight ounces caught by DJ Wellemeyer about one minute before the derby ended.
Cameron Fieguth and Tamara Fieguth were the first to catch fish. Tamara had a banner day as she landed the biggest fish at two pounds, 10 ounces for a girl and the most fish, in addition to winning the girl’s bike. Trevor Pratt won the boy’s bike during the special drawing in which all children were entered. Tamara has been successfully fishing at the fish derby for several years. This was her last opportunity to compete, now that she is 12 years old. A couple of years ago when only two fish were caught, Tamara caught one of them.

Modoc hosts District 48 All Star tourney

Modoc Little League is hosting the District 48 Major Boy’s All star tourney starting June 26, 2 p.m. at the Alturas Fields.
The opening games of the tourney pit Susanville against Chester June 26, 2 p.m., followed by the Intermountain-Feather River clash at 5:30 p.m. The losers of those two games will meet June 27, 5:30 p.m.
Modoc plays the winner of the first game June 27, 2 p.m. The loser of the Modoc game meets the winner of the third game at 2 p.m. June 28. The tourney is double-elimination with the final game set for July 1, 5 p.m.
The Minor Boy’s All Stars travel to Portola June 24 and the Junior Boys head to Greenville June 28.

Big weekend for outdoor recreation and fun

It’s going to be a big weekend for outdoor recreation enthusiasts as well as for people who just want to have fun.
The Modoc Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Committee’s annual Sportsman's and Outdoor Expo runs Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23, 2013 hosted by the Desert Rose Casino Event Center in Alturas, Ca.
There are more booths and participants signed up for this year with plenty of variety in what’s being offered.
“This is free to the public. The intent of this event is to market and promote this frontier region of northeastern California (Modoc County) as a premier outdoor recreation destination area,” said organizer Lorissa Soriano. “Although many Sportsman’s and Outdoor events generally take place in the more populous areas, M.O.R.T. felt that it would be more apropos to hold this type of event where people actually go to recreate. The 2012 Annual Sportsman’s & Outdoor Expo event was very well received. It is our hope that the 2013 will be even better. Because of Modoc County’s extraordinary location we feel that it has the potential to grow into a much larger venue in the coming years.”

June 27th, 2013

News

Alturas Flood Insurance area expands

The Flood Insurance Rate Map for Alturas has expanded dramatically with the new revision just released by the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
The new maps put substantially more residences and businesses within the flood plane, necessitating flood insurance in most cases.
Roughly, the new map impacts both sides of the Pit River running through Alturas. It covers a large area east of Main Street, north to about Third Street and most all of the City south of the river. West of Main the map goes north to some of Fourth Street and west to some parts of West A Street. It covers all of the City area south of the river, with the exception of Warnerview Convalescent Hospital.
The maps will be put up in the Alturas City Hall Council Chambers for the public to inspect and determine whether their property is in the flood area.
City Public works Director Joe Picotte is working with FEMA during this period. The new maps are scheduled to go into effect next spring. There are chances for residents and businesses to appeal the map impacts now.
Picotte said he will be addressing the issue, sometimes face to face with residents to explain the appeal procedures and possible ways to lessen insurance costs.
He said there is a part of the plan where if the floor of a building is one foot above the water level predicted, the cost for insurance will be less. He and staff will be able to help property owners determine whether that measurement is available to them. Once the regulation is better explained, he will release that information to the public.

Modoc jobless rate falls to 10.3%

Modoc’s unemployment rate for May dropped from April’s 12.1 percent to 10.3 percent. Last May, the jobless rate stood at 13.3 percent.
May 2013’s civilian labor force was 3,780 with 3,390 employed and 390 unemployed. In May 2012, the labor force numbered 3,920 with 520 unemployed. The labor force has improved from 3,650 in March 2013 to the 3,780 in May.
Local government makes up 890 jobs, down from April’s 910. Federal, State and local government account for 1,210 jobs, or 35 percent. Federal jobs have dropped from May 2012’s 260 to 240 this May. Local government jobs dropped from 910 to 890 in the same period.

Fandango Days features honor and pride

The theme for the annual Fandango Days celebration in Alturas is “Local Heroes Protecting America.” Highlighting that theme is the Grand Marshal of the Fandango Parade, Clinton Romesha, who was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in February.
Fandango Days, will kick off Friday night, July 5 with the traditional Little Mr. and Miss and Junior Mr. and Miss Fandango kids’ contest at 7 p.m., followed by a classic car cruise at 7:30 and a street dance from 8 p.m. to midnight with music provided by DJ Mr. B at Veterans’ Park, So. Main St., Alturas.
The big parade Saturday, July 6 starts promptly at 10:30 a.m. heading south down Alturas’ Main Street from Eighth Street.
On Feb. 11 the entire nation bore witness to the courage of Lake City native 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.
According to City officials, a large contingent of military is expected to be on hand for the Fandango Parade as well as some military and civilian leaders.
Romesha received the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions while serving as a Section Leader with Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy at Combat Outpost Keating, Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on Oct. 3, 2009.

MORT got folks out and active

Studies show that more and more children and adults are limiting their exercise to pressing the remote or thumbing text messages.
The Modoc Outdoor Recreation and Tourism’s (MORT) Annual Sportsman’s and Outdoor Expo is showing the way to get off the couch, put down the Iphone and start living life, outdoors. The Expo was different than many, it didn’t just talk about things to do, it provided “hands on” experience for all who wanted to sample different activities or sports.
Activities for young and old included sports such as disk golf, archery, atlatl throwing, BB gun shooting, cave exploring, bird watch walks, duck calling and kite flying.
Demonstrations included the Back Country Horsemen’s wilderness packing, camping and cooking clinics, the South Warner Wilderness Wildlife Rescue’s bird rehab program and what to do if you find an injured bird, and showing a live goshawk.
Roger Jackson’s hang glider simulator allowed people to zip in and hang out, learning what it feels like to fly. The CHP’s walk the line with drunk goggles, showing what it is like to walk after two or more beers was popular.
Nearly 30 vendors from northern Calif. and southern Ore. showed how to do various activities in style by purchasing the latest in hunting, fishing, hiking and other sports equipment. Clubs specializing in outdoor activities were represented. Photographs, artwork, native art and carvings were available for those wishing to commemorate their time in Modoc.

Obituaries—

Laura Luann Yeier
Laura Luann Yeier was born Laura Koch in Lancaster, CA on November 14, 1960. She nor her family knew she would pass away on June 17, 2013, at Skylakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls, OR.
A celebration of Laura’s life will be held July 20, 2013 at 4 p.m. at California Pines Lodge. A dinner will follow at 5 p.m. by reservation for $15 per person. This is not a benefit dinner, merely an evening in which friends and family and members of the community can come together to honor Laura’s life and memory. Please RSVP for dinner reservations by July 17 by calling 530-233-2705. Donations in Laura’s memory may be made to the American Cancer Society or the American Lung Association.

Hazel (Echard) Tilson
Longtime Modoc resident Hazel Echard Tilson, 81, of Davis Creek, passed away June 26, 2013 at Lake District Hospital’s skilled longterm care in Lakeview, OR, following a lengthy illness with Alzheimers.
Services will be held Tuesday, July 2 at 10 a.m. at the Tilson Family Ranch in Davis Creek, with burial to follow at the Davis Creek Cemetery and a celebration of Hazel’s life concluding at the family ranch, located at 1516 County Road 133B, Davis Creek. Arrangements by Kerr Mortuary. Obituary to follow.

Don Fulcher
Willard Donnivan “Don” Fulcher, 76, passed away June 21, 2013 at Surprise Valley Medical Center in Cedarville, CA. At the request of family, a private family service will be held at a later date. Mr. Fulcher was born in Cedarville, CA on February 3, 1937. Obituary to follow.

Sports

Super Bull was a super event

The 17th Annual Super Bull Rodeo, held under the summer stars, drew over 650 spectators, contestants and team supporters to the Modoc District Fairgrounds in Cedarville on June 22.
Experienced challengers and novice hopefuls from California, Nevada, and Oregon competed in a variety of events with a few taking home cash prizes and shiny new belt buckles following their arena battles with cows, sheep, broncs and bulls!
Nine bull riders rode twice each. Time after time, the bulls worked hard to make sure no one lasted those infamous, never-ending eight seconds. But in the end, Roy Jackson from Tiller, Or. hung on long enough to claim the top prize.
Along with a handsome purse, Jackson earned a silver belt buckle donated by Alturas Motor Parts of Alturas. Clayton Bacon from Davis Creek, came in second while Lake City’s KCee Boneck took third.
Les Schwab Tires donated the silver belt buckle awarded to Cedarville’s own Cole Green who was the night’s top Ranch Bronc competitor. Colton Cantrell from Ashland, Or. came in second, Jack O'Leary from Paisley, Or. ended the night in third place, and fourth went to Ty Panos of Johnstonville, Ca.
Heidi Boneck, who worked hard to introduce Women’s Cow Riding to the Super Bull for the first time ever, won top honors and a buckle sponsored by a team that caught her vision for the new event. Carole and Stuart Benner, the Barker, McGiffin and Harlis Families, Eagle Creek Land & Cattle, Geoff and Ryan Kenefick, and Steve and Patty Smith all supported the newest thrill-packed competition along with the night’s reward.
An enthusiastic group of four to eight year olds could hardly wait to kick off the rodeo with the much-anticipated Mutton Bustin’ Competition. 
Kati Hallmark from Alturas took the top prize in the contest by staying atop her frisky sheep longer than any fellow competitor. Modoc Veterinary Center sponsored the competition and Darrell and Dannette DePaul supplied the sheep.

Modoc hosts District 48 All Star tourney

Modoc Little League is hosting the District 48 Major Boy’s All star tourney which started yesterday at the Alturas Fields.
The opening games of the tourney pit Susanville against Chester yesterday followed by the Intermountain-Feather River clash at 5:30 p.m. The losers of those two games will meet June 27, 5:30 p.m.
Modoc plays the winner of the first game today at 2 p.m. The loser of the Modoc game meets the winner of the third game at 2 p.m. June 28. The tourney is double-elimination with the final game set for July 1, 5 p.m.
The Minor Boy’s All Stars travel to Portola June 24 and the Junior Boys head to Greenville June 28.

July 4th, 2013

News

Cedarville woman shoo’s cougar off porch

The first thing a person notices when visiting Millie Jones’ home in Cedarville are the beautiful paintings of flowers on the walls. Jones is a master at recreating, in oils, the beauty she sees in her garden. Last week the diminutive 94 year old splurged and purchased an elegant, rich burgundy colored geranium plant in a large display pot.
 “It was $18, but it was worth it. The plant was full of beautiful blooms,” said Jones.
Jones put the geranium on her front porch so everyone visiting or driving by could enjoy it also. The next morning there were fewer blooms, the following morning even fewer. He home is in the middle of Cedarville.
“I knew it was the deer coming in at night eating the flowers so I was listening for them,” said Jones.
About 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening she heard a noise on her porch. She grabbed her cane, walked across the living room and opened the front door and storm door, determined to give the deer a scare.
“I thought it was a huge dog just sitting there looking at me. Then when it turned I could see it was a big mountain lion,” said Jones.    
“I told him to “shoo, go away, go away, shoo,” and pretty soon he turned and walked over to the Lauderdale’s yard,” said Jones.

Adin Ambulance service shut off, but solution in works

Modoc Medical Center shut down the Adin Ambulance service on July 1, when a possible short-term deal with Mayer’s Memorial Hospital of Fall River could not be reached.
The absence of ambulance service in the Big Valley area is a major concern for residents in that area and local efforts to maintain the service have been largely fraught with problems.
There is relief possible following a telephonic conference at the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office between several agencies Tuesday at 2 p.m. Undersheriff Ken Richardson reports that a tentative agreement has been reached that maps out dispatch and response areas so Big Valley will have ambulance service. The only drawback is an ambulance will not be stationed at Adin.
Some of the agencies involved in that conference were MMC, Mayers Memorial, Susanville Ambulance, Modoc Sheriff’s Office, NorCal EMS, and CalFire.
Richardson, who once served about 10 years as the Adin Resident Deputy and knows the area well, presented a map detailing tentative dispatch and coverage areas to the group. They basically agreed the map was workable. A detailed description of the map will be published in the Record next week. The map gives MMC, Susanville and Mayers ambulances certain boundaries that make sense. All three agencies will be providing coverage.
Richardson said the key to the plan is public safety and in all cases the closest available resource will be dispatched.

Fandango Days gears up for a hot run

Fandango Days for 2013 is going to be hot in more ways than one. First off, the forecast is calling for extreme heat, and secondly, there’s a lot on the plate for the event.
This year’s Fandango theme is “Local Heroes Protecting America.”
Grand Marshal of the Fandango Parade is Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, who was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for courage, by President Barack Obama in February.
Fandango Days will kick off Friday night July 5 with the traditional Little Mr. and Miss and Junior Mr. and Miss Fandango kids’ contest at 5:30 p.m., followed by a classic car cruise at 7:30 and a street dance from 8 p.m. to midnight with music provided by DJ Mr. B at Veterans’ Park, So. Main St., Alturas.
The big parade Saturday, July 6 starts promptly at 10:30 a.m. heading south down Alturas’ Main Street from Eighth Street.
Romesha, of Lake City, has other events in Modoc for the holiday weekend and is bringing another combat veteran and friend, Sgt. Eric Harder, with him this trip.

Safety works begins on SR 299

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 2 along with contractor Hat Creek Construction and Materials, Inc. from Burney, CA will be making safety improvements to State Route 299 in Modoc County beginning next week.
Work on the $1 million dollar Heard Ranch Curve Realignment Project will begin on July 8, 2013. One-way traffic control, with a pilot car, will go into effect July 15, 24 hours a day, near Alturas to 0.9 miles west of Crowder Flat Road. Motorists can expect delays of up to 10 minutes along the half-mile length of the project.
Crews will be improving a large curve in the area and replacing five existing culverts.
Work is expected to continue through August.

Obituaries:

Mary Catherine Harlis
Mary Catherine Harlis went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on June 27, 2013, where she is free from pain and suffering. She loved much and was loved by many and passed away at her home in Lake City, CA. 
Mary Taylor was born September 29, 1956 in San Francisco
Pastor Ryan Washburn will officiate a short committal service at the Ft. Bidwell Cemetery at 8:30 a.m. Monday, July 8, followed by a memorial service and celebration of Mary’s life at 10 a.m. at her beloved Lake City Bible Church. A potluck fellowship will follow at Ft. Bidwell Civic Club.
Condolences may sent to the family at P.O. Box 3503, Lake City, CA 96115.

Johnnie David Northrup
Johnnie David Northrup of Alturas passed away unexpectedly Sunday, June 30, 2013 in Alturas. Visitation for family and friends will be held at Kerr Chapel in Alturas on Monday, July 8 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Private interment will be at a later date.
Mr. Northrup was born July 3, 1942 in Gridley, CA. Obituary to follow.

Mary Lou Sears
Former Modoc resident Mary Lou Sears passed away June 22, 2013 at Mayers Memorial Hospital, Fall River Mills, CA. Mary lived in Modoc County from 1964-1987. She relocated to Redding from 1987-1991, then moved to Burney in 1991, where she lived until her passing. Services will be held July 11 at 1 p.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church in Burney. Burial will be July 12 at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Redding. Obituary to follow.

Elinor Sue Blackwood
Alturas resident Elinor Sue Blackwood, 65, passed away June 19, 2013 in Alturas, CA. Born in French Camp, CA on June 29, 1947, Elinor finished the eighth grade. Married on May 22, 1970 in Modesto, CA to Junior Blackwood, the couple made their home in Alturas for the past nine years, where Elinor was a homemaker.
Elinor is survived by her husband Junior and daughter Samantha Blackwood of Alturas; sisters Carol Hertel of Alturas, Elizabeth Page, Tucson, AZ and Mary Swank of New Plymouth, ID and one grandchild.
Services are pending and will be held at Faith Baptist Church in Alturas.

Hazel Irene Tilson
Hazel Irene Tilson, 81 years old, died on Wednesday, June 26, 2013, at the Lakeview District Hospital/Nursing Home, Lakeview, Oregon.
Hazel was born on December 31, 1931, in Fremont, Nebraska to George and Elizabeth Carleton.
Hazel’s life was celebrated at the family ranch in Davis Creek on July 2, 2013 and was followed with a graveside service at the Davis Creek Cemetery.

July 11, 2013

News

Clint had a big weekend

The Lake City 4th of July parade was the biggest ever. Clint Romesha was the grand marshal, touring in style the little town in which he was born. The parade completed its path around town, then reversed direction and went through again giving everyone a chance to cheer the participants once again. The Lake City Baptist Church sponsored a potluck after the parade and adults enjoyed sitting in the shade while children cooled off by playing in the creek.        
Nearly 100 people came to the SV Senior Center on Friday afternoon to have Medal of Honor recipient Clint Romesha sign “The Outpost.”  The book was written by CNN’s Jake Tapper and chronicles the building of and the events that took place at Command Outpost Keating in Afghanistan. Although COP Keating was eventually abandoned, the heroic actions of Romesha in saving lives and the outpost during the final battle were the primary reasons that he was awarded the nation’s highest military honor. Romesha and his wife Tammy chatted with visitors at the book signing and great effort was made to make every inscription personal.
After the book signing the couple attended a barbecue held in Romesha’s honor held at the fairground’s beef barn. Romesha was able to mix with the attendees and enjoy the food. The Veteran’s Memorial in the Park committee sponsored the  event with the Surprise Valley Rotary barbecuing the food, the Surprise Valley Chamber providing the water, lemonade and cookies, Woody's Bar for the beer and wine.

Kramer to lead Modoc Medical Center

Last Frontier Healthcare District (LFHD) has hired Kevin Kramer as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Modoc Medical Center, to replace Walt Beck, who has resigned.  Kramer’s first day as the CEO will be July 21, 2013. 
“I look forward to continuing to work with the employees at MMC and local community leaders to improve the service that we provide at MMC and to help solidify our organization’s ability to provide healthcare services in this community over the long-term.” 
Kramer also expressed an appreciation for Walt Beck’s leadership and the structure infused over the last seven months, which has provided him with the tools and structure needed to continue to move the organization forward with the employees of Modoc Medical Center.
Kramer was raised in Modoc and graduated from Modoc High School as the Salutatorian in 1997.  During his time in high school Kramer served as the Student Body President, obtained his Eagle Scout Award, participated in Academic Decathlon programs, and was active in other community organizations and sports activities. 

Big Valley ambulance coverage maps put into play

On July 1, ambulance service in Adin, affecting Big Valley residents, was terminated by Modoc Medical Center after Mayer’s Memorial Hospital in Fall River Mills refused to accept a deal to provide that service.
The Modoc Sheriff’s Office was faced with a dilemma. First off, Sheriff Mike Poindexter was concerned that those residents would be facing serious life-threatening conditions if ambulance service was unavailable. Secondly, the SO would be faced with a problem of which, if any, ambulance would be dispatched in an emergency.
Following a telephonic conference at the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office between several agencies July 2 Undersheriff Ken Richardson reported that a tentative agreement was reached that maps out dispatch and response areas so Big Valley will have ambulance service. That agreement was tweaked on July 3 and all entities have signed on to the new mapped service area.
The agencies involved in that conference were MMC, Mayers Memorial, Susanville Ambulance, Modoc Sheriff’s Office, NorCal EMS, and CalFire.
Richardson, who once served about 10 years as the Adin Resident Deputy and knows the area well, presented the maps detailing tentative dispatch and coverage areas to the group. The map gives MMC, Susanville and Mayers ambulances certain boundaries that make sense. All three agencies will be providing coverage.
Richardson said the key to the plan is public safety and in all cases the closest available resource will be dispatched.

Modoc Forest set to move July 22

The Modoc National Forest is preparing to move into its new building at 225 W. 8th Street, Alturas, Calif. the week of July 22.
The Supervisor’s office in Alturas will be closed during the week of the move. Officials are notifying the public to plan ahead and obtain maps, passes and permits for forest products before July 22. 
National Forest maps for the Modoc and other forests may also be obtained by calling 406-329-3024 or online athttp://www.nationalforeststore.com.   
Starting July 19, please call one of the following phone numbers for information on fire danger ratings, project and sale activity levels: Warner Mountain Ranger District 530-279-8307; Doublehead Ranger District 530-667-8618; Big Valley Ranger District 530-299-8401.
The Supervisor’s Office plans to be open in the new location Monday, July 29.  Thank you for your patience during our move.
If you have any questions, please contact Punky Moore, Public Affairs Officer, 530-233-8713.

Obituaries:

Karen Baldwin
Karen Norine (Burrell) Baldwin lost her courageous battle with cancer on July 5, 2013 surrounded by family and the incredibly caring professionals at Lake District Hospital, Lakeview, Oregon. Karen was born on September 12, 1951 in Reno, Nevada.
There will be a memorial service in celebration of Karen’s life at the Community Hall in Davis Creek, California, on Thursday, July 11 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the Lake District Hospital, 700 South J. Street, Lakeview, OR. 97630 to be used for oncology care services.

Marsha Smith
Marsha Rae Smith passed away from breast cancer on April 22, 2013 in Sacramento, CA. Mrs. Smith had been a resident of Alturas from 2001 – 2013, with her husband Larry.
Born Marsha Patterson in Denver, CO on November 16, 1940, she became a Librarian and was also a bridge operator in Sacramento.
She is survived by her husband Larry Smith of Alturas, CA; stepchildren Carlina (Bob) of Alameda County; Debbie (Brett) of Lake Tahoe, CA; Steven (Gina) of Rio Vista, CA and six step-grandchildren. At her request no services will be held.

Laura Yeier
A celebration of Laura Yeier’s life will be held July 20 at 4 p.m. at California Pines Lodge. A dinner will follow at 5 p.m. by reservation for $15 per person. This will be an evening in which friends and family and members of the community can come together to honor Laura’s life and memory. Please RSVP for dinner reservations by July 17 by calling 530-233-2705.
Donations in Laura’s memory may be made to the American Cancer Society or the American Lung Association.
Laura passed away on June 17, 2013.

Mary Lou Sears
Former Modoc resident Mary Lou Sears passed away June 22, 2013 at Mayers Memorial Hospital, Fall River Mills, CA. Services will be held July 11 at 1 p.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church in Burney. Burial will be July 12 at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Redding.

Sports

Volleyball camp set for Modoc High

A volleyball camp will be held at Modoc High School July 22-24 for seventh through 12th grade players. The camp is headed by Feather River College Head Coach Sarah Ritchie.
For more information, contact Ritchie at 530-283-0202, ext. 414; or locally, Wendi Lowrey at 530-708-1694.

Hewitt wins Fandango golf

Matt Hewitt shot a 79 gross to win that division at the Fandango Golf Tournament at Arrowhead over the weekend.
Ed Harris won the net division with a 63. There was a two-way tie for second between Buck Silva and Stacy Callaghan with 67; fourth place went to Justin Mason at 68; fifth place to Dave Crenshaw with a 69; and a two-way tie for sixth at 70 between Marty Yamagiwa and George Widby.

Tribal gathering at Medicine Lake Campground

The Pit River Tribe will hold its annual gathering at Medicine Campground in the Medicine Lake Recreational Area July 18-21, 2013. The group will use Medicine Campground and the dispersed recreation area adjacent to Medicine Campground.
The special closure for this event is provided in 36 CFR 261.53 (g) The privacy of tribal activities for traditional and cultural purposes. 
If you have any questions, please contact Jayne Biggerstaff, 530-233-8740.

July 18, 2013

News

Small log mill in works at mill site

The lumber business in Modoc County may be coming back in the near future with a small log mill now under construction at the Alturas Mill site.
Warner Mountain Lumber LLC owner Art Lance said the company wanted to get the mill going this year, but it will probably be next June before actual operation begins. Lance owns the company with his brother John Lance with offices in Redding.
They’re not newcomers to the logging and lumber business and have been in operation in the north state since the 1970s. They have also been dealing with the Modoc National Forest for the past several years.
Lance said in many cases they were cutting and hauling the small logs from Modoc to areas around the northwest, as far away as Gilchrist, Oregon.
“It just makes more sense to process the logs here,” he said this week.

Dollar General store moves forward

The proposed Dollar General store in Alturas is moving forward with a City Planning Commission hearing scheduled for August 1.
Alturas Public Works Director Joe Picotte said negotiations with the company have been going well and conditions have been met. If approved by the Commission, the store could break ground in August or September, Picotte predicted.
The company is proposing a 9,100 square foot store here and has done a lot of work assessing the undeveloped site off 12th Street and Maple Street, to the west of Subway and across the highway from Modoc Mini Mart.

Heard Curve gets a wider path

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 2 along with contractor Hat Creek Construction and Materials, Inc. from Burney, are  making safety improvements to State Route 299 in Modoc County now.
Work on the $1 million dollar Heard Ranch Curve Realignment Project began July 8. One-way traffic control, with a pilot car is in effect 24 hours a day, near Alturas to 0.9 miles west of Crowder Flat Road. Motorists can expect delays of up to 10 minutes along the half-mile length of the project.
Crews will be improving a large curve in the area and replacing five existing culverts.
Work is expected to continue through August.
Caltrans would also like to remind the traveling public to please move over if safe or slow down when they see Caltrans vehicles flashing warning lights along the side of the highways, and to Slow for the Cone Zone.

Tribal gathering at Medicine Campground

The Pit River Tribe will hold its annual gathering at Medicine Campground in the Medicine Lake Recreational Area July 18-21, 2013. The group will use the campground and the dispersed recreation area adjacent to Medicine LakeCampground.
The special closure for this event is provided in 36 CFR 261.53 (g), the privacy of tribal activities for traditional and cultural purposes. 
If you have any questions, please contact Jayne Biggerstaff, 530-233-8740.

Obituaries:

Joan M. Collis
Joan Marie Collis passed away peacefully at her home in Alturas, CA on July 13, 2013. Mrs. Collis was born in Alturas, CA on March 11, 1938. Memorial services are pending.

Laura Yeier
A celebration of Laura Yeier’s life will be held July 20 at 4 p.m. at California Pines Lodge. A dinner will follow at 5 p.m. by reservation for $15 per person. This will be an evening in which friends and family and members of the community can come together to honor Laura’s life and memory. Please RSVP for dinner reservations by July 17 by calling 530-233-2705.

Sports

Fly-in brings people to SV

Even in this time of economic hardship and a downturn in the private plane industry, twenty-two pilots took time to stop in at the Cedarville airport on Sunday morning. The Surprise Valley Rotary’s 24th Annual Fly-in and old car show was considered a success as pilots and onlookers mingled, ate breakfast together and swapped stories while enjoying a hearty breakfast of ham, eggs, pancakes, coffee, and juice. A Remington Model 770 30-06 caliber rifle was donated by Kurt Reinschmidt and was raffled off. Ian Konz of Cedarville was the winner. The old cars and three wheel motorcycle were popular also as the public could talk to their owners. Proceeds from the event go to keeping the Cedarville library open for a second day a week.

MHS football players need physicals

Modoc High School Head Football Coach Shaun Wood reminds players they need to get their physicals and sports information paperwork completed before the start of practice August 12.
Wood highly recommends that players get their physical soon and not wait until the last few days. Paperwork may be picked up at the Modoc Joint Unified School District Office on Fourth Street or at Modoc High School.
All the information and physicals must be completed before players will be permitted to practice.

MHS Soccer Club to hold car wash

The soccer team has set July 27 as the day for its first fundraiser of the season.  They will be holding a car wash at Holiday Market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Modoc High School Soccer team is a club team and therefore needs to raise funds for all referee costs and any additional expenses.  The team is extremely grateful to the MHS Boosters for providing some of the funds to keep the team on the field.  Boosters have paid for all team transportation to their away games and assisted with some big expenditures in the past three seasons. Booster’s have also helped the team by paying one-half of the over $1,500 referee bill for each season.  
The Soccer team has over two-thirds of the team returning this year and several incoming freshmen eager to play with the team.  The Soccer Club coaches are looking forward to a strong season this year with a good group of seniors to lead the team.  The SCL soccer season is starting earlier this year and the team will be taking the practice field soon.
The club will be holding a team meeting Tuesday evening, July 23 at 7 p.m. in the MHS music room. It will be team information for pre-season, fundraisers and information on new gear regulations required by NHSA.  Any MHS high school student interested in playing soccer this fall is invited to come.  Parents are welcome too. If you have any questions please call Coach Jones 233-5059 or Coach Haggard 708-0656. Please come out and support the soccer club at their car wash on Saturday the 27th. 

Likely FD host big gold tourney

The Likely Fire Department is holding its annual open golf tournament and barbecue August 4 at Likely Place Golf and RV Resort with tee time at 10 a.m.
Check in for the tourney is at 9 a.m. and there is a $50 entry fee that includes green fees and cart rental. The event will be a four-person scramble and teams may come set up or the tourney directors will set a team up for people. There will be long drive ad closest to the pin contests for men and women.
In addition, Les Schwab Tire Center is sponsoring a $10,000 hole-in-one.
The barbecue starts at 3 p.m. at $20 each, including rib eye steak, corn on the cob, baked potato, bread and spinach salad.
Proceeds benefit the Likely Fire Department.

Closures within the Medicine Lake Recreational Area

 Temporary closures on campgrounds and day use sites will be implemented within the Medicine Lake Recreational Area July 22 through August 1, weather permitting. These closures are necessary to treat stands of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) to prevent further infestation by the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae).  The purpose of these closures is to provide for public safety and to promote future health of the forest.  Not all campgrounds and day use sites will be closed at the same time.
In order to effectively treat the lodgepole pine trees, Carbaryl (an insecticide) will be sprayed on the boles of select trees. To avoid human exposure to the insecticide, areas that are being treated will be closed for 48 hours.
Spraying trees within the campgrounds is just one part of an overall strategy to reduce the amount of mountain pine beetle caused tree mortality within and adjacent to the Medicine Lake campgrounds.  The Modoc National Forest is currently exploring additional short and long-term management options that will attempt to reduce the risk of future tree mortality. Given the Forest’s proposed treatment plan, these insecticide applications will help provide the long term benefits of retaining large trees which have a high value for recreation in terms of aesthetics, shade, and wildlife viewing opportunities.
For daily updates, please contact the woodcutting hotline at the Doublehead Ranger District in Tulelake at 530-667-8618.If you have any questions regarding the project, please contact Barb Bryan at 530-299-8424, Big Valley Ranger District Forester.  For closure updates, please contact Krys Smith at 530- 667-8611, Doublehead Ranger District Recreation. 
The Forest Service appreciates the cooperation of the public in this effort to curtail the beetle infestation and retain as many trees as possible in the campgrounds.

July 25, 2013

News

Recall starts against Supervisor Jim Wills

During Tuesday’s public comment section of the Modoc County Board of Supervisors meeting Ray Anklin presented Supervisor Jim Wills with a Notice of Intention to Circulate a Recall Petition on behalf of some citizens in the district. That notice has not been certified.
Wills, who was just seated in January, said he will oppose the recall effort. The recall proponents will have to now collect around 264 valid signatures before any recall will be placed on the ballot.
The notice is very vague stating: “He has acted in a personal capacity in matters concerning Modoc County business which is a gross misuse of Supervisor Wills political office, as well as negligence in adherence to Modoc County Code.”
“The charges against me are unfounded and have no validity,” Wills said Wednesday. “I’m going to continue to do my job as I always have and ask for the support of the public.”

Heard curve is a mess, be careful

Work is continuing on State Route 299’s Heard Curve west of Alturas, and this week the area is a mess. Drivers are should expect short delays and a bumpy ride through the old roadbed.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 2 along with contractor Hat Creek Construction and Materials, Inc. from Burney, are making the safety improvements to the $1 million dollar project, which began July 8. One-way traffic control, with a pilot car is in effect 24 hours a day, near Alturas to 0.9 miles west of Crowder Flat Road. Motorists can expect delays of up to 10 minutes along the half-mile length of the project.
Crews will be improving the large curve in the area and replacing five existing culverts.
Work is expected to continue through August.

Modoc jobless rate at 10.1%

The June unemployment rate in Modoc stayed fairly even at 10.1 percent, down from 10.2 percent in May.
The civilian labor force went up from 3,770 to 3,990 in June with 3,590 employed and 400 unemployed, compared to May’s 3,390 when 380 people were unemployed.
The numbers compare to June 2012 when the jobless rate was 12.1 percent with a much larger labor force of 4,220 and 3,710 employed with 510 unemployed.
Government employment went up from 1,210 in May to 1,270 in June, but that’s down from 1,390 last June. Government makes up over 35 percent of the jobs in Modoc with local totaling 920, state 80 and federal 280. Local government employment has dropped from 1,010 in June 2012 to 920 this June.

Land Use rift evident at board meeting

There is an apparent rift between some members of the Modoc County Land Use Committee, Resource Analyst Sean Curtis and the Board of Supervisors, which was on display at Tuesday’s Board meeting.
In the recent past, new members of the Land Use Committee had requested the Board allow the committee to designate more than one person as contacts for the federal and state agencies they deal with regularly. The county’s contact has always been Curtis, but some committee members wanted the committee to have more input and not just allow Curtis to be the spokesperson.
They have also argued that Curtis and the previously existing committee had not followed county code or the Land Use Plan ordinance. They had asked the Supervisors to wait for the committee to elect officers and designate members, in addition to Curtis, to be official spokespeople.
At issue Tuesday was a letter from the U.S. Forest Service, dated June 10, asking for a county contact person. The Board opted to approve a letter that singled out Curtis as the “county’s liaison and point-of-contact with the Modoc National Forest for joint land use planning.”
Newly-elected Land Use Committee Chairman Fernand Larranaga asked the Board to table sending that letter until after the August 14 meeting of the Land Use Committee. He pointed out that the letter stated just the opposite of what the Committee had requested and was currently working to address. Namely, the Committee was in the process of naming individuals as designated contacts to the agencies.
Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Geri Byrne was adamant that Curtis was the contact person for the county since he is a paid staff member and could be directed by the Board. Some members of the Land Use Committee object to Curtis being the sole contact for the entire committee.

Obituaries:

William Keisler
Former Alturas resident William “Bill” Fredrick Keisler passed away at 91 years of age on July 21, 2013, into rest with our Lord.
Graveside services will be held Thursday, July 25 at 2 p.m. located at the Crescent Cemetery, Crescent, OK.

Richard Caldwell
On July 14, 2013 loved and admired Richard Caldwell of Alturas, CA, known to his family as Pa, Dad, Daddy and Gramps, rode off to a greener pasture on his spade bit pony in heaven. He was born to Roscoe Caldwell and Nancy Stanley in Soda Springs, Idaho.
A tribute to his life will be held Aug. 2 at 5:00 p.m. at The Niles Hotel in Alturas, CA. Memorials to Vaquero Fiesta acct. at Plumas Bank.

Sports

Likely FD hosting tourney

The Likely Fire Department is holding its annual open golf tournament and barbecue August 4 at Likely Place Golf and RV Resort with tee time at 10 a.m.
Check in for the tourney is at 9 a.m. and there is a $50 entry fee that includes green fees and cart rental. The event will be a four-person scramble and teams may come set up or the tourney directors will set a team up for people. There will be long drive ad closest to the pin contests for men and women.
In addition, Les Schwab Tire Center is sponsoring a $10,000 hole-in-one.
The barbecue starts at 3 p.m. at $20 each, including rib eye steak, corn on the cob, baked potato, bread and spinach salad.
Proceeds benefit the Likely Fire Department.

MHS football players need physicals

Modoc High School Head Football Coach Shaun Wood reminds players they need to get their physicals and sports information paperwork completed before the start of practice August 12.
Wood highly recommends that players get their physical soon and not wait until the last few days. Paperwork may be picked up at the Modoc Joint Unified School District Office on Fourth Street or at Modoc High School.
All the information and physicals must be completed before players will be permitted to practice.

MHS Soccer Club to hold car wash

The Modoc High Soccer Club will be holding a car wash July 27 at Holiday Market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Soccer team is a club team and therefore needs to raise funds for all referee costs and any additional expenses.  The team is extremely grateful to the MHS Boosters for providing some of the funds to keep the team on the field.  Boosters have paid for all team transportation to their away games and assisted with some big expenditures in the past three seasons.
Booster’s have also helped the team by paying one-half of the over $1,500 referee bill for each season.  

Group campsite available at Blue Lake

Blue Lake Campground on the Warner Mountain District of the Modoc National Forest now has a group site available to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. Blue Lake is located approximately 15 miles east of Likely, Calif.
Campers wishing to use the group site must occupy a minimum of three camp pads and they all must be occupied the first night. The fee for minimum occupancy is $42. If more than three camp pads are occupied, the fee is $56.00. The site is not recommended for groups over 50. Signs have been posted at the entrance and the exit of the group site.
Blue Lake Campground also has 48 individual campsites. For more information, contact Amy Hartell, Warner Mountain Ranger District Recreation, 530-279-6116.

August 1, 2013

News

Recall intent certified, next step is petitioning

Last week, Ray Anklin presented District IV Supervisor Jim Wills with a Notice of Intention to Circulate a Recall Petition on behalf of some 25 citizens in the district. That notice has now been certified.
The proponents of the recall must now have a recall petition approved by the County Clerk before they can start collecting the 259 valid signatures needed to put the issue on a ballot. They will have 60 days to collect those signatures once the petition is approved.
If enough valid signatures of registered District IV voters are collected and verified, a recall election would be scheduled not less than 88 days nor more than 125 days from the point of the petition’s certification. The cost of that election would be paid by the County.

Progress made on Modoc lightning fires
           
What a difference a day makes. There was no lightning on the Modoc National Forest Sunday and only one new fire reported on the Doublehead Ranger District near Long Bell. That fire was suppressed at less than one acre.
Crews made good progress on the fires within the Garden Complex located in the eastern portion of the Devil’s Garden Ranger District. The largest fire in the Complex was the Creek Fire, east of Poison Springs, which was re-mapped Sunday night at 12 acres. One other incident, the Long Fire near Enquist, was approximately two acres before being contained. Other fires in the Complex and across the forest were contained at one acre or less.
Resources are being released from the Garden Complex due to the decreased workload. Tomorrow, approximately 50 personnel assigned to the Complex will mop-up, restore firelines and monitor the fires.
“We really appreciate everyone’s hard work and the assistance we received from neighboring agencies to manage these fires safely and quickly,” said Kimberly Anderson, Modoc National Forest Supervisor.
Resources working on the lightning fires represented federal and state agencies and local departments. 

Dollar General store moves forward

The Alturas Planning Commission approved the proposed Dollar General store site plane last Wednesday, and the project will continue to the building permit process.
There was no public opposition to the site plan and it received positive feedback from the Commission. Some issues may be addressed in the building permit process, but there are no major hang-ups at this point.
The store could break ground late this month or in September.
The company is proposing a 9,100 square foot store here off 12th Street and Maple Street, to the west of Subway and across the highway from Modoc Mini Mart.
Dollar General, is a retail chain out of Texas, with over 10,000 stores nationwide. Dollar General was founded in 1939 and has stores in 40 states, often located in smaller communities. It will have a wide variety of products and varying prices. Dollar General began its expansion into California in 2012.
Picotte said the company has worked out several issues with CalTrans as well as the City and has been cooperative.

Obituaries:

Richard Caldwell
A tribute to Richard Caldwell’s life will be held August 2 at 5:00 p.m. at The Niles Hotel in Alturas, CA. Mr. Caldwell of Alturas passed away July 14, 2013 in Alturas.

Franklin “Leon” Flick
Leon Flick died peacefully at his home in Plush, Oregon on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at the age of 59, joining his father and grandparents.
Leon was born to Carroll and Vivian (Clark) Flick in Gunnison, Colorado on March 4, 1954.
A Celebration of Life service was held at the Lake Co. Fairgrounds Sale Barn on Monday, July 15 at 6:00 p.m. with a potluck dinner in the fairgrounds exhibit building immediately following the service.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lakeview Disaster Unit/Gurney Fund, P.O. Box 1007, Lakeview OR 97630 or Lakeview Hospice and Home Health, 700 South J Street, Lakeview, OR 97630 or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Alice June Siemer
Former Adin resident, Alice June (Clark) Siemer of Redding, CA passed away June 26, 2013 in Redding. Born Alice June Clark in Adin, CA on June 2, 1922. A Celebration of Life memorial service was held on June 29 in Redding. A family graveside services was held on July 3 at the Adin Cemetery.

Joel L. Allen
Joel Lee Allen was born December 29, 1950 in Alturas, California to Elmer Pete Allen and Irma Teague. He died May 31, 2013.
A memorial service will be held at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo on August 14, 2013, at 12:30 p.m.

Laurence “Larry” McPherran
Laurence (Larry) Darrell McPherran went to be with the Lord Jesus in his sleep at the age of 89 at Warnerview Convalescent Hospital in Alturas, CA on July 15, 2013. He was born in South Sioux City, Nebraska on September 24, 1923 to Ted and Hazel McPherran.
A memorial service in his honor will be held at Alturas Baptist Church, 500 W. 4th St., Alturas, CA, on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 10 a.m. Interment is pending.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Warnerview Nursing Home, 225 W. McDowell St., Alturas, CA 96101

Sports

Summer Jr. Golf Program starts Monday

Learning to golf has never been more fun for kids. The Evie Capik Memorial Junior Golf Camp is a great way to teach all youths, ages 5 and up, how to get started playing golf this summer.  The camp program will run Monday through Wednesday, August 5, 6 and 7 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Arrowhead Golf Course, Alturas. All youths welcome.
Cost is $10 per child. Participants will learn how to play golf through instruction. Golf etiquette will also be taught. Golf equipment may be borrowed and will be free of charge to students at the clubhouse. The only cost to the student will be the $10 for golf balls.

Cross County on the run

Modoc High's Cross Country Coach Bill Gouveia and Shasta Cascade League Most Valuable Player Stephanie Gouveia completed the six-mile Wharf to Wharf run in Santa Cruz this past weekend.
Stephanie finished the course in 46:54 which is a 6:53 improvement from last year. She was 913th overall and 273rd female, 19th in her division of 496. Little Brother and incoming freshman, Jeff Gouveia, finished number 542 overall, 384th male and 54th in his division of 441. Jeff's time was 43:20, which is faster by 2:57 from last year.
Coach Gouveia finished 55:41 to finish number 2629 out of a field of more than 14,000. He was number 1580 male and number 315th of 963 in the division.
 Coach Gouviea and the rest of the cross country team are starting the 2013 season soon. All athletes please contact Coach Gouveia, Coach Mason or Coach Hall for details.

MHS football players need physicals

Modoc High School Head Football Coach Shaun Wood reminds players they need to get their physicals and sports information paperwork completed before the start of practice August 12.
Wood highly recommends that players get their physical soon and not wait until the last few days. Paperwork may be picked up at the Modoc Joint Unified School District Office on Fourth Street or at Modoc High School.
All the information and physicals must be completed before players will be permitted to practice.

Likely FD hosting tourney

The Likely Fire Department is all set for its annual open golf tournament and barbecue August 4 at Likely Place Golf and RV Resort.
Check in for the tourney is at 9 a.m. and there is a $50 entry fee that includes green fees and cart rental. Tee time is 10 a.m. The event will be a four-person scramble and teams may come set up or the tourney directors will set a team up for people. There will be long drive and closest to the pin contests for men and women.
In addition, Les Schwab Tire Center is sponsoring $10,000 for a hole-in-one. There is also a raffle to benefit the Likely Fire Department. First prize is $1,000, second is $200 and third is $100. Tickets are $5 each. The drawing will be held at the tourney. The barbecue starts at 3 p.m. at $20 each, including rib eye steak, corn on the cob, baked potato, bread and spinach salad. Proceeds benefit the Likely Fire Department

August 8, 2013

News

Funk is choice for new DA

Former Modoc County District Attorney Jordon Funk has been tagged as the choice to replace Chris Brooke, who resigned the District Attorney position this year.
The announcement was made Tuesday following a closed session item on a Modoc County Board of Supervisors special meeting. A committee assigned to interview and judge the DA applicants made the recommendation to the Board. That committee had experts from outside of the county as well as county representation.
Funk will now face an interview with the Board of Supervisors before actually being appointed. That interview is tentatively scheduled for the next meeting August 13.
Funk served for one term as Modoc DA and chose not to seek a second term in 2006. Gary Woolverton won a subsequent election for the position and took over the January 2007.
In other action following the closed session items, Supervisors were informed their labor negotiations with the employees’ union UPEC 792 representing the General Bargaining unit were unfruitful. That issue will now go to a state mediator for possible resolution.
Another issue cropped up during the last negotiating session that may pit one of the employee negotiators against the County in a lawsuit involving a hostile work environment or more. That case is under investigation by the Alturas Police Department and the County.
The Deputy Sheriff’s Association is continuing its labor negotiations with the County.

Kramer: work to do at MMC, but facility stable

New Modoc Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Kevin Kramer takes over the reins of the hospital, which is reportedly stable financially and in the good graces of the state.
The position of the facility now compared to a few years ago is remarkable, but primarily can be traced to the community passing a hospital district and its related tax. A solid Last Frontier Hospital District Board of Directors and quality management have also been integral in making the hospital healthy.
Even with all the good news, Kramer knows there are still challenges ahead, but believes with staff teamwork plenty can still be accomplished.
There is a strategic plan in the works that addresses major issues facing the district and hospital, with specific goals and objectives to be met in a timely manner.
Goal number one is to make MMC the “provider of choice” for patients. A big part of that will be recruiting new physicians, midlevels (family nurse practioners or physicians’ assistants) and develop relationships with family practice programs in Klamath Falls and Redding and develop a written plan to identify viable providers needed in the area.

Rural counties express concern over substandard broadband

Modoc County is joining with other north state rural counties to get a fair share of broadband technology and spending.
On Tuesday the Modoc County Board of Supervisors, in a special meeting, agreed to send a letter expressing dissatisfaction in the current broadband arena to the California Public Utilities Commission, and State Assembly and Senate Utilities Commission Committee members.
According to Modoc County Chief Administrative Officer Chester Robertson, the substandard rural broadband situation now is unfair. “Without remedy, a larger digital divide will continue to occur between rural and urban counties, threatening the future economic viability of rural county communities,” he said.
The lead entities working with a coalition of counties are the Broadband Alliance of Mendocino County and Access Sonoma Broadband.
The letter approved Tuesday states that Modoc is united with other participants in the Broadband Coalition of Northern California Counties.
“The County respectfully wishes to convey to you that rural California has been experiencing a persistent digital divide,” the letter said. “The substandard broadband service in Northern California is damaging to the region's economy.

So just what is Modoc’s geothermal potential?

Modoc County’s geothermal resource and potential will be the subject of an August 17 meeting at Alturas City Hall, 200 North St., Alturas, 9 a.m. to 12 noon. The public is encouraged to attend this meeting.
While some areas of the County have made use of the available geothermal resources, the Alturas potential has not be fully tapped. There is a growing effort in City Hall to investigate and use the energy source. Modoc High School does use a geothermal well to heat the gym and other buildings, but a well drilled between Modoc Middle School and Alturas Elementary School has sat idle for years.
Several entities in Surprise Valley and Cedarville are using geothermal and the I’SOT community in Canby has been a leader in the area. The fish farm at Kelly Hot Springs is well ahead of the curve on geothermal technology and practicality.
The UC Davis California Geothermal Energy Collaborative and Geology
Department continue conducting research in Surprise Valley to better characterize what geothermal potential may be available in the area.
Modoc County has been of interest to the geothermal industry for quite some time, attracting researchers from a number of geothermal companies, government agencies and universities.

Obituaries:

Ellsworth Woody
Ellsworth Woody, 99, of Williams, CA, passed away on July 28, 2013 at Emerald Oaks in Yuba City, CA. He was born on May 24, 1914 to John and Ellen Ryan in Portland, Oregon. Ellsworth was raised by Morris and Inez Woody of Davis Creek, CA.
Graveside burial will be held at the Alturas Cemetery August 10, 2013 at 10 a.m. conducted by Pastor Chris Madsen of Sutter North Hospice, with a reception following at John and Pat Kerr’s home in Alturas.
In memory of Ellsworth, donations may be made to Sutter North Hospice-Sutter Medical Foundation, 969 Plumas Street, Suite 207, Yuba City, CA 95991; or Emerald Oaks, 2290 Forrest Lane, Yuba City, CA 95993. Arrangements are under the direction of McNary-Moore Funeral Service, Colusa.

Sports

Braves will open football August 12

The Modoc High School football teams will begin practice August 12. Coach Shaun Wood stresses that players need to get their physicals and sports information paperwork completed before the start of practice August 12.
All the information and physicals must be completed before players will be permitted to practice.
Paperwork may be picked up at the Modoc Joint Unified School District Office on Fourth Street or at Modoc High School.
Modoc opens the season against Lost River in Modoc August 30, 5 p.m. They travel to Lakeview Sept. 6.

Recent bear encounters prompt reminder for residents to be bear aware

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is reminding residents across the state to be bear aware.
Over the last few months, several bears have been observed in and near residential areas, including areas where they have not been present for many decades. In Modoc, bears have been sighted in Alturas, around several other areas and in California Pines.
 While bear activity is common this time of year, wildlife management staff say it is possible that a healthy population and a dry winter may be attracting bears to urban environments earlier than normal. Bears are more commonly found in residential areas toward the end of summer or right before hibernation in the fall months.
 “The thriving population, coupled with a dry spring could be playing a role in the uptick of activity. We want to encourage residents who live in areas near bear habitat to be extra diligent securing their trash and bear-proofing their homes,” said CDFW state bear program coordinator, Marc Kenyon. “We want Californians to enjoy bears. However, we don’t want bears to become reliant on food intentionally or otherwise provided by people.”
 California has one species of bear-- the black bear. With more than 30,000 bears in California, it is not surprising that during the summer months CDFW offices receive many calls about bears rummaging through trash bins, raiding campsites or making their way into residential areas.

MMS Cross-country starting

Any fifth through eighth grader who is interested in running Cross Country for Modoc Middle School is askew to contact coach Don Mason at 233-2201 soon.
The first practice will be Monday, August 26.

August 15, 2013

News

Board approves Funk as DA

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved local attorney and former District Attorney Jordan Funk as the replacement DA for Chris Brooke, who resigned earlier this year.
Funk will now enter contract negotiations with County Administrative Officer Chester Robertson and Supervisor Jim Wills. That contract will be brought back to the Board for final approval. He will serve the remainder of Brooke’s term. If negotiations are successful, he will take office September 1.
Supervisors approved offering the contract to Funk following a public interview Tuesday at their regular Board meeting. Each Supervisor asked a couple of questions and Funk had a final statement.
Funk said he didn’t need the job as his private practice was doing very well financially. But, he said he felt he could make a difference in the overall operation of the DA’s office, which he called “abysmal.”
He also said he expects “some real challenges from the Sheriff’s Department,” but is prepared to take that on. His goal, he said, was to have a firm and fair criminal justice system in Modoc.

Geothermal resource in Modoc shows big potential

Surprise Valley is designated by the U.S. Geological Survey as a “Known Geothermal Resource Area” (KGRA). Substantial research to develop this geothermal potential has taken place in Surprise Valley since the 1950s and continues to occur.
A workshop on geothermal energy, sponsored by UC Davis, is being held on Sat. Aug. 17 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Alturas City Hall. The public is invited to attend.
A major step in developing this resource occurred recently when Cornerstone Sustainable Energy Corporation entered into an agreement with Warner Mountain Energy Corporation to begin the first phase development of a geothermal energy plant to be located at the Surprise Valley Hot Springs east of Cedarville.
This phase of development includes a feasibility analysis, conceptual design, and budgeting to install CSE's PwrCor engine with required site infrastructure to generate electrical power. The electricity generated would be entirely renewable.
Warner Mountain Energy (WME) controls about 1,000 acres at the Surprise Valley Hot Springs. The site has several artesian hot springs free flowing to the surface, delivering about 850 gallons per minute at 205 degrees Fahrenheit. CSE will tap the hot spring water to supply heat to its PwrCor engine.

Amber Alert vehicle may have passed through Modoc County

At about 1:30 p.m. last Wednesday a 9-1-1 call came in about reporting a Blue Nissan Versa traveling north on U.S. 395. That model of car was the subject of an Amber Alert for kidnap victim 16-year-old Hannah Anderson and her abductor, James Lee DiMaggio, 40, of Boulevard, Ca.
According to Sheriff Mike Poindexter, the local woman who reported seeing the car last week had followed it to about the Pit River Bridge before turning around after jotting down the license plate number. She said she called 9-1-1 within minutes.
Sheriff’s Officers were in full pursuit within five minutes, said Poindexter. In addition calls were made to the Lakeview Police Department and to the California Highway Patrol. U.S. 395 north was saturated by law enforcement with Lakeview officers heading south and Modoc officers heading north. The CHP also had one unit in Surprise Valley that came west over Cedar Pass, but did not see the Blue Car.
Undersheriff Ken Richardson rendezvoused with the Lakeview units in New Pine Creek. The suspect car had not been seen.
“We feel if the car was headed north of 395 we would have found and stopped it,” Poindexter said this week. “It certainly was possible they came this way.”
The fact that on that Wednesday horseback riders in the River of No Return Wilderness area in Idaho came across DiMaggio and Anderson at a remote lake pretty much rules out they had come through Modoc last Wednesday, but it leads to the suspicion that they may have come through here on their way north. Anderson was rescued by the FBI in a remote wilderness area in Idaho Saturday. DiMaggio was shot and killed by an FBI agent.

Lightning sparks several small fires in Modoc

Crews are responding to several new lightning-caused wildfires across the Modoc National Forest after thunderstorms passed over the region Sunday. Four small fires have been were confirmed, two on the Doublehead Ranger District and two on the Warner Mountain Ranger District.
The two fires on the Doublehead Ranger District – called the Wilson Complex – are located northeast of Clear Lake near Wilson Valley, just south of the Oregon border. Both fires are less than one acre each and resources are on scene.
On the Warner Mountain Ranger District, the Shin Fire is near Fandango Pass on the north end of the Warner Mountains and the Blue Fire is by Blue Lake on the south end of the Warners. The Blue Fire is contained and suppression efforts continue on the Shin Fire. Both are less than one acre each.

Obituary:

Joan Collis
Joan Marie Collis, known to many as “Joanie,” passed away peacefully at her home in Alturas, California on July 13, 2013. Born Joan Marie Burmister on March 11, 1938 in Alturas, CA, she married Don Collis in Alturas on August 19, 1956.
A memorial service for Joan Collis will be held Saturday, August 17 at 11 a.m. at the Federated Church in Alturas, with a service performed by the Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra. A potluck will follow the service.
Memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice or to the Modoc County Historical Society, 600 So. Main St., Alturas, CA 96101.

Sports

Modoc opens football practice with good numbers

The Modoc High School football teams started practice Monday, with 24 players out for varsity and 26 out for the junior varsity team. A few more players are expected as their summer employment ends.
Coach Shaun Wood is pleased with the turnout numbers as well as the size and talent at the skilled positions.
“Our line is huge, it’s the first time we’ve had a returning line this big,” said Wood. “I think I’d be able to run behind this line.”
Those vying for starting positions on the line include Matthew Server, Ethan Conger, Alan Clark, Devin Wade, David Burns, Travis McCulley, Jose Correa, Dominic Mangiardi, Johnny Magallanes and Xavier Walker.
Leading the skilled position players are Brandon Witherspoon at running back and Alan Weber at quarterback. They’re joined by Ethan Dunn, Joe Woods, Cory Hall, Tristan Axelrod, Tyler Ewing, David Buckley, Cam Johnson and Cody Tiffany.
The Braves will have an inter-squad scrimmage August 23 at about 5 p.m. The varsity and junior varsity will be involved, JVs against JVs and varsity against varsity.
Modoc opens the season with a home game against Lost River August 30, with the JV game set for 5 p.m. and the varsity to follow.

MHS dealing with more trees

Modoc High School is dealing with potentially dangerous trees at the football field.  The branches that are coming down are a minimum eight-inch diameter
“We are working on scheduling that tree for removal,” said Modoc Joint Unified School District Superintendent Tom O’Malley. “In addition, there are currently two dead trees in the facility.  I am very concerned about safety at this point.”
The District is also working with the city on tree issues along Eighth Street.
“Our plan is to bring in an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist that specializes in tree risk assessment to do a study in order to help us properly deal with this situation,” said O’Malley.  “Part of the plan will be a replacement program because we want the facility to maintain its park-like atmosphere.”

 Volleyball starts August 19

Volleyball tryouts will be held August 19-21 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Modoc High School gym.
All physicals and paperwork need to be turned in by August 19 to the Modoc High School office. For more information, call Wendy Lowrey at 708-1694.

MMS Cross-country starting

Any fifth through eighth grader who is interested in running Cross Country for Modoc Middle School is askew to contact coach Don Mason at 233-2201 soon.
The first practice will be Monday, August 26.

August 22, 2013

News

Recall misses deadline; group starts over

The proponents of the recall effort against Modoc District Four Supervisor Jim Wills missed a crucial deadline and now have to start over . . . almost.
County Clerk Darcy Locken said they do not have to collect signatures again for the Notice of Intent, nor do they have to republish that notice. She said she confirmed that with the California Secretary of State’s office.
The actual state code says: “Any error in following any of the steps in connection with a particular recall may require that some or all steps taken up to that point be done over.” In this case some of the steps are being repeated.
The recall group led by former District Four Supervisor Ray Anklin, who was forced to resign his position in August 2006 as part of a legal plea deal, decided to refile the exact same Notice of Intent to Circulate a Recall Petition on Friday.
They failed to meet the 10-day deadline after filing the first notice.
The notice was sent by certified mail to Wills, who picked it up on Tuesday. He did not offer an official answer to the last notice and said he probably won’t file one this time because the charges are “unfounded and have no validity.”

Fair opens today in Cedarville 

At 5:00 p.m. today, the gates to the 80th Modoc District Fair will officially swing open in Cedarville, to admit folks to four days of entertainment, including live music and a new chili cook-off, rodeos, rancher's day and livestock competitions, the thrills of a carnival and exhibits from August 22-25.
The Modoc District Fair is out of the woods for funding for this year, and is working on a plan of action to continue operation into the future. It won’t be easy, but Fair Manager Danette DePaul is seeing a brighter future.
Part of that bright future came when Mark and Jessie Milano, of Milano Land and Cattle Company in Modoc, offered a donation of $50,000 to the Fair this year, if the San Diego Fair would match it on a two-to-one basis.
On Dec. 11, 2012, the 22nd District Agricultural Association Board, which runs the state-owned Del Mar Fairgrounds and oversees the annual San Diego County Fair, voted unanimously to give $100,000 to the Modoc Fair, to help it stay in business long enough to develop a new business-oriented action plan.
DePaul said the Modoc Fair would have run out of money and been forced to shut down in 2013, without the financial assistance from the Milano Foundation and San Diego Fair. 
“We are so grateful to the Milano Company for their donation and to the San Diego Fair for adopting us as a sister fair,” said DePaul.

Geothermal—smart, constant energy source

All power production in the United States is subsidized by the government. The major subsidized industries range from a high for nuclear energy plants, then coal, to the lowest subsidies going for geothermal power production. Approximately four times the money goes to nuclear than to geothermal.
The geysers in California have the largest geothermal generating plant in the world.
Geothermal is a constant energy, not variable like solar.
These and other facts were presented to a large group of interested individuals on Aug. 17, when UC Davis presented an informational talk on the geothermal potential in Modoc County, the ongoing research regarding this resource and the potential for economic opportunities if this resource is developed.
UC Davis has been conducting research in Surprise Valley to better characterize what geothermal potential may be available in the area. Modoc County has been of interest to the geothermal industry for quite some time attracting researchers from a number of geothermal companies, government agencies, and universities.
The university is collaborating with the USGS, Stanford, and NASA who are working with a UAV (drone, in the military) based out of the Cedarville airport. UC Davis chose their research sites based on previous studies by these organizations. Primary research is being done in Central-eastern Surprise Valley east of Cedarville off of highway 299 around Leonard’s, Chicken and Surprise Valley Hot Springs.

Missing elderly woman found after 14 hours

The Modoc County Sheriff’s Department, its Posse and other agencies searched for a missing woman overnight Monday and found her Tuesday morning.
About 9:30 p.m. August 19, Sheriff's Dispatch received a call of a missing elderly female that had wandered off from her residence near the Alamo on Centerville Road (C/R 54).
The 82-year-old female is mentally disabled and has continued medical issues that require medication. Undersheriff, Ken Richardson responded to the residence and found she had been missing for about two hours.
At about 9:20 Tuesday morning the woman was found by a Sheriff's Posse member walking in rough terrain BLM public lands about two miles southeast of the Alamo.
The victim was turned over to her family for medical evaluation. She appeared to be in good condition, except for her being missing for 14-and-a- half hours.

Modoc jobless rate up to 10.6%

Modoc’s July, 2013 unemployment rate bumped up to 10.6 percent, ranking it 33rd out of the state’s 58 counties for highest unemployment.
In June the rate had fallen to 10 percent. The civilian labor force for July was 3,930 with 3,520 employed and 420 unemployed, down from June’s 3,990 when 3,590 were employed and 400 unemployed.
In July 2012 the jobless rate was 12.6 percent with a labor force of 4040.

Obituaries:

Donald M. Wilson
Donald Malcolm Wilson of Alturas, the last Charter member of the Alturas Elks Lodge #1756, respected, retired business owner, community supporter and much loved by his community and family, passed away August 18, 2013 in Reno, NV.
A Celebration of his life and memorial service will be held Monday, August 26 at 10 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. Fellowship will immediately follow at the Alturas Elks Lodge, North Main St., Alturas. Don was born August 25, 1920 in Snoqualmie, WA.

Donald Coops
Donald “Don” Coops passed away August 17, 2013 at the Lake District Hospital in Lakeview, OR at the age of 91. Born in Napa, CA on February 24, 1922, Don was the second son of Harold Van Coops and Dorothy Dobbel Coops. He was raised in Sonoma, CA on the Coops Brothers Orchards and Packing Plant in Vineburg.
The funeral service was held at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 21 at the Community Church in Cedarville. Burial will be in the Cedarville Cemetery with Military Honors. Following the burial, a potluck dessert was held in the Church Fellowship Hall.
Contributions in Don’s memory may be made to the Range Conservation Foundation, c/o Ed Depaoli, P.O. Box 1595, Carson City, NV 89702 or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Desert Rose Funeral of Lakeview, OR is in charge of the arrangements.

William F. Roland
William F. Roland, 78, of Alturas, passed away August 2, 2013, in Reno, NV. Memorial services will be held Friday, Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. at Kerr Mortuary Chapel, 400 W. Second St., Alturas. Following the service, friends and family are invited to gather at the Roland home, 400 West Third St., Alturas.
Memorial donations may be directed to any of the heart, cancer and diabetes organizations. Services are under the direction of Kerr Mortuary, Alturas.

Dixie Leventon
Graveside services for Dixie Leventon will be held Saturday, August 24, 11:00 a.m. at the Lookout Cemetery. Potluck reception to follow at the Lookout Firehall.
Dixie Lee Ash was born to Alexander and Dorothy Ash on March 17,1934 in Cedarville,Ca.
Dixie went home to her Lord Jesus August 13,2013 in Lookout, CA.
Donations in Dixie’s remembrance can be sent to: Travis Nelson Memorial Scholarship, Box 54, Bieber,CA 96009.

Oren Leon Shultz
Oren Leon Shultz, Jr., 69, of Cedarville, CA passed away August 19, 2013, in
Mount Ida, Arkansas, surrounded by his loving wife and family.
Known as Leon to family and friends, he began his life on July 9, 1944 in
Little Rock, Arkansas, to Oren Leon Shultz, Sr. and Grace Utter Shultz
Funeral arrangements by Thornton Funeral home in Mount Ida, AR. A graveside service will be held August 22 at 11 a.m. at Little Fir Cemetery, in Mount Ida, AR. Leon’s online guest book may be signed at www.thorntonfh.com
A celebration of life will be held at the fairgrounds in Cedarville, CA on September 21, 2013, for all who loved Leon to attend.

Sports

Braves inter-squad scrimmage set Friday

Modoc’s football teams will have a scrimmage Friday, 5 p.m. at the Modoc High Football Field. The varsity team will scrimmage among itself as well the junior varsity.
The scrimmages will give coaches a good chance to evaluate players and set up the starting lineups for the opening game against Lost River here August 30.
The Modoc Boosters Club will open the concession stand for the scrimmage.
Modoc opens the season with a home game against Lost River August 30, with the JV game set for 5 p.m. and the varsity to follow. They travel to Lakeview Sept. 6.
The Shasta Cascade League teams this year are Modoc, Burney, Weed, Fall River and Etna. Modoc will be heavily favored to continue its league dominance.

What’s coming in Sports

Modoc High School will get the 2013 fall season underway this week.
Football: Modoc has an inter-squad scrimmage August 23 starting at 5 p.m., both varsity and JV. They host Lost River August 30 to open the season, game times 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Volleyball: The Braves are at Tulelake August 27, varsity at 6:30 p.m. and JV at 5:30 p.m. and at the Lassen Tourney Sept. 7.
Cross Country: Modoc is at the Bill Springhorn Invite Sept. 6 at Shasta College.
Soccer: Modoc hosts Tulelake Sept. 10, 5 p.m. and is at Etna Sept. 12, 4 p.m.

August 29, 2013

News

It rained . . .
THE SPICKETS were turned to full force the evening August 21 when .55 inches of rain fell in Alturas in a little under an hour. The deluge was more than normal for Alturas, by far, and the storm drains had some trouble keeping up. Dale DeWitt was doing what he could to keep the water out of the TEACH, Inc. offices and Beth Main was offering moral support. So far this August .72 inches of rain has been measured, and the normal for the entire month is .36.

County wants control of Radar Site

The Over the Horizon Backscatter Radar site on Devil’s Garden, with its sister facility in Christmas Valley Oregon, was really never used and was dismantled.
On Tuesday, the Modoc County Board of Supervisors agreed to submit an application for a feasibility permit to the Modoc National Forest to “acquire temporary control” of the site for potential development.
County Resource Analyst Sean Curtis told the Board the effort will be basically “a holding permit” while the County investigates a variety of items centered around a possible renewable power generating project on the 900-acre site.
At this point there is no specific project on line, but Curtis mentioned bio-mass or solar power possibilities. There is plenty to investigate, including the existing power line carrying capability and just what the site itself can support.

Lightning ignites 50-plus fires on Modoc Forest

Gusty winds, thunderstorms, rain and lightning hampered operations at times today on the Modoc National Forest; however, crews still contained several new fires.
Sunday’s activity was primarily on the Devil’s Garden Ranger District. Four fires were suppressed at less than one acre each.
Since Aug. 19, there have been 50 fires across the forest for a total of 57 acres. Approximately 150 resources from federal, state and private entities are assisting with firefighting efforts on the Modoc. Aircraft are being used for aerial observation, new fire detection and crew transportation.
The Modoc Interagency Communications Center continues to operate 24 hours a day to monitor communications and quickly dispatch resources to emerging fires. Crews were working on a new fire on the Devil’s Garden Ranger District near Hidden Valley.    

Board approves Public Works revamp

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors approved a restructuring of public Works at Tuesday’s meeting. While some of the changes will be big, others were pretty much left as they stand now.
One new wrinkle is adding a new position of Facilities Director and another still under discussion is moving the Newell Migrant under the Deputy Director of Public Health.
The Board stresses it will continue to monitor effectiveness of restructuring. Also, based on the financial condition of the county and audit status, reevaluate prior to next fiscal year the potential to reinstate a public works director position.
The recommendations approved by the Board included the following items:
“Place the building department and building official as direct report under the supervision of the Planning Director effective September 1.

Modoc shows slight increase in assessed value

Modoc County realized a 1.43 percent increase in its 2013-14 secured assessment roll, according to Assessor Cheri Budmark.
She told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday that the secured roll increased from last year’s $847,636,431 to $859,783,224 this year.
The unsecured roll increased from $34,201,172 to $37,977,433, up by 11.04 percent.
The unsecured roll tax is not secured by real property (such as land) and all property that is not real property is considered personal property and therefore is issued an unsecured tax bill. 
According to Budmark, the secured roll increased by $11,917,950 before exemptions and the two percent factoring (what’s allowed by state law as an increase annually) amounted to $13,218,944. That amounted to 45.5 percent of the increase in value.

Obituaries:

Sandra Cartner
Sandra Ann Cartner unexpectedly passed away Thursday, August 22, 2013 in Springfield, OR while traveling to her Alturas home with her husband, following her medical checkup. An Alturas Elementary School teacher for many years, she was born in San Francisco, CA on January 10, 1944 and had made Alturas her home for many years.
The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra will conduct a Graveside Service Friday, Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. A Celebration of Life and potluck will follow at the Federated Church Social Hall, 307 East First St., Alturas. Mrs. Cartner’s obituary will be published in a future issue.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society www.lls.org, which helps fund lifesaving research and provides information and support to patients throughout their cancer journey.

Dolores Houseman
Marion Dolores Burg Houseman, a loving childcare provider for over 30 years, a loving wife, mother and grandmother, known to everyone as “Granma,” passed away unexpectedly at her home on August 25, 2013 in Alturas.
One of nine children, Dolores was born in Sacramento, CA on October 7, 1935, to Ray Alfred Burg of Montana and Genevieve Fegley Burg of Junction City, Kansas.
The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra will conduct services at Kerr Mortuary Chapel in Alturas on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 11 a.m. Potluck fellowship to follow at the Federated Church Social Hall in Alturas.

Annie Smallwood
Annie Jean Smallwood, 80, of Yreka passed away on August 24, 2013 after a short battle with cancer.
Jean Richardson was born in Wickes, Arkansas on February 15, 1933 and moved to California when she was 11 years old. She graduated from Modoc High School. Jean married Melvin Smallwood on January 2, 1953, and in 1955, they made their home in Yreka
There will be no visitation, but there is a graveside funeral service at 1 p.m. on August 29, 2013 at Evergreen Cemetery in Yreka. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Girdner Funeral Home. After the service, a celebration of life will be at Shasta Valley Golf Course in Montague.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to a charity of their choice.

Robert Hiatt
Robert DeWayne Hiatt passed away in Marysville, WA August 17, 2013. He was born in Crawford, Nebraska on October 25, 1936 to Hugh and Bertha Hiatt.
The celebration of his life is pending at this time. Condolences may be sent to Bob Hiatt family, 1642 Granite Falls, WA 98252.

Carolyn Clinger
Carolyn Lee Porter Clinger, 65 years old, died July 28, 2013 at her home on the Running Y Ranch near Klamath Falls, Oregon. Carolyn’s battle with cancer ended on the morning of July 28, just as her mother’s battle with cancer did on the morning of July 28, 2007.
Carolyn was born in Alturas on January 4, 1948. Her parents were Leland and Charlotte Porter.
Carolyn had a way of lighting up people’s lives and her memory will be treasured by her many friends and her loving family.

Ruby Hammersly
Ruby Ellen Hammersly died at her home on Sunday, August 4, 2013 at the age of 94.
Ruby was born to Fritz and Ellen (Cloud) Steiner in Cheney, Washington on May 7,1919. She grew up in Cheney, where she graduated from high school. She came to New Pine Creek in June 1941 and married Milton Hammersly on Christmas day in 1941. He preceded her in death in 1984.
She made her home in New Pine Creek until she could no longer drive to Lakeview due to her poor eyesight. At the time of her retirement, she had worked as a legal secretary for many years for Ted Conn’s law office. Ruby’s favorite pastime was reminiscing and cluing anyone willing to listen, in on the history of New Pine Creek and surrounding areas. She loved this area and thoroughly enjoyed talking about it.
Ruby is survived by a very large extended family.
At Ruby’s request no public services will be held. She will be inurned in the New Pine Creek Cemetery on the grave of her grandfather, John Calvin Cloud.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Desert Rose Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.

Jessie (Jesus) Cardenas
Born in Woodland, CA on 02/18/76 and passed on 07/14/13. Jessie was a member of the Pit River Tribe of CA, Hammawi Band, and attended Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence, KS.

Sports

Lost River invades Modoc Friday night

The Lost River Raiders football teams, always tough, will be the first test for the Modoc Braves Friday night in Alturas. The junior varsity game will start at 5 p.m., and the varsity will follow.
“Lost River is always one of the better teams we face and they’ll be tough again this year,” said coach Shaun Wood. “They have a big line, so do we, and they have some good backs who run the option very well. They’ll be a test for our linebackers. It should be a very good game.”
The Braves travel to Lakeview Sept. 6.
The Shasta Cascade League teams this year are Modoc, Burney, Weed, Fall River and Etna. Modoc will be heavily favored to continue its league dominance and Fall River is expected to be strong.
Braves fall to Tulelake

Braves fall to Tulelake

Modoc’s varsity volleyball team lost its opening game to Tulelake this week, 25-12, 17-25, 22-25 and 7-15. No team stats were reported,
The Braves head to the Susanville Tournament Sept. 7

Barbershop Aces win golf award

A team called Barbershop Aces won the summer’s Arrowhead Golf Course Business League title over six other teams.
According to Arrowhead, the seven teams consisting of 60 players were very competitive for the weekly tourney, but the Aces came out on top.
The teams followed in this order: Frank’s carpet, Paper or Plastic, Modoc Farm, U.S. Forest Service, TLL Bonded Beef and Amerigas.
“Thanks to all the teams who participated in our 2013 Business League,” said Arrowhead’s Jim Widby. “We look to another fun year next year and welcome any new teams.”

September 5, 2013

News

Clerk accepts recall petition

Modoc County Clerk/Auditor Darcy Locken has formally accepted the recall petition aimed at District Four Supervisor Jim Wills, who was seated in January after winning November’s election.
Once the proponents of the recall pick it up, they will have 60 days to collect 259 valid signatures. If that happens, a recall election would be set for the first term Supervisor who was just seated in January.
They had not picked it up as of noon Wednesday. The recall group failed to meet the 10-day deadline after filing the first notice of intent to recall and had to resubmit the paperwork.
The reason for the recall still remains vague and no new explanations have been forthcoming from that committee.
If enough valid signatures of registered District IV voters are collected and verified, a recall election would be scheduled not less than 88 days nor more than 125 days from the point of the petition’s certification. The cost of that election would be paid by the County, estimated at between $5,000 to $10,000.
Anklin and several of the proponents were also campaign supporters of Wills’ opponent in the last election.

Major “Mexican” pot plantation raided in SV; trip captured

Modoc County's Inter-agency Narcotics Task Force, led by Commander “Tex” Dowdy and Deputy Mike Klassen, executed a Marijuana Eradication Program Tuesday in the mountains west of Surprise Valley.
Upon entry to the grow site on public lands, six subjects ran into the forest attempting to allude capture. “Wild Justice” California Fish and Wildlife's police canine “Phebe” was released by her handler Warden Brian Boyd and she was able to capture one of the six suspects. Two other suspects were also captured by the three inter-agency teams and three are still at large.
One suspect later identified as Eduardo Cortez was air lifted by CHP helicopter and received treatment at Surprise Valley Medical Center for a dog bite from “Phebe” during his capture.
Sheriff Mike Poindexter advised that the clandestine marijuana farming operation appears to be a sophisticated “Mexican National” operation and estimated there were up to 10,000 marijuana plants three to seven feet high in the grow. 
Taken into custody was Heriberto Reyes,  AKA  Roberto Villasenor Reyes, 25, of Orosi, Ca., Rafael M. Cruz, 20, of Mexico and Eduardo A. Cortez, 20, of Richmond Ca. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Reyes and Cruz have prior felony convictions. All three have immigration holds while they are in the custody of the Modoc County Jail. Reyes has an outstanding felony warrant charging possession for sale of marijuana out of Kern County with bail set at $25,000.

BLM seeks comments on grazing, wild horses
     
The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on an environmental assessment analyzing forage allocations for livestock grazing and proposed wild horse population limits on public land managed by the Surprise Field office in far northwest Nevada.
The EA, which analyzes the effects of five management alternatives, is available online by following the link to Massacre Lakes EA at www.blm.gov/ca/surprise, or by contacting the Surprise Field Office at (530) 279-6101. Email requests should be sent to smathews@blm.gov.

Comment on South Warner grazing

The Modoc National Forest is seeking public comment regarding the proposed Environmental Assessment for the South Warner Grazing Analysis.
The proposal would authorize livestock grazing on the Outlet, West Valley, and Parsnip allotments about 10 miles east of Likely, Calif. on the Warner Mountain Ranger District.
Elements of the proposal include updating allotment management plans, re-authorizing grazing, reducing grazing impacts on riparian areas and restoring sage-steppe ecosystems. Detailed information is located on the forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/modoc/landmanagement/projects. From this page, click on South Warner Grazing Analysis.
Public comments will be accepted for 30 calendar days following the publication of the legal notice in the Modoc Record. The legal notice was published August 22, 2013.

Obituaries-

Donald Wilson
Donald Malcolm Wilson of Alturas, a respected, retired business owner, coach, community supporter, much loved family man and friend, passed away August 18, 2013 in Reno, NV, at the age of 92.
Don was born August 25, 1920 in Snoqualmie, WA and graduated from high school in Lakeview, OR in 1939
A Celebration of his life and memorial service were held Monday, August 26 at 10 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery with David Cohen from St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, the Veterans Honor Guard and Alturas Veterans Groups and Elks BPOE 1756 conducting the service. Fellowship followed at the Alturas Elks Lodge, North Main St., Alturas.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Alturas Elks Lodge #1756 Scholarship Fund, 619 North Main St., Alturas, CA 96101 or New Pioneer 4-H Club c/o California 4-H Foundation to benefit the New Pioneer 4-H Club on behalf of Don Wilson. Donations can be made online at https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/ca4HFoundation or they can be mailed to: California 4-H Foundation P.O. Box 73673 Davis, CA 95616.

Sandra Cartner
Sandra Cartner of Alturas, passed away on Thursday, August 22, 2013, in Springfield, OR.  Sandi Cartner was born on January 10, 1944 in San Francisco, CA to Lillian Catherine Thogode and Robert Vance Smith
Sandi is survived by her husband, Richard Cartner of Alturas, her daughter Christy Cartner and son-in-law, Rick Cisneros of Alameda, CA, and her daughter, Alisa Cartner of Oakland.   
Thank you to everyone who attended her funeral services and fellowship at the Federated Church.  We appreciate all of the love and support from the community.  She will be dearly missed.

Gilbert Flores
Gilbert Armondo Flores, 34, a 1998 Modoc High School graduate, lost his life August 2, 2013 in Springfield, MO. On Thursday, August 1, while walking home about 10 p.m., Flores was struck by a vehicle while crossing a street in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Flores stood up and was stuck by a second vehicle.
Born May 14, 1979 in Missouri, Gil had made Alturas his home on and off, for 26 years.
Services are pending in Redding, CA.

Shirley McKenzie

Shirley McKenzie (Tillman), age 70, passed away peacefully on Wednesday evening, August 28, 2013, with family and friends at her side. Shirley was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on January 7, 1943, to George and Coy Tillman.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Lawncrest Memorial on Cypress Ave. in Redding.  A gathering will be held at the home of Mike and Izetta McKenzie following the graveside service.

Wesley Geer
Wesley Harmon Geer of Alturas was born Oct. 27, 1927. He passed peacefully Aug. 12, 2013, at Warnerview Skilled Nursing Center in Alturas, CA. He was 85. Wes was born to Owen and Ruth Geer of Brooklyn, NY.
At the request of the family, services will be private. Donations can be made to Warnerview Convalescent Hospital, 225 McDowell St., Alturas.

Lewisid Bunyard
Lewisid Mahrnelle Bunyard died in Sacramento, California August 21, 2013. She was 81 years old.
Lewisid was born April 27, 1932, in Davis Creek, Modoc County, California.  She was the 2nd child of Francis Bunyard and Leora Henderson Bunyard
She will be buried in Davis Creek, California next to her parents in cemetery ground donated to Davis Creek Cemetery by Martin Henderson.

Sports

Lost River knocks off Braves 18-6

Lost River’s Raiders pretty much wore out the Modoc Braves varsity football team 18-6 Friday night in Alturas. They travel to Lakeview for another tough game this Friday night.
“We’re just too nice and we’re going to have to get meaner,” coach Shaun Wood said Tuesday. “We had some poor blocking and they came out and punched us in the nose with the run early. We also had some mental breakdowns. It’s early and we’ll make some adjustments this week.”

JVs beat Lost River 27-14

Modoc’s junior varsity beat Lost River 27-14 last Friday night in Alturas. The Braves travel to Lakeview this Friday for another non-league game.
 “I was pretty proud of them,” said coach Dominic Budmark. “We didn’t make too many mistakes and the defense played really well.”

What’s coming in Sports—

Modoc High School will get the 2013 fall season underway this week.
Football: Modoc travels to Lakeview Friday.
Volleyball: The Braves are at the Lassen Tourney Sept. 7.
Cross Country: Modoc is at the Bill Springhorn Invite Sept. 6 at Shasta College.
Soccer: Modoc hosts Tulelake Sept. 10, 5 p.m. and is at Etna Sept. 12, 4 p.m.

September 12, 2013

News

SV marijuana grow was a Mexican cartel

On Friday, September 6th, the Modoc County Interagency Narcotic's Task Force coordinated a major marijuana eradication in the Warner Mountains southwest of Cedarville.
According to Deputy “Mike” Klassen the farming operation was in fact a sophisticated Mexican Cartel Grow of approximately 10,000 mature plants ranging from four feet to eight feet in height. The water was supplied by a natural mountain spring with gravity flow into black irrigation main lines with spaghetti lines leading to the plants. The plants have an average street value of approximately  $2,000 each, depending on their size. This grow is estimated to be worth about 20 million dollars.
Due to the difficult terrain, the remote and secluded clandestine operation was eradicated by hand. Officers and Posse members either hiked into or were flown into the grow site by helicopter.  The plants were cut by hand, then stacked and loaded into a rigged long line net and airlifted by helicopter to awaiting trucks. It was then transported to an undisclosed location.  
It is believed that the operation employed a total of six full time cultivators who were living in and tending to the marijuana-growing operation on a full-time basis. Three were captured on the 6th and three remain outstanding. It is presumed that the three outstanding suspects are now out of the area as those caught were either from the central valley area or Mexico. 

Recall petition out for signature gathering

The proponents of a recall of Modoc County District Four Supervisor Jim Wills have started to circulate their petition.
According to Modoc County Clerk Auditor Darcy Locken, they have until Nov. 4 to collect 259 valid signatures of voters in the district. Voters in the District are reminded to insure the signature gatherers are not misrepresenting the reason for the petition.
If enough signatures are collected, a recall election would be set for the first term Supervisor who was just seated in January. That election would be scheduled not less than 88 days nor more than 125 days from the point of the petition’s certification. The cost of that election would be paid by the County, estimated at between $5,000 to $10,000.
The reason for the recall still remains vague and no new explanations have been forthcoming from that committee. Some more explanations have been sent in Letters to the Editor, but still remain narrow and weak.

DA opts to layoff investigator

Newly appointed Modoc District Attorney Jordan Funk has laid off the DA Investigator, saying he will rely on local law enforcement for investigations.
The Board of Supervisors approved the lay-off Tuesday. Funk said the office could not afford the investigator and would save “a considerable amount of money.”
The investigator Mike Main wasn’t unemployed for long as the next item on the Supervisors’ agenda was the Modoc County Sheriff hiring him as the Surprise Valley resident deputy.

Vet’s Hall invasion turned back by Auxiliaries

Modoc County Administrative Officer Chester Robertson and Veteran’s Service Officer Harry Hitchings learned a tough lesson about communication at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
The lesson was taught by representatives of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary and the American Legion Auxiliary.
Supervisor Jon Pedersen had requested a staff report on the recent relocation of the Veterans Service Office from the Sheriff’s Annex to the VFW Hall. He had received several complaints from veteran’s organizations.
The primary complaint was that Hitchings moved the VSO office into the Ladies’ auxiliary meeting room “in the dark of night” without consultation with the Auxiliaries. In doing that, items in the room were simply moved out and stacked in the men’s meeting rooms and the Auxiliaries said they weren’t asked about the move or even giving up their historic meeting room. They were not happy.
Hitchings told the Board the move to the Vets Hall seemed logical and since it was a county-owned structure it fit the bill. He explained it had a ramp for veterans to use for entry and could be made more secure. He said he had to excuse three veteran’s Tuesday morning and had helped 27 veterans in the past three days. He also pointed out the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary have just folded. He also cast some doubt on the future of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary.
Hitchings expressed some concern that bringing the issue to the entire Board was a waste of time.
Pedersen took offense to that statement, saying the Veterans Auxiliaries had been valuable assets to the community and Vets Hall and listed some of their fundraising efforts and expenditures.

Modoc wildfire contained early

Fire crews jumped on Sept. 5 wildfires with vigor and managed to keep them contained and relatively small.
The Rail Fire, near F Reservoir was 100 percent contained at 68 acres and the Davis Complex of four fires was contained Sept. 6 at 97 acres.
The causes of both fires remain under investigation. A vehicle on U.S. 395 might have started the Davis Creek Complex of several fires accidentally.
According to South Central Oregon Incident Fire Management Team, there were 350 personnel assigned to the two fires, including 24 and crews, nine water tenders, eight dozers, 25 engines, five helicopters one air attack and 30 overhead.

Obituaries:

David Alan Ash
David Alan Ash of Cedarville, California, passed away at the age of 50, on September 4, 2013, at Enloe Hospital in Chico, California. 
He was born on August 9, 1963, to Gordon and Patricia Ash at Surprise Valley Hospital in Cedarville. David grew up and attended local schools, in both Alturas and Cedarville, graduating from Modoc High School in 1981.
A memorial service will be held in late October.

Oren  Leon Shultz, Jr.
A celebration of life for Oren Leon Shultz, Jr. will be held Saturday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. at the Modoc District Fairgrounds in Cedarville. A time of fellowship will follow. Please bring a side dish of your choice. Meat will be furnished by the family.
Mr. Shultz, 69, of Cedarville, CA passed away August 19, 2013, in Mount Ida, Arkansas.

Sports

Modoc falls to Lakeview 14-7

No varsity game Friday

Late News: There will not be a varsity football game against Bonanza Friday night. The Bonanza varsity sustained several injuries in their last game and could not field a team against Modoc. There will be a junior varsity game.

Modoc’s varsity football team is a lot of things, but it is not a scoring machine. In two losing efforts, the team has scored a total of 13 points.
Bonanza comes to Alturas Friday night in another non-league game that could put Modoc into the win column.
The Braves fell to Lakeview last Friday night 14-7, coming off an 18-6 loss to Lost River the previous week. The Lakeview game’s score was 0-0 through three periods, but Lakeview added 14 in the fourth and Modoc seven.
Coach Shaun Wood said he’s trying to convince the team it needs to be more aggressive and make use of its talents, but so far he’s just not seeing anyone step up to the leadership role to get the players fired up.

JVs crush Honker 27-6

Modoc’s junior varsity team, played against some Lakeview juniors in the first half, held its own and battled to a 6-6 tie at halftime. In the second half, with only freshman and sophomore players on the Honker team, Modoc dominated and won 27-6.
Oregon allows juniors to play on the junior varsity and varsity team for some part of the game. California requires all juniors and seniors to play at the varsity level.

Modoc 3rd in Lassen tourney

Modoc’s varsity volleyball team had a good outing in the Lassen Tournament over the weekend, taking third place. The Braves are at Big Valley today and a Lakeview for a tourney on Saturday.
The Braves beat North lake Tahoe 25-12 and 25-23 with Jordan Marquardt getting five kills, Lily hallmark and Morgan Bagwell getting four each and Kelsey Clay three. Valerie Froeming had four service aces, with Kristen Reed and Clay two each.
Modoc beat Herlong 25-12 and 25-19. Bagwell has four aces, with Clay and Marquardt getting three and Froeming and Leah Berryessa two each. Clay had two aces.
Modoc beat Greenville 25-9 and 25-20 with Clay serving four aces, Hallmark three and Berryessa one. Marquardt had three kills, with Bagwell getting two, Kelly Schmidt, Froeming and Berryessa each had one.
Lassen beat the Braves 25-6 and 25-14. Marquardt and Hallmark each had three kills and Clay had two. Clay served one ace.
Modoc’s junior varsity played well in Lassen, placing second. They lost only to the host team. Beth Derner was named to the All-tourney team. The JVs now have a 5-2 record.

What’s coming in Sports—

Modoc High School sports for this week.
Football: Bonanza comes to Modoc Friday. JV game only.
Volleyball: The Braves are at Big Valley tonight and at the Lakeview Tourney Saturday.
Cross Country: Modoc is at Mt. Shasta Sept. 25
Soccer: Modoc is at Etna Sept. 12, 4 p.m. and at Fall River Sept. 17.

September 19, 2013

News

Land Use members speak out on contentious issues

Several original members of the Modoc Land Use Committee will present a detailed statement and more to the Modoc County Board of Supervisors next week addressing their concerns over stated reasons behind the recall of Supervisor Jim Wills and other Land Use issues.
They even take the issue so far as to suggest vacating or making the Committte inactive if things don’t change.
Those members signing the statement are Carolyn Carey, Gordon Dick, Janie Erkiaga, Nancy Huffman and June Roberts. Some of their points are presented in this article.
“As long-term members of the Land Use Committee (LUC), we can no longer sit idly by and watch the new members of the LUC and their associates tear the county apart,” the statement reads. “The turmoil that once was just relegated to the Courthouse has spread to the LUC, the 4-H program, the Rotary Junior Livestock Show and attempts to remove county personnel, both by recall and dismissal. We have no interest in trying to match this movement for its viciousness . . . However we can, at least, give you, the Board of Supervisors, the benefit of the experience we have accumulated in regards to the successful process Modoc County has in place for engaging the federal land management agencies.”

Sheriff’s budget takes $100,000 hit

As Modoc County tries to come up with a 2013/14 budget, shortfalls have forced some cuts, with the Sheriff’s Department asked to cut $100,000 from its budget.
Sheriff Mike Poindexter was not pleased with that request, coming late in the process and seemingly without much warning.
“On September 10, 2013 the budget committee came back to the Sheriff’s Office the very day after our second budget meeting of the entire year, with a request to cut an additional $100,000.00 from the Sheriff’s Budget, specifically targeting Sheriff Patrol,” he said. “When asked why they (administration and the budget committee) were targeting Sheriff Patrol specifically, after telling us at the end of our second budget meeting of the year just one day earlier, that they would not do this, we were told that they realized that they cannot cut the jail due to the state Board of Prisons. This is an additional cut of 3.175 percent, and decreases the Sheriff’s general fund draw to 46.44 percent, with the Sheriff’s Office now providing 53.56 percent of the revenue required to operate.”
Poindexter questions the priorities of the elected and appointed people when it comes to public safety.
“I have been in this position for three budget processes as of this current year.  Each year we have been required reduce our general fund draw,” he said. That’s a difficult task for a public service entity that is or at least should be entirely dependent on the public for funding.”

Alturas Police get COPS grant for school officer

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), announced funding awards Sept. 17 totaling nearly $20 million to 39 cities and counties throughout the state of California, aimed at creating 105 law enforcement positions. Awards to grantees in other parts of the country will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Alturas Police Department was successful in its application and was awarded a $125,000 grant to hire an officer for the schools in Alturas.
According to Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes, the grant will allow the City to hire a Police Officer assigned to the schools for a three-year period. Both Modoc Joint Unified School District and the Modoc County Office of Education are contributing.
The officer will be on duty during school hours and will be able to work outside the schools when they are not in session or during the summer. Barnes is very pleased to have this program up and running again.

BLM to lift fire restrictions

Late summer rains and cooler temperatures have reduced dry conditions and fire dangers in northeast California’s high desert areas, and the Bureau of Land Management will lift fire restrictions on public lands managed by the Alturas, Eagle Lake and Surprise field offices effective Thursday, Sept. 19.
When restrictions are eased, campfires can again be used outside of developed campgrounds.  Fire permits are required.   Restrictions on smoking and use of internal combustion engines off of roads and trails are also lifted.  Use of chainsaws after 1 p.m. will again be allowed.
Fire restrictions remain in effect on the neighboring Lassen, Modoc and Plumas national forests because forest fuels, such as large trees, do not respond to increased moisture as quickly as desert vegetation, said Walter Herzog, fire management officer for the BLM.
Even with reduced fire dangers, officials urge outdoor enthusiasts and homeowners to be careful with fire.  Campers must fully extinguish campfires when leaving camp, leaving them cold to the touch.  Wood cutters must have spark arresters on their chainsaws, and they should carry tools including shovels and fire extinguishers.
Because fire restrictions remain in effect for neighboring national forests and some BLM-managed lands, people planning outdoor activities should check with the nearest Forest Service or BLM Office for information on current restrictions.    

Obituaries:

Dennis Smith

Dennis C. Smith, 76, passed away at home in Cedarville, September 17, 2013, from complications of heart failure. Born in Dallas, Texas, Dennis spent his early childhood on the road with his parents, while his father was a traveling salesman
A family Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Memorial remembrances can be sent to Surprise Valley Hospital, P. O. Box 246, Cedarville, CA 96104.

Robert E. Hoffman

Robert E. Hoffman, a native of Secaucus, New Jersey and a resident of Alturas for the past 34 years, passed away at the age of 82 on his birthday September 15, 2013 in Alturas, CA. Mr. Hoffman was born Sept. 15, 1931.
Funeral Services will be held Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. at Kerr Mortuary, Alturas, CA. Interment will be at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo, CA. Services are under the direction of Kerr Mortuary.

Gary N. Wingate

Gary Nason Wingate of Alturas, passed away September 10, 2013 in Alturas, CA. He was 74.
Born in San Fernando, CA on September 8, 1939, after high school, Mr. Wingate became a meat packer by trade. Services were private. Arrangements by Kerr Mortuary.

Service for Leon Shultz

A celebration of life for Oren Leon Shultz, Jr. will be held Saturday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. at the Modoc District Fairgrounds in Cedarville. A time of fellowship will follow. Please bring a side dish of your choice. Meat will be furnished by the family.
Mr. Shultz, 69, of Cedarville, CA passed away August 19, 2013, in  Mount Ida, Arkansas.

Mike Morgan

Former Modoc resident, Mike Morgan, 78, passed away on Wednesday, August 21, 2013, at Harney District Hospital, Burns, OR.
Mike was born April 2, 1935, in Redmond and was raised in Modoc County. He attended grade school at Davis Creek and high school at Alturas, California.
A memorial service was held Friday, August 30, at the Burns Elks Lodge #1680 at 2:00 p.m.
Contributions in Mike Morgan’s memory may be made to the Harney County Senior and Community Services Center, or the Oregon Community Foundation, a scholarship fund being set up for Harney County graduates pursuing an education in an agricultural field. Any donations may be sent in care of LaFollette’s Chapel, PO Box 488, Burns, OR 97720. Go online to sign the condolence book at www.lafolletteschapel.com.

Margaret Ann Schwarz

Margaret Ann Schwarz, age 82, died peacefully on August 28, 2013 at The Bridge Assisted Living Facility in Grants Pass, OR.  “Peggy Ann” was born on December 15, 1930 in Greensburg, PA to Genevieve Seanor and Harold Thomas

Sports

Modoc heads to Trinity Friday

Modoc’s football teams will head to Trinity Friday night for another non-league game and the start of three tough contests – Trinity, Mt. Shasta and Yreka.
They will open the Shasta Cascade League season with Etna here Oct. 11. The SCL may be a little more competitive this year with both Weed and Fall River very competitive.
Coach Shaun Wood expects Trinity to be good again and the long trip to Weaverville is always a benefit to the Wolves.
The Wolves are coming off a 42-6 win over Hoopa and beat Arcata 60-0. They lost to Yreka 42-30.
The Braves junior varsity beat the Bonanza Antlers 34-14 here Friday night. There was no varsity game because Bonanza could not field a team.
The young Braves are now 3-0 on the young season and their biggest test will be against trinity this Friday night.
“I think we match up pretty evenly,” said coach Dominic Budmark. “I’m feeling really good about our chances and it will be a good test. We’re 3-0, so I’ll tell the kids to go into the game with some confidence, just not be cocky. We’ll be fine.”

Modoc 2nd in Lakeview invite

Modoc’s volleyball played great but lost the championship match to host Lakeview last weekend in a pair of tough games 25-22 and 25-17.
Modoc beat the Hosanna Christian (Klamath Falls) team 25-14 and 25-18.
The Braves beat Tulelake 27-25 and 25-16. Modoc beat Lost River in a tough match, 14-25, 25-19 and 15-12.
The Braves open Shasta Cascade League play at Weed Sept. 24 and Trinity comes to Alturas Sept. 26.
The Modoc JV Volleyball team went 4-0, beating both the Lakeview JV and freshman team, Paisley and Hosanna Christian in the Lakeview Tallman Tournament over the weekend!  The JV team also beat Big Valley last Thursday.

What’s coming in Sports—

Modoc High School sports for this week.
Football: Modoc travels to Trinity for a non-league contest Friday, JV at 5:30 p.m.; Varsity at 7:30 p.m.
Volleyball: Modoc is at Weed Sept. 24 and Mt. Shasta here Sept. 26. Both league matches.
Cross Country: Modoc is at Mt. Shasta Sept. 20.
Soccer: Modoc hosts Trinity Sept. 21 and is at Weed Sept. 24.

September 26, 2013

News

Modoc joins in secession movement

Modoc County will apparently go down the road of secession from the State of California, following along with Siskiyou County. The possibility of it actually happening is low.
Modoc Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday morning in favor of a resolution to “Withdraw from the State of California.” A least two Supervisors seemed to feel they were voting in favor of a concept, not really a resolution.
One of the leaders of the Siskiyou County “State of Jefferson” movement, Mark Baird, gave a presentation to the Board in Alturas Tuesday morning, bolstered by some citizens of Siskiyou County and a contingent of Modoc residents. Most in the audience were in favor of cutting ties to California, but a few expressed reservations.
Baird basically said that rural counties in the north state were not getting equal representation from Sacramento. The rural counties would be better off, he said, with local representation in a state of their own. While he admitted it might be hard to secede from the state, he felt it was possible, would be beneficial and the timing to do it was now.
Baird is making presentations to several other Counties interested in the project including Plumas, Shasta, Del Norte, Lassen, Trinity, Butte and others.
When asked whether an economic study had been done on the project, he said that was in the works. The economic feasibility is a huge question. Baird suggests the new state’s economy would flourish as businesses flood in from California into the new state with its projected much more business friendly regulations, and much fewer restrictions.

Modoc jobless dips to 9.6%

The Modoc Unemployment rate for August 2013 dropped from July’s 10.5 percent to 9.6 percent, according to the Employment Development Department.
The rate in August 2012 was 11.8 percent. Last year at this time the civilian labor force numbered 4,120 with 3,640 employed and the number unemployed was 490. The county has dropped to a labor force of 4,010 for August 2013, with 390 unemployed and 3,630 employed.
Modoc’s 9.6 percent rate ranks it 30th out of the state’s 58 counties for highest unemployment, while Siskiyou’s 11 percent rate ranks it 43rd and Lassen’s 9.7 percent ranks it 32nd. The highest jobless rate is in Imperial County at 26.3 and the lowest is in Marin at 5.0 percent.

BLM to lift fire restrictions on public lands

Late summer rains and cooler temperatures have reduced dry conditions and fire dangers in northeast California’s high desert areas, and the Bureau of Land Management will lift fire restrictions on public lands managed by the Alturas, Eagle Lake and Surprise field offices effective Thursday, Sept. 19.
When restrictions are eased, campfires can again be used outside of developed campgrounds.  Fire permits are required.   Restrictions on smoking and use of internal combustion engines off of roads and trails are also lifted.  Use of chainsaws after 1 p.m. will again be allowed.

National Public Lands Day in Modoc

The public is invited to get outdoors, explore and celebrate the 20th annual National Public Lands Day on the Modoc National Forest, Sat. Sept. 28.
First, for camping enthusiasts, Sept. 28 will be a fee-free day at campgrounds and recreation facilities. Campground sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This year's fee waiver includes: all campgrounds in the Medicine Lake Recreation Area, Doublehead Ranger District; Willow Creek Campground, Big Valley  Ranger District;  Howard’s Gulch Campground, Devil’s Garden Ranger District and Soup Springs, Mill Creek and Blue Lake Campgrounds on the Warner Mountain Ranger District. Second, up to 14 volunteers may join the Modoc National Forest and Back Country Horsemen – High Country Unit for a project on the High Grade National Recreation Trail. 
Volunteers will meet at the Forest Supervisor’s Office, 225 West 8th Street, Alturas, at 8:00 a.m. The forest service will provide transportation to the work site. Work on the trail is expected to be from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. A potluck BBQ will be held at Buck Creek Guard Station directly after the work is finished, along with a presentation about the High Grade Historic Mining District. Participants will return to the Supervisor’s office between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.
Amy Hartell, Warner Mountain Ranger District Recreation Officer, requests that volunteers call 530-279-8311 by Sept. 25 to sign-up for the High Grade National Recreation Trail project. Volunteer forms are at http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5436194.pdf
The focus of National Public Lands Day is to instill a sense of shared stewardship and educate the public about the importance of natural resources. More than 170,000 volunteers are expected to provide assistance in the nation’s largest, hands-on volunteer effort to improve America’s public lands.

Obituaries:

Faye Stahl

Alturas resident Fay Stahl was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 3, 1924 and passed away in Redding, CA on September 15, 2013.
A celebration of Fay’s life will be held at a time to be announced in October. Alturas resident Fay Stahl was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 3, 1924 and passed away in Redding, CA on September 15, 2013.
A celebration of Fay’s life will be held at a time to be announced in October.

George Michel

George Michel of Fort Bidwell, Ca., born George Michel Caldarella in Paris, France on April 16, 1956, passed away at the Lake District Hospital in Lakeview OR from cancer.
George cherished all the friends he made over the years. He was so grateful to live the American dream and never took it for granted.
A memorial service will be held at the Fort Bidwell Civic Club in Fort Bidwell Ca. on October 12, 2013 at 12 noon.

Nellie McCarley LaPlace

Born April 14, 1920, the fourth of five daughters of Thomas McCarley and Renee Cota McCarley, in Bell (Bellflower), California, and died simply and peacefully August 14, 2013 in Bellevue, Washington.
At her request, there will be no services. Memorials may be made to the Modoc Library, 212 W. Third St., Alturas or the literacy organization of your choice.

October 3, 2013

News

Congress extends Secure Schools funds for a year

According to Oregon Senator Ron Wyden’s Office, Congress sent President Barack Obama last week legislation that extends the county timber payments program for another year, a big help for schools and roads.
According to Modoc County Resource Analyst Sean Curtis once the president signs the bill as expected, it will mean about $1.45 million for Modoc County, split evenly between roads and schools. An additional $250,000 will be earmarked for the local Resource Advisory Committees.
“I am waiting to hear about his signature and if the government shutdown will affect his position or the amount that is allocated to our county,” said Modoc County Superintendent of Schools Gary Jones Tuesday.
The RAC had expired and will have to have new members approved in the near future. Curtis said the finds may be dispersed to counties by January, meaning a boost to this year’s budgets.
Schools have not counted on this money.
“By signing this legislation the President will help cash-strapped counties and give Congress time to develop a long-term approach to creating jobs in rural Oregon, providing a stable-source of funding for counties and protecting watersheds, fisheries and environmentally sensitive areas,” said Senator  Wyden (D-OR), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which wrote the bill. 

Federal offices, agencies shutter doors in shutdown

Federal offices and agencies in the nation and Modoc have shuttered their doors and locked gates as part of the federal government shutdown, which shows no signs of abating soon.
 Modoc National Forest offices are closed until further notice due to the government shutdown. During the closure, the collection of fuelwood, mushrooms or minerals will still be allowed with a valid permit. 
In addition, recreation sites will have reduced services until the end of the season. Forest officials ask visitors to be good stewards of the public lands and always leave sites clean. 
Information will be posted on 530-233-8819 during the shutdown to alert visitors to changing conditions. Please call this number before traveling to your destination on the forest.
In addition the Farm Service Agency, Bureau of Land Management and area Refuges have also been closed.
With the opening of waterfowl season on Oct. 5, those Refuge closures will impact hunting in the Alturas and Tulelake Area. If the shutdown remains, those hunting areas, which are very popular, will be closed.

Land Use successes detailed in report

Last week, some of the original members of the Modoc County Land Use Committee appeared before the Board of Supervisors with a report on some of the committee’s successful endeavors.
The Land Use Committee has been the subject of much criticism and several new members are leading the recall of new District Four Supervisor Jim Wills.
“The longtime members of your Land Use Committee provided you with a letter and background report in early September,” said LUC member Carolyn Cary. “It was submitted by me, Gordon Dick, Janie Erkiaga, Nancy Huffman and June Roberts.  We’re here today to put some parts of that report in the public record. The Land Use Committee has traditionally operated very quietly -- perhaps to our detriment, since few people seem to know what we’ve accomplished, are accomplishing … or how we do it.”
Cary explained the Land Use Committee serves as a volunteer group in support the Board of Supervisors, and, for years, the County Consultant/Resource Analyst, Sean Curtis.
“It exists to do research and brainstorm positive, innovative solutions and management strategies – within federal law – and, representing all public land users, make recommendations as you ‘coordinate’ land management that affects the county’s economic and social stability with Federal and State agencies,” Cary said. “That said, the Land Use Committee itself has no power or authority of any kind in government-to-government ‘Coordination’ -- it can be, and has been, enormously helpful, but it is not required in order for the Board (or Resource Analyst) to engage in coordination.” 

Obituaries:

James Hampe

James R. Hampe passed peacefully into eternity while resting at his Alturas, CA home on September 19, 2013. Born in DelMar, CA. April 17, 1934, Jim was 79.
The family is very thankful to the Modoc community that Jim called home for 34 years. Jim’s Life Celebration Services will be held in Alturas on Saturday, October 12. Graveside Remembrance Service is at 11 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery, directly followed by a Memorial Service and Reception at the Alturas Elks Lodge, Main Street. All are welcome to attend, potluck side dishes welcomed. Services under the direction of Kerr Mortuary, Alturas.

Charles Knoche

Charles “Charlie” John Knoche JR of Herlong, CA passed away on July 26, 2013.  He was born August 20, 1929 in Chicago IL and joined the Army in 1947 where he served 26 years.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children at 1-800-241-4438. A memorial service and luncheon will be held at the VFW in Herlong at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 19, 2013.  Please let us know if you will be attending by calling Sam at 530-877-9590 or email at samknoche@aol.com and leave a message.

Robin Quirk

Robin Kathryn Quirk, born July 21, 1942,beloved mother of Eric, Craig and Deanne; grandmother to Michael, Steven, Allison, Katie, Nora, Clara, and Shane; dear friend of Jim Madsen passed away September 26, 2013. 
At Robin’s request, there will be no services. Memorials may be directed to Cedarville Cemetery Dist.

Sports

Braves put up 49 in win over Bears

Modoc’s Braves got their first win of the season against a good Mt. Shasta team 49-40 in Mt. Shasta Friday night. Their offense actually got on track after scoring only 13 points in the first three games.
This Friday night Yreka, a much bigger school, comes to Modoc in what will be a real test of the Braves.
Modoc started with a 15-point first period and added 14 to lead the Bears 29-28 at halftime. The Bears took the lead 40-35 in the third period and Modoc added 14 in the fourth quarter and held off Mt. Shasta for the win.

JVs blank Bears 36-0

Modoc’s 5-0 junior varsity team continued its dominance, beating the Bears 36-0.
The Braves started with a safety, scoring nine points in the opening period and led 23-0 by halftime. The added 13 points in the third and didn’t allow the Bears to score.
“Overall the kids played well, even though it took the offense awhile to get going,” said coach Dominic Budmark. “The defense is playing well.”

Modoc netters 2-1 in SCL play

The Modoc varsity volleyball team beat Weed, and lost to Mt. Shasta and Trinity to open the Shasta Cascade league. They beat Burney Tuesday and have Etna at home in their next two matches.
It took five games to decide the Weed match with Weed taking the first two 25-13 and 25-5. Modoc took the third 25-21, the fourth 25-20 and the deciding game 15-12.
Modoc won the fist game against Mt. Shasta 25-21, but lost the next three 17-25, 23-25 and 24-26.
Trinity won the first two games 25-9 and 25-15 before Modoc won the third 25-18. Trinity sealed the match with a 25-13 win in the fourth game.
Modoc varsity beat Burney Tuesday in three games, 25-11, 25-13 and 25-12.
Modoc JVs won in three games, losing the first 28-26, but then winning the next two 25-23 and 15-9.

Cross Country team off to good start

The Modoc Cross Country season opened September 6, 2013 at the Bill Springhorn Classic at Shasta College in Redding. The Braves girls were led by Stephanie Gouveia’s tenth place finish with a time of 20:27:20 in the varsity girl’s three-mile event.
Casey Burns logged a 22:41:04, Madelyn Binning a 23:50:48 and Cindy Cohen with a 25:53:65. On the junior varsity side, Bailey Enz ran in the two-mile event finishing with a time of 16:53:43.
The girls then traveled to the Mt. Shasta Invitational on September 20 where they finished in sixth place as a team on the 2.35-mile course. Casey Burns had a 15 place finish in 17:28 followed by Stephanie Gouveia in 16 with a time of 17:46. Madelyn Binning finished 39 with a time of 19:51 and Cindy Cohen 40 with a time of 20:02. Also running for the team were freshman Ashley Hill in 48 and Bailey Enz 53 overall.
They had a visit to the Fall River Invitational on September 25. In the 5000 meter, Casey Burns finished first in 24:54, Stephanie Gouveia second in 24:54 and Madelyn Binning in third with a time of 27:05. On the JV side, Cindy Cohen finished the 2.2-mile course first with a time of 20:52. Bailey Enz finished second with a time of 20:54. The girls travel next to Foothill High School in Palo Cedro on Friday October 4 to compete in the Cougar Invitational.
Modoc boys opened the 2013 season with a first place victory at the Mt. Shasta Invitational held September 20. The boys completed the 2.35-mile course led by Ruben Orozco in fourth place with a time of 15:13. Mike Bratton finished eighth with a time of 15:45. Jeffrey Gouveia finished 17 in 16:52 and Jeremiah Brownlow 18 in 17:02. Rounding out the team with a time of 17:39 was Isaac Solorio 23.
Also, in September, sophomore Bratton managed to place in the top rankings as an individual at the Bill Springham Classic at Shasta College on September 6. Bratton finished 20 out of a field of 85 in the two-mile event with a time of 12:39:72. Brownlow also placed 22 in the freshman race with a time of 13:34:55.
The boys also competed as varsity in Fall River where Orozco finished first in 20:35, Bratton second in 22:59, Brownlow third in 23:48, Solorio fourth in 24:25 and Jeff Gouveia fifth with a time of 31:46. On the JV side, Cameron McCarty managed to take home the gold with his first ever first place finish.
The Braves are up next at Foothill High School in Palo Cedro on Friday, October 4 at the Cougar Invitational.

October 10, 2013

News

County Counsel: Land Use Committee activity legal

Modoc County Legal Counsel Margaret Long issued a legal opinion at Tuesday’s Supervisors’ meeting, stating that charges of illegal activity by the Land Use Committee and County Resource Analyst Sean Curtis are incorrect.
The opinion was requested by Supervisors following several weeks of contentious allegations, and a comment in the Sept. 26 issue of the Modoc Record, made by some new members of the Land Use Committee that tied directly into the recall effort against Supervisor Jim Wills.
Long’s opinion left little doubt that the charges were not true, and offered a detailed accounting of the situation and past legal activity by the Land Use Committee and the Board of Supervisors.
Two new members who helped author the Sept. 26 comment, Dan Lowry and Fernand Larranaga, asked for some clarification at Tuesday’s Board meeting and left a series of questions with the Board. While those were not directly answered at the meeting, they will probably be dealt with in the upcoming meetings with an Ad Hoc committee charged with trying to resolve the issues and come to terms with policy. That Ad Hoc committee, appointed by the Board, consists of Supervisors Dave Allan and Wills. Meetings will be scheduled in the near future with LUC members involved.
Lowry has indicated he will be a candidate to replace Wills if the recall election takes place. The recall committee is currently collecting signatures of voters in District Four. They will need 259 valid signatures to put the recall on the ballot.

New company for county audit

A new audit firm will do the Modoc County Audit this year.
On Tuesday, Supervisors approved a motion to allow Chief Administrative Officer Chester Robertson and Supervisor Kathie Alves to negotiate a contract with SingletonAuman, a Susanville firm. Once the full terms of the audit costs are firmed up, it will come back to the Board for final approval.
Alves said the County audit committee had received four bids for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 audits, and SingletonAuman was by far the lowest bidder at $230,000.
She said the other three bids came in at $431,570, $517,500 and $446,800.
She said that SingletonAuman had audited Lassen County in the past, but that was about 16 years ago and that was the only real concern. She also said that all four firms received very high recommendations from their customers.
Modoc County Auditor Darcy Locken told the Board she had no problems with any of the auditors who bid, but was somewhat concerned that SingletonAuman had not done a County Audit for some time. In addition, she said Modoc’s financial condition and issues are not like most counties.
Alves said the firm said it will have another firm to do oversight on the audit, apparently within the cost of the bid.

President signs Secure Rural Schools funds

President Barack Obama signed the one-year extension of Secure Rural Schools Program last week, a real boost for local schools and road funding.
According to Modoc County Resource Analyst Sean Curtis, it will mean about $1.45 million for Modoc County, split evenly between roads and schools. An additional $250,000 will be earmarked for the local Resource Advisory Committees.
Modoc County Superintendent of Schools Gary Jones confirmed that the President signed the legislation and he thanked all those people who worked so hard to get it passed.
“By signing this legislation the President will help cash-strapped counties and give Congress time to develop a long-term approach to creating jobs in rural Oregon, (and the west) providing a stable-source of funding for counties and protecting watersheds, fisheries and environmentally sensitive areas,” said Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which wrote the bill. 

Deer migration season means caution

Fall is deer migration season and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 2 would like to remind motorists to please drive with caution. 
Modoc County is a prime area for deer-vehicle accidents on all roads and highways.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are more than 1,800 deer versus vehicle collisions a year in California. About 200 people nationwide are killed every year as a result of these types of collisions.

Obituaries:

Lois barnes

Lois Jean Barnes, a resident of Alturas for the past year, passed away in Alturas, CA at the age of 75 on October 1, 2013. Mrs. Barnes had relocated from Cottonwood She was born in Oroville, CA on March 14, 1938
Services are under the direction of Kerr Mortuary, Alturas. Mrs. Barnes will be laid to rest at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo, CA.

Jim Hampe

Jim Hampe’s Life Celebration Services will be held in Alturas on Saturday, October 12. Graveside Remembrance Service is at 11 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery, directly followed by a Memorial Service and Reception at the Alturas Elks Lodge, Main Street. All are welcome to attend, potluck side dishes welcomed.

George Michel

A memorial service for George Michel of Fort Bidwell, will be held at the Fort Bidwell Civic Club in Fort Bidwell on October 12 at noon. Mr. Michel was 57 at the time of his passing. He is survived by his wife Michelle Michel of Fort Bidwell, his father Michel Caldarella, aunts and many cousins of France.

Charlie Knoche

A memorial service for Charles “Charlie” John Knoche JR, and luncheon will be held at the VFW in Herlong at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 19, 2013.  Please RSVP if you will be attending by calling Sam at 530-877-9590 or email at samknoche@aol.com and leave a message. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children at 1-800-241-4438.

Sports

Braves face Etna for Homecoming 2013

Modoc will face the Etna Lions Friday night in the Homecoming 2013 game and it will also open the Shasta Cascade League season for the Braves. The junior varsity game starts at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity at 7:30 p.m.
Etna comes into the game with a 5-1 record and Modoc has just one win on the season, over Mt. Shasta.
Last Friday night, the Braves lost to the Yreka Miners, a much bigger school, 41-22, but found some bright spots along the way.

JVs drop first game

Yreka beat the Modoc junior varsity 26-0 in the Friday preliminary, handing the young Braves their first loss of the season.
The Miners scored six in the first and six in the second, taking a 12-0 lead into the halftime talks. Modoc was still in the game at that point and had outfitted itself well.
But the Miners came out and scored 14 in the third period to put the game out of reach.

Modoc High School Cross Country is running strong

The Braves had another strong showing last week at the Cougar Invitational held at Foothill High School.
The varsity girls were led in the 5,000-meter event by Casey Burns who finished ninth overall with a time of 22:27. Stephanie Gouveia finished 13th with a time of 22:42, Madelyn Binning in 23rd with a time of 25:34 and Cindy Cohen in 24th with a time of 25:37. Ashley Hill finished the 1.9-mile girls junior varsity event in 13th place with a time of 15:10 while Bailey Enz finished 17th with a time of 15:28.
The JV boys had another strong showing with Ruben Orozco finishing the 1.9-mile event in fourth place with a time of 10:55. Jeff Gouveia finished in 12:05, Isaac Solorio in 12:13 and Jeremiah Brownlow in 12:24. Junior, Cameron McCarty finished with a personal best time of 25:25 in the 1.9-mile event.

What’s coming in Sports—

Modoc High School sports for this week.
Football: Modoc meets Etna here Friday for Homecoming, JV at 5:30 p.m.; Varsity at 7:30 p.m.
Volleyball: Modoc has Fall River here Oct. 10, JV 5:30 p.m., varsity 6:30 p.m., and Weed comes to Town Oct. 17.
Cross Country: Modoc is in Susanville Oct. 23.

October 17, 2013

News

Attempted homicide suspects arrested in Cedarville

On Oct. 15 at about 7:30 p.m., the Modoc Sheriff’s Office received a “911” call from the Cafe .22 in Cedarville, California reporting a physical fight with about seven persons involved.
It was also reported that one person was armed with large stick and one party was headed to a vehicle to obtain an unknown firearm.
At about 7:32 hours, Modoc County Sheriff's Sergeant, Billy Holshouser arrived on scene and attempted to contact two white male adults attempting to leave the scene. When contacted by Sergeant Holshouser at their vehicle, the two suspects, later identified as Tyler James Edwards, age 27, of Maxwell, California and Ross Allen Seiler, age 28, of Willows, California failed to comply with the sergeant’s commands to get on the ground and became combative with Holshouser.
During the investigation, it was alleged that Tyler James Edwards had stabbed local Cedarville resident, John Casey, in the neck area with a knife during a struggle that ensued inside Woody's Bar. Casey had to be flown to a Reno area hospital for his injuries.
Both suspects were taken into custody by sheriff deputies and transported to the Modoc County Jail where they were booked on the felony charges alleging attempted homicide, obstructing/resisting an officer, and accessory to attempted homicide.

Burn ban lifted

Effective Monday, October 21, at 8:00 a.m., the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Lassen-Modoc-Plumas Unit (LMU) will lift restrictions on dooryard debris burning.
This means people may burn dooryard debris without a permit. Permits will not be required until May 1, 2014. However, people must still contact their local Air Pollution Control District to ensure it’s a permissive burn day.
Though we recognize the need and convenience of being able to burn yard debris, we caution people to not let the cooler temperatures lull them into a false sense of security.  One or two warm days can cause fine fuels such as twigs, pine needles and grasses to be easily ignited. 
If people must burn, use extreme caution. Never leave the fire unattended. If a debris burn escapes your control you could be held liable. 

MJUSD schools in improvement program

Modoc Middle School and Alturas Elementary School parents received a notice recently stating the schools were identified by the state as Program Improvement schools because of a lower Adequate Yearly Progress test scores in mathematics and English language arts.
The issue comes from the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. That act requires the state and district to review annually the academic progress of federally funded Title I schools and to identify schools in need of improvement. The schools are tagged as “program improvement” after two years of not making adequate yearly progress on state tests. One key is the percentage of students scoring at the “proficient” or “advanced” level in mathematics and English language arts.
AES did not meet AYP for the years 2011-12 and 2012-13. AES had 39.5 percent of students proficient in language arts and 47.6 percent proficient in mathematics. Its API score was 753, a 49-point drop from the previous year.
MMS did not make the AYP for years 2011-12 and 2012-13 either. Only 50 percent of the students tested proficient in English language arts and 38.6 percent in mathematics. The API score was 779.

Local CHP rates high in state

The Alturas Area California Highway Patrol Office fared extremely well in the 2012 California Law Enforcement Challenge survey.
Area Commander Lt. Mark Moriarity presented a report to the Modoc County Board of Supervisors recently, explaining the results.
According to Moriarity, the Alturas Office was compared to 20 other like-size offices for effectiveness in the state and only one, Mariposa, finished above the Alturas Area. The Record will have more on the entire survey next week.
“I am really proud of the work we did,” said Moriarity. “The guys have done a great job. We cover a large area and there were 503,311 miles patrolled by our officers in 2012. This small community is getting good service for the tax dollars being spent here. (Through vehicle registration).”

Obituaries:

Faye Stahl

Fay Stahl was born in Brooklyn, New York to William and Sadie (Weinstein) Jones (anglicized from Jonish or Yanesh) on September 3, 1924 and entered into rest on September 15, 2013 in Redding, California.
Celebration of Life for Fay will be held at the Niles Hotel in the J.E. Niles Room at 11a.m. on Saturday, October 26.  All are welcome.

Velma Goddard

Velma Marilyn Goddard passed away peacefully at her home in Boulder City, Nevada on Oct. 3, 2013. She was the second child of Ira and Fern Nelson, born on August 21, 1922 in
Velma will be interred in the Adin Cemetery and at her request no services will be held.

Uel “Corky” Marr, Jr.

Uel B “Corky” Marr, Jr. born July 12, 1928, passed September 30, 2013. Mr. Marr grew up in Alturas.
 A celebration of life will be held at the Church of the Nazarene in Oroville, CA Saturday, Oct. 26 at 10:30 a.m. His obituary will be published in a future issue.

Sports

Braves win three periods, lose game

Modoc’s varsity football team went into the fourth quarter of the Etna game Friday night with a 15-0 lead. They lost 16-15. Modoc heads to Weed on Friday.
Modoc coach Shaun Wood was still shaking his head Tuesday morning. “We fell apart in the fourth quarter, it was ugly,” he said. “Up until that last quarter it was a great defensive game for us. Our offense didn’t do much, but we dropped some passes and just didn’t make plays. We really didn’t have the ball in the fourth.”
Wood figures the Braves can get things together against Weed on Friday as long as they can stop a very good running back. Etna beat Weed handily earlier in the season.

Modoc JVs trounce Etna Lions

Modoc’s junior varsity football team demolished the Etna Lions Friday night 44-0 to get back on track.
Coach Dominic Budmark was pleased with the performance and feels the squad is ready for the next game Friday at Weed. Weed is a fast team with talent, but Budmark believes his squad matches up well.

Netters beat Etna, fall to Fall River

Modoc’s varsity volleyball team beat the Etna lions on Oct. 8 by scores of 25-21, 25-15, 23-25 and 25-9. They lost to Fall River Oct. 10 by scores of 25-23, 14-25, 17-25, and 15-25.
Against Etna, Lily Hallmark had 15 kills and six blocks. Kelly Schmidt and Jordan Marquardt each had five kills and Leah Berryessa had four. Schmidt and Hallmark had three service aces each.
In the Fall River loss, Hallmark had 10 kills and six blocks, while Kelsey Clay, Berryessa and Marquardt had four each and Valerie Froeming had three. Froeming had seven service aces, Clay five and Marquardt four.
Modoc’s junior varsity team beat Fall River 25-22 and 25-20.

Soccer team beats Fall River; Weed here today

Modoc High’s Soccer team has been hard at work this season coming off a 6-2 win last week over Fall River Bulldogs.
“They have had a much improved season so far this year even though the win-loss record doesn’t show it,” said one coach, Noelle Jones. “The seniors on the team have led the squad of 21 to a better shot and goal percentage in the first half of the season than the entire season last year.” 
Modoc has two more home games at AES.  They face Weed today at 5:00 p.m. and then meet Butte Valley in a home match next Thursday at 4:00, for the final game of the season. In between they will face Trinity and Mt. Shasta in away games.

October 24, 2013

News

Modoc seeks grant for $7 million new jail

Modoc County Supervisors voted in favor of submitting an application for funding the construction of a new jail at Tuesday’s meeting.
The issue has been underway for several months, led by Supervisor Jim Wills, who said he feels the chances of Modoc getting approval have been enhanced with a good needs assessment study and some changes at the state level. It still may be difficult, but it is possible, he said.
Basically, the new Modoc County Adult Detention Facility has an overall price tag of $7,909,474, with $7,514,000 from a state grant, and a county match of $395,474. That County match would be both cash and “in-kind” funding.
On Tuesday the Board voted to make the application to the California Board of State and Community Corrections, SB 1022 Financing Program for Construction of Adult Local Criminal Justice Facilities. The legislation provides up to $500 million in state lease-revenue financing authority for acquisition, design and construction, including renovation or expansion of local criminal justice facilities in the state.

VFW Ladies will get office back soon

The Veterans of Wars Ladies Auxiliary will get its office back in the Veteran’s Memorial Hall in the near future.
The office was commandeered by Modoc Veteran’s Service Officer Harry Hitchings recently, without gaining permission from the Auxiliary and the move caused a major backlash against Hitchings and the County. It also created a bigger rift between the VFW men and its Ladies Auxiliary.
Last week the VFW notified the Auxiliary that they revoked their charter and their property was seized. That action went over like the proverbial lead balloon and the Auxiliary took quick and decisive action, notifying the VFW that it had no authority to revoke the charter, according to the state VFW Ladies organization.
On Tuesday, the Modoc County Board of Supervisors was greeted by a full house of VFW Ladies Auxiliary supporters demanding again that they get their office back.

Supervisors move to City Hall

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors voted to move its meetings to Alturas City Hall, starting with the next meeting Nov. 12, 10 a.m.
The primary reason behind the move, suggested by Supervisor Kathie Alves, was access to the meetings for disabled individuals who could not attend meetings upstairs in the Courthouse. Alturas City Hall meets requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The move will mean an end, at least temporarily, of the broadcast of the meetings, but that really has become moot because the system has not worked well for the past three or four weeks.
The County is working on the broadcast issue.

Limited services at MNF Campgrounds

With winter approaching, Modoc National Forest officials say services will be reduced at all developed campgrounds. There are now no fees, no water and no trash services. 
Many camping areas remain accessible until winter conditions prevent travel. Officials remind visitors to use caution if traveling on soft, muddy roads as it may cause resource damage. 
The MNF appreciates the public’s assistance in keeping the recreation sites clean by packing out their trash.
Fore more information contact: Warner Mountain Ranger District, Cedarville, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (530) 279-6116; Doublehead Ranger District, Tulelake, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (530) 667-2246; Big Valley Ranger District, Adin, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (530) 299-3215; Supervisor’s Office, Alturas, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (530) 233-5811

Obituaries:

Phil Vermillion

Phil Vermillion, a lifetime resident of Alturas, deceased October 19, 2013 at Modoc Medical Center, after a short battle with cancer.
Phil was born January 24, 1947 and was the son of Carl and Barbara Vermillion who both preceded him in death. 
Please join us in services for Phil, to be held Monday, October 28 at 2 p.m., at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall, So. Main St., Alturas, with fellowship immediately following at the Elks Lodge. Your favorite potluck dish will be welcomed, as will the many memories you may wish to share with friends and relatives. 

Daniel Williamson, Jr.

Daniel Williamson, Jr. of Alturas, CA passed away unexpectedly on October 15 in Alturas, CA at the age of 51. Born on August 18, 1962 in Hanford, CA he attended LeMoore High School and Modoc High in Alturas, CA.
The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra will hold graveside services on Monday, Oct. 28 at 11 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. Fellowship will immediately follow at the Brass Rail in Alturas. Service arrangements are entrusted to Kerr Mortuary, Alturas.

Uel B. Marr, Jr.

Uel B. Marr, Jr. was born in Corvallis, Oregon on July 12, 1928, much to the pleasure of his parents, Uel B. Marr and Isabella Sarah Allison Marr. He passed on September 30, 2013.
A Celebration of Life will be held Oct. 26 10:30 a.m. at the Church of the Nazarene on Monte Vista Avenue in Oroville. Arrangements are entrusted to Ramsey Funeral Home 530-534-3877.

David Ash

The Family has gathered to remember David Ash. The memorial service will be held at the Surprise Valley Community Church in Cedarville at 1 p.m. Saturday, October 26.
Everyone is encouraged to wear bright clothing since the man never met a color he didn’t like. A time of fellowship will follow the service in the church dining hall. Meat and beverages will be provided by the family and others are encouraged to bring a covered dish, since the man also liked most of the food he met. We look forward to seeing you and hearing your fondest memories of David.

Fay Stahl

A Celebration of Life for Fay Stahl will be held at the Niles Hotel in the J.E. Niles Room at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 26.  All are welcome.
Fay was a devoted volunteer for 30 years and a beloved member of the Modoc Library family.

Sports

Modoc trounced by Weed 62-20, Fall River here Friday

Modoc’s varsity football team was forced to leave five starters at home for discipline reasons last Friday, and Weed took advantage by beating the Braves 62-20.
A solid Fall River Bulldog team comes to Modoc this Friday night for another test. Modoc should have its starters back this week.
Modoc coach Shaun Wood figured the game was going to be tough with his full starting squad, but without them, it was going to be a test.
As it looks now, usually powerful Modoc will probably not make the North Section Playoffs for the first time since 2003. Current League and overall standings are: Weed 2-0 (6-2); Fall River 1-0 (4-3); Etna 1-1 (6-2); Burney 0-1 (0-7); and Modoc 0-2 (2-6).
Braves, Bulldogs meet for JV title
Modoc Braves and Fall River’s Bulldogs have been fighting it out for bragging rights in the Shasta Cascade League over the past few seasons, with Fall River on top.
Modoc Coach Dominic Budmark believes the game Friday night in Alturas will determine the SCL junior varsity title and he feels his team is more than ready for the Bulldogs.
Modoc comes into the contest with a 7-1 record, the only loss to a much bigger school, Yreka. Fall River brings a 5-1 record into the game, with its loss to Maxwell.
Modoc beat Etna this year 44-0 and Fall River beat the Lions last week 35-8. The Braves have scored 225 points this season and given up just 72. Of those, 26 were to Yreka.
Modoc beat Weed 30-6 Friday night in Weed, taking a 22-0 halftime lead and added eight in the third, on a safety and a touchdown. Weed scored six in the fourth.

Volleyball splits in SCL play

Modoc varsity volleyball beat the Weed Cougars Oct. 17 by scores of 26-24, 25-22 and 25-15 and then lost to Trinity 13-25, 23-25, 28-26 and 25-14.
The Braves have Burney at home tonight and are at Etna Oct. 31.
Lily Hallmark led the way with 13 kills against Weed. Kelsey Clayt added six, with Valerie Froeming had four kills and Kelly Schmidt and Jordan Marquardt each had three.
Schmidt served five aces and Leah Berryessa served four.
Hallmark had seven kills in the loss to Trinity with Froeming and Marquardt getting four each and Berryessa three. Berryessa had four aces while Hallmark and Schmidt each had three.

October 31, 2013

News

MMC finances improving, still challenges

Modoc Medical Center is running with about $500,000 in the black this year, and the financial picture remains viable, said Chief Executive Officer Kevin Kramer last week.
The Last Frontier Healthcare District assessment is doing what it was designed to do, keep the hospital open and functioning while the staff continues to improve care and services.
The big issue that overshadows all the financial issues is the necessity to build a new hospital by 2020. Kramer said if that issue wasn’t on the horizon, MMC’s future would be more predictable and probably brighter.
That said, a new hospital is definitely in the planning stages and plans have been moving along.  A new site has been identified on 12th Street, just south of the former Forest Service offices. The property runs from 12th Street to Eighth Street, west of Nagle Street. Nagle Street is not actually built through at this time.
Kramer said the price of the property is reasonable and the District is still working on design and specific requirements, including a new estimated price of a new facility. The property under consideration would accommodate other plans to build a community health campus involving other public health agencies.

Task Force investigation net pair on drug charges

A 16-month investigation by the Modoc County Inter-Agency Narcotics Task Force resulted in the service of two search warrants on Oct. 23.
Two people were arrested on drug charges in connection with the investigation, Michael Easterwood and Michael John Schulze.
The first search warrant was served in the 300 block of Chukar Lane and the second search warrant was served in the 600 block of Bobcat Lane.
A marijuana cultivation site was discovered at the Chukar Lane location. At the same site it was discovered that the marijuana was being converted into concentrated THC, which is also known as “hash oil” or “honey oil.” The “hash oil” was believed to be formed through a chemical extraction process. Also, 124 immature cloned marijuana plants were also found growing inside the residence. Easterwood, who recently arrived from the State of Maine, was taken into custody at the Chukar Lane location and booked for unlawful cultivation or processing of marijuana and for operating a clandestine laboratory.

Resource analyst explains use of funds

Modoc County Resource Analyst Sean Curtis and the Board of Supervisors, have been under fire by recall proponents over issues relating to the Land Use Committee as well as the use of Secure Rural Schools Title III funds.
It’s important to note that Title 19 the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, and Land Use Committee, was adopted and formed in May, 1995. The Secure Rural Schools Act and its Title III funds was not passed until the year 2000. The two are not the same animal and should not be confused.
Curtis offered a report to the County recently, trying to clear up some of the confusions as well as misinformation.
Additionally, and most importantly, the county has complied with the annual certification requirement outlined in Title III - Section 303 (a) to verify the funds were used for the purpose authorized. The certification is submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture who reviews the annual certifications.
Summary
Between 2008 to the present, Modoc County has submitted an annual certification to the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to the use of Title III funds as required and at no time has the annual review by the Secretary shown that the use was other than appropriate.
Last week, the Board of Supervisors accepted an opinion that the annual certification acceptance by the Secretary of Agriculture indicated the use of the Title III funds was appropriate.

Cedarville water rates going up 22%

The Cedarville County Water District is holding a public hearing Dec. 9. 7 p.m. to consider adoption of an approximate 22 percent increase in water rates. The hearing will be held at 898 High Street.
According to the District, the average customer would see a rate increase from $22.50 to $27.50 per month on the base rate. The last rate increase was in 2001, and was about 15 percent.
If approved, the rate increase would tale effect February 1, 2014.
“Since 2001 costs for everything have increased,” the District states. Costs for power to operate our two pumps, our greatest single cost, have increased by more than 25 percent.”
In addition, the District says additional unexpected costs are tapping into its contingency fund. The radio telemetry system, which monitors the amount of water in the tanks and turns pumps on and off, has failed. A new system has a price tag of $45,000.

Obituaries:

Linda Clark

Linda Marie Clark of Alturas passed away October 23, 2013 in Redding, CA after many years of living with cancer and continuing to work. Linda made it her lifelong work to help people better their lives and much of that effort was through education.
Linda was born to Dorothy and Earl Clark on January 9, 1948 in Alturas, CA and graduated from Modoc High School,
Services at Alturas Cemetery are pending.

Gail Ruth Ryan

We celebrate the life of Gail Ruth (Jackson) Ryan who passed away quietly in her home on October 22, 2013 surrounded by her loved ones. The oldest of three daughters, Gail was born September 5, 1931 in Stephenville, Texas to Hollis and Pauline (Kay) Jackson. A special thanks to Elisheba Zarahiah and her children who took great care of “Abigail,” whom she loved as her own. A graveside service was held Friday, October 25, 2013 at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Moab, Utah.
Send condolences to the family at www.SpanishValleyMortuary.com

Linda Wistos

Linda Wistos of Alturas passed away at her home in Alturas, CA on October 26, 2013. Graveside services will be held Thursday, Nov. 7 at 11:30 a.m. at Monument Hill Memorial Park in Woodland, CA. A celebration of Linda’s life and fellowship will take place November 9 at 11:30 a.m. at the Brass Rail in Alturas. Mrs. Wistos and her husband George were the owners of Belligerent Duck in Alturas for many years before she retired.

Dr. DuWaine Matthews

Dr. DuWaine Matthews went home to be with the Lord October 16, 2013 at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, CA.
Dr. Matthews was born July 19, 1930 To Leonard and Martha Matthews in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. 
The family requests that any donations be sent in his name to: Mayers Intermountain Healthcare Foundation, (where Dr. Matthews was the Founding President), P.O. Box 77, Fall River Mills, CA 96028
Dr. Roberts’ Surprise Valley Hospital Emergency Fund, P.O. Box 246, Cedarville, CA  96104.
Modoc Medical Center Hospital Auxiliary, Modoc Medical Center, 228 W. McDowell Ave., Alturas, CA  96101.

Marilyn Pierce

Marilyn H. Pierce, age 90, passed away on October 25, 2013 in Reno, NV.  Marilyn was born in Prineville, Oregon on May 28, 1923 to Vernon and Esther Harpham
A private family gathering will be held at a later date.

Arnold Werner

Arnold Valentine Werner, known by everyone as “Arnie,” was called home by his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on October 22, 2013 at the age of 82 in Sacramento, California, with his family by his side.
Born in Sacramento, California to Leo and Bertha Werner, he lived in both Sacramento and San Francisco prior to serving in the Navy during the Korean War.
The memorial service will be held on Friday, November 1 at 10 a.m. in the Eagleville Community Church, with Pastor Ryan Washburn and Randy Hall officiating. Immediately following, there will be a short graveside service at the Eagleville Cemetery. Following the services, the family invites you to join them in celebrating Arnie’s life at a potluck reception at the Eagleville Community Hall. Condolences can be mailed to Joyce Werner and family at 4000 Alan Shepard St., Apt. #130, Sacramento, CA 95834.

Doris Lucas

Doris Ann Lucas, 78, died in Klamath Falls, Oregon on October 25, 2013.  A family celebration of life will be held at a later date in July. Private cremation was held at Eternal Hills in Klamath Falls.
Doris was born on June 10, 1935 in El Paso, TX to James and Doris Ann Coumbe Butler. 

Sports

Fall River whips Braves 40-18

Modoc’s varsity Braves fell victim to the Fall River Bulldogs 40-18 Friday night in Alturas. They finish out their season against Burney, there, tomorrow. They will not make the playoffs.
There is one bright spot in the football season. The Modoc wrestling team will actually get to practice before their first tournament.

Modoc JV’s meet Burney for title

Modoc’s junior varsity beat the Fall River crew 30-14 to set up the actual Shasta Cascade League championship game Friday night against Burney. A win against Burney will guarantee the Braves sole title in the SCL. The Braves are favored going into the game.
Modoc has lost just one game all year, to large school Yreka and have dominated SCL teams. They beat Etna 44-0, Weed 30-6 and Fall River 30-14.

Modoc splits in SCL again

Modoc’s varsity volleyball team split in action in the Shasta Cascade League last week, losing to Mt. Shasta 26-28, 25-15, and 25-19 and beat Burney 25-11, 25-14 and 25-17. They travel to Etna today to finish the regular season.
The Braves have a 13-8 overall record and a 5-5 league record. Following the Etna game. They will wait and see where they fit into the North Section seeding chart.
Against Mt. Shasta, Jordan Marquardt had six kills, Lily Hallmark had five and Kelsey Clay had three. Valerie Froeming had four service aces and Kelly Schmidt had two.
Pricila Madrigal led the Burney game with 10 kills, while Hallmark added eight, Froeming seven and Morgan Bagwell, Clay and Marquardt had three each. Hallmark, Schmidt and Froeming each served four aces.

What’s coming in Sports—

High School sports for this week.
Football: Nov. 1, Modoc travels to Burney; JV 5:30 p.m.; varsity at 7:30 p.m.
Volleyball: Modoc at Etna Oct. 31, JV 5:30 p.m., varsity 6:30 p.m; at Fall River Nov. 5, JV 5:30 p.m., varsity 6:30 p.m.
Cross Country: Nov. 6, Small Schools, SCL, at Mt. Shasta.

November 7, 2013

News

Recall petitions turned in on last day

The proponents of the Recall of District Four Supervisor Jim Wills turned in the recall petitions on Monday, the last day possible. They took all of the allotted 60 days to collect the signatures.
According to County Clerk Darcy Locken, the number of signatures collected is 354. The required number of validated signatures to trigger a recall election is 259.
Locken’s office has until December 18 to verify the signatures. If enough signatures are validated, a recall election would be set for the first term Supervisor. That election would be scheduled not less than 88 days nor more than 125 days from the point of the petition’s certification. The cost of that election would be paid by the County, estimated at between $5,000 to $10,000.
Wills won the Modoc County District IV Supervisor seat vacated by Shorty Crabtree in a close election last November with 392 votes (51.58 percent) to Pam Owens’ 368 votes (48.42 percent). He was just seated in January.
The reason for the recall still remains sketchy and ever changing and all charges brought up by the recall committee have been proven false or without merit.

Barry Point timber salvage ready for offering

The Southeast Zone of the Fremont-Winema National Forest will soon offer the Barry Point Salvage Timber Package. The timber available for harvest includes ponderosa pine and white fir and represents approximate 26 million board feet of volume.
 Timber burned in the 2012 Barry Point Fire will be offered as a stewardship contract, which allows purchasers to bid for service work to offset some of the cost of the timber. Service work includes road maintenance and falling small, non-commercial trees along roadways for public health and safety.
The timber package was previously offered to The Collins Company’s Lakeview Sawmill in Lakeview, Ore., under the provisions of the Lakeview Federal Sustained Yield Unit. The Lakeview Sawmill, who is also processing Barry Point salvage material from private timberlands and the Modoc National Forest, was concerned about the time remaining in the current operating season, weather and on-site conditions.
 “The Forest Service and The Collins Company both agreed that the next step is to offer the volume outside the Lakeview Federal Sustained Yield Unit,” said Amanda McAdams, Southeast Zone District Ranger. “We remain committed to following through with implementing our plan to manage the burned area, and look forward to receiving offers on the salvage.”

No sales in MNF office

Modoc National Forest officials say there will be no sales at the Supervisor’s office, 225 W. 8th Street, Alturas, the week of November 18 – 22.
During this time, the public will not be able to purchase forest maps, passes or permits for any products such as fuelwood, Christmas trees, minerals or mushrooms. However, the public may obtain these services at forest offices in Adin, Tulelake and Cedarville. 
In addition, Modoc National Forest offices will be closed Monday, November 11 in observance of Veteran’s Day. Offices will reopen Tuesday, November 12 at 8:00 a.m.     
For information, please contact Punky Moore, Public Affairs Officer, 530-233-8713.

Most MJU students physically fit

Most fifth, seventh and ninth grade students in the Modoc Joint Unified School District fit into the Healthy Fitness Zone, according to results of California’s Physical Fitness report.
There were 55 fifth graders, 50 seventh graders and 52 ninth graders tested in the MJUSD. The District’s students performed well above the state averages.
In the MJU, 56.4 percent of fifth graders were in the HFZ for aerobic and 60 percent in body composition. The seventh graders were at 70 percent in aerobic and 60 percent in body composition. Ninth graders were at 71.2 percent in aerobics and 63.5 percent in body composition.
In the other areas tested, MJUSD fifth graders who scored in the HFZ were as follows: abdominal strength 80 percent; trunk extension strength 96.4 percent; upper body strength 76.4 percent; flexibility 72.7 percent.
The district’s seventh graders in the HFZ were as follows: abdominal strength 68 percent; trunk extension strength 96 percent; upper body strength 86 percent; flexibility 84 percent.
Ninth grade percentages in the HFZ here were: abdominal strength 94.2 percent; trunk extension strength 100 percent; upper body strength 96.2 percent; flexibility 100 percent.

Obituaries:
Wistos
McHugh
McGee
Dorris

Linda Wistos

Linda L. Wistos of Alturas, CA passed away Saturday, October 26, 2013, at home surrounded by her family.  Linda was born April 25, 1938, in Brownwood, TX to Wayland and Alava Crow.  The family eventually moved to Susanville, CA where Linda attended local elementary schools and graduated from Lassen High School.
Graveside services for Linda will be held at the Monument Hill Memorial Park in Woodland, CA at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, November 7, 2013 with a Celebration of Life on Saturday, November 9, 2013, at 11:30 a.m. at the Brass Rail in Alturas, CA.  Friends are invited to either or both.  The family requests donations to the charity of your choice in lieu of flowers.

Robert McHugh

Robert Patrick McHugh passed away on October 17, 2013, at the age of 86, at the Idaho State Veteran’s Home in Boise, Idaho, where he had been a resident for the last three years.
He was born in Alturas, CA on May 23, 1927 to Pat and Kitty McHugh. He went to school all his life in Alturas and graduated from Modoc High School in 1945.
Inurnment will be at the Alturas Cemetery at a later date.

Virgie Ray McGee

Virgie Ray McGee was born to Frederick and Lillie Spitzer on December 23, 1916 in Sagerton, Texas. She passed away November 3, 2013 in Ruidoso, New Mexico. She was one of nine children in her family.
Funeral services will be held in Ruidoso, New Mexico on November 11 and graveside services and interment will be held in Reno, Nevada on November 15. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Federated Church or the Modoc County Senior Center.

Daniel G. Dorris

Daniel G. Dorris was born on August 9, 1934 to Robert and Hazel (Flournoy) Dorris. He passed away on October 28, 2013, in Chico, CA.
Daniel was raised in Alturas, CA and attended Modoc County schools.
There will be Celebration of Life at First Christian Church, 295 East Washington Ave, Chico, CA on Saturday, November 9 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Dorris Family Fund c/o Environmental Alternatives, P.O. Box 3940, Quincy, CA 95971 or donations may be made to the American Heart Association.

Maria Butcher

September 9, 1983 – October 11, 2013
We were saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Maria Butcher at her home in New Zealand. Maria came to Modoc County in the summer of 2012.  She touched many lives while working and visiting in the community until she returned to her home last October.
A fellow New Zealand archaeology colleague wrote “In recognition of her strong relationships with local Maori, she was offered (and her family, from the other end of NZ accepted) a tangi or traditional three-day Maori ‘wake’ at Akerama Marae near the Ruapekapeka Pa (fort) and New Zealand wars battlefield of 1845-46 – she is the first non-Maori not married into or otherwise related to the tribe to be given this honour. It is a testament to her work on the battlefield and her relationship with the Maori elders descended from the participants in that conflict, that the offer was extended.”

Sports

Modoc ends season with win at Burney

Modoc’s varsity football team capped a disappointing season in a positive manner by beating the Burney Raiders 28-16 in Burney last Friday night.
The Braves end the season with a 3-7 overall record, with one of those wins a forfeit, and a 1-3 record in the Shasta Cascade League. They will not be going to the North Section Playoffs.
“It was a good night and we even missed a couple scoring opportunities,” said coach Shaun Wood. “We were flat in the first half, but they responded well in the second half. It was good to finish with the win.”
Fall River is currently on top of the SCL, with a 3-0 record and is heavily favored against Burney Friday night. Etna and Weed will play Friday to determine the second place finisher. Both teams have 2-1 records.

Modoc JV wins SCL title

Modoc’s junior varsity Braves left no doubt as to who had the best team in the SCL. They trounced Burney 46-0 in the preliminary game Friday night to claim the outright SCL crown with a 4-0 league record and a 9-1 overall year.
The Braves scored 301 total points this year, while giving up just 86 (26 of those to large school Yreka in their only loss.). That works out to a defense giving up and average of 8.6 points while the offense averaged 30.1 points.
“Overall, I couldn’t be prouder of the team,” said coach Dominic Budmark, completing his fifth year. “We had talent and the players showed real level of commitment throughout the season from day one. They were very coachable and when we told them something, they did what we asked them to do.”

Etna drops Braves netters

Etna’s Lions dropped the Modoc girls’ varsity volleyball team 16-25, 22-25, 25-21 and 21-18 last week. Modoc lost to Fall River Tuesday 26-24, 19-25, 18-25 and 15-25.
The Braves are currently ranked fifth in the North Section CIF Division Five playoff picture with a 13-10 overall record and a 5-7 Shasta Cascade League mark.
Against Etna, Lily Hallmark led with 13 kills, while Jordan Marquardt added nine, Kelsey Clay had eight, Valerie Froeming had six and Leah Berryessa had five. Clay served four aces, Kelly Schmidt had three and Froeming and Hallmark had two each.
Hallmark had eight kills in the Fall River match with Berryessa and Marquardt getting four each and Clay three. Schmidt and Clay each served two aces.
Modoc will be in the North Section playoffs, but the opponent and date of the opening rounds is not yet known.

MMS hosts girls hoops tourney

Modoc Middle School is hosting a girl’s basketball tournament Nov. 8-9 at the Modoc High School Gym.
Schools sending teams include Modoc, Fall River, Surprise Valley, Big Valley and Burney. The tourney will start Friday at 10 a.m. with round robin play in the B division with the last game at 2 p.m.
Action will start again at 10 a.m. Nov. 9, with B elimination games and the A Division. The B title game will be at 3 p.m. and Modoc’s A team will meet Fall River at 4 p.m. to round out the event.

November 14, 2013

News

Supervisors concerns about state groundwater plan

Modoc County Supervisors expressed serious concern about a new State Water Boards groundwater plan, which seems to be on a fast track.
County Chief Administrative Officer Chester Robertson presented the concept Tuesday, stating that the draft concept paper was released last month and stakeholder input would be through this month with comments due by Dec. 6. Discussion on stakeholder input is scheduled in January.
Robertson said it was important that the county be represented at meeting on the issue and provide input and comments on the draft plan.
“Groundwater is a huge issue for us,” said Chairperson Geri Byrne. “It’s better to do monitoring locally.”
Supervisor Jim Wills said the County needs to be directly involved in this issue and that there needs to “be more local control.”
Byrne volunteered to attend a meeting in Sacramento Friday to get a better understanding of the plan as well as express Modoc County’s views.
“Population growth and more intensive land use will place increased demands on the State’s water supply,” the opening of the groundwater concept states. “At the same time, surface water runoff is projected to decline due to the effects on climate change. These and other factors point to increased reliance on groundwater, however, many of California’s aquifers are already experiencing contamination and/or overdraft. These challenges do not lend themselves to a ‘one size fits all’ solution, given the varying physical and institutional characteristics of California’s groundwater basins.”

Food Stamp cuts will take food off Modoc tables

Those Modoc people who rely, fully or partially, on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, (Food Stamps) will see a cut in benefits this month, and with that comes a cut in the amount of food on their tables.
Most experts agree that while the cuts may not seem meaningful for Americans who are doing well, for the poor, they mean going hungry some times of the month.
“Without a doubt, the reduction in CalFresh (food stamps) will impact every recipient household,” said Modoc Social Services Director Sarah Holshouser. “With mass communications being what they are today, the news has kept this at the forefront which has helped inform the recipient families. We anticipate additional questions will follow and will continue our efforts at making sure that all qualified families will receive support.”
She said that earlier this year, the eligibility requirements were modified to make it easier to qualify for CalFresh (Food Stamps).  
“I think very few anticipated the reduction in benefits so quickly, but the ‘up side’ is that the modified qualifications are still in place which at least allows for greater ease in obtaining necessary assistance.”
She said Modoc has 437 cases on food stamps. The program is also a benefit to grocery and food stores.
The cut in the food stamp program may also trigger a larger reliance on agencies and charitable groups, which help cover the need each year. While there are no exact figures on how much extra help might be needed, groups are gearing up for some impact.
According to Holshouser, the impacts will be as follows: household of one now receives $200, will lose $11 per month; a household of two which receives $367 will see a reduction monthly of $20; a household of three that receives $526 will see a cut of $29 monthly and a household of four that gets $668 will see a drop of $36 per month.  

Likely Saloon license  suspended

 On November 7, 2013, ABC agents posted a 35 day Suspension Notice at the Likely Saloon, a restaurant and bar located at 3240 Highway 395 in the community of Likely.
 The saloon will not be allowed to sell alcohol for the next 35 days as the result of a Target Responsibility for Alcohol-Connected Emergencies (TRACE) investigation by the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).  The penalty was enforced today following administrative proceedings. At the end of the proceedings, an Administrative Law Judge ruled that the Saloon license should be suspended.
 ABC agents worked with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and were able to substantiate that a bartender sold alcohol to minors back on September 30, 2011. One of the minors died in an alcohol-related crash after leaving the bar.

Group, community effort brings Thanksgiving to the table

Jeanne Emerson’s wishes are coming true. Since she first cooked and served the Annual free Thanksgiving dinner to everyone years ago, at Christian Life Assembly Church, 225 West B Street in Alturas, she has kept the effort going, not desiring any credit or special attention.
It’s been no easy task. Organizational skills and logistics are thrown into the mix. But, it has been a big labor of love for Emerson all these years and she has learned a lot and appreciates all the support given by Christian Life, a cadre of volunteers and her pastor.
Thoughtfully, she has been looking for someone to train and coordinate the effort for future Thanksgivings.
This year, Emerson is thrilled that Faith Baptist Church is joining hands with Christian Life Assembly to produce, prepare the meal, create desserts and logistically offer the free Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings at Christian Life Assembly Church, 225 West B Street, Alturas. The dinner is free and open to everyone, but reservations are required.
Seating is limited, with room for 100 – 125 guests.
“Please make reservations early,” says Emerson. Dinner will be served at noon on November 28, Thanksgiving Day at Christian Life Assembly in Alturas.”
For reservations, call Christian Life, 233-2804 or Jean Emerson, 233-5772.
Church volunteers are already aware and have arrangements in place for an additional 75 meals which are reserved, will be prepared, packaged and must be delivered by volunteers.
Donations of food, helping hands and money to purchase food, will be gratefully accepted. Donations may be sent to Christian Life Assembly, 225 West B St., Alturas, CA 96101 (note for Thanksgiving dinner).

Sports

Winter sports gearing up for season

We didn’t receive any information about Modoc’s volleyball team and the North Section Division Five Playoffs this week, but we know they are in the playoff picture. We’ll have results next week.
In addition, the Cross Country team should be at the North Section finals this week at West Valley, but we got no information from their coach either.
What we do know is that wrestling started practice this week and have their first tournament on Dec. 6-7 in Chester. It’s always a big tourney and this will be the first time in years the Braves have actually had time to practice. That’s because they missed the football playoffs.
Modoc’s basketball teams are in practice sessions and will open in the Block F at Fall River Dec. 5-7.

November 21, 2013

News

Police ban trio in business burglary

Alturas Police arrested three suspects following a Tuesday night-Wednesday morning burglary at Heard Plumbing in Alturas.
According to Chief of Police Ken Barnes, the suspects originally entered the business about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night and made a total of three trips into the business until about 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Barnes made the arrest of the three, Anthony Duran, Justin Johnson and Charles Preston, Jr., about 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning at the culmination of the APD investigation. They are booked with multiple burglary charges, possession of stolen property, criminal conspiracy, with more charges pending.

City moves on biomass project

Last week the Alturas City Council approved a contract with Wisewood, Inc., for engineering services on proposed Biomass Heating District project.
The contract comes at a cost of about $51,000 and the engineering study should be completed by summer, according to City Public Works Director Joe Picotte. The project comes under the Sierra Nevada Conservancy’s Proposition 84.
The Watershed Research and Training Center in Hayfork, released the request for proposals for preliminary engineering and implementation for the City and recommended that Wisewood be awarded the contract.
Basically, the project involves a biomass (wood fired) district heating system, with the boiler system located on East Street just east of the Barclay Justice Center. The empty lot in question is owned by the County.
The plant will use either wood chips or pellets to fire a boiler to heat water. The heated water would then be piped into the Modoc County Courthouse, the Barclay Justice Center, the Modoc County Jail, the Modoc County Transportation Commission and the Niles Hotel to provide heat.
There is a possibility that existing geothermal wells and wastewater from those wells would be used to help generate the hot water, but that’s not certain at this time.

Scams popping up all over

The holidays have a lot of good things involved, but they are also the time when scams of all sorts are spawned and tried on unsuspecting citizens. This year is no different.
The key to not being a victim is never to respond to something that sounds too good to be true and never respond to a deal which requires someone buy something or asks for money, bank, social security or credit card numbers.
This week, two scams were reported to Alturas Police, the first involving Publisher’s Clearing House and the second, Wal-Mart.
In the Publisher’s Clearing House deal, local residents were told they had to buy four Green Dot cards at Rite Aid, and put $400 to $450 on each card. They were to send those cards in to a certain place. When they said they couldn’t afford to buy the cards, they were told to put $400 on two cards and Publishers Clearing House would pick up the other two. Once they sent the cards, they’d win $1.5 million. Luckily, the residents did not fall for the scam and are warning others to be aware.
The second scam came on a postcard and said the person had an unclaimed reward of $100 at either Wal-Mart of Target. They just had to call in to claim the reward. The card looked official so the person called the number thinking she’d be talking to someone from Wal-Mart or Target. The man on the other end of the line however did not speak English and she had to tell him to slow down.
The prize grew to $200 if she would send $1.95 on a credit card. It still sounded good so she got her credit card and read off the first two numbers.
The woman then called Wal-Mart who said she was the third caller who had called them and they confirmed it was a farce.

IRWMP set for adoption

The final review draft of the Upper Pit Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) will be considered for adoption at a meeting of the Regional Watershed Management Group on December 5, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at the Bieber Veteran’s Hall located on Bridge Street.
The outcome of this two-and-a-half year process is an IRWMP 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 an extensive public meeting and Internet-based review process that gathered input from local residents and stakeholders in the region.
The Plan 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.

Obituaries:

Judath James

Judath James (Larson), passed away from a courageous battle with breast cancer on Monday, November 18, 2013, in Glendive, Montana, at the age of 42 years old. 
Judath was born on October 13, 1971, to Anthony E. Larson and Susan Larson (Parry) in Provo, Utah.
The family of Judath welcomes you to join them in saying our final goodbyes and farewell:  In Glendive, MT:   A memorial service will be held in Glendive, Montana on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, located at 1900 N. Anderson Avenue, Glendive, MT 59330.  In Alturas, CA:  A memorial service will also be held in the Spring of 2014 in Alturas, CA, at a date and time to be determined.

Henry R. Schadler

Henry Ray Schadler of Fort Bidwell, CA passed away November 15, 2013 in Reno, NV. A native of California, Mr. Schadler was born January 26, 1947. He is survived by his wife Linda. Service arrangements are pending. His obituary will be published in a future issue.

Catherine T. O’Neal

Catherine Teresa O’Neal of Adin, CA passed away November 19, 2013. Graveside committal will be held at the Lookout Cemetery on Monday, Nov. 25 at 11 a.m. Arrangements entrusted to Kerr Mortuary, Alturas, CA.

Sports

Sports--

Coming up in Modoc High School sports:
Wrestling:
Dec. 6-7 at Chester Tournament
Dec. 13-14 Modoc Northeast Classic
Basketball:
Girls at Fall River Dec. 5, JV 12:30 p.m., varsity 1:30 p.m.
Boys at Block F, Fall River, Dec. 5-7.
Both team at Portola tourney Dec. 12-14.

Girls Cross Country finish second in league

The Braves girls Cross Country team closed out the season with a pair of meets at West Valley High School. The first meet on November 6 was the final Southern Cascade League meet where the Braves were led by Stephanie Gouveia with a time of 22:53 and a sixth place finish overall. She finished the season third in league, earning her a spot on the all league team.
Madelyn Binning finished the race with a time of 25:23 in 14th place and earning her the number six ranking in league and a place on the all league team.
The rest of the team, Cindy Cohen, Ashley Hill and Bailey Enz all ended up in the top 25 of the meet.

MHS boys Cross Country team finish season

The SCL finals were held at West Valley High School on November 6. The Modoc team finished third in league paced by freshman Ruben Orozco who finished the three-mile course in 11th place with a time of 19:15 earning him the fifth spot on the all league team.
Sophomore Mike Bratton finished 17th overall with a time of 19:58 and sealing the seventh spot on the all league team. Freshman Jeffrey Gouveia finished 19th overall and just missed the final spot on all league by three seconds.

November 28, 2013

News

Where shopping is a treat

Local shops throughout Modoc County are hoping to attract and entice post Thanksgiving shoppers this weekend. Small business owners and their employees are going all out to show off their holiday sparkle and merchandise.
Many offer free gift wrapping, easy parking and no long lines at the register.
Tucked inside the boutique shops, general stores and hardware stores in and around Alturas are some unique finds and an array of variety. But, you won’t know what they have if you don’t walk through their front doors. Special gifts and everyday treats and usable items are available. Try a pleasant shopping experience and locate something you didn’t even know existed at one of the small businesses.
Alturas is fortunate to have a wide variety of eateries. Enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner out at one of the many restaurants.
And for more treats, on Sunday, Dec. 1, don’t miss the Holiday Open House at Likely General Store from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Their array of old fashioned favorites in the candy department, have arrived in time for the holidays. Don’t forget to check out the fun store basement for more gifts and collectibles.
And remember, there are fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Saturday, Nov. 30 is also Small Business Saturday. Tax dollars spent in Modoc County help the local economy.
The country’s 23 million small businesses account for about 54 percent of all U.S. retail sales, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

New management team for Social Services

On Tuesday, the Modoc County Board of Supervisors were set to approve a management deal for the Social Services Department, triggered by the Nov. 13 departure of former Social Services Director Sarah Holshouser.
They adopted a Memorandum of Understanding setting up a transition management team between Social Services and Health Services to oversee department management functions.
“The County desires to engage in a process of long-term planning and structuring for Social Services, which must be completed prior to the appointment of a new director,” the MOU states. “Also, in order to serve the clients in the interim, provide leadership and support functions for Social Services staff, the departments desire to work together to provide leadership to Social Services in the absence of a Director, and to engage in coordination to better serve clients accessing both departments and to break down barriers between the departments.”
Basically, the lead point person for the management team is Health Services Deputy Director Kelly Crosby. She will be responsible for program oversight, providing leadership for day-to-day operations. She will also ensure that mandates and deadlines are met, as well as day-to-day supervision of personnel, maintaining the current supervisory structures and more.
Health Services Director Karen Stockton will liaison with the State Department of Social Services and the County Welfare Directors Association. Stockton will also be responsible for fiscal oversight in the Health Department.

Community helps with food program

The Modoc community is always generous when it comes to the holiday season, whether it is for Thanksgiving food baskets or for Christmas gifts. This year is no exception, and the need is real in many areas.
TEACH, Inc. runs an essential food bank all year long as well as do some local churches. But those entities can only handle so much of the need, and it’s pretty daunting when the annual cost comes into play.
TEACH Executive Director Carol Cullins Callaghan said the Food Bank will be able to help about the same number of people it does annually, and the need remains pretty constant. She also believes an impending cut in the Food Stamp program from the federal level will have some negative impact here.
Callaghan said the Food Bank operates with a $12,000 annual grant and the community makes up the rest, making it about a $25,000 program. While that may sound like a lot, it really isn’t.
In a way to make the food dollars go further, TEACH is implementing a free cooking program to teach people how to make meals from scratch without having to buy the pre-packaged products that are more expensive and in many cases less healthful.
This week, she said several volunteers have stepped forward as instructors for the program and she hopes to get it started in earnest very soon.
According to state figures, there are about 950 people in Modoc receiving food stamp benefits, at a cost of about $130,000 per month. The average is $125 per month or $1,504 per person annually. That works out to about a $1.5 million annual program.
Local providers point out the obvious – there’s no way community charities and programs can come close to cover that price tag without the Food Stamp program. That’s true across the nation.

APD nabs Holdorff burglars

Alturas Police arrested two people Tuesday involved in two separate burglaries to Holdorff’s Recycling on Court Street in Alturas.
According to Chief of Police Ken Barnes, the first burglary occurred last week where some cash was missing, and the second burglary occurred last Monday night.
Barnes said the second incident resulted in the loss of a computer tower, U.S. Currency, rolled coins and a .22 caliber Beretta semi-automatic handgun. Most of the items, except the handgun have been recovered.
Booked into the Modoc County Jail on multiple charges of burglary, possession of stolen property and child endangerment was Errol Velcoff, 33, of Alturas. A 13-year-old relative of Velcoff was also arrested on the burglary and possession charges and remanded to the Modoc County Probation Department.
According to Barnes, the two entered the business by breaking the glass of a barred window and slithering through the opening. Police are still searching Velcoff’s residence for the pistol.

Obituaries:

Henry Ray Schadler

Henry Ray Schadler was born January 26, 1947  and passed away in Reno, Nevada on November 15, 2013. He was born to George R. and Doris Parman-Schadler in Alturas CA. He attended Elementary school in Lake City, CA and graduated from Surprise Valley High School, Cedarville, CA in 1965.
Services to be announced at a later date.

Denise Fogle Nasland

Denise Fogle Nasland, daughter of Ken and Zeta Fogle of Alturas, passed away unexpectedly on November 22, 2013 in Redding, CA. Mrs. Nasland was a graduate of Modoc High School, Alturas.
Services are pending. Obituary will be published in a future issue.

Sports

Rotary Block M Basketball Tournament is coming

Mark your calendar now. The Rotary Block M Basketball Tournament is coming December 19-21, 2013 to the Modoc High School Gymnasium.
Participating teams will include Modoc’s Braves, Weed Cougars, Lakeview Honkers, Las Plumas Thunderbirds (girls team) and the Hosanna Christian Lions (boys team).
There will be a pulled pork dinner with all the fixings available Friday, December 20 from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. for only $10 per person, at the Shirley Oxley Hall. Special events include $5 half court shot each night, the T-shirt launcher, plus more.
Be on the lookout for the official program that will be available in local businesses in December. The Block M Basketball Tournament is a joint effort of the Alturas Rotary and the Alturas Sunrise Rotary Clubs.

Sports Calendar--

Coming up in Modoc High School sports:
Wrestling:
Dec. 6-7 at Chester Tournament
Dec. 13-14 Modoc Northeast Classic
Basketball:
Girls at Fall River Dec. 5, JV 12:30 p.m., varsity 1:30 p.m.
Boys at Block F, Fall River, Dec. 5-7.
Both team at Portola tourney Dec. 12-14.

December 5, 2013

News

Alturas man killed in car crash

An Alturas man was killed in a vehicle accident Dec. 2 10:50 p.m. on U.S. 395 north of Bowman Road.
According to the California Highway Patrol and Modoc Coroner, Bill Lee Yates, 35, was driving a 2008 Chevrolet northbound when for unknown reasons he allowed the vehicle to leave the west roadway edge and collided with a large boulder. The Chevy overturned. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle.
He was transported to Modoc Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.

Modoc jobless rate at 9.5%

The unemployment rate in Modoc County for Oct. 2013 stood at 9.5 percent, up from September’s 9.0 percent.
According to the Employment Development Department, the civilian labor force in the county was 3,870 in October, down from September’s 3,910. In October, 370 people were unemployed wile in September that number was 350.
In October 2012, Modoc had a jobless rate of 11.5 percent, where 3,490 people were employed and 450 were unemployed. The civilian labor force was 3,940 last October and dropped to 3,870 this year.

Modoc County set to decide on pot ordinance

While it won’t be an “Up in Smoke” moment, the Modoc County Board of Supervisors may decide on its medicinal marijuana ordinance at a public hearing next week.
The ordinance has been in the works for years, in various forms and has undergone some changes as time has passed.
The public hearing is on Tuesday, December 10, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. or soon thereafter in the Alturas City Council Chambers at the Alturas City Hall, 200 W. North Street.
Project Name: Medical Marijuana Cultivation Ordinance
The Medical Marijuana Cultivation Interim Emergency Ordinance was adopted on March 26, 2013, extending Ordinance 349-A for a period of 12 months. A non-interim Ordinance must be adopted prior to that expiration date of March 26, 2014.
The public will have its chance to comment on the ordinance under certain details. The ordinance deals with Proposition 215, passed by the voters in 1996 and deals with people who are in need of marijuana for medical purposes.

MNF plans Big Sage range project

The public has until Dec. 9 to submit comments on the Devil’s Garden Ranger District’s proposed project to improve range conditions and habitat for sage-grouse in the Big Sage Allotment, approximately seven miles northwest of Alturas.
 The proposal consists of the construction of about six miles of pasture fencing, one stock tank, and one spring development. The proposed fencing and reservoir are located just south of Big Sage Reservoir and the proposed spring development (Mill Springs) is located just west of Big Sage Reservoir. 
The purpose of the project is to enhance upland and riparian ecological conditions and provide for improved foraging and nesting conditions for sage-grouse over the southern portion of the Big Sage Allotment. 
Written comments should be mailed to Tim Davis, Acting District Ranger, Devil’s Garden Ranger District, ATTN: Range Department, 225 West 8th Street, Alturas, CA  96101;  Fax:  530- 233-8809. 

Obituaries:

Denise Lynn Fogle Nasland of Redding, CA passed away at home from natural causes on November 22, 2013. 
Born December 16, 1955 in Klamath Falls, OR, to Ken and Zeta Fogle, she graduated from Modoc High in 1974. 
A celebration of life service will be held at a later date.

Henry R. Schadler

A memorial service for Henry Ray Schadler will be held December 14 at 1 p.m. at the Fort Bidwell Church with a gathering immediately following at the Fort Bidwell Hall. Mr. Schadler passed away in Reno, NV November 15, 2013. He was born to George R and Doris Parman-Schadler in Alturas, CA.

Chung Lee
Alturas resident Chung Lee, a native of China, born October 3, 1919, passed away at his home on November 30, 2013. At Mr. Lee’s request, the family will respect his wishes with no services to be held.

Margaret Mae Beck

Margaret Mae Beck of Adin, CA passed away in Fall River Mills, CA on November 29, 2013. She was born February 4, 1923 in Excelsior, Minnesota. At her and her family’s request, no services will be held.

Sports

Sports—

Coming up in Modoc High School sports:
Wrestling:
Dec. 6-7 at Chester Tournament
Dec. 13-14 Modoc Northeast Classic
Basketball:
Girls at Fall River Dec. 5, JV 12:30 p.m., varsity 1:30 p.m.
Boys at Block F, Fall River, Dec. 5-7.
Both team at Portola tourney Dec. 12-14.

Modoc fields strong wrestling squad

Modoc’s wrestling team opens the 2013-14 season at the big Chester Invitational, and for the first time in several years they’ve actually had a couple of weeks of practice before the opening event.
When the football team didn’t make the North Section playoffs this season, the wrestlers got to trade pads for mats and the difference is obvious to coach Shaun Wood.
“We’re going to be tough as nails and be in a position to challenge for the section title this year,” Wood said. “This year, I think we’ll take more than one wrestlers to state. The record is four, and these guys want to break that mark. Honestly, I think we have five who have legitimate shots.”
Wood figures the team will place in the top five at Chester, facing much bigger schools like Chico, and he sees multiple Modoc individual champions.
“We’ve never had this much practice before, it was kind of odd,” Wood said. “And I’m very pleased with where the team is right now. They’re working hard and improving.”

Modoc girls in Fall River today

Modoc girl’s basketball gets underway today when the Braves meet Fall River there Dec. 5, with the junior varsity at 12:30 p.m. and varsity at 1:30 p.m.
The Braves are coming off least season’s 6-6 league and overall 13-11 record. They lost in Section 2nd Round to Durham.  Modoc head coach is Bill Hall with assistants Amy Ward and Jodi Veverka.
Returning for the season are Kelsey Clay, a Shasta Cascade League all league selection, Jordan Marquardt, Leah Berryessa, Whitney Vierria, and Claudia Serrano.
Newcomers to the varsity this year are: Pricila Madrigal, Kelsey Sphar, Kirsten Jones, Stephanie Gouveia, Kelly Schmidt and Beth Derner.
Hall said the team is probably in the middle of the road.
“We’re not a big team but could be seen as dark horse and will be in the middle of the SCL race,” Hall said. “We should collect enough wins to make CIF playoffs.”

Braves named to All-league team

Several Modoc Braves were named to the Shasta Cascade All League team for 2013.
In football, Tyler Ewing, Alan Weber and Justin Valena received the honor with David Buckley getting an honorable mention.
Volleyball’s Lily Hallmark was named All-league while soccer’s Benjamin Jones was honorable mention.
Cross Country’s All-League runners were: Madelyn Binning, Stephanie Gouveia, Mike Bratton and Ruben Orozco.

December 12, 2013

News

Deep freeze looks to lessen

The deep freeze Modoc has been in for the past eight days appears to be heading out by tomorrow. But don’t get too excited, it’s only going to get into the low 40s for the next few days.
Alturas has not had a daytime high above freezing since December 4 and it has had lows below zero each of those nights. The coldest was Dec. 8 when the mercury shivered down to minus 27 degrees. That was not the record low for December, however. That occurred Dec. 9, 1972 at 34 degrees below zero.
The highs and lows for the week are as follows: Dec. 4, 25 (-1); Dec. 5, 27 (-10); Dec. 6., 31 (-1); Dec. 7, 21 (-11); Dec. 8, 10 (-27); Dec. 9, 19 (-22); Dec. 10, 21 (-11); Dec. 11, 35 (-5).
Plumbers, electricians and trades people have been incredibly busy for the past week dealing with frozen pipes and repairing heaters or stoves. Hardware stores had a run on space heaters, and in some cases hair driers to thaw pipes.
In addition, there have been several instances where diesel-powered farm equipment has been idled.
But look on the bright side, the forecast for Sunday calls for clear with a high of 47 and a low of 20 . . . balmy by anyone’s standards.

Recall proponents scrape up just enough valid signatures

The proponents of the Recall of District Four Supervisor Jim Wills had just over the required amount of valid signatures on their recall petitions, even though they took all of the allotted 60 days to collect the names.
According to County Clerk/Registrar of Voters Darcy Locken, the number of unverified signatures filed was 353, and those found to be valid numbered 269, just 10 over the required number of 259. There were 84 signatures found to be invalid.
Locken presented her certification of the initiative to Supervisors Tuesday with a request to set a recall election. She said the election could be set March 18, March 25, April 1, April 8 or April 15. That decision is in the Board’s hands.
That election has to be scheduled not less than 88 days nor more than 125 days. The cost of that election will be paid by the County, estimated at between $5,000 to $10,000.
Wills won the Modoc County District IV Supervisor seat vacated by Shorty Crabtree in a close election last November with 392 votes (51.58 percent) to Pam Owens’ 368 votes (48.42 percent).
He just took his seat in January. The reason for the recall still remains unclear and the charges brought up by the recall committee have been proven false.

False information creates false issue

Proof that false information can lead to false crisis was apparent Tuesday at the Modoc County Board of Supervisors meeting.
On the agenda was an item for the Board to “remove the ex-officio position of Registrar of Voters from the Office of the County Clerk, effective January 1, 2015, pursuant to California Government Codes . . . as authorized by AB 254 (Dahle) and signed by Governor Brown 2013.”
The agenda item caused an eruption in some of the Supervisor Jim Wills recall proponents and prompted a questionable, if not false, radio ad to air. What that ad said, in part, was: “Citizens of Modoc County, are you aware of the power grab by County Administrative Officer Chester Robertson, backed by the Board of Supervisors, Geri Byrne, and Jim Wills? The plan is to remove responsibility from the duly elected Registrar of Voters Darcy Locken and delegate it to someone to be appointed by the board . . . So, why does the board want to remove responsibility from a duly elected official to someone they choose? This does not pass the ‘smell test!’ We need to recall Jim Wills and concentrate on Geri Byrne and Dave Allan in June 2014!”
Several people arrived at the Board meeting to voice their opposition to the change in the Registrar of Voters. Most of the comments centered around the need of an elected official to be in that position and removing the elected official would violate the speakers’ Democratic rights or voting rights. Just how that would happen was not detailed. Several of the speakers were part of the recall effort.
Chairperson of the Board Geri Byrne told those in attendance that the ad was full of misinformation and tried to explain what had brought the issue to the table this week.
First off, she explained that this was not a “power grab” by the Board and it had been in the works since December 2008.

DA will not file charges in wire fraud case

Modoc County District Attorney Jordan Funk told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday that he would not be filing any charges against the Administrative Office concerning an alleged wire fraud.
Funk received a complaint following a Modoc County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the issue, which was initiated by Modoc County Treasurer Cheryl Knoch and Auditor Darcy Locken.
They claimed that on November 7, 2013 two unauthorized payments were submitted to the EDD for payment of taxes owed for Second Quarter 2013 (April 1-June 30, 2013) amount: $12,253.80 and Third Quarter 2013 (July1 – September 30, 2013) amount: $13,757.00
“These amounts were unauthorized because they were initiated by Emily Ramos in the Administration office, who I believe was instructed to do so by her supervisors Pam Randall and Chester Robertson,” Knoch wrote in a memo to the Board of Supervisors at the time.  “Any and all payments disbursed from the Modoc County Treasury shall be distributed only on county warrants, checks, or electronic fund transfers issued by the county auditor.”
Knoch tried to get the payments reversed, but could not and was told she and Locken would have to have a police report. So they contacted the Sheriff’s office for that action.
Funk told the Board Tuesday that he had received the investigative report from the SO regarding “criminal transfer of funds” to EDD and had investigated the issue himself.
He concluded there was no evidence of embezzlement or attempt to defraud by the CAO’s office. Instead, they were paying bills to EDD that were owed by the county.

Obituaries:

Billy Lee Yates

Billy Lee Yates, born November 25, 1978 in Fall River Mills, CA, passed away December 3, 2013 in a single vehicle accident in Alturas, CA.
A wake for Billy will begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15 at XL Ranch, Alturas. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 16 at XL Ranch. Mr. Yates’ obituary will be published in a future issue. Arrangements with Kerr Mortuary, Alturas.

Beverly Jean Lindahl

Beverly Jean Lindahl, of Alturas, passed away November 29, 2013 at the age of 73, due to ongoing complications with emphysema.
Beverly was born on November 23 in Los Angeles, CA to Laurence and Lorraine Hansen. Beverly moved to the Alturas area to retire with her husband Roland Lindahl and her sons Scott and Todd Foster in 1982.
There will be a memorial service scheduled some time in the future for those who would like to attend. Please allow the family some time to coordinate a time so that all can attend.

William D. Houseman

William Dean Houseman of Alturas, passed away in Alturas, CA on December 9, 2013. Mr. Houseman was born February 26, 1931 in Flint, Michigan. He was 82. A memorial service will be held in the Spring of 2014. His obituary will follow in a future issue. Arrangements with Kerr Mortuary, Alturas.

Sports

Modoc 2nd in Chester; big home tourney this weekend

Modoc head wrestling coach Shaun Wood was pretty sure the team would do well in the big Chester tournament last weekend, but he might have been surprised at just how well.
The Braves finished second in the event to Lovelock, Nev. and were within 10 points of the overall title.
Modoc plays host to the big Northeast Classic Wrestling tourney this weekend in Alturas. There are 20 major schools heading this way including Anderson, Lassen, Mazama, Klamath Union, Crane, Lakeview, Quincy, Burney, Durham, Dunsmuir, Mt. Shasta, Etna, Chiloquin, Bonanza, Fall River, Tulelake, Big Valley, Chester and U-Prep.
Wrestling will start at 1 p.m. Friday and continue all day. The wrestlers will take to the mats again at 9 a.m. Saturday for an all day event with the championship matches set to start about 5 or 6 p.m.
The event attracts more than 200 wrestlers, many of the best from the North State and southern Oregon’s and fills the Griswold gym with spectators each year.

Braves take consolation at Block F; head to Portola tourney

Modoc’s varsity basketball team took consolation at the Fall River Block F Tournament over the weekend. This week they head to the Portola Tournament.
The Braves lost their opening season and Block F tournament game to Weed 62-58 Dec. 5.
The Braves had a good first period, leading 20-10, but froze in the second quarter to trail 30-25 at halftime
Modoc beat Happy Camp 75-34 in its second game at the Block F. The Braves enjoyed a fast start and led 17-9 after the first quarter and 41-15 by the half. The Braves beat Burney 54-32 in the Consolation game. Modoc dominated early and steadily increased its lead.

Sports—

Coming up in Modoc High School sports:
Wrestling:
Dec. 13-14 Modoc Northeast Classic
Basketball:
Both teams at Portola tourney Dec. 12-14.

December 19, 2013

News

Murder charge in brutal death of infant girl

On December 16, 2013 the Modoc County District Attorney filed a criminal case against Zebariah Dolan, of Alturas, alleging one count of murder in violation of Penal Code section 187 and one count of assault on a child causing death in violation of penal code section 273ab(a).  
The defendant was arraigned on the Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. and did not enter a plea at that time. His arraignment was continued to January 14 at 1:30 p.m. The case involves the beating death of a 14-month-old baby girl who was being babysat by Dolan at the time fatal injuries were inflicted on her. Dolan was the boyfriend of the child's mother and was tending to the child while the mother was at work.

Cedarville fire razes home, threatens others

Last Wednesday evening the Cedarville Volunteer Fire Department learned that fighting a structure fire in near zero temperatures presents its own series of weather related challenges.
Late afternoon on Dec. 11, a call came in that there was a structure fire on Hays St. in Cedarville about a block from the fire department. The older home was completely engulfed in flames and nearby trees were also burning. High reaching flames reflected off the cloud cover turning the underside of the clouds red.
The flames and reflections could be seen for miles. Residents in an adjoining home had packed their valuables and were ready to evacuate. All available firemen responded to the call.
“This was one nasty fire. The conditions were the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Ray Gorzell, fire chief.
Because of more than a week of subzero evening temperatures and not getting above freezing during the days, the nearest fire hydrant was frozen. Firefighters realizing the futility of trying to save the home concentrated on keeping the fire from spreading. A call to the Eagleville Fire Department was made requesting their tanker and two men. Water for the tankers was obtained from the town park hydrant a couple of blocks away.  

Recall election set for April 8

On Monday, Modoc County Supervisors set April 8 as the date for the recall election of District Four Supervisor Jim Wills.
The recall committee just scraped by with enough valid signatures to put the issue to the voters. They collected 353 signatures, but only 269 were deemed valid and they needed at least 259.
The County Registrar of Voters, Darcy Locken must advertise the candidate nomination filing period and deadlines for candidates who may want to replace Wills should he be recalled. Wills will fight the recall effort.
Indications are that those nomination papers must be filed no later than 5 p.m. January 20, 2014.
Locken presented her certification of the initiative to Supervisors last Tuesday with a request to set a recall election. She said the election could be set March 18, March 25, April 1, April 8 or April 15.
That election had to be scheduled not less than 88 days nor more than 125 days. The cost of that election $5,000 to $10,000 will be paid by the County. Only voters in District Four will participate.
              
Modoc County adopts pot ordinance

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors adopted the new marijuana cultivation ordinance at Monday’s meeting.
The first public hearing was December 10, 2013, at Alturas City Council Chambers at the Alturas City Hall, 200 W. North Street. The second redaing and adoption was held Monday.
There was some opposition to the ordinance from local medicinal marijuana users, but the Board felt the ordinance protected both their rights and the rights of the County. The issue has been in the works and the subject of much public comment for years.
The Medical Marijuana Cultivation Interim Emergency Ordinance was adopted on March 26, 2013, extending Ordinance 349-A for a period of 12 months. A non-interim Ordinance must be adopted prior to that expiration date of March 26, 2014.

Anna Mae Ulrich

A Celebration of Life Service for little Anna Mae Rose Ulrich, the beautiful daughter of Crystal Huff of Canby, CA and Roger Ulrich of Washington, will be held on Sunday, December 22, 2013 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Canby Fire Hall. Desserts and finger foods welcome.
Contributions to help the family with expenses, may be sent directly to Crystal Huff, P.O. Box 208, Canby, CA 96015.
Obituary to follow in a future issue.

William Billy Yates

William “Billy” Lee Yates was with us from November 25, 1978 until December 3, 2013, when his precious life was cut short by a tragic accident in Alturas, CA.

Alice May Harker

Alice May Harker, a 30-year resident of Alturas and California Pines, CA passed away November 29, 2013 in Susanville, CA, where she had been a resident for the past 11 months. She was 91.
The vivacious Mrs. Harker was born November 19, 1922 in Gettysburg, South Dakota, where she finished the 10th grade.

Sports

Block M gets underway today

The annual Modoc High School Block M Basketball Tournament will get underway today at 1:40 p.m. when the Modoc junior varsity girls take on Weed. That game will be followed by a Modoc JV boy’s game against Weed at 2:50 p.m.
Lakeview’s varsity girls will take on Weed at 4 p.m. and the Lakeview varsity boys will meet Weed at 5:30 p.m. Modoc’s varsity girls will meet Las Plumas at 7 p.m. and the Brave varsity boys meet Hosanna Christian at 8:30 p.m. to round out the opening day.
The tournament, sponsored by Alturas and Sunrise Rotary Clubs, continues all day Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. All games are at the Griswold Gym.

Modoc’s boys 2nd in Portola

Modoc varsity boy’s basketball team took second place at the Portola Invitational last week and host the Block M this weekend.
The Block M Tournament will include the Modoc Braves, Weed Cougars, Lakeview Honkers, Las Plumas Thunderbirds (girls team) and the Hosanna Christian Lions (boys team).
The Braves will open with Hosanna Christian on Thursday evening.

Braves girls take on tough Weed in Block M

Modoc’s girl’s varsity team placed second at Portola and will face a daunting task against Weed as part of the Block M this weekend here.
Modoc opened the Portola tourney with a 51-37 loss to the host team. The Tigers jumped out to a 17-6 first period lead and led 29-17 at the half. They outscored the Braves 22-20 in the second half.
Beth Derner and Kelly Schmidt each had 12 points and Pricila Madrigal added 10.
They beat Quincy in the second game 49-38, taking a 29-18 halftime lead. The increased their margin to 39-15 after three and added 10 in the fourth. Derner and Kelsey Clay each had 12 points in the game.
The Braves beat Loyalton 48-41 in the third game. They led 12-6 in the first and held a 17-16 lead by halftime. The game stayed close through three at 30-27 and Modoc win the fourth 18-14. Madrigal had 13 points and Derner added 12. Schmidt, Jordan Marquardt and Clay each had six.

December 26, 2013

News

Nomination period for recall now open

The recall election of District Four Supervisor Jim Wills is set for April 8 and the candidate nomination period is open now through January 20, 5 p.m. Nomination papers and directions can be picked up at the Modoc County Clerk’s Office.
There will be two questions on the ballot, the first will ask if Wills should be recalled and the second will be to vote for a replacement should the recall be successful. 
The recall committee barely had enough valid signatures to qualify the recall after taking the entire 60 days allotted to collect them. They collected 353 signatures, but only 269 were deemed valid and they needed at least 259.

December very dry and cold

December 2013 will go down in the record books as very dry and very cold, but probably not set any records.
The biggest concern as the month draws to a close is a lack of precipitation and almost no snow pack in the Mountains. As of Dec. 24, Cedar Pass measured just eight inches of snow, Adin Mountain had two inches and Dismal Swamp had 12 inches, all much lower than average. No major storms were in the forecast.
Alturas has received just .17 inches of precipitation in the month so far, with the average to date of .84 inches and the monthly average is 1.71 inches. Only three days of the month had measurable precipitation: Dec. 2, .02 inches; Dec. 6, .11 inches and Dec.7, .02 inches.

Modoc jobless up to 10.3 percent

The unemployment rate for Modoc in November 2013 bumped up to 10.3 percent from October’s 9.5 percent, according to the state Employment Development Department.
EDD reports that the civilian labor force numbered 3,740 on November and 380 were unemployed. That compares to Nov. 2012 when the labor force was at 3,910 and 470 were unemployed. In November 2012, the employment rate was 12 percent. In October 2013, the labor force stood at 3,870 with 370 unemployed.
The drop in labor force means a major decline in wages in Modoc. As an example, (lowball) if 170 fewer people are in the labor force, just making $8.25 an hour at 36 hours per week, the individual loss if wages would be $297 week each, or $50,590 total lost each week. That works out to a loss of $2,625,480 annually.

Deadline extended for RAC applications

The Modoc National Forest has extended the deadline to submit an application for the resource Advisory Committee to January 10, 2014.
The RAC provides local community collaboration with federal land managers on projects that will enhance resources on federal lands. 
It is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act as amended and reauthorized in 2008. Committee members review proposed forest management projects, make recommendations to the Forest Service, provide opportunities for interested parties to participate in the project development process and monitor project progress.
Past funding has provided opportunities for work on projects such as range and recreation trail improvements and greater sage-grouse habitat restoration.

Obituaries:

William D. Houseman

Loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather William D. Houseman of Alturas passed away in Alturas, CA on December 9, 2013. He was 82. A 50-year resident of Modoc County, Mr. Houseman was born February 26, 1931 in Flint, Michigan.
Services will be held in Spring 2014.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the VFW Post 3327 Auxiliary, 414 Archer Ave. Alturas, CA 96101.

Gary Gooch

Gary Gooch was born June 10, 1936, in Cedarville, California, to Fern and Clyde Gooch. Gary died at home on December 18, 2013.
Services were held on December 21, 2013, so that all grandchildren could be present. The Gooch family wishes to thank everyone for all their kindness and comforting words. Special thanks to the emergency personnel who came to help at the time of his death.

Clifford Earl Bailey

Clifford Earl Bailey, respected, longtime Modoc rancher, passed away at his home in Alturas, CA on December 22, 2013. “Cliff,” as he was known over his 94 years, was born in Flagler, CO on March 9, 1919 and loved ranching. His beloved wife Lois preceded him in death in 2003.
His family will plan for a celebration of his life in Spring 2014. Mr. Bailey’s obituary will be published near that date. Arrangements are entrusted to Kerr Mortuary.

Albertina Mae Callahan

Albertina “Tina” Mae Callahan, a resident of Adin, CA passed away in a car accident in Lassen County, CA on December 18, 2013. A Wake will be held at the Adin Community Hall, later this week. Date and time to be determined and posted in Adin. Mrs. Callahan was born May 26, 1945 in Peoria, Illinois. Mrs. Callahan’s obituary will be published in a future Record.

Sports

‘Guns’ won 4th straight game

On December 18 in the Modoc High School gym, the Officer’s from Alturas CHP (Smokin’ Guns) took on the Firefighters from Alturas City Fire Department (Hose Draggers) in the fourth annual charity toy drive basketball game. Each player was sponsored in one way or another from local businesses.
The Hose Draggers came out strong in the first couple of minutes and scored two baskets on two loose balls from the Smokin’ Guns. The Guns pulled things together late in the first quarter and took the lead.
The Smokin’ Guns were dominant and won the game for the fourth year in a row with a score of 64-44.
This was a huge success for the TEACH Wish Tree program. Every wish on the tree was fulfilled. The ACFD and CHP compete in this basketball game as a charity event in an effort to try and make our community just a little better place to live.
The local business owners also need to be commended for their efforts in supporting this event.

Modoc boys Block M results

The Modoc boy’s varsity basketball team easily beat the Hosanna Christian (Klamath Falls) squad 86-57 to open the Block M Tournament Thursday night.
The Braves beat Lakeview 65-49 thanks to a good third period. Modoc led 13-6 after one and 32-25 at halftime and came out with a 22-12 third period, taking a 54-37 lead into the final stanza. Modoc netted 11 and Lakeview 12 in the fourth.
Weed, Modoc’s Shasta Cascade League rival, and the leader in Division Five for preseason beat the Braves 64-57 in the title game Saturday.
The Braves head to the Lost River Tournament January 2-4.

Modoc girls fall in Block M

The Modoc Braves varsity girls’ team lost all three games at the Block M last weekend. They head to the Lost River Tournament Jan. 2-4.
A good Las Plumas Team (Oroville) dumped the Braves 59-32 in the opener. Modoc held its own in the first period 7-7 and was only behind 24-29 by halftime. But Las Plumas put together a 21-5 third period and a 14-8 fourth quarter for the win.
Lakeview’s Honkers dropped the Braves 51-44 in the second game. Lakeview jumped out early to a 17-11 first period lead and led 26-18 by half. Modoc scored 26 points to Lakeview’s 25 in the second half but it wasn’t enough.
Weed took care of the Braves in the third game 37-23, when Modoc couldn’t score. The Braves led 6-3 in the first and 14-9 at halftime. Weed tied it 17-17 in the third and outscored the Braves 18-8 in the fourth.