Untitled Document

January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003

May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003

September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003

January 2, 2003

NEWS

Vehicle theft, cattle deaths lead to arrest of Ft. Bidwell pair

It may not have been Bonnie and Clyde, but a crime spree ended Monday with the arrest of a man and a woman in connection with several local crimes.

A combination of local law enforcement authorities combined efforts Monday to solve the rather bizarre case.

According to California Highway Patrol/Drug Task Force Officer Mike Poindexter, the events started Monday just before noon when Michael Robinson, age 18, of Ft. Bidwell and Jennifer Trotter, age 24, Ft. Bidwell, allegedly stole a fifth of liquor from The Bottle Shop in Alturas. A camera recorded the pair's activity.

While Alturas Police were investigating that theft and getting the identities of the pair, Robinson and Trotter walked down Main Street just over a block and stole a 1997 Chevy Suburban which belonged to Roy Ferry. The Suburban was parked on 2nd Street next to Ferry's real estate office. According to Poindexter, Alturas Police had identified the pair as being from Ft. Bidwell and were still investigating when Ferry reported his vehicle stolen. Following logical deductions, officers were dispatched to Ft. Bidwell.

Meanwhile, Robinson was driving the Suburban northbound on County Road One north of Lake City when he came upon a cattle drive in the roadway. According to the CHP, he slowed only slightly and then plowed into the cattle drive.

The vehicle struck 11 of the cattle, killing eight. None of the drovers on horseback was hurt. The pair then fled the scene, heading north until the vehicle would go no further.

According to Poindexter, Robinson and Trotter exited the vehicle and milled about for a short time. Trotter then started walking north and Robinson allegedly tried to steal two vehicles from the Hapgood Ranch. He was chased off by the Hapgoods. The pair then got a ride to Ft. Bidwell.

Poindexter said he couldn't figure out why Robinson plowed through the cattle drive because he wasn't being pursued by officers at the time. Officers were heading to Ft. Bidwell, but had not made any contact with the Suburban.

Law enforcement officers including CHP and Modoc Sheriff's Deputies made it to Ft., Bidwell and waited at the pair's apartment. Robinson and Trotter had gotten a ride and showed up as passengers in a pickup. Poindexter said Ferry informed him that a handgun was in the Suburban. When Poindexter checked for that gun in the wrecked Suburban, it was gone, so all officers were alerted.

Robinson and Trotter were taken at gun point from the pickup and arrested without incident. The Ferry firearm was found on the floor of the pickup. Poindexter said the activity of the pair perked some interest in law enforcement of another vehicle theft which occurred in early November. Milt Atkins' pickup, which was taken from behind 4-Corners Market in Alturas November 7 was located in Ft. Bidwell on November 9. Poindexter succeeded in obtaining a search warrant of the Robinson apartment. Atkins accompanied officers to the apartment and located several items belonging to him which were taken from his truck. Atkins had a five-page list of stolen items. Two handguns which were stolen from his pickup are still missing.

In addition, officers also discovered items that were taken in a burglary to the Jane Higgens home in Ft. Bidwell Nov. 6.

"This was a cooperative effort of local law enforcement agencies in the county," said Poindexter. "Everyone did a great job." Those agencies included the Alturas Police Department, CHP, Modoc Sheriff's Office and Modoc County Drug Task Force.

Robinson and Trotter were booked into the Modoc County Jail Monday on a variety of charges including: stolen vehicles, destruction of property, possession of stolen property, burglary, possession of methamphetamines, marijuana and drug paraphernalia and others.

County accepts Thomas Creek road, questions rise in decision

On December 17 the Modoc County Board of Supervisors voted to accept a 1.5 mile portion of Warner Mountain Drive in Thoms Creek Estates into the system, above the objection and report of County Road Commissioner Tom Tracy.

In addition to going against the recommendation of the Road Commissioner, Supervisor Mike Dunn, who lives on the road, probably violated conflict of interest laws by entering into the deliberations on the issue.

Conflict of interest prohibits a supervisor from voting or entering into the decision making process on an issue that can result in a material gain to him. Dunn had properly removed himself from those discussions and deliberations in the past on the same issue, but chose not to this time around.

Modoc County Counsel Vicki Cochran told the Record this week that Dunn could be in conflict and felt the issue may have to be revisited without his input.

Dunn also agreed Monday that the issue may have to come up again and that he will check on his legal issues as well as the issues of accepting the road. He will have to remove himself from the deliberations. In addition to the conflict of interest problem on the issue, the Board accepted the road, which does not meet county road standards for acceptance, and made no specific finding as to why they violated their own ordinance on accepting roads.

Tracy told the Board during an often-heated discussion that the action could leave the county open to legal challenges as well as future liabilities. The decision could also open a floodgate of other requests for private road inclusion into the county system.

The request to take in the road came from the Thoms Creek Homeowners Association. It's Chairperson, Vanston Shaw, told the Board, he felt taking in the road is a public safety issue, would make it easier for the snow plows to plow without having to turn around and made economic sense for the county. He also said the Association did not expect the county to upgrade the road.

Tracy explained that the parts of Warner Mountain Road which were taken into the county in the past had to be brought up to standards. He figures the county has spent $131,000 on those areas. He also calls that funding a subsidy to Thoms Creek Estates landowners. He figures the county would have to spend $170,000 to bring to requested section up to standards, even for snow plowing.

Tracy told the board the road was 14 feet wide in places, nowhere near the required 28-foot width and had areas where curve levels and surface did not meet standards.

Dunn and others took exception to Tracy's report and brought photos which they say showed that in places where the county report states a 14-foot width, they measured closer to 16-18 feet.

The Association said that more people had been moving into Thoms Creek and that public safety, as well as access for emergency and utility vehicles would be enhanced if the county should accept the roads.

Tracy said there were many subdivisions in the county with similar situations and those roads have not been taken into the system. His report also included the county's approved application for Thoms Creek Subdivision from 1971, which states explicitly that road maintenance would be borne by the property owner's association. That is the case with other subdivisions in the county, including Modoc Estates and California Pines. Some roads have been accepted in both those subdivisions.

Tracy said the Association is responsible for the road maintenance, and said the association fees should be increased substantially to cover the cost of upgrading those roads. The current fees are $30 per year, and Tracy suggested $600 per year.

Dunn's conflict of interest violation comes because he owns property on Warner Mountain Drive and that property value would be enhanced if the road is taken into the county road system. During the meeting he and other association members testified that more people have or would move into the area if the roads were county-maintained.

While Dunn and Patricia Cantrall argued that the ordinance affecting roads in the county should not be taken literally in all cases, neither formally offered a finding to exempt Warner Mountain Drive from the ordinance. Other parts of Warner Mountain Drive and roads in Thoms Creek have been accepted into the system in the past few years. The Association argues that accepting this portion would complete the circle on Warner Mountain Drive.

Dunn, when contacted Monday, said he abstained from the vote because he had a conflict, but wasn't aware he could not enter into the discussion and deliberations. Other people have said he was well-informed of the conflict of interest and that he could not participate in the discussion.

Dunn said his removal would have left his Thoms Creek constituents without a representative on the board. Regardless, the law prohibits him from participating in that action. The law is designed so that supervisor, or any elected official, does not have special privileges or actions taken that benefit them directly or unfairly.

Dunn said that taking the portion of Warner Mountain Drive into the system is actually going to cost him money, because he now plows that section of road for $35 per hour.

One of the major problems with the decision to accept the road is that there are hundreds of miles of like roads in the county. The same argument for acceptance can be made for many of them, said Tracy.

In addition to the unfair treatment of one subdivision and its residents over another, Tracy, said the county is also looking at shortfall of about $400,000 in the coming year's road budget.

December doesn't come up to hopes

The month of December will fall well short of hopes for precipitation levels as less than an inch of precipitation has been measured at the U.S. Forest Service office in Alturas.

According to Forest Hydrologist Sue Becker, the final number for December is .86 inches of moisture. That's well below the water year average for the month of 1.36 inches.

Monday night brought a severe winter weather alert to the county, but as with all of those alerts in the month, it turned out to be a bust. Alturas was projected to get five to nine inches of snow by Tuesday morning. However, almost none fell in town.

December did have some abnormalities, however. There were three days where the warmest minimum temperatures were recorded. Those were 39 degrees on Dec. 13, 44 degrees on Dec. 14 and a balmy 45 degrees on Dec. 28. The normal precipitation from October through December is 3.77 inches. This year, only 2.17 has been measured.

Fake $100 bills passed in Alturas

Local business people are warned that two counterfeit $100 bills were passed to local businesses over the Christmas holidays.

Alturas Police report that the size of the bill is smaller than a legitimate $100 bill, the edges are uneven and the paper has a prominent yellow tint. In addition there is no watermark, no safety strip by Ben Franklin's likeness. The back is also printed upside down if compared to a real $100 bill.

Anyone who receives one of these counterfeit bills is asked to contact Police immediately at 233-2011. Please try to remember or be able to describe who passed the $100 bill. Police say the bill is a believable copy, but should be detectable if a person looks carefully.

On December 23, police arrested Leticia Castillo, 20, of Alturas alleging assault with a deadly weapon. Castillo is accused of hitting another woman over the head with a 40-ounce beer bottle. The impact shattered the bottle and left a large knot on the victim's head. She was booked into the Modoc County Jail.

A vandalism was also reported Dec. 27, when someone threw a 10-pound rock through the side window of a Ford Bronco parked in downtown Alturas.

Resource Advisory Committee seeking new members

Modoc National Forest is actively seeking a few new members for the fifteen member Resource Advisory Committee (RAC).

The RAC helps the community work closely with the Forest Service in recommending projects to be conducted on, or that will benefit resources on federal lands. Citizens are invited to attend the January 8 meeting to see how the committee functions.

Some of the committee's duties include receiving proposed forest management projects and making recommendations to the Forest Service, coordinating with land management agency officials, and providing opportunities for interested parties to participate in the project development process.

Committee members are sought who are committed to working cooperatively with other interests for the long-term benefit of national forest system lands. Council members serve a three-year term without compensation, but may be reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses. Meetings are generally held monthly at the Forest Supervisors office in Alturas. Members must reside in California. Prospective members are advised that membership on a RAC calls for a substantial commitment of time and energy.

RAC is balanced according to the following three interest categories identified in the law:

Category One: (five regular members and one replacement) who represent one or more of the following interests:

¥ Organized labor

¥ Developed outdoor recreation, off-highway vehicle users, or commercial recreation

¥ Energy and mineral development

¥ Commercial timber industry

¥ Federal grazing permit holders or land use permit holders within the RAC area

Category Two: (five regular members and one replacement) who represent one or more of the following interests:

¥ Nationally recognized environmental organizations

¥ Regionally or locally recognized environmental organizations

¥ Dispersed recreation activities

¥ Archaeological and historical interests

¥ Nationally or regionally recognized wild horse or burro groups

Category Three: (five regular members and one replacement) who respresent one or more of the following interests:

¥ State-elected office holders or their designee

¥ County or local elected office holders

¥ American Indian tribal representatives from tribes within or adjacent to RAC areas

¥ School officials or teachers

¥ Citizens representing the affected public at large

To obtain an application packet or additional information, please contact: Louis Haynes, Modoc National Forest, 800 West 12th Street, Alturas, CA. 96101. Telephone: (530)233-8846 or e-mail ljhaynes@fs.fed.us .

Citizens are invited to sit in on the next RAC meeting, which will take place on January 8, 2003 at 4 p.m. at the Modoc National Forest Supervisors Office in Alturas.

Obituaries:

Richard David Crabill

A memorial service for Richard David Crabill, 71, of McArthur, will be held Friday, Jan. 3, 2003 at 11 a.m. at Bieber Memorial Hall, Bieber, CA. Pastor Walt Fisher, Leon Engman, Jeff Bidwell and Reader Bob Shaw will conduct the service. A potluck will follow the service, with the main courses provided.

A former Big Valley District teacher, Mr. Crabill passed away of natural causes at his home on December 18, 2002.

Born in Norcatur, Kansas on January 7, 1931, He earned his degrees at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and was a veteran of the U.S. Army. Mr. Crabill was a teacher of agriculture within Big Valley School District for 32 years, until he retired. In 1979 he moved from Lookout to McArthur.

He was active in and honored as a member of the California Agricultural Teachers Association, for which he served as a past President. In 2002, he was inducted into the California Ag Teachers Hall of Fame. Mr. Crabill was a Future Farmers of America Honorary American Farmer and Honorary Chapter Farmer, a member of the California Retired Teachers Association and Lassen Plumas Retired Teachers Association, Cal Poly Alumni Association, Hillside Singers, and a veteran of the U.S. Army, Dog Handler, 34th Infantry Scout Dog Platoon, APO 176 from 1953 to 1955, and served on the Castlemont High School Reunion Committee.

Mr. Crabill is survived by his son Brent Crabill of Lodi, CA. and three grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the California Future Farmers of America Foundation, P.O. Box 1283, Sacramento, CA 95812; Cal Poly Fund, c/o Animal Science Dept., Cal Poly State University, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 or to the Christian Science Society, P.O. Box 417, Fall River Mills, CA 96028.

Shaun Camron Marrs

Funeral services for Shaun Camron Marrs will be held at the Kerr Chapel in Alturas on Friday, Jan. 3 at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be at the Alturas Cemetery.

Shaun, 22, died Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at his Klamath Falls, OR. residence.

Born on March 11, 1980 at Rapid City, South Dakota Shaun completed Mazama High School in Klamath Falls, OR. and was studying mechanical engineering at the Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR. He served as a Seabee and was a veteran of the U.S. Navy until his discharge in February 2000 as an E-4. He had also been a steelworker.

He is survived by his parents Alice and Gordon Marrs of Alturas, CA; brother Steven Marrs of Klamath Falls, OR.; grandparents Larry and Lorena Fenhaus, uncle Lance Fenhaus of San Jacinto, CA.; aunt Holly Greer of Barstow, CA; uncle and aunt Larry and Peggy Fenhaus, Wenatchee, WA; aunts and uncles Judy and Wayne Schlietting, Oakville, MO; Vicki and James Strong, Wilmington, IL; Cynthia and George Self, Mesa, AZ; Wanda and Bill Tomasek, Peoria, AZ; Starla Black, Sedgewick, KS; Connie Marrs, Laverkin, Utah; Sherri Jensen, Rapid City, S.D.; Larry and Mary Marrs, Montana and numerous cousins and friends.

Arrangements by Kerr Mortary of Alturas.

SPORTS

Sports resume next week in league action

Winter sports season will begin again next week in earnest as all area teams start action in the Shasta Cascade and Evergreen Leagues.

For Modoc basketball, the girls have Mazama at home January 3 and then scrimmage Surprise Valley in Cedarville January 4.

Modoc's boys and girls will travel to Mt. Shasta January 10 to open SCL play.

Surprise Valley starts Evergeen League play January 10.

Modoc's wrestling team, which is ranked as number one of the North Section Small Schools by North State Prep Update gets into action again in the big Anderson tournament January 10-11.

Several Modoc wrestlers are ranked individually including: Cory Bell, number two at heavyweight; Robert Flournoy, number two at 140 pounds; JD Monroe, number four at 189 pounds; Matt Maine number four at 152 pounds; Jaafar Mirholi, number five at 130 pounds; Billy Moriarity, number five at 119 pounds; and Travis Wood, number six at 145 pounds.

In basketball, Modoc's Rachel Gover is ranked as the fourth highest scorer in the section with a 23.1 average and Surprise Valley's Camryn Mullen is seventh with a 20.6 average. Downieville's Amanda Desentz leads with a 28.7 average.

For the boys, Modoc's Jack Britton is eighth in scoring with a 21.8 average and Surprise Valley's Ivan Rangel is 15th at 19.6. Williams' Alfonso Velazquez is on top with a 32.8 average.

Cedar Pass Snow Park opens

Cedar Pass Snow Park now has enough snow to open for the Winter season this Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 4 and 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Half-day rates start at 1:00 p.m.

By Tuesday, conditions were deemed "pretty good" and the hill will be groomed, according to Snow Park volunteers. Both the T-bar and rope tow will be operating.

A free rental, lesson and lift ticket package will be offered for first time beginners willing to try snowboard or skis.

Plenty of skis, boots, and snowboards will be available to rent on a first-come, first served basis. Rentals are $10.

Also, check out the "no risk punch card" available for sale at the Ski Lodge. It offers savings.

Full day lift tickets are: $15 for adults; $12 for youths under age 19; $5 for children under age six.

"It's a good way for families to play together and to get exercise at the same time," offers Rody Stains, Snow Park volunteer and enthusiast.

The all-volunteer organization is currently in need of volunteers who are willing to trade their volunteer time working at the Park, for lift tickets. If interested in becoming a Snow Park volunteer, please call James Peake at (530) 233-4882.

Check the Modoc Record for weekly updates or phone (530) 233-3323 for Cedar Pass Snow Park's recorded message.

January 9, 2003

NEWS

County affirms need for two local judges

Does Modoc County actually need two Superior Court judges? That's an issue the County Board of Supervisors and Judge Larry Dier answered affirmatively in Tuesday's board meeting.

While no one appears to know for certain, there is a rumor that the state is considering making Modoc a one-judge county. Following the untimely death of Judge John Baker, at least two people have filed application with Governor Gray Davis for appointment to the Modoc bench.

As of this date, that position has not been filled, and Dier told the Board Tuesday, it often takes several months. But, he also said, there was a possible movement in the legislature to change the law and leave Modoc with just one judgeship.

Dier said he feels Modoc needs two judges, and said one could be on cross-assignment if necessary. That would mean one judge would sit in Modoc as well as take regular assignments in other counties.

The Board of Supervisors agreed with Dier, but will take no action at this point, until there is concrete evidence that the state plans on removing one judge position. While there have been rumblings to that effect, a straight answer has not been forthcoming from the state. Dier said he did not want to raise an issue at the state level if none exists.

There is also an understanding that the Governor has been very busy with budget items and the recent election and that his office may have put some of these types of appointments on the back burner.

Dier said he has made it clear that Modoc needs the two judge positions and is not willing to "give away" a judge. He said the county should be willing to accept a judge which could come with considerable travel that could be a more efficient use of resources.

The Board also agreed to reinstate $7,500 in extra help money for the District Attorney's Office. Those funds were set aside from the former DA's budget, so that they would be available with the new DA. Jordan Funk took office this month. Funk will use those funds to pay for a part-time assistant, Larry Barnes, on an as-needed basis. Barnes worked with Funk in Contra Costa County and comes with an impressive resume as a prosecutor. The Board also heard from Office of Emergency Services' Nancy Ballard, who explained that Modoc is going to be the site of a hazardous materials exercise by the National Guard's 95th Terrorist Response team out of Hayward, California the weekend of January 30.

According to Ballard, the 22-member unit will roll into Alturas on the 30th and the training will be in a biological agent terror type incident. Local agencies will be involved in the exercise, including City Police, Sheriff's Office, Fire Departments and the health departments. The training will center around the Alturas Mill site. More information will be made available in the near future.

Supervisors also agreed to advertise the position of Welfare Fraud Investigator, who works for both Social Services and the DA's office. That position has not been filled for the past six months and Social Services Director Pauline Cravens said it is needed.

The Board also commended Kandi Albright for her 20 years of service in the Auditor-Recorder's Office and approved a letter of support for the Hewise Band and Hospital appropriation of funding.

Mike Dunn was elected Chairman of the Board and Patricia Cantrall was named vice-chair for the coming year.

In other news, the Board will reconsider the acceptance of a Thoms Creek Road into the county road system at its next meeting. The acceptance of that road had some legal issues which could have caused some problems for the county.

Public meetings planned on local small pox vaccinations

The Modoc County Health Department will be holding public meetings the end of this month concerning small pox vaccinations.

The places, dates and times of those meetings, which will be held in Alturas, Cedarville and Newell, will be announced in the near future. Linda Doyle, R.N., the Public Health Disaster Service Coordinator, will be explaining the timeline, the potential dangers of the vaccination and who should or should not be vaccinated.

She said the initial phases of vaccination include medical and hospital personnel, following are first responders, law enforcement, fire departments and emergency personnel. The vaccination will done only on a voluntary basis, it is not mandatory. The general public is not included at this time.

According to Doyle, there is a 12-page release people must sign before being vaccinated. It explains the risks and issues surrounding the vaccination. She stressed the probability of an outbreak or attack using small pox in Modoc, is very remote. If someone was diagnosed with small pox, it would also be fairly simple to quarantine the area in Modoc and keep the disease at bay. One of the issues is that America has a mobile society, so if small pox was ever used, it could make its way around the area.

Small pox was eradicated decades ago with the last actual case in Somalia in 1977. However, it remained in clinic laboratories and was not destroyed. Doyle said there is enough small pox vaccine available to vaccinate all of Modoc quickly if necessary.

In next week's newspaper, there will be an in-depth article concerning the vaccination issues, potential risks and dangers of the vaccine and past history of small pox.

Modoc-Washoe Stewardship committee meets January 16-17

A panel featuring charter members of the Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship Program will present viewpoints on the successes and future of the organization when the committee meets January 16 and 17 in Cedarville.

The meeting, open to the public, starts Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. at the Cedarville Community Church Hall, corner of Center and Bonner Streets. The Jan. 17 session begins at 8 a.m. and wraps up at about noon.

On Jan. 16, Rex Cleary, former district manager for the Bureau of Land Management in Susanville, will lead a 3 p.m. presentation focusing on the Stewardship organization. Founding committee members Wes Cook and Joe Harris will join Cleary and current committee members for a panel discussion entitled, "Modoc-Washoe ESP: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow."

Following the presentation, the committee will review an action plan, first developed in 1999, then work on updating the plan to guide the committee's future work.

In other matters, the committee will hear Modoc National Forest reports on the Blue Fire restoration, the Sierra Nevada Framework, and the plan of work for fiscal year 2003. Staff from BLM will report on sage grouse conservation planning, the Mosquito Valley Technical Review Team, an application for wind energy research, recent state management team meeting and priority work for the coming year.

Other agenda topics include reports on activities of the Pit River Watershed Alliance, and agency work on noxious weeds. Representatives of Modoc County, the Nevada Division of Wildlife, California Department of Fish and Game and Natural Resources Conservation Service will also present reports.

The 20-member steering committee advises the BLM's Surprise Field Office and the Modoc National Forest's Warner Mountain Ranger District on a wide array of natural resource and range management issues. The group includes representatives for local grazing permit holders, members of environmental organizations, state wildlife agencies, Modoc County government and federal resource agencies. It was one of three Stewardship groups established by Congress in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978.

Eat a donut, end polio is Alturas Rotary's goal

The Alturas noontime Rotary Club, as a part of Rotary International, is out to raise funds to end worldwide polio by the year 2005. The local club has a sweet way to help raise money.

Noontime Rotarians are out selling orders for Krispy Kreme glazed donuts, in an "Eat a Donut, End Polio" campaign. The donuts must be ordered by January 28 and are $7 per dozen if you pick them up or $10 per dozen delivered to a location within two miles of Alturas. Pick-up orders will be available Feb. 8, between 8 a.m. and 12 noon at the Alturas Elks Lodge parking lot.

To order a dozen, contact a Rotary member, or call Phil Smith at 233-1940 or Mike Mason at 233-3499.

Smith said Don Young of the Donut Shop locally was contacted to provide the donuts, but said he couldn't provide enough at one time. "Don has been a really good supporter of our programs," said Smith.

In 1985, Rotary launched its first fundraising drive to battle polio with a goal of $120 million. By the end of that campaign, Rotary more than doubled its goal and raised over $240 million and created its PolioPlus program to immunize all the world's children against polio by its 100th anniversary in 2005. By then, Rotary's financial commitment will reach $500 million. These funds are providing much needed polio vaccine, operational support, medical personnel, laboratory equipment, and educational materials for health workers and parents.

All proceeds from the Krispy Kreme donut sales will go to Rotary's Worldwide Polio Eradication effort.

December building falls off

Building in Modoc County fell off dramatically in December as the county issued 13 permits valued at $175,339 and the City of Alturas issued four permits worth $6,675.

Those figures are well down from November's county total of $1,500,187, which was boosted by a $500,000 compression station near Tionesta for Tuscarora Gas Transmission.

For December, one new single family home, one manufactured home and several monitor stove installations made up the bulk of the permit total. In the city, remodeling made up most of the totals. In November, the city issued seven permits worth $30,702.

Walk to focus on resolve to solve Parks' murder

Modoc students, friends of Betty Lou Parks' family and the community are invited to join in a combined candlelight vigil and walk on Main Street, Alturas on Friday, Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Meet under the "Betty Lou Parks" billboard on Main Street to keep focus on the current Dept. of Justice investigation into the unsolved murder.

Friends and family of Parks urge, "Don't let this happen to you or your children. Come together as a community for Betty Lou Parks. Feel free to bring something to voice your opinion.

"Join us at Betty Lou's billboard on Main Street on Friday, Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. This walk will be led by Modoc's developing future community on behalf of Betty Lou Parks and friends," say organizers.

Modoc National Forest hosts Open House Tuesday

On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the Modoc National Forest will host an open house to bid farewell to Kathleen A. Jordan, the Acting Forest Supervisor and welcome Stan Sylva, the new Forest Supervisor.

The open house will take place from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Forest Service Headquarters at 800 West 12th St., in Alturas.

Jordan and Sylva will both be on hand to welcome the public.

The employees of the Modoc National Forest would like the assistance of the public in thanking Jordan for all of her hard work as the Acting Forest Supervisor and welcome Sylva as their new Forest Supervisor. Refreshments will be offered at the open house.

Obituaries:

Hazel Flournoy Dorris

Friends and family are invited to attend a service for long-time Modoc resident Hazel Dorris on Saturday, Jan. 25 at the Federated Church in Alturas; time to be announced.

Mrs. Dorris, 93, passed away in Woodland, CA. on January 6, 2003. Born Hazel Flournoy in Likely, CA on Sept. 5, 1909, she moved to Woodland in 1984. Service details and a complete obituary will be published in The Record at a later date.

Helen C. Munroe Morgan

Native Modoc resident Helen Claire Munroe Morgan passed away January 1, 2003 in Sacramento, CA. A resident of West Sacramento for the past 15 years, Mrs. Morgan had continued to keep abreast of life in Modoc County and was 98 at the time of her passing.

She was born Helen Claire Munroe in Fort Bidwell, CA. on November 23, 1904 and graduated from Modoc High School in Alturas and Armstrong Business College in Berkeley. She married Harold G. Morgan in Lakeview, OR in 1926 and the two were divorced in 1954. He passed away in 1965.

Helen owned Faye's Jewelry in Alturas during the 1950s. She later worked for the U.S. Forest Service when the office occupied the Belli Building in Alturas. She retired from the USFS in 1972.

She loved children and animals and enjoyed gardening and being with her family. A member of the Order of Eastern Star, she was a Past Matron of the Alturas Chapter #51, OES; Past President and secretary of Past Matrons and Past Patrons; a past Mother Advisor for Alturas Assembly #53, Order of Rainbow Girls; Past President, Alturas Garden Club and a member of Modoc Side Saddle Club. She was a granddaughter of early (1880s) Fort Bidwell settlers Robert and Metta McConnaughy and Marshall and Martha Munroe. She was pre-deceased by her father Edward Munroe, mother Emma Verling; brother Harold Munroe and nephew Harold E. Munroe.

She is survived by her daughter Mary and husband Guy Fender of Sacramento; granddaughters Kathy Turkaly and Joan (Dale) Hansen, niece Debbie (Herman) Munroe Wendell; great-grandchildren Daniel Van Dyke, John Van Dyke, Kyle Hansen and Brooke Hansen and many wonderful friends.

The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra conducted services Monday, Jan. 6 at 11 a.m. at the Kerr Mortuary Chapel in Alturas. Interment was as the Alturas Cemetery. Pallbearers were Guy Fender, Dale Hansen, Daniel and John Van Dyke, Kyle Hansen and Herman Wendell.

Donations in Mrs. Morgan's memory may be directed to the Shriner's Hospital for Children, 2425 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95817 or local SPCA.

Helen Jane Staub

Helen Jane Staub passed away January 5, 2003, at the Skilled Nursing Facility in Alturas, CA, a day shy of her 94th birthday.

Pastor Dewey Potter will conduct services at Church of Christ in Alturas on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 12 noon. The Mennonites will provide a vocal music tribute.

Born Helen Jane Roff in Ft. Ripley, MN, on January 6, 1909, she was married to Walter Frank Staub in CrowWing County, MN on August 29, 1925. The family moved from Minnesota to California in 1943. They lived at the logging camp at White Horse, CA. while Walter worked for the McCloud River Lumber Co. In 1948, they moved to Bieber and in 1952, Helen and Walter purchased the Standard Oil Plant where they worked together until their retirement. In 1976, they relocated to Alturas to be near their children.

In addition to their business, Mrs. Staub was a homemaker, mother, grandmother and great-mother, who enjoyed her home and family and loved to sew, bake and cook. She was a member of the Lookout Grange, and a lifetime Degree of Honor member with Alturas Grange. She was also a member of the Church of Christ. Helen and Walter were married for 58 years, when he passed away Feb. 5, 1983.

Mrs. Staub is survived by her son Edward Staub of Alturas, CA; daughter Laura Squires of Alturas; daughter Karen Lentz and son-in-law Benny Lentz of Anderson; 11 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Dorothy and Katherine Roff of Burney, CA.

She was preceded in death by her husband Walter and daughter Nellie Mathews; sister Valeria Boulanger and brothers Chester and Walter Roff. The family will hold private interment at Hillside Cemetery in Nubieber. Donations in Mrs. Staub's memory may be directed to the Skilled Nursing Facility "Activities Department," care of Modoc Medical Center, McDowell St., Alturas, CA 96101 or to any charity of choice.

Betty June Donaldson Baird

Former Alturas teacher Betty June Donaldson Baird, 81, of Corvallis, OR. died Nov. 17, 2002 at her home. Born to George and Leta Zenor Donaldson on April 4, 1921 on the Zenor farm near Woolstock, Iowa, she attended Woolstock High school, Eagle Grove Junior College and Drake University, obtaining degrees in music and education.

She taught in Woolstock, Kanawha and Clear Lake, Iowa and was an enthusiastic 4-H member and officer in Hamilton and Wright Counties. She participated in many state programs as a vocalist and was awarded a trip to Chicago International competition. She continued 4-H leadership for 40 years in each community in which she lived. She also directed many choirs, sang for hundreds of funerals and weddings and was a regular soloist for several churches.

When she moved to California, she taught elementary grades in Alturas, Grenada and Gazelle. The family showed many breeds of livestock in the western half of the U.S. Her specialty was horses and ponies, particularly Arabians. She was a board member with the National Shetland Association and a member of two music sororities and PEO.

She is survived by her husband Dr. Charles Allen Baird, Corvallis, OR; daughters Ruth Elizabeth Wurst of Bend, OR, Althea Baird of Klamath Falls, OR; sons Charles Allen Baird, Jr. of Eugene, OR; Ben Lee Baird of North Powder, OR, Andrew Noel Baird of Huntington, OR; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a son, William "Bill" Allen Baird.

A memorial service will be held in Klamath Falls, Or. on April 5, 2003. Inurnment will be a later date at Cass Township Cemetery, near Webster City, Iowa.

'Tom' Franklin Anderson

Thomas "Tom" Franklin Anderson, 68, passed away early on the morning of December 30, 2002 in Alturas, CA.

A memorial of his passing will be held Saturday, January 11 at 1:00 p.m. at Cottonwood Community Center, 20634 First Street, Cottonwood, CA.

Born on November 20, 1934 in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, he left home at the age of 17 to work cattle at the Diamond A in South Dakota; the start of a life time of his traditional cowboy career.

As a young man in the early 1960s, Tom worked for Citizens Utilities in Alturas, CA for a short time, but decided to pursue the cowboy lifestyle and work he loved so much. He followed his heart and worked for many ranches throughout Oregon and California. An excellent cow and horseman, he appreciated and loved a beautiful horse and was known for having the best dogs, he trained himself. Ranch work characterized his life and he loved it. He also loved to laugh and joke and was an affable person. He spent his summers in Lakeview, OR. and winters in Cottonwood, CA. Mr. Anderson is survived by his two sons, Les Anderson and wife Cara of Anderson, CA; Darin Anderson and wife Bobbie of Red Bluff; daughter Tammy Strachanowski and husband Kurt of Red Bluff; five grandchildren: Les' children Aaron and Christopher; Darin's daughter Jessica; Tammy's children Jayd and Jazmin; sisters Virginia Martin and husband Dub of Susanville; Mary Johnston and husband Blackie of Hills, MN; Alice Beauchamp and husband Leon of Falls City, OR; Eva Ward of Beaverton, OR; April Ayela of Florida; Katheryn Carey and husband Larry of Redmond, OR; Lexie Baughman of Redmond, OR; Hope Culp and husband Scott of Monmouth, OR; brothers Cal Anderson and wife Sandy of Newell, S.D.; Jack Anderson and wife Debbie of Alturas, CA; sisters-in-law Joann Anderson of Susanville and Michelle Anderson of Alturas.

He was preceded in death by his parents Gladys and Virgil Anderson, brothers Bill Anderson, Guy Anderson, nephews Tommy Anderson and David Beauchamp. Anyone who ever knew him will be sorrowed by his passing. He leaves behind many friends and loved ones.

Donations will help defray the cost of services and may be sent care of Les Anderson, 5345 Pine Street, Anderson, CA 96007. Kerr Mortuary is handling service arrangements.

Phyllis Elizabeth Knapp

Phyllis Elizabeth Knapp, a California Pines resident for the past 20 years, passed away of natural causes on January 7, 2003 in Alturas, CA. Born Phyllis Fernandez in San Francisco, CA. on August 10, 1922, she graduated from parochial schools in San Francisco.

She was married to Jess Valencia for 27 years and the couple had three children. Jess passed away in December of 1972.

For many years Phyllis was the postmistress in Redwood Estates located in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

When she retired, she relocated to San Jose, CA where she met Manuel Knapp. The two were married November 9, 1982 in Reno, NV. and moved to California Pines to start their new life and home together.

Mrs. Knapp enjoyed lending a hand wherever help was needed and often for the Cal Pines Bingo games. She enjoyed time with her family and friends. The Knapps enjoyed working on their home, which their children affectionately called "Knapp Land," and the Knapps enjoyed fun outings to Reno. Manuel preceded Phyllis in death on January 11, 2001.

Mrs. Knapp is survived by daughters Donna Davis, Alturas, CA; Lynn Bennett and husband Colin, Shasta Lake, CA; step-daughter Doris DeNoon, Cameron Park; son Robert Valencia and wife Sandy, Las Vegas, NV; step-sons Roy Knapp, Bill Knapp and wife Jan; her dear best friend Mary Rojas and her numerous bingo buddies of California Pines; grandchildren: Tracy Boyer, Scott Haney Bennett and wife Lisa of Alturas, Tina Aldama, Stockton, Guy Bennett and wife Laura, Livermore, Mary Martin and husband James, Alturas, Debbie Bagwell and husband Todd, Alturas; Steven Valencia, Michael Valencia and wife MaryAnn, Lorretta Kim and husband Yong, Ray DeNoon, Jr. and wife Jeri, Leslie Fisher and husband Brian, Lisa DeNoon, Curtis Zwart and Gregory Zwart and wife Amanda and 21 great-grandchildren. Her grandson Edward Boyer also preceded her in death.

The Rev. Patrick Henry will hold services at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Saturday, Jan. 11 in Alturas. Please call Kerr Mortuary in Alturas (530) 233-5797 for the time of service. Interment will be at the Alturas, CA Cemetery.

Rose Lea E. Nelson

Lifelong Modoc resident, Rose Lea E. Nelson, 72, builder and owner of Nelson's Frosty in Adin for over 22 years, passed away at her home on January 3, 2003.

Pastor Walt Fisher conducted services at graveside at the Adin Cemetery on Monday, Jan. 6.

Rose Lea Gordon Swain was born in Alturas, CA. on July 1, 1930. She graduated from Adin High School. and married Glenn Nelson in Reno, NV. on Feb. 25 sharing a marriage of 53 years at the time of her passing. A homemaker, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she was devoted to her family. She was also an avid rubber stamp hobbyist, enjoyed painting and spending time with her many friends. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Adin and an active member of the Adin Chamber of Commerce.

She is survived by her husband Glenn of Adin; daughter Susan Cull and husband Perry; son Alan Nelson and wife Kathie, Adin; daughter Kristine Dodgen and husband Bryon of Adin; father Roy Swain of Adin; eight grandchildren and one great-grandson. She was preceded in death by her mother Edith Swain and brother Bill Gordon.

Donations in her memory may be directed to the Adin Ambulance.

SPORTS

Modoc boys set for Mt. Shasta

It may have been a bit hard to concentrate on basketball for Modoc's boys last week, but they did get in three good games on their Hawaii trip. Modoc coach Mike Martin said the team had a great time and got in the practice games they needed.

Modoc opened with a first game against Assets School, and had a pretty easy time. Modoc led 23-4 after one and 27-7 by half. By the end of three, the Braves led 35-9 and went on for the 43-20 win. Jack Britton had 11 and Michael Bates added nine.

They faced a tough team in their second outing, Mid-Pacific Institution, a private school. Modoc led 10-8 after one and trailed 26-20 at half. Modoc trailed 41-36 after three and a weak fourth period buried them 55-42. Shiloh Pierce had 13 and Britton added nine.

The Braves lost their final game to Hawaii Baptist 48-36, after getting out to a 16-11 first period lead. Modoc only scored two points in the second period while Hawaii Baptist added 17 to lead 28-18. Modoc's third period wasn't all that exciting either and they scored just five and trailed 37-23. Modoc put up 13 to HB's 11 in the fourth. Bates had 13 points, Des Kiesel added eight. "We'd like to thank everyone who helped with the fund-raisers for varsity boys basketball trip to Hawaii," said Martin. "The community support was outstanding and without the help, we wouldn't have been able to go. I believe it was a good experience for the entire team."

Modoc travels to Mt. Shasta Friday night to open Shasta Cascade League play and will be home against Weed Tuesday night.

Martin figures Mt. Shasta will be tough and Weed is coming on strong. He believes the SCL is going to be balanced this season and gives the nod to Trinity and Etna as the teams to beat.

Modoc girls open with Mt. Shasta

Modoc's girls will open against the Mt. Shasta Bears, in Mt. Shasta Friday night and will face Weed Jan. 14 at home.

Modoc is coming off a non-league loss to Mazama, 47-41, Friday in Alturas. The Braves led 6-4 after one and 17-15 at halftime. But Mazama put together two 16-point quarters in the second half for the win. Modoc scored nine in the third and 15 in the fourth.

Rachel Gover put up 28 points to lead the Braves with Liz Younger getting seven.

Modoc met Lassen Tuesday night, losing 46-41 against a very good squad. Modoc led 9-7 in the first and trailed 26-17 at halftime. By the end of three, Lassen led 41-25 and went on for the win.

Gover had 16 points, Davis added 10. Modoc hit only eight of 20 free throws in the game.

Hornets open against McCloud.

On Saturday, Modoc traveled to Cedarville for a scrimmage against the Hornets. Modoc led 18-12 at halftime, and 25-24 after three. The Hornets won the fourth period and the game 42-35.

Cara James led the Hornets with 15, Carpenter added 12, Camryn Mullen had nine. Gover led Modoc with 12.

The Hornet girls will begin Evergreen League play at McCloud January 10 and are home against Dunsmuir January 11.

Local Hoop Shooters move on

The Alturas Elks Hoop Shoot winners will represent the local lodge at the District Hoop Shoot January 18 in Portola.

The local winners are: Sara Montague, girls ages 10-11, Jessie Nosler, girls age 12-13; Zachary Goulden boys age 8-9; Nick Staub, boys age 10-11 and Trenton Schmidt, boys age 12-13.

Modoc wrestlers head to Anderson

Modoc top ranked wrestling team competes in the Anderson Invitational this weekend. Several Braves are expected to do well, including J.D. Monroe, Robert Flournoy, Matt Maine, Luke Hammerness, Billy Moriarity, Jaafar Mirholi, Mike Main, Cory Bell and Travis Wood.

January 16, 2003

NEWS

State budget sure to impact local entities

The projected state budget deficit of about $35 billion dollars is looming as the possible monster that ate local government. While no one entity is sure what the final picture will look like, everyone agrees it may not be pretty. Governor Gray Davis unveiled his budget proposal and this week local governments throughout the state have been trying to predict just what will happen to their programs and budgets.

One of the big worries to all local governments is a switch in the disbursement or backfill of vehicle license fees. There is also a proposal by the state legislature to increase vehicle license fees to their previous levels, which is about double current fees.

If the governor's plan goes through, without the increase in those fees, the City of Alturas could stand to lose about $160,000 annually and the county could lose well into the several hundred thousands when combined with other anticipated cuts.

Another area of major concern to counties is the "realignment" that could have counties take over responsibility for mental health, alcohol and drug programs, health programs, social services programs, child care and court security. While the governor is proposing new revenue sources, including a one cent increase in the state sales tax, higher income brackets for top earners and increasing cigarette taxes by $1.10 per pack, no portion of the new revenues would be required to fund those areas.

County Administrative Officer Mike Maxwell is wrestling with the budget numbers this week and will be presenting his figures to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

"My guess is this budget process is going to be long and drawn out," said Maxwell. "The state's said that counties will not go unscathed, but we don't need to be bankrupt by this proposal. I have a feeling the impacts are going to be big and painful."

City Treasurer Kathie Alves said the cuts look like they will be coming in areas when the city pays for services and wages. She believes the city could be looking at major shortfalls if there is no protection left by the state. A loss of the vehicle license fee backfill would amount to about a $160,000 loss to the city, she said.

Schools in the county are assessing impacts on their budgets, and are concerned about the budget for the coming year. For instance, the Modoc Joint Unified School District has already indicated and implemented some cost savings and a cut of about $643,000 would still be needed if the governor's budget proposal is unchanged.

The MJUSD is looking to make those cuts in a number of small areas, maintaining services and curriculum to students. The board is meeting this week on what those cuts will entail.

Some of the other areas where the Governor's budget would impact local government entities include a 50 percent cut in Public Library Foundation funds, elimination of second, third and fourth quarter funds for local street and road maintenance, having counties share in child support penalties, eliminating state reimbursements of booking fees, eliminating subventions to counties for property tax losses incurred by Williamson Act contracts, deferring state reimbursement for some state mandated programs, and other areas yet undetermined.

No truth in rumors of Chief of Police arrest

When Alturas Chief of Police Larry Pickett returned home late Sunday afternoon from a vacation in Arizona, he was greeted with the brunt of Alturas' gossip mill.

An untrue rumor, started over the weekend, that he had been arrested in the 10-year-old murder case of Alturas teenager Betty Lou Parks, had exploded throughout the county and the north state.

When contacted Monday by the Record, Pickett said he didn't want to even comment on the gossip or give it any credibility. He said it was a sad testament of the community.

Modoc County Undersheriff Mark Gentry said there was absolutely no truth in the rumor and that Pickett has never been the subject of an investigation into the murder. Actually, Pickett's office started the investigation into Parks' initial disappearance and the case was moved into the Sheriff's Office because her remains were eventually found in the county.

The case has received more notoriety of late, with a billboard on Main Street offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the teenager's death. The case has been handed over to the California Department of Justice for further investigation. Gentry said he contacted DOJ officers on Monday and they confirmed there have been no warrants issued and confirmed that Pickett is not a suspect.

Rumors that FBI agents arrested Pickett at the Black Bear Restaurant this weekend are completely absurd, said other law enforcement officials. The FBI is not involved in any part of the investigation.

Alturas Police Sergeant Sid Cullins said his officers received calls all weekend and tried to put the issue to rest, but people were still pushing the issue. He said he'd received phone calls from newspaper and television reporters throughout the north state.

"There is absolutely no truth in the rumor, it's just vicious gossip," said Cullins.

By Tuesday, the rumors had died down as more and more people found out they were not true.

Parks disappeared from Alturas June 25, 1992, at age 14. In May, 1993, her remains were discovered in Modoc Estates by a teenage hiker. The remains had been there about a year, according to law enforcement analysis. Anyone with any credible information, who doesn't want to speak to law enforcement directly on the case, may call the Modoc County Record at 530-233-2632. Ask for Rick or Jane Holloway.

The identities of callers can remain anonymous, and all information will be investigated and, if helpful, turned over to DOJ, the Sheriff or Police Department. Sources of that information can remain confidential. Or, call the Sheriff's Office at 233-4416 or the Police Department at 233-2011.

Alturas trio arrested after bar stabbing, face felony charges

Three Alturas residents were arrested orginally alleging attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon Saturday morning following a stabbing at Benny's Bar on Fourth Street.

Alturas Police report that the suspects in the case, Johnnie Erwin, his wife, Amy Erwin, and Cody Preston attacked Scott Bennett, age 34, in the parking lot of Benny's about 1:50 a.m. Saturday. Bennett was in critical, but stable, condition following surgery at Mercy Hospital in Redding on Monday.

Johnnie Erwin, who remains in Yolo County awaiting transportation to Modoc, will be charged with assault and attempted murder. Amy Irwin and Preston were charged by the District Attorney with misdemeanor battery. An enhancement of child endangerment will be sought against Amy Erwin.

Police state that an argument apparently ensued between Erwin and Bennett outside of Benny's after they had been in the bar. Erwin and Bennett began to fight in the parking lot and Erwin's wife, Amy, and her brother, Preston, both jumped into the fight. Police say Bennett was stabbed seven times during the attack.

Police arrested Amy Erwin and Preston in Alturas that morning and Johnnie Erwin was arrested in Yolo County by California Highway Patrol later that day. The weapons have not yet been found.

Amy Erwin was also charged with child endangerment after police found her young children home alone at 3 a.m. Preston was also charged with cultivating marijuana, which was found at his home during the arrest.

BLM preparing to hire summer fire fighters

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has begun planning for next summer's wildfire season in Northern California, and is now accepting applications for seasonal and career firefighting positions. The federal agency expects to fill about 45 positions in the north state, and urges anyone interested to submit applications as soon as possible.

"Applications received by January 31, will receive first consideration," said Jim Brown, BLM's regional fire management officer. "We have jobs open on our fire engine crews, on the helitack crew, the Diamond Mountain Hotshots, and on fuels reduction crews."

In addition to seasonal firefighters, Brown said BLM needs experienced firefighters to fill career positions as fire engine captains, assistant captains and operators, and as the assistant manager for helicopter crew. Career positions include health and retirement benefits.

Brown recommends that applicants mail either a resume, federal job application form SF 171 or federal job application form OF 612 to: Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Rm. W1834, Sacramento, CA 95825, Attention: Human Resources.

Applicants can also:

¥ Submit a Quick Hire application that can be found on the Internet at www.fire.blm.gov/recruit.htm

¥ Submit an application through the resume builder application, also found on the Internet at www.usajobs.opm.gov.

BLM's Northern California fire crews work from the fire stations in Susanville, West Valley (south of Alturas), Cedarville, and at the King Range National Conservation Area on the North Coast. Fire crews work in a season that typically runs from June through mid October. They conduct hazardous fuels reduction projects and natural resource improvement work, and respond to wildfires throughout California. They can be called to fires anywhere in the United States if the need arises.

More information is available from BLM offices in Alturas, Arcata, Susanville and Cedarville.

Stewardship committee meets January 16-17 in Cedarville

The Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship Program will present viewpoints on the successes and future of the organization when the committee meets January 16 and 17 in Cedarville.

On Jan. 16, Rex Cleary, former district manager for the Bureau of Land Management in Susanville, will lead a 3 p.m. presentation focusing on the Stewardship organization.

The committee will review an action plan, first developed in 1999, then work on updating the plan to guide the committee's future work.

Pit River Watershed group aims to enhance quality

The Pit River Watershed Alliance is having its first meeting of the year. The meeting date is January 23, 2003 at the Canby Fire Hall in Canby, CA from 1:00-3:30 p.m. All individuals interested in the management activities of the Pit River watershed are encouraged to attend.

The Pit River Watershed Alliance is a community based, non-regulatory effort, which involves the active participation of various social, economic, and environmental interests. Private and public agencies are acting together to enhance the water quality and aquatic habitat of the Pit River Watershed. The California Department of Conservation (DOC) and CALFED provide resources to make the Pit River Watershed Alliance a reality. The DOC provides services and information that promotes environmental health, economic viability, informed land use-decisions, and sound management of our state's natural resources. CALFED is a cooperative effort working with local communities to improve the quality and reliability of California's water supplies.

The meeting agenda includes a presentation of the updated website (www.pitriveralliance.net), a water quality monitoring update, a presentation of the biology of the Modoc Sucker, a Pit River watershed assessment update, general discussion on the Pit 3, 4, and 5 Hydopower Relicensing Project (FERC #233), and a presentation of agricultural discharge waivers by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.

For more information about the meeting or the Alliance, contact James Rickert at (530) 524-8166 or Mark Steffek, (530) 233-8869.

Modoc, Napa officers seize Lookout drug lab

Modoc County Drug Task Force agents and investigators from the Napa County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at 100 Ranchette Drive in Lookout January 8, discovering stolen property as well as a drug lab. According to the Task Force, Napa officials had recently arrested Richard Allen White, age 35, of American Canyon, Ca. During that investigation, approximately $30,000 worth of stolen property was recovered in the Napa and Solano County areas.

White was out on bail from that arrest and was known to visit and have property in the Lookout areas. Agents observed a new boat located on the Lookout property and had information that a Napa boatÊdealership had reported boat equipment stolen.

During the execution of the warrant in Lookout, the boat was found to be stolen and a shed on the property contained two outboard motors as well as other stolen property. In addition, agents discovered a large drug lab both inside and outside a shed.

The Task Force contacted the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement team to respond to process, dismantle and dispose of the lab.

The stolen property and drug lab information was turned over to the Modoc District Attorney's office with recommended charges of possession of stolen property and manufacturing an illegal controlled substance.

Obituaries:

Hazel Flournoy Dorris

Hazel Flournoy Dorris passed away on January 6, 2003, at Stollwood Convalescent Hospital in Woodland California.

Born on September 5, 1909 to the late Arthur and Lutie Flournoy in Likely, CA, she was the fourth of ten children. Her early years were spent on the family ranch in Likely. When the older children reached high school age, the family purchased a home in Alturas. Thereafter, her school terms were spent in Alturas and summers were spent on the ranch in Likely. Scarlet fever, at age 4, resulted in a severe hearing loss. Hazel learned to read lips while sitting on the lap of her teacher, Miss Dorothy Gloster, during recitation periods. She attended Modoc Union High School, excelling in basketball. She graduated with the class of 1927.

Hazel was married to Robert P. Dorris on June 2, 1930, in Reno, NV. Together they raised five children. Mr. Dorris preceded her in death in 1955. She remained in Modoc County until 1984, when she moved to Woodland, where she spent the remainder of her life. Easy-going and non-critical, Hazel made many friends, regardless of where she happened to be living.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Robert; parents, Arthur and Luthie Flournoy; three brothers, Kenneth Flournoy, John Flournoy, and Harry Flournoy; three sisters Helen Auble, Mabel Mitchell, and Georgie Flournoy; and, grandson, Paul Dorris.

Survivors include five children, Robert and wife, Helene, of Woodland; Daniel and wife Heather, of Chico; Deanne Pearson and husband, Joe, of Colusa; Ronald and wife, Rhonda, of Yreka; and, Roger and wife Connie, of Alturas; three brothers, Donald and wife Shirley, Robert and wife Lizette, Warren and wife Beverly, and sister-in-law, Mary Flournoy, all of Likely; eleven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Private interment beside her husband in the Alturas Cemetery was held on January 10, 2003. Memorial Services for Hazel Dorris will be held on January 25, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. at the Federated Church in Alturas. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Blue Lake Youth Camp, Alturas, CA, or the Federated Church Scholarship Fund, Alturas CA., or to a charity of the donor's choice.

Amanda A. Hagge

Amanda Auguste Hagge passed away in her sleep at her ranch home outside Alturas, CA on January 14, 2003. Mrs. Hagge was nearing her 82nd birthday and was active and in good health, so her passing came unexpectedly to her friends and family.

Funeral services will be conducted by the Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra at the Federated Church in Alturas on Friday, Jan. 17 at 1:00 p.m. Kerr Mortuary of Alturas is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Hagge was born in Richert, Germany on February 27, 1921. The Record will publish a complete obituary next week.

Barbara June Davis-Shofner

Barbara June Davis-Shofner of Alturas passed away January 4, 2003 in Redding, Ca. from complications associated with a stroke.

Born Winifred June Handcock Brann on September 5, 1927 in Pekin, IL., she graduated from Pekin Community High School and went on to become a Registered Nurse, a profession in which she worked for several years until a back injury changed her career course. She worked for several years in medical offices and managed an Alturas office supply business after moving to Modoc County 30 years ago. She married Glenn N. Shofner on December 26, 1975 in Reno, Nv.

She is survived by her husband Glenn N. Shofner of Alturas; four sons, Gary L. Davis and wife Chris of Canoga Park, CA; Erik K. Braunn and wife Gail of Encino, CA.; Geoffrey M. Davis, Alturas, CA.; Ronald A. Davis and wife Tonya of Alturas and their families and brother Richard Bruder of Pekin, IL.

Memorial service will be private with immediate family in attendance.

Joseph H. Dillard

Adin resident, Joseph Dillard, passed away January 14, 2003, at the age of 85. Graveside services will be held at the Adin Community Cemetery, Adin, CA. on Saturday, January 18 at 2:00 p.m.

Mr. Dillard was born January 12, 1918 in Stringtown, Oklahoma. He served with the U.S. Army during World War II from 1942 to 1945. He was retired after 27 years at the Naval Fuel Depot in Pt. Molate, CA.

Mr. Dillard and his wife Jane reared their family and lived in Martinez, CA for 24 years, where he was involved in many community organizations. He and Jane retired to Adin, CA, where they enjoyed many happy years on their ranch.

Mr. Dillard is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jane, now a resident of Concord; a son Joe and daughter-in-law Sue of Susanville; a son Bill and daughter-in-law Cathy of Fairfield and a daughter Mary Jane and son-in-law Mike Byrne of Burlingame. He is also survived by seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

A double memorial service was held January 5, 2003 for Alvina Marget Snoddy-White and Virginia Johnson Williams. The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra conducted the service at the Christine and William Compton home in Alturas, as the two women were Mrs. Compton's beloved grandmothers, who both passed away in December. Obituaries follow:

Alvina M. Snoddy-White

Mrs. White, 92, of Perryville, MO passed away Dec. 29, 2002.

Born August 29, 1910 to Carrie and Ceciel Heuer, she was a very hard-working farming child and woman who loved to laugh, tell jokes. Happiness flowed from her to others. She had so much "spunk" her granddaughter Christine Compton of Alturas called her "Spunkie."

A member of TOPS for many years, she was known to love her hats and hat pins and was always a lady. She loved church and took good care of her grandson Mark Waynger. She was thrilled in April 2000, when Christine visited for the first time in 30 years and introduced her daughter Brayta. Letters and recipes were shared throughout the years when they were unable to get together. She was also able to see her granddaughter Yvonne Barker of Palmdale in Sept. 2002 after a 42-year lapse and meet her husband Steve for the first time.

She was preceded in death by her two husbands, son Rex Snoddy, Jr., daughter Lavita Waynger, a son-in-law, two grandsons, a sister, three brothers and her parents. She is survived by five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, six great-great grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and in-laws.

Virginia Johnson Williams

Virginia Johnson Williams, 89, of Hawthorne, CA passed away Dec. 22, 2002 in Hawthorne. Born Aug. 27, 1913, she was the only child of Jeremiah Johnson. She loved church, telling Bible stories and spent 40 years grafting and raising beautiful, unique roses in her backyard.

She loved spending quality time with her grand and great-grandchildren and kept a tricycle and red wagon on hand for all young children's visits. She was fond of saying she could live off God, coffee, root beer and ice cream.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 69-1/2 years, Earl Williams; daughter Janet Hass of Oregon, a grandson, three sons-in-law and her parents. She is survived by her daughters Mildred Bailey and Earleen Rhor of California, 7 grandchildren, two sons-in-law, 12 great-grandchildren, six great-great grandchildren numerous nieces, nephews and in-laws.

SPORTS

Modoc's wrestling team fourth at Anderson

Modoc's wrestling team took a respectable fourth place at the huge Anderson tournament over the weekend, but coach Shaun Wood felt they could have won the whole thing.

"We in first place part of the day and things were going very well," said Wood. "We had a few wrestlers who did not wrestle up to their potential, for whatever reason, or we could have won the tourney. Of course, we're very pleased we finished as high as we did, that's a tough tournament."

Modoc travels to Burney this weekend for the Burney Invitational and Wood expects the Braves to win the tourney by about 100 points. "I think we're going to be very focused the rest of the season," said Wood. "We had what I'd call a very good practice Monday."

Leading the Braves in Anderson was Cory Bell who placed second in the heavyweight category. He lost to the top seeded wrestler in the North Section, but Wood figures Bell can beat him before season's end.

Matt Maine also did very well, taking a third place at 152 pounds in a tough weight class. Freshman Travis Wood took a fourth place at 135 pounds. Luke Hammerness took a sixth at 145 pounds.

Billy Moriarity took a seventh at 119 pounds, Robert Flournoy was seventh at 140 pounds, J.D. Monroe was seventh at 189 pounds, and Jeremy Price was eighth at 160 pounds.

The Anderson tourney was won by Willows with 172.5 points, West Valley was second with 150 points, Wooster (Reno) was third with 140 points, Modoc fourth with 139, followed in order by Carson City 133.5,, Shasta-Redding 133, Grants Pass 130, Red Bluff 126, Will C. Wood 113, Bella Vista 108, Foothill 90, Anderson 85, Chico 79, Klamath Union 71, Lassen 69, Rio Linda 68, Reno 67, Central Valley 64, Paradise 61, Galt 42, Orland 41, Ceres 41, South Medford 37, Fall River 34, Kelseyville 32, Enterprise 32, Trinity 23, Burney 15, Ashland 13 and Chester 12.

While Modoc's main team was at Anderson, the remainder went to the Mt. Shasta tournament and did well, placing fifth. Adam Johnson won the 103 pound division, Jason Jones was second at 152 pounds, Ryan Carrithers was third at 135 pounds, Ian Jacques was third at 160 pounds, Mark Main was third at 171 pounds, Brad Bell was third at 189 pounds, Willie Mohr sixth at 130 and Nick Hawes sixth at 125 pounds.

Braves split in league openers

Modoc's Braves split in Shasta Cascade League opening games this last week, losing to Mt. Shasta Friday and then beating Weed Tuesday.

Modoc played a solid game here against the Weed Cougars, winning 59-42. The Braves led 18-12 after the first and used a 16-point second period to lead 34-19 by half. Modoc maintained a good lead 47-30 after three and matched points with 12 in the fourth.

Jack Britton led the scoring with 22 and Michael Bates added 11. Modoc coach Mike Martin was pleased with his defensive play against Weed and hopes to use that solid defense against a very good Trinity team on Saturday in Weaverville. They meet Burney in Alturas Friday.

Martin said the Mt. Shasta game was very physical, with the Bears creating havoc for the Braves in the fourth period. The game was close after one, 15-12, and the Bears still led 24-21 at halftime. Modoc was still in the game after three 40-33, but Mt. Shasta outscored them 27-9 in the fourth for the 67-42 win. Martin said the Bears' physical play and pressure forced Modoc into several turnovers.

Britton led the scoring with 10, Marty Stevens and Brody Thorn each added eight. Modoc was 14-for-17 at the free throw line.

Girls drop two to open SCL play

The Modoc girls varsity team ran into a good shooting Weed Cougar bunch Tuesday night, losing, 62-35, at home after losing to Mt. Shasta there last Friday, 51-41.

Against Weed, the Braves had trouble passing the ball and the Cougars had little trouble putting the ball in the hoop. The Braves started with a 5-4 lead midway through the opening period, but Weed added 10 points in the last three minutes while Modoc only added two. The Cougars blasted the Braves for a 24-7 lead before Modoc hit a bucket at the five minute mark of the second period, Modoc went into the halftime talks, down 31-15.

Weed pushed the score to 39-17 in the third and wound up leading 49-26 when the final period started. Weed won 62-35. Rachel Gover led the Braves with 22 points and Jennifer Davis added seven.

In Mt. Shasta the Braves played close, trailing at halftime, 22-21 and 38-32 in the third. The Bears added 13 points in the final period while Modoc netted nine. Gover led with 19 points and Davis added 16.

Modoc meets Burney here Friday night and travels to Trinity on Saturday.

SV girls win a pair

The Surprise Valley girls varsity team opened Evergreen League play with a 58-43 win at McCloud Friday night.

The Hornets took a 27-16 half-time lead and cruised for the win. They hit 18 of 23 free throws.

Cara James led with 19 points, with Camryn Mullen getting 15.

Saturday the Hornets beat Dunsmuir 43-29 with Mullen's 19 points leading the way. Roxanne Carpenter added 11 and James had nine.

JV boys beat Bears in OT

Modoc's junior varsity boys basketball team survived a hostile environment at Mt. Shasta Friday night and came away with a 62-58 overtime win.

The Braves got a good start, leading 12-6 after one and maintained a 28-19 lead by half. At the end of three the Braves led 40 to 33, but the Bears tied it up at 51 by the end of regulation. In the overtime period, Kyle Madison scored seven of his 27 points to lead the Braves to a 62-58 win. Micah Eppler dropped in 13 and K.C. Kirkreit added nine.

Modoc made it 2-0 to open league with a 48-45 win over Weed in Alturas Tuesday night.

The game was tied at 9-9 in the first and Modoc took a 28-18 lead at halftime. Weed cut into the score 34-29 after three and made it interesting down the stretch, but Modoc held them off. Eppler and Sean Wolfe each had 12 points.

Modoc JV girls split

Modoc's junior varsity girls team lost to Mt. Shasta 45-30 Friday night in Mt. Shasta. They trailed 8-5 after one and 21-8 by half. By the end of three, Mt. Shasta led 35-18.

Emily Pence had 12 for the Braves and Jesse Harden added five.

The girls lost to Mazama 47-29, falling behind at half 27-17. Harden led with 12 and Hannah Hays added none and Pence had eight.

Lassen beat the girls 31-25. Lassen led 22-5 at half-time and Modoc played better in the second half, scoring 20 points to Lassen's nine. Pence had 10, Hays eight, and Harden six.

Tuesday night the Braves beat Weed 44-26. They led 13-8 after one and 28-19 at the half. Harden led the scoring with 15 points, Pence added 13, Hays had eight, and Rachel Crosby had four.

January 23, 2003

NEWS

County told state budget impacts could be severe

Modoc County Chief Administrative Officer Mike Maxwell's budget report to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday was sobering, if not frightening.

"We've never been here before," Maxwell told the Board. "I can tell you this, the impacts of state cuts on local government will be severe and after last year's budget, there's not much left to cut other than services or people." Maxwell reported a nearly $1.2 million loss of county revenues over the next 18 months if the governor's budget proposals go through as presented. He said some of the numbers remain "fuzzy" and are ever-changing at the state level, but the equations will damage local government.

Maxwell said law enforcement came out smelling like a rose in the governor's initial proposals, so that area is not impacted. But he said there is no way counties are going to be able to shoulder the load of this massive budget crisis and still provide services.

Maxwell told the Board it needs to do everything in its power to inform state legislators of the impacts and effects of this budget crisis on counties. "We can hope for some bipartisanship effort at the state level," Maxwell said. "We didn't create the problem."

Senator Rico Oller's representative was in the audience Tuesday but didn't say anything.

Some of the hardest areas hit by the governor's proposal include the hospital, where a reduction in Medi-Cal reimbursement rates could amount to about $700,000 loss over the next 18 months. Those cuts will also impact the Surprise Valley Hospital, said Maxwell.

One area under question still is the state backfill of vehicle license fees, enacted when the license fees were reduced. If that remains a part of the proposal Modoc stands to lose $260,601 for this fiscal year and $487,449 for next fiscal year. In addition, the state is suggesting elimination of the local street and road funding, which would hit Modoc for $407,000 in 2002-03. Also in transportation, the state is suggesting a suspension of general fund transfers of transportation investment funds. That would be a $459,000 loss of revenue in traffic congestion relief funds in 2003-04 and a $130,000 delay in state transportation improvement program funds.

Maxwell said other areas where major cuts are proposed include the elimination of $50,000 in the prosecution of statutory rape program, which would mean the loss of the program and one-and-a-half positions.

One area that is not guesswork on the impact of increases is the county's PERS retirement system. That amounts to a $127,303 increase in the general fund and $121,315 in non-general fund areas over the next 18 months. In addition, there is also a $71,711 increase in Worker's Comp in the general fund and a $29,127 increase in property and liability insurance. In the non-general fund portion of the budget, there is an increase of $39,696 for worker's comp and $38,644 in property and liability insurance. Maxwell also pointed out the county should expect major cuts in state mandated programs involving social services, mental and public health, veteran's services, agriculture, child care, Williamson Act subventions, and others.

One area that could have major impacts will be a proposed "realignment" where the state transfers some services to the counties, but no funding to go along with those services. The last time that happened under Governor Pete Wilson, the counties were hit very hard.

"I'm probably going to be giving one of these reports at every meeting," Maxwell told the board, as numbers and proposals are constantly changing. "It's going to be a long summer."

MJUSD looks at $700,000 shortfall

The Modoc Joint Unified School District could be looking at a $700,000 loss of funds over the next 18 months if the Governor's proposed seven percent reduction in funding is approved.

Monday, the MJUSD Board of Trustees enacted several budget reductions locally which are effective from now until June 20. Those reductions amount to $176,570.

According to Superintendent Dr. Kevin Jolly, the board has three priorities: strong support of student learning, maintaining jobs, and balancing the budget. The 2003-04 budget will be finalized following the state legislature's action on the overall state budget.

Included in the board's approved cuts from now on are: 2.5 percent reduction in operational budgets, saving $20,750; moving unrestricted instructional expenses to restricted lottery carryover at year's end, $40,000; assignment changes (aide/teacher) $17,000; reduced conference costs $9,000; elimination of SIP and Title 1 District support of carryover $60,000; reduction of remaining balance of athletic funds by $5,000; double transportation rates to reflect actual costs $5,000; use leave instead of vacation buy-out for 12-month employees $3,500; eliminate overtime for snow removal $1,500; eliminate 60 percent of cell phones $2,500; charge back electrical costs of soda machines to sites $4,070; charge operational supply budgets for additional staffing breaks, $1,500; and other cuts.

No railroad in Alturas future

The possibility of Alturas acquiring the Union Pacific rail line from Alturas to Wendell disappeared this week when it was sold to another entity. According to Planning Director Scott Kessler, who was authorized by the City Council to look into a possible purchase, said he was advised this week that it was sold. Equipment should be arriving in a few days to begin the dismantling process of the entire line.

County rescinds Thoms Creek road acceptance

Modoc County Supervisors voted to rescind a December 17 action accepting a Thoms Creek Estates road, and then denied a new request to accept the road.

The board is also opting to set up a committee to study the road issue and come back with a recommended policy for accepting roads into the county system. The board voted to rescind the December 17 action because of a variety of legal issues, including the fact that it had made no legally defensible finding to violate one of its own ordinances and a conflict of interest was apparent.

Supervisor Mike Dunn, who lives on the road in question, and who had a conflict last time around, excused himself from the meeting and did not participate in the discussion.

Representatives of the Thoms Creek Homeowners' Association were on hand requesting the board reconsider the issue, which, after a nearly two-hour discussion, they denied.

Vanston Shaw, president of the Association, said the board should reconsider the road and accept it because the situation was unique. He said the road, Warner Mountain Drive, is a loop, and about half of it is already in the system. Accepting the other 1.3 miles would be a logical conclusion to an action taken by an earlier board when they accepted the first half. He also stressed there were safety issues involved, as well as accessibility for fire departments, emergency crews, repair and utility crews.

While those findings may have been important, County Counsel Vicki Cochran explained that they all could be applicable for other subdivisions in the county and, in her opinion, were not legally defensible. She explained that the law on the books is legally binding unless a special finding can be made. She told the board and audience she had not heard such a finding in the discussions.

Supervisor Dan Macsay made the motion, finally, to deny the acceptance of the road. He also said a committee, under the direction of Road Commissioner Tom Tracy should be set up to come up with solid policies on road acceptance. He also stipulated that the committee should have those recommendations back to the board within six months.

Tracy had told the board in the discussion that if it accepted the Thoms Creek road in its present state, it would have no legal grounds to refuse much of the 200 or so miles of non-county roads into the system. He said the cost of accepting roads is prohibitive.

Cochran further explained that following past practices are not a legal de fense. She said that just because county boards had broken its own ordinance in the past was no excuse, under the law, to break it again. Supervisor Dave Bradshaw said he had some concerns about accepting new roads into the system when he sees county roads in his area not getting the maintenance or attention they need now.

Tracy told the board he was recommending, again, against accepting the road into the system and suggested they might take another direction and look at abandoning some of the county roads now in the system. While he said he would like to see all public roads in the county under the system, it's just not financially feasible. In many subdivisions, including Thoms Creek, homeowners associations are set up, under the bylaws, to maintain their roads.

There was little argument that the road in question did not meet minimum standards now set up in county law. Tracy presented a report where a road department technician measured the width of the road at 250 feet intervals. It showed the road being from 14 feet to 18 feet wide, well below the standard of 24 feet for acceptance.

Thoms Creek property owners will have another chance to seek acceptance of Warner Mountain Drive once the new policies are set in place.

Jobless rates keep going higher

Modoc's unemployment rate continues to climb and for December reached a level of 8.32 percent, up from November's revised rate of 7.8 percent and above last December when it stood at 8.0 percent.

The number of people in the workforce dropped from November's 4,460 to December's 4,380, and the number of unemployed went up from 350 to 360 people. In October, the unemployment rate was 5.2 percent and 230 people were listed as unemployed. For December, the state unemployment rate was 6.3 percent and the national rate was 5.7 percent.

Modoc's 8.2 percent jobless rate ranks it 36th highest of the state's 58 counties. Lassen County had a unemployment rate of 6.8 percent ranking it 28th and Siskiyou had a rate of 11.3 percent, ranking it 45th.

The lowest unemployment rate was in Marin at 3.4 percent and the highest was Colusa at 24.9 percent.

Obituaries:

Amanda A. Boyens-Hagge

Modoc rancher Amanda Auguste Boyens-Hagge, 81, passed away at her ranch home outside Alturas, CA. on January 14, 2003. The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra conducted services at Federated Church in Alturas on Friday, Jan. 17 at 1 p.m.

Born in Richert, Germany on February 27, 1921 to Julius August and Margareta Boyens, she was reared in a small German village on a dairy. She grew up milking cows, hoeing potatoes and sugar fields, and helping with all the other jobs required on a small dairy.

Amanda was the oldest of four children; she had three younger brothers, Hans Julius, Karl Heinz, and Paul Gerhart.

Her brother Karl Heinz was killed in the war in January, 1944. Her surviving brothers, Hans Julius and Paul, are both dairymen in Germany, and Amanda kept in close contact with them. She traveled back to Germany several times, and last visited her brothers in September, 2001, when she traveled to celebrate her brother Julius' 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Amanda had an independent, pioneer spirit. When she heard of a gentleman traveling back to his home country in order to find a German wife to marry and accompany him back to America, at 27 years old, she was ready for the adventure. Even though it meant leaving her family and many friends, without knowing if she would ever see them again, she married William Hagge on January 15, 1949. It was October, 1949 before she would have all her paper work in order to travel to her new home in America, Modoc County.

Living on a fairly remote ranch, Amanda met the challenges of getting to know her new husband, learning a new language, learning to drive, and just understanding the traditions of a new town known for "Where the West Still Lives," with determination. She did all of this, and in September, 1950, her first child, John Julius, was born, soon to be followed by William Kenneth in February, 1952. In March 1955, Amanda and Bill were further blessed with a daughter, Erika Christina, and then in October, 1966, Mark Christian's arrival was a surprise blessing.

Amanda loved her new country and immersed herself in ranch life. One of her proudest accomplishments was passing her test to become an American citizen. She enjoyed her garden, raising chickens, cooking and canning. She loved to entertain by hosting many dinner parties and enjoyed cooking for the many activities that took place on the ranch. Bill enjoyed hunting and Amanda loved to cook what he hunted. In 1958, Bill built Amanda a beautiful new home on the ranch- -she was especially proud of her modern new ranch house.

Her happy days with Bill came to an abrupt end when Bill unexpectedly passed away in October, 1968. At that time, her children were 18, 16, 13 and almost 2. Amanda had to become a full-time rancher and finished raising her children by herself. Through many tough times, Amanda's strong, pioneer spirit, helped her raise her children to become very independent and successful adults, and, along with her oldest sons, John and Willy, kept the Hagge Ranch running.

Throughout her life, Amanda had many hobbies including golfing, gardening, cooking and sewing. She was actively involved with many organizations; Modoc County CowBelles, Alturas Garden Club, Book Club and was a member of the Federated Church in Alturas.

An avid reader, she kept current on local and world events. She had a great memory, and would amaze her children with her ability to recall events, recipes, birthdates, and anniversaries. She especially enjoyed taking a daily tour of the ranch with her car and would often surprise John and Willy where she was able to get to and where she could get stuck.

Amanda continued to stay active in the ranch and would always inquire as to where the cattle were or how the hay crop looked. She often asked, "Shouldn't you irrigate that field again," or "Why don't you bale the hay?" She enjoyed being involved in all the ranch activities.

Amanda loved her family and enjoyed all of her grandchildren. After eight grandsons and a long wait, Amanda was especially joyed by the birth of her first granddaughter in 2001.

Amanda was an amazingly strong, independent and loving woman. She will be greatly missed by all her family and friends.

She is survived by her son John and wife Robin and their sons, Shawn, Kevin, Ryan, Christian and Landin of Alturas; son Willy and wife Nancy and their son Bryce of Alturas; daughter Erika and husband Daryl Bender and their sons Drew and Shane of Chico; son Mark and wife Carrie and their daughter Andrea of Boise, Idaho. She is also survived by family in Germany: brother Hans Julius and wife Anniemarie Boyens and their children, Karl Heinz and Heidrum; brother Paul and wife Annie Boyens and their children Andreas, Christa, Birte and all her nieces and nephews. Those wishing to make memorial donations may do so to the Federated Community Church, 307 East First St., Alturas, CA 96101, or to a charity of their choice.

Kerr Mortuary in Alturas was in charge of arrangements.

Scott Fitzpatrick

Scott Fitzpatrick passed away at his home in Alturas, CA on January 17, 2003. Graveside services will be held at the Alturas Cemetery on Friday, Jan. 24, at 2:00 p.m.

He was born July 9, 1946 in Portland, OR, and shortly thereafter his family moved to Alturas. Scott was a graduate of Modoc Union High School Class of 1964. Scott attended Santa Rosa Junior College and Oregon Technical Institute in Klamath Falls, OR.

He was a veteran of the U.S. Army during which time he served a tour of duty in Vietnam. Scott then settled in Sacramento, CA and started a 25-year career with A. Teichert & Sons Construction Company. During the 1980s, he touched many young lives coaching youth soccer and baseball. After retiring, he returned to live in Alturas.

Scott will be remembered by many for his handle bar mustache, his great sense of humor, and his love of playing practical jokes.

He is survived by his two loving sons Keith and Chris and his former wife Charlene of Sacramento; sisters Penny Keeney and Joanne Smith, brother-in-law Chic Keeney of Alturas and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father and mother Delbert and Lillian Fitzpatrick. Remembrances may be made to either the Alturas Elks Lodge 1756 or the Alturas Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3327.

Mary E. Harris

Mary Ellen Harris passed away Friday, Jan. 17, 2003, in San Francisco, CA, after a long illness.

The Harris family resided in Canby and Alturas, CA, for eight years during late 1970s and early 80s, where they still have friends. Mrs. Harris was a full-time homemaker and mother.

She was born Mary Ellen Vanderlinden on February 17, 1942 in Southgate, CA. Her husband Gary preceded her in death on Jan. 11, 1997 as did her granddaughter Jeannette Parkyn.

She is survived by her sister Shirley Beebe of Norwalk, CA.; brother David Cummings of Hesperia; sons Dennis Harris of Grand Prairie, Texas and Allen Harris of Cathlamet, WA and daughter Dawna Parkyn of Redding, CA. She is also survived by eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Services will be held at McDonald's Chapel in Redding on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 11 a.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the National Diabetes Association or to the National Kidney Foundation.

SPORTS

Braves pin Burney invite by 100

Modoc coach Shaun Wood, a little less than pleased with his team's overall performance in Anderson last week, told the boys he wanted to win the Burney Invitational by at least 100 points.

Some of his wrestlers said practice this last week was a bit "intense." Must have paid off, as the Braves won the event going away with 278.5 points. Bonanza was second at 151, Middletown third at 124, Corning 106, Quincy 102, Etna 100.5, Modoc B 87, Fall River 85.5, Mt. Shasta 85.5, Burney 71, Chester 71, Hamilton City 65, Los Molinas 43, Cloverdale 36, Bishop Quinn 11, Tulelake 4 and Portola 0.

"We did what I expected us to do this week," said Wood. "It was a good outing for us and I think we put things more into perspective." It's not that Wood wasn't pleased with his team's fourth-place overall finish at the huge Anderson tournament the week before, he just felt they should have won the whole thing.

Modoc heads to the Central Valley Invitational and then to Corning. Modoc won six individual titles in Burney and had 10 wrestlers in the final 14 matches. Bill Moriarity won the 119-pound division. Moriarity was named the Outstanding Lightweight in the tournament.

Robert Flournoy rebounded from Anderson by winning the Burney Invite, beating Bonanza's Robert Callaghan at 140 pounds. Luke Hammerness won the 145-pound division over Fall River's Greg Handa. Jason Jones beat 160-pound teammate Ian Jacques to win the division.

J.D. Monroe won the 189-pound division. Monroe won the most falls in the least time award, pinning four opponents in 3:31 total.

Cory Bell beat Bonanza's Zach Thomas to win the heavyweight division. He also had the fastest pin in the event at nine seconds.

At 135 pounds, Modoc's Travis Wood placed second to Fall River's Bobby Main, one of the top ranked wrestlers in the section. Brian Weed took a second at 112 pounds and Matt Maine was second at 152 pounds. Mike Main took a third at 215 pounds, Brad Bell was third at 189, Joey Catania third at 171, Nick Hawes was third at 119. Scott Buchanan was third at 112. Adam Johnson was fourth at 103.

Braves split in SCL, at home this week

The Modoc Braves varsity boys team beat Burney, 62-43, Friday night and lost to Trinity there, 60-50, Saturday.

This week the Braves have Fall River at home Friday night and Etna comes to town Saturday. Game times Saturday are: JV girls, 2 p.m., JV boys, 3:30 p.m., varsity girls, 5 p.m., and varsity boys, 6:30 p.m.

Against Burney, Modoc took a 12-10 first period lead and posted a 27-19 lead by half. By the end of three, Modoc led 41-27 and outscored Burney 21-16 in the fourth. Jack Britton led with 22 points, Michael Bates added 11 and Cam Jeffers had 11.

Modoc let Trinity get out to a 10-1 lead in the first period Saturday and then played solidly the rest of the way, but weren't able to get the win. Trinity ended the first period up 13-5 and led 28-19 at halftime. The Wolves led 45-29 after three. Modoc outscored Trinity 21-15 in the final eight minutes.

Britton led the scoring with 20, Bates added 12 and Shiloh Pierce had eight.

Modoc Girls topple Burney in comeback

Modoc's girl's varsity beat the Burney Raiders 46-42 Friday night in Alturas, but it took a big fourth period to get it done.

Modoc played to a 7-6 lead after one, but Burney took a 18 point second period and led 24-17 at the horn. The Braves cut the lead to 30-27 at the end of three and then outscored the Raiders 19-12 in the final eight minutes for the win.

Leading the charge was Rachel Gover, who finished the night with 30 points and 12 rebounds. Coach Kenny Demick said Gover had an excellent game and also felt that Jamie Kuhn was a key on defense and sophomore Brittany Berchtold gobbled up the rebounds. Liz Younger had six points for Modoc, hitting two threes.

The Braves lost to Trinity in Weaverville Saturday, 42-31. Demick said the girls can beat Trinity next time around. They got into a hole early, trailing 13-7 after one and 27-13 at halftime. Trinity maintained a big lead 35-19 at the end of three. Modoc came back to cut the lead to nine in the fourth, but couldn't get any closer.

Jennifer Davis had 13 points and Danielle Reyes had seven. The Braves have a home weekend, with Fall River here Friday night and Etna coming to town on Saturday.

Brave JV boys split

Modoc's junior varsity basketball team lost its first league game this year at Trinity 52-28, in a game coach Bunk Richardson said was as ugly as the score.

Modoc beat Burney, 53-37, Friday night at home, playing a solid game. They led 12-9 in the first and 22-19 at halftime. They pulled out to a 42-31 lead after three and added nine points in the final period to Burney's seven. Micah Eppler led with 16 points and Kyle Madison added 12.

The trip to Trinity was a little different. Modoc opened up well, leading 12-11 at the end of one. Then the wheels fell off. By halftime, Trinity led 30-14 and by the end of the third period, the Wolves led 42-18. The final was 52-28. Cory Funk led the scoring with 10 and Sean Wolfe added eight.

The Braves meet Fall River here Friday and Etna comes to Alturas on Saturday.

Hornets hoopsters celebrate Homecoming

The Surprise Valley Hornets will celebrate Homecoming 2003 when they meet Butte Valley January 24 in Cedarville. The Homecoming royalty will be crowned that evening.

The Hornets are coming off a win against Happy Camp January 17, 36-32. The Hornets led at half-time 19-14, but Happy Camp tied the game at 27-all to end the third quarter. With 3:46 left in the game, Hornets' leading scorer, Camryn Mullen was fouled on a lay-up and injured her knee. She had to leave the game. Walgenbach came in and made one of two free throws to give the Hornets the win as neither team scored again. Cara James led the scoring with 16 and Mullen added nine.

The Hornets lost to a strong Tulelake Honker team, Jan. 14, 77-55. The key was the Honkers' 22 steals, stopping Surprise Valley in its sneakers. Tulelake led 36-30 by halftime and went on to outscore the Hornets 41-25 in the second half. James led the scoring with 19 and Mullen added 17.

Show students support via Booster membership

Modoc High Boosters have always been financially supportive of the student athletic programs at Modoc High. With budget cuts at the state level affecting programs this year, Boosters' financial help is needed now more than ever says Shaun Wood, Modoc High Athletic Director.

The Boosters are making it their goal to help as much as possible now and encourage community residents and past alumni to take up membership in Modoc High Boosters. Patti Wood, President of Modoc High Boosters, welcomes all interested to join the organization which benefits Modoc High School Sports Programs.

Membership is $10 per year or $25 for three years and membership cards will be assigned. Booster members have their names printed on home game programs; receive a dollar off when they show their cards for game admission and are afforded other benefits.

Monthly meetings are open to all members and are held the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Teacher's Lounge at Modoc High. Members are encouraged to attend to vote on issues affecting finances and purchases.

For more information regarding Boosters, please contact Patti Wood at (530) 233-4649. Membership dues may be made payable to: Modoc High Boosters and mail to 805 Park St., Alturas, CA 96101.

January 30, 2003

NEWS

1st casualty of health care budget crisis: MMC dental clinic

The first casualty locally of the state's budget crisis will be Modoc Medical Center's Dental Health Clinic, which will close March 28.

Hospital Administrator Teresa Jacques was saddened to release the news this week that a cut in the clinic's Medi-Cal reimbursement rate, which amounts to about $66,000, makes it impossible financially to keep the clinic open.

She said it was a very difficult decision for the Board of Trustees and her to make. But, she said, they were forced into the position and had no other choice.

The dental clinic is seeing about 250 patients per month, according to Jacques, and its closing will be a major impact on those people. The Canby Clinic will still see MediCal patients.

"There was just no way we could keep the dental clinic open," said Jacques this week. "We are having to look at every service we're providing and look at every dime we're spending. There may be other changes."

Closing the clinic will also lead to the loss of jobs: one dentist, two dental assistants, one receptionist and two part-time dental hygienists. Jacques is also concerned about future cuts in reimbursement rates proposed in the Governor's state budget. Those impacts could hit the long term care facility to the tune of up to a $500,000 loss.

Modoc Chief Administrative Officer Mike Maxwell, shared Jacques' despair in closing the clinic. He said the state budget has not yet been firmed up, but there could be serious other cuts coming down the line. In the hospital's case, Maxwell said the cuts come at a time when the facility had turned the corner financially and was beginning to operate at break-even or in the black. The reimbursement cuts could have negative impacts on all rural hospitals in the state, he said.

Maxwell said the budget picture has not cleared up at the state level yet, where the Governor and legislature are jockeying for positions and priorities. All counties and cities are forecasting some major reductions in their funding, if some changes aren't made in the Governor's original proposal.

County tells new Forest Super that juniper program a high priority

Modoc's County Supervisors had a warm welcome for new Modoc National Forest Supervisor Stan Sylva Tuesday morning and expressed support for the agency and continued cooperation.

The county did stress the importance of the juniper management program that is ongoing, and understudy, in the county. They asked that Sylva remain committed to the project, both from an economic and environmental perspective.

Sylva, who has now been on the job just over two weeks, coming from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, explained to the board that he was raised near Montague (Yreka area) and actually got his start working for the forest service on the Devil's Garden and Double Head Ranger districts. "We feel like we're coming home" said Sylva, whose wife LuRena, grew up in Alturas and graduated from Modoc High School.

"We're now formalizing the forest's work plan for the year," said Sylva, who said the task is made a bit more daunting since his budget has not been passed at the federal level. "We've focused on identifying an achievable plan for the year."

Sylva said he understood the cooperative nature of the Modoc County-Modoc National Forest relationship and pledged to continue along that route. He said some of the areas of concern include the National Fire Plan, Big Valley Sustained Yield Unit, an Integrated Resource Assessment, the Modoc Resource Advisory Committee activities, Medicine Lake Highlands and overall activity on the forest.

The board also approved a request from the Newell Renewal Committee for that group to build a soccer field behind the Newell Fire Station. The funding and equipment for the facility is coming from that organization. Supervisors felt it was a positive move by the community and agreed to allow the soccer field. According to organizer Daleen McElmurry, a basketball court is planned for the future and she will submit those plans to the county. No county funds are involved in the project.

The board also moved to insure its opposition is noted to a planned California Wildlife Conservation Board acquisition of 2,000 acres on Fitzhugh Creek south of Alturas.

The WCB is supposed to meet on the issue at its Feb. 11 meeting in Sacramento. While much of Fitzhugh Creek is now owned by the state, the last portion is apparently now under a purchase agreement. It is private land sold to the state for conservation reasons.

Modoc Resource Analyst Sean Curtis told the board that Modoc thought the issue was dead two years ago and hadn't heard about it until last week. He said the state is obligated, under a memorandum of understanding with Modoc, to notify the county well in advance of any action.

The issue will come back to the next meeting and a letter to the WCB will be drafted and sent, detailing Modoc's opposition to the sale as well as its disgust that the county was not notified, as is required.

Some objections aired on West Valley hydro plant project

By Anthony E. Larson

Special to The Record

The lengthy review process began last week for the proposed project to put two modest-sized power plants on the South Fork of the Pit River. In a meeting held last Thursday at the Modoc County Planning Department, the first in a series of public review meetings to obtain input from the public, approximately 30 people attended to voice their opinion to the Modoc County Environmental Review Committee on the project.

At issue is the proposed construction of two, small hydroelectric power plants at West Valley with a combined output of about 2600 kilowatts, enough to power about 2,000 average homes. Water to turn the turbines would be taken from the river and then returned to its natural watercourse, bypassing about 3 miles of streambed.

In the course of the meeting, Dave Alvord, associate planner for the county, reviewed an environmental checklist required by law, which was provided by the developer, and accepted all comments, taking notes on concerns. Several Likely residents raised objections, concerned primarily about the project's potential impact on property values, stream flows, fish habitat, stream turbidity and noise. Some expressed concern that Nick Josten, project developer and engineer, had done all the research and study himself for the proposed project rather than relying on independent, third party companies. Alvord agreed, noting that during the licensing and permitting process, his department would require that independent firms verify all data and conclusions.

Ken McGarva, chairman of the South Fork Irrigation District, who felt there would be "very little negative impact" from implementation of the project, explained the water users' position to all present, since the use of water for power generation is at their discretion. He explained that keeping the river "alive" is in everyone's best interest, which is why the district maintains certain minimum water flows.

Questions regarding the point at which a lack of stream flows would drop below levels needed for power generation, information vital to understanding the potential impact of stream integrity and fish habitat, went unanswered. Alvord expressed dismay that Josten was not present to answer such engineering questions. "If it turns out that there are hazards that they (the developer) need to mitigate, then we will recommend that they go to the other site or find another site altogether," explained Alvord, who went on to say that all the public's concerns would be fully addressed as the review process moves forward.

McGarva attempted to allay fears of "stealing" water to generate power by emphasizing that use of the water for power generation is "non-consumptive." That is, all the water taken out of the stream to turn turbines is ultimately returned to the stream, resulting in no loss of water to downstream users. Chiding those who seemed fearful about the water use aspects of the project, McGarva commented, "You need to study the water flow chart that's involved before you get too upset about the whole situation."

Representatives from the BLM and the Forest Service who attended the meeting pointed out that much of the research used by Josten to support the proposal was outdated, some as much as 20 years, since it was done by the South Fork Irrigation District in the early 1980s when a similar project was proposed. Present standards and practices would require a more thorough review for such a project, they added. In any case, the BLM review process cannot begin until the applicant provides funding for such work, which has not yet happened.

Noting his dismay at the applicant's lack of recent research and data, Alvord said to those in attendance, "I'll admit to you that some of the information is pretty thin."

The developer, Josten, indicates in the information and documentation he provided, that any extraordinary turbidity (clouding) of the water would end after construction. Residents seem to feel that it will be an ongoing problem as long as the plants are in operation, affecting not only stream quality and fish habitat but property values as well.

The members of the irrigation district would benefit financially somewhat from the operation of the proposed power plants, receiving about $20,000 annually, McGarva admitted. He also added that this was not their primary motivation for supporting the project. Rather, the fact that most of the elements needed to put the project in operation, the dam, ditches, etc., were already in place made this project very workable. That fact, taken together with a proper understanding of water use and the low impact on the stream and the environment, make this a desirable project. Since the meeting, Alvord reports, Annie Manji of the California Department of Fish and Game contacted him to recommend that the proposal be tabled pending a thorough review of the project by DFG.

Long day for officers in Goose Lake incident

For local law enforcement, Tuesday was a very long day, but the end result turned out to be good.

Modoc County Sheriff Bruce Mix said he was called to Davis Creek Tuesday morning concerning a man who had run though a stop sign at the intersection of U.S. 395 at a high rate of speed, had driven out to the causeway over Goose Lake and set his vehicle on fire.

The Davis Creek Fire Department responded to the vehicle fire and encountered Gary Hatfield, 33, of Olivehurst, Ca., who faced them with a knife in each hand. Firemen called for law enforcement help.

When Mix got to the scene, Hatfield had gone into a field still holding onto the knives and had a dog with him. His vehicle was destroyed by the fire. Mix, deputies and officers from the California Highway Patrol and Alturas Police Department tried to corral the man in the field with their vehicles, but he kept avoiding them. Mix said it appeared he wanted to commit "cop assisted suicide" but that wasn't going to happen. Mix said he had been reported missing by his wife two days earlier in the Olivehurst area. Why he chose to come to Modoc was not known.

Mix said Hatfield finally went to the edge of Goose Lake, stripped to just his underwear and walked out into the lake about a half mile. The water was only about six inches deep, but the lake bottom is very soft and muddy. Mix said Hatfield sat down in the water and as officers watched, cut his neck and wrists. None of the cuts appeared life threatening, said Mix, but the cold weather may have had something to do with keeping the blood flow slow.

Mix said the officers decided to wait until they could capture Hatfield calmly, but it took a lot longer than they thought it would. Hatfield sat in the cold lake from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. before he finally went to a prone position. Officers used quadrunners and a small boat to get to Hatfield. They were able to load him peacefully in the boat and get him to a waiting ambulance.

Mix said local medical officials and he were amazed that hypothermia had not set in on Hatfield earlier.

Hatfield was taken to Modoc Medical Center and then flown to hospitals in Redding where he is recovering and is under evaluation. No charges were filed against him.

"We're just glad we were able to come to a peaceful conclusion," said Mix. "No one got hurt and the cooperation between the agencies was excellent."

Don't miss Groundhog Supper for good fun

The Davis Creek community will welcome the public to their annual Groundhog Supper this Saturday, Feb. 1. Doors open from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Davis Creek Grange Hall to offer a good time for all ages, with good food and plenty of visiting.

The annual dinner, comes together with solid community effort and will be hosted by the Davis Creek 4-H Club. Dinner is to be served from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Everyone is invited.

Tickets will be available at the door, $6.00 for adults; ages six to 12, $4.00; ages five and under, served free. An auction, games of Bingo and sales of cakes will be included.

The dinner includes freshly grilled sausage patties, mashed potatoes, green salad, green beans, and more.

The hall is set with long tables, seating all who come for the event. The small group of 4-H members receive assistance from family members and their community to make the event possible as a fund-raiser for the maintenance of the community hall as well as 4-H.

The Davis Creek Grange Hall is located within the Davis Creek town limits. The Groundhog Dinner is a community tradition, which draws folks from throughout Modoc County to enjoy the event.

February 2 is official Groundhog Day in the United States, and bears the prediction of an early or late spring. If the groundhog does not see his shadow on February 2, Spring will come six weeks early.

Talent Show needs players

Modoc High's Project Graduation Committee is looking for talent acts of youths and adults, to make a local Talent Show a success in March. There is no age limit to participate.

Enter an act for $5 per performance. Cash prizes will be awarded. Performances need to be appropriate for school/family audiences. School dress codes need to be followed.

Performances may be up to five minutes in length. Possible practice dates will be announced.

At this time, plans are to hold the Talent Show at the Modoc High Oxley Social Hall from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 13. Entry forms are available from Lisa Cummings in the Modoc High Principal's office or from Sally Clark at Modoc Middle School or Karen Siegel at Alturas Elementary School. Entry forms are due February 28. If singing, dancing, poetry, skits or a musical instrument are talents, join Project Graduation's Talent Show for an evening of fun.

Obituaries:

Hazel Mae McDonald

Hazel Mae McDonald, 89, of Canby passed away January 28, 2002 at Fall River Mills Hospital, Fall River Mills, CA. Services will be held graveside at the Alturas Cemetery on Saturday, February 1 at 10:00 a.m.

The kind and well-liked Mrs. McDonald had made Canby her home since 1940.

She was born Hazel Bowen on Nov. 11, 1913 in Bethel, Oklahoma and moved to Canby in 1940, where she continued to make her home until her passing. Mrs. McDonald is survived by her son Robert McDonald of Adin, CA; daughter Mary Louise Sherer of Canby, CA, grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren............ Kerr Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

N.J. Ford

N.J. Ford, World War II veteran and long-time Adin resident, passed away January 20, 2003.

He was born in Eaton, Georgia in 1916. He served in the U.S. Army Infantry from 1942 to 1945. Mr. Ford married his late wife Edna, in 1945 and moved to Modoc County in 1945. He worked as a logger throughout the area until he retired.

He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law Eric and Dorothy Ford of Adin; daughter and son-in-law Nelda and Joseph Spear of Adin; grandson Samuel Spear, Klamath Falls, Oregon and brother Harley Ford, Yakima, WA; sister Edith Gisler, Modesto, CA; brother Marvin Ford, Needles, CA. and many nieces and nephews. Private family services were held. Interment was at the Adin Cemetery.

Percy Watson Taylor

Services for Percy Watson Taylor will be held at the Canby Fire Hall on Friday, Jan. 31 at 10:00 a.m. Mr. Taylor passed away of natural causes at his home in Canby, CA on January 26, 2003. He was 72.

Born in Adin, CA on May 22, 1930, he attended schools in the Big Valley area and was a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves, receiving his discharge Feb. 28, 1962. Mr. Taylor worked on ranches and farms in Colusa County in Arbuckle and Williams until he returned to Modoc County.

In his free time, he enjoyed fishing, hunting, watching western movies and visiting with his family and friends.

He is survived by his son Richard P. Taylor and daughter Doreen A. Taylor Mendoza of Canby, CA; stepchildren Erma Finley of Willows; Rose Jefferson of Sacramento; Delbert Rios, Chico; Harry Crawshaw, Maxwell; Nadine Crawshaw, Willows; 22 grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and great-grandchildren.

Interment will be at the Kelly Hot Springs Indian Cemetery.

Gladys Olive Gentry

Former New Pine Creek business owner Gladys Olive Gentry, 82, passed away in Cedarville, CA. on January 21, 2003.

Born Gladys Vincent on Feb. 15, 1920 to Violet Delta (McKune) and Oatman Oliver Vincent in New Pine Creek, CA, she graduated from cosmetology college in Redding and married James H. Cooper on June 15, 1938. They moved to New Pine Creek, OR, where they built their home and owned Cooper's Drive-In for 10 years. James passed away in 1961.

On April 17, 1964, John Lair Gentry and Gladys were married. Mrs. Gentry owned and operated Glady's Beauty Shop from 1964 until 1990, when she retired and the Gentrys moved to Cedarville.

Active within the Cedarville community, Mrs. Gentry was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary 7888, the Cedarville Community Church, was a precinct clerk for the Modoc County Election Board in Cedarville and a supporter of the local Blood Bank drives. She was an avid gardener, enjoyed crocheting and was talented with her knitting machine, creating many baby items, which were popular in her community.

She is survived by her husband John Gentry of Cedarville, CA; eldest son Jim Cooper and wife Ginny of Albany, OR; son Richard Cooper and wife Kay of Spokane, WA; daughter Lynne Minto and husband Jerry of Cedarville; three sisters Rose, Geneva and Alice and brother Otis; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her sister June and her parents.

The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra conducted services at the Cedarville Community Church at 9 a.m. on Friday, January 24. Those wishing to do so, may make memorial contributions to the Cedarville Community Church, Cedarville, CA 96104. Kerr Mortuary in Alturas was in charge of arrangements.

Interment was at the New Pine Creek Cemetery.

SPORTS

Modoc upsets Etna, big game Friday

Modoc's varsity boys upset the favored Etna Lions, 52-49, here Saturday, setting up a big game when Mt. Shasta comes to visit Friday night. Modoc lost to Mt. Shasta on their boards January 10, and Modoc Coach Mike Martin thinks they're the team to beat in the Shasta Cascade League. They have lost to Weed. A Modoc win Friday will put the race for the SCL title in a bag where anyone can emerge.

"We played extremely well against Etna," said Martin. "Our defense was incredible and, if we had shot the ball well, we would have beat them by 20. We were very strong on the offensive and defensive boards. We just outplayed them."

As of this Friday, it looks as through Modoc, Mt. Shasta, Etna and Trinity will be at 4-2 SCL records while Burney sits at 2-5 and Fall River is at 1-5. The top four teams in league will be pretty much in a fight for the title during the second round.

Against Etna, Modoc started on the Lions early, taking a 10-6 first period lead and led 22-20 by half. Modoc got up 36-33 at the end of three and both teams scored 16 in the final period.

Martin said his team could not hit shots all night and went just 8-for-18 at the free throw line. Many of those freebies were down the stretch where Modoc could have put the game away. Etna, by contrast, hit 12-of-14 free throws.

"We just couldn't hit a thing," said Martin. "We had great looks and great shots but nothing would fall. Our defense won this game for us." Jack Britton led the scoring with 21 and Cam Jeffers added 10.

On Friday night, Modoc beat Fall River 55-32, after a slow start. The Braves opened up 13-10 and by half led 21-19. Martin got on the team at halftime and they came out to lead 36-24 by the end of three and outscored the Bulldogs 19-8 in the final eight minutes.

Britton led the scoring with 16 points, Marty Stevens added 11 and Jeffers had eight.

Wrestlers heading south for matches

Modoc's wrestling team heads to Central Valley Friday and then to Corning on Saturday in their final tune-ups for the Shasta Cascade League Championships in Fall River Feb. 7-8.

The Braves are the odds on favorites to win the SCL and have a very good shot at winning small schools. Modoc Coach Shaun Wood isn't shying away from a run at the all school North Section title.

Northstate Prep Update has Modoc heavyweight Cory Bell ranked second, 152-pound Matt Maine ranked third; 147-pound Luke Hammerness fourth; 137 pound Travis Wood fifth. and 121 pound Bill Moriarity sixth.

Wood believes the final standings will also show a few other Modoc wrestlers in the top six, with Robert Flournoy at 142 pounds and J.D. Monroe at 189 pounds in the middle. He feels there could also be some other surprises.

Modoc girls drop a pair

Modoc's varsity girls are having trouble passing and are turning the ball over too frequently, said coach Kenny Demick. As a result, the Braves lost a pair of games over the weekend.

Fall River beat Modoc 54-29 Friday night in Alturas. The Bulldogs led 20-7 after one and 30-13 by half. The Braves fell behind 40-23 after three and Fall River outscored them 14-6 in the fourth. Liz Younger led the scoring with nine, Danielle Reyes added eight, Jennifer Davis had six, Britanny Berchtold had four and Jamie Kuhn added two.

Saturday night, Etna dropped the Braves 62-24. The Lions jumped up quickly, 22-4, in the opening period and by half led 40-12. The Braves fell further behind 56-16 after three. Younger and Brittney Bartram led with eight points each.

Modoc meets Mt. Shasta here Friday night.

Hornet boys beat EL teams

The Surprise Valley Hornets boys varsity team played two solid games this week, beating Dunsmuir, 62-51, and Butte Valley, 75-69. The Hornets meet Tulelake Tuesday in Cedarville.

The Butte Valley game was solid the entire way. Butte Valley took a 20-13 lead after one and led 34-31 at halftime. Surprise Valley went up 53-51 after three and the teams were tied at 65 in regulation. The Hornets won the game in overtime, 75-69.

Ivan Rangel led the scoring with 27, Adam Evans added 13 and Loren Harris and Miles Quick each had 11.

Against Dunsmuir, the game started even, 15-15, in the first period and the Hornets took a 32-23 half-time lead. Surprise Valley led 51-34 after three and went on for the win. Evans led with 22 points, Harris had 18 and Josh Boneck had 11.

JV boys lose tight one to Etna, 52-51

Modoc's junior varsity boys lost a tight game Saturday to Etna, 52-51, in Alturas.

Modoc opened with a 13-6 lead but Etna tied the game at 30 by halftime. The Lions went up one 42-41 in the fourth and both teams scored 10 points in the final stanza. Micah Eppler led the Braves with 15 points and K.C. Kirkreit added 11.

The Braves beat Fall River 58-47 Friday night at the Griswold Gym. Modoc opened with a 21-9 first period lead and by half led, 31-19. By the end of three, Modoc led 46-31. Kyle Madison led the scoring with 12 points and Eppler added 12.

JV girls beat Etna, 49-43

For the first time in nine years, the Modoc junior varsity girls beat Etna's JV. That happened at home Saturday, 49-43.

Modoc trailed 10-9 after one, but outscored the Lions 16-2 in the second period to lead 25-12 by half. Etna turned it around in the third, outscoring Modoc 17-3 to lead 29-28. The Braves won the fourth quarter 21-14 and the game. Emily Pence led the scoring with 21, Hannah Hays added 11, Rachel Crosby had nine and Jessica Harden had five.

Modoc lost to Fall River Friday night 39-31. They led 8-6 after one and 16-14 at halftime. But Fall River went up 27-21 after three. Modoc scored 10 and Fall River 12 in the fourth. Pence led with 19 points, Hays and Crosby added four each.

Modoc lost to Trinity 44-23 at Trinity. Trinity jumped out 19-4 in the opening period and led 29-15 at the half. The Wolves led 37-17 after three. Hays led with seven, Crosby had six and Harden added five.

Modoc meets Mt. Shasta in Alturas Friday.

February 06, 2003

NEWS

Snowpack just 40% of average

The snowpack in Modoc area is running just under 40 percent of average in the Warner Mountains and about half the average on Adin Mountain. Water officials are expressing concern about the lack of snow and the just released results of the Modoc National Forest and Natural Resource Conservation Service's snow survey. That survey was conducted the end of January, prior to the only snow storm that hit last weekend. Much of that snow has melted away.

According to the survey, Cedar Pass has just 14 inches of snow containing 6.6 inches of water at the 7,100 elevation. That's down considerably from last year when 37 inches of snow was measured containing 12.6 inches of water. The 10-year average for the site is 35.3 inches of snow and 10.6 inches of water.

Things actually look worse at Blue Lake's 6,800 foot site. This year, only nine inches of snow was measured with 3.4 inches of water. That's down from 26 inches of snow and 8.4 inches of water the same time last year and the 10-year average is 26.4 inches of snow and 7.6 inches of water. Barber Creek, south of Eagleville, had only 12 inches of snow with 4.5 inches of water. Last year, it showed 32 inches of snow and 8.6 inches of water. The 6,500 foot site averages 30.3 inches of snow and 8.1 inches of water.

49 Mountain in Nevada east of Surprise Valley has no snow this year. Last year it had 20 inches and 6.9 inches of water. The average is 15 inches and 3.4 inches of water.

Tom Hill, NRCS, and Jake Coffey, USFS took the snow surveys. They said the snow samples are "specific to the location of the test sites" and reported that a few feet from the test sites, on slopes facing south, there are large areas with no snow. They say that's a first in the many years of testing. Big Valley Ranger District's Ken Romberger did the survey on Sweagert Flat where he measured 15.5 inches of snow with 6.1 inches of water. The average is 28.6 inches of snow and 8.36 inches of water. Last year there was 37.1 inches of snow containing 9.2 inches of water.

Romberger said precipitation in Big Valley from July 1 to January 1 has been 5.15 inches, down from the average of 8.15 inches since 1943. "There have been six years since 1943 that have been drier than this year so far," said Romberger. "The years that have been below six inches at this point have always ended up below average for the whole season."

Modoc National Forest Hydrologist Sue Becker said the precipitation picture does not look good. For the month of January, .75 inches of precipitation was measured, well below the average 1.40 inches. The cumulative precipitation stands at only 2.92 inches since October, well below the average of 5.17 inches. It's also well below last year at this time when 5.53 inches was measured.

The rainfall average for Modoc is 12.01 inches. For 2002, only 9.14 inches was measured and in 2001, a severe drought year, only 6.89 inches had fallen. It's worrisome that by the end of January in 2001, 2.89 inches had fallen, and this year's 2.92 inches is looking ominous.

Becker also reported record high minimum temperatures in a very warm and mild January. Record minimum highs (the low temperature for the day) were set on January 4 of 36 degrees, January 12 of 38 degrees, January 13 of 40 degrees, January 25 at 38 degrees and January 27 of 39 degrees.

County supports new migrant facilities

Modoc County Supervisors Tuesday voted to support the construction of replacement Migrant Center facilities at the Newell Migrant Center. State Office of Migrant Services Manager Richard Golladay told the board the existing facilities were too small and were in need of replacement. He said the department has been replacing facilities at its 26 camps statewide over the past 10 years.

The new housing units will be an upgrade from the existing units, said Golladay. The current housing unit is about 320 square feet and what is planned are fewer units that will be in the 625 to 900 square foot range. The units house the migrant farm workers who make up the labor force for the Tulelake harvests. He said the project will take place over the next two to three years.

There are currently 60 units at Newell, and Golladay said historical use indicates a plan for 40 units will be sufficient to meet the needs. He said there is also a plan to upgrade the day care facilities. Construction will be done in a manner to avoid disruption of service to the farmers and the families.

The board did question whether the housing was for legal aliens only, and Golladay said the manager of each camp is required to check for proper credentials from each head of household.

The board voted 4-1 in favor of the new construction, with Pat Cantrall casting an odd "no" vote.

A representative of Congressman John Doolittle's office, Chris Parilo, introduced himself to the board and came away with some issues important to supervisors including: the elimination of Union Pacific's railroad between Alturas Ranches and Wendel, major water issues facing the northstate, the changes in the Forest Service's Sierra Nevada Framework, concerns of the cattle industry, insuring that "sound science" is put into the Endangered Species Act, a concern of water use in the Klamath Basin, and the repeal of the death tax.

County Chief Administrative Officer Mike Maxwell said one of the biggest issues facing Modoc and rural counties was the national health care crisis. He said the costs associated with health care and insurance are making service providers in rural areas, "an endangered species" and that private sector doctors are finding it difficult to stay in business. Maxwell told Parilo that people are beginning to wonder why Washington D.C. is "turning its back on the medical crisis" facing the nation.

Pit River water users have some major concerns

by Anthony Larson

Special to the Record

Local water users are extremely anxious about a number of critical issues that confront them, judging by the discussion at a recent meeting held by the Pit River Watershed Alliance (PRWA).

The alliance is a grass roots group organized about two years ago to forestall regulatory intervention by dealing with water quality problems and other watershed resource issues common to water users all along the Pit River before they become larger problems.

Nearly 60 alliance members met January 23 in Canby to hear presentations and discuss their most pressing issues. The fact that the meeting went almost two hours longer than planned demonstrates the level of anxiety among alliance members regarding a number of crucial issues. Since the Pit River watershed covers a vast area of Northeastern California, including Modoc, Lassen and Shasta counties, the topics covered in the meeting are vital to ranchers and farmers in those counties.

The greatest amount of discussion during the meeting was given over the hydropower re-licensing project, which has the potential of doing the greatest harm to local water users by substantially decreasing the amount of water they may take out of the river. At issue is the amount of water that upstream users must sacrifice to fulfill the demands of power generation stations located downstream.

Every 30 years, the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC), which governs power generation in the US, examines the Pit River watershed. It then determines, in accord with recommendations from the Forest Service and other agencies, how much water will be allocated to power generation. In the past, that figure was set at 150 feet per second. Ranchers and farmers along the Pit River are dismayed at pressure to increase this amount to 400 feet per second in the present re-licensing.

Ironically, while issues of water use and allocation account for many past and present squabbles between members of the alliance, they seem largely united against the greater threat of Pit River water use by downstream power generators in the future.

"I feel for everybody that's in the boat, because the impacts are very real," said Willy Hagge, president of the Hot Springs Valley Irrigation District (HSVID), one of five irrigation districts located along the Pit River that may be affected dramatically by the outcome of the re-licensing process. "If PG&E is required to bypass that 400 cubic feet per second, which is 250 more thanthey're doing now, they're just going to come upstream more aggressively. They're coming upstream now, kind of slowly but surely. But they're going to come upstream even more aggressively than they ever have before. It's just an ugly scenario."

Brian Dahle, Lassen County supervisor and Big Valley resident agrees that PG&E will come after more water. "The time of storage is the key question for me. These (water users) aren't going to be allowed to store that overflow water during those winter months when they have flows if (power plants) are using that water down below. That's the key," he said.

Apparently, environmental considerations may be the only leverage Pit River water users have to prevent loss of irrigation water through federal allocation of more water downstream for power generation. For that leverage, they look to the Forest Service for support of their position as it prepares its environmental assessment of the Pit River watershed. Economic issues can be brought up, but they're not going to outweigh environmental issues. But environmental issues can outweigh other environmental issues. "That's the key, says Hagge." (What) may be good for the environment down there (may) hurt the environment up here. And the Forest Service needs to keep that (in mind) in their analysis..."

Jay Younger, ranch manager for Alturas Ranches, largest hay grower in the area, feels that the answer as to who gets the water may be elusive. "It's just a long way to find a solution," he said. "I think that we need to look at the whole rather than the 37 miles at the bottom of the creek. I think there's an opportunity to improve the entire system forever or to look at 37 miles and do something that may or may not be better or worse for it. I think there is a way out of it. (But), if people are rigid in the solutions, it's a mess." Another headache for Pit River water users, touched on in the meeting, is the additional requirements placed on them by the need for new agricultural discharge waivers that come into effect this year, given that all previous waivers expired the first of the year. Since these waivers are essentially treated as permits, according to literature made available at the meeting, this is yet another form of regulation which alliance members must consider.

A representative of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, Dennis Heiman, made a presentation to the alliance members outlining the history of waivers and ways in which these waivers, mandated by law, might affect anyone discharging water from irrigated lands. According the Heiman's literature, discharges shall not cause or contribute to conditions of pollution or nuisance, and shall not cause or contribute to exceedances of any regional, state or federal numeric or narrative water quality standard. In fine, no one will be permitted to pollute water. Over the course of his presentation, Heiman made it clear that the initial impact of this change will primary fall on farmers and ranchers in the Sacramento Valley, because that's where the big issues are. However, as the program is gradually, fully implemented, all water users will be affected. "It will force us," said Heiman, "to learn more about the quality of our rivers and streams that you agricultural dischargers are discharging the discharge into. Hence, Pit River water users should begin now to prepare a plan to deal with its impact, preferably as groups rather than as individuals, since they will eventually be required to fully comply." According to Heiman, June 30 of this year is the date required for an initial report from dischargers, with a comprehensive report due each year later. "Actual monitoring isn't required to start until January of 2005, but in reality, I think we'll be monitoring as soon as we can, as soon as we have resources to do it," he said.

Along with the introduction of James Rickert as the alliance coordinator, other subjects covered in the meeting were the watershed assessment project, the biology of the Modoc Sucker and water quality monitoring. The date for the next meeting of the PRWA is tentatively set for March 20.

Mild January boosts building

A very mild January boosted building totals in Modoc County. For the month, the County Building Department issued 18 permits valued at $279,548, up from December's 13 permits valued at $175,339.

In the county, seven of the permits were for either storage, barns or garages and one permit was for the installation of a manufactured home. The City of Alturas issued seven building permits valued at $20,095. Monitor heaters, remodeling and roofs were the main activities.

Blood donors are always needed

Many blood banks around the country have been experiencing a blood shortage over the past few months and when the Surprise Valley and Alturas community Blood Drives are held this month, the blood donated will also be helping to supplement the military's blood supply, should it be needed.

America's Blood Centers is a network of community blood centers which includes Blood Centers of the Pacific, and Shasta Blood Center in Redding. The Redding personnel travel to Modoc County at certain scheduled times of each year, to hold Blood Drives. America's Blood Centers have announced an agreement with the United States Department of Defense, to supplement the military's blood supply during wartime if and when additional blood is needed.

"With the prospect of war with Iraq, the military has developed this agreement to assure all blood needs would be met," BloodSource spokespeople announced last Thursday. "While the military collects it own blood and relies foremost on that blood for its troops, when requested, American Blood Centers' members will fulfill part of the military blood needs not met by those sources."

Red blood cells have a 42-day shelf life and platelets only 5 days, so the supply must be constantly replaced. Because blood and blood products are perishable, it is critical that enough blood always be available in needed quantities, and equally as important that there is not much more blood than needed at any one time. Maintaining enough blood for use in area hospitals and to respond to the military are considerations.

Blood Centers of the Pacific is a community-based, nonprofit organization that provides blood to 40 hospitals throughout Northern California. BloodSource provides blood services in much of Northern and Central California and is one of six "hub centers."

A chance to donate

Northstate residents who wish to schedule donation appointments may call (530) 243-0160 or 1-800-640-6333 or plan to donate during the Modoc community Blood Drives on Monday, February 10 at the Modoc District Fairgrounds in Cedarville between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. In Alturas, blood donors will be welcomed from 12 noon to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the Veterans' Memorial Hall

"Blood is needed every day - not just in times of military action or disaster," reminds Lisa Bloch, spokesperson for Blood Centers of the Pacific.

Off the Record

By Rick Holloway, Editor

No war. . .

There is no overriding reason to go to war with Iraq, other than the need for President Bush to deflect the stark reality of his giant deficit and failing programs. Oil fields also have a place in the administration's plans. The premise that Saddam Hussein is an immediate threat to the United States is absurd. The mere fact that inspectors are on the ground in his country is a huge deterrent. Don't forget, he's also surrounded by no-fly zones. Is it possible he'll arm some terrorists with weapons of mass destruction? No more possible than would some other militant (not surrounded) in the Middle East or Far East for that matter.

If disarmament is our goal, then the inspectors can manage that job. We should allow them the time and give them the resources to be successful. What Colin Powell's presentation to the U.N. Security Council did Wednesday was strongly reinforce the need for more inspections and greater world pressure on Saddam Hussein.

Unfortunately, George desperately needs to shift public attention from the economy. The State of the Union is not good, regardless of what his speech writers say. His policies and his failed promises are falling down around his head daily.

Bush is fueling the ranks of anti-Americanism in the world faster than SUVs are depleting the oil reserves. These are sad and dangerous times for this country and its young people. Saddam is restrained, Bush appears to feel he is not. Hopefully, the world community can keep him tied down. By the way, what happened to the importance of Osama Bin Laden? Are we finished in Afghanistan? North Korea a problem? South America have some issues? Jeez, he's even angering Canada and Mexico.

It is most dangerous to hear the administration officials say that "We're the only super power left in the world" and actually believe it and act like that gives them certain rights to govern outside our boundaries.

I suspect there are other powers in the world, who when combined, can put a huge dent in our "superpower" status. When there's a bully on the block, there's always someone waiting to knock him from his bragging perch. In November, 2000, the week before the election, we wrote the following in an editorial stating: "Bush's lack of knowledge, experience and understanding of the world will put our children at risk.

"The current conditions in the Middle East and other parts of the world are not calm and Bush's statements during one of the debates should have sent a cringe up anyone's spine. He said ÔWe must support our friends and Israel is our friend.' That may be, but throwing the gauntlet down at this time of unrest is not only unwise, it is dangerous. . ."

That's where we are today. At the risk of being labeled "unpatriotic," no case has been made to send our troops into harm's way. Saddam Hussein is not worth the amount of attention he's getting from Bush. There are other issues vastly more important for the people of this country. And almost all of them are domestic.

Obituaries:

Lulu Grivel

Graveside services will be held for Lulu Grivel on Monday, February 10, at 2 p.m. at the Davis Creek Cemetery. Dr. Ben Zandstra of Lake City will conduct the service. Mrs. Grivel of Davis Creek, passed away peacefully on Monday, February 3, 2003 at Warnerview Skilled Nursing Facility in Alturas.

She was the first of two girls born on her grandparents' 1891 homestead, located three miles from Davis Creek. Born on March 26, 1904, she would have been 99 next month. Both grandparents, Adam and Melissa Hartlerode came to Davis Creek in covered wagons. Her parents, Ernest and Alice Hartlerode, homesteaded, ranched and worked in sawmills. Lulu was 15 when she met Harry Grivel, who was working on a Likely ranch. Three years later they were married on January 18, 1921 in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Lulu always wanted to live in a big house, so she and her husband bought an old 18-room hotel. She spent the next 15-plus years giving some 60-plus foster children a home. She maintained contact with many of those children.

After selling the place to their son Robert, the Grivel's moved to Ukiah, where they lived for some 15 years operating a small "mom and pop" grocery store called Grivel's Cash Grocery. The store was located near the high school and lunch time was a busy time. The store was open six days a week. They purchased the place in Davis Creek back from their son and moved back in 1971, a year before Harry died.

She was preceded in death by her husband Harry; son Robert, son-in-law Buster Dollarhide, granddaughter Lynette Meiser, and sister Bessie Watson.

She is survived by her daughter, Lola Dollarhide of Davis Creek, grandchildren Paul Grivel and Mick Grivel of Alturas, Robert Grivel, Jr. of Susanville and Doug Dollarhide of Davis Creek. Great-grandchildren include Brady and Eric Grivel, Craig Grivel of Sacramento, Rick Grivel of Phoenix, Arizona, Tammy Main of Susanville, Shannon and Melissa Dollarhide of Corvallis, Oregon. She leaves six great-great-grandchildren, her nieces Iola James of Davis Creek and Viola Bailey of Houston, Texas; foster daughters June Brunnemer of Alturas and Pearl Gulbranson of Carson City, Nevada; numerous foster children and many family friends. The family requests donations to their favorite charity in lieu of flowers.

Virginia B. Monroe

Virginia B. Monroe, age 81, died in Covington, Kentucky Wednesday, January 29, 2003. Virginia was born March 24, 1921 in Fairport, CA to Tom and Bertha Ballard. She grew up on a farm, one mile from the town of New Pine Creek, OR. She attended eight years of grade school under tutorship of Cora Follett and four years of high school with Phil Samples as principal of the two teacher, two room school. She grew up, married and left New Pine Creek in 1939.

She lived in Portland, OR. and felt that was where she wanted to live forever. Circumstances prevented this and she and her family moved to Alturas, CA. In 1960, she moved to Sacramento where she worked and retired from McClelland Air Force Base as an industrial radiographer. Virgina was active in the Native Daughters of the Golden West, The Women of the Moose, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and her church. She loved to travel, play cards and dance. These became her favorite pastimes in her retirement and were fondly shared by her dear friend and special love, Harold Ferrell. Survivors include two sons, Tom Gardner of Carson City and Jim Crudele of Eugene; a daughter, Barbara Rathbun of Burlington, Kentucky; nine grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, her sister Peggy Pauline in Washington and a host of cousins, relatives and friends. Virgina loved life, her friends and dearly loved her family. She adored her children as well as any child who needed a helping hand or a home. She looked forward to "Going Home" every year and for eternity.

Contributions in the memory of Mrs. Monroe may be sharing a special memory with your family or the Alzheimer's Association, 1311 NW 21st Ave. Portland, OR. 97209 or a charity of the donors choice.

Funeral Services were held Saturday, February 1, at 11 a.m. at the Ousley Osterman Huffstutter Funeral Chapel. Burial followed in the family plot at the New Pine Creek Cemetery.

SPORTS

Braves heavily favored to win league

Modoc's tough varsity wrestling team is heavily favored to win its fourth Shasta Cascade League championship in a row this week, the eighth out of the last 10.

The question going into the event this week is not whether they'll win, but by how much, and how many individual champions will be wearing Modoc purple and white?

Modoc Coach Shaun Wood fully expects 11 Modoc wrestlers to be in the 14 finals matches and three more could make it a full house. That's never happened.

"I feel pretty confident we'll have 11 in the finals and, of those, we'll get the majority of championships," said Wood. "I'm not real worried about league, but we won't overlook it. We still have to wrestle well."

The SCL championships are in Fall River Friday and Saturday. Friday will be the dual meets, with Modoc in the big school pool including Etna, Trinity, and Mt. Shasta. The small school duals will include Tulelake, Modoc II, Fall River, Burney and Bishop Quinn.

On Saturday, the SCL brackets tournament will take place, with all schools involved.

Wood believes the following guys should be in the finals: Billy Moriarity 119; Jaafar Mirholi 130; Travis Wood 135; Robert Flournoy 140; Luke Hammerness 145; Matt Maine 152; Jason Jones 160 (may wrestle teammate Ian Jacques for title); Joe Catania or Mark Main 171; J.D. Monroe 189; Mike Main 217; and Cory Bell 275.

Wood said other wrestlers who have a shot at the finals are Adam Jones at 103, Brian Weed or Scott Buchanan at 112 and Nick Hawes at 127. The Braves placed third in the big Corning Invitational last weekend, well above some large schools. Modoc is no longer able to sneak up on the bigger schools in the section.

Cory Bell was the only individual champion at Corning, winning the heavyweight division. Robert Flournoy took a second at 140 pounds and Travis Wood was second at 135. Wood, a freshman, lost to Fall River's Bobby Main, a senior.

Modoc was without two of its top wrestlers at Corning, Matt Maine and Billy Moriarity, who were both injured. They'll be back for the league championships.

Even down two top guys, Modoc finished ahead of Willows, who some people believe are the number one ranked team in small schools. Corning won its tournament with 192.5 points, Pleasant Valley was second with 176, Modoc third at 152, Willows fourth at 149, Central Valley had 110, Durham 108, Foothill 107, Live Oak 100, Paradise 99, Golden Sierra 92. There were 20 other teams in the event.

Wood was pleased with the team's effort at Corning, and said they saw most of the kids they'll see at the Masters' tournament later on. He was pleased with the performances of Luke Hammerness, a third at 145, Jason Jones, a third at 160, J.D. Monroe a third at 189, Mike Main a fourth at 215, Brad Bell a fourth at 189, and Nick Hawes a sixth at 119. Jaafar Mirholi, coming off injury wrestled well to take a fourth.

Braves force tight SCL race

The Shasta Cascade League was supposed to be a race between Trinity, Mt. Shasta and Etna, but the Modoc Braves jumbled that thought by beating Etna and then Mt. Shasta last week.

Trinity remains on top of the SCL, but still has to face Modoc at home. The Braves still have to travel to Etna. Weed could also be a dark horse and Modoc meets them Friday in Weed. Bottom line, things are up in the air. "We're feeling pretty good about how we're playing now," said Modoc coach Mike Martin. "Playing in Weed always worries me, but I think we'll be able to get that done. Etna is also a very tough place to play."

Modoc's defense has been playing well all along, and the offense has started to get more intense over the last couple of games.

Against Mt. Shasta Friday night, the Bears went up 4-0, but Modoc tied at 4-4 halfway through the first period and the Bears would never again tie or lead. Modoc led 12-9 when the first period ended. Near the end of the first half, Modoc took a 25-16 lead, but turned the ball over a couple of times to let the Bears back in by the buzzer 26-20.

The Braves started the third quarter the way they finished the first half, a bit sloppy. Martin called a time out when the Bears had cut the score to 26-24. The Braves responded by going up 30-24 and went up 34-26. Modoc led 39-34 at the end of three. The Braves pushed that to a 43-35 lead at the 5:49 mark and went up 49-39 with just over two minutes left. Jack Britton sank three free throws to put Modoc up 52-39 and Michael Bates put a nail in it with a three-pointer to give Modoc a 55-39 lead at the one minute point. The Braves went on to win 58-49.

Britton led the scoring with 27 points, Marty Stevens added nine, Cam Jeffers, Skyler Oates and Bates had five each.

Modoc girls comeback falls five points short

Modoc's girls spotted the Mt. Shasta Bears a 26-10 lead at the half, and a fourth quarter comeback fell five points short.

The Braves were blue cold in the first period, hitting just one shot and the Bears went up 10-2. Modoc got a little warmer in the second period, but turnovers, mostly on poor passes, killed their game. The Braves scored eight in the second and the Bears added 16.

Modoc played better in the third quarter, but still added just nine points and trailed going into the final eight minutes, 38-19.

The Braves crawled back into the ball game in the fourth, cutting the Bears' lead from 41-23 with 6:40 left to 43-33 with 2:39 left. Tough inside play by Jennifer Davis kept the Braves close and Rachel Gover hit a bucket and then a pair of free throws to bring Modoc to within five, 44-39, with 1:20 remaining. The Braves had a chance to cut the score to three, but missed a lay-up and the Bears finished with a 47-42 win.

Davis and Gover each had 14 points to lead Modoc.

Modoc travels to Weed Friday and Burney Tuesday.

SV boys trounce Honkers

The Surprise Valley Hornet boys varsity beat Tulelake's Honkers 84-50 Tuesday night.

The Hornets led 20-16 in the first and 40-23 at halftime. Surprise Valley lead a 56-33 after three and poured in 28 fourth quarter points. The Hornets have now won three in a row and meet Butte Valley Friday and Big Valley at home Tuesday.

Adam Evans led the Hornets with 34 points, he also had 15 rebounds and was 13-15 from the line. Loren Harris added 15 points and 17 rebounds And Paul Boneck added 15 points, Miles Quick had 11 and Ivan Rangel added 11 points.

Modoc JV buries Bears

Modoc's junior varsity boys team buried the Mt. Shasta Bears, 73-41, Friday night in Alturas, avenging an earlier loss.

The Braves got up early, 18-12, in the first and at halftime took a commanding 41-24 lead. By the end of three, Modoc led 60-33 and went on for the win.

Kyle Madison led the scoring with 17, Micah Eppler added 14, K.C. Kirkreit added 14, Cam Wheeler had 12 and Sean Wolfe 9.

Modoc travels to Weed Friday to begin a four-game road stint. They'll have their final home game against Trinity Feb. 21.

2002-2003 Waterfowl Season Results for Modoc NWR

January 19 marked the end of the 2002-2003 waterfowl season at Modoc National Wildlife Refuge. Including the statistics for opening weekend, the Refuge hosted 1412 hunters this year, up from 1158 for the 2001-2002 season. The total reported harvest was 1630 birds, compared to 1097 birds last season.

That is an average of 1.15 birds per hunter which is up slightly from last year's average of .95 birds/hunter. The majority of ducks taken were: 424 Mallards, 391 Gadwell, 210 Wigeon, 100 Green Winged Teal and 77 Pintail. The goose harvest was: 298 Canada Geese, 3 white fronted Geese, five snow geese, two Ross geese and one cackling Canada goose.

This year's season was dominated by mild weather conditions which kept the birds widely dispersed, moderating the overall hunting success. Duck hunting was good through the first month of the season while goose hunting did not pick up until the final weeks. The mild weather kept any significant numbers of waterfowl from migrating into the area from northern staging areas.

The first meeting of the Modoc NWR Hunt Working Group will be held on Wednesday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m. at the Refuge headquarters, following our Open House. If you are interested in participating in this group, contact the Refuge at 233-3572 or please attend the meeting. This group will meet one to two times per year to discuss the Refuge hunting program.

Dorris Reservoir is not open to walk in access only and will open to vehicles on April 1, from sunrise to sunset, as road conditions permit.

February 13, 2003

NEWS

Modoc students top state students in fitness test results

The good news for Modoc Joint Unified School District students is that they are more physically fit than most of the state's student population.

Modoc Middle School, in particular, scored well above the California State averages from the 2001-2002 school year in the California Physical Fitness Test. The test includes curl ups, sit and reach, trunk lifts, body composition, push ups, sit ups, and mile run/walk test.

Once the scores are reported, they are put into the Health Fitness Zone, corrected and reported by the California Department of Education, and compared to state averages. Students in grades five, seven and ninth are tested.

Results from the 2001-2002 fitness tests are encouraging to Modoc schools. For Modoc Middle School, 71.1 percent of the students met the overall fitness levels, compared to just 26.6 percent overall in the state. Modoc High School also fared well, with 69.6 percent meeting the fitness zone and Alturas Elementary had 53.3 percent fit.

According to Kenny Demick, MMS Physical Education teacher, Modoc Middle School showed a "Huge increase in the overall fitness level of the seventh grade students. With growing concern with obesity in America, this report looks promising for our community."

He points out that in 2000-2001, 43 percent of MMS school students met the fitness zone. That's much lower than last year's 71.1 percent.

By category the Modoc students did as follows: aerobic, 48 percent state average -- MMS 52.6 percent, MHS, 46.4 percent and AES, 53.3 percent; flexibility -- 61 percent state average, MMS 89.5 percent, MHS 88.4 percent, AES 77.3 percent; upperbody strength 61 percent state average -- MMS 78.9 percent, MHS 88.4 percent, AES 76.7 percent; body composition 61 percent state average -- MMS 86.8 percent, MHS 71 percent, AES 70 percent; trunk extension strength 80 percent state average -- MMS 96.1 percent, MHS 100 percent, AES 85 percent.

Demick said the Fitnessgram was developed by the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas and endorsed by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. The primary goal of the Fitnessgram program is to assist students in establishing physical activity as part of their daily lives.

Because of this goal, Fitnessgram provides a number of options for each performance task so that all students, including those with special needs, have the maximum opportunity to complete the test..

Physical fitness consists of three components: aerobic capacity, body composition and muscular strength, endurance and flexibility.

AK-47s found in stopped car

Alturas Police arrested Guy Huckel, 42, of Redding, Feb. 9, alleging possession of a controlled substance, a parole violation and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

According to Police, officers stopped to assist Huckle, whose vehicle was disabled, and discovered he had a parole hold out of Colorado. Methamphetamines were also found in the vehicle. They also found two AK-47s, one loaded, in the trunk of the vehicle and ammunition in the passenger area.

He was booked into the Modoc County Jail.

Late Tuesday, Alturas Police were contacted by Coos Bay, Oregon authorities with information that Huckel and a female companion were involved in a burglary to a home in that area.

Police contacted the woman, Jennifer Schweizer, age 43, Redding, at an Alturas motel where they discovered additional stolen property. The AK-47s were just two of seven firearms listed as stolen from the Coos Bay residence.

Police arrested Schweizer on changes of possession of stolen property and she was booked into the Modoc County Jail.

Moderate injuries in vehicle mishap

There were moderate injuries in a single vehicle accident Feb. 8, 3:15 p.m. on SR 299 just west of Cedar Pass.

The California Highway Patrol reports that Leon Bonderer, age 18, Cedarville, was westbound in a 1989 Mercury at an unknown rate of speed and made an unsafe turning movement to the right, striking some boulders on the right shoulder. He lost control of the vehicle and it rolled onto its roof, coming to rest in the eastbound lane.

The CHP reports that Bonderer, who sustained moderate injuries to his left side, fled the scene. He was arrested a short distance away and was reportedly combative with officers and Emergency Services personnel. He was transported to Modoc Medical Center and then to the Modoc County Jail where he was charged alleging driving under the influence, resisting arrest and assault on a peace officer.

Seatbelts are credited with preventing serious injury in a single vehicle accident Feb. 6, 8:10 p.m. on County Road 56 west of County Road 76.

The CHP reports Jackson Nay, age 16, Alturas, was driving a 1985 Lincoln westbound on CR56 about 50 m.p.h. The vehicle left the north edge of the road and struck a metal reflector. Nay attempted to re-enter the roadway and overcorrected to the left. The car crossed the road and rolled onto its top. The CHP said Nay was wearing a seatbelt which probably prevented him from receiving serious injury.

2003 federal grazing fee dips

The grazing fee for Western public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service will be $1.35 per animal unit month (AUM) in 2003, down from $1.43 in 2002.

The formula used for calculating the fee, established by Congress in the 1978 Public Rangelands Improvement Act, has continued under a Presidential Executive Order issued in 1986.

An animal unit month is the amount of forage needed to sustain one cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats for a month. Under the 1986 presidential Executive Order, the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per AUM.

The annually adjusted grazing fee is computed by using a 1966 base value of $1.23 per AUM for livestock grazing on public lands in Western States. The figure is then adjusted according to three factors--current private grazing land lease rates, beef cattle prices, and the cost of livestock production. Based on the formula, the 2003 fee dropped primarily because of a decline in beef cattle prices in 2002.

The $1.35 per AUM grazing fee, which takes effect March 1, applies to 16 Western states on public lands administered by the BLM and the Forest Service. The states are Arizona, California, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The Forest Service applies a different grazing fee to National Grasslands and to lands under its management in the Eastern states.

The BLM, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages more land--262 million surface acres--than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western States, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1.9 billion and a workforce of some 10,000 full-time permanent employees, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public land for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on the public lands.

The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, manages 91 million acres of Federal lands in 44 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The Forest Service manages these lands for multiple uses, including grazing.

BLM Resource Council meets in Susanville

Development of new land use plans for Bureau of Land Management public lands will be among the agenda topics when the BLM's Northeast California Resource Advisory Council meets Thursday and Friday, February 27 and 28, in Susanville.

The meeting open to the public, begins, at 1 p.m. February 27 in the Conference Room of the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, 2950 Riverside Dr. On February 28, the meeting begins at 8 a.m. and adjourns at noon.

The council will discuss BLM's development of resource management plans for lands administered by the Eagle Lake, Alturas and Surprise (Cedarville) field offices, and determine what role council members will have. The three new plans will replace several older plans affecting lands in northeast California and extreme northwest Nevada.

In other matters, the council will hear an update on development of a juniper management strategy, discuss recreation etiquette issues on the Bizz Johnson National Recreational Trail, and hear a report on wild horse and burro management. Council members will also hear a status report on sage grouse conservation planning, review their operating charter, and hear reports on key issues affecting each BLM field office in the region. Public comments will be accepted at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, February 28. Anyone is welcome to address the council. A time limit could be established.

The 15-member council provides advice to BLM managers in Alturas, Cedarville and Susanville on a wide array of public land management topics. Members represent diverse public lands interests including livestock grazing, environmental groups, wild horse and burro interests groups, local government, history and archaeology interests, and the public at large. Their meetings and field tours are always open to the public.

For more information on the upcoming meeting, contact BLM Public Affairs Officer Jeff Fontana at (530)252-5332.

Off the Record

By Rick Holloway, Editor

It appears there could be some issues brewing with the Modoc District Attorney's office and some victims of local crimes. We'll be able to put some real emphasis on the situation next week, after talking with several key people in at least one case involving a stabbing.

We had a talk last week with the victim of that crime, and he didn't have a lot of good things to say about the way the entire case was handled by District Attorney Jordan Funk. He felt a little better about Funk's assistant. We're still looking into the issue, and are finding some real odd things going on. We're hoping the DA will have some good answers to the questions, but it certainly looks like things got weird once the case hit his office. There's a lot to be said about making sure the DA conviction rate is high, but reducing the crimes charged to meet that goal could end up being a major issue in this county.

Frankly, we're just glad the victim was up and walking around. He had life-threatening wounds and was still moving slowly last week. We're not judging the DA just yet, he's only been in office a couple of months, but we are a little concerned.

In another development, it appears the Hot Spring Irrigation District lived up to the west's "Whiskey's for drinking, water's for fighting over" creed. At their annual meeting this week, a fight broke out between rancher Lawrence Ray, who has been fighting the district over what he calls unfair water sales which benefited a few, and Pete Carey, one of the dam owners in the district and on the river.

It has been described as a "very ugly" scene and certainly one that, regardless of which side one comes down on, is something that certainly won't help the cause. Tempers got way out of hand, we understand, and push came to shove.

Ray has pushed the buttons of Hot Spring directors for a few years now and is in a court case against them, on a variety of issues. That case continues to move forward, but it's been awfully slow. In addition, the state Water Board's investigation into the dam issue, questionable water sales, the irrigation district operations and so on has dragged on for way too long. It's time to get this thing wrapped up before full scale war breaks out. Also had a discussion this week with State Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa, who stopped by to visit. He's a Republican, but I think he has the interests of the north state at heart. He's only been in office a short time, and was hit with the state budget crunch, which doesn't let one get off to a running start. He's trying to be effective in a really difficult situation.

We did discuss a variety of local issues, including medical care and problems with funding rural health care, the state budget's effects on local governments, economic development issues, the impending drought and increased water storage in the north state. All of those issues are important and all will be coming up in the near future.

I'm not sure we'll ever be able to resurrect the Allen Camp Dam project in the Big Valley area, or even if it would be supported, but it's something we might want to put back on the table. If not that reservoir, perhaps there are other areas for water storage the public and state will support. Actually, right now it would be nice if some water fell from the sky so we'd have something to store.

Obituaries:

Services for Deanna M. Olsen

Deanna Mae Olsen, 54, of Alturas, CA, passed away at her home on February 10, 2003, after a battle with cancer. Funeral services will be held on Friday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. at Kerr Mortuary Chapel in Alturas. Interment at Alturas Cemetery will follow the service.

Donations in Mrs. Olsen's memory may be directed to the American Cancer Society, North Valley Region (which includes the Modoc Unit), Redding Field Office, 3290 Bechelli Lane, Redding, CA 96002.

A full obituary will be printed in next week's Record.

Russell Arthur Brown

A memorial service for Russell Arthur Brown will be held Friday, Feb. 14 at 11 a.m. at the Cedarville Community Church. The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra will officiate. Mr. Brown passed away February 8, 2003 at 8:08 p.m. at the Skilled Nursing Facility in Alturas, CA. He was 83.

Born to Arthur Ossie Brown and Mae Taham Brown on September 22, 1919 on the Summit Lake Nevada Indian Reservation, Russell attended school at Fort Bidwell, CA., Stewart Nevada Indian Boarding School and at Sherman Boarding School in Riverside, CA. He was a member of the Summit Lake Nevada Paiute Tribe.

Rusty married Ann Huitt of Klamath Falls, OR and they had three daughters, Margaret, now of Portland, OR; Sharon of Oakridge, OR and Carol, who preceded him in death.

Mr. Brown was a house painter by trade and painted many homes and buildings in Surprise Valley and the Bay Area. He enjoyed traveling to Summit Lake Nevada Paiute Indian Reservation to hunt and fish and enjoy the outdoor life. "Rusty" also enjoyed spending quality time with his relatives.

The oldest of 11 siblings, eight have preceded him in death, including brothers Manual, Osmus, Burke, Edsel and Jim Brown and sisters Alfrieda Brown Brock, Josephine Brown McCloud, and Edith Brown Barlese.

He is survived by his youngest brother Arthur Brown and sister-in-law Vicky Brown of Alturas; sister Lorieta Brown Cowan and brother-in-law Reed Cowan of Lafayette and numerous nephews, nieces and grand-children.

David Walter Reid

Alturas native David Walter Reid, 61, passed away February 5, 2003. He was born in Alturas, California, on August 1, 1941 at the Modoc Medical Center to Jim and Hazel Reid. While growing up, he attended Alturas Elementary School and Modoc Union High School.

He was happiest camping, hunting, fishing or spending his hours in some other outdoor activity.

Dave loved Modoc County with all his heart and he valued his family and friends above all else.

For a time after finishing school, Dave worked for his father in his construction business. Then, he moved to Sacramento where he attended American River Junior College for several years, participating in classes and training activities for the deaf and physically disabled. Dave spent his last years in Stockton, California, where he passed away on February 5, 2003. His body was cremated and he will be interred in the Alturas Cemetery at a later date.

No services will be held for David, but his family, parents Jim and Hazel of Chico and his sister Dorothy also of Chico, suggest that those who knew him spend some time enjoying the gifts of Modoc's outdoors in remembrance of him. Contributions in David's memory may be made to a charity benefiting Modoc youth or a charity of the donor's choice in care of Newton-Bracewell Chico Funeral Home, 680 Camellia Way, Chico, CA. 95926.

Deema Ann Murphy

Deema Ann Murphy of Lookout, CA was always there for anyone who needed her help. She was an upbeat person who could brighten anyone's day and she always put others' needs first.

Mrs. Murphy, 51, passed away in Lookout on February 3, 2003. Family and friends will have a small private gathering at the Murphy home. Born Deema Ann Bradley on March 3, 1951 in San Fernando, CA., she graduated from high school in Yucaipa, CA. Deema and Stephen Michael Murphy were married in Redlands, CA on March 15, 1969.

A homemaker with many talents, Mrs. Murphy enjoyed making jewelry and herbal soaps and candles. Country crafts and tole painting were also talents she cultivated along with cooking, gardening and knitting. Even though she and her husband had to move away for work for a short while, her heart was always in Lookout. The Murphys were grateful when the opportunity came to move back. Deema was very happy at her Lookout home and her family believes there could have been no better place for her to have passed on.

Her generous nature, love of life and family, skill and creativity in her favorite hobbies and pastimes will be remembered and treasured forever. She will be greatly missed by family, friends and those who were fortunate enough to meet her. She had lived in Modoc County for 20 years.

She is survived by her husband Stephen Murphy of Lookout; daughter Crystal and son--in-law Monty Johnson of Clayton, CA; granddughter Emily Rose; son Cavan and daughter-in-law Sarah Murphy of McArthur, CA; granddaughters Isabella Sunshine and Amber Deann, grandson Cody Stephen.

Anna Frisch Bitter

Private graveside services were held in Fresno for Anna Frisch Bitter, 89. A life-long resident of Fresno, she was born March 30, 1913, and passed away of a sudden illness on January 30, 2003, in Clovis, CA.

Anna, the widow of David M. Bitter, is survived by two daughters and their husbands: Beverly and Robert Carstens of Alturas, CA and Barbara and Charles Cate of Fairfax, CA. She was the loving grandmother of four grandchildren and their spouses: Bradley and Melissa Carstens of Mt. View, CA., Sally and James Christie of Walnut Grove, CA., Kenneth and Kari Carstens of Reno, NV., Martin and Rebecca Cate of San Francisco, CA. She is also survived by four great-grandchildren Katharine and Joseph Carstens, Anne and Lauren Christie; one sister, two brothers, many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Mrs. Bitter's life is planned for March 29, 2003, in Fresno.

Reinhart 'Ray' Faber Charlet

Reinhart 'Ray' Faber Charlet passed away February 9, 2003 after being ill for several months. A military funeral and burial will be held on Friday, Feb. 14 at Phoenix Memorial Park, Phoenix, AZ.

He was born July 9, 1916 in Minburn, Iowa, the son of R.E. and Orpha (Faber) Charlet. A graduate of University of California, Davis, Ray was a retired Army Officer and also retired as a communications installer/technician from the Southern Pacific Railroad. He and his family lived in Alturas, CA. before retiring to Arizona in 1980.

Survivors include his wife, Pauline Charlet, Sharon and Jim Carpenter, all of Kingman, Arizona; Alan and Mary Charlet or Cuyahoga Falls, OH; Kathie and Bill Hauser of Spotsylvania, VA; eight grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and numerous cousins. His sister, Wilma (Charlet) Kent preceded him in death in 1990.

Lulu Grivel

The Record apologizes to the family of Lulu Grivel, for the omission of a line listing several of her great-granchildren's names in Mrs. Grivel's obituary last week. We have included the missing names along with the listed names as follows.

Mrs. Grivel is survived by her great-grandchildren Brady and Eric Grivel, Craig Grivel of Sacramento, Rick Grivel of Phoenix, AZ, Tammy Main of Susanville, Danny Fitch of Alturas, Amanda LaPlante of Redding, Amy and Christy Grivel of Susanville, Shannon and Melissa Dollarhide of Corvallis, OR.

SPORTS

Modoc pins SCL title, section small schools next goal

Modoc's wrestling team pinned the Shasta Cascade League championship easily last weekend in Fall River and is now setting its sights on the North Section Small Schools Championship Feb. 21-22 in Live Oak.

The Small Schools meet should be a battle between Willows, Modoc, Durham and Live Oak with a variety of other schools hoping to knock any one of them off. But don't count on that happening.

Modoc won the SCL in major fashion, putting 14 wrestlers in the final 14 matches, and winning seven individual championships. The only weight that did not have a Modoc wrestler in the finals was at 112 pounds. Modoc had both finalists in the 189 pound division.

Modoc won the overall title with 231 points, with Mt. Shasta second with 94, Trinity third with 85, Fall River and Etna tied for fourth with 76, Burney had 54, Modoc II 35.5, Tulelake 23 and Bishop Quinn 4.

The win was by far the biggest margin in local history, and coach Shaun Wood said he was excited for the team. "Wrestling's not like basketball or football where you can put in your second team or run out the clock," said Wood. "We didn't run up the score, we just have some excellent wrestlers. Actually some of our second team guys did very well. It was impressive." The Braves numbers are impressive and the results fairly astounding, especially when people note that Modoc's SCL finalists included three freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors and five seniors. Nine of this year's finalists return to the team next season.

"We have a good shot at winning the small schools title, it'll just depend on how things shake out," said Wood. "It won't be a runaway, there are a number of schools who have solid guys in several weight classes. I believe we have the most team depth."

Modoc gets two weeks off before the division matches, which Wood said will give some of his guys a chance to get healthy. "We'll take it easy this week," he said, "and come back and hit it hard all next week. The rest will do us good."

On Friday the Braves won their three duals to win the league big schools title, only losing three matches altogether.

Modoc's Adam Johnston beat Etna's Taylor Webster for the 103-pound championship.

Billy Moriarity beat Etna's Bubba Hawkins for the 119-pound title. Robert Flournoy whipped Trinity's Jordan Brown for the 140-pound championship.

Luke Hammerness beat Mt. Shasta's Carl Borba for the 145-pound title. Jason Jones beat Burney's Greg Wolfson for the 160-pound championship. J.D. Monroe beat teammate Brad Bell for the 189-pound title.

Cory Bell beat Mt. Shasta's Adrian Villa for the 275-pound championship. In second place for Modoc were: Nick Hawes, 125 pounds; Jafaar Mirholi at 130 pounds; Travis Wood at 135 pounds; Matt Maine at 152 pounds; Joey Catania at 171 pounds; and Mike Main at 215 pounds.

Modoc's Scott Buchanan took third at 112 pounds, Willie Mohr was third at 125 pounds and Ryan Carrithers was third at 140 pounds.

Brave boys tied for league lead with pair

Modoc's Braves boys variety beat Weed and Burney this week, giving them a league record of 7-2 and tied for the league lead. This Friday night they head to Etna for a very tough game against the Lions.

Etna beat Mt. Shasta 75-59 Tuesday night, dropping them out of the first-place tie. Modoc, Trinity and Etna have two losses, Mt. Shasta now has three.

Modoc beat Etna here 52-49 earlier, but Modoc Coach Mike Martin knows Etna is gong to be a tough place to play and the Lions will be looking for some revenge.

"I'm hoping we can get up on them early and get them out of their game," said Martin. "I think we're playing better overall, but I know they'll be up for this game at home against us."

The Braves are coming off a good, but tough win at Weed 50-48 Friday and a big win over Burney, 78-53, Tuesday.

Martin's team had beaten Weed in Modoc this season, but he expected a nail-biter at the Cougar's place. He was right, Modoc trailed until taking a lead with 20 seconds left in the game.

In the game, one Cougar player hit seven three-point shots. The Braves trailed 13-8 after one and 29-18 by half. Martin said he told the team to stay with the game plan . They pulled closer, 37-33, after three and then outscored Weed 17-10 in the fourth.

Michael Bates led the scoring with 17 points, hitting five threes, Jack Britton had 13 and Marty Stevens had 10.

Tuesday night, the Braves were hot and ran over Burney's Raiders, 78-53. Marty Stevens started things off by hitting two inside buckets to open which moved the Raiders into a tighter zone. That opened up an outside game. Modoc pushed out to a 27-8 first period lead and by half was up 45-19. By the end of three, The Braves led 56-34. They went on to score 22 in the final eight minutes and Burney added 19. Britton had 18 points, Stevens added 15 and Bates had 12, with four threes.

Braves drop pair, Gover scores 46

Modoc's varsity girls team lost a pair of games last week, to Weed 67-55 and to Burney 51-46. Rachel Gover scored 46 points in the loss to Weed.

Against Weed, the Braves were close at half, trailed 34-30, but the Cougars put up a big third quarter to move away.

The Burney game found Modoc and Burney tied at 24 at the half, and the game stayed pretty close the entire rest of the way. Gover led the Braves with 24 points and Jennifer Davis added 12.

The Braves travel to Etna Friday to face the top seed in the North Section.

Hornets lose tight one

Big Valley just nipped the Surprise Valley Hornet varsity boys Tuesday night, 63-61, in Cedarville.

Surprise Valley got up 16-14 in the first period, and Big Valley took a 31-30 lead at halftime. The Hornets regained the lead 45-41 after three and the fourth quarter was a battle.

Adam Evans led the Hornets with 16 points, Ivan Rangel added 14 and Paul Boneck had 10.

Last Friday, the Hornets suffered through a 36 percent shooting night to lose to Butte Valley 73-60. Butte Valley led 17-12 after one and 30-25 at halftime. The Bulldogs led 50-40 after three. Evans led the Hornets with 21 points and Rangel added 13.

The Hornets travel to Butte Valley Tuesday to meet Dunsmuir and McCloud comes to Cedarville Feb. 21 to finish out the season.

Hornets beat Butte Valley

The Surprise Valley Hornets beat the Butte Valley Bulldogs 52-39 at Butte Valley last weekend, taking over second place in the Evergreen League. Roxanne Carpenter led the Hornets with 17 points and Camryn Mullen added 10.

Earlier, Surprise Valley lost to a solid and league-leading Tulelake team 76-45. Tulelake remains unbeaten in league play. Cara James led the scoring with 25 points for the Hornets.

The Hornets lost to Big Valley 47-40 Tuesday night. They trailed 37-23 after three, but with a little under two minutes left in the game, made a run, just ran out of time. James led the scoring with 14 points, Miller added 12 and Carpenter had 10. Rachel Oney led Big Valley with 18 points.

JV boys whip Weed, Burney

Modoc's junior varsity boy basketball team beat the Weed Cougars 45-41 in Weed Friday night. Modoc is tied for first in league play.

Weed took an early first period lead at 8-6, but Modoc led 18-17 at halftime. The Braves got up 32-25 after three and added 12 in the fourth. Kyle Madison and Micah Eppler had 12 points for Modoc.

Bunk Richardson said the team is playing solid basketball and the return of Cam Wheeler from injury has solidified the rotation and defense. On Tuesday, Modoc whipped Burney 56-41 in a game they controlled most of they way but let get to within two in the fourth before waking up.

The Braves led 15-7 after one and 25-17 by half. They held a 37-28 lead going into the fourth.

Madison led the scoring with 29 points and K.C. Kirkreit added 14.

JV girls lose a pair, win one

Modoc's junior varsity girls lost to Mt. Shasta 36-32 and fell to Weed 46-40 in SCL action over the last week.

Against Mt. Shasta, Modoc led 9-8 after one, but a cold second period put them down 19-11 by half. At the end of three, Modoc trailed 25-16 and mounted a 16-point effort in the fourth that fell just short. Emily Pence led the scoring with 15 and Jessi Harden added nine.

Against Weed, Modoc led 12-8 in the first and took a 26-16 lead into halftime talks. The Braves still led after three 34-34, but Weed scored 22 to Modoc's six in the final period for the win.

Hannah Hays led Modoc with 14, Pence added 10, Rachel Crosby had 10. The Braves beat Burney 50-32 Tuesday night with Hays getting 18 points, Pence 10 and Harden seven. Modoc scored four, 15, 15, and 16 in their quarters.

February 20, 2003

NEWS

MJUSD reassigns administrators in cost saving effort

The Modoc Joint Unified School District will not replace Modoc High School's Principal slot and will reassign other administrators in an effort to save funds to help cover anticipated shortfalls next year.

According to Superintendent Dr. Kevin Jolly, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night not to fill three open teacher positions, the MHS principal position and one classified position.

Jolly said the Board's decision will move Modoc Middle School Principal Steve Iverson into the Modoc High School Principal position, which is being vacated when Interim Principal Alan Hopkins finishes this year. Iverson will also oversee Warner High School, Adult Education and Independent Study. Bill Perkins will remain as Dean of Students.

Former Modoc Principal John Nickel has resigned that position and is now serving as an English Teacher at the high school.

Kathy Harrison will move into the Modoc Middle School Principal position and will bring High Desert and Community Day School to that site. Randy Wise will remain at Alturas Elementary school, but will pick up the three outlying schools. Wise has had that responsibility in the past. The cost savings by not filling the MHS Principal's position is about $93,000 annually, Jolly said and that will offset some of the projected cuts of the next fiscal year, as the state is finalizing its plans.

Jolly said the class sizes in the district will remain as contracted with the Modoc Teachers Association. Basically, that means a maximum of 20 students in grades Kindergarten through third and no more than 28 in most other classes and grade levels.

Jolly said Alturas Elementary School is graduating a large fifth grade class and a smaller than average Kindergarten class is expected. He said the class sizes will remain within the accepted levels and can be absorbed even without filling two retiring teacher slots.

While the $93,000 savings will not completely offset next year's probable shortfall, it was a prudent measure said Jolly. He said it only made sense to reduce administration levels, if the district was reducing teaching and classified levels.

Water crisis looms big on summer's horizon

by Anthony E. Larson,

Special to the Record

Water, or the lack of it, is quickly becoming the foremost topic of conversation in Modoc County.

Precipitation data for this water year, which began in October 2002, indicates that the Alturas area received only about half of its normal moisture as of the end of January. In a normal year with average precipitation, Alturas can expect a little over five inches in this period. Only about 2.92 inches have accumulated thus far this water year, leaving a deficit of more than 2.5 inches of precipitation to date.

These worrisome shortages come on the heels of well below normal precipitation amounts for the two previous years wherein about half of normal water fell in 2001 and only three-quarters of normal fell in 2002. California Department of Water Resources data indicates that the Pit River Basin is at 62% of normal so far in this water year with only 49% of normal precipitation in January.

If this disturbing trend persists, Modoc County will surely see a dramatic water shortage this summer, affecting all local ranching and farming. The outlook for water stored in local reservoirs is equally dismal. West Valley Reservoir near Likely, which feeds the South Fork of the Pit River, is in the best shape among the local reservoirs. Watermaster, Jerry Wendland, reports West Valley is at about 7500 acre-feet of water, little more than half of its normal 15,000 level for this time of year.

Big Sage Reservoir is in worse shape with only 5,550 acre-feet as of February 5, about one-quarter of historic levels for this date, according to Willie Hagge, Hot Springs Valley Irrigation District president, who says "It looks real bad. Everybody needs to prepare for the worst."

Modoc National Wildlife Refuge manager, Steve Clay, reports that Dorris Reservoir is about as low as Big Sage. Dorris presently stands at 1,400 acre-feet, about 200 below last year's low of 1,600 for this date. That small figure does not bode well given that last year was a moderately dry year.

Clay points out that reservoir levels differ dramatically from year to year, but that a ten-year average should presently put Dorris Reservoir at or near the 5,700 acre-feet mark. The present 1,400 figure is, therefore, only about one-quarter of normal, like Big Sage.

More telling still is the rate of water inflow at Dorris, presently at about one-third of last year's reading at this time, which indicates how slowly the reservoir is filling. The dismal snowpack levels, which presently stand at less than half of normal, in the nearby mountains offer little hope that the fill rate of local reservoirs will improve.

Since Goose Lake only spills over into the Pit River during rare wet years, it will contribute nothing to water flows in an abnormally dry year such as this.

"We're not getting anywhere near what we'd like to get," says Clay, adding his own ironic interpretation that "it will make it hard to raise ducks." Hagge, who describes himself as "very concerned" about the local water situation, explained that ranchers he has spoken to are hoping to get enough water for at least one cutting of hay. "The water we get in the next 30 days will determine the effects this summer," he says.

CHP says seatbelt use can save lives

The one thing coming out of California Highway Patrol Lieutenant Merritt Mielke's report Tuesday to the Modoc County Board of Supervisors is that seatbelts save lives.

Mielke presented an annual overview of the local CHP office statistics and work loads. He said there were three vehicle accident fatalities last year in Modoc and none of those drivers was seatbelted.

He explained that his office, the Modoc County Sheriff and Alturas Police will be cooperating this year on a seatbelt enforcement campaign. As it is now, said Mielke, the seatbelt use in Modoc is pretty high. On state highways in Modoc, he says seatbelt use is running between 95 and 96 percent and on county roads it drops to about 91 percent. He stresses that seatbelt use saves lives and that his officers will be enforcing the seatbelt laws vigorously.

Mielke said the number injury accidents dropped from 2001's 82 to 69 for 2002, driving under the influence dropped and citations and verbal warnings both increased.

Mielke also noted that officers drove 315,000 miles in 2002, up from 293,000 in 2001.

He said the Alturas office is now down two officers, which he istrying to replace. There is one lieutenant, two sergeants, 12 traffic officers, one K-9 officer, one Task Force Officer, one Special Duty Officer, two clerical and one auto technician stationed in Alturas.

He explained that he has two people on the road at any given time and is going to split the County into four areas so officers can spend more time in each of the communities.

In other action, the Board approved a cooperative agreement between the County and CalTrans for the Likely Storm Drain Project. That project is supposed to be in the works this year.

Currently, buildings in Likely, especially on the east side of the highway (which is the main street through town) flood during moderate and heavy storms. The plan is to place a drain on the west side of the highway with culverts feeding the drainage from the east side.

The problem was created over the years as the highway built up, creating a "dam" that didn't allow water to cross into the lowlands on the east side of the road. The water had only one place to go and that was through the east side of town.

Road Commissioner Tom Tracy told the board the project will be shared evenly by the state and county. He said "it's anyone's guess" what the state budget will look like, but assured Supervisors there would be funding to complete this project. It has a cost of about $400,000.

The Board also agreed to hire a Welfare Fraud Investigator for Social Services and the District Attorney's office. The new investigator comes with solid experience, said Social Services Director Pauline Cravens, and will be on board in March. Cravens said there is a backlog of cases.

DA reviewing fight report

Modoc District Attorney Jordan Funk is reviewing Sheriff's reports concerning an altercation which occurred last week during the Hot Spring Irrigation District's Annual Meeting.

The fight was between rancher Lawrence Ray, who has a lawsuit against the district and who has complained of alleged illegal water sales and related activities, and Pete Carey, a rancher who is in the district.

Funk said he is now reviewing the reports and will talk to witnesses before deciding if any action from his office is warranted.

Funk also said he is in the process of referring some of the water case complaints against the District to the State Attorney General's office for review.

Hear, see what Modoc Fire Safe Council has planned

The Modoc Fire Safe Council is moving forward with plans to help limit wildfire damage to homes and property in the coming fire season. Education is the focus of their effort.

The Council is open to anyone interested in promoting efforts to decrease losses to wildland fires. The next meeting will be tonight, February 20, at 7:00 p.m. at the Forest Service Conference Room, 800 West 12th St. Alturas. Topics include election of officers, upcoming activities, and progress on current grants.

The Fire Safe Council is a group of citizens interesting in decreasing the losses to wildfires in what is known as the wildland-urban interface. Modoc County has many interface areas where residential areas extend into the forest and rangelands.

"Individuals must take responsibility for conditions around their own homes," Council Chair Ken Ballard stresses. "We must give firefighters a defensible space if we expect them to protect our property." Except to see representatives of the Council at events like the Children's Fair, Fandango Days, and the County Fair sharing information on how you can protect your home.

Since forming, the Council has worked hard to make people aware of the need for good defensible space. They carried out a project to demonstrate good fuels management around a home. Drive by the corner of Pencil and Woodduck in Modoc Recreational Estates to see the work. They have developed and distributed Evacuation Plans. They have presented their message at numerous public events in the county.

They are currently acquiring equipment and materials to support outreach and education programs and are hiring an Education Coordinator to carry out those programs. Most of their funding comes from grants.

Modoc County Board of Supervisors is helping get the Education Coordinator position established with Title III funds. Wildland fire fighting agencies, like the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, and CDF, provide technical expertise.

People interested in the Education Coordinator position can contact Mark Steffek at North CalNeva RC&D, (530)233-8868 or Ken Ballard at (530)279-2459.

Notice of Certification of EIR for the Telephone Flat

Notice is hereby provided that the Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control District, by and through its Air Pollution Control Officer, on February 14, 2003, certified an Environmental Impact Report for the Telephone Flat Geothermal Development Project. Pursuant to District Rule 2.14B, within ten days of the posting of this notice, any affected party may appeal the certification of the Environmental Impact Report to the District Board by submitting written notice of the intention to appeal and paying the required fee. As required by Public Resource Code section 21152, a Notice of Determination will be posted after the final decision to approve, disapprove, or conditionally approve the above-reference project.

The Environmental Impact Report and Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control District Statement of Decision No. 03-01, Certifying an Environmental Impact Report for Telephone Flat Geothermal Development Project are available for public review from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday at County of Siskiyou, Air Pollution Control District, 525 South Foothill Dr., Yreka, CA. 96097, and on the Internet at: http://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/telephoneflat/.

Missoula Children's Theatre and local cast present "Treasure Island"

A cast of over 50 local youths have been rehearsing this entire week, after school and evenings, to present the Missoula Children's Theater musical stage production of Treasure Island.

Come see what they have learned from the week-long residency with the nation's largest touring children's theatre, during two performances on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the A.C.T. Niles Theater, Main St., Alturas.

Tickets are available at the theater box office: $8 adults; $6 for students and senior citizens, or may be purchased in advance at Antonio's Cucina Italiana restaurant in Alturas.

"Treasure Island," is an original adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel. The story focuses on Jim Hawkins, a mischievous lad longing for adventure, and living in a seaside village on the coast of Maine in the year 1782 and legendary pirate, Long John Silver, in their quest for treasure. Frontier, a Citizens Communications Company, is sponsoring the unique touring project which brings a tour team of two actors, costumes, props and make-up. Local youths are the cast and are working throughout the week to prepare for the two public performances.

The residency is presented by Antonio's Cucina Italiana Restaurant, Modoc County Arts Council, Inc., Alturas Community Theater, Modoc County Office of Education, funded in part by the California Arts Council.

CAST:

Seagulls: Keva Koffman, Anna Colbert, Kenna Funk, Joshua Jolly, Ian Burner, Cody Blocker, Cameron Johnston, Lindsay Malcolm, Morgan Bagwell, Elizabeth Inman, Madison Ziegler, Sabrina Heuschkel, Skylie Almanza, Austin Kresge, Wesley Williams, Denise Winfree, Ashley Hoi, Brittany Sheldon. Sisters: Alysha Northrup, Shannon King, Stacey Main, Danielle Moriarity, Anabelle DuVall, Vanessa Thomasen. Villagers: Jordan Worley, Celeste Yamagiwa, Monica Eppler, Tanesha Almanza, Taylor Munoz, Mandi Hess, Brittany Rombold, Trent McQuarrie, Tee Wilson, Wade Stevenson, David Jolly, Amber Gallardo, Murphy Panner, Sarah Manzer, Jordyn Alexander, Naomi Vass, Courtney Yamagiwa, Heather Markson. Pirates: Alyssa Belarde, Tyler Stains, James Budmark, Dejah Montague, Marlana Bartram, Tim Eames, Tara Holloway. Jim Hawkins: Ross Montague. Ruffians: Andrea Harris, Katie Wheeler, Sara Montague. MCT Actors, William Murray--Long John Silver, Teralyn Tanner--Mother Hawkins. Pianist--Donna Cooley, Niles Theater Managers-- Ben and Sandra Van Meter, Technical Director and Lighting Technician--Mike Halderman, Sound Technician--Will Owens. Housing for the visiting artists provided by Gene and Elaine Schreiner.

Opinion: Off the Record

Intolerance. . .

By Rick Holloway, Editor

The one thing I've noticed over the last two years, even locally, is a lack of tolerance for other people's views. People no longer agree to disagree and have civil debate.

It's the old "If you're not with me, you're against me" attitude coming from the current administration and the right wing. Intolerance is not a good thing and it certainly has nothing to do with compassion. The nation is incredibly split at a time when it needs to come together for a common purpose. That common purpose is not war with Iraq.

Locally, the Modoc County Board of Supervisors over the past two meetings have had discussions that show an incredible lack of understanding of issues concerning the poor and welfare and an even more incredible aura of distaste for people who don't agree or may not be Lily white and conservative. Not all supervisors are contributing to that feeling, and with some luck a majority stressing tolerance will emerge as they move on. What's most important is that the Board, as a whole, understands what affects Modoc County residents, and what can be termed grandstanding or pushing one's political agenda at the expense of a portion of the county. We've received several letters which are simply nasty, factually sketchy and can be termed propaganda. Some we've printed, some we haven't, and some have to be shortened before they're published. As with a host of newspapers, we've also received form letters from the Republican National Committee. And like most newspapers, we chose not to print those. People need to be able to write their own letters and express their own opinions. We enjoy letters, even those we don't agree with and even those who attack this column personally. People have that right and good debate is well within the bounds.

I suggest as we go along over the next year, all of us pay more attention to what is said and what actually happens, especially at the Federal level as it impacts Modoc County. My bet is you're not going to see additional funding coming for local schools from the Feds, you're not going to see adequate funding coming to local law enforcement and first responders as part of the "Homeland Security" act, you're not going to see any net job gain created here, you're going to see services to the poor cut, including good programs like Head Start, you're going to see poor forest management in the name of fire protection, you're going to see increases in environmental legal issues as the law is skirted, you're going to see major impacts to rural hospitals and cuts in funding, and you're going to see a decrease in highway and road funds.

It is going to be a difficult couple of years to govern at the local and state levels and just cutting costs is not the answer. Some counties, including Modoc, were not all that overstaffed in the first place. And while some folks don't like to admit it, government employment (schools, local, state and federal) in this county is what keeps us solvent.

If we have to cut even small numbers of employees from the schools, hospitals and county, it has major ramifications on the economy. So far, to local governments' credit, they've been able to make cuts without major layoffs. But they're waiting for the other shoe to drop next year.

Obituaries:

Deanna Mae Olsen

Deanna Mae Olsen, 54, of Alturas, lost her long battle with cancer on February 10, 2003.

Thanks to the love of her husband, John, lifelong friend, Pat Gloster and niece, Vera Sphar, she was able to be at home during her last days and allow her family and friends to quietly hold her hand and say good-bye. Deanna was known to many as "Nana or Nana Mae." She was born to Floyd and June Porter on July 19, 1948 and lived the majority of her life in Alturas.

Right out of high school, she lived in Susanville for a brief period. She returned to Alturas to work for Bank of America, where she worked the longest part of her adult life. She worked a short time at U.S. Bank and the Modoc Medical Center, which she had to leave due to her illness. During a lapse of employment in 1998, Deanna cared for her ailing father, Floyd. He passed away one day after Deanna's 50th birthday and she always believed he waited until after her party to pass on.

When Deanna married John Olsen on November 15, 1975, she acquired many family and friends. Sister-in-law Vera Zeller, spent many hour traveling to Medford with Deanna and they grew to really love one another. She touched everyone's heart with whom she came in contact.

Deanna's passions were her family first and foremost, friends, bowling, camping and playing cards. Her family meant everything to her and holidays lit her up like a Christmas tree. "Come early and stay late," was her motto. She loved to camp, even when the weather didn't cooperate. Fun times were had by all and many children experienced the great outdoors at Deanna's favorite place in the Warners, "The Hide Out." Deanna was always up for a game of cards and wanted to play "just one more."

She was known as the glue that held the Modoc bowling family together. Over the years, she held many offices, received many awards and was inducted into the A.W.B.A. Hall of Fame and also the Alturas Women's Hall of Fame. This was a real highlight in her life. She was also a delegate to the Oregon State Bowling Association and Oregon 600 club, When Shirley Oxley gave up her battle with cancer, Deanna pledged to continue with the Junior Bowling League, even though she had no children of her own. She loved those kids and they loved and respected her. When she stood tall and put her hands on her hips, they knew she meant business. When the local bowling alley closed, Deanna kept the love of bowling alive. Even during her illness, she planned and attended many out of town bowling trips. She even had high hopes of attending one in the near future.

Deanna was able to have a dream vacation to Disneyland in late November with her nephew Lester and family. Although very difficult for her, she had the time of her life. She also babysat her great nieces, Katelyn and Angela to the bitter end, with "tons of help from Uncle John."

Deanna will be missed by many friends and family, but especially by her mother, June, husband, John, brother Lester and his wife Chris, nephews and nieces, Lester, Kathy, Katelyn and Angela, Jolie and Don, Jodie, Rene, Rochelle and Wyatt, all of Alturas and her extended Porter and Olsen families.

During the week of her passing and service, many of Deanna's family succumbed to the Modoc flu and missed her services. The following poem was written by her niece Jodie, who was sick in bed, and read by her niece, Jolie, at her services on Friday, February 14. The service was conducted by Nick Contaxis at Kerr Mortuary Chapel and officiated by Destry Cambell, who did a "magnificent job."

Ode to Nana: " You stood so tall and full of pride,

Though we could make you want to hide,

We had so much fun wherever we'd go,

And when your checkups were clear,

How your face would glow!

Some of the best times we ever had

Were spent with you,

"Us" acting quite bad!

Your time was too short and it sure isn't fair,

There you were...Getting new hair!

We wish you were here...We wish you weren't gone,

But we sure do promise...To take care of Uncle John.

We miss you so much and forget you we can't,

For you were one terrific Aunt! We love you."

Deanna would have liked any donations to be addressed to the American Cancer Society, North Valley Region (which includes the Modoc Unit), Redding Field Office, 3290 Bechelli Lane, Redding, CA 96002.

"Although our beloved Deanna has sprouted her wings and gone on to a healthier and safer place, she will always be thought of and missed. However, our saddest time will be at Christmas, her favorite holiday," share family members.

Glen W. Olsen

Former Likely and Madeline resident, Glen W. Olsen died January 30, 2003, at the age of 93 in Penryn, CA.

Glen was born to James and Anna Olsen in Mayfield, Utah on April 15, 1909.

Glen moved to Madeline, CA. in 1910 with his family who were early ranchers in Lassen County. He met his wife while he was serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps (129 AAF) during World War II. They began their married life in Madeline, then moved to Likely where they resided until moving to Klamath River, CA. in 1958. Here, he was a highway foreman and an active member of the Horse Creek Community Church. Mr. Olsen retired in 1978 and enjoyed his retirement years building at the church and working on his small ranch. He lived in Penryn for the last 15 years. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Dorothy; daughter Cindy (David) Hartmann; grandsons Chris Foster and Aaron Hartmann; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by all eight of his brothers and sisters.

A private memorial service will be held at a future date.

SPORTS

Modoc takes on Section Small Schools this week

This is a big weekend for the Modoc Braves wrestling team as it heads to the North Section Small Schools Championships Feb. 21-22 in Live Oak. The tournament is shaping up as a battle between Willows, Modoc, Durham and Live Oak. Willows is expected to take many of the lightweight titles, while Modoc is favored in the middle to heavyweight divisions.

Modoc won the Shasta Cascade League in major fashion two weeks ago, putting 14 wrestlers in the final 14 matches, and winning seven individual championships.

Coach Shaun wood figures his team has a solid shot at winning the title this weekend, it'll depend on how the seeding works out and how the team wrestles in the middle weights. He said he may have some kids surprise the experts in some weight classes.

Wrestlers Wood expects to do very well this weekend include: Billy Moriarity, Robert Flournoy, Luke Hammerness, Matt Maine, Mike Main, Jason Jones, Travis Wood, J.D. Monroe, Cory Bell and Jaafar Mirholi.

Etna trips up Braves, big game against Trinity

It's tough to win in Etna, and Modoc's varsity boys team had a chance Friday night, but lost 72-66 in a big game.

The loss to Etna, and Etna's subsequent win over Trinity Tuesday night puts the Lions in a solid first place run. Modoc meets Trinity Friday night in Alturas, in a game that could decide second place in the Shasta Cascade League. The Braves need to win Friday for a better playoff spot. Trinity beat Modoc in Trinity earlier this year and the Tuesday loss to Etna is going to make them hungry.

In Etna, Modoc started well, leading 19-15 in the first and led 31-27 at halftime. Etna came out and put together a 21-point third period to take a 48-43 lead going into the final eight minutes. Modoc coach Mike Martin said the Braves had their chances to win it in the fourth, but said Etna played very well down the stretch and his crew came up just short.

"We had out chances to knock them off on their home court, just didn't," said Martin. "We didn't have an answer to their Mike Searle, who had 29 points."

Modoc had good play overall, said Martin. Marty Stevens led the way with 25 points, Jack Britton added 14 and Michael Bates had nine. Tuesday night, the Braves beat Fall River there 60-49. Modoc led 10-8 after one and 29-25 at halftime. Modoc maintained a 43-39 lead after three and outscored the Bulldogs 17-10 in the fourth.

Britton had 24, Stevens added 15 and Zach McKirahan had nine.

Hornets whip Happy Camp, 58-50

The Surprise Valley Hornet girls varsity beat Happy Camp, 58-50, to move into second place in the Evergreen League Tuesday night.

The Hornets fell behind 17-14 in the first quarter, but came back for the win. Cara James led the Hornets with 20 points, Camryn Mullen added 15 Tuescher had 12 and Carpenter added 11.

Surprise Valley meets McCloud Friday in Cedarville to finish the regular season. The Hornets are looking for a Division VI playoff spot, which is probable. The first playoff game would be Feb. 26.

JV boys nipped by Lions

Modoc's junior varsity boys were just nipped, 57-56, by the Etna Lions in Etna Friday night.

The Braves let the Lions out early, trailing 15-6 after one. Modoc fought back to trail just 29-25 at halftime and tied the game at 42-42 by the end of three. The Lions got a break late in the game for the win.

K.C. Kirkreit led the Braves with 17 points, Kyle Madison added 16 and Micah Eppler had 15.

The Braves lost a game to Fall River, in overtime 60-51. Tuesday night ,but the loss grates on coach Bunk Richardson's nerves.

Richardson seldom, if ever, complains about referees, but Tuesday night he figures the refs took the game away. With time running out, a Fall River player called for time out twice, but the referee shook his head to say they had no timeouts left. The referee, by rule, should have called the time out and given Fall River a technical, since they had no time outs left. Basketball fans can remember Chris Webber in the Final Four not too long ago. When the issue came to a head, the ref agreed, called the technical and Modoc hit two free throws to "win" the game 53-51. But Fall River's coaching staff said that time had run out, due to clock problems, before the timeout and technical was called. Amazingly, the referee took away the technical and Modoc's points and sent the game into overtime. Fall River managed to score nine to Modoc's zero in the fourth period. Modoc was without three starters who had fouled out.

Modoc did blow a 20-7 first period and 33-14 halftime lead to let Fall River back in the game. By the end of three, Modoc led 43-28, but on the night Fall River held a free throw advantage of 23-10 over Modoc.

Eppler led the scoring with 14, Kirkreit added 11 and Wheeler hit 10.

Modoc Wildlife Refuge hosts open house March 5

The Modoc National Wildlife Refuge cordially invites you to attend their Open House scheduled for Wednesday, March 5, 2003 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Refuge headquarters.

This will be a great opportunity to meet the entire staff and discuss any issues as well as learn of management objectives and projects currently underway. View the recent remodeling and new offices, and give suggestions on the layout of the new visitor center.

The National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial is March 14 and there will be a display featuring their Time Capsule, with other Centennial and Refuge materials and hand-outs available. For directions to their office, or if you have special needs, please call refuge staff at (530)233-3572. Refreshments will be served, so please plan to attend. The staff looks forward to meeting you.

February 27, 2003

NEWS

Hospital looks to Richert-Panner practice purchase

A proposal that Modoc Medical Center Hospital Administrator Teresa Jacques calls "very exciting and unique" was presented to Modoc County Supervisors Tuesday at their regular meeting.

What's proposed is that Modoc Medical Center purchase the private practice of Doctors Owen Panner and Ed Richert and move that practice into the Modoc Medical Center Clinic.

The exciting part, said Jacques, is that both local doctors come with the package. She said the proposal will give Modoc Medial Center something it hasn't had in years, continuity in the physicians treating its patients. By going forward with the proposal, the county would no longer need contract fly-in doctors. That would be a cost savings of over $150,000 over three years, said Jacques, as well as increased revenues.

She also said the hospital is recruiting one other full time physician, who has indicated he will make the move. The move means three physicians would be working at the hospital clinic, on a regular rotating basis, covering the clinic as well and the Emergency Room.

Dr. Richert and Dr. Panner's practice would move into the existing clinic and all three of the doctors would practice out of that location.

"It would provide more continuity for our patients and we would also be able to provide better preventative care," Jacques said. "We believe it would also help our public image. We've been trying to get stable physicians in the clinic for four years."

She said with Panner, Richert and the third doctor, coverage at the clinic and hospital will be much improved and she feels the patient numbers would increase dramatically.

Supervisors were generally in agreement with the proposal, but were somewhat confused as to the Memorandum of Understanding brought for their action Tuesday. While they could have adopted it, they chose to have County Counsel look it over and bring it back Tuesday for adoption. There were no real disagreements with the intent of the proposal.

The county would be agreeing to lease the current Richert-Panner building on 12th Street owned by Dr. Richert at $1,627 per month, for a maximum five-year period. Richert would have that building on the market for sale starting as soon as the lease begins.

Supervisor Mike Dunn was concerned that Richert might not want to sell the facility if he was guaranteed rent for five year. Richert, who was in the audience assured Supervisors his intent was to sell the building as quickly as possible.

Jacques explained that buying the Richert-Panner practice would bring extra income to the clinic from their existing patient base. She expects the current clinic patient base to stay the same and feels the additional patients will greatly enhance the hospital's financial and image situations.

The county will be agreeing to purchase equipment from both doctors, integrate that equipment into the current clinic facilities, purchase remaining supplies from their practice, will cover their malpractice insurance, will cover a term of five years, at a salary of $180,000 for the first year, $190,000 for the second year and $200,000 the years after that. The salary will be based upon patient volume minimums.

When asked whether the increased use of the clinic would make it more difficult, (longer waits) for patients to get in to see a doctor, Jacques said she didn't think it would be a problem.

She explained that as it is now, if one doctor is on duty at the clinic and an Emergency comes into the ER, that doctor is required to treat the ER patient. What that means is no doctor is available at the clinic during that time. With rotating physicians under the new proposal, there would be one person assigned to cover the ER and that would alleviate that problem. Additionally, there will be increased staff.

The county, Richert and Panner are shooting for a May 1 start date for the new arrangement. Some MOU issues will be worked out this week, and should be brought back in a tidy package for the board on Tuesday.

Deer, elk poaching in Modoc a concern

Saturday morning, Department of Fish and Game Warden Ken Taylor, and Modoc Sheriff's Sergeant Mike Crutcher surveyed the grisly remains of a mule deer doe and buck fetus, found off Crowder Flat Road.

Taylor, from the Fall River area, whose patrol area now includes Modoc County, said evidence is clear that the doe was the victim of a poacher and the carcass just tossed off the road. The deer had been butchered somewhere else, said Taylor, and the remains discarded there.

The doe was pregnant with a male fetus, which Taylor said looked like it would have been born in April or May.

"This is a tragedy," Taylor said Monday. "We not only lost a breeding doe, we also lost the buck she was carrying. What's important for people to know is that we care about these animals and we're going to do our best to protect them. But, we're going to need the public's help."

Taylor, with the DFG since 1982, took over the Modoc patrol area after longtime Modoc Warden Cal Albright retired. The DFG, at this moment, has not filled Albright's position, and may not, because of state budget problems.

According to Crutcher and Taylor, local incidents of poaching are on the rise. In addition to the doe discovered Saturday, there have been at least three known incidents of recent elk poaching. The fact that there is no full time warden covering Modoc could be part of the issue, and Taylor said it's important for people to be aware and report any incidents to him. He said he'll get to this area as quickly as possible. In some cases the Sheriff's Office or California Highway Patrol will also be called in to assist and may make first contact.

Taylor does patrol this area, but chances are he may be a couple hours away when something's reported. His territory is huge, covering all the way through Modoc to the Nevada Line and to Mt. Shasta to the east. There is also a warden in Burney and a Lieutenant in Susanville.

"What we need is the eyes and ears of the public," said Taylor. "If anyone knows who's responsible for this doe's death, we'd sure like to find out," said Taylor. "People can remain 100 percent anonymous if they like. We are very concerned about the deer and elk in this area. We're going to need a community-wide effort to take care of this problem. I'll promise people this, if they call, I'll get back to them as quickly as I can."

People can call Taylor directly at 530-941-8346; or 530-233-1020 or call the DFG tip line at 1-888-DFG-CALTIP (1-888-334-2258). People can also call the Modoc County Sheriff's Office at 233-4416 to report an incident and the information will be relayed to Taylor. The Sheriff's Office will respond quickly if necessary.

Assault alleged in parking lot

Alturas Police arrested Amy Erwin, the afternoon of Feb. 22, alleging assault with a deadly weapon in an incident in the Modoc Sheriff's parking lot.

According to acting Chief of Police Ken Barnes, Erwin confronted a woman who was on her way to visit a jail inmate. During the confrontation, she threatened and then allegedly threw a large rock at the victim's vehicle. She was arraigned in Modoc Court and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, assault with the intent to cause injury and a violation of probation. She remains in Modoc County Jail on $20,000 bail..

Erwin was arrested last month in the stabbing case of Alturas resident Scott Bennett. Bennett was stabbed seven times outside Benny's Bar, by Erwin's husband Johnnie. Amy Erwin was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly kicking Bennett in the head while he was laying on the ground after he was stabbed. According to Police reports, Johnnie Erwin, Amy Erwin and Cody Preston were all involved in the altercation with Bennett. Johnnie Erwin pled guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to six years in state prison. Erwin was picked up in Woodland after he left the area following the stabbing.

Bennett is recovering from his wounds, which doctors had listed as "life threatening."

Police also arrested one 18-year-old and four juveniles Feb. 22 at the intersection of Main Street and Highway 395 alleging possession of stolen property. According to Barnes, the car they were driving was stolen out of Idaho, where the individuals lived. The 18-year-old was booked into the Modoc County Jail and the juveniles were turned over to probation.

Tobacco Sales to Minors Drops in Modoc County

In an effect to eliminate tobacco sales to minors around Modoc County, the County imitates an informal purchase survey at 10 tobacco retailers throughout the county. Out of the 10 stores surveyed, not a single store sold to a minor. This number is down from last year's survey, during which only 1 out of 10 stores sold tobacco to the underage participants

According to Modoc County Tobacco Education Coordinator, Bill Hall, the survey focused on Section 308 (a) of the California Penal Code, which prohibits sales of tobacco to minors. The store found in violation of PC 308 (a) will be referred to the STAKE Act Hotline. (1-800-ASK-4-ID), and be targeted during random countywide surveys by the State of California Food and Drug Branch. If any store sells tobacco to a minor during one of those purchase attempts, the owner can be fined $100 to $500, depending on the number of violations the store has had

Hall explains: "To help prevent the on-going problem of illegal sales of tobacco to kids, we have implemented a youth decoy program designed to identify and prosecute merchants who sell tobacco products to minors. The decoy program involves the use of a minor obviously under the age of 18. The minor is sent to a location and attempts to purchase tobacco product under the supervision of an adult. This decoy program will take place several times during the year and will target all locations that sell tobacco products in Modoc County."

For more information on illegal sales of tobacco products to minors or to report a violation of a retailer selling tobacco to a minor, contact the Modoc County Health Department at 233-6311 and ask for the Tobacco Education Program.

Talented a cappella quintet takes 'concert' to new level

SoVoS—, a quintet of incredibly gifted a cappella singers/musicians, has shared the stage and collaborated with such famous names as Gladys Knight, Bobby McFerrin, Maya Angelou, Lyle Lovett, Tracy Chapman, Manhattan Transfer, just to name a few.

Modoc residents have the opportunity to hear them in their one night concert at the A.C.T. Niles Theater in Alturas on Wednesday, March 5 starting at 7:30 p.m.

SoVoS— has been known to leave listeners awestruck by their vocal agility. Their trademark is their exceptional ability to transform themselves into a vocal orchestra, highlighted by spontaneous musical inventions. Culturally diverse, each member is a skilled soloist and composer in his and her own right. They captivate audiences with their natural playfulness, humor and unpredictability.

Originally assembled in 1986 by renowned vocalist Bobby McFerrin, members of SoVoS— performed with McFerrin in his a cappella group Voicestra until 1993. Voicestra toured extensivly and appeared on "An Evening with the Boston Pops," "The Arsenio Hall Show," "The Tonight Show," "The Today Show," "VH-1 to One" and "Arts and Entertainment Review."

They recorded the soundtrack for the Oscar award winning documentary "Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt" and were featured on McFerrin's CD "Medicine Music." Three members of SoVoS— sang on the 1997 McFerrin release "Circlesongs" and on the accompanying international tour.

The group has evolved and shaped its own musical style since renaming themselves SoVoS— ("From the Soul to the Voice to the Song") in 1994. Their foundation is rooted in the art of circle singing among ensemble members Sunshine Becker, Bryan Dyer, David Worm, Destani Wolf and Joey Blake, each with an impressive music and performance background.

Their debut album SoVoS—: "World Jazz A Cappella" was named "Best Studio Album" by the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards. Their collaborations have garnered multiple nominations and awards including the 1999 Isadora Duncan Award for Best Score and First Prize and Audience Favorites at the 1997 National Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival in San Rafael.

Appearance highlights have included the Monterey Jazz Festival, The Bottom Line, New York, NY, Villa Montalvo, the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, Jazz and Wine Festival, San Francisco, a special performance for Francis Ford Coppola, Napa; Grace Cathedral, San Francisco and the list goes on . . . Listen for their CD "bridges" currently playing on KCHO-FM, Chico at 103.5 FM public radio and KALT 106.5 FM in Alturas.

Their visit to Modoc County, March 4-6, will include conducting an Arts in Education Program through assemblies and workshops in all three Modoc County School District.

The special concert performance is sponsored by Modoc County Office of Education, Modoc County Arts Council, Inc., Alturas Community Theater, Modoc Joint, Surprise Valley Joint and Tulelake Basin Joint Unified School Districts, and funded in part by the California Arts Council.

Purchase concert tickets at Antonio's Cucina Italiana restaurant, Alturas or at the theater box office the night of the performance, $8 general admission; $6 for students and senior citizens.

Opinion: Off the Record

Hospital healing . . .

By Rick Holloway, Editor

The Modoc Medical Center proposal presented to Modoc County Supervisors Tuesday to purchase the private practice of Doctors Ed Richert and Owen Panner, could be just the medicine needed to heal the facility.

While the hospital has been doing better over the past year, this proposal brings with it something nothing else has -- patients. And probably just as important, trust.

The plan calls for Richert and Panner to move their practice into the Modoc Medical Center Clinic. They, along with another full-time physician now being hired, would staff the facility. That means they would take care of the clinic, the hospital and the Emergency Room. No more fly-in doctors.

One of the major complaints about the hospital over the past few years, and several experiments, was no continuity in doctors. People would go in one week and see a fly-in doctor about their condition and the next time they came back, they'd have to see another doctor. It just didn't make for consistency and it didn't build a solid, trusting relationship between patient and doctor.

This is a good proposal that is very exciting for the hospital, the doctors involved and the people of the county. Supervisors should look upon it favorably and get it going as soon as possible. When the numbers are penciled out, the hospital's books look much nicer. There are few proposals which have as many positives and as few (none that I can think of) negatives as this one.

There is no more important issue facing the county right now than maintaining the health care system and if it can not only be maintained, but prosper, it deserves the highest priority of Supervisors and staff. Apparently, going into the clinic under the Rural Health venue also works out better for Doctors Richert and Panner.

While I'm not going to quibble, the Board had a chance to get things rolling Tuesday by adopting a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU. They were a little confused about its impact, even though the memorandum stated ". . .MMC and Physician(s) agree to the following in order to enter into contract negotiations in good faith." Their county counsel wasn't much help in clarifying anything. She should have been.

With luck, the county will be able to come to terms with the doctors Tuesday and get this proposal moving. They could have finished it Tuesday. Every one of the people involved in the issue was in Supervisors' Chambers. The Board could probably have hammered out any issues they brought up in no more than an hour. It's not often that you have all the individuals involved in the same room at the same time and they should have taken advantage of that good fortune.

There will probably not be any danger in waiting for a week, as long as there is a good faith effort put forward to take advantage of what looks and reads like a very good deal for all involved.

While we're sure there will be some detractors of this proposal, I certainly hope they are substantive in nature and not simply emotionally charged. Although, to be honest, I don't see any real good substantive arguments against this thing. This looks like a win-win for all involved, especially the people of Modoc County.

Obituaries:

Karol Eugene Woodward

Karol Eugene Woodward, a former long-time business owner and active community supporter, passed away peacefully at his Alturas home with family by his side, on Feb. 25, 2003 due to complications from congestive heart failure and cancer.

The date for a memorial service is pending and will be held at Federated Church in Alturas. Kerr Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. The Record will publish a complete obituary for Mr.Woodward, next week.

Marie Perdue

Marie Perdue, 91, passed away January 7, 2003 at Life Care Center of Reno, Nevada, after a very long struggle for her life.

Born in Kansas on Sept. 2, 1912 to John and Ella Drown, she moved to Alturas, CA with her family in 1936.

Mrs. Perdue was the nurse for Drs. Paul and Philip McKenny. She was co-owner of Perdue's Fountain and Lunch and the Bowling Lanes, which adjoined one another in Alturas. Marie was an avid bowler and was inducted into the A.W.B.A. Hall of Fame in 1978. She was active in numerous community projects while living in Alturas until moving to Reno in 1991. She was preceded in death by her father, John Drown; mother, Ella Drown; and brothers Melvin and Johnny Brown.

Surviving are her daughter Margaret Lightner and husband Richard Minor of Reno; grandsons Ralph Kevin Lightner of Lake Havasu, AZ; and John Raymond Lightner of Reno; granddaughter, Rosemarie Olheiser and husband, Eric of Reno; eight great-grandchildren and seven great-great grandchildren; nieces Della Cooley and husband Paul of Alturas, Gertrude Lybarger of Eugene, OR; nephew, John (Jackie) Drown and wife, Doris, of Jackson, TN; and several great nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at a later date in Alturas.

Edna Olive Kresge

Edna Olive Kresge, 84, born in Modoc County and a long-time resident of Adin, passed away Feb. 20, 2003 in Alturas, CA. Pastor Walt Fisher conducted services Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. at the Adin Cemetery. Born at Gouger Neck, Lookout in Modoc County on November 11, 1918 to Oliver and Bassie (Nichols) Gould, Edna graduated from the Adin High School. Almost 19, she married Marcel Kresge in Reno, NV. on September 10, 1937. They made their home on the Kresge homeplace in Adin, where she and her husband were cattle ranchers for 35 years.

After they sold the ranch, Edna went to work for the U.S. Forest Service, enjoying the great outdoors again, working as a fire lookout for the Modoc National Forest for 17 years.

The majority of those years were spent on the Sugar Hill lookout and she also worked the Happy Camp and Blue Mountain lookouts. Edna and Marcel were close to sharing 50 years of marriage, when he passed away in April of 1987.

An active woman, Mrs. Kresge was a member of several organizations including the Big Valley Historical Society, Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary in Adin; the Adin Chamber of Commerce, Big Valley Garden Club and she had the honor of serving as the Noble Grand Officer with the Rebekah Lodge. A person of multiple talents, she also liked to hunt, fish, garden, do leather work, crochet and cook.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by two sons, Glenn and Gary.

She is survived by her grandchildren Jerry Kresge and wife Carmen of Alturas; Martha Williams and husband Guy of Alturas; Brad Kresge and wife Brenda of Alturas and Natalie Turnbull and husband Jeff of Woodland, CA.

Contributions in Mrs. Kresge's memory may be directed to "The Glenn Kresge Memorial Scholarship Fund," care of Plumas Bank, 510 No. Main St., Alturas, CA. 96101.

Interment was at the Adin Cemetery. Kerr Mortuary in Alturas was in charge of arrangements.

SPORTS

Modoc wins North Section Small Schools wrestling

"Overall, this is probably the best team we've had," said Modoc Coach Shaun Wood this week, after his wrestling team won the North Section Division III-IV Championship in Redding last weekend.

And that's saying a lot, considering that Modoc has won nine of the past 10 Shasta Cascade League titles and the last four in a row. As a team, Modoc sends 12 of 14 wrestlers to the Masters Championships this weekend in Redding.

"What impresses me about this team is that they work hard and they stay focused together," said Wood. "We had a good tournament and I was very pleased with all our guys."

Wood is looking to finish in the top five at the Masters, something a Modoc team has never done. And he feels that is in the real line of possibilities. He also figures Modoc has another good shot at sending wrestlers to the state finals, with heavyweight Cory Bell leading the way.

The Braves won Small Schools with 248 points, unseating a confident Willows team which finished second with 205 points. They were followed by Durham 173.5, Live Oak 159, Mt. Shasta 97, Quincy 96, Etna 58, Fall River 56, Tulelake 44, Biggs 40, Chester 34, Hamilton City 25, American Christian 15, Los Molinas 13, Burney 11, Esparto 8, Bishop Quinn 3, Portola 0.

At the Small Schools Championships, the Braves had three individual champions: Luke Hammerness at 145 pounds, who has wrestled extremely well the biggest part of this season; Matt Maine, who responded well to win the 152-pound championship and Bell who won the heavyweight title with a pin.

Modoc also had a host of second place finishers, including Adam Johnson at 103 pounds, Billy Moriarity at 119 pounds; Jason Jones at 160 pounds, Joey Catania at 171 pounds, J.D. Monroe at 189 pound and Mike Main at 215 pounds.

Modoc's Robert Flournoy placed third at 140 pounds and Travis Wood took a third at 135 pounds. Jaafar Mirlohi took a fourth at 130 pounds. Nick Hawes took a sixth at 125 pounds. Wood said that Brian Weed had a excellent day and finished just out of the medals.

The top four finishers at Small Schools qualify for the Masters tourney this weekend.

Bell is seeded number two overall for the Section Finals and should qualify for state. Other wrestlers with an honest shot are Hammerness, Maine, Flournoy, Maine, and Wood.

Modoc boys get 11th seed in North Section playoffs

The Modoc Varsity boys team is seeded 11th in the North Section Division V Playoffs and opened Tuesday night against number six Loyalton, in Loyalton.

In their first meeting this year, Modoc beat Loyalton 65-60 in the final game of the Portola Tournament December 14. Modoc lost Tuesday, 60-56 in overtime.

Tulelake's Honkers were seeded number 14 and opened last night at Pierce, the number three seed. If Modoc wins, they'll meet the wnner of that game. The top five seeds in order were: Liberty Christian, Bishop Quinn, Pierce, Quincy and Etna.

The quarterfinals are Feb. 28, the semifinals are March 5 and the finals are March 8.

Surprise Valley's girls got the number four seed in Division VI and opened the playoffs with a home game against number five Happy Camp Wednesday. The semifinals are Feb. 28 and the finals are March 5.

Braves fall to Loyalton 60-56 in Playoffs

Modoc's varsity boys picked a bad day to put together one of their worst performances of the year, losing their first round North Section Playoff game to Loyalton Tuesday night 60-56 in overtime.

"I'm not going to take anything away from Loyalton, they played well and they did what they had to do to win the game," said Modoc coach Mike Martin. "We just didn't play as well as we have in the past."

Modoc took an early 9-8 lead in the first period and had a solid 25-17 lead at halftime.

"That lead disappeared in 1:15 in the third quarter," said Martin. Loyalton came out in a press and Modoc did not handle the pressure. "We told them what to expect at halftime, but they didn't handle it well."

By the end of three, Modoc still led 36-31, but Loyalton would hit 17 points in the fourth to Modoc's 11, sending the game into overtime. Loyalton outscored Modoc 13-9 in the extra period for the win.

One of the real bright spots for Modoc was the inside play of Marty Stevens who had 26 points and the off-the-bench spark of Des Kiesel who ended up with nine. Cam Jeffers added eight points.

The Braves lost the final regular season game to Trinity 67-47 here Friday night.

Modoc trailed by just two going into the fourth period, but Trinity outscored them 27-9 in the final eight minutes. It was a three-point game with four minutes left, but the Wolves went on an amazing run and Modoc didn't respond.

Jack Britton was named to the Shasta Cascade All League First Team, Michael Bates was named to the second team and Stevens received honorable mention.

Modoc girls finish with 54-41 win

The Modoc girls varsity basketball team finished the season with a 54-41 win over Trinity Friday night at home.

Modoc opened with a 13-7 first quarter lead and led 23-16 by half. The score stood at 37-26 after three and Modoc went on for the good win. Rachel Gover and Jennifer Davis each scored 18 for the Braves. Liz Younger and Jamie Kuhn had six each.

Modoc lost a good game to Fall River Tuesday and lost to the number one-ranked Etna team last Friday.

Modoc JV loses to Trinity

The final game of the season went well for Modoc's junior varsity boys, except the last quarter.

Modoc lost to the Wolves 59-45 Friday night. The Braves led 11-10 after the first period and the game was tied 25-25 at halftime. Trinity took a 36-33 lead going into the final period. The Wolves went on a run to score 23 points in the fourth, while Modoc added just 12. K.C. Kirkreit had 11 points, Cam Wheeler and Micah Eppler each had eight.

Brave JV lose final three

Modoc's junior varsity girls team lost its final three games of the season to finish with a 4-8 Shasta Cascade League record

On Friday, Modoc lost to Trinity here 50-36. Modoc led 12-9 in the opening period, but stalled in the second to trail 20-17 by half. Trinity led 34-25 at the end of three and outscored Modoc 16-11 in the final quarter. Jessica Harden led the scoring with 12, Jamie Fain added 11 and Emily Pence had nine. Modoc lost earlier in the week to Fall River 43-19. Fall River led 11-6 after one and 21-8 by half. At the end of three, the Bulldogs led 31-12 and scored 12 to Modoc's 7 in the fourth. Harden had nine points and Pence added six. Etna beat the Modoc girls 36-24, there, after taking a 16-5 first period lead and leading 23-6 at halftime. Etna led 25-14 after three. Pence had nine and Hannah Hays added eight.

Modoc Wildlife Refuge welcomes public to open house Wednesday

The Modoc National Wildlife Refuge staff invites everyone to attend their Open House on Wednesday, March 5, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Refuge Headquarters.

This will be a great opportunity to meet the entire staff and discuss any issues, as well as learn of management objectives and projects currently underway. View the recent remodeling and new offices, and give suggestions on the layout of the new visitor center.

The National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial is March 14 and there will be a display featuring their Time Capsule, with other Centennial and Refuge materials and hand-outs available. For directions to their office, or to arrange for special needs, please call the refuge staff at (530) 233-3572. Refreshments will be served.

March 6, 2003

NEWS

MMC proposal delayed until March 18

The proposal for Modoc Medical Center to purchase the Dr. Ed Richert, Dr. Owen Panner private practice and move it into the MMC Health Clinic was put over until the March 18 meeting.

On Tuesday, Supervisors agreed to give the people involved as well as the hospital trustees time to refine the terms of the purchase and Memorandum of Understanding.

County Chief Administrative Officer Mike Maxwell said there were some revisions to the original proposal that needed clarifying and joint agreement. He said he hopes the issue can be resolved by the next meeting. Hospital Administrator Teresa Jacques said the proposal will give Modoc Medial Center something it hasn't had in years, continuity in the physicians treating its patients.

By going forward with the proposal, the county would no longer need contract fly-in doctors. She projects a cost savings of over $150,000 over three years, said Jacques, as well as increased revenues.

She also said the hospital will recruit one other full time physician, so three physicians would be working at the hospital clinic, on a regular rotating basis, covering the clinic as well and the Emergency Room.

Dr. Richert and Dr. Panner's practice would move into the existing clinic and all three of the doctors would practice out of that location.

Jacques has stated the continuity of health care providers will take away one of the major drawbacks of the current fly-in doctor program. She also said she expects the public image of the facility will improve.

She said coverage at the clinic and hospital will be much improved and she feels the patient numbers would increase dramatically.

Supervisors remain generally in agreement with the proposal, but want the proposal fine tuned before it comes back.

The County would be agreeing to lease the current Richert-Panner building on 12th Street owned by Dr. Richert at $1,627 per month, for a maximum five-year period. Richert would have that building on the market for sale starting as soon as the lease begins.

The County will be agreeing to purchase equipment from both doctors, integrate that equipment into the current clinic facilities, purchase remaining supplies from their practice, will cover their malpractice insurance, will cover a term of five years, at a salary of $180,000 for the first year, $190,000 for the second year and $200,000 the years after that. The salary will be based upon patient volume minimums.

The County, Richert and Panner were shooting for a May 1 start date for the new arrangement. That date may have to be delayed.

Water picture remains bleak

While almost an inch of precipitation was measured in February, the water year is looking very bleak for this area.

According to Modoc National Forest hydrologist Sue Becker .96 inches was measured in February, moving the cumulative total since October to 3.88 inches. The average precipitation for February is 1.17 inches and the average cumulative is 6.34 inches.

Last year, by the end of February 6.99 inches had been reported. In the serious drought year of 2001, the end of February cumulative was 3.43. Most of February's moisture, .53 inches, fell on Feb. 1.

There's nothing in the way of major storms predicted for the next week, but as the joke in Modoc goes, once baseball seasons starts, it should snow. Baseball starts this week.

Mild January boosts building

February building in Modoc County increased as a mild winter continues. The Modoc County Building Department issued 19 permits worth an estimated $300,911 in February, up from January's 18 permits valued at $279,548.

A couple of major remodels and additions made up a bulk of the building totals.

Alturas building remained slow as the city issued just five permits valued at $14,368. The biggest portion of that costs was for a large heating duct project.

The City of Alturas issued seven building permits valued at $20,095 in January.

Breath of Spring color opens show

A colorful new pottery and painting show will open at the Art Center gallery, 317 So. Main St., Alturas on Friday evening, March 7 with a public reception from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Check out the new "Spring Collection" of pottery handmade by Debbie Anderson of Susanville and DeDe Petersen's freestyle floral painting from her Lake Almanor collection.

Everyone is welcome to come browse the gallery and enjoy refreshments. Petersen's favorite subject for her art are nightscapes in colored pencil and freestyle florals. A Lake Almanor resident and mother of six, ages six to 24, she has been doing art all her life. Being a truck driver for Medici Logging Company also gives her time to see the beautiful sights of the region and gain renewed inspiration for her artistic endeavors.

The March show will display what potter Debbie Anderson considers her Spring Collection.

"I like to make beautiful pots, but the glazing and decoration of them is like painting on a canvas. It's great. I love it," says Anderson. Anderson teaches ceramics at Lassen College in Susanville and loves to teach.

Modoc Fair seeks new theme

The Modoc District Fair is accepting theme suggestions for your 2003 Fair until March 14, 2003.

Each year the theme is used for the basis of designing fair exhibits, displays, floral entries and parade entries.

The contest winner will receive two tickets to the Friday or Saturday evening main event.

Pervious themes such as: "Good Ol' Country Pride", "Modoc Magic": "From Agriculture to Recreation", "Majestic Modoc", "Modoc Trends and Traditions" and "Tree Fallers, Hay Haulers and Cattle Callers" have displayed creativity and imagination. "This year's theme should have the same qualities with your innovation," says Fair Manager, Trace Green. Mail, fax, or e-mail theme ideas with your name, address and phone number by March 14, 2003 to Modoc District Fair, P.O. Box 26, Cedarville, CA., 96104, Fax (530)279-2555, Email modocfair@hdo.net. The winning theme will be announced March 27, 2003.

Obituaries:

Karol Eugene Woodward

A memorial service for Karol Eugene Woodward, a long-time business owner, civic leader and community supporter, will be conducted by the Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra on Saturday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m. at the Federated Church.

Mr. Woodward passed away peacefully at his Alturas home with family by his side, on Feb. 25, 2003, due to complications from congestive heart failure and cancer.

The son of Phillips Arthur Woodward, known as "P.A." or "Pap" and Lula (Banister) Woodward, Karol was born in Alturas, CA on February 4, 1923. He graduated from Modoc High in 1940. Known to play the trumpet for a popular dance band while he was in high school and for a short time after, the band was called upon to play often and at the Romero Lodge.

Karol also loved to play the piano and was the local Elks Lodge organist. He attended Heald's Business College in Sacramento, CA., after high school graduation, then worked for a short time at the Herlong Munitions, before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in December 1942. He served during World War II at the Battle at Leyte Gulf as an Aviation Storekeeper 1st Class on the U.S.S. White Plains carrier. His military service earned him the Victory Medal and Philippines Liberation Star in addition to the Presidential Unit Citation Star and Good Conduct medal.

When he received his discharge in February 1946, he returned home and became a partner with his father in Woodward's Grocery on Court Street. Karol and Mary Winset were married on October 5, 1947 and kept the business operating until 1980, when they liquidated the business. After enjoying winters at Granlibaken Ski Resort, Karol was hired as the resort's manager each winter at Granlibaken for 15 years. "He retired three times, but was called back each time to work," recalls Mary. Granlibaken included the resort, conference center and ski hill in Tahoe City. The Woodwards were avid skiers and Karol had been an active member of the Modoc Ski Club from 1947 until recently.

A civic leader and community volunteer, he served many organizations. Karol was Mayor of Alturas from 1958 until 1962 and served two terms (8 years) as a Modoc County Supervisor, starting in 1963. He received his 50-year membership plaque in November 1996, from the Alturas Rotary Club, maintaining his membership from 1946 - 2003. He was a life member of the Alturas Elks Lodge 1756 for 41 years; served as an Alturas City Fire Department volunteer from 1946 until 1963, was President of the Modoc County Historical Society and an active supporter and member of Alturas and Modoc Chambers of Commerce throughout the years.

He and Mary loved fishing, especially the streams of Modoc's Warner Mountains, hiking the steep canyons, even though his knees were "giving out," (from years of standing on a hard floor as a grocer), recalls his wife. He also loved skiing with his family and ice skating.

A respected man and outgoing person with many long-time friends, Karol was honored as a long-time grocer during a Modoc Fair parade in Cedarville.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Mary Woodward of Alturas; son Philip and wife Dr. Marilyn Wooley of Redding; daughter Anne Marzion and husband Ken of Sacramento; daughter Kathy and husband Dr. Ron R…tt of Sacramento; granddaughter Stephanie Buck of Sacramento and many wonderful nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Mary Kathleen "Kay" Paulson.

Memorials may be made to Cedar Pass Snow Park, HCR1, Box 11311, Alturas, CA 96101, Federated Church, P.O. Box 1708, Alturas, CA or to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 428, Likely, CA 96116.

Inurnment will be private and at a later date at the Alturas Cemetery. Kerr Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Roger Wayne Milliron

California Pines resident and former Alturas business owner Roger Wayne Milliron passed away on Feb. 27, 2003 at Modoc Medical Center in Alturas, CA due to pneumonia.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 8 at 11 a.m. at the Alturas Elks Lodge 1756, with a potluck and social time to follow. Born in Jamestown, New York on March 9, 1932, he served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954, in Korea on Pork Chop Hill. He was a sergeant at the time of his discharge.

On November 9, 1957, he married Lola Dalbey in Reno, NV. They have shared 45 years of marriage.

While living in the City of Orange for many years, the couple owned and operated Western State Drywall and L&M Lathing as commercial contractors. When they moved to Alturas in 1983, they purchased the Bottle Shop on Main Street, Alturas, and adopted the "Border town" sandwiches. They later sold the business and retired. Mr. Milliron was a member of the Modoc County Sheriff's Posse and Alturas Rotary Club. He also served as a Trustee at the Alturas Elks Lodge #1756 for many years, as well as Vice Chairman and as a director for the California Pines Community Services District.

He is survived by his wife Lola and five children: ReneŽ Galvez of Beaumont, CA; MarchŽl Watkins of Artesia, CA; Darlene Milliron of Alturas; Diane Schlomer and David Milliron of Reno, NV. He also enjoyed his seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, 1372 Longfellow Ave., Chico, Ca. 95926 or to the American Diabetes Association, California Affiliate, 10445 Old Placerville Rd., Sacramento, CA. 95822.

Opal Pearl Russell Cox

Opal Pearl Cox, 59, of Alturas, passed away February 27, 2003. She was born in Trinidad, Texas on October 9, 1943, to Samuel Baker Russell and Francis Ella Gragg. Shortly afterward her family moved to Arkansas, where she spent her childhood years, then moved to Delano, California, with her family.

In Delano, she met her husband James Mac Arthur Cox. They were married on July 19, 1965, at the Chapel of the Bells in Las Vegas, Clark Co., Nevada. Opal and Jim were close to sharing 38 years of marriage together. The majority of years, Opal and her family lived in Delano and Vallejo, CA. and worked as a maintenance crew.

In 1986, they made their home in Alturas, CA. Opal began her career in Special Education as a teacher's Aide in 1987 for Modoc County Office of Education, retiring 13 years later. She enjoyed all the students she had been fortunate to work with during her years on the job.

In her youth, Opal ran for the school track team, as well as, played basketball. An active woman, Opal was involved heavily with Special Olympics, where she helped the athletes learn to cross country ski, and helped with many other activities in which they competed.

There were many things Opal loved to do including camping, fishing, and making arts and crafts. Lots of people would agree that when it came to telling stories, Opal had a way to draw you in and watch for your reaction in the tale of the story. It was known that Opal had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to joke.

She was preceded in death by her son David Wayne Cox; sister, Lillie Alan Russell; brother, Vernon Leroy Russell, Opal is survived by her husband of 37 years, James Cox of Alturas; sisters, Lucile Frances Russell of Alturas, Myrel Russell Lutz of Delano, CA.; brothers, Leon Baker Russell of Hermiston, OR; Sammy Joe Russell of Huntley, Montana; mother-in-law Dora Cox of Sunrise, Arizona; in-laws Daniel Cox and Karrie Cox of Alturas, as well as many nieces and nephews and relatives. Graveside services were held March 5, at 2:30 p.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. Her family gives thanks to the numerous family and friends who attended her services.

Opal will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Frank T. Tierney

Frank Turrell Tierney, 48, passed away unexpectedly in Redding, CA. on February 26, 2003. He was a resident of Vancouver, WA at the time of his demise.

Frank was born to Cyril and Pat Morgan Tierney on January 12, 1955 at Modoc Medical Center, Alturas, CA and was reared in Alturas until 1966, when his family moved to Cottonwood, CA. He served in the U.S. Navy. His father Cyril, preceded him in death in 1980.

He is survived by his mother, Pat of Gilchrist, Oregon.; sisters Morgan DeMarr of Burney, CA; Lana Tierney of West Linn, OR. and Valerie Hubbard, Palo Cedro, CA; also nieces and nephews.

The Rev. Patrick Henry conducted a service at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Alturas at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5. Interment followed at the Alturas Cemetery.

Margie Louise Mansker

Margie Louise Mansker, 75, went to be with the Lord and loved ones February, 28, 2003 at approximately 2 p.m. Services will be Friday, March 7, at 9:00 a.m. at Kerr Mortuary in Alturas, CA., followed by graveside service at 10:00 a.m. at Alturas Cemetery.

Louise was the mother of six children with 17 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She married Doyle J. Mansker in Clovis, New Mexico on January 15, 1954. They retired and lived together in Alturas for 21 years when suddenly on May 22, 2002 Doyle passed away.

Louise was born on January 19, 1927 in Paris, Texas. She was orphaned as a toddler and taken in by Mann and Addie Wooten of Lubbock, Texas. She was eventually adopted by Marshall and Annie Henyan (Wooten) of El Cajon, CA., where she grew up with four protective "Big Brothers," Pete, Joe, Willie and Woody Henyan.

She attended Sweetwater High School in San Diego and worked as a "Riveter" at Rohr Aircraft during World War II.

Louise loved being with friends and family members, cooking for them and sharing her loving down home wit. She loved laughter around her and always made the family laugh.

She is survived by son Richard Anderson, and wife Becky of Nuevo, CA.; daughter Sheila Wilson and husband Carlos of Tyler, Texas; daughter Debra Russell and husband Gordon of Alturas, CA.; son Doyle Mansker II and Pia of Garden Grove, CA.; daughter Betsy Mansker of Albany, Oregon, and son Clinton Mansker of Alturas, CA.

Margie Louise Mansker and her family would like to thank the wonderful staff at the Modoc Medical Center for the loving care that she was given during her last days.

SPORTS

Braves pin down second in North Section wrestling

Modoc's Braves shocked a lot of schools last weekend by placing second in the CIF North Section Masters wrestling finals. Modoc had won the small schools title the previous week and Modoc Coach Shaun Wood would have been pleased to finish in the top five at the Masters, which includes all size schools.

"Boy. we're ecstatic," said Wood. "That's the highest we've ever placed and it's really hard for a small school to compete with those big schools. I was really proud of our kids. I was surprised at how well everyone wrestled. It was great."

Wood was also honored by his peers as the North Section Coach of the Year. Shasta High School, of Redding won the North Section team title with 162 points, Modoc was second with 146, Corning third with 136, Willows, fourth at 116, Red Bluff fifth at 112 and the remaining teams as follows: West Valley 104, Orland 100, Oroville 83, Pleasant Valley 80, Sutter 67, Durham 64, Foothill 63, Anderson 56, Lassen 52, Paradise 51, Chico 49, Central Valley 47, Live Oak 47, Trinity 27, Quincy 24, Fall River 22, Los Plumas 17, Wheatland 16, Enterprise 14, Mt. Shasta 11, Winters 10, Tulelake 8, Biggs 3, Gridley 3, Los Molinas 3, Chester 2, American Christian 2, Etna 1. The Braves took 12 wrestlers to the Masters Tournament and eight of them placed, a Modoc record for the Masters meet. Robert Flournoy, Modoc's 140 pounder, came in seeded seventh, but finished second and will make the trip to University of Pacific this weekend to compete in the California State Championships.

The top two finishers at Masters qualify for state. Matt Maine lost a true second bout by one point at 152 pounds to place third and Jason Jones lost his true second bout at 160 pounds by five points to place third. Modoc's Cory Bell placed third at 275 pounds, Travis Wood took a fourth at 135 pounds, Luke Hammerness was fifth at 145 pounds, J.D. Monroe was fifth at 189 pounds, Mike Main was fifth at 215. Bill Moriarity finished just one point out of placing at 119 pounds. Adam Johnston went 1-2 at 103, Jaafar Mirholi was 1-2 and Joey Catania was 0-2.

Modoc has four of the Masters placers back for next year: Bell, Hammerness, Wood, and Maine plus Mirholi, Catania, Johnston, Mark Main, Brad Bell, Scott Buchanan, Brian Weed, Nick Hawes, Jared Cox and Ryan Carrithers.

"We lose some good kids, but we have a good group coming back and we should start next year in really good shape," said Wood. "A lot of these guys coming back should be able to place in Master's next year and we may take more than one to state."

Modoc's youth wrestling program is a big asset for Wood's program. This year he has about 35 youngsters in the program, which started this week. The Middle School tournament will be held in Modoc March 15, for kids in eighth grade on down.

Spring sports get underway

It's spring high school sports time in Modoc, so measurable snow should start falling anytime soon.

Boys baseball and girls softball get underway March 7-8 with the Modoc tournament. March 11, the JV baseballers go to Surprise Valley and varsity baseball hosts Chester. March 13, Lassen comes to Modoc.

Brad Server coaches the Modoc boys team and Dennis Banister coaches the girls softball team.

Modoc golfers opened play Tuesday at Tierra Oaks in Central Valley. March 13, they meet Weed and Lake Shastina. Harold Montague is the coach.

Modoc's track team has a Lakeview dual March 18 to open. Craig Flournoy is the head coach.

Hornets girls fall to Happy Camp, 65-44

The Surprise Valley Hornet girls basketball team lost its opening round CIF North Section playoff game to Happy Camp 65-44.

The Hornets managed to hold Happy Camp's leading scorer to seven points, but three other players combined for 11 three-pointers, said coach Arnold DeGarmo.

Happy Camp led at halftime 30-20. Chelsea Gayle of Happy Camp scored 20 points, all in the first half and made six three-pointers. The Hornets shut her down in the second half. Happy Camp's Janey and Jaclyn Goodwin combined for 26 of Happy Camp's 35 points in the second half.

The Hornets were led by Cara James with 21 points, Roxanne Carpenter had 12 and Camryn Mullen added nine.

Modoc golfers whip Central Valley soundly

Modoc High's golf team won its preseason match against Central Valley Tuesday, with a team score of 414. Central Valley shot a 536.

Jake Aaron and Jack Britton each shot a 79 for Modoc, while Jerry Wheeler had an 80, Adam Server an 82, Micah Eppler a 94 and Ross Montague a 124. None of Central Valley's golfers broke 100.

The Braves open Shasta Cascade League play March 13 at Lake Shastina against Mt. Shasta, Trinity and Weed.

Members of the golf team are: Aaron, Michael Bates, Britton, Taylor Dunn, Eppler, Bud Groff, Charles Knox, Montague, DJ Northrup, Server, Brian Weed, Wheeler, and Matt Williams. The head coach is Harold Montague.

Price wins bareback event

Jeremy Price, of Cedarville, won the bareback event at the California High School Multi-District Rodeo March 1-2 in Red Bluff.

Tulelake's Jessica Hemphill was second in pole bending (out of 70); 10th in barrel racing (of 76); ninth in goat tying; and sixth in breakaway roping. The next rodeo is the Challenge of Champions at Plymouth for the top three in each district on March 15-16.

March 13, 2003

NEWS

Early morning mobilehome fire kills two men

A house fire that erupted in the early morning hours March 8 resulted in the death of two men, while two other residents were able to escape.

According to Modoc Sheriff Bruce Mix, the fire was reported at 1:23 a.m. at a single-wide mobile home at the intersection of Pencil Road and Chukkar Lane in Modoc Estates. The fire was reported by Ron Schulter, Jr.

When the Alturas Rural Fire Department arrived, the trailer house was fully engulfed. The renter of the home, Adam Hermann, and a juvenile female who was staying at the house were outside and told firemen that two other people remained in the structure.

ARFD firemen entered the home, wearing breathing apparatus and found Terry Lee Larkin, age 44, and his dog in the front bedroom. He was removed and transported by ambulance to Modoc Medical Center where he was declared dead on arrival. Larkin was not burned but apparently died of smoke inhalation. His dog was also dead.

Firemen then found the badly burned body of David Wayne Gonzales, age 53, of Palermo, CA. in the living room area of the home. His remains were removed and he was declared dead at the scene. He had been burned over 100 percent of his body.

According to Mix, Hermann said he was awakened by a "loud bang" just after 1 a.m. He got up to see what was happening and saw the living room was engulfed in flames. He yelled for the two men in the other part of the home to get out and then he and the juvenile female exited the east side of the home. They originally thought the other two men had gone out the west door, said Mix.

Adding to the tragedy, said Mix, is that Gonzales came to Modoc to pick up up his stepdaughter (the juvenile female who escaped the fire) March 7. He was picking her up so she could visit a family member who was dying of cancer. They were scheduled to leave the morning of March 8.

According to Mix, the fire apparently started in the living room, at an electrical heating unit in the structure. It spread quickly and was burning intensely when ARFD arrived.

Council takes hard line on golf course

The Alturas City Council took a hard business line concerning Arrowhead Golf Course owners being in arrears in payments at Tuesday night's meeting.

Basically, Arrowhead owners are behind in their payments since November and have not paid property taxes. Jamie Fischer, who along with his wife Monica, purchased the golf course from the city in Feb. 2000, had requested a second refinance of the contract Tuesday night.

Fischer told the council that the poor condition of the local economy was partly responsible for the downturn in revenues at the golf course. As a starting point, he suggested taking the current 20 year loan at 8.5 percent and turning it into a 50-year loan at 5.0 percent.

Several councilmembers, including Jerry Smith, said that with the current loan in arrears, he didn't see any sense in a refinance or negotiations until the current financial situation was brought current.

The initial loan at 7.5 percent for 20 years was refinanced by the city in August, 2000, to 8.5 percent for 20 years after a balloon payment due in June, 2000 was not made.

Fischer told the council he was trying to make a deal where they could afford to make the payments on a regular basis. There was some discussion that dropping it to 5 percent would probably be illegal and would be considered a gift of public funds.

In addition, Smith said the council had a responsibility to the citizens of Alturas to protect their interest in the golf course and their equity. Other councilmen wondered if the fact that the rates were raised dramatically by the Fischers had lowered the number of golfers. Those golfers now have the chance to play at Likely Links, for less.

The council, in the end did not agree to refinance the loan, and instead asked that the recreation committee work with Treasurer Kathie Alves and the Fischers to see if a deal could be reached. But, most councilmembers expressed the opinion that any deal would have to include bringing the current financial situation current. In addition, most felt that a business plan that would logically project expected earnings needed to be forthcoming as part of the package.

The city is in a position, said the council, to foreclose on the loan if an equitable deal cannot be worked out that satisfies all concerned. In other action, the council is discussing a city-wide spring clean up program in May that will involve Alturas Disposal, the city and other service organizations in the community. That program is going to committee to come back with a proposal. The city is interested in cleaning up the community, including vacant lots and the sides of streets. The particulars of the program will be made clear long before the program is undertaken.

The council also agreed to authorize Planning Director Scott Kessler to apply for a grant to reconstruct the old mill site buildings and hire a grant writer at a cost not to exceed $6,500.

The council also approved final payment of last summer's Carlos/Warner Street project to Fitch Sand and Gravel, the contractor, and additional payment for engineering services to Adkins Engineering. They also moved forward on a grant-loan project to upgrade the Alturas Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Deer whistles work, says county

Over a two-year period, the Modoc County Road Department issued 1,648 air actuated and electronic deer whistles free to vehicle owners as part of a safety study.

The deer whistles are designed to sound a noise inaudible to humans that warns deer of approaching danger. According to the results of the program, the level of confidence that the deer whistles are responsible for the decrease in collisions is 99.6 percent.

According to the report issued by Road Commissioner Tom Tracy, there was not a single deer-car collision reported to the California Highway Patrol by those vehicle owners who received the whistles.

Tracy points out that Modoc has over 1,000 miles of county roads, 180 miles of state highways, 1,500 miles of forest roads and 33 miles of streets in the city of Alturas. In the county, over the past seven years, about 15 percent of all accident have been caused by animals. About 11 percent of accidents on state highways are caused by deer.

The report states that between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2002, the deer whistle program length, there were 17 deer hit on state roads and 12 hit on country roads by cars without deer whistles. During that same test period, no deer were hit by cars with the deer whistles.

"From a statistical standpoint, deer whistles work," said the report. "None of the 1,648 vehicles listed in our database whose owners received a deer whistle from us were involved in any reported collisions with deer over a period of two years. Everyone who drives in deer country knows that there is an element of luck involved in hitting or avoiding deer, regardless of the equipment or amount of driver caution."

. The reports does state that over the two year study period, three drivers did report to the road department minor collisions with deer that were not reported to the CHP.

"These confirm our intuition that deer whistles reduce, but not eliminate, collisions with deer, and also that most collisions with deer go unreported," the report states. "The key is informing people of the results of this project, and encouraging them to install deer whistles on their vehicles . . . the successful results for the vehicles that have our deer whistles have far exceeded our expectations."

Now that the study period is over the county will no longer be giving away deer whistles, but is advising people to get them installed on their vehicles. The deer whistle project was part of the California Traffic Safety Program and was made possible through the support of the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Jobless rate jumps up

As a further telltale sign of a weak economy, the unemployment rate for Modoc County jumped to 9.9 percent for January, up from December's 7.7 percent.

The actual number of people unemployed went from 380 in December to 490 in January. Last January there were 460 people unemployed in Modoc. The 9.9 percent unemployment rate ranks Modoc 36 out of the state's 58 counties for highest unemployment. Siskiyou ranked 47th with 14.8 percent and Lassen ranked 37th with a 10.0 percent.

San Luis Obispo County has the lowest jobless rate at 3.6 percent and the highest is in Colusa at 24.6 percent.

The state's unemployment rate for January was 7.0 percent and the national rate was 6.5 percent.

Modoc Fair seeks saddle maker

Persons interested in placing a bid to produce the hand made 2003 "Ranchers Day Trophy Saddle" can obtain the bid form from the Fair Office. Completed bids must be hand delivered to the Modoc District Fair office or postmarked by March 31, 2003.

Completion and delivery of the saddle is July 1, 2003. Questions should be directed to Butch Pratt (530)279-6275, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., (530)279-2574 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. or CEO, Traci Green at (530)279-2315 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Modoc District Fair, P.O. Box 26, #1 Center Street, Cedarville, CA., 96104, (530)279-2315.

BV Ranger District to get new Adin office

The Big Valley Ranger District in Adin, California will build a new office. Construction should begin by the end of March. GAP Construction from Burney California won the contract.

The existing office will be replaced with a modern facility. The new office is planned to house the same number of employees as the existing facility and will be about the same size.

The new office will be built because the existing facility does not provide universal access, and was found to be unsafe and structurally unstable. Regional engineers and private contractors determined that it was not practical and too expensive to attempt to fix the existing building. The new building will be located adjacent to the north side of the existing office in the current employee parking lot. After the move is made the new building (scheduled for October of this year), public and employee parking will replace the old building.

Acting District Ranger, Robert Haggard stated, "The decision was made to replace the existing facility and keep the Adin Office open rather than move employees to Tulelake, Canby, or Alturas. Maintaining a Forest Service presence in our local communities is important to our employees and our ability to serve the public locally."

Obituaries:

Mary Virginia Bales

Alturas resident Mary Virginia Bales went to be with the Lord on March 8, 2003. Mrs. Bales passed away at Mercy Medical Center in Redding, CA. She was 72.

Beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Mrs. Bales had a fun sense of humor and was quick to share a smile. She was currently serving her 12th year as Chaplain for the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, Chapter 113 in Alturas.

She used her talent for decorating and design throughout her life. She was awarded a State trophy and named top graduate of her class at California Beautician School in Vallejo, CA. She enjoyed working as a beautician for many years in Southern California, until she retired.

Mrs. Bales also had a passion for creating beautiful residential interiors and exteriors.

Her efforts went into purchasing six homes during her lifetime, which she remodeled and redecorated beautifully before selling.

Born Mary Virginia Kelly on May 13, 1930 in Belleville, Illinois, she met her future spouse, Winifred Wilson "Red" Bales, while she was staying in St. Louis, MO. When she was 16, in 1946, they were married in Little Rock, Arkansas and moved west to Southern California where their first son (of five children), was born when she was 19.

Her husband of 23 years, passed away on January 21, 1971. In 1987, she moved to Alturas to be closer to her children. She became involved in the women's Auxiliary for Disabled American Veterans (DAVA) Chapter 113 and made many friends in the community. In 1988, she survived a massive heart attack and her testimonies were an inspiration to many people. Lovingly known as "Memas" to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she was proud to have five great-grandchildren in the past two years, with three of them born in the past four months. She was proud of her Irish "Kelly" heritage. She enjoyed gardening and grew her own vegetables and canned, much to the delight of her family. She enjoyed singing and worshipping the Lord. She also adored her Pomeranian poodle cross Mitzy.

Greatly loved by her family, she will be missed dearly by all who knew her. She is survived by her brother Tom and wife Esther Kelly of Arnold, Ill; brother Jon and wife Fern Kelly of Cahokia, Ill.; son Chester and wife GiGi of Medford, OR; son Mark Bales of Alturas, CA and son Clark Bales and wife Alice, of Alturas; daughter Teresa Bibeau and husband Bill of Alturas, CA; granddaughters Elaine Bales and Tara Sommers, both of Alturas; Mary Seward of St. Joseph, MO; grandsons Daniel Bales of Medford, Brian Massey and Joseph Bibeau, of Alturas; great-grandchildren Wyatt, 2; Haleigh, 1-1/2; Ezekiel, 3-1/2 mos., Dylan, 2 mos. and Noah, 3 weeks. She is also survived by her dear friend and companion of 11 years, Paul Francia of Susanville.

She was preceded in death by her mother Maybell and father Earl; sister Etna, brothers James and Bob and son Steven.

A private family service was held at graveside this morning at 9 a.m., March 13 at the Alturas Cemetery. Kerr Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.

Remembrances may be directed to DAV Auxiliary Chapter 113, P.O. Box 361, Alturas, CA 96101.

Roma Jean Ropp

A memorial service for Roma Jean Ropp, retired Alturas State Preschool Director and wife of Rev. Robert Ropp, will be held at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, March 16 at Congregational Church (UCC) of Chico, First Ave. Reception to follow. A memorial service will also be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 29 at the Federated Church in Alturas, CA. A potluck to follow.

Mrs. Ropp passed away March 7, 2003 at Enloe Medical Center in Chico, CA. She was 74 and had devoted her life to nurturing and teaching children and was "best at being a mother and grandmother," say family members. She was born on Dec. 10, 1928 in La Plata, Missouri, where she grew up. Christmas was always her favorite holiday.

Jean received her Master's Degree in child development from Purdue University and taught child development at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She married Rev. Robert Ropp in 1961. They moved to Saratoga, CA in 1962 and Tulare, CA two years later. From 1968 until 1994, they lived in Alturas where Mrs. Ropp was a much appreciated Teacher/Director of the Alturas State Preschool for 25 years in Alturas, employed by California State Preschool. She was also a great supporter of her husband's work as pastor at the Federated Church of United Congregational Church in Alturas, CA.

Mrs. Ropp was a member of American Association of University Women and United Church of Christ. A special honor was given to her by the church "The Pastor's Spouse Emeritus." The Ropps moved to Butte County and Magalia two years ago.

Mrs. Ropp liked to quilt, do Scandinavian paper cutting, grow flowers, paint, teach children and counsel with children's parents. She taught Sunday school, liked to collect China and entertain.

She is survived by her husband the Rev. Robert Ropp of Magalia; daughter Heather and son-in-law Richard Lund, Walnut Creek; son David and daughter-in-law Tama Ropp of Magalia; grandchildren Natalie, Paige and Ian Lund of Walnut Creek and Aaron Ropp of Magalia.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Donald and Virgil Crawford. Inurnment will be private. Sorensen's Mortuaries, Chico-Gridley will be handling arrangements.

Memorial donations may be directed to the Federated Church in Alturas or to Blue Lake Youth Camp.

Fay A. Teague

Fay A. Teague, 73, passed away in Reno, Nevada on March 5, 2003. Born March 24, 1929 in Cedarville, CA, the daughter of Annie and Joel Allen, Fay was reared in Cedarville. A graduate of Surprise Valley High School, she went on to a career as a Budget Analyst for Bureau of Land Management from 1967 until 1989, when she retired. She had worked out of the Susanville BLM office.

She married Donald L. Teague in Reno, Nev. on May 11, 1947.

Mrs. Teague loved to fish, hunt and do things with her family. She had spent 38 years in Modoc County and 36 years in Susanville.

Mrs. Teague is survived by her son Henry Teague of Reno, NV; daughter Kathleen Vanmeter of Susanville, CA; granddaughters Bonnie Schwier, Carrie Stout, Sherrie Betts and Becky Krueger and five great-grandchildren. Her husband Donald preceded her in death in 1981.

Services were held at Kerr Mortuary Chapel in Alturas at 9 a.m. on March 10. Burial was at the Alturas Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society, 3290 Bechelli Lane, Redding, CA 96002.

Jewel E. Green-Beeson

Jewel Evelyn Green-Beeson passed away in Alturas on March 5, 2003. Services are pending for a future date with Kerr Mortuary in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Beeson was born in Fort Bidwell, CA on Sept. 27, 1914. Her son, William "Rod" Green and wife Debbie reside in Redding.

Virgil Edward Clark

Virgil Edward Clark, 82, passed away March 6, 2003 at his home in Holt, Michigan.

Born on March 23, 1920 in New Pine Creek, Oregon, the son of Luther and Ella (Cannon) Clark, he was reared in Davis Creek, CA and New Pine Creek and graduated from Modoc Union High School in 1938 in Alturas, CA. A veteran of the U.S. Army serving during World War II, he was later employed by General Motors for over 30 years in Lansing, Michigan, before retiring in 1978. He was a member of Union Local #652.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Stephanie M. Clark; one grandchild, three brothers and one sister.

He is survived by four daughters, Lorraine and husband Al Grill of Lansing; Ellen Jo and husband Al Snauko of Lansing; Suzanna and husband Norm Gray of Sunfield and Candace Briggs of Mason, Michigan; two sons, Roy and wife Patti Clark of Jackson and Edward and wife Janet Clark of Holt, Michigan; 14 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; brother Criss and wife Phyllis Clark of Alturas, CA; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, March 11 at the Estes-Leadley Holt/Delhi Chapel with the Rev. Fr. Jose Mundadan officiating. Interment followed in Maple Ridge Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made the to American Heart Association.

SPORTS

What's up in sports:

Modoc's baseball team Meets Lassen here March 13, 3 p.m. March 18, Modoc goes to Lost River.

Modoc softball meets Lost River March 18, 2 p.m. and Weed comes to town March 21 for baseball and softball.

Modoc's track team has a dual with Lakeview March 18 and March 22 goes to the Eagle Classic Relays in West Valley.

Modoc's golf team is at Lake Shastina against Weed today and meets Lakeview at Arrowhead March 18.

Kids wrestling opens tournament Saturday

The big Modoc youth wrestling tournament gets underway Saturday at the Griswold Gym in Alturas with about 300 young wrestlers expected. According to Modoc coach Shaun Wood, the wrestlers are coming from throughout the region, including southern Oregon, northern California and Western Nevada.

The tournament is open to wrestlers eighth grade and down. It has steadily drawn more and more youngsters each year.

The weigh-ins will be from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. Saturday, said Wood, with wrestling scheduled to start about 9:30 a.m. He expects wrestling to continue until about 4 p.m.

Flournoy loses two at state

Modoc's 140-pound Robert Flournoy lost two matches at the state high school wrestling finals last weekend in Stockton, drawing what Wood said were two of the toughest early draws in the tournament, both of whom placed.

Modoc girls split softball double bill

Modoc's varsity softball team split a double header with Chester this week, winning the first 7-1 and losing the second game 2-1.

Modoc was supposed to play both Chester and Liberty Christian in a local tournament, but Liberty Christian canceled Thursday.

In the first game, Modoc picked up four hits and collected eight walks. Breanna Berchtold, Jennifer Davis, Andrea Harris and Rose Wingate each had a hit.

Modoc scored three in the first and four in the fifth for the win. Chester scored one run in the sixth.

In the nightcap, Modoc only picked up one hit, by Berchtold. Chester led 1-0 in the fourth, but Modoc tied it at 1-1 in the fifth. Chester scored the winning run in the seventh after the lead-off hitters walked. Modoc got two walks to lead off their half of the seventh, and moved the runners to second and third, but could not score.

Modoc meets Lost River March 18 in Alturas, with a 2 p.m. start.

Modoc baseball team meets Lassen

Modoc's baseball team is scheduled to meet Lassen in Alturas today at 3 p.m., and they travel to Lost River March 18.

The Braves beat Chester 9-2 in an abbreviated Modoc tournament last weekend.

The roster for the baseball team is: Chris Beahan, Henry Correa, Rich Culp, Robert Flournoy, Cam Jeffers, Dane McCombs, Syler Oates, Jered Pierce, Shiloh Pierce, Danny Randazzo, Justin Ratliff, Adam Server, Shawn Sherer, Marty Stevens and Rick Wildtraut. Brad Server is the coach and Tim MacDonnell is the assistant.

March 20, 2003

NEWS

County opts to go with Dr. Richert, Panner deal

Modoc County Supervisors Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a Memorandum of Understanding to purchase Dr. Ed Richert and Dr. Owen Panner's private practice and move their operation into the Modoc Medical Center Clinic.

The project is now entering the contract stage and should be finished in the near future, with a proposal for actual changeover on May 1.

MMC Administrator Teresa Jacques told the board the deal would be a benefit to the doctors and to the hospital. She explained that the deal would actually save the county money, as it relates to the current operation of contracting "fly-in" doctors.

She also stated that having consistency in the doctor-patient relations will be a benefit. The lack of that consistency, where patients were seeing different fly-in doctors on each visit, has been a bone of contention at the hospital for years.

Jacques said that patients will be able to create a better relationship with the physicians and also that current patients of Richert and Panner will still be able to see them at the clinic. She acknowledges that some patients may not make the switch to the clinic, but she hopes most will.

The hospital is also in the process of hiring a third full-time physician who will work with Richert and Panner for full coverage of the hospital, emergency room and clinic.

Jacques told Supervisors Tuesday that the plan is to have the switch made and the new system in operation by May 1, 2003.

The contract will be for a five-year term and will offer first year compensation of $180,000 for each doctor, with it increasing over the next two years. That compensation will be based upon patient volumes which can either increase or decrease compensation.

The county will cover the doctors' malpractice insurance and will also purchase some equipment from the physicians' current practice. The county will also enter into a five-year lease/purchase plan of Richert's existing building on 12th Street.

Jacques explained that the hospital will be advertising to hire clinic personnel. She said that it's possible some of Richert and Panner's existing staff will be hired. She has to advertise those positions. She said there will be additional staff needed plus a full-time clinic manager.

By going forward with the proposal, the county will no longer need contract fly-in doctors. That would be a cost savings of over $150,000 over three years, said Jacques, as well as increased revenues.

Dr. Richert and Dr. Panner's practice would move into the existing clinic and all three of the doctors would practice out of that location.

Jacques said she believes the new arrangement will also help the facility's public image.

She said with Panner, Richert and the third doctor, coverage at the clinic and hospital will be much improved and she feels the patient numbers would increase dramatically.

When asked whether the increased use of the clinic would make it more difficult, (longer waits) for patients to get in to see a doctor, Jacques said she didn't think it would be a problem.

Storms drop nearly an inch of moisture

Last week's storms dropped nearly an inch of precipitation in Modoc, putting a few smiles on water officials' faces.

According to Modoc National Forest Planning Team Hydrologist Sue Becker, Alturas received .36 inches of moisture on Friday, .29 inches on Saturday, .10 inches on Sunday and .11 on Monday.

So far in March, with the .11 inches received earlier, Alturas has recorded .97 inches of precipitation. That's still below the average monthly totals of 1.27 inches, but there are still 11 days left in the month. The March, 2003 totals look better so far than last year when .45 inches was recorded and in 2001 when .70 inches was measured. However, the cumulative through March in 2001, a severe drought year, was 4.13 inches and in 2002 the cumulative was 7.44 inches.

With this latest storm, Becker said the water year to date total is 4.85 inches, still well below the average of 7.61 inches.

Slushy highways cause problems

Slushy highways over the weekend caused accidents on Modoc highways, but no serious injuries were reported

According to the California Highway Patrol, Michael Miller, age 21, of Klamath Falls, Or., was driving a 2002 Jaguar westbound on SR 299 near County Road 85 March 16, 8:15 p.m. when he encountered slush on the highway. He was going between 55 and 60 m.p.h. and lost control of the vehicle. The Jaguar went across the eastbound lane and left the road where it went up a steep embankment and overturned.

Miller was wearing his seatbelt and was not hurt. The car sustained major damage.

Also on March 16, Jason Lee Blackmon, Age 18, Medford, lost control of his 1988 Ford pickup on slush and snow on highway 139 north of CR215. According to the CHP, Blackmon was southbound at 35-45 mp.h. in snow and slush. He lost control of the pickup, which left the left side of the road, hit a highway sign, went down an embankment and overturned. He was not hurt.

Citizens meet to discuss blockage of public access to National Forest

Concerned citizens met on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the residence Pete Lorenzen to discuss the blockage of public access to National Forest lands.

Recently, private property owners have installed gates blocking roads, violating the rights of local residents to access their public lands for traditional activities such as hunting, woodcutting, and a variety of recreational pursuits.

For more than 100 years public access to National Forest System Lands (administered by the Forest Service) and National Resource Lands (administered by the Bureau of Land Management) has been open via Modoc County Road 272 (aka Day Road to County Road 8214) and Wiley Ranch Road (aka Kemp Wiley Ranch Road aka Mayfield Road).

Citizens are now no longer able to connect with other county and state thoroughfares, or gain reasonable access to Medicine Lake, Wiley Ranch, Indian Springs Mountain, and other popular destinations on public lands. Alternative routes to the same destinations are either nonexistent, or add up to 50 miles to the course.

Sunday's meeting was attended by 34 people including United State Forest Service representative Jan Sorochtey and Lassen County Supervisor Brian Dahle (District 4).

Modoc County Supervisor David Bradshaw (District 5) was also invited but unable to attend.

The roads in question are installed on the Modoc County properties of Donald Barber and Alma and Clifford Oilar. Despite the Modoc County jurisdiction in this area, no County representatives attended.

The USFS Hat Creek Ranger District has been working to resolve the issue and has been in contact with the landowners as well as Modoc County. In a February 6, 2003 letter to Jordan Funk, the Modoc County District Attorney, Sorochtey stated, "We believe the historic use of this road is well established, and the private gates violate the rights of the public and Forest Service officials to access public lands."

Modoc County Officials have been unresponsive to the Forest Service's request to resolve the issue.

After contact with USFS attorneys, Sorochety was told that the best option was to encourage the participation of private citizens in asserting easement rights. She continued to say that without citizen participation the perception would be "that big government, is picking on the ranchers."

But that's certainly not the perception of those at Sunday's meeting. Instead, the perception is that a limited group of individuals has taken it upon itself to make decisions for the whole.

"This isn't a conservation closure," said Cliff Harvey, Day Road resident. "This is a land grab pure and simple. They just want to control the land." In a petition to be presented to the Modoc County Board of Supervisors the group stated, "We believe the obstruction of these roads, which since inception have been public as determined by such open and continual use, to be a violation of California prescriptive easement law."

The roads in question have a long history of public use beginning as a stage-coach route in the 19th century. They have been used intermittently for logging and continually by the public for hunting, firewood cutting, and recreational driving.

The group believes that such extensive and sustained use indicates the roads' public status.

A second meeting is planned for March 30 at 2:00 p.m. at the Lorenzen residence.

Petitions are now in circulation throughout the area, and an online version is available for signing at www.PcititionOnline.com/publicac/petition.html. For more information please call, 336-5176.

Students' Juried Art on display; ribbon winners feature variety

Celebrate "Youth Art Month" by viewing the work of more than 60 Modoc Middle School Sixth, Seventh and Eighth graders featured at the 19th Annual Modoc Middle School Spring Student Juried Art Show.

The exhibit features art work in a variety of media including pencil, pen, mixed media, oil pastel, printmaking, computer art, relief sculpture and hand-built ceramics.

The show is located in the Modoc Joint Unified School District Office Board Room, 906 West Fourth St., Alturas. The show is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the month of March (limited hours on March 20).

The many ribbon awards were sponsored by Modoc County Arts Council, Modoc Middle School with support from MJUSD and MCOE.

Juried Art Show results and winners are the following: Printmaking: 1st: Kristi Zendejas, 2nd: David Potter, 3rd: Eric Stuck, 4th: Trent Wishart, Honorable Mention: Nathan Finley.

Mixed Media Pen and Watercolor: 1st: Michael Gaskey, 2nd: Cassi Warren, 3rd: Claire Crenshaw, 4th: Brett Ratliff, Honorable Mentions: Antonio Gastelum and Valerie Wilson.

Relief Sculpture: 1st: Trevor Sheld, 2nd: Victor Bautista, 3rd: Keven Richardson, 4th: Tania Diaz.

Oil Pastel: 1st: David Potter, 2nd: Sarah Adams, 3rd: Keven Richardson. Pen: 1st: Cassi Warren, 2nd: Alissa Atkins, 3rd: Amanda Harper, 4th: Brett Ratliff.

Ceramic: 1st: Alissa Atkins, 2nd: Michael Gaskey (Hand), 3rd: Shiva Zahirfar.

Ceramaic Masks: 1st: Pedro Chacon, 2nd: Alan Botello, 3rd: Robert Sheld, 4th: Brett Meilke, Honorable Mentions: Leticia Frease and Pam Greene. Scratch Board: 1st: Valerie Wilson, 2nd: Antonio Gastelum, 3rd: Alissa Atkins, 4th: Michael Gaskey.

Pencil: 1st: Michael Gaskey (Pepsi), 2nd: Cassi Warren, 3rd: Alissa Atkins, 4th: Michael Gaskey (Face), Honorable Mentions: Cassie Warren (Face) and Alissa Atkins.

Colored Pencil and Marker: 1st: Brett Ratliff, 2nd: Alissa Atkins, 3rd: Antonio Gastelum, 4th: Cassi Warren, Honorable Mentions: Michael Gaskey and Rachel Kersbergen.

Oil Pastel and Watercolor: 1st: Claire Crenshaw, 2nd: Michael Gaskey, 3rd: Cassi Warren, 4th: Rachel Kersbergen, Honorable Mention: Shiva Zahirfar.

Collage: 1st: Caleb Holloway, 2nd: Krista Vaikasas, 3rd: Brett Ratliff, 4th: Whitney Ponti, Honorable Mentions: Amanda Hess and Antonio Gastelum. Computer Art: 1st: Amanda Harper, 2nd: Alissa Atkins, 3rd: Pamela Greene, 4th: Manuel Banda, Honorable Mentions: Ross Burgess, Whitney Ponti and Cory Beck.

Celebrating Tomorrow's Leaders is chosen theme for Fandango '03

Realizing that young people will be the leaders of tomorrow, the Alturas Chamber of Commerce has chosen Celebrating Tomorrow's Leaders as the theme for this year's Fandango Days Fourth of July 2003 celebration.

All youth and adult groups are invited to use their imaginations and talents to make this "the best Fandango ever," encourage Chamber Directors. With youth as a theme, ideas are endless. "Modoc is gifted with some of the most talented and skillful people in the country, led by the very best leaders," describe Chamber Directors.

The sky is the limit for parade entries. Such activities as baseball, soccer, basketball, football, little league, t-ball, Future Farmers of America, 4-H groups, Boy and Girl Scouts, Camp Fire for boys and girls, church groups, bike riders, skate boarders, motor-cross and all the rest that make Modoc County an active place for youngsters and the residents proud of them and adults who lead them, can be considered.

The sky is also the limit for decorating the booths at the park and for all the activities during the Fourth of July celebration.

"It is the intent of the Chamber to celebrate all youth and continue to provide the excellent guidance they have come to deserve and enjoy," concur Chamber Directors and Board members.

Pull the teams together and put on a thinking cap, they encourage. "The ingenuity and abilities that are available in the community have the promise of putting on a first-rate and very exciting event."

The parade is scheduled for Saturday, July 5. Entry forms will be available at the Alturas Chamber of Commerce office, 522 South Main Street, Alturas, beginning Thursday, May 15. For more information, contact the Alturas Chamber of Commerce at (530) 233-4434........ The next Chamber Board of Directors meeting is set for Monday, April 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Chamber office. Public welcome. Meetings will follow every two weeks on Mondays.

Obituaries:

Kenneth Carol Cook

Long-time Eagleville, CA resident Kenneth Carol Cook passed away in Eagleville on March 14, 2003. Mr. Cook was 88 years old.

He was born to Leonard and Edna Perry Cook on June 11, 1914, at what is now the Jack Grove Ranch. At the time, the family lived at Newland, above the Bare Ranch. When Kenneth and his brother Floyd started school, the family moved to Menlo, south of Eagleville, so the boys would be closer to school. Kenneth also attended school in Gerlach and Yerington, NV.

His father died when he was nine. When Kenneth was about 14 years old, he came to live and work for his uncle Ernie Cook in Eagleville and spent two years in Surprise Valley High School in Cedarville, at which time the five daughters of Ernie became like sisters to Kenneth. Sometime after high school he went back to Yerington to his mother and brother and stepfather Walter Dunn. For several years he worked in this area as a sheepherder, cowboy, dairyman (deliveries) and with the bees. He was back and forth between Yerington, Gerlach, NV and Eagleville, CA, in his younger years. He returned to live in Eagleville when he was about 21, as he and his brother inherited the Cook Ranch. They tried to farm the ranch, but dry years made it hard. Seven years later, they sold the ranch to Joe Bicondoa. On April 20, 1937, Kenneth married Alleva Coonse in Reno, NV., after going together for over a year. They moved into the house across from the church in Eagleville. At the time, Kenneth was working for his uncle Ernie Cook, but a year later, he went to work for Bud Lewis, driving a school bus to Cedarville. Two years later, Kenneth bought his own bus and drove it, until the school board decided to buy their own bus. Thus, Kenneth sold his bus to the school, and went to work for them. School bus driving was only part-time, so during school hours Kenneth worked for Lewis and Gertie Grove as a mechanic. During World War II, the school board decided each school bus driver (the other being Lewis Vaughn), was to spend three hours per day at school cleaning up and such around the school. Lewis gave Kenneth his three hours per day so Kenneth went to work full-time. He was able to take the students on FFA trips, to sports events, on Senior Sneak Day and took the Surprise Valley high School Band to the East-West game in San Francisco.

In 39 years of work for the Surprise Valley schools, Kenneth never took one day off for sickness or injury, retiring in 1977. Kenneth received an award in Sacramento for being a Surprise Valley School District school bus driver who remained accident free throughout all his years on the job. .

During his 25 years of retirement, he remained active, hunting and fishing, irrigating his five acres in Eagleville, traveling and helping his son Lynn operate a HaroBed.

Mr. Cook was a member of Grange, a church Deacon, volunteer for the Eagleville Fire Department and an honorary FFA member. He was known for his infectious smile and keen wit that has sustained him through good times and bad along with his positive attitude.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Edna, infant sister Fay, brother Floyd, stepfather Walter Dunn and son Lynn in 1991.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Alleva of Eagleville; daughter and son-in-law Athena and Billy Flournoy of Likely; four grandchildren: Jeff Cook of Lincoln, CA, Roxann Hagedorn of Montague, CA, Dawne Desimone of Medford, OR and Darra Cook of Ravenel, South Carolina; five great-grandchildren: Nic, Gabrielle, Brittney, Austin and Kara; two nieces, Martha Ohe of Bakersfield and Joan Briggs of Oroville and two nephews, David Coonse of Redding and Eddy Coonse of Carson City, NV. Services were held March 19 at the Eagleville Cemetery. The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be directed to the Eagleville Community Church, Surprise Valley Hospital or to any other Surprise Valley community organization.

Alice Marie Dewey

Alice Marie Dewey died at her home in Lakeview, Oregon on Monday, March 17, 2003 at the age of 79 from cancer. Services will be Friday, March 21, at 10:00 a.m. at the Desert Rose Funeral Chapel in Lakeview, Oregon, and at 2:00 p.m. at Kerr Mortuary in Alturas. Rev. Dan St. Clair will officiate.

Interment will follow the services at the Alturas Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Desert Rose Funeral Chapel. Desert Rose Funeral Chapel of Lakeview is in charge of arrangements.

Alice was born to Jean and Anna (Plante) Boulade at Susanville, CA., on March 30, 1923. She grew up in Alturas and graduated from Modoc Union High School in 1941. She married Amos "Ozzie" Dewey on November 8, 1945 in Sacramento. They were later divorced.

She retired in 1984 after working 32 years as a telephone operator for Citizens Utilities in Alturas. She later moved to Redding, where she lived for eight years before moving to Lakeview in 1995.

She was an accomplished pianist and especially enjoyed playing and listening to the music of the Big Band Era. Baseball brought a lot of excitement and enjoyment to her. She loved playing cards and taking in the garage sales. She loved her grandchildren very much and thoroughly enjoyed being with them.

She is survived by sons and daughters-in-law, John and Linda Dewey of Redding and Remy and Cheryl Dewey of Tacoma, WA., daughters and sons-in-laws, Anna and Anthony Vanucci of Fairless Hills, PA., and Darla and Joe Tague of Lakeview; sisters-in-law, Agnes Boulade, Lelia Lynch and Evelyn Dewey; brothers-in-law, Lloyd Dewey and Don Lynch; 11 grandchildren; nine great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the Lake County Senior Citizens Assn., P.O. Box 871, Lakeview, OR., 97630; Lakeview Disaster Unit, 245 North F Street, Lakeview, OR., 97630; Modoc County Senior Citizens, 906 West 4th Street, Alturas, CA., 96101 or to a charity of the donor's choice.

SPORTS

Braves split with Cardinals 7-2, 11-9

On a day when the weather was anything other than softball friendly, Modoc split a doubleheader with Big Valley, winning the opener 7-2 and losing the nightcap 11-9.

In the second game Modoc collected 14 hits. Leading the way was Andrea Harris who went four-for-four with one double. Kristen Taylor and Breanna Berchtold each went three-for-four with Berchtold hitting a pair of doubles. Amy Ridgeway was two-for-four. Big Valley collected 11 hits off Modoc pitching and were awarded seven walks.

Modoc won the first game with Berchtold going the whole way on the mound. She allowed seven hits, struck out three and walked four. The Braves scored one in the first, one in the second and four in the third to set the tone. Taylor was two-for-four at the plate, Stevens was two-for-four, and Harris, Ridgeway, and Berchtold each had a hit.

Modoc beat Lost River Tuesday 17-2 and lost to Lost River 3-1.

In the win, Modoc collected 19 hits. Leading was Berchtold who was four-for-four, Taylor was three-for-three, Shannon King was three-for-four, Stephanie Parnow, Jennifer Davis and Ridgeway were two-for-three.

In the loss, Modoc only had five hits. Gover, Taylor, Davis, Rose Wingate and Stevens each had a single.

The Braves meet Weed at Modoc Friday, 1 p.m., go to Henley on Saturday and host Etna on Tuesday.

Modoc solid in '03 golf matches

Modoc's Jake Aaron had four birdies and eagled the final hole to win a league event at Mount Shasta Resort last week. He fired an even par 70. Jack Britton placed third when he shot a very respectable 78.

Modoc coach Harold Montague said the conditions were very cool and extremely windy.

Jerry Wheeler fired an 88, Adam Server shot 91, Michael Bates had a 94, DJ Northrup had 92. As a team Modoc shot a 417 to beat Mt. Shasta, Trinity and Weed. Mt. Shasta fired a 432, and looks to be the team most likely to challenge the Braves. Also on the team are: Charles Knox, Ross Montague, Micah Eppler, Bud Groff, Taylor Dunn, Matt Williams and Brian Weed. Modoc is at Trinity March 20 and is in Medford March 27.

On Tuesday, Modoc played Lakeview who could only field a three-man team so Modoc won by default. Modoc's top three players beat the Lakeview three anyway.

Modoc's scores were: D.J. Northrup 88, Ross Montague 93, Brian Weed 96, Charles Knox 96, Taylor Dunn 108, Bud Groff 119 and Matt Williams 128.

More than 200 compete in Modoc Youth tourney

Modoc than 200 young wrestlers, from eighth grade on down, competed in the Modoc Youth Wrestling tournament last Saturday in Alturas.

Modoc Coach Shaun Wood said the heavy storms probably kept a number of teams from making the trip, but he felt they had all they could handle as it was.

"The tourney ran very well and our kids did well," said Wood. "I was very pleased with the turnout and especially pleased with the number of people who showed up to help run the tournament."

Taking first places for Modoc were: Matt Fletcher, Tyler Fisher, Tyler Ewing, Kris Carrithers (2), Alex Valencia, Cody Osborne, Travis Northrup, Alex Moreo, Tyler Wood, Justin Estes (2), Josh Wood (2), Sheriden Crutcher (2), Garrett Chapman and Jesse Harer (2).

Second place winners were: Patrick Bell (2), Adam Pence, Brian Northrup, Trent Wishart, Steven Miller, Tyler Wood, Miguel Torres and Hank Raabe. Third places went to: Eric West, Riley Larranaga, Wyatt Valena, Justin Valena, Kyle Voth, Bobby Butcher, Miguel Torres and Ross Berges.

Alex Moreo, Kyle Fletcher and Neil Mohr each had a fourth and the following kids had fifths: Jamie Alexander, Wyatt Valena, Christian Price, Brett Ratliff, Jeremy West, Gabe Fletcher, James Budmark and Caleb Holloway.

Modoc JV baseball is 3-2

Modoc's junior varsity baseball team has a record of three wins and two losses to start this season and play Saturday at Henley High School, 12 noon.

The Braves lost 12-3 to Big Valley, then beat Surprise Valley 13-1 and 19-6. They beat Mt. Shasta 10-0 in the opener and lost the second game 6-1. The JV team players are: Travis Potter, Kyle Madison, Joey Catania, K.C. Kirkreit, David Kolvoord, Jared Cox, Justin Mason, Cody Widby, Ca, Wheeler, Jacob Hughes, Jace Wheeler, Jeremy Lucier, Landon Hagge, Tim Cruse and Richie Duran.

March 27, 2003

NEWS

Head Start is far more than a literacy program for preschoolers

. Literacy has always been an important component in the long-established, successful federally-funded program for children ages two to four.

Head Start has built strong and healthy educational and social foundations for children entering Kindergarten. Staff have witnessed child and family successes throughout the years.

But, now, Head Start staff and families are concerned with the President's latest proposals under his "Leave No Child Behind" campaign. Head Start staff members say they can foresee the Head Start program will actually suffer. There would be no way it could continue to provide the many services to the children and parents that it currently does and has for many years.

"We are willing to make changes. We're not opposed to changes. But, we see the President's radical change is not in the best interest of children," says Betsy Calkins, a Head Start Service Worker in Alturas, who has worked with the program for many years.

The change to which Calkins refers is the looming vote to take Head Start out of the Health and Human Services sector and move it into the Department of Education, where the funding would go to the State in the form of a block grant.

Health and Human Services has earmarked federal funding for Head Start throughout the program's 38 years. This would not be the case with a re authorization which would undermine the provision of the current health and social services.

"Head Start has always focused on the education of the whole child and educates the family to help their child," said Calkins. "It is not just an early education program. It is a family support program."

The Head Start preschool experience combines social competence, a nutrition program, health services and follow-ups if necessary to ensure the child has no barriers to learning. Families are assisted to get treatment. Staff members work with the child's family and with community partnerships and empower parents to advocate for their child's needs. Social Service and Mental Health referrals are made for families. Parent involvement and education is a large component.

"If Head Start is moved into the Department of Education it would become strictly a literacy-based program, without the funding for the all the important services now funded under Health and Human Services," said Calkins.

Last Saturday in inclement weather, Head Start parents and staff joined employees from other local agencies which focus on children. They gathered on the Modoc County Courthouse steps to address the President's new proposals and what they determine will be the dire effects on local programs and families.

Calling Saturday's march to the Courthouse, "The truth behind the President's Leave No Child Behind," supporters hope to urge the public to voice their opinions and take action this week, by e-mailing, calling or writing their senators, before the vote for "radical change" is taken.

"These changes just won't be in the best interests of children, whether here in Modoc or across the nation. Tell your senators to vote No on these proposals," Calkins urged.

Alturas Head Start serves 20 children and their families. Head Start serves 201 children in the Plumas, Lassen, Sierra and Modoc area combined. Any changes would take effect in 2004, said Calkins.

Alturas CHP officer involved in freeing Michigan teenager

Alturas California Highway Patrol Officer Tom Mocilac was involved in the arrest of a convicted murderer and the freeing of a teenage kidnap victim near Standish Monday. The case had received national attention.

The 14-year-old Michigan girl, Lindsey Ryan, had left her Michigan house three weeks ago to meet Terry Drake, a convicted murderer whom police say she met at church and had corresponded with by e-mail.

According to California Highway Patrol reports, a Frito Lay delivery truck driver, Ian Spencer, spotted Drake's pickup at the Wayside Mini-Mart in Standish. He noticed the truck had Indiana license plates and had been recently painted black. The truck had been reported, over Amber Alert warnings as being white.

According to an article in the Sacramento Bee, Deb Hunt, a cashier at the Wayside Market, became suspicious when Drake paid for his gas fill-up with $20 in change. She was also suspicious because of numerous tattoos on his hands and arms.

Spencer was concerned once he saw the man and the young girl in the cab and contacted the Susanville Area CHP office. Within four minutes Drake was pulled over on U.S. 395, without incident, and arrested.

The girl appeared to be in good condition and was cooperating with the CHP investigators. Her blond hair had been dyed black. She told them she was happy the ordeal was over and was looking forward to being reunited with her family. That reunion took place Tuesday in Susanville and Mocilac was on hand to meet the family.

Lindsey's father Patrick said, "It is a horrible situation that has a happy ending. You are looking at some very happy parents."

According to the CHP, Drake and the girl had been camping out in the mountainous area near Susanville. They had been spotted in other areas in Northern California and Nevada.

Drake had left her home in Jones, Michigan, near the Indiana State line. Michigan, Indiana and California all issued Amber Alert warnings seeking tips on her whereabouts. The case had also been featured on television's "America's Most Wanted" show. Police had reported that Drake was armed with weapons stolen from the Ryan home.

According to ABC News, Drake and his wife, Darlene, were living about 20 miles from the Ryans when they met the family at the First Assembly Church in Goshen, Ind. Drake told the Ryans he was "a born-again Christian with a notorious past, and that his faith had helped him leave it behind."

He had spent 16 years in prison for killing an Indiana woman in 1977.

Day area gates issue may go to county

Some people from the Day area are circulating a petition to reopen public access to public lands, saying private gates are blocking that access. That petition will be presented to the Modoc County Board of Supervisors.

The private land owners, who own the gates and roads in question, are questioning the need to open those gates as well as the petition drive's legality.

According to the petitioners, "For more than 100 years, access to National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands had been open via Modoc County Road 272 (Day Road to County Road 8214) and Wiley Ranch Road, also known as Kemp Wiley Ranch Road of Mayfield Road. Recently, private property owners have installed gates blocking the roads, violating the rights of local residents to access their public lands . . . citizens can no longer utilize these roads to cross private lands to connect with other county and state thoroughfares or for reasonable access to Medicine Lake, Wiley Ranch, Indian Springs Mountain and other popular destinations." However, Alma and Clifford Oilar, the owners of one of the roads and gates in question, disagree with the petitioner's points.

"The gates of particular interest are located at the very end of Day Road, both on or near the Oilar Ranch that supposedly block all public access to Forests Service lands," said Oilar. "My first point is that this really is nothing new. There have always been gates, "No Trespassing" signs, and at certain times of the year, locks on these gates. The new gate was installed for our convenience. My second point is there are several other ways to access the Forest Service lands behind these gates and in some cases they are easier."

Proponents of the petitions for gaining public access are holding another meeting on the issue at the Pete Lorensen residence Sunday at 2 p.m. In the petition they are claiming that blocking those roads is a violation of the California prescriptive easement law. No legal, recorded easement exists on the roads.

While Oilar knows of the coming meeting, she took exception to not being informed of the previous meeting in which the U.S. Forest Service reportedly had a person in attendance. She said she has contacted the Forest Service about the issue, but the Forest Service has made no attempt to contact the Oilars.

"All parties concerned are exercising their private property rights and feel they are in no way blocking off all public access to these public lands and there are many other accesses," said Oilar. "We are taking steps to limit our liabilities on advice for our insurance providers. We were never informed of the last meeting. Did this meeting have anything to do with the Fire Safe Council or does this just look very convenient?"

The petition says "road closures would affect the safety of area residents in the event of wildfire, which has occurred throughout the Day area and within surrounding lands on a regular basis. The gates cut off two of our few escape route options, and impede access to fire suppression crews." Oilar said that last month, they were contacted by a Fire Safe Council member inquiring about an escape route through their ranch. "I referred him to my son who advised me that after talking with Mr. Nieslen, he didn't feel that routing a bunch of people through the ranch and into a wooded area in a catastrophic event would be wise. He said it would be better to stage people at places such as the Day Community Hall or in fields along the way and wait until clear."

Oilar is also concerned about the public's driving too fast on their road and has had two of her dogs killed by drivers on the road.

"We would also like to point out that the new gate was vandalized in September," said Oilar. "During this belligerent act, there was serious disregard for life and property as these vandals has used equipment the state had banned because of the high risk of fire. The remains of what appeared to be a doused fire were evident at the site and according to witnesses, the smell of smoke lingered in the air. All this on private property. What nerve! They were caught in the act and charges should be processing."

The petitions say they understand the owners private property rights, but believe the long time, historic use of the roads should take precedence. "The roads in question have a long history of public use beginning as a stagecoach route in the 19th century," the petitioners state. "These have been used intermittently for logging, and continually by the public for hunting. firewood cutting and recreational driving. Such extensive and sustained use indicates the roads' public status. Such access should not be blocked by a coalition of landowners."

I would like to make it very clear that in the event of fire on Day Road, our ranch will be open to anyone who feels threatened and has need to escape through the woods," said Oilar.

The petitioners are now out collecting signatures and plan to turn those petitions into the county in the near future.

Record seeking local troops

The Modoc County Record has a partial list of local individuals now serving in American Armed forces in the Gulf War II.

We are interested in those people who graduated from Modoc High School, Big Valley High School, Tulelake High School, I'SOT High School, Warner High School and the local continuation schools.

We would like to have a complete list and are asking relatives to call us at 233-2632, FAX at 233-5113 or email at record1@modocrecord.com. Please provide the military person's name, branch of service, rank, address, and year they graduated from high school. We hope to publish those names next week.

The Record knows of several local young people serving in this war and we'd like to make sure the communities know as well. We wish them safety and a quick return home.

We would also like the names of those people serving in Afghanistan and other areas of conflict.

Spike strip stops stolen car chase

A spike strip stopped a stolen car chase on Highway 139 near Tionesta March 23.

According to Modoc Sheriff Bruce Mix, the 1979 Ford Granada was stolen from Alturas Garden apartments. It belonged to Alan Beck, of Alturas. When it was recovered, it was driven by Joel Townsend, 18, of Alturas. Mix said the Siskiyou and Modoc Sheriff's office responded to a moderate speed chase at 60 to 65 m.p.h. in the Tulelake area. The Tulelake Sheriff's Department laid down a spike strip near the Tionesta turnoff.

Mix said that as the stolen car approached, the officer who put the spike strip down felt the driver was making an attempt to steer towards him and fired several rounds at the vehicle. The driver was not struck by any bullet. The spike strip flattened the two right tires and the vehicle came to a stop. Townsend was booked into the Modoc County Jail alleging assault with a deadly weapon, stolen car, and driving under the influence.

Mix said the California Department of Justice will be investigating the officer firing his weapon. Mix said he didn't suspect anything was wrong, but an outside agency will look it over.

SV Squirrel Roundup opens Saturday morn

Beautiful weather and an abundance of pesky ground squirrels have drawn hoards of armed and hopeful visitors to local ranches

Savvy locals venturing outdoors will be on guard Saturday as the 12th Annual Squirrel Roundup commences soon after dawn. Mary and Roger Davis will be stationed at the fairgrounds by 8:00 a.m. to point new hunters toward their assigned ranches

One hundred and two hunters from California and surrounding states have registered. Seventeen local ranchers will be hosting the hopefuls who often seem better equipped to bag bears and rhinos than the local ground squirrels

Squirrel hunting rigs are often marvelous sights to behold. Decked out with elaborate shooting platforms, comfortable lounge chairs, even well-stocked snack bars, they descend on area pastures pocked with dangerous mounds and darting rodents. The mighty hunters are a force to be reckoned with...though it's sometimes hard to tell if the squirrels are trembling with fear or squeaking "the game is on."

After a long day of hits and misses, hunters and ranchers will gather at 5:00 at the Cedarville fairgrounds for a social hour, followed by a dinner and silent auction from 6-8 p.m

This annual event is hosted by the Greater Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce. It has been chaired in recent years by Mary Cook-Davis. Diana Milton sees to it no hunter leaves the valley hungry after a day long in combat and Elie Brandenberg has been collecting unique items for the auction

Skip Arnew will have the bridle set being raffled, on behalf of the FFA, on display at the dinner. Tickets are still on sale for a chance to win this magnificent set crafted by local artisans. Proceeds will help send the FFA land judging team to the National Finals in Oklahoma City in May. The drawing will be held April 26 at the horse show at the fairgrounds.

Stewardship meets March 27-28 in Cedarville

Members of the Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship Steering Committee will discuss a wide range of natural resource issues, when they meet Thursday and Friday, March 27 and 28, at the Cedarville Community Church Hall, corner of Bonner and Center Street in Cedarville.

The meeting, open to the public, runs from 1 to 5 p.m. on Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.

Owen Billingsley, manager of the BLM's Surprise Field Office, will report on issues regarding the Mosquito Valley livestock grazing allotment, and present information on a BLM proposal to modify its livestock grazing regulations. He will also discuss how BLM will address rangeland health evaluations during drought conditions.

Information on the Blue Fire salvage sale and the Forest Service's Sierra Nevada Framework will be presented by Edie Asrow, Warner Mountain District Ranger for the Modoc National Forest.

In other matters, the committee will discuss planning for the national Experimental Stewardship meeting to be hosted in Cedarville this fall. They will also hear a report from the fire salvage subcommittee, and discuss Nevada water issues.

On Friday, the committee will discuss issues and problems that should be addressed in the coming months, and devise processes for dealing with them.

The 20-member steering committee advises the BLM's Surprise Field Office and the Modoc National Forest's Warner Mountain Ranger District on natural resource and range management issues. The group includes representatives for local grazing permit holders, members of environmental organizations, state wildlife agencies, Modoc County government and federal resource agencies. It was one of three Stewardship groups established by Congress in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978.

Modoc selects young beef spokesperson

Modoc County Cattlemen and CattleWomen were privileged to award the honor of Modoc County Beef Princess to Nicole Marie Frutuozo, 16, of Eagleville, during a dinner presentation attended by 130 guests and held at the Alturas Elks Lodge last Saturday night.

The Surprise Valley High School junior is the daughter of Tony and Kendra Frutuozo. Nicole will be working throughout the year attending functions within the county and outlying areas promoting beef and speaking before many organizations and at schools.

Nicole states she feels it is her responsibility to educate her generation, as a young adult living in Modoc County, with a family involved in the beef industry.

Actively involved in ag organizations including FFA and 4-H, she also enjoys playing sports, singing and traveling. Her knowledgeable answers to the judges' questions, won her favor. Nicole's poetry has been published in an Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans and A Celebration of California's Young Poets.

Modoc County Cattlemen's Association President Dennis Smith served as Master of Ceremonies for this first annual event. Esteemed judges were California Cattlemen's President Darrel Sweet and wife Karen of Livermore and California Cattlewomen's State Secretary Nadette Raymond of Bella Vista.

Judging was based 33 percent on the content of contestant's speech related to a beef industry subject and speaking ability; 25 percent on the contestant's knowledge of the beef industry; 42 percent on personal appearance, personality, poise and personal application. Prior to dinner, each contestant was interviewed on beef related questions and personal involvement in the beef industry.

While scores were tabulated, the audience was entertained with Cowboy Poetry from Onalea Sweeney of Alturas; fiddle music by Dillon Flournoy of Likely, singing by JoAnn White of Alturas and the "very amusing" Cowboy Poet Leon Flick from Plush, OR. Many "outstanding" door prizes were given away during the evening and guests enjoyed the "very delicious" deep pit barbecue meal provided by the Alturas Elks Lodge members.

Princess Nicole and runners up Ashley Crenshaw and Megan Binning received many gifts and prizes donated by several organizations and individuals.

The Modoc County Cattlemen and CattleWomen give thanks for the wonderful support they received from organizations and individuals throughout the county. Modoc Beef Princess committee members included chairperson JoAnn White and members Sharon Crabtree, Diane Zimmerman, Pam Couch, Onalea Sweeney, Debra Cockrell and Tiffany Graves.

Looking for MHS '63 classmates

Modoc High's Class of 1963 is still looking for the whereabouts of six classmates: Mike Barlett, Juanita Stancliff, Carolyn Wentzell, Laveda McCassland, Marilyn Door, Trudy Weber and Willard Bass. Anyone with information on how to reach them, please contact Michelle Anderson at (530) 233-3297 or email chelnguy@hdo.net with information.

The class is planning a Saturday, July 5, 2003 reunion at the Alturas Elks Lodge with a dinner catered by the Lodge. Some interesting factoids: It's the 40 year class reunion, 100th anniversary of the high school and the class to have the first Miss Fandango.

Opinion: Off the Record, by Rick Holloway, Editor

No surprise. . . What a surprise, the energy crisis of 2000 and 2001 wasn't real. It was manufactured by guys like Enron, El Paso Corp., and other major players in energy markets to drive up prices. Can you say Texas? Anybody remember the fake 70's gas shortage. Just checking.

What's interesting locally about the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission "news" that there was widespread manipulation of gas and electric prices and supplies in California by outside agencies, is that we knew it then and tried to get our state legislators to pay attention. They didn't, but they were concerned if the duck hunting was any good.

What's really sad about all this is one local electric dude, who'll remain anonymous for the moment, saw with a very clear picture what the companies were doing to raise prices. They were, in part, keeping some plants off-line during peak periods of need, limiting supply and increasing profits. He made the trip to Sacramento to blow the whistle.

In the old days (good old days, by the way) before electric deregulation (Pete Wilson's plan), the state regulated when plants were off line. Guess what, it wasn't during peak periods and the state never got bilked for billions of dollars.

Now these same legislators are part of an effort to recall Governor Davis because of his budget crisis. Much of this budget crisis can be directly linked to the power companies' gaming of the market. Davis asked the Bush administration to step in and get FERC to investigate in earnest early on. That's their job. That request fell on deaf ears. Of course, Enron did contribute quite a lot to the Bush campaign. A recall of Davis is absurd, even though he is not the most popular politician in the state.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, the fake energy crisis cost the state $45 billion over two years -- more than the state's current projected budget deficit. You can't just ignore those figures.

So when people are looking at cutting local programs, schools, highway funds and so on, they might want to look at some villains other than Davis, who were real villains, the energy companies and FERC. Our state legislators were just asleep at the wheel, but that's nothing new. The only time they wake up is to attack Davis. They could have helped during the energy gaming crisis, but something tells me their contributors were probably the same as Bush's. Something also tells me that part of that crisis was politically motivated to get rid of Davis. They couldn't do it in an honest election, so now they want a recall. Give it up.

Does it strike anyone, other than John Stewart (Comedy Central) and us, that awarding an Iraqi oil rebuilding contract to Dick Cheney's former company Halliburton smacks of conflicts, collusion and outright dishonesty? Just a note here, the war's not over yet and we don't know just how much we're going to have to rebuild. Someone must have an inside track, ya think? Of course, the amount of the contract hasn't been released, even though, since it's public money, it should be disclosed. Just wondering if you noticed.

Obituaries:

Donald Frank Crum

McArthur and Pittville area rancher Donald Frank Crum, 86, passed away at his Pittville home on March 21, 2003. Graveside services were conducted by Kerr Mortuary of Alturas on Tuesday, March 25 at 11 a.m. at Pine Grove Cemetery.

Mr. Crum was born in Cayton Valley, California on April 28, 1916. He lived his entire life in McArthur as a rancher and was in the meat packing business en he purchased his own ranch in the Pittville area.

Mr. Crum was a member of the Redding Elks Lodge, BPOE, the Fall River Trap Club and a life member of the National Rifle Association. His favorite pastime was spending time outdoors whether hunting, fishing or just enjoying what nature had to offer

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Irene; two children, Ted Crum and Helen Park of McArthur; five grandchildren, Floyd and Jeff Parker of McArthur, Heather Spooner of Willows, Greg and Duane Crum of McArthur; nine great-grandchildren Derek, Jacob, Travis Spooner of Willows; Dakota, Wyatt, Dustin and Quincy Crum of McArthur; Benjamin and Maryan Porter of McArthur and his eldest sister Blanch Anders of McCloud. Dr. Don Crum of Alturas is a nephew of the late Mr. Crum.

SPORTS

Modoc thinclads open chilly season

Modoc's track team opened its season on a chilly day in Lakeview March 18 and go back to Lakeview April 5.

There were some good performances by the Braves in a dual against Lakeview last week. Colleen McElwain won the girls 100 meters in 13.59 and the 200 meters in 27.60. She was second in the long jump at 13-9.75. The Braves' Scott Joyce won the 1,500 meter run in 4:38.78 and the 3,000 meters in 10:10.45.

Scott McMaster won the shot put at 44-7.5 and Clint Tate won the discus at 100-9.0. Max Wise won the high jump at 5-7.

Also placing for the Brave boys were: Clint Tate, third in the shot at 39-6.5; McMaster, third in the discus at 99-6.5; Grant Hall, third in the intermediate hurdles 68.9; Mark Main, second in the 800 at 2:38.52; Wise, fourth in the 200 at 28.04; Robert Cole, third in the long jump at 14-10.75; Cole fourth in 1,500 at 5:24.20; Andrew Simmons,, fourth in the shot put at 34-4.5; Lenny Gladu, second in the intermediate hurdles at 65.06, fifth in the 200 at 28.98, fifth in the 100 at 14.0; Clint Nardoni, third in the 400 at 62.26; Joyce fourth in the 400 at 64.56; Cole fifth in the 400 at 68.05...... For the girls, Kayla Harness won the 1,500 at 6:08.90 and was third in the long jump at 11-1.0 and in the 800 at 3:00.38; Danielle Reyes was third in the 200 at 34.23 and the 400 at 80.44 and fourth in the 100; Jessica Gray was fifth in the 800 at 3:23.23; Sadie Harrison was second in the 400 at 77.76. fifth in the 200 at 38.26.

Varsity beats Weed easily

Modoc's the Weed Cougars 13-0 and 19-0 in Alturas Friday. Modoc meets Etna Friday in Alturas.

In the opener, Modoc's Danny Randazzo got the win. Leading hitters for the Braves were Jered Pierce 2-3, Cam Jeffers 2-3, Robert Flournoy 2-3, Rich Culp 2-3 and Adam Server 2-2. Flournoy hit a grand slam and Jeffers had a home run.

Shiloh Pierce got the win in the second game. Leading the way at the plate were Flournoy at 2-3, Server 2-2, Marty Stevens 1-2. Stevens' one hit was a grand slam in the first inning. Sever had a home run and Jeffers knocked his second four bagger of the season. Pierce struck out 10 and gave up two hits.

Modoc lost to Henley Saturday on a wet field in shortened innings because of the weather 10-6. Jered Pierce got the loss for Modoc. Leading hitters were Randazzo, 3-3 with four runs batted in, and Culp who was 2-2 with a triple.

Modoc lost to Lost River 13-7 March 18 after giving up 10 walks and committing four errors. Leading hitters for Modoc were Jered Pierce 2-4, Jeffers 2-3, Culp 2-4 and Skyler Oates 2-4.

Modoc lost the second game of the doubleheader to Lost River 6-2. The game was called because of darkness. Leading hitters were Jeffers 2-3, Flournoy 2-2

On march 15, Modoc beat Big Valley 20-3 and 11-1.

Softball drops Weed

Modoc's softball team dropped Shasta Cascade League rival Weed, 9-0 and 17-1 in action last Friday. They face Etna here March 28.

In the first game Modoc got up 4-0 in the second and added a five run third. The Braves had seven hits in the game, but also collected eight walks. Andrea Harris had two hits for the Braves while Kristen Taylor, Heather Gallardo, Brianna Berchtold, Amy Ridgeway and Shannon King each had one.

Shannon King got the win with eight strike outs, one walk and allowed three hits.

In the second game, Modoc blasted Weed, 17-1. The Braves scored five in the second, four in the third and eight in the fourth. Berchtold was the winning pitcher, fanning eight, walking one and allowing four hits.

Modoc hitters had 13 hits in the game. Leading the way was Berchtold, who went three-for-four, Stevens, Harris, Davis, and Gover were each two-for-four. Taylor and Wingate each had a hit.

Modoc golf perfect on season

Modoc's golf team made it a perfect 10-0 season so far with four more wins at the Trinity Alps Golf Course in Weaverville last Thursday. The Braves compete against Fall River and McCloud at Eagle Point today.

Jack Britton led all players with an eight over par 70, Jake Aaron and DJ Northrup tied for second with 72. Jerry Wheeler had a 75, Adam Server a 78 and Micah Eppler an 82.

Modoc remains in first place in the SCL at 10-0, followed by Mt. Shasta 8-2, Weed 6-4, Bishop Quinn 6-5-1, Fall River 4-4, Trinity 3-6-1, and Burney 2-10.

Modoc JV baseball is 3-2

Modoc's junior varsity baseball team had a record of three wins and two losses to start this season and play Saturday at Henley High School, 12 noon.

The Braves lost 12-3 to Big Valley, then beat Surprise Valley 13-1 and 19-6. They beat Mt. Shasta 10-0 in the opener and lost the second game 6-1. The JV team players are: Travis Potter, Kyle Madison, Joey Catania, K.C. Kirkreit, David Kolvoord, Jared Cox, Justin Mason, Cody Widby, Cam Wheeler, Jacob Hughes, Jace Wheeler, Jeremy Lucier, Landon Hagge, Tim Cruse and Richie Duran.

April 3, 2003

NEWS

Precious little snow in those mountains

There is precious little snow in the mountains, according to a March snow survey conducted by the U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Only one area, Cedar Pass, has more than 50 percent of its 10-year average and not much more at 56 percent. The rest of the survey sites are bleak. According to the survey, Cedar Pass has 25 inches of snow, carrying 6.6 inches of water. That's up from January's 14 inches and 6.6 inches of water, but well below the 10-year average of 44 inches of snow and 16.7 inches of water.

Ken Romberger, Big Valley Ranger District, reported 3.8 inches of snow containing five inches of water at Sweagert Flat. That's down from January's 15.5 inches of snow and 6.1 inches of water and only 40 percent of the overall average: 34.2 inches of snow and 12.6 inches of water.

Romberger said the total precipitation in Adin since July 1 is 8.21 inches. The average for the nine-month period is 11.8 inches, putting the area at 69 percent of average.

According to Tom Hill, NRCS, and Jake Coffey, USFS, snow samples are specific to the location of test sites and in many cases, just a few feet from the site on south facing slopes, there is no snow at all.

In the March survey, Blue Lake had just 14 inches of snow and 5.7 inches of water. That's up from January's 9.0 inches of snow and 3.4 inches of water, but only 50 percent of the 10-year average of 28 inches of snow and 10.2 inches of water.

Barber Creek, south of Eagleville, had just 5.0 inches of snow with 1.7 inches of water in March. That's down from January's 12 inches of snow and 4.5 inches of water, and just 18 percent of average, which is 28 inches of snow and 10.5 inches of water.

49 Mountain, Nevada, had no snow in January and has no snow now. The survey sites are at: Blue Lake 6,800 feet; Cedar Pass 7,100 feet; 49 Mountain 6,000 feet; and Barber Creek 6,500 feet.

There is some good news on the water front. MNF hydrologist Sue Becker, reports that March showed 1.76 inches of precipitation, above the 1.27 monthly average. The wet March brought the water year totals to 5.64 inches, still below the average at this time of 7.61. The biggest day was March 26, when .48 inches of rain fell.

The area is still behind last year at this time when 7.44 inches were measured, but ahead of this time in 2001 when 4.13 inches had fallen. The water year is measured October-September. So far in April, .24 inches of precipitation has been measured.

There is concern locally that much of the precipitation this year has been in the form of rain, not snow, and the lack of snowpack could hurt irrigators going into the summer.

Temperatures in March remained relatively cool, but the month finished with warm days: 67 degrees on March 29, 74 degrees on March 30 and 68 degrees on March 31. There were no temperature records set, but it did tur cold on several nights: 13 degrees on March 2, 12 degrees on March 4, and 18 degrees on March 8-9.

Arrowhead returning to City

Arrowhead Golf Course is apparently returning to Alturas City ownership in the very near future as current owners Monica and Jamie Fischer are giving up the business.

The City Council is holding a workshop April 3, 5:30 p.m. to discuss the various options and direction it should take on the golf course management. Suggestions of a resale or of a lease purchase plan have been suggested. Interested individuals are invited to attend and provide their input or expertise. The City Council has little desire to go back into the operation of the facility.

The Fischers have owned the course since the 2000 season, when the City decided to sell the facility. Last month, the Fischers asked for a refinance of the loan, but city officials were concerned about late payments and other items.

Basically, the owners were behind in their payments since November and have not paid property taxes.

Fischer told the council that the poor condition of the local economy was partly responsible for the downturn in revenues at the golf course. Councilmembers last month said that with the current loan in arrears, they didn't see any sense in a refinance or negotiations.

The council had the option of foreclosing on the loan, but Fischer agreed to quit claim and move the issue forward. A foreclosure could have taken over 90 days.

Several locals now serving in Iraq war

There are several local individuals serving with the military in Iraq. The following is a list of those we know about. We would still like information concerning anyone from the area, especially those who graduated or attended Modoc High School, Surprise Valley High School (we inadvertently left them out last week), Big Valley High School, Tulelake High School, Warner High School, I'SOT High School and any other continuation schools. Please call us at 530-233-2632 or mail to Modoc Record, P.O. Box 531, Alturas, Ca. 96101.

We believe the following are serving in the war in Iraq: Marine Lance Corporal Everett W. Bland, a combat Engineer with the 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Force Service Support Group. His is attached to the 7th Engineer Support Battalion in Iraq.

Marine Staff Sergeant Jason Price is the maintenance chief for 3rd Amphibious Assault Vehicle Battalion in Camp Pendleton, Ca. He is currently deployed with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Iraq. Marine Chief Warrant Officer 2 Todd Lotspeich is the communications electronics maintenance officer for 2nd Light Armor Reconnaissance Battalion in Camp Lejune, N.C. He is now serving in Iraq.

Marine Second Lieutenant Daniel Macsay is an infantry officer assigned to the 2nd Light Armor Reconnaissance Battalion at Camp Lejune. He is now serving in Iraq.

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Jacob Weber, is a pilot of a Blackhawk Helicopter, in Iraq. He is stationed with the 1042 Medical Co. Detachment at Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia. He provides helicopter medical evacuation support. He is normally assigned to the Oregon Army National Guard.

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jessy Eismann, serving as a pilot of a Blackhawk helicopter for the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq. He also served in the 1991 Gulf War. U.S. Navy Machinist Mate 3 Eric Van Nes is serving aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf.

U.S. Navy AOAN Thomas L. Chappell IV is serving aboard the U.S.S. Constellation, now in the Persian Gulf. He is in aviation ordnance with the Strike Fighter Squadron 151.

U.S. Navy Corpsman Rudy Idrogo is serving in Iraq with the U.S. Marine 7th Division.

U.S. Army Supply Sergeant Stephanie Loughry is serving with the 101st Airborne Division. She has reportedly been deployed into northern Iraq recently.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Mathew Evans is serving aboard the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt.

U.S. Navy MMSN Brandon Shaffer is serving aboard the U.S.S. Carl Vinson, which could be deployed to the Persian Gulf.

U.S. Navy Aaron Ford, assigned to the U.S.S. Carl Vinson, could be deployed in Persian Gulf.

U.S. Army Pvt. Robert Cox, is with the 4th Infantry Division out of Ft. Hood, Texas. May be in Iraq.

U.S. Army Private First Class Joseph Waterman, assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, 7th Cav.

U.S. Navy C.J. Straub assigned to the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, in the Persian Gulf.

There are other local people serving in the U.S. Military around the world. We will continue to update this list.

Day area gate meeting Sunday

Modoc County Supervisor David Bradshaw and Modoc District Attorney Jordan Funk attended last Sunday's Day area meeting concerning access to public lands in that part of Modoc.

Both officials were in attendance as an information gathering tool and listened to about 25 people's opinions.

The next meeting on the issue, which deals with private gates locking people out of access to public areas, even though those private gates are on private roads, is this Sunday, 2 p.m. at Main Street Coffee in Alturas. Proponents of having those gates open to the public are circulating petitions currently and those petitions will be discussed Sunday. The group is hoping to present the petitions to the Modoc County Board of Supervisors at its April 22 meeting.

The private land owners, who own the gates and roads in question, question the need to open those gates as well as the petition drive's legality.

Larry Lybarger returns for show opening Friday

A public reception will welcome former Alturas resident Larry Lybarger to the Art Center for a gallery showing of his paintings Friday evening, April 4 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Lybarger is the featured artist for the April show at the Art Center on Main Street in Alturas.

Everyone is invited to visit with Lybarger and share his enthusiasm for painting.

Born and reared in Modoc County, living 33 years in Alturas before being transferred to various places as a Southern Pacific Railroad employee, it's been some time since Lybarger has returned.

"Modoc holds a special place in my heart and will always be home," he says. His last railroad position was in Seattle, Washington and that's where he retired after 28 years.

And with retirement came something he had never experienced before--spare time.

"I decided to try something I had always secretly wanted to do--paint," says Lybarger. "I discovered I love it!"

After his first attempt of a mountain scene following directions in a Bob Ross how-to book, he sought out a teacher. For the past year and a half he has been studying under the watchful and critical eye of Pacific .Northwest wildlife artist Lee Kilmer.

"I enjoy painting in oils and am still experimenting with various subject matter including florals, forest and mountain scenes, wildlife, western motifs and wouldn't you know it -- trains," he says.

"Some of my favorite paintings are scenes of Modoc County, painted from photographs. I'm excited to see if anyone viewing my paintings will recognize the upside-down bridge on Devil's Garden, antelope at Fairchild's on Devil's Garden and Blue Lake."

Lybarger says he is excited about displaying his work at the Art Center in Alturas and seeing old friends and familiar places. He now resides in Puyallup, Washington.

There's history disappearing as rail line south is removed

By Anthony E. Larson

Special to the Record

When the railroads first pushed into this area over 100 years ago, they became a vital link to the outside world for local industry, ranchers and farmers.

Now, a historic, 90-mile section of that link will disappear over the course of the next year

A & K Railroad Materials, Inc., based in Salt Lake City and Kansas City, will demolish the abandoned section of rail between Wendel and Alturas. "We just started working last week," says Korey Richins, assistant supervisor on the project with 11 years experience with railroad demolition. The railroad put the project up for bid last year, according to Richins, who pegs the price tag of the project bid at $4-5 million. "I don't know the exact amount," he quickly adds. Of course, the demolition of the track will result in the multi-million dollar re-sale of rail, ties and other items.

According to Richins, A & K budgets about $11,000 per mile as the cost of removing abandoned track, although that figure varies due to circumstances and conditions. Over 93 miles of idle, abandoned track will be removed, beginning at a point 12 miles south of Alturas, over Sage Hen Pass, across the Madeline Planes and on to Wendel, near Susanville. Work began at the north end of the project and will move first toward Madeline, Termo and Ravendale, ultimately finishing up at Wendel about one year from now.

"This is one of the larger ones," says Richins of all the rail demolition projects on which he has worked. "Ninety-three miles is a large job." Noting the mixed reaction by the public to seeing a rail line demolished, Richins says, "Some people are really happy to see us come, other people aren't so happy." Not wanting his employer to take the blame for removing the track, he is quick to point out that it was the railroad's decision to dispose of the track, not the demolisher's. "The job was bided," he explains. "So if we didn't take it out, somebody else would."

An unused track represents a large idle asset to a railroad. Demolishing abandoned sections of rail is a common practice since the track and ties are easily liquidated. Selling an abandoned rail section to a demolition company puts capital back into the railroad, quickly turning it into cash that can then be more profitably used elsewhere.

In fact, demolition of abandoned lines is simply a recycling operation. Track, ties and other equipment in good condition are sold to railroads for re-use. Any material unsuitable for re-use is diverted to a multitude of secondary uses by businesses and individuals. For example, some ties are used in landscaping and fencing; badly worn steel rails and other steel components are melted down for re-use.

The crew for this project is small to begin with, 12 to 13 individuals. Additional help will be added later. While a few were hired locally, most of the crew are company people, brought from a recently completed job in Moscow, Idaho. Richins notes that the crew made four round trips, almost 5,000 miles to move the equipment on site.

The greatest problem confronting the demolition team is highway access to the rail bed. "There's 15 miles, sometimes more of track, that there's no road access to," observed Richins. "So, we've got to go in and drag the whole grade to get a load of ties or a load of rails (since) there's nowhere to turn around. Other places, there's a road crossing every mile or two miles." The demolishing process is rather straightforward, but labor intensive and time consuming.

First the rails are marked for length and the center is marked. A pair of machines, one for left rail, one for the right, lead the way in the dismantling process. These unique contraptions roll on the existing rails, each staffed with a two-person crew. They systematically disconnect the rails from one another by efficiently unbolting the coupling that tie them and easily extract the hefty spikes that secure the rails to the ties.

An excavator with a claw follows close behind, grabbing each very heavy rail at the marked center point and lifting it from the roadbed, then setting it alongside the grade. A crewmember then comes along to sort all the spikes, plates and bars, setting them alongside the rails for later pickup. A small Caterpillar with forks on the front instead of a blade, making it look much like a fork lift, excavates the ties from the roadbed. It stacks the ties on the opposite side of the roadbed form the rails.

A road grader then blades the bed, making a usable access road out of the one time rail bed so that trucks and crews can more easily load the rails and ties sitting alongside. Ties and rails are then transported to a stacking yard where they are offloaded, graded, sorted and sold.

Opinion: Off the Record, by Rick Holloway, Editor

Difference of opinion leads to enquiry (sic), and enquiry to truth; and that, I am sure, is the ultimate and sincere object of us both. We both value too much the freedom of opinion sanctioned by our Constitution, not to cherish its exercise where in opposition to ourselves." Thomas Jefferson, 1815. "Being a part of the majority in some instances doesn't necessarily make you right or intelligent, it makes you a follower. Always be wary of followers." Kind of Anonymous, 2003.

We are still compiling a list of local people serving in Iraq and should have it tied down as well as we can by next week. We did get some pretty good information this week and hope that printing these names will put a face on the war. We certainly wish all soldiers and civilians safety in Iraq at this moment.

We know most of the young people from Modoc serving in this war, and we pray for them and their families that they have the good fortune to come back home whole of mind and body.

There is a solid amount of support for the troops we now have in harm's way in Iraq. That's the way it should be, but it doesn't mean people have to change their minds about the necessity or justification of this war. Locally, there have been yellow ribbons tied around the Main Street trees and American Flags are flying, waving brilliantly in the winter April wind.

Speaking of which, can you believe we go through an entire winter with spring-like weather and then spring comes and winter hits? Let's get real here.

We had some good precipitation in March, more than average, but the lack of snow in the higher elevations still have irrigation, refuge and recreation folks worried. There isn't enough snow to feed the creeks all summer. Actually, there may not be enough snow to feed the creeks through early summer. It could get very interesting and dry.

Most of the local reservoirs are just shallows of their normal selves and local fisherpeople are very concerned about a short season. Hopefully, the reservoirs won't be drawn down to nothing.

Speaking of spring, the City of Alturas is going to apparently get the ownership of Arrowhead Golf Course back very soon and will be trying to make decisions on its future.

The City sold it in the year 2000 and the owners are expected to turn it back to the city this month. There are other people, we're told, interested in trying their hand at running the facility.

A meeting scheduled tonight is a work session toward that goal. We said last time, and stress again this time, that a lease-option for someone would be the best for the city and any new owners. The course has not received the play it used to and it's going to take some time to get that play back. The Likely Links in Likely has done an excellent job of promotion and has also made improvements each year.

Arrowhead is a course that can sustain good play from the locals and visitors. With some luck and good weather, the course can get back in line with its past. But it is going to take some work. The City Council knows that and should be willing to put a plan together with a new owner which can be workable.

It's in everyone's best interest.

Obituaries:

Hugh William Crawford

Hugh William Crawford, 80, of Alturas, passed away March 14, 2003 at Modoc Medical Center's Skilled Nursing Facility where he had been a resident for a year.

Born December 4, 1922 in Scotia, CA, he completed high school in Piedmont, CA. and attended two years at University of California, Berkeley. His father passed away when he was 14 and his mother when he was 35. He sought out the Crawford genealogy over the years.

His career was in retail sales for many years in the San Jose area, before he changed his line of work.

His interest in law enforcement, moved him into security work for electronic companies in Silicon Valley for the 20 years before he retired. He and Pamela Joyce Wright were married on October 6, 1973 in Santa Cruz. The couple moved to Alturas, CA three years ago accompanying his wife's mother, Genevieve Werner.

Mr. Crawford had a "dry sense of English humor" and enjoyed solitude, recalls his wife. He enjoyed being at home and reading with the radio on. He is survived by his wife Pamela Crawford of Alturas, CA; nephew Jon Crawford of Roanoke, VA; niece Carol Henderson and husband James of Alamo, CA and their children Jamie, Julie, Katie and Jacquie; and sister-in-law Helen Crawford of San Jose, CA. He was also preceded in death by two brothers and two sisters.

A private family service will be held in Scotia.

Genevieve Anita Werner

Alturas resident Genevieve Anita Werner, 76, passed away from cancer on March 31, 2003 at Plumb Ridge Center, Klamath Falls, OR. Mrs. Werner and her daughter had earned the second place honor in the year 2000 Christmas Lighting contest in Alturas.

Born Genevieve Reif on February 5, 1927 in St. Louis, MO, she completed high school in St. Louis. She moved to California in September of 1964. Mrs. Werner retired from her position as production manager with Frito-Lay company in San Jose, after many years there.

An avid rock hound and gold prospector, she accompanied her daughter on many outings for their mutual hobbies and also enjoyed attending local craft fairs. She enjoyed being around people. Mrs. Werner was "extremely into crafts" and also had several collections of her favorite items, including angels.

"She touched the hearts of all who met her and she had a wonderful smile," described her daughter Pamela Crawford of Alturas.

Mrs. Werner moved from San Jose to Alturas where she purchased two homes three years ago. Her daughter and son-in-law were her neighbors and she and her daughter decorated their yards and their side-by-side Alturas homes for the holidays. Mrs. Werner attended Lutheran Church services in Alturas.

She is survived by her son Eric Cordell Wright of Pensacola, FL; daughter Pamela Crawford of Alturas, CA; aunt Celeste Brandenburg of St. Louis, MO and numerous cousins who reside in Kansas.

A memorial service will be held at First Lutheran Church in Lakeview, OR on Thursday, April 10 at 3:00 p.m

Those who wish to may make memorial donations to the American Cancer Society, 3290 Bechelli Lane, Redding, CA 96002.

Richard Roy Gaylord

Richard R. Gaylord, 41, died March 19, 2003 in Redding, CA. Memorial services will be scheduled at a later date.

Mr. Gaylord was born July 26, 1961 in Alturas, CA. to Omar and Patricia (Peterson) Gaylord. He graduated from Big Valley High School, Bieber, CA. in June 1980 and resided in Modoc County until his entry into the U.S. Army in the fall of 1980.

He served with the military Police in Germany until his discharge in January 1987. While in Germany he was married to, but since divorced from, Diane (Wilkin). They had no children. He returned to Big Valley for a short period of time, returning to Germany in 1989, to work with the Department of Defense and private contractors until 1995.

Upon returning to the states, Richard held many different jobs, mainly in the construction industry, working from Seattle, WA. to San Diego, CA. He was a member of Construction and General Laborers, Local No. 185 of Redding.

Survivors include his parents Omar and Patricia Gaylord, brother Bill Gaylord and sister and brother-in-law Victoria and Bradley Jeppson, all of Adin; sister and brother-in-law Laurette and Kent Van Tassel of Dietrich, ID.; nieces and nephews Colton Jeppson of Reno, NV., Diedra Jeppson of Adin, Quincy and Lacey Menning of ID., and Christopher, William and Robert Gaylord all of Adin. He was preceded in death by both maternal and paternal grandparents.

McDonald's Chapel of Burney, California is in charge of cremation. Memorial donations may be made to the charity of the donor's choice.

SPORTS

Modoc golfers still perfect

Modoc High School's golf team remains perfect with a 14-0 Shasta Cascade League mark. They travel to Lake Shastina to face second place Mt. Shasta and third place Weed today.

Last week, the Braves played a match at Eagle Point Golf Course in the Medford area. Jack Britton led all players with a 75. Jake Aaron and D.J. Northrup finished in the top 10 medalists as well. Ross Montague and Brian Weed got their first taste of league competition, said coach Harold Montague, and both played well on a very difficult course for novice golfers. He said Micah Eppler was also improving as the season progresses.

Braves split duo with Etna Lions

A split with the Etna Lions Friday in Alturas moves the Modoc Braves to 3-1 in the Shasta Cascade League as they travel to both Etna and Trinity this weekend.

Modoc relied on a strong pitching performance from Jered Pierce who shut out the Lions 5-0 in the first game. Not only did Pierce toss a good game, (seven strike outs and two walks) he cranked out a homerun to open the first inning's offense for Modoc. Marty Stevens and Rick Wildtraut each added home runs in the game. Wildtraut had a double and Pierce had two hits.

Modoc coach Brad Server said Pierce pitched his best game of the year and the entire team played a solid game. In the nightcap, Server felt the Braves came out a little flat and faced a left-handed pitcher for the first time this year. They didn't make the necessary adjustments early and committed four costly errors.

The Braves scored one in the first, one in the second and three in the third. Shiloh Pierce got the nod in the second game and went four innings, before turning the ball over to Cam Jeffers. Modoc lost 6-2. Etna picked up 13 hits in the game while Modoc hitters had six.

Stevens powered his second homerun of the day. The Lions scored one in the first, two in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth for the win. Modoc scored one in the third and one in the sixth.

Modoc softball goes to 4-0 in SCL

The season is still young, but Modoc's softball team has worked out to a 4-0 mark in the Shasta Cascade League, taking a pair from Etna Friday here. They play Trinity in Weaverville Friday and travel to Etna Saturday.

Modoc had little trouble in the opening game as Brianna Berchtold took the mound and pretty much shut out Etna. She allowed just two hits, fanned six and walked one. Modoc won 8-1.

Meanwhile, Modoc hitters pounded out 12 hits sparked by Jennifer Davis' homerun, double and single. Berchtold, Rose Wingate and Amy Ridgeway each had a pair of hits.

The Braves scored two in the first, one in the second, four in the third and one in the fourth.

Shannon King tossed a three hitter to win the second game for the Braves 5-2. She walked one and struck out one.

Modoc picked up 13 hits in the game with Berchtold knocking three, Rachel Gover, Andrea Harris, Ridgeway getting two each.

Modoc scored three runs in the first and added a pair in the third. On Tuesday, Modoc lost a squeaker to Lakeview 7-6, after Lakeview scored six runs in the top of the sixth inning. Lakeview had scored once in the third. Modoc scored three in the third, added two in the fifth and one in the sixth.

Berchtold got the loss, allowing eight hits, fanning seven and walking three.

Modoc collected nine hits with Gover getting four and Davis a pair.

Junior, senior league tryouts April 12

Tryouts for Modoc Junior and Senior Little League teams will be April 12, 10 a.m. at the Little League Field on West C Street.

Any player who needs to sign up, and the final date to sign up is April 10, should register at the Modoc High School lobby April 9 and April 10, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Please contact Mike Mason at 233-3499 or Jeff Solomon at 233-9292 for last chance registration for ages 5 to 12. Late registration final date is April 10. Anyone who wants to volunteer or volunteers returning from last year must get their volunteer forms turned in with a copy of their driver's license. Pick up volunteer forms by calling Shonna Widby at 233-4433.

April 10, 2003

NEWS

Arrowhead deal nears completion

Arrowhead Golf Course is nearing the new ownership phase, and will hopefully be resolved in the very near future.

The City Council Tuesday night passed a resolution approving a lease-purchase agreement with Jim and Kathie Widby and Gary and Lynn McClellan. On Friday, the city and those four will negotiate final terms and conditions and the issue will come back for final approval on Monday.

Public Works Director Stacy Chase told the council that city crews are now maintaining the course and bringing it up to playing standards. Former owners Monica and Jamie Fischer returned the facility to the city as of April 1, when they could not make past due payments.

Chase said some of the equipment on the course was in need of serious repair. Arrowhead was owned by the city until the year 2001 when it was sold.

The City is currently working with the Widbys and McClellans to come to an equitable price and terms of the agreement. There are some sticky issues, including some paid annual memberships, paid to the Fischers, but not returned or prorated when the Fischers opted out. The city and the new lease partnership are probably going to honor those memberships, which takes potential income out of the new owners' pockets.

According to City Officials, the city wants to make the issue as equitable as possible for the golfers and the new ownership.

On Wednesday, Jim Widby said his group understands the amount of work involved in getting the golf course back in shape but said they were positive and willing to meet the community's needs and desires.

Widby said the plans are to return the clubhouse to its former pro-shop and restaurant status as well as probably lowering some of the annual fees and cart space rentals.

When Gary and Lynn McClellan managed the course for the city in the not-too-distant past, the restaurant and pro-shop were a major part of the business.

The course is open for play at this time, while city crews try to spruce up the facility. It will be ready for a Modoc High hosted Shasta Cascade League match on April 24.

In other action Tuesday night, the City was informed by Chase that the planned Warner Street improvement project was not funded by the state. It had been scheduled for completion this summer. The work on that street would go from where last summer's Warner Street improvements stopped north to Highway 299.

Chase told the council he felt the project will probably be approved for the summer of 2004.

The council also adopted a resolution approving a PERS Industrial Disability Retirement for Alturas Chief of Police Larry Pickett. Pickett plans on retiring from the position as of June 30, 2003.

Modoc County Resource Advisory Meeting April 21

The Modoc County Resource Advisory Committee, (RAC) will hold its monthly meeting in the conference room of the Modoc National Forest Headquarters at 800 West 12th Street, Alturas, CA. on Monday, April 21, 2003 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to consider projects for future funding.

The Modoc County RAC is actively seeking projects for funding in 2004. The RAC requests that projects to be considered for the 2004 funding cycle be presented to the RAC for consideration during the April meeting.

The Modoc County RAC considers projects on or adjacent to National Forest Service land with the stipulation that at least 50 percent of all project funds must be dedicated to 1) road maintenance, decommissioning, or obliteration; or 2) restoration of streams and watershed.

The remaining monies, (50 percent), could be used to finance projects that include, but are not limited to soil productivity improvement, improvements in forest ecosystem health, watershed restoration and maintenance, restoration, maintenance and improvements of wildlife and fish habitat, control of noxious and exotic weeds, and reestablishment of native species. For more information on how to submit your ideas please contact Louis Haynes, Public Affairs Specialist, Modoc National Forest at 530-233-8846 or email ljhaynes@fs.fed.us.

Newly found documents supporting public road

Citizens for Public Access, a concerned group of citizens fighting to preserve prescriptive easements in Modoc County, met for the third time this Sunday in Alturas.

The group discussed the case for prescriptive easements as well as new developments in the roads' public status.

The controversy is centered on three locked gates installed on two roads in Day, the southwestern corner of Modoc County where it joins with Lassen, Shasta, and Siskiyou Counties. Alma and Clifford Oilar have installed one locked gate blocking the Wiley Ranch Road and another blocking Whitehorse Road. In addition, Donald Barber has installed a locked gate on Whitehorse Road above the Oilar gate.

Citizens for Public Access argue that Wiley Ranch Road and Whitehorse Road are public as determined by California prescriptive easement law, which most simply states that a right-of-way can be gained through use over time. According to the group, the roads meet the elements necessary to secure such status: adverse, open, continuous, and notorious use, for a period of at least five years.

Documents obtained from the Modoc County Road Department indicate the roads have been in existence since at least 1887. On a county map from the same year, both Wiley Ranch Road and Whitehorse Road are in place, before even the existence of Day Road.

Both of these roads are present on subsequent county road maps and there is a preponderance for information to support the county status of Whitehorse Road to the National Forest Boundary.

In July of 1979 a petition was submitted to the Modoc County Board of Supervisors in support of reinstating the Modoc County portion of Day Road back into the county road system.

On this petition are the signatures of Alma, Keith, and Meloney Oilar as well as Zelma Barber (the late wife of Donald barber). This document along with the resolution to place the road back into county custody clearly shows the county status of the road.

On an October 16, 1979 mileage log of Day Road, the county states that the Modoc County portion of the road begins at 7.5 miles and continues to 12.95 miles at the Shasta National Forest Boundary. The document continues to state, "Fence runs E-W, but no gate just open road, end of county road." This road has been, and continues to be maintained at the county's expense.

Apparently the Oilars are now changing their mind and no longer want county maintenance of Day Road as it passes through their property. At the April 1, 2003 Modoc County Board of Supervisors meeting, they submitted a request to shorten Day Road to the double gates situated below their house and before both of the present gates now blocking public access on Whitehorse Road. No warning was given to area residents that such an action would be put forth, nor was input asked for Delbert Howard, who's active in Citizens for Public Access, happened to be at the meeting and informed the board of the present controversy. The board agreed to postpone such a decision to a later date as Citizens for Public Access had already planned on going before the board on April 22. In addition, the board stated that both parties would need to go before the Land Commission on the 16th for a discovery session.

County building perks up some in March

While the number of Modoc County Building Permits dropped, the estimated value increased because of major renovations to a local church. The county issued 17 permits in March, valued at $514,641.60, compared to February's 19 permits valued at $300,911. In March, 2002, the county building department issued 14 permits valued at $232,427.50.

Two new homes and the church renovation made up $415,310 of the total. The City of Alturas issued 13 permits valued at $54,612 in March. That's up from just five permits valued at $14,368 last month. A mobile home installation and remodeling made up most of the building activity.

Modoc'ers at War

We believe the following are serving in the war in Iraq: U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Eric McKinnon, aboard the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk in the Persian Gulf.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class E-4, Jonathan Wellemeyer, just returned from Persian Gulf, may be soon redeployed. Camp Pendleton, Ca.

Marine Lance Corporal Everett W. Bland, a combat Engineer with the 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Force Service Support Group. His is attached to the 7th Engineer Support Battalion in Iraq.

Marine PFC Zane Parkin, 3rd Battaltion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, now in Iraq.

Marine Second Lieutenant Daniel Macsay is an infantry officer assigned to the 2nd Light Armor Reconnaissance Battalion at Camp Lejune. He is now serving in Iraq.

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jessy Eismann, serving as a pilot of a Blackhawk helicopter for the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq. He also served in the 1991 Gulf War.

U.S. Navy Machinist Mate 3 Eric Van Nes is serving aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf. U.S. Navy AOAN Thomas L. Chappell IV is serving aboard the U.S.S. Constellation, now in the Persian Gulf. He is in aviation ordnance with the Strike Fighter Squadron 151.