2015 Archives

Please click on a month below and select the desired date.

January 2015 January 1 January 8 January 15 January 22 January 29 February 2015 February 5 February 12 February 19 February 26 March 2015 March 5 March 12 March 19 March 26 April 2015 April 2 April 9 April16 April 23 April 30 May 2015 May 7 May 14 May 21 May 28 June 2015 June 4 June 11 June 18 June 25

July 2015 July 2, 2015 July 9, 2015 July 16, 2015 July 23, 2015 July 30, 2015 August 2015 August 6, 2015 August 13, 2015 August 20, 2015 August 27, 2015 September 2015 September 3, 2015 September 10, 2015 September 17, 2015 September 24, 2015 October 2015 October 1, 2015 October 8, 2015 October 15, 2015 October 22, 2015 October 29, 2015 November 2015 November 5, 2015 November 12, 2015 November 19, 2015 November 26, 2015 December 2015 December 3, 2015 December 10, 2015 December 17, 2015 December 24, 2105

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE

2015 Archives

January 1, 2015

News

Winter freeze hits Modoc County

While December is heading out cold and freezing, it isn’t leaving much snow behind.
However, the overall precipitation level for December is at 2.13 inches, well above the historical average of 1.71 inches. The forecast calls for cold and clear. The mercury however is heading down. On Monday, an artic chill hit the area and temperatures fell into the teens Tuesday morning. The high for Tuesday never got to above freezing and the wind chill kept things downright cold.
On Monday afternoon, snow was falling in the mountains with State Route 299 over Cedar Pass covered with snow. Some heavy snow fell at the higher elevations.
The snow levels in the mountains at SNOTEL sites looked like this Tuesday: Cedar Pass, 18 inches, up from seven inches; Adin Mountain, seven inches, up from five; and Dismal Swamp 41 inches, up from 35 inches. Crowder Flat had no snow.

Trial in death of infant girl extended

Zebariah Dolan, of Alturas, is facing 25 years to life in the alleged murder of a 14-month old girl December 16, 2013 in Alturas.
“The trial was set to commence on June 8 and scheduled for two weeks,” said Modoc District Attorney Jordan Funk. “However, the clerk of court told me that she is placing the matter on the court calendar January 13 to pick a new and different trial date because our judges have a schedule conflict that prevents them from presiding over the trial on June 8.  I suspect the new trial date will be sometime in May or July.  We are trying to set the case sooner rather than later.”
Funk said Dolan is charged with one count of murder (second degree -- 15 to life penalty) and one count of child abuse causing death (25 to life penalty) from a preliminary hearing.
On December 16, 2013 the DA filed the criminal case against Dolan.
The defendant was arraigned on Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. and did not enter a plea at that time, but has entered a not guilty plea since then. The case involves the beating death of a 14-month-old baby girl who was being babysat by Dolan at the time fatal injuries were inflicted on her. Dolan was the boyfriend of the child's mother and was tending to the child while the mother was at work.

Special Supervisor meeting Jan. 5

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting Jan. 5, 2015, at 10 a.m., at Alturas City Hall. This meeting is to accept and approve the bid for the elevator. 
This should be a one-item agenda meeting.
Newly elected and re-elected county officials will be sworn in Jan. 5, at noon, in the Courthouse Rotunda.

APD advises, be safe this New Year’s

Alturas Chief of Police Ken Barnes is asking everyone who decides to party this New Year’s Eve to be safe and to have a designated driver on hand.
“Our desire is that everyone has a good time, but is responsible and doesn’t drive after drinking,” Barnes said. “A designated driver is the answer.”
Barnes said that his officers would provide a ride home, “as a last resort.” He stresses the APD will only provide a ride home, not to another party. The APD has been providing the service for several years, but is not a taxi service.
To get in touch with the APD for a ride, as a last resort, call 233-4416.

Obituaries -

Mary Lewis
Mary Park Lewis passed away peacefully on Dec. 11, 2014 at Warnerview Skilled Nursing in Alturas, CA, with her son at her side.
Mary Park Lewis was born August 12, 1940 and adopted by Carl & Elizabeth Lewis. A celebration of life was held at the VFW Hall in Alturas on Sat. Dec. 20 at 1p.m.
Any who would like to make a donation in Mary’s name, please contact The High Plateau Humane Society at (530) 233-9277.

James M. Loughry
James Michael Loughry passed away December 20, 2014 in Alturas, CA. He was just one day shy of his 66th birthday, having been born Dec. 21, 1948 in Petaluma, CA.
At his advance request, no services will be held.

April Urban
Alturas resident April Urban died at her home on Dec. 29, 2014. No personal or service information available at presstime. Coroner case is pending.

Sports

Sports schedules—

Modoc wrestling at the NorCal January 9-10.
Modoc basketball, boys and girls, at Burney Jan. 6 starting at 3:30 p.m.; Tulelake girls varsity and jayvee at home Jan. 10 3 p.m.; Jan. 13 at Lakeview all teams starting 3:30 p.m.
Surprise Valley basketball, at Dunsmuir Jan 6 start time at  p.m.; at Tulelake Jan. 13, start 6:30 p.m.

January 8, 2015

News

Courthouse elevator on fast track

On Monday the Modoc County Board of Supervisors awarded the elevator construction bid to Reyman Brothers Construction, of Sparks, Nv., with a bid of $214,024. It was the lower of the two bids considered.
Construction is anticipated to begin on January 19. County Chief Administrative Officer Chester Robertson is confident the construction can be completed under a tight timeframe. The bid did come in higher than the $170,000 estimate.
Robertson said the Reyman Brothers firm specializes in restoration work, and has worked on other courthouses and similar buildings.
The effort to have an elevator installed took a big step forward last month as the Board of Supervisors accepted a bid for the elevator itself, in the amount of $82,470.

Gas prices down across U.S., even here

Gasoline is cheap pretty much all over the country, and has dropped even in Modoc County. On a Gas Buddy map of the nation, Modoc and northern California still ranks higher that most of the country.
As of Tuesday, Alturas Chevron was charging $2.99 for regular unleaded; Alliance in Alturas was charging $2.95; the Modoc Mini Mart was charging $2.95; Valley Chevron in Cedarville was charging $2.90; and Rabbit Traxx in Cedarville was $2.80, cash; non-cash is $2.85.
The map from gas-price tracker GasBuddy.com, shows the average price per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in each U.S. county. The big sea of green in the middle of the country? That's where gas is about $2 or less. Go to Gas Buddy’s site to see the map.
The national average price of a gallon of gasoline was $2.18 as of Tuesday morning, according to GasBuddy.

Carter wild horses face starvation, thirst

Because of the severe drought and the lack of forage, Carter Reservoir wild horses, many dying of starvation and thirst, have strayed off their herd management areas on public lands and onto private property.
As a result ranchers are reporting the wild horses to the Bureau of Land Managment as nuisances. BLM, the agency entrusted with the care and management of the wild horses, have set traps and removed them from the private lands, transporting them to holding facilities in Litchfield, near Susanville. To date, it is known of 16 Carter Reservoir wild horses that have been trapped and removed from private lands. Still today more bands of wild horses are venturing out of the mountains in their desperate search for food and water.
The 23,000 acre Carter Reservoir wild horse Herd Management Area, east of Cedarville, is home to approximately 50 wild horses, deer, antelope, elk and other animals. In 2013, BLM states that there were about 1,278 cows plus their calves grazing on the wild horse herd management area from mid-April through September. In 2014, BLM asked, but did not require, that the ranchers voluntarily reduce some of the numbers of cattle on the range. BLM was unable to provide figures on how many head of cattle were voluntarily removed from the range.

Modoc teachers pay low per state averages

Teachers in the Modoc Joint Unified School District have an average annual total salary of $52,601 compared to the state average of $71,396, according to a survey from the California Department of Education.
The low end of the pay scale for teachers in the MJUSD is $36,787 and the highest is $70,647. There are 45 teacher positions in the MJUSD, compared to 54 in 2008. Interestingly, the average teacher salary in 2008 was $50,398. The total payroll in 2008 was $2,746,691 compared to $2,367,045 in 2014. The biggest change in the district has to do with declining enrollment, shown at 748. In the not too distant past, the MJUSD had over 1,000 students. The student projection for the 2014-15 year is an increase to near 800.
The District’s Superintendent salary was posted at $98,000, well below the state average of $171,155. In 2009, the Superintendent salary was also at $98,000.

Obituaries—

April Orosco
Services for April Virginia Orosco of Alturas will be held at Kerr Mortuary chapel, Alturas on Saturday, January 10 at 11 a.m. A potluck fellowship will follow at Strong Family Health Center, 1203 Oak Street, Alturas.
April Virginia Orosco was born in the city of Exeter, CA on March 31, 1981
April was only 33, when she passed away at her home in Alturas, CA on December 29, 2014.
Interment will be private. April will be laid to rest at the Alturas Cemetery with her Robert.

John Olsen
John Walter Olsen, age 78, of Alturas passed away December 30, 2014 at Renown Medical Center, Reno, NV, with his family by his side following a short illness. John was born September 6, 1936 to Carl and Flora (Dolly) Olsen. He grew up in Madeline, CA along with his eight siblings.
A celebration of John’s life will be held at The Brass Rail, this Sunday, January 11, at 2:00 p.m.
John will be laid to rest in Likely, CA. Donations may be made to the Cancer Society of your choice.

Larry Edward Birge
A celebration of life for Larry Birge of Alturas, will be held Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 2 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Alturas, CA.

Elsie L. Cundiff Sullivan
Elsie L. Cundiff Sullivan passed away December 27, 2014 in Fair Oaks, CA.  Services will be held January 10, 2014 at 11 a.m. graveside at the Alturas Cemetery. 
Elsie was born to Clifton D. and Zelda O. Turpin in Jerome, ID on April 26, 1928.

Sylvia M. Royce
Sylvia Marie Royce, 94, and a lifetime resident of Alturas, passed away January 6, 2015 in Alturas, CA. Graveside services will be held Monday, Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. Mrs. Royce was born October 15, 1920. Her obituary will be published in a future issue.

Sports

Modoc opens league with win

Modoc opened Shasta Cascade League play with a 67-51 road win over Burney. They play at Lakeview January 13.
The Braves started strong in Burney and built a 38-19 lead by halftime. They led 47-32 after three and outscored Burney 20-19 in the fourth.
Tanner Cook led the Braves with 23 points. Alan Weber added 22 points and Tyler Ewing led the Braves with 15 rebounds and 12 points.

Modoc girls beat Burney to open

Modoc’s varsity girls survived a slow start to beat the Burney Raiders 56-52 in overtime Tuesday night. They play Tulelake Saturday here and travel to Lakeview Jan. 13.
Burney took a 13-8 lead in the first, but Modoc fought back to lead 19-17 at halftime. The Braves led 28-25 after three but the Raiders tied it with a 20-17 final period. Modoc outscored Burney 11-7 in overtime for the win.
Burney's Jessica Thompson hit five three pointers pointers to keep them in it. Modoc’s Beth Derner had 18, while Pricila Madrigal had 11. Macie Larranaga and Kelly Schmidt each grabbed 11 rebounds.
Modoc’s junior varsity squeaked by the Raiders 30-29. The Braves led 11-3 in the first period and 16-8 at the half. Burney cut the lead to 22-15 after three and outscored the Braves 14-8 in the fourth.
Kylee Ward-Britton led the scoring with 13 and Mattea Wilson added 11.

Modoc sports –

Modoc wrestling at NorCal Jan. 9-10 and at Bonanza Jan. 17.
Modoc girls’ basketball hosts Tulelake Jan. 10, JV at 3 p.m., varsity at 4:30 p.m.; boys and girls at Lakeview Jan. 13, games start at 3:30 p.m.
Surprise Valley basketball at Tulelake Jan. 13, game time at 6:30 p.m.; hosting Big Valley Jan. 16, 4:30 p.m.

January 15, 2015

News

Pedersen resigns as Supervisor

District Two Modoc County Supervisor Jon Pedersen surprised the Board Tuesday when he sent in a letter of resignation from his seat. The Board reluctantly accepted the letter of resignation and a replacement will have to be appointed by the Governor.
Petersen only stated that he resigned because of personal reasons. The process of a replacement will be fully explained. That person will have to be a resident of District Two.
The Board also reorganized Tuesday and elected District III Supervisor Kathie Alves as Chairperson and District Five Supervisor Geri Byrne as Vice-chair.
Supervisors voted to support the Big Valley effort to form a community services district for emergency medical services. That election is tentatively set for May 5 as a mail-in only ballot. The issue includes both Modoc and Lassen County voters.

Supervisors to appoint elected SVHD Board

Modoc County Supervisors will appoint the three members of the Surprise Valley Health Care District who ran unopposed in the last election, as required by law.
Those three are Bunne Hartmann, Cindy Linker and Robert James Laacke. The issue is complicated because Hartmann and Linker resigned under duress in a perceived coup recently.
While the new Chief Executive Officer of SVHCD Richard Cornwell contends the election was not noticed legally, it was, and County Counsel Margaret Long told the Board it would have to appoint those members in lieu of an election since they ran unopposed. She stressed it was not a political appointment, but it was required.

First and Main Beautification Project

Modoc Transportation Agency (MTA) celebrated the completion of the First and Main Beautification project with a ceremonial ribbon cutting January 8, 2015. Larranaga Trucking and Construction was awarded the bid in July 2014; construction was completed mid December 2014.
The MTA attributes the success of the project to community efforts to take part in designing the project. Nineteen business and community members participated in five, small group planning sessions to create their vision of a multi-use area. Following these planning sessions, five unique, themed designs evolved. MTA requested their engineer, Butler Engineering, to prepare the five designs to scale and to create a hybrid design that reflected attributes of each of the planning session designs.
“The MTA is very proud of our community-designed project and very appreciative and thankful to the participants who devoted their time and efforts to the planning session,” stated Debbie Pedersen, Executive Director, Modoc County Transportation Commission, Modoc Transportation Agency/Sage Stage.

VA expands medical coverage for Modoc County veterans

For many years, Veterans in Modoc County have had to travel as far as Reno to receive medical services by the Veterans Administration. The burden that this has placed on many Veterans in the past has been fairly significant as the round trip to Reno ends up being around 360 miles. 
That situation was changed in November of 2014 when the Veterans Choice Program was implemented, as part of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014.
Since November 5, 2014 Veterans are now able to receive medical services in their local areas if certain criteria are met.  One of the following criteria has to be met in order for Veterans to receive medical services in their local communities:

• The wait time for a Veteran to be seen in their local VA facility is more than 30 days.
• The Veteran’s current resident is more than 40 miles from the closest VA health care facility.
• The Veteran has to travel by plane or boat to the VA medical facility closest to their residence.
• The Veteran faces a geographic challenge such as water, geologic formations, mountains, etc. which present a significant travel hardship.

Supervisors will appoint SVHCD board member

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors will appoint one member to the Surprise Valley Health Care District Board and is now seeking applicants for the unexpired 2016 position.
There have been three unexpected resignations of SVHCD Board members and Supervisors will appoint one to give the hospital board a quorum, three members. The SVHCD Board would then be able to appoint the other two open positions.
Applications for the vacancy are located on the Modoc County website under Board of Supervisors, then Forms. Go to http://www.co.modoc.ca.us/departments/board-of-supervisors/county-code.
The deadline for application is Jan. 27, 5 p.m. Applications can be mailed or emailed to: Amber M. Mason, Deputy Clerk of the Board, 204 S. Court St. Alturas, Ca. 96101, or emailed to ambermason@co.modoc.ca.us.

Obituaries—

Kiefer Van Crosby
Kiefer Van Crosby was born in Chico, California on April 3, 1995 to Camille Coombs and Richard Crosby. Kiefer passed away on January 9, 2015, after succumbing to a battle with osteosarcoma.
At Kiefer’s request, a celebration of life will be held at Jenson Hall in Susanville, CA on Saturday, January 24, 2015 from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Please dress casually and if you like, dress in Kiefer’s favorite color which was red.
Donations in Kiefer’s name may be made to The Alyssa Araiza Wings of Angels Organization who support seriously ill children in Lassen, Modoc, Siskiyou, Trinity and Shasta Counties.

Sylvia M. Royce
Sylvia Marie (Brown) Royce of Alturas, California passed away January 6, 2015 at the age of 94, in Alturas, following a short illness. Sylvia was born October 15, 1920 in Pittville, California to Delbert Brown and Gertrude (Bringle) Brown. Sylvia was laid to rest in Alturas, California on January 12, 2015.

Claud Eugene Evans
Claud Evans, 71, passed away December 26, 2014 at Vibra Hospital in Redding, CA.
Claud was born June 11, 1943 in Portland, OR to Clyde and Gladys Evans.
A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 24, 2015 at the Memorial Hall in Durham. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Durham Volunteer Fire Department, the Durham Community Foundation, the Chico Rod and Gun Club or the charity of your choice. To share memories of Claud or leave condolences for the family, go to NewtonBracewell.com.

Larry Edward Birge
A celebration of life for Larry Birge of Alturas, will be held Saturday, January 17 at 2 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Alturas. Larry passed peacefully in Reno, NV on November 29, 2014 after battling a long illness.

Sports

Boys lose to Lakeview

Modoc lost on the road to Lakeview 69-45 Tuesday night. The Honkers started hot, hitting six three-point shots in the first quarter to build a 25-15 lead.
Foul trouble plagued Modoc and Lakeview extended its lead to 42-23 at halftime. The Braves mounted a mini-charge in the third quarter and closed the gap to 12 points, but could not reel the Honkers in.
Tyler Ewing led the Braves with 15 points and eight rebounds. Tanner Cook hit four 3-pointers, and also scored 15 points. The Braves will look to bounce back Friday at home vs. Etna. Saturday the Braves host Trinity.
"These home games are huge for us," said Coach Keith Weber. "We have to defend our home court to have a shot in league."

Modoc trips Tulelake 37-36

The Modoc girl’s varsity basketball team clipped Tulelake 37-36 Jan. 10.
Modoc led 10-6 in the opening period, but trailed 18-13 by halftime. The Braves jumped out to a 29-26 lead after three and survived a fourth period where the Honkers outscored them 10-8.
Beth Derner led Modoc with 17 points and Macie Larranaga added seven.
The Braves fell victim to Lakeview Tuesday, 55-36. Lakeview took a 19-8 first period lead and led 31-20 by halftime. They outscored Modoc 24-16 in the second half. Derner led Modoc with 16 points and Kelly Schmidt added seven.
Modoc’s junior varsity lost to Lakeview 51-43. The Braves led 14-6 in the opening period, but Lakeview tied the score at 22 by half. The Honkers outscored Modoc 29-21 in the second half. Kylee Ward-Britton and Mattea Wilson each had 17 points.

Modoc wrestlers do well in Anderson

Modoc’s wrestling team was down three top wrestlers at the big Anderson NorCal tournament this last weekend, but still managed to place sixth out of 24 schools overall.
The team is at the Bonanza Tournament January 17 and hosts Lakeview and Fall River in Alturas Jan. 21 with wrestling to start at 5 p.m.
Modoc placers in the events were: Cody Tiffany, second at 120 pounds; Steven Aceves, third at 138 pounds; Alex Valencia, fourth at 152 pounds; Brandon Hays, fifth at 106 pounds; Lane Galvin, fifth at 113 pounds; Tim Reed, seventh at 132 pounds; Zach Norby, eighth at 145 pounds; and Robert Dowdy, eighth at 182 pounds.

Hornets beat Tigers
Surprise Valley boys took on Dunsmuir last Tuesday, winning 46-42. Both teams played extremely well with the Hornets showing vast improvement. Ivan Coronado led the evening with 22 points and Travis Miller added 17 more to the board
Dunsmuir came out on top against the Varsity girls.  Dunsmuir ended the first quarter leading 10-0, Surprise Valley added seven in the second with the scoreboard showing 7-17. By the end of third Dunsmuir had added eight more points and Surprise Valley got five points in the fourth, but it just wasn't enough, final score 25-16.
 The Hornets host the Big Valley Cardinals Friday, January 16 at 4:30 p.m. in the gymnasium. Snacks and drinks available at the concession stand.

January 22, 2015

News

SV Hospital board members rescind resignations

A major turnaround in the saga of the Surprise Valley Heath Care District occurred Jan. 14, when all three Board members who had resigned under duress in December, rescinded those resignations.
Bunne Hartmann, Cindy Linker and Jason Diven all sent letters of rescission to the Modoc County Elections Officer Stephanie Wellemeyer. The County accepted those letters, which would negate any vacancy on that board.
On Jan. 16, the legal counsel for SVCHD called those letters valid and made a statement that “Under these circumstances, it is my legal opinion that the resignations are no longer valid and have been negated by the decision to rescind the resignations made by each of these Boardmembers . . . Government Code requires that resignation letters, in the case of a special district like SVCHD, be submitted to and accepted by the Modoc County Board of Supervisors. This was never done and thus the validity of the resignation letters in the first place is questionable.”

SV Doc’s paycheck bounces

Having Dr. Chuck Colas and Steve Johnson, FNP, NP, both who make house calls, chat with people at the post office and genuinely love the area is a welcome treat for Surprise Valley residents.    
Both men have increased utilization of the clinic in the financially struggling district.
However Colas’ return to the valley to practice medicine has met with some interesting surprises for him.
Upon receiving his first paycheck, Colas went to Plumas Bank to cash the check and open an account. He was informed that there were insufficient funds in the Surprise Valley Health Care District’s account to cover the check.
“I had just read in the Herald and News where the CEO, Richard Cornwell, had been quoted as saying there was no debt, payroll and bills were being paid. Then a few days later, my paycheck bounces,” said Colas.

Modoc geothermal grants approved by CEC

The Modoc geothermal grants recommended for approval in August received formal approval last week by the California Energy Commission. The grant funding approval is a major accomplishment for Modoc.
The CEC awarded, as part of its Geothermal Grant and Loan Program, two awards in Modoc. A $3,155,759 grant was awarded to the Modoc Joint Unified School District to expand the existing geothermal heating system at Modoc High School to include two additional schools and the public pool in the City of Alturas.
A $1,129,619 grant was awarded to the County of Modoc to conduct geothermal resource assessments and exploratory drilling in the Surprise Valley Hot Springs area; install and demonstrate a small geothermal distributed energy unit to generate electricity at Surprise Valley Hot Springs Resort; and conduct a geothermal economic feasibility and market analysis to provide information that can be used in future planning for expanded geothermal development in the area.

Supervisor applications to Governor

Modoc Auditor-Recorder-County Clerk Stephanie Wellemeyer has sent a letter noting a vacancy in Modoc Supervisor District II to the Governor’s office.
“They should confirm receipt and add Modoc County to their list of vacancies,” she said. “Once added, interested persons may log onto their website: www.gov.ca.gov - click on Appointments and follow the link that says ‘Online Application.’  All applications will be submitted directly to the Governor's Office.”
She also asked if they had a specific timeline for how long the application process has to be open. The response was that they did not.
Supervisor Jon Pedersen resigned that position at the last Board meeting. Applicants seeking to replace him must be a resident of District II.

Obituaries—

Lucille Grace Judy
Lucille Grace Judy of Likely, CA passed away peacefully at the Warnerview Skilled Nursing facility in Alturas, California on January 17, 2015.
She was born August 25, 1922 in Santa Cruz, California, to Ethel (Reynolds) Carter and George Carter. She grew up around Riverdale, California and attended Riverdale Grammar and High School.
Lucille will be greatly missed by her family and all those who loved her. At her request, there will be a private family gathering.

Sports

Braves drop pair of league games

Modoc’s boy’s varsity got off to a slow start in the Shasta Cascade League, losing the last two games.
Modoc lost to Etna 64-54 Friday night in Alturas. The Braves led 17-11 after the first quarter, and 32-27 at halftime. The Braves were outscored 16-7 in the third quarter and Etna controlled the rest of the game.
Trinity beat the Braves 64-47 Saturday night in Alturas. The game was competitive through the first quarter with the Wolves leading 10-9. Trinity outscored Modoc 18-8 in the second quarter to open up a 28-17 advantage. " Modoc only converted six of 29 field goals in the first half. The Braves made things exciting in the fourth quarter, closing Trinity's lead to 6 points. Trinity extended its winning margin as Modoc (1-2 in SCL) fouled to stop the clock.
Modoc lost to Mt. Shasta 67-64 Tuesday night in Alturas. Mt. Shasta (3-1 SCL) jumped out to a 20-15 lead after one quarter of play. The Bears extended the lead to 41-28 at halftime with impressive outside shooting.

Modoc girls split in SCL

Modoc’s varsity girl’s team beat the Trinity Wolves in a tight game Saturday 49-46, after losing Friday to Etna 34-29.
Against Trinity, the Braves led 10-7 after one and it was knotted at 23 by halftime. Modoc led 34-29 after three and held off a Trinity 17-15 run in the fourth.
The Braves started the Etna game with an 8-7 first period lead, but failed to score in the second and Etna led 13-8 at the half. Modoc cut into the score and trailed 17-15 after three and Etna added a 17-14 fourth period for the win.
Modoc beat Mt. Shasta 31-29 in a great defensive game versus the normally high-powered Mt. Shasta Bears late Tuesday night.  Modoc now sits tied for first in the Shasta Cascade League with Etna and Weed. The first meeting of Weed and Modoc will be this Friday at home with tip off around 6:30 p.m.

Hornets lose to BV

Hornets hosted the Big Valley Cardinals Friday, January 16 but didn’t come out ahead. Varsity girls lost 21-36 and boys lost 55-63. Big Valley brought several outstand players that just ran the court.
Tuesday evening Happy Camp’s Indians played the Hornets. The girls came home victorious winning 39-37
Hornet’s boys ran into foul trouble early in the game, unable to maintain the momentum of the third quarter. It was a tough loss at 48-54.

January 29, 2015

News

SV Hospital board members reinstated

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday ended any doubt about the makeup of the Surprise Valley Hospital District Board of Trustees. The appointed Bunne Hartmann, Jim Laacke and Cindy Linker to the Board.
Those three were appointed in lieu of election since they all filed for another term in November and no one challenged them. County Clerk and elections officer Stephanie Wellemeyer said that was standard procedure and should have happened the first week of December. It was an oversight that it did not happen then, but was corrected on Tuesday.
In addition, president of the SVCHD Board, Jason Diven, Hartmann and Linker had resigned their positions in December, but sent letters to the Supervisors rescinding the resignations. Those letters were judged valid by the SVHCD attorney, as well as the County and all are re-seated.

Supervisors cautious about Treasurer investment plan

Modoc County Supervisors approved a resolution Tuesday approving delegation of the County’s investment authority to County Treasurer Cheryl Knoch, but not without some serious concern.
The resolution may come back at the next meeting for amendments, including an order to separate the schools’ funding from the regular treasury funds and a change in wording to continue using an investment advisor.
The County’s current investment advisor is retiring and Knoch has told the Board she would be making the investment decisions. She refined that stance to explain Tuesday that she would be using the services of two experienced broker-dealers.
According to Knoch, the brokers will send her offerings on a weekly basis and she will look over the offerings and discuss which ones looks good and “gather their advice on what will fit into our portfolio. The information I will gather: what the security will cost including principle and accrued interest, coupon rate, the yield, any calls, credit ratings, maturity date, etc., . . . I will make the final decision. My investments will not vary much from what is in our portfolio now. I am very conservative.”
The main concern of the Board of Supervisors is a lack of confidence in Knoch’s abilities and lack of experience in investing. They stressed they would feel better with an investment advisor and said she is going to have to earn the trust of them and the public.

Big Valley ambulance issue to vote May 5

Following a public hearing Tuesday, where no opposition was heard, the Modoc County Board of Supervisors voted to move forward on the Southern Cascades Community Service District election to operate an ambulance service in the Big Valley.
Modoc’s approval of the election, set for May 5, dovetails with the Lassen County Board’s approval. The District includes property in both Modoc and Lassen Counties.
The voters will be asked to form a Community Service District and a $65 per parcel tax, with a two-parcel limit, to create and fund the ambulance district. It will require a two-thirds majority to pass the funding portion. The election will be by all mail-in ballots.

MNF Supervisor filling vacant positions

Modoc National Forest Supervisor Amanda McAdams stated early in her stint here that she wanted to fill the many vacant positions on the forest. And she told the Modoc County Board of Supervisors Tuesday she is doing just that.
McAdams has been in the position for eight months and she told Supervisors she had filled about 50 positions in that short time. She listed a number of the positions and intends to fill even more to bring the forest to nearly full staffing levels. She explained the new hires have not meant an increase in her budget and was very excited to get staffing levels up to improve productivity.
Supervisors thanked her for increasing the local population and school attendance.

Modoc jobless rate ticks up

The Modoc December, 2014 unemployment rate ticked up to 9.7 percent, a normal seasonal activity. That’s down from December, 2013’s 10.8 percent.
According to the state’s Employment Development Department, Modoc civilian labor force numbered 3,410 with 3,080 employed and 330 unemployed.
That compares to December 2013 when the labor force was 3,570 with 3,190 employed and 390 unemployed. The jobless rate in October 2014 was 8.0 percent and in November it stood at 9.2 percent.

Obituaries—

Pauline Edwards
Pauline Edwards, a long-time Alturas resident, passed away January 6, 2015 in Alturas.
Pauline “knew just about everybody” during a period in her life while working as a local sales clerk for 40 years.
She was born Pauline Carpenter on April 26, 1929 in Grand Junction, Colorado. Pauline was an Alturas, CA resident for 64 of her 85 years of life.
Services were private at Alturas Cemetery. Arrangements by Kerr Mortuary, Alturas.

Bea Fulfer
Born Wanda Bea Duncan in Heavner, Oklahoma, March 26, 1933, she moved to California with her family in 1948 where she graduated from Modoc High School in 1951. 
She married Bud Fulfer, her sweetheart, in 1953 and they settled in Canby, California where Bea ran the restaurant.
Bea passed away in Sacramento, CA on January 23, 2015.
Celebration of Life will be held at the Adin Community Hall on Saturday January 31, 2015 at 3:00 p.m; food will be served. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Adin Community Park.

Helen Dodge
Helen Sophia Dodge, born November 5, 1928, passed away January 4, 2015 due to complications from Alzheimer’s. Helen was the second child of Cecil and Willetta Blevins and was born in Likely, California. She was raised on her family’s farm.
Interment will be later this year in Likely, California.

Edna May Talbott
Edna May (Beeson) Talbott passed away January 23, 2015 in Burns, Oregon. Edna was born March 23, 1925 in Eagleville, California to Somer Beeson and Georgie Cambron Beeson.
Graveside services will be officiated by the Rev. Ben Zandstra on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015 at 1 p.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Modoc County Historical Society, 600 South Main Street, Alturas, CA.

Ben Scoggins
Ben Elva Scoggins passed away at Mercy Hospital in Redding, CA on January 21, 2015.
He was born on January 11, 1961 in Phoenix, Arizona to Ronald and Betty Scoggins. He grew up in Redding and graduated from Shasta High School and Shasta College.
In January 2011, Ben moved to Cedarville, CA and lived with his mother, Betty. He went to work at Page’s Market as a point of sale employee.
A Memorial service will be held at the Igo Veterans Cemetery near Redding at a later date.

Sports

Modoc wrestlers rated high

The Modoc Braves wrestling team as eight wrestlers ranked in the North Section and the team is ranked seventh in the entire northern division.
Leading the ranking are 135 pound Steven Aceves and 220 pound Tristan Osborne. Cody Tiffany is ranked seventh with Brandon Hays, Lane Galvin and Tim Reed ranked eighth.
Last week Modoc won dual matches with Lakeview 48-33 and with Fall River 70-6. Osborne, Hayden Alverson and Alex Valencia each went 2-0 for the day. Leading the team in records this year so far are Tiffany at 19-6, Osborne at 16-4, Aceves at 16-5, Jarret Royce at 15-5, Zach Norby at 15-10, Valencia at 14-5 and Hays at 14-9.

Modoc having trouble in leaue

Modoc lost to Weed 61-53 Friday night in Alturas. Weed outscored Modoc 18-9 in the second quarter to take a 29-26 lead to halftime.
Fall River dominated the Braves Tuesday, 74-50. The Bulldogs led 21-8 after one and 46-22 by halftime. They slowed down in the second half, scoring 16 in the third to Modoc’s 14 and 12 in the fourth to Modoc’s 14.
The JV boys are playing pretty well despite two starters moving up to varsity this year. They are 11-4 overall and 3-2 in league. On Friday they met Weed, Modoc won 53-42.
Modoc played at Fall River Tuesday and had too many turnovers to come out on top, 32 to be exact. First quarter score was 21-6 Fall River and at the half 42-14 Fall River.  After the third it was 53-26, and ended with a score of 70-49.

Girls lose to Weed

Modoc’s varsity girls lost to Weed 51-27, never breaking into double digit scoring in any quarter.
Weed led 10-4 in the first and 25-12 at halftime. The blew the game open in the third leading 43-18 and added eight to Modoc’s nine in the fourth.
Modoc’s junior varsity team beat Weed 34-24. They led 14-5 at halftime and outscored Weed 20-19 in the second half. The JVs fell victim to Fall River 41-30 Tuesday.

SV drops games

The Hornet boys lost to Hayfork 63-45 and to Butte Valley 70-50.
The girls lost to Butte Valley 50-25 and lost to Hayfork, but no score was reported.

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE

February 5, 2015

News

Voters will decide fate of Big Valley EMS May 5

The election on the Southern Cascades Community Service District election to operate an ambulance service in the Big Valley is being set for May 5 as an all mail-in election.
The voters in the proposed district, with parcels in both Modoc and Lassen County will be asked to form a Community Service District and approve a $65 per parcel tax, with a two-parcel limit, to create and fund the ambulance district. It will require a two-thirds majority to pass the funding portion.
A similar measure was placed before the voters in June 2014 and failed by 44 votes. A majority voted in favor of the measures: 58.03 percent for the district and 56.62 percent for the tax in Modoc and 60.61 percent for the district and 59.83 percent for the tax in Lassen. The proposed district includes property owners in Modoc and Lassen Counties.
The District does not include any California Pines property, a subject that came up during a Modoc County Supervisors’ public hearing last week. A Cal Pines property owner said they can’t afford any more taxes. Cal Pines is included in the Modoc Medical Center Hospital District and pays that assessment.

Woman rescued after getting stuck in Warners

It took fire rescue equipment to get emergency personnel to an injured woman whose vehicle was stuck in the snow on Forest Service Road 31, following an accident Feb.1, about 9 a.m.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Janna Bennett, age 57, Cedarville was driving a 2005 Toyota Tacoma eastbound of FS 31 at an unsafe speed of 30 m.p.h. The road is not maintained in the winter and was muddy, with snow and ice packed with several snow and ice drifts.
Because of her unsafe speed for roadway conditions, she impacted a large snow/ice packed drift in the road
Because of the drivers’ complaint of back pain and the ground ambulance inability to safely respond through the extremely poor road conditions, the medics were transported to the scene via fire rescue equipment.
Due to the injuries and her location, she was transported from the scene by Mountain Life Flight personnel. She was taken to Renown in Reno.

BLM and Forest Service announce 2015 grazing fee

The Federal grazing fee for 2015 will be $1.69 per animal unit month (AUM) for public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and $1.69 per head month (HM) for lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service.  The 2014 fee was $1.35.
An AUM or HM – treated as equivalent measures for fee purposes – is the use of public lands by one cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats for a month.  The newly calculated grazing fee, determined by a congressional formula and effective on March 1, applies to nearly 18,000 grazing permits and leases administered by the BLM and more than 8,000 permits administered by the Forest Service.

Supervisor applications to Governor

Modoc District II residents interested in applying for that vacancy on Modoc Board of Supervisors must apply to the Governor’s office.
Several people have expressed interest in the positon.
Interested persons may log onto their website: http://gov.ca.gov - click on Appointments and follow the link that says Online Application.  All applications will be submitted directly to the Governor's Office.
Supervisor Jon Pedersen resigned that position at the last Board meeting. Applicants seeking to replace him must be a resident of District II.

Obituaries—

Dale Northrop
Dale W. Northrop, 80, passed away Jan. 22, 2015, at his home in Grants Pass, Oregon. A celebration of life is planned for the spring in Klamath Falls, OR.
Dale was born March 5, 1934, in Belfield, N.D., to Pete and Gladys Northrop.

Charles Battram
Charles Battram, 95, of Alturas, passed on Feb. 1, 2015. Mr. Battram was a Veteran of World War II. Memorial Service to be announced. Arrangements by Kerr Mortuary, Alturas.

Francis Watson
Francis Watson, 87, of Alturas, passed on Feb. 1, 2015. She is survived by her husband Bill. Service to be announced. Arrangements by Kerr Mortuary.

Paul Ash
Paul Ash, 85, of Alturas, passed on Feb. 2, 2015. A member of the Alturas Elks Lodge, his memorial service will be announced. Arrangements by Kerr Mortuary.

Sports

SCL wrestling Championships here this week

Modoc is hosting the Shasta Cascade League wrestling championships Feb. 6 and 7 at the Griswold Gym.
The Braves are heavy favorites to repeat as the league champions. Wrestling will start with dual matches Friday about 2 p.m. and the individual tournament will start about 11 a.m. on Saturday. Modoc Coach Shaun Wood believes the finals matches should begin around 2 p.m.
League teams in the event are: Modoc, Weed, Trinity, Quincy, Etna, Fall River, Chester, Tulelake and Big Valley.
The Braves are coming off the big Corning Invitational where they finished winning the small schools division and placed eighth overall. Wood said many of the wrestlers were a bit under the weather.

Modoc whips Burney, loses to Trinity

Modoc’s varsity basketball team beat the Burney Raiders last Friday 58-41 in Alturas. They lost to Trinity there Tuesday, but no game results were reported.
Modoc’s junior varsity boys trounced Burney 60-29. They led 13-6 in the opening period and 31-16 by half. They led 46-19 after three.
Modoc beat Trinity in Weaverville 44-43 Tuesday night. Trinity led 9-6 in the first and 23-21 by halftime, The Wolves went up 35-27 after three but Modoc fought back in the fourth for the win.

Modoc girls’ hoops

Modoc’s varsity girls’ basketball team beat the Burney Raiders 47-42 Friday night in Alturas.
Modoc opened slow, trailing 11-7 in the first period and 17-14 by halftime. The Braves outscored Burney 33-25 in the second half.
Pricila Madrigal led the scoring with 18; Beth Derner added 14 and Kelsey Sphar had 10.
Late Tuesday Trinity beat the Braves 47-27. Modoc shot a miserable 20 percent, going 4-18 in the paint. Madrigal led the scoring with 10.
The junior varsity girls beat Burney 40-33 Friday night behind Kylee Ward-Britton’s 19 points.
They trailed 8-4 in the first period, but took a 16-11 lead by halftime. They outscored the Raiders 24-22 in the second half.
Modoc lost to Trinity 37-21 Tuesday. They got down early and trailed 19-3 at halftime. Each team scored 18 in the second half. Kayla Lake led with six points.

SV Basketball Update

Hornets hosted the Dunsmuir Tigers last Friday and the girls won 38-29 with the boys losing 62-72.
Hornet’s faced off against Hayfork Saturday. The girls lost 41-19 and the boys lost 51-31. Homecoming is this Friday, Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. against the Tulelake Honkers. The “Hive” will be a buzz with students, alumni and supporters.

February 12, 2015

News

Supervisors approve office hour change

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to a request from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to change the Supervisor’s office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The change was made primarily to accommodate the Clerk’s change in childcare requirements. That change was effective Tuesday.
The Board also introduced an ordinance amending the Land Use Committee definitions and defining its role more clearly as an advisory committee to the Board of Supervisors. A second reading of that ordinance will be held at the next meeting for adoption.
The changes are primarily an effort to address some issues several people had with the committee over the past few months. Several new members of the committee opted to resign earlier.
Several people in the audience spoke against the changes, while several others felt the changes would be beneficial. Supervisors are supportive of the changes.

Tree stops big rig

A tree across State Route 299 was the culprit in a truck accident Feb. 7, at 3:45 a.m. 
According to the California Highway Patrol, Paul Edmond Batsel, 61, of Fallon, Nv., was driving a 2013 Volvo tractor-trailer eastbound on SR299 west of County Road 69 when it collided with a downed tree lying across the highway.
He was the only occupant of the big rig and was not hurt.

 JPIA agreement signed by Last Frontier Healthcare District

On January 29, 2015, Modoc Medical Center’s Board of Directors voted   unanimously to approve signature of the Joint Powers/Intergovernmental  Agreement that would exist between Lake District Hospital, Mayers Memorial Hospital, Surprise Valley Hospital, and Modoc Medical Center. The concept of developing a JPIA was broached at a public meeting that was held at the Niles Hotel on September 25, 2014. All four facilities were represented at that meeting, along with many members of the participating communities. Since the public meeting on September 25, 2014, leadership from each facility has worked hard to develop an agreement that is acceptable to all of the participating entities.

Property tax relief for wind damages

With the recent strong winds, anyone who sustained damage to property may qualify for property tax relief.
County Assessor Cheri Budmark states Modoc County has an in effect Ordinance No. 233, adopted pursuant to Section 170 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, providing for property tax relief for certain owners of property damaged by misfortune or calamity.
For tax relief as of the date of occurrence, the damage must be in excess of $10,000; the Assessors’ Office should be notified of damage in order to reflect adjustments in the property base year value as of the lien date (January 1).
Applications and information regarding property tax relief can be obtained from the Assessor’s Office Website (www.co.modoc.ca.us) under forms, visiting the office at 204 S. Court Street, Room 106 in Alturas or by calling 530-233-6218.

Obituaries—

Paul Ash
Paul Donald Ash was born in Alturas, California on August 11, 1929, to Arthur Caldwell Ash and Mary Belle Rice Ash
Paul passed away on Monday, February 2, 2015 at Modoc Medical Center due to complications from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Memorial service will be held Saturday, February 14 at 11 a.m., officiated by Dr. Ben Zandstra, assisted by Elks’ Memorial Officers, at the Federated Church in Alturas. A social hour will follow in the Fellowship Hall.

Francis Watson
Francis A. Watson, 87, passed away February 1, 2015 at Modoc Medical Center in Alturas, California. Fran was born to Dudley and Anna Brown on January 7, 1928 in Redding, CA.
Services will be held on April 18, 2015, at the Sacred Heart Church, Alturas, CA at 11 a.m. Fellowship to follow in the parish hall after the services. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the High Plateau Humane Society at First and Court Streets, Alturas, CA 96101.

Sports

Modoc dominates for 4th straight SCL wrestling title

To say Modoc was dominant in the Shasta Cascade League wrestling championships held Friday and Saturday in Alturas would be a gross understatement.
The Braves won the fourth straight title with 212 points, miles ahead of Chester with 110, Trinity with 95, Quincy with 89, Fall River with 87, Etna with 72, Modoc JV with 30, Big Valley 18, Tulelake 16 and Trinity JV nine.
The team under coach Shaun Wood has won 19 for the past 26 titles, at one point getting 10 in a row.
The Braves also cruised through the dual matches on Friday, beating Quincy 65-18, Trinity 61-6 and Etna 63-12.
“I was very happy with our performance,” said Wood. “We had 11 guys in the 14 finals and won seven of them. We have a week off and we need it. We have some guys who need some recovery time before the divisions matches.”
Winning SCL individual championships for Modoc were: Lane Galvin at 113 pounds; Cody Tiffany at 120 pounds; Tim Reed at 132 pounds; Steven Aceves at 135 pounds; Alex Valencia at 152 pound; Jarret Royce at 160 pounds and Troy Culp at 285 pounds.
Second place finishers were: Brandon Hays at 106 pounds; Hayden Alverson at 195 pounds; Tristan Osborne at 220 pounds and Allen Clark at 285 pounds.
Third places went to Josh Vierria at 120 pounds, Kyle Royce at 126 pounds and Robert Dowdy at 182 pounds.

Etna wallops Modoc girls

The Etna Lions walloped Modoc’s girls 50-35 Friday night in Etna.
The Braves fell behind 18-6 in the opening period and trailed 25-18 by halftime. The Lions outscored Modoc 20-16 in the second half.

Modoc loses to Lions

Modoc lost on the road to Etna Saturday 54-44. The Braves travel to Mt. Shasta Friday. The Bears lead the league and Modoc now stands at 2-7 in Shasta Cascade League play and 6-13 overall. The Bears defeated Modoc 67-64 in their last match up.

Hornets drop two

Tulelake beat the Surprise Valley Hornets Friday, final scores for boys 48-65, girls 30-36.
The Hornets lost Tuesday’s away conference game against Big Valley. Boys lost 55-72 and girls lost 33-49. Friday, February 13 both teams will travel to McCloud to play Happy Camp.

February 19, 2015

News

SVCHD board meeting canceled; CEO doesn’t produce financial reports

The Wednesday meeting of the Surprise Valley Healthcare District Board of Directors was canceled when Chief Administration Officer Richard Cornwell failed to produce financial reports requested by the Board.
Board President Jason Diven emailed Cornwell with a formal Board request Feb. 16, stating, “Given that we have not received any financial information of any kind from the district since November of 2014, I am formally requesting that you please provide the full financial reports to the board by 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 17. That will give minimally sufficient time for the board and community members to review the financial information, and have meaningful input for the Wednesday meeting.
On Tuesday afternoon Diven sent the following email to Cornwell: “Because you have not even responded, much less provided the financial report as requested, I am canceling the tomorrow's regularly scheduled board meeting - to proceed will only be unproductive. I am scheduling a special meeting to be held on Wednesday, February 25th. 

City Council proposes new Alturas Community Center

The Alturas City Council presented a proposal Tuesday to construct a new Alturas Community Center at the Youth Park, using funds from the John L. Wall Trust. It would be called the Wall Family Community Center.
According to the Council, the trust allocates over $2 million to the City earmarked for construction, improvement, repair and maintenance of its swimming pool facility and for other youth related activities. In addition, the trust allocates over $2 million to the Alturas Rotary Club for Youth Park activities or construction.
Lifelong Modoc and Alturas resident John L. Wall died Sept. 29, 2014 at the age of 67. His Trust also left substantial amounts of money to Modoc Medical Center, the Elks Lodge, the Sheriff’s Posse and the Cedar Pass Ski Hill.
The Council heard from a variety of individuals and groups at Tuesday’s meeting and will hold another public workshop March 3, 6 p.m. at City Hall to discuss the issues further. A committee will be established to provide input to the council.
According to Mayor John Dederick, the proposed community center would be about 11,200 square feet, and plans include ADA approved restrooms, a commercial kitchen, large meeting areas, a basketball court, and would also make use of geothermal resources as well as solar power. The Center would be open and available to many of the organizations in the community for a wide variety of uses.

Alturas host National Sheepdog Finals in September 2015

The top Border Collies in North America will be coming to Alturas in September 2015 to compete in the National Sheepdog Finals. These dogs will be arriving from all over the United States and Canada to compete for the coveted title of National Sheepdog Champion.
There will also be a competition for the National Nursery Champion (for dogs three years and under). All year long, handlers and their dogs travel all over the United States, competing in numerous trials hoping to accumulate enough points and qualify to be one of the top 150 teams to compete at the National Finals.

Biofuels plant in Lakeview possible local concern

The proposed Red Rock Biofuels refinery in Lakeview may be a cause of concern of Modoc County when it comes to transportation of that fuel.
The refinery will be built south of Lakeview and is projected to produce about 12 million gallons of jet and diesel fuel for the U.S. Air Force and Southwest Airlines. It will use about 140 tons of woody biomass from forests around Lakeview.
Red Rock was awarded a $70 million construction grant for the facility. That grant comes from the Navy and Departments of Energy and Agriculture.
Lake County Commissioners have approved the project, and an enterprise agreement between Red Rock, Lake County and Lakeview could be finalized soon. It is expected to be completed by the end of February.
Red Rock wants access to the Ruby Pipeline natural gas for the refinery. While that pipeline passes through Lakeview, the community has not been able to use it, citing economic infeasibility at this time. Heavy users such as the biofuels plant might make it more feasible for general population to take advantage.
The issue involving Modoc and Alturas will be the actual transportation of the fuel. At this point, it is suggested some of the fuel will be shipped from Lakeview to Alturas over the Lakeview railroad. That rail line has had safety issues in the past and also runs trough the XL Reservation along the north Fork of the Pit River. Local officials are looking into the issue.

Obituaries –
Charles Edgar Battram, Jr.
Charles E. Battram, beloved brother, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, passed away peacefully at Modoc Medical Center on February 1, 2015 in Alturas, CA.
Charles began his 95 years of life with his birth in Gibson County, Indiana, on October 15, 1919. 
The date of a Veterans Memorial Service and Celebration of Life at the Veterans Hall will be published next week.

Norene L. Hill
Norene Lily Hill passed away on February 14, 2015 at the Surprise Valley Health Care District in Cedarville, CA. She was born on October 17, 1925 in Jerome, Idaho to John W. Burgoyne and Nettie Bloomquist Burgoyne.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Surprise Valley Health Care District, the Surprise Valley Community Church or a charity of your choice. Services will be held Friday, February 20, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the Surprise Valley Community Church in Cedarville, burial at the Lake City Cemetery with potluck to follow at the Surprise Valley Community Hall in Cedarville. Services are under the direction of Kerr Mortuary and being officiated by Reverend Ben Zandstra.

James Fletcher
James Fletcher of Alturas, CA passed away on February 10, 2015. Native Cherokee services were held. Kerr Mortuary is assisting the family. Mr. Fletcher had recently moved to Alturas from Susanville, CA.

Tom Anderson
Tom Anderson of Alturas, passed away on February 15, 2015 in Redding, CA. Local painter, handy man. No services are planned. His obituary will be published at a future date. Arrangements by Kerr Mortuary, Alturas.

Sports

Braves heavy favorites for section small schools title

Modoc’s wrestling team heads into the CIF North Section small school division tournament as the heavy favorites for the championship.
They were the favorite in Division III to start, but because of school enrollment were dropped to Division IV. It’s almost unfair to the other teams.
The event is scheduled Saturday in Durham.
Modoc coach Shaun Wood said he has several wrestlers who should take individual tiles in the division, including Steven Aceves, Cody Tiffany, Jarrett Royce, Alex Valencia, Lane Galvin and Brandon Hays. Tristan Osborne is also in the mix, but has to beat a heavyweight out of Chester.
Wood also figures other wrestlers will place high in the event.
Wood is also starting his youth wrestlers program Feb. 23, 5:30 p.m. in the Modoc High Wrestling room.

Modoc girls fall to Bears

Modoc’s varsity girl’s basketball team fell to the Mt. Shasta Bears 59-37 last Friday night there.
Modoc trailed 13-5 in the first quarter and 26-17 at halftime. The Bears outscored the Braves 33-20 in the second half.
“Mt. Shasta is a tough enough place to play but to play them without the full services of the previous year’s leading scorer, Beth Derner, is a tough task.” Said coach Bill Hall. “We played okay, but could not score early on. We made adjustments, but could never catch up.”
Pricila Madrigal found her range and netted 12 points, hitting three three-point shots. 
Weed beat the Braves 58-31 Tuesday. Modoc fell behind 15-2 in the first quarter and trailed 25-9 by halftime. Weed scored 33 second half points, compared to Modoc’s 22. Derner led with eight points and Madrigal added seven.
Modoc’s junior varsity girls split in league action. They lost to Mt. Shasta 36-23, falling victim to a 17-6 Mt. Shasta fourth period. Modoc led 11-9 at halftime and trailed 19-17 after three. Kylee-Ward-Britton led with 11 points.
They beat Weed Tuesday 39-27. They led 10-2 in the first and 18-7 by the half. Modoc scored 212 to Weed’s 20 in the second half. Ward-Britton led with 11 points, Taryn Burns added eight and Boston McAdams had six.

Modoc boys have tough league season

The Modoc Braves varsity boy’s basketball team has had a tough Shasta Cascade League season, which they’ll finish against Fall River Friday night at home.
Modoc will go into the final game with a 6-15 overall record and are 2-9 in the SCL. The league standings are Mt. Shasta 11-1; Trinity 9-2, Fall River 8-3, Etna 5-6, Weed 5-7, Modoc 2-8, and Burney 0-11.
Modoc lost to Mt. Shasta Friday 76-53. They trailed 22-11 in the first and 47-23 at halftime. The Bears built that lead to 69-35 after three.
The Bears capitalized on Brave mistakes and jumped out to a 22-11 first quarter lead.
"We turned the ball over, which led to easy Mt. Shasta lay-ups," said Coach Keith Weber. "Mt. Shasta will probably be the top seed in the playoffs." Modoc could never close the gap. Alan Weber led the Braves with 20 points. Tyler Ewing added 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Weed beat the Braves 64-47 Tuesday night there. Modoc trailed 17-10 in the opening period and 30-20 by half. Weed outscored the Braves 34-27. Tanner Cook led with points and Ewing added 14.

SV takes out Happy Camp

The Surprise Valley Hornets girls basketball team won Friday's game against Happy Camp by a score of 47-40. Kylee Witcraft played an excellent game, scoring fifteen points, 3 steels, 1 assist and have a single turnover. Diana Lopez scored fourteen points, nabbing 4 steels and 5 assists. The Hornets played an outstanding defense, showing great confidence and only giving up 10 turnovers. The girls dominated the scoreboard; thanks to Gabby Castillo and Addie Townsend, each with 7 rebounds and Bayley Fee had 9 rebounds.
Unfortunately, the boys lost major ground in the fourth quarter and lost to the Indians, final score of 72-49. Both teams will play their last game this Thursday, February 19 at 5 p.m. in Dorris against the Butte Valley Bulldogs.

February 26, 2015

News

CDFW will not reintroduce wolf in state

While some concern has been expressed that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife would reintroduce wolves to Northern California, that issue was put to rest Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
CDFW Wildlife Program Manager for the northern region Karen Kovacs, said there is no confirmation of a wolf in California at this time and stressed the CDFW would not reintroduce wolves. She said they will probably come into the north state, but it would be through a natural immigration from Oregon.
The wolf known as OR7 who roamed California, including Modoc, for more than a year is now raising pups just over the state line in Oregon, wildlife officials have confirmed. But that wolf has stayed in Oregon.
Kovacs was in Alturas to update the County on the California Wolf Management plan, which is in draft form. She said the plan is being put together with three major interests agriculture, hunting and environmental. It covers most of the northern counties, which all have representation and public input.
The draft plan will be finished and out for public comment in the spring or early summer, Kovacs said. The public will have the chance to comment on the plan and make recommendations. At least one public meeting will be held in the northstate, probably in Redding.

Lakeview Biofuels plant hosts information meeting March 2

Last week the Record ran an article on the proposed Red Rock Biofuels refinery in Lakeview that might be a cause of concern of Modoc County when it comes to transportation of that fuel.
While there was little information about the project form Lakeview government to the Alturas City Council or Modoc Board of Supervisors, there is apparently now and effort to include the California side of the situation.
Red Rock Biofuels is hosting a Community Informational Meeting March 2, 2015 at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lakeview Senior Center, 11 North G St in Lakeview.
The concern to many individuals is the condition of the Lake County Railroad as a safe system to transport millions of gallons of jet fuel from the plant to the connection point outside of Alturas.

City hosts workshop on community center, projects

The Alturas City Council will hold a public workshop regarding the John Wall Estate and proposed community event center on March 3rd, at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall, 200 North Street. 
The John Wall Estate bequest will donate monies to the City of Alturas to be used for the Alturas swimming pool and other youth related activities.  It is the intent of Mr. Wall’s survivors that the money be used for positive activities within the City of Alturas.
Some time at the workshop will be spent brainstorming youth related activity project possibilities for the swimming pool, Youth Park, Junior Livestock Showground and Masten Ramsey complex and other areas within the City of Alturas.  Future projects will be selected from these efforts.

County adopts Land Use Committee changes

While a few members of the public expressed concern Tuesday that the County Board of Supervisors was abolishing the Land Use Committee, they passed an amended ordinance that simply removes the committee from the County code.
Supervisor Geri Byrne, an original member the Land Use Committee said the Board was not abolishing the committee or exercising a power grab, but was, taking steps to fix it operationally.
Supervisor Jim Wills said the code needed to be updated and that recent activity necessitated some changes. He stressed they were not getting rid of the committee, but were restructuring it as a better product for the county. The committee will still advise the County on land use issues.

Obituaries—

Larry Dunn
Larry Vance Dunn beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend passed away peacefully at his home on February 23, 2015 with his wife at his side. Larry was born in Susanville, CA to Edmund and Genevieve Dunn on August 12, 1939. His parents raised cattle and Larry grew up loving to cowboy.    
Graveside services will be held at the Alturas Cemetery, Monday, March 2, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. A celebration of life will follow at the Brass Rail Restaurant. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Wounded Warrior Project. Services are under the direction of Kerr Mortuary and are being officiated by Ben Zandstra.

Tom Anderson
Tom Anderson died at Mercy Medical Center in Redding, CA last Sunday, February 15, 2015.
Tom was a kind and friendly person and most of all he was a devoted and loving husband and father. He was born in Dodson, Montana on August 25, 1935.
Tom will be missed very much and by many others who knew him. There will be no services.

Betty J. Williams
Betty Jean Williams, 91, of Alturas, CA passed Saturday February 21, 2015, under the loving care of Warnerview Skilled Nursing Facility. Arrangements pending. Kerr Mortuary is assisting family.

Cheryl Hackney
Cheryl Hackney, 59, of Alturas, CA passed Monday, February 23, 2015. Family will announce arrangements. Kerr Mortuary is assisting.

Margaret Luna
Margaret Luna, 59, of Alturas, CA passed Tuesday, February 24, 2015. Granddaughters were at her side. Kerr Mortuary is arranging.

Charles Battram, Jr.
A Military Tribute and Celebration of Life for Charles Battram, Jr. will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hall, So. Main Street, Alturas. Mr. Battram passed away February 1, 2015 in Alturas, CA.
He is survived by his sister Mary, his children Sharon Smith-Laacke and Joe Battram, his grandchildren Phil Smith, Chris and Will Battram and Toni Ziegler; and his great grandchildren Maddie, Drew, C.J., Grady, Ella, Oliver, Karah and Zephyr.

Diane McNamara
Diane McNamara, 74, of Cedarville, CA passed peacefully on Friday, Feb. 20, 2015, with loving husband Ken at her side. Services will be private. Arrangements by Kerr Mortuary.

Michael Basic
Michael Basic, 91, of Alturas, CA passed Saturday, February 21, 2015 at home. Mr. Basic is a veteran of World War II, having served in the US. Army. Service is pending. Kerr Mortuary is assisting family.

Sports

Braves dominate small schools wrestling finals

Modoc’s wrestling team won the CIF North Section Division Four title going away and also outscored the Division Three teams to dominate the small schools finals.
They head to the Masters Tournament Feb. 27-28, at the Redding Memorial Coliseum. The top two placers in the tourney qualify for the state championships in Bakersfield, March 6-7.
Modoc wrestlers seeded in the Masters are: Steven Aceves, third at 134 pounds; Tristan Osborne, fifth at 222 pounds; Alex Valencia and Cody Tiffany, sixth at 147 pounds and 122 pounds respectively; Brandon Hays, seventh at 109 pounds; Jarrett Royce, seventh at 154 pounds; and Lane Galvin, eighth at 115 pounds.
The only seniors on the team are Tiffany and Aceves. Galvin and Hays are freshman. Modoc coach Shaun Wood thinks Aceves and Osborne have good shots at making it to the state finals, with Tiffany, Valencia and Royce in the mix.
Modoc took 12 wrestlers to the small schools championship last Friday and eight of them were in the 14 championship matches and 10 wrestlers qualified for the Masters.
“I was very pleased with our day,” said Wood. “We not only won Division Four, but also came out on top of Division Three. I look forward to the Masters. We should do well.”

Girls finish with win in SCL

Modoc’s varsity girl’s team beat the Fall River Bulldogs 44-39 to close out the season. They did not make the CIF North Section playoffs.
The Braves were 9-12 overall and 5-7 in the Shasta Cascade League. Final SCL standing are as follows: Weed 11-1, Etna 9-3, Mt. Shasta 7-5, Fall River 7-5, Modoc 5-7, Trinity 3-9 and Burney 0-12.
The Braves led Fall River 9-6 in the first quarter and 23-18 by halftime. Each team scored 21 in the second half.
Beth Derner led, scoring half of Modoc’ points, with 22. Kelly Schmidt added eight.
The Modoc junior varsity beat Fall River 36-24 to end their season on a high note. Modoc led 20-15 at halftime, and won the second half 16-9. Kaylee Ward-Britton led with 12 points, while Kayla Lake, Boston McAdams and Shelby Doss each had six.

Braves drop final game to Bulldogs

Modoc’s struggling varsity boy’s basketball team dropped the final game of the season Friday at home to Fall River 79-54. The Braves finished with a 6-16 overall record and 2-10 in the Shasta Cascade League.
Modoc did not make the CIF North Section playoffs. Final SCL standing are as follows: Mt. Shasta 11-1, Trinity 10-2, Fall River 9-3, Weed 5-7, Etna 5-7, Modoc 2-10, Burney 0-12.
The Braves were competitive in the first half. The score was 16-16 after the first quarter and Fall River led 31-28 at halftime. Fall River dominated the second half, scoring 48 points to Modoc’s 26.
"I was very proud of the boys," said Coach Keith Weber. "We shared the ball on offense and made Fall River work for their shots. Basketball fans can appreciate how hard the team worked. The boys never gave up."
Alan Weber led Modoc with 19 points. Tanner Cook scored 12 points, Tyler Doss chipped in 11 points, and Tyler Ewing added 10 points.

Pop Warner coming to Modoc?

An effort is under way to bring Pop Warner football to Modoc County for the Fall 2015 season to start Labor Day weekend. Pop Warner and other youth football programs have gained much popularity throughout the United States. Many communities surrounding Modoc County have initiated and have been playing youth football for the past few years.
The volunteers who are organizing the program would like to have all interested parents, possible coaches or assistant coaches, possible board members and potential players attend an organizational and information meeting to be held on Monday, March 2, 2015 at 7 p.m., at the Latchkey Building at 809 W. 8th Street, east of Alturas Elementary School. For more information call Ernie Givan at 530-640-3234 or go to Modoc Football league on Facebook.

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE

March 5, 2015

News

Positive ideas at City committee meeting

About 60 people attended an Alturas City Council work session and committee meeting Tuesday night at City Hall, and offered several good ideas and proposals for trust funds recently announced.
According to Mayor John Dederick, the overall attitude of the public was positive and several areas of interest were discussed, including the Alturas swimming pool, proposed event center, covered arenas, sports complexes, improvements to a variety of areas and additions to current facilities. He called the meeting a very good first step in the process.
The City committee will study each of the ideas, including those written on cards at Tuesday’s meeting and bring back a report and recommendations to the City Council. The committee will be expanded to include members of the public. Once the Council gets those recommendations, it will be able to make some decisions.
Dederick stressed that the City will be bound by the specific terms listed in the trust and any expenditure must meet those terms. In addition, the Trust wants to see the funds “hit the ground” soon.
The Alturas City Council has presented a proposal to construct a new Alturas Community Center at the Youth Park, using the funds from the John L. Wall Trust. It would be called the Wall Family Community Center. That center was a key part of the discussion Tuesday night. Just what would be included in the facility took center stage.
According to the Council, the trust allocates over $2 million to the City earmarked for construction, improvement, repair and maintenance of its swimming pool facility and for other youth related activities. In addition, the trust allocates over $2 million to the Alturas Rotary Club for Youth Park activities or construction.

Red Rock, Frontier Rail line try to calm concerns

Alturas Public Works Director Joe Picotte said Monday night’s Red Rock Biofuel informational meeting in Lakeview was helpful and very well attended.
Picotte said he came away feeling better about the entire project and specifically about the rail line from Lakeview to Alturas and to the Perez junction.
“Overall, the meeting went well and was respectful,” Picotte said. “There were a lot of questions and the answers seemed to be honest and calmed some of the fears. I feel better about the project and will be meeting with Frontier Rail’s Rob Didelius in Alturas Thursday to discuss our concerns here.”
Most of those concerns surround the safety of the railroad itself. Frontier Rail Commercial Director Paul Didelius told the Lakeview meeting that his company has put over $2 million into the rail line since they took over. Some of that came from company funds augmented by grant funding.
Didelius said the railroad has not had a derailment since they took over and they are very concerned about the safety of the transportation system. He also pointed out that the federal regulators have limited them to a speed of 10 m.p.h. on the line.

Road improvements to begin this spring on state route 299

The California Department of Transportation, CalTrans District 2, will begin road improvements along State Route 299 in and near Alturas this spring, from 0.2 miles west of Mill Street to 0.1 mile east of Oak Street.
Improvements will include eight-foot shoulders, from Warner Street to Oak Street, to provide additional width for bike and pedestrian traffic. New gutters and culverts will be installed to prevent standing water and ice and improve drainage. Paving will also take place in front of businesses between Juniper Street and Oak Street along SR 299.
The road will be widened to accommodate a left turn pocket in front of the proposed hospital on North Nagle Street. In addition, a radar speed advisory sign will be installed near Mill Street to help warn traffic as it enters Alturas.

County supports study of Clear Lake storage

The Modoc County Supervisors last week voted to support a feasibility study by the Klamath County Soil and Water Conservation Service for off-stream storage.
They are investigating whether using Clear Lake, on the Devil’s Garden, for water storage of the Klamath project and are seeking grant funding for the study.
Modoc will join with Klamath County in support of the KSWCD to help sustain agriculture in the Klamath Basin. “Dedicated stored water for agriculture, is the most important resource to maintain the long term agricultural economy of Klamath County,” a letter states. Even though there have been some studies done in the past on some of the possible 0ff stream storage possibilities, there are many unanswered questions pertaining to the current feasibility of these options.”
Modoc’s Clear Lake would be just a portion of the overall storage project and the study would help define what will actually be possible.

Death notice -

Mamie Delores Essex Berlin
Delores “Dee” Berlin of Alturas died unexpectedly at her Alturas home on Monday, March 2, 2015. Also known affectionately as “Nana” to family, Dee was born December 17, 1925, in Modoc County and grew up on her family’s Essex Ranch just outside of Alturas, CA. She was the mother of six sons and two daughters. Services will be held at a later date. Her obituary will be published in a future issue.

Sports

Osborne on to state finals

Modoc junior 220-pound wrestler Tristan Osborne is heading to the California State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield March 6-7.
Osborne took second place at the Master’s Tournament last weekend in Redding, qualifying for the state meet. He lost the championship match 8-3 to nemesis Tony Rogers, of Chester, and only the top two finishers in each weight head on. He and Rogers have met several times this year, with Rogers coming out on top.
“It’ll be a good experience for Tristan and he can win some matches,” said coach Shaun Wood.
“My goal is to win some matches and get close to placing this year,” Osborne said Monday. “Then get ready and place next year at the state level. It’s pretty exciting. I’m looking forward to it.”
Placing at the Masters Tournament were: Alex Valencia, fourth at 145 pounds; Jarret Royce, fifth at 154 pounds; Steven Aceves, fifth at 134 pounds; and Cody Tiffany, sixth at 120 pounds.
Two freshmen, Brandon Hays at 106 pounds and Lane Galvin at 113 pounds were just a match out of the medals. Modoc placed eighth overall as a team.
The Braves only lose Aceves and Tiffany from this year’s team.
Little Kids tourney March 14
The Modoc little kids wrestling tourney will be held March 14 at the Griswold Gym. Young wrestlers from the region, ages kindergarten through eighth grade, will invade Modoc. Weigh-ins will be at 7 a.m. and wrestlers will start about 9 a.m.
Modoc has about 30 young wrestlers on its team.

Modoc sports—

Wrestling – Modoc’s Tristan Osborne goes to the California State Championships in Bakersfield Friday and Saturday.
Baseball – Modoc baseball practicing, heads to the Colusa Tournament March 13-14. Head coach is Tim MacDonnell.
Softball – Girls practicing, head to the Anderson Tournament March 13-14. Head coach is Russell Turner.
Golf – Modoc goes to Trinity March 12. Head coach is Harold Montague.
Track – Practice started this week, first meet is the Burt Williams Invite at Central Valley March 28. Head coach is Bill Hall.

March 12, 2015

News

DA takes Sheriff to court in officer abuse case

Modoc County District Attorney Jordan Funk filed a writ of mandate in Modoc Superior Court March 9 against Sheriff Mike Poindexter involving Poindexter’s refusal to provide information in a case involving excessive force by an officer.
A hearing in the matter is set for April 2, 10 a.m. before Modoc Superior Court Judge Francis Barclay.
The issue involves a November arrest of Jason Colt by Sgt. Dan Nessling that Funk is investigating for possible criminal charges. According to the writ, the DA’s office has video evidence that “provided probable cause to believe that Sgt. Daniel Nessling assaulted Jason Colt (an unarmed arrestee who was handcuffed behind his back).”
“Penal code section 832.7 is crystal clear,” said Funk. “The District Attorney has an absolute statutory right to the sheriff’s internal investigation of citizen complaints, of evidence of peace officer criminal wrongdoing contained in the Sheriff’s internal files and of complaints of wrongdoing against a peace officer and any and all evidence generated by the Sheriff in his internal investigation or through the complaint process, (excluding compelled, immunized statements from a peace officer -- which we specifically exempted from our request).”
Funk continued, “The District Attorney has an absolute statutory right to these records and the sheriff has an equally absolute statutory duty to provide them on request. We made our 832.7 request and Mike Poindexter denied it. He is in defiance of the law. We had no choice but to seek a court order compelling him to turn over the requested information.”

Jobless rate up slightly

The unemployment rate in Modoc County moved up slightly to 11.7 percent for January, 2015, according to the California Employment Development Department.
That’s an increase from December’s 10.5 percent, but is down from January 2014’s 14 percent. The number of employed people, 2,810, was down slightly in January 2015 to January 2014 at 2,830. The difference was the civilian labor force had dipped this January to 3,170 from last January’s 3,300. The number of unemployed people last January was 460, compared to 370 this year.

Lake Railway plans to clean up Alturas tracks

Lake County Railway has agreed to pick up ties and debris from the Alturas repair project along the tracks.
Lake Railway’s Rob Didelius met with Alturas Mayor John Dederick and Public Works Director Joe Picotte last Thursday and toured the tracks. They stressed the need for the railway to pick up the discarded rails lying along the tracks and generally clean up the mess.
In addition, city officials wanted to make sure the track was safe and that the crossing at Fourth and East Street get repaired. The City and Lake Railway agree to cooperate on the projects.
Dederick said he would like to have the Federal Railway Administration to inspect the tracks before tankers full of jet fuel are approved for transport through the city. Apparently the FRA has not inspected the Alturas tracks.
Didelius said the train is limited to 10 m.p.h. through Alturas. He also said the company has replaced about 5,000 ties on the rail line.
On Wednesday, Picotte talked with FRA officials who said the main track is inspected at least once per week and the Alturas portion of the line should be inspected once per month.

Road improvements this spring on state route 299

The California Department of Transportation, CalTrans District 2, will begin road improvements along State Route 299 in and near Alturas this spring, from 0.2 miles west of Mill Street to 0.1 mile east of Oak Street.
Improvements will include eight-foot shoulders, from Warner Street to Oak Street, to provide additional width for bike and pedestrian traffic. New gutters and culverts will be installed to prevent standing water and ice and improve drainage. Paving will also take place in front of businesses between Juniper Street and Oak Street along SR 299.

Obituaries—

Mamie Delores Essex Berlin
Mamie Delores (Essex) Berlin, 89, of Alturas, passed March 2, 2015 with the love and admiration of her entire family. Known as “Dee” to many and known affectionately as “Nana” to family, she died unexpectedly at her Alturas, CA home.
Dee was among the first babies born at the Alturas hospital on December 17, 1925, in Modoc County.
Memorial donations may be directed to Modoc Motorsports Association, P.O. Box 477, Alturas, CA 96101.
A Celebration of Life, combined with a Family Reunion, for all who knew Dee, are being considered for June 2015. When date/details are known, the Record will inform. Kerr Mortuary is assisting with arrangements.

Peggy J. Bernard Dunn
On March 5, 2015, Peggy Jean Bernard Dunn, of Arbuckle, passed from this life to her eternal home in Heaven. She was 84 years old. She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Gene Dunn; her mother and step-father Maude and Virgil Highley of Burney, CA; brothers Danny Highley of Burney and Harold Bernard of Gridley, CA.
Peggy was born on April 1, 1930 in Klamath Falls, OR and grew up in the Burney, CA area.
The family held a Celebration of Life at the Arbuckle Christian Fellowship, 7th and Hall St., Arbuckle on Monday, March 9, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Peggy’s name to the Woodland Memorial Hospital or to the charity of your choice.   
Arrangements are under the direction of McNary-Moore Funeral Service FD-410. www.mcnarymoorefuneralservice.com.

Johnquill Pointere
Johnquill Carol Miller Pointere was born on January 22, 1931 in Fortuna, CA to Jess Miller and Ila Arleta Hearth. She entered into rest, after a lengthy illness, on March 1, 2015 at 10:45 p.m. in Reno, Nevada.
Johnquill married Randy Pointere on May 28, 1950.
There will be no services per her request and interment will be private.

Desiree R. Bell
Services for Desiree Rachele Bell, 27, of Alturas, will be held at Fourth Street Baptist Church in Alturas on Saturday, March 14 at 4 p.m. A potluck fellowship will follow. Desiree passed away unexpectedly on January 12, 2015 in Alturas, CA.
Desiree was born in Fallbrook, CA on May 12, 1987.
Kerr Mortuary assisted the family. Desiree’s ashes will join her parents’ in San Diego, CA.

Doris McKee
Doris McKee, 88, of Alturas passed March 9, 2015 of natural causes in her home. Her loving children have made arrangements with Kerr Mortuary.

Vance Rudolph
Vance Rudolph, 85, of Tulelake passed March 3, 2015 at home. Her daughter Peyton thanks everyone for their kind wishes. Kerr Mortuary is assisting with arrangements.

Margaret Jones
Margaret Jones, 91, of Alturas passed March 5, 2015. Family will hold private ceremony. Kerr Mortuary is assisting family.

Sports

Tristan Osborne goes 1-2 at state

Modoc’s 220-pound wrestler Tristan Osborne went 1-2 in the California State Wrestling Championships last weekend in Bakersfield.
He opened with a loss by pin to Bevan Brandt of Bullard. Brandt went on to get into the finals, winning five straight and placed second in the state at that weight.
Osborne pinned Marco Sarabia of Half Moon Bay in the second match.
He lost his third match to Kyle Jennings, 6-0, of Ponderosa.
“He drew a really tough first rounder, but he recovered and wrestled really well,” said coach Shaun Wood. “I was pleased with how he did, and he’s just a junior. He told me next year he plans on placing at State. He now knows what to expect.”

Modoc sports—

Baseball – Modoc baseball practicing, heads to the Colusa Tournament March 13-14. Head coach is Tim MacDonnell.
Softball – Girls practicing, head to the Anderson Tournament March 13-14. Head coach is Russell Turner.
Golf – Modoc goes to Trinity March 12. Head coach is Harold Montague.
Track – Practice started this week, first meet is the Burt Williams Invite at Central Valley March 28. Head coach is Bill Hall.

Little kids mats March 14 here

The Modoc little kids wrestling tourney will be held March 14 at the Griswold Gym.
Modoc coach Shaun Wood expects between 200 and 300 young wrestlers from the region, ages kindergarten through eighth grade, will invade Modoc. Weigh-ins will be at 7 a.m. and wrestling will start about 9 a.m. The event will continue all day.
Modoc has about 30 young wrestlers on its team and many of them are expected to do well.

March 19, 2015

News

BV ambulance subject of town meetings

The effort to re-establish Advance Life Support ambulance services to the Big Valley area will be stressed next week in Adin and Bieber community meetings.
The Adin informational meeting will be held March 24, 7 p.m. at the Adin Community Hall and the Bieber meeting will be held March 25, 7 p.m., at the Bieber Memorial Hall.
Organizers of the ALS effort want the public to get the facts on the issues and functions of the Southern Cascades Community Services District. They will discuss the effort to provide a locally-owned and controlled ambulance in Big Valley, which will provide Advanced Life Support Ambulance service and provide an ambulance for local events.
The election on the Southern Cascades Community Service District to operate an ambulance service in the Big Valley is being set for May 5, as an all mail-in election.

City setting up committee on trust funds

Setting up committees to deal with the John L. Wall Trust is in the process right now, but the actual committee has not been designated.
The City Council addressed the issue on Tuesday and said the committee would probably have five to seven members, with other entities also being consulted.
Councilman Jim Irvin said they are looking into setting up an application for projects, much like a grant process, but that’s still in the works. There are several ideas for use of the money, but no decision as been made on a lot of them.
The one thing the Trust absolutely requires is a lot of work on the Alturas Swimming Pool. The pool was specifically cited for improvements in the Trust and those funds will be earmarked once all is settled.
Several areas of interest have discussed, including the Alturas swimming pool, proposed Community Event center, covered arenas, sports complexes, skateboard park, improvements to a variety of areas and additions to current facilities.
According to the Council, the trust allocates over $2 million to the City earmarked for construction, improvement, repair and maintenance of its swimming pool facility and for other youth related activities. In addition, the trust allocates over $2 million to the Alturas Rotary Club for Youth Park activities or construction.

Modoc remains in record drought

Last week the Modoc County Board of Supervisors voted to continue the Disaster Proclamation because of drought conditions that was first passed in March, 2014.
According to the proclamation, Modoc is experiencing record drought conditions, “indicated by snow-pack in the area mountains being less than 10 percent of normal and Modoc reservoirs at critically low levels, at an average of 25 percent of less of normal.”
The County states that without substantial rainfall, severe impacts are projected for area township drinking water supplies, agriculture and “severe impacts are projected next year due to decreased crop production, by an estimate of 30 percent; livestock breeding stock reduction by an estimate of 40 percent.”

Ground Squirrel control with Zinc Phosphide

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has issued a FIFRA 24(c) Special Local Need (SLN) conditional registration for zinc phosphide on cabbage bait for the control of Belding ground squirrels in Lassen, Modoc, and Siskiyou Counties in California. As zinc phosphide is a restricted use rodenticid, growers will need to obtain a restricted materials permit first from the County Agricultural Commissioner’s office before they can purchase, possess or use this rodentcide for ground squirrel control. Growers meetings will be held at Cal Pines Lodge on Friday, March 20, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. and at the Surprise Valley Senior Center in Cedarville on Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. Directions for mixing cabbage bait are also available at the Modoc County Agricultural Commissioner’s office, for further information call 530-233-6401 or visit 202 West Fourth Street, Alturas, Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Secure schools, road funds in limbo

Not unlike most issues in the U.S. Congress, funding for the Secure Rural Schools and Roads program remains in limbo, caught between the Senate and House of Representatives.
According to Modoc County Resource Analyst Sean Curtis, who was in Washington D.C. two weeks ago to stress the importance of the program, the Senate has adopted a bill extending the program for a three-year period based upon 2011 levels. However, the House is leaning more towards a one-year extension of the program. That becomes a little complicated since the fiscal year is about half over.
Curtis said if the Congress extends the current bill, Modoc is looking to receive about $1.6 million, with 85 percent of the total being split between County Schools and Roads. The other 15 percent can be earmarked for local projects on federal lands.
“Right now, I’d say the chance of passing it for this year is about 50-50,” Curtis said. “The Senate bill did not identify a funding source and the House has not found a funding source yet.”

Obituaries—

Marie L. Roberts
Marie Lucy Roberts died on March 13, 2015 in Chico, CA. She was born on January 7, 1922 to Sebastiano and Maria Dalla Lasta in Dunsmuir, CA, where she grew up in the house that her father had built a year before her birth.
Services will be held in Alturas at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Friday, March 20 at 9:00 a.m. with burial immediately following at the Cedarville Cemetery.
Flowers may be sent to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 507 E. 4th St., Alturas, CA or memorial contributions can be sent to The Alzheimer’s Association, The American Cancer Society, or the Parkinsons Foundation. Kerr Mortuary of Alturas is handling arrangements.

Ava L. Williams
Ava Lena Williams, 56, of Ft. Bidwell passed on March 13, 2015. Her loving family has arranged for services in the Ft. Bidwell Gymnasium on Saturday, March 21 at 2 p.m. Burial in Ft. Bidwell Cemetery. Reception to follow. Kerr Mortuary is assisting family.

Cheryl Ann Hackney
Cheryl Ann Hackney, age 59, died peacefully on February 23, 2015 in Alturas, CA. Cheryl was born March 17, 1955 in Castro Valley, CA to Mac and Barbara McPhatter.
Cheryl loved this small town of Alturas. She returned here to live out her final years in the place she always called home.
Her surviving family will be celebrating her life by spreading her ashes this coming summer, along with her mother and father’s.

Sports

Modoc dominates at Nor-Cal mile championships

Nearly 60 Modoc Kindergarten-8th grade runners competed at the Nor-Cal 1 Mile Championships in Redding on March 7th.  Modoc won all three division championships in grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8 while also winning $1,100 dollars in prize money. 
Modoc has now won the overall championship the last five years in a row.
Nicole Yusumi became the first female runner to win the female title three years in a row while Jake Cuzack became the first 6th grader to win the male title with a time of 5:46. 
Other grade division winners were David Yusumi (5th), Gabbi Chaves (5th), Daniel Bratton (4th), Carly Bateman (4th), Jelianna Mento (3rd), Ryan Weber (3rd), Austin Davis (2nd), Caeili DePaul (2nd) and Khyli Vance Marcussen (K). 
Other medal winners were Hailey Hopkins, Adriana Haddox, Lexee Larranaga, Jacklyn VanSickle, Emily Gensel, Baylie Hughes, MacKenzie Hughes, Sage Cuzick, Tori Hughes, Allie Weber, Ryan Kupsky, Tucker Lowery, Collin Kupsky and Gabe Bateman.
Many of the runners turned around and then ran the three mile race where Austin Davis, Justin Walton, Troy Lewis, Jake Cuzick, Gabe Bateman, Carly Bateman, Hailey Quinn, Adriana Haddox, Hailey Hopkins and Emily Gensel all medaled.

Modoc baseball blanked in Colusa

The Modoc baseball team came up empty in the Colusa Tournament last weekend, losing all three games.
They opened with a 10-6 loss against Colusa. The game was tight with Modoc leading 3-1 in the fifth. But, Colusa scored six in the sixth and three in the seventh.
According to coach Tim MacDonnell, Alex Valencia was on the mound and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but lost some control. He got the loss, going five and a third innings, allowing six runs on two hits, struck out three and walked five. Valencia was 2-3 at the plate and Alan Weber was 2-4.
East Nicolaus beat the Braves in five innings 10-0 in the second game. Jarret Royce got the loss, going four and a third innings, allowing 10 runs on four hits, struck out five, and walked four. Travis McCulley went 1-2 at the plate.
The Braves lost the last game 5-2 to Willows. Willows led 2-0 through four, but Modoc tied it at 2-2 in the fifth. Willows won with a three-run sixth inning.
Weber got the loss, going all six, allowing five runs on four hits, fanned seven and walked three.
Leading hitters were Weber at 1-2, Grady Ingraham at 1-3 and Wade Schluter 1-4.
Modoc heads to the Maxwell Tourney this weekend, and MacDonnell said he saw some good things in the Colusa performance and expects the team to playbetter.

Brave golfers start strong in SCL

Modoc’s golf team finished first overall in the Shasta Cascade League match on the par 62 course in Weaverville March 12.
Ole Kyllo and Alex Rovetti lead the way with very nice rounds from the both of them. Kyllo shot 81 and Rovetti shot 89. Modoc plays at Lake Shastina Thursday and then travels to Chico on Monday to compete in the Pleasant Valley Invitational.
This year’s squad is very young and has very little experience.  Phil Thompson is the lone senior, with returners Ole Kyllo, Ashley Hill and Brady Deaton all sophomores. 
The rest of the team are either Sophomores or Freshmen: Jeff Bocanegra, Mavrick Farnam, Sarah Kyllo, Caitlin O’Malley, Jeremiah Brownlow, Jordan Rouse and Erik Schmidt. 
In Trinity, Thompson shot a 93, Brownlow shot 103, Rouse shot 115 and Deaton shot 116.
Modoc scored a 481 in the event, with Fall River at 510, Trinity 528 and Mt. Shasta 535.

March 26, 2015

News

BLM Consolidates Alturas, SV offices

Bureau of Land Management field offices in the northeast California communities of Alturas and Cedarville, have been consolidated into a single organization.
The newly-named Applegate Field Office will be headquartered at the BLM's current Alturas location, 708 West 12th St. The Cedarville office will be renamed Surprise Field Station and remain at its current location, 602 Cressler St. The BLM will retain its fire stations in Cedarville and at West Valley near Likely.
"We are not closing any offices or fire stations, eliminating jobs or requiring employees to move as part of this office consolidation," said Nancy Haug, the BLM's Northern California District manager. "Members of the public who rely on the public lands for their livelihoods and ways of life will see no change in their opportunities to use these lands or in the service provided by the BLM. This reorganization enables us to make more efficient use of funds by reducing duplication of services and streamlining overhead."

SV native dies in crash

A former Surprise Valley resident was killed March 21, 1:15 a.m. on State Route 299 east of Cedarville.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Phil Parriott, age 30, now of Reno, was driving a 1989 Chevy Blazer eastbound on the causeway and after exiting a left hand curve, allowed the vehicle to drift across the westbound lane and off the road. The vehicle collided with the alkali lakebed and overturned multiple times. Parriott was ejected from the vehicle as it rolled, causing fatal injuries.
Minor injuries were reported in a single-vehicle accident March 16, 5:55 p.m. on Bonner Street east of High Street in Cedarville.
The CHP reports that Nancy Teuscher, 93, of Cedarville, was eastbound in a 2007 Ford 500 at an unknown speed and allowed the car to veer off the road and collide with a communications pole. She was transported to the Surprise Valley hospital and treated for minor injuries. The car had minor damage.

Modoc jobless dips in February

The Modoc County unemployment rate dropped to 11.1 percent in February, down from January's 11.8 percent, according to the State Employment Development Department.
EDD reports Modoc's civilian labor force at 3,170 in both January and February, with the same number, 2,810, employed, but the unemployed dropped from January's 380 people to 350 in February.
This February's jobless rate is much improved over Feb. 2014 at 14.2 percent, when 470 people were unemployed out of a workforce of 3,290.

Secure schools funds get reprieve?

The Secure Rural Schools and Roads program have received a rebirth in the U.S. Congress, but nothing certain until the vote is taken.
"A two-year reauthorization of SRS has been included in the Medicare 'Doc Fix" that was filed earlier Tuesday," said Kermith Walters, County Superintendent Siskiyou County Office of Education. "This is a tremendous boost for our counties and provides sufficient time to develop a comprehensive management bill that will hopefully sustain timber dependent counties. There is a five percent ramp down for each year but it is retroactive, so we will be made whole for 2014."
Last week, funding for the SRS program was in limbo, caught between the Senate and House of Representatives.

Obituaries—

Robert K. "Butch" Vance
Robert K. "Butch" Vance died March 21, 2015 in Alturas. He was born January 6, 1941 in Ogden, Utah to Ella and Keith Vance.
Vance was a well-known Modoc resident, having lived here for over 50 years.
Butch was predeceased by his parents Ella and Keith Vance of Alturas, CA.
Per his request, no services will be held and the family will get together in the summer to spread his ashes as he wanted. Donations to the Alzheimer's Foundation are requested.

Milton "Milt" Irwin Atkins
Milton "Milt" Irwin Atkins, born July 19, 1936, in Redding, CA to Milton Earl Atkins and Leverna Marie Stevenson, was the fourth generation of his family in Shasta County. Milt moved to Alturas, CA in 1973 and took an active role in his community until he died at his Alturas home on March 23, 2015, due to Pancreatic Cancer.
There will be a viewing at Kerr Mortuary in Alturas from 5 – 8 p.m. on March 31.
Alturas Elks Lodge members will officiate the graveside service at Alturas Cemetery on April 1, at 11 a.m., followed by a potluck celebration of life at the Brass Rail Restaurant.
Donations in Milt's memory may be directed to the Alturas Rural Fire Department, 310 N. Rine Street, Alturas, CA 96101.

Elizabeth "Betty" Eppler
Elizabeth "Betty" (Beursken) Eppler, age 80 years, of Alturas, CA died March 22, 2015 in the affectionate care of Warnerview Nursing in Alturas. A memorial Mass will be held on Monday, March 30 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Alturas. Her loving daughter Raney of Alaska and daughter-in-law Gail Eppler of Alturas wish to invite all to a potluck reception in the Sacred Heart Parish Hall following mass.
Mrs. Eppler was born June 22, 1934 in Vermillion, Ohio. Her obituary will be published in a future issue.

Doris Evelyn McKee
Doris Evelyn McKee, a long-time Modoc resident, passed away of natural causes, quietly in her chair at her Alturas home on March 9, 2015. She was 88. Doris was born to Bertha and Fred Seyferth in Klamath Falls, Oregon on October 13, 1926.
Pastor Dewey Potter will hold a memorial service at the Church of Christ, Warner St., Alturas on April 4 at 2 p.m. A fellowship will follow at the Church of Christ. Feel free to bring your favorite potluck dish and share memories with all who wish to participate.

Margaret "Maggie" Luna
Margaret E. Luna, age 59, of Alturas, California, passed away Tuesday, February 24, 2015.
Maggie was born July 24,1955, in Bowling Green, Missouri to Mary and Virgil Miller.
A Celebration of Life for Margaret "Maggie" Luna will be held at the Alturas Veterans Park, at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 28. There will be a balloon release of Maggie's favorite colors, purple and blue, with special messages. Those who wish to bring sweets to share, are welcome to do so. A table and a cake will be provided. Balloons are available at Janet's Flower Shoppe. Please call 530-233-6941 with any questions or for further information.

Nancy E. Teuscher
Nancy Eloise Stickney Teuscher of Cedarville, CA lived a good life. She had made Modoc County her home for the past 47 years. Mrs. Teuscher died in Redding, CA on March 23, 2015 at the age of 93. Services will be held in Fort Bidwell, CA at a scheduled, later date. Her obituary will be published in a future issue.

Vance Randolph
Vance Randolph, 85, of Tulelake, CA passed March 3, 2015 at home. Daughter Peyton thanks everyone for their kind wishes. Kerr Mortuary is assisting with arrangements.

Phillip Parriott
Phillip J. Parriott, age 30, of Reno, NV was unexpectedly taken from us in an automobile accident in Cedarville, CA on March 21, 2015. He was born September 20, 1984, to parents Sandra and Sam Parriott.
A Funeral Service is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 12 noon at Ross, Burke and Knobel Mortuary at 2155 Kietzke Lane in Reno. Kerr Mortuary assisted.

Margie Cain
Margie Cain died on March 21, 2015 at her home on her son Jerry's ranch in Merill, OR, where she had resided for the past 18 years.
Margie was born to Chester and Elsie Spaulding on August 21, 1928.
At her request, no services will be held.

Klementine Rowland
Klementine Rowland, 91, of Alturas, CA, passed on March 23, 2015 at Surprise Valley Long-term Care, Surprise Valley Hospital in Cedarville, CA. Family says she will be missed and will make announcements at a later date. Kerr Mortuary is assisting family.

Mark Duff
Mark Duff, age 44, died at home in Susanville, CA on January 18, 2015. Mark was born May 17, 1970 in Southern California to parents Doug and Angie Duff, former owners of Brave Burger in Alturas. No services will be held and Mark's final resting place will be Alturas, California.

Sports

Braves win two in Maxwell tourney

Modoc’s varsity baseball team won a pair of games and lost one in the Maxwell Tournament last weekend. They travel to the Chester tournament March 27-28.
The loss was the American Christian Academy and the wins were over Fall River and Portola.
In the third game 12-2 loss against American Christian, the Braves got down 2-1 in the first and 7-1 in the second.  AC added four in the fourth and one in the fifth to seal the game at five innings. Modoc scored one run in the fifth.
The Braves opened the tourney with a 2-1 win over rival Fall River.
The Braves dropped Portola 6-1 in the second game with Royce getting the win.

Golfers top at lake Shastina

Modoc played March 19 at Lake Shastina and stayed unbeaten for the season.
Ole Kyllo led the way with a 93 followed by Phil Thompson with a 95. Alex Rovetti shot a 106, Jeremiah Brownlow shot 111, Dillon Gould shot 120 and Jordon Rouse shot 150.
Modoc won the team score with a 525 nipping Mt. Shasta’s 528 and Fall River’s 597.

April 2, 2015

News

DA, Sheriff in court today on abuse case

The court case involving Modoc County District Attorney Jordan Funk’s Writ of Mandate against Sheriff Mike Poindexter is set today at 10 a.m. in Modoc Superior Court.
Poindexter has refused, so far, to provide Funk information of his internal investigation involving excessive force by an officer.
Modoc Superior Court Judge Francis Barclay will hear the case.
The issue involves a November arrest of Jason Colt by Sgt. Dan Nessling that Funk is investigating for possible criminal charges. According to the writ, the DA’s office has video evidence that “provided probable cause to believe that Sgt. Daniel Nessling assaulted Jason Colt (an unarmed arrestee who was handcuffed behind his back).”
In a new twist, Nessling hired an attorney and has recently filed a motion in the case asking that his personnel records be sealed and thus unavailable to the DA’s investigation. He is also asking that court proceedings also be sealed from the public and press. That motion is scheduled for the same hearing today.

North state snow pack about 5% of average

The snow pack in northern California is about five percent of average according to the April 1 survey. The snow pack in Modoc is zero at Cedar Pass, Adin Mountain and Crowder flat stations.
There is some snow in the south Warners and in the north at Dismal Swamp it measures 25 inches, still well below season averages.
According to the State Department of Water Resources, the Sierra Nevada snow pack at six percent shatters the all-time low of 25 percent in 1977. The statewide water picture is looking very bleak and dangerous.
In Alturas, March recorded just .53 inches of precipitation, about a third of the normal 1.51 inches. And most of that came over just a few days.
A big part of the problem was the unseasonably warm temperatures for the month. Of the 31 days, the high was over 60 degrees 23 times. While March 31 ended with a high of 52 degrees, about average, the previous five days were well above average highs. March 26 had a high of 76 degrees (average 54 degrees), March 27 came in at 75 degrees (average 54 degrees), March 28 was at 64 degrees (average 54 degrees), March 29, 72 degrees (average 54 degrees) and March 30, 77 degrees, (average 54 degrees).
There are going to be some restrictions and water conservation measures taken all over the state, including Modoc this year.

Child rushed to hospital after fall in park cave

A five-year-old Klamath Falls child fell approximately 20 feet while exploring a lava tube cave at Lava Beds National Monument with his family on Friday, March 27. 
Park rangers were the first on the scene.  Emergency crews were contacted and the child was flown via helicopter to Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls and transferred to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland where he is now recovering. 
Lava Beds National Monument is investigating the circumstances of the incident. Of the approximately 135,000 visitors that visit Lava Beds each year, about 25,000 visit Skull Cave.  It is a popular cave due to its large entrance and ice floor.  There are no records of a similar incident occurring in Skull Cave.
While details of this incident remain unclear, this is an unfortunate reminder to visitors of the potential hazards of caving.  Exploring the lava tube caves is enjoyed at your own risk and safety precautions should be taken. Helmets, gloves, kneepads and long sleeves and pants are recommended. Always take at least one light and extra batteries per person and let someone on the surface know of your plans. Caves floors are not smooth or even and there are low ceilings, tight spots and level changes that may require difficult maneuvers. 

Snell is new Modoc Farm Advisor

The UC Davis Cooperative Extension office has a new Farm Advisor for Modoc County. Laura Snell accepted the position and started this month in the Alturas office.
Snell relocated to Modoc County from Norwalk, Iowa. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska in 2010 with a major in Water Science. She was able to teach environmental education to youth and families through her work at the University of Georgia Extension office during college. She returned to the University of Nebraska in 2010 to pursue a Master’s Degree in Agronomy, specializing in Range Science. After receiving her degree, she worked on a ranch in northern Nebraska managing research in post fire rangelands and forest ecosystems with cattle and bison grazing.
Snell’s specialty is livestock and natural resources, but she also has expertise in water and watershed protection and management. She is also very knowledgeable in range resource management and prescribed burning. 

Obituaries -

Joe L. Ontiveros
Joe L. Ontiveros, age 97, a 28-year resident of California Pines, passed away the morning of March 31, 2015, while recuperating following surgery at Renown Hospital in Reno, NV. Mr. Ontiveros is survived by his loving partner of 35 years Betty Howe. The couple had just purchased a home in Montana to which they were relocating.
Mr. Ontiveros was born Dec. 2, 1917 in Gary, CA. Plans for his memorial service and obituary will be published at a future date. Condolences may be sent to P.O. Box 164, Thompson Falls, MT 59873.

Janet Anderson
Janet Anderson, 73, of Cedarville, passed away at her home on March 30, 2015. No services are planned at this time. Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Curtis Barber, Sr.
Curtis Barber, Sr., of Alturas, passed away on March 30, 2015. His loving family will publish an obituary and announce services at a later date. Kerr Mortuary is assisting the family.

Juanita Smith
Juanita Smith, 82, of Alturas, passed away on March 31, 2015, in the loving care of Warnerview Convalescent Hospital. No plans for services at this time. Kerr Mortuary is making arrangements.

Doris Evelyn McKee
A memorial services for Doris Evelyn McKee of Alturas will be conducted by Pastor Dewey Potter at the Church of Christ, Warner St., Alturas on April 4 at 2 p.m. A fellowship will follow at the Church of Christ. Feel free to bring your favorite potluck dish and share memories with all who wish to participate. Mrs. McKee is survived by her daughters Carol Hewitt and Diana Vermillion and son Floyd McKee, II (aka Tod), all of Alturas; 16 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

Brian M. Layton
Brian Max Layton was born in Alturas, CA on February 22, 1957 to Bud and Kathryn Layton, and passed away on March 27, 2015 in Redding, CA at the age of 58, with his family by his side.
Per his request, no services will be held and the family will get together at a later date to spread his ashes. Donations in Brian’s memory can be made to Mercy Hospice or the American Diabetes Association.

Gerald (Jerry) M. Frament
Jerry Frament passed away March 22, 2015 at his home with his family by his side, after a battle with cancer.  Jerry was born June 22, 1944, to Frank and Marian (Louprette) Frament in Troy, New York
Services will be at 11:00 a.m., Friday, March 27, 2015 at Christ Lutheran Church, Libby, MT. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Endowment Fund at Christ Lutheran Church. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.schnackenbergfh.com.

Nancy Ann Peterson-Biconda
Nancy Ann Peterson-Bicondoa was born in Alturas, CA to Granville and Mary Peterson October 19. 1944 and passed away in Chico, CA on March 24, 2015.
At this time, no formal service is planned. Arrangements by Newton Bracewell Chico Funeral Home.

Nancy Teuscher
Surprise Valley mourns the loss of Nancy Eloise Stickney Teuscher, a resident for 47 years, who died March 23, 2015, at the age of 93.
A Celebration of Life for Nancy will be held at a later date in Fort Bidwell. Details will follow at a later time, donations in her name may be made to the Dr. Roberts Fund or other charity of choice.  Daughter Wendy will be planning this event and welcomes memories of Nancy and contributions community members would like to share, feel free to leave a contact name and message at (530) 279-6250.

Richard L. Barlese
Richard Lynn Barlese, 57, was born December 26, 1957 in Alturas, California to Ernie Barlese, Sr and Edith BarleseOn March 29, 2015, Richard passed from a heart attack and joined Ernie Sr., Edith, Steven and Tracy. May he Rest In Peace.
Richard’s brothers and sisters are planning a Celebration of Life at the Kerr Mortuary Chapel in Alturas on Friday, April 10, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. Kerr Mortuary is making the arrangements.

Spencer T. Fullerton
Spencer Todd Fullerton, 25, was killed in a single vehicle accident on Saturday, March 28, 2015 in Chico, CA. Spencer was a graduate of Modoc High School in Alturas, CA.
A full obituary will follow in the near future and a time set for a celebration of life will be published at that time.

Lorraine Hazel Mulkey
Lorraine Hazel Mulkey, 93, died at Lake District Long Term Care Facility in Lakeview, Oregon on Wednesday, March 11, 2015.
Lorraine was born to Jack and Hazel (Simpson) Papke in Fresno, CA on Dec. 21, 1921
A memorial service was held March 23 at Lakeview First Presbyterian Church. Private inurnment was at Sunset Park Cemetery.

Ava Lena Williams
 Lena Williams was born on March 1, 1959 in Alturas, California to Thacker Charles Williams and Rose Townsend Williams Falls, Oregon.
Lena Walks On on March 13, 2015 in Cedarville, California. Services were held on Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 2 p.m. in the Fort Bidwell Gymnasium in Fort Bidwell, CA. Officiator was Dennis Smartt of McDermitt, Nevada
Interment was held at the Fort Bidwell Cemetery. Reception followed in the Fort Bidwell Indian Community Center.

Sports

Track team off to good start

Modoc’s Varsity boys track team placed sixth at the Burt Williams Classic at Shasta Lake City on Saturday. This was the first time in over five years that the boys have placed so high.
Junior Jonas Collier, who won the triple jump with a jump of 36-9, led Modoc. Jonas also set a personal best in the long jump at 17-1.5
Allen Clark was fifth in the discus and Troy Culp placed fifth in the shot put. Modoc boys also had relay teams for the first time in over five years. The boys included Culp, Collier, Clark, Ethan Conger, Bailey Doss, Cody Tiffany, Zach Norby, Zach Fendler, Eric Van Acker, Michael Bratton, Jordan Wade, Jeff Gouveia and Sean Anderson.
On the girls’ side, Modoc’s depth in cross country and distance races shined bight. Freshman newcomer Taryn Burns lit up the track, winning the JV 1600-meter race with a time of 5:59. 2013 Shasta Cascade League Champion Stephanie Gouveia was strong in the 800 and 1600 meters. Emily Lowrey placed third in the high jump. Lowrey also ran the 300 hurdles as well as being Modoc's top 800-meter runner.
Coach Bill Hall said the girls will be strong this year, fielding a full sprint group as well as throwers and jumpers. Modoc girls are the defending league champs. Kelsey Sphar, Izzy Cervantes, Kayla Aarstad, Kylee Beneventi, Taylor Ryan, Annie Price, Megan Budmark, Madison Toomey, Cindy Cohen and Beth McMasters will join veterans Lowrey, Gouveia and newcomer Burns in defending the SCL Crown.

Softball goes 2-2 in weekend

Modoc’s softball team went 2-2 over the weekend, and topped some big schools along the way.
They beat League rival Fall River 4-1, scoring one in the first, two in the third and one in the fourth. The Bulldogs scored one run in the second.
Melissa Knoch got the win for Modoc. Kirsten Jones led the offense with a home run and Pricila Madrigal was 1-3.
Del Norte beat the Braves 5-2, scoring two in the third and three in the fourth inning. Modoc scored two in the sixth.
Knoch got the loss, as the Braves made four errors in one inning. Madrigal was again 1-3 on the game.
Coach Russell Turner said the girls played well except that one inning and faced a very good Del Norte pitcher, who controlled the game allowing just three hits.
They upset Yreka 5-4 in the next game. They went up 4-1 in the second and added one in the fourth. Yreka scored one in the second, two in the third and one in the fifth.
Knoch got the win on the mound, limiting Yreka to four hits. Knoch also doubled from the plate and Dawn Waterman and Jones each had a hit.
“They played great ball,” said Turner. “The team came together as a unit and were able to manufacture runs through bunting and two double steals. Yreka is a much bigger school with great pitching, but our girls adapted, played small ball, and came out with a win.”
Yreka got even in the next game, whipping the Braves 11-2. The Miners scored five in the first, added four in the second and two in the third. Modoc scored one in the first and one in the second, but were blanked the rest of the way.
“We came out flat-footed Saturday morning as a team and made seven errors,” said Turner. “Knoch pitched a good game, but Yreka is a good team that can hit the ball. Our defense was unable to make all the routine plays which allowed a lot of unearned runs.”
Macie Larranaga and Haley Valena went 1-2 at the plate, getting Modoc’s only hits.

Braves split in Chester invite

The Modoc Braves baseball team beat the Big Valley Cardinals 11-0 and fell victim to Chester 6-4 in the Chester tournament last weekend.
Modoc had no trouble with the Cardinals, with Jarret Royce pitching a shutout. He went all seven innings, striking out 11 batters, walked just one and allowed just one hit.
Modoc opened with a 1-0 lead in the second, added two in the third, one in the fifth and two in the sixth inning.
Alex Valencia went two for four at the plate with a double, while Jess Picotte went 2-3 and Grady Ingraham went 2-4. Royce, Tyler Ewing, Trevor Schluter and David Wheeler each had a hit.
Modoc beat the Lassen JV team in the second game 14-2 with Alan Weber getting the win. He pitched five innings, allowed two runs on five hits, fanned two and walked three. Picotte was 3-3 at the plate with Ewing 3-4, T. Schluter 3-4, Valencia 2-3 and Royce 2-3. Ewing, Picotte, Royce and Valencia all doubled, with Picotte and Valencia knocking in three runs each.
The Braves jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Chester and Chester trailed 3-2 in the fourth. Chester added two in the fifth and two in the sixth while Modoc got one run in the top of the seventh.
Valencia got the loss, going six innings, allowed six runs on eight hits and struck out 13. He walked three batters.
Picotte and Alan Weber each went 2-3 at the plate. Ewing, Valencia, T. Schluter and Royce each added a hit.
Valencia, Royce and Picotte were selected to the All-Tourney team.

April 9, 2015

News

DA, Sheriff issue continued to April 27

Modoc Superior Court Judge Fritz Barclay last Thursday denied a request from Modoc Sheriff’s Sergeant Dan Nessling to seal his records in the hearing involving District Attorney Jordan Funk’s investigation of excessive force in a November arrest.
Barclay also agreed to continue a hearing on Funk’s Writ of Mandate against Sheriff Mike Poindexter to April 27, 11 a.m. That writ is requesting information into the criminal investigation of the arrest by Nessling and other records. Poindexter has refused to release the information. The continuance was granted so that Poindexter’s legal counsel could be present. A representative of his legal counsel did appear by phone last Thursday.
Nessling’s lawyer, Joshua A. Olander, argued that he was not trying to seal the courtroom from the public, but was concerned about future information contained in Nessling records being released. He said Nessling’s rights to confidentiality need to be protected.
Neither Poindexter nor Nessling said a word at the hearing.
Funk explained that no personnel records have been released in the case to date, partially because Poindexter has refused to provide the records. Additionally, he would not release protected records in the future.
Barclay said that in cases of allegations of police officer misconduct, records are not always confidential and he did not see anything confidential that has been exposed. He was hestitant to infringe on the First Amendment rights of the public and press.

BV ambulance election into final push

The Big Valley EMS Working Group is striving to provide factual information to the voters in Big Valley concerning the establishment of an Advance Life Support ambulance services to the Big Valley area.
The election to approve the Southern Cascades Community Service District to operate an ambulance service in the Big Valley is May 5 and is an all mail-in ballot election.
The voters in the proposed district, with parcels in both Modoc and Lassen County will be asked to form a Community Service District and approve a $65 per parcel tax, with a two-parcel limit, to create and fund the ambulance district. It will require a two-thirds majority to pass the funding portion.
The measure was placed before the voters in June 2014 and failed by 44 votes. A majority, 58.03 percent, voted in favor of the district and 56.62 percent for the tax in Modoc and 60.61 percent for the district and 59.83 percent for the tax in Lassen. The issue failed because the funding portion did not receive the necessary two-thirds voter approval.
The District does not include any California Pines property. Cal Pines is included in the Modoc Medical Center Hospital District and pays that assessment.

State orders 25% cut in water use

Governor Jerry Brown has ordered a reduction of 25 percent in water use statewide, except for agriculture, in response to the extreme drought conditions across California.
The storms of this week will do little to ease the drought impacts.
While 25 percent seems like a large amount of users in the City of Alturas, it may not be quite as had as anticipated. Last year the state asked for a voluntarily reduction of 20 percent, and Alturas customers actually recorded a 22 percent reduction in water usage.
“The base year is 2013, so we don’t have that far to go,” said Mayor John Dederick. “We expect to get more specific directions from the state in the next couple of weeks. I’m sure the issue will be on the April 21 meeting agenda. We’ll be discussing options between now and then.”
The snow pack in northern California is about five percent of average according to the April 1 survey. The snow pack in Modoc is close to zero at Cedar Pass, Adin Mountain (one inch) and Crowder flat stations.
There is some snow in the south Warners and in the north at Dismal Swamp it measures 32 inches, still well below season averages.
About a half inch of snow fell in Alturas Wednesday and there were reports of three inches in the foothills outside of Alturas. About a half-inch was also measured in Cedarville. Cedar Pass collected some snow, estimated at one to four inches, and the SnoTel site showed four inches Wednesday morning at 7,100 feet elevation.

Eagle Peak wins bid on State Route 299 upgrade

Eagle Peak Rock and Paving, of Alturas, was recently awarded the bid for the State Route 299 project that will begin this summer.
Caltrans opened bids for the SR 299 project March 25, 2015; there were five bidders on the project.  The low bidder was Eagle Peak coming in at $2,108,210 which was 8.75 percent over the engineers estimate to construct the project.
“MCTC is pleased with the bid summary and that the construction is being awarded to one of our local contractors,” said MCTC Executive Director Debbie Pedersen.
Caltrans will hold an open house at the Alturas City Hall Council Chambers the afternoon of May 14, 2015 to respond to questions of business and public members. Construction will likely begin in June and be completed by October.  For additional information please contact Pedersen, MCTC at 530-0233-6410 or Eric Akana, Caltrans Project Manager at 530-225-3530. 
The project goes from Oak Street west and has been in the works for years. It will be a needed improvement to that stretch of road.

Obituaries—

Curtis W. Barber
On March 30, 2015, our loving husband, father and friend, Curtis W. Barber, Sr. went home to be with the Lord. Curtis was born March 27, 1945 in Daingerfield, Texas, where he lived with his grandfather, for his birth parents Rossie Mae Rivers and Ester Hurndon, unfortunately passed, when he was very young.
As Curtis was well known wherever he went, his memorial will be held May 9, 2015 at 12:30 p.m. at Veterans’ Memorial Hall, So. Main St., Alturas.

Juanita Smith
Juanita Smith, 82, of Alturas, passed away on March 31, 2015, in the loving care of Warnerview Convalescent Hospital. Juanita was born in Texas on February 11, 1933. Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Mildred (Pratt) Jones
Mildred Fern Pratt Jones, the daughter of Mabel and Grant Pratt, was born June 29, 1919 at the Reynold's homestead on Parker Creek, Alturas, California.  She was the fourth generation of her family in Modoc County.
Mildred passed away at the McCall Rehab and Care Center, McCall, Idaho on November 11, 2014 at the age of 95.  A Celebration of Life service is planned April 24, 2015, 11:00 am at Surprise Valley Community Church, 405 Bonner Street, Cedarville, California. A potluck dinner is to follow.  In lieu of flowers we suggest you donate to a charity of your choice.

Melva “Joyce” Stegman
Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, Melva “Joyce” (Sculley) Stegman, passed away peacefully in her Klamath Falls, Oregon home from natural causes, Sunday, April 5, 2015. A mass of the resurrection will be held on Friday, April 10, 2015 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Alturas, CA. Holy Rosary will be held today, Thursday at 4 p.m. at Sacred Heart.
Joyce was born August 11, 1939, in Utica, Kansas and was the third child of Bernard and Lavilla Sculley (both deceased).

Richard L. Barlese
A Celebration of Life for Richard L. Barlese will be held at the Kerr Mortuary Chapel in Alturas on Friday, April 10 at 11:00 a.m. Kerr Mortuary is making the arrangements. Richard was born in Alturas to Ernie Barlese, Sr. and Edith Barlese. He was the oldest of 11 children.

Randy Faver
Randy Faver, 76, of California Pines, passed April 4, 2015, at his home. His loving wife Joy and family will hold private services. Kerr Mortuary in Alturas is handling arrangements.

Bryan Jamar
Sonoma County Judge Roy Bryan Jamar died of Lou Gerig’s Disease March 22, 2015, in Santa Rosa, CA at the age of 80. He was born April 15, 1934, in Richland Springs, Texas.
Interment is private, but a public celebration of his life is scheduled for April 25, 2015 at the Wild Oak Saddle Club in Sonoma County at 1:30 p.m. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the ALS Association Golden West Chapter, P.O. Box 565, Agoura Hills, CA 91376.

Sports

Braves happy with pre-season, start league Tuesday

Modoc’s baseball team finished the preseason with a 13-5 win over Lakeview and will open Shasta Cascade League play April 14 at Mt. Shasta.
“I’m pretty optimistic about our league this year,” said coach Tim MacDonnell. “It’s going to be a dogfight and I believe there are five teams that have a legitimate shot to win league this year. We will be right in the middle of that fight. I really believe our strength in pitching will be a huge key in giving us a advantage over many of our league opponents.”
The Braves had no trouble against Lakeview with Jarrett Royce getting the 13-5 win in relief of Alex Valencia. Royce went four innings, allowing no runs on one hit, fanned five and walked three. Valencia started on the mound and went three innings, allowing five runs on four hits, struck out four and walked one.
Modoc was trailing 5-3 when Royce got the ball. Modoc scored two in the first, one in the second and Lakeview scored all five runs in the third. The Braves added seven in the fourth, one each in the fifth, sixth and seventh.
The Braves had 17 hits in the game and made four errors. Lakeview had just five hits.
Leading at the plate were Tyler Ewing and David Wheeler going 3-4; Valencia and Royce 3-5; Trevor Schluter 2-3 and Jess Picotte 2-5. Valencia had two doubles, Wheeler and Tyler Doss each had one and Royce had a triple.
Royce also knocked in four runs, while Picotte, Valencia and Schluter knocked in two each.

Lakeview nips Modoc girls

The Lakeview Honkers just nipped the Modoc softball team 5-4 in their final preseason game. They open the Shasta Cascade League season at Mt. Shasta April 14.
The game went into extra innings. The teams were tied at 1-1 in the first and Lakeview led 2-1 in the second. The Braves took a 4-2 lead in the third and Lakeview tied it in the sixth. Neither team scored in the seventh and the Honkers won it with one in the eighth.
Melissa Knoch got the loss for the Braves. Leading hitters for the Braves were Pricila Madrigal 2-3, Mattea Wilson 2-4, Dawn Waterman 1-3 and Haley Valena 1-3. Macie Larranaga was 1-4 with a triple.

Track team improving stats

The Modoc Braves track team went into spring break with one goal in mind -- have an early season record day and peak before the break.
Modoc athletes accomplished both as over 40 personal season records were set by 22 athletes.
The team was led by Allen Clark and Jonas Collier on the boys’ side. Collier jumped 18 feet in the long jump, while making the finals in the triple jump. Clark tossed the discus 109-7 and chucked the shot 39 feet.
On the girls’ side Emily Lowrey dropped her 800 time to 2:45. The Braves take a week off and next head to Central Valley April 18 to participate in a large school meet called the John Frank. Modoc will not face division five schools exclusively until the league meet on May 13.

April 16, 2015

News

County supports Klamath Settlement Agreements

More than 25 farmers from the Tulelake Basin packed the Modoc County Supervisors meeting Tuesday, asking for support of the Klamath Settlement Agreements.
The Board listened to statements from the farmers and water district personnel and voted unanimously to support the agreement package and send a letter of that support to Congressman Doug LaMalfa.
Several of the speakers said that these agreements protect the various interests in the water of the basin and also would provide more predictable water supplies for farmers in dry years.
The agreement means Klamath Basin farmers and ranchers will receive increased water supply security, the Klamath River Tribes and other parties obtain restoration of fisheries, including the future removal of four dams, and customers in the west served by the privately owned (Pacific Power) hydroelectric dams are protected from uncertain costs of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing conditions.
The agreements signed in 2010 and expanded in 2014 are aimed at resolving water conflicts over water rights, fisheries, dam-relicensing and would end decades of litigation and division.
According to the farmers and ranchers who spoke Tuesday, these agreements are addressing what will save a lot of agriculture in the area. One person said this was actually a “life and death” issue for the agriculture community and economy.

County signs contract for Sheriff’s lawyer in abuse case

On Tuesday the Modoc County Board of Supervisors agreed to an amended contract with Rains, Lucia, Stern to provide legal representation for Sheriff Mike Poindexter in the officer abuse case involving Sergeant Dan Nessling.
The County had agreed weeks ago to spend up to $3,000 for Poindexter’s legal counsel, and that limit remains in this contract, except it states that “We will notify your office (county counsel) when we have reached $3,000, so that you can bring it back to the Board for approval.”
That didn’t sit well for Supervisors, especially Jim Wills. “I have heartburn here that we’re spending tax dollars to sue ourselves,” he said. “It’s blatantly obvious what the law says in this issue.” He felt the law did not support Poindexter’s views. Wills is a former California Highway Patrol Commander in Alturas.
Supervisor Geri Byrne asked whether some of the $3,000 limit could have been eaten up by the time it took to secure the contract. County Counsel Margaret Long said she will deal with that issue if it comes up. 
It took so long to approve the contract because of differences of opinion as to what the scope of the representation would involve. The County has been firm in what that scope entailed.

BV ambulance issue voters are active

Voters in the Big Valley area now casting ballots in the election to approve the Southern Cascades Community Service District to operate an ambulance service in the Big Valley
The election day is May 5 and is an all mail-in ballot election. All ballots must be into the elections office on May 5.
The voters in the proposed district, with parcels in both Modoc and Lassen County are being be asked to form a Community Service District and approve a $65 per parcel tax, with a two-parcel limit, to create and fund the ambulance district. It will require a two-thirds majority to pass the funding portion.
The Big Valley EMS Working Group is working hard on getting correct information to the voters.
There are people who are opposed to the district and the tax.
They proponents of the issue say people are becoming aware of the importance of having ambulance service much closer than Mayer’s Memorial in Fall River or Modoc Medical Center in Alturas, The District ambulance would be stationed in Adin.
The District will have a five member Board of Directors, representing both Lassen and Modoc Counties.

Modoc-Washoe Stewardship Committee Meets April 23

Natural resource conservation topics affecting northeast California’s Warner Mountains and northwest Nevada’s high desert are on the agenda for a meeting of the Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship Steering Committee, Thursday, April 23, at 9 a.m., at the Bureau of Land Management Surprise Field Station, 602 Cressler St. in Cedarville.  The public is welcome.
Agenda items include reports from member agencies, discussion about a recent sage-steppe workshop, a report from the Lassen 15 technical review team, an update on sage-grouse conservation activities and a report on drought impacts.  Also on the agenda are a retired worker report, an update on Natural Resource Conservation Service programs and a report on wild horse management on public lands.
Time for public comment has been reserved for 3 p.m.  Those unable to attend can participate via teleconference.  The call-in number is (888) 395-5718; the passcode is 31217.

Obituaries—

Spencer Fullerton        
Spencer Todd Fullerton, 24, passed away on March 28, 2015 in Chico, CA.
Spencer was born on July 20, 1990 in Glendora, CA. He spent part of his childhood in Southern California and Maui, Hawaii, before moving permanently to Alturas in 1995.
A Celebration of Life will be planned at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Spencer’s name may be made to the Modoc High School Football Team Equipment fund.

Joe L. Ontiveros
Joe L. Ontiveros, 97 of Alturas, CA went to be with his Lord and Savior peacefully on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at Renown Hospital in Reno, NV.
He was born December 2, 1917 to Lesandro and Katie Ontiveros in Garey, CA, a little town close to Santa Maria.
A Celebration of Joe's life will be held on Saturday, June 6 at the Veteran’s Hall in Alturas, CA at 2 p.m.

Janet Carla Anderson
Janet Carla Anderson passed away on March 30, 2015 at her home in Cedarville, California. She was born in Wellsville, Columbiana, Ohio on September 5, 1941 to Carl Edward and Helda Mae (Hendricks) Steffen
Services will be held in Cedarville at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meeting house on April 18, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. A potluck reception will be held at the VFW Hall following the service. The family is providing the meat. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the VFW or the VFW Women’s Auxiliary.

Mildred (Pratt) Jones
A Celebration of Life for Mildred (Pratt) Jones is planned April 24, 2015, 11:00 a.m. at Surprise Valley Community Church, 405 Bonner Street, Cedarville, CA. A potluck dinner is to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to a charity of your choice. Mrs. Jones passed away in McCall, Idaho November 11, 2014 at the age of 95.

Francis A. Watson
Services will be held for Francis A. Watson on April 18, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Alturas, CA.
Francis was the wife of Bill Watson and the mother of Bernie Banister, Dennis Banister and Rob Higgins.

Anne Hurdle Bailes
Anne Hurdle Bailes was born Sarah Anne Aiken on January 10, 1929 in Miami, FL and passed away on April 9, 2015 in Houston, TX
In keeping with her life’s work in healthcare, she willed her remains to the Baylor College of Medicine. For those wishing to make a memorial gift, the family thanks you in advance for supporting Love A Child, Inc. (loveachild.com) where contributions can be made on the website or mailed to P. O Box 60063, Fort Myers, FL 33906.

Wyatt Marshall Cody Compton
Wyatt passed away peacefully on April 10, 2015 at Modoc Medical Center, surrounded by family and friends.
Wyatt was born on September 27, 2014 and blessed Terez Cody Compton with motherhood. In six months, Wyatt touched many lives and was full of unconditional love.
Kerr Mortuary of Alturas is handling the arrangements. Services to be announced in next week’s edition.

Fred Morley
Fred Morley, 76, of Alturas passed April 10, 2015 in Chico, CA. He was born in Reno, NV in 1938. His loving family will announce private services at a later date. Kerr Mortuary is assisting family.

Wayne Travis Osteen, Jr.
Wayne Travis “Bubba,” Osteen, Jr., passed away April 8, 2015 at the age of 50 in Alturas, CA. He was born February 13, 1965 in Dade City, Florida
Services will be held at a later date. Kerr Mortuary is assisting with arrangements.

Sports

Modoc Motorsports gets season going

The Modoc Motorsports Association held its first formal practice session at the Alturas Motorcross Park Saturday, and racers from all over the region showed up for a great day and barbecue at the close.
According to organizers, there were 20 racers from Modoc, and more from Susanville, Bly, Bonanza, Fall River, Burney, and other communities.
The race schedule here is as follows: May 2-3, June 27-28, August 1-2, Sept. 12-13 and Oct. 10-11.
In addition, the formal practice sessions are scheduled as follows: May 17, June 20, July 18, August 22 and Sept. 26.
Modoc Motorsports Association is a non-profit organization that was established in 2007. A membership of over 60 families and individuals make up the heart of the organization. A Board of Directors is elected by the membership annually.
Current Board members are John Sweet, Jeff Fredrick, Monica Vierria, Keith Moore and Rick Malcolm.
The Alturas Motorcross Park is located at the west end of Fourth Street, just east of the Alturas Mill site.

Braves split in SCL opener

The Modoc Braves baseball team split with the Mt. Shasta Bears to open the Shasta Cascade League Tuesday.
The Braves won the fist game 3-1 behind Alex Valencia’s seven innings, where he allowed the one run on just two hits, fanned 12 and didn’t walk a batter.
Leading Modoc’s offense were Jess Picotte 2-3, Valenica, Jarret Royce and Grady Ingraham 1-3.
Modoc lost the second game 5-0. Royce got the loss, going six innings, allowing five runs on nine hits, struck out five and walked two. Trevor Schluter got the only hit for the Braves.

Softball drops two to Bears

Modoc’s softball team lost both games to the Bears Tuesday.
Melissa Knoch got the loss in the opening game 5-1, with the Bears hitting three home runs in the game.
Neither team scored in the first two innings and the Bears took a 3-1 lead in the third and added two in the fifth.
Pricila Madrigal doubled for the only run batted in for the game and Knoch had a single.
The Braves lost the second game 16-6 with Knoch again getting the loss. The Bears again hit three home runs and slammed the ball all afternoon.
Mattea Wilson led the offense with a 2-4 day, while Kirsten Jones, Madrigal, Knoch each had one hit.

April 23, 2015

News

Major fires destroy two Modoc homes

One major home fire destroyed a home on Pheasant Drive in Modoc Estates April 15 and another fire April 17 caused major damage to a Lucy Lane home in Daphnedale. No one was injured in either fire.
According to Alturas Rural Fire Chief Otis Sommers, the April 15 fire occurred at the Greg and Chante Jones home and it was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived.
On April 17, neighbors reported hearing some sort of explosion in the Lucy Lane home fire. Sommers said the cause of that fire is also under investigation and the fire inspector from Susanville arrived that evening to assess the situation. The home is owned by Jeanne DeKlerk.
Sommers said it appears a travel trailer on the outside of the home was the origin of the fire which then spread to the home. Sommers said a propane tank got heated and vented through the release valve, which added to the flames.
That home fire was burning very hot when firefighters arrived. The fire destroyed the trailer and caused heavy damage to the deck and one large room and the roof. There was also major smoke damage throughout the home.

Sheriff wants DA removed for bias in Nessling case

Modoc County Sheriff Mike Poindexter’s defense in officer abuse case involving Sergeant Dan Nessling, is to formally ask the judge to remove the District Attorney because of bias against his office.
That issue will be addressed at a hearing of DA Jordan Funk’s Writ of Mandate April 27, 11 a.m. in Modoc Superior Court. Poindexter’s legal counsel wants Funk removed and the investigation information Funk is seeking turned over to the State Attorney General’s Office for investigation.
Funk vigorously opposes that motion and will file a rebuttal to Poindexter’s claims Monday.
Modoc Superior Court Judge Fritz Barclay earlier agreed to continue a hearing on Funk’s Writ of Mandate against Poindexter to April 27. That writ is requesting information into the criminal investigation of the arrest by Nessling and other records. Poindexter has refused to release the information. The continuance was granted so that Poindexter’s legal counsel could be present.
At the first hearing, Barclay denied Nessling’s request that his personnel records would be sealed. Barclay said that in cases of allegations of police officer misconduct, records are not always confidential and he did not see anything confidential that has been exposed. He was hesitant to infringe on the First Amendment rights of the public and press.

Beatty found guilty on serious assault charges

On Thursday a two-day jury trial involving Joshua Beatty ended with a guilty verdict.
He was charged and convicted of penal code 245(a)(4) (assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury), penal code 243(d) (battery with serious bodily injury) and an enhancement for using a deadly or dangerous weapon and another enhancement for personally inflicting great bodily injury on victim Jeffrey Larsen. 
Judge Francis Barclay presided over the trial.  Mr. Beatty was represented at trial by Lakeview Oregon attorneys Jeffrey Hedlund and Pamela Frazier of the law firm of Bogardus and Hedlund.
A sentencing hearing is set for May 26 and the defendant is eligible for a sentence of up to eight years in state prison. 

Council forms committees for event center, pool

The Alturas City Council formed one committee and set up two others concerning the John Wall Trust funding Tuesday.
A full house of community members and concerned public attended the meeting.
The first committee formed at the recommendation of Councilman Jim Irvin, who was charged with coming up with the model, was the Community Center Committee. The committee membership includes Mayor John Dederick and Councilman Irvin, and citizens Heather Hadwick, Carol Sharp and Debbie Pedersen.
The City Pool committee will have councilmembers Cheryl Nelson and Mark Steffek as members and they will appoint the three community members.
A third committee will be the Youth Park Advisory Committee and will consist of representatives of the various groups who use the Youth Park facilities. That committee can recommend projects for the Youth Park.
Mayor John Dederick told the crowd that the original proposal to locate the Community Center in the Youth Park parking lot between the Junior Livestock Grounds and the ball fields has been abandoned and other locations are under study.

March jobless rate drops to 10.4%

Modoc’s unemployment rate for March 2015 dropped to 10.4 percent from February’s 11.1 percent, according to the California Employment Development Department.
The March 2015 rate is much better than last year when the unemployment rate was 13.6 percent. The bad sign for Modoc is the civilian labor force in March 2014 was 3,340 and this year it dipped to 3,180, a difference of 160 people. The number of employed last March was 2,890 and the unemployed numbered 460. This March there were 2,850 people employed with 330 unemployed.

Obituaries—

Charles “Chuck” Simmons
Charles "Chuck" Simmons left us far too soon on April 17, 2015.
Born in Burney, CA on July 23, 1957 to Enoch (Shorty) and Wilma Simmons, Chuck spent and enjoyed his entire life in Big Valley
In lieu flowers please play your money at your local gambling Casino, or make donations to the Adin Park.
A celebration of life will be held at the Adin Community Center on Friday, April 24 at 1:00 p.m.

Wayne Travis Osteen, Jr.
Wayne Travis “Bubba,” Osteen, Jr., passed away April 8, 2015 at the age of 50 in Alturas, CA. He was born February 13, 1965 in Dade City, Florida.
Services will be held at a later date. Kerr Mortuary is assisting with arrangements.

Mildred Ruth Finmand
Mildred Ruth Finmand passed away peacefully in her home in Chico, CA on April 13, 2015. She was born July 24, 1921 in Oroville, CA to Clarence and Mildred Russell Daley.
Services will be held at Newton-Bracewell, Chico, Saturday, April 25 at 10 a.m. Graveside services will be held at Anderson Cemetery Monday, April 27 at noon.
Donations may be made to Butte, Modoc or Shasta Historical Society or Butte Home Health & Hospice.

Anne Hurdle Bailes
Anne Hurdle Bailes was born Sarah Anne Aiken on January 10, 1929 in Miami, FL and passed away on April 9, 2015 in Houston, TX
In keeping with her life’s work in healthcare, she willed her remains to the Baylor College of Medicine. For those wishing to make a memorial gift, the family thanks you in advance for supporting Love A Child, Inc. (loveachild.com) where contributions can be made on the website or mailed to P. O Box 60063, Fort Myers, FL 33906.

Catherine Knuepel
Catherine Knuepel, 57, formerly of Alturas, CA, passed away Tuesday, April 14, 2015, at her home in Stevensville, MT, of natural causes.
A memorial to celebrate Cathy’s life will be held Thursday, April 23, at 11 a.m. at the Dayspring Foursquare Church, 185 Westgate Way, in Florence, Montana. The family suggests that any memorial donations may be made in Cathy’s name to a Humane Society of the donor’s choice.
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at whitesittfuneralhome.com.

Sports

Modoc golf team doing well

Modoc’s golf team played its best match of the year April 16 at Arrowhead  in Alturas, shooting both its low nine-hole score for the year on the front nine, and their best 18-hole score for the year. 
Phil Thompson and Jordan Rouse both shot career lows enabling us to finish in second place in both nine-hole matches. 
“I am very pleased with the improvement I have seen from our very inexperienced golfers this year,” said coach Harold Montague. “We were only 15 strokes from meeting the playoff qualifying 18-hole score as a team.  With one league match to go, we will have to play extremely well in Mt. Shasta to qualify as a team for playoffs.”
The Braves head to Mt. Shasta Resort today and then go to Weed April 28.
In the April 16 match, Modoc trailed Trinity’s 230 with a 240 in the front nine, and Trinity’s 219 with a 260 on the back nine. Modoc topped Fall River with an overall score of 500 to Fall River’s 589.

Modoc softball splits with Bonanza

The Modoc softball team split a double header with Bonanza April 21, winning the first game 10-3 and losing the second 11-4.
Melissa Knoch got the win in the first game. Modoc scored one in the first, two in the third, four in the fourth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh. Bonanza scored one in the fifth and two in the sixth.
“Melissa pitched a great game,” said coach Russell Turner. “The defense played well and as a team everyone hit the ball well.”
Mattea Wilson had a full house at the plate, going 4-4 with a single, a double, a triple and a home run. She knocked in five runs. Pricila Madrigal was 3-5 with a double three runs batted in and three stolen bases. Knoch was 4-5.
Knoch got the loss in the nightcap. The Braves were behind 3-2 in the first and 4-2 in the second. They added two runs in the third, but Bonanza added three and added one in the fourth and three in the sixth.
Lynnzi Malcolm was 3-4 with a double, while Madrigal was 2-4 and Dawn Waterman was 1-3.
Modoc heads to Trinity for the next game April 24.

Modoc whips Bonanza in doublebill

The Modoc Braves baseball swept Bonanza in a double-header April 21, 10-0 and 11-1. The Braves head to Trinity April 24.
Alex Valencia got the win in the opener, pitching a four-inning shutout, allowing four hits, fanned six and walked one. Jarret Royce relieved for one inning, allowing no runs, no hits, struck out one and didn’t walk a batter.
Modoc got up early with three in the first, four in the second and three in the third.
Jess Picotte and Alan Weber were 2-3 at the plate and Valencia was 2-4. Weber Picotte and Tyler Doss each doubled. Picotte and Royce each drove in three runs.
Weber got the win in the second game, pitching five innings, allowing one run on two hits, fanned eight and walked three,
The Braves were up 3-0 in the first, 3-1 in the second, 4-1 in the third, 7-1 in the fourth and 11-1 in the fifth.
Tyler Ewing went 4-4 at the plate and Trevor Schluter was 3-3, with a triple. Weber and Royce were 2-4.

Track team to Klamath Falls

Modoc athletes once again came up big at a big event. The John Frank Invitational Track Meet held in the City of Shasta Lake brought division 1-5 schools, 37 in all for a hot Saturday of competition.
While Modoc did not fair well team wise, Coach Bill Hall used the event to target times and certain events for each athlete.
Michael Bratton, who normally runs the 800 meters, 1600 meters and 3200 meters, ran only the 1500 and 800. Bratton ran a personal best in the 800 at 2:15. Allen Clark set a personal best in the shot put at 40-5. Cindy Cohen, grabbed personal records in both the 110 and 300 meter hurdles. Senior Kelsey Sphar had a PR in the discus. Long and triple jump specialist Jonas Collier also did well making the finals in the triple jump. Modoc travels to Klamath Falls this Saturday for the Lithia Track Meet. 
In other Modoc High track news, last season discus standout, four-time Shasta-Cascade League champion, Claudia Serrano was named Sonoma State Most Valuable Thrower in her first year at the collegiate level.

April 30, 2015

News

Sheriff fails in challenge to DA

Modoc County District Attorney Jordon Funk won his court case against Sheriff Mike Poindexter Monday in Modoc Superior Court.
Funk prevailed on his Writ of Mandate to obtain Sheriff’s Office investigative documentation in its investigation into possible abuse by Sergeant Dan Nessling.
The issue involves an arrest of Jason Colt by Nessling that Funk is investigating for possible criminal charges. According to the writ, the DA’s office has video evidence of the November arrest that “provided probable cause to believe that Sgt. Nessling assaulted Jason Colt (an unarmed arrestee who was handcuffed behind his back).”
Poindexter also failed in his ill-advised effort to have Funk removed from the case. Poindexter, through his attorney Michael Raines, argued unsuccessfully that Funk was biased against the Sheriff’s department and could not fairly investigate Nessling.
In addition, Poindexter did not have legal “standing” to request Funk’s removal in the first place.
Modoc Superior Court Judge Fritz Barclay told both Funk and Poindexter that they were the two biggest players in the law enforcement arena in Modoc and hoped they would be able to sort out differences and work together. He said it was clear Nessling was the focus of a criminal investigation by the DA’s office. In that case, he said the information needed to be turned over to Funk. He also stressed that Funk has said he will have the Attorney General’s office review his results.
Poindexter did turn over the file to Funk in the Courtroom Monday.

Voters now deciding BV ambulance issue

The mail in ballots to establish the Southern Cascades Community Service District to operate an ambulance service in the Big Valley must be in on May 5.
The voters in the proposed district, with parcels in both Modoc and Lassen County are being be asked the second time to form a Community Service District and approve a $65 per parcel tax, with a two-parcel limit, to create and fund the ambulance district. It will require a two-thirds majority to pass the funding portion.
The proponents of the issue say people are becoming aware of the importance of having ambulance service much closer than Mayer’s Memorial in Fall River or Modoc Medical Center in Alturas, The District ambulance would be stationed in Adin.

City has busy construction season plans

The City of Alturas will be doing quite a lot of construction this summer, including about $600,000 worth of street re-surfacing.
According to Public Works Director Joe Picotte, the funds come from a CalTrans grant for repair and maintenance. He said several miles of streets in the City will get a chip seal overlay.
The plan includes Carlos from Main Street to the Warner Street project. Picotte said that re-surfacing should add about seven years of life to the street before any major repairs are needed. He said if the work isn’t done now, Carlos would soon be plagued by potholes.
Other streets getting needed attention include West C from the highway to Second Street, Howard Street, Brooks Park streets and other areas where a chip seal will help. That project is expected to begin in June.
The Alturas airport will also get a chip-sealing project of about $400,000 in May. Those funds come from a Federal Aviation Administration grant.
In addition, Caltrans will be overseeing the State Route 299 rehabilitation project, worth over $2 million. The local contractor, Eagle Peak, will not be constructing the SR 299 project. The award will go to the second bidder, Rocky Mountain.

Sage-Grouse not listed

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell has announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the Bi-State population of greater sage-grouse does not require the protection of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Secretary Jewell joined with USDA Under Secretary Robert Bonnie, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, California Natural Resources Agency Secretary John Laird and other state and local partners to celebrate an extensive and long-term conservation partnership on behalf of the bi-state greater sage-grouse population. Federal, state and private partners have come together to
proactively conserve key habitat and significantly reduce long-term threats to this distinct population segment of greater sage-grouse.
A key factor in the decision not to list the bird was the development of The Bi-State Action Plan, a conservation plan developed by partners in the Bi-State Local Area Working Group over th past 15 years and secured with $45 million in funding. This adds to nearly $30 million worth of conservation work USDA and other partners have already completed to implement this plan.
“Thanks in large part to the extraordinary efforts of all the partners in the working group to address threats to greater sage-grouse and its habitat in the Bi-State area, our biologists have determined that this population no longer needs ESA protection,” said Jewell. “What’s more, the collaborative, science-based efforts in Nevada and California are proof that we can conserve
sagebrush habitat across the West while we encourage sustainable economic development.”

Obituaries—

Geraldine “Geri” Heick
Geraldine “Geri” Heick, 74, of Alturas passed Saturday, April 25, 2015 at home. Her devoted husband Mike wishes to thank all her friends for their support. Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Richard Murphy
Richard Murphy, 57, of Cedarville passed on April 22, 2015 at home. His loving wife will announce plans at a later date. Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Maya Tulley
Maya Tulley, six months, of Alturas passed in her sleep on April 25, 2015. Her loving parents will announce service plans at a later date. Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Mya Townsend
Mya Townsend, 14, of Alturas, passed on April 28, 2015. Services will be announced. Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Hydie Gysin Varner
Hydie Renee Gysin Varner, 59, of Alturas, passed away in Reno, Nevada on April 26, 2015.
Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements for the family. An obituary will be published in a future issue. Services are pending.

Wyatt M. Compton
A dessert Wake celebration will be held in honor of Wyatt Marshall Cody Compton’s life, at the Federated Church, by Dr. Ben Zanstra, on May 2, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. A dessert potluck to follow. In lieu of flowers or dinner items, the family suggests dessert items. The family has made this Wake open to friends of the family of Alturas at 307 East First Street in Alturas.
Wyatt is survived by his mother, Terez Cody Compton of Alturas, CA; maternal grandparents, William F. Compton II and Christine J.S. Compton of Alturas; maternal aunts and uncles, William F. Compton III, Patrisha Ndiour, Brayta Bailey, Jeannette Compton, Jeremiah Compton; numerous family in Texas and twelve cousins. Fraternal aunt and uncle, Michael and Betty Wines of Hayfork, CA.

Roland Robison
Roland P. Robison, son of Mildred and Paul Robison, was born in Alturas, CA, September 21, 1937.
Roland succumbed after a short battle with Leukemia.
Services include Rosary/Viewing at St. Joseph’s Church on Sunday, April 26, 2015, from 7 to 8 p.m. Funeral Mass on Monday, April 27, 9:30 a.m. followed by a reception. Interment at California Veterans Cemetery at 12:30, Igo, CA.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: American Cancer Society or St. Joseph’s Catholic School, in memory of Roland P. Robison.

Diana Stevenson Davis
A celebration of the life and courage of Diana Lynn Stevenson Davis will be held on May 9, 2015, at 10:30 a.m. at the Surprise Valley Community Church, with a graveside service at the Cedarville Cemetery. A potluck will follow at the church.  
Her husband Keith supported and loved his wife and was by her side upon her death on April 27, 2015 at care home in Orangevale, CADonations in Diana Davis’ name can be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Northern, California Chapter 1700 Owens Street, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA 94158. Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Sports

Girls split twin bill with Wolves

Modoc’s softball team split a doubleheader with the Trinity Wolves Friday, winning the first game 2-1 and losing the second 3-1.
Melissa Knoch got the win in the first game, going all seven innings, striking out 10, allowing one run on four hits and walked just one.
Trinity took a 1-0 lead in the first and Modoc tied it in the second. The Braves scored the winning run in the top of the seventh.
Modoc picked up only three hits in the game, with Pricila Madrigal getting a triple, Macie Larranaga a single and Dawn Waterman had one.
In the top of the seventh the game was tied a 1-1. Sophomore Hanah Ryan was able to put the ball in play and scored Kelly Schmidt from third base for the win. Knoch fanned the first two Trinity batters in the bottom of the inning and the third popped out to give the Braves the 2-1 win.
Trinity started the second game with a 2-1 lead in the first inning and added one in the third. Modoc was blanked the last six innings.
Knoch got the loss pitching the entire game allowing three runs on four hits, struck out two and didn’t walk a batter.
Modoc batters had six hits with Haley Valena 2-3, Larranaga 1-3, Waterman 1-3, Madrigal 1-3 and Knoch 1-4.
Modoc swept Fall River here on Tuesday, winning 3-0 and 8-3.
Knoch got the win in the first game in a powerful seven-inning shut out. She struck out 16 Bulldogs and allowed just two hits and no walks. There was no score through four innings, but Modoc added two in the fifth and one in the sixth for the win.
Madrigal led the offense, going 2-4, while Schmidt, Valena, Knoch, and Lynnzi Malcolm each had a hit.
Modoc scored four runs in the second inning and four in the third to take an 8-1 lead in the second game.  Fall River cut into the score with a pair in the fifth.
Knoch was on the mound and went all seven getting the win. She allowed three hits and struck out seven and did not give up a free pass.
Madrigal continued her hitting streak with a 2-4 game. Waterman was 3-4, Malcolm was 1-3, a triple, which knocked in three runs.

Braves trounce Trinity in double bill

The Modoc Braves baseball team used solid pitching and good hitting to trounce the Trinity Wolves 14-1 and 10-0 April 24 in Weaverville. Modoc travels to Etna Friday.
Alex Valencia got the win in the opener, going five innings, allowing one run on four hits, struck out nine and walked two.
Modoc started hot, leading 4-0 in the first, 7-0 in the second and 13-0 in the third. Trinity scored one run in the fifth.
Trevor Schluter was 2-3 at the plate and Jarrett Royce was 2-2. Getting one hit each were: Kyle Royce, Tyler Ewing, Valencia, Alan Weber, Wade Schluter, Jess Picotte and Grady Ingraham.
The Braves kept the gas pedal down in the second game, scoring two in the first, two in the fifth, four in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Jarrett Royce pitched the shutout, going seven innings, allowing just three hits, walking two and fanning 13.
Ewing led the offense with a 3-4 game, and Tyler Doss went 2-3, Valencia 2-4, Weber 2-3 and Royce 2-2.
Getting one hit each were Daniel Beebout, T. Schluter and David Wheeler.
The Braves lost a double header to Fall River Tuesday in Alturas.
The Bulldogs won the first game 7-3. They led 2-0 in the first and 4-1 in the fourth. Modoc tied it at 3-3 in sixth, but Fall River scored four runs in the top of the seventh.
Valencia started on the mound for the Braves and went five innings, allowing three runs on two hits, fanned seven and walked three. Weber got the loss for Modoc, pitching two innings, allowing four runs on four hits, walked a pair and fanned one.
Valencia was 2-3 with a home run and J. Royce was 2-3 at the plate.
 Modoc lost the second game 7-5 with J. Royce getting the loss. He sent all seven, allowed seven runs on six hits, struck out nine and walked five.
Modoc led 1-0 in the first and 3-1 in the third. Fall River tied it in the fourth and went ahead 4-3 in the sixth. They went up 7-3 in the seventh and Modoc scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t make up the difference.
Wheeler was 2-3 at the plate and Weber was 2-4.

Likely Links hosts high school championships

Likely Links will be hosting the high school CIF North Section Division III Championships May 5.
Trinity and Modoc will represent the Shasta Cascade League at The NSCIF Division III Championships at the Likely Links Golf Course. Team and individual qualifiers from three other leagues will also be in attendance with an expected field of approximately 40 players.
Modoc finished in second place behind SCL champions Trinity.  Both Phil Thompson and Ole Kyllo earned Shasta Cascade All-League recognition as the overall second and third place finishers in league respectivelyModoc results at the SCL finals were: Alex Rovetti 87, Thompson 91, Kyllo 94, Dillon Gould 100, Jordan Rouse 108 and Jeremiah Brownlow 109. Trinity’s Greg Aikins had the best round at 82 and teammate Eli Edwards shot 84.
At the Lake Shastina match, the results were as follows: Kyllo 88, Thompson 93, Rovetti 96, Gould 102, Brownlow 104 and Rouse 112.

Brave thinclads putting up good numbers

The Modoc Braves Track team continues to improve personal marks.
On the girls’ side, Freshman Taryn Burns and Junior Emily Lowry crushed their races. Lowrey set a personal best in her 800, running the fifth fastest time in school history at 2:42 and placing eighth.
Burns ran her first varsity 1500-meter race running a 5:42 which is the second fastest 1500 in school history. Kelsey Sphar set a PR in the discus. Stephanie Gouveia was held out due to injury but will be back at Yreka.
Some 14 PRs fell on a cold, windy and sometimes snowy day at Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls on Saturday. 37 teams from Nevada, California and Oregon participated at the Sterling Lithia Invitatonal.
Modoc's boys were led by Michael Bratton's 2:19, 800 meters. Rueben Orozco ran a season best in the 1500 meters, at 4:49.

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE

May 7, 2015

News

Big Valley ambulance issue too close to call

The election results to establish the Southern Cascades Community Service District to operate an ambulance service in the Big Valley are too close to call.
According to Lassen County Registrar of Voters Julie Bustamante, Measure B to establish the District passed handily, but Measure C, to establish the $65 per parcel tax to fund the district was lagging slightly with 65.9 percent of the vote. It needs a two-thirds majority to pass.
The proposed District covers parcels in Lassen and Modoc County and the mail-in ballots all went to Lassen for counting. According to Bustamante, Lassen voters favored forming the district by 71.17 percent, 232 yes to 94 no.
Lassen voters also heavily favored the tax by 69.85 percent, 227 yes to 98 no.
Modoc’s voters favored the district formation by 63.89 percent, 184 yes and 104 no. But while Modoc voters favored the tax by 61.15 percent, 179 yes and 112 no, 38.49 percent, it might have doomed the funding issue.
The Lassen election office had not listed a breakdown by precinct as of Wednesday. There were 991 registered voters and 618 cast ballots, 62.36 percent.
Bustamante said her office must wait for three days for mailed ballots, which were postmarked on Election Day May 5, to show up before they can make a final determination on the election. She expects to have the final results this Friday.

City pushes for water conservation
Last summer, the City of Alturas’ residents were able to achieve a 22 percent reduction in water usage and we are hoping to exceed that mark successfully this summer.
California is experiencing its fourth year of severe drought. Governor Jerry Brown’s executive order of April 1, 2015 mandates restrictions to achieve an aggregate statewide 25 percent reduction in water usage. The State Water Resources Control Board has adopted expanded emergency regulations to safeguard the state’s remaining water supply.
The following are prohibited and apply to all Californians effective immediately:
Washing down sidewalks or driveways.
Watering outdoor landscape in a manner which causes excessive run-off.
Washing a motor vehicle with a hose without a fitted shut-off nozzle.
Operating a fountain or decorative water feature without an operable recirculation system.
Irrigating turf or ornamental landscapes during and 48 hours following measurable precipitation.

CAL FIRE encourages wildfire preparedness and prevention

As drought conditions continue to significantly elevate California’s fire danger, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. has declared May 3-9, 2015 as “Wildfire Awareness Week”.
During Wildfire Awareness Week, CAL FIRE is reminding all Californians of the role they play in preparing for and preventing wildfires.
“With a record dry and warm winter Californian’s fire activity has been nearly double what it normally is for this time of year,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director. “Our firefighters continue to meet the challenges posed by California’s historic drought, but we all must do our part to ensure our homes are prepared for wildfire and that residents and visitors to our state take extreme caution to avoid sparking a wildfire.”
On May 1, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced that California’s snowpack water content was only 3 percent of normal. The lack of snow and overall rainfall has led to conditions being much drier than normal, lending themselves to the quick spread of wildfire.
Between January 1 and May 2, CAL FIRE has responded to over 1,100 wildfires that have charred over 4,200 acres. In an average year for the same time period, CAL FIRE would typically respond to fewer than 650 wildfires burning approximately 1,500 acres.

City will charge fire permit costs

The City of Alturas has approved a resolution from the Alturas Fire Department setting fees for burn permits and inspections. Those fees are in effect May 15.
Burn permits will be issued in accordance with City code Chapter 10, Article II, Section 10-14 and the fees are to be set at $10 per permit. Illegal burning will be subject but not limited to an hourly cost per firefighter and responding apparatus.
Inspections
The State mandated inspections e.g. day care, hotels and detention facilities prices will be an hourly rate of $35 with a minimum fee of $35. This fee includes one follow-up visit to ensure compliance. If subsequent inspections are required, the penalty rate will be $75 hourly.

Obituaries –

Mya Star Townsend
Our beloved Mya Star Townsend became an angel of heaven on April 28, 2015.
Mya was born on August 14, 1999, in Cedarville, CA at the Surprise Valley Hospital to Albert Townsend Sr. and Anita Shacker.
Services were held on May 2, 2015 at 11 a.m. at the Fort Bidwell Gymnasium.
Mya will be forever in our hearts and greatly missed by all who knew her.

Hydie Gysin Varner
Services for Hydie Gysin Varner of Alturas, will begin with a Rosary prayed at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 14 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Alturas. Funeral services will be held Friday, May 15 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Alturas, with interment to follow at the Alturas Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall, Alturas.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Modoc Medical Center (note for “SNF Activity Fund”) – mail to MMC, 228 W. McDowell, Alturas, CA 96101. Funds will be used for Warnerview Skilled Nursing Patient Activity Fund.

Gordon L. Hewitt
Former Alturas resident, Gordon L. Hewitt of McMinnville, OR, died of natural causes on April 24, 2015, surrounded by his family. He was 77 years of age.
Gordon was born on Nov. 30, 1937 in Grand Ronde, Oregon, the third son of Leonard and Evelyn Hewitt. He graduated from Willamina Union High School in 1955.
A funeral and reception will be held at the Nazarene Church in McMinnville, OR on May 9 at 2 p.m.
Interment is at Evergreen Cemetery in McMinnville. Arrangements by Macy and Son.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Oregon Humane Society.

Diana Lynn Stevenson Davis
A celebration of the life and courage of Diana Lynn Stevenson Davis will be held on May 9, 2015, at 10:30 a.m. at the Surprise Valley Community Church, with a graveside service at the Cedarville Cemetery. A potluck will follow at the church.  
Diana was born on February 21, 1946 in Enid, Oklahoma to Joseph Harley Stevenson and Ruby Mae Milliron Stevenson. She died on April 27, 2015 at care home in Orangevale, CA. 
Donations in Diana Davis’ name can be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Northern, California Chapter 1700 Owens Street, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA 94158. Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Curtis Barber, Sr.
A memorial service for Curtis Barber, Sr. of Alturas, will be held May 9, 2015 at 12:30 p.m. at Veterans’ Memorial Hall, So. Main St., Alturas. Potluck to follow. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Alturas Baptist Church or the Disabled American Veterans.
Curtis is survived by his loving wife Trula J. Barber, son Curtis W., II and wife Michele; son Anthony E. Barber and wife Jennifer, daughter Chymanne (Candy) and husband Lyle, daughter Aaliyah, along with a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren and many “My” children lovingly knowing him as their “Pops.”

Fredrick Alvin Morley
Fredrick Alvin Morley passed away on April 10, 2015 at Enloe Hospital in Chico, CA from complications of diabetes.
Fredrick “Fred” Morley was born in Sparks, NV to Marvin Alvin Morley and Violet Blanche (Finley) Morley on June 25, 1938
A celebration of Fred’s life by close family and friends, will be held on May 16, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Connie Shultz’s residence.

Phyllis M. Lew
Former Alturas resident, Phyllis M. Lew, 91, of Baker City, OR passed away at St. Alphonsus Medical Center, Baker City, OR March 5, 2015. A Celebration of her life was held April 7, 2015 at 2 p.m. at Meadowbrook Place Assisted Living, Baker City, OR. Private interment at Mount Hope Cemetery, Baker, OR.
Phyllis was born July 12, 1923, in Baker, OR to Henry J. and Mattie L. Miller. and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Paralyzed Veterans of America, The Seeing Eye Dog Foundation or charity of one’s choice, in care of Gray’s West and Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR.

Sports

Modoc girls win four in softball

Modoc’s softball team had no trouble this last week, beating Etna in a double header there May 1 and Weed in a doublebill here May 5. Modoc has Burney here today to finish league play.
In the first game against Weed, Modoc had no trouble, winning 14-0 in five innings. The Braves scored six in the first, one in the second, one in the third and six in the fourth.
Melissa Knoch got the win, going five innings, allowing one hit, fanning 10 and didn’t walk a batter.
Leading hitters were Lynnzi Malcolm, Pricila Madrigal and Kristie Sphar.
The Braves won the second game 16-2 in five innings. Modoc scored 11 runs in the first inning added three in the second and two in the third.
Haley Valena got the win on the mound, going three innings, allowing two runs on one hit, struck out two and walked one. Kelly Schmidt relieved for two innings, allowing no runs on no hits and struck out one.
Macie Larranaga went 2-3 at the plate with two RBI and Schmidt was 203 with one RBI. Knoch was tripled for three RBI. Kirsten Jones was 1-1 with two RBI.
The Braves made the long trip to Etna, but had no trouble dispatching the Lions in two games.
Modoc won the first game, 17-2, scoring six in the first, six in the second, four in the third and one in the fourth. Etna scored one in the first and the fifth.
Knoch got the win, pitching all five, striking out 11 while giving up two runs on two hits and one walk.
Larranaga was 3-3, a single double and triple, and had six RBI. Jones was 2-2 with three RBI, Schmidt was 2-3 with three RBI, Dawn Waterman was 2-3 with two RBI and Mattea Wilson was 2-2.
“As a team, the girls hit the ball better than they had all year,” said coach Russell Turner. “We were on fire and everything went our way. In the second game, we came out flat-footed and were unable to hit the ball like we did in the first game. Etna hit the ball better the second game against Knoch, but our defense stepped up and were able to make plays.”
Etna opened the second game with a 2-0 lead in the first inning but Modoc tied it a 3-3 in the third and scored two in the fifth and two in the sixth for a 7-3 lead. Etna scored a pair in the seventh.
Knoch went all seven, striking out four, allowing four hits, no walks but one batter was hit by a pitch.
Wilson was 3-3 at the plate, Waterman was 2-3 and Schmidt was 2-4 with three RBI.

Braves whip Weed to make playoffs

Etna’s Lions beat the Modoc Braves baseball team 2-1 and 9-3 Friday in Etna. Modoc has Burney at home May 7.
Etna took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but Modoc tied it in the second. Etna added the winning run in the fifth
Alan Weber got the loss in the first game, going six innings, allowing two runs on three hits, walked three and struck out four.
Tyler Ewing, Alex Valencia, Weber and Jess Picotte each had one hit in the game.
“Weber pitched an outstanding game,” said coach Tim MacDonnell. “He did a great job changing speeds and mixing up his pitches. We had our opportunities to win, just couldn’t push the runs across.”
Etna jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the second game and added another in the second. Modoc cut into the lead with two in the third. Etna exploded for five runs in the fourth and Modoc scored one in the fifth.
Valencia got the loss. He pitched four innings, allowed nine runs on 11 hits, struck out four and walked one.
Tyler Doss went 2-3 at the plate, Valencia and Picotte were 2-2, Ewing and Trevor Schluter each had one hit.
Modoc swept Weed in a double header here Tuesday, which clinched them a spot in the North Section playoffs. Both games were close.
Modoc jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the opener, but Weed scored three in the third. Modoc answered with a run to tie it. In the bottom of the sixth, Ewing beat out an infield single and Trevor Schluter followed with a single. Valencia hit a sacrifice fly that gave us the lead and Weber then hit a two-run home run to seal the win, 6-3.
Valencia went all seven to get the win. He allowed three runs on seven hits, struck out 10 and walked four.
T. Schluter was 3-4 at the plate and J. Royce was 2-4.
The second game went into extra inning with the Braves winning it 3-2 with a run in the ninth.
Royce went eight innings, allowing two runs on six hits, struck out 11 and walked two. Weber came in relief and got the win, going one inning, allowing one hit and fanned two.
Each team scored a run in the first and Weed took a 2-1 lead in the second. Modoc tied it in the third. Neither team scored in the next five innings, and Modoc got the win when Picotte drove in the winning run.
Valencia was 4-5 at the plate, with Weber 2-5 and Picotte 2-5.
“These were huge wins for is to clinch a spot in the playoffs,” said MacDonnell. “Our pitching and defense was outstanding all day.”

Braves 3rd in Div. III golf

Modoc’s golf team played well at Likely Links this week to finish third in the North Section Division III championships.
“I was extremely pleased with our final match of the year and in finishing 3rd overall at the D-III Championship,” said coach Harold Montague. “We started the year hoping to qualify one or two individuals to the playoffs and ended up not only sending a team to the playoffs, but finishing as one of the top three teams in our division.  The kids were particularly pleased to beat league rival Trinity for the 3rd place spot.  The team exceeded all of my pre-season expectations and I look forward to having them back next year.”
Montague said Phil Thompson started out a little rough, but rebounded nicely to finish strong and just missed advancing to the next round by only three strokes. 
“He has been a great leader for the younger players and, as our only senior, he will be missed next year,” Montague said.  “Jeremiah Brownlow posted his second best score of the year with a solid 93. He has been struggling with his swing over the past three weeks and really showed up to play today.  Ole Kyllo and Alex Rovetti played close to their season averages. Ole was third overall in the league MVP race and with the two players ahead of him being seniors, is a favorite to compete for that honor next year.  Alex has been a pleasant surprise, unfortunately he is moving to Reno when school is out.  Dillon Gould and Jordan Rouse have improved very much this year and with our team being predominantly sophomores, I hope they work their game this summer and we hope to be a much improved and stronger team next year.”
The golf coaches of the Shasta Cascade League voted Montague the SCL Golf Coach of the Year.

Track team heads to Mt. Shasta

Modoc Throwers had a great day. In their final large school tune-up at Yreka, before next weeks league championship, Modoc's shot and discus crews went to work.
Troy Culp threw 116 feet in the discus to come in 5th. Allen Clark set a personal best in the shot, tossing the iron sphere 40-7 to grab 6th. Kelsey Sphar in only her 5th meet set another PR in the discus with a toss of 81-7. The runners used the time to over train in distance at race pace and did set some personal records. Ruben Orozco and Michael Bratton both set PR's in the 800 meters. Emily Lowrey will attempt to run the gauntlet of three straight races in a row next week and in 93 degree weather last Friday, ran season best in both the 400 and 800 meters. Her 300m hurdles were dropped to prevent any injuries or lasting fatigue.
Modoc travels to Mt. Shasta this weekend for the very fun Dave Allen Twilight Meet. Girls have a great chance to defend their league 2014 league title, while the boys will look at ways to make Burney work to win the title.

May 14, 2015

News

Big Valley ambulance issue loses by 4 votes

The election to establish the Southern Cascades Community Service District to operate an ambulance service in the Big Valley got 66.1 percent of the vote, but it failed by four votes. It needed 66.7 percent of the vote.
Measure B to establish the District passed handily 421-198, but Measure C, to establish the $65 per parcel tax to fund the district failed, meaning both issues failed.
Lassen County voters heavily favored the district formation by 233-94, 72.25 percent and the tax by 228-98, 69.94 percent. Modoc voters approved the district 188-104, 64.38 percent, but rejected the tax by 182-112, 61.90 percent. Modoc voters made the difference in rejecting the district. The same thing happened the first time the issue was placed on a ballot.
Voters in the Modoc 20 precinct voted 105-44, 70.47 percent in favor of funding the district. Voters in the Modoc 21 precinct, Lookout, voted 77-67 in favor, but the positive vote was only 53.47 percent. Basically Modoc voters were in favor 61.9 percent to 38.1 percent, but it wasn’t enough to reach the two-thirds threshold needed.
Lassen County voters were generally very much in favor of the district and funding measure. Precinct 16 voted in favor of funding by 74.86 percent. Precinct 33 was in favor by 77.5 percent. Precinct 34 was in favor by 67.95 percent. Precinct 28, with only 16 voters, was against by 81.25 percent and Precinct 9 nine voters were against 5-4.
According to Lassen County Registrar of Voters Julie Bustamante, voter turnout on the all-mail ballot election was 62.76 percent, with 622 of the registered 991 voters casting ballots.

Tribe marijuana cooperatives appear legal

Modoc County District Attorney Jordan Funk has been investigating the possible marijuana cooperative grows at the Alturas Rancheria and another at the XL Reservation.
He said it appears the Alturas Rancheria project is falling within its legal boundaries. He has not talked with anyone associated with the XL project. There is a huge 10-acre greenhouse complex being constructed now on the XL Reservation. Whether it will be used to grow marijuana is unclear. No one from the Pit River Nation has returned calls from the Modoc Record, but several tribal members have spoken off the record.
"Recently I learned that both the Pit River tribe at the XL reservation and the Alturas Indian Rancheria have organized medical marijuana cooperatives or collectives for the purpose of growing medicinal marijuana and dispensing it to cooperative members,” Funk said this week. “I've been provided detailed information regarding how the Alturas Indian Rancheria is conducting their Medical Marijuana Program (their collective) by the Rancheria and their legal counsel.  Health and Safety Code section 11362.775 et seq, clearly authorizes persons to organize and operate collectives or cooperatives for the purpose of growing and distributing medicinal marijuana.”

MMC taking strides forward with improvements

Modoc Medical Center continues to move forward and plans for a new hospital are gaining ground, according to MMC Chief Executive Officer Kevin Kramer.
Kramer said work is continuing on the new facility project, with the location south of SR299 across the highway from the old Forest Service building. The purchase of that land has been completed.
The second of a planned series of four public meetings will be held on May 28 at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall.
The topic of that meeting will be the preliminary architectural review, which has now been completed, and a discussion of the draft floor plan.

Early season lightning starts 7 small fires

Modoc National Forest Fire Management personnel were busy yesterday afternoon and evening responding to smoke reports and containing seven small lightening fires.
The largest fire was reported at two-and-a-half acres. Firefighters will continue checking these fires to assure they do not spread further. Additional fire starts are expected to present themselves as conditions dry out and become windy.
Please call Modoc Interagency Dispatch Center at 530-233-8880 to report wildfires.
As many as 171 lightning strikes were recorded on and near the Forest. Remote weather stations show moisture in most areas, with totals ranging from 0.1-0.7 inches.

Obituaries—

Hydie Gysin Varner
After a courageous two and one-half-year fight against cancer, Alturas resident Hydie Renee (Gysin) Varner passed away peacefully on April 26, 2015, at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, NV with her brother Jake by her side. She was 59.
Hydie was born on January 22, 1956 in Alturas, California to Virginia and Walter
Donations may be made to Warnerview Convalescent Home Patient Activity Fund and remitted to Modoc Medical Center (note for “SNF Activity Fund”), 228 W. McDowell, Alturas, CA 96101.
The Rosary will be prayed on Thursday, May 14, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. and the funeral Mass will be held Friday, May 15, at 11:00 a.m. both at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Alturas with interment to follow at the Alturas Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall, Alturas.

Charles “Chuck” Coiner
Charles “Chuck” Coiner went to be with the Lord on May 10, 2015. Chuck was born on February 13, 1931, in Hanston, Kansas to Allan Wray and Leena May Coiner. He grew up in Southern California and graduated from San Diego College.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 30 at 11 a.m. at the Alturas Baptist Church on West Fourth Street.

James McLaughlin
James Terrell McLaughlin was born Aug 30, 1949 in McCloud, CA to Robert Terrell McLaughlin and Betty Lou Holden McLaughlin. He died May 8, 2015 in Reno, NV of a heart attack at the age of 65.  
A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 11 a.m. at Faith Baptist Church in Alturas, CA. Potluck lunch to follow.

Maya Tully
Maya Avaree Marie Tully, of Alturas, passed away peacefully in her sleep from SIDS on April 25, 2015 in Alturas, CA.
Maya was born on October 31, 2014, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Her memorial service will be held at the Veteran’s Hall in Alturas, CA on June 13, 2015 at 1 p.m. Jesse Bullock will officiate. Everyone is welcome to attend. Small refreshments will be provided.

Clarence “Jimmy” O’neil
Clarence Wilburn "Jimmy" O'neil  passed away May 4, 2015 in Anderson, California. Services for Jimmy will be held May 16, at 11 a.m. at the Modoc Full Gospel Indian Mission in Alturas, CA. Wake will be on Friday day before service May 15 at 6 p.m. at the Indian Mission as well. Graveside services will follow at XL Cemetery.

Teddy and Carol Dunten
A graveside memorial service for Theodore “Teddy” and Bernice “Carol” Dunten will be held Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 10 a.m. at the Lake City, CA Cemetery in Surprise Valley. Potluck to follow at the Lake City Fire Hall.

Anita H. Schacker
Anita H. Schacker, 37, a resident of Cedarville, CA died on May 6, 2015 in Reno, NV. Due to her unexpected death, services will be held at a later date. Her obituary will be published at a later date.

Fred Morley
A celebration of Fredrick “Fred” Alvin Morley’s life by close family and friends, will be held on May 16, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Connie Shultz’s residence.
Mr. Morley passed away on April 10, 2015 at Enloe Hospital in Chico, CA from complications of diabetes.

Sports

Modoc in playoff at Hamilton City Friday

Modoc’s baseball team is playing Hamilton City Friday, there, in the first round of the CIF North Section Division Five playoffs.
The Braves come into the tournament seeded sixth while Hamilton City is seeded third, behind Esparto number one and Etna number two.
The Braves finished the regular season Thursday here with two strong wins against Burney.
 “Modoc led 3-1 in the first inning and 6-2 after two. Burney cut into the lead 6-4 in the third and 6-5 in the fourth. Modoc added three in the fourth, five in the fifth and two in the sixth for the 16-6 win.
The Braves kept the pressure on in the nightcap, taking a 7-0 lead at the end of two. The added one in the third and four in the fourth for the 12-2 win.

Braves girls crush Burney in double bill

Modoc’s girls’ softball team had no trouble with the Burney Raiders here Thursday, winning the opening game 14-1 and the nightcap 17-2.
The girls finished the regular season in second place in the Shasta Cascade League at 9-3, and will learn their seeding in the CIF Division V tourney May 16. Coach Russell Turner believes the Braves will have to travel for their first playoff game May 19, but won’t know the location until the seeding meeting.
The Braves set the mark early with a 9-0 first inning and added four in the second and one in the fourth. Burney scored one run in the fifth.
Modoc also took care of business in the second game.
The Braves started with a 4-2 in the second inning of the second game and added three in the third and put it away with a 10-run fourth inning.

May 21, 2015

News

City moving forward on Wall Trust projects

The City of Alturas has two committees working on projects under consideration for the John Wall Trust funds, of over $2 million. One committee is charged with the Alturas Pool and the other a Community Center.
The City of Alturas Swimming Pool Committee held its first meeting on Monday, May 18, in the City Hall Council Chambers. 
Committee members present were Cheryl Nelson, Dick Steyer, De Funk, Karen Shimamoto and Mark Steffek.  The Committee reviewed the Walls Trust and results from the community workshops which clearly stated the number one priority of having a covered swimming pool.   
“The Committee will work toward this goal along with other options regarding size, location and potential services eg. physical therapy sessions.  Also discussed was the development of partnerships and fundraising activities, including seeking available grant opportunities,” said City Councilman Mark Steffek.
As a first step, the Committee will invite three regional engineering firms to present their experience and success with other community swimming pools and what they feel would be feasible in Alturas.  The Swimming Pool Committee will report their findings to the City Council at their June 16 meeting.  Additional information regarding the activities of the Swimming Pool Committee will be posted on the City of Alturas website as it becomes available cityofalturas.org.
The Community Center committee is also meeting, and at Tuesday’s City Council meeting reported that it was working on securing a location as well as discussing just what would be included in the center. It was reported that Modoc Medical Center had sent a letter to the Council offering to help and pledging some of its Wall Trust funding to the projects.
Mayor John Dederick suggested the two committees come together with engineers to look at the options on the table. Both committees will probably have a progress report at the June meeting.

City chip seal plan one of many street projects

The City of Alturas awarded the bid for a major chip seal project to Advantage Paving, of Yreka, during Tuesday’s meeting. The company had the lowest bid.
The project which involves several miles of City streets, was estimated at about $600,000 and the low bid came in at $580,390.
According to Public Works Director Joe Picotte, the funds come from a CalTrans grant for repair and maintenance and the project includes Carlos from Main Street to the Warner Street project. Picotte predicts that re-surfacing should add about seven years of life to the street before any major repairs are needed. He said if the work isn’t done now, Carlos would soon be plagued by potholes.
Other streets getting needed attention include West C from the highway to Second Street, Howard Street, Brooks Park streets and other areas where a chip seal will help. That project is expected to begin in June.
The Alturas airport is getting a chip-sealing project now of about $400,000. Those funds come from a Federal Aviation Administration grant.
In addition, Caltrans will be overseeing the State Route 299 rehabilitation project, worth over $2 million. The bid award went to the second bidder, Rocky Mountain.

Remembering their sacrifices

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Pete Christensen Post 3327, with the assistance of American Legion Post 163, will hold a Memorial Day Services at the Alturas Cemetery at 11 a.m., Monday, May 25. The public is invited to the service.
The Surprise Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 7888, will be holding a Memorial Day service for all veterans at the Fort Bidwell Cemetery at 11 a.m. on May 25. This year, gather at Jack MacDonald's grave, to honor Jack and all veterans who have served their country.

Public road meeting announcement

The Modoc County Road Department will be holding a public meeting at the Canby Fire Station on June 11, 2015 at 4:00 p.m., to discuss possible solutions to the traffic problems at County Road 82, 83 and State Highway 299 in Canby.
The Modoc County Road Department, Modoc County Transportation Commission members and representatives from Cal Trans will be in attendance. Please feel free to join us for this meeting.
If you cannot attend please direct comments to the Modoc County Road Department at 530-233-6422.

Obituaries—

Frederick Derner
Frederick (Fred) William Derner, born April 26, 1938, and went to be with Our Lord on May 15, 2015 at Modoc Medical Center in Alturas, California at 8:30 a.m.
Memorial Services will be on May 30, 2015 at 12 noon at the River of Life Church located on Eighth Street in Alturas, CA, next to Blevin’s Glass Shop. A potluck to follow immediately. If you would like to bring a dish and are not sure what to bring, please feel free to call Dawn Veverka at (530) 233-3197 or Georgiana Derner at (530) 233-0959.

Gary M. Hays
Gary Michael Hays was born August 26, 1960 in Healdsburg, CA to Gary Hays and Doris Dederick Hays Groff. He passed away May 16, 2015 in Alturas, CA.
A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, May 23, 2015 at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church at 2 p.m. in Alturas. Potluck to follow.

Joe L. Ontiveros
A celebration of life for Joe L. Ontiveros will be held on Saturday, June 6 at 2 p.m. at Veterans’ Memorial Hall, So. Main St., Alturas. Mr. Ontiveros was a 28-year resident of California Pines.

Harriet Pauline Libby
Former Alturas resident, Harriet Pauline Libby, 92, of Sioux Falls, SD, died May 10, 2015 at Avera McKennan Hospital after complications of a stroke. Harriet was born to Harry and Myrtle (Crockett) Johnson on November 18, 1922 at home on the kitchen table on East Bridge St. in Westbrook, Maine.
A memorial service is planned for late July in Maine.  May she be remembered with fondness.

Sports

Knoch tosses perfect game in playoff opener

Modoc’s Melissa Knoch tossed a perfect game against the Etna lions Tuesday in the opening round of the CIF North Section softball playoffs.
Knoch faced 20 batters, allowing no hits, no runs, no walks and didn’t allow a runner on base in the 10-0 win.
The Braves scored seven in the first, added one in the second and two in the sixth. They had four hits, with Macie Larranaga 2-3 with a double, Mattea Wilson 1-3 with a double and Dawn Waterman 1-3 with a double.
Modoc ran into a very tough team in the second game, losing to East Nicolaus 7-0.
Modoc only got one hit in the game, a single by Lynnzi Malcolm. They also committed five errors.
Knoch got the loss, going six innings, allowing four hits, seven runs, walked one, hit one batter and struck out five.

Hamilton knocks Braves out of playoffs

Hamilton City knocked the Modoc Braves out of the CIF North Section Division Five baseball playoffs last week 9-3 in Hamilton City.
Neither team scored in the first two innings, but Hamilton took a 2-1 lead in the third, and went up 4-1 in the fourth. Modoc cut the score to 4-3 in the sixth, but Hamilton came up with a five-run bottom of the sixth for the win.
Alex Valencia got the loss, going 5.1 innings, allowing seven runs on five hits, walked five, struck out four, and hit two batters with a pitch. He was relieved by Daniel Beebout and Jarrett Royce.
Modoc collected seven hits in the game, one each by Tyler Doss, Tyler Ewing, Valencia, Trevor Schluter, Alan Weber, Grady Ingraham and Royce.
Modoc was the fifth seed in the tourney with Hamilton seeded fourth. Esparto was the top seed, Etna number two, Fall River number three, Quincy number six, Weed number seven and Portola number eight.
Esparto beat Portola 10-3 in the first round, while Quincy upset Fall River 9-5 and Etna beat Weed 14-0.
Modoc finished the season with a 13-11 record and 6-6 on the road.

Girls just miss defending track title

Modoc Girls track missed defending their SCL title by 9.5 points losing to Etna 107-97.5. While Modoc girls beat up on Etna during head to head events, it was the events Modoc had no entries in that let Etna slip by for the win.
Modoc was led by first-time discus champ, Kelsey Sphar. Kelsey also grabbed the silver in the shot. This was Kelsey's first year as discus and shot thrower. A big boost was the ability of first year sprinter Kayla Aarstad to grab a first in the 200 meters, a second in the 100 meters. Aarstad also ran in both relays for Modoc.
Emily Lowrey tried to pull off the most difficult task of the day. Lowrey was asked to run the 400m, 800m then the 300m hurdles and finally anchoring the 4 x 400m relay. While not uncommon to expect distance runners to complete the "Gauntlet" of 800m, 1600m, and 3200m, running 4 races out of the final six is just insane, remarked Coach Bill Hall.
Lowrey won the 800, placed second in the 400 and anchored the final race of the day. Another big shot in the arm for Modoc was Megan Budmark. In only her second year of throwing, Megan grabbed a third in the shot and a fifth in the discus, both setting personal records.
The 4 x 400 meter relay team of Taryn Burns, Stephanie Gouveia, Aarstad and Lowrey blew away the competition running a 4:42.26 and will be one of the favorites at Division on Thursday. Gouveia came back from a season long illness to grab seconds in the 1600 meters, 3200 meters, as well as a third in the 800 meters. Freshman Taylor Ryan set a blistering pace for her fellow runners in the 800 meters and also grabbed bronze in the 3200 meters.  
On the boys side, Modoc ran into a sprint-heavy Burney squad. Burney took home the championship by 17.5 points. Etna was second, Weed third with Modoc fourth.
Allen Clark won the shot put, with Troy Culp grabbing a second. Culp also took home the silver in the discus. Both Culp and Clark move on to divisions at West Valley. Ruben Orozco took home a bronze in the1600 and 3200 meters, Michael Bratton took a third in the 800m.
“Zach Norby, Bailey Doss, Cody Tiffany, Jonas Collier, Jeff Gouveia, Sean Anderson, Zach Fendler, Eric Van Acker, Jordan Wade Kylee Beneventi, Madison Toomey, Cindy Cohen, Izzy Cervantes, Annie Price all helped the team achieve great success this year,” said Hall.

May 28, 2015

News

County seeks to cement working relations with MNF

Modoc County has had a solid working relationship with the Modoc National Forest for about 20 years and Tuesday, Modoc Supervisors sent a letter to the MNF to cement their status.
The question involves continued collaboration and inclusion of the County in Forest planning and projects. The change in leadership at the MNF and a recent meeting prompted the need for the communication.
According to County Resource Analyst Sean Curtis, it’s vital that the County and its people are represented at the table in planning decisions of the Forest.
“There is a successful history of nearly two decades where Modoc County and the Modoc National Forest have produced successful win-win solutions to some of the complex issues facing the environment and socio-economics of our area,” the Board letter to Forest Supervisor Amanda McAdams states. “For the reasons we discussed at our meeting, it is necessary for the County to modify our process for engaging agency planning in order to continue the good work that has been done by both sides.”
The letter details the issue background as well: Modoc County’s Comprehensive Land Use and Management Plan for the Federally and State Managed Lands in Modoc County (Plan) was adopted in 1995 to provide the structure through which the federal agencies could comply with their responsibility to coordinate their planning with the County. That obligation is found in the Federal Management Act and other statutes and Executives Orders. The regulations promulgated from these statutes also reflect the agencies’ responsibilities in this area.

Modoc jobless rate falls to 8.5%

The Modoc County unemployment rate for April, 2015 fell to 8.5 percent, down from March’s 10.2 percent and down from last April’s 11 percent.
According to the State Employment Development Department, Modoc’s civilian labor force numbered 3,250 for April with 2,970 employed and 280 unemployed. The labor force dropped from last April’s 3,400 people, a loss of 150 people. The number unemployed last April was 370, compared to 280 this year. The labor force bumped up from March’s 3,170.
The federal unemployment rate has dropped to 5.1 percent and the state’s has fallen to 6.1 percent.
Total farm employment for April was 370, up from 260 in March and total non-farm employment increased from 2,180 to 2,220. Government employment went from 1,160 to 1,170. Federal employment went from March’s 210 to 220 in April.
The 8.5 percent unemployment rate ranked Modoc 41st out of the state’s 58 counties for highest unemployment. Siskiyou County ranked 46th at 9.2 percent and Lassen ranked 33rd at 7.5 percent. Imperial had the highest unemployment at 21.2 percent and San Mateo had the lowest at 3.2 percent.

Roads holds public meeting

The Modoc County Road Department will be holding a public meeting at the Canby Fire Station on June 11, 2015 at 4:00 p.m., to discuss possible solutions to the traffic problems at County Road 82, 83 and State Highway 299 in Canby.
The Modoc County Road Department, Modoc County Transportation Commission members and representatives from Cal Trans will be in attendance. Please feel free to join us for this meeting.
If you cannot attend please direct comments to the Modoc County Road Department at 530-233-6422.

CHP report

There were minor injuries reported in a single vehicle accident May 21, 5:07 a.m., on State Route 299, west of Fisher Hill.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Christian T. Lance, age 20, of Odessa, Tx., was eastbound in a 1997 Ford Explorer and made an unsafe turning movement to the right and drove his vehicle off the roadway, colliding with a fence. He said he might have fallen asleep and was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision. He sustained minor injuries and was transported to Modoc Medical Center in Alturas.
Twin City Idaho residents Anthony Norbye, age 20, Samantha A. Hall, age 22, and Jonathan E. Myers, were passengers in the Explorer. Norbye and Hall were not hurt and Myers sustained minor injuries, but declined medical attention.
The CHP was assisted at the scene by other fist responders and emergency services and the CHP is investigating the accident.
There were no injuries reported in a single-vehicle accident May 22, 3:00 a.m. on SR299, west of County Road 85.
The CHP reports that Dinin King, age 19, of Washington state, was driving a 2002 Ford westbound and lost control of the car. The vehicle left the north edge of the road and went over an embankment. The car sustained moderate damage, but King was wearing his seatbelt and was not hurt.

Obitiaries—

Daniel R. Hill
Daniel Richard Hill died May 14, 2015 at the age of 79, in Surprise Valley Hospital, Cedarville, CA. He was born September 18, 1935 in Cedarville, CA at the home of his great aunt Marian Sweet, who was a midwife.
Services were held Tuesday, May 19 at the Modoc County Fairgrounds in Cedarville; Dewey Potter officiated. At the family’s request, donations may be made to Surprise Valley Health Care District.

Donald Eugene Kaufman Jr.
Donald Eugene Kaufman Jr. was born at Robertson Hospital in Modesto, CA on August 15, 1925. He passed away quietly on May 21, 2015 at the California Veterans Home in Redding, CA.
Don wished to be buried at the Northern California Veteran’s Cemetery in Igo, California. A Military Ceremony will be held there at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 4. This is a short ceremony that anyone may attend.
There will be a celebration of life in Likely at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Don’s name to the Modoc County Veterans Services at 202 West 4th Street, Alturas, CA 96101, c/o Harry Hitchings.

Chester Wolter
Jan. 28, 1927-May 18, 2015
Chester Wolter was a lifelong resident of Big Valley
A memorial celebration will be held at the Adin Cemetery, June 8, 2015. Donations are requested to be sent to a Cancer Fund or the Pit River Rod and Gun Club.

Fred Derner
Memorial Services for Fred Derner will be on May 30, 2015 at 12 noon, at the River of Life Church located on Eighth Street in Alturas, CA, next to Blevin’s Glass Shop. A potluck to follow immediately.

Charles “Chuck” Coiner
A memorial service for Charles “Chuck” Coiner of Alturas, will be held Saturday, May 30 at 11 a.m. at the Alturas Baptist Church on West Fourth Street with a potluck to follow. For information call Lydia at 530-640-0107. Mr. Coiner passed away in Alturas on May 10. 2015. Surviving are his wife Lydia Coiner; his four daughters: Jeri Zezenbergen, Cathy Avera, Peggy Gill and Jackie Hidalgo; his step children, Aaron Esgana and Lily Wakeman; his brothers Jim Coiner and Mel Coiner and sister Alice Lazzirini;15 grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Sports

Culp is Division four shot put champ

The CIF North Section Division Four Men's Shot Put Champion is Modoc High Junior Troy Culp. Culp won the shot with a throw of 41-1. Culp came into the meet seeded behind Modoc Senior, Allen Clark.
Clark came into the meet on a bit of a throwing dilemma, where his technique was taking him to much longer distances, but was also was prone to some mechanical breakdowns. While Clark threw well, taking second, his aggressive style pushed Culp to new personal records.
Culp now moves on to the all-school Section finals on Friday at Central Valley High School in Cottonwood.
Arguably the best race of the day was the 800 meters. Pre-race favorite Emily Adams, of Tukelake, came into the meet as the heavy favorite. Her time was nine seconds better than the second seeded Audrey Grocotte of Providence Christian. Modoc's Emily Lowrey was seeded third with a time of 2:46. When the gun sounded Adams and Lowrey took off, leaving Grocette and the rest of the field in the dust. The two went shoulder to shoulder for two laps with Grocette being pushed to a season best time of 2:35, while Lowrey fell off on the last 50 meters, but came in second with her new personal record of 2:39.5. Lowrey also anchored a second place 4x400 meter relay team that included Stephanie Gouveia, Taryn Burns and Kayla Aarstad. The girls 4x100 meter team grabbed a third. Team included Lowrey, Aarstad, Kelsy Sphar and Madison Toomey.
Sphar threw a personal best in the discus and grabbed a Division Four runner-up pacing. Michael Bratton placed third in his distance specialties, the 800 and 1600 meters. 
Aarstad also grabbed a third in the 200 meters. Gouveia closed out her distance career at Modoc with a third place in the 3200 meters, running a 14:27.72. Modoc returns 23 athletes for next year.

Bull Smackdown is back on May 30

The 2015 Alturas Smackdown is coming back May 30th at 6 p.m. at the Livestock Arena on Eighth Street.
Gates will open at 5 p.m.; the Elks club will again be providing food and beverages. Tickets are $10 in advance and they are available at The Lazy B Grill, Plumas Bank, Antonio’s and the Niles Coffee Shop. Kids under 10 are admitted free. Tickets on the show day will be $12.
“Put on your cowboy hat and boots because its going to get western with muttin’ busting, calf riding and 24 bulls spinning and kicking,” said Manual Souza, the organizer. “New this year is a section of ranch broncs and do not forget the ever popular dirt bike barrels.”
This year’s show is brought to by these sponsors: The Pit River Casino, Niles Hotel, Hall Motors of Lakeview, Alturas Ranches, Antonio’s, Surprise Valley Electric, Heard’s Plumbing, Cutting Edge Windshield Repair, Alturas Tire, Modoc Steel, Modoc Veterinary Clinic, Ed Staub Fuel, American Ag Credit, Eagle Peak Construction, State Farm Insurance, the Modoc Sheriff’s Dept. Alturas Chevron, Detail King, Alturas Napa, True Value Hardware, B and D Electric, Ace Hardware, Jacobs Firewood and the Lazy B Grill.
“Also, a big shout out to the city of Alturas,” said Sousa. “So get your tickets and get ready, we will see you there and then afterwards we will be heading over to the Niles Hotel for an after-party.”

BV Fish derby June 13

The 20th annual Big Valley Junior Fishing Derby will be held June 13 at the Ash Creek Wildlife Area.
The Derby is free for all junior anglers, aged 15 and under. It is sponsored by the Pit River Rod and Gun Club and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.The Fish Derby location is the Basset Road fishing accesss Ash Creek Wildlife Area, enter off Highway 299, one mile west of Adin at Bassett Road. Registration will be from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and fishing will be from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. There will be prizes for all angelrs, and grand prizes for the largest and smallest fish caught. For more information, call 294-5824.

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE

June 4, 2015

News

Sewer rate increase of $10 possible

The City of Alturas is considering a $10 raise in monthly sewer fees for all water and sewer ratepayers.
The Alturas City Council will hold a Public Hearing to consider an increase for the sewer rates at their regular meeting July 21, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. in the Alturas City Council Chambers.
“The need to upgrade our facility in unavoidable by the State’s requirements,” the City contends. “The current budget will not meet that need. Exploring other options, such as discharging into a pond and land application, would also require a great deal of funding and labor. Regardless of how we meet the need, not knowing what lies ahead with regard of new mandates by the State Water Control Board, it is hereby determined that an increase to the monthly sewer bill in the amount of $10 is necessary.”
According to the City, current monthly sewer rates are as follows: base residential sewer rate - $30.02; base commercial sewer rate - $24.07, plus .74 cents for every 100 cubic feet of water used. If approved, the sewer rate increase will go into effect on the September 2015 billing cycle.

Beatty sentenced to 7 years in state prison

Last Thursday Modoc Superior Court Judge Fritz Barclay sentenced Joshua Beatty, of Alturas, to seven years in state prison for the commission of an assault and battery upon Jeffrey Larsen causing serious bodily injury. 
The defendant was convicted by a jury of assaulting Mr. Larsen with a metal club, fracturing Larsen’s skull and leaving him with a subdural hematoma, a permanent partial loss of hearing and ongoing impairment to his balance.  Larsen was hospitalized for 10 days. 
Probation recommended and the people sought the maximum sentence of four years on the assault charge.  The court imposed the mid-term sentence of three years. The defendant also received a consecutive three years for personally inflicting great bodily injury on Larsen and another year consecutive for using a deadly or dangerous weapon for a total term of seven years. 
Because these are serious and violent felonies the defendant will only receive 20 percent good time credits.  The defendant was on three separate grants of probation at the time he committed the crimes which landed him in state prison.  Additionally, the defendant had a prior misdemeanor conviction for assault. 

Graduation ceremonies Friday night

The Senior Classes of 2015 will take part in Commencement ceremonies on Friday night, June 5 in both Alturas and Cedarville.
Modoc High School commencement June 5, 8 p.m. in Modoc High’s Griswold Gymnasium, East Eighth St., Alturas. Fifty-two seniors will walk. Valedictorian: Tyler Ewing; Salutatorian: Stephanie Gouveia.
Surprise Valley High School commencement June 5, 8 p.m. in the Surprise Valley High School Hornet Gymnasium, Cedarville. Six seniors will graduate.
Valedictorian: “Hank” Henry Linker; Salutatorian: Ivan Coronado; Historian: Rocio Munoz.

SV Geothermal project starts with a blast

A shout of “Fire in the hole” echoes across the valley floor near the Surprise Valley Hot Springs. The shout is repeated warning everyone that an explosive detonation is about to occur nearby in a confined space.      
Seconds go by, the sound of the explosion blasts across the landscape. No one moves or even speaks for the required five seconds, then a voice yells, “That is good.” Scientific instruments have measured the reflective sound waves to a depth of 300 feet. This marks the beginning of the current collection of geophysical data and underground mapping done by UC Davis as part of a $1.2 million grant (nearly $1.5 million with matching funds), awarded to Warner Mountain Energy Corp. by the California Energy Commission.
Out of the 58 counties in Calif., Modoc County projects rated first (SV Hot Springs) and second place (Alturas) in the commission’s grant allocations, garnering almost $5 million in funding.
“It’s time we start using what we have and we have geothermal. This is a way to get ourselves out of debt and improve the economy. The royalties generated can benefit the county tremendously,” said Curt Rose, of the Warner Mountain Energy Corporation.
For example, Calif. Congressman Mike Thompson states, "Geothermal energy is an excellent source of clean, renewable energy that supports thousands of jobs across the state. Not only does the production of geothermal energy boost our economy and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, it provides counties with important royalty payments which they use to pay for important priorities like public safety, road maintenance and law enforcement.”

Obituaries—

Clarence Delmer Hawkins
Clarence “Delmer” Hawkins passed away on May 25, 2015 at his home in Reno, Nevada. 
Delmer was born to Clarence and Goldie Hawkins on January 28, 1938, in McArthur, California.  Delmer graduated from Bieber High School in 1956.  He married Leanna Spalding in 1957. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Big Valley Alumni Association, P.O. Box 696, Bieber, CA 96009.  Please join us in a Celebration of Life that will be held on Saturday, June 6 at the Bieber Memorial Hall at 2:00 p.m. Lunch will be graciously provided by our wonderful caring friends.

Delores ‘Dee’ Berlin
We would like to invite our family and friends of Delores ‘Dee’ Berlin to celebrate her life on June 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Veteran’s Memorial Park Pavilion in Alturas. Food will be provided, bring your own refreshments, a chair if you like and perhaps a story to share, as we gather to enjoy our memories of our mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grand mother and friend.

Loretta Gysin Kolpakoff
Former Modoc County resident Loretta Gysin Kolpakoff died March 18, 2015 at her San Francisco home. She was 95.
She was born at home in Alturas, CA to Catherine Elizabeth (Fallegger) and Jacob Gysin on Nov. 11, 1919

Janice Villamor
Janice Mae Masotti Villamor passed away May 20, 2015 in Sacramento, CA. Janice was born May 9, 1945 in San Francisco, CA to John Neal and Gloria Masotti.
A Celebration of Life will be held in her honor at Nicoletti Funeral Home Chapel, 5401 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, CA on June 13 at 2 p.m. Interment in Adin Cemetery will take place at a later date.

Chester Wolter
A memorial celebration for Chester Wolter of Big Valley, will be held at the Adin Cemetery, June 8, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. with full military honors being done by the U.S. Navy and the VFW Post 7144 out of Adin.

Joe L. Ontiveros
A celebration of life for Joe L. Ontiveros will be held on Saturday, June 6 at 2 p.m. at Veterans’ Memorial Hall, So. Main St., Alturas. Mr. Ontiveros was a 28-year resident of California Pines.

Clarence Wilbur O’neil
Clarence Wilbur O’neil “Jimmy” of Hat Creek, CA, passed away May 4, 2015. He was 49 yrs old. Jimmy was born March 10, 1967 in Redding, CA to Anna Barnes and Harold O’neil.

Sports

Modoc Expo highlights outdoor activity

Attending one of the fastest growing and enjoyable events in Modoc County can give you the cure for couch potato-itis or computer screen squints. Each year the Modoc Sportsmen’s and Outdoor Expo showcases the best prescriptions for turning off the TV or computer and experiencing life.
This year the Expo will be held in the Veteran’s Park on June 20-21. It will offer new and traditional exhibits, vendors, activities, tours and trails.
“This county has so much to offer in the way of outdoor activities. Don’t watch adventures on television, experience them, practically in your backyard,” said Lorissa Soriano, originator and organizer of the Expo.
Among the activities, booths and opportunities joining together to present the best of Modoc are:
This year the Expo will be offering a variety of food booths catering to all tastes. No need to drive out of town to shop, some major commercial vendors from Oregon and California will be showing and selling their wares.
Many other informational booths, tours and activities about enjoying multiple opportunities in the Modoc outdoors will be on display..
Everyone is invited to attend the Modoc Sportsmen’s and Outdoor Expo and enjoy two days of the best Modoc has to offer. Admission is free. The Expo will run 10 a.m. to 4:30 Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. A schedule of events will be published in next week’s paper.

Culp 8th in North Section

Modoc junior shot putter Troy Culp placed eighth in the CIF North Section Track championships last weekend at West Valley with a toss of 38-10. That throw was off Culp’s winning throw of 41-1 in the Division Four meet the week before.
Shasta High School, Redding, shot putter Colton Murrison won the section meet with a put of 49-8.

Rotary’s 67th Annual Fish Derby offers plenty

Rotary will hold its annual Fish Derby on Saturday, June 6, at Pine Creek Reservoir from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.  Children ages 0-12 will enjoy a morning of fun and fishing.
A drawing will be held for two bicycles, one each for a boy and a girl. Prizes will be awarded for 1st fish for both boy and girl, biggest fish for both boy and girl and most fish for both boy and girl. Other prizes will be given away by drawing.
Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be available for all to enjoy. 
After the Fish Derby, the Alturas Rotary will sponsor a free showing of “Finding Nemo” at the A.C.T. Niles Theater for everyone. Free popcorn for Derby participants.

Widby, Aaron win Likely Place golf tourney

Ace Hardware/Five Dot Pheasant and Chukar Club sponsored a golf tournament at Likely Place Golf Course and RV Resort on May 16.
The event was well attended, with 86 players entered. Thirty-six men’s teams and seven mixed teams played the course.
Jim Widby and Jake Aaron won the honors for the men and Steve Macllraith and Diane Duffy led the mixed teams.
Ace Hardware, Five Dot Pheasant and Chukar Club and Likely Place Golf Course and RV Resort would like to thank Les Schwab for sponsoring the $10,000 Hole-In-One and the hole sponsors that made this tournament a great success.
Proceeds from the tournament are earmarked for scholarships in vocational education for graduating seniors.

BV Fish derby June 13

Don’t forget the 20th annual Big Valley Junior Fishing Derby held June 13 at the Ash Creek Wildlife Area.
The Derby is free for all junior anglers, aged 15 and under. It is sponsored by the Pit River Rod and Gun Club and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.The Fish Derby location is the Basset Road fishing accesss Ash Creek Wildlife Area, enter off Highway 299, one mile west of Adin at Bassett Road. Registration will be from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and fishing will be from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. There will be prizes for all angelrs, and grand prizes for the largest and smallest fish caught. For more information, call 294-5824.

June 11, 2015

News

Alturas Rancheria explains marijuana project

The law firm of Fredericks, Peebles and Morgan presented an overview, in pretty good detail, of the Alturas Rancheria medicinal marijuana project now underway.
Their presentation was designed as information, since the County Board of Supervisors has no control over the Rancheria. There was no action possible by the Board.
Attorney John Peebles told Supervisors he understood the issue was controversial and wanted to be transparent about what was going on at the Rancheria. The presentation was only about the Rancheria, not the huge greenhouse project at the XL Ranch.
“I would like to extend an invitation to the Board, the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney to view the facility,” Peebles said. He explained that the Rancheria tribe had adopted a medicinal marijuana ordinance, which he said addresses the overall operation of the facility, from cultivation to distribution.
“The Tribe’s project will take place entirely on its trust land under federal jurisdiction, and any medical marijuana that leaves Tribal land will comply with all applicable State and Tribal laws,” he said.
There is a legal dispute in the Alturas Rancheria Tribe on the project, with one faction opposed to the marijuana project. However, according to Peebles and records from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Post Office, the majority of the governing body is in support.
Supervisor Jim Wills said he was pleased the Tribe was making this presentation, but felt it would have been better had it been done before the operation was up and running.
Peebles apologized for the timing, but stressed the effort Tuesday was to bring the county up to speed on what the project is as well as explain why the tribe believes they are operating it in a legal fashion.

Lightning starts seven small fires

Significant lightning occurred across the Forest last night with 1,467 strikes recorded nearby. The accompanying rain helped keep fires in check.
Seven small fires have been reported so far with the largest now contained at .25 acres. More fires are expected to crop up as conditions heat up and dry out.
An airplane will conduct reconnaissance flights again today. A Type Three helicopter will be staffed for aerial attack.
Muddy conditions have hindered safe access to some areas of the Forest.
Between 0.1-0.5 inches of precipitation was recorded by remote weather stations, along with wind gusts of up to 35 mph. In some areas, trees have been blown across roads. Forest users should be aware of possible hazardous conditions and limited travel.
Surrounding forests experienced lightning and multiple starts as well.
South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership lands have been experiencing the first major lightning activity of June.  By 12 p.m. Tuesday, there were 15 reported wildfires started by the recent storms.  The largest fire is the two acre Three Creeks Fire on the Fremont-Winema National Forest.

Fire officials gearing up for 2015 fire season

Local firefighting agencies are gearing up for a potentially busy summer wildfire season as drought continues to impact the forests and high desert rangelands of northeast California and northwest Nevada.
Working under coordination of the Susanville Interagency Fire Center, cooperating agencies will be pooling resources and employing an aggressive initial attack strategy utilizing ground and air resources, including fire engines, hotshot crews, helicopter-based crews and smokejumpers, among others. Air tankers and helicopters will be used as needed.
“We’re meeting frequently with cooperators to identify ways we can maximize our efficiency and best use our collective capabilities to suppress wildfire,” said Luke Minton, acting fire management officer for the Lassen National Forest. “Our primary goal is always to protect life, property and natural resources.”

Sheriff legal fees above allocation

Modoc County Sheriff Mike Poindexter lost the court case in April involving the records of Sergeant Dan Nessling in abuse of force investigation headed by District Attorney Jordan Funk.
The County Board of Supervisors reluctantly funded his legal challenge with a $3,000 hard limit.
While the attorneys representing Poindexter knew the limit would be $3,000, it apparently didn’t register that the county, through the contract they signed, was serious about the limit.
Rains Lucia, and Stern, PC’s invoice for services on behalf of the Sheriff
came in at $8,161.53
“The contract, which was a publicly approved document, limited the scope to $3,000,” said Modoc County Chief Administrative Officer Chester Robertson. “The county has limited payment to $3,000.”
"This matter would never have become public and would not have gone to court if the Sheriff had simply complied with the law,” Funk said at the time. “It is his refusal to uphold the law that made it necessary for the District Attorney to request a court order compelling the sheriff to do what the law clearly requires him to do."
The issue involved a November arrest of Jason Colt by Sgt. Dan Nessling that Funk is investigating for possible criminal charges. According to the writ, the DA’s office has video evidence that “provided probable cause to believe that Sgt. Daniel Nessling assaulted Jason Colt (an unarmed arrestee who was handcuffed behind his back).”

Obituaries—

Kenneth Wesley Fogle
In loving memory, a memorial service is scheduled for June 20, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the Alturas Elks Lodge pavilion, 619 N. Main Street, Alturas.  Family, friends and the community are welcome to share stories and memories and celebrate the life of Ken throughout the day. Fellowship and provided lunch will follow.

Otis “Ken” Rose
Otis Kenneth "Ken" Rose was born April 1, 1917 in Unity, Oregon and passed to his rest on Monday, June 8, 2015, in Cedarville, CA, at the age of 98.
Graveside services will be held on Tuesday, June 16 at 2 p.m. at the Cedarville Cemetery. Members of the community are welcome to attend.  

Celebration of Life for Delores ‘Dee’ Berlin
Family and friends of Delores ‘Dee’ Berlin are invited to celebrate her life on June 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Veteran’s Memorial Park Pavilion in Alturas. Food will be provided, bring your own refreshments, a chair if you like and perhaps a story to share, as the family gathers to enjoy memories of their mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grand mother and friend to many.

Donald James Walker
Donald James Walker of Madeline, California passed away on May 29, 2015. He was born January 9, 1931, in Alturas, CA.
Services were held Monday, June 8, 2015, with family and friends attending at the Alturas Cemetery. 

Peggy Lou Martin Rhoads
Peggy Lou Martin Rhoads passed away June 7, 2015, at Citrus Heights Terrace Nursing Facility in Citrus Heights, CA. Peggy was born July 30, 1926 in York, Nebraska to Grace Jones Martin and John Martin Her husband Robert William Rhoads preceded her in death October 21, 2010. Robert and Peggy will be interred together at the Fair Oaks Cemetery in the fall of this year.

Lucille Evans
Vera Lucille Evans went to heaven peacefully from her home in Caldwell, Idaho on March 28, 2015.
Lucille was born to Lyle and Frances Bermingham in Paso Robles, CA on March 23, 1925.
We are so blessed that God gave her to us and we miss her dearly. Lucille’s  favorite scripture was Psalm 28:7.

Timothy Harmon
Timothy Harmon, 54, of Lake City, California passed Monday morning, June 8, 2015. Private family services will be held at a future date. Obituary to follow.

Sports

Modoc Expo highlights outdoor activity

This year the Expo will be held in the Veteran’s Park on June 20-21. It will offer new and traditional exhibits, vendors, activities, tours and trails.
“This county has so much to offer in the way of outdoor activities. Don’t watch adventures on television, experience them, practically in your backyard,” said Lorissa Soriano, originator and organizer of the Expo.
Among the activities, booths and opportunities joining together to present the best of Modoc are:
Internationally known hang glider Roger Jackson, who will be sharing and showing folks how to hang-glide using his own hang glider as an example. His hands on display will offer the interested a chance to harness up and get the idea of what it takes to silently soar in the clear Modoc skies.
Always a favorite, Native American Ruben Martinez will be telling stories of his people and making dolls and rope of tules. His hope for the future is to develop a cultural display featuring moccasins, rugs and even a home and boat made of tules. “We were here in the beginning and are still here,” said Martinez, as he offers demonstrations of how common plants enriched life here a thousand or more years ago.
The duck calling contest for children is always a hit and very noisy. This year it will be held outdoors with each young participant receiving a duck call and a lesson in calling ducks.
Archery and atlatyl throwing for all ages will be available with personal lessons for the children. An adult contest will offer a bow as a prize from the sponsoring MORT. Registration forms for the contests are necessary. More information may be obtained by calling Dan 530-640-3848 or Lorissa 530-640-0125.

Free day opens Pool on Monday

The Alturas Municipal Pool will open for the season on Monday, June 15, with a free swim day. Pool hours for recreational swim will be 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Lap swim will be 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 6:45 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Swimming lessons for all ages and skill levels are scheduled to begin on Monday, June 22. A one-week session will be held June 22-26. With 40 minutes sessions at 1:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. Cost of the lessons will be $25 for the one-week session and $50 for the two-week session. Private and semi-private lessons are also available.
Aqua-cise also begins on June 22 at 6:00 p.m. Monday and Wednesday with a high intensity workout, with Tuesday and Thursday focusing on stretching and water walking. Cost of the class will be $50.
The pool is also available for private rentals weekday evenings, Saturday morning and evenings, as well as all day Sunday. Rental cost is $62.50 per hour with a two-hour minimum.
For more information please call the pool at 530-233-4299.

BV Fish derby June 13

The Big Valley Junior Fishing Derby will be held June 13 at the Ash Creek Wildlife Area.
The Derby is free for all junior anglers, aged 15 and under. It is sponsored by the Pit River Rod and Gun Club and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.The Fish Derby location is the Basset Road fishing accesss Ash Creek Wildlife Area, enter off Highway 299, one mile west of Adin at Bassett Road. Registration will be from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and fishing will be from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. There will be prizes for all angelrs, and grand prizes for the largest and smallest fish caught. For more information, call 294-5824.

June 18, 2015

News

City’s Chief of Police retires, Cullins appointed

Ken Barnes, who has served as the Alturas Chief of Police retired on June 16, after serving 13 years Chief, and also served as a patrolman, sergeant and Lieutenant in 26 years of service here.
The Council appointed Lieutenant Sid Cullins as the new Chief of Police. Cullins has 30 years experience with the Alturas Police Department.
“I’ve really appreciated serving the City of Alturas and its people,” Barnes said Tuesday. “For the most part, there are really good people here and the City government is like family. I’m happy I served most of my career here.”
Mayor John Dederick said Tuesday represented “Quite a change” for the City of Alturas, thanked Barnes for his service and told the audience that Barnes had run the department well and brought in training programs and major grant funding for the City during his term.
The Council also passed a resolution approving the exception to the 180-day wait period, as required by PERS to allow Barnes to work part-time as needed.
Two new patrolmen, Chris Harrison and Cody Widby, were also sworn in by City Clerk Cary Baker Tuesday. They had both just graduated from the Police Academy.

Sheriff assigns Nessling canine, against approved policy

Modoc County Sheriff Mike Poindexter assigned Sergeant Dan Nessling one of the police dogs in his new canine program. That violated a signed agreement approved in May by the Board of Supervisors, Poindexter and the Deputy Sheriff’s Association.
When Poindexter sent the Payroll Action Notification form to County Chief Administrative Officer, Chester Robert’s Office last week, to pay Nessling for the dog-handling position, Robertson refused.
Robertson explained to Poindexter, “Administration is in receipt of the Payroll Action Notification Forms (PAN), turned in for two designated Canine Handler Stipends. Unfortunately, we will not be able to process the Canine Stipend for Mr. Daniel Nessling for the following reasons: 1. Per the Classification that was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on May 12, it states, ‘This is a non-supervisory peace officer classification that will receive additional compensation.’  Mr. Nessling currently holds a supervisory position as Sergeant.

Pit River Tribe files federal, state, county complaint against Sheriff

The Pit River Tribe has filed formal complaints of harassment and other activities against the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office. Those complaints were filed with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Tribal Justice, the California Attorney General’s Office and the Modoc County District Attorney’s office.
The complaints were filed this month under the signature of Tribal Chairman Mickey L. Gemmill, Jr.
“On behalf of the Pit River Tribe ("Tribe") and in accordance with the federal government's trust responsibility to the Tribe, I respectfully request that the United States Department of Justice conduct an investigation into an ongoing pattern of misconduct against Tribal members and employees by the
Modoc County Sheriff's Department,” Gemmill writes to the DOJ. “The Sheriff and his deputies have engaged in a pattern or practice of stops, searches, detentions and in one case, an arrest that violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendments and constitute selective enforcement, discriminatory policing and harassment tactics.”

June lightning fire update

Modoc National Forest firefighters responded and made good progress in containing the Hole Fire June 12 on private land under Forest Service protection.
This fire, located near Old Camp One, reached an estimated 1.4 acres in size. MDF engine crews, the Crane Valley Hotshots and various other personnel were able to stop forward progress and put in hose around most of the fire. It was reported contained at 9 p.m. Two engines, a watertender and the hotshots will remain on scene this morning.
A previously reported fire was located southwest of Blue Mountain Lookout. Estimated at less than 0.1 acres, this fire was called contained at 7 p.m.
One smoke column was reported in the South Warners, but has yet to be located by aerial reconnaissance and ground crews.

Obituaries—

Donald Winkle
Donald “Don” Jack Winkle of Alturas always loved and had ties to Modoc County. His relatives were some of the first to settle in Big Valley and as a youngster, his father played music at the White Cabin in Canby, CA.  Mr. Winkle was 81, when he passed of Cancer on June 13, 2015 in Anderson, CA, with his children at his side.
Born Feb. 26, 1934, in Redding, CA, he finished Shasta High School, then entered Air Force Basic Training in San Antonio, TX, along with Johnny Cash.
A private family graveside service will be held at Igo Veterans’ Cemetery on July 6. A celebration of Don’s life will be held at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or Alturas Rural Fire Dept., 310 Rine St., Alturas, CA 96101.

Molly Lee
Kathleen Monica (Molly) Lee, 95, died in Beaverton, OR June 11, 2015, following a stroke. A native of Golders Green, a London suburb, Molly met her late husband Darvin Lewis Lee while he served in World War II.
Molly survived the Blitz in London during World War II while attending college. She and Darvin moved to Alturas, where he grew up, following the war. They later moved to Lebanon, OR and then to Portland.
A celebration of Molly’s life will be held later this summer.

Kenneth Fogle
Kenneth Wesley Fogle of Alturas, CA passed away on October 29, 2014.
 In loving memory, a memorial service is scheduled for June 20, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the Alturas Elks Lodge pavilion, 619 N. Main Street, Alturas.  Family, friends and the community are welcome to share stories and memories and celebrate the life of Ken throughout the day. Fellowship and lunch will follow.

Sports

Expo aims to get people outside for fun

Couch potatoes will soon be an endangered species in Modoc County.
The Modoc Sportsman’s and Outdoor Expo is this Saturday and Sunday. Attending this event will acquaint children and adults with the myriad of local sporting and outdoor activities available for everyone to enjoy.
This applies to tourists also. The unique outdoor sports and recreation opportunities that Modoc County offers and are being touted at the Expo is attracting statewide attention. This month the California Sportsman Magazine featured a story on the Expo. With a huge circulation, word of the Expo is spreading across the state.
The publicity about this event is drawing attention and attracting leaders from adjacent counties. They all agree it’s time to put aside petty differences between communities and work together to help save the faltering economies along the Highway 299 corridor. They want to learn how Lorissa Soriano, creator and organizer of the event, has brought differing groups together for the good of all.
 “Capitalize on what we have: mountains, streams, lakes, wilderness, camping, hunting, fishing, riding, hiking, rock hounding, hot springs, birding and wildlife to name a few. We have so much to offer residents and visitors of all ages. Tourists will come, buy lodging, food, fuel and shop, but most of all they will enjoy our way of life. Where else in California offers what we have? And it’s natural, not in a theme park where you pay admission for everything,” said Soriano.

Johnson Creek Bridge stabilization project

The Big Valley Ranger District proposes to stabilize an abutment of Johnson Creek Bridge and restore the stream at the site.
Constructed in 1972, the bridge is located west of the Lower Rush Creek Campground on Forest Road 41N11.
During construction, the stream was diverted from its original channel and now runs under the bridge at a diagonal. As a result, there is wood-water contact on the western abutment and backwall, even during low flows.
During high-water events, there is scouring around the foundation. The project is intended to stabilize the right abutment of the Johnson Creek Bridge, as well as restore the site so the stream flows perpendicular to the direction of the bridge.
The Big Valley Ranger District would like public comments by July 20, 2015. Email comments to: comments-pacificsouthwest-modoc-big-valley@fs.fed.us.
Please send written comments to 49870 Hwy 139, Tulelake, CA. 96134, or fax to 530-667-8609.
More information about the project can be found at http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/modoc/landmanagement/projects.
Please direct questions about this project to Forest Engineer, Theresa Morales at 530-233-8850 or teresadmorales@fs.fed.us.  

June 25, 2015

News

Supervisors get tentative okay for AFD to help ARFD

Modoc County Supervisors Tuesday gave tentative approval to the Alturas Fire Department’s offer to assist the Alturas Rural Fire Department on structure fires within a mile-and-a-half of the City Limits. AFD Fire Chief Keith Jacques had gone before the Alturas City Council last week with the same request. They also were in favor of the plan.
Basically, the AFD, per the City and its charters, is not allowed to go outside the City Limits in force. They can respond in mutual aid, if requested, with one fire engine and crew.
Jacques said there have been three homes destroyed by fire just outside the City in the past few months. While the ARFD is responding and doing its job, they currently are experiencing a firefighter shortage. He said their backup often comes from California Pines, 10 miles away.
Jacques and the ARFD Fire Chief Otis Sommers have discussed the situation and Jacques told the Board the AFD is “just trying to be good neighbors and offer them help. We are not stepping on the toes of the Rural Fire Department. We respond to about 300 calls a year, so we’re not looking for more work. But we are here to help when needed.”

Rosendahl’s are Fandango Marshals

Harold and Cordelia Rosendahl of Alturas were chosen by the Alturas Chamber of Commerce as the 2015 Fandango Days Parade Grand Marshals. This loving couple represent the true meaning of "real life Modocer's" and how they contributed so much to the many generations who lived or passed through Alturas.

County financial picture has improved for 2015-16

By Chester Robertson, County Chief Administrative Officer

The overall budget picture for the county has improved for Fiscal 2015/16. This year both the Federal Government and State Government have been providing timely estimates on key revenues for the county.  Many of the political stalemates for funding reauthorizations at the Federal and State levels we have experienced in prior years are getting resolved. State tax revenues are increasing with the improvement of the overall economy. 
While the overall economy is improving the external revenues to our county, our local economy continues to struggle. This is limiting recovery of the core general fund revenues such as property tax and sales tax. Therefore the county still faces very significant challenges in the general fund, which is relatively small, compared to the overall county budget but is the basis for many of the services that citizens are familiar with and depend on. 
The county budget reflects reductions in some one-time general fund revenues the county has depended on in the last couple years. Fortunately, to stabilize this the county will receive SB90 mandated costs reimbursements from the state going back to 2004 totaling $142,000. Additionally, our CalPERS county contribution rate to retirement plans for many of the safety employees is declining from 53 percent to 18 percent this year. Collectively this should lead to more than $260,000 in savings, which can assist in offsetting other declines in revenue. 

May jobless rate dips to 8.2 percent

Modoc County’s May unemployment rate dipped from April’s 8.5 percent to 8.2 percent. That’s down from last May’s 9.6 percent.
According to the state Employment Development Department, Modoc’s May civilian labor force numbered 3,310, with 3,040 employed and 270 unemployed.
That compares to last May, when the labor force was at 3,380 with 3,060 employed. May 2015 was an improvement over April 2015, when the labor was at 3,250 with 2,980 employed. The labor force and those employed in May increased by 60 people.
Government employment from April to May increased from 1,170 to 1,200, with all of that gain at the federal level. Total farm employment went from 370 to 380 and total nonfarm from 2,220 to 2,260.
Modoc’s 8.2 unemployment rate ranks it 40th out of the state’s 58 counties for highest unemployment. Siskiyou ranks 43rd at 8.6 percent and Lassen 33rd at 7.0 percent. The federal unemployment rate for May was 5.3 percent and the state rate was 6.2 percent.

CAL FIRE suspends outdoor residential burning

As drought conditions continue to increase fire danger in the region, CAL FIRE has suspended all burn permits for outdoor open residential burning within the State Responsibility Area of Lassen, Modoc and Plumas Counties.
This suspension takes effect at 8:00 a.m., June 29, 2015 and bans all residential outdoor burning of landscape debris including branches and leaves.
“Last year the Intermountain Area experienced the Eiler Fire, the Bald Fire and the Day Fire: three fires that burned over 85,000 acres,” said Dave Junette, Unit Chief for the Lassen-Modoc-Plumas Unit of CAL FIRE.  “All three of these fires required evacuation, and many homeowners experienced firsthand how difficult it can be when you are not prepared.” 
“With record-setting drought conditions we must take every step possible to prevent new wildfires from starting,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director. “One Less Spark, means One Less Wildfire.”
 Similar to last year, CAL FIRE has already responded to significantly more wildfires than the average. CAL FIRE is asking residents to ensure that they are prepared for wildfires including maintaining a minimum of 100 feet of Defensible Space around every home.

Obituaries—

Ernest Hawes
Ernest O. Hawes, Jr. was born July 8, 1927 to Ernest and Alta Hawes in Wendling, Oregon. He passed away June 21, 2015 in Alturas, California.
He started with the Alturas Police Department in 1948 as a patrolman. In 1955, he was promoted to Chief of Police and served the APD for 34 years, until his retirement in 1982.
Funeral arrangements by Kerr Mortuary with an Elks graveside service on July 1 at 11:00 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. There will be a private family gathering afterward.

Delores Lourdes O’Brien
Delores Lourdes O’Brien passed peacefully into her Savior Jesus Christ’s waiting arms on June 10, 2015 in San Dimas, CA.
She was born on February 7, 1924, in Cartagena, Colombia and raised in Colon, Panama.
Graveside service was conducted at Holy Cross Cemetery, Pomona, CA on June 13, 2015, facilitated by Rev. Francis Potts of Eugene, Oregon.

William Robert Estes
Lifelong Fall River Valley resident William Robert Estes, 73, died Sunday, June 14, 2015.  Born in Fall River Mills on May 31,1942, “Billy Bob” graduated from Fall River High School in 1960
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Fall River High School Gymnasium on Friday, July 3, at 11:00 a.m.  A memorial scholarship has been established.  For donations, please make checks payable to the Bill Estes Scholarship Fund, care of the Burney-Fall River Education Foundation, P.O. Box 625, McArthur, CA  96056.

Sports

Motocross racing this weekend

The Modoc Motorsports Association is hosting two days of races this weekend at the Alturas track.
The gates will open June 27 and 28 at 6 a.m., with practice at 8 a.m. and racing starts at 9:30 a.m. The MMA is expecting racers from throughout the region.
The track is at the west end of Fourth Street, adjacent to the lumber mill.

Sign up for Pop Warner, flag football

Parents and players, time is running out to sign up for Pop Warner and flag football. If you plan to sign up for Pop Warner or flag football please get player packet (even if you have signed up online) from Acinda at Latchkey. Organizers want everyone signed up by July 1, 2015. A sign up night will be held on July 1 at 7 p.m. at 809 W. 8th St., Alturas, in the third room of Latchkey which is the east most building. If you have not signed up or are having trouble, don’t have a computer, or need to inquire about the scholarship program, please attend. If you have questions contact Ernie Givan @ 530-640-3234 or Eric Nelson @530-640-1992.

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE

July 2, 2015

News

Progress made on Alturas Community Center, pool upgrades

While the Alturas City Council is not ready to release the decisions this week, its committees have made good progress on the Alturas Community Center proposal and the swimming pool upgrades.
Mayor John Dederick said the committees have done their work diligently and should be able to designate the actual site for the Community Center project next week, as well provide some detailed plans and options for the swimming pool.
The pool improvements had a high priority in the John L. Wall Trust and the committee involved in that project has viewed a variety of other community pool configurations and should come back soon with its recommendations.
The Wall trust allocated over $2 million to the City, earmarked for construction, improvement, repair and maintenance of its swimming pool facility and for other youth related activities. In addition, the trust allocated over $2 million to the Alturas Rotary Club for Youth Park activities or construction.
Alturas resident John L. Wall died Sept. 29, 2014 at the age of 67. His Trust also left substantial amounts of money to Modoc Medical Center, the Elks Lodge, the Sheriff’s Posse and the Cedar Pass Ski Hill.

Fandango Days starts Friday evening

Fourth of July weekend festivities called “Fandango Days” in Alturas, kick off Friday, July 3 starting at 4 p.m. at California Pines Lodge, a short drive from Alturas down Centerville Road. The Lodge will offer a barbecue menu available from 4 – 9 p.m., featuring traditional barbecue items, pizzas and more in the restaurant or meals to go.
The big annual Fireworks Show starts at dusk to sparkle over Cal Pines Lake. The show is sponsored by California Pines Property Owners Association and is open to the public to watch lakeside or relax on the Lodge’s back lawns after dusk Friday evening. Live music by Matthew Songmaker and the December Bicyclists will flow from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Saturday morning July 4, crowds will line the sidewalks to view the Fandango Day Parade presented by the Alturas Chamber of Commerce. Entries will line up at West Eighth Street and head south on Alturas’ Main Street. Parade will roll down Main at 10:30 a.m.
Grand Marshals Harold and Cordelia Rosendahl, long community-minded residents and former owners of Harold’s Frosty in Alturas and Jolly Cone in Tulelake, are expected to ride in a classic CHP vehicle. The couple can boast they currently have five California Highway Patrol officers among their family.

Caltrans starts projects in Modoc

The California Department of Transportation, Caltrans District 2, will begin two construction projects in Modoc County on State Route 299 following the 4th of July holiday.
Adin Pass Phase II: Contractor Rocky Mountain Construction from Klamath Falls, OR, will begin construction July 20, 2015 on the northeast side of Adin Mountain on State Route 299 near Canby, from 3.3 miles west to 2.1 miles east of the Pit River Bridge. The contractor will remove the existing pavement, remix it and roll it back onto the highway. After a three-day curing period, the highway will be overlaid with about two inches of new asphalt.  There will be one-way traffic control with a pilot car and flaggers. Motorists should expect delays between 10-15 minutes. This project is expected to be completed by the middle of August.
Alturas Shoulder Widening: The same contractor, Rocky Mountain Construction, will construct eight foot shoulders on SR 299 from Warner Street east to Oak Street beginning July 6, 2015. This project will also improve the drainage along this section of the highway. A solar powered “Radar Speed Feedback” sign will also be installed on the south side of the highway near the city limit at Mill Street to alert motorists of the posted speed limit. There will be one-way traffic control with a pilot car and flaggers. Motorists should expect 10 minute delays. This project is expected to be completed by the end of October.

Major injuries in Cedar pass crash

The California Highway Patrol reports major injuries in a single vehicle accident June 27, on State Route 299, east of Cedar Pass summit.
According to the CHP, Brandon J. Farmer, 21, of Clements, Ca., was eastbound at about 3:45 p.m. going an approximate speed of 60 m.p.h. and allowed the 1997 Dodge to drift off the roadway onto the gravel shoulder. He made a sudden steering move to the left and lost control of the car. It traveled across both lanes and overturned several times.
Farmer was ejected from the car and suffered major injuries. A passenger, KC L. Stillwell, 22, of Zenia, Ca., was seated in the passenger seat during the rollover and sustained moderate injuries.
The vehicle came to rest on its wheels on the north shoulder of the highway. Farmer was treated by emergency personnel from the Cedarville Rural Fire Department and transported to Surprise Valley Hospital.
The CHP states that while at the SV Hospital, Farmer showed objective signs of intoxication. He was placed under arrest for driving under the influence. He was then released to medical personnel for further evaluation and treatment of his injuries and then flown to Mercy Hospital in Redding. Ms. Stillwell received treatment at Surprise Valley hospital. The CHP reports she had a broken right wrist. Farmer’s injuries included abrasions and a broken right ankle.

Campgrounds on MNF are open for holiday

It is looking like a great Fourth of July on your Modoc National Forest.
All campgrounds are open and accessible. Campers share the land with other forest users, as well as wildlife including the occasional black bear. Campfire safety is always a must and fireworks are illegal on all National Forest lands.
Please leave fireworks at home.
Campfire permits are required in California, and can be acquired at any Forest Service, BLM or CALFIRE office. Please be cautious when burning and make sure campfires are completely out before leaving.
Whether hiking, mountain biking, floating or riding horses there are precautions to assure a safe journey for you, your companions and the wildlife we all enjoy. Remember, all wildlife can be dangerous. Please do not approach or feed wild animals, especially bears.

Obituaries—

Charlotte Goulding
A celebration of life service for former Modoc resident Charlotte Guthrie Goulding, will be held on Thursday, July 9 at 11:30 a.m. at Auburn Dewitt Senior Center in Auburn, CA.
Mrs. Goulding passed away June 9, 2015 in Auburn. Born in 1923, she graduated from C.K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento and attended University of Oregon.
Memorial donations may be sent to VEF Cynthia Brush Memorial Scholarships, c/o Ken and Claudia Brush, 19724 Dixie Rivert Road, Caldwell, ID 83607, or to a local 4-H Club.

Timothy Harmon
Timothy Henry Harmon was a beloved son, brother, husband and father. He was a sensitive and complicated man with a gracious heart. Mr. Harmon, 54, of Lake City, CA passed away June 8, 2015, in Reno, NV. Private family graveside services were held June 13 at the Lake City Cemetery, where he was the groundskeeper during a portion his 25 years in his Surprise Valley home.
Originally from Santa Monica, CA, Timothy was born May 19, 1961.

Charles Kruse
Charles Johnston Kruse died on June 24, 2015 at the Surprise Valley Hospital. He was 94. He led a long and full life close to family and friends, and did the kind of work he enjoyed.
He was born and raised in Santa Rosa, California, the only child of Charles and Ruth Kruse
A private family memorial will be held at a later date. May he rest in peace.

Death notices—

Clifton Thomas Jones, 95, of Alturas, passed away June 19, 2015. He was born Dec. 25, 1919.

Donald James Walker, 84, passed away May 29, 2015. He was born Jan. 9, 1931.

Chui Ha Lee passed away May 27, 2015; born August 5, 1925.

Arthur Alvin Vernon  passed away May 24, 2015. He was born October 24. 1933.

Sports

Modoc minor girls head to sections

The Modoc Minor Girls All-Star team heads to the Capital Section Tournament in Sacramento this weekend with their first game against the District Two champions Friday at 6 p.m.
The game will be played at Regional Park in North Natomas, across from Inderkum High School.
The team cruised through the District 48 Tournament, beating Greenville 10-0 and 10-1 in the title game. Greenville beat Quincy 15-1 and 23-3 to get to the title game.
Lexee Larranaga tossed a one hit shutout in the first game, striking out 14 and didn’t walk a batter. Harley McLaughlin was outstanding behind the plate in both games. Kayla Derner, Larranaga and McLaughlin each had doubles and Megan Nelson went 3-3 at the plate.
Larranaga went five no-hit innings in the championship game, striking out 12 and walking one. McLaughlin came in the last inning and fanned two. Second baseman, Kaylee Albright snared all three balls Greenville hit for outs. Larranaga tripled in the game and Jenna Nelson doubled.

No Lead Ammo on CDFW Lands Starting July 1

Starting July 1, 2015, nonlead ammunition will be required when hunting on all California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) lands and for all Nelson bighorn sheep hunts anywhere in the state.
CDFW reminds hunters who plan to hunt bighorn sheep or at any CDFW wildlife area or ecological reserve where hunting is allowed on or after July 1, 2015 to acquire nonlead ammunition well ahead of their hunt. Hunters are also encouraged to practice shooting nonlead ammunition to make sure firearms are sighted-in properly and shoot accurately with nonlead ammunition. Nonlead ammunition for some firearm calibers may be in short supply so hunters should plan accordingly.
CDFW lands in this area include Ash Creek, Fitzhugh Creek (Pine Creek reservoir area), and Surprise Valley.

July 9, 2015

News

Indian marijuana projects raided Wednesday morning

Federal, state and local law enforcement raided the marijuana grow projects at the XL Reservation and the Alturas Rancheria early Wednesday morning.
While details remain sketchy, a large contingent of law enforcement apparently descended on both sites, arrested and detained some employees.
Several people who work at both sites said agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, California Highway Patrol and the Sheriff’s Office were at both sites.
The Alturas Rancheria is southeast of Alturas and the XL Reservation is about six miles north of Alturas.
One report indicates that agents were confiscating marijuana plants, equipment and records. Some employees going to work were told to remain on the highway with their cars.
Another report said a Sheriff’s Deputy tasered at least one individual at the XL site and arrested others. There were also reports of injuries during the arrests. The raids were authorized by a federal warrant.
There has not been a comment yet from the tribal councils, or from their attorneys. In both tribes, there were members supportive and against the marijuana operations.

City committee selects site for Wall Activity Center

The Alturas City Council Activity Center Committee took a big step by selecting a Wall Family Community Center building site on Nagle Street, just south of the Alturas Roping Arena and west of the Youth Park. The City owns that property.
Recommendations from the Council’s swimming pool committee are expected in the near future.
The Wall Family Trust community center committee established criteria and developed an assessment tool to rank the potential sites for the center using a list of 20 criteria. Criteria used for this initial assessment included proximity to schools, youth park and livestock grounds; pedestrian safety and traffic concerns; use of solar and geothermal utilities; impact to current residential neighborhoods; required parking spaces; adequate lot sizes; the ability for future expansion/projects and impacts on existing views; access and safety to youth; with more detail in each category.

Most fires kept in check with rain

Moisture accompanying lightning Tuesday evening helped firefighters keep fires in check on the Modoc National Forest.
Fire personnel responded to and contained six fires:
•     The Diamond Fire near Diamond Reservoir was reported a single juniper tree.
•     The Mud Fire near Mud Lake reached two acres in pine litter, grass and brush.
•     The Warm Fire remained a high-priority check Wednesday at 0.2 acres in grass and brush.
•     Two fires were reported near Clear Lake and one was discovered by firefighters.
•     The Whitney Fire near Whitney Reservoir was 0.1 acres in grass and brush.
•     The Mountain Fire near Black Mountain was reported at 0.2 acres and is was moderate priority to be checked Wednesday.
These may seem like small fires with little threat considering the rain Modoc has had lately and during spring, but it remains important to get them controlled as early as possible.
“It only takes one of these small fires getting away and we could have a large fire on our hands,” said Fire Management Officer, Dave McMaster. “The grasses and other fine fuels that grew so well because of rain take less than an hour to dry out in warm, dry atmospheric conditions and this happens even quicker with the heat of a fire moving towards them.”
McMaster added, “We take every precaution to limit firefighter exposure to unsafe conditions, but in the long run it is safer to engage fires when they first start.”

Modoc Medical Center adjusts charges

At the last board meeting of the Last Frontier Healthcare District the board approved updating the current charges at Modoc Medical Center (MMC) to be more in line with nationally observed charge rates.
“It had been a number of years since a review like this had been done and the findings of the review indicated that many departments were either significantly above or below nationally-observed charges,” said MMC Chief Executive Officer Kevin Kramer.
Overall, the changes will represent less than a two percent annual increase, but there will be significant increases in some charges and significant decreases in others.  The two charge types that will increase by the largest percentages are radiology charges and EKG charges.  The two charge types that will decrease by the largest percentages are physical therapy and ambulance charges. 
“The board of directors and I are supportive of making sure that charges for services at Modoc Medical Center are established based on what is observed in the healthcare industry,” Kramer said. “We have heard from many members of this community that our pricing seems high in certain departments and that is what triggered this review of our charges. We are hopeful that by establishing our prices based on what has been observed in the healthcare industry we will be more competitive in the market for providing services to members of this community.”
The new charges went into effect on July 1, 2015.  If any member of the community has questions regarding these changes they are encouraged to contact MMC administration at 530-233-5883.

Obituaries –

Helen Sophia Blevins Dodge
Family and friends are invited to gather to remember Helen Sophia Blevins Dodge on July 18, 2015 at 2 p.m. at the Likely Cemetery, Likely, CA. Catered refreshments and visiting will follow at the South Fork Event Center (formerly South Fork School) in Likely. All who knew Helen and the family are welcome.
Mrs. Dodge passed away January 4, 2015. She is survived by her loving husband Brenton; sons Warren (Marcy) and Kenneth (Nancy); grandchildren Jason (Joy), Andy (Jennifer), Justina (Reyes), Lucas (Riley), McKenzie (John) and Miles and great-grandchildren Anson and Amelia Dodge, Evan and Julia Dodge, Theodore and William and Jordan Alvarado and Zoe Dodge. She was preceded in death by her parents Cecil and Willetta Blevins and brother Jim Blevins.

Sports

4-H sends first ever shooting team to National Championship

The California 4-H sent their first ever Shooting Sports Team to compete at the National Championship in Grand Island, Nebraska. Modoc boasted three of the four members and the two coaches.
Grady Ingraham and Paden Smith both of the Davis Creek 4-H Club were on the shotgun team and Mavrick Farnam of the New Pioneer 4-H Club shot rifle.
“The boys represented California great and did awesome for their first competition at this level,” said Modoc 4-H Advisor Heather Hadwick.
The shotgun team placed 19th overall in the nation in sporting clays, skeet and trap. Clayton Holmes, of Amador County, placed 21st overall. Paden Smith placed 45th overall and Grady Ingraham was 69th. The boys were one of almost 250 competitors in shotgun. They placed in the top 20 percent for almost the entire competition.
Mavrick Farnam shot rifle for the California team. He placed 21st in the Nation overall for small bore rifle. Because he was the only rifle member, California was not eligible for the team competition in rifle. Mavrick placed in the top 25 percent of the group of almost 80 shooters during the National Championship.
The competition was fierce for both disciplines. The shotgun team that won overall only missed 8 clays out of 900 the entire competition.
The California team learned a lot and is proud to have represented California 4-H in their first trip to the Championships. A big thank you to the shotgun coach, Ken Smith of Davis Creek and rifle coach Warren Farnam of Alturas, for all of their dedication and hard work to the 4-H Shooting Sports Program.

July 16, 2015

News

Size, financing of marijuana projects triggered raid

The size of the marijuana projects and the financing entity at the XL Reservation and the Alturas Rancheria were what partially triggered the raids by federal authorities last week.
The question now is what, if anything, will the two tribes do in response to the raids. Both believe their operations were legal.
That's according to the United States District Court, Eastern District of California search warrant obtained last week. While thousands of marijuana plants and records were seized in the raid, no charges have yet been filed.
The search warrant application alleges that the project was being financed by Grand River Enterprises chief executive officer Jerry Montour, a Mohawk and CEO of Grand River Enterprises, one of the largest Indian cigarette manufacturers in the world. He operates primarily out of Canada.
The search warrant includes a list of Montour's criminal convictions and other criminal proceedings in Canada including: 1978 - possession of an unregistered restricted weapon; 1983 - breaking and entering and theft; 1984 - failure to comply with conditions of undertaking; 1985 -possession of a narcotic; 1988 - conspiracy to import a narcotic; and 1991 - cultivation of a narcotic.
While Montour is suspected of being the financial backer of both projects, both tribes stress the projects are not connected. The tribes also maintain that all of the marijuana plants were tagged with patient identification and were all for medicinal use.
The agencies involved in the raid estimate that 12,000 marijuana plants and more than 100 pounds of processed marijuana were seized from both places. The agencies estimate that the volume of marijuana the XL facility could produce was between 40,000 and 60,000 plants.
According to federal sources, the raid involved about 50 officers, combined from the Bueau of Indian Affairs and Drug Enforcement Agency. It also included a contingent of the California National Guard's Counter Drug Task Force and local law enforcement.

Bullet shatters sun tea pitcher on SV deck

It was a case of another near miss and a wrecked batch of sun tea.
Last Friday morning Yvonne Bond, who lives north of Cedarville, set a jar of sun tea on her deck railing to brew. It was a batch of tea she will never forget.
She went inside and a few minutes later she heard an explosion. Stepping outside to see what was going on, she saw glass fragments scattered about ten feet across her deck and down her stairs. A bullet had shattered half the tea jar.
"I sit in a chair on my deck each morning. Thank goodness I wasn't sitting there at the time," said Bond.
Bond called some neighbors and Mike Comola came over, ascertained the trajectory of the bullet and went to find the shooter.
"He was shooting squirrels and Yvonne's home was not in view, but it was directly down range from where he was shooting. It probably was a ricochet and the hunter was very apologetic. It was an accident, but it could have been a deadly accident with a few moments difference," said Comola.
Sheriff's deputy Mike Main was called and quickly responded. After taking a preliminary report, Main called Game Warden Brian Gallaher. Gallaher took the report as a hunting violation.

Board suspends Sheriff K9 program

On Tuesday, the Modoc County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to suspend the Modoc Sheriff's canine program, because it is not in compliance with "adopted policies, procedures and memorandums of understanding."
Supervisors were reacting to a letter from County Counsel Margaret Long, to Mike Poindexter, which stated "Specifically, your proposed handlers do not meet the required specifications and you have not provided the requisite information to County Administration regarding the canines."
She also advised Poindexter that failure to comply with the policy exposed the County and him personally to significant liability.
Poindexter denied being out of compliance, regardless of County Counsel opinions, but the Board remained committed to bringing the program into compliance. One of the major issues was the dog assigned to Sergeant Dan Nessling. The MOU states the dogs would not go to supervising personnel.
Supervisors took up the issue in a closed session and County Chief Administrative Officer Chester Robertson communicated the decision of the Board to Poindexter Tuesday afternoon.

County to treat e-cigs same as tobacco

E-cigarettes will fall under the same restrictions as regular tobacco products in Modoc County.
The Modoc County Board of Supervisors Tuesday passed a resolution that places electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes e-cigars, e-pipes, e-hookas and electronic battery operated devices designed to deliver nicotine in the same category and under the same restrictions as smoking tobacco.
The means that are not acceptable for use in bars, restaurants, public buildings, parks, schools and within center distances from the entrances to public places.
According to Modoc Tobacco Program Coordinator Bill Hall, the use of e-cigarettes by youth ages 6-12 has doubled and about 10 percent of high school students have tried electronic delivery devices, with 9.3 percent of youth using electronic smoking devices who have never smoked conventional cigarettes.

Obituaries –

Misti Croy-Matulewicz
Misti Ladawn Croy-Matulewicz passed from this life on June 30, 2015 at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, California, with her family by her side.
Misti was born at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Klamath Falls, Oregon on May 7, 1973. She was the first child of Carl E. and Linda F. Croy. Misti and her family lived in Klamath Falls until they moved to Merrill, Oregon in 1978. She continued taking care of animals until ill health forced her to stop. If desired, please consider donations in Misti's name to: Friends of Pets, 4809 Altamont Drive, Klamath Falls, OR 97603.
Family and friends are invited to stop by 212 North Jefferson Street in Merrill, Oregon to share memories and refreshments from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., on Monday, July 20, 2015.

Anita Schacker
A celebration of life service for Anita Helen Schacker will be held Friday, July 24 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Colony Christian Fellowship Church, 625 Golden Lane, Reno, NV. For any questions, contact Janet Barlese, (831) 383-2199.
Anita was born May 23, 1977, in Alturas, CA to Edith Brown Barlese and Don Schacker. She lived most of her life in Modoc County and attended Surprise Valley schools. She was the youngest of 10 brothers and sisters Jerri, Ernie, Bonnie, Warner, Janet, Greg and James Barlese still living and Richard, Steven and Tracy who are deceased. She had four children Talia, Lydia, AJ and Mya Townsend with Albert Townsend. She was preceded in death by her daughter Mya and her parents.
Anita enjoyed camping, swimming and taking her kids to the beach. She was a member of the Summit Lake Paiute Tribe. A joy to be around, she will be truly missed and never forgotten. She passed at the age of 37, on May 6, 2015 in Reno, NV of an unexpected death.

Helen Blevins Dodge
Family and friends are invited to gather to remember Helen Sophia Blevins Dodge on July 18, 2015 at 2 p.m. at the Likely Cemetery, Likely, CA. Catered refreshments and visiting will follow at the South Fork Event Center (formerly South Fork School) in Likely. All who knew Helen and the family are welcome.
Mrs. Dodge passed away January 4, 2015. She is survived by her loving husband Brenton; sons Warren (Marcy) and Kenneth (Nancy); grandchildren Jason (Joy), Andy (Jennifer), Justina (Reyes), Lucas (Riley), McKenzie (John) and Miles and great-grandchildren Anson and Amelia Dodge, Evan and Julia Dodge, Theodore and William and Jordan Alvarado and Zoe Dodge. She was preceded in death by her parents Cecil and Willetta Blevins and brother Jim Blevins.

Sports

Basketball Camp for 1st – 9th graders
Kids entering first grade through ninth grade may call to sign up for Basketball Camp to be held July 21-23 from 5:30 -8:30 p.m. at Faith Baptist Church, on Carlos Street, Alturas. Modoc High School Varsity Basketball coaches and players, including one college player, will be leading the basketball drills. Come have fun and learn. Call (530) 233-2015 to sign up.

July 23, 2015

News

City approves $10 sewer rate hike

Residents in the City of Alturas will face a $10 per month sewer rate increase on the September bill. The Alturas City Council approved that increase at a public hearing Tuesday afternoon.
While there were six residents who spoke concerning the raise in fees, most were satisfied with the Council and Public Works Director Joe Picotte's explanations.
According to the City, current monthly sewer rates are as follows: base residential sewer rate - $30.02; base commercial sewer rate - $24.07, plus .74 cents for every 100 cubic feet of water used. The sewer rate increase will go into effect on the September 2015 billing cycle.
The Council will consider approving an annual cost of living adjustment that could be effective in July of every year. The cost of living adjustment would be based on the annual Consumer Price Index as published by the State of California Department of Finance for each fiscal year. The Council may consider an increase of up to that amount. They will not automatically raise the rates, but will inform residents before that happens.

MJUSD geothermal well has lots of power

Last Thursday and Friday the long-capped Modoc Joint Unified School District geothermal well was tested for 24 hours and proved to be as good or better than expected.
According to Modoc Joint Unified School District Superintendent Tom O'Malley, engineer Darryl Anderson said, "There is a lot of power there. He was actually wishing we were doing more, but all in good time I guess. He said there is plenty of potential there to heat the pool, hospital and many other buildings in addition to the schools."
"The last temperature reading I saw was 177 degrees and flowing between 550-650 gallons per minute at 70 pounds per square inch, but Darryl took several more readings throughout the test," O'Malley said. "Samples were also taken to help determine the suitability of the injection well. The concern was that something happened underground and the well would be cold. It hasn't flowed in 17 years, so you never know. Now that we have the source, we can take the next step, which will be locating the injection well. Once that site is determined, we can go out to bid for the work."

Modoc pounded by 1,500 lightning strikes

More than 1,500 lightning strikes across the area were recorded at the Modoc Interagency Communications Center following a series of thunderstorm Tuesday afternoon and evening. A fire weather warning had been in effect from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday.
Abundant lightning with dry fuels for fire in the Modoc National Forest led to 15 reported ignitions. Thunderstorm coverage Tuesday afternoon and evening had some outflow winds in excess of 40 m.p.h. Lightning from the increased thunderstorm activity caused these new fire starts, primarily outside rain cores. Automated weather stations confirmed rainfall was varied across the Forest with amounts between .05 inches to more than an inch and a half.
Rains with recent lightning storms and firefighting activity have helped keep lightning fires small. However windy conditions occurring locally with the storms may cause an ignition to quickly spread.
Overall precipitation at Alturas measured 1.15 inches to date as of July 22, smashing the .10 inches normal average to date. The average monthly total for July is .30 inches.

Modoc jobless down to 7.5%

The Modoc County unemployment rate for June 2015 dropped to 7.5 percent, according to the California Employment Development Department.
That's a drop from May's 8.2 percent. The civilian labor force in June numbered 3,500, up from May's 3,320. There were 260 people listed as unemployed and 3,240 listed as employed in June. The employed number jumped from May's 2,980. The jobless rate in June 2014 was 8.9 percent with a civilian labor force of 3,540, where 3,220 were employed and 310 unemployed.

Obituaries:

Betty L. Russell
Betty L. Russell went home to be with her Lord July 18, 2015 in Klamath Falls, OR. She was born August 8, 1931, to James E. Chapman and Fay B. (Smith) Chapman in Likely, CA.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery, Alturas, CA, Friday, July 24, 2015. In lieu of flowers please make donations to High Desert Hospice, 2210 Shallock Avenue, Klamath Falls, OR 97601.
Davenport's Chapel of the Good Shepherd, directors, now located at 2680 Memorial Drive, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97601, (541)883-3458, is in charge of the arrangements.

Bertie W. "Bus" Spicer
Bertie W. "Bus" Spicer, 95, passed away in Medford, Oregon on July 16, 2015, after a long and loving life.
He was born in Alturas, California, to Bertie Whitmore Spicer and Mabel Claire Cantrall and made his home in Modoc County for most of his adult life. He retired to Medford, Oregon in the late 1990s.
Services and visitation will be held at Kerr Mortuary, 400 W. 2nd Street, Alturas, California on Saturday, July 25, 2015. Visitation at 12 noon and services at 1:00 p.m. Following interment at the Alturas Cemetery, there will be a celebration of Life at the Elks Lodge, 619 N. Main St., Alturas, CA.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alturas City Volunteer Fire Department, 103 S. Howard Street, Alturas, California 96101 or to the charity of your choice. Condolences and/or stories may be sent to the family at 506 Holcomb Avenue, Reno, NV 90502.

Catherine J. Bethel
Catherine J. Bethel (Cathy) 64, of Fall River Mills, CA, passed away on July 18, 2015 at Mayer's Memorial Hospital succumbing to breast cancer after a valiant battle. At the time of her death, she was surrounded by family and friends.
Cathy was born in San Francisco, December 10, 1950, to Calixte (Skip) and Joan Cook.
Services for Cathy will take place next year, when family and friends can travel out to celebrate her life and share memories. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to any of the following www.nationalbreastcancer.org, the ASPCA, www.aspca.org. or the Intermountain Hospice Fund, P.O. Box 456 or 43563 Hwy. 299, Fall River Mills, CA 96008.

Kenneth Charles Haskin
Kenneth Charles Haskin of Alturas, California passed away July 12, 2015.
He was born on November 9, 1946, to Norman Blaine Haskin and Helen Jane Fisher in Los Angles, California.
He is survived by Waundra Blizzeard, his care provider and conservator for 27 years, Roy DeWhitt, St. Helena, CA and Carol Mendez of Napa, CA.

Linda Ann Glos
Linda Ann Glos was born to Donald and Loretta Raymond in San Francisco, California on January 7, 1961. She peacefully left this Earth on July 12, 2015, after a valiant dance with cancer.
There will be a graveside service for Linda at the Alturas Cemetery in Alturas, California on July 27, 2015 at 4 p.m. The service will be followed by a potluck dinner at her home (7310 County Road 56, Alturas, CA). All are welcome to attend both. If you will be joining us at the potluck, please bring a dish to share. Libations will be provided. Should you wish to convey your love for Linda through a donation, Linda loved roses and her family intends to create a rose garden in her memory. All inquiries regarding this or anything else may be made by contacting her sister Joy Johnson at 233-3301 or HC1 Box 11314, Alturas, CA 96101.

Bruce Mix
Former Modoc County Sheriff Bruce Mix died from natural causes on Friday, July 17, 2015 at a Redding hospital, CA.
The County lowered flags to half-staff in honor of Mix who was elected in 1986 and served as Sheriff until 1998. He had also served in the Sheriff's Office for 16 years prior to his election as Sheriff. No other information was available at presstime.

Richard M. Martin
Richard Michael Martin, age 70, passed away peacefully at his home in Diamond Springs, California, on July 13, 2015, after a courageous battle with cancer. Richard was born on October 7, 1944, on his family's farm in Pennsylvania. Those wishing to honor the memory of Richard Michael Martin and assist others who need help are requested to make donations to his favorite charity, Shriner's Hospital for Children.Graveside services will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, July 27, at Miramar National Cemetery 5795 Nobel Drive, San Diego, CA 92122.

Anita Helen Schacker
A celebration of life service for Anita Helen Schacker will be held Friday, July 24 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Colony Christian Fellowship Church, 625 Golden Lane, Reno, NV. For any questions, contact Janet Barlese, (831) 383-2199.

Sports

Major boys take third

The Modoc Major boys All Star team placed third in the Quincy All Star tournament. They started off beating the Feather River team 8-5. Dillon Valencia got the win pitching and Hunter Williams got the save. Leading hitters were Williams who went 2-2, and Peter French, Omar Madrigal, Case Picotte and Valencia each had doubles.
Modoc lost the second game 3-0 to Susanville. Williams came in relief and did not give up a run, allowed only two hits and two base on balls but the Modoc bats were shut down as Susanville’s Gabe Delgado threw a perfect game retiring 18 straight batters and 13 strikeouts. 
The third game re-matched Modoc with Feather River. Modoc lost 18-8 in six innings. The Modoc defense struggled. It missed key opportunities by making errors in several two-out situations, which extended innings and gave Feather River more scoring opportunities.
Tre Larranaga got the loss pitching. He led the hitting going 2-4 with a single and home run and Christian Givan went 2-2 with a double.  Own Jaeger had a triple and French and Valencia each had a double.

Meeting for youth football coaches

A meeting for Modoc Football League Pop Warner and flag football coaches and assistant coaches or anyone interested in coaching or helping with officiating or game days is set July 23.
Also, anyone who has last minute questions can stop by and get help. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Latchkey Third room, which is located at 809 West 8th by Alturas Elementary School in the buildings furthest to the east.

Modoc Steals show at State 4-H Shooting Match

Modoc County earned almost 80 medals from the 2015 California 4-H State Shooting Sports match. Competing in shotgun, rifle and pistol -- the Modoc County Shooting Sports members received the most medals of any county in California.
“Our program is definitely showing progress. We ask a lot of our kids and their families. They spend countless hours at the range practicing and it’s showing in our scores,” said Ken Smith, shotgun leader. “We are growing every year and each year these members spend, they are getting that much better. We are hoping to get the kids to some more competitions this year to get over the nerves. The kids really enjoy the sport which makes my job easier.”
“Shooting Sports is the largest project in our county. We have over 80 kids in the project and it grows every year. We have dedicated leaders who truly care about the kids and give so much to this program. Without them it would never work. Our volunteers are the backbone of 4-H and Modoc County supports our kids full heartedly,” said Heather Hadwick, Modoc County 4-H Coordinator.

July 30, 2015

News

Modoc lightning fires kept in check

Pre-staged resources on or near the Modoc National Forest helped local firefighters get ahead of two active holdover lightning fires last week..
The Cold Fire just north of Sugar Hill Lookout in the Warner Mountains was the most visible with firefighters spending the night on a ranch near Davis Creek, Calif. and returning to mop up after a briefing the next morning. This fire was mapped at 14.2 acres. Firefighters have constructed line and laid hose all around it.
The Ingall Fire near Ingall Swamp was the only other fire reported yesterday. This fire was held to half an acre and remained a high priority to check.
Of the 25 lightning fires Modoc Interagency Communications Center has dispatched resources to this season, three remain active. All others have been called contained, controlled or out as of Friday morning.
July 29 update – The MNF has suppressed a series of wildfires following local thunderstorm activity this month. Fire crews have contained the Kephart fire that had been discovered burning in light fuels and juniper within the Doublehead Ranger District.
The 5.1-acre fire, located southeast of Timber Mountain Lookout at and was declared contained Tuesday.
The 15-acre White Fire was declared contained and controlled on July 24. This fire is located within the northern Devils Garden Ranger District.
Contained and controlled lightning fires are checked by fire crews until declared out.

Two Modoc murder cases moving toward trial dates

Accused mass murderer Cherie Rhoades and accused child murderer Zebaria Dolan were in court this week to set future court dates. 
Rhoades is facing the death penalty and a change of venue has been granted. According to Modoc District Attorney Jordan Funk, the counties (courts) which have indicated a willingness to serve as venue for the criminal trial are Placer and Yuba. 
“At this moment it is undecided which of those two counties will host the trial,” Funk said Tuesday. “The lawyers and trial judge intend to visit each county together within the next few weeks and then see if we can agree on a venue based on convenience for witnesses, adequacy of facilities and other relevant factors.”
Rhoades is accused of killing four people and injuring two in a shooting February 20, 2014 just before 3:30 p.m. at the Cedarville Rancheria Tribal Office, located at 300 W. 1st Street, Alturas.
Dolan is on the calendar for August 11, 2015 to set new trial dates.
Zebaria Thomas Dolan, was arrested by APD in December, 2013.
The case involves the beating death of a 14-month-old baby girl who was being babysat by Dolan at the time fatal injuries were inflicted on her. Dolan was the boyfriend of the child's mother and was tending to the child while the mother was at work.
Dolan has entered a not guilty plea in the case.

Alturas street projects will start next week

City Streets in Alturas will get some needed attention starting next week, according to Alturas Public Works Director Joe Picotte.
The City chip seal project was awarded to Advantage Paving, of Yreka, recently. The project, which involves several miles of City streets, was estimated at about $600,000 and the low bid came in at $580,390.
According to Public Works Director Joe Picotte, the funds come from a CalTrans grant for repair and maintenance and the project includes Carlos from Main Street to the Warner Street project. Picotte has said the re-surfacing should add about seven years of life to the street before any major repairs are needed.
Other streets getting needed attention include: West C from the State Route 299 to Second Street; Howard Street from fifth to Carlos; West Street from Fourth to the City limits; East Street from Fourth to SR299, Modoc Street from Estes to Howard; Third Street from Main to West C; Fifth Street from Court to Howard; Court Street from Carlos to North Street; East D from 12th to Eighth; East B from 12th to Ninth and Brooks Park streets and other areas where a chip seal will help.

Get Fair entries in soon

The Modoc District will be here in four weeks, August 27 -30, and it’s time to get those entries in. Take advantage of the kids’ admission incentives this year; youth entering just one still exhibit earn a free day admission pass and if entering five or more exhibits they get a free season pass. That’s four days of fair fun for free.
Fair premium books are available online at www.modocrecord.com. Entering costs little to nothing for most categories and with such a vast array of things to enter the possibilities are endless. Decorate a vegetable, draw a picture, knit a scarf or bake some brownies. Experience the Fair by becoming an exhibitor, still and livestock entries are due August 14. Horticulture and floriculture entries are due August 21.
Other fun activities include Pee Wee Showmanship on Thursday at 4 p.m. and the Kids Rodeo at 3 p.m. with the Greased Pig contest to follow on Friday. Kids receive free admission on Sunday, August 30. Fun, free activities for the day include the Watermelon Eating Contest and Diaper Derby. Become apart of a Modoc tradition, visit www.modocfair.com or call the Modoc District Fairgrounds at 530-279-2315 to learn more.

Obituaries—

Doris Chinn
Doris O. Chinn, 86, of Alturas, California, passed away on July 18, 2015 at Renown Hospital in Reno, Nevada. At the time of her death, she was surrounded by family.
Doris was born in Redondo Beach, CA on April 26, 1929, to Ernest and Lola Porter.
Doris was cremated. Her ashes were scattered on the mountain across from where she lived with her loving husband John. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the hospital or to the charity of your choice.

Richard Hamel
A celebration and remembrance of the life of Richard Hamel will be held August 8 at 3 p.m. at the Likely Fire Hall in Likely. Potluck to follow. Let’s share some stories.
Rich is survived by his wife, Christy Hamel of Likely; his sister and brother-in-law, Fran and Jerry Henderson of Chico; his two nephews, Brad Henderson of Davis and Tim Henderson of Chico; his great-nephew and niece, Silas Henderson of Indiana and Shay Henderson of Chico. Since Rich had no children, he thought of Jose Madrigal of Likely, as a son.

Alta Pauline West
Alta Pauline (Addington) West of Choteau, Montana, died peacefully at her home, with her family by her side on July 27, 2015. She was 85. Alta was born December 18, 1929, in Cedarville, CA. She married Elmer West on June 11, 1949, and lived in Alturas until 1974.
Alta stated she did not want any services and the family is respecting her wishes.
Her cremation was at Gorder Jensen Funeral home and the web address is www.gorderjensenfuneralhome.com

Glenda Frease
Glenda Frease was born on August 28, 1950 in Bieber, California.  She passed away on July 6, 2015 in Cedarville, California.  Her services were held on Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 2 p.m. at the Fort Bidwell Gymnasium in Fort Bidwell, CA.  Her relative John Thompson of Lookout, California officiated.  Burial was at the Fort Bidwell Cemetery, with a reception following. 

Wanda Tignor
A memorial service for Wanda Tignor will be held on August 6 at 10:00 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. Her daughters Suzy of Terrebonne, Oregon, Corky of Maui, Hawaii and one granddaughter Celeste of Seattle, Washington survive her. Wanda Rosalind Walker Tignor passed peacefully on August 25, 2014 in Maui.  Preceded in death by her husband Patrick and daughter Connie, she will join them at Alturas Cemetery.

Anita Helen Schacker
A celebration of life service for Anita Helen Schacker will be held Friday, July 24 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Colony Christian Fellowship Church, 625 Golden Lane, Reno, NV. For any questions, contact Janet Barlese, (831) 383-2199.

Sports

Braves open football practice Aug. 10

The Modoc Braves football teams will open practice August 10, 5 p.m. at the practice field.
Coach Shaun Wood, going into his 27th year coaching the Braves, reminds players they need to get their physicals and have all the sports information paperwork in before they can start practice. Pick up the necessary forms at the Modoc Joint Unified School District Office on Fourth Street, or at the Modoc High School Weight Room between 5:30 and 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Practice on August 10 will be for both varsity and junior varsity teams.

Local Mule Deer Foundation banquet set

The new local Mule Deer and APECS Foundation dinner and auction is scheduled August 29, at the Niles Hotel in Alturas.
APECS stands for Agriculture Preservation, Environmental Conservation and Sportsmen. The banquet is aimed at bringing together California’s northeastern sportsmen and women to promote and protect the outdoor traditions, deer hunting and conservation efforts and agriculture heritage.
There are a limited number of tickets available at $70 for single and $100 for a couple. The tickets include the banquet dinner, raffle tickets and bonus tickets for prizes and a one-year membership with MDF and APECS. There are also progressive raffle packages available.
For more information or to purchase tickets call the following local committee members: Gerry Jones 640-1899; Kayla King 640-3530; The Gun Cave 233-2100; and Drew Morgan (208) 540-1989.

Pop Warner starts August 3

The Modoc Football League announces that Pop Warner football will commence on August 3, 2015 with the first practice of the season.
The practice will be held at the brick building between the middle school parking lot and the community swimming pool on 4th street. Players and a parent are required to attend to receive football equipment, meet coaches and fill out final paperwork.
All paperwork is due this day, but players do not need to have physicals done to get equipment. The Mitey Mite division will meet at 5 p.m. The Pee Wee division will meet at 6 p.m. The Unlimited division will meet at 7 p.m.
If you have questions call your division coach: Mitey Mites, Steve Hallmark 530-640-1214; Pee Wee, Ernie Givan 530-640-3234; and Unlimited, Eric Nelson 530-640-1992.

6th Annual Rotary Golf Tournament

Plans are gearing up for the 6th Annual Alturas Rotary Golf Tournament. The popular tournament is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, at Arrowhead Golf Course in Alturas.
Signups will begin at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Advance signups are recommended, as only 72 players will be taking part in the action, although reservations are not required. The cost is $75 per golfer, which includes a delectable barbecued ribs and tri-tip lunch.
Format for the tournament will be four-person Scramble (handicapped). The day promises to be full of fun for all, with much sought-after prizes including $10,000 for a hole-in-one. Cash prizes for teams range from $100 to $500 and additional prizes will be awarded for successful shots.
For more information contact Rotarians Matt Cruse at 530-519-5602 or Mike Mason 530-640-1316 or 530-233-3499.

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE

August 6, 2015

News

FS firefighter killed while fighting the Frog Fire

A U.S. Forest Service firefighter was killed Thursday while fighting the Frog Fire, south of the Lava Beds. He was reported missing by his crew Thursday night and his body was recovered Friday morning, July 31.
David Ruhl, 38, a Black Hills National Forest Engine Captain was reported missing during the initial attack on the fire in the Modoc National Forest.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the firefighter’s death was ongoing and while various accounts had been reported, the Forest Service waited to announce the probable cause following the investigation. His body was taken to Mt. Shasta for autopsy in a formal procession that began at 6 a.m. Monday from Kerr Mortuary in Alturas.
The cause of death for Ruhl was announced Tuesday following that autopsy. His death was attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation.
Ruhl will be rejoined with his family on Thursday, August 6. He will be accompanied by engines from the Modoc National Forest and will be joined by other fire departments during portions of the journey. The procession will depart from Mt. Shasta Memorial Chapel at 8 a.m. Thursday with the procession proceeding along Interstate 5 and Highway 44 to the Northern California Geographic Area Coordination Center in Redding. He will rejoin his family in a private setting at the center. The public is invited to pay their respects along the route.
According to Forest officials, the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office was called for assistance in searching for Ruhl around 8 p.m. Thursday night and they searched until about midnight. They had to halt the search due to hazardous fire conditions. Efforts to find Ruhl began again at 6 a.m. and his body was found just after 9 a.m.

Dodge Fire in northern Lassen County is 10,700 acres

The Dodge Fire, a wind-driven blaze on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management in a remote part of Lassen County, just south of the Modoc County line has grown to 10,700 acres and is now 25 percent contained by fire lines.
Named for nearby Dodge Reservoir, the fire started Monday, Aug. 4, at about 2 p.m. The cause is under investigation. There are a few isolated ranching cabins in the fire area about 17 miles northeast of Ravendale, but none have been damaged.
Officials at the Susanville Interagency Fire Center said fire behavior moderated overnight Tuesday and crews were able to make progress on fire line construction.  There are three crews, seven fire engines, five bulldozers and two helicopters assigned.  There are 115 firefighters working on the fire.
A type three incident management team took over management of the fire Wednesday.
The fire is burning in an area that provides habitat for greater sage-grouse, wildlife, and wild horse and burro herds. It has burned general management habitat for sage-grouse, but has not burned priority habitat.

MCOE Superintendent resigns to take Alameda position

Modoc County Superintendent of Schools Gary Jones has submitted his resignation, effective Dec. 7, to the Modoc County Board of Education.
He will assume the role of Associate Superintendent of the Alameda County Office of Education on December 8. The move was not a complete surprise.
“With a mix of regret and satisfaction, I tender my resignation as Modoc County Superintendent of Schools,” Jones wrote in a letter dated August 5. “My commitment to the schools of Modoc County as a teacher and administrator began 26 years ago. There have been many wonderful years, as well as challenging events. My fondest memories will be of my time spent working with you to establish the Modoc County Office of Education as a
significant influence, locally, regionally and statewide, to improve the education of students.”
Jones has served more than one term as County Superintendent and is also currently serving as President of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association.
“My admiration for the educators of Modoc County is great, especially the employees of MCOE,” Jones wrote. “The members of senior management, Mike Martin, Leslie Corder, Tim Hoff, Marian Hall and Misti Norby possess the highest quality of character and work ethic imaginable. The schools of Modoc County will be well served and improve for many years after my departure.”
Jones will serve under the leadership of Alameda Superintendent L. Karen Monroe, who cites his “exceptional leadership and experience at the statewide level” as an asset to the office.

Wolf into Siskiyou County

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has collected evidence that suggests at least one wolf has traveled into Siskiyou County.
Based on compelling information received earlier this year from Californians reporting they saw a large, dark-colored canid, CDFW deployed a number of remote trail cameras within southeastern Siskiyou County.
At one location, in early May, images were captured of a large, dark-colored, lone canid, which is possibly a dispersing gray wolf. Although scat was collected in the area for genetic analysis, they yielded poor-quality DNA and results were inconclusive. Since then, no other images of a large canid have been captured at this location.
In early June, CDFW biologists came across large canid tracks on a dirt road in a separate, remote location of Siskiyou County, while searching for fawns as part of an ongoing deer study. The tracks were fresh and were from a single animal. Some were within the tire tread marks made from a CDFW vehicle the day before. Assumptions based on the track's size, linear nature and distance, compelled CDFW staff to place a trail camera to remotely capture images of subsequent animal activity along the roadway.

Obituaries—

David Ross Hafen II
On July 26, in an instant, David Ross "Hafey" Hafen II was taken from us in a tragic motorcycle accident while riding with friends a few miles from his home in Oceanside, CA. 
Ross Hafen, as he was known to friends and family, or "Prez Hafey" as he was known to his Street Royalty MC family, was born in San Diego, CA on January 9, 1990. Memorial services will be held on August 8, 2015 at 10 a.m. at Big League of Dreams facility located at 20155 Viking Way, Redding, CA.  Donations to help the family can be made at U.S. Bank for Jillian Brazeal, acct # 157506039062.
The family would like to acknowledge CalFire, Street Royalty MC and American Legion Post 365 in Vista, CA for their help and support during this most difficult time.

Richard Hamel
A celebration and remembrance of the life of Richard Hamel will be held August 8 at 3 p.m. at the Likely Fire Hall in Likely. Potluck to follow. Let’s share some stories.
Rich is survived by his wife, Christy Hamel of Likely; his sister and brother-in-law, Fran and Jerry Henderson of Chico; his two nephews, Brad Henderson of Davis and Tim Henderson of Chico; his great-nephew and niece, Silas Henderson of Indiana and Shay Henderson of Chico. Since Rich had no children, he thought of Jose Madrigal of Likely, as a son.

Wanda Tignor
A memorial service for Wanda Tignor will be held on August 6 at 10:00 a.m. at the Alturas Cemetery. Her daughters Suzy of Terrebonne, Oregon, Corky of Maui, Hawaii and one granddaughter Celeste of Seattle, Washington survive her. Wanda Rosalind Walker Tignor passed peacefully on August 25, 2014 in Maui.  Preceded in death by her husband Patrick and daughter Connie, she will join them at Alturas Cemetery.

Sports

Rotary Golf  Tourney Aug. 15

Don’t miss the 6th Annual Alturas Rotary Golf Tournament. The popular tournament is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, at Arrowhead Golf Course in Alturas.
Signups will begin at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Advance signups are recommended, as only 72 players will be taking part in the action, although reservations are not required. The cost is $75 per golfer, which includes a delectable barbecued ribs and tri-tip lunch.
Spectators who will want lunch only, pay $20 for the meal to be served about 2 p.m.
Format for the tournament will be four-person Scramble (handicapped). The day promises to be full of fun for all, with much sought-after prizes including $10,000 for a hole-in-one. Cash prizes for teams range from $100 to $500 and additional prizes will be awarded for successful shots.
Don’t wait, as August 15 will be here soon. Shine up your clubs for this special tournament and be ready to go. In addition to an enjoyable day with family and friends, participant proceeds will go to educational and leadership programs for local youth.
For more information contact Rotarians Matt Cruse at 530-519-5602 or Mike Mason 530-640-1316 or 530-233-3499.

Reservior F head gate failing

A project to repair the head gate at Reservoir F Dam is currently underway.  The current system that was installed about 30 years ago, is failing. 
Modoc National Forest crews with the help of some volunteers are currently undertaking the difficult repair. To help guard against some unavoidable water leakage from the reservoir, a coffer dam has been constructed.  There may be some disruption at the popular recreation site, although most work is localized near the dam area.
About the project:
The existing head gate system is failing and must be replaced.
Work will continue until completed.
The campground will remain open during the project.
Open public access to recreation areas during the project.
Work is accomplished by Forest Service crew and volunteer assistance.

Football players need physicals now

Prospective football players are reminded the Modoc Braves football teams will open practice August 10, 5 p.m. at the practice field.
Coach Shaun Wood, going into his 27th year coaching the Braves, reminds players they need to get their physicals and have all the sports information paperwork in before they can start practice. Pick up the necessary forms at the Modoc Joint Unified School District Office on Fourth Street, or at the Modoc High School Weight Room between 5:30 and 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
Practice on August 10 will be for both varsity and junior varsity teams.

Mill Creek campground water system upgrade coming

A project to upgrade the Mill Creek campground drinking water system.  Crews will be working on the system beginning on Monday August 1, 2015.  There may be some disruption to camping at the recreation site, although some sites will remain open. This information is provided about the short term impacts on recreation in the campground and the long term benefits:
Work is scheduled for the month of August, but some pre-staging of materials and hand-digging trenches has already begun.
The existing drinking water system will be replaced from the water storage tank down throughout the campground.
Impact to the Forest’s ecosystem is very minimal and all protections and prohibitions (such as no motorized equipment) will be honored in the South Warner Wilderness.
The campground will remain open throughout the duration of the project. Up to five campsites will need to be temporarily closed. The existing water system will be temporarily disabled, but a potable water tank will be available at the trailhead for campground and trail users.

August 13, 2015

News

Internet fiber optic cable cut in Alturas

On Wednesday about 10 a.m. the construction crews working on State Route 299 in Alturas severed the Frontier Communications fiber optic line, knocking most of the area off the Internet and limiting phone use.
Needless to say, the interruption of service created major issues for area businesses, agencies and residents.
Frontier Communication technicians estimated it might take eight or more hours to repair the line.

Saw spark identified as cause of Dodge Fire

Investigators have determined that a spark from a tree-harvesting saw was the cause of the Dodge Fire that has burned about 11,000 acres of sagebrush, grass and juniper trees in northeast of Lassen County, near the southern border of Modoc County.
The Bureau of Land Management determined that the spinning blade in a “feller-buncher” machine caused a spark, setting fire to dry grass. Workers were unable to quell the flames with available tools and equipment, and the fire spread quickly into tall sagebrush and junipers.
“We are examining all the evidence and information we have to determine whether there was any negligence,” said BLM Northern California District Manager Nancy Haug.  “The contractor has been very cooperative in this investigation and was a big help during the initial stages of the fire.” 
The BLM will issue a final report in the next several weeks.
The contractor was removing juniper trees as part of project to reduce the density of the tree stand, improving sage-steppe habitat important for wildlife, including the greater sage-grouse.
The Dodge Fire, named for the nearby Dodge Reservoir, started at approximately 2:00 p.m., on Monday, August 3, 2014. The fire is burning approximately 17 miles northeast of Ravendale, in sagebrush, grass and juniper trees.
Tuesday the fire behavior was minimal. Crews continued to mop-up 300 feet around the perimeter today and maintain unburned fuel islands. Fire behavior has moderated due to containment efforts and recent weather.

Management of Frog Fire returned to forest

The Modoc National Forest announces that management of the Frog fire is being turned back today to a Type IV Incident Management Team with Jennifer LeNeave serving as the Incident Commander. The fire is fully contained at 4,860 acres.
Demobilization of many fire suppression resources assigned to the incident has occurred. The fire is not yet fully controlled with some hot areas still within the northwest flank of the burn. Smoke may be occasionally visible, coming from well within the fire containment lines, for some time as small pockets of vegetation are consumed. 
A large portion of the containment lines have been repaired with fire personnel remaining on-scene to continue mopping up, monitoring and patroling the fire perimeter.

Hunters help firefighters by taking precautions

The Modoc National Forest reminds forest visitors hunting season is fast approaching and will overlap fire season for several months.  Fire restrictions remain in effect in the National Forest and the danger of new fire starts remains high in much of California.
"Fire season and hunting season are going to overlap as we head into the fall months, as we remain in the grip of an extreme drought in northeastern California," said Dave McMaster, Modoc National Forest Fire Management Officer.  "Hunters are already scouting the National Forest to prepare for their hunts. We want to remind them and all forest visitors of fire restrictions that have been in effect since July 27 and will remain in-place until the declared end of the 2015 fire season.”
Fire restrictions include prohibitions on campfires or stove fires outside of Designated Recreation Sites and the South Warner Wilderness, smoking outside of buildings or enclosed vehicles, welding, use of explosives or operating a motor vehicle off National Forest System roads or outside of Designated Recreation Sites.  However, persons with a valid California Campfire Permit may use a portable stove or lantern using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel.

Obituaries –

Michael Church Voth
Michael Church Voth suffered a heart attack and died at home on July 29, 2015. He was born in Berkeley, California on April 16, 1951.  A resident of Alturas for most of the past 15 years, Michael established Cedar Peak Design, an architectural drafting and design business.

Molly Lee
Molly Lee, 95, will be remembered with a four-course English Tea Aug. 22 in Portland, OR, where she lived for many years.
Kathleen Monica (Molly) Bennett was born May 30, 1920 to the late Herbert John and Gertrude Hendy Bennett near London, England; growing up in the suburb of Golders Green.
Friends and family will recall adventures that led her from war-torn London to the tiny town of Alturas, CA, on to Lebanon, OR and finally to Portland, as they sip tea at Albertina’s Place, 424 NE 22nd Ave., Portland, Aug. 22 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Molly, died from a stroke June 11, 2015.
Donations may be sent to: PBS (https://secure.opb.org/contribute);
Susan G. Komen Foundation (http://ww5.komen.org/Donate/Donate.html)
or Oregon Humane Society (oregonhumane.org).

Naomi Frances Caldwell
May 6, 1928 – August 5, 2015
Naomi was born May 6, 1928 in Adin, CA, raised as a country girl on the family ranch. She died August 5, 2015.
Friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life service on Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at River Cities Funeral Chapel, 910 Soule St., West Sacramento, followed by a fellowship gathering at the VFW Hall across the street.
Naomi lived a blessed life.  If you wish, you may remember her in your favorite charity.  Condolences may be sent to Naomi’s family at 840 Morning Glory, West Sacramento, CA 95691

Sports

Brave soccer starts August 17

Modoc High School is starting practice and tryouts for high school soccer on Monday, August 17, 2015. Practices will be from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. 
Soccer will be under new coach Jason Smith, who has 15 years of coaching soccer under his belt. They will practice on the east end of Ed Carver Stadium, just below the football field. Games this year will be played on the Modoc High Football Field.
All players need to make sure that they have turned in their physical and athletic packet to the high school before they can participate. The packet can be picked up at the school or it can be downloaded from the Modoc High School website.
“We are looking forward to an exciting year for Modoc Soccer,” said Smith.  “I am looking forward to coaching here and am planning on building a good and competitive program for soccer.”

Volleyball tryouts Aug. 17-18

Modoc High School will have volleyball tryouts on Monday August 17 and Tuesday August 18 from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm in the Modoc High School gym.
Coach Wendi Lowrey reminds athletes to insure all necessary paperwork is filled out and turned in. Players must have an up-to-date or current sports physical.
For more information, contact Lowrey at 233-7201 ext 307.

Cross Country hits the road

Luke Highes is the new Head Coach for the MHS and MMS Cross Country programs. Sign up for Cross Country and join us this fall. Pick up your athletic packets at the Modoc Joint Unified School District office on 4th Street and get an appointment with your physician for an athletic physical.
Please feel free to contact Hughes at 530-708-2027, if you have any questions. Practice will begin soon. I look forward to hearing from you and for the opportunity to share this great sport with you.

Rotary Golf Tourney Aug. 15
Don’t miss the 6th Annual Alturas Rotary Golf Tournament. The popular tournament is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, at Arrowhead Golf Course in Alturas.
Signups will begin at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Advance signups are recommended, as only 72 players will be taking part in the action, although reservations are not required. The cost is $75 per golfer, which includes a delectable barbecued ribs and tri-tip lunch.
Format for the tournament will be four-person Scramble (handicapped). The day promises to be full of fun for all, with much sought-after prizes including $10,000 for a hole-in-one. Cash prizes for teams range from $100 to $500 and additional prizes will be awarded for successful shots.
For more information contact Rotarians Matt Cruse at 530-519-5602 or Mike Mason 530-640-1316 or 530-233-3499.

August 20, 2015

News

Contractor cut Frontier fiber optic line last week

Last Wednesday morning about 10 a.m., large areas of Modoc and most of Alturas lost Internet, phone and 911 service when the contractor crews, working on State Route 299, accidentally cut the aerial fiber optic line south of Thomason Lane.
The interruption of service basically shut down many businesses and communication until it was repaired just after 4 p.m. Many retail stores were only able to take cash or personal checks. Motels could not take reservations. Local banks could do little business and closed early and the ATMs were down.
In addition the 9-1-1 system was out. Some cell phones were working, most were not. Government agencies, in many cases, were unable to provide some services while the services were down.
The lack of service was a stark wake-up call about the vulnerability of the communication system.
Frontier Communications successfully restored voice, 911 and broadband network services to all areas of Modoc County impacted by the fiber cut. Locally based Frontier crews arrived on site immediately to work with officials and 911 technicians to assess damage done to the communication network. 

City approves feasibility study for pool

The Alturas City Council on Tuesday approved a scaled-down version of a feasibility study for the Alturas swimming pool project.
The Council’s swimming pool committee had requested a study amounting to about $50,000 from the John Wall Trust to include an extended swimming season as well as upgrades to the existing pool, or building a new facility or repairing and upgrading the existing pool.
The extended season portion of the study was not greeted with enthusiasm from much of the Council, with the exception of Councilmembers Mark Steffek and Cheryl Nelson. They are the two council representatives appointed to the pool committee, along with other citizens.
While extending the season is an idea with some support, the budget numbers just do not lend credibility.
Mayor Pro-Tem Bobby Ray explained the City was not in a financial position to extend the pool season. He said the cost to operate the pool for the last two months amounted to about $42,000 and income in that time was nowhere near enough to offset expenses.
He further states that the Trust funding was for building, and not for operational costs.

Martin will lead MCOE

Tuesday night, the Modoc County Board of Education appointed Mike Martin as Modoc County Superintendent of Schools, effective December 8, 2015. The vote was unanimous.
“I am extremely pleased to know that someone with so much leadership experience and a close personal friend will be leading the Modoc County Office of Education, supporting Modoc's school districts, and representing Modoc County at the region and state levels,” said current MCOE Superintendent Gary Jones, who resigned this month effective in December.
Jones has accepted a position in the Alameda County Schools Office.
“I will always be thankful for the opportunity to serve as Modoc County Superintendent of Schools,” Jones said.

Smoke coming from out-of-area fires

Modoc County wildfires are all contained at this time and the smoke drifting over the area is coming from several huge fires surrounding the county.
The biggest fires, which have burned over 100,000 acres and are still not contained, are primarily in the Trinity County area. In addition there is a huge fire in southern Oregon, near Crater Lake.
The Dodge Fire, northeast of Ravendale is contained. Crews are continuing mop up operations and working on repairing fire suppression impacts.
The weather forecast is calling for clear skies, except for the smoke, and temperatures into the high 80’s to lover 90’s over the next several days. The winds may not clear the smoke completely and residents are urged to be careful is working or playing outside.
Crater Lake National Park has closed the north entrance road between State Highway 138 at the park’s north boundary and the Crater Lake west rim drive at north junction.  This precautionary closure facilitates fire operations and provides for the safety of firefighters and park visitors.  A segment of the Pacific Crest Trial is also closed from the park north boundary to the junction with Lightning Springs Trail.
Firefighters continued scouting for contingency line locations to the south of the fire.  Forest Service roads west of the National Fire are prepared and completed for containment lines. Fire crews continued to reinforce and add fire depth south of Highway 230. Along the Crater Lake North Entrance Road fallers have removed dead trees to the Pumice Desert. The Crescent Fire increased 793 acres yesterday. 

Obituaries-

Richard Crosby
Richard “Dick” James Crosby was born to Theodore and Lucille Monroe in Watsonville, California August 24, 1945  and passed away August 6, 2015 in Alturas. At his request a private gathering will be held at a later date.

Michael Geest

Born September 29, 1956 at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, Michael John Geest passed away June 14, 2015 in Fresno, CA from Cancer. A celebration of Mike’s life was held in North Fork, CA on July 25, 2015, with family and friends in attendance.

Herbert V. Corns
Herbert Vincent Corns, 84, passed away on August 13, 2015 of esophageal cancer at his son’s home in Lincoln, Nebraska. Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada May 27, 1931. The funeral service was held in Lincoln, Nebraska on Monday, August 17, at the North American Martyrs Church, 1101 Isaac Drive in Lincoln, NE.

Sports

Braves open football season at home

Modoc will enter the 2015 football campaign as one of the favorites in the Shasta Cascade League and the section.
This Friday, at 5 p.m., the Braves will have an inter-team scrimmage at Ed Carver. Both the varsity and junior varsity will square off in the scrimmage.
“I feel very positive about the season,” said coach Shaun Wood. “We will get to look at players this Friday night before real play actually starts. We have experience, talent and size the future looking good.”
The varsity team has 23 players out this year and the junior varsity sports about 25. Things are not so good in other schools. Modoc opens against Chester August 28, but Chester does not have a varsity football team this year. That was a surprise to most football fans. At this point, there will only be a junior varsity game. Some other area schools have gone to eight-man football.
Modoc comes in with solid leadership and a host of players who started last season. They have 13 seniors and 10 juniors on the roster.
The nod at quarterback is going to Alex Valencia, with Collin Martin looking strong as well. Running backs are led by Tyler Doss and Sean Anderson, with Damian Hueckstaedt, Kyle Royce and Chris Swindle in the mix.
A strong line is anchored by Jarret Royce, Troy Culp, Zach Norby, Haydn Albertson, Robert Dowdy, Christian Greene, Jess Picotte, Ricky McGarva and Jeremiah Murietta.
A good corps of receivers is led by Martin, Tanner Cook, Kaleb Duran, Jonas Collier, Timmy Reed, John Irish, Kaleb Savage and Zach Bickford.
The toughest teams Modoc will face this year are Fall River, Trinity, Mt. Shasta and possibly Lakeview.

Modoc High School football schedule

August 28 – Chester (JV only) 5:30 p.m.
September 4 – Quincy – JV 5:30; Varsity 7:30 p.m.
September 11 Lost River – JV 5:30; Varsity 7:30 p.m.
September 18 – at Trinity – JV 5:30 p.m.; Varsity 7:30 p.m.
October 2 – at Lakeview – JV 5:30 p.m.; Varsity 7:30 p.m.
October 9 – Etna – JV 5:30 p.m.; Varsity 7:30 p.m.
October 16 – at Weed – JV 5:30 p.m.; Varsity 7:30 p.m.
October 23 – at Burney – JV 5:30 p.m.; Varsity 7:30 p.m.
October 30 – at Mt. Shasta – JV 5:30 p.m.; Varsity 7:30 p.m.
November 6 – Fall River – JV 5:30 p.m.; Varsity 7:30 p.m.

Modoc High School volleyball schedule

September 4 & 5 - at Durham Tourney (Varsity only) - TBD
September 5 - at Lassen Tourney (JV only) - TBD
September 12 - at Lassen Tourney (Varsity only) - TBD
September 15 - Tulelake - JV 5:00; Varsity 6:00 p.m.
September 19 - at Lakeview Tourney - TBD
*September 22 - Weed - JV 5:00; Varsity 6:00 p.m.
*September 24 - at Fall River - JV 5:00; Varsity 6:00 p.m.
*October 3 - Trinity - JV 2:00; Varsity 3:00 p.m.
*October 6 - at Burney - JV 5:00; Varsity 6:00 p.m.
*October 8 - Mt. Shasta - JV 5:00; Varsity 6:00 p.m.
*October 10 - Etna - JV 2:00; Varsity 3:00 p.m.
*October 15 - at Weed - JV 5:00; Varsity 6:00 p.m.
*October 17 - at Trinity - JV 2:00; Varsity 3:00 p.m.
*October 20 - Fall River - JV 5:00; Varsity 6:00 p.m.
*October 24 - at Etna - JV 2:00; Varsity 3:00 p.m.
*October 29 - Burney - JV 5:00; Varsity 6:00 p.m.
*November 3 - at Mt. Shasta - JV 5:00; Varsity 6:00 p.m.
Playoffs - November 13, 17 and 19
*League Contests

Modoc High School cross country schedule

September 4 - at Shasta College, Bill Springhorn Inv. - TBD
September 18 - at Mt. Shasta HS, Mt. Shasta Inv. - TBD
September 25 - at Foothill HS, Cougar Inv. - TBD
September 29 - at Henley HS, Henley Inv. - TBD
October 9 - at West Valley, West Valley Co-Ed - TBD
October 17 - at Yreka HS, Yreka Elks Inv. - TBD
October 28 - at Trinity HS, Trinity Inv. - TBD
November 5 - at West Valley, Small Schools/SCL - TBD
November 12** - at West Valley, NSCIF Championships - TBD
November 28** - at Fresno, State Championships - TBD
**Must Qualify

August 27, 2015

News

Pair seriously injured when honey oil lab explodes

Two people were seriously burned last Wednesday when a honey oil lab at 900 Maple Street exploded about 4 p.m.
According to Alturas Police, Sean Wolfe, 27, and a juvenile female were allegedly in the lab, a loosely pieced together shack south of the home, working on the process to make honey oil, which is concentrated hash oil.
A third juvenile may have also been in the lab at one point, according to police, but they are still trying to confirm his version of the events.
Apparently after the explosion, the fires were extinguished by the victims. Wolfe and the juvenile female sustained moderate to severe burns on 45 percent of their bodies. Both were transported to Modoc Medical Center by private party and both were flown out to burn centers. Both remain in serious condition.
Police are interviewing the third party eyewitness in the incident, but have not yet been able to talk with Wolfe or the injured juvenile.
The Alturas Fire Department responded to the scene after it was called in and Police warned it was a possible honey oil lab. The AFD and APD secured the scene.

Supervisors tentatively approve new jail grant

Following a long, and often tense, discussion Tuesday, the Modoc County Board of Supervisors approved the grant application for a new jail at $9,416,000.
The approval, however, came with a serious safeguard that the application could be pulled before the award date if needed information from the Sheriff’s Office is either incomplete or questionable.
The initial vote on the issue was tabled so that County Administrative Officer Chester Robertson could phone the state and insure that the County could back out of the application if necessary. Once that issue was answered the Board voted unanimously, with some reluctance, to move the grant forward.
None of the Supervisors was happy with the grant application as submitted. It lacked necessary information concerning staffing levels and the determination of ongoing costs. That information from the Sheriff’s Office had been requested by County Administration and the Board for months. They did not wholly disagree that a new jail may be needed.
In addition, while Supervisors were told the existing jail was in need of repair, they pointed out there was never a cost estimate presented about what the repairs or renovation would cost.
The new jail would be located at the Northeast Corner of W. 16th Street and West Lucilane Blvd. on County-owned property near the Road Department shop. The new jail would have 32 beds, two fewer than the existing jail. That would include 20 medium security beds, four maximum security and eight special use beds.

County settles Nessling abuse case for $98,000

The Modoc County Supervisors Tuesday announced a settlement of $98,000 in the civil lawsuit filed by Jason Colt (Wilson) against Sergeant Dan Nessling and the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office.
This is the second civil suit involving Nessling for alleged abusive behavior. Both were settled in the victim’s favor and the total cost to the County exceeded $170,000.
Colt had filed a claim against the two entities in March for well above $98,000. The claim stemmed from a November 4, 2014 arrest of Colt by Nessling. Colt claimed abusive force. The initial March claim was dismissed as part of the settlement agreement, which was dated August 17.
The issue involves an alleged abusive arrest of Jason Colt by Nessling. Modoc District Attorney Jordan Funk is investigating Nessling for possible criminal charges in that case. The DA’s office has video evidence that “provided probable cause to believe that Sgt. Daniel Nessling assaulted Jason Colt (an unarmed arrestee who was handcuffed behind his back).”

Jobless rate jumps up in July

The Modoc County unemployment rate increased from 7.4 percent in June to 8.1 percent in July, according to the California Employment Development Department.
EDD reports the civilian workforce at 3,500 in July with 3,210 employed and 280 unemployed. That compares to last July when the workforce number 3,460, with 3,140 employed and 320 unemployed. In June the workforce numbered 3,490 with 3,230 employed and 260 unemployed.
Local government jobs dropped from 920 in June to 780 in July, while federal jobs increased from 290 to 300 and state jobs were level at 80. Total farm jobs increased from 450 to 520 while total nonfarm jobs decreased 100 positions to 2,310.

Obituaries—

Sharon Lee Wolter
Sharon Lee Wolter, an Alturas resident for the past 22 years, passed away in the comforting care of Modoc Medical Center staff and her family in Alturas, CA on August 21, 2015.
Born in Billings, Montana on January 10, 1940, Sharon accompanied her family to California, when her father was stationed in Benicia, CA.
Not a Catholic herself, Sharon enjoyed attending services with her husband at Sacred Heart Church and attended, even when he couldn’t. Plans are pending for a memorial celebration of life service.

Ernie Barlese
Ernie Barlese, Jr. was born October 31, 1960 in Alturas, CA and went home to the Creator, August 17, 2015 in Redding, CA.
Ernie was raised in Cedarville, CA by his mother Edith (Brown) Barlese and his father Ernie Barlese, SrServices will be held Saturday, August 29 at 11 a.m. at the Fort Bidwell Reservation Gymnasium. Potluck to follow.

Dolan Wayne Tiffee
Dolan passed away in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, at the young age of 61. He was preceded in death by his father, Gilbert Lee Tiffee and his brother John A. Tiffee.
Dolan served in the U.S. Army from 1973-74, being honorably discharged in 1974. He lived in Modoc County on and off all his life from the 1960s forward. He was born in Indio, CA.
He will be laid to rest in the near future, next to his father in Likely, CA, at a family graveside service.
The family would like to thank the Veterans Administration and Hospice of Lake Havasu City, AZ for the dedicated assistance they gave Dolan. We loved him and will miss him.

Charlene Northrup
A memorial graveside service for Charlene Marie Northrup will be held at the Likely Cemetery in Likely, CA on September 12, 2015 at 11 a.m. A family dinner will follow. All family and friends of Charlene’s are invited. Charlene died in Reno, NV on January 15, 2014.

Sports

JV team gets Friday night to itself

Modoc’s junior varsity football team will get the opening 2015 Friday night lights, 5:30 p.m., to itself this week as it meets the Chester Volcanoes. Chester could not field a varsity team this year.
Coach Dominic Budmark is pretty confident about the squad this year, even after losing a lot of talent to varsity from last season’s 9-1 record team.
“I feel pretty good, we may not come out of the gate as fast as I hope, but we had a decent scrimmage last Friday, so I’m pretty confident,” said Budmark. “Our line looks good and our overall athleticism is strong.”
Wade Schluter will get the start at quarterback Friday night. His twin brother Trevor will anchor the line. Lane Galvin starts at running back and he’ll be joined by Nash Warnock, Chance Galvin, and Brandon Hays who will also work in the receiving corps with Wyatt Larranaga and Josh Vierria.
The starting line will include Schluter, Derrick Budmark, Leonard McLaughlin, David Wheeler and Isaac Farmer.
There are 27 players out for the junior varsity team this year including: Christian Wisser, Joel Torres, Tucker Lowrey, Shaun Sylvia, Garret Hays, Bradley Kaplan, Carlos Pedraza, Jeff Pina, William Biggerstaff, Austin Newell, Gary Smith, Robert Jones, Joe McNamara and Michael Rush.

Wolf pups found in area

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has photographic evidence of five gray wolf pups and two adults in Northern California.
After trail cameras recorded a lone canid in May and July, CDFW deployed additional cameras, one of which took multiple photos showing five pups, which appear to be a few months old and others showing individual adults in Siskiyou County.
Because of the proximity to the original camera location, it is likely the adult previously photographed in May and July is associated with the group of pups.

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE

September 3, 2015

News

Fire crew hurt when engine rolls

A California Pines Fire Department engine was involved in a single-vehicle accident while responding under contract with the Forest Service to the Frog Fire Monday afternoon.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the 1999 Freightliner fire engine was driven by Justin Robert Ulrich, 30, of Alturas, west on Forest Service Road 42N03, west of County Road 91 about 5 p.m. He was going about 25 m.p.h. when the engine struck a pothole and caused him to lose control. The engine left the road off the north shoulder and collided with a tree. Ulrich sustained moderate injuries and was airlifted to Mercy Medical Center in Redding. Two other firefighters in the engine, Chase Tyler King, 21, of Alturas and Cameron Keith Lee, 25, of Redding claimed no injury and refused to be transported or treated. They were both seated in the front seat of the engine.
Ambulances from Modoc Medical Center responded to the incident.
The Forest Service states that containment lines on the Frog Fire, south of Long Bell Guard Station, 25 miles northwest of Bieber, have held well considering recent high winds, heat and low humidity. However, a spot fire was discovered Monday afternoon outside firelines on the east end of the fire area.
Fire personnel were able to construct line all the way around the 12.5-acre fire. Two handcrews and an engine remained on scene through the night.

One home well in Modoc is dry

While there have been reports of residential wells in Modoc having to be deepened or some being stressed, the state Department of Water Resources reported recently that only one well in Modoc has dried up.
Modoc County is holding a Groundwater Advisory Committee meeting Oct. 22, 1:30 p.m., in The Modoc County Supervisors Board Room in the Courthouse.
No local data has been released on the number of wells that may have dried up.
All or parts of Modoc remain in the extreme or exceptional drought condition rating. Exceptional is the worst rating. Precipitation for the Alturas weather station recorded just .27 inches of precipitation for August, below the average of .36 inches.

Alturas street project finishes this month

The Alturas City Street project is moving quickly and construction crews are in a several areas through the middle of September.
Alturas Public Works Director Joe Picotte said the following schedule is projected: August 31-September 4, chip seal; September 8-11, signs, pavement markings, final project.
The contractor is supposed to be forewarning residents before actual street paving starts so they can move their automobiles in time.
Advantage Paving, of Yreka is the contractor. The project, which involves several miles of City streets, was estimated at about $600,000 and the low bid came in at $580,390.

100th Anniversary of Courthouse Celebration Sept. 18

Modoc County is holding a special 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Modoc County Courthouse Sept. 18, 1 p.m.
The celebration is a time for recognizing the overall grandeur of the building as well as celebrating the over a year-long renovation and refurbishing of the exterior and interior of the structure.
In addition, the new elevator will be formally dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Several distinguished guest speakers have been invited to the event and refreshments will be served. The speakers will be announced in the near future, once they have made the commitment.
The Courthouse was designed by Frederick DeLongchamps, who was one of Nevada's most prolific architects. When young, DeLongchamps entered a competition to design the new Washoe County Courthouse. He won that competition. His courthouse was to become Nevada's largest, most sophisticated county building constructed up to that time.

Ranch and PRCA Rodeos highlight Lake County Round-Up

The 96th annual Lake County Round-Up promises to have something for everybody with a mixture of events featuring local riders, Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association top 15 contestants and a Saturday night concert.
Events kick off Thursday, September 3, at 1 p.m. with area youth 18 years and younger vying to be the fastest team to rope and brand four calves.
Events will get in full gear Friday, September 4 at 9 a.m. with a ranch rodeo featuring teams throughout southern Oregon and Northern California showing their roping , horsemanship and cattle handling skills in four events – ranch doctoring, calf branding, mulley roping and ranch horse competition. An open team branding will immediately follow the ranch rodeo events.
Always a highlight of the Lake County Round-Up, the first edition of bronc riding will begin 6 p.m., Friday evening with a ranch bronc ride competition with participants from Lake, Harney, Klamath and Modoc counties competing.
Friday events will conclude with a Calcutta of the PRCA saddle bronc contestants followed by live music provided by Cherry Road Gang.
The 2015 concert will be country duo Dan plus Shay performing Saturday, at 7 p.m., at the grandstand.  Dan plus Shay will be performing songs from their Top 10 country album “Where It All Began.”
The Cherry Road Gang will once again fire up the Re-Ride Room immediately following the concert. The two PRCA rodeo performances will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday and on Monday, with slack Monday, beginning Monday morning at 9 a.m.  Contestants slated to show up include bareback riders Austin Foss and Steven Peebles and steer wrestlers Luke Branquino and Trevor Knowles.

Obituaries—

Daniel S. Gates
Daniel Spencer Gates, former resident of Alturas, passed away at Enloe Hospital in Chico, California on August 29, 2015 with his family by his side. A memorial service is planned for Friday, September 4 at the Chico Cemetery.

Charlene Marie Northrup
A memorial graveside service for Charlene Marie Northrup will be held at the Likely Cemetery in Likely, CA on September 12, 2015 at 11 a.m. A family dinner will follow. All family and friends of Charlene’s are invited. Charlene died in Reno, NV on January 15, 2014.

Sports

Modoc meets Quincy Friday night here

The Modoc Braves will meet the Quincy Trojans here Friday night to actually open the 2015 football season. Last Friday the junior varsity opened with Chester, but Chester could not field a varsity squad.
Quincy comes into the Modoc game following a 41-6 loss to Colusa last Friday. Coach Shaun Wood was at the Quincy-Colusa game and feels his Braves will be able to handle the Trojans.
“They were missing six players at the Colusa game, so I know they’ll be better this week,” Wood said. “But we should be fine and we’re just anxious to get on the field. I expect us to do very well. I think our defense will take away what they try to do, pass a lot. I don’t think they match up well against our line.”
Wood said the team is healthy coming into the opener and the weather forecast looks for cool and partly cloudy. Game times are 5:30 p.m. for the junior varsity and 7:30p.m.  for varsity.

Modoc sports—

Modoc High School teams are getting into action this week for fall sports.
The football teams are at home against Quincy Friday night with JVs at 5:30 p.m. and Varsity at 7:30 p.m.
Modoc Varsity Volleyball is at the Durham Tourney Sept. 4-5 while the JV team is at the Lassen Tourney Sept. 5.
Modoc’s soccer team is at Mt. Shasta Sept. 15, 5 p.m. and has Tulelake at home Sept. 17, 5 p.m.
Modoc Cross Country is at Yreka Sept. 11 and at the Mt. Shasta Invitational Sept. 18. They do not have a home meet this season.

Alturas soccer opens Sept. 12

The Alturas Youth Soccer opening day is Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Alturas Rotary Fields, with the Opening Ceremony at 9 a.m.
Games, in all age groups, will be going all day. 

September 10, 2015

News

City-County agree to help each other

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors agreed to allow the County Road Department to help address some major street repairs in the City of Alturas Tuesday.
But the agreement also helps the County with its legal responsibility of maintaining the Pit River Channel through Alturas. The County has not met that responsibility for years.
Under the agreement for City street sections, the Board approved projects amounting to between $80,000 and $100,000, with labor and materials coming from the County Road Department.
The City will the allocate some of its non-restricted funding to pay the County to clean up the river channel, amounting to about the same funding level as the street work.
Basically, the City projects include asphalt road repair on two high priority segments of Court Street, one between 10th Street and U.S. 395 and the other from First Street to Fourth Street. The work will include grinding the existing asphalt and paving with new hot mix asphalt. Other locations could be added as funding allows. The work is expected to begin later this month and proceed as weather allows.
The Streets and Highways Code legal justification allows for expenditures of County road funds for the repair and maintenance of city streets if the Board of Supervisors determines by a four-fifths vote that the activity is of general county interest.

Courthouse feted in Sept. 18 celebration

The refurbished and upgraded Modoc County Courthouse will be the center of attention in a centennial celebration Sept. 18, beginning at 1 p.m.
The celebration, at the Courthouse on Court Street, is a time for recognizing the overall grandeur of the building as well as celebrating the over a yearlong renovation and refurbishing of the exterior and interior of the structure.
In addition, the new elevator will be formally dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Superior Court Judge Fritz Barclay will cut the ribbon dedicating the new elevator. The elevator makes the courthouse accessible for disabled individuals.
Several distinguished guest speakers have been invited to the event and refreshments will be served. The speakers will be announced in the near future, once they have made the commitment.

Board passes “fiscally responsible” model for transportation funding

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday passed a resolution aimed at fiscally responsible solutions for funding local street and road maintenance.
The resolution stems from the fact that “Cities and Counties own and operate more than 81 percent of streets and roads in California; and the local street and road system is critical for farm to market needs, interconnectivity, multimodal needs and provides the general public access to two key rural economic drivers, California's recreational activities and tourist attractions; and police, fire and emergency medical services all need safe reliable roads to react quickly to emergency calls and a few minutes of delay can be a matter of life and death.”
According to a 2014 California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment, which provides critical analysis and information on the local transportation network's condition and funding needs, indicating that California's local streets and roads are on a path of significant decline. On a
scale of zero (failed) to 100 (excellent), the statewide average pavement condition index (PCI) is 66, placing it in the "at risk" category where pavements will begin to deteriorate much more rapidly and require rehabilitation or rebuilding rather than more cost-effective preventative maintenance if funding is not increased.
The study results show that the Modoc County’s local streets have an average pavement index of 59, placing them in the "At Risk" category; and if funding remains at the current levels, in 10 years, 25 percent of local streets and
roads in California will be in "failed" condition.

Deer killed on CR1

A deer was killed in a vehicle accident Sept.6, 3:05 a.m., on County Road One, south of CR42.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Katherine L. Rowe, 27, of Seattle, Wa., was driving a 2008 Ford explorer northbound on CR1 when the deer darted out into the direct course of her travel. The deer was hit by the right front of the explorer and sustained fatal injuries.
There was moderate damage to the front of the vehicle, but no one sustained injuries. The accident remains under investigation.

Obituaries—

Don Kaufman
A Celebration of life for Don Kaufman will be held at 1 p.m. September 19 at the Likely Fire Hall. Potluck and open bar. Please bring photos and some stories. This is a casual event; camo is appropriate.
Don is survived by his daughter, Donna Farr (Chuck) of San Andreas, CA and their daughters, Carole and Jennifer and his son, Kenneth Kaufman (Marianne) of Alturas, CA and their children, Samuel and Michelle and his four great-grandchildren, Jim, Kenny, Jade and Jasmine.

Charlene Marie Northrup
A memorial graveside service for Charlene Marie Northrup will be held at the Likely Cemetery in Likely, CA on September 12, 2015 at 11 a.m. A family dinner will follow. All family and friends of Charlene’s are invited. Charlene died in Reno, NV on January 15, 2014.

LaRee Waid Tofell
LaRee Nicole Waid-Tofell, 45, a resident of Klamath Falls, Oregon, passed away Sept. 1, 2015, with her family at her side. A memorial services will be at 2 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, at O’Hair Funeral Chapel in Klamath Falls.
LaRee was born in Alturas, CA, on March 22, 1970, to Thomas and Jeanne Waid.

Raymond W. Callahan
Former long-time Modoc rancher Raymond Walter Callahan, age 92, died Sept. 6, 2015 in Klamath Falls, Oregon. His Memorial service will be held Friday, Sept. 11 at 11:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Klamath Falls.  Mr. Callahan ranched from 1957-70 in Modoc County and was instrumental in working with John Cummings to establish the Alturas Junior Livestock Show. His obituary will be published next week.

Sports

Modoc dominates Quincy 16-0; Lost River next

The Modoc varsity football team did not play up to its potential against Quincy in Friday night’s actual opening game, but came away with a dominant 16-0 win.
Lost River’s Raiders invade Modoc this Friday night in what should be a good test for the Braves.
“Lost River’s pretty good and they’re bigger than us,” said Coach Shaun Wood. “But we’re faster and we’ll be okay. We have some things to work on this week in the passing game and should shore those up this week in practice.”
Modoc scored eight in the first quarter and eight in the fourth for the win against Quincy. Wood said they dropped a couple of touchdown passes midway, but was pleased overall.
The Braves defense held Quincy to 40 yards rushing and 30 yards passing on the night, while Modoc offense generated 329 yards. The Braves ran 60 offensive plays to Quincy’s 37.
Modoc JVs win
Modoc’s junior varsity team took a little while to get going, but beat Quincy 21-0. Their offense didn’t touch the ball in the second period, but came out strong in the third. The game was 0-0 at half but Modoc scored 14 in the third quarter and added seven in the fourth.

Modoc wins one drops two at Durham

Modoc’s varsity volleyball team beat Durham 18-25, 26-24 and 16-14 in the  opener in the Durham tournament Friday.
They lost the second game to Paradise 18-25, 20-25 and the third game to Durham 11-15 and 18-25.

Modoc sports

Modoc High School teams are getting into action this week for fall sports.
The football teams are home against Lost River Friday night with JVs at 5:30 p.m. and Varsity at 7:30 p.m.
Modoc Varsity Volleyball is at the Lassen Tourney Sept. 12 and has Tulelake at home Sept. 15. JV games at 5 p.m. and varsity at 6 p.m.
Modoc’s soccer team is at Mt. Shasta Sept. 15, 5 p.m. and has Tulelake at home Sept. 17, 5 p.m.
Modoc Cross Country is at Yreka Sept. 11 and at the Mt. Shasta Invitational Sept. 18. They do not have a home meet this season.

September 17, 2015

News

Modoc Courthouse celebrates Centennial Friday

The Modoc County Courthouse Centennial celebration got off to a very special start Monday when several rare antique automobiles were parked in front of the Courthouse.
The car owners, part of Likely resident Rodney Flournoy’s 38th annual Modoc Tour, agreed to stage the cars on Court Street for a photo shoot and public viewing. Flournoy’s tours are very popular in the antique automobile world and the vehicles are museum quality and some are very rare, not to mention incredibly valuable.
Flournoy said the current tour, which ends on Thursday, attracted 60 cars and 130 people. Many of those cars were on hand Monday at the Courthouse, in spite of the windy drizzle. This tour started Sept. 14 and ran through Sept. 17, with the cars going to Jess Valley, Alturas, Cedarville, Eagleville, Fort Bidwell, Lake City, Likely, Candy, Adin and Lookout.
The refurbished and upgraded Modoc County Courthouse will be the center of attention in a centennial celebration Sept. 18, beginning at 1 p.m. It was dedicated in 1915.

Rhoades murder trial to Placer County

The capital murder trial of Cheri Rhoades will be held at the Placer County Courthouse in Roseville, according to Modoc County District Attorney Jordan Funk.
Funk said that a date has not yet been firmly set, but he expects the trial to be to be early next year, possibly in March.
Rhoades had requested a change of venue in the case, and Funk agreed not to oppose that motion, partly because of the amount of publicity involved in the overall criminal investigation.
Rhoades is facing the death penalty and stands accused of killing four people and injuring two in a shooting February 20, 2014 just before 3:30 p.m. at the Cedarville Rancheria Tribal Office, located at 300 W. 1st Street, Alturas.
The deceased were Angel Penn, age 19, Glenn Calonico, age 30, Sheila Russo, age 47 and Rurik Davis, age 50. Davis is the shooter’s brother, Penn is her niece and Calonico is her nephew. Russo was a tribal administrator.
Two other people were also wounded, Melissa Davis, age 34, and Monica Davis, age 25. They are Rurik Davis’ daughters. Monica Davis was reportedly shot once, and Melissa was shot several times and may have also been stabbed.

Top sheepdogs heading to Nationals here

The “Olympics” for Sheepdogs will bring the best Sheepdogs in North America to Alturas, to compete on the rolling hills at the York Ranch, Co. Rd 56 and 58 from September 21-26 for the 2015 National Sheepdogs Finals.
These dogs will be arriving from all over the United States and Canada to compete for the coveted title of National Sheepdog Champion. The events are open to the public (see admission/schedule attached).
The individuals selected to judge this year’s Finals are some of the finest sheepdog handlers in the world: Bruce Fogt from Ohio, Ray Edwards and Derek Scrimgeour from England and George Gardner from Scotland.
There will also be a competition for the National Nursery Champion (for dogs 3 years and under).
Border Collies are widely acknowledged as the finest stock dogs in the world. The National Sheepdog Finals is an elite event that showcases the highest abilities for which these dogs were bred. A sheepdog trial is designed to test a Border Collie’s intelligence, training and instinct. 

AFD starts on new fire hall

The City of Alturas will be starting a construction project on a new Alturas Volunteer Fire Department Fire Station as early as next week.
AFD Fire Chief Keith Jacques reported Tuesday that the process had moved forward and looked like the parts were falling into place. Some of the final pieces were taken care of recently.
Butler Engineering, of Redding, has been hired for the project. The need of a new fire hall came into focus recently when snow damaged part of the roof of the existing fire hall. It was prohibitively expensive to repair, and the City Council opted instead to build a new structure.
The damaged west end of the existing fire hall will be taken down and new construction will go from that area west into the city yard parking lot. The east side of the structure will remain in use, possibly by Public Works. The existing fire hall was built in the 1950’s.
According to Jacques, the new 50 feet and 140 feet structure has a cost estimate of about $420,000. The funding comes through an insurance settlement from damage to the current Fire Hall, plus other City funds. There are no loans involved.

Public invited to Modoc Geothermal meeting

The public is invited to attend an upcoming community meeting to learn more about the Modoc Geothermal Research and Demonstration Project in Surprise valley.
The meeting will be held Thursday, September 24, 2015, 6:00 p.m. at the Community Church, in Cedarville, located on the corner of Bonner and Center Street.
The County of Modoc received grant funding from the California Energy Commission to conduct a research and demonstration project to determine the viability of generating geothermal power in Surprise Valley. 

Obituaries—

Raymon W. Callahan
Raymon Walter Callahan went home Sept. 6, 2015, surrounded by family in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Ray was born Oct. 25, 1922, the only child of Raymon and Katharine Callahan in San Francisco, CA. A memorial service was held at 11 a.m., Friday,  Sept. 11, 2015, in Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Klamath Falls. Another memorial service will be held in Angels Camp at a later date. Donations can be sent to Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) in honor of his wife Joan's continuing struggle.

Novella Jane Perdew McGarva
On Nov. 18, 1931, Novella Jane Arnold McGarva began her life in Albuquerque, NM. She was raised by her aunt and uncle, Lorine and Leonard Perdew, living in Modoc County for most of her childhood. She finished her life September 8, 2015, confident that she would enter into the presence of Jesus Christ. Celebration of Life for Novella will be Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m. at Community Baptist Church, Red Bluff.

Don Kaufman
A Celebration of life for Don Kaufman will be held at 1 p.m. September 19 at the Likely Fire Hall. Potluck and open bar. Please bring photos and some stories. This is a casual event; camo is appropriate.

Viola “Vi” Jeppson
Viola “Vi” Jeppson passed away July 24, 2015, in Auburn,
California. Born September 3, 1922, in Yakima, WA, Vi was a longtime resident of Likely. Memorial services will be announced at a later date and an obituary will appear soon.

Sports

Modoc sports—

Falls sports are in full swing. The schedules are as follows this week.
The Modoc football teams are at Trinity Friday night, with JVs at 5:30 p.m. and Varsity at 7:30 p.m.
Modoc Varsity Volleyball is at the Lakeview tourney.
Modoc’s soccer team has Tulelake at home Sept. 17, 5 p.m. and travels to Etna Sept. 19.
Modoc Cross Country is at the Mt. Shasta Invitational Sept. 18. They do not have a home meet this season.
Surprise Valley Volleyball is at Butte Valley Sept. 22, 5 p.m. and has Dunsmuir at home Sept. 24, 4 p.m.

Modoc whips Lost River 31-7; Trinity trip looms

Modoc’s varsity football team had no trouble beating the Lost River Raiders 31-7 Friday night, but now has to hit the long road to Trinity this week.
Modoc enters the Trinity game with a 3-0 record and Trinity comes in at 2-1. The Wolves beat Hoopa, 46-0, and Arcata 48-0, but lost to Ferndale, 42-12.
“They have a couple of good backs and we have to go there, so it will be a challenge,” said Modoc coach Shaun Wood. “But, if we play our game, we should be able to beat them. Overall, we had a pretty good night against Lost River, on both offense and defense.”
The Braves allowed Lost River just 121 yards rushing and 30 yards passing.
Modoc opened the lost River game with a 6-0 lead in the first and led 18-6 at halftime. They added 13 points in the third period.
Modoc was tied 6-6 with time running out in the first half, but a good punt return set them up short and they scored to lead 12-6 at the buzzer.

Modoc JVs blank Lost River

Modoc’s junior varsity football team shut out the Lost River Raiders 20-0 Friday night, the second shut out in a row. They whipped Quincy 21-0 the week before.
They will meet a tougher Trinity Wolves team in Weaverville this Friday night.
“Trinity will be better than the last two teams, but I believe they’re beatable,” said coach Dominic Budmark. “I expect a real dogfight, but our kids are improving and they’re pretty good. I think we’ll be fine.”
Modoc had no trouble with Lost River, scoring on their first possession. They forced and recovered a fumble on the next Lost River possession. That fumble led to Modoc’s second touchdown and 14-0 first period lead when Bradley Kaplan kicked both points after.
Modoc would add a third touchdown in the third period for the 20-0 win.

Modoc volleyball 1-2 in Lassen

The Modoc Volleyball team won one and lost two at the Lassen Tournament last weekend.
They lost to Lassen 14-25; 19-25; 25-27 and 17-25; but beat Greenville 25-7; 25-21.
No statistics were reported.
The team is heavy on seniors with Emily Lowrey, Kylee Ward-Britton, Melissa Knoch, Beth Derner, Marhlena Torres, Macie Larranaga, and Dawn Waterman. Two juniors, Shelby Doss and Ashley Bailey, are also on the team.

September 24, 2015

News

Modoc budget shows marked improvement

The Modoc County Fiscal Year 2015-16 final adopted budget was approved by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.  The total adopted expenditure for the county Fiscal Year is $52,416,221.
“This year’s budget picture facing the general fund had substantial improvements from prior years,” said Chief Administrative Officer Chester Robertson. “Last year the county general fund adopted budget faced just over $400,000 in deficit spending to accommodate the $800,000 annual repayment towards the county’s hospital debt.  This year the county general fund deficit spending gap was essentially closed with total general fund budgeted revenues totaling $10,838,199 and expenditures totaling $10,854,713.”
Robertson said there are many reasons behind the improvement for the general fund, but the improved economy has not really led to the significant changes. The benefits of the improved economy are primarily helping the more urban counties.
“In Modoc County a number of businesses closed in the outlying areas of Modoc County during the recession,” he said. “We are not seeing the sales tax increases you would normally expect with the improving economy and similarly there are a lot of properties for sale.”
So what caused the improvement?
“The single largest factor is that the current auditor Ms. Stephanie Wellemeyer has carefully worked with the State Controller’s office to ensure that your property taxes are appropriated between governmental agencies in the right amounts,” Robertson said. “This factor was significant in ensuring the benefits of your one percent property tax bill stay local and instrumental in improving the county general fund situation.

Courthouse feted by community on 100th

After crisp, cold days and much needed rain, Friday, September 18, 2015, was the perfect day for the Modoc County Courthouse Centennial Celebration. In excess of 400 infants, elders and dignitaries, 270 seated and the rest standing in the shade of the new trees lining the walkway entrance and sprawling lawns, admired the new look of their newly-renovated Courthouse.
Speakers addressed how it all was made possible with grant funding from the State Department of Parks and Recreation, history of the building and its architect Frederick DeLongchamps and visualized the often dangerous, detailed immensity of the year-long renovation project to save its architectural grandeur, under the direction of Project Manager Curtis Rose and his crew.

Modoc jobless rate down to 7.3 percent

The Modoc unemployment rate for August dipped to 7.3 percent, from 7.9 percent, according to the state Employment Development Department.
The 7.3 rate is down substantially from the August 2014 rate of 8.9 percent. This August’s civilian labor force numbered 3,480 with 3,230 employed and 250 unemployed. The labor force numbered 3,440 last year with 310 people unemployed.
Government employment accounted for 1,210 jobs, with 290 at the federal level, 840 in local government (a 7.7 percent increase) and 80 at the state level.
The federal jobless rate for august was 5.2 percent and the state was 6.1 percent.
Modoc’s 7.3 rate ranks it 40th out of the state’s 58 counties for highest unemployment. Lassen County ranks 29th at 6.4 percent and Siskiyou County 43rd at 8.2 percent. The highest jobless rate is in Imperial County at 23.7 percent and the lowest is in San Mateo at 3.3 percent.

No endangered listing for greater Sage Grouse

An unprecedented, landscape-scale conservation effort across the western United States has significantly reduced threats to the greater sage-grouse across 90 percent of the species’ breeding habitat and enabled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to conclude that the charismatic rangeland bird does not warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
This collaborative, science-based greater sage-grouse strategy is the largest land conservation effort in U.S. history. Modoc County is affected positively by this decision, and area agencies and landowners have worked hard to get to this point.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell made the announcement this week on Twitter with a video that explains why the sage grouse decision is historic and sets the groundwork for a 21st-century approach to conservation.
The FWS reached this determination after evaluating the bird’s population status, along with the collective efforts by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service, state agencies, private landowners and other partners to conserve its habitat. Despite long-term population declines, sage-grouse remain relatively abundant and well-distributed across the species’ 173-million acre range. After a thorough analysis of the best available scientific information and taking into account ongoing key conservation efforts and their projected benefits, the FWS has determined the bird does not face the risk of extinction now or in the foreseeable future and therefore does not need protection under the ESA.

Sheepdog finals this weekend at York Ranch

The 2015 Sheepdog National finals nears the winners of the best Sheepdogs in North America this weekend. They are competing on the rolling hills at the York Ranch, Co. Rd 56 and 58 through Saturday.
In addition to the 2015 National Sheepdog Finals at York Angus Ranch, there will be numerous other activities going on to make it a very interesting event. There will be a Trade Show, Agility Dog Demonstrations, Sheep Shearing Demonstrations, spinning and weaving and “fabulous food vendors,” say coordinators Geri Byrne and Amy Coapman. “It promises to be an exciting and highly competitive six days. For more information please call (541) 891-7518 or visit our website Top 150 dogs in North America compete for the title of National Champion over 6 action packed days at the York Ranch on County Road 56, Alturas from Sept. 21-26. Public welcome. Leashed, quiet spectator dogs are permitted. Food concessions and western trade show. Limited bleacher seating available. Feel free to bring lawn chairs.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, September 24
Preliminary round of the Open Finals finishes.
Nursery finishes and Nursery winners are named.
ABCA Dinner & Annual Meeting
Friday, September 25
Open Semi-Finals, Top 40 dogs from the Preliminary Round. Starts at 7 a.m.
Dinner, Calcutta and Dance at the Niles Hotel. This event is open to the public. Tickets will be limited at $25 each. See www.sheepdogfinals.org for all the details.
Saturday, September 26
Finals Double Lift Championship, Top 17 dogs from the Semi-Finals. Starts at 8 a.m.
TICKET PRICES:
Tues-Thurs per day (Open and Nursery).....$ 5.00 adults            Seniors and children under 12.............$ 3.00
Friday and Saturday per day.....................….$ 7.00 adults            Seniors and children under 12.............$ 5.00
6 day pass per person......................................$20.00 adults            Seniors and children under 12.............$15.00
Family Day Pass.................................................$20.00
Dog Sponsorship/VIP pass ............................$125.00
includes event pass, access to VIP tent, VIP parking, and a chance to win along with the handler associated with your VIP pass.
For group rates, please contact Geri Byrne 541-891-7518 or geri@bcollies.com
Or Amy Coapman 530-436-2443 or raynamy@4fast.net

Obituaries—

Arthur “Shorty” Vernon
A graveside service for former Alturas resident Arthur “Shorty” Vernon will be held on Friday, Sept. 25, 1:30 p.m. at Alturas Cemetery. Shorty peacefully passed away May 24, 2015 at his home in Redding, California. He was 81.

Margaret (Gray) Moyer
Our wonderful and beautiful mother, Margaret Elizabeth (Gray) Moyer (M.E.G.), died peacefully during the early hours of September 9, 2015, in San Ramon, CA.
Margaret was born on April 26, 1920, in Vancouver, Clarke Co.,Washington to Esther Irene (Rainey) Gray, of Oklahoma, and John William Gray, of Wisconsin, who was a Southern Pacific Railroad engineer.
Margaret was buried September 21, 2015 at 1 p.m. in the beautiful hills of Napa, CA., at the Old Redwood Cemetery, 2272 Mt. Veeder Road, Napa, CA. 94558; alongside her husband, Norville, who preceded her death in 1998. \
A memorial celebration of life service will follow at a later date at Grace Methodist Church in San Ramon, CA.

Nancy Teuscher
The family of Nancy Stickney Teuscher, who passed away in March of this year, will be having a memorial service in celebration of her life, October 3, at 2 p.m. at the Surprise Valley Senior Center in Cedarville.  All are welcome to attend and in her honor, encouraged to bring along their favorite dessert and memories or stories they would like to share. 

Sports

Modoc sports—

The schedule for local high school sports are as follows this week.
The Modoc football teams have a bye this week; face Lakeview there Oct. 2, JV 5:30 p.m., varsity at 7:30 p.m.
Modoc Varsity Volleyball is at Fall River Sept. 24, JV 5 p.m., varsity 6 p.m.
Modoc’s soccer team is at Fall River Sept. 24 has had Butte Valley here Sept. 26, 1:30 pm.
Modoc Cross Country is at Foothill Sept. 25 and at West Valley Oct. 2.
Surprise Valley Volleyball has Dunsmuir at home Sept. 24, 4 p.m. and Tulelake at home Oct. 1, at 5:30 p.m.

Braves trounced by Trinity

Modoc’s varsity football team ran into a very good Trinity Wolves squad in Weaverville Friday night, losing 29-0. Modoc has this week off and travels to Lakeview Oct. 2.
“Our line got blown up,” said Coach Shaun Wood. “We couldn’t move the ball and nothing worked. They had a very good line, better than I expected. Our defense played tough, but we could not get anything going on offense.”
Wood said Modoc had only 17 yards total offense for the game. On the night, the Braves punted nine times. They also lost one fumble, had a punt blocked, and had a punt of negative three yards.
The Braves will open the Shasta Cascade League when Etna comes to visit for Homecoming Oct. 9.

Modoc JV shuts down Trinity 35-0

Modoc’s junior varsity football team has shut out the last three opponents, with Trinity the latest victim 35-0. The Braves also blanked Lost River and Quincy this season.
Modoc has a bye this week and returns to action against Lakeview Oct. 2 in Lakeview.
Their only blemish is a 24-0 loss to open the season against a good Chester team. Even so, the Braves had held opponents scoreless in 13 of 16 quarters this year.

Modoc netters split in Lakeview invite

The Modoc Braves varsity volleyball team had a mixed bag in the Lakeview tournament last weekend.
The split with Hosanna Christian, of Klamath falls, 22-25 and 25-16.
Modoc lost to Bonanza 17-25, 19-25. The Braves beat Tulelake 25-19 and 25-9. Modoc split with Henley 16-25 and 25-21.
Tuesday The Braves beat Weed in a Shasta Cascade League match, 25-18, 25-18 and 25-18. The Braves are at Fall River today.

Modoc soccer shows improvement

The Modoc Braves soccer team has gotten off to a good start this year.  They have compiled a record of three wins, two losses and one tie.  
The Braves beat Etna on Saturday 4-3, there, for the first league win for Modoc. They lost a couple of close games with the two top teams in the section earlier this year.
Modoc played a tough Weed team on Tuesday and tied that game 4-4.
Modoc travels to Fall River on Thursday and then plays host to a very solid Butte Valley team Sept. 26.

October 1, 2015

News

Bear surprises Fort Bidwell homeowner

Fort Bidwell resident Mikie Royer got a hair-raising surprise Saturday morning as she headed up her walkway to the gate.
"I noticed bear poop in the yard and at the base of our big cedar tree,” she said. “Then I noticed poop up the side of the tree, and when I looked up, there was a big black bear directly above my head about 18 or 20 feet up the tree. He was sitting on a branch and looking right down at me! I walked quickly to the house and grabbed my camera."
Royer phoned the Sheriff's dispatch, who referred her to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“They sent and officer and wildlife biologist to the house and they roped off the street in front of the house to keep onlookers from approaching too close. They said the bear was an adult male," Royer said.
She said the bear napped in the tree for most of the day then about 9 p.m. he slowly climbed down, moseyed around the yard for a while, then headed off into the orchard.

Modoc Fair in dire financial straits

The Modoc District Fair is financially strapped, and whether there will be a 2016 version of the event is in serious question. The Fair Board isn’t giving up, but realizes it has a tough task ahead.
According to Modoc Fair Board President Michelle Anderson, the Board will be addressing the financial condition of the Fair at its October 20 regular meeting, 6 p.m. at the Fair Office.
Contrary to local rumors, there was not an emergency board meeting last night, as was suggested by some people.
Basically, Anderson said the Fair is broke, but will be able to pay its current bills. She figures to will take about $150,000 in donations, coupled with the state Fair and Exposition department allocation of $50,000, to put on the Fair next year.
“There are a lot of small fairs in trouble right now with the possibility of going under,” she said. “We are in that group. It all comes down to money.”
Anderson said an Ad Hoc Committee will be looking into all options available to the Fair. Those options will include new promotional ideas, possible cuts in employee compensation or hours, serious fundraising activities and more.
Anyone with ideas or suggestions is welcome to attend next month’s meeting or call the Fair Office with ideas at 279-2315, or her at 640-1278.
While closing the Fair is certainly a possibility, Anderson said the Board will be working hard to avoid that outcome, but will need community help.

SV geothermal project electrifying

For more than 60 years various companies have expressed an interest in and explored the possibility of developing the geothermal resources in Surprise Valley.
Exploration wells have been drilled with promising results, but then the projects seemed to stall.
Recently with the acquisition of a grant from the California Energy Commission, the possibility of Surprise Valley utilizing and generating its own geothermal resource to produce electricity is getting closer to reality.
The grant to the Warner Mountain Energy Group is to develop a Modoc Geothermal Research and Demonstration Project. The project will create a demonstration plant at the Surprise Valley Hot Springs, which will initially show how to develop the geothermal resource to generate electricity on a small scale.
At last Thursday's public meeting held in Cedarville, Project Manager Curt Rose explained that the geothermal project will receive about $1 million to explore and analyze the geothermal resource for an installation at Surprise Valley Hot Springs Resort. The resort could save Ten thousand dollars per year when this new thermal unit is operational. Rose also introduced the project's Warner Mountain Energy's team members.
Modoc County Chief Administrative Officer Chester Robertson explained that although this type of venture is usually done by private companies, Modoc County has joined in the project for economic reasons that will benefit the entire county.
“County officials see the opportunity for creating spin off businesses, new jobs, generating more revenue and developing a network within the county for the benefit of the communities involved,” said Robertson.
Robertson explained that already this joint project has been of benefit to Alturas.

Progress reported on community center, pool efforts

There has been progress made on the proposed community event center and swimming pool upgrades, funded by the Wall Family Trust funds.
While nothing is set in concrete, Alturas Mayor John Dederick said the project committees are finding areas of cooperation and narrowing the focus of the projects.
Yesterday, an engineer was in Alturas to meet with the City concerning the design of the new addition to the Alturas Fire Station, show conceptual ideas and drawings of a proposed community center and prepare a map detailing the existing Youth Park, including the area west of Nagle Street to the school grounds.
The swimming pool committee is also working on a project to upgrade or improve the existing pool, or build a new pool. An engineering firm is expected to present a proposal soon.
The cost and scale of that project will also help determine what can be done with a community center.
Just recently, the community center committee selected a Wall Family Community Center building site on Nagle Street, just south of the Alturas Roping Arena and west of the Youth Park. The City owns that property.

Obituary:

Velma Evelyn Rae Arnett McCrary
Local historian, fire lookout, Modoc Record reporter, and community volunteer, Velma McCrary, died with her daughter, Margaret Ann, by her side on September 22, 2015 at the age of 87.
Velma Evelyn Rae Arnett was born on November 18, 1927 in a farmhouse in Likely, CA. 
Velma loved with her whole heart and spent her life in service to others.  Half of the county called her either “Ma” or “Granny” and we invite all who loved and knew her to join us as we celebrate her life and memory on Saturday, October 3, 2015, at 1:00 p.m. at the Canby Fire Hall.  A potluck reception will follow.

Nancy Teuscher
The family of Nancy Stickney Teuscher, who passed away in March of this year, will be having a memorial service in celebration of her life, October 3, at 2 p.m. at the Surprise Valley Senior Center in Cedarville.  All are welcome to attend and in her honor, encouraged to bring along their favorite dessert and memories or stories they would like to share. 

Sports

Modoc sports—

The schedule for local high school sports is as follows this week.
The Modoc football teams face Lakeview there Oct. 2, JV 5:30 p.m., varsity at 7:30 p.m.
Modoc Volleyball hosts Trinity Oct. 3, JV at 2 p.m.; varsity at 3 p.m.; travels to Burney Oct. 6, JV, 5 p.m., varsity 6 p.m.
Modoc’s soccer team hosts Trinity Oct. 3, 2 p.m.; is at Butte Valley Oct. 6.
Modoc Cross Country is at West Valley Oct. 2.
Surprise Valley Volleyball has Tulelake at home Oct. 1, at 5:30 p.m. and travels to Hayfork Oct. 3, 1:30 p.m.

Braves head to Lakeview in football

The long football rivalry between Modoc and Lakeview is set to repeat Friday night in Lakeview.
While there was concern that Lakeview may not have a junior varsity team, they do have that squad and will open the evening with a 5 p.m. kickoff with the varsity to follow.
Modoc was off last week and Lakeview beat a Pleasant Hill Team 26-14 to even the season record at 2-2. Modoc comes in at 3-1 with a 29-0 loss to Trinity.
Modoc will have Homecoming against Etna Oct. 9 to start Shasta Cascade League play.
Action last week saw Trinity beat Etna 41-7; Fall River trounce Burney 51-6 and Pierce beat Mt. Shasta 36-7.

Fall River trips Modoc netters

Fall River’s Bulldogs tripped up the Modoc Braves varsity volleyball team last Thursday 19-15; 14-25; 25-27 in a Shasta Cascade League match.
Fall River is undefeated and Modoc played them very closely, but lost in three straight games. 
Team Leaders for the Fall River match: serving,  Marlenha Torres 3/3, Macie Larranaga 13/14 with one ace, Melissa Knoch 9/10 with one ace, Emily Lowrey 9/10 with one ace; digs, Beth Derner (18), Emily Lowrey (9), Melissa Knoch and Dawn Waterman (7); kills, Beth Derner (12), Shelby Doss and Emily Lowrey (2); blocks, Beth Derner and Shelby Doss (3), Melissa Knoch (1)
Next matches: Saturday vs. Trinity (Home), Tuesday vs. Burney (Away), Thursday vs. Mt. Shasta (Home).

Soccer continues to play well

The Modoc Braves soccer team is continuing to play well. Last week they had a 4-4 tie against Weed, a 7-1 win against Fall River and a 3-2 win against Butte Valley.
Modoc are currently sitting in third place in the Shasta Cascade League.
Smith said the Butte Valley game was a battle from beginning to end. 
The Braves are now 5-2-1 overall with a league record of 3-2-1.  They host a solid Trinity team this Saturday at 2 p.m. 
“It should be another big test for the Braves.  This game will put them half way through the season,” Smith noted.

Winners of the Roberts’ Golf Tournament

On September 20, the Annual Dr. Robert’s Fund Golf Tournament was held at the Likely Place Golf Course and RV Resort. The field included 36 golfers from Likely, Alturas, Surprise Valley, Fall River, Sacramento and Danville.
The tourney was a four-person scramble with three divisions: Men’s, Women’s and Mixed. The men’s winners were Mike Poindexter, Mike Crutcher, Jason Barcia and Drew Morgan; Steve Rich, Dan Higgins, Norm Imhoff and Soda, took second place; followed by Jim Coombs, Dan Coombs, Dale Bernard and Doug Schultz, in third place.
The Women’s winners were Joan Barclay, Kelle Tate, Katelyn Tate and Janie Bell. The mixed winners were Dina and Chuck McElwain with Tracy and Buck Silva; Wendy and John Benner with Kimber Bethel and Dennis Tate finishing in second place; and Vi and Steve Riley with Debbi and Marty Yamagiwa, taking third place.

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE

October 8, 2015

News

Fire destroys Modoc Refuge office

A major weekend fire destroyed the Modoc National Refuge Headquarters Office.
According to Refuge Manager Steve Clay, the fire apparently started in the office attic and was reported at about 7:45 Saturday evening. Fire crews from the Alturas Rural Fire Department, Alturas City Fire Department and Cal Fire responded to the blaze.
The firefighters were on the scene until about 2:30 a.m., having doused the blaze.
Clay said he was awakened about 5:30 a.m. Sunday only to discover that the office fire had reignited and the building was completely engulfed in flames. The fire departments responded quickly, but the building and its contents were destroyed. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Clay said the fire destroyed the records, computers, server, personnel files, mounts of wildlife; other items used in educational programs, general program files and more.

Court backs FS in Devil’s Garden Wild Horse suit

A federal court has denied a civil action by the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign against the U.S. Forest Service’s wild horse plan on the Devil’s Garden.
The action was brought by the above group, headed by Carla Bowers, and concerned the Forest Service’s 2013 management plan for the Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory.
The case was heard in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and the decision by Judge Amy Berman Jackson was released Sept. 30.
According to Modoc County Resource Analyst Sean Curtis, the decision will allow the Forest Service to proceed with management of the horses, once a 60-day appeal period has passed. He said there is no immediate management plan of action in place. “It’s complicated and we need to work together to help get this accomplished,” Curtis said.
Curtis also said he estimates there are more than 3,000 horses in the Devil’s Garden area, well above the appropriate management level listed at 206 to 402 horses.
Curtis also pointed out that another issue needing prompt attention from the Forest Service is the large number of wild horses grazing on the private land on the Devil’s Garden.

No charges yet in Indian pot raids

No charges have been filed yet in the July 8 federal, state and local law enforcement raid on the large marijuana grow projects at the Alturas Rancheria and XL Reservation.
The raid made national news coverage.
On Monday, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner told the Modoc Record “the investigation is ongoing” and would not speculate on whether charges are forthcoming. Wagner is the lead U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of California.
While no charges have been filed, both of the grow sites have been effectively shut down as the case winds its way through the legal processes.
The Alturas Rancheria is southeast of Alturas and the XL Reservation is about six miles north of Alturas.
The size of the marijuana projects and the financing entity at the XL Reservation and the Alturas Rancheria were what partially triggered the raids, according to federal warrants. An investigation by the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office was also cited as the key to executing the raid.
Both tribes believed their operations were legal and were operating in the open, including briefings before the Modoc County Board of Supervisors and the Alturas City Council.

Thefts, burglaries in SV

During the last week residents in Surprise Valley noticed an increase in Modoc County Sheriff's deputies and California Highway Patrol officers patrolling the valley.
Soon people were talking about missing items such as compressors, trucks and trailers.
“We have had several reports of thefts and burglaries including such items as a boat, trailer, truck, travel trailer, generator, compressor, tools and many other items. Each report is being treated as a separate crime. And we jumped on it,” said Modoc County Sheriff Mike Poindexter.
After practically around the clock surveillance, patrol and pressure exerted by deputies an individual was arrested, two others believed to be connected to the crimes, are being sought. Many of the stolen items have been recovered.

Obituaries—

Linda Dee Monroe
Linda Dee Monroe, 77, passed away on October 3, 2015 in Sparks, Nevada. Linda was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon on January 10, 1938 to Hubert “Tuffy” and Carol (Cook) Dorris
At Linda’s request, no services will be held and interment will be at the Alturas Cemetery. Donations can be made to the charity of your choice.
Family and friends are welcome to come out to the ranch to visit and remember Linda on October 17, 2015 at 1:00 p.m.

Sports

Modoc sports—

The schedule for local high school sports is as follows this week.
The Modoc football teams have Homecoming against Etna Friday night, JV at 5:30 p.m. varsity to follow.
Modoc Volleyball hosts Mt. Shasta Oct. 8, JV at 5 p.m., varsity at 6 p.m. and Etna Oct. 10, JV at 2 p.m., varsity at 3 p.m.
Modoc’s soccer team hosts Mt. Shasta Oct 8, 5 p.m.; Etna Oct. 10, 2 p.m.
Modoc Cross Country is at Chico Oct. 16.
Surprise Valley Volleyball has Happy Camp at McCloud Oct. 8.

Etna comes to town for Homecoming

Modoc’s varsity football team lost to the Lakeview’s Honkers 23-12 Friday night in Lakeview, hampered by an unusual rash of penalties.
Modoc was flagged 15 times for 170 yards. In the previous three games, Modoc was flagged three times for 37 yards, four times for 35 yards and three times for 25 yards.
While Modoc Coach Shaun Wood was pretty disgusted, he said the penalties were “unbelievable.” He said a couple of other things, but not for publication.
Etna comes to Modoc for Homecoming this week. They were idle last week, but lost to Trinity 41-7 Sept. 25.

Modoc JVs blank Lakeview

Modoc’s junior varsity football team has held opponents scoreless for the past 16 quarters and faces Etna’s Lions this Friday night in the Homecoming preliminary.
The Braves are coming off a 26-0 win over Lakeview, there, last Friday night. Etna beat the JV squad last year, but this year’s team is playing well.
“Etna’s been pretty tough the last couple of years and beat us last season,” said coach Dominic Budmark. “I don’t think they’re as strong this year, and if we play the way we’re capable of, we’ll be fine. We played very well in Lakeview.”

Braves netters beat tough Trinity team

The Modoc varsity volleyball team beat Trinity Saturday, in five games, 25-21, 18-25; 20-25, 25-22, 15-6. On Tuesday the Braves varsity beat Burney there, 19-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-22, and the JV’s won 25-18, 27-25.
Last Saturday, Oct. 3rd, Modoc JV girls came out strong with a win over Trinity.
Tuesday night, Modoc JV girls started off homecoming week with a win over Burney 25-18 and 27-25.

Cross Country gearing up for finals

Modoc’s Cross Country team continues to improve according to coach Luke Hughes. They travel to Chico Oct. 16 and will have the Small Schools’ League meet in West Valley Nov. 4.
The team had a good meet in West Valley Oct. 2. According to Hughes, all the girls ran at the varsity level and “held their own against tough competition from the Redding and Chico areas.”
Freshman Nicole Yasumi placed 24th, covering the 3.1 miles course in 24:41. Freshman Hailey Hopkins took 28th in 25:11. Cindy Cohen was 41st at 28:02 and Madison Toomey was 44th in 29:32.
Modoc’s Middle School team was in action at Fall River last week. On the boy’s side, Jake Cuzick was second in a time of 6:33 for the 1.1-mile course. Peja Cook was sixth at 6:48 and Owen Jager was in the top 10 at 7:10. Justin Walton was 15th at 8:10 and Derek Solsa 21st at 9:00.
On the girl’s side, Adrianna Haddox was second with a time of 7:34, Shelby Criner was fourth at 7:39, Emily Gensel was sixth at 8:24; Mackenzie Binning seventh at 8:54 and Kaycee Cuzick eighth at 9:02.
The Warriors will race on a tough course at Shaffer Oct. 8.

October 15, 2015

News

Drought continues, temps set record

The extreme drought in California is continuing with Modoc caught in the worst of it. Weather forecasters are predicting the upcoming El Nino weather phenomenon could produce a wet winter.
But whether it will affect Modoc and the northeast corner remains a question without a frim answer.
The Modoc County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to continue the extreme drought Disaster Proclamation passed first in March 2014.
Meanwhile, this week showed Alturas with the lowest temperature in the state, Monday at 32 degrees, with record high forecast for Oct. 13 at 86 degrees. The record was 84 degrees in 1991. The hottest October day was 93 degrees on Oct. 15, 1961. The coldest day in October was Oct. 21, 1996 at 8.0 degrees.
The forecast calls for warmer days in the high 80’s through Friday, with a chance of showers on Saturday. Precipitation for October to date is .24 inches, above the average of .14 inches.

Adin man killed in crash

A 68-year-old Big Valley man died from injuries in an automobile accident Oct. 12, 4:55 p.m. on State Route 299 east of Red Tail Rim Trial.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Jack Burgi, a Lassen County resident from the Adin/Big Valley area, was driving a 2015 Ford F-350 Super Crew pickup westbound west of Adin Pass at about 55 m.p.h. He allowed the pickup to drift to the left, across the southbound lane and leave the south roadway edge.
The pickup traveled down an embankment and collided with a large tree. As a result of the collision, the driver sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene The collision is being investigated by Alturas area Officer G. Culver.

Vya residents arrested on multiple abuse charges

A Vya woman and her companion were arrested Oct. 5 on multiple felony charges of abuse and neglect of seven children and several animals.
Her school-age children attend school in Cedarville.
Last Monday Washoe County deputies conducted a welfare check at the home of Tiffany Brooks, who lives north of Vya.
The deputies found the home lacked proper living conditions for her seven children and her animals. Two horses on the property appeared to be malnourished and without proper shelter, food and water. A number of dogs were also found in containers on the property.
Brooks, age 34 ,and her companion Brandon Quinonez, age 24, were arrested on charges of child and animal abuse/neglect, torture and starvation. All seven children and two starving horses were removed from the residence and are being cared for in Reno.
Brooks was charged with seven counts of child abuse or neglect, with bail set at $20,000 for each count; two counts of torture, abandoning or starving animals, with bail set at $10,000 for each count; and five counts of failure to provide for a confined animal, with bail set at $500 for each count.
Brandon Quinonez, who is the father of one of Brooks’ seven children, was arrested on one count of felony child neglect and for violation of conditions of parole. Quinonez is on probation for possession of a controlled substance and parole for burglary.

Forest fire-safety restrictions lifted

With cooler, wetter weather expected as autumn arrives, fire restrictions will be lifted at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 in the Modoc National Forest.
This means Forest visitors may once again have campfires outside of developed campgrounds and recreation sites, although California campfire permits are still required.
“Though fire restrictions are being lifted, forest conditions remain dry and visitors should continue to be vigilant and pay attention to fire safety,” said Deputy Fire Management Officer, Tyler Otterson.
Forest visitors are asked to attend their campfires at all times and to be sure all fires are completely dead and cold to the touch before leaving camp.
A statewide ban on debris burning remains in effect, according to CALFIRE officials.

Obituaries—

Linda Monroe
Family and friends are welcome to come out to the Parker Creek ranch to visit and remember Linda Monroe on October 17, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. Linda Dee Monroe, 77, passed away on October 3, 2015 in Sparks, Nevada.
She is survived by her son David Monroe of Alturas, CA and her daughter Lisa Monroe of Sparks, NV; grandsons JD Monroe, Duane Singleton, Jordan Bechen; granddaughters Sandy Main, Karlee Monroe, Jennie Carroll, Joey Williams and 13 great-grandchildren.

LaRee Waid-Tofell
A Celebration of Life for LaRee Waid-Tofell will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, at the Davis Creek Community Center, Davis Creek. Family and friends are welcome to attend in her honor. Bring memories, photos or stories you would like to share. There will be a potluck. This is a casual event.

Sports

Modoc sports—

The schedule for local high school sports is as follows this week.
The Modoc football teams are at Weed Friday night, JV 5:30 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m.
Modoc Volleyball is at Weed Oct. 15, JV 5 p.m., Varsity 6 p.m.; at Trinity Oct. 17, JV at 2 p.m., Varsity at 3 p.m.; and hosts Fall River Oct. 20, JV 5 p.m., varsity 6 p.m.
Modoc’s soccer team is at Weed Oct. 15, 5 p.m.; at Trinity Oct. 17, 2 p.m. and hosts Fall River Oct. 20, 5 p.m.
Modoc Cross Country is at Chico Oct. 16.
Surprise Valley Volleyball hosts Butte Valley Oct. 16, 5:30 p.m.; and Big Valley Oct. 22, 5:30 p.m.

Etna trips up Modoc; Braves to rebound in Weed
Etna’s Lions took advantage of Modoc miscues Friday night in a 27-13 win. The Braves will head to Weed this Friday for another tough contest.
Modoc faces three road games at Weed, at Burney Oct. 23 and at Mt. Shasta Oct. 30 before its final league game at home against Fall River Nov.6.
Modoc coach Shaun Wood was disappointed in the loss to Etna, but Modoc’s six turnovers are always tough to overcome. He believes Weed will be a test, but thinks he will have all of his players back and is confident the team will respond well.

Modoc JV beats Etna 20-0

Modoc’s junior varsity opened up the Homecoming preliminary game with a 20-0 shut out of the young Lions. The defense has not allowed a score of any kind through the last 20 quarters.
Modoc led 7-0 in the first period and held that led at intermission. They added seven in the third and six in the fourth for the win.

Braves drop two league games

Modoc’s varsity volleyball team dropped two Shasta Cascade League games last week.
On Oct. 8 they lost to Mt. Shasta 17-25, 23-25, 12-25 and Oct. 10 they lost to Etna 22-25, 20-25, 23-25.
“It’s been a tough last couple of games for the Braves,” said Coach Harold Montague. “Mt. Shasta controlled the tempo throughout the match.  We had our chances to in the first two games to do something positive, but whenever we would get some momentum we would make an unforced error that would allow them control again.”

October 22, 2015

News

The Modoc Fair not longer viable

The last flicker of hope to keep the Modoc District Fair was probably been extinguished.
The Fair Board is holding a meeting Oct. 27, 6 p.m. in the Fairgrounds Dance Hall Building and suspension of the Fair operations will be discussed and probably acted upon.
According to Fair Board President Michelle Anderson the simple fact is the Fair is broke. She said it costs about $15,000 per month to keep the doors open and they’re looking at an $18,995 cash deficit as of December 31, 2015.
The public is invited and there will be open discussion about the future of the Fair, including whether there is a future to the Fair.
The revenue and expense fund balance will be reviewed and State Department of Agriculture’s Brian May has offered a financial and operational assessment of the Fair. It recommends suspension, see below.
According to the financial status report that will be presented at the meeting, the Fair will receive a Fair and Exposition allocation of $50,000 giving it total projected cash at the end of December of $50,372. The problem is the grand total of all expenses to that date is $69,322, leaving the Fair short by about $19,000.

Forest Service to meet with South Fork residents

Forest Service personnel will meet with residents who live near or on the South Fork of the Pit River Friday about 10 a.m. to discuss the juniper project, which has angered many of those people.
The Forest Service contracted to have 88 acres of juniper land cut and left those trees lying on the ground, creating what residents call a mess.
Tim Davis, Modoc National Forest Eastside Ranger, of the Warner Mountain and Devil’s Garden Ranger District, will try to explain the project as well as listen to residents’ concerns.
And there are concerns. Part of the problem appears to be the Forest Service not adequately informing those property owners about the project before it was implemented.
Davis said the project is part of the overall South Warner Grazing Project, started in 2011 and public hearings were held. But, the outreach probably was not direct enough in this area.
Davis said the purpose of the project was two-fold: first to create a physical barrier to prevent grazing cattle from damaging the riverbank; and two, to reduce the impact of the juniper stand.

Modoc jobless to new low

The unemployment rate for Modoc County in September, 2015 dropped from August’s 7.2 percent to 6.7 percent, according to the California Employment Development Department.
The civilian labor force numbered 3,350 last month, with 3,130 employed and 230 unemployed. That compares to September 2014’s labor force of 3,370 with 3,100 unemployed and 280 unemployed with a rate of 8.2 percent.
There is a major difference between September 2015 and August 2015. The labor force in August numbered 3,480, a 130-person difference and the number employed was 100 more people with just 250 unemployed.

City, county supports new hospital

Last week Modoc County Supervisors voted to send a letter of support for the Last Frontier Healthcare District’s application to build a new medical facility in Alturas.
On Tuesday the Alturas City Council also adopted a letter of full support for the project, which is planed for an area north of Eight Street at Nagle to 12th Street. The hospital district has secured the property.
MMC Chief Executive Officer Kevin Kramer told the Council the district was seeking a loan of about $39 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, for the new facility.
“We feel that this project is much needed and that the current service provided by Modoc Medical Center is vital to the wellbeing of our community,” the City letter states. “In the past couple of years, as Modoc Medical Center has purchased land, conducted necessary studies on that land, developed a basic plan for the facility and held public meeting to discuss the project, we have done what we could to support the project. We are hopeful that the project will be financially feasible and sustainable.”

Obituaries—

Rafael Romero Sevilla     
Rafael Romero Sevilla, 81, passed away at 3:14 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 at his Alturas home.
Rafael was born September 9, 1934 in Teocuitatlan, Jalisco in Mexico to Manuel and Soledad Sevilla. His parents raised him on the family farm in Cocula, Jalisco and he spent his childhood and teenage years working on the farm. As a young man, he enlisted and served honorably in the Mexican Navy.
A service will be held Friday, October 23, 2015 at the Kerr Mortuary Chapel, 400 West 2nd Street in Alturas at 11 a.m. with a lunch gathering to follow at the hall of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 104 E. 13th Street in Alturas.

Linda Szumowski Steder
October 20, 1962 – October 5, 2015
Linda Szumowski Steder was born in Phoenix, Arizona and briefly lived in Alturas, CA during the late 90’s. A family remembrance was held October 20 in Wisconsin, on what would have been Linda’s 53rd birthday.

LaRee Waid-Tofell
A Celebration of Life for LaRee Waid-Tofell will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, at the Davis Creek Community Center, Davis Creek. Family and friends are welcome to attend in her honor. Bring memories, photos or stories you would like to share. There will be a potluck. This is a casual event.

John P. Still
John P. Still, born May 10, 1932 in Hanes, OR passed on October 2, 2015 at the Surprise Valley Hospital in Cedarville, CA. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to Plumas Bank, to help cover burial costs.

Sports

Modoc sports—

The schedule for local high school sports is as follows this week.
The Modoc football teams are at Burney Friday night, JV 5:30 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m.
Modoc Volleyball is at Etna Oct. 24, JV at 2 p.m., Varsity at 3 p.m.; hosts Burney Oct. 29, JV 5 p.m. and Varsity at 6 p.m.
Modoc Cross Country goes to Small Schools/SCL meet Nov. 4 at West Valley.
Surprise Valley Volleyball hosts Big Valley Oct. 22, 5:30 p.m. and goes to Tulelake Oct. 27, 5:30 p.m.

Braves dominate Weed Cougars 42-0

Modoc’s Braves completely dominated the Weed Cougars Friday night in Weed, winning 42-0. They face Burney this Friday there.
“We looked like the Patriots (New England) Friday night and it was amazing,” said coach Shaun Wood. “We played better than anytime we did last year. We played like I was hoping we’d play, and felt we could play.”
Neither team scored in the first period, but Modoc added 28 points in the second, seven in the third and seven in the fourth.

JV team crushes Weed 41-7

Modoc’s junior varsity football team crushed the Weed squad 41-7 Friday night in Weed. They travel to Burney Friday night for another Shasta Cascade League game.
Modoc opened with a 7-0 first period lead and by halftime led 28-0. They put up 13 points in the third quarter and Weed managed to score seven. That Weed score was the first allowed by Modoc in 24 straight periods.

Modoc volleyball tops Fall River

The Modoc varsity volleyball team beat Weed Oct. 15 there in three 31-29; 25-17 and 25-8  
Trinity beat Modoc in four games Oct. 17 in Weaverville, 18-25; 28-26; 16-25 and 17-25.
Modoc beat the Fall River Bulldogs Tuesday in five games, 27-25, 23-25, 25-11, 17-25, and 12-15.
“Great effort by the Varsity Braves Tuesday night in defeating Fall River who, coming into the evening, were undefeated in league play,” said Coach Harold Montague.

Soccer team ends with a win

The Modoc Braves soccer team finished its season Tuesday with a 9-2 win against the Fall River Bulldogs.  It was senior night for the Braves and the seniors delivered with a solid performance.
The Braves ended the season with a record of 7-8-1.

Cross Country to SCL, section

The Modoc High School Cross Country team was back in action at the Chico Autumn Invitational on October 16, after a week off.
On the girl’s side, Nicole Yasumi posted the top time for the Braves, covering the 3.1 mile course in 22:50. Cindy Cohen clocked a time of 24:11 Newcomer Kylee Beneventi, a sophomore in only her second career race, turned in a time of 24:20 and Madison Toomey finished in 29:05.
On the boy’s side, Michael Bratton turned in a time of 19:58 for the 3.1 mile course. That was good for twenty-ninth place in a very competitive race, featuring some of the top talent in the section.

JV girls split in SCL play

Modoc’s junior varsity volleyball team beat Trinity Oct. 17, 25-13, 19-25, and 15-13.
Tuesday night was the Brave's second time facing Fall River. While the JV girls lost 2-0 (25-21 and 25-22), they played well.

October 29, 2015

News

Modoc Fair under transition to close

In mid-September the 34th District Modoc County Fair informed the California Department of Food and Agriculture that they would soon be out of money and unable to pay its bills.
Brian May, a financial consultant, was then asked by the CDFA to perform a financial and operational assessment of the fair to determine if the fair could be saved or a new business model could be established to help the situation.
“First we have to stop the financial bleeding here then start work on a transition plan for closure,” said May after giving the audience attending Tuesday night's fair board meeting a detailed explanation of his findings and conclusions.
May explained that it costs $358,000 to put on the fair and the fair will be $19,000 in debt by Jan. 1. With essentially no income projected it would be financially impossible to put on the fair as it's been done in the past.
As the meeting progressed it became apparent that the Fair was most likely going to close and energies were being focused on how to manage the transition.

South Fork meeting aired concerns, no solutions

While no remedies were immediately forthcoming, the meeting between Modoc National Forest officials and residents of Juniper Acres was calm and respectful.
Tim Davis, Eastside District Ranger for the Warner Mountain and Devil’s Garden Ranger Districts met with residents and concerned people Friday morning at the Old Blue Lake Road Bridge saying he was there to listen to their concerns.
He apologized that the Forest Service did not do an adequate job of informing them of the juniper removal project and what it entailed prior to its implementation. He also said there were no plans for further juniper cutting in that area.
The issue was the 88-acre clear-cut of juniper trees along the South Fork of the Pit River, with the downed trees and limbs left on the ground, creating what residents properly called a mess.
Gary Niel, Vice President of Juniper Acres Property Owners Association, stressed how unhappy the residents were and were looking for some sort of acceptable solutions.
Paul Armstrong, President of the JAPOA said what the project did was get rid of human access to the river. He also explained that if a fire erupts, there is only one way out of the community. He had been working with the Forest Service for another outlet, and asked if that could be looked into again. District Fire Manager Officer Albert Savage said that discussion could be reopened.
The biggest issues they addressed concerned fire danger with the downed trees and brush, especially when it dries out. The river was a firebreak, but it won’t serve that purpose when the fuels lying on the ground dry out.
They are also concerned about the scenic beauty of the river that the logging destroyed and the fact that it is difficult or impossible to access the edge of the water to fish or just walk. In many areas they pointed out a person could not get within 50 yards of the river.

Big Valley ambulance issue delayed

The Big Valley EMS Working Group will try for a third time to get an Advanced Life Support Ambulance stationed in the area with the formation of a service district.
On Tuesday the Modoc Board of Supervisors voted to postpone approval of the resolution of application to the Local Agency Formation Commission requesting initiating the proceedings for community services district to provide emergency medical services in Big Valley area.
However, included in the motion to postpone the board included unanimous support for the district. The reason for the postponement is to ensure coordination between the two counties, Lassen and Modoc, regarding the holding of an election to more thoroughly ensure a successful outcome.
The Working Group is requesting the Board set a Special District election for May 3, 2016 for the formation of the Southern Cascades Community Services District.

Bigfoot show coming to Modoc

The Animal Planet’s “Finding Bigfoot” show will be in Modoc sometime in November or December according to the show’s producer Sean Mantooth.
The last reported local sighting of Bigfoot was at the Fort Bidwell Indian Reservation in June, 1989. Two people reported seeing the creature on two separate nights. At the time, one of the witnesses said it appeared to be a juvenile. It left an 11-inch human-like footprint on the cement patio after walking through some puddles.
According to the show’s press release, the crew will be filming in Northern California and Southern Oregon the last two months of this year. They’ll be visiting Modoc, Shasta, Trinity, Siskiyou and Lassen Counties in California and Klamath, Jackson, Josephine and Curry Counties in Oregon.

Obituaries—

Dan Charles Nelson
Dan Charles Nelson passed away on September 26, 2015, in Reno, NV. He was the son of the late Vern and Grace (Bailey) Nelson, owners of the Arabian Café and Motel in Aptos, CA.
There will be a memorial service at the Elks Lodge in Alturas, CA on November 26 at 2 p.m. Thanksgiving dinner to follow at 3 p.m.

Laurie Lee Crews Smith
Laurie Lee Crews Smith passed away October 17, 2015, in Raleigh, North Carolina, after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was born April 20, 1952, in Bieber, California to (Elmer) Lee and Avis (Weigand) Crews, who have preceded her in death.
Inurnment will be held at a future date at the Adin Cemetery.

Viola Mae Jeppson (Granny Vi)
Viola Mae Jeppson was born September 3, 1922, in Pasco, Washington and passed away July 24, 2015, in Auburn, California, just short of her 93rd birthday. Her family were pioneer homesteaders in the Willamette Valley of Washington.
A celebration of Vi’s life will be held early summer of 2016 in Likely, California.

Linda Szumowski
Among those Linda Szumowski Steder leaves, due to her unexpected passing October 5, 2015, are her grandchildren Chynelle, Shay and Frankie, who were Linda's great joy and whose names were absent from her obituary published Oct. 22.

Sports

Modoc sports—

The schedule for local high school sports is as follows this week.
The Modoc football teams are at Mt. Shasta Friday night, JV at5:30 p.m., Varsity at 7:30 p.m.
Modoc Volleyball hosts Burney Oct. 29, JV at 5 p.m. and Varsity at 6 p.m., at Mt. Shasta Nov. 3, JV at 5 p.m., Varsity at 6 p.m.
Modoc Cross Country goes Small Schools/SCL meet at West Valley, Nov. 4.

Braves take out Raiders, test in Mt. Shasta

The Modoc Braves varsity football team had no trouble taking out the Burney Raiders there Friday night 48-6, and now face a tougher test at Mt. Shasta tomorrow.
Modoc sports a 5-3 overall record and is 2-1 in the Shasta Cascade League. The Bears are 2-6 overall and 1-2 in the SCL. Fall River sits atop the league with a 3-0 record and is 8-0 on the season. Modoc meets Fall River here Nov. 6.
“We played well at Burney and I expect us to continue that type of play,” said Coach Shaun Wood. “Mt. Shasta will be tough, they have a good running back, but we match up well. I think we’ll be fine.”
A win against Mt. Shasta will put the Braves in a title-sharing game against Fall River.
Modoc JVs beat Burney 28-14
Modoc’s junior varsity started slowly against the Burney Raiders with the game tied at 0-0 by halftime.
The Braves scored 13 in the third period and 15 in the fourth. Burney scored 14 in the fourth, one set up on a fumble.

Braves fall at Etna

Etna beat Modoc 25-27, 16-25, 19-25 in varsity volleyball action Oct. 24.
“Etna simply played better than we did,” said Coach Harold Montague. “We served (no one missed more than one serve) and passed well, but our attack was simply off.  We had a hard time getting the ball in good position to make strong attacks and we hit way too many balls either into the net, into their blocks or simply out of play.”

SV Hornets’ end season

The lady Hornets ended the regular volleyball season Tuesday against Hayfork, losing 3-1. Last Thursday night the girls rocked the hive beating Big Valley 3-0.
MaxPreps reports that the Hornets ranking 13 out of 24 schools in Division VI, holding a record of 8-4.
Now the team will await the division meeting on November 6 for playoff seating. Players include Sierra Bredeau, Veronica Orozco, Kylee Witcraft, Wan Teerantanabodee, Dianna Lopez, Alondra “Gabby” Castillo, Taylor Townsend and Bayley Fee, coached by Alissa Fee.

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE

November 5, 2015

News

Possible hope for some type of Fair activities

Brian May, a financial consultant, was asked by the California Department of Food and Agriculture to perform a financial and operational assessment of the Modoc District Fair to determine if the Fair could be saved or a new business model could be established to help the situation.
He presented that report last week at a Fair Board meeting, concluding the Fair would transition into non-operation by December 31, because of lack of funding.
While closure of the Fair seemed imminent and might still be, May offered a more hopeful tone in a letter to local residents this week.
“Thank you all for attending last week’s Modoc County Fair Board of Directors Meeting,” he wrote. “The turnout was impressive and certainly speaks to your love for the Fair and your community.  After hearing from all of you, we’re bound and determined, with your help, to find a way to keep the Fairgrounds operational and provide for an event in August that celebrates the community and keeps the Fair legacy intact.  After returning to Sacramento, CDFA has started work on a strategy that will provide for a Transition Plan in the short term that will take effect when Dannette leaves.  Once we know the full details of the Plan, we’ll share them with you.”
Tuesday night, a local working group came forward taking the initiative to find alternative events that may help keep the fairgrounds active. Energetic community members are seeking out ideas and proposing possible events to May and the State.
Members of the community are suggesting farm and equipment shows, horse events, Mexican heritage celebrations, PowWows, art shows, historical tours of Louieville and more.
Members of the group stated, “We are a small, local determined group working to save and utilize the facilities and plan events at the fairgrounds to produce income and community involvement for the stability of the Modoc District Fair.”
The working group will be on hand at the Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce, members will speaking on behalf of the faction.
To get involved please email savemodocfair@gmail.com.

Generous donation received by Modoc Medical Center

In recent weeks, Modoc Medical Center received a generous donation of around one million dollars from Mrs. Bernice H. Bell.  The donation was given to Modoc Medical Center to help build the laboratory in the new facility.  The laboratory department in the new facility will be named after Bernice H. Bell and her late husband Herbert E. Bell, Jr. as a result of their generosity.
Bernice and Herbert both spent a large amount of time here in Modoc County.  Both owned and operated the Fitzhugh Creek ranch for a number of years.  In a recent phone conversation with Bernice, she stated “I am happy to have the opportunity to help the community; I have many fond memories of the area and enjoyed my time there.”
The donation is very much appreciated by Modoc Medical Center and will help fund the portion of the project that will come directly out of Modoc Medical Center’s capital contributions, which is currently estimated at around five million dollars, pending approval of the structure of the financing and loan for the project by the USDA.

Modoc burn permit suspension lifted

Effective Monday, November 2, 2015 at 8:00 a.m., the burn permit suspension in Lassen, Modoc and Plumas Counties was lifted.
CAL FIRE Unit Chief, Dave Junette is formally canceling the burn permit suspension. While cooler temperatures have helped to diminish the threat of wildfire, we are still in our fourth year of drought. Property owners and residents are asked to use caution while conducting debris or agriculture burns.
Always use caution when burning, follow all guidelines provided and maintain control of the fire at all times. Individuals can be held civilly and/or criminally liable for allowing a fire to escape their control and/or burn onto neighboring property.
Residents wishing to burn must verify it is a permissive burn day prior to burning by calling their local Air Quality Management District.

FEMA releases flood plain maps

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, has released current Flood Maps to the City of Alturas.
They will be posted for public viewing at City Hall very soon.  The Director of Public Works, Joe Picotte, will facilitate a public meeting to address specific questions and concerns later this month. 
Be advised that local home and/or property owners whose land is located in the current floodplain, as detailed on the newest maps, are strongly urged to purchase flood insurance prior to the adoption of these maps on December 2, 2015. 
Contact a homeowner’s insurance agent to obtain rates for flood insurance. For more information, visit FloodSmart.gov, the official site of the National Flood Insurance Program.

Obituaries –

Harold B. King
A Memorial Service for long time Alturas resident Harold B. King will be held Monday, November 9 at 2 p.m. in the Veterans Memorial Building, South Main Street, Alturas.

Sports

Braves beat Mt. Shasta 13-7; sets up league showdown with Bulldogs

The projected scenario at the first of this 2015 football season had Modoc and Fall River facing off in the final regular season game for a shot at the league title.
That prediction was met and the two teams will meet in Alturas Friday night for a chance to share the Shasta Cascade League title. Fall River will be the favorite, coming in with a 9-0 overall record and a 4-0 league mark. Fall River has benefited from three forfeits in their record. Modoc sports a 6-3 overall and a 3-1 league record.
“We’re going in as the underdogs and I’m just fine with that,” said Modoc Coach Shaun Wood. “They’re good, but we’re ready and we know what to expect.”
The Bulldogs come in with a potent passing game, but Wood feels confident about the speed in his secondary and feels his defense will be able to put pressure on the quarterback.
“It’ll be a good game, but we can’t turn the ball over like we did last year,” Wood said.
The Braves beat Mt. Shasta 13-7 there Friday night to set up the title bout.
The Bears and Braves were pretty evenly matched, with Modoc running 52 plays on the night and the Bears 51.

Modoc JV whip Bears

The Modoc Junior Varsity football team pitched another shut in a 13-0 win over Mt. Shasta last Friday. Modoc has not allowed an opponent to score in six of their nine games.
The Braves 8-1 overall and 4-0 in the Shasta Cascade League will face Fall River here Friday night with game time at 5:30 p.m. Fall River comes in with a 4-3 overall record and is 3-1 in the SCL. A win would give the Braves the outright SCL title. Modoc has scored 204 points this year and the defense has given up just 44 points, 24 of those in the opening game loss to Chester. Fall River has scored 127 points and given up 94.
“The defense played well, we held them to 72 yards total offense,” said coach Dominic Budmark. “They were tough, and we just couldn’t get going in the second half. We didn’t have enough time to pass.”

Braves netters in playoffs

Modoc’s varsity volleyball team is in the North Section playoffs, but won’t know until Friday whether they have a home game or will be on the road.
Tuesday night Modoc lost to Mt. Shasta here 21-25, 11-25, 18-25.
 Burney was unable to field a varsity team for the game last Thursday and therefore Modoc won by forfeit, qualifying them for the playoffs with a 6-6 Shasta Cascade League record and 10-11 overall. The section playoff seeding meeting is Friday and Modoc will find out if they play a home game or have to be on the road for the first round match which is scheduled for Friday, November 13.

Modoc JV loses to Bear in last game

Modoc High School’s JV volleyball team lost its last game to the Mount Shasta Bears there on Tuesday.
“It is always a challenge to travel for several hours after being in school to get off the bus and play right away,” said coach Fallon Voelker. “Mt. Shasta had the energy and we took too long to find our energy. They out hustled us. It was a disappointment to lose our last game, both for the girls and me. I am really proud of all of them. We had ups and downs through the season, but each girl has made improvements and have been a real joy to coach.”

November 12, 2015

News

Big Valley ambulance issue to be set for May 3 election

On Tuesday the Modoc Board of Supervisors voted approval of the resolution of application to the Lassen Local Agency Formation Commission initiating the proceedings for community services district to provide emergency medical services in Big Valley area.
The resolution was postponed by the Board at an Oct. 27 meeting to insure coordination between the two counties, Lassen and Modoc, regarding the holding of an election, including costs and to more thoroughly ensure a successful outcome. The proposed district has property in both Lassen and Modoc Counties.
The Big Valley EMS Working Group wants a Special District election for May 3, 2016 for the formation of the Southern Cascades Community Services District. The election will be mail-in only ballots.

City hosts Flood Map session Tuesday evening

The City of Alturas will hold a public information meeting Nov. 17, 5:30 p.m. in City Hall on the just released Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Maps.
The maps will be posted for public viewing at City Hall. Director of Public Works, Joe Picotte, will facilitate the meeting to address specific questions and concerns and answer the public’s questions. The maps at City Hall will be more detailed than the one in this week’s paper.
Picotte suggests that local home and/or property owners whose land is located in the current floodplain, as detailed on the newest maps, are strongly urged to purchase flood insurance prior to the adoption of these maps on December 2, 2015. 
Estimates for a preferred risk plan are about $452 annually. Commercial building policies will be higher. Waiting until after Dec. 2 could mean higher premiums for owners.
Contact a homeowner’s insurance agent to obtain rates for flood insurance. For more information, visit FloodSmart.gov, the official site of the National Flood Insurance Program.
Picotte said it’s important that people who need flood insurance purchase the protection before the flood map effective date of December 2. After that date, the cost will go up by various margins. He said to ask your local insurance agent about the Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) – it’s the simplest, lowest cost, and provides the best long-term flood insurance rating options.

MMC moving forward on several areas

Modoc Medical Center is progressing and moving toward a new hospital facility, with the final application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a loan expected in December.
According to MMC Chief Executive Officer Kevin Kramer, the projected cost for the new hospital will be just about $40 million, for a 47,000 square feet building. That new facility will include the hospital, clinic, physical therapy and other services.
He said the services offered would include inpatient and outpatient services, swing bed, radiology, lab, surgery, emergency room, physical therapy, primary care, ambulance services and others.
The new hospital will be built on property already purchased by the Last Frontier Health Care District on State Route 299 (12th Street), south of where the old Forest Service building stands. The just completed road project on SR299 included a turn lane for the new hospital.
Kramer said a feasibility study shows the new hospital project can be done, “but the budget will be tight after the facility is built.”
A public meeting will be held Nov. 19, 5 p.m. at City Hall to present the plans and discuss the project.

SRA Fire Prevention Fund grant applications now available

CAL FIRE has just announced $5,000,000 available through the State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund for projects that reduce the wildfire threat to habitable structures in a State Responsibility Area (SRA).  
The maximum grant is $100,000, of which no more than $40,000 can be for equipment. No match is required, though it does add to the competitiveness of the proposed project. Eligible grantees include local government, fire districts, community services districts, water districts, special districts, certified local conservation corps, Fire Safe Councils and other 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. 
Qualifying projects and activities include those related to hazardous fuel reduction, fire prevention planning, fire prevention education, and training that reduce the risk and potential impact of wildfire on habitable structures in the SRA.
Applications are due on January 7, 2016.  Please review the web site and the Procedural Guide for more information. Elissa Brown, Fund Development Coordinator, Sierra Nevada Conservancy
559-877-2432,www.sierranevada.ca.gov.

Obituaries-

Zeta M. Oden Fogle
Zeta Mae Oden Fogle of Alturas, California passed away from natural causes on November 4, 2015.  She was born May 18, 1934 in Klamath Falls, Oregon to John Scot and Lyda “Mollie” Oden.  She spent her childhood years in Klamath Falls.
A memorial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on December 12, 2015 at the Federated Church in Alturas. Donations may be made in her name at the Federated Church or The Art Center, 317 So. Main Street, Alturas.

Patricia “Patti” Oliver Barsi Ash Malson
Patricia Karen Oliver Barsi Ash Malson was born April 29, 1938, to Ralph Herbert and Willa Virginia Oliver in Port Angeles, WA.
She passed away peacefully at Modoc Medical Center on Sunday, November 8, 2015 with family and friends surrounding her.
Services will be at the Federated Church on Friday, November 13, 2015 at 11:00.  The family invites you to join them in celebrating her life.  Potluck will be held after in the Fellowship Hall.
Those who so desire may make memorial donations in memory of Patti to the Federated Church Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1708, Alturas, CA 96101.

Robert “Bob” Byerley
Robert Kelsey “Bob” Byerley went home to be with our Lord on October 17, 2015. Born on September 18, 1938, in New Castle, Pennsylvania to Frank and Grace Byerley.
A celebration of his life will be held at the Rivers of Life Church, 316 W. 8th St., Alturas, CA on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. with a lunch gathering to follow. Burial will be at a later date in Honolulu, Hawaii. Donations may be made to the church of your choice.

Billy Wayne Bates
Former Modoc resident, Billy Bates, 83 years of age of North Fork, Idaho passed away on Wednesday, October 7, 2015 in Hamilton, Montana. Funeral services were held on Monday, October 12, 2015 at 2:30 p.m. at the North Fork Community Church. Burial was in the Gibbonsville Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Billy Wayne Bates was born on June 10, 1932 in Watonga, Oklahoma, the son of Robert Lee and Dora (Winn) Bates.

Sports

Bulldogs trounce Braves 35-7; Modoc heads to Etna Lions

The Fall River Bulldogs pretty much ignored Modoc’s defense Friday night and scored 35 unanswered points the first half on the way to a 35-7 win.
While Fall River was running and passing at will, Modoc’s offense did not generate a first down in the entire first half.
The Braves were originally scheduled to host Biggs in a CIF North Section Division Five playoff game Friday, but that was changed Monday in a section meeting. Modoc will now take its 6-4 record to Etna to face the 4-6 Lions. The change did not make Modoc Coach Shaun Wood happy.
Etna beat the Braves earlier this season, but Modoc was down key players and everyone will be on board this Friday. Plus Wood said he is bringing up seven players from the SCL Championship Modoc junior varsity squad. He expects them to add skill and depth.
After Modoc beats Etna, they will head to Portola for the next game.
Wood didn’t have much to say about the Fall River Game, he was just shocked at which Braves team showed up that night. He said the Bulldogs played extremely well and won’t take anything away from them, but was pretty disappointed in his team’s performance.

Modoc JVs dominate for SCL title

Modoc’s junior varsity football team dominated the Fall River Bulldogs Friday night 24-0 to clinch the Shasta Cascade League JV championship.
Modoc did not allow an opponent to score in seven of their nine games.
The Braves finished 9-1 overall and 5-0 league. Modoc scored 228 points this year and the defense gave up just 44 points; 24 of those in the opening game loss to Chester.
The Braves scored six in the first period, added six in the second, six in the third and six in the fourth for the win.
Quarterback Wade Schluter accounted three touchdowns on runs and threw a pass to Josh Vierria for the fourth score. He was 5-11 passing for 96 yards and ran the ball eight times for 59 yards.
Lane Galvin led the ground game, rushing 13 times for 75 yards, while Wyatt Larranaga ran twice for 37 yards and Chance Galvin ran three times for 21 yards.
Vierria caught two passes for 53 yards, Larranaga two for 38 yards and Brandon Hays one for five yards.
Trevor Schluter led the defense with 15 tackles. While Vierria and Wade Schluter each had four and Lane Galvin three. Galvin also had a quarterback sack and Wade Schluter picked off a Bulldog pass.

Modoc heads to Portola for playoffs

Modoc varsity volley qualified for CIF North Section Division Five playoffs as the number 10 seed and will be traveling to number seven Portola Thursday, November 12 at 6:00 p.m. 
This is a single-elimination tournament and if they beat Portola they will then travel to number two Hamilton City on Tuesday, November 17 to play at 7:00 pm.

Cross Country heads to Sections

The Modoc Cross Country team will head to the CIF North Section All Schools Championships in West Valley today.
The results of the North Section Small School's Meet are as follows:
Varsity boys, Michael Bratton 23rd place; time of 19:32.
Varsity girls, Cindy Cohen 13th place; time of 24:33 (All League), Haley Hopkins 20th place; time of 25:31; Madison Toomey 28th place, time of 26:33; and Kylee Beneventi in 31st place, time of 27:08.

November 19, 2015

News

Modoc fails in new jail bid

The Board of State and Community Corrections did not approve Modoc’s application for grant funding to build a new jail, for the second time. The final decision was released Nov. 12.
Modoc had submitted an application for $9,416,000 to construct a new jail, but finished well out of the money in the small county category. Of the 14 counties applying, Modoc finished in 11th place, above Sutter, Del Norte and Kings.
Those six small counties recommended for awards included: Amador $17,179,000; Colusa, $20,000,000; Yuba, $20,000,000; Trinity, $20,000,000; Humboldt, $20,000,000; and Napa, $2,821,000.
The new jail would have been located at the Northeast Corner of W. 16th Street and West Lucilane Blvd. on County-owned property near the Road Department shop. The new jail would have had 32 beds, two fewer than the existing jail. That would include 20 medium security beds, four maximum security and eight special use beds.
According the County Administrative Officer Chester Robertson, the county’s match on the grant, had it been approved, was $495,573. The county property is appraised at $200,000, labor and staff time can make up about $90,000 of that and he figured the County’s cash match would have been about $216,000.

Residents in flood plain need flood insurance

Modoc residents, mostly in Alturas and around Alturas, who now included under the Federal Emergency Management flood maps, need to obtain flood insurance.
According to Modoc County Planner, Kim Hunter, if a homeowner has a federally backed mortgage within the 100-year flood hazard zone a flood insurance policy for that residence is required.
“Since the National Flood Insurance Program is through the feds, it is, in a way, a government requirement,” she said. “If you don't get a flood insurance policy in place your lender (backed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae) will do it at an extremely higher cost. Even if a home is owned outright with clean title, the homeowner should look into getting flood insurance.  It is very difficult to sell a home if it's in the 100-year flood if the buyer is trying to secure financing.”
Both the City and County Planning Department have the flood maps on display showing properties that will also be going into the 100-year flood zone. 

Major power outage hits Modoc County

A major power outage Wednesday about 5:15 a.m. shut off the power to large sections of Modoc County. Power was restored about 6:40 a.m.
According to Pacific Power, transmission interference was the cause, and it affected all of Alturas, Cedarville and surrounding areas. Reports are that it also shut off power to Canby, Davis Creek, Willow Ranch and New Pine Creek.
Surprise Valley Electric and Pacific Power customers were all affected. SVEC stated the possible cause was a Bonneville Power outage and was researching the issue. Pacific states that it affected 2,629 customers.
Originally, Pacific Power estimated the power would be back by 8:30 a.m., but it was restored much earlier, at 6:40 a.m.

TEACH good for Thanksgiving, gearing for Christmas

TEACH, Inc. will provide 50 food baskets to eligible families for the Thanksgiving holiday, and is gearing up to replace their stocks for Christmas.
According to TEACH Executive Director Carol Cullins, donations met the level for Thanksgiving, but the cupboards are now pretty bare. They will be stressing food and gift donations to cover the Christmas requests.
TEACH will open the Christmas Wish Tree for tags on Monday.

Obituaries—

Lorraine M. Jacques
Lorraine Marie Jacques of Alturas passed away November 11, 2015 in Alturas, CA. Born Lorraine Brandon on June 17, 1936, in Gilroy, CA, she was 19 when she married Allan Joseph Jacques in Hollister, CA on January 22, 1956. They have shared 58 years together and been inseparable. She called Alturas her home for 43 years.
No services are planned at this time.

Dan Charles Nelson
A memorial service for former Alturas resident, Dan Charles Nelson, will be held at the Alturas Elks Lodge on Thursday, November 26 at 2 p.m. Thanksgiving dinner to follow at 3 p.m.
Dan passed away on September 26, 2015, in Reno, NV.

Sports

Modoc heads to Portola Friday

Modoc’s Braves had no trouble beating the Etna Lions 37-0 in the first round of the CIF North Section Division Five playoffs Friday night. They will travel to Portola to take on the undefeated Tigers this Friday, wth game time at 6 p.m.
“Well, first off we have played better on the road than at home this year, so that’s a plus,” said Modoc coach Shaun Wood about Portola. “They’re good, but if we play as well as we did against Etna, I think we match up with them. We’re the lower seed, so we’ll get after them. They have a very good running back and an athletic line and we’ll be prepared.”
The running back, Edgar Cuevas is quick and efficient, rushing 192 times this season for 1,975 yards and 30 touchdowns. The Braves will also have to contend with a Portola quarterback, Evan Leal, who hit 41 of 78 passes for 925 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Modoc is coming on a very good game at Etna. They led 10-0 in the first quarter and 17-0 by halftime. They added 13 points in the third and seven in the fourth. Portola beat Etna 45-0 early this year.
The Braves’ Tyler Doss led the Braves in Etna with 21 carries for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Sean Anderson ran the ball 13 times for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Damian Hueckstaedt carried the ball four times for 65 yards.
Alex Valencia was 2-7 passing for 40 yards, with one a touchdown to Josh Vierria for a six-yard touchdown. Tanner Cook caught one for 34 yards. Valencia also kicked a 32-yard field goal in the first period.
On the other side of the bracket, Fall River will face Maxwell Friday night in McArthur.

Modoc volleyball falls in 1st round

Modoc’s varsity volleyball team played tough, but was eliminated in the first round of the CIF North Section Division Five playoffs by Portola in five games, 27-25, 19-25, 25-23, 15-25 and 10-15.
“Our volleyball season came to close in Portola,” said coach Harold Montague. “We faced a much taller and more athletic team and played well enough to push them to five games. We had periods where we just didn’t pass the ball very well off of their serve and we were constantly having to come from behind to compete.”
Modoc went into the playoffs as an underdog against the Tigers.

November 26, 2015

News

Big storm, with snow, was forecast

It’s Tuesday morning about 9 a.m. and the clouds forming outside are starting to look like they are stuffed with snow. At about 10:30 a.m. it started snowing hard.
The National Weather Service has Modoc under a Winter Storm Warning that is lasting through the day, Tuesday, and into Wednesday morning. They are predicting snow accumulations of between four to seven inches in Alturas, with seven to 12 inches on Cedar Pass and about 20 inches in the high mountains above 5,000 feet.
Since this article is being written on Tuesday and this paper is on the streets Wednesday, you be able to address the accuracy of the weather forecast with 100 percent certainty. That’s pretty cool isn’t it?
As of Tuesday, the precipitation levels for Alturas were about three-fourths of the normal to date of 1.10 inches at .73 inches. If NOAA is right, those totals will probably get into the normal range of 1.79 inches for the month.
By the time you’re reading this, you’ll have a great picture of what the winter is shaping up to be for 2015-16.

October jobless rate ticks up

Modoc’s October 2015 unemployment rate ticked up from 6.7 percent in September to 7.3 percent. That’s probably due to the seasonal nature of the Modoc employment picture.
According to the California Employment Development Department, the civilian labor force numbered 3,400 with 3,150 employed and 250 unemployed persons. In September there were 220 unemployed people. In October 2014, the unemployment rate was 8.5 percent with 290 people claiming unemployment out of a labor force of 3,440.
Overall government employment has dipped from 1,210 in October 2014 to 1,180 in 2015. Local government jobs have decreased from 880 to 850 in that year.

Outdoors confab bring ideas, optimism

Five years ago Lorissa Soriano looked around Alturas and was saddened. The bustling community of her youth was disappearing. Businesses were closing and people were moving away.
She came up with an idea. She formed a non-profit organization, Modoc Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, that would capitalize on and market what is unique about Modoc County – the outdoors.
Last Thursday afternoon approximately 80 people met at the Niles Hotel. They came from two states, representing most public agencies, groups and nationalities. From the beginning they all shared Soriano's dream. And now they could see that the dream was beginning to become reality and pay real economic benefits to not only Modoc, but to neighboring counties in two states.
“I believe that if we collaborate more, put turf wars aside and encompass a mutual respect for each individual's opinions, thought and ideas, we will accomplish great things,” said Soriano to the standing room only group.
Speakers from five different groups told about what was working for them to increase tourism, both locally and nationally.
Representatives from the Alturas Chamber, Big Valley Chamber, Fall River Chamber, Burney, Cedarville, Eagleville, Fort Bidwell, Canby, Likely, Tulelake, and other places attended the meeting.
Other groups attending were: County Supervisors/Modoc County Department Heads and representatives; Alturas City Council; Alliance for Workforce Development; Sheriff; Alturas Police; California Highway Patrol; Pit River Tribal Council, Fort Bidwell Indian Council, California Tribal TANF Partnership; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, US Forest Service - Modoc National Forest, Bureau of Land Management; National Park Service - Lava Beds National Monument; Modoc County Record, MyOutdoorBuddy.com, Modoc and More Magazine; and other Modoc County organizations, agencies, local businesses and the general public.
The Event Coordinator and Meeting Facilitator was Lorissa Soriano - Chair/Director for MORT.

County consolidates Assessor-Recorder offices

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors Tuesday adopted a resolution that will consolidate the Assessor and Recorder Office after the next election.
“The Board of Supervisors finds and determines that it is in the public interest to combine the duties of the County Recorder with the duties of the County Assessor,” the new ordinance states. “The consolidation of the duties of the County Assessor and the County Recorder shall be under a single elected county office who shall be elected at the next election for the four-year term commencing January 1, 2018.”
Currently the Recorder’s office is included under the County Auditor-Recorder-Clerk’s office.
The Board also adopted a new ordinance to streamline the permitting process for small rooftop solar energy systems.
According to the Board, the ordinance “encourages the use of solar systems by removing unreasonable barriers, minimizing costs to property owners and the County and expanding the ability of property owners to install solar energy systems.”
The State of California passed a law in 2014 that required each Cities or Counties to adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited permitting process for solar energy. The ordinance passed on Tuesday brings the County into compliance with state law.

Obituary—

Dan Charles Nelson
A memorial service for former Alturas resident, Dan Charles Nelson, will be held at the Alturas Elks Lodge on Thursday, November 26 at 2 p.m. Thanksgiving dinner to follow at 3 p.m.
Dan passed away on September 26, 2015, in Reno, NV.
He leaves his son Joshua Nelson of Sacramento, CA; sister Dorothy Elmer of Fairfield, CA; brother Jim and sister-in-law Cheryl Nelson of Alturas, CA and many, many nieces, nephews and cousins. Preceded in death were brothers, Gerald R. Thomas; Larry K., Jack A. Nelson; former wife Nancy and the love of his life Carmen Crawford.

Sports

Braves push Tigers to the edge, losing 27-20

Modoc pushed the Portola Tigers to the edge Friday night, just coming up short 27-20. Portola, the number one seed in the CIF North Section Division Five Playoffs will host number two Fall River in the championship game Wednesday.
The Braves were seeded fifth and whipped Etna 37-0 in their opening playoff game.
“We played really well, we destroyed their line throughout the game, but their back busted two long runs for touchdowns in the second quarter,” said Coach Shaun Wood. “Once he got through, we couldn’t catch him. He was for real.”
Modoc opened the game with a 6-0 lead when Tyler Doss took the ball over from the one after a good drive. But Portola scored 20 points in the second period to lead 20-6 by halftime. Neither team scored in the third period and Modoc cut the score to  20-13 in the fourth and Portola added another score to lead 27-20 before Modoc scored its final touchdown with about a minute left in the game to put the score at 27-20.

CHP, AFD in hoops

Don’t miss the Alturas California Highway Patrol against the Alturas City Fire Department in the sixth annual Guns and Hoses basketball game Dec. 5, 6 p.m. in the Griswold Gym.
The event is a toy drive that helps the TEACH Wish Tree fulfill its gift requests each year. It has proven very successful in its five previous years. Admission is $5 each or one new unwrapped toy per person. The toys and cash will be donated to TEACH.
For more information contact CHP Officer Steve Hallmark at 530-233-2919 or TEACH Executive Officer Carol Cullins at 530-233-3111.

December 3, 2015

News

Alturas Colder than Arctic city

So how cold has it been in Modoc over the past few days? Well, according to the National Weather Service, colder than the northern most city in the United States, Barrow, Alaska.
Barrow is within the Arctic Circle and is on the Arctic Ocean. The temperature in Alturas November 29 at 2 a.m. was minus-3 degrees below zero, while Barrow checked in at three above zero. It’s a long way from Alturas to Barrow.
That disparity of temperatures, plus the fact that Alturas is in California, hit the national news this week. The Los Angeles Times was the newspaper that reported the facts and that report was picked up by a variety of media outlets.
Residents of Modoc understand and are not surprised when the temperature dips below the zero mark, but the comparison to Barrow is noteworthy.
Modoc was gripped by icy fingers last week with below zero readings for four straight days: Nov. 27, minus-4 degrees; Nov. 28, minus-6 degrees; November 29, minus-5 degrees; and Nov. 30, minus-3 degrees.

Public meeting Friday on South Fork issue

A public meeting is scheduled Dec. 4, 10 a.m. at the Likely Fire Hall concerning the U.S. Forest Service’s questionable tree cutting project on the South Fork of the Pit River, near the Juniper Acres community.
Residents of that community and others representing Likely and surrounding areas protested the project and a meeting was held at the old Blue Lake Road bridge Oct. 23.
Tim Davis, Eastside District Ranger for the Warner Mountain and Devil’s Garden Ranger Districts met with those residents and concerned people saying he was there to listen to their concerns.
Davis will be on hand for Friday’s meeting to discuss possible resolutions or at least to inform the public of possible actions to deal with the issue.
The October meeting between Modoc National Forest officials and residents of Juniper Acres was calm and respectful.
Davis did apologize that the Forest Service did not do an adequate job of informing the residents of the juniper removal project and what it entailed prior to its implementation. He also said there were no plans for further juniper cutting in that area.
The issue is the 88-acre clear-cut of juniper trees along the South Fork of the Pit River, with the downed trees and limbs left on the ground, creating what residents properly called a mess.

Rhoades murder trial now waiting for judge assignment

The capital murder trial of Cheri Rhoades will still be held at the Placer County Courthouse in Roseville, according to Modoc County District Attorney Jordan Funk.
However, retired Santa Clara County Judge John Ball, who was set to hear the murder trial, died Nov. 10 in Reno, at the age of 82, from complications of pneumonia. A new judge will be appointed by the State Judicial Council.
“No news yet from Judicial Council as to who our new judge is,” Funk said Wednesday. “Supposedly they are working on it.”
Funk said that a date has not yet been firmly set, but he had expected the trial to be to be early next year, possibly in March.
Rhoades had requested a change of venue in the case and Funk agreed not to oppose that motion, partly because of the amount of publicity involved in the overall criminal investigation.
Rhoades, accused of murdering four people and attempting to kill two others on Feb. 20, 2014 at the Cedarville Rancheria Tribal Office in Alturas, pleaded not guilty to those charges in Modoc Superior Court.

Fairgrounds viability key to local effort

Optimism is gaining traction in the pursuit to keep the Modoc District Fair viable.
Last Tuesday the Fair’s Board of Directors, fair consultant Brian May and representatives from California Department of Agriculture including John Quiroz held several meetings with local emergency services agencies and fundraising campaign committee members. Each group came forward with clear, concise goals for the direct of the Modoc District Fairs future.
May stated, “The Board of Directors heard at its November 24 meeting from its Ad Hoc Committee, Diana Milton and Michelle Anderson, that work is underway to develop an Operations Plan with the emergency services agencies to keep the Fairgrounds operational in the event it’s needed for an emergency. Each agency is looking at what role it can play in that effort. The agency representatives are meeting again on December 8 and as more details become available we’ll make certain to report them to you.”
Fundraising committee members spoke to the Ad Hoc Committee stating, “Our effort concentrates on reaching local friends, families and former residents of Modoc County. Our committee believes that the use of the facilities can be significantly enhanced by more events held at the Fairgrounds.”
The committee believes that more events are possible without relying solely on local contributions. By sharing the beautiful destination and what the fairgrounds has to offer, the committee hopes to bring in more outside interests.

Obituaries -

Phyllis Aileen Harris
Phyllis Aileen Harris passed away on November 24, 2015, at the Surprise Valley Hospital, Cedarville, CA, after a long battle with ALS disease.  She was a woman of much strength and courage.
Phyllis was born, August 27, 1928, to Aileen M. (Busch) Cantrall and Laurance A. Cantrall of Alturas, California.  She was the only child of this union.  
Services for Phyllis will be held at Kerr Chapel in Alturas at 10:30 a.m., December 3, 2015. Graveside services will be at the Cedarville Cemetery at 12:30 p.m.  A Fellowship  potluck will follow at the Modoc District Fair Grounds, Cedarville.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice or to the Modoc County Cattlewomen’s Scholarships or the Modoc County Historical Society.

John W. Hockett
John W. Hockett, 71, of Bieber passed away at his home on November 13, 2015. Services for Mr. Hockett will be Saturday, December 5, 2015, 2 p.m. at Adin Community Hall in Adin, CA.  Potluck to follow, meat and drinks will be provided.
John was born August 23, 1944, in Des Moines, IA to Lester and Alice Hockett. 

Sports

Wrestling hits the Chester mats

Modoc’s wrestling team will hit the mats for the big Chester Invitational this weekend, and coach Shaun Wood expects good results for several of his wrestlers.
“We pretty tough this year, and I think we’ll still be favored in league and the division,” he said Wednesday. “Chester is always a good test and I see us doing well.”
Wood said he expects Brand Hays, Chance and Lane Galvin, Timmy Reed, Zach Norby, Haydn Alverson, Robert Dowdy and Troy Culp to lead the team at Chester.
The wrestling team breakdown for this years is as follows: 106 pounds, Alanis Reep; 113 pounds, Chance Galvin; 120 pounds, Brandon Hays, Heath Evangel, Christian Wisser; 126 pounds, Lane Galvin; 132 pounds, Damian Hueckstaedt; 138 pounds, Timmy Reed, Josh Vierria; 145 pounds, Vencint Garza, John Irish; 152 pounds, Zach Norby; 160 pounds, William Biggerstaff; 182 pounds, Robert Dowdy; 195 pounds, Haydn Alverson; heavyweight, Troy Culp.

Braves named to football All-League

Several Modoc Braves were named to the Shasta Cascade All-League team this week.
Alex Valencia earned All League honors at linebacker; Troy Culp at center; Haydn Alverson at defensive line; Tanner Cook at receiver; and Tyler Doss at running back. Kaleb Duran earned honorable mention at receiver.
During Tuesday’s night’s athletic banquet, Doss received a 1,000 yard football, having rushed for 1,062 yards this season. Valencia received the award of offense, while Culp was honored for offensive line and Alverson for defensive line.

Basketball opens with tournaments

Modoc High School’s boys and girl’s basketball teams will get underway this weekend with tournaments.
The girls’ varsity will head to the Yreka tournament Dec. 3-5 with no game times listed yet.
The boys’ varsity and junior varsity teams with start with the traditional Block F Tournament in McArthur Dec. 3-5.
All teams will participate against Redding Christian Dec. 8.
The varsity boys are coached by Jim Widby and Ernie Givan is the junior varsity coach. The girls’ varsity coach is Amy Britton and Jason Smith coaches the junior varsity.

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE

December 10, 2015

News

Some progress in South Fork River meeting

While a complete package of how to deal with the Forest Service juniper cutting along the South Fork of the Pit River was not cemented during a public meeting Friday, progress was made.
"I was pleased with the attitude and the willingness to listen by the Forest Service representatives," said County Supervisor Kathie Rhoads. "I see a possibility of each side meeting in the middle. I think the Forest Service recognizes the way the project was done was a mistake."
Tim Davis, Eastside District Ranger for the Warner Mountain and Devil's Garden Ranger Districts and Public Information Officer Ken Sandusky represented the Forest Service at the Likely Fire Hall meeting. They had both been at the first public meeting at the site Oct. 23.
"I realize not everyone was happy, but I think there was a movement towards progress," Rhoads said. There were ideas presented and discussed and something should get done in the near future."
Rhoads said the Forest Service committed to cleaning up the project area and providing access for recreationists and fisherman. The main goal of the tree cutting was to keep grazing cattle off the riverbank. The Forest Service remains committed to that goal.
An idea that gained some traction, Rhoads said, was to go into the area and cut the downed junipers into firewood. That firewood could then be used by senior citizens who may need it this winter. TEACH was suggested as a vehicle for that program.

Modoc Fair sees some hope for future

Despite many difficult decisions over the last few months, the Modoc District Fair may soon breathe a sigh of relief. Tuesday evening the Board of Directors held a special meeting to inform the community of recent events and its plan of action.
According to Jeff Cesca, Director of the Division of Marketing Services for CDFA, the State quickly took action by performing a financial analysis. During this analysis all expenditures and revenues were reviewed. It was concluded that the Modoc District Fair would be looking at a deficit of approximately $19,000 at the end of the calendar year.
It was announced that Modoc District Fair would be receiving $483,000 for deferred maintenance. This one-time allocation is out of $7 million available. Modoc was one of 43 fairs to receive funds. These funds have been allocated to projects such as irrigation systems, fire hydrants and upgrading the fire system in the Four Seasons kitchen.
On the fundraising forefront a working group has stepped forward expressing its desire to keep the fairgrounds operational by maximizing its utilization. Group members are moving forward to form a non-profit foundation for the Fair and lining out a calendar of events.

Modoc Sucker removed from endangered list

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that thanks to decades of collaborative conservation efforts under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), it is removing the Modoc Sucker from the Act's protections.
This marks the second-time a fish has been "delisted" due to recovery, the Oregon chub having been delisted earlier this year.
The Modoc sucker is a small fish native to the Upper Pit River Watershed in Southern Oregon and Northeastern California. The fish was listed as endangered in 1985 due to habitat loss and degradation from overgrazing, siltation and channelization due to agriculture practices. Predation from non-native fish and loss of genetic integrity due to hybridization with Sacramento Suckers were also viewed as threats.

CDFW releases draft Gray Wolf Conservation Plan

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has released the draft Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves in California and is soliciting input about the draft.
The plan is the product of collaboration between CDFW scientific and wildlife experts and a diverse stakeholder group that has spent many hours since 2012 to develop it. The group includes Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, California Farm Bureau Federation, Defenders of Wildlife, California Woolgrowers Association, California Deer Association, California Cattlemen's Association and the Center for Biological Diversity, among others.
Informational workshops will be held to provide information and hear views about the plan in early 2016. All meetings will be held from 5-8 p.m. Dates and locations are as follows: Yreka, Jan. 21, 2016 Miner's Inn Convention Center/Best Western 122 E. Miner St., Yreka 96097.
Comments will also be accepted via e-mail at wolfplan@wildlife.ca.gov, and regular mail at: Wolf Plan Comments P.O. Box 26750 San Francisco, CA 94126. Please postmark the comments no later than Feb. 15, 2016.

Obituaries—

Shinny Yamagata
Former Alturas businessman, community and youth sports leader Shinny Yamagata died Dec. 6, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona from complications of pneumonia. He was born June 28, 1929 in Brawley, California. He was 86 years of age.
Yamagata owned and operated Alturas Laundry and Dry Cleaners in Alturas before relocating to the Phoenix, AZ. area in the 1990s. While in Alturas for decades he was an integral leader in various youth sports, including Little League where the served as its president and coached teams for years. He was also instrumental in the formation of the Youth Park and its maintenance.
No services are planned.

C.L. "Tony" Duncan
C.L. Duncan of Alturas, known as "Tony" to everyone who knew him, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015 in Redding, CA. He was 72.
Tony finished his career at the California Department of Correction Camp in Alturas, CA, from 1988 to 1996.
Services will be held at the Alturas Cemetery in Alturas, CA on Saturday, May 21 at 11 a.m.

Zeta Fogle
May 18, 1934 – November 4, 2015
Services for Zeta Fogle will be held at the Federated Church in Alturas on Saturday, December 12 at 11:00 a.m. The family invites you to join them to celebrate her life. Potluck will follow in the Fellowship Hall.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made in memory of Zeta to the Federated Church or The Art Center.

James Elihugh Johnson
June 12, 1956 – December 8, 2015
"Jimmy J," went to be with the Lord on December 8, 2015, in Klamath Falls, OR; his last residence due to medical necessity since September 2014.
There will be a viewing at Kerr Mortuary, Alturas on Monday evening, December 14, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Funeral service will be Tuesday, December 15, at 11 a.m. at the Alturas Baptist Church on West Fourth St., interment at Alturas Cemetery, followed by potluck fellowship gathering at the Church Fellowship Hall. An obituary will be published at a later date.

Sports

Braves host NE Wrestling classic this weekend

The Modoc Braves are hosting the Northeast Classic Wrestling Tournament Friday and Saturday at the Griswold Gym. The event brings 15 top teams from northern California, Oregon and Nevada.
Wrestling in dual competition will start at 12 noon Friday and go into the early evening. The individual championships will start at 9 a.m. Saturday, with the title matches in the mid-to-late afternoon.
Top teams coming to the event include Anderson, Lassen, Mazama, Lakeview, and some teams from Shasta Cascade League. Modoc will probably finish in the top three, according to coach Shaun Wood.
The Braves are coming off their opening tournament in Chester, where they placed seventh out of a very tough field.
The Braves placed three wrestlers ion the finals. Lane Galvin placed second at 126 pounds, Tim Reed was second at 1445 pounds and Zack Norby was second at 152 pounds. Troy Culp placed third at heavyweight and Brandon Hays took fourth at 120 pounds.

Modoc varsity starts slow in Block F

The Modoc Braves varsity boy’s basketball team got off to a slow start in the Block F Tournament last weekend, losing a pair and winning one game.
They opened against a very strong Chester team, losing 57-40. Modoc was down 16-9 in the first quarter and 29-17 at halftime, Chester outscored Modoc 28-23 in the second half.
The Braves lost to Redding Christian Tuesday night 63-45. They trailed 18-11 in the first period and 31-20 at halftime. Redding Christian outscored the Braves 32-25 in the second half.

Modoc girls 1-2 in Yreka

Modoc’s varsity girl’s team beat Weed handily in the Yreka tournament last weekend, but fell to Yreka and Mt. Shasta. They will face Portola tonight in the Tiger tournament.
Yreka opened with a 14-7 lead in the first period and led 35-28 by halftime. Modoc cut the score to 47-44 after three, but the Miners outscored the Braves 25-16 in the fourth for a 72-60 win.
Modoc had no trouble with Weed in the second game., taking a 17-4 first period lead and turning that to a 35-12 halftime advantage. Modoc added 20 second-half points to win 55-26.
The Braves played tough against Mt. Shasta, leading 9-5 in the first period and 18-14 by half. The Bears jumped in front 33-32 after three and held off Modoc 12-11 in the fourth for a 45-43 win.
Modoc beat Redding Christian Tuesday night 53-24. The Braves led 14-9 in the first period and 28-11 at halftime

Hoses pull out another win over CHP

On Friday, the Alturas CHP Officers (Smok’n Guns) took on the Alturas City Firefighters (Hose Draggers) at the Modoc High School gym, in a charity toy drive basketball game. This was the sixth annual toy drive basketball game played. The game is played in an effort to fulfill the ‘Wish Tree’ at TEACH for the children of Modoc County.
The final score was Hose Draggers 57, Smok’n Guns 56.
The game was a huge success, despite all the events going on in town. The money raised this year was $605 and 43 toys were also donated. This should be a huge help to TEACH in making a great Christmas for several children in our community.

JV boys take third

The Modoc junior varsity boy’s team placed third in the Fall River Block F Tournament last weekend.
They beat Chester 49-13, after taking a 27-2 lead at halftime. Modoc lost to Trinity 47-30, trailing 22-12 at halftime and being outscored 25-18 in the second half.
The Braves came from behind to beat Whittell (Zephyr Cove, NV.) 48-41.
Redding Christian beat the Braves 48-39 Tuesday night.

December 17, 2015

News

December surpasses precip averages

The wet storms over the first half of December have pushed the precipitation totals for Alturas well above average. As of Monday afternoon, the weather station for Alturas had recorded 2.03 inches of precipitation substantially above the to-date average of .49 inches and the monthly average of 1.71 inches.
A very wet Saturday and Sunday snowstorm dropped about five inches of snow in Alturas and added mightily to the high mountain totals. More precipitation is expected towards the end of this week, into the weekend and possibly through the next week. People who are wishing for a white Christmas just might have that come true this year.
On Wednesday a winter storm warning was issued from that afternoon into today with snow and ice rain forecast. Unsettled weather with snow and rain is in the picture through Christmas Eve.
According to the National Resource Conservation Service SnoTel measurements, Adin Pass went from 11 inches of snow at 6,190 feet Dec. 11 to 23 inches on Dec. 14.
Cedar Pass had 18 inches of snow Dec. 11 at 7,000 feet that that increased to 24 inches Dec. 14. Dismal Swamp went from 17 inches Dec. 11 to 41 inches Dec. 14 and Crowder Flat had no snow Dec. 11 and had five inches Dec. 13.
Update: Wednesday morning SnoTel report: Cedar Pass 33 inches of snow containing 8.5 inches of water; Adin Mountain 21 inches with 5.5 inches of water; Dismal Swamp 37 inches of snow containing 9.3 inches of water.

City seeks grant for Airport improvements

The City of Alturas is applying for a Federal Airport Improvement Program assistance that would provide dedicated Helipad space at the facility.
According to Paula Jessup, the Airport Manager, there plan is to build six helicopter pad spaces, which will provide for a much safer and more efficient service.
She told the Council Tuesday that the process has taken some time, which has proved valuable as a learning curve, and that hopes to project could actually begin next spring.
Construction on the project needs to be done prior to fire season, she said.
She explained the new helipads would be a big help for emergency medical service and fire protection and would increase the airport’s overall service capabilities and income. In addition, she said having the separate helipads would make the airport safer for all aircraft.
The Council also approved a request from a company representing Dollar General for the store to obtain an off sale beer and wine license. They found that it would be a “public convenience” for the store to sell the beverages.
The Council also appointed a committee to develop a marijuana ordinance before March 1, when the state could determine regulations. The committee will be looking at an existing or proposed tobacco ordinance as a model and adopting something that will regulate medicinal marijuana.
The new ordinance has to be in effect by March 1, so the committee will need to get it approved by the Council by mid January.

Conditions make 42N21 road and possibly other roads impassable

Recent rain and snow have caused localized flooding and landslides making roads on the Modoc National Forest impassable in some areas.
Vehicles have become stuck when trying to navigate hazardous roadways. Please take this into consideration when planning a Forest adventure.
Although there may be impacts in other areas of the Forest, one area of special concern has been reported at this time. Forest Road 42N21 - Washington Creek Road - has a landslide and boulders blocking travel approximately three miles from its junction with Forest Road 41N44 near Cottonwood Flat.
Please avoid this area and be prepared to turn around when encountering a blocked roadway.

Honey Lake rest area temporary closure

The Honey Lake rest area on U.S. 395, 7.7 Miles north of Milford will be closed for maintenance from December 16, 2015 to at least January 11, 2016.

Obituaries—

James Elihugh Johnson
June 12, 1956 – December 8, 2015
James “Jimmy J” Elihugh Johnson, a life-long Alturas resident, went to be with the Lord on December 8, 2015, in Klamath Falls, OR. Services were held Tuesday, December 15 at 11 a.m. at the Alturas Baptist Church with interment at the Alturas Cemetery. The graveside service was followed by a potluck gathering at the church fellowship hall.  Pastor Paul Tiffee (Baptist Church on Homedale, Klamath Falls) officiated. Arrangements were under the direction of Kerr Mortuary of Alturas. O’Hair & Riggs Funeral Chapel of Klamath Falls assisted.

George “Azzie” Azevedo 
George “Azzie” Azevedo, born January 22, 1917, passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 98, on December 9, 2015 in Alturas, CA.
Services will be held graveside at the Eagleville Cemetery Friday, December 18, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. A Fellowship Pot Luck Luncheon will be held following the services at the Surprise Valley Senior Center in Cedarville, CA. Viewing at Kerr Mortuary, 400 West Second Street, Alturas, CA on Thursday, December 17, 2015 from 3-5 p.m.
If you’d like to bring a potluck side dish or dessert it would be greatly appreciated.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the charity of your choice.

Sports

Modoc 3rd in Northeast Classic

Several teams braved last weekend’s major snowstorm to participate in the Modoc Northeast Classic Wrestling Tournament. Modoc will take selected wrestlers to Grants Pass this weekend for another tourney.
Anderson won the Modoc tourney and Modoc finished third. Team scores were as follows: Anderson 172, Lassen 169, Modoc 158, Lakeview 124, Mazama 103, Etna 75, Quincy 62, Klamath Union 57, Willows 54, Chester 51, Crane 45, Chiloquin 12, Bonanza 11, Hosanna Christian 10 and Tulelake eight.
“We had 11 guys place, so I was really happy,” said coach Shaun Wood. “In Friday’s duals we beat Anderson and Mazama and lost to Lakeview. On Saturday, that was flipped.”
Modoc had three individual champions in the event: Chance Galvin at 113 pounds, Brandon Hays at 120 pounds and Lane Galvin at 126 pounds. Lane Galvin was named the Outstanding Lightweight in the event.
Tim Reed placed third at 145 pounds, Zach Norby was third at 152 pounds and Troy Culp was third at heavyweight.
Damian Hueckstaedt was fourth at 132 pounds, Josh Vierria was fourth at 138 pounds,  Haydn Alverson was fourth at 195 pounds and Robert Dowdy was sixth at 182 pounds. John Irish was fifth at 145 pounds. Tulelake’s Dustin Wood was fifth at 195 pounds.
Kaleb Duran took first in the junior varsity division at 138 pounds.

Modoc 1-2 in Portola Tourney

Modoc’s varsity boys basketball team beat Biggs in the Portola Tournament last weekend, but lost to Quincy and Portola. They will meet Etna tonight in the Block M tourney here.
Modoc will play Etna, Tulelake and Lakeview during the tourney.
The Braves opened against Portola last Thursday night and spotted the Tigers a 29-26 first half lead. Portola added 37 points in the second half while Modoc scored 28 for the 66-54 loss.
Quincy beat the Braves 55-50 in the second game, which was tight the whole way. Quincy led 16-14 in the first period and 32-27 at halftime. Each team added 23 points in the second half.
The Braves used a balanced scoring attack to beat Biggs 65-36 in the final game. Modoc led 15-4 in the first period and 23-18 at halftime. Modoc added 42 second-half points while Biggs only mustered 20.
JVs win Portola invite
Modoc’s junior varsity team didn’t run into stiff opposition and won the Portola tournament last weekend.
They beat Quincy 68-37 in the opening game. Modoc led 24-1 in the first period and 34-15 at halftime. They added 33 in the second half while holding Quincy to 22.
Portola was the next victim for Modoc and fell 52-21. Modoc led 14-2 in the first period and 28-8 by half. They put up 24 point in the second half and limited Portola to 13.
The third game against Biggs was tight for the first period with Modoc leading 23-20, but it got ugly after that. The Braves led 37-27 at halftime and went up 57-32 after three. Each team scored 13 points in the fourth period.

Modoc girls win Portola invite

Modoc’s varsity girl’s basketball team won the Portola Tournament last weekend, winning three tough games. They open against Etna on Thursday for the Block M Tournament.
The Braves opened the Portola tourney against the host team, winning 43-38. Modoc led 11-8 in the first period and 26-21 by halftime. Each team scored 17 in the second half.
Modoc beat Quincy 63-60 in overtime for the second game. Quincy led 11-9 in the first period but Modoc exploded with 25 second period points to lead 34-25 by halftime. Quincy fought back in the third, cutting Modoc’s lead to 41-38 and tied it at 53-53 in the final period. The Braces scored 10 and limited Quincy to seven in the overtime period for the win.
Modoc fought back to beat Biggs 55-53 in the final game of the tourney. Biggs led 17-14 in the first quarter and 34-24 at intermission. The Braves cut the leaf to 45-37 after three and outscored Biggs 18-8 in the final quarter for the win.
Modoc’s junior varsity beat Portola 43-14 after taking a first period lead of 14-3 and turning that into a halftime advantage of 25-7.
They also beat a weakExcel Christan team 48-7, with the opponent not scorig in the first half.
Biggs beat the Modoc team 45-35. Biggs took a 16-12 first period lead and led 25-21 by half,. Modoc retook the lead 33-39 after three, but Biggs outscored them 16-2 in the fourth period.

December 24, 2015

News

Couple pulled from freezing river after accident

Quick and brave response is credited for saving two people who crashed into the Pit River Dec. 20, 9:55 a.m. just north of the Pit River Bridge on U.S. 395.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Harry Talberth, 54, of West Linn, Or. was southbound in a 2014 Subaru, north of Bowman Road traveling about 40 m.p.h. The highway was covered with ice and snow and CalTrans was actively plowing at the time.
The CHP states that because of excessive speed for roadway and weather conditions at the time, Talberth lost control of the car. It went off the west side of the highway and overturned into the Pit River, coming to rest on its roof, partially submerged. Talberth and a passenger, Daphine Wysham, 55, also of West Linn, were trapped inside the Subaru as it began to fill with freezing water.
According to the CHP, CalTrans (Alturas) Acting Supervisor Dean Rouse received a call from CalTrans dispatch in Redding regarding the accident and he responded to the scene in a CalTrans vehicle. As the first responder on scene, Rouse entered the river and began rescue operations on the trapped pair.
The second responder on the scene was Modoc Sheriff’s Deputy Erik Von Rader. Upon arrival he went into the freezing river to assist Rouse with extracting the vehicle’s occupants. During this time Modoc County resident Chris Knoch stopped at the scene and utilized his personal vehicle and equipment as an anchor to secure the car and prevent it from succumbing to the river’s current.
Rouse and Von Rader were successful in extracting Talberth and Wysham and assisting them out of the river to a safe place.

SV suffers through 7-hour power outage

Residents of Surprise Valley spent a dark and cold night Tuesday night though Wednesday morning after the power went off.
According to Surprise Valley Electric Member Service Manager Lynn Culp, the power went out at 9:30 p.m. on Dec 22 with a power outage on the transmission line over Cedar Pass which affected all SVEC and Pacific Power customers in Surprise Valley.  
“The outage was caused due to a snow-laden tree falling into the communication wire which then came in contact with the transmission conductor causing the conductor to burn in half,” Culp said. “The location of the problem on a steep mountainside and the snow conditions made it extremely difficult for the crew to get to the site. Five SVEC crewmembers worked through the night in whiteout conditions and four feet of snow to repair and the damaged wire and have the power back on by 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.”
The four-hour outage on Monday afternoon that effected SVEC members south of Alturas to Ravendale was caused by the wet snow conditions on Pacific Power’s line five transmission line between Canby north to the Perez overpass on highway 139. This transmission line provides a portion of the SVEC load and outages on it affect SVEC member accounts. SVEC had one crewmember assisting Pacific Power to locate and correct this problem.
In addition, Wednesday morning landline long distant phone service was out in portions of Surprise Valley. Whether that was related to the power outage was not confirmed.

Modoc jobless rate up to 8.1 percent

The Modoc County unemployment rate for November 2015 was 8.1 percent, according to the California Employment Development Office. That’s up from October’s 7.2 percent, but lower than November 2014’s 9.7 percent.
The Modoc civilian labor force in November stood at 3,220, down from October’s 3,400. EDD reports that 2,960 people were employed last month with 260 unemployed. In November 2014, the labor force was 3,260 with 320 unemployed persons. In October 2015, the labor force numbered 3,400 with 3,150 employed and 240 unemployed.
Last month agriculture employment dropped 32 percent, from 500 to 340. Government employment dipped from 1,180 to 1,160, with 230 federal employees, 80 state employees and 850 local government employees. Government employees amount to about 40 percent of the jobs in Modoc.
Modoc’s 8.1 jobless rate ranked it 43rd out of the state’s 58 counties for highest unemployment. Lassen County ranked 32nd at 6.9 percent and Siskiyou ranked 49th at 9.4 percent. The lowest unemployment rate was in San Mateo County at 3.1 percent and the highest was Imperial at 20.4 percent.

Sports

Braves drop two in Block M

Modoc’s varsity boy’s basketball team beat Etna 67-49, but lost to Tulelake 55-47 and to Lakeview 68-54 in the Block M Tournament last weekend.
They Braves are off until starting Shasta Cascade League play Jan 5 in Fall River and head to Mt. Shasta Jan 8.
“We played pretty well in the tournament, but just got cold in the last minutes of the Tulelake game and they made 10 free throws in the fourth period,” said coach Jim Widby. “We played Lakeview tough, but gave up seven points just before half and matched tem in the second half.”
Widby is looking forward to league play, where he gives Fall River an early nod as the favorite, but believes the field is wide open this year.
“It’ll just depend on which team shows up to play each night,” he said. “I think it will be a dogfight.”
Modoc JV boys won Block M tournament in Alturas, CA. Modoc goes to 8-2 on the season having won the Portola Tournament and Block M and finishing third in the Block F tournament at Fall River High School.

Modoc breaks 3-way tie for Block M title

There was a there-way tie for the varsity girl’s championship of the Block M Tournament last weekend between Modoc, Tulelake and Lakeview. The tiebreaker was team free throw shooting percentage, which the Braves won at 57 percent, Lakeview at 54 percent and Etna at 34 percent.
The Braves lost the first game to Etna ]Modoc took care of Tulelake 54-20 in the second game. Modoc beat Lakeview in the final game 52-34.
“We had a slow start against the Etna Lions and fell short to them, but came back fighting and out rebounding the Tulelake Honkers,” said coach Amy Britton. “It was a battle against the Lakeview Honkers. Lakeview was taller than us, and were a great, fast team. We held on and continued battling and came out on top. The girls all played really hard. Modoc got into foul trouble in the first half and sent the Honkers to the line many times, however Modoc came out with the win.”
The Braves are off for vacation and resume play at Fall River January 5.
Modocs junior varsity girls played well at the Block M tournament. They knocked off Tulelake 43-10 and Lakeview 37-9. They lost to Etna 41-33. Etna came into the tournament with a 7-1 record.

December 31, 2015

News

Fair Board agrees to transition plan

At Tuesday night's Modoc Fair Board meeting the CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) presented a draft transition plan, which documents the process to ensure the Modoc District Fairgrounds is maintained and operational during the time needed to identify alternate funding/resource options to sustain the fairgrounds.
After presenting the transition plan, Brian May, a consultant who is being paid by the state, urged the board to approve the draft plan and get started.
“It is important to get this operations plan approved and keep the fairgrounds operational,” said May.
Although both the board and the CDFA admit that the fair will not be held in the near future, they are mutually working toward developing a new business model that can ensure the long term financial viability of the fairgrounds. This business model will rely on a strong partnership among the board, the community and the LSF (local, state and federal) agencies.
After a comprehensive financial report given by Jeff Cesca, branch chief from the CDFA Division of Marketing Services, May again urged the fair board to direct their first focus on finances. A Board Finance Committee of two board members will provide fiscal oversight to the fairgrounds. The committee will generate contracts, purchase orders, sign checks and execute them in agreement with board policies, consultation with the CDFA and the interim administrative staff person.
The detailed step-by-step draft transition plan addressed the day-to-day management, maintenance and repair needs of the fairgrounds. The plan is tentatively expected to be in place through calendar year 2016.
One of the first approaches dealt with in the plan was reducing expenditures at the Fairgrounds by terminating the positions held by Danette DePaul, CEO, on Dec. 31, and Senior Maintenance Worker Jerry Minto in the Spring of 2016. An organizational chart was presented with seven specific categories and the work descriptions in each.
The board was urged to appoint an interim volunteer CEO from among the seated board members. After consideration, Lilli Sommer of Fort Bidwell, volunteered to work in this capacity. Sommer is a retired teacher from the  prison in Susanville.
The next fair board meeting will be held on Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. at the Fairground's dance hall.

Healthy snow pack puts dent in drought

While one wet month will not be a drought-buster, the start of this El Nino powered winter has made weather-watchers more optimistic.
December 2015 will go down as one of the wettest on record, with 3.33 inches of precipitation measured. That’s 51 percent above the normal monthly average of 1.71 inches. It snowed 19 out of the month’s 31 days, with measurable snow on several of those days. Christmas Day through Dec. 30 had more than 12 inches of snowfall in Alturas and the high country got a good covering blanket over the past three weeks.
As of December 30, Cedar Pass had 49 inches of snow at 7,030 feet, down from Dec. 26’s level of 52 inches.
Adin Pass recorded 37 inches of snow Dec. 30 at 6,190 feet and Crowder Flat had 15 inches at 5,170 feet.
Dismal Swamp had 62 inches of snow at 7,360 feet Dec. 25 and that dipped to 56 inches as of Dec. 30.
Update: Following pretty heavy storms in the valleys overnight into Wednesday with three to five inches of new snow in Alturas and Cedarville, the mountains also picked up snow as of Wednesday about 9 a.m and snow was still falling.
Adin Mountain recorded 38 inches Wednesday, with Cedar Pass at 49 inches, Crowder Flat at 17 inches and Dismal Swamp at 57 inches.
Unofficial estimates put snowfall at about 20 inches for the month of December in Alturas and in Cedarville and more in the higher elevations. For instance, in mid-November Cedar Pass had nine inches of snow and Adin Mountain had seven inches.

Earth shaking east of SV

During the last year the area about 10 miles northeast of Vya has experienced many thousands of earthquakes. The epicenters are primarily centered in a small area inside the entrance to the Sheldon Antelope Refuge. The Sheldon Swarm is daily extending its record as the longest earthquake series in Nevada's recorded history.
The earthquakes started in July 2014 and have been occurring daily ever since. The number of daily earthquakes was slowing somewhat until last week the activity increased. It also appears that the shallow quakes are increasing in numbers of magnitude 3-plus and 4-plus events.
By Wednesday morning there had been 161 earthquakes recorded in the area within the last six days, including two magnitude 4-plus and 11 3-plus events.

Obituaries –

Paul Alan Siegel
On the afternoon of December 22, 2015, Paul Alan Siegel of Alturas passed away at the age of 64, after an eight-month hard fought battle from Melanoma.  He was surrounded by his loving family at the time of his passing. 
Paul was born January 19, 1951, in St. Louis, MO.  He was the second child and first son of Willard and Marian Siegel. 
A Celebration of Life will be held January 16, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at the Federated Church in Alturas, CA.  A potluck lunch reception will follow. 
Paul’s family would like to thank the community for all of the help and support that they received during his illness. He would just shake his head in amazement and appreciation when Karen would tell him what his friends had done for them. A special thank you to Dr. Richert who was just incredibly awesome in treating Paul.
Paul loved to take kids hunting and fishing, so in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Modoc Youth Sport Shooting Club. Checks should be written to: 4-H Leader Council, 202 W. 4th St., Suite B, Alturas, CA 96101.  Indicate on the memo line - Modoc Youth Sport Shooting Club.

Barbara Weaver
Barbara Weaver, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother is now resting in God's care. Barbara was called home by the lord December 28, 2015. Barbara has touched the hearts of many people in the community and was quickly loved by all those who met her. Her memory will always be cherished. Services will be held Saturday, January 2, 2016 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints in Alturas, CA at 1:00 p.m. Her obituary will follow in a future issue.

Sports

Modoc sports—

Modoc basketball teams go to Fall River Jan. 5 and to Mt. Shasta January 8.  Games start at 4 p.m. They travel to Lakeview Jan. 12. Games start at 4 p.m.
Modoc wrestlers are at the NorCal Jan. 8-9.
Surprise Valley basketball has Dunsmuir at home Jan 5 and heads to Butte Valley Jan. 8. Game time is 5 p.m.

Want More? To subscribe CLICK HERE