Basin Business for June 2017

JUNE 2017

KLAMATH BASIN

Basin Business

Thursday, June 22, 2017 Herald and News

Business

Local man designs BMX bike frame Page 6

Saddle up

Mortgage lending branch opens in Bly — Page 3

Chinese foot massage business opens — Page 3 Panel Processing buys out Klamath plant — Page 4

Horseback rides complement Running Y Ranch Resort offerings

A publication of the Herald & News

See story Page 2

Chamber: www.klamath.org

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Thursday, June 22, 2017 Herald and News

Horseback riding added for guests at Running Y

Basin Business

Story and photos

By GERRY O’BRIEN

H

H&N Editor

orsewoman Bonnie McElrath has saddled up the Running Y Horse and Trails horseback riding operation adjacent to the Running Y Ranch Resort, a nice complement to the resort’s offerings of golf, swimming and tennis.

The operation sits at the trailhead to the Skillet Handle trails, just north of the resort. Riders can take in gorgeous views of Upper Klamath Lake and spot deer, foxes, badgers, and birds galore along the trail, including bald eagles.

“I plan to have a lunch ride, McElrath, who where we take the clients out to previously ran a the meadow by Upper Klamath horse-boarding Lake and put on a spread stable in Medford of food and drinks.” for about five years, started up the opera— Bonnie McElrath (pictured above) tion in May and has had strong bookings for the past month.

“I basically got started on a handshake with the Running Y manager George Rogers, who helped set up the arrangement,” she said. “I was hauling a horse to Central point, stopped in here for a burger, and struck up a conversation with Mr. Rogers.”

McElrath comes to Running Y with 45 years of experience in training and riding horses. She has owned a horse boarding facility where she taught lessons and trained horses. McElrath manages Running Y Horse and Trails and is looking forward to sharing her love of horses with guests and the community of Klamath Falls.

Bookings are filling up, too. Rides are available Wednesday through Sunday, however if there is enough

TOP PHOTO: Bonnie McElrath has six personal horses she uses in the operation adjacent to the Running Y Ranch Resort.

ABOVE: Kids 18 and under must wear helmets.

BELOW LEFT: Riders get first-hand instructions on how to saddle up and how to ride the Skillethandle trail.

advance notice, McElrath will make arrangements at other times as well, she said, especially for the hotel guests who want to take in a ride. Rides are offered at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. A one-hour ride is $80 for one person, a two-hour ride costs $120.

“I plan to have a lunch ride, where we take the clients out to the meadow by Upper Klamath Lake and put on a spread of food and drinks,” she said. That will likely start next season.

For now, there are six horses that McElrath owns and cares for. The season runs from May 1 to Sept. 30, weather permitting.

To make reservations, go online to

Basin Business

Business briefcase Mortgage lending branch opens in Bly

541-539-1545. The store is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its website is www.thedryicestore.com.

There is a new mortgage lending branch offering services to the Klamath Falls and Lakeview areas.

Lori Batterman, a mortgage advisor for Finance of America Mortgage, has opened shop at 19311 Main in Bly. “We do conventional FHA, USDA, VA, rehabilitation and commercial real estate loans,” said Batterman in a news release.

Batterman “As one of the leading mortgage lenders by volume ranked by Scotsman Guide, we offer a wide variety of financing options. Our mortgage advisors understand that we are here to serve our clients with financing to meet their needs,” Batterman said.

For details, call Batterman at 541-8953039 or email lbatterman@financeofamerica.com. Website is foamortgage. com/lbatterman.

Oregon jobless rate drops to 3.6 percent PORTLAND (AP) — Oregon’s recordlow unemployment rate keeps setting new records.

The state Employment Department said in a news release Tuesday the jobless rate for May was 3.6 percent, a slight drop from April’s record-low rate of 3.7 percent. The U.S. employment rate for May was 4.3 percent.

Another unemployment measure, known as U-6, fell to 7.7 percent in May — down from 10.5 percent a year ago.

The figure includes discouraged workers who stopped looking as well as part-time workers who want but can’t get full-time jobs.

Job gains were widespread among major industries, with construction and manufacturing leading the way.

Meanwhile, Oregon’s labor force hit a record-high, rising above 2.1 million workers for the first time. David Cooke, a state economist, says the labor force has grown by 40,000 workers since Jan. 1.

Firm offers noxious Dry ice pellets can be weed control used to control varmints Kestrel Country, LLC, a locally owned The Dry Ice Store in Klamath Falls manufactures dry ice pellets which can easily and humanely eliminate rodent problems.

By placing a handful of dry ice pellets into a varmint hole, the CO2 gas, which is heavier than air, travels down into the network of holes and quickly suffocates the pests.

The Dry Ice store is the only manufacturer of dry ice pellets between Sacramento and Portland, according to a news release.

For details on other uses for dry ice, contact the store at 2811 Broadmore St., No. 303, in Klamath Falls by calling

environmental services company, says in a news release it is offering two new services: noxious weed control and restoration plantings.

Tired of fighting with toadflax, thistle, St John’s wort or other invasive weeds?

Kestrel Country has a treatment plan.

“Our crews can also help restore habitat with large and small native planting projects. Whether you’re a private landowner, conservancy non-profit or land agency, we’d love to help with your project, said Natosha Alexander, of the organization.

For details, call 541-591-0409 or email natosha.alx@gmail.com.

KLAMATH BASIN

Business

Thursday, June 22, 2017 Herald and News

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Chinese foot massage business opens on Main Footlogic massage offers Chinese foot massage along with full-body massage and is now open in Klamath Falls at 637 Main St. This relaxing foot massage uses special pressure point techniques to relieve stress, according to a news release.

It is not only revitalizing for tired feet and legs, but as the feet contain key energy and nerve points relating to the whole foot, it rebalances and relaxes the entire system, according to a news release.

This massage improves blood circulation and reduces swelling and soreness in the lower leg region.

There is also table body massage.

A full-body, smooth flowing style of massage promotes deep relaxation,

Klamath County Chamber of Commerce

205 Riverside Drive, Suite A Klamath Falls, OR 97603 Office: 541-884-5193 Fax: 541-884-5195 Heather Tramp, Executive director Email: heathert@klamath.org www.klamath.org www.facebook.com/KlamathChamber twitter.com/AccessKlamath

improves circulation and range of movement and relieves muscular tension.

It is uplifting and mind clearing. The benefits of this treatment are appropriate for all.

To book an appointment, call 541-205-6865 or use the website: www. efootlogic.com.

It is open seven days a week, MondaySaturday, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The business also offers gift certificates for massages.

Chamber Executive Board President: Wes French First Vice President: Rachael Spoon Treasurer/Secretary: Jennifer Scanlan Members: Jason Chapman, Sergio Cisneros, George Ormsbee Immediate Past President: Todd Andres

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Thursday, June 22, 2017 Herald and News

Basin Business

Panel Processing buys out Down River, a Klamath Falls plant; new jobs on horizon

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anel Processing Inc., headquartered in Alpena, Mich., has purchased the assets of Down River LLC, located in Klamath Falls.

This acquisition builds upon the company’s strategic investments to better position itself throughout the country, according to a news release.

In 2014, Panel Processing purchased Thermo Pressed Laminates, also located in Klamath Falls. The acquisition of Down River will augment the existing laminating capabilities in the West to provide wood components and additional fabrication abilities that are available at other Panel Processing locations throughout the country.

Further, Panel Processing has recently placed an order for a new short-cycle press line for direct melamine lamination. The laminate press will be located in the Klamath Falls facility that was previously Down River.

Currently Panel Processing of Oregon operates a “Thermally Fused Melamine” line at its Swan Court location in Klamath Falls.

The new press, at the Memorial Drive location, will not only complement the current product line but will more than double current production, the news release said.

This increased capacity will allow Panel Processing to service more customers as well as supply a wider range of textures, which are in high demand today.

The new press is slated to be delivered in the summer of 2018 and be operational by end of the 2018.

Panel Processing’s National Sales Manager, Brad Matuzak, said, “We are excited about this upcoming investment. The increased capacity and the expansion of our TFL line will allow us to better serve our current customer base. The additional textures will also allow us to provide to a group that we have been unable to supply before.”

Panel Processing operates 11 manufacturing plants in the U.S. and has locations in six states. Panel saw sales of $77 million in 2016 and is an employee-owned company.

“Basically, what is happening is Panel Processing is still occupying two sites right now — a building on Swan Court and the other is on Memorial Drive. We will be combining everybody to the Memorial Drive location once we get the new TFL press installed,” said Project Manager Jimmy Hubbard.

“We plan to have everybody in the one location by the beginning of 2019. We are ramping up, we actually are starting now.

“We have a press not being used that we will need to start hiring people for right away,” Hubbard said.

H&N file photo

The Panel Processing building, which formerly housed Down River in Klamath Falls, is pictured on Memorial Drive.

About Panel Processing

Panel Processing operates 11 manufacturing plants in the U.S. and has locations in six states.

Panel saw sales of $77 million in 2016 and is an employee-owned company.

In 2014, Panel Processing purchased Thermo Pressed Laminates, located in Klamath Falls on Swan Court. The company plans to move that plant to the Down River location on Memorial Drive.

“Once the new press is installed we are looking at moving our press at Swan Court and we will need to hire more people at that time.

“We are also ramping up our slatwall line that we will also need to bring in more people. Some of these things will be starting now but we will be continuing to ramp up into 2019.

“We are probably looking at around 15 to 20 jobs by 2019 in production.”

Down River is a board fabricating plant that produces component parts, painted panels, pegboard

The company plans to have operations in one plant by 2019, and says it will need an additional 15 to 20 employees by that time.

Down River is a board fabricating plant that produces component parts, painted panels, pegboard and other components to multiple industries.

Panel Processing has evolved from a small pegboard manufacturer into a leading custom flat panel fabricator and coating specialist. and other components for multiple industries. Panel Processing of Oregon will be a subsidiary of Panel Processing, which has been in business for more than 45 years.

Panel Processing has evolved from a small pegboard manufacturer into a leading custom flat panel fabricator and coating specialist. Panel Processing and its subsidiaries serve a variety of markets, direct and through distribution, including retail fixture, point of purchase, display, packaging, furniture, toy and game, digital print signage, cabinets, etc.

Basin Business

Thursday, June 22, 2017 Herald and News

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Thursday, June 22, 2017 Herald and News

Basin Business

Freestyle rider designs frame for national firm

Josh Clemens has been working and riding for Volume Bikes in Long Beach, Calif., and now has a BMX frame design all his own, as shown here in his dad’s shop, GonRacin BMX in Klamath Falls.

BELOW: Josh and his dad, Tim. BELOW RIGHT: Clemens shows some of his freestyle prowess.

Story and Photos

By GERRY O’BRIEN H&N Editor

One could say that Josh Clemens has been riding BMX bikes all his life.

Clemens, of Klamath Falls, was racing BMXers along with his dad, Tim, since he was knee-high to a kickstand.

But it wasn’t enough, and Clemens, now 23, sought to join the professional freestyle riders for BMX bikes. After high school, he moved to Long Beach, Calif., and was hired on by Volume Bikes.

Volume is a small, rider-owned company that produces high quality frames, forks, bars and bikes for the hardcore BMXer. Volume Bikes was started in 1999 by Brian Castillo after he rode for S&M Bikes and Primo. During his early riding career, he worked at Primo in their Research and Development/Marketing department and helped re-brand their image products, according to the company’s website. Castillo even has a little BMX racing roots in him and it comes through in the strength and lightness of his designs.

Soon after the success of Volume Bikes, Castillo launched Demolition Parts, to make BMX parts. Demolition makes cranks, wheels, grips, stems, pedals — pretty much everything you need for a customized bike.

Clemens joined Volume and was recently selected to be one of two top designers to design a fitting frame that pays tribute to his home state of Oregon. That Voyager frame was launched in May and is now sell-

Tim Clemens has operated GonRacin BMX at 1717 Avalon St. for several years. ing on the Volume website.

“It’s pretty much an Oregon design, with mountains, trees and the green color of Oregon,” Clemens said. The other design was done in a Glacier Blue by Bill Perry, a New York City native.

Clemens’ dad, Tim, opened up GonRacin’ Bikes in 2008. It’s located at 1717 Avalon St.. The family helped get the BMX racing park off Anderson Ave. up and running in Klamath Falls.

Clemens will be touring with Volume doing demonstrations as need be. For now, he’s happy his design has been given national recognition and is selling. Clemens has been shooting videos of his freestyle riding, as well. To view a video of his riding techniques, check out http://volumebikes.com/

Basin Business

FINANCIAL FOCUS

Declare it financial independence day

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e’re getting close to the Fourth of July, when we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy in this country. The U.S. constitution grants us many of these liberties, but we have to earn others – such as our financial freedom. What steps can you take to achieve the financial independence you need to reach your long-term goals?

For starters, always work to build your resources. Contribute as much as you can afford to your IRA and your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. At a minimum, put in enough to earn your employer’s matching contribution, if one is offered. If you don’t take advantage of this match, you are essentially leaving money on the table.

While how much you invest is an essential factor in gaining your financial freedom, how you invest your money is equally important. So make sure you have sufficient growth potential in all your accounts. While growth-oriented investments, such as stocks and stock-based vehicles, carry investment risk, you can help moderate this risk by also including other investments, such as bonds.

Another way to gain your financial independence is to liberate yourself from the shackles of debt. This isn’t always easy, of course – most of us have experienced times when our cash flow simply wasn’t sufficient to meet our expenses, so we had to take on some type of debt, either through a credit card or a loan. But the more you can control your debts, the more money you’ll have to save and invest for your future.

One way to manage your debt load is to build an emergency fund, containing three to six months’ worth of living expenses, which you can use to pay unexpected costs such as a major car repair or a large medical bill. Ideally,

you should keep this money in a liquid, low-risk account, so you can access the funds quickly and without penalty.

Aside from possibly helping you control your debts, an emergency fund also may enable you to avoid dipping into your long-term investments to pay for short-term needs.

Thus far, we’ve only discussed achieving your financial freedom through methods of saving and investing. But you also need to consider your protection needs, too. If you were to become ill or suffer a serious injury, and you could not work for a while, your financial security could be jeopardized. Your employer might offer you disability insurance as an employee benefit, but it may not be enough for your needs, so you might need to purchase some additional coverage on your own. And to help ensure your family’s financial security, you’ll also need sufficient life insurance.

You also might want to protect yourself from the catastrophic costs of long-term care, such as an extended nursing home stay. The average annual cost for a private room in a nursing home is more than $92,000, according to the 2016 Cost of Care Study issued by the insurance company Genworth.

And Medicare generally covers only a small percentage of these expenses. You may want to consult with a financial professional to learn about ways you can protect yourself from the long-term care burden.

By following these suggestions, you can go a long way toward declaring your own financial independence.

Consider taking action soon.

Meredith Hoffman Financial Advisor-Edward Jones 1307 S. Alameda Ave, Suite B Klamath Falls, OR 97603 541-273-2483

Thursday, June 22, 2017 Herald and News

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Hiring in Klamath, Lake counties continues to rise Klamath County continues to post strong over-the-year employment growth, which is helping to drive down the local unemployment rate, according to the Oregon Employment Department. Meanwhile Lake County’s employment situation is little changed over the past year.

Klamath County:

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped significantly for the second consecutive month.

The rate dropped to 5.1 percent in May, down from 5.4 percent in April. The unemployment rate is down from last May when it was 7.0 percent.

Klamath County added 490 jobs in May, fairly consistent hiring for this time of year.

Klamath County continues to post strong over the year hiring with 830 additional nonfarm jobs compared to May 2016 (+3.7%). Despite strong job gains over the past two years, total nonfarm employment remains around 5.5 percent below the previous peak employment from 2007 (-1,400 jobs). Private sector hiring was concentrated in health care, construction, and retail. There were notable declines in manufacturing and professional and business services.

Lake County:

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dipped to 5.2 percent in May. The rate was 5.4 percent in April and 6.5 percent in May 2016.

Nonfarm businesses added 40 jobs in May, fewer gains than typical expected for this time of year.

Lake County nonfarm employment remains little changed from this time last year (-20 jobs). Job gains in retail trade (+20) were largely negated by losses in “other services” (-30).

Mark Fay, M.D. Scott Stevens, M.D. Physician/ Surgeon of the Eye Physician/ Surgeon of the Eye

Edwin Tuhy, O.D. Optometrist

Jennifer Sparks, O.D. Optometrist

New Patients Welcome

2640 Biehn St. • 541.884.3148 • www.klamatheyecenter.com

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Thursday, June 22, 2017 Herald and News

Basin Business June 2017 Newsletter

Ore gon State Senator Dennis Linthicum – District 28 I represent the citizens of Senate District 28, which includes all, or part of Þve rural, mostly-eastern Oregon counties: Jackson, Klamath, Lake, Deschutes and Crook.

Senator Dennis Linthicum OR Senate District 28

As Senator of one of the largest Senate districts in our state, it Capitol Phone: is extremely important that my constituents remain in contact Capitol Address: with me about the issues and concerns that affect their lives.

I encourage you to use the information here as a resource and to contact my ofÞce by either phone or e-mail so that I can know how to best serve you. I am honored to be here in Salem Þghting for your freedom and liberty.

You and I are unique in our height, weight, size and shape. We are unique with our likes and dislikes and in our abilities, gifts and talents. We are as different as our DNA and Þngerprints and we see the world differently based on our culture and family traditions, socioeconomic condition, national origin and many other things.

No one doubts the truth of these propositions.

We know intuitively that each individual is unique in every way.

Across America our educational model was developed and Þne-tuned during the Industrial Revolution. It mimics the factory mindset with parts following an assembly line for production and development. OregonÕs model follows the same standardized regime with standardized hours dedicated to speciÞc subjects. With every individual exhibiting unique talent, gifts and skills this model is rigid and anachronistic.

As more people come to recognize the power of the individual our educational model will undergo transformation. This transformation will be part technological and part ideological. The millennials are the Uber-generation. They have glommed onto technology that has spawned the sharing economy and they are intensely devoted to individual freedom while not being afraid of personal responsibility. They will want this same

503-986-1728 900 Court St. NE, S-305 Salem, Oregon 97301

E-Mail: sen.DennisLinthicum@OregonLegislature.gov Website:

Prairie Schooners and Paradigm Shifts I suggest watching the most viewed TED talk in TED's history, a video with 45.5 million views. It is a Ken Robinson video about Education. < http:// bit.ly/KenEd-A > Robinson has several humorous and insightful videos which all echo the same theme, namely, we are all different and our educational needs will also be different.

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liberty for their kids.

The current education model will not be able to provide this ßexibility because the system resembles the Conestoga wagon of yesteryear.

The Conestoga, or Prairie Schooner, like the horse and buggy, had a good run but was eventually replaced. Our current educational model is also likely to get replaced.

We are at the same turning point for our current brick-and-mortar education model. The territorial monopoly of school attendance based on the neighborhood where you live will not be able to compete with up-coming technological advances.

During the next decade, as new technologies burst into our classrooms and across school district boundaries, there will be a coincidental emergence of ideological freedom. Like an infantÕs umbilical cord, the wires will be cut and Oregon will be required to alter its education model.

This will also happen because of the growing sense of angst over student performance and the age-old Þnancial problems which torment the Department of Education. Everyone is aware that OregonÕs taxpayers cannot keep pace with the unprecedented growth in salary, wages and PERS costs. The gloomy prospects for sustained revenue growth combined with a massive ßood of baby boomer retirees means we face a potential catastrophe.

After years of uncontested authority in their monopoly status, the heart and soul of our stateÕs education system has become weak. Currently, our state is ranked 49th in education and we will spend nearly $14,000 per student, including

http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/linthicum overhead and administration. That is an enormous amount of money on a per student basis. Yet, for all that money, graduation rates are dismal and below average test results are wreaking havoc in the fabric of every community, particularly among the under-privileged.

These are typical conditions setting-up what Thomas Kuhn called a Òparadigm shift.Ó Kuhn proposed that in any given framework an Òexisting paradigmÓ resists change while the current paradigm is strong and balanced. There is no need or incentive to look for alternatives as everything makes sense and nothing appears broken. However, as the framework becomes unbalanced (higher costs for lower scores), communities will demand more scrutiny and accountability. Their voices will be heard and this is when the ÒshiftÓ will occur.

As the legislative body looks for solutions they will burden educators with more reporting and performance requirements. Goals will focus more on money over vision, tradition over innovation, form over substance, and certiÞcation over performance. These are the telltale signs that the existing paradigm is ripe for transformation.

Technology will be the key. School-choice and long-distance learning will be the agents that spawn the paradigm shift in OregonÕs education model. Then, we will create a more robust educational environment for all Oregonians.

My assessment may be uncomfortable for some and scary for others. But, just as autos, planes and trains replaced the Conestogas there will be gradual, but exciting, changes in our educational paradigm. Just like our pioneer forebears, we need to be courageous Ð for the sake of a brighter future for every Oregon family.

If we don’t stand for rural Oregon values and common-sense – no one will!