Klamath Life feature magazine for February/March

REGIONAL MAGAZINE FOR KLAMATH, LAKE, MODOC AND SISKIYOU COUNTIES

Klamath Life Season for Discovery

Stronger

A martial arts journey toward self-improvement

On ice

Explore natural history in Crystal Ice Cave

Faith in Service

Youth groups lend a helping hand

H e r a l d a n d N e w s | Fe b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 1 7 | w w w. h e r a l d a n d n e w s. c o m | $ 4 . 9 5

REGIONAL MAGAZINE FOR KLAMATH, LAKE, MODOC AND SISKIYOU COUNTIES

Klamath Life Season for Discovery

Stronger

A martial arts journey toward self-improvement

On ice

Explore natural history in Crystal Ice Cave

Faith in Service

Youth groups lend a helping hand

H e r a l d a n d N e w s | Fe b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 1 7 | w w w. h e r a l d a n d n e w s. c o m | $ 4 . 9 5

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Season for Discovery On the cover: Bree Pace tests for her third black belt stripe at Tang Soo Do 2000 martial arts school.

Story on page 18.

Cover photo by Kevin N. Hume

‘Shouldering through’ the seasons in the Basin

If you’re wondering what to do with yourself during the “shoulder season” between winter and spring, look

no further.

This edition of Klamath Life – the only locally produced magazine of recreation, culture and lifestyles in the Klamath Basin – has a wealth of information to get one motivated for spring.

‘Mrs. Pain’ Of particular note is our lead feature on Bree Pace by reporter Stephen Floyd.

Pace is a martial arts instructor who has earned her third black belt stripe. She’s known to her students as “Mrs. Pain” but jokingly, as she guides students in the study of the physical and mental conditioning. It’s an inspirational story for us all.

Want to get out and mountain bike, trail run or simply take a scenic hike?

We update the progress of Spence Mountain’s new mountain bike trails, which accommodate beginners to experts. The site is grow-

advice to getting your plot ready for spring, from soil to seeds. She includes a gardener’s calendar of what to do when. Plus there are plenty of OSU Extension SerHeading underground vice master gardeners who Going underground has a whole new meaning if you will lend you tips. And, she helps those who are new to visit the Lave Beds National Monument south of Klamath the high desert climate get an early start on planting.

Falls. Our intrepid reporter Johanna Bernhard and phoGiving back tographer Kevin Hume got

Reporter Kurt Liedtke to explore the famous Crystal Ice Cave at Lava Beds. It’s explores the world of youth unique because visitor num- missionaries who live and work in the Basin, or are bers are strictly limited and tours are only available once just visiting as part of their religion. These faith-based a year. Some caves are well groups give back to the over 100 feet underground.

A not-to-be-missed explora- community in ways that no other groups can. tion trip.

Our resident reporter/ Our Quintessentials feafisherman is Luke Ovgard, ture by photographer Kevin who does little else in his Hume is on Nadine Hoy, who spare time, but fish. He has is stepping down from runlots of tips on how to tune ning the Project Spirit Horse up your tackle box for the Rescue and animal rescues upcoming fishing season. in general; something she His advice comes from expe- has been involved in for rience, as he’s fished this some 27 years.

Basin most of his life. Rule

We hope you enjoy this No. 1: don’t forget to buy a edition of Klamath Life and fishing license. that it will inspire you to get Late winter is just the out and marvel at what the time to prep your garden.

Basin has to offer.

Reporter emeritus Lee Beach lends some well-heeded Gerry O’Brien, H&N Editor ing in popularity and fastbecoming a destination for riders across Oregon who want a challenge without the crowds.

Inside: On ice: Explore natural history

at Crystal Ice Cave. Page 4 Ups and downs: New trails for Spence Mountain. Page 9 Faith in service: Youth groups

serve the community. Page 13 Black belt: A journey of

self-improvement. Page 18 Tackle tune up: Be ready to

fish for anything. Page 24 Digging in: Planning for your garden plot. Page 27 Early start: Tips for starting garden seedlings. Page 32 Quintessentials: Passing on

the reins at Project Spirit. Page 35

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SEASON FOR DISCOVERY

L AVA BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Natural History on Ice

Sculpted by nature: Caitlin Lee-Roney, left, wildlife biologist at Lava Beds National Monument, and H&N reporter Johanna Bernhard take photos of ice formations in the Crystal Ice Cave Jan. 25.

H&N photo by Kevin N. Hume

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By JOHANNA BERNHARD: H&N Staff Reporter

A

s we trudged over the unmarked path, hidden under a few inches of fresh snow, the first of two entrances into the Crystal Ice Cave was upon us.

Camouflaged by more snow and lava rock formations piled high around it, we traversed down into the trench over and under rocks to the main entrance of the cave.

Kitted out from head to toe in sturdy walking boots, waterproof clothing, rubber traction gloves and headlamps attached to orange helmets, we made our way oneby-one down the vertical ladder 35-feet underground into the mouth of the cave.

It was obvious then, although the weather was a helpful con-

tributor: the cave is hidden for a reason.

As the cold air rushed in from above, we stood on a sheet of ice so thick there was no sign of the ground below. The cave was dark, lit only by our headlamps and the occasional camera flash.

See ICE, page 5

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ICE, from page 4 The 32,000-year-old Crystal Ice Cave is one of Lava Beds National Monument’s main features. In the winter, depending on the climate, tours run on Saturdays from late December through the end of March, accommodating six visitors and two park rangers. It is no exaggeration to say tickets sell out in less than a millisecond.

On a Wednesday afternoon in January, six Lava Beds National Park Service rangers were accompanied by a Herald and News reporter and photographer venturing into the ice cave for the first time. It was also the first time for three of the rangers.

Jared Brewer is Lava Bed’s new chief ranger for visitor and resource protection. As a law enforcement field ranger, Brewer ensures visitors respect the park’s property, natural resources and historical culture. Moving from Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Brewer started working at Lava Beds five months ago.

See ICE, page 6

Spelunking primer: Dave Riggs, above, a specialist in natural resource management at Lava Beds National Monument, and lead interpreter Patrick Taylor give instructions before heading to Crystal Ice Cave Jan. 25.

Tight fit: National Park Service employees navigate through a tight crack between rocks to get to the Crystal Ice Cave.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

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SEASON FOR DISCOVERY

ICE, from page 5 For Lava Beds Lead Interpreter Patrick Taylor, Cave Resource Specialist Dave Riggs and Geologist Randy Paylor, the Crystal Ice Cave is a familiar stomping ground. Taylor is in his fourth winter leading tours inside the cave, while Riggs maintains data loggers that monitor the cave’s temperature and humidity and the presence of life.

Upon entering the cave, the first task was to slide down an icy slope. Two blue ropes in the center of the chamber were hooked to carabiners and held in place by large boulders. As we clung to them for support and reassurance, the group took it in turns to position themselves in between the two, sit down and slide.

With his camera strapped firmly around his body and a lens bag hanging off his left shoulder, H&N Photographer Kevin Hume slid into a rock on the right side and bounced off before finding his footing at the bottom and standing back up.

“It’s just like tubing,” he laughed.

See ICE, page 7

Sliding in: Nathan Charlton, top, a natural resources specialist at Lava Beds, smiles as he slides down an icy section at the entrance of the Crystal Ice Cave.

Explorer’s mark: Early 1900s cave explorer J.D. Howard left his identifying mark on a rock in Crystal Ice Cave, far right.

Cold touch: The group, above, descends past ice formations known as witch’s fingers.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

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Keeping record: Patrick Taylor, foreground at left, lead interpreter at Lava Beds National Monument, and natural resources specialist Dave Riggs take notes while inspecting ice formations in Crystal Ice Cave.

Vapor to ice: H&N reporter Johanna Bernhard, below left, looks at hoarfrost formed on rocks inside Crystal Ice Cave.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

ICE, from page 6 There are numerous chambers or sections inside the cave and although it is 2,654 feet in length, the tours cover a fraction of the distance and last around three hours due to the route and the energy it takes to clamber over the rocks, along

the icy pathways and through multiple crevices.

When giving tours, Taylor and the other rangers typically provide an overview of the cave at the beginning as it is difficult to have a conversation while walking in single file inside the cave, he said, and “there is usu-

ally not much to add to make it more awe-inspiring.�

While looking up at the hoarfrost, crystallized ice that looks like snowflakes, Taylor advises guests to hold their breath so as not to melt the ice.

Hoarfrost forms when water vapor makes contact with

the surface of the rock that is below-freezing, causing it to jump directly from a gas to a crystalline solid.

During the tour there were occasional wind chills while crawling over ice features with our backs to cave wall.

See ICE, page 8

SEASON FOR DISCOVERY

ICE, from page 7

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“An ice cave which has lost its ice will never have the capacity to regain perennial ice within our lifetimes,” he said. “Just like the glaciers at Glacier National Park, ice caves at Lava Beds have been losing ice due to warming temperatures over the past decades, and there’s likely no way to reverse that process.”

Aside from global warming, Riggs said the cave is kept offlimits to wandering visitors to protect the ice itself. Rangers have noted that in other ice caves visitors have previously built camp fires, which are forbidden.

The restriction is also a safety measure to protect the public from the sheer drops and unstable ice-coated breakdown floors, Riggs said. There is also a “very real risk” of hypothermia if someone became injured or lost inside the cave.

As cold air is denser than warm air, Riggs said whenever the outside temperature is below freezing, the cave receives an influx of outside air, which can produce “winds” in the cave that are 20 degrees or colder.

The cave is over 100 feet underground and is filled with a plethora of “awe-inspiring” ice features from stalactites and stalagmites to ice columns that reach from floor to ceiling. There is “ice bacon,” (linear strips on the walls) and rime ice that coats the floors.

Stalactites or ribbons which curve with the airflow, also known as “witches fingers” are prominent features and, of course, the frozen waterfalls.

From 1982 to 2016 photographs taken in the same location show the ice in the upper chamber, at the highest section of the cave, has melted, traveling through cracks to the lower chamber.

Time, temperature While the ice will continue to migrate in coming years, daily weather observation records dating to the 1950s show an increase in the average annual temperature of more than 3 degrees, Riggs said.

“An ice cave can only maintain year-round ice if it gains as much new ice as it loses to melting or evaporation,” he said. “The less ice mass a cave retains, the less ‘buffer’ it has to keep the temperature below freezing throughout the next summer.”

This starts a runaway process, Riggs said, and once a cave starts losing ice mass, it loses it at a faster rate each subsequent year.

Lava Beds is home to around 12 ice caves. Last summer, one of them lost more ice mass than it has remaining and will be completely without ice by this time next year, Riggs said.

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H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

Frozen flow Dave Riggs, top, a natural resources specialist at Lava Beds National Monument, navigates his way around a huge ice waterfall in the Crystal Ice Cave during a tour Jan. 25.

Nature’s mirror: An ice waterfall formation is reflected in an ice floor in the Crystal Ice Cave at Lava Beds National Monument.

An icy drop For Taylor, his favorite part of leading the tours is when the guests step down inside the cave and slide down the first icy drop, smiling and laughing, he said, and then the cave “takes their breath away” when they notice the first ice feature.

While he “loves” giving tours, he is working with the park service to find a way to allow more people into the cave at one time, he said, but ultimately the park’s focus is to protect and preserve the cave while still allowing people to enjoy it.

As we turned around at the end of the tour, following Hume’s penguin-sliding episode on a patch of the icy cave floor, we were struck by the hoarfrost that glimmered in the light from our headlamps.

We discussed the cave’s beauty in anticipation of the story to follow and decided that nothing but the human eye could truly grasp the magnitude and magnificence of the Crystal Ice Cave. jbernhard@heraldandnews.com

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Two-wheeled fun that will

BLOW YOUR TIRES OFF

By GERRY O’BRIEN: H&N Editor

M

ountain bikers

will have lots of new trails to choose from this spring and on into 2017, thanks to the efforts of Klamath Trails Alliance and its partners.

The newest are a “black diamond” expert trail and a “green” novice trail on Spence Mountain, just a 10-minute drive from Klamath Falls.

The Spence Mountain trailhead is well marked with a spacious parking lot. It lies just off Highway 140 as you climb out of the lake valley on the way west.

See TIRES, page 12

Photo courtesy Klamath Trails Alliance

The Spence Mountain Trail system offers mountain bikers 10 miles worth of trails. Eight more miles of trail are scheduled to be completed this summer.

People entering and using privately owned lands for recreational purposes are responsible for exercising due care in their use of the land. Please stay on the trails.

Don’t disturb, develop or tamper with trails.

Exercise caution on uneven terrain. Yield to oncoming trail users and don’t litter. Pack it in, pack it out.

Ref: Oregon Recreational Use Statute: ORS 105.672 to 105.696

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TIRES, from page 9 To date, there are 10 miles of trails, with an overall total of 18 miles expected to be completed by summer.

At 6,000 feet in elevation, the trails have lots to offer the novice and experienced biker, trail runner or hiker. There are no motorized bikes or horses allowed on the private property.

“There are 2 more miles of the black diamond trail — called North Ridge — to be finished this spring. It is an adventure-type trail for the hard core mountain biker,” said Drew Honzel, the secretary for the club.

Also the “Mazama Trail” for the novice that sits on a lower part of the mountain will be done this spring. This will add another 8 miles for riders.

“We already have a really good set of intermediate trails,” Honzel said. So, there is something for everybody.

The trail system designer is Paul Thomasberg of Bend, who Honzel says is highly respected among riders in the Northwest.

Dirt Mechanics of Bend is doing the trail construction along with volunteers from the trails alliance. The master plan calls for some 53 miles of trails on the 7,400-acre tract owned by JWTR lumber company. The alliance is putting about $100,000 a year into the project, through tourism dollars, grants and in-kind labor.

Traveling to Klamath At the trailhead is a sign-in post. The site is getting about 100 riders a month and lots of repeat visitors, too. About 25 percent of the riders are from out of the area; such as California, Arizona, Ashland, Medford, Bend and Portland.

“One thing the riders like is the amount of vertical drop and climb,” Honzel said.

“The peak of Spence is at 5,849 feet in elevation. Trailheads are at 4,300 feet. By next fall, the trails will connect to the lake level.”

Later this year will be Phase 4 of construction; a trailhead on Shoalwater Bay, a particularly beautiful spot on Upper Klamath Lake.

“When you have 20 miles of trails, it becomes a draw for people to stay overnight after a full day of riding,” Honzel said. “It becomes a place worthy of stopping.”

There is also plenty of winter access to Spence Mountain from the west side, along Eagle Ridge county park. The road is plowed, allowing cross-country skiers and snowshoers a great place to clip on the equipment for fresh trails. gobrien@heraldandnews.com

Other regional biking locales to check out

BROWN MOUNTAIN TRAIL

Moore Park:  Located off Lakeshore Drive

on the shore of Upper Klamath Lake. The city-run park provides access to 20 miles of hiking and biking trails; plus the 1 ½ mile Link River Trail.

Brown Mountain:  Just west of the Lake of the

Woods turnoff on Highway 140 West, Brown Mountain offers biking and crosscountry ski trails to Fish Lake through lava rock beds.

High Lakes Trail:  Access to the trail is available at the Highway 140 West rest area, which is just past the Dead Indian Memorial Road turnoff. The trail is family friendly, well marked and its compacted walking and biking trail runs west to Fish Lake. The trail offers spectacular views of Mount McLoughlin.

Photo courtesy Klamath Trails Alliance

Klamath bike rental businesses: Hutch’s Bikes: 808 Klamath Ave. Phone: 541-850-2453; Website: hutchsbicycles.com RAD used bikes:

1225 Main St. Phone: 971-570-0903 Website: radusedbikes.com

Zach’s Bikes: 835 Main St. Phone: 541-851-9200 Website: zachsbikes.com

Talk of the trails ...

‘When people talk about mountain biking in Oregon, locations like Bend, Hood River and McKenzie River will without a doubt be mentioned. These areas offer mountain bikers world class trails and spectacular landscapes. Klamath Falls is another location you’ll definitely start hearing more about in the very near future.’

— From “Pinkbike, specialty mountain biking publication

Check out the KTA Klamath Trails Alliance at klamathtrails.org

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‘We always want to be aware that there are people other than ourselves who have needs. We look to those around us to make their needs met and more often than not we find our needs met as well.’

— David DeFillipo youth pastor at Faith Tabernacle

Life lessons: Mormon missionary Sister Anotonilla Zanotti, right, laughs while placing price tags on items with Sister Lehila Dueñas at Treasures Thrift Store Jan. 12.

H&N photo by Kevin N. Hume

Faith in Service Youth in religious groups find reward while lending a helping hand

By KURT LIEDTKE: H&N Staff Reporter

W

hile far from the only groups seeking opportunities to give back, for faithbased youth groups in Klamath County there is a higher calling to want to serve the community and those most in need.

Amidst an abundance of school groups, teams, organizations and individuals seeking community service projects as fundraisers or to fulfill community service hours, many faith groups seek opportunities to give not for any kind of personal financial reward or obligation other than the chance to do something good for others. Giving back is a lesson reiterated among youth as an important life lesson not only as a matter of faith but one of human decency.

See SERVICE, page 14

SEASON FOR DISCOVERY

SERVICE, from page 13 For a collective of Mormon missionaries, currently totaling 14, six days out of the week are dedicated to community service in the area through the Eugene mission chapter of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A group of teens from as far away as Texas, Hawaii and even China, are regionally rotated on six-week intervals around communities from Portland to Yreka.

Their task during the twoyear tenure is two-fold: to spread information and invite others into their church, and to help others in need.

Hands-on On a local level, Mormon missionaries are active participants at Treasures Thrift Store, a Klamath Falls-based operation whose proceeds supplement Klamath Hospice services. Three days a week the group volunteers, sorting new donations and helping

H&N photo by Kevin N. Hume

Helping hands: Mormon missionaries Sister Christee Wilson, left, and Sister Huali Huang make room to place a folded bed skirt on a hanger onto a rack at Treasures Thrift Store Jan. 12.

wherever they are needed. The hospice connection ties closely with their belief in helping others. When not at Treasures, they travel in pairs door-to-door to not only share information about their religion but also to

seek out volunteer opportunities. If a driveway needs shoveling or yard needs mowed, it is considered their duty to help those in need.

“We are representatives of Jesus Christ and follow his

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example, seeking to help others regardless of people’s religion or social status. We want to help them,” said Sister Katie Gregory.

Just serve The tasks can vary widely, though during the winter months snow shoveling is the most common request.

Through their church they utilize a website, www.justserve. org, where local service projects can be requested by the community. From disabled and senior citizens to people who simply need extra hands while moving, the group does its best to give back wherever and however they are needed, even if a few requests raise eyebrows.

“A lady once asked us to come help move her dead dog in a wagon out to her back yard,” laughed Elder Jacob Thibault. “Also, someone asked us to fill their prescription a few weeks ago.”

See SERVICE, page 15

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SERVICE, from page 14 “It’s important people know that we don’t do service to convert people, we do it because we’re trying to follow the example of Jesus Christ to be helpful in the community and serve others,” added Elder Levi Johnson. “It’s not just about trying to convert people to the Mormon religion.”

The hours for Mormon missionaries are intense. A mandated two-year (18 months for women) religious mission begins with a two-week training held in Utah or Argentina, followed by regional assignment around the world. For the missionaries in Klamath Falls, days begin at 6:30 a.m. and continue until 9:30 p.m. with breaks for food. Mondays are their preparation day where they plan volunteer schedules for the week, and are provided a little personal time for laundry and shopping.

Group collaboration While partnering with nonreligious organizations is common, such as volunteer work with the American Red Cross and Plum Ridge Senior Center, in recent years there has been a strong effort to collaborate with other religious organizations for the overall benefit of communities. The current crop of Mormon missionaries in Klamath Falls reported recent service work in a Catholic church soup kitchen and serving dinners at a Methodist Church, while also working extensively with organizations such as St. Vincent de Paul.

“It’s not like we show up to people’s door and ask, ‘Do you want to learn about the church?’ and if they say ‘no’ we say ‘Ok, well can we at least mow your lawn?’” said Elder Ashton Simms, who was assigned to the Eugene mission from his home in Texas. “But there’s a lot of joy in helping others, we learn a lot about ourselves when we’re serving other people. We learn about our own beliefs when helping others.”

notice the needs of others,” said DeFlilipo. “As a faith-based organization, one of the things we try to teach the kids is to see what’s happening around them and reach those people and places that are broken and hurting.

We’re always trying to do things locally, there are opportunities to do things abroad, too, and we like those opportunities for them to see beyond their comfort zone. When returning they see the mission and organizations they didn’t notice before.”

‘ ... there’s a lot of joy in helping others, we learn a lot about ourselves when we’re serving other people. We learn about our own beliefs when helping others.’

— Elder Ashton Simms Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

Community service: Mormon missionaries Sister Lehila Dueñas, left, and Sister Antonilla Zanotti place price tags on items at Treasures Thrift Store Jan. 12.

Other religions seek ways to coordinate activities for youth groups that not only serve communities, but also provide a fun incentive and chance to bond. For David DeFillipo, youth pastor for Faith Tabernacle in Klamath Falls, there is no demand for youth to serve, but a calling to help others when opportunities arise.

It is a collaborative effort between DeFillipo and church

members, suggesting possible activities throughout the year, often taking on tasks brought to him from kids who heard about chances to help. Included in the youth program is a student-led outreach program designed to find opportunities for the kids to discover and coordinate volunteer efforts on their own.

“We really want our students to first of all be connected with the community they are in and

“For us we always want to be aware that there are people other than ourselves who have needs,” continued DeFillipo. “We look to those around us to make their needs met and more often than not we find our needs met as well.”

Filling a need While DeFillipo often coordinates various events throughout the year, many times the opportunities for charity work come directly from church members.

Such was the case with the Klamath Falls Gospel Mission, whose director is a member of Faith Tabernacle, and informed DeFillipo of a need for beds. A group effort was then coordinated to raise $2,000 to purchase beds for the mission, while also collecting donations for Christmas presents to give to families in need.

“With the Gospel Mission request we gave an incentive – if they raised the money we would hold a big pizza and movie night,” explained DeFillipo. “They talked to families and neighbors, did various chores to raise funds.

Within less than two months we had raised over $1,500 and had a big party!”

For Faith Tabernacle, in addition to local causes, DeFillipo also likes to coordinate one large service mission each year outside of the region.

See SERVICE, page 17

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Klamath Life

MERRILL –TULELAKE DIRECTORY Challenges facing farmers today and tomorrow Though farming was once big business in the United States, by 2012 less than 1 percent of Americans were professional farmers. Many challenges face today’s farmers, many of which are largely unknown to the general public.

Many people have an outdated view of a farm as a small, family-owned and operated parcel of land where livestock is raised in open pens and crops are hand-harvested when ripe. The reality is that modern-day farms have had to overhaul operations to meet demand and remain competitively priced while adapting to the ever-changing ways technology infiltrates all parts of life. Each of these factors present obstacles for today’s farmers.

Technology Rural farming communities are expected to make an effort to integrate modern technology into an industry that has been around for centuries.

But such a transition in rural areas, where communications systems may not be as up-to-date as those in urban areas, is not always so easy.

According to the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, a shift from a resource-based to an informationbased economy, compounded by the rapid introduction and expansion of new technology in the workplace, has altered farm operation and the skills in demand. Older workers who have been schooled in one way of agriculture may have a significant impact on labor supply and the vitality of farming as a career.

Younger adults who are knowledgeable in technology may no longer seek out agricultural careers.

Decrease in farming as an occupation

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency says that only about 960,000 Americans claim farming as their principal occupation. As that figure has dwindled, the average age of farmers continues to rise, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that roughly 40 percent of the farmers in this country are 55 years old or older.

This has led to concerns about the long-term health of family farms throughout the United States.

Environmental concerns Many farmers have come under scrutiny for how farming impacts the environment. A growing emphasis on sustainability and conservation has led many people to protest certain farming practices.

Protesters claim that certain practices, such as raising livestock, can pollute water, while the use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides is bad for the environment. Many farmers, however, have altered their methods to be more environmentally friendly and self-sustainable in the process.

Climate change is another environmental issue farmers must deal with. Strong storms and severe droughts have made farming even more challenging.

Financial fall-out The ongoing recession of the last half-decade has also affected farmers. In November of 2012, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the unemployment

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rate within the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries was at 13.6 percent, far higher than the national unemployment rate. As a result, many farm families have found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, as rising costs for equipment and technology are being coupled with decreasing profits and rising unemployment.

Further complicating matters is competition from corporations and international food producers who have made it difficult for family farmers to turn a significant profit.

Many family farmers rely on loans and lines of credit to survive, but thanks to changes in the financial sector that saw banks become less willing to extend lines of credit, some farmers are facing bankruptcy.

Though it can be easy for those who do not work in the agricultural industry to overlook the struggles facing today’s agricultural professionals, a greater understanding of those struggles and the challenges that lay ahead can benefit the industry and its employees down the road.

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SERVICE, from page 16 This provides an opportunity for kids to experience new cultures.

DeFillipo three years ago took a contingent to a Native American reservation in Montana, providing 10 days of service around the community. The project culminated with a basketball tournament complete with trophies, providing a chance to play and interact in a fun and casual setting with tribal members. Two years ago the group traveled to Victoria, British Columbia, to paint telephone poles and coverup graffiti. This year DeFillipo plans to take kids to Los Angeles to conduct community outreach with the Dream Center, working closely with junior high and high school students.

Even when not coordinating a specific activity, opportunities to serve the community are pursued. DeFillipo noted that the church often opens its doors in the evenings for youth activi-

Cultural exchange: A group of youth volunteers with Faith Tabernacle in Klamath Falls traveled to Victoria, British Columbia.

During their time of service they painted telephone poles and covered up graffiti.

Submitted photo

ties in a safe environment, be it games or evening worship.

As with the Mormon missionaries, Faith Tabernacle in recent years has grown into a more collaborative role with other churches and religious groups in the greater goal of helping others regardless of circumstance.

“I remember when I first got connected with this, I grew up

here, and I remember the Klamath Falls environment being separate,” said DeFillipo. “It was taboo for them to work together, but over the last 12 to 15 years I’ve seen all over a unity between different faiths and churches where it’s more normal to see a connection working together to see good come.”

For organizations and individuals yet to be actively involved

T R ’ S O C HA P N E PE V A L D •

of the •

in community service, whether from a religious standpoint or for other causes, finding ways to give back are highly encouraged, according to DeFillipo, by contacting an agency or church already involved in service.

“You go intending to give, but you learn to receive so much just from blessing someone, it does more for you in seeing their reaction knowing how much it means to them,” said DeFillipo.

“If you’re not involved in people’s lives make that first step, do it and you’ll find it will establish a lifetime of wanting to give back because it is so rewarding.” kliedtke@heraldandnews.com

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Eye of the Tigress A woman’s journey toward self-improvement through martial arts

By STEPHEN FLOYD H&N Staff Reporter

W

hen Bree Pace started learning martial arts at age 16, she wanted to become stronger.

Not only physically, but to become the kind of person who was not missing out on life.

She didn’t have a background in athletics but knew she wanted to improve herself.

She said this was the reason she chose Tang Soo Do 2000,

in downtown Klamath Falls, because its focus was on inner growth as much as training and techniques.

See TIGRESS, page 19

Ready: Bree Pace smiles during her test for her third black belt stripe at Tang Soo Do 2000 martial arts school Jan. 28.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

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TIGRESS, from page 18 “They were inviting, supportive, wanted to help better individuals,” she said. “So I think that was the perfect fit for me.”

Fast forward 21 years and Pace has become an instructor at the school with a reputation for intense workouts that has earned her the nickname “Mrs. Pain.” She considers herself a motivating force for fellow students and wants to see them develop an “I can” attitude.

“I want to lead by example, so I try to set the example,” she said.

Pace said Tang Soo Do 2000 has given her a new family and source of support and, on Jan. 28, that family came together to celebrate an accomplishment no student at the school had achieved before Pace.

Though already a black belt, Pace tested that day for her third black belt dan which, if awarded, would leave her outranked only by head instructor Vince Finnianous.

Finnianous said this presented a challenge to him as much as Pace because he’s never tested a student for third dan before.

“I’m looking forward to this,” said Finnianous. “I like new things happening to me ... I have a student pushing me, making me think about things.”

He said tests at the school are geared toward a student’s specific strengths and aptitudes — physically, mentally and spiritually. He said this is

because each student wants something different out of the school and also because their personal challenges are unique.

“Every human being is so different,” he said.

Before Pace could test for third dan, Finnianous said she had to run 3 miles with him non-stop. Pace said this was a challenge because she is not a fan of running, but knew part of reaching her next rank meant pushing herself further.

See TIGRESS, page 20

‘I want to lead by example, so I try to set the example.’

— Bree Pace —

A martial arts vocabulary Black belt: A rank in some martial arts recognizing a student who has become an expert in their style.

Dan: A rank within black belt noting level of expertise. Also called degree or stripe. Most black belts rank as high as 10th dan.

Form: A sequence of choreographed techniques simulating a fight against multiple individuals. Each belt rank has a specific form the student must learn to progress, while advanced students also design their own open forms.

Tang Soo Do: A Korean martial art influenced primarily by Japanese karate as well as classical styles originating during T’ang-era China. Its name can be translated to “The way of the Chinese empty hand.”

Bree Pace executes her bo staff form while testing, the first of multiple weapons forms she used that day.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

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Ready: Bree Pace, left, hugs head instructor Vince Finnianous before testing.

TIGRESS, from page 19 Not wanting to have this challenge hang over her head, she picked a day to go running with Finnianous and the two set out for Moore Park. Though Finnianous gave her every chance to slow down or take a break, Pace said “something just came over that just pushed me beyond” and they both kept running until the end.

“I was so happy that I did that for myself,” said Pace. “It was an incredible moment to go, ‘Wow, I actually did it.’ ” Pace said she continues to run so she does not lose the level of fitness she has reached, as her test for third dan would not be easy.

But it wasn’t a matter of simply showing up for the test at that point.

Black belt testers at Tang Soo Do 2000 must also complete a written exam that asks probing questions such as “Who are you?” and “Why do you want to test?”

Pace shared her answer to the latter question and said testing for third dan was a way of showing how dedicated she was to the ongoing pursuit of personal growth.

Never-ending journey “I want to test because I want to prove to myself that I can accomplish anything,” she said. “... As an instructor it also represents my hard work and dedication to our school and shows my students it’s a never-ending journey after first-dan black belt.”

Pace said she wants to push others further than they think they are capable of and said testing is a way of pushing her own limits. She also said becoming the school’s first third-dan black belt is appealing, not because of ego but as a testament to those whom she has learned under and trained with.

Running? Done.

Questions? Done.

Two decades of blood, sweat, tears and a place among a large family of martial artists? Done.

But a bigger challenge awaited the day of the test. Before kicks were thrown or boards were broken, Pace took time with Finnianous and other instructors to dive into her personal life and see how she has grown as an individual.

This portion of the test was private as it was likely to reveal raw, powerful

|

To the test: Pace demonstrates part of her open form, titled “Golden Tigress,” on fellow black belt Alex Lindsey.

Observing: Vince Finnianous, center, head instructor at Tang Soo Do 2000 martial arts school, proctors Pace’s test as Jonathan Martin, left, a kempo instructor, and weapons instructor Stephanie Finnianous look on.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

emotions. Those who have tested for black belt under Finnianous said a student walks out a different person after this part of the test.

Finnianous said dealing with a student’s inner conflicts is essential because the courage to face a physical opponent is the same courage needed to combat personal challenges. He said it is not uncommon for students to endure struggles such as domestic violence, sexual abuse and paternal neglect and said these issues must be confronted if students are to battle their greatest opponent: fear.

“The only enemy is fear,” he said. “Until you overcome that, you’ll struggle through everything in life.”

Pace said her struggles have involved

being present for moments in life and gaining the confidence to have experiences that may be unknown or uncomfortable. She said, if she is able to use her challenges to help others, she would consider them worthwhile.

“If I can help another person get through something, then that’s a huge goal,” she said.

On testing day, the sidewalk outside the school was filled with friends, family and fellow students eager to see Pace do well. Pace said she felt confident and ready to begin, but admitted feeling some trepidation.

“As in anything that means something, you feel a little nervous,” she said.

High rank Because Pace was testing for such a high rank, only those at third dan or above could conduct the test. So Finnianous brought in Jonathan Martin, a kempo instructor and third-dan black belt who teaches at Finnianous’ building.

Martin said it was an honor for him to be part of the test. He described Pace as “tough” and someone who has done a lot for the school.

“She’s really grown as a black belt,” said Martin. “... She’s just a hard worker.

She doesn’t give up.”

Martin joined Finnianous and Stephanie Finnianous, Vince Finnianous’ wife and the school’s weapons instructor, as proctors for the test and Pace’s ordeal was under way.

As she began her first form, a sense of power and confidence exploded in the room and it was undeniable Pace was at the top of her game.

See TIGRESS, page 22

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H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

Bree Pace executes a form using Japanese sai, a weapon she said further embodies the spirit of a tigress.

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TIGRESS, from page 20 Cool intensity turned to ferocity as Pace began her open form, which she titled “Golden Tigress.”

Inspired by the big cats of Asia, Pace called on the power of the predators to tear her way through imaginary opponents before taking instructors step-by-step through the thought process behind her maneuvers.

“I do like big cats,” she said.

“The fluid, the strength, the power and the beauty of it.”

Vince Finnianous took breaks between forms to speak to the audience as well as Pace, reading from texts on philosophy and posing questions. He said the importance of striving toward self improvement through martial arts is shown by those who work only toward trophies and accolades. They lose all sense of purpose when they fail.

“It’s about growing as a person,” he said. “Because what happens when you lose? You have nothing.”

Then came what was likely Pace’s favorite part of the test, an

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22

it allows you to handle situations better,” she said.

Pace did pass her test and said she wanted to thank the many people who have supported her, particularly Vince and Stephanie Finnianous, Martin and fellow — Bree Pace — black belt and instructor Alex Lindsey. But like Pace, Vince opportunity to show her skill with a layperson may not have seen, Finnianous and many others said, and Pace said her background as value is not placed on the rank as weapons. While she appreciates a certified medical coder helped all aspects of what the school much as the will and the strength sharpen her understanding of the to put oneself to the test. teaches, Pace said self-defense human body, both as it related to “Is it the journey or the destiand weapons are at the top of martial arts and the medical field. nation?” Vince Finnianous said. her list.

In particular Pace is a fan of Pace said this is one lesson she “Depends on what you put into the Japanese sai, a pointed metal has learned stronger than others: it.” weapon with two prongs at the what is taught in martial arts car- Pace said if someone wants to base. Pace acknowledged these ries over into other aspects of life. begin their own journey toward too reflect her appreciation for She said, though many students self-improvement they should big cats and she was able to exe- never attain the rank of black belt start by pursuing a goal they have cute a normal sai form as well as or do not progress past first dan, always wanted to accomplish. improvise a form typically done their lives are still impacted by unarmed. the confidence and strength they “Anything that you have a desire to do, I just say do it,” she learned in class.

Then Stephanie Finnianous said. “Don’t hesitate, don’t wait threw Pace for a loop and had her “If you have chosen that way for tomorrow, there will never be do the same form with a water of life, it’ll affect how you interact a right time to start and to just do bottle and highlighter as weapwith people, how you present it. Don’t waste any more time on ons against two other black belts. yourself, how you handle your the what ifs, go out there and try.”

Stephanie Finnianous noted Pace challenges because everything was striking at pressure points you’ve learned accumulates and sfloyd@heraldandnews.com

‘Anything that you have a desire to do, I just say do it. Don’t hesitate, don’t wait for tomorrow, there will never be a right time to start and to just do it.’

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ALTURAS DIRECTORY Historical events throughout the month of March March may be most synonymous with the start of spring and St. Patrick’s Day, but there’s much more to the third month of the calendar year. The following are notable events that occurred between March 1 and March 31 throughout history. · March 1: The Articles of Confederation are established in 1791.

Nine years later, Congress would authorize the first United States Census on this date.

· March 9: In 1864, Ulysses S. Grant is commissioned as a lieutenant general and becomes commander of the Union armies. · March 10: Daniel Boone begins his expedition of Kentucky in 1775. · March 11: The Lend-Lease program begins in 1941, enabling Britain to receive American supplies. · March 12: The island of Bermuda is colonized by the British in 1609.

· March 2: Fans are treated to a scifi masterpiece when images of a giant gorilla first appear in the film “King Kong,” which premiered in New York in 1933.

· March 13: Sir William Herschel discovers Uranus in 1781.

· March 3: Telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell is born in Edinburgh, Scotland. In March of 1876, he electronically transmitted sounds.

· March 15: Julius Caesar is assassinated, fulfilling the prediction of “Beware the Ides of March.”

· March 4: In 1681, King Charles II of England grants a large parcel of land in the New World to William Penn to settle an outstanding debt.

That area would later become Pennsylvania. · March 5: The Boston Massacre occurs in 1770. · March 6: Fort Alamo falls to Mexican troops led by General Santa Anna in 1836. · March 7: The Beatles release the album “Past Masters, Volumes 1 & 2” in 1988. · March 8: The New York Stock Exchange is founded in 1817.

· March 14: Albert Einstein is born in Germany in 1879.

· March 16: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlett Letter” is published in 1850. · March 17: Golda Meir becomes the prime minister of Israel in 1969. · March 18: In 1974, the five-month Arab oil embargo against the United States is lifted. · March 19: In 1965, teenage diver E. Lee Spence discovers the wreck of the Confederate cruiser the S.S. Georgiana, which is valued at more than $50 million. · March 20: In 1852, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is first published. · March 21: Johann Sebastian Bach is born in Germany in 1685.

· March 22: In 1765 the Stamp Act was approved. · March 23: Patrick Henry utters “Give me liberty, or give me death” in 1775. · March 24: In 1988, the Exxon Valdez spills 11 million gallons of oil. · March 25: RCA first produces color TVs in 1954. · March 26: Playwright Tennessee Williams is born in 1911. · March 27: Juan Ponce de Leon sees Florida in 1513. · March 28: In 1979, a nuclear power plant on Three Mile Island overheats. · March 29: Future U.S. president John Tyler is born in 1790. · March 30: Vincent Van Gogh is born in Holland in 1853. · March 31: “Oklahoma!” opens on Broadway in 1943. www.heraldandnews.com

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What’s in your tackle box?

Be prepared for anything with a tackle box tune up

By LUKE OVGARD: H&N Sports Reporter

Y

ou have a chance to fish a private island stocked with every species of fish the world has even known, but you can take just a single tackle box with you. What do you choose?

I’ve had this recurring dream for the better part of a decade, and I always feel like I missed something.

Though this exact scenario is unlikely, being ready to fish for any fish that you might encounter, which is about the size of a lunchbox, is possible.

Within each category, each piece of tackle is ranked to help you know which ones to buy first and which ones to hold off on until the next paycheck.

LINE Always carry spare line. If you have a spare spool, prep it. If not, keep a spool of all-purpose line just in case. My favorites are as follows:



Berkley Iron Silk, 12-pound test: This is phenomenal all-purpose line for lures — sensitive enough for sunfish, strong enough for big trout.



P-Line CXX, 10-lb test: This is labeled 10-lb, but it is more like 20-lb test in terms of strength. It doesn’t lose much in the way of sensitivity, but you will sacrifice casting distance, and less of this line will fit on your spool.



PowerPro Super Smooth, 20-lb: Braid is a pain when fishing with lures, but it is my go-to for bait fishing. This line will handle carp and lingcod but is sensitive enough for yellow perch and surfperch alike.



Honorable Mention: Berkley Nanofil, 14-lb: This is a hybrid line. It’s more sensitive than mono but less abrasion-resistant. It casts well enough to use with lures, but it fishes very differently than either mono or braid and takes some getting used to.

See TACKLE, page 25

H&N photo by Luke Ovgard

Swimbait: Any swimbait will work for trout or bass, and the mortality rate is dramatically lower than spoons and spinners.





Always carry spare line.

If you have a spare spool, prep it. If not, keep a spool of all-purpose line just in case.

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TACKLE, from page 24

HOOKS One piece of fishing gear dates back more than two millennia to early Phoenician, Viking and Polynesian fishermen, and is the essence of the sport: hooks.

Knowing what hooks to choose can be difficult, but a small handful will position you to catch every fish you may encounter in southern Oregon.

ing, nothing beats these. Line slides through the weight, so fish usually get a better hold of your bait before realizing something is up.



Variety pack of split shots: Though not as good for still fishing, they have applications beyond just bait fishing.





One-ounce cannonball sinkers: This lure is all about compromise. It’s the second-best for almost every application, which makes it a solid choice.



Honorable mention: Two-ounce pyramid sinkers: If you’re fishing big water, surfcasting or chasing fish in a fastflowing river, this will anchor your bait. You will need extras.

Owner No. 6 cutting point baitholder hooks: These will hold everything in freshwater locally except the odd sturgeon or massive carp.

Carry them always.

Owner No. 2 cutting point baitholder hooks: If you’re soaking large minnows for trout or catfish, drifting roe for salmon or steelhead, or using large cut bait for bottomfish, these should be your go-to hooks. They can also work for sturgeon in a pinch.



Gamakatsu 2/0 worm hooks: Yes, huge bass might — though it’s unlikely — bend these, but you’ll be able to catch largemouths, smallmouths and spots of any size if you play the fish right. Pair these with Senkos for a timeless setup.



Honorable mention: No. 14 treble hooks: Use these only for fish you intend to keep.

The brand doesn’t matter, since they’re used for smaller fish that don’t fight well: catfish or hatchery trout.

WEIGHTS Warning: these products contain lead, a chemical known to the state of California (and only the state of California, apparently) to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm:



Half-ounce slip sinkers: For all-purpose bait fish-

The GrowinG SeaSon STarTS aT DiamonD!



JIGS If I could only use one lure for the rest of my life, it would be a jig. Everything from chubs to sturgeon can be caught on jigs.

Try these:



1/32-ounce straight body ballhead jig: I’ve caught 27 species of fish on this lure — more than any other three lures combined. That’s all you need to know.



1/16-ounce white curlytail crappie jig, white or black: Crappie aren’t the only things that bite these. They’re phenomenal lures for all warmwater fish, minnow species and I’ve caught more trout ice fishing on these than any other lure.



1-ounce curlytail grub jig, watermelon: This is my go-to smallmouth lure, but it’s also phenomenal for rockfish and works for trout, too.



Honorable mention: 1/4-ounce tube jig, red/white: Not as effective as straight

See TACKLE, page 26

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TACKLE, from page 25 body or curlytails, but they can be effective when the crappie or Sacramento perch are being finicky that day.

rate it sinks — 1 foot per second — and is great for trout, bass and large yellow perch.

SPINNERS



No. 4 Blue Fox Vibrax, silver: The best spinner there is. When fishing catch and release, be sure to swap out the treble hook with the included single hook to limit mortality.



No. 1 Panther Martin: I grew up on Panther Martins.

They’re great lures, but their frail wire frames can get bent, the blades dent easily and they don’t generate sound or vibration like the aptly-named Vibrax. These are great for tiny trout, since the small size allows easy unhooking.

SPOONS



1/4-ounce Little Cleo, hammered silver: It can pass off as any minnow and catch any fish. Trout and salmon are the first that come to mind, but the bass game was built on spoons, and almost any fish that swims will hit it. I’ve seen pumpkinseed and perch smaller than a finger caught on this lure.



3-inch Krocodile, gold: It swims like nothing found in nature, but it works.

That’s all you need to know.

MINNOWBAITS



CD-7 Countdown Rapala, original: The Original Floater is great, but it’s not as effective or versatile. The Countdown is named for the

you’ll catch more bass (probably) than all other lures combined.

Blue Fox Vibrax



3-inch swimbait, any brand: I’m not going to start a war by naming the best swimbait, but a lure this size will entice any predatory fish to bite. I’ve caught everything from deacon rockfish to hungry redbands on this lure, and it doesn’t disappoint.

HARD-BODIED BASS LURES



Rebel Pop-R, baby bass: Hands down, the most fun fishing is topwater bass fishing in the summer. Poppers are easier to use than walking baits and don’t tire you out as fast. This will catch largies, smallies and spots as well as bluegills, green sunfish and even trout on occasion.



Lipless crankbait, crawfish: A lipless crank is mainly for bass, but this is the go-to brown trout lure in the Great Lakes tributaries. It’s just plain effective.



Deep-diving crankbait, white: If it dives 10 feet, great. Twenty is even better.

Sometimes bass are deep, and there’s no other way to efficiently get to them. Enter this bait.

SOFT-BODIED BASS LURES



5-inch Senko, any color: Fish this rigged weedless on a 1/0 or 2/0 worm hook or wacky rigged on a 3/0, and



4-inch Keitech swimbait, any color: Nothing says “100-fish days” at Lost Creek or Shasta like a Keitech. They’re a bit spendy per fish, but it’s worth it.



Spinnerbait, any color: Yes, this has a wire frame, but it’s soft to a bass, and they will crush it like candy in the spring and fall.

DON’T FORGET!



Swivels: Get snaps if you must, but swivels are not for lures; they’re for bait. Use a standard barrel swivel for most bait fishing applications, but remember to grab a few more things to complete your tackle box.

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WEEKLY FISH TALES EACH FRIDAY WITH LUKE OVGARD Catch Luke Ovgard’s weekly fishing column in the Friday Herald and News’ Basin Outdoors section.

Have a fishing question for Luke?

Email questions to news@heraldandnews. com.

 



Needle-nosed pliers: They can unhook fish, pinch barbs, cut line and that’s it.



Tape measure: Knowing how big your fish is means you can back up that photo.

Plus, if you forget pliers or scissors, the edge of the tape can be used to cut line.



Scissors: For thick braid, the sharp cutting edge of pliers doesn’t work. Use scissors.



Honorable mention: Anything else you can justify carrying around all day.

Every angler is different, but this should prepare you for any fish that swims in Southern Oregon. Start here and build upon it for a successful, multi-species year.

lovgard@heraldandnews.com; @LukeOvgard; Read more at caughtovgard.com.

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GET READY TO

Dig in!

SOWING THE SEEDS OF GARDEN SUCCESS:

Planning ahead for your plot

By LEE BEACH: H&N Staff Reporter

I

f you are contemplating starting a garden this year, now is the time to be planning and making preparations.

The seeds for success or failure are sown now. Planning what is to be planted, and where, requires determining how much space and sun the plants will need, when they can be planted, and if they will “get along” with the other plants. Determine whether the soil is in good condition or needs amending. If it’s an established garden, rotating crops needs to be considered.

Mapping it out If it’s a new garden, pick your site. It should receive full sun at least six hours daily, protection from the wind and have good drainage and an easily available water source. A site with a slight south- or southeast-facing slope will warm early in the spring.

See PLOT, page 30

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 GARDENER’S CALENDAR MARCH Plant seed flats of cole crops (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts) indoors or in a greenhouse. Cool weather crops (kale, spinach, lettuce) can be planted when the soil temp is consistently at or above 40 degrees.

APRIL Prepare your garden soil for spring planting. Incorporate generous amounts of organic materials and amendments using a soil analysis as a guide. Prepare raised beds. Use a soil thermometer to determine when to plant vegetables. Wait until the temperature is consistently at 60 degrees or above to plant some warm season (beans, corn) vegetables. Allow foliage of spring bulbs to die down and brown before removing. Late April — plant peas, radishes, lettuce, spinach, and turnips.

MAY Direct seed carrots, corn (late-May), chard, kohlrabi, transplant Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, leeks or peppers.

Prevent root maggots when planting cole crops (cabbage, broccoli, collards, kale) by covering with row covers or screens or applying appropriate insecticides.

JUNE Frost can still be a concern during cold nights. Protect young vegetables from frost by having row covers on hand (frost cloth). Apply when needed. Use season extenders, such as walls of water, around tender plants. Manage weeds while they are actively growing with light cultivation or herbicides. Once the weed has gone to bud, herbicides are less effective. Construct trellises for tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans and vining ornamentals.

Source: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening.

Extension service Master Gardeners will begin answering gardening questions at their plant clinic at the Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center office, 6923 Washburn Way, in April. Hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.

The clinic continues until the last Friday in September.

For more information, call 541-883-7131.

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Ask a Master

Get the dirt on pH testing Soil type can differ from area to area, and even within the same town, so learning whether your garden soil is alkaline or acidic and how to amend it will be a factor in how well your plants absorb nutrients.

Neutral pH is 7.0, alkaline is above 7; acidic is below 7. Generally speaking, Klamath Basin soil tends to be alkaline.

To have soil tested for pH, bring a cup of soil in a baggie composed of samples dug to a depth of 6 to 8 inches from several parts of your yard mixed together to the OSU Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center at 6923 Washburn Way from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. year-round.

If results are needed quickly, call ahead to

determine if an extension service Master Gardener will be available to do the test.

Otherwise, you can just leave the sample and they will call with results. Master Gardeners will also host a booth every other week at this summer’s downtown Klamath Falls Farmers Market.

A full soil analysis for pH and nutrient levels can be done through Basin Fertilizer, which sends the sample out to be tested.

To get a sample of your garden soil for this test, dig down 12 inches into dry soil in different locations and mix the samples. A mixed sample which fills a quart-size bag is needed. Cost for the test will vary based on how extensive a test is requested.

Samples under the scope Nicole Sanchez, coordinator of the Master Gardener program, has announced a new service for gardeners in Lake and Harney counties. Master Gardeners in those areas have agreed to operate a digital microscope/camera system to submit pictures of specimens. Homeowners can

bring samples of plants or insects about which they have questions to the extension offices in these counties to be examined under the microscope. Pictures of the samples will be sent to the Klamath Falls office for identification and suggested treatment in the plant clinic here.

Michelle and Jeff Wyant talk with Susan Harmon, a trainee with the OSU Master Gardener program, about starting their summer herb garden at the Master Gardeners plant sale at the Klamath Falls Farmers Market in June 2016.

H&N file photo by Kevin N. Hume

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PLOT, from page 27

SOIL

AMENDMENTS Some common types of organic amendments that

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VERMICULTURE

Evaluate and prepare your soil. Determine soil type and have it pH tested. Amend as needed. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer (such as 20-2010).

Choose your vegetables and flowers compatible with our short growing season and decide where and when to plant them based on whether they are cool or warm weather tolerant. Plant tall crops on the north side of the plot. Allow room for successive plantings of early fast growers.

Soil is composed of sand, silt and clay fragments. It is also host to a number of living microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and certain microscopic insects, plus larger organisms like earthworms and ants. These depend on organic material as a food and fuel source.

A soil amendment is any material added to a soil to improve its physical properties such as water retention, permeability, water infiltration, drainage, aeration and structure.

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OSU Extension file photo by Lynn Ketchum

Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener Larry Steele in Corvallis holds a handful of hardworking red worms, which turn kitchen waste into nutritious castings. might be available commercially, or which you can develop, would be yard trimmings compost, deciduous tree leaves, sphagnum peat moss, crop residues, manures or manure composts or separated dairy manure composts; byproducts of local industries, such as rice hulls, cocoa bean hulls or mushroom compost.

Adding 1 inch of amendment to a 10- by 10-foot garden would require 12 5-gallon buckets of compost, according to “Improving Garden Soils with Organic Matter” an Ore-

gon State University Extension publication available at http:// bit.ly/2kdKbWb. Other inorganic amendments might include gypsum or perlite to improve aeration, vermiculite or builder’s sand to improve water retention and aeration.

For soil that is too alkaline (above 7), elemental sulfur is a popular choice for adding acid to soil, since it’s safe for plants and relatively inexpensive.

However, it is slow-acting. Iron sulfate is a bit more expensive, but faster.

New in bloom this year When the order for flowers for the spring and summer gardening season was sent in from Mountain Valley Gardens, some new varieties were on the lists that may add excitement to the garden.

They include: Three new trailing Cool Wave pansies suitable for hanging baskets — two in “berries and cream” colors — pale laven-

ders and white with yellow centers or a combination of several pastel colors that will be available around Mother’s Day. A third variety available around mid-June will be “sunshine and wine” — a fall combination of deeper colors. Also new, they will be carrying the Proven Winners Superpetunia of the Year, “Bubble Gum,” a bright pink.

Photos courtesy Cool Wave and Superpetunia

Nicole Sanchez, coordinator for the master Gardener program through the Oregon State University Extension Service, gets excited when she starts talking about the impact worms have on transforming household scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich soil amendment.

Sanchez attended the 17th international conference on large-scale commercial vermicomposting conducted by Rhonda Sherman last year. Sherman is an Extension specialist in solid waste management at North Carolina State University.

Sanchez credits her research, as well as that being done at Ohio State University and University of Hawaii with promoting the use of vermicomposting to reduce and convert solid waste.

On a local level, two vermicomposting bins have been donated to the Extension Service on Washburn Way. Master Gardeners plan to get them established this year. The result of the worms’ labors is rich compost called vermicast or worm castings. The worm’s specialized digestive system — “the microfauna in their guts,” described Sanchez — converts food waste and other organic materials into nutrient-rich “black gold” that can be worked into garden soil to improve it.

See PLOT, page 31

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PLOT, from page 30 While you can purchase commercial worm bins, Sanchez said, “It’s really easy to make your own. In department or home improvement stores you can purchase home storage bins, about 15-inches by 2-feet by 2-feet. With a drill, create air holes every 3 inches. Make a bed of leaves, shredded moist newspaper and a little soil, with a top layer of kitchen scraps for the worms to digest.”

She said they eat quickly, and the vermicasts sink to the bottom, so when you need some for transplanting with seedlings, or to put in the garden, just gently push the bedding and scraps to the side to retrieve the material.

“Just be sure you get red wrigglers worms, not earthworms,” she reminded.

COMPANION PLANTING Including flowers and herbs in your garden can be beneficial

both in attracting good insects and discouraging harmful ones.

Grow flowers such as calendula in or near to your vegetable garden to attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies (syrphid flies) that feed on pests.

Growing flowers amongst veggies creates colors, textures and aromas that throw many insects off the scent. Some flowers, for instance marigolds, will repel pests like whitefly while at the same time attracting beneficial insects.

Low-growing, non-invasive flowers with wide leaves or dense foliage — for instance marigolds or poached egg plant (Limnanthes douglasii or Meadow Foam) — sown between rows of vegetables can also help to keep weeds to a minimum.

An extension publication titled “Companion Planting with Herbs and Flowers” can be accessed online at http://bit. ly/2jSdIDH. It details extensively how companion plantings using herbs and flowers in the vegetable garden can attract beneficial

insects and repel pests.

Vegetable plants get along better with certain types of other vegetables and don’t do well when planted with others.

The publication includes a list of companion plantings of compatible vegetables as well as which to avoid planting together.

For example, it recommends planting bush beans with broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach, cucumber, melon and squash, and to avoid planting them near garlic and onion.

GROWING VERTICAL If you are “space-challenged,” consider growing varieties of vegetables which are climbers or viners, like pole beans and peas, tomatoes, squash, melons and cucumbers.

They can be raised in plots, containers or raised beds. Whiskey or wine barrels cut in half will work. You just need to water them more often than when planted in-ground — daily or

every other day and fertilize with liquid fertilizer every other week.

One method for pole beans is to put two to three posts in a 10- to 20-gallon pot and tie twine in between them. You can plant four to five plants in rows 4- to 6-inches apart. Plant only one tomato plant per pot with a stake sufficient to hold a 6- to 8-foot plant in a location with a minimum six hours of sun a day.

CROP ROTATIONS

It’s a good idea to rotate crops every year. Crop rotation can be an effective way to control soilborne diseases. In general, avoid planting crops from the same family (for example tomatoes and peppers (Solanaceae) or broccoli and cabbage (Brassicaceae) in the same place two years in a row.

Other examples are: carrot and celery (Apiaceae), beets and spinach (Chenopodiaceae), lima beans and peas (Fabaceae), asparagus and onions (Lilaceae). Keeping a diary year to year showing which crops were planted where will help track rotations.

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G R O W O

ne of the challenges to gardening in our high desert climate is the short growing season.

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Start early, extend the season

By LEE BEACH: H&N Staff Reporter

Extending the season can be done by starting seedlings indoors or using improvised small scale greenhouses or cold frames outside.

While there are many commercial seed starting trays, mini hot houses or cold frames available at garden supply and home improvement stores, it’s also possible to repurpose common household items to create your own containers for starting seeds or protecting them

outside until the weather is consistently warmer. Start saving these items to get a head start for your seedlings: Mini yogurt cups or cottage cheese cartons — These are ideal for growing individual plants that need a bit of extra root-room. Use them to start sunflower seeds and beans, or herbs such as mint, cilantro, or parsley.

See GROW, page 33

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What seeds need Once the seeds are sown in the soil, they need water, the right temperature and light. Place starter trays or pots in 1 inch of water. Once the water seeps to the top, remove, let them drain, then place them in a plastic bag or put a pane of glass over them. Place the trays in a warm or cool place, depending what the seed requires. Once growth appears, remove plastic or glass and place in full natural or artificial light. Keep them watered but not soaked.

Most flower and vegetable seeds germinate rapidly at 75 to 80 degrees. Some plants germinate better at 50 to 60 degrees. Thermostatically controlled heat/ cable mats may be helpful. Light needs vary with plant variety; some germinate in darkness. Placing germinated seedlings near a well-lighted window through the day is often adequate. Turn trays daily so the seedlings don’t develop a permanent bend toward the light. If they become “leggy,” artificial light may be needed. A fluorescent fixture with a 40-watt cool, warm white or grow-type tube is a good source.

(For specific information on light and temperature needs for different seeds, consult the OSU Extension Service publication “Propagating Plants from Seed” at http://bit.ly/1Nyo3uU.) When the first true leaves appear and the seedlings can be transplanted, Nicole Sanchez, Master Gardener coordinator, recommends using a low concentration fertilizer to help with rooting, such as fish fertilizer.

GROW, from page 32 If you plan to grow plants in the cups or cartons, and not transplant them (for instance in a miniature windowsill herb garden), then poke holes in the bottoms for drainage and add a few pebbles before you pour in the soil.

Cardboard egg containers — One of the most common ways to grow seedlings is to use a cardboard egg container. Just fill each individual egg cup with soil, drop a seed or two into each section, and water.

You just have to make sure to keep these well-watered, as the

cardboard tends to absorb a great deal of moisture.

Folded newspaper — First, take a sheet of newspaper and fold it in half so it is about the length of a can of soda and then roll the soda can until it the newspaper wraps around the can. After that, fold in one end of the newspaper to make the bottom. When the seedlings have sprouted you can plant the whole thing in the ground where the newspaper will eventually decompose.

To be eco-friendly, make sure the newspaper you use prints with soy-based ink.

Cardboard tubes (toilet paper rolls, the tubes of gift wrapping paper or paper towels) — Take a toilet paper roll and make a few long vertical cuts on one end, then fold them inwards to create a cup. Fill that with soil, add seeds, water.

See GROW, page 34

Tip: If you don’t have seed starting trays, set your homemade pots inside a takeout container or plastic bakery container for rolls or croissants. Fill the container with water to allow the water to be absorbed by the paper pots.

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GROW, from page 33 The longer tubes can be cut into smaller lengths and adapted similarly.

These seed pots can also be completely planted in the ground or into your container gardens.

Juice cartons — Slice the spout tops off, fill with soil and a few seeds, add water and sunlight. This one is best for those that grow quickly, but will need to be transplanted once they’re about 6-inches tall, such as beans, tomatoes and peppers.

Paper or plastic cups — Just be sure these and any previously used containers are washed thoroughly to remove any food residue. Poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage.

Glass cloches — The advantage of glass cloches over plastic is their longer reusable life and their weight, which reduces the chance the wind and weather will blow them away. It takes some work and a little equipment to create them. For instructions, see www.milkwood.net/2016/09/12/ diy-glass-cloches.

EXTENDING THE SEASON WITH COLD FRAMES Cold frames are mainly used for season extension and starting seedlings directly in the ground, taking advantage of natural light.

Cold frames usually have a single layer of glass, film or fabric that is installed and removed as needed.

For several ways to build a cold frame, visit www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-acold-frame/.

A couple of the examples give instructions for building one with recycled materials, such as salvaged wood, storm windows or doors.

H&N photo by Lee Beach

A variety of household containers can be repurposed for germinating seeds and growing seedlings for transplanting outdoors. Household containers can also be repurposed for cloches and mini greenhouses.

MINI AND MOBILE HOT HOUSES

If you want to get a jump start on your gardening outside, but springtime temperatures are still quite cool, you can use clear plastic bottles to create mini-greenhouses to keep seedlings in the ground warm.

How to make a mini-greenhouse: To make a mini-greenhouse garden, collect clear plastic milk or juice bottles. Poke drainage holes in the bottom with something sharp, like scissors or a heated ice pick. To create the greenhouse “lid,” cut the containers in half horizontally, at least 4-inches from the bottom. Discard the bottle caps.

If you are starting seedlings outdoors in the mini-greenhouses, secure the tops of the greenhouses with tape or other means of fastening. You want it to stay together through rain, freeze, warm days and wind.

Preparing and planting: Fill the bottom of each mini-greenhouse with loose soil

such as commercial potting soil.

Many people mix their own potting soil out of garden dirt, sand, compost and perlite. Wet the soil and let it drain. Press tiny seeds that need light to germinate into the top of the soil, and seeds that need dark to germinate, below the surface of the soil.

Consult the seed packets for suggested planting depth and light requirements.

Knowing who’s who: As you are planting your seeds, write the plant’s name and date planted on the container with a permanent marker. You can also put a marked tag, such as a Popsicle stick inside each container.

Put the containers outside in a sunny spot where precipitation can enter through the top. During periods of no rainfall, water the greenhouses around the bases.

Source: www.urbanorganicgardener.com at http://bit.ly/2ko9k2E. OSU Extension photo

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Quintessentials A close-up look at personalities who help make the Basin a great place to live

Meet Connie Willard and Nadine Hoy — Project Spirit Horse Rescue

By KEVIN N. HUME H&N Staff Photographer

S

tepping down from doing something you love can be incredibly difficult, especially when it’s something you started. But that’s just what Nadine Hoy is about to do.

After more than 27 years of rescuing horses in the Klamath Basin and eight years after founding Project Spirit Horse Rescue alongside her husband of 47 years, Chuck, Hoy is handing the reins over to Connie Willard, a friend

and partner in the nonprofit horse rehabilitation and rescue organization for the past three years.

“She’s my hero,” Hoy, 67, said of Willard. “She has been a gold mine because as I get older and more crippled, I can’t do this anymore.

“I need to retire,” Hoy continued. “We need to spend a little bit of time doing our stuff that we don’t have a chance to. Since Connie’s stepped up on board, she’s taken the pressure off of me. And she’s taken the rescue beyond what I did.”

That is certainly saying a lot of Willard considering what the Hoys encountered when they rescued

their first horse years ago. Living on a small ranch in Keno, she said there was a horse they saw on Clover Creek Road that was being starved each winter.

We were chasing it down,” Hoy said. “Back in those days, there was absolutely no law for large animals. Horses could lie in the middle of the road and freeze to death and starve and no one ever did anything because there was no law for them.”

After two years of “harassing” the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, the Hoys were able to get the neglected horse away from its owner.

See PROJECT SPIRIT, page 36

At the reins: Nadine Hoy, right, and Connie Willard of Project Spirit Horse Rescue with Badger the Mustang at Hoy’s Keno ranch. Hoy is handing the reins as the head of the nonprofit organization over to Willard after founding it with her husband, Chuck, in 2009 and helping rehab and rescue horses in the Klamath Basin for 27 years.

H&N photo by Kevin N. Hume

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PROJECT SPIRIT, from page 35

The couple continued to take in and rescue a few horses each year. But when the recession of 2008 struck, many could no longer afford to keep their horses.

A wave of abandonments struck.

Seeing a need The nonprofit organization was started in 2009 in the midst of a terrible time.

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Hoy again heaped praise on Willard’s efforts since joining the fold. “(She was) just what we needed for Project Spirit,” Hoy said. “I was bringing horses in here, healing them, trying to get homes for them. But I was kind of at a standstill because suddenly you start building up horses. Nobody wants a horse they know nothing about. And so, when Connie came on board and started this training program, it opened doors to the world. It was awesome.”

“She went into the hands of a little girl who did dressage and she had a great ending,” Hoy said. “And it kind of rolled downhill from there. We kept on pushing because no one did anything.”

“When the recession hit … we had (rescued) 95 horses in one year,” she said. “We couldn’t afford to pay for that. So that’s when we got into Project Spirit.”

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Photo courtesy Project Spirit Horse Rescue

Sunny Boy, an 11-year-old Bashkir curly horse gelding will be one of the Project Spirit Horse Rescue horses trained for the 2017 Pegasus Project exhibition and adoption event to be Saturday, June 3 at the Klamath County Fairgrounds.

them in their core mission of helping horses to have a good life.

“It was awful,” she said.

But when Willard, 57, got “There were people abandoninvolved in 2014, she ramped ing them in other people’s up what the organization does fields; they would tie them to by establishing a horse training fence posts and leave them; program known as the Pegasus turn them loose in the desert where the wild horses would kill Project. them.”

Training needed Through their determination “Generally, horses that are in such a difficult time, every at-risk haven’t had the full level law enforcement agency in and of training that they need to be around the Klamath Basin now a productive animal,” Willard works with Project Spirit to help said. “So it is a program that rescue horses in trouble. solicits trainers and each trainer is assigned a rescue horse. We “In fact, they call us most let them choose their horse, if at of the time before we can call them,” she said. all possible. And then they have the horse for 90 days. And at The group was quick to add the end of the 90 days, we have that they aren’t in the business an exhibition and adoption of taking horses away from event at the Klamath County owners. They always reach out to owners before turning to law Fairgrounds.” enforcement.

The group is getting ready to “We’d much rather buy them host their third Pegasus Project exhibition in June, with horses a ton of hay and teach them scheduled to go out to trainers how to take care of their horse than take the horse,” said Chuck this month.

Hoy. Willard said the project was inspired by similar events put The group has a bunch on by horse rescue organizaof dedicated volunteers and tions in Oregon and around the donors across the country and even around the world that aid nation, especially the Rescue

Revolution event in Bend.

“They (the organizers) helped us get set up for our Pegasus Project,” Willard said.

In addition to the Pegasus Project, there is the Oregon Rescue Challenge, which features 15 horses from eight Oregon equine rescue organizations, including two horses from Project Spirit. Trainers had 180 days to work with their horses for the event, taking place May 20-21 at the Rim Rock Riders Event Center in Powell Butte, about half an hour northeast of Bend.

Benchmark training Willard also set up another program involving trainers working with a horse to try and find it a home.

“They’ll work with a list of specific benchmarks for that horse and then they use their training stable as a network to help find it a home,” she said.

Willard said the group is rehoming between 20 to 40 horses a year now.

“That means matching the skill of the person that’s adopting it to the horse and having the horse ready to go to the new home,” she said.

At-risk horses Having moved to a larger, 52-acre property in 2000 to give rescue horses more space to roam about, including a stable built in 2009 specifically for the most at-risk horses they receive, the Hoys aren’t turning their backs on Project Spirit entirely.

“The Spirit stable will always be there for horses that have surgery and need it,” Hoy said.

“That’s what it’s there for and it will always be there.“ Willard said she is excited to lead the nonprofit, but tempered that feeling with a sense of responsibility.

“I think there’s still a lot more that could be done,” she said. “Our goal is to make sure every horse in the Basin has a good life. That includes … the rehabilitation, the training, the rehoming. What we like to think of is a horse isn’t really rescued until it’s had all of those components.”

“It’s … for the love of the horse,” Hoy said. khume@heraldandnews.com

How you can help To learn more about Project Spirit Horse Rescue and how to donate, visit facebook.com/ project spirit or call 541-8912921.

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On the calendar around the region On the calendar in the Klamath Falls area through April: SATURDAY, FEB. 25  Try Hockey for Free Day for children, check-in at 9 a.m. at the Bill Collier Community Ice Arena. Event designed for kids age 5 and older. Free event.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MARCH 3-4 Performance of the play adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel “Main Street,” 7:30 p.m., Linkville Playhouse. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

SATURDAY, MARCH 4 Sky Lakes Medical Center Community Health Fair, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Klamath County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall No. 1.

Included will be an assortment of health screening and labs, information on healthy living, Kid Zone activities, information on local trails for hiking and biking and a fitness challenge.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MARCH 10-11 Performance of the play adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel “Main Street,” 7:30 p.m., Linkville Playhouse. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MARCH 11-12 Rock, Gem and Mineral Show, hosted by the Rock and Arrowhead Club of Klamath Falls, Klamath County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall No. 1.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11 Performance by jazz musician James Torme, 7:30 p.m., Ross Ragland Theater. Tickets are $23, $27 and $36 before transaction fees.

SUNDAY, MARCH 12 Bill collier Community Ice Arena annual Skate-a-thon, 5:30

p.m. $15 minimum entry fee. For more information and to preregister, call 541-850-5758 or visit klamathicesports.org.

at the Klamath Animal Shelter, Double-C Dog Training, Shaw Stationery, Earthstar and at klamathanimalshelter.org.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MARCH 17-18 Performance of the play adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel “Main Street,” 7:30 p.m., Linkville Playhouse. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY APRIL 1-2 Linkville Playhouse presents “Super John II,” 1 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday.

The hapless hero/insurance agent returns to foil the sinister Ms. Spelling Bea before she can destroy good grammar around the world. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

FRIDAY, MARCH 17 Live performance of “Charlotte’s Web,” 6 p.m., Ross Ragland Theater. Tickets are $15 before transaction fees.

SUNDAY, MARCH 19 Ragland Classical Series performance by award-winning British cellist Jacob Shaw, 2 p.m., Ross Ragland Theater. Tickets are $24 before transaction fees. Performance of the play adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel “Main Street,” 2 p.m., Linkville Playhouse. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MARCH 24-25 Performance of the play adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel “Main Street,” 7:30 p.m., Linkville Playhouse. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1 Klamath Animal Shelter Fur Ball, 5 p.m., Klamath County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall No. 1.

Featured will be music by Cherry Wine, a silent auction, raffles and dinner catered by Yummy’s Cowboy Cuisine and music and dancing with Hat Trick. Tickets are $45 each and are available

THURSDAY, APRIL 6 Performance of traditional Irish music, song and dance by the Young Irelanders, 7:30 p.m. at the Ross Ragland Theater.

Tickets are $23, $29 and $36 before transaction fees.

SATURDAY, APRIL 8 Children’s Learning Fair, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. for children with special needs, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the general public, at the Klamath County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Building No. 1.

Admission is $1 per child with a maximum $3 per family, free admission for adults. Included will be hands-on learning stations focusing on literacy, math and science.

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY APRIL 7-9 Klamath Basin Home Builders Association Home Show,

Klamath County Fairgrounds.

Show hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is $3 for age 17 and up, with a $1 discount for those bringing a canned food donation for the Klamath-Lake Counties Food Bank.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY APRIL 8-9 Linkville Playhouse presents “Super John II,” 1 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday.

The hapless hero/insurance agent returns to foil the sinister Ms. Spelling Bea before she can destroy good grammar around the world. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

SUNDAY, APRIL 9 Young Musicians of Excellence performance featuring regional high school musicians, 2 p.m. at the Ross Ragland Theater. Tickets are $15 each before transaction fees.

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY APRIL 21-23 Ragland Cultural Center performance of the musical comedy “Married Alive!” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 23. Tickets are $35 each before transaction fees.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY APRIL 29-30 Jefferson State Shooting

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Edward P. Richert, MD Chief of Staff

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Modoc Medical Center is always here for you.

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• Laboratory Services

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• Wound Care

• Warnerview Skilled Nursing

• Emergency Room

• Physical Therapy

• Ambulance Service

• Swing Bed

Alex Ferber, PA-C Physician Assistant

Contact Us: Warnerview Skilled Nursing 225 W. McDowell Ave. Alturas, CA 96101 (530) 233-5131 Ext. 1472

Acute Hospital 228 W. McDowell Ave. Alturas, CA 96101 (530) 233-5131

Family Practice Clinic 229 W. McDowell Ave. Alturas, CA 96101 (530) 233-7052

www.modocmedicalcenter.org

Physical Therapy 120 S. Main St. Alturas, CA 96101 (530) 233-7054

Matthew Farson, MD Director of Emergency Services

FREE HEALTH SCREENINGS THE 19th ANNUAL LIVING WELL COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR • Free total cholesterol screening.

(Recommended 8-12 hour fast) • Free blood glucose screening.

(Recommended 8-12 hour fast) • Free lung function screening.

• Free blood pressure check.

• Free body mass index reading.

• Plus exhibits by Sky Lakes Medical Center departments and many community partners.

• The Kid Zone will have activities and information specifically for ages 3-13.

Saturday, March 4th, 2017 • 8am–2pm Klamath County Fairgrounds • 3531 South 6th St. Exhibit Hall 1

For more information, visit SkyLakes.org or call 541.274.4778.

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Season for Discovery On the cover: Bree Pace tests for her third black belt stripe at Tang Soo Do 2000 martial arts school.

Story on page 18.

Cover photo by Kevin N. Hume

‘Shouldering through’ the seasons in the Basin If you’re wondering what to do with yourself during the “shoulder season” between winter and spring, look

no further.

This edition of Klamath Life – the only locally produced magazine of recreation, culture and lifestyles in the Klamath Basin – has a wealth of information to get one motivated for spring.

‘Mrs. Pain’ Of particular note is our lead feature on Bree Pace by reporter Stephen Floyd.

Pace is a martial arts instructor who has earned her third black belt stripe. She’s known to her students as “Mrs. Pain” but jokingly, as she guides students in the study of the physical and mental conditioning. It’s an inspirational story for us all.

Want to get out and mountain bike, trail run or simply take a scenic hike?

We update the progress of Spence Mountain’s new mountain bike trails, which accommodate beginners to experts. The site is grow-

advice to getting your plot ready for spring, from soil to seeds. She includes a gardener’s calendar of what to do when. Plus there are plenty of OSU Extension SerHeading underground vice master gardeners who Going underground has a whole new meaning if you will lend you tips. And, she helps those who are new to visit the Lave Beds National Monument south of Klamath the high desert climate get an early start on planting.

Falls. Our intrepid reporter Johanna Bernhard and phoGiving back tographer Kevin Hume got Reporter Kurt Liedtke to explore the famous Crystal Ice Cave at Lava Beds. It’s explores the world of youth unique because visitor num- missionaries who live and work in the Basin, or are bers are strictly limited and tours are only available once just visiting as part of their religion. These faith-based a year. Some caves are well groups give back to the over 100 feet underground.

A not-to-be-missed explora- community in ways that no other groups can. tion trip.

Our resident reporter/ Our Quintessentials feafisherman is Luke Ovgard, ture by photographer Kevin who does little else in his Hume is on Nadine Hoy, who spare time, but fish. He has is stepping down from runlots of tips on how to tune ning the Project Spirit Horse up your tackle box for the Rescue and animal rescues upcoming fishing season. in general; something she His advice comes from expe- has been involved in for rience, as he’s fished this some 27 years.

Basin most of his life. Rule We hope you enjoy this No. 1: don’t forget to buy a edition of Klamath Life and fishing license. that it will inspire you to get Late winter is just the out and marvel at what the time to prep your garden.

Basin has to offer.

Reporter emeritus Lee Beach lends some well-heeded Gerry O’Brien, H&N Editor ing in popularity and fastbecoming a destination for riders across Oregon who want a challenge without the crowds.

Inside: On ice: Explore natural history

at Crystal Ice Cave. Page 4 Ups and downs: New trails for Spence Mountain. Page 9 Faith in service: Youth groups

serve the community. Page 13 Black belt: A journey of

self-improvement. Page 18 Tackle tune up: Be ready to

fish for anything. Page 24 Digging in: Planning for your garden plot. Page 27 Early start: Tips for starting garden seedlings. Page 32 Quintessentials: Passing on

the reins at Project Spirit. Page 35

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SEASON FOR DISCOVERY

Natural

L AVA BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

History on Ice

Sculpted by nature: Caitlin Lee-Roney, left, wildlife biologist at Lava Beds National Monument, and H&N reporter Johanna Bernhard take photos of ice formations in the Crystal Ice Cave Jan. 25.

H&N photo by Kevin N. Hume

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By JOHANNA BERNHARD: H&N Staff Reporter

A

s we trudged over the unmarked path, hidden under a few inches of fresh snow, the first of two entrances into the Crystal Ice Cave was upon us.

Camouflaged by more snow and lava rock formations piled high around it, we traversed down into the trench over and under rocks to the main entrance of the cave.

Kitted out from head to toe in sturdy walking boots, waterproof clothing, rubber traction gloves and headlamps attached to orange helmets, we made our way oneby-one down the vertical ladder 35-feet underground into the mouth of the cave.

It was obvious then, although the weather was a helpful con-

tributor: the cave is hidden for a reason.

As the cold air rushed in from above, we stood on a sheet of ice so thick there was no sign of the ground below. The cave was dark, lit only by our headlamps and the occasional camera flash.

See ICE, page 5

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ICE, from page 4 The 32,000-year-old Crystal Ice Cave is one of Lava Beds National Monument’s main features. In the winter, depending on the climate, tours run on Saturdays from late December through the end of March, accommodating six visitors and two park rangers. It is no exaggeration to say tickets sell out in less than a millisecond.

On a Wednesday afternoon in January, six Lava Beds National Park Service rangers were accompanied by a Herald and News reporter and photographer venturing into the ice cave for the first time. It was also the first time for three of the rangers.

Jared Brewer is Lava Bed’s new chief ranger for visitor and resource protection. As a law enforcement field ranger, Brewer ensures visitors respect the park’s property, natural resources and historical culture. Moving from Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Brewer started working at Lava Beds five months ago.

See ICE, page 6

Spelunking primer: Dave Riggs, above, a specialist in natural resource management at Lava Beds National Monument, and lead interpreter Patrick Taylor give instructions before heading to Crystal Ice Cave Jan. 25.

Tight fit: National Park Service employees navigate through a tight crack between rocks to get to the Crystal Ice Cave.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

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SEASON FOR DISCOVERY

ICE, from page 5 For Lava Beds Lead Interpreter Patrick Taylor, Cave Resource Specialist Dave Riggs and Geologist Randy Paylor, the Crystal Ice Cave is a familiar stomping ground. Taylor is in his fourth winter leading tours inside the cave, while Riggs maintains data loggers that monitor the cave’s temperature and humidity and the presence of life.

Upon entering the cave, the first task was to slide down an icy slope. Two blue ropes in the center of the chamber were hooked to carabiners and held in place by large boulders. As we clung to them for support and reassurance, the group took it in turns to position themselves in between the two, sit down and slide.

With his camera strapped firmly around his body and a lens bag hanging off his left shoulder, H&N Photographer Kevin Hume slid into a rock on the right side and bounced off before finding his footing at the bottom and standing back up.

“It’s just like tubing,” he laughed.

See ICE, page 7

Sliding in: Nathan Charlton, top, a natural resources specialist at Lava Beds, smiles as he slides down an icy section at the entrance of the Crystal Ice Cave.

Explorer’s mark: Early 1900s cave explorer J.D. Howard left his identifying mark on a rock in Crystal Ice Cave, far right.

Cold touch: The group, above, descends past ice formations known as witch’s fingers.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

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Keeping record: Patrick Taylor, foreground at left, lead interpreter at Lava Beds National Monument, and natural resources specialist Dave Riggs take notes while inspecting ice formations in Crystal Ice Cave.

Vapor to ice: H&N reporter Johanna Bernhard, below left, looks at hoarfrost formed on rocks inside Crystal Ice Cave.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

ICE, from page 6 There are numerous chambers or sections inside the cave and although it is 2,654 feet in length, the tours cover a fraction of the distance and last around three hours due to the route and the energy it takes to clamber over the rocks, along

the icy pathways and through multiple crevices.

When giving tours, Taylor and the other rangers typically provide an overview of the cave at the beginning as it is difficult to have a conversation while walking in single file inside the cave, he said, and “there is usu-

ally not much to add to make it more awe-inspiring.�

While looking up at the hoarfrost, crystallized ice that looks like snowflakes, Taylor advises guests to hold their breath so as not to melt the ice.

Hoarfrost forms when water vapor makes contact with

the surface of the rock that is below-freezing, causing it to jump directly from a gas to a crystalline solid.

During the tour there were occasional wind chills while crawling over ice features with our backs to cave wall.

See ICE, page 8

SEASON FOR DISCOVERY

ICE, from page 7

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“An ice cave which has lost its ice will never have the capacity to regain perennial ice within our lifetimes,” he said. “Just like the glaciers at Glacier National Park, ice caves at Lava Beds have been losing ice due to warming temperatures over the past decades, and there’s likely no way to reverse that process.”

Aside from global warming, Riggs said the cave is kept offlimits to wandering visitors to protect the ice itself. Rangers have noted that in other ice caves visitors have previously built camp fires, which are forbidden.

The restriction is also a safety measure to protect the public from the sheer drops and unstable ice-coated breakdown floors, Riggs said. There is also a “very real risk” of hypothermia if someone became injured or lost inside the cave.

As cold air is denser than warm air, Riggs said whenever the outside temperature is below freezing, the cave receives an influx of outside air, which can produce “winds” in the cave that are 20 degrees or colder.

The cave is over 100 feet underground and is filled with a plethora of “awe-inspiring” ice features from stalactites and stalagmites to ice columns that reach from floor to ceiling. There is “ice bacon,” (linear strips on the walls) and rime ice that coats the floors.

Stalactites or ribbons which curve with the airflow, also known as “witches fingers” are prominent features and, of course, the frozen waterfalls.

From 1982 to 2016 photographs taken in the same location show the ice in the upper chamber, at the highest section of the cave, has melted, traveling through cracks to the lower chamber.

Time, temperature While the ice will continue to migrate in coming years, daily weather observation records dating to the 1950s show an increase in the average annual temperature of more than 3 degrees, Riggs said.

“An ice cave can only maintain year-round ice if it gains as much new ice as it loses to melting or evaporation,” he said. “The less ice mass a cave retains, the less ‘buffer’ it has to keep the temperature below freezing throughout the next summer.”

This starts a runaway process, Riggs said, and once a cave starts losing ice mass, it loses it at a faster rate each subsequent year.

Lava Beds is home to around 12 ice caves. Last summer, one of them lost more ice mass than it has remaining and will be completely without ice by this time next year, Riggs said.

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H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

Frozen flow Dave Riggs, top, a natural resources specialist at Lava Beds National Monument, navigates his way around a huge ice waterfall in the Crystal Ice Cave during a tour Jan. 25.

Nature’s mirror: An ice waterfall formation is reflected in an ice floor in the Crystal Ice Cave at Lava Beds National Monument.

An icy drop For Taylor, his favorite part of leading the tours is when the guests step down inside the cave and slide down the first icy drop, smiling and laughing, he said, and then the cave “takes their breath away” when they notice the first ice feature.

While he “loves” giving tours, he is working with the park service to find a way to allow more people into the cave at one time, he said, but ultimately the park’s focus is to protect and preserve the cave while still allowing people to enjoy it.

As we turned around at the end of the tour, following Hume’s penguin-sliding episode on a patch of the icy cave floor, we were struck by the hoarfrost that glimmered in the light from our headlamps.

We discussed the cave’s beauty in anticipation of the story to follow and decided that nothing but the human eye could truly grasp the magnitude and magnificence of the Crystal Ice Cave. jbernhard@heraldandnews.com

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Two-wheeled fun that will

BLOW YOUR TIRES OFF

By GERRY O’BRIEN: H&N Editor

M

ountain bikers

will have lots of new trails to choose from this spring and on into 2017, thanks to the efforts of Klamath Trails Alliance and its partners.

The newest are a “black diamond” expert trail and a “green” novice trail on Spence Mountain, just a 10-minute drive from Klamath Falls.

The Spence Mountain trailhead is well marked with a spacious parking lot. It lies just off Highway 140 as you climb out of the lake valley on the way west.

See TIRES, page 12 Photo courtesy Klamath Trails Alliance

The Spence Mountain Trail system offers mountain bikers 10 miles worth of trails. Eight more miles of trail are scheduled to be completed this summer.

People entering and using privately owned lands for recreational purposes are responsible for exercising due care in their use of the land. Please stay on the trails.

Don’t disturb, develop or tamper with trails.

Exercise caution on uneven terrain. Yield to oncoming trail users and don’t litter. Pack it in, pack it out.

Ref: Oregon Recreational Use Statute: ORS 105.672 to 105.696

SEASON FOR DISCOVERY

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TIRES, from page 9 To date, there are 10 miles of trails, with an overall total of 18 miles expected to be completed by summer.

At 6,000 feet in elevation, the trails have lots to offer the novice and experienced biker, trail runner or hiker. There are no motorized bikes or horses allowed on the private property.

“There are 2 more miles of the black diamond trail — called North Ridge — to be finished this spring. It is an adventure-type trail for the hard core mountain biker,” said Drew Honzel, the secretary for the club.

Also the “Mazama Trail” for the novice that sits on a lower part of the mountain will be done this spring. This will add another 8 miles for riders.

“We already have a really good set of intermediate trails,” Honzel said. So, there is something for everybody.

The trail system designer is Paul Thomasberg of Bend, who Honzel says is highly respected among riders in the Northwest.

Dirt Mechanics of Bend is doing the trail construction along with volunteers from the trails alliance. The master plan calls for some 53 miles of trails on the 7,400-acre tract owned by JWTR lumber company. The alliance is putting about $100,000 a year into the project, through tourism dollars, grants and in-kind labor.

Traveling to Klamath At the trailhead is a sign-in post. The site is getting about 100 riders a month and lots of repeat visitors, too. About 25 percent of the riders are from out of the area; such as California, Arizona, Ashland, Medford, Bend and Portland.

“One thing the riders like is the amount of vertical drop and climb,” Honzel said.

“The peak of Spence is at 5,849 feet in elevation. Trailheads are at 4,300 feet. By next fall, the trails will connect to the lake level.”

Later this year will be Phase 4 of construction; a trailhead on Shoalwater Bay, a particularly beautiful spot on Upper Klamath Lake.

“When you have 20 miles of trails, it becomes a draw for people to stay overnight after a full day of riding,” Honzel said. “It becomes a place worthy of stopping.”

There is also plenty of winter access to Spence Mountain from the west side, along Eagle Ridge county park. The road is plowed, allowing cross-country skiers and snowshoers a great place to clip on the equipment for fresh trails. gobrien@heraldandnews.com

Other regional biking locales to check out

BROWN MOUNTAIN TRAIL



Moore Park: Located off Lakeshore Drive on the shore of Upper Klamath Lake. The city-run park provides access to 20 miles of hiking and biking trails; plus the 1 ½ mile Link River Trail.



Brown Mountain: Just west of the Lake of the Woods turnoff on Highway 140 West, Brown Mountain offers biking and crosscountry ski trails to Fish Lake through lava rock beds.



High Lakes Trail: Access to the trail is available at the Highway 140 West rest area, which is just past the Dead Indian Memorial Road turnoff. The trail is family friendly, well marked and its compacted walking and biking trail runs west to Fish Lake. The trail offers spectacular views of Mount McLoughlin.

Photo courtesy Klamath Trails Alliance

Klamath bike rental businesses: Hutch’s Bikes: 808 Klamath Ave. Phone: 541-850-2453; Website: hutchsbicycles.com RAD used bikes:

1225 Main St. Phone: 971-570-0903 Website: radusedbikes.com

Zach’s Bikes: 835 Main St. Phone: 541-851-9200 Website: zachsbikes.com

Talk of the trails ...

‘When people talk about mountain biking in Oregon, locations like Bend, Hood River and McKenzie River will without a doubt be mentioned. These areas offer mountain bikers world class trails and spectacular landscapes. Klamath Falls is another location you’ll definitely start hearing more about in the very near future.’

— From “Pinkbike, specialty mountain biking publication

Check out the KTA Klamath Trails Alliance at klamathtrails.org

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‘We always want to be aware that there are people other than ourselves who have needs. We look to those around us to make their needs met and more often than not we find our needs met as well.’

— David DeFillipo youth pastor at Faith Tabernacle

Life lessons: Mormon missionary Sister Anotonilla Zanotti, right, laughs while placing price tags on items with Sister Lehila Dueñas at Treasures Thrift Store Jan. 12.

H&N photo by Kevin N. Hume

Faith in Service Youth in religious groups find reward while lending a helping hand

By KURT LIEDTKE: H&N Staff Reporter

W

hile far from the only groups seeking opportunities to give back, for faithbased youth groups in Klamath County there is a higher calling to want to serve the community and those most in need.

Amidst an abundance of school groups, teams, organizations and individuals seeking community service projects as fundraisers or to fulfill community service hours, many faith groups seek opportunities to give not for any kind of personal financial reward or obligation other than the chance to do something good for others. Giving back is a lesson reiterated among youth as an important life lesson not only as a matter of faith but one of human decency.

See SERVICE, page 14

SEASON FOR DISCOVERY

SERVICE, from page 13 For a collective of Mormon missionaries, currently totaling 14, six days out of the week are dedicated to community service in the area through the Eugene mission chapter of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A group of teens from as far away as Texas, Hawaii and even China, are regionally rotated on six-week intervals around communities from Portland to Yreka.

Their task during the twoyear tenure is two-fold: to spread information and invite others into their church, and to help others in need.

Hands-on On a local level, Mormon missionaries are active participants at Treasures Thrift Store, a Klamath Falls-based operation whose proceeds supplement Klamath Hospice services. Three days a week the group volunteers, sorting new donations and helping

H&N photo by Kevin N. Hume

Helping hands: Mormon missionaries Sister Christee Wilson, left, and Sister Huali Huang make room to place a folded bed skirt on a hanger onto a rack at Treasures Thrift Store Jan. 12.

wherever they are needed. The hospice connection ties closely with their belief in helping others. When not at Treasures, they travel in pairs door-to-door to not only share information about their religion but also to

seek out volunteer opportunities. If a driveway needs shoveling or yard needs mowed, it is considered their duty to help those in need.

“We are representatives of Jesus Christ and follow his

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example, seeking to help others regardless of people’s religion or social status. We want to help them,” said Sister Katie Gregory.

Just serve The tasks can vary widely, though during the winter months snow shoveling is the most common request.

Through their church they utilize a website, www.justserve. org, where local service projects can be requested by the community. From disabled and senior citizens to people who simply need extra hands while moving, the group does its best to give back wherever and however they are needed, even if a few requests raise eyebrows.

“A lady once asked us to come help move her dead dog in a wagon out to her back yard,” laughed Elder Jacob Thibault. “Also, someone asked us to fill their prescription a few weeks ago.”

See SERVICE, page 15

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SERVICE, from page 14 “It’s important people know that we don’t do service to convert people, we do it because we’re trying to follow the example of Jesus Christ to be helpful in the community and serve others,” added Elder Levi Johnson. “It’s not just about trying to convert people to the Mormon religion.”

The hours for Mormon missionaries are intense. A mandated two-year (18 months for women) religious mission begins with a two-week training held in Utah or Argentina, followed by regional assignment around the world. For the missionaries in Klamath Falls, days begin at 6:30 a.m. and continue until 9:30 p.m. with breaks for food. Mondays are their preparation day where they plan volunteer schedules for the week, and are provided a little personal time for laundry and shopping.

Group collaboration While partnering with nonreligious organizations is common, such as volunteer work with the American Red Cross and Plum Ridge Senior Center, in recent years there has been a strong effort to collaborate with other religious organizations for the overall benefit of communities. The current crop of Mormon missionaries in Klamath Falls reported recent service work in a Catholic church soup kitchen and serving dinners at a Methodist Church, while also working extensively with organizations such as St. Vincent de Paul.

“It’s not like we show up to people’s door and ask, ‘Do you want to learn about the church?’ and if they say ‘no’ we say ‘Ok, well can we at least mow your lawn?’” said Elder Ashton Simms, who was assigned to the Eugene mission from his home in Texas. “But there’s a lot of joy in helping others, we learn a lot about ourselves when we’re serving other people. We learn about our own beliefs when helping others.”

notice the needs of others,” said DeFlilipo. “As a faith-based organization, one of the things we try to teach the kids is to see what’s happening around them and reach those people and places that are broken and hurting.

We’re always trying to do things locally, there are opportunities to do things abroad, too, and we like those opportunities for them to see beyond their comfort zone. When returning they see the mission and organizations they didn’t notice before.”

‘ ... there’s a lot of joy in helping others, we learn a lot about ourselves when we’re serving other people. We learn about our own beliefs when helping others.’

— Elder Ashton Simms Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

Community service: Mormon missionaries Sister Lehila Dueñas, left, and Sister Antonilla Zanotti place price tags on items at Treasures Thrift Store Jan. 12.

Other religions seek ways to coordinate activities for youth groups that not only serve communities, but also provide a fun incentive and chance to bond. For David DeFillipo, youth pastor for Faith Tabernacle in Klamath Falls, there is no demand for youth to serve, but a calling to help others when opportunities arise.

It is a collaborative effort between DeFillipo and church

members, suggesting possible activities throughout the year, often taking on tasks brought to him from kids who heard about chances to help. Included in the youth program is a student-led outreach program designed to find opportunities for the kids to discover and coordinate volunteer efforts on their own.

“We really want our students to first of all be connected with the community they are in and

“For us we always want to be aware that there are people other than ourselves who have needs,” continued DeFillipo. “We look to those around us to make their needs met and more often than not we find our needs met as well.”

Filling a need While DeFillipo often coordinates various events throughout the year, many times the opportunities for charity work come directly from church members.

Such was the case with the Klamath Falls Gospel Mission, whose director is a member of Faith Tabernacle, and informed DeFillipo of a need for beds. A group effort was then coordinated to raise $2,000 to purchase beds for the mission, while also collecting donations for Christmas presents to give to families in need.

“With the Gospel Mission request we gave an incentive – if they raised the money we would hold a big pizza and movie night,” explained DeFillipo. “They talked to families and neighbors, did various chores to raise funds.

Within less than two months we had raised over $1,500 and had a big party!”

For Faith Tabernacle, in addition to local causes, DeFillipo also likes to coordinate one large service mission each year outside of the region.

See SERVICE, page 17

SEASON FOR DISCOVERY

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Klamath Life

MERRILL –TULELAKE DIRECTORY Challenges facing farmers today and tomorrow Though farming was once big business in the United States, by 2012 less than 1 percent of Americans were professional farmers. Many challenges face today’s farmers, many of which are largely unknown to the general public.

Many people have an outdated view of a farm as a small, family-owned and operated parcel of land where livestock is raised in open pens and crops are hand-harvested when ripe. The reality is that modern-day farms have had to overhaul operations to meet demand and remain competitively priced while adapting to the ever-changing ways technology infiltrates all parts of life. Each of these factors present obstacles for today’s farmers.

Technology Rural farming communities are expected to make an effort to integrate modern technology into an industry that has been around for centuries.

But such a transition in rural areas, where communications systems may not be as up-to-date as those in urban areas, is not always so easy.

According to the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, a shift from a resource-based to an informationbased economy, compounded by the rapid introduction and expansion of new technology in the workplace, has altered farm operation and the skills in demand. Older workers who have been schooled in one way of agriculture may have a significant impact on labor supply and the vitality of farming as a career.

Younger adults who are knowledgeable in technology may no longer seek out agricultural careers.

Decrease in farming as an occupation

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency says that only about 960,000 Americans claim farming as their principal occupation. As that figure has dwindled, the average age of farmers continues to rise, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that roughly 40 percent of the farmers in this country are 55 years old or older.

This has led to concerns about the long-term health of family farms throughout the United States.

Environmental concerns Many farmers have come under scrutiny for how farming impacts the environment. A growing emphasis on sustainability and conservation has led many people to protest certain farming practices.

Protesters claim that certain practices, such as raising livestock, can pollute water, while the use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides is bad for the environment. Many farmers, however, have altered their methods to be more environmentally friendly and self-sustainable in the process.

Climate change is another environmental issue farmers must deal with. Strong storms and severe droughts have made farming even more challenging.

Financial fall-out The ongoing recession of the last half-decade has also affected farmers. In November of 2012, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the unemployment

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rate within the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries was at 13.6 percent, far higher than the national unemployment rate. As a result, many farm families have found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, as rising costs for equipment and technology are being coupled with decreasing profits and rising unemployment.

Further complicating matters is competition from corporations and international food producers who have made it difficult for family farmers to turn a significant profit.

Many family farmers rely on loans and lines of credit to survive, but thanks to changes in the financial sector that saw banks become less willing to extend lines of credit, some farmers are facing bankruptcy.

Though it can be easy for those who do not work in the agricultural industry to overlook the struggles facing today’s agricultural professionals, a greater understanding of those struggles and the challenges that lay ahead can benefit the industry and its employees down the road.

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SERVICE, from page 16 This provides an opportunity for kids to experience new cultures.

DeFillipo three years ago took a contingent to a Native American reservation in Montana, providing 10 days of service around the community. The project culminated with a basketball tournament complete with trophies, providing a chance to play and interact in a fun and casual setting with tribal members. Two years ago the group traveled to Victoria, British Columbia, to paint telephone poles and coverup graffiti. This year DeFillipo plans to take kids to Los Angeles to conduct community outreach with the Dream Center, working closely with junior high and high school students.

Even when not coordinating a specific activity, opportunities to serve the community are pursued. DeFillipo noted that the church often opens its doors in the evenings for youth activi-

Cultural exchange: A group of youth volunteers with Faith Tabernacle in Klamath Falls traveled to Victoria, British Columbia.

During their time of service they painted telephone poles and covered up graffiti.

Submitted photo

ties in a safe environment, be it games or evening worship.

As with the Mormon missionaries, Faith Tabernacle in recent years has grown into a more collaborative role with other churches and religious groups in the greater goal of helping others regardless of circumstance.

“I remember when I first got connected with this, I grew up

here, and I remember the Klamath Falls environment being separate,” said DeFillipo. “It was taboo for them to work together, but over the last 12 to 15 years I’ve seen all over a unity between different faiths and churches where it’s more normal to see a connection working together to see good come.”

For organizations and individuals yet to be actively involved

T R ’ S O C HA P N E PE V A L D •

of the •

in community service, whether from a religious standpoint or for other causes, finding ways to give back are highly encouraged, according to DeFillipo, by contacting an agency or church already involved in service.

“You go intending to give, but you learn to receive so much just from blessing someone, it does more for you in seeing their reaction knowing how much it means to them,” said DeFillipo.

“If you’re not involved in people’s lives make that first step, do it and you’ll find it will establish a lifetime of wanting to give back because it is so rewarding.” kliedtke@heraldandnews.com

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Eye of the Tigress A woman’s journey toward self-improvement through martial arts

By STEPHEN FLOYD H&N Staff Reporter

W

hen Bree Pace started learning martial arts at age 16, she wanted to become stronger.

Not only physically, but to become the kind of person who was not missing out on life.

She didn’t have a background in athletics but knew she wanted to improve herself.

She said this was the reason she chose Tang Soo Do 2000,

in downtown Klamath Falls, because its focus was on inner growth as much as training and techniques.

See TIGRESS, page 19

Ready: Bree Pace smiles during her test for her third black belt stripe at Tang Soo Do 2000 martial arts school Jan. 28.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

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TIGRESS, from page 18 “They were inviting, supportive, wanted to help better individuals,” she said. “So I think that was the perfect fit for me.”

Fast forward 21 years and Pace has become an instructor at the school with a reputation for intense workouts that has earned her the nickname “Mrs. Pain.” She considers herself a motivating force for fellow students and wants to see them develop an “I can” attitude.

“I want to lead by example, so I try to set the example,” she said.

Pace said Tang Soo Do 2000 has given her a new family and source of support and, on Jan. 28, that family came together to celebrate an accomplishment no student at the school had achieved before Pace.

Though already a black belt, Pace tested that day for her third black belt dan which, if awarded, would leave her outranked only by head instructor Vince Finnianous.

Finnianous said this presented a challenge to him as much as Pace because he’s never tested a student for third dan before.

“I’m looking forward to this,” said Finnianous. “I like new things happening to me ... I have a student pushing me, making me think about things.”

He said tests at the school are geared toward a student’s specific strengths and aptitudes — physically, mentally and spiritually. He said this is

because each student wants something different out of the school and also because their personal challenges are unique.

“Every human being is so different,” he said.

Before Pace could test for third dan, Finnianous said she had to run 3 miles with him non-stop. Pace said this was a challenge because she is not a fan of running, but knew part of reaching her next rank meant pushing herself further.

See TIGRESS, page 20

‘I want to lead by example, so I try to set the example.’

— Bree Pace —

A martial arts vocabulary Black belt: A rank in some martial arts recognizing a student who has become an expert in their style.

Dan: A rank within black belt noting level of expertise. Also called degree or stripe. Most black belts rank as high as 10th dan.

Form: A sequence of choreographed techniques simulating a fight against multiple individuals. Each belt rank has a specific form the student must learn to progress, while advanced students also design their own open forms.

Tang Soo Do: A Korean martial art influenced primarily by Japanese karate as well as classical styles originating during T’ang-era China. Its name can be translated to “The way of the Chinese empty hand.”

Bree Pace executes her bo staff form while testing, the first of multiple weapons forms she used that day.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

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Ready: Bree Pace, left, hugs head instructor Vince Finnianous before testing.

TIGRESS, from page 19 Not wanting to have this challenge hang over her head, she picked a day to go running with Finnianous and the two set out for Moore Park. Though Finnianous gave her every chance to slow down or take a break, Pace said “something just came over that just pushed me beyond” and they both kept running until the end.

“I was so happy that I did that for myself,” said Pace. “It was an incredible moment to go, ‘Wow, I actually did it.’ ” Pace said she continues to run so she does not lose the level of fitness she has reached, as her test for third dan would not be easy.

But it wasn’t a matter of simply showing up for the test at that point.

Black belt testers at Tang Soo Do 2000 must also complete a written exam that asks probing questions such as “Who are you?” and “Why do you want to test?”

Pace shared her answer to the latter question and said testing for third dan was a way of showing how dedicated she was to the ongoing pursuit of personal growth.

Never-ending journey “I want to test because I want to prove to myself that I can accomplish anything,” she said. “... As an instructor it also represents my hard work and dedication to our school and shows my students it’s a never-ending journey after first-dan black belt.”

Pace said she wants to push others further than they think they are capable of and said testing is a way of pushing her own limits. She also said becoming the school’s first third-dan black belt is appealing, not because of ego but as a testament to those whom she has learned under and trained with.

Running? Done.

Questions? Done.

Two decades of blood, sweat, tears and a place among a large family of martial artists? Done.

But a bigger challenge awaited the day of the test. Before kicks were thrown or boards were broken, Pace took time with Finnianous and other instructors to dive into her personal life and see how she has grown as an individual.

This portion of the test was private as it was likely to reveal raw, powerful

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To the test: Pace demonstrates part of her open form, titled “Golden Tigress,” on fellow black belt Alex Lindsey.

Observing: Vince Finnianous, center, head instructor at Tang Soo Do 2000 martial arts school, proctors Pace’s test as Jonathan Martin, left, a kempo instructor, and weapons instructor Stephanie Finnianous look on.

H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

emotions. Those who have tested for black belt under Finnianous said a student walks out a different person after this part of the test.

Finnianous said dealing with a student’s inner conflicts is essential because the courage to face a physical opponent is the same courage needed to combat personal challenges. He said it is not uncommon for students to endure struggles such as domestic violence, sexual abuse and paternal neglect and said these issues must be confronted if students are to battle their greatest opponent: fear.

“The only enemy is fear,” he said. “Until you overcome that, you’ll struggle through everything in life.”

Pace said her struggles have involved

being present for moments in life and gaining the confidence to have experiences that may be unknown or uncomfortable. She said, if she is able to use her challenges to help others, she would consider them worthwhile.

“If I can help another person get through something, then that’s a huge goal,” she said.

On testing day, the sidewalk outside the school was filled with friends, family and fellow students eager to see Pace do well. Pace said she felt confident and ready to begin, but admitted feeling some trepidation.

“As in anything that means something, you feel a little nervous,” she said.

High rank Because Pace was testing for such a high rank, only those at third dan or above could conduct the test. So Finnianous brought in Jonathan Martin, a kempo instructor and third-dan black belt who teaches at Finnianous’ building.

Martin said it was an honor for him to be part of the test. He described Pace as “tough” and someone who has done a lot for the school.

“She’s really grown as a black belt,” said Martin. “... She’s just a hard worker.

She doesn’t give up.”

Martin joined Finnianous and Stephanie Finnianous, Vince Finnianous’ wife and the school’s weapons instructor, as proctors for the test and Pace’s ordeal was under way.

As she began her first form, a sense of power and confidence exploded in the room and it was undeniable Pace was at the top of her game.

See TIGRESS, page 22

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H&N photos by Kevin N. Hume

Bree Pace executes a form using Japanese sai, a weapon she said further embodies the spirit of a tigress.

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TIGRESS, from page 20 Cool intensity turned to ferocity as Pace began her open form, which she titled “Golden Tigress.”

Inspired by the big cats of Asia, Pace called on the power of the predators to tear her way through imaginary opponents before taking instructors step-by-step through the thought process behind her maneuvers.

“I do like big cats,” she said.

“The fluid, the strength, the power and the beauty of it.”

Vince Finnianous took breaks between forms to speak to the audience as well as Pace, reading from texts on philosophy and posing questions. He said the importance of striving toward self improvement through martial arts is shown by those who work only toward trophies and accolades. They lose all sense of purpose when they fail.

“It’s about growing as a person,” he said. “Because what happens when you lose? You have nothing.”

Then came what was likely Pace’s favorite part of the test, an

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‘Anything that you have a desire to do, I just say do it. Don’t hesitate, don’t wait for tomorrow, there will never be a right time to start and to just do it.’

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it allows you to handle situations better,” she said.

Pace did pass her test and said she wanted to thank the many people who have supported her, particularly Vince and Stephanie Finnianous, Martin and fellow — Bree Pace — black belt and instructor Alex Lindsey. But like Pace, Vince opportunity to show her skill with a layperson may not have seen, Finnianous and many others said, and Pace said her background as value is not placed on the rank as weapons. While she appreciates a certified medical coder helped all aspects of what the school much as the will and the strength sharpen her understanding of the to put oneself to the test. teaches, Pace said self-defense human body, both as it related to and weapons are at the top of “Is it the journey or the destimartial arts and the medical field. nation?” Vince Finnianous said. her list.

Pace said this is one lesson she “Depends on what you put into In particular Pace is a fan of the Japanese sai, a pointed metal has learned stronger than others: it.” what is taught in martial arts carweapon with two prongs at the Pace said if someone wants to ries over into other aspects of life. begin their own journey toward base. Pace acknowledged these She said, though many students too reflect her appreciation for self-improvement they should big cats and she was able to exe- never attain the rank of black belt start by pursuing a goal they have or do not progress past first dan, cute a normal sai form as well as always wanted to accomplish. their lives are still impacted by improvise a form typically done “Anything that you have a the confidence and strength they unarmed. desire to do, I just say do it,” she learned in class.

Then Stephanie Finnianous said. “Don’t hesitate, don’t wait threw Pace for a loop and had her “If you have chosen that way for tomorrow, there will never be do the same form with a water of life, it’ll affect how you interact a right time to start and to just do bottle and highlighter as weapwith people, how you present it. Don’t waste any more time on ons against two other black belts. yourself, how you handle your the what ifs, go out there and try.”

Stephanie Finnianous noted Pace challenges because everything was striking at pressure points you’ve learned accumulates and sfloyd@heraldandnews.com

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ALTURAS DIRECTORY Historical events throughout the month of March March may be most synonymous with the start of spring and St. Patrick’s Day, but there’s much more to the third month of the calendar year. The following are notable events that occurred between March 1 and March 31 throughout history. · March 1: The Articles of Confederation are established in 1791.

Nine years later, Congress would authorize the first United States Census on this date.

· March 9: In 1864, Ulysses S. Grant is commissioned as a lieutenant general and becomes commander of the Union armies. · March 10: Daniel Boone begins his expedition of Kentucky in 1775. · March 11: The Lend-Lease program begins in 1941, enabling Britain to receive American supplies. · March 12: The island of Bermuda is colonized by the British in 1609.

· March 2: Fans are treated to a scifi masterpiece when images of a giant gorilla first appear in the film “King Kong,” which premiered in New York in 1933.

· March 13: Sir William Herschel discovers Uranus in 1781.

· March 3: Telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell is born in Edinburgh, Scotland. In March of 1876, he electronically transmitted sounds.

· March 15: Julius Caesar is assassinated, fulfilling the prediction of “Beware the Ides of March.”

· March 4: In 1681, King Charles II of England grants a large parcel of land in the New World to William Penn to settle an outstanding debt.

That area would later become Pennsylvania. · March 5: The Boston Massacre occurs in 1770. · March 6: Fort Alamo falls to Mexican troops led by General Santa Anna in 1836. · March 7: The Beatles release the album “Past Masters, Volumes 1 & 2” in 1988. · March 8: The New York Stock Exchange is founded in 1817.

· March 14: Albert Einstein is born in Germany in 1879.

· March 16: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlett Letter” is published in 1850. · March 17: Golda Meir becomes the prime minister of Israel in 1969. · March 18: In 1974, the five-month Arab oil embargo against the United States is lifted. · March 19: In 1965, teenage diver E. Lee Spence discovers the wreck of the Confederate cruiser the S.S. Georgiana, which is valued at more than $50 million. · March 20: In 1852, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is first published. · March 21: Johann Sebastian Bach is born in Germany in 1685.

· March 22: In 1765 the Stamp Act was approved. · March 23: Patrick Henry utters “Give me liberty, or give me death” in 1775. · March 24: In 1988, the Exxon Valdez spills 11 million gallons of oil. · March 25: RCA first produces color TVs in 1954. · March 26: Playwright Tennessee Williams is born in 1911. · March 27: Juan Ponce de Leon sees Florida in 1513. · March 28: In 1979, a nuclear power plant on Three Mile Island overheats. · March 29: Future U.S. president John Tyler is born in 1790. · March 30: Vincent Van Gogh is born in Holland in 1853. · March 31: “Oklahoma!” opens on Broadway in 1943. www.heraldandnews.com

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What’s in your tackle box?

Be prepared for anything with a tackle box tune up

Y

By LUKE OVGARD: H&N Sports Reporter

ou have a chance to fish a private island stocked with every species of fish the world has even known, but you can take just a single tackle box with you. What do you choose?

I’ve had this recurring dream for the better part of a decade, and I always feel like I missed something.

Though this exact scenario is unlikely, being ready to fish for any fish that you might encounter, which is about the size of a lunchbox, is possible.

Within each category, each piece of tackle is ranked to help you know which ones to buy first and which ones to hold off on until the next paycheck.

LINE Always carry spare line. If you have a spare spool, prep it. If not, keep a spool of all-purpose line just in case. My favorites are as follows:



Berkley Iron Silk, 12-pound test: This is phenomenal all-purpose line for lures — sensitive enough for sunfish, strong enough for big trout.



P-Line CXX, 10-lb test: This is labeled 10-lb, but it is more like 20-lb test in terms of strength. It doesn’t lose much in the way of sensitivity, but you will sacrifice casting distance, and less of this line will fit on your spool.



PowerPro Super Smooth, 20-lb: Braid is a pain when fishing with lures, but it is my go-to for bait fishing. This line will handle carp and lingcod but is sensitive enough for yellow perch and surfperch alike.

 Honorable Mention: Berkley Nanofil, 14-lb: This is a hybrid line. It’s more sensitive than mono but less abrasion-resistant. It casts well enough to use with lures, but it fishes very differently than either mono or braid and takes some getting used to.

See TACKLE, page 25

H&N photo by Luke Ovgard

Swimbait: Any swimbait will work for trout or bass, and the mortality rate is dramatically lower than spoons and spinners.





Always carry spare line.

If you have a spare spool, prep it. If not, keep a spool of all-purpose line just in case.

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TACKLE, from page 24

HOOKS One piece of fishing gear dates back more than two millennia to early Phoenician, Viking and Polynesian fishermen, and is the essence of the sport: hooks.

Knowing what hooks to choose can be difficult, but a small handful will position you to catch every fish you may encounter in southern Oregon.

ing, nothing beats these. Line slides through the weight, so fish usually get a better hold of your bait before realizing something is up.



Variety pack of split shots: Though not as good for still fishing, they have applications beyond just bait fishing.





One-ounce cannonball sinkers: This lure is all about compromise. It’s the second-best for almost every application, which makes it a solid choice.



Honorable mention: Two-ounce pyramid sinkers: If you’re fishing big water, surfcasting or chasing fish in a fastflowing river, this will anchor your bait. You will need extras.

Owner No. 6 cutting point baitholder hooks: These will hold everything in freshwater locally except the odd sturgeon or massive carp.

Carry them always.

Owner No. 2 cutting point baitholder hooks: If you’re soaking large minnows for trout or catfish, drifting roe for salmon or steelhead, or using large cut bait for bottomfish, these should be your go-to hooks. They can also work for sturgeon in a pinch.



Gamakatsu 2/0 worm hooks: Yes, huge bass might — though it’s unlikely — bend these, but you’ll be able to catch largemouths, smallmouths and spots of any size if you play the fish right. Pair these with Senkos for a timeless setup.



Honorable mention: No. 14 treble hooks: Use these only for fish you intend to keep.

The brand doesn’t matter, since they’re used for smaller fish that don’t fight well: catfish or hatchery trout.

WEIGHTS Warning: these products contain lead, a chemical known to the state of California (and only the state of California, apparently) to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm:



Half-ounce slip sinkers: For all-purpose bait fish-

THE GROWING SEASON STARTS AT DIAMOND!



JIGS If I could only use one lure for the rest of my life, it would be a jig. Everything from chubs to sturgeon can be caught on jigs.

Try these:



1/32-ounce straight body ballhead jig: I’ve caught 27 species of fish on this lure — more than any other three lures combined. That’s all you need to know.



1/16-ounce white curlytail crappie jig, white or black: Crappie aren’t the only things that bite these. They’re phenomenal lures for all warmwater fish, minnow species and I’ve caught more trout ice fishing on these than any other lure.



1-ounce curlytail grub jig, watermelon: This is my go-to smallmouth lure, but it’s also phenomenal for rockfish and works for trout, too.



Honorable mention: 1/4-ounce tube jig, red/white: Not as effective as straight

See TACKLE, page 26

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TACKLE, from page 25 body or curlytails, but they can be effective when the crappie or Sacramento perch are being finicky that day.

rate it sinks — 1 foot per second — and is great for trout, bass and large yellow perch.

SPINNERS



No. 4 Blue Fox Vibrax, silver: The best spinner there is. When fishing catch and release, be sure to swap out the treble hook with the included single hook to limit mortality.



No. 1 Panther Martin: I grew up on Panther Martins.

They’re great lures, but their frail wire frames can get bent, the blades dent easily and they don’t generate sound or vibration like the aptly-named Vibrax. These are great for tiny trout, since the small size allows easy unhooking.

SPOONS

 1/4-ounce Little Cleo, hammered silver: It can pass

off as any minnow and catch any fish. Trout and salmon are the first that come to mind, but the bass game was built on spoons, and almost any fish that swims will hit it. I’ve seen pumpkinseed and perch smaller than a finger caught on this lure.



3-inch Krocodile, gold: It swims like nothing found in nature, but it works.

That’s all you need to know.

MINNOWBAITS

 CD-7 Countdown Rapala, original: The Original Floater is great, but it’s not as effective or versatile. The Countdown is named for the

you’ll catch more bass (probably) than all other lures combined.

Blue Fox Vibrax



3-inch swimbait, any brand: I’m not going to start a war by naming the best swimbait, but a lure this size will entice any predatory fish to bite. I’ve caught everything from deacon rockfish to hungry redbands on this lure, and it doesn’t disappoint.

HARD-BODIED BASS LURES



Rebel Pop-R, baby bass: Hands down, the most fun fishing is topwater bass fishing in the summer. Poppers are easier to use than walking baits and don’t tire you out as fast. This will catch largies, smallies and spots as well as bluegills, green sunfish and even trout on occasion.



Lipless crankbait, crawfish: A lipless crank is mainly for bass, but this is the go-to brown trout lure in the Great Lakes tributaries. It’s just plain effective.



Deep-diving crankbait, white: If it dives 10 feet, great. Twenty is even better.

Sometimes bass are deep, and there’s no other way to efficiently get to them. Enter this bait.

SOFT-BODIED BASS LURES



5-inch Senko, any color: Fish this rigged weedless on a 1/0 or 2/0 worm hook or wacky rigged on a 3/0, and



4-inch Keitech swimbait, any color: Nothing says “100-fish days” at Lost Creek or Shasta like a Keitech. They’re a bit spendy per fish, but it’s worth it.



Spinnerbait, any color: Yes, this has a wire frame, but it’s soft to a bass, and they will crush it like candy in the spring and fall.

DON’T FORGET!



Swivels: Get snaps if you must, but swivels are not for lures; they’re for bait. Use a standard barrel swivel for most bait fishing applications, but remember to grab a few more things to complete your tackle box.

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WEEKLY FISH TALES EACH FRIDAY WITH LUKE OVGARD Catch Luke Ovgard’s weekly fishing column in the Friday Herald and News’ Basin Outdoors section.

Have a fishing question for Luke?

Email questions to news@heraldandnews. com.

 



Needle-nosed pliers: They can unhook fish, pinch barbs, cut line and that’s it.

 Tape measure: Knowing how big your fish is means

you can back up that photo.

Plus, if you forget pliers or scissors, the edge of the tape can be used to cut line.



Scissors: For thick braid, the sharp cutting edge of pliers doesn’t work. Use scissors.



Honorable mention: Anything else you can justify carrying around all day.

Every angler is different, but this should prepare you for any fish that swims in Southern Oregon. Start here and build upon it for a successful, multi-species year. lovgard@heraldandnews.com; @LukeOvgard; Read more at caughtovgard.com.

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GET READY TO

Dig in!

SOWING THE SEEDS OF GARDEN SUCCESS:

Planning ahead for your plot

By LEE BEACH: H&N Staff Reporter

I

f you are contemplating starting a garden this year, now is the time to be planning and making preparations.

The seeds for success or failure are sown now. Planning what is to be planted, and where, requires determining how much space and sun the plants will need, when they can be planted, and if they will “get along” with the other plants. Determine whether the soil is in good condition or needs amending. If it’s an established garden, rotating crops needs to be considered.

Mapping it out If it’s a new garden, pick your site. It should receive full sun at least six hours daily, protection from the wind and have good drainage and an easily available water source. A site with a slight south- or southeast-facing slope will warm early in the spring.

See PLOT, page 30

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Klamath Life

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 GARDENER’S CALENDAR MARCH Plant seed flats of cole crops (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts) indoors or in a greenhouse. Cool weather crops (kale, spinach, lettuce) can be planted when the soil temp is consistently at or above 40 degrees.

APRIL Prepare your garden soil for spring planting. Incorporate generous amounts of organic materials and amendments using a soil analysis as a guide. Prepare raised beds. Use a soil thermometer to determine when to plant vegetables. Wait until the temperature is consistently at 60 degrees or above to plant some warm season (beans, corn) vegetables. Allow foliage of spring bulbs to die down and brown before removing. Late April — plant peas, radishes, lettuce, spinach, and turnips.

MAY Direct seed carrots, corn (late-May), chard, kohlrabi, transplant Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, leeks or peppers.

Prevent root maggots when planting cole crops (cabbage, broccoli, collards, kale) by covering with row covers or screens or applying appropriate insecticides.

JUNE Frost can still be a concern during cold nights. Protect young vegetables from frost by having row covers on hand (frost cloth). Apply when needed. Use season extenders, such as walls of water, around tender plants. Manage weeds while they are actively growing with light cultivation or herbicides. Once the weed has gone to bud, herbicides are less effective. Construct trellises for tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans and vining ornamentals.

Source: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening.

Extension service Master Gardeners will begin answering gardening questions at their plant clinic at the Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center office, 6923 Washburn Way, in April. Hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.

The clinic continues until the last Friday in September.

For more information, call 541-883-7131.

Have a question?

Ask a Master

Get the dirt on pH testing Soil type can differ from area to area, and even within the same town, so learning whether your garden soil is alkaline or acidic and how to amend it will be a factor in how well your plants absorb nutrients.

Neutral pH is 7.0, alkaline is above 7; acidic is below 7. Generally speaking, Klamath Basin soil tends to be alkaline.

To have soil tested for pH, bring a cup of soil in a baggie composed of samples dug to a depth of 6 to 8 inches from several parts of your yard mixed together to the OSU Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center at 6923 Washburn Way from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. year-round.

If results are needed quickly, call ahead to

determine if an extension service Master Gardener will be available to do the test.

Otherwise, you can just leave the sample and they will call with results. Master Gardeners will also host a booth every other week at this summer’s downtown Klamath Falls Farmers Market.

A full soil analysis for pH and nutrient levels can be done through Basin Fertilizer, which sends the sample out to be tested.

To get a sample of your garden soil for this test, dig down 12 inches into dry soil in different locations and mix the samples. A mixed sample which fills a quart-size bag is needed. Cost for the test will vary based on how extensive a test is requested.

Samples under the scope Nicole Sanchez, coordinator of the Master Gardener program, has announced a new service for gardeners in Lake and Harney counties. Master Gardeners in those areas have agreed to operate a digital microscope/camera system to submit pictures of specimens. Homeowners can

bring samples of plants or insects about which they have questions to the extension offices in these counties to be examined under the microscope. Pictures of the samples will be sent to the Klamath Falls office for identification and suggested treatment in the plant clinic here.

Michelle and Jeff Wyant talk with Susan Harmon, a trainee with the OSU Master Gardener program, about starting their summer herb garden at the Master Gardeners plant sale at the Klamath Falls Farmers Market in June 2016.

H&N file photo by Kevin N. Hume

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PLOT, from page 27

SOIL

AMENDMENTS Some common types of organic amendments that

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VERMICULTURE

Evaluate and prepare your soil. Determine soil type and have it pH tested. Amend as needed. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer (such as 20-2010).

Choose your vegetables and flowers compatible with our short growing season and decide where and when to plant them based on whether they are cool or warm weather tolerant. Plant tall crops on the north side of the plot. Allow room for successive plantings of early fast growers.

Soil is composed of sand, silt and clay fragments. It is also host to a number of living microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and certain microscopic insects, plus larger organisms like earthworms and ants. These depend on organic material as a food and fuel source.

A soil amendment is any material added to a soil to improve its physical properties such as water retention, permeability, water infiltration, drainage, aeration and structure.

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OSU Extension file photo by Lynn Ketchum

Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener Larry Steele in Corvallis holds a handful of hardworking red worms, which turn kitchen waste into nutritious castings. might be available commercially, or which you can develop, would be yard trimmings compost, deciduous tree leaves, sphagnum peat moss, crop residues, manures or manure composts or separated dairy manure composts; byproducts of local industries, such as rice hulls, cocoa bean hulls or mushroom compost.

Adding 1 inch of amendment to a 10- by 10-foot garden would require 12 5-gallon buckets of compost, according to “Improving Garden Soils with Organic Matter” an Ore-

gon State University Extension publication available at http:// bit.ly/2kdKbWb. Other inorganic amendments might include gypsum or perlite to improve aeration, vermiculite or builder’s sand to improve water retention and aeration.

For soil that is too alkaline (above 7), elemental sulfur is a popular choice for adding acid to soil, since it’s safe for plants and relatively inexpensive.

However, it is slow-acting. Iron sulfate is a bit more expensive, but faster.

New in bloom this year When the order for flowers for the spring and summer gardening season was sent in from Mountain Valley Gardens, some new varieties were on the lists that may add excitement to the garden.

They include: Three new trailing Cool Wave pansies suitable for hanging baskets — two in “berries and cream” colors — pale laven-

ders and white with yellow centers or a combination of several pastel colors that will be available around Mother’s Day. A third variety available around mid-June will be “sunshine and wine” — a fall combination of deeper colors. Also new, they will be carrying the Proven Winners Superpetunia of the Year, “Bubble Gum,” a bright pink.

Photos courtesy Cool Wave and Superpetunia

Nicole Sanchez, coordinator for the master Gardener program through the Oregon State University Extension Service, gets excited when she starts talking about the impact worms have on transforming household scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich soil amendment.

Sanchez attended the 17th international conference on large-scale commercial vermicomposting conducted by Rhonda Sherman last year. Sherman is an Extension specialist in solid waste management at North Carolina State University.

Sanchez credits her research, as well as that being done at Ohio State University and University of Hawaii with promoting the use of vermicomposting to reduce and convert solid waste.

On a local level, two vermicomposting bins have been donated to the Extension Service on Washburn Way. Master Gardeners plan to get them established this year. The result of the worms’ labors is rich compost called vermicast or worm castings. The worm’s specialized digestive system — “the microfauna in their guts,” described Sanchez — converts food waste and other organic materials into nutrient-rich “black gold” that can be worked into garden soil to improve it.

See PLOT, page 31

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PLOT, from page 30 While you can purchase commercial worm bins, Sanchez said, “It’s really easy to make your own. In department or home improvement stores you can purchase home storage bins, about 15-inches by 2-feet by 2-feet. With a drill, create air holes every 3 inches. Make a bed of leaves, shredded moist newspaper and a little soil, with a top layer of kitchen scraps for the worms to digest.”

She said they eat quickly, and the vermicasts sink to the bottom, so when you need some for transplanting with seedlings, or to put in the garden, just gently push the bedding and scraps to the side to retrieve the material.

“Just be sure you get red wrigglers worms, not earthworms,” she reminded.

COMPANION PLANTING Including flowers and herbs in your garden can be beneficial

both in attracting good insects and discouraging harmful ones.

Grow flowers such as calendula in or near to your vegetable garden to attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies (syrphid flies) that feed on pests.

Growing flowers amongst veggies creates colors, textures and aromas that throw many insects off the scent. Some flowers, for instance marigolds, will repel pests like whitefly while at the same time attracting beneficial insects.

Low-growing, non-invasive flowers with wide leaves or dense foliage — for instance marigolds or poached egg plant (Limnanthes douglasii or Meadow Foam) — sown between rows of vegetables can also help to keep weeds to a minimum.

An extension publication titled “Companion Planting with Herbs and Flowers” can be accessed online at http://bit. ly/2jSdIDH. It details extensively how companion plantings using herbs and flowers in the vegetable garden can attract beneficial

insects and repel pests.

Vegetable plants get along better with certain types of other vegetables and don’t do well when planted with others.

The publication includes a list of companion plantings of compatible vegetables as well as which to avoid planting together.

For example, it recommends planting bush beans with broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach, cucumber, melon and squash, and to avoid planting them near garlic and onion.

GROWING VERTICAL If you are “space-challenged,” consider growing varieties of vegetables which are climbers or viners, like pole beans and peas, tomatoes, squash, melons and cucumbers.

They can be raised in plots, containers or raised beds. Whiskey or wine barrels cut in half will work. You just need to water them more often than when planted in-ground — daily or

every other day and fertilize with liquid fertilizer every other week.

One method for pole beans is to put two to three posts in a 10- to 20-gallon pot and tie twine in between them. You can plant four to five plants in rows 4- to 6-inches apart. Plant only one tomato plant per pot with a stake sufficient to hold a 6- to 8-foot plant in a location with a minimum six hours of sun a day.

CROP ROTATIONS

It’s a good idea to rotate crops every year. Crop rotation can be an effective way to control soilborne diseases. In general, avoid planting crops from the same family (for example tomatoes and peppers (Solanaceae) or broccoli and cabbage (Brassicaceae) in the same place two years in a row.

Other examples are: carrot and celery (Apiaceae), beets and spinach (Chenopodiaceae), lima beans and peas (Fabaceae), asparagus and onions (Lilaceae). Keeping a diary year to year showing which crops were planted where will help track rotations.

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G R O W O

ne of the challenges to gardening in our high desert climate is the short growing season.

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Start

early, extend the season

By LEE BEACH: H&N Staff Reporter

Extending the season can be done by starting seedlings indoors or using improvised small scale greenhouses or cold frames outside.

While there are many commercial seed starting trays, mini hot houses or cold frames available at garden supply and home improvement stores, it’s also possible to repurpose common household items to create your own containers for starting seeds or protecting them

outside until the weather is consistently warmer. Start saving these items to get a head start for your seedlings: Mini yogurt cups or cottage cheese cartons — These are ideal for growing individual plants that need a bit of extra root-room. Use them to start sunflower seeds and beans, or herbs such as mint, cilantro, or parsley.

See GROW, page 33

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What seeds need Once the seeds are sown in the soil, they need water, the right temperature and light. Place starter trays or pots in 1 inch of water. Once the water seeps to the top, remove, let them drain, then place them in a plastic bag or put a pane of glass over them. Place the trays in a warm or cool place, depending what the seed requires. Once growth appears, remove plastic or glass and place in full natural or artificial light. Keep them watered but not soaked.

Most flower and vegetable seeds germinate rapidly at 75 to 80 degrees. Some plants germinate better at 50 to 60 degrees. Thermostatically controlled heat/ cable mats may be helpful. Light needs vary with plant variety; some germinate in darkness. Placing germinated seedlings near a well-lighted window through the day is often adequate. Turn trays daily so the seedlings don’t develop a permanent bend toward the light. If they become “leggy,” artificial light may be needed. A fluorescent fixture with a 40-watt cool, warm white or grow-type tube is a good source.

(For specific information on light and temperature needs for different seeds, consult the OSU Extension Service publication “Propagating Plants from Seed” at http://bit.ly/1Nyo3uU.) When the first true leaves appear and the seedlings can be transplanted, Nicole Sanchez, Master Gardener coordinator, recommends using a low concentration fertilizer to help with rooting, such as fish fertilizer.

GROW, from page 32 If you plan to grow plants in the cups or cartons, and not transplant them (for instance in a miniature windowsill herb garden), then poke holes in the bottoms for drainage and add a few pebbles before you pour in the soil.

Cardboard egg containers — One of the most com common ways to grow seedlings is to use a cardboard egg container. Just fill each individual egg cup with soil, drop a seed or two into each section, and water.

You just have to make sure to keep these well-watered, as the

cardboard tends to absorb a great deal of moisture.

Folded newspaper — First, take a sheet of newspaper and fold it in half so it is about the length of a can of soda and then roll the soda can until it the newspaper wraps around the can. After that, fold in one end of the newspaper to make the bottom. When the seedlings have sprouted you can plant the whole thing in the ground where the newspaper will eventually decompose.

To be eco-friendly, make sure the newspaper you use prints with soy-based ink.

Cardboard tubes (toilet paper rolls, the tubes of gift wrapping paper or paper towels) — Take a toilet paper roll and make a few long vertical cuts on one end, then fold them inwards to create a cup. Fill that with soil, add seeds, water.

See GROW, page 34

Tip: If you don’t have seed starting trays, set your homemade pots inside a takeout container or plastic bakery container for rolls or croissants. Fill the container with water to allow the water to be absorbed by the paper pots.

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GROW, from page 33 The longer tubes can be cut into smaller lengths and adapted similarly.

These seed pots can also be completely planted in the ground or into your container gardens.

Juice cartons — Slice the spout tops off, fill with soil and a few seeds, add water and sunlight. This one is best for those that grow quickly, but will need to be transplanted once they’re about 6-inches tall, such as beans, tomatoes and peppers.

Paper or plastic cups — Just be sure these and any previously used containers are washed thoroughly to remove any food residue. Poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage.

Glass cloches — The advantage of glass cloches over plastic is their longer reusable life and their weight, which reduces the chance the wind and weather will blow them away. It takes some work and a little equipment to create them. For instructions, see www.milkwood.net/2016/09/12/ diy-glass-cloches.

EXTENDING THE SEASON WITH COLD FRAMES Cold frames are mainly used for season extension and starting seedlings directly in the ground, taking advantage of natural light.

Cold frames usually have a single layer of glass, film or fabric that is installed and removed as needed.

For several ways to build a cold frame, visit www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-acold-frame/.

A couple of the examples give instructions for building one with recycled materials, such as salvaged wood, storm windows or doors.

H&N photo by Lee Beach

A variety of household containers can be repurposed for germinating seeds and growing seedlings for transplanting outdoors. Household containers can also be repurposed for cloches and mini greenhouses.

MINI AND MOBILE HOT HOUSES

If you want to get a jump start on your gardening outside, but springtime temperatures are still quite cool, you can use clear plastic bottles to create mini-greenhouses to keep seedlings in the ground warm.

How to make a mini-greenhouse: To make a mini-greenhouse garden, collect clear plastic milk or juice bottles. Poke drainage holes in the bottom with something sharp, like scissors or a heated ice pick. To create the greenhouse “lid,” cut the containers in half horizontally, at least 4-inches from the bottom. Discard the bottle caps.

If you are starting seedlings outdoors in the mini-greenhouses, secure the tops of the greenhouses with tape or other means of fastening. You want it to stay together through rain, freeze, warm days and wind.

Preparing and planting: Fill the bottom of each mini-greenhouse with loose soil

such as commercial potting soil.

Many people mix their own potting soil out of garden dirt, sand, compost and perlite. Wet the soil and let it drain. Press tiny seeds that need light to germinate into the top of the soil, and seeds that need dark to germinate, below the surface of the soil.

Consult the seed packets for suggested planting depth and light requirements.

Knowing who’s who: As you are planting your seeds, write the plant’s name and date planted on the container with a permanent marker. You can also put a marked tag, such as a Popsicle stick inside each container.

Put the containers outside in a sunny spot where precipitation can enter through the top. During periods of no rainfall, water the greenhouses around the bases.

Source: www.urbanorganicgardener.com at http://bit.ly/2ko9k2E. OSU Extension photo

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Quintessentials A close-up look at personalities who help make the Basin a great place to live

Meet Connie Willard and Nadine Hoy — Project Spirit Horse Rescue

By KEVIN N. HUME H&N Staff Photographer

S

tepping down from doing something you love can be incredibly difficult, especially when it’s something you started. But that’s just what Nadine Hoy is about to do.

After more than 27 years of rescuing horses in the Klamath Basin and eight years after founding Project Spirit Horse Rescue alongside her husband of 47 years, Chuck, Hoy is handing the reins over to Connie Willard, a friend

and partner in the nonprofit horse rehabilitation and rescue organization for the past three years.

“She’s my hero,” Hoy, 67, said of Willard. “She has been a gold mine because as I get older and more crippled, I can’t do this anymore.

“I need to retire,” Hoy continued. “We need to spend a little bit of time doing our stuff that we don’t have a chance to. Since Connie’s stepped up on board, she’s taken the pressure off of me. And she’s taken the rescue beyond what I did.”

That is certainly saying a lot of Willard considering what the Hoys encountered when they rescued

their first horse years ago. Living on a small ranch in Keno, she said there was a horse they saw on Clover Creek Road that was being starved each winter.

We were chasing it down,” Hoy said. “Back in those days, there was absolutely no law for large animals. Horses could lie in the middle of the road and freeze to death and starve and no one ever did anything because there was no law for them.”

After two years of “harassing” the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, the Hoys were able to get the neglected horse away from its owner.

See PROJECT SPIRIT, page 36

At the reins: Nadine Hoy, right, and Connie Willard of Project Spirit Horse Rescue with Badger the Mustang at Hoy’s Keno ranch. Hoy is handing the reins as the head of the nonprofit organization over to Willard after founding it with her husband, Chuck, in 2009 and helping rehab and rescue horses in the Klamath Basin for 27 years.

H&N photo by Kevin N. Hume

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PROJECT SPIRIT, from page 35

The couple continued to take in and rescue a few horses each year. But when the recession of 2008 struck, many could no longer afford to keep their horses.

A wave of abandonments struck.

Seeing a need The nonprofit organization was started in 2009 in the midst of a terrible time.

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Hoy again heaped praise on Willard’s efforts since joining the fold. “(She was) just what we needed for Project Spirit,” Hoy said. “I was bringing horses in here, healing them, trying to get homes for them. But I was kind of at a standstill because suddenly you start building up horses. Nobody wants a horse they know nothing about. And so, when Connie came on board and started this training program, it opened doors to the world. It was awesome.”

“She went into the hands of a little girl who did dressage and she had a great ending,” Hoy said. “And it kind of rolled downhill from there. We kept on pushing because no one did anything.”

“When the recession hit … we had (rescued) 95 horses in one year,” she said. “We couldn’t afford to pay for that. So that’s when we got into Project Spirit.”

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Photo courtesy Project Spirit Horse Rescue

Sunny Boy, an 11-year-old Bashkir curly horse gelding will be one of the Project Spirit Horse Rescue horses trained for the 2017 Pegasus Project exhibition and adoption event to be Saturday, June 3 at the Klamath County Fairgrounds.

them in their core mission of helping horses to have a good life.

“It was awful,” she said.

But when Willard, 57, got “There were people abandoninvolved in 2014, she ramped ing them in other people’s up what the organization does fields; they would tie them to by establishing a horse training fence posts and leave them; program known as the Pegasus turn them loose in the desert where the wild horses would kill Project. them.”

Training needed Through their determination “Generally, horses that are in such a difficult time, every at-risk haven’t had the full level law enforcement agency in and of training that they need to be around the Klamath Basin now a productive animal,” Willard works with Project Spirit to help said. “So it is a program that rescue horses in trouble. solicits trainers and each trainer is assigned a rescue horse. We “In fact, they call us most let them choose their horse, if at of the time before we can call them,” she said. all possible. And then they have the horse for 90 days. And at The group was quick to add the end of the 90 days, we have that they aren’t in the business an exhibition and adoption of taking horses away from event at the Klamath County owners. They always reach out to owners before turning to law Fairgrounds.” enforcement.

The group is getting ready to “We’d much rather buy them host their third Pegasus Project exhibition in June, with horses a ton of hay and teach them scheduled to go out to trainers how to take care of their horse than take the horse,” said Chuck this month.

Hoy. Willard said the project was inspired by similar events put The group has a bunch on by horse rescue organizaof dedicated volunteers and tions in Oregon and around the donors across the country and even around the world that aid nation, especially the Rescue

Revolution event in Bend.

“They (the organizers) helped us get set up for our Pegasus Project,” Willard said.

In addition to the Pegasus Project, there is the Oregon Rescue Challenge, which features 15 horses from eight Oregon equine rescue organizations, including two horses from Project Spirit. Trainers had 180 days to work with their horses for the event, taking place May 20-21 at the Rim Rock Riders Event Center in Powell Butte, about half an hour northeast of Bend.

Benchmark training Willard also set up another program involving trainers working with a horse to try and find it a home.

“They’ll work with a list of specific benchmarks for that horse and then they use their training stable as a network to help find it a home,” she said.

Willard said the group is rehoming between 20 to 40 horses a year now.

“That means matching the skill of the person that’s adopting it to the horse and having the horse ready to go to the new home,” she said.

At-risk horses Having moved to a larger, 52-acre property in 2000 to give rescue horses more space to roam about, including a stable built in 2009 specifically for the most at-risk horses they receive, the Hoys aren’t turning their backs on Project Spirit entirely.

“The Spirit stable will always be there for horses that have surgery and need it,” Hoy said.

“That’s what it’s there for and it will always be there.“ Willard said she is excited to lead the nonprofit, but tempered that feeling with a sense of responsibility.

“I think there’s still a lot more that could be done,” she said. “Our goal is to make sure every horse in the Basin has a good life. That includes … the rehabilitation, the training, the rehoming. What we like to think of is a horse isn’t really rescued until it’s had all of those components.”

“It’s … for the love of the horse,” Hoy said. khume@heraldandnews.com

How you can help To learn more about Project Spirit Horse Rescue and how to donate, visit facebook.com/ project spirit or call 541-8912921.

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On the calendar around the region On the calendar in the Klamath Falls area through April: SATURDAY, FEB. 25  Try Hockey for Free Day for children, check-in at 9 a.m. at the Bill Collier Community Ice Arena. Event designed for kids age 5 and older. Free event.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MARCH 3-4 Performance of the play adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel “Main Street,” 7:30 p.m., Linkville Playhouse. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

SATURDAY, MARCH 4 Sky Lakes Medical Center Community Health Fair, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Klamath County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall No. 1.

Included will be an assortment of health screening and labs, information on healthy living, Kid Zone activities, information on local trails for hiking and biking and a fitness challenge.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MARCH 10-11 Performance of the play adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel “Main Street,” 7:30 p.m., Linkville Playhouse. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MARCH 11-12 Rock, Gem and Mineral Show, hosted by the Rock and Arrowhead Club of Klamath Falls, Klamath County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall No. 1.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11 Performance by jazz musician James Torme, 7:30 p.m., Ross Ragland Theater. Tickets are $23, $27 and $36 before transaction fees.

SUNDAY, MARCH 12 Bill collier Community Ice Arena annual Skate-a-thon, 5:30

p.m. $15 minimum entry fee. For more information and to preregister, call 541-850-5758 or visit klamathicesports.org.

at the Klamath Animal Shelter, Double-C Dog Training, Shaw Stationery, Earthstar and at klamathanimalshelter.org.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MARCH 17-18 Performance of the play adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel “Main Street,” 7:30 p.m., Linkville Playhouse. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY APRIL 1-2 Linkville Playhouse presents “Super John II,” 1 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday.

The hapless hero/insurance agent returns to foil the sinister Ms. Spelling Bea before she can destroy good grammar around the world. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

FRIDAY, MARCH 17 Live performance of “Charlotte’s Web,” 6 p.m., Ross Ragland Theater. Tickets are $15 before transaction fees.

SUNDAY, MARCH 19 Ragland Classical Series performance by award-winning British cellist Jacob Shaw, 2 p.m., Ross Ragland Theater. Tickets are $24 before transaction fees. Performance of the play adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel “Main Street,” 2 p.m., Linkville Playhouse. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MARCH 24-25 Performance of the play adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel “Main Street,” 7:30 p.m., Linkville Playhouse. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1 Klamath Animal Shelter Fur Ball, 5 p.m., Klamath County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall No. 1.

Featured will be music by Cherry Wine, a silent auction, raffles and dinner catered by Yummy’s Cowboy Cuisine and music and dancing with Hat Trick. Tickets are $45 each and are available

THURSDAY, APRIL 6 Performance of traditional Irish music, song and dance by the Young Irelanders, 7:30 p.m. at the Ross Ragland Theater.

Tickets are $23, $29 and $36 before transaction fees.

SATURDAY, APRIL 8 Children’s Learning Fair, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. for children with special needs, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the general public, at the Klamath County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Building No. 1.

Admission is $1 per child with a maximum $3 per family, free admission for adults. Included will be hands-on learning stations focusing on literacy, math and science.

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY APRIL 7-9 Klamath Basin Home Builders Association Home Show,

Klamath County Fairgrounds.

Show hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is $3 for age 17 and up, with a $1 discount for those bringing a canned food donation for the Klamath-Lake Counties Food Bank.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY APRIL 8-9 Linkville Playhouse presents “Super John II,” 1 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday.

The hapless hero/insurance agent returns to foil the sinister Ms. Spelling Bea before she can destroy good grammar around the world. Tickets are $11, $12 and $14 and are available in advance at Periwinkle Home, 831 Main St., and at the door the evening of performances.

SUNDAY, APRIL 9 Young Musicians of Excellence performance featuring regional high school musicians, 2 p.m. at the Ross Ragland Theater. Tickets are $15 each before transaction fees.

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY APRIL 21-23 Ragland Cultural Center performance of the musical comedy “Married Alive!” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 23. Tickets are $35 each before transaction fees.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY APRIL 29-30 Jefferson State Shooting

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Edward P. Richert, MD Chief of Staff

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• Infusions

• General Surgery

• Family Practice Clinic

• Laboratory Services

• Radiology

• Wound Care

• Warnerview Skilled Nursing

• Emergency Room

• Physical Therapy

• Ambulance Service

• Swing Bed

Alex Ferber, PA-C Physician Assistant

Contact Us: Warnerview Skilled Nursing 225 W. McDowell Ave. Alturas, CA 96101 (530) 233-5131 Ext. 1472

Acute Hospital 228 W. McDowell Ave. Alturas, CA 96101 (530) 233-5131

Family Practice Clinic 229 W. McDowell Ave. Alturas, CA 96101 (530) 233-7052

www.modocmedicalcenter.org

Physical Therapy 120 S. Main St. Alturas, CA 96101 (530) 233-7054

Matthew Farson, MD Director of Emergency Services

FREE HEALTH SCREENINGS THE 19th ANNUAL LIVING WELL COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR • Free total cholesterol screening.

(Recommended 8-12 hour fast) • Free blood glucose screening.

(Recommended 8-12 hour fast) • Free lung function screening.

• Free blood pressure check.

• Free body mass index reading.

• Plus exhibits by Sky Lakes Medical Center departments and many community partners.

• The Kid Zone will have activities and information specifically for ages 3-13.

Saturday, March 4th, 2017 • 8am–2pm Klamath County Fairgrounds • 3531 South 6th St. Exhibit Hall 1

For more information, visit SkyLakes.org or call 541.274.4778.