Klamath Life/Women in Business 2018

REGIONAL MAGAZINE FOR KLAMATH, LAKE, MODOC AND SISKIYOU COUNTIES

Klamath Life The right track Inspiration on Chiloquin’s Klamath & Western railway

Steampunk lens

‘Wizard of Oz’ preparations in high gear at the Ragland

Deputy Sister

Badge-wearing terrier watches over sheriff’s office staff Special feature inside: WOMEN IN BUSINESS H e r a l d a n d N e w s | J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 8 | 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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Klamath Life

Along the Way Inside:

On the cover: Klamath & Western president Dennis Ward moved to Chiloquin to work on the scale-model railroad.

“It keeps me young,” Ward says.

The yellow brick way: Dorothy is on her way in the Ross Ragland’s ‘Oz’ production. Page 3

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Story on page 16.

Cover photo by Lee Juillerat

Taking refuge: Explore Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. Page 8

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Tracks in history: State trail’s beginnings harken to railway ventures. Page 13

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The right track: Klamath & Western Railway inspires along the way. Page 16

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Cerebral vacation: Summer adventures begin with the turn of a page. Page 19

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Diamonds in the rough: Searching for sunstones in Lake County’s outback. Page 23

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New trails ahead: Expansion of Spence Mountain trails offers new paths. Page 26

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Right to remain adorable: Badge-wearing terrier watches over sheriff ’s office staff. Page 28

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Quintessentials: Charlie Wyckoff keeps farmers market running smoothly. Page 51

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Special inside:

WOMEN IN BUSINESS PAGE 31

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This publication is copyrighted under Klamath Publishing LLC doing business as the Herald and News (c) 2017. All rights reserved.

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 3

Follow the Yellow Brick Road With a new twist on classic tale, ‘Wizard of Oz’ hits Ross Ragland stage

By KURT LIEDTKE: H&N Staff Reporter

A

timeless tale takes a tantalizing twist when the community production of “The wizard of oz” hits the Ross Ragland Theater stage in August.

While the 1939 film is considered one of the all-time great movies, and the books series from which the film was adapted remains a children’s classic, the stage play being presented interprets the Land of Oz with familiar cast and stories but placed within a distinctly different landscape. For the stage play, Dorothy will travel to a land dominated by a steampunk motif.

See ROAD, page 4

On her way: Emily Ann Pace, with her little dog Toto, too, rehearses for her performance of Dorothy Gale in the Ross Ragland Theater’s steampunk twist on “The Wizard of Oz.” H&N photo by Kurt Liedtke

4 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

‘A place where there isn’t any trouble.

Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto?

There must be.

It’s not a place you can get to by a boat or a train.

It’s far, far away.

Behind the moon, beyond the rain...’

— Dorothy Gale

DID YOU KNOW:  In 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” film, Dorothy’s blue-and-white dress was actually blue and pink, which was easier to shoot in the Technicolor limitations of 1930s camera technology. The iconic sequined ruby slippers were also originally slated to be silver, but were changed to red to better showcase the new Technicolor technology.  In 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” film, the Tin Man’s tears, which are supposed to be motor oil seeping out of his eyes, was chocolate syrup.  Author L. Frank Baum, creator of the “The Wizard of Oz” stories, accidentally had a cameo of sorts in the 1939 film. During production of the film, MGM film studio’s wardrobe department purchased a tattered coat from a local second-hand shop that, as they surprisingly found later, included a tag in the garment identifying it as once belonging to Baum.

The coat was worn in the film by Frank Morgan in the role of Professor Marvel.  While the 1939 movie is most remembered for telling the story of “The Wizard of Oz,” by the time it came out it was actually the 10th film adaptation of the books.  There are 14 books in the “Land of Oz” series written by L. Frank Baum, starting with “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” first published in 1900.  A sequel to the 1939 film was released in 1985 by Disney, titled “Return to Oz.” The film was based on two of L. Frank Baum’s books, “The Marvelous Land of Oz” and “Ozma of Oz.” The film took a particularly dark turn, left many children traumatized from multiple genuinely terrifying sequences, and has largely been forgotten; though fans of the Oz stories note that it is a more faithful adaptation of the Land of Oz from the novels than the 1939 film.

MGM photos courtesy Warner Bros. Studio

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 5

‘We are mixing beauty with technology in lots of interesting ways to create engineering — a different world and spin. I feel like we’re doing much of the same with modern society — mixing old and new.’

ROAD, from page 3 Born of comic-cons, popular fantasy anime and comics, steampunk has become a subculture in recent years incorporating whimsical costumes and designs set in an alternative history where technology has advanced via steam power rather than electricity. For the new Oz being presented, it is a land dominated by 19th century steam-powered technology.

“It will be a slightly different world, which lends itself quite nicely to Oz,” said Caresse Robertson, director for the upcoming “Wizard of Oz” production.

“We are mixing beauty with technology in lots of interesting ways to create engineering — a different world and spin.

I feel like we’re doing much of the same with modern society — mixing old and new.”

Originally a book series by author L. Frank Baum, then adapted to the iconic 1939

— Caresse Robertson ‘Wizard of Oz’ director

H&N photo by Sean Bassinger

Interpreting Oz: “The Wizard of Oz” director Caresse Robertson says the Ross Ragland Theater production of the classic will be a mix of old and new.

production — an annual summer tradition for the Ragland stage. Last year’s production took on another revered tale in

film, the cast and crew have big red shoes to fill to bring the beloved story of Dorothy to life in the latest community

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See ROAD, page 6

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ROAD, from page 5 Major preparations for the production began in April, and cast rehearsals have been ongoing since June. Complicating matters has been simultaneous preparations of the annual Ross Ragland Youth Summer Arts Camp, a three-week whirlwind introduction to theatrical production that culminates with a stage play. This year’s camp performed “James and the Giant Peach Jr.” on Saturday, July 7, and balancing stage time and set storage for both plays proved a logistical challenge.

Filling the ruby slippers will be 15-year-old Emily Pace in the role of Dorothy. While just a high school freshman, “The Wizard of Oz” will be her ninth major theatrical production. Stricken with severe anxiety as a child, Pace found theater an incredible outlet to find herself, and calm her nerves. She has thrived on stage publicly and personally from the experience.

Previous plays for Pace include roles in “King’s Arthur Quest,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “Superman: the Musical,” “Alice in Wonderland Jr.,” “Rapunzel,” and a lead role as Helen Keller in “The Miracle Worker.” It is an odd twist of fate that her close friend Sarah Tyson, who played Ann Sullivan in “The Miracle Worker,” thereby dousing Pace in water, will for Oz play the Wicked Witch of the West, offering an opportunity (for those who know the story) for Pace to enact her wet revenge.

While it is nary impossible to

separate the image of Judy Garland as Dorothy from the 1939 film from any other representation of Oz, Pace doesn’t feel pressure to live up to past portrayals of the character.

“Instead of the sweet little Dorothy that everyone knows from the movie, I get to be an angsty teenager, and I love it,” said Pace. “In the movie she’s more sweet, but in the play she has more aspects to her personality. Nobody ever questions where her parents are, so we came up with the fact that they left her, and that brings up her teenage angst. She is bold, she speaks her mind, and she can be sarcastic.”

Pace has reveled in being able to crank up teenage sass and angst in the lead character’s persona as she embarks on a grand journey through the land of Oz. The cast has worked well together, according to both Robertson and Pace, in preparations for opening night. The story and songs may be familiar for fans of the iconic tale, but Robertson in her third turn directing a stage version of “The Wizard of Oz” is enjoying the opportunity and capabilities of the cast in developing their own interpretation.

It is also a homecoming of sorts for Robertson, who grew up in Klamath Falls performing on the Ross Ragland stage, then returned to the community last year after years away. She is a Klamath County School District choir director by day, and has taken on multiple roles in the summer production as director, choreographer and some musical direction.

See ROAD, page 7

IF YOU GO: WHAT: “The Wizard of Oz” WHERE: Ross Ragland Theater, 218 N. Seventh St., Klamath Falls WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday Aug. 3, 4, 10 and 11; 2 p.m. Sunday matinees Aug. 5 and 12 COST: Tickets are $19, $23 and $29 before transaction fees

WHO YOU’LL SEE IN ‘THE WIZARD OF OZ’ Emily Ann Pace — Dorothy Gale David Robertson — Zeke / Cowardly Lion Michael House — Hickory / Tin Man Thomas Bocchi — Hunk / Scarecrow Sarah Smart — Auntie Emily / Glinda Sarah Elise Tyson — Mizz Almiro Gulch / Wicked Witch of the West Justice Bussar — Professor Marvel / the Wizard of Oz Matthew Barr — Ozian Guard Alexandra Burris — Nikko Restin Bynum — Winkie General

Munchkins: Brent Peterson — Munchkin Mayor Christina Mae Montreuil — Munchkin Barrister Mazie Grace McCoy — Munchkin Coroner / Tough Girl Angelina Rush — Munchkin Tough Girl Adelyn Morehouse — Munchkin Tot Audrey Morehouse — Munchkin Tot Vivianne Renouf — Munchkin Tot Catherine Montreuil — Munchkin Tot

Male chorus: Alekzander Leach Damien Hobbs Morgan McCoy Matthew McCoy Daniel Rush

Female chorus: Renita Larsen Sarah Walls Chloe Smith Cassandre Phillips Emily Munson Grace Baldock Suzanne McCoy Alecia Rush Rebecca Rush Rebecca Morehouse

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 7

Taking steps: Cast members of the Ross Ragland Theater production of “The Wizard of Oz” rehearse a scene during a recent practice.

H&N photo by Sean Bassinger

ROAD, from page 6 “In a story like this the costumes and special effects are big, but I have some amazing talented people who are rising to the challenge,” said Robertson.

“The surprise for me is how well this cast has come together, they support each other and work really hard. I enjoy leaving a lot of things to imagination and creating set pieces that do multiple things.”

Partly out of story demands and part-necessity, much of the cast of approximately 30 actors play multiple roles. It is a true community production in the best sense, with many first-time actors and several families participating from young children as munchkins to teens in the chorus and parents in lead roles.

Joining Pace in the main cast are David Robertson as Zeke and the Cowardly Lion, Michael House as Hickory and the Tin Man and Thomas Bocchi as Hunk and Scarecrow. Sarah Smart plays Auntie Emily and Glinda the Good Witch, Sarah

Elise Tyson serves as Miss Almira Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West, and Justice Bussard will play both professor Marvel and the Wizard of Oz. The cast is further rounded out by a troupe of munchkins as well as a chorus.

“There is definitely the feel of the movie and the script follows closely, but there’s adages of fun we add and we’re putting an interesting spin on it,” added Robertson. “The interest from the movie will draw people in and what we put into the production will hopefully bring them back. People should come see it because this story is magic, every time you see it, no matter where it is.”

“The Wizard of Oz” will be performed in a two-week run Fridays through Sundays, Aug. 3-5 and Aug. 10-12. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $19, $23 and $29 before transaction fees, available at the Ross Ragland Theater box office or online at www.rrtheater.org. kliedtke@heraldandnews.com

8 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

Hart Mountain NATIONAL ANTELOPE REFUGE

By LEE JUILLERAT: For the Herald and News

B

ill Crowell was studying the shortest way to drive from Boise, Idaho, to Interstate 5.

He was surprised — but intrigued and delighted — when, “quite by chance,” that shortest route took him across Eastern Oregon and through the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.

Like visitors before and since, Crowell was bedazzled by herds of pronghorn antelope.

That first visit was in 1998.

He’s been returning to Hart

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photos

Mountain frequently since then, not just passing through, but staying for several days at a time, often as a volunteer for fence removal projects and, more recently, studies of sage grouse leks.

He’s the president of the Friends of Hart Mountain, a group that supports refuge programs.

See HART, page 9

Predator-wise: Newborn pronghorn fawns, above, are well camouflaged and will lie perfectly still to hide from predators. Pronghorn often travel in large groups for security and safety from predators.

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 9

Taking refuge on higher ground HART, from page 8 Over the years, he’s become familiar with the refuge, from making sightings of bighorn sheep to soaking in the hot springs, to traveling trails and cross country routes to places like the Barnhardy Cabin.

“Every time I go, it seems I find something new,” Crowell says, recalling the time he noticed a pronghorn buck on a nearby ridge was staring past and behind him. When he turned to follow the pronghorn’s eyes, “We saw this cougar that was following the group (of pronghorn). He (the cougar) stopped and looked at us and walked across the road, then took off.”

Telling tales Surprises aren’t unusual at Hart Mountain.

Most visitors, myself included, can reel off tales.

I’ve been visiting Hart Mountain for decades, and it remains a thrill. The 278,000-acre refuge has few “trails.” Most are routes, some as steep as elevator shafts that descend or ascend canyons carved on the western front, while others are basically cross-country treks across vast expanses of sagebrush and junipers. With friends, family and park staff, I’ve scrambled up and down Hart and DeGarmo canyons, ambled and rode horseback along Poker Jim Ridge, and weaved through aspen-lined thickets along Rock Creek.

See HART, page 10

Heavens above: Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge rises above the Warner Basin outside of Plush in Lake County.

H&N photos by Holly Owens

10 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

HART, from page 9 Hart Mountain is a place to explore, whether on foot, mountain bike or horseback.

Most visitors concentrate at the Hot Springs Campground — and for good reason. A rock wall shields a 10- by 15-foot hot spring, where the bubbling water generally ranges from about 100 to 105 degrees. It’s just a short walk from primitive campsites mostly scattered along Rock Creek.

From the campground, a rocky road that’s easier hiked than driven provides access to some of the refuge’s rugged but most delightful high desert terrain. It’s slightly more than 2 miles by the road along Rock Creek to Crowell’s favored Barnhardy Cabin, a falling apart plank shack that recalls times when sheep and, later, cattle, grazed the refuge’s vast expanses. Cattle grazing was eliminated in the 1990s. From the cabin, it’s possible to forge

on to Warner Peak. At an elevation of 8,017-feet it’s the high point on the refuge, with views of the campground and refuge headquarters and to the west, a more than a 4,000 foot drop off to the neighboring Warner Valley.

Hiking along the ridge back toward the campground I’ve come face-to-face with curious buck antelope, and dipping down into Hart, Potter and DeGarmo canyons I’ve been nearly trampled by suddenly flushed mule deer and, one memorable time, scampering bighorn sheep.

Wildlife and birds are among the attractions. With its diverse terrain, the refuge is home to more than 300 wildlife species.

See HART, page 12 Ahh: A hot spring surrounded by a rock wall, and a nearby undeveloped hot spring are available to Hart Mountain visitors.

H&N photos by Holly Owens

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A refuge from the outside world The Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge was established in 1936 as a preserve for declining populations of pronghorn antelope under the management of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is about 20 miles wide and 40 miles long and is located at the northern end of the Great Basin desert. During the summer, Hart Mountain is home to upward of 8,000 pronghorn antelope.

The refuge also has more than 340 wildlife species.

Along with pronghorn, large mammals include elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer and mountain lions. There has been no livestock grazing on the refuge since 1995. The refuge is dominated by sagebrush and grasses, but the high quality sage steppe landscape includes dry and wet meadows, riparian aspen and willow stands, juniper, mountain mahogany and higher elevation aspen groves. Because of its vegetation, Hart Mountain is considered a critical habitat for greater sage grouse recovery efforts.

Because it is a wildlife refuge, Hart Mountain is managed primarily to benefit wildlife. Recreationally, there are campgrounds in the Warner Valley, at the hot springs, in Guano Valley and a horse camp at Post Meadows. There are some designated hiking trails, including a 1.2 mile hike to Petroglyph Lake. There are also abandoned homesteading era structures at the Flook Ranch.

‘Those who visit Hart Mountain next century will know that we were faithful life tenants, that we did not entirely despoil the earth which we left them. We will make the tradition of conservation as much a part of their inheritance as the land itself.’

—U U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, from “My Wilderness,” 1960.

Library of Congress photo

Enduring: Ancient petroglyphs cover a rock flow above Petroglyph Lake at Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.

H&N photos by Holly Owens

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 12

HART, from page 10 Along with pronghorn – and it’s almost impossible to not see dozens in even a quick pass-through visit – the refuge provides habitat for more than 40 species of mammals, including California bighorn sheep, coyotes, deer and rabbits, along with about 240 bird species, including sage grouse, best seen in the spring mating season.

One late afternoon, a friend and I drove and walked to Petroglyph Lake. The name comes from petroglyphs, symbols and images painted on cliff faces by generations-ago prehistoric Native Americans.

The images are varied and indistinct and what they represent is subject to speculation.

That’s part of the pleasure.

Some are geometric patterns while others are zoomorphic, or in the forms of animal-like images. One appears to be a giant bug, while another is distinctly horse-shaped. Some are human images, including one human body with a weird buglike head.

On this visit, we sat tucked under the painted rocks while, on the opposite side of the lake, individual pronghorn rams guided groups of about 20 ewes and lambs to water.

They stood guard then escorted their charges back upslope

while another ram led another group to the lake.

The magic didn’t end there.

As the setting sun cast a crimson glow, the rocks above rattled and clattered, like the sound of a fleet of pickup trucks. Only they weren’t trucks. Minutes later the first of a series of bighorn rams gingerly followed a rocky path from the rocks behind us to the lake, where he lapped up a long drink before retracing his steps. Over the next half-hour, a series of wary rams followed, one at a time.

Summers can be hot, but fall is often the best season for hiking, especially along DeGarmo and Hart canyons, Poker Jim Ridge and along other wide open spaces in search of bighorn sheep. It’s not unusual to make the best sightings about sunset from the main road that connects the refuge with Plush.

One evening, after spying more than 20 bighorns, I parked my car, snuck up a side canyon and climbed to the top of the rocks. I waited, but never saw a single sheep. Disappointed, I hiked back to my car.

It was surrounded by the flock of curious bighorns.

As frequent visitors like Bill Crowell know, there are many ways to make your own kind of magic at Hart Mountain.

H&N file photo by Holly Owens

Blending in: Hart Mountain provides habitat for more than 240 bird species, including sage grouse, best seen in the spring mating season.

Getting to Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge The Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge is 65 miles east of Lakeview, the nearest major town. Take Highway 395 north for about 5 miles, then go right (east) on Highway 140, then 19 miles farther, turn left at a well-marked intersection onto the Plush Cutoff Road, and then another 19 miles to Plush, the last community with gasoline and basic groceries. Several miles after Plush – follow the signs to Hart Mountain — the paved road gives way to an improved gravel road the final 36 miles to the refuge headquarters, where an office with information, restrooms and water is open 24 hours a day. The road up the steep grade offers spectacular views of the Warner Valley. Consider stopping at a well-marked pullout and taking a short trail to a dramatic valley overlook.

Camping is available at the base of the mountain and is

especially recommended for people towing trailers or with large RVs, and at the Hot Springs Campground 5 miles from the headquarters. There are no facilities on the refuge for gas, groceries or other supplies, so go prepared.

For information, call the Sheldon-Hart National Wildlife Refuge headquarters at 541-9473315 or visit the refuge website at www.fws.gov/sheldonhartmtn/ Hart.

Another good source is through the Friends of Hart Mountain, a nonprofit volunteer group that supports the refuge.

To learn more, visit www.freewebs.com/friendsofhartmountain. Before hiking, check with refuge staff on possible routes, or follow suggestions in “100 Hikes/ Travel Guide Eastern Oregon”

by William Sullivan. To reach the DeGarmo Canyon waterfall, carefully follow Sullivan’s directions.

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 13

OC&E WOODS LINE

Tracks in History

By LEE JUILLERAT: For the Herald and News

M

ost people know it as a great place to walk, run, bicycle, ride horseback or, during snowy winters, cross country ski. But the OC&E Woods Line State Park, a 109-mile linear park, has a history. Conceived in 1917, the original Klamath Municipal Railway line struggled to get built. But once it did it provided a rail corridor that moved massive amounts of timber from Klamath and Lake county forests to mills in Klamath Falls.

See OC&E, page 14

Shovels ready: A ceremony for the Oregon, California and Eastern Railroad took place on July 3, 1917, in downtown Klamath Falls.

Photo courtesy of the Klamath County Museum

14 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

OC&E, from page 13 After declines in the timber industry, the Oregon, California and Eastern Railroad closed and tracks were rail banked to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department in 1992.

Although there was opposition by some, tracks were removed, the section from Klamath Falls to Olene was paved, the rest of the line was compacted with gravel and the entire route was closed to motorized vehicles.

During the paving, it’s said that walkers, runners and bicyclists were using the trail as the asphalt construction hardened.

Linear park The OC&E extends from Klamath Falls to Bly while the Woods Line spur begins east of Bly and ends at the Sycan Marsh. Oregon’s longest linear state park, it covers 1,280 acres and, based on state estimates, has about 13,100 annual users.

Construction on the OC&E Railroad, originally known as the Klamath Municipal Railway and also as the Strahorn Railroad, began in the summer of 1917 as part of a grand scheme by promoter Robert Strahorn, who had overseen other rail projects, to connect Central and Eastern Oregon with rail lines and take advantage of timber opportunities. Initial

H&N file photo

A restored caboose rests near the beginning of the OC&E Woods Line State Trail in Klamath Falls near South Sixth Street.

development efforts involved bonds sold by the city of Klamath Falls. Logging camps with spur railroads were quickly developed and by 1919 four lumber mills were located along the main line.

Rail operators According to historical accounts, Southern Pacific and Burlington Northern operated the line jointly from 1925 until 1974, when it was purchased by

Weyerhaeuser, which then had the world’s largest pine mill in Klamath Falls. At peak production in the late 1970s, the OC&E reportedly was transporting 35,000 loads of wood products a year.

In the early 1980s, when it was no longer cost effective to move logs by rail, Weyerhaeuser rail banked the line and deeded it to the state. The last logging train entered Klamath Falls on April 29, 1990.

The line has proved popular.

Because it is a former railroad grade, the entire distance is relatively flat. Away from Klamath Falls and Olene the unpaved trail passes ranch lands, rivers and forests. Along the way it provides connections to eight communities, five schools and several suburban areas. Thirteen interpretive signs highlight points of historical interest, most recalling its railroad years, including the historic 1898 steel bridge spanning the A Canal. A restored caboose along the trail is the last one used to run the rails to Klamath Falls.

Easy connections Major trailheads include Crosby Avenue in Klamath Falls, Wiard Park, Highway 39, Reeder Road, Switchbacks, Bly and Horse Glades. Access is made easy because of its connections with other bicycle trails.

The A Canal Trail, for example, runs from Esplanade Avenue to Homedale Road and intersects the OC&E trail near Summers Lane and Boardman Avenue.

The northwest end of the A Canal trail connects to the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Kit Carson Trail and starts near Portland Street and continues northwest to Oregon Institute of Technology and Sky Lakes Medical Center.

See OC&E, page 15

ROBERT STRAHORN: RAILROAD PROMOTER Who was Robert Strahorn? Strahorn was a journalist turned railroad promoter who had a significant impact on the development of the Pacific Northwest, including the Klamath Basin.

Long before dreaming of creating the Oregon, California & Eastern Railroad in the Klamath Basin, Strahorn served as a war correspondent for the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Rocky Mountain News during the Great Sioux War of 1876 and later as a publicist for the Union Pacific Railroad. He promoted the Northwest in newspaper articles, books, pamphlets and other writings, often with his wife, Dell.

Because they knew planned railroad routes before towns were built, they became

wealthy buying land at low prices and then making large profits developing new towns around future railroad stations in Washington, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon.

Over the years, the couple made and lost fortunes at least three times in a wide variety of business ventures, including railroads, real estate, power generation and irrigation facilities. His major financial blow came in the Great Depression of 1930.

Strahorn had borrowed and invested heavily in San Francisco real estate in 1919 then suffered financially during the devastating economic downturn. His attempts to recoup financially by investing in mining failed and he died poor in San Francisco in 1944 at age 92.

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 15

OC&E, from page 14

File photo by Lee Juillerat

The section through Swede’s Cut is among the OC&E’s most scenic sections.

Exploring sEctions of thE trail The Urban Section: Klamath Falls to Olene The paved trail is highly used by joggers, walkers, in-line skaters and bicyclists. Views of Mount Shasta rise to the south as the trail passes through farmland on its way to Olene.

Approaching Olene are views of Olene Gap, a naturally formed narrow opening in the mountains that allows just enough space for the trail, Highway 140 and the Lost River to course through.

Gateway Section: Olene to Sprague River Leaving the pavement, the graveled section travels through Olene Gap and north through juniper and sagebrush before swinging east at Swede’s Cut, a portion of track that was cut through high ground in order to maintain a gentle grade. The section is named for the Swedish workers who used star drills and black powder to move more than 10 feet of boulders and hardpan soil. Continuing east, the trail

skirts the community of Dairy, named for the Dutch dairymen who first settled there.

Sprague River Section: Sprague River to Bly As the trail descends into the Sprague River Valley, it traverses timber and ranch lands and passes the Sprague River. The scenic section is rich in wildlife and waterfowl, especially along the river. Farms and ranches abound in the fertile valley — and it is not unusual to encounter livestock on the trail. The trail continues east to its end at Bly, once a booming mill town.

Woods Line Section: Woods Line Spur to Sycan Marsh The Woods Line spur trail splits off and heads north in Beatty and passes from open farmland to thick woods, then crisscrosses over Five Mile Creek at mile 10. The scenic Merritt Creek Trestle is crossed at mile 27. The Woods Line moves from forest to grasslands known at the Sycan Marsh, then continues north for 7 miles.

Along with the 1898 steel railroad bridge, the trail slices through Swede’s Cut, tracks alongside the Devils Garden, follows loops along Switchback Hill, rolls alongside sections of the Sprague River, straightarrows through farm lands and offers views of the Buttes of the Gods near Bly Mountain before reaching Bly. The Woods Line branches off the OC&E State Trail near Beatty and heads northward, crossing over the Sprague River, meets and follows Five Mile Creek, crossing over it several times. The Horse Glades trail takes off after mile 19 of the Woods Line, an area provided with restrooms and camping areas. A major Woods Line attraction is the 400-foot long, 50-feet high Merritt Creek Trestle. The Woods Line ends 7 miles north of the trestle at a point called Sycan Marsh at the north end of Ferguson Mountain.

Life near the railroad The Klamath County Museum will host a tour of Klamath County homestead sites located near the Oregon, California & Eastern Railroad, now the OC&E Woods Line State Trail, in connection with the annual Hildebrand Threshing Bee. The threshing bee will be Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 1 and 2 at Bodnar’s Chimney Rock Ranch. To reach the ranch, go east from Dairy for 3 miles on Highway 140 East and watch for signs at Bliss Road.

Tour participants will leave from the Threshing Bee at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1.

More information about the tour will be printed in the Herald and News, and emailed in the museum’s newsletter, The Midge, before the event.

16 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

Working on I the Railroad

t was sometime in the mid-1980s when I interviewed a man who was obviously a far-out whacko.

Keeping Ed St. John’s dream alive at the Klamath & Western

By LEE JUILLERAT: For the Herald and News

All aboard: Passengers ride the rails on the Klamath & Western Railroad‘s small-scale trains. The Chiloquin-area miniature railroad covers about 1 1/2 miles and offers rides to the public from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Photo by Lee Juillerat

Ed St. John, outfitted in bib overalls, took a break from the labor-intensive task of leveling a section of ground where he planned to install another section of tracks for his imagined small-scale railroad. Taking a break, he animatedly insisted that his backyard miniature railroad near Chiloquin would eventually be miles long — maybe someday the longest in the world — and lure train aficionados from around the globe.

Yeah, rightttttt.

Turns out the real whacko was the guy taking notes.

Ed’s fantastic dream has come true. It didn’t come easily or, for him, end happily. The decadeslong sad tale includes a fellow

scale-railroader who eventually made Ed’s life so miserable that he and his wife, Mercedes, abandoned their Mercedes & Western Railroad and its Over the Hill Live Steamers, for Portugal, where they had met when he was a correspondent for a major U.S. television network.

For years we chatted during annual telephone calls. When I took a personal leave from the Herald and News after my youngest daughter’s death, my 2-1/2 month wanderings included several nights at the St. Johns’s home. In his later years, Ed had been in marginal health.

One year, several years ago, the phone calls ended.

See RAILROAD, page 17

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 17

RAILROAD, from page 16 Ed’s railroad chugged on, but the neighboring Train Mountain, which was adjacent to the Mercedes & Western and took it over, struggled for several years after it was learned its founder and Ed’s nemesis, Quentin Breen, had placed the railroad in financial jeopardy. Thanks to renewed leadership, Train Mountain and the renamed Klamath & Western Railroad rebounded.

Over the past several years, the 7 ½-inch scale railroad is Ed’s dream realized. Trains

pulling passenger cars meander and loop around 2,000 acres off the South Chiloquin Road between Highways 97 and 62. The Klamath & Western riders cover about 1 1/2 miles of the 37-mile track owned by Train Mountain, making is the longest model railroad in the world.

There’s little that acknowledges or remembers Ed’s and Mercedes’s legacy and foresight. A spur line off the main line is the St. John Loop.

See RAILROAD, page 18

Legacy line: Train passengers ride over a bridge at the Klamath & Western Railroad near Chiloquin. A spur line, St. John Loop, is named in honor of the railroad’s founder, Ed St. John.

Photo by Lee Juillerat

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18 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

Plan your visit to the Klamath & Western

Photos by Lee Juillerat

Working on the railroad: Klamath & Western president Dennis Ward moved to Chiloquin to work on the scale-model railroad. “It keeps me young,” Ward said.

‘That’s what I love to do, work on the railroad.’

— Dennis Ward, Klamath & Western president

RAILROAD, from page 17 The house where Ed and Mercedes lived and the adjacent railroad yard where he spent years building and repairing his tracks and engines is near the passenger terminal, where families gather for train rides on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The St. Johns’s former home now houses one of the railroad’s employees.

“He started his little park here,” said Dennis Ward, the Klamath & Western’s president.

“I never got to meet him. I’ve heard a lot of good stories about him.”

Ward is the kind of person St. John thought his scale railroad would attract.

Like most of the K&W’s 32 members, Ward is older, 79, and is comfortably retired.

After a Navy career from 1969 to 1978, one that included sitting in the second seat in airplanes that flew off and landed on aircraft carriers — “I had the same number of takeoffs as landings,” he says with a smile — Ward taught computer technology at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg.

Life changed 12 years ago when he helped organize a birthday party for a family member. It was suggested he check out the Klamath & Western as a party site. That initial

flirtation quickly turned serious.

“We moved to Chiloquin because of Train Mountain and the Klamath & Western,” Ward explained. He spends about four hours a day, six days a week, at the railroad and Train Mountain, and often several more hours a week on his computer on railroad-related tasks.

“It keeps me young,” he said with a shrug of his volunteer hours.

Many club members enjoy driving the trains, which are mostly battery or gas powered. For safety reasons, steam engines, the original focus of St. John’s railroad, now use propane. Ward, who owns two engines, favors working in the shop or repairing track.

“That’s what I love to do, work on the railroad.”

While he claims, “I’ve always loved trains and don’t know why,” Ward also tells of growing up along the Siuslaw River near the Oregon coast community of Vaughn where, “I’d watch trains all day long.” And, like others of his generation, “I had that Lionel (model train) under the Christmas tree.”

The spirit and dreams of Ed St. John live on through members of the Klamath & Western, and people like Ward.

The Klamath & Western Railroad is located near Chiloquin. From Klamath Falls, drive north on Highway 97 and turn left on the South Chiloquin Road. The entrance is about a half-mile on the left. Free train rides — donations are appreciated and encouraged — run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays through Labor Day. Train rides through the beautiful ponderosa pine forest cover about 1 1/2 miles and take about 20 minutes. The staging area includes a snack bar, small gift shop and restrooms. For information call 541-783-3177 or visit the group’s website at www. knwrr.org. Special arrangements can also be made for birthday parties and other gatherings.

19 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

for thE v a A ac tion! MInd

I

f Encyclopedia Brown, Anne Shirley or the wizard Merlin walked into the Klamath County Library, they’d be greeted by an inquisitive and whimsical library staff.

These fictional characters made the list of those who library staff, and librarygoers, would like to meet in real life.

For Library Assistant Katie Hart, meeting Merlin or Gandolf from “The Lord of the Rings” would be ideal.

“Wizards – they tend to have a little more contrariness to them, orneriness,” Hart said. “But they’re still on your side.”

See READING, page 20

Diving into the joys of books & summer reading

By HOLLY DILLEMUTH: H&N Staff Reporter

Exploration: Kelse Kolii looks through books as her 4-year-old son Kai holds out his choice: “Monster’s News Undies” at the Klamath County Library on an afternoon in July.

H&N photo by Holly Dillemuth

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 20

READING, from page 19 For Youth Services Supervisor Stephanie Goodwin, Encyclopedia Brown makes the cut. “‘Cause he’s just smart,” Goodwin said. “He just has a different way of looking at the world. I think all detectives do. They just see things a little bit differently.”

A self-described mystery lover, Goodwin said the library is a place to unpack mysteries and form an understanding of the surrounding world.

“The library is a place to figure out mysteries of life,” Goodwin said.

“You’ve got a question, you want some clarification on something, or you want to learn something new, you can find it at the library.”

Beautiful whimsy Nathalie Johnston, library director, would like to meet Anne Shirley, whom she met in the book “Anne of Green Gables” during her first job.

Johnston discovered Anne among the American titles as a school librarian in Saudi Arabia.

“It was an American academy so I had to learn a lot about the titles that kids were reading, and I came across ‘Anne of Green Gables,’ ” Johnston said.

“I read all the books, and I would really like to meet her when she’s still a young kid, because she has that imagination, and the way she was naming everything, it was just so whimsical.

“I would ask how do you stay so happy and how do you see so much beauty in the world? That’s what I liked about the book is all the descriptions it had and how she was using poetry … she had a name for everything. I would have liked to have asked her what kind of books are you reading? What’s in your library right now?”

Misunderstood While visiting the library with her son on an afternoon in July, Basin resident Kelse Kolii said she’d enjoy meeting the Ice Queen from the “Chronicles of Narnia”

by C.S. Lewis. Kolii, a preschool teacher, said she’d like to learn more about the queen, because she thinks the character is misunderstood.

“I relate to that kind of character more than the good people,” Kolii said. “She’s portrayed as evil but she can be portrayed as good by some others.”

Kolii remembers going to the library at the age of 5, where she and her mother would read from Lemony Snickets’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” or “The Chronicles of Narnia” series.

Now she does the same with her 4-year-old son, Kai, who grinned holding the book about a green monster’s search for the perfect pair of underpants.

The tenacious 4-year-old held up his book choice for all to see: “Monster’s New Undies,” by Samantha Berger and Tad Carpenter.

See READING, page 21

Page turner: Ryker Markgraf, 2, flips through a book about monsters on a Monday afternoon in July at the Klamath County Library.

Inspired: Stephanie Goodwin, youth supervisor at the Klamath County Library, remembers being read to by her mother from a young age. It inspired a love for reading she still shares today with library-goers of all ages.

H&N photos by Holly Dillemuth

‘The library is a place to figure out mysteries of life.’

— Stephanie Goodwin youth services Klamath County Library

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 21

READING, from page 20 There are numerous ways to get children of all ages reading while school is out of session. For infants to children up to 5 years old, it is also a way to prepare for a lifetime love of reading.

Friends of the Library this year implemented Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library locally to do just that; to put books in the hands of children 5 and under. Each infant to 5-year-old will be sent one free book in the mail per month.

Oftentimes, when children start school, they are at a disadvantage because they have not been read to, mostly because they don’t have books at home, said Johnston.

Johnston said if parents can start reading to babies, and with the library sending them one book a month by the time they’re 5, each child will have at least 60 books when they enter kindergarten.

“They get a lot of reading right then,” Johnston added.

Success through reading Basin resident Amber Martinez wasn’t a voracious reader as a child, but as a mom has wanted to inspire a love for the written word in her children, Hunter, 11, and Elizabeth, 6.

“It helps them succeed in school,” Martinez said, while working at a computer at the library. “She actually excels in reading in her classroom.

They contribute a lot of that to reading at home.”

Martinez, who has taken up reading as a hobby as an adult, is reading “Fall of the Giants” by Ken Follett.

Elizabeth, who worked on a computer nearby, is currently reading “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” “Tooth on the Loose,” and “Tyler Makes Spaghetti.”

“I try to match what’s going on in real life with what we’re picking (at the library),” Martinez said.

For Charlene Markgraf, also a Basin resident, the library was a place where she got into summer reading growing up in Eastern Oregon. The local library is a getaway for her three children.

“My family’s always been big on reading because my dad has dyslexia,” Markgraf said.

What are you reading?

Natalie Johnston, director of the Klamath County Library, holds out one of her favorite books on a recent afternoon in July.

Library time: Amber Martinez, and her daughter, Elizabeth Martinez, 6, hang out at the Klamath County Library on a morning in July.

H&N photos by Holly Dillemuth

Holding 10-month-old Adilynn as the tot flips through a princessthemed book, Markgraf said she wanted to start her children reading as soon as possible.

“What’d you find?” Markgraf asked her 2-year-old son, Ryker, who emerged from the book stacks with one about seals and a grin on his face. He sat down at a table with older sister, Peyton, 4, to flip through their finds.

See READING, page 22

The Friends of the Library led the effort this year to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Klamath Falls. The program mails free books to children from birth to age 5 each month.

22 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

READING, from page 21 Johnston relishes the opportunities available for youth, teens and adults in the community, especially during summer.

Although a lifelong reader, Johnston didn’t often go to the library growing up in a village near Le Mans, France, where she was raised.

But once each month, when the family would go to buy groceries in a nearby town, she and her five siblings were able to buy a book from the store. Through the trips to get groceries – and books – the family soon amassed a library of their own, and as she recalls, with it being a full house, that reading offered an escape, where the imagination could grow.

“It was books all the time in the house, so I’ve never lived in a house without books,” Johnston said.

“I was lucky my mother always had books in my household,” she added.

“There’s some families where there’s no books at all.”

‘Reading?

It allows you to go places and to be part of stories – lives – that you might never be a part of normally.’

— Katie Hart Klamath County Library assistant

Reading together: Klamath Basin resident Charlene Markgraf gets ready to read her 10-month-old daughter Adilynn “Sofia the First” at Klamath County Library on a Monday afternoon in July.

Stacks of books: Katie Hart, a library assistant at Klamath County Library, says she is constantly adding to her reading list, while attempting to whittle down the pile of 19 books she currently has checked out.

H&N photos by Holly Dillemuth

Falling in love For children and teens, summer reading offers a chance to fall in love with reading for pleasure, Johnston said.

“During (the) school year, they have to read because the teacher tells them what to read,” Johnston said.

“But during the summer, they can choose whatever they want to read.”

For adults on the go, Johnston said books are still popular, but with busy schedules, audio books can be the next best thing; perfect for walking, gardening, morning commute, or the summer road trip.

Johnston still likes to reach for paperbacks, with some of her favorites being “Pillar of the Earth,” by Ken Follett and the “Dresden Files” series by Jim Butcher.

“Reading? It allows you to go places and to be part of stories – lives – that you might never be a part of normally,” Hart said.

“It’s fun,” she added. “It’s an escape. It broadens your imagination, ‘cause you’ll read something full of imagination … your imagination sort of grows off of that.”

Hart smiles just thinking about the 19 books she’s currently got checked out.

“I’m trying really hard to get that number down,” Hart said. “I get to see all the new books as they come in and which ones I want to read next – it’s dangerous,” she said, with a laugh. hdillemuth@heraldandnews.com

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 23

DiamonDs in the

Rough Searching for sunstones, Oregon’s state gem

By LEE JUILLERAT

For the Herald and News

A handful: Sunstones are found in the rugged terrain of southeast Lake County, near the community of Plush, in ancient basaltic lava flows.

Photo courtesy of Lisa Bogardis, BLM

i

t’s like searching for a diamond in the rough. Looking for Lake County’s “Plush diamonds,” or oregon sunstones, isn’t done easily.

The “diamonds” are feldspar crystals formed thousands of years ago in basaltic lava flows.

They’re found in many areas of the world, but Oregon’s are unique, with colors ranging from yellow to peach, pink, champagne, red and green. Some shimmer with coppery metallic flashes called schiller.

Because of their rarity and uniqueness to Oregon, sunstones were named the state’s gemstone in 1987.

They’re literally diamonds in the rough because they’re found in a rugged region about 25 miles north of Plush, a Lake County ranching community.

From Memorial Day to early fall, people make their way to the remote area, using shovels, pry bars, pick axes and wire screens to search for sunstones.

On holiday weekends it’s not uncommon for the four commercial mines to have hundreds of diggers. Although neighboring Bureau of Land Management lands offer a 7-square mile area with free public digging, but most of the searching is done on private claims, including the Dust Devil Mining Company and Spectrum Sunstone Mines.

“We get people from all over the country, even internationally,” said Chris Rose, owner of the 20-acre Spectrum mine, who admits, “We’re out in the middle of nowhere.”

One of his neighbors is Don Buford, one of the owners of the Dust Devil since 1992.

“I’m the old guy,” he laughs of his tenure.

See SUNSTONES, page 24

24 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

THE BLM’S PUBLIC SUNSTONE AREA

Photo courtesy of the Lakeview District BLM

Eye on the prize: A pair of “prospectors” sift through soil in search of sunstone nuggets at the Bureau of Land Management free sunstone collection area near the community of Plush.

SUNSTONES, from page 23 Buford says the lure is “the excitement of the hunt. It makes it a real treasure hunt.”

Oregon sunstones, the sought after treasure, vary in size, some as thin as flakes, others as big as a thumb. Jewelers shape faceted sunstones into earrings, pendants or necklaces, or carve them into imaginative designs.

The hunt is done by different methods.

At commercial mines, high-grade machinery allows treasure hunters to pick sunstones off a screen conveyor belt. Rose says nearly 6 tons of ore is produced an hour

while Buford says the method equates to six days of hand screening. At Dust Devil, there is an hourly fee, plus a charge for “color.”

As he explains, “Ninety-five percent of what they find will be free,” but the fee for colored stones is one-quarter its wholesale value.

Treasure hunters can also screen through concentrated high-grade sunstone bearing ore piles or use their own picks, shovels, hammers, screwdrivers and other digging tools to hack through basalt rock sunstone pits.

See SUNSTONES, page 25

Photos by Lee Juillerat

Sunstones have been available for collection by the public since 1970, when the Bureau of Land Management established the Sunstone Public Collection Area 23 miles north of Plush. The site measures 4 square miles and covers about 2,500 acres.

Hand tools, like shovels and picks, may be used for digging, but people are asked to fill in any holes and remain within the marked boundaries of the designated public area because commercial placer mines border the site.

Larisa Bogardus, public affairs officer for the BLM’s Lakeview District, say blacktailed jackrabbits, cottontail rabbits, short-horned lizards, sagebrush lizards and the western skink are often seen during daylight hours along with a variety of songbirds.

Nighthawks may be observed collecting insects in the evening and coyotes can often be heard howling at night.

Facilities at the public site include a pit toilet, shaded picnic tables and tent pads.

The terrain is rugged and rocky so sturdy shoes or boots are recommended. People should also bring plenty of water and other field supplies, such as a hat and sunscreen. The nearest services, including gas and potable water, are in Plush.

For more information contact the Lakeview office at 541-9472177 or visit www.or.blm.gov/ lakeview.

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 25

FOR MORE INFORMATION For information about the Spectrum Sunstone Mines call Chris Rose at 775-772-7724, email him at info@highdesertgemsandminerals.com or visit the website at highdesertgemsandminteral.com/html/spectrum_ sunstone_mine.html.

For information about the Dust Devil Mining Company visit their website at www.dustdevilmining.com or call 503-559-2495, 503-559-9338 or 503-559-5129.

For more information about the Klamath Rock and Arrowhead Club, upcoming programs and field trips, visit klamathrockclub. org, or email webmaster@klamathrockclub.org.

In the rough: A rough sunstone crystal lays on the ground with other stones in the BLM fee-free collection area near Plush.

Handful of sunshine: A happy sunstone searcher holds a handful of Oregon sunstones.

Photos courtesy of Larisa Bogardus, Lakeview District BLM

SUNSTONES, from page 24 Buford and Rose note most sunstone seekers stay for a day, but others stay overnight or, sometimes, a week or longer.

“We get a lot of families, and we get a lot of age groups,” said Rose, noting Spectrum offers rental teepees and cabins while “a lot of people just camp.”

Buford says the Dust Devil offers four travel trailers that can each sleep four, noting, “We get a lot of families with young children. We get a lot of grandparents with their grandchildren.

And a lot of individuals.”

Among those whose spent days and weeks searching for sunstones is Garwin Carlson of Klamath Falls, a longtime member of the Rock and Arrowhead Club, which meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday each month at the Klamath County Museum.

In June the club hosted a sunstone digging on three sunstone claims the club has

near the commercial and BLM mines.

“It’s kind of nice to get out and away from everything,” Carlson says of the pleasures associated with sunstone mining. “We can see the stars and the moon at night.”

Exciting, too, is the joy and surprise when making a good find, and then faceting and polished stones into jewelry.

“Everybody will find colored sunstone, but some will be more valuable,” said Rose, noting yellow are the most common sunstones. More valuable are red, green and dichroic stones, which change colors from side-to-side. “I like the variety — they’re so many different colors. I’ve even seen a rare purple.”

“The way I like to look at it,” said Buford, “is if somebody finds a beautiful stone and makes it into jewelry it’s a family heirloom. It’s something that will be a memory, possibly for generations.”

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26 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

New trails ahead Shoalwater trailhead, other Spence Mountain expansions open for first summer

By SEAN BASSINGER: H&N Staff Reporter Breathtaking Basin: Views of several varieties of trees, nearby hills and bodies of water can be seen early on the Shoalwater trail, which is one of the newest fixtures within the Spence Mountain trails along Highway 140 west of Klamath Falls.

H&N photos by Sean Bassinger

W

armer weather, barbecues and the inevitable waves of midges are all signs of summer taking shape in the Klamath Basin.

In terms of outdoor activities, avid hikers and bikers may also notice something new this season: several new trailheads in the Spence Mountain area have been completed and open to enjoy.

The main Spence Mountain trailheads begin along Highway 140 just past Howard Bay, though a newer series of trails, dubbed the Shoalwater trailhead, can also be found just 5 more miles up the road and 2 miles into Eagle Ridge Road.

See TRAILS, page 27

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 27

TRAILS, from page 26 Those who explore the area get a sweet dose of scenic views almost right away. Drew Honzel of the Klamath Trail Alliance says many of Spence Mountain’s trails offer a great sample of what Klamath County trails have to offer.

“You don’t have to get up very far to get great views,” Honzel said. “What sets us apart from other systems is we have water on three sides.”

Planning new pathways Honzel has worked with the Klamath Trails Alliance for several years. The group continues to help seek out money for new trail systems, in addition to helping with upkeep and signage throughout the process.

A sign explaining the various trails and pathways at the Spence Mountain trailhead, which KTA helps with, can be seen immediately before the trails begin.

Last year, KTA helped with roughly 1,200 total hours of maintenance on the trails, according to Honzel.

Spence Mountain is especially unique in that it went from nothing to more than 30 miles of trail.

“Spence is probably the highest profile just because it’s kind of a green field,” Honzel said.

This year KTA helped raise nearly $150,000 in grants and other sources to help pay for new trail systems, Honzel said.

Many of the newest trails

at Spence Mountain were machine-made — this mostly means that trails are less narrow and provide more challenges for more avid bikers.

“It’s a slightly different experience being on a machinebuilt versus hand-built, especially if you’re a biker,” Honzel said.

Activity for everyone Several groups and bike shops, such as Hutch’s Bike Shop and Zach’s Bikes, often hold a series of events on afternoons and weekends to get more trail riders, runners and hikers together in the same place.

“It’s just a way for like-minded people to connect,” Honzel said.

KTA was also part of an ultra trail marathon run organized

through Klamath Falls’ Linkville Lopers running club in June.

The first event of its type at Spence.

As for family-friendly trails, Honzel said he believes the Old Eagle trail along the Shoalwater trailhead will probably be among the most popular.

Honzel placed emphasis on the benefits of trails for tourism. He said the trails alliance has plans to only expand more on future pathways throughout Spence, Moore Park and other surrounding areas in the Klamath Basin.

“Next year we hope to raise enough money to fund another $150,000 of trail expansion,“ Honzel said. sbassinger@heraldandnews.com

28 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

The right to remain adorable Sheriff’s office staff find comfort in furry friend

By STEPHEN FLOYD: H&N Staff Reporter

S

ometimes big help comes in small packages — small and furry, that is.

After Klamath County Sheriff Chris Kaber took office in 2017, he brought along his terrier, Sister, who had been a constant companion during his days as a polygraph technician.

Kaber said it was not his initial plan to keep Sister around the office. But when the dog and Kaber’s staff took a liking to each other, Sister became a fixture of the department, sporting her own badge and department ID. “She’s been a real positive thing,” said Kaber. “The first day I came in — I swore in on Jan. 3, 2017, and when I showed up an hour later with a dog, people were more excited that I came with a dog than that a new sheriff was here.”

While dogs in law enforcement are hardly new, dogs as companion animals are receiving more attention due to the benefits they offer department staff and the public. Starting in early August, City/County Insurance Services, Klamath County’s insurance provider, will hold a law enforcement conference featuring a session on comfort animals in police agencies.

The session will be led by Sherwood Police Chief Jeff Groth, who will discuss the benefits of having Mila, a black Labrador and comfort dog, in his department. Kaber said four of his deputies plan to attend the conference, including the session on comfort dogs.

See FURRY, page 29

On duty: Sister, a terrier belonging to Sheriff Chris Kaber, sits in the front office where she has become a regular during the last year-and-a-half.

Job well done: Office Coordinator Becky Collins feeds Sister a treat in the front office.

Badge of honor: A badge for Sister was made by sheriff’s office employee Deb Hunter.

H&N photos by Stephen Floyd

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 29

PANCAKE FUNDRAISER SATURDAY TO BENEFIT K-9 PROGRAM The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is preparing to bring a more traditional dog onto the force this month after raising funds within the community to restore its K-9 program.

The sheriff’s office has been without an animal team since K-9 Ex, partner to Sgt. Steve Lewis, died in March.

After raising $22,500 from local residents and community groups, the department is bringing on a Belgian malinois through Makor K9, based in West Virginia.

Weighing in at 80 lbs., the dog was expected to arrive in mid-July, completing a long trip that began in Europe. The dog will arrive with a Makor

trainer, who will work with Deputy Tom Hoy on the basics of K-9 handling.

Sheriff Chris Kaber said enthusiasm for the K-9 program has continued after his department met its initial funding raising goals and talks are under way to potentially acquire a second dog. Such groups as Klamath Rocks have thrown their support behind the program and scheduled a pancake breakfast fundraiser for July 28 at Applebee’s on Campus Drive.

Tickets for the fundraiser are $8 and the breakfast, from 8 to 10 a.m., is all-you-can-eat.

For information, call Candi Campbell-Roll at 541-2056039.

A Basin Tradition for over 50 Years!

H&N photo by Stephen Floyd

Staffer: Klamath County Sheriff Chris Kaber poses with his terrier, Sister, who has become a regular at the office.

Groth said Mila has helped his officers cope with traumatic events, while she also helps calm crime victims and those being questioned by police.

Groth told the Sherwood Gazette in January the need for Mila became apparent after his department responded to a series of high-stress incidents at the end of 2016.

Previous success Kaber said he saw the benefits of a comfort dog first-hand during his time with Oregon State Police, from which he

retired as a detective in 2013.

Kaber said, about 15 years ago, he was having a new house built and his Australian shepherd, Jesse, could not stay at home due to chemicals used by the painters.

Jesse ended up going to the office with Kaber and was so well received she kept coming back.

“She just became part of the office,” said Kaber. “The cops could pet her, the staff would talk to her and give her snacks, the criminals would pet her head and they just loved it.”

See FURRY, page 30

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30 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

FURRY, from page 29 “All of a sudden I had some rapport with even the bad guys, because everybody likes dogs — nice dogs,” he continued.

Fast friends So it was no surprise to Kaber when, just like Jesse, Sister started getting along with people at the sheriff’s office.

“I think it’s been really, really good,” he said. “I mean, my office staff loves Sister. I get chewed out if I don’t bring her into work.”

Office Coordinator Becky Collins said Sister’s companionship is great for when an employee might need an emotional pick-me-up.

“If we’re having a bad day, it’s nice having her around,” said Collins. “If it’s just that we’ve been really busy or stressed or whatever, she comes up and just kind of helps ... oh, you know, just like your own pet if you have pets at home and are used to that.”

“It’s a nice change of pace,” she continued.

“They’re not judging, they’re not being critical, they’re just there to be there for you. So I think, at least for the front office staff, she’s good to have around.”

Authorized: Sheriff Chris Kaber, top, shows his pet terrier, Sister’s, badge. An office ID identifies authorizes her to carry a firearm, but Kaber said Sister rarely does.

On the job: Front office employee Katie Brown pets Sister, who has become a regular guest in the office and is an example of how a companion animal can improve the morale of a law enforcement agency.

H&N photos by Stephen Floyd

Calming influence Collins said even visitors to the sheriff’s office have an easier time with Sister around. She said sometimes people are anxious or upset when they speak with office staff and, when they see Sister, they are sometimes able to calm down.

“They see her and it kind of redirects their focus a little bit and it’ll calm them down a little bit,” said Collins. “... they start asking questions about her — what kind of dog is she, how old is she.”

Kaber said these kinds of interactions with the public

help humanize deputies.

Instead of being seen simply as someone laying down the law, the public can see deputies as normal people who enjoy pets, too.

“It makes us look like real people,” he said, “It just makes them know we’re people doing jobs and we like animals and we’re not too stuffy.”

A niche service But it’s not necessarily likely Klamath County will see more companion pets join other departments.

Kaber said it is technically against county policy to bring Sister into work, but so far county commissioners have not been bothered by her.

“The commissioners have agreed, not officially, but they’ve said, ‘We don’t care.

It’s your office, you’re an elected official, if you want to do that that’s fine,” said Kaber.

Kaber said such a department would need the right kind of dog, one with an even temperament who enjoys being around people.

“She’s great,” said Kaber.

“Not every dog would be able to do this. It’s got to take a dog like Sister and Jesse was. It’s just calm and accepting and loving and not in the way.”

Collins said she could see other police agencies benefitting from a dog like Sister, but only under the right conditions.

“If it works for their office, yes absolutely I would recommend it,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s for every office, because some offices might be too big, too busy.

But I think for us it works really well, it works great having her around and she’s been a great addition to have around in the office.” sfloyd@heraldandnews.com

Klamath County Circuit Court

Carol Westfall Klamath Falls Mayor

Women

in

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Sherry McManus

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Theresa Devereaux & Pamela Hutsell Yarnz 4 Ewe

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W O M E N in Business

Judge Roxanne Osborne

31

32

W O M E N in Business

Judge Roxanne Osborne — Klamath County Circuit Court

H&N photo by Stephen Floyd

GIRLS RULE: County’s first female judge reflects on 28 years at the bench

O

n Aug. 1, Oregon’s longest-serving, sitting female judge will celebrate 28 years on the bench — and she’s right here in Klamath County.

Judge Roxanne Osborne said, nearly three decades ago, she was certain her calling was to uphold the law from a judge’s dais.

After spending time as a county prosecutor, Osborne said she saw a judgeship as a way to have a positive impact on her community.

“I love this job,” she said. “This is a great job. I feel like, when I get out of bed in the morning and come to work,

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Osborne, 64, began her career in criminal justice in 1979 with the Klamath County District Attorney’s Office right after graduating from law school. She holds a doctorate in law from the University of Oregon, as well as a bachelor’s degree in political science from Oregon State University.

See OSBORNE, page 34

Pamela Davenport and Nicole Boyd The Davenport family has owned and operated Davenport’s Chapel since 1978. Recently, they bought Klamath Memorial Park Cemetery to complete their full range of services.

Pamela puts family first. Her husband Mark also works for the family business.

She has four children: Nicole and husband Colton and grandson Kaleb; Natalie; Hannah; Ryan and granddaughter, Leilani. Favorite activities include theater, sewing, hiking & music.

Nicole not only works for the family business, but has launched her own creative blog and online jewelry business.

She and her husband, Colton have a son, Kaleb and enjoy pastoring the junior high youth group at Faith Tabernacle.

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W O M E N in Business

H&N file photo

Klamath County Judge Roxanne Osborne listens to attorney Rosiland Lee during a pre-trial conference in late 2015 in the lead-up to the trial last year of former Klamath County Sheriff Frank Skrah.

OSBORNE, from page 32 As a deputy DA, Osborne found herself assigned to multiple vehicular homicide cases and said this instilled in her the real dangers of intoxicated driving.

“It made me very cognizant of people who are driving under the influence of intoxicants,” she said, stating she could only think of one vehicular homicide case she handled that did not involve a drunk driver.

Her caseload also exposed her to the rigors of death investigations and autopsies, which she described as “eye-opening” but also “super interesting.”

First of her kind Eleven years into her career as a prosecutor, Osborne said she began considering her future in the court system. Having spent plenty of time in front of judges, she said this seemed like a job that would suit her.

See OSBORNE, page 35

H&N file photo

Your honor: Judge Roxanne Osborne is seen in this early career election photo.

Since her appointment to a judgeship in 1990, Osborne has won six elections.

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Judge Roxanne Osborne hands down a sentence of life in custody during the murder trial of Paul Christian Wuerz in May.

“When I was a deputy DA and I was thinking about the rest of my life, I was looking around and going, ‘Hey, I think I could do that,’” she said of a judgeship.

Her opportunity became available in 1990 when a vacancy opened at the Klamath County Courthouse. After interviewing with then-Gov. Neil Goldschmidt, Osborne was appointed as a judge and retained the position during the following election.

Erica Abel Er

At the time, Osborne was Klamath County’s first female judge. She said this distinction did not take away from her ability to do her job.

“It was never an issue in my mind,” she said. “I’ve always been, just, super bossy, so it didn’t bother me in the least.”

Of Klamath County’s five judges, three are now women. Osborne said, unlike many other courthouses in Oregon, all five local judges work well

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together and are glad to lend each other a hand.

No big deal Osborne said she could not recall any attorneys making light of her gender in court, though some defendants took swipes at her womanhood during heated moments. Osborne said she does not take this behavior personally as it is not unusual for defendants to make emotional statements before a judge.

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W O M E N in Business

H&N file photo by Stephen Floyd

36

W O M E N in Business H&N file photo

Judge Roxanne Osborne speaks to defendant Seth James Cunningham during his sentencing for murder in June of 2017.

OSBORNE, from page 35 “I never really feel like it’s anything personal,” she said. “They’re in a bad position and they’ll say anything to anybody.”

There was at least one incident outside of court when an out-of-town attorney was discussing arraignments with Osborne. The attorney began to ask when the judge would arrive and was apologetic when Osborne clarified

Linda L Knust

she was said judge.

“He was horribly embarrassed, but it was funny,” she said.

An unusual defendant During the years, Osborne has heard a variety of cases from run-of-the-mill thefts and assaults to more serious homicides and sexual abuses.

One high-profile case was just last year when former Klamath County Sheriff Frank Skrah stood trial that May for assaulting three restrained suspects.

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Osborne said Skrah’s trial was different because, as a defendant, he was very unlikely to re-offend and did not require the court’s normal restrictions.

“His was more heat-of-the-moment and was situational and it wasn’t like I was worried about him ever getting in trouble ever again,” said Osborne.

Skrah was found guilty by a jury of five misdemeanor counts and was sentenced to a year of probation.

See OSBORNE, page 37

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37

— Judge Roxanne Osborne

Osborne said she has watched many changes in state and local criminal justice during the last 28 years. When she began, marijuana, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and occasionally heroin, were the drugs of choice for local offenders.

Since then methamphetamine has overshadowed all other controlled substances and accounts for a large number of arrests in the county.

“I remember when I first saw my very first methamphetamine case,” she said, “There was no methamphetamine when I first moved here, and now there’s methamphetamine every day.”

Osborne said the court’s understanding of mental health among defendants has also changed and resulted in more offenders being diagnosed with treatable behavioral conditions.

“They really don’t belong in jail,” she said of mental health patients. “That’s not any answer to their mental health issues. It’s sad, super sad.”

Osborne is the assigned judge for Klamath County’s behavioral intervention court, which was created in 2016 to provide treatment-specific sentencing for offenders in need of mental health care. She said, though groups like Klamath Basin Behavioral Health are supporting the program, local

mental health resources are still stretched thin.

“KBBH has been awesome,” said Osborne. “They work really hard. It’s a group effort to try and address issues, but they don’t have the resources that they need for people.”

“One of the huge problems we have is there’s no housing,” Osborne continued. “For some of these mentally ill people, they’re living on the streets.”

Community support But Osborne said she trusts the community of Klamath County to support those in need, as they so often do. She pointed to groups such as Klamath Works, which is building a human services campus on South Sixth Street to include a health clinic, sobering station and the new Klamath Falls Gospel Mission.

“I think this is a great community and I feel like, when there’s a problem in our community, people will come together and try and figure out an answer to it,” she said.

“There’s not a lot of fingerpointing. People try to solve the problems.”

Osborne said she is grateful to the community for their continued support of her judgeship and for allowing her to keep what has become her dream job.

“I feel like it’s important, and it’s always interesting,” she said. sfloyd@heraldandnews.com

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OSBORNE, from page 36

W O M E N in Business

‘I think this is a great community and I feel like, when there’s a problem in our community, people will come together and try and figure out an answer to it.

There’s not a lot of finger-pointing.

People try to solve the problems.’

38

W O M E N in Business

Mayor Carol Westfall — city of Klamath Falls

H&N file photo by Stephen Floyd

Klamath Falls Mayor Carol Westfall speaks during a February ceremony about what she called the “overwhelming” support for Kingsley Field’s 173rd Fighter Wing among city leadership.

Serving the community and planning for the future

By CAROLINE CABRAL: For the Herald and News

A

little over half way through her second year in office, Klamath Falls Mayor Carol Westfall did not necessarily expect she would end up as a public servant — but she is happy she is.

“I’ve grown a lot because this has forced me to grow,” Westfall said. “The first year, the learning curve was straight up.”

Without a set of instructions or a background in public policy, “It was basically by the seat of my pants.”

Now, though, she knows where she stands.

“I’m able to assert myself, where the first year I wasn’t sure.

So it’s been a nice change.”

Throughout her time in office she has seen the many avenues that foster community participation, and works to make the changes the community is vocal about.

See WESTFALL, page 40

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Klamath Falls City Manager Nathan Cherpeski and Mayor Carol Westfall share a laugh during the Monday, Dec. 18 regular city council meeting.

WESTFALL, from page 38 “That’s been really good for me,” she said. “Before, I always thought the government wasn’t something you can even address, and I think at a local level we can do so much more.”

Westfall started her civic engagement by running a small business and attending city council meetings.

“I was having some issues with the city,” she confessed. “I was going to city council, and I was requesting information, but I really wasn’t getting the info

that I wanted ... so I said, ‘This isn’t right.

We need to make some changes.’ ” Throwing her hat into the ring for the mayor’s race, she ran on the platform that she would provide small businesses with a voice — and she won.

Westfall really has planned to focus her term on building the community throughout. She wants the people who speak up, and for those who are passionate to do something with their passion. One example is her Christmas lights project, for which

she started a committee.

“Last year we didn’t have any Christmas lights because we were having issues with the lights — they had deteriorated, so there were no lights,” she explained. “It was really bad. We had a lot of people calling very concerned, so I called those people up and said, ‘Hey! You wanna be on a committee?’

“They were passionate about it,” she said, beaming. “And those are the ones you want to get on your committee.”

See WESTFALL, page 41

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H&N file photo by Sean Bassinger

41

‘We have so many people working toward what is good and right in this community and that excites me.’

W O M E N in Business

H&N file photo

— Mayor Carol Westfall

WESTFALL, from page 40 Originally from Eureka, Calif., Westfall, her husband, and their three children moved to the City of Sunshine as a way to get out of their foggy community and find something new. With a background in both interior design and small business ownership, she brought a different perspective.

“When you look at a city and you go, there’s got to be planning, and it fits right into interior design,” she said.

“You’re running a business just like

when you’re running a city,” Westfall added. “You want to be fiscally responsible, you want to make the best decisions, and you have the people around you who are helping you make those decisions ... you have to be open to new ideas.”

Westfall is proud to be the first woman to hold the Klamath Falls mayoral position. She has a daughter, and said one of her goals is to inspire other women to get involved.

“We have a way of reaching across

Carol Valenzuela

the table and having a little more meeting of the minds. We’re a lot more open,” she said. “I think women have that opportunity and bring a great perspective to anything, so I think it’s very important to get involved.”

The city and the need she sees are what drive her in her role as mayor.

“The city has given so much to me, and it’s time for me to give back,” she said. “We have so many people working toward what is good and right in this community and that excites me.”

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42

W O M E N in Business

Sherry McManus— Coldwell Banker Holman Premier Realty

H&N photo by Caroline Cabral

Hard work and self motivation are two of the keys to success, according to Coldwell Banker Holman Premier Realty’s Sherry McManus, who has been in the Klamath Falls real estate business for 30 years.

Success, for McManus, comes from a lack of complacency

By CAROLINE CABRAL: For the Herald and News

A

real estate agent for Coldwell Banker Holman Premier Realty, Sherry McManus has served her community for 30 years.

Candi Can Sonerholm

“You have to be a self motivating person,” McManus said, and she rises to that description.

Not used to being in the spotlight, McManus tries to focus on her clients while she makes sure things run seamlessly behind the scenes.

“You have to be hardworking, you have to be able to accept disappointment and move on and not take things

in the

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She believes her success comes from a lack of complacency.

“It’s not an hourly job,” she said.

“You can work as hard as you want, and you’re rewarded for it.”

See McMANUS, page 43

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43

‘The time has just flown. It seems like in the blink of an eye, here I am 30 years later.

It’s been a very fulfilling career and life. I feel very blessed about where I am in my life.’

McMANUS, from page 42 She works early in the morning and into the night, making herself available any time her clients have questions “... so they know that you’re doing all you can.”

Glancing back McManus moved in 1986 to Klamath Falls from Bonanza where she previously owned and worked on a ranch running cattle. Before transitioning to the real estate business, she also owned and operated a western wear and tack business retail store.

“I knew about working with the public, and it was an easy transition for me to make,” she said.

Her career change in 1987 was inspired by her brother, a broker in Burns at the time.

“It’s been a great decision that I’ve never regretted, never for a minute,” she said. “I guess that’s why I’m still in it after almost 31 years.”

She enjoys working with people and helping them to “... fulfill their dreams” and

“... make a change in their life.”

McManus grew up in the 1950s, her mother and father working as farmers and ranchers.

“They [her parents] instilled that hard work in my brother and I. We’ve always continued with it because it gives us a good feeling of self fulfillment and accomplishment to be a hard worker, and that’s carried over into real estate.”

Changing times In the last 30 years, McManus watched her industry evolve.

“Communication makes it so much easier with email and our cellphones and texting and things, but still, that personal touch of getting to know people,” she said.

She’s also seen the economic changes in her field, recalling the first home she sold in the Gatewood area for $45,000 while a similar home today might be between $100,000 and $200,000.

“The economy does affect real estate values ... it’s something you just ride out because it’s gonna have its ups and downs, but it always seems to rise again.

Right now it’s on the rise.” She continued, “It’s just part of the job, part of the profession, to know that cycles go up and cycles go down.”

Looking forward Having just returned from a trip to Italy, McManus discovered she would like to see more of the world abroad.

“European travel was totally foreign to me,” she said. “I’m interested in traveling a bit more and seeing other countries and how they work.”

Next year, she plans to explore Portugal and Spain.

In terms of her professional goals, though, she wants to continue what she is doing now.

“I love it so much,” she said. “The time has just flown. It seems like in the blink of an eye, here I am 30 years later. It’s been a very fulfilling career and life. I feel very blessed about where I am in my life.

“That to me is an accomplishment. Loving your profession and feeling like you’re rewarded for your hard work.”

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44

W O M E N in Business

Pamela Hutsell & Theresa Devereaux — Yarnz 4 Ewe

H&N photo by Caroline Cabral

Longtime friends Pamela Hutsell, left, and Theresa Devereaux work on projects at the community knitting table in their shop, Yarnz 4 Ewe. The duo supports other businesses run by women, through the products they choose to sell.

Friendship, business created through community yarn shop

I

nside a small shop, about the size of a hallway, on Pershing Way are longtime friends Pamela Hutsell and Theresa Devereaux.

Their love of yarn and knitting brought — and has kept — them

Susie Spratt Susi

together, allowing them to run their community shop, Yarnz 4 Ewe. Hutsell and Devereaux met one another in the shop when it went by the name Laize Dayz Yarn and Tea Shop.

“I was managing the shop for the previous owner,” said Devereaux. “Pamela was a client and every now and then she would come in. When I moved to Missouri, she was one of the few people who kept in contact with me, and our friendship just kind of grew from there.”

Bonnie Teeples is co-owner of Keepers Corner, Klamath Basin’s premier Antique and Collectible mall. She and her husband Scott opened Keepers Corner in January of 2007. The store has become a destination store for antique and collectible dealers from the Northwest and Westcoast.

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When Devereaux moved back, the women purchased the store together.

The two business partners glanced knowingly at one another when the subject of the store’s name came up, and Hutsell was excited to share.

“Theresa always wanted that name,” she all but yelled. “Her dream was to have a yarn store, always, and she already had the name picked out, so it was really easy, just go with it.”

See YARNZ, page 45

Keepers Corner is one-stop shopping for all of your home decorating needs. Shop with us for the largest selection of painted and repurposed items for your home and yard. With 20,000 square feet of retail space and 140 vendors, it is easy to see why Keepers Corner was voted #1”Best in the Basin” Antique and Vintage store in Klamath Falls three years running.

Certainly, the store you can’t ignore!

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC 403 Main Street * Klamath Falls OR 97601 Stacy Ellingson, Designated Principal Broker

1785393

By CAROLINE CABRAL: For the Herald and News

195 East Main Street • 541-273-7553 www.KeepersCorner.net • Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm

45 YARNZ, from page 44

Yarnz 4 Ewe hosts an afternoon of community knitting and crocheting, “Charity in Stitches,” from 1 to 3 p.m. each Wednesday at the shop at 2617 Pershing Way. Items are made for donation. For more information about the stitching session, call 541-798-5596. For more information about the shop, visit their Facebook page.

Linda Kalus

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC

Louise Stone

Oregon Licensed Real Estate Broker

29 Years of professional service with a smile!

Call or Text @ 541.281.4251 Email: linda.kalus@fnrhomes.com

www.ILiveattheRunningY.com wwww.ILiveattheRunningY.com

Call or Text @ 541.891.6208 Email: lulu49@charter.net

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Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC 403 Main Street * Klamath Falls OR 97601 Stacy Ellingson, Designated Principal Broker

Oregon Licensed Real Estate Broker

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC 403 Main Street * Klamath Falls OR 97601 Stacy Ellingson, Designated Principal Broker

1786018

WITH OTHERS IN MIND

W O M E N in Business

Photo courtesy of Yarnz 4 Ewe

Devereaux continued, “I was sitting in my chair in Missouri one day just knitting along on something, and all of a sudden it just popped into my head. Just like that. I texted Pam and I said, well maybe someday. But at that point in time ….”

“We had no idea this was going to occur,” Hutsell finished.

Complementary The two complement one another, relying on the other’s support for more than just storytelling. They have been running the shop for over a year, and balance one another in business and life, it seems, as they finish one another’s sentences and find enjoyment in the other’s company.

“Doing it together meant we didn’t have to do it by ourselves,” said Hutsell.

Devereaux chimed in, “Exactly, her weaknesses are my strengths and vice versa.”

Hutsell concluded, “Theresa brings the business aspect of it. Taking care of the business financially, ordering, things like that. We do some of it together, and I do know how. It’s just her strengths. Mine are clients coming in and needing help in where they’re at in their pattern and teaching them different things.

Theresa can do that as well, it’s just where I’m strong.”

The shop itself has been in the same place since 2011, but the women took it over and changed its name in 2017.

Although Hutsell did not have

experience owning and operating a business, Devereaux went to school for business and she and her husband owned a car dealership in Washington.

As female business owners, Devereaux and Hutsell do their best to support other women in business, including Knitted Wit, an all-women owned-and-run company, Shepherd’s Wool, a women-owned zero-waste company and Wonderland, another women-owned company.

We try and give back to what we’re doing and what we believe in, and support those who support us; because without them we couldn’t do this,” said Hutsell.

Paying it forward More than anything, though, their inspiration and drive come from benefiting the community.

“Our goal is to just keep paying it forward and paying it forward — it’s what we try and do,” said Devereaux.

Hutsell agreed, “When you’re giving back it does come back to you .... When somebody can come in here totally frustrated and leave here happy and then they come back that’s payment.”

Having been able to learn from one another, the two enjoy being able to share their passion with the others.

If you can turn your hobby into your job you don’t have to work,” Hutsell said. “If that’s your passion and that’s what you love to do, it will translate. Some of it’s kinda scary but it’s not as hard as it feels before you start.”

46

W O M E N in Business

Kim Abel — Abel to Dream

H&N photo by Kurt Liedtke

Kim Abel, proprietor of Abel to Dream Interior Design, joined the Running Y Ranch Resort last year as the popular locale’s sales manager and certified wedding planner.

Planning the perfect day: Weddings & interior design

P

lanning for the perfect day, or the perfect home, can be a stressful and time-consuming venture.

Tillie Webb Til

Good thing Kim Abel is ready and able to guide people through the tumultuous process.

A Klamath Falls native, Abel is proprietor of Abel to Dream, an interior design and wedding planning service. Having an artsy aesthetic and an eye for detail has been a lifelong passion inherited from her parents. Her mother’s art can

Diana Kellstrom

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC

Oreg egon Licensed Real Estate Broker

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC 403 Main Street * Klamath Falls OR 97601 Stacy Ellingson, Designated Principal Broker

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC

Oreg egon Licensed Real Estate Broker

"Professional Friendly Service"

Your home, Your future… ...My Commitment!

1786036

Call or Text @ 541.891.7389 Email: tilliewebb@gmail.com

still be seen in galleries in Klamath, and the family often re-arranged their living room when she grew up, learning with each new layout what entails a quality, functional home.

It was when Abel moved to Eugene and started a family that she began utilizing her skills for others, launching an See ABEL, page 47

Call or Text @ 541.331.0218 Ema Email:dianakellstrom@gmail.com Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC 403 Main Street * Klamath Falls OR 97601 Stacy Ellingson, Designated Principal Broker

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By KURT LIEDTKE: H&N Staff Reporter

47

Rosemary Whitaker Principal Broker/Owner 541-892-2121

Brooke Allen Principal Broker 541-281-2143

Barbara Martin

Principal Broker 541-892-1052

Linda Speers Principal Broker 541-891-5262

Michelle Blackmore Broker 541-281-5299

Deloris Collins Broker 541-892-0524

Brooke Geaney Broker 541-331-3622

Tracy Holden Broker 541-591-6060

Laura Knight Broker 541-331-1729

April Lagasse

W O M E N in Business

‘Even with smaller weddings, the biggest part I feel is to diffuse as much stress as possible, take off the pressure, and put everything on timelines so that it doesn’t seem so daunting.’

— Kim Abel, Abel to Dream

ABEL, from page 46

Stress strategy “It is supposed to be a happy occasion, but it can be very stressful for everyone involved,” said Abel. “Even with smaller weddings, the biggest part I feel is to diffuse as much stress as possible, take off the pressure, and put everything on timelines so that it doesn’t seem so daunting. We usually start working on it a year in advance, getting vendors locked in, saving the date for photographer, florist, cakes. If I am there to conduct it, it just runs so much more smoothly.”

The partnership with the Running Y is an obvious fit for Abel, with its pristine landscapes and multitude of amenities on-site making it an easy one-stop shop for a memorable wedding celebration. The resort’s golf course, the lone Arnold Palmer Signature course in Oregon, makes for a clear draw for many, while activities like horseback riding, ziplines, canoeing and much more await guests. The resort includes a restaurant, bar, lodging and a spa so that the bride can get their wedding prep done in one location, and wedding guests can make it a vacation destination to enjoy beyond just the big day.

See ABEL, page 48

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interior design business on the side that quickly became a full-time endeavor. Eventually her home décor clients began asking for her help in wedding plans, and Abel to Dream’s hybrid services were launched.

Now back home in the Klamath Basin, Abel’s work caught the attention of the Running Y Ranch Resort, where many of her planned weddings were held. Now Abel serves as sales manager and official certified wedding planner of the resort locale, helping couples experience the perfect day of their dreams.

Managing all the little details, that can otherwise mount up to a sometimes overwhelming level of stress, is Abel’s top priority, ensuring that families can enjoy a day of memories rather than nitpick over the last-minute issues that inevitably plague weddings and special events.

48

W O M E N in Business H&N photo by Kurt Liedtke

Kim Abel, wedding planner for the Running Y Ranch Resort, stands by the pristine landscape setting utilized for many happy couple’s nuptials and photos.

ABEL, from page 47 “It makes it an easy destination wedding, everything needed is here,” said Abel. “With people drinking and celebrating everyone is right here, so there’s no need to worry about people driving, and guests can go from rehearsal to wedding to a Sunday morning bridal brunch all right here. It’s kind of a nobrainer.”

With Abel’s hands-on approach

LLu Gastaldi

working with couples, by the time the process is complete many consider her part of the family, going so far as to keep in contact when couples have their first child. While no way to know for sure, she believes she has probably even helped salvage a few relationships when couples can crack amidst the stress of the lead-up to a wedding. The same applies to her interior design services, doing her best to provide the ideal vision of her clientele.

“By the end I am definitely like part of the family,” laughed Abel. “I want people to feel comfortable with me.

Whether building a new home or on the most important day of their lives, it’s important that they trust me.”

Abel takes a meticulous approach, starting with a lengthy standard checklist of to-do items, then customizing it and establishing timelines for the desired outcomes.

See ABEL, page 49

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC

Oreg egon Licensed Principal Broker

Call or Text @ 541.891.7830 Email: lugastaldi@gmail.com

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC 403 Main Street * Klamath Falls OR 97601 Stacy Ellingson, Designated Principal Broker

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“Hon Honest, Friendly and Professional Service”

WE ARE ACCEPTING PROPERTIES TO MANAGE CALL US TODAY SO WE MAY PUT OUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO WORK FOR YOU.

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49

W O M E N in Business H&N photo by Kurt Liedtke

Kim Abel, wedding planner for Running Y Ranch Resort, showcases the ample tent space available for wedding receptions that can host up to 200 people.

ABEL, from page 48 Special requests for non-traditional weddings are becoming more common, but still do-able, whether people want a casual backyard barbecue-style wedding, riding in on horseback to the nuptials, or a Star Wars-themed affair.

Unless it breaks fire code or homeowner’s association rules, Abel can usually find a way to make it happen.

The process has changed somewhat in recent years, as the rise of online shopping behemoths like Amazon have made it more difficult to find mom-andpop-style bridal shops. It is an aspect Abel is somewhat remorseful about, not being able to browse boutiques as she once could with brides, but works with couples’ visions and provides guidance wherever possible. She also places responsibility on the bride and groom

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empowering the community

as well, to make sure they are mentally invested in the process.

“The joy is in getting to know the couples, how they met, how they proposed,” said Abel. “It is a new venture now; people meet online, they meet across continents, people get married where the groom’s dad has yet to meet the bride.”

See ABEL, page 50

Ione Thomsen Thomse

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC

Oreg egon Licensed Real Estate Broker

Sout outhern Oregon’s best kept secret, Klamath County!

Cal all or Text me today @541.892.7934 Email: Ema ione.thomsen@fnrhomes.com Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC 403 Main Street * Klamath Falls OR 97601 Stacy Ellingson, Designated Principal Broker

50

W O M E N in Business H&N photo by Kurt Liedtke

The Running Y Ranch Resort was already a popular destination stop for its Arnold Palmer signature golf course and amenities, but it has thrived as a wedding site for happy couples under the guidance of Wedding Planner Kim Abel.

ABEL, from page 49 For her interior design approach, much of the same rules apply. She not only has an eye for color and design, but like with wedding planning she takes time to make sure to listen to what clients want. Often she sees other designers chasing trends, pushing clients toward what’s current, but when tastes change, inevitably clientele are unhappy with the result.

“I do my best to listen carefully to what they want, because at the end of the day it’s their house,” added Abel.

The wedding business has been booming at the Running Y under Abel’s direction, with over 30 success ceremonies this year alone. The demand has been so much that, as much as she would like to continue balancing both services, interior design may eventually have to take a backseat to wedding

planning out of sheer demand.

For now, Abel is able and happy to offer her watchful eye for every minor detail for happy couples and homeowners to ensure a lifetime of memories to come.

For more information about Abel to Dream interior design and wedding planning services, contact Kim Abel by visiting www.runningy.com. kliedtke@heraldandnews.com

Kathy (on the left) has been lead receptionist for the past 22 years.

Claudia (on the left) is new to BEC and is assisting Kathy in reception.

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC

Stacy Ellingson

Kendra (on right) is the Insurance manager and has been with BEC for 8 years.

Call or Text @ 541.591.4322

Fisher Nicholson Realty, LLC 403 Main Street * Klamath Falls OR 97601 Stacy Ellingson, Designated Principal Broker

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Email: Em stacy.ellingson@fnrhomes.com

A BIG THANKS TO THESE GREAT GALS!

2424 Shasta Way • 541-882-2812 • BasinEyeCare.com

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ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 51

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

Charlie Wyckoff — Klamath Falls Farmers Market

By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter

C

harlie Wyckoff spends nearly two dozen Saturdays each summer managing the Klamath Falls Farmers Market, but he’s always working to make the market run more smoothly, even outside of market season.

Wyckoff started as an artisan at the market in the mid-2000s, and has served as manager since 2009. This year he’s also taken on the role of chairman for the promotion committee that organizes Third Thursday and Scarecrow Row events. He also serves as a board member on the Klamath Falls Downtown Association.

“Doing the market, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work,” Wyckoff said, of his management philosophy. “I guess (it’s) just providing the organization to it so that both vendors and the public have good experiences.”

For Wyckoff, the volunteer positions he holds are not about checking items off a list – although he is really good at making lists – but about giving back.

“Working with people and having a successful event … it’s a community thing,” Wyckoff said.

Wyckoff logged ideas to improve the market as an artisan, not knowing he’d take over management in 2009.

“When I have a list like that, I’m having fun,” Wyckoff said.

He put the ideas into practice when he took over, including thoroughly vetting vendors to fill 50 spots and inviting more to join the market, working to improve

H&N photo by Holly Dillemuth

the overall market experience.

Wyckoff said it would’ve been too easy to turn the gathering into a downtown Saturday Market – a mix of crafters and artisans, versus local produce.

“It is a farmers market – I’ve always wanted to keep it a farmers market with produce at the center.”

“Local food and local produce, it was just something that connected me back to the community,” Wyckoff said.

‘Bread and butter’ He continues to advocate for farms and fresh, local produce as he operates the market with the mindset of an artisan.

“You’re out there day-in, day-out, looking for producers, because that is the ‘bread and butter’ of the market,” Wyckoff said.

Wyckoff hopes to eventually expand it to include the parking lot adjacent to the street where

the market currently takes place.

“I always saw a better way, a more efficient way to do something,” Wyckoff said.

In 2010, Wyckoff used market funds to buy a wireless EBT machine to help individuals with food stamps utilize them at the market.

“That was a must,” Wyckoff said.

Wyckoff said he’s always operated the market as one that caters to visitors and residents, since it’s located downtown.

“I noticed a lot of that when I was doing silversmithing and my jewelry and stuff, probably 70 percent of my business were visitors, out of town folks,” Wyckoff said.

Wyckoff grew up in a rural, mining and logging town in Hayfork, Calif., and said he comes from a long line of “self-made” people who aim to serve their community.

Growing up with a grandfather who served as a fire chief and a dad who served in law enforcement, Wyckoff was largely influenced to serve the broader community.

Pivotal events Before he operated the market, however, he admits life hasn’t always been a bowl of cherries.

Pivotal events in his late teens, including a major vehicle crash, changed the direction of his life.

Wyckoff said it compelled him to move out of his hometown and set his goals higher.

Klamath Falls and working with the farmers market has led him to opportunities he wouldn’t have imagined, and his roles have served as a creative outlet to showcase his organizational talents.

“Local food, local produce was just something that connected me back to the community,” Wyckoff said.

52 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

— Flora & Fauna of the Klamath Basin — SAGEBRUSH MARIPOSA LILY

CHUKAR Alectoris chuckar

Calochortus macrocarpus The mariposa lily, which derives its name from the Spanish word for butterfly, is a perennial which grows in the northwestern United States and Canada.

The plant grows from bulbs and seeds, reaching from 8 to 20 inches in height.

Mariposa blooms can be found in July and August in shrublands, and ponderosa pine and juniper woodlands, usually in volcanic soils at 4,000 to 6,000 feet elevation.

Bulbs and flower buds from the mariposa lily are edible and have been historically consumed by indigenous peoples and settlers.

The flower’s bulbs have been used for medicinal purposes as well, reportedly as a poison oak treatment.

Chukar facts  Blend in with their environment, despite their bold markings.  Eat seeds, leaves, berries and insects.  Takes advantage of all types of water sources in its dry environment.

During the hot summer months, chukar have been observed finding their way into mineshafts 10 feet below ground level in search of water.  It is the national bird of Pakistan and Iraq.

For those who want to include the mariposa in their home garden, commercial seeds are available, although the plant can be difficult to cultivate. There are about 40 species of mariposa lily native to western North America.

Resources:  “Common Plants of the Upper Klamath Basin” at http://bit.ly/2fm4Jsj  Calflora.org  Flora of North America: efloras.org  Britannica.com  wildflowers.org  wikipedia.org

H&N photos by Holly Owens

Sagebrush Mariposa Lily facts  Bulbs can be eaten raw or cooked, and the sweet flower buds as well.  Bulbs were eaten by Mormon settlers between 1853 and 1858 when famine from crop failure threatened

new immigrants in the Salt Lake valley.  There are about 40 species of mariposa lily native to western North America.

By HOLLY OWENS: H&N Assistant Editor

Ground-loving chukars are members of the pheasant and grouse family. When alarmed, they quickly run uphill or burst from cover with rapid wing-beats and a characteristic “whitoo” call.

Introduced from the Middle East and southern Asia for hunting opportunities in arid western North America, the chukar is a very successful exotic species that occupies habitats where few other gamebirds exist. It is the most harvested upland bird in Oregon.

Chukars are known for their speed, according to the All About Birds website. “It runs and scampers up steep terrain with the agility and speed of a mountain goat, prompting hunters to nickname it the ‘devil bird’ for the brutal chase it gives.”

Chukars travel in coveys during late summer to early spring, but can be hard to see through brush and grass. They are more noticeable in spring, when the “chuk chuk chukar” cackling of territorial males can be heard.

Females lay eggs in clutches of eight to 14, sometimes up to 20 or more.

According to Audubon, the young hatch in 22 to 24 days and leave the nest shortly after. Tended by one parent, they mostly find their own food and are able to fly at seven to 10 days, reaching full size in about two months.

Resources:  Audubon: audubon.org/ field-guide/bird/chukar  Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: myodfw.com  Allaboutbirds.org: allaboutbirds.org/guide/Chukar

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 53

On the calendar around the region Night, at dusk, Sugarman’s Corner on Main Street.

July

FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS SEPT. 7-29  “Southern Fried Funeral,” Linkville Playhouse, 201 Main St. SATURDAY, SEPT. 8  “In a Landscape” concert at Fort Rock State Park, 6 p.m., with Hunter Noack on a 9-foot Steinway concert grand piano.

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY JULY 27-29  Paisley Mosquito Festival, includes a fun run, horseshoes, art show, barbecue, music, games and more. More information at cityofpaisley.net.

SATURDAY, JULY 28 Bonanza’s annual Rib Cook-off Extravaganza, Big Springs park in Bonanza. 

Canoe the Upper Klamath National Refuge, 10 a.m. to noon, free ranger-guided tours, equipment provided.

Call 530-667-2231 for reservations. 

August THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, AUG. 2-5  Klamath County fair on the Klamath County Fairgrounds.

FRIDAY, AUG. 3 “In a Landscape,” grand piano concert performed by Hunter Noack, 7 p.m., at Playa near Summer Lake and Paisley.

H&N file photo by Stephen Floyd

The Klamath Falls Farmers Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Ninth and Main streets.

KLAMATH’S SUMMER SEASON SENSATIONS  Klamath Falls Farmers Market: Every Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., June through October on Ninth Street between Klamath Avenue and Main Street. Includes vendors, artisans, children’s activities, music and more.  The Klamath and Western Railroad: This miniature railroad near Chiloquin offers rides on scale-model trains

from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day weekend.

Special days offered on Saturday, Oct. 20 and 27 for the Pumpkin Express. To reach the station, from Highway 97 North, turn west onto South Chiloquin Road, the parking lot is about a ½ mile up the road, on the left.

Food and refreshments available. Information at knwrr.org.



First Friday Free Summer Movies at Sugarman’s Corner, dusk, at Sixth and Main streets. 

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AUG. 3-12  “The Wizard of Oz,” based on the classic book and beloved film, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday evening performances, with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees, Ross Ragland Theater. Tickets are $19, $23 and $29 before transaction fees.

SATURDAY, AUG. 4  Klamath Lake Land Trust kayak trip to the islands of the Sprague River, fishing and birding. To register, call 541884-1053 or visit www.klamathlandtrust.org.

SATURDAY, AUG. 11 Tulelake Shindig Street Fair and Bazaar, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., music, crafts, family fun, food and more, in Tulelake.  Brats, Brews & Blues Festival, a benefit for the Klamath Hospice Youth Bereavement Camp, Klamath Yacht Club.

Tickets available for $20 at klamathsunriserotary.org.  Perseid meteor shower star party, watch the Perseid meteor shower in the evening at the Fort Klamath Museum. 

THURSDAY, AUG. 16 Third Thursday, 6 to 9 p.m., downtown Klamath Falls.

Enjoy music, activities, vendors and more while shopping downtown. Event’s theme will focus on local healthy food and growing seasons. 

September SATURDAY AND SUNDAY SEPT. 1&2  Hildebrand Threshing Bee, Bodnar’s Chimney Rock Ranch.

Showcase of vintage farm equipment, demonstrations. To reach the ranch, go east from Dairy for 3 miles on Highway 140 East, watch for signs at Bliss Road. Included will be a tour of area homesteads and barns guided by the Klamath County Museum. Tour participants will leave from the threshing bee at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1.

THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, SEPT. 6-9  Annual fair on the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 7  Outdoor Summer Movie

SATURDAY, SEPT. 8 & 15  Ride the Rim at Crater Lake National Park. East Rim Drive closed to motorized vehicles from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for biking, hiking and running.

Ridetherim.org.

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SEPT. 14-16  Klamath Independent Film Festival, an Oregon centric all-genre film fest. More information at klamathfilm.org/ festival.

SEPT. 14-OCT. 27 Favell Museum Art Show and Sale, exhibition highlights works by more than 30 regional artists and includes a variety of celebrations. More information at favellmuseum.org.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 22  Free Park Day, free admission to all national parks, including Lava Beds National Monument and Crater Lake National Park. 

October SATURDAY, OCT. 6 Klamath Lake Land Trust stargazing and camp out at Cabin in the Pines. To register, call 541-884-1053 or visit www. klamathlandtrust.org. 

SATURDAY, OCT. 20 Klamath lake Land Trust Buck Island boat trip and hike. To register, call 541-884-1053 or visit www.klamathlandtrust.org. 

54 | Klamath Life | ALONG THE WAY

Advertiser’s Index Almond Aesthetics...............................12 Amerititle .................................................43 Anderson Engineering ........................55 Basin Eye Care ..................32, 36, 40, 50 Century 21 ...............................................47 Coldwell Banker .....................................33 Davenport’s Chapel.........................5, 32 Fisher Nicholson .......34, 35, 36, 37, 38 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50 House of Shoes ......................................25 Howard’s Drugs .....................................55 Howard’s Meat Center........................29

KCC .............................................................10 Keeper’s Corner .................................... 44 Klamath Eye Center ...............................7 Lester Realty, Inc....................................17 Mile Hi Tire & Exhaust .......................47 Morehouse Property Management .... 48 Parties R Me ............................................49 Pizzazz Salon & Day Spa ....................42 Plantscapes ..............................................38 Sky Lakes ...................................................56 True Value Lakeview ............................47 Win-R Insulation .................................. 34

ALONG THE WAY | Klamath Life | 55

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