UV Magazine Spring 2018

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF THE UMPQUA VALLEY

Spring 2018 • volume 3

GROWING BUSINESS

From local farms to the online universe, young entrepreneurs stake their claims THE ART OF THE TATTOO DOUGLAS COUNTY'S PULITZER WINNER QUILTING CENTRAL

Nonstop

EUG to PHX

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72

42

48

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60

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FEATURES 42

48

54

GROWN TO GROW

TAKING OFF ONLINE

INK, INCORPORATED

Young, local farmers are putting down deep roots in Douglas County.

Umpqua Valley entrepreneurs tap into the Internet to grow their businesses.

Douglas County is home to several talented tattoo artists and a growing number of aficionados.

DEPARTMENTS UMPQUA LIFE

FOOD + WINE

CULTURE

10 AT HOME ON THE RANGE

28 TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

34 WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Steve Harris has earned a widespread

Focusing on service and high-quality

reputation for his skill in traditional

ingredients, True Kitchen + Bar carves its

rawhide braiding.

niche in Roseburg.

14 OUTSTANDING IN THE RAIN

32 SWEET OPPORTUNITY

The Roseburg Area Angel Investment

Cody and Mandy Dolan find their calling at a

Network gives local start-ups a chance to

long-standing Roseburg candy business.

impress local investors.

A brief history of some familiar local names.

36 PRIZED PULITZER Douglas County native H.L. Davis is the only Oregon novelist to win the fiction prize.

40 SOUNDTRACK OF THE STREETS Tony D’Agnese and his trumpet provide

16 ORGANIZED PATCHWORK

a comforting musical backdrop for

Umpqua Valley Quilters’ Guild puts the final

Roseburg’s downtown.

stitches into its 35th annual public show.

22 LIL’ YOGIS Students at Sunnyslope Elementary find a kids yoga program helps them in unexpected ways.

25 FARMERS’ MARKET FINDS (PART II)

HEALTH 60 WHAT YOUR BLOOD SAYS

BUSINESS

OUTDOORS

70 A MILLWRIGHT’S ART

76 UV DAY TRIP

Millwrights with the artistic skills of Dave

A beautiful, half-day odyssey to South

Pedersen are hard to find.

Umpqua Falls starts in Canyonville.

72 THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WORKING…AND WALKING

Physicians like Dr. Claire Stone learn a lot

Clemons is the local go-to source for

about people by studying their blood.

custom-made high-quality boots and shoes.

62 GETTING INTO GIVING

74 DARING TO DREAM

Reviewing applications and considering

NeighborWorks Umpqua helps local

financial support for Douglas County

residents get their lives on the right track.

not-for-profit organizations is a labor of love for members of Mercy’s Community Gifting Committee.

63 ROSEBURG WELLNESS CENTER Find your inner Zen on the corner of Main and Cass streets.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 06 Editor’s Letter 09 Contributors 20 UV LOVES 78 Last Word

68 FINDING YOUR PURPOSE Blue Zones Project – Umpqua can show you a path to a longer, better life.

SOWING THE SEEDS

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E DITOR’ S LETTER

I

I have a confused relationship with the tattoo. Not any tattoo in particular, but tattoos in general.

I don’t have one. It’s not that I haven’t thought about getting one, but I can’t figure out what I’d want to look at daily for the rest of my life. And I have this fear that about five minutes after I had something inked into my skin, barbed wire or pizza or unicorns would go out of style.

My confusion stems from the fact that about 15 years ago I was telling my daughter things about tattoos that I don’t believe today. My opinion has evolved as a person, but the parent in me is conflicted about that.

Fifteen years ago, about the time she was getting her 657th tattoo, I was telling Rikki, “Oh, aren’t you going to make a beautiful bride.” (Pulling out all the stops.) Thirteen years later, on her wedding day, all I could think of was how beautiful a bride she was.

CONTACT ME editor@TheUVlife.com

IN MEMORIAM We regret to report the death of Oakland-based author Diane Goeres-Gardner, whom UV profiled in our Winter 2018 issue.

An award-winning poet, historian, writer and lecturer, Ms. Goeres-Gardner wrote, or co-wrote, five books of Oregon history — including a 2010 photo history of Roseburg.

She died of cancer Dec. 21, 2017, three days before what would have been her 69th birthday.

That didn’t make me wrong 15 years ago, but opinions do change. Today, it’s difficult to find a young person under, I don’t know, my age who isn’t inked in some sort of way. It’s a thing now. The way my mustache used to be. And still should be.

Anyway, have a look at the article that starts on Page 54. You’ll learn about some extremely talented local tattoo artists and get to know just a little about some of the people, young and less young, who proudly wear their art.

I know many of these people, and they’re great. They work, they pay taxes, they have families, they volunteer in the community, they want to make this community better.

They have great stories to tell, and they are sharing their most important chapters, in impressively eloquent language, through their tattoos.

We hope you are continuing to enjoy UV. As always, I welcome your comments and ideas.

Dick Baltus Editor in Chief

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SOWING THE SEEDS

PAGE 44 Yes, the Umpqua Valley provides a more leisurely pace for retirees, but that doesn’t mean the wheels of commerce aren’t spinning.

Read how young entrepreneurs are finding fertile ground in local farmlands and on the Internet.

PAGE 70 “Millwright” and “art” are words seldom found in the same sentence, but that doesn’t mean they are mutually exclusive, as you’ll learn in Doug Pedersen’s profile of his brother, Dave.

PAGE 75 The simple façade of Clemons Boots on Roseburg’s Main Street doesn’t do justice to the quality of footwear the business has been producing for decades. Read Brandon Johns’ story of how Bill Clemons and his daughter, Libby, are carrying on the long-standing family tradition.

Community Banking for Local Professionals growth and economic development, and to the people who make our town feel like home.

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Contact your local banker today to experience the value of community banking!

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR I enjoyed your “True Grit” issue of UV (Winter 2018) and wanted to drop you a line and thank you so much for premiering my business in it. Imagine my surprise when I was approached by Brad Allen and told he wanted to write an article about me and my business, Chuck’s Texaco Service.

The article was well written and positive and the feedback I have received from the community and my customers has been tremendous. Thank you all again for highlighting my business in your wonderful magazine. I have enjoyed your magazine from its inception. You all deserve kudos… it is well written, beautifully presented, fantastically photographed and always down to earth. Thank you again for this honor. Chuck McCullum

SPRING 2018

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Dick Baltus

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Tyler James

I read your newest issue of UV and wanted to say that I very much enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed your article on Dr. Feldman (“The Wine Doctor,” Winter 2018). I also wanted to congratulate you on your new magazine and wish you the best. Stephen Reustle

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Your magazine is amazing and put together with impeccable taste. Always look forward to your next issue. The photography, stories and the quality of paper you put them on is excellent. Can’t say enough. Keep up the good work! Judy Lass

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Thanks for your leadership in re-launching and inspiring a high-quality magazine which celebrates our Umpqua Valley. The magazine has a great upscale look and feel. The magazine is visually very inviting and not cluttered. The articles are very “human.” David Reeck Just wanted to say how delightful it is to read an interesting, well-written, visually gorgeous publication. Thank you. I am a native, but I like to learn more about our UV. Victoria Fuller

DESIGNERS

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

PUBLISHED BY

I just had a chance to sit down and read the current issue of UV. Congratulations.

It is so good. Renee Coen I just finished reading the first edition of UV and am impressed...where do I subscribe?

I love this valley and love to hear, and read, about others who feel the same way. Best wishes for a long and continued journey supporting one of the best, little-known secrets....our Umpqua Valley.

Elaine Frances Moriarty Editor’s note: Unfortunately we are unable to offer a subscription service at this time.

OWNED AND OPERATED BY

LIFESTYLE + TRAVEL MAGAZINE OF THE UMPQUA VALLEY TheUVlife.com

Thomas Boyd

Michael Williamson, Kylee Lee

Jim Hays

Brandon Johns, Josh Gaunt, Doug Pedersen, David Shroyer, Jennifer Grafiada, Bentley Gilbert, Erin Wilds, Jenny Wood, Robert Leo Heilman, Nate Hansen Tristin Godsey, Samantha Starns, Robin Loznak, Nicole Galster, Miguel Cortes, Cindy Sloan, John Abernathy.

Misty Ross, Nicole Galster

ADAMS, HULL + MACCLUER, INC. 603 S.E. Jackson St., Roseburg, OR 97470 ahmbrands.com

UV is owned and operated by The Umpqua Life LLC, a partnership of AHM Brands, CHI Mercy Health and Derek A. Adams

UV Magazine copyright 2018 by The Umpqua Life LLC. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without the express written consent of The Umpqua Life LLC. The views and opinions expressed within UV magazine are the authors’ and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of The Umpqua Life LLC, its employees, staff or management.

SOWING THE SEEDS

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AT HOME ON THE RANGE / STANDING OUT IN THE RAIN / PATCHWORK ORGANIZED / UV LOVES / LIL’ YOGIS / MARKET FINDS

AT HOME ON THE RANGE Steve Harris has earned a widespread reputation among horse people near and far for the skill with which he is keeping alive the ancient tradition of rawhide braiding.

Story by Dick Baltus Photos by Thomas Boyd

H

e could be from another time, and it’s not because he still operates a flip phone.

Steve Harris stands in a corner of his small shop surrounded by the tools of his trade and the products of his labors in various stages of evolution. The first saddle he ever made sits in a corner, up and out of the way.

Another one in progress straddles a stand near a workbench filled with antique tools.

Thin strands of rawhide hang from poles suspended from the ceiling, waiting to be meticulously braided around the cores that form the foundation for Harris’ much-sought-after hackamores (at its simplest, a bridle without a bit).

Books and notebooks grace shelves affixed to one wall.

Most bear titles related to Harris’ profession, but on the top shelf a collection of Louis L’Amour paperbacks stands out from the others.

Harris wouldn’t look out of place gracing the cover of one of these classic Westerns. All he’d need do is add a Stetson and maybe a pair of chaps to the wardrobe he sports now – Clemons boots, Wranglers, a flannel shirt buttoned all the way to the top and a neat haircut mussed just enough to hint that a hat did indeed recently occupied the perch.

It’s a fitting look for a “Trenzador,” a man who has earned a reputation as widespread as an open plain for his skills in the ancient skill/art of rawhide braiding.

You could pass Harris’ shop at the western edge of Roseburg hundreds of times – and if you frequent the Melrose area, you have – and never notice it. It could be any well-used, slightly off-kilter outbuilding on any small farm.

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UV . SPRING 2018

UMPQUA LIFE

But people certainly notice what comes out of it.

Harris has sold his saddles and hackamores to customers from here to the East Coast and beyond. They pay up to $600 for the privilege of sliding one of Harris’ creations over the nose and ears of their horse. Harris’ saddles start at $6,000.

He sells to serious horsepeople who are as patient as they are discerning. Harris’ full hackamores typically come with a 13-month wait time. Saddles can take 20 months.

Cindy Sloan, of Joseph, Ore., paid $500 and waited several months for her bosal, the noseband piece of a hackamore.

“You can go out and buy a bosal for $100 or $150, but I thought I’d try one of Steve’s,” Sloan says. “I love it. It’s really a piece of art, but functional art.”

Watching Harris work, it’s impossible not to notice his artistry and attention to detail, as well as the ease with which he employs both while waxing eloquently on any number of subjects – from the task at hand to the history of Vaquero horsemanship (a tradition developed in Mexico and Spanish California that produced the riding and roping skills of the North American cowboy).

He speaks like a professor teaching a class at Cowboy University. Now Harris is adding the finishing touches to a heel knot, a rawhide ball that helps the hackamore drop from a horse’s face to create space, which a skilled rider uses to send signals to his or her horse.

What did this piece start out as? he’s asked. “It started out as a kangaroo hopping down a dry gulch in Neil Harvey’s back lot in Australia,” he answers.

Harris’ hands move around the tightly wound knot, prying open with one tool the narrow strips wrapped in a herringbone pattern, then threading through the space a lighter colored strip with the equivalent of heavy sewing needle.

And what’s the appeal of braiding?

“It’s a thing with depth in a disposable world.”

He repeats the process around the ball until he reaches the starting point of his “up-and-down arrowhead” design, then tightens and forms the knot into its final perfectly round shape.

Then he finishes off the bosal by applying a coat of Leather Sheen with a small artist’s brush.

Where do his creations go after they leave?

“They go ride under skies I’ll never see, on horses I’ll never touch, and that’s an honor.”

The finished bosal looks as much like a decorative wall hanging as it does a utilitarian tool for a horse person. An argument

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UMPQUA LIFE

could be made that it looks too nice to use. And, indeed, Harris says, some of his creations never leave their owners’ living rooms.

But no matter how pretty his creations, they are first built to work.

“I use hackamores all the time myself,” he says. “That is to say, I go rope heavy cattle on steep slopes with nothing but a hackamore on the horse’s head. I expect these to be used.”

Horses have been part of Harris’ life as long as he can remember.

“My grandpa put me on a horse when I was a kid, and I never recovered,” he says.

His father was an agriculture teacher at Roseburg High School and his students, including his son, were required to complete a project before leaving his class. Harris’ project was braiding, a technique that can be traced back as far as the ancient Phoenicians that involves using strips of untreated cowhide to fashion elaborate and beautiful plats and knots.

In 1996, after deciding to pursue braiding as a profession, Harris traveled around Oregon picking the brains of every braider he could find. He then completed a saddle apprenticeship in Idaho before returning home to set up shop.

The more Harris braided, the better he got, the farther his reputation spread and the more work came his way. Most of his business today comes from word of mouth or from people who follow a horse trainer who uses his gear.

“But I have a fair number of people who are very serious about horsemanship, who did some research and decided it was worth waiting a year and paying a substantial amount of money to get a hackamore from my shop,” he says. “That is very flattering.”

Michael Marks, who lives in and is a native of Germany, recently ordered his third Harris bosal. He is one of many who understand that good things come to those who wait.

“I was in no hurry,” says Marks. “This is an investment expected to last at least for the rest of your life. When it comes to training a horse there is a saying: ‘It takes as long as it takes.’ Why shouldn’t this apply to the equipment?”

Harris says he is fortunate to have built a customer base that knows quality takes time. There aren’t many skilled braiders out there, but he is encouraged by “a renaissance of better horsemanship” that is driving increased demand for better gear.

He’s got all the business he can manage for now but, he says, “I can name 10 guys younger than me who are braiding, and that’s a good sign.”

Harris isn’t sure what braiding will look like years down the trail, but he might be getting a glimpse of it every night when he tucks his daughters into bed.

“My 3-year-old was stamping leather yesterday and my 5-year-old was begging to come to the shop. So they are interested,” he says.

If they keep watching their father, they will learn that working to keep the past alive can lead to a bright future.

“MY GRANDFATHER PUT ME ON A HORSE WHEN I WAS A KID, AND I NEVER RECOVERED.”

–Steve Harris

Photo by Miguel Cortes

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Erika Maritz explains her invention to a patient.

STANDING OUT IN THE RAIN Through the Roseburg Angel Investment Network, start-ups like Oregon Medical Solutions, Wrappin’ & Rollin’ and other businesses get a chance to impress and earn support from local financial backers.

Story by Jim Hays Photos by Thomas Boyd

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E

rika Maritz saw a need, which led to an opportunity, which was soon followed by a problem. She found her solution in a ray of financial sunshine called RAIN.

During her 14 years as a radiation therapist for Community Cancer Center, Maritz repeatedly saw patients who required feeding tubes struggling with the cumbersome apparatus and committed herself to helping them. With her own ideas and input from patients, Maritz developed the Comfort Feed holder, which made the tubes much more manageable.

Maritz paid to have several hundred made from her design, and the cancer center started buying them for its patients — until her inventory was almost depleted.

“I was down to about 20 units,” Maritz recalls. “I told the center’s dietitian I would have to either ‘Go for it’ and have more made and start marketing them or close up shop. She told me, ‘Oh no, you can’t quit, this is too valuable.’”

Thus began Maritz’s involvement with RAIN — the Roseburg Angel Investment Network. When she was finished, she had impressed potential investors enough that she won a prize package at the network’s annual conference last December.

With RAIN’s help, she got additional Comfort Feed holders made and jumpstarted her fledgling enterprise, called Oregon Medical Solutions.

Since 2013, the RAIN program has put owners of selected young companies in the company of investors interested in strengthening local entrepreneurship and the Douglas County economy. To date RAIN has invested more than $725,000 in six small companies.

UMPQUA LIFE

“The idea is creating early-stage funding for businesses,” says Chris Burnett, controller for Lone Rock Timber and RAIN’s 2017 managing member.

The long-range goal, Burnett says, is to create new, stable and successful businesses that will help grow the local economy, add to the variety of goods and services available in the area and, eventually, create jobs.

RAIN provides awards of both money and services for enterprises in Concept and Launch stages.

Concept, which Maritz won in 2017, is for local companies still in development. An individual or group might have an idea for a business that needs further developing.

They could also be running a limited business already, but aren’t quite ready to take the next step. Concept applicants are limited to Douglas County enterprises.

company. “If the company wants to give a pitch to the investor group, then the business adviser would refer them to me, then on to Chris (Burnett), who evaluates the proposal to see if it’s something the investors could have an interest in.”

Caterson’s recommendations are important, Burnett says.

“We want to make sure companies have utilized the services of the SBDC and have developed a pitch before proposing an investment to the group,” he says.

THE LONG-RANGE GOAL IS TO CREATE NEW, STABLE AND SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES THAT WILL HELP GROW THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

Launch stage is open statewide and is designed to assist companies that have already raised seed money, have a proven concept and have established their market. Winners at this stage can receive as much as $150,000.

Darci Hawkins, who operates the food truck Wrappin’ & Rollin’ with her husband, Daryl, learned about RAIN through the UBC while assembling a business plan in 2016. They credited their training experience for helping them leave that year’s conference with Concept money.

Both Maritz and Hawkins say they got more than financing out of their experience with RAIN. Maritz got her Comfort Feed units made, updated her Oregon Medical Solutions website and produced a sales brochure. She also got free access to training and consulting.

“In the launch stage, the business may not be in revenue, but they Beyond that, Maritz says she came away with renewed confidence. are ready to launch, which takes significant funding,” says Debbie “I was blown away by the number of people who came to me during Caterson, executive director of the Umpqua Business Center and the event and told me their story of someone they know and love who director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at could have benefited from my product,” she says.

Umpqua Community College. “Concept stage is a business plan competition where we do training with them and help them develop For the Hawkinses, the money certainly helped, but more important was the opportunity to network. their presentation to the investors.”

Prospective RAIN recipients and their businesses go through “We met a lot of new people that we have reached out to in the last a screening process, which starts with an appointment with an year for advice and guidance,” she says.

SBDC adviser.

“The business adviser takes a look at the company’s needs, challenges and what steps they need to take next,” says Caterson, herself a 2015 Concept Stage winner for Inspiration Mixes, her gluten-free baking

Both women say the RAIN process was invaluable, even if they had left empty-handed.

Says Maritz, “Even if I knew going in that I wouldn’t win, I would do it again.”

Darci and Daryl Hawkins serve up delicious vegan fare from their mobile kitchen.

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PATCHWORK ORGANIZED

UMPQUA LIFE

F

or three days beginning Friday, April 20, Douglas Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds will be transformed into Quilting Central with Umpqua Valley Quilters’ Guild’s 35th public show. The annual expo has grown into the biggest conclave of quilters and their craft in Southern Oregon.

This year’s show, billed as “Dreaming of Diamonds,” will attract quilters from Washington, Idaho, Northern California and elsewhere — in addition to UVQG members and others from around Oregon.

Show chair Corrine Woodward expects more than 300 items of many types will be exhibited and judged in some 23 categories and age groups. Those include not just traditional quilts such as bedspreads and wall art, but also totes, bowls and whatever else a quilter’s imagination and skill can produce.

The result will be a three-day celebration of bold colors, eye-catching graphics, breath-taking artistry and exquisite craftsmanship.

Colleen Blackwood, a well-known quilt artist, designer and teacher from Pendleton, will be the 2018 show’s Featured Quilter.

In addition, attendees can take part in classes, workshops and a variety of quilt-related activities — whether they’re just getting started or are long-timers looking to expand their skills.

Guild member Linda Garmon, much admired for being both innovative in technique and prolific in production, will be this year’s Honored Quilter and will demonstrate and teach from a booth at the show.

The guild and its officers take pride in the size and quality of their annual show and the significant benefits its estimated 1,000 visitors will bring to the local economy. But that’s only part of their story. It’s their less-noted community service projects that give guild members perhaps their greatest satisfaction.

The third Tuesday of each month, from September through May, is a “Sew Day” for the guild. It’s one of three monthly meetings. The other two deal with guild business and often feature presentations on different aspects of the craft such as discussions of new techniques.

“We’re always learning from each other,” Woodward says.

woolen appliqués the time-tested way — with needle and thread.

Yet another set of quilts is getting started. Some are designed as personal projects for friends and family, such as member Shirley Pyle’s “T-shirt” quilt, assembled from a friend’s collection of souvenir shirts and made to commemorate his experiences over a lifetime.

Then there’s Woodward’s ambitious, epic 10-foot-square work telling Oregon’s story visually through intricate piecing and stitching. Included are quilted examples of the state’s mountain peaks, rivers, oceans and wildlife sewn with an intricacy that rewards close inspection. The quilt required 18 months of work, but Woodward pointed out that she did most of it between assignments for the custom quilting business she operates out of her home.

Guild members’ personal projects are completed — often collaboratively, with suggestions and insights from other members — in tandem with the group’s extensive service works.

Providing comfort to those in need is something the guild’s roughly 130 dues-paying members have been doing since the group basted its first layers back in 1982. Beginning last September through the end of 2017, for example, the guild created and gave away nearly 100 quilts to community organizations such as Healthy Start, Adapt, Family Development Center, shelters for homeless women and children, Camp Millennium, Quilts of Valor and Mercy Medical Center.

In 2015, the quilters welcomed home the Roseburg-based Oregon Army National Guard Charlie Company from a yearlong deployment in Afghanistan by presenting each of the returning Guardsmen with a patriotic-themed quilt commemorating their service.

It’s painstaking work that requires an artist’s creativity and design instincts, plus an engineer’s technical know-how and precision.

Despite the need for focus and attention to detail, however, it’s clear the guild’s members have plenty of fun, too. It’s impossible to ignore the laughter that often erupts from the quilters in a sewing session that is as much social as it is work.

In a meeting room behind Garden Valley Church, near the west end of the Roseburg boulevard of the same name, some 30 “It’s nice to be able to bring people together,” says current guild members of the guild measure and cut pieces of fabric, stitch president Donna Scully. together the pieces on sewing machines to form blocks or run an iron over them to get rid of any stray wrinkles or creases.

Meanwhile, sitting in folding chairs, two members work on

There’s almost always something going on with Umpqua Valley Quilters’ Guild, but the organization ramps up its activity this time of year in preparation for its 35th annual public show.

Story by Jim Hays Photos by Tristin Godsey

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A CENTURIESOLD TRADITION Story by Jim Hays Photos by Tristin Godsey

A

t its most basic, a quilt is layered fabric with front and back covers sewn together around a core of padding.

Crosshatched stitching keeps the core material from bunching up and maintains its shape.

“You’re basically making a fabric sandwich,” says Shirley Pyle (left), who started quilting after she retired from her 35-year career at the Oregon Department of Employment, including several years as manager of its Roseburg office. “You have a front and a back and in between is the batting.”

The craft is thought to have originated in ancient Egypt, but was introduced in Europe in the 12th century. The oldest known existing quilt dates to the late 1300s and is made of linen around cotton wadding and embroidered with brown and white linen thread depicting battles, castles and ships.

As European civilization expanded, so did quilting, and as the craft was introduced to successive cultures around the world, each adapted it and over time created its own particular style — such as Hawaiian, South Asian and Native American.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. is home to some 21 million quilters — about 7 percent of the population.

Quilting has become more popular over the years partly because of advances in technology.

Newer, more versatile machines and tools, plus the development of computer software aimed specifically at quilters have made the craft more accessible than ever for those just getting into it.

2018 UMPQUA VALLEY QUILTERS’ GUILD SHOW WHEN: Friday - Sunday, April 20-22.

HOURS: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

WHERE: Douglas Hall, Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2110 Frear St., Roseburg ADMISSION: $8 18

UV . SPRING 2018

LEARN MORE: uvquilters.com

UMPQUA LIFE

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UV . SPRING 2018

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UMPQUA LIFE

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1. Spunky Steer, Ryan Michael Men’s Western shirt. 2. Northwest Lifestyles, Eric Michael’s brand women’s green suede zip front espadrille. 3. Treasures of The Heart, Stickers NW brand Roots trucker’s hat.

4. Northwest Lifestyles, Eric Michael’s brand women’s navy suede bootie with gold star. 5. Spunky Steer, Umgee USA brand, Women’s Shirt with pom poms, with leather necklace & turquoise earrings.

NEW ADDITION TO THE FAMILY 2.

1.

3.

4.

Treasures of the Heart: 1. Stickers NW brand Roots onesie. 2. Kobi Yamada Children’s book with Stuffed toy egg. 3. Baby Ganz brand girl’s grey & white striped dress with rosette headband. 4. Bunnies By The Bay.

21

LIL’ YOGIS Young students at Sunnyslope School are getting their minds, bodies and spirits in shape at an early age in a yoga program designed just for kids.

Story by Erin Wilds Photos by Tristin Godsey

Cassie May helps a Lil’ Yogi get into position.

T

here’s a lot about this yoga class that doesn’t feel, sound or look like a yoga class.

First, there’s a lot more noise. But that’s only because of the second unusual aspect of this session – the only person past age 10 is Cassie May, the volunteer who leads Lil’ Yogis, Sunnyslope Elementary School’s thrice-weekly yoga program designed just for kids.

May is not your typical yogi either, at least not in these sessions, which she runs more like a drill sergeant, she says with a laugh.

Whatever it takes to help a group of around 25 kindergarteners through fifth-graders work on strengthening their bodies, minds and lives.

May, who operates Geter Done Hair Salon in downtown Roseburg, was teaching yoga to her children at home when she was approached in 2015 by Sunnyslope principal Don Schrader about starting a yoga program for kids at the school.

Schrader had developed a program called “Sunnyslope on the Move” with the goal of “getting kids moving and stretching before school and running at lunchtime.”

Schrader used grant money to purchase fitness equipment, including yoga mats, and started teaching a yoga class himself.

The kids responded as enthusiastically as Schrader did upon learning the mother of one of his students was a yoga teacher.

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UMPQUA LIFE

“She is so much better at it than I am,” he says.

A “self-taught yogi” of 15 years, May believes learning yoga is more than just a fun activity for the children.

“It teaches them mindfulness, and it teaches them about their body, which is most important,” she says. “Mind is power. The brain is the biggest muscle of the body, and if you can’t learn to control it as a child, it’s very difficult as an adult.”

Kids can gain as much as adults by practicing yoga, according to May. The postures (called asanas) help build body strength and flexibility. Deep and full breathing (pranayama) can bring peacefulness or energy to the body. In addition to physical and spiritual benefits, May believes techniques learned in yoga can help kids learn to better deal with and understand their own emotions.

“Kids’ emotions are all over the place. It’s good to teach them while they’re young that it’s OK to be sad, it’s OK to cry, it’s OK to have your feelings hurt, and it’s OK to express all those emotions,” says May. She teaches her yogis to practice kindness inside and outside of their sessions. For example, she encourages the children to give compliments instead of insults when their feelings are hurt.

“I tell them ‘When you think something negative, say something positive,’” she says. “Children are fragile and they’re perfect to teach the importance of respecting, loving and being kind to others. I think that part of the world is kind of dissipating. I want to show them that it’s easy to be happy.”

The Sunnyslope kids have responded enthusiastically.

Classes are filled with laughter and buzzing energy while May playfully yells out instructions. When the class ends, the yogis gather in a circle, put their hands together in the middle and yell, “One, two, three, Lil’ Yogis!” before a large group hug.

Some of the kids have taken their interest beyond the classes. Several parents have told May that they have acquired their own yoga mats for home so their children can practice there.

May hopes to expand Lil’ Yogis to reach kids outside of Sunnyslope by hosting a free weekly session at a local park this summer. She is currently setting up crowdfunding to raise money for mats for outdoor classes and fund shirts for the Lil’ Yogis.

The goal, May says, is to continue spreading mindfulness and happiness.

SOWING THE SEEDS

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FARMERS’ MARKET FINDS (PART II) Story by Jennifer Grafiada Photos by Tristin Godsey

T

hose who make the Saturday trip to the Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market will be richly rewarded. Fresh hummus samples and hot tea, late-season produce, new food trucks and a wide variety of gift ideas make it a year-round draw.

SOWING THE SEEDS

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UMPQUA LIFE

While winter cold and rain sent Farmers’ Market vendors under cover, this spring the stalwarts and newbies will be back outside, looking for good weather and customers.

Market manager Amanda Pastoria hints at several exciting new vendors and programs this season, so grab your cash, plastic or Oregon Trail Card and plan a visit to the Farmers’ Market. Your taste buds will thank you. So will the market’s vendors.

VENDOR SPOTLIGHTS UMPQUA VALLEY FARMERS’ MARKET

KALAPUYA HONEY There is something beautiful about sunlight streaming through the golden amber of raw local honey in a glass bottle.

Look closely and you can see different shades. Blackberry honey is darker and more robust than blueberry.

“We have an unscientific poll going,” says Dallas and Rhonda Amer, who run the honey booth every Saturday. “Red wine drinkers tend to like the blackberry, and white wine fans go for the blueberry, which is lighter and sweeter.”

Some years, the Amers offer a cranberry varietal after their bees pollinate coastal bogs. But in the honey business, there are no guarantees.

“The conditions have to be just right for the nectar to come far enough for the bees to reach it, and the bees have to collect enough to make a surplus,” says Dallas, who calls himself a bee farmer rather than a beekeeper. “You take care of the bees first.”

Dallas has 46 years’ experience in the bee business and grandson Matthew Clark looks to be heir apparent around the hives.

Keeping Kalapuya Honey in the family is good news for the products’ local fans.

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UV . SPRING 2018

BLUE NILE AUTHENTIC HUMMUS

WHAT THEY OFFER • Raw local honey • Beeswax and pollen • Starter colonies (“nucs”) • Pollination services to farms and gardens WHERE TO FIND THEM • Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market HOW TO CONNECT Facebook.com/kalapuyahoney

Garbanzo beans, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, ground sesame seeds and salt.

It might seem simple to make hummus.

It’s making great hummus that requires the extra effort.

Blue Nile Authentic Hummus uses nonGMO garbanzos (aka chickpeas) from Washington state and cooks them in small batches. Beans from a can are a nogo. The garlic is freshly chopped and the lemon juice hand-squeezed.

Tareck Wagdi, who produces and sells hummus with his wife, Tracie, learned this commitment to quality from his mother while growing up in his native Egypt. The couple’s love for authentic Mediterranean hummus goes back 15 years, when they shared it as an hors d’oeuvre at family parties. Today, they sell at several locations along the Douglas County coast as well as locally.

Stop by their booth for a free sample on a pita chip. You might find yourself hooked.

UMPQUA LIFE

Tareck and Tracie Wagdi

Trevor Michel

FRESHLY CANNED ALBACORE AND SALMON “I work 15-hour days and do the work of two men,” says fisherman Trevor Michel, who is proud of the freshly canned albacore and salmon he produces.

“It is a dangerous job, but I am a risk-taker.”

WHAT THEY OFFER • Garlic-lemon hummus • Freshly baked pita chips • Mediterranean Tzatziki • Stuffed grape leaves, dried dates, marinated olives • Baklava • Spicy cheese dip • Loose-leaf herbal teas WHERE TO FIND THEM • Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market • Bailey’s Health Food Center, North Bend • Recreation Station, Reedsport • Coos Bay Farmers’ Market • Pony Village Mall, North Bend and Coos Bay • Bandon Farmers’ Market HOW TO CONNECT Facebook.com/Blue-Nile-Authentic-Hummus 541-517-4147

Michel began commercial fishing as a summer job when he was 20 years old, then worked as a deckhand until he had saved enough to buy his own boat. He first sold his product through wholesalers, but now sells directly to customers in Southern Oregon. In the summer, he also sells fresh-caught fish and plans to have supplies on hand at the Farmers’ Market this season.

“Trolling is sustainable fishery,” says Michel, who holds a degree in natural resources from Chico State University. He uses hooks and lines instead of nets or pots, and processes his fish to ensure maximum quality.

“The canned albacore you buy at the store is not bled and it’s previously frozen and caught with nets in another country,” says Michel. “I take good care of my fish when I catch them. It is time-consuming to do it this way and hard work. But when I get compliments it makes it all worth it. Some people do not know albacore could be so delicious out of a can, but if everything is done correctly, the results can be gourmet quality.”

WHAT THEY OFFER • Freshly canned albacore and salmon (salt or no salt; some with added garlic) • Fresh fish (seasonal) WHERE TO FIND THEM • Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market • At Oregon coast marinas (seasonal) HOW TO CONNECT 707-845-6884 WHERE ELSE TO WATCH They hope to sell their products wholesale to local businesses and ask that any interested restaurants or retailers please contact them.

Michel plans to expand his canned fish sales soon, but until that happens, you’ll likely find him behind a stack of cans at the market. That is, when he’s not on the Pacific bringing in another catch.

BlueNileFoods@Rconnects.com

SOWING THE SEEDS

27

FOOD + WINE

TOO GOOD TO NOT BE TRUE /

SWEET OPPORTUNITY

TOO GOOD TO NOT BE TRUE With a focus on outstanding service and high-quality ingredients, True Kitchen + Bar has carved out a niche in Roseburg’s growing fine-dining scene.

Story by Jenny Wood, RDN, LD Photos by Robin Loznak

True chef Rodney Wesson

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FOOD + WINE

A

s a registered dietitian and self-certified foodie I am always on the lookout for restaurants that are decadent and delicious, with a healthful twist. When I dine out and look at my plate I hope to see balance and variety, and I especially like to see vegetables.

What a delight it is to dine at True Kitchen + Bar. I have always been satisfied with my plates at True. The food is comfortable yet unique, with options on the menu that are familiar yet each with its own panache. I was excited to meet the woman responsible for bringing True to the downtown Roseburg restaurant scene.

a door leading from the kitchen. Cavens shows me how the kitchen is easily accessible from the main dining area, the bar and the banquet space.

“It’s in the center,” she explains, “because it’s the heart of this place.”

Cavens and Wesson are longtime colleagues whose days together go back 12 years to the now-shuttered Mark V in downtown Roseburg. When Mark V closed, Cavens started thinking about putting her years of experience in the service industry to work in a restaurant venture of her own. She knew that Wesson was the chef who could help bring her vision to life.

As Cavens and Wesson migrated to work at Dino’s Ristorante, also downtown, the duo began planning their own restaurant. They found a building, then undertook the significant job of transforming a former title company space into a fine-dining establishment.

By November 2014 the building was renovated, the dishes washed, the staff trained, the recipes written and True’s doors opened. “The response from the community was overwhelming,” Cavens remembers.

It’s easy to see why. True’s eclectic menu was designed to “bridge the gap between meat-and-potatoes types and foodies,” says Cavens, calling the fare “elevated comfort American cuisine.”

Menu items like grilled salmon, center-cut pork chop and panseared duck breast might not seem like envelope pushers but when you plate salmon with sautéed prawns, savory saffron broth, zesty corn relish and fluffy quinoa pilaf you have a game changer.

The center-cut pork chop is deliciously brined in pineapple soy, served with luscious mango barbecue sauce, crisp pineapple slaw and garlic fried rice. Wesson tops True’s duck breast with a blackberry-balsamic reduction to give it a completely new flavor.

Owner Lisa Cavens (above) smiles big and greets me with a hug. “I’m just a hugging type of person,” she explains. She is immediately familiar, like reconnecting with a long-lost friend, and, unsurprisingly, the ambience of her restaurant is equally welcoming. The lighting is perfectly dimmed and pillows adorn plush booths in the bar space. A gas fireplace in the main dining area offers an earthy feel, while candles gently light wooden tabletops framed by the large windows looking out onto Main Street.

Chef Rodney Wesson joins us in the True banquet room through

True’s kitchen has sought creative and delicious ways of incorporating vegetables into every dish. Here the vegetable is integral, not a steamed afterthought. “A lot of times, people eat their vegetables first,” Cavens says. “I think that is testament to preparing them right.”

Vegetable options can even be featured entrees like the roasted cauliflower steak, adorned with blistered tomatoes and toasted pine nuts over a bed of scrumptious polenta (or over quinoa for a vegan option). The vegetarian pistachio pasta primavera is mouth-watering with wide pappardelle noodles tossed with al dente vegetables including broccolini, carrots, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, sweet onion and red peppers.

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FOOD + WINE

Omnivores will appreciate the Mediterranean chicken with its lemon basil marinade, tossed in orzo pasta with spinach, capers and artichoke hearts.

Even the cocktails are graced with green, like the cucumber basil gin fizz or the rosemary cucumber gimlet. Fruit lovers can opt for the blood orange margarita or a ruby red grapefruit martini. For those who don’t love a cocktail, Oregon microbrews are available on tap, and Umpqua region wines are available.

The availability of vegan and vegetarian menu options has earned True accolades from sources beyond happy customers.

The restaurant is acknowledged by the Umpqua Community Veg Education Group (UC-VEG) Dine-Up Program, which promotes local restaurants with vegan offerings. True has also been selected as a Blue Zones Project restaurant for the healthful properties of the menu and the focus on Mediterranean-style fare.

Wesson earned his chops working in a four-star Irish restaurant in downtown Sacramento. “I was the sous chef, and because of turnaround in the kitchen, I learned something new from every new executive chef that came in,” he says.“They all had different techniques and styles.”

Culinary arts were more exploratory when he started too. He points to his smartphone and says, “I couldn’t just look up an ingredient to find out what to do with it, I had to experiment to find out what flavors work together.”

One can tell Wesson has honed his skills through the years creating the vibrant flavors and nuanced layers in each dish.

Every day at noon, he comes into work to start scratch-made batches of stock. He creates fresh sauces and dressings, slow cooks short ribs and marinates meats. The quality that comes from slow simmering broth all day or emulsifying fresh herbs and shallots into a dressing trumps anything prepared from a box or bag.

In the True kitchen, Wesson has room to be creative. He tests new recipes as featured specials and insists the staff take part in the “quality control.” Workers in the restaurant are encouraged to try new items, testing the acceptability of the product and helping them describe dishes to hungry customers.

Cavens and Wesson are always searching for the utmost quality when purchasing food items. “We try to keep our food local, within 400 miles at least,” Wesson says. “We receive fresh seafood every day, and when availability allows we source produce from local farms.”

Cavens and Wesson look forward to a day when they can use Umpqua region growers for the majority of their menu items.

“Our kitchen staff has become really competent these past two years and there is more room for me to venture out and find those producers who can supply our demand,” Wesson says.

That means adding more fresh, local, seasonal produce to an already robust menu, which is music to this dietitian’s ears.

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UV . SPRING 2018

GRILLED ROSEMARY PALOMA Ingredients

For starters:

• 2 oz favorite tequila or Mezcal for extra smokiness

It’s springtime, so fire up your grill!

• 2 oz grilled grapefruit juice • 1 oz grilled lime juice • ½ oz rosemary simple syrup or to taste

Directions Combine above ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain over fresh ice into a lowball glass. Garnish with slice of grilled lime and rosemary sprig, sip and enjoy!

Halve two ruby red grapefruits and two limes. Place cut side down on the grill. Leave on grill until char marks are apparent. Remove citrus fruits from heat and juice grapefruits and limes into separate containers.

To prepare rosemary simple syrup combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water and ¼ cup rosemary in a saucepan. Heat to a simmer for 1-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. Strain into a sterile jar.

FOOD + WINE

GOAT CHEESE & ASPARAGUS TART W/ ROASTED TOMATO & ARUGULA SALAD Ingredients • 4 sheets puff pastry • 4 Tbsp goat cheese • 10 sticks asparagus, steamed • 2 cups arugula

RECIPES INSPIRED BY SPRING PROVIDED

BY TRUE KITCHEN + BAR

• 1 Tbsp favorite vinaigrette • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved • 2 Tbsp balsamic reduction Serves two

Directions For the tart: Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut puff pastry into 4-by-6-inch rectangles and lay on parchment-lined sheet pan.

Brush squares with egg wash. Bake for 12 minutes or until even tan color. Remove from oven and let cool.

Cut rectangle 2 layers deep from pastry top, with about 1-inch border. Remove two layers of this inner rectangle. Fill this pocket with 2 Tbsp goat cheese. Sprinkle fresh thyme, salt and pepper on top of goat cheese. Trim 5 asparagus stalks to fit in interior rectangle on top of goat cheese. Return tray to preheated oven for 5-7 minutes.

For the arugula salad: Toss halved cherry tomatoes with ½ Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Put in oven-safe dish and roast for 5 minutes. Toss arugula and roasted tomatoes in favorite vinaigrette. Drizzle reduced balsamic over salad.

Serve tart with generous portion of salad for a light yet decadent meal.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH BASIL ORZO, ARTICHOKE & SPRING VEGETABLES Ingredients • ¾ cup orzo • 1 shallot, diced • ½ Tbsp olive oil • ¼ cup white wine • 4 oz basil, torn into small pieces • 1 cup cherry tomatoes • 2 carrots, peeled and julienned • ½ cup snap peas, julienned • 1 whole artichoke, steamed, cut into quarters and grilled • 6 large scallops • 1 lemon, quartered • ½ Tbsp butter Serves two

Directions For orzo: Cook orzo according to package directions. Transfer orzo from pot to bowl and set aside. In same pot saute diced shallots in olive oil until transparent; pour white wine, into pot, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to low. Toss cooked orzo and fresh basil in pot, mixing all ingredients well. Cover and set aside.

For vegetables: Place saute pan over medium-high heat with drizzle of olive oil. Add cherry tomatoes to hot pan, cooking until skin blisters and chars. Remove tomatoes from hot pan and set aside. Toss julienned carrots and snap peas in hot pan until just cooked, or al dente. Remove from pan and set aside.

For scallops: Season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat ½ Tbsp olive oil with ½ Tbsp butter in pan on high heat. Place scallops on pan, taking care to keep separate. Cook scallops 1½-2 minutes on each side.

Prepare two plates with ½ cup orzo, ½ cup charred tomatoes, ½ cup julienne vegetables and two quarters of grilled artichoke. Top orzo with 3 scallops. Serve with fresh lemon wedges and enjoy!

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FOOD + WINE

SWEET OPPORTUNITY Cody and Mandy Dolan leave their former fastpaced life behind for the chance to take over a long-standing Roseburg candy business.

Story by Josh Gaunt Photos by Thomas Boyd

H

ey do you want to make some fudge?

The story of how Umpqua Sweets & Treats got its new owners is the answer to that simple question.

Sitting on his porch in California’s East Bay area, Cody Dolan came across an online listing for a Roseburg business for sale.

Turning to his wife, Mandy, he popped that question.

“Why not?” she answered, and the rest is history.

The Dolans were looking for a different pace of life away from California, where Cody was in a job that had him traveling a lot.

So they began looking for opportunities to do something on their own. They were looking for businesses to run when they ran across a posting that looked pretty sweet to them.

Moving to Douglas County was a homecoming of sorts for Cody, who grew up in Oakland.

Mandy Dolan is from Cottonwood, a small town about 15 miles south of Redding, Calif. She enjoys baking and cooking, so buying the business seemed like a perfect fit.

“It’s challenging, a lot of fun and we’re excited to do this together,” Mandy says. “The best part is the fact that I get to come to work every day and play with chocolate. Even if customers come in with a bad mood they leave with a smile on their face.”

Umpqua Sweets & Treats opened on Stephens Street in the 1990s as Candy Bouquet; its second owner changed the name. The shop sells chocolates, fudge, truffles, nuts and chews, custom gift baskets and other specialty treats.

“I try to make really good chocolates that people come back for again and again,” Mandy says.

In addition to their shop, the Dolans’ confections are on sale at Mercy Medical Center gift shop, Video

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UV . SPRING 2018

Games Plus and at Dr. Lemert Orthodontics, where patients just freed from braces are given caramel apples from Umpqua Sweets & Treats.

The Dolans’ top-selling item is the Yumpqua Bar, which features locally grown hazelnuts and blackberries. Other popular items include fudge, dark chocolate bars and squatchmellow candies — made from dark chocolate ganache, walnut caramel and a layer of vanilla marshmallow.

Umpqua Sweets & Treats has also developed its own unique flavors, such as a hot chili truffle, which combines spices with rich chocolate. They also have a lavender truffle, featuring lavender from Wesley Farms.

The Dolans are hoping to grow their business by attracting more younger clients and building website sales.

“We want to expand our online presence and do more local events,” Cody says. “We want to partner with more local wineries and breweries to do pairings or events.”

Umpqua Sweets & Treats is located at 1157 N.E. Stephens St., Roseburg.

FOOD + WINE

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SOWING THE SEEDS

33

WHAT’S IN A NAME? / PRIZED PULITZER / SOUNDTRACK OF THE STREETS

WHAT’S IN A NAME? There’s a story behind the name of every locale in Douglas County and we will explain them two at a time in each issue of UV. Story by Jim Hays Photography courtesy of Douglas County Museum

SUTHERLIN Fourteen miles north of Roseburg, and home to an estimated 8,000 people, Douglas County’s second-most populous city takes its name from Fendel Sutherlin (right), a pioneer farmer, orchardist and rancher of a 13,000-acre spread east of what are now the city limits.

Sutherlin was born in 1824 and graduated from DePauw College in his hometown of Greencastle, Ind. He arrived in Oregon in 1847 and worked in a Portland hotel before joining the California gold rush in 1849.

According to a memoir of her father by Anne Sutherlin Waite, published in the December 1930 issue of Oregon Historical Quarterly, Sutherlin passed through an area known locally as Camas Swale on his trips to and from the gold fields and settled there on his return from California as an unsuccessful prospector.

The oldest of 10 children, Sutherlin invited his parents, still in Indiana, to move the entire family to Oregon — which they did, arriving in 1851. Sutherlin’s father, John F. Sutherlin, built a sawmill on Pollock Creek near Oakland, possibly Oregon’s first such mill south of Oregon City.

By the time of his death in 1901 at age 77 — and his burial in a family plot in Valley View Cemetery — Fendel Sutherlin was one of Douglas County’s most prominent citizens and had spent more than a half-century developing the valley that became his legacy and the town that grew in its center. A post office was established at Sutherlin in 1909, the town was incorporated two years later and by 1920 boasted a population of 515.

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SUTHERLIN INCORPORATED: 1911.

POPULATION: 8,000 (2017 estimate) ELEVATION: 520 feet AREA: 6.35 square miles.

MAYOR: Todd McKnight.

CULTURE

DIAMOND LAKE

DIAMOND LAKE Located in the southeastern corner of Douglas County, just north of Crater Lake National Park, Diamond Lake is one of Oregon’s most popular lakes for year-round fishing and outdoor recreation.

It is billed as the “Gem of the Cascades.” That it may be, but the lake’s name has little to do with gemology. Nor is it derived from anything poetic or scenic, such as the look of the water on the 3,040-acre lake or its oblong shape. The origin lies in another of those happenstance episodes of Oregon history.

This story starts in what is now Eugene. In 1852, when the locality was still known by the more-colorful moniker “Skinner’s Mudhole,” seven local men set out to seek a suitable route for a wagon road through the Central Cascades. The idea was to improve access to the area by creating a direct route through the mountains from the high desert of Eastern Oregon.

John Diamond, a 37-year-old recent immigrant from Ireland whose Lane County property would become the donated site of the city of Coburg, was part of the expedition. The party went up the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. Near what is now Willamette Pass, Diamond and fellow road planner William Macy scaled an 8,477foot dormant volcano for a better look at possible routes. From the top and above the timberline, Diamond and Macy saw the pass they were looking for near what is now Summit Lake, just south of the peak. It became known as Emigrant Pass.

Diamond also spotted a large body of water about 30 miles south, tucked between two other tall peaks (today’s Mounts Thielsen and Bailey). Diamond named both the mountain and the lake after

FOUNDED: Umpqua National Forest, about 80 miles east of Roseburg on Oregon Highway 138.

ELEVATION: 5,183 feet SURFACE AREA: 3,040 acres AVERAGE DEPTH: 24 feet MAXIMUM DEPTH: 52 feet.

himself. Macy and the others apparently had no objection, for the names stuck.

A post office was established at Diamond Lake in 1925. The post office switched to summer-only operation in 1956.

Diamond’s name has been attached to other prominent local geographical features. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the Coburg town site was originally called Diamond, and Diamond Hill in Linn County is also his namesake. Well-known as “Uncle Johnny” in both Lane and Linn counties, Diamond died in 1902 at age 86 and was buried in Coburg, where an impressive monument marks his grave.

As for the wagon road, it was called the Free Emigrant Road when it was finished in September 1853, just days before the near-tragic “Lost Wagon Train.” Some 250 wagons and more than 1,000 people tried to cross the Cascades on the new road. When the train became stuck near the Middle Fork Willamette with its food and supplies used up, a group of men rode ahead to raise a rescue party.

According to the Oregon Encyclopedia, many wagons had to be abandoned, but most of the party was brought out on foot, and Lane County’s population doubled virtually overnight.

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35

CULTURE

PRIZED PULITZER H.L. Davis is the only Oregon novelist to win the literary world’s highly coveted honor, and he came from Douglas County.

Story by Robert Leo Heilman

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UV . SPRING 2018

CULTURE

O

regon’s only Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist was born in Douglas County in 1894.

Harold Lenoir Davis, writing as H.L. Davis, debuted as a novelist in 1935 with Honey in the Horn and won the coveted award for fiction the next year.

The route that young Clay Calvert travels begins in a fictional version of Douglas County where the story opens in “Shoestring Valley.” It is easy to imagine the route as heading into the Cascades up the North Umpqua, then crossing over into the South Umpqua, heading downstream to the Myrtle Creek area and on from there to Reston and over the Coos Bay Wagon Road to the coast.

Davis was born in a place called Rone’s Mill, a logging and milling camp where his father, James A. Davis, was an itinerant schoolteacher. Today, the place is a grassy meadow east of Sutherlin toward Nonpareil, one of several such once-lively corners in the Umpqua country.

The journey puts Calvert in contact with a variety of early 20th century Oregonians. Some of his descriptions of the fictional residents of “Shoestring Valley” were apparently too readily identifiable as former neighbors, which led to some hard feelings toward Davis around Sutherlin and Oakland when the book was published.

Many schoolteachers in those days, like the woodsmen whose children they educated, moved on when work dried up or new opportunities became available. By age 12, Harold, his two brothers and their mother had followed James Davis to short residencies in Lookingglass, Tenmile, Drain, Yoncalla, Roseburg and Oakland.

What struck the critics (and presumably the Pulitzer committee) about Honey in the Horn was how distinct Davis’ presentation of settings and characters was from what they were used to reading.

In many ways, he was a major figure in giving literary voice to the Pacific Northwest.

In 1906, the family moved east to Antelope in Wasco County and two years later settled in The Dalles, where James became a high school principal. The time of this last move forms the backdrop of the novel, which appears to begin in fall 1906 and end in spring 1908.

Along with fellow Northwest author James Stevens and longtime Oregonian reporter Stewart Holbrook, Davis came along at a time when American literature was diversifying through the development of regional voices.

Honey in the Horn is told in a narrative that moves around horseand-buggy Oregon at a time just before the coming of modern transportation and paved roads. Clay Calvert, “a drip-nosed youth of about sixteen” lives with his uncle. He runs afoul of the law and flees his home in western Oregon, moving from rain forest to the high desert east of the Cascades.

Southern writers such as William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor and Eudora Welty were working around the same time and with the same goal of using local people, places and idioms as the material for their stories.

The story includes two murders, a lynching and a romance. But it is the richly detailed landscape and Davis’ insightful portrayals that carry the tale. The author gave his own take on the novel in Denver’s The Rocky Mountain Herald newspaper in 1951: “Honey in the Horn is ostensibly a story of a pioneer backwash of the final years of settlement, tinctured with picaresqueness and a lightly colored love story. Underneath that, it is also a guidebook to Oregon: Not only its climate, scenery, topography, flora and fauna; but also its range of emotions, perceptions, traditions and behavior patterns,” he wrote.

Davis began writing poetry while he was still living in The Dalles, working as a Wasco County clerk. He gained national attention in 1919, when he won Poetry magazine’s coveted Levinson Prize at age 25.

In the mid-1920s while still living in The Dalles, Davis met Stevens, a kindred spirit who had already sold pieces to The American Mercury, America’s pre-eminent literary journal of the period — due primarily to the notoriety of its acerbic editor, journalism icon H.L. Mencken.

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CULTURE

SOME OF DAVIS’ DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FICTIONAL RESIDENTS OF “SHOESTRING VALLEY” WERE APPARENTLY TOO READILY IDENTIFIABLE AS FORMER NEIGHBORS, WHICH LED TO SOME HARD FEELINGS AROUND SUTHERLIN AND OAKLAND.

NOVELS:

POETRY:

• Honey in the Horn (1935)

•Proud Riders and Other Poems (1942)

• Harp of a Thousand Strings (1947) • Beulah Land (1949) • Winds of Morning (1952) • The Distant Music (1957)

STORY AND ESSAY COLLECTIONS: • Team Bells Woke Me and Other Stories (1953) • Kettle of Fire (1959)

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Mencken began buying poems from Davis and urged him to turn his considerable talents to writing short fiction. Davis left The Dalles for Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound in 1928 and never resided in Oregon again.

In Seattle, Davis partnered with Stevens on a local weekly radio show. Davis played guitar and sang folk songs during the broadcasts.

He was also selling short fiction to The American Mercury, Collier’s and other top national literary magazines.

In 1931, Davis received a Guggenheim Fellowship and moved to Mexico, where he wrote Honey in the Horn. The Pulitzer followed.

Davis did not attend the award ceremony, reportedly saying he did not wish to be “exhibited.”

In the years following, Davis published four more novels, a notable collection of poetry and two compilations of essays and short stories.

He also continued to write for magazines and, for a time, worked in Hollywood as a consultant for Westerns.

Davis was brilliant but testy and withdrawn at times. When he fell into royalties’ disputes with his publisher, it hindered his production.

And despite his role in the early development of Northwest literature, Davis’ works faded from view in the years after his death from heart disease in 1960 at age 66.

In 2009, Oregon State University Press issued an anthology of his poems, letters and fiction, including short critical appreciations and historical assessments.

Davis Country, H.L. Davis’ Northwest, by Brian Booth and Glen A. Love, has helped revive interest in Davis and his work. In 2015, OSU Press re-issued Honey in the Horn for its Northwest Reprints series.

Also that year, Winds of Morning (1952), Davis’ fourth novel, was republished.

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SOUNDTRACK OF THE STREETS CULTURE

Story by Nate Hansen Photo by Thomas Boyd

For several years, Tony D’Agnese and his trumpet have been providing a comforting and familiar musical backdrop for those who work in or visit Roseburg’s downtown.

W

inter afternoons in downtown Roseburg are generally pretty quiet. Shoppers pop out one store and head down the street to the next.

Business people toil away behind closed doors. Diners survey the streets for a parking spot near their lunch destinations.

With the echoes of downtown’s summer and fall bustle long gone, there’s still plenty of activity, just not a lot of noise to accompany it. Yet, if you time it just right, your trip downtown may well afford you the surprise opportunity to hear the live stylings of trumpet player Tony D’Agnese.

Routinely, but not predictably, D’Agnese makes the trip downtown, unfolds his camp chair or grabs a seat on a downtown bench, pulls his trumpet from its case and starts to play a sort of soundtrack for Roseburg’s city center.

The Rockaway Beach, N.Y., native discovered the trumpet in his sixth-grade band class. He thought he wanted to be a drummer, but D’Agnese quickly discovered his talent as a bugle player and by high school was competing in national competitions with his school’s marching band. Though he has lived in Oregon for several decades, D’Agnese still maintains a powerful connection with Rockaway Beach. “More people from Rockaway Beach died on 9/11 than any other area per capita, and many were firemen,” D’Agnese says of his hometown.

To honor those who died in the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, D’Agnese performs “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a memorial service each year.

He has also sold advertising for KPIC-TV and ran the Bagel Tree restaurant in downtown for almost a decade. That’s now one of D’Agnese’s favorite performance spots.

D’Agnese’s repertoire, diverse and ever-expanding, features everything from classical compositions to Irish drinking songs.

“Streets of Laredo,” the classic western ballad about a dying cowboy, is one of his favorite. “It’s simple, and also very calming,” he says.

D’Agnese is perhaps best known locally for his rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” the song he was invited to perform at Jacoby Auditorium in 2015 at a memorial for the Umpqua Community College shooting victims. D’Agnese has since recorded a tribute album for the UCC victims.

On top of his skills as a trumpeter and fencer, D’Agnese has worn a remarkable number of hats, including that of a novelist and amateur boxer. But though he has a lot going on at any given time, D’Agnese has no plans to stop his regular performances downtown. He says he will continue to play at his favorite local spots and community events. “If it’s a nice day, I like to play,” he says.

Learn more about D’Agnese’s performance schedule, recordings and other endeavors at www.agdagnese.com 40

UV . SPRING 2018

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Erika Wolfe and Ryan Guillen are among several young farmers breaking ground in the Umpqua Valley.

“WE COULDN’T THINK OF ANYTHING WE WOULD RATHER POUR OUR HEARTS INTO THAN FEEDING OUR COMMUNITY HEALTHY FOOD.”

— Erika Wolfe

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Whether starting their own farms or joining multi-generational family operations, young farmers are putting down deep roots in Douglas County.

Story by Jennifer Grafiada Photos by Thomas Boyd

B

right, blonde and smily, Erika Wolfe may not have the variety of produce that the more established farms at the Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market offer, but her microgreens frequently sell out by noon. A few booths down, her boyfriend, Ryan Guillen, is pouring cold-brew coffee into glass mason jars.

“We wanted to gain more control over where our food came from and we wanted more control of our future,” Wolfe, 21, responds when asked the motivation behind her farming ambitions.

She and Guillen, 28, founded Champion Club Farms in 2017 on a borrowed fifth of an acre, finding ways to make ends meet with select produce and a small CSA (Community Supported Agriculture; see sidebar, Page 46).

Champion Club Coffee was added to supplement income by providing beverages like coffee and iced tea to market shoppers.

“It’s not like a nine-to-five job,” Wolfe concedes. “Sometimes you’re putting in more hours than the average full-time job, working all year, holidays included.

But we love the ability to work from home, create our own schedule, and work as hard as possible to make our dreams come true. We both come from backgrounds where we had been growing vegetables as a hobby for years and couldn’t think of anything we would rather pour our hearts into than feeding our community healthy food.”

Farming is a challenging way to make a living. The costs of land and equipment, unpredictable revenue and complicated regulations deter many young people from pursuing careers in agriculture. According to a recent report, only 24 percent of Oregon farmers in 2012 were beginners. Of those, only 15 percent were younger than 35.

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More frequently, young farmers enter the field by inheriting the land and occupation from their parents. These farmers and ranchers not only have their crops and customer base ready made, they also benefit from years of learning from their elders.

Ashlynn Lehne, 17, has been helping out on her family farm since she was 6. Her parents, Wendy and Glen, are third-generation farmers and partners with Glen’s parents, Norm and Cinda, in Norm Lehne Garden and Orchards.

Also called Lehne Farms, their well-irrigated 70 acres off Garden Valley Road offer more than 100 types of fruits and vegetables, as well as U-pick hazelnuts. The original 10 acres were purchased in the 1940s by Glen’s grandparents, Myron and Helen, who kicked things off by planting daffodils and walnut trees. When she steps into a partnership role, Ashlynn plans to continue to expand operations and possibly add a farm stand and cafe.

“This is my heritage, and I want to continue the family tradition of stewarding God’s creation,” says Matthew. His wife, Mary, also comes from a long line of family farmers who continue to produce alfalfa, hay and other crops in Central Oregon. Both Matthew and Mary have degrees from Oregon State University. His is in forest engineering (he works full time for Douglas Forest Protective Association); hers in general agriculture with a minor in crop sciences.

“I love the physical aspect of working outdoors with my hands and having a tactile fruit of my labor,” says Matthew, who hopes to be able to farm full time soon. “I love seeing the lambs frolic and cavort about the pastures on a sunny day. I love seeing a field of hay bales get loaded and driven off down the road.”

Both Matthew and Mary are members of the Douglas County Farm Bureau, from which Matthew earned a scholarship while in college. “Farm Bureau is a great way to network with other farmers, but its primary purpose is to advocate for local agriculture, of all kinds, so that we can continue to produce the food, fiber and shelter that everyone depends on,” he says.

“Generational succession is a core value for our farm,” says Glen. “In addition to my two daughters, my two sisters, one of whom is living on the piece of land next to me, have eight kids between them. I see the farm as a large factory with many areas where the next “For young people in an established farm or ranch family, a common challenge is figuring out how to generation can find their niche and earn a living.” pass the operation down to the next generation,” Out in Glide, Matthew and Mary Brady (ages 34 says Anne Marie Moss, Oregon Farm Bureau and 29) produce hay on 96 acres originally owned communications director. “About 97 percent of

by Matthew’s maternal great grandparents. A small Oregon’s farms and ranches are family owned and orchard planted in 1913 still produces fruit for the operated, so navigating those family roles, dynamics family. In Azalea, where the couple lives, they raise and traditions from one generation to the next can lambs for meat and wool and run a small U-pick be challenging.” pumpkin patch on 230 acres originally owned by According to a 2016 report, the average age of Matthew’s great-great grandparents.

Oregon farmers is 60. As older farmers retire over Back in the 1890s, this verdant mixture of pasture, the next two decades, more than 10 million acres, or hay fields and timberland provided grains, apples, 64 percent of Oregon’s agricultural land, will pass to hogs, beef and milk to local grocers and hotels. new owners.

Mathew and Mary Brady raise lambs and produce fruit and hay.

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“THIS IS MY HERITAGE, AND I WANT TO CONTINUE THE FAMILY TRADITION OF STEWARDING GOD’S CREATION.”

—Matthew Brady

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“In our organization,” Moss says, “we’re seeing the next generation of farm and ranch families start to take over the business. Within the past decade there have been more resources and programs at the federal, state and local levels geared toward supporting new and beginning farmers.”

Suzanne Porter, 44, and her husband Asinete Tibwe, 30, of Big Lick Farm are intrepid first-generation farmers who started with three acres in 2008 and now produce more than 70 varieties of fruits and vegetables on 15 acres in Winston.

Porter holds a degree in environmental conservation and has a passion for organic farming methods. Her husband hails from the small Pacific island nation of Kiribati, where the population relies on fishing rather than farming. But Tibwe has taken to it like a natural.

“He loves driving the tractor, talking to customers and setting up his gorgeous displays at the market,” says Porter, who loves “being outside, being my own boss and working directly with the land. There is a deep intimacy with the earth when you farm.”

Porter names the Oregon State University Extension Office, the Women’s Farmers Network and the Farmer-to-Farmer exchange as helpful organizations. They also received grants such as the Aggie Bond from the Northwest Farm Credit Service that have helped them expand their farm and purchase a greenhouse.

LEARN MORE: What’s a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It’s a way for people to enjoy weekly farm-fresh produce while providing financial support for hardworking local farmers. Sign-ups usually begin in the spring. Give it a try. You know you need to eat more vegetables!

Champion Club Farms CSA Facebook.com/Championclubfarm/ Lehne Farm CSA Normlehnefarm.com/garden/csa/ Big Lick Farm CSA Biglickfarm.com/csa.htm

HELPFUL LINKS Future Farmers of America (FFA) FFA.Org 4-H 4-h.org Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) wwoof.net Oregon State University Extension Service

She also mentions Brosi’s Sugartree Farm and Norm Lehne Garden and Orchards as being helpful as they’ve navigated their farming journey. For first-time farmers, peer networks and older mentors can be invaluable.

“We are thankful for the way other farmers in the area, who have been here a long time, have been kind to us and helped us along the way,” Porter says. “Farmers only make up 2 percent of our population. I like that we can stick together and have a sense of camaraderie.”

For those who dream of getting their hands in the dirt, many resources and mentors are ready to help. But the key to success may be good, old-fashioned grit.

“Douglas County has been known for quality produce for a long time, and our community needs members of our generation to continue that tradition,” says Wolfe. “Not owning land can seem like an insurmountable barrier to entry when you’re getting started. But you can borrow a small patch of grass and grow as many vegetables as you can.

“The amazing thing about vegetables is you always get what you give.

It takes hard work, attention to detail and a passion for what you do just like anything else. But we love it.”

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Extension.oregonstate.edu/douglas Small Farms Program Smallfarms.oregonstate.edu Rogue Farm Corps Roguefarmcorps.org Oregon Farm Bureau Oregonfb.org Oregonfb.org/about/beginning-farmers USDA Newfarmers.usda.gov farmanswers.org

“I SEE THE FARM AS A LARGE FACTORY WITH MANY AREAS WHERE THE NEXT GENERATION CAN FIND THEIR NICHE AND EARN A LIVING.”

—Glen Lehne

Glen Lehne is among the third generation of family members to work Norm Lehne Garden and Orchards.

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In the Umpqua Valley, young entrepreneurs are tapping into the power of the Internet to grow their businesses, in some cases beyond their wildest dreams.

Stories by Dick Baltus

Powered by Carrot In just a few years, Trevor Mauch has used his marketing and real estate knowledge to build one of Oregon’s fastest-growing software companies.

N

o one ever accused Trevor Mauch of not having a vision. When his classmates at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls were scraping together enough money to buy Hamburger Helper or put gas in their cars, Mauch was buying real estate and starting businesses.

It wasn’t vision that was the issue, it was focus.

By the time the Klamath Falls native-turned-Roseburgresident was in his mid-20s, his software company and other projects were pulling him in every direction but toward happiness.

“I was doing work that I was good at and making respectable money, but I was miserable,” Mauch says.

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“It was the worst feeling in the world to wake up to a job I created and not want to do it.”

During that period, one of Mauch’s good friends died, which painfully drove home the point that the young entrepreneur had been wasting his time chasing projects that weren’t meaningful or rewarding to him.

That’s when he sat down and wrote down five “nonnegotiables” for any future endeavor. They were practical (“consistent financial growth”) and cultural (“have fun”), but if all five weren’t present in whatever Mauch was pursuing, it wasn’t worth pursuing.

Then Mauch set about divesting himself of every project that was consuming his time except his marketing consulting business. He turned his focus to building a software company that would help real estate investors rise above the online clutter, generate leads for properties and grow their businesses.

Google “selling a house fast” in the Roseburg area and the first two results lead to a website of local investors whose websites are powered by Carrot, the company Mauch founded in 2012.

“If you do that same search in virtually any decent-sized city in the U.S., you’ll find multiple Carrot clients dominating page one,” says Mauch. “We’re known for our performance and conversion rates.”

That reputation has fueled dramatic growth at Carrot.

Mauch now employs 18 people full time in Roseburg and other U.S. cities and serves 3,500 members in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and other far-off destinations.

Revenue has grown dramatically each year and will pass $6 million in 2018, according to Mauch’s pro forma.

Photo by Samantha Starns

That success was enough to land the 34-year-old on Portland Business Journal’s annual “40 Under 40” list of successful young Oregon entrepreneurs and executives.

While the vast majority of the other whiz kids on that list are from or near the Portland area, Mauch is perfectly content living in Roseburg and operating his business out of The Loft Entrepreneurial Space he founded downtown. He’s also the man behind the YES (Young Entrepreneurial Society) group, which gives local business people the opportunity to network monthly, hear dynamic speakers and share ideas for business success.

Mauch loves his adopted home and is an active participant in helping it grow, whether through YES, by mentoring other entrepreneurs (see Page 53) or just continuing to build his own business.

He sees big things ahead for business in the Umpqua Valley, and now he has the razor-sharp focus to help bring them to life.

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Evolution of the Ape A year ago, Eric Andrews started selling clothing and lifestyle goods out of a unique retail space in downtown Roseburg.

But it wasn’t until he ventured online that his business took off.

Photo by Thomas Boyd

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T

he name is memorable, but the shop is easy to miss in downtown Roseburg.

operations. After 14 years, he still works and travels for the company as needed.

Distinguished Apes, a clothing brand and men’s retail shop, shares a subterranean space on Oak Avenue, half a block west of Jackson Street, with a graphic design studio and videographer. With no neon sign and no posters announcing HUGE SALE, it’s a subtle space for retail.

Andrews’ ties to the Umpqua Valley date back to his youth when he would visit a former neighbor who moved to the area. Eventually his parents did as well. His visits increased following the death of his father, but he was still set on living in San Diego.

But owner Eric Andrews isn’t complaining. Walk-in business has been good enough to pay the rent and for now that’s good enough thanks to how successful Andrews has been moving his merchandise online.

Then he married a woman with ties to Roseburg. In 2014, he and his then-wife left Southern California to be close to their family.

While the San Diego native and jack-of-all-trades sells a variety of men’s “lifestyle goods” at Distinguished Apes, up to 90 percent of his revenue comes from online sales to buyers in England, Ireland, Australia, Iceland and all over the United States.

Take a quick stroll through Andrews’ shop and you’ll get a pretty good glimpse of what makes him tick.

There’s vintage clothing: “Growing up I always collected second-hand knickknacks and clothing,” he says. “When I moved up here I purged the knickknacks, but vintage is big in this area so I was able to start up again.”

There’s used vinyl: “In high school and college I had a show on a college radio station and managed a record shop. Eventually my love of music got me into DJ’ing.”

And there are T-shirts he designs himself: “I was always into art. I took a lot of design classes in high school, but I didn’t think of it as a career. I just thought it was a way to get out of math and science.”

In San Diego, Andrews produced events, developed his own design business (collaborating with artists like Shepard Fairey of Obey) and worked full time for a company that records large conferences. Andrews started out as a graphic designer, but later moved into the recording and logistics aspects of the company’s

Andrews had started his Distinguished Apes brand the year before he moved. Once here, he got into jiu-jitsu, which inspired him to incorporate the sport into the brand’s urban lifestyle ethos.

His first break came when a company that sold boxes of products to jiu-jitsu enthusiasts (called subscription boxes) asked to feature his shirts – 400 of them.

Soon after, he landed a couple key influencers on Instagram when two mixed martial artists with large followings ordered shirts.

“Whenever they posted photos of themselves wearing their shirts, orders would pour in,” Andrews says.

This spring, Andrews will unveil a new website, where he will feature the local and national brands of apparel and accessories he stocks in his store along with new merchandise for his Distinguished Apes brand.

Despite his online success, Andrews is committed to making it work in town as well. “It’s more rewarding to see or hear about people wearing the brand locally than seeing photos online of people wearing them,” he says. “In this era of declining retail, and increasing corporate online stores, there’s a need for places where customers can try things on and have that in-store interaction.”

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Hunt for a Black November Late last October, Kody Kellom, Trent Fisher and the company they founded, Born and Raised Outdoors, had one month’s operating expenses left in the bank. On Nov. 1, they hit “Play” on their YouTube series, and everything changed.

T

he video begins with a pre-dawn huddle and prayer interspersed with B-roll of hunters in camo stalking massive elk through forests. The prayer leader expresses his gratitude for being part of a project that will “change the lives of other people” and ends with a request to “keep us all safe.”

Thirty seconds later, Kody Kellom looks into the camera, says six words (“The coolest thing about this guys…”) and promptly falls on his fanny.

Kellom, who has lived in Roseburg since age 5, worked for North River Jet Boats for nine years after graduating from Oregon State University.

He wanted to be his own boss, but if he had to work for someone else, he’d done it before and could do it again.

There would be no need for that. Land of the Free launched Nov. 1 last year and a new episode was added daily. Kellom watched in amazement as the viewing numbers took off.

He coolly picks himself up off the forest floor and “It got crazy,” he says. “When we were out there, we continues his sentence, barely missing a beat “…is didn’t know if what we were filming was going to be this is general tag, public land…any one of you guys watched by five people or 500 or 500,000.” wants to do this, you can do it. This is what it’s all How about 5.5 million in just the last two months about. It’s about bow hunting, it’s about brotherhood, of 2017? The combined revenue from YouTube, it’s about sharing our public lands.” brand deals, sponsorships and merchandise Thus begins Land of the Free, a YouTube series exceeded in just November and December what brought to life by Roseburg residents Kellom Kellom had projected for an entire year. and Trent Fisher—with eye-popping results. The In 60 days, BRO shipped about 10,000 pieces of series documents the adventures of Kellom; his merchandise (shirts, hats, a custom elk call, etc.). brother-in-law Fisher; Fisher’s brother, Treavor; You won’t find Kellom’s mugshot pinned up in the and Steve Howard — bow hunting elk over 50 Roseburg Post Office, but he’s a marked man there consecutive days in five states. just the same.

The series’ genesis was the founding of Born and Raised Outdoors (BRO) in 2007, which was intended, Kellom says, to “document bow hunting.” But soon BRO was taking a backseat to a second company Kellom started around the same time with another partner. When that company was sold last March, Kellom and Fisher turned back to BRO and started producing film content for DVDs and a TV show while planning for the Land of the Free series.

On Aug. 25, the five hunters and a film crew headed out into the woods of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. When the long hunt ended Oct. 10, Kellom and Fisher knew they had some great content, but BRO had little money and had no idea what to expect from the series once it was launched on YouTube.

“At the end of October, we had about a month’s worth of operating expenses,” says Kellom. “We didn’t know if we were going to have to go find different jobs or what.”

“Yesterday, I backed up a trailer full of merchandise to the loading dock for about the third time, and the guy looks at me and says, ‘You again?’,” Kellom says, laughing.

Outside the post office, Kellom and the BRO boys are even better known. They can’t walk through a sportsman’s show without getting stopped for autographs. To invite people to attend a podcast they scheduled in Kelso, Wash., all they did was post a YouTube announcement, and they sold out a 700seat theater in 48 hours.

The BRO videos are still getting about 20,000 views every day. Fans send emails saying they binge-watch them.

Kellom finds it all a little surreal. Land of the Free’s goal was not to create celebrities out of the BRO friends, he says. It was to “break down the barriers that may be preventing someone from thinking they can do something like hunting. Our mantra is entertain, educate, inspire. That’s our why.”

Now it’s also their Wow.

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EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE Wizard of ‘Ahs’ He may be the best guitarist you’ve never heard, and if by chance you have heard Brian Auer you know we aren’t blowing smoke.

Auer made a name for himself locally with Lidless Eye and Freaks Unleashed, but except for the occasional gig he hasn’t spent much time on a stage lately.

Today, Auer’s teaching guitar, writing guitar instruction books and posting lessons on YouTube. What he is not doing is making much money off his online ventures, even though he has a large following, with one video approaching 1 million views.

Auer wrote a first-person account of his online experience that we posted on our website. Then we asked online guru Trevor Mauch to offer Auer some tips to help him monetize what he is mostly giving away.

You’ll find this bonus feature

at theuvlife.com

Trent Fisher and Kody Kellom review some of their video footage.

Photo by John Abernathy SOWING THE SEEDS

53

See profiles of Aaron Hixson and other tattoo aficionados on Page 58.

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There was a time when you’d see a tattoo about as often as you’d see an old sailor. You may have noticed times have changed, and nowhere in Roseburg is that more apparent than on Jackson Street, where two shops featuring talented artists have opened in the last year.

Story by David Shroyer Photos by Thomas Boyd

J

ackson Street: Roseburg’s epicenter. This charming avenue is home to an array of unique businesses, from restaurants and salons to boutiques and professional offices. Among the most unique recent additions to this tree-lined, six-block strip are two tattoo shops, whose goal is to make their marks not only on the ever-growing number of Douglas County residents attracted to body art but also on the greater community at large. They are young entrepreneurs with a deep interest in helping maintain and grow downtown Roseburg as a thriving destination for business and culture alike, where people can rid themselves of daily stress and learn new ways to tend to their personal well-being.

James Walls, a 30-something-year-old with a full, red beard, wants to change people’s perceptions of tattoos and the people who wear them.

“There’s a stereotype, for sure,” he says.

Pulling together four other artists and opening a shop in the middle of town is part of his attempt to change negative impressions that remain out there, despite the fact that tattoos are now as ingrained in the culture as facial hair or pierced ears. Opening a shop that welcomes members of the public, whether or not they’re shopping for ink, is Walls and the four other artists’ attempt to expose more people to their art and themselves.

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The Jackson Street 5: Miki Macias, Josh McNair, James Walls, Justin Nunemaker and Timothy James.

“We encourage people to just come in and see what we’re all about,” Walls says. “If you don’t want to get a tattoo, then don’t get a tattoo.

Come in and hang out. That’s how all the shops on Jackson should be.”

immense amounts of drive and marketing knowledge.

Making the move afforded Nunemaker and the other artists the opportunity to focus more on the art of tattooing and less on its business.

People who do wander into Jackson Street, whether for art or conversation, will find an eclectic group of artists in the historic space “Everyone here is their own boss,” Walls says. “They take care of that has been completely remodeled in a manner that is both modern themselves. A customer has five different businesses to choose and respectful of the building’s history. Walls painstakingly uncovered, from here. We have five guys here with diverse backgrounds then refinished, the original wood floors. Decades of various wall coming together to make it rock.” coverings were stripped to reveal a billboard advertisement that once Walls’ vision is to help curate a lively, cultural environment downtown. graced the side of the adjacent building, now Hair Garage.

He wants to hook up with local bars, restaurants and other businesses Tattoo art and ideas line the walls above booths, where Jackson to bring in more live music, art and entertainment, market as a Street’s artists work their magic on clients, whose faces can transform collective and just generally help each other out. from cheerful to grimacing in a Roseburg second.

He envisions a lively business and entertainment district, with In Walls’ booth, a glass box with colorful, pinned butterflies hangs at residents and visitors alike cruising downtown streets, supporting eye level surrounded by examples of various tattoo styles: American businesses, but also just enjoying being part of a vibrant community. traditional. Roses and daggers. Eagles. Pinups.

Downtown Roseburg already has a lot to offer, but there is room to Walls has been tattooing for nine years, but knew at a young age that grow. Walls and Jackson Street Tattoo are committed to doing their tattooing was in his future. His epiphany came during the Quentin part to help shape its continued development.

Tarantino film, Dusk Till Down. “When I saw George Clooney with all those tattoos, from his arms crawling up his neck, I said to myself, ‘This is it. This is for me.’”

Walls hand draws all of his tattoos. If someone comes in with an idea or a photo, he will bring it to life.

“There’s so much talent here,” says Walls. “If you come in with something, we aren’t going to do an exact copy of it. Every one of us is a great artist and we are going to put our own flair on it.”

He and the other four Jackson Street artists he recruited from other local shops have more that 80 years of experience. Justin Nunemaker closed his Handsome and Smart Tattoo shop on Main Street to join Jackson Street.

A specialist in Japanese art, Nunemaker says he was either going to have to expand his own business — which would have required more artists, more marketing, more hours and more stress — or join a community of like-minded artists, led by Walls, who possesses

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Walls at work.

J

ust a block away, at 514 S.E. Jackson, Isidra Castro has a different approach to her business than her counterparts up the street, but a similar sense of community.

The sole proprietor of Raven Crafts Tattoos, Castro closed her tattoo business in Alaska and moved to Roseburg to be closer to her retired parents. She steadily built up her clientele at other shops, but knew she wanted her own business to be immersed in what is being marketed as the Heart of Roseburg.

She opened Raven Crafts in March 2017.

“I just love downtown. It’s so eclectic,” Castro says.

“Jackson Street is an amazing place. It’s a phenomenal part of Roseburg. It’s just a strong downtown community, and there isn’t just one type of crowd. That’s what makes it a perfect place for a business.”

Castro lived in Alaska for 36 years. She realized she wanted to be an artist after she got her first tattoo at age 30 from her soon-tobe mentor, Debra Yarian, a renowned tattoo artist living in Alaska.

Under Yarian’s wing, Castro learned the ropes, the history and culture of tattoo artistry. Through this apprenticeship, Castro got the chance to work with and learn from many old-school artists, which influences her work today.

After tattooing for a decade, Castro doesn’t see the tattoo culture changing anytime soon — just people’s minds. She not only sees more people getting tattoos, she also sees people being more accepting of the artists and the people who wear them.

She is certainly a great spokesperson for her industry. Almost completely covered with tattoos, Castro is a walking work of art.

She carries her work, and to a large extent an artistic diary of her life, wherever she goes.

“Roseburg is very accepting,” she says. “I don’t get harassed at all. People stop me from time to time and get pictures with me. But it doesn’t bother me. It’s just a good way to drum up business.”

Castro sees the tattoo industry becoming a cultural norm.

“It’s becoming mainstream,” she says. “We all have a place.

You’re always going to need hair stylists. You’re always going to need chefs and service people. There will always be a place for tattoo artists.”

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We asked a few local tattoo aficionados to tell UV readers about their body art.*

AARON HIXSON, 18 Sous Chef, True Kitchen + Bar

Age when first tattooed and what was it?

17, Los Angeles Angel

Your artists: Justin Nunemaker did most; 2 by Josh McNair (both at Jackson Street) The best thing about your tattoo(s): My goal is to inspire art.

We all have our own little art that other people bring out of us. I do believe I bring a good respectful vibe to people that leaves them with positive feedback on tattooed Americans.

Favorite story: I have a tattoo on the back of my arm that

MEGAN NEHF, 21

Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Age when first tattooed and what was it? 18, It was a symbol me and my grandpa created together for the Cherokee that runs in our bloodline.

Your artist: James Walls The best thing about your tattoos: The fact that I can make them my own and help represent who I am as a person.

Some pieces mean things and some I simply got because I thought they were beautiful.

Favorite story: My pug is on my left thigh. I got him when I was 7 and he died when I turned 18. He was my best friend.

*Responses have been lightly edited for space.

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reminds me of part of the Inca trail right before Machu Picchu.

There’s a temple called the moon temple. I spent lots of time in peace there.

SARAH BAIRD, 39

Server, O’Tooles; mother and wife Age when first tattooed and what was it? 22, a butterfly around my belly button

Your artist: Justin Nunemaker has done all but my first.

The best thing about your tattoos:

GABRIEL BANDELMAN, 23

Owner/Operator, The Hub Barbershop Age when first tattooed and what was it?

21, a pair of scissors with wings

Your artist: James Walls

I like literally wearing my heart on my sleeve.

The best thing about your tattoos: Getting to know people in

Favorite story: I have a dandelion

the tattoo community and industry.

on my arm because my son called them “poofers” when he was little.

BOB COTTERELL, 66

Retired police officer, former Roseburg city councilor Age when first tattooed and what was it? 66, my dog Felicia Your artist: Chris Bellville (Ms B) at Tapestry Tattoos, Roseburg.

The best thing about your tattoo: I will always have Felicia with me.

ALEASHA MOUG, 27 Aspiring nursing student, bartender, janitor

Age when first tattooed and what was it? 18. Music notes.

Your artist: Ryan Owens at Tapestry Tattoo The best thing about your tattoos: Each represents a different phase, accomplishment or event in my life.

Favorite story: Felicia was cremated and some of her ashes were mixed with the ink.

Favorite story: I got the skull piece

NATALIE BROWN, 36

TOM REITZ, 45

Age when first tattooed and what was it? 25. An Unk.

Age when first tattooed and what was it?

Owner, Poppy Layne Boutique

Your artist: Justin Nunemaker The best thing about your tattoos: The story behind each one.

Favorite story: My family all got matching hummingbird tattoos after my grandmother passed away. It’s a little reminder of her I have with me all the time.

on my arm when I was certain I’d be having twin boys. I began lovingly referring to them as “seek & destroy.”

Then I had girls, but the names still fit.

Pizza Chef, The Parrott House

30, memorial for grandmother

Your artist: Raven Crafts The best thing about your tattoos: When people ask about them I get to share the story behind them.

Favorite story: My tattoos remind me of my life and of the two most loving people in my life, my “mother” and grandma. The best thing is knowing they’re always with me everywhere I go.

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HEALTH

WHAT YOUR BLOOD SAYS / WELL BEINGS

/ WELL, WELL, WELL... / GETTING INTO GIVING / FINDING YOUR PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR BLOOD SAYS Specialists like CHI Mercy Health’s Dr. Claire Stone can tell a whole lot about people’s health just by investigating a small sample of blood.

Story by Dick Baltus Photos by Samantha Starns

D

r. Claire Stone may spend the majority of her working hours with her eyes focused down the narrow cylinder of a microscope, but oh what a broad view of the human body that affords her.

As a pathologist and medical director of the laboratory at Mercy Medical Center, Stone’s primary job is to analyze blood and tissue to help diagnose or determine the cause of medical conditions.

She works behind closed doors and rarely sees the patients who are the focus of her efforts. But that doesn’t make her work any less rewarding.

“It’s a cool job,” Stone says. “I’m doing essentially the same things most days, but it’s always different because no two people are alike.”

Stone grew up in the Chicago suburbs and trained at the University of Arizona. She was looking to get out of the desert and landed in Roseburg in 2011 because “It was green and wet. I like Roseburg. It has character and charm and good people.”

Unfortunately, good people still get sick. When they do, Stone often plays the role of chief detective, looking for clues that can lead to uncovering the source of their problems.

“There are a lot of sophisticated instruments and equipment in the lab that can provide very clear answers for us,” she says.

“But we pathologists come into play when there is some sort of discrepancy or an unanswered question. Then it becomes like solving a mystery to me.”

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LAB SPECIALISTS OFTEN PLAY CHIEF DETECTIVE, LOOKING FOR CLUES THAT CAN LEAD TO UNCOVERING THE SOURCE OF MEDICAL PROBLEMS.

So, what is Stone looking at when she studies a blood sample? It’s not just “blood,” per se. It’s red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets as well as thousands of other tiny molecules that can be examined, measured and analyzed by lab equipment.

“Sometimes people hear medical terms thrown around and don’t understand them,” Stone says. “But I think it’s useful for people to know about what some of the most common lab tests tell us.”

To that end, here’s some information about three common health conditions and what lab tests tell Stone and her team about them:

DIABETES

“As people consume more sugars and refined carbs, the pancreas releases more insulin,” Stone explains. “Insulin binds receptors on the cells’ surface, which allows glucose to enter the cells and supply the body with energy. A shortage of insulin causes blood sugar to rise.

“You have to balance out the supply and demand. You can decrease your body’s demand for insulin by eating more complex carbohydrates and whole foods. But if you are already diabetic, then you’re stuck either using medication or insulin.”

Blood tests enable Stone to determine a patient’s A1c score, which correlates to his or her average glucose level over the previous eight to 12 weeks. The test helps patients who already have diabetes manage their glucose levels if it rises above the optimal 7 percent. It also tells patients with A1c scores of 5.7-6.4 percent they are at risk for diabetes or considered “pre-diabetic” and they need to take steps to control their glucose levels in order to prevent long-term complications.

HEART DISEASE High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease (along with smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, diet and sedentary lifestyle), and cholesterol level tests are among the most common performed in a lab, Stone says.

While it is widely communicated that an ideal total cholesterol level is 200 or below, Stone says that number is less important than the ratio of “good” cholesterol to “bad,” or HDL (high-density lipoproteins) to LDL (low-density lipoproteins), respectively.

“Someone could have a high total cholesterol level and a high good cholesterol and that would be acceptable,” Stone says.

Triglycerides, a type of fat transported in the blood, are also commonly measured and high levels when fasting may indicate a metabolic abnormality.

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY

You can’t live in Oregon without wondering if you are getting enough vitamin D. It’s good to wonder, since vitamin D is important in bone density. Blood tests for those at high risk of vitamin D deficiency can help physicians recommend steps their patient should take to replenish the supply regularly.

“There are supplements you can take, of course, but vitamin D can be produced naturally just by being exposed to sunlight,” Stone says. “And it doesn’t take much exposure. Probably 15 minutes a day is all it takes.”

Stone says if people are unable to get outside, foods containing vitamin D or a supplement may be indicated.

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HEALTH

GETTING INTO GIVING

M

Story by Dick Baltus Photo by Robin Loznak

yrtle Creek’s community pool has benefited from it. So have Elkton’s butterfly pavilion and Oakland Elementary School’s music program.

Teresa Myers, a technician in Mercy’s pharmacy, says serving on the committee has opened her eyes to the generous nature not only of her employer but the Douglas County community in general.

The list of organizations receiving funds from CHI Mercy Health’s Community Gifting Committee gets longer every year.

Composed of Mercy employees, the committee’s mission is “to review applications and make charitable grant funding decisions to support Douglas County (not-for-profit) organizations engaged in health-related community building/development.“

“I am amazed by the compassion of our community,” she says. “I had no idea about the wide variety of projects that go on around us benefiting people in Douglas County. I’ve felt honored to play a small part in the success of their projects.”

But that makes the committee’s responsibilities sound almost job-like, and clearly Norma Davidson and other members of the group are having too much fun for this to be considered work.

“It really makes us feel good to know we are helping people in our communities who sometimes desperately need help,” says the 18-year employee of Mercy’s laboratory.

Since 2014, the Gifting Committee has been allocated money by Mercy Administration to fund community activities that its members research and approve. In the early days of the committee, Davidson says, most of the applications came from Roseburg groups. But over time word that funds were available has spread throughout the county.

Davidson did a lot of the word spreading herself. “Word of mouth spread pretty quickly in Roseburg, but not the rest of the county,” Davidson says. “So I made a point of finding a contact person in almost every community in the county so we could get the word out better.”

“Students (like MacKenzie Rochester and Matthew Harting) are able to learn much easier when they have working equipment, and because of Mercy’s generosity, we are able to continue to provide instruments to all students interested in music.”

Matt Hill, music teacher, Oakland Elementary School

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Reviewing applications and considering financial support for Douglas County not-for-profit organizations is a labor of love for members of Mercy’s Community Gifting Committee.

UV . SPRING 2018

Reviewing applications and deciding which projects to fund is a serious responsibility, says the committee’s senior management sponsor, Kathleen Nickel. “I have been so impressed with the committee’s thoughtful approach and the hearts they bring to making these often very difficult decisions,” she says.

That sentiment is seconded by Mercy’s community gifting facilitator Sarah Baumgartner. “These applications come from our friends, neighbors and community members, and each is considered thoughtfully and with the utmost respect to the project.”

Among the most memorable projects the committee has supported, Myers lists the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation program that takes special needs kids out for a fun day on the river; the Friday Snack Program at a local grade school, which ensures students who don’t have a reliable food supply have meals on the weekends; and Source One Serenity, which takes disabled veterans on fly-fishing retreats.

The list goes on, and committee members would like to see it go on even longer. Douglas County not-for-profit organizations interested in applying for funds are encouraged to email sarahbaumgartner@chiwest.com.

HEALTH

WELL BEINGS An array of specialists like Ayurvedic practitioner Stacey Gray make Roseburg Wellness Center a go-to destination for preventive health, stress relief and beauty services.

Story by Jennifer Grafiada Photo by Thomas Boyd

I

n a dimly lit room that smells of warm oil and herbs (ashwagandha and nettles, to be exact), downtown Roseburg feels a world away, though it is just outside. I close my eyes and deeply relax as I learn about the benefits of the ancient treatments being administered by massage therapist and Ayurvedic practitioner Stacey Gray.

“Ayurveda literally means the science of life,” Gray says. “When my body, mind and spirit feel out of balance, Ayurveda provides me with the tools to restore and nourish my well-being. At Moksha Ayurveda, I provide a space where people can rid themselves of daily stress and learn new ways to tend to their personal well-being.”

Originating in India over 3,000 years ago, Ayurveda is one of the oldest systems of medicine in the world. Both a science and an art form, it understands that when we align our body, lifestyle practices and mind with the tides of nature, we feel more confidence and peace.

Practices focus on preventing illness by following individually tailored guidelines on nutrition, sleep cycles and proper hygiene. By examining a person’s physical constitution, emotional nature, current symptoms, diet and lifestyle, a properly trained practitioner can design a custom protocol to relieve symptoms and achieve optimal health.

Gray grew up in the foothills of the Cascades, a third-generation Oregonian. A

licensed massage therapist since 2002, she began her studies in Ayurveda in 2008 at the Kerala Ayurveda Academy in Seattle.

While completing an apprenticeship in California with a classically trained Ayurvedic physician, she began facilitating educational workshops and retreats with local yoga studios.

She returned to Roseburg in 2014 and founded Moksha Ayurveda, operating out of a second-floor room of the Roseburg Beauty & Wellness Center (see page 65), at 725 Main St. Beyond traditional Ayurvedic treatments, Gray also offers support for young women and new mothers by providing postpartum care and meal-delivery services. She is a skilled Ayurvedic chef and enjoys teaching others the art and rituals of creating a more sacred connection to the food we cook, consume and share.

Gray’s massage practice consists of a blend of healing, deep-tissue massage, hot-stone therapy and traditional Thai massage. In addition to her Ayurveda and massage practices, she offers smallgroup yoga classes and monthly support groups for women of all ages and soon plans to offer workshops, retreats and teacher trainings.

Learn more at www.mokshaayurveda.com Email moksha.stacey gmail.com or call 1-888-280-7891 to set up an appointment.

SIGNATURE TREATMENTS The Shirodhara is a quintessential Ayurvedic treatment that involves a warm, steady stream of oil or other liquid, which is poured over the forehead as the client relaxes on a comfortable surface.

The gentle pressure and soothing weight of the oil on the crown of the head allow the body, mind and nervous system to experience a deep state of rest, similar to that achieved in meditation. Shirodhara is beneficial for insomnia, anxiety, stress, and fatigue.

The ancient massage technique known as Abhyanga is one of Gray’s most popular treatments. The warm herbal oils are applied to the body and worked into the skin and deep layers of the tissue through choreographed movements and strokes designed to push the stagnant lymph and energy toward the heart and out of the body. This treatment is very nourishing and is known to help increase muscle tone while improving stamina, vitality and virility. Abhyanga is suitable for most people and is an excellent way to combat anxiety, relieve stress and reduce tension throughout the body.

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HEALTH

The professionals at Roseburg Wellness Center offer an array of services to invigorate the body, mind and spirit.

Here’s an overview of who, and what, you will find there.

O

n the corner of Main Street and Cass, the Roseburg Beauty and Wellness Center offers an array of independent practitioners ready to upgrade your health and improve your outlook. Step inside and experience your inner Zen, right in the heart of downtown Roseburg.

Please note that all practitioners are by appointment only.

ENERGY HEALING MT. MAZAMA ENERGY ARTS Julie Stump RN, BC, HTP, EEM-CP, Owner

SERVICES

• Healing Touch therapy • Eden Energy therapy • Tibetan Bowl sound therapy

Story by Jennifer Grafiada Photos by Tristin Godsey

CONTACT juliestump@msn.com 541-680-8250

NUTRITION BETH SCHULTZ, NTP SERVICES • Nutritional therapy • Ionic foot bath

ACUPUNCTURE RYAN GIRARD L.AC SERVICES

• Acupuncture • Cupping • Chinese herbology • Nutrition

CONTACT Bethschultz.com Facebook.com/realfoodinspiredme/ bethschultzntp@gmail.com 541-410-0084 “You are what you eat, think and feel! I love watching people transform their health and live their best life!”

CONTACT Facebook.com/Ryan-Girard-LAc 541-671-6408 “Acupuncture can be used to effectively treat both acute and chronic conditions. It is tremendously effective at reducing stress levels and optimizing immune function.”

Healing Touch brings balance to the body’s energy system with gentle on-or off-the-body touch. This balancing in turn reduces pain, stress and anxiety and increases feelings of well-being. The singing bowls effect positive change in the human energy system by using the resonance of sound waves, which go deep inside the cells.”

LIMITLESS SPIRIT Rev. Shareen Webb, Owner

SERVICES • Clairvoyant aura readings • Spiritual counseling • Oracle card readings

CONTACT Limitless-Spirit.com Facebook.com/LimitlessSpirit 541-937-5688 “Every time I step into the role of spiritual counselor or healer, I am home. I love the spirit-to-spirit and human-to-human connection that forms and the ability to facilitate and serve as witness to someone’s journey of self-healing.”

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HEALTH

BEAUTY BEAUTY RX RN Debbie Caskey, RN, Business owner Mary Hagood FNP-C, Medical Director

SERVICES

• Vitamin injections • Botox • Restylane

ESSENCE MASSAGE THERAPY Jamie Maneha, LMT, Owner

HEARTWORLD THERAPIES Tedy Fromdahl LMT, NTP, CHt, MSEd, Owner

SERVICES

• Massage, including Breema BodyWork,

craniosacral, lymph drainage and total body balance • Nutritional therapy with morphogenic field technique • Heart-centered hypnotherapy • Unity breath, body-centered meditation • Self-Breema classes

CONTACT Heartworldtherapies.com tedy.heartworld@gmail.com 541-430-3821 “My philosophy is based on balanced wholeness, a well being, inside and out.”

“Invest in yourself!”

ABOUT FACE & MORE

SERVICES

Andi Johnson, Owner

CONTACT 541-378-7789

• Customized facials and chemical peels • Celluma LED therapy • SkinPen collagen induction therapy • Laser hair removal • Lash lift, lash and brow tinting • Full-body waxing

• Myofascial release • Deep tissue • Hot stone and structural alignment • Reflexology • Prenatal massage

MASSAGE THERAPISTS

CONTACT 541-580-8434 Beautyrxrn@gmail.com www.facebook.com/beautyrxrn

“Routine massage can aid in pain management, break up scar tissue, boost immune function and circulation and increase range of motion.”

STEPHANIE HUCKINS MASSAGE THERAPY Stephanie Huckins, LMT, Owner

CONTACT Facebook.com/shuckinsbadalmt1 541-671-1085

CALENDULA BODYWORK AND WELLNESS Kelsey Leach, LMT, Owner

SERVICES

• Massage therapy

SERVICES

CONTACT Facebook.com/aboutfaceandmorespa 541-733-7699 “Look better, feel better!”

RAW EARTH NATURAL NAIL SPA Susan Carlile, Owner

SERVICES

• Spa manicures and pedicures • Waxing • Lash and brow tinting

CONTACT Facebook.com/Raw-Earth-NaturalNail-Spa “Providing beauty products with cleaner ingredients makes me feel proactive in the promotion of health of the people I see every day and that feels great.”

CONTACT 541-514-8945

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HEALTH

THANK YOU

HEALTH

Mercy Medical Center

Great employees create a great organization!

CHI Mercy Health Douglas County's No. 1 Employer.

©

2017

541.673.0611 . chimercyhealth.com

HEALTH

Jessica Moore, Blue Zones Project – Umpqua program manager, at a recent Purpose Workshop.

FINDING YOUR PURPOSE Having a meaningful reason to get up in the morning can add years to your life, and Blue Zones Project – Umpqua can show you how.

Story by Juliete Palenshus, Engagement Lead Blue Zones Project – Umpqua

A

are you thriving? Do you know your life purpose?

In a Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index survey, conducted locally in 2016 by Blue Zones Project — Umpqua, fewer than 53 percent of people said they use their strengths daily. Only 48 percent said they were thriving.

These numbers ranked our community lower compared to both Oregon and national averages.

Studies indicate that people who have a clear goal in life live longer and stay more mentally sharp than those who don’t. Research has shown that people who are clear about “living with purpose” can add an estimated seven years to their life. When time, gifts and passions are focused on things of importance us, we are said to be living with purpose.

A visit to the original Blue Zones — five communities around the globe where more people are living long and happy lives than elsewhere — shows what living with purpose every day looks like.

People from these five areas have a strong sense of purpose throughout their lives and into their older years. Okinawans call it ikigai, and Nicoyans in Costa Rica call it plan de vida. Both phrases roughly translate to “Why I wake up in the morning.”

Regardless of others’ views, they know their life has meaning.

Blue Zones Project — Umpqua, a local well-being initiative, recently began helping community members explore their life purpose through interactive workshops. In January, two workshops drew more than 90 people, with many others placed on a waiting list for the next one.

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HEALTH

RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT PEOPLE WITH THE MOST SOCIAL CONNECTIONS TEND TO LIVE THE LONGEST.

MARCH

27 BLUE ZONES EVENT

Explore Your Purpose Sherm’s Thunderbird manager and Leadership Committee member John Robertson.

During each workshop, participants tried to clarify their purpose and set goals that could help them live a more satisfying life. They learned to identify their own talents and draft a plan for themselves.

Most people don’t think of supporting strong social connections as a health-improvement strategy. However, the landmark Framingham Heart Study, a long-running research project that began in 1948, found that people with the most social connections tend to live the longest.

In Okinawa, people have formed Moais — groups that have formed for a common purpose — to provide one another with social support and connection. Children placed in these small social circles at a very early age have maintained long-term friendships over the course of their lives.

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 5:30-7:30 P.M.

Ford Family Foundation, 1600 N.W. Stewart Parkway, Roseburg.

Attend a free Purpose Workshop and find your true purpose — that unique thing that makes you your best. Start living with purpose and add seven years to your life.

Take home tools you need to be the best possible you!

LEARN MORE OR REGISTER: Go online to go.bluezonesproject.com/ko/purpose-1-0 or register through the Blue Zones Project – Umpqua Facebook page.

Being part of a supportive group that shares a desire to live healthy and meaningfully is thought to be a powerful way for people to improve their lives. Purpose Moais are an element of Blue Zones Project — Umpqua. Each Moai is a group of five to seven people who meet regularly for 10 weeks. The idea is to help one another put his or her gifts, values and passions to work.

“We talked for almost two hours, and I think our group members enjoy sharing, even with strangers, and learning from each other,” Purpose Moai participant Christine Smith said after just two meetings with her group. “We got pretty personal, and everyone was very engaged and respectful.”

“It started off a little awkward, but by the end we were all sharing. It’s really neat that we have a range of people from their 20s to their 80s and we can all learn from each other.”

The next Purpose Workshop is scheduled for March 27, and additional Purpose Moais will be launched to inspire participants to make new friends, get to know their community better and find ways to give back.

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A MILLWRIGHT’S ART / THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WORKING…AND WALKING / DARING TO DREAM

A MILLWRIGHT’S ART Every mill in America has a guy with the diverse array of skills required to keep its equipment humming. But a millwright with artistic skills like Dave Pedersen’s is a little harder to find.

Story by Doug Pedersen Photos by Thomas Boyd

T

here are some intense levels of darkness in the early morning hours. Thankfully, the lights from oncoming log trucks nicely illuminate the way and work better than coffee to wake you up. It’s pre-dawn, but the morning crew at Douglas County Forest Products has been at work for hours.

Approaching from the sawmill is a deceptively small Daihatsu work truck. In it sits a millwright who enjoys the industry he’s chosen, even if he isn’t thrilled with his current mode of transportation.

At every mill and factory in America you’ll find at least one millwright who installs, repairs, welds, maintains and keeps everything running smoothly.

It’s honest and sometimes difficult work, but Dave Pedersen never takes it for granted. He also takes his work home with him, in a sense, crafting artwork from old horseshoes, saws and other bits of scrap found here and there.

But that’s getting ahead of the story.

“I’ve been here since 1995,” Pedersen says over the whine of the micro-truck engine and tinny interior, from which wafts odors of fast food and axle grease. “Been workin’ mills since 1977,” Pederesen adds, shifting into something similar to third gear.

“Guy named Bob got me my first job in Prineville.”

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BUSINESS

Back then, the logging industry was booming. Every small town in the Pacific Northwest had plenty of work. But it wasn’t destined to last. Controversies like the spotted owl and deforestation gained traction. Logging slowed. Mills closed. Jobs were lost and so were plenty of families.

2-by-6 boards in eight-, nine-, and 10-foot lengths. But that’s where the simple ends. What starts with full-size logs quickly becomes the building blocks for neighborhoods everywhere. In a single day, the mill cranks out enough sticks to frame more than 40 average-size homes. That’s about 160,000 boards a day.

“I was kinda lucky because I had joined the safety committee with a guy named Bill. He was the millwright in the truck shop. I got trained to maintain the sawmill,” Pedersen says, easily swerving to miss another large chunk of metal. “I learned to be a millwright on the job.”

With sharp-eyed professionals sitting behind controllers and computer screens, log after log zooms through scanners. In less than a second, computers determine exactly how many boards can be extracted from each log just before those logs are sent on to large, sharp saws whirling ominously behind impressive, almost artistic, metal guards.

However, the mill Pedersen had called home for 16 years finally had to let him go. The sawmill was closing and the rest of it wasn’t far behind.

“I did roofing and framed houses for a few years. Anything to stay afloat,” Pedersen says, steering the mini truck through a maze of impossible doorways.

A few years later, he’d moved to Roseburg to be near his kids. One night, he found himself in a local watering hole called the Cozy Corner Tavern in Sutherlin. It’s the type of place where good people come to commiserate and celebrate. Sometimes both. On this night, Pedersen was offered a job.

“The guy next to me said he needed another millwright,” he says. “I took him up on it.

Been with Douglas County Forest Products ever since.”

A quarter-century later, the industry has redefined itself, and the change is apparent at this sawmill, particularly in the Cogeneration (combined heat and power, or CHP) building. This marvel of engineering burns the sawdust and bark from the mill. That heat boils water into steam that in turn spins large turbines.

The end result is a mill that generates its own electricity from its own byproduct. It also uses the steam it produces to heat large kilns.

While the mill includes a planer, sawmill, machine shop, kilns (and kiln shed), and shipping shed, it also employs plenty of hardworking, down-to-earth people who crack open a beer or two on the weekend. Like Pedersen, they don’t associate timber with high tech, but that’s exactly what it has become.

Parking the truck, Pedersen leads the way along ladders, walkways, underpasses and past a long-forgotten can of Copenhagen. Moving quickly overhead are logs in various states of cut and debark.

Simply put, Douglas County Forest Products creates 2-by-4 and

Many of these machines are Pedersen’s responsibility, and he doesn’t shy away from adding a bit of flair to his millwork.

“I like that I can put some art into everything,” he says as he checks a weld for stability. “Keeps things interesting. And when you make things look a little different everywhere, it keeps people on their toes. Keeps them safe.”

He isn’t kidding. The sheets of metal separating the saws from fleshy fingers are all distinct and artistic.

When the whistle blows to go home, Pedersen uses his skills with a different kind of flair. At his home just down the road from the mill, Pedersen spends more than 20 hours a week using his millwright skills to craft products he sells under the name Creative Western Art. “I bought every handsaw I could find in Roseburg,” Pedersen says, pointing at a wall packed with them. Each one is expertly cut to reveal a salmon flying from the top. “I sell these all over.”

His work can be found in Roseburg at Cowboy Tree Yard and Garden Center on Northeast Chestnut Avenue as well as Douglas County Farmers Co-Op on Northeast Stephens Street.

“Someday I’ll drive around with my girl, Dee, to art shows and stuff and sell them,” he says.

While this millwright has the drive and talent to move forward with that plan, he’s content working alongside his team at the mill and devoting hours to crafting art from horseshoes, old saws and various bits of scrap.

Everywhere you turn at Douglas County Forest Products and at his home alongside the interstate, you’ll spot the art of a millwright and a local who is proud of his work, heritage and the quiet life he’s found in the Umpqua Valley.

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BUSINESS

THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WORKING… AND WALKING Whether made for working in a rugged forest or walking on a deep-pile carpet, Clemons is Douglas County’s go-to source for custom-made, high-quality boots and shoes.

Story by Brandon Johns Photos by Thomas Boyd

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take years of instruction and apprenticeship. While there are schools that teach the trade, “They don’t always teach the little details that make a big difference in the final product,” Clemons says. “Getting that exact custom fit to a shoe or boot is not easy; it’s something only hands-on experience can provide.”

The father and son’s chief product originally was a logging boot known as a caulk boot (pronounced “cork” around these parts). At the height of the timber industry, Clemons had four people turning out orders, which were mainly shipped to dealers. When logging started to decline, the Clemons decided to sell retail out of their own store.

Just as he learned his skills and bootmaking techniques on the job, Clemons has been passing them along to his daughter, Libby, who has added her own style to the company’s line.

Clemons says his daughter would come into the shop when she was small and “wouldn’t stop fiddling with the machinery.”

Today, she is operating it herself and doing it well.

BUSINESS

ith a long-standing reputation for rugged dependability, Clemons boots are regarded as a crucial piece of equipment by those putting in long days of work in the forests. Founded on the hunch that Roseburg needed a boot shop, Walt and Bill Clemons’ intuition proved to be spot on.

Bill Clemons and his daughter, Libby, who hopes to carry on the family boot business.

Then, as business slowed even further, the need to diversify was apparent. Wisely, the Clemonses were able to transition into firefighting boots and keep production going.

“Hotshot crews that came into our area to fight fire would see a pair on a local person, then end up ordering their own,” Bill Clemons says. “Nowadays, a lot of the people who order from us I never meet.

We have them take measurements using a form, and then we make the boots. We’ve shipped them as far away as New York.”

Ordering may be high-tech these days, but Clemons boots are still handmade using machines dating back to the 1940s. The tools may be old-fashioned, but the business has evolved with the times. A step inside the store on Main Street in downtown Roseburg reveals other types of custom-made quality footwear on the shelves.

In addition to work boots, Clemons makes western boots as well as fine dress shoes. About 25 years ago, the company bought out a shoe business, acquiring numerous forms and patterns in the process. So they started making a variety of different shoe styles.

Around the same time, a cowboy bootmaker rented a workspace from them. Soon they began trading patterns, and suddenly Clemons was also in the cowboy boot business.

Cowboy styles can be especially difficult, Clemons says, as they have to be built to each individual foot in order to get the fit perfect. Measurements need to be taken every couple of inches.

A logging or fire boot, on the other hand, is easier because their laces allow for adjusting.

“CAP-TOE SHOES, ONCE CONSIDERED AN OLD-MAN DESIGN, ARE NOW COOL AGAIN. YOUNG HIPSTERS MAY BE OUR SAVING GRACE.” – Bill Clemons

Libby Clemons is interested in carrying on the Clemons family tradition and keeping the shop running well into the future. “I like the family business aspect,” she says. “I was practically raised in the shop and have a lot of fond memories.”

She works in the shop as much as possible, but she’s also attending classes at the University of Oregon. So her dad is the shop’s constant presence and has been since his father, Walt, died last May. “At 85, Dad could still work all day with just a lunch break,” says Bill.

Because business is good, and Bill Clemons is currently filling all orders himself, the shop is slightly backed up. But Clemons’ customers are willing to wait for the quality footwear they know they will eventually be sporting.

“Younger people are back buying quality shoes that last,” Clemons says. “Cap-toe shoes, once considered an old-man design, are now cool again. Young hipsters may be our saving grace. Also, people are beginning to buy American-made and locally made goods again.”

Clemons offers boots in caulk, cowboy, packer, roper (slip-on or laced) and engineer styles. Several variations of cap-toe dress shoes are available as well. Each pair is a testament to the skill and dedication that is the long-standing hallmark of Clemons Boot Co.

Learning to make boots and shoes the quality of a Clemons can

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DARING TO DREAM With the help of NeighborWorks Umpqua, Douglas County residents like Marla Zoeter and the Winder family are able to move closer to achieving their personal versions of the American Dream.

Story by Nick Noyes Photos by Thomas Boyd

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efore you start recording, can I…?” Marla Zoeter’s voice trails, her eyes glued to my phone. I laugh and quickly pause the recording with a delicate tap of the screen.

The director of Heartwood ReSources wants to talk a little business before the millionth re-telling (her estimate) of her life story. She doesn’t believe that her story merits another telling for publication.

She is wrong.

Zoeter is too modest to say so, but her tale is one of a modernday American dream. Along the journey, she has become a proud grandparent, a thriving homeowner and a successful businesswoman. Thanks to local nonprofits and a retailer, Zoeter got her second chance.

It was around 15 years ago — the dates might be a little fuzzy — Zoeter was job hunting with little money and few prospects.

She leaned on state help and accrued debt in order to provide for her family. Job opportunities were scarce, which made for a crush of applicants whenever something attractive came along.

In her JOBS Plus class, a subsidized work program administered by the state Department of Human Services that helps connect applicants with work, Zoeter got a lead.

“I heard Mickey Beach from NeighborWorks Umpqua was hiring [for Heartwood ReSources], so I ran right out of class and went and called him from the lobby.” Zoeter says.

After talking with Zoeter on the phone, Beach set up a couple of interviews with her. He saw her potential and gave her a shot.

Marla Zoeter turned a lead into a life-changing opportunity with Heartwood ReSources.

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The decision paid off. A hard worker, Zoeter excelled at everything she was assigned, including cashier, de-nailer and pick-up driver.

Few who know her were surprised at that.

Zoeter has never met a stranger in her life. Every client in the store was treated like a close friend. Her work ethic, warmth, kindness and ability to converse with just about anyone

BUSINESS

The Winders used a grant for veterans to fix up their home.

“THERE IS NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY WHEN I COME HOME, OR PULL IN OR OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I DON’T THANK NEIGHBORWORKS UMPQUA.”

– Marla Zoeter

The Winder family of Roseburg is another story of people who achieved local success through work and community support.

Aaron Winder, a native of Virginia and a military veteran, supports his family with his job at a local big-box retailer. Rising costs and stagnant wages, however, made buying a family home difficult.

made her a valuable employee — who eventually became the store’s manager. With a team of her own, Zoeter mentors and They finally bought a fixer-upper in Roseburg’s Newton Creek Manor. supports her employees with lessons she learned from her But the fixing up took money, and even with Aaron’s job, paying for own accomplishments, the pursuit of homeownership and her improvements came slowly. successful financial education, courtesy of the experts from “Our back door… we had to double lock it just for it to stay shut,” says NeighborWorks Umpqua.

Juanna Winder, Aaron’s spouse.

“When I started out, I just wanted to own my own home,” Zoeter says.

She realized quickly that, in order to get there, she would need to apply her work ethic to some practical education. She saved money through NWU’s Dream$avers program (an IDA saving program with a 3-to-1 savings match). She took some rigorous courses from NWU to learn all she could about the nuances of home buying. She benefited from counseling and coaching at NWU to achieve financial independence and worked steadily toward the day she closed on her first home.

The house also had holes in the floor and a roof that would soon need replacement. The Winders had all but resigned themselves to living in a sub-standard home when they heard about a grant opportunity for veterans that would give them cash to get needed repairs made.

They were soon able to repair their roof, floors, windows and doors and add a ductless heating system. Local nonprofits worked with local contractors to ensure the improvement projects were completed. But it took work for the Winders to find the community help they needed as well as being willing to ask for help.

“There is not a day that goes by when I come home, or pull in or out of my driveway, I don’t thank NeighborWorks Umpqua,” she says.

“They were amazing,” says Juanna Winder. “If anybody gets a chance Many Americans have similar stories of triumph. Even more are to work with NeighborWorks Umpqua, if you get any paperwork or anything like that, turn it in.” working to get there.

Stories like the Winders’ and Zoeter’s show the potential help available to Douglas County residents through NeighborWorks Umpqua. And it’s all there for the asking.

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A

drive to South Umpqua Falls in the winter and spring offers a place for riparian meditation and an accessible contrast to the more familiar sights of the North Umpqua.

This is especially true before the weather turns warm and the two forks of the Umpqua become attractive to visitors.

DAY TRIP Start in Canyonville and head east for a beautiful half-day journey featuring covered bridges and river vistas en route to South Umpqua Falls.

Story by Bentley Gilbert Photos by Samantha Starns

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While the North Umpqua keeps largely to itself north of Roseburg, we frequently encounter the South Umpqua as it meanders through central Douglas County towns, beneath bridges and adjacent to roads and trails.

Our tour begins in Canyonville. From Roseburg, head south on Interstate 5 to Exit 99. Go south on Main Street past Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort to enter this attractive town. At the intersection of Southeast Main and Third streets downtown, follow the sign for Days Creek and Tiller.

The U.S. Forest Service offers a map of what it calls the “Myrtle Creek-Canyonville Tour Route.” With its color and photos, it looks nothing like a government document. We opted to try the route in reverse.

OUTDOORS

DAY TRIP FACTS TRAVEL TIME Canyonville to Myrtle Creek (or reverse): 3-4 hours, depending on the number and length of stops to enjoy the scenery. Plan to do plenty of both.

GETTING THERE From Roseburg: South on Interstate 5. Myrtle Creek is at exits 108 and 106. Canyonville is at Exit 99. All are 30 minutes or less from Roseburg.

ROADWAYS Caution signs say “Rough Road.”

But the surface, even in midwinter, was well-tended. A short distance of the road to South Umpqua Falls is gravel. Snow might be a consideration, so check weather and road reports before you go.

FEES & PARKING

Start or end your trip through covered bridges and the Umpqua forest with a stop at Soco Coffee in Myrtle Creek.

As you head east, Third Street becomes the Tiller-Trail Highway. The swollen South Umpqua will join you on the left shortly after you leave town and head east into a picturesque valley of tidy farms and pastureland.

About 17 miles from Canyonville, you’ll come to a turnoff that leads to a covered bridge, which accesses the Milo Adventist Academy. The bridge was built — or rebuilt — in 1962. It’s a 100-foot steel span with wood housing and metal roof and it replaced the all-wooden covered bridge built on the site 42 years earlier.

At one time, Oregon had an estimated 450 covered bridges spanning its rivers and streams. According to coveredbridgemap. com, the 53 remaining covered bridges are among the most in any state. By contrast, nearby Washington has only eight covered bridges and California a mere dozen.

The Douglas fir forest you came to see starts when you turn left onto South Umpqua Road (County Road 46) just past Tiller and about 22 miles from our starting point. The nearby Tiller Ranger District station houses a wealth of information — in maps, brochures and staff — to help you learn about the area.

Picnic ground fee (day-use only): $5. Camping fee: $10 per night. Parking is ample in early spring.

Moss-covered boulders and rocky cliffs that appear luminescent in the cool, gray light of the season border the river, which rises high in the Cascades approximately 20 miles northwest of Crater Lake.

South Umpqua Road along the river features several picnic areas (day-use only) and campgrounds, although the latter will not open until May. But even if you’re just passing by, the scenery is something to savor and well worth stopping for. Waysides feature ample parking, clean facilities and natural features that are well interpreted.

At about the 28-mile point, you’ll come to the turnoff (Forest Route 2810) that continues the tour loop and returns you to Myrtle Creek. But first drive the final 13 miles to South Umpqua Falls.

MAPS Myrtle Creek-Canyonville Tour Route “Land of Umpqua” Pacific Northwest Recreational Map Series Oregon State Highway Map LEARN MORE U.S. Forest Service 2900 N.W. Stewart Parkway, Roseburg 541-957-3200 www.fs.usda.gov/umpqua

The falls feature an unusual formation.

Shallow water flows over a wide slab of bedrock, then plunges 15 feet into a deep pool.

Snow well above 2,000-feet elevation in mid-January blocked our planned route back to Myrtle Creek. But retracing the route along the South Umpqua is a great consolation prize.

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LAST WORD

I Jewel OF THE Umpqua Valley THERE’S A BEAUTY TO UMPQUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE THAT EXTENDS FAR BEYOND ITS GORGEOUS NATURAL SETTING.

By Bentley Gilbert

ts beauty caught my eye. I came to Umpqua Community College in December 2007 to take a job in the school’s administration. I saw something I didn’t expect: A water fountain. Maybe there are other Oregon community college campuses that have beautiful fountains, but UCC, I’d soon discover, had three.

It was one of the many pleasant surprises I would experience during my time on campus. Another was the annual GED graduation ceremony that I would be part of just a month later. This is one of the most energetic events of the academic year. With several generations of the graduates’ families seated or milling about, the auditorium is never quiet.

Grads walk across the stage, flashing 50,000-watt smiles. A small child’s voice may be heard shouting, “That’s my mommy!” The crowd erupts. The departing students tell many moving stories – such as “home lives” spent largely in automobiles or abuse at the hands of a relative. There are stories of past poverty, hunger and cold and students facing any number of other challenges that may have led to absenteeism and made it impossible for them to complete high school.

This graduation celebrates success, and as I experienced my first I was unable to remain composed. It would become my single favorite campus event.

At UCC, I saw busy students crisscross the beautiful campus juggling lives that may have included providing care for aging parents or young children, coping with jobs or losing social lives (or all of the above), while they also attended classes and completed homework. I was awed by their resolve.

The Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians annually offered a scholarship honoring a student at each of the 15-plus high schools in the college’s district. When the announcements were made, several generations of families were joined by the UCC board and Tribal council members.

When the students wanted to recognize a family member, it occasionally went like this: “The person who helped me the most was my Nana. Come on, Nana, stand up. Stand up!” With profound embarrassment, a woman of a certain age would slowly rise from her chair and wave. Again, the room erupted in applause and cheers. My eyes misted.

In winter months, gray, wooly caterpillars of fog nestle in the valleys of an oxbow bend in the North Umpqua River that runs majestically below the UCC campus, affording students and visitors one of the most, if not the most, beautiful views from a college setting. This time of year, wild turkey and deer browse amid the pristine, treed campus as the students move toward a June commencement and the rest of their lives.

In the Umpqua Valley, where there is no shortage of natural treasures, this place is among its most beautiful jewels.

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