Spring 2020

Spring 2020 • volume 8

FOR THOSE WHO ENJOY THEIR RECREATION ON THE ROCKS, THE UMPQUA VALLEY IS OREGON'S BEST-KEPT CLIMBING SECRET

MEAD: IT'S NOT JUST FOR VIKINGS ELECTRIFYING ARTISTRY TAKE A SCENIC HIKE

CASUAL UPSCALE DINING IN TH E H E A R T O F H I S T ORI C D OW NT OW N ROS EB U R G

OP EN 7 DAY S A N D 5 N I G H T S A WE E K Seasonal rooftop lounge | Private banquet dining available Come as you are!

527 SE Jackson Street 541.440.4901

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UV . SPRING 2020

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FEATURES 42

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HIGH-VOLTAGE PERSONALITY

RECREATION ON THE ROCKS

A MOMENT IN TIME

Painting with electricity is just one

The Umpqua Valley boasts Oregon’s

chapter in Dave Archer’s highly

second-largest concentration of rock-

entertaining life story.

climbing routes.

The Faces of the Umpqua exhibition and book pays tribute to local doers and givers.

DEPARTMENTS EXPERIENCE ROSEBURG

FOOD + DRINK

10 OFF THE BEATEN PATH

28 UV’S FAVORITE SANDWICHES

If you’re looking for a walk on the wild

This issue, UV staff share their favorite

side, head to the North Umpqua Trail.

local sandwiches.

12 ROLLING ON THE RIVER Hit the rapids for a thrilling close-

32 IT’S NOT JUST FOR VIKINGS ANYMORE

up look at the legendary North

Oran Mor revives the centuries-old art

Umpqua River.

of brewing mead.

14 RIDE THE ROLLER COASTER Our resident expert maps out a challenging, scenic ride for cyclists.

35 ALL ABOARD THE BARREL TOUR Here’s a great way to explore Umpqua Valley’s wine country.

CULTURE

66 FERTILE IMAGINATION When he’s not farming chances are you’ll find Hyrum Laney writing the latest installment in his book series.

68 LEGENDS OF THE UMPQUA: SCOTT HENERY III After helping astronauts get home from the moon, Scott Henry III made his mark on the local – and international – wine scene.

70 VINTAGE HARMONIES The Vintage Singers have been pleasing

UMPQUA LIFE 18 A DANCING TRADITION The Buckeroo Barn is keeping Roseburg’s square dancing tradition alive and well.

21 THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT Ride sharing and other services on demand come to the Umpqua Valley.

BUSINESS 36 CUSTOM CREATIONS Matt Hallman is building a highly successful custom woodworking company.

38 CRAFT WORKS At Whiskey Creek Rustics, owner Sarah Gallino is selling her own and other local crafts and clothing.

22 FIGHTING HUNGER Volunteers work together to combat the local hunger problem.

24 PLAY BALL...AGAIN UCC revives its dormant baseball program.

26 AN AFTERNOON IN SUTHERLIN Tips for spending some quality time in Sutherlin.

audiences since 1978.

72 WHAT’S IN A NAME This issue we explore the origins of the ubiquitous Umpqua.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 06 Editor’s Letter 07 In Memorium: Chuck McCullum 08 Contributors 74 Last Word

HEALTH 60 ONE STEP CLOSER Local visionaries’ dream of a local medical college is nearing reality.

COVER PHOTO: Jonathan Cummings

64 CARE PACKAGE The new Family Medicine Residency Program will soon be bringing new physicians to town.

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E DITOR’ S LETTER

future unless we found an additional source of funding beyond

Experience Roseburg

the generous contributions CHI Mercy Health has made since

So, where were we? If I’m not mistaken, the last time we connected I was telling you that UV was facing an uncertain

our first issue in 2017.

If it’s not obvious by now, we were successful in that endeavor.

In addition to Mercy’s continued support, AHM Brands has entered into a new partnership with our friends at Anvil NW. We will be assisting Anvil in executing their own new partnership with the City of Roseburg to promote our community to people across the state as the outstanding tourism destination we all know it to be.

We’re grateful to have been entrusted with this bit of the important work Anvil will be doing and honored to be able to continue promoting the people, places and events that make the Umpqua Valley such a great place to live or visit.

The impact on our editorial approach will be minimal, and I believe that any changes you see in this and future issues will

PAGE 32 It’s no secret the Umpqua Valley is home to some fantastic wineries and breweries, but if you haven’t discovered mead, make sure you read Andrew Weber’s profile of Oran Mor Meadery.

Then go taste it.

be welcome ones. From a content standpoint, you may notice

editor@TheUVlife.com

who are unfamiliar with our community. But in many cases,

those may be as enlightening to you as they will be to potential

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a few more “things-to-do-here” sorts of articles aimed at those

25 years and had no idea this was such an outstanding rockclimbing destination.

Beyond the content changes, we have dramatically increased our print run and will now be distributing UV statewide, where it will be available in visitors centers, hotels and motels, restaurants and other sites. We’re still looking for the best way to distribute the magazine locally, but don’t have the staff to blanket the area with it. The good news is, you found it, so please let others know where you did. And, of course, UV can always be picked up at our downtown Roseburg office, at 603 S.E. Jackson St. On behalf of Anvil NW, CHI Mercy Health, AHM Brands and all of UV’s great contributors, thank you for sticking with us. We’re thrilled to be back.

Dick Baltus Editor in Chief

UV . SPRING 2020

If you’re a cyclist who’s not afraid of a challenge, Paul Whitworth offers up a long, scenic route for you.

CONTACT ME

visitors. And to me for that matter. For example, I’ve lived here

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Of all the interesting people I’ve written about, Dave Archer may have the wildest story. And not just because he paints with electricity.

In Memoriam: Chuck McCullum We were deeply saddened by the recent passing of Chuck McCullum, who since 1936 served multiple generations of customers at his downtown Texaco station and set a standard for service that may never be matched in our community.

Retired Roseburg High teacher Brad Allen interviewed Chuck for one of our first issues, and I haven’t heard as many positive comments about any feature we have run since, not just from readers but from Chuck himself.

For months after the interview was published, whenever I ran into Chuck on a downtown sidewalk he would thank me for including him in our “book,” as he called UV. He’d tell me that customers were bringing the article into his station and asking for his autograph. And, he’d sheepishly admit, he was obliging them.

“I never thought something like this would happen to me,” he would say.

In the introduction to his interview, Brad related the story of when he first met Chuck, and the life-altering impact it had on him:

into his station for gas and was charmed by the easy-going patter he worked up while washing my windows. Imagine my surprise when Chuck opened the passenger door of my dusty Toyota Tercel and bundled in to wash the inside of my windshield with his red cotton rag. I’d never seen that done before and haven’t since. But it left an impression and, I’ll admit, swayed me to take my first teaching job in the Umpqua Valley.”

I had long known who Chuck was (who didn’t around here?) but had never met him until about three years ago when he stopped me in front of the UV office downtown and told me about picking up UV for the first time. “When I saw you were editor, I knew it was in good hands,” he said.

How he had determined that, having never met me, was beyond me. But Chuck left no doubt he was being authentic. And with that single comment, Chuck had left on me the same lasting impression he made on Brad Allen, 60 years’ worth of customers and a lifetime of friends and loved ones.

— Dick Baltus

“My first encounter with Chuck was on a warm August afternoon 30 years ago. A newly minted teacher in search of a job, I pulled EXPERIENCE ROSEBURG

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SPRING 2020

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Dick Baltus

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Tyler James

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

DESIGNERS

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Thomas Boyd

Michael Williamson, Sara Kubler, Claire Osborn

Jim Hays

Brittany Arnold, Jennifer Grafiada, B. Lane Johns, Clare Matthews, Ella Morgan, Sarah Smith, Sarah Stacey, Brian Staffield, A.P. Weber, Erin Wilds, Paul Whitworth

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Brittany Arnold, Jonathan Cummings, Kevin Eckerman, Robin Loznak, Chris Low, Jon Mitchell, Paul Whitworth

PUBLISHED BY

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

UV Magazine is grateful for our advertising and the generous support of our sponsors:

LIFESTYLE + TRAVEL MAGAZINE OF THE UMPQUA VALLEY

UV Magazine copyright 2020. 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 express written consent.

EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE ROSEBURG ROSEBURG ROSEBURG

OFF THE BEATEN PATH / ROLLING ON THE RIVER / RIDE THE ROLLER COASTER

OFF THE BEATEN PATH Just a few miles east of Roseburg, the North Umpqua Trail system provides countless opportunities to take a scenic hike on the wild side.

Story by Brittany Arnold Photos by Jonathan Cummings

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sea of lush, green forest — home to 18 waterfalls and traversed by the meandering curves of the North Umpqua River — makes a breath-taking backdrop for a showcase of spring and summer wildflowers.

It’s also what makes the Umpqua National Forest a perfect place to visit during the spring and summer. Unmatched for both its rugged landscape and pristine elegance, the Umpqua attracts outdoor enthusiasts from all over the globe.

For hikers, the forest’s centerpiece is the North Umpqua Trail, a 79-mile system that provides a picturesque path through the inspiring natural beauty of the Cascade Range. And all of this is just an easy 45-minute drive east of Roseburg along the National Scenic Byway of Oregon Highway 138.

The North Umpqua system consists of a dozen trailheads with each path ranging from 3.5 to 15.7 miles. This means both casual

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and serious hikers can find a suitable trail that combines colorful wildflowers with panoramic vistas.

Here’s just a few of the many trails and epic wildflower viewing areas along Highway 138. Grab your boots and camera and enjoy one of these amazing hikes.

Mount Thielsen Trail provides a phenomenal vista for hikers ready for a strenuous climb. At 9,182 feet elevation, Thielsen is the highest point in the Umpqua National Forest. The trailhead is 1.5 miles north of the junction of highways 138 and 230, near Diamond Lake. The Thielsen trail intersects with the Pacific Crest Trail and proceeds to the summit. It is not an easy hike.

The climb is gradual, then steepens sharply, especially near the summit. Hikers should exercise caution and should also bring their own drinking water as none is available along the trail.

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The trail’s high elevation means wildflowers are best viewed during the summer. According to the U.S. Forest Service, August is typically the best month to view alpine wildflowers. Species include the Western pasqueflower (Anemone occidentalis), dirty socks (Eriogonum pyrolifolium), partridge flower (Luetkea pectinata), Newberry’s knotweed (Polygonum newberryi), and Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum).

Pale, pink-flowered hybrids of rose mountain heather (Phyllodoce empetriformis) and white mountain heather (P. glanduliflora) might also be visible.

Toolbox Meadows is rubber-boots territory (and carrying Deet might also be a good idea).

This wetland is a breeding ground for a variety of plant species.

The meadows are an arrangement of sedges (Carex spp.), Sitka alder (Alnus sitchensis), willow (Salix spp.) and Douglas spiraea (Spiraea douglasii).

Aquatic plants include common bladderwort (Utricularia macrorhiza), small burweed (Sparganium natans) and pondlily (Nuphar polysepalum). There’s also bog huckleberry (Vaccinium uliginosum), sticky tofieldia (Tofieldia glutinosa) and the insectivorous roundleaf sundew (Drosera rotundifolia).

Toolbox Meadow neighbors Lava Creek and Little Bear Lake. Go west on Highway 138 approximately 1.8 miles from the Lemolo Lake road (2610) junction. Turn north on Forest Service road 4780.

Turn onto the 4780-800 road, which forks to the right immediately after turning onto the 4780 road. The road crosses Toolbox Meadow and Little Bear Lake after a little over a mile.

At Callahan Meadows, the hills are alive. This wide-open spot makes a great site for a spring or summer picnic amid colorful wild blooms. The meadows’ soil brings to life many unique flowers and plants. Among the visible flora are the Umpqua mariposa lily (Calochortus umpquaensis), Waldo rockcress (Arabis aculeolata), Hall’s violet (Viola hallii), cismontane minuartia (Minuartia cismontana) and clustered phacelia (Phacelia capitata). Visitors will also see Jeffery pine (Pinus jefferyi), incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrans), Indian pink (Silene hookeri), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), slender and small-flowered godetia (Clarkia gracilis and C. quadrivulnera) and bluefield gilia (Gilia capitata).

From the Tiller Ranger Station, continue east on Highway 227 approximately three miles. Turn south across the bridge onto Forest Service Road 3230. Turn north on the 3230-300 road and right at the fork to the 320 spur. You will drive through a narrow band of trees into Callahan Meadow.

Glide Wildflower Show

When: Saturday and Sunday, April 25-26

In its 55th year, the largest wildflower show in the Pacific Northwest features more than 600 species of flowers, shrubs, grasses, ferns, lichens and mosses. Other displays show noxious weeds, medicinal plants, natural dyes and photographs of rare and endangered plants.

Highway, Glide

Where: Glide Community Center, 20062 North Umpqua Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days Admission: A donation of $3 per person is suggested Online: glidewildflowershow.org

EXPERIENCE ROSEBURG

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ROLLING ON THE RIVER If you’ve only experienced the beautiful North Umpqua River from the highway, maybe it’s time you boarded a raft and got a closer look and a thrilling ride.

Story by B. Lane Johns Photos provided

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shimmering cutthroat trout rises from the watery depths to snatch a mayfly. An osprey attempts a high-speed dive to snare the same trout. Rays of sunshine filter through the canopy of old-growth timber. Whitewater rapids rumble in the distance.

Just another day at the office for Bill Blodgett, owner/operator of North Umpqua Outfitters. And even after nearly three decades, going to work is something Blodgett looks forward to every day.

North Umpqua Outfitters’ story begins back in 1986, with Blodgett road-tripping through the area. Coming around a curve on Oregon Highway 138 one afternoon, he was stunned by the beauty of a stretch of the North Umpqua and intrigued by the idea of rafting the wild, deep emerald waters surrounded by oldgrowth forest and abundant wildlife. He also decided it was too perfect not to be shared.

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Thus a business was born, although Blodgett had to wait six years to be granted a permit from the U.S. Forest Service before he could start guiding parties through the whitewater on inflatable rafts. Blodgett headquartered his venture east of Roseburg in Idleyld Park, but it wasn’t long before he and his wife, Sharon, took the next step by adding Swiftwater Park Guesthouse — providing overnight lodging for rafting clients. Sharon took over that side of the business..

“I believe this area (Umpqua Valley) has such a great opportunity for recreational tourism,” Blodgett says. “It’s not overcrowded and it’s a comfortable environment and lifestyle. I’m lucky to get to be a part of it.”

Blodgett has the seasoned look of a guide who has spent countless days out on the river. But chat with him for a few minutes and it’s

EXPERIENCE ROSEBURG

clear he not only looks the part, he lives it — both as a whitewater guide and as advocate for the river itself.

one-man operation, Blodgett has over the years brought in a bevy of outstanding guides.

“This is a world-class river we have right in our backyard,” he says.

“I’ve been to New Zealand and South America and seen some really great rivers, but none compare to this one.”

“All of my guides are highly skilled and experienced with river running,” he says. “They have a long training period that also includes studying the local history and geography. Not only will they get you down the river safely, they are able to answer questions about the area.”

In 1968, Congress passed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to preserve in a free-flowing condition certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values for “I’ve been to New Zealand and South the enjoyment of present and future generations. The upper America and seen some really great North Umpqua is one of these rivers, but none compare to this one.” designated waters.

“The geology in the area is awesome,” Blodgett says. “You can actually see how forces of nature shaped the river, and it continually changes as you get further down the river.”

The North Umpqua’s famous waters originate at Maidu Lake, the river’s high-Cascades source. The distinctive emerald green tints are produced by snowmelt held in the surrounding pumice and volcanic soil before being released.

The river’s course takes it through steep canyons lined by columnar basalt and spires, with large basalt boulders scattered along the way.

“Truth be told, this is Oregon’s best-kept whitewater secret,” Blodgett says. “The North Umpqua never runs out of water and has stable flows. It’s fantastic all season. These waters are great for the beginner up to the experienced whitewater paddler. With Class I through IV rapids and a scenic and wild section, it caters to everyone.”

— Bill Blodgett

The river has no shortage of wildlife for viewing as rafters float by. Common sightings include bald eagles, otters, kingfishers, herons, several types of ducks and, occasionally, bears and elk.

Osprey have been known to snag fish near the rafts.

And despite what can become familiar sights to rafters, water, weather, lighting and the overall experience make each downriver journey unique.

Now is the time to start planning that trip down the North Umpqua. Blodgett offers full-day, half-day and custom trips for individuals and groups. The trips range from action-packed water-soaked runs through serious rapids to more leisurely floats designed for observing wildlife.

“We strive to offer something for everyone,” he says.

For more information about North Umpqua Outfitters call 888.454.9696 or visit nuorafting.com

Because of the whitewater’s diversity, North Umpqua Outfitters uses specialized rafts and inflatable kayaks, with top-rated equipment and safety gear. And while he may have started as a EXPERIENCE ROSEBURG

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RIDE THE ROLLER COASTER UV’s resident cycling expert suggests a ride that will get riders’ hearts pumping from both the challenge and the spectacular scenery.

Story and photo by Paul Whitworth

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n undulating road with twists and turns that provide panoramas of stunning landscapes makes this ride a truly memorable cycling experience. It’s not an easy ride, but the surrounding natural beauty will keep you distracted.

This escapade begins at Roseburg’s Stewart Park, also home of the beautiful VA Medical Center campus.

Leave the park and ride through the VA grounds to a traffic signal, where you will turn left and head west on Garden Valley Boulevard. Five miles later the Roseburg Country Club is on your right and moments later, you will get your first glimpse of the North Umpqua River, which will be your scenic companion for most of the next 26 miles.

Wilbur Road ends at Oregon Highway 99. Make a right turn and after a few hundred meters, take a left onto North Bank Road.

You’ve just boarded the roller coaster.

The next 16-plus miles are a cyclist’s dream. Awaiting you are challenging short climbs, exhilarating downhills and plenty of twists and turns. And the scenery is going to be hitting you like a giant slideshow. Take it all in and enjoy.

At mile 29, you’ll want to make a stop at Colliding Rivers Viewpoint in Glide. Here the Little River and North Umpqua crash head on with water churning between the narrow, rocky edges of this unique confluence of fast-flowing water.

Next, turn left onto Glide Loop Drive along the North Umpqua to the highway, where you’ll discover the Atom Bistro and Coffee Bar. The Atom serves a variety of food and other refreshments.

You might want to power up with a double espresso because this ride isn’t over and includes one more climb.

On the way into downtown Roseburg, you’ll pass the historic Douglas County Courthouse and then Roseburg City Hall before making a left onto Southeast Jackson Street, where you’ll find eateries, breweries, coffee shops and more. It’s a great place to stop and take some time for rest and reflection on the ride.

For cyclists, the Roseburg area offers endless variations of new routes and old favorites. And, always, that spectacular scenery.

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North Umpqua Roller Coaster: Your Route Total Distance: 53 miles Highest Point: 1,339 feet elevation at mile 39 on Buckhorn Road Rating: Challenging Starting Point: Stewart Park, Roseburg

Directions

Miles Traveled

• Turn left into VA campus

0.3 mi

• Turn right to get to VA exit

1.0 mi

• Turn left onto Northwest Garden Valley Boulevard

1.2 mi

• Slight right onto Del Rio Road

6.0 mi

• Turn left onto Wilbur Road

8.6 mi

• Turn right onto Oregon Highway 99 South

10.8 mi

• Turn left onto North Bank Road

11.1 mi

• Turn left onto Wild River Drive

27.6 mi

• Turn right onto Lone Pine Lane

28.3 mi

• Turn left onto Oregon Highway 138 East

28.4 mi

• Turn left onto Glide Loop Drive

29.2 mi

• Turn right onto Lone Rock Road

30.9 mi

• Turn right onto Oregon Highway 138 West

31.0 mi

• Turn left onto Little River Road

32.5 mi

• Slight right onto Buckhorn Road

33.7 mi

• Turn left onto Oregon Highway 138 West

46.7 mi

• Turn left onto Northeast Douglas Avenue

47.7 mi

• Turn left onto Southeast Jackson Street

50.6 mi

• Turn left onto Southeast Lane Avenue

50.9 mi

• Turn left onto Southeast Main Street

50.9 mi

• Turn left onto Southeast Washington Avenue

51.1 mi

• Continue onto West Harvard Avenue

51.6 mi

• Turn right onto Stewart Park Drive

52.4 mi

• Turn left onto West Stewart Park Drive

52.7 mi

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Vintage

Travel Back In Time Bring the family and enjoy a day of history!

Umpqua River Lighthouse Museum 1020 Lighthouse Rd Winchester Bay, OR 541.271.1894 Douglas County Museum 123 Museum Dr Roseburg, OR 97470 541.957.7007 umpquavalleymuseums.org

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Travel Back in Time Our Museums are open yearround‌..

Bring the family and enjoy a day of history!

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QUALITY BANKING for businesses that use QUALITY INGREDIENTS.

Anita Cox (top) Oregon Pacific Bank Doug Feldkamp (bottom) Umpqua Dairy Products, Co.

As a banker, Anita Cox knows that companies and communities become what you put into them. When you source milk from Oregon family farms, for instance, you create jobs and great-tasting dairy products. As dairy president and CEO, Doug Feldkamp expects the same level of high-quality products and commitment to community from his bank. But don’t take our word for it— see Doug and hear what he and others have to say about Oregon Pacific Bank at www.opbc.com/testimonials

Not your ordinary bank.

EUGENE | FLORENCE | COOS BAY | ROSEBURG | MEDFORD 2555 NW Edenbower, Roseburg OR | 541-677-9454 | opbc.com

UMPQUA UMPQUA LIFELIFE

A DANCING TRADITION / THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT / FIGHTING HUNGER / PLAY BALL... AGAIN! / AN AFTERNOON IN SUTHERLIN

A DANCING TRADITION Members and guests of the Buckeroo Barn community within a community are keeping Roseburg’s long tradition of square dancing alive.

Story by Sarah Stacey Photos by Robin Loznak

Jim Matthews and 9-year-old Susan Simpson practice their steps.

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UMPQUA LIFE

D

riving over a small bridge spanning a creek, one approaches the Buckeroo Barn, a decent-sized dance hall featuring life-sized silhouette art, a 19th-century buggy and an honest-to-goodness disco ball.

Inside, a group of square dancers are intently listening to the caller, Mark Wheeler, musically holler out different moves from a repertoire of 68 steps. The eight, partnered dancers, ranging in age from 11 to 70, are in the midst of their last lesson delivered through 30 weekly classes, after which they will have mastered and memorized all 68 steps.

For the first few weeks of class, Wheeler says he “likes to keep it vanilla.” Nothing too complex, in other words. Wheeler has been with the Buckeroo class from week one, driving down from Portland to Roseburg for each class. Being a caller is a skilled position for which only dedicated, musically inclined and passionate people need apply. And Wheeler is all of that.

He, of course, has memorized all 68 steps and masterfully executes them as he commands the dancers this way and that.

The goal is to get each set of partners back to their original position at the end of the song, keeping in mind that each of the 68 steps has its own time count and falls on its own beat.

And you thought square dancing was a cake walk.

Roseburg’s Buckeroo Club has been a square dancing community within our community for nearly 70 years. It was founded in 1952 by a group of beginner square dancers who, after growing too big and too loud for the neighborhood on Saturday nights, moved the barn board by board and rebuilt it where it stands today on Northeast Stephens Street.

The club gives friends and family a place to dance while providing good, clean fun for whoever wants to participate.

That’s a value that Bruce Knotts, president of the Buckeroos, still holds dear. “I call it family-friendly fun with a touch of exercise,” he says.

Don’t let that “touch of exercise” fool you. These dancers can really move, and anyone who joins them had better be prepared to break a sweat. Newcomers would be wise not to try and keep up with Paul, 89, and Verna McBurnett, 84, who have been square dancing consistently at the Buckeroo Barn for 35 years.

Many other members have similarly long histories with Buckeroo Barn. Knotts, who has been square dancing since the eighth grade, has had his wife and all five children participate over the years. Annette Reynolds, who has been dancing since high school, now has four generations of her family dancing at Buckeroo Barn.

Susan Simpson is only 9 but has been dancing since she was 7.

She hopes to be a caller one day.

Buckeroo Barn dancers represent a wide range of ages and skill levels. Since the 1950s, the barn doors have opened up to other types of dance, like line dancing and round dances such as the waltz, two-step and rhumba.

For Wednesday night’s line dancing, the floor squeaks may be coming from anything from professional dance shoes to sneakers to golden, sparkly cowboy boots. There are dancers in their 20s, 40s, 60s and beyond, from beginner to advanced. Some have their eyes glued to instructor Kathy Haskins; others are silently performing the moves from memory.

From the instructor’s easy demeanor to the side conversations, occasional stumbles and laughter, it’s clear that mistakes are OK here. While dancers are encouraged to challenge themselves, they are also there to learn at their own pace.

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UMPQUA LIFE

After growing too big and too loud for the neighborhood, founders moved the barn board by board and rebuilt it where it stands today on Northeast Stephens Street.

Haskins feels especially compassionate toward beginners. “I remember what it was like to be a new dancer,” the instructor says. “I want to make people feel comfortable on the dance floor and give them the confidence to try harder things.”

Members and dancers are unified in their belief that the Buckeroo Barn is all about community. The word “family” will pass the lips of nearly everyone in the place, as will praises about the facility.

The McBurnetts call it a “legendary place” that is “dedicated to family recreation.” Buckeroo Club President Knotts speaks of square dancing as being a universal language, and instructor Haskins agrees. “Dancing unites people,” she says. “I really feel like we are a family.”

Buckaroo Barn community members put their heart and soul into the preservation of the club and the upkeep of the structure.

“It takes commitment to keep up the barn, and there is a lot of behind the scenes work,” Paul McBurnett says. “There are many people who help with decorations, posters and advertising, and that takes some time.”

These and the efforts of many others, like Peggy and Lynn Miller, who recently completed some beautiful artwork for the front of the barn and some elaborate decorations for the inside, have kept the Buckeroo Barn a vibrant center for this community of dancers.

Together they are keeping people dancing on the Buckeroo Barn’s 68-year-old maple floor and keeping its traditions alive.

The Buckeroo Barn is located at 5051 N.E. Stephens St., Roseburg. For information, call 541.670.3864.

Dancers practice during a break.

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Buckeroo Barn regulars Lynn and Peggy Miller.

UMPQUA LIFE

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT Need a lift? Hungry?

The solution is as close as your phone.

Story by Jennifer Grafiada Illustration by Claire Osborn

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aybe the future isn’t what it used to be. After all, the 21st century, once considered the ultimate futuristic milestone, stopped being the future two decades ago. A lot of predictions never panned out, as evidenced by the absence of flying cars — a onetime staple of futuristic forecasts.

Still, as we inhabit the year 2020, pervasive technology has left us few things we cannot obtain at the flip of a switch — or the touch of an app. During the last couple of years, some new, cool apps have become operative in the Umpqua Valley, making our lives even easier while providing a side hustle for those doing the legwork.

For drivers, the apps present a way to make some money while maintaining control over when, and how much, they work.

Drivers of ride services get a percentage of their fares while delivery drivers work for an hourly wage, plus tips.

But it all starts with the app. Herewith, a few app-based services now avialble to residents of the Umpqua Valley: GETTING AROUND Ridesharing has been around for a while in larger cities, but Uber and Lyft have only recently been available to local riders. They’re good options for anyone needing an affordable, friendly and clean ride around the area. Type in your destination and their apps let you know the fare in advance (minimum fare is $5), locate the nearest Uber or Lyft driver and sends him or her your way, along with photos of the car and driver so you can recognize them when they arrive. Longtime provider DC Sunshine Taxi & Courier can also be hailed by app now.

SHOPPING For many people, actually going to the store for food or supplies is starting to seem so last century. Since last summer, Roseburg residents have been able to use the Instacart app to order groceries and other items delivered straight to their door from Safeway, Albertson’s, Fred Meyer, Costco and Petco. For a small fee, purchases are delivered the same day, usually within a couple hours. With an Instacart membership, delivery is free on orders of more than $35.

TAKEOUT People have long had pizza or other edibles delivered, but apps like Grubhub and DoorDash take it a step further. Local restaurants and food carts have hooked up to these services, which for a small fee will bring your hot-and-ready order straight to your front door. It works for the restaurants because they can offer delivery to customers without needing to purchase vehicles or hire drivers. And local denizens (at least those within a certain radius) can binge on a smorgasbord of options from the comfort of their own living room. Download the apps to check out which local restaurants are participating.

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Left to right: Volunteers Peggy Decker, Nis Jessen, Kim Jaspar, Peggy Reed and Karla Roady.

By volunteering for FISH Pantry, Mercy employee Peggy Decker not only gives of her time but also helps the organization earn financial support from Mercy through its Dollars for Doers program.

Karla Roady stocks shelves at FISH Pantry.

UMPQUA LIFE

FIGHTING HUNGER Through the Roseburg Food Project, FISH Food Pantry and volunteers like Peggy Decker are working together to fight hunger in Douglas County.

Story by Sarah Smith Photos by Thomas Boyd

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he motivation was simple: Peggy Decker saw a need in her community and wanted to help alleviate it.

“I have been involved in many volunteer positions over the years — many health related,” says Decker, a radiology information systems analyst and mammographer for CHI Mercy Health and volunteer with FISH Food Pantry. “I wanted to help with the hunger issue in Douglas County.”

An estimated 40 million Americans struggle with hunger, and one in six U.S. children may not know where their next meal is coming from. Closer to home, nearly 25 percent of Douglas County residents (more than 25,000 people) receive monthly SNAP (Supplemental Assistance Program) assistance. An estimated 14.2 percent of county adults report food insecurities and 22.8 percent of children worry about their next meal.

The FISH Food Pantry of Roseburg began in 1971 as a collective effort by five churches to reduce hunger in Douglas County and assist low-income families with emergency needs.

With the help of 73 neighborhood coordinators and 800 food donors, FISH is able to put food on the table of many vulnerable residents. The sponsoring churches provide financial support, food donations and volunteers. Part of a network of pantries that receive food from UCAN Food Bank, FISH is the largest of the 17 emergency food pantries serving Douglas County.

Neighbors participating in Roseburg Food Project donate a bag of food every two months. FISH supplies the bag and picks up the food, providing the pantry with a steady supply of nonperishable items, single-serving meals for seniors and basic toiletries.

“Years ago, when I first volunteered at the pantry, I had my first awareness of the feeling clients had when they had no food,” Roady says. “After leaving the pantry that day, I returned home to a full pantry of my own. As I looked at that pantry, I tried to imagine how I would feel if my pantry was empty. It was a sick feeling. I imagine our food donors having that same awareness when they are filling their own green bag. With each donor, we expand the comprehension and the compassion.”

Mercy’s Peggy Decker has been a Roseburg Food Project volunteer and neighborhood coordinator for two years.

Her volunteer work for the pantry also results in financial contributions to the organization through Mercy’s Dollars for Doers program. Decker says being part of the project is heartwarming.

“My husband and I enjoy picking up green bags throughout my area,” she says. “It is so rewarding to see the kindness shown by everyone. It is a simple model. I purchase a few extra items when I shop and add them to my bag. We pick up green bags on the second Saturday of even-numbered calendar months.”

FISH launched the Roseburg Food Project in 2012.

“We became sold on the idea when John Javna (an Ashland resident who shared his idea with the Douglas County food pantries) used the phrase ‘building community,’” says Karla Roady, a volunteer project coordinator. “This simple phrase said it all. Pantry volunteers have long understood food poverty, but we are a small bunch in the context of the whole community.”

To learn more or to volunteer for the Roseburg Food Project, phone 541.673.9804 or email thefishrbg@gmail.com

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UMPQUA LIFE

UCC is restarting its baseball program around head coach Jeremiah Robbins.

PLAY BALL… AGAIN! Umpqua Community College revives its baseball program with a home-run coaching hire and a new downtown home for its players.

Story by Jim Hays Photos by Thomas Boyd

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he Umpqua Community College RiverHawks opened their 2020 baseball season in late February. While on the surface that event might not seem worthy of a news flash, around UCC it was a big deal. That’s because it was the school’s first Opening Day in more than three decades.

Baseball is back at UCC, which dropped the program in the 1980s in a round of cost-cutting.

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women’s basketball. It has since added men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track and field, wrestling and obstacle-course racing.

Adding a baseball program made sense for the college. The Umpqua Valley has a long baseball tradition that includes strong high school programs and Roseburg’s always-competitive Dr. Stewart’s American Legion summer team. Roseburg has played host to the American Legion World Series on three occasions and has frequently hosted the Oregon state legion tournament.

Starting a program from scratch, however, is a tall order. But A.D. Jackson is confident he found the right guy for the job in head coach Jeremiah Robbins. A 1990 graduate of Douglas High in Winston, Robbins brings a championship pedigree to UCC. Hired in 2018 to start the program, Robbins was coming off a six-year run as head coach at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, where his teams won three consecutive NAIA national championships.

Robbins’ resume also includes a successful seven-year stint at Western Oregon State University before Lewis-Clark, and he is a five-time national coach of the year.

He jumped at the chance to be the founder of UCC’s revived baseball program and, not incidentally, to return to his home area, where he coached Douglas High to back-to-back league championships early in his career.

The reboot is part of the college’s effort to boost enrollment by expanding its athletic program. UCC counts about 2,400 full-time equivalent students, but enrollment numbers have been flat during the past five years, according to the website CommunityCollegeReview.com.

Robbins also coached Dr. Stewart’s last summer, a post he held for two seasons before taking the job at Western Oregon.

Just three years ago, when Craig Jackson took over as athletic director, UCC offered only volleyball and men’s and

“Coming home and building a program from scratch is the chance of a lifetime,” Robbins says.

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UMPQUA LIFE

To house the players, UCC leased the Flegel Center in downtown Roseburg, a one-time armory, and retrofitted it as a combination dormitory and indoor practice facility.

For his part, Jackson is thrilled to have Robbins aboard.

“We are beyond fortunate to have him leave one of the top NAIA baseball programs in the country to join the RiverHawks,” Jackson says.

For the inaugural season, Robbins has assembled a 32-man roster that includes 20 players from Oregon and two from Douglas County — infielder Jacob Luther from Umpqua Valley Christian and pitcher Payton Hope from Sutherlin. It’s a young group — all but three of the players are freshmen. Several mentioned the chance to play for Robbins specifically as a big reason they came to UCC. “I heard about him and I knew they were building something here and I wanted to be a part of that,” says Luther, who was a Class 1A all-state player at UVC. “I look for talented kids, but first and foremost, I’m looking for kids who are great human beings,” Robbins says. “I don’t care how much talent a player has, if he’s not a good person, I don’t want him.”

To house the players, UCC leased the Fleger Center in downtown Roseburg, a one-time armory, and retrofitted it as a combination dormitory and indoor practice facility. The large main floor includes an artificial-turf carpet and can be configured with nets for batting practice and pitching sessions.

“It’s been a great experience getting to know the other guys, and I think it’s really bringing us together as a team,” says Chris Thomson, a freshman pitcher-outfielder from Calgary, Alberta, who adds that he’s also been made to feel welcome in Roseburg.

“People have seen us on the street and tell us they’re glad to have us here and ask when our games are.”

The RiverHawks are playing a 50-game schedule with Champion Car Wash Field in Stewart Park as their home turf. The facility was renovated with new dugouts and an all-weather turf field that UCC hopes will minimize rainouts for its 29-game home slate.

UCC is part of the 29-team Northwest Athletic Conference and plays in the NWAC’s South Division, whose eight members include Oregon community colleges Chemeketa, Clackamas, Lane, Linn-Benton, Mt. Hood, Southwest Oregon and Umpqua, in addition to Clark College in Washington.

Robbins regards the NWAC South as “maybe the toughest division in the conference,” and knows his upstarts will be tested all season.

“Our goal, of course, is to win every game and the conference championship,” he says. “But we’re realistic.”

Most of the players live there, too, and some helped with remodeling the space for baseball practice, wielding paint brushes and brooms.

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UMPQUA LIFE

AN AFTERNOON IN SUTHERLIN Story by Jennifer Grafiada Photos by Thomas Boyd

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ou know how it goes. You’re driving down I-5, and the hunger pangs start, and you need to nip them in the taste buds before hungry turns to hangry.

At Exit 136, you’ll find an answer. Sutherlin, home to 8,025 residents, offers more than a few ways to satisfy your hunger and enjoy a pleasant afternoon at the same time. It’s also a popular route to the Oregon coast via Highway 138.

Central Avenue is the main route into downtown Sutherlin and offers plenty of window shopping and local favorites.

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Here are a few: To take care of that hunger, head for Nellie’s Deli & Tap House (667 E. Central Ave.), which offers an impressive selection of homemade soups, sandwiches, salads, wraps and baked goods, as well as local beer and wine. Janelle Edelman, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Dave, has more than three decades’ experience in the food industry, but gives much of the credit to her son, Terrence Stone, a professional chef who has cooked at a variety of top restaurants in California, where the family is from.

Nellie’s Deli opened in 2014 as a drive-through coffee shop and

UMPQUA LIFE

Books Gallery proprietor Levi Owens.

kiosk and quickly became a local favorite. In its larger space, it offers a home-like, family friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner six days a week. In the summer, take your plate outdoors to enjoy the beer garden and, frequently, live local musicians.

If it’s raining (and even if it’s not) there’s no better pastime than a good book and a hot cup of organic espresso, and Books Gallery (220 W. Central Ave.) offers both. Wander through its wellstocked aisles to relaxing corner areas dedicated to individual genres such as westerns, romances and mysteries. Each room offers pillows or an armchair to make the reading comfortable, too. House plants share space with new and used books, and tables allow Wi-Fi warriors to make a day of it. The space also hosts events such as “Positive!,” a monthly open mic night with an optimist slant. Also popular are book clubs, meet-ups of every variety and works by local artists. The gallery offers a selection of herbal teas and baked goods as well as freshly baked bread from Lighthouse Bakery.

Sharing the bookstore’s parking lot is the fragrant, colorful Tub-time Treasures (226 W. Central Ave.) opened in 2014 by self-described “soap slinger” Renee Lillee. Before opening her storefront, Lillee had been selling her foamy, fizzy products at craft fairs, markets and special events while working in the medical field. She has since gone full time at formulating innovative varieties of delicious smelling bath bombs, lotions, perfumes and soaps and has many dedicated customers who come in from out of town.

While Lillee is happy to ship items, she says customers like to visit in person to get a sniff of whatever new scents she has in stock.

She draws on her medical background to design soap bars for people with skin sensitivities, or those who need extra-strength cleaning. The shop also hosts private events like BathbombMaking Birthday Parties and Make Your Own Perfume soirees.

Lillee donates all her soap end pieces to homeless shelters and volunteers with organizations that help teach the art of soapmaking to women in developing countries.

Family & Friends Mercantile

Across the street is Family & Friends Mercantile (227 W. Central Ave.), a gift shop owned and managed by sisters and longtime Sutherlin residents Lynne Ralls and Susan Eggleston.

Organized by themes, the proprietors stock pretty little things that fill every square inch of “The Garden,” “The Farmhouse” and “Mike’s Books and Finds,” which includes birdhouses built by brother Mike. A “greeting area” contains holiday goods, baby gifts, signs, candles, soaps, jewelry and more, and the “Gathering Room” offers soup and dip mixes, teas and mugs. Shoppers are treated to a complimentary cup of hot coffee paired with a cookie.

On the first Saturday of alternate months, the family hosts a fund-raiser dinner (even the grandchildren help serve) and donates the proceeds to local organizations such as Sleep in Heavenly Peace, the Food Pantry, Saving Grace Animal Shelter, Douglas County Kids Christmas, Fremont Jazz Band and the Foster Children’s Assistance Fund.

More Sutherlin Favorites Coffee & Brunch Henry’s Bakery White Horse Coffee & Tea Co. Phoenix Rising Coffee Co. Dinner Pedotti’s Italian Restaurant Migado Restaurant Out & About Sutherlin Community Playground & Splash Pad Ford’s Pond Cooper Creek Reservior

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FOOD & DRINK FOOD & DRINK

UV'S FAVORITE SANDWICHES / IT'S NOT JUST FOR VIKINGS ANY MORE / ALL ABOARD THE BARREL TOUR

UV'S FAVORITE SANDWICHES From busy downtown establishments to neighborhood hideaways, the Umpqua Valley is packed with rewarding foodand-beverage destinations. Each issue, our contributors will be sharing their favorite discoveries. This issue, we focus on the simple sandwich done right.

Story by Dick Baltus

Eva Marie Chasteen and her husband Gary own Little Brother's Pub. 28

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W

hen it comes to concocting things in the kitchen, the sandwich is the great equalizer. While many of us are still wondering how to make pasta turn soft, throw a couple slices of bread in front of us and suddenly we think we’re a Top Chef finalist.

And why not? We’ve been practicing all our lives. I learned how to make sandwiches by watching one of my uncles spread butter on Wonder bread, dump a cup of sugar over it, and top it with another slice of bread. Check that; I learned how NOT to make sandwiches that way.

But who am I to judge what Uncle Jerry considered a delicious sandwich?

I don’t have a problem judging a restaurant’s sandwich, though, because, dang it, if I can make a Top Chef sandwich at home, people who do that for a living ought to be able to do it better than me. So it always surprises, and saddens, me when I order a sandwich done wrong.

Maybe it’s boring bread or limp lettuce or processed meat that takes me back to when my mom was telling me, “No, seriously, olive loaf is delicious.” Whatever it is, when a sandwich is wrong, you know it.

Photos by Jonathan Cummings.

FOOD & DRINK

So when I find a good sandwich place, I’m its friend for life, and one of my newest friends is Little Brother's Pub in downtown Roseburg. The comfortable pub has almost iconic status in Roseburg, having been opened in 1976 by a couple of dudes who advertised that their new establishment was If you’re nostalgic “where it’s at in Roseburg.”

Today, it’s still “where it was at” in 1976, on Main Street just steps from the Douglas County Courthouse. In its uninterrupted 44-year history, the pub has had only four owners, the latest being Gary and Eva Marie Chasteen.

(chicken strips, fish and chips, etc.) to fish tacos and one of the best burgers in town, the Chasteens never fail to deliver.

But we’re here to talk about sandwiches, and my Little Brother's go-to is the BLT. One would think it would be hard to screw up a sandwich with, if I’m doing my math right, three ingredients. for a Cheers-like But it happens.

setting where everybody knows your name, Little Brother's Pub is as close as it gets in Roseburg.

If you’re nostalgic for a Cheers-like setting where everybody knows your name, Little Brother's is as close as it gets in Roseburg.

“We want people to feel comfortable, like we know them even if we don’t initially,” says Eva. If the Chasteens don’t know your name during your first visit, they likely will on the second. Friendly and welcoming, they work as hard to get you to come back as they do on their food, none of which will disappoint. From fresh salads and old-school baskets

Not at Little Brother's though.

Like all the Chasteens' sandwiches, the BLT starts out with two slices of fresh bread the approximate size of an Apple laptop. Then they lay on generous portions of crispy bacon and... wait, why am I describing the ingredients of a BLT here as if I’ve solved the Riddle of the Sphinx? Just trust me, it’s the perfect BLT, and it’s just one of many great sandwiches on the menu, from homemade pulled pork to a fantastic Reuben.

And now that I’ve made myself hungry, I’m heading down the street before you get there and take my table. See you at Little Brother's Pub, 428 S.E. Main St., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.

Behold the BLT done right. Photo by Thomas Boyd.

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FOOD & DRINK

Here are a few of our staff’s favorite sandwiches.

Hot Pork Sandwich: Smokey G’s BBQ food truck

Umpqua Special: Idleyld Trading Post

Smokey G’s BBQ food truck is one of my local favorites – specifically for the hot pork sandwich. Bring on the baby wipes – you’ll get a little sloppy – but it is completely worth all the finger licking and BBQ stains. Even on a cold, wet day, this sandwich paired with the mac salad and green beans makes it feel like the Fourth of July.

—Brittany Arnold

A favorite Saturday outing of mine is to take a drive up Hwy 138 and have lunch at one of the many scenic waysides along the North Umpqua River. My first stop is always the trusty Idleyld Trading Post where I grab one of several delicious sandwiches available. My current favorite is the mighty Umpqua Special. This beast is piled thick with tender, flavorful tri-tip, cheddar cheese, mild horseradish and all the fixings layered on a big soft roll. I have never been disappointed. Throw in some chips and a cold beverage and you have yourself a mouthwatering riverside feast! 23873 North Umpqua Highway., 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

— B. Lane Johns

The Joe Special: Cup Of Joe For $8, you may be hard-pressed to find a sandwich that is as fresh, filling and delicious as The Joe Special. Owner Joe Bardaville has been adding things to his chalkboard menu since opening last June. I took a chance on the turkeybacon-avocado-provolone on a croissant (renamed The Joe Special for obvious reasons), and I was hooked. You may have to wait a minute or two since Joe makes it in-house at the time of order. But life is short, so relax with a cup of tasty coffee, then enjoy this sandwich. 742 S.E. Jackson, Roseburg, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday – Saturday — Jennifer Grafiada

Grilled Portobello: Lighthouse Bakery This popular vegetarian spot is busy on most days for lunch, but the atmosphere is always warm and welcoming. This menu highlight features portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, red onions, balsamic sauce and mozzarella cheese between two slices of fresh sourdough bread and grilled to perfection. It’s sure to satisfy the lunch-time cravings of even the most dedicated carnivore. 6461 Fort McKay Road, Umpqua, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday – Sunday — Brian Staffield

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FOOD & DRINK

IT’S NOT JUST FOR VIKINGS ANYMORE Oran Mor is helping revive the centuries-old art of brewing mead in award-winning fashion.

Story by A.P. Weber Photos by Thomas Boyd

CEO and brewmaster Lilly Weichberger pours a glass of her unique product.

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ear mythical grandeur surrounds Oran Mor Artisan Mead.

Weichberger’s interest in mead, whose ingredients include honey, partly began with her father, a beekeeper.

The meadery on Roseburg’s Melrose Road lies in a verdant valley striped with vineyards and surrounded by hills where cottony mists cling to the pines as if obscuring a realm of mythical gods in the nearby mountains.

“Watching how the bees were struggling, I wanted to start a company that would help,” she says.

It’s a picturesque setting in which to brew mead, the oldest of all alcoholic beverages produced by humans.

Most often associated with the medieval Celts and Vikings — who used it for both medicinal and celebratory purposes — mead was also produced and consumed by ancient peoples of South America, Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean.

Weichberger attended winemaking school and she was producing mead even before earning her viticulture and enology degree. She brought to the process a scholarly reverence for the history and tradition of mead brewing, coupled with a scientific attention to detail.

Production of mead represents a timeless tradition honored in every bottle produced at Oran Mor, right down to the labels, which depict a mythical deity from world cultures.

Production of mead represents a timeless tradition honored in every bottle produced at Oran Mor

by Lilly Weichberger, brewmaster and CEO, and her business partner, Michael Garcia. That extends to the bottle labels, which depict a mythical deity from world cultures. Clearly the pair have come up with a successful formula. In its four years of operation, Oran Mor has earned numerous awards and gained a loyal customer base.

Weichberger says she saw mead as something made primarily by homebrewers who respected tradition but lacked “a lot of scientific backing.” She wanted to raise the standard, to produce an artisanal product that would also satisfy discriminating taste buds.

“What I’m tasting is a good start,” she says of sampling homebrews.

“But mead has the ability to be of the same quality as a fine wine.”

In addition to honey, mead is made with water and yeast, fermented into alcohol, and those ingredients can at times pose a problem, Weichberger says.

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FOOD & DRINK

Oran Mor business partners Michael Garcia and Lilly Weichberger.

“Honey is hard to ferment,” she says. “It has very little for the yeast to live on.”

Weichberger says it would take a year to make a batch of mead using only those three ingredients, which would produce a variety of unwanted off-flavors in the process.

“Most likely (historical mead brewers) threw something else in there,” she surmises, adding that additional ingredients such as fruit bring in sugar and nutrients that help the fermentation process. The addition of other ingredients informs Weichberger’s unique recipes and brewing technique. But the honey comes first.

“We are very, very picky about our [honey] sourcing,” Weichberger says. “I know all of my beekeepers personally.”

The quality and flavor of the honey drives Weichberger’s next decision.

That means flavor profiles change from season to season; sometimes because of something as subtle as changing dominance of wildflowers. That makes each year’s production unique unto itself.

“Each batch is our limited release,” Weichberger says. “And we do no more than 300 gallons per batch.”

Oran Mor is not a large operation. Adjacent to Blue Heron Vineyards, it's a single green barn where production, tasting and events all happen behind the same giant overhead door.

The meadery features a regular slate of intimate concerts, other events and a warm, inclusive atmosphere. Beer, wine and food are available, but the mead is the star.

“Mead is a way of connecting to people,” Weichberger says.

“Everyone is welcome here.”

“I taste it and ask myself, ‘What does this honey pair with?’” she says.

Regardless of which fruit she chooses, Weichberger maintains one requirement. “All of our fruit is farm-direct,” she says, which gives Oran Mor mead its artisanal reputation. It’s not all just fruit and honey, however. The process provides annual challenges.

“Every year is different,” Weichberger says. “The honey changes, the fruit changes, the weather is different. All of that affects the fermentation process.”

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Where: 305 Melrose Road, Roseburg.

Hours: Thursdays – Saturdays, noon-6 p.m. ; Sundays, noon-5 p.m. or by appointment.

Phone: 505.310.1525 (tasting room); 928.600.8138 (meadery).

Online: oranmormead.com.

FOOD & DRINK

ALL ABOARD THE BARREL TOUR Story by Brittany Arnold Photo of Melrose Vineyards by Jonathan Cummings

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he Umpqua Valley knows how to kick off Oregon Wine Month – and an ever-growing number of its residents sure know how to make wine. That’s a great reason to be sure not to miss The Umpqua Valley Winegrowers’ annual Barrel Tour — scheduled for Saturday, May 2.

This day trip by bus allows wine lovers the opportunity to explore four regions in the Umpqua Valley appellation, often called “The New Napa.” Each route stops at about five destinations, ranging from quaint tasting rooms to sprawling estates. At each stop, wine enthusiasts have the opportunity to sip while learning about the winery and the winemaking process from knowledgeable vintners.

While the Umpqua Valley has in recent years attracted growing attention as a rewarding wine touring destination, the local winemaking tradition is decades old. In fact, Southern Oregon is the birthplace of the Oregon wine industry with the first Umpqua Valley vineyards planted in the 1800s.

are now turning heads— and pleasing palates — at competitions across the country, routinely bringing home highly sought, globally-recognized awards. In 2019, for example, Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards’ 2017 Syrah won “Best of Class” at the San Diego International Wine Competition and, in 2018, 11 wineries from the Umpqua Valley were honored at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

So if you’re looking for one of the best ways to enjoy some of the country’s best wines, look into the annual Barrel Tour.

Tickets for the 2020 Barrel Tour are $50, plus a $2 PayPal processing fee. They can be purchased at umpquavalleywineries.org.

For more information on wine and for the Umpqua Valley Wine Trail map, visit umpquavalleywineries.org.

Today, the Umpqua Valley is home to more than 30 wineries and vineyards — a number that is growing rapidly. Local vintners EXPERIENCE ROSEBURG

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BUSINESS FOOD & DRINK

CUSTOM CREATIONS / CRAFT WORKS

CUSTOM CREATIONS Matt Hallman returns to his roots to build a custom woodworking business that’s growing beyond his wildest expectations.

Story by Dick Baltus Photos by Thomas Boyd

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rowing up in Roseburg and watching his grandfather make furniture for many of his family members and friends, Matt Hallman never imagined he’d wind up following in his footsteps – especially if they led him back to his hometown.

When Hallman graduated from Roseburg High School in 2005 and left the Umpqua Valley for the military, he thought it was for good. Now that he’s back and at the helm of his own woodworking

company, he has zero regrets that his life journey wound up coming full circle.

In just a few years, his company, Hallman Woodworks, has grown so busy that anyone wanting one of his custom furniture, sign or other creations had better come packing some patience.

Being booked solid a few months out is another thing Hallman never imagined.

“I swore I’d never move back. But once I got a little older I realized this was a — Matt Hallman pretty great place to raise a family.”

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BUSINESS

“I wasn’t expecting this to become what it’s become,” he says.

Hallman’s eye-catching work can be found in homes and businesses throughout Douglas County and beyond, for that matter. Thirty percent of his orders come from out-oftown customers.

Hallman’s first paying furniture job was building the tabletops for My Coffee. It wasn’t the last work he’d do for the Roseburg coffee shop. “A year later, I did them all over again,” he says. “It wasn’t great work, so I replaced them all at my cost.”

and lead designer. Douglas, who needed a bar, cabinetry and furniture for the Secret Wine Society wine bar he recently opened in a historic building in Oakland, hired Hallman to bring his vision to life.

“I gave Matt and Trenton a general idea of the look and feel I was shooting for, and they came up with a design,” Douglas says. “The finished bar exceeded my expectations. It's functional, solidly built and looks fantastic. We get a lot of compliments on it. Matt’s work is first rate.

Hallman works primarily with walnut, Myrtlewood and maple, all sourced in Oregon, most locally. “From tree to finished product, my goal is to stay local,” he says.

His breakthrough moment came after he set up a booth at a 2017 craft show hosted by Backside Brewery. Hallman brought several of his pieces to the show, including what he calls a river table he had built for a local homeowner. The contemporary piece featured a wood top with an epoxy “river” flowing through the middle of it.

That certainly wasn’t his goal in 2005 when Hallman left Roseburg to start a 10-year career in the military. He had enjoyed what he described as an idyllic childhood, which included

Trenton Morrow adds the finishing touches to a table.

Matt Hallman with one of the tools of his trade.

It was a striking attention getter that helped jump-start Hallman Woodworking. He’s made several similar tables since, recently filling an order for 12 of them from Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort.

spending significant time at his late grandfather Bob Taylor’s home on Fisher Road. “We’d play in the river, and I’d hang with him in his shop. It was a great way to grow up, and he was a huge influence on me.”

“It’s a pretty popular style right now,” he says.

Despite his childhood experience, once Hallman left town he figured he’d only return as a visitor. But in 2014, after he’d left the military, completed EMT and paramedic school and met his wife, here he was, back where he started.

Hallman is scheduled to attend three upcoming shows, including two in California, that he expects will find him booked out until July. But most of his business comes from word of mouth.

“It’s a small town,” he says. “Word gets around.”

Word got to Robert Douglas through Hallman’s only employee, Trenton Morrow, who joined Hallman in 2017 as a CNC specialist

“I swore I’d never move back,” says Hallman, who still works as an EMT. “But once I got a little older I realized this was a pretty great place to raise a family.”

Turns out, it’s a pretty good place to raise a business too.

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BUSINESS

CRAFT WORKS Whether selling her own and other local creations in her Whiskey Creek Rustics boutique or helping others make their own, Sarah Gallino is committed to her craft.

Story by Brittany Arnold Photos by Jonathan Cummings

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t’s been a year since Sarah Gallino moved her Whiskey Creek Rustics boutique into a storefront on Roseburg’s Ward Avenue, selling vintage craft products and home décor inspired by the culture and colors of the Pacific Northwest while helping customers create their own vintage projects.

The rustic, reclaimed and repurposed are the stock-in-trade of Gallino, a local crafter long-known for her creativity and skill at fairs and festivals throughout the region — and her iconic inventory.

Gallino calls her stylish creations, “Kinda sassy, kinda backwoods hometown.”

Whiskey Creek Rustics sells, among other things, unique gifts, clothing, accessories, signs and small furniture pieces, plus children’s items. The move to the Ward Avenue location gave the business a more visible presence and room to grow.

BUSINESS

“I try to buy from small owners like myself —small makers, small companies.”

—Sarah Gallino

While the store features Gallino’s own creations, she also carries products from local and regional companies and other crafters. To that end, wares of such Douglas County vendors as MANcrafts, North Bank Craft Co., Black Barn Soap Co., Kasey Jean Leather Designs, and Seams to Me all have a presence at Whiskey Creek Rustics.

“I try to buy from small owners like myself and stick with that as much as possible – small makers, small companies,” Gallino says.

An avid crafter with a can-do spirit, Gallino also enjoys hosting her popular crafting workshops, with each session focusing on a single medium, such as wood-framed signs, jewelry making, T-shirt design and other custom crafts. Experienced crafters, or people just trying to get started, are welcome to attend the workshops. Private sessions are also available.

“The sky is the limit,” Gallino says. “We do so many projects and there are so many more ideas to come. They are tangible

things you would be proud to display in your home or a jewelry piece you’d be excited to wear — not something you will put in your closet.

“These are fail-safe items,” she adds. “No craftiness needed.”

A commercial crafter since she was 15, Gallino’s booth at the Douglas County Christmas Fair has been a popular stop for the last 21 years. Next up is Rust, Dust & Brews Vintage Market at Backside Brewing Co., set for Saturday and Sunday, April 2425, and featuring more than 20 vendors with local, handmade, salvaged and repurposed goods.

Whiskey Creek Rustics is at 368 N.E. Ward Ave., Roseburg. Hours are Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To learn more or to schedule a public or private workshop, go to www.facebook.com/whiskeyCREEKrustics/

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HIGH-VOLTAGE PERSONALITY Dave Archer built a successful art career using a 2 millionvolt Tesla coil as a paint brush, and that's not even the most colorful chapter in his story.

Story by Dick Baltus Photos by Thomas Boyd

D

eftly balancing a cigar the size of a yam between her lips, the young brunette sauntering up the sidewalk in San Francisco’s North Beach district was difficult to miss — especially if a guy wasn’t trying to miss anything. And Dave Archer wasn’t.

Dressed in cowboy boots, Levi’s and leather vest over a chambray shirt, the stranger was aimed straight toward the door Archer was manning in front of the Fox and Hound coffee house. As she shortened the distance between herself and his door, Archer found himself thinking, “This is about to get interesting.”

On that day in 1961, Archer had no idea who she was, and neither did she for that matter. The whole world would eventually, but right then she was just a girl with a goal.

This is not her story, it’s Dave Archer’s. But when his story includes a friendship with one of the greatest rock-and-roll singers of all time, you don’t bury the lead.

Y

ou also don’t get too far ahead of yourself, though, so let’s back up to today and a traditional ranch-style house on Buckhorn Road east of Roseburg with a non-traditional two-story addition towering over what once must have been a garage.

Now we’re in Archer’s art studio, and it’s a slightly unsettling place to be, at least to any fan of old horror movies. In one corner of the high-ceilinged room sits a tall metal cabinet with vintagelooking dials, meters and knobs. In the room’s center is a table of sorts, a large square sheet of glass supported by four thick ceramic legs.

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And hovering forebodingly nearby is an electric coil, and not the Westinghouse range kind. Oh no, we’re talking the Frankenstein kind.

There’s only one thing missing from this scene, and it’s Boris Karloff. In his place stands the lanky, amiable Archer describing how he creates unique other-worldly paintings using the power of this 2 million-volt Tesla coil, that sheet of glass and his own creative talents.

When electricity fired from that coil is directed at glass, Archer explains, it flows in random, jagged directions over the surface. Hence, if one covers the glass with a liquid, such as paint, it will be, as Archer says, “influenced” by the electricity.

This, of course, begs the question: How did this activity become a thing? More specifically, how did this thing, in Archer’s hands, lead to artistic results that would wind up decorating the walls of the Starship Enterprise and gracing the covers of Isaac Asimov science fiction books and getting him featured in Omni magazine and National Geographic articles?

His next stop was Santa Rosa Junior College, though it was an abbreviated one. Archer had always had an adventurous streak, and he wasn’t going to satisfy it in a community college classroom. So he talked two friends into helping him deliver some Italian motorcycles down to Tucson, then continuing south for a summer cycling excursion through the Mexican desert.

“We forgot it was going to be kind of hot,” he remembers, laughing.

Soon he was back home, looking for his next adventure, in some new setting where he wouldn't be the only artist he knew. He found it farther north It was only a couple hundred miles north to be sure, but a world away from where he was.

I

“

hear you hire sangers.”

The young woman with the oversized cigar had pulled it from her lips just long enough to confront Archer, the doorman, with her suspicion.

“Sangers?” Archer responded. “Where are you from?”

The young woman with the oversized cigar had pulled it from her lips just long enough to confront Archer, the doorman, with her suspicion.

Also, how did he end up in Steve Martin’s autobiography?

“Port Arthur, Texas,” she responded, “but you don’t want to know about that.”

t’s now 1940s San Luis Obispo, Calif., where Archer grew up. His father would die before Archer graduated from high school. Later his mother would date Pedro Armendariz, one of the best-known Latino America movie stars of the time (From Russia With Love).

Thus began the friendship between Dave Archer, the artistic doorman, and Janis Joplin, America's first female rock star. Archer had been drawn to San Francisco by the prospects of joining the Beat Generation, the influential literary movement that had sprung organically from the city’s creative scene. He wanted to be a beatnik.

I

Meanwhile, Archer was pursuing a dream.

“I had wanted to be an artist for a long time,” he remembers. “In junior high, my art teacher one day just announced, ‘Yellow is a bad color.’ I raised my hand and asked, ‘Why?’ She said to the class, ‘Look at Dave. He’s an artist.’”

After high school, Archer headed 30 miles up the coast to Cambria and the California Watercolor School, where he had earned a scholarship to study with its well-known founder Phil Paradise.

There, Archer not only would learn about art under a master, he’d also gain important insight into the business side of the art world.

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“I was seeing all these photos of artists and beatniks, and they were all in North Beach,” Archer says. “I had to get up there, and when I did it was it was a wild scene. Everybody was coming there, and Janis was one of the first people I met.”

Archer remembers her singing "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" that night, standing alone on the stage, strumming a borrowed guitar. She’d play there often, usually paid with a hamburger and whatever change she could shake out of customers’ pockets and into a hat.

2 million volts "influencing" paint

The artist at work

The young adventurer and friend

Fellow artist Brent Durand ungrounding himself

“She said she was going to be a keypunch operator. When I asked her why, she said, ‘Because I can’t make a living singing.’” —Dave Archer

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The audiences loved her, but her stardom would have to wait.

and suggested I try to paint with it. He said I could get media attention if I did.”

“She went back to Port Arthur for a while,” Archer says. “She said she was going to be a keypunch operator. When I asked her why, she said, ‘Because I can’t make a living singing.’”

Archer started experimenting, directing the arcs of electricity around paint on glass, making unique patterns and occasionally shouting, he recalls with a laugh, “It’s alive!”

By the time she returned to North Beach, the Fox and Hound had changed its name to Coffee and Confusion, but the doorman remained the same. Archer and Joplin would become close friends, eventually living in the same apartment building and hanging out routinely.

Soon, another acquaintance was calling TV stations, explaining what Archer was up to, and suddenly he had a career. “Whenever someone from the media heard about what I was doing, they wanted to do a story. And I was making a living.”

She wasn’t the only future megastar he would meet, either. In time, an unknown comedian named Steve Martin would start making appearances at Coffee and Confusion, testing the few jokes he had on audiences that Archer would lure in with the promise of free coffee.

In the years since, in galleries and online, Archer has sold scores of his paintings, which often resemble Hubbell telescope images of dust clouds and galaxies and have been snatched up for thousands of dollars. He completes the galactic look by adding hand-painted planets and other objects.

“Back then, Steve was really a banjo player with a few jokes,” Archer remembers. "He’d show up in a white suit and red suspenders. The kids loved him, but he only had about 10 minutes of material.”

“I have certain ideas what I want to do with the coil, but electricity is going to do what it’s going to do,” Archer says. “You have to work quickly because the paint dries really fast. You usually get your best stuff in the first minute.”

That only sort of mattered, given he wasn’t yet packing houses, as Martin himself explained in his autobiography, Born Standing Up, in which Archer makes an appearance only 10 pages in: “The night of my first appearance, Gaylord the bartender came to me and said it was time to start. ‘But,’ I said as I waved my hand to indicate the stone-empty club, ‘There’s nobody here.’ So? he implied. Dave Archer, the amiable doorman, seconded him, telling me this was the way the evening always began, so I went onstage and started talking. To no one.”

This isn’t Steve Martin’s story, though, it’s Dave Archer’s.

N

ow it’s 1970, and Archer is painting on canvas, using a piece of glass as his palette. After finishing, he’s about to throw out the palette, but first he flips the glass over and sees it looks like “a Japanese dance thing.”

Instead of tossing it, Archer frames it, enters it in an art show in Santa Rosa, and wins the best in show award. That success motivates an artist friend to suggest they should start exploring reverse-glass paintings.

“We got a studio, and right away the electric coil came into it,” Archer recalls. “A friend had one

T

oday in his Roseburg studio, Archer’s apprentice, Brent Durand, is lacing on a pair of boots that, well, Frankenstein would have returned to Amazon for being too roomy. When you’re working with 2 million volts, it’s a good idea to not be grounded, and these rubber clod hoppers serve that purpose. Archer moved to Roseburg in 1999 to take care of his ailing mother, and 10 years later he took Durand under his wing to pass on his technique and, in time, his equipment.

In addition to his studio, the space serves as a gallery of Archer’s life. The cluttered walls above a cluttered work bench are covered with photos of his paintings and the TV shows and movies they were featured in: Star Trek – The Next Generation (the TV show and movies), Terminator Genisys, and Howard the Duck.

And there are more photos signed by celebrity friends, among them James Doohan from Star Trek and Mark Hamill from Star Wars and another rock star, Grace Slick.

But this isn’t their story, either; it’s the electrifying artist Dave Archer's, and we’ve only just skimmed its surface.

To view or shop for Dave Archer's art, visit etsy.com/DaveArcherArtistShop.

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Will Maness, a student at Southern Oregon University, climbs the Callahans.

The sport of rock climbing is gaining popularity worldwide, especially in Oregon, and the Umpqua Valley is a prime destination for those who like a little less traffic on their route.

Story by Brian Staffield Photos by Jonanthan Cummings

I

n the recreational paradise that is the Umpqua Valley, there’s certainly no shortage of outdoor activities to pursue, from world-class fishing to unrivaled hiking and rafting (see related articles). But there’s another pursuit that doesn’t get nearly the attention of our more renowned pastimes, even though it provides equal thrills, challenges and scenery.

People have been rock climbing in the area since the late 1950s, and as the popularity of the sport has grown worldwide, it’s catching on more on more in the Umpqua Valley. Though Smith Rock near Bend often steals the spotlight as the most popular rock climbing destination in the state, the Umpqua Valley offers climbers unique geological features and a variety of challenging climbs — without the crowds often found elsewhere.

The lack of traffic is not to say the rock climbing spirit isn’t alive and well in the Umpqua. Indeed, local climbers support and educate both new and experienced climbers who are curious about routes that only a handful of people have ever climbed. They don’t shy away from a challenge.

Rock climbing in Oregon has a century of history behind it. The sport dates back to the 1920s when climbers, armed only with rudimentary techniques and equipment, scaled Rabbit Ears on the Rogue River. That was the first recorded rock climb in Western Oregon.

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By 1958, before the North Umpqua Highway was even constructed, the sport had made its way to the Umpqua Valley. Gary Kirk spearheaded the first technical climbs along with Norval Ferguson and Walt Coady. Together they made the first ascent of Eagle Rock. From 1958 through the 1970s, this group of climbers worked to establish routes using only a combination of aid- and freeclimbing techniques on two rock spires — called “Old Man” and “Old Woman” — along the North Umpqua River.

From the 1960s on, the Umpqua Valley has been a place of first ascents. “The most significant change I’ve seen is the sheer number of routes and first ascents,” says Greg Orton, who has been climbing locally since the early 1990s and has taught rock climbing at UCC. “When Harold Hall and I wrote our first guide to climbing on the Umpqua in 1995 there were about 70 established routes. Our current guide, Rock Climbing Western Oregon, Volume 2: Umpqua inventories nearly 250 new first ascents between 1995 and 2007, and now there are well over 400 climbs throughout Douglas County."

More than half of those are located on the Callahan Mountains, where the Tyee Sandstone cliffs boast Oregon’s largest concentration of climbing routes outside of Smith Rock. “We have the potential to become a destination climbing area of primary importance,” Orton says. “If one would consider Smith Rock as Oregon’s Yosemite Valley for climbers, the Umpqua would be Oregon’s Tuolumne Meadows (a lesserknown climbing area of Yosemite).”

Beyond the vast concentration of climbing routes, the Umpqua Valley also is popular among climbers because of its unique geology. Roseburg sits just a few miles west of the convergence of three different geologic provinces — the Coast Range, Klamath Mountains and the Cascades. This provides climbers in the area with options that range from the Tyee Sandstone west of Roseburg to volcanic pillars of cooled lava to the east.

If there is one obstacle the local climbing community has had to overcome, it’s gaining public access to prime climbing areas, according to Orton. “Douglas County is unique in that 65 percent of our 400-plus climbing routes are on private timber lands,” he says.

Still, there are examples of the climbing community and private companies working hand in hand to preserve climbing access without impacting timber company operations. For

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example, just east of Glide, the Honeycombs are situated on private timberland. While the welded rhyolitic tuff formations have less climbing surface than the Callahans, they have become a go-to spot for both local and visiting climbers.

The Honeycombs feature some climbing routes that are popular among beginners, despite foreboding names like Edge of Fear, Double Jointed and Stone Ship. The Southwest Oregon Climber’s Coalition is helping construct trails and fund restroom facilities on site.

Orton believes timber companies and the climbing community can enjoy a symbiotic relationship.

“Forest Edge Investments, LLC, has purchased the Honeycombs for the purpose of managing it for timber and as a climbing destination, and I’m a strong advocate of managing the two together,” he says. “The best rock climbing obviously occurs in dry rocky habitats that historically experienced short fire return intervals, resulting in more open Douglas-fir/pine stands, madrone, knob cone pine and sunnier faces. When these stands are allowed to miss a typical disturbance cycle the rock becomes shaded and climbing suffers.”

There are plenty of public land options in the Umpqua Valley. Just east of Roseburg, the Umpqua National Forest hosts more than 150 established climbs spread over 11 climbing areas. And Orton is happy to share a few of his favorite climbs.

“The primary rock formations attracting climbers to the Umpqua are the shallow intrusive rhyodacitic welded tuffs that form Old Man Pinnacle on the North Umpqua River and Acker Rock outside of Tiller,” he says. “Climbs on the forest are primarily long multi-pitch climbs requiring an advanced level of climbing experience, and routes such as Dilley’s Delight, The Prize, HangTen, Eagle’s Dare and the Peregrine Traverse, the state’s longest climb, have become Oregon classics.”

Reflecting on what makes rock climbing in the Umpqua Valley special, Orton says, “What first comes to mind is the friendliness and openness that our local communities have shown climbers over the years. We have always felt strong community support when we’ve hosted climbingrelated events in Roseburg. There is an open friendliness I see among climbers that I don’t see in some of the busier climbing destinations.

You cannot climb on a busy day on the Umpqua without meeting and talking with everyone. I think it’s something unique to our area.”

More than half of the Umpqua Valley’s 400 climbs are located in the Callahan Mountains, where the Tyee Sandstone cliffs boast Oregon’s largest concentration of climbing routes outside of Smith Rock.

Kathy Heidt plays the role of belayer for her husband, Marc.

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Brad Caylor scales the Honeycombs.

W here To Climb

Below are a few examples of the many rock-climbing destinations in the Umpqua Valley.

Acker Rock

McKinley Rock

Where: Located 90 minutes southeast of Roseburg in the Tiller Ranger District of the Umpqua National Forest.

Where: East of Roseburg, near the headwaters of Steamboat Creek.

Highlights: Acker Rock features two of Oregon’s longest routes and has an almost 600-foot rappel, which is also one of Oregon’s longest rappels. At the top of Acker Rock sits the historic Acker Rock Lookout, which is available to rent August through November.

Type of Geology: Coarse, shallow intrusive quartz latite volcanic plug.

Number of Established Climbing Routes: 17

Highlights: McKinley Rock is a dome-like andesitic dike formation that stands almost 400 feet tall. Offers climbers a “big wall” feeling. Also has the possibility of first ascents.

Type of Geology: Coarse-grained dacite.

Number of Established Climbing Routes: 9

Youtlkut Pillars Where: East of Roseburg, near Little River Road.

Honeycombs Where: Six miles east of Glide.

Highlights: Weathering has exposed many finger pockets, cracks and fissures, which resemble honeycombs.

Highlights: Unique 120-foot tall hexagonal pillars. Local climbers focus on preserving the visual integrity of the columns. Located 15-feet off a forest service road.

Type of Geology: Columnar dacite.

Number of Established Climbing Routes: 10

Type of Geology: Volcanic pillars.

Number of Established Climbing Routes: 57

Jurassic Park Where: East of Roseburg, near Little River and Cavitt Creek.

Highlights: Jurassic Park is made up of around a dozen rocky outcrops and spires. Many of these rocks have never been climbed.

Type of Geology: Coarse-grained rhyo-dacite with large grains of quartz.

Number of Established Climbing Routes: 10

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Frances Transue. Photo by Kevin Eckerman 54

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A MOMENT

IN TIME Through the Faces of the Umpqua book and exhibition, the Arts Association honors a representative group of residents whose deeds, personalities and talents contribute to the unique spirit and outstanding livability of the Umpqua Valley.

Story by Clare Matthews

S

o, I had this idea. I thought it would be exciting to have an exhibition at the Umpqua Valley Art Center that celebrated local people. It would be a photographic exhibition of beautiful large prints depicting people “doing what they do� with accompanying descriptions of how well they do it.

People here are lovely. In the course of a routine day running errands, getting cars worked on, seeking health care, etc. we can count on encountering people doing their jobs well and with a smile. They make us feel better about all those chores we have to do. They make our lives easier and more pleasant.

This is a giving community. Yes, people are generous financially, but they also give their time, care and enthusiasm. I wanted to explore how we could celebrate that ethos and just let people know they are appreciated.

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Project photographers Ryan Saylor, Kevin Eckerman and Jon Mitchell.

The Umpqua Valley Arts Association gallery committee, of which I am a member, responded enthusiastically to the idea, even expanding it to include a book that would represent a lasting tribute to the giving spirit of the Umpqua Valley. Gallery Director Sandee McGee and I wrote a grant that brought funding from The Ford Family Foundation.

As the project gained momentum, we wanted to involve more people. We wanted to let younger people have their say about how they see people in their lives and to tell others what they valued and appreciated in important people in their lives.

Again we were successful with a grant application, this time receiving funding for a children’s exhibition from the Douglas County Cultural Coalition.

Then the News-Review stepped up, helping promote the project through ads soliciting nominations for people to include in the Faces of the Umpqua exhibition and staffing a booth at last year’s Summer Arts Festival. Where photos were taken of residents to include in the book and on large banners hung outside the Art Center.

News-Review photographer Jon Mitchell also volunteered to start collecting our images.

community pitched in with their nominations. Those selected for the project then gave us their personal or work time to have their photos taken.

As the project progressed, there would be images to select and edit for printing, a book to be designed and printed, framing to be done. All the while, The Boys & Girls Club of the Umpqua Valley was working with us to involve local youth in the project.

All of this volunteerism and collaboration, of course, was just another example of the giving spirit that motivated me to pursue this project.

The Faces of the Umpqua Exhibition opened Jan. 17 and ran until mid-March. The project was intended to serve as a representation of the spirit of the Umpqua Valley. It is, in a way, the beginning of a historical recording of “us,” what we look like in this moment in time, the many things we do “right” here, and a sampling of the amazing people who do them.

It can be enjoyed for years to come and serve as a daily, and lasting, reminder of the amazing people surrounding us who make us so proud to call the Umpqua Valley home.

Now smile. You too are part of this.

Then local photographers Kevin Eckerman and Ryan Saylor joined our volunteer team. Members of the Clare Matthews, a weaver and retired art teacher, emigrated from England to Alabama in 2008 before moving to Roseburg in 2014. “I found my place in the world here in the Umpqua Valley,” she says. “So much so that in 2015 I became an American citizen. It’s the people that make me feel at home.”

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Melanie Prummer, Peace at Home Advocacy Center. Photo by Jon Mitchell.

Sarah McGregor, UCAN Food Bank director. Photo by Jon Mitchell.

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“Whether through the lined face of a veteran or in the smiling eyes of a youthful subject, faces tell stories. It was my good fortune, and an honor, to be able to hear and capture so many stories and help bring to life Clare Matthews’ vision for this project. I will forever be deeply affected by the people I met and hope that they too will keep this experience in their hearts.”

— Kevin Eckerman

Michael Fernandez. Photo by Kevin Eckerman.

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"I saw the Faces of Umpqua project as an opportunity to help add to the culture and art scene in Douglas County. I had no idea at the time how many wonderful people I'd meet along the way and the positive impact they've made on people’s lives. It was an honor to photograph them, and these images will help ensure their legacies are recognized for years to come." — Jon Mitchell

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HEALTH FOOD & DRINK

ONE STEP CLOSER / RESIDENCY PROGRAM UPDATE

ONE STEP CLOSER With George Fox University announcing plans to open a Roseburg campus, local visionaries’ dream of a local medical college is nearing reality.

Story by Brittany Arnold Photo by Chris Low

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George Fox students spend significant time learning in clinical settings.

T

he long, collaborative effort to bring a medical college to Douglas County came one giant step closer to reality last year with the announcement that George Fox University, a private Newberg-based college, plans to open a campus in Roseburg.

Tentatively called the Southern Oregon Medical Workforce Center (SOMWC), the college will focus on training students pursuing careers in allied and mental health professions. Allied health is a broad term that covers medical professions such as physical therapist, nutritionist, medical technician and others.

The effort to locate a medical-training college in Roseburg was kick-started about six years ago, and the momentum has continued to build. Then last spring officials from George Fox University signed a memorandum of understanding with Oregonians for Rural Health to determine the scope, degree programs and location for a facility that would offer advanced degrees for healthcare professions.

HEALTH

Within just a few months, the project had received $10 million in state funding, matching the amount previously committed by the Roseburg City Council. The total cost of the SOMWC is estimated to be $30 million, but that number won’t be finalized until the building site is identified and operating cost are determined.

Work ahead includes the Umpqua Valley Development Corporation and George Fox examining potential sites and the college diving into phases one and two of curriculum and program development.

therapists and physician assistants, and has expanded its health care education offerings in recent years.

While the SOMWC’s degree programs have yet to be determined, George Fox’s Felton says the programs offered in Roseburg will focus on helping fill the region’s most significant workforce gaps.

“Our hope is that this college turns out to be one of the greatest things to ever happen in Douglas County.”

—Wayne Patterson,

CHI Mercy Health President/ CEO Kelly Morgan, one of the visionaries behind the project, says groundbreaking for the college could be as early summer 2021.

He adds that, while the ideal opening date is slated for 2023, some programs could start as early as fall 2020.

After six years of deep involvement in the project, Morgan says he’s excited to see it come to fruition and to witness the muchanticipated impact it will have on both Douglas County and rural health statewide.

Rob Felton, director of Executive Communication at George Fox, is confident that impact will be significant. “George Fox provides a great education that leads to great outcomes,” he says.

“Assuming all goes well, we’ll be offering high-demand programs in an attractive part of rural Oregon.”

WHY ALLIED AND MENTAL HEALTH? Both Morgan and another key player from the start of the project, Umpqua Economic Development Partnership Executive Director Wayne Patterson, say there’s a significant demand for professionals to fill allied health positions, and it will only grow.

According to Patterson, “The profession is almost recessionproof,” and Morgan adds, “The need for healthcare workers in rural Oregon is unbelievable, and there are currently not enough training programs to meet that need; the growth and turnover are greater than the number of graduates.”

In addition, what Morgan terms a “maldistribution” of available healthcare workers around the state has created a disparity between where professionals are working and the communities most in need of them.

For this reason, Morgan says the goals of the medical college are not only to be an economic driver for Douglas County but also to train professionals ready and willing to practice in rural Oregon.

Statistics show that healthcare professionals who are trained in rural Oregon are more likely to stay and work there when compared with professionals who relocate to a rural community.

WHAT POTENTIAL STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW

“George Fox already has the capacity to offer our RN-toBSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program in Roseburg in fall 2020,” Felton says. “We are evaluating UEDP executive director the feasibility of a number of other degree programs.

Existing programs George Fox is considering offering in Roseburg include bachelor’s degree-completion programs in social work as well as a master’s

in social work. We are exploring offering some portions of our physical therapy, physician assistant and counseling programs in Roseburg. We also are considering adding a future graduate program in the nursing field.”

The university’s goals for these programs are to: provide a reliable pipeline of skilled allied healthcare and mental health professionals in multiple high-demand medical fields; connect individuals to living-wage jobs through locally delivered degree programs and create economic growth and stability across the region.

“Once we have established what programs we will have, we will create a pathway for students in coordination with George Fox University and community colleges,” Morgan says. “We want to set it up so that students at our partnering community colleges will have a pathway to transfer in.”

WHAT VETERANS NEED TO KNOW SOMWC representatives are also working in partnership with the Veterans Administration due to the same workforce shortage problem. It’s a natural collaboration, says VA Roseburg Health System Nursing Director Lisa Yop, considering her organization and Mercy often share workers.

SOMWC could potentially enroll and train some discharged veterans, then have them go to work within the VA system. A certain amount of spaces in the program would be reserved for veterans.

“It would give them a step up, and that means a lot to the VA,” says Yop. “I truly feel this medical college will open opportunities to people in our community, as well as encourage others from elsewhere in the state to come here, train and then hopefully stay and make it easier for Mercy and the VA to fill health care workforce gaps.”

Patterson agrees. “Our hope is that this college turns out to be one of the greatest things to ever happen in Douglas County,” he says.

Founded in 1891, George Fox University operates satellite campuses in Portland, Salem and Redmond, offers graduate programs that prepare mental health counselors, physical

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HEALTH

CARE PACKAGE This June, eight medical school graduates will move to town for three years of family medicine training and to help improve access to primary care. If all goes well, some won’t ever want to leave.

Story by Dick Baltus Photos by Thomas Boyd

T

he medical reinforcements are coming, and the timing couldn’t be better — even if they’re arriving a little later than expected.

Originally scheduled to be up and running last year, the new Roseburg Family Medicine Residency program that will bring eight new physicians to Roseburg each year to train experienced some unanticipated, but ultimately serendipitous, delays. The extra start-up time allowed organizers to align with Douglas County’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center, Aviva Health, which provides significant benefits, including previously unavailable access to important funding sources.

As a result, the program, a collaborative effort between Aviva Health, CHI Mercy Health and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, will start on a solid foundation of funding that includes

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Residency program faculty member Dr. Glen Monteiro with third-year medical student Alex Anderson.

a $5.4 million Teacher Health Center grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, a $1 million workforce grant from the State of Oregon and an additional $750,000 in federal funding secured by Mercy Foundation.

“The financial piece was the biggest hurdle we had to overcome,” says Brian Eichman, operations director for Centennial Medical Group and a member of the residency program’s organizing team. “I’m not sure we could have gotten off the ground without the grants we were able to get.”

This June, eight new recent medical school graduates will move to Roseburg to train with program staff and provide patient care alongside local physicians and providers. They’ll train in the community for three years, helping fill the gaps created locally by a significant shortage of family medicine providers while learning about the advantages of practicing in a small community.

The hope is the experience will entice many of them to settle in Roseburg when they’re ready to set up their own practices.

“The nice thing about having them for three years is that’s long enough for them to put down roots in our community,” says Dr. Chip Taylor, a family physician at Aviva Health and residency program director.

HEALTH

Residency program director Dr. Chip Taylor assists fourth-year medical student Ashley Sparks.

Studies have shown that about half of all physicians establish their practices within a 100-mile radius of where they are trained. That statistic has helped lead to physician shortages in most small Oregon communities, given the majority of providers are trained in Portland at Oregon Health and Science University.

Currently the only other training programs in the state outside of Portland are in Corvallis and Klamath Falls, but both of those communities have been successful keeping many of the physicians trained there close by.

would be good fits for Roseburg, adds Aviva Health CEO K.C. Bolton. “During our interviews it was pretty clear who those individuals were; you can sense whose values were aligned with the community’s,” he says.

The team, which was scheduled to learn the names of the program’s first-year residents in mid-March, was unanimous in the belief that it will be an outstanding group. “We attracted a good group of applicants,” Bolton says.

The residents will go through To increase the odds of an orientation program June achieving the same results in 15-26, then show up for their “The nice thing about having them Roseburg, residency program first day of training June 29. for three years is that’s long enough “They’ll spend time seeing officials focused much of their recruitment efforts their own patients at Aviva, for them to put down roots in our on graduates of osteopathic then every four weeks they’ll community.” medicine programs in Lebanon be at Mercy rotating through and Yakima, Taylor says. “If — Dr. Chip Taylor different specialty areas,” you’ve made the decision to says Dr. Heidi Beery, family train in Lebanon or Yakima, medicine physician at Aviva (philosophically) you’re halfway to Roseburg,” he says.

Health and associate program director of the residency, adding they will also spend time at the VA. “Their patient panels will The group also gave special consideration to applicants who hail start small, but will gradually grow over time.” from smaller communities, says Family Medicine Residency Operations Director Desiree Inglis. “Our thinking was people who grew up in medically underserved communities and may have experienced their parents having a hard time getting timely care may be predisposed to want to practice in a small community where they could help improve access to care.”

As the number of patients the residents are caring for increases — and with the addition of eight additional physicians in each of the next two years – the residency program will be helping improve access to primary care in the short term with the potential for even greater long-term results.

Members of the Resident Selection Committee that interviewed program applicants also were looking for individuals who EXPERIENCE ROSEBURG

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CULTURE UMPQUA LIFE CULTURE

FERTILE IMAGINATION / LEGENDS OF THE UMPQUA / A LONG-RUNNING MUSICAL TRADITION / WHAT’S IN A NAME?

FERTILE IMAGINATION When he’s not farming, odds are Hyrum Laney can be found in front of a computer, writing the latest chapter in his Die-Hard Patriots series of political thrillers.

Story by Ella Morgan Photos by Thomas Boyd

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CULTURE

O

n a 160-acre farmstead in the heart of Douglas County, there are no rules or outlines for Hyrum Laney. He spends most of his days tending to his farm. But at the same time he’s thinking about Cal Stockton.

Besides being a farmer, Laney is also a novelist and the author of three political thrillers in his Die-Hard Patriots fiction series.

Stockton is his main character. Stockton’s fictional exploits and missions drive the book series and, as Laney works around his land, he’s also tinkering with ideas for the next twist in the multi-book saga.

Since his college days, Laney had considered writing, but he had determined years earlier that agriculture was the life meant for him. He wasn’t raised a farmer, but at age 15 he was fully invested in the world of permaculture. By the late 1980s, he and his wife had purchased their 10 acres.

Parallel to Laney’s hardship and the hope for better years in his fields, is another potential problem he sees — the rapid decline of family farming in the United States. For 25 years, Laney has been trying to figure out what has been happening to U.S. farmers and the industry.

Farm debt has risen to $416 billion since the 1990s, Laney says, and the number of farmers working in the U.S. has dramatically declined. To help improve farmers’ prospects, Laney has sought changes in government policies and looked for other ways to highlight the importance of food reserves and the state of farming in the United States.

Then, in 2000, he took up writing as a hobby, more as a creative outlet than a vehicle for sharing information about American farming.

“I knew any book based on agricultural policy was likely to induce a deep sleep, if not a coma,” Laney says.

“As a young beginning farmer you might think my biggest challenge was lack of knowledge since I wasn’t raised on a farm,” Laney says. “But it wasn’t.”

Instead, he said, the challenges beginning farmers face include “extremely hard, physical work, which can be very stressful, especially during harvest and planting seasons. In addition, farming is expensive.

Unbelievably expensive.”

Since his college days, Laney considered writing, but he had determined years earlier that agriculture was the life meant for him.

It’s bad enough losing a crop, not to mention money, to an infestation of mayfly larva, but coping with unpredictable weather often proves even more difficult.

“It has a way of being wet when you need it to be dry and dry when you need rain,” Laney says.

Like many other farmers, Laney struggled through long, cold and depressing winters, failed crops and plummeting markets.

“Farming is good when it’s good, but when it goes bad farmers lose more than their land and their home. They lose their way of life, their identity and their self-esteem.”

At the same time, Laney adds, “the country loses another farmer, someone who has an intimate knowledge of the land, someone who knows how to nurture and produce a food crop."

Instead, he invented Cal Stockton. It took Laney more than a decade to finish Time Bomb Ticking, the first book in what would become a series. After several edits, revisions and rewrites, he published to Amazon in December 2012.

Energized by seeing a decade’s worth of work finally come to light, Laney wasted little time before starting on the second book in his series, Presidential Deceit. Meanwhile the Time Bomb Ticking e-book was racking up an impressive 7,000 sales in just its first year.

Laney followed up Presidential Deceit with A Debt To Die For his third book in the series, and he’ll publish his fourth installment later this year.

“Martha’s Maids is the title of book four. It’s about half done and it’s gonna be good,” Laney promises.”

All of the books in Hyrum Laney’s Die-Hard Patriots series are available on Amazon.

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CULTURE

LEGENDS OF THE UMPQUA: SCOTT HENRY III

H

enry Estate Winery is a longtime family-owned business in Douglas County and a well-known name throughout the wine industry.

The Henrys were one of the first families to spearhead wine making in the Umpqua Valley. The operation began in 1972 when the family planted the original 12 acres of grapes. By 1978, the winery was completed, and grapes were crushed.

Some 2,000 gallons of wine were produced and released in 1980.

Today, the estate produces 6,000 cases annually.

And all this is the result of one man going against the grain.

Born and raised on the family’s 300-acre farm outside of Roseburg, Scott Henry III knew the farming and ranching business well. But instead of pursuing a career in it, he headed to Oregon State University, where he would earn a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.

From there, Henry moved to California and started a career as an aeronautical engineer, which later would see him involved in the manufacturing of the rocket engine that brought U.S. astronauts back from the moon.

After moon landings ended, the rocket business declined. At the same time, Henry’s dad fell ill. So Henry decided to return home to the farm, but on one condition — he’d get to plant grapes.

After helping astronauts get home from the moon, a pioneering winemaker returns home, and to the earth, to make his mark.

Story and photo by Brittany Arnold

During his time in California, Henry had grown fond of wine and continually wondered why winemaking hadn’t caught on in Oregon.

“When I started doing it, everyone thought I was nuts,” Henry remembers. “Now everyone is doing it.”

Henry’s biggest start-up hurdle was finding the right location to plant. The spot Henry was most interested in using for grapes was criticized by many. “I got advised by a number of people and told not to grow where I was wanting to grow,” Henry says.

“But, I have an engineering background and we engineers try different things.”

Trying a different thing this time paid off. Because of the flat ground Henry was working with, he created a unique trellis system that optimizes the maturation and quality of the grapes.

Named the Scott Henry Trellis System, Henry was globally recognized for this technique shortly after his winery’s first release in the 1980s. Soon winemakers in New Zealand were using his trellis system, and now the technique is used all over Oregon, California and Europe.

Henry says he thought about patenting his trellis system but decided he wouldn’t like how it would restrict others. “The better people do at making wine, the better we all are for it,” he says.

During his time in California, Henry had grown fond of wine and continually wondered why winemaking hadn’t caught on in Oregon.

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CULTURE

VINTAGE HARMONIES Whether during their two annual local concerts or trips out of town, the Vintage Singers have been pleasing audiences since 1978.

Story by Erin Wilds Photos by Thomas Boyd

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A Quick Musical Quiz: Do you: • Enjoy singing, especially as a voice in pitchperfect, multi-part harmonies?

• Like a challenge, both physical and technical?

• Work well as part of a dedicated team with a common goal?

• Enjoy making beautiful music with friends?

• Look forward to helping bring to vivid life choral arrangements — new and old, classical and popular — under expert direction in some amazing performance settings and venues?

CULTURE

“When you make music with people you enjoy, it just keeps your batteries charged. It’s like a vitamin pill for your soul.”

—Donna Spicer

I

f so, Donna Spicer might like to talk to you. Spicer is director of the Vintage Singers — a 27-member, Roseburg-based chamber choir that has been a familiar sight and sound in the region since the late 1970s.

In the group’s four decades, its extraordinary harmonies and arrangements have been seasonal traditions in the Umpqua Valley with both its annual shows — a spring concert in May at Centerstage on the campus of Umpqua Community College; and Twelfth Night, performed in early January as a coda to the holiday season.

"You still have the afterglow of Christmas, but at a much less stressful time," says Spicer of the latter concert, which the singers debuted in 1979 and was performed this year in early January at Roseburg First Presbyterian Church.

The Vintage Singers formed as the Umpqua Chamber Choral in 1978 under the direction of the late Stephen Biethan. In the early 1990s, the group performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 2008 and 2011, the singers traveled to the International Choral Festival in Missoula, Mont.

Spicer, retired Roseburg High music teacher, reviews candidates for their vocal range, pitch and overall vocal quality. Candidates need not read music, but Spicer says music literacy enables a singer to see beyond the notes, particularly when the group is singing in German, French, Italian, Spanish or another language, as it often does.

Keeping the vocal sections balanced is critical to the group's composition, however. That means even candidates who pass the audition might have to wait for a vacancy in their section.

Vintage Singers are part of the Umpqua Community College music department, which provides some funding, access to the college music library and the ability to call on the prodigious composing expertise of Jason Heald, the college's music director.

As a group, the singers are supportive of one another at both rehearsals and performances. Offstage, they’ve rallied around when a member or spouse has faced a medical issue or personal tragedy. Spicer says the group support is valuable.

“When you make music with people you enjoy, it just keeps your batteries charged,” she says. “It’s like a vitamin pill for your soul.”

Spicer describes the Missoula festival as akin to a weeklong choral Olympics, with concerts and performances at multiple venues throughout the area. Some members of the group have also had the opportunity to travel to Europe to tour with the Roseburg Concert Choral.

Every Vintage Singers performance is designed to make the music touch the audience in such a way that it can be both heard and felt. It can be emotional for the performers, too. At the Twelfth Night performance this year, one member told Spicer of feeling goosebumps and becoming choked up during every concert.

Individual members typically are in it for the long term and represent a diversity of occupations. Singers are both older and younger and the group welcomes any adult willing to audition.

“When you’ve rehearsed for three months, you only have one opportunity to make it come alive — to go beyond notes and diction and blend and interpretation to touch people deep in their souls,” Spicer says. “That’s why we do it. It’s transforming.”

And, yes, there are auditions.

Director Donna Spicer leads the Vintage Singers.

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WHAT’S IN A NAME? There’s a story behind the name of every locale in Douglas County, and in each issue of UV we give you the background on one of them. This issue we look into the meaning of the ubiquitous Umpqua.

Story by Jim Hays Photo courtesy Douglas County Museum

U

mpqua. Few words are more evocative of a specific place or have been attached to more places, people, businesses or institutions native to the region..

It’s where we live. It’s the native people who lived here long ago (and still do). It’s a language. A local community. It’s two (or three) rivers, a national forest, a hot spring. It’s a lighthouse, a college, a bank and a beloved ice cream.

In the distant past, it was the name of three forts and a nowdefunct county during Oregon’s days as a U.S. territory, not to mention a city at the mouth of the eponymous river.

According to the indispensable volume Oregon Geographic Names, “Umpqua” was the Native American name of the locality of the Umpqua River and came to be applied by white explorers to both the river and the native people who lived nearby.

Depending on the reference source, the name is translated as “thundering waters,” “across the waters,” or “satisfied,” as in sating one’s hunger. As is the case with many English-language words, “Umpqua” seems to have multiple meanings in native language, based on the context in which the word is used.

The spelling of the name varies in the writings of early explorers, who likely based their spelling of the word as it was spoken to them.

David Douglas, who visited the area in 1825, called it “Umptqua.”

A year later, the Canadian fur trader Peter Skene Ogden wrote of the “Umqua.” Later writings refer to the “Umpquah,” “Imp-qua” and “Umkwa.”

Following are brief takes on various “Umpqua” namesakes: UMPQUA RIVERS The North and South Umpqua rivers combine and drop the directionals at River Forks Park, northwest of Roseburg. From River Forks, the river flows 76 miles to the Pacific. There was once an East Umpqua that was renamed Little River and joins the North Umpqua at Glide.

UMPQUA NATIONAL FOREST Officially created July 1, 1908, when the U.S. Forest Service broke up the extensive Cascades Forest Reserve into four national forests — Mt. Hood, Willamette, Rogue River-Siskiyou and Umpqua.

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UMPQUA RIVER LIGHT First completed in 1857 on Winchester Bay at the mouth of the river, the lighthouse collapsed six years later after seasonal floods undermined its foundation. The current lighthouse was finished in 1894 at a site 100 feet above the river and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

UMPQUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Opened in 1961 in rented facilities in Roseburg, the college moved to its present location at a bend on the North Umpqua.

Classes at the new campus began in fall 1967.

FORT UMPQUA The Hudson’s Bay Co. established two posts by this name, the first (“Old Fort Umpqua”) about 1832 and reportedly on Calapooya Creek. The company built a second fort near Elkton. In 1856, the U.S. military established a Fort Umpqua on the river’s west bank two miles north of its mouth. The post was abandoned in 1862.

UMPQUA CITY Not to be confused with the hamlet west of Sutherlin where Calapooya Creek enters the Umpqua River, Umpqua City was the original name of what is now Winchester Bay, at the mouth of the Umpqua River. It was established in 1850, and a post office opened a year later.

UMPQUA COUNTY Created in 1851 by the Oregon Territorial Legislature in the wake of a gold strike in the Umpqua region that produced a temporary population boom in the area. The county court met at Elkton in 1852, although it later moved to Green Valley and then to Yoncalla. The Legislature carved Douglas County out of the eastern portion of Umpqua County in 1852 and a year later, with the gold rush well over, the new Coos County annexed most of sparsely populated western Umpqua County. What remained was absorbed into Douglas County on Oct. 16, 1862.

CULTURE

Umpqua Lighthouse (circa 1920).

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LAST WORD

A NATIVE SON FINDS THERE’S

No Place Like Home

By Brian Staffield

I

was born and raised in Roseburg, and by the time I graduated high school I wanted nothing more than to move elsewhere and find new experiences. Don’t get me wrong, small town life is great, but like many, if not most, teenagers who grow up in small towns, I wanted more.

So I left Roseburg for the slightly larger town of Corvallis, then, after four years at Oregon State, I made my way farther north to Portland, where I spent the next seven years. I watched the city expand and change to accommodate the needs of an ever-growing population of mostly out-of-staters. With each passing year, my life in Portland brought longer commute times and more closures of my favorite haunts. Once quiet forest hiking trails started to feel more like Interstate 84.

I was burned-out on Portland and needed a change. I moved back to Roseburg for what I assumed was going to be a brief pit stop while I figured out the next major steps in my life. Skip to a year later and I’m still living in Roseburg, and I have thoroughly enjoyed being back.

I find myself to be busier and more active than I ever was living in Portland. I spend most of my free time rediscovering what I loved about the Umpqua Valley when I was growing up here. I’ve returned to some of my favorite hiking trails, like Wolf Creek Falls and Fall Creek Falls in the Umpqua National Forest. I’ve even discovered trails I’ve never been on before, like Grotto Falls and Warm Spring Falls, which, incidentally, has become one of my dog’s favorite trails as well.

There’s also something magical about camping at Hemlock Lake when it’s only you and three other people, when it’s so quiet you can hear every fish jump.

It’s not just the uninhabited hiking trails and campsites I’ve enjoyed. It’s discovering great new local breweries, wineries and restaurants that have popped up during my years away. Every time I stop by the Umpqua Valley Farmers Market on Saturdays I am floored by how much high-quality produce and other items are grown or made locally.

All the little things in Roseburg that I took for granted when I was younger have become big things in my life. Growing up I never appreciated the beauty of the rolling hills or the colorful sunrises that paint those hills every morning. I never appreciated the sense of community here either. The slower pace of life and small-town charm have defined my Roseburg experience.

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With 5 Legendary Locations in Douglas County, you’re always close to an Abby’s.

Myrtle Creek • Roseburg • Sutherlin • Winston

THE LAND OF UMPQUA THE LOVE OF ABBY’S If you love all Douglas County has to offer, you’ll love Abby’s Legendary Pizza. Afterall, this is where we were born back in 1964. And 56 years later, we’re proud to say not much has changed at Abby’s. Our casual parlors still serve delicious traditional pizza with mounds of toppings to the edge™.

After you spend a day exploring the Land of Umpqua, relax and discover our award winning pizza.

order at abbys.com

In our neck of the woods, you spend more time enjoying the moment than you do trying to find a parking spot. The pristine outdoors of the Roseburg area have something to offer everyone: from the hardcore mountain biker, to the swimming hole connoisseur. We’ve got it all (except the crowds).