UV Spring 2021

TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF THE UMPQUA VALLEY

Spring 2021 · volume 11

LOOKING

GOOD

IN THE UMPQUA VALLEY’S GREAT OUTDOORS

CAPTURED IN THE WILD PHOTO FEATURE UMPQUA DAIRY TURNS 90 FULL STEAMBOAT AHEAD VISITORS GUIDE

57 YEARS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY One reason we’re called ‘legendary’ around here.

When visiting the Umpqua Valley, a stop at Abby’s Legendary Pizza is a must. What began in 1964 hasn’t changed much: delicious traditional pizza with toppings to the edge, served in a fun, casual environment. If we sound a little old fashioned, that’s kind of the point. Learn more about our proud Douglas County heritage at AbbysHistory.com.

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5 Douglas County Locations Order at Abbys.com

A Legendary Pizza Tradition®

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

Dick Baltus

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Tyler James

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Thomas Boyd

PHOTOGRAPHER

Robin Loznak

DESIGNERS

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

PUBLISHED BY

Michael Williamson, Sara Kubler, Claire Osborn

Jim Hays

Brittany Arnold, Don Gilman, Jennifer Grafiada, Nate Hansen, Jim Hays, Hollye Holbrook, Jenny Kormendi, Miki Markovich, Taylor Perse, Geoff Shipley, Sarah Smith, Brian Staffield Jonathan Cummings

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

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

LIFESTYLE + TRAVEL MAGAZINE OF THE UMPQUA VALLEY

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UV Magazine copyright 2021. 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.

Table of Contents FOOD & DRINK

VISITORS GUIDE

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UMPQUA LIFE

How Our Gardens Do Grow

10. Destination Downtown

26 12 Off the Beaten Paths Despite the damage caused by last September’s fires, there are still plenty of trails to be hiked.

14. This Way to Roseburg 18. Life Is a Picnic

OUTDOORS

20. Ford’s Pond Reimagined 22. Adventure Traveler

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Oil on the Water The Umpqua Valley is known as wine country, but it’s also home to the largest olive oil producer in the state.

28. The New Trella Tasting Room

32 Skaters Gonna Skate Determined community volunteers have helped ensure a local skating center is here for the long run.

34. A Real Mother Goose 36. TEDxRoseburg Returns 38. Full Steamboat Ahead

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FEATURE

After the Fire In the aftermath of the Archie Creek fires, public and private stakeholders are searching for the best route to recovery.

FEATURES: AFTER THE FIRE / CAPTURED IN THE WILD / DAIRY TALES SPRING 2021

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FEATURE BUSINESS

Captured in the Wild

68. Another Great Bad Day

Photographer Robin Loznak ventures out into nature and brings back captivating photos of its inhabitants.

70. Super Bowling 72. B&Bx3

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FEATURE

Dairy Tales As Umpqua Dairy celebrates its 90th year, owners and longtime employees share some memorable moments.

Rural Sanctuary

On The Cover: An acorn woodpecker peers out from his nesting cavity in a fencepost in Elton. Photo by Robin Loznak.

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HEALTH

64. Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds 66. Matters of the Heart

At Happy Compromise Farm, animals and humans alike find a peaceful refuge.

CULTURE

78. How KRSB Came to Be 80. House Away From Home

THE WILD UMPQUA

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Editor’s Letter Is it just me, or is anyone else feeling a little cooped up?

You know it’s been a tough year when the highlight of your social life is an exchange of “pleasantries” with the pizza delivery guy as he leaves your porch. Here’s how that went: “Hey,” I hollered, poignantly. “That ‘Proudly ignoring arugula since 1964’ tagline on the back of your shirt?

That was me. I wrote that.”

He turned and looked back at me the way a guy looks back at someone when he has no idea there’s an arugularelated tagline on the back of his shirt, or he does, in fact, know but has zero interest its origin or, far less likely, he knows it’s there but is embarrassed to have to wear some stupid words he doesn’t “get” and now is annoyed I just reminded him of their presence on his person.

CONTACT ME editor@TheUVlife.com

Whatever it was, I was grateful for the human interaction, such as it was. Had I known it was going to happen, I might have tipped him for the pizza. It being one of the social highlights of my year and all.

Have you done the Zoom thing yet, he asked rhetorically?

I suppose another social highlight was logging into my first Zoom meeting and seeing myself projected back at me in a little box, along with about 20 other people, like a modern-day Hollywood Squares on steroids or the Brady Bunch after a few more divorces and remarriages.

But approximately 647 similar meetings later, I am over Zoom and sick to death of seeing my face staring back at me. I told a friend the other day (or in 1967, who knows?) that I felt like I was live streaming my aging process. Off Zoom, I don’t think I have changed that much in the last year. On it, I feel like I need to lose 20 pounds, join the Hair Club and start getting my affairs in order. Like, now.

Thank you Zoom, from the very bottom of my self-esteem.

In times like these (you know, pandemic times) I feel especially grateful to at least be able to interact with our great outdoors and, in this issue of UV, to be able bring you several stories from them. I hope you enjoy them and, like me, can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Dick Baltus Editor in Chief

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The Wild Umpqua Page 48 Robin Loznak’s photos have graced our last three covers, and we are pleased to feature more from his amazing portfolio of outdoor shots.

Page 68 If you golf, you’ll relate to Hunter Normand’s story from the local links and be happy to hear about the plans for three local courses.

Page 78 KRSB radio has been part of this community for 50 years, and Doug Pedersen’s lively tale of its founding is a must read.

HOW OUR GARDENS DO GROW

DESTINATION DOWNTOWN OFF THE BEATEN PATHS THIS WAY TO ROSEBURG LIFE IS A PICNIC

A VISITORS GUIDE BROUGHT TO YOU BY EXPERIENCE ROSEBURG VISITORS GUIDE

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Experience Roseburg

How Our Gardens Do Grow The Umpqua Valley boasts one of the state’s best climates for growing a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables.

For Kathy Young, here with grandchildren, growing a garden has many similarities to growing a family.

Story by Brittany Arnold

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— grow well here.

hether you’re driving around the rolling hills of the Umpqua Valley, shopping the year-round farmers’ market or wine tasting at a vineyard, it’s quickly obvious that things — all manner of them

With its mild and forgiving climate, the valley is arguably one of the best gardening regions in Oregon.

You won’t have to argue that point with horticulture extension agent Steve Renquist. In 2000, Renquist left a job with a multinational agricultural company to move to Roseburg and join the Oregon State Extension service. In the two decades since, he’s watched the local agriculture economy and gardening scene grow tremendously, a fact in attributes in part to a slight warming trend that has nurtured an ideal growing climate.

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because we have very few frosts, and we can mature the grapes nicely because there’s no worry about mildew.”

Along with an optimal climate, Douglas County has one of the most diverse soil profile maps in Oregon. With around 230 soil profiles, it’s a prime location for those with specific agricultural interests, such as wine growers.

Abacela Winery owners Hilda and Earl Jones landed in Douglas County after a thorough search for a region that could accommodate the production of Spain’s signature tempranillo wine, made from a grape that requires a growing season characterized by a cool spring and a hot, moderately dry summer cut short by a cool, truncated autumn.

Today, Renquist says, “Douglas County really has the best climate for gardening in Oregon. We really don’t have any limitations for growing any kind of vegetables or crop.”

The Joneses eliminated spots in Idaho and Washington, as well as Eastern Oregon and the Willamette Valley, before discovering that Oregon’s southwest valley offered a climate almost identical to that in Spain’s Rioja and Ribera regions. They were soon making some of the most highly rated Spanish varietals anywhere.

Over the last 10 to 15 years, Douglas County has experienced a state-best 210-day frost-free period. In addition, Douglas County has a significant geographic advantage. Being in the southern part of the state keeps it warmer, while the absence of a large mountain range between here and the coast helps keep winters mild.

While the Umpqua Valley holds the distinction of being the first region in Oregon to grow wine grapes, it has only been during the last 20 years that the local industry has grown significantly.

According to Renquist, there are now close to 4,000 acres of grapes in Douglas County.

“We’ve got about a 200-day growing season here so you can get multiple crops off,” Renquist says. “If you want to grow a longseason apple variety, it works. Our wine grapes do beautifully here

“A lot of California producers are buying land here because they can expand their growing to cool-season varieties, something they couldn’t do in California,” he says.

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In addition to grapes, the Umpqua Valley is home to 900 to 1,000 acres of blueberries and, in Norris Farms, the state’s largest blueberry producer. The region also offers an ideal climate for growing another Oregon agricultural staple – hazelnuts.

Of course, if the climate is good for commercial growing operations, it’s good for home gardens as well. Kathy Young grew up gardening with her mom and today grows “just about everything.”

“Our county has fabulous weather for corn, tomatoes, peppers -those hot weather fruits and vegetables,” Young says. “We grow peas, cabbage, kale, carrots, beans, beets. I can’t think of too many things we don’t grow.”

Young and her husband, Bob, enjoy their harvest all year long at the dinner table.

The Youngs have made their garden a family experience, often involving their four grown children and 10 grandchildren.

“It’s just a great way to connect with and teach your grandkids about ownership and eating good foods,” Young says. “And it is certainly economical. To have a growing family that can come and help in the garden and take things home with them…that is a win.”

Douglas County gardeners start moving their cool-season transplants, like broccoli and kale, outdoors as early as late March or early April. Planting for warm-season crops begins in early or mid-May. “You don’t gain much by planting earlier here,” Renquist says.

“I encourage gardeners not to rush the spring and to plant in the warm season. We don’t freeze, but planting earlier is risky because the soil will still be cool.”

Douglas County’s ideal climate provides a security blanket of sorts for gardeners of any experience level.

“You can grow virtually anything around here,” Renquist says. “I grow a citrus in my yard and it survives.”

For many, if not most, local farmers and gardeners, digging in the dirt may be a lot of work, but it’s also is a labor of love. Young says there are many similarities between growing a garden and a family.

“In my garden, the soil must be tended to, enriched, tilled. So much of what happens after the seed goes into the ground is hidden from sight. In the depths of the earth, life is beginning, growing stronger, developing roots.

“So it is with the family. So much of what we do establishes a base, a foundation on which life will grow and, hopefully, thrive.

In due time, there will be a harvest. But much of the time the joy is in the preparation. Gardening represents hope; the intentional investment, planning and sacrifice of today will yield the bountiful and beautiful harvest of tomorrow. I think that’s the way God intended it to be.”

For Douglas County gardening information, visit the local Master Gardeners website at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/douglas.

Spring Garden Tour Roseburg’s Annual Spring Garden Tour takes place Saturday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This self-guided tour showcases six private residence gardens ranging from vegetables to flowers to plants. The gardens feature a variety of techniques and designs including hardscapes, hillside gardens, spread out gardens, greenhouses, garden art and more.

In addition to the gardens, participants can enjoy music, art and vendors, and an event brochure suggests eateries along the tour route. “We have introduced a lot of little off-the-road restaurants and eateries to many people,” says Spring Garden Tour chair, Nancy Farris.

The Spring Garden Tour is the primary fundraiser for the League of Women Voters of Umpqua Valley. Tickets are $15 for adults and seniors; kids with a parent are free. They go on sale May 20 in Roseburg at While Away Books and My Coffee, in Sutherlin at Central Feed and Supply, in Glide at Atom Bistro & Coffee Bar and in the gardens on the day of the tour.

Event organizers are taking every precaution and following COVID guidelines to make this a safe and healthy environment.

Visit lwvuv.org/garden-tours/garden-tour-2021/ for tour information.

Recipe: Garden Goodness Marinara Sauce From Kathy Young

This recipe is intended for use later in the summer when warm-weather crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) are in their prime. If you have room to plant a moderately generous amount of tomatoes, this recipe will help you use them as they ripen. It’s also helpful to pick tomatoes as they turn and let them finish ripening in the house. This will help you have more ready at the same time.

• Assorted ripe tomatoes, washed, stemmed and cut into large chunks (no need to peel and you can mix all varieties, including cherry tomatoes) to fill one or two 9 x 13 baking pans.

• Cut one or two onions into large chunks • Cut one green pepper into large chunks – distribute the onion and peppers among the tomatoes

• Add several cloves of garlic, and tuck several leaves of fresh basil in among the vegetables.

• Splash with a little olive oil and shake a bit of salt over the mixture.

Place pan(s) into 400-degree oven to roast for at least 30 minutes. The longer you roast, the thicker and richer the mixture. Stir occasionally. When it looks finished, remove from oven to cool. Puree with a blending stick, either in the pans or a bowl. Use while fresh, or freeze as a lovely marinara sauce for winter use. One pan makes about a quart of finished sauce.

VISITORS GUIDE

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Experience Roseburg

McMenamin’s Roseburg Station and Pub

Destination Downtown Your insider’s guide to Roseburg’s downtown dining destinations.

Story by Brittany Arnold Photos by Jonathan Cummings

Backside Brewing

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Wrappin and Rollin

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True Kitchen + Bar: Cozy date atmosphere with top-notch cocktails and fine, American fare. Indoor, intimate setting, but kids welcome.

Facebook @truekitchen+bar

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Little Brothers Pub: Casual, family friendly pub with great sandwiches, burgers, salads, craft brews and full bar. Facebook @littlebrotherspub.

Indoor. Kids welcome.

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Wrappin and Rollin: Fresh and local vegetarian and vegan food.

Perfect for a quick lunch or take out for your summer hike.

Wrappinandrolling.com.

Indoor.

Kids welcome.

10. Mariachi Loco: Family style Mexican fare. Facebook @ mariachiloco.

Brix | Grill & Chill

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hether you are road tripping through town with hungry kids or are in need of nourishment before heading up to Crater Lake, downtown Roseburg offers an array of pit stops whose offerings are sure to pass the high standards of your taste buds.

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Backside Brewing Co.: Off Hwy 138 on the way to Diamond and Crater lakes, just a few blocks away from the downtown core, Backside offers a casual atmosphere catering to those who want to enjoy great pub fare, including wood-fired pizza and beer brewed on site. In addition to indoor seating, Backside offers an outdoor picnic area with cornhole and other games. Facebook @ backsidebrewingco. Casual, indoor/ outdoor family dining. Pets welcome.

Dino’s Ristorante: Cozy atmosphere with classic Italian food. Perfect for a comfortable, date-night. Facebook @DinosRistorante. Indoor, intimate and family dining.

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Brix Grill | Chill: Offering casual fine dining adjacent to a contemporary neighborhood bar and grill (21 and older). Tasty cocktails; delicious and diverse menu to appease adults and children alike. During warm weather months, Brix features Roseburg’s only rooftop bar (also 21 and older).

Facebook @brixgrill. Indoor/warmweather outdoor casual fine dining.

Kids welcome.

North Forty Beer Co.: A fun pub atmosphere, offering great grub and craft beer brewed on site.

Northfortybeer.com; family friendly pub fare.

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Salud Brewery Bar and Food Truck: Laid back, garage bar with delicious Latin-inspired food, craft brews and full cocktail menu, including delicious margaritas.

Come for happy hour, take-out some tacos or dine in. Facebook @saludfoodtruck.

Indoor/outdoor.

Kids and pets welcome.

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Old Soul Pizza: Unique, fresh woodfired pizza and a great beer selection.

Facebook @oldsoulpizza. Indoor/ Outdoor. Kids welcome.

11. Alexander’s Greek Cuisine: Authentic traditional Greek cuisine for the whole family.

Casual cafe atmosphere. www.alexandersgreekcuisine.us.

12. Catch 22 Fish and Chips: Britishstyle fish and chips located in a 100-year-old church. Full bar.

Facebook: @Catch22FishNChips.

Kids welcome.

13. McMenamin’s Roseburg Station and Pub: Oregonians love this family-owned chain, which pays homage to the Pacific Northwest.

Eclectic, casual atmosphere.

Comfort food, craft beers brewed on site and full bar. www.mcmenamins. com/roseburg-station-pub-brewery.

Indoor/outdoor. Kids welcome.

14. The Parrott House: From its bourbon bar to its gorgeous setting in and around a beautiful historic Victorian, the Parrott House is a oneof-a-kind restaurant. With delicious and extensive food and beverage menus, this is a great spot for a date if you’re staying in town. Take your time and enjoy all it has to offer your senses. www.parrotthouseroseburg. com. Indoor/outdoor casual fine dining. Kids welcome.

VISITORS GUIDE

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Experience Roseburg

OFF THE BEATEN PATHS Last summer’s Archie Creek fire closed some of the Umpqua Valley’s most popular hiking trails, but there are countless other paths to follow.

Story by Brian Staffield Photos by Jonathan Cummings

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ast September, the Archie Creek fire burned more than 130,000 acres of forest land and 109 homes along the North Umpqua River.

The fire ravaged some of the most beautiful and beloved sections of the Umpqua National Forest, closing popular hiking trails such as Susan Creek Falls, Fall Creek Falls and sections of the North Umpqua Trail.

While the devastating event hasn’t revealed many silver livings, hikers may now find more motivation to go off their regular beaten path (they may have to) and seek out other trails in the area. There are still plenty of them to explore, with the payoff often being the discovery of new breathtaking views or a stunning waterfall.

The BLM Wildlife Management and Hiking Trail on North Bank Road, just north of Roseburg, offers hikers a workout with a view.

This 7.4-mile loop provides a stunning view of rolling hills and the North Umpqua River.

The long trek provides a great workout and leads to the top of beautiful rolling hills that are a familiar feature of the Umpqua Valley landscape. It’s not uncommon to encounter equestrians riding their horses along the way.

This is a great hike for those who don’t want to venture too far from Roseburg, and more close-in trails could soon become a reality.

The City of Roseburg has plans for a new hiking area at Sunshine Park off Diamond Lake Boulevard at the east end of town.

“We do have a preliminary concept plan to expand the trail system at Sunshine Park with approximately 3 miles of hiking and biking trails,” says Kris Ammerman of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

He says the city plans to apply this spring for a Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant administered by the Oregon Parks & Recreation Department (OPRD) to partially fund the project.

“Our bid for a grant last spring was denied, but we will try again this year,” Ammerman says. “The best-case scenario would be a successful RTP bid this year with construction to begin sometime in 2022.”

While the Archie Creek Fire scorched many popular hiking trails, there are still plenty of trails and world-class scenery to be found. There are short trails, trails that end at Instagram-worthy waterfalls, hidden gems around sapphire-colored lakes…even

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treks for those looking for a little “Dread and Terror,” a 13-mile trail that is anything but dreadful and terrifying.

Toketee Falls is a stunning local attraction that is well worth the 0.9 mile hike along the North Umpqua River in to it. Its basalt rock formation and triple-tiered falls is a feature on Instagram feeds far and wide. If you only have time for one hike while you’re visiting the Umpqua Valley, this one will not disappoint.

Less than three miles from Toketee Falls is Watson Falls, another favorite hiking destination, and several sections of the renowned North Umpqua Trail (NUT) are also nearby. The Deer Leap section is to the west and the Hot Springs section, to the east, leads to Umpqua Hot Springs. Further east on the NUT is Dread and Terror, a section that was clearly named after something other than the beautiful waterfalls and vistas that are its highlights.

Nestled in the mountains between the North Umpqua and Little rivers, the Twin Lakes are a bit off the beaten path, but they are worth the long drive on a graveled road to reach them and the panoramas of the Umpqua National Forest they offer.

Twin Lakes Mountain sits between the two ponds, offering waterfalls and caves for hikers to explore and the various trails that snake their way around them. Several camp sites are available around the lakes for those who enjoy backpack camping.

The Little River area offers a variety of hiking trails. A determined hiker could easily hit four waterfalls in one day while exploring the area. Wolf Creek Falls trail is a local favorite. The 1.2-mile hike through beautiful forested areas leads to a stunning 75-foottall waterfall. Hiking this trail in spring or early summer will ensure there’s plenty of water flowing over the falls.

Follow Little River further upstream, turn left at Lookout Mountain Road and travel the gravel road to Grotto Falls Trail, a short, steep hike that leads to the backside of Grotto Falls. Head back down to Little River Highway and travel further east until Lake in the Woods is on the right. There, two great hikes start on either side of the lake. Yakso Falls and Hemlock Falls both offer hikers moderately inclined hikes that end in stunning waterfalls.

Though some local favorites are temporarily closed, now is a great time to discover the scenic rewards offered along, and at the end of, the countless other trails leading through the incomparable Umpqua National Forest.

VISITORS GUIDE

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Experience Roseburg

This Way to Roseburg While Roseburg boasts the charm of a traditional small American town, the area is also a melting pot of people from all over the map.

Story by Brittany Arnold

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oseburg and the Umpqua Valley are attracting more and more newcomers for a range of reasons. Young families are coming for the quality of life, schools and culture; gardeners, farmers and foresters for its industry and retirees for its climate, location and medical community. Here’s a look at just a few Roseburg-area transplants and their reasons for settling in the Umpqua Valley.

Jayne Gautreau Age: 40s Family: Husband Sabin; children Ethan, Micah and Zakiah Neighborhood: Sutherlin From: Northern Ireland After getting married, Jayne Gautreau moved from Ireland to a small California town. In 2007, when their oldest son, then about 3, began showing signs of development delays, the family moved to Roseburg to be closer to supportive family and needed services and therapies. Today, the Gautreaus appreciate Roseburg for its sense of community and much more.

“I appreciate the local school districts as we have children enrolled in both Sutherlin and Oakland. We like to hike local waterfalls, enjoy going to parks and love going to the UCC pool on a hot summer afternoon,” says Gautreau.

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Cati Adkins Age: 30s Family: Children Naomi, Patrick, Malachi, Nate, Noah, Silas, Faith and Abby Neighborhood: Roseburg From: Oklahoma and Washington Adkins moved to the area in 1998 to be near her sister.

“People are genuine here; they really love and care for each other,” she says. “Also, it is so incredibly beautiful here. A nature person has so many options right at their back door.”

Adkins, who works for a drug and alcohol prevention and treatment organization, enjoys spending time on the river, Roseburg’s Music on the Half Shell concert series and playing Pokemon when the weather warms. “Please don’t judge; it keeps me moving,” she quips.

Jan Glazner Age: 60s Family: Husband Paul; three daughters raised here. One still lives here; the other two love return to visit.

Neighborhood: Sutherlin From: Washington The Glazner family moved to Sutherlin in 1986 after Paul took a position as a local church pastor. Jan works for the local sanitation service.

“From the first time we came to the area, we felt a bond with the people and the values here,” Jan says. “I love our town size and location between the beach and the mountains, and the four beautiful seasons. But my greatest pleasure here is the Umpqua River. Climbing around near the roar of the water brings me incredible joy.”

Chris Boice Age: 40s Family: Wife Dolly; children Alden, Allen, Benjamin & Emma Neighborhood: Roseburg From: Gold Beach

Becki and John VanderKarr Age: 50s Family: Son Jacob Neighborhood: Roseburg’s Green District From: California

Chris moved to Douglas County in 1994 for “a pretty girl from Myrtle Creek” and his love of the great outdoors. Now a Douglas County commissioner and tire store owner, he loves the people here, the proximity to the mountains, rivers and ocean, jet boating, hunting, fishing, off-roading and working on his property.

Becky, an accountant, and John, a heavy-equipment engineer, moved to Roseburg in 1996 after being married in California, following Becki’s parents who had retired to the area. Soon after, John’s mother and aunt relocated here from Arizona.

The Boice Family

Charissa and Mackay Dufour Age: 30s Family: Daughter Elliott From: Idaho and Oregon

Tresa and Jack Flowers Age: 70s Neighborhood: Winston From: Nevada

The Dufours moved to Roseburg in 2019 and soon after brought home their adopted daughter, Elliott, from China. When Mackay isn’t working at The Home Depot and Charissa isn’t busy writing sci-fi/fantasy novels, the family loves to swim in the river, barbecue, spend time with friends and take in the views.

After serving many years in the military, including in Vietnam, Jack decided to retire to Roseburg after finding it offered fishing and a VA hospital. After living in the desert, the Flowers also were excited to see the color green again. Jack and Tresa are involved with their church and veterans groups, at the gym and enjoying art and fishing. They also love Wildlife Safari, the Douglas County Fair and local music events.

“We love that Roseburg has that small-town feeling yet is big enough to not be called a town,” Becky says. “We like to fish and John hunts. We enjoy local sports and getting together with friends around a campfire in our backyard.”

“What is there not to like? We find it especially refreshing to have just one stop light,” Tresa quips.

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Experience Roseburg Bill Ankeny Age: 70s Family: Wife Janet; three children; five grandchildren Neighborhood: Glide From: California Ankeny moved to Canyonville in 1965. While he considers himself semi-retired, he still works at the insurance agency he founded and volunteers with his church and elsewhere in the community.

“I believe this is one of the best areas to raise a family,” he says.

“We have great schools, hunting and fishing, camping at the coast, mountains or the desert. And all within easy driving distance.”

Wayne and Margarita Patterson Age: 60s Neighborhood: Roseburg Origin: California The Pattersons originally moved to Oakland in 2002 after researching several Oregon communities. “We had criteria. I didn’t want to shovel snow, and I needed to be close to the airport,” says Wayne, then a frequent traveler and now executive director for Umpqua Economic Development Partnership. In addition to the great climate, the Pattersons enjoy gardening, the local farmers’ market, u-pick farms, fishing and enjoying local wines and food.

Janelle Polcyn Age: 20s Neighborhood: Roseburg From: Ohio and Texas Polcyn moved to Roseburg in 2018 to work as a business reporter for The News-Review. She is currently an AmeriCorps member working with CCD Business Development Corporation. She is also involved in community organizations, including a local advocacy center and events such as TEDxRoseburg.

“I love the green everywhere, my favorite hiking and hammocking spots and the friends I have made,” Polcyn says. “I’ve got a perfect little hammock spot where I will spend an entire morning, just me, a book, a thermos of coffee or tea, and the sounds of the river and the forest.”

Randal and Megan Olsen Age: 30s Neighborhood: Roseburg Family: Children Jaxon and Kadon From: Forest Grove The Olsens moved to Roseburg 2016 for Randal’s job building an alternative school for the Roseburg School District.

“There is so much that we love about living here, especially with two young children,” Megan says. “When we moved here we knew no one but, with all the amazing parks and the YMCA, we were able to connect with so many different families.”

The family enjoys fishing, playing at the river, hiking, camping, the water park, Music on the Half Shell, Wildlife Safari and much more.

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The Carollos

Dominic and Robbin Carollo Age: 30s Neighborhood: Roseburg’s Melrose area Family: Children Ansley, Eddaline, Dillon & Bryson Origin: Boring, Oregon (Dominic) and Georgia (Robbin) The Carollos moved to Roseburg in 2011 for Dominic’s law career and have become very involved in community organizations and activities.

“We love that we can be at the ocean, Crater Lake or an airport in an hour-and-a-half,” says Robbin, who also works as a substitute teacher. “We also like the small-town atmosphere here. We can’t run into a store or restaurant without seeing someone we know, and it is nice having that sense of community in the place where we are raising our family.”

The Carollos enjoying boating on the Umpqua, fishing out of Reedsport, hiking, wine tasting and attending the different festivals and events around town.

Leah Jones Age: 30s Family: Husband Nick; son Jack Neighborhood: Roseburg From: Kansas The Jonses moved to Roseburg in 2018 for Nick’s job and to be close to his family. She works for CCD Business Development Corporation and occasionally at Two-Shy Brewing and enjoys hiking, gardening, camping, biking, floating the river, wine tasting, swimming, u-picking and much more.

“I was born and raised in Kansas but have lived in Texas, Hawaii, California and Alaska. I love and miss all of these places, but I especially love the beauty of the mountains, trees and river here,” Jones says. “There aren’t many mountains or trees in Kansas. I also love living in our very own wine country.”

Jeremy and Nicole Fultz Age: 30s/40s Family: Children Logan, Abigail and Paxton Neighborhood: Sutherlin From: Iowa The Fultz family left Des Moines in 2016 after Jeremy was hired as a youth pastor in Sutherlin. They love to hike local trails and explore local waterfalls, camp and swim in the river.

“We love the community and the schools our kids go to,” says Nicole, who works part-time in a Sutherlin school. “My husband and I both grew up in very large cities and we like being in a smaller community. We also love the view all around us and our mild weather since where we both grew up the temps were extreme.”

The Jones Family

The Fultz Family

VISITORS GUIDE

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Experience Roseburg

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Life is a Picnic

When winter turns to spring and spring turns to summer, it’s time to dust off the picnic basket, stock it with local food and beverages and head to one of the many scenic parks around the Umpqua Valley.

Story by Brian Staffield Photo by Jonathan Cummings

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If you are in search of ideas, Stewart Park, in the heart of Roseburg, is a favorite setting for picnics small and large. Its lush green hillside provides a perfect spot to lay down a blanket and enjoy the calming view of the beautiful South Umpqua River. And, considering the unpredictability of Oregon’s spring weather, the recently renovated Stewart Park pavilion provides a comfortably covered fallback position if needed.

A few miles northwest of Roseburg, where the North and South Umpqua rivers converge, is another tranquil and scenic location, River Forks Park. With wide-open green spaces, playground UV SPRING 2021

For those who want a no-fuss picnic, there are plenty of delis, restaurants and stores around Roseburg offering delicious picnic fare. If you’re tastes go beyond sandwiches, almost every local restaurants offers their menu to go.

If you’re stocking your own picnic basket, the Umpqua Valley Farmers’ Market is a great option. Located on Harvard Avenue near both Stewart and Fir Grove parks, the market offers a cornucopia of in-season produce, fresh bread, hummus and a wide assortment of other goods from local growers and purveyors.

There’s no wrong way to picnic in the Umpqua Valley. All you need is food, beverage and your own special spot in our beautiful little corner of heaven on Earth.

onger days and warm spring breezes mean picnic season has arrived in the Umpqua Valley.

Select your destination from the multitude of local parks, fold your blanket and pack your basket, or if you prefer, stop at one of the great food-to-go spots along the way.

18

equipment, a covered area and much more, it’s a popular destinations for families, large groups, couples or individuals in search of a natural lunch or dinner setting.

Some of Our Favorite Picnic Picks: 1. Face Rock Creamery Aged Cheddar — Made in nearby Bandon 2. Papa Curt’s Salsa — Made in Roseburg; available at Sherm’s Thunderbird 3. Cowboy Panini from Bob’s Deli 4. Turkey Sandwich with Sprouts from Between the Buns 5. Fresh Juices from Booster Juice 6. ANY local wine or beer

SKATERS GONNA SKATE / A REAL MOTHER GOOSE / RIPPLES EFFECT / FULL STEAMBOAT AHEAD

Skaters Gonna Skate Skating centers have come and gone in Roseburg, but roller skating has remained a tradition in town for decades.

Today, thanks to community support, Parkview Skating Center is here to stay.

Story by Miki Markovich Photo by Thomas Boyd

T

hat the Parkview Skating Center exists at all today is a tribute to the fundraising tenacity of two persistent roller-skating moms and the group of people who helped.

That it has been around for nearly 24 years testifies to their dedication.

Diana Colby has been director of non-profit, community-owned Parkview since Day One. She is also the founder and president of Umpqua Valley Community Projects Inc., the corporation under which Roseburg’s skating center formally operates.

Sandie Lucchesi, president of the skating center’s board of directors, relates how Colby and she got started.

“We have had a skating rink in Douglas County for as long as I can remember and I’ve been here 42 years,” says Lucchesi. “There was the Buckaroo Barn. Another was on Diamond Lake Boulevard, and the last skating rink we had was on Stewart Parkway, and that’s now a physical therapy center.”

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Sandy Luchessi (L) and Diana Colby have been instrumental in keeping the wheels turning at Parkview Skating Center.

“It was when we returned from qualifying for nationals, we received notice that the building was being shut down,” says Lucchesi.

“Then Diana came up with this idea to build a community meeting center that would never go away because it would be communityowned — not owned by an individual who could later sell it.”

The big question was financial — where, and how, to find the money to make it happen.

“There was a group of us, about 10 people, who would meet weekly to come up with ideas on how to raise the money to move forward,” Lucchesi recalls.

The group, and individuals, sold candy bars and hot dogs, took vintage photos, conducted school fundraisers and operated popup car washes, among other endeavors. The group’s determination also caught the eye of Kenneth Ford, the late founder of Roseburg Forest Products, who wound up writing a personal check for $2 million to put fundraising efforts over the top – to say the least.

The latter location is where the two women met.

Both had children who were competitive roller skaters. Colby, an avid skater herself since age 7, asked Lucchesi about having their respective kids — separated by just a year — skate together in competition.

“We have now been self-sustaining for 23 years,” says Colby. “The Ford Family Foundation helped us replace our inline skates a few years ago and recently awarded us a COVID-related $6,799 grant for emergency help.”

The pairing was successful, but nobody knew the Roseburg Skating Club — one of three rollerskating organizations in Oregon — would soon be without a home rink.

Roller skating has undergone several rebirths in popularity since the invention of the roller skate in 1735 in England. Inline skates introduced nearly a half-century ago revolutionized the sport and aided a resurgence in competitive speed skating.

UV SPRING 2021

Skating’s value as physical exercise has been well-documented and the sport is recommended by the American Heart Association.

It’s not only a family activity, but generational as well.

Amy Kottke skated at Parkview the year it opened. She was 8 at the time. Her mother once worked in the center’s kitchen. These days, Kottke visits Parkview with her own children.

“Skating has so many benefits,” she says. “It is definitely a fun way to work out. It’s a fun bonding activity for my kids and me as well.

I grew up performing with the Roseburg Skate Team and my daughter joined when she was 5. It was fun connecting with her about it and having her ask me about different jumps, spins and performances.”

Parkview caters to skaters of all ages, sizes and skill levels, with classes and private coaching, plus competitions and showcasestyle performances. All in a COVID-conscious environment.

“You get out of it what you put into it,” says Lucchesi. “If you want to skate really fast and learn to skate backwards or if you just want to go slow, hand on the railing and skate around and talk, it’s all there.

It’s not only a physical thing, it’s a social thing.”

Best of all for skating aficionados — and unlike its predecessors — Parkview Skating Center won’t be shutting down any time in the foreseeable future. Except, maybe temporarily due to COVID restrictions, and even then there’s light at the end of the rink.

Parkview Skating Center’s current hours of operation, promotions and COVID-19 safety measures can be seen at parkviewskating.com.

“Diana (Colby) came up with the idea to build a community meeting center that would never go away because it would be community-owned.” — Sandy Lucchesi

Vintage photos were part of the early fundraising efforts to support the skating center.

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33

Umpqua Life

A Real Mother Goose A Sutherlin resident nurses an injured goose back to health and gets a surprise visitor months later.

Story by Sarah Smith Photo by Thomas Boyd

M

other Goose is often cited as the author of hundreds of children’s stories and nursery rhymes, which have been passed down from generation to generation and remain synonymous with joy, childhood and storytelling. But who is Mother Goose?

No, of course not. But Elly Shafer couldn’t be blamed for wanting to borrow her moniker.

Sid claimed Shafer as his adopted mother, following her everywhere. Geese learn everything from their parents, including migratory routes and how to swim. “Whenever I went out to mow the lawn on my riding mower, he would run or fly after me,” Shafer says. “He joined our neighborhood picnics, and whenever he saw my neighbor in the early morning in her pink bathrobe, he would fly over to her, talking while she walked.”

A few years back, Elly found an injured juvenile goose on the hill behind her house. “He couldn’t walk or swim very well because he had a large golf ball-like growth in the middle of his wing,” Shafer recalls. “The day I spotted him, he was with his siblings staggering around.”

All good things must come to an end is a proverb dating back to the 1300s that reminds us nothing

Many have theorized the origins of the sweet bonnet-clad character, but none have ever successfully attached Mother Goose to an individual writer or orator.

Is it possible she could be living in a nice subdivision in Sutherlin?

Shafer wasn’t able to capture him that day, but early the next morning Shafter managed to corner the critter, whom she would name Sid, and relocate him to a small cage in her garage. She suspected that Sid suffered from a vitamin and

34

calcium deficiency. After weeks of treatment (and laps in his own kiddie pool), Sid’s health improved, the growth disappeared, and feathers replaced his baby down.

UV SPRING 2021

In this section: SKATERS GONNA SKATE / A REAL MOTHER GOOSE / RIPPLES EFFECT / FULL STEAMBOAT AHEAD

“Even as I looked for Sid I knew it was futile. He was with the wild ones, just as it should be.” — Elly Shafer

lasts forever. Applied to this story, it serves as a reminder that the day will come when children leave the nest. Geese remain with their family group for about a year before forming flocks with other young geese.

So it was that Sid’s time to move on would arrive.

“One October day, I heard him honking up a blue streak,” Shafer says. “I was in the house and ran out to see what was going on. I called for him, but there was no answer. Even as I looked for Sid,

I knew it was futile. I knew he was with the wild ones, just as it should be.”

Geese have a very strong instinct to return to their general area of birth to mate and nest. They will either return to the exact site or to a nearby body of water.

“I never thought I would see him again, but the following spring, a pair of geese flew into my driveway,” Shafer says. “I knew it was Sid and his mate. I couldn’t go up to him, but at least I knew he was safe and not alone. They stayed for a couple of weeks and left.”

It has been six years since Shafer first happened upon Sid. Every once in a while, a flock of geese will land in her field. Knowing geese can live up to 25 years, she’s hopeful that one day she and Sid will have another reunion.

“I enjoyed every minute of knowing him,” Shafer says, “and I’m grateful that I was able to help another fellow creature.”

THE WILD UMPQUA

35

Umpqua Life

Ripples Effect Building on the foundation of their first successful TEDxRoseburg event, Aaron and Andre Larsen are setting the stage to share even more great local ideas to the rest of the world.

Story by Jenny Kormendi Photos by Ray Hull

A

aron and Andre Larsen didn’t always imagine they’d be helping bring the diverse ideas of the Roseburg community to a global stage. But in the aftermath of the 2016 shooting at Umpqua Community College, they were moved by the innovation and resourcefulness shown by the people of Douglas County.

Andre saw so much camaraderie, even beauty, in the community’s response and was moved by the support people gave each other. Aaron recalls experiencing “that surreal moment where everybody was feeling like they needed to do something because it was so difficult to process this experience.”

Wondering how they could positively contribute, a light bulb began to glow as Andre settled in to another typical evening in front of the computer, watching TED Talk videos. TEDx Talks are programs licensed by the TED organization that feature short, inspiring features from experts around the world in the areas of technology, entertainment and design (or, TED).

Speaker Leila Goulet and Wildlife Safari co-workers.

As she watched, Andre asked herself, “Why not amplify the hidden gems in our community and lift up the wonderful voices of Roseburg on a global platform by hosting a TEDx talk?”

TEDx was developed to give smaller communities like Roseburg a voice on a larger stage. Over the course of nine months, the Larsens sifted through a 200-page rule book and mulled whether or not to organize an event locally. Ultimately, Andre decided to press forward.

The first TEDx Roseburg was presented in July 2017 and featured 15 local speakers and an audience of just 100 individuals, per TEDx regulations. After a successful first attempt, the couple knew they wanted to organize a second event on a larger scale for this year. They turned to social media and asked their followers to come up with a theme.

TEDxRoseburg organizers Aaron and Andre Larsen.

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UV SPRING 2021

“Themes that aligned with community and the Umpqua river were quite popular, so we brainstormed words that relate to water,” Andre says. “We chose ‘Ripples’ because it symbolizes

In this section: SKATERS GONNA SKATE / A REAL MOTHER GOOSE / RIPPLES EFFECT / FULL STEAMBOAT AHEAD

The first TEDxRoseburg event featured 15 local speaker, including UV writer Jenni Kormendi (front row between the E and D).

“We related (our Ripples theme) to community because if one person steps up and does something great for the community, others are inspired to do the same.”

— Andre Larsen

the fact that one small action can create a cascade of actions. We related it to community because if one person steps up and does something great for the community, others are inspired to do the same. We believe that is how great communities thrive.”

In order to host a larger audience, the TED organization requires TEDx organizers to meet additional criteria, including attending a bona fide TED talk experience, which Andre did in November 2019.

“It was a fantastic experience that really set expectations high,” she says. “When we were approved for next TEDx event we had the possibility of hosting up to 1,000 people, or 10 times larger than our first event.”

Once approved, the TEDx team set about finding local voices with engaging topics to share. The speaker interviews started before the global pandemic was declared but, despite the unpredictable times, the Larsens were determined to proceed with creating the platform for these individuals to share their ideas.

The second TEDxRoseburg will air Saturday, April 10. Speaker themes include education and training, gardening and biology with tie-ins to geography and art. The Larsens say they are excited to offer themes of unification in a time of division. For example, one talk focuses on the divide between rural and urban communities and ways they can be brought together.

The possibility of a live audience is still up in the air, and the Larsen’s hoped-for audience of 1,000 is, of course, out of the question. But nothing will stop the event from going on.

Individuals will be able to watch live from home, and there’s an option to purchase a party pack complete with decorations and gift cards for local restaurants.

In a time of unpredictability, one thing is certain: Aaron and Andre Larsen are determined to provide the stage from which the ripples of great local ideas can spread.

Learn more about TEDx Roseburg and how to stream the event at TEDxRoseburg.com/UV

THE WILD UMPQUA

37

Umpqua Life

Full Steamboat Ahead A treasured landmark along the North Umpqua, Steamboat Inn begins the recovery process after the Archie Creek Fire.

Story by Taylor Perse

I

n their three years as owners of Steamboat Inn, Melinda and Travis Woodward have seen reservations curtailed because of wildfire smoke and a global pandemic.

But the Archie Creek Fire was something else altogether.

Last September’s wildfire, one of Douglas County’s worst ever, started along the North Umpqua River then spread through the forests along Oregon Highway 138. The flames threatened to engulf everything in their path, including buildings along the river, and in many cases did.

The historic inn was spared, but not untouched. The fire caused thousands of dollars in damage, but it also inspired the Woodwards to rebuild and keep the business going.

“We did not think Steamboat would survive,” says Melinda Woodward. “We actually got a call that the firefighters had to abandon the structures and that the lodge probably wouldn’t be there in the morning. Luckily, it was.”

Steamboat Inn owner Melinda Woodward feels fortunate she still has a deck to stand on. Photo by Robin Loznak.

Built in 1957, Steamboat Inn is a familiar cornerstone of the Umpqua region, situated next to the river near a bend in the highway. With rooms and cabins surrounded by lush forests — and right out back, the rippling river — the inn offers a weekend escape or a stop on the way through to somewhere else.

On Sept. 8, the first day of the fire, Melinda woke at 5 a.m. to get her daughter ready for school and found the power was out. She glanced outside and downriver. The sky glowed an ominous orange, and Woodward knew immediately that a fire was close.

She and Travis awakened the guests and onsite staff and told them they needed to leave immediately. They then took off for Bend, arranging to stay with family and, on the way, just missed the Thielsen fire that started later that morning.

“We just had to leave and hope for the best,” Melinda says.

For Amanda Watts, a Steamboat employee off and on since 1995 and a permanent part of the staff since 2014, the inn is a second home. Watts remembers a few wildfires getting close to the inn, but not reaching the building as Archie Creek did.

“This blew up fast, and we had the east winds,” Watts says. “None of the other fires have ever gotten that close.”

The devastating fires are long extinguished but Steamboat Inn isn’t yet out of the woods. The 64-year-old building is intact, but 38

UV SPRING 2021

Photo by JD Elegance.

In this section: SKATERS GONNA SKATE / A REAL MOTHER GOOSE / RIPPLES EFFECT / FULL STEAMBOAT AHEAD

flames narrowly missed a few buildings.

One has water damage from firefighting, and a tree across the river fell, pulling out all of the plumbing from the front building.

The worst damage was to the inn’s water and septic system, connected to a spring across the road. As it tore through, the fire ruptured water lines and destroyed a 55,000-gallon holding tank.

“Unfortunately, insurance is not covering the in-ground pipes, which had the most damage,” Melinda says. Recent septic repairs, however, were expected to facilitate a partial reopening in March with the Woodwards hoping they are fully open again in June.

“We have a lot to do in order to get up and running,” Watts says. “There’s definitely been progress, but we don’t know the extent of the damage after we turn everything on.”

Photo by JD Elegance.

The uncertainty over Steamboat Inn’s future has inspired expressions of concern from former guests and from community members, who regard the inn on the river as a local landmark.

“We have felt a lot of love and support from the community,” says Melinda. “Many people have come by and been relieved to see the inn still standing. We have received hundreds of emails from people all over the world so happy that the inn survived.”

Watts says people have faith in the Woodwards’ ability to restore the inn. “I knew once the inn was left standing Melinda and Travis would get it going,” she says. “They put their heart and soul and their whole life — everything — into this.”

Photo by Joshua Rainey.

“We actually got a call that the firefighters had to abandon the structures and that the lodge probably wouldn’t be there in the morning.”

— Melinda Woodward

THE WILD UMPQUA

39

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OIL ON THE WATER / A TASTE OF THE COUNTRY

Oil On The Water The Umpqua Valley is not only wine country but also home to the largest olive oil producer in the state. Our writer takes a visit – and has a taste.

Story and Photos by Hollye Holbrook

Food & Drink

O

26

n a scenic and obviously fertile plot of land just outside of Glide and in an inconspicuous tasting room at the center of it, I found some of the best olive oil I’ve ever tasted.

River Ranch is the largest commercial producer of olive oil in Oregon, and the company’s product is made exclusively from Arbequina and Arbosana olives grown on-site. The two coldtolerant Spanish varieties are grown solely for the quality of oil they produce.

“You’ll notice a greeny-grass, herbaceous taste and a pungency felt in the back of your throat,” says manager Elaine Smith during a tasting. “That comes from the olive’s extremely high polyphenol levels, which are high in antioxidants, help lower inflammation in the body and have so many other health benefits.”

Besides the health benefits, tasting olive oil is just a fun experience.

Here’s how to do it: First, pour a small amount into a spoon. Hold it to your nose and smell. What do you notice? In my tasting of five different oils, from mild to robust, I noticed notes of fruit, pepper and grass.

Next, put the oil in your mouth. To get air mixed in with it, slurp it “like your mother never wanted you to do at the dinner table,” Smith explains. Swish it around to really coat your whole mouth. Take a few moments and think about what you taste. Then swallow. You might feel a slight burning in the back of your throat. If you have to cough, it’s not a bad thing. That’s the polyphenols at work.

“Color doesn’t indicate the quality of an olive oil or how it will taste,” Elaine notes. “Your mind tells you a green oil tastes better than a yellow one, but it’s completely the variety of olive that gives it the flavor. Our oil is blessed with what’s called a butter finish – there’s no oily residue left in the mouth.”

River Ranch currently has eight acres of trees and is in the process of adding three more. The company is also building an expanded tasting room, a commercial kitchen with seating for 50 and an olive mill, and plans to eventually host events on site.

Find River Ranch Oregon Olive Oil in local markets and at rr-ooo.com.

UV SPRING 2021

OLIVE OIL BALSAMIC DIPPING OIL

SWEET & SAVORY DIPPING OIL

4 to 5 cloves crushed and minced garlic

¼ cup finely chopped raw walnuts

2 Tablespoons oregano (or Italian seasoning)

2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh Rosemary

½ cup River Ranch Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons honey

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Coarse sea salt

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

½ cup River Ranch Olive Oil

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Serve with crusty bread

Serve with crusty bread or focaccia

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Food & Drink

Drs. Stephen and Susan Williams focus on growing high-quality grapes that lead to award-winning wines.

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In this section:

OIL ON THE WATER / A TASTE OF THE COUNTRY

A Taste of the Country in the City After moving from a temporary location in downtown Roseburg to a larger space two doors down, Drs. Stephen and Susan Williams see their dream of an urban tasting room for Trella Vineyards fully realized.

Story by Dick Baltus Photos by Thomas Boyd

W

hen the Trella Vineyards tasting room opened in downtown Roseburg in February, it brought to life a vision Drs. Stephen and Susan Williams had from the day their first grapes were hand-planted in the rich Umpqua Valley soil.

“We started planting in 2012 and from Day One we were thinking it would be really cool to have an urban tasting room,” Stephen says from his seat at a bistro table in a comfortable, secluded room behind the shop’s main tasting area.

Williams’ dad, Michael, has just delivered a glass of gruner veltliner to his son, then taken a seat on the small couch where he provides the occasional color commentary to Stephen’s telling of the Trella story.

The retired educator and his wife, Marian, relocated to Roseburg several years ago, and both physicians have availed themselves of his skills. He first worked with Susan, an orthopedic surgeon, and now helps staff the tasting room, where he holds the title of “doeverything guy,” Stephen says.

The Williams’ were wine neophytes when they planted the first 3.5 acres on their Melrose-area vineyard. But they learned fast, and the next year doubled the size of their plantings. By 2015 they were ready to make wine. They just weren’t ready to do it themselves.

For that, they turned to renowned Umpqua Valley winemaker Terry Brandborg.

“As doctors, we’re well-trained in chemistry, and that served us well in growing grapes. But making wine is trickier,” says Stephen, a medical oncologist.

“Winemaking is about a lot more than solving chemistry problems.”

So the Williamses focus on producing the highestquality grapes possible then letting Brandborg “work his magic,” as Stephen says.

“We’re proud to give Terry fruit that we think is as close to perfect as it can get,” he says.

It’s a formula that’s clearly working. Trella has won multiple awards for its five centerpiece varietals, pinot noir, pinot gris, tempranillo, gruner veltliner and malbec. The focus is on quality over quantity.

“We’re only producing about 1,000 cases a year, which is tiny,” Stephen says. “So Susan and I aren’t quitting our day jobs any time soon. Our goal is to just grow enough to ensure we have a going concern when we do retire.”

Taste the wine of Trella Vineyards yourself at 646 S.E. Jackson St., Roseburg. Check @trellavineyards on Facebook for current hours.

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PARK PLACE \ TRAVEL AWESOMELY

Park Place A determined Sutherlin couple sees their vision of a community park coming to life with a lot of help from their friends.

Outdoors

Story by Geoff Shipley Photo by Thomas Boyd

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J

im and Beth Houseman are nothing if not persistent. The Sutherlin couple had a vision of a new community park, but first they had to sell the idea and find some partners. So they went to work. And they persisted.

“We spent a year convincing the City of Sutherlin that a park could be out there,” Beth says.

“Out there” refers to the 202 acres of water, trees, open space and rolling hills west of Interstate 5 that had been a wheat field and log pond before being purchased by the city for water storage. Thinking the site, known as the Ford’s Pond property, could benefit the community in better ways, the Housemans started bringing local folks together to make it happen.

In 2014, the now-retired National Park Service rangers and others they had recruited to the cause believed local residents and public leaders would support their project if one significant hurdle could be overcome: funding. To clear that obstacle, they formed the non-profit Friends of Ford’s Pond.

UV SPRING 2021

“We knew we needed funding sources other than local taxes or levies,” says Beth.

With city officials on board and some valuable grantwriting guidance, the Housemans and Friends of Ford’s Pond started seeking donations and competing for grants, largely from lottery funds available through the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

While competing against dozens of other Oregon communities across Oregon for slices from the same financial pie is always challenging, the Friends of Ford’s Pond were able to use the City of Sutherlin’s purchase price for the property as a grant match for six years.

That was a significant advantage.

“That allowed us to play with the big boys, communities with more financial resources,” Jim says. ”We would have had to fundraise for years otherwise.”

With their grant match and a compelling project to showcase, Friends of Ford’s Pond and the city were first able to secure a grant to fund a master plan. That document would outline a long-term strategy for the park that would include not just a design vision and planned amenities, but also construction and maintenance cost estimates to guide future fundraising and volunteer efforts.

Developed in the spirit of Ford’s Pond Community Park, the 144-page master plan is a citizen-influenced vision created over a seven-month span and informed by hundreds of Sutherlin and Douglas County residents, from elementary-aged children to retirees.

“The master plan is very much informed and inspired by public input,” says Beth. “People value that their voice is heard.”

Divided into six separate phases over a prospective 10- to 20year timeline, the plan provides a thoughtful roadmap for adding park enhancements while ensuring its inherent character is sustained and thrives. From the hillside oak savanna that’s home to hawks and deer, to the emergent wetlands and willow-lined riparian areas that provide habitat for dozens of bird species, to the 95-acre pond that hosts largemouth bass, crappie and other fish, Ford’s Pond Community Park is defined by a landscape of remarkable natural resources and scenic panoramas.

lot, new signage and temporary restrooms. Infrastructure put in place during this first phase will set the groundwork for what the plan calls for next: permanent restrooms, a covered picnic area, completion of the perimeter path and an inclusive playground for all ages and abilities.

Other planned improvements include a fishing pier, nature and wildlife viewing areas, a boat launch, interpretive signage, secondary trails, a boardwalk, wetland enhancement work

“The master plan is very much informed and inspired by public input. People value that their voice is heard.” — Beth Houseman

Jim and Beth Houseman

With opportunities to walk, jog, enjoy a family picnic, birdwatch, fish, kayak, paint landscapes en plein air or watch a sunset, along with a host of other possibilities for personal enrichment and relaxation, Ford’s Pond Community Park is designed to appeal to users of all ages, backgrounds and interests. During planning, the Housemans and project leaders learned that encouraging and cultivating input and support from both locals and visitors is what will keep the park flourishing for generations to come.

“In order for this park to be successful, it needs to be cared for and loved,” says Beth.

Since 2016, that care and love has been on full display as volunteers have worked hard to improve Ford’s Pond Community Park. That started with the removal of waist-high weeds and blackberry bushes that had overgrown much of the property and has continued with litter pick-up and additional work to improve public access. Much more is under way.

Approximately $760,000 in improvements in the first phase of the master plan have been undertaken since last fall. As early as this spring, visitors could have access to one-half of a nearly two-mile perimeter path around the pond, an expanded parking

and continued restoration of the native oak savanna landscape.

The latter received a boost in December 2020 when local students from Sutherlin High School and the FFA program planted hundreds of white oaks that had been sprouted and nurtured from acorns gathered from existing trees on the Ford’s Pond property.

That kind of hometown support, along with volunteer maintenance staff, grassroots donations and the stewardship from Friends of Ford’s Pond, is putting this young park on course to becoming one of Sutherlin’s most treasured community assets.

And no one needs to be convinced any more about whether a homegrown park thoughtfully designed for all can really come to life “out there.”

To donate, volunteer or learn more about Ford’s Pond Community Park, visit fordspond.org.

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Outdoors

Travel Awesomely Guide Vern Nelson specializes in world-class adventures to roads less traveled around the world.

Story by Don Gilman Adventure Photos Provided by Vern Nelson

F

or Vern Nelson, the call of adventure began in the Calapooia Mountains outside Oakland.

Experiencing the chilly creeks and verdant hills of southwest Oregon grew in Nelson the heart of a modern-day global explorer.

“That was before we had iPads and iPhones, so we spent a lot of time running up the river, swimming,” Nelson recalls.

When the river ran high, Nelson and friends ran it in an old, patched-up raft.

“I completely should’ve died a couple of times, literally should’ve died a couple times,” Nelson says. “My childhood was great.”

Meet the founder of Roseburg-based Big Life Adventures, a personalized guide service specializing in explorations both around the world and right next door. Nelson’s calling is leading unforgettable visits to places few have seen.

That wasn’t always the plan. The original scenario involved Nelson earning an advanced degree then settling down, becoming a high school teacher, maybe getting married and leaving behind his youthful escapades.

His lifelong love of adventure clearly was no passing fancy. But that was his plan, and it took a happenstance or two to get him fully back in the game. While Nelson was relaxing in the waters of Nat Soo Pah Hot Springs in southern Idaho, a group of international travelers appeared out of the dark to join him at the remote spot.

When he learned that a guide working for Trek America had brought them there, a light went on. He recalls thinking, “I could probably do that job.”

for something more in their travels, something personal and meaningful — an experience uniquely theirs.

Nelson’s next revelation, however, was nearly a tragedy. He had ridden his motorcycle to the tip of South America and was returning north to the Arctic when he had an accident in downtown Portland.

Instead of continuing his trip north, Nelson wound up in Oregon Health & Science University hospital with broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken scapula and spinal injuries.

Then he promptly dropped that thought for a few months until he ran into another Trek America group while in Mexico.

This time, he turned his thought into action, mailing the company an application.

“I spent 10 days at OHSU and had a lot to think about, and just decided I wanted to get back into guiding,” he recalls. “I had a friend that started a company in Vegas, so I ran a few small trips for her in the summers and then, in 2015, I ran my first tour with my own company.”

“I sent it in from the jungle I was in, with apologies for the mud stains it had on it,” Nelson says. “Surprisingly, they hired me.”

Under Nelson’s guidance, Big Life Adventures has thrived following roads seldom traveled.

Nelson stayed for a decade, spending the first four years as a guide and the next six as a training and recruiting manager.

“That’s what my job is,” says Nelson. “That’s why people go on trips with me. They know I’m going to find the right people and I’m going to take them to places they couldn’t find with a Google search. Finding secret spots is a big part of my job.”

But as he worked for what was then the largest guided-tour company in the world, Nelson noticed potential clients longed 22

Vern Nelson photo by Thomas Boyd.

UV SPRING 2021

In this section:

PARK PLACE / TRAVEL AWESOMELY

Giraffe sighting in Kenya.

Group hike to Mt. Cook, New Zealand.

“People know I’m going to take them to places they couldn’t find with a Google search. Finding secret spots is a big part of my job.” — Vern Nelson

Umpqua Valley travelers Cheryl and Dan Yoder joined Nelson for an adventure in New Zealand in November 2017.

“It was one of the most amazing trips I’ve ever been on,” Cheryl says. “Vern was such a knowledgeable host of information and places to see. It made the trip just perfect.”

The Yoders have enjoyed throughhiking on the hut-to-hut system and sea-kayaking in fjords. They’ve hiked in to see a collapsing glacier and stunning waterfalls. And they aren’t finished.

“Vern’s been trying to get us to do a couple more of his trips as the world opens up again,” Cheryl says. “He’s very knowledgeable and he’s just fun. He’s very entertaining.”

Lem James, another Nelson client, says Big Life Adventures provides exactly what he wants out of a travel experience — more local knowledge and spontaneity.

A glacial landing on Mt. Denali, Alaska.

“Vern is at home around the world and enjoys showing his customers the most beautiful natural wonders from Alaska to Africa and beyond,” says James.

Kevin Mathweg, a Big Life Adventures veteran traveler, endorses both international travel — when it becomes safe — and Nelson’s ability to provide experiences found nowhere else.

“Whether you want to dirt bag it on a beach in Baja, relax in a secluded kayaking cabin in Alaska or live it up in a private retreat in New Zealand, Vern offers it all,” Mathweg says.

Like many other businesses, Big Life Adventures was slammed by the

COVID-19 pandemic, especially on international bookings. Nelson is hopeful 2021 is better for business.

“This year’s a tough one,” Nelson says.

“I’ve got a private tour planned for Alaska.

Mongolia is supposed to happen in July.

The Spanish Company (a hiking/vineyard trip) is supposed to happen in August.

Another Spanish trip in September.

I’m supposed to hire somebody to run a second Mongolia tour in September, if they happen. Who knows? I’m hoping for the best and planning for the worst.”

That could be a tall order given Nelson’s clients seem to think he is only capable of planning for the best.

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DAIRY TALES As Umpqua Dairy celebrates its 90th year in business, company owners and longtime employees look back on some of their most memorable moments.

Story by Dick Baltus

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The early dairy delivery fleet.

The dairy crew in 1939.

O

n a misty Friday morning, a door slides open on the side of a refrigerated warehouse in Roseburg’s Mill-Pine district and through the heavy vinyl curtain emerges Doug Feldkamp in white lab coat and mask, clutching a fist full of envelopes.

It’s payday at Umpqua Dairy, the semi-weekly ritual that gives the company CEO the chance to touch base with every employee while personally delivering their paycheck, an exercise he shares on occasion with his brother, Steve.

“You know, we’ve grown so much it’s getting harder to remember everybody’s name,” says Feldkamp, whose father, Bob, led the company before him, succeeding his own father, Ormond, who co-founded the dairy with Herb Sullivan.

This year marks Umpqua Dairy’s 90th year in business and Doug’s 33rd at its helm. When he took the reins of the company, the new boss only had to remember 88 names. Today there are more than 290 individuals on the payroll, and while Feldkamp can’t hand deliver checks to all of them (the dairy now has

nearly 110 workers in its seven distribution centers outside of Roseburg), “being able to remember as many names as he does is pretty darn amazing,” says longtime employee Don Fisher.

Neither Doug nor chief operating officer Steve ever thought they’d be celebrating Umpqua Dairy’s 90th anniversary from inside the organization. After graduating from Oregon State, Doug was working as an auditor (“and basically being a ski bum”) at Mt. Bachelor Village in Bend when in 1985 he decided to move back closer to family. Steve, also an OSU graduate, was working as a marine biologist in California but decided to return home to the family business when the Feldkamp’s father was diagnosed with cancer.

“We’d worked in the dairy during summers, but neither of us felt we’d come back after college,” Doug says.

Plans change, as do businesses that last 90 years. We asked the Feldkamps to share some of the most memorable events in Umpqua Dairy’s history before and during their tenure with the company.

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THE FIRST DELIVERY Umpqua Dairy’s first milk delivery in 1931 went to “Mrs. Parrott” who, the Feldkamps surmise, was Rosa Parrott, a local legend whose historic home has been transformed into a restaurant.

YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN Doug returned to Roseburg and the family business in 1985; Steve followed in 1988, the year Bob Feldkamp lost his battle with cancer. In the 18 months before and after his death, the dairy lost about 250 years of experience through the deaths or retirements of other long-term employees. At the time, Doug was just 28. Steve was only 31, “and neither of us knew anything about the business,” Doug says. They were quick studies.

SOMEBODY RAN UP TO ME AND SAID, ‘HEY, THE DAIRY’S ON FIRE.’ WE RAN OUTSIDE AND THE WHOLE SKY OVER HERE WAS ORANGE. — STEVE FELDKAMP A dairy representative with customer in 1967.

In 1931, dairy employees would deliver ice cream via a donkey team to the train station and sell to railroad workers.

THE BIG BLAZE In 1974, a major fire devastated the dairy, temporarily shutting it down completely.

“It was January and I was playing in the band at a Roseburg High basketball game,” recalls Steve. “An announcement came over the P.A. system ‘Would Bob Feldkamp please report to the office?’ Then they asked all dairy employees to report to the office. Somebody ran up to me and said, ‘Hey, the dairy’s on fire.’ We ran outside and the whole sky over here was orange.”

Adds Doug: “It was just before my 15 birthday, and I had been looking at this Suzuki motorcycle and was hoping I’d get it as a gift. I remember walking down the sidewalk with Steve looking at that fire and him saying to me, ‘Well, you can kiss that motorcycle goodbye.’ Scarred me for life.”

“I don’t remember saying that,” Steve counters. probably did.”

“But I

Other Oregon dairies lent the use of their plants so Umpqua could continue producing until the local facility was usable again.

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DAIRY GROWTH After operating exclusively in Douglas County for its first 40 years, Umpqua Dairy expanded into Grants Pass and Coos Bay in 1969.

The dairy would build a distribution center in Grants Pass in 1978 then begin expansion into Medford. In 1990, another distribution center was built in Coos Bay followed by centers in Portland and Klamath Falls in 1994, Eugene in 1999, Central Point in 2006 and Springfield in 2019.

ON WORKING TOGETHER “We’ve had our moments,” says Steve, wryly. “Some of those moments have lasted years.”

“I think it helps that we’re from completely different backgrounds,” Doug says. “Steve hasn’t been a marine biologist for 30 years, but he’s still a scientist. And my background is business, so we don’t think the same way about a lot of things. Which I know has driven employees crazy when they are right in the middle of us. But we complement each other.”

“There’s a lot of common ground,” Steve adds. “We trust each other.”

Bob Feldkamp (L) with 4H kids at the Douglas County Fair.

Steve and Doug Feldkamp photo by Thomas Boyd.

QUALITY FIRST Umpqua Dairy has won multiple quality awards for its products and in 1998 won the Irving B. Weber Distinguished Award for Excellence, the Quality Chek’d organization’s most prestigious recognition.

“Our team realizes we don’t have to be biggest to be best,” Doug says. “You can be best by just caring about what you are doing and having pride in it.”

“I think having long-term relationships makes all the difference, whether it’s customers or employees,” Steve adds. “We have a lot of long-term employees who have kept our culture of excellence alive through the years.”

A 1960s photo from the butter room.

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Left to right, Karen Buswell (41-year employee), Marty Weaver (27 years) and Patty Beamer (30 years).

T

he following is excerpted from our conversation with longtime employees John Harvey, director of plant operations (39 years); Ray Duncan, director of logistics and inventory (31 years); Jesse Brannon, purchasing supervisor (33 years); Karen Buswell, human resources specialist/ payroll (41 years); Patty Beamer, executive assistant (30 years) and Don Fisher, night-time plant supervisor (43 years).

Ray: “When we ran out of milk crates, we’d have to drive around to all the stores, or houses, and bring back the empties.”

Jesse: “I started in the cooler. There was one chain, and it went in a tiny circle. The product came out and we loaded it onto trucks.

Sometimes we had to load the entire truck with a hand truck.”

J o h n : “I got a text just today from my son proudly telling me he confiscated a milk crate from one of his co-workers.”

Ray: “We only had a couple routes because we only had depots in Grants Pass and Coos Bay.”

Karen: “I remember we took some back from somebody who had pretty much furnished their whole house in our milk crates.”

John: “I was supposed to be here for just for two weeks. That was 1982, when there were no jobs. I didn’t even ask the wage. I didn’t know how much I got paid until I got my paycheck. I was just putting milk in crates. They came off the filler on a little turntable and you just put them in the crate as fast as you could, then grabbed another crate.”

Jesse: “We’ve seen them in fishing magazines, in dorm rooms at the U of O; even saw one on a crab boat on Deadliest Catch.”

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John: “We didn’t like people stealing our crates, because you had to run till you were done. So you’d have to stop and run around and get more cases before you could finish your job.”

Patty: “That’s still a problem today.”

Don: “So, I’ll tell a story about my brother (Ron, who recently retired after a long career at the dairy). I don’t know the year, but it was in the 80s when we were doing home delivery. Ron liked to rush things, and sometimes he might forget to set a brake or

Jesse Brannon (33 years).

WE’VE SEEN (OUR MILK CRATES) IN FISHING MAGAZINES, IN DORM ROOMS AT THE U OF O; EVEN SAW ONE ON A CRAB BOAT ON DEADLIEST CATCH. — JESSE BRANNON, PURCHASING SUPERVISOR

Karol Orth was a student at Roseburg High when one of her teachers recommended her for a job at Umpqua Dairy. She’s now in her 57th year with the company. She was the first employee to learn how to work on a computer and in her time has “done a little bit of everything.” She’s still going strong at 75. “I’m not ready to retire,” she says. “I don’t want to stay home, and I like my paycheck.”

something. He was delivering five half gallons of 2% up on a hill in town. After he drops them at the house and starts walking down the steps, he notices his truck rolling down the hill toward a house.

It ran into a wall that got pushed right into the headboard in this couple’s bedroom. He goes and knocks on door. The owner gets up — well, he was already up — answers the door and says, ‘You didn’t need to knock.’”

John: “We used to have a full-size plastic cow…”

Jesse: “Oh, you’re going to tell that story?”

John: “…a plastic Holstein we kept in a storage area. One day I went by there and there was some kind of chocolate substance on the floor behind it. Steaming. That was funny right there.”

Ray Duncan (31 years).

trailer and the door shut and locked behind her. She panicked a little but they got her out quick.”

Jesse: “In the old days, you’d put on a hair net and run into the ice cream room and they’d put a container under the spout and get you a tub of ice cream, whatever you wanted depending on what they were running.”

On the dairy’s commitment to quality….

Jesse: “It comes from the top down. It’s ingrained in the culture.”

Patty: “John always says, ‘We don’t win every contest, but we expect to,’”

Patty: “Who was it that got locked in the freezer?”

Karen: “We used to get ice cream fresh out of the spout. One gal decided she wanted to make a sundae with some of the chocolate marble that we used to put in the ice cream. She went into the

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Captured In the Wild Faced with unexpected extra time during the pandemic, photojournalist and UV contributor Robin Loznak fills it by venturing out into nature and bringing back remarkable images of its inhabitants.

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Tall pasture grass hides a days-old fawn.

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W

e are pleased to share a small selection of the impressive portfolio of contributing UV photographer Robin Loznak.

The former chief photographer for The News-Review in Roseburg, Loznak currently is a contract photographer with the international editorial photo agency ZUMApress.

His work is published regularly regionally and around the world.

A photojournalist by training, Loznak began concentrating on nature photography while working for a newspaper in Montana, near Glacier National Park. More recently, with pandemic restrictions cutting into his assignments and

leading to “a trunk load of gear gathering dust,” he redoubled his effort to photograph the wildlife and nature within miles of the home near Elkton he shares with his wife, three dogs, three cats and chickens.

“I set the goal of capturing at least one image worth sharing every day on social media and though ZUMApress,” Loznak says, adding that he’s only missed a few days.

“Seeing your amazing photos pretty much every day has provided major sustenance for me through this challenging time,” wrote one of his blog readers.

Enjoy.

A steer makes its way through a pasture during a heavy snow shower.

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UV SPRING 2021

Smoke from last September’s wildfires tints the sun a vivid color leaving a vulture silhouetted on its perch.

After being found injured in a field, a merlin, a small but fierce falcon, waits in a pet carrier for a rehab specialist to arrive.

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An ant climbs on a raindrop-wetted yellow rose.

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A wild garter snake captures and works on consuming a bullfrog on the bank of the Umpqua River.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, garter snakes are known to eat frogs, toads, salamanders, birds, fish, reptiles and small mammals.

A Steller’s jay snatches a walnut from the roof of a shed..

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After the Fire Last September the Archie Creek burned thousands of acres and destroyed treasured recreation sites and scores of homes, sending an array of public and private stakeholders in search of the best route to recovery.

Story by Jennifer Grafiada Photos by Robin Loznak

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L

abor Day weekend of 2020 unfolded like many before in Douglas County, with residents and visitors enjoying the dozens of miles of fern-fringed, family-friendly trails that lie east of Roseburg along the North Umpqua Highway (Oregon Highway 138).

Favorite spots such as Susan Creek Falls, Toketee Falls and Fall Creek Falls were busy with a variety of folks taking in the last days of summer. Couples walked their dogs. Parents did their best to keep up with energetic children delighting in nature.

Silver-haired retirees with binoculars took in the spectacular diversity of trees and wildlife. People gathered to skip rocks, take selfies and relax with picnics. A bride and groom said their vows under a waterfall then gamely navigated the dirt and rocks back to the trailhead in their wedding attire.

Few of those trail-goers could have imagined that late on Labor Day and early the following morning a terrible concoction of high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds would mix with existing wildfires in the Umpqua National Forest to set the scene for an explosive inferno that would destroy treasured trails and recreation sites, more than 100 homes and more than 130,000 acres of Douglas County forestland.

While some green tendrils are beginning to poke through the black in the months after the Archie Creek fire, it’s hard to fathom how much time will pass before the landscape is restored to what it once was. As landowners and public agencies reckon with the damage and work through forest recovery plans, it provides an important window into what it means to create resilient forests in Douglas County and the Pacific Northwest in a changing world.

R

ick Sohn has spent his life immersed in the woods. His late father, Fred, founded Sun Studs and later Lone Rock Resources, where Rick spent decades before retiring as CEO and turning his focus to forest management.

Sohn holds a master’s degree in tree physiology and a PhD in forest pathology and mycorrhizae with a minor in soils. He is passionate about silviculture, reforestation and timber and, in 2015, helped found Forest Bridges, a non-profit that seeks a collaborative approach to modern forestry practices across the more than 2 million acres of public land in southwestern Oregon.

Sohn has been paying attention to what the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to do in terms of fire recovery and shares his concerns.

“I believe the intensity with which they are logging 6,300 acres, while leaving 25,000 acres without any planned recovery effort, as I understand it, begs a lot of questions,” he says. “In the checkerboard ownership, where fire has been excluded for 100 years and humans are part of the equation, there really needs to be a new look at how we manage these lands.”

S

erious logging is already under way on many private land holdings, which represent almost half of the Archie Creek Fire’s affected acres.

Paul Beck is the CEO of Mountain Western Log Scaling and Grading Bureau, a business that provides services to timber companies like Roseburg Forest Products and Seneca Jones Timber Company. Beck believes that the BLM and U.S. Forest

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Service, bogged down by regulations and bureaucracy, will waste an opportunity to not only save merchantable timber, but also to create a healthier habitat that will be more fire-resilient in years to come.

“The clock is ticking,” Beck explains. “If that wood is not green and growing, it is dead and rotting. It will lose half of its value in a matter of months. It is nice and wet out there now, but as soon as the spring sunshine hits that wood and it starts drying out, the fungus will get to working in there and then it deteriorates and splits and it won’t be of any value. It won’t pay for the rehabilitation work that needs to be done. And if they don’t remove the trees that are out there, it won’t be long before it’s unsafe to get under there with planting crews because, as the trees rot, they lose limbs that fall down and land on tree-planting crews.”

Beck recounts hearing the media repeat a line equating salvaging an area of burned forest to mugging a burn victim.

“I would say just the opposite,” he explains. “Not restoring these forests – and salvage is only the first step – is like a doctor refusing to treat a burn victim. We are smart enough to do salvage in a kinder and gentler way than my grandfather would have done it.”

While fire has always been a natural part of the forest cycle in the Pacific Northwest, human presence creates a more complex picture.

Forestry in large part replaces fire as the mechanism to remove the fuel load from timber-rich areas, which does have economic benefits for those logging and selling the timber. How much one should remove, even following a fire, continues to be a matter of debate.

“We can argue over salvage, and we have a lot over the past 30 years, but the truth is we need to manage these lands so the fires don’t happen, or they are not as big,” Beck continues.

“We have seen fires in the past, like the Tillamook fires in the early part of last century. They are big fires, but they are nothing like what we are seeing today. Spots that we thought were at no risk of fire are all black and brown. There isn’t a green tree out there; it’s all dead.”

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Beck believes that, ultimately, laws need to be changed to allow additional harvest on federal lands. High fuel loads will continue to serve as a tinderbox for megafires, he argues, which often start on public lands and then grow large enough that they encroach onto private lands where they can often be contained because private lands are more intensively managed and therefore have less fuel to burn.

“I believe the intensity with which they are logging 6,300 acres, while leaving 25,000 acres without any planned recovery effort, as I understand it, begs a lot of questions.” – Rick Sohn

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att Hill, CEO of Douglas Timber Operators, shares Beck’s view that the way the U.S. Forest Service and BLM lands are managed needs to change.

“This isn’t the choice of the current federal land managers,” says Hill. “They inherited these sets of regulations and they are doing the best they can with them. But that doesn’t mean we need to accept them for another generation.”

Hill explains that the federal lands in Douglas County and elsewhere in Oregon are predominantly closed to salvage to protect spotted owl habitat, a default practice that he believes should be reconsidered in light of events such as the Archie Creek Fire.

“We are 25, 26 years into this management plan for the spotted owl, and the fire calls into question the effectiveness of that strategy, as well as what they are doing after the fire,” he says.

Hill estimates that 15 percent or less of the burned lands under federal ownership will see any significant recovery activity, such as removal of dead trees and planting of seedlings.

“They will be left to rot, deteriorate and reburn,” he says. “And we have seen that burnand-reburn cycle play out over and over in Southern Oregon. Even within the Archie Creek Fire, the fire reburned two different old

burns, the 2009 Williams Creek Fire and the 2015 Cable Crossing Fire. Where it reburns, it looks particularly nuked.”

There is consensus that the Archie Creek Fire was unique. It was late in the season, after 100 days without rain, and strong east winds pushed the fire into a fast blaze that destroyed everything in its path, mostly within the first 36 hours. Could it have been prevented, or at least mitigated, by different strategies?

Hill is reluctant to answer definitively.

“Weather, topography and fuel affect fire,” he explains. “We can’t change wind or topography, but we can affect fuel. We just replaced tens of thousands of acres of living trees filled with water with dead trees filled with pitch, which is basically standing firewood for the next fire. That poses a significant risk to adjacent communities in the future. Moving forward, managing fuels and having places where we can defend against fires is critically important and it is something we need to be working with the federal agencies on.”

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f these federal agencies, the BLM manages 403,044 acres of public land called the Roseburg District, which mainly falls within Douglas County. Approximately 40,000 of those acres burned in the Archie Creek Fire.

Of these, approximately 13,000 acres within the fire area are classified as Harvest Land Base (HLB), which has a primary focus for sustained-yield timber production. The BLM is proposing to salvage 6,300 acres of the HLB

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by focusing on areas affected by moderate- to high-severity fire in burned stands aged 40 to 160 years old in the Calapooya Creek, Rock Creek, Canton Creek, Little River and lower North Umpqua River watersheds.

Other planned activities include stabilization projects and restoration of recreation infrastructure, including various hiking trails.

At the time of writing, all BLM lands affected by the Archie Creek Fire are closed to the public.

“Recovery efforts by the Bureau of Land Management continue to focus on minimizing threats to life and property as well as preventing degradation to natural and cultural resources,” says Field Manager Michael Korn of the Roseburg District BLM. “These efforts began with suppression-repair efforts during the fire and have been ongoing since. Initial actions have included erosioncontrol efforts through stabilization of fire lines and roadways prior to the winter rains.

Continuing activities this winter have been extensive, ranging from working with adjacent property owners and utilities in support of their recovery efforts to tree planting, storm patrol and continued hazard-tree mitigation.”

“We are committed to serving and supporting local communities impacted by the Archie Creek Fire and appreciate everyone’s patience during this long-term recovery effort,” says Korn.

He notes that the public can learn more about BLM’s long-term planning efforts for forest management and recreation opportunities and provide feedback through the organization’s e-planning website (blm.gov).

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homas McGregor, current treasurer of Forest Bridges and a former president of Umpqua Watersheds, believes that the additional regulation and bureaucracy required of the BLM and other public entities serve a critical purpose.

“They have an onus to all Americans when they approach our lands,” he says. “Following

“Not restoring these forests is like a doctor refusing to treat a burn victim. We are smart enough to do salvage in a kinder and gentler way than my grandfather would have done it.” – Paul Beck

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the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act), following considerations of endangered species, and as the Biden administration looks toward climate as a major factor in how we manage public lands, I think that prudence and taking extra steps are wise things to do.”

McGregor thinks that ongoing dialogue around the variety of concerns, even on a national scale, is important. And he thinks that leaving a good amount of timber is, too.

advocate for only industrial activity after a fire. I am an advocate for science-based approaches that bring a diversity of activity.”

He notes that a mixed-age and diverse stand of trees is less likely to burn with high intensity and may allow wildland firefighters to be more effective.

“We now have a completely different climate, and every tree counts,” he says. “I think the Archie Creek Fire is a game-changer for our community.

I think all of us can agree that seeing the landscapes that we used to enjoy on the North Umpqua, now after the fire, is a real wake-up call. We need to have dialogue on all viewpoints on how we are going to manage this century of change and how we are going to find resilience for our forests.”

“I am not an advocate for only industrial activity after a fire.

I am an advocate for science-based approaches that bring a diversity of activity.”

“We are needing to make a priority of carbon storage and the legacy habitat for wildlife that we have enjoyed and we want our grandchildren to enjoy,” he says. “I strongly believe we need to have variable density harvests and leave gaps and skips, not clear-cuts, when we approach land management, whether it is brown stands or green stands. I do agree that we need to be planting trees, but perhaps we need to also be planting elderberries for elk or trying to create a mosaic on the landscape. I am not an

– Tom McGregor

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Because Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds BECAUSE TIME DOESN’T HEAL ALL WOUNDS \ MATTERS OF THE HEART

CHI Mercy’s Center for Wound Healing offers relief to Douglas County patients who are among the 8 million Americans living with chronic, non-healing wounds.

Story by Dick Baltus Photos by Thomas Boyd

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“Turned out it was a lot more serious than my wife and I realized,” he says. “I almost had to have the foot amputated.”

Not Steven Smith. At least the 70-year-old Wilbur resident wouldn’t have thought that before he stepped on a toothpick protruding from his shag carpet and drove it through his big toe and into the one next to it, skewering the two together.

What followed Smith’s self-characterized “stupid accident” was a trip to urgent care and then to a Roseburg podiatrist, followed by an immediate referral to a Eugene specialist and a five-day stay in a hospital.

That’s why the retired cabinet maker just went about his business after the incident. Sure it hurt, but how could a toothpick wound be anything but a minor injury? Five days later, when the pain and infection had become too much to bear, Smith had his answer.

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ho would have thought a toothpick could cause so much pain and suffering?

Upon his discharge, Smith was released into the care of CHI Mercy Health’s Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Therapy. He may have been out of the hospital but he wasn’t out of the woods. As an inpatient in Eugene, Smith’s wound had become infected. So he had to visit Mercy seven days a week to continue the

Staff pictured around the Wound Care Center's hyperbaric oxygen chamber are (from left) Vanessa Darnell, NP-C; Jasmine Minyard, RN; Sarah Belloir, LPN; Megan Priest-Free, RN; and Thomas Hannuksela CHT, EMT.

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Wound Center staff includes (from left) Vanessa Darnell, NP-C; April Barron, CNA; Sarah Belloir, LPN; Jasmine Minyard, RN; Megan Priest-Free, RN.

Steven Smith just went about his business after the incident. Sure it hurt, but how could a toothpick wound be anything but a minor injury? infusion therapy that was started in the hospital. He also started making weekly visits to the Wound Center.

body’s oxygen-dependent, wound-healing mechanisms function more efficiently.”

The Wound Center serves patients with “non-healing” wounds, defined as those that haven’t healed after 30 days, according to the center’s director and registered nurse Misty Jungling.

There, patients with wounds from a wide range of accidents or conditions have access to state-of-the-art technology and specially trained staff who work closely with patients’ physicians, surgeons and other providers to achieve the goal of healing patients within 14 weeks.

Mercy’s inpatient staff and Center for Wound Healing team only needed 10 weeks to get Smith’s infection remedied and his wound healed. During his care, he used a wheelchair and walker to get around and keep the weight off his injury.

“We see a lot of post-surgical patients, burn victims and a lot of people experiencing complications from diabetes,” Jungling says. “About 80 percent of the wounds we see are related to venous insufficiency (malfunctioning vein valves that can cause leg ulcers and other issues).”

Patients begin the healing process with a 90-minute to twohour initial meeting in which staff educate themselves about the patient’s condition and history, their lifestyle and more and in turn educate the patient about “what is going on with their wound, why it’s not healing and what we can do to get it to heal,” Jungling says.

Treatment can take a variety of forms, from compression therapy and wound dressings to bio-engineered skin grafting and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which, says Jungling, “helps the

The care he got at Mercy, Smith says, made a huge difference in his outcome and quality of life.

“Both the infusion unit and the Wound Care Center were fantastic,” he says. “They make sure they have answered all your questions before they go further in the treatment. They were very informative about what they were going to do, how they were going to do it and why they were doing it.”

Smith says he is up to “about 95 percent” of where he was before the accident and what turned into three months of inactivity.

“I’m doing really well,” he says. “I’m able to walk around again and pretty much do the things I was doing before. I can’t tell you how pleased my wife and I were with how I was treated.”

While most patients of Mercy’s Center for Wound Healing are referred by their physicians, self-referrals are accepted. For more information, call 541.677.4501.

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Health

Matters of the Heart

Dr. Gary Bronstein

In Shaw Heart and Vascular Center, Umpqua Valley residents have access to a regional resource for advanced care for an vast array of heart- and vein-related conditions.

Story by Dick Baltus Photos by Thomas Boyd

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ince 1985, CHI Mercy Health has been committed to building a comprehensive heart program designed to ensure Umpqua Valley residents rarely need to leave the area for state-of-the-art technology, expertise and care.

Beginning in 2007, those heart services have been consolidated in the Shaw Heart and Vascular Center, which in the ensuing years has been growing in service offerings, stature and national reputation. When the center opened, Mercy’s heart team consisted of four cardiologists and one catheterization lab, used primarily for diagnosing blocked blood vessels to the heart. Today the Shaw Heart and Vascular Center team is composed of seven cardiologists, a cardiac nurse practitioner and many additional support personnel.

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But the growth in staff only tells a small part of the story. It is the expertise they have brought that has earned Shaw Heart Center renown as a regional resource for comprehensive cardiac care and status as one of the nation’s highest-performing heart centers.

The center’s general and interventional cardiology and radiology services have dramatically changed the lives of hundreds of area patients whose risk of heart attack or limb amputation has been dramatically reduced, or eliminated altogether, by non-surgical procedures to restore blood flow through blocked vessels. A comprehensive electrophysiology program also has been established to diagnose and treat abnormal heart rhythms.

In this section:

BECASUE TIME DOESN’T HEAL ALL WOUNDS / MATTERS OF THE HEART

Countless lives have been improved, and often saved, because of access to the care available at Shaw Heart, says director Connie Kinman. “For example, if a patient is brought to the emergency department with chest pain and has a positive EKG, we have the ability to immediately place a stent in a blocked coronary artery to reopen it. Since ‘time is muscle,’ this program has saved many lives.”

As Shaw Heart has grown so has its status on the national level. It was the first program west of Texas to earn national Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence certification from the American College of Cardiology.

cardiology fellowship at New York Medical College.

In addition to general cardiology and coronary angiography, Dr. Bronstein is trained and certified in echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound), nuclear cardiology (examination of cardiac blood flow using radiotracer markers) and management of implantable electrical devices (pacemakers and defibrillators).

In Roseburg and Shaw Heart Center, Dr. Bronstein has clearly found a home.

“I wouldn’t want to live and practice anywhere else,” he says “The patients are friendly, the hospital personnel is very supportive, and everyone is easy to deal with. It is vastly different from my prior experiences in many other places.”

Here are just a few of Dr. Bronstein’s Shaw Heart teammates:

Shaw Heart Center was the first program west of Texas to earn national Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence certification from the American College of Cardiology.

“The quality of care available at Shaw Heart and Vascular Center starts with people who provide that care,” says Dr. Gary Bronstein. “We have a superb cardiac care team and a highly trained support team. We also have all the required technology for up-to-date practice and a close relationship with specialized cardiac surgery, electrophysiology and congestive heart failure consultants across Oregon.”

Dr. Bronstein, board certified in cardiovascular disease, internal medicine and nuclear cardiology, has been an integral part of that team since its early days. After working in private practice in Texas for two years, Dr. Bronstein practiced at Shaw Heart for four months on a temporary basis. That’s all the longer it took to convince him to relocate to Roseburg for good.

“I loved the people, the scenery, the climate and everything else, so I decided to stay and bring my family here,” he says.

His current home is far removed from his original one. Dr. Bronstein I was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. He moved to the United States with his family in the 80s, during a period when the Russian government was allowing emigration again after it had been shut down for many years.

“My family wasn’t taking any chances (that it would be shut down again) so we moved in ’89, when I was right in the middle of medical school,” Dr. Bronstein says.

He finished his medical degree at Stony Brook School of Medicine, in Long Island, N.Y., then did his internal medicine residency at the University of Michigan, served as an attending physician at Columbia University School of Medicine and completed a

Jean Brewer Registered Nurse

Background: “I grew up here and got my nursing degree from UCC. I moved to Portland, got a job at St Vincent’s and received education in ICU/CCU nursing. I returned to Roseburg and became the fourth member of the Shaw Heart Center staff.”

Inspirations: “I was inspired by my mother who was employed here and from my oldest sister who also studied nursing.”

Favorite Part of Your Job: “Working with the patients. I have always tried to instill confidence by being professional and competent and using humor and music to calm my patients.”

Your Idea of a Great Day at Work: “When I can make a difference in someone else’s life, whether it be a patient or a co-worker.”

What Do You Appreciate Most About Shaw Heart? “I enjoy learning, and there is always something new to learn here.”

Best Words to Describe Shaw Heart: “Professional, intelligent, great place to work.”

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Health

Shelby Schulz Sonographer

Brittney Goodell Registered Nurse

Background: “I grew up in Roseburg, went to Glide High School and attended Oregon Institute of Technology, where I competed in track team and got my degree in echocardiography. Prior to joining Mercy I worked at PeaceHealth in Springfield.”

Background: I was born at Mercy, raised in Roseburg and graduated from the UCC nursing program in 2013. I worked as a certified nursing assistant for six years prior to obtaining my R.N. license.”

Inspirations: “When I started at OIT I shadowed many different types of ultrasound. Cardiac just clicked. I think the heart is the most fascinating part of the body.”

Inspirations: My oldest son, Zaydin, inspired me to start my career; however, my mother set the healthcare scene for me.

She went from CNA to LPN to RN so I kind of just followed in her shoes.”

Favorite Part of Your Job: “I love that every patient is different and brings a new challenge to each day. I also enjoy that no matter what, you can always learn something new. My co-workers are pretty great also.”

Favorite Part of Your Job: “Helping to save a life. Patients are the whole reason I do what I do. Also, we have a great group of people working here. Even with the stress of the job we find a way to make the best of our time together.”

Your Idea of a Great Day at Work: “Walking out the door feeling like I made a difference, whether it’s discovering someone’s new cardiac issue or just being there for my patients, giving them someone to talk to when they might be feeling scared.”

Your Idea of a Great Day at Work: “Everything running on time.

When we can follow our schedule without multiple disruptions, it makes for a better day.

What Do You Appreciate Most About Shaw Heart? “How friendly everyone is. From Day One, everyone has been so welcoming and helpful to me as I continue to learn and grow as a sonographer.”

What Do You Appreciate Most About Shaw Heart? “Support from co-workers and doctors, opportunities to use critical nursing skills and continue my training.”

Best Words to Describe Shaw Heart: “Thorough, patientcentered, friendly.”

Best Words to Describe Shaw Heart: “Challenging, gratifying and camaraderie.”

Heartfelt Giving Shaw Heart and Vascular Center takes its name from a Chicagobased foundation that has since 1989 contributed more than $3 million to CHI Mercy’s efforts to grow a state-of-the-art regional heart center.

The foundation was established by the Shaw family, which started Yellow Cab Company. The foundation’s board of directors was comprised of family members and included Gordie Iler, who by 1989 was living in Roseburg, where he would be introduced to Sister Jacquetta Taylor, Mercy’s longtime CEO.

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“Gordy loved to tell the story of that first meeting,” says Lisa Platt, CEO of Mercy Foundation.

“Jacquetta started their conversation by calling him Mr. Iler.

He interrupted and said, ‘You can call me Gordie,’ and so she continued, saying ‘Gordon, I want some money for our heart center.’ He said, ‘How much,’ and she said, ‘$25,000.’”

Upon Iler’s recommendation, the Shaw Foundation would give $32,500, kicking off a longtime relationship that would result in annual gifts for a wide array of technology and programs. Iler died in 2020, but his family’s name will forever be attached to the state-of-the-art heart center he was so instrumental in advancing.

This is what hope looks like.

RoseburgCancerCare.org

2880 NW Stewart Parkway | 541.673.2267

A N OT H E R G R E AT B A D DAY / S U P E R B OW L I N G / B & B X 3 / R U R A L SA N C T UA RY 68

Another Great Bad Day A trio of local golf aficionados have taken the reins of three local courses with hopes of boosting the popularity of the sport in the Umpqua Valley.

Story by Hunter Normand Photos by Thomas Boyd

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tepping onto the first tee box, the beautiful open green spaces of Oak Hills Golf Club are spread out in front of me. I feel the crisp air of a mid-January evening and watch the sun setting over the valley. Judging by the orange hue of the clouds, I guess we’ll only get nine holes in before we have to pack it up.

I take two practice swings in advance of my first attempt to show the retirees in my group what I can do. At 23, I should be able to hit a golf ball about a quarter-mile. Mine,

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unfortunately, sputters a few yards off into the fairway, seemingly embarrassed by my effort and seeking a place to hide from me. It’ll be a rough round today, but that’s fine. I play for different reasons.

Adjacent to I-5 in west Sutherlin, Oak Hills is the flagship course for an operation that also includes Myrtle Creek Golf Club and Stewart Park Golf Course. The owners, general manager Brad Seehawer, golf pro Scott Simpson and superintendent Scott Zielinski bought Oak Hills in 2016 and have leased Stewart Park and Myrtle Creek from the city since 2016 and 2019, respectively.

After an ugly seven strokes on No. 1, I hit an arcing shot off the second tee only to follow up with a visit to the thicket.

Somehow I find the errant ball and, when no one’s watching, accidentally kick it into the fairway. Don’t judge; I didn’t invent the move. I use my nine iron in hopes of floating a shot over an oak tree, but instead punch the ball beneath its branches. My chip onto the green lands five feet from the cup, but I miss the putt and tap in for double bogey. As the adage goes, “You don’t paint pictures on a scorecard, you just write down a number.”

Simpson grew up playing golf, and spent his early years watering the course at Oak Hills. After his discharge from the Navy, he coached the Sutherlin High golf team for three years before becoming the club pro in 1998. He splits time between Oak Hills and his full-time sales job at Clint Newell Auto. “I make my money selling cars so we can keep funding the golf course,” Simpson jokes.

The houses lining the fairways add to the scenery and, somewhat to my surprise, no windows were harmed in the making of this story. Not that I didn’t try. As I search another hidden landing spot in someone’s backyard I can almost feel the homeowner’s disapproving eyes on my back, though I only see empty windows.

Still, I keep my expletives in check as I search again for my rogue ball. I pray no one has seen my play today, except for God, who, I am convinced, is laughing.

The owners want to upgrade the courses in their charge to enhance the customer experience. The biggest maintenance expense for the three courses is sand. “You spend about $4,000 to $8,000 per load and that only covers a quarter of a hole,” Simpson says. “To sand the entire course, we spend around $350,000.”

Other improvements are planned, such as a rebuild of the Oak Hills clubhouse, which will include four electronic driving range stalls where players can compete in leagues and “play” on different virtual courses like Augusta National. “We’ll have monitors which will show your ball speed and launch angle, which is what everybody wants now,” Simpson says.

After another horrendous tee shot, I kick my ball away from the wall it lands against. (Seriously, you’ve never?) Two shots later, I hit a 145-yard rainbow that lands on the green as if I’d planned it. For me, however, no good shot goes unpunished, so I scar this one’s beauty with another ugly putt. But the sun feels warm for this time of year, the birds are chirping and the sky is a beautiful blue. Have I told you I play for different reasons?

Simpson wants to get more young golfers on the course. All three courses offer free golf for juniors, and camps are held during the summer. But fewer kids are golfing every year. “In the 90s, when I was running the camps, we had 115 to 120 kids. Now, we’re down to 12 to 15,” Simpson says.

With other sports growing, and video games becoming ever more popular, getting kids to golf is difficult. But, Simpson points out, golf can be a pathway to success. “Three of the juniors I coached went on to earn full ride scholarships,” he says.

With a babbling brook to my left and the sun setting over the hills to my right, I feel at peace, even as my game continues to implode. On this hole, it takes three putts to sink the disobedient white spheroid into the little green cup. It’s a testament to the course and sport that, even on your worst days, you still enjoy every hole.

The course management group offers a membership that includes greens fees and a cart for $2,500 annually. Called the “Triple Play,” it allows the golfer to play at three courses throughout the year for a set fee. The goal, along with specials such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day golf, is to build membership and grow the golf community around the Umpqua Valley.

As darkness falls on Oak Hills, I’m sad to see the course fade into the night, more for the loss of scenery than the end of my round. My score was forgettable, but not the tranquility of being outside, in the cool January breeze, enjoying a great game no matter how poorly I played. I say ‘good riddance’ to the round, but only ‘til next time’ to the Oak Hills course. I’ll be back soon.

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Business

Super Bowling For almost 15 years, TenDown Bowling and Entertainment Center has been a go-to destination for family fun and great food and brews.

Story by Nate Hansen Photos by Thomas Boyd

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owling has taken Bryon Smith around the U.S. and beyond.

Since turning pro after high school, the Umpqua Valley native has won bowling tournaments from coast to coast in the U.S. and traveled to compete in the Japan Cup in 2002. A life on the lanes eventually led Smith back home, where he is now co- owner of TenDown Bowling & Entertainment in Roseburg.

Smith honed his skills at his parents’ bowling alley in Sutherlin. After high school, he took his shot on the Professional Bowlers Association tour.

“I wanted to find out just how good I really was,” he says.

Smith’s bet on himself paid off. For the next two decades he competed at the highest levels of professional bowling and, in 2003, he captured the American Bowling Congress’ Masters national championship.

“I spent 20-plus years traveling,” Smith says. “I went everywhere. I even spent a month in Japan. It was a really great experience.”

Wanting to settle into family life and spend less time on the road, Smith shifted his focus to TenDown, which opened in December 2007.

Smith is one of TenDown’s five owners. The bowling center/ restaurant is largely a family business which includes his wife, Mariah, brother and sister-in-law, Brett and Kristen Smith, and Bob Reed, who brings to the business 38 years of bowling center experience. Reed started working at his family’s bowling center as a teenager, which led to a job in bowling-center mechanics that took him to three continents.

TenDown was constructed from the ground up, on the same Diamond Lake Boulevard site where another bowling center was razed. Smith used his travels to and experience with other bowling centers when designing the space.

“I saw a lot of concepts in other parts of the country that we could bring to the Northwest,” he says.

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One of those concepts, according to Reed, was to focus on attracting more customers than just serious bowlers.

“We wanted to appeal to whole families,” he says. “We have an arcade so kids can play games and a sports bar with a full menu and cocktails, so it’s not just snack-bar food.”

The restaurant and bar, Splitz Grill, also has one of the area’s best selections of local and regional craft beers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has, of course, presented challenges to TenDown, but the center’s owners have been trying taken the past year in stride.

“It’s very important to us that everyone who comes in feels safe.” says Mariah Smith. “We want families to have a sense of normalcy here, even with the added guidelines.”

She adds that TenDown helped lead the charge to reopen bowling centers across Oregon.

“When the state was reopening businesses, bowling was originally classified as a ‘Phase Three’ activity, so we couldn’t even be open,” she says. “We developed a plan for TenDown to open in a safe manner, and got that plan on the governor’s desk. With that we got bowling placed in ‘Phase Two.’” “I’m really proud to be with these guys.” Reed says. “We’ve had to completely change our philosophy, but I think we’ve got an A-grade team.”

TenDown Bowling & Entertainment is located at 2400 N.E. Diamond Lake Blvd. Check operating hours through the pandemic at tendownbowling.com.

In this section:

ANOTHER GREAT BAD DAY / SUPER BOWLING / B&BX3 / RURAL SANCTUARY

TenDown co-owners (from left) Bob Reed, Mariah and Bryon Smith and Kristen Smith. Not pictured: Brett Smith.

“It’s very important to us that everyone who comes in feels safe.We want families to have a sense of normalcy here, even with the added guidelines.”

— Mariah Smith

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Business

B&Bx3 As the world gradually begins to reopen (fingers crossed), you may find yourself inundated with out-of-town visitors.

If so, unique lodging options abound throughout the Umpqua Valley. Here are three.

Story by Don Gilman Photos by Thomas Boyd

The Herrimans purchased the historic home on Stephens Street in Roseburg in August 2019, but it took a lot of hard work to get it ready for guests. The Covid-19 pandemic also made business a struggle at first, but the Herrimans have persevered.

The Rast House is an oasis of quiet despite being on one of Roseburg’s busiest streets. The tranquility belies the derelict state the Herrimans found when they took possession.

“This place was terrible,” says Mike, a retired electrical contractor.

“It had been vacant for 20 years.”

Graffiti covered the walls, light fixtures had been stripped and trash was everywhere. The restoration took six months and required nearly every available minute.

But the finished product was the fulfillment of the Herrimans’ dream.

“We lived in Grants Pass for 25 years,” Cherri says. “I was ready to start something new. Mike was ready to retire. I still wanted to have a purpose and I’ve always dreamed about having a B&B.” Find the John Rast House at 236 S.E. Stephens St. and book online at johnrasthouse.com

John Rast House

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uilt almost entirely of Douglas fir, the Rast House reflects the aesthetics of the era of its construction.

The home boasts high ceilings, mahogany beat board, a soapstone fireplace and oak flooring.

Exactly when the house was built, however, is something of an open question. Purportedly constructed in 1875 by John and Clara Rast, current owners Cherri and Mike Herriman think it might have been built three years earlier.

“We’re still researching a lot of things out,” Cherri Herriman says.

The South House

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my Magnus runs The South House Bed & Breakfast in Oakland with her fiancée, Pete Lund, and father, Joe Crudo.

Originally a commercial building, the structure did not impress Magnus initially. Her father had run across it online and suggested she take a look. What she saw was a lot of work, but Dad was insistent.

She had long wanted to run her own business, but the idea for South House wasn’t born until she looked at the property.

“I always wanted something to put my name on,” she says. “The idea for a bed and breakfast popped into my head and I ran with it. I just went with my gut. At that time there was no lodging in Oakland.”

Like everyone else, Magnus and her family felt the sting of the Covid-19 pandemic, but 2020 also brought her an extra serving of misfortune.

“Last March I got laid off from my regular job, got diagnosed with breast cancer and then the whole thing shut down,” she says.

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In this section:

ANOTHER GREAT BAD DAY / SUPER BOWLING / B&BX3 / RURAL SANCTUARY

James and Gail Ragsdale bought the home in May 2017 and worked furiously to get the bed and breakfast open for business a few months later.

James, a Marine Corps veteran who played in its famed band, earned a degree in music education after his discharge and taught band and choir in public schools until his retirement in 2009.

Gail earned a degree in nursing from Southern Oregon University and worked as an ICU nurse for 45 years, including 35 at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Eugene. She retired in 2017.

A sudden spate of COVID-related cancellations was a further setback. But slowly business began to pick up. A training session

by Airbnb gave her a chance to bring South House up to standards and begin again to accept guest reservations.

Much of Terraluna is still the original design. Unique touches include a Bakelite-faced record player from the 1940s and a mint-condition graduated scale from a butcher shop. What was

While cancer treatments took their toll on Magnus, with the help of family she kept The South House open.

“It was something I had to wake up for every day,” she says. “I still needed South House to thrive. It gave me a reason to get up, take that shower, put on the positive pants and go for it.”

Magnus’ chemotherapy ended last September. Her health is improving and she’s looking forward to the future.

“My health is good, they got all the cancer out. I’m doing great today,” she says.

Find The South House Airbnb at 129 S.E. Maple St., Oakland, and on Facebook. once the house’s mud room has been converted to a light-filled sun room. The fully renovated kitchen is equipped with a modern gas range and amenities, but retains its vintage feel.

Terraluna’s grounds are a woodsy retreat with flowers and a small organic garden. Gail grows fruit for canning and fresh servings of Asian pear, and guests are always treated to homegrown, freshcut flowers.

“My whole life I’ve wanted to own a B&B,” Gail says. “It’s always been part of my plan for retirement.”

While James confesses it wasn’t necessarily part of his retirement plan, he says he found enjoyment maintaining the property and takes pride in ownership.

Terraluna Inn

“Gail does her things and I do my things,” he says.

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“We’re excellent business partners,” Gail adds.

itting above and removed from Main Street a few blocks from downtown Roseburg, Terraluna Inn is a stately colonial-style house built in 1925.

Its interior is a cool oasis of rich, welcoming rooms, modern touches and Zen-like retreats where guests can enjoy a quiet, restful stay. With golden oak flooring downstairs and Douglas fir upstairs, Terraluna is a unique mixture of vintage stylings.

Find Terraluna Inn at 1367 S.E. Main St. and terralunainn.com

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Business

Rural Sanctuary On Happy Compromise Farm, Eryn Leavens and Oliver Gawlik our creating a peaceful refuge for animals and humans alike.

Story by Hollye Holbrook

Photo by Sarah Murphy @adventuresincrittersitting.

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ardiBeak, Pecklemore, Missy Eggliott, Waka Flocka, 2Chirpz and Chicki Minaj.

These are just a few of the names you’ll hear while visiting Happy Compromise Farm + Sanctuary, nestled in the hills of northern Douglas County. Stewards Eryn Leavens and Oliver Gawlik moved to the property in July 2019 with a vision of starting a regenerative farm with fruits, vegetables, flowers and, well, some animals.

“We brought 11 of our own animals and adopted 24 more who were already living on the property,” says Leavens. “At the time we thought that was a lot. We posted in our Instagram bio that we rescue animals and immediately got requests to take in more. We now have 100.”

There are flocks of chickens, roosters and ducks (affectionately named The Lost Boys, The Dragsters, The Goldie Oldies, Party Fowl, Tootie Fruities/Schmidts and Frat Boys); three goats (Herbie Berbie, Big Tony and Fernando); and two alpacas (Hazelnut and Roy).

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“The sanctuary really took over our first year here,” adds Gawlik. “But it’s been a delightful takeover. The Sanctuary at HCF became a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit as soon as possible so we could rescue more animals and fundraise for their care. It’s completely donation- and volunteer-run, and we work with other sanctuaries as well.”

Walking around the farm with Leavens and Gawlik, the love they have for animals is readily apparent. So is their passion for the land and environment.

“We’re looking toward the long term. We minimize anything gas powered – we are the machinery here,” says Gawlik. “Our garden beds are no-till, which is a method that retains the healthy microbiomes in the soil and builds them up over time. It’s a regenerative system where we don’t have to bring in chemicals or many other amendments. We believe that establishing a good relationship with the property and soil will pay off over time.”

In this section:

ANOTHER GREAT BAD DAY / SUPER BOWLING / B&BX3 / RURAL SANCTUARY

“We wanted to create a place where people could come to get away from their busy lives for a few days to stay on the farm and meet the animals or have complete privacy.”

— Oliver Gawlick

Leaven’s handmade ceramic mugs and tumblers; zero-waste, non-toxic products for the home and a small menu of food that guests can order during their stay.

“We wanted to make it an experience,” adds Leavens.

“Something special.”

Special it is. All of it.

Oliver Gawlick and Eryn Leavens. Photo by Eryn Leavens.

But the land isn’t the only thing they’re regenerating and establishing a relationship with. Leavens and Gawlik are putting care into humans, too. They’ll be opening a farm stand this year for guests and visitors and donating extra food to a food bank. Next year they plan to have a CSA (community supported agriculture) option. And in the meantime, toward the top of the hill on the property, the two have constructed a yurt that’s listed on Airbnb.

“We wanted to create a place where people could come to get away from their busy lives for a few days to stay on the farm and meet the animals or have complete privacy,” says Gawlik.

The yurt offers the unmistakable warmth of woodstove heat.

Plush robes hang on a rack for guests to wear after using the cedar-steam sauna. Other features include a table with

With 70 fruit trees, a fire-resistant, zen-like medicinal garden, 23,000 gallons of rainwater collection tanks and hand-built structures for the animal residents, the list of what makes HCF special is a long one.

“Our vision for the farm and sanctuary is to create a whole ecosystem where we can raise much of the food our animals need here on the farm, sustain ourselves and help feed our community,” says Gawlik.

“And without hurting any animals, or using them for anything,” adds Eryn Leavens. “We want to make sure every animal has the best life possible and is taken care of for their entire life.”

To donate to the nonprofit sanctuary, book a stay in the yurt, find Leaven’s ceramics and learn more, visit happycompromisefarm.com. Find Happy Compromise Farm + Sanctuary on social media @happycompromisefarm.

Photo by Hollye Holbrook.

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How KRSB Came to Be Before there was Brooke Communications, there was Roseburg’s first FM station and the Head Goat Observer who made it happen.

Story by Doug Pedersen

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t wasn’t widely noted at the time, but Douglas County radio listeners who happened upon 103.1 FM on Oct. 1, 1970, heard history being made. First came the sound of shuffling papers, then a voice that would become one of the most recognizable in the community.

HOW KRSB CAME TO BE / HOME AWAY FROM HOME

“This is KRSB, Roseburg,” said announcer Tom Worden. “Broadcasting at a frequency of 103.1 megahertz.”

Worden, who was also a KRSB co-owner, station general manager and program director, then welcomed listeners to the first FM broadcast from Douglas County.

Culture

That was the start of the KRSB story, one that impacted the Roseburg community, the radio industry as a whole and those who have connected with the station’s personalities, music and stories over its half-century of operation.

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The crystal-clear, stereophonic sound of FM radio was nothing new at the time.

Experimental FM stations began broadcasting in the late 1930s and a commercial FM band was established in 1941. Stereo broadcasting began in 1961. But FM was still something heard largely in large metropolitan areas, not smaller towns where AM still ruled.

In Roseburg, that all changed when Tom and Karen Worden came to town.

The beginning of that story comes from their son, Eric. KRSB was part of his growing up.

Now an on-air host at WNOB-FM in Norfolk, Va., Worden has fond memories of those early days in Roseburg.

“My parents got married in August 1960,” Worden says. “Dad was working as a news guy at a radio station in Mount Shasta. After he and Mom met, they moved to Los Angeles looking for the lights.”

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What Tom and Karen found instead of radio gigs was part-time work at Disneyland. With a new baby in tow, they headed back north to find work and a place to raise their family. Tom landed first at Roseburg’s KQEN in 1961 and later at KRNR, now The Score.

“My dad became the news director,” Worden says. “But he wanted to do something bigger. He knew FM was a big deal but he didn’t have the money to start a station. So he shared his dream with several others in town.”

Tom persuaded Roseburg brothers, Chuck and Duke Ricketts, to invest in his vision. Chuck owned a local music store and Duke was an attorney.

“They also needed an engineer,” Worden says. “Dad got Bob Reece to be part of the group, and WRR Inc. (for Worden, Reece and Ricketts) was created.”

In the beginning, KRSB’s studios were in the historic Kohlhagen Building in downtown Roseburg and its tower atop the next-door Hotel Umpqua. For years, Karen led KRSB’s sales team and Tom was the morning host who got national attention for some of his on-air antics.

An early example came when an anti-obscenity ordinance was enacted in Roseburg.

“The district attorney at the time got Playboy magazine banned through the ordinance,” Worden says. “Dad was an avid reader, so he’d go up to Eugene to get a copy. Then he would read the articles live on the air. Playboy took notice and ran a full-page ad in the New York Times about it. Dad was proud of that.”

Then came the KRSB weather goats.

Each morning, Tom looked out the studio window to a view of Mount Nebo and a herd of goats that grazed and moved among the rocks. If the goats were near the top of the hill, the town would have fair weather. If they were grazing near the bottom, it meant rain.

“The goat weather forecasts were featured on NBC Nightly News, Ripley’s Believe it or Not and in Reader’s Digest,” Worden says.

The weather goats’ fame evolved into official KRSB Goat Observation Corps cards, with Tom’s signature and title of Head Goat Observer.

Tom Worden (left) in the KRSB broadcast booth, and with wife, Karen, and son, Eric, in center photo.

“He’d use terms like widely scattered goats and low-goat pressure system,” Word adds. “Those goats were right most of the time.

They were way more accurate than the national weather service.”

Gary Donnelly, who partnered with Tom on the morning show before working in public relations at Pacific Power, has fond memories of the goats.

“I was very proud of my dad and what he did as a community leader. That's my calling card.” — Eric Worden

“Tom deserves all the credit for the goat reports,” Donnelly says.

“There were people who would not start their day until they heard the goat report.”

The goats’ fame endured.

I knew Tom and asked if he could get a goat report live on the air.

I called Tom and got it done. That guy probably never forgot that.”

Eric Worden started his radio career in 1974 as a weekend DJ at KRSB. He later took over the morning show and programming duties.

“I’ve been in radio ever since,” he says. “I was very proud of my dad and what he did as a community leader. That’s my calling card.”

By the mid-1980s, Tom and Karen wanted to pursue new interests, and KRSB was ready for new ownership. Today, it’s owned by Brooke Communications Inc., whose president, Patrick Markham, is a radio industry expert and longtime broadcast specialist. KRSB-FM is now Best Country 103, but still in the same place on the FM dial.

“KRSB is our flagship and has been for 15 years,” Markham says.

Brooke’s full list includes Best Country 103, News Radio 1240 KQEN, 104.5 SAM FM, i101 FM, and The Score, simulcasting on 92.3 FM and 1490 AM. “It’s a fun business,” Markham adds. “We’ll keep doing the job we’re doing, which is serving our listeners and clients. That’s what it’s all about.”

“People across the country would ask me about the goat reports years later,” says Donnelly. “I was in Gillette, Wyo., talking about Pacific Power on a local radio station. The interviewer found out THE WILD UMPQUA

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Culture & History

House Away From Home John Hooper’s quest for information about his ancestors took him from his home in Glide to a house from his family’s past Story by Dick Baltus with John Hooper

He found the book in November 2018. Digging into a box of family memories, John Hooper found photos, mostly, but also his grandmother’s Italian grammar primer and, next to it, an unmarked antique text. Curious, he opened to the first page and set off on an adventure that would lead him through his family’s past and to the other side of the world.

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ooper had never known much about his grandmother’s background. “I remember her saying she was Swiss Italian, but I didn’t really know what that meant,” says the Glide resident and owner of Good Vibrations Audio/Visual in Roseburg.

So when he saw three names on the inside of the old book, he only recognized his grandmother’s. With the help of ancestry. com, Hooper was able to identify them as Matilde Vittoria Devaux, his great grandmother, and his great-great grandmother, Barbarina Garbani.

Now immersed in intrigue, Hooper continued his Internet search for more information about his relatives and quickly found a public notice in Italian with the name Barbarina Garbani highlighted. After translating the ad, Hooper learned that someone was seeking his great-great grandmother’s heirs.

Someone on the other side of the world was looking for him.

Hooper traced the address in the ad to a courthouse in Locarno, Switzerland, then contacted the editor of the magazine where the ad appeared and verified its legitimacy. “He said they were often contacted by Swiss authorities searching for families of Swiss immigrants to America,” Hooper says.

But why, he wondered, would Swiss authorities be searching for the heirs of a woman who died in 1961 in San Luis Obispo, Calif.?

Hooper responded to the ad and learned that his great-great grandmother had been the half-owner of a house in Lucarno, and that half was now his and his brother’s. Communicating via email with an attorney assigned to the estate, Hooper was told the house had “no real value” and, as an heir, he could easily sign over his half to the other owners.

“It was a lot to take in,” he says. “I had all these questions. Who was my great-great grandmother? Why was half a house in Switzerland still in her name? Who owned the other half? Why 80

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Dana and John Hooper.

were they searching for heirs 58 years after she died? Why should I sign it over without seeing it?”

Hooper started digging into genealogy sites. He learned his greatgreat grandmother had immigrated to America in 1908, following her daughter, Matilde, who had arrived in 1905. He also learned the other half of the house was owned by three siblings, but their connection to his family was a mystery. Then Hooper found the house on Google Earth.

“It was located on a hillside between two small villages in Ticino, Switzerland,” he says. “There was no road or driveway to it; it could be accessed by foot only.”

On Google Earth, Hooper could see the house was “constructed of stacked granite, four stories tall, and looked to be about 200 years old.”

Hooper and his brother decided they would have their share of the house transferred to them. Then they had to figure out what to do with it. So they packed their bags.

including an old stable and a relatively modern barn, constructed from pink block that reminded Hooper of his grandmother’s pink bathroom fixtures.

And then they reached the house.

“There were palm trees, even a kiwi tree growing in the front yard,” Hooper says. “The roof looked brand new, and Achille explained that a helicopter had to be hired to deliver the tiles for it.”

The group sat at a rock picnic table in the backyard and watched their new partner, Poletti, fish a stack of paperwork from his backpack.

“The first thing he showed us was a photograph of two people standing in front of the home sometime around 1908,” Hooper says. “They were my great aunt, Adeline Guidetti, and her husband, Emilio. Adeline’s sister, Matilda, was my great grandmother. When she and my great-great grandmother immigrated to the U.S, they left Adeline with the house. That’s where she lived the rest of her life.”

Poletti told the group that Emilio had been a successful businessman with stores and other homes in the local villages.

But when the economy turned downward, and villagers were unable to pay the accounts carried by Guidetti, he and Adeline were forced to move into his wife’s family home. The Guidettis farmed the land around the home and made cheese to make ends meet.

When Poletti’s father, Mario, was 14, he started working as a ranch hand for the Guidettis in exchange for room and board.

When Emilio died in 1930, Adeline needed Mario’s help more than ever to keep the farm afloat.

In time, Mario would marry Olimpia Fachetti, who helped Adeline in the home while Mario worked outside. They had three children, Achille, Emilio and Rosina.

Former owners Adeline Devaux and her husband, Emilio Guidetti.

“I had all these questions.

Who was my great-great grandmother? Why was half a house in Switzerland still in her name? Why were they searching for heirs 58 years after she died?” — John Hooper On Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, 10 months from the start of Hooper’s journey, he and his wife, Dana, and his brother and wife picked up Achille Poletti, the youngest of the three sibling co-owners, and a translator and headed for their new-found home.

In the mid-50s, Hooper’s great aunt Adeline was diagnosed with cancer, and Mario and Olimpia cared for her until her death in 1957. Before dying, Adeline gave her half of the home to Mario and Olimpia. When they died, the home passed to their three children.

Achille Poletti said that he and his siblings had spent their lives caring for the house, never knowing who their co-owner was. He said he had even traveled to San Luis Obispo in 2000, attempting to find someone to talk to about their partial ownership of the house.

As Poletti continued to talk about his family making all the needed house repairs, not knowing if they’d ever be reimbursed for half the costs, as he spoke of the weekends family members still spend out the house and the love his children had for it, Hooper turned to his brother. It was clear they were both thinking the same thing.

“We knew what we should do,” he says. “We told Achille the Polettis could have our share. It belonged to them.”

On the walk up from the trailhead, the travelers were treated to stories of the property and structures they passed along the way, THE WILD UMPQUA

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BANK ON US. A long-time dream of three friends, Old 99 Brewing Co. banked on us when their fledgling business was beginning to gain a foothold in their hometown of Roseburg. In order to grow, they needed a bank that understood their goals.

“We chose Oregon Pacific Bank because it was clear that they wanted to see our small business succeed. It’s apparent they can see the big picture,” says co-owner Ashley Tuter. “The bank is also very involved in our community – and it shows.”

Being able to trust us for their banking needs means they can focus their energy on their employees, customers and their next batch of craft beer.

“Our journey has been one of adventure and learning,” Ashley says. “The support we’ve received has been paramount to our success.”

Cheers to Old 99 Brewing!

See more success stories at bankonopb.com

Not your ordinary bank.

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

VOTED A GUEST FAVORITE, AGAIN AND AGAIN...AND AGAIN!

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Best Burger Joint & Best Sports Bar

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13 Years

I-5, Exit 99 • Canyonville, OR • Info 800.548.8461 • Hotel Res 888.677.7771 • sevenfeathers.com