Untitled Document

February 28, 2002

NEWS

Voters set to go to polls March 5

Modoc voters are set to go the polls March 5, with several local races on tap, as well as state and national issues.

Polls will open at 7 a.m. March 5 and will close at 8 p.m. Absentee ballots must be turned in to the Modoc County Clerk's Office no later than 8 p.m. March 5. Those ballots can be turned in to precincts as well.

Modoc is going with a new computerized election system this year, and Modoc County Clerk Maxine Madison has been out explaining how it works for the past month. She said most voters are looking forward to the system. With the new computerized system results will be in and tabulated much sooner. The clerk and Modoc County Record have set up a system where the results of this election will be available on the Modoc Record website, at www.modocrecord.com as soon as they are available. It is anticipated the results should be up by 9 p.m. March 5. It took hours to tabulate the ballots under the old election process, and this new system will be much quicker. In addition to the state and federal races, several contested races are on this year's ballot.

When a voter goes to the polls, he'll receive a paper ballot where he will fill in the oval opposite the candidate he wants. There will be pencils, instead of the punch card machines in each voting booth. The ballots are on legal size paper, printed black on white, so they're easily read.

Once a voter completes the ballot, it goes back to the elections officer who will place it in the Accu-vote counter. The ballot is pulled quickly into the computerized counter and the computer tallies the votes. For those people who want to insure their vote remains private, a secrecy sleeve is available at the booth.

Voter registration picked up over the last month, going up from 4,883 to 4,958. That's still down from a high recently of 5,312. By party, Modoc voters break down as follows: Republican 2,369; Democrat 1,794; No Party 559; American Independent 149; Libertarian 36; Green 20; Reform 19; Miscellaneous 10; and Natural Law 2.

The race drawing the most comment and controversy this year is for District Attorney, where one-term incumbent Tom Buckwalter is challenged by Jordan Funk, a former assistant, and John Lawson, a public defender.

Funk was terminated by Buckwalter, and has accused Buckwalter with variety of things, including malfeasance. The two have verbally sparred at local candidate forums and in newspaper comments and advertisements. Buckwalter has said Funk is unprofessional, incompetent and was unprepared in court cases. He said he was terminated because he sabotaged his office.

Lawson, who has participated in the debates, has stayed away from personal attacks on either of his opponents.

The District Five (Tulelake-Big Valley) County Supervisor's race has several choices including David Bradshaw, Lookout; David Porter Misso, Barbara Boyd, and Delbert Craig, all of the Tulelake area.

They are in a race to fill the seat of Nancy Huffman, who is retiring after serving three terms.

David Allan, from Cedarville, and Dan Macsay of Eagleville are running against incumbent District One Supervisor Terry Williams. That race is also drawing interest in Surprise Valley.

Also in Surprise Valley, voters will again be asked to continue the $150 per year assessment for the Surprise Valley Community Hospital. It is expected to pass.

Madison has filed for re-election as Clerk and will face a challenge from Patricia Malson, an employee of the court system.

County elected officials who have no opposition include: Sheriff Bruce Mix, Superintendent of Schools Carol Harbaugh, Auditor/Recorder Judi Stevens, Assessor Josie Johnson, and Treasurer Tax/Collector Cheryl Knoch.

Modoc Superior Court Judge John Baker has filed and is unopposed.

The City Council seats of Dick Steyer and John Kerr will be up for election in March. City Treasurer Kathie Alves has filed for re-election.

Jerry Smith and John Vass are running for City Council. Kerr had taken out papers, and will be on the ballot, but because of health reasons has pulled out of the race.

Modoc jobless rate jumps up to 10.9%

The unemployment rate for Modoc in January jumped to 10.9 percent, up from December's 8.0 percent and November's 6.7 percent. In January, 2001, the county unemployment rate was 11.2 percent

The number of unemployed people went up from December's 320 to 440 in January, a 37.5 percent increase. Interestingly, the number of people unemployed in January, 2001 was also 440. There were only 270 Modoc'ers unemployed in November

The number of people employed in government is 1,330 out of 4,020 total. Of that, 980 are in local government, with 70 in state and 280 in federal positions

The 10.9 percent unemployment ranks Modoc 39th out of the state's 58 counties for highest unemployment. Lassen County's unemployment stood at 8.9 percent, ranking it 31st and Siskiyou's jobless rate of 14.1 percent ranked it 46th.

MJUSD debates drug testing March 12

The Modoc Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees will take on the issue of random drug testing at its March 12 meeting. The issue is expected to draw more comment, after few people showed up for the first round of discussions.

The March 12 meeting will be held at the Modoc Middle School gym, and will begin at 6:30 p.m. If adopted, which it may be, it will take effective at the beginning of the 2002/2003 school year.

Bolstering the MJUSD Board's assertion that drug and alcohol use is becoming more prevalent is a national survey released this week that shows more than a third of the nation's teenagers go on binge drinking sprees -- consuming five or more drinks in a row-- and that 48 percent of girls and 52 percent of boys use alcohol. Conservative estimates indicate more than 60 percent of students use alcohol at least one a month. The test proposed by the MJUSD wild include alcohol screening.

The one thing the national survey pointed out, that is disturbing to health officials, is that adults consider the use a alcohol, a "rite of passage" for teenagers.

What the school board will be discussing is a random drug and alcohol testing policy for all students. The all inclusive policy is supported in theory by most members of the board, but does not have the blessing of the District's legal counsel. He has stated there is no legal precedent set on the issue, and feels the California courts could decide it goes too far.

According to the proposed policy, the consequences for refusing to participate in the testing program is exclusion from extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. The students may not be excluded from activities required to receive a diploma, only from voluntary activities.

Board Chairman Seab McDonald has argued all along that he felt the only fair and effective policy was to random drug test all students.

If adopted, all students and parents shall sign consent forms for drug/alcohol testing. Students who refuse to be tested will be considered to have tested positive for each instance of refusal.

The district's legal counsel has offered an opinion that case law (although not in California) has held against drug testing all students. If the MJUSD Board adopts the all students policy, it may serve as a legal test case in California. That suits McDonald just fine.

Superintendent Kevin Jolly, said the policy affecting all students would include every 9-12 grade student in the district, including Independent Study or Alternative Education students.

If a student tests positive, the parent will be notified by the site principal as soon as possible. When a student's first test is positive, a second test will be administered as soon as possible to confirm the results.

Modoc is not the only school district in the area which has a drug testing policy. Big Valley, Surprise Valley, Tulelake, Lassen and Fall River each have drug testing policies. All of those include athletes and some add extra-curricular and co-curricular students. None have a policy affecting all students. In a survey, most of those schools praised the testing program as successful.

The legal question will involved ices an individual's privacy rights, covered under the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, prohibiting unreasonable searches. The District's legal counsel has opinioned that California state and federal courts place a high value on individual privacy rights.

There were a couple of options on the table for the drug testing policy. One of those options would limit the testing to just athletes. The other would include athletes and all students involved in extra or co-curricular activities, such as band and choir. The Board is opting at this point for all students, but is open-minded on the issue, said McDonald.

The Board's may also adopt a closed campus policy to student vehicle use during school hours. Basically, the new policy specifies students' cars can be parked anywhere, but cannot be visited or driven at any time during the school day, including lunch, without special written authorization. The policy is also an effort to cut down on drug use and reduce the chance of accidents. The driving policy will not preclude students from walking to area business establishments for lunch or driving to work.

Spring Music Festival to rock MHS Gym

Everyone is invited to enjoy the music during the free concert in Modoc High's Griswold Gym in Alturas on Thursday, March 7 starting at 7:00 p.m.

The combined concert called the "Spring Music Festival" will feature the musical talents of students throughout Modoc Joint Unified School District from high school seniors to fourth grade students.

Toe-tapping marches to smooth choral arrangements and Jazz will be performed.

Musical Directors Karen Siegel for Alturas Elementary; Mike Halderman for Modoc Middle School and Modoc High School and Eleanor Dorton for Arlington Elementary, Canby, will lead the performances. South Fork students of Likely will bring their fourth and fifth grade students to perform

. Featured will be the fourth and fifth grade chorus, fifth and sixth grade band; seventh and eighth grade band and choir; Modoc High School Concert Band, Choir and Jazz Band.

Obituaries:

Bertha Rose Busch

Long-time Alturas resident Bertha Rose Busch, 88, passed away February 25, 2002 in Klamath Falls, Ore.

She was born Bertha Rose Morgan on December 8, 1913 in Trochu, Alberta, Canada. She was the fifth of seven children born to Mabel (George) James Carl Morgan.

At the age of 16, Bertha moved with her family to Modoc County. She graduated with the class of 1931 from Modoc Union High School, Alturas. On April 19, 1931, at the age of 17, she eloped to Lakeview, Ore. to marry Gilbert William Busch, son of William E. Busch and Elizabeth S. Shields. They had six children.

Mrs. Busch became a naturalized citizen of the United States on March 20, 1945. Her daughter Beverly and her eighth grade class were able to witness the event.

Mrs. Busch won many ribbons at the county fair for her canning, vegetables and Gladiolas. She regularly attended the Federated Community Church in Alturas, and in later years enjoyed going to the Alturas Senior Center for lunch. Almost everyone who met her had only good things to say about her because of her sweetness.

She worked along side her husband Gilbert on the Blue Mountain Forest Service Fire Lookout station, then spent a couple of years at the Happy Camp Ranger Station before moving to Alturas. After several years of living in a home on Fourth Street, Alturas, they purchased a ranch with Gilbert's brother Don Busch, about five miles out of town and lived there for about four years.

In 1954, Bertha and Gilbert bought a house on West Third Street, where Bertha lived until entering Modoc Medical Center's Skilled Nursing Facility in February 2001. During her time in Alturas, she spent many years as a waitress at the Niles Hotel Restaurant. She also was a volunteer at the Federated Church Thrift Store for many years.

Mrs. Busch always took pride in her beautiful garden. A neighbor once commented that Bertha had "a green thumb, clear up to her armpit." She would knit sweaters, and slippers for friends and family. She was also a skilled seamstress and sewed all her own clothes, as well as the clothes for her children. She was also a wonderful cook. She loved to play Pinochle and Scrabble, and did quite well at it , as anyone who ever played against her can attest.

She was also an accomplished violinist, before arthritis in her hands made it impossible for her to play. And like many of her generation, who lived through the Great Depression, she was a very thrifty and frugal person. Mrs. Busch was a great listener, and full of fun and life. She will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her.

She is survived by her brother Joseph Alfred Morgan; daughters Beverly Hammes of Klamath Falls, Ore. and Billie Moore of Klamath Falls, Ore.; sons John Busch of Gridley, CA and Bill Busch of Alturas, CA. She had 22 grandchildren and approximately 38 great-grandchildren, several great-great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Gilbert on January 24, 1985, after nearly 54 years of marriage.

Brothers Clifford Morgan, John W. Morgan, Vivin I. Morgan, James C. Morgan and sister Flora F. Baker and two of her six children, Nancy Newman of California and Virginia "Ginger" Nay of Washington, also preceded her in death.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the Federated Church in Alturas or to the Modoc Senior Citizens Center in Alturas.

Services are pending with Kerr Mortuary in charge of arrangements.

Chester Edward Babcock

Former Big Valley resident Chester Edward Babcock, 69, passed away February 22, 2002 in Stayton, Ore. where he had been living since 1976. Memorial services will be held at Grace Bible Church in his hometown of Bieber, CA. on Friday, March 1 at 1:00 p.m.

Services were also held on Feb. 26 at Stayton First Baptist Church in Oregon.

Mr. Babcock was born in Bieber, Calif. on February 4, 1933, the tenth of 15 children. After graduating from Bieber High School, he married Colleen Crouch on May 28, 1951. In addition to rearing his family of three children on his Big Valley ranch, he was a member of the Big Valley School District Board for many years, coached Little League, served as a 4-H leader and was v very active with youth and activities in the Bieber Community Church.

Mr. Babcock moved to the Stayton, Ore. area with his wife Colleen in 1976, and began working construction, operating heavy equipment, building and selling houses and pursuing his love of hunting. He remained active and was a competitive sportsman no matter if he was on a softball field or a golf course or pinochle table.

Mr. Babcock is survived by his wife Colleen of Stayton, Ore.; his daughter Martha Wilson and her husband Gordon of Stayton, Ore.; his son Daryl and his wife Della of Salem, Ore., and son Stephen and his wife Betty of Albany, Ore. Additional survivors include three brothers and eight sisters, Russell of Redding, CA; Otie of Emmett, Idaho; Charles of Bieber; Lula Carpenter of Weaverville; Dora Schneider of Burney; Ruth Bouse of Adin; Ona Landers of McCloud; Ruby Finch of New Carlisle, Ohio; Fern White of Belgrade, Montana; Lilly Thompson of Salem, Ore. and Gloria Brewer of Cottonwood, Ariz. Grandchildren include Sarah Richardson of Stayton, Ore.; Jeremy Babcock of Pendleton, Ore.; Brad Babcock of Albany, Ore.; Ben Wilson of Salem, Ore.; Julie Swift of Salem, Ore.; Nick Babcock of Albany, Ore.; Levi Wilson of Salem, Ore.; Jennifer Babcock of Salem, Ore.; Danny Wilson of Stayton, Ore. and Lori Babcock of Salem, Ore.; one great grandchildren.

Interment will be at Hillside Cemetery in Big Valley, Calif.

Contributions can be made to the college scholarship fund or the summer youth camp program of Stayton First Baptist Church.

Nicholas Jeffrey Chavez

Nicholas Jeffrey Chavez entered this world stillborn at Mayers Memorial Hospital in Fall River Mills, CA. on February 19, 2002 at 7:30 a.m.

Nicholas was in his seventh month of gestation and is the son of Theresa and Rafael Chavez of Alturas.

A private family service will be held at graveside at Alturas, CA. Cemetery. He is survived by his mother and father; brother Jesse Silva, III of Alturas; maternal grandparents Jeff and AnnMarie Phillips of Alturas; paternal grandparents Pablo Chavez and Ramona Chavez Sanchez of Michoacan, Mexico and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

SPORTS

Modoc wrestlers just out of medals

Modoc's wrestling team did well at the CIF All School Championships held in Redding last weekend, although none wound up in the medals.

"We got some really tough draws," said coach Shaun Wood. "In most cases our guys wrestled well."

Just one match away from placing were Bill Moriarity at 112, David Lutz at 145 pounds, Luke Hammerness at 152 pounds and Mike Main at 275.

Moriarity went 2-2, Lutz went 2-2, Hammerness went 2-2, Main went 2-2, Jaafar Mirlohi was 1-2, Jeremy Price was 1-2, J.D. Monroe was 1-2, James Brogan was 0-2, and Ray Abernethy was 0-2.

The Braves were without their highest ranked wrestler, Robert Flournoy, who sustained a concussion at the small schools championships.

Andy Thompkins of Tulelake took a third place at 189 pounds and Victor Garcia took a fifth and 112 pounds.

Modoc boys out in hoop quarterfinals

Modoc lost to Pierce 48-46 Friday night and were eliminated from the CIF North Section Division V Basketball Playoffs. Modoc had beaten Quincy in a strange game last Wednesday to move into the next game.

Modoc was seeded number six in the tournament and Pierce came in with the number three seed. Quincy was ranked number 11.

In the Quincy game, Modoc trailed by two with about a minute left. Their top scorer was called for a foul and argued the call. The referee tagged him with a technical foul. When he got to the bench, he kicked a chair into the stands. For that show of anger, he was hit with another technical and ejected from the game. The technical, plus a regular foul on the player, gave Modoc six free throws. On the night Modoc had 34 free throws, hitting 23. Quincy was tagged with 26 fouls to Modoc's 12.

Quincy opened up early, leading 14-9 after one and 27-23 by half. The Braves trailed 45-41 after three, but outscored Quincy 19-9, thanks to free throws, in the fourth.

Blake Thorn led Modoc with 30, most from the free throw line and Jack Britton added 18.

Sign up for Modoc Ô02 Little League

Parents are encouraged to sign their children up for Modoc County Little League March 4 and 5 at the Alturas Elementary School office 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. each night.

Parents must bring a copy of the child's Certificate of Live Birth. The league will keep the copy on file. Parents who have already turned in a copy to the league, do not need to bring another. Little League International does not accept hospital birth certificates.

Little League is open to boys and girls in the following divisions: T-ball, boys and girls ages 5 and 6; farm league, girls age 7 and boys ages 7 and 8; minor league baseball, boys age 9-10; minor league softball, girls ages 8,9,10; major league softball/baseball, boys, girls ages 10, 11, 12; junior league baseball, boys ages 13,14; senior league baseball, boys ages 14,15,16; senior league softball, girls games 13,14 and 15.

A child who turns age five before August 1 and will not be 16 (girls) or (17) boys before August 1, 2002 is eligible to play. All children will be placed on a team and all children will play.

Registration fees are $30 for one child, $50 for two children and $60 maximum for three or more children per family.

Coaches and players are asked to return all uniforms still out from last season so they may be inventoried and replacements ordered. Its costs the league $30 to replace a lost uniform.

Tryouts will be held on March 23, and more information will be published later.

For more information, contact Jay Eppler at 233-3207 after 6 p.m.

DFG looking for more waterfowl hunt input

The California Department of Fish and Game and the California Waterfowl Association have scheduled a public workshop to discuss ways to improve waterfowl hunting in California.

Anyone interested should plan to be at the Sacramento Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth St., Saturday March 9, 2002, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The workshop will be facilitated by Bob Simms of Sacramento radio station KFBK. Policy makers from the DFG and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be on hand to answer questions. Technical staff from the DFG Wildlife Programs Branch, the Lands and Facilities Branch, and the License and Revenue Branch will also be in attendance.

Topics to be discussed include the annual hunting regulations, the reservation system for public hunting areas, and way to improve waterfowl hunting in California.

"The Department is seeking ideas that can be put in place that improve waterfowl hunting in California," said Dan Yparraguirre, the Department's Waterfowl Coordinator. "Over the last three years, hunters have expressed concerns about declining satisfaction with their hunting experiences, which could lead to reduced support for waterfowl and waterfowl habitat conservation. Early input from the public is critical to making changes, as the development of regulations is already beginning for the next hunting seasons. Those interested in improving waterfowling in California are encouraged to attend and present their ideas."

Wilson heads to college nationals

Former Modoc High School standout wrestler Blake Wilson placed second in the Collegiate Division II Regional Wrestling Championships last weekend.

Wilson will be competing at the Nationals in Wisconsin March 8-9. Wilson, a 2001 graduate of Modoc High School, is a freshman at Western State College in Gunnison, Ca.

March 7, 2002

NEWS

Macsay, Madison, Funk win, runoff in District 5

Dan Macsay, Maxine Madison, and Jordan Funk all won their seats in the March 5 primary election, but there will be a November run-off in District Five between David Bradshaw and David Porter Misso.

While only 31.1 percent of voters in the state went to the polls Tuesday, 66.2 percent of Modoc voters cast ballots.

Macsay, of Eagleville, bested incumbent District One Supervisor Terry Williams and challenger Dave Allan by getting 51.4 percent of the vote. He received 276 votes, Williams received 130 votes (24.21 percent) and Allan received 128 votes (23.84 percent).

Funk received 50.49 percent of the vote for District Attorney, with 1,602, while challenger John Lawson received 1,060 (33.41 percent) and incumbent Tom Buckwalter received 498 (15.69 percent). In order to win in the primary, Funk needed 50 percent plus one vote. His winning margin, unofficially is 16 votes.

Madison received 76.82 percent of the vote to retain her position as Modoc County Clerk with 2,469 votes. Challenger Patricia Malson received 23.02 percent with 740 votes.

The incumbents remain in place through the remainder of this year and new officials take over in January for four-year terms.

In District Five, no candidate received 50 percent of the vote, forcing a run-off election in the November general election between David Bradshaw, of Lookout, who received 48.06 percent of the vote, 285, and David Porter Misso, of Newell, who received 21.59 percent, 128 votes. Barbara Boyd received 16.53 percent of the vote, 98, and Delbert Craig received 79 votes (13.32 percent). The Surprise Valley Hospital District Assessment passed easily, with 87.36 percent voting in favor (470) and 12.64 percent (68) voting against. That measure extends the $150 per year annual assessment for another four years.

In the City of Alturas, John Vass and Jerry Smith were elected to the Alturas City Council. Vass received 471 votes (37.32 percent) and Smith received 420 votes (33.28 percent). John Kerr, who pulled out of the race, still picked up 359 votes (28.45 percent).

City Treasurer Kathie Alves received 766 votes to continue in her position. County officials who ran unopposed included Sheriff Bruce Mix, Treasurer Cheryl Knoch, Auditor Judi Stevens, School Superintendent Carol Harbaugh and Assessor Josie Johnson.

In the race for State Assembly District Two, Republican Doug LaMalfa received the nod with 58.9 percent of the vote and Democrat Doug Kinyon will run against him in November. Modoc Republican voters liked LaMalfa by a wide margin. He received 75.27 percent of his party's votes. while Dan Ryhal got 3.94 percent, Pat Knight, 8.18 percent and John Byrne 12.42 percent.

In the partisan race for U.S. Congress in District Four, Republicans choose career politician John Doolittle by a wide margin, 77.4 percent, over more moderate Bill Kirby with 22.6 percent. Modoc voters liked Doolittle by 80.07 percent over Kirby's 19.74 percent. Doolittle will run against Democrat Mark Norberg.

The race for Governor looks like the two main party candidates will be incumbent Gray Davis against Republican Bill Simon. Simon received 49.4 percent of the statewide Republican vote while Davis received 80.8 percent of the democratic vote. In Modoc, Democratic voters liked Davis by 65.31 percent of the vote. In the Republican primary, Modoc voted for Simon with 39.14 percent, Bill Jones at 37.17 percent, and Richard Riordan at 16.74 percent.

All but one measure passes state muster -- Modoc, not!

All but one Proposition on the ballot Tuesday passed statewide, but Modoc disagreed, as usual, with more than one.

The one issue that failed was Prop. 45, the term limits initiative that would have allowed local petitions to increase incumbent terms. It failed statewide by 57.8 percent to 42.2 percent. In Modoc, voters turned it down by a 68.05 percent to 31.95 percent margin. There were 2,068 votes against and 971 in favor.

Proposition 40, the clean water, air and parks issue passed easily statewide with 56.8 in favor. However, in Modoc, in spite of all the community parks and recreation facilities built by these bond funds, it failed by 76.47 percent. There were 2,347 votes against and 722 in favor.

Proposition 41, the voting modernization issue for improving voting equipment passed in the state by 51.5 percent, but Modoc said no by a 66.82 percent to 33.18 percent margin. There were 2,028 against and 1,007 in favor.

Proposition 42 which would earmark gas tax funds only for roads and transportation, passed statewide by 68.9 percent. Modoc voters liked it as well, voting 59.12 percent in favor and 40.88 percent against. There were 1,792 yes votes and 1,242 against.

Proposition 43, the right to have votes counted passed statewide by 71.3 percent. In Modoc, it passed by a 64.61 percent to 35.29 percent spread. There were 1,968 votes in favor and 1,078 against.

Proposition 44, the chiropractor issue, passed statewide by 79.5 percent and in Modoc it passed by a 75.42 percent margin, 2,265 in favor and 738 against.

New homes perk up county building

A pair of single family homes perked up building in Modoc County for February.

The Building Department issued 12 permits with an estimated value of $261,831.

In addition to the new homes, a new garage, and 1,800 square foot steel building were also among the permits.

The February totals are pretty close to January's county totals where two new manufactured homes made up the bulk of the $258,785 total value in 11 permits.

City building remained stagnant as only five permits were issued, valued at $5,162. A remodel was the major item. In January only four permits were issued by the city, valued at $3,593.

Students, drugs, cars on MJUSD policy tablet

Students, cars, drugs and alcohol will be the theme of the Modoc Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting March 12. Policies up for adoption include random drug testing and a closed campus.

The board will be considering a new policy implementing random drug testing for all ninth to 12th grade students in the district, as well as a policy that prohibits students from driving their cars during school hours. The March 12 meeting will be held at the Modoc Middle School gym, and will begin at 6:30 p.m. If adopted, the policies will take effect at the beginning of the 2002/2003 school year.

The closed campus policy means students would not be able to drive their vehicles at any time during the school day without written permission of their parents or guardians and school authorities. Students who drive their vehicles without permission would be subject to disciplinary action.

According to the policy, once at school, students would not be permitted to return to their vehicles without permission from the principal's office. Students will not be allowed to sit in or loiter near their vehicles.

Students who break the car policy rule would be subject to the following disciplinary actions: first offense, detention for student and notification of parents; second offense, restricting the student to the high school at lunch and parent notification; third offense, in-school suspension with parent notification; fourth offense, loss of driving privileges for the remainder of the school year.

What the school board will be discussing is a random drug and alcohol testing policy for all students. The all inclusive policy is supported in theory by most members of the board. The District's legal counsel has stated there is no legal precedent set on the issue, and feels the California courts could decide it goes too far.

If adopted, all students and parents shall sign consent forms for drug/alcohol testing. Students who refuse to be tested will be considered to have tested positive for each instance of refusal.

Superintendent Kevin Jolly, has said the policy affecting all students would include every 9-12th grade student in the district, including Independent Study or Alternative Education students.

The policy would involve a random selection by the testing lab of 10 students per month, by a number, not a name. The test would be for drug use, including marijuana, cocaine, barbiturates and others as well as alcohol. Other schools in the area including Big Valley, Surprise Valley, Tulelake, Lassen and Fall River have drug testing policies. All of those include athletes and some add extra-curricular and co-curricular students. None have a policy affecting all students.

The legal question will involved an individual's privacy rights, covered under the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, prohibiting unreasonable searches.

There are other options on the table for the drug testing policy. One of those options would limit the testing to just athletes. The other would include athletes and all students involved in extra or co-curricular activities, such as band and choir.

The policies are an effort to cut down on drug use and reduce the chance of accidents. The driving policy will not preclude students from walking to area business establishments for lunch or driving to work.

Watercolors open student show

Color will grace the gallery walls at the Art Center's reception to open the new month of March show this Friday evening, March 8 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The public is cordially invited and refreshments will be served at the Art Center, located at 317 So. Main St., Alturas.

Featured will be paintings by CLOAK fourth and fifth grade youths who have been exploring the art of watercolor painting and watercolors by Lassen College Modoc Outreach students enrolled in Art 11, Art 15 and Art 150 will be featured.

The center's new heating system is in operation and the Ruth Westmoreland collection of art books, donated for the use of classes, will be on display.

The Art Center students and volunteers are deeply grateful to Ruth for the valuable books and the generous donation of art supplies, as well.

The Artists:

Youthful artists who will display work at the Art Center March show include: from CLOAK, Millie Widby, Alea Bagwell, Brett Fullerton, Jessica Kresge, Amber Hamilton, Gabby Papineau, Mike West, Lauren Wolf, Gayle Yeier, and independent student Neikka Fareid.

Lassen College exhibitors include: Mary Ann Cossey, Christopher Foster, Doris Harris, Melody Jones, Brandi Miller, Rosemary Nelson, Virginia Nelson, Stephanie Nessling, Marie Roberts, Karen Rose, Georgia Smith and Fae Stanley.

Obituaries:

Jennifer Ferry

Jennifer Ferry, devoted wife and mother, passed away in a tragic car accident on March 2, 2002 in Alturas, CA.

Jennifer was born on December 12, 1955 to Warde and Sally Sligh in Tampa, Florida.

Jennifer had a passion for cooking and loved to try and perfect new recipes. She had just taken over the day-to-day management of the Modoc County Co-op, after working at the long-time establishment for several years. She was a strong supporter of the Modoc Youth 4-H Program, being both a 4-H leader and parent volunteer. She was also a member of the Modoc Horsemen's Association. She and husband Ed were starting to get involved in cutting and reining horses. Jennifer loved life and was always there for her family.

Pastor Destry Campbell officiated a memorial service March 6 at 11:00 a.m. at Kerr Mortuary Chapel in Alturas, followed by a gathering of family and friends at the Alturas Elks Lodge.

Jennifer is survived by her husband Ed Ferry of Alturas, CA; daughter Nikki Allison of Redding; daughter Jessica Allison of Alturas; stepchildren Allison and Beau Ferry of Alturas; mother Sally Saburit of Sacramento; sister Julie Standeford and family of Sacramento. She is also survived by many extended family members and beloved friends. Jennifer brought much happiness to life and will be remembered by many fond memories. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Jennifer Ferry Memorial Fund care of Plumas Bank, 520 North Main St., Alturas, CA 96101.

Jacqueline D. Skaufel

A service for Alturas resident Jacqueline D. Skaufel, 59, will take place Saturday, March 9 at 1:00 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church, 10 Concordia Lane, Oroville, CA.

Mrs. Skaufel passed away Wednesday, February 27, 2002 of cancer at Oroville Hospital, Oroville, CA.

She was born June 7, 1942 in Biwabik, Minn. to Jacob and Jenny Perala. She had been an Oroville resident 27 years and an Alturas resident for 14 years. Mrs. Skaufel was an in-home caregiver in Oroville, then in Alturas. She had also been a contract janitor for California Highway Patrol in Alturas.

She was a member of the Modoc Classic Cruisers car club in Alturas. She was also known for her Finnish "sisu."

She is survived by her husband of 32 years, Kenneth of Alturas; two daughters, Julie Russell of Oroville and Sheila Rollins of Oroville; a son Eric of Owensboro, Ky.; a sister, Helen Peterson of St. Paul, Minn.; and six grandchildren.

Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery in Oroville, CA. Services under the direction of Scheer Memorial Chapel.

Delisa Kay Cormier

A memorial service for Canby resident Delisa Kay Cormier will be held on Friday, March 8 at 11:00 a.m. at Alturas Baptist Church on Fourth St., Alturas. Pastor Bud Kirk will conduct the service.

Delisa, a resident of Canby for the past eight years, passed away of pneumonia on February 27, 2002 in Canby, CA.

Born December 17, 1961 in Tampa, Florida, she finished high school at Live Oak in Morgan Hill, Calif. and had lived in San Jose and Sacramento, Calif. before relocating to Canby, Calif. While in Modoc, she worked as a home care provider through Dept. of Social Services. She loved her dogs, church, collecting rocks and working on cars. She loved being outdoors, surrounded by nature.

She is survived by her sister Denise King and husband Michael of Hollister; brother Daniel Cormier of Florida; aunt Fran Costa of Gilroy and niece Kelley King of Hollister.

She was preceded in death by her mother Beverly Summers, father Daniel Cormier and grandmother Barbra Pettigrew.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Humane Society of America. Kerr Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Katherine Celia Rachford

Former Alturas resident Katherine Celia Rachford of Klamath Falls, OR, died February 19, 2002 at the age of 80.

Katherine Celia Rachford was born Katherine Pappas at Big Pines, California on February 28, 1921 to Pete and Ada Pappas. After her father's death, Kay moved to Modoc with her mother and sisters. She lived at the grandmother's ranch on Thom's Creek and also on the south side of the pit River by County Road 75.

While living there, Kay and her sister Virginia attended Lone Star School, at the intersection of Co. Rd. 75 and Hwy 299. They walked to school each day. On winter days, coming through the snow, their feet would be so cold the teacher would soak their feet in cold water to ward off frostbite. Her mother remarried and they moved to Chico for awhile before returning to Alturas.

Kay attended Modoc High School and graduated with the class of 1940. On August 1, 1940 she married her classmate Donald Rachford in Reno, Nevada. After the start of World War II, Don joined the Marines and Kay stayed in Alturas raising the family. They made their home on East A Street until 1967, when the mill that he worked at in Canby burned down and they relocated to Klamath Falls.

Kay was always an ambitious person who was never afraid of hard work. While Kay attended high school, she worked for Dr. Pate and George Fisher families doing housework. She also worked for many years at the Box Factory at the White Pine Lumber Company in Alturas.

Kay's life was filled with flowers which she entered many times in the Modoc County Fair. She was noted for her roses. Her rose garden was featured in the garden section of the Klamath Falls Herald & News.

While in Klamath, she was an active member of the Klamath Falls Garden Club. She was a member of the Klamath County Historical Society, Native Daughters of the Golden West and the Modoc County Historical Society. She was also willing to help others whenever she could. She was a member of the Merle West Medical Center Hospital Guild and performed over 2800 hours of volunteer service at the hospital.

Kay always liked outdoor activities, whether it was working in her yard with flowers, going bird watching, walking with friends, or camping. One of her favorite places was camping at Clear Lake with her grandchildren. Kay is survived by daughter and son-in-law Cheryl and Richard Vermillion of Chico, son and daughter-in-law Dr. Fred and Judith Rachford of Cincinnati, Ohio; grandchildren Thomas Vermillion, Tamera Henriksen, Mark Rachford, Ashley Rachford great-grandchildren Hanne Henriksen and Aline Henriksen; sisters Virginia Fields, Minnie Duffy of Redding, Bonnie Olson of Santa Cruz, CA, brother Bobby Dukes of Alturas. She was preceded in death by her husband Don Rachford in 1977 and a sister, Elsie Valentine of Florida.

A service was held February 26 at Kerr Mortuary in Alturas with interment at Alturas Cemetery.

Arlene R. Griggs

Services for former Alturas resident Arlene Ruth Griggs will be held Saturday, March 9 at 2:00 p.m. at 725 El Camino Ave in Sacramento, CA. Mrs. Griggs, a loving mother to seven children and 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, passed away March 5, 2002 in Sacramento where she had been residing for the past five years. She leaves many friends in Alturas.

SPORTS

It's diamond time in Modoc this weekend

While the Modoc weather may be a bit unsettled, the Modoc High School baseball and softball teams are getting set to open the season with a tournament in Alturas this weekend.

The weather forecast calls for rain and snow and partly cloudy Friday and Saturday. Temperatures are expected to be very cold. But that's nothing new for baseball season in Modoc in March.

The tournament will see Modoc's varsity baseball and softball teams in action, as well as the Braves' junior varsity baseball team. Both the boys and girls teams from each school will be playing at the same time, one on the baseball field, the other at the softball field.

Action starts Friday, with Modoc boys and girls taking on Fall River at 11 a.m. Those games will be followed by Liberty Christian-Portola clashes and Modoc will meet Portola at 3 p.m.

On Friday, Modoc's junior varsity boys will meet Big Valley's varsity at 11 a.m.; Fall River meets Bishop Quincy at 1 p.m. and Modoc will meet Fall River at 3 p.m.

Saturday morning, varsity games start when Fall River verses Liberty Christian at 11 a.m., Portola meets Fall River at 1 p.m. and Modoc finishes with Liberty Christian at 3 p.m

. On the junior varsity side Saturday, Bishop Quinn meets Big Valley varsity at 11 a.m., Modoc meets Bishop Quinn at 1 p.m. and Big Valley meets Fall River at 3 p.m.

Youth wrestlers do well at Mazama

Modoc Youth wrestlers placed third as a team at the major Mazama Tournament last week, with several first place finishers. This weekend Modoc hosts its own tournament. Wrestling begins Saturday at 9 a.m. in the Griswold Gym and will run until about 3 p.m.

Wrestlers taking first place at Mazama were: Travis Wood, Jesse Harer, Brian Weed, Joshua Wood, Tyler Hammerness, Steve Miller, Alex Valenica, Cody Osborne and Justin Valena.

Those taking second places were: Ian Jacques, Tyler Wood, Justin Estes, Bud Groff, Bill Hammerness, Nick Hawes, Christina Price and Wyatt Valena.

Modoc wrestles in third were: Justin Mason, Ross Cockrell, Willy Mohr, Preston Dennis, Shane Pierce, James Budmark, Tyler Stains and Anthony Osborne.

Those wrestlers earning fourths were: Neil Mohr, Liam Iverson, Adam Pence, Alex Moreo and Tre Hawes.

Big Valley football Florida bound

The Big Valley High School football team is having an aluminum can drive to help raise money for its trip to Florida in September, 2002. If you have aluminum cans that you would like to donate, please call Tel at 294-5837, Dieter at 299-3401, or the high school at 294-5231. We will gladly pick up your cans or you can drop them off at Big Valley market in Bieber or Copp's Corner in Adin. Thank you for your support.

Christensen is top hoop player

Former Modoc High School player Kayte Christensen has been named the Big West Conference's Player of the Year for 2001-02.

Now a senior at U.C. Santa Barbara, Christensen led the team in scoring and rebounding.

March 14, 2002

NEWS

MJU drops closed MHS campus, tables random drug testing for students

Modoc High School students will be allowed to drive their cars at lunch, while the issue of random drug testing has been put on the table for a 30-day study period.

Tuesday night, a crowd of about 170 people, including many students, convinced the Modoc Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees to vote down a proposal that would have closed the campus to student driving during lunch.

Basically, the proposed policy stated that students could drive their cars to school but would not be allowed to visit their cars, or drive them during lunch without authorization of a parent, guardian and the administration. Students in the audience complained about having to go home to get homework, being able to leave the school grounds for mental wellness, chores and claimed driving was a right of passage when they turned 16.

The bigger issue, which has gained national and statewide media attention, was a proposal to random drug test students, grades 9-12 in the district. Most school districts in the area have policies in place to drug test athletes and some for other extra-curricular activities. The MJUSD is one of few which has nothing in place.

Following a two-and-a-half hour session of public comment, largely in opposition to drug testing, Board president Seab McDonald asked that the issue be tabled for 30 days and brought back. While two members wanted to vote against the measure Tuesday, Bill Hall and Jeff Bushey, a motion was made to table it and Velda Moore, Ken Fogle and McDonald voted in favor. It is probably going to come back for discussion at the April 9 meeting of the board.

Primary objections raised by the public included a violation of students right to privacy, violating the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protecting against unreasonable searches, and the potential cost of litigation. Some in the audience threatened that if the policy was passed, the board would be hearing from the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, in short order.

Many people in the audience, including some students denied there was a serious drug or alcohol problem at Modoc High School and saw no reason for the testing.

Modoc Teacher's Association President Karen Siegel, said the teachers group did not want to see funding that could go for education programs and classrooms, go into drug testing costs or litigation expenses. She said the teachers were in favor of more educational approaches.

High School teacher Dee Ferguson said she views the students at Modoc High School as "wonderful young adults" and stressed the benefit of treating the students in a positive manner. She said more training may be needed for staff to recognize students who may be under the influence. Teacher Patti Carpenter said she was proud to teach in the MJUSD and said the district should not go into random drug testing, but rather fully institute the current policies for an educational solution and intervention to the problem.

Local Attorney David Mason told the board they were going into "unexplored territory" and would be inviting litigation that would be "very expensive" and long. He said the board should reconsider passing a policy that included all students, and actually to wait on a current Supreme Court case that may further define the parameters of drug testing for students. Parent Brian Harden said he was against the drug testing policy and said students have enough stress without the board adding drug tests. He said students have a right to privacy and to be left alone. He said the effort should be put into education, not testing.

Barbara Baker, a school employee, said she normally tries to support the Board, but was against drug testing of students. She said there is a drug and alcohol problem in the district, and that more supervision during break times as well as more education for staff and students would be helpful. Parent Brian Weidner claimed the policy would violate the students' Fourth Amendment rights, and kids may make a mistake by drinking or experimenting with drugs. But, he said , that should not ruin their lives or label them.

Some students and adults expressed a concern that since Alturas is a small town, the school would not be able to keep the identities of those students who tested positive confidential. Still others said they moved to Alturas and Modoc County to put their kids in schools that were safe and relatively free of crime and drugs. They didn't believe the drug or alcohol problem in the district warranted drug testing.

Several parents said they would not sign a consent to allow their children to be drug tested, thereby taking their rights away. Under the proposed policy, if a student refused a drug test or did not sign the consent form, they would lose their right to play sports or participate in extracurricular activities.

Parent Nora Russell was concerned that a refusal by her and her children to sign a consent form to be tested would go into the students' record and create problems with college admission. She was adamantly opposed to the drug testing policy.

Board members thanked the audience for participating and expressing its views. In the end, chairman McDonald said he believed there was a drug and alcohol problem in the district and stressed the board's intention was not to punish students, but rather to be a part of a solution to reduce drug and alcohol use.

He said he was open to suggestion and felt the 30-day period would give the board a chance to look at the issues and bring back something that would be beneficial.

What the school board was discussing was a random drug and alcohol testing policy for all students. The District's legal counsel has stated there is no legal precedent set on the issue, and feels the California courts could decide it goes too far.

If adopted, all students and parents would sign consent forms for drug/alcohol testing. Students who refuse to be tested would be considered to have tested positive for each instance of refusal.

Superintendent Kevin Jolly, has said the policy affecting all students would include every 9-12th grade student in the district, including Independent Study or Alternative Education students.

The legal question will involve an individual's privacy rights, covered under the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, prohibiting unreasonable searches.

What will come back as a policy in April is not yet determined.

Final primary results tighten for November

While the final tally, including all absentee ballots, narrowed the margins of victory in a couple of races, there was no change in the results of the March 5 Primary Election.

In Surprise Valley, Daniel Macsay won four more votes than he needed to secure the Surprise Valley District One Supervisor seat. Macsay needed 284 votes to win the race outright and received 288. Challenger David Allan received 139 and incumbent Terry Williams received 137. Percentage-wise, Macsay picked up 50.79 percent of the vote. In order to win in the primary, he had to pick up 50 percent of the vote, plus one vote.

In the race for District Five Supervisor (Tulelake/Big Valley) a November runoff between Lookout's David Bradshaw and Newell's David Porter Misso could be interesting. Bradshaw was the top vote getter with 285, 48.06 percent. Misso was second with 128 votes, 21.59 percent, Barbara Boyd had 98 votes for 16.53 percent and Delbert Craig had 79 votes, or 12.32 percent. What will make the November race interesting is the three Tulelake area candidates, Misso, Boyd and Craig, collected 51.59 percent of the vote. Only Misso will be running from that area in November and will have to pick up a huge part of that total, plus some vote from the Lookout/Adin area to win. Bradshaw ran very strong in the Adin/Lookout with 236 votes. He picked up 49 in the Day area and Newell. None of the Tulelake are candidates did well in Big Valley.

It's also interesting to note that Big Valley hasn't elected a supervisor in District Five since the boundaries were changed to include the Tulelake/Newell area. That area was represented most recently by Nancy Huffman, John Coulson and Manual Silva, all of the Tulelake area.

Jordan Funk wound up winning the District Attorney race by 12 votes, with 50.39 percent of the vote. He needed 1,623 votes and wound up with 1,635.

Funk carried most areas, but challenger John Lawson won the Surprise Valley vote, 238 to 230 over Funk. Incumbent DA, Tom Buckwalter finished with 506 votes, or 15.159 percent of the total. In raw numbers, Funk had 1,635, Lawson had 1,091 and Buckwalter 506.

Surprise Valley voters passed the Surprise Valley Hospital Assessment by 87.23 percent. Final figures show 492 votes in favor of continuing the $150 per year assessment, while 72 people voted against.

Sheriff uses tear gas to dislodge suspect

A confrontation in New Pine Creek March 6, ended when tear gas was fired into a residence to force a barricaded man out.

According to Modoc Undersheriff Mark Gentry, the Sheriff's Office received a call from Darryl Dragoman, Sr., saying his son was armed and barricaded in his home. The son had allegedly attacked his father with a butcher block or cutting board and then with a knife. The senior Dragoman fled to a neighbor's home and called the Sheriff about 3 p.m.

The son, Darryl Dragoman, Jr., age 29, formerly of Las Vegas refused to come out of the house and when the Sheriff and deputies arrived, they tried to coax him out.

After about three hours, Sheriff Bruce Mix fired a tear gas projectile into the home. He and other deputies went into the home, found the man in his bedroom, armed with a 20-gauge shotgun. They disarmed Dragoman, without incident, and he was taken out of the house and booked into the Modoc County Jail. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and spousal abuse. He remains in custody.

Fandango marshal, know someone?

The Alturas Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for the 2002 Fandango Parade Grand Marshal as well as a theme for the event this year.

Anyone wishing to nominate someone should send detailed reasons why that person should be selected and include any pertinent information. There is an April 1 deadline for both.

Submit nominations as well as theme ideas to the Alturas Chamber at 522 South Main Street. For more information call 233-4434.

MNF asks for comments on BV Unit timber sale

The Modoc National Forest is requesting comments and addressing the proposed Ash Timber Sale approximately 6 miles east of Adin, CA in T.37-39 N., R. 10

The first objective of the project is to provide sawlog volume to the timber industry under the guidelines of the Sustained Yield Forest Management Act of 1944 and the policy statement for the Sustained Yield Unit of 1994. The second objective is to reduce fuels and increase growth on the remaining trees through thinning and underburning. The third objective is to repair and stabilize several ecosystem values through road closures, watershed repairs and juniper removal. The treatments being proposed are:

¥ Approximately 200 acres of regeneration harvests, using both clear cutting and shelterwood methods. The harvest areas will be tractor piled to remove slash and planted to pine trees

¥ Approximately 7,000 acres of combined thinning and overstory removal harvests. The thinning includes the removal of both small sawlogs and chips for biomass. The sawlogs and biomass may be sold through separate contracts depending on market conditions. Fuel treatments following these harvests will be accomplished by a combination of machine piling, hand piling and underburning. All harvesting will be done by tractor logging. ¥ Some un-needed roads will be closed based on a roads analysis to be completed as part of the project.

¥ Juniper trees will be cut or uprooted from approximately 1,000 acres in Ambrose Valley (T.39 N., R.10 E., sections 28, 29, and 33, T.38 N., R.1 E., sections 3 and 4) to return the dry flat to a grass, bitterbrush and sage community.

¥ The headcut in Hunsinger Draw (T.38N., R.10E., sections 15 and 22 will be repaired and the meadow restored. Fencing of the flat may be needed. The work is planned to start in the Fall of 2002.

The project is within the Big Valley Federal Sustained Yield Unit and is being managed based on the 1991 Modoc National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment (2001) does not apply to the Sustained Yield Unit in regards to this project. The public is encouraged to provide comments for this proposal to Sue Wheatley, Big Valley Ranger District, Post Office Box 159, Adin, CA 96006 or phone (530) 299-3215 by April 5.

'Nunsense' opens live for one weekend at the Niles

Modoc Performing Arts Theater opens the hit musical comedy "Nunsense", by Dan Goggin, on March 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the A.C.T. Niles Theater. The show will also be performed on March 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, March 18 at 3:00 p.m.

"Nunsense" has sparked a dedicated following of theater goers everywhere it has played, prompting three sequels. Numerous productions play concurrently around the United States and Europe.

MPAT director Sandy Boldon brings the delightful story of faith and devotion to the Niles Theater stage after having seen the production in Chicago. "I wanted to bring this wonderful play to our local audience, I remember how wonderful it was to see a play that celebrated faith while poking a little fun. We laugh at the little sisters' attempts to break out of their shells for an evening, but are moved by their deep spiritual devotion," said Boldon. MPAT says don't miss this joyous ride with "the little sisters of Hoboken" as they sing and dance their way through a fun-filled talent show. The "Little Sisters", originally founded as a missionary order, started out running a leper colony on an island south of France. They were forced to leave the island after losing control to a group of Protestant competitors. Once home, they were unnoticed until the day their cook, Sister Julia Child of God, unwittingly served tainted soup and 52 sisters died of botulism. When the Mother Superior realizes there is only enough money to bury 48, she decides to stage a talent show to raise the money to bury the last four sisters (who were put on ice in the convent deep freeze). With musical numbers ranging from "Nunsense is Habit Forming" to "Holier than Thou" this is an evening of theater not to be missed.

The talented local cast features Sally Clark as Sister Robert Anne, Eleanor Dorton as Sister Mary Hubert, Heather Gregory as Sister Amnesia, Karen Hays as Sister Mary Lou, and Nancy North-Gates as Sister Mary Regina, Mother Superior. Carol Richert accompanies on piano and Jennifer Welty is assisting the director.

Tickets for all performances are available online at www.ticketweb.com, or at Antonio's Cucina Italiana and at the door. Ticket prices are $8.50 for adults; $6.00 for senior citizens and students.

For information, call Antonio's Cucina Italiana at 233-5600 or A.C.T. Niles Theater at 233-5454.

Obituaries:

Arlene Ruth Griggs

Former Alturas resident Arlene Ruth Griggs, 69, passed away March 5, 2002 in Sacramento, CA where she had been living the past three years. A memorial service was held Saturday, March 9 in a Sacramento church. Mrs. Griggs, a loving mother to seven children and 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, also leaves many friends in Alturas. She enjoyed playing Bingo and visiting with friends at the Modoc Senior Citizens Center in Alturas, where center friends helped her celebrate her 65th birthday.

"She was a joy of a person, who will be missed by all who knew her," said her adopted daughter Teresa A. Canterberry of Alturas. Mrs. Griggs enjoyed having her family all together. She was retired and enjoyed gardening, playing Bingo and Nintendo games. She had lived in Alturas for eight years.

She was born Arlene Ruth DeWolfe in Portlyden, New York on May 29, 1932. She was married to James Griggs June 10, 1976 in Lake Tahoe. She is survived by daughters Marlene Carter of Sacramento; Mary Kilinski of Connecticut; Cheryl Waters of Sacramento; Elizabeth Neid, Sacramento; Marcella Pittman, Sacramento and adopted daughter Teresa A. Canterberry of Alturas; son Faron Ray Eychner of Fort Bragg. Son Harley Eychner preceded his mother in death.

Donations in Arlene's memory may be directed to the Modoc Senior Citizens Center, Fourth Street, Alturas, CA 96101.

SPORTS

Huge wrestling turnout in Modoc

Modoc wrestling coach Shaun Wood was at home having a cup of coffee about 7:00 a.m. Saturday when his phone rang. He was getting set to head to the Griswold Gym to open up for the Modoc Youth Wrestling Tournament about an hour later

However, on the phone were coaches from Quincy and Portola wondering when the gym was going to open up. Wood hurried off to open the facility, expecting about 200 young wrestlers from throughout the region to show up. When it was all said and done, more than 300 wrestlers participated in one of the biggest tournies of the year, crowning the final wrestler about 6 p.m. Saturday

"We were astounded with the turnout," said Wood. "It was the biggest event we'd had here and everyone enjoyed it."

The Modoc Youth Wrestling team heads to Tulelake this weekend for another tournament

Wood said former Modoc High Wrestler Blake Wilson, wound up getting tough seeds at the National College finals and lost his first two matches. Both wrestlers Wilson, a true freshman at Western State College in Gunnison, Co., faced placed in the nationals

Wood also said a former Modoc youth wrestler, Ryan Jones took a seventh place in the nationals in Division three. He wrestles for Pacific College in Oregon

The local wrestlers who placed at Saturday's youth tournament here were as follows:

1ST PLACE: Travis Northrop, Alexander Conner, Patrick Bell, Tyler Ewing, Cody Osborne, Justin Valena, Alex Valencia, Troy Culp, Garret Larsen, Jake Cruise, Josh Wood, Justin Healy, Justin Estes, Josh Wood, Steve Miller, Justin Mason, Travis Wood, Ian Jacques, Tim Cruse, Anthony Osborne.

2ND PLACE: Drew Culp, Wyatt Valena, Alex Moreo, Tyler Wood, Tyler Wood, Miguel Torres, Jesse Marer, Tyler Hammernes, Brian Weed, Nick Hawes, Nick Hawes, Ross Cockrell, Ian Jacques.

3RD PLACE: Jake Cruise, Drew Culp, Riley Larranaga, Brian Northrup, Cody Treat, Zack Goulden, Trent Wishart, Jack Callaghan, Tyler Stains, Hank Roabe, Shane Pierce, Sheridan Crutcher, Willie Mohr, Jesse Harer, Preston Dennis.

4TH PLACE: Jeffrey Larsen, Riley Larranaga, Tre Hawes, Kyle Fletcher, Gabe Fletcher, James Budmark, Bill Hammerness, Gabe Fletcher, Sheridan Crutcher, Liam Iverson.

5TH PLACE: Christine Price

Modoc ballplayers go to Liberty tournament

Modoc's baseball and softball teams are heading to the Liberty Christian tournament in Redding this weekend, weather permitting. On March 19, the baseball team plays Lakeview, there.

The first tournament, at home last weekend, was canceled after a major blizzard Thursday dropped seven inches in snow in Alturas in a two-hour period.

The baseball team includes Adam Fitzpatrick, Robert Flournoy, Christian Hagge, Curt Kiesel, Matt Krauel, Tim Lauppe, Jared McGarva, Eric Miller, Jered Pierce, Justin Ratliff, Chris Ridgway, Blake Thorn, Rick Wildtraut, and Logan Wilson.

Soggy tracksters head to Lakeview

A Modoc High School track team will head to Lakeview March 19 to open the 2002 season, probably without ever setting foot on a track. The weather has been very wet and cold at the start of this season.

New coach Craig Flournoy said the thinclads are getting in some good workouts, however, and he feels he has good leadership from his seniors. On March 23, the team will compete at the annual Eagle Classic Relays in West Valley.

On the team this year are: Tyler Belarde, Clayton Broman, Caitlin Cook, Maria Duran, Jessica Gray, Dominique Hall, Kayla Harness, Sadie Harrison, Jacob Hughes, Luke Hughes, Amy Gentry, Scott Joyce, Aliess Kingsley, Jamie Kuhn, Colleen McElwain, Scott McMaster, Jaafar Mirlohi, Christina Nardoni, Danielle Reyes, Jon Richert, Ada Sanchez, Ann Marie Sanchez, Andrew Simmons, Clint Tate, Vanessa Thomason, Justin Williams and Max Wise.

Little League tryouts March 23

Tryout for Minor and Major Modoc Little League for boys and girls will be held March 23, 10 a.m. at the Little League field on West C Street in Alturas

All players who were not on a team last year are required to tryout and will be placed on a team

A Little League coaches meeting will be held Tuesday, March 19, 7 p.m. at the Modoc County Office of Education office, 139 Henderson Street.

SV Little League signups

Surprise Valley Little League signups will be held March 18, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Surprise Valley Elementary School's 4th Grade Classroom

Little League is open to boys and girls in the following divisions: T-ball, boys and girls ages five and six; farm league, girls age seven, and boys ages seven and eight; minor league baseball, boys ages nine-10; minor league softball, girls ages eight, nine and 10; major softball/baseball, girls/boys ages 10, 11 and 12; junior league baseball, boys ages 13-14; senior league baseball, boys ages 14,15 and 16; senior league softball, girls ages 13, 14 and 15

Registration fees are: $30 for one child; $50 for two children; $60 for three or more children. Parents must bring a copy of the child's Certificate of Live Birth. Parents who have already turned in that copy to the league do not need to bring another. For more information, call Marty Yamagiwa at 279-6221.

March 21, 2002

NEWS

U.S. Supreme Court hearing pivotal case in drug testing

The U.S. Supreme Court is currently hearing an Oklahoma case that could define the future of student drug testing programs in the country. The decision could greatly affect a proposal to randomly drug test all students at Modoc High School.

The MJUSD has held public hearing on the drug testing policy, and about 170 people showed up to one of the hearings, most opposing the policy, many on Fourth Amendment constitutional grounds involving unreasonable search and seizure. That's exactly the question the court will now answer. According to an article in the Sacramento Bee Wednedsay, the court is not leaning against expanding drug testing.

The court case they are deciding was brought by an Oklahoma high school student who objected to drug testing for extra-curricular activities, at that time as a member of the school choir. The court has ruled previously that testing student athletes does not violate the Constitution.

The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, is representing the student arguing that officials must have "individualized suspicion" before they can search someone. Their theory is the government can't search everyone in hops of catching someone.

According to the Bee story, Justice Stephen Breyer countered that schools use metal detectors and if here is a serious drug problem among youth in the nation, drug testing may help.

Additionally, Justice Anthony Kennedy compared drug testing to mandatory school uniforms, He also said it is no secret the Government is concerned about drug use among the nation's youth.

Justice Antonin Scalia said the disagreed that students as minors have the same right to privacy enjoyed by adults. He also said the issue could be decided by local school boards, and if they feel drug testing would be helpful, then it would be up to them and the voters.

The more liberal judges, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter said there could be no stopping point if the drug testing policy wins the Court's favor. The MJUSD tabled a decision on the policy at its last meeting and is scheduled to take up the discussion again at it's April 9 meeting. They have options on the issue, including dropping the entire idea, testing just athletes, athletes and others, fully implementing existing policy, which includes no testing, or opting for random testing of all students.

While all those options are on the table, the board is looking carefully at the U.S. Supreme Court and has said it might be prudent to wait for a decision until after the court defines the parameters.

Sober living housing project seeking a place in Alturas

A proposal by the Modoc County Alcohol and Drug program to establish a Sober Living Housing project in Alturas started off a little rocky when neighbors of the first proposal aired concerns.

Modoc County Director of Health Services Phil Smith came to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday saying that first project which would have established the facility near Brook's Park has been scrapped.

He told the Board the department will now be requesting proposals from the community as to where to place the facility. Neighborhood complaints were the primary reason for dropping the initial proposal.

During Tuesday's meeting, those same neighbors were in attendance and seemed calmer after Smith explained there would be no treatment going on at the sober living facility. But the facility will not be placed near that area. He said the facility is simply a place where recovering alcoholics and addicts could live in an alcohol and drug free environment. That's an essential part of rehabilitation, Smith said. The treatment would still be at the health department and other established counseling centers.

In many cases, said Smith, those people are surrounded by alcohol and drugs in their homes and it keeps them from fully recovering. At the present time, Modoc County sends some of those clients to other counties where they will have sober living facilities.

Smith said when that happens some people lose their jobs, and often their families. If a facility were located in Alturas, the clients would have to live in the sober housing, but would be able to go to work and maintain a life. According to the proposal, three clients would live in each house, with a hired person to monitor them. They must be in a treatment program and have no history of violent or sex crimes. The must also pay rent if they are working and if they don't have a job, will be counseled and helped to find employment. They will also have to follow the rules of the house, make sure the household chores are done and noise levels kept to acceptable levels. They will have to submit to searches of themselves, their rooms and drug testing.

They, of course, must abstain from the use of alcohol and drugs. Their prescription medicine will be locked in a cabinet.

Smith and others testified that the sober living facilities are a successful and necessary treatment for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts, especially those who find themselves inundated by those substances at home.

A Request for Proposals, RFP, will be published and community involvement will be requested.

Fewer jobless people now in Modoc

There were fewer jobless people in Modoc County in February as the unemployment rate dropped to 9.7 percent from January's 11.1 percent.

The biggest increase for February came in the state and local government areas when 1,110 people were employed in February, up from January's 1,050 and in the service producing area where the number of employed from up from 2,390 to 2,460.

In total there were 450 people unemployed in Modoc for January and 400 in February.

Modoc's jobless rate is still much higher than the state's which is 6.4 percent and the national which is 6.1 percent. Modoc ranks 38th of California's counties for the highest unemployment with Lassen ranked 35th with 8.9 percent and Siskiyou ranked 44th with 13.0 percent. San Luis Obispo County has the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 3.1 percent and Colusa the highest at 26.1 percent.

These statistics are reported monthly by the state Employment Development Department.

Modoc RAC approves four new projects

On Saturday, the Modoc County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) approved four projects for funding to enhance and improve land health and water quality from Title II funds set-aside by Modoc County

Projects submitted to the RAC from the public are key to the success of targeting projects of value to the Modoc County community. Under the Secure and Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000, 50 percent of all project funds used for Title II projects must be dedicated either to road maintenance, decommissioning, and obliteration, or the restoration of streams and watersheds. The remaining monies (50 percent) could potentially be used to finance projects described in the legislation. The RAC is actively looking for projects than enhance and improve land health and water quality on Forest Service land

The RAC is a federally sanctioned group by the Secretary of Agriculture and represents a cross section of county communities, industries, schools, environmentalists, and local government. Members of the public are invited to attend the sixth Modoc County RAC meeting, scheduled for Saturday, April 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Modoc National Forest Office, 800 West 12th Street, Alturas. The RAC openly encourages public participation and has dedicated time for public comment. The projects affirmed for funding at Saturday's meeting were:

¥ A project on Roney Flat Road in the amount of $3,000 to improve public access to federal forest and private land along Johnson Creek.

¥ A project to repair and replace water guzzlers in Devil's Garden in partnership with Modoc National Forest and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in the amount of $6,825.

¥ A project to perform maintenance in the Devil's Garden wetlands that will restore water control structures at Boles Meadow and South Mountain wetland developments in the amount of $16, 275.

¥ The committee affirmed the hiring of a temporary administrative assistant to maintain the notes and documentation for the committee in the amount of $7,500.

¥ A project to replace water guzzlers in the Doublehead Ranger District that no longer functions to increase water supply for wildlife use, wildlife viewing and population stability in the amount of $20,000.

Projects presented to the RAC for consideration were:

¥ A request to perform Archaeological site assessments within the Modoc National Forest.

¥ Funding for the Modoc High School Agriculture and Natural Resources Partnership Academy that would couple classroom education with field experience while working with the Forest Service.

¥ A request to assist with a Noxious Weed Working Group.

¥ A request for repair work to be conducted on the Weed Valley Dam and fencing for key areas above the dam.

¥ A request to enhance the Sugar Hill Lookout Road and create a restroom and new launching site for hang gliders.

¥ The construction of a drift fence in the North Parker and Granger area.

¥ A request for assistance in providing supplemental range personnel to assist the Forest Service in completing 26 Range Allotment Management Plans on the Warner Mountain Ranger District by December 31, 2002. A request from the Bureau of Land Management and the Modoc National Forest to assist in completing a strategic document, which would prioritize juniper treatment areas and guide juniper management in the region for the next 20 to 25 years.

¥ A request to improve boating access to four reservoirs on the Devil's Garden by building four boat ramps and two single unit vault toilets.

¥ A request to fund the rebuilding of fence burned during the Blue Fire in August of 2001.

Projects presented to the RAC during the March 16 meeting will be reviewed prior to a decision at the next meeting.

For more information on how to submit your ideas, please contact Carol Harbaugh at 233-7101 or Allen Hurlburt at 667-5181.

Vacancy on BV school board

The Big Valley Joint Unified School District has a vacancy on the Board of Trustees created by the resignation of Bob Nelson at the regularly scheduled board meeting on March 14, 2002.

Any interested person, residing in Trustee Area 2, may apply for a provisional appointment by the Board of Trustees. Applicants may come by the School District Office, 390 Bridge Street, Bieber, California to receive an information packet. The Board will conduct interviews for this position during the next regularly scheduled Board meeting on Thursday, April 18, 2002.

A provisional appointment by the Board will be valid until the next regular school board election, which is in November, 2002. At that time, the appointee, if they choose to remain in the trustee position, is required by California Education Code to file for election to fill the new term, which begins in December, 2002.

Any community member who is interested in pursuing a provisional appointment must submit a letter of interest to: Board of Trustees, Big Valley Joint Unified School District, Box 157, Bieber, CA 96009.

Letters must be received in the Big Valley Joint Unified School District Office no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 12, 2002. 299-3215 by April 5.

MHS Ô52 classmates sought

A 50th class reunion for Modoc Union High's Class of 1952 is set for August 3 at California Pines Lodge.

The whereabouts are unknown for the following classmates: John Arnold, Gordon Ball, Norman Bernard, Louis Combs, Helen Davey, Barbara Embry, Bonnie Fields, Hank Fowler, Jack Hardee, Marjorie Lorentzen, Mary Mackie, Vernon Meredith, FloAnn Middlebrooks, Lucille Miller, Richard Morris, Alice McManus, Delores Paulin, Zelda Pike, Twyla Pollack, Shirley Price, Anna Faye Robirds, Beverly Ross, Charlene Ross, Peggy Ruburg, Geanne Singletary, John Smith, Penny Wilcox, Robert Wilcox, Don Wills, Jim Wolfe.

Anyone with information may call Joe Dees at (530) 233-2638, P.O. Box 1328, Alturas, CA 96101 or Ronnie Harden, 233-3610, P.O. Box 2055, Alturas.

Obituaries:

Carol Higgins Williams

Long-time former Alturas resident Carol Higgins Williams, 68, passed away March 13, 2002 in Redding, CA., after a lengthy illness.

She was born to Louise and Harold Higgins on Dec. 27, 1933 in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Her family moved to Modoc when she was a young girl. After graduating from Modoc High, she married Red Williams and reared her two daughters in Modoc.

Carol was truly a wonderful, dedicated wife, mother and grandmother. She was also a friend to many with her deep integrity and honesty. Her delightful sense of humor endeared her to all who met her. Young and old remember how around Christmas time, she transformed her home inside and out into a Christmas fairyland. In the summer she transformed her yard into a Japanese Tea Garden.

In the early 80s, the Williamses moved to be closer to their daughters' families in Redding.

Carol is survived by her two daughters, Cindy Hanich and Kathy Munroe of Redding; sister Jolene Pace of Yreka, CA; three grandchildren, Melanie Long of Stevens Ranch, Ca., Mashauna Cole, Red Bluff; Michael Hanich, Redding; and two great-grandchildren, Jennifer and Jasper Cole.

She was preceded in death by her husband Red Williams in 1986, brother William (Billy) Higgins in 1989 and brother Harold (Juge) Higgins in 1989. A Private memorial service will be held.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Alturas Youth Park, in care of Alturas Rotary Club, 135 North Main St., Alturas, CA 96101.

Wilma ÔBillie' Patters

Alturas resident "Billie" Patters passed away of natural causes on March 17, 2002 in Alturas, CA. She was 79.

Born to Constantine and Sophia Pitakis on May 15, 1922 in Salt Lake City, Utah, she moved to California after her marriage to Jim Patters on February 24, 1938. Mrs. Patters retired after 30 years as a cashier for California State University, San Jose. Her husband preceded her in death in 1968. For the past four years, Mrs. Patters had lived with her daughter Julie and son-in-law Karl in Alturas, CA.

She is survived by her daughter Julie Hyzer and husband Karl of Alturas; granddaughter Whitney and husband Bill Bender of Scottsdale, Ariz. and grandchildren and friends who live out of the area.

Her cremains will be placed next her to mother in Murray, Utah.

Carol Crabill

Long-time resident and Adin Primary School teacher, Carol Crabill passed away March 16, 2002 in McArthur, CA. A memorial service will be held Friday, March 29 at 1:00 p.m. in George Ingram Hall on the Intermountain Fairgrounds in McArthur. A Potluck gathering will follow.

She was born Carol Hanson in Oakland, CA. on July 1, 1931.

SPORTS

Modoc wins Liberty tourney

Modoc's varsity softball teeam won the Liberty Christian tournament in Redding over the weekend, giving up just three runs in three games and scoring 45.

Modoc beat Dunsmuir 21-0, Tulelake 20-0 and Loyalton 4-3. Shay Farmer was named the Most Valuable Player in the tourney while Brianna Berchtold and Andrea Harris were each named to the All-Tourney team. Modoc didn't face much competition in the first two games. Against Dunsmuir, Berchtold got the win, only having to go three innings before the 20-run rule was enforced. She faced nine batters, struck out seven and allowed two hits and no runs.

Meanwhile, Modoc's batters picked up 22 hits. Farmer was two-for-four with a double and a home run, Berchtold helped her cause, going four-for-four with two doubles. Harris was three-for-four with three doubles, Jilene Mastagni went two-for-three. Kristen Clough and Kristen Taylor were each two-for-four and Amy Ridgway and Stephanie Parnow each were two-for-two.

In the second game, Harris got the win, going four innings where she struck out four, allowed three hits and walked a pair. The Braves held Tulelake scoreless while hammering out 28 hits.

Mastagni went four-for-four with a double, Taylor, Berchtold and Harris were each three-for-four with Harris getting a home run and double, Berchtold two doubles and Taylor one double. Charlene Stevens (one double) and Clough were two-for-four and Kayla Cruse went two-for-two with a double.

The final game against Loyalton was tougher and the Braves wound up winning 4-3 in overtime after tying the game at one in the sixth. Berchtold pitched the entire game, going seven innings, fanning three, allowing 10 hits and didn't walk a batter. Modoc collected nine hits in the game and seven walks.

Clough was two-for-four with a double, Berchtold was one-for-four with a double and Farmer was one-for-five with a double.

The Braves open Shasta Cascade League play Friday against Etna. Team members this year are: Berchtold, Clough, Cruse, Roseann Ginochio, Rachel Gover, Harris, Mastagni, Parnow, Ridgway, Stevens, Taylor and Yana Vass. They are coached by Dennis Banister.

On Tuesday, Modoc lost to Lakeview 10-4, giving up six runs inthe second inning, two in the fourth one in the fifth and one in the sixth.

Berchtold got the loss for the Braves. The Honkers picked up 20 hits in the game, while Modoc batters had 11 hits.

Stevens went three-for-four, Clough and Berchtold were each two-for-four, Harris was two-for-three.

Modoc track results at Lakeview

Colleen McElwain won four events to lead the Modoc High School track team in its opening meeting of the year Tuesday at Lakeview. She won the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and was on the winning 4x400 meter relay team.

Other first places were won by Jamie Kuhn in the high jump and Amy Gentry in the 110 high hurdles.

In the boys division, Scott Joyce won the 3,000 meters, Clint Tate won the shot put, Jon Richert won the discus, and Modoc won the 4x400 meter relay. The results for the Modoc girls are as follows: 110 high hurdles, Gentry, 1st, 20.54; 100 meters, McElwain, first 13.87, Danielle Reyes 6th, 16.44, Maria Duran 7th; 3,000 meters, Vanessa Thomason, 3rd, 14:36.72; 4x400 relay, Modoc first, 5:12.15, Kayla Harness, Kuhn, Duran, McElwain; high jump, Kuhn, 1st, 3-10; 300 hurdles Gentry 2nd 1:03.99; shot put, Kuhn, 3rd, 26-2.75, Caitlin Cook, 4th, 25-1.75, Aliess Kingsley 8th, 21-10.5; 200 meters, McElwain, 1st, 29.12, Duran 5th, 33.7, Reyes, 6th, 35.99, Christina Nardoni 7th, 36.09; discus, Kingsley, 3rd, 76-5; 800 meters, Harness, 4th, 3:04.27, Jessica Gray, 6th, 3:17.99; long jump, McElwain, 1st, 14-5.25, Nardoni 5th, 11-2, Gentry 6th 10-11.5, Harness 7th 9-10, Duran 8th, 9-2.25....... The results of the boys division for Modoc were as follows: 3,000 meters, Joyce, 1st, 10:40.2; shot put, Tate, 1st, 40-5, Scott McMaster, 2nd, 38-10. Jared McGarva, 4th, 36-1.75, Richert, 5th, 36-0, Andrew Simmons, 8th, 33-6.75; discus, Richert, 1st, 113-10.5, Tate, 3rd, 102-7; 800 meters, Tyler Belarde, 4th, 2:29.61, Luke Hughes, 7th, 2:34.82; 200 meters, McGarva, 3rd, 24.93, Justin Williams, 7th, 27.71, Max Wise, 8th, 27.76; 100 meters, McGarva, 3rd, 12.25, Williams, 8th, 13.75; 1,500 meters, Joyce, 2nd, 4:47.64; 400 meters, Hughes, 2nd 58.43, Belarde, 3rd, 59.71, Clayton Broman, 4th, 61.07, Jaafar Mirlohi, 5th, 64.56, Jacob Hughes, 6th, 64.61, Wise, 7th, 65.45; high jump, Williams, 4th, 5-2, Clayton, 5th, 5-1, Wise, 6th, 5-0, Joyce, Hughes, tie 7th, 4-10, 8th, Mirlohi, 4-8; 4x400 relay, 1st, Hughes, Belarde, Broman, McGarva, 4:03.16.

Modoc hits the links

Modoc High School's golf team will begin Shasta Cascade League play at lake Shastina, March 21 at noon. The league consists of Bishop Quinn, Burney, Etna, Fall River, McCloud, Modoc, Mt. Shasta, and Trinity.

Modoc comes in as the defending league champs and coach Harold Montague looks for them to repeat. He expects his team to play well and better as the season progresses.

The Braves had their first preseason match of the year March 11 at Lake Shastina, beating Weed by 21 strokes on a very cold and windy day. Jack Britton had the low score of the day when he fired a very respectable 81. The entire team got to play in this event and their scores were as follows: Blake Thorn 87, Jake Aaron 89, Michael Bates 92, DJ Northrup 100, Charles Knox 117, Ross Montague 125 and Clint Nardoni 141.

A rule change this year that favors all teams, said Montague, is that instead of counting the best five scores of six players, teams play six players and count only the top four scores.

"I expect us to shoot better scores as the team gets used to playing on different courses and with different players," said Montague. "I'm excited to see how we develop this year and I am confident that we will continue to improve as we progress throughout the year."

Modoc third at Liberty

Modoc's baseball team travels to Etna for a Shasta Cascade League opener March 22, and should face better competition than it did in last weekend's Liberty Christian tournament where they placed third.

Coach Brad Server said the team played well considering it had little real practice and no games prior to the tournament. Eric Miller and Robert Flournoy were named to the All-tournament team.

Modoc opened with a 9-2 win over Dunsmuir. Blake Thorn got the win, fanning seven. He also had a home run.

Modoc beat Tulelake, 17-0, in the second game in three innings. Jered Pierce got the win with four strike outs and allowed one hit. Flournoy hit a home run in that.

Loyalton beat the Braves 3-2 in their final game. Flournoy and Thorn combined in the losing effort. Flournoy gave up one run in four innings, Thorn gave up two runs in one inning. Modoc's runs came on solo homers by Jared McGarva and Rick Wildtraut.

Modoc wrestlers to Burney

The Modoc Youth Wrestling team will head to Burney this week and will complete their season at Susanville the following week. Last weekend they did very well at the Tulelake Invitational, where 180 wrestlers from around the region came to compete

The Modoc results are as follows:

1st Place: Tyler Wood, Steve Miller, Hank Roabe, Justin Healy, Shane Pierce, Josh Wood, Jesse Harer, Justin Mason, Travis Wood, Ian Jacques, Tim Cruse, Alex Valencia, Tyler Ewing, Travis Northrup, Justin Valena, Patrick Bell, Conner Alexander

2nd Place: Riley Larranaga, Brian Northrup, Wayatt Valena, Christian Price, Willie Mohr, Preston Dennis, Ian Jacques

3rd Place: Jesse Harer, Gabe Fletcher

4th Place: Neil Mohr, Brian Weed, Liam Iverson, Justin Mason, Kyle Fletcher.

Christensen ends career in NCAA

Former Modoc High School star Kayte Christensen ended her very successful college basketball career Sunday night in a University of California, Santa Barbara loss to Texas, 76-60, in the second round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

The game was televised over ESPN2 and local fans got the chance to see Christensen play her final game for the Gauchos. UCSB had upset favored Louisiana Tech, 57-56, in the first round of the NCAA on a last second shot by Jess Hansen.

Against Texas, UCSB started slow, getting down 10-2, but came back to take a three-point lead at halftime. Christensen was held in check the first nine minutes, but wound up with 11 points by the time the halftime buzzer sounded.

But Texas would control her in the second half, allowing her just two points. She and teammate Lindsay Taylor (6-8) combined to pull down 41 rebounds to Texas' 31, but the UCSB squad shot just 34 percent from the floor, which would be their undoing.

Texas worked to a 10-point lead with about seven minutes left to play and wound up going on a 13-4 run, most from the free-throw line as UCSB was forced to foul in the later stages of the game.

Christensen was honored earlier as the Big West Conference Player of the Year and is in the running for the Kodak All-America team.

March 28, 2002

NEWS

County opts to move forward on power plant study

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors agreed to move forward on a power plant feasibility study Tuesday, following a three-hour public comment session.

The board also approved expenditures out of Title III funds from the Secure Rural and Community Self-Determination Act, which takes the place of the former Forest Service timber receipts. Two other projects approved were $100,000 per year to local volunteer fire departments for purchase of equipment and another $51,000 for search and rescue at the Sheriff's Department.

The power plant issue involves a $150,000 allocation from remaining Title III funds that would pay for a feasibility study of an electrical generating plant in Modoc, probably in the Alturas or Canby areas

There were only nine written comments received on the issue, mostly objecting to a clean coal-fired or any other power plant project. Most people who spoke Tuesday were against funding a feasibility study on the power plant, suggesting other avenues for economic growth and worried about air quality.

Modoc County Planner Scott Kessler, presented a short video on a coal fire plant in Florida and stressed a similar project still seemed feasible, but a lot of study and questions need to be addressed and answered.

The key part of the project concerning the county, said Kessler, is the projected revenue it would generate for the county and the city. One model predicts the county and city could realize about $44 million annually in revenue, more than the county's $37 million annual budget. It could also create jobs and spawn other industries or off shoot industry. He stressed all industries would have to meet California Air Quality standards.

The Board had given Kessler direction last year to proceed with a study on locating a power plant in Alturas, and on Tuesday reaffirmed a commitment to get that study done. The feasibility study will address the issues brought up Tuesday and give the Board a good sense of the risk levels, said Kessler.

His initial study will be designed to bring back answers to some questions, as well as show a project that can more better defined. He said industry experts will have to be hired later on to complete the feasibility study if the board continues.

Surprise Valley's Sophie Sheppard led a group of opponents, primarily from Surprise Valley, in comments opposing the feasibility study. She questioned whether the issue had been advertised properly and legally since there was no actual project to comment upon. County officials told her they were certain they were within the law. She said Forest Service officials had told her they were stretching the issue.

County Counsel Vickie Cochran said the county is within the legal parameters on the project and said the board was able to move forward if it chose.

One of Sheppard's concerns was that there was no description of the electrical generation plant for anyone to comment on and it should have been in place for comment.

Sheppard, in a letter opposing the feasibility study, said a feasibility study should contain data including emissions, fiscal risk, effects on property values, transportation costs, bio-mass fuel analysis if included, impacts to surface and ground water and the potential for further industrial development.

Other speakers, including Alan Baxter, of Cedarville, said the county should not be in the electrical generation business and should pay attention to what he called a downturn in the demand for electricity. He also said the revelation that a Klamath Falls Power Plant would not generate its projected income for the City of Klamath Falls should serve as a warning. Other speakers addressed the issue for alternative power sources, including wind and solar, that could be studied . They said those power generating ideas are sound for the environment and should not be ignored. Kessler said there have been studies in those issues, and the results indicate a lack of financial feasibility.

Kessler said the feasibility study in question would address all the concerns brought up by the public and would provide answers to the variety of questions. He also said a previous study done by Foster-Wheeler on a clean-coal fired plant contained some errors that would be fixed and addressed. He said the public will have a clear picture of what the proposed power plant will be and nothing will be kept from the public.v While most speakers opposed the power plant, many highlighted areas they felt would be better suited for Modoc economic growth, including tourism, local added value products, local artists markets and so on.v Supervisor Pat Cantrall said she felt the county should go forward with the study. "We can't sit here and do nothing," she said.

Supervisor Nancy Huffman agreed, saying the area has lost in timber and railroad base and ranching and farming is under attack. She said the economic development potential of the plant should be studied.

Supervisor Mike Dunn said the county needs to move forward and cited the Alturas hospital's financial woes. He said if the hospital fails, other jobs would be lost. The power plant could create some new jobs and revenue. None of the supervisors are committed to a power plant, but most want to see the feasibility study done before they make a decision.

MJUSD's drug testing proposal still hot item

A proposal to randomly drug test the entire 9-12 grade student body in the Modoc Joint Unified School District has generated local interest as well as interest from national and regional media.

Last week a reporter from the Los Angeles Times spent a couple of days in Alturas on the story, and other inquiries have been from the Klamath Herald and News, National Public Radio, in San Francisco, Chico and Portland, Television news from Redding and Reno and KQMS Radio in Redding. The issue has also been addressed in the New York Times and the Sacramento Bee.

The MJUSD Board of Trustees will be taking up the issue again at its April 9 meeting. It tabled the issue at its March meeting, allowing for more study.

The U.S. Supreme Court is currently hearing a student drug test case, and the MJUSD is vitally interested in whatever decision comes out of the court. That decision may come by this summer. The court may either restrict expanding student drug testing or choose to expand drug testing to more students.

It's a sensitive issue involving a student's Fourth Amendment rights prohibiting unreasonable search and seizure.

The MJUSD does have a current drug policy in place, passed in 1995, that does not include drug testing of any sort. Most of the area high schools do drug test for athletics now.v The Modoc policy in place relies heavily on education and deterrence and is designed to deal with the situation if a student is suspected of being under the influence.

Medical chopper pilot dies

A Mountain Lifeflight helicopter crashed into Honey Lake March 21, killing the pilot, from Janesville, and injuring two medical personnel on board. According to reports, killed was Raymond Watson, 50, a retired master Army Aviator who had more than 10,000 hours of flight time. He was returning from delivering a patient to a Reno hospital.

Also on board were flight nurse Gary Zahniser, and paramedic Chuck Jerpe. Zahniser sustained a fractured pelvis and was flown to Washoe Medical Center. Jerpe suffered back injuries, fractures and facial injuries and was transported to Washoe Medical Center by ground ambulance.

Andreasen takes city council gavel

Alturas has a new mayor, George Andreasen, who takes the reins from Dick Steyer who chose not to seek re-election to the council. Mayor pro-tem is Joe Coffin, who replaces John Kerr, who also chose not to seek another term.

The council also seated new members John Vass and Jerry Smith, who ran unopposed for the seats in March. Both will serve four year terms. The fifth councilman is Jack Ochs.

Bids were opened on the long-awaited and much need Carlos and Warner Street repaving project. Four good bids were received in this round and two local contractors were within $2,000 of each other, according to the city. All bids are being reviewed and a contract award is expected by mid-April. The project should start the end of April. The project includes repaving Carlos Street from Main west to Warner and Warner north about to Second Street. It also includes a section of West Street south of Carlos past Henderson. The remainder of Warner to the highway is projected to be done in 2003.

Lions set for Saturday Egg Hunt at Vets' Park

A lot goes on behind the scenes in preparation for the Alturas Lions successful Easter Egg Hunt for masses of children in Alturas.

Each year, the Alturas Lions Club carries out this tradition and will again bring the return of this special event for 2002.

This year, the Lions are grateful to the contributions from Alturas Casino for making a generous monetary donation to help provide the prize baskets and 500 candy-filled eggs, and to Holiday Market for donating the 144 dozen eggs.

On Saturday, March 30, Alturas Lions Club will host their annual Easter Egg Hunt for children, starting at 1:00 p.m. sharp, in Veterans' Memorial Park, South Main Street in Alturas.v No matter what the weather, the "hunt" is always held.

Children from one to 10-years-old are welcome to bring their baskets to join in the hunt.

Scattered across the lawn will be specially marked eggs among the 144 dozen eggs, along with 500 candy-filled, plastic eggs.

Lawn signs will help adults and children locate the five designated age category areas for the hunt. The designated areas start on the lawn in front of Veterans' Hall and encompass the lawn areas next to the new playground area.

Lions Club members start their Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m., preparing the eggs for the event with help from the Leos Youth Club members. They boil 144 dozen eggs in the natural hot waters at Kelly Hot Springs near Canby, then color them in large tubs. The eggs cool on the return to Alturas by noon.

Leos members assist and help set the eggs out on the park lawns, says Lions' Egg Hunt Chairperson Pat Schluter.

"Specially marked eggs found will deliver three Easter baskets per five different age groups in addition to the plastic eggs filled with candy as prizes too," describes Schluter.

It doesn't take little ones long to scoop up the eggs. Four years ago, the Lions clocked the event as taking one minute and 10 seconds. Moving the Egg Hunt project from Sunday to Saturday a few years ago, allows the Lions to celebrate Easter with their own families and also does not conflict with local family celebrations and church services.

Senator Oller selects Pat Cantrall as his District 'Woman of the Year'

Patricia Demick Cantrall, Modoc County Supervisor and current acting Postmaster for Likely, has been named by Senator Rico Oller as Senate District One's "Woman of the Year."

Cantrall attended the formal ceremony at the State Capitol, reception and lunch with Senator Oller on March 18 in Sacramento. She was first among the 110 honored "Women of the Year" to receive her certificate of Commendation from Lieutenant Governor Cruz M. Bustamante and plaque from Senator Oller

Oller personally selected Cantrall for the honor this year. Cantrall was Oller's top choice from the 13 counties he represents in his District, according to Oller's Press Secretary Patrick Bergin.

Eighty members of the Assembly and 40 members in the Senate have the opportunity to make their selections, often based upon their field representatives recommendations for those being nominated for achievements. Oller has personally worked with Cantrall. "She has been a great contact for Senator Oller and was helpful in assisting him with good campaign contacts, keeping him up to date about what the people of the area have thought about issues including the Tulelake Basin water issue." Cantrall has met informally on several occasions to discuss issues with Oller and his field representative Dan Dellinger at the Likely Cafe, where she works, and at the Brass Rail in Alturas. v "Senator Oller wanted to show his appreciation, and knew Pat was most deserving," said Bergin. During the reception, Cantrall met with the women from throughout the state who were honored that day for being active or influential in their districts. This was the 16th year the event was conducted.

Art Center to host pottery show

The newest works of potters Debbie Anderson of Susanville, and Jeff Hulett of Chester, CA, will be featured in the main gallery exhibit, opening April 5, with a reception from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Art Center, 317 S. Main Street, Alturas, CA. The public is invited to attend and refreshments will be served.

Anderson is well known for her decorative and utilitarian pottery dishware, casseroles, platters and mugs.v Of this exhibit, Anderson said, "It's really 'off the wall!' I've been trying different glazes. Some aren't supposed to work together but I've achieved some fantastic effects working them together. I'll also be showing some oval wheel thrown pitchers that have been twisted and carved. That's one reason I say it's 'off the wall!' And, wait until you see the platters .

I've been throwing 10 to 20 pounds of clay, creating really large platters."

"Everything I do is dishwasher safe and microwavable, but, I don't think any of these will fit into a microwave oven. I'm not even sure some will fit into a regular oven but I've had a terrific time experimenting with them. Maybe they could be hung on the wall?"

Hulett was a special Art Center guest artist last July. Patrons were especially intrigued with his one-of-a-kind museum-caliber pottery-art works. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Chico, Hulett taught art, ceramics, jewelry and woodshop for several years. "Twenty years later, I began doing ceramics at Lassen College with Deb Anderson and it was as though I'd never stopped. To be honest, I get bored doing mass produced type pieces. So, you'll find most of my work is one of a kind. I'm always trying to expand my horizons," describes Hulett.

Hulett lives in Chester, CA with his wife Susan and his dog, Woof.

Anderson grew up in the San Fernando Valley, graduating from Verdugo High School in Sunland, CA. "After that I went to any and every art center and community college in the entire region that offered me the use of a kiln," she says.

Having spent much time as an apprentice and learning new techniques from master potters all over the country, including Tom Coleman, Las Vegas, NV; Malcolm Davis, Washington, D.C.; Stephen Hill, Kansas City, MO; and, Patric Hoarsely, Portland, OR, Anderson settled in Susanville. She has earned two degrees from Lassen Community College and is currently teaching pottery there. This summer she will take time off from teaching to attend master potter Paul Soldner's "Anderson Ranch" Art School in Colorado.

"I'm very excited about this opportunity. It will be a three week course of intensive study and I can hardly wait to get there." she adds.

With 25 years of dedication to her work, Anderson continues to elevate to new levels, constantly evolving to greater heights. Anderson regularly networks with local potters, sharing her glazes and glazing techniques. Anderson's success as a potter and as an instructor is attributed to the passion and desire she gives to her work and it's process.

Area patrons will have the opportunity to meet both artists at the opening night reception, Friday, April 5, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Art Center, 317 S. Main Street, Alturas, CA.

The Art Center, a non-profit organization, is staffed by volunteers. The hours of operation are Tuesday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and, Saturday, 12 noon until 4:00 p.m. For additional information, call the Center at (530) 233-2574.

MHS '52 classmates sought

A 50th class reunion for Modoc Union High's Class of 1952 is set for August 3 at California Pines Lodge.

Anyone with information may call Joe Dees at (530) 233-2638, P.O. Box 1328, Alturas, CA 96101 or Ronnie Harden, 233-3610, P.O. Box 2055, Alturas.

Obituaries:

Dee Forace Green

Dee Forace Green, age 67, of Oak Harbor, WA, former Alturas resident, died at home on Wednesday, March 20, 2002, from complications of diabetes

Dr. Green was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on December 8, 1934, to Forace George Green and Edna Ina (Lauritzen) Green. He graduated from Granite High School in 1953. He learned the newspaper trade working on his father's newspaper, the South Salt Lake Herald. He was active in scouting and became an Eagle Scout.

He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Uruguay between 1954 and 1957

In 1959 he received a B.A. Degree in Archaeology from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. During his college years he was editor of the school newspaper and was actively involved in opera and musicals. He met Barbara Barry at BYU and they were married on June 12, 1959 in Los Angeles. Dee pursued graduate studies in anthropology and received his Master's Degree from BYU in August 1961 and his Ph.D from Arizona State University in 1974. He had opportunities to excavate archaeological sites in Utah, Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico

From 1965 to 1967 he was Curator of the Museum of Anthropology and an instructor at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. From 1967 to 1972 he was an assistant professor at Weber State College in Ogden, UT. In 1972 he accepted a position with the U.S. Forest Service as an archaeologist in Monticello, UT. In 1974, he moved to Albuquerque, N.M., to become the Forest Service Regional Archaeologist for New Mexico and Arizona. In 1985 he resigned and purchased a ceramic shop, which he operated for several years. In 1990, he returned to the Forest Service, accepting a position as archaeologist for the Modoc National Forest in Cedarville. He greatly enjoyed being actively engaged in field work and research there. He wrote extensive research papers and publications. Co-workers have said they appreciated his "great sense of humor" and he was nominated as "Supervisor of the Year." He was a proponent of diversity and a "great boss." His many interests included reading, river rafting, making ojos de Dios (God's Eyes), ceramics, family history and music and drama. He participated in the Albuquerque Civic Chorus, and during the time the family lived in Alturas, he became actively involved in the Modoc Performing Arts Theater. He directed and had leading roles in several musicals and plays and helped in the technical areas, as well. Dee and Barbara founded the Modoc Performing Arts Chorale, which he directed for two years

After his retirement, Dee and Barbara moved to Whidbey Island to be near family members. Wherever they lived, they were actively involved in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Dee is survived by his wife Barbara, his children, Michael D. Green and Lisa Crandall and husband Kelly, all of Salt Lake City, UT; David L. Green and wife Cheri and Julie Tapusoa and husband Delvin, all of Granite Falls; Steven L. Green and wife Marcia of Austin, TX; daughter-in-law Donna Green of McKinleyville; twelve grandchildren, Heidi, Rebecca, Dansil, Kelsey, Orion, Peyton, Carmen and Sheridan Green; Amy, Jeff and Claire Crandall; and Aidan Tapusoa; two sisters, Dixie L Green of Salt Lake City, UT and Linda Morris and husband Merle of Sacramento; also, five nieces and nephews

A funeral service was held on Monday, March 25 at 11:00 a.m. at the Oak Harbor LDS Chapel. Bishop William Fowler officiated. This was preceded by visitation at 10:00 a.m. in the Relief Society Room at the church. Interment and grave dedication followed at Woodlawn Cemetery in Snohomish, WA.

Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Foundation, 6315 A&B Fleming, Everett, WA 98203. Arrangements were under the direction of Burley Funeral Chapel, 30 S.E. Ely Street, Oak Harbor, WA 98277

Lois Marie Griener

Lois Marie Griener of Adel, died at the Lake District Long Term Care Facility on Monday, March 25, 2002, from natural causes. She was 79. A remembrance of life service will be held on Saturday, march 30 at 3:00 p.m. at the Desert Rose Funeral Chapel. Inurnment will be in the Alturas Cemetery on Saturday, March 30 at 10:00 a.m. Desert Rose Funeral Chapel of Lakeview, Ore. is in charge of arrangements

Lois was born to James and Mary (Stanley) Dyke at Newman, California on January 1, 1923. She grew up in California and graduated from Modoc High School in Alturas in 1940. She attended college for one year before marrying her high school sweetheart, Nolan Griener, on December 27, 1941 at Kimball, Nebraska

Both of their sons were born in Lubbock, Texas while Nolan was in the service. After Nolan's discharge the couple settled in Lakeview in 1945. Together, they ran the Harvey Boarding House and also an army surplus store before she went to work for Bend-Portland Trucking as a secretary. She and Nolan purchased the Adel Store in 1954 where she served as Postmaster until retiring after 20 years of service.v Lois enjoyed ceramics, genealogy, sewing, quilting and learning the history of the area.v She is survived by son and daughter-in-law John N. and Barbara Griener of Portland; son and partner, James A. Griener and Paul Harris of Beaverton; brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Lynn Dyke of Adel; granddaughter and husband, Sandy and Daryl Anderson of Anacortes, Washington; and great grandchildren, Anne Marie and Zachary Nolan Anderson..... Memorial contributions may be sent to Lake District Long Term Care Facility, 700 South J Street, Lakeview, OR 97630, or to a charity of the donor's choice

Charles F. Stevens

Early Monday morning, March 25, 2002, Charles Frances Stevens passed away at his home in Alturas, CA.

Dr. Ben Zandstra will conduct services at the Eagleville Community Church today, March 28 at 10 a.m. with burial to follow at the Eagleville Cemetery.

Mr. Stevens was born in the big house at the north end of Eagleville, CA on October 21, 1924 to Charlie and Frankie Stevens. He attended Eagleville Grammar School and graduated from Surprise Valley Union High School in Cedarville in 1943.

He married Jane Ash on May 17, 1945 in Reno, NV, and happily shared the next 57 years together. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Weeks, NV. and worked for Ed Waltz. In 1949 they moved to Yerington, NV, where he worked on several ranches, Anaconda Copper Company, the Chevrolet garage and Standard Oil Distributing. In 1961, the family returned to Cedarville, where they operated the Standard Oil plant for several years, then worked with Laxague Brothers Lumber Co. before returning to ranch work with P.B. Harris and John Weber ranches. Ranch work continued with a move to Mosquito Valley for Lee Hutchins until moving to Jess Valley Ranch for Warren Flournoy in 1977. Charles worked in Jess Valley and at Fitzhugh Creek until 1991 when he and Jane moved to Alturas in semi-retirement. The summers since, he and Jane worked for Nevada Hay Contractors, operating mostly swathers. He also worked farming for Don Crum.

Mr. Stevens was active and served as an officer with the Eagles Lodge, 20-30 Club, Lions Club, and the Yerington Volunteer Fire Department, Surprise Valley Rotary, Cedarville Volunteer Fire department. While in Yerington, he was a player on the Yerington Softball League, traveling around Northern Nevada for games and tournaments. He was involved in an supportive of all activities in which his two children were involved, including as a Little League coach, keeping score and running the time clock for basketball games for years, and church youth group. He also attended all his grandchildren's activities and Little League games. They often opened their Alturas home to youth and families for the Block M Tournament. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and could be seen helping with many of the community barbecues, especially in Eagleville and Fort Bidwell. Charles was preceded in death by his parents and brother Billy. He is survived by his wife Jane of Alturas; son Warren and wife Linda Stevens of Surprise Valley; daughter Betty and husband Steve Douglas of Ellensburg, WA, grandchildren Bill and Charlie and families of Denver, CO; Pat of Las Vegas, NV; Heather and husband Tom Knowles and family of Wichita, Kansas; Steven Douglas and family of Bremerton, WA, and David Douglas and family of Phoenix, AZ and eight great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Eagleville Community Church or Eagleville Community Hall

George Edward Clark

Former Surprise Valley resident George Edward Clark, 96, passed away of natural causes on March 19, 2002 at his Redding home

He was born on March 22, 1905 in Concordia, Kansas, the third of seven children to Manley and Mahala Belville Clark. As a result of suffering through small pox and malaria as a young child, he was small for his age and missed a lot of school.

At age 12, in the fourth grade, he left home to herd sheep. He held a large variety of jobs; coal miner, mule packer, packing for author Zane Grey the summer of his 16th year; mill worker, patrolman, milk delivery, Beekeeper, watchman, cowboy, but most loved cattle ranching

In 1937, he met and married Norma Carter of Lake City, CA. In the 1960s he was foreman of the Watson Ranch in Cedarville. He tried total retirement at 65, and found he couldn't do it. He was an active firefighter in Chester and Lake City. He and Norma were members of Cedarville Grange, Valley 50 and very active in Surprise Valley Masonic Lodge and Shriners. He loved beekeeping, rock hounding and jewelry making. In the 1970's he purchased land and built the first low-income housing in Cedarville, in addition to two homes for himself and for his daughter in Redding. He will also be remembered for his story-telling

Mr. Clark was preceded in death by Norma, his wife of 58 years. He is survived by his daughter Carol Fleming of Redding; granddaughters Karen Taylor and Trish Davidson of Redding and Judi Burke of Shasta Lake City. Also, six great-grandsons and one great- granddaughter; numerous nieces and nephews. He will be missed..... Allen and Dahl Funeral Chapel has charge of arrangements

Jared D. Miller

Former Modoc County resident Jared D. Miller, 69, passed away due to cancer on March 12, 2002 in Olympia, Wash.

Mr. Miller was born and reared in Alturas and graduated from Modoc High School. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and married Eva Rodgers of Alturas in Reno, Nev. after his discharge. Their three children were born in Alturas.

Mr. Miller was a man of many skills, who held a variety of jobs throughout his lifetime, including working on the Alaska Pipeline, as a prison guard for a correctional facility in Washington until about 15 years ago, as a handyman, but most enjoyed buckarooing, as he liked horses. He relocated to Lakeview, Ore., Alaska and Washington after he left Modoc County. He is survived by his wife Eva and their three children Jared, Cindy and Bonnie and three grandchildren, all of Olympia, Wash.; a sister Johnquill Pointere of Alturas, CA; three brothers James Miller of San Diego; Mike Nichols of Salt Lake City, UT and Ralph Connelly, Jr. There will be no services.

SPORTS

Modoc girls open with sweep at Etna

Modoc's varsity softball team opened the 2002 Shasta Cascade League season with a sweep of the Etna lions, 7-5, 5-3, Friday. They host Trinity here this Friday with gametime set for 1 p.m.

Brianna Berchtold got the win for the Braves in the opener by allowing just eight hits. She faced 30 batters, fanned four, walked just one.

Modoc fell behind 3-0 in the first inning, but fought back after trailing 4-2 in the fifth with a five-run fifth inning. Charlie Stevens and Jilene Mastagni led the offense with two hits each and Berchtold and Stevens each had a double. Modoc collected eight hits in the game.

Berchtold also got the win in the second game, and the Braves again fell behind in the first inning, 1-0. They took the lead in the third, 3-2 and added one run in the sixth and seventh. Berchtold faced 27 batters, fanned five and didn't walk a batter. She did bean a pair.

Kristen Taylor had three hits for the Braves, while Mastagni and Berchtold each added two. Kristen Clough had two doubles for Modoc, and Andrea Harris and Amy Ridgway each had one.

Braves split with Lions

Modoc's varsity baseball team lost the opening Shasta Cascade League game to Etna Friday, 6-0, but came back to win the second, 6-2.

In the opener, Logan Wilson got the loss as the Braves offense couldn't generate any runs against Etna pitching. They collected five hits in the game, all singles. Etna had five hits.

The Braves fared better in the second game as Jered Pierce got the win. He allowed seven hits, struck out six and walked one.

Modoc was led by Blake Thorn who had a pair of home runs, while Jared McGarva and Adam Fitzpatrick each added a pair of singles.

The Braves play host to Trinity Friday, with the first game set to start at 1 p.m. Modoc needs to at least split with the Wolves.

Youth wrestling results, Burney

Modoc's 2002 Youth Wrestling team did well at Burney last weekend and will head to Lassen this week.

In addition, several wrestlers will go with coach Shaun Wood to the prestigious Reno World Championships April 5-7. Those wrestlers include: Robert Flournoy, James Brogan, Jaafar Mirholi, K.C. Poindexter, Matt Main, David Markson, J.D. Monroe, Travis, Tyler and Josh Wood, Steve Miller and John Luscombe.

The following wrestlers took firsts at Burney: Hank Raabe, Josh Wood, Ross Cockrell, Alex Valencia, Tyler Ewing, Travis Northrup, Patrick Bell, Conner Alexander and Justin Estes.

Taking seconds in Burney were: Shane Pierce, Bill Hammerness, Jesse Harer, Ian Jacques, Cody Treat, Sheridan Crutcher and Nick Hawes. Third places in Burney went to: Tyler Wood, Steve Miller, Justin Mason, Drew Culp, Miguel Torres, Brian Northrup, Preston Dennis, Tyler Hammerness, Neil Mohr, Brian Weed and Liam Iverson.

Fourth places went to: Kyle Fletcher, Gabe Fletcher, Riley Larranaga, Willie Mohr, Justin Healy and Trent Wishart.

Modoc wins first SCL match

Modoc's Braves won the first Shasta Cascade League matches of the season and sit atop the league in the early going.

Leading the Braves and all 46 players was Jake Aaron , who fired a very respectable 78 on the par 72 Lake Shastina Course. Blake Thorn came in with an 82 and Jack Britton had an 83. Michael Bates shot a 91, D.J. Northrup had a 97 and Ross Montague a 117.

The team travels to the Trinity Alps Golf Course in Weaverville March 28 for another match.

League standings after the first ,match are as follows: Modoc 334, Bishop Quinn 363, Mt. Shasta 374, Fall River 377, Trinity 389, McCloud 405, Burney 459, Etna 485.

Locals do well in HS Rodeo

Some local competitors did well in the California High School Challenge of Champions rodeo in Plymouth, March 22-24

Jeremy Price of Cedarville scored 190 points on two horses to place fourth in bareback riding.

Luena Harbert of Bieber took an eighth place in the breakaway roping event and was 11th in girls cutting.

April 4, 2002

NEWS

MJUSD board hearing drug test issue Tuesday

The Modoc Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees will be taking up the random drug testing of students issue again at its April 9 meeting. In March, the board opted to leave the issue on the table for more study.

The meeting will be held in the Modoc Middle School Gymnasium, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The March meeting attracted about 170 people. The first meeting before that attracted only about 20 people.

The drug testing is a sensitive issue involving a student's Fourth Amendment rights prohibiting unreasonable search and seizure.

The U.S. Supreme Court is currently hearing a student drug test case, and the MJUSD is studying whatever decision comes out of the court. That decision may come by this summer. The court may either restrict expanding student drug testing or choose to expand drug testing to more students.

The issue before the Supreme Court involves a choir member who balked at having to go through drug testing to participate in choir.

The issues facing the MJUSD Board are whether to test just athletes, which has been upheld in court, whether to add other extra curricular activities or whether to include the entire student body in the testing cycle.

Some schools now test both athletes and extra curricular students, but none have gone so far as to include all students. If the MJUSD Board did opt for that option, many in the legal profession believe it would lead to legal challenges.

The MJUSD does have a current drug policy in place, passed in 1995, that does not include drug testing of any sort. Most of the area high schools do drug test for athletics now.

The Modoc policy in place relies heavily on education and deterrence and is designed to deal with the situation if a student is suspected of being under the influence.

Four MHS students nabbed on drug use

Four Modoc High School students who allegedly cut class March 28, 11 a.m. were caught later at the Alturas Mill site, and turned over to probation on drug charges.

According to Police, one boy and three girls were involved. The boy was charged only with contributing. Three girls were charged with possession of marijuana, one with an added charge of furnishing and two with possession of a controlled substance.

Mascot issue could lose Braves

A bill that would ban the use of the Braves, or any other Indian name relating to the racial, ethnic, national or tribal groups, is making its way through the state legislature.

The bill is sponsored by Los Angeles Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, and states, "the use of racially derogatory or discriminatory school or athletic team names, mascots, or nicknames in California public schools, colleges or universities is antiethical to those schools' mission of providing an equal education for all . . . that the continued use of Native American images and nicknames in school sports is a barrier to equality and understanding, and that all residents of the United States would benefit from the discontinuance of their use."

Modoc High School Athletic Director Shaun Wood said a quick assessment of costs finds that a change of the Braves' logo and name would cost about $65,000. Those costs include changing uniforms, logos, banners, logos on fields and scoreboards, wrestling mats, coaching, team and booster apparel.

Wood believes, as do many people in the community that Braves, Warriors and those types of names are not derogatory to American Indians and considers them more of an historical and honorable name. If passed by the state legislature, the new law would go into effect July 1, 2004. If passed, the state would have to reimburse schools for any costs associated with the new law.

Many schools in the nation have voluntarily changed their mascot names over the past few years, while many have not. The bill is expected to face some tough opposition as it goes through the state legislature. Locally, school officials are keeping an eye on the issue and will be addressing local public opinion.

Anyone with a view on the issue may also contact the Modoc Record. Make your opinion known by either phone call or letter. Phone 530-233-2632 or write to the Record at P.O. Box 531, Alturas. Email comments are also accepted at record1@modocrecord.com.

Stewardship Steering Committee to meet

Members of the Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship Steering Committee will discuss a wide range of issues when they meet Thursday, April 18, at 8:00 a.m. at the Cedarville Community Church Hall, Center at Bonner Streets in Cedarville. The meeting is open to the public.

Agenda items include discussion of the grazing allotment management plan schedule for the Warner Mountain Range Project, an update on Bureau of Land Management wild horse and burro issues, and discussion of planning alternatives for the Black-Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon-Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area.

The committee will also discuss Resource Conservation District representation, receive information on the Yankee Jim Grazing allotment, hear a report from the Modoc County Resource Advisory Council, and hear a report on sage grouse conservation planning. A proposal to shift administration of BLM-managed lands to a Nevada field office also will be discussed.

Owen Billingsley, the BLM's newly appointed Surprise Field Office manager, will present a report. Representatives from Modoc County, the Modoc National Forest, California Department of Fish and Game, the Nevada Division of Wildlife and other member organizations will also provide status reports.

The steering committee advises the BLM Surprise Field Office and the Modoc National Forest's Warner Mountain Ranger District on resource management issues. Working on a full consensus basis, the group develops innovative rangeland management approaches.

Members represent a wide range of interest groups, including grazing permit holders, environmental groups, recreation interests, state wildlife agencies and local government. The group is one of three Experimental Stewardship organizations authorized by Congress in the 1978 Public Rangeland Improvement Act.

Duo to share pottery show opener Friday eve

View the newest works of potters Debbie Anderson of Susanville, and Jeff Hulett of Chester, CA, at the new gallery exhibit opening Friday, April 5, with a reception from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Art Center, 317 S. Refreshments will be available.

Anderson is well known for her decorative and utilitarian pottery dishware, casseroles, platters and mugs.

"It's really 'off the wall!' I've been trying different glazes," says Anderson. "Some aren't supposed to work together, but I've achieved some fantastic effects working them together.

"I'll also be showing some oval wheel thrown pitchers that have been twisted and carved. That's one reason I say it's 'off the wall!' And, wait until you see the platters ... I've been throwing 10 to 20 pounds of clay, creating really large platters."

Everything Anderson does is dishwasher safe and microwave able, she notes. "But, I don't think any of these will fit into a microwave oven. I'm not even sure some will fit into a regular oven but I've had a terrific time experimenting with them. Maybe they could be hung on the wall?" Hulett was a special Art Center guest artist in July 2001.

Hulett received his Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Chico, then went into teaching art, ceramics, jewelry making and woodshop for several years.

"Twenty years later, I began doing ceramics at Lassen College with Deb Anderson. Most of my work is one of a kind. I'm always trying to expand my horizons," describes Hulett.

Anderson grew up in the San Fernando Valley. and says she "attended every art center and community college in the entire region that offered me the use of a kiln."

Having spent much time as an apprentice and learning new techniques from master potters all over the country, Anderson settled in Susanville. She is currently teaching pottery at Lassen Community College. Anderson continues to elevate to new levels and regularly networks with local potters, sharing her glazes and glazing techniques.

Anderson's success as a potter and as an instructor is attributed to the passion and desire she gives to her work and its process.

Come meet both artists at the opening night reception, Friday, April 5, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The Art Center is a non-profit organization, staffed by volunteers. The hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and, Saturday, 12 noon until 4:00 p.m. For additional information, call the Center at (530) 233-2574.

Meet, hear guest poet Friday

A Poetry Reading with Joe Millar from Eugene, Oregon, will be held at the upstairs studio above Floating Island Books in Cedarville on Friday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Mr. Millar will be introduced by Steve Torre of Lake City, who will also read from his own work. Millar's book "Overtime" will be available.

Joseph Millar grew up in Pennsylvania and received an MA from Johns Hopkins in 1970.

He has spent the last 25 years in the San Francisco Bay Area, working at a variety of jobs, from telephone repairman to commercial fisherman. His poems have won fellowships from Montalvo Center for the Arts and more recently from Oregon Literary Arts. In 1997, he gave up his job as telephone installation foreman and moved to Western Oregon where he teaches at Mount Hood Community College and at the Mountain Writer's Center. This will be the first of many literary events open to the public and to be held and hosted by Floating Island Books in Cedarville.

Obituaries:

Erma Faye Murray

Services for Alturas resident Erma Faye Murray will be held Saturday, April 6 at 10:00 a.m. at the Federated Community Church in Alturas. The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra will officiate.

Mrs. Murray passed away March 28, 2002 at Mercy Medical Center in Redding, CA. She was 84 and had made Alturas her home for the past 17 years

Born Erma Faye Teague on April 24, 1917 in Amarillo, Texas, she completed high school there. She became a licensed vocational nurse, a profession in which she worked for 21 years.

She married Milton Murray on February 11, 1966 in Reno, Nev. Mrs. Murray enjoyed reading and crocheting. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star, Alturas Chapter and Modoc Medical Center Auxiliary. Her husband preceded her in death on June 1, 1984

She is survived by her son Douglas Thorp, I and daughter-in-law Anna Marie of Alturas; grandson Douglas Thorp, II, in Vancouver, WA.; granddaughters Leeann Anthony of Redding and Dawn Pollard of Modesto; great granddaughters Danielle, Lisa and Laura Thorp of Vancouver; and great-grandson Ryan Pollard of Modesto

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Federated Community Church, Alturas.

Clyde Phoenix

Funeral services for Clyde Phoenix of Ft. Bidwell, will be held Saturday, April 6 at the Ft. Bidwell Paiute Reservation Gymnasium at 11:00 a.m. in Ft. Bidwell, CA

Mr. Phoenix passed away Easter Sunday, March 31, 2002 at Mercy Medical Center in Redding, CA

A beloved father, grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend, he was born in Cedarville, CA on April 15, 1925 to Amy Jo and Tommy Phoenix. He was reared there until he left to attend Stewart Indian High School, a boarding school in Carson City, Nevada. There, he completed vocational training as a baker. He was also boxed and played football in high school

Clyde had a passion for the sport of boxing. He put a lot of hard work and dedication into the sport and successfully became a Golden Gloves contender in California. After finishing at Stewart, he returned to Surprise Valley, moving to Ft. Bidwell, where he began working, met his wife Marian Julia Burns and started a family.

Through the years, Mr. Phoenix worked on ranches in Ft. Bidwell and Cedarville and with the Forest Service in fighting fires. He often walked from Ft. Bidwell to Cedarville and had a strong heart even into his final days. He loved to hunt deer and wild game

He passed on as a resident of the Ft. Bidwell Paiute Reservation where he is survived by his sons Delmar Phoenix of Sylmar, CA; Clevon Phoenix of Ft. Bidwell, CA.; Marvin Phoenix of Los Angeles; daughters Donna Candy Ruvalcaba of Los Angeles; Roberta Phoenix of Ft. Bidwell; Cecilia Phoenix of Ft. Bidwell; 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He had numerous nieces and nephews in Ft. Bidwell, Cedarville, Sutcliff and Nixon, Nevada, as well as numerous relatives throughout Nevada and California. He was preceded in death by his wife Marian Julia in December 1985

Mr. Phoenix will be greatly missed and always be in the heart of his loved ones. Burial will be at the Ft. Bidwell Cemetery.

SPORTS

Modoc splits with Trinity

The Modoc Braves softball team split a double bill with Trinity Friday, losing the first game 7-5 and coming back in the second game to win 7-5. The Wolves and Braves traded runs in the opening game, with Trinity scoring two to take the lead in the seventh. Modoc centerfielder Shay Farmer threw two runners out at home in that inning to keep the Braves close. But Modoc couldn't score in the bottom half of the last inning.

Modoc led 3-1 after the first inning and Trinity tied it at 3-3 in the second. Modoc went up 4-3 in the third and Trinity tied it at 4-4 in the fourth then went up 5-4 in the fifth, but Modoc tied it again. The Wolves added a pair in the seventh.

Breanna Berchtold got the loss for the Braves, giving up 10 hits, fanning eight and struggled with control most of the game.

For Modoc, Farmer, Kristen Taylor and Andrea Harris each tripled, while Taylor also had two hits.

In the second game, Modoc got on top 2-1 in the first, but Trinity took a 3-2 lead in the second. Modoc pumped in five runs in the fourth to lead 7-3 and Trinity would add a pair in the fifth, but neither team scored after that and Modoc won 7-5.

Harris got the win. She gave up 11 hits, and Modoc batters collected 10 hits. Berchtold helped the cause offensively in the second game, collecting three hits, one a double. Taylor again connected for a pair of hits, while Charlie Stevens tripled and singled. Jilene Mastagni and Amy Ridgway each doubled.

Modoc is now 3-1 in league play and 6-2 overall. They're off until traveling to Burney for another league contest April 9.

Boys take pair from Wolves, 8-7, 12-2

Modoc's boys baseball team won a pair from the Trinity Wolves Friday with a 8-7 comeback in the opener and a 12-2 win in the second. They are now 3-1 in league and 5-2 overall.

The Braves were forced to comeback in the first game after leading 6-1. The Wolves got a grand slam in the fifth inning and took the lead with a two run sixth, 7-6. Modoc's Eric Miller drove the first pitch over the fence to tie the game in the seventh, then Adam Fitzpatrick singled, and on a throwing error took second. He was sacrificed to third. Logan Wilson hit a deep fly ball to score Fitzpatrick for the winning run.

Blake Thorn hit a pair of home runs for Modoc in the opener. Wilson and Jered Pierce added a double each while Pierce and Jared McGarva each had a pair of hits.

In the second game, Modoc led 1-0 after four and exploded for eight runs in the fifth to lead 9-0. They added three in the sixth, while Trinity scored a pair in the sixth.

Wilson hit a home run and a single in the second game and collected three hits. Miller added a pair of doubles, Rick Wildtraut and Christian Hagge each had a pair of singles, Robert Flournoy and Thorn each doubled. Modoc meets Burney April 9, there in the next game and comes home to meet Fall River April 12.

April 11, 2002

NEWS

MJUSD drops random drug testing policy

The Modoc Joint Unified School District Tuesday night voted to drop the proposed random drug testing policy for all grade 9 through 12 students, in favor of continuing an existing policy stressing education.

The proposed policy had attracted media attention from around the nation, with a major front-page story Tuesday in the Los Angeles Times. MJUSD Superintendent Dr. Kevin Jolly, said he returned calls Tuesday night to several news agencies, including the LA Times, CNN and several radio and television stations. Their interest in the story waned when they heard the Board dropped the idea.

What caused the national interest was the fact that this was the first recent policy that wanted to include all district students in random drug testing. Most schools who have the policy include just athletes, or in some cases, extra-curricular activities.

A case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court involves extra-curricular drug testing, but statements by individual justices indicate a much broader ruling could come from that court.

While less than a third of the 170 people who participated in a previous meeting showed up for Tuesday's meeting, the Board was predisposed to drop the policy at least until the Supreme Court made a decision. While the Board did drop the policy entirely, it can come back at any time.

Several members of the audience Tuesday said they didn't care what the Supreme Court ruled, they wanted the Board to drop the issue entirely. Some said the ruling would create an adversarial relationship between the teachers, school officials and the students and stressed that positive interaction would be a much better choice....... Still others said the drug problem at Modoc High School was not as serious as people are indicating, and should be dealt with only when there is suspicion of a student being under the influence.

Many felt the random drug testing was a violation of the students' and their parents' rights.

The Modoc Teachers Association came out against the drug testing policy, stating they did not want to see funds that could be used for education, go into drug testing. They believed intervention was a better road to travel with coordination from all local agencies, including law enforcement.

Some people stressed that education needs to start at an earlier age and that once students get to age 15 they're not going to be swayed by education alone. One student said she felt education needs to focus on the effects of drugs, not just telling kids not to use them. Real facts and real consequences would be most appropriate

Jolly told the audience that the first staff training for Kindergarten through grade 12 on how to recognize whether someone is under the influence will be held May 17. That training will be with the local Drug Task Force and law enforcement and will be an ongoing process.

Caution key word in snow survey

Cautious optimism is the key thought in reports of the March, 2002 snow survey conducted last week. While many areas have above average snowpack levels, it's a mixed view.

"The data we collected may over-represent the actual water and snow accumulation based upon my observation of bare south-facing slopes near the sample areas," said U.S. Forest Service's Jake Coffey.

Those same conditions exist at Sweagert Flat and Medicine Lake, lowering the overall expectation of good spring runoff.

In the Warner Mountains, the stats appear quite good. On Cedar Pass, there were 55.5 inches of snow measured, with 20.6 inches of water. The overall average for that area is 44.5 inches, containing 16.8 inches of moisture.

Blue Lake measured 35.2 inches of snow in March, with 13.5 inches of water. The average for that area is 5.1 inches of snow with 10.2 inches of water.

Barber Creek measured 38.9 inches of snow containing 15.4 inches of water. The average for that site is 28.3 inches of snow and 10.8 inches of water.

At 49 Mountain, 21.3 inches of snow contained 8.6 inches of water. The average is 8.1 inches of snow and 2.6 inches of water.

Sweagert Flat showed 41.9 inches of snow in the latest survey, containing 14 inches of water. The average for that site is 33.9 inches of snow containing 12.6 inches of water.

Medicine Lake had 62 inches of snow, with 26 inches of water. The 62-year average for that site is 78.7 inches of snow and 32.1 inches of water. Adin received 1.40 inches of precipitation for March, 2002. The average for March in Adin is 1.7 inches of water. The total precipitation to date in Adin from July 1, 2001 to March 31, 2002 is 11.92. That's nearly double last season's 6.12 inches at this time.

According to reports from local water managers, Big Sage Reservoir is about a third full and West Valley is about half full. Dorris Reservoir is about half full.

While March started out well in Alturas, the total precipitation fell off dramatically. According to the U.S. Forest Service's Sue Becker, only .45 inches of precipitation was measured for March, 2002, well below the 1.27 inch average.

For the water year since Oct. 2001, Alturas has had 7.44 inches of precipitation, almost the 7.61 average for this time. Most of that moisture (4.47 inches) came in November with 2.61 inches and 1.86 in December. During the serious drought of last year, only 4.13 inches of moisture had been measured from October through March. April and May generally have over an inch of precipitation each, but April has started out dry. The average annual precipitation in Alturas is 12.01 inches. In 2001, only 6.89 inches was measured and in the year 2000 only 9.22 inches was measured.

Water managers are keeping a wary eye in the current storm situation and the overall snowpack. This year is not expected to completely eliminate the effects of the last two years' drought. .

Building stays slow in March

Building stayed fairly slow in March with the City of Alturas issuing eight permits, valued at $56,660.

A new foundation and re-siding of the historic Red Barn on Carlos Street, by owner Jim Rollins, and a new batting cage for Modoc Little League made up a lot of the March building permit value. The city collected $408.91 in fees.

The county building department issued 14 permits valued at $232,427.50. The installation of a manufactured home, remodeling, a pole barn and garage made up the bulk of the activity. The county collected $1,922.72 in fees.

Local jobs at Modoc Job Expo

Job seekers can interview with local employers for dozens of open positions at the Modoc Job Expo, scheduled for Saturday, April 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Modoc Employment Center, 221 N. Main St., Alturas.

Work opportunities include carpenters, clerks, cashiers, delivery drivers, equipment operators, food service workers, housekeepers, instructional aides, janitors, laborers, maintenance, mechanics, nurses, parts pullers, roofers, security, slot attendants and technicians, warehouse workers and more.

At least eight employers have already registered for the Job Expo, including Modoc County Office of Education, Alturas Ranches, JS General Contracting, Modoc Mini Mart, Alturas Chevron, Alturas Casino, Modoc Medical Center and Adin Automotive Products.

Employers are offering permanent, skilled positions, as well as part-time, entry-level jobs. In addition to their current openings, many employers will be building an applicant pool for future hiring needs.

The Modoc Job Expo is a positive experience for employers and job seekers alike. According to Kelley Poindexter, Community Coordinator for the Alliance for Workforce Development, Inc., a partner in the MEC One Stop, "The Job Expo seeks to match the needs of employers and prospective employees to enhance the region's economic success. It's a great opportunity for employers and job seekers to meet face-to-face, ask questions, and conduct multiple interviews in one easy location."

The Job Expo is made possible through the partnerships of the agencies that work together at the Modoc Employment Center One Stop: Alliance for Workforce Development, Inc., California EDD, CalWORKS, and Vocational Rehabilitation.

For further information, contact the Modoc Employment Center at (530) 233-4161.

Skin & Bones bring new dimension to Alturas concert

Audiences have found it fascinating to watch and listen to the world-class talents of Terry Longshore and Brett Reed in concert as Skin & Bones. The percussionist duo will treat Modoc residents to a concert on Wednesday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the A.C.T. Niles Theater, Main St., Alturas.

Tickets will be $8, general and $6 for senior citizens and students. Skin & Bones play a mixture of avante-garde, to jazz and marimba with pure rhythm and sound, to appeal to both trained musicians and the general listener.

Both musicians are university professors and composers and perform as soloists, as well as Skin & Bones and with other groups. They will conduct an Arts in Education Program through assemblies and workshops in all three Modoc County School Districts next week, April 15 to 18.

Brett Reed performs and composes and specializes in contemporary and improvised music. He regularly performs. Reed holds his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Arts from the University of California, San Diego, where he is presently completing his doctorate under renowned percussionist Steven Schick.

Terry Longshore is active as a performer, composer and educator of percussion. He performs regularly, with performances throughout the world. He can be heard on numerous cd and motion picture recordings and premiered pieces for solo percussion. He holds bachelors degrees from California State University at Fresno and Sacramento and his Masters and Doctorate degree from University of California, San Diego, where he also studied under Schick. He currently serves as Assistant Professor and Director of Percussion Studies at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Ore.

Arrangements for their guest appearance in Modoc County have been made by Modoc County Arts Council, Inc. The opportunity is sponsored by Modoc County Office of Education, Modoc County Arts Council, Alturas Community Theater, Modoc Joint, Surprise Valley Joint and Tulelake Basin Joint Unified School Districts, and is funded in part by the California Arts Council.

The Skin & Bones music cd, "Boom" can be heard on KCHO-FM radio, Chico at 103.5 public radio now through April 17.

Obituaries:

Virginia Devine Baker

Virginia Devine Baker of Fort Bidwell, CA died on Friday, April 5, 2002 at the Surprise Valley Community Hospital in Cedarville, CA at the age of 85. A graveside service was held at the Fort Bidwell Cemetery on Monday, April 8, with the Rev. Patrick Henry officiating.

Mrs. Baker was born on March 27, 1917 in Lodi, CA to Frank and Vesta (Van Horne) Devine.

On July 23, 1937, she married Walter "Tiny" Baker in Stockton, CA. They made their home in Petaluma, CA, where they raised their family. Mrs. Baker worked as a placement officer for the California Department of Employment. She was very active in the P.T.A., served as both a Cub Scout Den Mother and a Campfire Leader. She was also involved in the American Foreign Exchange Student Program and belonged to several bridge club.s

In 1970, she and her husband moved to Fort Bidwell, where they started a pollen collecting business. She enjoyed gardening, fishing, her dog, Daisy, and the outdoors.

She is survived by her husband, Walter "Tiny" Baker of Fort Bidwell; sons, John and Tom Baker; sister-in-law, Arline Devine; nephew, Frank Devine and his wife, Cheryl Ann; niece, Mikel Ann O'Connell and her husband, Dennis; grandchildren; other nieces and nephews; great nephews and a great niece.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Frank Devine. Contributions in the memory of Mrs. Baker may be sent to a charity of the donor's choice.

Desert Rose Funeral Chapel of Lakeview, OR was in charge of arrangements.

Eva (Eyre) Voelz

Former Alturas resident Eva (Eyre) Voelz passed away in Brookings, Oregon on April 7, 2002 at the age of 89.

Eva was born in Willington, Kansas on May 21, 1912 to H.H. and Leta Hull. Eva had two younger brothers. Eva and her husband, Frank Eyre, moved to Alturas in the early 1950s, where they owned the well-known Warner Hotel until the late 1960s. Frank passed away in 1970.

Eva married Mihlo Voelz in 1971. In 1972, they left Alturas and moved to the Oregon coast. Eva loved traveling, as well as the Oregon coast line. Eva is survived by her daughters, Leta Pelzel of Brookings, OR and Margaret Semmens of Mt. Shasta, CA; grandson, Frank Stone; granddaughter, Debbie Catania; and great-granddaughters Lindsay, Jacquie Stone and Megan Catania, all of Napa, CA. Mihlo preceded her in death in May 1986.

At Eva's request, there will be no services.

Leland Frederick Bogner

Former Likely resident Leland Frederick Bogner, 78, passed away Monday, April 8 of natural causes at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff, CA. Services will be held today, April 11, at 11:00 a.m. at Chapel of the Flowers in Red Bluff.

Mr. Bogner was born July 28, 1923 in Alturas, CA and reared in Likely. He was a veteran of World War II, serving with the U.S. Army. After 37 years as a lineman with Pacific Gas & Electric, he retired in 1984. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed his family and traveling.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Barbara Bogner of Red Bluff; sons Steve Bogner and wife Darcell of Red Bluff; daughter Sharon Kennedy and husband Pete of Longview, WA.; grandchildren Wesley, Eric and Holden Bogner, all of Red Bluff and Cody, Cory and Samantha Kennedy, all of Longview, WA.

Contributions may be made to a charity of the donor's choice. Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers of Red Bluff is in charge of arrangements.

Brenda Jo Ivers

There will be a private family funeral service this week for Brenda Jo Ivers, 33, of Alturas, who died April 9, 2002 in Klamath Falls, Or.

A full obituary will be published next week. The family prefers donations to the Lymphoma Cancer Fund. Arrangements are being handled by Kerr Mortuary.

SPORTS

Modoc thinclads at Lakeview

Modoc's track teams will head to the big John Frank meet at Shasta High School this year on April 20, for a chance see most of the better athletes in the north state.

Because of Spring Break, Modoc only took about 12 of its 30 athletes to the meet.

Modoc comes off a big meet in Lakeview April 6, where they had some respectable performances from a few athletes.

Leading the way for Modoc was Colleen McElwain, who won the 200 meters in 28:31, placed second in the 100 at 13.52 and fourth in the long jump at 13-10.

Kayla Harness placed eighth in the 800 meters at 3:00.45 and in the 1,500 meters at 5:58.68.

For Modoc's boys, Clint Tate won the shot put at 39-11-3/4 and eighth in the discus at 110-9. Scott Joyce was third in the 3,000 meters at 10:23.44 and fourth in the 1,500 meters at 4:36.10. Jared McGarva took a sixth in the 100 meters at 11.81 and eighth in the 200 at 24.11.

Junior varsity boy Max Wise took a second in the high jump at 5-4. In JV girls, Jessica Gray took second in the 800 at 3:03.89 and third in the 400 at 75.44. Danielle Reyes took fourth in the 200 at 32.67.

Tryouts Saturday for Junior, Senior league

Junior and Senior baseball and softball will hold tryouts Saturday, April 13, 9 a.m. at the Rotary Senior Field at 8th and West C Streets in Alturas

All junior and senior players are reminded to sign up prior to tryouts. Forms are available at True Value and the final day to sign up is April 13. Saturday will also be field clean up day. All coaches and players willing to assist should arrive at the fields by 9 a.m

In addition, the fund-raiser "Jerky Money" must be turned in by April 20. Jamboree and Photo Day will also be April 20.

Braves' schedule

Modoc's baseball and softball teams host Shasta Cascade League rival Fall River here Friday, with game time set for 1 p.m. Baseball will travel to Lassen April 17.

April 18, 2002

NEWS

Carlos Street repair project starts in May

The $1.274 million reconstruction project of Carlos Street in Alturas is scheduled to start around May 6, and should be finished in September. Local contractor Fitch Sand and Gravel was awarded the bid and the scheduling has been set. The much-needed street renovation starts at Carlos and Main Street, heads west to Warner Street and then north to about Park Street.

Carlos has been one of the worst streets in the city for several years, and the repair project has been delayed more than once. City Public Works Director Stacy Chase said no one is happier than he that this year it will be done. The entire street will be restructured, with about 13 inches of base and four inches of new asphalt. The entire length of the project will be lined with new curb and gutter. Some existing sidewalks will remain and others will be replaced or redone.

Chace expects the project to go smoothly, with the street height remaining about where it is and tying into existing facilities where possible. Chase said business and resident disruptions will be kept to a minimum. One lane of traffic will remain open on Carlos during the project.

Two other major projects, Main Street and Highway 299 west are still in the hopper, but will probably not be constructed for a couple of years. Both of those projects are under Caltrans jurisdiction.

The Main Street project will replace storm drains and reconstruct the roadway. The Highway 299 project will start at 12th and Main and head west, turning what is currently a two-lane highway into a three-lane highway, with the center lane a left turn lane from 12th all the way past Holiday Market. Both projects include some landscaping and beautification elements.

Chase is also working on the engineering portion of an Eighth Street project from Main Street to West C Street, a pothole marked stretch. He doesn't expect that project to actually get approved any time soon.

Concerned about youth and drugs?

Anyone concerned about youth and drug use has a way to get involved in the solution.

The Modoc Joint Unified School District is establishing a District-wide School-Community Advisory Committee to consider and make recommendations to the Board of Trustees related to drug education curriculum and the prevention of alcohol and other drug use among students.

The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 5:30 p.m. at the District Office Conference Room, located at 906 West 4th Street, Alturas.

Anyone interested in serving on the committee should contact Sandy Hess at 233-7201, ext. 101, by Friday, April 26 in order to receive material to be discussed at the meeting.

The MJUSD board elected to drop a proposed random drug testing policy for all grade 9 through 12 students, in favor of continuing an existing policy stressing education. This community-school advisory committee is part of the district's current policy. It had not been enacted, but with the new attention given to drug use, the board opted to put it in place.

The fact that the proposed drug test policy was the first policy that wanted to include all district students in random drug testing merited national media attention. Most schools who have the policy include just athletes, or in some cases, extra-curricular activities.

A case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court involves extra-curricular drug testing, but statements by individual justices indicate a much broader ruling could come from that court.

Many people felt the random drug testing was a violation of the students' and their parents' rights.

The Modoc Teachers Association came out against the drug testing policy, stating they did not want to see funds that could be used for education go into drug testing.

On May 17 the MJUSD underwent a first staff training to assist in identifying people who may be under the influence. The training will be with the local Drug Task Force and law enforcement and will be an ongoing process.

March '02 jobless rate was 9.7%

The jobless rate for Modoc County in March stood at 9.7 percent, down just a tenth from February's 9.8 percent. That's down, two-tenths from March, 2001, when it was 9.9 percent.

The unemployment rate has dropped this year from 11.1 in January. Interestingly, there was a labor force of 3,030 in January and that increased to 4,090 in March. The number of employed people went from 3,580 in January to 3,690 in March.

Modoc ranks 39th out of the state's 58 counties for highest unemployment. Siskiyou County is ranked 43rd with a jobless rate of 12.6 percent and Lassen County is ranked 36 with a jobless rate of 9.4 percent.

Children's Fair to go patriotic for May 2002

The wheels of progress are moving toward the 15th annual Modoc County Children's Fair.

"The Best America Has to Offer" is the chosen theme to go with a patriotic look for booths and promotion.

During the month of March at Alturas Casino, every Bingo card purchased, the Casino has agreed to donate half the cost of the card to the Children's Fair. The Fair is the result of hard work and volunteer collaborative efforts by individuals, agencies and schools. It is supported by child abuse prevention, drug and alcohol prevention, tobacco education and parenting funds, as well as donations, in-kind services and fund-raising efforts.

The philosophy of the Modoc County Children's Fair has remained unchanged over the past 15 years, since its inception. The special event is to provide a low cost/no cost day for families to be together in an alcohol-free, drug-free and child abuse free environment and to promote unity and interaction among community members.

The Modoc County Children's Fair is held annually on the third Saturday of May in Alturas. The Fair is held largely outdoors on the Modoc High School campus. The event draws between 3,000 and 5,000 people. It has been held since 1988 and has consisted of games, hands-on activities, entertainment, demonstrations and displays for children ages birth to 199. Comments and suggestions are appreciated and may be directed to the Modoc County Children's Fair Committee, 500 Highway 395, Alturas, CA 96101 or call (530) 233-5556.

MHS Class of '92 to reunite

A reunion for Modoc High School's Class of 1992 will be held during Fandango Days 2002.

Friday night, July 5, a mixer will start festivities at 8 p.m. at Benny's in Alturas. Saturday, classmates will gather at the Brass Rail for socializing and dinner at 6 p.m.

Organizers are seeking the whereabouts of the following classmates: Alicia Ehquist, Shannon Miller, David Murphy, Dan Payne, Jesus Santa Cruz, Chris Turner and Josh White. Please call Rene Vernon at (530) 839-2164 with information.

Obituaries:

Brenda Jo Ivers

Brenda Jo Ivers, 33, passed away April 9, 2002 at Merle West Medical Center in Klamath Falls, OR after a recurrence of lymphoma cancer. Brenda was born August 31, 1968, in Alturas, CA to David and Irene Ivers. She attended schools in Alturas with the exception of one year that she attended a Christian school in Red Bluff.

Brenda worked in a variety of occupations. Before the recurrence of her cancer her last job was with Home Health Care, which she loved most. She also extended herself beyond her employment to help those in need. Brenda loved spending time with her family and friends and enjoyed camping, music, animals and watching "Nick at Night".

Private family services were held Saturday, April 13 at Modoc Full Gospel Church with Pastor Lake officiating and burial at Alturas Cemetery. She is survived by her father; Dave Ivers, Mother; Irene Ivers, three older brothers: Gary Royall of Alturas, Bart Royall Wheeler of Reno, NV, David Ivers of Little Rock, Ark. and one sister-in-law, Sheryl Wheeler of Alturas. Grandparents: Mildred Webb, Alturas; Adelie Webb, Alturas; Bessie Bucknam, Red Bluff. Uncles and aunts: Carol & Len Weber, Alturas; Bob & Donna Webb, Alturas; Sharon Zimmerman & John Krips, Red Bluff; and Bette Webb, Myrtle Creek, OR. Nephews: Cameron & David Wheeler, Alturas; Aidan Ivers, Little Rock, Ark.; great-nephew: James Lloyd; nieces: Michelle Wheeler, Klamath Falls, OR; Alaina Ivers, Little Rock, Ark.; cousins, Robbie Webb, Crescent City, CA; Dale Webb, Crescent City, CA; Donnie Webb, Myrtle Creek, OR; Kristina Webb, Myrtle Creek, OR; Darren Egle, Red Bluff, CA; Debbie McCord, Sutherlin, OR; Darlene Estes, Alturas; Danny Egle, Reno, NV; Devin Egle, Oroville, CA; James Partridge, Grass Valley, CA; Jason, Shelly and Troy Zimmerman of Red Bluff and numerous distant uncles, aunts and cousins.

Donations can be made "in memory of Brenda Jo Ivers" to: Lymphoma Research Foundation, 215 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York, 10016 or to a charity of your choice.

Services for Joan Skinner.

The life of Joan Marie Skinner, born and reared in Alturas, will be celebrated by her family and friends on Saturday, April 20 in Alturas. Mrs. Skinner passed away November 16, 2001.

The Rev. Father Patrick Henry will give a Memorial Mass at 1:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, East Fourth St., Alturas. A graveside service will follow at Alturas Cemetery.

The family invites all friends and relatives to join them at Sacred Heart Parish Hall for an "Irish Wake" following the services. Come reminisce, enjoy food and beverage and reunite with family members.

Joan was born April 22, 1930, the daughter of Patrick and Kitty McHugh and the wife of Perry Ross Skinner of Pocatello, Idaho. The Skinners have four children and four grandchildren.

Wayland Stevenson

Wayland Stevenson passed away on April 14, 2002 in Parker, AZ, and will be buried at the Adin Cemetery on April 20 at 2:00 p.m. Refreshments will follow.

The oldest of nine children born to Emma and Joe Stevenson, he was born at Pumpkin Center on February 25, 1912. He grew up in Lookout and Bieber, working on ranches and breaking horses. He married Violet Harper on August 15, 1936. They had four children: Robert, Loretta Bowen, Donald and Frank. They now have nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

During his life, Wayland worked on gold dredges, logging, and then went into logging and operated a sawmill with Jack Harper. When the partnership dissolved, he logged for many years on his own, with the help of his family. They also owned a small store and gas station for several years, called "Indian Springs" on Rush Creek.

For most of his married life, Wayland and his family lived at the very north end of Round Valley on land that Violet's parents, Neta and Les Harper, had given them so they would return from Folsom, CA.

He retired in 1970, and went to fishing full-time instead of part-time. He loved to fish and hunt. He taught each of his grandchildren to fish, especially in the Warner Mountains. His grandchildren were his biggest delight.

Wayland and his family spent countless winters in Mexico fishing, and then built a home in Parker, AZ, where they displayed all their years of gathering rocks into patio decoration and planters. In the summer, they always returned to Adin to their home in Rush Creek to take care of their very beautiful yard and pasture.

Wayland is survived by his wife and children.

Guy Wayne McTimmonds.

A memorial service for Guy Wayne McTimmonds will be conducted by the Rev. Jack Snell at the Grace Community Church in Whitmore, CA on Saturday, April 20 at 2:00 p.m.

Mr. McTimmonds passed away on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 at Redding Medical Center. He was 75.

He was born on September 20, 1926 in Susanville, CA, and graduated from Modoc Union High School. He married Patricia Hood of Canby, CA in September 1949 in Canby.

He is survived by his wife Patricia McTimmonds of Whitmore, CA; two sons, Dan McTimmonds and partner Diane of Redding; Tim and wife Kelley McTimmonds of Forest Grove, Ore.; sisters Erma Hickerson of Alturas and the late Myrnie Baldwin of Alturas; grandchildren Courtney and Gene McTimmonds of Forest Grove, OR; nieces Bonnie Slinkard of Alturas; nephew Barry Hickerson of Reno, NV; nieces Mickey Baldwin, Jackie Turpin and Michelle Anderson, all of Alturas.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Grace Community Church, 30637 Whitmore Rd., Whitmore, CA 96096.

A complete obituary to be published next week.

SPORTS

Modoc girls split with Fall River

Modoc's girls softball team showed some inconsistency last Friday, winning the opening game against Fall River 17-7 and losing the second game 13-5.

Modoc meets Burney April 23 and Mt. Shasta April 26.

Regular starting pitcher Brianna Berchtold tossed the first game win, but came out with a sore arm after one inning in the second game. Fall's River's Libby Decoito kept Modoc's hitters off balance in the second game, allowing just five hits.

Modoc capitalized on a flurry of Fall River throwing and catching errors in the opener, scoring eight runs in the fourth inning.

Berchtold allowed seven hits in the opener, walked three and fanned four. Modoc collected 12 hits in the game with Stephanie Parnow going three-for-four, Andrea Harris two-for-three with a triple, Shay Farmer one-for-one with three walks, Kristen Clough two-for-five with two doubles, Charlie Stevens, two-for-three with one double, Jilene Mastagni one-for-three with a double.

Modoc opened with a 2-0 lead in the second inning of the nightcap, but the Bulldogs took a 3-2 lead after the third. The Bulldogs added five more runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth while Modoc pushed three across in the fourth. Harris allowed eight runs on nine hits and Stevens allowed five runs on four hits.

Clough, Mastagni, Stevens, Berchtold and Harris each had one hit for the Braves.

Boys sweep Fall River, Burney on plate next

Modoc's boys beat the Fall River Bulldogs 9-6 and 11-0 last Friday in a Shasta Cascade League contest, and will face SCL's Burney April 23. The Braves also have Bonanza on the schedule April 20, at home for a double header starting at 12 noon.

Logan Wilson got the win for the Braves in the opener, after giving up a three-run home run in the first inning. Modoc led 5-3 after two and added one in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth. Fall River crossed the plate twice in the fifth and once in the sixth.

Jered Pierce and Jared McGarva each doubled and collected two hits each. The second game was no contest as the Braves took a 3-0 first inning lead and held an 8-0 lead by the end of two. Tim Lauppe, Blake Thorn, Adam Fitzpatrick, Matt Krauel, and Pierce had two hits.

Pierce also got the win, allowing just four hits, fanning eight and walking none in the shut-out. He is now 4-0 on the season with an earned run average of under one.

The Braves are now 7-2 overall and 5-1 in SCL play.

Golf in first place

Modoc High School's golf team remains in first place in the Shasta Cascade League, with Mt. Shasta in second, Bishop Quinn, third, Fall River, fourth, Trinity fifth with McCloud, Burney in seventh and Etna in eighth.

Last week the Braves won a league match at Mt. Shasta Resort in Mt. Shasta. Jake Aaron had a great day, firing a sub-par round of 68, the first in league this year, Jack Britton shot a 76, Blake Thorn a 77, Michael Bates an 84, D.J. Northrup an 89 and Ross Montague a 121.

In a non-league match at Reames Golf Course in Klamath Falls, Modoc placed third, behind Henley and Mazama. Thorn had the best individual round with a 76, Aaron had an 82, Bates an 87, Northrup a 105, Knox a 109, Montague a 128 and Nardoni a 174.

A scheduled home match for today has been canceled and will be rescheduled.

Modoc wrestlers do well in Reno

Several Modoc wrestlers did very well at the huge Reno World Championships April 5-7.

At the High School level, Robert Flournoy went 3-1 but was not able to stay for the medal rounds since he had a prior commitment. Coach Shaun Wood was very pleased with his performance and felt he would have medaled. Wood was also pleased with Jaafar Mirholi, James Brogan, K.C. Poindexter, Matt Main and J.D. Monroe. Mirholi and Brogan each won matches.

In the youth group, Josh Wood placed third and Tyler Wood took a fourth, both very impressive finishes at the Reno Invite.

Travis Wood did not place, but wrestled well in his division with nearly 150 competitors.

March 2002 April 2002