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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020
Park
Continued from Page 1A
and do this for our family is unbeliev-
able.’ ”
More than 6,500 signatures have
been collected so far, and copies have
been mailed to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
“I know it’s a county issue,” Kezar
said, “but having the governor’s support
would just be amazing.”
Wyatt tried to save his grandma
Support has not been an issue. Chris
and Angela’s story became a defining
moment of the historic wildfire event.
Tens of thousands of people all over the
world have read about his daring rescue
of her and his desperate search for their
son.
Angela recently was discharged from
the Legacy Oregon Burn Center, 30 days
after Chris pulled her from the inferno
on North Fork Road.
Wyatt was found two days later in-
side the family’s vehicle, behind the
wheel, with his dog Duke draped over
his lap, trying to save his grandmother.
The family lived just a mile or so east
of North Fork Park, a 12-acre county
park that showcases a scenic bend
along the Little North Fork of the San-
tiam River. It’s a mega-popular swim-
ming hole during the summer months.
Much of the land is leased from the
Bureau of Land Management and has
been since the summer of 1960, when
the county began developing the park.
The park was dedicated two years later.
The lease most recently was renewed in
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APPEAL TRIBUNE
2017, when facilities were upgraded at
the park, for 25 years at no cost.
North Fork is one of six Marion Coun-
ty parks heavily damaged by the wild-
fires. The sign still stands near the en-
trance, hanging by the one remaining 4-
by-4 post, its county decals curled. In-
side the gate, many of the trees are
scorched, picnic tables have burned-out
holes, and garbage can holders are melt-
ed. The concrete restroom still stands,
but not the parking fee kiosk.
Parks officials ask the public to resist
the temptation to enter any of the dam-
aged parks because there are many haz-
ards that still need to be removed.
Park was special to boy’s family
The scene is one of the countless re-
minders in the canyon of how cata-
strophic the fires were. Nearly 700
homes were destroyed or severely dam-
aged by the Beachie Creek Fire and three
other people died in addition to Wyatt
and his grandmother, Peggy Mosso, An-
gela’s mother.
Kezar would like to do something to
remember Peggy, too, perhaps installing
a bench at one of her favorite places, Sil-
ver Falls State Park.
But renaming North Fork Park for
Wyatt is the priority.
Amanda Steck, Angela’s niece and
Wyatt’s cousin, emailed the Marion
County commissioners explaining how
much it would mean to the family.
“North Fork Park was a special place
to Wyatt and his parents, a place where
they were able to spend quality time to-
gether,” Steck wrote to them.
Two of the three commissioners re-
sponded, each telling her they had for-
Canning
Continued from Page 1A
Oregon State University Extension Ser-
vice.
The snowstorm that hit Oregon in
February 2019 dropped 18.8 inches of
snow over the Eugene-Springfield area
in the span of four days. It left tens of
thousands of people without power.
Highway 58 between Lowell and Oak-
ridge was closed for five days. Residents
in rural areas were snowed in and
stranded, without access to a grocery
store for a week or more.
“This raised enough concern that a
lot of these same people who had prob-
lems last year getting food were deter-
mined to not be in that situation again
this year,” Fennell said.
But then the pandemic hit — inter-
rupting aluminum production and trig-
gering hoarding.
The last time that the United States
saw a canning shortage was in the 1973-
1975 recession — when as many as 26
million American households canned
food, according to the History, Art and
Archives project run the Office of the
Historian and the Clerk of the House’s
Office of Art and Archives.
In testifying to Congress about if the
canning supply shortage was manufac-
turer-created, William C. Hannah, a
representative from Ball Corp., a leading
manufacturer, said sales in the first
quarter of 1973 were $166,000, but ex-
ploded to $5.75 million in the first quar-
ter of 1974. Ball Corp. and the two other
manufacturers of canning equipment
were unable to meet the demand, and
consumers started to hoard the prod-
ucts, resulting in empty shelves nation-
wide.
A shortage? In this economy?
Canning season is officially recog-
nized as running from March to Sep-
tember, but a huge portion of preserva-
tion runs outside of these months — es-
pecially in agricultural and rural com-
munities. For example, folks might
preserve the last of winter squashes or
choose to can frozen winter meats to
prepare space in freezer for fresh spring
hunting, Fennell explained.
For Pamla Fritts, this month is the
height of her canning. Known as The
Duchess of Cansalot, and arguably a ce-
lebrity in the canning scene with 16,000
followers on Facebook, Fritts is some-
one with her finger to the pulse of pre-
serving: Canning is her happy place.
She is a licensed commercial canner and
has provided a significant portion of De-
tering Orchard’s canned goods for the
past eight years.
However, March is when much of
Oregon went on lockdown, and it
Several cases of jars sit behind Pamla
Fritts as she gives a live canning
demonstration at Detering Orchard in
Harrisburg, Ore., on Oct. 4, 2020. DANA
SPARKS
marked a second wave of bulk buying
and the beginning of supply hoarding.
“I was actually there at the time of
one of these incidents at a local Bi-Mart.
One gentleman was there during one of
their big shipments coming in and he
bought every (canning) lid that came off
the truck,” Fennell said.
“He bought every single case that
was on there and made the comment
that he was going to be selling them on
eBay to make a profit.”
The two-piece lid typically used by
home canners is what many may asso-
ciate with a Mason jar: a flat cover and
ring that holds the cover. The food is
sealed when the lid’s rubber edge is
pressurized by the vacuum effect that
happens in the heating process of the
water bath canning method. Heating
the food properly and following an ap-
proved recipe ensures two things: mi-
croorganisms are killed and air is driven
out. The two-piece lid, like other can-
ning lids, makes the iconic pop sound
indicating the airtight seal was created.
The lid cannot be reused for canning
again.
In a normal season, the lids are com-
monly found — a 12-pack of these lids
would cost less than $3. However, lids
are upwards of $12 on Amazon, and
eBay’s analytics suggest 12-packs of lids
are trending upwards of $25 on average
for the last 90 days.
“Fillmore Container — who supplies
95% of my supplies — is out every-
where. I had to place my order directly
(with manufacturers) today,” Fritts said.
She’s been able to pivot to using sup-
plies, such as lug and one-piece lids,
that were not designed with beginners
in mind.
“Ordering online might seem cheap-
er, but shipping is expensive, and I’ve
had several broken jars arrive,” Fritts
said.
On Sunday, she arrived to Detering
Orchard with five cases of jars and lids
that she was able to find over two stores
in town, secured by calling ahead and
paying over the phone. When she ar-
rived within the hour to pick up her pur-
chase, other eager canners were waiting
to pounce on the inventory.
RESTAURANT
INSPECTIONS
5.
Sept. 30: No priority violations
Continued from Page 2A
Location: 195 High St. NE, Salem
Date: Oct. 1
Score: 97
Priority violations
h Working containers of poisonous or
toxic materials are not clearly labeled,
specifically: Observed clear bottle of
powder detergent, and spray bottle of
blue liquid without working labels.
Point deduction: 3.
lations
h Potentially hazardous food is not
maintained at proper hot or cold hold-
ing temperatures, specifically: Cut let-
tuce and noodles in cold holding unit
under grill are between 47-50°F. Sever-
al food items (half and half, lemons,
pineapple) in true reach-in in fridge are
between 47°F-50°F. Point deduction:
Marco Ristorante Italiano
warded the request to the parks depart-
ment.
“I have heard about this effort to
name one of our parks after Wyatt and I
want you to know that I support this ef-
fort,” commissioner Colm Willis wrote
in his same-day response. “Please know
that this will continue to be on my desk,
I just ask for your patience as we work
through the immediate crisis.”
“I hope that at the right time,” com-
missioner Kevin Cameron later wrote,
“your request will be given full consider-
ation.”
Marion County Parks Coordinator
Russ Dilley said his department would
at some point discuss the request with
commissioners, and then the next step
would be to bring it up at a parks com-
mission meeting.
The seven-member Marion County
Parks Commission, which meets on the
third Thursday of every other month,
makes recommendations to the county
on park issues. Its next meeting is
scheduled for Nov. 19.
Dilley said there appears to be no pre-
cedent for renaming a park, at least not
in the 15 years he’s been with the county,
and he doubts it’s something that can
happen quickly.
Idea helps mom get through
tragedy
Kezar seems determined, no matter
how long it takes.
“As the fires decrease, unfortunately
people will start to forget,” Kezar said. “A
new tragedy will come into play. The do-
nations will start to slide. I want to keep
Wyatt front and center.”
He imagines someday driving by the
All of her usual spots, which she de-
clined to share, have needed to impose a
limit on how many jars and lids custom-
ers are able to buy to stop hoarding and
price gouging like what Fennell wit-
nessed.
There have also been reported runs
on pickling salts and scams on lids from
China, Fennell said.
“(People) are buying canning lids on
Amazon and what’s happening is
they’re getting these boxes that say
‘Ball,’ in a the green box looks just like a
Ball canning box can, and when they
open them up they are not Ball lids in-
side that box.”
The lids are flimsy, powdery and un-
marked. The sealing compound is very
thick and gluey. People have reported to
the Master Preservers Program that the
lids are “buckling” when used, Fennell
said.
Desperate times
If you ask Fritts, The Duchess of Can-
salot, the beginner canner is out of luck:
There aren’t shortcuts to being a safe
canner — and the consequences of bot-
ulism are severe.
Botulism is a toxin from bacteria
grown in the false seal of improperly
canned goods that affects the nervous
system. It cannot be detected by sight or
taste, so it’s important to invest in the
right materials and follow the rules pro-
vided by the National Center for Home
Food Preservation, which the OSU Ex-
tension Service also follows.
“You cannot see, smell or taste botu-
linum toxin — but taking even a small
taste of food containing this toxin can
be deadly,” the CDC says.
The CDC attributes botulism out-
breaks in the United States most often
to home canners not following instruc-
tions, ignoring signs of food spoilage
and not knowing they could contract
botulism from improperly preserved
vegetables.
Despite the risk, the temptation to
find alternative, cheaper ways to can
and preserve food has led to interesting
reports from local experts. Fennell and
Fritts have both reported that individ-
uals are attempting to create their own
seals with paraffin wax — a method of
canning that is not been considered safe
by the NCHFP, even though it was com-
monly used decades ago.
“I wish they would stop selling that in
stores, to be honest, or don’t sell it as a
canning or food preservation product.
It’s not safe because you cannot get the
air out of the jar and that’s where your
bacteria is going to start growing,” Fen-
nell said.
Fritts, who is 50, described this as a
method that her mother used when
Fritts was a child.
Her No. 1 piece of advice is to use the
most up-to-date Ball canning cook-
park and seeing a sign that says “Wyatt
Tofte Park,” or some version of that.
“I know we’re never going to forget
Wyatt,” Kezar said. “We’re going to re-
member him for generations. People
will drive by and wonder what he did
and who he was. They’ll find out it was a
tragedy, but also what a little hero he
was.”
He wants Wyatt’s parents to have the
final stamp of approval, especially An-
gela, who’s recovering from burns
throughout her body. The most severe
were to her back and feet. She’s had two
skin graft surgeries for the burns on her
back and shoulder.
“She has healed and continues to
heal remarkably well,” close friend
Leann Moore told the Statesman Jour-
nal.
Moore said Angela’s physical and
emotional recovery has been buoyed by
all the cards and letters she’s received
from people all over the world. Their
thoughts and prayers are helping her get
through this tragedy, and so has the
thought of a local park someday bearing
her son’s name.
“She wants to make sure the public
knows she sees them, she feels them
and thanks them,” Moore said. “When I
told her what Seth was doing, she liter-
ally said, ‘I need that.’ She loved the
idea.”
Capi Lynn is a 32-year veteran re-
porter and columnist at the Statesman
Journal. She can be reached at 503-399-
6710 or clynn@StatesmanJournal.com,
or follow her on Twitter @CapiLynn and
Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.
book. The recipes inside are tested and
approved to meet the appropriate pH
balance to be successfully canned in a
water bath.
“That (paraffin sealing) is not an ap-
proved method anymore — and that’s
the importance of getting a new book,”
Fritts said.
“Foods change over the years and be-
cause foods change, recipes change.
Safety measures change.”
People also are reportedly saving
pickle and spaghetti sauce jars, for ex-
ample, from the grocery store, Fritts
said. They have the expectation that be-
cause it was once used for canning, al-
beit commercially, it can be re-used and
yield the desired results again. This is
not true and poses the same risk of im-
proper food preservation and botulism,
she explained.
“Do not just Google a recipe. Just be-
cause you want to make a product does
not mean that that product has been
tested and approved by the (NCHFP),”
Fritts said.
To find safe information online, visit
NCHFP.uga.edu, freshpreserving.com
or follow Fennell’s specific search proc-
ess: Search “site: .edu” with your inquiry
after (for example: site: .edu How to can
hamburger). This will yield results from
accredited degree-granting educational
institution websites, such as the OSU
Service Extension.
“Oregon State University and exten-
sion fall under the USDA guidelines. The
USDA and NCHFP work together and
that’s where we get all of our tested reci-
pes from,” Fennell said. “We have our
entire food safety and food preservation
catalog online as well through Oregon
State University.”
Seeking help through the right food
preservation helplines may reveal other
options where supplies are low and
prices are high. For example, the Exten-
sion Service might recommend blanch-
ing, shucking and freezing corn — it
avoids the canning supply issues and
produces a better quality product.
The Master Preservers Program also
recommends that individuals ask two
questions before accepting gifted,
home-canned goods: “How did you
process this, and for how long?” Asking
these questions and listening to any
doubt on food safety could save a life or
prevent serious injury.
“I understand desperate times call
for desperate measures, but when it
comes to food safety, you stand a risk of
really harming yourself and those
around you,” Fennell said.
Contact reporter Dana Sparks at
dsparks@registerguard.com or 541-338-
2243, and follow her on Twitter
@danamsparks
and
Instagram
@danasparksphoto.
ABOUT RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS
This is a snapshot of the inspections conducted by the Marion and Polk County
health departments.
Twice annually, licensed restaurants receive unannounced inspections that focus
on food temperatures, food preparation practices, worker hygiene, dish-washing
and sanitizing, and equipment and facility cleanliness.
Violations: Restaurant scores are based on a 100-point scale. Priority violations
deduct 5 points, and priority foundation violations deduct 3 points. Violations
recorded on consecutive inspections result in point deductions being doubled.
Scoring: Scores of 70 or higher are considered compliant. Restaurants scoring
below 70 must be re-inspected within 30 days or face closure or other
administrative action. Restaurants display a placard by the entrance to indicate
whether they have passed their last inspection.