Applegater., September 01, 2008, Page 9, Image 9

Applegater September-October 2008 9
VIOLIN
FROM PAGE 8
After several carving projects, like gifts
for family members, Michael suggested
she make a tool box, which turned out to
be “quite a nice tool box,” according to
Michael. He then asked her to work on
an instrument, which just may turn out to
be her life’s work.
Student Jeffery Kaze, a Cottonwood,
California, dentist whose family lives in
Medford, travels to class every week. He
became a student 14 months ago and is
now working on his second violin. “A
lot of hard work goes into making a
violin,” admits Jeffery, but he is willing to
do “whatever it takes.” Jeffery plays the
violin, viola and cello, and played for the
Rogue Community College orchestra some
years ago, in high school orchestras and in
church. Next up is a cello, but he is hoping
to make violins for a living. First he must
make six instruments in order to graduate
from Michael’s school.
Forrest Vorce works full-time in
a titanium factory in Redmond, Oregon,
and commutes to class every weekend
every other month. A “senior,” Forrest is
working on his sixth and final instrument.
He’s already made four violins and a cello.
He plays the violin and has always wanted
to make them. Knowing this, when his
parents saw a 2001 newspaper article
about Michael taking apprentices, they
immediately enrolled him. Forrest figures
that he will receive his gold certificate from
Michael at the end of September.
Jill Brenkman, an Applegate
resident, is working on her third violin as
the second one dries in the outdoor sun.
She met Michael when he and his wife,
Janice, gave a talk at a local library. Jill
carves ducks and songbirds, so she’s had
some related experience. And, although
Jill doesn’t play the violin, she does play
the harp and flute. Michael is planning
to close the school in 2010, so Jill doesn’t
count on graduating. However, “it’s been
one of the highlights of my life,” she said.
“I have a huge respect for violin makers
and players.”
Along with teaching, Michael still
makes, repairs and sells violins—the latest
instrument he made was for a champion
fiddler. And he also makes his tools by
hand and without nails, sometimes with
the help of one of his apprentices. His
handmade bow saw, treadle, grinding
wheel, benches and vises are all critical to
the trade.
Varnishes and colors also are made
by Michael. For color, he soaks manzanita
sawdust in alcohol, and sometimes uses
dragster fuel.
Michael’s wife, Janice, is an essential
part of this process. She restores fine
bows, working with silver wire, horsehair,
leather and sometimes lizard skin, which
lasts longer. Professionals usually need
their bows rehaired once a year, sometimes
more often.
If you’re inclined to order a musical
instrument from Michael, some patience
is required: the waiting list for new
instruments is about 18 months.
Generations from now, you still
will be able to appreciate the talents of
Michael Klein through the instruments
made not only by him, but by his almost
30 apprentices over the years.
If you want to know more about
making violins, visit Michael’s website at
www.kauffmanwood.com/gallery/klein
or, better yet, give him a call at 541-862-
2685.
Barbara Holiday
541-218-8606
Cantrall-Buckley Update
BY LAIRD FUNK
Greetings from the trenches at
Cantrall-Buckley Park! Since our last
article a great many changes have taken
place with the Cantrall-Buckley Park
improvement project, both on the ground
and in the management of the project
itself. Last time, I wrote that the project
was funded by grants from the State Parks
Department with some assistance from
Jackson County Parks, and part of that
is still true. It is still grant funded, but
the participation by Jackson County has
increased tremendously, from an initial
$25,000 pledge two years ago to over
$70,000 contributions pledged today, and
that is not the least of it.
Seeing the importance of this
project to the future of Cantrall-Buckley
Park and recognizing that the Greater
Applegate Community Development
Corporation (GACDC) had done
extraordinary work on the first phase of
the project, but was in danger of overload
as it worked to complete the sewer system
and treatment wetlands, Jackson County
Parks volunteered to take over the entire
second grant and oversee the installation
of the new restroom. The turning point
seemed to be the appointment of a new
Parks and Roads Director for Jackson
County, John Vials, formerly with Oregon
Department of Transportation. His new
perspective on things allowed the County
Parks to look at the project in a different
light and find means to participate in a
much larger, very welcome role.Thank you
Jackson County Parks!
Meanwhile, back at the park, crews
worked to complete the installation,
plumbing and wiring of the new septic
tanks in the day-use side of the park. All
the new tanks are equipped with pumps
to send the effluent over to the Treatment
Wetlands and required significant wiring to
connect the various control panels that run
the pumps and the power supplies located
in different buildings in the park. They are
all working now with the pump discharges
routed into the existing drain fields until
the Treatment Wetlands are completed and
put into service.
The Treatment Wetlands were
started the first week of July and the
excavation and forming was finished by
July 14. The next step is to finish installing
an equalization basin at the head end
of the wetlands and a level adjust sump
and pump station at the foot of the bed.
After that, a six-inch bed of sand is spread
over the inner surface of the wetland in
preparation for unrolling the liner that
makes it watertight. That job will take
lots of human power to wrestle the 60’ x
140’ covering into position and make the
watertight attachments for the inlet and
outlet piping. Then it is filled with water
to test for leaks and then pumped back out
so that the next step, filling the wetland
with round drain-field rock, can be done.
After that, a six-inch layer of pea gravel is
added and covered with a layer of compost
into which are planted several varieties of
wetland plants to use the nutrients.
While all this is going on, our
electrician is busy getting power to our two
new control buildings that serve as power
distribution centers for the project, one
near the wetlands and another near the
group camp parking lot in the campground
area. That building is served by a newly
installed 600-amp main switchboard panel
that will receive the new power feeds for
the campground. Pacific Power & Light
will be coming out soon to run their cables
#25
Can you get
water out of
a stone?
Photos: Top—Treatment wetland excavation
with equalization tank in foreground and
control building in background; Middle—New
main power panel in campground; and
Bottom—“D” area restroom showing pump
access for new septic tanks.
underground to our new switchboard.
Then we can begin powering up the pumps
and control panels for the campground
restroom.
One other change took place and
that was a decision by Jackson County
Parks to postpone the installation of the
newly designed potable water system until
a future grant cycle due to diminishing
funds. One of the challenges of this
project has been that three years ago,
when we approached local contractors
and suppliers seeking their participation,
almost all of them volunteered to donate
their goods and services because of the
economic boom at the time. Our grant
requests were based upon such offers.
After we got the grants, the economy
soured and no one could afford to give
anything away by the time we went to
work. Everyone has been as generous
as possible, but when you have to pay for
things counted as free, a $250,000 grant
doesn’t seem quite as large as it did. So
the short of it is, we can finish the sewer
system and Jackson County can finish the
restroom, but the park will operate on its
existing water system for a time more.
Okay, back to work! More next
time!
Laird Funk • 541-846-6759
862-9355
For advertising
information call
Ruth Austin
541-899-7476
or Matthew Eldridge
541-941-6834
Photo: Greeley Wells