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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2009)
Applegater Summer 2009 9 Cantrall-Buckley update BY LAIRD FUNK There must be something about hang-gliding that gets the fliers dirty. That was the logical conclusion when hundreds of hang-gliding enthusiasts landed on the Cantrall-Buckley Park Campground over Memorial Day weekend for the annual fly-in which christens the camping season. Park Manager Rick Barclay momentarily thought he'd gone to Seven Feathers when $140 in quarters rolled out of the shower coin boxes at the new bathroom/ shower building at the campground after the first day! Memorial Day weekend not only marked the public opening of the new restroom, but also the first days of operation of the new wetland waste water treatment system at the park and the first use of the drip disposal system in the campground meadow. A lot of time was spent over the previous 90 days bringing the new system up to operating condition, getting the several control panels programed to work in unison and encouraging the several thousand wetland plants to grow, and it all paid off. The weekend went flawlessly and the capacity crowd was pleasantly amazed at the new facilities. Most of them even returned the next weekend! The native grass seed provided by the BLM has made itself at home in the campground meadow and will be fully established by the end of summer. Currently the meadow is closed to allow it to grow to maturity and to protect it from traffic. One errant early camper decided to set up a tent in the meadow and managed to pound a tent stake right through one of the drip lines making up the 5000' system, but we got that repaired quickly to prevent gullying of the meadow. Native wildflowers also colonized the area to add to the normal mix of grasses and other plants found in a natural meadow. In May the park was awarded an approximately $30,000 grant from the BLM so that we could install a new 4” water main from the storage tank in the day use area to the campground. The water system had been engineered by David Evans and Associates of Bend, who also designed the waste water system, so it was “shovel ready”. For safety reasons and camping convenience the actual installation will have to wait until the campground closes next fall, but the under road bore to carry the line across the road and the saw cutting of the pipe route have already been done as part of the sewer line work. The balance of the potable water infrastructure, the new 10,000 gallon storage tank, pumps and the control building await funding as the Greater Applegate Community Development Corporation (GACDC) searches for more grant opportunities. The GACDC is also searching for grants to assist Jackson County Parks in funding improvement projects in other Jackson County parks. The parks department, under the leadership of new Director John Vial, saved the day for the Cantrall-Buckley project when the costs of the waste water system began to outstrip the grant amount due to skyrocketing costs and having to pay for work which had been counted as being free. Without that help, the project would not have been completed and the $250,000 grant amount would have had to be paid back! Unfortunately, that help significantly depleted their capital projects budget so the GACDC volunteered to expand the partnership with the County by seeking grants for some of their needs. So while we seek to pay off the moral if not fiscal debt to our partners we may need to forgo some grant opportunities which we would normally apply to Cantrall-Buckley Park so that we can apply in behalf of Jackson County. One of the results of all this is a strengthening of the relationship between the two organizations and a new sense of camaraderie growing between all the people involved. Speaking of which, besides John Vial, one new face has joined the group and two have left. Vivian McAleavey, one of the mainstays of the GACDC “retired” from her twelve years of volunteering for our benefit and is off with Joe doing fun things like paddling their newly built kayaks! We will get on without her but it won't be easy. Paddle on, Vivian! At the parks department, Operations Manager Randy Hutton was discharged and has been replaced by a gentleman from Linn County, Steve Lambert. Steve joined us in early May for an Advisory to try camping at Cantrall-Buckley Park Board meeting and park tour and was this year. They'll love the showers! Laird Funk 541-846-6759 impressed by what he saw. He fits right Photos from top: in with the renewed partnership between —The new restroom/shower building in GACDC and Jackson County and we all campground. look forward to working with him. —Wetland showing the growth of the plants. OK, that's it till next time! —Meadow drip disposal field in the campground. Meanwhile, tell your out-of-town friends Cantrall-Buckley Season Passes available Electric Contractors Season passes are now available to buy at the office of Cantrall-Buckley Park or at the Ruch Country Store. Prices are $20 regular, $10 for seniors over 65; for people who cannot afford a pass, work trade will be accepted (Check with the park manager Rick). The winner of the art contest is Morgan from Applegate School. Park Manager Rick Barclay 541-899-7155 10 % OFF •Lighting •Service Change •Remodels/Additions •Troubleshooting •FREE Estimates! CCB# 107300 Ask for Troy • 474-7943 “WHY TAKE A CHANCE? CALL A PRO !” “How is it that one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire? “ ~Author Unknown
