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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2011)
Applegate Applegate Valley Valley Community Community Newspaper, Newspaper, Inc. Inc. 7386 7386 Highway Highway 238, 238, PMB PMB 308 308 7386 Highway 238, PMB 308 Jacksonville, Jacksonville, OR OR 97530 97530 Jacksonville, OR 97530 Applegater Log on to our web site—www.applegater.org site—www.Applegater.org Photo by Belva Carole Lamb Applegate Valley Community Newspaper SUMMER 2011 Volume 4, No. 3 Summer 2011 1 Postal Patron Serving Jackson and Josephine Counties — Circulation: 9,000 New Applegate trails group Farewell to our very own Ruth Austin By tom CaRstens anD DaviD CaLahan By J.D. RogeRs anD saRa austin Ever wonder what our beautiful valley looks like from the air? Aside from flying, there is a way to enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the Applegate: by driving up to some very accessible trails and roads along the ridgeline that separates the Applegate Valley from Forest Creek and the Rogue River. Standing beneath huge pines and firs, you can gaze upon the entire Thompson Creek valley framed by the jagged Red Buttes and the white tops of Dutchman The Applegater Ne wspaper sends its condolences to the Ruth Austin family. Ruth passed away peacefully at home in the early morning of July 1, 2011. She will truly be missed. Ruth single- handedly took on the job as sales representative for the Gater when grants from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and other foundations dried up in the 1990s. Anyone who has done cold sales knows how difficult they can be, but Ruth hung in there, keeping the Applegater financially afloat while building her reputation of trust, honesty and customer service among her clients. From almost the start of the Gater, Ruth was involved with helping bag the paper for mailing, distributing the Gater to many drop sites in the Applegate Watershed, and writing many wonderful articles for the paper over the years. Ruth Austin was born in Liberty, New York, on August 1, 1924. During World War II, she served as a radio Peak and Mt. Ashland. Humbug Creek and the double crests of Billy Mountain lie closer in. Enjoy a picnic in flower-studded mountain meadows while marveling at the pristine wildlands surrounding Wellington Butte. In the other direction you will marvel at the emerald green slopes of Mt. Isabelle and the high ragged peaks of Timber Mountain and John’s Peak beyond. The Rogue River seems so close from see tRaiL, page 20 Looking SW over Ruch with Little Applegate on the right. Aerial photo by Scott Harding. Ruth Austin and Sable operator for the Coast Guard from 1944 to 1946, and then worked for many years for the telephone company. In 1960, while visiting her sister in San Diego, she decided to stay. There she married and raised three children: Catherine, William and Susan. In 1990, she came to the Applegate to visit her daughter Catherine just before her granddaughter, Sara, was born. Ruth fell in love with the area and community and remained here for the rest of her life. see Ruth, page 4 Another fun and successful fundraiser By PauLa RissLeR On one of the sunniest days of the year, the third annual fundraiser for the Applegater Newspaper was held on Sunday, May 1 at the Applegate River Lodge. Everyone enjoyed the fun, the food and the fine weather. We appreciate the efforts of all who contributed to the success of this event. Joanna Davis and the Applegate River Ranch Lodge and Restaurant provided a wonderful BBQ chicken meal that was prepared by the Lodge staff and served by Applegater volunteers. Blue Fox Farms provided the superb spring salad mix. Local wineries donating and serving the Applegate’s finest wines were Plaisance Ranch, Rosella’s Winery, Slagle Creek Vineyards, Schmidt Family Vineyards, The Academy of Wine and Wooldridge Creek Winery. Sterling Bank in Jacksonville donated the wine glasses commemorating the event and several of the staff donated their time to work that day. Duke Davis and Friends provided music for our listening pleasure along with a set by the Applegater’s own J.D. Rogers. The silent auction focused on local services this year and the bidding was friendly but competitive. The fundraiser generated over $5,500. Every dollar goes toward the production of the Applegater and these funds guarantee at least one more issue! Sioux Rogers and Mary Driver presented the auction items in a beautifully organized fashion. A special thank you to Daena Tougher and Barbara Holiday for all their creative graphic-design work. We would like to thank all the volunteers and the donors of merchandise for the silent auction. Please see our complete listing on page 13. Thanks again to Joanna Davis and the Applegate Lodge for their generous donation of the food and the use of their lovely facility for this event. Paula Rissler • 541-601-8949 see FunDRaiseR, page 13 Fun was had by young and old, with two legs and four. See you at our next “fun-raiser.” MEET THE NATIVES INSIDE Ticks and Lyme in the Applegate Watershed—page 20 The Applegate Watershed trees—page 12 The Oregon state insect—page 9 Silver-spotted tiger moth—page 9