Applegater
Applegate Valley Community Newspaper, Inc.
7386 Highway 238, PMB 308
Jacksonville, OR 97530
Winter 2012 1
U.S. Postage
Paid
Non-Profit
Permit No. 50
Grants Pass,
OR 97526
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Photo by Jerry Rainforth
WINTER 2012
Volume 5, No. 1
Applegate Valley Community Newspaper
Serving Jackson and Josephine Counties — Circulation: 9,300
Postal Patron
Fire destroys
Webco mill
The Webco sawmill in Williams, Oregon, was
destroyed by fire on January 3, 2012. Responders to
the three-alarm blaze came from as far away as Rogue
River, and included dozens of firefighters from Williams,
Applegate, Rural Metro, and Grants Pass.
The mill operated for over 50 years, closing
permanently in the late 1980s. An earlier mill, Brown
Brothers Sawmill, that operated on the same site was
destroyed by fire in the 1970s. When it was rebuilt—as
a more modern sawmill able to cut a log up to 36 feet
long—the name was changed to Webco.
The fire may have been caused by a pickup truck
exhaust pipe. Alan Wall, a long-time Williams resident,
stored straw, alfalfa, two columbines and a grain trailer—
all lost in the fire along with the old mill building.
Professional photographer Mikell Nielsen, who lives
down the street from the mill, had recently used the site for
several photo shoots and, sadly, has shot it for the last time.
See more fire photos on our website.
Photos by Mikell Nielsen
Pilots give back to the Applegate Valley
BY ANDY PALLOTTA
When you are a part of an organization
that has major events taking place year after
year, it’s important to be aware of the needs
of the community and the value of “giving
something back.” I’ve realized this is a
philosophy that many in the hang gliding
and paragliding world are putting into
action more and more. Everyone knows
about the thrill-seeking, action-packed
mentality of hang gliding and paragliding
pilots. But not everyone realizes the
many ways they are helping people in the
communities and countries where they
enjoy their sport.
Every year, the Rat Race Paragliding
Competition draws over 100 pilots,
making more than 1,000 flights from
the Woodrat Mountain launch as they
fly over the beautiful Rogue Valley in
southern Oregon. Mike and Gail Haley,
who host the competition, had an idea a
few years ago to start reaching out to the
Ruch, Applegate and surrounding areas
in whatever ways they could. A few of
those ways include donating money to the
local elementary school and founding a
fundraiser that utilizes the goodwill of the
Rat Race competition pilots. The generated
funds have been donated in the name of a
local landowner to a Medford hospital for
a premature infant car seat program, and
as a scholarship for local students.
That’s where I come in. My name
is Andy. Every year, during the Rat Race
competition, the Haleys host a dinner at
their home where the pilots contribute to
the scholarship program that helps one
or more students in our area get through
school. I have gratefully been the recipient
of the scholarship for the last three years.
In 2008, I decided to pursue a
nursing career so I started taking classes.
Putting myself through a year and a half
of prerequisites and now finding a way
to pay for a three-year registered nursing
program has been financially challenging
to say the least.
The pilots always give generously.
They show a real sense of goodwill
and appreciation for the surrounding
From left to right, organizer Mike Haley, scholarship recipient Andy Pallotta, and
Dave Palmer, a supporter of the Rat Race competition.
community, which has an encouraging
impact on people like me. As a result of
their generosity over the last three years,
I started a nursing program in the fall of
2011 and amazingly I am virtually debt
free.
After nursing school, I plan to
continue my education and become a
nurse practitioner. Eventually, my goal is
to travel and do international medical work
in lesser developed countries, “giving back”
in the same way shown to me. That’s an
important thing as far as I’m concerned,
and I hope all the pilots will be proud of
what is accomplished by their giving.
I am so appreciative of the local
flying community and especially the
pilots of the Rat Race for helping me get
through my college education without
all the weight and worry of the financial
burden. I hope others will follow the pilots’
examples and continue to give back to
their communities. Your generosity really
is making a difference in the lives of the
people in southern Oregon and is making
all the difference for me.
As an added bonus, I even talked
Mike into taking me up for my first
paragliding flight, and hopefully not my
See Pilots, page 20
INSIDE THE GATER
Story of an old tintype..............................page 6
Doomsday 2012..........................................page 8
Night of the living bedbug........................page 9
Are you ember aware yet?.....................page 11