2 Fall 2016 Applegater
Applegate Fire District’s new
Community Building in use!
BY CAREY CHAPUT
Requests for using the new
Community Building are coming in!
Since the doors opened last October, this
facility, conveniently located next to the
district office, has seen a lot of different
uses. Besides the fire district’s regular
use for training on Monday nights and
board meetings on the third Wednesday
of each month, the building is used for
the fire district’s auxiliary group meetings
every other month. Visit the fire district
website at applegatefd.com for more
information on upcoming meetings at
the Community Building.
Other agencies have
found this meeting room very
accommodating. Both the US
Forest Service and the Bureau of Land
Management have hosted planning
sessions. The Oregon Department of
Forestry, Applegate Neighborhood
Network, Boy Scouts, and US Army
Corps of Engineers have hosted public
meetings, each giving our community
an opportunity to learn more about
the current interests of these groups.
The Applegate Valley Garden Club
hosted a meeting to demonstrate cheese-
making. A Lifeline screening event took
place on July 26, providing access to
affordable preventive health screenings
in a comfortable community location.
Community Emergency Response Team
(CERT) of Jacksonville and Central
Point will be meeting for training on
September 17 and 24.
These are just some of the uses
that were the guiding factors when this
project was still in the design stage.
This building has been accepted and
appreciated by many of you. If you are
interested in visiting the facility, stop
by the district office at 1095 Upper
Applegate Road on weekdays. To reserve
a time, go to applegatefd.com and click
on the “Facility Use Request.” Complete
and submit the request form to the
district office by fax at 541-899-9314 or
email cchaput@applegatefd.com. Once
the date and time have been approved,
you will be contacted by fire district staff.
(The same form may be used for reserving
the meeting room at the Station 1
location at 18489 North Applegate Road
near the Highway 238 intersection.)
The meeting room takes up only
half of the building, while the other half
houses the exercise room, designed to
keep our firefighters and their families
fit and ready for action. This is just one
of the many benefits of being on the
Applegate Fire District team! There are
many opportunities for you to become
involved, from firefighting to support.
Please take the opportunity
to stop by the District Office to
meet the new fire chief. And the staff
would be pleased to show you the
Community Building and discuss how
you can become involved.
Please also remember to stay safe
and aware as we make it through this
fire season together. Stay hydrated. Don’t
use power equipment in dry vegetation.
Plan ahead and be ready for evacuation,
if necessary.
Carey Chaput • 541-899-1050
Office Manager
Applegate Valley Fire District
cchaput@applegatefd.com
Long-time fire district
office manager to retire
Carey Chaput plans to retire from the
Applegate Valley Fire District at the end of October.
On October 31, 2016, Carey
Chaput, office manager of Applegate
Valley Fire District, will retire after
15 years of service. “This has been a
very rewarding career,” said Carey.
“Although you need to be able to
work on your own, prioritize, and
multitask, it satisfies the desire to be
an integral part of an excellent team.
There is nothing like the camaraderie
of the fire service. You are family,
and, whether on an emergency scene
or in a discussion about strategic
planning, you know that you have
each other’s interest in mind as well
as the community’s.”
Carey looks forward to helping
her replacement settle into a
comfortable routine. She also is
excited to see the next person take
this position to new heights. She
said that “there is always room for
David Dobbs
joins the
Applegater
Board of
Directors
• • • • •
New Jersey-born, David
Dobbs was raised in Redding and
Bonny Doon, California. Upon
graduation from Cal Poly State
University, San Luis Obispo, he
pursued a career in engineering
Lauri and David Dobbs celebrate the burning of their house
and facilities management in the
as an exercise by the Applegate Valley Fire District.
Bay Area. After 30 years of high-
tech jobs, he “escaped” to Applegate with wife, Lauri, to become neighbors with longtime
friends and owners of Thompson Creek Organics and join their adventures in making Apple
Outlaw hard cider. Dave and Lauri were followed to Oregon by their youngest daughter
and grandson. Now, with a second grandson on the way, the move has been made even
more rewarding.
The desire to return to the simple life of land ownership and realize a lifetime dream
to build their own house, attend to a farm, and enjoy a slow-paced community led David
and Lauri to the Applegate Valley. To start their dream, they planted over 200 Black Twig,
Roxbury Russet, and Ashmead Kernel hard-cider variety apple trees to someday contribute
to the high-end cider industry. They then offered their home to the Applegate Valley Fire
District to burn for a “Burn-to-Learn” exercise, waded through building permit paperwork,
and broke ground in August to build their dream home with minimal hired help.
David has thoroughly enjoyed meeting residents of the Applegate Valley and hearing
their stories. He is excited to be on the Applegater board and hopes to further explore what
our community has to offer.
new ideas and developments in a
position that allows a person to
serve the community with pride,
understanding, and compassion.”
Carey plans to remain in
the community and will work
part-time as a tax preparer with
Applegate Tax Service in Ruch and
work in her garden. She also plans to
help out at the fire district wherever
her experience is most needed.
She would like to thank
the Applegate community for
its tremendous support, adding that
“it takes a community to believe in
and bring new ideas to fruition. And
the Applegate community has not
only fully appreciated the prevention
programs, but also implemented
a phone-tree system that better
prepares the community to survive
a catastrophic event.”
Humbug Perspective
Paul Tipton
A few things have changed in forty years,
Up past the forks of Humbug, and below.
Only a few of the real old-timers left
Most others passed or moved to town.
Lots of us 70s back-to-the-landers
Have tucked away the long hair, beards and tie-dye
Yet retain our sense of community connection
Enriched by years of potlucks and work parties,
Shared child care and camping trips together.
It’s an aspect of life we’re happy not to have missed.
These days the early sunrise from grow lights
And the roar of fans ventilating greenhouses
Alters the peace and quiet so cherished here.
Tall fences spread like viruses along property lines
Doing little to hide what’s happening behind.
Cars of workers and buyers leave long dust plumes
Speeding up the once quiet gravel roads.
Many who wished to grow and smoke a little
Way back when, never expected the onslaught
That recent years have brought to the creek.
One thing has stayed the same: they say
Humbug still produces the best bud around.
One can only hope they’ll also grow to know
The golden rule of neighborliness.
• • •
Reprinted from From the Heart of the Applegate:
Essays, Poems, and Short Fiction by Applegate Writers,
published by the Applegater.