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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2025)
Applegater Summer 2025 ~ FINE PRINT ~ The Applegate Valley Community Newspaper, Inc. (AVCN) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to the publication of the Applegater newsmagazine, which, we feel, reflects the heart and soul of our community. Our Mission The goal of the Applegate Valley Community Newspaper, Inc., is to provide the Applegate watershed with a communication vehicle, the Applegater, that will provide educational information, increase community networking, and represent all the area's diverse communities. Through honest, constructive, relevant, and entertaining reports on a wide variety of subjects and viewpoints, including our natural resources, historical and current events, and community news, we can work together to enhance the quality of life we have in the Applegate, and continue to make a difference in our valley. Acknowledgements The Applegater newsmagazine is published quarterly by AVCN and is funded by donations from our loyal readers, matching funds from NewsMatch, a program of INN, and advertisements for local businesses. Special thanks to Diana Coogle, Margaret della Santina, Haley May Peterson, and Paul Tipton for copy editing; Lisa Baldwin, Diana Coogle, Carla David, Jeanette LeTourneux, and Paul Tipton for proofing; Christa White for bookkeeping; webmaster Joe Lavine; and Barbara Holiday for layout. Board of Directors Diana Coogle, Chair William Whitney, Vice Chair Laura Duey, Secretary Jennifer Theone, Treasurer Rachel Arappagis Annika Hodges Chris Loeffler Ash Martell Heather Paladini Editorial Committee Annika Hodges, Editor in Chief Diana Coogle Aaron Krikava Greeley Wells All articles, stories, opinions, and letters in the Applegater are the property and opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Applegater or AVCN. Protection of Copyrighted Material All materials submitted for publication must pertain to the Applegate Valley, be original (no press releases or reprinted articles), and be the intellectual property of the author unless otherwise credited. All articles submitted to the Applegater are subject to edit and publication at the newsmagazine’s discretion and as space allows. No more than one article per author per issue. When too many articles are submitted to include in any one issue, some articles may be placed on our website or held until the following issue. Photo Requirements All photos submitted must be high resolution (300 dpi) or “large format” (e.g., 30” x 40”). If you have questions, email gater@applegater.org. Photos submitted for the front-page banner are on a volunteer basis. Credit is given in the issue in which it appears, on our website, and on our Facebook page. Submissions for the next issue must be received at gater@applegater.org by the deadline (see Editorial Calendar on this page). Applegater Newsmagazine PO Box 14, Jacksonville, OR 97530 applegater.org 5 Ready to recreate BY CHRISTINA AMMON With a shoreline surrounded by wilderness, hiking trails, and wildlife, Applegate Lake is the cherished summertime idyll of southern Oregon residents. The most centrally located of the region’s three reservoirs (Applegate, Emigrant, and Lost Creek lakes), it draws visitors from all nearby towns— Grants Pass, Medford, Jacksonville, and Ashland—and beyond. A Greater Applegate (AGA) recently applied for a Recreation Ready grant from Travel Oregon to support repairs and improvements along the lake’s difficult-to- access, 18-mile shoreline. The two-phase program was designed to bring in experts for a feasibility study the first year and then provide $100,000 toward implementing the project in phase two. Although AGA did not receive the Recreation Ready grant, the application garnered a high score in the very competitive grant program and highlighted both the need for and community enthusiasm about a more accessible shoreline. In recent years, the Forest Service has not had the extra resources to improve the lake’s infrastructure. As a result, the few existing paths to the shoreline are eroding, and facilities are out of date. Much of the lake’s edge is steep, rocky, and difficult for even the most able-bodied person to navigate. Often, the boat ramps double dangerously as beaches. Forest Service employee John Due to lack of funding, many existing accessibility McKelligott, who has been involved paths are badly eroded--even hazardous. with the lake for decades, pointed Photo: Christina Ammon. out that Hart-Tish Park and other lake access sites were constructed around group’s leader moved across the country, 1980. “At that time ADA [Americans the effort lost momentum. The desire “to expand, and to expand with Disabilities Act] knowledge and focus were not too well understood and improve access to, the Applegate or wisely funded and implemented,” Valley’s outdoor recreational opportunities” was expressed at the 2020/2021 resident he said. This grant effort isn’t the first time listening sessions held throughout the the community has voiced concerns Applegate. This desire is described in about the lake. In 2019, a group called the “Steward & Sustain” section of the Friends of Applegate advocated for Applegate Valley Vision, available online infrastructure improvements. The group at agreaterapplegate.org. This latest effort was sparked after AGA included residents, two Forest Service employees, Bert Etling (former editor of sponsored In a Landscape: Classical Music the Applegater), and the commissary who in the Wild last May at the day-use beach managed the lake’s campground and store area near Hart-Tish. This popular touring series showcases musician Hunter Noack at Hart-Tish Park. The pandemic interrupted that effort. performing on his Steinway in outdoor See RECREATE, page 18. When no funding manifested and the Help us A huge THANKS to the generous donors who recently contributed to the Applegater. ensure that we have the ongoing support needed to publish the Applegater newsmagazine. All contributions are tax-deductible and receive recognition in print. Sasquatch $1,000+ Cougar $500 - $999 Bear $200 - $499 Steelhead $50 - $199 Deer $5 - $49 Please make your checks payable to Applegater and mail to PO Box 14, Jacksonville, OR 97530. Our nonprofit ID number is 26-2062663. We can help you reach your market! The Applegater is the only newsmagazine covering the entire Applegate Valley. With a circulation of 13,000 and a readership of more than 20,000, the Applegater covers Jacksonville, Ruch, Applegate, Williams, Murphy, Wilderville, Wonder, Jerome Prairie, and areas of Medford and Grants Pass. For more information, contact: Jackson County Alyssa Prophet @ 541-520-2219 or prophetsolutionsllc@gmail.com Josephine County Max Unger @ 541-660-4031 or imaxunger@gmail.com Next deadline: August 1 Cover Photo Credit Thanks to Linda Kappen for the lovely photo of the view from the Siskiyou Crest. • • • Have a photo for the Fall 2025 Applegater? Email it in large format at 300 dpi to gater@applegater.org. Corrections The Applegater is committed to publishing accurate information in its news articles, correcting errors of fact, and clarifying misleading statements. Send suggested corrections to Editor in Chief Annika Hodges at annika@ applegater.org. Bear Claudia Beausoleil, Williams, OR Steelhead Sylva Hatchman, Grants Pass, OR Kristina Lefever, Ashland, OR Don & Lori Sayer, Applegate, OR Deer Anonymous, Jacksonville, OR (2) Marguerite Cole, Jacksonville, OR Audrey Eldridge, Albany, OR Bert Etling, Talent, OR Thelma Goodnough, Applegate, OR Harold Hopkins Humbug Creek Resident, Applegate, OR Brad Jones, Jacksonville, OR David Keip, Grants Pass, OR Geri Kulp, Jacksonville, OR David Levine, Williams, OR Janice & Jeffrey Peacock, Lafayette, CA Theodore Plautz, Jacksonville, OR Kathleen Pyle, Jacksonville, OR Fred Saunders, Grants Pass, OR Donors: We strive to ensure that our donor list is accurate. Please contact us if there are errors or omissions. PERSONAL MAILING LABEL Living away for a while? Friends and relatives in faraway places? The Applegater can be mailed anywhere in the US. Order a personal mailing label for: One year: $19.99 (4 issues) Two years: $34.99 (8 issues) Mail us a check or pay online at applegater.org. Personal mailing labels are nonrefundable. Editorial Calendar ISSUE DEADLINE FALL (Sept - Nov) ................August 1 Earth - Air WINTER (Dec - Feb) ....November 1 Holiday - Arts SPRING (March - May) ... February 1 History - Heritage SUMMER (June - Aug) ............ May 1 Fire - Water Inside the Gater Local libraries offer activities for everyone..............................6-7 The story of Greeley Wells..........................................................8 I am a forever beginner gardener...............................................9 Community joy at Cantrall Buckley Park................................10 They live among us: Christin Lore Weber.................................11 Wildfire risk in the Applegate..................................................12 How to burn a pile with minimal smoke...................................13 Bird Explorer...........................................................................14 Finding forgotten waters..........................................................17 The Grapes of Cath..................................................................18 Conversations with the land....................................................21 ROCS hosts Arts and Wellness Fair..........................................23
