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SANDY. OREGON. THURSOAY DECEMBER 10. 1981
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Home & Garden
Features
.AXCci NCWS
One can still cut own tree in Zigzag district
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The Sindy Post
by M IC H A EL P JONES
Pest Cerrespoodent
Christmas is near and todays com
mercial Christmas tree farms are
busily harvesting trees round the
clock with helicopters and mechaniz
ed bailers, to be sold on the commer
ria l market anywhere from 17 50 to
635
But to some people, it wouldn t be
Christmas if they didn't cut their own
tree from the slopes of Mt Hood.
Cutting your own t*hnstmas tree
has been a tradition for the last five
years in the Zigzag Ranger District,
ever since the special area was
established in the lx>k> Pass area
near the Bonneville Power Ad
ministration transmission lines
Last ye ar, out of the 9,604
Christmas trees cut in the Mt Hood
National Forest, 7.000 of them were
taken from the lx>4o Pass area Even
more trees are expected to be cut this
year
The Zigzag area is the most
popular area for Christmas tree cut
ting, according to the district’s infor
mation officer, Herb Evans The cost
is 62 for a permit, a few hours of tune,
and. of course, the required spirit of
Christmas
Evans said that the reaon the
Zigzag area is more popular than
other areas in the National Forest is
that it is better publicized and has
Last weekend alone, over 500 per
sons inquired about getting a
Christmas tree permit, and 200 of
them already have gone out and cut a
tree
The tree cutting area is located at
the top Lolo Pass at the 3,500-foot
level, which means the weather could
be either “rain or snow ” Evans said
that last Sunday cutters were greeted
by both snow and rain He advised
that all vehicles going into the area
be equipped with chains or other
traction devices
Evans also warned tree cutters
that under no circumstances should
they attempt to travel the powerline
road. Past experience has shown that
too many unsuspecting persons, at
tempting to drive closer to their tree,
found that getting stuck just wasn't
worth the time or the tow fee re
quired to get out before nightfall
“ People should play it safe and
stay on the roads," said Evans. "The
access up there is narrow and turn
around points are rare .”
Evans said that cutters should br
ing their own cutting tools, dress ade
qualely for the weather, and be sure
to take along a rope to tie the tree
down In addition, he recommends
that those trees being transported on
the tops of cars or in the open bed of a
pickup, where the tree will be expos
ed to wind, bring a blanket or tarp to
cover it.
“Trees get windbum," said Evens
“When this happens, the needles dry
out more quickly and fall off. ”
At the top of the Lolo Pass cutting
area Evans says cutters can select
from Noble fir and some Silver fir At
the bottom of the area is Douglas fir
or Hemlock
The Forest Service is recommen
ding that people cut Douglas or Noble
fir The Silver fir is difficult to find
and the Hemlock is not recommend
ed because it will last only three days
in a house before the needles start
falling off.
This next weekend. Christmas tree
cutting will be done on a reservation
system only Evans said that on these
two weekends they will allow ISO to
200 persons into the area during the
(Ceatinued on Page 2»
Top trainer
in Boring
for weekend
by GWEN BOGH
Post Correspondent
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Photo by Scott Newton
Pictured above is Kid Kadoodle, the host of the Kid Kadoodle Use Your Noodle Super Safety Show,
which was presented to Firwood Grade School students last week. The players are members of
Storefront Theater in Portland. Good Citizen awards were also given. See page five,
Forest will close to wood cutters December 31
hy M IC H A EL P. JONES
Post Correspondent
The Mt. Hood National Forest of
ficially closes for firewood cutting on
Dec. 31, and with only a few weeks
left, people are scrambling to get
enough fuel in for the winter
Zigzag and Hood River are open for
cutting but persons must have, in
their possession, a current wood per
mit and a map of designated cutting
a re a s . B a rlo w , B ear Sp ring s,
Estacada, Clackamas, and Columbia
Gorge Ranger Districts are closed
for the rest of the season
Herb Evans, information officer at
the Zigzag Ranger Station, stressed
that although the area is still open for
firewood cutting, that wood is scarce
and difficult to find, in spite of the
estimated 30 million board feet of
timber that blew down during the last
wind storm.
But neither the scarcity of wood,
rain and even snow has stopped the
flow of wood being taken down off the
mountain. The ranger station is still
being swamped with telephone calls
about woodcutting.
“ We gave out, in the course of the
season, 18,000 maps to the Zigzag
District,” said Evans. “ We figure
that's plenty of wood for this district
for one year."
Evans said that firewood patrols
are still in effect in not only the
Zigzag and Hood River Districts, but
also in the other closed areas, due to
timber thefts. He said that until the
areas "get a good snow or the roads
get too w et," that people will be out in
the woods cutting firewood, legally or
illegally.
Fores! Service officials maintain
that the scarcity of wood in such
districts as Zigzag, has created many
problems related to timber thefts and
illegally cutting firewood. Zigzag is
prim arily an area where wood can
only be found by scavaging Often
times, the wood is too far from access
roads and has to be hand carried to
the individual's vehicles, making the
already strenuous job even more
backbreaking
Some people, however, both com
mercial cutters and those cutting tor
their own personal use, attempt to
make the job easier by falling snags
near the road If apprehended, they
can look forward to a stiff fine and
even jail time
Evans questions whether people
know what kind of wood they can get
from the forest this time of year He
said that the wood is extremely wet,
and dry wood is very rare. He said
that people should think about the
money they will put out for gas, tra f
fic problems, the time and the work
involved, before they come up to get
wet wood.
“ If someone is out there cutting
firewood to burn this year, they will
have a problem," said Evans “ It's
gonna be soaked "
The season will reopen April of
next year, but there is speculation
that the firewood permits will no
longer be free Forest Service of
ficials in Washington, D C., are pro
posing that a new policy be im
plemented which would require per
mits to be purchased for either 65 or
610
Officials say that this would help
pay the costs of administering the
program.
A professional tra in e r fro m
California who conducts clinics for
advanced riders was at Windfall
Stables in Boring recently.
Tommy Lowe, recognized as one of
the top trainers in the United States,
spent last Saturday and Sunday
training 25 students ranging from 6 to
60 years, the techniques of horse man-
ship.
Two months a /o Connie Tore,
c »ner it Windfall Stables, arranged
to have Lowe •ome here to teach for
a weekend She had learned about
Lowe at the Oregon State F a ir last
summer Lowe judged the "Hunter
Jumper" division at the fair.
Tore was so impressed by Lowe's
abilities she decided that he should
come to her stables. With Lowe being
in the "public eye” she didn't have to
worry about his qualifications. He is
highly recommended
“When you’re hiring someone you
want to be sure it’s worth their (the
riders’ ) tim e," said Tore.
At Windfall Stables, Lowe trained
three groups These groups were
tra in e d in tw o-h ou r sessions.
Students were pleased as well as im
pressed by this man’s talents.
Tore said that lx>we was "really
sharp about picking out the problem
areas of students and pointing out
areas they needed improvement on.'*
She also said he had very good rap
port with everyone.
Several prominent personalities
have bren trained by Lowe, including
Mohammed All and Charles Bron
son. Some of his students have
become Medal Finalists in the
American Horseman Show Associa
tion.
SUHS buses keep rolling, traveled 240,000 miles last year
by SCOTT NEW TON
It would drive some people nuts to
be responsible for a large school bus
and forty or fifty energetic high
school students every school day
It doesn’t seem to bother Bob M ar
shall “ I love it," he said. “ I like be
ing around the kids ”
This is the first year he’s driven for
the Sandy Union High School district,
although he’s had his chauffeur’s
license for eight years
He drives the Government ('amp
route, the district's longest He
covers right at 100 miles a day in the
two trips, the first of which begins at
5:45 a m
Marshall’s days begin between 4 to
4:30 a m., when he drives from his
home in the Brightwood area to the
district 's bus barn, where he takes an
o ile r. smaller bus up the mountain
Friday he took this reporter on his
rout* On the way up the mountain
Marshall talked about his other
avocation, making jewelry
Business isn't bad. he said.
although it isn’t booming either
Unicorns, butterflies and frogs are
the most popular items
Frogs are especially popular this
season, he said, with mothers buying
them for daughters, who aren’t to
take them off until they’ve kissed a
prince
Marshall married Anita Singleton
Tuesday, and for their honeymoon
they plan on going to Newport, where
they’ll spend at least part of their
tim e in a booth selling
Talking about his job, Marshall
said that the thing that bothers him
most is the way people whiz by when
the bus is stopped and the red lights
are on He is surprised that the public
is not more aware, as the law requir
ing traffic to stop for school buses
with lights on has been in effect
several years
At about 6:30 the first students got
on the bus. with one young man slipp
ing on the ice as he left the house
As more students get on the bus.
and become aware that The Post is
doing a story on Marshall and the bus
»
system, they begin pointing out M ar
shall’s past errors, and fabricate a
few for good measure
Marshall responds by promising to
handdeliver copies of the article to
their parents, especially to the
parents of the one that is so handy
with rubber bands
If the students are a little rowdy,
it’s worth considering that some of
them will have been on the bus nearly
an hour and a half before school even
starts.
At Welches Marshall leaves the
older, smaller bus fo ra larger, newer
one It is cold, but it does have a
radio, which Marshall turns on,
although not as loudly as is re
quested
AU in all, buses in the school
district traveled 240,000 miles last
year, which includes trips to ac
tivities as well as the bus routes
Marshall takes the smaller bus up
the mountain, in pari, to save money
on gasoline
The district spent a total of 653.125
on gas last year, and another 68,600
on tires
The district spent 6269.418 for
tra n s p o rta tio n , which included
salaries, repairs, fuel and a replace
ment bus
The district receives basic school
support from the state of about 50
percent for transportation, excluding
bus replacement value, which is
depreciated
The district is making the change
from gasoline to diesel buses, which
will save money, hut it takes time to
change over The district has one
diesel bus. another is due in March,
and the board of education approved
the ordering of another in October.
At that October board meeting
Joan Hay, business manager, said
that five buses in the fleet have
traveled over too 000 miles, and that
two more were rapidly approaching
that mark
S till, Jim H o ffm e is te r, shop
foreman, feels that the fleet is in good
shape
He said that the stale inspectors
have been out, viewed his files, and
were nappy
He keeps a binder that he can take
to board meetings, if necessary, to
show expenses or. each individual
bus.
wasn't.
Two permanent employees, in
“ If something goes out unsafe and
cluding Hoffmeister, work in the
something happens, it’s my neck ”
Donna Stahinecker, who is the
shop. Also, a GET A employee works
there.
district's dispatcher and is in charge
The fleet is comprised of buses
of hiring, routing and training, also
made by General Motors, except for
feels that the district’s system is in
three Fords, and an International
good condition They’ll have to meet
that will be retired soon One of the
the s ta te ’s stand ardizatio n re
reasons behind having a fleet com
quirements in March.
prised of buses of the same make is
“ I think we should come out really
m ore efficient and less costly
well. I ’ve got to study over the
maintenance requirements
material and see just what areas, if
There are 18 buses in the fleet, if
any, that we need to rectify.
one counts the one that is in town but
“ Hopefully, we’ll come out 100 per
not yet in the possession of the
cent good ’’
district
Stahinecker has been working for
The busy season is just beginning
the district as a d riv e r since
for Hoffmeister He said that they'll
February of 1970, and started as
be down at four in the morning or
dispatcher about a year and a half
earlier chaining up the buses before
ago
the drivers leave.
All bus drivers in the state must
And, they’ll be nights, he reports,
have not only a chauffeur's license,
when he’ll be up at midnight check
but an Oregon school bus license,
mg roads
which includes 10 hours of behind
Hoffmeister apparently takes his
thewheel training, and 10 hours of
job seriously. He said, “ I can’t check
classroom tra in in g on respon
each individual one There’s no way
sibilities. maintaining discipline and
you can keep track of everything. But
basic mechanics, among other
I get quite uptight if 1 find something
things Also, all drivers must carry a
that should have been checked that
current first aid card.
Stahinecker is certified with the
state Department of Education to
teach the bus drivers course. The on
ly thing she doesn't teach is first aid.
Stahinecker drives the McCabe
route, which goes up Firwood, onto
Music Camp, down “that horrible hill
on Keisecker," out Pagh to McCabe
and onto the freeway.
“ I ’ve gone down that steep MU
sideways,’’ she said “ I just left
tracks all the way down And I
though. ’Mmm, got to keep the front
end ahead of the back '
“ And the kids say, ‘Oh. let’s do this
a g a in '”
There are 13 full-time drivers
working for the district. Eleven drive
re g u la r routes, one d riv e s a
wheelchair van and another drives
activities buses regularly
Dorothy Marschman, a driver in
the Bull Hun area, has been working
for the school district the longest
She’s been employed here since I9M
Stahinecker said that a lot of peo
pie could drive a bus, but that getting
along with students and keeping
discipline is something else
"That takes a certain kind of per
son." site said.