The Applegater

Applegater Winter 2016 1 Photo by Kathy Kliewer applegater.org Applegate Valley Community Newspaper, Inc. PO Box 14 Jacksonville, OR 97530 Nonprofit Org US Postage PAID Permit #125 Medford OR ECRWSSEDDM Local Postal Customer WINTER 2016 Volume 9, No. 4 Serving Jackson and Josephine Counties — Circulation: 11,000 Applegate Valley Community Newsmagazine Celebrating Years ~23~ Abundant volunteer opportunities over the holidays BY DIANA COOGLE ISSUE HOLIDAY - ARTS See VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, page 12 BY DAVID DOBBS A farewell thanks to Ed Temple Giant metal flowers blossom in the Applegate BY SHELLEY MANNING See CHERYL GARCIA, page 12 See ED TEMPLE, page 2 Twenty-seven years ago Ed Temple and his wife, Lyn, moved to this naturally beautiful community, the Applegate, where Ed immediately became and for all those years remained a strong leader. Now, as they embark on another adventure in a move to Arizona, Ed is both looking back and looking forward. "Living in the Applegate has been a wonderful experience," he says. "We've made great friends, enjoyed nature at its finest, and lived life to the fullest. Although we look forward to new adventures, we will have many memories of the past." Ed says he has always felt the importance of "giving back" because of the opportunities we have living in the United States. "If you have the drive and ambition," he says, "it's possible to make your life pretty much what you want. I feel blessed to have the life I've had. A great wife, dog, and a home—in that order." Ed's par ting advice? "Get involved! Take part in your community." at advice is essentially what drove Ed as he settled into the Applegate and became an involved community member in the following roles: • Member of the Applegate Lions Club for 26 years, many of those years as club president • An elected member of the board of directors and president of the Applegate Valley Fire District for twenty-two years • B o a r d m e m b e r o f t h e Gr e a t e r Applegate Community Development Corporation (GACDC) for two years • Director of the Applegate Valley Days fundraising event from 2012 to 2014 • Coordinator for Neighborhood Watch while employed with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) • Coordinator for the Rural Action Team (RAT) office out of Ruch • Community Liaison Officer for JCSO to the Applegate Valley • Board member and past president of ACCESS Inc. Ed says that his most rewarding and proudest moments came from being part of the team that brought the Applegate Valley Fire District from a small, basic fire district to one of the finest fire districts in Oregon with volunteers, training, equipment, policies, and financial stability. "The dog," Lyn, and Ed Temple (in that order) are relocating to Arizona and plan to spend time traveling to places unknown. Metal sculptor and Jacksonville resident Cheryl Garcia is best known for her giant flowers, such as the poppies at the vineyard on South Stage Road and the giant red lily at Red Lily Vineyards. We know them and love them and take pride in them that they are in the Applegate. Cheryl is currently working on the sixth in the giant flowers series, a sculpture called Brittilaria. Inspired by the Gentner's fritillary, an endangered flower Applegaters are proud to host, it is named for another thing Applegaters take pride in, the Britt Gardens and festivals. Nonetheless, Cheryl resists being boxed in as "the flower lady." Her main passion is birds. Like lilies and poppies, hawks and swallows seem to be suitably As you reflect with gratitude on our abundance, remember those who are less fortunate. If you would like to give back, the holidays are a great time, and there are many ways, large and small, to share your gifts. Volunteering this holiday season is one way you can make a difference locally and globally. T h e h o l i d a y s c a n b e s o demanding and hectic that small acts of kindness go a long way. Opportunities to make a difference can be right next door. How about giving a friend a ride to the airport? Or offering to babysit while your neighbors do their holiday shopping? If you know a family who is struggling financially, and it's within your means, why not call Pacific Power and anonymously pay the family's electric bill? If you're baking cookies, how about making an extra batch to take to your local fire department? For some, the holidays can be lonely. Consider including someone who's alone in your festivities. You can even give the gift of song to friends and neighbors by putting together a caroling group. According to recent research, "ose who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer" (nationalservice.gov/ pdf/07_0506_hbr.pdf ). Here are some suggestions that may inspire you. Help families in need. At A p p l e g a t e C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h , volunteers are needed, starting December 1, to pack and deliver holiday baskets. Distribution begins on December 3 and continues throughout the month. Applegate ACCESS Pantry, located behind the cafeteria at the Ruch School, Metal sculptor Cheryl Garcia and her red bolander lily creation at Red Lily Vineyards in the Applegate.

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