The Applegater

20 Fall 2018 Applegater L odge and R estaurant open 7 days a week H appy H our from 3 - 5 pm daily T uesday reduced rates on entrees W ednesday N ight L ive M usic, open till 1 1 pm Restaurant open 4 - 9 pm, Wednesday - Sunday Lodge open 7 days a week Wednesday Night Live Music, open till 11 pm Local musicians jam in restaurant on Sunday Lodge 541-846-6690 Restaurant 541-846-6082 Wedding/Special Events 541-660-0244 www.applegateriverlodge.com Applegate River Lodge & Restaurant Local musicians jam in restaurant Sundays L i v i n g rurally, it isn't a matter of if the power goes out - rather when & for how long. You've seen the news: ice and snow storms, tornados, hurricanes, floods, for - est fires, and random grid outages, due to aging components, all interfere with your family's well-being. Buying a man - ual pump is like insurance. Except instead of having to pay again every year, it's a one-time payment. Making a one-time payment for "insurance," that your family will have water in an emergency, should be a simple choice. Quinn's Well Pump and Filtration Service is your Exclusive "Simple Pump" dealer in Southern Oregon. "Simple Pump" means no more back breaking trips with a bucket full of water. Quinn's Well, Pump and Water Filtration is located at 6811 Williams Hwy. We install, maintain and repair complete water pumping systems, and we offer a complete line of water filtration equipment. Contact our professional staff by phone, e-mail, or visit our office. www.quinnswell.com CCB #192047 541-862-9355 541-772-7867 Call us Mon. - Fri. 8 - 5, you'll have a live person answer the phone that is ready to help you! Why Buy A Hand Pump? with Tami Quinn Hollenbeck Water is a geological cocktail, so DRINK MORE WATER! Protecting the Applegate jewel BY JACK DUGGAN Tucked above private lands along Highway 238 between Ruch an d Ap p legate is an untouched jewel of Applegate w i l d e r n e s s . C e n t e r e d o n Wellington Butte, the Wellington Wildlands is 12 square miles of unentered public land with one hiking trail at its border along the ridge above Forest Creek and an unpermitted, user-created off-highway vehicle (OHV) trail poking its way into the wilderness. Conservation and recreational groups and southern Oregon citizens have mobilized to protect t h e We l l i n g t o n Wi l d l a n d s Wi l d e r n e s s ( W W W ) f r o m proposed logging in the Middle Applegate Timber Sale, currently being designed by the Medford District Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Most of this preserve is made up of south-facing slopes covered in brush and oak woodlands, but there is just enough timber hidden in the canyon folds to attract BLM's attention. Wellington Butte, with its distinctive mountain meadow, stands at the center and is visible from Ruch and most of the Middle Applegate area. Views from this rare land span both valleys from Williams to Mt. Ashland and from Medford to Crater Lake. Private lands border three sides, so for many residents of the Applegate Valley the wildlands is their viewshed or backyard. e BLM has designated 5,711 acres of Wellington Wildlands as a Land with OPINION Wilderness Characteristics (LWC). Locals believe the WWW should be expanded to 7,527 acres by including the BLM-managed lands on both sides of China Gulch. The Wellington Wildlands and another LWC, Dakubutede, with the historic Sterling Mine Ditch Trail running through it, are highlights in a recreation area along the narrow band of mountains between Grants Pass and Mt. Ashland that separates the Applegate and Rogue valleys. In these hills, christened the Applegate Rogue Recreation Corridor (ARRC), recreation is varied and thriving. Extensive nonmotorized trails systems like Cathedral Hills, Jacksonville Forest Park, Sterling Mine Ditch Trail, and the Jacksonville Woodlands already exist in this corridor. e eventual completion of the Jack-Ash and Applegate Ridge Trails will provide a continuous upland trail from Grants Pass to Jacksonville and on to Ashland and the Pacific Crest Trail. With paragliding, skiing, hiking, running, hunting, backpacking, cycling, camping, horseback riding, bird watching, photography, and OHV use, the 42-mile long ARRC is a recreation haven for both Applegate and Rogue valleys. e Save the Wellington Wildlands Council and its partners want to raise public awareness of this backyard gem and the threat posed to future generations if this wildlands is entered for timber harvest. Da v i d C a l a h a n , a l o n g - t i m e Applegate resident and neighbor to the WWW, commented, "Most people aren't opposed to sustainable forest management as long as it preserves scenic and conservation values. ere's a world of change going on here with rising tourism and awareness that good conservation practices mean good things for our economy and quality of life." At this point, only the BLM knows when the Middle Applegate Timber Sale will be announced and if the WWW will be proposed for logging in that project. People will be able to comment about the project once the plan is released, taking advantage of the opportunity to voice their concerns. In the meantime, a petition to Preserve the Wellington Wildlands can be found at applegaterogue.org, where you can also sign up to receive future notifications if desired. David Calahan is reflective. "is isn't just about us. It's about our children too," he said, noting that since the Wellington Wildlands are so close, they are within sight of thousands of people every day. More information can be found on these websites: backyardforests.org/ wellington-wildlands.html, applegater. org/pdf/2018/v11n01/v11n01p21. pdf, and dailytidings.com/archive/ wild-side-lots-of-happy-trails-in-the- applegate-area. Jack Duggan shanachie@hughes.net Jack Duggan lives on the other side of Mount Isabelle from the Wellington Wildlands Wilderness. Voices of the Applegate Fall Concerts Our fall session starts with our first rehearsal on Tuesday, September 4, at 6:30 pm at the Ruch Library meeting room. is will be a very exciting time for all of us because we are bringing in a new director, Shayne Flock, to lead our choir in an outstanding selection of music, both classical and contemporary. Shayne grew up in the Rogue Valley, where his father was choir director at Hidden Valley High School for many years. Shayne attended Crater High School, where he is now the music director. He also was the music director of the Corvallis Community Choir for three years, so he's coming to us with a lot of experience. ere will be 12 rehearsals, beginning September 4 and ending November 27. Our first concert is on Friday, November 30, at 7:30 pm at Jacksonville Presbyterian Church, 405 E California Street. e second concert is scheduled for Sunday, December 2, at 3 pm at Applegate River Lodge, 15100 Highway 238. Attendance is free (donations are welcome) and refreshments will be available. All are invited—and bring your friends! For more information, call Joan Peterson at 541-846-6988. For rates and other information, contact: Ron Turpen 541-601-1867 ronaldaturpen@gmail.com Next deadline: November 1 Advertisers!

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