The Applegater

Applegater Summer 2018 1 Nonprofit Org US Postage PAID Permit #125 Medford OR ECRWSSEDDM Local Postal Customer SUMMER 2018 Volume 11, No. 2 Serving Jackson and Josephine Counties — Circulation: 11,000 Applegate Valley Community Newsmagazine Photo by Teya Jacobi applegater.org Some things just don't seem to go away. Birthdays, arthritis, taxes, an itchy mosquito bite, smoke in the summer. And all those wild turkeys parading around our property, making it impossible to walk the dog (that would be Maggie) while keeping shoes and paws clean! Fire season, though? Given the cold but fairly dry winter we've had, who knows what to expect this year? As I wrote this in mid-April the 2018 fire season was already moving forward in the midwest and southwest regions of our country. Our Applegate Valley Fire District Operations Chief Chris Wolfard was called out on a Type 1 team as the "situational unit leader" for a major fire in Arizona. My only question is—who's next? Southern California or southern Oregon? Take inventory Since we all have a role in wildfire preparedness, now is the time to "inventory" our own properties: What do we need to accomplish to make our homes more fire safe before fire season begins? I know that our Fire Chief Mike McLaughlin is taking stock of fire district equipment, staffing, and volunteers to make sure that we can handle whatever Mother Nature throws at us this summer—whether it's in Applegate, Murphy, or Ruch. And the federal and state fire agencies are hiring seasonal firefighters and training crews for the summer. Pretty soon I'll be helping the Oregon Department of Forestry put up those fire-season signs! Over the years I've realized that keeping our homesite and property fire-safe is an all-year task. ere is so much to do! anks to pine needles, something like cleaning the gutters needs to happen in late fall as preparation for the rainy season, but then again in late spring to prepare for fire season. What about pruning branches close to buildings, mowing fields and trails to provide fuel breaks, burning slash piles, working with the neighbor to get the driveway clearances cleaned up, maintaining a safe bridge on the driveway, and practicing the neighborhood telephone trees? ese are all things that should be happening in your neighborhood now to prepare as many homes and families as possible. (Note on that driveway cleanup: Make sure your driveway has been thinned or cleared of fuels so that you aren't jeopardizing the safety of your family when you evacuate or the responding firefighters!) A single family's personal preparation list can easily cover several pages— Wildfire preparedness — all year long? Or not? BY SANDY SHAFFER When you look up from the Applegate Valley towards the surrounding mountains, there's a pretty good chance you're looking at a landscape that has one or more trails passing through it. We're blessed with a great variety of places to stroll, hike, run, ride, and relax in the great outdoors! Some high-elevation trails wind along mountain ridges through alpine forests and meadows. The Pacific Crest Trail skirts the southern edge of the Applegate Watershed, while others rim the Red Buttes Wilderness or pass by Grayback Mountain. ey afford jaw-dropping views of distant ranges and valleys at nearly every turn. Closer in, other trails offer views that encompass not only mountains and forests, but also farms and ranches nestled in valley bottoms. ese trails may start nearer the valley floor and climb up through distinct plant communities, offering an excellent workout and a lesson about the plant and animal species that thrive at different elevations. Or they may follow a stream, an abandoned water ditch, or a mountainside contour that similarly instructs us about how nature arranges herself. ese local trails are not only close to home, but they also make it possible to see the places where you live, work, and play from a different perspective—as part of a larger whole. You might draw connections that reorient what you know of this place and how you think about it. Well-designed and maintained trails further our enjoyment of and appreciation for the diverse and beautiful landscape around us. Recreation is also a vital element of our local economy—trails are more Trails of the Applegate Watershed BY JIM REILAND is summer, don't miss the two Lavender Festival weekends: June 22 - 24 and July 13 - 15. Participating lavender farms include Goodwin Creek Gardens in Williams, e English Lavender Farm in Applegate, Lavender Fields Forever in Jacksonville, and Oregon State University Demonstration Garden in Central Point. e English Lavender Farm is owned by Derek and Sue Owen, who provided the following information about the seemingly endless uses of lavender as a natural remedy. Miracle healer or sweet-smelling snake oil? If you are already a lavender lover, chances are you have an anecdote or two about its healing powers. If you're a skeptic, you may take anecdotal evidence with a pinch of salt and look for empirical data. Lavender Festival blooms in June BY DEREK OWEN See LAVENDER, page 22. See APPLEGATE TRAILS, page 21. See WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS, page 17. My wife and I are lavender farmers who distil lavender essential oil. We use it in many of our products, and sell bottles of For more information, email agreaterapplegate@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/agreaterapplegate. Saturday ■ 7.14.18 ■ 11 - 7 Free Admission Cantrall Buckley Park, 154 Cantrall Road, off Hamilton Road in Ruch. Parking: $5 per car at 1470 Hamilton Road. Free shuttle buses. Join the Applegate Valley community in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cantrall Buckley Park, officially opened on July 14, 1968. Antonucci Collective Family Carr Rogue Trio Romancing the West Sequoia C a n t r a l l B u c k l e y P a r k Bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating. Presented by A Greater Applegate

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