Feature Spotlight
Stories from within Ruralite Country
Quilts of Valor Honor Area Veterans
Patriotic-themed quilts show veterans their service is appreciated
By Kris Capps
Members of the Cabin
Fever Quilters’ Guild
helped make the Quilt
of Valor presented to
Mike Low. From left,
Bernice Deely, Jan
Cannon, Carol Lovejoy,
Nancy Junk and Lois
Vrbka.
4
M A R C H 2 0 15 A touching gift of appreciation can bring a service
member to tears, especially when that gift is a
homemade quilt recognizing service to country.
Soldiers and veterans throughout Alaska are getting a taste of that special attention with a program
called Quilts of Valor.
Both Fairbanks and Healy held special recognition ceremonies during the past few months.
The mission of this national foundation, which
began in 2003, is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing
quilts. To date, nearly 112,000 Quilts of Valor have
been handed out.
Anyone can nominate a veteran to receive a Quilt
of Valor.
Statewide coordinator Linda Kau is making sure
the program reaches families throughout the state.
A longtime quilter, Linda lives in Oregon’s
Willamette Valley during the winter and in Alaska’s
Mat-Su Valley during the summer.
Her addiction? Quilting.
When Linda retired from the publishing business, she fully intended to devote
more time to quilting.
“Little did I realize at the time that
Quilts of Valor would become my mission soon after retirement,” she says.
“Being able to present quilts to our war
veterans and service members is the most
heartwarming part of our mission.”
According to Linda, Alaska has more
veterans per capita than any other state.
“It’s obvious there are many who
deserve our recognition,” she says.
With her encouraging spirit, community groups rally to help make that recognition
possible.
In Fairbanks, the Fairbanks Host Lions Club and
the Cabin Fever Quilters’ Guild recently partnered
to honor four soldiers.
They presented the quilts to the soldiers and
their families at a special luncheon. It was an
emotional ceremony for the recipients and the
audience.
Mike Low was presented with a Quilt of Valor in Healy.
“You have served this country with honor and
valor,” said Sally Benevento of the Lions, as she
presented a bed-size handmade quilt to Staff Sgt.
Michael Seager and his family.
Lions Club members made sure to single out the
wives and families as deserving personal thanks for
service, as well.
One wife tearfully thanked the group and talked
about how special it was to have someone recognize
the sacrifices her husband and family made during
the past year.
Some members of the Cabin Fevers Quilters’
Guild, who helped make the four quilts were also
there, including Bernice Deely, Jan Cannon, Lois
Vrbka, Nancy Junk and Carol Lovejoy.
“The soldiers appreciate it, but it gives us so much
satisfaction,” says Lois. “We get as much out of it as
they do.”
For quilter Nancy Junk, the program holds special
significance. Her husband was a Vietnam War veteran who was not welcomed home kindly.
She participates in the program because she
wants to make sure that never happens to anyone
else.
Erin Holloway, whose family gratefully accepted
a Quilt of Valor, says she will never forget the sentiment behind the presentation of the quilt. It will
always a hold a special place in their home, she
says.
When it came time for the Denali Quilters Guild
Erin Holloway, left, and
her husband, Sgt.
James Holloway, admire
the quilt they received,
held up on the other
end by Sgt. Michael
Nash.
in Healy to present a Quilt of Valor, it went to a
local veteran.
Mike Low of Healy thought his wife was dragging him to a holiday party one wintry evening in
December.
Suddenly, he found himself at the front of the
room being handed a gorgeous red, white and blue
handmade quilt, and applauded for his military service in Vietnam all those years ago.
This special message was included, from the
Quilts of Valor Foundation:
“Mike Low: On behalf of the Quilts of Valor
Foundation. In recognition of your service and sacrifice for this nation, it is a privilege to serve, honor
and comfort upon you through the award of this
Quilt of Valor. Though we may never know the
depth of your sacrifice to protect and defend the
United States of America, as a gesture of gratitude
from a grateful nation, we award you this Quilt of
Valor.”
The beautiful “God Bless America” quilt was
made by Ruth Sielaff of Palmer.
Mike, 67, was a 22-year-old U.S. Marine when he
came home from combat in Vietnam. The welcome
was not a pleasant one. He has a vivid memory
of people taunting him in the airport, calling him
horrible names.
He still gets a little choked up talking about how
he and his fellow soldiers were treated.
“All those years, we were thinking we were
betrayed in some way,” he says.
As years passed, he saw how time changed society’s perspective.
“I just felt people started recognizing servicemen
and women, since the Gulf War, primarily,” he says.
Mike was exposed to the defoliant chemical Agent
Orange during his service in Vietnam. Millions of
gallons of the herbicide/defoliant were sprayed during the war as part of the nation’s warfare program.
He continues to deal with health issues resulting
from that exposure.
When Denali Quilters presented Mike with the
patriotic quilt, he says it was the first time—ever—
that anyone recognized his service to his country.
It was an amazing moment, he says.
And he is not alone.
Veterans are everywhere.
“Communities need to realize who their veterans
are, that we do exist and we have this underlying
code,” he says. “We took an oath for our country.
That includes our communities.” n
For more information on the Quilts of Valor, see www.qovf.org.
MARCH 2015
5
Douglas Electric
Longtime Co-op GM to Retire in June
After 27 years at the helm, Dave Sabala is ready to let someone else have a turn
By Craig Reed
Little did Dave Sabala know that his playground as a youth
eventually would be his workplace as an adult.
Dave grew up about 30 yards from the back edge of Douglas
Electric Cooperative’s property in Roseburg. He played on the
ground that was developed into the co-op’s warehouse and storage area.
After graduating from Roseburg High School in 1971, from
Oregon State University in 1976 and then working at a couple
short-term jobs, Dave walked in the front door of the co-op’s
office on Northeast Stephens Street in August 1978 and was
hired as the director of member services.
He held that position for 10 years, then succeeded Howard
Crinklaw as the co-op’s general manager February 1, 1989.
He is now on the verge of closing out his career with DEC,
having announced his plans to retire at the end of June.
“It’s a very, very good job, but at some point you have to
move on,” says Dave who turns 62 in June. “It’s been a lifestyle
more than a career. I wanted to retire when things are going
well. The co-op is in good hands, it’s in a good financial state, it
is a reliable source of power for its members.”
Cameron Frasnelly, who has been the cooperative’s director
of information technology and operations analyst for almost
four years, was named assistant general manager in April and
will succeed Dave beginning July 1. Cameron has job shadowed
Dave as much as possible the past several months.
“I’ve learned quite a bit from Dave, probably about a 10th of
what he knows,” Cameron says. “He’s a fountain of knowledge.
His experience will definitely be missed.
“He’s just one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and he
has an extraordinary knowledge in both the electric and telecommunications industries.
“He’s the epitome of a top-notch general manager. Under his
leadership the organization has run very well. The plan is to
keep the company operationally sound.”
Howard, who hired Dave in 1978, says he had no doubts
about having the younger man succeed him as the general
manager.
“He got along with the employees, he got along with me and
he had progressed with the co-op for 10 years,” Howard says.
“Those were the main things.”
Going to work for Douglas Electric not only pleased Dave,
who had a business degree from OSU, but also his father,
Chris, who was a logger. Chris didn’t want his son to follow
4
M A R C H 2 0 15 Dave Sabala grew up playing in the area of the co-op that eventually became
Douglas Electric’s warehouse and storage yard.
him into the logging business. The work was hazardous,
and he could foresee regulations making it a more difficult
livelihood.
Dave admits the learning curve was steep for him early on at
DEC. He had to learn the difference between power poles and
telephone poles. He had to learn about energy and its use.
In his early years with the co-op, Dave spent a lot of his
time doing energy audits and writing weatherization programs
for houses. The latter was popular because there was a state
Top, Dave in 1978 at the Roseburg Home and Energy Fair. Above, Cameron
Frasnelly, left, will become general manager in July. He has been learning all he
can from Dave.
incentive program to weatherize homes.
He also responded to high bill complaints. He called it a
highlight when he could visit a co-op member and help them
discover a problem or better understand their power use.
“There were typical issues: a water-logged pump, a burnedout lower element in a water heater, a stuck thermostat in a
water heater, a hole caused by an animal in the duct work
under a house,” he says. “It was always gratifying to help members with those problems.”
When Dave was picked to succeed Howard in June 1988,
Chris was “absolutely delighted.” But four months later, Chris
died of cancer. He wasn’t able to enjoy his son’s promotion the
following February.
“I know Dad was tickled,” Dave says.
For the 10 years prior to the promotion, Dave and Howard’s
offices were next door to each other. Dave became well versed
in the cooperative and its operation.
“I didn’t think it was a tough transition,” Dave says.
In looking back at his 27 years as the general manager, Dave
says the highlights include the co-op’s safety record, its reliability in providing power to its members, affordable and stable
rates, the development of Douglas FastNet, and the involvement
of DEC and its employees in the community.
Under Dave’s guidance in the 1990s, Douglas Electric was
the first electric utility in Oregon to receive a Safety and Health
Achievement Recognition Program award—and the fourth
business overall—for worker safety from the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration.
Power became more reliable for DEC members in 1994 when
the Green Valley Substation west of Sutherlin was built, providing backup for the co-op’s northern transmission system. A
stepped-up maintenance program that included a right-of-way
clearing schedule also improved reliability.
Dave is proud to say the cost of power delivery has gone
up only 4.5 percent in his time as general manager. Other rate
increases have been tied to the cost of power itself.
Dave was at the forefront of proposing and establishing
Douglas FastNet as a member of a community taskforce looking into issues with telecommunications in Douglas County.
DFN brought broadband to the Roseburg community and to
DEC’s members in the rural parts of Douglas County.
“Our board would tell you that we would never have gotten
involved in broadband if it hadn’t been for Dave’s foresight and
his ability to put together coalitions,” says Terry Nelson, DEC’s
board chairman. “It (DFN) has been wildly successful.”
Terry has been a board member for 18 years and the board
chairman the past 12 years. He says he enjoys working on the
DEC board because of the excellence Dave brings to the boardroom and to the entire company.
“Excellence in operations, excellence in customer relations,
excellence in staff relations, excellence in community relations
and excellence in board relations,” Terry says of Dave’s work as
the general manager.
Dave’s career accomplishments recently earned him the
Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Distinguished
Service Award.
His career has been a distinguished one. In addition to providing leadership and vision for Douglas Electric, he has contributed his time and knowledge to numerous local, state and
regional boards. He will continue with a few of those boards,
but will cut back on his commitments and travel.
“For the most, part I feel like I haven’t left any cow pies for
the next general manager to deal with,” Dave says. “It’s time for
someone else to take a turn.” n
MARCH 2015
5
Lincoln County
Volunteers Help Build Theater’s Reputation
Lincoln County High continues the tradition of producing quality musicals
By Kimberly LeBaron
The air of the auditorium is
filled with energy and excitement. High school students
fill the seats near the piano
to work on a song. On stage,
several girls are learning to
roller skate. The scene is a
mixture of seriousness and
frivolity.
The students are rehearsing for Lincoln County High
School’s upcoming musical
“Happy Days.” Pete Peterson,
the director, carries on several different conversations
nearby as he oversees the
rehearsal.
Pete has directed LCHS
plays for several years. His
first musical was “Grease” in
1998. Since “Grease,” Pete has
done a musical every year,
except for one.
“I took one year off,” he
says. “Linda Butler took over
that year. They did a play, but
no musical.”
In the beginning, Pete did
everything for the plays and
was completely exhausted by
production time. Luckily, this
is no longer the case. Many
adults volunteer and help him
with everything from acting
to costumes to tech.
“I couldn’t do it without all
of these people,” says Pete.
He waves his arm around
the auditorium to include
several adults who are helping out
Pete’s helpers include Jacob
Lester, music director and
4
M A R C H 2 0 15 Director Pete Peterson, left, and costumer Kelly Wadsworth chat during a rehearsal for the Lincoln County High’s musical
production of “Happy Days.” The show opens Wednesday, March 11.
assistant director; Cherry
Larounis, stage manager and
assistant director; Andy
Robinson, music; Bill
Hartman, lights; Mindy
Anderson, choreography;
Kelly Wadsworth, costumes;
and Kathy Cook and Patty
Long who do hair, makeup,
and anything else Pete needs
to put finishing touches on
the play.
“The level of our productions has increased because
of all the help,” says Pete. “I
mean, we’ve done ‘Les Mis’
and ‘Beauty and the Beast!’
And it’s created a positive
effect in the community.
People want to help; they
want to be involved. We
have a lot more community
involvement than we did in
the beginning.”
While he talks, the
rehearsal continues. In one
corner, most of the kids work
on a new song. Asia Frehner
sits at the piano, helping
them get the melody, while
Andy plays the track with the
music.
On stage, the girls on skates
continue to practice. Some
have never skated before, and
they are finding that roller
skating is different from
inline skating. Cherry goes
on the stage and helps steady
one of the girls so she can
glide across the stage without
falling.
Kelly enters the auditorium
and takes a seat. “What can
I do to help? What will you
need?” she asks Pete. She is
ready to begin working on
costumes for the cast.
Pete launches into an
explanation of what they
already have and what they
need.
“This lady is amazing,” he
says, pointing to her. “She
does all of our costumes. She
sews them all for us.”
Kelly smiles modestly.
“I do it because my kids are
involved,” she says.
However, when asked how
much time she spends, she
admits that it is a big job.
“It really depends on the
From left, Amy Thomas, Kimberlie Barfield, Jana Ahlstrom, Hailey Zierow and
Lizzy Gloeckner work on skating skills.
play,” she says. “With ‘Beauty
and the Beast,’ they had most
of the costumes. Last year, I
sewed most of them. I’d guess
that I probably put in around
50 hours sewing costumes.”
It is a big job, but like all
of the volunteers, she does
it because she enjoys being
involved with the production.
“Happy Days” is based on
the 1970s sitcom with the
same name. The play was
written by Gary Marshall and
Paul Williams and is set in
Wisconsin in 1959.
“It’s a fun play,” says Pete.
“When I was looking for a
musical to do, I was told that
‘Happy Days’ is really popular
right now. It has all of the fun
of ‘Grease’ without the inappropriate references.”
The premise of the play is
that Arnold’s, the restaurant
popular with teenagers, will
be closed down because a new
shopping mall is coming to
town.
“The idea of a mall is a new
concept for them,” says Pete.
“There were no malls in the
’50s. This is fun to produce
because it takes the kids away
from cell phones and back
to roller skates, hula hoops,
Frisbees and yo-yos.”
In conjunction with the
play, the theater department
organizes other events to
raise money for the drama
department.
“We’re going to have a juke
box and a bicycle,” says Pete.
“We’ll be using them as props
for the play, but we’re also
going to sell tickets for them
and raffle them off.”
In addition to the raffle,
they are also having a corresponding diner-type dinner prior to the Friday and
Saturday night performances
of the play.
“We’ll have hamburgers
and fries, red-and-whitechecked table cloths, music,
and carhops on skates serving
the food,” says Pete.
The kids are still practicing, but when it comes time
to take pictures, none of them
is shy. They rush to be in the
photos. They pose, pull faces,
and grin at the camera. It is
obvious they enjoy being in
the spotlight.
All of them are involved
because theater is something
they enjoy.
“I do it because it’s fun,”
says Brandon Jackson, a
junior who plays the part of
Potsie. “I love the thrill of
being on stage in front of
everyone. I also love playing
the role of another person. It
gives me a chance to forget
about my life and live someone else’s and go somewhere
else for a couple of hours.”
Haylee Jo Zierow, a sophomore who plays the Pinkett,
Lola, and a carhop, agrees.
“I love it,” she says. “You
get out of your comfort zone,
you have good laughs, and
it’s just fun. It’s great to be
part of such an awesome
program.”
“I love being onstage,”
says Asia, a junior who plays
Joanie Cunningham. “I
always have. I love the thrill,
and sometimes challenge, of
becoming another person.
It’s an opportunity for me to
escape my comfort zone.”
Jana Ahlstrom elaborates as
she explains how theater has
benefitted her.
“I have always loved singing and acting,” she says. “It
is awesome how you can be
someone you’re not. You can
really express different feelings on the stage. I’m glad
I started, because it really
brought me out of my shell
and made me try new things
and really be myself.”
Michael Winters, a junior
who plays the part of Richie
Cunningham, puts a different
spin on why he enjoys theater.
“I like spending time with
my friends, and I like music,”
he says. “I love exploring different styles of music, and I
like helping contribute to a
good show.”
Everyone recognizes the
actors on stage, but a play
would not be a play without
people behind the scenes. In
addition to the many adults
volunteering, students work
tirelessly behind the scenes.
They help build set, move
props on and off stage, manage the lights and help with
sound. These are the techies.
Avarie Mehring, a sophomore who runs the light
board, explains why her job is
rewarding.
“I love being involved in
the play, but I’m not much
for the acting part,” she says.
“I enjoy lights, but sometimes it’s stressful. This is
my first actual time doing
lights myself. Last year, Mr.
Lester programmed the lights
for me, but this year, Bill
Hartman came in and taught
me how to program and balance the lights.”
The adults involved revel in
the success of the show.
“It can be very stressful,”
admits Pete, “but it’s very satisfying at the end.”
Perhaps Cherry sums it up
best.
“I love it,” she says enthusiastically. She pauses for a
moment and contemplates.
“The kids, the energy, the
excitement—I just love it. I
love everything about it.” n
The LCHS production of Happy
Days is March 11-14 and March 16
at 7 p.m.
MARCH 2015
5
Consumers Power
Zach Gascon test rides a new section of trail built by volunteers on Bureau of Land Management land.
Biker-Built Trails at Alsea Falls
Grants, donations, volunteers and hard work open trails to mountain bikers
By Craig Reed
Zach Gascon pushes on the
pedal and steers his mountain
bike downhill through the
trees. He follows a segment
of the Alsea Falls mountain
bike trail system, negotiating
curves, bumps and dips in the
recently built trail.
“There’s flow to the trail,”
Zach says. “There’s some technical stuff for more advanced
riders, but also some easy,
smooth track for beginners.
It’s all blended into one route.
That is something that is
unique to this trail system.”
Building of the Alsea Falls
4
M A R C H 2 0 15 trail began in September
2013 on Bureau of Land
Management land in the
Mary’s Peak district of the
Coast Range, about 35 miles
southwest of Corvallis. There
are now 7 miles of completed
trail.
Records show mountain
bikers used the trail about
7,500 times during 2014. An
ongoing construction project,
the goal is to extend the trail
to 12 miles by June.
A second phase of construction begins in the fall,
with plans to add another 8
to 12 miles to the trail system.
The trail system then will be
assessed to decide if more trail
will be built.
“The Alsea trail flows like
a river or a roller coaster,”
mountain biker Eric Emerson
says. “The corners are not
too sharp, the jumps not too
steep. You can ride the trail 10
to 15 times and have a different experience every time by
going a little faster, taking the
corners a little better, focusing on different skills. Lower
on the hill is a little easier and
higher on the hill takes a bit
more experience.”
With an increase in the
popularity of mountain biking, Benton County has seen
more trail proposals. Two new
trails—the Vineyard Mountain
Trail and the McCulloch Peak
Trail are planned in Oregon
State University’s McDonald
Forest north of Corvallis. It
will total 4 miles during the
next two years.
“This is an unmet need in
our forest,” says Ryan Brown,
recreational and engagement
program manager for the OSU
forest. “It’s important to us that
all of the visitors to the forest
feel we’re meeting their needs.”
Ryan explains that several
trails in the forest are open to
all users—bikers, hikers and
horseback riders—but the
Far left, Eric Emerson by
the excavator used to
build trail in the Alsea
Falls bike trail system.
Much of the work is
done by volunteers such
as Eric and the Team
Dirt nonprofit.
Left, a trail sign shows
the diversity of trail use
in the Mary’s Peak district of Bureau of Land
Management. About 7
miles of moutainbike
trail is complete, with a
goal of 12 miles by
June.
fairly isolated new trails will
be primarily for mountain
bikes.
“This is a pilot test, and if it
works out for mountain bikers, we’ll be working on other
trails aimed toward other user
groups,” Ryan says.
The latest study of user
activity in the forest was done
in 2009 and shows there is
a “relevant” 15 percent of
visitors who bike in the area,
Ryan says, with the highest
percentage of users—42 percent—hikers or walkers.
“This trail project is based
on public involvement and
from talking to user groups,”
Ryan says. “A lot of people are
involved, and that makes it a
worthy project.”
A key group in both the
Alsea and McDonald trail
projects is Team Dirt, a
Benton County nonprofit
organization of about 75
members who are mountain
bikers. Eric and Zach are two
of the members.
Team Dirt was formed
seven years ago as a mountain bike racing team. After
becoming a chapter member
of the International Mountain
Bike Association three years
ago, its focus turned to providing access and sustainable
mountain bike trails in the
area for recreational riding.
The Alsea Falls trail
project came about following a conversation between
Mike Ripley, the Team Dirt
president, and Rich Hatfield,
BLM’s district supervisor.
The Alsea Falls area was
selected because of its central
location between Corvallis
and Eugene. It is no more
than two hours’ drive from
Newport and Waldport on the
coast and Salem and Portland
to the north.
The area has a paved road
to the trailhead, and some old
closed roads were easily converted to trail.
Mike and Rich had a model
to follow in the Sandy Ridge
trail project east of Portland.
Construction of that trail
began four years ago. In its
first year, it attracted 100,000
biker visits.
The initial plan for Alsea
Falls was to add a mile a
year to the trail. But that was
quickly and easily eclipsed
thanks to the volunteer
efforts of Team Dirt and its
members. The goal is now 4
miles a year.
Being a member of IMBA
helped Team Dirt pick up the
construction pace.
“Being an IMBA member
gives you more credibility,
more access to knowledge
from people who have worked
with land managers and more
advice on trail building,”
says Eric, a Team Dirt board
member and its lead trail
coordinator.
Team Dirt also is a nonprofit, which gives it more
access to grants to help with
trail building. Grant money
was used in September 2013
to fund a professional trail
builder who constructed 1.5
miles of trail. Having seen
that work, members of Team
Dirt jumped in and completed another half-mile of
trail before the end of the
year.
“BLM sees that we’re not
only excited to ride it, but
we’re willing to build it, to put
some sweat equity into the
development of the trail system,” Eric says.
Volunteers, most of them
Team Dirt members, gather
most every weekend to build
trail. Once a month there is a
designated Build Day from 9
a.m. to 1 p.m.
Eric says about 150 volunteers have given time on
the back of a shovel or some
other tool.
“You don’t need any experience,” Zach says. “We try
to get as many folks out as
we can, give them shovels or
some other tools, and guide
them in the right direction.
That’s how the majority of
trail gets built.”
When construction on the
trails in the McDonald Forest
begins in coming months,
Team Dirt will write grants
and volunteer to do ground
work.
“They’re really great partners,” Ryan says. “They’re proactive. They’re very supportive of the forest, they consider
the needs we have in managing the forest, and they’re
great as far as being considerate of other user groups.
They’re willing to come to
the table, put their effort and
energy into something they
are about. That’s very much
appreciated.”
The volunteer trail builders usually reward themselves
when construction ends for
the day. They change into
their riding gear and enjoy a
mountain bike ride.
“More people are looking
for new places to ride,” says
Zach. “Trails like these are why
more people are coming out of
the woodwork to ride.” n
Team Dirt plans an online
fundraiser to buy an excavator
and a power wheelbarrow to speed
up the trail building. The 40-day
fundraiser begins in mid-March,
with a goal of raising $50,000.
For more information, go to www.
teamdirt.org.
MARCH 2015
5