Monday, April 2, 2018

Liz Writes Life 4-3-18


April 3, 2018

Liz Writes Life
Published in Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA.



Congressman Doug LaMalfa found he had an extra two hours between meetings, last Saturday, so he invited members of the Siskiyou Co. Republican Central Committee to meet with him for an informal visit in Yreka. Several of us were able to show up. It was a treat to casually ask him questions regarding D.C. and receive a bit of insight on issues. He is still pressuring U.S. Dept. of Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, to save the Klamath dams, although Zinke is frustratingly evasive.

It was in December of 2001, when I first met Doug LaMalfa. The Sacramento Valley rice farmer decided to run for state assembly and began his campaign by participating in events throughout his district. The Fort Jones Christmas Parade brought him to Siskiyou County. I liked him then and like him even more now. Yes, he won our district assembly seat in the 2002 election. Later, he ran for state senate and won. Many times during the past 17 years, Doug has traveled to Siskiyou County to aid farmers, ranchers, property and business owners; and the county. I so appreciate him for his concern for rural America – especially Siskiyou!

He attended the Siskiyou Co. Farm Bureau Federation’s annual dinner later Saturday evening. Even as a busy congressman, on a few weeks break, he finds time to come up here to be with constituents.

I wasn’t able to attend the Farm Bureau dinner as family had shown up for Easter celebration. But, I want to thank Sherry Crawford for purchasing a unique quilt -- started by my mom and finished by my sister -- during the Live Auction. I heard auctioneer Clifford Munson shared a bit of history on my mom and dad, who were members of the Siskiyou Farm Bureau back in the 1940s. They married in 1941 and dad operated several ranches in Scott Valley in partnership with his brothers.

After several ranch and horse accidents, dad’s back was giving him fits and he wasn’t sure he could keep ranching. Cal-Farm Insurance Company was affiliated with Farm Bureau, but not easily available in Siskiyou County. So mom and dad decided to become insurance agents. No, I wasn’t born yet. They passed the agents’ exam and, in 1950, began traveling throughout the county to homes and ranches selling insurance as Siskiyou’s first Cal-Farm Insurance agents. When I came along, they took me with them much of the time.

Dad also served as the first Siskiyou Co. Farm Bureau Field Secretary. I don’t think Farm Bureau has that position anymore, but I remember dad was gifted a new Stetson felt hat when he retired. For many of their Cal-Farm years, mom also served the county Farm Bureau as executive secretary. Winter and summer, she drove two days a week over the “old” windy road on Forest Mountain to work in the insurance/Farm Bureau office. In 1966, mom and dad retired from selling Cal-Farm Insurance and their Farm Bureau secretarial jobs.

So, how did I get to rambling on this subject? The current executive secretary, Dona Farnam, is a cousin. She was looking for donations for the dinner auction and called my sister, who remembered she had a quilt top that our mom made before she died back in 2006. Lorena finished it, but hadn’t given it away. She offered it to Dona. Thanks to Sherry Crawford, it brought $300. So even beyond the grave, mom continues to support the Siskiyou Co. Farm Bureau. I just thought that was a nice little country-folk-type story. My sister, Lorena, makes beautiful quilts. I don’t and won’t even try! They are hard.

POW

Scott Valley Protect Our Water met last Thursday night at the Fort Jones Community Center. Ethan Garrett kicked-off the evening explaining his background and why he is running for Siskiyou County Assessor/Recorder. The current assessor, Mike Mallory, decided to retire and is not running after serving four terms since 2002. There is another candidate who is running and it is Craig Kay. Both men work in our county assessor’s office. Craig will be speaking at Scott Valley Protect Our Water meeting April 26, 2018.

Ethan admits right-off that, yes, he is young at age 30. But, quickly explains after 10 years in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco world of technology; and building program software and mobile apps, he decided that returning to his home area of Siskiyou would be a great next step in his life. He was also graduated from U.C. Davis and played on its football team. It was his extensive knowledge of doing risk analysis that helped him gain a position in the assessor’s office after moving back to Yreka in 2016.

Ethan was asked quite a few questions regarding his job as an appraiser, which was enlightening to say the least. One question was about homes or property that has declined in value. Ethan reported there is a remedy. Value can be reassessed through the 1978 Proposition 8.

I looked it up and here is a synopsis from Wikipedia.

“Proposition 8 (or Senate Constitutional Amendment No. 67) was an amendment of the Constitution of California relating to the assessment of property values. It was proposed by the California State Legislature and approved by voters in a referendum held on 7 November 1978.

The amendment was necessitated by the passage of Proposition 13 in June of the same year. Proposition 8 allowed for a reassessment of real property values in a declining market. For this purpose it amended Article 13A of the state constitution, which had been added by Proposition 13. Today a reassessment based on a decline in market value is called a "Proposition 8" reassessment.”

I don’t know how many people remember this Proposition 8, but it may be helpful for some home owners.

Erin Ryan, who is staff for Congressman LaMalfa, and Jim Smith, our Siskiyou Co. Agriculture Commissioner, also spoke at POW. I will share their information next week.

Liz Bowen is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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