Liz writes her last column

June 1, 2022

Liz Writes Life

Well, I have some news – don’t know if it is good or bad? I have decided to end my newspaper column “Liz Writes Life”. Today will be my last one.

It is time that I really focus on getting my photos organized and re-writing different family history stories. I have been scanning photos -- 100s of them – yet, find myself not naming, dating and organizing them in a timely manner. I will be sorry, if I don’t do this.

I am realizing that not all the photos need to be digitalized and that is actually my biggest problem – making decisions and sifting a lot more out. Ugh! It is hard.

Besides shooting lots of family, scenic, rodeo and wedding photos over the years, I have been taking photos for newspapers and a few magazines since I began writing for the “Pioneer Press” back in 1976. Gary Mortensen started that weekly newspaper on Nov. 16, 1972 in Fort Jones, CA. I was attending Etna High School at the time.

Many rural news reporters didn’t have sidekicks of photojournalists. Back then, I used a basic SLR camera and black and white film. Gary had a dark room, processed the film and printed photos. Wow, things have changed in the printing business! I even remember when he started using computers. I hated the mouse! Remember, when it had a tail hooked to the computer? Yep, I started out typing on a manual typewriter.

I think I began writing a “Garden Corner” in about 2000. The “Pioneer Press” stopped publishing hardcopy news around 2007 or 2008. At that time, the editor of the “Siskiyou Daily News” asked me and the other columnists to write for the SDN. We did and the editor put our columns and other local news articles in a section just for Scott Valley. Sometime along the way, (I can’t remember when) my garden information morphed into “Liz Writes Life”. And, typically, I never knew what I would be writing about until my deadline! Sure do have a love-hate relationship with deadlines!

Garden

So, I will share my garden with you one last time. Because my knees are so creaky and my energy is rare, the garden will be even smaller this year. The drought has stunted many of the perennials in my wild flower garden under the pine tree, but a do see a few old-fashioned purple iris blooming.

Grandson Bryce helped me dig four big holes for the Early Girl tomato plants and they have been planted. Then we mixed steer manure in the soil in a trench and planted cucumber and zucchini seeds. We left a few hollyhocks that are growing, but need to be irrigated. The chocolate mint has woken-up, because of irrigating and a Shasta daisy just started blooming.

While I was irrigating the four-foot-tall comfrey, I noticed several bumble bees poking into the tiny pink bell blossoms gathering pollen.

Two weeks ago, I harvested one rhubarb plant. Probably got about 40 pounds. Gave most away and made a batch of rhubarb-strawberry jam. The other rhubarb is just as tall at over four-feet, but will harvest it this week. Boy that horse manure sure makes it grow. Well, that and lots of water, especially in this drought. The 20 garlic plants are 14 to 18 inches high, but I have struggled keeping it irrigated and need to fertilize it again.

So, there is my garden report. Good luck with your flowers and vegetables this summer.

Now for the finish!

News writing: It has been quite a run. I have written hard news, agricultural news, rodeo news, feature articles, local and regional news. Oh, and lots of obituaries. I wasn’t much of a sports writer, though. Also, sat-in and reported on the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors’ meetings over the years. It seemed like there was always plenty going on that was newsworthy. At least to me!

On the family historical aspect, which I have shared with you at times, I will close mentioning that my parents Hearst Dillman and Jeanne Fowler married on this day, June 1^st in 1941. They met and lived here in Scott Valley. First meeting was at a Callahan dance! Times were still hard from the Great Depression in 1941, so they decided to make the wedding easy by driving to Reno, Nevada -- in a borrowed car!

In the early 1990s, dad asked me to write-up his life. I never up-dated the text program and it needs to be re-typed (and improved) again. Yep, it was saved to what was truly a “floppy” disk that I no longer have! My sister has written our mom’s life history.

My parents are buried in the Etna Cemetery along with dad’s parents and siblings. Mom has about 20 Fowler family members in the Etna Cemetery as well. My grandchildren and daughter-in-law helped me put out about 50 red, white and blue (fake) flowers on our relatives and some friends graves last weekend in honor of Memorial Day. I have great respect for our soldiers and veterans.

So, there is always plenty to do. I want to send best hopes and wishes to you all. Thanks for reading me!

May peace and calm be with you in all ways. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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More on the June 7 Primary Election

Liz Writes Life

May 25, 2022

More on the election

Yes, I figured it out. Last week, I was initially stumped because the Sample Ballot for the Statewide Direct Primary Election on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, showed that we need to vote for two U.S. Senate candidates. But then I reflected that both of these “contests” were for the same position. The difference is that the term ended on the position this year, which Alex Padilla was appointed after the previously-elected U.S. Senator Kamala Harris was tapped to serve as U.S. Vice President in 2020. So, Padilla is completing Harris’ term that ends this year; and then that position is open for an election to the next six-year term. That is why Padilla and several others are running for both of these contests.

I checked and U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s term does not expire until 2024, so her position or office is not open.

Four people are running for California United States Dist. 1 Representative. I will be voting for Doug LaMalfa, whom I feel does an incredible job. He knows us. He visits us. When I chat with him, I know he truly cares. Other candidates are another Republican Tim Geist, Democrat Max Steiner and non-party candidate Rose Penelope Yee.

There are four people running for the CA. Dist. 1 State Assembly. Republican Megan Dahle is just finishing her first term and is running. But, there is a Republican challenger named Kelly Tanner from Shasta County. I heard her speak several weeks ago and then visited with her. I was impressed and will likely vote for her. Peace and Freedom candidate Joshua Brown is also running and Democrat Belle Starr Sandwith.

The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is a nonpartisan office. There are seven people running and I don’t know who to vote for, so will need to check with the California GOP website and the Howard Johnson Taxpayers Association to see their suggestions.

At the county level, two people are running for the County Superintendent of Schools. I also need to do some investigation regarding how I will vote on them.

Most of the other Siskiyou County offices do not have challengers. I have had several people ask me about Measure P. This is about the county auditor-controller office. A recent past elected official in that office has been quite controversial. Many cemetery and other district boards in the county felt targeted by that county auditor. At this point, it seems to me that the county supervisors should appoint the auditor-controller. It is a tough job. I will be voting “yes” on Measure P.

Currently, Diane Olson was appointed by the board of supervisors to the office of auditor-controller. I have known Diane for years. I have seen her work in several businesses and serve on grass roots boards. She is a stickler for accuracy and quite competent. I will be writing Diane Olsen’s name in for the auditor-controller position.

I also support Ray Haupt as our Dist. 5 Siskiyou Co. Supervisor; Jeremiah LaRue as our sheriff; Kirk Andrus as our District Attorney; Laura Bynum as our county clerk; Craig Kay as our assessor-recorder and Jennifer Taylor as treasurer-tax collector.

There are a few California offices I missed. I suggest that you check with your state party for their recommendations. Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assoc. provides conservative suggestions that I usually agree with. Just do a search for that website on the internet and it should come up.

 The Ballot!

Gotta say that I am quite disappointed about the mail-in ballot envelope. Once again, the envelope does not cover our signature. I do not like my signature on the outside of the envelope, where it can be photo copied. I have been told that this envelope is what the Secretary of State prescribes. I still don’t like it and will not be sending it through the mail.

I will vote early and take it to the Siskiyou County Clerk’s office or hand-deliver it to a polling place in Etna on June 7^th – election day.

I will also write a letter of complaint to our county clerk and the Secretary of State. Our envelopes used to cover our signature on our ballot and should do so again.

10 percent of snowpack

The U.S. Forest Service employees checked the local snowpack stations at the south end of Scott Valley, Scott Mt., and on Salmon Mt. behind Etna and the results were devastating at just 10 percent of the many-decades average. Swampy John, established in 1951 at 5,500 feet elevation – behind Etna – showed the highest amount of snow at 23 inches. Yep, that is bad. The average for Swampy John’s May 1^st measurement is 50 inches.

On that note, the USFS and CalFire are sending out notices asking residents to clean-up fuels of trees, brush, weeds and grass around our homes. With that second week of May batches of spring rain and cooler temps, the grass and weeds finally grew. My grandson, Bryce, and I are taking turns weed-eating to get a good clearance around my house. Hope you can do the same!

May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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Democrat candidates raise more money than Republicans in California

May 18, 2022

Liz Writes Life

Primary Election is June 7

All registered voters should have received a “Sample Ballot and Voter Information Guide” in the mail earlier this month. This is for the Statewide Direct Primary Election that will be held Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Polls open at 7 a.m. on June 7^th and close at 8 p.m. Your polling place is shown on the back of the cover.

Many people now use mail-in ballots; and because my precinct is so small in population, we also do mail-in. Mail-in ballots should be in the mail from our Siskiyou County Clerk’s office by May 13; and so we should be receiving them in our mail boxes this week.

When first opening the Sample Ballot booklet, I was shocked to find 26 candidates running for governor. Then, I was just as shocked to see that the major Republican candidates that ran for office during the recall election of Governor Gavin Newsom (two years ago) were not on the ballot. Larry Elder had galvanized the Republican base during the recall, but Kevin Faulconer and John Cox also made a big splash along with Kevin Kiley. Kiley is the only one running for office in this election and that is for the Congressional seat of the new Third District.

In reading over the names of those running for governor, I noticed there were 13 Republicans and the only name I recognized was our Dist. 1 CA. Senator Brian Dahle.

Because I didn’t recognize many other names, I went to Cal Matters.org and BallotPedia.org to learn about the candidates and races. I was surprised to learn that as of May 11, 2022, the candidates running for governor have raised and reported $11.2 million. Wow, that’s a lot of money!

The financial breakdown in the governor’s race is: Incumbent Democrat Newsom with $7.5 million raised. Following him is Republican Brian Dahle, who has raised $1.5 million; then Republican Jenny Rae LeRoux with $846,000; no party preference Michael Shellenberger with $647,300 and Republican Shawn Collins with $238,500.

Barely $3 million has been raised in the Lt. Governor’s race. Incumbent Democrat Eleni Kounalakis has raised $2.9 million and non-party affiliated David Hillberg reported $5,900. Republican David D. Fennell is also running, but did not report any fund raising.

Attorney General race is interesting. Xavier Becerra was elected in 2018 to the office. U.S. President Joe Biden tapped Becerra to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services in his cabinet leaving the state position open. Governor Newsom then appointed Democrat Rob Bonta to the office.

A total of $11.8 million has been raised by candidates running for Attorney General. Bonta has raised $7.4 million; non-party candidate Anne Marie Schubert has raised $2.2 million; Republican Nathan Hochman has raised $1.9 million and Republican Eric P. Early has raised $267,500.

An interesting and also confusing race is for two U.S. Senate positions. In one, Kamala Harris was elected in 2016 to the six-year term. When Joe Biden was endorsed by the Democrat Party as its U.S. presidential candidate, he chose Harris as his vice-presidential running mate and they became the new administration in Nov. 2020.  Governor Newsom then appointed Alex Padilla to complete the six-year term Harris had vacated. Padilla had been serving as California Secretary of State leaving that office open.

The two current U.S. Senators from California are Padilla and Dianne Feinstein with Feinstein’s term ending in 2024.  I can’t find any information that says she is retiring. So I am confused as to why the Sample Ballot says there are “two U.S. Senate contests on this ballot”? Oh, maybe, it is for the same position that Padilla is currently in – through being appointed? And then, election to the same office for the next six-year term?

(I will check into this situation and report back next week along with more info about our county elections.)

OK, now that that is clear as mud, let’s move on to the Secretary of State office. Because Padilla was appointed U.S. Senator, Gov. Newsom then appointed Democrat Assemblywoman from San Diego, Shirley Weber, as Secretary of State. She has raised $1.2 million and Republican Rachel Hamm is running against her and has reported $204,600.

Controller is a tough job. This candidate should be an all-knowing accountant in my book. Incumbent Betty Yee has termed-out and cannot run. So far, $11.8 million has been raised by the candidates. Democrat Yvonne Yiu reported $4.8 million; Republican Lanhee J. Chen raised $2.3 million; Democrat Steve Glazer reported $2.1 million; Democrat Malia M. Cohen reported $1.5 million and Democrat Ron Galperin raised $1 million.

The candidates for State Treasurer have raised a total of $1.9 million. Incumbent Democrat Fiona Ma who was elected in 2018 has raised $1.7 million; Republican Andrew Do has raised $200,900; and Republican Jack Guerrero reported $1,400.

Because I ran out of steam, I did not check on the candidates and how much money they have raised by those running for other state or U.S. offices. All I can say is that it takes a lot of money to run an election campaign and the Democrat Party has a stronghold in California.

May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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Big Springs farmers continue to irrigate

May 11, 2022

Liz Writes Life

Big Springs farmers continue to irrigate

A hearing was held on May 5, 2022 in the Siskiyou County Superior Court regarding a case brought by Big Springs Irrigation District against the State Water Resources Control Board. Back on March 15, 2022, the SWRCB issued a Curtailment Order demanding Big Springs ID not turn on their wells this irrigation season. The farmers need this water for their thirsty fields, so the District board voted to seek a Temporary Restraining Order (injunction) against SWRCB

Siskiyou Co. Superior Court Judge John Lawrence presided in the first hearing held on April 1, 2022, but he chose to recuse himself on May 5, 2022. Siskiyou Co. Superior Court Judge Karen Dixon then stepped-in and presided and should hear the rest of the case. I do believe the State is trying to get a change in venue to a different county. I hope this doesn’t happen. It needs to remain in Siskiyou.

According to several people I spoke with who attended the meeting (I did not attend the hearing), the State Water Board attorneys demanded the injunction be removed. I was told that Judge Dixon said she now has thousands of pages regarding the case that she must read, before she would make any decisions. She then left the injunction in place and set the final court hearing for Thursday, May 19, 2022.

As a result, the farmers and ranchers in the Big Springs ID will be able to continue irrigating their fields from the District’s wells – at least until May 19, 2022. The District ceased using surface flow water from Shasta River back in the 1950s.

Hero Skarlotos to speak

An Armed Forces Day “Lincoln” Dinner will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2022 at the Miner’s Inn Convention Center in Yreka. Special guest speaker is Alek Skarlotos, who was one of several heroes that stopped a terrorist who opened fire inside a train headed to Paris, France back on August 21, 2015. Skarlotos was on leave after his deployment in Afghanistan and a specialist from the U.S. Oregon National Guard. He was traveling with two friends, when the admitted terrorist brandished his fire arms and was first tackled to the ground by a Frenchman.

The terrorist situation was brought to the silver screen by director, Clint Eastman, and the three American heroes, including Skarlotos,  were asked to play themselves in the movie titled “The 15:17 to Paris.”

“Come meet a national hero,” said Dan Dorsey, who is chairman of the Siskiyou Co. Central Committee hosting the event. There will be a “meet and greet” with Skarlotos and the other speakers starting at 4:30 p.m.

After the dinner featuring Prime Rib grilled by Dave Tyler, other speakers include: U.S. Congressman Doug LaMalfa, U.S. Senate candidate Mark Meuser, CA. State Senator, Brian Dahle (who is a candidate for California governor), Assemblywoman Megan Dahle, Siskiyou County District Attorney Kirk Andrus and Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue. The focus for these speakers is our Armed Forces and Dorsey says he will keep them brief.

Tickets for the event are $50 and can be purchased at Bergeron Insurance Agency at 347 N. Main in Yreka, call 530-842-4400 and Solano’s in Weed and Mt. Shasta or call Dorsey at 530-918-7993. Also sponsoring Skarlotos and the event are Dana McConaughey, the Degraffenreid family and Grange Insurance.

Sounds like a great dinner and event honoring our Armed Forces. I will be purchasing my ticket this week. Hope you do too!

Siskiyou Conservatives meet May 12

On May 12, 2022, the Siskiyou Conservative Republicans will hold its monthly meeting at 11 a.m. at the Montague Methodist Church. Mark Spanegal, who is U.S. Congressman Doug LaMalfa’s chief of staff will be zoomed-in to speak. Kelly Tanner, who is a Republican candidate for the State Assembly Dist. 1 position will also speak. For more information call Annie at 530-842-2350.

Siskiyou Patriots meet May 12

Later that evening, the Siskiyou Patriots will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Covenant Chapel Church in Yreka. Dist. 1 Assembly candidate Kelly Tanner will be the featured speaker. The meeting is free.

Gardening

Lots of weather changes make it hard to decide when to plant seeds or plants for the garden. After our dry, warm winter and then some spring showers in April and May, who would have thought we could actually have some snow storms? Well, those that have been here for a while can attest that we never know when the summer will truly begin and the frosts and freezes stop.

Unfortunately, the weeds got away from me in April and I am embarrassed ‘cuz I don’t think my garden has ever been this unready for planting. My grandson, Bryce, is helping me get it dug up and also do weed-eating. I gave the rhubarb, comfrey, salvia, phlox, chocolate mint, bee balm, Echinacea, Black-eyed Susans, chives, Shasta daisies, glads, gaura, garlic and some hollyhocks a good soaking before this last batch of spring storms came through. The rhubarb is over three-feet tall and needs harvesting. Boy, horse manure sure makes the rhubarb grow!

Yep, there is plenty to do in our yards and gardens this time of year. Makes me tired just thinking about it!

May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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State Water Board proposes extension on drought regulations through 2023

May 4, 2022

Liz Writes Life

Last week, the newly formed grass-roots Scott Valley Agriculture Water Alliance learned that the State Water Resources Control Board is threatening to re-adopt its current 2021-2022 “emergency” regulations for the following 2022-2023 year. This is a major concern for local farmers and ranchers, who are trying to stay in business through the next six months of 2022.

The Water Board is holding a zoom meeting on Wed., May 4, 2022 and is taking verbal public comments on the re-adoption of its water curtailment regulations.

Theodora Johnson, a spokesman for the Scott Valley Alliance, told me that she and several others will be on that zoom meeting to provide a voice for local farmers and ranchers.

In my observation, the crux of the problem is that the Endangered Species Act listed coho salmon population numbers are doing well in Scott Valley, but the Water Board continues to threaten to demand all agricultural irrigation stop – in the name of protecting coho.

“Water curtailment re-adoption is not supported by the State’s own data on Scott River salmon,” said Johnson. “Re-adoption of the regulations for the Scott River is unfair, unreasonable and unneeded,” Johnson added.

Scott Valley is the only place in California where all agricultural wells are being threatened with this unprecedented action of a total State-demanded stoppage of irrigation water because of a fish species listed to the ESA.

More information from the Scott Valley Alliance’s most recent press release follows:

Salmon data from California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) does not support the damaging regulations: Coho salmon were surviving and thriving without the minimum flows and irrigation reductions required in the 2021 curtailment.

Adult coho spawners in 2020-21 were the 2nd highest on record, at 1,766 adults, and all were able to reach their preferred spawning habitat in the upper watershed—despite statements by CDFW that irrigation curtailments were needed due to the low-flow conditions in 2020.

Coho juveniles from that run reared successfully in the drought summer of 2021—before the curtailment went into effect—as evidenced by record number of outmigrants in Spring 2022: over 42,000 emigrating out of the Scott River to date.

This high survival rate of young coho is evidence of Scott River's freshwater production and improving in-river conditions—without the need for major curtailments.

Coho salmon trends are positive since adult data collection by CDFW began in 2007. Run size now averages about 800 coho, similar to CDFW’s estimates from the early 1960s.

Only in the Scott Valley is the State requiring that all ag wells be curtailed, despite the aquifer in the Scott Valley (like the Shasta Valley) not being in overdrafted condition. Meanwhile, those groundwater basins in California that are critically overdrafted are not having their ag wells curtailed under State emergency regulations.

But if the Water Board is using Scott Valley as a test for this new expansion of its authority, groundwater pumping in other basins could soon be in jeopardy, too.

It should be noted that, even though our aquifer is stable, locally-driven aquifer recharge projects and other water storage projects are a high priority in the Scott River basin as a win-win option for fish and farms.

Farmers are expected to cut back the use of their wells by 100% if minimum fish flows are not met throughout the summer, unless they can document a 30% reduction plan to the State Water Board. The economic impact of this significant decrease in irrigation during the valleys' short growing season for alfalfa hay and pasture is harmful to the family farmers, ranchers, and dairies as well as to the local communities and food consumers.

Regarding the future of farms and ranches, Johnson finished with, “If agriculture can’t survive here in Scott Valley, where fish numbers are strong and our aquifer is stable, then how can it survive anywhere in California?”

To contact Johnson, call 530-598-3081.

Dahle pushes for local schools

Recently, CA. Dist. 1 Assemblywoman Megan Dahle announced some possible good news for rural school districts. Dahle authored Assembly Bill 2337 and it has unanimously passed the Assembly Education Committee and on the Assembly Floor‚ which means it moves to the Senate next.

Dahle said, “This bill will ensure California’s smallest‚ rural school districts receive proper recognition by defining Frontier School Districts in the California Education Code. Frontier school districts will be defined in alignment with federal grant requirements as school districts that have annual average daily attendance of less than 600 students and are located in a county with a population of less than 10 persons per square mile.

“This will help level the playing field‚ allowing California’s smallest schools to have a better chance at funding opportunities and‚ subsequently‚ providing better education opportunities for our students.

“The time and effort it has taken to get to this point has been immense‚ but absolutely worth it. I am grateful to my staff and education representatives from the first Assembly District for contributing to these bills‚ and I look forward to what they mean for our school districts. Stay tuned!”

May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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