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4A Daily News – Saturday, June 4, 2011 Memorial Day traditions, cattle stealing Agriculture & farm Memorial Day was cold with a south wind here in Red Bluff, and I was glad that we weren’t in the mountains check- ing the cattle in a snow storm. For more than 40 years we would spend the holiday either putting up the barbed wire on the Fox Mt. drift fence or pushing the Willard Creek allotment of cows back up the mountain and away from the high- way. When it snowed or rained hard, the cows would return to the lower elevation where they had been unloaded from the trucks. Wally Roney and his crew now put up the Fox Mt. drift fence and he said that over two dozen trees had fallen on the barbed wire lying on the ground during the win- ter. Jean Barton post, and then replace the loose staple. Four strands of barbed wire per post, and on to the next post to repeat the exercise. You start- ed at a stretch post so that you knew which wire was on top, so that they weren’t accidental- ly crossed. I heard that the camp- grounds along Hat Creek were full and there was three inches of snow on the ground on Sunday. Lots of water on the meadows, and the cor- rals were muddy when cattle were unloaded. **** The beetles have killed many of the trees, and the winter winds and snow blow them over. When you have a fall- en tree on the wire, you either take a chain saw and cut a chunk out of the log freeing the wire or you cut and splice the wire. Women and children would leave that chore to the men, because we would pick up the wire one strand at a time. Remove the loose staple at the top of the post, place the wire between the two staples on the It is a long time tradi- tion to place fresh flow- ers at the cemetery on Memorial Day. Mother and I would usually meet Hannah Penny and her mother Edna Ker- steins as they placed flowers on their family plot across from my family, and Anne Read would decorate the Johnson headstones to the west. This year daughter Linda joined Bill and me placing the bouquets. Usually I have gladio- las and pink dahlias in bloom, but it was too cold this year for them to be in bud. Larkspur and the roses were color- ful, but not flower show quality because of the rains and winds. The last couple years I have used oleanders from the Sunsweet dehydrator bushes, but they too are not in bloom. I laughed when I read an e-mail from a friend, Tim Purdy, a historian and author, in Susanville. “We had quite the snowstorm on Wednesday the 25th, and today the 27th, its cool and gloomy, with a chance of snow on Sat- urday. Not the best weather to be working in the cemeteries.” “Besides all my own family's plots in four cemeteries, I take care of an additional 60 or so others for old time fami- lies, who no longer live in the area. So its always a busy weekend for me.” “Then, I usually receive calls from peo- ple looking in the ceme- tery to find a family plot. One year at Janesville Cemetery, I met a couple and they were perplexed and wanted to know why people were not buried in alphabetical order! On top of that, when I asked whose grave they were looking for, they were in the wrong ceme- tery. I gave them the directions to find the grave in the Lassen Cemetery.” Can you imagine, alphabetical order in a cemetery? Purdy remembered one year, long ago when he and my cousin Philip Hall, another historian and long time rancher at Doyle, met at the old Susanville cemetery on Decoration Day and Philip told him about those buried there. Tim’s weekend had snow on Saturday and Sunday. Jacqueline Leininger and Bobbi Lynn Metcalf had three cemeteries to visit on Memorial Day when they left flowers at the Vina, Los Molinos and Red Bluff cemetery. When Jacqueline was younger she helped her grandmother Lulu McKenzie decorate the graves. Then she accompanied her Auntie Berle, and now it is her cousin since her daugh- ter lives out of state, and the grandchildren haven’t become interest- ed in the tradition. *** June 14th from 6 to 8 pm at Red Bluff Com- munity Center there will be a public meeting. Putting up the drift fence. First in a series of updates provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to share infor- mation on a proposal to begin a new easement program, the California Foothills Legacy Area (CFLA). The CFLA was developed in coopera- tion with the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition, and focuses on protecting rangelands surrounding California’s Central Valley. This update provides a brief summary of the project, explains the planning process and describes how you can get involved. Through these updates, they plan to share information with the public and seek your involvement in the planning process. Your input is very important. It helps them gather information and identify issues affecting you, your community, and the natural resources of Cal- ifornia's rangelands. *** The St. Joseph News- “Art In The Garden” June 4th & 5th Look for Inspiration in our LIC #808524 Call For Free Information Toll-Free (800) 464-1403 or (530) 365-1403 6183 MEISTER WAY ANDERSON, CA 96007 (530) 365-1403 • (800) 464-1403 Artistic Displays Red Bluff Garden Center 766 Antelope Blvd. (next to the fairgrounds) 527-0886 COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. Press in Missouri has had articles on cattle stealing this spring, from Drovers CattleNetwork, May 31, 2011. “In 2009, 3,373 cattle went missing from rural Missouri farms, totaling $2.25 million in losses. That number has increased in the past year, in a state that ranks third in the nation in cat- tle production.” “Agriculture has an impact on Missouri and we need to punish crimi- nals who affect that,” said Cpl. David Mease, an investigator with the Rural Crimes Unit. Sgt. Michael Noellsch, an investigator with the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Rural Crimes Unit, said rural crimes are among the hardest to solve, espe- cially with such an increase in the past two years. The most com- mon type of crime affecting rural commu- nities is theft, whether it be of livestock, equip- ment or metal. The goal of the sum- mit, Mr. Noellsch said, was to arm the audience members with tools on how to protect them- selves, as well as pro- vide law enforcement officials present with the knowledge on how to solve rural thefts. The program was POST-approved training for law enforcement officials. Mr. Mease, who some call the “cowboy cop” said the most important way to recov- er cattle is to know exactly how to identify them. While there isn’t a branding law in Mis- souri, he said cattle branding is the most effective identifier to recover stolen livestock. No farmer in the audi- ence had branded cat- tle.” Here in Tehama County John and Can- dace Owens have now had 18 cows returned to them, without calves, as of last Saturday. As Candace said “We think more will be returned as the spring run goes on.” There is a reward of $ 12,000 for informa- tion leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the theft of the Owens cattle. Tip-line 1-800-671-4327, or 530-527-6332 or 530- 520-9399. $50 off your 1st ✪ Auto Detailing ✪ Water Spot Removal Ask about visit 530.527.6160 915 Madison St., Red Bluff WE’RE HERE ALL YEAR. BECAUSE TAXES DON’T TAKE THE REST OF THE YEAR OFF. H&R BLOCK Corning, CA 96021 Phone: 530-824-7999 Tuesday and Thursday 9am - 12pm. Available at participating offices. ©2010 HRB Tax Group, Inc. Available at participating offices. $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ REWARD OFFERED John Owens, Tehama County Cattlemen’s Association, California Cattlemen’s Association and Lee Loverin are offering $12,000.00 for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the theft of our cattle. Please contact us at 530-520-9399 or 530-527-6332 Tip-line 1-800-671-4327 ANONYMITY GUARANTEED 1315 Solano St Courtesy photo ranch