Intrigue in Surprise Valley

Some heard it.  Some saw its lights.  

A low flying aircraft lands at night in a dormant alfalfa field in Surprise Valley, a young woman steps out and walks to town where she takes a room at the local hotel.  She leaves her pink luggage and a straw hat with a sunflower on it in the plane. Locals see the plane but no one calls the authorities for two days until  the woman, Susan Alexandria, 28, goes to a local restaurant for breakfast. She is detained there by the restaurant owner until the Modoc County sheriff arrives and takes her into custody.

Undersheriff Gary Palmer reported to the Modoc Independent Daily News that Alexandria had stolen the red and white single engine Piper from Santa Rosa and ran out of gas in Surprise Valley.  The aircraft belongs to Candace Elliot of Santa Rosa.

“She’s lucky she didn’t hit the power lines or wheel line sprinklers,” said Palmer. “No one called us until today. The Sonoma County sheriff took a report this morning and will be filing charges.  We’re holding Alexandria for them.”

Dr. Colas Resigns (again)

It would seem that the Surprise Valley Healthcare District has plenty to deal with these days. It’s putting an assessment on the ballot to create a permanent tax to support the health care district, and for the next two months until the June election the district board will be busy answering questions and informing the community about the proposed change in their tax assessment.

Then along comes the news that Dr. Chuck Colas, who has been the primary physician at the hospital for the past six years has resigned, not once, but twice. Colas’ second resignation is effective June 1, according to the terms of his contract. The hospital board will consider accepting his resignation at its next meeting on March 17.

Meanwhile, word has gotten out about Colas’ pending departure and the community is concerned that it will be without a doctor and that as a result, the hospital may close.

“We’re not without a doctor, and there is no possibility that we will be without a doctor,” stated hospital spokesman Bill Bostic, when asked about future medical care in Surprise Valley.

He went on to say that the schedule is set for the next two months, which means that “locum tenens” or temporary doctors have been scheduled for the days that Colas will be off, which is typical procedure.

“We’re not even remotely facing the problem of not having a doctor. There are several physicians we can use as "locum tenens" or part-time,” Bostic said.

Some people say the hospital closed in 1983 because there was no doctor here. Bostic emphatically set the record straight.

“Mercy took over administration of the county hospitals in 1983 and they decided for financial reasons one hospital had to be closed. And it was Surprise Valley, which was a county hospital at that time. It had nothing to do with not having a doctor.”

Bostic also said the hospital is actively recruiting for a new doctor, using the same firm they hired to find Colas and that there are “good prospects.” One doctor in particular is interested in the position, according to Bostic, and would like to relocate to a rural community and be a full-time resident.

“If he checks out he will be asked to come here and work on a "locum tenens," or temporary basis,” said Bostic. “If after a trial period we find this to be mutually agreeable situation, both to the new doctor and to us, we will offer him a contract.”

-- Barbara March

Editorial - Shorty Sets the Tone

Shorty Crabtree took his first run at chairing a Modoc County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, March 9, in the absence of Chairman Dan Macsay.

Crabtree’s casual, hands-off approach set a congenial open, town-hall atmosphere.

Relaxed discussion interspersed with Crabtree’s dry sense of humor defused the tension and frustration that typifies most board meetings.

The topics were tough and included alternative plans for financing the county debt, the question of the state controller’s willingness to work with Modoc County if refinancing fails, the audit schedule, CFO Richard Arrow’s mission to bring the county out of debt and the compensation he’ll receive to do so, and Cantrall’s disenchantment with the local press.

Nevertheless, what transpired was down home agreeable problem solving, and even though some comments strayed off-topic, there was a genuine openness -- for the moment a wanting to heal.

More members of the board and the audience spoke up than is typical and their questions were answered in a constructive way. After watch-dog Doug Knox was given ample time to air his concerns about the county’s fiscal backup plans, Pat Cantrall got a round of applause when she said, “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing the public to speak.”

-- Barbara March

Modoc Plateau on List

The Modoc Plateau is among 13 million acres in 11 Western states that have been researched by the Department of the Interior for prospective inclusion as America's newest National Monuments according to a departmental internal draft leaked to a Utah congressman.

Seeking to tamp down a blossoming controversy over this premature announcement, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today said the White House has not directed him to designate millions of Western acres as national monuments.
"Let me assure you there is no direction from the White House on any of this for the Department of Interior," Salazar said. "Zero, nada, nothing. It just isn't there."
Salazar made the comments while trying to reassure senators who expressed their concern about the issue at a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. An internal Interior document obtained by House Republicans and leaked to the media recently listed 14 sites in nine states, including three million acres of the Modoc Plateau, for potential national monument designation under the Antiquities Act of 1906, which allows the White House to make such designations without congressional approval.
The internal memo was developed, Salazar said, because he is "interested in finding out what some of my employees are thinking," but he added that he will seek input from people outside the department and around the country.
"We will listen to the people of this country state by state as we develop the initiative," Salazar said. "There's no hidden agenda on the part of my department. ... No one should be too worried there is any kind of federal hidden agenda because there is not."
Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) peppered Salazar with questions on the topic, saying Westerners are still burned by the surprise designation by the Clinton administration of a large monument in Utah.
A former Colorado state official and senator, Salazar said he "very much appreciates" that history and knows what it is like to be on the side of a state when the federal government tries to impose policies. He promised to work with Bennett and the people of Utah to identify areas that are appropriate for protection in their state.
Hearing Salazar's reassurances, Bennett replied, "That's encouraging."
Salazar said he wants to use a process similar to the one that resulted in a public lands omnibus bill that was signed into law by President Obama last year and designated millions of acres of new wilderness. Lawmakers spent more than a year putting together the package, and several members of the committee, both Republicans and Democrats, had their public lands measures included in it. "That's a template we ought to be using," Salazar testified.
Fielding a question from Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) on the issue, Salazar noted a proposal Bingaman has for a possible new national park in New Mexico, adding, "Those are the kinds of things we're looking for."
The country loses about 2 million acres of land to development every year, Salazar noted, saying the department needs to move forward with its "treasured landscapes" initiative to protect more land.

Macsay Files, Allan Challenges

Recent filings with the Modoc County elections office assure that the two seats open on the board of supervisors will be contested.

Supervisorial District 1 (Surprise Valley), Dan Macsay filed March 2 for re-election to the seat he has held for the last two terms. He will be challenged by David Allan, who filed his papers on March 4.

Supervisorial District 5 (Lookout/Tulelake), David Porter Misso filed on Feb. 16 and Geri Bryne filed on March 2. Incumbent David Bradshaw is not seeking re-election.

Candidates have until March 12 at 5 p.m. to file for any of the following: Supervisor, District 1, Supervisor, District 5, County Superintendent of Schools, District Attorney, Treasurer-Tax Collector, Assessor, Auditor/Recorder/Clerk and two openings on the Superior Court. bench.