Powered by Max Banner Ads 

Top Story of the Week

Posted on March 3, 2010 at 10:30 am in

New activities planned for 25th anniversary

Irish Days

These two feisty leprechauns engage in a tug-of-war over the gold medal to be bestowed on the winner of the Irish Days Outhouse Race. The Chamber is still seeking race entries.

A variety of events, old and new, are on tap for the 2010 edition of Irish Days in Lakeview.

The event, now in its 25th year, is scheduled for Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13.

Among the new activities this year is fresh-baked authentic Irish treats by Hart Mountain Bakery’s DeEtta Vincent.  Vincent will have a number of tasty treats available in the lobby at Sterling Savings Bank on Friday, March 12.

Once more, Irish Days will officially kick off with the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner, scheduled for Friday evening at the Lake County Fairgrounds, put on by the Soroptimist International of Lakeview.  On the menu for the dinner are the aforementioned namesake items, along with tri-tip steak and macaroni and cheese with all the fixings for children.

A social hour is scheduled for 5 p.m., while dinner will be served at 6:15 p.m.

During the evening, numerous local dance troupes and students will perform Irish dancing as well as songs and more.

The 2010 Grand and Wee Leprechauns will be presented during the dinner, as well.

New this year is a Calcutta auction for the participating teams in the second annual Irish Days Outhouse Race, set for the afternoon of Saturday, March 13 at 1:30 p.m.

A portion of the proceeds raised from this Calcutta will benefit a Lake County nonprofit organization.  All nonprofits are eligible to drop off a letter of interest at the Lake County Chamber, Sodorff said. Each will have to have a representative present at the random drawing Friday night.

Participating teams will be announced during the Friday night dinner, she said.

Also new for 2010 is Irish Karaoke, and singers — skilled or otherwise — are sought for this new activity, Sodorff said.

Community

Posted on March 3, 2010 at 10:30 am in

Consultant highlights importance of customer

service for Lakeview businesses

Independent tourism consultant Sue Price speaks about customer service during a Feb. 24 workshop presented by the Lakeview Business Association and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.

A workshop held the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 24, at the Indian Village Restaurant highlighted the importance of quality customer service within the community.

Serving as the guest speaker at the Lake County Chamber and Lakeview Business Association-sponsored event was Sue Price, an independent tourism consultant with the Southern Oregon Visitors Association (SOVA).  

Price spoke about a myriad of facets that make up customer service, which included detailed discussions about verbal and non-verbal language.  Several local businesses were on hand for Price’s lively and informative discussion.

An important foundation that Price based her discussion around was the concept of celebrating customers, rather than tolerating them.  The people inside a business are the primary factor for its success or failure, she said.

“It’s because of the people, not because of the product,” Price said.  “Service has a feeling, and how does it make you feel?”

Price explained that poor service leaves customers with a sense of frustration and disappointment, even anger and irritation.  Consumers have three general places in their lives: home, work and where they do business.

“Your business should be everyone’s third place,” Price said.

Lifestyles

Posted on March 3, 2010 at 10:30 am in

Lakeview grad assists with Haitian

rescue efforts

Lakeview High School graduate Ginger Vaughn, pictured with an unidentified Haitian woman and her baby, whom Vaughn helped deliver.

A Lakeview High School graduate recently returned stateside from helping with Haiti relief efforts on the medical forefront.

Class of 1990 alumnus Ginger Vaughn, the daughter of Richard Vaughn and the late Sharon Vaughn of Lakeview, recently helped with rescue and medical efforts in Haiti, following an earthquake that left the country in ruins and countless dead.

After high school, Vaughn attended the University of Idaho, where she earned a Bachelor of Art degree in digital communication.  After a stint in magazine and newspaper work, Vaughn went back to school five years later to earn undergraduate credits at Portland State University, eventually applying to medical school.

She is currently in her third year of residency for a family practice clinic in Pueblo, Colo.  She will be graduating in June.

Vaughn said that she traveled with a group that consisted of two travelers from Pueblo, Colo., an individual from Denver, Colo., and several from Florida.  

Vaughn arrived in Port Au Prince on Jan. 14, and moved quickly with her fellow volunteers. They arrived at an established U.N. compound, featuring search and rescue teams from around the globe.

“We were the 10th team to sign in with the U.N.,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn and her fellow travelers were initially assigned to work with other groups to help in tracking down survivors trapped in the damaged structures throughout the city.

“We would set out on foot and ask locals if they’d heard anything,” she said. “Finding them was like finding a needle in a haystack.”

Vaughn and her crew spent a total of seven days in Haiti.  While she was aware of the poverty-stricken country’s economic woes from previous travels, she said it was a sobering experience to witness the devastation firsthand.

“It is shocking to drive down the streets and there’s masses and masses of rubble.  The first thought is ‘how are we going to fix this?’ It’s going to take years and years… It’s just complete havoc.”

As far as medical assistance, Vaughn said that she helped with surgeries, and varied crush-related injuries and general basic medical care.  With a lack of antibiotics, infections pervaded many of the victims, with many requiring amputations as a result, Vaughn said.

Vaughn had the unique perspective of witnessing the realities of Haiti’s tragedy first hand, which in some cases sharply clashes with the media’s portrayal of what occurred there.  

Lake County

Posted on March 3, 2010 at 10:30 am in

Dormant ‘Old Perpetual’

garnishes statewide,national attention

 

Old Perpetual’s lack of recent geyser activity has perplexed locals, and recently caught statewide and national media attention.

 

One of Lakeview’s unique local landmarks’ seemingly ‘perpetual’ dormancy is gaining statewide and nationwide attention, thanks to coverage provided by the Oregonian and National Public Radio (NPR).

A story highlighting Old Perpetual, the geyser located on the property of Hunter’s Hot Springs Resort north of town, was posted on the Oregonian’s  web site on Sunday, Feb. 21.  

For months, the geyser reputed to erupt every couple of minutes has stood silently inactive, leaving many to wonder why.

Several individuals have theories as to why Old Perpetual seems to be taking an extended respite from activity, but a specific cause has yet to be determined.

Suggested reasons for the geyser’s dormancy range from drought conditions in 2009 to potential seismic activity that could have damaged the geyser to impact from a geothermal well used to heat the Warner Creek Correctional Facility (WCCF) prison.

Lakeview resident Chris Zinda believes the latter idea may be a likely scenario. Zinda said the well, located about 100 yards away from the geyser and hot springs on the Hunters resort property, may be in part responsible.

Zinda was working and residing with his family at the resort last fall while between housing when he became aware of not only the geyser’s dormancy, but also issues with the Hunters resort pool suffering temperature reductions.  

This was noticed during a cold snap two-week weather  period that he said resulted in an increase in pumping activity at the town well.

Zinda said between the drought and an increase in geothermal pumping, he believes the geyser as well as the resort’s pool was impacted.

Zinda said that he looked into the issue once he became aware of plans for the town to develop a geothermally-based electrical power generation facility in the area.  

He said that he’s not against development, but wants to see an analysis performed of the project’s impact on the localized geothermal basin to prevent the loss of the resource.

“I’m not against projects like this,” he said.  “This just isn’t the right location.”

Zinda said he supports the geothermal project proposal currently in development that would utilize a well on the property of Jere Barry to heat local schools and Lake District Hospital.

Town of Lakeview Mgr. Ray Simms and Engineer Darryl Anderson both expressed doubt of the town’s well adversely impacting the geyser.

Top