Wet weather in weekend forecast chance of showers Saturday - possibility of rain and snow Sunday         Autumn splendor: The North Fork of the Kaweah River glistens in sunlight as it winds its way down canyon toward Three Rivers.

  In the News - Friday, November 14 , 2003

Wet weather in weekend forecast

The weekend forecast calls for a chance of showers on Saturday with a possibility of more significant rain and snow Sunday. In the nearby mountains, snow levels are expected to be at or below the 5,000-foot level.

Daytime high temperatures in Three Rivers will be around 60 degrees, returning to the mid-60s on Monday. Valley motorists may expect serious Tule fog to set in by Monday or Tuesday.

What a difference a year makes. What a difference 48 years make, or does it? Three Rivers old-timers are saying that the recent warm October was exactly like the Indian summer of 1955.

By December 1955, a monster snowpack was already in place. Warm rains on December 22-23 caused a massive meltdown that, in a few hours, became runoff that knocked out bridges and swept several riverside homes and businesses downstream into what, in 1962, became the Lake Kaweah basin.

The gentle November rains of the current season have been a welcome relief from a hot, dry, smoky October. On Wednesday, Nov. 12, mere weeks after the disastrous fires in Southern California, some areas in the Los Angeles area received up to nine inches of rain.

In Three Rivers, situated more on the northern perimeter of the subtropical moisture, local gauges received approximately .25 inches of rainfall by Thursday morning. That brings the current season total to nearly two inches, although one-third of that precipitation fell during periods of thunderstorms in late July.

In contrast, by November 14 of last season (2002), Three Rivers had already received 4.85 inches of rainfall. Four inches of that total fell in consecutive 24-hour periods November 8 and 9.

TKC to restore local postal delivery

Last February, when The Kaweah Commonwealth ended local delivery via the post office because of a dispute over the day the local newspaper was distributed, a home delivery system was started that reached 800 households in Three Rivers. But owing to the fact that many Three Rivers homes are isolated or set back along shared driveways, some residents are still not receiving papers from the weekly journal that will publish 51 Fridays in 2003.

"In response to the sometimes hit-or-miss residential delivery, our readers will now be able to choose if they want their paper delivered in their mailbox or they may pick it up at one of any of several neighborhood drop points," said John Elliott, who with his wife, Sarah, has been TKC’s co-publisher for nearly nine years.

"Personally, I never liked the look of the newspapers scattered in various driveways throughout town," said Sarah." This new system will improve the aesthetics of the community by getting the newspaper off the roads, and it’s good timing to discontinue this type of service prior to the rainy season."

The Three Rivers Post Office has assured the owners of the local newspaper that if each local address is sorted by routes and delivered prior to 7 a.m. on Fridays, it will be distributed with that day’s mail.

The best news, according to the publishers, is that if a reader is willing to go to a drop point, it will still be possible to enjoy a free local newspaper. But for those who want to be assured of their own copy with Friday’s mail, a local annual subscription is available at an introductory rate of $30.

In addition, all new subscribers who sign up between now and December 31 will have their subscriptions paid through 2004. Subscriptions may be ordered by going online on the TKC website (www.kaweahcommonwealth.com/subscribe.htm) or by calling the office at 561-3627.

Present local subscribers are also eligible to receive their subscription via mail but they must contact the newspaper office to verify their start date and correct mailing address.

While residential delivery continues for the transition period, one or two neighborhood drop points will be added weekly from now until the end of 2003. Watch for the distinctively labeled "TKC"metal boxes coming to a neighborhood near you.

3R rancher ropes in prestigious award

by John Elliott

Roundup: Earl McKee looks back on a lifetime of ranching.

In Earl McKee’s seven decades of life he’s played his sousaphone and sang his way around the world with the High Sierra Jazz Band, but has never strayed too far from his Three Rivers roots. Earl proudly points to the fact that his family has always been in the cattle business and today he still lives in the house where he was born and raised.

McKee, 72, spends most every day "cowboying"— working, riding horses, and playing music. On Saturday, Nov. 1, while playing Western music for the annual gathering of the Tulare County Cattlemen’s Association, Earl was recognized by the area’s foremost cattlemen who were among the 150 in attendance at the Exeter Memorial Building dinner.

"We try each year to select the outstanding cattleman, and he’s not necessarily the one with the biggest operation," said Marty Williamson, president of the Tulare County group." Earl epitomizes what it takes to succeed in the cattle business, is an outstanding neighbor, and does a great job with his cattle and his horses."

The Tulare County Cattlemen’s Association was founded in 1939. It’s a nonprofit association representing Tulare County’s ranchers and beef producers and is affiliated with the California Cattlemen’s Association and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Earl said he was surprised and gratified to be honored after being involved with the association for more than 40 years.

TAKE A PEAK: Three Rivers takes virtual trek to Everest

by Sarah Elliott

Team up: The Global Extremes summit team included (from left to right) Chris Warner, guide, Colleen Ihnken, Troy Aiken, Petit Pinson, Jesse Richert, and Ted Mahon.

A fitting conclusion to Petit Pinson’s Global Extremes experience was when she took an entire audience on a virtual journey to the Everest region. With about 275 images in her PowerPoint presentation, entitled "Global Extremes: Qomolangma," Petit, 33, shared her adventure with a standing-room-only crowd at Three Rivers School’s McDowall Auditorium on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

For Petit, who lives in Three Rivers, her adventure began last year when she saw an advertisement in Competitor magazine that was seeking applicants for a new reality television show called Global Extremes: Mt. Everest — 4Runners of Adventure with the grand prize being an all-expenses-paid climb up Everest. Petit was one of 50 selected from hundreds of qualified applicants.

The show, sponsored by Toyota, premiered Jan. 6, 2003, on the Outdoor Life Network. The first segment took place in Moab, Utah, with Petit and her fellow competitors contending in several outdoor athletic events while a panel of judges assessed their skills, both individually and as a member of a team.

The 50 were soon whittled down to 24 who competed in a wintry setting near Aspen, Colo. Just 12 of the athletes advanced from Colorado for another round of global adventure, this time in Africa’s Kalahari Desert.

Eleven then traveled to the jungles of Costa Rica. Nine bundled up and headed to Iceland, where four were eliminated and the final five, which included Petit, made up the Mount Everest summit team.

But after five months of grueling competition, the challenge was now just beginning. The fearsome five were on a plane to Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 28 and, as events unfolded, wouldn’t return home until June.

For those watching the show from the comfort of their living rooms, it was the unknown that became compelling. There is always danger surrounding any Everest climb — the tallest mountain in the world at 29,035 feet above sea level — and the uncertainty surrounding the outcome was the literal cliffhanger.

Touring Everest

Petit’s presentation began with images of herself and her teammates mingling in the crowded streets of cities in Nepal and Tibet, joined by hundreds of other climbers. And there was a noticeable increase in climbing traffic this season, for it was the 50-year anniversary of the first successful summit of Mount Everest, a feat achieved by Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa.

"I wish that the sounds and smells could accompany this," she said, as the audience viewed a photo of a busy marketplace and she described the sounds of the bustling people and animals and the smells of yak butter burning, the food, and the city.

Petit’s special effects consisted of a yak bell, which brought alive a familiar sound heard by those on the mountain, and the down suit that is required apparel for Everest climbers, which she offered to audience members when a timer cut off the room’s heater near the beginning of the presentation.

Petit Pinson in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, built in 1645, as a home for the fifth Dalai Lama.

Also photographed was her first view of Mt. Everest, taken from a plane as the group flew toward Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Images also showed colorful scenes of the many monasteries, prayer flags, and prayer wheels that attest to the spirituality of these Himalayan cultures; many other shots documented the forlorn yet picturesque landscape of high plains and valleys, always dominated by massive snow-covered peaks.

Then the journey continued on to Base Camp at 17,000 feet elevation, but still 12,000 feet below and 12 miles away from Everest’s summit. The group would be climbing Everest’s North Face, which is "more technical, but less crowded," said Petit.

Through photos and commentary, Petit described her life in a tent on a rock-strewn glacier in the shadow of Mt. Everest, which Petit now knowingly calls Qomolangma, meaning Mother Goddess of the Universe in Tibetan. During her two weeks of acclimatizing at Base Camp, she commingled with the Sherpa mountain guides, met an elite mountaineering citizenry who came from all over the world to congregate at this high-mountain metropolis, and spent much time viewing the many moods of the mountain she would soon be climbing, images that she captured on film and shared.

She discussed various climbers, some famous, some unknown — those who had made the summit successfully, those who had lost fingers or toes due to frostbite, those who were planning on shattering previous records or setting new ones, those who had perished on the mountain. She talked about her hopes, her apprehensions, and the sheer will and determination it took to make even a single step on this mountain.

"You can’t call the shots with Mother Nature," she warned, saying that one in six who attempt to climb Mt. Everest die.

To accentuate how risk comes with the territory, Petit read an excerpt from a letter she had written to her brother in the event she didn’t return from her adventure.

She described the assistance of the Sherpas, the yak teams, and the support crews in getting 22,000 pounds of gear onto the mountain. She showed slides of the cameras and other equipment that arrived, creating a high-tech media operation in anticipation of OLN’s broadcast that was to be the first live telecast of a summit attempt.

She described the trend of a new environmental ethic on the mountain, with human-waste, oxygen bottles, and other huge piles of rubbish now being regularly removed from the camps.

She photo-documented the group’s trek as they ascended to Advanced Base Camp at 21,000 feet, where they again spent two weeks while also making hikes to two of the higher camps to further prepare for the summit.

It was high winds on the mountain that had caused the multi-weeks’ delay of the ascent bid. And in the background of many of Petit’s shots, snow swirled off Everest’s summit, blowing streaks of white far into an otherwise cloudless blue sky.

During this time, one of the quintet, Troy Aiken of Alaska, bowed out and headed home. Soon, Colleen Ihnken of Colorado, the only other female on the summit team, followed suit.

Ready, set... no go

The group began its summit bid in mid-May, ascending from Advanced Base Camp to Camp I, at 23,000 feet; Camp II at 24,610 feet; and Camp III at 26,000 feet. This is where Petit went on a low flow of oxygen for the first time, explaining to the captivated audience that the group had now entered the "Death Zone," where the lack of oxygen causes the body’s systems to begin deteriorating.

On up to Camp IV at 27,400 feet went the group, the last stop before the summit bid. On May 21, Petit readied her gear, stowed her oxygen bottles, and melted snow into drinking water in preparation of the journey that was scheduled to begin at 1 a.m.

That’s when fate intervened and changed the course of Petit’s travels. As the group readied for their departure, a radio call was received that announced climbers in trouble on the mountain.

"My priority is life," said Petit, as she explained how her team coordinated a rescue operation. They brought the injured climbers back to camp; one had a broken leg and others, including a Kuwaiti man who was the first person from his country to summit Everest, were snowblind and frostbitten.

These climbers were unprepared to spend another night on the mountain, so Petit’s expedition took them in and nursed them through the night. She had four people in a two-man tent, including a man who was frostbitten and delirious.

The next morning, the group assisted the injured during the 6,000-foot descent to Advanced Base Camp. The drama continued as, during the downhill expedition, the Global Extremes guide, Chris Warner, received a concussion after being hit in the head by an oxygen bottle, causing an injury serious enough to ensure his withdrawal from the expedition.

In an ironic twist to an already intriguing story, a member of this impaired expedition was Tryntje Young, previously eliminated from the Global Extremes competition in Iceland. Tryntje was on the mountain with this same expedition, being led concurrently by Russell Brice, a renowned Everest guide who was also overseeing the Global Extremes’ trip.

Everest gave Tryntje her money’s worth, as she paid $35,000 for the privilege of being there. She successfully reached the top of the world, becoming only the 12th American woman to do so, and had also made it down to safety before tragedy struck other members of her team high on the mountain.

It was during this rescue effort and subsequent retreat that Petit realized her journey was complete. After making peace with herself, her decision was corroborated when the sky was set afire with the most beautiful sunrise she had ever seen.

"I had experienced more than I ever dreamed," she said.

On May 30, Petit’s final two teammates, Jesse Richert and Ted Mahon, both of Colorado — successfully reached the summit of Mt. Everest.

True views: Everest in the first-person

Now safely back at home in Three Rivers, Petit has embarked upon a circuit of public presentations to share her recent adventure. In addition to her Three Rivers engagement, she has also shared "Global Extremes: Qomolangma"with the Woodlake Rotary Club.

Later this month, she will be the featured guest at the Three Rivers Senior League’s monthly gathering. Soon, she will address the Three Rivers School student body, as well as a school in Marin County.

Petit is currently available for bookings for community groups or schools. If interested in scheduling a program — which includes a PowerPoint presentation, a first-hand account of her world travels, and inspirational messages — "Never stop exploring with an open mind"or "The goal is not the summit but the footsteps it takes to get there"— call Petit, 561-4971.

WHO’S NEWS
Artists merge in local show

by Lisa Lieberman

Two of Three Rivers’s well-known artists, Rick Gregory and Wendy McKellar, are showing their most recent works at the Cort Gallery through Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Wendy is known throughout the Valley for her life-sized wall murals, while Rick is known for his Southerwestern-style landscapes.

"I think we complement each other because our styles are so different," said Wendy." When people go to art shows, they enjoy seeing a variety of styles."

Face value: Artist Wendy McKellar portrays native culture in this tableau.

Wendy was raised in Three Rivers and has been painting since she was eight years old. She enjoys painting Italian villas, garden and floral scenes, and children.

"I get a lot of inspiration from my own children’s faces," she said.

African art is another recent favorite of Wendy’s.

"I like doing pictures of African American culture and performing arts," she said." I live all the vibrant colors and the richness of the culture."

Wendy said that despite a tight economy, art always sells well.

"People who collect art enjoy having something that’s uniquely theirs to hang on their walls," she said.

Wendy uses oils and acrylics, while Rick primarily works with oils.

"I’m constantly experimenting with my painting and trying different techniques," he explained." So much of it is trial and error while you’re standing in front of the canvas."

A benefit of working with oils is that it is such a mutable medium, he said. Using thin layers of paint, Rick builds up his canvases slowly, which adds depth to his paintings.

Frame of mind: Artist Rick Gregory specializes in oils.

He employs a technique called "under painting"in many of his Southwestern pieces, which enhances his art. The way this works is that rather than starting with a plain white canvas, Rick paints the canvas another color, such as black, red, or burnt sienna.

"This establishes a mood right away," he said." If I’m painting on a red canvas, for instance, the bits of red show through the transparent oil colors as I put them on the canvas, and the mood is much different than if I start with a white canvas."

Although Rick gets much of his inspiration from real-life landscapes and other artists, many of his Southwestern scenes come from his imagination.

"When I do landscapes, I try really hard to capture the correct light and the right composition, so that when someone sees it, it makes them feel like it’s someplace they’ve been before a long time ago, like maybe when they were a little kid," he said.

BLM seeks public comment on North Fork recreation sites

The Bureau of Land Management is considering implementation of a per-vehicle recreation-use fee for those visitors who wish to access the three sites on upper North Fork Drive in Three Rivers. This action is considered necessary because the large number of visitors to the areas is causing serious impact on the riparian resources.
Most noticeable is the litter that BLM staff must pick up every week during the summer months and the vandalism, which includes the destruction of signs, portable toilet facilities, and graffiti on rocks and trees.
During the winter of 2003/2004, a business plan will be drafted to detail how the fees generated will be used. It is proposed that funds will be used to improve the recreation sites — Paradise, Advance, Cherry Falls — providing amenities such as permanent restrooms, improved parking lots, trash removal, and increased law-enforcement patrols.
For more information or to submit comments, call Michael Ayers at (661) 391-6120, email him at mayers@ca.blm.gov, or write Bureau of Land Management, 3801 Pegasus Dr., Bakersfield, CA 93308.

Church offers sips of fair-trade coffee

Every Sunday, during its after-service fellowship, the Community Presbyterian Church of Three Rivers serves Equal Exchange coffee to its congregation. On Sunday, Nov. 23, the public is invited for a special tasting of many varieties of Equal Exchange coffee.

Equal Exchange, based in Canton, Mass., is a worker-owned Fair Trade Organization, founded in 1986. The company realizes that coffee is a vital source of income for thousands of small farmers and their families, as well as an important tool for positive change in poor communities across the developing world.

In support of its mission, Equal Exchange guarantees their growers a minimum of $1.26 per pound for their coffee and15 cents extra for certified organic beans. Equal Exchange works with co-ops that emphasize organic and shade-grown agriculture, both of which are farming techniques that protect communities from potentially dangerous chemicals while promoting wildlife habitat and biodiversity.

The Presbyterian Church’s "Coffee Tasting and Cookie Consumption"will begin at 11:45 a.m. in the Harrison Fellowship Hall, featuring coffee and tea for tasting and buying, homemade cookies, hot cocoa, and craft items.

Proceeds from the sale of the craft items will benefit Caroline Coil, formerly of Three Rivers who is a missionary in Guatemala. Coffee will be sold in 12-ounce bags at the church’s cost.

For more information, call Betty Bergthold, 561-3101.

Holiday help needed to feed local families

The Community Food Pantry of Three Rivers is in the process of preparing Thanksgiving food boxes for community members in need. Food items or cash donations are currently being accepted.

Food that’s needed to fill the boxes is turkey or chicken, stuffing mix, canned green beans, gelatin, and cake mix.

Donations may be dropped off at the First Baptist Church’s office from Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon. Those who would like to volunteer at the Food Pantry may come by the church on Mondays, 9 a.m. to noon, or Wednesdays, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, call Trish Stivers, 280-3604.

WOODLAKE
Tigers stumble into playoffs

by John Elliott

Support group: Brian Costa, Woodlake High’s varsity football coach, greets the parents of Abraham Rodriguez, senior nose guard and three-year varsity starter, during Senior Night last Friday.

It might have been a letdown after a heartbreaking loss or the hoopla of playing for the Valencia trophy on seniors’ night. But following one of their best efforts of the season on Halloween night versus Dinuba, last Friday the Woodlake Tigers (2-3, 5-5) were whitewashed 9-0 by the Exeter Monarchs (2-3, 4-6).

Both teams were equally woeful in the first half as nearly every offensive series ended in a turnover. At halftime, the Tigers were very fortunate to be still tied with their archrivals, 0-0.

In the second half, Exeter’s one-dimensional offense finally got its potent passing attack revved enough to score the game’s only touchdown. After Woodlake was called for a roughing-the-kicker call on a botched field goal attempt, Exeter kicked a 10-yarder that completed the scoring and put the game out of reach of the mistake prone Tigers.

To Exeter’s credit, the defense registered 10 sacks and totally shut down any thoughts the Tigers had of a running game. When the final gun had sounded, the coveted Valencia Classic trophy, now the symbol of the second longest rivalry in the Valley and the fifth longest in the State, once again belonged to Exeter.

But a victory of sorts was won the next day when the Tigers were graciously seeded No. 7 in the Sequoia Division small-school playoffs. Joining Woodlake from the East Sequoia League in the postseason is Orosi (7-3) seeded No. 3 and Lindsay (5-5) seeded No. 8.

Dinuba (9-1) won the East Sequoia League championship but moves up to the Sequoia Division large-school bracket for the playoffs. The Emperors were awarded a No. 3 seed and host Arvin (4-6) in the first round.

In other playoff action tonight, Woodlake travels to Kern County for a return match-up with Taft (7-3) the No. 2 seed. In a pre-league game in September, Woodlake lost an 8-0 defensive struggle but played well enough to have won that game.

The Tigers and their fans know that a win at Taft would be redemption for the poor showing in the Exeter game.

"Taft lost a couple of starters for the playoffs because of rules infractions," said Coach Steve Tindle." We played them tough the last time so I really like our chances."

A Tigers rooters’ bus departs Woodlake High School for Taft tonight (Friday, Nov. 14) at 4:30 p.m. The cost for the roundtrip bus is $5 per person. For information, call 564-3307.

The Tiger JVs ended their season by losing to Exeter, 34-7.

On Saturday, the Woodlake Bengals (9-2) won their first-round playoff game at home versus Reedley, 20-16. Jordan Aguilar scored the go-ahead touchdown and Thomas Navarro led a stingy Bengal defense with 11 tackles.

The Bengals, Woodlake’s Pop Warner youth football team, is now one victory away from a berth in the Valley championship game. On Saturday at 7 p.m., the Bengals continue their championship quest against the Tulare Chiefs at Robinson-Memorial Stadium, also the home of the Woodlake Tigers.

Woodlake’s CBET: Because grownups need school too

by Amy Dolcourt-McElroy

Student motivation and success are directly related to their family’s involvement. When your family doesn’t speak the country’s primary language and can’t be involved, a child’s road to success can get off to a rocky start.

At the Family Literacy Center in Woodlake, a roomful of adult students are planning on changing that outcome for their children. All native Spanish speakers, most with limited formal education, they’re diligently learning both a new language and a new culture to help their children thrive.

The community-based English tutoring (CBET) program, funded through the California Department of Education, is now in its fifth year in Woodlake and enables parents to tutor their school-aged children and become involved in their education.

CBET differs from English as a Second Language (ESL) in aim and scope. ESL works best with students who already have scholastic skills and are in need only of language training.

CBET has a broader scope, reaching out to students with limited formal education. While CBET teaches the usual reading, writing, and conversation, it also teaches study skills, American culture, the American school system, and how to become a proactive parent.

Like their teenage counterparts at Woodlake High School, the CBET students keep portfolios of schoolwork, homework, and tests. They write daily in a journal, take field trips, learn Internet and computer skills, practice reading maps, learn money management, and participate in a six-week nutrition program. They take the standardized CASAS (Com-prehensive Adult Student Assessment System) tests to measure their competency.

Their teacher is Marianne Atwood, who is trilingual in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. A Latin American studies major who has lived in Mexico and Brazil, Marianne has been involved since the beginning, developing the curriculum and teaching the daily 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. classes.

"I like it because I learn to read and write," said Carmen Gonzalez, who immigrated from Jalisco, Mexico, more than 15 years ago.

Despite living in the U.S. for more than a decade, she spoke limited English when she began the CBET course last August.

"It helped me help my seven-year-old with his homework," she said." When he was in kindergarten, I wasn’t able to help him. Now I can."

Carmen is planning for her future.

"I’d like to go to college and study to work in elementary-school classes, first as an assistant, then as a teacher," she said.

Part of the CBET homework load is to complete at least 30 hours of tutoring each month. This may include helping a child with homework, having a child help them with their homework, reading to someone, attending a school event, and/or volunteering in a classroom. Every student who completed the 30-plus hours has their name entered into a drawing, with the winner being named CBET Tutor of the Month.