First and foremost, the River Voice would like to express it's thanks to Stan Krute of Hornbrook, CA, for donating the domain name:
                               www.rivervioce.org
to our river community's effort to educate and entertain western Siskiyou County residents and the myriad of folks who think of the Salmon and Klamath River area as their spiritual home.  Stan clearly is an astute patron of Northern California arts. 
  Once again I thank Jim Villeponteaux  and Sarah Hugdahl for technical support (as in "here, it'll be easier if I just do it...")

I think the most salient feature of this year's version of Spring, is that it was preceded by Summer, which, as a note of interest, came in March.  It just flat out got warm, average highs in the 70's, with a few days into the 80's, and no rain and no, none, bupkis, zip, nada, freezes!  We haven't had a decent freeze since mid-February.  Here comes the tension builder...  Then came a couple of days, of a couple of inches of rain and wham!  Spring.  The Redbud, while the Daffodils still bloomed; the Dogwood, while the Redbud still bloomed; the California Poppies, while the Dogwood still bloomed; the Cyanosis while the Poppies still bloomed.   And everything else in between had to get going or be overshadowed by blooms that usually appeared in late May.  From the coast to Cecilville and Sawyers Bar it was SPRING and by god if you forgot that it was SPRING all you had to do was try to leave it... like say skiing with Cedar and Galena Seeger at Sugar Bowl in the Sierras.

If there were any doubt about the season all you had to do was count the number of boater's vehicles you dodged while driving the river roads.  I swear you'd think those guys driving their clients and gear hadn't had enough adrenaline on the river the way they drive to and from put-ins and take-outs.  They are brightly colored as they scout the river while driving the road.
  It's actually getting a bit scary around the      
Limestone Bluffs May, 2004                                                   Salmon River during the Memorial Day
weekend.  Record numbers of boaters crowded the campgrounds and the roads, on picture perfect flows.  The numbers of motorcycles groups traveling down the narrow canyon roads in large packs on this weekend have multiplied a little alarmingly.  They come cruising the river roads in packs of fours and sixes and a couple groups much larger, sounds like bunch of crazed wolves on the kill.  I swear there must have been a fifty Harleys in one pack whose noise and exhaust reverberated off the canyon walls for a half an hour.

Couple of big stories, both beneficial to the River Communities

 Huge news in and around the Forks of Salmon.  The death last year of Rosemary Butte brought the news that her land was going to be sold... finally.  I say "finally" because in the thirty five years I've lived here the "Rosemary Buttes' Land" has attained almost mythical status.  The first time I recall an effort to communicate with Rosemary was back in the 70's when Billy Harling organized an effort to buy the land for a bunch of locals.  Didn't fly then or since (except for her land, which in 1977 became Croman's shop at Missouri Bar and, much later, Cormier's place further up the South Fork).  Muggs and Chuck Nichols, who had rented their homesite at the confluence of the two forks for decades, continued to be the only folks that Rosemary wanted to live on any of her property.  There the property stood for decades, until this spring when Muggs was basically offered the land by Rosemary's estate. 
  After community meetings, Muggs and Chuck partnered up with Cedar and Mary Helen Seeger and Ethan and Suzanne Guerra and purchased the entire 154 acre property in April.                                                                                    Rosemary Butte   
  The property consists of the Bull Barn flat and Horn Field on the across the river from the Forks; much  of the land between the Forks Store and the Forks School; Brazille Field; Fong Wah Bar further down river.  
  The partners formed the Forks of Salmon Land Holding LLC.  They are seeking committments and ideas for usage of the land.  In an open letter to the local community they wrote:
     "We are interested in revitalizing the community by providing parcels for
homes and places for people to work."
    I can't for the life of me think of better people to bring this community process through to a successful end.   Most of the partners have been/still are, long-time Salmon River residents (with the exception of Suzanne Allen-Guerra, who grew up in eastern Siskiyou County) and their love of the Salmon River watershed and it's communities is evident in the care they are taking with each step of the long process.
  An aerial and land survey has been completed.  The current survey reports and maps are consistent with the survey notes and corners of the original mining patent of 1897, the 1996 survey  (when the store parcel was sectioned off) and the BLM survey of 1996 which gives the partners a firm foundation to begin the next phase of their planning.
  If you want more information you can contact the partners at:
  Forks of Salmon Land Holding LLC
  P.O. Box 11
  Forks of Salmon, CA   96031
  For now we'll just call it the "old Rosemary Butte land" and see what we can do as locals get a greater say in our community's destiny. 

  Hey Ma, look we're just like Anywhere, USA...  I guess that's what you'd say about the new Neighborhood Watch program here on the Salmon River.  It's a shame really, but a response to changing realities.  With the cooperation of the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Dept. the local community elected officers;  Les Harling, president, Peggy Hanley, vice president, Petey Brucker, secretary treasurer.  Residents with something to report should get in touch with Fred Solis, our own personal sheriff and local road crew captain.

  Babies!  We got some and there are still more on the way!  Where to start?

 Back to Index                                                                                           Next Page