Lake Shastina – Dallas Brooks, a recent graduate of Mt. Shasta High School, is headed to Australia to play baseball with the USA Athletes International team (USAAI). To say he’s excited might be one of the world’s greatest understatements.

“Never would I have thought that I, Dallas Brooks from Mt. Shasta, would be going to Australia to play baseball. I was in complete shock. I mean here I am a kid from a small town thinking I’d never get recognized,” said Brooks. “I was actually in the Seattle Airport headed to Barrow, Alaska to visit my dad. I was going up there to get away. I was having a rough time, and I just wanted to take a breather so it couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I honestly wanted to cry because I was so happy.”

Brooks first came to the attention of USAAI while he was attending the Top 96 Program, a baseball camp held at Sonoma State. He was selected to play on the team by Jon Martin, the head baseball coach at Vassar College. Brooks leaves Monday for Brisbane, Australia to play at the Gold Coast U18 Baseball Tournament. Then, he’ll fly to Cairns, Australia to play some more ball.

Brooks, who played catcher and pitched at Mt. Shasta High, is the son of Brenda DellaBona and Jim Brooks. He currently resides in Lake Shastina. This fall, Brooks will attend Shasta College, where he will play baseball, and begin working towards a degree in Sports Medicine—an education that he hopes will lead to a career as a sports trainer or physical therapist. Of course, he is hoping that the sports medicine careers might be a bit delayed by reaching his baseball goals. (more…)

YREKA – The Siskiyou Family YMCA is holding its tennis camp this week at the Miner Street Park courts. Coaching the camp is recent Yreka High School graduate Ryan Freudenburg.

Freudenburg captured the Northern Athletic League singles tennis championship, as well as the doubles title with partner Ross Perry this spring. Last fall, for his senior project, he was the assistant coach for the YHS girl’s varsity tennis team, under Coach Steve Pyles.

Freudenburg has been doing private lessons this summer, but the YMCA Camp is his first experience running a camp. Yet, he handles the task like an old pro, and is clear about the primary goal of the camp. Let the kids have fun.

“It’s to get kids interested and get them out having fun. With the little kids especially, we don’t really drill so much on technique,” said Freudenburg. “We just get them hitting the ball and having fun so they enjoy the sport and become interested.”

The camp is divided into two age groups: first – sixth grade, and seventh – twelfth grade.

Ask if he was interested in coaching tennis on a long term basis, Freudenburg said, “Yeah, I can see myself doing that.” But, added that he would need to play a few years at the college level, and gain some more knowledge.

Freudenburg will attend Biola University this fall, majoring in “I don’t know.”

Fort Jones resident Larry Ferreira leads the pack in Steer Wrestling after the first round of the National High School Rodeo Association Finals Rodeo being held in Farmington, New Mexico.

Ferreira, who competed in Monday morning’s session, recorded a time of 3.501. He leads Dayton Roworth of Czar, Alberta, Canada (3.972), and Ty Erickson of Helena Montana (4.02). With 200 points, he is tied with Tyler Schnaufner of Pueblo, Colorado for 8/9 in the All Around Cowboy competition.

For complete results go to the NHSRA home page.

To see the exhibit due date schedule for all exhibits that have been entered into the 2008 Siskiyou Golden Fair for judging, including animals click here.

YREKA – The NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick competition put on by the Yreka Elks Lodge and the Yreka Chargers took place last Saturday at Yreka High School’s Miner Field. First place winners in each age group will advance to the regional finals. The regional competition will be in early to mid fall, and will be scheduled after all local competitions in the region have been completed.

Winners
Girls: 8-9
1- Amy Palmer: 74.3
2- Autumn Giannini: 41.3

Girls: 10-11
1- Haley Jones: 99.3
2- Allison Gasanatti: 60.01

Girls: 12-13
Bethany Freitas: 146.8

Girls: 14-15
Angel Cabrera–Guevara: 160.6

Boys: 8-9
1- Wes Hazelton: 140.7
2- Gabriel Rodriguez: 140.0
3- Dylan Quigley: 119.0

Boys: 10-11
1- Drew Robles: 202.3
2- Dylan O’Gorman: 184.8
3- Stevie Albers: 169.2

Boys: 12-13
1- Nicholas Phillips: 273.0
2- Rudy Vincent: 237.7
3- Kaden Culp: 228.5

YREKA - Siskiyou County cowgirls and cowboys may enter the California Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association’s (CCPRA) rodeo at the Siskiyou Golden Fair on Saturday, August 11.

Local entrants must call 530-347-9186 on July 29 between 11:00 am. and 7:00 pm to enter the rodeo events. Rough stock—bull riding, saddle bronc, and bareback—is limited to 16 entries, with the first preference going to CCPRA card members. There is no limit on timed events, including barrel racing, calf roping, team roping, break away roping and steer wrestling.

Fees for local rodeo entries are $60 per event with an additional $30 insurance fee. A one-time office fee of $14 is also required. All entrants must guarantee their entry with a credit card, not a debit card. Entry fees collected at the rodeo must be paid in cash. (more…)

Jerika Hutchinson, a graduate of Mt. Shasta High School, finished twelfth in the Women’s Time Trial at the Union Cycliste Internationale Junior World Championships on Friday, July 18, in Cape Town, South Africa.

Hutchinson finished the 14.1 kilometer course (8.76 miles) in 22:18.27, just over a second behind gold medalist Maria Grandt Petersen of Denmark (21:03.11).

Hutchinson average 37.929 kilometers per hour (23.57 mph), and was the top American finisher in the race. Teammate Sinead Miller finished twentieth (22:54.56). (more…)

YREKA - Giggles, cheers, suspense and diapers will be the scene at the annual Siskiyou Golden Fair Diaper Derby at 2:00 pm. on Sunday, Aug. 10 at the PremierWest Bank Mall Stage.

Every year, parents bring their tiny tots to compete in the “contest of all contests” to be held at the fair. Sometimes it seems that the parents, grandparents, siblings or other team members are even more entertaining than the babies themselves.

ll wee ones under 18 months of age are eligible to enter. Entry forms are available at the fair office anytime between now and 10 minutes prior to the derby. All forms must be returned to the office by 1:40 pm, on Sunday, Aug. 10.

ll participants receive ribbons and the final heat competitors will win a stuffed animal from Paul Maurer Shows. The champion will take home a $50 savings bond from Tri Counties Bank.

The 2008 Siskiyou Golden Fair, “A Mountain Fair with Country Flair,” runs August 6-10 in Yreka. For more information contact the fair office at 842-2767 or info@sisqfair.com.

YREKA – It may not be Torrey Pines, but nestled deep within “The Pines,” at the south end of Yreka, 26 young golfers are learning the basics that one day may help land them at the more famous golf course. The youngsters are attending the Siskiyou Family YMCA’s beginning–intermediate golf camp.

Run by the YMCA’s Senior Program Director, Scott Eastman, the camp has been in existence for six years, and has grown in popularity each year. Last year, the United States Golf Association became involved.

“It really took off last year, when we got $2200 worth of funding from the USGA. It allowed us to actually pay our instructors, as opposed to them basically volunteering,” said Eastman. “This year, the USGA stepped it up and gave us $2800. What they want to see is us continue to try to get the numbers (of participants) increased, which obviously we’re doing, with 26 kids this year.”

The USGA also would like to see the YMCA create a connection to local golf courses and junior programs.

“They have made a commitment to where I would see them continuing to fund us for some time, as long we continue to show an increase in numbers and need.”

Joining Eastman as instructors at the camp are Dean Turner and Kevin Alexander. Turner has been with the camp since the beginning, and is the coach for Yreka High School’s golf club. Turner hopes to move golf from a club sport to an official school sport at YHS. (more…)

By Ray Wolf

Sometimes the simplest things can impact the rest of your life in some small or large way. Often, you don’t even know the significance of the event until years later.

Over 30 years ago, while I was attending Yreka High School, I took a summer school course called Anthropology of Siskiyou County taught by Jim Eckman and Terry Anderson. As part of the course we camped at the Lava Beds National Monument near Tulelake, CA, where we explored numerous lava tube caves, and learned about the Modoc Indian War. I didn’t know it then, but it was the genesis of a lifetime fascination with history and anthropology.

Recently, my eleven-year-old son Carlos who also has an interest in history and science visited me from El Centro, CA. It seemed natural that we should take a trip, along with my wife, Letty, to the Lava Beds and do some exploring.

We entered five caves, and visited Captain Jack’s Stronghold. The first cave was Mushpot. This is a great cave to start your day. It has a string of small red lights illuminating the path, and several lighted stations along the way that explain the geologic features of he cave. It gives anyone who’s not familiar with caves, or a little apprehensive, a chance to get acclimated. (more…)