Yreka girls basketball coach Ken Dysert’s pick for the Miner Perk Girls Basketball Player of the Week is Ashley Ensminger. Ensminger led all scorers, with 14 points, in Yreka’s win over Corning last week.

Congratulations Ashley. Enjoy your drinks from the Miner Perk.

Thanks Miner Perk!

Jeremy Cox is Yreka coach Christian Birch’s pick for the Miner Perk Boys Basketball Player of the Week. Cox put up 14 points against Corning last week.

He also leads the team this season in scoring (10.6 ppg), steals (2.8 spg), and assists (2.4 apg).

Congratulations Jeremy. Enjoy your drinks from the Miner Perk.

Thanks Miner Perk!

It just so happened my brother who, like me, has a bit of entrepreneurial spirit was in town at the time. So, I took the young man over to my bro’s place and we had a little talk about people we knew who had started their own business on a shoe string, as in little or no money. You see, you don’t have to depend on other people to “give” you a job. With some hard work and a willingness to take a risk, you can make your own job.

At my brothers, we talked about a lot of different businesses, including a guy who has started his own business while still attending college at Chico State, Danny Orloff. Many in Siskiyou County may remember Orloff from his time playing basketball at Yreka High School. Well, a year and a half or so ago, Orloff kicked of his clothing business, Fight the Stereotype. What stereotype? Orloff explains.

“So, I first got the idea when I was at College of the Siskiyous. After going away to Stanislaus and coming back home I noticed that it is just habit for us to judge others by appearance. There are certain types of clothing that makes people seem different. We are very judgmental as humans and I think a part of that is today’s society and how we have adapted to stereotyping. It shouldn’t matter if somebody has their hat on backward or their pants up like Steve Erkel. Fight the Stereotype is about putting your judgments aside and seeing what is unique and different about each individual.”

The first order of 100 FTS T-Shirts were marketed primarily by word of mouth in the Chico area, and sold out in about two months or so. The second time around didn’t go quite as well, but Orloff stuck with it, and managed to get together enough capital to make a tank-top order of his custom design for the spring of 2011. That round of product flew out of his hands, selling as many 14 tank-tops in one day.

Orloff spent the summer back in Siskiyou County, working as a fire fighter, but when he returned to Chico, he had another order of FTS Threads ready to sell. Now, it was time for him to move to the next level of marketing.

“The first day back I picked up those shirts and marched my way down to the sickest clothing store in Chico, Trucker. I set up a meeting with the manager and he ended up liking my tank tops, took them, and had them on the shelf within a few days. They sold out within two weeks. I just started making more frequent orders and marketing more and more. I then found out that a close friend’s parents owned Cowells Surf Shop in Santa Cruz. I got in contact with them and before I knew it they had my crew neck sweaters on the shelf. Once I got into a second store things started to pick up,” said Orloff.

The next step for Orloff is taking a page out of the play book of the big time corporate clothing companies, releasing different lines for different seasons. He’s currently working on his 2012 spring line that will be released this March.

You can check out the FTS Threads website at www.ftsthreads.com

Oh, and if you think you couldn’t run your own business because it’s a lot of work, Orloff is doing so while taking six upper division college courses this semester.

BTW: the young man I mentioned in the opening paragraph found a way to earn a few bucks making and selling tamales to carry him through until he found work. He’s now working again.

Yreka boys varsity basketball coach Christian Birch’s choice for the Miner Perk Boys Basketball Player of the week is Cody Hoff. Hoff put up 13 points and pulled down 8 rebounds against Anderson last Friday.

Congratulations Cody. Enjoy your drinks from the Miner Perk.

Thanks Miner Perk!

Yreka varsity girls coach Ken Dysert’s choice for the Miner Perk Girls Basketball Player of the Week is Kelsey Stonier.

“She’s improving every game, and has provided a spark to our offense,” said Dysert.

Congratulations Kelsey. Enjoy your drinks from the Miner Perk.

Thanks Miner Perk!

Tyler Johnson is Yreka coach Christian Birch’s pick for the Miner Perk Boys Basketball Player of the Week. Birch said that Johnson’s work ethic and point production have both improved. Johnson put up 7 points against Weed last week, and pulled down 6 boards. Johnson followed up with a double-double against West Valley this week, with 10 points and 10 rebounds, as well as a 9-point performance against Central Valley.

Congratulations Tyler. Enjoy your drinks from the Miner Perk.

Thanks Miner Perk!

Thanks to:

Josh Hall for taking time from his lunch for the interview.

Tianna “T-Baby-C” Cruz for the use of her eyes.

Jim and Shauna Wilson for being the presenting sponsor of “Eyes on the Miners.”

And, Dr. Don Solus for his sponsorship of the “Yreka Immediate Care Clinic Miner Scoreboard” in the Eyes on the Miners program.

Yreka varsity girls basketball coach Ken Dysert’s pick for the Miner Perk Girls Basketball Player of the Week is Katie Brummett.

“She’s been working harder, and has improved quite a bit on defense,” said Dysert.

Congratulations Katie. Enjoy your drinks from Miner Perk.

Thanks Miner PErk!

Yreka varsity boys basketball coach Christian Birch’s choice for the Miner Perk Basketball Player of the Week is Jayson Sadowski. Sadowski averaged 9 points per game in the Corning Tournament last weekend, and hit the game-winner against Bonanza in the final game of the Basin Best Tourney the prior weekend.

Congratulations Jayson. Enjoy your drinks from the Miner Perk.

Thanks Miner Perk!

Yreka coach Ken Dysert’s pick for the Miner Perk Girls Basketball Player of the Week is Dani Deegan for the week of 12/19 – 12/25. Deegan led the Lady Miners in scoring with 10 points in their win over Mt. Shasta.

Congratulations Dani. You have a certificate for drinks at the Miner Perk coming your way.

Thanks Miner Perk!