Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Wildfires Ravage the West

Here's some news that would definitely be affecting life in and around Knotty Pine:


Extreme heat and drought throughout the west have spawned massive wildfires in at least 8 different states. Hundreds of square miles of forest and grasslands have been burned so far. The forest service's fleet of planes used for fighting forest fires has dropped dramatically from 44 planes down to the present 11 planes. To make matters even worse, many of the remaining 11 planes are so old they are in danger of breaking up in flight because their metal frames are old and fatigued. One forest service plane crashed last year during a wildfire killing the three fire fighters aboard.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Groundhog Sees His Shadow

Yes, the groundhog did see his shadow. And that means at least six more weeks of winter for 2012. But this prediction concerning winter does not come from Punxsutawney Phil or Buckeye Chuck, or any of a host of other rodent prognosticators. This one and only forecast comes from Knotty Pine's own Big Piny.

Everyone in Knotty Pine knows that groundhogs are not native to the mountainous regions around Knotty Pine. But 3 years ago Phil and Freida Friend moved to Knotty Pine from Ohio. Phil is a ranger in Big Pine National Forest. Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson is his boss. The Friends brought their pet groundhog Piny with them to our fair town. Piny became a big hit around town and can often be found in the square with one or more of the Friend family.

Ranger Bill's ward Henry Scott is in charge of one of the after-school kids clubs. Henry's club has adopted Piny as their mascot. They also got the town fathers to sponsor Knotty Pine Ground Hog Day. So as the sun rose over Knotty Pine Thursday, Knotty Pine's own Big Piny came downtown and saw his shadow.

Townsfolk commented how much Big Piny looks like ranger Stumpy Jenkins!

Knotty Pine Gazette

Knotty Pine Local News


Skiing
Skiiing is good to excellent on all hills of the Big Six Ski Lodge. There are several hills ranging in difficulty from novice to expert levels. The Big Six Lodge is at near full capacity at this time, and reservations are required at least three weeks in advance.

Ice Fishing
Ranger Bill reports that ice fishing is not permitted on the Shady River anywhere in Canyon County at this time. The extreme cold then warmth in recent weeks (caused by Chinook winds) has made the ice on the river thin to broken over the majority of the river's surface. More seasonal cold is expected over the coming weeks, and Ranger Bill predicts ice thicknesses should reach safe levels in about two weeks.

Winter Ice FestivalRanger Gray Wolf tells the GAZETTE that the Winter Ice Festival is still scheduled for mid-February. Should the Chinook winds cause more problems with the Shady, all river events will be cancelled but all other events will remain.

Tech Center at Ranger Headquarters
Ranger Roxanne "Rocky" Mcguire would like to remind all Knotty Pine residents and schools in Canyon County and surrounding counties that the Tech Center addition to Ranger Headquarters is up and running and available for school and group tours by reservation during regular business hours. The center highlights how technology is now in use in the Forest Service to improve monitoring of the forest - fire fighting, animal counts, disease control, in all aspects of communication, and much more. The Center also includes educational material on identifying the trees, plants, and animals of the forest. Please contact Ranger Rocky for more information or to make a reservation.

Jr. Ranger Hike
Ranger Stumpy Jenkins and Henry Scott are getting their Junior Rangers ready for their annual Winter Hike. The hike is an all-day educational event including hot meals. The main hike is preceeded by several weekend of shorter hikes to prepare the Junior Rangers for the main hike. The hike is not limited only to Junior Rangers. The public of any age may join the hike, provided they can show they are fit for the hike. The hike will conclude at Ranger Headquarters where hikers will get to see the night sky through the telescopes of the members of the Knotty Pine Astronomy Club. Stumpy and Henry would like to thank the club for its participation in the hike.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Fall Trail Riding

News from Ranger Headquarters

With fall officially here in Big Pine national Forest, the trail riding season begins. Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson's rangers will guide trail riding in the national forest three times a day each Saturday and Sunday beginning Saturday, October 1, 2011, to Sunday November 20, 2011. Rangers Gray Wolf and Henry Scott will lead mid-week trips for grade school students on Wednesday afternoons immediately after school throughout October.
Schools and other organizations may contact Knotty Pine ranger headquarters to schedule special trail riding sessions.
Trail sessions will vary in terrain from easy forest and meadow trails to more difficult back country and mountain trail routes. So be sure to contact ranger headquarters for a list of trail rides and routes.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE

Sand Hogs Invade Knotty Pine !

Sand hogs have come to Knotty Pine and they have brought a TBM with them. No, everyone, don’t run and hide. Knotty Pine is not being overrun by some strange breed of wild pigs. In fact sand hogs are men, miners to be specific and special miners at that. Sand hogs are miners who did the water tunnels that bring fresh water from distant lakes and rivers to large cities. The term sand hog was first used to refer to the miners who dig New York City’s water tunnels.
So what are these tunneling miners doing here in Knotty Pine? They are here to dig a new water tunnel for Central City. Central City’s population has grown so much larger in the last ten years that city water supplies can’t keep up with demand. The city fathers have hired some of New York’s finest sand hogs to dig a new 9-foot diameter tunnel from the Shady River to Central City.
The sand hogs have brought a friend to help them with this massive undertaking, a Tunnel Boring Machine or TBM for short. The TBM is a giant rotary cutting machine that cuts through rock and earth to produce a nice round tunnel.
Work has already begun just a few miles south of Knotty Pine.

Big Pine Ranger Headquarters News

The 3-S Wildlife Tours
Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson has approved a new program at Big Pine NF thanks to a suggestion by ranger Stumpy Jenkins. Big Pine will now offer guided wildlife tours for physically handicapped and visually impaired visitors.
Ranger Jenkins came up with the idea for these tours while at the office of Dr. Hanson, Knotty Pine's eye doctor. Stumpy was chatting with some of Dr. Hanson's other patients while in the waiting room. Stumpy sees Dr. Hanson regularly after having cataract surgery. Stumpy was talking with another of the doctor's patients Will Thompson describing his work as a ranger at Big Pine National Forest. He mentioned that one of the best parts of his job is watching and listening to the wildlife, especially the many birds in the forest. Will is nearly blind and has never bothered to go bird watching. Other patients in the office also commented that they would enjoy listening to the birds and other animals.
Ranger Stumpy teamed up with fellow ranger Gray Wolf to lead "The 3 S's of the Shady Mountains." Those three S's are the sights, sounds, and smells of the Shadys. The rangers will take visitors to see the colors of the mountains, smell the scents of the flowers and trees, and hear the songs of birds and the calls of the wildlife.
Stumpy and Gray Wolf also lead tours for physically handicapped visitors. Bus tours with nursing aids for those who need help walking are available.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Ranger Found!

Lost Ranger Located and Rescued!

Ranger Gray Wolf reports that the missing deep woods ranger, Ben Clipper, has been found and rescued. Ben was located on the Shady Mountain edge of his territory.
Gray Wolf tells the GAZETTE that Ben slipped and fell from a small, rocky rise which was on a trail he was hiking. Ben broke both his radio and his ankle. He was unable to travel on the broken leg. He crawled to a stream nearby and attempted to contact ranger headquarters. Ben was unable to fix his radio and his phone could not find a usable signal.
Ben decided to set-up camp as best he could. He marked his location with rocks and small tree branches.
Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson organized search teams immediately after ranger Clipper's call-in time was passed. After three days of searching, search teams found Ben at the edge of his work area.
Ben was taken by helicopter to Knotty Pine Hospital for overnight observation. Doctors at KPH report that ranger Clipper was suffering from mild exposure, but appeared otherwise fine.
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Forest Fire Threat Continues
Big Pine National Forest's Chief Ranger Jefferson tells the GAZETTE that the threat of fire continues for now. Camp fires and gas engines are not permitted in the forest right now. Mr. Jefferson may still close the forest to all visitors.
Ranger Bill has recalled all rangers on special duty such as farm harvest help. Also all vacations and time off are all cancelled during the fire threat.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Lost Ranger, Fire Season

Ranger Headquarters-Knotty Pine
LOST RANGER
Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson tells the GAZETTE that one of his summer help, a deep-woods ranger failed to report in by radio yesterday. Ranger Bill thinks that it may be a simple radio failure, but he must be sure his rangers are safe. The summer ranger, Ben Clipper, has volunteered in Big Pine's deep woods for the past 8 summers. Bill says that Ben has been a very good and useful ranger. Ben knows Big Pine extremely well, having hiked and camped there for several years before becoming a summer ranger.
Ranger Bill has organized search teams composed of at least one Big Pine ranger in each team. Ben has a cell phone and GPS, on top of his radio, but has not contacted ranger headquarters by phone.
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THREAT OF FIRE!
The hot, dry summer here in Knotty Pine has placed the Big Pine National Forest in danger of forest fire. No camp fires or gas engines will be allowed in the forest until relative humidity levels rise. If the dry conditions continue much longer, the forest will be closed to all visitors.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Forest Feedings

Chief ranger Bill Jefferson tells the GAZETTE that his rangers will continue feeding the buffalo, deer, and elk herds in Big Pine National Forest for the next several weeks. Continued heavy early spring snows have covered the Shady Mountains and Shady River Valley will deep snow making it difficult for wild animal populations to find food and shelter. Rangers will use trucks and airplanes to deliver hay to these herds. Also because of these late snows, ranger crews must wait several weeks to perform spring border surveys of the forest. Crews will be sent out as needed to clear out fire hazards along the borders and trails of Big Pine. Farmers and ranchers affected by these border surveys will be given extra time to make their lands clear and safe for fire crews.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Memorial Day 2010

Memorial Day Parade
The Knotty Pine Memorial Day Parade will begin this morning at 10:00am. The parade route this year is the usual town parade route. The parade organizes and begins at the Ranger Headquarters/Visitors Center parking lot at the north end of town, goes south along Main Street past Jock MacIntosh's blacksmith shop, travels around the town square, and proceeds east along Center Street to Knotty Pine Cemetery. There will be a short memorial worship service with placing of wreaths at the end of the parade at roughly noon. The service will be at the Armed Services Memorial inside the cemetery.

Ranger Headquarters, Big Pine National Forest
Ranger Bill would like to wish everyone a "Blessed Memorial Day." As you may know, Ranger Bill served his country as a Navy Medic assigned to a Marine unit. For the details of Ranger Bill's military service listen to "Bim, the Dog" (RB009) and "If the Lord Is for Us, Who Can Be Against Us?" (RB020).

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - planting and digging

Farm News - Planting
Farmers are busy plowing their fields and planting the seed that will yield this year's grain and vegetable crops. The state department of agriculture tells the GAZETTE that 41% of planting has been completed statewide. Farmers in the north end of the state are behind the average because of wet and cool conditions there. The south portion of the state is generally dry and warmer. South farmers are ahead of the average.
Dairy farmers surveyed across the state seem pleased over recent prices for milk and cheese. Knotty Pine area dairymen are planning to increase their herds or hold herds' sizes steady.
None of the local fruit growers in the tri-county area are planting new trees, except to replace old or damaged trees.

Blue Mountain - Digging
Work has begun on the long-anticipated Blue Mountain Tunnel. A railroad track was laid from the main spur east of Knotty Pine to the north side of Blue Mountain. Workers for Big Rock Mining Co. have blasted a entry hole roughly 10 feet into the face of the mountain. The company's tunnel boring machine (TBM) "Big Alice" is expected to begin boring inside the blast hole this week. Big Alice arrived at Blue Mountain by train weeks ago. The TBM came in sections that had to be bolted together for boring. Big Rock president Sam Flemming tells the GAZETTE that Alice's assembly is now complete and she is ready to start digging this week.

Knotty Pine Gazette extra - Lost Canyon discovery

Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson and his men have uncovered the mystery of Lost Valley the GAZETTE reported Easter weekend. Hikers and campers near Lost Valley reported seeing what appeared to be huge flying squirrels or bats or even ghosts flying at high speeds near the cliff walls. Lost Valley is home to retired Dr. Margrave and the region's few families of bald eagles. The valley is famous for it's strong "ghost winds" of Indian lore.
Rangers Investigate Sightings
Ranger Bill sent two of his best rangers Stumpy Jenkins and Gray Wolf to the valley to investigate the sightings. The rangers saw no bats or ghosts but did find signs that someone had been on some cliffs and camping there as well. Ranger Bill called the Army's Lt. Larson, who does areal patrols north of Knotty Pine. Lt. Larson informed Ranger Bill that many army parachutists were using suits that look like bat or flying squirrel suits.
Sky Divers Seen
After making several phone calls, Ranger Bill discovered that a couple of sky diving/base jumping organizations were indeed using Lost Valley for jumping on occasion. The Big Sky Jumpers invited Ranger Bill and his men for a demonstration of their skills. The divers showed and explained the use of the bat suits (also known as squirrel suits or birdman suits). Then they showed the rangers their latest gear, strap-on carbon fiber wings similar to hang glider wings. These new wings give the jumpers a longer glide times and the ability to travel many miles before landing.
Ranger Bill told the jumpers that they would need permits to jump in Big Pine Forest or anywhere in his ranger district from now on. The jumpers had been unaware the Lost Canyon region was part of the national forest district.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Easter Edition

JOINT EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE
All Knotty Pine area residents are invited to attend a joint Easter worship service at sunrise (7:00AM) Easter morning on the square downtown. A combined choir from the various churches will be singing throughout the service. An organ and other instruments will be accompanying the congregation in song thanks to a special stage with electricity provided by the city utilities department.
All the churches will be having regular Easter worship at various times throughout the rest of Easter 2010 morning.
MAPLE TOWN FARM CELEBRATION
Maple Town Farm is hosting its very first maple syrup festival throughout the month of April. The Chapman family moved to Knotty Pine from northeastern Ohio several years ago. They missed the maple syrup from the sap of the sugar maples that grow so well in the Northeast. So the Chapmans decided to bring the Northeast to Knotty Pine by planting sugar maples in a valley almost identical in climate to their old Ohio home. The trees have thrived and grown and are now providing enough sap each spring to boil into maple syrup and candy. By the way, the Chapmans are distant relatives of John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed.
Mapletown Farm is located 50 miles south of Knotty Pine on Highway "Z."
GHOSTS, WINDS, AND GIANT BATS
Lost Valley is home to some of the state's few bald eagle nests. The sole guardian of the eagles is retired professor Dr. Margrave, who is studying birds as well as keeping watch over them. Dr. Margrave sees only the occasional hunter or camper or fellow bird watcher. But a group of scouts camping not far from Mr. Margrave believe they saw what appeared to be giant bats flying at high speed along the mountains in Lost Valley. Roughly a week later, a group of hikers also passed through the valley, home of the Ghost Winds of Indian lore. The hikers thought they saw ghosts flying near the tops of cliffs in the same general area of the giant bat sightings. Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson said he and his men will visit Lost Valley immediately to check out the two sightings. Ranger Bill assures the GAZETTE that these bats or whatever appear to pose no danger to the public. The GAZETTE will report on Ranger Bill's findings as soon as he returns from Shadow Valley.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Earthquakes Strike Region

MULTIPLE EARTHQUAKES
Death at New Tower
Two major earthquakes struck Knotty Pine Thursday, the first coming at 11:20 AM, killing one man, injuring several residents, and causing damage to buildings all around the city. Minor secondary quakes have come almost hourly since that first quake. The only death attributed to the quakes occurred at the construction site of Knotty Pine's new 10-story tower. George Hansen of suburban Central City was killed at approximately 4:45 PM when the second of two major quakes struck the near the center of town. The quake caused an I-beam that was being installed on the tower to fall from a crane and strike Mr. Hansen, killing him instantly. Several construction workers were trapped under rubble at the same time. Rangers were momentarily trapped inside Ranger Headquarters when the second quake jambed doors there. It took volunteers lead by Ranger Gray Wolf of Big Pine National Forest over an hour to free the trapped men.
Injured Crowd KP Hospital
At least two individuals were rushed to Knotty Pine Hospital for injuries they received during the quakes. The names of these two injured have not yet been released to the press. The waiting room and front lawn of KP Hospital were converted into temporary emergency treatment areas for the less seriously injured individuals. Dozens of citizens were treated for minor injuries from cuts and bruises to broken bones to eye and lung irritations from smoke and dust.
ES Director Holchman Praised
Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson commended Emergency Services director Bernie Holchman for his handling of city services during the peak of the emergency. Bernie managed and directed city employees and equipment. Bernie even had to call in trustee prisoners from State Prison to aid in rescue efforts. Two prisoners did try using the confusion downtown to cover their attempt to escape. Ranger Bill and Bernie foiled their attempt. Mr. Holchman praised the other prisoners for their assistance and hard work. Bernie sent a full report of the prisoners' work to the prison warden. Security during the crisis was handled by Sheriff Cal and officer O'Roark and volunteer patrolmen.
Minor Town Damage
Windows were broken all across town. Teams of workers led by Ranger Ralph Carpenter boarded up broken windows and swept up broken glass. Ranger Stumpy Jenkins helped with various other quake-related damage around the city. Henry Scott led teams of high school students and teachers going door-to-door checking on the health and welfare of families in all of the homes in town. Knotty Pine Bank has established a fund to help cover the costs of the earthquakes not covered by insurance or the state emergency disaster funds.
New Tower Safe
The companies involved in the construction of the 10-story tower had state and private inspectors check the integrity of the building. The building has passed inspection so far. Construction is expected to continue as soon as clean-up in Knotty Pine is completed.
Tower construction workers have gotten together and requested that the new tower be named Hansen Tower in memory of of their fallen boss, George Hansen. Ranger Bill, his men, as well as Bernie Holchman heartily agree with the name "Hansen Tower" for the new building.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE

Shady River Ice Flows

Ice flows on the Shady River have caused damage and threaten several bridges near Knotty Pine. Ranger Bill Jefferson and several of his men are monitoring and clearing ice build-up at these bridges and trestles. Ranger Bill expects to dynamite these ice blockages. Frenchy DeSalle and some of his men are assisting in the work along with some of mining and tunnel digging companies. Ranger Bill expects ice clearing to go one periodically for the next several weeks.

Ice Festival
Speaking of ice, the Knotty Pine Ice Festival is set for this coming weekend beginning Friday, Jan. 29 at Goose Lake and Goose Lake Lodge. The events for this year's festival are bobsledding, skiing, ice fishing, ice boat races, sail skating, ice skating, ice cutting and sculpting, and curling. Events for the children include snowman and snow fort building, snowball rolling, and of course a snowball fight. The Ladies Auxillary is providing stew and hot chocolate. The Knotty Pine High seniors will be selling coffee, tea, soft drinks and sandwiches to help pay for this year's senior trip. The festival queen will be chosen at noon on Saturday.

The mayor and city council hope that this will be another accident-free festival. Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson and his rangers will be the event judges and will oversee safety. Sheriff Cal and his officers along with his volunteer officers will be on hand for the entire festival.

Ice Hotel and Chapel

Mile High Ski Lodge has once again this year completed and opened its Ice Chapel and Ice Hotel. Many of the region's couples have begun the new year by tying the knot or renewing their marriage vows in the Ice Chapel. Most of these same couples have spent at least one night in the ice hotel as well. The Ice Hotel is open to anyone who is looking for a unique winter adventure and a good deal of fun. A free and hot morning breakfast is served in Mile High Lodge each morning for Ice Hotel guests.

Knotty Pine Gazette - Christmas 2009

Christmas Air Care
Ranger Headquarters will be much busier this Christmas morning than on other Christmases. Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson and his men will be working with the state's fire jumpers to bring a little Christmas joy to area residents whose homes are in remote sections of the forest. The rangers will be using two helicopters pick up and bring some of these isolated folks to Knotty Pine. Several families here in Knotty Pine and surrounding communities have adopted these isolated families for Christmas. These air lifted families will join their hosts in opening Christmas gifts (some donated by local businesses and churches), Christmas worship, as well as Christmas dinner. Christmas packages of food and wrapped Christmas presents will be dropped to more remote families who have no place for a helicopter landing. The fire jumpers and the forest service plane will drop the Christmas packages. Residents will be contacted by radio before the planes arrive so they can retrieve their package drop.

Christmas Caroling
Several area churches, including Knotty Pine Church, 4th Street Church, Forest Road Church and others, are combining their voices with the Knotty Pine High Choir to sing Christmas carols at noon Christmas Day on the Knotty Pine Square downtown. Residents are encouraged to come and to join in the singing. Song sheets will be provided.

Merry Christmas!!!
Everyone here at the GAZETTE wish all of you readers a very merry Christmas and a happy and peaceful 2010!!!

Knotty Pine Gazette - Winter Surprizes

Blizzard and Deep Cold
Winter snows are the major news of the day all up and down the Shady Mountain Range. Cold and heavy snow have interrupted or totally stopped traffic throughout the region. Holiday shopping is down as road crews work around the clock to clear roads and highways. State plows and road graders are working overtime to get traffic moving again. Ranger Bill Jefferson has again pulled out his two Big Brute plows to assist city and state plows. The state's two Little Brute plows are currently clearing expressways in Canyon and Knotty Pine counties.

This current blizzard and cold have effectively ended any remaining corn harvest for 2009. Many area farmers lost significant portions of their corn crops to the late harvest and snows. The Canyon County Farm Bureau reports that corn crops lost to this snow have turned profits for some farmers into losses. Soy harvest was at least 99% complete before the storm.

Ski Resorts Open
Ski resorts such as the Big Six Lodges and Mile High Ski Lodge are enjoying the blessings of snow. Attendance at these and other area ski lifts and lodges is up with the snow. College students on break have flocked to the Knotty Pine area to ski. The numbers of Christmas vacationers is also expected to be up 25 to 50% based on reservations made in recent days.
(Blessings of Snow [RB066] and Skiers in the Sky [RB058] should be on our play list early in 2010.)

Visitor to Ranger HQ
Ranger Bill Jefferson and his men had an unexpected visitor to Ranger HQ in Pig Pine National Forest. Ranger Bill is in charge of all building, logging, and mining permits in and around the forest. Nationally known and respected nature writer and photographer Abraham Thorn applied for a building permit for a home near the Big Six Lodges. Mr. Thorn is a Inuit Indian from northern Canada along the Arctic Circle.
Mr. Thorn told Ranger Bill he was moving south to the Knotty Pine region for the warmer weather. Actually Mr. Thorn is here to live and study the wild life of the Shady Mountains.
Ranger Bill granted Mr. Thorn's permit. Construction is expected to begin when snows clear and temperatures rise above freezing.

Knotty Pine Gazette-Thanksgiving news and events

Thanksgiving Harvesting

Wet and cold conditions have dominated the weather news for the last several weeks. Farmers continue to harvest crops late this year. State officials report that soy bean harvest is averaging 90% complete across the state. Corn is only 30% in the barn. State propane dealers are also having trouble meeting demand for propane to run crop driers. Cotton crops are only 10% to 15% harvested and crop losses will make this the worst cotton harvest in 30 years. Ranger Bill Jefferson has stretched his manpower as much as possible to allow his men to continue with the late harvest. Many of the Big Pine Forest's rangers have volunteered to help with harvest until complete. Most will be in the fields at least part of Thanksgiving day today.



Thanksgiving Events:

Morning Worship Service
Churches throughout the Knotty Pine area held services Thanksgiving Eve. Most of these churches joined together on the town square to hold a joint outdoor Thanksgiving service at 9 am this morning. Knotty Pine businesses and stores in and around the town square brightened the service by lighting Christmas lights and store lights. Several hundred attended the morning's worship. Services were concluded with sirens blaring from police cruisers, fire engines, and city hall.

Thanksgiving Dinner
Volunteers from various Knotty Pine organizations will join together from 8am until 8pm this Thanksgiving to provide Thanksgiving breakfasts as well as dinners. This is the 21st year for the free dinners, but the first year for the breakfasts. Many of our volunteers this year will come from the student ranks of Knotty Pine High School. Frenchy Desalle and his loggers have been invited as special guests of Knotty Pine High. Mr. Henry Scott, a student at KPHS suggested the invitation, noting that the loggers and trappers in the Knotty Pine area are often alone at holidays and other special times of the year.

Charity Run
A 10K charity run will begin and end at the visitors parking lot of Big Pine National Forest just a few yards from ranger headquarters there. The run is to raise funds and canned goods for the county food pantry. Runners are asked to contribute a pair of new or good condition shoes as entry fee to the run. The shoes will go to various local charities.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Late Harvest

A combination of early snows and late rains have delayed harvest for many of the state's farmers. The rains and snows have also damaged crops and fields, reducing what should have been an average or slightly below average harvest. The tri-county area has been hardest hit by these poor weather conditions. Area farmers are hoping and praying that conditions will improve quickly or crop losses will rapidly rise.
Chief Ranger Bill Jefferson has extended his usual annual offer to allow available rangers assist local farmers with their harvests. Ranger Bill hopes that the extra manpower for farmers will get late harvests in sooner.

Knotty Pine GAZETTE - Snow Buries Rockies

An unexpected, heavy snow buried most of the Rockies Thursday and Friday bringing daily life in Knotty Pine to a temporary halt until roads and sidewalks could be cleared. Several feet of snow fell in the upper elevations of the Shady. Several inches to a foot of snow fell in the tri-county area. State and local road crews have been working around the clock to open snow-clogged arteries. All Knotty Pine schools were closed Friday. Most other schools in the county were closed as well. Ranger Bill Jefferson and his men aided in road clearing. Ranger snow plows, road graders, and of course their Big Brutes worked all day Friday.
One BIG benefit for Knotty Pine from all of the snow is the early opening of the Big Six Lodge as well as all of its ski runs and trails. Residents can either drive directly to the lodge for a day in the snow or they can ride the lodge's new buses and be taxied to Big Six from either City Hall or from the public parking lot adjacent to Ranger Headquarters.