This article was in Thursday’s (December 8th, 2016) Herald and News
Written By: Holly Dillemuth, H&N Staff Reporter
Jerry Rosterolla, owner of the Klamath Basin Brewing Co., has been planning to expand his business
for a number of years, but a $10,000 business development grant recently awarded to the business by the city is a welcome incentive to move improvements along.
Rosterolla is planning a $400,000 project to expand the brewery to include a currently vacant warehouse next door and to use the grant funds to help level out the floor plan.
“At the end of the project, what we’d really like is to have an approved kitchen and some banquet space,” said Terry Wagstaff, a member of the brewery’s board of directors. “That’s a ways down the road.”
The brewery is one of a handful of businesses locally that were awarded funds from a first-time $50,000 city grant program tagged for spurring economic development and improving the aesthetics of the downtown area. Klamath Falls City Council authorized the awards Monday evening. A full list of the projects are included in the city’s agenda packet available at City Hall or online at klamathfalls.city.
“We just look at this as a vote of confidence from the city that we’re on the right track,” said Rob Jellesed, operational manager at the brewery.
Businesses such as the brewery plan to inject funding right back into projects and add thousands more in renovations, with plans to collectively pump a total $1.8 million in improvements to the downtown area.
The city’s grant program attracted 14 applicants with a total $130,000 in requests for funding overall.
Joe Wall, assistant to the city manager, believes the grant program may help spur more than just aesthetic improvements.
“We have a number of unoccupied buildings and unoccupied second floors,” Wall said. “There’s a number of impediments to getting people in those spaces and getting them reoccupied. So the city was looking at a method that we could leverage our dollars.”
Kendall Bell, incoming city council member and president of the Klamath Falls Downtown Association, agrees.
“That’s enough in most of these projects to make a difference,” Bell said.
“It’ll be really fascinating to see the impact over the year.”
Jellesed believes improvements like those proposed by the brewery and other projects awarded funding from the city are part of promoting a more livable downtown area attractive to residents and visitors.
“As far as getting a thriving community in the downtown corridor,” Jellesed added, “we’re going to have to have people live here and want to stay here and make this place a better place.
“We’d like it to see it grow as well because we want this to be a thriving part of downtown.”
Not everyone attending the city council meeting regarding the business grants agreed with the approach of the grant program as a means to economic development.
“I really feel that the city council may be making a mistake in working on improving aesthetics of downtown versus economic development,” said Don Dumbeck, a downtown area resident.
Dumbeck said he and some neighbors believe funding could be placed elsewhere, such as in recruiting a grocery store to the area. (The city is currently aware of a prospect.)
“I think we make the mistake that aesthetic improvements help the economy and I don’t know if that’s correct,” Dumbeck added.
Grants were available for facade and architectural restoration and building improvement, which city staff are saying will promote economic development.
“We can enhance the aesthetics of downtown buildings,” Wall said.
“I think that does a fair deal for economic development.”
Councilman Bill Adams acknowledged Dumbeck’s concern, but shared a different perspective.
“We’re giving as awards to somebody that’s going to spend or they’re talking about spending $582,000 on a project, and they’re going to get a $10,000 award,” Adams said. “I think the difference between the two – it’s keeping contractors working in our community and it keeps us generating jobs.
“While this doesn’t take care of everything, I think this goes a long ways toward improving the community,” Adams said.
The funding for the grants was allocated for the Downtown Facade and Building Improvement Grant Programs within the 2016-17 budget general fund.
Applicants were selected by members of a review committee appointed by city council.
Eligible improvements included fire sprinkler systems, elevators, seismic improvements, and HVAC improvements.
To read this article and others on the Herald and News website, please refer to the link below:
Building Up Businesses (H&N)
This article was written in Friday’s (December 9th, 2016) Herald and News
Written By: Stephen Floyd, H&N Staff Reporter
The incoming board of Klamath County Commissioners expressed a sense of optimism and teamwork as they prepare to take the reins in January.
Donnie Boyd and Derrick DeGroot will take office Jan. 3 and they joined incumbent Kelley Minty Morris in a wide-ranging interview with the H&N editorial board.
Much like on the campaign trail, Boyd and DeGroot said they look forward to providing cohesive leadership with goals to improve economic development and move beyond divisive issues that framed the previous administration.
“I would honestly like to be the county commissioner that the county — the citizens and the taxpayers of Klamath County — have asked me to be,” said Boyd.
“I think Klamath County is capable of being a lot more than it has been for a very long time,” said DeGroot.
Boyd was elected commissioner in May when he defeated incumbent Commissioner Tom Mallams and five other contenders during the primary. DeGroot and incumbent Commissioner Jim Bellet were proceeding to the November general election but Bellet withdrew in August due to the greater turnout for DeGroot during the primary.
Both men said they need to take time to become familiar with the county’s budget and policies but already have an idea of the direction they would like to head in.
Economic driver
Boyd said he would bolster support for the Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA), which he believes has the potential to grow into a major economic driver for the area.
“There are a lot of great things happening with KCEDA today and I think the county needs to be a part of that,” said Boyd.
DeGroot said he would like to restore trust between commissioners and the public in light of contentious issues brought before the board in recent years, and also wants to restore what he sees as low community self-image.
“One of the things I think we can do right away is working on the way we feel about ourselves and working on pride in the community,” said DeGroot. “A lot of that has to do with leadership.”
When it came to contentious issues, Boyd and DeGroot were in agreement with how the county should proceed.
Both said they believe in upholding a county ban against marijuana businesses, particularly in light of an initiative on the May ballot in which 57 percent of voters rejected an attempt to overturn the ban.
They were also in favor of keeping an “In God We Trust” sign displayed in the commissioners’ meeting room and, though they may not have supported installation of the sign if they were incumbents, they saw no reason to remove it.
Solving the water issue
On the issue of dam removal along the Klamath River, Boyd and DeGroot deviated from their predecessors and said the issue is not one currently worth pursuing as it relates to local water resources.
“The dams are history,” said Boyd. “That ship has sailed. I think we need to come up with plan B that does not include the dams.”
When asked how they plan to interact with Sen.-elect Dennis Linthicum and Rep.-elect Werner Reschke, both of whom strongly oppose dam removal, Boyd said efforts have already been made to reach out to the incoming legislators and encourage cooperation rather than division.
“We all have to be able to work together because we have a very, very limited resource,” he said.
Police cooperation
Boyd and DeGroot are also meeting with law enforcement officials, including Klamath Falls Police Chief Dave Hensley and Klamath County Sheriff-elect Chris Kaber, to learn what the needs and resources are for local policing.
When asked if annexation of the Klamath Falls suburbs into the city limits would help alleviate the strain on the sheriff’s office, Boyd and DeGroot said this was a matter that should be decided by suburban voters.
“I think there’s solutions without annexation, too,” said DeGroot. “So there’s a lot of different areas we can look at to improve policing.”
When asked how they would reach out to and serve citizens in the outlying areas of the county, Boyd said he plans to maintain contact with community groups in those areas. DeGroot also said it is important to remember many outlying residents moved there for the solitude and may not want overbearing outreach from commissioners.
“In a lot of ways people live out in the rural areas of our community because they want to be left alone,” he said.
Community outreach
Minty Morris said the board intends to continue holding regular meetings at locations outside of Klamath Falls from time to time, while Boyd said he would additionally push for evening meetings at least once per month so those unable to attend morning meetings can offer input.
All three commissioners, incumbent and incoming, agreed they work well together. Minty Morris said, while there may have been political divisions among sitting commissioners, incumbents worked well on a personal level and she believes this will continue with Boyd and DeGroot.
“I’m just thrilled to have these two guys come in,” she said. “They feel almost like my brothers, already.”
Boyd and DeGroot are expected to begin their duties as commissioners Jan. 3 during the commissioners’ regular Tuesday morning business meeting. The public will be welcome to attend the event.
To read this article and others on the Herald and News website, please refer to the link below:
Common Goals Shape Incoming Board of Commissioners (H&N)
This article was in Wednesday’s (December 7th, 2016) Herald and New
Written By: Holly Owens
College and community leaders celebrated the opening of Klamath Center for Education & Training (K-CET) with a ribbon-cutting at Klamath Community College Thursday, according to a KCC news release.
K-CET is a partnership between KCC and Southern Oregon Goodwill designed to address adult educational needs in Klamath and Lake counties. The center opened in September and now has more than 100 students enrolled in GED, college preparation, adult basic education and English as a second language classes.
“K-CET is a place for second chances, life resets, or a new start for adults in our community who need additional education,” said KCC Director of Workforce Development Chip Massie.
KCC President Roberto Gutierrez noted that 26 percent of Klamath County residents live at or below the poverty level. According to the Census Bureau, more than 6,000 adults living in Klamath County do not have a high school diploma.
Earning a GED or high school diploma is bare minimum required to participate in today’s global workforce, Gutierrez said.
“If you don’t have some kind of education after high school — or after earning a GED — your chances of escaping poverty remain low,” Gutierrez said. “That’s different from previous generations — you didn’t need that before, but now you do. If you are not educated, you cannot compete with the rest of the world.”
Southern Oregon Goodwill President Shae Johns called K-CET a “great opportunity for the community” to help put at-risk individuals on a path to vocational training and/or earning a college certificate or degree.
“It’s an opportunity for students to actually go to community college to get their GED,” Johns said.
KCC’s Klamath Falls campus, K-CET offers online, morning, afternoon and evening courses. Students in Lakeview can structure their coursework with an instructor dedicated to their success.
“K-CET delivers a team approach to teaching so every student has the best chance of success,” said Goodwill Director of Education Sandy Boatright, adding that the program is designed to be flexible so students can work at their own pace.
We need your input! Can you give us 15 minutes to help build a vital economic future?
KCEDA, Oregon Tech, KCC, the Chamber, SBDC, and SCOEDD have formed a talent development partnership. The purpose is to enhance business retention, growth and prosperity in the region.
Our goal is to develop a highly skilled workforce for local companies to increase their competitiveness in the global market and raise the skills and employability levels of local residents.
Please follow this link http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07edh2m6xtivlb3z5s/start and spend 15 minutes or so to complete an online needs assessment. Your answers will be used to create needed educational degrees, individual work skill training opportunities, and business success trainings that will help you reach your goals.
Thank you for your time and help!
This was in Sunday’s (November 27th, 2016) Herald and News
Written By: Holly Dillemuth, H&N Staff Reporter
Class was in session on a recent November morning for Oregon Tech Civil Engineering students, but students Erik Johnson and Sam Garber and their fellow classmates weren’t on campus.
Instead, as part of their senior capstone curriculum, students toured the site of the C flume replacement project on the C Canal along Highway 39 with Jeremy Morris, of Adkins Consulting Engineering on Nov. 18.
Through their capstone project, a requirement to graduate from Oregon Tech, Johnson, Garber and the civil engineering’s capstone cohort are getting an up-close look at the replacement of a more-than-90-year-old structure that delivers irrigation water to so many water users in the Klamath Basin.
“It’s a good opportunity for them,” Morris said during a recent Klamath Irrigation District board meeting. “A large project like this in Klamath Falls doesn’t come around very often.
“This is preparing them for the first day of their career,” Morris added.
Approximately 4,400 feet of pipe being installed underground will replace the elevated concrete flume of the same length. The current structure has been in place since the 1920s, when it replaced a wooden flume built in the early 1900s.
“This was the first of its kind in the Klamath Basin,” Morris said, of the C flume.
“A lot of Bureau (of Reclamation) projects, they’re all over the West Coast,” he added. “Our Department of the Interior commissioned all of these West Coast systems in the early 1900s basically.”
C flume replacement construction by R&G Excavating, of Scio, Ore., has been called a “once in a generation” project by Morris. A little more than 2,000 feet of pipe has been installed for the new flume, according to Morris, and the project is on schedule so far to be finished in 2018.
“Anything (R&G Excavating) they don’t get done this year, we still have a safety net of next summer to get that work completed,” Morris said, during a recent tour of the site.
In the meantime up until graduating in 2017, students will analyze alternative, hypothetical engineering feasibility and design solutions for the project without actually impacting the current project underway.
“It’s being presented with a problem and then figuring out the tools and then everything that you need to solve that problem, rather than a typical class structure of being given formulas,” Garber said.
“That’s the interesting part of this project is seeing the big picture, where you’re trying to go, and filling in the gaps.”
Civil Engineering Assistant Professor Matthew Sleep acknowledged the project’s complexities, especially involving overlapping modes of transportation.
“There are three crossings,” Sleep said, of the C flume. “There’s the railroad, (Highway 39), and the Lost River Diversion Canal, and so the water has to cross all of those points. It’s those restrictions that are the hardest things to overcome and it’s the hardest part that our students have had to overcome.”
Students are also learning about other processes involved in a project of this magnitude, which include obtaining clearances needed for projects near highways, in addition to obstacles related to a shortened construction season due to inclement weather conditions.
There are four groups of six students tasked with studying the C flume, although both Johnson and Garber emphasized that student proposals don’t impact actual construction or design already in progress.
“We have to be very careful with that sort of thing,” Sleep said. “Our students are using this project really as a benefit to them.
“It incorporates all of the pieces of engineering,” he added. “We do water, structural; there’s even some transportation with traffic, and also some geotechnical (engineering) …. All of the pieces that we teach here are incorporated in this project, which is really great because that’s really rare to have something like that.”
Study and analysis of the C flume replacement does give students a way to gain insight into a real-world project they might face once they enter the civil engineering industry.
“They work pretty hard to make it as realistic of an experience as they can,” Garber said.
Garber is the project manager for his capstone group, and has also attended board meetings at the KID office as part of his research.
The Dallas, Ore., native would like to eventually work as a project manager in construction management after he graduates from Oregon Tech in 2017. Garber sees the project as a helping hand to guide him toward that goal.
Both Johnson and Garber say the project gives them an opportunity to apply and hone the skills they’ve been acquiring the past four to five years, in addition to the chance to get an on-the-ground education in the community.
“One of the cool things about this project is how differently it’s structured as compared to a standard class format where you’ve got homework and tests,” Garber said.
Johnson, originally from Alaska, met his wife in in the Klamath Basin, and said he has found a community here where, if possible, he also wants to pursue a career in civil engineering.
The project has also gotten a nod of approval from Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET) officials, who were impressed to find the hands-on project during a visit to Oregon Tech this year, according to Sleep.
While on the Klamath Falls campus, ABET officials asked Sleep, “‘How do you incorporate realistic engineering constraints into your design project?’”
“This is exactly that,” Sleep said.
“Hands-on education for real world experience, that’s the motto and so there’s nothing more hands-on than an actual project.”
In Sleep’s five years at Oregon Tech, this isn’t the first Civil Engineering capstone project that has centered around a community group or project.
Sleep’s cohort last year worked with The Blue Zones Project on findings ways to develop a more pedestrian-friendly downtown. Other projects in the past have involved the OC&E Woods Line State Trail and the Link River Canyon.
“I really like keeping the projects real and local and connected to the community,” Sleep said.
“They’re talking to engineers in the community,” he added. “The connection between the community and the school is something that I personally, I wish was a lot better, and this is one way of doing that. So far it’s been successful.”
Many of the of the students in the civil engineering graduating cohort are not from Klamath Falls, Sleep said, and are unaware of the long history of water issues and water rights.
“It’s been really good for them to get an alternative perspective,” Sleep said.
“This project is more than just the engineering solution. It’s how it is going to impact the entire community.”
To read this article and others on the Herald and News website, please refer to the link below:
Hands-On Education (H&N)
This article was in Tuesday’s (November 22nd, 2016) Herald and News
Written By: Holly Dillemuth, H&N Staff Reporter 
Klamath Falls company The Carriage Works is planning to double its workable square footage capacity and efficiency while remaining in the Klamath Basin.
The retail merchandise unit manufacturing company, in conjunction with Klamath County Economic Development Association, announced Monday that it will move from Mallard Lane to the former ECS building at 6660 Arnold St. in early 2017.
The move makes good on expansion plans shared with the Herald and News in March by the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Dunham.
The Carriage Works recently finalized the purchase of the 42,000-square-foot building on Arnold Street, according to a news release, where it will continue to manufacture and assemble kiosks and carts for businesses and amusement parks, including Six Flags.
The Carriage Works has recently started building equipment for use by clients such as Hotel del Coronado in San Diego and the Oregon Zoo.
The company is looking into the food truck manufacturing industry at a local level as well.
Dunham said he hopes to add 10 additional employees in 2017-18.
“That’s our starting target,” Dunham said.
Adding more employees is not a motivating factor for the move, he said, but could be a result of having more space.
Dunham also said company’s new space will allow the 25 employees more efficient use of space for design and manufacturing.
He chose to keep the company in Klamath County, referencing the advantages, especially in the local workforce, far outweigh any disadvantage, including being near Interstate 5.
“The wood products background here in Klamath County is strong,” Dunham said. “The community has been very welcoming and very supportive,” he added.
KCEDA worked with the company on finding a new location, according to Greg O’Sullivan, KCEDA executive director, as the agency does with many businesses in Klamath County.
“Certainly a win for retention, expansion,” O’Sullivan said.
Dunham bought the business from John and Barbara Evensizer in 2015 and shortly after added five employees.
The Evensizers opened the company in 1975. At the time, the company built carriages and sold them to Disneyland.
This was in Wednesday’s (November 23rd, 2016) Herald and News
Written By: Holly Dillemuth, H&N Staff Reporter
The Klamath County Chamber of Commerce announced a new a full-time executive director on Tuesday.
Heather Tramp, a familiar face at the chamber, has served in marketing for the past eight years at the chamber and most recently as interim executive director for the past few months.
Tramp expressed excitement after learning of the announcement on Tuesday.
“I am thrilled,” Tramp said.
Tramp succeeds Charles “Chip” Massie who left the chamber to work at Klamath Community College.
Tramp said she wants to build on the vision the chamber has for businesses in the community — leading, connecting, and advocating — and hopes to add more benefits for members.
Tramp also plans to continue to work closely with Discover Klamath and Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA).
She invites chamber members to reach out to her to meet with her about any concerns or just to chat.
“I’m looking forward to maybe reaching out to our membership a little more,” Tramp said.
Let’s talk about what our needs are.”
Tramp said one of the things she would like to do as executive director is to help promote a sense of improved self-worth for the community.
“The chamber can affect some change in that area,” Tramp said.
“Great things are happening in our community and that movement is going to continue to grow,” Tramp said, continuing her response in an email. “We have some work to do but there are organizations and people willing to put the work in to make those changes. I want more people to join that movement and realize what we have to offer.”
Reach the chamber office at 541-884-5193 or visit the office at 205 Riverside Dr.
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Heather Tramp New Chamber Director (H&N)
This article was in Saturday’s (November 12, 2016) Herald and News
Written By: Gerry O’Brien, H&N Editor
Jeld-Wen does not have plans to move employees “en masse” from its Klamath Falls plants to North Carolina, according to the company’s President and CEO Mark Beck.
The global firm that was once headquartered in Klamath Falls, recently announced it will be building a new, multi-million-dollar training center and business campus in Charlotte, N.C.
It noted that it will create some 200 jobs at the center and some employees may transfer to the operation.
In recent years, news of transfers makes Klamath Falls nervous, as some of the executive staff, public relations and legal department have moved to the North Carolina headquarters.
Beck, answering questions via a company spokeswoman, said, “Klamath Falls remains a significant location for Jeld-Wen – not only as every associate’s connection to our heritage – but also as home to several key functions including research and development, IT, risk management, customer service, finance, human resources and others.”
Klamath Falls is also a very important manufacturing site for Jeld-Wen including its sawmill, wood components plant and patented AuraLast wood treatment facility, the release said.
“We do not have plans to move any functional groups en masse from Klamath Falls to another location. From time to time individual roles or personnel may be asked to relocate,” Beck said.
Jeld-Wen started its business in Klamath Falls in 1960 under the Wendt family. It was once headquarters to its North American operations. Lately, it consolidated its global operations in North Carolina. It employs about 3,000 workers across Oregon and about 20,000 worldwide.
“Aside from this project, it’s important to note that Jeld-Wen continues to hire in Klamath Falls for a variety of roles as business needs dictate,” Becks release said. “Our recent investment in 2015 to the Klamath Falls campus to improve our research, development, prototyping, and testing center is serving the company well. In addition, we are investing in improved pedestrian safety measures for associates on the campus and are working with municipal partners to augment that safety plan.”
According to Commercial Property Executive website, the company will move or hire 200 “associates” at its Queen City headquarters in North Carolina. The new, 200-job headquarters will qualify for up to $2.4 million from the state’s Jobs Development Investment Grant program. The company intends to hire administrative, management and other staff.
The Charlotte-based company operates in 25 countries with 111 manufacturing facilities located primarily in North America, Europe and Australia. About 400 are currently employed in North Carolina.
To read this article and others on the Herald and News website, please refer to the link below:
Jeld-Wen Remains Committed to Klamath Falls (H&N)
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