Butte Valley’s Citizen of the Year
written by Christina Brakeman, RKC Journalist
A scene of about thirty people talking amongst their groups and friends emitted an affectionate, welcoming atmosphere in the rustic country cabin. The official Butte Valley Citizen of the Year award sat in front of a silk backdrop with a vase of gypsophila flowers, better known as baby’s-breath, and a sunflower accentuating the award. Laughter and jovial conversation echoed in the cabin as the fairy lights hung above members of the Butte Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Dorris Lion’s Club, Rural Klamath Connects, and the Butte Valley Museum & Historical Society.
On June 11th, 2023, the Butte Valley Chamber of Commerce named Christine Baldwin their Citizen of the Year! With an honorary dinner and presentation at the beautiful Butte Valley Community Center, Christine’s tireless service to the Butte Valley community was celebrated.
Being involved in the community for 14 years, Christine volunteered her time to make many positive changes. She served on the board of Rural Klamath Connects and introduced the idea of a barn quilt tour. The RKC Barn Quilt Tour was started in 2020, where wooden 8-foot quilt blocks with unique designs were placed at historical and meaningful locations in the Five Friendly Towns of Klamath Country, which include Merrill, Malin, Bonanza, Tulelake, and Dorris. The tour continues to grow and will one day include literature on the meaning of each pattern, and information about the buildings they are placed on.
Chris served on the Butte Valley Museum for 12 years and was instrumental in acquiring the original 1908 Bank Building in Dorris to create a museum & visitor center for the community. It has been newly refurbished & many historical artifacts have been acquired to be put on display. She has been involved in many revitalization projects in the area & in bringing the Art of Survival bike ride to Butte Valley.
The limited space of this article cannot contain all of Christine’s accomplishments. Her community is so grateful to her for the countless hours she volunteered to make the Butte Valley a great place to live.
Honored and teary-eyed from the presentation and heart-warming comments from the friends she worked alongside, the lovely award ceremony was a nice farewell for Christine before she returned to Idaho, where she has recently made her home. Inspirational and wise in the journey she has embarked on, Christine Baldwin closes a chapter in her life with the Butte Valley community, but declared to those attending, “I will be back.”
Malin Christmas Bazaar Nov 18th and 19th
Malin Christmas Bazaar at the Malin Community Hall
November 18th 9am – 6pm and November 19th 9am – 4pm
Malin Christmas Bazaar NOV 18-19
Malin Christmas Bazaar November 18, 9am through 6pm and November 19, 9am through 4pm.
Harvest Hoedown
Come on down to the Butte Valley Museum for the Harvest Hoedown!!
Join us for a fun filled evening of hay rides, food vendors, games and movie night!!
Malin Swimming Pool Renovation
It’s official! After what feels like forever, summer is here and with it, the opening of the Malin Pool. Do not be surprised however, if upon attending, you notice some much needed renovations; which are some of the first renovations of the pool since it’s opening in 1948.
Thanks to a $350,000 grant from the Oregon Park and Recreation Department, which covered about half of the total cost of the project, the pool was able to open in time for the summer season.
“Malin pool is the epitome of the summertime nostalgia” Kendra Schroeder, Malin Pool Manager, shared as she expressed the feeling she gets going into her eighth season. What once was a 35 yard pool now houses a nice wading pool for young swimmers as well as a 25 yard standard lap pool.
In order to accomplish the project, it required an entire removal of the old recirculating piping. Creating the wading pool required usage of the old pool deck space, while the previous filtration system was also replaced with all new equipment. The entire project was wrapped up with a new concrete surface surrounding the pool.
An open pool is the goal, however due to COVID-19, there will be some restrictions that have come with it. Malin Pool has made sure that their staff will adhere to Oregon Health Authority guidelines including: all employees wearing masks while on shift, a maximum capacity of 50 swimmers, and COVID tracing. Swimming lessons have also been cancelled; however, there has been an increase in swim camps throughout the summer to teach water safety to kids.
Expect to get your water wings wet daily from 1-5pm and again during the evening swim from 6:30-8pm each night except Sunday. You can also sign up for adult lap swim or even host a private party .
Jaselyn Story, a returning lifeguard, shared that her and her fellow lifeguards came back again this year because she enjoys watching the kids grow up over the years and loves to see who they are becoming. She asks that those who do make their way to the pool this year, come in with a good mindset and always respect the lifeguards.
Though many things have changed in our world and community, the staff of Malin pool stands by their promise to provide fun and safe entertainment for your family throughout the summer.
