No strangers in Henley

By STEVE KADEL
H&N Staff Writer

May 28, 2008

If you’re interested in the latest news from the Henley area, just stop at Mac’s Store on Highway 39 and talk to Frances Plowman.

She’s clerked there for 20 years and knows just about everything that’s happening in the community that straddles the highway south of Klamath Falls . That’s especially true about the activities of local teenagers, who stop by the store before and after school for soft drinks and snacks.

“I know more about some of these kids than their parents do,” Plowman said.

The store serves as an unofficial nerve center for Henley . It’s a place where customers are always greeted by name.

“This store has been a fixture since forever,” Plowman said. “It’s kind of a hub.”

Local atmosphere

Informality is the rule, which fits just right with the Henley atmosphere. For example, a well-worn cardboard rectangle hangs from the ceiling with prices of beer, soft drinks and some groceries attached for quick reference. When a price changes, out comes the price gun and a new tab is stuck to the board.

The store dates back to 1912, and was operated by the McClellan family.

There are framed 1934 calendars on the wall that recall a time when business practices were low-key.

It’s still that way, too.

Owners Kenneth and Jane Moore allow local ranchers to run tabs, both for use of scales to weigh their farm produce and for groceries.

“And nobody gives handwritten statements except Mac’s Store,” Plowman added. “We’re not computerized. We’re back in the ’60s, but it hasn’t hurt us at all.”

The personal service even extends to hours of operation. The store usually closes at 8 p.m. , but Plowman will stay open later if customers stop by for a six-pack of beer or soda on their way home.

Her grandparents, the Matneys, homesteaded in the Henley area, and Matney Road and Matney Way still exist as a reminder. Now Plowman considers herself an unofficial Moore family member.

“I’ve watched all the ( Moore ) grandkids grow up,” she said. “This has always been a comfortable place to work.”

Brent Cheyne was among the customers on a recent day. He’s got roots in the area, too, being a fourth-generation Basin resident and the third generation to work his farm where hay, grain and cattle are raised.

“I do it because I’ve lost my will to quit,” Cheyne joked as he bit into a Hershey’s candy bar.

He allows that his family has “been around for a while,” adding that his farm will be eligible for Centennial Farm status next year.

Cheyne’s only complaint is that the Henley area is growing too fast. He says there are just too many people.

“The most telling difference in this area is traffic on the highway,” he said.

Cheyne says there are more people living in the area itself, in addition to more commuters to Klamath Falls from Merrill, Malin and Tulelake. But he’s not planning to go anywhere. His 20-year-old son, Rodney, a student at Linn-Benton Community College , will take over the farm when Cheyne is ready to retire.

For the schools

Diana and Dennis Taylor also have lived in the Henley area a long time. Diana was raised in Merrill and Malin, so she’s comfortable in country settings.

The family moved away, but returned to the Basin when their two sons were in elementary school. She said a big factor in relocating in the Henley area was the three Henley schools. Diana said she and Dennis liked that the school complex allowed their children to be in a bigger school than at Bonanza or other smaller schools.

“The big deciding factor was schools and the fact that we could have enough land to have animals,” said Diana, who lives on about 22 acres with her husband. “It’s the close proximity of town, but you’re still out in the country and have a little acreage with space.”

She credits the Henley High School Future Farmers of America program for helping shape her sons’ future careers. One now trains cutting horses while the other has recently taken a position at Washington State University .

Beauty and nails

Not far from Mac’s Store, another longtime business operates across the highway from the Henley schools. Katie Walsh has owned the Beauty Corral for 35 years.

She cuts hair Tuesday through Saturday, and gets help from Shawna Hawkins on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Denise Klegseth drives from Merrill to provide nail care, manicures and pedicures on Wednesday and Thursday.

Walsh’s son, Matthew, is a Henley Middle School student. Walsh said he used to spend as much time as she did in the beauty parlor.

“My son grew up in this shop,” she said. “A lot of my customers are his grandmothers because they helped raise him.”

Walsh said it’s amazing to her how many people have moved to the Henley area, although the growth brings customers from Tulelake to Klamath Falls .

Faith and growth

Farther toward Klamath Falls , the Harvest Outreach Christian Center has welcomed parishioners for the past 11 years at 6805 Highway 39. Pastors Clara and Ben Wampler came to the area 15 years ago from Modesto , Calif.

“We were called here,” Clara Wampler said.

Their congregation numbers about 70 people, who come from the surrounding community as well as further away.

The growth that Henley has shown over the years isn’t a surprise to real estate agents such as Janet Pierce of Apodaca Pierce and Associates.

“The Henley area is a very attractive area and many people like it,” she said. “It’s sort of an American dream to have some place of your own, even if just an acre.

“In the Henley area, most properties range from four or five acres up to 100 acres. People want a place to put a large animal and be unencumbered with city things.” 

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Source:  http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2008/05/28/featured_story

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