Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, September 4, 2002
Page 2
Laboring on Labor Day seems to be the lot of those who
crank out newspapers, including this very Illinois Valley
“Noosepaper.” Thank God the staff is first-rate and in good hu-
mor, or El Jefe would be up the creek without a paddle, a boat or
MREs (Meals Rejected by Ethiopians).
Some might recall that a couple of weeks ago I spoke of lay-
ing out the “Noose” electronically and transmitting same for
printing. It came to pass that last week’s issue was our baptism of
fire, ire and a perfectly almost intolerable bleary-eyed time. Some
of us were at the office from before 8 on that fateful Tuesday
morn until 1:30 a.m. the next day.
And there was a glitch that required one of us (not me) to re-
turn to the office at midmorning to resend or fix something that
went awry the night before. And it was a 20-page paper, as some
may have noticed. As this is written on Monday night, Sept. 2, it
appears that we’ll have a 16-page “Noose” for this week. It
should contain plenty-o-pictures of the 30th annual Illinois Valley
Lions Club Labor Day Festival and Parade. Plus photos of other
stuff from around the valley. Hey - it’s what we do.
Far be it from me to jinx this week’s issue by saying that we
will not be in the office, somewhat comatose, as last week. But
we do have more confidence in this electronic whatsit.
For some reason, this seems an appropriate time to relate our
animal happening of a week or so ago at home. At one point we
had our two cats, Gracie and Nitro; and our dogs, Bingo and
Rocky, and we also had Rocky’s mother, Maggie, and his sister,
Sadie. They came to be dog-sat while their owners went camping.
Adding to this jolly menagerie were Maui, the cat that Jan
rescued, and her four kittens. She had the kittens after being en-
sconced in our guest closet. They are truly cute little critters,
who’ve been named Bubba, Buttercup, The Dread Pirate Robert,
and Cipher. This chorus of mewers should be weaned in another
three to four weeks. I call them Velcro cats with their distinct tal-
ent of hooking onto our shirts, pants, bare skin and the like.
For a while we looked like an animal refuge. Come to think
of it, that’s exactly what we have become. Although I would deny
it if you asked, the little purr machines are somewhat comforting.
What’s not comforting is Gracie’s horrible attitude toward them.
She regards them as something akin to Bubonic Plague, and
hisses and snarls when they approach. Nitro, on the other hand,
isn't sure if they’re someone to play with, or maybe something
fun to hunt and eat.
You’ve heard of it raining cats and dogs? We’re in the neighbor-
hood. And now, exit stage right.
Tuesday - Saturday
3:30 to
8:30 p.m.
Closed
Sunday & Monday
592-3228
355 Caves Hwy.
Lunch & Dinner
Illinois Valley News
An Independent Weekly Newspaper Co-owned and published by
Robert R. (Bob) and Jan Rodriguez
Bob Rodriguez, Editor El Jefe
Entered as second class matter June 11, 1937 at Post Office as
Official Newspaper for Josephine County and Josephine County
Three Rivers School District, published at
321 S. Redwood Hwy., Cave Junction, OR 97523
Periodicals postage paid at Cave Junction, OR 97523
Post Office Box 1370 USPS 258-820
Telephone (541) 592-2541, FAX (541) 592-4330
Volume 65, No. 24
STAFF: Virginia Gilliam, Cindy Newton,
Sherri Hopper, Chris Robertson and Becky Loudon
Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
DEADLINES: News, Classified Ads
NOON MONDAYS
POLICY ON LETTERS: ‘Illinois Valley News’ welcomes letters
to the editor provided they are of general interest, in good taste,
legible and not libelous. All letters must be signed, using complete
name, and contain the writer’s address and telephone number.
The latter need not be published, but will be used to verify
authenticity. The ‘News’ reserves the right to edit letters. One
letter per person per month. Letters are used at the discretion of
the publisher. Unpublished letters are neither acknowledged nor
returned. A prepaid charge may be levied if a letter is
inordinately long in the editor's opinion.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One year in Josephine County - $20.80
One year in Jackson and Douglas Counties - $24.40
One year in all other Oregon counties and out-of-state -$28
POSTMASTER:
Please send address changes to P.O. Box 1370, Cave Junction, OR. 97523
Editor’s Note: Views ex-
pressed in letters to the
editor are strictly those of
the letter-writers.
* * *
We no longer will accept
single-spaced
hand-
written letters. Typed,
double-spaced letters are
acceptable for considera-
tion. Hand-written letters
that are double-spaced
and highly legible also
can be considered for
publication.)
Measure 17.86 supports
valley firefighters
From Dave Toler
Cave Junction
Illinois Valley voters will
this week receive their ballots
in the mail for the Sept. 17
election. On that ballot, they
will find Measure 17.86, a
bond levy for Illinois Valley
Rural Fire Protection District
to pay for replacement of four
dilapidated fire stations at
Selma, O’Brien, Holland
Loop, and the main station in
Cave Junction.
Here in Illinois Valley,
between each and every wild-
land or structural fire and our
homes or businesses, stands a
dedicated crew of volunteers,
our neighbors, who risk their
health, and sacrifice time from
their family or jobs to protect
our property. Measure 17.86
simply provides these volun-
teers the minimal tools they
need to do their job.
During the last few weeks,
I have heard several very rea-
sonable concerns from com-
munity members on this issue.
Probably the most popular
issue being the ability to af-
ford what would be an aver-
age of approximately $41 per
year (based on a $79,000 as-
sessed property) for residents.
Being a property owner
on a pretty limited income
myself, this is an issue that is
close to home for me.
Yet, when I look at the
numbers, it’s clear to me that I
will save more by doing this
now rather than doing it later.
For example, Measure 17.86
will pay off the loan for the
Holland Loop station, which
will save taxpayers more than
$47,000 in interest payments:
That’s money that can instead
go to replacing antiquated
equipment.
Another issue is the lack
of volunteers today. There is
no doubt that IVRFPD needs
more volunteers. But how
easy will it be to recruit them
with such dilapidated facili-
ties? With stations that lack
any facilities for cleaning their
uniforms or themselves, today
volunteers are expected to
take the residue of structural
fire and injured bodies back
home with them.
Earlier this summer, a
volunteer ruined his family’s
clothing with residue from the
tire fire. As long as we expect
our volunteers to put up with
our inadequate facilities, it
seems likely that recruiting
volunteers will continue to be
a real challenge.
Finally, thanks to the men
and women who volunteer to
protect our homes and busi-
nesses here in the valley, fire
protection for I.V. residents
comes with a pretty reason-
able price tag. If we want to
continue with a volunteer
force, we will have to furnish
them with adequate tools to do
their job.
Protecting our property
from fire is an extremely vital
service for our community. I
am thankful for the men and
women who volunteer their
time, and sometimes their
lives, to ensure my commu-
nity. I appreciate the men and
women who volunteer their
time, and sometimes their
lives, to ensure my commu-
nity is safe.
For that, I am willing to
provide them the basic facili-
ties they need to do the job.
Given the sacrifices they are
making for my community
every day, my vote is “yes”
for 17.86.
‘The tire mire’
From Bill Hickerson
Cave Junction
As the considerable anxi-
ety over the Florence Fire, to
later be named the Biscuit
Fire, slowly begins to fade
from our minds, I want to re-
visit the fire that actually, in
my opinion, has affected our
valley in even a more negative
way than the wildland fire
over the ridge.
Do any of you recall a
couple of months ago the
large dark column of smoke
that was seen throughout the
valley coming from the Busk
tire fire on Takilma Road?
Unlike the Biscuit Fire, the
tire fire was not started by an
errant lightning strike; it was
caused by man.
Unlike the Biscuit Fire
that burned countless acres of
Nature, the tire fire burnt
countless numbers of tires
illegally hauled into a piece of
property during the last sev-
eral years. As rumors became
rampant that Busk was going
to torch his manmade mess
rather than let the county take
over this already county-
controlled property, more tires
were being hauled into the
property up to the day before
the big fiasco, and we have
the license number of the
truck.
Unlike the Biscuit Fire
that will slowly begin to heal
in the spring, the tire fire loca-
tion will only just be begin-
ning to leach toxins into the
soil and underground aquifers
from chemicals left over from
the burning rubber slop.
I have several perplexing
questions about both fires, of
the why and how they hap-
pened, but my emphasis today
is about the tire fire and how,
in my opinion, it was allowed
to occur.
Keep in mind that the
county had already repos-
sessed this property from
Busk 10 years prior, but an
arrangement allowed him to
continue to stay on the prop-
erty.
DEQ had spent $78,000
removing thousands of tires
from this illegal dumping
ground in fall 1990, appar-
ently only to have Busk have
more tires hauled in. On the
morning of the fire Busk told
me personally, (I was driving
the first arriving fire engine,)
that his workers had appar-
ently accidentally started the
fire by dropping a cigarette. I
have never heard anybody ask
who these supposed workers
were.
How is it that the grape-
vine around town knew this
fire was going to occur days
ahead of time if the fire was
an accident? Why is the
county to date allowing him to
play the same game on an-
other piece of property in the
O’Brien area? Photos show
this piece of property on
O’Brien Street to be just an-
other dumping/collecting gar-
bage fire hazard site like the
one Busk built on Takilma
Road.
I have been involved with
the Illinois Valley Fire District
for more than 20 years, so
don’t get me wrong, I enjoy
fighting fire. I relish helping
my neighbor in his or her time
of need. My gut feeling about
this particular tire fire was that
it was maliciously started. I do
not enjoy having myself, or
my brothers and sisters in the
fire service, put in harm’s way
because of someone’s mali-
cious intent.
If any out there in the val-
ley know specific details of
this crime I wish that they
would come forward and let
the authorities know.
Folks, in all seriousness,
this tire fire actually had more
potential to burn us out of our
little valley than did the now
smoldering Biscuit Fire.
Robbie Hanson bouquet
From Glenda Karr
Selma
I am writing this on behalf
of a young man I had the op-
portunity and privilege to not
call my friend, and who has
become a very bright and
hard-working individual. Not
many young people today
have the ambition that Robbie
Hanson has shown during the
years since I first met him.
He has shown leadership
to not only his peers, but to
those of us who not only re-
spect him for the young man
that he has become but, for the
honesty that he has shown to
all who know him.
I volunteered for several
weekends this summer to see
first-hand how a young man
of Robbie Hanson’s stature
could handle such responsi-
bilities as those presented him
at Oregon Caves Chateau.
I eventually asked for
weekend employment, as I
also am self-employed and
work during the week. The
Continued on page 3
IVHS Activities Calendar
Brought to you
by the folks at
592-3556
Cave Jct .
469-7545
Brookings/
Harbor
471-RIVR
THURSDAY, SEPT. 5
Girls volleyball
at South Umpqua
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Freshman elections
FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
Dance - 8 to 11 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7
Girls soccer at
Phoenix Jamboree
8:30 a.m.
Boys soccer
at St. Marys - 10 a.m.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 10
Girls volleyball vs. Henley
Here - 5:45 to 6:30 p.m.
Boys soccer vs. Henley
Here - 4 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11
School pictures - morning
SCHOOL STARTS, WATCH
FOR RED FLASHING
LIGHTS ON BUSES
is pleased to announce
Lucinda Kolo, M.D.
will begin seeing patients
TUES.,SEPT. 3RD
at Siskiyou Community Health Center
319 Caves Highway, Cave Junction
To schedule an appointment
please phone 592-4111
Dr. Kolo joins us from
Lyme, New Hampshire.
She is available to provide primary care services for the
entire family, including pediatrics, women’s care and OB.