Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2003)
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, January 1, 2003 Page 2 (Editor’s Note: Views and commentary expressed in letters to the editor are strictly those of the letter- writers. * * * Typed, double-spaced letters are acceptable for consideration. Hand- written letters that are double-spaced and highly legible also can be con- sidered for publication. Cards of thanks are not accepted as letters.) Drink, drive: die El Jefe resolves for the New Year to do some- thing, but he hasn’t made up his mind yet ... Happy Holidays! Restaurante Family Discount >>> Kids Menu <<< 99 ¢ Sunday thru Wednesday From Vicki Kaplan Carlsbad, Calif. This poignant item could save lives. It’s from Mothers Against Drunk Driving: “I went to a party, and remembered what you said. You told me not to drink, so I had a Sprite instead. “I felt proud of myself, the way you said I would. Al- though some friends said I should, I made a healthy choice. “And your advice to me was right. The party ended, and the kids drove out of sight. I got into my car, sure to get home in one piece: I never knew what was coming. “Something I expected least. Now I’m lying on the pavement, and I hear a police- man say, ‘The kid that caused this wreck was drunk.’ Mom, his voice seems so far away. “My own blood is all around me. As I try hard not to cry, I can hear a paramedic say, ‘This girl is going to die.’ “I’m sure the guy had no idea while he was flying high, because he chose to drink and drive that I would have to die. “So why do people do it, knowing that it ruins lives? And now the pain is cutting me like a hundred stabbing knives. Tell sister not to be afraid. “Tell daddy to be brave, and when I go to Heaven, put ‘Daddy’s Girl’ on my grave. “Someone should have taught him that it’s wrong to drink and drive. Maybe if his parents had, I’d still be alive. My breath is getting shorter; I’m getting really scared. “These are my final mo- ments, and I’m so unprepared. I wish that you could hold me, mom. “As I lie here and die, I wish that I could say I love you and good-bye.” Lunch or Dinner - 12 and Under - No Take-Outs Railroad to valley 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. 41 STAFF: Virginia Gilliam, Cindy Newton, Chris Robertson, Sharon Silva & Becky Loudon Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association DEADLINES: News, Display & Classified Ads, Letters 3 P.M. FRIDAY (Ads will be accepted until Noon, Monday with an additional charge.) 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 From Robert C. Elesky Cave Junction Here is the end of another year, 2002, and I ask, “What is the economic future of Cave Junction?” The answer: Our leaders don’t seem to know, or it is a well-guarded secret not unleashed on us yet, or maybe it has and I don’t know it. The facts are that the lead- ership at our state, county and city levels has disappointed me, and I think, many other business people in our area. I have to ask who has a clear economic vision of Cave Junction in 2010? Our first casualty was Fire Mountain Gems leaving the area. Our next is Rough & Ready. The next is Krauss Craft, as I understand it. My- self, and I am sure a lot of other people, are asking, why? Some have the answer, some don’t. I think I know why. Currently our economic future as a community is very, very dim, to put it mildly. Rough & Ready, one of our largest employers, is being forced to close due to silly and unfounded environmental re- strictions on timber harvests. The fact is they just can’t get any logs despite the fact that a half million acres has just burned, and there is plenty of salvage logging that could be done. The area is now nothing more than a wasteland due to poor forest management. President Bush has signed a deal to turn things back over to local control, but I am afraid it might be a day late and several dollars short. This is the area I and a lot of other people wish to live in. We have wide-open spaces, clean air, abundant wildlife and relatively low crime rates. I see a thriving vision of Cave Junction and Illinois Valley in the next five to 10 years. What is that vision? Let me paint you a quick picture of things to come. I see Rough Truck Body increasing production and profits, along with Kauffman Wood products. I see new in- dustry coming to Cave Junc- tion and operating in our air- port industrial park. I see Rough & Ready Lumber Co. reopening and possibly even expanding. I see lots of jobs that can be created here with little environmental impact. I see ore from the Nicore mining project being moved, creating new jobs in an envi- ronmentally responsible way, I am sure, knowing who is involved. The fact is that we are in a federal enterprise zone. We can sell goods and services to the government. The future of our valley is in the field of government contracts. The government purchases large quantities of goods and ser- vices daily. Our leaders need to pro- mote this, along with giving them tax incentives to outside industries and give the same reasons to locate here, or we as local people need to take the bull by the horns and cre- ate our own business. The following govern- ment website: http:// progate.daps.dla.mil/home/ shows the types and amounts of goods and services we might be able to provide to our country. The funding to start is available for just about anyone with some drive and energy. One of the issues con- fronting this area is the high cost of shipping raw materials and goods in and out. I believe it can be done in an environmentally responsi- ble way, with limited effect on our environment. None of us came here because we wanted to live in a situation like Los Angeles. We came to live in the great Northwest and enjoy the wilderness; at least I did. I am not painting a vision of factories billowing smoke and pollution from large stacks or dumping toxic waste into the rivers, so don’t any environmentalist types try put- ting words in my mouth. I am painting a picture of clean, environmentally re- sponsible industry coming here and creating good jobs for us all. I am going to propose something here that may have been proposed before; I don’t know, having only been here just 10 years now. I would like to encourage legitimate, re-asonable responses. Wanting to establish a government contracting com- pany here myself, I propose that we bring the railroad to our valley from Grants Pass. I want any like-minded individuals or business to pro- vide legitimate feedback on the idea and what they might feel the effect on our area would be. I would also like the so- called environmentalists to picture this. Think of how this would grant access to our wil- derness area in a controlled manner. Just think if we were able to provide a rustic rail ride through the wilderness with stops along the way with established campgrounds and (Continued on page 3) Auction begins at 7 p.m. WILD RIVER BREWING & PIZZA CO. (Cave Junction location) Friday, Jan. 10 (R) Fresh Cooked Oregon Crab … $3.50 lb. Tree Ripe Oranges … $5.99 bag Smoked Turkey Breast … $1.99 lb. Ring in the New Year with us! ‘Dale & Siskiyou Mountain Boys’ playing country music, Tuesday, Dec. 31 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. ‘RASHA’ Friday, Jan. 3, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Now serving beer & wine
