Illinois Valley news., January 15, 2003, Page 7, Image 7

Page 7
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR 97523, January 15, 2003
You Don't Say!
Ninety-nine votes were cast (of the present 249 registered
members) Thursday night, Jan. 9, at the annual general meeting;
all eight candidates received more than the required 51 % of the
votes cast.
Congratulations to all the new CRT Directors: George Fence,
Todd Johan, Al Lopez, Audrey Moore, Mary Reynolds, Robert
Schumaker, Cathy Seitz and Jack Walker.
The number of general members dropped from 440 last sea-
son to 249; also, this year’s meeting turnout was proportionately
lower. Absent were many representing people for the USA, who
fielded a set of candidates in the last election.
I hope that their absence is not a sign they no longer feel a
part of the CRT. Much of last year’s success can be attributed to
the board’s diversity. Certainly much of the new direction toward
economic development, assistance to crews to access federal for-
est contracts, and the decision to support Rough & Ready em-
ployees in the exploration of an employee ownership option is the
result of this broad representation.
I hope the absence of slates of candidates is more reflective of
the nomination process. A committee representing all points of
view met to determine what elements the board should seek out -
representation from the business and medical communities and
someone knowledgeable on women’s issues.
They then approached various groups to recruit candidates.
The result is an even more balanced, stronger board - which is
great, given the continued challenges the CRT faces in the re-
maining two years of Enterprise Community designation to im-
plement the sustainability strategy adopted last year.
Rough & Ready Employee Stock Ownership Plan Exploration
As the community is painfully aware, Rough & Ready has
announced it will be closing and has started the process of releas-
ing its employees. Under similar circumstances all across the
country, employee buyout through an Employee Stock Ownership
Plan (ESOP) has been able to save some companies. Although not
an expert, I do have some background in employee ownership and
have put together two education sessions to help employees deter-
mine whether this was an option to pursue. ESOP is not a magic
bullet; a company still has to be profitable whoever the owner.
Realizing that it may not succeed, nevertheless, the 45 or so
employees who attended Saturday night’s meeting decided that an
ESOP was worth exploring further. Seven employees, represent-
ing all of the departments, were selected to serve as the leaders of
the Buy-Out Association.
The first task will be to reach the other employees with the
ESOP information and to raise funds to conduct a pre-feasibility
study. Al Koski, JoCo economic development director, explained
several state funding possibilities he has found that could be used
to pay for the study. The most promising - a $25,000 grant from
Oregon Economic Community Development Dept. (OECDD)
would require a $6,250 match.
Whatever the solution, I think the whole community is hoping
that Rough & Ready and the jobs it represents will remain. Com-
missioner Haugen attended Saturday’s meeting to stay abreast of
events and to show his support for R&R employees. Now is the
time for all of us to come together to help support other valley
residents.
Federal Contracting Training set for February 4
The CRT has invited Bill Duke program coordinator of the
Lake County Resource Initiative to share his experience with fed-
eral contracting on Saturday Feb. 8.
Duke retired after 30 years with the USFS and knows the sys-
tem well. Because of the complexity of bidding for and managing
Resource Advisory Council, BLM, USFS thinning and restoration
contracts, I thought it worthwhile to bring in someone who can
lead us through the maze.
The goals of the workshop will be to: Assess who is inter-
ested in pursuing federal contracts; explain procedures, licenses,
and other requirements; and discuss what structure would work
best to administer these contracts. For further details phone the
CRT office.
RAMCELL NOW AVAILABLE AT
DARN NEAR EVERYTHING
136 South Redwood Hwy. 592-5255
Current Ramcell customers
FREE upgrades, phones & promos!
Free phone with charger - Free activation
Affordable packages to suit you
No roaming charges - 10 states
The peace treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War in 1905 was
signed in Portsmouth, N.H. Although the United States was not in-
volved in this war, President Theodore Roosevelt arranged and negoti-
ated the peace treaty.
* * *
During winter, the relative humidity of the average home is only
13 percent, nearly twice as dry as the Sahara Desert.
* * *
There are two kinds of pounds - an apothecary pound, which
is 12 ounces, and a troy pound, which is 16 ounces.
* * *
When leeches, which are hermaphroditic, mate, the leech
assuming the male role attaches itself to the body of the female and
deposits a sac of sperm on her skin. The sac then produces a flesh-
deteriorating enzyme which eats a hole through the female's skin and
fertilizes the eggs inside her body.
Winter Hours
Tuesday - Sunday
11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
(Closed Monday)
Take-Outs: U-Bet!
Phone for an appointment NOW!
1-800-753-2940
For a Free Hearing Test
More than 30 years experience
Grants Pass Hearing Center
IN CAVE JUNCTION
DATE: Monday, Jan. 20
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
LOCATION: Select Market
OTHER HOURS BY APPOINTMENT
Neighbors
aid police in
river arrest
On Monday, Jan. 6, at
approximately 1:56 p.m., K9
Officer “Daum” helped the
Grants Pass Department of
Public Safety apprehend Jason
B. Garcia, 20 of Grants Pass
for parole violation/absconder.
According to GPDPS,
they had received information
that Garcia, who was known
to be wanted on a state-wide
felony warrant, was staying at
a residence in the 1400 block
of S.W. Bridge Street.
When officers arrived
there, Garcia jumped over the
backyard fence and ran. Area
residents updated officers on
Garcia’s path of escape.
A short while later,
“Daum” led deputies to the
banks of the Rogue River,
where Garcia was found in
some nearby bushes, accord-
ing to GPDPS.