Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 2003)
I.V. Medical Board open to changes By BRITT FAIRCHILD Staff Writer The Illinois Valley Medi- cal Center Board of Directors is looking for a few good men and women to take over the operation of its properties and funds. After more than 40 years of providing care to the people of the valley, the board says it’s time to find an organiza- tion with better financial re- sources to run the center, which houses the Siskiyou Community Health Clinic, dental offices and mental health services. “We need more help,” said Board President Al Lo- pez. In his second year on the board, Lopez cited a decrease in the number of board mem- bers -- there are nine currently doing the work of 12 -- as well as a rise in the regula- tions and restrictions for run- ning health-care facilities con- tributed to the board’s deci- sion. IVMC owns more than four acres of land on Caves Hwy. Besides the clinic, men- tal health services and dental offices there now, the board is also working on building a new dental complex and an assisted-living facility. “We understand we could have 40 (beds). There’s enough room for that many,” said board Secretary Dorothy Stohlman, who has been on the board for more than 20 years. A rough architectural drawing of the facility has been made, she added. Such a facility would greatly boost health-care ser- vices in the valley, Stohlman said. The closest facility is in Grants Pass. “We’re not really close to Grants Pass,” she said. But finding someone to fund and run the facility has proven tough so far, she said. To find out if the project is even feasible, the board is conducting a survey, which is to be mailed to members of the I.V. Senior Center some- time this month. The survey will also be available at other locations around town. There is no deadline to return the survey, although the sooner they have the informa- tion, the quicker they can move on with the project, Stohlman said. The board came up with the questions together, based on what they wanted to know about what residents would like to see. The survey includes ques- tions about interest in a having a facility, a timeline for mov- ing in, how many bedrooms are needed, if covered parking with storage is desired, if pre- pared meals, transportation services are needed, and how much could be paid in rent each month. Lopez wouldn’t disclose which local organizations the board was considering, but noted that the one it chooses would be strongly committed to the valley and continue the (Continued on page 8) Rough & Ready employees - Employee Stock Ownership Plan participants (Photo by Sam Newton) Rough & Ready employee stock plan proceeding Rally set Friday in effort to help save valley’s largest private employer/last sawmill in county By SAM NEWTON Staff Writer Things are looking up for the 90 or so Rough & Ready Lumber Co. employees in- volved in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which has been in the works since the announcement that the mill would close this spring. With donations from em- ployees, private citizens, area businesses and committed funds, the employees involved in the ESOP have successfully raised the $6,250 needed to finance both the pre-feasibility and feasibility studies. The employee-raised amount is a portion of a $25,000 state grant available to help fund the ESOP. The state will make up the differ- ence of $18,750. The money will be used to hire an ESOP attorney, trus- tee, financial adviser, stock appraiser and corporate attor- ney and cover other costs ac- crued in the process. The average cost of full completion of an ESOP is ap- proximately $40,000. Bob Webb, R&R em- ployee and one of the ESOP coordinators said that al- though all of the contributions are greatly appreciated, they don’t want to discourage fu- ture contributions. “There is considerable amount of costs still out there. We still have a long way to go. “A sawmill is very impor- tant to the management of for- estland, as you can see with what happened this last sum- mer due to mismanagement,’ he said. “We know there is enough second-growth timber with 24-inch diameter on existing roads to keep R&R going for 100 years,” Webb continued. Webb added that the em- ployees think it is “absurd that there is one billion board feet of timber over the hill just sitting there and the mill is shutting down do to a lack of timber.” “We never did get our Northwest Forest Plan timber that was promised to us by President Clinton,” Webb said. The growth of the forest has out-distanced any type of harvesting, leaving an excess of fiber accumulation that can- not be sustained without Mother Nature’s forces such as insect or disease and/or wildfire taking it’s toll, Webb explained. R&R employee Bob Wendover added, “We’ve been to the U.S. Forest Ser- vice (USFS) meetings and workshops, and the USFS declare that they want our opinions on what to do about the Biscuit Fire salvage log- ging, they then turn right around and say that it could take up to two years before any action is taken. “By then, a lot of the tim- ber will be ‘blue,’ rotten or bug-infested,” he said. Employees of Rough & Ready Lumber Co. and con- cerned citizens will hold a Biscuit Fire Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pro- test rally at the Illinois Valley Ranger District in Cave Junc- tion on Friday, Feb. 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The purpose of the rally is to focus attention on the Biscuit Fire EIS. The objec- tive of the EIS is to deter- mine the feasibility of sal- vage logging of 1.1 billion board feet of dead and dying timber left in the aftermath of the 500,000 acre Biscuit Fire. The planned EIS is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2003. For information: (541) 592-6004 or (541) 592-6550. I.V. Safe House to seek $600,000 grant Mayor Faircloth has reservations; matter on Feb. 24 agenda By SHARON SILVA Staff Writer The Illinois Valley Safe House Alliance has requested permission from the city of Cave Junction to apply for a $600,000 Community Devel- opment Block Grant to help fund its Safe House. Cave Junction City Coun- cil members heard portions of the letter, sent to Mayor Ed Faircloth last week, read dur- ing their Monday night Feb. 10 meeting in city hall. In the letter, IVSHA requested that the city place the Safe House building pro- ject in the top 10 priorities on its Needs and Issues List. The grant, from the Com- munity Public Facilities cate- gory, would be used by IVSHA to build a safe house for women and children who have been victims of domestic violence in the Illinois Valley. IVSHA representatives were not present Monday night, but are scheduled to come to the next city council meeting on Monday, Feb. 24. Regarding that meeting Faircloth said, “I have some questions I would like them to answer.” During the meeting, the council also discussed the Illi- nois Valley Little League’s request to use Jubilee Park for its summer season. Council member Rita Dyer suggested that the coun- cil contact the adult soft ball league, as it appears there is going to be a time conflict between little league and adult softball. In a 4-0 vote, the council also approved Resolution No. 622, which would give the city $500,000 from the state Dept. of Transportation to re- pair the north part of Caves Avenue, between E. River Street and E. Lister Street. Council member Sandi Lund was absent. It was also announced during the meeting that coun- cil members will be research- ing what an appropriate ser- vice fee would be for short- term utility usage. The rate for city water and sewage is now prorated by the day for the amount of time used by a homeowner or ten- ant. The problem for the city is that the amount it receives on a prorated basis for short- term use (3-4 days) doesn’t pay the administrative costs incurred while setting up the account, explained Jim Polk, city recorder. After an appropriate fee is agreed upon, there must be an ordinance hearing before the fee can go into effect. In other business, the council announced that the Cave Junction Planning Com- mission has three vacancies. The commission cannot meet until at least one more citizen is appointed to the commis- sion. To get an application for the planning commission, or for more information, phone 592-2156. Look for ‘Remember Your Valentine’ specials offered by area merchants on pages 7 & 8 PIRATES PILLAGE COUGARS - Illinois Valley Cougar boys varsity fought a good fight against the Phoenix Pirates in a close Skyline Conference game on Friday, Feb. 7 in Ken Mann Memorial Gym at I.V. High School. The Cougars lost 49-48 in overtime, a nail-biter for the home crowd. Chris Loock led the Cougars with 15 points. (Photo by Gary Bell)