Page 5
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, March 26, 2003
City council
(Continued from page 1)
cooperation.
Because of the dual effort,
it is likely that Cave Junction
eventually will realize both
projects, it was indicated.
Eight persons, all in favor
of the safe house project,
spoke during the public hear-
ing regarding the grant. Two
of them said that they were
survivors of domestic abuse,
and that they see a definite
need for such a facility.
Chris Mallette, executive
director of IVSHA, as well as
others who spoke, noted a
critical need for a safe house
in Illinois Valley. She ex-
plained that the valley has a
high percentage of women
seeking help for themselves
and their children because of
domestic abuse.
Mallette received assur-
ance from Mayor Ed Faircloth
that when the block grant
work on the current Ameri-
cans with Disabilities Act pro-
ject is completed, it will again
consider sponsorship of
IVSHA’s proposal. Faircloth
expressed certain reservations
linked to fiscal concerns, but
said he would be willing to
work with the group when the
time comes.
The mayor stressed that
sponsorship will not be an
automatic situation.
ADA work remaining in-
cludes a handicapped rest-
room at Jubilee Park, a ramp
for the council platform, and
other work at the park.
By completing the ADA
work, allowing the city to pos-
sibly take on another block
grant sponsorship, “everyone
wins,” noted Mallette.
“This allows both organi-
zations to expand services that
are vital to health and welfare
of the community,” she said.
“It also assures that even in
these tough economic times
that the economy of the area
will be bolstered with outside
funds.
“In the meantime,” said
Mallette, “IVSHA will con-
tinue to pursue the 15 percent
matching funds and to con-
tinue to build support for the
continuing operating expenses
of the advocacy program and
future safe house.”
In other matters, the coun-
cil:
*Voted 4-0 to recommend
approval of a liquor license
for Junction Inn to Oregon
Liquor Control Commission,
contingent on a “clean report”
from Josephine County Sher-
iff’s Office. Ray Jensen, one
of the applicants, said that the
lounge is being remodeled,
and that plans are to offer mu-
sic and dancing.
*Agreed 4-0 to waive a
$100 license fee for I.V. Fam-
ily Coalition, which is spon-
soring a fund-raising circus on
May 15 on a site between I.V.
High School and the coalition
building.
*Gave the go-ahead 4-0
for Phase II of expanding the
skate park in Jubilee Park.
Organizer Thom LeGay will
need to obtain an OK from the
county for the plans, and then
have the finished items in-
spected for safety. Additions
are to include a “Snake,” a
“Starter Ramp,” and a “Spine
Ramp.”
*Authorized I.V. Cham-
ber of Commerce to use the
Jubilee Park open-air theater
for its fifth annual Concerts in
the Park series, as long as they
don’t interfere with other or-
ganizations that already have
reserved the dates. The series
is to begin on June 28.
*Heard of a possible
housing development on 11
acres between Hanby Lane
and Shadowbrook Drive.
Plans have not been submit-
ted, but Gene Robertson and
PJW Properties are consider-
ing a two-phase effort with 24,
and 12 to 14 lots, respectively.
*Heard from City Re-
corder Jim Polk that “bulb-
outs” for pedestrian safety will
be installed sometime this
year on the west side of Red-
wood Hwy at Lister and Wat-
kins streets, and possibly
Palmer Street, depending on
funding. There eventually will
be no parking on the east side
of the highway, as part of
downtown revitalization.
County jobless rate declines
Josephine County’s unem-
ployment rate fell slightly in
December to 7 percent from
an upwardly revised 7.2 per-
cent in November, said Ore-
gon Employment Department.
The county’s rate stands
at more than two percentage
points lower than the rate
posted in December of 2002,
when it was 9.2 percent.
Total non-farm payroll
employment fell by 120 in
December, with losses in ser-
vices and construction em-
ployment accounting for the
decline.
During the past year, Jose-
phine County has added 260
payroll jobs. A large part of
the gain was in the food stores
component of retail trade.
Manufacturing employ-
ment fell by 30 over the
month, with losses of 20 in
lumber and wood products
and 10 in other durable goods.
With less reliance on
high-tech manufacturing than
areas in the northern part of
the state, Josephine County’s
manufacturing employment
has not been affected by the
recession to the degree that
other areas of the state have
experienced. Non-durable
goods employment increased
slightly over the year, adding
20 jobs.
Construction employment
fell by 60 during the month,
but employment in this sector
stands at 50 jobs above the
year ago figure. Retail trade
added 10 jobs over the month,
with a gain of 30 in eating and
drinking places offset by a
decrease of 20 in other retail
trade.
Over the year, trade em-
ployment has grown by 220
jobs in Josephine County. In
addition to the large increase
in food store employment,
there were also slight gains
noted in wholesale trade and
food service establishments.
Service employment fell by 30
over the month, with losses in
hotels and lodging places
along with private educational
and social services.
Over the past year, ser-
vices employment increased
by 60, with gains posted in
health services (+40) and in
“other” services (+20).
Government employment
fell by 10 over the month and
was little changed over the
past year, it was reported by
OED.
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I.V. Airport progress cited
with support group help
TURKEY LURKEY - This tom turkey, (fondly referred to as
‘Godzilla’) along with his harem, returns every year about
this time to the same area in the valley. He has the homeown-
ers totally intimidated, along with their dog.
Civil War buff brings life
to historical event; plans
CJ visit Friday, March 28
By BRITT FAIRCHILD
Staff Writer
Historian Clay Feeter
doesn’t just tell stories about
the Civil War: He helps bring
them to life.
The heroism. The victo-
ries and defeats. The soldiers
who survived and those who
died in combat.
Using an extensive com-
puter database of Civil War
archives -- which was recently
made available -- Feeter is
able to locate some basic facts
about a soldier including his
rank, whether he was
wounded or captured, and the
state he lived in at the time he
enlisted. Occasionally, even a
soldier’s wife’s name is
found.
For descendants of Civil
War soldiers such morsels
help connect past and present.
“People are literally filling
in the missing pieces in their
own home movies,” said
Feeter, who lives in Pistol
River and quit his job as fair-
grounds manager two years
ago to pursue researching full-
time.
He encouraged Illinois
Valley residents hungry for
information about their ances-
tors to visit him at the Book
Exchange on Friday, March
28 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
“It’s quite a neat event,”
Feeter said, describing an
“Antique Roadshow” sort of
feel.
While the computer
search provides the factual
foundation for Feeter’s work,
it his background knowledge
and understanding that helps
put the archival information
into historical -- and human --
context.
“I’ve always been into
history,” he said, noting a par-
ticular passion for the Civil
War -- a passion not lost on
his patrons.
Feeter said he often finds
himself surrounded by those
listening to the tales of strang-
ers.
Libraries seek
art entries from
young people
Area young artists can
help the Josephine County
libraries celebrate National
Library Week, April 6-12, by
designing a book cover for an
actual or imaginary book.
Children in preschool
through eighth-grade and
teen-agers 13-18 can enter.
Entry forms are available
at the Cave Junction Library.
Participants may submit
more than one entry, but all
must be on the official form.
Book covers will be displayed
at the library they are submit-
ted to. Deadline for submis-
sions is Friday, April 11.
“I’ve hit a real vein of
interest,” he said, noting that
there are a lot more Civil War
soldier descendants than most
people think; between 70-100
million people have ancestors
who fought in the nation’s
bloodiest war.
Some three million men
fought in the Confederate and
Union armies, he added.
Feeter said that he can
almost always find out infor-
mation about Union soldiers.
Research on confederate sol-
diers is a bit more difficult, as
good records were not as well-
maintained.
In helping others learn
more about their ancestors,
Feeter learned about his own
as well. Feeter’s great-great
grandfather on his mother’s
side was in the Illinois Regi-
ment and his great-great
grandfather on his father’s
side was in the New York
Regiment.
The searches themselves
are free. If an ancestor is
found Feeter makes available
a compiled Soldier Report
and Regimental History for
$30.
While not necessary,
Feeter encouraged people to
bring photos, diaries, geneal-
ogy books and any other heir-
looms to give Feeter more
details for the search.
People may also e-mail
Feeter the following informa-
tion prior to the event at Clay-
Feeter@aol.com: The first,
middle (if known) and last
name of an ancestor who may
have served in the Civil War,
ancestor’s birthdate and place
of birth (if known), soldier’s
wife’s name.
Feeter is also writing a
book, “Letters Home From the
Civil War,” which he said he
is on the lookout for soldiers’
diaries to be included.
This will be Feeter’s first
appearance in Cave Junction.
For more information
phone Book Exchange at 592-
3689.
By SAM NEWTON
Staff Writer
Representatives from the
Oregon Dept. of Aviation in-
spected Illinois Valley Airport
recently and said that they
were “extremely impressed”
with progress there.
Airport Manager Alex
Grossi advised the I.V. Air-
port Advisory Board of that
view during its meeting on
Thursday, March 20 in the
“Lions Den” building at the
airport.
Grossi welcomed valley
resident June Robinson, who
attended on behalf of Dr.
Clyde Calvin of Portland,
Ore., who has used facilities at
the airport in the past to house
botany students from Portland
State University (PSU).
Calvin, his wife, and the
students tour different areas
throughout the valley to study
the diverse botany of the area.
Robinson said that there
seemed to be a problem in that
Calvin had contacted Illinois
Valley Lions Club and re-
quested the use of its building,
the “Lions Den,” and been
told that the group couldn’t
use it.
Grossi asked when Calvin
and the students would want
to use the facility. Robinson
gave Grossi two different
weekend dates. Grossi stated
that they would look into let-
ting them use the restaurant
building at the airport.
Sharon Westcott of
Friends of the I.V. Airport
informed Robinson that if the
buildings at the airport were
not available she would make
her hangar available.
Westcott also stated that
the I.V. Airport group had
completed installation of the
roof on a information kiosk
for the airport and industrial
park.
“The directory itself isn’t
up yet; it is in the process of
being laminated,” said West-
cott. “The kiosk is a work in
progress, but it should be done
soon,” she said.
During the manager’s re-
port, Grossi said that the Illi-
nois Valley Community Re-
sponse Team had requested a
status report on the work be-
ing conducted at the airport,
funded by the visitor and tour-
ist enhancement grant money
(Continued on page 6)
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