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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, April 9, 2003
Grilley’s goals
include health
of watersheds
JAN MICHELS & ‘CHICA’
Unexpected career becomes dream job
I.V. resident still dedicated to law enforcement work after more than 20 years
By BRITT FAIRCHILD
Staff Writer
Truth be told, Jan
Michels never dreamed of a
career in law enforcement.
It just sort of happened.
“I kind of got roped into
it,” mused the senior parole
and probation officer on a re-
cent morning in her office at
the Josephine County Bldg. in
Downtown Cave Junction.
It was 1981, and her hus-
band, Lt. Larry Michels, was
then a deputy with the Jose-
phine County Sheriff’s Office.
Since her husband worked
alone without backup, his ser-
geant talked Michels into
training to work with him.
Her initiation into the
crime-fighting world was
swift and intense. On her first
night of duty as a county re-
serve patrol officer, she was
with her husband when he
found the body of Glen How-
ard Ford, the 64-year-old care-
taker of Store Gulch Camp-
ground, murdered by two tran-
sients.
A head-on collision in
which five passengers in two
vehicles died, and a felony
takedown followed in the next
few days.
After that, “You could say
I was hooked,” Michels said.
During her more than 20
years with the sheriff’s office,
Michels has worked in several
areas of the department.
After eight years as a re-
serve patrol officer -- during
four of which she was also
involved with Josephine
County Marijuana Eradication
Team -- Michels was stationed
full time in the county jail un-
til 1997, when she became a
parole and probation officer.
While she enjoyed the
other positions, she said it is
her current role that best suits
her.
She not only likes the mix
of responsibilities in the office
(talking with clients and pa-
perwork), and out in the field
(home visits, appearing with a
client in court), but the oppor-
tunity to help improve an indi-
vidual’s quality of life.
Her goal, she said, is to
help remove the barriers that
stand in the way of her clients’
successes so that they won’t
re-offend.
Recent cuts to county pro-
grams resulting from the fail-
ure of Measure 28, however,
have affected her ability to
help some of those clients
with mental health drug treat-
ment issues.
“Choices, (a drug and al-
cohol treatment program)
closing (in the valley) really
hurt me,” Michels said, noting
that now a number of her cli-
ents have to go to Grants Pass.
“Transportation is a big
issue,” she added.
Budget decreases in gen-
eral over the years have also
led to manpower changes in
the area.
Michels is the only proba-
tion and parole officer to live
and work in the valley. Her
caseload is 155 to 175 clients,
which includes all I.V. adult
cases except for those dealing
with sex offenses or domestic
violence, compared to the av-
erage of 90 to 100 for other
officers in the county.
“I see every person at
least once a month in my of-
fice,” she said.
Not one to be intimidated,
Michels has earned a reputa-
tion for being firm but fair.
“I can’t afford to lose my
credibility out here,” she said.
“You treat people like peo-
ple.”
But violators will be held
accountable, she added.
And for whatever reason,
Michels said that a couple of
weeks or so ago, she was with
a deputy at a residence, and
when the deputy introduced
her, the woman took her hand
and said, “You’re famous.”
However Michels’ work
wouldn’t be complete without
“Chica,” her long-haired Chi-
huahua sidekick of sorts.
“(When I got her at 5
weeks old) she fit in the palm
of my hand,” Michels said.
Not wanting to leave
“Chica” at home with her
Weimaraners, Michels
brought the puppy to work —
something she thought would
only last a few weeks.
That was 2 1/2 years
ago.
“She’s proven to be thera-
peutic,” Michels added, noting
that the dog goes with her to
all her home visits and is often
a good conversation
“icebreaker” with her clients.
Honored as the county
sheriff’s office 2002 Officer
of the Year, Michels said that
she has had too many suc-
cesses to feel discouraged
about the nature of her job.
Although, she said, she
sometimes asks herself, “How
did you get this job?
“It’s a cool job,” Michels
said. “I can’t imagine doing
anything else.”
Ginnie Grilley, new dep-
uty forest supervisor for the
Rogue River and Siskiyou
National Forests, began her
duties in March by meeting
with forest employees, com-
munity members, county offi-
cials, partners, and local con-
gressional staff to learn about
forest and community issues.
Grilley, a career U. S.
Forest Service employee with
nearly 20 years working on
Oregon national forests, had
been the deputy regional engi-
neer or the Pacific Northwest
Region in Portland. She also
served on the Willamette,
Siuslaw, and Mt. Hood Na-
tional Forests, and was the
acting deputy forest supervi-
sor on the Fremont-Winema
National Forest during the
2001 Klamath Basin crisis.
“I was introduced to a
variety of Rogue Valley re-
source issues during a Med-
ford Bureau of Land Manage-
ment assignment in the fall of
2002,” Grillery said, noting
that she plans to help lead the
forest on issues related to fire
recovery, facilities and roads
management, collaboration
with the BLM, and the imple-
mentation of critical environ-
mental analysis projects.
“I care passionately about
public lands, and my focus
will be on healthy watersheds
and healthy communities,”
Grilley added.
FUN & GAMES - Travis Wilson, 11, (left in top photo) and his
best friend, Nick Scalzo, 12, both of Selma were among par-
ticipants on Sunday, April 6, when DMZ Paintball held its first
games of the year in Kerby. In bottom photo, an unidentified
player holds his secured paintball marker while examining a
bucket used for target practice.
IVHS Activities Calendar
Brought to you by the folks at
592-3556
Cave Jct .
469-7545
Brookings/
Harbor
471-RIVR
THURSDAY, APRIL 10
*Blood drive– in gym
*Drama production– 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, APRIL 11
*Boys golf at
Dutcher Creek - noon
*JV Track at North Valley
3:30 p.m.
*Drama production - 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 12
*Girls softball at Phoenix
2 p.m. - doubleheader
*Boys baseball vs. Phoenix
here - noon - doubleheader
*Track at Glide - 10 a.m.
*Drama production - 7 p.m.
MONDAY, APRIL 14
*No classes
TUESDAY, APRIL 15
*Girls softball vs.
Henley - here - 4:30 p.m.
*Boys baseball at Henley
4:30 p.m.
*Track at Hidden Valley
3:30 p.m.
*Boys golf at Running ‘Y’
noon
*Girls golf at I.V.
noon
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16
*OSSOM meeting
*ROTC - port - lunch
*Site meeting at I.V.
3:30 p.m.
Riverside Physical
Full Rehabilitation Services:
•Physical Therapy
•Occupational Therapy
•Speech Therapy
TWO LOCATIONS
TO SERVE YOU
Cave Junction Office
218 N. Redwood Hwy.
(541) 592-6580
grants Pass Office
1619 N.W. Hawthorne Ave.
Suite 109
(541) 476-2502
•Mike Johnson, P.T.
•Jeff Wood, M.S., P.T.
Siskiyou Community Health Center
30th Year Anniversary
Open House
Siskiyou Community Health Center in Cave Junction is having
an Open House celebrating our 30th year and introducing
Lucinda Kolo, M.D.
Please come join us and meet Dr. Kolo, the staff, and some of
our board members. We look forward to seeing you.
Chain Link Specialist
SOFTBALL SWEEP - IVHS Cougar Kim Hamilton (above,
right) led the team to a 2-0, 10-1 victory against the Mazama
Vikings with 11 strikeouts and no walks during game one of
a doubleheader on Saturday, April 5 in Cave Junction. During
the first inning of the same game, the Cougars scored their
first two runs of the Skyline Conference opener. Meghan
Jackson (photo above) aided the team with a single to help
get the Cougars started.
(Photos by Sam Newton)
592-6192
We will have the latest information on our new clinic building
planned on the north end of town.
Date: April 11, 2003
Time: 4 to 7 p.m.
Location: 319 Caves Hwy.
Cave Junction, OR