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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 2003)
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, April 16, 2003 (WARNING: The following column, under the Federal Boring Stuff Law, has been determined to rate “Boring 6” on a scale of 1-10. Therefore, easily bored readers should avoid the following.) Way back in the Olden Days and Once Upon a Time during That Time, a certain young man, not even wet behind his ears, got a job working in a warehouse filled with candy, cigarettes, canned soup and other such stuff. The warehouse was used to fill the individual storerooms of route men, who stuffed such products into a variety of vending machines. When the particular young man we’re talking about ar- rived on the scene, the warehouse was run by a Spanish- speaking man, who took great delight in making outrageous statements to certain women. These fine examples of wom- anhood often had to enter the cave-like environs of the warehouse to deliver and pick up various sheaves of paper- work. The warehouseman would comment about their physical features, often bordering on the lewd, but he never looked rude or crude. He just smiled sweetly at the women, who, not speaking Spanish, would smile back and be on their way, never realizing that this guy was perhaps a bit over the edge. He finally left the job, perhaps to open a drug-smuggling business or a movie arcade frequented by vice cops. Any- way, he was replaced by a hot rod-driving man in his early 20s, who had blond hair worn in a flat top with a ducktail. He was a pretty cool guy, but conceited for some reason. After not too long a time, Mr. Ducktail was able to be- come a route man, mostly because the pay was better, and because he became weary of moving about heavy pallets of boxed products and then transferring the individual boxes into the route men’s storerooms as per their written orders. Meanwhile, the certain young man mentioned earlier was keeping his eyes open. Also his ears, which he hoped would get wet eventually in their rear, thereby marking him as a man of maturity. The next warehouseman was in his mid-40s or so, and a military veteran, having served during World War II as a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) man. He was feisty. He also was short and had some sort of inferiority complex. But he was a hard worker, having run his own business in the East after the war, and he took a liking to the certain young man. He told the latter a lot about life in general, with some specifics that might better have gone unsaid, as some of what he passed on caused the early wetness behind the young man’s ears to sizzle. But Charlie, as we’ll call him, was a funny guy, always ready with a wisecrack; and he had a good heart. He and the young man got along well, sharing such adventures as what to do when you drop four 1-gallon glass containers of sim- ple syrup onto an inclined concrete floor; what to do when you find a large bag full of dimes that no one else knows about; and how to take care of each job as though you owned the place. And keep that attitude in mind all the time, so that no one gets away with giving you any static, even if they weigh 265, stand 6 feet 4 inches; and, as they say in Texas, “needed killin’.” Besides moving boxes of candy and stuff around, we also had to run the cigarette cartons through a machine for inking on the cigarette tax stamp. What with samples, spills and spoils, and the largesse of various sales representatives, Charlie was never without smokes, and I … I mean, that certain young man … had all the candy and crackers he could choke down. It was a good time, even with the hard work. And I … I mean, that certain young man, still wonders whatever happened to ol’ Charlie, and whether he’s still chucking boxes, or if he wiped himself out smoking all those free cigarettes. Maybe someday he’ll find out. 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 66, No. 4 DEADLINES: News, Classified & Display Ads, Announcements & Letters 3 P.M. FRIDAY (Classified ads & uncomplicated display ads can 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 ‘Record season’ From Kevin O’Brien Cave Junction Current events are under- standably tending to draw in- terest and attention outside of our communities here in the valley. I would like to express the deep sense of appreciation I feel toward everyone in- volved in the riparian tree planting program, and this year’s tree planting day. The tradition of success that began more than 10 years ago rose to new heights this season due to the level of commitment ex- hibited in protecting and im- proving our riparian areas. I’ve had the privilege of being involved with success- ful natural resources programs in other regions of our coun- try, but none of them hold a candle to the deep sense of shared value this area has for this program. I count it a great privilege to work with you in making this program happen. I’m already looking for- ward to next season. ‘Pool funding’ From Lynne Vanderlen- den Cave Junction Rita Dyer’s efforts to ob- tain funding for the pool have rekindled an old flame in my heart. Several years ago, I had a neck operation and my sur- geon suggested post operative water therapy classes at the Grants Pass YMCA. My classes included folks recuper- ating from heart attacks, knee replacements, back surgery and even those with Parkin- son’s Disease. I know several were there just for the social/ mental wellness aspect. I became such an advo- cate, that I engaged in a one- man-band campaign here in the valley to get our pool cov- ered for year-round use, and even adding a second floor for weight training, aerobics, ex- ercise machines and the like. Our pool has the same dimensions and basic architec- ture as the Grants Pass pool, and would lend itself well to its supplication. I feel a plastic bubble cover to extend our pool’s use for a month or so is shortsighted and more of a Band-Aid than a permanent solution. While everyone supported this idea, I finally came to the realization that enthusiasm, fund-raisers and donations get you nowhere. Grant money is where it’s at. I even took a course in grant writing and it didn’t take long to realize it was too deep for me! I did learn that grants are much like scholarships - all the money you need does- n’t necessarily have to come from one source. The upside is, we have many knowledge- able and experienced grant writers right here in the valley. Here are some resources to ponder 1) Retirees with the time and expertise in the grant writing field who would be willing to help. 2) Our popula- tion is gearing itself toward seniors. Can AARP be con- tacted about ideas for fund- ing? 3) Can our high school or RCC obtain scholastic funding for a swim team (PE credits)? 4) A year-round pool and ex- ercise training facility could be a big business (e.g., Gold’s Gym). The IVCRT is doing seasonal business at the Ore- gon Caves. Why not a year- round business employing and serving many? There’s a lot of money to be made from class fees. 5) Head Start and the Boys & Girls Club get fund- ing from somewhere. Where, and what else is available for our youngsters? 6) We have four major financial institu- tions here that should be more than willing to kick in a small percentage of their profits. After all, we provide those profits. 7) We are an Eco- nomic Enterprise Zone (poor and down-trodden), surely there’s something in that des- ignation to help keep our kids off the streets and positively focused while their parents either look for work or hold down jobs, praying their latch- key children aren’t submitting to the wrong kinds of peer pressure in their absence. 8) The medical community knows what health-related grants are out there. Physical therapy and mental well-being are just a start. Many of our residents have no transporta- tion to the Grants Pass YMCA. 9) The Siskiyou Re- gional Education Project has many members and a staff with expertise in grant writ- ing. As they feel eco-tourism is the wave of our future, here’s a chance for them to do something constructive for the entire community. What better place to shower, work out the kinks in the pool and just relax after hiking through our edu- cational burn? From children to seniors, to recreationalists, tourists and the health-minded, we have the clientele and the responsi- bility to support a year-round, heated pool. RAIN WRECK - No injuries were reported in a single-vehicle crash on Redwood Hwy. at the north end of Cave Junction, near Wild River Brewing & Pizza Co., on Friday afternoon, April 11. It appeared that a slick roadway, because of rain, might have contributed to the accident. Josephine County Sheriff’s Office deputies and American Medical Response medics responded to the accident, off the Redwood Hwy. lane for northbound traffic. 5 Star Mobile PC Service Free Pickup & Delivery!* No Fix/No Charge! Senior & New Customer Discounts! Member of Grants Pass/Josephine County Chamber of Commerce 541-956-9688 Grants Pass, OR *in Josephine County MANSFIELD R. CLEARY Attorney at Law ‘Sound familiar’ From Charles Jacobs Selma This Korean veteran is constantly amazed by the number of people who write to the paper criticizing people like me who oppose the war with Iraq. They believe that we do not love our country or that we are unpatriotic. Nothing is further from the truth. We simply do not want our young women and men killed, nor do we want to see Iraqis killed whose only sin is having been born in Iraq. According to UNICEF, there were some 500,000 Iraqi children who lost their lives as a consequence of the last Gulf War. Here is a formula that was used by the Third Reich. See General Practice in Illinois Valley since 1980 Practice includes but not limited to: Bankruptcy - Eliminate financial problems Living trusts - Avoid probate Estate planning - Wills, power of attorney Domestic relations Auto accident - Personal Injury Criminal - DUII Real Estate contracts - Foreclosure 592-2195 200 W. Lister (Continued on page 3) Spring Recycle Round-Up (Can Slam) Saturday, April 26 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. I.V. Visitor Center * TIN CANS & ALUMINUM: Labels ok * NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES * CARDBOARD & PAPERBOARD Cereal-type boxes, fiber egg cartons, shoe boxes 6 or 12 pack cartons, cardboard tubes RECYCLE Staff: Cindy Newton, Britt Fairchild, Chris Robertson, Sharon Silva & Becky Loudon Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association (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.) * * * RECYCLE Page 2 Remove waxed or foil-lining, etc… *PLASTIC BOTTLES #’s 1-7: Neck smaller than base. NO tubs, NO lids, NO motor oil or anti-freeze containers. NO buckets, NO furniture *MIXED WASTE PAPER: Junk mail, scrap paper, paper bags, paperback books & phone books Rinse out all food & soap containers. SORRY! NO glass this time - (Take to Kerby Transfer Station)
