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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (June 11, 2003)
CJ plans pool ownership, getting in swim of things IVHS ‘CLASS’ OF 2003 - With ‘Pomp and Circumstance,’ the Illinois Valley High School band directed by T. Lund gave a formal air to the 81-member graduating class of 2003 on the football field on Wednesday, June 4. Rebekah Carstensen raised her diploma in triumph as she left the platform, while (from left) Amber Ziegler, Chris Boatman, Pamela Charbon- neau and Jim Weaver, a member of the Three Rivers School District board, looked on. Talks included those by Salutato- rian Carly Tucker and Valedictorian Kyle Hoelzle. The key- note speaker was Wayne Dudley, who retired last year after a long teaching career. Janie Pope was guest speaker. Boatman, who was Associated Student Body president this year, served as master of ceremonies. A special memorial was presented by Ashley D’Arpino, Sara Miller, Tiphanie Pope, and Aleena Schlotzhaer. Others participating in- cluded principal Craig Beier, Brittany Robertson, Dillon Cavin, Oley Crocker, David Valenzuela, Erol Chandler, Enoch Lothamer, Vanessa Dean, Ziegler and Ivy Fink. Na- than Richards and Scott Warren sang ‘Drive,’ the class song. (Photo by Steve Fairchild). More photos on page 10. By BRITT FAIRCHILD Staff Writer The city of Cave Junction is accepting ownership of Illi- nois Valley Pool from Jose- phine County, Mayor Ed Faircloth told city councilmen during their Monday night, June 9 meeting in city hall. Referring to a letter he received from the county com- missioners, Faircloth said that they agreed to transfer pool control to the city and provide $20,000 for the first year of operation. It was anticipated that commissioners Harold Haugen, Jim Brock and Jim Riddle would sign the deed during their regular business meeting on Wednesday, June 11, according to Faircloth. As pool owner, the city will be responsible for mainte- nance of the land, as well as pool assets. Faircloth also noted the desire to have Grants Pass Family YMCA continue basic operation of the pool this sea- son under the agreement al- ready in place between the YMCA and the county, until another contract can be final- ized between the city, YMCA and pool committee. “The hope is that the YMCA will continue oversee- ing the pool this season,” said the mayor. Giving the final comments of the night, Faircloth said that he will send a letter to the YMCA stating this desire. Earlier during the meet- ing, discussion continued from the May 27 council session regarding the issue of building a duplex at 422 Addison Lane off S. Old Stage Road. Approval was granted 2-1 with the mayor and Council- man Tony Paulson in favor; Councilman Dan Fiske against. Councilmen Rita Dyer and Sandi Lund, who live on Addison, were among those protesting approval and removed themselves from their seats and did not vote. The council appeared un- sure why Hoyt Patton, whose construction application to build a duplex was approved following noted opposition during the May 27 council meeting, addressed the council (Continued on page 8) New digs making splash for exotic cats By STEVE FAIRCHILD Staff Writer SHINING STARS PEACE - One major highlight of the second annual Shining Stars Festival on the weekend of June 7-8 was the World Peace Flag Ceremony, featuring the 193 national flags of United Nations members. The ceremony was preceded by a children’s parade, with adults then joining for the special flag ceremony. With prayers for peace the flags each were pre- sented and a call for peace issued. Hundreds of people attended the festival at Mountain Meadows in rural Cave Junction. (Additional photos on pages 9,10 and 19.) Lovejoy Hospice gains $15,000 grant Lovejoy Hospice recently received a $15,000 grant from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation to enhance technical capacity and to develop community outreach. “The James F. and Marion L. Miller Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation gives Lovejoy Hospice the opportu- nity to provide an expanded program of hospice nursing, social services, spiritual care, and grief support,” said Chris- tina Snell, executive director. “These programs includ- ing educational presentations by professional Lovejoy staff members and trained volun- teers are now more available to the community. Lovejoy Hospice pro- grams provide holistic end of life care for people and their families in Josephine County, and parts of Jackson and Douglas counties. Lovejoy Hospice provides professional staff 24 hours a day to help keep dignity and personal choices while relieving physi- cal and emotional pain. Lovejoy Hospice also pro- vides support services to fami- lies as they care for loved ones and presents community edu- cation programs for health care professionals and the public. The Oregon Community Foundation, established in 1973, manages charitable funds donated by individuals, families, and businesses to enhance and support the qual- ity of life in their communi- ties. Today the foundation’s endowment consists of more than 800 funds with combined assets of $400 million. The foundation makes grants through an application process that involves local citizens in the review an evaluation of requests for funds. Application materials are available through the founda- tion’s Portland office. Phone (541) 773-8987 for more in- formation. With all respect to Marge Simpson, a beehive hairdo that stood 6 feet-6 inches in height is the tallest recorded hairdo in the world. As she climbed into a new enclosure with a large Barbary Lion, Bonnie Ringo said mat- ter-of-factly, “You can’t go anywhere and see this kind of interaction with cats.” Ringo, who owns Wild- wood Endangered Animal Sanctuary in Cave Junction with husband Robert Ringo, seemed right at home hugging “Gar,” a 750-pound male lion. The Barbary Lion — a species native to Africa that has been extinct in the wild since 1922 — is one of 25 rare and endangered cats housed at Wildwood that are now a little more comfortable in their new enclosures. The Ringos recently ex- panded the refuge, upgraded all the sanctuary’s enclosures, added 35 new trees and in- stalled an underground drip irrigation system. Enlarging almost a dozen cat enclosures from 14 feet by 16 feet to 15 feet by 20 feet cost $50,000. The installation took more than three weeks to complete, as each enclosure is made up of 400-pound panels of chain-link fencing. Private funding sources and grants helped the Ringos, who have been involved with exotic animals since the 1970s, improve the facility, Bonnie said. The renovations will help make the cats more comfort- able and accessible to the pub- lic. “We can’t afford a new roof,” Bonnie chuckled as she pointed to a tarp on her mobile home. “But we buy a big barn for our cats.” Wildwood is primarily a rescue and rehabilitation cen- ter, but is also a showplace for some of the rarest big cats in the world. Some examples of rare Snow leopard ‘Matius’ (Photo by Steve Fairchild) cats housed at the facility in- clude a golden tabby (one of 23 in the world), a solid white tiger, a blue-eyed standard tabby, a snow leopard, Asian leopards, cougars, panthers from Florida and more. Many of the cats have injuries from physical and mental abuse. Most have been saved from illegal owners that often house them in poor con- ditions. According to Bonnie, there are no re-introductory programs to release tigers back into their native habitats in India or Siberia. And all too often captive cats have ended up at game parks, where they are hunted or they are made into performance animals until their usefulness has been used up, she said. Wildwood, a nonprofit, federally funded facility, only places animals with private owners and similar rescue fa- cilities where they are not ex- ploited and are well taken care of. In the past eight years, Wildwood has placed 38 big cats in new homes. Cats that are not treated as agreed upon (Continued on page 9) FISH ON - David Pitman, 12, a student at Lorna Byrne Middle School displays his catch at the Kids’ Fishing Derby at Lake Selmac. (Photos by C.R. the P.R.) More photos on page 7.