Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 6, 2003
Page 10
Growing crime ring annoys CJ merchants
(Continued from page 1)
Mike White
Lifeguard at Cave
Junction Pool
Age: 20
Lived in valley:
10 years
Junior at Western Oregon
University, Monmouth
How has pool attendance
been this summer?
There’s not as many people
as last year. It’s been quite
low. I’m surprised to see there are not as many kids here as
last year especially with the hot weather.
Have you had to make any pool rescues this year?
I had to do a few. Nothing major. A few kids were afraid to
swim. I’m usually very astute and can see all the kids. It’s an
easy job, but it’s not for everybody. You need a good eye.
What does your job entail that most people don’t know
about?
Our job doesn’t end until we cover up the pool. We scrub the
toilets everyday and get everything shipshape for the next day.
Are there any big swimming events this summer?
We have a calendar here where we post everything. We have
a few parties. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will have a
pool party, and the Cub Scouts are coming up. But there are
no competitions this year. There’s no swim team.
How long have you been a lifeguard and how did you get
into it?
Two years here. I’ve always been a swimmer at heart. I
needed a job to pay for college and I’m a lifeguard at college.
Did you swim competitively?
There was no swim club here in high school. That’s the unfor-
tunate thing about outdoor pools, you can’t have winter swim
club like other schools. I joined a swim club in college and
that helped with my lifeguard skills.
How do you keep yourself alert on the job?
I count the number of kids in the pool and do a scan. I talk to
myself and look at the kids and think if any of them need at-
tention. I look for signs. It keeps me going and keeps me on
the edge. I also like to talk to the kids and keep a dialogue
going. It helps.
What do you like best about the job?
I love the kids. During my breaks I talk to the kids and min-
gle. It’s a really good job for that, especially if you want to
know how the community is doing.
If you weren’t a lifeguard, what would you be doing?
I would probably be working in the U.S. Forest Service like
my brother. He has a great job as a firefighter.
What do you like about living in I.V.?
I enjoy coming back and seeing new faces. I like the small
town atmosphere. It is much different than the big cities like
Salem and Portland.
What do you do when you’re not at the pool?
I have another job at Taylor’s Sausage. I go to school at
Rogue Community College and I enjoy running at the Caves.
That’s how I keep in shape.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Actually, I would have to say ‘very berry strawberry.’ I just
had it at Baskin Robbins and it’s good.
— Interview by Steve Fairchild
This book presented by
Senior Library Specialist
Jennifer Berubee and is
available at the I.V. Library.
Phone 592-3581
for more information.
(Public service announcement)
‘Good Night, Sleep Tight, Little Bunnies’
Author/Illustrator: Dawn Apperley
Ages: 2 to 5
Bedtime story, talks about what animals
do before going to bed.
The ‘Spirit of St. Louis,’ made famous
by Charles Lindbergh, was built at
Ryan Aeronautical Co. in San Diego
adjacent to what is now San Diego
International/Lindbergh Field.
pects were able to disarm
the alarm system and even
take it after they left the
business.
“Even though they
might be young, they are
led by somebody intelli-
gent,” Talley said. “They
totally know what they are
doing. In my opinion they
sent somebody in with a
list.”
Talley offered a re-
ward to find more infor-
mation about the burglaries
and quickly received sev-
eral names of those in-
volved. She even has con-
fronted some of them.
“I know who it is,” she
said. “I’ve been holding
down the little punks. I
would like our police de-
partment to be a little more
involved in the commu-
nity.”
She is concerned about
not enough police protec-
tion between 5 p.m. and 6
a.m.
Talley also said that
the business owners don’t
communicate with each
other about the break-ins.
She said it’s time for the
mayor, city council and the
I.V. Community Response
Team to get involved.
“I love this town,” she
said. “I want to protect it.”
“They’re (the thieves)
are young,” she added.
“We’re talking about a
bunch of spun-out little
cranksters.”
Some business owners
have noted that their alarm
systems sounded, but that
no one phoned 911 even
though they heard the
alarms.
“That’s pretty sad,”
said one business owner.
“People need to be aware
of what they’re hearing,
and not hesitate to phone
for help.”
Donna Pernicka of
Puff ‘N’ Stuff is another
business owner who has
had enough. She has an-
nounced that a meeting
will be held for Cave Junc-
tion business owners on
Friday, Aug. 8 at Jubilee
Park Pavilion at 7 p.m. to
discuss what to do about
the problem.
Puff ‘N ‘Stuff was re-
ported burglarized on May
7. Stolen merchandise and
damage to the business
totaled $14,000, Pernicka
said.
She doesn’t like the
idea of vigilantism, but
would like business own-
ers to take turns patrolling
the streets. A volunteer
citizens patrol was used to
good effect several years
ago when budget cuts deci-
mated the sheriff’s office.
“I’m not rich,” said
Pernicka. “I can’t hire a
private security guard.”
Chris Coultas, co-
owner of CJ Radio Shack
& Video Mart, has been
sleeping at her business
with her dog in hopes of
deterring thieves.
“I can’t afford to come
here in the morning and
find everything gone,” she
said.
Her business was bur-
glarized on May 1 and
June 2. The thefts cost her
more than $3,000 in lost
merchandise and damage.
Thieves used VCRs to
break through glass dis-
plays and steal her mer-
chandise.
One of the break-ins
occurred at 9:30 p.m.
“It’s pretty pathetic
that on the main strip of
town at 9:30 p.m. people
can break my front win-
dow and fill a bag,” she
said.
Coultas also did some
of her own police work.
She discovered empty
boxes from stolen mer-
chandise at Jubilee Park
after receiving a tip. She
then went and took pho-
tos of some people hang-
ing out at the park whom
she thought were in-
volved.
She said it doesn’t
deter thieves to place
bars on windows because
her back door has been
broken through three
times, and thieves have
even tried to use sledge-
hammers to get through
the walls.
“I’m doing my best
to make it look like
we’re not in East L.A.,”
she said.
Pernicka is also con-
cerned about keeping
downtown looking good
for customers.
“Who is going to
stop in a town with busi-
nesses with bars on the
doors and windows,” she
said. “The next thing you
know we will have to
move our businesses to
Grants Pass or Medford.
“Cave Junction will
be a ghost town.”
Sheriff Dave Daniel
said his force is aware of
the crimes and follows
up on all the leads they
receive. It takes time to
catch the thieves because
they have to follow the
laws of search-and-
seizure, and need prob-
able cause to make ar-
rests, Daniel said.
“Our officers cer-
tainly do the follow-up,”
he said. “There is a good
chance it is the same
people doing these
crimes.”
Daniel said he will
work with Lt. Lee
Harmon, the officer in
charge of the I.V. Substa-
tion, to try to find some
solutions for the valley
businesses, like a
Neighborhood Watch pro-
gram or business associa-
tion that could hire extra
security.
Coultas, who has
owned her Radio Shack
business since 1995, said
some business owners got
together to hire a security
company, but that it didn’t
work due to problems.
Now, she is concerned
that if something isn’t
done soon someone may
be injured.
“Somebody,” she said,
“is going to get hurt,
whether it’s somebody
(like me) sleeping on the
floor (of a business) or
somebody coming through
the door.”
Daniel said he under-
stands the frustration busi-
ness owners are feeling
about the crimes.
“I don’t blame them,”
he said. “It’s unfortunate.
If we catch them we will
certainly prosecute them.”
He said it all boils
down to resources. The
city of CJ contracts out for
one 40-hour-a-week patrol
position. But he said there
are 168 hours in a week
that need to be covered.
“That’s the problem,”
said the sheriff.
I would like to thank the CRT staff,
board directors, and CRT general
members for all their kindness
towards me and their generous
donation for my family in our time
of need. Thank you so much!
I would also like to thank
all the other individuals for their
generosity as well. I used part of the
money to get my car fixed, which
makes it a lot easier getting back and
forth to the hospital.
The rest I am leaving at
Evergreen Federal Bank in the hope
that it will continue to grow for my
children’s sake in case my
health gets worse.
Sincerely, Edith Haney
Attend the Blackberry Festival this
weekend in Downtown Cave Junction.
Organizers said they will have several
locations providing free cold water.
Many food, merchandise and arts &
crafts booths will be part of the event.
Terri & Lisa welcome Debi to
Northwest Hairlines
223 N. Redwood Hwy., 592-3123
August Special:
Tuesdays & Wednesdays
Haircuts - $8