I.V.’s Patrol
forming as
‘eyes, ears’
NOTICE: A general
meeting for those inter-
ested in the newly form-
ing Illinois Valley Citi-
zens Patrol will be held
on Monday, Sept. 22 at
6:30 p.m. in the Jose-
phine County Bldg. in
Downtown Cave Junc-
tion.
* * *
High visibility vs. in-
visibleness.
And lots of light cou-
pled with attentive eyes
and ears during hours of
darkness.
Those were among
tips, based on years of ex-
perience, from two men
involved in citizens patrol
programs in Illinois Valley
and Grants Pass. They
spoke to approximately 20
valley citizens interested in
possibilities of restarting
I.V. Citizens Patrol (IVCP)
during an evening meeting
on Thursday, Sept. 11 in
the Josephine County
Bldg. in Downtown Cave
Junction.
In addition, county
sheriff’s office Lt. Lee
Harman spoke to the group
about help that could be
provided. Harman, officer-
in-charge of the I.V. Sub-
station, outlined past ef-
forts and indicated that
extra eyes and ears would
be welcome, while noting
that regular officers would
want IVCP to avoid con-
frontations or trying to in-
volve itself in inappropri-
ate areas.
The meeting was
called by two downtown
merchants because of a
recent spate of incidents
including burglaries and
vandalism. The gathering
began with a minute of
silence in memory of the
terrorist attack on the
United States two years
ago on the same date.
Following presenta-
tions and questions-and-
answers, the civilians pre-
sent elected a five-member
board. In the interest of
anonymity to avoid possi-
ble retaliation their names
will not be provided. Offi-
cers are chairman, vice
c h ai r man , s ec r et ary-
treasurer (two persons will
share this position), and
member-at-large. And Har-
man will serve as adviser.
Bill Davis, who was
president of IVCP after its
formation in 1996 due to
concerns about downtown
crime, said that, “We were
eyes and ears. We made no
arrests, but we gathered
information about suspi-
cious vehicles and persons,
and had that information
available for deputies.” He
said that members of the
group, which disbanded
approximately seven years
ago, coordinated their ef-
forts with those of patrol
deputies.
Davis said that equip-
ment carried by those on
patrol included powerful
flashlights or spotlights,
(Continued on page 5)
Fireworks
may be off
limits in I.V.
Fire district will vote
on ruling in October
ART AROUND TOWN -- David T. Nwell with his wife,
Sandy Nwell, shows off his handmade beggar’s lute at
Blue Moon Books (top photo). Deborah Dawson offers art
classes at her new studio in the former Illinois Valley
High School Alternative Center (photo left). And patrons
grab some food catered by Kate Dwyer at the grand open-
ing of Rising Suns.
(Photos by Steve and Britt Fairchild)
Fuel additive may be provide the smog solution
By STEVE FAIRCHILD
Staff Writer
Dr. Bob Kurko, presi-
dent of the Fuel Science
Institute of Cave Junction,
may hold in his hands the
able, renewable and sus-
tainable fuel catalyst that
he said makes fossil fuels
burn ultra clean and in-
creases fuel economy 20
percent.
Dr. Bob Kurko
key to solving our depend-
ence on foreign oil -- or at
least he’ll make sure our
cars run better.
That is if he can over-
come the preconception
that some leaders in the
petroleum industry think
his product is too good to
be true.
Kurko, 59, is the mar-
keting muscle behind
“MachTane” a biodegrad-
Kurko, a pastor at First
Love Church and president
of the Great Commission
Institute and Bible College
in Cave Junction, is confi-
dent that the fuel catalyst is
the answer to eliminating
smog and acid rain, and
producing cleaner air.
Several trials have
been conducted around the
country on vehicles to test
the product for smog re-
duction, an increase in
mileage, and lowered
emissions. This included
tests by the U.S. Army,
Monmouth County for
public buses, Dallas Fort
Worth’s airport buses, and
the Illinois Valley Rural
Fire Protection District.
Results of the tests
have been universally posi-
tive, he said. They include
findings that gas mileage
increased in some city
buses using the product
from 4.6 mpg to 12.1 mpg;
and there were reductions
of 66 percent of carbon
monoxide emissions at
high rpm and 33 percent at
lower rpm in cars using the
additive.
Although dozens of
products on the market
claim similar reductions in
smog and increased fuel
efficiency, Kruko said they
lack the proper ingredients
to work.
“All their products use
petroleum distillates,”
Kurko said. “They’re not
doing anything different
that is not part of the regu-
lar fuel. Our product is
made from biomass like
beets and wood; it has
nothing to do with petro-
leum.”
The main ingredients
in the product is ethanol
and isopropyl alcohol, but
it’s the way the fuel cata-
lyst’s creator Stan Shaw, a
part-time resident of Cave
Junction, has refined the
product that makes it burn
fuel so well, Kurko said.
Joe Malcolm, the
owner of Kar Kare, an
automotive repair shop in
Cave Junction, said he is a
believer in the fuel cata-
lyst.
Malcolm said he has
several repeat customers
buying the product at $20
per quart.
He said that a mo-
torhome he tried the prod-
uct on showed an increase
of mileage from 42 to 58
mpg. An old truck he used
it on improved from nine
to 14 mpg.
His crew also ran the
MachTane through an old
lawn mower. Afterward
they took it apart and con-
cluded that the additive
made the lawn mower
“like new” by removing
much of the carbon
buildup in the engine.
More recently Mal-
colm has been adding it to
the engine of his motorcy-
cle, but he hasn’t found the
best mix of fuel and addi-
(Continued on page 7)
By BRITT FAIRCHILD
Staff Writer
Action on an ordi-
nance that would ban the
sale or use of fireworks in
the valley was not taken by
the Illinois Valley Fire
District (IVFD) directors
during their regular meet-
ing on Thursday night,
Sept. 11 in Cave Junction
City Hall.
Instead, d irectors
heard a final reading of the
proposed regulation, and
President Joel Downing
noted that the board would
vote on it during the Oct.
16 meeting, after it appears
as a legal notice in the
newspaper.
If adopted, the ordi-
nance would prohibit all
fireworks in the district,
which, according to Fire
Marshal Jerry Schaeffer,
extends from Hay’s Hill to
the California border.
That means that the
fireworks stands used by
area groups for fund-
raising purposes would
also not be allowed.
Clubs, organizations or
individuals certified as
pyrotechnic specialists,
could, however, be permit-
ted to present a public fire-
works show as long as they
have proof of financial
responsibility in case of
damages or injuries.
“What I’m hoping is
we get cooperation from
the general public,”
Schaeffer said Tuesday,
adding that some re-
education of the dangers
of fireworks will be
needed.
“It just doesn’t make
sense to put our commu-
nity at risk” by having
$30,000-$40,000 worth of
fireworks exploding during
fire season.
So far, Schaeffer, who
attended the IVFD meet-
ing, said he has received a
lot of support and encour-
agement from those in the
valley for the ordinance.
Even a couple of fireworks
stand vendors have ex-
pressed that they under-
stand the reason for the
ban, he added.
Those caught selling
or using fireworks once the
ban is enacted will have
their materials confiscated
and destroyed and be
charged with a misde-
meanor crime, according
to Schaeffer.
Schaeffer also noted
that Ashland and the city
of Grants Pass already
have similar laws, he said.
Acting Fire Chief Jeff
Gavlik told the board that
one aspect to consider is
the possibility of additional
cost to the district if extra
runs are made to stop the
use or sale of fireworks.
Schaeffer said Tuesday
he didn’t think there would
be a significant number of
additional illegal fireworks
calls, “unless there’s some-
one who wants to make an
issue of it.”