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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Our days are still a daze, running together like a
couple of rainbow Popsicles on a hot sidewalk.
Some out there have “complained” that they don’t
particularly enjoy my columns about our pets. Too
bad because here’s another; actually a continuation of
last week’s effort.
As some might recall, we got home from our vet-
erinarian’s after taking in two of our three house cats.
They’re called house cats because they are sure that
the house is theirs, and only allow us to stick around
for keeping the food and water bowls full; and the lit-
ter box less than full.
So we arrived home immediately after our carpets
had been cleaned. And either “Maui” or “Gracie”
went to the bank (made a deposit) in one room,
thereby rendering the freshly cleaned carpet less than
clean. However, it cleaned up well.
At the vet’s, “Gracie” had caused such a commo-
tion with her biting, scratching and generally grouchy
personality that she had Jan and me, and the vet and
his assistant, cowering in fear. Not really, but we were
extremely cautious in “treating” her, as none of us
own bandage company stock.
Couple days later, “Bubba” the 13-pound
Uniquely Siamese Cat, notified us that he had a blad-
der infection. Won’t tell you exactly how he delivered
this message, but take my word for it: We could tell.
Back to the vet we go. Turned out that “Bubba”
had accumulated a lot of bacteria for some reason,
and so we’re giving him medicine. It’s a two-person
job. I hold him, and Jan squirts the stuff into his
toothy cat mouth. He doesn’t like it.
A friend of ours, who almost became “Bubba’s”
mother when he was still a kitten, made a heartfelt
observation. “It’s a good thing you kept him,” she
said, “because my budget can’t afford his ail-
ments.” (He has some sort of autoimmune condition
because other, occasional bouts of weird cat stuff.)
Oh, and when we were leaving the animal doc’s
place with “Bubba,” the assistant who had helped
with grouchy “Gracie” earlier, looked at us with wide
eyes and asked with a slight tremor in her voice, “You
didn’t bring ‘Gracie’ in did you?” She was relieved to
learn that we had left her home.
Cats might have nine lives, but it’s their human
moms and dads who pay the medical bills for pro-
longing their lives.
Sorry to let the cat out of the bag.
WORD OF THE WEEK
Recto: A right-hand page of an open book or
manuscript; the front of a leaf (opposed to
verso). On the right-hand (leaf or page).
Webster’s College Dictionary
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. 26
Staff: Cindy Newton, Britt Fairchild,
Chris Robertson, Steve Fairchild & Becky Loudon
Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
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‘Stadium
comed’
wel-
From Anna Hurt
Cave Junction
I am writing in regards
to B.C. Marston’s
“Sensory overload” letter.
Our once small town is
on a continual growth
spurt. Man y, ma n y
changes are happening in
and around town. It gives
us all something to talk,
complain, and sometimes
whine about.
I was born and raised
in Illinois Valley and obvi-
ously just love it here. The
people are friendly -- many
are moving in and bringing
new ideas and talents.
The then new I.V.
High School was finished
in the middle of my fresh-
man year. At the time we
shared the Lorna Byrne
Middle School track and
football field.
So now for IVHS to
get its own stadium and
track -- how exciting. It’s
long overdue; I graduated
in 1980.
So give credit to our
kids of all ages on our new
growth in education. Be
positive Marston -- allow
the young adults to have
sports in an area they will
be proud of.
I know it is a hassle to
move, but after all, you are
renting and not bound.
Don’t jump to conclu-
sions on us “knowing how
high schoolers are.” I
know how people are, es-
pecially ones that move
here not expecting any
noise.
As long as more peo-
ple move in there will be
growth. As long as there
are children, there will be
needs. As long as there are
people, there will be noise.
We are all entitled to
our own opinion -- so be-
ing no one actually as-
saulted you -- you assault
yourself by allowing your
jaw dropping in what you
see and hear to be nega-
tive. Good luck IVHS in
events on your new track.
‘Puppet president’
From Lou Chauvin
Cave Junction
President George Bush
“the speech reader” per-
formed poorly on Sunday
night, Sept. 7. He was just
a bit too obviously a pup-
pet, mouthing words that,
unfortunately, merely
fogged reality.
For starters, there are
real wars (World War II,
our invasion of Vietnam,
our invasion of Iraq, the
Civil War) and there are
metaphorical “wars” ( the
“war” on cancer, the “war”
on drugs). For Bush to
confuse the “war” on ter-
rorism with our illegal,
poorly planned invasion of
the sovereign nation of
Iraq is cynical propaganda
at its worst.
We have not been pro-
vided with a single, factu-
ally supported justification
for Bush’s war in Iraq. For
him to mix the tragedy of
Sept. 11, 2001 with events
in Iraq is insulting.
Everyone should know
by now that there was ab-
solutely no traffic between
Osama bin Laden and Sad-
dam Hussein; that Iraq
possessed no weapons of
mass destruction -- chemi-
cal, biological or nuclear --
and that there is absolutely
no connection between
Iraq and the destruction of
the World Trade Center.
Our soldiers are dying and
the administration is lying
again.
Our presence in Iraq is
unrelated to the twin tow-
ers of 9/11. For Bush “the
swaggerer” to go before
the nation and say that our
escapade in Iraq is a war
on terrorism is just flat
wrong.
Not surprisingly, many
in Iraq see the U.S. occu-
pation force as a kind of
terrorism. And their occa-
sional and violent response
is seen as terrorism.
Who’s the terrorist is
kind of relative. If being a
Palestinian suicide bomber
at a bus stop, killing inno-
cents, is terrorism, then
maybe Israel sending mis-
siles and (U.S. made)
black hawk helicopters
into civilian apartments,
killing innocents, is terror-
ism also.
GOOD EFFORT - Illinois Valley High School’s varsity
volleyball team had its hands full with North Valley on
Thursday night, Sept. 11 at IVHS gym. The Knights
beat the Cougars in four games, 25-16, 23-25, 25-13,
25-14. The Cougars played Lakeview on Tuesday,
Sept. 16, and will head to Murphy to play Hidden Valley
on Thursday, Sept. 18.
(Photo by Steve Fairchild)
Patience strengthens the spirit, sweetens the
temper, stifles anger, extinguishes envy,
subdues pride, bridles the tongue.
Awana starts Wednesday, Sept. 24 at Community
Bible Church from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Calhoun on
way to Univ.
of Findlay
Chelsea Calhoun, an
equestrian studies major,
enrolled as a freshman at
the University of Findlay
for the 2003-04 academic
year.
A 2003 graduate of St.
Mary’s High School, she is
the daughter of Susan and
Michael Calhoun of
Selma.
The Univ. of Findlay
is a comprehensive univer-
sity located in Findlay,
Ohio.
With a total enrollment
of 4,586 full and part-time
students, the university is
noted for its innovative
programs.
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