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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, December 17, 2003
During last year’s holiday season I wrote about
the Eternal and Indestructible Fruitcake (no, I am not
talking about myself), but rather the fact that some
families keep passing around Grandma Crabbie’s
fruitcake year after year, not realizing that it’s on its
seventh cycle of back-and-forth gift-giving.
This reminds me of some folks I used to know in
Cave Junction, who gave friends a jar of homemade
jam for Christmas one year. When the next Christmas
rolled around, the friends gave them a real nice gift:
the jar of berry spread they’d received from them the
year before. Put a bit of a strain on the friendship.
You might say it jammed it.
Frankly, and I’m not speaking of my favorite
older first cousin, food becomes somewhat of an ob-
session during the holidays. People are always giving
each other sugar cookies with the shapes of Christmas
trees, angels, bells, reindeer, candy canes, Santa heads
(kind of a gruesome thought), and other yuletide de-
signs. These cookies usually come with red or green
sprinkles on them, for those who need to triple their
sugar intake that particular hour.
Other types of cookies show up too, including
macaroons that look like hairy meteorites. Some even
taste that way. A lot of people bake chocolate chip or
peanut butter chip cookies. They’re the kind that go
down so easily that before you know it you’ve absent-
mindedly eaten the entire plateful and your wife is
upset because she was going to give them to friends
and families, and now you’ve made a Christmas Pig
of yourself and need something to soothe your stom-
ach. I don’t know anyone who would do that, so if my
wife says I did, she’s either exaggerating or talking
about someone else with my name.
Besides cookies, the holiday season usually results
in platters of candy including fudge and divinity, and
a whole lot of other candy whose names I don’t know.
But the stuff tastes good, even though I’m not sup-
posed to eat it because of my nonfat/low-fat/low-taste
diet. No, that’s not fair. Sometimes the air in my
mouth, which often gives it a spicy Mexican taste,
flavors the heart-friendly food I eat.
Yeah, food and gift-giving seem to go together
during this time of year. So break out the hot cider,
the mulled wine (whatever that is), the eggnog or hot
chocolate (which I can’t drink), non-alcoholic beer,
the decaf coffee, $1.98 champagne or whatever you
have lurking about for the holidays. Enjoy those spe-
cial meals, those special snacks and treats. Just don’t
blame me when you step on the bathroom scale and a
sign pops out that reads, “One person at a time,
please.” I recall one day after the December frivolities
a few years ago B.C. (before cardiac), when I got onto
the weigh device. It wasn’t that I had porked on the
pounds, but a sign popped up that read, “Get off!”
Oh, one more thought here. Christmas Day is just
a week away from this issue. Start baking those cook-
ies! But beware the fruitcake and the jam.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE:
POLICY ON “HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE” ITEMS, DIS-
PLAY & CLASSIFIED ADS & NOTICES: All submissions
must be hand delivered, faxed or e-mailed to us for publica-
tion by deadline. Submissions must be resubmitted each
week to be considered for another issue. Because of accu-
racy and deadlines we cannot take items over the telephone.
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. 39
Staff: Cindy Newton, Britt Fairchild,
Chris Robertson, Steve Fairchild, Becky Loudon
& Kacy Clemon
Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
(Editor’s Note: Views
and commentary ex-
pressed in letters to the
editor are strictly those
of the letter-writers.
* * *
Typed,
double-
spaced letters are ac-
ceptable for considera-
tion. Hand-written letters
that are double-spaced
and highly legible also
can be considered for
publication. Cards of
thanks are not accepted
as letters.)
***
‘Vital resource’
From William Reid
Cave Junction
In his Dec. 3 letter to
the editor, Christopher
Sabionski submitted a
“book” disguised as a let-
ter. It appears his multi-
column letter could be
simply summed up in three
words, “no logging ever.”
In our modern world
wood products play a vital
role in our daily life. Our
lives are touched by wood
homes, wooden furniture,
paper from wood and even
cancer treatments from
yew wood products.
The 29,000 acres pro-
posed for salvage logging
is less than 6 percent of the
total burn. As far as Sabi-
onski having to hike in a
“forest saturated with her-
bicides,” his hyperbole has
surpassed reality.
I totally disagree with
his premise that this sal-
vage logging will be an-
other “environmental dis-
aster.”
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.
POLICY ON “HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE”, DISPLAY &
CLASSIFIED ADS & NOTICES: All submissions must be
hand delivered, faxed or e-mailed to us for publication.
Submissions must be resubmitted each week if the item is
to run for more than one week.
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
‘HAIRY’ POTTER - An artist prepares stain for ceramic
ornaments available to all comers at Cone Ten Pottery
Studio & Gallery on Caves Hwy. across from Pietro’s.
The winter holiday sale at Cone Ten was among at-
tractions during the Second Friday Art Walk on Dec.
12.
(Photo by Michelle Binker)
IF
SOMEONE’S DRINKING
IS AFFECTING
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
AL-ANON CAN HELP
1-888-794-7683
NOW OPEN!
*Burl Wood Furniture
*Gem Stone Beaded Jewelry
*Hand Blown Glass
*Great Christmas Gifts
‘Kind words’
From Denny and
Evie Hare
Cave Junction
We appreciate those
who called or sent cards
following the heart attack.
We appreciate the staff
at AMR Ambulance for
being there when they
were needed.
Their professionalism
and caring manner made
all the difference in the
world.
Everyone’s prayers
lifted our family in prayer.
Our God is awesome.
‘Wake-up call’
From Kelpie Wilson
Cave Junction
I hope everyone wakes
up soon and realizes that
the U.S. Forest Service,
under the direction of for-
IVHS School Menu -
Sponsored by
SISKIYOU
COMMUNITY
HEALTH
CENTER
319 Caves Hwy.
592-4111
DEADLINES:
News, Classified & Display Ads,
Announcements & Letters
mer timber industry lob-
byist Mark Rey, is about
to turn the incredible
Siskiyou Wild Rivers area
into a national sacrifice
zone.
The forest service is
proposing the largest tim-
ber sale in history for the
fragile recovering land-
scape of the Biscuit Fire.
Here’s just one exam-
ple of the potential devas-
tation: Those of us who
live in Illinois Valley can
see a huge landslide scar
on the side of Fiddler
Mountain. We can see this
scar from miles away,
clear across the valley.
This slide started as a
road. After the big rain
storms in 1996, we saw
huge landslides all over
the valley that started from
roads and clear-cuts.
Under the Biscuit Fire
salvage plan, the forest
service wants to clear-cut
almost all of Fiddler
Mountain.
What will happen to
our recovering salmon
runs when rainstorms
wash the devastated slopes
of Fiddler Mountain into
the Illinois River.
THURSDAY, DEC. 18
*Chicken sandwich,
cheeseburger,
hamburger, turkey &
cheese or ham &
cheese sandwich, chef,
Mandarin chicken or
garden salad,
Hawaiian, cheese or
pepperoni pizza, pasta,
meat & marinara sauce
& breadstick
FRIDAY, DEC. 19
*Chicken sandwich,
cheeseburger,
hamburger, turkey &
cheese or Italian
sandwich, chef,
Mandarin chicken or
chicken Caesar salad,
vegetarian, supreme or
sausage or pepperoni
pizza,
Corn dog, hot dog,
Polish dog with potato
wedges or tater tots
MONDAY, DEC. 22
*Christmas vacation
begins
Artist Available
Weekends - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(open for viewing)
Weekdays - 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.