Cottage work boost
link to aid economy
Teen drug
use topic
of meeting
By BRITT FAIRCHILD
Staff Writer
There is no denying
that methamphetamine use
is a problem in Illinois
Valley. Often referred to as
“white trash” cocaine, it’s
one of the easiest and most
inexpensive drugs to make
and sell.
However its preva-
lence here is primarily
among adults; the majority
of pre-teens and teen-agers
favor other high-inducing
substances like ecstasy,
ketamine, LSD, marijuana
and more.
“We have them all in
our community,” drug and
alcohol counselor Skip
Saegar told some 20 per-
sons during a Dec. 11
meeting at I.V. Family Re-
source Center.
The meeting was held
at the request of several
parents wanting to learn
from Saegar, an outreach
counselor for the drug
treatment
program
CHOICES, how to deal
with their children who are
using drugs. Juvenile
counselor Mike Rustom,
Jan Michels, adult proba-
tion officer for Josephine
County Sheriff’s Office,
and Sara McDonald from
the Children and Families
Commission were also
present.
Intertwining personal
experiences, questions
from parents and startling
drug statistics -- 87,000
teen-agers will go to the
emergency room this year
as a result of smoking pot
for example -- Saegar fa-
cilitated the two-hour
meeting in a serious and
purposeful but informal
manner.
“This isn’t a slam ses-
sion,” he said, noting the
intent of the meeting was
to give parents resources
for drug and alcohol treat-
ment and not name those
teens using drugs.
Some of the most dan-
gerous drugs teens are us-
ing are those that can eas-
ily be purchased at a gro-
cery or drug store to treat
common cold symptoms,
Hard on the heels of a
pioneering analysis of Illi-
nois Valley strengths and
weaknesses some 10 years
ago, “Close to $20 million
has been received in grants
and loans for infrastruc-
ture, the family coalition,
I.V. Airport Industrial
Park, Siskiyou Community
Health Center, and project
and operations funds for
Illinois Valley Community
Response Team (IVCRT).
“And,” continued Al
Koski of the former Jose-
phine County Economic
Development Dept.,
“Another $3 million is on
hold for the Kerby Potable
Water Project.”
The latest economic
study, known as a
“Strengths and Weak-
nesses, Opportunities and
Threats (SWOT) Analy-
sis,” occurred earlier this
year. Koski issued the re-
port two weeks ago.
One major point of the
analysis notes that, “Since
larger companies move
away, we must make sure
that the ‘pipeline’ remains
full. We need to turn our
full attention to the entre-
preneurial and business
expansion strategies. En-
trepreneurs and cottage
industries people should be
encouraged and assisted so
they can grow and hire
more workers.”
It was noted that larger
firms – including Fire Mt.
Gems, Krauss Craft and
Energy Outfitters – have
relocated to the Grants
Pass and Merlin areas for
better access to Interstate 5
among other factors. As-
pects also include a larger
workforce, better access to
a major airport (Medford
International), and larger
pieces of commercial land
and facilities.
IVCRT and the Illinois
Valley Airport Advisory
HAPPY HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS - With the Christmas season under way, valley resi-
dents are experiencing various events. Pamela Kennedy (top photo) of I.V. Family
Resource Center, helped distribute toys and food in the Christmas Basket Program
on Saturday, Dec. 20. The I.V. High School Choir (middle photo) sang ‘Up on the
Rooftop’ as part of a holiday concert on Thursday, Dec. 18. Reindeer and a wagon
(Bottom photo) sparkle at Don Clark’s residence on Redwood Hwy. in Kerby.
(Continued on page 7)
Early ‘I.V. News’
deadline for Dec. 31
Issue is noon on
Wednesday,
Dec. 24;
Paper comes out on
Tuesday, Dec. 30 .
*Look for this
week’s Christmas
Greetings on page 9
year.
Currently, officers
from Josephine County
Sheriff’s Office can aid
JOINT operations, Grants
Pass Dept. of Public
Safety, and the county dis-
trict attorney’s office.
Of the 45 labs uncov-
ered this year, the figure
includes 10 “dump sites”
consisting of items used in
the manufacture of meth,
including precursor materi-
als and leftover chemicals.
A number of processing
reports still are out-
standing, said Crews, so
the number of labs found
this year could rise. She
noted that when a working
lab or a “hot” dump site
are located, JOINT con-
tacts a federal agency,
which calls in a contracted
company skilled in re-
moval of such items.
Private citizens, she
said, should use extreme
caution if they come upon
a suspected meth site.
“They should not handle
anything,” she said. “Some
of the items, such as liquid,
can be highly flammable,
and some ingredients are
real dangerous to be
around.” Those who find
suspected sites are urged to
telephone JOINT at (541)
474-5160 or the main sher-
iff’s office number, 474-
5123.
Crews said that so far
this year, eight meth sites
(Continued on page 7)
Arts/incubator
center seen as inter-
mediate step to ac-
commodate home-
based businesses.
arts/incubator center, as
proposed by IVCRT,
would be a good interme-
diate step, said Koski. “For
the business that can’t
quite afford to build its
own building yet,” he said,
“rental of a smaller space
with some common staff
like receptionist, account-
ant, business advisers and
possibly others would al-
low growth to the point
they could afford their own
facility and staff.”
He suggests “an exten-
sive cottage indus-
tries/entrepreneurial inven-
tory to identify those that
need and desire advice,
space, staff or financing to
help them grow.” One re-
spondent in the study sug-
gested the possibility of a
secondary wood products
cluster in Kerby.
Improved and enlarged
medical facilities are rec-
ommended in the study,
such as the planned new
medical center.
Koski said that al-
though the study is not a
statistically valid sample of
the broad Illinois Valley,
“It represents the writer’s
(Continued on page 8)
‘Healing touch’ offered
by counselor at IVFC
By STEVE FAIRCHILD
Staff Writer
After Dr. Dorothea
Hover-Kramer settled into
her new home in Illinois
‘Meth’ threatens Josephine County
With 45 methampheta-
mine labs “busted” so far
this year, the Josephine
Interagency Narcotics
Team (JOINT) continues
to see meth as one of the
biggest problems in Jose-
phine County.
“We’ve made a dent in
the labs,” said Deputy
Kristine Crews, “but not as
large a dent as we’d like.”
The agency notched 42
meth labs last year, down
from a record 63 the year
before. JOINT consists of
three detectives, a supervi-
sor and an analyst (Crews),
and there is a chance that
an Oregon State Police
trooper, cut last year be-
cause of OSP budget prob-
lems, could be added next
Board, working with the
county commissioners,
continue to work on devel-
opment of an industrial
park at I.V. Airport. Koski
said that completing the
park would be useful “so
those businesses that have
outgrown their home-
based operations will have
access to fully serviced
property at relatively inex-
pensive land-lease rates.”
Construction of an
Dr. Dorothea
Hover-Kramer
Valley she walked into the
I.V. Family Resource Cen-
ter and simply asked:
“How can I help?”
As a registered nurse,
clinical nurse specialist
and licensed psychologist
in California with four
published books under her
belt, Hover-Kramer knew
she had plenty to offer her
new town.
She was right. It didn’t
take long for Kathleen
Doyle, executive director
of I.V. Family Coalition, to
provide the office space
and referrals for Hover-
Kramer to get her volun-
teer counseling service off
the ground.
“The state budget cuts
have impacted services
here,” Doyle said. “There
are gaps in the system.
Dorothea gives help to
people in trauma or with
other needs. It’s so neces-
sary.
“The other great thing
about Dorothea is she is a
registered nurse so she
knows what people are
talking about when it
comes to physical pain,”
Doyle added.
Hover-Kramer started
offering counseling ser-
vices for free to low-
income people in need.
Most have been referrals
from other government
agencies. But those pa-
(Continued on page 8)