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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2004)
Page 2 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, January 7, 2004 My late father was so unhandy with routine house maintenance that he would hire a plumber or a handy- man to install a toilet seat. I’m not making this up. He had no sense of fixing stuff, and guess what? Right. He passed on that particular lack of sense to the son who lives in Cave Junction. Here’s a classic example from the 1970s of dear old Dad and his fix-it ability: Jan and the kids and I had driven from Poway to the Chula Vista house he shared with Mom in San Diego County for like 44 years. It was a Sunday afternoon. When we arrived, he was standing in the kitchen with his right arm in the air. He had a brown paper bag around his hand. I said, “Hey, why do you have a bag over your hand?” He said, “I cut my thumb.” With my curiosity running wild, I removed said bag, and found that his thumb was a multicolored mess. It was also quite swollen. These conditions were caused by the rubber band he had wrapped tightly around the thumb in an effort to stop bleeding. I guess the bag was either so he couldn’t see it or to keep the blood off the floor. Maybe he thought that darkness would do something for the wound. But it wasn’t working. My Bob Scout … I mean, my Boy Scout training immediately kicked in, and I started a campfire. No, I helped a little old lady across the street. No, actually I applied pressure to the proper locations to keep his laceration from leaking anymore. We then applied a bandage and telephoned his physician. The doc was less than glad to be contacted, as he was on the eighth tee at the nearby San Diego Coun- try Club. However, with his cigar firmly affixed, he met us at his office and somewhat brusquely fixed the wound, what with being a former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon. I think he was in a hurry to get back to the course, as it didn’t seem he gave much time for the painkiller to take effect. Anyway, Dad got his stitches and a nice bill (for the emergency medical service), and we took him back home. Come to find out that he was trying to fix one of those 10-cent ashtrays that motels and other places used to give away. Unfortunately, because of his fix-it skills, he managed to make a dandy slice in his right thumb while trying to get the glue to bond. So the 10- cent ashtray ended up costing him a ton of money (for the 1970s). There are many other examples of Dad’s (not so) handy work, including the time he used 48 nails, none of which were pounded straight, while trying to attach a handle to my homemade wooden scooter when I was about 7. The nails made an interesting art form though. And that brings us to last weekend, when we (and I use the term loosely because Jan did most of the planning and work) put up two shelves and a paper towel rack at home here in Cave Junction. See, her Dad was a tool-and-die maker, and knew how to do all sorts of construction. My Dad was a pharmaceuti- cal salesman. Actually, all three of our minor con- struction items turned out pretty well, although both shelves initially looked a bit crooked. A bit of redoing made all the difference. Didn’t end up with any art forms, although some of the ruined screws and messed-up plastic sleeves looked pretty interesting. Guess I’m just a chip off the ol’ blockhead. 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. 42 Staff: Cindy Newton, Chris Robertson, Michelle Binker, Shane Welsh, Becky Loudon & Kacy Clement Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association DEADLINES: News, Classified & Display Ads, Announcements & Letters 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 (Editor’s Note: Views and commentary expressed in letters to the editor are strictly those of the letter- writers. *** Typed, double-spaced, letters are acceptable for c o n s i d e r a t i o n . H a nd - written letters that are dou- ble-spaced and highly legi- ble also can be considered for publication. Cards of thanks are not accepted as letters.) *** For I.V. Bikers From Boaz Dillon, 7 Cave Junction I appreciate the I.V. Bikers for the toy give- away. They made a lot of kids very happy and me. When I grow up I want to have a motorcycle like my Uncle Joel. ‘Goodbye friend’ From Mark Russo Cave Junction As another holiday season comes and goes, I reflect on the people who have contributed so much to us who are no longer here. 2003 marks the loss of entertainers Johnny Cash and his wife June and comedian John Ritter. In services to the peo- ple we lost U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond and Ore- gon leader “Debbs” Potts, and now Iver Roy Jackson. If you haven’t lived here long of haven’t had an emergency, you may ask, who was Roy Jackson? Well, to some he was the guy in the coffee shop, sitting at the corner table with his family and having a smoke. To others, he was the funny and charming instructor who taught area CPR classes. To many, he was board member of the Illinois Valley Fire Dis- trict, but most remember Roy as I do. He was a rescuer, a paramedic, and I had the privilege of being his part- ner on an ambulance for five years. Roy was a gen- tle man with a disarming, Cheshire cat grin. He was always quick with a joke and never far from a coffee pot. Roy could walk into a room full of people and immediately put you at ease. Roy was not tall, but he cast a shadow both far and wide, and touched the hearts of everyone he came in contact with. He had the bedside manner of a coun- try doctor, and when he smiled and said, “Hello, I’m Roy and I’m here to help you,” you knew he meant it. Roy’s calm, reas- Hourly rate to $7.05 because of Measure 25 Ballot Measure 25, a voter-approved measure, has increased Oregon’s minimum wage to $7.05 per hour as of Jan. 1. The measure earlier raised the minimum from $6.50 per hour to $6.90 on Jan. 1, 2003. The annual adjustment rounded to the nearest 5- cents, changes the wage rate for inflation using the Consumer Price Index and becomes effective the fol- lowing January. Prior to the passage of Measure 25, Oregon’s minimum wage had not DAVE’S BEST BUILDING - Liz and Dave Paulsen are the recipients of the Best Commercial Building cer- tificate for construction during 2003. The Paulsens are operating their business, Dave’s Outdoor Power Equipment, in the new build- ing at Redwood Hwy. and Hamilton Avenue at the south end of Cave Junction. The business offers a wide range of power equipment and mo- torcycle racing gear. (Photos by Michelle Binker) suring voice and skilled hands in the back of an ambulance could make even a seasoned army MASH surgeon envious. Roy would deliver the best treatment under the sever- est conditions, always coming back with a smile and a wink, while asking if there was any coffee left. Roy and I spent a lot of time together then. We were a team and we counted on each other to “get our fat out of the fire,” as he would often say. Roy was like a father to me, he taught me a lot about emergency medi- cine, about people, and about myself. When I was single and alone, Roy and his wife, Bonnie, had me over for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. When I got married, they were there, too. But then the time came when we saw very little of each other. Though our lives had turned in differ- ent directions as some- times they do, I admired that he was still involved in the community and was happy to see his name in the paper from time to time, until last week’s edi- tion ran Roy’s obituary. It made me cry. I have met many kinds of people in my lifetime, but no one can come close to the genuine care and kindness of the man I saw in Roy Jackson. I feel sor- row for his wife and fam- ily, who must learn to go on without him, and sad- ness for our community, for we have lost the great- est man I have ever known. Annetta Floyd & Family YOUTH IN ACTION Federal Tax (E.I.N.): 95-380-5759 Student/Participant Letter As a third-year student working toward my biology degree at the University of Oregon (2000 IVHS grad), I have been selected this summer to represent the Untied States with hundreds of other students from universities throughout North America on a student volunteer work program in Australia. I am committing myself to a minimum of 120 hours of volunteer work in areas such as endangered species preservation and habitat restoration. The project is coordinated by International Student Volunteers (www.isvonline.com). This request is to friends and/or businesses for contributions to Youth in Action to help cover the expenses of this summer’s program. I will need to raise over $2,500 in order to secure my place on the Australian team. Any amount you are able to donate (tax deductible) will be greatly appreciated. Contributions must be received by May 15, 2004. The coupon below must be completed and mailed directly to me, with checks made payable to Youth in Action in order to be tax-deductible. Sincere thanks for your consideration……. Nicholas Leach A COUPON MUST ACCOMPANY EACH CONTRIBUTION Supporter’s Name: Address: City: Phone: Amount: Mail to: Correction: In a page 1 story last week, Deanette Wearing incorrectly was identified as Deanette Dem- ming for all the kindness everyone shared with us during the loss of our loving husband and father. State: E-Mail: Check No.: Zip: Nicholas Leach School: University of Oregon P.O. Box 2327 Phone: (541) 261-2152 Cave Junction, Oregon 97523 IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: Your contributions to Youth in Action is tax-deductible (Federal Tax I.D. 95-380-5759) Checks or money order must be made payable to YOUTH IN ACTION
