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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, January 7, 2004
Oregon lures California’s
specialty food producers
The initial response to
Oregon’s efforts at recruit-
ing California natural food
companies may seem luke-
warm at best to the average
Oregonian, but state offi-
cials are encouraged
enough to begin planning
the next wave of recruit-
ment.
That phase focuses on
specialty food companies
in general and will cast a
wider net on prospective
transplants.
“We have many high
quality specialty food
manufacturers in Oregon
right now, but we think it
is an area of fertile ground
for us,” said Jerry Gardner,
business development
manager with the Oregon
Dept. of Agriculture
(ODA). “We’ll continue
contacting out-of-state
companies and make them
aware of all that Oregon
has to offer.”
Funds provided by the
Oregon Economic and
Community Development
Dept. (OECDD) will once
again target Northern Cali-
fornia companies through
direct contact, advertising
in trade publications, ap-
pearances at trade shows,
and other marketing
means.
At the heart of the
pitch will be the fact that
the Oregon mystique is a
great fit for specialty
foods.
“California seems to
be the poster child for an
unfriendly business cli-
mate right now, and we
have a lot of things going
for us here in Oregon,”
said Gardner. “We’ll pro-
vide specific information
to firms in California in
hopes they’ll consider Ore-
gon.”
In looking at specialty
food companies, Oregon
officials are seeking small-
to medium-sized busi-
nesses that employ 100
workers or less. Products
usually feature unique in-
gredients, innovative pack-
aging, premium pricing,
and third party certification
for organic or sustainabil-
ity status. Products consist
of meat, seafood, dairy,
fruits, nuts, and vegetables.
Specialty food compa-
nies are growing at a pace
that exceeds traditional
food processing. Because
Oregon has already suc-
cessfully demonstrated that
specialty food companies
can do well within its bor-
ders, officials hope to ex-
pand the already-existing
“cluster,” which includes
equipment and service pro-
viders for that industry
sector.
Gardner said ODA and
OECDD are mindful of
what Oregon already has
by way of an overall food
processing industry.
“Our strategy includes
retaining the businesses we
already have and helping
them expand, but we also
want to recruit new com-
panies,” said Gardner.
The specialty food
company recruitment will
come on the heels of an
earlier effort aimed at
natural food companies.
Gov. Kulongoski sent let-
ters to some 250 California
companies extolling the
benefits of relocating north
of the state line. Those
benefits include compara-
tively low corporate tax
rates, and savings on utili-
ties and Workers Compen-
sation rates.
“We had about a 7 per-
cent response rate from
companies asking for more
information and expressing
some interest,” said Gard-
ner. “We expected about a
2 percent response rate but
got quite a few more hits
than we might have antici-
pated.”
Most respondents indi-
cated a long-term interest
and were in no position to
immediately relocate.
That’s the kind of expecta-
tion Oregon officials have
with the coming recruit-
ment effort.
Buttolph appointed long-term
care ombudsman for Oregon
Lloyd Buttolph of
Grants Pass has been ap-
pointed by Meredith Cote,
the Long-Term Care om-
budsman for Oregon, to
the Recruiting and Screen-
ing Committee for District
82, Josephine County.
He will work with the
Recruiting and Screening
Committee to help recruit
volunteers to improve the
quality of life for residents
of nursing homes, residen-
tial care facilities, assisted
living facilities and adult
foster homes. Buttolph
previously was employed
as a production analyst
with Texaco and also
serves as a certified om-
budsman.
The committee meets
monthly to develop strate-
gies for recruiting potential
volunteers to serve as cer-
tified ombudsmen. They
visit the residents of their
assigned homes weekly
and serve as their advo-
cates, protecting their
rights, safety and dignity,
and ensuring they receive
the best possible care.
The Office of the
Long-Term Care Ombuds-
man is a program of the
state of Oregon. A training
class for ombudsmen will
begin on Jan. 7 in Med-
ford.
For more information
on the Ombudsman Pro-
gram, call (800) 522-2602.
SCOTTISH NEW YEAR - A Scottish New Year feast was
held on Saturday, Jan. 3 at the RCC Belt Bldg. in
Kerby. The event was sponsored by the Shire of Myr-
tleholt/Caversgate of the Society for Creative Anachro-
nism. Participants were served traditional Celtic food.
The evening also included entertainment, and some of
those attending wore Renaissance attire.
Hazardous waste reporting
launched online by DEQ
As a cost saving meas-
ure, the Oregon Depart-
ment of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) Hazardous
Waste Program has
launched a new electronic
reporting system for busi-
nesses that must report
hazardous waste that they
generate.
The Internet-based
system, called Haz-
Waste.net, allows busi-
nesses to submit their in-
formation to DEQ elec-
tronically, instead of deal-
ing with paper forms.
Oregon has approxi-
mately 4,000 businesses
that are registered hazard-
ous waste generators. Each
December, DEQ sends out
hazardous waste reporting
forms to businesses re-
quired to report their gen-
erated wastes. The forms
are due the following
March 1.
Each generator will
receive a Personal Identifi-
cation Number (PIN) to
log into the system, and
instructions on using the
Internet to submit their
annual report to DEQ.
DEQ will also provide in-
structions for those unable
to provide electronic re-
ports to DEQ.
DEQ expects to save
nearly $100,000 annually
by moving to the new sys-
tem, said Sheila Monroe,
manager of DEQ’s Haz-
ardous Waste Program.
The electronic system will
also help businesses track
their waste generation
‘State of City’
address set
for Monday
A “State of the City
Address” is on board at the
next meeting of the Cave
Junction City Council on
Monday Jan. 12 at 7:30 in
CJ City Hall.
Agenda topics also
include a sheriff’s report,
public hearings about
planned development,
business licenses and util-
ity service; and council
updates.
The longest journey is
the journey inward.
- Dag Hammarskjold
Courage mounteth
with occasion.
- William
Shakespeare,
‘King John’
The fruits of humility
are love and peace.
- Hebrew proverb
1-541-476-2127
more efficiently, she
added.
DEQ will offer train-
ing sessions to businesses
throughout the state in
January to help answer any
questions they may have
about using the new sys-
tem.
The nearest session
will begin at Medford City
Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 13
from 2 to 4 p.m.
DEQ first imple-
mented an electronic re-
porting system in 2000, but
the new system has ex-
panded capabilities and is
much easier to use. DEQ
contracted with Windsor
So l ut io ns , o f La k e
Oswego, to design the new
system.
The new system is
available to both large and
small quantity generators
of hazardous waste, as well
as to conditionally exempt
generators. Conditionally
exempt generators are
those who generate no
more than 220 pounds of
hazardous waste or no
more than 2.2 pounds of
acutely hazardous waste in
any single calendar month.
DEQ will review how
the new system is working
and make adjustments is
necessary.
DEQ’s launch of this
new system incorporates
several recent changes
made by the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency
and ensures consistency
with federal reporting re-
quirements.
MANSFIELD R. CLEARY
Attorney at Law
General Practice in
Illinois Valley
since 1980
Practice includes but not limited to:
Bankruptcy - Eliminate
financial problems
Living trusts - Avoid probate
Estate planning - Wills,
power of attorney
Domestic relations
Auto accident - Personal Injury
Criminal - DUII
Real Estate contracts - Foreclosure
592-2195
200 W. Lister