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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, January 21, 2004
I’ve been a driven man since I was around 14, having
taken the wheel of various and sundry motorized vehicles,
whether I was licensed or not.
What brought up this topic was the occasion last week
of my 60 th birthday suit day this week, and the necessity of
having to renew my Oregon license for driving. The re-
newal process was a good experience at the Cave Junction
location of what everyone calls the “DMV office,” al-
though its official name is Driver & Motor Vehicle Ser-
vices. Once again I passed the eye test without the neces-
sity of having to wear cheaters (eyeglasses), and my new
license is good until my 68 th “yikes!” birthday.
And lo and behold, so to speak, my photo looks amaz-
ingly like me. I no longer resemble either a convict who
has been hiding in dark alleys and sewer pipes for two
weeks, or else someone with a poorly made Bob Rodriguez
mask that partially melted after being run over by a triple
semitruck-and-trailer rig. I’m happy with the mug shot.
As a young teen-ager I used to sneak my Dad’s Buick
out of the garage while he and my Mom were entertaining
family and friends on their super-sized patio. I’d drive
around the neighborhood, goosing that V-8 until I got
scared enough to head back. When it came time for me to
get my learner’s permit in Chula Vista, Calif., when I was
15.5 years old, I was parked at the DMV office with a li-
censed driver when the place opened. Actually, I cannot
recall who went with me. Could have been cousin Frank.
Anyway, back then (which seems like about a hundred
years ago) I passed all the tests, including the parking exer-
cise, although I ended up kind of far from the curb. The
kindly examiner, obviously impressed with my maturity
and demonstrated on-the-road skills, said he could tell that
I’d get close enough eventually, and passed me. Nice guy.
And on the day I turned 16 I proudly got my full-time
license, and drove away with several of my partially insane
high school buddies urging me on. They wanted me to
punch it as I drove away from the DMV office, but I re-
fused. Although, a bit later, that ‘54 Oldsmobile V-8 en-
gine mounted in my ’52 Ford made some noise in and
around the Downtown Chula Vista environs.
Unfortunately, that same Rube Goldberg car got me
into a spot of trouble when I rashly decided to pass a ’49
Mercury on a residential street. Chula Vista’s finest had
been tailing us, and pulled us both over, right after I passed
the Merc. It was my first citation and my first encounter
with police. And despite my wonderful driving skills, dur-
ing the next several months the San Diego Police and Cali-
fornia Highway Patrol issued me several other citations,
also for moving violations. This was a blow to my ego.
Also to my driving legally. Enough about that though.
I’ve always enjoyed driving. Except some other drivers
haven’t always enjoyed me. I confess: I was a tailgating
terror, as I had a fat foot and a streak of impatience wider
than the bald spot that’s developed on the back of my head.
And I drove way too fast and took too many chances, just
like many other teen-agers and persons of youth. By the
grace of God I never hit anyone, but I think some other
drivers might have wanted to hit me. With their fists. If
they could have managed to get me to stop. Or slow down.
Hot-rodding was kinda’ fun back then, along with
cruising drive-in restaurants and busy streets. Lived on
black coffee and onion rings many a long night.
To be truthful, when I drove delivery vans and refrig-
erated bobtails I was a lot more careful than when driving
my own car. Good thing, or my jobs might not have lasted
all that long. Plus it became obvious, finally, that driving
like a maniac from the Indy 500 wore out tires, clutches
and transmissions much quicker than driving in a more
sanitary manner. It wasn’t as much “fun” though.
But as I age, continuing to be a driven man who’s
racking up mileage, fun is no longer what it’s cracked up
to be. No pun intended.
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. 44
Staff: Cindy Newton, Chris Robertson,
Michelle Binker, Shane Welsh, Becky Loudon
& Kacy Clement
Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
(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.)
***
Healthy forests
From Sens. Ron Wy-
den, Dianne Feinstein,
Patty Murray and Tim
Johnson
(Editor’s Note: The
following letter, sent to
President George W.
Bush from those listed
above, was submitted for
this column.)
As you know, we have
worked very hard for the
past two years to achieve
common ground on fire
and forest health problems
faced by our national for-
ests. The legislation that
we enacted together in a
bipartisan fashion at the
end of 2003 could protect
thousands of communities
and many millions of acres
of forest land, but the ef-
fectiveness of that law will
depend largely on achiev-
ing the necessary level of
funding to address count-
less threats to communities
and forests across the
country.
The Healthy Forests
Restoration Act of 2003
(Public Law 108-148),
which you signed into law
one month ago, authorizes
$760,000,000 for each fis-
cal year to carry out haz-
ardous fuels reduction pro-
jects. This amount reflects
data collected by the Na-
tional Association of State
Foresters based on the
funding level necessary to
treat all the at-risk federal
lands in the U.S.
One of the most im-
portant actions you can
take as President to pro-
mote success of the first
forest management legisla-
tion to be enacted in more
than a quarter century
would be to include this
level of funding in your
Forest Service and Dept. of
Interior Fiscal Year 2005
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
Biscuit Fire
From Michelle and
Jeff Smith
Grants Pass
As a member of the
Siskiyou Project, a con-
cerned citizen and a mom,
I would like to voice my
concerns about the pro-
posed Biscuit Fire Salvage
program put in action by
the Bush administration.
We all agree that some
logging should be allowed
in Siskiyou National Forest
after the fire. But the 518
million proposed board
feet that would be ex-
tracted from that biologi-
cally diverse area would be
a huge mistake.
Not to mention the
roadless areas that would
be disturbed, the old-
growth trees taken out, the
slash that would be left,
and erosion of the land as a
result. Now is the time for
us to stand up as a commu-
nity and say, “This will not
happen where we live and
play.”
These are our moun-
tains that make this area
diverse, unique, and wor-
thy of protection. Let’s
urge the forest service to
adopt Alternative 4 in the
Draft Environmental Im-
pact Statement minus the
“research logging.”
People are like stained glass windows:
They sparkle and shine when the sun’s out,
but when the darkness sets in, their true
beauty is revealed only if there is light within.
- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross -
IVHS Activities Calendar
Brought to you by the folks at
592-3556
Cave Jct .
469-7545
Brookings/
Harbor
DEADLINES:
News, Classified & Display Ads,
Announcements & Letters
Budget.
We were very appre-
ciative of the active par-
ticipation of your admini-
stration in the negotiations
with the House and Senate
that produced the forest
bill. Including full funding
of the $760,000,000 you
agreed to in those negotia-
tions would be the single
most decisive step you
could take to ensure broad
support for the new law
and its successful imple-
mentation.
Again, we ask that you
include $760,000,000 in
the Forest Service and
Dept. of Interior budget for
hazardous fuel reduction
projects, and that you do
so without diminishing
other important Forest Ser-
vice or Dept. of Interior
accounts. Please let us
know if you have any
questions regarding this
issue.
FRIDAY, JAN. 23
*Clerical day - no
classes for students
*Boys basketball vs.
Mazama - here
3:45/5:30/7 p.m.
*Girls basketball at
Mazama - 5:30/7 p.m.
SATURDAY, JAN. 24
*Wrestling at Willamette
9 a.m.
*All night grad benefit at
Taylor’s Sausage
Country Store - 6 p.m.
TUESDAY, JAN. 27
*Boys basketball at
Hidden Valley
5:30/5:30/7 p.m.
*Girls basketball vs.
Hidden Valley - here
5:30/7 p.m.
The Valentine’s Day ad
deadline is
Thursday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m.
THIS MEANS YOU - For traffic safety reasons, the city
of Cave Junction last week installed stop signs on
Lister Street at Kerby Avenue, making a four-way stop.
Drivers are urged to be aware of the change. City Re-
corder Jim Polk said that vandals took down the new
signs in a short time, but they were reinstalled. Unoffi-
cial statistics note that during the first several days
after the change, seven out of 10 drivers ‘blew’ the
new stops on Lister. (Photo by Michelle Binker)
The family of Dovie Robinson would
like to thank all of our loving and
thoughtful family and friends for their help
and generosity during this difficult time.