Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (March 24, 2004)
Page 7 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, March 24, 2004 By CHUCK RIGBY In every war there are always different groups of peo- ple involved on both sides. There are those who are ac- tively in favor and willing to participate. On the other hand, there are people who oppose the war and work hard to halt the action. In-between are all the possible levels of support or non-support, including the ones who publicly express one opinion, but in private work for the opposite side. In the very middle are the people who do not care at all and do nothing to support or oppose. The leaders who support war and make the difficult decisions are often strongly criticized, even by their own followers, because some decisions have negative results. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington was commander of the Army, but the Continental Con- gress members had to make many crucial and difficult de- cisions. The men who signed the Declaration of Independ- ence put themselves at the head of the list to be criticized by the citizens and possibly executed by the British Army. John Hancock was president of the Continental Con- gress on July 4, 1776 when he signed the Declaration. By March 1, 1781, the name “United States in Congress As- sembled” was the official name of the body and Samuel Huntington was the president. Huntington had been the last president of the Continental Congress and had been instru- mental in having the Articles of Confederation ratified unanimously by the Congress. Under the Articles of Confederation, the president could only serve for one year. Huntington also suffered from some health problems, and so resigned. Thomas McKean was the first elected president of the United States in Congress Assembled. He served from July 10, 1781 until Nov. 4, 1781 when John Hanson, from Maryland, was elected president. McKean was a represen- tative from Delaware and the only member that had served in Congress continuously from the beginning in 1774 until the end of the war. There are some people who would like to see the presi- dents of the Continental Congress elevated to the same status as George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jeffer- son and the rest of the presidents. It must be remembered that they were not elected by the people, but by the dele- gates, to conduct the meetings. They had no authority over the country. It was not really a country but a confederation of 13 separate countries and would remain so until the con- stitution went into effect in 1788 when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution. Thomas Mckean, born March 19, 1734 in Philadelphia, Penn., was educated as a lawyer. He had been elected to represent Delaware during the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 and opposed the Stamp Act. He also worked hard to encourage separation from England as an independent country. He had voted for the Declaration of Independence and then left Philadelphia to command a battalion of troops at Perth Amboy, N.J. It is not recorded when he actually signed the document, but it was after Jan. 17, 1777. In 1777, while also serving as president of the colony of Delaware, he had to move his family six times in four months to protect them from the British and their Indian allies. McKean was president of Congress in 1781 when dispatches arrived from Gen. Washington announcing the surrender of Gen. Cornwallis at Yorktown, which brought an end to most of the military action of the war. Thomas McKean later served as governor of Pennsyl- vania, but turned down an offer to serve as vice president under Thomas Jefferson. He continued to remain active in politics and in the legal profession. Honorary degrees were presented him by Dartmouth, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania. He died in 1817. McKean was truly one of the founders of the United States of America, an out- standing patriot for the cause of freedom, and a good ex- ample of a citizen. Every instant of time is a pinprick of eternity. All things are petty, easily changed, vanishing away. - Marcus Aurelius - 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 Members of the Illinois Valley High School equestrian team (not in order) Kaylah Arnett, Kelsey Arnett, Angel Cavallo, Chrystle Crawford, Emily Harris, Brandon Mann, Echo Reagan, Brent Rollins, Clayton Simpson, Danielle Simpson, Brook Sullivan, Tiffany Thom and Alice Weber. (Photo by Annette Smith) IVHS riders saddle up for competition; aid needed With 13 members, this year’s Illinois Valley High School equestrian team is the largest since formation three years ago. The team began with four students and doubled in size last year. Last year the team reached state competition. Kaylah Arnett and former member Catherine Sulli- van placed high in the indi- vidual standings, which was good because there were nearly 400 competi- tors. They competed in individual flags and barrel racing respectively. And the entire team competed in the drill com- petition. It was a difficult routine, but the group pre- sented an excellent per- formance. Alicia Rollins is head coach. Assistant coaches are Jan Simpson, Sherri Lamb and Annette Smith. The team conducts various fund-raisers be- cause of expenses involved in meets and equipment. One of the largest ex- penses is for the Oregon High School Equestrian Team organization. There is a $150 fee per rider which includes insurance. Team shirts and prac- tice arena rental fees are another expense. Required helmets and nonmandatory jackets are yet another cost. Meets last from Fri- days through Sundays, so stall rentals enter the finan- cial picture. Then there are the fees for renting camp- ing space. Fund-raisers have in- cluded bagging groceries at Shop Smart Food Ware- house, and hosting bingo games and raffles to earn the money needed. “The effort we have Heart disease taken lightly According to a recent survey, Americans could be doing much more to prevent heart disease. In fact, American adults may be overly opti- mistic about their risk of heart disease, and too often give themselves and in- flated report card for their current prevention efforts. A Harris Interactive survey of more than 2,000 adults revealed that while most people were aware of the dangers of unhealthy lifestyles and diets, and that most believe they are trying to change their ways, other objective measures do not confirm their personal assessment. put in though is not quite enough and that is why we need help,” said Smith. “We have a good team and we always do our best at competitions’ and we de- serve to be able to compete with pride.” For questions or com- ments contact Lamb, who also serves as treasurer, at sherrilamb@cavenet.com or phone 659-9847. Closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays An estimated half of people older than 20 have high blood cholesterol, according to a Harris Interactive survey. However, only 31 percent of those surveyed had been told they had high cholesterol by a health-care provider, and only 30 percent of adults expressed any concern about it.