Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current, April 28, 2004, Page 9, Image 9

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    Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Page 9
Can Slam wham bam, man
Nearly 100 carloads of recyclable materials made their
way to the Spring Recycle Round-up, held Saturday, April 24
at Illinois Valley Visitor Center.
Approximately four tons of metal, cardboard, paper and
plastic were collected, said Gordon Lyford, co-coordinator.
The event was co-sponsored by I.V. Community Re-
sponse Team, Southern Oregon Sanitation, Sterling Savings
Bank, I.V. Chamber of Commerce and I.V. Sierra Club.
Another meth lab in GP
CITY POOLING ITS RESOURCES - The city of Cave
Junction has drained the swimming pool on E. River
Street as part of maintenance preparations for this
year’s season. The city took over the pool from Jose-
phine County last year. Plans are to open the pool for
the summer season in June. (Michelle Binker photo)
Law enforcement among top priorities
for Ellis, Raffenburg as commissioners
Forestry Action
Committee
There will be an FAC
meeting to discuss project
updates at 1 p.m. on Thurs-
day, May 6 in the lower
compound of the Illinois
Valley Ranger Station at
26568 Redwood Hwy.
Meetings are held
quarterly. Anyone can at-
tend. Phone 592-4098 for
more information.
IVHS Booster Club
Illinois Valley High
School Principal Joann
Bethany drew the names of
winners of the Booster
Club Great Gravel Raffle
on April 15.
The winning tickets
belonged to Brett Davis
and Cal Messerli.
The club appreciates
all who participated, espe-
cially “our very generous
sponsors,” Q Bar X Ranch
and Barlow Rock, “who
made it all possible.”
Two candidates for
Positions 1 and 2 on the
Josephine County Board
of Commissioners said,
“It’s time for change in
leadership.”
Dwight Ellis, seeking
Position 1; and Jim Raf-
fenburg, vying for Posi-
tion 2, spoke during a
meeting of Illinois Valley
Chamber of Commerce
directors in Wild River
Brewing & Pizza Co.
They are among can-
didates on the Tuesday,
May 18 vote-by-mail pri-
mary election ballot.
Both indicated they
feel that taxpayers are not
getting their money’s
worth from current office
holders. They said they
will be available to the
public; that responses to
questions and comments
will be expedited; and
that there should be a re-
view of all county job
descriptions. In addition,
they feel that there should
be a full-blown audit
every two years.
Ellis, executive direc-
tor of the Grants Pass
Chamber of Commerce
for the past 24 years, said
his goal is to “maximize
the impact of current tax-
payer dollars to provide
actual services.”
He said that because
O&C funding will end in
the not-too-distant future,
the county must take steps
to be ready. He said that
the county does not have
checks and balances in
place either.
Ellis, who flew 82
combat missions during
the Vietnam War and who
has taken the GP Cham-
ber from 80 to 900 mem-
bers, said that “public
safety is number one
above everything else.”
He believes in funding for
the sheriff’s office, with
an eye toward increased
efficiency, and that the
jail operation needs to be
remedied so that full ca-
pacity can be handled.
Raffenburg, a con-
tractor and county reserve
deputy, said he believes in
long-term planning, and
that he will fund law en-
forcement.
He, like Ellis, pointed
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
Liang Lee
Liang Lee, a senior at
Illinois Valley High
School, is Josephine
County Board of Commis-
sioners Student of the
Month for February.
He is the son of Mi-
guel and Hsiang Vasquez.
His family originated from
Taiwan. He has been in the
United States for five
years. Lee has maintained
a 3.77 grade-point average.
Lee is the senior class
secretary. He is a member
of the IVHS Chapter of
National Honor Society
and the baseball team. He
also played on the basket-
ball team. He enjoys fish-
ing in his free time.
Lee plans to attend
college, enter the police
academy and become a
narcotics officer.
VOTE!
to his successes in the
private sector, which
would result in an im-
proved county govern-
ment if he is allowed to
implement them by being
elected, he said.
In addition, he is
chairman of the county’s
rural planning commis-
sion.
“I will lead by exam-
ple and actually be a work-
ing manager,” said Raffen-
burg. “I will work the
hours necessary, and find
new solutions for old prob-
lems.”
Like Ellis, he said that
a county commissioner
should devote himself full
time, and that he “will re-
build trust in county gov-
ernment.”
Raffenburg and Ellis
said that county salaries
need some examination,
indicating that it seems
some are out of line with
the economy, and that
some are not equitable.
A Grants Pass couple
have been charged with
manufacture, possession
and delivery of metham-
phetamine following a
search of their apartment
Tuesday, April 13.
Acting on developed
information that a metham-
phetamine lab was present
at a residence in GP, Jose-
phine Interagency Narcot-
ics Team (JOINT) detec-
tives and police officers
from the Grants Pass Dept.
of Public Safety (GPDPS)
secured a warrant to search
the home of Dennis and
Cynthia Prior at 601 N.E.
Eighth St.
Dennis Prior was ar-
rested on charges of manu-
facturing, possession, and
delivery of a controlled
substance, possession of
precursor materials, and
MCS within 1,000 feet of a
school.
The residence is lo-
cated 670 feet from Grants
Pass High School.
Detectives located and
seized precursor chemicals
used in the manufacture of
meth, such as iodine, red
phosphorus, pseudoephed-
rine and various solvents.
In addition, several grams
of finished methampheta-
mine product and evi-
dence, including packaging
material, of the sale of
meth were located.
A detective also lo-
cated slightly less than
$400 in counterfeit U.S.
currency. The sheriff’s
office is working with fed-
eral officials regarding this
matter.
Meidinger Concrete Construction
Serving the Valley since 1974
* Licensed * Bonded * Insured
Specializing in all types of Concrete and Masonry
New - Foundations - Walks - Drives - Patios
Mobile Home Runners and Foundations
Bridges and Abutments - Slabs - Large or Small
Exposed Aggregate - Retaining Walls and Basements
Stamped & Colored Concrete
Phone 592-4485
Mike Meidinger
License #93173