Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, June 2, 2004
Ranger Pam Bode with tree damaged by gunfire.
(Photo by Shane Welsh)
Takilma folk concerned
about shooting ‘range’
By SHANE WELSH
Staff Writer
Guns are firing, bullets
flying, and some Takilma
residents are nervous.
Cave Junction-based
Pam Bode, U.S. Forest
Service (USFS) district
ranger for Rogue River-
Siskiyou National Forest,
met with Takilma residents
on Page Creek Road at a
shooting area located
within forest service
boundaries on Thursday
evening, May 27.
Although the Page
Creek site has been the
target for gun practice for
many years, nearby resi-
dents say they have had
enough.
Three letters from
Takilma residents were
written to USFS, express-
ing concerns over what
they called illegal and dan-
gerous gun use at the site.
In the letters, residents
asked USFS to review the
situation and consider
posting signs to close the
area to shooting.
“We aren’t opposed to
shooting guns,” said one
resident, “we’re just op-
posed to shooting guns in
an area near where people
live. Some of us ride
horses on this road, and
our children often ride
their bikes through the
area.”
There is a hillside fac-
ing away from homes that
most responsible gun users
appear to be aiming at.
However, Bode noted that
extensive damage deliber-
ately done to nearby trees
from gunfire is illegal;
since it is destroying trees
on federally managed land.
Of the 20 people who
attended Thursday, all
were in favor of closing
the site to gun use. The
majority cited parties with
alcohol combined with gun
use at night as being the
main problem.
Said Bode, “The forest
service has a policy that
shooting is allowed on na-
tional forest property; if
we didn’t have shooting,
we couldn’t have hunting.
We are reluctant to shut an
area down for shooting
without getting input from
opponents and proponents
of the shooting site.”
Bode reviewed the
location, noting several
camp sites within 350
yards of the shooting area.
She pointed out that it is
also against forest service
policy to allow shooting in
an area with established
camp sites and that it is the
responsibility of USFS to
shut down the area to ei-
ther camping or shooting.
“There are many loca-
tions...that could be used
as an alternative to shoot-
ing in this area,” said
Bode, “I welcome and en-
courage input from those
who shoot here to aid in
this decision.”
Bode told residents
that she would consider
posting signs to make it
illegal to shoot guns at the
site, and that a decision
would be made within a
month.
She also noted that a
new USFS ranger, Shawn
Thomas, would be avail-
able in Illinois Valley to
help enforce the decision
by issuing citations, should
the need arise.
Youth program funds available
The Josephine County
Commission for Children
and Families has $25,233
available to allocate to
youth programs.
Two strategies are pri-
orities:
*Increase or expand
community service activi-
ties for youth.
*Support to positive
peer models, clubs, or
groups to increase positive
peer associations.
Applications are avail-
able by contacting (541)
474-5234, and are due by 5
p.m. on Friday, June 18.
The Illinois Valley
Housing Survey has been
completed. Its purpose is
to get a picture of the ex-
isting housing market
while identifying housing
needs that might be ad-
dressed in future programs.
The survey also al-
lowed people to request
additional information on
USDA rural housing pro-
grams. Nearly 100 people
expressed an interest in
learning more about what
USDA has to offer, and on
Wednesday, June 9, Bret
Dixon, USDA Rural Hous-
ing specialist, will be in
Cave Junction at the
county building, from 3 to
5 p.m. and again from 6 to
8 p.m. to talk about USDA
housing programs, and
answer any questions you
may have about your hous-
ing needs. Everyone is in-
vited.
On another front, OP-
TIONS, a housing agency
in Grants Pass, has just
finished applying for a sec-
ond Rural Housing and
Economic Development
grant; the first grant paid
for the housing survey and
will also fund home owner
education and renter prepa-
ration classes this coming
fall. The new grant, if suc-
cessful, is intended to as-
sist interested families in
qualifying for one of the
USDA programs by offer-
ing credit counseling, fam-
ily budgeting, and addi-
tional home owner classes
designed to assist in repair-
ing poor credit so that they
may qualify for USDA
housing loans.
One of the more inter-
esting USDA opportunities
is the Mutual Self-Help
Program. With this pro-
gram, teams of eight par-
ticipating families will
come together, and after
they select a construction
style (straw bale, cob, and
stick built homes), based
on individual family needs,
the team will work to-
gether to help build the
homes until all are com-
pleted. Experience else-
where has shown that the
cost of a house can be re-
duced by as much as 30
percent through this kind
of sweat equity. This sav-
ings, coupled with a subsi-
dized interest rate, can
make owning a home very
affordable.
Update on
Oregon Caves Outfitters
We are already a
month into the 2004 sea-
son. It started with a suc-
cessful pre-season dress
rehearsal dinner to allow
kitchen and wait staff to
try out new recipes and
skills.
Next was Mother’s
Day, and the buffet was a
great success with families
from all over the region
bringing “Mom” to the
Chateau for a very special
meal in a very special set-
ting.
Following Mother’s
Day, we had the Nature
Lovers Weekend, pre-
sented in collaboration
with the Siskiyou Field
Institute.
Sixteen people at-
tended the event, which
included personalized
tours and lectures on the
valley’s unique flora, a
tour of the valley’s winer-
ies and even some gallery
shopping. The last week-
end before Memorial Day,
OCO even hosted a spring
wedding complete with all
the trimmings. Clearly,
we’re off to an exciting
new season.
Campground Bid
IVCRT submitted its
bid to manage Grayback
and Cave Creek camp-
grounds for the U.S. Forest
Service. If we are success-
ful, CRT will be able to
increase the range of ac-
commodations we can of-
fer valley visitors. In addi-
tion to campsites, we will
offer a small store and bi-
cycle rental at Grayback,
Woman dies at accident scene
A Washington state
resident died of injuries
when the vehicle in which
she was riding rolled after
a collision near Gold Hill,
said Oregon State Police.
Pronounced dead at
the scene was Jacqueline
Burch, 69, of Tacoma, ac-
cording to OSP.
She was a passenger
with Victoria Balfour, 49,
of Grants Pass; and Linda
King, 54, of Scottsdale,
Ariz., in a four-door Jeep
driven by Brian Balfour,
33, of Grants Pass.
OSP said that a Toyota
4-Runner, driven by Rena
Lyons, 35, of Gold Hill,
struck the left-rear door of
the Jeep, which rolled after
GP fire fatal
Following a fire in
which a man was found
dead inside his rural
Grants Pass home, a cause
is being sought.
On Sunday, May 30
around 1:30 a.m., Ru-
ral/Metro Fire Dept. re-
sponded to 896 Saratoga
Way.
Firefighters extin-
guished the blaze that had
fully engulfed the single-
wide mobile home, said
Oregon State Police. The
resident, Glenn Harry
Cougle, 35, was found de-
ceased in the home.
OSP detectives, in-
cluding an arson investiga-
tor, responded to the scene.
Detectives are attempting
to determine the cause of
the fatal fire. And an au-
topsy was scheduled for
Tuesday, June 1.
impact.
Lyons was arrested on
charges of manslaughter,
DUII, and three counts of
assault, OSP said.
Page 5
as well as interpretative
programs, and an experi-
mental, ‘hassle-free,’
camping option.
Hassle-free camping
means having a pre-set up
tent, complete with sleep-
ing bags, a lantern, and
cooking gear, ready and
waiting for the family
making that last minute
decision to enjoy the great
outdoors.
It also means not hav-
ing to lug all that extra
gear around on their vaca-
tion. Hopefully this and
other innovative ap-
proaches will increase the
occupancy at both camp-
grounds, bring more peo-
ple to the valley, and keep
them around for longer
stays.
‘Good-bye’ to
Harvey-Marose Family
IVCRT joins Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church
in saying “good-bye” to
the Harvey-Marose family,
who packed up and headed
for Idaho. Kevin was close
to completing his term as
CRT Board director. He
was extremely active in the
tourism sector, having
chaired that committee and
taken on a number of tour-
ism promotion activities.
He and “Pastor Peg” will
be sorely missed in the
community.
Registration at gate …………. 8 to 11 a.m.
CJ Lions Club Breakfast …… 8 to 11 a.m.
Show & Shine ………………... Noon to 4 p.m.
CJ Lions Club Lunch ………..11:30 - until
Raffle Drawings ………………Throughout the day
Trophies & Awards …………. 3 p.m.
Get that unbeatable
combination now with
Auto, Fire, Life or
Commercial insurance from
Farmers Fast, Fair, Friendly Service
NOW WITH TWO LOCATIONS
TO SERVE YOU!
128 S. Redwood Hwy.
Cave Junction, OR
(541) 592-4541
134 N.W. ‘E’ St.
Grants Pass, OR
(800) 888-6704
(next to Treehouse Florist & Gifts)
Barbecue Dogs
*Polish *Hungarian *German *Linguica
$2.99 lb.
Hoagie Rolls
$1.39 pkg. of six
Beaver Mustard
$1.59 each
EVENTS:
*Thursday, June 3:
UBA
Open Mic with host Fred Epping
Dinner Special:
Grilled Salmon with cucumber tartar sauce - $9.95
*Friday, June 4: Joan Arrah Warren - Original folk songs
Dinner Special:
Grilled Chicken Vera Cruz - $9.95
(Chicken breast marinated in lime juice served with spicy Mexican sauce)
*Saturday, June 5: Sonny Sundstrom - Solo originals
Dinner Special:
Sauteed pork loin with apricot sauce - $8.95
*Sunday, June 6: Country Jam - 4 to 7 p.m.
Fred Epping, Bobby Reis & Dexter Langford
Dinner Special:
Chicken and biscuits - $7.95