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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 4, 2004
DEQ aiming
to talk trash
for a year
The Oregon Dept. of
Environmental Quality
(DEQ) has embarked on a
year-long, statewide recy-
cling study that will help
the state get a more accu-
rate picture of the numbers
and types of beverage con-
tainers that Oregonians are
recycling.
Also, it will examine
the effectiveness of special
curbside programs and
recycling depots.
DEQ expects that get-
ting more specific informa-
tion about the number and
types of containers Orego-
nians are recycling, plus
data about residents use of
curbside collection pro-
grams, will help commu-
nity recycling programs
statewide.
“We don’t necessarily
want all recycling collec-
tion programs to be the
same, but we do want them
to be good,” said Peter
Spendelow, study coordi-
nator and DEQ solid waste
specialist. “We’re hoping
information gained from
this study will help cities
improve their programs.”
Samples of recycled
materials will be collected
throughout the state from
single-family residential
homes, multifamily build-
ings, commercial locations
and depot collection sites.
Collection locations
will be selected at random
from around the state,
based on population and
quantity of materials recy-
cled at different locations.
DEQ expects to re-
lease preliminary results in
January 2005 and conclude
the study in June 2005,
issuing a report summariz-
ing study findings later
that year.
Data sought
on offender
On Wednesday, July
28, Oregon State Police
detectives arrested Craig
Anthony Lohbeck, 35, of
Phoenix, Ore. on charges
of first-degree unlawful
sexual penetration and
first-degree sexual abuse
with two girls.
In an effort to identify
additional victims, anyone
having information on
criminal activity involving
Lohbeck is encouraged to
contact OSP at (541) 776-
6114, Ext. 229.
Pac Power gets high marks
(From left) Next to two pieces of firefighting apparatus too heavy to cross, Illinois
Valley Fire District Chief Harry Rich and fire district board members Larry Jones and
Joe Malcolm discuss weight limitations on the lower Sucker Creek bridge which
hamper the district’s response to incidents in the Holland Loop area.
By MICHELLE BINKER
Staff Writer
Poised at the edge of a
bridge east of the city of
Cave Junction that they
may not freely cross, four
Illinois Valley Fire District
rigs made a dramatic back-
drop as Chief Harry Rich
spelled out his dilemma.
“Holland-area resi-
dents are isolated by our
limited ability to pass fire-
fighting apparatus over this
bridge,” Rich said, survey-
ing the scene.
“I’m extremely con-
cerned that the community
is being held at consider-
able risk,” he said.
Vehicles weighing
more than five tons (or
10,000 pounds) are prohib-
ited from crossing the
bridge. The district’s wa-
ter tender (42,700 pounds)
and engine (31,200
pounds) are prohibited
from crossing. The dis-
trict's smaller brush rigs
are required to cross at a
maximum speed of 5 mph.
The difficulties stem
from a decision by Jose-
phine County Public
Works Dept. to place a
five-ton weight limit on an
approximately 50-year-old
Six of 10 liquor busi-
nesses in Josephine County
refused to sell alcohol to a
minor during a recent com-
pliance operation con-
ducted by the Oregon Liq-
uor Control Commission
(OLCC).
The businesses that
sold in Grants Pass were
30 years experience in water, sewer
& pipeline construction, brush clearing,
septic installation and utility line trenching
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We’re in the Yellow Pages
bridge crossing lower
Sucker Creek on Holland
Loop.
The county hired a
private engineer to conduct
a load-rating study, and
based on his calculations,
the weight limit was im-
posed, said Steve Hodge,
county engineer.
The bridge is slated for
replacement, but due to
funding constraints, that
may not occur until 2008.
“Oregon Dept of
Transportation inspected
the bridge about a year
ago, but results were not
available until after pro-
jects (identified in the Ore-
gon Transportation System
Plan, or TSP) had been
assigned,” Hodge said.
The TSP allocated
some $300 billion for
bridge projects statewide.
Hodge said that the
county is applying for fed-
eral funding to come up
with the estimated $2.5
million required to replace
the bridge.
Until then, a temporary
fix could bring the bridge’s
load limit back up to
80,000 pounds.
“By drilling into the
cracked girders and inject-
ing epoxy, the bridge
would be made strong
enough to carry a regular
load,” Hodge said. He
hopes to have crews work-
ing on the fix by October.
In the meantime, and
through the rest of fire sea-
son, Rich’s staff and vol-
unteer firefighters must
contend with the weight
limit.
“If we have a major
structure fire (in the Hol-
land area), the time it will
take us to transfer person-
nel and equipment from
Station 1” (in Cave Junc-
tion) would increase “from
three to 20 minutes,” Rich
said.
While the district
maintains firefighting ap-
paratus at Station 4 on
Holland Loop, most per-
sonnel would be traveling
to an incident in rigs from
Cave Junction.
“It’s not just the num-
ber of people, but the
amount and type of equip-
ment available to work an
incident” that’s important,
Rich explained.
“We’re highly suscep-
tible to fire out here and
they’ve tied my hands,” he
said.
OLCC compliance checks result in fines
CCB #159580 - Licensed General Contractor
call
least one megawatt of de-
mand are “very satisfied”
with the company.
Pacific Power’s rating
places the company first in
the nation in terms of cus-
tomer satisfaction with
electric providers, among
60 utilities surveyed. The
survey also ranked the
company first in the nation
in satisfaction with energy
efficiency programs and its
account management abili-
ties and second in power
quality.
The company also
moved up to third place in
the nation in three areas:
the value of its products
and services, price and
how well it handles cus-
tomer contacts.
Failing bridge stymies fire district
DAVID ANDERSON EXCAVATING
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pacific Power shot to
the top of the utility sector
this year for exceptional
performance in serving its
large industrial electric
customers.
That’s according to
recently released results
from an independent na-
tional industry survey con-
ducted this spring by TQS
Research of Atlanta, Ga.
The utility, which
made a dramatic rise from
23rd to sixth in the 2002
survey and another rise to
third last year, showed its
best-in-class standing by
taking the top spot in the
nation in overall customer
satisfaction this year.
Results show 86 per-
cent of customers with at
We Make House-Calls
Oregon Outpost, Ray’s
Food Place, Town &
Country Market, and Mur-
phy General Store.
Store clerks who sell
are cited for a $350 fine
and face court. Licensees
whose employees provide
alcohol to the minor or fail
to verify their age, face
administrative sanctions
including fines or license/
permit suspensions.
Two inspectors and a
minor volunteer conducted
the compliance check as
part of OLCC’s balancing
enforcement program to
reducing underage drink-
ing.
The businesses that
refused to sell in Cave
Junction are Wild River
Brewing & Pizza Co., and
Carlos Restaurante.
In Gra n t s Pas s:
Weaksu Inn, Why Not
Market & Deli, Marco’s
Pizza & Pasta House, and
The O’Aces I.
During a compliance
check, young people 18-20
attempt to buy alcohol
from licensees or their em-
ployees to see if they are
properly checking identifi-
cation and obeying state
law prohibiting alcohol
sales to anyone under 21.
The underage volunteers
are supervised by OLCC
inspectors or other law
officers and carry their
own legal ID.
The agency tests ap-
proximately 1,000 busi-
nesses with liquor licenses
annually and a number of
police agencies also con-
duct compliance checks.
The true friend is the one who’s
coming in the door while everyone
else is going out.
- Dr. Phil McGraw -