Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Page 19
Nancy Hook heads for Israel to fulfill a dream
SALMON KING - Cave Junction residents Jesse and
Nancy Goldtrap caught four salmon weighing (not in
order) 11, 28, 30 and 9 pounds off the Port of Gold
Beach at the mouth of the Rogue River. The couple on
their first guided fishing trip netted 35 pounds of filet.
(Photo provided).
Sports physical exams
required for all players
With fall sports pro-
grams at Illinois Valley
High and Lorna Byrne
Middle Schools beginning
soon, students are re-
minded that they must
have a sports physical
every two years and cannot
attend practice until one is
completed.
The Lorna Byrne Stu-
dent Health Center,
through Siskiyou Commu-
n it y He a l t h C e nte r
(SCHC), will offer sports
physicals starting Monday,
Aug. 23 at the LBMS Stu-
dent Health Center in the
front section of the school.
Appointments are nec-
essary and can be made by
contacting SCHC at 592-
4111, or 592-6978 starting
Aug. 23.
“We will bill insur-
ance, including The Ore-
gon Health Plan,” said
Carol Meyers of the health
center. “Out-of-pocket ex-
pense will be no greater
than $10, due at the time of
the physical. Students must
bring an insurance card or
OHP card to the appoint-
ment for billing purposes.”
The sports physical
forms need to be filled out
prior to appointments. Stu-
dents 15 and older may
complete the form without
a parental signature.
Students younger than
15 must be accompanied
by a parent, or legal guard-
ian, or have a written con-
sent to receive a physical.
This consent form and
other necessary paperwork
are available at LBMS,
IVHS and SCHC, and will
be available at the Lorna
Byrne Student Health Cen-
ter as of Aug. 23.
Immunizations will be
offered at additional cost.
“If you are interested
in having your student’s
immunization record re-
viewed, bring the immuni-
zation card and the nurse
will be glad to do this for
you,” said Meyer.
Former resident Dickson
sports editor in Provo
Darnell Dickson, son
of former Illinois Valley
residents Stan and Crystal
Dick, has been appointed
sports editor at the “Daily
Herald” in Provo, Utah.
Dickson, a 1982
graduate of Illinois Valley
High School, also will
travel with the Brigham
Young University football
team this season as the
beat writer.
Dickson began his
journalism career at the
age of 12 when he submit-
ted a story to “Illinois Val-
ley News” about his sev-
enth-grade football game
for Lorna Byrne Middle
School. He attended Rogue
C o mmun it y C o lle ge ,
served an LDS mission to
Ohio, and returned to at-
tend Ricks College (now
BYU-Idaho).
While at Ricks, Dick-
son wrote for the school
paper, “The Scroll,” and
the Rexburg “Standard-
Journal.” Dickson finished
his schooling at BYU,
earning a communications
degree in 1991. It was
while at BYU that Dickson
began writing for the
“Daily Herald” as a
stringer, covering high
school sports part time.
In 1998, Dickson was
named prep sports editor
and held that post until the
promotion to sports editor
this summer.
Dickson has won nu-
merous writing awards,
including honors from The
Associated Press, The As-
sociated Press Sports Edi-
tors, and the Society of
Professional Journalism.
As a radio broadcaster,
Dickson won a Utah
Broadcasters Association
award for his work at the
Utah state basketball tour-
nament in 2002.
Dickson lives in Orem,
Utah with his wife, Bar-
bara; sons Casey, 12, and
Devin, 9; and daughter
Shelby, 8. His parents,
who retired in 1991 after
teaching P.E. at Lorna
Byrne for many years, live
in Evanston, Wyo.
Anti-burglary tips provided
Do not leave house or
car keys in “secret” hiding
places -- burglars and
thieves know them all, ac-
cording to the FBI.
In addition, always
lock doors, and contact the
appropriate law enforce-
ment agency if suspicious
activity is seen.
Upon entering your
home and detecting that
someone has been or could
be still inside, leave imme-
diately and dial 911 as
soon as possible.
By CHRISTINA HILL
Correspondent
These days, it’s not
uncommon to hear on the
evening news that Israel
was the victim of another
suicide bomber.
Despite the turmoil
exploding in the small
country, one Illinois Val-
ley woman, Nancy Hook,
will not be deterred from
fulfilling a longtime
dream. She will leave for
Israel on Friday, Aug. 13.
The chaotic, yet devoutly
religious country will be-
come her home for the
next several months.
“I consider myself a
Torah-observant Jew,” said
Hook, 52, a member of a
valley congregation. “It’s
interesting with Judaism
because it’s not only a re-
ligion, but a race as well.
Jews are actual physical
descendants of Jacob,”
said Hook.
“So,” she said, “I filled
out paperwork and had to
prove my Jewish heritage,
and I became a citizen of
Israel. One of the perks of
becoming a citizen is that
the government provides
classes to learn the lan-
guage.”
Hebrew is the official
langua ge o f Isra el.
“Ulpan” is the rigorous
language class that Hook
will attend.
“It’s an intensive five-
days-a-week, six-hours-a-
day class,” she said. “It’s
just Hebrew, Hebrew, He-
brew. The Israeli govern-
ment encourages immi-
grants to learn their lan-
guage. It’s different than
here, where we’re ex-
pected to learn Spanish. If
someone’s coming from
another country, I think
they should learn that
country’s language.”
According to Hook,
the “Ulpan” itself is five
months long. Her husband,
Don, to whom she has
been married for 34 years,
is OK with her decision,
she believes.
They have three sons,
who live in Grants Pass;
one daughter in Los Ange-
les; and six grandchildren.
“It’s always been a
dream of mine to go to
Israel and learn their cul-
ture, but I had to wait until
my kids were grown,” said
Hook.
She also had a Judaica
business that she put on
hold once her citizenship
was granted.
“I sold religious ob-
jects, music, clothing,
books and jewelry,” said
Hook. “Don and I traveled
for the last three years and
went to conferences and
had a table and sold stuff
there. I also had a website
and a store in Grants Pass
for a year,” she said. “I’ve
moved everything into
storage for the time being.”
Arrangements have
been made, and now she’s
is counting down the days
until she steps foot on Is-
raeli soil.
“I’ll be staying in
Haifa,” she said. “It’s a
main shipping port in the
north. It’s right on the
Mediterranean Sea and it’s
beautiful.
“I know that it (Israel)
is a hot spot in the world,
but I’m not worried about
it,” she said. “The scripture
talks about Jerusalem be-
ing a cup of trembling to
the world, and it really is.
For such a small country
that’s no bigger than New
Jersey, there are a lot of
people fighting over it.”
Still, with news of sui-
cide bombers attacking
cafes, bus stops and other
public places, Hook claims
that the terror will not pre-
vent her from going.
“My mom’s upset be-
cause of the security prob-
lems and stuff, but you
don’t really think about
that when you’re there,”
she said.
“It’s not like here
where you turn on the TV
and someone’s been raped
or murdered. Over there,
there’s not that kind of
crime. They just have these
crazy people that want to
annihilate them. Jerusalem
is certainly a hot spot, but
people carry on, and life
goes on,” said Hook.
Her reason for wanting
to go to Israel stretches
beyond just wanting to
learn the Jewish language
and culture.
“Geographically, Israel
is the center of the Earth,”
she said. “The Garden of
Eden is close by. The old-
Nancy Hook
est-recorded city is Jeri-
cho. The Dead Sea is the
lowest place on Earth. So,
there are a lot of lowest,
highest and oldest places;
and when I went there on a
previous visit I just felt
like spiritually I was
home,” she explained.
Once Hook reaches
Israel, she won’t be alone.
“I’ll have friends wait-
ing for me in the Haifa
area and in Jerusalem,” she
said. “Also, my husband
will come around the first
of November on a tourist
visa. He didn’t feel like he
wanted to change his citi-
zenship, but he could as
my spouse.”
According to Hook,
with a tourist visa her hus-
band is only allowed to
stay in Israel for three
months at a time. At the
end of three months, he
will technically have to
leave the country for an
hour, and then he can re-
turn for another three
months.
“It will probably take
me a couple of months to
settle in, so I’ll probably
be there for around eight
months,” said Hook. “I
don’t like the idea of tak-
ing public transportation,
so I want to buy my own
car,” she concluded.
“My dream is to spend
six months here and six
months there.”
Sizzlin’ Blues band ...
(Continued from page 11)
desire to give back to their
community through their
music.
Luna concurs.
“We’ve played fund-
raising and educational
concerts for Evergreen
Elementary and Lorna
Byrne (Middle School).
Those middle school kids
were our toughest crowd,”
he remembers.
They’ve also played
benefits for community
radio in Takilma and the
I.V. Family Resource Cen-
ter. “Southern Oregon
Blues” Band frequently
tours the Southern Oregon
scene, at clubs or parties,
weddings or even the Jose-
phine County Fair.
“We play Tuesday
night, Aug. 17 on the ‘free’
stage at the fair, right after
the Doobie Brothers,”
Luna says.
“The Doobies are
warming up for us!”
Duane Summers crows.
“We have a real heart
for this community,” Luna
says. “We live here now,
and in all likelihood, we’ll
die in Illinois Valley,
among good friends and
family.”
Those eager to dance
or just bob along with
“Southern Oregon Blues
Band” can get an earful
Saturday, Aug. 14 at “The
Rummage Experience,”
co-sponsored by “Illinois
Valley News,” the Shining
Stars and The Strip Res-
taurant.
Festivities will com-
mence at 10 a.m. on the
“News” parking lot behind
G-Dub’s Fix It Shop.
is open
Saturdays:
9:30 a.m.
to
2:30 p.m.
Hours: Mondays - Saturdays
9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
For more information
phone (800) 922-1025
‘The Rummage Experience’
Saturday, Aug. 14, 10 a.m.
‘I.V. News’ parking lot behind
G-Dub’s Fix It Shop
with ‘Southern Oregon Blues Band’
playing from around 11 a.m. to noon