Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Three-year police levy
due ballot by city of CJ
By MICHELLE BINKER
Staff Writer
In the interest of dou-
bling the number of hours
of dedicated police protec-
tion for Cave Junction, the
city council officially has
decided to place a three-
year law enforcement levy
on the Nov. 2 ballot.
The council reached its
5-0 decision during its
Monday night, Aug. 9
meeting in CJ City Hall,
attended by Josephine
County Sheriff Dave
Daniel and Lt. Lee Har-
man.
Speaking strongly in
favor of the additional pro-
tection, John Mansfield,
manager of Pharmacy Ex-
press in Downtown CJ,
cited a recent burglary at
his store “which would not
have happened had there
been a deputy on patrol.”
Not all were so enthu-
siastic.
“I’ve said it before...I
am sick and tired of paying
more taxes,” said CJ busi-
nessperson Sally Palmer.
Palmer did recommend
reducing the original levy
proposal from five years to
three, which the council
took into consideration in
its final decision.
The city currently pays
the sheriff's office approxi-
mately $88,000 per year
for 40 hours of dedicated
patrol.
This contract rate, the
sheriff’s office said, pays
the salary, general liability
insurance, overtime and
vehicle maintenance costs
of one full-time deputy.
The levy, if passed,
would help provide 80
hours coverage per week.
Based on his patrol
experience in CJ, which
began in 1978 on the city’s
former police force, Har-
man predicted that addi-
tional coverage would re-
duce thefts and burglaries,
and increase city revenue
due to traffic citations.
Daniel did not exactly
endorse the proposed levy.
Instead, he suggested that
an additional 40 hours
might not be sufficient.
“Cave Junction is no
longer a small town,”
Daniel said.
“Cave
Junction
(population 1,421) is a
small city which is grow-
ing fast,” he said. “My rec-
ommendation would be for
24/7 police coverage.”
The sheriff recom-
mended that the city con-
sider forming its own po-
lice department, or work
with the sheriff’s office to
provide “168-hour-per-
week coverage.” That
equates to 24-hour cover-
age seven days a week.
While recognizing the
city’s growth and need,
Mayor Ed Faircloth said
that the city is in no posi-
tion to take on a police
department. But he recom-
mended forming a commit-
tee to explore the idea, and
trying to secure additional
patrol coverage in the
meantime.
“There’s no guarantee
that if we put this on the
ballot it will pass,” said the
mayor, “but we owe it to
the people to give them the
option.”
Biscuit Fire salvage sales
in limbo following ruling
To log or not to log:
That is the question sur-
rounding Biscuit Fire sal-
vage sales.
A preliminary injunc-
tion was issued in U.S.
District Court in Medford
on Tuesday, Aug. 3, block-
ing logging in old-growth
areas of the 2002 Biscuit
Fire. Subsequently the
Siskiyou National Forest
filed a motion agreeing to
use its own personnel to
mark trees slated to be left
standing.
U.S District Judge Mi-
chael Hogan blocked log-
ging on five recently auc-
tioned fire salvage timber
sales, based on claims by
preservationist groups that
failure to mark the trees
violated the National For-
est Management Act.
Rather than rely on
timber industry employees
to preserve the correct
trees, the Dept. of Agricul-
ture is required to see to it
that the work is done by
someone with no financial
interest in the matter.
Siskiyou National For-
est is now awaiting Ho-
gan’s response to the mo-
tion filed in response to his
ruling.
Hogan’s Aug. 3 ruling
also indicated that claims
that logging in late succes-
sional reserves violated the
Northwest Forest Plan
would not likely win.
Rural plan unit needs help
Volunteers to fill a
vacancy on the Josephine
County Rural Planning
Commission are sought by
the Josephine County
Board of Commissioners.
The planning commis-
sion is made up of nine
residents from various geo-
graphic areas of Josephine
County appointed by
county commissioners to
serve four-year terms.
The planning commis-
sion reviews and decides
significant land develop-
ment requests, such as sub-
divisions, commercial, in-
dustrial and resource uses,
and conditional uses.
The deadline for ac-
cepting applications is
Sunday, Aug. 15. Applica-
tions are available in the-
JoCo Board of Commis-
sioners’ office, Room 154,
Josephine County Court-
house, Grants Pass. For
more information phone
(541) 474-5221.
For Investments
4 Huge View Lots
2 Lots $180,000 & 2 Lots $190,000
Multifamily / Single Family Dwellings
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Page 9
BIKE-ARAMA - Some 270
bicyclists rolled into
Cave Junction on Mon-
day, Aug. 9 and set up
camp at Illinois Valley
High School. Among the
participants is Dan Wil-
kins, 72, of Newberry
Park, Calif. (below). The
cyclists average 75 mile
per day and the route
involves an average rise
in elevation of 3,500 feet
per day.
(Top photo by Michelle
Binker; bottom photo by
Shane Welsh)
Valley gets surprise visit
by Oregon Bicycle Ride
By MICHELLE BINKER
Staff Writer
Some 270 riders from
throughout the Pacific
Northwest and beyond are
braving 100-plus degree
heat to participate in the
18th annual Oregon Bicy-
cle Ride.
The 500-mile, seven-
day event, touted for “low
density and high adven-
ture,” began in Roseburg
on Sunday, Aug. 8.
The cyclists arrived in
Cave Junction Monday
afternoon, Aug. 9, and set-
tled on the ball field at Illi-
nois Valley High School to
camp for two nights.
During their one-day
layover in Illinois Valley,
many of the cyclists visited
Oregon Caves National
Home repair
advice listed
For home repair work,
hire only licensed contrac-
tors, said Oregon Con-
struction Contractors
Board.
It also noted that con-
tractors should not be paid
in full until a project is
completed, and that “free”
inspections should be
monitored.
For more information
phone (503) 378-4621.
He who has achieved
success has worked
well, laughed often and
loved much.
- Elbert Hubbard -
Monument, and took in
other valley attractions.
Many of them went shop-
ping in Downtown Cave
Junction and patronized
the restaurants.
“This is the original
cross-state ride,” said
event organizer Sandy
Green, of Bend.
While some partici-
pants are preparing for the
2,200-cyclist Cycle Ore-
gon event that will occur
later this year, a number
said they prefer the
smaller, less-crowded
event.
From CJ the riders will
travel to Ashland, on
through Ft. Klamath to
Diamond Lake and con-
clude their trip in Rose-
burg on Aug. 14.
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