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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2004)
Page 5 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, October 20, 2004 Shop Smart’s Jessica Krska ‘happy Funding for jail, CJ cops to help’ valley groups and teams By CHRISTINA HILL Correspondent Getting up at the crack of dawn isn’t much fun for most people. But for Jessica Krska, store director at Shop Smart Food Warehouse in Downtown Cave Junction, getting up early to start her day is something she’s been working toward a long time. “I start at 6 a.m. and get off at 5 p.m.,” she said. “My day consists of run- ning the store. It’s been fantastic. It’s what I’ve been working toward for the past 14 years.” Krska moved to Illi- nois Valley from Southern California’s Ventura County 15 years ago. Born and raised in Crescent City, she was “familiar with the area and couldn’t wait to move here” so she could raise her daughter, Neetza. Krska’s long road to her success, she said, started more than 14 years ago when she was a checker working the eve- ning shift. Krska took over management of Shop Smart in January 2000. As store manager, Krska “handles all the pa- perwork, helps with freight and checks, and works in video.” “I’m basically the back-up person for every department,” she said. “I’m literally running around the store all day long. It’s my exercise. I’m too tired to work out when I get home. I’ll take my dogs for a walk and that’s it,” Krska said. Krska loves her job as much as she loves helping the community, especially children, she said. “We try to assist any kids’ organizations that need help,” she said. “Kids are the source of the com- munity. If we don’t raise them right, they’re not go- ing to benefit the valley.” During her tenure at Shop Smart, Krska said that they have done every- thing from selling footballs for the football team, to donating food for various organizations, to letting Krska is happy to help children’s organizations and other community- oriented programs. sports teams bag groceries for tips as fund-raisers. “We try to help any way we can,” she said. “The young people are our future. So many of our sports programs are broke, they need all the help they can get. “In the past we have donated food for home- coming, prom, sports teams dinners, to the Shin- ing Stars and so many other organizations.” According to Krska, the dollar amount of food donated by Shop Smart ranges from nothing one month to $1,500 to $2,000 the next month. “I pretty much never say ‘no’,” Krska said. “It’s hard to, because when these organizations have to spend all their money buy- ing the supplies, then they’re not going to make any money to put toward what they’re working for.” While supporting more than 30 different organiza- tions, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would need to steal anything from the store, but Krska said that it still happens all the time. “The amount of stolen goods averages about $200 a month,” she said. “We also have a lot of people who will leave their purse or wallet in the parking lot. “It’s rare when people find and return them, but we’ve actually had a lot of them returned the past month,” Krska said. “There was one purse that I actually had to dig through until I found a phone number,” said Krska, “so I called an an- swering machine in British Columbia and the lady had left a phone number where she could be reached at her sister’s house, so that’s how I got a hold of her. That was pretty unusual.” For all the store and its employees to to help the community, Krska receives “many ‘thank you’ letters” all the time. While Krska isn’t busy running the store and hanging up new “thank you” letters, she’s busy working on five acres she recently purchased. “My fiancé and I want to get married on our prop- erty at the end of May, so we’re trying to get the yard ready,” she explained. “It’s going to be a medium- sized wedding. I’m going to invite all my co- workers. They’re like fam- ily to me,” Krska said. “I have everything I have ever wanted in life. It couldn’t be any better.” K-9 officer, ‘Smitty’ retires after six years Due to age and health issues, “Smitty,” a canine deputy nearly 8-years-old, is being retired, said Jose- phine County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO). “Smitty” has put in “six years of faithful ser- vice.” His retirement was announced “with regret.” His years with his han- dler, Deputy Keith Hub- bard, “have proven fruitful with many accomplish- ments including criminal captures, finding illicit nar- cotics, and locating a dis- oriented man who had fallen and was helpless in a remote area in winter cold.” The dog is one of the favorites among Josephine County schoolchildren and the general public. Hub- bard and “Smitty” have made many appearances in Illinois Valley at schools and various festivals. “His public appear- ances always brought praise with his amiable personality and gentle in- We are alone, absolutely alone on this chance planet: and, amid all the forms of life that surround us, not one, excepting the dog, has made an alliance with us. -Maurice Maeterlinck- teractions,” said JCSO. “Smitty” is retiring in the care of Hubbard, who lives in the Grants Pass area. The K-9s are sup- ported solely by public donations, said JCSO. With the retirement of “Smitty” three such dogs remain with JCSO. “A group of dedicated volunteers comprise the Friends of the K-9s,” said the agency. “This non- profit organization con- tinually manages fund- raisers to keep the K-9s routine maintenance costs, training expenditures and equipment purchases in the black,” JCSO concluded. Public Invited FREE Showing of acclaimed filmmaker Robert Greenwald’s new film ‘Unconstitutional’ Sunday Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. Selma Community Center 18255 Redwood Hwy. This documentary on the Patriot Act explores how detentions and police infiltration of ordinary Americans has been based on un- constitutional directives from the White House and the Justice De- partment. There will be a discussion on the Patriot Act with a question and answer period led by retired attor- ney, now educator, Jan Lofthouse. For more information phone 597- 4407 or the Selma Center at 415- 1000. ballot items Two money issues, both involving the Jose- phine County Sheriff’s Office, are on the Nov. 2 vote-by-mail ballot. The city of Cave Junc- tion is seeking a three-year operating levy to increase patrol coverage from the current 40 years per week to 80 hours per week within city limits.. If approved, the city would levy a tax of $1.42 per $1,000 assessed prop- erty valuation on city resi- dents. It is estimated that the levy would raise $296,713. during the three- year run. In addition, Josephine County is proposing a four-year local option tax for operating the adult jail in Grants Pass. The county is seek- ing .335-cents per $1,000 assessed property valua- tion. If approved, the measure would begin July 1, 2005. Funding would be used to hire additional cor- rectional officers and jail staff, and other costs. Approval of the pro- posal, said the county, would allow the jail to in- crease capacity from its current level of approxi- mately 140, to an approxi- mate level of 230. During the life of the measure, some $6.7 mil- lion would be raised. On a property assessed at $150,000 that would result in an approximate additional $50.25 per year, according to the county. Please don’t drink and drive. 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