Page 2
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Fire plan ...
(Continued from page 1)
We’re about out of the 2004 daze and are hard-
charging (yeah, right) into the throes of 2005. Reminds
me of a poster I saw that read, “Good Morning! Let the
Stress Begin!”
Wow: When I was born in the Last Century in San
Diego’s Mercy Hospital, about a year before the end of
World War II, I had no idea that I’d live through the turn
of a century. At least, that’s what I think the creaking
was that I heard at the end of 2000. It could have been
some of my joints.
In my younger days my time was occupied by thrills,
skills and frills. These days I have to pay more attention
to chills, pills, wills and bills. It’s annoying to walk into a
room and not remember why. Or drive past an intended
destination, and then realize that I just passed it. How-
ever, I’ve become quite skillful at making U-turns.
My enduring wife puts up with my forgetfulness;
even when I have to phone her back 20 seconds after
she’s told me what to buy at the store: “Hey, honey, did
you say a pound of milk and a quart of cheese?”
Memory gaps notwithstanding, no doubt we will
quietly observe the revolution into a new year. I keep
watching for that old fella’ Father Time and the bright-
eyed, energetic Baby New Year, but haven’t seen them.
They probably show up after I’ve snoozed into dream-
land. Either that or they pass by when I’ve gone into the
next room but can’t recall why.
We used to attend New Year’s Eve parties, where I
was sure we were having fun. Until the next morning.
Jan, tolerant of my idiocy, was designated driver, and I
always appreciated that the morning after, especially
when my head was twice as large as normal.
Haven’t done that for many years. Not worth it.
I do not plan any New Year’s restitutions … er,
revocations … recriminations; I mean, resolutions. All
the ones I’ve made previously lasted about a week. Then
I forgot about them. Or they were too “difficult.”
Facing 2005, I can only say that I’ll do better than I
did during ‘04. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Don’t let me forget.
The Shire of
Myrtleholt
presents a
Celtic New Year Feast
Saturday, Jan. 1, 2005
Kerby Belt Building
11 a.m. to midnight
Good Food * Fire Dancers
Dancing Girls * Tarot Reading * Music
Games * Bards * Henna Tattoo Artists
Feast served at 6 p.m. Food will be available all day.
$8 - Adults (16+) $5 - Children (6 -15)
Children 5 years and younger FREE, NMS $3
Family Cap $25 (no SCA households please)
Dry site, bring feast gear. Please try to wear medieval/
renaissance type clothing - we have some to share.
For more information contact Sharon at
592-2272 or sharon@stephenthemerchant.com
A good name, like good will, is got
by many actions and lost by one.
- Lord Jeffery -
Illinois Valley News
An Independent Weekly Newspaper Co-owned and
published by Robert R. (Bob) and Jan Rodriguez
Bob Rodriguez, Editor El Jefe
Entered as second class matter June 11, 1937 at Post
Office as Official Newspaper for Josephine County and
Josephine County Three Rivers School District, published
at 321 S. Redwood Hwy., Cave Junction, OR 97523
Periodicals postage paid at Cave Junction, OR 97523
Post Office Box 1370 USPS 258-820
Telephone (541) 592-2541, FAX (541) 592-4330
Volume 67, No. 41
Staff: Kacy Clement, Becky Loudon,
Michelle Binker, & Shane Welsh.
Paladin Business Services - Kina Perez
Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
DEADLINES:
News, Classified & Display Ads,
Announcements & Letters
3 P.M. FRIDAY
(Classified ads & uncomplicated display ads can be
accepted until Noon, Monday with an additional charge.)
POLICY ON LETTERS: ‘Illinois Valley News’ welcomes letters to
the editor provided they are of general interest, in good taste,
legible and not libelous. All letters must be signed, using
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number. The latter need not be published, but will be used to
verify authenticity. The ‘News’ reserves the right to edit letters.
One letter per person per month. Letters are used at the discretion
of the publisher. Unpublished letters are neither acknowledged
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inordinately long in the editor's opinion.
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submitted each week if the item is to run for more than one week.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One year in Josephine County - $20.80
One year in Jackson and Douglas Counties - $24.40
One year in all other Oregon counties
and out-of-state - $28
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to
P.O. Box 1370, Cave Junction, OR. 97523
Joe’s Market in Kerby,
Selma Community Center,
Holland Store, and the dis-
trict administrative site.
In Selma, the Thomp-
son Creek Project is proving
to be quite beneficial, said
De Spellman, a volunteer
firefighter and IVFD fire
prevention coordinator.
Involving defensible
space and fuels reduction,
the project comprises some
130 acres in the Thompson
Creek, Forest Creek and
Briar Lane areas, said Spell-
man. She said that approxi-
mately 50 defensible space-
type people have been
working.
Related to the project,
Thompson Creek Road has
been resurfaced. And as part
of fuel reduction, brush on
30 feet of either side from
the center line will be
cleared, she said. The same
procedure will be applied to
Briar Lane and Forest Creek
Road, she added.
The Thompson Creek
area was chosen for the ini-
tial work, she said, because
after study, it was deter-
mined to be the highest-risk
area in case of wildfire.
Spellman has been
working with the Bureau of
Land Management, I.V.
Community Response Team
(for funding), and IVFD on
the project. BLM, for exam-
ple, had to survey the area to
determine that nothing that
needed to be protected was
involved.
“We wrote a prescrip-
tion for the Thompson
Creek Project,” said Spell-
man, “and will be moving
next to what we’re calling
the North Selma Project. It
will involve the Draper Val-
ley and Indian Creek areas.”
She said she hopes that
the community will turn out
for the Jan. 6 gathering in
preparation for the final plan
version.
(Editor’s Note: Views and
commentary, including state-
ments made as fact, are strictly
those of the letter-writers.)
* * *
Typed, double-spaced let-
ters written solely to this news-
paper are considered for publi-
cation. Hand-written letters that
are double-spaced and legible
also can be considered.
Cards of thanks are not
accepted as letters.
* * *
‘Big Brother’
From Marvin Sprinkle
Cave Junction
Wasn’t too long ago
that the state of Oregon let it
be known that it was look-
ing for a means to tax vehi-
cle mileage.
Folks are probably
thinking it can’t be done.
Wrong! There is an eye-
opening article in the Janu-
ary issue of “Popular Me-
chanics.” The article,
“Spying On You,” is one
everyone should read.
The phrase, “Big
Brother is Watching You,”
is now a reality. Just one of
the topics refers to automo-
biles. In 2004, black box
data recorders were a stan-
dard feature in nearly 70
percent of cars manufac-
tured. They’re now installed
in about 40 million cars in
the United States.
Tiny event data record-
ers (EDRs) live under the
dash or seats and silently
record what happens to ve-
hicle in the seconds sur-
rounding a crash. Like speed
when the brakes are applied,
and so on.
Like black boxes in air-
liners, they become critical
in serious accidents. In fact,
they’ve already been used in
court cases involving seri-
ous crimes and accidents.
During 2003, the Na-
tional Transportation Safety
Board announced that it
wanted EDRs installed in all
new vehicles. Only Califor-
nia currently requires own-
ers to be notified if an EDR
is on board.
But is it a means for
others to monitor your driv-
ing habits? Can lawyers
demand access for use in
civil lawsuits?
A major auto insurer is
probing with its fingers in to
see what it can do about
sticking the Trojan Horse
into our driving habits. Just
think of all the problems
they could lay on us. The
problem is that there has to
be a line drawn somewhere
for the citizens to have pro-
tection from all the vultures
lurking and drooling over
their newfound victims.
True meaning
From I.V. Bikers
Illinois Valley
It was early morning on
Christmas Eve Day, when
we heard a strange noise
from far, far away.
We looked and looked
to see what it was; then we
saw the reindeer, the sleigh
and Dear Santa Claus.
He pulled on the reins
to slow the reindeer down,
and quickly the sleigh eased
onto the ground. They
landed at the I.V. Senior
Center parking lot; quickly
Santa jumped out and began
moving about.
(Continued on page 3)
Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Thank You Illinois Valley
for your support
I look forward to seeing you in 2005
Fuel additive
(Continued from page 1)
improve mileage of many
types of vehicles, including
jet aircraft; and use a renew-
able resource in the process-
ing of our product --
‘garbage wood’, ” he said.
He estimates that a
blending plant, where the
product with its protected
formula would be mixed,
could be in operation in Illi-
nois Valley during the first
six months of 2005.
The catalyst can be for-
mulated for use in every
fossil fuel. These include
gasoline, and diesel/bunker
and jet fuels, Kurko said.
He added that many
millions of dollars worth of
grants are available in con-
nection with the fuel work,
and that such funding could
only benefit Illinois Valley.
He plans to take the
company public, but noted
that investors before that
would be considered. His
phone number is 415-1010.
1 hurt in crash
One person was trans-
ported by American Medi-
cal Response after a two-
vehicle crash on Redwood
Hwy. at Selmac Auto Ser-
vice, said Illinois Valley
Fire District Deputy Chief
Jeff Gavlik.
The crash at 18092
Redwood Hwy. in Selma
was reported at approxi-
mately 2 p.m. Monday,
Dec. 27.
I.V. firefighters had to
use extrication equipment
to be able to remove one
person from the wreckage.
Specific details of the
incident were unavailable
in time for this issue.
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