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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Last week we made another of our famous dashes
to San Diego to visit and help our daughter, Vicki,
and 2.5-year-old granddaughter, Natalie, who pro-
nounces her last name, “Kaplan,” as “Krappin.”
These dashes involve working like crazy, with the
“Noose” staff pitching in like troopers (or troupers,
whichever you prefer), so we are able to leave the of-
fice at noon Tuesday to catch a 3 p.m. Horizon Air
flight from Medford to Portland, and then an Alaska
Airlines flight to San Diego, arriving there at approxi-
mately 7 p.m.
Then we have three days in our native county until
we need to leave from San Diego International/
Lindbergh Field at 10 a.m. Saturday, etc., arriving
back in Medford at 3 p.m. It’s a bit rushed, but own-
ing your own business simply requires that sort of
scheduling. Besides, we enjoy doing it, and seeing our
family down south is worth any effort.
Vicki’s husband, Matt, was away for five days at a
training seminar. They live in Carlsbad, where traffic
continues to grow, right along with housing prices.
We were finally able to finish sanding and painting
most of a bedroom set for Natalie’s new room, as
Vicki is due to deliver a baby in early May. Preparing
the furniture turned out to be the easy part. The tough
part was hauling everything upstairs (there’s a kink
half-way up), and then assembling the bed. Fortu-
nately, Jan has the brain of a creative engineer, so
with her smarts and my muscle the job was done.
Also, Natalie “helped” by handing us every tool in
sight, plus screws, and poking her head in front of
whatever it was we were doing. And we loved it.
On Friday night last we experienced an out-
standing thunderstorm: It was hard to believe that it
was happening in sunny San Diego. Thunder and
lightning abounded, along with intense rain. The rain
caused some flooding and mudslide problems at loca-
tions including a section of Tijuana, and a small piece
of Point Loma. And it didn’t help a neighborhood in
Oceanside, adjacent to Carlsbad, where several
houses already were shifting and collapsing due to the
soil moving about because it’s super-saturated.
Also Friday we had a “Half-Birthday Party” for
Natalie, including half a cake. She sang right along
with us, including, “Happy Birthday to you.” Funny.
As a bona fide 2 1/2-year-old she has perfected the
exclamation, “No!” Talk about the terrible twos.
But actually she does quite well. We took her and
Vicki to a Japanese buffet restaurant at a large mall,
where I ate enough food for three guys. This place,
Onami’s, has a menu that will not quit, including
sushi and desserts. It took me several trips with differ-
ent plates to even sample a portion of the offerings.
Then later (much later) that day I got a craving for
nachos, which was satisfied with an order of same
from Rubio’s, with carne asada.
Yes, I am getting older; I can tell because I find
myself talking about food. Just like my parents did.
Yikes, now what? I’m liable to start talking to myself.
What? Nothing! Wait, what did I say? Never mind.
Our flights, courtesy of our son, Michael, went
well. I always clutch up a bit because we fly “space
available” on standby basis. Usually it works out, and
this trip was no exception. Although in San Diego I
looked out my window and told Jan we were so high
that the people below looked like ants. She replied,
“Those are ants. We haven’t taken off yet.”
Anyway, one flight attendant’s tongue slipped, so
when he welcomed us aboard in San Diego, he called
the plane a “scarecraft.” We all got a good laugh. I
don’t believe in slips like that being some sort of des-
tiny prediction; and we’re here to prove it. In fact,
(this is a non sequitur) we reached Portland 15 min-
utes ahead of schedule. The only scary part of the trip
was being the last two standby people called to the
gate in San Diego. But we made it.
There were a lot more details I was going to pro-
vide about this trip, such as my taking Natalie to a
nearby YMCA for “gymnastics.” It’s a 45-minute
play session, where one of her favorite attractions is
something she
calls
the
“marshmallow
pit.” It’s pretty
neat;
I’ve
jumped in it
myself a cou-
ple of times.
And I was
going to tell
you about the special game she made up at a park near
her house. I pulled her there in her wagon, and helped
her down a slide several times. Her game: While
standing, bury your feet in sand; then ask Pop-Pop
(that’s me) to come figure out what happened to her
feet. When Pop-Pop peers down, you swiftly bring up
one of your feet, thereby spraying yours truly with
sand. This is followed by one of the happiest chuckles
around; only a 2.5-year-old can laugh that way. Well,
it only took two times for me to figure out the game.
Now, excuse me. I need to go wash, as I still have
some sand caught in my eyebrows.
(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.
* * *
Horse sense
From Dave & Sally Marsh
Cave Junction
We are the ones who
had the horse caught in a
stock panel in deep mud.
Our daughter, grandson,
and our friends, the Ma-
honeys, tried unsuccessfully
to free her.
In desperation, we
called Illinois Valley Fire
District.
We were impressed
with the professional way in
which they went to work. It
was obvious that they are
well-trained in handling
ropes, pulleys, slings, etc.
One of the team mem-
bers, De Spellman, came by
a few days later to see how
the horse is doing. What a
wonderful, caring group of
volunteers we have in our
valley.
‘Forks’ water
From Geraldine Davidson
Cave Junction
“Forks” State Park is
about to lose the water pro-
vided by the city of Cave
Junction, as “first bridge”
will be replaced this year,
and the pipes under it will
be removed.
I know that people here
have busy lives, but I am
hoping that some will write
one more letter or make one
more telephone call.
I think that potable wa-
ter at parks is important for
several reasons including
clean water for the inevita-
ble injuries. “Forks” already
has flush toilets and they
would be replaced, at con-
siderable expense, by out-
houses.
The growth of our com-
munity makes all our parks
more important. The density
of housing in and around
Cave Junction will make
this green, open space more
valuable to all of us.
People can help by writ-
ing the mayor and city coun-
cil at city hall in Cave Junc-
tion. The fax number is 592-
6694. People also can write
Oregon Dept. of Transporta-
tion Highway Division at
345 Agness Ave., Grants
Pass 97528.
‘Stimulating’ discussion
From Michelle Binker
Cave Junction
First, let me make plain
that meth is one of the most
vile substances a person
could ever ingest, and that
the personal and social costs
resulting from its use are
crippling our communities.
A recent town hall
meeting held to discuss
combating this stimulant
was truly enlightening.
However, I could just
taste the irony (mmm…
cream, please, and two sug-
ars) as the panel chairman,
Congressman Greg Walden,
announced that free doses of
Our Favorite Stimulant were
available at the back of the
auditorium, courtesy of a
Grants Pass-based caffeine
cartel.
Goodness knows those
attending the early morning
meeting were happy to hear
it. Indeed, we applauded the
news.
(Editor’s Note: Michelle
Binker is a staff writer for
“Illinois Valley News.”)
‘Rightness and
righteousness
From Alison E. Cleveland
Illinois Valley
Once again the Hydra
of imposed morality has
shown her omnipresence.
Myrna Shaneyfelt and
her hapless band of minions
show amazing flexibility, as
they stoop to an incredibly
new low in their overtly
sententious crusade against
democracy, basic human
rights, and women’s rights
in the impudent campaign
against the “Vagina Mono-
logues.”
This latest audacious
imposition of their impossi-
bly myopic, ultranarrow,
fundamentalist worldview
further demonstrates that
this sect of neo-
conservatives will stop at
nothing to impose their un-
wanted agenda on all of so-
ciety. These “1 percenters,”
are the Hell’s Angels of
Christianity, who by choice,
use hate-mongering, intimi-
dation, and obstreperous
tactics to deter freedom of
choice, freedom of speech,
and self-determination, as
they attempt to speak for all
Christians.
To this I say, “no.”
Let’s look at rightness and
righteousness.
Rightness: Our autono-
mous and democratic consti-
tutions, state and federal,
have provided us the guar-
antees of freedom of speech,
pursuit of happiness, equal-
ity, and self-determination.
They include in our
communities plurality of
religion, freedom to wor-
ship, or not. Also, to define
and practice our individual
code of ethics, and morality;
to form our individual spiri-
tual, and non-spiritual belief
systems as defined and pro-
vided by our constitution,
and state and federal laws.
Righteousness: An
overly sententious and sub-
ornation of individual rights,
and beliefs. A subjugation
of liberties, and a denial of
one’s freedom of spiritual
and religious expression. An
imposition of a monotheistic
institution, and censorship.
I say that we should
speak up and speak out for
democracy and against cen-
sorship.
‘Sheeple’ concerns
From Catherine Austin
Cave Junction
Dr. Lawrence Britt has
written on fascism and come
up with 14 characteristics.
(The parenthetical notes are
mine.)
*Powerful, continuing
nationalism (flags every-
where, intolerance to dis-
sent).
*Disdain for the recog-
nition of human rights (Abu
Grabib and Guantanamo).
*Identifying enemies or
scapegoats as a unifying
cause (roundups of immi-
grants; spying on and turn-
ing in sympathizers).
*Military supremacy
(the new federal budget calls
for heavy slashing of do-
mestic programs, and a third
from education, but an im-
mediate request for $80 bil-
lion more for the war in
Iraq, and other military in-
creases).
*Rampant sexism.
*Controlled mass media
(media consolidation owned
by Bush Administration
supporters, White House-
paid pundits posing as inde-
pendent reporters, lack of
truly diverse voices).
*Obsession with na-
tional security (Dept. of
Homeland Security, which
is more about surveillance
on citizens than preventing
an attack).
*Religion and govern-
ment intertwined (Bush’s
(Continued on Page 3)
Saturday, Feb. 26
First Show: 6 p.m. - ‘Mulan 2,’ G - 79 mins.
Second Show: 8 p.m. - ‘Raise Your Voice,’
PG - 147 mins.
Showing in the Snack Bar:
Taylor Dogs - $1.50
Nachos - $1
Popcorn
Candy
Soda
10 & under must
be accompanied
by an adult.
Personality can open doors, but only character
can keep them open.
Pain - Stress - Injuries
Deep massage - CranioSacral Therapy
Monday - Friday by appointment
Senior Discounts - Gift Certificates
- Elmer G. Letterman -
Illinois Valley News
An Independent Weekly Newspaper Co-owned and
published by Robert R. (Bob) and Jan Rodriguez
Bob Rodriguez, Editor El Jefe
Come One, Come All!
It’s time for baseball season!
Registrations for the 2005 baseball season
will be held Sat., Feb. 26 and Sat., March 5
at Lorna Byrne Middle School.
‘Players’ Mechanics Clinic’ will be held
Sun., Feb. 27 and Sun., March 6 from 2 - 5
at Jubilee Park. Registration will be open
on these two days also. You Must be
registered to participate in the clinic.
We need adult volunteers to help with the
clinics and the baseball season.
For further information contact Janet
Ewing, Information Officer, at 659-8618.
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. 49
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