IVFD looks at beefing up burn permit ordinance
By SHANE WELSH
Staff Writer
“The number of illegal
open burns we’ve responded
to since the first of this year
is astounding.”
As a result, said Chief
Harry Rich, of Illinois Val-
ley Fire District (IVFD), he
and Jerry Schaeffer, fire
marshal, are working on a
new burning permit that will
go along with IVFD ord-
nance 03-01.
In the event a citation is
warranted by IVFD, the dis-
trict will charge a minimum
of $250, or the cost of sup-
pression (whichever is
greater) for illegal open
burns.
Rich commented during
a board meeting Thursday
night, March 17 at IVFD
Administrative HQ.
Rich explained, “People
are burning trash, tires, fur-
niture; they’re burning eve-
rything you can imagine.
They really don’t realize
that the smell is pungent and
very distinctive.
“We’ve been going out
at all hours of the day and
night on these illegal open
burns. Gentlemen, we’re
done,” he said.
“The community needs
to know that this is a federal
air quality safety require-
ment that they burn safe
stuff -- not plastic, garbage,
furniture, or tires,” he said.
Rich added that this causes
significant health risks to the
community and environ-
ment.
“This fire district is in
the business of protecting
the community, and that’s
exactly what we’re going to
do,” said Rich.
“If one of my duty offi-
cers finds an illegal open
(Continued on page 4)
TOP
FIREFIGHTER
-
Many Smiles, of Illinois
Valley Fire
District’s
Cave Junction Station,
received the 2004 Fire-
fighter of the Year award
during
the
annual
awards banquet at Illi-
nois Valley High School
Saturday night, March
19. She is the fourth con-
secutive woman fire-
fighter to win the award.
See page 8 for additional
award winners.
Here are the high and low
temperatures, and rainfall,
recorded by O’Brien residents
Cheryl & Harry Johnson:
*Fri., March 11, 74-38
*Sat., March 12, 75-39
*Sun., March 13, 71-45
*Mon., March 14, 68-36
*Tues., March 15, 70-28
*Wed., March 16, 59-38
*Th., March 17, 63-44, T
*Fri. March 18, 69-39, T.
*Sat., March 19, 56-41,
2.08.
*Sun., March 20, 48-41,
2.05.
MINOR INJURY CRASH - Cave Junction resident Roger
W. Brown, 59, was cited by Oregon State Police on a
charge of driving under the influence of an intoxicant
after a three-vehicle collision at Caves Hwy. and Laurel
Road Friday morning, March 18. His blood-alcohol con-
tent was .28%, OSP said. He didn’t stop at Laurel and his
pickup truck struck a northbound van driven by CJ resi-
dent Muriel J. Sanford, 64, causing it to hit an empty
Laidlaw school bus stopped to make a left turn. The bus
was driven by Selma resident Pamela S. Thompson, 52,
OSP said. Sanford suffered minor injuries, but her three
passengers were unhurt, OSP said.
Protestors
cite ‘govt.
dbl-speak’
By LAUREL SUTHERLIN
(Editor’s Note: The writer
identifies himself as a project
director for the Oxygen Col-
lective, a spokesperson for
the Biscuit Alliance, and a
board member of the
Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands
Center).
Cave Junction
Wednesday, March 23
Scattered showers,
Rain increasing late
High--51, Low--33.
Thursday, March 24
Moderate rainfall,
Evening showers
High--51, Low--34.
Friday, March 25
Mostly cloudy,
Chance of rain late
High--52, Low--37.
Saturday, March 26
Variable rainfall,
Mild evening
High--52, Low--43.
Sunday, March 27
Rain increasing,
Continuing late
High--57, Low--41.
Monday, March 28
More of the wet stuff,
Mostly cloudy evening
High--59, Low--40.
Tuesday, March 29
Scattered showers,
Light evening rain
High--59, Low--40.
COUGAR PALS from Illinois Valley High School visited
their little buddies at Cave Junction Head Start
Wednesday, March 16. (Clockwise from top left) Par-
ticipants included Tyler Wylie with Emma, Jenna
Lorensen with Kleya, Kami Culver with Alexis, and
Rose Ballard with Madison. (Photos by Dale Sandberg)
Don’t be fooled by
Government Doublespeak,
as the Bush Forest Service is
working hard to pull the
wool over the eyes of the
American public.
Scott Conroy’s com-
ments (“Illinois Valley
News,” March 16) claim
that a “Conflict Industry” is
discrediting the hard work
of the honest folks at the
U.S. Forest Service.
He makes a compelling
case for the Biscuit Fire Re-
covery Project. Regrettably,
it is a well-crafted smoke-
screen confusing the issue to
conceal gross violations of
the public trust on the part
of the agency he represents.
The “Conflict Industry”
he refers to is actually a
dedicated coalition of locals,
(Continued on page 15)