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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 2005)
50¢ ‘Berry happy’ festival set Talent pool hallmark of Hobbins By CHRIS HILL Correspondent Since moving to Illinois Valley in 1984, Cynthia Hobbins, this season’s Cave Junction Swimming Pool manager, has been a splash hit. “I’ve worn about every hat that they have here,” said Hobbins. At one time or another she has been head guard, assistant manager, instructor and life guard. Additionally, Hobbins has been on the CJ Pool Committee since 1984. “The city was afraid they wouldn’t have enough money to open the pool this year,” she said. “It costs approximately $40,000 to operate for the three or four months that it’s open, and then there’s maintenance that continues to go on in the winter months. “At the door, we take in approximately $18,000 to $20,000; so the other half has to be donated,” Hobbins explained. “So the Pool Committee scraped up the money by asking businesses for dona- tions,” she noted. “We’re doing very well at the door. We’re averaging at least 70 users a day. My intent with the pool is to have a place that kids and adults can go to on hot summer days. “Safety is the most im- portant issue. It’s a public business, and the commu- nity needs to support the pool and the staff to make it work well,” she said. For Hobbins, whose summers are consumed with her watery work, her busy life-style is not new. Energy and longevity seem to run in her genes. “My mother is 80 years old and has blessed me with the genes to always keep going. She has energy still at 80. She floated the Colorado River with us for a family reunion and her birthday. And, my dad is 81 and is (Continued on page 8) Following are the high and low temperatures recorded in O’Brien by Cheryl & Harry Johnson. *Fri., July 29: 100-61 *Sat., July 30: 99-61 *Sun., July 31: 95-60 *Mon., Aug. 1: 91-56 *Tues., Aug. 2: 93-60 *Wed., Aug. 3: 100-55 *Thurs., Aug. 4: 100-61 A “berry good time” is planned Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 13-14, during the 24th annual Wild Blackberry Festival with booths and displays in and around Downtown Cave Junction. A special berry-colored two-page presentation, including the schedule of events, is on pages 2 and 7 in this issue. The schedule in the “Noose” is co-sponsored by Home Valley Bank and First American Title. Many businesses are offering blackberry food, drink and desserts, plus other special offerings with a blackberry touch. Besides the special ads on pages 2 and 7, other organiza- tions have their ads in other spots in this issue. The festival is sponsored by the Blackberry Committee. For last-minute booth applications, go to Darn Near Every- thing, or phone Rachel Bennett at 592-2358. Besides the weekend festival, the Second Friday Art Walk in Downtown CJ will be held Aug. 12. A major structure fire at It’s A Burl in Kerby was handled by Illinois Valley Fire Dis- trict (IVFD) last week. (Photos by Dale & Elaine Sandberg, IVFD photographers) It’s A Burl operating despite blaze Despite a fire that lev- eled a workshop with some 1,000 square feet of space, It’s A Burl in Kerby is open for business, as the owners’ home and art gallery were saved by firefighters. A general alarm was issued by Illinois Valley Fire District (IVFD) Tues- day night, at 10:24 p.m., and firefighters from five stations were on-scene un- til 2 a.m. the next day. De- spite the massiveness of the blaze, it was knocked down fairly rapidly. Over- haul took longer. The biggest loss seems to be 80 percent of the tools that were used in fashioning the art work from It’s A Burl, said Joy Shinerock, who owns the business with her husband, Harvey. She said that new tools are ordered. Additionally, employees are being asked for suggestions on features to improve a new building to house a finishing room, and a wood-turning area. The new structure likely will be of concrete, she said, somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Besides the fact that It’s A Burl remains open for business, she also noted that their philosophy is to “rebuild and make it better.” She said that it’s diffi- cult to estimate the loss of some finished art work and raw material, but guessed at approximately $8,000. However, she stressed, that’s only a guess. “We keep adding to the list of burned items,” said Joy, “like on Monday we realized that our respirators were lost.” The structural loss was estimated at $20,000 by IVFD Fire Marshal Jerry Schaeffer. He estimated the content loss, including tools, at $30,000. No cause has been deter- mined for the fire. Schaeffer said that there are several possibilities, as chemicals and stains were in the struc- ture, but that an exact cause likely never will be found. An insurance investiga- tor has been interviewing employees, Joy said. Flames were visible from a considerable distance in the night sky Tuesday. An engine from Rural/Metro Fire Dept. initially responded to help fight the blaze, but was diverted en route to cover Station 2 in Selma. In February 1995, the Shinerocks lost their home and business building at the same location to a Saturday morning fire. The shop that burned last week used one side of the structure damaged in that blaze. Meanwhile, said Joy, “We’re here, and we’re in business.” Lawmen seized 350 growing marijuana plants on Newt Gulch Road in Won- der Thursday, Aug. 4, said Josephine Interagency Nar- cotics Team (JOINT). Arrested were Medford resident Patrick W. Morris- sey, 30; and Newt Gulch resident Robert L. Rogers, 44, Joint said. Each was charged with manufacturing, possession and delivery of a controlled substance/marijuana. JOINT Wednesday, August 10 Sunny to Partly Cloudy High--92 Low--52 Thursday, August 11 Sunny & Clearer High--91 Low--52 Saturday, August 13 Hot Day, Cool Night High--90 Low--46 Sunday, August 14 Mostly Sunny High--91 Low--47 Monday, August 15 Sun, Sun, Sun High--93 Low--48 Tuesday, August 16 Sunny & Hot High--96 Low--54 Siskiyou Community Health Center (SCHC) will break ground for its new 10,000-square-foot medical clinic at 25647 Redwood Hwy. at the north end of Cave Junction on Thursday Aug. 11. The formal celebration will be held at the building site from 10:30 a.m. to noon. A barbecue, compli- ments of Taylor’s Sausage, will follow at Laurel Pines Golf Course in Cave Junc- tion from noon to 2 p.m. Both events are open to the public. The official ground- breaking program will in- clude recognition of indi- viduals and organizations that have supported SCHC and the capital campaign. Paul Janke, administrator at Three Rivers Community Hospital (TRCH), will speak about he planned laboratory and X-ray facility that TRCH will operate in the new medical clinic. Other local dignitaries will speak about the impor- tance of SCHC in the com- munity. Local celebrity Agnes Pilgrim, the oldest living female descendent of the Takilma tribe, inhabitants of Southern Oregon for more then 20,000 years, will perform a traditional bless- ing ceremony for the new project. Ms. Pilgrim is a well-respected spiritual elder and healer of the Con- federated Tribes of Siletz. Members of the “Jefferson Baroque Orches- tra” will entertain guests during the program at the building site. And the “Illinois Valley String Band,” with Carol Valen- tine, will “keep things hop- ping” at the barbecue, hosted by Laurel Pines Golf Course. The new building will replace the clinic’s current facility and will allow SCHC to expand services and add family medicine- providers to meet the needs of the growing Illinois Val- ley community. “We’re really crammed into every little nook and cranny in the whole clinic,” said Sheila Mason, Cave Junction office manager. “To actually meet the access needs for patients to get into the building and get seen, we need more rooms.” SCHC purchased the 7- acre site several years ago, and has been raising money to meet the $2.5 million pro- jected project cost. A Com- munity Development Block Grant has been awarded the city of Cave Junction to help offset infrastructure costs such as water, sewer, and roads. SCHC, through its Choose to Care Capital Campaign, is conducting a community fund-raising campaign, which has netted donations of $392,000 from individuals and local busi- nesses, and $408,000 from private foundations Ninety percent of Siskiyou’s staff and board have donated money for the new clinic. Wonder marijuana plants seized Illinois Valley Friday, August 12 Sunny & Warm High--90 Low--47 Clinic groundbreaking celebration Thursday was assisted by Josephine Marijuana Eradication Team. Officers found that a two-story residence “was completely converted into an exclusive marijuana-growing operation.” Besides plants they found more than two pounds of processed marijuana bud, scales, packaging material, and $474 cash. The suspects cooperated with investigation, which is continuing, said JOINT. Fire hazard levels continuing rise in Josephine, Jackson CAVE JUNCTION STATION DEDICATED - A ribbon-cutting ceremony was conducted Saturday, Aug. 6 at the new CJ Fire Station, which has nearly 11,000 square feet of space. Larry Jones, chairman of the Illinois Valley Fire District (IVFD) Board of Direc- tors, cut the ribbon with (from left) Lt. Will Sowell, Chief Harry Rich, and CJ Mayor Tony Paulson among those observing. Josephine County Commissioners Jim Rid- dle and Jim Raffenburg were among many attendees, as well as Dave Mathews, of American Medical Response; CJ Deputy Ray Webb, of the county sheriff’s office; and Leonard Frick, former IVFD director. A new station in Selma was dedicated July 4, and a new O’Brien station will be dedicated Saturday, Aug. 20. The new stations replace outdated facilities. (Photo by ‘Illinois Valley News’) Want to reach Illinois Valley to tell folks about your product, service, or special event? Use the ‘Illinois Valley News’ -- the community newspaper that’s invited into homes. Wildland fire danger levels on land protected by the Oregon Dept. of For- estry’s (ODF) S.W. Oregon District and the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest rose as of Monday, Aug. 8. The Industrial Fire Pre- caution Level (IFPL) climbed to “Level 3.” The public (regulated use) fire level rose to “Extreme” (red). All U.S. Forest Service- administered land was raised to “Very High” (yellow) fire danger level as of Saturday, Aug. 6. Restrictions affect state, county, private, and Bureau of Land Management land in Jackson and Josephine counties. For ODF, the following public (Regulated Use) fire (Continued on page 3)
