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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 2005)
Page 2 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 31, 2005 No cats and dogs this time. But how ‘bout Mexican horses? How can you tell they’re Mexican? Just kidding. Actually, I want to reminisce about La Charreada -- the Mexican rodeo -- several of which I attended in Escon- dido, Calif. prior to moving to Oregon in 1979. By the way, this means that the coming Labor Day will mark our 26th year in the Beaver State. For some reason, that reminds me of the bull “fight” I viewed as a lad of approximately 14, when some cousins in El Paso, Texas took me and another cousin, Cliff, to Juarez, Mexico. I don’t want to go into it because it in- volved a drive-in business and a beverage called “Cuba Libre.” Also because the event, called the national sport of Mexico, didn’t appeal to me. And that’s no bull. Anyway, back to Escondido not long before we shifted ourselves north in ‘79. I knew this guy from Peru, who also worked for NCR Corp. in Rancho Bernardo, and he was a peerless promoter. He got involved with the Mexican community in Escondido, and hired me to be the photographer for the muy grande Mexico rodeos at an arena on the road to Valley Center. I enjoyed the charreadas; they appealed to my soul, what with being a Rodriguez and all. I was immersed in the sights and sounds: the charros (men) and charras (women) in their colorful, ornate costumes with silver- and-gold colored trimmings, plus stunning sombreros; the display of serapes; the audience hombres with the tops of their bottles of Jose Cuervo protruding from their right-rear pants pockets; the aroma of carne asada, tama- les, burritos and fresh tortillas; the taste of beverages including Carta Blanca, Dos Equis, Tecate and Bohemia. To name a few. And bowls of homemade, tasty tortilla chips plus other bowls of salsa caliente y piquante. And there were the musicians; an amateur crew that made what I call soul music with bass fiddle, trumpets, violins and guitars. You could call them mariachis and not be too far off base. If they delayed playing too long between numbers, at least half the audience would shout, “Musica! Musica!” So the musicians would wipe their lips, return Senor Cuervo to their right-rear pockets and continue playing. There also were the young men and women in their fiesta best, sitting in groups and casting shy glances at one another. Eventually they’d mingle, with many smiles and giggles, while a few matronly chaperones in sturdy shoes and dark dresses, with mantillas over their severe hair styles, would keep their eyes wide open. Of course, the horsemanship and horse sense also were admirable, which were the reasons I was there with my camera. The two events I enjoyed most were the paso de la muerte (the pass of death), and the coleadero (literally, “the tail-twister.”) In the first, which is usually the final event (no pun intended), three charros drive a saddleless wild mare around the edge of the arena at a fairly rapid pace. The trick is for the one right next to the mare to move smoothly from his mount to the mare, having only the mane to hold onto. The audience was always deathly still (pun sort of intended) during the paso de la muerte. Then they’d burst into wild applause at the success, and the mariachis would burst into a triumphant air. The tail-twist event, usually the most-popular, in- volves a charro riding alongside a bull, saluting the judges as he rides past. Then, slapping the steer, he slides one hand along the animal’s back until he can grab the tail. Then he must wrap it around one of his boots; and speed up his horse to a faster pace than that of the steer so he can pull the bull off balance. (“Pull the bull” has a nice ring to it, eh?) And what about a bum steer? Anyway, the harder the animal falls, the better the score for the charro. Sixty meters are allowed, but if it can be done within 30 meters, the score will be higher. Sometimes in this event, the animal would deposit some internal matter onto the charro, much to his cha- grin. And some in the audience would shout jokingly, “Mantequilla!” (butter). The festivities, butter notwithstanding, would last into the night after the rodeo, with dancing and eating. Unfor- tunately, the charreada eventually was shut down by the cops because of reported liquor law violations. Yeah, some of the under-age folks were said to be drinking cerveza. So ended the run of the Mexican rodeos while we were still living down south. They were grand events, and I miss the soul music, but the memories are vivid. Bake Sale Cutting error at Babyfoot admitted by USFS aide Due to a U.S. Forest Service error, timber was harvested in approximately 10 to 17 acres of the 352- acre Babyfoot Lake Botani- cal Area as part of the Fid- dler Fire Salvage Sale, the agency said last week. During the layout of the Fiddler Fire Salvage Timber Sale a boundary mistake in sale layout was made said the forest service. The agency said that it was unaware of the incur- sion into the Babyfoot Lake Botanical Area until it was brought to its attention dur- ing August, after the trees had been cut. The forest service said it appreciates Barbara Ullian, of the Siskiyou Regional Education Project, for bring- ing this information to the agency’s attention. “We regret that this happened. It was never our intention or a management decision to cut trees within the Botanical Area,” said Pam Bode, Galice and Illi- nois Valley District Ranger. The forest service planned for the Babyfoot Lake Botanical Area to be protected from logging ac- tivities associated with the Biscuit Project. “The forest service is deeply concerned about the error, and we will be work- ing with interested parities to take action to restore this area,” said Bode. “It is our intent,” she said, “to work closely with interested parties to identify and implement specific res- toration activities that can be effective in restoring Brewer Spruce that were killed in Biscuit Fire, and scenic quality to the areas that had been cut, as well as for the entire Babyfoot Lake Bo- tanical area.” The Babyfoot Lake Bo- tanical Area was established in 1963 to protect Brewer Spruce and other rare plant species. No cutting of Brewer Spruce is to occur in the area, and removal of other trees is only appropri- ate to alleviate hazards (dangerous snags around the trailhead, for example) or to advance the purposes for which the area was estab- lished. ‘Huge Yard Sale’ Eastern Star annual Labor Day Weekend Extravaganza! Dr. Gold joins Siskiyou Health site Dr. Meg Gold, who earned her Doctor of Medi- cine degree at Loyola Uni- versity Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine in May- wood, Ill., will join Siskiyou Community Health Center (SCHC) Tuesday, Sept. 6. Gold, a Board-Certified Family Practice physician, will practice at the clinic in Cave Junction, 319 Caves Hwy. Prior to earning her M.D. degree, Gold gradu- ated from St. Xavier Univer- sity in Chicago with a bachelor of science degree in nursing. She completed her Family Practice Resi- dency at Providence Family Practice Residency, Univer- sity of Washington Affiliate in Seattle. During this summer she completed an acupuncture certification course at the Institute for Classical Five- Element Acupuncture in Santa Monica, Calif. Before obtaining her medical degree, Gold worked as a registered Hwy. 199 topic for open house An open house regard- ing the U.S. Hwy. 199 Ex- pressway Project will be held Thursday, Aug. 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Grants Pass Family YMCA, 1000 Redwood Ave. Since January, citizen teams have met monthly, developing conceptual alter- natives for the expressway from the south “Y” inter- change west to Midway Avenue, said Oregon Dept. of Transportation (ODOT). This section of 199, cur- rently designated as an Ore- gon Dept. of Transportation (ODOT) Safety Corridor, has a higher crash rate than the statewide average for similar highways. An Environmental Analysis will be used to formulate project alterna- tives and reach a preferred alternative. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2009. ODOT staff will be available at the open house to answer questions and to gather input from residents and business owners. “The project is focused on improving safety,” said ODOT Project Leader Eryca McCartin. “We’ll have several displays that will help the public under- stand the different elements of this project.” nurse, specializing in pediat- ric intensive care, neonatal intensive care and working with HIV/AIDS hospice patients. A National Health Ser- vices Corps Scholar, Gold DR. MEG GOLD has spent the last six years working as a Family Medi- cine physician in Michigan, working in private practice and in a community health center. She has a strong commitment to rural under- served communities, and will provide full primary- care services to Illinois Val- ley residents, said SCHC. She has a special inter- est in traditional medicine and working with entire families. Gold was drawn to Jo- sephine County for its abun- dance of outdoor activities, wilderness areas and rivers. An avid hiker, she is eager to explore the many scenic areas in S.W. Oregon. She has purchased a home in Cave Junction and looks forward to becoming an integral member of the community, said SCHC. She will begin seeing patients Sept. 6. The clinic in Cave Junction is accept- ing most insurance plans. A sliding-scale fee schedule is available for patients with- out insurance coverage. To schedule an appoint- ment with Gold, telephone 592-4111. Northwest Hairlines Walk-ins Welcome for ‘Back to School’ Cuts $10 for Students $8 for Students 10 or younger 592-3123 C-J Child Care Center We’re OPEN! To register, phone 592-2273 or visit the former Discovery Acres 28409 Redwood Hwy. Saturday, September 3 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nifty Gifty Store across from Shop Smart on Watkins Open Saturday, September 10, too Saturday through Monday, 9-3 daily Bag Sale at 1 Monday 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 68, No. 24 Staff: Kacy Clement, Michelle Binker, Becky Loudon, Bryan Harley, Tabitha Jackson, Nina Holm Consulting. Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association DEADLINES: News, Classified & Display Ads, Announcements & Letters 5 P.M. THURSDAY (Classified ads & uncomplicated display ads can be accepted until Noon, Friday 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 complete name, and contain the writer’s address and telephone number. The latter need not be published, but will be used to verify authenticity. The ‘News’ reserves the right to edit letters. Generally, one letter per person per month at publish- ers’ discretion. Letters are used at the discretion of the publishers. Unpublished letters are neither acknowledged nor returned. A prepaid charge may be levied if a letter is inordinately long in the publishers’ opinion. POLICY ON “HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE,” DISPLAY & CLASSIFIED ADS & NOTICES: All submissions must be hand delivered, faxed or e-mailed to us for publica- tion. Submissions must be resubmitted weekly if the item is to run 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 - $36 POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to P.O. Box 1370, Cave Junction, OR 97523 From six to nine jobs initially will result from the planned Primrose Lane sen- ior citizen assisted-care de- velopment in the city of Cave Junction. The page 8 continuation of a page 1 story in last week’s Aug. 24 issue incor- rectly reported that 69 jobs would result, as the editor covering the city council meeting, where the state- ment was made, heard “69” instead of “six to nine.” (OK, maybe the editor needs a hearing aid.) If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend. - Doug Larson - Get ‘Noosed’ every week. Phone 592-2541 to find out how. We have limited openings at The Little Lambs Christian Based Preschool We invite you to join the fun! We are teaching preschool and kindergarten this year. We learn about God’s love, our alphabet, phonics, numbers, and lots more! We use A-Beka curriculum. Our school hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Our fees are $100 a month per child. For more information phone 597-2625 or 592-3923. School starts on Tuesday, the 6th of September. A ministry of Bridgeview Community Church 5181 Holland Loop
