Page 7
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, September 21, 2005
New Orleans evacuee finds shelter in Takilma
‘Rogue Spirit’ show coming
(Continued from page 1)
“Spirit of the Rogue,” a
juried exhibit celebrating the
Rogue River, will be shown
Oct. 5-29 at the Rogue
Community College Fire-
house Gallery.
The display is held in
conjunction with the third
annual Art Along the Rogue
Art and Music Festival.
Exhibiting artists are
Jack Bingham, Sherrill
Brumbach, Rose Casano,
Marilyn Clouse, Vince Carl,
Morgan Johnson, Tom
Kirchen, Linda Killion
Smith, and Joann Louder-
milk.
A first Friday Art Night
cerned about material losses,
feeling happy that she was
able to escape the fate that
some evacuees underwent.
“I’m here for four
weeks,” she said, having
arrived Sept. 8. “I can’t get
into my apartment until
[early October], and I’m
wondering what I’ll find.”
The software company
for which she is office man-
ager is on the second floor
of a building that flooded
and was damaged fairly ex-
tensively. The firm, which
has clients nationwide, with
approximately a third in
New Orleans, utilizes “lots
of IBM-type computers.”
She continues to stay in
touch with her boss, and her
son, who also lives in New
Orleans, to stay abreast of
the situation. Plus, she’s a
member of the Society of
Creative Anachronism, and
in contact with its members
in and around the area.
She left the city Mon-
day, Aug. 29, when the hur-
ricane arrived, and was able
to get 50 miles west to her
son, “a five-hour trip that
took eight hours.
“There have been many
close calls,” related to
weather, she noted, “but this
was different, as there are no
big cities near. Many were
leaving the city, and it
(evacuation) was better or-
ganized this time” so there
were many vehicles out.
“The governor decided
that Interstate 10 lanes
would be used only for exit-
ing east and west; not for
coming in,” said Pacheco.
Residents also could use
Hwy. 59 to reach Hatties-
burg or Hwy. 55 to reach
Jackson.
Eventually the I-10
bridge was destroyed,
blocking traffic from Mis-
sissippi.
The canal caved in on
the New Orleans side, said
Pacheco. “It got full and
then collapsed,” she said,
noting that four levies were
breached.
Sunday before the hurri-
cane, a mandatory evacua-
tion order was issued, but
she was “among the die-
hards, wanting to ride it out.
That lasted until Sunday
morning when the hurricane
turned up from Florida. I
changed my mind then.”
Tuesday after the hurri-
cane, she tried to return to
New Orleans, and got
within 50 miles. Her son’s
boss took in her and 10 fam-
ily members. Gasoline was
not available after Tuesday;
there were no deliveries to
Wal*Mart so food was
scarce, but they were able to
get items including air mat-
tresses. There was no loot-
ing like downtown, she said.
An overnight stay be-
came three days. She had to
get an emergency shipment
of medicine as she ran out
and couldn’t get to her place.
As a part-time tour
guide on weekends, either
walking or on buses to city
and swamp sites, she has a
good general knowledge of
the city and its operations.
Lake Pontchatrain
above the city is big, she
said, with a 24-mile-long
causeway, but only 10-11
feet deep on average. She
said that the force 5 hurri-
cane became force 4 over
the lake, picked up water
and dumped it.
“The Mississippi River
had no part in the flood; it
was a breach of the levy
system,” she said, “as the
city is below sea level. The
pump system failed because
it was under water, and the
levy system construction
failed.”
The levies, she said,
were built after the 1965
Hurricane “Betsy” a force 3.
“We all thought the big one
would never come, and no
money ever materialized to
build a stronger system,”
said Pacheco.
On her first trip to Ore-
gon because of the lockout,
she arrived with two duffle
bags. She was able to depart
from Baton Rouge airport to
Houston, to Portland to
Eugene, where Jim and Teri
picked her up. She plans to
fly from Medford Oct. 6.
Pacheco said that there
were many complaints be-
cause National Guardsmen
didn’t arrive to the stricken
city until four days after the
hurricane.
Additionally, she said,
there appeared to be a mas-
sive lack of communication
between responding agen-
cies so that none knew what
the other was doing. And in
one case, she noted, a group
from California arrived right
after the hurricane ready to
re-establish communica-
tions, but was turned away
by FEMA.
Pacheco said that the
biggest trauma is for those
who had to stay in the city,
some of whom were lost
when a barge crashed
through a levy. The resul-
tant, rapid deluge made es-
cape impossible, she said.
But “The city will be
rebuilt,” she said,
“regardless of doom-sayers.
It will be different and bet-
ter, likely a smaller city at
first, but will grow rapidly
with new infrastructure.
“The city is approxi-
mately 10-by-12 blocks
originally built in 1718, and
lost to fire in the 1790s, so
some of the city is more
than 200 years old, and a
main tourist attraction.
“The French Quarter is
OK,” she noted, “because
it’s 26 feet above sea level.
It was the driest place in the
city, although there was
some water in the streets.
“We’ll probably have
Mardi Gras because it is a
symbol of our city.”
The escapee said that
prayers should be said for
people who went to Texas.
“They are the ones who
have only the shirt on their
backs, plus many were sepa-
rated from their families,”
she said.
Pacheco said that poor
Black people comprise
nearly 70 percent of the
New Orleans population.
This means, she said, that
claims of discrimination are
untrue. “It’s a problem of
poverty, not discrimination,”
she said.
Pacheco is the only girl
among six children, and has
siblings, including another
brother, Tim, in Brookings,
so she’s not concerned
about finding more places to
reception is set for 6 to 9
p.m. Friday, Oct. 7.
A street-painting semi-
nar is scheduled at 6 p.m.
Oct. 7 at the Firehouse Gal-
lery. The seminar is part of
the Art Along the Rogue
street painting even that will
take place Oct. 8-9 in
Downtown Grants Pass on
H Street between Fifth and
Sixth streets.
The Firehouse Gallery
is in Historic City Hall,
Fourth and H streets, Grants
Pass. The gallery is open
from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesdays through Fridays;
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.
139 S. Caves Ave. Suite F
(Inside Caves Mall)
592-4117
Mention this ad and pay just $10 for your first month
of Internet Access!
No Sign-Up Fees
No Contracts
No Credit Card Required
Locally Owned and Operated
Free Computer Repair Estimates
www.ValleySurf.net
Low-Cost
Parts and Accessories
www.ValleySurf.net
I think a hero is an
ordinary individual who
finds strength to
persevere and
endure in spite of
overwhelming obstacles.
- Christopher Reeve -
Tuesday, Sept. 6
*1:08 p.m., medical assist
(M.A.), all with American
Medical Response (AMR),
26000 block Redwood Hwy.
*1:13 p.m., districtwide
medical standby (DiMS), all for
AMR.
Wednesday, Sept. 7
*`12:20 p.m., M.A., 100
block W. Palmer Street.
*12:23 p.m., DiMS.
*9:02 p.m., M.A., 600
block Waldo Road.
*9:35 p.m., DiMS.
Thursday, Sept. 8
*4:17 p.m., M.A., 28000
block Redwood Hwy.
*9:23 p.m., M.A., 600
block Waldo Road.
Friday, Sept. 9
*1:20 p.m., small vehicle
fire, Cascade Drive.
*2:30 p.m., outdoor smoke
investigation (small brush fire
located), rear of Jubilee Park
off Old Stage Road.
Saturday, Sept. 10
*4:15 p.m., M.A., 7000
block Holland Loop.
*4:18 p.m., DiMS.
*5:06 p.m., outdoor smoke
investigation, 1000 block Lake-
shore Drive.
*10:08 p.m., MVA, Red-
wood Hwy. milepost 18.
Sunday, Sept. 11
*7:42 p.m., outdoor smoke
investigation, 100 block Illinois
River Road.
Monday, Sept. 12
*10:23 a.m., DiMS.
*12:18 p.m., M.A., Wood
Duck Lane.
*12:24 p.m., DiMS.
Tuesday, Sept. 13
*6:57 p.m., M.A., 100
block N. Redwood Hwy.
*7 p.m., DiMS.
Wednesday, Sept. 14
*2:29 a.m., M.A., 1000
block Rockydale Road.
*9:29 a.m., powerline
problem, Hogue Drive/Warren
Road.
*11:34 a.m., M.A., 5000
block Westside Road.
*6:30 p.m., M.A., 200
block Junction Avenue.
Thursday, Sept. 15
*11:09 a.m., M.A., 100
block Old Stage Road.
*11:09 a.m., DiMS.
*3:52 p.m., M.A., 500
block Arrowhead Drive.
Friday, Sept. 16
*3:52 p.m., M.A., 28000
block Redwood Hwy.
*7:37 p.m., M.A., 10000
block Takilma Road.
Saturday, Sept. 17
*2:43 p.m., M.A. 400
block McMullen Creek Road.
*3:17 p.m., DiMS.
*7:57 p.m., M.A., 700
block Logan Cut Road.
*8:37 p.m., DiMS.
Sunday, Sept. 18
*1:24 a.m., M.A., 800
block Caves Hwy.
Monday, Sept. 19
*9 a.m., MVA, 13000
block Redwood Hwy.
Are You
Prepared?
Deer Creek Fire
Community Wildfire Meeting
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
5:30 pm Open House/6:30 pm Presentation
Illinois Valley Fire Station #2,
18455 Redwood Hwy., Selma
*coffee, hot dogs, and snacks provided!*
♦Hear fire agencies share information about the Deer Creek Fire and answer
questions from community members
Awesome Father Class
The most important role of your life!
Meet with other fathers to discuss:
Parenting Challenges
Decision Making
Handling Stress
Child Behavior
Discipline
10 weekly classes begin Tues.,
September 27, 7 to 8 p.m.
216 Caves Avenue,
Cave Junction
Sponsored by
Siskiyou Community Health Center
and Commission for Children and Families
Phone Scott at 592-6444
♦Learn about opportunities for fuels reduction and ongoing projects
♦Share your ideas and concerns about wildfire in your community
♦Meet and talk with members of the Illinois Valley Rural Fire Protection District,
Oregon Department of Forestry, Josephine County and the Bureau of Land
Management about fire plans and fuels reduction in the Illinois Valley and
Josephine County
What: A community meeting to reflect on lessons learned from the Deer
Creek Fire and identify opportunities to reduce future wildfire risk
When: Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Where: Illinois Valley Fire Station #2, 18455 Redwood Hwy. Selma,
OR
Contact: Jerry Schaeffer, Illinois Valley Fire Department (541-592-2225) or
Brian Ballou, Oregon Department of Forestry (541-664-3328)
For more information on local fire plans,
visit http://www.co.josephine.or.us
or http://www.ivfire.com/fireplan.htm