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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, October 19, 2005
This was the week that El Jefe thought about relat-
ing his recently rewatching the 1951 movie, “The Thing,”
sort-of starring Marshal Dillon; I mean, James Arness,
as the vegetable critter from another plant; I mean,
planet, possibly bent on conquering the Earth so that his
fellow veggies could drink our blood.
The first time I saw the movie, in the Linda Theater
in San Diego, I was probably 7 or 8 years old. No one
knew that I was near-sighted, so I didn’t become “four-
eyes” until I was in the sixth-grade. Which means that I
actually saw little of the movie, although I remember get-
ting a migraine headache trying to. So “rewatching” it
last week in a colorized version was like seeing it for the
first time.
But that’s not what I planned to talk about this week.
A co-worker showed me an article in a national maga-
zine about high school football memories. The article
stirred some of my own recollections, and those are
what I really want to inflict on you this time.
On one occasion, we were in the team bus at a pub-
lic school waiting for a gate to be unlocked. We were
good ol’ RC boys being taught by Augustinian priests.
Under direction of the team captain, we began reciting
the rosary, while public school students walked by on
either side of our bus, staring in. The team captain got
miffed, and right in the middle of our praying, he
unleashed a rather harsh expletive at those staring in. I
thought it was somewhat inappropriate, but being only a
linebacker and guard I was outranked by the captain,
who was our quarterback. I still remember the startled
looks on the faces of those kids walking by.
During one practice on a hot San Diego afternoon,
we were doing one-on-one drills where a coach would
toss a ball at one of two of us maniacs, who would then
gallop and try to smash past the other guy, who did his
best to crème his opponent. I was matched with one guy
who my dad would have called “a big bruiser.” I was 165
pounds and rather muscular at the time (brag-brag). We
collided like two planets, and we both saw stars. As we
“came to” after the smash, the coach said, with an evil
smirk, “Good contact feels great, right?!” We both
moaned in agreement. But it was just for show.
Playing high school football was mostly fun, except
for the practices and losing most of our games. Also, we
didn’t always have the best equipment, but we man-
aged. Except for one 52-0 loss against San Diego High
at our homecoming. That was awful. It was so typical of
a small, private school playing public schools that had
more students in one class than we had in our whole
school. And the San Diego High Cavers were tough.
There are lots of other football war stories I could
tell, but after thinking about them and the gruesome de-
tails -- swearing while reciting the rosary notwithstanding
-- I think I should have stuck to “The Thing.”
Friday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m./ Saturday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 23, 3 p.m.
Invite your friends, family and neighbors
to a truly life-changing film.
Bridgeview Community Church
5181 Holland Loop
Please phone for reserved seating, 592-3923
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
Email: newsroom1@frontiernet.net
Volume 68, No. 31
Staff: Kacy Clement, Michelle Binker,
Becky Loudon, Bryan Harley, Tabitha Jackson, Nina Holm Consulting.
Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
(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.
* * *
Open Door seeking
valley assistance
From Vicki Jones
Selma
I am part-owner with
my mom, Dodie Vander-
mark, at Illinois Valley
Open door in Selma. We
have been here for 10 years
serving people with clothing
and food.
We are experiencing an
abundance of homeless peo-
ple during the last couple of
months. During that time we
have served more than
1,200 people of whom 30
percent are homeless.
We could only get one
box of six blankets from
Food Share at this time be-
cause of the Gulf Coast hur-
ricane disasters. All the dis-
aster blankets are being sent
to that area.
We are asking the com-
munity for help. We need
old, usable blankets, pil-
lows, sleeping bags, baby
blankets, diapers for our
little ones, snuggle beds,
quilts and old backpacks.
They would be greatly ap-
preciated.
Our address is 18250-B
Redwood Hwy. For direc-
tions phone 597-2197.
Kwilters applauded
for their Fire Quilts
From I.V. Kwilters
Cave Junction
Following is only one
letter of many that have
been received by I.V.
Kwilters in response to one
of our group’s community
projects: Fire Quilts.
This kind of apprecia-
tion of our efforts keeps us
involved making chemo-
caps and heart-shape pillows
for mastectomy patients,
and Project Linus quilts.
The letter is from Selma
resident James R. Simmons:
‘Dear Ladies: On Aug. 25
my home on Deer Creek
Road burned to the ground.
“Many
people con-
tacted me about many is-
sues, most trying to make
money from my loss. Your
quilting club was the first
and perhaps the only one
that did not seek anything
from me.
“This fine quilt that was
made for me will now be-
come a treasure that I will
keep and use the rest of my
life. The quilt and the fact
that there are people who
seek nothing from others
will serve me will for a life-
time. My sincere thanks to
your club.”
ordinances, and trying to
enforce them. Without the
citizens, there would be no
need for a city council.
Encouraging city leaders
and citizens to commit to
forethought and direction,
create a plan, and look to the
future suggests that we care
about where we would like
our fine city to be in 25
years.
I know that it is not go-
ing to happen overnight. But
making a plan and sticking
to it is a good place to start.
Poor-helpless targets,
claims ex-commissioner
From Tony Corriea
Grants Pass
(Editor’s Note: The writer
is a former Josephine County
commissioner.)
Until the commissioners
have closed the senior cen-
ter, I don’t believe they’ll be
happy. They are targeting
the poor, the helpless and
those depending on Meals
on Wheels.
The board of county
commissioners had been
doing great as far as cutting
back the cost of employee
benefits since there will be a
big loss of revenue for next
year’s budget. We’ll all
have to tighten our belts due
to the increase in the cost-
(Continued on page 3)
Sofas, Sofas, Sofas...
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for !
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new
Lexington Sofa
$568
Duraplush Sofa
$628
O pen 7 days
474-1060
891 N E D Street • Grants Pass Shopping Center
Recycle Round-Up
(Can Slam)
Saturday, Oct. 29
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are neither acknowledged nor returned. A prepaid charge may be levied if a letter is
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tion. Submissions must be resubmitted weekly if the item is to run more than one week.
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 Ann Centonze
Cave Junction
On Monday evening,
Oct. 10 I attended yet an-
other city council meeting. I
cannot understand why --
with all the desire, wisdom
and experience that sits on
the council -- that a long-
term plan for developing the
direction and growth for our
fair city has not been created.
As was pointed out we
are, like most cities, very
diverse and should embrace
that. But our city is going
through growing pains.
We, as citizens, should
be thinking that we would
like to see an overall devel-
opment plan of where our
police station, hospital, en-
tertainment complexes, de-
partment stores and light
industry should be placed to
help support the families we
anticipate will move here
and buy homes.
We should be creating
direction and diversionary
traffic flow to all these
places, and developing in-
frastructures to maintain all
these necessities that grow-
ing cities incorporate into
their growth plan.
While these issues may
not seem too important right
this second, the council al-
ready is running into devel-
opment walls on simple
matters such as approving
street paving and directing
water run-off flow on newly
needed, paved streets.
I think that many things
would happen if an overall
development plan, mapping
the future desired growth,
were created. It would en-
courage citizens to be more
excited about the future of
Cave Junction, while en-
couraging developers of
many locations to want to
develop here, thereby creat-
ing more jobs, diversity and
a wealth of human input
with regard to CJ’s future.
And by allocating po-
tential growth areas, it will
help lay plans for roads,
drainage, parks, protected
wildlife areas, shopping ar-
eas, and zoning for quiet
areas for a hospital.
And maybe there also
could be a college or univer-
sity in Cave Junction’s fu-
ture. Just a thought.
It appears that the city
leaders are trying to encour-
age a retirement community.
That is all well and good.
But my parents are of
retirement age. And while
they do play golf and enjoy
the outdoors and the arts, as
both are artists, they also
have serious health issues,
sometimes requiring a fully
functional hospital with 24-
hour service.
Cave Junction not only
doesn’t have a hospital, but
as far as I can see as yet, no
plans for one. An emer-
gency trip 30 miles away to
the Grants Pass hospital
makes living in CJ, for my
parents, prohibitive. If dur-
ing development you create
a need, then you also need
plans to fulfill that need.
For the mayor to say, “It
is not the council’s responsi-
bility to protect the rights
and investments of Cave
Junction’s residents,” and
then in the next breath create
an environment to protect
the rights of developers; and
similarly, protect another
council member’s property
rights, that tells that me that
not only doesn’t the council
have a clue as to what they
are saying, and really sup-
posed to be doing, but is
doing it without concern for
the citizens, or the future
financial, developmental
and ethical bottom line for
the city as a whole.
And yes, it is the respon-
sibility of the council to pro-
tect the rights and invest-
ments of its citizens. Other-
wise, so much time wouldn’t
be spent creating rules and
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. I.V. Visitor Center
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Resident says CJ needs
development planning
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