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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2005)
Page 2 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Engineer Bob has about given up keeping the Christ- mas train on the tracks, not to mention keeping the orna- ments on the tree instead of all over the floor. Our four cats have discouraged me in those areas, but I’m still striving for the spirit of the season. Our Attack Cats are like a band of fanatical bandits, so I’m letting them have their way with my choo-choo. It’s better for my heart. As for the ornaments, well, you know how kitties enjoy batting at dangling objects. We have more ornaments on the carpet than on the tree. Oh well. This was going to be a column about happiness at this time of year, but after 61 Christmases it finally has sunk in that happiness doesn’t necessarily occur just because of the Yule celebration. Millions of words have been written and many movies made about the fact that joy comes from within. Gaining pleasure is not tied to a calendar; it’s an internal, heartfelt emotion, whether it’s Dec. 25, Jan. 20, March 17 or Nov. 14. How did the editor get on this kick? Where’s all the amusing stuff? OK, so it’s not always that amusing. But hey, you try coming up with a good (or pretty good) Cor- ner every week, not to mention working to ensure that the rest of the “Noose” has the photos and stories and other stuff necessary to make it readable enough to be invited into the valley’s homes and businesses every week. Whew! Actually, the Christmas holidays have become hec- tic for many. Suicides and crimes of other passions es- calate, not to mention the rampant packs of punks, thugs and thieves who steal anything not nailed to the floor. What’s with those people? No one ever taught them the Golden Rule? I’m sick of them, the way they take what’s not theirs, damage property (also not theirs) and generally cause messes and irritate the heck out of the rest of us. Oh, about Christmas and that holiday spirit I’m work- ing on. Not an easy task, especially with my Eeyore per- sonality and our own hectic schedule. Also, my Aunt Carrie died last week in El Paso. She was 98. I telephoned her sister, my Aunt Flo, who’s 96 and the last remaining member of seven siblings, includ- ing my mom. I have a lot of happy memories revolving around both aunts, and recall the time I turned a garden hose on Aunt Carrie in San Diego when I was around 7. She didn’t think it was funny. Geez, I never knew she could run that fast in slippers. Memories. Maybe that’s the key to holiday happi- ness. I’m going to think about that while I fight off the cats and put the train back on the tracks. And just to leave you with a bit of funniness, here’s a bit titled, Five Tips For a Woman: 1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job. 2. It is important that a man makes you laugh. 3. It is important to find a man you can count on and who doesn’t lie to you. 4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you. 5. It is important that these four men don’t know each other. What’s up at G-Dub’s?? We are moving!! G-Dub Enterpises will be closed from Dec. 2nd and will reopen on Dec. 20th. Our new store and shop will be located at 358 Caves Hwy. (behind Curves). We apologize for the inconvenience but it’s not our fault, we need more room!! We will see you on the 20th. Thank you for your patience. 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 or newsdesk@illinois-valley-news.com Volume 68, No. 38 Staff: Michelle Binker, Becky Loudon, Bryan Harley, Tabitha Jackson, Zina Booth. 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 publishers’ 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. (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. ‘Thank you’ submissions are not accepted as letters. * * * A lost Christmas, thanks to thieves From Tina Jones Cave Junction Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy and giv- ing. My family has found out the hard way that it is also a time of stealing. The sheriff’s office tells me that there are dozens of calls each day; that we are not the only family. Apparently, tis’ the season. I want the ones who stole our Christmas to know who they stole from. My children are 10, 12 and 14. My oldest son just shook his head. He is learning from the thieves that steal- ing is OK, that it is the way to get what you want. My daughter is heart- broken. My youngest son is devastated that Christmas is gone. Our family has gone through some tough times during the last few years. My husband is a liver transplant recipient and is unable to work anymore. He is in and out of the hospital on a regular enough basis that I am unable to work. Our budget is very tight. There are many things that our children want to have that we cannot provide. We try, but like most kids, they want all the new and cool stuff. Any of our kids will tell you that Mom and Dad are always telling them, “No, we can’t afford that.” Our budget is $50 for each of our kids this Christ- mas. That won’t buy much. We were fortunate enough this year to have had a visit from my parents during the Thanksgiving holi- day. They took us shopping for the kids and bought a “big ticket” present for each of them. Our oldest two kids each got an MP3 player. and our youngest got a TV for his room. We also bought our youngest a small DVD player to go with his TV, and bought our oldest two a subscription to a music download site. With a few more small things and some stocking stuffers it would have been a good Christmas. The thieves changed that last night. They came into my neighborhood and went through every vehicle they could get into and stole everything they could walk away with. My car was locked. The presents were in the trunk. They weren’t there the next morning. The doors were still open and the trunk was unlatched. The thieves didn’t want us to hear them close the doors. Our Christmas is lost. We are trying to raise our children right; to teach them better than this. The thieves are not making it easy by coming into our Custom Rod and Restoration 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 by Nik 787-0195 lives and stealing from them. What were they thinking when they saw what were obviously Christmas pre- sents? How can they look at themselves in the mirror? I wonder if they will read this, and if they will care. Pit bull concerns; graphic examples From Jim Lombardo O’Brien Dade County, Fla. is the only county without pit bull problems. There is a $500 fine for having a pit bull; $1,000 for two pit bulls. Pit bulls have been bred for 150 years to kill. They will always use their instincts. Beagles will al- ways chase rabbits even if they are obedience trained in an apartment. Pet greyhounds in a field will run at 30 mph if they have never been near a race track. One 2-year-old pit bull was boarded at a kennel in O’Brien. It was as sweet and well-mannered as any. When it got picked up it was suggested that it not be around the owners’ grandchildren. Two years later the same man brings his dog to board, but it’s a black lab. Asked where the pit bull was he said, “My 40- year-old son bumped into it with the wheel of the lawnmower. I had to take him to the doctor with a crushed foot with the shoe still on. I had the dog put down.” People in Grants Pass went to “Katrina” to pick up 20 pit bull-type dogs to find homes or owners for them. Good luck. In Dade County, Fla. they would have had to pay a $10,000 fine. In Cave Junction they give them away by the box full in front of stores. One pit bull at Grow- ers Market crushed the skull of a toy poodle. The owner said it was because a little dog had snapped at her pit bull last year. Wrong, it was using its killer instinct. The head of animal control 25 years ago said he thought pit bull-type dogs should have a $200 dog license and never be out of a fence without a muzzle. Sounds good. It didn’t happen. On 10/8/05 three pit bulls tore up two kids who lived on the same block. When their father tried to help, they tore him up until the cops came and shot two of the dogs. In San Francisco the owner got a $500 fine for having his dogs off a leash. They killed a woman. A woman from the American Kennel Club on CNN said that pit bulls like to bite small children and small dogs more because it’s easier. On 11/27/05 a pack of pit bull/rottweiller crosses attacked a 76-year-old woman mowing her lawn. Denver news stated that on Dec. 1 a 10-year- old’s family pit bull tore off most of his face. Pit bull type dogs have a hair trigger. Just a little pain or excitement can trigger it. I knew a man in Los Angeles who left a loaded .22 in his dresser. His home was a day-care center. Nothing ever hap- pened, but it makes as much sense as having a pit bull. Should this county wait until a death to make a Dade County law? Mondays through Saturdays, 9 to 5/ Closed Sundays Corner of Redwood Hwy. & Rockydale Rd. The Christmas season is here and the nursery is filled with a huge selection of living Christmas trees! Blue Spruce Serbian Spruce Deador Cedar Grand Fir and More! Indoors you’ll find gorgeous florist quality poinsettias, Christmas ornaments and gifts for the gardener on your list. Not sure what to get?? Gift certificates make a great gift. Fire Mountain Gems and Beads Now Hiring Fire Mountain Gems and Beads is actively recruiting for full and part time high-energy individuals to join our growing team. Fire Mountain is a leading direct marketing company in the jewelry industry and has been satisfying customers with excellent products and customer service for over 30 years. We successfully market our products through our extensive catalogs and website to a broad customer base of creative jewelry makers, jewelry stores, and crafters. Please visit our website at www.firemountaingems.com for a full description of the following openings and to print out an application- · Accounts Payable Specialist · Graphics Production/Design · Web Designer · Copywriter · Proofreader · Production Improvement Specialist · Imaging Lead · Fulfillment Processors · Programmer · Assistant Product Analyst We offer competitive wages and a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and life insurance, employer match 401k plan, Paid Time Off, and more. To apply please email your resume to: resumes@firemtn.com or drop by our offices between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. www.firemountaingems.com EOE & Drug Free Workplace
