50¢
USPS charges
rising Jan. 8
Lorna Byrne
Honored
teacher
nears 100
Increased postage costs,
including a 2-cent rise for
the first ounce of first-class
mail, will go into effect Sun-
day, Jan. 8.
U.S. Postal Service
first-class stamps will cost
39-cents. Each additional
ounce will cost 24-cents;
and the postcard rate will go
to 24-cents from the current
23-cents.
Overall, average postal
increases amount to 5.4 per-
cent. They include priority
mail and express mail.
The price raises -- the
first since 2002 -- are needed
to fulfill a 2003 federal law
requiring USPS to place $3.1
billion in an escrow account
by Oct. 1, 2006.
Smoke cited
in fatal fire:
Curtis Wylie
A Cave Junction man
found dead in his home after
an arson fire died of smoke
inhalation, said Josephine
County Sheriff’s Office
(JCSO) Sgt. Ken Selig.
Pathologists identified
the man as Curtis Dylan
Wylie, 28, of 208 1/2 Caves
Ave. It initially was thought
that the victim was Wylie,
but because the body was
charred, a positive identifi-
cation had to await dental
records, said Selig.
It was determined by an
Oregon State Police Arson
Squad that the fire early
Tuesday, Dec. 13 was inten-
tionally set, he added.
“We are convinced,”
said Selig, “that this is a
homicide and are continuing
our investigation.”
Anyone with informa-
tion is encouraged to phone
JCSO’s Major Crimes Unit
at 474-5153.
Christmas is the season
for kindling the fire of
hospitality in the hall,
the genial flame of char-
ity in the heart.
- Washington Irving -
Following are the high-
and-low temperatures and
rainfall figures recorded in
O’Brien by Cheryl & Harry
Johnson.
*Fri., Dec. 16: 34-21
*Sat., Dec. 17: 35-23, .03
*Sun., Dec. 18: 49-30, 1.42
*Mon., Dec. 19: 54-42, 3.03
*Tues., Dec. 20: 57-44, .67
*Wed., Dec. 21: 53-48, 1.81
*Th., Dec. 22: 51-48, 1.3+
Illinois Valley
Wednesday, Dec. 28
Cloudy & Windy
High--49 Low--32
Thursday, Dec. 29
Mostly Cloudy
High--49 Low--34
Friday, Dec. 30
Mostly Sunny
High--54 Low--36
Saturday, Dec. 31
Mostly Sunny
High--55 Low--35
Sunday, Jan. 1
Mostly Cloudy
High--48 Low--31
Monday, Jan. 2
Rain
High--46 Low--27
Tuesday, Dec. 27
Rain, Sleet in the morning
High--47 Low--30
A CAVE JUNCTION FAMILY, burned out of their rented
mobile home Dec. 6, was treated to a special Christ-
mas by Illinois Valley Fire District (IVFD) personnel.
They hosted a party for Rodger Pernicka, and Kayla
Arness and her three children Thursday, Dec. 22 at
IVFD administrative headquarters. While firefighters
who provided the gifts watched, the family opened
their presents. They are (above, from left) Arness;
Alexis, 6; Pernicka; and Mackenzie, 4. Not shown, is
Leah, 3. IVFD Chief Harry Rich (left photo) assisted
Mackenzie with a Santa hat. The family had moved into
their rental on W. River Street a few days before the
early morning fire. It was caused by a propane leak
near a water heater, said Rich. An account for the fam-
ily has been established at SOFCU. There was an un-
confirmed report that a valley resident was providing a
new home for the family.
(Photos by Dale & Elaine Sandberg,
IVFD photographers)
I.V. Airport aiming high,
notes manager Grossi
By CHRIS HILL
IVN Correspondent
Despite the lack of
county funds, improvements
and growth at the Illinois
Valley Airport have been
flying high since Alex
Grossi stepped into the
cockpit as director of the
Josephine County Airport
Dept. five years ago.
“No
county
general
funds are
contrib-
uted
to
the air-
ports and
haven’t
been for
12 years,”
s a i d
Grossi.
“The
Illinois
Valley and Grants Pass air-
ports are self-supported; tax
dollars are not supporting
them.
“When I took over, they
were $26,000 in the hole;
now we’re in the black and
matching federal grants,”
Grossi said.
Grossi attributes this
success to the fact that he
has aggressively pursued
funds through grant writing.
“Between the two air-
ports, we’ve done $2 million
in improvements in the last
five years,” he said. “That’s
more than what’s been done
in the past 30 years,” said
Grossi, who also oversees
the industrial park at I.V.
Airport.
The airport has been in
dire need of maintenance
and improvements, too,
Grossi said.
“A lot of work was long
overdue,”
he said.
“We’ve
worked
very hard
to receive
federal
and state
grants to
make the
improve-
ments.
Both air-
p o r t s
were ne-
glected for a number of
years,” Grossi explained.
“There were some
safety issues involved with
the runway at the I.V. Air-
port,” he continued, “so we
installed a new taxi lane to
the runway and have dealt
with other safety issues as
well. Also, we’ve recently
done asphalt rehabilitation
on the runway so the run-
way is in good shape now.”
All these improvements
(Continued on page 15)
CHRISTMAS HAPPENINGS included visits from Santa
Claus, who was at the Cave Junction Cares breakfast
in Jubilee Park Christmas morning, Dec. 25; and at the
I.V. Bikers Toy Run distribution Saturday, Dec. 25 at
the Illinois Valley Senior Center. Both the benevolent
programs were attended by hundreds of I.V. youth and
their parents needing a bit of extra help during the
holiday season. Additional photos on page 5.
(Photos by ‘Illinois Valley News’)
By CHRIS LEPPERT,
Corresponding Secretary,
IVHS Alumni & Friends
On Thursday, Jan. 12,
Lorna Tycer Byrne -- name-
sake of Lorna Byrne Middle
School in Cave Junction --
will celebrate her 100th
birthday.
IVHS Alumni &
Friends is seeking help in
marking the retired teacher’s
first century, and launching
her into her second in grand
style.
There probably are
close to 3,000 of her former
students out there in “I.V.
NewsLand,” plus numerous
friends and countless col-
leagues. Cards, notes and
letters can be sent to her at
3111 Canal Ave., Grants
Pass OR 97526.
Lorna’s life has been
devoted to educating kids.
During 50 teaching years,
many of those she taught
were the children, grandchil-
dren
and
great-
grandchildren of her former
students. Marshal your re-
membrances. She will be
pleased to hear from you.
And pass along this
request to your parents,
(Continued on page 15)
Big three
Cave plan
in offing
By OLIVIA
TAYLOR-YOUNG
IVN Correspondent
With “three” as a magic
number, big plans are in the
making for celebrations dur-
ing 2009.
The year will mark the
150th anniversary of Ore-
gon statehood -- plus the
100th birthday of the Ore-
gon Caves as a national
monument -- and the Ore-
gon Caves Chateau will turn
75.
Because Illinois Valley
will be enjoying a sesqui-
centennial, a centennial and a
diamond jubilee, 2009 also
provides spectacular oppor-
tunities to benefit the com-
munity and promote tourism.
Some $40 million worth
of tourist dollars travel
through the valley each
year, en route between the
coastal Hwy. 101 and Inter-
state 5 at Grants Pass, ac-
cording to Roger Brandt,
chief of Interpretation and
Visitor/Education Services
for the National Park Ser-
vice at Oregon Caves Na-
tional Monument.
If more people who
dispense those dollars would
“slow down,” and spend
tourist time in Illinois Val-
ley, “the economic future of
Josephine County can be
right here,” said Brandt.
“This is such a perfect
area for tourists,” Brandt
(Continued on page 15)
What a gas!
House Bill 2937, which
will go into effect Sunday,
Jan. 1, 2006, allows courts
to suspend a driver’s license
for up to six months upon
conviction of theft of gaso-
line.