Page 12
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Lomakatsi Restoration
Project involves thinning
5 acres at IVHS location
‘Click It or Ticket’ effort
set by law enforcement
As the travel season
shifts into high gear in Ore-
gon, law enforcement agen-
cies across the state are tak-
ing the national “Click It or
Ticket” campaign on the
road again.
Police departments,
sheriff’s offices and Oregon
State Police always pay at-
tention to make sure that
drivers and passengers are
safely restrained in their
vehicles.
But during the national
Click It or Ticket” blitz that
began Monday, May 22 and
which will continue through
Sunday, June 4, they will be
watching closely for this
vital yet simple safety law.
“Motor vehicle crashes
are the leading cause of
death and disability for all
Americans age 1 through
34, according to the Na-
tional Centers for Disease
Control,” said Carla Levin-
ski, occupant protection pro-
gram manager at the Oregon
Dept. of Transportation’s
Safety Division.
“The goal is simple -- to
save more lives by convinc-
ing and reminding seat belt
users and nonusers to buckle
up on every trip.”
In fact, the 2005 Oregon
Legislature extended the
state’s seat belt law to in-
clude vehicles for hire, such
as taxis, limousines, shuttles
and vans.
As of Jan. 1, 2006, Ore-
gon law requires occupants
of these commercially oper-
ated passenger vehicles to
use safety restraints. All
occupants 16 and older are
responsible to buckle them-
selves up, and adult passen-
gers are responsible for
properly restraining children
younger than 16 in seat belts
or child safety seats. Only
taxi drivers are exempt from
the law.
ODOT has produced
free “Seat belts must be
worn in this vehicle” stick-
ers for operators of these
types of vehicles. They may
be obtained from ODOT’s
Transportation Safety Divi-
sion at (800) 922-2022 or in
Salem at (503) 984-4190.
“Seat belts are the sim-
plest and cheapest way to
reduce fatalities in motor
vehicle crashes,” Levinski
said. “Although Oregon has
the nation’s fifth-highest belt
usage rate at about 93 per-
cent, that remaining 7 per-
cent costs more than a hun-
dred lives a year in Oregon.”
The 2006 “Click It or
Ticket” national traffic en-
forcement agencies, most of
which receive traffic safety
overtime funding through
ODOT’s “Three Flags Cam-
paign,” will team with offi-
cers nationwide to encour-
age proper use of safety
belts and child restraints --
by everyone, on every trip.
“In Oregon, law en-
forcement will focus efforts
during this spring’s blitz on
educating the public regard-
ing booster seat use for chil-
dren, prohibition of minors
under 18 from riding in the
open bed of pickup trucks,
and the recent change to
Oregon law requires belt use
by occupants of taxis, shut-
tles, limos and other vehi-
cles for hire,” Levinski said.
Lack of safety belts use
can be deadly. In 2004, 36
percent of persons who died
in Oregon crashes were re-
portedly not using safety
restraints. Unbelted occu-
pants are 10 times more
likely to be ejected in a
crash than one who is belted
and odds of surviving an
ejection are estimated at one
in four.
During 2004, lower
safety belt use on rural road-
ways contributed to 80 per-
cent of Oregon’s total traffic
fatalities occurring in rural
areas.
Oregon law requires
that all motor vehicle opera-
tors and passengers be prop-
erly secured with a safety
belt or safety harness.
This means that both
parts of a lap and shoulder
belt system must be worn
together, only one person
per belt, and no placement
of the shoulder belt behind
the back or under the arm.
Any of these situations
places the vehicle occupant
at severe risk of internal
crash injury.
Children younger than 4
or weighing less than 40
pounds must be restrained in
child seats.
Children older than 4 or
weighing more than 40
pounds must use a booster
seat until they turn 6 and
weigh at least 60 pounds.
While it is not the law
in Oregon, it is strongly rec-
ommended that children 12
and under ride in rear seat-
ing positions. Research indi-
cates that such rear seating
reduces the risk of injury by
37 percent for that age
group
A RETIREMENT celebra-
tion for Alice Pace, of First
American Title Co., es-
crow officer in the Cave
Junction office, was held
Thursday, May 18 at the
CedarBrook clubhouse on
Laurel Road. She has
worked for the title com-
pany approximately 18
years. Party guests were
co-workers and others in
the financial and real es-
tate sectors with whom
she has worked. Her offi-
cial retirement date is
slightly more than a week
away. (Photo by ‘Illinois
Valley News’)
Wind energy in
Umatilla County
could = bucks
Wind energy develop-
ment in Umatilla County
could have a multimillion
dollar effect on the state’s
economy, according to a
recent special report re-
leased by the Oregon State
University (OSU) Extension
Service.
OSU researchers used
economic models developed
by the National Energy
Renewable Laboratory and
the university. They esti-
mated the current effect of
the wind industry, and what
the effect of wind energy
development would be in an
“optimized” economy.
An optimized economy
is one in which at least 75
percent of the businesses
and facilities needed
to support wind develop-
ment are local.
According to the report,
“Umatilla County’s Eco-
nomic Structure and the
Economic Impacts of Wind
Energy Development: An
Input-Output Analysis,”
Umatilla’s wind industry
has the potential to grow
into a $40 million business
and provide numerous new
jobs to the area’s rural com-
munities if local infrastruc-
ture is developed.
Food was first served on a commercial
airplane in 1919.
On Wednesday, May
24, Lomakatsi Restoration
Project worked to complete
its most recent 100-acre Na-
tional Fire Plan fuels reduc-
tion grant by thinning 5
acres of woodlands adjacent
to Illinois Valley High
School (IVHS).
Lomakatsi has been
coordinating this 5-acre fuel
reduction treatment with the
support of IVHS Assistant
Principal Gary Thornhill.
The work on school
property will allow voca-
tional education classes to
observe and discuss the
stages of a fuels reduction
project -- from planning,
botany, and workforce train-
ing, to actual project imple-
mentation.
Classes that have ex-
pressed interest in viewing
the project as it progresses
are Landscape Design, Con-
struction, and Power Me-
chanics.
In 2001, Lomakatsi ap-
plied to the National Fire
Plan (NFP) for funding to
support its “Multi-Regional
Ecological Fuels Reduction
Workforce Training Pro-
gram” to include “defensible
space” fuels reduction treat-
ments for private land in
Illinois Valley.
When the program was
funded, it allowed Lomaka-
tsi to bring the first NFP
dollars for on-the-ground
projects to Illinois Valley.
Lomakatsi created the first
grants in order to foster an
available workforce by pro-
viding on-the-job training to
seven local ecological resto-
ration, botanical studies, and
fire ecology with hands-on
vocational training and on-
the-ground fuels reduction
projects, reducing wildfire
risk to homes and properties
in the Illinois Valley area,
the organization said.
During 2002-03, Lo-
makatsi again received NFP
funding and continued to
combine vocational training
in fuels reduction and em-
ploying workers from Illi-
nois Valley. In this second
phase of the training pro-
gram, Illinois Valley train-
ees also worked in the com-
munities of Williams,
Applegate, Talent, Ashland,
and Colestin Valley area.
Providing hands-on
training in other communi-
ties broadened participants’
understanding of the diver-
sity of fire-adapted ecosys-
tems across Southwestern
Oregon.
Following these con-
secutive training projects,
Lomakatsi was awarded an
additional grant to continue
fuels reduction work on 100
acres in Illinois Valley.
The 5-acre project at
IVHS is the culmination of
this series of Lomakatsi’s
grants and workforce train-
ing projects for the Illinois
Valley region.
Lomakatsi Restoration
Project is a nonprofit organi-
zation established in 1995 to
educate and involve com-
munities in restoration of the
diverse ecosystems of the
Cascade-Klamath-Siskiyou
bio-region, the group said.
Since 2001, Lomakatsi
has received a series of grant
funding from NFP to per-
form workforce training,
fuels reduction, and small-
diameter utilization projects
in Illinois Valley.
Executive Director
Lovejoy Hospice
In an effort to help you to be better informed
about hospice care in our community, Lovejoy
Hospice produces an informative question and
answer column each month. Look for our
column printed on the fourth Wednesday
edition of the ‘Illinois Valley News.’
Question: I am a private
person. How will having
Hospice in my home affect
my privacy and choice?
Answer: One of the most im-
portant philosophies of Hospice
is that it is patient and family
centered. This means that your
Hospice providers will focus on
giving care that is based on your
wishes and family needs.
“Hospice” is derived from the
word “hospes”, which means to
be both guest and host in your
home. We take seriously your
choices which symptom relief is
important to you. And you will be
given choices which of the
emotional, spiritual, and grief
loss support services might best
meet the needs of you and your
family.
Hospice works to emphasize
your quality rather than quantity
of life. We strive to affirm your
life. We recognize dying as a
special part of the circle of life,
unique to each individual. Your
individuality and dignity are im-
portant aspects of your quality of
life.
By giving you options, you and
your family are given a new
sense of empowerment at a
If you have a question about hospice
care for the column, please phone
(541) 474-1193 or 1(888) 758-8569
or e-mail me at:
cheryl@lovejoyhospice.org
with
Wine Selections from
A Benefit Celebration
and Auction for
Siskiyou Community Health Center
Music by Dejà Blues and Jefferson
Pool belly up
maintain the pool using
$6,400 that is budgeted.
Still, Paulson said that
there are possibilities. They
include a nonprofit organi-
zation leasing the site. “If
someone came in with a
$25,000 check, we’d open
the pool,” he said.
Raffenburg said that
with some 75 percent of
necessary funding, with the
county money and a poten-
tial large donation, commis-
sioners felt that the pool
would be open.
“The city blew us off,”
he said. “We’re trying to
work on a solution, and
would like for the city to
join with us.”
by Cheryl A. Valentine
Tantalize your Palate
Saturday, June 24, 2006
4 to 8 p.m. at the
Bridgeview Vineyards and Winery
4210 Holland Loop Road
Cave Junction, Oregon
Tickets: $50 per person
available at
Siskiyou Community Health Center
US Bank, Grants Pass Downtown Branch
Bridgeview Vineyards and Winery
Home Valley Bank, Cave Junction Branch
or on-line at
(Continued from page 11)
Questions and
Answers
www.savorthevalley.com
Proudly Sponsored By:
Bridgeview Vineyards
BearCreek Vineyards
DeerCreek Vineyards
Foris Vineyards
with
Fine Cuisine from
McGrews
Carlos Restaurante
Kate Dwyer Catering
Pietros Italian Restaurant
Taylor’s Sausage, Inc.
Wild River Brewing
& Pizza Company
The Lodge at Riverside Catering
Stevereno’s Family Restaurant
Auction Items
Include
2007 Rose Bowl Game
and Parade Package
Vacation Packages
River Excursions
Jewelry
Wine
Art
Fine Dining
Steaks - Chicken - Fish - Large Hamburgers
Restaurant separate from lounge
Friday Special - Prime Rib
Sunday & Monday - Filet Mignon
Sterling Development & Investment, LLC
Love is life. And if you
miss love, you miss life.
Bring in this ad for a 10% discount
- Leo Buscaglia -
Open 4 to 9 p.m. 7 days 592-2892 or 592-4222
Make Checks Payable to:
Siskiyou Community Health Center
P.O. Box 159 Grants Pass, OR 97528
Shop Smart Food Warehouse
For more info rmation
phone 541-476-2700
or go to
www.savorthevalley.com