Page 13
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Many memories were shared as former smokejumpers
held a reunion at what was the Siskiyou Smokejumper
Base. (Clockwise, from top left) Charles Mansfield points
to a photo of him in his younger days peering from an
airplane; Bob Nolan, former smokejumper and champion
parachutist; Clancy Collins, who has written ‘The Book of
Gobi,’ as those at the base said that the terrain resembled
that area; a family views photo display at the base; and
Ray Rubio from the active smokejumper base in Red-
mond, Ore. shows equipment for jumping. (Photos by
Dale & Elaine Sandberg)
Frontier clears phone outage
To the Root
Frontier Communications clarified information regarding an
interruption to long-distance telephone service Monday, June 12
due to equipment malfunction.
Calls to local and emergency services (911), remained oper-
able. Frontier High Speed Internet services was not affected.
The outage lasted approximately five hours affecting 13,492
customers in the Myrtle Creek, Canyonville, Days Creek, Riddle,
Cave Junction, Selma, O’Brien, Wolf Creek, Glendale, and
Azalea areas, said Frontier. All trouble tickets were resolved.
The Frontier operations team isolated the cause and repaired
the equipment. “Frontier is committed to providing excellent
communications services to its customers,” the company said.
Welcome to Illinois River Acupuncture’s new
column “To the Root,” where traditional Chinese
Medicine will take us into the 21st century .
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Dark brown/golden
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Smokejumpers reunion memorable ...
(Continued from page 1)
tors, teachers, lawyers, au-
thors, publishers, editors,
photographers, and combat
pilots.
One recently signed a
contract with Warner Broth-
ers to make his book into a
movie. Another is the chief
pilot for a construction com-
pany that built the road under
the English Channel and the
world’s largest airport in
China.
Several had worked as
FBI or CIA agents, while
others became research scien-
tist. Others had started log-
ging companies, manufactur-
ing operations or other busi-
nesses such as Grayback For-
estry, which now provides
fire management services for
most states west of the Rocky
Mountains.
Several worked their
careers in administrative or
supervisory positions at Siski-
you Smokejumper Base or at
other U.S. smokejumper op-
erations.
Most arrived on Friday,
June 16, with Saturday being
the busiest. The crowd made
the parklike grounds of the
base come alive with chatter
and outbursts of laughter as
stories were shared and close
calls remembered.
The base had an excel-
lent safety record. During 38
years of operations, no
smokejumpers died as the
result of parachuting.
Only one individual died
during the history of the base.
This happened as a crew was
returning from working on a
fire and had to cross Illinois
River. Tommy Smith was
swept away in the fast-
moving waters and drowned.
His mother came to the reun-
ion in the morning and
brought back emotional
memories, as well as a re-
minder that the dangers of
smokejumping involved
much more than just jumping
out of airplanes. A memorial
to Tommy Smith is on the
flag pole at the base.
There were other emo-
tional moments during pres-
entations during the evening
when Hal Ewing was given a
model replica of one of the
planes he flew when he was a
pilot at the base. Fighting
back tears, he said that work-
ing here was the greatest
thing that had ever happened
to him.
He wasn’t alone in the
139 S. Caves Ave. Suite F
(Inside Caves Mall)
592-4117
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sentiment. Many of the indi-
viduals who had worked at
other smokejumper bases
around the country agree that
there was something different
and special about the Siski-
you Smokejumper Base.
Sharon Westcott, owner
of Fly Wild Air aviation
school, volunteered her time
to set up exhibits, most of
which had historic photos
displayed at locations where
they had been taken more
than 50 years ago.
Jack McCormick gener-
ously allowed additional dis-
plays to be set up inside the
historic parachute loft, the
oldest smokejumper loft in
the nation. Many other photos
were set up on panels next to
a table where coffee and pas-
tries were provided compli-
ments of Coffee Heaven.
The National Smokejum-
per Association (NSA) held
its annual board meeting in
the administration building at
the base and then joined the
reunion. NSA’s historian
spent several hours interview-
ing some of the older smoke-
jumpers. The recordings will
be archived by NSA with a
copy sent to the University of
Montana at Missoula, which
is archiving smokejumper
history from throughout the
country.
Many smokejumpers
commented about the warm
reception given them by the
people they met in Cave
Junction, as well as the signs
posted around town welcom-
ing them back.
Many returned to their
homes around the nation with
rejuvenated memories, but
also with some fond memo-
ries given them by Illinois
Valley residents.
Buy the ‘Noose’
Welcome to a brave new world where health is only limited by our attitudes and food
choices. This is a new world for those accustomed to drugs and surgery. I invite you
to come with me and open your mind to the possibility of complete wellness!
By “complete wellness” I mean “wholeness”-wholeness of body, mind, emotions and
spirit. A wellness which incorporates our entire lifestyle, family and community.
In order to participate, first know you have everything you need, inside you. Your
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your life will be completely transformed.
Illinois River Acupuncture
592-5041 Mon., Wed., Fri.
Jo Anne Stone, M.S., L.Ac.
The Illinois Valley High School Class of 2006 graduated June
7th and celebrated with a drug and alcohol free all night party at
the Junction Inn, The Class of 2006 and the Grad Night Party
Committee are grateful to the many businesses and individuals
whose contributions of time, gifts, money and support made this
safe and sober celebration possible. Our sincere thanks to the following:
A+ MINI STORAGE
ADOLPHSON, KEN &
SHARON
ALLEMAN ALLSPRINT RANCH
AMERICAN LEGION AUX #70
SHEL ANDERSON
APPLEBEE’S GRILL
PHIL ARIA
ASANTE/THREE RIVERS
HOSPITAL
BANK OF AMERICA - GRANTS
PASS
BARLOW ROCK
THE BASKET CASE
BEBE’S ART FOR EVERYONE
BECK, KATHLEEN
BELT LODGE 18
BETTENCOURT, ROBIN, CPA
BI-MART
BI-RITE AUTO PARTS
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS
JILL BIRMINGHAM
BOBBIE BLAKELY
SUSIE BLESER
BOARDING HOUSE REACH
BOBBIE’S WORLD
BOOSTER CLUB IVHS
BRIDGEVIEW VINEYARDS
BRIDGEVIEW COMMUNITY
CHURCH
JOHN AND MONA BROWN
GARY BURNS, “WIZ”
C J LIONS CLUB
C J FAMILY MEDICINE
CABIN CHEMISTRY
CARLOS RESTAURANTE
CHRISTIAN KNIGHTS FOR
CHRIST
CITY OF CAVE JUNCTION
CLEAR CREEK FAMILY
PRACTICE
COFFEE HEAVEN
COPELAND SAND & GRAVEL
COSTCO
CRATE IDEAS
TED CROCKER TAX SERVICE
CROSSROADS ANIMAL
HOSPITAL
DAIRY QUEEN - C J
DAVIS, ADAMS, ET AL ATTYS
DELTA KAPPA GAMMA
OMEGA CHPT
DILLON’S NURSERY
DR. JOE’S PET HOSPITAL
DON’S AUTO AND TIRE
DUTCH BROS
GARY ENOCH
EXPERT TIRE
EYE CARE GROUP
FIRST AMERICAN TITLE
DAN AND SUE FISKE
DIANE FLOYD
GATES FURNITURE
RACHEL GOODMAN
GRANTS PASS ACTIVE CLUB
GRANTS PASS ROTARY
CLUB
GRANTS PASS YMCA
HAIR FACE AND NAIL PLACE
CYNTHIA HOBBINS
HOLIDAY MOTEL
THOMAS K. HOUSEL, DDS
JUDY HOYLE
IT’S A BURL
I.V. LIONS CLUB
IVHS ALUMNI
IVHS ATHLETIC DEPT,
GARY THORNHILL
INTERSTATE BATTERY
ROBIN JACKSON
JIM SIGEL AUTOMOTIVE
JUNCTION INN
KAUFFMANN WOOD
PRODUCTS
KATHY KELLEY
KENDALL ART GLASS
MIGUEL KIME
GEORGE LENZ
CELIA LETTIS
LITHIA AUTO CENTER
DAVE MAIZE
MANY SMILES
CAROL MARSHAL
MASTER BRAND CABINETS
BETH MEADOWS
MC GREW’S
TERI MC PHERSON
KATHY MC LENNAN
MEDFORD NEW CAR
DEALERS
STEVE MOCK DMD
STEVE MORGAN
MT. VIEW MEDICAL SHUTTLE
KIM OLANDER
OREGON CAVES CHEVRON
PERFECT PIZZA
BERNIE PINARD
KATHI PISTONE
PIZZA PIT
PRECISION GLASS
Q BAR X / RANCH ROCK
RAY’S SELMA MARKET
RED GARTER STEAKHOUSE
RIVER VALLEY RESTAURANT
RIVERSIDE INN
ROGUE TRUCK BODY
ROUGH AND READY LUMBER
REBECCA SAAVEDRA
GABI SALAS
SEARS - GRANTS PASS
SHOP SMART
SKI ASHLAND
GARY SNOOK
SOUTHERN OREGON
SANITATION
DE SPELLMAN
TOM STARKENBURG
MISS STELLFLUG
SEAN STEVENS
STEVERENO’S FAMILY
RESTAURANT
KAREN STILES
TAYLOR’S COUNTRY STORE
THE TIME CAPSULE
TOM’S HOME / TOM GREEN
TREEHOUSE FLORIST
MIKE TRINITY
TRUE VALUE HARDWARE
P. T. UPTON CONSTRUCTION
VALLEY EVANGELICAL FREE
CHURCH
RON VERSTEEG
VILLA NOVIA VINEYARDS
WAYNE VOIGHT CPA
WHEELER TOYOTA
PAM WHITE
WILD RIVER PIZZA
Z COFFEE
ZONTA CLUB
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