Page 14
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, June 21, 2006
A nugget!
Libby Goines has begun stripping a
wall for a mural with help from
some I.V. High School students, but
more volunteers are needed.
(Photos by ‘Illinois Valley News’)
Mural needs strippers of
the wall-scraping variety
Libby Goines, of Singing
Loom Studio, is ready to an-
nounce a design depicting
Oregon Caves National
Monument for the Downtown
Cave Junction Mural Project
121 S. Redwood Hwy.
Her mother, Wanda
Burch Goines, is the artist.
Wanda, who is a professional
artist, said that her daughter
kept telling her about the mu-
ral project and how she still
needed a design that would
have significant meaning for
the whole community.
It wasn’t until Wanda
had the inspiration of doing a
painting of the Caves that she
got involved in the project.
The mural design shows
Elijah Davidson discovering
the entrance to the Caves in
1874 and modern people
leaving at the exit.
It also depicts some of
the famous formations inside
the Caves, like Miller’s
Chapel, Angel Falls, and
Paradise Lost.
The Oregon Caves de-
sign has been encouraged and
supported by many valley
residents and organizations
including Matt Dutson, owner
of the building; the patrons of
Jeanette Bosch’s state liquor
store, the Oregon Liquor
Control Commission, Oregon
Caves National Monument/
National Park Service, city of
Cave Junction, and the boards
of directors of Illinois Valley
Community Development
Organization, Illinois Valley
Chamber of Commerce, and
Illinois River Valley Arts
Council.
Libby is ready to put out
a call for donations and volun-
teers who would like to help
prepare the wall of the build-
ing for the mural.
“Because this is weather-
dependent project and we can
theoretically have the mural
up on the wall by this fall,”
she said, “work will start im-
mediately to gently strip all
the old paint off the wall.
“Then the bricks will
have to be thoroughly
cleaned, followed by apply-
ing a thin cement wash to the
surface to fill in any irregu-
larities such as pock marks
left from sandblasting the
wall in the past.
“Once this is done, a
special primer will be applied
before painting the mural can
actually begin.”
She added that she has
been extremely fortunate to
recently have met a new
arrival to Illinois Valley --
J.B. Palasini -- a young
woman who found her
way here after all her posses-
sions and her abode were
destroyed in Hurricane
“Katrina” last year.
“She is an accomplished
artist with her bachelor of fine
arts degree from the Univer-
sity of Mississippi and five
years of hands-on
experience painting murals in
the New Orleans area,” said
Libby.
“She has agreed,” she
said, “to bring her extensive
expertise to the project by
working closely with Wanda
to create a paint-by-number
design, and then will guide the
community artist volunteers to
paint the mural.”
A fine art mural of the
quality and size that these
three artists want
to render on the wall of
Dutson’s building is esti-
mated to cost around
$12 per square foot. At 1,800
square feet that comes to
$21,600.
“However,” said Libby,
“this expense can be reduced
significantly with the help of
a dedicated group
of community volunteers.
Funds are needed to buy
the special mural paints and
to pay the professional artists
involved in this project. A
non-profit
501(c)3
organization is being pursued
to take responsibility for the
project, be the fiscal agent
and ensure the long-term
maintenance of the Down-
town Cave Junction Mural
Project.
Cash donation jars will
be placed at various locations
such as the I.V. Visitor cen-
ter, the liquor store, and Ore-
gon Caves to continue to col-
lect the money needed for the
mural.
Bosch has already col-
lected over $1,100 toward the
project from the patrons of
her liquor store.
Why is Libby Goines
organizing all of thi?
Because, she noted, she
wants to do something special
for her hometown -- some-
thing that will create a posi-
tive effect on the community
-- and because she wants to
learn how to paint murals.
To find out more about
volunteering for the project
contact Goines at her Singing
Loom Studio, 592-6484, or
libbygoines@gmail.com; or
visit www.singingloom.com.
God Himself does not propose to judge
a man until he is dead. So why should I?
- Samuel Johnson -
By ROGER BRANDT
For IVN
The largest gold nugget
in Oregon history was discov-
ered in 1859 on Althouse
Creek, located on the east
side of Illinois Valley.
Discovery of the nugget
was welcomed, but not unex-
pected, because miners had
been looking for gold along
this creek since 1852. We can
only imagine what it must
have been like to discover a
17-pound nugget.
And such a discovery
makes it easy to understand
why the town of Althouse
quickly grew and assumed an
importance almost equal to
that of Jacksonville.
Althouse Creek was
named for Philip Althouse,
one of the first prospectors to
find gold on this stream. In a
very short time a large num-
ber of miners had arrived, and
hundreds of claims were
staked out on 10 miles of the
creek bed. By 1853 it was
estimated that nearly 1,000
men were mining there.
The town of Althouse
was the main community, but
others sprang up along the
river including Browntown,
Hogtown and Frenchtown.
Browntown was one of the
larger communities and was
reported to have had from
300 to 500 inhabi-tants dur-
ing the peak of the mining
boom.
Most of these towns were
later abandoned and then de-
stroyed as miners excavated
the gravel under the buildings
looking for gold. In essence,
the entire history of the place
was washed through a sluice
box.
The largest mining op-
eration on Althouse Creek
was the Enterprise Mine, lo-
cated 3 miles east of Brown-
town. Mining at this location
began in 1860. But within
seven years, the claim was
abandoned.
During this time, the min-
ing company built a small, five-
stamp mill at Browntown with
water power to drive all the
equipment.
At one time, miners at-
tempted to completely drain
Althouse Creek by diverting
the water into Democrat
Gulch near the present-day
location of the Holland Store.
The first drainage system was
installed in 1871 and included
a diversion ditch 4 feet wide
by 4 feet deep; and a 1,200
foot tunnel that was declared
to be the most noteworthy
engineering accomplishment
in Oregon at that time.
A second drainage sys-
tem with a diversion ditch
and tunnel was installed ap-
proximately half a mile above
the other and also emptied
into Democrat Gulch near
Holland.
The road to Althouse
Creek is less than 10 miles
from Cave Junction. To get
there, follow Holland Loop to
Holland Store. Turn and drive
past the store as if you are
going to Foris Vineyards.
When you get to the fork ap-
proximately half a mile past
the store, stay left. The paved
road goes over a small hill
and into Althouse Creek.
The site of Browntown is
some 4 miles above Holland.
POTTSVILLE NEAR
Grants Pass was the site
for the 20th annual an-
tique tractor and engine
show Saturday and Sun-
day, June 17-18. Numer-
ous attractions including
tractor pulls, wagon
rides, live music and the
Illinois Valley Lions Club
train were featured.
(Photos by Dale & Elaine
Sandberg)
Fireworks safety can prevent injuries
What would the 4th of
July be without fireworks?
A little less busy in hos-
pital emergency rooms.
Each year medical per-
sonnel see nearly 10,000
fireworks-related injuries in
the nation’s emergency
rooms, with nearly half of the
injured being children. The
American College of Emer-
gency Physicians (ACEP) is
urging everyone to be ex-
tremely careful with fire-
works this 4th of July, and
reminding patriotic celebrants
that there is no such thing as
completely “safe” fireworks.
“I think the safest and
best way to enjoy the 4th is to
watch a professional display,"
said Dr. Rick Blum, ACEP
president. “For those folks
who can buy legal fireworks
in their community, I recom-
mend extreme caution, espe-
cially if children are present.
“I ’ v e s e e n c a s e s
where a few minutes of well-
intentioned fun has resulted in
lifelong disabilities,” the doc-
tor said.
The Consumer Product
Safety Commission reported
that eight people died and
9,600 were injured during
2004 due to incidents involv-
ing fireworks.
More than two-thirds of
those fireworks injuries oc-
curred between June 19 and
July 19. Most of the injuries
involved burns. Hands and
eyes are the most common
parts of the body injured.
“Parents have to realize
that fireworks aren’t available
to children only on the 4th of
July,” said Blum. “Fireworks
stands are open a large part of
the summer in many commu-
nities -- and emergency phy-
sicians see fireworks injuries
for many weeks.”
For those with legal fire-
works in their communities,
ACEP strongly suggests that
they not be used at home. If
you do use fireworks, how-
ever, the following will help
make it a safer experience,
ACEP said.
DO:
*Buy fireworks from
reputable dealers.
*Read warning labels
and follow all instructions.
*Keep a bucket of water
or fire extinguisher on hand.
*Light fireworks one at a
time.
*Dispose of all fireworks
properly.
DON’T:
*Give any fireworks,
including sparklers, to small
children; older children
should be supervised by an
adult.
*Light fireworks indoors
or near other objects.
*Wear loose clothing
while using any fireworks.
*Set off fireworks in
glass or metal containers- the
fragments can cause severe
injury.
*Try to relight or handle
malfunctioning fireworks.
ACEP, a national medi-
cal specialty society repre-
senting emergency medicine
with more than 23,000 mem-
bers, is based in Dallas,
Texas. ACEP said that it is
committed to advancing
emergency care through con-
tinuing education, research
and public education
Outside of traffic, there is nothing that has held
this country back as much as committees.
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ED EN
ADVANCED PEST TECHNOLOGIES
Lovejoy Hospice Celebrates
NATIONAL CNA WEEK
Riverside Physical Therapy
Full Rehabilitation
Services:
*Physical Therapy
*Occupational Therapy
Fine Dining
Steaks - Chicken - Fish - Large Hamburgers
Restaurant separate from lounge
Friday Special - Prime Rib
Sunday & Monday - Filet Mignon
Bring in this ad for a 10% discount
Open 4 to 9 p.m. 7 days 592-2892 or 592-4222
*Anodyne therapy
TWO LOCATIONS
TO SERVE YOU
Cave Junction Office
218N. Redwood Hwy.
(541) 592-6580
Left side: Bob Taylor, Terri Taylor
Right side from top: Tanya Calvert, Christine Yates, Celenia Konich
Hospice Home Health Aides are CNA’s (Certified Nursing
Assistants) trained to provide compassionate, individual-
ized care for hospice patients. They play an essential role
on the hospice team along with nurses, social workers,
spiritual support counselors, our pharmacist and medical
director, in bringing help and hope to hospice patients,
families and caregivers.
Grants Pass Office
1619 N.W. Hawthorne Ave.
Suite 109
Call us for information
about hospice care.
(541) 476-2502
Jeff Wood, M.S., P.T.
“The Heart of Caring”
(541) 474-1193
www.lovejoyhospice.org