Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 2, 2006
More work,
while rate
of jobless
increases
Josephine County’s pay-
roll employment rose by 370
during June while the unem-
ployment rate estimate rose
to 6.1 percent, said Oregon
Employment Dept. (OED).
Figures show that
34,058 persons were on pay-
rolls during June vs. 33,815
during May.
The May rate was 5.8
percent. June’s unemploy-
ment rate, said OED, was
the lowest for that month
since 1990, when compara-
ble data are available. Since
June 2005, the county
gained 1,020 payroll jobs,
for a growth rate of 3.9 per-
cent, said OED.
During June, the county
added 40 construction jobs,
bringing the year-to-date
gain to 210. Residential
building permit data show
that 308 residential unit per-
mits were issued year to
date through May, down
from 324 issued through the
same 2005 period.
Added OED, “Retail
trade and wholesale trade
each posted a 40-job gain in
June. Wholesale trade was
one of the county’s shining
stars of employment growth
during the past year, increas-
ing by 180 jobs, for a
growth rate of approxi-
mately 20 percent.
“Leisure and hospitality
accounted for the largest
share of June’s job gains,
adding 100 jobs. Govern-
ment employment had a net
increase of 30 in June, as
gains in federal (+20) and
state (+40), were countered
by a loss of 20 in local gov-
ernment, 20 of those in local
government education.
“During the past year,”
OED continued, “job
growth has been widespread
across most industries. No-
tables included transporta-
tion, warehousing, and utili-
ties (+110), leisure and hos-
pitality (+100) retail trade
(+130), and local govern-
ment education (+140).
“Local government edu-
cation includes public K-12
entities, educational service
district and community col-
leges. Declines were noted
in a few industries sectors
including state government
(-70) and natural resources
and mining (-30),” the
agency reported.
The Jackson County
June jobless rate was 5.7
percent vs. 5.4 during May.
The Oregon seasonally ad-
justed rate during June 5.4,
and it was 4.6 for the nation.
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Page 5
Summer picnic food preparation, care can help avoid illnesses
The foods of summer
require the practice of safety.
Food safety is a
year-around concern. But
there are some good rea-
sons to be even a little more
aware when the weather
brings folks outdoors.
It’s critical this time of
year that summertime menu
items are handled, prepared,
and stored properly.
A little common sense
and attention to detail can
lead to a lot of summer en-
joyment, free from worry that
bad food will mar the experi-
ence of barbecues, camping,
and picnics.
One of the first concerns
is with the person doing the
cooking. The seasonal chef
may not be aware of all that
should be considered.
“During the summer
months, it’s not unusual for
the cook to be a person not
normally involved in the
preparation of food,” said
Ron McKay, administrator
of the Oregon Dept. of Agri-
culture’s Food Safety Divi-
sion.
“It might be a spouse
who decides to volunteer
to barbecue,” he said. “We’re
concerned with food safety,
especially
during
these months when some of
the less routine activities are
taking place.”
Seasoned chef or rookie
cook, the rules are the same.
Avoiding
cross-
contamination through proper
food handling and thorough
cooking of meat are two of
the most important factors
during the barbecue and pic-
nic season.
“Ground beef, of course,
should be cooked until it is
done all the way through,”
said McKay. “USDA recom-
mends using a thermometer,
but that isn’t always practical
on picnics or some barbecue
situations. You should sim-
ply make sure that the
meat is cooked until there
is no pink in the middle.”
A rare hamburger
may not always cause
problems with food
pathogens, but it is more
likely to be a source of
bacteria than a well-
cooked
hamburger.
Same story for poultry
and pork.
“You can’t always
rely on the length of time
meat is cooked because of
the uneven heat emitted by
the barbecue,” said McKay.
“It’s a good idea to cut into
the meat, check down against
the bone for any red or pink
meat. Make sure the juices
are clear.”
Food safety has been on
the public’s mind for the past
several years
following
illnesses associated with vari-
ous pathogens, includ-
ing E.coli O157:H7. Under-
cooked meats, uncleaned
fresh products, and improp-
erly stored foods can lead to
problems that increase when
the cooking and eating is
done outdoors.
Food that doesn’t need to
be cooked is not free of prob-
lems. Past salmonella out-
breaks in the United States
have been traced to the con-
sumption of cantaloupe that
had been contaminated, per-
haps, by animal waste used as
fertilizer.
Melons, of course, are
grown on the ground. Al-
though rinds aren’t normally
eaten, the bacteria might have
spread when the knife to cut
the melon carried the
germs from the outside to the
inside of the fruit.
Consumers are advised
to wash the outside rinds after
buying melons and
make sure uneaten portions
are quickly refrigerated.
“There is the potential for
problems with a number of
foods including poultry, sal-
ads, and any ready-to-eat
products,” said McKay. “All
can be cross-contaminated or
Issue 7
August, 2006
foods at proper temperatures
is another key.
“While on a picnic or a
camp out, make sure you take
along plenty of refrigeration
to keep those items prepared
at home cold until it’s time to
eat the meal,” said McKay.
“Meat items that are go-
ing to be taken out to be
cooked should also be kept
refrigerated or cold until they
are ready for the grill,” he
added.
Having ice chests avail-
able is a good idea for not
only meat and salads, but the
condiments and other prod-
ucts for the meal.
Food products will warm
up quickly when taken out of
an ice chest and set on a ta-
ble. Bacteria begins to grow
rapidly as the temperature
warms until the product is
heated to more than 140
degrees. Either cook the prod-
uct or refrigerate it below 41
degrees. Food at temperatures
in between 140 and 41 should
stay out as little as possible.
“Generally, you should
not leave the food out beyond
two hours,” said McKay.
“Anything past two
hours should be discarded.
Anything that is going to be
cooked normally cannot be
cooled rapidly enough in an
ice chest to make it safe.”
And of course, a favorite
phrase of ODA’s Food Safety
Division comes
to
mind: When in doubt, throw
it out.
Josephine County
Report
Josephine County
Integrated Fire Plan Receives Award
Regional National Fire Plan
Recognition and Award Ceremony
The massive 2002 Biscuit Fire posed a threat to lives and
structures in several southwestern Oregon Communities.
Not long after firefighters achieved control of the half-
million-acre blaze, Josephine County citizens and local
government officials rose to action. They organized a
collaborative planning effort that produced the Josephine
County Integrated Fire Plan.
The plan was designed to reduce the vulnerability of the
County’s many wildland-urban interface areas to wildfire.
So outstanding was the final product that it netted a statewide award as the
Outstanding Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan for 2005. The honor was
bestowed by Partners for Disaster Resistance, a multi-entity collaboration
with an aim to help Oregon communities prepare for an array of large-
scale hazards including wildfire.
Last summer, the Josephine County Plan was put to its first major test
when the 1,600-acre Deer Creek Fire struck near Selma, Oregon.
The fast-moving blaze destroyed five homes and threatened more than 100
others. But two follow-up forums held under the auspices of the Integrated
Fire Plan determined that operations, response and evacuation functioned
better during the Deer Creek fire than a previous wildfire in 2004. Much of
the credit goes to interagency communication developed during the
planning process that resulted in stronger coordination during the incident.
A key take-home message from the Deer Creek Fire is that large wildfires
can still happen despite a plan being in place and actively implemented.
The forest fuel treatments outlined in the plan will take years to complete
and require a sustained commitment from the community.
Article from Western Forestry Leadership Coalition „
Parks Day
Use Fees
temperature abused.
“But again, I think
most people are primarily
concerned with hamburger
and E:coli O157:H7.”
Any time a cook is han-
dling a raw meat product and
then handling a ready-to-eat
product, such as carrots and
celery, it could be a recipe
for illness.
“Cross-contamination is
an issue of real concern
with barbecues,” said
McKay. “The platter
used to transfer the raw
meat and the utensils
used on the raw meat
should be exchanged
with a fresh or clean set
when the barbecuing is
completed. Take an
extra set of tongs or a
new plate to put the
cooked product on.”
Washing hands at a
picnic or while camping
is easier said than done. Be-
cause hand-washing facilities
aren’t always available,
McKay said that cooks need
to minimize the handling of
raw, uncooked meat.
Cutting boards used in
food preparation are also a
potential source of problems.
Using the same board to cut
up a chicken and then
to chop salad ingredients is
not a good idea. A thorough
cleaning and sanitizing of the
cutting board after chopping
up raw meat products will
minimize risk.
Keeping the summertime
Recipients from Josephine County’s nationally recognized
Integrated Fire Plan included: Bruce Bartow, Phil Turnbull,
Sue Parrish, Bob Schumaker, Gary Knauck, Kathy Lynn and
our own Sara Nicholson. Sara’s award recognizes hundreds
of hours of hard work getting up to 30 people to sit down at
the same table and talk to each other about creating and
implementing a coordinated fire plan that all agreed to utilize.
This collaboration among various agencies is what has earned
Josephine County National respect and recognition.
Also receiving recognition for expertise and contributions to the Josephine/
Jackson local coordinating group were: Lin Bernhardt, Dan Thorpe, Lang
Johnson and Mark Sorensen. Mark was unable to attend the ceremony. He
was hand-picked to represent Oregon at the National Integrated Fire Plan
Conference in Washington D.C. These individuals played a major part in
putting Josephine County on the map and in getting Federal dollars to help
with the fuel hazard reduction treatment of over 26,000 acres in our area.
The Deer Creek Fire would have been worse had not fuels reduction just
taken place. Receiving the BLM excellence in Ecosystem Management
Award was Charley Martin from the Applegate District.
From 2001 through 2005, 53 community assistance projects were funded in
Southwest Oregon, totaling over 8.3 million dollars in Federal investment.
During that same time period, our area has received over 2.2 million dollars
for volunteer fire equipment and training from FEMA.
Thanks to all those who have been a part of this monumental event.
They deserve recognition from the citizens of Josephine County and South-
western Oregon. Article by Commissioner Dwight F. Ellis „
Over the past few months, there have been many outspoken letters to the editor chastising the Board of Commissioners
(BCC) over decisions relating to the new day use parking fee in the County’s Parks. Confusion and misunderstanding have
been a significant component in many of these letters, most of which claimed the BCC had enacted the fee as compulsory
and then changed the fee to voluntary. That is simply not true. The Parks Advisory Board did want a compulsory fee so the
money collected could go into a fund to help improve the facilities and services in our parks. But their analysis only consid-
ered what this money could do for the Parks system. They failed to take into account the costs of collection.
In August, 2005 the BCC held a Public Hearing on this issue. The video record of that Hearing shows that the intention of
the BCC was for this fee to be voluntary and that there would be no effort made by the county towards compulsory enforce-
ment. The use of “honesty boxes” was clearly stated as the method of collection to be used. The BCC decision that this fee
would be voluntary considered both the costs of collection and the impacts on Josephine County’s citizens.
A $2.00 fee is not large enough to cover the cost of fair and consistent enforcement. If someone fails to pay and then receives a citation, the effort at
enforcement does not stop with the writing of the citation. The citation must be tracked and, if necessary, it must go to the courts for adjudication.
Then efforts must be made to actually collect on any court decision that orders payment. All of that effort costs money. And let’s not forget that while
employees are watching for violations, writing, tracking or collecting on citations, they are not doing other productive work.
The BCC believes this voluntary fee will bring in new revenue while not placing an unexpected burden on citizens with limited or fixed incomes.
Responsible people who can afford to pay, will do so. If you cannot afford the two dollars, you should not be fined for taking a walk in the park.
Now, you too know the rest of the story. Article by Commissioner Jim Raffenburg „
Published bi-monthly by the
Josephine County
Board of Commissioners
Dwight F. Ellis, Chair
Jim Raffenburg, Vice Chair
Jim Riddle, Commissioner
Visit our website for
current County information:
www.co.josephine.or.us
and
Commissioner Raffenburg’s Commentary
(Click on County Commissioners
then Jim Raffenburg’s Name)
County Courthouse
500 N.W. Sixth Street
Grants Pass, Oregon 97526
Phone 474-5221
Fax 474-5105
email: bcc@co.josephine.or.us
www.co.josephine.or.us