Page 13
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Drug usage
among teens
said lower
Teen-age drug use has
declined by 23 percent since
2001 for eighth, 10th and
12th graders combined, with
reductions in the use of
nearly every drug in every
drug prevalence category,
according to the University
of Michigan's 2006 Moni-
toring the Future (MTF)
study.
This translates into ap-
proximately 840,000 fewer
youth using illicit drugs dur-
ing 2006 than during 2001.
These reductions represent a
nearly exact achievement of
President Bush’s goal of
reducing youth drug use by
25 percent by 2006.
Reductions in illicit
drug use among eightth and
10th graders exceeded the
president’s goal, falling 30
and 26 percent since 2001,
respectively.
The study also shows
that while marijuana contin-
ues to be the most com-
monly used illicit drug
among teen-agers, current
use of marijuana has
dropped by 25 percent dur-
ing the past five years. And
for the single year from
2005 to 2006, current mari-
juana use dropped by 7 per-
cent among all three grades
combined.
Teen use of ampheta-
mines, particularly metham-
phetamine, dropped signifi-
cantly. The prevalence rates
for meth use in all catego-
ries, for all three grades, is
either the lowest or among
the lowest recorded since
the question was first in-
cluded in the MTF survey.
Past-month use of
methamphetamine among
youth plummeted by 50 per-
cent since 2001, with less
than 1 percent (.7%) of stu-
dents using meth at least
once in the last 30 days be-
fore the interview.
“There has been a sub-
stance abuse sea change
among American teens,”
said John P. Walters, direc-
tor of National Drug Control
Policy.
“They are getting the
message,” he said, “that
dangerous drugs damage
their lives and limit their
futures. We know that if
people don’t start using
drugs during their teen
years, they are very unlikely
to go on to develop drug
problems later in life.
“That’s why this sharp
decline in teen drug use is
such important news: It
means that there will be less
addiction, less suffering, less
crime, lower health costs,
and higher achievement for
this coming generation of
Americans.”
Patton new utility clerk at CJ City Hall
Family History Center aides (from left) Cathleen Von
Breithaupt, Mary McCollum, Doloris Lloyd, Joyce
Farmer and Walt Farmer. (Photo provided)
History center open to all
for discovering family tree
The Family History
Center in Cave Junction is
open Thursdays from 10 a.m.
to 1 p.m., and 3 to 6 p.m.
Beginners are welcome.
Staff is present to assist any
who come at no charge.
There are four computers,
plus readers and fiche.
There is no charge for use of
Ancestry.com or of equip-
ment.
Film can be rented at
cost, and there is a small
charge for paper. All are
welcome to come and trace
their families.
The center is located at
The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints at 209
S. Junction Ave. For more
information or to determine
if a computer is available,
phone 592-4583.
Reports on crashes advised
The winter storm that
dealt a crippling blow to
much of Oregon left in its
wake thousands of damaged
vehicles.
Many were involved in
“fender benders” or were
damaged by flying gravel.
In all cases, repairs are nec-
essary, but what can a vehi-
cle owner do to expedite the
insurance claim and repair
processes?
“Once you've fulfilled
your responsibilities at the
accident scene and it’s time
to take the car in for repairs,
there are a few simple things
you can do to file insurance
claims quickly and easily so
repairs to your vehicle can
begin as soon as possible,”
said AAA Oregon/Idaho.
It offers these tips:
*Write a detailed ac-
count of the incident: the
day, time, location, road
conditions, driving speed
and hazards.
*If another vehicle was
involved, be sure to include
its year, make, model num-
ber, license plate number,
driver’s name, address,
driver license number, insur-
ance carrier and policy num-
ber, and the names and con-
tact information of any oth-
ers who were involved or
who witnessed the accident.
*If a police officer filed
a report, obtain a copy for
your insurance claim.
*Draw a sketch of the
street, indicating traffic con-
trol signs and signals and
hazards.
*Take photos of the
damage to the vehicle.
*Review your insurance
policy to be sure you're fa-
miliar with coverage terms
and limitations.
*Contact your insurance
company claims office.
*Promptly provide
claims adjusters complete,
accurate details as re-
quested.
As a reminder, Oregon
law requires drivers or vehi-
cle owners to file accident
reports if damages are
$1,500 or more or if the ve-
hicle was towed from a
crash site.
CAP squadron seeking donation
of mobile to use as headquarters
Currently homeless, Grants Pass Composite Squadron of
the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is seeking donation of a double- or
triple-wide mobile home.
CAP is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so the contribu-
tor will receive a receipt for their tax-deductible donation.
A donated mobile would be moved by CAP to its site in
Merlin near the Grants Pass Airport. To donate, phone 474-
7372 or 474-4912.
The world is full of magical things
patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.
- Bertrand Russell -
Kati Kim interview
(Continued from page 9)
spend another night in the
car.
They discussed a plan
where he was going to set
out on foot to look for help.
Kati recounted, “James left
us with the belief that there
was a town called Galice
only about four miles from
our camp. He thought this
town would have amenities,
and would be located next to
the river.
“There were, in fact,
signposts with numbers
posted directly in front of us
and to the right of our camp,
but we could not discern the
meaning of these numbers.”
He had barely eaten
during the past week,
“saving the food for the ba-
bies.” James took lighters,
scissors and extra colorful
clothes with him. Kati re-
members that he left at
“exactly 7:46 (Saturday)
morning.
He was going to cut
strips of clothing and tie
them to trees so that he
could mark his way back to
the car.
James was to turn
around by 1 that afternoon,
but never returned. He was
wearing a watch when he
left., but Kati said that it was
not working when it was
returned to her later, after
her husband was found.
Kati made an effort the
next day (Sunday) to walk
out with the children. She
states that she strapped them
on her body and walked for
more than two hours before
she returned. She was too
weak to continue. She again
heard a helicopter this day.
Kati stated that she had
taken the visor out of the
car. She had practiced di-
recting the mirror in the vi-
sor at passing airplanes.
On Monday, Dec. 4, she
again heard a helicopter in
the area and started signal-
ing with the vanity mirror.
As she did, the craft came
closer and closer until it be-
gan circling. She put down
the mirror and started wav-
ing a pink umbrella.
Kati stated that almost
immediately two more heli-
copters “swooped” in and
dropped food. She said that
she began feeding the girls
chocolate.
She said that they were
quite thirsty and that the
aircraft crews dropped Ga-
torade bottles, but they kept
shattering. Within 10 min-
utes, a helicopter landed
nearby and took her and the
girls to safety. It was then
she learned that they had not
found James.
She expressed gratitude
for the efforts of all search-
ers and law enforcement
officers who worked dili-
gently to find her and her
family. She acknowledged
the many who put her fam-
ily first and put themselves
in harm’s way to help.
By SCOTT JORGENSEN
IVN Staff Writer
There’s nothing more
comforting than returning
home after a lengthy ab-
sence. Just ask Becky Pat-
ton, who recently began
working as the city of Cave
Junction’s utility clerk.
Patton was born and
raised in Cave Junction, and
graduated from Illinois Val-
ley High School in 1979.
She left the area a few years
later, making her way to
Port Angeles, Wash.
It was in Port Angeles
that Patton met her husband
Andrew, who was serving in
the U.S. Army.
Patton moved with her
husband when he was as-
signed to Germany and Ten-
nessee. The couple then
ended up in Spokane,
Wash., Andrew’s home-
town.
In Spokane, Patton
landed a job at Metropolitan
Mortgage. She began as an
entry-level employee, but
soon became a supervisor
and eventually worked her
way up to a management
position.
“It was a huge learning
experience for me,” Patton
said.
Subsequent changes at
the company forced Patton
to re-evaluate her career
path, and after much delib-
eration, she decided to work
for herself.
“I found that there were
a lot of things I could do at
home and not have a mid-
dleman,” she said.
Patton spent the better
part of a decade working for
herself before taking a posi-
tion with a Spokane-based
home inspector. But the Pat-
tons were looking for a
change of location, and
bought a home in O’Brien.
“It’s a lot more beauti-
ful than I remember,” Patton
said.
Since her job with the
home inspector was done
from a satellite office, she
was able to transfer the posi-
BECKY PATTON
tion when she moved.
Patton spent the last
couple of years continuing
that line of work. But she
found out that the city was
hiring for a clerk, and de-
cided to pursue the position.
“I thought it would be
awesome to be in the hub of
what’s going on here,” Pat-
ton said. “I made the effort
to apply, figuring that if it
was meant to be, it would
happen.”
After three interviews,
Patton landed the job. And
she has seen several familiar
faces ever since.
“All these people I
haven’t seen in the last 20
years are coming to the of-
fice and paying their bills,”
Patton said.
In her spare time, Patton
enjoys gardening and land-
scaping. Those hobbies
should come in handy as she
and Andrew work on devel-
oping their O’Brien prop-
erty.
“It’s going to be my
home for the rest of my
life,” Patton said. “Then I
can retire and pass it on to
my children.”
The Pattons have two
daughters. Raina, 22, lives
in Grants Pass and works as
a nursing assistant, provid-
ing in-home health care to
patients. Their other daugh-
ter, Skyla, is 8, and attends
to Evergreen Elementary
School.
“She attends the same
school I did,” Patton said.
First office at I.V. Medical Center
Monday - Friday by appointment
Pain - Stress - Injuries
Deep massage
CranioSacral Therapy
Senior Discounts
Gift Certificates
Honesty
♦
Integrity
♦
Attention Buyers!
Dependability
Take advantage of this “Buyer’s
Market” now! We live here, work
here, know the area well and
support our local community!
Call us now for all your Buying &
Selling Real Estate needs.
Steve Lyons
287-0290
Becky Newsted
592-3181
660-2032
Bug grade A-
Oregon’s Invasive Spe-
cies Council has given the
state a grade of A- for its
overall successful efforts in
2006 against unwanted ex-
otic organisms that could do
great harm to Oregon.
The grade matches the
A- of 2005 and remains the
highest mark issued since
the council was established
nearly five years ago. Previ-
ous grades on the annual
report card included a B in
2004 and a B- in 2003.
Clean hands
assist health
One simple action can
protect your health -- hand-
washing -- say health ex-
perts in the Oregon Dept. of
Human Services.
Colds, flu, intestinal
illness or staph infection --
whatever the bug may be --,
handwashing is the single
most important action you
can take to keep from get-
ting sick and to avoid
spreading illness to others.
Adequate handwashing
requires soap and clean,
running water. Warm water
is preferable. Lather up and
scrub for 20 seconds, or the
time it takes to sing the
“Happy Birthday” song two
times through.
Deafness costs
When profound hearing
loss in children is not de-
tected in its beginning
stages, special education can
carry a lifetime cost of as
much as $1 million for a
child.
Most insurance plans,
including Medicare and
Medicaid, cover the costs
associated with surgery and
the cochlear implant device
itself. To learn more, visit
www.bionicear.com.
Linda Sallman
128 S. Redwood Hwy.
Cave Junction OR 97523
541-592-4541
Across from Caves Pharmacy on Redwood Hwy.
Open Mondays - Fridays, 9 to 5
Auto - Home - Life - Commercial
Mon-Thurs, 6 am-7 pm
Fri, 6 am-8:30 pm
Sat, 7 am-8:30 pm
Sun, 7 am-7 pm
Downtown Cave Junction
Have you been to
Taylor’s Country Store Lately?
Plenty of great stuff to eat and lots of fun too!
Stop in and see more than 100 feet of deli case full of great hand-
made items. Hickory smoked sausages, hams, bacon and lots of
freshly made snacks in our deli, and great meal selections in our
restaurant.
On sale this week: Taylor’s Trailbuster Jerky,
Original, Peppered and Hot, all just $9 99 lb.
Try one of our terrific deli sandwiches or our hot lunch special of the
day. Homemade soups and deserts, too! Hearty and economical
breakfasts every morning.
For weekend fun, come enjoy our Friday and Saturday night
live music and dinner menu.
Friday night check out this band “Bridgeville Music,”
from Boulder, Colorado, playing Bluegrass and Folk. This will be a
very fun evening!
Then on Saturday you can dance to Dale Hopper and
some real fun Country music.
Dale returns on Friday, Feb. 2.
Next Saturday, Feb. 3, come listen to Buck Harms and his Band!
The Superbowl is coming and we have great fun planned on game
day. Lots of big $5 specials like Finny’s Lasagna and our famous
chicken enchiladas plus much more. Superbowl food specials
all afternoon on Superbowl Sunday. See the game on our big screen
TV, and eat like a king!
10 locally made micro-brews on tap and a wonderful
selection of wine too!