Page 2
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Soaked up some California sunshine and culture recently
during a visit south to historic Olvera Street in El Pueblo de la
Reina de Los Angeles. I was actually headed for Carlsbad in
San Diego County, but decided to visit the birthplace of “L.A.”
with family, who drove from
Carlsbad to meet me and
provide a ride to their
home.
While I awaited their arri-
val, as they struggled
through freeway gridlock, I
managed to eat a couple of
chicken tacos (my break-
fast) at one of the several
restaurants at the Olvera
Street compound, which includes several historic buildings.
There’s also a good range of
booths selling Mexican curios
(aka knick-knacks) and Mexican
candy. Major sugar, but quite
tasty. Sticky too.
The collection of curios in-
cludes maracas, which drew the
attention of Natalie, nearly 5,
and Ella, nearly 2. They loved
the rattling so much that on the
car trip from L.A. to Carlsbad
they serenaded their PopPop
(that’s me, Grandpa Bob) for
about a hour as I sat in the back with them. It was Maraca
Madness, a real battle of the beans, especially when they
smacked each other’s maracas together. But eventually they
fell asleep.
One feature of Olvera
Street is a traditional shaded
plaza. It includes a statue of
King Carlos IV of Spain (that’s
IV for fourth, not Illinois Valley),
who was responsible in 1781
for granting the land for the
pueblo that became the city of
Los Angeles. There was a
group of elderly men in one
corner, discussing world
events and what to have for
lunch. There was a stand
called Mr. Churro. And there
was a fruit counter with a
young man in front who asked
everyone if they’d cash a
check for him. He had a lovely,
melodious voice, but no takers
on cashing his check. The fruit
seller eventually made him
leave, as he was annoying customers.
Strangely, the only food sold on Olvera Street is Mexican
cuisine. I loved it -- a place
where all the menus offer soul
food for those of us with Mexi-
can taste buds.
Olvera Street, across from
Union Station, began as a short
lane called Wine Street. In 1877
the street was extended and its
name changed to Olvera Street
in honor of Agustin Olvera, who
owned a home at the end of the
street across from the plaza. He
was the first county judge of
Los Angeles. (That’s it for the
hard history today).
Enjoyed the visit, but was pleased to head south to Carls-
bad. Despite the maracas serenade.
Senior Insurance Solutions
Richard Chaffee
Medicare Insurance Specialist
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328 Caves Hwy.
541-592-3373
illinois-valley-news.com
(Editor’s Note: Views and
commentary, including state-
ments made as fact, are strictly
those of the letter-writers.)
* * *
Typed, double-spaced let-
ters written solely to this news-
paper are considered for publi-
cation. Hand-written letters that
are double-spaced and legible
also can be considered.
‘Thank you’ submissions
are not accepted as letters.
* * *
Presidential stem cell
position criticized
From Wally Hardie
Selma
Only this President
Bush, with the button-down
mind of a fundamentalist,
would ever, ever consider
putting the very slim possi-
ble use of a stem cell in
front of the life-saving po-
tential of that very same
stem cell.
And yet, that is exactly
what President Bush has
done and is doing. It is diffi-
cult, if not impossible, to
believe that anyone, let
alone the president, would
not allow medical science to
not only save millions of
children suffering from life-
threatening disease, but the
millions yet unborn.
One would have
thought that this mindless
thinking went out with the
passing of the Dark Ages.
But President Bush is living
proof it has not. His being
elected should make all of
us much more aware of how
one man will use his per-
sonal views to push his own
agenda and turn his back on
the rest of mankind.
It was this same think-
ing that stoned witches, and
condoned slavery. It is also
a part of President Bush’s
reasoning when he said, “I
believe in DNA, but I don’t
believe in evolution.” Why
hasn’t someone informed
him that DNA is evolution?
But logic and the need
to keep one’s job, I suppose,
play a larger part than trying
to educate a mind-set that is
totally inflexible. Or perhaps
Following are the high-and-
low temperatures, and rainfall,
recorded in O’Brien
by Cheryl & Harry Johnson.
*Fri.,
April 13: 69-33
*Sat., April 14: 57-41 0.63
*Sun., April 15: 61-35
*Mon., April 16: 67-33
*Tue., April 17: 51-37 0.47
*Wed., April 18: 55-35
*Thurs., April 19: 56-35 0.02
Following are the high-and-
low temperatures, and rainfall,
recorded in Cave Junction at
Mountain Wind Farm.
*Fri.,
April 13: 72-32
*Sat., April 14: 52-40 0.64
*Sun., April 15: 60-34 0.01
*Mon., April 16: 67-31
*Tue., April 17: 47-35 0.24
*Wed., April 18: 50-32 0.09
*Thurs., April 19: 58-33 0.03
it makes more sense when
understanding this admini-
stration is the most incom-
petent and corrupt we have
ever known. Bar none.
Sp ecial interests boost
forest recreation prices
From Commissioner
Charles J. Hurliman
Tillamook County
Attentive forest prac-
tices guarantee needed dol-
lars for campgrounds, out-
door recreational desires and
the environment that we
have come to expect in the
Northwest.
Historically forest man-
agement (timber harvest)
was the funding stream that
provided the needed dollars
for recreation. Special-
interest groups have at-
tacked forest management
with lawsuits to stop forest
harvest. With the lack of
forest management we are
setting our forests up for
uncertain, unstable futures.
Thoughtful forest man-
agement plans ensure pre-
dictable timber and revenues
for our schools and local
economies, diverse habitats
for wildlife and fish and
recreational opportunities.
I have issues with pay-
ing more for recreational
opportunities, schools, roads
and social services, due to
the inclination of special
interests.
Unplanned pregnancies:
‘People need to care’
From Mary Lefner,
executive director,
Pregnancy Center of the
Illinois Valley
On Wednesday, April
18 in a 5-4 ruling, the U.S.
Supreme Court upheld the
law banning partial-birth
abortion as constitutional.
The issue of abortion
has been politicized, argued
and promoted for more than
a generation so that the true
understanding of the proce-
dure is today misunderstood
and taken for granted.
The terms referring to
abortion include words like
“choice, the removal of fetal
tissue, or the products of
conception and the right to
choose.” All these terms
mask the reality of what is
actually being aborted – a
human life – a baby.
The beloved children’s
author Dr. Seuss said it best,
“A person is a person no
matter how small.” When-
ever a life is ended prema-
turely, no matter the circum-
stances, there are psycho-
logical, emotional and spiri-
tual repercussions for every-
one involved.
At the Pregnancy Cen-
ter, we know first hand that
abortion is not the easy solu-
tion to a problem, but the
addition of many new prob-
lems in people’s lives that
usually last for years. Abor-
tion not only ends a life, but
it hurts women, often de-
stroys relationships and
scars futures.
There are, however,
positive alternatives.
As a community, we
need to help those facing an
unplanned pregnancy with
the support they need that
doesn’t lead to regret and
additional pain, plus elevate
and encourage the standard
of purity and marriage. To
do any less is to continue to
allow people to suffer and
children to be lost.
What is needed is for
people to care.
quality of living and positive
climate for business.
The potential effects to
Josephine County’s criminal
justice system with the
pending cuts to the district
attorney’s staff; reductions
in the available county jail
bed capacity; and downsiz-
ing of the sheriff’s patrol
will mean serious implica-
tions to the future business
climate and quality of living
in Josephine County.
The overall criminal
justice system for Josephine
County faces such drastic
reductions as to place in
question the ability for the
county to maintain the
safety and protection for
existing or future citizens
and businesses.
Business group backs
justice system levy
From Alex Pawlowski,
board president,
Southern Oregon Regional
Economic Development
(SOREDI)
The SOREDI Board of
Directors urges the voters of
Josephine County to con-
sider closely the immediate
and long-term implications
from the drastic cuts
planned for the county’s
criminal justice system.
SOREDI also urges
support for the proposed
special property tax levy as
presented by the county
commission as a necessary
short-term solution for
maintaining the business
and living environment in
Josephine County.
The quality of living
and the excellent climate for
business in Southern Ore-
gon have long been among
the most important benefits
used by SOREDI to attract
or retain businesses and jobs
for the region’s economic
growth. However, the pend-
ing loss of substantial fed-
eral funding from the Secure
Schools and Communities
Act poses a threat to the
quality of living and busi-
ness climate in Josephine
County.
SOREDI regularly
works with business pros-
pects looking to Southern
Oregon as a possible loca-
tion for an expansion or new
investment, and those poten-
tial businesses place a great
deal of importance on the
Soldier’s view: Insurgents
must be out or ‘9/11’ again
From Steve Lyons
Cave Junction
I received a communi-
cation from the Patriot
Guard organization that had
a letter from SPC “Doc”
Bryant Shurley, a 2/5 Cav,
1st CB U.S. Army medic
who has been in Iraq nearly
four months.
Here are some excerpts
that you won’t find in re-
ports from the major media:
“I’m tired of hearing the
media’s skewed version, the
politicians squabbling over
what they read in a report,
and the average ill-informed
American ranting about
things he knows nothing
about. Since I’ve been here
I’ve learned more about this
country than a year’s worth
of watching CNN.
“There are three major
factions here: Sunnis, Shi-
ites and Kurds. The Shiites
are in the majority, but Sad-
dam was a Sunni, so he kept
the Shiites in check. Every-
one hates the Kurds, who
are Christian and in the vast
minority. The Kurds re-
ceived the brunt of Sad-
dam’s murderous tyranny.
“Now that he is gone,
the Shiites have taken con-
trol of Baghdad. The largely
peaceful Sunnis are now the
victims of radical Shiite ter-
rorism. So the young Sunni
men, who can no longer go
to work and support their
families, do what all young
men would do. They join
(Continued on page 3)
P.O. Box 1668 ~ 221-C S. Redwood Hwy.
Cave Junction OR 97523
~Life & Health Insurance
~Medicare Plans
~Independent Agent for
Mary Reynolds
Office: 592-6262
Fax: 592-6263
Cell: 660-7342
jeffersonstate@frontiernet.net
Illinois Valley News
www.illinois-valley-news.com
An Independent Weekly Newspaper Co-owned and published by
Robert R. (AKA Bob or El Jefe), Editor and Jan Rodriguez
Entered as second class matter June 11, 1937 at Post Office as Official Newspaper for
Josephine County and Josephine County Three Rivers School District, published at
321 S. Redwood Hwy., Cave Junction, OR 97523
Periodicals postage paid at Cave Junction, OR 97523
Post Office Box 1370 USPS 258-820
Telephone (541) 592-2541, FAX (541) 592-4330
Email: newsroom1@frontiernet.net or newsdesk@illinois-valley-news.com
Volume 70, No. 6
Staff: Michelle Binker, Zina Booth, Josiah Dean, Scott Jorgensen
Millie Watkins, and Tina Grow
Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
DEADLINES:
News, Classified & Display Ads, Announcements & Letters
5 P.M. THURSDAYS
(Classified ads & uncomplicated display ads can be
accepted until Noon, Fridays with an additional charge.)
POLICY ON LETTERS: ‘Illinois Valley News’ welcomes letters to the editor provided they are
of general interest, in good taste, legible and not libelous. All letters must be signed, using
complete name, and contain the writer’s address and telephone number. The latter need not
be published, but will be used to verify authenticity. The ‘News’ reserves the right to edit letters.
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discretion of the publishers. Unpublished letters are neither acknowledged nor returned. A
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Cave Junction
Wednesday, April 25
Numerous clouds
breezing through
High--68 Low--36.
Thursday, April 26
Spots of sunshine
High--68, Low--38.
Friday, April 27
Infrequent sunshine
High--70, Low--45.
Saturday, April 28
Continued cloudiness
High--74, Low--39.
Sunday, April 29
Increasing sunshine
blowing in
High--75, Low--36.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Monday, April 30
More sun, wind then
clearing
High--70, Low--37.
One year in Josephine County - $22.80
One year in Jackson and Douglas counties - $26.40
One year in all other Oregon counties and out-of-state - $36
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to
P.O. Box 1370, Cave Junction OR 97523
Tuesday, May 1
Mostly sunny with
periods of clouds
High--78, Low--38.
The Kerby
Transfer Station
is open to help you...
Hours: Mondays -
Saturdays
9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
For more information
phone (800) 922-1025