Page 2
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, May 30, 2007
It never takes long for me to figure out why we like Cave
Junction and its environs compared to other locales. Espe-
cially when we are forced (so to speak) to leave the valley and
drive to and through
some of those other
places with their innu-
merable cars, trucks,
buses and motorcy-
cles clogging the road-
ways. Lots of grumpy
drivers too.
Such was the
case recently when
we had to drive
through Grants Pass
(reminds us of why we
left Escondido, Calif. in
1979), and then to
White City via Central
Point. We managed to
avoid entering the
Main Medford Madness.
Our goal was to pick up the color covers for the Valley
Visitor that was in last week’s issue. We have extra copies,
and they are being placed around various areas of S.W. Ore-
gon and Extreme Northern California. Once the covers were
safely inside our all-the-time all-wheel-drive vehicle, we
headed for Bend via
Shady Cove, Prospect,
Union Creek and on
past Diamond Lake to
Hwy. 97: the Highway
of Hellacious Head-On
Collisions, which we
avoided.
Jan and I arrived in
Bend early in the eve-
ning and found the
press crew at the Bend
Bulletin hard at work.
Our Valley Visitor cov-
ers were unloaded,
and we were told to
come back in the morning after the next day to pick up the
finished product, which we did, and cheerfully loaded 10,000
copies, which miraculously and magically barely fit in our car,
and which made me remember what it’s like to drive a truck
when a heavy load in the rear changes your steering and
braking, and that’s a really long sentence, but bear with me.
In-between delivering the covers and picking up the fin-
ished guide, we took in some of the area’s attractions. They
include, for my money, Crossings, The Riverhouse Resort
restaurant, which has great food and excellent service. OK, so
I splurged and had prime rib fit for a king. Or least an El Jefe.
But about other attractions: We enjoyed the volcanic stuff
a lot, even taking a hike to reach Benham Falls, which actually
looked like rapids to me. It was an interesting walk, especially
when it comes to world-class mosquitoes.
To see the various post-eruption sights, we did a lot of
walking, which felt good. Until the next morning.
We viewed a caldera, and took a few steps inside a giant
lava tube. As I am afraid of the dark, and didn’t want to rent a
kerosene lantern any-
way, we just took in the
entrance and the first
20 yards or so. It was
nice and cool inside.
We were going to go
through the High De-
sert Museum, but it
was already after 3
when we arrived, and I
didn’t feel like spending
12 bucks each for the
short time we would
have had before hav-
ing to leave. Besides,
we hadn’t had lunch
yet.
All in all, it was an
enjoyable trip. Still, the
vehicular traffic in
places including Bend
is not to my liking, al-
though we thought that the roundabouts used in some parts
of the city, instead of signalized intersections, work well.
Guess I’ve become somewhat of a country boy, what with
living in Illinois Valley. So pass me a hunk of that cornbread
with molasses, and I’ll pick my teeth with a length of straw
from the nearest bale. Then I’ll enjoy a leisurely drive in our
lovely and generally light-traffic valley.
(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.
* * *
Still time for Bush
to become effective
From Wally Hardie
Selma
The American presi-
dency. The leader of the free
world and the bully pulpit.
This office has produced
some of the greatest leaders
the world has seen. The presi-
dency can, and has guided
America through the most
turbulent of times and the
most prosperous imaginable.
Our founders had not
only the concept of the Con-
stitution, but the leadership to
bring it fruition, and to even
conceive the idea of some-
thing called the Bill of Rights,
an idea few countries have.
A government with three
distinct bodies to balance the
whole, all for the benefit of
the American people. The
dedication by the men who
have occupied this office is
well written. I cannot think of
a single president who has not
contributed to the betterment
of America.
President Bush still has
time to rectify his dismal re-
cord and bring it up-to-date.
Still time for his contribution.
We have millions of children
without any medical insur-
ance. We have millions of
Americans who each and
every day must choose be-
tween food and their meds to
stay alive -- and this in the
richest country in the world.
At this moment, Presi-
dent Bush’s legacy is one of
dismal and abject failure.
This can change, but he must
somehow and some way find
the desire and inclination to
change. President Bush is in
free fall to be remembered as
Following are the high-and-
low temperatures, and rainfall,
recorded in O’Brien
by Cheryl & Harry Johnson.
*Fri.,
May 18: 76-43
*Sat., May 19: 69-47
*Sun., May 20: 64-44
*Mon., May 21: 70-39
*Tue., May 22: 74-42
*Wed., May 23: 88-41
*Thurs., May 24: 89-48
Following are the high-and-
low temperatures, and rainfall,
recorded in Cave Junction at
Mountain Wind Farm.
*Fri.,
May 18: 77-39
*Sat., May 19: 71-52
*Sun., May 20: 67-42
*Mon., May 21: 67-35
*Tue., May 22: 72-41
*Wed., May 23: 84-38
*Thurs., May 24: 88-44
the worst and most ineffec-
tive president in the history of
the United States.
Money, money, money:
Who’s got the money?
From Josephine Couron
Cave Junction
If you have been reading
newspaper articles, you will
have noted that our esteemed
Commissioner Raffenburg
and Commissioner Toler, and
our new sheriff, have been
spending time in Salem trying
to get the state Legislature to
set aside the vote of the peo-
ple that protects our property
from arbitrary taxation so that
they can again tax our prop-
erty without a vote.
The logic is simple: If
you own land, you must have
money, and if you have
money they want to spend it.
This brings a number of
questions including: Who do
these elected people repre-
sent, themselves or us? If we
don’t have any patrol depu-
ties, why do we need a highly
paid sheriff and undersheriff?
When the people voted “No”
on the levy, what part of
“No” don’t they understand?
When I add the monies I
pay on my tax bill each year,
I get a figure far in excess of
the 58-cents they claim I pay.
Why is that? What did the
county spend those millions
of O&C dollars on? And
why?
The bottom-line question
is, Why are we paying these
guys big-time salaries while
they are spending their time
in Salem trying to figure out
some way to force us to give
them more money?
Looks to her like SNF
‘cooked the books’
From Dorothea Hover-
Kramer
Cave Junction
Scott Conroy’s piece on
“Truth among the casualties
of the Biscuit Fire,” circulated
among many newspapers and
printed in the “Illinois Valley
News” May 16, opens old
wounds and is a reminder that
the forest service promoted
unnecessary logging includ-
ing 17 acres of “accidental
logging” at the Babyfoot trail-
head of rare old-growth
Brewer spruce trees.
While Conroy, supervi-
sor of the Rogue River/
Siskiyou National Forest
(SNF) claims that the agency
made a profit, the Government
Accountability Office reported
in 2006 that the forest service
actually lost $2 million and
that many Biscuit sales went
at rock-bottom prices to single
bidders.
It appears that the agency
cooked the books by mixing
money-losing helicopter tim-
ber sales in remote areas with
easily accessible roadside
“hazard” sales -- with mini-
mal environmental review.
Logging was promoted
as
necessary
for
“rehabilitating” burned for-
ests yet studies (D.A. Della-
sala, National Center for Con-
servation Science & Policy,
Ashland; G. Nagle, Cornell
University, Ithaca, N.Y.)
showed it harmed regenera-
tion and raised future fire
risks by leaving logging slash
on the ground. Had the
agency listened to reason and
sound science, instead of pro-
moting unrealistic logging
levels, the public would have
been less disturbed.
Unfortunately, public
trust has eroded and we are
faced with logged hillsides
now scarred by heavy logging
damage along botanical areas,
roadless areas and old-growth
reserves.
Clouser Drilling
lauded for
good works
From Glenn
Woodbury
Medford
I grew up in
O’Brien and gradu-
ated from Illinois
Valley High School,
but my roots are
deep in Illinois Val-
ley, as my grandfa-
ther in June 1910
settled the property
that my dad lives on
in O’Brien.
I have pur-
chased from my dad
another 15-acre
piece that also was owned by
my grandfather in 1910 di-
rectly behind O’Brien Coun-
try Store. I plan on retiring
there in five to 10 years.
S OURDOUGH C HAPTER
Presents their Annual
Poker Ride
at
Lake Selmac Horse Camp, Saturday, June 9.
Sign-in starts at
9 a.m. First rider
out at 10,
last one at 11.
Entry fee is $10 /
$8 BCH members
(includes lunch,
poker hand, &
raffle ticket)
DEADLINES:
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accepted until Noon, Fridays with an additional charge.)
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of general interest, in good taste, legible and not libelous. All letters must be signed, using
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Generally, one letter per person per month at publishers’ discretion. Letters are used at the
discretion of the publishers. Unpublished letters are neither acknowledged nor returned. A
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publication. Submissions must be resubmitted weekly if the item is to run more than
one week.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
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
Cave Junction
Wednesday, May 30
Sunny with some
clouds
High--90 Low--48.
Thursday, May 31
Mostly sunny and
pleasant
High--92, Low--50.
Friday, June 1
Some clouds and
sunny
High--88, Low--50.
Saturday, June 2
See above
High--92, Low--51.
Sunday, June 3
Sunny with afternoon
wind
High--83, Low--46.
Monday, June 4
Afternoon gusts with
sunshine
High--78, Low--40.
Tuesday, June 5
Breezy and clearing
High--76, Low--39.
An article in the May 23
issue stated that the Josephine
County Assessor’s Office
was budgeted at $1 million
more than last year. But ac-
cording to Assessor Michael
Schneyder, the department’s
budget is more than $1 mil-
lion and is higher than last
year’s, but not by $1 million.
museum doors open.
Kevin proceeded to drill
the well, and with the equip-
ment supplied by Power and
(Continued on page 3)
B ACK C OUNTRY H ORSEMEN
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. 11
Staff: Michelle Binker, Zina Booth, Josiah Dean, Scott Jorgensen
Millie Watkins, and Tina Grow
Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
I am writing because my
father (Bill Woodbury) is a
volunteer at Kerbyville Mu-
seum. While I was having
Clouser Drilling (the owner is
Kevin Gill) drill a well on my
property in O’Brien, dad asked
me what a new well would
cost the museum, as its well
had run dry. Kevin said that he
would donate it, but that the
cost would be around $7,000 if
they had to pay for it.
I then told my dad that
my company, Power and
Control Inc., would donate
the submersible pump and all
the accessories to link the
well to the museum. My dad
was ecstatic. He couldn’t be-
lieve they could have such
good fortune, as the volun-
teers struggle just to keep the
From Hwy. 199 (Redwood Hwy.) take Lakeshore
Dr. past Lake Selmac Resort.
Turn right on McMullen Creek Rd.
then follow the signs to the camp.
Come early to unload and prepare your horse.
Plenty of parking and warm-up space available.
Contact Dick Butler at 541-597-4383
Thank You
to all who helped make
our new playground possible!
Krauss Kraft, Grants Pass -
Three playground systems
David Gilmore Construction
I.V. Building Supply
Ted Roberts
Pastor Jeremy Nehf
Ron Masters
Dan Hertler
Deborah Rugg
Aric Hector
Chris Arnold
Ruth Raymond
Pat Alison
Diane Gilmore
And all the students who
worked to help make their
playground a reality.
Your efforts were a real
blessing.
Community Bible Church &
Community Christian Academy