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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, June 6, 2007
She’s rollin’ in the clover
with plenty o’ leafy luck
It is not entirely true that I have made a few somewhat
spectacular threats against the safety of at least one of our
four housecats. Neither is it true that I have uttered and
muttered some ominous
comments about banishing
that same critter.
Of course not. I am a
gentle, forgiving person
who wouldn’t harm a hair of
our cats, even though they
have no problem leaving
their hair around. On our
bed. On the couch and all
the chairs. On the kitchen
and bathroom counters. In
the sinks. On the desk and
Flint
table. Everywhere.
The Fearsome Four also occasionally leave other
mementos of their feline lives around the house. Some of
these tokens stain the carpet.
Additionally, Crazy
Charlie has become adept
at escaping from the
homestead. He especially
is aware when someone
comes to the front door
who is unknowing about
his escapist tendencies.
Charlie is quick and diffi-
cult to catch when he gets
out, and we worry that
he’ll be hit by a car. He
has no fear. He will take
Charlie
on any dog, including our
Bingo, who is not a fan of
kitty claws, even if they’re extended “playfully.”
Charlie and Bubba Big Foot went out the back door
recently, when Bubba discovered just enough space to
hook in one of his six-
toed feet. He opened
the door and out they
went. He uses the
same technique to
open our
closets and the pantry.
Bubba came back in
right away. He didn’t
like it Out There. Char-
lie had to be caught,
which was fairly easy
Bubba
that time because of the
neighbor dogs barking like
madmen. Did Charlie flee? No: He stood his ground like a
trooper and was going to fight it out.
Charlie’s most recent act of destruction involved a
large framed litho-
graph under glass in
a bathroom. The
room has a skylight,
and apparently the
fearless feline was
scouting a way to get
to it. To gain some
height, he leapt from
the counter to the top
of the lithograph
Maui
frame, which tilted, which
pulled out the nail holding the wire that was holding the frame,
which all fell to the floor in a fine smashing and clattering of
broken glass.
Some days we have shattering experiences.
at Pottsville
Saturday, June 16, 9 to 5
Sunday, June 17, 9 to 4:30
Parade of Power - Traditional Country Music
Food Booths - Wagon Rides - Tractor Pulls at 2:30
Flea Market - Skills of Yesteryear events & exhibits
Raffles - 1947 H Farmall Tractor, John Deere kid’s ride-
on vehicle, Maytag kick-start engine
For information phone
(541) 479-2981
or (541) 596-2586
six-leaf clovers. Once she
By SCOTT JORGENSEN
finds them, she flattens the
IVN Staff Writer
clovers, dries them out and
If four-leaf clovers are
places them in a scrapbook.
really as lucky as people say,
then 87-year-
old
Cave
Junction resi-
dent
Rey
Bucquet
could be the
luckiest
woman
on
Earth.
Bucquet
first
began
collecting the
rare plants in
1946.
She
was in Indian-
apolis with
her husband,
Rey Buquet and her clovers
George, who
The collection has grown
was a race car mechanic.
quite substantially since she
The car was ready, and
first started.
the race was hours from start-
“I haven’t counted them
ing. But the driver was reluc-
lately,” Bucquet said. “The
tant to enter the vehicle.
last time I counted, it was
“The owner called him
650. I’ve found a number of
down and found out that the
them since then, so it’s proba-
reason he couldn’t drive was
bly approaching 700.”
because he had lost his lucky
Bucquet has been an
four-leaf clover,” Bucquet
Illinois Valley resident for 35
said.
years. She and her husband
Bucquet and her son,
moved to Takilma from
Michael, began searching in
Southern California, but she
earnest for a replacement
moved to Cave Junction after
clover. There just happened
he died in 1998.
to be an abundance of clovers
Many of Bucquet’s clo-
in the area, so their mission
vers
came from the area by
was a success.
her house. However, she may
“We picked a nice one
have to start looking else-
and had it set up so he could
where from now on.
carry it around and have it
“I found a great bunch of
safe,” Bucquet said.
them there,” she said. “But
Ever since, Bucquet has
it’s private property, and they
collected four-leaf clovers as
mowed it. They mowed all
a hobby, despite the fact that
the tops off, so I didn’t find
she is not superstitious.
any more after that.”
“I have such a habit of
Bucquet said that she
looking at clovers that I can’t
doesn’t tend to find many
seem to stop,” she said. “I
clovers in the summer, so she
don’t really do much with it.
may need to find other ways
I’ve given a lot of them away
of staying active. That won’t
to people who are supersti-
be a problem, though.
tious or who just need one for
“I’m both tired and re-
a special reason.”
tired,” she said. “I still do
During the years, the
things, but at a slower pace,”
clover collector has even
managed to find five-leaf and
she said.
Hunger relief conference
to meet Thursday in GP
The Oregon Food Bank
Network will host Hands of
Hope, a hunger-relief agency
conference, on Thursday,
June 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
at the Josephine County Fair-
grounds in Grants Pass.
The Hands of Hope con-
ference will feature work-
shops, networking opportuni-
ties and keynote speaker Matt
Newell-Ching, western re-
gional organizer of Bread for
the World.
The Hands of Hope con-
ference is free for member
agencies of the Oregon Food
Bank Network. The event is
co-sponsored by Oregon
Food Bank and its regional
food banks in Southern Ore-
gon: Josephine County Food
Bank, Klamath Lake Coun-
ties Food Bank, South Coast
Food Share, UCAN Food
Shares, and ACCESS Food
Share.
The event will kick off
with attendees being given
“hearts and hugs” from the
Grants Pass Chamber of
Commerce Ambassadors.
“We are thrilled to be
able to have this conference,”
said Gayle Daniel, of the Jo-
sephine County Food
Bank. “In our county alone,
these wonderful volunteers
donate an average of 2,500
hours each month to get food
to those who need it.”
For more information:
(800) 777-7427, Ext. 207.
Cave Junction
A page 9 photo caption
in the May 30 issue incor-
rectly identified Jim Witting-
ton, a public information offi-
cer for the Bureau of Land
Management, as forester Tom
Dierkes.
(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.
* * *
‘Grandmother Aggie’
fund-raiser did well
From Susanne Vautier,
Help Your Local
Grandmother Coalition
Cave Junction
The May 26 fund-raiser
for Takelma Elder Aggie
Baker-Pilgrim was a resound-
ing success. Everyone had
fun, and it was a beautiful
event because of all the many
volunteers.
The raffle had such great
artwork, as well as goods and
services from the community.
And the food for the gourmet
dinner came from the gener-
ous donations by businesses
and individuals. Several vol-
unteers put together the beau-
tiful decorations to make the
event special.
Many businesses and
groups donated goods and
services to sponsor the event:
The Dome School, Cabin
Chemistry, Frog Farm, Tay-
lor’s Sausage, Shop Smart
Food Warehouse, Forestry
Action Committee, Coffee
Heaven, Munchie’z, Indian
Summer, Gooseberries,
Changes Art Gallery, Upstairs
Art Gallery, Weeping Spruce
Herb Farm, and Dr. Jim Nor-
dal of Cave Junction Family
Medicine -- to list a few.
And Darryl Cherney and
his band, “The Patriot Act,”
came all the way from Hum-
boldt County to honor
“Aggie.”
Plus, there were the many
individuals, too numerous to
mention, who contributed to
the success of the event, and
they know who they are.
Everyone is appreciated.
Because we all pulled
together to honor our “local
grandmother,” we raised more
than $1,900 for Grandmother
Aggie’s expenses as she does
her work here and globally.
They appreciate work
on ‘Valley Visitor’
From Judson Grosvenor
Palos Verdes, Calif.
My wife and I came
across your recent publica-
tion, “Valley Visitor,” and
want to compliment you on it.
We have seen plenty of
such tourist guides in our
travels. Yours stands up well,
and we wish you continued
success.
The articles and photos
are helpful and enjoyable.
Plus, we appreciate the size
and design.
About the law levy
and law enforcement
From Gilbert Zook
Selma
It seems to me that the
“officials” of our fair county
should not have been sur-
prised when the criminal jus-
tice system levy was blown
out of the water by the voters,
who could see right through
the smokescreen.
After all, how many of us
in Illinois Valley have
phoned the sheriff’s office, or
read about others, and discov-
ered that there are no deputies
in our valley. Where are they?
All in Grants Pass?
I think that’s why the
levy was so soundly defeated.
People definitely did not want
to pay more tax because they
could see no reason to pay for
something they’re not getting
anyway. Now we’ll have to
see what our “officials” will
come up with next when they
run out of funds again.
One more thing. Why
does it cost so many millions
of dollars to pay for the sher-
iff’s office? And since I’m on
a rant, why are so many of
our county leaders paid so
much money in such a poor
county. I noticed that none of
our county “officials” have
offered to take pay cuts.
Linda Sallman
128 S. Redwood Hwy.
Cave Junction OR 97523
541-592-4541
Across from the new Home Valley Bank on Redwood Hwy.
Open Mondays - Fridays, 9 to 5
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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. 12
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.)
Wednesday, June 6
Clouds proliferating
High--64, Low--40.
Thursday, June 7
Cloudiness early,
then clearing
High--71, Low--39.
Friday, June 8
Beautiful and breezy
High--79, Low--48.
Saturday, June 9
Spotty sunshine
shifting to showers
High--74, Low--49.
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.
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
prepaid charge may be levied if a letter is inordinately long in the publishers’ opinion.
POLICY ON “HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE,” DISPLAY & CLASSIFIED ADS
& NOTICES: All submissions must be hand delivered, faxed or e-mailed to us for
publication. Submissions must be resubmitted weekly if the item is to run more than
one week.
Sunday, June 10
Returning intervals
of sun
High--82, Low--47.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Tuesday, June 12
Sunny with afternoon
breezes
High--80, Low--43.
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
Monday, June 11
Early clouds then
clearing
High--83, Low--39.
Following are the high-and-
low temperatures, and rainfall,
recorded in O’Brien
by Cheryl & Harry Johnson.
*Fri.,
May 25: 88-50
*Sat., May 26: 87-51
*Sun., May 27: 75-52
*Mon., May 28: 84-45
*Tue., May 29: 94-44
*Wed., May 30: 94-50
*Thurs., May 31: 95-52
Following are the high-and-
low temperatures, and rainfall,
recorded in Cave Junction at
Mountain Wind Farm.
*Fri.,
May 25: 88-46
*Sat., May 26: 88-48
*Sun., May 27: 75-50
*Mon., May 28: 80-45
*Tue., May 29: 94-40
*Wed., May 30: 94-44
*Thurs., May 31: 93-49
FOR EM ERGEN CY CALL 9 1 1
FOR N ON EM ERGEN CY DI AL 1 -8 7 7 -5 0 4 -8 0 7 5
Stretcher & Wheelchair Service also available
For Paramed Information Phone
1 (800) 228-7601 Ext. 63451