Page 2
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Traveling by air always amazes me, not only because of
the altitudes and comfort, but because of the speed. And the
free pretzels and peanuts. Besides that, what would take 18
to 20 hours by car (Cave Junction to North San Diego
County) is diminished
to two hours. And
some of us tend to
take this amazing
situation for granted.
Actually, I was a bit
nervous heading to
Rogue Valley Interna-
tional Airport by car
last week because of
dense traffic on the
roadways. I had left
plenty of time to get
through the security
section to reach the
boarding area, but
there were so many
other folks on the
roads from Cave
Junction to Medford
that it took me some
15 minutes longer
than I had planned.
Editor Bob (he’s the one on
Then
there’s that long
the right) with Franciscan Fr.
walk
from Long-term
Junipero Serra, known as the
Parking to the terminal
father of the California mis-
(odd name for an air-
sions, at San Luis Rey.
port, especially for
those of us with butterflies in our guts).
Anyway, I was fortunate to fly via Horizon Air from Med-
ford to Portland, and via Alaska Airlines from PDX to Chong
Wang … er, John Wayne Airport in Orange County. There my
wife, Jan, and our daughter, Vicki, picked me up, although
there was a 45-minute delay in our getting together because I
was at the upper level, and they were at the lower level. (They
were given bad advice by an airport employee).
Anyway II, that was the start of a fine visit with Vicki and
her fam in Carlsbad in San Diego County. Although we didn’t
“do” all the things or go to all the places I had in mind, we still
had a most enjoyable trip. One highlight, for me, was to revisit
the San Luis Rey Mission in Oceanside. When I was a little
boy in Linda Vista and National City, my parents often went to
the site, although there was a lot less traffic and fewer free-
ways in those days.
Strangely, the mission, more than 200 years old, hadn’t
changed much, as far as I could tell, from the last time I had
visited. Probably around ‘55 (that’s 1955). Granddaughters
Natalie, who’ll be 5 on Aug. 21, and Ella, 2, had a great time.
They especially like loose rocks, pretty flowers and running
water. Oh yeah, there was a security man at the mission who
kept staring at us as though we were vandals or people with
two heads. He kept warning us about getting too close to this
or that, etc. Every time we turned around, he was glaring at
us. Give some guys a badge, and ...
Well, speaking of airline travel, as at the beginning of this
dispatch, I am still amused by the announcement for
“preboarding.” Probably the airlines mean “special,” “early” or
“privileged” boarding. But using “pre” sounds as though peo-
ple can board the plane before they board the plane. Weird.
Then there’s the pilot announcement that we can feel free
to move about the cabin. Yeah, right. If we were on a train or
a bus, that would be entirely possible. But on most flights, the
“Fasten Seat Belt” light is almost always on, and those large
refreshment carts block the aisle at either end of the aircraft.
Not conducive to moving about the cabin, unless you have a
dire need to reach the amazingly tiny restrooms.
I’m not complaining; just keep those pretzels and peanuts
coming.
An extensive selection of:
Reasonable Prices
Stones & Fossils
Beads
Crystals
Jewelry
Kaleidoscopes
Books & Music
Dragons & Fairies
Unique Gifts
Toys for All Ages
Open 7 days, 9 - 6
18435 Redwood Hwy.
Selma
597-4300
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. 21
Staff: Michelle Binker, Zina Booth, Josiah Dean,
Jennifer Newsted, Millie Watkins and Tina Grow
Adios & farewell, Scott “Rabble-Rabble” Jorgensen
Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
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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
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resubmitted weekly if the item is to run more than one week.
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POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to
P.O. Box 1370, Cave Junction OR 97523
(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.
* * *
I .V. Lions Club, Michels
gain great gratitude
From Carolyn Robertson
Cave Junction
I appreciate this opportu-
nity to publicly recognize
Illinois Valley Lions Club,
and particularly member Sam
Michel and his wife, Hilma,
for the gracious use of a
walker. I needed it recently
when I fractured a bone.
I also want to take the
opportunity to inform folks
in Illinois Valley of the huge
supply of medical equip-
ment the I.V. Lions Club
provides anyone in need --
without charge. This is truly
an outstanding and most
commendable community
service.
Experience provided on
defensible space work
From Sharon Silva
Kerby
While reading De Spell-
man’s letter to the editor in
the Aug. 1, 2007 edition of
Illinois Valley News I had an
old anger reawakened.
If people want to go to
the meetings De is hosting
and listen to her talk about
what a good thing SB 360 is
going to be, fine. However,
if she has someone in mind
to help you with your defen-
sible space area and fuels
reduction around your
home, it would be best to
think twice.
A few years back, while
De was employed by Illinois
Valley Fire District as the
fire prevention coordinator,
I contacted her for help with
making a defensible space
around my home. She came
to my house with a man
who was supposedly very
good at this sort of work. De
set the dollar amount, even
called me back to say they
had under-bid the cost. Long
story short, for the defensi-
ble space, and fuels reduc-
tion on 5 acres the cost was
$4,800.
Yeah, I know, I was an
idiot to agree with this.
However, at the time, even
my good friends were tell-
ing me I could trust De. I
felt she had to be correct in
what she was saying be-
cause she was backed by the
good name of our I.V. Fire
District.
Long story even shorter,
the goon she sent up here to
work demanded money
from me from day one, and
did not do what De prom-
ised me he would do. I paid
him (I know -- stupid, stu-
pid, stupid -- but he was an
intimidating kind of guy).
Also I was afraid my
wheelchair-bound Vietnam
veteran husband was going
to kill the guy for not doing
the work De promised us he
would do. I thought it best to
pay him and get him off my
property and out of my life.
What he did do, accord-
ing to I.V. Fire Chief Harry
Rich, was make a “bad
situation worse.” He came
to my home to view the dev-
astation. By that time, De
had been terminated from
her position as fire preven-
tion coordinator.
The chief told me that it
was not part of her duty as
an employee of the fire dis-
trict to set up the contractor,
or to bid on the price of the
job. De should have simply
given me a list of contrac-
tors I could phone to make
arrangements for the work
to be done.
I believe it is my civic
duty to warn people to be
aware of any person De
claims is an expert in creat-
ing defensible space and
fuels reduction. Hopefully
she is no longer engaging in
this practice. She and her
“expert” sure set us back,
and I don’t want anyone else
to go through what we have
been through.
Her promises to “make
it right” never materialized.
We could not even get our
$300 rebate, as the work
was so poorly done.
With the possibility of
SB 360 on the horizon,
many people, including my-
self, are recognizing the
need to have their properties
as fire safe as humanly pos-
sible. I spoke with Rich last
week (Aug. 3). He told me
that anyone who plans on
having fuels reduction and
defensible space created on
their property need to make
sure they use a contractor
with a farm and forest li-
cense, who is insured and
bondable.
So learn from my stu-
pidity. If De recommends
someone to you, don’t trust
him just because she said so.
Land of Enchantment
reader likes ‘Noose’
From Paloma Martinez
Taos, N.M.
While checking the
Internet for information
about something in the state
of Illinois, I accidentally
came across your Website
(illinois-valley-news.com)
and began checking it out.
Frankly, I am quite fa-
vorably impressed with
what you put out there from
your community. Your arti-
cles are well-written, and
you seem to have a handle
on what’s significant in your
area for your readers.
I especially enjoyed
your Police Blotter. I’ll be
checking your site every
week, and perhaps visit your
valley some day, as I am a
silversmith and painter, and
your valley seems to have a
large artistic population.
Some parts of Bible
he finds disturbing
From Wally Hardie
Selma
Faith in any God im-
plies a lack of faith in hu-
manity.
When I was very young
and encouraged to attend
Sunday school and church, I
was instructed to love this
God that the Bible presented
me. We were told to read
our Bible, although I know
that few did.
In reality, they don’t
really want you to read the
Bible; at least not very
much. Part of the Good
Book, as it is called, began
the ending of my church-
going days.
God forbade any show
of mercy, and, according to
I Samuel, demanded the
slaughter of man and
woman, infant and suckling,
ox and sheep, camel and ass.
In the Book of Exodus
through Judges, God said
that large numbers of certain
segments of the population
should be killed, and that the
young girls should be raped
and enslaved.
My God took no ac-
count of innocence or good
intentions. He killed poor
Uzzah for touching the Ark
of the Covenant to keep it
from falling off its oxcart. In
Samuel 6 he had 42 children
torn to pieces by bears for
making fun of Elisha, who
was a bald man.
I became horrified as a
child when reading the
Bible. Why anyone would
wish to traumatize their
child with horror stories is
beyond me. There are more
loving ways and depth of
need than worship and hate.
In ancient Egypt, the
deceased had to recite the
Negative Confession before
Maat, the judgment god-
dess, in order to enter Para-
dise. Part of it goes:
“I have done no evil, I
have not inflicted pain, I
have made no one weep, I
have harmed no animal. I
have not robbed the poor. I
have not fouled the water.
“I have not trampled the
fields; I have not behaved
with insolence. I have not
judged hastily. I have not
stirred strife. I have allowed
no one to suffer hunger. I
have not increased wealth at
other’s expense.”
‘Church sale’ position
perspective offered
From Ali Madjdi
Takilma
Man walks down the
street; slips and falls. To
bystanders it’s comical; to
the victim it’s tragic.
One man’s tragedy is
another’s comedy.
Kendon Leet finds the
situation (Tribe disputes
land sale, Illinois Valley
News, Aug. 1, 2007)
“comical and repetitive.”
A church gets sold; Leet
represents the seller, and
gets a commission.
As fast as crud is com-
ing to the surface in this
deal, it will not be long be-
fore those of us who have
endured the tragedy could
be laughing at Leet and his
associates. Think “comical
and repetitive.”
(Continued on page 3)
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