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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Rumor of the Week
Dreams of Pulitzer fly away from I.V. Airport saga
By WALLY AIKEN
For IVN
The rumor this week is
one being bandied about by
those in favor of downgrad-
ing Illinois Valley Airport to
a designation involving what
size aircraft can land at the
site.
This rumor is accepted as
truth by many because it
seems logical. Also because it
is directed against Josephine
County Airports Manager
Alex Grossi, who seems to be
seen as evil incarnate by the
proponents of downgrade.
The use of this particular ru-
mor seems designed to make
Grossi appear to be totally
self-serving and disingenu-
ous.
In fact, the rumor just
confuses the issue by making
legitimate discussion more
difficult. But logic has never
stood in the way of the Illi-
nois Valley Rumor Mill
(IVRM) in the past, so:
The Rumor Of The
Week -- Alex Grossi opposes
downgrading the airport be-
cause part of his pay is a per-
centage of any grants the air-
port receives, and the down-
grade would result in
the loss of most of
these funds. He
would therefore
lose a substantial
portion of his in-
come should the air-
port be downgraded.
The Truth Be-
hind The Rumor --When I
first heard this rumor it had
that ring of truth to it that told
me, “You need to check this
out.” I mean, if I could prove
that selfish reasons were be-
hind any of the participants’
motives, it would be a great
muckraking story. Reporters
live to rake muck.
My first step was to ask
Grossi straight out, “Do you
receive any monetary com-
pensation from any grants to
the airport?” I awaited his
response with poised pen
eager to record the details of
potential scandal. “No,” he
said. Well, that was no fun.
Determined to unearth a
major money scandal I was
not easily deterred. I went to a
county commissioner for
more information. I asked this
commissioner
if
Grossi’s pay was de-
pendent on grant
money and
received an,
“I don’t know”
answer.
Clearly this
was not going as
planned. As I dejectedly
turned to leave, this commis-
sioner’s parting statement
revived my hope. “Just where
does his pay come from?” I
was asked. “It doesn’t come
out of the general fund,” he
said.
Any competent reporter
would have immediately
questioned the commissioner
about his lack of ability to
determine the source of pay
for a county manager. But
being desperate and not too
bright I believed I was being
fed one of those “wink, wink”
leads that turn into Pulitzer
(Editor’s Note: Factual
information for ‘Blotter’ is
provided by official law
enforcement agencies. All
persons listed are innocent
until proven guilty in a
court of law. Charges can
be amended or dismissed.)
* * *
*A continuing problem
with people sleeping under
the back porch and lighting
fires in the trash can of a busi-
ness in Downtown Cave
Junction was reported.
*A woman in the 36000
block of Redwood Hwy. said
that her neighbor was at-
tempting to build a fence on
her property. She reported
that she pushed the pile of
wood off her property with
her vehicle while her
neighbor yelled profanities.
*Around 7 p.m. a
woman in the 36000 block of
Redwood Hwy. said that her
neighbor destroyed her fence
and tried to run her down
with a vehicle.
*The Oregon State Po-
lice agency was notified that
“some kids” were throwing
rock-filled snowballs at pass-
ing cars on Redwood Hwy.
near Draper Valley Road at
11:14 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 2
*George Allen Van
Nuys, 42, was cited on a fed-
eral charge of possession of a
controlled substance at Hogue
Meadows on Takilma Road
at 1:24 p.m.
*A resident in the 500
block of Schumacher Street
noted a strong odor of mari-
juana coming from a
neighboring apartment.
*Wade Kelly Holder, 32,
was cited on a charge of
DWS on Holland Loop at
7:31 p.m. His vehicle was
impounded.
*Deputies were attempt-
ing to track a 4x4 pickup that
had been “spinning out” at
Illinois River “Forks” State
Park. The driver headed to-
ward the river and neither he
nor the vehicle were located.
*A driver stuck in snow
on Happy Camp Road re-
quested a tow at 11:45 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 3
*Two young men were
seen walking into “Forks”
state park at 12:26 a.m. They
were advised of park hours
and told to leave.
*Drug paraphernalia,
found after a guest had
checked out of a motel room,
was confiscated.
*Someone attending a
gathering on Ken Rose Lane
was asked to move their car
as they’d parked on the road-
way.
*James B. Rankin, 52,
was lodged in county jail on
charges of felony and misde-
meanor attempted eluding,
reckless driving, reckless en-
dangering, and interfering
with a peace officer following
a pursuit on Westside Road at
8:42 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 4
*Aaron M. Baker, 18,
was cited on charges of DUII,
refusing a breath test, DWS
and driving without insurance
on Redwood Hwy. near
Westside Road at 12:45 a.m.
*Five golf carts were
removed from storage at Illi-
nois Valley Golf Course
without permission and were
missing for a time. All were
damaged by hot-wiring; one
was damaged extensively.
*A young runaway per-
son who needs medical atten-
tion was reported in rural
Cave Junction.
*Copper wire was re-
ported stolen from a subdivi-
sion under construction on
Green Valley Drive. Also, a
demolished golf cart was dis-
covered.
Tuesday, Feb. 5
*Contacted on N. Junction
Avenue, Chaz Lindsey, 23,
was cited on two warrants
charging failure to appear in
Medford Municipal Court on
charges of second-degree theft.
*An uninjured man was
reported crawling on S. Red-
wood Hwy. in the 400 block
at 8:30 a.m.
*In the 27000 block of
Redwood Hwy. a woman
reported theft of a pink wallet
containing cash and IDs. She
Friday, Feb. 1
*Following a report at
2:40 p.m. by a concerned
caller regarding a man intoxi-
cated and repeatedly falling
over in the 100 block of N.
Redwood Hwy., an uncoop-
erative Otis Jones was lodged
in Josephine County Jail be-
cause his probation officer
said to do so.
*Someone attempted to
purchase checks from an
online source using her ac-
count without permission at a
valley bank, a woman re-
ported.
*Some six to eight loose
cows were corralled, and their
owner was contacted in the
2000 block of Holland Loop
at 4:42 p.m.
*Following an accident
on Reeves Creek Road re-
ported around 7 p.m., Job
Christopher McGhee, 21, was
cited on charges of driving
under the influence of an in-
toxicant (DUII) driving with
a suspended license (DWS)
and driving uninsured. The
vehicle was impounded. His
blood alcohol content was
listed at .14.
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prizes. I dug deeper for the
real story.
I discovered that a propo-
nent of downgrading the air-
port also had been down this
path and that encouraged me.
Certain of discovering felo-
nies galore I checked out the
records.
It seems that Grossi’s
pay is derived from three
sources. Seventy percent
comes out of money gener-
ated from the income pro-
duced by Merlin Airport.
Thirty percent is supposed to
be generated by income from
I.V. Airport, but because it
doesn’t generate enough reve-
nue, an economic develop-
ment fund is used to make up
the shortfall.
As my dreams of a Pulit-
zer faded into the sunset I
realized a sad truth. If only
rumors were true, I could
have been a contender.
Portland-Vancouver link eyed
Gov. Kulongoski and Washington state Gov. Gregoire have
announced a bistate commitment to replace the Interstate high-
way bridges that connect Vancouver and Portland. Details were
not immediately announced.
thinks she knows who did it.
*On Norman Road a
wolf-hybrid puppy was re-
ported to be running loose,
and it was stated that it tried
to attack someone.
Wednesday, Feb. 6
*A report of identity theft
was made in Cave Junction.
*Robert Breakfield, 44,
was cited on warrants charg-
ing failure to comply with
terms of probation on original
charges of DUII and second-
degree criminal mischief.
*A Waldo Road resident
who reportedly slit his own
throat was transported to
Three Rivers Community
Hospital in Grants Pass.
*Located around 9 p.m.
in Downtown CJ, Allison
Marie Gowney, 44, was ar-
rested on a warrant charging
escape from a correctional
institution. She also was
charged with possession of a
controlled substance metham-
phetamine.
*A man said that his ex-
girlfriend had been phoning
him several times per day,
and he wanted it to stop.
*William D. Sheff, 53,
was cited on a charge of im-
proper right turn, and warned
for having no proof of insur-
ance on E. Lister Street.
Thursday, Feb. 7
*Complaints of loud mu-
sic came from the 5000 block
of Westside Road at 4:44 p.m.
*A driver on Redwood
Hwy. was warned for having
inoperative tail-lights on a
trailer. After repairing a loose
connection, the driver was
warned for having a white
light to the rear of the vehicle.
*Warned at 8:26 p.m. for
a defective license plate light,
Cordon Burnell Wise, 30,
was cited at 9:04 p.m. for
failure to obey a red light in
Downtown CJ.
*Several drivers were
warned about speeding or
defective equipment around
Cave Junction.
Respect, Character,
Leadership
(From left) Sgt. John Justema, Sheriff Gil Gilbertson, and
Sgt. Edye Deubert. (Photo courtesy of JCSO)
Sheriff’s office promotes
two to rank of sergeant
Two deputy corporals
have been promoted to the
rank of sergeant, said Sgt. Jeff
Michael of Josephine County
Sheriff’s Office (JCSO).
Promoted are Edye Deu-
bert, who has become the first
woman advanced to Patrol
sergeant in the 167-year his-
tory of JCSO; and John
Justema.
Deubert began her career
in law enforcement in July
1998, working with the Jose-
phine Marijuana Eradication
Team. With JCSO she has
worked in Corrections and
the Detectives Division, and
was promoted to corporal in
November 2005.
Besides her regular re-
sponsibilities and assignments,
she took on the task of coordi-
nating and overseeing the re-
serve program, and worked
with Search And Rescue.
Noted Michael, “Despite
being laid off due to budget
cuts, she remained loyal to
the county and sheriff’s of-
fice.” Deubert is married to
Jer Deubert and has two sons,
Josua and Miles.
Justema has been a full-
time deputy since September
1990. He was promoted to
Patrol corporal in February
2000. He has worked in Cor-
rections and was part of the
former sheriff’s SWAT Team
in the early 1990s.
“John has been instru-
mental in obtaining grants
and donations for the sheriff’s
office to have up-to-date
equipment in the patrol vehi-
cles,” said Michael. “He also
remained dedicated to the
sheriff’s office during a lay-
off period.
Justema’s wife’s name is
Julie, and they have a son,
Christopher; and a daughter,
Natalie.
Invasion of the
Bible Thumpers
by Skookum Maguire
A literary history of
Southern Oregon.
Available at amazon.com,
barnsandnoble.com, other media
outlets, and many local bookstores.
Moving Sale
SAVE SAVE SAVE
We’ve relocated to
Airport Drive
( just 4.5 miles South of downtown Cave Junction)
30088 Redwood Hwy.
Drive a Little Save a Lot
Coors
Carpet, Tile, Ceramic, Vinyl, Rugs, Laminates
$9 99
12-pks. bottles or cans + dep.
Budweiser $9 99
12-pks. + dep.
Corona $14 99
12 pks. + dep.
Prices good
through
02/29/08
For an awesome
adventure,
be there for your
children!
Pregnancy Center
319 Caves Hwy.
~ 592-6058 ~
pregnancycenteriv.org
Mondays - Fridays, 10 - 6
Saturdays 10 - 2
592-2413