Inside:
Ethics reform
CJ officials take
own approach
Page 3
Head ‘em up
Selma team wins
horse pull event
Page 5
Brainy contest
IVHS ready for
Academic Masters
Page 8
Farm to Market
Sodexho shares
nutrition insights
Page 9
Lookin’ good
Video Mart/Radio
Shack honored
Page 13
Toler, Ellis vote to quit radio call-in program
Raffenburg claims move made in retaliation for station standing up for him
Radio listeners who for
the past two decades have
come to expect to hear their
Josephine County commis-
sioners on Grants Pass Radio
Station KAJO will be disap-
pointed to learn that the board
has voted 2-1 to suspend its
participation in the monthly
call-in talk show.
Board Chairman Dave
Toler introduced a letter ad-
dressed to the station for the
board’s consideration Friday
morning, April 11 during a
regular administrative meet-
ing in the county courthouse.
The letter cited “recent
editorials and developments,”
as well as an alleged
“affiliation” with NewsWith-
Views.com as indicative of
the station’s “lack of objectiv-
ity toward local government.”
The letter concludes:
“The Board expresses our
sincere appreciation for the
years of opportunity you have
provided us to interact with
our citizens on KAJO. Our
decision to suspend participa-
tion in your show is effective
immediately.”
Commissioner Dwight
Ellis expressed his agreement
with the letter.
“I feel that these meet-
ings have been a waste of my
time,” he said. “I’ve had con-
stituents of mine attempt to
call the station for the past
three months, and not be able
to get in. Yet the same (few
callers) somehow manage to
get in and rant and rave about
their same issues. I‘ve got
Commissioners Dave Toler (left) and Jim Raffenburg square off. (I.V. News photo)
better things to do than an-
swer the same question over
and over again.”
Later that afternoon by
telephone, Toler explained:
“Being on that program is an
inconvenience that would be
worthwhile if there were a
(Continued on page 8)
New businesses
‘Produce+’ & Good
Earth Organics
Page 14
JoCo plowing
for Sno-Park
could cease
Clearing Happy Camp
Road of snow from Takilma
to Page Mountain Sno-Park is
among the many services that
might be phased out due to
Josephine County budget
concerns.
That’s what the county
commissioners were advised
by Rob Brandes, director of
the county public works de-
partment, as they reviewed a
portion of the department
budget Friday, April 11 in the
courthouse in Grants Pass.
“We are spending an
astronomical amount of
money to keep that open,”
Brandes said. “Obviously it’s
loved dearly by the handful
who go there, but it is a hand-
ful. Sorry, Dave.”
Commission Chairman
Dave Toler, who recently was
cited on a parking violation
charge near the park, replied
with mock seriousness, “Oh, I
never go up there.”
“We’re having to send
up multiple Cats and grad-
ers,” Brandes said. “That road
is winding, narrow and nasty,
and it’s really getting to be an
expense for a debatable pay-
off.”
Brandes explained that
the state helps fund some 50
percent of the cost for clear-
ing snow up to and including
the parking lot, but that the
effort is still cost-prohibitive.
If not for the funding
coming from the park,
Brandes said that plowing
would likely be conducted
only to just after the last resi-
dence on Happy Camp Road
– at around the 3-mile
marker.
The road, which strad-
dles the state line, is not kept
clear on the California side
during winter.
~Michelle Binker
Illinois Valley Fire District (IVFD) experienced a rash of alarms last week. (Clockwise from
bottom, left) an escaped open burn was reported at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, April 12 in the 8000
block of Caves Hwy.; on Sunday, April 13, a 1 a.m. alarm brought out firefighters to a travel
trailer blaze which was destroyed on Hogue Drive. The cause is under investigation; and at
11:10 p.m. on the 12th, there was a large conflagration on Westside Road involving logging
slash. (Photos by Dale & Elaine Sandberg, IVFD Media Dept.)
Second Friday Art Walk 2008
kicked off April 11 in Downtown
Cave Junction. (Clockwise from
bottom left) Kris Ismaili and Patty
Floate of Back Street Salon with
Christine Murphy of Dreamweaver
Photography; wildlife artist Shawn
Gould at Illinois Valley Visitor Cen-
ter with his Cave Bear painting;
Guenter Ambron at CMEC; Erin
Brandy with her Nature photos at
Changes Art Gallery; and two
happy Art Walkers. (Photo at right
and top, center by Ali Majidi, oth-
ers by I.V. News) Additional photos
on page 14.
Equine therapy project, community center plans near CJ outlined by Glass Rail Outfit
More than 120 people
attended Dale & Sharon Hop-
per’s concert (with their dog,
Claude) for The Glass Rail
Outfit at Selma Center on
Saturday, April 12.
Connie Hicks gave a
slide-show presentation about
the planned Wishes & Wings
equine therapy program and
the community center. She is
the program director, a riding
instructor, and horse trainer in
Cave Junction.
Hicks said, “The Glass
Rail Outfit is a nonprofit or-
ganization, created to offer
the Illinois Valley a rustic
youth camp, equestrian arena,
meeting facilities and an
equine therapy program for
the disabled located at Rusk
Ranch at 27742 Redwood
Hwy. south of Cave Junction.
“The 50-acre facility will
be available to youth groups,
at-risk youth programs, and
equestrians.
Assisting with the eve-
ning’s refreshments, set-up
and clean-up were members
of the equestrian team and
International Club from Illi-
nois Valley High School.
Both clubs were given dona-
tions for their work.
A contest is under way to
name the youth camp. Chil-
dren under age 16 may sub-
mit a name in writing to
Shirley Rusk at 27742 Red-
wood Hwy., Cave Junction
OR 97523. A name, age, ad-
dress and phone number are
required.
The prize is a new tent
and sleeping bag. A winner
will be chosen during July at
a Cave Junction festival.
Shirley & Wayne Rusk
spoke about the plans for the
community center and ther-
apy program on their prop-
erty. They are donating their
land to the nonprofit organi-
zation, The Glass Rail Outfit,
to be a legacy for the com-
munity’s benefit.
Work parties are sched-
uled for Saturday, April 26,
and Sunday, May 11 at Rusk
Ranch. To learn more or to
volunteer, phone 592-4658.
(Related photo, page 8)
- Linda Corey-
Woodward