Page 14
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Raffenburg
recall effort
said kaput
by backers
Walk for Life, an annual event
sponsored by Pregnancy Cen-
ter of the Illinois Valley, was
held Saturday, June 14. Be-
sides the fund-raising walk at
I.V. High School, there was a
performance by Joyful Noise
led by Katherine Wilson. Re-
sults of the fund-raiser were
unavailable in time for this
issue. (Photos by Illinois Val-
ley News )
Library group suggests tax rebate gifts
Eight-year-old Rachel
Hart of Grants Pass knows
how to get a good financial
return.
She was able to convert a
small investment in lemonade
ingredients into $30 from her
stand to give to Josephine
County Libraries Inc. (JCLI),
which is working to reopen
Josephine County libraries.
They were closed May 17,
2007 due to lack of funding
from county government.
But, said JCLI, Rachel’s
fund-raising gets better: Ac-
cording to the American Li-
brary Association, researchers
in South Carolina found that
for every dollar invested in a
library, there was a direct and
indirect return on investment
to the state of $4.48, almost
350 percent.
If those numbers are used
to calculate the community
value of Rachel’s $30 dona-
tion, her initial investment of
$1.55 in lemonade ingredi-
ents could yield $105 worth
of benefits to Josephine
County, said JCLI. That’s an
impressive financial return
from a few cups of lemonade,
said JCLI, which added:
“Of course, Rachel’s
contribution is far greater
than its monetary value -- it
speaks volumes about the
value of a library in the life of
an 8-year-old.
“With taxpayers receiv-
ing federal tax rebates during
the coming weeks and
months, JCLI is encouraging
the community to follow Ra-
chel’s example and stimulate
the economy by donating to
the library.”
Noted JCLI’s Jennifer
Roberts, “Since the point of
the tax rebate is to stimulate
the economy, why not give
all or part of your check to the
library? It's a great way to
stimulate the economy and
keep your dollars working
locally.”
After closure of the
county library system, com-
mitted community members
formed JCLI in September
2007. It’s a private nonprofit
organization dedicated to
reopening and sustainably
operating the libraries in Jose-
phine County.
The group proposes a
model based on public radio
and television, in which
memberships are offered, but
everybody has access regard-
less of membership status.
This will contribute not only
to the libraries reopening, but
to their long-term sustainabil-
ity, said Roberts.
JCLI is in the fifth week
of its first membership drive.
Last week the group sent an
appeal to every household
in the county in a bright yel-
low envelope, asking for sup-
port in reopening and operat-
ing the libraries.
Doug Walker, president
of JCLI, points out, “This is
our big chance to open the
libraries in our county. “
Those interested in get-
ting involved with the library
effort
can
e-mail
info@josephinelibrary.org or
visit josephinelibrary.org.
Those interested in be-
coming members can make
their check or money order
payable to “Josephine Com-
munity Libraries” and mail
them to P.O. Box 1684,
Grants Pass OR 97528.
The Committee to Re-
call Josephine County Com-
missioner Jim Raffenburg
has stopped collecting signa-
tures to place a recall elec-
tion on a ballot.
At the end of 60 days
approximately half of the
4,906 valid signatures had
been collected for the recall
effort, chief petitioner
Cherryl Walker, of Grants
Pass, said last week.
“Most Josephine County
residents want Jim Raffen-
burg out of office now,” she
stated, “but want him to re-
sign. They say they are not
willing to pay $25,000 for a
recall election, though that
amount would not come
from county general funds.
“But they will let Raf-
fenburg continue in office
until his term ends at a cost
of nearly $60,000 that does
come out of general funds.
“When Raffenburg’s
term ends Jan. 4, 2009, we
will have paid him over
$401,000 in salary and bene-
fits for a job he was elected
to by false and misleading
representation of his back-
ground qualifications,”
claimed Walker.
She added that she ap-
preciates “all the volunteers
who gathered signatures, and
the nearly 2,500 people who
signed the petitions.”
She added, “I believe we
raised public awareness of
the need to scrutinize candi-
dates who run for public
office, and to be wary of
those who make claims that
are difficult to substantiate
or that the candidate is un-
willing to cooperate with
third parties or the press to
investigate.”
An antique hose cart has been presented to Illinois Valley
Fire District (IVFD) by Mr. & Mrs. Tom Higgins, of Selma. A
plaque has been affixed to the cart. Besides including the
names of the donors, it notes that it’s in memory of Capt.
Chester ‘Chet’ Taylor, also nicknamed ‘Capt. Char,’ who
served the Benicia Fire Dept. in California from 1967 to
1997. He was a friend of the Selma couple. IVFD directors
accepted the cart with thanks.
IVFD directors also have accepted with appreciation a dis-
play of vintage alarm apparatus donated by Bob Butler. But-
ler, a current member of the IVFD board, collected the items
during his years as a firefighter in Central California, where
he also served as a fire agency director. (Photos by Illinois
Valley News )
Subscribe to the Illinois Valley News.
Purchase advertising in the News.
Bob will thank you!
Edsen Donato, DPTSc, PT, OCS, CHT, CSCS
Ed Goll, DHSc, PT
Joint Replacement
Jeff Wood, MS, PT
Back & Neck Injury
Jim McCall, PTA
Sports Injury
Austin Nickerson, PTA
Certified Hand Therapist
Three Convenient Locations
Grants Pass
(541) 476-2502
1619 NW Hawthorn Ave. #109
Cave Junction (541) 592-6580
218 N Redwood Hwy.
Second Friday Art Walk on June 13 in Downtown Cave Junc-
tion provided eclectic entertainment and featured artists.
They included (clockwise from top, left): silver-and-
gemstone jewelry by Yanase Jewelers at Eye Car Group; Virgil
Jines builds custom lamps at Special Productions; Country
Rock musician Kent Stevenson from Humboldt County at Tay-
lor’s Country Store; acrylic jewelry artist Debbie Wilson at
Amazon Queen; and a work by J.B. Palasini at Ravenswood
Gallery. Art Walk is sponsored by Illinois River Valley Arts
Council with support from Evergreen Federal Bank, Cabin
Chemistry, and Jefferson State Financial Group. (Photos by
Ali Madjdi for I.V. News )
Glendale
(541) 832-2765
300 Pacific Ave.
Gait/Balance Training
Anodyne Therapy
Aquatic Therapy
Auto Claims
Work Related Injuries
Accept Medicare
Assignment
Blue Cross Preferred
Provider
Most Insurance Plans
Accepted
Member APTA &
NW Rehab Alliance
I.V. Little League
All-Star
Car Wash
Challenge
Saturday, June 21, Noon - 3
Cave Junction Subway
Bring your vehicles & choose your teams.
ALL donations will benefit I.V. Little League
Concrete
Remodel
New Construction
CCB 174891
592-6609