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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, June 25, 2008
With apologies to John: In the beginning was the
word, and the word was, “Get a job.” It was around 1962
when your current editor-in-chief, then one year out of
high school, was hot-rodding around the San Diego
area, and needed money for Jack In The Box 22-cent
hamburgers and 25-cents per gallon ethyl gasoline.
My job at the time was working for Canteen Service,
and I parked my truck at the end of my vending machine
route right about 2 p.m. That gave me 30 minutes to
reach Southwestern Community College from the area
of Old Town San Diego. Yeah, I drove too fast, but I
was young and stupid. Fortunately the campus then
was at Chula Vista High School before the college got
its own campus out Otay Lakes Road. Otherwise I
would have been late for my first class at 2:30.
Actually, I only took a journalism class at South-
western because it started at 2:30, which dove-tailed
with my arrival after work. I didn’t know what the class
involved, but it fit my schedule, and I had always done
well with English. So there you go.
One of my fellow students at the time wrote a weird
humor column called The Mad Gypsy. As I wrote a
strange humor column called The Shaman Speaks, I felt
a kinship. I chose the name for my column because
S.W. College teams are known as the Apaches, and I
thought that my reference was apt. I don’t know why
“Dave” picked gypsy. Other than the staff, no one knew
his identity.
For one issue we had a photo of a student who had
perfect attendance for two years. And we had another
photo, of the back of Dave’s hairy head, which was to
run with his column with the caption, “Guess who?”
Somehow, the photos got switched, and so every copy
of that issue was goofed up.
Dave was different. One of his assignments was to
write a story about the then-planned campus. There
was an architect’s model of the site, complete with tiny
buildings and trees. The model was covered with a clear
hard-plastic cover, like a cake dish. The “gypsy’s” story
led with, “It’ll never work. People will die without oxygen
under that plastic dome.”
Another time he was assigned to interview the
graphic arts teacher who designed the college seal. He
submitted his story; we ran it. All heck broke loose. The
teacher was incensed because he had not been inter-
viewed. Good ‘ol Dave had made up the whole story.
Well, that was the end of The Mad Gypsy’s time on
the college newspaper, The Athapascan. Too bad, be-
cause I liked the guy. Must have something to do with
peculiar senses of humor.
I still have a job. Some feel I’m still stupid, but I’m no
longer young, although sometimes I drive fast. And now
the cheapest burger at Jack’s costs around $1.29. How-
ever, the price of a gallon of gasoline is approaching 5
bucks, and even my atypical sense of humor doesn’t
think that’s funny.
To thank all those who have supported affordable golf
here in our valley, we are offering these specials, now
through June 30, on any day designated "Open-Play"
(9-hole minimum):
• Students and staff from local schools (with ID)
50¢ per hole, seniors 65+ 75¢ per hole,
others $1 per hole
• Rent a cart, single or shared $1 per hole,
pull cart or clubs $1 per round
• Small bucket of range balls $1
• Hot dog or domestic beer $1 each
Ask about our Super ½ Price
Membership Offer!
Call 592-3151 for details
and tee times
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 71, No. 15
Staff: Michelle Binker, Zina Booth, Brenda Encinas,
Millie Watkins, and Josiah Dean
Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
DEADLINES:
News, Classified & Display Ads, Announcements & Letters
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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
statements made as fact, are
strictly those of the letter-
writers.)
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Typed, double-spaced
letters written solely to this
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ble-spaced and legible also
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‘Cut the crap’
From Neil White
Cave Junction
It has been brought to my
attention, and that of others,
that feces are being dumped
all over Cave Junction.
To my knowledge, this is
a serious health hazard to the
members of the community.
Someone should look into
this problem.
‘Food for thought’
From Steve Lyons
Cave Junction
1. Holger Sommer is
concerned with growth and
safety in the city of Cave
Junction, as reflected in his
letters to editors. Maybe he
should stay in Merlin and
mind his own business, and
he probably will be safe.
2. I wonder if the folks
clamoring to prosecute the
young men in the Red Garter
fracas would feel the same if
their kids had been involved.
Maybe providing them some
citizenship education and
having them perform commu-
nity service would go further
than ruining lives. Sincere
apologies would be nice too.
3. Due to negative com-
ments, the Cave Junction City
Council tossed a proposed
ordinance to require heads of
households to keep guns.
Don’t worry; many of us al-
ready are armed.
4. Cave Junction resident
Barry Snitkin sent a letter to
the Grants Pass newspaper
about Rep. Walden siding
with Big Oil Rep. DeFazio
who crafted a bill, parts of
which he knew would doom
it, thus making his opponents
look bad. By the way, con-
sider that our county and oth-
ers are in financial straits due
to the lawsuits by
“environmental” groups that
have closed the forests to
logging.
Snitken, a friend of
county Commissioner Dave
Toler, is a founder of the
Takilma-based Siskiyou Pro-
ject, which I feel is an eco-
terrorist organization. We can
thank them and their cronies
for the tax proposals, which
would be permanent, that
we’ll vote on soon.
5. Lastly, those worried
about overpopulation can
relax; we’re due for a pan-
demic, so the demand for oil,
gas, food and lumber will be
quite reduced. It’s natural.
Cave Junction
Wednesday, June 25
Sunny and nice
High--82 Low--50
Thursday, June 26
Abundant sunshine
High--87 Low--51
Friday, June 27
Plenty of sun
High--94 Low--55
Saturday, June 28
Hot blazing sun
High--99 Low--55
Sunday, June 29
Sunny and very hot
High--94 Low--53
Monday, June 30
Sunshine
High--90 Low--51
Tuesday, July 1
Sweltering
High--96 Low--48
Like being in-between two
ice ages.
Also, I wonder if the
county commission candi-
dates in the Nov. 4 election
are willing to sue the federal
government to resume the
county payments? It’s simply
just-compensation for the
actions by Dave, Barry and
friends. It’s not welfare.
These opinions are mine
alone and not of any organi-
zation or business I may be-
long to.
‘Questions for city’
From Carol Dickson
Cave Junction
I was pleased to see that
the Cave Junction City Coun-
cil listened to those of us who
spoke in opposition to an or-
dinance mandating that city
residents/business owners
carry firearms, but I am still
confused about the qualifica-
tions of those handling
financial matters for the city.
Am I the only one who
was shocked when it was an-
nounced in January by Illinois
Valley News that the city had
lost $500,000 of a grant (that it
had already paid) because it
didn’t follow through on the
grant requirements? That’s a
big chunk of change. More
recently we had a front page
Illinois Valley News headline
that Laurel Cemetery Associa-
tion had a $50,000 water bill.
The city was adamant
that the water was delivered
(possibly through a broken
pipe) and the money was
owed. When asked why the
city didn’t question that much
water missing, the comment
was that it was thought peo-
ple were watering their lawns.
What? It’s been such a cold
and wet spring, who would
have been watering their
lawns to that extent?
When the cemetery asso-
ciation insisted that it didn’t
have corpses floating away
and no lush green lawn, now
it comes out that there was a
problem with the computer
and the bill is only $4,500.
So why did the city say it was
thought people were watering
their lawns when there really
wasn’t $50,000 worth of wa-
ter missing in the first place,
right?
Did the computer make a
mistake on only one water
bill? Maybe the bill should be
checked again, and it will be
$450. I wonder why people
vote “No” on money issues?
‘The measure of success’
From Tim Norman
Cave Junction
I am writing to try to
shed light on a different per-
spective concerning the meas-
ure of success. There are
those who feel that success is
measured by how much
money and material things
one has acquired in a lifetime.
Another point of view,
which happens to be the one I
believe, is that success is
achieved by one’s contribu-
tion to society and the world
around them. Upon examina-
tion, these two points of view
are contradictory. Where one
concentrates on the good for
the individual, the other con-
centrates on the good for the
community, the country, and
Following are the high-and-
low temperatures, and rainfall,
recorded in O’Brien by
Cheryl & Harry Johnson:
*Fri., June 13 93 52 .00
*Sat., June 14 90 57 .00
*Sun., June 15 91 49 .00
*Mon., June 16 89 46 .00
*Tue., June 17 83 45 .00
*Wed., June 18 86 41 .00
*Thu., June 19 93 43 .00
Following are the high-and-
low temperatures, and rainfall,
recorded in Cave Junction at
Illinois River Farm:
*Fri., June 13 89 49 .00
*Sat., June 14 88 55 .00
*Sun., June 15 86 57 .00
*Mon., June 16 87 41 .00
*Tue., June 17 82 40 .00
*Wed., June 18 82 37 .00
*Thu., June 19 90 51 .00
the world.
We see consequences of
the individualism all around
us. From physicians scaring
patients into unnecessary sur-
geries, in which the patient
often suffers more after the
procedure than before, due (in
part) to the astronomical bill;
to those destroying our planet
and quality of life for nothing
other than personal gain and
lying about their motives. I’m
sorry, but when someone lists
the reason for wiping out an
entire mountainside of trees
as, “I’m just trying to feed my
family,” yet drives away in a
$60,000 truck, I have a prob-
lem with their explanation.
And what are the expla-
nations for wars being started
for special interest, to our
local property being bought
just to be subdivided and de-
veloped, thereby increasing
our population, straining our
already tight infrastructure,
and basically changing our
way of life all so one person
can turn a huge profit. When
these points were brought up
during a recent discussion
about the present state of gas
prices, one unbelievable re-
sponse was, “Don’t bash a
guy for trying to accomplish
the American dream!”
The oil companies are
just trying to make a living. I
guess $18 billion is just
squeaking by. Because these
people think it is more impor-
tant to become the next bil-
lionaires, we all suffer. From
medical bills that put entire
families on the street, to gas
prices that increase the cost of
everything we do, the conse-
quences of individualism are
all around us.
Examples of unselfish
behavior are all around us,
too. However, we just have to
look, recognize and acknowl-
edge them: That coach for
your kid’s Little League
team, who doesn’t get paid a
dime, yet puts in the same
amount of time as a part-time
job. The volunteer firefighters
who will enter a burning
house while everyone else is
running out, putting their
lives in jeopardy to save a
stranger’s life and property
for a whopping $6 a call.
Ask these people their
definition of success and, for
most, their answer would be
quite contrary to the individu-
alist. Success to me is the
look on the face of a kid after
he struck out his first batter
with a slider pitch that we
were working on for a month,
or someone saying, “Thank
you” for saving their house. I
think if everyone in the com-
munity, the state, the country
operated more in the mindset
like these individuals and less
like the selfish money grab-
bing people illustrated earlier,
our country would go back to
being the most prosperous in
the world.
The rest of the world
would speak of the United
States in a tone of hope rather
than hatred and fear as they
do now. Let’s think more
progressively here. If any
believe in the Bible and Ar-
mageddon, the time is com-
ing where we will have to
rely on each other more than
ever. We are told that the
meek shall inherit the Earth.
There is nothing in the
Bible stating anything resem-
bling words that the one with
the most money wins.
“Forget the lust of the rich
man’s gold. All that you need
is in your soul.” (Lynyrd
Skynyrd, Simple Kind of
Man)
Saturday, June 28
Jubilee Park
Cave Junction
With
Nicole Navarro & Band
11-2
Masons Breakfast
7-11
Registration
8-11
FREE Health Screenings by
Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation
8-4
Eastern Star Lunch
11-?
Show & Shine
Noon-4
Bicycle Drawing
2:30
Trophies & Awards
3 p.m.
50/50 & Raffle Drawings throughout the day
103 S. Redwood Hwy. 592-3191
110 N. Redwood Hwy. 592-3126
illinois-valley-news.com