JoCo gets
oily facts
on biofuel
Inside:
Letters to Santa
Children's wishes,
business greetings
Pages 2-4
Cougar events
Students in
spotlight
Page 5
New trail
Equestrians,
hikers excited
Page 8
Grad night benefit
Rock Band fund-
raiser at IVHS
Page 9
Talent displayed
Final 2008
Art Walk held
Page 16
Several crashes occurred in Illinois Valley during the past
several days. They included a rollover on Hwy. 199 at Ghost
Town (above). A story about the incidents is on page 15.
(Photos by Illinois Valley Fire District Media Dept and IVN )
Toler has
budgetary
fix-it plan
By SCOTT JORGENSEN
For IVN
When the Oregon Legis-
lature convenes in January, it
will face an estimated $1.2
billion budget shortfall for the
coming 2009-11 biennium.
But Dave Toler, chair-
man of the Josephine County
Board of Commissioners,
said that he might have an
answer to help overcome the
deficit.
In 2005, when Toler was
a member of the Three Rivers
School District Board of Edu-
cation, he tried to lobby legis-
lators to eliminate some of
the state’s many tax expendi-
tures. Toler said that he was
inspired to examine the issue
after the Legislature’s 2003
session. That was the longest
in the state’s history, largely
because of partisan bickering
over budgetary issues.
The Budget Accountabil-
ity Act of 1995 requires the
(Continued on page 5)
Happy Camp
men lose pot
An Oregon State Police
traffic stop in the Grants Pass
area led to the arrest of three
California men following the
discovery of approximately
10 pounds of marijuana.
Because of a traffic vio-
lation on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at
around 11:35 a.m. an OSP
senior trooper stopped a
northbound Dodge pickup
truck displaying California
license plates on Hwy. 199
near milepost 2. The vehicle
contained three men and was
traveling toward Interstate 5,
said OSP.
Investigation after the
stop led to the discovery of 10
pounds of marijuana con-
cealed in the vehicle, said
OSP. The seized marijuana
has an estimated value of
approximately $30,000.
The three men, all from
Happy Camp, were arrested
on drug-related charges. They
are identified as the driver,
Brian A. Crocker, 27; and
passengers, Aaron T.
Hockada, 42; and Wayne A.
Blake, 33. They were lodged
in Josephine County Jail in
Grants Pass on charges of
unlawful manufacture, pos-
session, and distribution of a
controlled substance/
marijuana.
(Clockwise from left) Mishaps on Redwood Hwy. also oc-
curred on Hayes Hill; in the 19000 block in Selma; at mile-
post 41; and at milepost 40.
Community garden sprouting at Safe House site
By LINDA
COREY-WOODWARD
For IVN
Progress on the Commu-
nity Garden Project at the
Illinois Valley Safe House
Alliance (IVSHA) site in
Cave Junction is reported by
Iris Chinook, IVSHA devel-
opment coordinator.
She noted that the land
was surveyed and tilled, and
that a cover crop of crimson
clover was planted this fall to
prepare for future planting.
The clover is sprouting, due
to recent rain. The winter
cover crop will add nitrogen
to the soil to help start the
spring cultivation.
Chinook said that those
who contributed funds to
prepare the soil and plant the
cover crop are appreciated.
Organic fertilizer was do-
nated by Good Earth Organ-
ics, and Suri Futures offered
to donate alpaca manure.
Both are Cave Junction busi-
nesses. Another Cave Junc-
tion company, Clouser Drill-
ing, generously has offered to
donate drilling a well.
Clouser is known for its com-
munity giving.
IVSHA staff also ex-
pressed appreciation to Rod-
gers Tractor Service for dis-
counted site preparation, and
Paul Chernay for his advice.
Funds will still need to be
raised for a pump and pump
house. IVSHA sent a request
for donated seeds to Territo-
rial Seed Co.
Said Chinook, “We will
be looking at green energy
grants for solar power for the
pump and other garden elec-
trical needs.”
She completed the pro-
ject description to be used for
applying for various grants
and is in the process of identi-
fying potential grantors.
IVSHA is starting to promote
the community garden
through announcements at
area service club meetings,
newsletter articles, Website
posting and email.
“We have several offers
of potential free tractor work
for spring soil prep,” said
Chinook. She added that
more volunteer opportunities
are ahead:
Clearing rocks from the
garden right before soil prep
next spring; soliciting dona-
tions of tools and other items
on the wish list; and donating
time, talent, and money as the
project moves forward.
To participate, phone
592-4147.
Children’s Opening Day at GP Library Saturday
Josephine Community
Libraries Inc. (JCLI) volun-
teers are preparing to open
the Children’s Room at the
main branch of the library at
200 N.W. “C” St in Grants
Pass on Saturday, Dec. 20
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We’ve been vacuuming,
sweeping, and cleaning 18
months worth of dust,” said a
weary Barbara Ketley, a JCLI
volunteer and Grants Pass
Friends of the Library president.
The reason for all the
activity is the Children’s
Opening Day, where youths
will be treated to a special
ride on JCLI’s version of the
train in The Polar Express,
complete with hot chocolate
and a reading of the book.
Circulation also will be avail-
able in the Children’s Room
only, so kids can check out
books during the holidays.
Adults will get a chance
to preview the rest of the li-
brary, meet staff, talk to vol-
unteers, and join JCLI.
Volunteers are buoyed
by the news that the Jose-
phine County Board of Com-
missioners approved a three-
year lease and a grant agree-
ment for a matching-fund
grant of $300,000. Doug
Walker, president of the JCLI
Board of Directors, pointed
out that it’s not too late to join
the group.
“In fact,” explained
Walker, “if people join before
Dec. 31, they can still be
Founding Members, which
brings special recognition
and, more importantly, the
pride of knowing you helped
support community libraries.”
The libraries in Josephine
County closed on May 17,
2007. In September ‘07, com-
mitted community members
formed JCLI, a nongovern-
mental, nonprofit organiza-
tion dedicated to reopening
and operating the libraries in
Josephine County.
People interested in get-
ting involved with the effort
can e-mail info@josephine
library.org.
Those interested in be-
coming members can send
their check or money order
payable to “Josephine Com-
munity Libraries” to P.O.
Box 1684, Grants Pass OR
97528 or make a secure dona-
tion on the Website,
www.josephinelibrary.org.
By SCOTT JORGENSEN
For IVN
A presentation and grant
request from the Eugene-
based company N.W. Seed
Crushers Inc. was received
during a Friday, Dec. 12 ad-
ministrative meeting at the
courthouse in Grants Pass by
the Josephine County Board
of Commissioners.
Company owner Chuck
Bergfeld and co-founder Tim
Parker’s focus was on the
production of biofuel through
growing and processing ca-
nola, a crop which also can be
used as seed meal source.
Bergfeld told the board
that a moratorium is in place
against canola growing in
Willamette Valley, due to
fear of it cross-pollinating
with grass seed and other
crops. That moratorium does
not apply south of Lane
County, Bergfeld said.
Other advantages,
Bergfeld said, are that Jose-
phine County production of
the crop could bolster the
agricultural industry, increase
the value of farmland, and aid
in the battle against noxious
weeds. It also would help
improve county diversity
from a timber-dependent
economy, he said.
Parker said that by grow-
ing canola, farmers can take
advantage of tax credits and
renewable energy mandates
in order to guarantee a market
share. The canola crop has
been successfully grown in a
variety of areas and climates,
Bergfeld and Parker said.
Water canola has a high yield,
even on marginal, non-
irrigated soil.
N.W. Seed Crushers sup-
plies equipment to growers,
along with personnel, to
plant, harvest and transport
the seed to market. It also
would process the seeds.
But to bring these oppor-
tunities to Josephine County,
Parker and Bergfeld re-
quested an $85,000 economic
development grant from the
board. They said that doing
so would create local jobs
almost immediately.
The board will consider
the grant request in January.
Finance class
at RCC/Kerby
A three-part Fundamen-
tals of Finance series course,
consisting of Bookkeeping
Basics, Financial Statements,
and Payroll Basics is offered
in Illinois Valley from 6 to 9
p.m. beginning in January.
Classes, all with Cynde
Canepa as instructor, will be
held in the new I.V. Business
Entrepreneurial Center in
Kerby, a project of the Rogue
Community College Small
Business Development Cen-
ter program.
Bookkeeping Basics
(nine-hour course) will be
held Tuesdays and Thurs-
days, Jan. 29 through Feb. 5.
Financial Statements
(six- hour course) will be held
Tuesdays and Thursdays,
Feb. 10 through 12.
Payroll Basics (six-hour
course) will be held Tuesdays
and Thursdays, Feb. 17
through 19.
Participants can save on
tuition by enrolling in the
entire series. Registration is
requested by noon two work-
ing days before the start of
the class(es). For information
phone 956-7494 or visit
roguecc.edu/sbdc.