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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 2009)
Inside: Maurer town hall Taxes, health care & pot topics Page 2 Cable unplugged Charter pulls equipment from CJ Page 5 Police Blotter Truth stranger than fiction Page 7 Merkley’s outreach Sen.’s staffers visit Cave Junction Page 15 Relay for Life Senior project nets $1,500 for cancer Page 15 Oregon state revenue snapshot shows negative views Commissioner Toler says funding lack likely will affect services provided in Josephine County By SCOTT JORGENSEN IVN Staff Writer The global economic downturn continues to batter Oregon’s state budget, and that is likely to trickle down to county governments. Josephine County Com- missioner Dave Toler said that even though he doesn’t hard any “hard-and-fast num- bers” on any cuts, he’s sure that some pain will be felt at the local level. “I just know we’re seeing reductions in many of our state-funded programs that we deliver,” Toler said. “A lot of people don’t understand that we deliver a lot of ser- vices at the county level that are state-funded.” Toler said that around 85 percent of the county’s opera- tions budget consists of pass- through dollars from the state. Aside from that, he said, many of the county’s depart- ments operate almost entirely on state funds. Those include the Com- munity Corrections Division and Public Health, which ‘It doesn’t matter much what was left the first time through, because before this process is done, the Legislature will be digging through the cushions on the capitol couches looking for quarters.’ ~ Rep. Dennis Richardson Toler said will be drastically affected. “Other than fees, it’s all state-funded,” he said. “They don’t get any general fund dollars, either.” State Rep. Dennis Richardson (R-Central Point) sits on the Legislature’s budget-writing Ways & Means Committee. In his Feb. 20 newsletter to constituents, Richardson wrote that the state plans to reallocate more than $70 mil- lion from other pools of money in order to close its Trial in Green murder case set March 31 Tuesday, March 31 is scheduled as the opening date for the trial of Timothy M. Waddell, 20, accused in the death of former Cave Junc- tion mayor, Tom Green, on Dec. 10, 2007. Green, who was 70, died on the street in front of his Cave Junction home. He was lying on his back, and the back of his head had been injured. Waddell was taken into custody at the scene by Jose- phine County Sheriff Gil Gilbertson. The youth is charged with murder, and third- and fourth-degree as- sault. He was sent to the state hospital in Salem for mental evaluation several days after the incident. He has been in county jail in Grants Pass since June 10, 2008. The trial in Circuit Court in Grants Pass could last six or seven days, according to attorney Pete Smith. A mem- ber of the Josephine County Public Defender program, he is Waddell’s defense lawyer. JCSO seeking $62,171 from O’Brien raid By SCOTT JORGENSEN IVN Staff Writer On March 3, the Jose- phine County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) submitted a formal request to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for approximately $62,171 seized in a Jan. 16 raid on an O’Brien residence. Gerald Batty That raid lead to the ar- rest of Gerald B. Batty, 49. He remains lodged in Jose- phine County Jail on charges of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, providing false information to a police officer, carrying a concealed firearm, and two counts of being a felon in possession of (Continued on page 13) widening budget gap. Some of those are funds that would have ended up in county cof- fers, Richardson wrote, in- cluding $2 million of video lottery funds and 911 call center funds. But during a Friday, March 20 telephone inter- view, Richardson said that has changed somewhat. “I was able to impress on the (Ways & Means) co- chairs the need to have less drastic cuts in the last four months of the biennium, so they agreed to restore some of the cuts and take money from other pools,” Richardson said. Despite that, Richardson said, counties should still brace for cuts. “It doesn’t matter much what was left the first time through, because before this process is done, the Legisla- ture will be digging through the cushions on the capitol couches looking for quar- ters,” he said. The state is currently facing a $4.4 billion shortfall for the 2009-11 biennium. Richardson stated in his March 20 newsletter that the Legislature will use some of Oregon’s $2.4 billion share of the federal stimulus package to close that gap. Of that, $1.62 billion consists of direct aid, and the other $800 million consists of Medicaid and other health payments to be distributed during the next biennium, Richardson wrote. According to Richardson, the Ways & Means co- chairmen are examining four possible budget scenarios in- volving across-the-board cuts from 15.7 to 20.9 percent. “No program is safe from further deep cuts,” he said. Illinois Valley Cougars softball team played its first home game of the season on Thursday, March 19 against Glide. (Above) Third-base player Tammy Huntamer throws for an out at first. See story on page 16 (Photo by Michelle Binker, I.V. News ) Pursuit of partnerships IVCDO’s recipe for successful endeavors Career Day at Lorna Byrne Middle School involved numerous presentations. Zookeeper Emily Fraser-Thomson, from Great Cats World Park in Cave Junction, with an Australian carpet py- thon, was among participants. More images on page 16. (Photo by Michelle Binker, Illinois Valley News ) Airport lease imperiled, but tenant will resolve By SCOTT JORGENSEN IVN Staff Writer A tenant at the Josephine County-owned Illinois Valley Airport is preparing to pay more than $1,700 in retroac- tive rent to settle a dispute regarding building improve- ments that could result in eviction if he doesn’t pay. Jack McCornack has been running his company, McSquared Design, out of the airport’s historic parachute loft building since 2001. His current lease was signed on May 9, 2007, and is to expire after midnight on Oct. 31, 2011. Under terms of the nine-page lease, McCornack pays $235 per month in rent, and is given a $50 monthly discount in exchange for re- pairs, renovations and main- tenance to the building. However, in a letter dated Feb. 26, county legal counsel Steve Rich informed McCornack that he has “failed to perform” those ob- ligations. “The default is in your failure to comply with the terms and provisions of the lease agreement,” Rich wrote. “That failure automatically eliminates the conditional reduction in the lease pay- ment you owe to the county.” The letter goes on to state that McCornack, in- volved in entrepreneurial work including producing a car that runs on alternative energy, now owes the county approximately $1,786.34 in retroactive rent. A provision allowing for such collection is included in page two of the lease agreement. “In the event lessee does not perform those obligations to the satisfaction of lessor, the monthly rental payment for the first year of this lease shall be increased retroactive to the initial date of this lease, and lessee shall pay to lessor the retroactive amount within thirty days of receiving writ- ten notice from lessor that the rental payment has been in- creased,” the lease states. Rich reminded McCor- nack of the retroactive provi- sion in the Feb. 26 letter. “This is a demand for immediate payment of the total amount of the arrear- age,” Rich wrote. “If you fail to pay this amount within 30 days, the county will immedi- ately terminate your lease and, if necessary, begin legal proceedings to remove you from the premises.” McCornack went before the county board of commis- sioners to plead his case dur- ing its Thursday, March 19 legal update meeting in (Continued on page 13) By MICHELLE BINKER IVN Staff Writer Celebrating partnerships was a recurring theme during the annual membership meeting of the Illinois Valley Community Development Organization (IVCDO) held Thursday night, March 19 at the Rogue Community College Business & Entrepreneurial Center. Besides re-election of three board mem- bers, showcasing IVCanDo’s many community projects and recognition of esteemed volun- teers, the meeting served to unveil planned events for the 75th anniversary of the Chateau at Oregon Caves National Monument. Lelo Kerivan, of Bridgeview Vineyards Winery, was honored with the 2009 Commu- nity Volunteer of the Year award for her work to raise the funds to replace the “Welcome” sign on Hwy. 199 at Hays Hill. Shirley Rusk, of the Glass Rail Outfit Community Center, was granted a certificate of appreciation for her ser- vice on the IVCDO board and her community efforts. Marilyn Zieba ac- cepted an award for C o f f e e Heaven. The business was recognized for out- standing com- munity ser- vice. And K e n n y Houck, long- Marilyn Zieba time IVCDO board mem- ber and chair- man, was honored for his volunteer service to the community through his 15 years with IVCDO, and its predeces- sor, I.V. Com- munity Re- sponse Team. Now in its 16th year, IVCDO has survived Kenny Houck where most of the 36 enterprise zones established in 1994 have disappeared. Said Houck, “To me, that's the power of grass-roots organizing. Lelo Kerivan “The county didn't run it and there was no agency involved,” he said. “The whole point was to make sure that the money came and cre- ated a sustainable, ongoing organization. Even though the balance sheet is a little challenging, we are running a nonprofit like a business.” The organization counts among its accom- plishments a fire fuels reduction program through which some 1,021 acres in Illinois Val- ley and beyond have been treated to reduce fire risk; a revolving loan program through which 73 loans totaling $517,000 have been extended to small business owners; and the creation of a Business Entrepreneurial Center in Kerby. Also in development, in partnership with Back Coun- try Horsemen, is an equestrian/hiking trail sys- tem adjacent to Illinois River Forks State Park. IVCDO also has been an instrumental part- ner in the development of Kerby Water Dis- trict. The project, which will provide drinking water and fire protection for Kerby residents, has required coordination of two funding sources, engineers, Josephine County and the city of Cave Junction.. Construction is slated to begin in July. “It's a huge project,” with a combined $3,257,000 in grants and loans. The district comprises a noncontiguous, checkerboard of 87 properties within Kerby, with the potential of (Continued on page 4)
