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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2009)
Page 2 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, April 29, 2009 It always seems interesting to look at old newspapers, especially the ads listing prices. This came to mind be- cause Ron Fratzke brought us a yellowed, tattered copy of Illinois Valley News dated April 4, 1968. We have bound volumes of the “Noose” from its beginning in 1937, through 1996 before we switched to electronic storage. But we don’t often look through the volumes, although it could be fascinating. Maybe in my old age I’ll find the time. Anyway, Fratzke said that he found the 38-year-old newspaper wrapped around some records he purchased during a sale at the former James Boys Home on Holland Loop. The most obvious difference in the “News” of yester- year with now is the size. The pages then were 15 inches wide; they’re at 12-1/2 currently, a continuing trend in the newspaper industry. Also, the type size that Bob & Jan Grant used for stories looks like 9 point. We use 10.5 point. (Yes, Bob & Jan Grant sold to Bob & Jan Rodriguez in February 1986 in one of those odd name coincidences). Another also: the makeup is, well, it’s like a patchwork quilt. We try to be more rectangular. And on page 1, Bob Grant used a floating, flexible-size flag (the name of the publication) whereas we keep it at the top of the page and the same size. The ‘68 black-and-white issue has an ad from the for- mer Forest Lodge Café that was across from what was known as Woodland Deer Park. The ad offers Sunday din- ner of roast pork or roast beef for $1.70. The minimum wage then was $1.15. There’s also an ad for the former Ghost Town at the north end of Sauer’s Flat, offering steak and chicken dinners, with the notation that customers could broil the meat themselves. And there’s an ad for Country Kitchen “8 miles out Caves Hiway.” It’s an eight-page issue, although the pages aren’t numbered. And, of course, right there on the left side of page 1 is Bob Grant’s trademark column, “Cabbages and Kings.” That has evolved into our page 3 “Here, There & Everywhere.” The back page contains a large ad from the former Gibbons Market, which became Fire Mtn. Gems, and until recently was used by I.V. Fire District as its HQ. Among the grocery offerings: 4 dozen small eggs for 95-cents; bananas, 2 pounds for 25-cents; 13 oz. cans of B&M baked beans, 5/$1.00; and 16 oz. bottles of R.C. Cola, 6 for 49-cents plus deposit. Folger’s ground coffee was sell- ing for 79-cents for a 1 lb. can. Wow. The real estate ads include 20.5 acres with a small fish pond and a fenced pasture for $10,500 with terms. There’s also a three-bedroom home on 6.6 acres, available for $10,400. And, oh man, someone was selling a 1953 Ford pickup truck with chrome rims and a “hot” V-8 engine for $250! Dang. Where was I? Let’ see, I think that was the last year I worked for the San Diego “Evening Tribune” before mov- ing to NCR Corp. in Rancho Bernardo. That’s the only problem with looking at old newspa- pers. Too many “If only” comments. (The preceding originally was printed in the issue of April 5, 2006.) Illinois Valley News www.illinois-valley-news.com An Independent Weekly Newspaper Co-publishers: Bob & Jan Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief: Michelle Binker 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 P.O. Box 1370 USPS 258-820 Telephone (541) 592-2541, FAX (541) 592-4330 Email: newsroom1@frontiernet.net or newsdesk@illinois-valley-news.com Volume 72, No. 7 Staff: Zina Booth, Brenda Encinas, Scott Jorgensen and Millie Watkins Advertising sales: Kenny Hix Website design and maintenance by Ashgrove Visual Arts Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association DEADLINES: News, Classified & Display Ads, Announcements & Letters 5 P.M. THURSDAYS (Classified ads & uncomplicated display ads can be accepted until noon Fridays with an additional charge.) POLICY ON LETTERS: ‘Illinois Valley News’ welcomes letters to the editor provided they are of general interest, in good taste, legible and not libelous. All letters must be signed, using complete name, and contain the writer’s address and telephone number. The latter need not be published, but will be used to verify authenticity. The ‘News’ reserves the right to edit letters. Gener- ally, one letter per person per month at publisher’s discretion. Letters are used at the discretion of the publisher. Unpublished letters are neither acknowledged nor returned. A prepaid charge may be levied if a letter is inordinately long in the publisher’s opinion. POLICY ON “HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE,” DISPLAY & CLASSIFIED ADS & NOTICES: All submissions must be hand-delivered, faxed or e-mailed to us for publication. Submissions must be resubmitted weekly if the item is to run more than one week. SUBSCRIPTION RATES One year in Josephine County - $22.80 One year in Jackson and Douglas counties - $26.40 One year in all other Oregon counties and out-of-state - $36 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.) * * * Typed, double-spaced letters are considered for publication. Hand-written letters that are double- spaced and legible also can be considered. “Thank you” submissions are not ac- cepted as letters. Fed to blame From Dominick Odorizzi Porter Ranch, Calif. The U.S. Treasury used to mint gold and silver into coins. Later, when paper money was issued by the Treasury, it was backed by gold or silver. In 1913, Congress cre- ated the unconstitutional Fed- eral Reserve. Today, our cur- rency is not backed by any precious metal. It is fiat money made legal tender by federal law. The Federal Reserve decides how much money the Treasury needs to print. The fiat money stimulus packages will cause large-scale infla- tion that always follows fiat money. Our government will probably tell us that we can avoid inflation by joining the International Monetary Fund, or some other international group, thus destroying our dollar. The Federal Reserve is not accountable to anyone. It has never been fully audited. If we want to preserve our dollar, we need to get Con- gress to stop the printing of fiat money. We citizens need to contact Congress to vote for the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009 (H.R. 1207 and S. 604) to get the audit we need. Otherwise, our dollar may soon become as worth- less as the German Mark after World War I. Comments on E/W Plan From Grace Brookman Cave Junction I attended the recent scoping meeting for the BLM’s E.W. Vegetation Treatment Plan. I found four poster-style maps, two of proposed har- vest areas, with a host of BLM specialists on hand who had little concrete informa- tion on what this project might actually do. Harvest prescriptions were still completely vague and, according to conversa- tions I held with specialists at the meeting, actual plans ap- peared to be held captive to the current political will. For the moment that was some good news, anyway. One specialist candidly told me that anything done in the way of “restoration” or thinning for fuel reductions or road repairs (within the sale area) would only be paid for through the sale of large- diameter trees. While this doesn’t come as a surprise, it does seem like the means is negating the purported end. The vegetation specialist I spoke with seemed con- cerned about prospects of catastrophic wildfire on the valley floor. However, if log- ging is required of what little older or late-successional reserve forests remain, the value of thinning other, over- grown, younger forests to remove fuels will be lost. It’s been well established that forests of older trees pro- vide breaks that slow fire, cool fuel temperatures and provide reserves of moisture that dampen intense fires (Greenlee and Sapsis, 1996, Agee et al. 2000). Removing older trees adds more small- diameter, flashy fuels to the fire and increases the likeli- hood of severe or catastrophic wildfire. Ironically, the vegetation management specialist seemed to agree that doing nothing in this scenario might be better, but she wasn’t em- powered to make any kind of significant change to what, at the very earliest scoping stages, sounded like a done deal. It’s disturbing to me how little incursion from the real world and even science is actually allowed to infiltrate BLM working plans. If doing something is required, then what is done should at least help the situa- tion rather than make it worse. Solutions to fire concerns in the valley should include plans to effectively close roads in the areas of concern from casual use by people in off- road and other vehicles. This would end some of the horri- ble abuses that occur in this area, including trash dumping, off-roading, illegal road build- ing, squatting and meth pro- duction. It’s been established that there’s a strong relationship between fires and humans in vehicles, whether by throw- ing a cigarette out a window or igniting dry grass with an exhaust pipe. Getting rid of vehicle access would help the erosion problems that exist on these lands as well. There are numerous natural fire breaks in this area, including wide stretches of gravel and river bar along the East and West Fork Illinois, and Hwy. 199. It seems likely that any fire within the plan- ning region will be somewhat confined by these natural and unnatural boundaries. Where people interface with the dan- ger zone, it’s critical that they be responsible for creating, clearing and maintaining fuel breaks for their own safety. Help from the state al- ready exists for creating these fuel breaks. Where BLM land is involved I strongly support the idea of using thinning and sound scientific application of forestry to decrease dangers. The lowland forests in- side this planning area are unusual in that they sit at the center of our valley; they are super easy to access; they’re low elevation; and provide a huge reserve of cool tempera- ture climate mediation for those living around them. They provide wind breaks, shade breaks and a place to recreate. They also provide some of the basis for the healthy salmon runs in the West Fork Illinois. Management of these forests probably is unavoid- able at this time because of past damages inflicted by less than ideal practices. I support a management strategy that helps return these forests to a healthier state by doing some thinning on previously logged and over-stocked, young plantations, leaving the lar- ger-diameter trees alone. This could be done by selling small-diameter trees for poles, firewood or use in making value-added forest products. Over most of this area that could be cost- effective due to the ease with which these areas can be reached. No road building is required, and few seasonal restrictions are likely to exist. As for erosion problems and other restoration, a full review of all the resources available might open some possibilities. Grants, commu- nity work projects that in- volve volunteers and other low-cost and low-tech solu- tions might present them- selves if BLM will seriously consider finding solutions to these problems. In a paper released in February 2008 by University of Oregon’s Climate Leader- ship Initiative, Preparing the Pacific Northwest for Climate Change A Framework for Integrative Preparation Plan- ning for Natural, Human, Built and Economic Systems, climate researchers suggest a strategy for dealing with the effects of human induced climate change and forests in the Rogue River Basin. Included is the comment, Mature forests are better able to withstand large climate- induced disturbances such as heavy rainfall or wildfire. Conversion to even-age plan- tations should be avoided, and low-intensity forestry should be practiced to mini- mize soil disturbance and introduction of exotic species. For grasslands and prai- ries, strategies include land- scape-level land use planning, slowing or preventing invasive species proliferation, reducing road impacts, implementing science-based adaptive live- stock management, and restor- ing historical grasslands. Yet another benefit of these valley bottom forests is that they lessen the likelihood of and effects of flooding, something hugely important to me as a land owner with property adjoining the West Fork Illinois. Appreciates RADE From Carol Dickson Cave Junction I would like to express my appreciation for the detec- tives from the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement Team for their work on the overwhelm- ing task of arresting drug dealers all over the county. With resources in short supply, I appreciate that two big dealers from the Illinois Valley area have recently been apprehended. We know the valley could easily be overlooked and your work has not gone unnoticed. Illinois Valley Children’s Fair & Pet Parade Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Jubilee Park FUN ACTIVITES & GIVE-AWAYS F a c e P a i nt i n g F i s h i n g B oo t h Annie the Clown Seed Planting I . V . Li o n s T r a i n P l a y D o ug h Ring Toss Free Snacks Salmon Tent D o g T r a i ni n g I n f o Fish Printing WOW Wagon Lots More P E T P A RA D E 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. REGISTRATION 10:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Dress up your pet! Don’t forget your leash! SMALL PETS ONLY No Large Animals CAR SEAT SAFETY I.V. Fire District will be on site to check car seats and boosters for proper installation. Car Seats available at $20 and $10 for Booster Seats. Proudly Sponsored by Josephine County Commission on Children and Families Siskiyou Community Health Center Southern Oregon Goodwill Industries * Head Start * Early Head Start Jo. Co. Health Dept. * Early Childhood Services * Dome School Boys and Girls Club * IV Lions Club * I.V. Fire District I.V. Family Coalition * Aflac Info call Laura (541) 659-8132
