Page 2
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, August 19, 2009
It never gets easier, no matter how many times the
situation has arisen, when one has to bite the bullet,
make that decision, be tough — and decide that it’s time
for a pet to be sent to animal Heaven.
So it was early
last week when
we took little
Maui, our 2002
Biscuit Fire
buddy, to our
veterinarian for
The Injection.
We pet lovers,
you know, tend
to use euphe-
misms for
Maui in earlier days
euthanasia (see
animal Heaven, above: no pun intended). We say, “put
down,” or “put to sleep.”
We should simply say “euthanasia.” Probably won’t
though; it’s just a thought.
Anyway, Maui was hanging around a church we
used to attend in Cave Junction. She was mostly wild,
and mostly pregnant. Quite pregnant. We had stopped
at the church to get something, or return something; I
can’t remember which, while on our way out of town via
motor vehicle.
Jan had been feeding the stray feline for some time,
but because of her pregnancy, decided she needed
more care. So, knowing that she had one chance only,
she sweet-talked the small Siamese kitty into coming
fairly close; then made a super grab and got hold of one
of the beast’s legs so as to give it a home (not just the
leg, but the entire cat). We took her home, and urgently
told our house-sitter to take care of the feisty feline until
we came back, then roared off to Interstate 5, as Jan
doctored her scratch wounds from the grab.
Upon returning from our trip, and naming the kitty
Maui because of her special “Maui”-sounding meow, it
was not long before the former orphan gave birth to a
litter of four in one of our closets. From that mass of
mewing milk munchers, we kept one. He was the first
born, and turned into a rather large guy.
We named him Bubba, and he now weighs around
18 pounds. He looks a lot like his mom, including six
toes on each hairy foot, and having cool blue eyes. But
he’s much bigger, as his mom was petite.
At the time of Maui’s “capture,” our veterinarian esti-
mated that she was 6 years old. Couple that with the
seven years since the Biscuit Fire, and that puts our girl
at around 14. Couple that with the bleak life she led on
the street before, and well, she was kinda’ beat, a bit
worn. She had lived inside and outside with us, and was
not always the best house guest. We loved her anyway.
Making the choice to end a pet’s life sometimes is
delayed too long. Because we’re selfish, we don’t want
to make the decision. But for a range of reasons, includ-
ing her overall health and quality of life, it was time.
Aloha ‘oe, Maui ...
Evergreen Elementary School
ALL returning students are required
to enroll during August.
Open enrollment: August 17-20
Monday, August 17, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Tuesday-Thursday, 18-20, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Teacher assignments given when
enrollment paperwork is complete.
520 W. River St. 592-3136
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
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Volume 72, No. 23
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Roadside manners lacking
From Michelle Windust
O’Brien
I have lived in O’Brien
for four years at the Nielson’s
Almost Heaven Resort just
7/10 of a mile from the Cali-
fornia border on U.S Hwy.
199, across the street from a
former truck stop/weigh sta-
tion.
The border is the gate-
way to our beautiful state.
People stop at the former
weigh station for numerous
reasons: nausea from the
curvy turns; they need to use
the bathroom; throw away
trash, etc. Either they missed
the O’Brien Store going south
or they missed the rest area
going north.
They stop because they
are not aware there is a store
or rest area coming up. The
consequences are environ-
mentally devastating and pre-
sent a public hazard. The
stink of human waste and the
sight are enough to make a
U.S. Marine vomit. This is
absolutely not “putting our
best foot forward.”
I will clean this mess.
But it does not stop there, it is
just a Band-Aid on the real
problem. The solution being
one of two things: signs alert-
ing people going north and
south to the proximity of the
O’Brien Store and the rest
area which are located exactly
4 miles north and south, re-
spectively; and/or locating
portable toilets and a dump-
ster continuously maintained
at taxpayer expense. I think
we Oregonians would prefer
the signs and a one-time fee.
Because 199 is a U.S.
highway, a copy of this letter
also is being sent to Rep. Pe-
ter DeFazio (D-Ore.), of the
4th Congressional District.
I love Oregon, and I want
the gateway to our beautiful
state to be just as beautiful.
Town hall mumbo-jumbo
From Henry Meier
Cave Junction
With all due respect to
our righteous ability to hold a
town hall meeting in Cave
Junction on Wednesday eve-
ning, Aug. 12, with Congress-
man DeFazio:
Unfortunately, due to the
large turnout, I was unable to
get a seat inside and found
myself on the parking lot sur-
round by a whole bunch of
really expensive SUVs be-
longing to a whole bunch of
people who came wanting
more than they need, and
blind to the understanding
that that which they want
isn’t even good for them in
the first place.
As for what I heard: I
heard a whole bunch of
mumbo-jumbo that more than
likely won’t amount to a bowl
of beans for a beggar.
On golf course volunteers
From Marjorie Culbertson
Cave Junction
We appreciate all who
worked so hard and spent so
many hours keeping our golf
course in such good condi-
tion. They are doing a won-
derful job. We really appreci-
ate it.
Proud of fellow townspeople
From John Roth
Cave Junction
I appreciate nearly every-
one at the town meeting last
Wednesday night in which
Congressman Peter Defazio
answered questions on draft
bills which seek to reform
health care.
I have never been
prouder of my fellow towns-
people. The audience
“sshhhed” loudmouths so that
most people could have their
voices heard.
As noted in the Grants
Pass daily newspaper, our
meeting was nothing like the
disrupted meeting in Grants
Pass. Even extremists got
their say, as in one comment
that the government can
never manage anything well.
The war in Iraq is a good ex-
ample of federal mismanage-
ment; the best estimate is that
it will cost us taxpayers more
than $5 trillion, mostly in
medical benefits to veterans.
However, Oregon Caves
National Monument shows
how well government and
business can work together to
build a National Historic
Landmark (the Chateau) and
National Historic District.
The concession there is now
part of the Illinois Valley
Community Development
Organization. Without such
successful collusion, Cave
Junction would likely be
much smaller, like Kerby or
O’Brien.
Health-care reform can
also be such a successful col-
laboration. If you think gov-
ernment can’t manage any-
thing well, then let’s do away
with town hall meetings, na-
(Continued on page 3)
Our office is temporarily
closed due to flooding,
but we are still available.
Phone Ted at
415-0240
Back Street Salon
592-4277
• Facials $40 • European Facials $50
• Acrylic and Gel Nails - Full Sets $25
• Students Back-to-School Haircuts $5
(August 24-29)
• Highlights starting at $30 in August with Crystal
• Perms $30 in August with Denise - long hair extra
Time Capsule Is Back!
Vintage & Retro Clothing & Jewelry
Welcoming Dee formerly of Dee’s Barber Shop
specializing in men’s haircuts
222 N. Redwood Hwy., Cave Junction
Visa/MasterCard accepted for all services