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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Alvarez working to earn Florida Little League trip
Kai Alvarez has never
flown, but his years of Little
League practices may soon be
flying him to Florida.
Kai has been playing
baseball in Cave Junction and
Rogue River since his father,
Dane, taught him baseball
when he was 6. Kai usually
plays shortstop and first base,
but pitcher is definitely his
favorite.
“Everybody roots for you
in that position; I like the
crowd and as far as I know, I
am one of the fastest in this
area,” Kai said with a grin.
He may have been
scouted at an All-Stars game
in Grants Pass. Kai’s mother,
Christi, said, “We received a
letter telling us that Kai had
been selected for the tryouts of
the Under Armor National
Team in Salem. Before we
told our son, we did the re-
search and about three phone
calls to make sure it was legit.”
According to Website
baseballfactory.com,
“Baseball Factory is a premier
scouting partner for Baseball
America, the leading baseball
publication in the industry.
Since 1994, Baseball Factory
has worked with over 25,000
players that have gone on to
play college baseball, and 215
have gone on to play in the
majors.”
Kai was the youngest one
at the Under Armor tryouts in
Salem. “There were only two
13-year-olds, everyone else
had beards and goatees,” ob-
served Kai.
Three days after the try-
outs they received a call back -
- the seventh-grader placed
average in Baseball Factory’s
nationwide grading scale,
which compares all of the
boys to high school varsity
baseball players.
Kai was invited to the
Dodgertown Spring Training
& Competition in Vero Beach,
Fla. He will train with profes-
sional coaches and scouts in a
jam-packed schedule of work-
outs and instructions from Jan.
15 to 18, 2010.
Besides the knowledge
and skills he will gain, attend-
ing the Dodgertown program
also will automatically enroll
Kai in Baseball Factory pro-
grams. A personal Website
featuring Kai’s scores, stats,
weaknesses, and strengths will
be updated by scouts, from
when he enrolls until he gradu-
ates.
Kai wants to go to college
in Oregon to stay close to his
family, and envisions majoring
in mechanics, technology and
science. When he’s ready for
college, he will have a choice
of 1,600 colleges which have
been able to follow his pro-
gress through his personal
Website.
Transportation, hotel,
food, training, coaching, uni-
form, registration, insurance
and other expenses will total
$4,000. Checks made out to
Baseball Factory will cover
the cost of training, and spon-
sor levels include Base Hit
$25, Double $50, Triple $100,
Home Run $200, Grand Slam
$300.
A PayPal account
for donations for transporta-
tion costs for Kai and his
mother has been set up under
Christi Alvarez. The email
address is dca@cavenet.com,
or checks can be sent to Christi
Alvarez, P.O. Box 684 in
Cave Junction OR 97523. Her
phone is 541-592-2650.
~Zina Booth
Kai Alvarez (Photo provided)
Jeremiah Robert Griffin
Tom & Kris Griffin of
Crescent City, Calif. an-
nounce the birth of their son,
Jeremiah Robert, born Nov.
17, 2009 at 8:35 p.m. at Sut-
ter Coast Hospital.
He weighed 7 pounds, 11
ounces, and was 19.5 inches
long. He joins his brothers
and sisters, Matt, Tyler,
Paige, Neena and Tommy.
Paternal grandparents are
Tom & Crystal Griffin; ma-
ternal grandparents are
Robert & Dianna Kihs, all of
Cave Junction.
Illinois Valley High School Honor Roll achievers listed
Illinois Valley High
School announced students
who attained the scholastic
Honor Roll for the 2009-10
fall term.
3.25 - 3.49
Grade 9: Tracy Arnold,
Tyler Clark, Mikiah Davis,
Taysha Hodge, Alexendira
Manninen, Brandon Parker.
Grade 10: Thea Barker-
Cortrecht, Ashley Barto,
Kelly Duncan, Joshua Free,
Cheyenne Johnson, Rebekah
Sawall.
Grade 11: Lindsay Aria,
Eric Baldridge, James Buck,
Ericka Dean, Taylor Harris,
Aleesia Hennings, Robin
H ig hb a r g e r , A s h l ei g h
Sports turnout low at IVHS
By SCOTT JORGENSEN
IVN Staff Writer
Three Rivers School Dis-
trict has spent the past few
years battling declining enroll-
ment and the funding cuts that
accompany it.
But the drop in student
population also is having an
effect on the district’s various
athletic programs.
That struggle is a familiar
one to Illinois Valley High
School boys basketball coach
Jeff Winters. Approximately
20 students turned out for try-
outs this year, and only 15
ended up in the program. The
IVHS junior varsity basketball
team is comprised entirely of
freshmen, he said.
By contrast, Winters said
that Hidden Valley High
School had 65 students turn
out for basketball.
Those issues aren’t
strictly limited to the basket-
ball team. IVHS Athletic Di-
rector Mark Higgins said that
participation also is down for
the school’s wrestling pro-
gram.
“I don’t know if we’ll
compete for the district title,
just because we don’t have
several weight classes and
we’ll have to take a forfeit for
those classes,” Higgins said.
“But we’re looking for the
kids to have a good showing
again at the state level.”
Higgins said that the chal-
lenges facing sports programs
are a “combination of different
things.”
“We struggle out here
getting a lot of experience with
the younger kids,” he said.
“We don’t have a lot of feeder
programs like some of the
schools that are closer to
Grants Pass.”
Another drag on potential
participation is the current
state of the national and local
economies.
“Parents are struggling
right now to pay for participa-
tion, equipment and gas to get
to and from practice,” Higgins
said. “It’s expensive having a
high school athlete.”
IVHS currently is the
smallest school in the 4-A
category. That means that
teams from IVHS often face
off against rivals from schools
twice as large.
But next season, IVHS
will be reassigned to 3-A. Hig-
gins said he expects that to
help the school become more
competitive.
“The overall goal, obvi-
ously, is to increase the equity
of play,” he said. “That’s one
of the driving forces behind
the reclassification. I think it
will level the playing field.”
In the meantime, all
IVHS sports teams will be
playing to the best of their
abilities.
“Small schools get waves
of athletes,” Higgins said.
“Right now, we’re just trying
to rebuild the program. build
the program up again and go
from there.”
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Sunday, Nov. 6, the second in Advent, is one that stresses
preparation for the coming of Jesus, the Christ Child. How do we do
this?
One way is to turn our attention to Him, rather than the com-
mercial aspects of Christmas. Our focus should be on the Bethlehem
baby sent to redeem us from our sins.
Calendar: Thursdays, 4 p.m., Good Shepherd
Singers rehearse; Sundays, 9:15 a.m., All-Comers Sunday
School, 10 a.m., worship and Communion.
Parenting
Raising Children to be Tomorrow’s Leaders
Come join
Bridges to Motherhood
Pregnancy Center
592-6058
319 Caves Hwy., Cave Junction
PregnancyCenterIV.org
Kreiser, Brittany Mosley,
Laurissa Tausaga, Cassandra
Thurmman, Kara Tyler.
Grade 12: Stephanie
Christensen, Christopher
Culver, Keyla Gillson, Ben
Kendall, Jenny Nelson, Jesa-
kah Nelson-Webbe, Matthew
Nolan, Paige Ragsdale, Lata-
sha Smarr, Heidi Unger,
Mitchell Van Tassell.
3.50 - 3.99
Grade 9: Clarabelle
Compton, Anthony Dilley,
Artesia Hubbard, Mason
LaFlamme, Kevin Scott,
Krysten Siver, Daniel Vega.
Grade 10: Stephanie
Agee, Heather Benson,
Kaichi Fujita, Angelina
Heath, Sierra Heikka, Chris-
topher Heise, CeCe Imerti,
Caitlyn Jones, Danielle
Lavassaur, Rachel Miller,
Benjamin
Milner, Travis
Robbins, Amanda Terry,
Kristen Vidales, Brandi
Wollerton.
Grade 11: Isaac Carnes,
Matthew Coultas, Brooke
Crocker, Mark Daniel
Delgado, Karley Deters,
Roger Hults, Alex Mahan,
Celilo Nordal, Casey Robert-
son, Geneva Vasquez, Amy
Weaver.
Grade 12: Wyllie Ahl,
Briena Andrews, Jeremiah
Gibson, Eddie Goynes, Sonya
Hogan, Matthew Horton,
Jarred Houston, HaeRang
Kim, Shane McCarthy,
Daniel Nordal, Sierra Pappas,
Chloe Shinerock.
4.0 +
Grade 9: Talee Baker,
Matthew Brock, Cheyenne
Russell, Miranda Stiles, Nata-
lie Wellen, Will Worley.
Grade 10: Erin Byrne,
Jazmyn Danko, Rebecca
Gogulski, Anastasia Green-
berg, Meghan Householder,
Andred McLaughlin, Jesse
Ordoff, Jamie Sowell, Levi
Vasquez.
Grade 11: Ryan An-
drews, Jesse Bethke, Taylor
Degiulio, Jessica Fredeerick,
Marissa Litak, Audrey Mech-
ling, Kieran Rose, Sabrina
Van Tassel.
Grade 12: Callie
Harland, Janis Katanyu-
taveetip, Tobin Mikels, T.J.
Parker.
CANDY & MORE
15 varieties of delicious fudge
Tuesdays - Saturdays 11-4:30
(next to King’s, downtown CJ)
Professional Massage Therapy
Heals the body, Calms the mind, Renews the spirit
Teresa McConnell, L.M.T.
License Massage Therapist
OR license #12691
Swedish
Therapeutic Massage
Myofascial
Deep Tissue
By Appointment : 541-441-7885
Grants Pass, OR
from
all of us at
Yanase Jewelers!
Now offering Ed Hardy Jewelry
Tuesdays - Fridays, 9 to 6
Most Saturdays, 10 to 4
23772 Redwood Hwy., Kerby
592-4838
www.yanasejewelers.com
American Legion Post 70 and Auxiliary Unit 70 took part in the Grants
Pass Christmas parade on Saturday, Dec. 5. (From left) Cindy Soria,
Unit 70 president; Laure Warden, Hazel Smith, Gene Fossell, and Post
70 Commander Bob Soria. (Photo provided)
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
OF SELMA
18285 Redwood Hwy., Selma
597-4169
Pastor Monty Pope
Sunday School - 9:45 a.m.
Worship - 11 a.m.
* * *
IMMANUEL UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
200 Watkins St., CJ
Phone 592-3876
Pastor Charles Chase
Sunday School - 9:15 a.m.
Sunday Worship - 9:15 a.m.
Child-care for small children
Web Page:
http://UMCImmanuel.org
* * *
ST. PATRICK OF THE FOREST
CATHOLIC CHURCH
407 W. River St., CJ
592-3658
Fr. William Holtzinger, Pastor
Mass - Saturday 5:30 p.m.
No Sunday Mass
Holy Days TBA
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Saturday - 4:30 to 5 p.m.
* * *
7th DAY ADVENTIST
265 S. Old Stage Rd., CJ
Sabbath School - 9:30 a.m.
Saturday Worship 11 a.m.
Prayer/Praise 7 p.m. Tuesday
Pastor Verne Hyland
Church 592-3218
Madrone Adventist School
592-3330
THE CHURCH OF JESUS
CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY
SAINTS
209 S. Junction Ave., CJ
Sacrament Meet - 9 a.m.
Sunday School - 10:20 a.m.
Priesthood, Relief Soc. -
11:10 a.m.
Bishop G. Frank Sybrant
(541) 245-3394
1st Counselor
Larry D. Hammersmith
(541) 592-3919
2nd Counselor Dan Fiske
(541) 592-6182
* * *
CAVES CHRISTIAN
FELLOWSHIP
Pastor Jeremy Nehf
PO Box 293
Cave Junction, OR 97523
(541) 287-7862
Email: nehfilim@gmail.com
Sunday Service - 10:30 a.m.
Lorna Byrne Middle School
Gym, 101 S. Junction Ave., CJ
* * *
GOOD SHEPHERD
LUTHERAN CHURCH
East River Street
& Lewis Court, CJ
Pastor Don Torala
Sunday School - 9:15 a.m.
Sunday Worship - 10 a.m.
Tuesday Youth group - 6 p.m.
Church Phone: 592-2290
COMMUNITY BIBLE CHURCH
Evangelical
Pastor Dave Gordon
113 S. Caves Ave., CJ
Office: 592-3896
Morning Worship - 10:30 a.m.
Christian Academy
Pre-K to 12th grade
Awana - Wednesdays - 6 p.m.
* * *
ILLINOIS VALLEY
PENTECOSTALS
987 Caves Hwy., CJ
(541) 592-4716 or 218-2792
Sunday - 2:30 p.m.
* * *
VALLEY EVANGELICAL
FREE CHURCH
498 Laurel Road, CJ
P.O. Box 1248
Pastor Les Knapp
Sunday School - 9:45 a.m.
Worship Service - 11 a.m.
evfree@frontiernet.net
592-6160
* * *
ILLINOIS VALLEY
BAPTIST CHURCH
102 S. Redwood Hwy., CJ
Pastor Frank J. Matz, Jr.
Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Worship - 10:30 a.m.
Evening Worship - 6 p.m.
Women’s Bible Study
Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday Bible Study 6 p.m.
www.goodshepherdlutheraniv.org
www.illinoisvalleybaptistchurch.org
* * *
Phone: (541) 592-6149
* * *
TAKILMA BIBLE CHURCH
10300 Takilma Road, Takilma
Pastor Dan Robinson
Bible Study / Prayer Time
9:30 a.m.
Morning Worship 11 a.m.
Wednesday Bible Study
7 p.m.
* * *
BRIDGEVIEW
COMMUNITY CHURCH
5181 Holland Loop, CJ
592-3923
“We celebrate God’s Presence
in our lives!”
Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.
* * *
FOUNTAIN OF LIFE
ASSEMBLY OF GOD
451 S. Junction Ave., CJ
592-3956
Pastor Mark McLean
Sunday School - 10 a.m.
Morning Worship - 11 a.m.
Evening Worship - 6 p.m.
Wednesday - 7 p.m.
Adult Bible Study
* * *
CALVARY FELLOWSHIP
OF CAVE JUNCTION
meeting at
Evergreen Elementary School
520 W. River St., CJ
Sunday Worship - 10 a.m.
Wednesday Bible Study
6:30 p.m.
Pastor Pat Henderson
592-3092
* * *