Page 6
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, February 10, 2010
FAA chides county for fence delays
(Continued from page 1)
number of questions on fence
design by the airport advi-
sory.”
Roberts wrote that an-
other grant, for $216,273, was
issued to the county to begin
construction of the fence last
February. ADO was forced to
offer the grant prior to the
opening of the construction
bid, he added. However, a
condition of the grant called
for the opening of bids by
Aug. 15, 2009.
“This grant was offered
prior to completion of plans
and specifications as well as
bid openings with the under-
standing that the project
would be bid during the sum-
mer with further funds of-
fered when they become
available,” Roberts wrote.
Grossi brought the issue
to the commissioners and
members of the airport advi-
sory board in a Tuesday, Feb.
2 e-mail.
“As you can see from the
FAA’s letter, this project is in
need of completion and fur-
ther delay could jeopardize
these funds, as well as future
FAA grant offers,” Grossi
wrote. “We will be working
toward meeting this goal and
maintaining our good stand-
ing with the FAA.”
In a Wednesday, Feb. 3
e-mail to Illinois Valley News,
Grossi said that the commis-
sioners will move forward with
plans for the fence.
“After some long delays
due to serious illness and
departure of the primary
engineer on the fence pro-
ject, and after a second look
at the design of the fence by
the airport advisory board,
the board of commissioners
has determined that (it) will
continue to support the pe-
rimeter fence project as it
was originally planned,”
Grossi wrote.
Roberts established firm
deadlines for the county to
achieve compliance with the
grant requirements in his Dec.
31 letter.
“We understand the
county’s problems with its
consultant performing the
work, but this project needs to
be at least physically started
this summer,” Roberts wrote.
“To get this project moving,
we would appreciate a draft
set of plans and specifications
within a month and advertise-
ment of the project for con-
struction within one month
after receipt of our comments.
“Failure to produce this
project documentation will
require us to consider with-
holding future grant 3 pay-
ments until the previously
paid fence consultant fees
have been recovered.”
Roberts also warned of
consequences for failure to
meet those deadlines.
“To date, no reimburse-
ment of grant 4 funds has
been requested and the pro-
ject has not been bid,” Rob-
erts wrote. “… If we do not
receive the draft plans and
specifications within the time
limit … we will close the
grant and recover the funds.”
Grossi said in his Feb. 3
e-mail that the county plans
to comply with FAA’s re-
quirements.
“Josephine County has
an obligation to the airport
tenants, pilots and community
to provide a safe and secure
environment at the airports as
our limited funds will per-
mit,” Grossi wrote. “This
project would be paid for
with FAA grant funds.”
Commissioner Sandi
Cassanelli, who serves as
airport liaison, said that the
fence plan will be modified
by the same engineering firm
Tenant sounds off on
I.V. Airport fence issue
By SCOTT JORGENSEN
IVN Staff Writer
Illinois Valley Airport
tenant Jack McCornack has
joined the chorus of those
openly criticizing Josephine
County Airports Manager
Alex Grossi.
McCornack is the owner
of McSquared Design, a firm
located at I.V. Airport.
In an e-mail dated Thurs-
day, Feb. 4 and sent to the
county commissioners and
members of the airport advi-
sory committees, McCornack
blasted Grossi for his han-
dling of the proposed perime-
ter fence around I.V. Airport.
“It is indeed unfortunate
Mr. Grossi has been so secre-
tive about his dealings on this
fence project,” McCornack
wrote. “A satisfactory resolu-
tion has been awaiting his
acknowledgement, but by
canceling meetings and keep-
ing I.V. Airport’s advisory
board and fence committee
out of the loop, he appears to
have forced the issue.”
McCornack referred to
a previous lawsuit threat
regarding tenants’ access to
their hangars that would be
limited by the fence. He said
that if the matters were to be
brought up in a court of law,
evidence will indicate that
“Josephine County has been
misleading the FAA on as-
surances for two or more of
its federally financed airport
projects, and the FAA will
be obligated to review its
relationship with the
County.”
Also mentioned by
McCornack was the percep-
tion that Grossi has engaged
in the practice of “threatening
‘whistle blowers.’” McCor-
nack wrote that Grossi’s
“harassment of those who
offend him reflects badly on
Josephine County and the
commissioners and counsel
who support his activities.”
“As I’m sure you know,
the ranks of potential com-
plainants have grown consid-
erably of late,” McCornack
wrote. “Many county citizens,
tenants, and airport users
have expressed their dissatis-
faction with airport manage-
ment, and their dismay that
the Board of Commissioners
continues to support Mr.
Grossi’s policies and ac-
tions.”
McCornack went on to
accuse the county of not ad-
dressing “serious issues of
airport safety and compli-
ance” and spending federal
and county funds on
“nonessentials.”
On Friday, Feb. 5,
McCornack sent a follow-up
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preparing the airport layout
plan.
The plan will be modi-
fied to address concerns that
two tenants had expressed
about access to their hangars,
Cassanelli said, and will be
sent to FAA “in a timely
manner.”
Cassanelli said that the
project will be sent to bid, and
that work likely will begin
this spring.
e-mail, in which he with-
draws a previous offer to
serve on the I.V. Airport ad-
visory board.
In that correspondence,
McCornack praised the ef-
forts of advisory board mem-
bers, but wrote that “your
advice to the county is being
stopped at the Airports Man-
ager level.”
“As always, I strive to
serve the interests of the avia-
tion community and the peo-
ple of Josephine County,”
McCornack wrote. “I’m sorry
that service occasionally con-
flicts with the wishes of indi-
vidual County Commission-
ers and the will of our Air-
ports Manager.”
In a Monday, Feb. 8 tele-
phone interview Grossi denied
McCornack’s allegations.
“There has been no har-
assment. I’ve gone out of my
way to accommodate his
needs,” Grossi said.
“I have no comment on
the harassment. I don’t harass
and I don’t retaliate.”
Evergreen Elementary School students were among participants in the Three Rivers School District
Science Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Pictured (not in order) are Megan Blankenship, Aarika Brooks,
Cheyenne Nichols, Odis Kitchens, Seth Kitchens, and gold medalist Hazel Richards, Angel Sorenson
and Maison Otanez. Gabriela Rapley, who took a silver medal with her ‘Biggest Bubbles’ project is
not pictured. (Photo by Michelle Binker, Illinois Valley News )
Canola project continues
(Continued from page 1)
Task Force, held at the court-
house in Grants Pass.
Only half of the grant
allotment has been spent,
Toler said, meaning that the
other half is still available.
Toler touted certain as-
pects of the grant allocation.
He said that more than 300
acres of canola have been
planted throughout the county
as a result, with several grow-
ers participating.
Kit Doyle has taken the
lead on the project, Toler
said, and has created partner-
ships with many growers.
Doyle also has a waiting list
of other growers hoping to
become involved, Toler said.
A production facility for
the crop may be established
somewhere in the county
soon, Toler said, adding that
the Applegate Valley is be-
coming the local “epicenter”
of canola growing.
Once the canola seed is
crushed, around 70 percent of
the product can be used as an
agricultural feed product,
Toler said, and the rest can be
used as a biofuel.
He said that a new state
mandate requires that 3 per-
cent of the diesel consumed in
Oregon come from renewable
energy sources. There is cur-
rently an inadequate supply of
such renewables in the state
right now, he said, so it is be-
ing imported from Montana.
“This is definitely grow-
ing,” Toler said.
The grant was intended
to stimulate the growth of
biofuels crops, Toler said.
Unless the commissioners
vote to pull the remaining
funding back, he said, it can
go to a local contractor to
continue the project.
“I think it will have a
long-term impact in terms of
agriculture,” Toler said.
“With $43,000, we stimulated
part of our agriculture sector.
That’s great bang for our
buck.”
Doyle will be scheduled
to make a presentation to
the commissioners some-
time in mid-February about
the canola project, Toler
said.
City council hears downtown CJ crime concerns
By SCOTT JORGENSEN
IVN Staff Writer
The criminal element in
Cave Junction is “alive and
well,” a besieged small busi-
ness owner told city council-
ors Monday night, Feb. 8 in
city hall.
However, Mayor Don
Moore said during the meet-
ing that there is progress to-
ward at least limiting criminal
incidents.
Andrea Thomas, owner
of Nacho Mama’s Mexican
restaurant on N. Redwood
Hwy., said that in light of a
seemingly continual crime
wave, she provides her own
security.
Vehicles, residences,
businesses and even Illinois
Valley Golf Course are “not
safe,” Thomas said during
Comments from Citizens.
Insurance companies
consider Cave Junction a
“lawless area,” she said, stat-
ing that many will not insure
area firms against theft. Oth-
ers are simply canceling the
policies of area businesses,
Thomas said.
Criminals are becoming
more “brazen,” she added,
noting that she feels
“terrorized” by them. Thomas
asked councilors to partner
with its businesses and hold a
workshop on how to combat
crime.
“It seems to have exacer-
bated since this fall,” Thomas
said. Her business has suf-
fered numerous burglaries,
similar to its neighbor, CJ
Video Mart & Radio Shack.
While handling security
in her business at night, Tho-
mas said that she has wit-
nessed drug deals, vandalism
and people with “no good
intentions” on the city’s
streets.
Mayor Don Moore said
that Deputy George Gasper-
son, city contract officer with
Josephine County Sheriff’s
Office, is working with detec-
tives toward solving some of
the city burglaries that oc-
curred late last year. Moore
said there should be results
shortly.
Councilor Trish Arias,
who works at Evergreen Ele-
mentary School, said that
employees there have chased
people off the property for
smoking marijuana. She
added that signs at the school
constantly are vandalized.
Moore later stated that
the criminals aren’t necessar-
ily from Cave Junction. Some
come from other areas to
cause problems in the city, he
said. And he added that the
sheriff’s office is up to 20
hours of patrol again county-
wide and is enforcing failure-
to-appear warrants.
Gasperson provides 40
hours of coverage per week
within city limits under the
sheriff’s office contract.
Moore also mentioned
the city’s ban against public
drinking as evidence of incre-
mental progress against the
criminal element.
“We are making head-
way,” he said.
In a related situation not
part of the meeting, Sheriff
Gil Gilbertson has expressed
the possibility of a citizens
patrol during night hours.
There have been several such
operations during the past
few years, but not one cur-
rently.
No action was taken by
the council regarding the re-
quest from Thomas, but it
could come up during a sub-
sequent meeting.
Good News About
Cost of Hospice Care
“Run Forest,
Run”
with Bob Quinn
I just finished watching one of my
most favorite movies. Forest Gump.
That movie always sparks a lot of
thought in my mind. And Jenny al-
ways gave Forest good advice. One
of the best things she told him was
“Run Forest, Run.”
Well this time of year “Running”
your well water is a good thing. In
the winter months wells that produce
10 gpm and more, normally aren’t
run enough to evacuate the well and
get clearer water running through the
aquifer. We suggest that you run a
garden hose in the yard 2-3 hours at
least once a month. If you don’t use
the water you lose the water. Don’t
worry about running your water on
the ground. The water seeps back
down through the ground and helps
replenish the aquifer. By allowing
the water to run the aquifer does not
have the time to sit stagnant building
up with sediment, iron bacteria or
even shrimp gumbo.
So keep it running just like Forest
did. If you have a lower producing
well then STOP… And remember
Moma always said “stupid is as …
You most likely are using enough
water in the household to keep your
aquifer from becoming stagnant.
If you are questioning whether or
not you should run your water, give
us a call and we’ll be happy to talk
to you about your individual situa-
tion.
Bob Quinn is a member of the
Oregon Ground Water Association
and owner of Quinn’s Well Drill-
ing and Pump Service at 6811
Williams Hwy., Grants Pass. As
part of a tradition of information
and service that began more than
50 years ago, these columns are
provided by the firm to help take
the mystery out of well drilling,
and ground water. If you have a
question about your well or one
you are planning, please call Bob
or his helpful staff for advice, esti-
mates, or helpful information at no
obligation or cost.
quinnswell.com
(541) 862-9355
$5 .89
Say you saw it in the I.V. News
No one is refused service because of a lack of
financial resources. There is no co-pay or
deductible for Hospice services when covered by
Medicare or Medicaid. Most insurance plans pay all
or a portion of Hospice care.
Call Lovejoy Hospice for more information.
(541) 474-1193
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
♥Living Well With Chronic Conditions
in Southern Oregon - OSU Extension workshop:
Wednesdays, January 27th to March 3rd, 2010, 1:00pm to 5pm
in Conference Rm. 1.
♥Conversations with...Advanced Directives
Please RSVP to (541) 474-1193
Bring your own lunch and a beverage will be provided
Thursday, February 25, 2010
12-1:00pm in Conference Rm. 1.