Page 7
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, February 10, 2010
O’Brien neighbors meet to address crime prevention issues
By ZINA BOOTH
IVN Staff Writer
Criminals in O’Brien take
note — the community mem-
bers are fuming, and they’re not
going to take it anymore.
More than 30 concerned
citizens were addressed Satur-
day, Feb. 6 at Illinois Valley Fire
District Station 3 in O’Brien by
Undersheriff Don Fasching, of
the Josephine County Sheriff’s
Office.
Fasching advised residents
that they could help themselves
in several ways.
Senior volunteers can give
presentations and assist in devel-
oping Neighborhood Watch
programs, Fasching said.
Trusted neighbors are the best
source of protection — they
know who belongs in the area.
Develop phone trees in case of
emergency, the undersheriff
urged.
Car alarms can be activated
from indoors to alert the
neighbors that something is
wrong. While the undersheriff is
not advocating vigilantism, a
group of neighbors arriving with
honking horns, bright lights and
cameras are a good deterrent to
criminals, he said.
He reminded the group that
lethal force is justified only for
self-defense, not to protect prop-
erty. If a burglar is climbing in
through the window, announce,
“Leave now. I have a gun, and I
am in fear of my life.”
Other self-help ideas in-
clude motion-detector lights, and
clearing shrubs and trees from
around houses. One recommen-
dation from a participant was
inexpensive “Day & Night”
cameras, which have an infrared
flash and automatically record
the date and time of some 4,000
photos for hard evidence.
Certain “problem resi-
dences” were brought to the
attention of the undersheriff,
who recommended that citi-
zens record and document dates
and times of suspected illegal
activities. Descriptions of people
and cars, license plate numbers
— even taking photos can assist
law enforcement officers, he
said.
Absentee home owners can
be held liable if they are put on
notice that renters are engaging
in illegal or dangerous activity
on their property.
Form letters detailing the
problems should be signed by
everyone in the neighborhood
and sent by registered mail. The
Oregon Dept. of Environmental
Quality is the strongest ally for
sewage, groundwater, litter and
dumping issues. Zoning and
health issues should be ad-
dressed to the Josephine County
Board of Commissioners. Pho-
tos, letters and e-mails are more
effective than phone calls, be-
cause they can be tracked.
Dogs-at-large was another
issue plaguing some in the
O’Brien area. And because
county Animal Control consists
of Brad Talley and a staff of two,
there is not enough enforcement
to cover the entire county.
Some suggestions for deal-
ing with problem dogs were air
horns and even pepper spray.
One nonviolent solution: paint-
ball guns — the dog’s owner
will surely realize something is
up when the dog comes home
decorated with large purple
splotches of paint.
Monthly neighborhood
watch meetings may continue at
the O’Brien fire station.
(Editor’s Note: Factual
information for ‘Blotter’ is
provided by official law
enforcement agencies. All
persons listed are innocent
until proven guilty in a
court of law. Charges can
be amended or dismissed.)
* * *
truck at a high rate of speed.
*Subsequent to the previ-
ous complaint, a man was
located in the 24000 block of
Redwood Hwy. The driver of
said vehicle, while “initially
untruthful” regarding posses-
sion of a shotgun, eventually
admitted that while driving,
the firearm “shifted” and he
had been “trying to move it
into a better position.”
*A Selma resident re-
ported that her ex-boyfriend
had come to her property,
took the keys to her vehicle
and several items from a
barn, and left. She stated that
he threatened her with retri-
bution if she contacted law-
men.
*During a traffic stop on
a BLM road off Crooks
Creek Road at 5:29 p.m.,
James David O’Grady, 15,
was cited on a charge of no
operator’s permit. He also
was warned regarding ex-
pired registration, no proof of
insurance, and no wood-
cutting permit. His passenger,
Jacob R. Lackey, 16, was
cited on a charge of minor in
possession of alcohol.
*Ethel Dawn Sanders,
37, was cited on a charge of
driving with a suspended li-
cense on Redwood Hwy. at
Hogue Drive at 7:23 p.m. Her
vehicle was impounded.
*Gabriel C. Cano, 26,
was cited on a charge of no
valid operator’s permit on S.
Redwood Hwy. at 11:13 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 29
*There was a theft report
involving items including
saws, drills, chargers and a
new, in-the-box car stereo
from a vehicle parked on N.
Old Stage Road.
*Several items including
juice, drink mixes, push pins
and matches were reported
stolen overnight from the
patio at Nacho Mama’s Can-
tina on N. Redwood Hwy. in
Cave Junction.
*A report of first-degree
criminal mischief was taken
in connection with vandalism
at Illinois Valley Golf Course
(See page 1 of Feb. 3 Illinois
Valley News.)
*The “friend of a
neighbor kid” on Deer Creek
Road was said to be hitting
golf balls toward homes
nearby, apparently with the
intent to break windows.
*In Kerby a caller re-
ported that she confronted a
woman she found in her vehi-
cle. The squatter, said to be
holding a container of beer,
left on foot.
Saturday, Jan. 30
*Several people on off-
road motorcycles were said to
be riding recklessly through
an area off Hanby Lane in
Cave Junction near 1:45 a.m.
*At 2:35 a.m. someone
stated that someone else on a
dirt bike was racing around
without a headlight, and gen-
erally disregarding Stop signs
and other rules of the road.
This had been going on for
several hours, the caller said.
*Ryan Christopher Leh-
man, 27, was taken from
Draper Valley Road and
lodged in Josephine County
Jail in Grants Pass on six
charges of second-degree
sexual abuse.
*On S. Junction Avenue
a woman stated that her home
had been broken into and
some $450 cash stolen from a
dresser drawer. No sign of
forced entry was apparent.
*A single blast from a
shotgun was heard by a caller
on Ollis Road, who phoned at
11:22 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 31
*What began as a fight
between some women behind
a Downtown Cave Junction
establishment was reported at
1:50 a.m. as a disturbance or
“small riot” after men joined
the fray. Everyone boogied
prior to deputy arrival.
*After a man was seen
crawling from bushes near a
residence in the 500 block of
S. Redwood Hwy., a caller
stated that he wanted the man
“trespassed.”
Monday, Feb. 1
*The victim of vandal-
ism stated that all four tires on
his vehicle had been “ice
picked” while parked in
Downtown Cave Junction.
*Three more vehicles on
W. Watkins Street were
found with punctured tires.
An ice pick or other pointy
object apparently was used.
*Two vehicles on S.
Junction Avenue were re-
ported to have tires damaged
in a similar fashion as the two
previous incidents.
*A first aid kit, spare tire
and fuel pipe cap were re-
ported stolen from a state-
registered vehicle parked at
Illinois Valley Family Re-
source Center.
*On N. Junction Avenue
a woman reported that a man,
against whom she has a “no-
contact order,” was pounding
on windows and attempting
to gain entry to her residence.
He left prior to deputy arrival.
*The man who had been
attempting to enter a N. Junc-
tion Avenue residence had
returned with some sort of
tool, a caller stated. Subse-
quently Carl William Ste-
vens, 26, was lodged in
county jail on charges of sec-
ond-degree disorderly con-
duct and domestic menacing.
*A Cave Junction resi-
dent reported that a man with
whom she wanted no contact
had left a phone message,
threatening to have his friends
beat her. When contacted, the
man said that he was upset,
but that it wouldn’t happen
again.
Tuesday, Feb. 2
*Someone tried to bur-
glarize a supply shed at Jubi-
lee Park, a city employee
reported.
*Damage to a tire on a
vehicle on W. Watkins Street
was complained about.
*Tools and other items
were reported stolen from a
shed on Caves Avenue.
*At 11:16 a.m. a caller
stated that someone in a blue-
colored Toyota pickup truck
sped past her on Schumacher
Street and then turned
“doughnuts” in the roadway.
*A Cave Junction resi-
dent reported that three hos-
tile women forcibly entered
her home and demanded to
know the whereabouts of a
man unknown to her.
*When she arrived at her
N. Junction Avenue home, a
caller said, she found a man
who had taken a shower. He
left when she told him to.
Subsequently, Carl William
Stevens, 26, was lodged in
county jail on charges of first-
degree criminal trespassing
and domestic menacing.
*Four tires on a vehicle
on the south outskirts of Cave
Junction were said to be
punctured with an ice pick.
*The mad stabber appar-
ently was at work again, as
someone popped a tire on a
vehicle on Illinois River
Road.
*Driver Matthew
Stephen Coultas, 16, was
cited on a charge of failure to
yield to a pedestrian after a
motor vehicle accident on S.
Redwood Hwy. at 6:08 p.m.
*A driver was warned
for failure to maintain a lane
of travel after a single-vehicle
roll-over accident on Bear
Creek Road at 6:21 p.m.
Following are alarms to
which Illinois Valley Fire
District responded through
Sunday, Feb. 7:
*7:13 p.m., M.A., 800
block Hays Cutoff Road
*7:28 p.m., M.A., 6000
block Westside Road
*9:23 p.m., M.A., 10000
block Redwood Hwy.
Thursday, Feb. 4
*1:16 a.m., M.A., 20000
block Redwood Hwy.
*6:22 a.m., M.A., 4000
block Takilma Road
*11:39 a.m., M.A., 8000
block Takilma Road
*6:06 p.m., M.A., 500
block Schumacher Road
*9:37 p.m., M.A., 200
block Davis Creek Road
Friday, Feb. 5
*1:23 p.m., MVA, 30000
block Redwood Hwy.
*4:31 p.m., M.A., 100
block Ken Rose Lane
Saturday, Feb. 6
*6:35 p.m., flue fire, 400
Pine Cone Dr.
Sunday, Feb. 7
*10:38 a.m., M.A., 1000
Laurel Road
*5:51 p.m., M.A., 5000
block Takilma Road
*9:11 p.m., M.A., 7000
block Takilma Road
Thursday, Jan. 28
*It was reported that a
home on Gold Canyon Drive
had been ransacked during
the past several days.
*Anonymous informa-
tion was received regarding
the whereabouts of a man
wanted in connection with an
assault in Cave Junction.
*Theft of a green-colored
Toyota pickup truck from a
residence on Warren Road
was reported.
*Joseph Michael Burrell,
23, was cited on a charge of
speeding (66 mph in a 45
mph zone) on Redwood
Hwy. in Selma at 7:35 a.m.
*Following a tip that a
suspect wanted in connection
with an assault had just left a
Downtown Cave Junction
business, Billy Jack Biggs,
33, was located in Kerby and
taken into custody. He was
charged with first-degree bur-
glary, first-degree robbery,
first-degree assault, two
counts of first-degree theft of
a firearm, and unlawful use of
a weapon.
*Loud music from a resi-
dence on Fir Drive was com-
plained about at 2:06 p.m.
*Around 3 p.m., callers
on N. Redwood Hwy. re-
ported seeing a man brandish-
ing a shotgun as he drove a
small, white-colored pickup
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Monday, Feb. 1
*4:21 a.m., structure fire,
2000 block Caves Hwy.
Tuesday, Feb. 2
*10:33 a.m., flue fire,
3000 block Takilma Road
*2:34 p.m., ADT - alarm,
600 block E. River St.
*6:09 p.m., motor vehi-
cle accident (MVA), 100
block S. Redwood Hwy.
*6:22 p.m., MVA, Bear
Creek Road/Caves Hwy.
*6:37 p.m., medical as-
sist (M.A.), 200 Shadow-
brook Dr.
Wednesday, Feb. 3
*2:03 p.m., M.A., 700
block Althouse Road
*2:30 p.m., open burn-
illegal, 100 block Browntown
Road
*5:17 p.m., open burn-
illegal, 30000 block Redwood
Hwy.
*6:36 p.m., M.A., 1000
block Lone Mountain Road
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THE IRS TARGETS
WORKER CLASSIFICATION
If you have people working for your
business, you may have to decide how
to classify them. Are they employees or
independent contractors?
Classifying your workers as inde-
pendent contractors generally saves you
money. That’s because you avoid pay-
ing employment taxes and benefits on their behalf.
In most instances, however, very few of your workers ac-
tually qualify as independent contractors. If the IRS deter-
mines that you misclassified your employees as contractors,
you could end up paying back all of the employment taxes
and benefits that should have been paid over the years. De-
pending on the size of your workforce, the cost to you
could be substantial, potentially bankrupting your business.
How can you ensure that you properly classify your
workers? Start with the factors listed by the IRS to deter-
mine a worker’s classification. If you maintain control over
your workers through hiring, training and supervision,
scheduling the work to be done, and by providing them with
tools and materials, your workers are most likely your em-
ployees. The same holds true if you pay your workers a set
salary or an hourly wage and have the right to let them go
at any time.
As a general rule, if you only have the right to control or
direct the result of the work and not the means and methods
of accomplishing the result, the individual may qualify as
an independent contractor.
If your business employs independent contractors, take
steps to protect yourself and your business. Be consistent
with how you classify your workers, and follow how other
businesses in your industry classify their workers. And
don’t forget to send a Form 1099-MISC to any contractor
who earns $600 or more from you during the year.
The proper classification of workers has become a prior-
ity issue for the IRS in 2010. Make sure that your workers
are classified correctly. For assistance, give us a call.
Karen M Bodeving CPA is a Nationally Recognized CPA. She is a Com-
munity Oriented Illinois Valley resident. Her office is located at: 574 NE
“E” St., Grants Pass – Non Tax season office hours are 9 am – 1 pm,
Monday through Thursday. Other hours and Illinois Valley appoint-
ments are available by calling her office at 541-479-3625 .
karen@bodevingcpa.com www.bodevingcpa.com