Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, March 17, 2010
2020 VISION THING - Illinois Valley Community Devel-
opment Organization (IVCDO) will hold its annual member-
ship meeting on Thursday, March 18 at the RCC/Business
Entrepreneurial Center (Belt Bldg.) in Kerby. Registration for
voting begins at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting at 7 p.m. Come
learn about the history of the original ‘2010 Committee’ and
hear about plans for the next decade.
STATE CLOSURES - Most Oregon state agencies and
programs will be closed on 10 specific days during the cur-
rent biennium due to reduced revenues. Workers affected
by the closures will be off without pay on Friday, March 19,
one of six furlough days scheduled during 2010.
STEED DEEDS - A horse show and gymkhana will be
hosted by the Josephine County Sheriff’s Posse at Jose-
phine County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, March
20 and 21 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone can attend. Posse
members also are collecting non-perishable food, and dog
and cat food, which will gain reduced admission price for
attendees. Donations will be given to Josephine County
Food Bank.
DISH OF COMMISH - Candidates for a seat on the
Josephine County Board of Commissioners will face ques-
tions and offer views during a forum co-sponsored by Illi-
nois Valley News and Illinois Valley Chamber of Com-
merce on Thursday, March 25 at the Josephine County
Bldg. in Downtown Cave Junction beginning at 6 p.m.
There first will be a series of questions from a panel of rep-
resentatives; then audience members will have an opportu-
nity to pose their own questions. Submit questions in ad-
vance by email to editor@illinois-valley-news.com
BURNING QUESTIONS - Josephine County Public
Health Dept. reminds residents that while the number of
allowable burn days is increasing, consideration should be
given to neighbors and others who are sensitive to smoke.
Burn only clean, dry hot piles of woody vegetation to re-
duce emissions. It is illegal to burn other materials such as
plastic, furniture, household trash and appliances. Phone
541-476-9663 before burning to find out if it is an approved
burn day. For additional information, phone 541-474-5336.
NOTEPAD - Longtime Cave Junction street fixture
Neil White, who recently “remoted” to Texas with the help
of friends, has been diagnosed with stage-four cancer.
Friends can mail well wishes to Neil c/o 400 Lawton Ave.,
Hereford, TX 79045 ... 2008 IVHS Graduate Larry
Ragsdale was injured in a head-on traffic crash late
Wednesday night, March 10 on Hwy. 99W north of Corval-
lis. Ragsdale was transported to Good Samaritan Regional
Medical Center in Corvallis, where he was listed in critical
condition late last week ... American Legion Auxiliary Unit
70 Post #70 will be hosting their First “Ham Bingo” on Sat-
urday, March 27 at the Josephine County Bldg. Doors
open at 5 p.m., bingo begins at 6 p.m., 25-cent per hard
cards, snack bar, 50/50 raffle and prizes... The Family
History Center at the Cave Junction Ward of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 209 S. Junction Ave.
is open to the public on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Assistance is available at no cost through the volunteer
efforts of consultants Cathleen Von Breithaupt, Doloris
Lloyd, Celia Swift, Ellen Childress and Walt & Joyce
Farmer. Phone 541-592-4583 for more information ...
Tooth Taxi, a 38-foot RV outfitted as a state-of-the-art
dental office, served 28 patients at Evergreen Elementary
School on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 9 and 10. Stu-
dents received some $7,200 worth of services including X-
rays, extractions, sealants and filings. The Tooth Taxi in-
volves a partnership of the Dental Foundation of Oregon,
OEA Choice Trust and the ODS Companies. Donations
and volunteer support are the primary fund sources.
LAST WORDS - “Many companies, institutions or sports
teams have a single person in charge, and that person is in a
position to make catastrophic error that brings (them) down ...
We know from the sad chronicles of history that placing one
single person in unchecked charge of a nation nearly guaran-
tees a catastrophic result.” (Gregg Easterbrook in his book,
Sonic Boom: Globalization at Mach Speed)
Invites you to
Join us for our
Annual
General Membership Meeting
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Registration starts at 6:30 PM
Board meeting at 7:00 PM
Business Entrepreneurial Center in Kerby
at the RCC Belt Building
Illinois Valley Community Development Organization
(Continued from page 2)
prepare for the inevitable.
These commissioners have
intentionally dedicated the
county to a policy of planned
insolvency.
A bankrupt county gov-
ernment will not lead us out
of our general economic cri-
sis. We need a local govern-
ment dedicated to prosperity.
The key to the government’s
own prosperity begins with a
cut in spending. Additional
taxes will not manufacture
any prosperity for anybody
other than public employees’
unions.
Illinois Valley native
Simon Hare has the unique
advantage of a local perspec-
tive and national experience
with which to evaluate our
problems. I am convinced
that he is dedicated to
genuine fiscal responsibility.
Most importantly, he can
win against “Taxin’ Toler.” I
urge everyone who cares
about returning fiscal conser-
vatism to county government
to vote for Simon Hare.
‘Third-World’ county?
From Bob Ziller
O’Brien
After living with dial-up
Internet service, it was great
when we were able to finally
upgrade to DSL several years
ago. Even though Frontier’s
DSL service is faster than
dial-up, the speed available to
us in the Illinois Valley is on
par with Third World coun-
tries like Haiti and Namibia.
The U.S. nationwide
average download speed is
approximately 8 megabits per
second. Some nearby areas in
Oregon have service that ex-
ceeds 17 mb/second. We con-
sider ourselves very lucky
when our download speed is
around 1 mb/second. Upload
speed is barely a tenth of that.
Anyone who has spent
any quality time on Frontier’s
technical support line quickly
realizes that the company
doesn’t seem to have any
intention of rectifying their
speed and reliability problems
any time soon. Frontier has
also been successful in block-
ing any superior, competitive
providers from offering ser-
vice in Illinois Valley.
Its reputation for provid-
ing overpriced, inferior tele-
phone and Internet service in
rural areas is legendary. We
deserve better than this.
What can we do about it?
Check the speed of your
Internet connection by using
an on-line service such as
http://www.speedtest.net.
Phone Frontier’s Customer
Service line at 800-921-8101.
Let them know what you
think of their “service.” If you
don’t get a satisfactory re-
sponse, ask for a supervisor.
File a telephone and writ-
ten complaint with the Ore-
gon Public Utilities Commis-
sion.
Contact your Josephine
County commissioners. De-
mand that they work to re-
move Frontier’s predatory
monopoly and allow competi-
tive, quality, affordable tele-
phone and Internet service in
Illinois Valley.
Here’s an old quote from
Lee Iacocca, appropriate ad-
vice for Frontier Communica-
Thursday,
March 25 at 6 p.m.
Josephine County Building
Downtown Cave Junction
Candidates for Josephine County Board of
Commissioners will face questions and offer
views during a forum co-sponsored by Illinois
Valley News and Illinois Valley Chamber of
Commerce.
First a panel of representatives will pose a series
of questions; then audience members will have
an opportunity to ask their own questions.
Submit questions in advance by email to
editor@illinois-valley-news.com
CANDY & MORE
15 varieties of delicious fudge
Tuesdays - Saturdays 11-4:30
(next to King’s, downtown CJ)
illinois-valley-news.com
tions: “Lead, follow, or get
out of the way!”
She’s voting for Hare
From Carol Dickson
Cave Junction
In this crowded field of
candidates for commissioner
we better do our homework
before voting. I did -- and I
am voting for Simon Hare.
Simon is a young Orego-
nian, raised and educated in
Oregon, who has worked in
the halls of our nation’s capi-
tol fighting for rural America.
Unlike some of his oppo-
nents, Simon knows what he
stands for -- traditional Con-
servative values and limited
government. He knows that
we are a resource-rich county
and that timber is the most
renewable resource we have.
One of his “conservative”
opponents has been a Democ-
rat, Republican, Libertarian,
and a Constitutionalist. That
may be OK for a car me-
chanic, but it doesn’t instill
confidence for running local
government.
Simon has had to work
within the system we have
with people from both sides
of an issue. He will work
toward solutions without be-
ing disrespectful to those with
a differing opinion.
Those who think that our
government and our county
have been going in the wrong
direction can start to make a
difference by electing Hare to
Commissioner Position #1.
Gold Ray needs rebuilding
From Rocky Jones
Cave Junction
It is so sad that our coun-
try is overrun by people who
have so much time and
money -- and think they are
so wise -- to save the trees,
flowers, fish and endangered
birds and bugs, that they can
convince the powerful gov-
ernment that controls our
laws to take away so many
good things God has given us
to make a better life.
I wish there was some
way folks like me could let
their voices be heard. We are
not fancy letter writers or
have time for big rallies to
stop the costly and sometimes
stupid protection laws that the
environmentalists control.
Lesley Adams, the
Rogue Riverkeeper (whatever
that is) at the Ashland-based
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands
Center, brags that “She
printed hundreds of post
cards and provided the auto-
mated e-mail response as a
way for people to weigh in
quickly and easily on the
draft study before the 30-day
comment period expires
March 26.”
That should be against
the law -- no different than
voting hundreds of times in
an election.
Gold Ray Dam is 106
years old. It should be rebuilt
for its full potential. Cost is
only secondary if you figure
the advantages. Hydropower,
I believe, is God’s greatest
gift for power and we know
how to use it now.
Our engineers are smart
enough to handle the fish; if
we can put a man on the
moon without harm we can
put a fish around a dam with-
out harm.
All who believe as I do,
and can scribble on a piece of
paper, “Rebuild Gold Ray
Dam,” should spend 44-cents
and mail it to Gold Ray Dam,
Attn.: Pat Foley, P.O. Box
3275, Central Point OR
97502.
Time for young blood
From Dale & Sharon Hopper
O’Brien
While attending the
Simon Hare campaign kick-
off in Cave Junction, we
found his idea of managing
our county government quite
sound.
Simon is a native of Illi-
nois Valley and knows the
problems in our county. He is
a very intelligent young man
with a wealth of qualifica-
tions. It’s time to get some
new young blood in the com-
missioner ranks.
We think people should
vote Hare for Josephine
County commissioner. They
won’t be disappointed.
On seed oil & Dave Toler
From Daniel Dalegowski
Cave Junction
During the Wednesday,
March 3 Josephine County
Commission weekly business
session, a remarkable presen-
tation was made by Josephine
Soil and Water Conservation
District and a representative
of a start-up seed-oil produc-
tion company.
Seed oil is a promising
industry for all parts of the
county with farm land. Bio-
fuels companies need sources
of raw product on the West
Coast to avoid outrageous
transportation costs. One
company has suggested em-
ploying 100 to 150 people
here to process the seed if we
grow 3,000 acres.
The entrepreneurs re-
sponsible would never have
thought this was viable with-
out government interest and a
grant to back it up. While
they received no grant
money, the grant showed that
an A+ bond-rated county was
Page 3
behind seed-oil production.
Obviously, it was a good idea
for a new business.
Seed oil is valuable for
food, bio-fuels, cosmetics,
and medicines. Its byproduct
is a superior, high-protein
animal feed. There are a lot of
seed crops to try, and the en-
trepreneurs must overcome a
steep development curve to
make this project profitable.
That’s why these entre-
preneurs need the support of
the county. They need our
support as citizens who will
benefit from the jobs they
will bring. And we need to
support our leaders who have
moved this process out of the
realm of speculation and into
our farm land. Commissioner
Toler has worked hard to
bring seed-oil production to
the county in a safe, intelli-
gent, and profitable way.
Amazingly, some partici-
pants at the meeting com-
plained that the original grant
was for “canola, not sunflow-
ers” and that the company in
question didn’t receive the
grant money at all. They for-
got that the company in ques-
tion wouldn’t be here if the
grant had not been advertised.
It seems that some peo-
ple can’t stand to see a strong,
smart leader making positive
changes for Josephine
County. Their rhetoric is loud
and nasty. One commissioner
took cues directly from one of
these voices. The puppeteer-
ing was embarrassing.
While these naysayers
yelled, Toler calmly ad-
dressed misrepresentations
and moved on with the im-
portant business of the
county. That’s what I want
from my commissioners:
clear thinking, real economic
development, minimal politi-
cal rhetoric, and common
sense governance. Toler is the
best leader we have and we
need to support him 100 per-
cent.
I want people to stand
with me for the good of our
county and vote to re-elect
Commissioner Toler.
Appreciates airport input
From Ed Russell
Cave Junction
I appreciate commission-
ers Sandy Cassanelli and
Dave Toler, and the 40 to 50
neighbors and users who
showed up at the last Airport
Citizens Advisory Board
meeting and participated in
creating a vision for its future.
We have a lot to do now,
and it will be interesting to
see who actually does what to
allow the airport to best serve
our community.