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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Life in the
Valley
of Riches
reasonable person, find their
actions offensive. Folks that
look at children that way and are
willing to hurt them have some
wires crossed in their heads.
And, most sex offenders that
are caught are not “corrected”
after a stint in jail or prison. The
recidivism rates are through the
roof. Once out, sex offenders
are likely to continue to prey
on innocent people. That is
why they must register in each
community they live in.
My father used to say
that the only thing worse than
a thief is a liar. In my mind,
though, lying is it’s own special
form of stealing since liars are
essentially stealing the truth.
Sex offenders, it seems to me,
are both liars and thieves.
On December 3, 1957 my
second cousin, Maria Ridolph
(my dad’s first cousin) was
kidnapped in front of her home
in Sycamore, Illinois. She was only 7 years old
at the time. Maria’s badly decomposed remains
were eventually found about 100 miles away
by a retired farmer and his wife, who were
searching for mushrooms on a farm outside of
Galena, Illinois, on April 26, 1958. Maria’s body
was lying face down under a partially fallen tree
and had apparently been there all winter. She
By DAN MANCUSO,
Publisher
A few weeks ago we started to run the
photos of folks who have failed to appear in
court. These failed appearances delay justice and
cost the county a lot of money. Darcy Wallace
is working on a story for next week that will
hopefully put this issue into perspective. We
are not trying to embarrass anyone by running
these photos. We’re simply reminding them
that they missed an appointment at the county
courthouse.
The failure to appear section was so
popular that we also started to run photos
of unregistered sex offenders. By law, when
convicted for a sexual offense, a person must
register in the area that they reside. Is that a
hassle and potentially embarrassing? Sure. But
failing to register will only make matters worse.
Our publication will hopefully lead to regular
and timely registration.
I don’t like sex offenders. I, like any other
was wearing her shirt, undershirt and socks.
Her coat, pants and shoes were never found.
How long was she alive before the
monster took her life? I hope, for her sake, that
it wasn’t very long. Between court records and
statements that I have had the horror of seeing
due to the business I am in, I can only imagine
what her last hours, days or even weeks were
like and what she had to endure.
A lot of parents who lose a child start to
blame each other or sink into their own privet
hell wondering what they could have done to
prevent this from happing to their child. The all
too common result for most of those parents,
including Maria’s, is divorce. It’s staggering to
think about all the people involved in that one
child’s life who will never be the same. I was
born almost nine years after her death and I am
still haunted by it.
So, that is why I run, and will continue to
run, the faces of all unregistered sex offenders
in Josephine County. Last week one of our
readers spotted one of the people we ran in the
paper and that gentleman has now been advised
of his need to register. One down, many more
to go…
Thank you for picking up this week’s
paper — Enjoy!
— djm
Letters to the Editor
Illinois Valley News welcomes Letters to the
Editor.
Please e-mail them to
dan@illinois-valley-news.com
POLICY ON LETTERS:
‘Illinois Valley News’ encourages letters to the
editor provided they are legible and not libelous
or scurrilous. All letters must be signed, including
name, address and telephone number. The latter
need not be published, but will be used to verify
authenticity. The “News” reserves the right to edit
letters. Letters are used at the discretion of the
publisher.
***
(Editor’s Note: Views and commentary, in-
cluding statements made as fact are strictly those
of the letter writers)
Quality of Living?
Truth be told, we love where we live, the
quality of living is where it is at here. It’s not
the money...that draws people to live here and
raise our families here. I get tired of hearing “if
only we put jobs back in the woods” like the
good old days. My father was a timber faller and
wood-cutter, and I grew up in the hay day of the
timber industry, lived right next to the Rogue
River mill, and our house survived nearly 5 ma-
jor wild fires, one that crossed I-5. We still had
crazy wildfires and we were poor. We lived off
our garden before it was in style, so poor all the
houses I grew up in were electrically unground-
ed and the roofs leaked, everything I owned was
2nd hand, one of my toys was a “pet stick”, that
gives you an idea of how poor we were but we
were rich in the joy of seasons in the mountains,
meadows, rivers and streams with the company
of the genuine good people and characters that
live here too. What is valuable..is our quality of
life. The health of our rivers & streams are the
lifelines of our community, my feelings of the
Rogue, Illinois, Chetco and Smith. The mystery
and intrigue of the Oregon Caves and the great
corridor to the Redwood Empire. The smells of
vinegar weed, sounds of birds and silence in the
awesome Kalmiopsis. Naturally, I grew up and
moved away to the city, where there was a bet-
ter economy and more opportunity. Starting a
family resulted in my immediate desire to scrap
my way back home and raise my son here in
“God’s Country”. Sadly though, a lot happened
that year in 2001, including the devastating
Biscuit fire. That doesn’t mean we punch roads
into roadless wilderness for fuel reductions..
that’s just providing access. Why not invest in
the education on new technology to be able to
control these massive woodland fires? For ex-
ample when looking at rural property: rather
than install 10,000 gallon holding tanks and
clear helicopter landing pads around every rural
new house over 3000 s/f, not to mention what
road improvements they require, we could be
investing some thought into the science of fire
suppression. We keep doing things “the same
way” and yet look how advanced we’ve come,
you’d think we could figure out a better way
for both fire suppression and mill operations for
that matter. We are VERY special. We have the
LARGEST UNPROTECTED roadless wilder-
ness between Canada and Mexico. I’d like to
save as much of this last frontier as possible for
future generations. To me..my wilderness is sa-
cred. Mine as in yours. This is everyone’s, re-
member the rest of the country, since it is in fact
Federal Land. We locals, should remember not
to feel so entitled but we can be proud and cher-
ish what we’ve got. On the subject of the Rural
Schools Act and “our renewable resources”, this
is interesting because if we paid attention (as a
State) we would see that there is a lot of missed
opportunity with a lot larger pay out. Case in
point. Geothermal Inc. One of 3 alternative
energy companies that were loaned multi-bil-
lions of dollars thru the reinvestment act, (our
tax dollars) thru the Dept of Energy to harvest
truly renewable resources off of Federal Land
in the State of Oregon in the past year. They
also have the luxury of being offered multi-mil-
lions of dollars in State green energy business
tax incentives (our tax dollars) to do so, then
they contract with a Houston based company
to build the power plant, secure a 25 year lease
to sell the power to Idaho and we, the State of
Oregon, and the public ..did we get a chance to
buy any of the 5 million units of share of the
company at the low price of $1 per share (the
price of a lottery ticket which helps fund our
state parks)? We could have a vested interest in
how this power plant operates and quite a return
on our investment to help pay for our struggling
economies, schools, libraries etc. Power or tim-
ber? Which is more in demand and which has
a larger pay out and who is paying attention?
It’s time to stop beating the same old issues and
start figuring out new solutions. Okay getting
off soap box.
Lydia Arbor Weatherwax
Cave Junction
Herbicide Spray
Lake Selmac
I’ll start with addressing Dan’s comments
on his column in the March 31st I.V.
News edition. Perpetua (and its owner) did
not contact their neighbors above
Lake Selmac, it was the other way around.
The landowners had to ‘pay’ for a notice on
pesticide applications from ODF - is how they
learn of it. More neighbors, at meetings, have
spoken up also who were not notified. I would
encourage all land owners to write and share
what your experiences have been with pesticide
applications and your neighbors.
Atrizine (one of the worst chemicals) is not
allowed for use in many European Countries
and Canada. After 20 years of its halt in France
atrazine and it’s toxic break down chemicals are
still testing positive in their Watersheds. These
herbicides are nasty stuff. Very little goes a long
ways to affect life systems, including humans.
Google the USGS 2003 National Water - Qual-
ity Assessment Program ‘Report on Atrazine’.
Monsonto, Syngenta, Dupont and other
chemical companies spend millions to lobby
legislative bodies, influence laws, and ad-
vertise the safety of it’s products (but is it true?).
The Laws that support these companies are not
in the frame work of the ‘Bill of Rights’, where
the common welfare of our community is put
first. Rather what we have are laws that protect
the corporations and their owners from charges
of harm to the community. In my view, with the
research that we ‘the citizens’ have thus done,
we have a clear health issue and violations
to Human Rights. There is an undetermined
amount of toxic chemicals in our local environ-
ment, due just to the fact of the wide use of pes-
ticide applications. No testing is being done by
FS, BLM, DEQ or private companies that use
these poisonous products on large scale land
management projects in our area. I hope to be
proven wrong. May we pray for transparency
and accountability on this matter.
Just like our health system ‘we the people’
are last in line to be protected, unlike other
countries. Corporations have more laws pro-
tecting them than we do.
All for the sake of the their right to profit
(and plunder I may add). We pay dearly my
friends and fellow citizens for their rights over
ours. Unfortunately we are educated to accept
this sad fact and if we speak out we lose our
jobs (just to begin with). This condition must
change if we are to achieve a sustainable future.
Our citizens are rising up to address these prob-
lems, have our wells tested, and insist that our
governments be our benevolent agents, admin-
ister solutions, and protect the common welfare
and health of the community that they serve.
This process began a few weeks ago when
the Josephine Co. Commissioners supported
their citizens on with a Town Hall on March
22nd on the Herbicide Issue. A big thanks to
our commissioners, who voted unanimously to
hold
Continued on Page A-3
Here, There & Everywhere
Every Wednesday
Wild River Pizza – Open Mic.
6-8pm Contact Todd Kaber-
line or Jim Nolan 54-646-0975
or 541-660-8572
The Valley Girls Quilt Group
has completed the new oppor-
tunity quilt for the 2011 Quilt
Show schedule for October
14&15. The name of the quilt
is; Seasons of the Valley, it is
on display at Sterling Bank.
Please go by and view the
beautiful work these ladies
put into this quilt. Tickets are
Illinois
Valley
News
Published weekly by
W.H. Alltheway, LLC
Daniel J. Mancuso, Publisher
available at the bank.
April 15
Illinois Valley Garden Club’s
April 15 meeting will be mem-
ber discussion lead by Donna
Smith of Canning and Preserv-
ing of the “garden bounty”.
There will be tools for can-
ning on display along with
books on canning. As people
are becoming more aware of
eating healthy we have been
asked questions about the how
tos and whys about canning
POSTMASTER: Please send
address changes to P.O. Box 1370,
Cave Junction OR 97523
Illinois Valley News is published at
321 S. Redwood Hwy.,
Cave Junction, OR 97523
Telephone (541) 592-2541
FAX (541) 592-4330
Since 1937 periodicals postage
paid at Cave Junction OR 97523
P.O. Box 1370 USPS 258-820
along with how to grow fruits
and veggies in our gardens.
Personally I have alway liked
knowing what is in my food so
never minded the time spent
on canning.
Horticulture/Show and Tell
table; Bloomin Shurbs and
Flowers Plus Canning Books
and Tools.
The Illinois VAlley Garden
Club will meet at Immanuel
United Methodist Church on
Watkins AV. across from Shop
Smart the 3 Fri. of the month
through the month of May.
Coffee Hour 12:30 Meeting
1:00 For information (541)592-
4257 Spring Plant Sale May 7,
9 a.m.- sold out in front and
inside the County Building on
Redwood Highway. Featured
will be Heirloom Tomatoes
Other items Shubs, outside
and inside plants,trees plus
we do answer questions about
plants.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
CONTACT US:
One year in Josephine
County - $24.50
One year in Jackson and
Douglas counties - $28.00
One year in all other Or-
egon counties and
out-of-state - $39.00
News - Darcy Wallace
darcy@illinois-valley-news.com
Illinois Valley News does not refund subscriptions.
Remainder of subscription will be donated to the
charity of your choice.
April 30
Ladies’ Fundraising Tea, Lunch
and Silent Auction (Benefiting
Circulation - Zina Booth
zbooth@illinois-valley-news.com
Advertising - Dan Mancuso
dan@illinois-valley-news.com
Composition - Stacy Byrne
stacy@illinois-valley-news.com
Mailroom - Millie Watkins
the Pregnancy Center of the Il-
linois Valley) Guest Speaker:
Sherry Knapp Saturday, April
30, 2011 11am - 2pm Tickets
are $10 per person (in advance)
Location: Bridgeview Church
- 5181 Holland Loop For tick-
ets and more information, call
592-6058
May 7
summer break, May 7th, 2011
@ 8 AM Community Bible
Church, 113 S. Caves Ave.,
CJ. This is a chance for you
to invite your son, grandson,
friend, next door neighbor to
meet with other men who love
the Lord. Please call 541-592-
6132 or 541-592-3896 ( please
leave a message ) by 5 PM 5/5,
so we can plan. Thank you.
Men of the Illinois Valley
– You are invited to “ The
Breakfast of Champions “, the
last men’s breakfast before
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additional charge.)
POLICY ON LETTERS:
‘Illinois Valley News’ encour-
ages letters to the editor pro-
vided they are legible and not
libelous or scurrilous. All letters
must be signed, including
name, address and telephone
number. The latter need not be
published, but will be used to
verify authenticity. The ‘News’
reserves the right to edit let-
ters. Letters are used at the
discretion of the publisher.