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Wednesday, June 1, 2011, 2 Sections, 12 Pages, Volume 74 No. 12 Published Weekly Cave Junction, Oregon 97523
Valley salutes fallen heroes
By Darcy Wallace
IVN Staff Writer
Inside :
Takilma Folk
Faire
Page A-3
To honor local veterans who sacri-
ficed for their country, Glenn Morrison
American Legion Post 70 and Glenn
Morrison Legion Auxiliary Unit 70
held annual Memorial Day ceremonies
Monday, May 30 in three locations.
The ceremonies began in front
of Cave Junction City Hall at 10 a.m.,
continued at Laurel Cemetery at 11,
and concluded at the Deer Creek Cem-
etery in Selma at noon.
In each ceremony, kept efficiently
under 20 minutes, members of Cave
Junction’s Legion and Auxiliary units
reminded the audience of the sacrifices
from veterans.
“It is very important to us that we
honor all veterans who have served and
are currently serving our great coun-
try,” said Auxiliary president Cynthia
Soria. “They gave the ultimate sacrifice
to keep our great country free and we
must never forget.”
Many residents and veterans at-
tended all three ceremonies. Command-
er Robert Soria opened ceremonies with
a few words and Cave Junction mayor
Carl Jacobson read aloud a poem.
Legionaire Jim Fuller also read
the full version of the Star Spangled
Banner to let audiences hear the full
impact of all the verses.
At each ceremony, Glenn Mor-
rison Legion Auxiliary members laid
down wreaths in front of the Ameri-
can flag, with Cynthia Soria laying
the wreath at City Hall and Ellie Buell
placing them at the Laurel and Deer
Creek cemeteries.
Michele Colbert, Laurel Warden
and Hazel Smith comprised the col-
orguard, bearing flags at all three cer-
emonies. Chaplain Colleen Cochran
gave blessings in the ceremonies.
Along with various community
residents and veterans, members of
the local Boy Scout Troop 880 and the
Sons of God Motorcycle Club attended
the City Hall event.
“We want to thank everyone in the
community for coming out and partici-
pating in this special day,” Soria said.
Bird Watching
with Harry
Page A-4
Toler Leaves
JoCo
Page A-6
LBMS Science
Students
Page A-8
Evergreen
Elementary
Students of the
Month
Page A-8
IVHS Band
Marches in
Boatnik Parade
Page A-7
NEW SECTIoN!
“Currents -
Navigating the
Arts & Music of
The Valley”
Page B-1
Sudoku
Crossword
Classified
Blotter
A-5
A-7
B-3
A-5
(Photo by Darcy Wallace, Illinois Valley News)
In the second of three Memorial Day ceremonies, the Glenn Morrison American Legion Auxiliary Post 70 color guard and residents
stand before the flag at Laurel Cemetery May 30.
Commissioner candidate field widens
By Darcy Wallace
IVN Staff Writer
Several more potential Josephine
County commissioners turned in their
applications for the interim position to
fill in for Dwight Ellis as the May 31
application deadline passed.
Now that the application period has
ended, commissioners Sandi Cassanelli
and Simon Hare will have to appoint one
individual from the long list of contenders
to take the place of Dwight Ellis, who
plans to retire on August 31 of this year.
According to Cassanelli, the number
of applicants jumped from 17 to 39 as
of Friday morning, May 27. Now, she
Commissioner Cassanelli
and Hare are narrowing down potential
appointments based on occupational
experience, governmental experience and
reasons for applying.
“More than likely it’s going to be an
open process,” Cassanelli said. “We might
try, rather than an application process that
was different, we want to make it as if
you were going to apply like you would
through the elections office…then you get
up to 325 words to tell us why you want to
be commissioner.”
Hare said he was optimistic he and
Cassanelli would agree on a replacement,
despite comments and a poll from The
Daily Courier of Grants Pass showing
many people did not believe the two
would be able to negotiate.
As for what credentials he would
want most for an interim commissioner,
Hare said he’s been going back and forth
between several qualities.
“The problem is, when I start to think
what I’m looking for, I end up changing
my mind from one day to the next,” he
said. “I’ve been thinking about it for quite
a while. I know a lot of people are anxious
to find out [who we choose].”
“I want to wait and see what the
field looks like,” Hare added. “There’s
been a lot of speculation…but I’m excited
to see so many people applying for the
position.”
This isn’t the first time Josephine
County has had to fill a commissioner
position. Both Hare and Cassanelli
referred to past instances, the most recent
being 1992 when Rebecca Brown left to
pursue a seat in the Senate.
The only requirements listed in
the interim commissioner position on
the Josephine County website are that
the individual must be 18 or older and
a resident of the county. But Cassanelli
said she wanted the chosen applicant to
have the best interests of the people of the
county in mind.
Continued on A-7
Commissioner Hare
IV Rays fall
to Brookings
By Darcy Wallace
IVN Staff Writer
After a sunny morn-
ing, Illinois Valley Little
League baseball players
endured overcast conditions
followed by a downpour
Monday, May 30 in double-
header losses against a ju-
niors team from Brookings-
Harbor.
The I.V. Little League
hosted the games at Jubi-
lee Park, where the IV Ray
junior boys team played a
tough opponent in less than
ideal conditions.
In the first game, the
team held their own against
a team that has consistently
been tough to beat for sev-
eral years, according to
I.V. Little League board
president Shelly Davis and
player agent Cricket Alva-
rez. But the final score was
a 9-13 loss in a high-scoring
game.
In the second game,
the weather worsened and
Brookings-Harbor stayed
tough, allowing no runs
from Rays players. Davis and
Alvarez preferred not to men-
tion the final score, saying it
didn’t take away from what
has been a strong season so far
for IV Ray. As of May 30, the
team’s record is 9-3 overall.
“This was a special game
against Brookings-Harbor,”
Davis said. “[IV Ray] got to
play under the lights at night,
which doesn’t usually hap-
pen.”
The I.V. Little League
has more than a few events
coming up in June, includ-
ing a car wash and bake sale
planned for June 4 at Subway
in Cave Junction.
Other future events with
no set date just yet are Parent
and Volunteer Appreciation
Day and the Sandlot game
and the I.V. Grange fundraiser
breakfast.
Little League volunteers
are excited to bring back the
Blackberry Festival, which
went on for several years but
stopped the last two. The Fes-
tival is scheduled for August 5,
6 and 7.
