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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Life in the
Valley
of Riches
By DAN MANCUSO,
Publisher
Over the past few
months, I have noticed
a vehicle parked around
town with plates that ex-
pired several years ago.
As I watch the vehicle,
I notice that the man
and woman who inhabit
it have many visitors
throughout the day. It
doesn’t take much to fig-
ure out what the lady and
gentleman are up to.
I have contacted the
Josephine County Sher-
iff’s Office, Oregon State
Police and the Rogue
Area Drug Enforcement
team (RADE). I have
sent numerous photos of
the people who drive the
truck along with other in-
formation about activity
associated with the truck.
Two weeks ago while
on the phone with OSP, I
was told they couldn’t do
anything as the truck was
on private property. When
I explained what I do for a
living and mentioned that
I was going to write about
the lack of concern on the
part of OSP, the dispatch-
er said, “Good, do that.
Maybe you guys will pass
the levy next time.”
Yes, the dispatcher
said that.
I called back to get
her full name and was
told by her supervisor
(who would only give me
her first name) that she,
the supervisor, was on
the line and that the dis-
patcher didn’t say that.
The supervisor went on
to say that I would get
into trouble if I repeated
my claim. Apparently she
doesn’t know me.
I suggested that I
request the audio tape of
the conversation and was
told I couldn’t get a copy.
Apparently this OSP em-
ployee does not recognize
the ORS statutes that cov-
er public record laws.
My point in all this,
is this: harvest time is
coming up and I bet the
RAID team will be all
over the Valley busting
Medical Marijuana grow-
ers. While it seems taking
medicine away from peo-
ple is more important than
busting meth and heroin
dealers in the Valley.
I say this because
not one person from any
of the three agencies has
contacted me to ask ques-
tions or follow up with
me.
Thank you for pick-
ing up this week’s paper.
– djm
A moment with Mary: By Mary Halvorsen
I drove home from work this evening with
an hour of daylight to spare, noting that the as-
phalt of Highway 199 was damp with recent
precipitation. A line of electric orange snapped
from the sky to the southeast, as I wound the
turns of Sis’s Gap. A few drops fell on the
windshield, and I quietly urged, “C’mon, pour.
Dump on us.” By the time I pulled into Cave
Junction, there had been six or seven lightning
strikes, some snaking high and long across the
dark, cloudy, horizon.
It has been a long summer, leaving
the town smoky, with no post office, a closed
lumber mill, and the loss of several individuals
who had been part of the Valley for a long time.
Some I knew, some I only felt like I knew, and
some I didn’t know at all.
One, I met during an EMT course at
the fire station years ago, when I happened to
choose the seat across the aisle from the Valley
blacksmith. He was quiet most of the time, but
smiled like he knew something the rest of us
hadn’t stumbled onto yet. I didn’t know then,
the extent of his musical background, only that
I was glad he was in the class. I saw him off and
on over the years; sometimes at Taylor’s, when
there was a great band.
We also lost a man I had only nodded
to in passing, but saw regularly for years, ped-
aling his bike back and forth from town, to his
home in Takilma. Knowing he’s not out there
anymore, making his way, is its own loss.
I recently became acquainted with
a woman in her 90s who had lived here sixty
years. When I asked her on one occasion how
it was back then, and had she liked it when she
first moved here, she looked up and told me,
“No. The first time I went to the store for eggs,
they only had duck eggs.” She still seemed
mildly exasperated by that, before continuing,
“There was nothing here. Not like now.” She
stayed on, though, becoming a contributing
member of the community, and taught her chil-
dren to do the same. I will always be grateful to
have known her, though it was brief.
I routinely drove by a local veterinar-
ian, riding with who I assumed was one of his
kids, one bike large, and the other smaller. They
were always a mile or two up Caves Highway
or down Laurel Road. Each time I passed them
in my car, I pictured my own bike at home, and
thought, “I should be doing that too.”
A staggering moment was seeing the
notice that one of our local kids, a young man
of twenty–five, who had been my sons first
friend back in kindergarten, had passed away.
I still, and will always see him, climbing the
long branches of a pine tree down the hill from
our house, his face among the needles, looking
down from ten feet up. He was quiet, but had
gone up that tree like he was born to climb it,
the way only a child, with another six year old
by his side, can.
These fires, the lingering smoke, and
the recent run of thunder storms, seems a fit-
ting end to an emotional summer. An editorial
in last week’s Illinois Valley News, found the
publisher admitting that he was “sick and tired”
of the fire, the heat, the smoke, that he preferred
the season of cool and rain. I think he spoke for
many. Raising the windows to hear rain filter-
ing through the trees, or see heavy, gray clouds
hovering in the hills, will seem a relief.
This season of fire and loss will even-
tually be behind us, but won’t be forgotten. Nor
will those we said goodbye to this summer.
Letters to the Editor
Illinois Valley News welcomes Let-
ters 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 commen-
tary, including statements made as
fact are strictly those of the letter
writers)
Save the salmon
The Coho salmon in the Illinois
River watershed especially in the
Deer Creek shed are in dire need of
water flows this summer. Many of us
have noticed that the hatch and sub-
sequent juvenile Coho populations in
many tributaries of the Illinois River
are the best it’s been in many years
if not decades. However, the streams
are dropping and drying up fast and
many thousands of young Coho have
likely already succumbed to drying
up streams. There are larger resident
cut-throat trout and steelhead also
threatened by drying up streams.
What would help the Coho, cut-
throat, and young steelhead the most
is if Illinois Valley residents con-
served these scarce waters resources
throughout the I.V., but especially in
Deer Creek and its tributaries through
this extremely dry year until some
good rains fall.
Perhaps other streams around
the valley have similar circumstanc-
es? If you do find young Coho land
locked in drying streams call the Or-
egon Department of Fish and Wild-
life at 541-826-8774 and request that
they be moved to safe areas. Please
do what you can to help save this ir-
replaceable resource and legacy.
The Coho are listed Threatened
under the Endangered Species Act.
Fish and Wildlife have the Illi-
nois River Run categorized as having
a high risk of extinction.
Shannon Wilson
Selma, OR
I llInoIs V alley F uneral D Irectors
www.since1928Hull.com
541-592-4110
Save the date
NEW LOCATION: Commune I Tea
sale, strawberry shortcakes, hotdogs with
148 S. Redwood Hwy, Cave Junction
Yard sale coming up this Friday and chili, essentials oils, Watkins products,
Saturday. It will be the 16th and 17th ‘Classy Kats’, History of Berries in the – Next to Taylor’s Sausage. Commune I
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Safe House Valley and please don’t forget the Creepy Tea will offer tea, coffee and ‘goodies’-
for a fee. Doors open at 6:00, meeting be-
Crust mixed Berry cobblers.
Alliance parking lot.
gins at 6:30 – 8:30
Aug. 17
Aug. 17
Please come to a benefit concert with
“It’s the Berries” on Saturday, August
Aug. 20
Joanne Rand on Saturday August 17th at
17, 2013 at the RCC/Belt Building, High-
American
Red
Cross Blood Drive
the Takilma Community Building at 8pm.
way 199, Kerby, OR 31 venders selling
Where: The Church of Jesus Christ of
Healing Herbal Tea and Desserts will be
an assortment of items. You may find
Latter-Day
Saints 1969 Williams Hwy. in
sold to off-set losses of postponing this
what you are looking.
Grants Pass, Thursday, August 22, 1 p.m.
summer’s Herbal Gathering.
From Apple pies to Lavender, horse
Admission $10-20, no one turned away - 6 p.m.
tack, blackberry puff pastries, soaps,
We would like to invite everyone to
for lack of money, so give what you can!
jams and jellies, teas, OSU Master Food
We will be singing to appease the fire come out and support our community .
Preservers Display, tools, collectibles,
spirits, singing to heal the land, and sing-
Aug. 20-21
Indian art, Tupperware, beef raffle tick-
ing for healing all who have been touched
Two free training sessions will take
ets, several fund-raising tables for non-
by the fire’s breath. Join this healing event
place
next week for Illinois River Forks
profit groups, jewelry, embroidery dem-
as we celebrate life and renewal! Walk
State Park volunteers. Participants can
onstration, wood crafts, tools, American
away inspired and full of life!
choose to attend either Tuesday, August
Legion BINGO, wood art, several variety
20 or Wednesday, August 21. Both ses-
Aug. 19th
items tables, So. Oregon Guild Studio
Precious Dirt-Monthly sions are scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon and
Pesticide Meeting. On this will cover basic policies and procedures.
month’s agenda- A Pesti- Each session will begin with an orienta-
cide Bill of Rights. Other tion at a location to be determined and
end with a field component at the park.
topics pending
Training
is
necessary
in
order to fulfill
Oregon
Parks
and Recreation
Department
(OPRD)
legal
requirements.
Aug. 16-17
Illinois
Valley
News
Published weekly by
W.H. Alltheway, LLC
Daniel J. Mancuso, Publisher
POSTMASTER: Please send
address changes to P.O. Box 1370,
Cave Junction OR 97523
Illinois Valley News is published at
221 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
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One year in Josephine
County - $28.50
One year in Jackson and
Douglas counties - $32.50
One year in all other
Oregon counties and
out-of-state - $39.00
Illinois Valley News does not refund subscriptions.
Remainder of subscription will be donated to the
charity of your choice.
Additional training is available for volun-
teers who want to assume greater levels
of responsibility, including organizing
projects and special events or leadership
roles. Other potential roles, including
helping with the Junior Ranger program
or walking park patrols will require spe-
cialized training from OPRD.
Illinois Valley residents who want to
help assure the Illinois River Forks State
Park stays open for future generations and
be a part of the team that will demonstrate
how a community can assume greater re-
sponsibility for their park are asked to
contact Brandt immediately at 541-592-
4316 to receive an application for next
week’s training.
Aug. 29
TIME FOR TALENT! The TALENT
SHOW is just a few weeks away. The I.V.
Lions Club Labor Day Festival will again
host a TALENT SHOW (amateurs only)
and cash prizes will be awarded the win-
ners of each age group. Don’t forget to
sign up by August 29. For more informa-
tion and/or to sign up, please call Donna,
(541) 596-2719 or Sue, (541) 592-2252.
Sept. 28
Saddle up! BCHO Poker Ride, Sept.
28 in the Illinois Valley. Call 541-597-
1806 for more details.
News - Dan Mancuso
dan@illinois-valley-news.com
Circulation - Kimberly Potter
office@illinois-valley-news.com
Advertising / Composition
Dan Mancuso
dan@illinois-valley-news.com
Mailroom - Millie Watkins
Office Manager-Laura Mancuso
office@illinois-valley-news.com
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POLICY ON LETTERS:
‘Illinois Valley News’ encour-
ages letters to the editor pro-
vided they are legible and not
libelous or scurrilous. All let-
ters 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 discre-
tion of the publisher.