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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 2014)
Page A-2 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014 Last week, our county commissioners began the daunting task of figuring how to ban state sanctioned medical marijuana in Josephine County. That follows in the footsteps of Medford and Grants Pass which have recently hid behind federal law. Our board had to scroll through 73 pages of the 395 pages of our Rural Land De- velopment Code to come up with a reason: “ARTICLE 12 –ADMINISTRATION 12.010 - SCOPE & COMPLIANCE: No transfer or division of property contrary to the provisions of this code shall occur. No structure or lot shall be used or occupied, and no structure or part of the structure shall be erected, moved, reconstructed, extended, enlarged, or altered contrary to the provisions of this code.” And, more importantly: “12.020 - CONSISTENCY WITH PLANS AND LAWS B. Actions initiated and approved under this code shall be consistent with the requirements of the Josephine County Comprehensive Plan, the Goals and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan, and any applicable local, state, or federal laws, rules and regulations.” The State has been dealing with this issue in the form of Sen- ate Bill 1531. The bill specifies that the governing body of city or county may regulate or restrict operation of medical marijuana facility, prohibit the registration of medical marijuana facility, or Life in the Valley of Riches By DAN MANCUSO, Publisher regulate, restrict or prohibit storing or dispensing of marijuana by a facility legally authorized to store or dispense marijuana. The prohibition provision was stripped in the Judicial Commit- tee, but in a Feb. 21 conference call with the county commission- ers, State Senator Herman Baertschiger and Congressman Wally Hicks seemed to feel the bill would be rewritten to again include the ability for counties to ban such dispensaries. This brought a sigh of relief from our job-killing commissioners. But, to me the real question remains: If I am not going to build or make any changes to an existing building and I don’t need a permit, how can you use this code to restrict its use? How can you deny a legitimate, taxable job-creating resource? Growers that choose to sell to dispensaries will likely re- ceive a 1099. That means that the income they make will be taxable. Isn’t that a good thing? No matter how this shakes out, it’s going to be a conten- tious process. Thank you for picking up this week’s paper, enjoy ~ djm Obituaries Bonita Faye Newtown was born on Feb. 11, 1945 in Grants Pass and passed away in her home on Feb. 18, 2014. She was preceded in death by her brother Frankie Robinson, parents Roy and Dovie Robinson and her husband Robert Newton. Bonita lived in Cave Junction all of her life. She loved playing with her great-grandchildren, spent time with her girlfriends and helping out at the restaurant with her daughter, Trina. She is survived by her sisters Debbie Newton of Grants Pass, Corky Quen of Cave Junction, her children Richard Miller of Cave Junction, Trina Mason of Cave Junction, and Christine Milner of Gold Hill. She also left behind 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Any donations please send to Lovejoy hospice. The family of Bonita Newton would like to thank everyone for their generosity and kindness in our time of sorrow. It is greatly appreciated. I llInoIs V alley F uneral D Irectors www.since1928Hull.com 541-592-4110 A moment with Mary: By Mary Halvorsen I took a fall at work recently, carrying a container of paper to the shredder. It began with an ankle roll that progressed into a slow-motion ballet to the floor, the plastic box in my hands banging against surfaces on the way down, echoing through the silent storage room. The first concern was not for injuries, but if anyone had witnessed it. There was burning in the hands, knees, and side of one leg, but when a co-worker peered around a corner, eyes wide with concern, to ask “Did you fall?” the response was dismissive, joking. “Oh, I’m fine” I smiled, shrugging away any mo- mentary pain. Later, tossing back an anti-inflammatory, three nurses in the vicinity zoned in, wondering if all was well. Upon admitting to the tumble in the copy room, they turned towards me with such alarm on their faces, I may as well have been setting myself on fire. The Center for Disease Control reported in 2010 that, “…2.3 million non-fatal fall injuries among older adults were treated in emergency de- partments, and more than 662,000 of these patients were hospitalized…” To “fall” is described as, “to come or drop down suddenly to a lower posi- tion” and doesn’t necessarily convey only physical action. It can be the beginning in a shift in how one is per- ceived. The amount of times we pick ourselves up and brush ourselves off in a day can vary, but seeming weak or unsteady, is a profile no one wishes to foster. In their book, “You, Staying Young,” Doctors Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz explain there is a right and wrong way to fall, that the cor- rect way is to land on as much surface area of the body as possible, rather than allowing all the weight to be ab- sorbed by a hip or a shoulder. They offer that stretching, a part of many yoga practices, can facilitate this abil- ity, that “…flexibility, that is, length- ening your muscles and giving them the ability to adapt to all kinds of situ- ations is important…” continuing, “It will give you the ability to maneuver yourself during a fall or get yourself up, after…” A loss in balance has not always carried with it the threat of toppling over. In younger years, there was little concern about the state of one’s core, which is described as the “area around the trunk where the center of gravity is located.” The Mayo Clin- ic’s, “Fitness for Life” affirms a core is functioning “…when the twenty-nine muscles in abdomen, pelvis, lower back, and hips, work together.” Walking around the remainder of the day after the mishap, muscles were tight and a little sore. I thought about falling, and remembered an- other ankle roll that had pitched me into a stumbling, flailing struggle to stay upright. This horizontal waltz played out for the occupants of the emergency room waiting area, on the other side of a long glass wall. When it was over, I walked on, hoping no one had noticed. It made me wonder why ankle rolls had become the pre- cursor for these spectacles. A core that cannot do its job is a liability, but the blame for going soft should not be laid entirely on get- ting older. I am not ready to concede much to age; not health, not mind, not future. It is possible to regain and maintain flexibility and balance. “Fitness for Life” states that if one works towards a more flexible body, one can look forward to movements that become, “easier and more free, keeping you in better balance and making you less prone to fall.” They go on to suggest signing up for your class of choice, one is more likely to stick with a program, after taking that extra step. Within Cave Junction, opportu- nities for strengthening and improv- ing flexibility are offered at three dif- ferent locations: In the heart of town is The Yoga Studio, whose schedule lists daily session for all levels. For more info call 592-3130. Tiger Dance Studio on Caves Highway, “encourages wellness” with Zumba dance, which is described by health foundation, “Livestrong” as “both dance and full body workout.” Among other offerings, Zumba is scheduled most mornings and eve- nings. They can be reached at 592- 4700. Healthy U, on River Street of- fers different yoga options at varying days and times, and can be reached at 592-4888. claim a public safety fiscal emer- gency in one or more counties. Jo- sephine County has a self governance clause written into the county charter. House Bill 3453 which allows the state to raise the 911 taxes on your telephone bill, not property or income tax, to fund public safety can only be implemented in Josephine County if a state of emergency is declared by the County Commissioners. For people who may have been unaware of these facts, I hope this eases their minds on what may be considered an impending threat should one decide to vote “no” on any upcoming property tax levies for public safety. 5322. Care should always be taken so that smaller, easy to fix problems do not become magnified into unnec- essary and expensive work. County. Last week their collective efforts culminated in successfully gathering enough signatures to put an initiative on the May ballot to do just that. Huge KUDOs in accomplish- ing this feat, in the middle of winter no less and to the wonderful team of people it took to make that happen. This post is to thank their team for all their hard work and efforts. Their goal is a GMO-FREE Josephine County with Measure #17-58, regulating the growing of open-air genetically engineered crops within Josephine Country. It fol- lows efforts by neighboring Jackson County with their Measure # 15-119, to do the same. These Initiatives give citizens the right to protect our food, farms and future, creating a GMO- Free Rogue Valley. Please be sure you are regis- tered to vote. The power and money from the likes of Syngenta, Monsanto and their ilk will be working hard to defeat these initiatives. 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) Need For Accurate Information I consider it a disservice to the public to provide untruthful, mislead- ing or inaccurate information to the voting public, especially around elec- tion time. However, it can happen. Therefore, I feel it is important to correct certain statements as quoted from County Commissioner candi- date Mark Gatlin. In a recent I.V. News article, Gatlin stated, “The budget shortfall created largely by dwindling federal funds that had replaced out timber revenues have brought us right behind Curry County, which is now poised to be taken over by the state. When that happens, by most estimates, the state will charge $3 to $5 per $1,000 of as- sessed property values, for 18 month increments, to bring back the level of safety that the state deems neces- sary.” Mr. Gatlin went on to state that Josephine County can avoid this fate if citizens “take charge of our situation and make the hard choice to pass a temporary levy that will build a bridge to a permanent and stable funding source that is not heavily based on taxes.” Correction #1. The state will not raise property taxes to fund law enforcement if a public safety levy fails. The state, or county, cannot raise property taxes without a con- senting vote of the public. This law is incorporated into the property tax limitation which is in the state con- stitution. Correction #2. House Bill 3453 provides that the Governor may pro- Save Feb. The Date 26 Wed, February 26th – Craft Night: Origami, 6 p.m. Roberta and Rochelle are fold- ing fancy paper into beautiful flow- ers and would love to share the joy. Paper and instruction are supplied, just come join us! Where: IV Library 209 W Palmer St, Cave Junction, OR 97523 (541) 592-4770 contact: Ro- berta Lee rlee@josephinelibrary.org Feb. 27 The American Red Cross needs blood and platelet donors to help re- Illinois Valley News Published weekly by W.H. Alltheway, LLC Daniel J. Mancuso, Publisher stock the blood supply this February. Severe winter weather throughout January across much of the country forced the cancellation of about 770 Red Cross blood drives, resulting in more than 25,000 uncollected blood and platelet donations. On average, the Red Cross must collect about 15,000 units of blood every day for patients at approxi- mately 2,700 hospitals and transfu- sion centers across the country. With additional winter weather already forecast for parts of the country in 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 Raymond Smith Cave Junction Buyer beware If you need well pump service and are calling the local well driller’s old phone number you will reach an entirely different company in Grants Pass. This is not made clear by the answering party. New number is 592- the next week or two, all blood types are currently needed to ensure a suf- ficient blood supply is available for patients. There is an urgent need for blood types O positive, O negative, A nega- tive and B negative. Eligible donors with these blood types are strongly encouraged to make an appointment to give in the coming days. While weather in this area did not cause problems for blood drives, the Red Cross hopes local blood do- nors will continue to support patients SUBSCRIPTION RATES One year in Josephine County - $30.50 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. K. Rich Cave Junction NO GMO A year ago December I began writing a series of articles regarding GMOs for this paper. I was given the OK with two stipulations: Be sure they were non-biased and fair. I explained I would do my utmost, warning however that as the articles progressed and reached the pinnacle of known challenges facing farmers who ventured into this realm, along with the known science clearly ex- posing the hazards, the series would take a definite turn, if you will. Dan cautioned, and I proceed- ed. In a few short months however GMO-Free JoCo branched out from Grants Pass into the IV. Holding reg- ular meetings and bringing awareness to this issue, they helped fuel a cam- paign to ban GMOs within Josephine in need. Upcoming blood donation op- portunities in Josephine County: Thursday, February 27: 12:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., Illinois Valley Se- nior Center, 520 East River Street, Cave Junction March 2 Sunday, March 2, 2014 9:15 a.m. John Nilsen, Magic Wing Re- cording Artist will perform on the piano during the Worship Service Immanuel United Methodist Church, 200 W. Watkins St., Cave Audrey Moore Precious Dirt Selma Junction, 541-592-3876 Free will offering. Everyone is invited. March 4 & 5 Lorna Byrne Middle School Band Concert: Tuesday, March 4th at 7 p.m. in the Jamie Scott Memorial Gym Illinois Valley H.S. Music De- partment presents the Classics Con- cert: Wednesday, March 5th at 7p.m. in the IVHS Commons Both concerts are free to the public! 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 DEADLINES: News, Classified and Display Ads, Announce- ments and Letters 5 P.M. FRIDAYS 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.
