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Wednesday, April 23, 2014, 1 Section, 12 Pages, Volume 77 No. 7 Published Weekly Cave Junction, Oregon 97523
School board
meeting held
at LBMS
By
Judy Hoyle
IVN Contributing Writer
The Three Rivers School
Board of Directors held a
regular meeting at Lorna By-
rne Middle School (LBMS)
last Tuesday. An intimate and
heartfelt awards presentation
boosted attendance to full
room capacity for the event
held in the school library.
All five members of the
board were present including
Kate Dwyer, Ron Lengwin and
Danny York. New Board Chair
Karen Olmo presided over the
meeting. Former chair Ron
Crume recently stepped down
due to the demands of his busi-
ness.
Retiring District Super-
intendent Patricia Adams was
thanked for coming out of re-
tirement for a year to serve in
the interim position, created to
allow time to find a replace-
ment for Dan Huber-Kantola.
A group of students from Sally
Clements’ second grade class
performed a farewell song, and
Adams was presented with a
bouquet of flowers by Dwyer’s
son, Owen.
Community volunteers
and donors were also recog-
nized for their years of support
for the students. Recognition
and bouquets of gratitude were
presented to volunteer Roberta
Lee by IVHS principal Casey
Alderson; and to Lloydeen Da-
vis, thanked by Principal Dave
Regal for volunteer years at
Evergreen going back to 1977
when her daughter was a stu-
dent.
See School on A-8
(Photo courtesy of Kelli Augustadt for The Illinois Valley News)
The Illinois Valley High School Softball team members spend some time on the bench. Resident Mike Phillips, donated a picnic table to
use at the softball concession area.
Long awaited O&C funds finally come in
By
Annette McGee Rasch
IVN Contributing Writer
Recent arrival of federal funds, the majority of it
a one-time extension of former O& C funds that were
promised last fall, will now allow Josephine County of-
ficials to designate specific dollar amounts to various
departments and programs in the county’s 2014 fiscal
budget, which begins on July 1.
“We don’t count the money until it is in the bank,”
said Rosemary Padgett, Chief Financial Officer for
the county. “We learned last October that congress ap-
proved it, but we were just told we’ll receive the money
in April.”
$5.2 million came in from the Secure Rural
Schools Act that was “oddly” attached to the Helium
Stewardship Act of 2013, which sets up guidelines to
ensure stable access to helium resources needed by
federal agencies, medical, scientific, and commercial
industrial purposes. Had the one-time O&C funding
vehicle not been attached to the larger helium bill that
legislators were committed to passing, it’s unlikely that
it would have passed muster with congress, according to
several county officials.
See O&C on A-8
Commissioner candidates Debate features candidates
square off at chamber forum for legal counsel, sheriff
By
Judy Hoyle
IVN Contributing Writer
The Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce
and the Illinois Valley News (IVN) teamed up to
present a candidate forum last Tuesday.
The opportunity to hear candidates for the
three races impacting community leadership for
county management, courts, jails and public safety
drew over 50 people. The event was scheduled for
5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Josephine County Build-
ing, but the audience question-and-answer session
added almost an extra hour.
The public forum, moderated by IVN pub-
lisher Daniel Mancuso, included candidates for
County Sheriff and County Legal Council.
The last half of the evening was devoted
to the race for county commissioner, Position 1.
Candidates that were present included Sandi Cas-
sanelli, Mark Gatlin, Nina Horsley, Mark Selig-
man, Jerry Sisson, Paul Walter, Mark Wichers,
and the incumbent, Simon Hare. Candidate James
Rossi did not attend this forum or the forum spon-
sored by Community Media and Education, which
was held a week earlier.
All of the candidates expressed support for
mining and logging and opposition to expanding
the Oregon Caves National Monument (OCNM)
except Nina Horsley who stated the opposite posi-
tions.
“Hemp has 50,000 uses, there’s no reason we
can’t use hemp stocks right now for products,” she
added. Horsley also said that Senator Wyden’s O
& C plan “is the biggest land grab in history.”
In defending the current board’s fiscal re-
sponsibility, Hare stated, “We’re incredibly pru-
dent. Other similar entities scrutinize budgets
down to $50,000. We scrutinize down to $500.”
Wichers expressed concern that area wells
could be metered as part of the U.N. Agenda 21
program.
“This is potentially a drought year, so they
might try it this year,” he warned. He also pointed
out that the county owns 70 percent of the land
which could go to homesteading. He also referred
to the 4,000 acres of land foreclosed on in the
county.
“If we sold that for taxes owed, we’d in-
crease our tax base,” Wichers said.
Gatlin stated he’s a member of “Secur-
ing Our Safety” (SOS) and the organization has
looked at several options to fund public safety in-
cluding a sales tax, lottery, logging and mining.
“We’re trying to vet them all,” he said, add-
ing that a good example is the abundance of Tel-
lurium in Southern Oregon. “It’s needed for solar
panels and semiconductors; but if we pursue this,
we need to make sure we don’t pollute.”
Gatlin mentioned the SOS Hard Rock Min-
ing Committee is sponsoring a free Southern Ore-
gon Minerals Summit on May 10 from 1 to 4 p.m.
at the Grants Pass City Council chambers.
Seligman stated he supported Gatlin’s lot-
tery approach and stressed the need for the county
to “live within its means. That means not taking
$500,000 out of the sheriff’s budget.” He repeated
his opposition to any new taxes and his enthusi-
asm for medical marijuana dispensaries, which he
says has meant an additional $180 million in sales
tax for Colorado.
Seligman charged that the county has hired
nine new managers, but in rebuttal, Hare explained
they were replacements.
“Each new hire came in on a lower pay grade
than their predecessors,” Hare said.
Hare pointed to his record as reason to reelect
him and referenced the high level of support he’s
received from both the business and faith commu-
nities as well as from other public officials.
Cassanelli also emphasized her record in
office including opposing the “boondoggle” Para-
dise Ranch.
“The current commissioners say they’ve
scaled down on management positions but I don’t
see it,” she said.
See Commissioners on A-10
By
Annette McGee Rasch
IVN Contributing Writer
The Illinois Valley News
sponsored a candidates forum
last week at the County Build-
ing that included candidates for
County Legal Council and sher-
iff.
First to face off were
Country Legal Counsel Steve
Rich, who has held the post of
Country Legal Counsel for 20
years and is seeking his sixth
term in office and challenger
Wally Hicks, currently a state
representative finishing out his
second term.
“This position has multi-
ple duties, and I like this,” Rich
said. “The job runs from A to Z,
from airports to zoning.”
Rich researches govern-
ment laws and statutes and pro-
vides legal advice and represen-
tation to county departments on
matters including land use, em-
ployment, ballot titles and more.
He explained how the county’s
budget crunch in recent years
and the resulting smaller work-
force has created many new is-
sues.
The failed 2013 solid
waste ordinances were dis-
cussed, and Rich, who wrote
the ordinances at the request of
the county commissioners, said
the proposed rules were essen-
tially identical to those Jackson
and Deschutes County’s already
have on the books.
Asked how he would have
handled the assignment differ-
ently, Hicks said the ordinances
were “draconian because they
would have created ordinance
officers and would have allowed
property searches and fines. It’s
not what the people wanted or
deserve.”
“The commissioners make
policy decisions, that’s not my
role,” Rich responded. “I am not
there to be an override for initia-
tives, government cannot func-
tion that way.”
“This issue points to the
philosophical difference be-
tween me and Steve Rich,”
Hicks said. “I believe the county
legal counsel works for the peo-
ple, and no one else.”
Rich responded that Hicks’
comment was a naive oversim-
plification that indicates Hicks’
lack of comprehension regard-
ing what the county legal coun-
sel job entails.
“If you believe that legal
counsel should tell the commis-
sioners and the sheriff what to
do, then vote for Hicks,” Rich
said. “If you want to make poli-
cy then run for county commis-
sioner, but this role is to provide
sound legal advice. Giving the
county board solid legal advice
is how I best represent the peo-
ple.”
Hicks explained that he
wants to work closer to home
and his growing family.
“I want to continue repre-
senting the people in this new
capacity,” Hicks said. “This
election is important in deter-
mining who our officials work
for. I am not running against
Rich, I’m running for the posi-
tion.”
Audience members mak-
ing comments or asking ques-
tions appeared equally split on
whether new blood would help
the county face these challeng-
ing times, or if the better course
is to retain the guiding hand
of experienced officials. This
theme was echoed in the debate
over the sheriff’s job.
Incumbent Gil Gilbertson
started his career in law enforce-
ment in the 1970’s, has served
two terms as Josephine County
Sheriff and wants to serve one
more term. Candidate Dave
Daniel has been a policeman for
20 years, and has had “boots on
the ground” as an officer with
the Grants Pass Department of
Public Safety since 2001. Ed
Vincent, also a longtime law
enforcement officer, has served
with the county sheriff’s office
since 1998.
Given the current budget
constraints, the candidates were
asked how they would do the
job differently.
Vincent, who said that law
enforcement is his passion in
life, has a “viable plan to rebuild
the foundation of the sheriff’s
office.”
“I understand how to man-
age people,” Vincent said, “and
I understand good leadership.
One thing I’d do right away is to
switch hours that county depu-
ties work, and have them serve
alongside OSP officers during
peak hours when crime is oc-
curring.”
See Candidates on A-9