Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2014)
Page A-8 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, May 21, 2014 Wellen Named a Charles O. Thompson Scholar WORCESTER, MA (05/15/2014)(read- Media)-- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has announced that Natalie Wellen of Cave Junction, Ore., a first-year student majoring in mathematical sciences, has been named a Charles O. Thompson Scholar for the 2013-14 academic year. Named in honor of the first president of WPI, this honor recognizes outstanding perfor- mance by first-year students. To be eligible for membership, students must achieve all A’s and B’s (with a minimum of six A’s) in their aca- demic subjects during their first three terms at WPI. About Worcester Polytechnic Institute Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation’s first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergradu- ate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. WPI’s talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioen- gineering, energy, information security, materi- als processing, and robotics Rep. DeFazio Applauds House Passage of Water Resources Bill Washington, DC- Ore- gon’s small ports are a step closer to millions of dollars in new dredging funds, after House lawmakers overwhelm- ingly approved the conference report for the Water Resources Reform & Development Act of 2014. The final vote was 412 to 4. The bill, which autho- rizes funding for Army Corps of Engineers navigation, flood control and environmental restoration projects, now ad- vances to the Senate for final passage before it is signed into law. Rep. Peter DeFazio suc- cessfully fought for a provi- sion that guarantees the na- tion’s small ports, including those in Southwest Oregon, will receive annual funding for dredging for the next eight years. In recent years, the bud- get for small ports was zeroed out due to a lack of funding. Rep. DeFazio expects his set- aside will generate at least $90 million each year for the nation’s small ports. “This bill is a shot in the arm for coastal economies. By restoring funds to dredge Oregon’s ports, we will cre- ate jobs and make it safer for commercial and recreational fishermen to operate. As I’ve long argued, infrastructure investment is the single best thing the federal government can do to put Americans back to work, something Congress should be doing more of.” Winding Trails: by Al Hobart This originally ran Thursday, May 21, 1964 – Illinois Valley News, Our Four Phlox Species and Indian Paintbrushes The phloxes, four species of which are found in jour area, are among the prettiest of our native wildflowers. They belong to the gil- ia, or phlox, family. Showy phlox, as its name implies, is the showiest of these, with large usu- ally rose-pink flowers up to an inch across. The flowers are quite variable in shape, size, and color. They grow in a few-flowered cluster at the end of each stem and have calyxes that are somewhat glandular, or sticky. The flat-topped blossoms have five rather deeply-notched petals and five stamens within the flowering tube. The calyx has five pointed lobes. The plant is up to a foot high with usually several upright stems. The opposite-growing leaves are narrow and one or two inches long. Douglas phlox forms a low, beautiful mat a few inches high and a foot or more across. It is a mass of intermingling stems with numerous short, narrow leaves that grow in little opposite tufts along the stem. The plant “cushion” may be thickly clothed with half-inch flat-topped flowers that may be pink, lavender or white. The petals are not notched as in showy phlox. The plant’s foliage is a whitish green. These two species, showy phlox and Douglas phlox, both grow in Rough and Ready, Douglas phlox usually coming into bloom in April and the oth- er somewhat later. Woodland phlox, while not so glaringly attractive as the preceding two species, is the prettiest of all, and is my favorite of the phlox- es. It is a shade lover and is found in the edge of woods usually at somewhat higher elevations. The plant stem isn’t entirely erect but turns up a few inches at the end, the erect position bearing several pairs of broad, short leaves and usually two or three flowers at the stem end. The lower is nearly an inch broad and is very attractive, the un-notched petals being a bright pink and usually blotched with red. Slender phlox is the dainty little poor rela- tion of the group. Its cluster of small and in- conspicuous pink flowers make it seem shy and almost insignificant in the presence of its more glamorous cousins. The Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde of Rough and Ready, and one of the most attractive flowering plants of the Flat, is the Indian paintbrush, two or three species of which are thinly scattered about the Park. This plant, with a cluster of leafy stems and showy spikes of scarlet and yel- low flowers, is sometimes a model or respect- ability in its community, as was Dr. Jekyll, the respectable half of that fictional dual-personal- ity, whose other half was a stinker called Mr. Hyde. At such times Indian paintbrush derives its nourishment from the soil and air as do other self-respecting plants. But at other times it as- sumes the Mr. Hyde personality, attaches itself to the roots of some other plant and exists as a robber parasite. The flowers of Indian paintbrush are ac- tually the least colorful of the many parts that make up the spike-like flowering cluster, the showiest parts being the calyxes and bracts that surround the flowers. The flowers themselves are two-lipped and very irregular, the upper lip being an inch-long slender, tubular, usually yel- lowish part that encloses the four stamens; the lower lip with three greenish lobes that are usu- ally so small as to be barely noticeable, even when the flower is pulled apart. The various paintbrushes are from eight inches to two feet high, with narrow alternate leaves two or three inches long, the upper ones shorter and usually with a pair of narrow lobes. Frosted Indian paintbrush is a beauty of Rough and Ready with dark reddish-brown stems and rich red spikes. Where Indian paintbrush grows in close proximity with other plant species it is impossi- ble to tell, without examining the roots, whether one is a Dr. Jekyll or a Mr. Hyde. And I always try to remember – no digging in the Park. House looks to move on Caves expansion Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Natural Resources Commit- tee held a hearing on legislation from Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D- Springfield) that would protect and expand the Oregon Caves National Monument. DeFazio’s legislation, The Oregon Caves Revitalization Act (HR 2489), would expand the monu- ment by 4,070 acres and designate the River Styx –the underground stream running through Oregon Caves- as the first subterranean Wild and Sce- nic River in the nation. More than 80,000 tourists visit Oregon Caves each year, supporting jobs and local businesses in Josephine County and Cave Junction and pump- ing money in the local economy. An expansion is expected to bring a much-needed economic boost to Jo- sephine County and the surrounding area. “The Oregon Caves National Monument is a special place and very deserving of expansion. From the in- credible caves system, to the rustic and charming 1930s Chateau, to the miles of trails with unforgettable views of the Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon Caves is a place worth visiting and revisiting. Unfortunately, when the monument was first designated over 100 years ago by President Taft the 480 acre designation wasn’t enough to protect the unique hydrology of the caves and the water supply for future visitors. Grazing and possible fires in dry Southern Oregon have exposed the Marbled Halls of Oregon to seri- ous risk. This bill would expand the monument to attract more visitors and support local businesses, reduce grazing in and near the monument, direct the Park Service to complete necessary hazardous fuel work, and protect the first underground river un- der the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act,” said DeFazio. Video of DeFazio’s statement of support for the Oregon Caves expan- sion can be found here. The 4,070 acre expansion will be managed as a National Preserve, which will allow the National Park Service (NPS) to preserve hunting and fishing access for the public.. The expansion includes key watershed important to the unique hydrology of the caves and the source of drinking water for 80,000 annual visitors. The legislation also provides for the vol- untary donation of grazing permits within and near the monument to be permanently retired by the NPS. The National Park Service has expressed concerns about the impact of grazing on the watershed, cave system, and drinking water supply. Oregon Caves is the longest marble cave (3.5 miles) open to the public west of the Continental Divide. Oregon Caves National Monument was established in 1909 by President Howard Taft. At the time, the Secre- tary of the Interior proposed a monu- ment of 2,500 acres but President Taft settled on 480 acres. Expansion has been proposed by the NPS on mul- tiple occasions, first in 1939, again in 1949, and most recently in 1999. A companion bill was passed by the Senate Energy and Natural Re- sources Committee in 2013 and awaits action in the full Senate. Nearly forty stakeholder groups, many of which are small, local businesses in Cave Junction and Josephine County, have publicly supported the legislation. Featuring Art, Handmade Gifts, Quilts, Yarn, Fabric and “The Art Cafe” 24342B Redwood Hwy Kerby, OR Open: Tues-Sat, 10 to 5 seasonsntime.com 541-592-5373
