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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2014)
The Valley’s #1 News Source Since 1937 75c illinois-valley-news.com Wednesday, October 1, 2014, 1 Section, 14 Pages, Volume 77 No. 30 Published Weekly Cave Junction, Oregon 97523 Walker recall effort falls short By Annette McGee Rasch IVN Senior Contributing Writer The effort to oust Josephine County Commissioner Cherryl Walker is dead in the water. “A state-required statistical sampling of about 6,500 signatures turned in by the Cherryl Walker Recall Committee indicated that too few were valid,” said Josephine County Clerk Art Harvey. “The biggest culprit on this petition was the number of signers who weren’t registered voters. And we double-checked the sampling.” Out of 1,305 verified signatures, just 922 were accepted. The rejection rate of 28 percent meant that fewer than 4,800 signatures would have qualified, while the campaign to put a recall vote on the November 4 ballot needed at least 4,994 valid signatures, Harvey said. “I’m really relieved that it’s over,” Walker said. “From more than just my viewpoint, a recall in Josephine County at this time would have been terribly disruptive. A lot of people are trying to put together coalitions to find solutions to our problems and when we have another group using lies and fear to push their personal agendas, it only further divides the community.” Walker said the recall campaign utilized paid signature gatherers. “These people were earning $2 per signature and they didn’t know the issues,” she said. “So, I’m not surprised that many signatures turned out to be ineligible.” “We’re disappointed that in the 10 percent sampling system we did not get the required number of verified signatures, but we certainly do not consider the recall effort a failure,” said chief petitioner Bill Hunker. “The reasons for recalling Commissioner Walker are not weakened or invalidated because of a shortfall of signatures. They remain as relevant after the recall as before, because now, thousands more are aware and educated.” Yet many voters approached by petitioners said they were “turned off” by the campaign’s tactics. “People saw through the lies the petitioners were spouting,” said Lester Hoyle. “I’m glad that it’s not that easy to overturn the will of the majority, the people who elected Cherryl Walker in the first place. Justice has been served.” Several Cave Junction residents were approached multiple times by signature gatherers at the IV Lions Club Labor Day Festival. And some of the signature gatherers were described as being “pushy.” Supporters of the recall and some of the signature gatherers said Walker wanted to put meters on residents’ wells. See Walker on A-10 Thank you Mr. Sommers (Photo by Laura Mancuso, Illinois Valley News) Ronnie Fusion (left) Lynn Nielsen, Jerry Sommers and Mark Camp prepare to announce the 2014 Tuff Truck winners August 30 at Jubilee Park. Sommers died in an accident at his home Sept. 26. Sommers was a well know business man and past President of the IV Lions Club. His presence will be missed by many in the Valley. Bosch, Gillette step up for Cave Junction By Anita R. Savio IVN Contributing Writer Two Cave Junction residents have stepped up to run for the city council seat being vacated by Charles J. Polk. Dan S. Boch has filed for the seat and his name will appear on the ballot. Lindsey Gillette is running as a write-in candidate. Bosch said he was paying his water bill at city hall when someone casually mentioned that no one had filed for the seat. “I felt that was just another symbol of the town’s decay,” said Bosch. “People not caring enough … I might not have the background and I might not have the best ideas about how to do things, but I care enough about the town to try. “ Bosch, 34, was born and raised in the Illinois Valley and comes from a family of longtime residents. “My family’s been here since about 1912,” he said. “My grandmother was born in Allen Gulch when they were still mining and Waldo was a town.” Bosch himself graduated from Illinois Valley High School and has worked as a butcher at Taylor’s Sausage for the past eight years. “I see some of the changes in the town and they don’t really reflect the history,” said Bosch. “I just think it might be really cool to have someone on the city council who is historically minded.” Bosch is particularly concerned about what he sees as the deterioration of Cave Junction. “I don’t like the fact that there’s hardly any businesses that can survive in this town,” he said. “We have to see what we can do so that people take pride in their community and grow the community again. Thirty years ago it was a bigger town.” Bosch adds that he looks forward to being able to interact with the city council, “where you can bring ideas to the forum and people can say whether they’re good ideas or not, and they can be constructively criticized. That’s the democratic process.” Running as a write-in candidate is 32-year-old Lindsey Gillette. She explains that she initially planned to run two years from now, but many people convinced her to run as a write-in this year instead. Gillette moved to the Illinois Valley four years ago, and has since been involved in what she describes as “a lot of exciting projects.” She started her own yoga business three and a half years ago and that turned into a collaboration with others that eventually became the Cave Junction based non-profit organization, Healthy U. Gillette describes Healthy U as “IV people taking care of IV people, providing health for the mind, body and heart.” She adds, “We have taken our original efforts to an organization that has good financial standing and does a lot of things for people of different ages in our community.” Gillette feels that she is starting to fit into the Valley. “Living in a place, you should be involved in a project that makes you feel proud of where you live,” she said. “The city council is a reflection of the people who live in the city,” she adds. “I am, maybe, a different voice that is not on the council already and is needed. I think all the people should be represented, and that includes young people.” Gillette graduated from college in Kansas City, Missouri. Following that she studied to be a professional clown and then worked as a clown for a few years. “I think [serving on the city council] is a great opportunity for people to step up and give their ideas to the city, and I don’t think it’s taken advantage of enough here,” she said. “I would like to encourage all people to present their ideas for improvement of our city.” City still grappling with medical marijuana By Judy Hoyle IVN Contributing Writer The City of Cave Junction continues to grapple with how it deals with medical marijuana. The city has sued the state of Oregon in order to seek “judicial relief” from having to decide whether to follow state or federal law. Some city councilors were concerned that if the city allowed state mandated medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits, that they would be breaking federal law, and would be in danger of losing federal grant funding. The decision to sue was made in April. At the time, City Recorder Ryan Nolan said, “As I see it, there is a potential issue with conflicting law and there is potential for liability on the city’s part. So, getting a legal judgment, and clarification on how to proceed with this issue, does nothing but protect the interest of the taxpayers and citizens of the City of Cave Junction.” The strange twist in this tale is that due to the constitutional Supremacy Clause, this lawsuit could potentially result in medical marijuana dispensaries once again becoming illegal in this state, while at the same time, if Measure 91 passes on November 4, recreational marijuana use could become legal. MOM’s Dispensary owners Cheryl Keil, Tony Smith and their attorney, Robert A. Graham, sat down with the Illinois Valley News last week to discuss the unusual situation. Currently, the federal governments’ Controlled Substances Act, ranks marijuana as a Schedule I drug which says there is “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous…with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.” Other examples of Schedule I drugs include heroin, LSD, Ecstasy and peyote. But, Keil doesn’t see it that way. Fifteen years ago, she was living in Idaho when her husband suffered a stroke and became severely aphasiac. “He went into a severe depression,” Keil said. The couple learned that medical marijuana had become legalized in Oregon and moved here as quickly as possible. “It saved his life coming back here,” she said. “That’s why, when I was presented with the opportunity to do this, I jumped right in, because I know how badly it’s needed.” The name of Keil and Smith’s dispensary is an acronym for “Mainstreaming Our Medicine.” Many people agree with Keil. The New York Times editorial board made history recently See Marijuana on A-10 Cheryl Keil
