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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 2016)
The Valley’s #1 News Source Since 1937 Happy Birthday Kate and Lavina! Illinois Valley News Wednesday, August 31, 2016, 1 Section, Volume 79 No. 24 $1.00 Published Weekly Cave Junction, Oregon 97523 Where your 58 cents goes The County Fair was hot! GRANTS PASS, OREGON — The 2016 Josephine County Fair continues to succeed in spite record breaking temperatures of Mother Nature. Vendor buildings, Commercial Buildings, RV Park, 4-H, National FFA Organization and Open Class livestock areas and grounds were absolutely full and the grounds acts were outstanding. Due to weather related temperatures the Josephine County Fair saw less attendance numbers this year but for those who visited during the record breaking temperature days they were able to view all ends of the spectrum from 4-H Exhibits, Open Class Exhibits, Music, Carnival, Battle of the Bands Competition to outstanding grounds acts. It is estimated that 54,000+ fair goers enjoyed this year’s fair. The 4H- FFA Auction was a huge success. The auction was up over $25,000 from last year totaling over $400,000 compared to last year’s $376,000. The community support for the youngsters participating in these programs continues to be strong in Josephine County. A special thanks to all those who supported the livestock auction with their generous dollars. Fans were able to see fantastic stage performances by country recording star Jackson Michelson Wednesday, Battle of the Bands Competition Thursday, Friday Night Phamous Phaces, and Saturday Night Blowin Smoke and Billy Lund and Whiskey Weekend all on the Seven Feathers Midway Music Festival Stage. Fair favorite grounds acts included Legendary Texas Longhorns, Wool Busters “Mutton Bustin” for those 55 pounds or under, JD Platt and the K-9 Kings, and Alex Zerbe “The Zaniac.” In the family dining area on the patio, guests were able to experience the Mike Brons and Jim Lesher and Western Express Wednesday through Saturday. One of the biggest draws on the Seven Feathers Midway Stage was the Battle of the Bands Competition. Battle of the Bands ALL STAR JUDGES were Charley Mickey; Manager, Grants Pass Eagles Lodge, JR Francisco; Manager- G Street Bar and Grill and Helen Funk; Expo Director at Jackson County Fairgrounds. Nine bands performed onstage every 20 minutes and finished well before the expected time frame. After a fun filled experience for the nine bands the winners were announced. First Place; Fogline (Medford), second Place; Beyond the Tide (Central Point) and third Place; Relative Soul (Grants Pass). Fair goers flocked to the grandstands to see the rodeo and motor sports events. Wednesday night was McCaslin Rodeo’s bull riding and Showdeo Event with many exciting rides. Friday and Saturday Night near capacity crowds experienced WGAS Tuff Trucks, Monster Trucks and Metal Mushlia with the pre-show of the Legendary Longhorns. A big thank you goes out to all of the sponsors that made this year’s fair a wonderful experience for the people of Josephine County. How does the county spend your money? Anita R. Savio IVN Contributing Writer Out of our county’s total budget of $61 million, only $5.5 million, or 9 percent, consists of undedicated funds, available to be spent wherever need. Of that, $1.6 million is a grab bag of non-dedicated monies such as federal lands payments in lieu of property tax, solid waste fees, cigarette tax, franchise fees and liquor fines. Property tax, at $3.9 million, makes up the remainder. “Right now,” said county Finance Director Arthur O’Hare, property tax is our single highest source of flexible revenue,” You can think of property tax revenues as that final piece plunked down to complete a complex jigsaw puzzle. The remaining 91 percent of the budget is made up of dedicated sources that include state grants, federal grants, permit fees, park fees, county fair revenues and airport fees. Odd man out in terms of budgetary flexibility is Title 1 federal grants to pay for roads and bridges. In 2016 this amount was $907,000. A state law passed in 2012 allows counties to use these monies for sheriff patrols. A motion this year by Josephine County Budget Committee member Margaret Goodman to do just that was defeated. Public Works Director Rob Brandes argued successfully that the funds should be kept as contingency for unforeseen road and bridge repair needs, such as storm or even earthquake damage. A June 22, 2016, story in the Illinois Valley News reported on this issue. So where do our property taxes go? Of the total, $2.5 million goes right to Public Safety. The rest goes into the General Fund, along with the $1.6 million grab bag mentioned above. Then these flexible funds are distributed among the remaining 10 county departments and at least that many other county functions. Since funds are comingled, it’s not possible to say where a specific property tax dollar goes. But the pie chart, Where Your $0.5867 cents Goes, gives a reasonable idea. SEE CENTS ON A-10 Park Service celebrates with concert in the cave Judy Hoyle IVN Contributing Writer Craig Chaquico gave two free concerts at the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve (ORCA) Aug. 25, the 100th “birthday” of the National Park Service (NPS). Chaquico (pronounced Cha- KEE-so) was lead guitarist and songwriter on all of the Jefferson Starship and Starship albums and videos during their hit-making years. Together, these groups garnered 20 platinum and gold records between 1974 and 1990. Since 1993, he has forged a new career as a contemporary jazz and new age guitarist. Chaquico, an Ashland resident, has sold over a million copies of his solo albums. In a press release, he stated, “I’m honored to have been invited to perform for the Centennial Celebration of the National Parks. As stewards of the park system, we are the guardians of Eden and much of my music was inspired in some of these very gardens. From the redwood forests to the lakes and streams, the high deserts to the marble caves, the symphony of nature has found its way into all of my solo recordings.” Chaquico said he wanted to (Photo by Dan Mancuso, Illinois Valley News) Craig Chaquico in the Ghost Room Thursday, Aug. 25. Chaquico played two shows, one in the cave and one in the Chateau to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. give back to the places that have inspired him over the years and added, “I got so much from the parks and all of this, it was kind of fun to let people know, ‘Here’s some of it, you can have it too.’ Listen to what we get to do here in these parks.” The two concerts were part of a nationwide observance of Founder’s Day for the NPS. The first concert took place mid afternoon in the “Ghost Room,” within the caves themselves. Nearly 60 people filled the Chateau lobby for Chaquico’s evening concert. He played material from his award-winning albums, “Acoustic Highway” and “Acoustic Planet.” Another piece, “Café Carnival” was featured on his “best of” album titled “Panorama.” During the concert, Chaquico played guitar accompanied by karaoke-style recordings from his albums, with the guitar parts digitally deleted. He introduced each song with a story about what had inspired the piece. He described his respect for Native American culture and his appreciation for the natural world. These influences were clearly evident in his music, which was by turns tranquil and soaring. He playfully demonstrated some “rock star” techniques, including playing the guitar with his mouth and later, resting across his shoulders, behind his head. His approachable, easygoing manner and pastoral melodies contributed beautifully to the celebratory mood of the day. He also played a “Beamz” instrument, which can sound like a piano, but for the concert was set to sound like a flute. At the end of his performance, he invited the audience to experiment with it by waving their hands through its laser beams. Over a dozen people eagerly lined up to try it. On Aug. 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson created the agency that is responsible for preserving the park system, which includes monuments like the Oregon Caves, cultural sites and historic buildings. All 412 National Parks offered free admission from Aug. 25 through Aug. 28. Additional events that took place at ORCA Aug. 25 included 2014 ORCA artist in residence Michael Spring reading “Speleothems,” his commemorative poem written specifically for the NPS birthday, and a short concert by the Rogue Community College / I.V. Choir. One of the songs performed by the choir was “Children’s Earth Anthem,” which was sung by choirs at every national park that day. Following the concerts, local storyteller Dave Hodges recited his own and others’ cowboy poetry.
