Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Page A-9
Year in Review: July
•The Illinois Valley Ford Institute hosted
a candlelight walk from 6:30-10 p.m. in
Jubilee Park. The event followed a concert in
the park with Kelly Thibodeaux and Etouffee
with candles, S’mores, drinks from Dutch
Bros. and community conversation. Jean Ann
Miles, one of the planners of the walk, a part
of the Ford Institute cohort, said the event was
inspired by a concern in the Valley for public
safety.
•Troops of smartphone-wielding people
of all ages were roaming the streets of Cave
Junction this past week, and they were
all looking for the same thing: Pokémon.
Pokémon Go, the latest installment in
Nintendo’s Pokémon game series, released for
free July 6, for Android and Apple devices.
The game uses GPS tracking to interlace the
game in the real world, and lets you catch wild
Pokémon and collect items as you travel.
•The head chef at the Oregon Caves
Chateau was creating a buzz with both guests
at the lodge and Valley residents who had
already eaten there this year. Those who have
taken the opportunity to sample B.J. Hyatt’s
cuisine say they are impressed with the food
presentation and quality, and that the service
seems to have gone up a notch at the already
renowned restaurant. Hyatt attributes her
success to teamwork. “We’re all a team. We
work together and get it done. I couldn’t do it
all myself,” she said.
•A major remodeling project that began
in mid-May has given Cave Junction’s Shop
Smart a whole new look. The new flooring,
updated coolers, exterior and interior painting,
new displays and overall reorganization have
brought the Valley’s largest grocery store into
the 21st century.
•The National Forest Service
implemented a temporary ban on alcohol
on the Illinois River last month, and since
then law enforcement had been ticketing and
delivering citations at popular spots along the
river.
•Three Rivers School District and
Evergreen Elementary have granted the I.V.
Boys and Girls Club access to two modular
classrooms that are located behind the school.
These were fixed up, repainted, and one of
them was set to become a dedicated area
for teen club members. According to Diane
Gilbertson, executive director of the Boys and
Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley, the new teen
center would be available for middle school
and high school students.
•The Illinois Valley Junior Little League
softball all-star team was crowned District
8 champions for the second year in a row,
beating out rival Grants Pass. The win took the
girls back to the state tournament in Tulelake,
California July 7-11, where they finished fifth
out of eight teams.
•The annual IVHS Alumni Reunion
weekend was another grand success with
reunion events taking place for members of
the Classes of 1951, ’56, ’61, ’66, ’71, ’76,
‘86, ’91, ’96, 2001 and 2006. The weekend
culminated in a warm, family celebration
Sunday morning with alumni, their spouses,
children and grandchildren at Jubilee Park
Pavilion.
•Oregon State Police (OSP) arrested
two suspects in connection to the murder of a
Cave Junction man Saturday, July 30. Renee
Edrington, 39, and Kyle Forester, 29, both of
Cave Junction were arrested for the murder
of William A. Roberts, 39. Roberts was found
dead in his truck along Redwood Highway
after what appeared to be a single-vehicle
wreck the morning of Wednesday, July 27.
The owner of the property the vehicle was
found on said he thought he heard the wreck
at 1:45 a.m. but checked and saw nothing,
and OSP responded to the scene at 6:30 a.m.
However, it was discovered upon arrival what
appeared to be a gunshot wound to the back
of Roberts’ head, and his wallet and cellphone
were missing. OSP took the wreckage in for
forensics and an investigation began.
(File photo, Illinois Valley News)
Valley residents showing support for public safety during the Ford Institute’s
candlelight walk, Wednesday, July 27.
Year in Review: August
•In tandem with the
Longest Yard Sale in Oregon,
the Illinois Valley’s annual “It’s
The Berries” event took place in
Kerby. Vendors and organizations
had booths set up both along
Redwood Hwy.
•A new Subway store is
slated to open this fall, in the
building that formerly housed
Evergreen Bank. Mama DeLuca’s
Pizza will also be offered in the
same building. Similar to the
Subway operation, the pizzas
are made-to-order in front of
customers, utilizing a speed
oven. Customers will also have
a “take or bake” option. Mama
DeLuca’s Pizza was developed by
the Subway Corporation as a co-
location for Subway Restaurants.
•The National Park Service
(NPS) made plans to renovate
the Chateau at the Oregon Caves
in 2018. The NPS plans to spend
between $8 million and $10
million to upgrade the iconic 83
year old building.
•After an intense, well-
attended public hearing, the Cave
Junction City Council opted
Aug. 15, to not continue with the
process of pursuing a fuel tax
or a marijuana tax. This was the
second of two required public
hearings on the issues, both of
which have been discussed by the
council at multiple meetings since
being proposed at the end of May.
•Jeffrey Hunsaker of
O’Brien, was indicted on two
counts of felon in possession
of a firearm after a shootout
with Warren Batie in April of
2015, as well as three counts of
felon in possession of a firearm,
manufacturing of marijuana and
possession of marijuana from an
incident on the same property
in October 2014. Hunsaker was
treated for a gunshot wound at
Three Rivers Hospital after the
April 2015 incident, and Batie,
also of O’Brien, was fatally shot.
The charges
from October
2014 came after
a search warrant
was executed on
the property.
•Visitors
to Lake
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an increase in tickets and
enforcement of the park’s $5 day
use fee, but it’s not due to a new
law or measure; it’s been that
way. Sarah Wright, director of
Josephine County Parks, said the
perceived increased enforcement
comes from a parks effort to
have more visitors comply with
the rules.“We’ve had day fees
since 2006,” Wright said. “The
difference is we are trying to
get more people to comply with
them.”
•Dennis Strayer was named
the Grand Marshal for the 2016
Illinois Valley Lions’ Labor Day
Parade. Strayer is well-known in
the Illinois Valley as the longtime
curator of the Kerbyville Museum
and History Center. He is the last
of the original board members of
the museum.