Illinois Valley news., March 29, 2017, Image 1

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Illinois Valley News
Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 1 Section, Volume LXXX No. 1
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Published weekly for the residents of the Illinois Valley
Wideload
Thieves roam
free in CJ
Jason McMillen
IVN Contributing Writer
In the last two weeks NAPA, I.V. Building Supply, Speedy
Mart, and Ray’s Food Place were all the victims of burglary or
attempted burglary. The latter of the three were all on the same
day and probably by the same group of people. So far, one
suspect has been apprehended and a few others have allegedly
been identified by police.
NAPA’s store manager, Ryan Barr, said that the suspect
involved in their burglary only stole a few minor items after
cutting a lock to gain entry at around 2:40 a.m.The total value
of the stolen property was said to be of no “significant amount.”
However, the suspect stole spare keys for delivery vehicles but
luckily none of them were stolen.
The suspect was, according to Barr, caught within 24
hours and Sheriff Daniel reported that his name is Damien
Attwood, 18.
Within the last 365 days NAPA reportedly has had two
attempted break-in’s with the first burglar throwing rocks at the
glass door in an attempt to shatter it and gain entry while the
second would-be burglar used a palate in the same fashion and
with the same intent.In both cases the burglars failed to gain
entry and since those incidents NAPA has installed security
doors over the glass.
“It’s certainly unfortunate, there’s always that bit of
anxiety. Ultimately it’s not if, it’s when,” Barr concluded.
According to Randy Town, store manager of I.V. Building
Supply, the group of burglars were wearing masks and were
caught on video coming into the yard where they broke in
through the side glass door, smashed a knife display case then
took the knives and made their escape. In total, the burglars
made away with over $2,000 worth of knives.
This is the second time that I.V. Building supply has had
their knife display stolen over the course of a year and it is very
likely that it was the same group of individuals who stole them
last time. “There’s a couple groups in town and they repeatedly
do it,” Town claimed before continuing, “It’s like a spiritual
disease we have here… With the way the system is they have
no room to hold individuals and if they do arrest them they’re
out within two days.”
Jimmy Sue, owner of the Speedy Mart in Cave Junction,
said that in their case two propane tanks were stolen and were
estimated to be worth $40. The burglars also broke two locks,
one of which was the store’s door but despite breaking it they
did not gain entry. In total, and according to Sue’s memory, the
Speedy Mart has been the victim of criminal intent three to four
times in the last 365 days.
SEE CRIME ON A-5
Soup for the Souls
to help fight abuse
Judy Hoyle
IVN Contributing Writer
In commemoration of
Sexual Assault Awareness
Month, the 11th annual Soup
for the Souls is set to take
place April 8.
The event is sponsored
by I.V. Safe House Alliance
and all proceeds go toward
assisting survivors of
domestic and sexual violence.
The doors will open 5
p.m. at Lorna Byrne Middle
School (LBMS), a new venue
for the popular fundraiser.
The event enjoys
significant support from
the community due to the
importance of the Alliance’s
mission, made ever more
difficult due to inadequate
funding for public safety in
the county.
Some of the restaurants
which will be donating soup
include McGrew’s, Taylor’s,
Kate’s Bar and Grill and Wild
River Brewing and Pizza
Company.
Staff members of the
I.V. Family Coalition will also
be cooking up a storm at the
LBMS commercial kitchen.
Guests are welcome
to enjoy unlimited soup
and bread and the $15 price
of admission includes the
opportunity to take home a
handcrafted or vintage bowl
as a memento.
Sarah Muniz’s art
students at IVHS will be
creating some of the bowls
and well-known Grants Pass
potter Gwen Childs has also
donated some unique pieces.
In addition, Evergreen
Elementary second grade
students have decorated
special art bowls as a
community service project of
the Illinois River Valley Arts
Council.
The Alliance is still
accepting donations of bowls
as well as items to be included
in the various themed gift
baskets and vacation packages
to be auctioned.
Gift basket themes
include Family Movie Night,
Barbeque, Healthy Start,
offering exercise equipment
and videos, Tea Time and
Vintage Game Night.
Travel packages include
a day at the coast with dinner
at Spinner’s Restaurant.
Auction items in the past
have included home, garden
and vehicle maintenance
goods and services.
SEE SOUP ON A-5
(Photo by Dale Sandberg, IVFD Media Dept)
Paul Weller moves the old saw room from Rough and Ready Lumber Mill to its new home on Lake
Shore Drive in Selma Sunday, March 26.
Library seeks funding
Anita R. Savio
IVN Contributing Writer
You can’t please everyone, especially when it comes
to taxes. But Josephine Community Libraries, Inc., (JCLI)
the nonprofit organization that provides library services to
county residents, is doing its best to “split the baby.”
After two failed ballot measures to establish a
county-wide library tax district, a measure on the
2017 May ballot will ask residents of non-contiguous
areas of the county to approve the district for those areas
alone. Included will be the entire city of Grants Pass, as
well as the precincts containing Cave Junction, Kerby,
Williams, Wolf Creek, and Grave Creek. These are all
precincts that voted in 2014 to approve a library district.
The proposed district will institute a tax of 39 cents
per $1,000 of assessed property value, but only for those
who own property within the district. This tax rate cannot
be increased without voter approval.
A district differs from a levy in that its funds can
only be used for district purposes, and cannot be touched
by the county commissioners for any other purpose.
JCLI Director Kate Lasky explained that, with
passage of the measure, the Illinois Valley Library Branch,
among others, will see an increase in hours from the 16 it
presently offers.
“We will be able to provide more after school hours
for students,” she added. “And we’ll have fun items that
engage students in reading.”
But there will be much for adults as well.
“The library collection will be renewed and
expanded. Currently the hard cover book collection is
outdated, with not enough new materials, especially in
nonfiction. And in fiction, there are not enough circulating
copies. We’ll also greatly expand the E-book collection
and customize it to our community’s needs.”
Lasky added that the branch will be brought into the
21st century, with more areas for people to access Wi-Fi
and more computer work stations with up-to-date software
that better handles all websites.
But what about those who live outside the district
and want to use the library? There will be two options.
One is to pay an annual fee for a library card. The amount
of that fee will be determined by a library board, elected
by district voters. Lasky noted that other library districts
tend to base their library card fees on what the average
household would have paid in taxes if it had been part of
the district.
SEE LIBRARY ON A-5
Ideas abound for Parks and Rec
By Laura Mancuso
IVN Staff
With visions abounding
more than 30 people showed up
to participate in the Park and
Recreation Plan meeting March 21
at the Illinois Valley Senior Center.
The purpose of the meeting was to
give the community an opportunity
to voice their ideas about what is
desired in the Cave Junction City
Parks in order to create a Park Plan
that will enable the city to become
more competitive for grants.
This meeting was coordinated
by Roger Brandt, president of
the Illinois Valley Community
Development Organization’s Board
of Directors and hosted by students
and members of the Community
Service Center (CSC) at the
University of Oregon (U of O).
According to Brandt when it
comes to creating a Park Plan it is
important to “give the reins to a
third party to take ideas and treat
them equally” thus ensuring that
grantors looking at the plan and
proposals will be assured this is not
just one person’s ideas and that the
whole community is behind it.
“There is a lot of competition
for grant money,” said Brandt, and
explained that the U of O will be
coordinating the Park Plan process
until June and that they have done
30 or more plans statewide. This
group knows how to conduct a
plan so that when the document
comes out it will get results for the
community.
CSC will create a Park Plan
document for the city that will be
usable to other agencies that clearly
lists what the community would like
to see at their city parks and how
they can achieve it.
The three recreation areas
open for discussion were the Cave
Junction City Pool, Jubilee Park and
Old Stage Park.
The participants at the meeting
were broken off into groups to
brainstorm about each of the park
areas.
Some of the ideas discussed
about the Cave Junction City Pool
area (currently closed and located
on East River St.) included building
a larger pool for high school swim
teams and senior water aerobics, an
activity schedule, adding a locker
room with showers and a sauna,
building a covered bicycle parking
area and adding a recreation room
for youth.
Regarding Old Stage Park,
the 40 acres located at S. Old
Stage Road next to the East Fork
of the Illinois River, participants
envisioned an inviting entrance
with a parking lot; restrooms; trash
cans; lighting; drinking fountains;
RV camp with a host; trails for
walking, mountain biking, fitness
and horseback riding; large group
gathering place with a picnic table;
and much more. The main concern
about Old Stage Park was brought
up by John Gardiner, a river basin
management and restoration
consultant, who suggested “zoning
for a flood plan” and then to specify
usage for different zones in the
park.
SEE PARKS ON A-12