Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Page A-3
Letters to the editor
Illinois Valley News welcomes letters
to the editor.
Please e-mail them to
dan@illinois-valley-news.com.
POLICY ON LETTERS:
‘Illinois Valley News’ encourages letters
to the editor provided they are legible
and not libelous or scurrilous. All letters
must be signed, including name, address
and telephone number. The latter need not
be published, but will be used to verify
authenticity. The “News” reserves the
right to edit letters. Letters are used at the
discretion of the publisher.
***
(Editor’s Note: Views and commentary,
including statements made as fact are
strictly those of the letter writers.)
Help needed for
cemetery clean-up
On Friday and Saturday, May
12 and 13 at 10 a.m. there will
be a group of people meeting at
Laurel Cemetery for the purpose
of cleaning the trash and pea
vines off of the headstones in
preparation for Memorial Day,
May 29. On Saturday, May 27 the
American Legion Post 70 Cave
Junction will be putting American
Flags on all veterans’ graves. So
we would like as many people that
can come out an assist the cleanup
as possible. Thank you ahead of
time for your help. Bring gloves,
rakes and shovels. The city has
offered to have a dump truck for
available to load up and dump on
the cities burn pile. Flags will be
put up Saturday, May 27.
Carl Jacobson
Cave Junction
Libraries need you
Our libraries do so many
good things to support the
people here in our home town.
On any given day, you can find
an unemployed father using the
internet to look for work so he
can feed his family. You can also
find toddlers gathering together
to sing and read for the very first
time. You might see a high school
student reading a classic novel
instead of looking at their phone.
You might see a family checking
out baking pans from the “Library
of Things” so they could make
bread for their friends and family.
I will be voting “Yes” on Measure
17-79 so that the libraries will
have the stable funding needed to
help the people in our community
grow and thrive.
Shad Shriver
Grants Pass
The Paris Agreement goal
of reducing global emissions
of climate pollution may not be
perfect, but it’s the best outcome
that international negotiations have
so far developed. This agreement
demonstrates that almost every
nation on the planet accepts that
global warming is happening
and that human emissions of
greenhouse gases are the cause.
Rarely, if ever, has there been such
international unanimity.
Yet, too many of our
anti-science representatives in
Washington are content to see our
planet fry under the impact of our
fossil fuel use and greenhouse
gas emissions. Too many of our
elected representatives are happy
to serve the profits of corporations
and the greed of billionaires
rather than serve the needs of our
children and grand-children. What
manner of evil is this?
Life as we know and
enjoy it is at stake. We must
demand rational action from our
representatives. Confronted with
the militant ignorance of Congress
and the White House, we must
resist the efforts of Republicans to
roll back environmental protection
and suppress science in our federal
agencies.
When our grand-kids ask
what we did when we knew what
the problem was, are we prepared
to tell them we rolled over and
played dead?
Trisha Vigil
Talent
IS THIS OUR
FUTURE?
As a service to the residents
and visitors to Curry County, this
is the first of a series of letters.
To learn what life has become in
Josephine County, Illinois Valley
and the city of Cave Junction,
areas. The following news medias,
who are dedicated to inform our
coast, Curry Coastal Pilot, Curry
County Reporter, Port Orford
News, Port Orford Beacon, and
Oregon Coast Cops have sent this
letter. The following are excerpts
from the Illinois Valley News, with
their approval and credited it to
them. The headlines and articles
may reflect what conditions will
be like in Curry County without
adequate law enforcement. With
the news medias cooperation, I
will continue to make you aware
of what is happening in our
neighboring country.
March 29, 2017 edition.
THIEVES ROAM FREE IN CJ.
In the last two weeks NAPA, I.V.
Building Supply, Speedy Mart and
Ray’s Food Place were all victims
of burglary or attempted burglary.
....manager of I.V. Building
Supply, the group of burgers were
wearing mask and were caught on
video coming into the yard where
they broke in through the sliding
glass door, smashed a knife display
case then took the knives and
made their escape. 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. “The criminal element is just
ridiculous in Cave Junction.”
April 12, 2017 edition.
SHOOT-OUT ON REDWOOD
(highway) INJURES 1. To be
continued.
Philip K. “Phil” Cox,
Brookings
Setting the record
straight
Reference the article in April
19 Illinois Valley News about Mr.
Seitz and SRC body shop. Mr.
Seitz moved the paint booth from
out of state and installed without
obtaining any building permits as
required by Josephine County. This
issue would have been prevented if
he would have followed the proper
permitting process.
His fire suppression system
and paint booth are in violation
with the Oregon State Fire Code,
Oregon Structure Specialty Code,
Oregon Mechanical Specialty
Code, National Electric Code
and Underwriters Laboratories
(UL). He in violation with
Illinois Valley Fire District, the
Oregon State Building Safety
Division, Josephine County Code
Enforcement, and the Oregon
State Fire Marshal’s Office. His
claims of unfair treatment have
been actively investigated by the
Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office
and are unfounded.
Mr Seitz’s claim of another
brand being identical to his is
incorrect. The code is very
clear that maintenance and
inspection must be accomplished
by individual certified by the
manufacturer of that system.
IVFD, Josephine County Code
Enforcement and the Oregon State
Fire Marshal’s Office are bound
to enforce the existing codes. Mr.
Seitz has had similar issues with
this system in other states by his
own admission.
Codes are written to keep
the occupants and public safe.
Mr. Seitz is placing himself, his
neighbors and the community at
risk from a fire or explosion with
a fire suppression system that
may not work. Then there is the
risk to firefighters who would
be called to fight the fire. This
could have easily been prevented
if proper procedures would have
been followed. My mistake was
allowing Mr. Seitz two years to
come into compliance. Normally
only 30 days is allowed.
To date, Mr. Seitz has yet
to obtain a Josephine County
Permit or have and approved
fire suppression system in the
paint booth. I wonder if he has
notified his insurance carrier of the
increased liability he has placed
them in?
Dennis Hoke
Fire Chief
Illinois Valley Fire District
Can’t be silenced
I have lived in Selma for
21 years, my desire has always
been to better my community.
It distresses me when I see the
poverty here, the dysfunction,
teenagers with poor guidance, the
high drop out rate and the crime
in Cave Junction. The long term
goal is not more law enforcement,
the solution is gainful employment
and a better value system. I am
anti jail levy and have fought
this levy many times and have
never lost. I have provided
solutions to county commissioners
but they only want to tax an
impoverished population in the
county and in our valley. People
can’t afford this. Scare tactics
by commissioners will not work
either. I am outspoken regarding
the unresponsiveness of county
government. They push levys and
ordinances against the will of the
people. Commissioners Deyoung
and Morgan said they would abide
by the voters wishes and yet they
push for yet another levy. They
misrepresented their intentions.
We are rated poorest in the state
the Illinois Valley Community
Development Organization
(IVCDO) is the major economic
developer and have done a poor
job based on our poor rating.
More jobs create better self
esteem and less crime, that’s the
only solution. The IVCDO backs
this levy as they think we can
be taxed into prosperity. They
don’t even promote the cannabis
industry.At a recent Illinois
Valley safety forum this group
put on, I was heckled and shouted
down by levy supporters. The
claim was this was a nonpolitical
event and I was being political.
Commissioner Deyoung is going
around the county seeking votes
to raise your taxes which many
citizens can’t afford. I oppose
this game of merely providing
“the facts” I dispute his facts and
was shouted down by basically a
mob in a church. Perhaps I am too
outspoken but at least I am honest.
I urge all citizens to vote no on
yet another tax levy. This event
at this church makes me ashamed
at the behavior of these pro levy
supporters. Lastly, I wish the best
for my community and you can
shout me down but you will never
silence me.
Mark Seligman
Selma
with
Lisa Sherier
Mondays & Wednesdays
$5 Drop-in
6:15-7:15 pM
at Healthy U
535 E river St.
541-761-4342
Art’s Red
Garter s e q u o i a
Homestyle
DINNER
SPECIALS
Mon - Sat 5-9 PM
in Lounge
KARAOKE
Wednesdays
@ 9 p.m.
F r i d a y, A p r i l 2 8
@ 5:30
from
Taylor’s
Country Store
G SPOT
Free pool on Sundays
Hump day Karaoke
w/ Jammer Dave
8-midnight
Friday, April 28th at
8 p.m.
Sportsman
Tavern
Open Mic
w/ B
Thursdays @ 7 p.m.
Gary Margesson
Friday, April 28 @ 9 p.m
Saturday the 29th @ 6 p.m.
Saturday Pool Tourney @ 7
Every Wednesday
Open MIC Night
6 - 8 p.m.
J Barley
Fridays @ 6 p.m.
The
April Birthday
Party w/
DJGalXsee
KARAOKE
w/ Steve - OH
@
McGrew’s!