YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1937
Illinois Valley News
Wednesday, May 10, 2017, 1 Section, Volume LXXX No. 7
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Published weekly for the residents of the Illinois Valley
County shocks
Valley with
building sale
What a circus!
By Dan Mancuso
IVN Staff
In somewhat of a startling announcement, a decision to
sell the “County Building” in Cave Junction was unveiled
in a press release by the Josephine County Board of
Commissioners Friday, May 5.
“The building has served Cave Junction and the Illinois
Valley for nearly 50 years,” according to the press release,
and added, “Due to significant declines in O&C Timber
revenue and reductions in staffing/programs, the use of
the 6,000-square-foot building has been reduced to mainly
rented office space and occasional community gatherings.”
Commissioner Simon Hare said that the decision came
as the county was reducing its inventory of property and
tax-exempt buildings. “A series of hard decisions had to be
made,” said Hare.
Mike Watson, Josephine County property manager,
said that in October 2016 an appraisal stated that the value
then was $388,000.
What happens next is anyone’s guess. While the
community has been vocal about the importance of the
building, Hare thinks that a private sale will have a positive
effect on the city. “We are hoping we can stimulate the
economy in Cave Junction, return the property to the
tax rolls and reduce the county’s property portfolio and
liability,” he said. “Ideally we’d get an office complex,
retail store, or child care center in the building. We would
like to not only get it back on the tax rolls, but have it
meet a community need. Preferably there’d be a lot of foot
traffic to give business to the other establishments in Cave
Junction.”
The County building was described as the “landmark
building, located at 102 North Redwood Highway and
conveniently located in Downtown Cave Junction, was
built in 1968 and (comprises) 6,277 square feet in area.
It currently is divided into 13 private offices rented to
various agencies and organizations, and has a large open
multipurpose room used as a meeting/dining hall.
SEE BUILDING ON A-12
(Photo by Laura Mancuso, Illinois Valley News)
Skeeter the Clown (right) entertains Alyce Kendall (left) and Hazel Griffith while promoting the
upcoming Culpepper & Merriweather Circus at Shop Smart Thursday May 3. The circus spon-
sored by the Illinois Valley Family Coalition will be held Monday, May 15 in the lot next to the
Junction Inn located at 406 S. Redwood Hwy. with scheduled performances at 5 and 7:30 p.m.
The Animal Shelter makes plea for continuation of levy
Anita R. Savio
IVN Contributing Writer
“Euthanasia rate is now 18
percent, down from 60 percent
before the levy!” exclaimed Nancy
Lindquist current chairman of the
Animal Shelter Advisory Committee
when asked what the last animal
shelter levy accomplished.
Lindquist explained numerous
ways the animal shelter levy has
helped animals in Josephine County:
“We built new cat facility
that has a lot more space for more
cats,” she further explained that the
improved space made the “whole
thing a lot more adoptable friendly.”
“For dogs we built big runs
outside that allow dogs to go outside
and they’ve got shade, water, can
run around. Also there is a trail for
volunteers or potential adopters to
walk the dog.
“Also as a result of the levy,
we can now spay or neuter animals
before they are adopted out. We are
also micro chipping them. And they
are given age appropriate shots,
including rabies for both dogs and
cats.
“We also hired another two
more experienced and skilled people
to staff the shelter. Our new shelter
coordinator has created relationships
with outside animal organizations,
which provide additional adoption
opportunities.”
When Lindquist was asked
about the facility, she said, “They
got a new septic system and a whole
new security system because there
were a couple of times people broke
in and took their dogs back so didn’t
have to pay a fine. There are new
utility and cleaning equipment to
keep animal areas clean and healthy.
Also, new major appliances, like a
washer and dryer. In general, there
were physical upgrades throughout
the shelter and to the building itself,
and she added that “shelter hours
Clampers love history
were increased to six days a week
from an inconsistent schedule.”
And when it came to animal
protection Lindquist listed many
improvements, “We went from two
to three animal control officers
(ACOs). They’ve been fully trained,
to learn how to be better with
forensics, like gathering evidence, in
cases of animal abuse. They also got
bullet proof vests and they got other
equipment, including radios. They
were using their cell phones before.
They were often out in the middle
of nowhere and couldn’t get cell
coverage. We’ve gone to court on a
few cases that we never would have
been able to go to court on before.”
The Nobel Humbug of E. Clampus Vitus chapter 1859 Gary Rakes holds a
plaque of commendation from the Kerbyville Museum after the monument
dedication April 30.
SEE LEVY ON A-12
Safety meeting
draws crowd
Judy Hoyle
IVN Contributing Writer
(Photo by Laura Mancuso, Illinois Valley News)
She further explained that,
“ACOs go on about 150 calls a
month and a lot of time it’s about
family pets, but also for horses and
cattle and goats. Because we have
three ACOs and we’re now open
six days a week with someone
answering phone from 10 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., we’re a lot more able to
help the public.”
Lindquist also stated, “The
funding was used for veterinary
expense. Before, if an animal came
into the shelter and it was sick, we
often had to put it down. Now we
can save many of them.”
A Public Safety Outreach Campaign
kickoff took place May 4 at Wild River
Brewing and Pizza.
Over 60 concerned citizens
from both established and nascent
neighborhood watch groups gathered to
hear organizers Guenter Ambron, Jimmy
Evans and I.V. Fire District (IVFD)
Chief Dennis Hoke discuss the need
for improved communication between
groups as well as more volunteers and
organizations.
Hoke said, “A lot of the ground
work is done. I’m willing to give an
introductory presentation to as few as
three people.” Hoke can be reached
through the IVFD business line at: 541-
592-2225.
Both Ambron and Evans also
offered to help people get started.
“New Group Literature Packets”
of locally developed guidelines were
handed out at the meeting that included
information on getting started, leadership
duties, establishing geographical areas
and emergency phone trees and use of
2-way radios.
Hoke said the advantage of the
radios over cell phones is that one
person can convey information to many
at the same time. He also stated that an
inventory of neighborhood resources
will be invaluable in the case of a
fire, crippling snowstorm or massive
earthquake like the anticipated Cascadian
event.
For the past three years IVFD has
been actively training the Community
Emergency Response Team, volunteers
who already assist firefighters with traffic
control and other support services.
A central community watch
coordinating website is currently in the
works. In the meantime, the organizers
encouraged neighborhood groups to use
services such as www.nextdoor.com to
quickly broadcast information.
SEE SAFETY ON A-12