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Illinois Valley News
Wednesday, June 21, 2017, 1 Section, Volume LXXX No. 13
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Published weekly for the residents of the Illinois Valley
Carol Dickson
awarded for
service to
fire district
Jason McMillen
IVN Contributing Writer
(Courtesy photo for the Illinois Valley News)
Once quiet neighborhoods now have the all too familiar fences popping up as OLCC and OMMP grows
become an all too common sight in some RR 5 residents’ minds.
County Planning Department,
pro-cannabis, voices concerns
“ ... We can make this a win-win for most but we need everyone to work
together and think not just of themselves, but of their community,”
Julie Schmelzer, community development director of Josephine County
Jason McMillen
IVN Contributing Writer
“I believe the cultivation of legal
cannabis can help reduce poverty and
add a lot to our local economy,” Julie
Schmelzer, community development
director of Josephine County, said.
Schmelzer added that the sale of both
medical and recreational cannabis has a
place in the county’s economy as well.
However, Schmelzer’s approval of
this economic boon is not unconditional
and she made a point to explain her
views on the matter. Most specifically,
Schmelzer said that she believes the
cultivation of commercial cannabis
should be done according to code and on
agricultural land as opposed to residential
in an effort to reduce conflicts between
neighbors that include, theft, trespass,
aggressive dogs and code issues. It’s
important to note that all of the county’s
complaints have arisen from medical
(OMMP) and illegal operations as
opposed to recreational (OLCC).
“In my 30 years in community
development I didn’t think I’d ever see
the day when land use code enforcement
staff, or building safety staff, would
spend 75 percent of their time following
up on marijuana complaints or violations
versus addressing health and safety
matters,” Schmelzer said.
Continuing on the topic, Schmelzer
said that many people accuse recreational
(OLCC) growers of destroying the land
and neighborhoods and that the “out of
state people” are ruining everything. “I
don’t agree with this,” Schmelzer said,
“We have less than 100 OLCC licensed
growers and only two of them are
from out of state.” Another part of her
(Photo by Dan Mancuso, Illinois Valley News)
Fences and light noise are a
constant reminder of the changing
landscape in the Valley.
reasoning to move cannabis cultivation
to agricultural land is because Josephine
County doesn’t have as much farmland
as Jackson County. As a consequence, it’s
hard to attract large, lucrative operations
like dairies so the land might as well
be used for the cultivation of cannabis.
Schmelzer is also greatly worried about
illegal water usage.
Further adding to her list of
concerns, Schmelzer said that she
works with businesses that won’t locate
here “because of cannabis.” Other
businesses also have issues retaining
employees because there’s more money
in the cannabis industry. Additionally,
Schmelzer added that some people, who
are interested in the area, refuse to buy
land when they find out that a cannabis
farm could be next door. Schmelzer also
said that schools have expressed their
concerns regarding the future of their
students because they can make more
money trimming than most anything else
around. The fear of increased dropout
rates has also been voiced as a concern
but according to Gene Merrill, the
Illinois Valley High School’s College and
Careers Coordinator, this is untrue for, at
the very least, his school.
“I believe people thought the
legalization of recreational marijuana
would bring thousands of tax dollars
to our depressed county. Not true,”
Schmelzer said, “The big tax dollars go
to those areas with the highest sales—
meaning Portland and other urbanized
areas,” Schmelzer added that she thinks
the current tax distribution system is
grossly unfair and asserted that the
majority of taxes should be directed to
wherever cannabis is grown. Her primary
reasoning behind this opinion is that
the areas participating in the cultivation
of cannabis experience the most law
enforcement issues associated with the
industry.
“For these reasons, I am concerned
the ill-effects are outweighing the good.
But, we can change all this—we can
require everyone to be on the same
level playing field and enact rules that
are mindful of communities and good
neighbor practices. We can make this a
win-win for most but we need everyone
to work together and think not just of
themselves, but of their community,”
Schmelzer concluded.
Hot nights and family entertainment stage for good times
I.V. Chamber of Commerce and The Selma Center announce their summer lineups for Concerts in the Park and the Selma
Drive-In Theater.
Read all about it on A-3
Carol Dickson, a member of the Illinois
Valley Fire District’s (IVFD) Board of Directors,
has stepped down from office after serving the
full duration of her four-year term. The position is
unpaid. She decided against running for a second
term and her successor, Joe Feldhaus, was elected
to office unopposed. The IVFD awarded her with a
plaque and thanked her for her service June 8 at a
public board meeting.
Throughout her time on the board, Dickson
felt that she didn’t hesitate to cast her vote toward
the best interest of the district and the taxpayers.
“Whereas a lot of boards, and what I found in the
case of this board, is that a lot of them just ‘go along
to get along,’” Dickson said, going so far as to label
the board’s conduct as a “good ol’ boys” system.
At the last moment before the election, two
days specifically, Dickson attempted a write-in
campaign. Though it failed to win her the office, she
received more than 200 votes.
When Dickson first started, she had zero direct
experience with regards to the fire service though
she had a background in law enforcement. More
specifically, she was a deputy sheriff for Josephine
County. Dickson believed, because of this lack of
experience when she started that the other board
members questioned her potential as a director. “I
think I showed them that if you’re a critical thinker,
and you can objectively evaluate information, it
doesn’t matter what background you come from,”
Dickson said, concluding her thoughts on the topic.
Dickson also mentioned that it was unusual,
though not unheard of, for a woman to fill the
position.
Dickson initially ran for the position four years
ago because she likes to do community service and
because she was approached by a friend who asked
her to run. The unnamed friend said that they wanted
a voice on the board that would not “go along to
get along” and thought Dickson would be perfect
because she was fair, honest and would do what was
right as opposed to just saying yes.
Dickson grew up in the Illinois Valley and
graduated from Illinois Valley High School and
though she lived in Grants Pass for 20 years, she has
been living in the I.V. for the past 13. She decided
not to run for re-election because she is moving back
to Grants Pass.
SEE IVFD ON A-10
Board rules in favor of
Southern Oregon miner
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — Miners rejoiced
after the Josephine County Board of Commissioners
ruled that a man doesn’t need county permission to
mine for gold on a property in the Sunny Valley near
Grants Pass.
The latest round of mining controversy in
Southern Oregon brought about 100 people to an
auditorium Friday. Commissioner Simon Hare read a
statement and adjourned the meeting shortly after it
began, the Grants Pass Daily Courier reported.
SEE MINER ON A-10
Hiker airlifted from
Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area
Gabriel Howe
Siskiyou Mountain Club
On Friday, June 9, Matt Denberg set out to
backpack the Leach Memorial Loop in three days.
The 48 mile route traverses the rugged Kalmiopsis
Wilderness, a place known for its rugged and
unforgiving terrain. He forded the Chetco River on
Bailey Mountain Trail 1109. Then it started to rain.
Then he hopped onto Upper Chetco Trail 1102,
contouring westward along the Chetco’s rugged
banks, and climbed up and over a ridge to Box
Canyon Creek. But the raging tributary it was too
high to ford, and he’d later tell Josephine County
Search and Rescue volunteer Ann McGloon that he
almost drowned there. “I think he got a scare from
that,” she said.
SEE HIKER ON A-10