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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (June 28, 2017)
YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1937 Illinois Valley News Wednesday, June 28, 2017, 1 Section, Volume LXXX No. 14 $1.00 Published weekly for the residents of the Illinois Valley Court ruling blocks $1.4 billion timber class-action suit (Photo courtesy of Cary Riley for the Illinois Valley News) At the Cave Junction Lions Club Classic Car Show held Saturday, June 24 a ceramic pug adds some humor to the 1967 Mercury Cougar display in the searing heat. Despite the hot weather last weekend, Valley events were successful. “We loved the venue with all the trees and lots of people went swimming. We almost filled up the big field with people.” Susan Gustafson, Dome School co-administrator. Judy Hoyle IVN Contributing Writer The 15th annual Hope Mountain Barter Faire, sponsored by Youth Empowerment & Support (YES) a benefit for Takilma’s Dome School went off without a hitch June 23 - 25 at Lake Selmac. “It was very successful,” said Susan Gustafson, Dome School co- administrator. “We loved the venue with all the trees and lots of people went swimming. We almost filled up the big field with people.” Proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward the $325,000 building expansion project that’s slated to be completed by fall. Another weekend event, the 10th annual Taste of I.V. June 23 was also a hit. Reggie Boltz hosted the Boys and Girls Club fundraiser at his Rock‘N R Ranch in O’Brien. “It was a beautiful night and we had great participation. We so appreciate the support of the community, especially the restaurants,” stated Boys and Girls Club special events director Rene Ludwig. Dinner included chicken and tri-tip from Taylor’s, pork verde and a beef dish from Carlos’ Restaurante, wraps from River Valley Restaurant, cheesy potatoes from McGrew’s and side dishes from the Shop Smart deli. Beverages included an assortment of beer from Wild River Brewing and Pizza, wines from Augustino Estate and blended drinks from Dutch Bros. When asked how the heat affected the event, Ludwig said, “We had ice cream cakes from Dairy Queen, so we had to eat that pretty quickly because of the heat. You never know in June. One year when Bridgeview Winery hosted, it was cold and rainy. We had about 100 people, and we’d like to see 200, so yes, I think the weather was a factor.” Ludwig summed up the experience by saying, “It was a great event, so beautiful by the lake and Reggie and Deb were so hospitable, such gracious hosts. All the funds raised will stay in the Illinois Valley to support our mission. I’d also like to thank club director Jenna Larkin and her dedicated staff of kids who helped us unload the tables and chairs, set-up and tear down and all the work in between. That saved us money too.” Also over the weekend, the Cave Junction Lions Club Classic Car Show was held June 24 and was impacted by the heat. CJ Lions Club President Sherry Overstreet said, “We had 42 cars show up and three vendors, but the foot traffic wasn’t what it usually is. Last year we had 84 cars, but the heat affected us two years ago, too. We only had about 40 cars then, as well. The car owners further away don’t come when it’s that hot.” When asked if the weather would change their plans in the future, Overstreet said, “We’re going to keep it the same time, the last Saturday of June. We’ve done this for 18 years and it’s been very successful for our mission of providing eyeglasses and hearing aids for the needy. All our proceeds for this event and also our Turkey Bingo go toward that program.” She added, “We are looking for more members. We meet 6 p.m. the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at River Valley Restaurant.” By Sunday, the weather had cooled somewhat, making for a pleasant day at Rusk Ranch Nature Center’s Nature and Art Festival. Children happily played and ran through the sprinklers as families toured the Butterfly Pavilion and Lady Bug House among other exhibits. O’Brien resident Gordon Lyford has kept weather records for 24 years and reported, “Generally in the Illinois Valley, the daily increase from the minimum to the maximum, the difference is only 40 degrees, but on Saturday, the high was 51 degrees hotter than the low. Contrast that with two weeks ago, when it was raining and so cold you could see your breath.” Lyford added that average precipitation for the year in O’Brien is 80 inches, but since Oct. 1, he’s measured 132 inches. He added that the “water year” standard nationwide runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. ALBANY, Ore. (AP) - A judge has ruled that Oregon counties can’t sue the state government in the face of a $1.4 billion class lawsuit that seeks damages for logging practices. The June 20 decision reverses an earlier ruling by the same judge which stated that counties could seek damages from state government, the Capital Press reported. The new ruling by Linn County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Murphy considers counties subdivisions of the state and therefore they can’t sue the state government for money. The lawsuit, filed in March, accuses the state of Oregon of insufficiently logging state forests. The suit states the 14 counties gave the state forestland expecting to receive a portion of logging proceeds in return. The counties involved in the suit include Linn, Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Douglas, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Marion, Polk, Tillamook and Washington. Murphy said he’s “well aware this interpretation contradicts” his previous ruling, but the case was complex. “Like peeling a very large onion, this case contains complex layers of legal issues and theory that can take time to unravel,” he said. Under Murphy’s ruling, counties would still be able to seek an injunction or order to make changes to Oregon’s logging practices. The counties have repeatedly said they are not interested in changing logging practices, but rather want to get the compensation they feel they deserve from timber revenues. The counties’ attorney, John DiLorenzo, said their next step may be to amend the lawsuit or go to the appellate courts for clarification on sovereignty immunity. Ralph Bloemers, an environmental attorney, doesn’t see much hope for the counties’ complaint after Murphy’s latest ruling. “The case should be dismissed,” he said. The Capital Press was unable to reach Oregon’s attorneys for comment. City’s code enforcement is not loitering Jason McMillen IVN Contributing Writer When Mark Dillinger, member of Cave Junction’s City Council, ran for office he promised to create a solution for reducing the various unpleasant features of the city, most importantly reducing the amount of loiterers. However, after winning the election, Dillinger found that most of the necessary codes were already in place and that the real problem was that nobody was enforcing them. Since this discovery, he has tasked himself with personally enforcing city code as a volunteer. SEE CODE ON A-3 Fatal rollover backs up 199 (Photo by Dan Mancuso, Illinois Valley News) Buckle Rash bassist Tooj McGruder in the groove Sunday, June 25 at the Barter Faire located at Lake Selmac. It’s not a massage, it’s not even deep tissue, it’s Rolfing! Jeff Staab is open for business in Downtown Cave junction for those interested in getting Rolfed. Read more on page 5. On June 25 a single vehicle incident resulted in the death of a California man causing 199 to be shut down in both directions and causing traffic to backup for many hours. According to the Oregon State Police the crash occurred when a black Ford car driven by David Soloman Sharpe, 44, of Redding, California was traveling northbound on 199 near mile post 27. Sharpe exited the roadway on the east side of the road and rolled several times. Sharpe was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The vehicle also contained a 17-year old female with no known injuries.
