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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 2017)
Page A-12 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, August 23, 2017 ... Weather BOARD Continued from A-1 Watch Cave Junction Thursday, Aug. 24 Partly Cloudy High --79 Low -- 54 Friday, Aug. 25 Sunny High -- 89 Low -- 60 Saturday, Aug. 26 Sunny High -- 95 Low -- 64 Sunday, Aug. 27 Sunny High -- 96 Low -- 65 Monday, Aug. 28 Sunny High -- 96 Low -- 64 Tuesday, Aug. 29 Sunny High -- 92 Low -- 62 Wednesday, Aug 30 Sunny High -- 91 Low -- 61 Following are the high & low temperatures, and rainfall recorded at The End of the Road in O’Brien by Cheryl Johnson: August 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 High 93.7 92.8 86.5 88.8 90.6 99.7 103.7 Aug. Rain: 00.0” YTD Rain: 116.54” Low 59.0 52.8 50.9 59.4 46.6 59.8 60.4 The longstanding controversy started when Humphfres allegedly attempted to give a former employee of the district lifetime medical coverage without approval from the rest of the board. After finding out about it, Carol Dickson, former board member, demanded that he step down as president. When he did not, she made a motion to remove him as president but failed to receive a second. Throughout the controversy, there was some degree of debate as to whether or not disciplinary action should be filed against Fire Chief Dennis Hoke for allegedly lying about certain events which brought the situation to a head. Hoke’s potential disciplinary action was an important part of Butler’s resignation speech as he vowed to petition the removal of the entire board should any action be taken against the chief. Humphfres also incurred a $406 legal expense for using a lawyer outside of the special district but this was claimed to be simply a misunderstanding between him and the lawyer’s office. When asked why he consulted the lawyer he said it was because he thought he was being accused of wrongdoing. Since no further business can be conducted by the board until a quorum, in this case three members, is established, the county commissioners had to be contacted to appoint a new member. The two remaining board members were allowed to make suggestions to the commissioners during the process. Furthermore, the other two vacant positions on the board will be advertised immediately and will be voted into office, once a quorum is established, until the next public election. Dickson, who regretted not running for office again, and in fact attempted a last minute write in campaign when the controversy came to the forefront, expressed her willingness to resume her duties. As such, on Aug. 21, the Illinois Valley Fire District posted on social media that Dickson was chosen by the county commissioners and will be sworn in at the Aug. 24 special meeting at 7 p.m., thereby creating a quorum and allowing business to continue. Present at the meeting, Dickson made a speech thanking the board and chief for their support in nominating her to fill the currently open position and complete the quorum. She then agreed that, since she has four years of experience and was willing to help them get going in the right direction again, that she was the ideal candidate. Dickson added that it was unfortunate that recent events came to pass and that Humphfres’ resignation was, to her, bittersweet. Mistakes are going to be made,” Dickson said, “Nobody’s expecting perfection out of any of us but there’s a process to fix those mistakes when they’re made and we need to do that. As a board, we owe that to the district and to the tax payers…” Hoke also commented on the situation by saying that he was surprised by how events unfolded. In addition, he thanked certain members of the public along (Photo by Laura Mancuso, Illinois Valley News) Hazel Griffith (right) was selling her award-winning baked goods at the “It’s the Berries” festival, Saturday, Aug. 19 outside at the Kerby Belt Building along with her daughter, Donna Thompson and her sister, Bernice Helmer who comes from Grants Pass every year to sell her quilts at the It’s the Berries festival. Available at the clinic and at Illinois Valley High School and Lorna Byrne Middle School by appointment. For more information and to schedule an appointment call (541) 592-4111. For Kids 6 - 18 Only $ 25 Additional charges may apply for consultation, lab or other tests that are required beyond the sports physical. 25647 Redwood Hwy. Cave Junction www.siskiyouhealthcenter.com This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. speech, Hoke continued by saying that Humphfres dedicated a number of years to the department as both a firefighter and the board and that he, all said and done, did a lot of good for the district. “We would not be where we are today had it not been for Ron and his dedication,” Hoke concluded. It’s the Berries! Don’t wait to get your Sports Physical for the upcoming season. A combination well-teen exam/sports physical can be scheduled with your regular health care provider as another option. This can be billed to your insurance and should not have an out-of-pocket cost. with all the board members that supported him over the last several months because he “honestly” felt that his position was threatened. “This [the controversy] became very personal and so I appreciate you being here and I appreciate that level of support. You have no idea what that means to me,” Hoke said. Echoing Feldhaus’