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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Life in the
Valley
of Riches
By DAN MANCUSO,
Publisher
I fell in love with newspapers again last week. Yes, I
know, I am a paper boy but I have a love-hate relationship
with them. I was traveling to Chicago and I purchased a
Denver Post during my layover in Denver. When we were
boarded on the flight to Chicago the captain came on
and said we would not have internet on the flight, a huge
communal groan overtook the plane. I chuckled and was
happy to have my paper. I learned a lot about the goings-
on in Denver and was able to glean some information that
would apply to my little life here in the Valley of Riches.
On my return trip from my annual Chicagoland
Speedway NASCAR trip with my father, I purchased
the Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune and The New
York Times. I was blown away with all the information I
obtained. Most of it was things I never would have clicked
on if it were on the web, but as a captive audience, I read
it all.
I learned about Libyan illegal immigration into Italy
and I read another story about how Italy was dealing with
jellyfish. I have to ask, “Would you find that ‘click bait’
interesting?” Not me, yet I read every word. I read stories
about how immigrants are moving to dying Midwestern
manufacturing towns in droves which is making rural
America more integrated.
I learned many things that were out of my
wheelhouse. These are the things you learn when you are
forced to see a reality that normally you are shielded from
or can ignore; papers don’t let you do that. It’s easy to
cruise past things that are not of interest in today’s ADD
addled internet world.
It reminded me of a lady I see on Facebook often
asking about what is happening in CJ. I once said, “The
information you seek is in this week’s Illinois Valley
News.” Her response was that she does not get the paper. I
asked why and get this, she said, “There was nothing in it!”
You may not be interested in every topic. But at the
end of the day, your horizons will be expanded and you
just might make a better cocktail party attendee due to
your new found knowledge that you picked up reading a
newspaper.
Thank you for picking up this week’s paper, enjoy! ~
djm
Letters to the editor
Illinois Valley News welcomes let-
ters 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 let-
ters. Letters are used at the discretion
of the publisher.
***
(Editor’s Note: Views and commen-
tary, including statements made as
fact are strictly those of the letter
writers.)
Reader blames fires
on greed
When you look at maps of
these fires, they are right where
Wilderness areas, National
Forests and BLM lands are. It’s
proof positive of the failure of
government ownership and control.
These same lands have been burned
over and over for years at the cost
of millions and billions of tax
dollars and thousands of jobs.
These lands should never have
been in the hands of government
bureaucracies. Legally and morally,
the policies of clear cutting and
no logging have been ongoing
disastrous.
If these lands had been
opened up to homesteading, land
stewardships and selective logging,
they could have created thousands
of jobs and millions even billions of
dollars of income and tax revenues.
Even now that they are
burned out wastelands, they could
be restored faster and at low cost
to the taxpayers. If they were
opened up to homesteading, land
stewardships and selective logging.
All the brush and waste wood
could create fuel for steam powered
electric generation plants, creating
thousands of jobs and revenue.
How much more evidence do we
need of the failure of bureaucratic
government control of public lands?
The whole West Coast and much
of the west is on fire again. How
many more times does it have to
burn to be admitted a failure of
government? If global warming is at
fault, it is the government policies
over the last 100 years that created
it and sustain it. So higher taxes
and more bureaucratic government
control is not going to make it go
away.
Mark Wichers
Cave Junction
Reader thanks
government
for cancer
I just want to thank our
governor, all state reps, county
commissioners and city council
members across our beautiful state
for doing right by your constituents
and banning all GMOs and
pesticides from being used in our
state.
In 2015 I had 8 people, that I
was very close to, die of cancers of
varying types. With the banning of
the use of all synthsized chemicals
and growing of GMOs we here in
this state can now start to heal.
Oh yeah, that’s right, you
all chose to side with the petro-
chemical industry, timber industry,
big AG and pharmaceutical
industry. That’s why more of my
friends are dying of cancer. Along
with their children, our pets,
livestock and wildlife.
For some reason no one here
knows how to make a living without
destroying our planet and killing
each other.
Is that why we have allowed
our education system to become
babysitters of unruly children?
Because our representatives know
their brains have been mutated due
to all of these petro-chemicals?
And programming them to do as
their told...buy, buy, buy to keep
the economy alive, is all they can
accomplish?
I just want to thank all of
you for aiding and abetting in the
biggest crime ever committed on
the largest mass of people you
could get away with. I just hope the
money was worth it. Because you
too will be dying of cancer, crohn’s
disease, fibromyalgia, dementia and
a host of other illnesses, along with
your children and grandchildren.
So thank you for killing us
slowly, painfully and draining our
bank accounts. Because we can not
get medical care in this country any
more either.
Nina Horsley
Cave Junction
Reader concerned
about future
We are all experiencing
the effects of what Daniel Pauly
defined as, “Shifting Baseline
Syndrome”; the pattern that
each generation accepts their
version of Nature, plunders it,
then leaves the next generation
to accept the depleted version.
This is a catastrophic reality in
our oceans being overfished,
depleted, and dying. We accept
the forest disappearing before our
eyes, yet deforestation continues.
Because each generation does not
know exactly what a true healthy
forest looks like, they accept the
version of the forest they are given
as normal. To realize exactly
what a healthy forest ecosystem
looks like, the baseline must be
established as a forest which
has been untouched by human
hands, ie: logging, deforestation,
diminished stream capability
to support fish populations and
aquatic life, pollution levels, etc.
We cannot measure the health of
our forests from a baseline of a
decade or two or three decades ago.
We must return to a baseline of a
forest that had never been touched
by mankind. We will then and only
then have a view of the decade by
decade decline of our forests and
forest health and mismanagement of
natural systems.
By accepting the version of
decline given each generation, we
feel the decline is not necessarily
that huge, without taking a longer
look back in time to see just how
severe the changes have become
and how difficult it becomes
to correct them. We become
complacent in our actions and
accept our version of the depleted
natural world. Why put in the effort
to change it? But this is the exact
problem which needs addressing.
This is the exact pitfall we are
enveloped within by our version
of climate change. 90% of all
large fisheries are gone. 80% of all
natural forests worldwide, are gone.
Our topsoil is poisoned and blows
away. Our prairies, grasslands and
wetlands are dried or gone. Our
glaciers are melting, soon to be
gone, and I fear, that a generation
or two from now, this will all be
viewed as, normal. We MUST make
education on these facts a priority
in our schools and public forums.
I have witnessed the dying of our
oceans, of our farmlands and our
pristine forests. I have lived long
enough to be able to look back and
remember what was, and this is
what makes me fight for our natural
communities and watersheds,
to help heal our unhealthy and
exploited ecosystems and for a
healthy and educated future for our
children and grandchildren. Simple
hope will not bring true change, our
actions will.
Len Greenwood
Selma
I llINoIs V alley F uNeral D Irectors
www.since1928Hull.com
541-592-4110
Save the date
Sept. 27
IVHS boys’ varsity soccer game
at home vs. the Canyonville Christian
Academy at 4:30 p.m.
IVHS girls’ varsity soccer game
at St. Mary’s High School at 4:30
p.m.
Sept. 28
IVHS boys’ varsity soccer
game at home vs. Milo Academy at
4:30 p.m.
IVHS girls’ varsity volleyball
game at Milo Academy at 5 p.m.
Sept. 29
IVHS boys’ varsity football
game vs. Clatskanie at Lebanon High
School at 7 p.m.
IVHS cross-country varsity in-
vitational vs. Ashland High School at
12:20 p.m.
IVHS boys’ varsity soccer game
at home vs. Pacific High School at 1
p.m.
Sept. 30
10th annual Acorn Festival, Sat-
urday, Sept. 30 at the Selma Commu-
nity Center on Hwy. 199 in Selma,
11 a.m. – 6 p.m. This FREE outdoor/
indoor event includes: *Hands-on
workshops on acorns and their pro-
cessing, *Acorn cooking basket
Published weekly by
W.H. Alltheway, LLC
Daniel J. Mancuso, Publisher
Sept. 30
I.V. Garden Club plant sale, 9
a.m. - 2 p.m. True Value Hardware
parking lot. Winter veges, rare plants,
trees, houseplants. All sales benefit
IVHS scholarship program.
Clean Up Day, hosted by the
Rotary Club will meet at the Illinois
Valley Family Coalition at 535 E.
River St. Saturday, Sept. 30 at 8:45
a.m.
Oct. 5
Family Fun Fair Oct. 5, 5:30-
7:30 p.m. at Evergreen Elementary
520 W. River Street, Cave Junction.
Join us for games and chili din-
ner FREE! Be a judge in the Healthi-
er Dessert Contest: $4-$10.
Do you want to enter the Health-
ier Dessert Contest?
POSTMASTER: Please send
address changes to P.O. Box 1370,
Cave Junction, OR 97523
Illinois Valley News is published at
221 S. Redwood Hwy.,
Cave Junction, OR 97523
Telephone (541) 592-2541
Since 1937 periodicals postage
paid at Cave Junction, OR 97523
P.O. Box 1370 USPS 258-820
Sign up/Questions: healthyu-
center@gmail.com or call 541-592-
4888
Oct. 20 – 22
9th annual Valley Girls Quilt
Show will be Oct. 20 – 21, Friday &
Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sun-
day, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., I.V. Senior
Center, 520 E. River St. Cave Junc-
tion, $3 entrance fee, All proceeds do-
nated to I.V. Baseball Team, Boys &
Girls Club & Evergreen Elementary
School Life Skills, 100 never shown
before quilts on display, Country
Store, games and door prizes, 2017
Opportunity Quilt “Mountain Valley
Vistas” & burgers and desserts too!
Continuing
Sept. 30
Sept. 30
Illinois
Valley
News
demonstration, *Historic photos of
traditional acorn processing, *IRVAC
free nature crafts table for all ages, *
Fun and educational activities all day
long and *Scarecrow contest with
$100 prize. Karuk Elder speaks; all
are welcome rain or shine. Brought
to you by the Cultural & Ecological
Enhancement Network (CEEN). For
more information contact Suzanne
Vautier 541-291-8860.
Your public library has ac-
tivities happening every week! New
Storytime reader, Melanie, has crafts
and stories for kids of all ages Sat-
urdays at 12 noon. Families at Play
baby-parent group is for pre-walking
babies Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m.
Early literacy skills are taught with-
in a 30-minute storytime of songs,
bounces, and reading, followed by a
half-hour of play and chat time.For
more information contact Roberta
Lee at 541-592-4778. I.V. Branch,
Josephine Community Libraries, 209
W Palmer St, CJ
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One year in Josephine
County - $35
One year in Jackson and
Douglas counties - $36
One year in all other
Oregon counties and
out-of-state - $43.00
Illinois Valley News does not refund subscriptions.
Remainder of subscription will be donated to the
charity of your choice.
*Illinois Valley Community
Watch Meeting every Monday from
5 - 6 p.m. at Wild River Pizza, 249
Redwood Hwy. – Cave Junction. A
Public Safety Outreach Campaign
effort with all I.V. Neighborhood
Watch Groups – representatives, in-
cluding businesses and churches, and
support for anyone wishing to start a
neighborhood watch. Includes a 2-
way hand held radio program briefing
from 4:20 - 4:50 p.m. Contact Guent-
er - 541-415-1929 / ivwatch541@
gmail.com.
*The I.V. Senior Thrift Store:
Join the crew and make new friends.
You don’t need to be a senior citizen
to volunteer at the store. Call us at
541-592-6630. Open Monday – Sat-
urday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
*The Sheriff’s Office Substa-
tion in Cave Junction is now open
on Mondays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..
Volunteers are still needed to staff
additional days. Applications are
available at the substation or on line
at
http://www.co.josephine.or.us/
Files/Volunteer%20Application.
Mar%202014.pdf.
*Cave Junction Patrol, LLC is
looking for volunteers. CJ Patrol is
a private citizen volunteer organiza-
tion dedicated to effectively address-
News - Dan Mancuso
dan@illinois-valley-news.com
Editor -Laura Mancuso
laura@illinois-valley-news.com
Classified Ads -Laura Mancuso
laura@illinois-valley-news.com
Circulation - Laura Mancuso
laura@illinois-valley-news.com
Advertising / Composition -
Dan Mancuso
dan@illinois-valley-news.com
Mailroom - Millie Watkins
ing heretofore-unchecked property
crime in our city and neighborhoods.
The primary mission of CJ Patrol is
to prevent, interrupt, report and de-
crease property crime in the city of
Cave Junction. Call 541-592-9665 or
visit cjpatrol.org.
*Committee Meeting STATE
OF JEFFERSON Josephine County
1st Thursday of each month at 5:30
p.m. Black Forest Restaurant, Grants
Pass and 3rd Thursday of each month
at 6 p.m., Wild River Pizza in Cave
Junction.
*Come join the Cave Junction
Lions Club at River Valley Restaur-
rant, at 6 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th
Thursday of each month. We are a
co-ed club and are always looking
for community minded people that
are dedicated, hard working, whether
physically limited or not and most of
all, like to have fun.
Come by and see what we do
or give us a call, 541-592-9243 Nina
Horsley, president.
*Second and fourth Mondays
of the month, 7 p.m. in the Council
Chambers of City Hall, 222 W. Lister
Street, Cave Junction, Oregon, the
Common Council of the City of Cave
Junction will meet in a regular ses-
sion.
DEADLINES:
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POLICY ON LETTERS:
‘Illinois Valley News’ encour-
ages letters to the editor pro-
vided they are legible and not
libelous or scurrilous. All let-
ters 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 discre-
tion of the publisher.