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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 2017)
YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1937 Illinois Valley News Wednesday, October 25, 2017, 1 Section, Volume LXXX No. 31 $1.00 Published weekly for the residents of the Illinois Valley Valley Girls paint with needles I.V. Fire assists in Napa Annette McGee Rasch IVN Senior Contributing Writer As firefighters finally got ahead of the historic blazes in Northern California that claimed at least 42 lives and destroyed 5,700 structures, two of 10 Oregon “strike teams” returned to their home stations last week, including firefighters from the Illinois Valley Fire District (IVFD). “Oregon’s deployed resources have been performing extremely well,” said Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple. “We have heard nothing but great things about our Oregon response system and the caliber of our firefighters. All Oregonians can take pride in the effectiveness and professionalism of our deployed men and women.” “Our crew is back,” said IVFD Chief Dennis Hoke. “I am proud of the work they did helping our neighbors to the south.” The Jackson/Josephine County Strike Team sent to Napa County to battle the Atlas Fire included a type-one fire engine and volunteer firefighters Joe Latva, Dan Johnson and Neil Kisela from the IVFD. Each strike team typically includes 20-22 firefighters, five fire engines (often from different agencies) and one command rig. SEE NAPA ON A-10 (Photos by Laura Mancuso, Illinois Valley News) Carol Dickson was the featured quilter at the Valley Girls Quilt Show held at the I.V. Senior Center. Dickson’s quilt “The Water Boy” (inset) won Best of Show Sunday, Oct. 22. Takilma Bible Church holds another giveaway “I just want to thank everybody for their donations and their time and all their encouragement,” Thompson said, “If you have time to share your energy, come by the clothes giveaway. We would love to meet you!” Patty Thompson, event founder Jason McMillen IVN Contributing Writer The Takilma Bible Church’s decades old biannual Takilma Clothes Giveaway will be held Oct. 28 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Anyone in need of shoes or clothes is invited to attend and there’s plenty to go around. Patty Thompson, a member of the church and founder of the event, started it back in 1996 when she noticed that a family who attended church with her needed clothes but couldn’t afford them. After some thought, Thompson conceptualized the giveaway then went over to her pastor’s house and pitched the idea to him. Agreeing that it would be a nice event for the community, he put her in charge of pioneering it. At the time, Thompson hadn’t the slightest clue how to make the idea a reality but she eventually ironed out the details with the help of Gale Barty, a fellow member of the church who teamed up with her. The event started small, with only a few bags of clothes to hand out, but rapidly gained momentum—so much so that Thompson and her husband started running out of places to store them. Fortunately, they built a barn on their property which was completed in 2000. They haven’t had storage concerns since. A few years down the road, the late Wanda Goines, who was 83 at the time, started attending Takilma Bible Church and immediately invested herself in the giveaway. “She kept me on track,” Thompson said, adding that procrastination started getting the better of her. Goines, an inspiration to Thompson because age didn’t hold back her enthusiasm, assisted Thompson wherever she could. A talented watercolor painter, Goines drafted the original painting for the mural on the wall of Illinois Valley Real Estate in Cave Junction. In honor of her compassionate spirit and her participation in the Takilma Clothes Giveaway, a memorial is dedicated to her every year at the event. In 2012, Thompson fell ill and, as such, the giveaway didn’t take place that year. Fortunately, the Drevenstedt family stepped in and, with the help of local youth, they took the reins and have been the primary organizers of the event ever since. However, Thompson said that she’s still very much involved after having recovered from her illness. “I just want to thank everybody for their donations and their time and all their encouragement,” Thompson said, “If you have time to share your energy, come by the clothes giveaway. We would love to meet you!” County goes forward with marijuana ban on RR properties Read about it on A-12 Senseless vandalism dumbfounds local library enthusiasts Annette McGee Rasch IVN Senior Contributing Writer Who doesn’t like libraries and parks? Countless Illinois Valley residents are at a loss to comprehend the ever-increasing vandalism of these beloved shared community spaces in Cave Junction. Many remember the unique drinking fountain that stood in front of the Illinois Valley Branch Library from 1960 until a few weeks ago. The chunks of jasper, petrified wood, turquoise, crystal and obsidian made the fountain special - a literal touchstone going back to many peoples’ childhoods. But now, all that’s left is a patch of fresh concrete that covers the old fountain’s base. Agnes and Edward Oliver, who’d moved to the Illinois Valley in 1952, built the fountain with rocks they’d collected during their worldwide travels, according to their grandson, Scott Blacklidge. “My grandparents were both really talented people,” Blacklidge said. “My grandmother was born in 1902 in the old buck board days and she was a member of a local rock club.” Blacklidge, who grew up in the Valley, recently returned after his own travels around the globe and now lives in Ashland. He began a project to refurbish the vandalized fountain, but after yet another assault against the community monument - and the theft of more rocks - the decision was made to remove the entire structure. “I’ve been all over the place, and I can tell you, this library in Cave Junction is awesome. It’s one-of-a-kind in the world, one of the best small libraries I’ve ever seen,” said Blacklidge, who recently brought his 13-year-old daughter, Isabel, to experience the library of his youth. “I really wanted to restore my family’s legacy by fixing the fountain,” he added. “Though now, I sense a shadow over the community and I’m really sorry to see this vandalism in Cave Junction. I love being there, but I felt that element, that tension. I see local business people wearing sidearms. There’s some real problems and it’s really sad, because this is such a special place. My grandparents are both buried in Laurel Cemetery. This place is a part of me.” SEE LIBRARY ON A-8
