Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Page A-3
Year in Review: March
• The Three Mill Bridge in Selma
collapsed after enduring the unusually
precipitous weather of December and January.
Because of the heavy rains and snowmelt
the stream’s banks were eroded away and, as
a consequence, the bridge was washed out.
Despite reaching out and being extensively
briefed by FEMA with regards to the
application process, the residents found out that
unexpectedly and to their surprise, they didn’t
qualify for funding after all. The residents of
the Three Mill Bridge have started a Facebook
GoFundMe account run primarily by Norm
Cegelnik.
• The Cave Junction City Council met
Monday, March 13, for its regular monthly
meeting. On the agenda were the upcoming
public safety levy, the city’s ongoing search for
volunteer code enforcement officers and the
establishment of a social media policy.
• Recent crime wave prompts CJ
business owners to call for late night police
protection: Cave Junction’s criminal element
is most active in the wee hours - prompting
business owners to call for a late-night police
presence in town. Last week, numerous
incidents added to the list of businesses
repeatedly ravaged by local thieves. The
businesses broken into included: CJ Coffee,
Dairy Queen, Crossroads Veterinary Clinic,
Illinois Valley Safe House Alliance, Lady
Thyme and St. Matthias Church
• Thousands of Frontier customers
endured service disruptions. According to
Frontier Communications public relations
director Javier Mendoza, “A telecom service
interruption was a result of a commercial power
outage and affected every customer served by
the Cave Junction office.”
• Sheriff, CJ Patrol and business owners
urge passage of upcoming crime levy: “We need
to sustain. We’re at a critical time in Josephine
County’s history, where this public safety levy
is pivotal,” said Josephine County Sheriff Dave
Daniel. “And I guarantee that the money for the
levy is dedicated to law enforcement.” Measure
17.80, the Adult Jail and Juvenile Detention
Five Year Local Option Tax was referred to the
people by JoCo’s Board of Commissioners,
with the justification that while previous public
safety levies had been voted down, countless
residents are increasingly dismayed by steadily
growing rates of criminality county-wide - thus
many believe this levy has a better chance to
pass. Daniel also discussed the differences
between previous funding sources, and the
current proposed public safety levy which
would raise taxes at a rate of 93 cents per
assessed $1,000 of property value.
• Longtime chamber secretary Dulcie
Moore died March 9, ending her 17-year tenure
as the face of the Illinois Valley Chamber of
Commerce.
• On Friday, March 17 into the early
morning hours of March 18 the Josephine
County Sheriff’s Office organized and
conducted “Operation Lucky Charm.” The
following are the statistics from the operation:
Traffic stops, 33; arrests/probations detainers,
11; and recovered stolen vehicles, two (from
Portland/Roseburg).
• In the last two weeks NAPA, I.V.
Building Supply, Speedy Mart, and Ray’s
Food Place were all the victims of burglary or
attempted burglary. The latter of the three were
all on the same day and probably by the same
group of people. So far, one suspect has been
apprehended and a few others have allegedly
been identified by police. The suspect was
caught within 24 hours and Sheriff Daniel
reported that his name was Damien Attwood, 18.
• The Sustainable Cannabis Fair,
hosted by the Illinois Valley Soil and Water
Conservation District and the Cave Junction
Farmers’ Market was scheduled. Speakers
were to address topics such as, cultivating the
health of soils, preventing runoff with efficient
irrigation, salmon-friendly fertilizers and pest
management.
(Photo by Dan Mancuso, Illinois Valley News)
Glenn “Sonny” Moore gives his
mother Dulcie a big hug in May of
2016 at the Chateau.
Year in Review: April
• The Cave Junction
City Council passed three
resolutions, Monday, April
10, in support of tax measures
that will be on the ballot
in May. Councilors voted
unanimously to support and
endorse the Animal Shelter
Levy, the Adult Jail and
Juvenile Detention Center
Levy, and the Josephine
Community Library District.
Illinois Valley voters will have
the opportunity to vote on
four tax measures in the May,
16 election. (The council had
previously endorsed the I.V.
Fire Department Levy.)
• Many Cave Junction
residents were alarmed by
the sound of gunfire early
one Sunday morning in
April, which sent one man to
the hospital with a gunshot
wound to his chest. According
to a release from the Illinois
Valley Fire District (IVFD),
“911 dispatch advised IVFD
of an active shooting outside
a business in the 100 block
of S. Redwood Hwy.” Andre
Wright, 32, was reported to be
in stable condition.
• The aging spillway
bridge containing Lake
The
G SPOT
Have a safe and healthy
New Year!
CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Dec. 22 - Jan. 3
Selmac was set to be replaced
with construction starting
in August and taking an
estimated three months
to complete. As it stood,
the bridge posed a serious
hazard because in the case
of an emergency, like an
earthquake, it would likely
fail.
• It was reported that
Laurel Cemetery, a historic
site in Cave Junction, has
found itself in a progressively
more difficult situation as the
years go by and would benefit
greatly from volunteers;
especially volunteers with
grant writing experience
because grant money might
become the cemetery’s only
option for reprieve. Keith
Webb, the manager and
only official worker of the
cemetery, reportedly does his
best to keep the place running
because his family has been
involved for years.
• I.V. Emergency
Prepare Fair was held
Saturday, April 15, at Illinois
Valley High School “The
best time to prepare for an
emergency is when there isn’t
one. And remember, survival
favors the prepared!” replied
Sue Williams, coordinator of
the Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT). This
special event was sponsored
by the Illinois Valley
Community Development
Organization (IVcanDo),
Illinois Valley Fire
Department (IVFD), CERT
and the city of Cave Junction.
• It was reported that
Cave Junction was set to lose
its contract with Josephine
County for law enforcement
services May 31. The loss of
rural patrols would mean there
could be tragic consequences
due to the impact on the
response from fire and
emergency personnel. The
Illinois Valley Fire District
would not be able to approach
any scene that included
shootings, accidental or not,
drug overdoses, domestic
situations “basically anything
violent,” said IVFD Chief
Dennis Hoke.
• The Illinois Valley
Watershed Council enacted
measures to combat extreme
soil erosion caused by
Sucker Creek at Bridgeview
Vineyards. The past winter’s
GUPPY
high water events had quickly
and unfortunately caused
significant damage to the
property.
• A levy measure of
93 cents per $1,000 was to
appear on the May ballot,
and unlike five previous
levy attempts, this one was
officially supported by the
Josephine County Board of
Commissioners. According
to a fact sheet put out by the
board, the measure, would
bring the number of jail beds
up to 185 and also free up
funds to pay for a new patrol
configuration. Three deputies
were to reside in the areas
they serve: one each for North
Valley, Murphy/Williams, and
the Illinois Valley. Additional
three or four deputies would
have roaming duties. The
Cave Junction deputy was
scheduled to continue in
place.
• Funding has been
approved by the Josephine
County Commissioners to
comprehensively digitize land
use files that have been piling
up in eight different locations
since 1973. Scanning these
files into a database will
KARAOKE
w/ Steve- OH
Friday, Dec. 29 @ 9 p.m
F r i d a y, D e c . 2 9
@ 5:30
from
Taylor’s
Country Store
streamline the process of
applying for building permits
(Photo by Krissy Clark for the Illinois Valley News)
Community members enjoy the annual I.V. Lions
Easter Egg Hunt at Jubilee Park.
Art’s Red
Garter
Raw Blues
Band
Dos Tacos
Dec. 31 @ 9
Live Music
Saturday the 30th @ 6 PM
Saturday Pool Tourney @ 8
Every Wednesday
Happy New Year!
Open MIC Night
6 - 9 p.m.
NO music
this Friday
Sportsman
Tavern
and inquiring into the history
of a given property.
Rock
McGrew’s
Friday, Dec. 29
Saturday, Dec.30
Ring is the New Year
Dec. 31
9PM
Open for
New Year’s Eve
dinner
Call
541-596-2202
for reservations