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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Life in the
Valley
of Riches
By DAN MANCUSO,
Publisher
The city has two councilor seats up for
election and the mayor position as well. I
understand the current mayor is not running
again and one councilor has said they intend
to seek another term, leaving the second seat
holder still uncommitted either way. Elections
are like spring, they bring new faces and new
ideas and hopefully some follow through.
I have to say Mayor Dalegowski, to no
one’s surprise handled the task in the same
polite, methodical and thoughtful way he had
proven himself to be as a councilor. So what’s
the problem Mancuso you ask? Well when he
first took office he told a tale of the proverbial
“shining city on the hill,” made famous in a
speech by Ronald Reagan. He got my hopes up
and in the end little happened.
Now I cannot pin this all on him, no way
was he alone in this. Four other people sit atop
the dais along with him. Even then, I cannot
pin this all on them. This also lays at the feet
of all 1,064 (as of the 2016 election) registered
voters in the city of Cave Junction.
In a typical election in the city of Cave
Junction, only around 400 make the effort to
vote. Now I realize that as a newspaper reader
you are more civically minded and politically
active and are not the people I am referring
to here. Then why sing to the choir you
wonder? Because we need to get our friends
and neighbors to get out and participate.
They don’t have to be mayor, but at the very
minimum they could educate themselves and
vote.
Going to city council meetings can be
dreadfully boring at times, I get that. But
if you want our leadership in the city to
follow through on some amazing ideas for
the future of Cave Junction, we need to hold
them accountable. Or better yet, elect people
that don’t just put on a good show and in the
end do little more than look as bored as I am
watching them accomplish nothing.
I know you probably don’t want to
know what I would like to see in our next city
leaders but you are going to get it anyway. I
want leaders that not only share their hope
with us, but have the ability and willingness to
get the job done. Leading by consensus is not
leading, it’s called following.
I want leaders that speak and give me
hope; hopes that are filled with deliverables,
deadlines and not just “wants and ifs.” I want
leaders that see a future that is different from
the same old status quo. I want leaders that
will give me hope that the city will actually
accomplish something, and move it toward a
vibrant economic future. I want leaders that
will give a speech filled with more than good
intentions and in the end, false hope. Lastly,
I want leaders that are going to do something
and not get bogged down in the little things;
come into the race with a plausible idea and a
plan to accomplish it - then go do it.
Thank you for picking up this week’s
paper, enjoy! ~djm
Letters to the editor
Illinois Valley News welcomes letters 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 letters. Letters are used at the discretion of
the publisher.
***
(Editor’s Note: Views and commentary, including statements
made as fact are strictly those of the letter writers.)
Reader not a friend of GOP
Conservatives are abandoning ship. In the March Atlantic,
two senior fellows at the Brookings Institute, Jonathan Rauch
and Benjamin Wittes, known for their conservative views, urge
conservatives to vote a straight Democratic Party ticket to save
the Nation and the Republican party from Trumpism.
They offered a simple logical syllogism:
“(1) The GOP has become the party of Trumpism.
“(2) Trumpism is a threat to democratic values and the
rule of law.
“(3) The Republican Party is a threat to democratic values
and the rule of law.”
Their thesis, essentially, is that Trumpism poses such a
severe threat to the Republican Party and the Nation that it
must be thwarted. And the only way to achieve this is to reject
Republican candidates throughout the ticket.
Republican candidates are therefore on notice that
they are not only running against Democrats, whether
Progressive, Liberal, or Moderate, but are also running against
Conservatives. The implication is clear: any Republican
candidate in 2018 is assumed to be running as a Trumpist and
comes with the entire assembly of baggage that Trump presents
- from racism through sexism, xenophobia, science denial, anti-
environmentalism to exploitation of public lands and workers
for the benefit of the wealthy.
Trisha Vigil
Medford, OR
I llINoIs V alley F uNeral D Irectors
www.since1928Hull.com
541-592-4110
Save the date
at 541.618.2200, M-F, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
April 1
Please join Illinois Valley Baptist Church
on Easter Sunday, April 1, for the first service
in our new building! 329 Caves Highway in
CJ at 10:30 am.
April 7 & 8
Saturday, April 7, 9:00 a.m., LOWER
TABLE ROCK
Wildflowers Abound: Barbara Mum-
blo, botanist emerita with the U.S. Forest
Service Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District
and member of the Native Plant Society of
Oregon, will lead a hike to discover the daz-
zling array of wildflowers found on the Table
Rocks.
Sunday, April 8, 9:00 a.m., UPPER TA-
BLE ROCK
Layers of Time: Jad D’Allura, Southern
Oregon University professor emeritus of ge-
ology, and Joni Brazier, U.S. Forest Service
soil specialist, will discuss the formation of
the Table Rocks and the unique geological
features and soils along a hike to the top of
this ancient lava flow.
Meet at the trailhead at 9 a.m. for the
2.5–4.5 mile round trip hike up 800 feet along
a moderate grade trail. Dress for the weath-
er and terrain; bring water and snacks since
hikes to the top may last 3-5 hours. Restrooms
are available only at the trailhead; there is no
drinking water. To help protect this special
place, no dogs or vehicles are allowed on the
trail.
The hike is free but reservations are re-
quired as space is limited. Information about
the hikes and online reservations: https://
TableRockHikes2018.eventbrite.com. For in-
formation, contact the Medford District BLM
Illinois
Valley
News
Published weekly by
I.V. News LLC
Daniel J. Mancuso, Publisher
April 8
Democracy at Risk 2: Real News, Fake
News & Freedom of the Press, A nonparti-
san panel and community dialogue. Sunday,
April 8, from 3 -5 p.m. at the Kerby Belt
Building. Free admission and refresh-
ments. Informed citizens are the lifeblood
of democracy. But how do we figure out
what information is truthful, and which
news sources are reliable? For questions call
541-761-4746 or email IllinoisValleyIndivis-
ible@gmail.com.
April 14
Rough & Ready Wildflower Hike is
Saturday, April 14, at 10 a.m. Meet in the
parking area at Rough & Ready Botanical
Wayside south of Cave Junction on Hwy.
199 at mile marker 34. This is a short hike
on rocky, but relatively level ground with
lots of beautiful wildflowers to see, many
of them are rare or of limited range. A por-
tion of the hike will be along a wheelchair
accessible path so folks of limited mobility
can come out and enjoy the wildflowers too.
Be prepared, bring water, dress in layers
and wear comfortable shoes. Bring lunch if
you like, there’s a picnic table overlooking
Rough & Ready Creek. For more informa-
tion call Suzanne Vautier at 541-291-8860.
Sponsored by Cultural & Ecological En-
hancement Network (CEEN) and the Native
Plant Society
Continuing
*Evergreen Elementary school is look-
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
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One year in Josephine
County - $35
One year in Jackson and
Douglas counties - $36
One year in all other
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out-of-state - $43.00
Illinois Valley News does not refund subscriptions.
Remainder of subscription will be donated to the
charity of your choice.
ing for SMART (Start Making A Reader To-
day) volunteers. The program will run Tues-
days through Thursdays and volunteers are
asked to come to Evergreen around 11:30
a.m. and will be out at 12:45 p.m. To learn
more about the SMART program you can call
541-734-5628 or visit the website at www.
getSMARToregon.org.
*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.
Illinois Valley Democrats meet the 2nd
Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to
12 p.m. at the I.V. Family Coalition, 535 E.
River St. in Cave Junction. Join with like-
minded people for camaraderie and to plan
actions in support of the Democratic agenda.
Call Anita 541-592-3073 to confirm meeting
days. Check us out on FB!
Public Health Clinic- Location: I.V.
Family Coalition, 535, E. River St., CJ, 1st
Thursday of every Month services offered STI
Testing/Treatment, Women’s Health Exams
(Annuals/Problem Visits), Birth Control (All
Methods Available), Pregnancy Testing, Pre-
pregnancy counseling. 3rd Thursday of every
Month: STI testing/treatment, birth control
counseling (methods limited), Pregnancy
Testing, Immunizations. Call 541-474-5329
for an appointment, and make sure to tell the
receptionist to schedule you in CJ. Walk-ins
welcome! Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
*The Sheriff’s Office Substation in
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
Cave Junction is now open on Mondays,
Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 10 to 2. Volunteers
are still needed to staff additional days.Ap-
plications 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 organization dedicated to effective-
ly addressing heretofore-unchecked property
crime in our city and neighborhoods. The pri-
mary mission of CJ Patrol is to prevent, in-
terrupt, report and decrease property crime in
the city of Cave Junction. Call 541-592-9665
or visit cjpatrol.org.
*Committee Meeting STATE OF JEF-
FERSON Josephine County 1st Thursday of
each month at 5:30 p.m. Black Forest Restau-
rant, Grants Pass and 3rd Thursday of each
month at 6 p.m., Wild River Pizza in Cave
Junction.
* Illinois Valley Indivisible, a grassroots
community dedicated to the nonviolent de-
fense of our democratic system and basic hu-
man rights, meets the 2nd and 4th Mondays
of each month from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. at the I.V.
Family Coalition, 535 E. River Street in Cave
Junction. More info at www.facebook.com/
I.V. Indivisible.
*Your public library has activities hap-
pening every week! Storytime reader, Mela-
nie, has crafts and stories for kids of all ages
Saturdays from 12-1:30 p.m. For more infor-
mation contact Roberta Lee at 541-592-4770.
IV Branch, Josephine Community Libraries,
209 W Palmer St, CJ
DEADLINES:
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4 P.M. FRIDAYS
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.