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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, May 16, 2018
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need not be published, but will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.)
To the Editor:
Dan Mancuso suggests
the City should refuse the help
and ignore the input of people
living outside the City limits
as it develops its Parks Plan.
Have we forgotten the dozens
of Valley-wide residents who
planned, raised funds, and
built the playground at Jubilee
Park? Are City residents
excluded from helping care
for the Forks State Park under
the community Adopt-A-Park
Plan? Of course not!
Let’s not dig divides
that block collaboration and
progress.
I hope all the people of
the Illinois Valley will come
enjoy our City parks, and also
will roll up their sleeves to
help plan, plant and paint our
parks as well.
Mary Orton
Cave Junction
Dear Dan Mancuso,
Thank you for your
support of the Illinois Valley
Chamber of Commerce
mission and its motto to bring
“Unity in the Community”.
Where is the Chamber?
The main office is in the
Illinois Valley Visitor Center.
Its spirit is in the hearts and
activities of its members.
Our desire is to create
mutually beneficial business
opportunities in the Illinois
Valley and provide services
that allow local businesses
to grow and prosper. As an
organization we have made a
commitment to partner with
the National Park Service,
Bureau of Land Management,
US Forest Service, City of
Cave Junction, Oregon State
Parks, and Illinois Valley
Community Development
Organization to operate the
Illinois Valley Visitor Center.
In 2017 we had over
10,000 people visit our
office, and so far in 2018 we
have had close to 1,500. We
have shared local business
information with visitors and
sent out close to 1,000 pieces
of mail in 2018.
We recently did our
local market research with
a business survey and
discovered that businesses
love our small town and its
people. We also found that
businesses are experiencing
growth, and our businesses
are optimistic. According
to the survey, top business
concerns in the Illinois
Valley were staffing scarcity,
security, cash flow and access
to capital.
We had a local business
mixer in March at Illinois
Valley Visitor Center. On
May 18th from 5pm to 7pm
we are sponsoring a joint
mixer with our neighboring
communities of Grants Pass,
Rogue River, Crescent City
and Brookings at the Chateau
at the Oregon Caves National
Monument. We are trying to
create opportunities for our
members to network with
each other and with other
businesses in the region.
Our 2018 summer
activities include seven
weekly Concerts In The Park
at Jubilee Park beginning
Thursday, June 21st. We
plan to kick-off the Holiday
season with the Holiday
Tree lighting on November
23rd and encourage folks
to shop locally with special
promotions on small business
Saturday, November 24th.
The IV Chamber Board
meets monthly on the third
Wednesday at Wild River
Brewing and they set project
and fiscal priorities based
on available resources.
Increasing our Business
membership continues to be a
top priority. Anything you can
do to help with recruitment
would be greatly appreciated.
Besides facilitating business
communication, members
receive preferred business
placement on the Illinois
Valley Community website,
https://illinoisvalleyweb.org/
directory/categories/business/
and an opportunity to display
their materials at the Visitor
Center and receive support
from our office.
Current business
resources include the
Illinois Valley Business
Entrepreneurial Center
and a Small Business
Micro Loan Program. We
will be able to offer more
services as membership
increases. With more
members and participation
we can complete projects
including the upgrade of the
Illinois Valley Billboards.
Estimated replacement costs
were greater than available
funds and we are currently
seeking additional funding.
We continually look for
collaboration with other
entities to accomplish our
mission.
Please renew your
membership and collaborate
with us to help our valley
prosper. Additional
information available at
https://cavejunctionoregon.
com/
On behalf of the Board
of Directors,
Illinois Valley
Chamber of Commerce
Reader responds
with actual
information
Great article on the
20th annual Children’s Fair
and Pet Parade. Just one
clarification. The event
was started by the members
of the Illinois Valley Early
Childhood Council which
included representatives from
the Siskiyou Community
Health Center as well as
representatives from Early
Head Start, Head Start,
Josephine County programs:
Commission for Children and
Families; Health; and Early
Intervention; Three Rivers
School District, and child care
providers.
I am so pleased to
see this event - just for the
younger children and families
- continue for 20 consecutive
years.
Thanks again for the
great article.
Sara McDonald
Takilma
Angie Graves,
Coordinator
Celebrating the Life of:
Douglas Wayne Cortrecht
January 15, 1948 – April 28, 2018
Douglas transitioned in the comfort of his
home surrounded by his wife, son and daughter
and close friends on Saturday April 28.
Douglas Wayne Cortrecht was born
in Anderson, Indiana on January 15, 1948
to Harvey and Janet. He grew up in rural
Anderson and cultivated a taste for taking things
apart and seeing how they worked while he
spent time at his dad’s Shell station. He was a
drummer in the Highland High School marching
band and worked for General Motors/Delco
Remy in Anderson for almost a decade, quitting
just shy of his investment in their retirement
program!
In 1976 Douglas and his partner, to be
spouse, Elaine Barker crossed the country in
the 1965 Chevy van he customized to arrive in
Oregon. His vision was to build his own home
and Oregon had the trees for the project. In the
meantime they lived off the grid for 13 years
in the mountains above Holland Store at Mtn.
Ranch allowing Doug to hone his skills until
they found their home site down in the Valley.
When Doug set out to build, he literally
did it all:designing the structure and it’s
details, hauling the trees out of the forest to
make shakes for the roof,digging the hole for
the septic tank with his tractor,designing and
building everything from the cabinets tothe
windows himself…
Doug’s ethic of craftsmanship extended
into many forms and media: wood,
blacksmithing, ceramics, plumbing, etc. as
well as mechanical and electrical devices. He
was a master of many things and was able to
build beauty into every project, large or small,
anything he set his mind to. He cared about
how things worked, how thingswere best done
and had the skill and the patience to execute the
tasks to his standard. He could fix anything. He
was inventive and accompanied these skills with
his own notable humor that fit with his style.
Doug was a lot of things to a lot of people.
Evidence of his creativity, spirit and problem
solving can be seen throughout the Illinois
Valley as well as back in Indiana. He found
time to be a volunteer fireman at station 4 for
many years and also worked some seasons at
the California Agricultural Inspection Station.
He was a member of the State of Jefferson
Blacksmiths which afforded a number of
interesting adventures. He was very involved in
the lives of his children, Ian Barker-Cortrecht
and Thea Barker-Cortecht. He was a stay at
home dad while they were young. He coached
peewee soccer, T ball and coach pitch. He
contributed greatly to projects at the Dome
School and cared for his mother Janet Cortrecht
who also lived in Cave Junction for several
years.
Douglas is survived by his spouse, Elaine
Barker, his children, Ian and Thea, his sister
KaronCortrechtKardatzke and 2 neices and 1
nephew and their children.He was preceded
in death by his mother, Janet and his father,
Harvey.
Doug will be sorely missed,A celebration
of his life is being planned for later in the
summer.
Contributions can be made for the
purchase of a boulder with a memorial marker
to be placed at his home.
On Doug’s and his family’s behalf we
would like to express our deepest thanks and
appreciation for all the vast goodness and
generosity that was showered on all of us during
Doug’s illness.
View Doug’s full obituary and leave
messages at Hull & Hull Funeral Home website:
www.since1928hull.com
Douglas Wayne Cortrecht
I llINoIs V alley F uNeral D Irectors
www.since1928Hull.com
541-592-4110
Save the date
bake sale. Good time for all!
May 20
Happy Birthday Gabrielle V. Mancuso!
June 7
May 26
The Butterfly Pavilion at Rusk Na-
ture Center will open Memorial Weekend,
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. New interactive exhibits
and additions to the the children’s natural
playground, bring a picnic lunch and enjoy!
Hours: Tues. - Sun. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
June 2
Rotary Club of I.V. Clean Up CJ, Sat-
urday, June 2 from 8:45 a.m. – 11 a.m. meet
at the I.V. Family Coalition, 535 E. River St.,
CJ
Saturday, June 2, 2018: IV Senior
Center is holding its Annual Flea Market! 8
a.m. to 4 p.m. For only $10 you get a 20’ x
20’ space to sell those old treasures you’ve
had hidden away. Come by to sign up at 520
E. River Street or call Rich at 541-592-6888.
We are also having our Country Breakfast
so we should have a great crowd. Lunch will
also be sold starting at noon and we’ll have a
Illinois
Valley
News
Published weekly by
I.V. News LLC
Daniel J. Mancuso, Publisher
IVHS Class of 2018 Graduation 7 p.m.
on the football field weather permitting.
June 23
IVHS Family Fun Festival & Chili cook-off
Hosted by: IVHS girls’ basketball, Saturday,
June 23. The cost of each entry is $15. There
are prizes for first and second place winners.
There will be a prize for the most creative
chili. The cost to taste is $5. The fun festival
begins at noon at IVHS with the cook off to
follow at 2 p.m. Tickets for the games/ac-
tivities are $1 per ticket. Each activity will
require a minimum of 1 ticket. We will have
face painting, ring toss, basketball shooting,
dunk tank and much more.
Continuing
*Evergreen Elementary school is looking
for SMART (Start Making A Reader Today)
volunteers. The program will run Tuesdays
through Thursdays and volunteers are asked
to come to Evergreen around 11:30 a.m. and
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
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.
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.getSMART-
oregon.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 Ex-
ams (Annuals/Problem Visits), Birth Control
(All Methods Available), Pregnancy Testing,
editor -Laura Mancuso
laura@illinois-valley-news.com
copy editor - C.J. Schatza
classified ads - Laura Mancuso
laura@illinois-valley-news.com
circulation - Laura Mancuso
laura@illinois-valley-news.com
Pre-pregnancy counseling. 3rd Thursday of
every month: STI testing/treatment, birth con-
trol 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 Cave
Junction is now open on Mondays, Tuesdays
and Thursdays 10 to 2. Volunteers are still
needed to staff additional days. Applications
are available at the substation or online at
http://www.co.josephine.or.us/Files/Volun-
teer. For information call 541-474-5123.
*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, inter-
rupt, report and decrease property crime in the
city of Cave Junction. Call 541-592-9665 or
visit cjpatrol.org.
DEADLINES:
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Announcement and
Letters
4 P.M. FRIDAYS
advertising / composition -
Dan Mancuso
dan@illinois-valley-news.com
mailroom - Millie Watkins
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.