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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Office of State Fire Marshal extends self-serve gas rules change to May 23
News release from Oregon Office of
Emergency Management.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal
(OSFM) is extending its temporary rules
change allowing Oregon gas retailers to pro-
vide self-service on a voluntary basis, in or-
der to address worker shortages at stations
statewide.
Today State Fire Marshal Jim Walker ex-
tended the deadline from May 9 to May 23.
“We want to thank Oregonians and Or-
egon businesses for adjusting how they fuel
up their vehicles and serve customers with
this extension of rules suspension, which al-
lows for self-service at Oregon gas stations,”
said Walker.
Station operators will continue to have
flexibility to manage their operations and en-
sure refueling is safe for customers and ser-
vice station attendants, while keeping stations
open as COVID-19 impacts fueling stations’
workforce.
This extension of the self-service rules
change does not impact areas of the state that
are already authorized for self-service refuel-
ing under state law. Information about the ex-
tended rules change for self-service gasoline
can be found on the OSFM website.
Elk hoof disease found in California for first time
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s first
cases of elk hoof disease have been discovered in two
animals in a herd of Roosevelt elk that live in Del Norte
County, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
The painful and potentially crippling disease causes
deformed and overgrown hooves that can cause elk to
limp, become lame and even die, the department said
Thursday. Elk with severe cases may be unable to graze,
fight off other infections or escape predators.
The disease was first discovered in elk in Washing-
ton state in the 1990s and has since been documented in
Oregon and Idaho.
The California cases were confirmed by scientists at
Washington State University.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife said the dis-
ease is highly infectious among elk but there’s no evi-
dence it affects humans.
Hunters, however, were urged to use safe hygiene
practices while processing, cooking and consuming
meat from elk that have signs of deformed or damaged
hooves.
The formal name of the disease, treponeme-associ-
ated hoof disease, or TAHD, comes from an associated
bacterium.
California is home to Rocky Mountain elk, Roos-
evelt elk and tule elk.
Hunters are urged to send hoof samples to the state,
and anyone who observes an elk that is limping, lame or
has abnormal hooves can report it on an agency disease
and mortality website.
FIRE
...
Continued from A-1
the present ‘budget season’
planning when knowing
exactly how and why the
district’s funds are being
expended is so critical
to accurate and proper
budgeting. Proper planning
is even more critical during
this COVID-19 period
when obvious cuts will be
necessary due to an expected
tax revenue income downturn
from the taxpayers. Every
penny is going to count
heavily in the coming
damaged fiscal climate. The
district’s coming budget will
need to be severely restricted
if prudent and cautionary
fiscal planning is applied,”
said Price.
On May 5, current
Fire Chief John J. Holmes
said in a written statement,
“The district follows state
law and seeks legal advice
when we decide whether
or not to release public
documents. Since I was not
the chief when the request
was made, I cannot speak
directly to Director Price’s
previous public records
request. However, the district
did recently offer Director
Price several opportunities to
review the requested records,
including: an offer to review
our financial records with
staff present, an offer to
review the paper copies of the
requested financial records,
a suggestion that he make a
motion at a board meeting
so that the entire board may
discuss and vote on releasing
the records, and a suggestion
that he make another public
records request so we can re-
address the issue. To the best
of my knowledge, Director
Price was not interested in any
of these options.”
announcements. First, if you
haven’t heard, or noticed
our signs in the window of
the former Umpqua Bank
building, we were blessed to
be given the building in an
extremely generous donation
by Umpqua. Please note that
the ATM will remain for your
convenience. We are very
grateful. Due to the COVID
virus we need to adapt and
adjust to remain viable. We
have watched the events we
attend to sell motorcycle
raffle tickets being canceled.
This raffle generates a large
part of our fundraising, and
if continued would quite
possibly lose money. For that
reason we are suspending
the raffle until next year.
Any fundraising project
requires money to be spent
in advance for advertising,
shirts, trophies and such. If
the event is canceled, that
money is lost. For these
reasons, and not knowing how
the epidemic will progress,
we have decided to cancel
the cars show scheduled for
the last Saturday in June.
We look forward with hope
to the return to some kind
of normalcy. We love this
community and encourage
everyone to stay safe, heartfelt
thanks to our first responders,
healthcare workers, pharmacy
and grocery employees,
truckers and all still working
to keep America going. Last
but not least, our friends and
supporters! We will closely
follow conditions and keep
you informed going forward
toward Labor Day.
After his verbal request
was denied, he submitted
a formal public records
request—different from a
Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) request in that
a response is not bound by
law—twice and was denied
both times. Price then asked
other statewide district fire
officials and special district
association representatives
what they thought of the
situation. All parties queried
not only agreed that access
should not be restricted but
“…that it truly is a mandated
obligation for board members
to have such access,” said
Price.
“Denial of access to
the bookkeeping by a board
member is perplexing. This
is especially true during
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’ encour-
ages 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 com-
mentary, including statements
made as fact are strictly those
of the letter writers.)
Lions make
announcements
The Illinois Valley
Lions Club has a few
I.V. Lions Club
I llInoIs V alley F uneral D Irectors
www.since1928Hull.com
541-592-4110
Save the date
June 17
Through May 31
CEEN has scheduled the Helicopter Survey
for Alyssum for June 17. We will be searching in
areas where Alyssum has been found or suspected,
and following Rough & Ready Creek and the Illi-
nois River. The survey is scheduled when Alyssum
will be in peak bloom so it can be seen from the
air. Alyssum murale and Alyssum corsicum were
planted in the Illinois Valley by Viridian, a compa-
ny from Texas, in a failed experiment to pull nickle
out of the soil. Plants escaped the fields and is now
listed as a A rated weed in Oregon. Alyssum is tox-
ic to wildlife and livestock due to the accumulation
of heavy metals. The survey is funded by a grant
from the Oregon State Weed Board.
Cobra Lily: a review of southwest Oregon
literature and art is a print journal celebrating
our region. Consider sending your fiction, poetry,
memoir, essays, history, interviews with interest-
ing locals, photography, paintings, and more (i.e.
don’t feel limited to these genre suggestions). Work
should focus on the nature and culture of Southwest
Oregon, or at least be the work of people who live
in and love our region. The submission deadline
for Volume 6 is May 31, with publication planned
for late summer 2020. Work can be emailed to co-
bralilyreview@gmail.com. Contributors receive
1 free copy and a discount on additional copies.
More information at CobraLily.org.
Local forums via phone conferenc-
ing are taking place Sundays and Thursdays
from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.. Dial in number is: 712-775-
7035, Access Code: 932589# follow prompts.
Purpose: review current COVID and Fire Season
information, relate local experience, and share
support. Governor’s plan for Phase one, relaxing
of restrictions, is scheduled for May 15. Our lo-
cal governments request input from businesses
to assist in organizing protocols sensibly to work
for them. What is your plan? How’s it working?
We’ll end sessions covering Fire Season, which
started May 1. Guenter Ambron @ 541-415-1929
or ivwatch541@gmail.com
Ongoing
May 21 - 24
Boatnik CANCELED due to COVID-19
Illinois
Valley
News
Published weekly by
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Daniel J. and Laura M.
Mancuso, co-publishers
POSTMASTER: Please send
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Cave Junction, OR 97523
Illinois Valley News is published
weekly except the first week of
January at 221 S. Redwood
Hwy.,
Cave Junction, OR 97523
Telephone 541-592-2541
Since 1937 periodicals postage
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*The Food Bank at Doug Hoskins’ Re-
source Center/ Assembly of God Church is still
open at 481 S. Junction Ave. in Cave Junction
Mondays from 2-4 p.m. The new procedure is to
line up in your car and a box will be brought out
to you. (Directions are available on site.) If you are
vegetarian or other special needs a specific box
will be brought out to you in your car.
*The Illinois Valley Safe House Alliance is
excited to announce the launch of our after-hours
Crisis Line which can be reached at 541-415-
9367. The new local crisis line will be answered
any hours the Safe House is closed. The line will
be answered by an advocate who will be able to
respond locally, also recognizing the barriers that
may come up due to our rural location. For more
information contact the Illinois Valley Safe House
Alliance 541-592-2515.
editor -Laura Mancuso
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Letters
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.