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Illinois Valley News
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, 1 Section, Volume LXXXIII No. 41
$1.00
Published weekly for the residents of the Illinois Valley
(Photo courtesy of Tssa Ruberio for the Illinois Valley News)
OCTOBER BLUES
The Blue City Diesel above shows the plants trichomes which is where THC levels
are made. According to Leafly.com Trichomes exist in many shapes and sizes, but
there are three that appear most often on cannabis plants.
Bulbous trichomes are the smallest of the bunch, and they appear on the surface
of the entire plant. Bulbous trichomes are as small as 10-15 micrometers, which is
tiny enough to only be comprised of a handful of cells.
Capitate sessile trichomes are slightly larger and contain both a head and a stalk.
These trichomes are quite a bit more abundant than their bulbous brethren, but
cannot hold a candle to the bountifulness and size of the third trichome variety.
Capitate-stalked trichomes range from anywhere between 50-100 micrometers
wide, meaning they’re much larger and can actually be seen by the naked eye.
Their structure consists of a stalk comprised of epidermal and hypodermic cells
that build up to a basal cell which attaches to a large gland head. This gland head,
held together by a waxy cuticle layer, serves as the epicenter for cannabinoid and
terpenoid synthesis.
(The plant on the right is a Blueberry Cookies.)
(Photo courtesy of Scott Thoms for the Illinois Valley News)
RCC tenants criticize
college’s belt-tightening
Kerby campus going on
market; advisory panel
formed about RCC’s
role in Illinois Valley
Iris Chinook
IVN contributing writer
Iris Chinook
IVN contributing writer
Rogue Community College (RCC)
is putting its only Illinois Valley property
on the market, a move that RCC says is
necessary to avoid laying off staff.
On Aug. 20, RCC President
Cathy Kemper-Pelle sent out an email
informing employees that the college had
decided to place two buildings on the
market. RCC is choosing this course of
action hoping to avoid having to lay off
staff.
RCC Public Relations representative
Grant Walker wrote in a statement,
“Based on the impact of COVID-19
on student enrollments, tuition, and
state reimbursements, revenue is down
significantly for RCC and will remain
down perhaps through the next biennium.
As stewards of public resources, RCC
(Photo by Laura Mancuso for the Illinois Valley News)
The Rogue Community College extension building in Kerby - the Belt
Building - as seen Monday, oct. 19. RCC is selling the building, but rules
say it must still function as a Masonic lodge and educational center.
must make difficult decisions about
how to balance its budget in these very
difficult times. RCC recently had both
a space utilization study and a facilities
condition study done for all buildings in
the RCC district. Based on that data, we
are reducing our physical footprint in both
Josephine and Jackson counties as more
RCC services go online.”
Going on the chopping block are
the Illinois Valley landmark Kerby
Belt Building and the old City Hall in
downtown Grants Pass, home to the
college’s Small Business Development
Center.
The Cave Junction
City Council held a meeting
over Zoom Oct. 12. Mayor
Meadow Martell brought
the meeting to order with
all councilors present: Dan
Bosch, Tina Casey Jones,
Jean Ann Miles and Mark
Dillinger.
City recorder Rebecca
Patton presented Resolution
913- regarding the Illinois
Valley Golf Course which
is now owned by the city.
The city is creating a golf
course debt service fund
totaling $600,000 and will be
making monthly payments
to Washington Federal Bank.
Councilor Bosch agreed this
is the most cost effective way
to deal with the city’s effluent
issue.
Councilor Dillinger
asked about the process of
leasing out the golf course
and wondered if the city can
afford the loan payments.
Patton said the money was
budgeted prior to the golf
course purchase, but that bulk
water revenue will pay for
the loan and by taking out
the loan this “frees up money
for capital improvement
projects.” There has been
no formal discussion of who
would lease the golf course at
this point.
Martell said they haven’t
actively looked for someone
to lease the golf course yet,
but “would entertain credible
proposals if they were
presented.” The resolution for
The Cave Junction Pool has long been a source of
contention. After the problematic property languished
for years - amid questions posed to the city of what to
do with the pool and facilities - fittingly, it was found
out that it belongs to Josephine County. The deed for
the pool was transferred June 3 and two weeks ago the
county finished filling in the pool with dirt.
“After receiving the pool property back from Cave
Junction, we decided to ward off any potential safety
issues with the pool before the winter rains start. We
basically took a jackhammer and made Swiss cheese out
of the bottom of the pool and filled it with dirt and rock
so it will drain,” Josephine County Facilities Manager
Ryan Johnson said in an interview.
In 1979, the pool was purchased with funding
from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and
their guidelines were adopted by the State of Oregon
Department of Parks (SODP).
SEE pooL oN A-10
SEE RCC oN A-9
City forms debt fund for golf course
Laura Mancuso
IVN staff
Former city
pool now filled
in with dirt
creating a debt service passed
5-0.
Jim Polk from the
Rotary Club of the Illinois
Valley was present to ask
if the city would waive a
banner fee for the adopt-a-
road program to go across the
highway. During discussion
from council it was brought
up that the city should not
waive the fee due to all the
labor and paperwork that has
to be done.
SEE CITY oN A-10
State expands
mask rules again
SALEM (AP) — As the total number of COVID-
19 cases in Oregon nears 40,000 people, health officials
announced Monday that face-covering requirements are
once again being expanded to include all private and
public work spaces, outdoor markets and colleges.
The Oregon Health Authority reported 266 new and
presumptive COVID-19 cases Monday and eight deaths.
The numbers bring the state’s case tally to 39,794. The
death toll is 627.
Currently, Oregonians are required to wear masks
at indoor public spaces and outside when they cannot
maintain 6 feet of space between others.
SEE MASK oN A-9