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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020
Letters to the editor
Illinois Valley News welcomes
letters to the editor.
Please e-mail them to
laura@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need not be published, but will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.)
Reader applauds
volunteers at Jubilee
Park
Reflecting back on last
month’s evacuation from
the Slater Fire, I want to
recognize the deep personal
commitment on the part of
volunteers and Cave Junction
City Administration. Jubilee
Park became an ad hoc evacu-
ation center from day one.
Although it was not desig-
nated as an official anything,
to my knowledge, it became a
safe place to go while in liter-
ally weeks Level III status.
So many folks just took it
upon themselves to make it all
happen without the luxury of
any preplanning. Right from
the first day, Mayor Meadow
Martell arrived on the scene
and realized what an asset the
park was in this emergency.
Alex Ponder opened gates and
shut down the irrigation so
that evacuees could utilize the
parking lot and restrooms for
the duration. I know, I slept
on the lawn there that night
while my wife slept in the
car with the cats and dog. On
the second day Mark War-
ren arrived and immediately
swung into action with Tim
Leyba and Suzanne Vautier
to provide meals (which they
continued for the next two
weeks!). Considering the
pandemic, the pavilion was
an open, airy dining area and
when the kitchen was opened,
donated food arrived from
all over. City Councilor Tina
Jones joined in and several
other folks whose names I
never knew. No one told them
to do it; they just did what
was necessary. Trump hats,
Biden shirts; no one cared. It
is not what you believe, it is
what you do.
So in this time of such
deep political divisions in
our society, right down to the
local level, I want to speak up
for the amazing outpouring of
human care and cooperation
that came in this event of real
emergency. Our city govern-
ment, all the volunteers and,
very importantly the heroes in
our local fire department, rose
to the occasion and took bold
actions to truly protect the
citizens of this valley. Let’s
commend and support them
all for a job done truly from
the soul of our human spirit.
Robert Hirning
Takilma
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reader is not a
fan of Trump
Donald Trump isn’t a
good president. Why?
1.The new postmaster
general ordered dismantling
of mail-sorting machines and
removing official mailboxes
in Democratic communities
“because of debt.” DeFazio
said the debt is largely from
a law requiring the agency
to pre-pay many years into
employee retirement funds. A
good president would appoint
someone to save this vital
institution.
2. Michigan Attorney
General Dana Nessel said,
“Follow the advice of the
President of the United States
at your own legal peril,”
referring to Trump’s inciting
violence. When is this not a
crime?
3. Let’s remember
WWII, when millions made
sacrifices to save the world
from fascism. I honor those
veterans. That must make me
anti-fascist.
4. Trump is $420 mil-
lion in debt, to the Russians.
This explains friendship with
Putin. He didn’t want his tax
returns exposed. Tax evasion
is how Al Capone was taken
down. Is it still illegal?
5. Trump closed the
pandemic office set up by
President Obama. He doesn’t
respect or listen to scien-
tists or doctors, fired many
scientists who worked for the
government, falsified data that
he didn’t like. When Covid-
19 appeared here, he said it
would go away soon and we
shouldn’t worry, claiming lat-
er that he didn’t want to alarm
people. Further, he sets a bad
example by refusing to wear
a mask. How many thousands
respect him and infected oth-
ers by doing the same?
6. The birth rate in this
country is decreasing. We
need more workers in years
to come to pay into Social
Security, or tax the rich more.
Even without considering the
humanitarian perspective of
granting political asylum, it
would be in our best interest
to allow more immigrants.
Trump would rather cut Social
Security.
7. Thousands of scien-
tists around the world agree
it’s human activity causing
climate change. With the Arc-
tic melting, Antarctica break-
ing apart, ocean temperatures
changing currents, marine life
changing movements, hur-
ricanes more frequent and de-
structive, more massive flood-
ing, drought causing more
frequent and intense wildfires,
we can’t close our eyes to
it. We need to listen to ideas
for alternative and renewable
energy and change over when
and where possible. The oil
industry discourages this.
Also- his stances on
food security, sexual assault,
endangered species, public
lands, clean water regulations,
etc. I love our country and
grieve the losses that have
been suffered. I pray for solu-
tions to our myriad problems.
Please vote for someone who
will begin to mitigate them.
Susan Gustafson
Cave Junction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
READER is for Allen
I’m voting for Jerry Al-
len for State Senator, District
2 and this is why: Jerry lives
here in the Illinois Valley and
cares about his community.
He understands that the il-
linois Valley has not always
gotten its fair share. But living
here doesn’t help navigate the
State Senate in Salem. Jerry
can because he has crucial
experience on a wider stage.
Jerry was an elected
trustee of Sonoma County,
California’s 1.8 billion pen-
sion fund, a position where
he had to work construc-
tively and assertively with
persons of varying points of
view. As 5 year chair of the
fund’s investment commit-
tee, he learned to make sound
financial decisions for the
fund. He will be a fiscally
responsible Senator who also
has a Master’s degree in
Public Health (MPH) and has
worked as a hospital ex-
ecutive, recruiting infectious
disease physicians. This back-
ground will help him under-
stand and address important
issues raised by the Covid-19
pandemic., and allow him to
make sound decisions that
benefit us.
Southern Oregon will
need to rebuild from both
the pandemic and wildfires.
Jerry Allen is able to work in
groups and to help reconcile
opposing points of view. He
can navigate today’s complex
issues to find solutions that
help all of us move ahead.
Rachel Goodman
Takilma
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Election season is here:
it’s time to know who you
are voting for. Let’s lay out
the facts. Everything stated in
this letter is factual and can
be proven via paper, records.
There are no secrets: this is all
public record.
Chris Hall, who is run-
ning for mayor, attempted to
convince the State of Oregon
to not give the city of Cave
Junction a grant that would
be put toward the city park.
Hall felt that the city was
undeserving of the grant and
tried on multiple recorded
occasions to pursue the state
to withhold the money. The
grant, which was given to the
city despite Hall’s efforts,
totaled $268,000.00 and is
being used to remodel the pa-
vilion, create shade structures
for the playground, and build
a brand-new splash pad water
feature that will be accessible
for all members of the com-
munity.
Spring of 2019, the city
made a call to the Oregon
Department of Agriculture
(DOA) regarding a motorized
sprayer and the requirements
for using such a product. The
city then followed proper
procedures to obtain a license,
and begin spraying under
proper protocols set in place
by the DOA. After all of
this took place, Hall made
multiple attempts to have
the city fined by the DOA
and relentlessly harassed the
department to the point where
a representative was forced to
visit the city to assess the situ-
ation. The DOA interviewed
the staff, reviewed the sprayed
areas, and wrote a letter
determining the exact same
statement they had made the
first time, in that the city had
done exactly what the DOA
guidelines requested. Hall
pursued this for no other out-
come than the hope of costing
the city money and targeting
city employees, and instead
wasted the time and money of
the state of Oregon.
Hall has sent hundreds
of emails to the attorney
general, the district attorney,
county commissioners and
more attempting to cause
chaos and convince others
that there is “subterfuge” tak-
ing place at city hall. “Sub-
terfuge” was Hall’s choice of
word, and means dishonesty
or deception. Hall has accused
the staff of city hall of hiding
things and lying, and insists
that those individuals aren’t
working for the best interests
of the citizens. Hall has stated
that he intends to remove
several members of staff and
replace them with outside
contractors. These individu-
als include three of the most
experienced staffers, with
over 40 years of experience
between them, not to men-
tion all of which are born and
raised in the local community.
Hall moved to this community
from elsewhere and has spent
his time here since attempting
to cause disruption, chaos and
harm to the city.
Hall has attacked the
staff on numerous accounts
without a single legitimate
basis for any of them. He was
unable to meet the qualifica-
tions to run for mayor, and as
a response to his inability to
meet those qualifications, Hall
sued the city to force a work-
around and allow him to run
for office. He then attempted
to make the city pay for his at-
torney fees, but those charges
were dismissed.
Bottom line: Hall
worked hard to dazzle citizens
with impressive words and
a smile that holds no legiti-
macy or honesty. His plans
are vindictive and destructive,
and his plans are not for the
best interests of the citizens,
but for personal gain and
vendetta. He wasn’t in it for
the citizens of Cave Junction
when he started this journey,
and he certainly won’t be in it
for the citizens if he’s allowed
to become Mayor. It’s time to
know who you are voting for.
Raina Strebig
Cave Junction
SEE LETTERS ON A-8
SEE OBIT ON A-6
SLATER FIRE
STORIES WILL
CONTINUE OCT. 28
H&R Block
210 W. Lister St.
Cave Junction
592-3667
Ted Crocker, LTC
Bob Litak, LTC
Licensed Tax Consultants B14914
I llInoIs V alley F uneral D Irectors
www.since1928Hull.com
541-592-4110
Save the date
Oct. 23 & 25 11
Nov. 11
A parent from Madrone Adventist El-
ementary School is holding a fund-raiser to
support her student tuition at Madrone. They
have had serious medical issues in their fam-
ily which as impaired her ability to work. The
GARAGE SALE will be Friday, October 23
and Sunday, October 25 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. The
sale will be held at 106 Woodcock Court in
Cave Junction. Contact Laura Bowlby at 541-
415-1326 for questions or more information.
*VETERANS’ DAY SCHEDULE -
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, RECOGNITION
OF ALL SERVICE BRANCHES, Grand Mar-
shal –Commander Bob Soria, American Le-
gion Post 70
9:15-9:45 a.m.: Attention to Colors Flag
Raising @ Laurel Cemetery and Pledge of Al-
legiance and Invocation Bagpiper; 10-10:30
a.m
.: Flag raising City Hall; American
Legion Commander Bob Soria; 10:45 -11:30
a.m.: Grand Marshal Ride Thru CJ; 11:30
a.m.-12 p.m.: Grand Marshal Drive Thru Lau-
rel Cemetery: 12-3 p.m.: Lunch and Annual
Meeting; 12-5 p.m.: Memorabilia Display-
Courtesy of Kerbyville Museum Curator Den-
nis Strayer, American Legion Post 70 Cave
Junction-Courtesy of Commander Bob Soria,
Souvenir Purchase, Envelope Fundraiser $5-
$100, Registration for Official Bronze Service
Branch Insignia, Interment Marker (5 separate
jars for drawing) Insignia on each jar/Grand
Marshal draws winner, and $1 Balloon Raffle
for Kids Ages 7 to 9 and 10-15 bikes w/hel-
mets
$1 per ticket or 6 tickets for $5; $1 Fer-
bie Raffle for Kids ages 3-6 (limit 3 tickets
Oct. 22 and 29
Virtual Town Hall Forums next two
Thursday from 7:30 to 9 p.m. This is for the
I.V. community - mainly, but everyone can
view. We’ll be on location (to be determined
Wednesday, Oct. 21), and utilizing ZOOM
(video) and its phone in feature. We’ll be us-
ing Facebook, “IV Forum” group, to organize
topics and participants. Yes, you get to ask the
questions, dialog. Event will be announced on
Facebook or contact me for information. All
candidates will be solicited. Guenter Ambron
- 541-415-1929 - or text.
Illinois
Valley
News
Published weekly by
I.V. News LLC
Daniel J. and Laura M.
Mancuso, co-publishers
POSTMASTER: Please send
address changes to P.O. Box 1370,
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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Tuesdays
New Food Pantry Welcomes Public
Tuesdays 9-11 am. Cave Junction Seventh
Day Adventist Church Reopens its Community
Services Center, 265 South Old Stage Road in
Assistance to everyone, with no church atten-
dance required. Due to COVID-19 precautions,
all food will be pre-boxed. After this crisis, the
food pantry staff hopes to return to a “shopping
model,” where clients may select the foods they
prefer. In the future the CJSDA Community Ser-
vices Center will also offer clothing, houseware
and hygiene items. People wishing to make
contributions to this effort, as volunteers or in
donations to feed local people, are encouraged
to contact Patti Delk at patti47delk@gmail.com
or to send a check to the Cave Junction Seventh
Day Adventist Church marked “food pantry” to
PO Box 330, Cave Junction, OR, 97523.
Ongoing
** The dog walking group is open for
more participants! Monday through Friday we
walk our dogs either in town or at The Forks,
from 9 a.m. to about 10:15 a.m. Our in-town
walks feature stops at local businesses for dog
treats. In the summer our Forks walks include a
dog swim. Dogs must be vaccinated and masks
are recommended. For more info. call or text
Becky at 541-660-2032. (After smoke clears.)
** The Illinois Valley Safe House Alli-
ance after-hours Crisis Line 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 lo-
cation. For more information contact the Illinois
Valley Safe House Alliance 541-592-2515.
** HIV Alliance offers services in Cave
Junction every Monday from noon – 3 p.m. at
Immanuel United Methodist Church (across from
ShopSmart). Services include: Free and confiden-
tial HIV and Hep C testing. Needle Exchange and
drop box (all syringes welcome), and overdose
response and Naloxone training.
editor -Laura Mancuso
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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.