Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Page A-3
Gearing up for the Fabulous ‘50s Charity Car Show
By Laura Mancuso
IVN Editor
Start your engines and head
to Riverside Park in Grants Pass
for the Fabulous ‘50s Charity Car
Show Saturday, July 24 at 10 a.m.
for the opening ceremony. This
Fabulous show will also have ‘50s
music, a raffle, 50/50, breakfast
and lunch vendors, participant gifts
and merchandise booths. Then, at
2:30 p.m. there will be an awards
ceremony.
The car show is organized by
the Rogue Valley Classic Cruisers
(RVCC) with Chair Kathy Simmons
at the steering wheel. Simmons has
been organizing the Fab ‘50s for 15
years. When asked what motivates
her to keep planning the show, she
said, “The charities are so important
for our community and our club is
behind this.”
Simmons explained that
80% of the proceeds go to RVCC
charities. The 2021 charities will
be Hearts With A Mission, Sleep in
Heavenly Peace and Women’s Crisis
Support Team as well as two $1,000
scholarships to Rogue Community
College automotive students.
Interestingly, Simmons reported that
most of the recent scholarships to
automotive students have gone to
females.
The other 20% of the proceeds
of the show go to local nonprofits in
smaller donations.
Simmons says she has always
been motived to volunteer. She is
also a member of the Illinois Valley
Garden Club and Beta Signa Fi,
a women’s philanthropic group
(nonacademic sorority).
If you’re wondering how
Simmons got involved with RVCC,
then you haven’t met her husband
Bob.
Bob Simmons is an “antique
car enthusiast” who has owned 96
antique cars in his 79 years of life.
Just recently he won an award for his
’55 Chevy, 4-door wagon he calls
Buttercup at an RVCC show held
at the Hidden Valley High School
to support the girls’ soccer team. “I
won the ‘Best Walmart Parking Lot
Car’ award and before that she won
the ‘Trailer Queen’ award,” said Bob
with a chuckle, and then explained
that they always come up with funny
names at the Hidden Valley car show.
(Photo by Laura Mancuso for the Illinois Valley News)
“Out of 120 cars they only give out
Kathy and Bob Simmons in front of their rural Cave Junction home Sunday, July 18 with Buttercup,
10-15 awards.”
a ’55 Chevy, 4-door wagon and Baby Blue, a ’72 Chevy C10, shelf wheelbase stepside pickup.
Bob and Kathy Simmons have
been married for 34 years and have
Odds are that if you see a classic
yellow classic stands out in a show
California. “My first car was a ‘26
lived in rural Cave Junction since
car with an octopus made of yarn
with the surfboards on the roof and
Bucket-T 48 Cadillac flathead and I
2004 when they moved from Ukiah,
hanging from the rearview mirror,
island-themed décor.
paid $25 for it.”
California to be close to family
Bob Simmons may have had a hand
When talking about his cars,
His other street rod is just as
in retirement. Kathy is a retired
impressive, a ’72 Chevy C10, shelf
in it. His mother, who has now
Bob gets a twinkle in his eye and
administrator with the Bureau of Land
wheelbase stepside pickup named
passed, made him an octopus for all
a spring in his step. “I bought this
Management of 30 years and Bob
Baby Blue. Bob bought the car from
his classics and he often handed them
car (Buttercup) in Kansas City,
was an insurance salesman who then
out to friends.
Missouri and she was born in Lincoln, owners in Medford and he upgraded
sold his business before retiring at age
it with a different grill and a Tonneau
If you are excited for the car
Nebraska. I found the original owner
60.
retractable cover in the back. “This
show and would like a sneak peak
in Nevada and learned she had
“I am very lucky with the wife
model was popular in early cars,” said there is a free pre-show from 7 a.m. to
been used as a newspaper delivery
I have,” Bob said with gratitude.
Bob with glee, and then demonstrated 2 p.m. at the Growers Market parking
car,” said Bob as he showed off the
Kathy lovingly supports his hobby
how fast his truck could go with a 350 Lot on F Street, between 4th and 5th
detailed pinstriping done by the late
that he started when he was 13 years
Street in Grants Pass Friday, July 23.
Don Tippit from Nevada. He said this hp engine.
old living on a ranch in Hopland,
Professionals of color speak up about racism
By Laura Mancuso
IV News staff
Racism still needs to
be addressed in Josephine
County according to a panel
of speakers for “Inclusive
Spaces for a Diverse
Workforce” sponsored by
a grant for SO Health-E
that was held at the Allcare
Conference Room in Grants
Pass July 15.
The community
organizer and moderator of
the panel was Cave Junction
resident Connie Dillinger,
who is community advisory
council member for Allcare
Health.
Many area human
resources personnel and
management teams that work
with hiring and retaining
employees were invited to
this private event.
The panel was made
up of professionals of color
that included: Dr. Jacob
Herring, Vincent and Brenda
Aguilera, Rashi Woods and
Nicole Schlienger.
Dillinger said, “The
speakers are here to speak
their truth about experiences,
tell why they came here, and
how they have been treated.”
The discussions were
filled with emotion and
real-life experiences that
panel members have had
with racial injustices that
have happened in Josephine
County during past events
and current times. They
all had hopes of making
an impact in future social
change.
One thing that all the
panelists agreed upon was
a statement made by Dr.
Herring, a diverse workforce
consultant. “Never say ‘I
don’t see color.’ The person
will think you are an idiot.”
Herring pointed out, “When
you say that, you are wiping
away a huge part of who I
am.” Herring told his truth
about his Black son being
bullied at a school in Grants
Pass and how he decided to
have him change schools.
Brenda Aguilera, a
program manager for Project
Youth Plus, said she wants
change for all students of
color. Brenda told the story
about how one of her sons
ended up moving away from
Grants Pass to California
and finally confided in her
that in Grants Pass he felt
like, “I was a black dot on a
white piece of paper.” She
explained that the population
of people of color is growing
in Grants Pass and “if you
are hiring, you should make
your job more known (to
people of color).”
Rashi Woods, an
Illinois Valley resident along
with her husband and four
children, told stories about
how she and her family
have been treated in Cave
Junction. Her son has been
called the “N” word and she
has had sarcastic customers
try to converse with her in
Spanish in a condescending
manner, when she is a
Black American that speaks
English. She wishes that
employers would pay
attention to these situations
and address them. One
of her frustrations is the
Confederate Flag being
flown. “How can white
people say that the flag is
not racist?” Woods asked,
and added, “It makes me
feel that ‘I don’t matter and
neither does my family.’”
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