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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, December 21, 2022
From the mayor’s desk: by Meadow Martell
This is my last letter in 2022 and the end
of my second term as Mayor of Cave Junction.
I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas
holiday. I will be back in 2023 which is also
the start of my third term as mayor. The Jan.
9, 2023, City Council meeting will include the
swearing in of the newly elected officials and
the State of the City address.
I want to talk about one of the issues
that residents periodically come in conflict
with- fence requirements and permits. All
cities have ordinances or laws that deal with
maintaining public health and safety, zoning,
public morals, behavior, and general welfare.
Laws are enacted in cities to protect the visual
texture of our area and to keep neighbors in
a civil and neighborly relationship with each
other. In Cave Junction, as in many other
cities, this includes a fencing ordinance. Even
though you may want to build any kind of
fence anywhere, at any height, and at any
position to the property line, this is illegal
without an approved fencing permit.
Any time you install a new fence or
make changes to an existing fence you need
a Fence Permit. Before installing or making
any changes you must submit a complete
application, pay a permit fee, and the city
must approve the fence location before you
can begin. Permit application and guidelines
are available in City Hall at the front desk
during regular business hours. Our friendly
and knowledgeable front desk staff are
very helpful and can answer questions. Be
warned that if you build your fence without
a permit or before the city has approved it,
you will have to pay double the permit fee.
If you don’t make the required changes, you
risk a nuisance violation which can be very
expensive.
There are many reasonable sounding
arguments why someone may want to do
something different than what city ordinance
allows. However, if city council starts making
an exception for one person, then there is
very little argument for not making the next
exception. If exceptions are the rule there
is no point in making laws. It’s important
to remember that the city council members
are elected and sworn in to enforce the city
laws as they exist. Laws can be changed,
but there is a significant process that must
be followed first. This may sound harsh, but
code enforcement can be an important part of
maintaining the appearance, functioning, and
property values of our city and neighborhoods.
Join us at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
for a
Candlelight
Christmas Eve
Service
at 7 p.m.
150 Lewis Ct. Cave Junction, Or.
541-507-7458 or 541-592-2290
I llInoIs V alley F uneral D Irectors
www.since1928Hull.com
541-592-4110
S a ve th e d a te
Dec. 22 & 23
**A Booth and Table
Merchandise Sale to support
Ascension Art and Tea House will
be held on the 22nd and 23rd, at
200 A Lister St. Cave Junction from
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Have
things you want to sell or buy, call
Christie at 541-592-9308 or text her.
Dec. 24
**Join us at Good Shepherd
Lutheran Church for a Candleight
Christmas Eve Service at 7 p.m. 150
Lewis Ct. Cave Junction, Or. 541-
507-7458 or 541-592-2290
Dec. 25
** Merry Christmas!
Jan. 4
No I.V. News delivered
Wednesday, Jan. 4. Happy New
Year! We will return Jan. 11.
Jan. 10
**Illinois Valley Amateur
Radio Club (IVARC) will be having
our monthly meeting @ 6pm at Wild
Illinois
Valley
News
Published weekly by
I.V. News LLC
Daniel J. and Laura M.
Mancuso, co-publishers
River Pizza in CJ. As well as our
meeting at Wild River every second
Tuesday at 6pm, we have a weekly
emergency General Mobile Radio
Service (GMRS) net check-in every
Monday @ 7pm. New members
are welcome and encouraged to
contact us and attend our meetings.
For more information, please visit
our website Illinois Valley Amateur
Radio Club (ivarc.org) or email:
IVARC.org@proton.me
Seventh-day Adventist Church PO
Box 330, Cave Junction, OR 97523
Tuesdays
**Food Pantry Tuesdays 10 a.m.
- 1 p.m. Cave Junction Adventist/
Community Services Food
Distribution, 265 S. Old Stage Rd.
Volunteers are needed to help stock,
date check, sort food, pack boxes and
handout food boxes, etc. to volunteer
please email cavejunctionacs@gmail.
com.
Contributions can by made
out to the CJ Seventh-day Adventist
Church and identify that they are in
support of the Community Service by
writing “CJACS” in the memo section
of your check. Mail to: Cave Junction
ONGOING
**Drop-in Storytime at
Josephine County Library in Cave
Junction, 11am - 2pm, with stories
read aloud by Deborah every half
hour and a themed craft available
all day. For families on a tight time
schedule, craft kits are available to
take home!
Illinois Valley News is published
weekly except the first week of
January at 219 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
Wednesdays
**AWANA 6:15 - 8 p.m. 3
Years to 6th Grade. 113 So. Caves
Ave.
Saturdays
**Take your bottles and cans
to IVCanDo’s Cans for Kids behind
the Chevron Station 10 - 2.
**Adopt-A-Senior
Volunteers wanted to assist senior
and disabled residents in their home
with light duty activities and /or
socialization and to drive residents
to doctor or grocery store. Gift
cards are provided for volunteers.
Background check and references
required call 541-592-9781 or email
ivwellnessresources@gmail.com.
**Join for a Death Café at
the IV Grange, 3763 Holland Loop,
Dec.27th 4:30-6:30pm. Donations
welcome, but no one turned away
for lack of funds. Sweet treats and
light refreshments will be provided.
Death Cafe’s provide an agenda-free
safe place to discuss death and dying
and life and living. Not a grief
support group, it is no more and no
less than a friendly group discussing
death, dying and end of life topics.
For questions, email: Angela
Franklin crossroadsdeathcare@
gmail.com or call 541-450-5336.
** VOLuNTEErS
NEEDED! Folks residing in Illinois
Valley will have the opportunity
to participate in a pilot project that
offers support to older adults (60+)
and adults with physical disabilities,
living with life-limiting illness and
who are experiencing loneliness and
other emotional distress. This project
will train community members as
“companions,” providing respite
and support. If successful, this will
be replicated and offered for free
throughout the state of Oregon.
If you are interested in learning
how to support your community
at end-of-life and how to be a
compassionate presence to others,
please consider volunteering. The
training will happen Feb 2. For
more information or to request
an application, please contact
Angela Franklin: email afranklin@
optionsonline.org or call 541-450-
2036. Background check required
for all volunteers.
** HIV Alliance offers services in
Cave Junction every Tuesday from
noon – 3 p.m. at Immanuel United
Methodist Church (across from
Shop Smart). Services include:
Free and confidential HIV and
Hep C testing. Needle Exchange
and drop box (all syringes
welcome), and overdose response
and Naloxone training.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
editor -Laura Mancuso
DEADLINES:
One year in Josephine
County - $40
One year in Jackson and
Douglas counties - $41
One year in all other
Oregon counties and
out-of-state - $48.00
laura@theivnews.com
News, Classified and
Display Ads,
Announcement and
Letters
Illinois Valley News does not refund subscriptions.
Remainder of subscription will be donated to the
charity of your choice.
copy editor - C.J. Schatza
classified ads - Laura Mancuso
laura@theivnews.com
circulation - Laura Mancuso
stacy@theivnews.com
advertising / composition -
Dan Mancuso
dan@theivnews.com
4 P.M. FRIDAYS
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