Established
in 1937
Letters to the Editor
(Editor's Note: Views and commentary, including statements made as fact, are strictly those of the letter-writers.)
* * *
Typed, double-spaced letters written solely to this newspaper
are considered for publication. Hand-written letters that are
double-spaced and legible also can be considered.
Cards of thanks are not accepted as letters.
* * *Open Door seeking valley assistance
From Vicki Jones
SelmaI am part-owner with my mom, Dodie Vandermark, at Illinois Valley Open door in Selma. We have been here for 10 years serving people with clothing and food.
We are experiencing an abundance of homeless people during the last couple of months. During that time we have served more than 1,200 people of whom 30 percent are homeless.
We could only get one box of six blankets from Food Share at this time because of the Gulf Coast hurricane disasters. All the disaster blankets are being sent to that area.
We are asking the community for help. We need old, usable blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, baby blankets, diapers for our little ones, snuggle beds, quilts and old backpacks. They would be greatly appreciated.
Our address is 18250-B Redwood Hwy. For directions phone 597-2197.
Kwilters applauded for their Fire Quilts
From I.V. Kwilters
Cave JunctionFollowing is only one letter of many that have been received by I.V. Kwilters in response to one of our group’s community projects: Fire Quilts.
This kind of appreciation of our efforts keeps us involved making chemo-caps and heart-shape pillows for mastectomy patients, and Project Linus quilts.
The letter is from Selma resident James R. Simmons: ‘Dear Ladies: On Aug. 25 my home on Deer Creek Road burned to the ground.
“Many people contacted me about many issues, most trying to make money from my loss. Your quilting club was the first and perhaps the only one that did not seek anything from me.
“This fine quilt that was made for me will now become a treasure that I will keep and use the rest of my life. The quilt and the fact that there are people who seek nothing from others will serve me will for a lifetime. My sincere thanks to your club.”
Resident says CJ needs development planning
From Ann Centonze
Cave JunctionOn Monday evening, Oct. 10 I attended yet another city council meeting. I cannot understand why -- with all the desire, wisdom and experience that sits on the council -- that a long-term plan for developing the direction and growth for our fair city has not been created.
As was pointed out we are, like most cities, very diverse and should embrace that. But our city is going through growing pains.
We, as citizens, should be thinking that we would like to see an overall development plan of where our police station, hospital, entertainment complexes, department stores and light industry should be placed to help support the families we anticipate will move here and buy homes.
We should be creating direction and diversionary traffic flow to all these places, and developing infrastructures to maintain all these necessities that growing cities incorporate into their growth plan.
While these issues may not seem too important right this second, the council already is running into development walls on simple matters such as approving street paving and directing water run-off flow on newly needed, paved streets.
I think that many things would happen if an overall development plan, mapping the future desired growth, were created. It would encourage citizens to be more excited about the future of Cave Junction, while encouraging developers of many locations to want to develop here, thereby creating more jobs, diversity and a wealth of human input with regard to CJ’s future.
And by allocating potential growth areas, it will help lay plans for roads, drainage, parks, protected wildlife areas, shopping areas, and zoning for quiet areas for a hospital.
And maybe there also could be a college or university in Cave Junction’s future. Just a thought.
It appears that the city leaders are trying to encourage a retirement community. That is all well and good.
But my parents are of retirement age. And while they do play golf and enjoy the outdoors and the arts, as both are artists, they also have serious health issues, sometimes requiring a fully functional hospital with 24-hour service.
Cave Junction not only doesn’t have a hospital, but as far as I can see as yet, no plans for one. An emergency trip 30 miles away to the Grants Pass hospital makes living in CJ, for my parents, prohibitive. If during development you create a need, then you also need plans to fulfill that need.
For the mayor to say, “It is not the council’s responsibility to protect the rights and investments of Cave Junction’s residents,” and then in the next breath create an environment to protect the rights of developers; and similarly, protect another council member’s property rights, that tells that me that not only doesn’t the council have a clue as to what they are saying, and really supposed to be doing, but is doing it without concern for the citizens, or the future financial, developmental and ethical bottom line for the city as a whole.
And yes, it is the responsibility of the council to protect the rights and investments of its citizens. Otherwise, so much time wouldn’t be spent creating rules and ordinances, and trying to enforce them. Without the citizens, there would be no need for a city council.
Encouraging city leaders and citizens to commit to forethought and direction, create a plan, and look to the future suggests that we care about where we would like our fine city to be in 25 years.
I know that it is not going to happen overnight. But making a plan and sticking to it is a good place to start.
Poor-helpless targets, claims ex-commissioner
From Tony Corriea
Grants Pass(Editor’s Note: The writer is a former Josephine County commissioner.)
Until the commissioners have closed the senior center, I don’t believe they’ll be happy. They are targeting the poor, the helpless and those depending on Meals on Wheels.
The board of county commissioners had been doing great as far as cutting back the cost of employee benefits since there will be a big loss of revenue for next year’s budget. We’ll all have to tighten our belts due to the increase in the cost-of-living including fuel, food, taxes and insurance.
But targeting the seniors, who don’t have anything, and are just hanging on by the skin of their teeth
-- if they’re lucky, they have a place to live and their one meal a day -- is mind-boggling, utterly mad.Imagine yourself as a senior, too old to go out and find a job to help out, trying to live on bare necessities: and then along come the commissioners and they take away your one good meal a day. That’s wrong.
It’s right for the board to come to grips with very real financial challenges and protect the interests of the citizens. But it must be done the right way, and that is not to start with elderly seniors.
Let’s take a realistic look at what is going on in Josephine County. The revenue loss to next year’s budget will have a dramatic effect on county government. We have only scratched the surface; thousands of citizens will be wondering what’s going to happen, and it will be too late if they don’t wake up now.
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