Letters to the Editor
ODF wildfire protection letter, situation explained
From De Spellman
Selma
Because of the anger and misunderstandings about Senate Bill 360, I will conduct an explanatory meeting on Thursday, Aug. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Josephine County Bldg. in Downtown Cave Junction.
We all know how the July 18 meeting called in Grants Pass by Oregon Dept. of Forestry turned out. People who have already accomplished the recommended wildfire protection got letters, and some were signed off by ODF.
So it is clear that ODF did not use the data base and information previously gathered for the Illinois Valley Fire Plan. It identified high-risk areas in the valley, resulting in projects including Thompson Creek and North Selma, and the fire danger was reduced there.
During my two years working with the Forestry Action Committee (FAC), I wrote hundreds of prescriptions for defensible space and fuels reduction. I would flag property for the work; ODF would perform the final inspection; and the land owner would get $330 from ODF. I took “before” photos, and ODF took “after” photos.
ODF has been getting grants for years to encourage home owners in Josephine County to learn to live with fire. There is a data base at ODF, and one for the Thompson Creek and North Selma projects with Illinois Valley Community Development Organization (IVCDO). With a little effort to check the data, a lot of anger and frustration could have been averted.
Senate Bill 360 is a good thing if you have done the work. It provides recourse if your neighbor doesn’t do the wildfire hazard reduction work, and a fire starts, goes to your land, and you have losses.
I have been talking about this bill since 2000 when I first learned that I could save more homes and lives through education than with a fire hose. Those who got prescriptions from me were told about SB 360 and given a copy of it.
ODF and FAC were working off grants, and everything must be documented when using them. So let’s assume that readily available data was not used. I am happy to hold meetings to answer questions and help people understand SB 360. It is about protecting prudent land owners.
SB 360 can be found on the ODF Website. And there will be copies at the Aug. 2 meeting for review.
No one should respond to any SB 360 matters until they are educated. Some 2,000 persons who were sent letters responded to the July 18 meeting, which was closed, and another has not been scheduled.
Besides the gathering I will conduct in Cave Junction, there will be others during August in Selma and Takilma.
I hope that the poorly written ODF letter will not stop what this valley has been doing for years. We had the first plan to live with fire, and a lot of money came into the valley.
Let’s keep up the good efforts; we can work this out.
‘Natural instinct’ noted during Pizza pit incident
From Allison Ballard
Cave Junction
Citizens of Cave Junction followed their natural instinct, and provided instant response and rescue of the victims in a motor home after it destroyed half of Pizza Pit on July 1.
Employees of Pizza Pit should be recognized for their quick action after the crash. I heard about it on my scanner, and was at the scene after the third rescue truck arrived.
First thing I saw was a big mess. I pushed through the crowd looking for my daughter, Rose, who was working at Pizza Pit that day. I was crying and praying that she was OK. I spotted her next to what was left of the restaurant.
I gave her a big hug, and asked if she was OK. She had been working with Calvin. For two 20-year-olds who had experienced a horrific accident that could have killed them, they still knew what to do.
They left the building; turned off the gas; and went to check on the RV occupants. Rose said that there was blood everywhere. She and Calvin obtained as many clean towels and rags as they could find.
I arrived five or 10 minutes after the accident. As soon as I found that my daughter was OK, I watched a town that had no time to wait for professional assistance come together and do what they had to do.
I was impressed when nine people, who should be recognized, lifted a wall off one of the victims that a fork lift couldn’t move. It took approximately 45 minutes to get out the last victim.
It paid off for all those who worked frantically because they saved the lives of those four people in the RV. I’m proud to live in a community that cares.
Mishap causes fingering an awkward situation
From Dale Sandberg
Selma
To say that someone is “all thumbs” has negative connotation, to say the least.
Well, let me tell you, I sure wouldn’t want to be without my thumbs. The other day I cut my right thumb on the very end and into the nail.
You never know just how much you use your thumb until it hurts. Something as simple as buttoning your shirt; or picking up a glass; or try writing with a hurt thumb.
Sure, you can write just using your fingers, but give it a try, and you will find that it’s much easier when you use your thumb. When I turn the key in my car, my thumb hurts.
You have no idea how many times you hit your thumb in the course of a day: until it hurts. Maybe I’m just being a baby, but I definitely want to keep my thumbs in good working order.
So the next time someone says I’m “all thumbs, I will wear it like a badge.
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