It’s quite an impressive list of achievements for a nineteen year old girl from Grants Pass.

She’s an accomplished speaker and debater.

She’s part of the Emmons Sisters blue grass band.

She’s in the Ivy Street Band.

And now, Victoria Emmons is a movie star.

So how does a girl from this area run across such luck? For Victoria, it started when she saw an online request for people to audition for roles in the movie “Come What May.” She contacted the director of Advent Film Group, George Escobar, and when they realized they’d both be at an National Christian Forensics and Communications Association speech contest, they decided she would audition for him there. Then the meeting took a little twist. The person reading across from Victoria was called away, so another person had to be found. Dashing through a thunderstorm, she ran to the dormitory of an acquaintance and arrived at his door soaked, asking him to read across from her. Austin said yes, and both Austin and Victoria ended up receiving leading roles.

When asked what he saw in Victoria and Austin, Mr. Escobar says he was pleased that both were already on their way to being communicators for Christ. To him, that is very important for people involved in Christian film making. He believes they both have a very natural presence in front of the camera, and the camera seems to love them. While there are many people who look and sound great in person, a film won’t turn out right if that can’t be seem from the camera’s point of view. Not only could both of them act, but Escobar immediately noticed that Victoria and Austin had great chemistry, and thus made a wonderful pair as Caleb and Rachel. In this pro-life film, Caleb and Rachel are students at Patrick Henry College who pair up in an effort to lead their school to the National Moot Court Championship. The school’s court team finds themselves struggling with legal court cases that are being heard at the same time in the U.S. supreme court. Caleb finds himself in a very difficult position as he tries to maintain his moral values and his relationship with his mother, who not only doesn’t share his views, but is an attorney in the Supreme Court.

While Austin’s family, and indeed Austin himself, had no idea that summer would be spent acting in a brand new movie, Victoria’s family had time to prepare, but still had a bit of a surprise when she received the lead role. Christina, her older sister, flew out and stayed with Victoria and had a hand in helping with makeup and sounds, and also was able to help her sister feel a bit more comfortable being away from her family and Grants Pass for the summer. Together, they called home nearly every evening to talk and give updates.

While Victoria has performed in musicals at her church, taken part in different community events, and is active in the speech league, this was her, as she puts it, “really big thing.” Her typical day of filming consisted of waking and getting ready for the daily cast and crew meeting. Then her hair would be done, she would have breakfast, and then it was time to go to wardrobe for her clothes and makeup to be done. After that there was time to rehearse. The rest of the day was spent shooting scenes for the film, although there were breaks for lunch and dinner. Just as you see on television, there were directors yelling “cut!” and the typical occasional bloopers. By the time the day ended, it was time for bed and then the process was repeated.

While it was a lot of work, Victoria also found a lot of excitement not just in acting, but in being able to be involved with this particular film. “There’s a lot in it that is a lot like me. A lot of things I’ve done, standing up for the pro-life movement, the different morals. I wanted to support it, do what I could. I’ve done speeches for pro-life, competed in the national right to life movement speeches at the state and national levels, help with flyers and such, but speech is my major thing.”

Like Austin, who plays the guitar and is interested in a musical career and now may also try his hand at other films, Ms. Emmons is still interested in pursuing music and most likely will not give up on playing the mandolin. She has also set her sights on the possibility of becoming an actress, but her ultimate dream is for her and her sisters to combine their musical abilities with their acting talents. In fact, Victoria has already reached this goal in part. She plays the mandolin in the title credits of Come What May while Austin plays the guitar in a song they wrote together, titled Lullaby.

The movie has already been shown in Grants Pass and will soon be available for purchase on DVD. For information on advance sales or to watch for when it will be available, please visit this link: http://www.comewhatmaymovie.com There you will also find information on the production company, Advent Film Group, which has been established by Christians for the purpose of producing wholesome Christian films and helping young people become “excellent Christian filmmakers.”

For more information on the music of the Emmons Sisters, it is available at their website: http://theemmonssisters.com/

While they have a busy schedule of concerts and other happenings, the Emmons Sisters next appearance in their hometown of Grants Pass will take place at 4:30 PM August 12th, 2008, at the Josephine County Fairgrounds. Victoria and her family look forward to seeing you there!

Dick Smith: Veteran’s Walk of Honor

Some people accomplish amazing things with their time. Others are just wonderful and a pleasure to know.

Occasionally, a person is both.

Dick Smith is one of those people who fall into the category of “both.”

His life started out in East St. Louis, Ill., where he was raised and later graduated from high school. When Dick turned 18 he wanted to join the military, but as he wasn’t interested in going to Korea, he joined the Air Force instead of the army. Three months later he was in Korea.

Three years later he found himself in Charleston, South Carolina, as a military police officer. There he met a finance clerk named Nancy and after three daughters, eight grandchildren, fifty years and one quadruple bypass, he is still happily married. He believes she feels the same.

Dick is a man who just doesn’t stop. He retired from his position as a criminal investigator for the Air Force in 1975 and went on to become a civilian investigator, spending a total of 28 years in this line of work. He retired for the second time in 1994, but only because of heart problems. In recent years he has been on too many committees and task forces to list. A couple of these are the Boys and Girls Club where Mr. Smith has been for almost 12 years now and the County Planning Commission. He is Chairman of the Multnomah Sheriff’s Council, where he acts as a link between the citizens and the Sheriff to resolve problems and complaints.

However, his most visible involvement has been as Chairman of the Veterans Walk of Honor at Merlin Park. He was elected to the park’s board in 1995 and came up with the concept of dedicating a portion of the park to commemorating veterans and military personell, but the committee was unsure of what it should consist of and further, they would have to raise the funds themselves. After eight months they decided to use obelisks (upright pillars). The design features nine of these obelisks, each standing eight feet high and featuring over 700 names thus far, with the capacity to hold 3600.

Name inclusion is simple: anyone in Josephine County can donate $100 and nominate any U.S. Veteran from any war. Many nominate family members, but there are also veterans who have nominated people they have served with and want to remember in this manner. Anyone who has served honorably or is currently serving in the armed forces or merchant marine services of the United States or those in active duty, reserves, or guard units are eligible. Twenty-eight names were recently added and the committe looks forward to added more in time for Veteran’s Day this coming November. As it takes at least a week to engrave names, names need to be submitted as soon as possible in order to have them up by this date.

The historical portion of the Veteran’s Walk of Honor remains incomplete. The committee hopes to make this section interactive. Visitors will have the ability to go to a name and view a short video relevant to the veteran they have chosen. For as many as possible, the audio video will include the veteran introducing himself and giving a brief biography of his or her military involvement. The project is still in its infancy, but the idea is there and when Dick Smith is involved, ideas become reality.

On the other hand, the reality of building a stunning Veteran’s memorial is that it takes time, commitment, and cold, hard cash. So far the community outpour has been amazing and includes individuals, small companies, and various businesses. Russ Heater of Sherm Realtors funded the initial drive. Carl Wilson, CFO of KAJO radio, gave the Veteran’s Walk of Honor concept six months of exposure, while Walter Slater of Wildlife Images became highly involved in fundraising efforts. Evergreen Federal gave a very generous donation, and another company provided granite for the obelisks. Continued funding remains an issue. For those interested in seeing the Veteran’s Walk of Honor completed, you can become involved by visiting the park’s website at this link: http://www.merlincommunitypark.org/ Information on sponsorship and name submission is located on the right hand side of the Veteran’s Walk of Honor photograph.

member of the air force office of special invetigations hall of fame 2005

Karen Caskey, Welcome Home Oregon

There aren’t very many children who dream of becoming convicted felons, of getting off a bus one day with a clear plastic bag that contains everything they possess, newly released from prison with nowhere to go to, and a record that may prevent them from almost all forms of gainful employment. Despite the lofty dreams most people have as children, this stark scenario becomes the reality of approximately 150 adults per year in Josephine County alone. Quite often addiction, domestic violence, or other non-ideal situations have complicated the issue, making future success even more difficult.

So how wise is it to release these people with felony backgrounds into our county with no resources?

Michelle Bolas did not think it was a very good idea at all. She was an original member of the faith based program called Welcome Home, in San Diego. It was one of the first programs in the United States to work with prisoners before they were released, allowing for a smoother transition back into society by finding out what the concerns, needs, and available options would be. Michelle learned the ins and outs of the grant writing and researching available resources, and in 2004 she decided to team up with Karen Caskey here in Grants Pass and being a similar program for inmates being released into Josephine County.

This was the beginning point of Welcome Home Oregon. Karen had the fiscal knowledge needed for the program, and Michelle had the experience. Modeled after the San Diego pilot, this program exists to provide re-entry support to people who are transitioning back into the community after serving a prison term. The majority of those who are newly released have little or no family support, no clothes, no food, and nowhere to live, yet they are expected to not only survive by legal means, but succeed. Those who run the program not only understand the needs of newly released prisoners, they have been there themselves. Karen remembers being released from prison in 2001, and she also remembers her strong desire to change and do something different with her life. Unlike many, she had a college education and some family support, but she knew she was among the lucky few, and strongly felt the need to do something for those coming out of the system and into Josephine County without any resources. Not only would it help those in need, it would reduce the risk of further crimes being committed in the county, so she went full steam ahead with her goal.

Welcome Home Oregon (WHO) is now a full fledged 501 C3 organization that Community Corrections contracts with for services. WHO regularly sends out questionnaires to prisoners who are nearing their release date, meant to assess how successful the release will be. Participation is completely voluntary. About two-thirds return the form, which asks questions such as who will be picking up the inmate at the gate, if they plan to look for work, whether they have clean, safe housing, and if they have physical, emotional, or mental health concerns. Once the incarcerated person returns the form, Karen, Michelle, and their group of volunteers kick into action. Sometimes the inmate only requests a phone call or a message to be sent to a loved one, but quite often they are in need of much more. For example, they might not have so much as a pair of pants that fit, let alone a place to stay. WHO now has one transitional home for women and two for men, along with being in touch with others who are willing to rent to those needing a second chance. United Way helps provide emergency food and shelter, while Goodwill of Southern Oregon provides clothing vouchers for one set of clothes, and sometimes a second set for those needing clothes more suitable for job interviews. The Gordon Ellwood Foundation helps provide ID, as it is impossible to become lawfully employed in this country with proper identification.

As wonderful as it is to have most of the basic needs met, there is one problem that continually arises, and that is the issue of transportation. Bicycles are sorely needed, but it is rare for them to be donated to Welcome Home Oregon. With soaring gas prices, the average person newly released from prison is going to have a better chance of keeping a job with affordable transportation, and bicycles can very often provide that for them.

Michelle and Karen remain hopeful about the future of WHO and the clients they continue to serve. Occasionally they run across people who feel that helping convicted felons is a waste of time, but Michelle and Karen patiently remind them that by helping ex-convicts help themselves, they are also helping the community by deterring future criminal acts and reducing the rate of recidivism among those released from prison and into Josephine County. These rates are drastically reduced when a person knows a community is supporting them, when they have access to group meetings, job skill programs, and other resources that teach them how to be self sufficient. Karen points to herself as living proof that many prior offenders can change drastically for the better when they are taught coping skills and know that they have someone who cares about their success. Welcome Home Oregon was started by ex cons and addicts, so they know what the needs are and the group itself is proof that WHO practices what it preaches. They are intent on helping people stay out of the criminal justice system, and believe that everyone in Josephine County wins when this goal is reached.

Welcome Home Oregon continues to prove that when a community puts a little bit of faith in innate worth of human beings from all types of backgrounds, great things can happen. Their slogan is “Restoring Hope to Individuals – Creating Healthy Communities” and thanks to the kindness and generosity of many people in Josephine County, WHO continues to live up to their slogan.

Rick Jones is the Clinical Director and Operations Director of Choices Counseling Center. With over 170 clients to oversee and the need to ensure funding for Choices, this very busy man often feels he is going “more ways than a Greyhound Bus” at any given moment. He became interested in this type of work during his own recovery, and is now state and nationally certified as a substance abuse counselor. When the Grants Pass Clinic put out an ad in 1995 for a substance abuse professional, he jumped at the chance to be involved in a position that blended substance abuse treatment with the medical arena, and as a result of that outpatient program for alcohol and drug treatment, Choices Counseling Center was formed. Their goal is to provide quality treatment for addicts and their families. They provide assessments, screening, and both individual and group counseling. While half of those who come into treatment are there as the result of court orders, the rest are self referred.

For the past ten years, Choices has remained the sole provider of services for the Josephine County Drug Court. Rick Jones is proud of that achievement, and more than happy with the ability to work with the court and the mutual support provided by this arrangement for the benefit of those in need of help. He is pleased with the ongoing relationship between medical and rehabilitation professionals, as it helps secure the best of care for people facing the trials drug abuse brings.

Staying up-to-date with current treatments and medical advances is very important to any counseling center, and Choices isn’t an exception. The Matrix Model, an evidence based treatment program, is something Rick has involved Choices in. This model utilizes a number of outpatient tools such as family education, social support, and twelve step methods. After nearly twenty years of research, development, and modification, it is now federally recognized by a number of national research groups. While the program is, for the most part, a ready made model that lasts approximately 16 weeks, it can be arranged to work over a longer period of time, although the 16 week approach is still considered gradual in the realm of addiction treatment. The structure of the program is very clear, leaving clients with no question of what will happen with their treatment or what the expectations are.

There are some controversial issues concerning addiction treatment that Rick doesn’t necessarily agree with all of the time. For example, there is a push right now to include pharmaceuticals to help ease withdrawal symptoms or block some of the pleasurable effects of certain drugs. One of these medications, Methadone, has been shown to help opiate addicts by suppressing withdrawal symptoms. (http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/methadone/index.html) While such approaches can help in many situations, Rick still is cautious when implementing new or controversial treatments, spending much time looking over the research and studying all options in order to provide clients with the most progressive, effective ways of drug counseling while keeping them safe, using time proven methods, and keeping all referral choices open. He hopes to continue providing this quality service to every client who comes through the doors of Choices Counseling Center.

While Choices has a diverse funding stream, they have recently faced budget cuts which forced them to downsize since their rapid growth in the late nineties. Mr. Jones hopes to see people and businesses in the community help by working with clients. Of their 170 people going through recovery, nearly half are looking for jobs that can help them afford drug free housing. While many employers might shy away from helping a drug addict, Rick reminds people that Choices does regular drug testing, so the risk of someone actually using while in the program is minimal.

Other ways of helping include supporting someone in recovery, becoming a sponsor or a mentor, donating services, or donating equipment to the counseling center. Helping may even be as simple as teaching a person in recovery how you operate day to day and sharing your job skills with them.

If you’d like to give Choices Counseling and Rick Jones a helping hand or if you need more information on the center and what it offers, please contact them using the information below:

Choices Counseling Center

125 NE Manzanita Ave

Grants Pass, OR 97526

(541) 479-8847

Denise Olson and Steven Monroe, Community Corrections employees, head up the Employer Recovery Support Solutions committee of the Josephine County Methamphetamine Task Force.

“If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’re getting.” — Stephen R. Covey

Chances are, your business has a drug problem.

In a study done by the Department of Health and Human Services*, it is found that nearly 1 in 5 full time workers between the ages of 18 and 25 have used illicit drugs in the past month. While the numbers drop with subsequent age groups, the total number of drug users remains surprisingly high and does not include marijuana or heavy alcohol use.

What does this mean for your business? To be blunt, it means less profit. It means more time and money spent on repeatedly hiring and training new employees, often without knowing why the previous employee failed to work out. It means a possible increase in losses due to theft and a greater likelihood of accidents occurring on the job site.

What does it mean for those recovering from addiction or struggling with it now? Most often, they are reluctant to share information. The task force has seen clients go out to the workforce where they’re very vulnerable, and they ask them to be successful. The problem continuously seen is that the employer has no idea that the employee is struggling with this condition…this addiction. For new people in recovery, this is the most stressful time for them. Therefore you have an employee coming to work stressed out, frustrated, going through withdrawal symptoms, and the employer is left to wonder what the problem is. When the worker is afraid to say he/she’s an ex drug addict (and sometimes the employer doesn’t even want to know), there is a tremendous conflict.

Steve Monroe, a Josephine County Corrections employee, is well aware of this problem. When Denise Olsen, a founding member of the Meth Task Force, asked him to become part of a group task force to come up with new ideas for combating the issue, Steve was quick to say yes. They broke off into sub groups, and the Employer Recovery Support Solutions (ERSS) program began to take shape and is still in the process of being molded.

ERSS wants to introduce ways for both employers and employees to cope with this issue in a way that will prove beneficial to both parties. They use the analogy of a copy machine. If the machine is giving you trouble, do you waste the money you invested in it and buy a new one? No. You try to figure out what is wrong, and if needed, a repair man is contacted. That isn’t a very helpful solution, but it is often what happens when an employee isn’t working out. They are often dismissed without much ado, and a new employee is brought in to take their place. What ERSS wants to do is offer employers more productive resolutions to retain their employees, which in turn will help troubled workers be supported on the job.

Because many business owners and managers may not have the time or ability to attend classes or meetings, the idea came about to assemble packets of information and present them to local businesses. The packets would also be available for employees to hand deliver to their bosses. ERSS believes this is a way to create avenues for employers and employees to meet and strip away the anonymity of drug addiction, allowing workers to be safe in telling their employees “I’m in recovery, and need to tell you some issues that are going on.” The information given will allow businesses to understand the medical aspects of addiction and be willing to understand and help support the person going through it. A website will be set up that talks about the 12 steps of narcotics/alcoholics anonymous and will answer questions such as the definition of a sponsor, along with listing resources for both employers and employees.

So why is this the time to introduce such a program? Mr. Monroe has seen the justice system first hand and realizes that just locking up drug users simply doesn’t work. Not only that, but our county is facing a budget crisis that reduces the number of officers on the streets and reduces the availability of jail space, with some jails being completely eliminated. What we’ve done isn’t working anymore. If we continue, we will get what we’ve always gotten, and right now we’re getting a high rate of drug use and those who return to that lifestyle. Employers are getting the short end of the deal, having to hire and retrain over and over and losing money in the process. Having an alternative plan isn’t just a good idea, it’s now become a necessity. It’s time to go head to head with this problem and find solutions instead of throwing it behind bars and hoping it will go away.

This will not only benefit those who fight with addiction, it will enable employers to retain those they hired and lead to a more compassionate and caring environment. It’s a way to fight drug use in our county in a logical and humane way. Right now, people in recovery are lost in that time frame between leaving treatment and going back to work. ERSS would like to fill that gap and have them know there are people out there who are concerned enough to ask them how their day is going and if they’ve been going to their meetings, and know there are people out there supporting their recovery.

While there will always be a degree of recidivism, it can be reduced. While this program is still in the planning stages, the Josephine County Meth Task Force Employee Recovery Support Solution program will be in operation quite soon. Steve Monroe and his fellow workers are excited to be bringing this fresh new perspective to Josephine County employers and employees, and hope that they will be able to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have.

While more information on this group will soon be available, those who have questions or need help now can contact the JoCo meth task force by visiting this link: http://www.josephinecountymethtaskforce.org/

Julie Lockman, Executive Director of Clean Forest Project

Julie Lockman is a joyful woman with an impossibly bright smile and a schedule that would make most people tremble with fear. She’s the lead singer for River City RnB, a wife, a soccer mom, and now the executive director of the Clean Forest Project.

A name like Clean Forest Project is self explanatory. The groups goes out and cleans areas of the forest. Why? Because it’s filthy. David and Julie have four children who like to go camping with their father, but the family found themselves picking up trash almost everywhere they went. This continued happening, so they decided it was time to do something about it. They formed Clean Forest Project towards the end of 2007 and hope that news of this non profit organization will reach businesses and concerned citizens. Many don’t realize how widespread the problem is. This isn’t a few fast food cups or a bag of garbage here and there. What Julie’s family and their occasional volunteers find are mounds upon mounds of nasty trash, electronics, furniture, and even appliances and cars. One of their more recent finds is a dumped trailer.

What many of the people doing this don’t seem to realize is that there are places to get rid of unwanted goods or trash for free. Once a year during spring, yard waste such as branches, grass, leaves, and other vegetation is collected and recycled at no charge to city residents. There is a free drop off day yearly at Merlin Transfer for one cubic yard of household garbage, and a yearly free drop off day for latex paints. These are usually posted on http://www.GrantsPass.com, or call your local recycling center for more information. Regular household waste, such as newspapers, glass bottles, milk jugs, tin cans, and cardboard can be taken to the recycling center at 1381 Redwood Ave. for absolutely no charge. If you have a vehicle to junk, Peach Street Auto Recycling will come and get your vehicle, title or no title, for free. Simply call their tower (Bulldog Towing) at 541-955-9600. Some places, such as Cascade Metal Recycling at 700 Merlin Road, will even pay for items such as brass, copper, aluminum, and stainless steel.

Unfortunately, many people are either unaware that these options exist, or simply choose instead to litter forests with waste products. Clean Forest Project seeks to address the issue of illegal dumping in our forests. They believe that not only is the natural beauty of our area destroyed by such actions, it can also be dangerous to the land, wildlife, and residents because so many items are hazardous waste products, such as paint and household appliances. Items such as refrigerators, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers contain hazardous components, and not disposing of them properly can be detrimental to forest plants, wildlife, and can contaminate our water.

This massive problem turns into quite a bit of work for Mrs. Lockman and her family. She keeps a notebook of all reports that come into her website, and they come in weekly. They are determined to clean up every site reported, but they literally have hundreds of them reported. Currently, the Lockman’s pay for the clean-ups out of their own pockets. Because of budget cut-backs, Land Management agencies are looking to public organizations such as Clean Forest Project for help, and the family has joined the Bureau of Land Management for clean up projects and will continue to do so. However, this is more than a one family job. More volunteers are needed. Another need is financial help. While as much is recycled as possible, there are still costs involved with hauling materials and fees for taking items such as televisions, mattresses, and furniture to legal dump sites. The project hopes to receive grants to help with costs, they also need the people of the community to help out. Donation and membership information is available at their website. If enough funds are raised, Clean Forest Project will be able to expand their education program, going to different schools in order to present the next generation with environmental information, with the hopes of reducing the problem in the coming years.

It’s time for the community of Grants Pass to pitch in and help keep our area safe and clean. We live in a beautiful environment, and it deserves to be cared for and preserved. To team up with the Clean Forest Project by offering your physical or financial help or to report a dump site, please visit http://cleanforestproject.org/ – Gina Locke

Tim Gonzales from Bureau of Land Management

Who are those people you catch glimpses of as you drive along back roads or walk across the parking lot? They’re setting small fires from place to place, and blocking off the areas so we can’t even take advantage of the opportunity and roast marshmallows.

They’re from the Bureau of Land Management, and they’re just doing their job. Believe it or not, part of their job is to prevent forest fires. What is now an annual program carried out in spring began with the 2001 institution of the National Fire Plan. (NFP) This plan. Funding for federal and state agencies, along with local communities, was approved by Congress in order to carry out the NFP. The goal is to rehabilitate areas damaged by fire or by firefighting efforts, reduce the risk of hazardous fires and implement firefighting methods when fires do break out, along with providing help for communities at risk of or already affected by firestorms.

In Josephine County, the process is already under way for the year. The BLM typically reduces hazardous fuels in Josephine County in four phases. They begin by cutting dense, small diameter vegetation, pile the slash, burn the piles, and then burn the residual slash. The fourth phase, underburning, started in May. The purpose is to reduce the chance of catastrophic wildfires and their detrimental effects. Approximately 2000 acres per year are treated. The decision is made by defining the areas of highest priority.

These high priority areas are typically where the forest meets urban development. This is called the Wildland Urban Interface. (WUI) There are many areas where very dense brush and overcrowded trees abut private property. The last few years has seen urban sprawl place homes quite close to extremely dangerous wildfire areas. This ecosystem has been fire dependent for centuries, because frequent fires control the vegetation density, but the suppression of wildfires without re-introducing them has caused an unnatural fire regime, thus creating an extremely volatile fire potential.

The process returns the ecosystem to a more natural condition. After thinning, the remaining trees have less competition and are healthier because they get an abundance of water and nutrients. It also reduces the risk of crown fires. Crown fires are particularly voracious fires, named for their spread from treetop to treetop. This thinning also provides escape and evacuation routes for the public, along with safe access for firefighters. Dense brush fields which are located near homes are removed in order to prevent damage to residential areas.

The process can be a bit tricky. A detailed fire plan is of the utmost necessity. The plan must analyze fire patterns and take into consideration the needed equipment and ideal weather conditions. When this has been accomplished and weather conditions are perfect, fire managers begin to light fire across the top of the unit in strips. These units may be as small as ten acres or as large as one hundred. The fire strips cool down before the next one is lit, and this pattern continues until the area is lightly burned. With fire trucks, pumps, hose, chainsaws, and hand tools nearby, firefighters become fire prevention specialists.

This type of work requires both courage and education. This particular project is headed up by Allen Mitchell, lead Fuels Specialist, and under the watchful eye of Tim Gonzales, a fire mitigation and education specialist. Mr. Gonzales has 28 years of firefighting and prescribed fire experience. He served as a fire engine captain with the U.S. Forest Service from 1989 through 2002, attacking hundreds of wildfires, and then joined the Bureau of Land Management. His work consists of planning fuel reduction projects, educating the public on the benefits of hazardous fuels reduction, and assisting the community through the JoCo Integrated Fire Plan. In addition, Gonzales investigates the causes of wildfires. He acts as a Division Supervisor, Safety Officer, and Incident Commander Type 3 on larger fires.

For those who wish to know where these areas of burning are occuring this spring, Mr. Gonzales has detailed the locations, which occur across 357 acres of land and are as follows:

Berlin Mummer Unit 11-A, 25 acres. T35S, R6W, S11. This unit is 3 miles NE of Merlin and abuts Interstate 5. The unit is directly west of the freeway.

Berlin Mummer Unit 11-INT, 73 acres. T35S, R6W, S11. This unit is 3 miles NE of Merlin and abuts Interstate 5. The unit is directly east of the freeway.

Bowhill Unit 1, 40 acres. T35S, R6W, S14. This unit is 2 miles east of Merlin. There is a cell tower on Josephine County land just north of the unit.

These 3 units are accessed by Monument Drive and may impact visibility on Interstate 5 between mileposts 63-65. Oregon DOT will provide signs for the freeway.

Queen Shines Unit 29-5, 35 acres. T34S, R6W, S29. This unit is 5 miles north of Merlin.

Shiney Queen Unit 23-1, 75 acres. T34S, R7W, S23. This unit is 6 miles northwest of Merlin.

These 2 units are accessed by Quartz Creek Road which is off of Hugo Road.

North Murphy Unit 21-A, 109 acres. T37S, R4W, S21. This unit is 4 miles northeast of Provolt and is accessed via Foots Creek Road from Rogue River. -Gina Locke

Dave Toler

Confidence in County government.

An annual survey of Grants Pass citizens (about 38% of county residents) gauges citizen confidence in local government. One question queries citizens about whether “they feel they are getting their money’s worth” from the various local agencies who serve them.

A tally of the positive responses (either “always” or “often”) are as follows:

What’s really unique is that both state government (25%) and federal government (22%) actually score rate higher than Josephine County.

While it is difficult to know for sure why Josephine County government scores so much lower than other local agencies, there is one important difference between Josephine County and all these other agencies.

Josephine County is the only one of these local agencies that does not have a professional manager overseeing the everyday business. Instead of a professional CEO, three elected lay people manage the $100 million business we call Josephine County.

A professional management structure will provide three major benefits:

EFFICIENCY:

It’s simple – one is better than three. You have three politicians micro managing every little decision. Each management decision becomes a political issue. Decisions take three times longer than necessary. And for all that dysfunction, you pay much more than you should! Imagine having a business run by three lay people with no qualifications required for the job. All decisions must be arrived at collectively.

Then in addition, imagine these managers being restricted by law from ever communicating with each other unless it is in public session with media allowed. It’s what we call Josephine County government!

COMPETENCY:

There are no qualifications required to be a County Commissioner. That’s no different than the Boards who govern all the other local governments. However, Josephine County is the only agency that also demands this elected official to be a CEO of the business. And even if the three commissioners had professional management qualification, why would you want three of them?

MEASURING PERFORMANCE and ACCOUNTABILITY

Whether it is a private corporation or government, the CEO is always accountable to the Board. Any leader who fails to perform can be replaced by the board in a heartbeat. That means in Josephine County, under the current three CEO structure we are literally accountable to ourselves! Who will evaluate our performance as CEOs? We will. Who will hire and fire us, we will! Without any real accountability, how can we assure Josephine County citizens that their county is being well managed?

SUMMARY

I believe that Josephine County citizens want to support local services like law enforcement, jails, criminal prosecution, libraries, and public health. The citizens of Grants Pass provide strong support for city services, yet those same citizens often vote down county levies. I believe the difference is confidence and trust. This plan will at last win the confidence of our citizens in county government.

With the potential loss of federal funding, the time has come for competent and efficient county government under the direction of strong and experienced management . It’s time we stop investing in politicians and start investing in our citizens!

Julie Rubenstein

Does Voter Refusal to Raise Taxes Constitute a Violation of Civil Rights?

County voters have repeatedly refused, by wide margins, to raise property taxes aimed at funding essential public services. The Josephine County Long Term Funding Task Force struggles to come up with a politically viable recommendation, while County Commissioners bicker among themselves. They’re still hoping for a reprieve from Congress as the clock ticks down.

Josephine County enjoys the lowest permanent property tax rate in the State of Oregon. Curry County has the next lowest rate, and they’re already essentially bankrupt. Adequate public services – law enforcement, public health, public works, etc. – were not designed to rely on this extremely low tax rate. They were designed to rely on O&C funding.

In a discussion with the Editor of Grants Pass Now, he proffered an argument that refusing to levy a tax that would adequately fund public services might constitute a violation of our civil rights. He gave as examples the abandonment of vehicles and dead animals along public roadways, and the premature release of criminals because there aren’t enough jailers to secure them. So I looked up the Civil Rights language in the Oregon Constitution. Here’s what it says:

Article 1, Section 20. Equality of privileges and immunities of citizens. No law shall be passed granting to any citizen or class of citizens privileges, or immunities, which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens.

You could make the argument that refusing a levy grants privileges and immunities to property owners – who’ve escaped paying a higher tax – that don’t apply to the rest of the citizenry. The privilege of paying a lower tax comes at the expense of non-property owners, who must suffer the consequences of making that 911 call and being told there’s no one to help. However, I think it’s a big stretch.

More interesting, though, is this provision:

Article 1, Section 22. Suspension of operation of laws. The operation of the laws shall never be suspended, except by the Authority of the Legislative Assembly.

It’s possible to argue that the nay-saying voters have caused the County to violate its own charter, in effect suspending it, by making its laws unenforceable and thus inoperable. If that’s the case, then it begs the question – what remedy is available? Sue the County? It can’t raise taxes without voter approval, and you can’t sue the voters. So while it might make a neat argument, I don’t see a real solution at hand.

Tony Kerwin, BLM Project Planner

Set to take place in an area running roughly from Applegate to Wonder, the Bureau of Land Management’s Cheney Slate Landscape Management Project is now being crafted.

So what’s it all about? For those unfamiliar with such projects, here is a brief overview of who these people are and why such projects exist:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) became official in 1946, formed by the merging of the Grazing Service and General Land Office. Managed by the Department of the Interior, the BLM was created in order to manage publicly owned lands. However, a number of conflicting laws existed at the time, and finally Congress enacted the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) which set the framework for how public lands are cared for. Today, the BLM’s mission, according to the Oregon section of their national website, is to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.”

In other words, the BLM is responsible for managing the lands it administers. This is a requirement of federal law. Preventing and fighting wildfires, maintaining recreational areas for fishing and other activities, and the conservation of habitat for native species is part of a wide range of provided services.

Enter the Cheney Slate Project. (CSP) The BLM’s Interdisciplinary Team believes that in the areas included in this project, there is a need to reduce the risk of fire, improve the conditions of recreational and economically beneficial areas, to improve various aspects of the habitat, and to harvest timber as part of forest management. As is common when it comes to such projects, they have come up with four different alternatives and proposed them to the public. After looking at the benefits, options, and negatives of all the proposed CSP plans, the final decision will be based on a number of factors. An intense environmental assessment of the area is under way, and will be available as early as June, but more likely later in the summer. They will use the results of land surveys concerning special status species, take public comments into consideration, and give marked attention to the opinions of environmental groups, whose responses are typically quite informational and considerably detailed.

The project encompasses a slightly over 25,000 acres around Wilderville, Murphy, and Wonder along with the Lower Applegate Watershed and the Applegate Adaptive Management Area.Wonder, and Wilderville. No privately owned land is included in this project. It is on BLM land only, and the most significant goal is fire protection. Managing these lands includes removing dense brush, thinning trees, and the building and maintenance of roads. This suppresses the potential for fire damage. These methods help protect private property because these roads provide better access to fire prone areas in the event of an emergency, and the reduction of brush and overcrowding reduces the risk of fire reaching private property from BLM managed lands.

Another component of the CSP consists of riparian area development. A riparian zone is the area around streams and rivers. It is desirable to have large trees in these areas as they provide shade and help cool the water, creating a healthy environment for fish. Allowing logs that fall into rivers to remain, or purposely placing logs and boulders in water, helps to form stream complexity, allowing pools to develop. In addition, this helps create a “meandering stream” instead of a straight course. This is beneficial to many fish, plants, animals, and the complete ecology of riparian areas. In part, these actions are being performed for restoration and to develop late-successional forest structure.

Some might wonder why forest management is needed. The answer is quite simple. In the past, naturally occuring disasters helped thin forests and causing open areas, which created quite a bit of diversity for different species to thrive in. Forest fires are now able to be contained in numerous instances, and combined with over logging in the past and new knowledge of the impact humans have had on the surroundings, it has become necessary to reverse the damage of the past, minimize the potential for future problems, and manage timber growth so that there can be harvests in the future.

However, it’s not all about damage control. For those interested in recreation, part of the proposal entails the construction of approximately four miles of horseback riding trails and/or mountain biking trails near Bolt Mountain Summit which will connect Fish Hatchery Park to Elk Lane.

The project will also provide a bit of much needed funding for Josephine County. The funds from the projected 3-6 million board feet will be available as soon as it is sold, while the stewardship (everything that’s not commercial timber sale, such as the collection of manzanita, mushrooms, and firewood) funds will be available when the material is harvested. Counties typically receive 50% of timber sales, depending on the amount of harvest that occurs within a particular county during such projects. Jobs will be created as commercial timber sale normally goes to a company such as Superior, while stewardship goes to contractors (usually in the Illinois Valley) who hire locally.

For those who missed the public meeting on this project, held on March 18th, it is not to late to comment. When the environmental assessment comes out, it will be followed by a 30 day comment period and the BLM will then take up to a month to include the new comments in their final decision. This means that the project is highly unlikely to begin until, at the earliest, this autumn. If you’d like to know if your area will be affected, the following shows which sections of land are included in the Cheney Slate project area:

Township 36 S Range 6 W Sections: 30, 31, 33
Township 36 S Range 7 W Sections: 25, 27, 35
Township 37 S Range 4 W Sections: 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 29, 30, 31
Township 37 S Range 5 W Sections: 3, 5, 7-11, 13-15, 17, 18, 20, 22-31, 33, 34
Township 37 S Range 6 W Sections: 3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 23-31, 33-35
Township 37 S Range 7 W Sections: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11-13, 15, 17, 19, 21-23, 25, 27
Township 38 S Range 5 W Sections: 3-8
Township 38 S Range 6 W Sections: 1, 3, 4, 9, 11-15, 22, 23

For more information on the project, please contact Tony Kerwin at 541-471-6564. For those with other questions or who wish to write, fax, or e-mail, you may do so using the following information:

Grants Pass Interagency Office
(Medford District)
2164 N.E. Spalding Ave
Grants Pass, OR 97526
Telephone: 541-471-6500
Fax: 541-471-6514
Email: Medford_Mail@blm.gov