I attended two events last week that reminded me why I like and appreciate where I live. The first was in Cave Junction Saturday at the IV Senior Center, Saturday, the “Soup for the Soul” fundraiser for the Illinois Valley Safe House Alliance. The second one was the KS Wild Annual Film Festival Sunday in Grants Pass, which was started many years ago by a Cave Junction local. What really struck me about these events was how they bring people in the community together. There are many layers of what makes a community work: people and organizations, city government, local businesses, nonprofits and schools. We are fortunate to have them all here.
Congratulations to the Illinois Valley Fire District, one of the 191 local fire agencies across Oregon to receive grant funds from the Oregon State Fire Marshal. These grant funds have helped local communities upgrade existing resources.
Burn season is open so don’t forget your burn permit which you can get online at ivfire.com. And let your neighbors know so they don’t worry when they see a fire.
Arbor Day is Wednesday, April 17. It is marked by the planting of trees as a way to sustainably protect our planet’s natural resources. The origins of Arbor Day date back to the early 1870s in Nebraska City. A journalist by the name of Julius Sterling Morton moved to the state with his wife, Caroline. The couple purchased 160 acres in Nebraska City and planted a wide variety of trees and shrubs in what was a primarily a flat stretch of desolate plain. On Jan. 7, 1872, Morton proposed a day that would encourage all Nebraskans to plant trees in their community. Morton convinced everyone that the day should reflect the appreciation of all trees, and “Arbor Day” was born.
The Grange Co-Op in Grants Pass is giving away free tree seedlings on Arbor Day beginning at 11 a.m. Varieties on hand will be Red Maple, Eastern Redbud, Northern Red Oak, and Sweetgum. I suggest you go early because the trees go fast. The Redbud that I planted last year in a 5-gallon bucket is doing just fine. I am waiting until it gets a bit bigger before I plant it out. I have learned the hard way, that deer roaming about my property love to eat anything I plant. I protect everything I want to survive with a wire cage until they get bigger!