Periodically I get asked the question: “As a retiree, why do you still live in such a small community?” Here is my best answer:In small towns, like Cave Junction, our community strength is the backbone of everyday life. Handling the curve balls that life throws us is something we do[Read More…]

This is one of those days when my brain feels sluggish. So here is some trivia to get it started. March 24 is the 83rd day of the year and there are 282 days remaining until the end of the year. I could not even find any exciting historical events.[Read More…]

Last Sunday I had the delightful opportunity to see the last performance of the Grants Pass High School’s Theatre Department presentation of the musical play, “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” This play told the true story of the turn of the century Molly Brown. The talented cast and crew of 45[Read More…]

Last week I talked about my trip to Hawaii. Today we are going to take a walk to an area much closer to home. I recently went with two of my neighbors to the Eight Dollar Mountain Botanical area. The trail starts on Forest Service road 4201 not far from[Read More…]

I am back home in Cave Junction after three weeks in Hawaii. Hawaii officially became America’s 50th state in 1959 and is an archipelago that consists of 137 volcanic islands. Spanning 1,500 miles, Hawaii’s ocean coastline is consequently the only state that is an archipelago and the only state in[Read More…]

I am going to Hawaii! I was not sure if the trip would come together, but it did. I have a one-way ticket to fly to Kona Jan. 22. At this point I am leaving the return date open. I am very fortunate to have a land partner who will[Read More…]

Monday Jan. 13, 2025, marked the end of my six-year term as mayor of the city of Cave Junction. Over the last six years I have come to deeply appreciate the effort it takes to keep a city running smoothly. I was glad to participate in that endeavor and hope[Read More…]

The year 2024 is rapidly coming to an end, and the new year is waiting to reveal itself. Although this is a busy time of the year, this is a particularly short Mayor’s Letter. This holiday season is more a time when friends and family hunker down at home and[Read More…]

December is in full swing and just as busy as I predicted. Last week I attended the Winter Library Volunteer Appreciation luncheon at the Grants Pass library branch. I sat at the impromptu Cave Junction table and had a wonderful time connecting with other library volunteers. I also attended the[Read More…]

December is here and it just might be the busiest month of the year. Did you know that between the first and last days of December 2024 I roughly counted 256 holidays and observances listed on the Internet. Besides the traditional ones you might expect there are some unusual ones[Read More…]