2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures bomb books budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration international internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal portland mayor president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes television terrorism theater third parties timber payments transportation union university of oregon violence washington water wildfire women

I left Cave Junction for Corvallis in 1984, after graduating from Illinois Valley High School in 1983, to attend OSU.  There were no healthy prospects for a career in the Illinois Valley at that time, nearly 30 years ago.  The area has stagnated severely since.

However, I still have family there, and property.  I'll likely retire there.  Further, I go there to recreate as frequently as I can.  I dearly love the Illinois Valley.  And frankly, probably selfishly, I'd prefer that it not "grow" economically more than it has (which, really, it hasn't).  The increase in population in the last 25 years has only served to diminish those factors that make the area special to me.  To my way of thinking, efforts to improve the economic health of the area will only draw in more people, and further harm what makes the area special, eventually making it less special that it could be.

I am not a no-growth person, and I generally deride NIMBY attitudes.  But if I get a vote on things, I'd prefer that the Illinois Valley return to what I remember it being 30 years ago.

posted 2 years, 12 months ago
view in context