It seems appropriate to lead off this month’s column by mentioning the successful conclusion to the MRA land swap and sale transaction with the City. On

May 8th, the Oregon State Parks Commission unanimously approved the grant request from the MRA for $680,000 which will be paid to the City for the 380 acres which lies almost five miles from downtown. In addition, the MRA will turn over the 40-acres and the improved parking lot to the City. The State Parks Commission also added $4,000 to the grant which will reimburse the City for its cost in appraising the value of the land.

This transaction will provide the City with the necessary funds to begin the process of breaching the dam… a task the City has come under increasing pressure from the state to perform. It also provides the City with money to pay-off the Police Department building and end that sometimes contentious chapter in the city’s past.

Last month I wrote about the idea of moving the City offices to the ground floor of the Courthouse. I was pleasantly surprised at the reaction to that column. I don’t recall ever hearing as many positive comments from people as on this one. The Courthouse is the one icon that shouts out where we are and who we are … JACKSONVILLE… a historic landmark town, and it does seem appropriate that citizens would go there to talk to members of their city government. Such a move also secures the continued presence of the building which came close to being demolished in the past. I would like to thank everyone who has come forth in support of this idea. It will definitely be on the table for the City Council to review and consider together with other ideas.

Last night I was watching the disturbing news from Josephine County and Grants Pass which reported on the significant increase in crime following the reduction in law enforcement staffing in the sheriff’s department. The stories of citizens who had been robbed were bad enough, but in some cases people had been robbed more than once… in one instance three times. This borders on lawlessness. Crime left unchecked leads to greater crime, increasing violence, and an unease which lies heavily upon citizens. There are two things which citizens expect from government – police and fire protection. When they break down, or are absent, the community deteriorates.

We in Jacksonville are fortunate. We have a police department which is staffed with an excellent group of officers, led by a chief with years of experience who is current with law enforcement methodology and who knows many of our citizens personally. We have also been out of the mainstream of a slow but rising crime problem in other parts of the valley… with the Interstate 5 corridor acting as the conduit for lawbreakers. Nonetheless, it would be unreasonable to assume that our city is immune to these problems. I grew up in a time when most houses in rural communities used skeleton keys. Sadly, those days are gone. Crime is no respecter of neighborhoods or boundary lines. When you park your car… lock it. When you leave your house… lock it. When you see something suspicious… report it.

On that note, in closing, let me draw your attention to the announcement for this month’s film, THE ROARING TWENTIES, which deals with a particularly lawless period in American history… one written by a journalist who lived through that tumultuous era. When I look at the national headlines I sometimes wonder if history isn’t repeating itself.