A Few Minutes with the Mayor – October 2020

The deadline for submitting this column was rapidly approaching as I finished what I hoped would be an appropriate topic as I near the end of my term as Mayor. Then disaster hit… a broadside of bad tidings for our people in Jacksonville and the rest of the Rogue Valley all the way out to Shady Cove. A firestorm literally blew through everything, leaving in its wake devastation comparable to an air attack bombing raid on our houses, our shops, and our centers of government and business. It is the morning after now and fortunately there have been no reports of any deaths. But the damage and personal loss to hundreds, if not thousands, of people is beyond measure.

Our City was spared such damage but the firestorm is a reminder of how vulnerable we are. If Jacksonville had suffered the damage that Talent or Phoenix did, the historic charm and quality that define the soul of our town would be lost in the rubble and ashes of the wind-driven carnage. Admittedly, I do not have a solution to prevent this from happening in the future. The fire crews, including our own people from Jacksonville, worked tirelessly in an attempt to save people in the path of the overwhelming windstorm with gusts reaching forty miles an hour. With these conditions there is little that can be done to save the many structures in the fire’s path.

I am going to call for a general review and design of procedures for evacuation and relocation of citizens in harm’s way. We already have two local churches designated as appropriate sites for evacuated and injured citizens in emergencies such as this. We need to improve communication so that citizens have timely as well as accurate information as needed.

Our fire, police, and public service personnel deserve a big “thank you” for their aid and assistance as this disaster unfolded. They were there lending much-needed assistance and spent long hours in their battle against the wind and flames and maintaining law and order.

On the other hand, I think it appropriate to criticize our local media TV. As this fire broke and worked its way from Ashland, destroying parts of Talent and Phoenix along the way, not one, not one of our network stations canceled their regular broadcasting to cover the story. I can only say “shame on you all.”

What we got was social media with its mix of misleading information, rumors, and occasional fact. One such story going around Facebook said the terrorist group Antifa was claiming credit for the fire and resulting destruction. Perhaps they did. I don‘t know. But how does this sort of story help those fighting the fire? We used to have a saying in World War II, “Loose lips sink ships.” It appears there are a lot of loose lips these days.

My heart goes out to those who have suffered in this tragedy. Homes, personal belongings, collections, memories… all lost to the sudden inferno sweeping down on them. However, we are a resilient people as well as a generous and caring people. There is comfort in knowing there are those who will help their neighbor-in-need, donating time and money to others who have lost everything! Every human tragedy brings out the best in the human spirit. We are better than the naysayers would have us believe!