Background: Originally published August 23, 2006. One of the few times that I can mention Shirley Temple in a column. This is one of my longest columns. At different times, I would publish "hybrid" columns, which would be snippets of three or four different stories, stories that presumably weren't long enough to justify a column on their own. However, in retrospect, the "Cavemen Return To Caves" column was long enough on its own.
I haven't decided yet if I will publish more "hybrid" columns. At the time of publication, the topics seemed relevant. But some ten years after publication, the hybrid columns appear somewhat disjointed to me.
CAVEMEN RETURN TO CAVES
They hadn't been to the Oregon Caves in 15 years. They hadn't even appeared in parades or other public appearances the past three years. But five of the remaining cavemen (and two cavewomen) returned to the Oregon Caves this summer. I was there when they "surprised" a group gathered in the Chateau on the evening of August 7th, watching a power point presentation of the cavemen's history.
The cavemen organization formed in 1922, the same year that a road was built to the Oregon Caves outside of Cave Junction. Back then, the Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce wanted some kind of publicity gimmick to attract tourists to the caves, and consequently to pass through Grants Pass as well. During their heyday in the 1930s and 1940s, hundreds of cavemen promoted the caves. They appeared in parades, traveled to other states for photo shoots with politicians, and "kidnapped" celebrities and prominent people who ventured into Josephine County. "Kidnapping" usually amounted to nothing more than a staged photo shoot of cavemen grabbing some damsel in distress as she stepped out of an airplane, etc.
Shirley Temple was among their victims. When real kidnapping threats were lodged against the child actress, Shirley's parents brought their daughter to Oregon for a vacation. When the family first arrived in Grants Pass, a group of cavemen greeted their car, waving their clubs, prompting Shirley's parents to roll up the windows of their car. But according to the Oregon Caves park ranger who gave the power point presentation, Shirley was a "good sport" about the incident. Herbert Hoover, John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and the list of people goes on who became "honorary cavemen" over the years.
The organization that once boasted 300 members is now down to about twelve. In recent years the cavemen have become somewhat of a controversy. Many say they're not the image that Josephine County wants to promote to the rest of the world: local residents are a bunch of Neanderthals? Also, as one member pointed out, grabbing young women and children is no longer socially acceptable, even if it is some type of prehistoric stunt. On the other hand, many people say cavemen are so entrenched in the area's history, with numerous businesses bearing the caveman name, that it's impossible to ignore the role they played in helping build the local economic base.
All I can say is that I finally overcame my fear of cavemen. My only memories of them from the early 1970s was when they "kidnapped" people along the street during the Reedsport parade. However, on the eve of my birthday this year, an Oregon Caves worker was happy to snap a picture of me and my new friends: the cavemen. I'm glad I had the chance to do so before the cavemen become extinct.
THE RACE GOES ON
When Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel dropped out of the race last month for Josephine County Commissioner, that left just Three Rivers school board member Dave Toler as the only name that will appear on the ballot this November. Because Josephine County has non-partisan commissioners, there's no mechanism in place for the party to choose a replacement.
However, the third-highest vote recipient in the May primary, James Rafferty, has said he will run a write-in campaign. And a newcomer to the race, Jack Swift, said he will also run a write-in campaign. In fact, Daniel is even endorsing Swift's candidacy. Toler, Swift, and Rafferty were all at the Josephine County fair last week stumping for votes. Two of them even had their own political booths.
DONKEY AND ELEPHANT MINGLE AT FAIR
Even though Josephine County Commissioners hold non-partisan offices, I knew that many of them are traditionally loyal to conservative Republican doctrines. That's why I was surprised when I was reading the itinerary of Democrat Congressman Peter DeFazio: Josephine County Commissioners Jim Raffenberg was going to give DeFazio a tour of the fair!
I had seen donkeys and elephants join forces before, but usually it was for a common goal....never mingling at a social occasion. For example, Senators Ron Wyden (D) and Gordon Smith (R) working together for legislation that would benefit Oregon. Or DeFazio (D) and Congressman Greg Walden (R) teaming up to co-sponsor a proposed five-year extension to the O and C timber safety net payments.
Nonetheless, I had to ask county commissioner Raffenberg about the subject, while we were sitting on a bench at the fairgrounds awaiting DeFazio's arrival. Raffenberg told me his showing DeFazio around the fair was nothing new. He had done it the previous year. While some Josephine County commissioners in the past have balked at the idea of making a public social appearance with someone from the opposite party, Raffenberg said he had no reservations about it. After all, DeFazio was their elected Congressman for much of Josephine County. Even though he may disagree strongly with DeFazio on a number of issues, Raffenberg said elected officials have to be friendly with one another and work together if they ever hope to accomplish anything for the common good.
Ironically, the Josephine County fairgrounds is in Congressman Greg Walden's district. But since DeFazio's district lies just a few miles down the road, nobody seemed to notice.
KOBI-TV GOES HDTV
KOBI-TV is now broadcasting in high definition (HDTV). However, high definition is not a process that happens overnight. Different people will receive high definition at different times, depending on whether they receive television reception over-the-air, on cable, or from a satellite dish.
KOBI is now broadcasting a high definition picture over the air, in addition to the regular analog picture on channel 5 from their main transmitter site atop King Mountain, east of Glendale. Charter Cable TV in the Rogue Valley is now in the process of adding a KOBI HDTV picture to its channel line-up. However, high definition television still awaits others viewers on other cable TV systems, in addition to over-the-air translators in other areas.
Remember when stereo sound replaced mono sound on television programs 20 years ago? Not all television stations installed stereo transmitters at the same time. Not all cable TV systems converted to stereo at the same time. And, not all viewers went out and purchased stereo TV sets at the same time. Much of the same scenario will likely play out with the conversion to HDTV during the coming year.
Converting to high definition is a lengthy, expensive process that will take many television stations months to complete. It's almost like building another television station from scratch, because every piece of equipment that now transmits an analog television signal will need to eventually transmit in high definition. Because analog and high definition are broadcast on different frequencies, over-the-air television viewers may notice differences in reception. Some antenna households will receive a better HDTV picture than they now receive an analog picture, while other households will not.
It depends on terrain and the geographical area in which a person lives. In general, analog television signals travel farther and can "skip" over hills. High definition television signals are stronger than analog, but they require line of sight between a person's household antenna and the television transmitter.
The Federal Communications Commission has mandated the conversion to HDTV. For now, television stations may broadcast two separate signals, one analog and one high definition. However, the day will come that all analog transmissions will end, leaving only high definition.
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