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59 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, May 5, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 3, 2005 Surgery can’t keep Jack Walker from his work A TV and a calling box allow the recovering commissioner to attend meetings from his home By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Jack Walker’s voice sounds strangely disembodied as he participates from home in the weekly Jackson County Board of Commissioners meetings. Walker has been attending meetings by watching the proceedings on television while his voice is broadcast over a little triangular-shaped conference calling box. "I told him he looks like a little alien," said commissioner C.W. Smith. Walker, recovering from surgery to remove a 6-inch length of intestine two months ago, said, "I’ve got a job to do and I need to do it." Walker attended an executive session last week and plans on sitting through a potentially lengthy public hearing Wednesday to discuss a proposed rock quarry near Butte Falls. Advertisement "The doctor says, ‘Don’t do any more than you have to,’ " he said. "But just sitting around drives me crazy." Walker has Crohn’s disease, which can cause a wasting of the intestines and afflicts about 1 million Americans. After his surgery, Walker developed an infection that forced surgeons to open him up again so that they could keep the area clean. The 6-inch open wound also allows a fistula — a little leak in his intestine — time to heal. The wound will take about another month to close up, having to heal from the inside out. Although doctors have told him to walk around, Walker said he often feels a bit uncomfortable. "If you’ve got an open wound, you’ve got pain," he said. "It’s covered and it’s got a bag over it. You get these little sharp pains. It keeps you alert." Still he manages to get around, although he said it would be difficult to sit through meetings all day. He takes pain pills only at night. The county wanted to set up a camera at Walker’s house to televise him during meetings, but he nixed that idea because he experiences discomfort from time to time. Still, he’s sat through hours of meetings from his home, chiming in frequently on county issues. "He’s tougher than nails," said Smith. "I think he’s doing a wonderful job considering what he’s been through." Smith said the county brings Walker paperwork almost on a daily basis. Both Smith and commissioner Dave Gilmour bring him up to speed on communications they’ve had with various departments. Walker manages to pop into his office from time to time to sign county documents or check messages. Recently, Smith brought Walker papers to sign at his home. Smith’s son’s car broke down, and Walker told him to go ahead and borrow his pickup truck for a couple of days. "People probably think I’m back at work when they see my pickup in the parking lot," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Advertisement s