The new phone book is coming, the owner says.

The Villages of Mt. Hood telephone directory, published by Cascade Telecom
Development, Inc. in West Linn, is set to publish next month, nine months
after the original publication date.

“I’m sorry for the delay,” Jim Jones, founder and president of CTD, told The
Mountain Times. “The Mountain community has been good to me.”

Due to publish in November of 2008 – replacing the 2007-2008 book which
was the last one published – Jones fell ill and hasn’t been able to fulfill his
obligation to community advertisers.

He insists he will make the July date and will honor all advertisers with a 12-
month book that will carry through to July 2010.

“All the advertisers will get the exposure they need,” he said.

“I feel most badly for the new advertisers, as they have had to wait for their
ads all this time.”

CTD collects in advance from advertisers and most paid for their ad placement
last November.

Glenn Jones (no relation), owner of Oregon Insect and Rodent Control, has
been waiting for the book and for his ad to appear. When asked if he was
satisfied with the promise of delivery in July, he was skeptical.

“I don’t know whether to believe him (Jim Jones) or not,” Glenn Jones said.
“I’ve called and called but got no return call. Finally, he called me back today
(June 24), but he really didn’t say anything. He’s apologetic, but so are our
legislators.”

Kathy Gunter, proprietor of Kathy’s Kabins in Rhododendron, doesn’t see it as
a major concern.

“I’m still in the old one, so it’s not a big deal,” Gunter said. “Besides, I
advertise in The Mountain Times, and it’s distributed all over the Mountain.

“The way I see it, if you go into a different town, or different state, you don’t
go to the phone book for a business ad. You grab the local paper. I read The
Mountain Times. I like it. That’s why I advertise in it.”

Jim Jones first took ill “five or six years ago” but thought he had it beaten.
“Last fall it reoccurred and I’ve had to go through three series of treatments,”
he said. “The treatments have made me a bit loopy and it’s been difficult to
get work done.”

He’s better now, he says, and work is going well on the next directory.

He does most of the book himself, from pagination to ad sales.

Despite these reassurances, Glenn Jones is not optimistic.

“I don’t want to be ruthless,” he said.

“I try to lead a spiritual life. But God gave me common sense too.”

He said he has no plans of advertising in the directory once the 12-month run
of his ad is over.