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Wednesday, January 10, 2023

Number 2 • 135 years

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Mainly cold with showers and snow a high of 42 and a low of 18.

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East meets West

Cottage Grove hosts cultural exchange By KYLE McGOWEN Sentinel Sports

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t was the end of a long day for the Japanese wrestling club that flew into Portland earlier that day, but Thursday night’s gift exchange and meet and greet in the Cottage Grove High School library was one of smiles and recognition of different cultural backgrounds. The Lions wrestling program hosted the Japanese team as part of the Oregon Wrestling Culture Exchange from Jan. 4-7. They would later participate in competitions against club teams in Portland, La Pine and also against a Willamette Valley all-star team. But Thursday night was one of introduction for eight wrestlers and two coaches that would spend four days in the Willamette Valley. “What an amazing opportunity for Cottage Grove High School, our students, our coaches, the wrestling program, and the City of Cottage Grove,” Lions athletic director Garrett Bridgens said. “I’m excited for our kids to be able to interact with and meet this contingent from Japan, to learn from them, and hopefully build some friendships.” The Japanese team stayed in host homes with Cottage Grove students and families that were willing to

entertain. This year’s Japanese team includes team leader Kumakura Nobumasa, along with head coach Shibata Shingo. The Lions also welcomed Fukasawa Haruya (120 pounds), Takahashi Shu (132), Maeda Taisei (132), Nakamura Manato (145), Uchida Reiji (145), Miura Syuuya (175), Kanazawa Sorato (205) and Iwasawa Taiki (275). “This is really exciting,” Dustin Bengtson, the father of Lions wrestler Carter Bengtson, said. “We really don’t know what to expect, but what a great experience for our kids, right? What a great opportunity to get exposure to kids from another culture and a shared love of sport.” While there was certainly an excitement in the air before the Japanese team arrived at the Cottage Grove High School library, there was also a sense of nervousness from several Lions wrestlers. “It’s kind of scary, it’s new people we will probably never see after this,” Carter Bengtson said. “These are some of the best of the best. It’s a unique experience for a small town like this to be able to host kids from Japan.” “It will be interesting,” Jeffery Conklin said before their arrival. “I’m a little worried about

Rodney Harwood/ Sentinel (Top) Hall of Fame inductee Bill Thompson addresses a group of people gathered to welcome a contingent of Japanese wrestlers as part of the Oregon Wrestling Association cultural exchange. (Bottom) The Japanese wrestling continent visited the Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge on River Road as part of their Cottage Grove tour. how much English they are going to speak because we have to feed them, give them a place to sleep, and try

to communicate with them. That’s my main concern.” Some of the commu-

nication was more of the a group of Japanese to hand signals and point- come together for a shot ing variety, but when a photographer asked See HOSTS page 3A

Doing it right one good deed at a time By RODNEY HARWOOD Sentinel Editor

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TODAY’S EDITION

oing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do is not always a common practice in today’s world. But a ex-Marine, local businessman is giving something back to his community one good deed at a time. Patrick Taylor’s father Ron started Taylor’s Towing and Auto Wrecking when he was 16-yearsold, before moving the business from California to Cottage Grove in 1968. Patrick, quite literally, grew up on the property on Thornton Lane. He’s been driving a tow truck since he was old enough to see over the dash-

Obituaries — A5 Opinion — A4 Sports — B1 Classifieds — B2-3

board, back during a time when the state patrol would rather have a second wrecker on-scene than bother to check the driver’s license of the kid driving the second one. “I grew up in this town. People don’t always a lot of money,” Taylor said. “The ones that do work in Eugene and they drive a new car.” Coming from a working-class family, Taylor understands making ends meet and making sacrifices to do so. Such was the case when he helped Susan Roscoe get into a better vehicle. She had little or no income and is trying to get by on a disability check, so he helped her get into another van, shore it up so that she could

live in it. “We got her into a Nissan Quest (van) that we bought at an auction. We checked out the breaks and made sure it was safe to drive, so we could get her back down the road,” Taylor said. “A few years ago, she had a vehicle to trade, and we saw there was some value in it for some parts. So, it was a couple hundred dollars to do some paperwork and get her out the door. A couple of years later the van gives up the ghost. “It was the right thing to do. She’s disabled. She has a Rodney Harwood/Sentinel prosthetic leg and had a battle Patrick Taylor with Taylor’s Towing and Wrecking Inc. has with cancer. It’s not so much been helping people from Cottage Grove get into reliable that she’s down on her luck as vehicles and maintain them for the past 30 years. Doing the See DEED page 2A right thing because it’s the right thing is a way of life he said.

541- 942-3325 ph | 541-942-3328 fax 1498 E. Main Street, STE 104 P.O. Box 35 Cottage Grove, OR 97424

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