Grove entinel
Park entry plaza completion delayed
Construction continues on improvements at the north end of Bohemia Park.
By the end of the year there will be a building with restrooms, a playground with swings, and a splash pad to cool off on hot days.
delays that now push the date to the end of December, according to Cottage Grove Public Works Director Faye Stewart.
“I received a timeline from the contractor that the completion date for the Bohemia Park Entry Plaza is now Dec. 27,” Stewart said.
phase of the park’s development plan is about 50-percent complete.
to be installed.
City faces significant budgetary challenges in 2025
facing Oregon’s firefighters
JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
Long-term
PARK HISTORY
The original completion date was this month, however, there have been some unanticipated
12th Street has been used as a homeless camp site with hours from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily.
“We were shooting for an earlier date but some of the items for completing the bathrooms are on backorder.”
Stewart estimates this third
The work done so far includes the installation of underground infrastructure, masonry work for the bathrooms and the roof is now being framed. The splash pad concrete has been poured. The installation of the above ground splashpad features and its pump system has yet to be installed. Most of the pathways and hard surfacing still need to be concret-
The 14.8-acre park is owned by the Bohemia Foundation and is maintained by Stewart family members and through a cooperative agreement with the City of Cottage Grove.
See PLAZA, Page 6
Oregon’s wildfire season is expected to continue through this month, but the mental scares and impact of the season on the firefighters who battle blazes in Lane County and across the state, and their families, may last a lifetime, according to Jeff Dill, the founder of Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA).
WEELDRYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
New nonprofit combats animal overpopulation
CINDY WEELDREYER
“None of us have ever managed a homeless camp before, so we knew that date was a bit aspirational,” Sauerwein said. “We are hoping that this week we will be able to make the transition. Our goal was to provide folks with a safe and secure place to spend the night and that’s what we are doing.”
Cottage Grove Sentinel
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.”
Sauerwein said city staff was cleaning up the Lulu Dog Park to reestablish it as a dog park. Specific costs of that cleanup and establishing the smaller homeless camp at 12th Street were not immediately available.
~ Mahatma Ghandi
For nearly 40 years, local resident Janetta Overholser has devoted her life to caring for animals and is widely known as a fierce warrior in the battle to stop animal overpopulation. She was one of the founders of the Animal Care Lovers Unit in 1986 that became the Humane Society of Cottage Grove in 1999.
Last December, a change in the organization’s leadership prompted Overholser to resign from the Humane Society board after serving as its leader for 37 years.
Grovers
Dill established the FBHA in 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. He was than a Battalion Chief for a fire department in northwest Chicago.
The Cottage Grove City Council may soon have to make tough decisions about new revenue sources or reducing current services.
The forecast came during a city council work session Oct. 28 about the city budget.
currently doing, which is providing a location for folks to spend the night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.”
a much-needed organization that helps animals in our community,” Hill said. She added, “We are very grateful for the wonderful show of community support we have received since we started PAWS.
“I saw our brothers and sisters struggle from the devastation that they saw, so I went back and got my degree and became a licensed counselor,” he said. “We started tracking EMS and firefighter suicides across America.”
Behavioral Impact
People have attended our sales, dropped off donations and have stopped by with words of encouragement for us.”
Read previous coverage about the homelessness challenges in Cottage Grove and follow new developments at cgsemtinel.com and in the Wednesday print editions of The Sentinel.
Most recently, the group funded 50 discount coupons, with most distributed this summer at the South Valley Farmers Market and through its PAWS’ Facebook page.
The first donation toward the group’s $10,000 goal was $500 from an anonymous donor. Their fundraising thermometer rose after the June 29 fundraiser and, thus far, approximately $2,000 has been raised. A $2,900 anonymous donation was earmarked to help with organizational fees.
Matchbooks from the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com.
CINDY WEELDREYER
For The Cottage Grove Sentinel
In 1975, when Birdy Hoelzle and her sister Gail opened The Bookmine they were familiar with The Village Green.
Their father traveled a lot and often brought its matchboxes home as keepsakes for his girls. The sisters were in their 20’s when they opened the Main Street bookstore and, to enhance their income, worked as waitresses at the resort.
Two other board members and seven of the thrift store volunteers also resigned their positions. Wanting to continue the mission of reducing animal overpopulation, the 10 animal lovers banded together in January and brainstormed how they could do that, and the Paws and Whiskers Society (PAWS) was born. The 11 members of the PAWS board of directors worked for several months to lay the foundation for the new organization. Overholser serves as the board president. Other members are Vice President Bobbi DeHart, Secretary/Treasurer Christie Hill, Bev Kelley, Mary Buessy, Carman Dowell, Nancy Williams, Barbara Hill, Susan
The nonprofit’s anniversary date is in July 2025 to bring in the remaining $8,000. Overholser said that the ratio will increase once all the remaining organizational fees are paid.
gather to remember Village Green Resort
Carver, Karen Proctor, and Steve Thoemmes.
“It was a wonderful place to work and, being new in town, it
STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT
helped us meet many of our future bookstore customers,” Birdy said.
She shared a humorous memory they made in the formal Iron Maiden Dining Room that drew laughter from the crowd.
PAWS made its community debut earlier this year with a June 29 fundraiser at Elks Lodge. Last month, it received recognition from the Internal Revenue Service to solidify its standing as one of Cottage Grove’s newest all-volunteer nonprofit organizations.
to provide discount coupons that are $100 off the price of a spay or neuter procedure and will eventually be honored at all the local veterinarian clinics. The group also works with property owners who are overwhelmed by feral cat colonies.
“The more money we get the more spay and neuter coupons we can offer,” Overholser said.
the way” during the construction project.
“If the financial need is greater than the $100 discount coupon, come talk to us and we can connect them with other resources to get the procedure done.”
PAWS UPCOMING EVENTS
Cottage Grove City Manager Mike Sauerwein and Finance Director Roberta Likens provided an update on the status of the current 2024-25 budget expenditures to date and informed the councilors that adjustments must be made to ensure there will be an essential cash carryover in future years.
According to Dill, firefighters often don’t recognize the behavioral impact of their work.
“We become cultural brainwashed,” Dill said. “Whether it’s structural or wildland fires. So, we are meant to believe we are supposed to act strong, brave, be help, don’t ask for help, and we don’t want to look weak and not ask for help.”
Sauerwein and Likens said a new financial modeling software will make a big difference in what information staff can provide to the council as it makes hard financial decisions in January, after the new council is seated.
Dill added that while firefighters are on the front lines battling the wildfires, one of the biggest challenges they face is the unknown.
“It’s how rapidly theses fires can move, and the unknown is where is it going to end? Where will this fire go to and how long will it last? And that is a struggle,” he said.
“The implementation of the Waterworth software to track revenues and expenditures and create a forecasting model is a process,” Likens told the council.
“So, when you are fighting that fire, you’re trying to do your best to stop it, and yet the wind kicks up at 60 miles an hour and it drags it further and further behind them. That aspect of the unknown is very difficult in wildland fires. The firefighters have that stress and anxiety, and that struggle to protect is a very difficult challenge for the wildland firefighters.”
“At this point, the preliminary information reflects a need to address the cash position (in the general fund) and seek either new or increased revenue sources and/or reductions in spending. It is imperative that this occurs as soon as possible.”
Sauerwein said funds for maintaining the water, sewer and stormwater facilities are in great shape.
“My sister and I were budding feminists at the time and were quite shocked by the sexism practiced in the dining room,” she said. “The menu given to a woman had no prices on it and foot pillows were provided so ladies’ uncomfortable shoes could be removed while dining. It was a very different era.”
Nearly 50 people attended the Cottage Grove Historical Society’s “Farewell to the Village Green” at the Community Center, Saturday, Sept. 21 The internationally famous resort was created by Walter A. Woodard (W.A.) and his son, Carlton. Some members of the family attended and shared personal memories.
Christie Hill said the progress to create the new nonprofit would’ve been much slower without the support of the Cottage Grove Elks Lodge.
THROUGH THE LENS
Knowing spay and neuter procedures are expensive and can be a financial barrier for many pet owners, PAWS’ mission is
He said he was given an important job of opening the boxes delivered to the guest rooms and recalled how cool he felt driving the orange golf cart around the property for assigned errands. Years later, another special memory was seeing the famous football player, O.J. Simpson, running on one of the resort’s paths.
“It is in excellent shape compared to other cities I’ve been associated with,” Sauerwein said.
It is often very difficult for family members of the firefighters to understand what emotions there are, and that many firefighters don’t express their emotions, according to Dill.
“You really have been wellserved by your public works staff’s long-term planning.”
“We are so thankful to the members of the Elks Lodge and its trustees for allowing us to spread our wings and grow into
Kris Woodard’s introductory remarks included personal memories he made through the lens of a 12-year-old who was often “in
Benefit Sale: Trinity Lutheran Church’s annual Christmas bazaar is a benefit for PAWS. It is scheduled Friday and Saturday, November 8-9, at the church on the corner of 6th and Quincy
To the delight of those gathered, Kris’ brother, Casey Woodard,
See NONPROFIT, Page 6
“We ask the family members to try to understand the cultural,” he said. “Be direct. Challenge with compassion when something doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound right, and do an internal size up, which we ask the firefighters to do as well,” he said.” Internal size up means asking why am I acting this way, and why am I feeling this way? The best thing we can do is
Councilor Dana Merryday noted the reason for that is because the council followed the consultants’ advice and raised rates in the time frame they suggested and avoided the problem in our utilities fund that we now have with the general fund.
See BUDGET, Page 6
JEREMY C. RUARK
Cottage Grove Sentinel
Crews began developing the smaller homeless camp site this week on the vacant lot at 12th Street.
CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
PHOTO JEREMY C. RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
CINDY
CINDY WEELDREYER
Cottage Grove Sentinel
ed. Irrigation, landscaping, light poles and the tower base are yet
Metro Creative Connection
In January, the new city council will receive its next quarterly budget update.
sustainable funding for the police department and the library will be a topic at the council’s retreat in early 2025.
Jeremy C. Ruark / Cottage Grove Sentinel
Construction crew members work on the park entry plaza building at the S. 10th Street site.
Courtesy graphic
following the murder.
Cottage Grove murder suspect at county jail
C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
The man accused of murdering a Cottage Grove woman was being held at the Lane County Jail as of Oct. 31. Anthony Wesley Tyrrell was captured Oct. 5 in Portland In June, a deceased female was located in the Cottage Grove area who appeared to be the victim of homicide.
Shots fired, police chase, traffic crash
JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
Two people face criminal charges following a pursuit by multiple law enforcement agencies that ended in a traffic cash in Cottage Grove.
On October 26, Springfield Police Department (SPD) officers were dispatched to Water Street in Springfield in response to a shots fired call in the area. Witnesses described a red Dodge Ram that drove down the street before the passenger yelled and fired several shots out of the window into the air.
“Officers were able to locate multiple shells on the road in the area described by witnesses,” according to a release from SPD.
SPD officers radioed the vehicle description to area law enforcement agencies. A short time later, officers positively identified the vehicle in Eugene.
Portland Police Bureau officers arrested Tyrrell Oct. 5 on the warrant and additional local charges while investigating an unrelated incident.
Terrell was booked at the Lane County Jail Oct. 25. He faces murder and abuse of corpse charges.
Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) detectives identified the victim 29-year-old Rozaleena Faith Rasmussen, a missing person from Cottage Grove. Detectives identified the suspect as Tyrrell, 31, of Cottage Grove. A nationwide warrant was issued for his arrest for Murder in the 2nd Degree. LCSO detectives tracked Tyrrell to Portland and worked with area agencies on the case.
The police blotter relates to the public record of incidents as reported by law enforcement agencies.
All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Information printed is preliminary and subject to change.
For specific details about cases listed, contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Cottage Grove Police
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21
01:17: Business check, American Market
05:11: Suspicious subject, 700 block E. Main St.
07:26: Abandoned vehicle, 7th/Quincy
08:24: Illegal camping, 3200 block Row River Rd.
08:37: Welfare check, 2400 block E. Whiteaker Ave.
09:18: Illegal camping, 1000 block E. Main St.
10:43: Dog at large, E. Jefferson/13th St.
11:20: Welfare check, 1000 block Ostrander Ln.
11:25: Fraud, 400 block S. 11th St.
11:51: Disorderly subject, 1300 block E. Main St.
12:09: Illegal camping, 300 block S. River Rd.
12:15: Sex crime, 500 block Grant Ave.
12:25: Juvenile, 500 block E. Whiteaker Ave.
12:34: Info, 1200 block E. Main St.
12:47: Welfare check, 400 block Holly Ave.
13:25: Agency assist, 1500 block Village Dr.
13:31: Abandoned vehicle, M/Birch
14:21: Warrant service, 1300 block E. Main St.
14:35: Juvenile, 700 block South R St.
14:53: Illegal camping, 1000 block E. Main St.
15:13: Suspicious subject, S. 8th/Olson Pl.
15:18: Agency assist, 1300 block Daugherty Ave.
16:06: Order violation, 1500 block Village Dr.
16:21: Hit and run, 700 block E. Main St.
19:02: Agency assist, 32000 block Latham Rd.
21:31: Juvenile, 100 block S. 10th St.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22
02:45: Suspicious vehicle, 200 block Gateway Blvd.
04:02: Welfare check, 400 block E. Main St.
06:32: Hit and run, 100 block Palmer Ave.
06:45: Harassment, Citywide
08:21: Agency assist, Ab-
bott Ln/99
10:08: Fire, 2700 block Mosby Creek Rd.
10:33: Illegal dumping, 100 block Gateway Blvd.
11:34: Assault, 77000 block Hwy 99
13:07: Suspicious vehicle, 1500 block E. Main St.
13:30: Welfare check, 75000 block London Rd.
14:28: Warrant service, 400 block E. Main St.
14:39: Welfare check, 500 block Gateway Blvd.
17:35: Info, 100 block Gateway Blvd.
18:28: Hit and run, 600 block Harding Pl.
19:35: Suspicious vehicle, 1300 block S. River Rd.
20:51: DUII, 1100 block Hwy 99
22:16: Trespass, 900 block N. 9th St.
23:24: Suspicious vehicle, 100 block Gateway Blvd.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23
01:42: Welfare check, 700 Benjamin Ave.
07:44: Abandoned vehicle, 200 block N. 12th St.
07:45: Dog at large, 8th/ Taylor
08:06: Warrant service, Harrison Court/Harrison Ave.
08:24: Found dog, 1300 block S. 8th St.
12:52: Juvenile, 1000 block Taylor Ave.
13:05: Citizen assist, 200 block S. 3rd St.
13:33: Welfare check, 1500 block Gateway Blvd.
14:40: Illegal camping, 1400 block N. Douglas St.
15:23: Juvenile, 1600 block Daugherty Ave.
17:10: Juvenile, N. Lane/E. Chadwick Ave.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24
01:06: Alarm, 1000 block Hwy 99
03:10: Warrant service, 400 block E. Main St. 03:34: Trespass, 600 block E. Washington Ave.
06:49: Business check, 1200 block E. Main St.
07:11: Agency assist, 1700 block S. 6th St.
07:22: Shots fired, 1400 block S. 7th St.
08:06: Abandoned vehicle, 1100 block S. 8th St.
09:02: Business check, 1500 block E. Main St.
09:57: Info, 400 block N. River Rd.
11:18: Theft, 1600 block E. Main St.
12:19: Juvenile, 1300 block S. River Rd.
12:36: Fire, 1200 block S. 6th St.
“When Eugene Police Department (EPD) officers attempted a stop, the vehicle failed to yield and began a pursuit,” the release states. “The vehicle was relocated on I-5 southbound, where units from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) joined the pursuit.”
An Oregon State Police
trooper responding to an unrelated crash was able to successfully spike the suspect vehicle’s tires before it exited into Cottage Grove where CGPD officers were ready to assist.
The vehicle crashed on Sears Road in Cottage Grove, where the driver, 41-year-old Amanda Sue Randolph, was taken into custody without incident.
“The passenger, 34-yearold Sebastian Bakari
POLICE BLOTTER
12:43: Unlawful entry into motor vehicle, 2000 block W. Harrison Ave.
13:00: Disorderly subject, 1500 block E. Main St.
13:54: Welfare check, 900 block W. Main St.
14:43: Info, 700 block South R St.
15:00: Agency assist, 300 block North J St.
15:46: Juvenile, S. 3rd/ Quincy
16:15: Motor vehicle crash, 1800 block E. Main St.
16:59: Disorderly subject, 1100 block E. Main St.
17:03: Disorderly subject, 1900 block Clark Ave.
17:38: Welfare check, 700 block Hwy 99
18:44: Disorderly subject, 1100 block E. Main St.
20:49: Welfare check, 1300 block S. River Rd.
21:13: Welfare check, 1600 block E. Main St.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25
00:29: Suspicious vehicle, 1100 block E. Main St.
06:45: Suspicious condition, 1400 block Parks Rd.
07:10: Abandoned vehicle, Hwy 99/Pennoyer
07:47: Trespass, 1100 block E. Main St.
09:09: Suspicious vehicle, 1500 block E. Main St.
10:42: Wanted subject, 1700 block Hwy 99
11:32: Wanted subject, 32000 block Goddard Ln.
12:31: Warrant service, 400 block E. Main St.
12:46: Suspicious condition, 1000 block Johnson St.
13:15: Suspicious condition, 1500 block Village Dr.
14:58: Welfare check, Main/99
15:09: Motor vehicle crash, S. 6th/Taylor
16:38: Abandoned vehicle, E. Main/16th St.
16:20: Trespass, 600 block E. Washington Ave.
16:38: Abandoned vehicle, Hwy 99/Pennoyer
16:46: Missing person, 1200 block Hwy 99
18:08: Business check, 1200 block Gateway Blvd.
18:20: Traffic hazard, 10th/Johnson
18:27: Stolen vehicle, 1800 block S. 4th St.
18:33: Disorderly subject, River Rd/Madison
19:30: Vicious dog, 1400 block E. Madison Ave.
22:40: Suspicious vehicle, 1500 block E. Main St.
23:03: Suspicious vehicle, 100 block S. 10th St.
23:21: Business check, 1200 block Gateway Blvd.
23:59: Suspicious vehicle, Coiner Park
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
00:02: Suspicious vehicle, 100 block S. 10th St.
00:19: Motor vehicle crash & Agency assist, I5SB/MP177
04:15: Business check, 900 block E. Main St.
08:31: Disorderly subject, 100 block Gateway Blvd.
09:48: Illegal camping, 700 block E. Gibbs Ave.
10:44: Criminal mischief, 1700 block S. 10th St.
10:57: Disorderly subject, 1400 block N. Douglas St. 11:19: Fire, Saginaw Rd/ Delight Valley
11:29: Illegal camping, 1500 block N. Pacific Hwy
13:04: Dog at large, 900 block N. Douglas St.
14:01: Disturbance, 1700 block S. 5th St.
14:54: Fire, 300 block Elk Dr.
15:15: Disorderly subject, 100 block Gateway Blvd.
Bivens, of Cottage Grove, fled the crash on foot but was captured shortly after,” the release states. “During a search of the vehicle, SPD officers located a firearm matching the caliber of the shell casings found at the original scene. Additionally, the vehicle was found to be stolen, and a stolen motorcycle was tarped and in the bed of the vehicle.”
Bivens and Randolph were transported to Lane
15:37: Agency assist, 300 block Elk Dr.
15:53: Theft, 5th/Quincy 15:56: Theft, 500 block Landess Rd.
16:54: Info, 3300 block Row River Rd.
18:32: Trespass, 1100 block E. Main St.
19:55: Disturbance, 1500 block Fairview Pl.
20:11: Illegal camping, 100 block S. 10th St.
23:17: Suspicious vehicle, N. River Rd. /Bennett Crk Rd.
23:38: Suspicious vehicle, 700 block Hwy 99
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27
02:37: Business check, 900 block E. Main St.
03:56: Alarm, 2700 block Row River Rd.
11:00: Warrant service, 400 block E. Main St.
11:55: Alarm, 100 block Hwy 99
12:13: Suspicious vehicle, 200 block Gateway
Blvd. 12:59: Disorderly subject, 1000 block E. Main St.
15:21: Abandoned vehicle, 100 block N. 16th St. 15:51: Disabled vehicle, 8th/Taylor
16:06: Fire, 2000 block Hwy 99
18:16: Motor vehicle crash, 37000 block Row River Rd.
18:22: Citizen assist, 100 block Gateway Blvd.
18:36: Theft, 1100 block Hwy 99
19:18: Traffic hazard, 8th/ Johnson 19:21: Suspicious subject,
JEREMY
Courtesy from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office Law enforcement issued this photo of Anthony Terrell
Metro Creative Connection
A Cottage Grove resident faces multiple criminal charges following the incident.
lifestyle Cottage Grove admin site up for public auction
SUBMITTED
The General Services Administration is auctioning Cedar Park Plaza, previously known as the Cottage Grove Administrative Site, which is located at 78405 Cedar Park Road, Cottage Grove.
The site, once used by the Umpqua National Forest staff, is located about 13 miles west of the Umpqua National Forest proclaimed boundary. It is located approximately two miles east of Interstate 5 and accessible from exit 174 via Row River Road to Cedar Park Road. Cedar Park Plaza contains approximately 4.85
+/- acres, improved with an administration building built in 1976 (7,527 gross square feet (GSF), a warehouse building built in 1976 (5,500 GSF), tree cooler building built in 1991 (1,007 GSF), gas house built in 1982 (approx. 200 GSF), paved parking, fence, and a wood enclosed gazebo with metal roof (“property”).
The subject property is accessible via two entrances off of Cedar Park Road. The mineral estate is included as part of the sale.
The Cottage Grove Administrative Site or Cedar Park Plaza has not been used by the Forest Service
for a number of years, as staff moved to the Dorena Genetic Resource Center and the North Umpqua District Ranger Station. Despite staff transitioning to other locations, mission-critical work continues across the Cottage Grove Ranger District. Teams of all disciplines are actively engaged in implementing key projects and ensuring recreation sites meet the needs of the visiting public.
The online auction is live now and will be accepting bids until November 13, 2024, at 11 am, Central Time.
An inspection of the property is available by
appointment only. Below are the available dates and times to request an appointment:
• Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 9:a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m.
• Friday, November 8, 2024, at 9 a.m.
For more information about the property, instructions on how you can place a bid in this auction or schedule an inspection, please visit https:// realestatesales.gov/ gsaauctions/aucitdsc/? sl=SFRAN925132401.
For questions regarding this listing, email cedarparkplaza@gsa.gov.
available.
to $30,000
Nonprofits and cities serving Lane County communities are eligible to apply for grants to support activities that help provide training to the local workforce, support business development, attract or retain businesses in Lane County, and other economic developmentrelated activities. The grants will provide between $5,000 and $30,000 to successful applicants.
Priority will be given to programs or projects that address one or more of the following:
• Implementing workforce training fulfilling specific industry needs or trade certifications
• Facilitating industry innovation, engagement or business development
• Conducting regional business attraction, business retention, and marketing activities
• Providing business technical assistance, training or support services to entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses
Applications are due by 12 p.m. on November 6. The funding is available from Lane County Community & Economic Development and its annual allocation of state video lottery funds. There is a total of $200,000 available for this grant.
More information about how to apply, along with a recorded pre-application information session, is available at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/ecodev.
Brush fire prompts evacuation notices
JEREMY C. RUARK
Cottage Grove Sentinel
Evacuation notifications for an area north of Cottage Grove have been cancelled
following a brush fire in the area. Cooler, wetter weather and what officials from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO called hard
work by fire personnel, allowed an evacuation notice to be canceled near Cottage Grove, including all areas previously under a Level 2 evacuation.
The fire broke out late Saturday afternoon, Oct. 26, and spread across approximately 25 acres.
n
The fire prompted LCSO to issue a level 2 evacuation notification for the areas west of Highway 99 between River Road and W. Saginaw Road, including Abbot Lane and the Grimes Road area. Highway 99 also was closed in the area. Level 2 Be Set evacuation notification means effected residents must prepare to leave at a moment’s notice, and this may be the only notice that will be received. The evacuation notices were canceled Sunday morning, Oct. 27 and Highway 99 also was reopened. There were no injuries reported. LCSO deputies and Oregon State Police assisted firefighters with thermal drone imagery to view fire activity through the smoke.
“The Lane County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the fire personnel from several different agencies who quickly responded to keep the fire away from homes and critical infrastructure,” A release from LCSO states.
Residents are still encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts at www. LaneAlerts.org.
Courtesy photo
Cottage Grove’s Cedar Plaza is located at 78405 Cedar Park Road.
Courtesy photo
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office provided this drone view flying over the fire scene.
Courtesy photo
This is a thermal image of the brush from a Lane County Sheriff’s Office drone.
Ward R. Gross
1924 - 2024
Ward R. Gross, 100 of Cottage Grove, Oregon passed away October 25, 2024. Ward was born in Piney Flats, Tennessee to parents Wilfred L. and Rachel Dae (Rutledge) Gross. He had 3 older sisters, Nola, Virgina, and Dorothy and 3 younger brothers Dan, Donald and George. He had a happy, healthy, and fun childhood. His family moved while he was in the service during WWII from Piney Flats to North Hollywood, California. Ward met Miriam Aikins on May 21, 1948. It was a long and happy marriage, two months short of 75 years. In 1960 Ward and Mariam adopted two sons, Steve and Martin. Ward started his working life in construction, then
in management with the airlines for 28 years, then back to construction. On his later years he developed a skill in Intarsia, a craft where he designed and crafted many decorative wall pieces from different colored woods. Ward will be placed at Walker Cemetery with his wife Miram. Arrangements in the care of Smith-LundMills Funeral Chapel and Crematorium.
Why Pre-Plan?
Pre-Planning makes matters easier for those you love.
Pre-Planning allows you to provide guidance to your family after your death.
Pre-Planning allows you to control potential expenses of a funeral and disposition.
Pre-Planning provides an advanced opportunity to assemble life data.
(541) 942-0185
123 S 7th St. Cottage Grove Visit smithlundmills.com for more information.
COTTAGE GROVE:
6th & Gibbs Church of Christ 195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822
10:00am Christian Education: Pre-K through 5th Tim Baker, Senior Minister www.6thandgibbs.com
Cottage Grove Bible Church 1200 East Quincy Avenue
541-942-4771 Pastor:Ron Harris Worship 11am Sunday School:9:45am AWANA age 3-8th Grade, Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm www.cgbible.org
Cottage Grove Faith Center 33761 Row River Rd. 541-942-4851 Lead Pastor: Kevin Pruett
www.cg4.tv Full Childrenʼs Ministry available Services: 10:00am
Delight Valley Church of Christ 33087 Saginaw Rd. East
541-942-7711 • Pastor: Bob Friend
Two Services: 9am - Classic in the Chapel 10:30am - Contemporary in the Auditorium
Wildfire season disaster declaration
JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
Following Oregon’s record wildfire season this fall and past summer, Oregon’s entire congressional delegation is making a press for a major disaster declaration.
The delegation is urging President Biden to grant Governor Kotek’s request that Oregon receive a major disaster declaration in response to the wildfires that burned about three times the average acreage this year.
“The 2024 wildfire season has been one of the most devastating and costly fire seasons on record,”
U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley as well as U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Cliff Bentz, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas and Lori Chavez-DeRemer wrote in their letter to the president. “Central and Eastern Oregon experienced intense heat waves this summer, which dried out vegetation and created extreme fire risk on the landscape. Severe lightning storms ignited a large number of fires, and windy conditions allowed many of these fires to spread rapidly.”
By the numbers
Over 1.9 million acres burned, making it the largest wildfire season by acreage in Oregon’s history. For context, the state’s 10-year average acres burned is 640,000 acres,” the delegation states in the letter
“The estimated damages and cost to public infrastructure exceeds $650 million, and this figure does not account for the longterm loss in revenue local businesses will experience as a result of these fires,” the letter states.
This year’s extreme infernos and severe storms hit Gilliam, Grant, Jefferson, Umatilla, Wasco, and Wheeler counties hardest, the delegation wrote. A series of wildfires also burned in rugged terrain in Lane County, including the July lightning-caused Lane One Wildfire that scorched over 25,000 acres. That wildfire was 99% contained
Hope Fellowship United Pentecostal Church
100 S. Gateway Blvd. 541-942-2061
Pastor: Dave Bragg Worship: 11:00am Sunday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday www.hopefellowshipupc.com “FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE”
Living Faith Assembly 467 S. 10th St. • 541-942-2612 Worship Services Sundays: 9a & 11a Youth Worship Sundays: 11a (all ages welcome) Mondays: 5:30p (6th-12th grades)
Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Philip Benizi Catholic Churches 1025. N. 19th St. 541-942-3420 Father John J. Boyle
Holy Mass: Saturday Vigil – 5:30 pm Sunday – 10:30 am For weekday and Holy Day of Obligation schedule see website OLPHCG.net
Confession: 4 PM to 5 PM Saturdays or by appointment
St. Philip Benizi, Creswell 552 Holbrook Lane Sunday 8 am
St. Andrews Episcopal Church 1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050
Rev. Lawrence Crumb
“Scripture, Tradition, Reason”
Worship: Sunday 10:30am All Welcome
Seventh-day Adventist Church 820 South 10th Street
541-942-5213
Pastor: James D. Boram
Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am
Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40 Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00
as of Oct. 23.
“The fires destroyed 42 homes and 132 additional buildings and structures, damaged critical infrastructure and the natural environment, interrupted schools, care facilities, and social services, injured 26 civilians and fire responders, and led to the death of an air tanker pilot,” they wrote. “These fires have also created profound hardship for our ranchers, as they destroyed private and public grazing lands and cut off access to essential resources for livestock.
Kotek declared a statewide emergency from July 12 through October 1, 2024, to mobilize emergency response across rural central and eastern Oregon.
In their letter supporting the governor’s request for federal disaster assistance, the Oregon lawmakers asked the Biden-Harris administration to ensure state, local, and tribal governments have access to all available resources through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and that the state’s cost-share be waived due to a lack of available state funding.
“Oregonians now require federal support and assistance to navigate the aftermath of this unprecedented fire season. The back-to-back incidents and lack of basic services had a devastating effect on the safety and stamina of our fire crews,” the delegation wrote. “We urge you and your administration to swiftly provide the federal resources for our communities to recover and rebuild.”
Trinity Lutheran Church 6th and Quincy 541-942-2373
Vacancy Pastor: Herb Percy Sunday School and Adult Education 9:15 a.m. Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tuesday 5:15 p.m. to 6:5 p.m. TLC Groups tlccg.com
United Methodist Church 334 Washington 541-942-3033 Worship 10am umcgrove.org
CRESWELL: Creswell Presbyterian Church 75 S 4th S • 541-895-3419 Rev. Seth Wheeler Adult Sunday School 9:15am Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am website www.creswellpres.org
Walker Union Church & Cemetery 32904 England Rd, Creswell, OR (541) 649-1800 Pastor: Randy Wood Sunday Service at 11:00 AM Everyone is welcome! Follow us on our Facebook page: WalkerChurchOregon Our Worship Directory
2 million acres in Oregon this summer.
Governor’s Letter
Gov. Kotek sent a letter to President Joe Biden, Monday, Oct. 21, requesting a federal major disaster declaration pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Act on behalf of the State of Oregon.
The request follows one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in Oregon history. If approved, it would provide supplemental grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance Program for state, tribal, local governments, and certain private nonprofits for costs incurred for responding and recovering from wildfires between July 10 and September 7, 2024.
“I am asking President Biden and the federal government to provide relief to the rural Oregon communities who weathered an unprecedented, destructive wildfire season,” Kotek said. “Despite the scale and persistence of the wildfires, our fire and emergency teams put their lives on the line –with little rest– to protect Oregonians and what they hold dear. Our rural communities are still in profound crisis as a result of this season, and I am resolved to secure the federal assistance needed for Oregon to recover and rebuild.”
The request applies to Gilliam, Grant, Jefferson, Umatilla, Wasco, and Wheeler counties, whjich experienced significant damage and destruction to utility poles and lines, resulting in power, communication, and internet outages; disruptions to travel and the ability to conduct emergency responses; and
mass sheltering needs for medically fragile, older adults and isolated persons without power.
The governor also requested that the president waive the state’s share of the cost for emergency work in response to the disaster. The rural counties impacted by the wildfires have limited resources to support the standard share of the cost and the magnitude of state resources deployed across Oregon means state funding is insufficient to reimburse these communities.
On July 12, Kotek declared a State of Emergency in response to the threat of wildfire. Throughout the season, she invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act a record 17 times to mobilize structural firefighting resources from the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to local communities, and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) mobilized thousands of wildland firefighting personnel.
A record 1.9 million acres burned this wildfire season, overwhelming the state’s 10-year average of 640,000 acres per season. Fires destroyed at least 42 homes and 132 other structures and caused severe disruptions to transportation, utility infrastructure, and social services. Ranchers in Eastern Oregon lost access to critical resources for their livestock, leading to long-term challenges in restoring the land and significant lost business revenue.
The federal government typically takes approximately six weeks after submission of a federal major disaster declaration request to respond.
Courtesy from the U.S. Forest Service
The Lane 1 Wildfire, located approximately 6 miles SE of Dorena, began Thursday, July 17 following lightning strikes in the area and spread over 25,000 acres. It was 99% contained as of Oct. 23. It is just one of several wildfires that burned over nearly
NEWS & VIEWS
Don’t take Oregon beaches for granted
PHILLIP JOHNSON
AND
CHARLIE PLYBON Sentinel Guest Column
Oregonians have the freedom to wander wherever they wish on the Oregon shore.
The public is endowed with what is known as a “customary use right” to visit all 362 miles of our ocean beaches and rocky shores. Few citizens of other states enjoy this kind of unfettered access along the beach that was ensured for Oregonians and their visitors by our celebrated Beach Bill, initially passed by the legislature in 1967.
Today, however, this Oregonian legacy is under threat. Not because anyone is scheming to take away our rights—at least, not directly. Yet human actions are threatening our beaches from both directions. We may retain our access to the shore, but in coming years our access along the beach could be lost.
In Oregon, we like to say that “the beaches belong to the people,” but that isn’t exactly right. The key principle isn’t ownership, in the sense of property. Rather, our right to travel the shoreline is based on something deeper and older, the customary use that goes back to the region’s tribal history and continued on through European settlement. This public trust is established through a recreation zone that covers the entire shoreline. In Oregon, the beaches are common ground for everyone.
Oregon’s entire shoreline has been public long enough that we tend to take this access for granted. When contemplating a visit to the waves, we just think in terms of where we want to go, not where we are allowed to be.
But our shoreline is now caught in what is known as the “coastal squeeze.” Sea level rise and increased storm surges, driven by climate change, are pushing waves and tides higher and higher, speeding up erosion and flooding the beach more frequently. And on the landward side, more and more landowners are seeking to protect their property from those higher waves with shoreline armoring, such as seawalls and riprap revetments (structures made of boulders). Over time, this will be
a deadly combination.
Hardened structures lead to increased erosion, both by deflecting waves onto adjoining shoreland and by causing scour at the front of the structure. At the same time, they deprive beaches of their natural sand supply. Higher seas and stronger storms pull sand offshore, but if nature is allowed to take its course, they replenish the beach by mobilizing sand from bluffs and dunes as they move upslope.
Deprived of this fresh sand supply, beaches will narrow, becoming inaccessible to people first at high tide, and then at lower and lower tide levels. Eventually, beaches may disappear entirely, as waves slap against solid walls and riprap forms artificial peninsulas protecting a handful of coastal property owners. Loss of the beach wouldn’t just be a disaster for Oregonians who love the coast. The shoreline is also habitat for a range of plants and animals, from snowy plovers to sand verbena to seals. Our beaches are especially critical to migratory shorebirds, as they stop over on their travels from hemisphere to hemisphere.
The desire of property owners to preserve their assets is understandable and they can always rationalize that one seawall spanning a limited stretch of the shore won’t destroy the beach. But shoreline armoring has a cumulative effect, with each structure further accelerating the eventual erosion of entire stretches of the beach. Statewide Land Use Goal #18 restricts armoring to properties developed by Jan. 1, 1977, but this is a flimsy barrier.
Cities and counties, confronted by concerned and often litigious landowners, are beginning to more frequently issue “exceptions” to allow riprap and shoreline armoring of otherwise ineligible properties. Unless we change course, shoreline armoring will spread along our coast at the expense of our public beaches, depriving Oregonians of recreation and leisure, while also irrevocably damaging shoreline ecosystems. Clearly, we need to step back, consider the future of our beaches, and develop new policies that will enable us to preserve this
precious resource.
The Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition and the Surfrider Foundation are partnering in a new campaign, Oregon Beaches Forever, designed to foster a statewide conversation about our public shoreline. This will be a long-term effort to educate our community on the geology of the coast and the impending consequences of climate change, as well as our best available planning options to deal with these implications, to save Oregon’s beaches.. We will be working together to develop a common understanding of the challenges facing our common shoreline—and from there, create a constituency for change.
We don’t profess to know for sure at this point what the best policies would be for Oregon. In other states and countries, a variety of approaches are being undertaken, from outright buyouts of threatened properties, to rolling easements (in which land is rezoned as untenable for development once reached by high waters), to transfer development rights (through which owners give up their property in return for permission to develop at greater density elsewhere).
Various practical and policy experiments are underway. Our goal is to study the alternatives and present them to Oregonians and our local decision-makers, so we can decide together how best to preserve our beaches in the era of climate change.
For generations now, Oregonians and their visitors have cherished Oregon’s coast and public beaches. The ultimate goal of Oregon Beaches Forever is to assure that this shared inheritance is enjoyed by many more generations to come. To do this, we will have to build a vision and a movement for long-term shoreline protection. We urge all Oregonians who share our love for the Oregon coast to join us in this effort.
Phillip Johnson is the Shoreline and Land Use Manager for the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition. Charlie Plybon is the Sr. Oregon Policy Manager for Surfrider Foundation.
EDITORIAL CARTOON
$2.4M SNAP fraud leads to 17 arrests
JEREMY C. RUARK
Cottage Grove Sentinel
Following a multiple law enforcement agency investigation, 17 people are facing federal charges for conspiring to defraud the United States of more than $2.4 million in fraudulent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon has announced.
A coordinated, multiagency law enforcement operation was conducted Tuesday, Oct. 22, to dismantle the interstate fraud organization that used skimming devices and stolen Electric Benefits Transfer (EBT) accounts to purchase SNAP-eligible products for resale on the black market.
The following individuals have been arrested and charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, for their roles in the fraud organization: Ramirez Dumitru, 25; Giovanni Spirea, 28; Santa-Madalina Costache, 25; Florin Mareata, 25; Anita Vaduva, 36; Ion Paul Miclescu, 19; Nicolas Barbosu, 25; Alberto Tomescu, 27; Oana Aura Cristina Caldararu, 23; Roberta Elena Sardaru, 27; Salvis Foro Dunca, 26; Ana Patricia Escalante, 57; Jessica Gonzalez, 27; Edwin Lionel Santizo-Ralon, 54; Cristina Yesenia Escalante, 33; Edgar Basilio Hernandez, 33; and Marta Hernandez de Estrada, 53. According to court documents, from August 2023 to October 2024, Ramirez Dumitru and his co-conspirators are alleged to have possessed skimming devices and stolen EBT accounts to illegally purchase items with stolen SNAP benefits. Dumitru shared information with other members of the organization who, along with him, used the stolen EBT accounts to purchase large quantities of infant formula, energy drinks, and other SNAP-eligible nonperishable food items from grocery stores in Oregon, Washington, and California, and through websites associated with grocery stores offering curb-side pickup.
Over the course of the conspiracy, the group purchased more than 120,000 pounds of goods and stored them at residential properties and storage units in Oregon and Washington until they were packaged
Metro Creative Connection
SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1 million eligible, lowincome families and individuals in Oregon, including many older adults and people with disabilities.
and transported to California in private vehicles or via commercial carriers.
The fraudulent goods, obtained with more than $2.4 million in stolen SNAP benefits, were then sold on the black market, according to court records.
All seventeen members of the organization were arrested Oct. 22 without incident and made their initial appearances in federal court this week before U.S. Magistrate Judges in Oregon, Washington and California. All have been arraigned and are pending a trial in the District of Oregon.
“This group targeted a program that ensures access to healthy and affordable groceries for low-income and food insecure individuals and families,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Natalie Wight said.
“We thank all our partners for their commitment to protecting the integrity of vital public programs like SNAP.”
U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA OIG) Special Agent-in-Charge
Shawn Dionida said the USDA OIG is working relentlessly with its law enforcement partners to dismantle organized skimming operations targeted at stealing EBT card information from victims relying on such benefits to feed their families.
“These conspirators used skimmed accounts to fraudulently purchase retail goods such as infant formula and energy drinks, and later resold the stolen goods for illicit gain,” Dionida said. “We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, Homeland Security Investigations, Portland Police Bureau, Oregon Department of Justice, and Orange County District Attorney’s Office for our joint effort in pursuing and holding these conspirators accountable
for defrauding American families and the Federal Government.”
“This kind of fraud cheats a system that is designed to help families and children who need assistance the most,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Every dollar stolen is a dollar that could have fed a child in need. I’m appreciative of our partnerships with federal and local law enforcement, as it is through investigations like this that we will be able to protect resources for those that rely on them, while making sure those who commit these abuses are held accountable.”
Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Chief Bob Day said his agency’s role in the case began with the initiative and extensive follow-up by one of the PPB detectives, who reached out to the PPB’s federal partners, and as the investigation grew, more resources were brought in to assist.
“It soon became very apparent how many people were criminally involved and the wide scope of this investigation,” Day said. “This indictment ultimately was the result of an exhaustive amount of investigative work by our detective and federal authorities and I commend everyone involved for their dedication to this important case.” The case was investigated by USDA OIG, HSI, U.S. Marshals Service, Portland Police Bureau, Oregon Department of Justice, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Vancouver Police Department, San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Gresham Police Department, and the Redmond, Washington Police Department Financial Fraud and Identification Theft Task Force.
Courtesy photo
Beverly Beach.
Park entry plaza completion delayed
From Page 1
Stewart’s great uncle, Loren LaSells “Stub” Stewart [1911-2005], was the owner and president of the Bohemia Lumber Company. In 1998, the elder Stewart, who served 30 years the Oregon Parks and Recreation Board developing parks statewide, envisioned redeveloping what was an environmentally contaminated industrial property on 10th Street into a large park to benefit the individuals and families in his hometown. Stub wanted the park to also pay tribute to the industries that shaped the development of Cottage Grove in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
From 1879 to 1991, the property was home to a variety of businesses that included warehouses for the Southern Pacific Railroad line, a sawmill, and the Oregon Pacific and Eastern Railroad. From 1991 to 2000, the site was vacant, with only a few old buildings and a roundhouse as reminders of its once bustling past.
The Bohemia Foundation, under Stub’s leadership, purchased the site in 2000 and
Budget
City faces significant budgetary challenges in 2025
From Page 1
THE PROBLEM
“Assuming our current burn rate, we need to discuss additional revenue sources or reductions in service,” Sauerwein told the Council. “We’ve reached a point where we have a binary decision to either raise revenue or decrease the level of service. That’s the conversation we need to have. We must be intellectually honest with the public and let them know that is the situation that we’re in. I’m glad we’re having this discussion on Halloween and not Memorial Day, so we have time to make some adjust-
began working to produce a park that would become a community centerpiece and pay tribute to Cottage Grove’s rich heritage. The stated purpose of the park is to “provide connection, recreation, and culture to fuel healthy, vibrant lives for all.”
Eight years later, after much site preparation work and extensive fundraising, the Phase 1 groundbreaking ceremony heralded the creation of a pavilion with restrooms, a 2000-seat amphitheater, a large fountain and colorful playground for families to enjoy. Other upgrades have been added such as light poles and benches.
CURRENT STATUS
Earlier this year, on June 16, shovel wielding officials ceremonially broke ground for the park’s newest improvement – an entry plaza near Main Street with an estimated cost of $1.65 million.
The project is the third phase of the park’s development. It began in 2021, with a $70,000 challenge grant from the Woodard Family Foundation, with conceptual drawings of the park’s north end improvements. He said community requests for a splash pad and swing set prompted their inclusion in the project. The following year it received a $1.1 mil-
ments.”
Last May, during the 2024-25 budget adoption discussion, Liken pointed out to the Cottage Grove Budget Committee members that revenue was not keeping up with expenditures in the general fund. In March, staff estimated the cash carryover amount to be $2.2M. After paying expenses at the end of the fiscal year, the actual cash on hand on July 1, was only $1.9M.
“Something has to give,” Liken said. “Either revenues increase, or expenses decrease, or you are not going to have cash to operate on.”
The City Manager said the total property tax revenue is $5.8M and about 3 to 5 percent is not collectable. He pointed out the operations budget for law enforcement services is about $5M and is the biggest single expense in the general fund. Add the library’s nearly $500,000 budget and that nearly equals the annual property tax revenue.
to rescue a badly abused German Shepherd named Daisy. She is described as “a pretty amazing dog” and has become the ambassador of PAWS and frequents local businesses to bring joy to others.
lion grant from the federal Economic Development Administration and a $350,000 grant from the State Parks Department.
The Sentinel reported in June that bids to create the conceptual drawings exceeded the engineer’s original estimate. It forced the shelving of a historically themed water tower with a digital sign. Steward said fundraising continues to complete the remaining improvements in the future.
The park has five heritage themes it showcases: Mining, Timber, Railroad, Agriculture and Recreation.
With this in mind, the Cottage Grove Historical Society Mural Committee members have enthusiastically raised money to paint a mural of the “Blue Goose,” a passenger excursion train that operated from 1971 to 1988. The popular train took locals and visitors for a scenic ride up the Row River Valley past Dorena Lake to the former Bohemia Lumber Company’s Culp Creek mill and back.
The Mural Committee continues to raise the remaining funds needed for local artist Heather Endicott to paint the colorful mural of the train on the east side of the restroom building. To honor Stub Stewart’s vision for the park to highlight local history, the mural pays homage to the train that
originally departed from the Oregon Pacific and Eastern railyard on the park site before a depot was built for it at the Village Green Resort.
Faye Stewart said there have been four change orders since the project began. The changes have been approved for a total of $8,845.45. To date there has been one increase in the concrete for the playground, that is approximately $4,200.
Each improvement has been enthusiastically received by the community and has increased usage at Bohemia Park.
It’s now the home of birthday parties and a variety of celebratory events. Music emanates from the
“SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE. EITHER REVENUES INCREASE, OR EXPENSES DECREASE, OR YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE CASH TO OPERATE ON.”
~ ROBERTA LIKENS, COTTAGE GROVE FINANCE DIRECTOR
THE STRATEGY
Sauerwein said he is working with department directors on two paths: hiring and department restructuring. He said the police department needs to be fully funded and two police sergeants will be hired. However, any vacancies in other positions will not likely be filled in this fiscal year.
Councilor Greg Ervin noted one way to increase property tax revenue is to create more tax-generating (multi-family) units at market rates and reconsider the number of years deferred taxes would be allowed.
The City’s Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption (MUPTE) is a state-enabled program designed to be an incentive for developers to
construct new multi-family residential units (5+) and avoid paying property taxes on the value of new residential construction for up to 10 years.
“We should be mindful of how many years of deferral we allow on a MUPTE development,” Ervin said. “We have a lot of units now being built and it will be nice to see what kind of impact that has on our budget, depending on which course of action we take.”
Liken noted the total cost to the City to recover from the ice storm damage was $3.6M. The estimated FEMA reimbursement will cover 75-percent of that expense (about $2.7M). When the money is received it must be returned to the City’s reserve fund.
park’s amphitheater from Chamber of Commerce’s annual summer concert series and the annual Eugene Symphony concert.
For many years it hosted the Bohemia Mining Days carnival. For BMD 2017, the country music band Home Free made Cottage Grove a stop on its national tour. Last month, South Lane Concerts held its first faith-based summer concert in the amphitheater.
Other notable events held at the park include one of the largest toga parties in history and a 90th anniversary celebration of Buster Keaton’s classic silent movie, The General, that was filmed in Cottage Grove in 1926.
NEXT STEPS
In January, the new council will receive its next quarterly budget update. Long-term sustainable funding for the police department and the library will be a topic at the Cottage Grove City Council’s retreat in early 2025.
In other council business:
• 12th Street Dusk-toDawn Shelter Update
The transition is complete from LuLu’s Dog Park to the cleaned-up 12th Street site and currently operates as a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. “Dusk-to-Dawn” shelter. City staff recommended the current hours of the shelter be changed. By opening the shelter at 5 p.m. and closing it at 8 a.m. it eliminates the current management cost of the private security firm and allows public works employees during the week and police officers on the weekend oversee the hours of operation. Shelter users will be notified of the time change starting Nov. 1 and the new hours begin on
Stewart wears two leadership hats to oversee the completion of the Park Entry Plaza project. In addition to his duties as Cottage Grove’s public works director, he also serves as president of his family’s foundation. He said excitement is building for the completion of the park’s third phase of development.
“It is exciting to see the progress as the project takes shape. We can’t wait to see it completed and our youth enjoying the splash pad and everyone enjoying the new entry plaza,” Steward said. Follow developments online at the cgsentinel.com and in the Wednesday print editions of The Sentinel.
Nov. 4.
“This is a work in progress,” Sauerwein said. “It took three years to get to this point and it will take time to resolve the situation. It’s far from a perfect solution and we need to be realistic and intellectually honest about City staff’s bandwidth. Our public works staff and police officers are working beyond their capacity.”
Police Chief Cory Chase said his officers are being proactive in patrolling public spaces, enforcing the 10 p.m. closure of city parks and addressing the qualityof-life issues that occur with this transition.
• Main Street Revitalization Project Update
Public Works Director Faye Stewart and Branch Engineering staff updated the Council on the Main Street Revitalization Project design features that include replacing the traffic signals at 5th and 6th streets with a four-way stop intersection.
Avenue.
After losing his beloved dog to cancer, board member Steve Thoemmes’ pain eased somewhat when he had the opportunity
Daisy’s Birthday Party was conducted on Saturday, Nov. 2, in the Prospector Park Pavilion on South River Road, and was celebrated with a pet food drive.
The new nonprofit’s leaders said they believe all living creatures deserve respect and help when they need it. They said their shared value has forged a cohesive board of directors that is dedicated to addressing this societal problem through collaboration, consensus, cooperation and respect for one another.
Overholser and Hill stress that spay and neuter
is the only humane way to solve overpopulation. Otherwise, stray animals end up in kill-shelters, experience abuse, injuries, starvation, disease or become prey.
“Overpopulation is a vicious cycle yet is a problem that is solvable if everyone works together,” Overholser said.
For more information or to make a donation,
or call
Jeremy C. Ruark / Cottage Grove Sentinel
Completion of the park entry plaza is now expected by year’s end.
Classified
LADD CONSTRUCTION, LLC
New or remodel, decks, siding, windows, doors, shops, fenc- es. 541-913-1541 ccb# 239015
CGS24-3023
TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF SALE Reference is made to that certain trust deed made by Copernicus Property LLC, an Oregon limited liability company, as grantor, to Arnold Gallagher P.C., an Oregon professional corporation, as trustee, in favor of Michael Powell, his successors and/ or assigns, as beneficiary, dated September 12, 2022, and recorded on September 13, 2022, as Instrument No. 2022-038957 of the Lane County Deeds & Records, Oregon, covering the following described real property situated in said county and state, to-wit: PARCEL I: The East one-half of Lot 2, Block 4, WM. SHIELDS ADDITION, as platted and recorded m Book P, Page 455, Lane County Oregon Plat Records, in Lane County, Oregon. PARCEL II: A parcel of land in Lots 3 and 4 lying in Block 4, WM.SHIELDS ADDITION TO COTTAGE GROVE, as platted and recorded in Book P, Page 455, Lane County Oregon Plat Records, situated in Section 28, Township 20 South, Range 3 West of the Willamette Meridian, in Lane County, Oregon, more particularly described as follows:
Beginning at a point in the North line of Lot 3, said point being 42.94 feet Easterly from the Northwest corner of said Lot 3; thence North 89° 37’ 30” West a distance of 42.94 feet along the Northerly line of said Lot 3, to the Northwest corner of said Lot 3; thence South 0° 08’ West a distance of 90 feet along the West line of said Lot 3, to the Southwest corner of said Lot 3; thence South 89° 37’ 30” East a distance of 27.12 feet along the South line of Lot 3 to a point which is 40 feet distant Westerly from (when measured at right angles to) the relocated center line of the Pacific Highway; thence parallel with and 40 feet distant Westerly from said relocated center line North 28° 45’ East a distance of 69.50 feet; thence on an arc of a 20 foot radius curve left a distance of 41.32 feet to the point of beginning, in Lane County, Oregon. Both the Beneficiary and the Trustee have elected to sell the said real property to satisfy the obligations secured by said Trust Deed and a Notice of Default has been recorded pursuant to Oregon Revised Statutes 86.752(3); the default for which the foreclosure is made is Grantors’ failure to pay when due the following status: (i) Grantor’s failure to pay interest only payments in the amount of $1,626.85 for the month of March 2024, and $1,751.88 per month for the months of April, May, and June 2024, and continuing each month thereafter, (ii) Grantor’s failure to pay modification fees of $750.00, and (iii) Grantor’s failure to pay property taxes on the real property described herein. By reason of said default, the Beneficiary has declared all sums owing on the obligation secured by said Trust Deed immediately due and payable, said sums being the following, to-wit: the principal balance of $150,000.00; together with accrued interest through June 19, 2024 in the amount of $7,159.35 (interest contin-
ues to accrue at the default rate of 13.875% per annum ($57.81 per diem) from June 20, 2024 until paid), and such other costs and fees as are due under the note or other instrument secured, and as are provided by statute. WHEREFORE, notice is hereby given that the undersigned Trustee will, on December 19, 2024, at the hour of 10:00 A.M., in accord with the standard of time established by ORS 187.110, Lane County Courthouse front entrance, 125 East Eighth Avenue, Eugene, Oregon, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash the interest in said described real property which the Grantor had or had power to convey at the time of the execution by them of the said Trust Deed, together with any interest which the Grantors or their successors in interest acquired after the execution of said Trust Deed, to satisfy the foregoing obligations thereby secured and the costs and expenses of sale, including a reasonable charge by the Trustee. Notice is further given that any person named in ORS 86.778 has the right, at any time prior to five days before the date last set for the sale, to have this foreclosure proceeding dismissed and the Trust Deed reinstated by payment to the Beneficiary of the entire amount then due (other than such portion of the principal as would not then be due had no default occurred) and by curing any other default complained of herein that is capable of being cured by rendering the performance required under the obligation or Trust Deed, and in addition to paying said sums or tendering the performance necessary to cure the default by paying all costs and expenses actually incurred in enforcing the obligation and trust deed, together with Trustee’s and attorney’s fees not exceeding the amounts provided by ORS 86.778. Without limiting the trustee’s disclaimer of representations or warranties, Oregon
law requires the trustee to state in this notice that some residential property sold at a trustee’s sale may have been used in manufacturing methamphetamines, the chemical components of which are known to be toxic. Prospective purchasers of residential property should be aware of this potential danger before deciding to place a bid for this property at the trustee’s sale. ln construing this notice, the masculine gender includes the feminine and the neuter, the singular includes the plural, the word “Grantor” includes any successor in interest to the Grantor as well as any other person owing an obligation, the performance of which is secured by said Trust Deed, and the words “Trustee” and “Beneficiary” include their respective successors in interest, if any. THE DEBT DESCRIBED IN THIS TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF SALE WILL BE ASSUMED TO BE VALID UNLESS WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE RECEIPT OF THIS NOTICE THE PERSON(S) OBLIGATED OR ALLEGEDLY OBLIGATED TO PAY THE DEBT DISPUTES IN WRITING THE VALIDITY OF THE DEBT OR SOME PORTION OF IT. If the Trustee is notified in writing within the 30-day period that the debt or some portion of it is disputed, the Trustee will obtain verification of the debt. Then, a copy of the verification will be mailed by the Trustee to the person(s) notifying him of the dispute. Upon written request within the 30-day period, the Trustee will provide the name and address of the original creditor if different than the current creditor named above. Written requests to the Trustee should be delivered to: Arnold Gallagher P.C., Attn: Alec S. Marlega, PO Box 1758, Eugene, OR 97440-1758. THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR AND IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. DATED: July 26, 2024, Arnold Gal-
lagher P.C. By: Benjamin M. Kearney, Secretary Date First Published Oct. 16th, 2024.
CGS24-3028
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Susan Oberfoell and Darrell Jay McKay have been appointed Co-Personal Representatives of the Estate of MICHAEL T. MCKAY, deceased, Lane County Circuit Court Case No. 24PB09678. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present them within four months from the date of the first publication of this Notice to the Personal Representatives at Willamette NW Law Firm, LLC, 735 W. 7th Ave, Eugene, OR 97402, or they may be barred. Any person whose rights may be affected by these proceedings may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the Personal Representative or from the Personal Representative’s attorney. DATED and published: 11/06/2024. /s/ Susan Oberfoell, Personal Representative /s/ Darrell Jay McKay, Personal Representative
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How robots can help children to be physically active
STEVE LUNDEBERG Sentinel Guest Article
Parents seeking help in encouraging toddlers to be physically active may soon need to look no further than an inexpensive robotic buddy for their kids, a new study by Oregon State University (OSU) suggests.
The findings are important because movement plays a key role in the overall health of children, both in youth and later on in adulthood, the authors note.
Researchers observed individual sessions for eight kids ages 2-3 once a week for two months in a playroom that included various toys as well as a toddler-sized GoBot: a custom, wheeled, foampadded robot designed through a collaboration between the OSU colleges of Engineering and Health.
Weekly Sessions
Weekly sessions with each of the five boys and three girls were broken into three segments.
During one of them, the GoBot was in the room but not active, though the child was free to push and pull the robot around if he or she wanted to.
In another, the GoBot’s movements – basically keep-away maneuvers –were directed by an operator using a PlayStation DualShock4 controller, and in the third segment type, the motion was autonomous. In either scenario, the GoBot rewarded the child for getting close to it by emitting sounds, lights or bubbles.
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“It was interesting to us that the simple autonomous routine worked as well as directly teleoperated control when it came to engaging children,” said the College of Engineering’s Naomi Fitter, who led the study. “That means a relatively low-cost robot playmate – one that offers more intelligence and independence compared to current phone-operated robotic toys – might be feasible in the near future.”
Physical Activity Benefits
For young children, the authors say, physical activity contributes to cognitive, social and motor development and also sets the stage for better psychosocial and cardiometabolic health later on, serving as a foundation for the potential of a lifetime of healthy habits.
“High rates of sedentary behavior are a big current challenge across many phases of life, and better physical activity at any part can lead to better health outcomes,” said Fitter, who holds the endowed title of Kearney Faculty Scholar.
The researchers also note that past studies indicate a significant number of children are below recommended physical activity guidelines, which contributes to high levels of childhood obesity and other negative health consequences.
“Toys that motivate crawling and assist with walking are widespread,” Fitter said, “but there’s a scarcity of toys designed
The results showed that kids’ activity levels, measured by multiple sensors and cameras, were higher in the presence of an active robot.
to motivate young children to be active and explore their environments once they are ambulatory.”
Assistive robots like GoBot, she added, may be more effective than other tools for physical activity promotion because people tend to see robots as more “peer-like and influential” than non-embodied technologies like phones or computers.
“An important point is that we’re not aiming to replace caregivers, but for parents, there can be periods of development during which it is hard to know how best to engage with your toddler,” Fitter said.
“The work in our paper could lead to new robotic toys that families could play with together to help fill those gaps.”
Collaborating with Fitter were Rafael Morales Mayoral and Ameer Helmi of the College of Engineering and Samuel W. Logan of the College of Health.
The findings are published in the Journal of Translational Engineering in Health & Medicine.
Steve Lundeberg is a news and research writer at Oregon State University. He may be reached at Steve.Lundeberg@oregonstate.edu.
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Drivers who like a challenge are urgently needed. Good driving record, likes people, enjoys a dynamic pace, and is comfortable with technology and physical activity. Request application at 1450 Birch Avenue, CG or visit southlanetransit.com. Open until lled.
Courtesy photo
Cottage Grove High School Lions.
Courtesy photo from OSU
A Go-Bot and child in playroom.