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Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Volunteers serve free Thanksgiving Meal at Oakridge United Methodist

Judy Hampton, left, and Cathy Spencer prepare to serve more than 100 people during the Thanksgiving dinner at Oakridge United Methodist. (Photo by Craig Reed) By Craig Reed for Lane Electric Co-op

TODAY’S EDITION

OAKRIDGE, Ore. — When Don and Judy Hampton were planning their Thanksgiving dinner, they decided it was best to share rather than the 2 of them sitting down to eat alone at home. It was 1993. Through their church, Oakridge United Methodist, the couple organized and coordinated a dinner on Thanksgiving Day, serving 75 sit-down meals at the church and sending out 40 to-go meals. This year, that annual dinner event will be celebrating its 30th year. Judy and fellow volunteer Cathy Spencer anticipate serving 125 to 150 meals at the church and sending out several more to-go meals. Judy is proud the dinner has continued through the years. She was the leader of the volunteer effort for 25 years. Don was a key helper until he died in 2013. “We know this community has food insecurity,” says Judy, a 75-year-old retired teacher, counselor and administrator in the Oakland School District. “We wanted to do something for our community. Our son had graduated and left home. We just decided it was best to share Thanksgiving with as many people as we could through the church.” Cathy, a 66-year-old retired Oakridge teacher, has been a volunteer with the event since the beginning. She replaced Judy as the event leader 5 years ago. “I can’t stand for people to be hungry,” Cathy says. “Getting together, having a good time together, people making connections promotes a community spirit that is good for the whole community.” The Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, mash po-

Obituaries — A3 Opinion — A2 Sports — A Classifieds — B5-7

tatoes, a vegetable and pumpkin bars is served between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day in the church’s fellowship hall. There is no charge, and there is no donation jar at the door. “We don’t want people to think they have to donate to get a meal,” Judy says. “We serve anyone who walks in the door.” Volunteers will deliver meals to those who can’t get to the church and who call in advance for home delivery. Marietta Thompson, a 14-year resident of Oakridge who has been a domestic violence advocate and now volunteers with the dinner event, says there is a need. “Everybody from young families with small kids to the elderly need help with providing for food stability,” she says. Ken Wright, a retired registered nurse and a dinner volunteer, says Thanksgiving is a time when people should be together. “If you’re not able to get together with family or you’re not wanting to fix dinner for just 1 or 2 people, this dinner provides you with a place to talk and celebrate,” he says. “There’s good food, but also an important social aspect to the dinner.” Cathy and Judy say putting the work into the dinner is “the right thing to do.” They emphasize religion is not part of the event. “It’s just a dinner that happens to be held at the church,” Judy says. “We have to be there for each other in our community,” Cathy adds. Work starts well in advance of Thanksgiving Day. Letters are sent throughout the community and surrounding areas, asking people and businesses to donate their time or to make financial donations. Lane See UMC page 5A

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Mostly cloudy with a high of 50 and a low of 29. See more weather on Page 2A. Serving the communities of Cottage Grove and Creswell

Street Committee funding plan nears public outreach phase By Cindy Weeldreyer Sentinel Community Reporter COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. — “Cottage Grove offers a location most cities can only dream of… sandwiched between a national forest and the ocean, making it easy to hike in the mountains one day and walk along the coast the next” according to a 2023 recent issue of Travel & Leisure magazine. Fortunately, the article is silent on what continues to be a leading complaint of Cottage Grove citizens: the condition of Cottage Grove streets. At a time when Oregon spends over $1 billion a year to

promote tourism, and as the Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Cottage Grove places increased emphasis on tourism, the condition of the community’s streets now takes center stage. Cottage Grove Mayor Candace Solesbee is pleased with the progress of the Street Improvement and Funding Ad Hoc Committee created by the City Council last spring. “As a group, we are gaining ground on a number of possible solutions for our poor road conditions,” Solesbee said. “We understand any idea that comes to the table, not only needs to alleviate the

problem, but must also be financially palatable to the majority of Cottage Grove citizens.” After six months, eight meetings, research and discussion, the committee now moves into its public outreach phase. The diverse membership of the committee includes the mayor, city counselors and eight citizens. Some of the citizen members represent specific stakeholder interests, such as cycling and road construction. The guiding principles of the committee’s work are to improve, repair and maintain city streets through fair and equitable use of funding options; to protect Cottage Grove’s

Judge declares Measure 114 on gun safety unconstitutional By Ben Botkin Oregon Capital Chronicle STATEWIDE — Oregon’s voter-approved gun law that would require permits and a safety course violates the state constitution, a Harney County Circuit Court judge ruled on Tuesday. The ruling is a setback for gun safety advocates who backed Measure 114 in response to gun violence and mass shootings and convinced Oregon voters to pass it in 2022. Gun rights groups challenged the state law in federal court as well as Harney County Circuit Court. The law has not gone into effect with the litigation pending. The ruling effectively means Measure 114 will not become a reality, unless Judge Robert Raschio’s decision is over-

turned in a higher court. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum promised to appeal the case. “The Harney County judge’s ruling is wrong,” Rosenblum said in a statement. “Worse, it needlessly puts Oregonians’ lives at risk. The state will file an appeal and we believe we will prevail.” The Gun Owners Foundation and Gun Owners of America, Inc., both based in Virginia, were plaintiffs in the original complaint filed in Harney County, but they voluntarily dropped out at the end of May. Harney County residents Joseph Arnold and Cliff Asmussen are plaintiffs in the case, giving it standing to be filed in the conservative eastern Oregon county. The judge, Raschio, decided the case based upon the law’s application to the

state constitution, not the U.S. Constitution and Second Amendment rights. During a six-day trial in September, Raschio heard from experts about firearms and Oregon history, including the lives of Oregonians in 1857 when the state constitution was adopted with the provision that people shall have the right to bear arms for their defense. Raschio referenced Oregon’s frontier history to justify his ruling. “The court finds the (voters) of 1857 did not seek to restrain access to the best firearms with the highest functionality possible they could procure,” the judge wrote in the 44page ruling, which notes the state constitution was adopted in an era when pioneers “engaged in forceable removal of the Indigenous tribes of Oregon” and wanted the best weap-

ons possible. The law also would ban large-capacity magazines with more than 10 rounds which can lead to widespread carnage in a mass shooting. The judge found the ban on large-capacity magazines “does not enhance public safety” enough to justify the infringement of the right to bear arms. In an alert to its members, the Oregon Firearms Federation praised the ruling and the judge, saying Raschio “took a brave stand in the face of a full frontal assault on gun rights by Oregon’s establishment leftists.” But the gun rights organization warned that more legal battles lie ahead. Jess Marks, executive director of the Oregon Alliance for Gun Safety, expects that as well. See M114 page 5A

Crisis hotline opens for farmers, ranchers, loggers and fishermen in Oregon By Lynne Terry Oregon Capital Chronicle STATEWIDE — When Oregon farmers, farmworkers or ranchers sink into an emotional crisis or simply need someone to talk to, they now have counselors available. A new hotline, the Agristress Helpline, launched in Oregon in September. It is tailored to support those who work in agriculture, forestry or the fishing industry through a phone and text service that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The helpline

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

is free and has trained counselors with experience in those industries who can take phone calls in 160 languages, with English, Spanish and Vietnamese professionals available to respond by text. Its launch marks a dream come true for Allison Myers, who leads the Family and Community Health program at the Oregon State University extension service and campaigned for months to get the line established in Oregon. Warning signs of suicide • Talking about wanting to die, feeling hopeless or having no purpose

• Talking about feeling trapped or a burden to others • Increasing consumption of alcohol or drugs • Withdrawing or feeling isolated • Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge • Displaying extreme mood swings Experts say not to leave the person alone, remove any weapons they could use to commit suicide along with alcohol and drugs. To get help, call or text 833-897-2474. For a medical emergency, call 911. “I’m honored to be a part of it,” Myers said. “It’s

been a big team effort.” Besides Myers, the line has the backing of nearly 30 farm and health care organizations, Todd Nash, president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, and Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena. Hansell championed a bill approved by the Legislature in the final days of this year’s session that allocated $300,000 for the line. That money went to the Oregon State University Foundation, which has set up a helpline endowment that’s expected to produce $12,000 a year in interest. That’s not See HOTLINE page 5A

Cottage Grove Sentinel Follow us for the latest news: 2 Sections | 12 Pages @CGSentinel Copyright 2023 CGSentinel.com

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property values; and to enhance overall community livability. The pavement condition index (PCI) is a numerical index between 0 and 100, which is used to indicate the general condition of a pavement section. The PCI is widely used by municipalities as a measure of the performance of road infrastructure and levels of service. This city road system currently ranks at 55.4 on this scale. The committee’s recommendation is to improve and maintain city streets at a PCI overall rating of 72 (good). Streets with the heaviest usage would be repaired first and achieve See STREET page 5A

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