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Friday, September 22, 2023

Number 37 • 134 years

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Mostly sunny with a high of 80 and a low of 49. See more weather on Page 4A. Serving the communities of Cottage Grove and Creswell

Meyers retires his city manager hat after 26 years By Cindy Weeldreyer Sentinel Community Reporter

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. - Cottage Grove City Manager Richard Meyers was a young boy when a series of sparks ignited what has become his lifelong passion for local government and community service. September 30 is his final day in a job he has held for a quarter of a century. As the city’s longest serving city manager, his resume and list of accomplishments are both lengthy and impressive. Meyers is the oldest of 14 children growing up in Sweet Home, Oregon. His father served on the city planning commission in the early 1970s, as the voter-approved land use laws were being implemented statewide. Meyers noted a unique aspect of growing up in his family was that other families didn’t discuss land use issues at the dinner table. As a high school student, he was involved in student government and would occasionally attend planning commission meetings with his dad.

minor and earned his undergraduate degree in 1985. Three years later he graduated with a BYU master’s degree in public administration. He spent two years on the League of Arizona Cities and Towns staff before landing his first city manager job, in 1990, in the small Coos County city of Myrtle Point. This seven-year experience gave him a solid foundation for the 26 years he worked for the citizens of Cottage Grove; to guide the city as it approached the urban planning watershed

He credits Sweet Home’s first city manager, Leroy Harlow, with setting the trajectory into a career in government. “Leroy wrote several books on city management and gave me a copy of his 1977 book, “Without Fear of Favor”, Meyers said. “After reading it I was hooked and began looking for education opportunities to prepare for a local government career.” Meyers attended Brigham Young University in Utah. He majored in public policy with a communications

population of 10,000. “I have never seen my career as a job, maybe a profession, a noble profession that approaches a calling,” Meyers said. “I prepared for a calling of service, and I’ve tried to keep service to the entire community in my mind at all times.” Managing an organization with a $51.3-million-dollar budget and nearly 100 full-time employees can take a great deal of energy, strategy, planning and collaboration. Several of the five mayors he served with were asked describe Meyers’ greatest accomplishments and all said it was a challenging assignment because there are so many to recognize. Former Mayor Gary Williams was a new city councilor in 1997 when Meyers was hired. As mayor for 12 years, Williams served with him the longest and said hiring Meyers was one of his best decisions. He admires his team-building skills and ability to work successfully with city councilors and officials at the state and national level to benefit the city. “Richard always seems to be several ‘steps’ ahead

in solving the difficult issues and challenges our city has faced,” Williams said. “Many times, Richard stepped in to help our community in areas that were beyond the scope of his role as City Manager -- the man just loves this town.” Former Mayor Jim Gilroy agreed with Williams that Meyers’ accomplishments are significant and have positioned Cottage Grove well to meet the challenges of the future. “I have been fortunate to serve as a local elected official for 14 years and have been an active member of the business community for over 45 years,” Gilroy said. “It is with this perspective I view Richard’s tenure as an A+ effort to transition Cottage Grove from a one-industry town to a more diversified environment where quality of life is pre-eminent. It’s a tribute to Richard’s leadership that we were recently named one of Oregon’s most attractive small cities. Gilroy added, “Over his 26 years, I‘ve seen Richard consistently operating behind the scenes with his staff and providing guidance to the

elected body that has delivered all of us what we know today as 21st Century, Cottage Grove. His legacy is day-to-day, year-by-year, foot-to-thepedal on council goals that makes this town a vibrant place to live, work and play. He’d be the first to say, we’re not done yet!” Meyers’ significant accomplishments range from infrastructure development, obtaining coveted awards, designations, and grants for the city, championing community engagement, and promoting tourism and economic development. Former Mayor Jeff Gowing said there are so many projects’ Meyers did for the community, such as the restoration of the Covered Railroad Bridge, restoration of the Armory, saving the Swinging Bridge, and bringing the Eugene Symphony to town. “I’ll best remember his commitment to making Cottage Grove a better community by trying to remove barriers and help people succeed,” Gowing said. “For example, helping PakTek come to town and working with SynerSee MEYERS page 3A

Catching Pokémon a go but Fall Vintage Fair glows with harvest season delights public must leave no trace By Elisia Horowitz for The Sentinel

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. - Visitors to the Shady Oaks Fall Vintage Fair enjoyed free admission on Friday, Sept. 15 and Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. Over 40 vendors were spread throughout the beautifully decorated grounds while live music was performed in the heart of it all. The event gave everyone the opportunity to get into the fall spirit while supporting local businesses. There were many autumn displays tucked throughout the walking paths, giving visitors the perfect backdrop for photo opportunities. The aroma of handcrafted drinks and smoky meat hung in the air. Many went home with baked goods, beautiful salads, and vendor offerings. This is the first fall vendor event Shady Oaks has had in a couple of years. To prepare for the event, vendors were spotlighted twice a week on the Shady Oaks Instagram page for

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. - On Sept. 12, 2023, the Portland District, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recently posted on Facebook encouraging everyone to enjoy their adventuring and if on Pokémon Go to take that Pikachu home after spinning a few stops on the game. However, to leave no trace; anything found on Corps land including rocks, artifacts, plants, and real wildlife, should be left alone. There are 13 dams under their jurisdiction including the close-tohome Cottage Grove and Dorena Dams and Reservoirs. Pokémon burst into the U.S. handheld gaming scene in 1998 with huge success. In 2016, Nintendo introduced a new way to enjoy the game and get outdoors with Pokémon Go, available on iOS and

months in advance. Shady Oaks Event Coordinator Lindsey Fuller said, “We just want to support local and small businesses.” One of the first vendors everyone spotted when they stepped out into the thick of it all was Springfield’s Main St. Coffee Co. With a colorful table lined with everyone’s favorite fall coffee flavors,

Obituaries — A2 Opinion — A4 Sports — B1 Classifieds — B4-5

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ture through their surroundings and various areas looking for Pokémon, also participating in raids together to capture higher level or legendary Pokémon as a group. The goal of the game is to get people enjoying the outdoors while being able to bring on a new Pokémon adventure for everyone.

While the Facebook post brought a fun pop culture reference, and excellent reason to enjoy our wonderful outdoors, the message was meant to bring attention to a much bigger issue that is faced at these important locations. The preservation of the land is important not just for today, but for future generations. In order to do so, following the set guidelines is paramount. A comment on the Facebook post noted that in the state of Oregon, taking home rocks that have been found, up to 25 lbs. is allowed for personnel use, however, USACE Public Affairs Specialist, Christopher Gaylord said. “Apparently state agencies do allow that, just like that commenter said. And even some federal agencies do, including USFWS, from what I could see. But Corpsowned land being the important distinction there. National Park Service See POKÉMON page 3A

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and a basket full of baked goods, this may have been a wise choice as a first stop; as the afternoon sun was in full force. A drive-thru coffee hub located in Springfield; Main St. Coffee Co. is about to celebrate its one-year anniversary in December. They do a lot of mobile coffee bars and See FALL page 6A

Android mobile devices. Pokémon Go is a freeto-play, with in-app purchases, augmented reality (AR) game that uses GPS to locate, capture, train, and battle virtual creatures called Pokémon which appear to be in your real location. People all over the world adven-

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