The Cottage Grove
entinel
Lifestyle
Sports
Pickleball serves up fun, competition in Cottage Grove See page 8
57
Wednesday October 16, 2024 | Number 40, 135 years
www.cgsentinel.com
Bow Wow Around Town raises $100
See page 3
42
Cottage Grove Wednesday, Oct 16 Rain
$2.00
CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
The nine Cottage Grove City Council Candidates taking questions during the Oct. 9 community forum.
Council Candidates’ Forum draws large crowd CINDY WEELDREYER For The Cottage Grove Sentinel
It was a full house in the Community Center Shepherd Room for the Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce’s candidate’s forum conducted Wednesday night, Oct. 9. Nearly 100 people participated in the forum – among them were 10 candidates on the Nov. 5 ballot who answered six questions presented by the Chamber’s Legislative Committee.
In the interest of fairness, the five audience questions were vetted by members of two local political advocacy groups: The Blackberry Pie Society and the Cottage Grove 912 Project. Cottage Grove Sentinel Editor Jeremy Ruark and KNND Radio’s General Manager Cameron Reiten facilitated the three-hour meeting. They posed questions to the unusually large field of candidates resulting from the July special election
that recalled Alex Dreher, Mike Fleck and Chalice Savage.
PARTICIPATING CANDIDATES
Mayor First term incumbent Mayor Candace Solesbee and challenger Ward 3 Councilor Dana Merryday At-Large Position (formerly held by Dreher) Candidates Richard Andrew and Darrel Wilson. Patrick Cartwright’s health issues prevented him from participating and Bernie
Donner withdrew after the deadline to removed his name from the ballot. At-Large Position (formerly held by Fleck) Candidates Chris Holomon and Jim Settlemeyer Ward 1 (formerly held by Savage) Kevin Adamski His fellow Ward 1 candidate, Christine Hyink, was unable to participate due to a work commitment. Ward 2 With Councilor Jon Stinnett moving to Eugene and only Randell Lammerman seeking to be his successor, at the Sept. 23 council
School enrollment shows gains, losses CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
Interim Superintendent Brian McCasline presented a detailed report about the district’s current enrollment at the South Lane School Board’s Oct. 7 meeting. The data highlighted enrollment numbers at the start of this new academic year with comparisons to this time last year. He said there are more students starting this year compared to the enrollment at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
BY THE NUMBERS
As of Sept. 13, there are 2,205 students in the district, which is 43 students more than the 2,162 students at the end of last school year. District enrollment in the past five years, reflects declining K-12 enrollment in Oregon and nationwide, which has a negative fiscal impact on state reimbursement per student. This is attributed in part to families leaving the state and an increase in online learning. District-wide, the highest increase per grade level was kindergarten, which increased 15.2-percent from enrollment last June. There are a total number of 45 preschool students in the district. The two rural schools serve kindergarten through eighth grade students. Harrison and Bohemia Elementary schools have students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Dorena, one of the two rural schools, has 102 students enrolled in K-8 classes, which is 16 more
than in September 2023. London, the other rural school, has 72 students, up from 64 last year. Dorena has 27 middle school students and London has 19. “The gain at Dorena is a testament to what the staff is working on to achieve academic gains and they are doing a great job,” McCasline said. At the two in-town elementary schools, Harrison is starting the year with 453 students, down 13 from last year. Bohemia enrollment is 441, up 8 students from last year.
METRO CREATIVE CONNBECTION
As of Sept. 13, there are 2,205 students in the district, which is 43 students more than the 2,162 students at the end of last school year. He analyzed the data looking for enrollment trends in specific grades across the district and found no noticeable patterns. The district has two charter schools: Child’s Way in Culp Creek and the Academy of Character Education (ACE), Child’s Way is
also an alternative school. The combined enrollment in these schools is 420 that includes the 28 alternative school students at Child’s Way.
See ENROLLMENT, Page 6
INSIDE Lifestyles — 3 Obituaries — 4 Death Notice — 4
Opinion — 5 Classifieds — 7 Sports — 8
THE QUESTIONS
The Chamber Legislative Committee’s question topics were about enhancing economic development, the value of tax incentives to See COUNCIL, Page 6
Cottage Grove murder suspect arrested JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
ADDRESSING DECLINING ENROLLMENT
Middle school and high school enrollment was lower, down 87 students from where it was this time last year. Lincoln Middle School enrollment for grades 6-8 is 449, down from 498 last September. Cottage Grove High School has 624 students enrolled, which is down from 660 last fall. Al Kennedy High School enrollment is currently 64 students that is down from the 43 students enrolled on Sept. 29, 2023. “That is not good news, however, what’s more important is where we are throughout the year,” McCasline said. “I will talk to the middle and high school counselors and administrators about what we are doing and can be doing to get students to stay in our school district. They’re going to have the best answers. I want to learn more about to share with you and talk about ways we can help more students stay in our district.”
meeting, Stinnett resigned and the council appointed Lammerman to serve the remaining three months of the four-year term. Ward 4 Incumbent Greg Ervin is running unopposed.
FOLLOW DEVELOPING NEWS @ CGSentinel www.cgsentinel.com
FOR SALE BY ONLINE AUCTION
Cedar Park Plaza
78405 Cedar Park Road, Cottage Grove, OR 4.85 +/- Acres For Invitation for Bids: cedarparkplaza@gsa.gov realestatesales.gov
Law enforcement agents have captured a Cottage Grove murder suspect in Portland. In June, a deceased female was located in the Cottage Grove area who appeared to be the victim of homicide. 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 Anthony Wesley 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. On Saturday, Oct. 5, Portland Police Bureau officers arrested Tyrrell on the warrant and additional local charges while investigating an unrelated incident. LCSO detectives are continuing to investigate the case while Tyrrell is in custody at the Multnomah County Jail. A date is pending for when Tyrrell is expected to be brought back to Lane County to face the murder charge. The LCSO has been assisted in the case by the Portland Police Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Marshals Service, and Oregon State Police.