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Wednesday November 5, 2025 | Number 45, 137 years
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Cottage Grove
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County’s 74 Low-Income 49 Household $2.00 Energy Assistance The mental Program health impact paused
The day the Navy came to town Life in Cottage Grove
CGHS Football Incredible Turnaround See page 8
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CINDY WEELDREYER
Wednesday 9, 2024 | Number 39, 135 years Cottage GroveOctober Sentinel Cottage Grove native and retired naval officer David Spriggs is a problem solver and successful logistician. His great-great-great-grandfather, Isaac Veatch, and many descendants are buried in Shields Pioneer Cemetery, one of the area’s oldest burial grounds, with roots reaching back to the 1800s. Spriggs grew up C.services RUARKfor older attendingJEREMY graveside Cottage Grove Sentinel family members. Publictime, works crewstoppled are in the Over vandals and process of establishing a new broke many grave markers. In fall smallerhehomeless camp site athad theto 1993, decided something vacant lot on 12th Street in Cottage be done and came up with a plan. Grove. At the time, Spriggs was officer CottageofGrove City Manager in charge 50 sailors in a PortlandMike Sauerwein said the city is based Naval Cargo Handling behind its making original monthly Oct. 1 timeline Battalion, weekend is establishing the camp, trips to fulfill his reserve following duties thenaval Aug.facilities 22 closure and cleanup at in Oregon and of the 12th Street and Douglas Washington. Street homeless During the Reservists traincamps. one weekend a transition, the adjacent Lulu month and serve a minimum Dog of two Park atactive 12th Street has been weeks duty each year. used When a as a homeless camp site with scheduled training mission washours canfrom 7Spriggs p.m. toasked 7 a.m.ifdaily. celed, his battalion “None of usbehave ever managed could instead deployed for a comamunity homeless camp before, we service mission tosoCottage knew that date was a bit aspiraGrove to help repair the cemetery. tional,” said. “We AboutSauerwein 40 grave markers hadarebeen hoping that this week we will be pushed over or broken. The Shields able to make the transition. Our Cemetery Association lacked the goal wasequipment, to provideand folks with to money, expertise afixsafe and secure place to the damage. As a Navalspend Reserve the nightCorps and that’s what Spriggs we are Supply lieutenant, doing.”a detailed proposal outlining wrote said city was theSauerwein mission, which wasstaff approved cleaning up the Lulu Dog Park for the weekend of Oct. 23–24, to two reestablishbefore it as aVeterans dog park.Day. Specific weekends costs of that cleanup and establishOPERATION TOMBSTONE ingSpriggs the smaller homeless camp at recalled “Operation 12th Street were not immediately Tombstone” as a well-planned effort available.
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Cottage Grove
Wednesday, Oct 9 Mostly Cloudy
City establishing mini homeless camp at 12th Street facing Oregon’s JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
wildland firefighters
The Lane County Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is paused due to federal budget uncertainty and the current government JEREMY C.shut-down. RUARK BACKGROUND Cottage Grove Sentinel Annually, the Lane County Oregon’s wildfire season is LIHEAP serves over 7,000 expectedprogram to continue through this limited-income with month, but the households mental scares and utility impactbill of assistance. the season Historically, on the firethe program starts in the fall fighters whoyear battle blazes in Lane with localand nonprofit andstate, government County across the and their families, last a lifetime, agencies mailingmay applications to according to Jeff Dill, founder Photo courtesy from David Spriggs households with senior the or disabled of Firefighter Health (Top) In 1993, Naval reservmembers, to fillBehavioral out and return for Alliance (FBHA). ists based in Portland conassistance. Dill year, established the FBHA inwill ducted a weekend training This these applications 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. mission to repair and restore not be mailed until the federal budHe was than a Battalion Chief vandalized graves in the hisget with identified LIHEAP forpasses a fire department in northwest toric Shields Cemetery. Here funding. Chicago.In addition, the LIHEAP they are using equipment program lists, which usually “I sawwaiting our brothers and sisters provided by Lane County open in December, will not open struggle from the devastation that Public Works to reposition tothey the saw, general until and aftergot the so Ipublic went back PHOTO JEREMY C. RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL mailed my degree and became a licensed a 500 lb. grave marker. See applications are processed. counselor,” he said. started more thiscamp story LIHEAP funds are “We federal and are Sauerwein and other city officials currently doing, which is providing The photos new miniwith homeless tracking EMS and firefighter suiat cgsemntinel.com. part of Health and Human Services a location for folks to spend the will include the same restrictions as have told the Sentinel, that there cides across America.” Cindy Weeldreyer / Cottage Grove Administration for Children and are no additional plans to offer any night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.” the former larger camps. Families programs. Lane County Read previous coverage about “The same rules will apply,”Sentinel other long-term sheltering for the Behavioral Impact (Bottom) Human Services works homeless. the homelessness challenges in Sauwrwein The said. Shields “The campHiswill According to Division Dill, firefighters toric Cemetery located on with localrecognize agencies the to administer “Cottage Grove will follow Cottage Grove and follow new be available from 7isp.m. to 7 a.m. often10don’t behavioral aand hilltop onwill thebeeast side of LIHEAP region. state law as we understand it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com impact ofacross their the work. the rules enforced town Lane, near IMPACT “We become cultural brainSauerwein said. “That is what we and in the Wednesday print editions throughon ourShields contracting company, the intersection of Gateway washed,” Dill said. “Whether it’s Lane County Health and Human are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. One Security of Eugene to help us Boulevard and South 16th structural or wildland fires. So, we Services Public Information Officer the legislature. The city of Cottage during this transition period. They are meant to believe we are supStreet. Jason Davis said the county has Grove has no plans to do any kind are a very experienced homeless See NAVY Page 6 posedwhat to act strong, brave, be help, listed other limited resources of a shelter beyond what we are camp management company.” don’t ask for help, and we don’t are available on its website. want to look weak and not ask for “There are some flexible funds help.” available that folks can apply for Dill added that while firefighters through various andthe some are on the frontnonprofits lines battling other programs forthe firewood wildfires, one of biggestand chalheating he said. “It’s certainly lenges oil,” they face is the unknown. not “It’s goinghow to back-fill the need rapidly theses firesthat can move, the unknown is where we haveand encountered.” isDavis it going to end? Where willwho this is encouraging folks SHAANTH NANGUNERI “It’s unacceptable that families fire go to and how long will it last? don’t depend on such social service Oregon Capital Chronicle are being used as leverage in a And that is a struggle,” he said. supports to reach out to those less political standoff in Washington, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek on “So, when you are fighting that fortunate. D.C.,” Kotek said in a statement. Wednesday, Oct. 29, declared a fire, you’re trying to do your best “Now is the time to look at your “While the Republican-controlled to stop it, and yet the wind kicks state of emergency over hunger and friends andmiles family up at 60 an for hourtheir andneeds,” it drags Congress fails to do its job, Oregon directed $5 million to food banks heit said. “The challenge for our comfurther and further behind them. will do ours. We stand up for each across the state, seeking to avert munity now is to take this opporThat aspect of the unknown is very CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL other, whether it’s fires, floods the impending November loss of tunity to help our neighbors and I difficult in wildland fires. The fireMatchbooks from the Village Green Resort inI Cottage or any other crisis. call on all Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. food stamp benefits for hundreds believe we willthat come outand on the fighters have stress anxiety, Oregonians to do what they can to of thousands of Oregonians under and that other sidestruggle strongertoforprotect it.” is a very help their neighbors.” the federal government’s ongoing difficult challenge for the wildland DESTABILIZING FACTOR About one in six Oregonians, the shutdown. firefighters.” While Davis said he cannot commajority of whom are children, disKotek’s emergency declaraIt on is often veryondifficult for famment directly the federal abled or seniors, rely on SNAP for tion gives authority to the Oregon ily members of the firefighters to administration, but he did give The food assistance. Kotek’s CINDY Department of WEELDREYER Emergency understand what emotions there are, the way” during the construction helped us meet many of declaration our future Nearly 50 people attended the Sentinel this response. For The Cottage Grove Sentinel comes one customers,” day after theBirdy federal gov- Cottage Grove Historical Society’s and that many firefighters don’t Management to coordinate with project. bookstore said. “Whentheir we introduce to a express emotions,benefit according from thegiven Oregon Bank ernment shutdown hit its four-week local governments, nonprofit orgaHephoto said he was anFood importShe shared a humorous mem“Farewell to the Village Green” at Courtesy In 1975, when Birdy Hoelzle community of people that stabilizes to Dill. cut in federal food assistance low-income mark. It also nizations and private companies anthas job forced of opening the boxes ory they madefollows in the Kotek formalurging Iron theACommunity Center, Saturday, and her sister Gail opened The to especially peoplemembers who are on “We ask the family Oregonians to turn more frequently to to food banks for and help. them, the U.S Department of that Agriculture “respond mitigate the impacts delivered the guest rooms Maiden Dining Room drew Sept. 21. Bookmineand they were familiar with the verge of becoming homeless, to try to understand the cultural,”or An Foodfamous Bank resort employee stocks onhefood at its on Monday to the release emergency of emergency.” recalled howup cool felt driving laughter from crowd. TheOregon internationally Thethis Village Green. It calls for on the verge of not being able to pay he said. “Be direct. Challenge warehouse in northeast Portland. allow “essential protective measures” the orange golf cart around the “My sisterfunds and Ithat werewould budding was created by Walter A. Woodard Their father traveled a lot andfrom contingency with compassion utility bills to keepwhen warm,something or on the SNAP benefits remain the Oregon Department of Human property for assigned errands. Years doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound feminists at thetotime and during were quite (W.A.) and his son, Carlton. Some often brought its matchboxes home verge of not being able to go to the would be running out by the end of federal Temporary Assistance for the shutdown Oregon and other Services to address shocked by theand sexism practiced in members of the family attended and later, another special memory was as keepsakes for hisfood girls.insecurity, The sisright, and doand an internal up, grocery store buy theirsize groceries, October. Needy funds to support states suingroom,” the Trump administrawhile directing the20’s agency proseeing Families the famous football player, the dining she said. “The shared personal memories. ters were in their whentothey which we ask the firefighters the benefits we introduce help to them Food banks across Oregon, mean- the network of food banks. tion Tuesday, 28,had to force vide financial assistance to those O.J.state’s Simpson, running on one of the do as well,” he said.” Internal size menuongiven to a Oct. woman no opened the Main Street bookstore do that,” he said. And when we take THROUGH THE LENS while, have warned that they do not That money is unspent from previthe release those The facing to the loss of up means asking why am I acting resort’s paths. prices on itofand footfunds. pillows were and, tohunger enhancedue their income, that benefit away very quickly, that Kris Woodard’s introductory enough resources to absorb ousToyears and “can short agency has declinedto do so, have this way, and why am I feeling this SNAP The order until federal the delight ofsupport those gathered, provided so ladies’ uncomfortable workedbenefits. as waitresses at thelasts resort. a destabilizing factor. remarks included personal memthe impact of the loss of food stamp term benefits creating isway? The best thing we can do is despite warnings from Oregon the“It endwas of athe year, unless thetofedKris’crisis brother, Caseywithout Woodard, shoes could be removed while offidinwonderful place ories he made through the lens of benefits. In her Wednesday order, cials that era.” benefits eral benefits ing. Itearlier was athis verymonth different workgovernment and, being distributes new in town, it a 12-year-old who$5was often from “in Kotek drew upon million See LEGACY, Page 6 See HEALTH, Page Page6 6 or Kotek changes its terms herself. See PAUSED See SNAP Page 6 Crews began developing the smaller homeless camp site this week on the vacant lot at 12th Street.
Oregon Gov. Kotek sends $5 million to food banks ahead of SNAP cutoff
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
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