The Cottage Grove
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Wednesday December 4, 2024 | Number 49, 135 years
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It’s beginning to Sports look a lot like Christmas Lifestyle
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Wednesday October 9, 2024 | Number 39, 135 years
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The mental City establishing mini health impact homeless camp at 12th Street facing Oregon’s Cindy Weeldreyer / Cottage Grove Sentinel
The Lincoln Middle School and Cottage Grove High School Choirs braved the cold wet weather to sing the 2023 Cottage Grove Christmas events. JEREMY C. at RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel CINDY WEELDREYER Public worksGrove crewsSentinel are in the Cottage
process of establishing a new smaller homeless camp sitewill at the The Christmas season vacant lot on 12th Street in Cottage shine bright in Cottage Grove Grove. with a wide variety of holiday Cottage designed Grove CitytoManager activities please Mike Sauerwein saidofthe is on locals and visitors allcity ages behind its original Oct. 1 timeline December 7. is Events establishing the camp, following include numerous Santa the Aug. 22 closure and cleanup sightings, the lighting of the comof the 12th and Douglas munity tree,Street Christmas carols in Street homeless camps. During the All America City Square, bazaars, transition, the adjacent Lulu Dog a community concert, a 5K walk/ Park and at 12th Street has been used run, more. as The a homeless siteArea with Chamhours Cottagecamp Grove from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. “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.” Sauerwein said city staff was cleaning up the Lulu Dog Park to reestablish it as a dog park. Specific Jeremy C. Ruark / Cottage Grove Sentinel costs of that cleanup and establishPolice arrested 53-year-old ing the smaller homeless camp at Cottage Grove resident Wil12th Street were not immediately liam “Bill” J. Dyche following available. the standoff.
Crews began developing the smaller homeless bercamp of Commerce, Downtown joining elves at the Armory site this week on the vacant lot atthe 12th Street.
Cottage Grove and the City of Cottage Grove coordinated with local organizations to present the annual community-wide “Kickoff to Christmas” events on the first Saturday in December. The Chamber also sponsors a seasonlong downtown window decorating contest. The Historic Downtown District hosts numerous activities from 5-8 p.m. Dec. 7. Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus arrive at Trailhead Park at 5:40 p.m. and light the community tree before
to meet children and hear their wishes. In All America City Square, at 7th and Main Street, local churches serve free soup and hot apple cider, and the City of Cottage Grove provides cookies. Christmas carols will be sung by the Cottage Grove High School Choir and participants can purchase raffle tickets to win a decorated tree. Cottage Grove Area Chamber
wildland firefighters
JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
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 theirWeeldreyer families, /may last Grove a lifetime, Cindy Cottage Sentinel according to Jeff Dill, the founder Lincoln Lowry and Bransen Yoss with Brad the Giant Elf Firefighter Behavioral Health enjoy a moment during the 2023of Cottage Grove Christmas Alliance (FBHA). events. Dill established the FBHA in See CHRISTMAS, Page 6 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. He was than a Battalion Chief for a fire department in northwest Chicago. “I saw our brothers and sisters CINDY WEELDREYER struggle from the devastation that Cottage Grove Sentinel they saw, so I went back and got PHOTO JEREMY C. RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL my degree and became a licensed Cottage Grove city leaders face counselor,” he said. “We started Sauerwein and other city officials currently doing, which is providing The new mini homeless camp significant budget challenges in tracking EMS and firefighter suia location for folks to spend the will include the same restrictions as have told the Sentinel, that there 2025 requiring thoughtful discuscides across America.” are no additional plans to offer any night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.” the former larger camps. sion of how current city assets other long-term sheltering for the Read previous coverage about “The same rules will apply,” Behavioral Impact will be funded in the future. homeless. the homelessness challenges in Sauwrwein said. “The camp will According to Dill, firefighters This is part one of a six-part “Cottage Grove will follow Cottage Grove and follow new be available from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. often don’t recognize the behavioral series describing the history state law as we understand it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com impact of their work. and the rules will be enforced and management of City-owned “We become cultural brainSauerwein said. “That is what we and in the Wednesday print editions through our contracting company, assets: the Historic Downtown washed,” Dill said. “Whether it’s are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. One Security of Eugene to help us District (12/4), the Library/ structural or wildland fires. So, we the legislature. The city of Cottage during this transition period. They Community Center (12/11), the are meant to believe we are supGrove has no plans to do any kind are a very experienced homeless Armory (12/18), Bohemia Park posed to act strong, brave, be help, of a shelter beyond what we are camp management company.” don’t ask for help, and we don’t (12/24), the Skatepark (12/31), want to look weak and not ask for and Middlefield Golf Course help.” (1/8). Dill added that while firefighters In 2012, community leadare on the front lines battling the ers, beaming with civic pride, wildfires, one of the biggest chalgathered under the new archway lenges they face is the unknown. that announces the entrance “It’s how rapidly theses fires can to Cottage Grove’s National move, and the unknown is where Courtesy photo Historic District, 23 years after is it going to end? Where will this Community leaders gathered in 2012 beneath the Cottage Grove Historic District archway it was designated. The boundarfire go to and how long will it last? for a photo. ies are five blocks of Main Street And that is a struggle,” he said. “So, when you are fighting that between River Road to the west, closed their doors. no statistics on how many people during the early twentieth cenJEREMY C. RUARK fire, you’re trying to do your best Ninth Street to the east, Whitehave visited the district since its tury. Itsit,buildings have housed Federal and state planning Cottage Grove Sentinel to stop and yet the wind kicks aker Avenue on the north and of the merchants, craftsgrants assisted rural timber com- designation, anecdotally, staff at most up at 60 miles an hour and it drags Washington Avenue on the south. munities through this significant The Bookmine say out-of-town people, business Details have been released it furtherprofessionals, and further behind them. visitors/ stop in nearly every day. offices, public entertainment, economic disruption. City of- WEELDREYER following an unusual incident in That aspect of the unknown is very CINDY COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL ECONOMIC TRANSITION The Cottage Grove Historical meeting halls, city government, ficials and business owners stratdifficult in wildland fires. The fireCottage Grove’s Historic District. Matchbooks from the Village Green Resort Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. It was a roughineconomic fighters have that stress and anxiety, Society published the applicalodging, transport and travel faegized that getting their vintage South Lane 9-1-1 received transition for Grovers beginand thatcontinuously struggle to protect a very cilities sinceisbefore downtown listed on the National tion information into a booklet reports at approximately 12:50 ning in the 1980’s. Changes in difficult challenge for the wildland the turn of the century. Record of Historic Places would that provides an accurate record a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, of a male federal timber policies elimifirefighters.” place familiar brown signs on the of Cottage Grove history from at 321 East Main Street who had nated a significant number of It is often very difficultPLAN for fam1879-1941. COMPREHENSIVE freeway and motivate visitors to climbed a fire escape ladder, ily members of the firefighters to wood products-related jobs. In his summary of the district’s The City of Cottage Grove’s stop and see it. broke CINDY a window, and entered WEELDREYER understand what emotions there are, the way” during the construction helped us meet many our future Nearly 50 people attended the Within a decade, theofonce thrivsignificance, Voss wrote, “The Comprehensive Plan includes The late Marcia Allen (1923anFor unoccupied building on the The Cottage Grove Sentinel and that many firefighters don’t project. bookstore customers,” Birdy said. Cottage Grove Historical Society’s ing, economically independent Main Street Commercial Historic aexpress historictheir preservation plan. It 2019), recognized as “Cottage second story. emotions, according He said he was given an importShe shared a humorous mem“Farewell to the Village Green” at In 1975, when Birdy Hoelzle timber town transformed into outlines Grove Historian Extraordinaire” District of Cottage Grove is the “When officers arrived at the to Dill. goals and policies for ant job of opening the boxes they made in the formal the Community Center, Saturday, and her sister Gail opened The aory bedroom community for Iron the most intact collection of early historic resource preservation by the Lane County Historical scene they tried to establish “We ask the family members delivered to the guest rooms and Maiden Dining Roomarea that and drewatSept. 21. Bookmine they were familiar with Eugene/Springfield twentieth century commercial and thetoprocesses Society, and city planner David to try understandfor thecreating cultural,” communication with the susrecalled how cool he felt driving laughterretiring from theBaby crowd. The internationally famous resort The Village Green. tracted Boomers to Voss he said. “Be direct. Challenge“to and government buildings that and amending the program led the effort. This dypect who was later identified as the orange golf cart around the “My sister was created by Walter A. Woodard Their father traveled a lot and relocate here.and I were budding with compassion when something remain in Lane County, Oregon. protect historic resources, such namic duo effectively used their 53-year-old Cottage Grove resiproperty for assigned errands. Years doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound feminists at the time and were quite (W.A.) and his son, Carlton. Some often brought its matchboxes home As more residents commuted as buildings, structures, objects, networking and research skills to It has been the primary comdent William “Bill” J. Dyche,” shocked by thearea sexism practiced members of the family attended and later, another special memory was as keepsakes for his girls. The sisto the metro to work, localin right,that andhave do anainternal size up, mercial center of the South Lane sites significant relacomplete the application. Cottage Grove Police Departseeing the famous football player, the dining room,” she said. “The personal memories. ters were in their 20’s when they shopping habits changed. Slowly, shared which we ask the firefighters to County region since its creation. tionship to events or conditions On January 28, 1994, Downment (CGPD) Chief Cory Chase O.J. Simpson, running on one of the do as well,” he said.” Internal size menu given to a woman had no opened the Main Street bookstore the mom-and-pop businesses Collectively, the district of the human past.” townTHROUGH Cottage Grove was ensaid. “Dyche was incoherent and prices on it and foot pillows were THE LENS up means asking why am I acting resort’s paths. and, to enhance their income, that sold clothes, shoes, jewelry, tered into the National Register ensemble clearly reflects the hisCurrently, Grove rambling and officers struggled Kris Woodard’s introductory this way, and the whyCottage am I feeling this To the delight of those gathered, provided so ladies’ uncomfortable worked as waitresses at the resort. hardware, stationery, retail meats prompting freeway signs to toric pattern of development that City Council annually allocates to maintain communication with remarks included personal memway? The best thing we can do is Kris’ brother, Casey Woodard, shoes could be removed while din“It was a wonderful place to and those that provided services occurred in the community as it $10,000 for historical preservaappear garnering mentions him. Dyche was refusing to obey ing. It was a very different era.” ories heand made through the lens of work and, being new in town, it such as barbershops, shoe repair in travel guides. While there are evolvedSee from a villagePage to a 6city a 12-year-old who was often “in LEGACY, See HEALTH, Page 6 and financial services quietly See ARREST, Page 6 See DOWNTOWN, Page 6
Historic Downtown District draws history lovers to town
‘Incoherent, rambling’ man hiding in bathroom arrested
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
INSIDE Lifestyles — 3 Obituaries — 4 Death Notice — 4
Opinion — 5 Classifieds — 7 Sports — 8
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