The Cottage Grove
entinel entinel Council rejects nonprofit plea, The CoTTage grove New CGHS Coaches
Record Court Collections
See page 8
See pages 3
Wednesday December 10, 2025 | Number 49, 137 years
59 50
opts to auction shower trailer
Life in Cottage Grove
CGHS Football Incredible Turnaround See page 8
See page 4
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 Rain
www.cgsentinel.com
Sports
Lifestyle
Cottage Grove
$2.00
74 49
Unhoused concerns dominate council meeting
Wednesday October 9, 2024 | Number 39, 135 years
www.cgsentinel.com
CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
Public urged to avoid contact with sick Thedead mental or health impact birds
Cottage Grove
Wednesday, Oct 9 Mostly Cloudy
$2.00
City establishing mini homeless camp at 12th Street facing Oregon’s
Concerns about the impacts of unhoused individuals on Cottage Grove’s quality of life dominated discussion at the Cottage Grove City Council meeting Nov. 24. Issues raised included missed municipal court appearances, discarded needles and trash in pubC. RUARK lic parks,JEREMY a new camp on South Cottage Grove menacing Sentinel interGateway Boulevard, actions, the weekly community Publicand works crews are in the shower process program. of establishing a new Municipal Courtcamp Judgesite Martin smaller homeless at the Fisher the12th council that vacant told lot on Street in few Cottage unhoused Grove. individuals cited by police appear for their hearings. Cottage Grovescheduled City Manager Police Chief Corysaid Chase the Mike Sauerwein the said city is new dayitsshift sergeant the behind original Oct.receives 1 timeline court roster each and, is establishing theThursday camp, following when possible, reminds the Aug. 22 closure and individuals cleanup to providof attend—sometimes the 12th Street and even Douglas ing transportation. Street homeless camps. During the PUBLICtheCOMMENTS transition, adjacent Lulu Dog Four addressed theused Park at citizens 12th Street has been council. Three camp spokesite about negaas a homeless with hours tive of 7unhoused residents, fromimpacts 7 p.m. to a.m. daily. while Bernie urgedmanaged city “None of usDonner have ever staff to improve deteriorating a homeless campthe before, so we condition thewas historic knew thatof date a bit Chambers aspiraCovered Railroad Bridge and are tional,” Sauerwein said. “We repair security camera hopingitsthat this week we to willdeter be vandalism. able to make the transition. Our Abby an emergency goal wasJacobs, to provide folks with room nurse Cottage a safeatand secureGrove place Hospital, to spend and her father in law,what JackweJacobs, the night and that’s are described doing.” how unhoused individuals areSauerwein affecting daily life. staff Theywas said said city families ParkPark because cleaning avoid up theCoiner Lulu Dog to of discardedit needles, homeownreestablish as a dogand park. Specific ers areofinvesting in security systems costs that cleanup and establishing the smaller homeless camp at 12th Street were not immediately available.
wildland firefighters
Crews began developing the smaller homeless camp site this week on the vacant lot at 12th Street.
Jeremy C. Ruark / Cottage Grove Sentinel
Cottage Grove Police assisted people out of the 12th Street homeless camp during the Aug. 2024 transition project. Illegal camping and homelessness issues remain a public concern in the city. to protect children and property from theft and harassment. Abby Jacobs sharply criticized the proliferation of homeless camps. “I am shocked and appalled at how homeless camps are popping up all over town,” she said. “This is gigantically a drug use problem The new mini homeless camp with include prostitution happening in these will the same restrictions as camps. We larger sit herecamps. and talk about the former showers and how areapply,” going to “The same ruleswe will get them to said. court“The instead of talking Sauwrwein camp will about families that7are nottobeing be available from p.m. 7 a.m. and the rules will be enforced through our contracting company, One Security of Eugene to help us during this transition period. They are a very experienced homeless camp management company.”
taken care of in this town. We deserve this (unpleasant encounters expect more. Please help.” with unhoused people) anymore.” Sunrise Ridge resident Dale SHOWER TRAILER HEAD TO Gangl testified that he and his AUCTION BLOCK neighbors, who live in a residential Community Sharing Executive subdivision built near Community Director Mike Fleck urged the PHOTO JEREMY C. city RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE Sharing’s location at 1440 Birch to donate the trailer soSENTINEL weekly Avenue, oppose the showers could Sauerwein andtransferring other city officials currently doing,continue. which is He providing city’stold shower trailer to that the nonprofit. service benefits have the Sentinel, there aemphasized location forthe folks to spend the homelessplans get enough the broader including are“The no additional to offerfrom any night from 7community, p.m. to 7 a.m.” us,” Gangl said.sheltering “Why giveforthem families and mobility challenged other long-term the Read previous coverage about a $60,000 trailer? That is taxpayer residents, and noted the trailer homeless. the homelessness challenges in could money you Grove want towill givefollow away. The “Cottage Cottage Grove and follow new people ourweneighborhood don’t state lawin as understand it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com See COUNCIL Page 6 Sauerwein said. “That is what we and in the Wednesday print editions are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. the legislature. The city of Cottage Grove has no plans to do any kind of a shelter beyond what we are
WHO WE ARE
Taylor’s Towing: celebrates 65 Years of service, strength, and stewardship
equipped to haul both a one-ton truck and its trailer in a single call. “(Big) Betty is wired for lights For more than half a century, and brakes, and she’s earned her the familiar red trucks of Taylor’s name—because Betty can handle the Towing have rolled through job,” said Patrick Taylor, who now Cottage Grove and beyond, resculeads the company’s operations. ing stranded motorists and clearing CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL SERVICES OFFERED accident scenes with speed Matchbooks from theand Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this storyPrices at cgsentinel.com. vary depending on the professionalism. type of vehicle and the distance to Founded in 1959 by Ron Taylor be transported. Services include at just 16 years old, the business lockout assistance, flat tire changes, began in Seal Beach, California, fuel delivery, accident recovery, and with two trucks and a co-signed standard towing. Whether respondloan. By 18, Ron had bought out his CINDY WEELDREYER ing a breakdown clearing a the to way” during theorconstruction helped us meet many of our future Nearly 50 people attended the brother’s and Grove was running the For Theshare Cottage Sentinel crash site, Taylor’s aims to arrive project. bookstore customers,” Birdy said. Cottage Grove Historical Society’s company solo. within 30 minutes. He said he was given an importShe shared a humorous mem“Farewell to the Village Green” at In 1975, when Birdy Hoelzle In 1969, Ron and his wife, “We’re known for our longtime ant job of opening the boxes ory they made in the formal Iron the Community Center, Saturday, and her sister Gail opened The Carolyon, moved the operation to community tradition of providing delivered to the guest rooms and Maiden Dining Room that drew Sept. 21. Bookmine they were familiar with Cottage Grove and stewarded its Cindy Weeldreyer / Cottage Grove Sentinel high school students a complimenrecalled how cool he felt driving laughter from the crowd. The internationally famous resort The Village Green. evolution from a small towing outfit For three generations, since 1961, the patriotic Taylor Famtary first-time the orange golflockout—but cart around itthecomes “My sister and I were budding was created by Walter A. Woodard father traveled a lot and and intoTheir a multifaceted recovery ily has served Cottage Grove motorists in need. Pictured left with a lecture from theerrands. generalYears property for assigned feminists at the time and were quite (W.A.) and his son, Carlton. Some often brought its matchboxes home roadside service provider. In the late ton right are Misty Taylor, Patrick Taylor, Carolyon Taylor and manager about keeping a sparewas key,” later, another special memory shocked by the sexism practiced in members of the family attended and as keepsakes for his girls. The sis1970s, Taylor’s added a wrecking Bridget Taylor Kiger. Taylor said with a laugh. seeing the famous football player, the dining room,” she said. “The shared personal memories. ters were in their 20’s when they yard and pioneered Oregon’s first O.J. Simpson, running on one of the menu given to a woman hadincludes no certified operators. Its fleet a 4x4 truck capable of transportopened and the Main Street flatbed crew cab towbookstore trucks— THROUGH THEfrom LENS resort’s paths. prices on it and foot pillows were four flatbeds of varying sizes, three ing fifth-wheel trailers the and, to enhance their income, innovations now standard across the KrisInWoodard’s introductory To the delight of those gathered, provided so ladies’ uncomfortable recovery trucks (including a heavy coast. 2023, they introduced worked as waitresses at the resort. industry. remarks included personal memKris’ brother, Casey Woodard, shoes could be removed while dinwrecker for semis), and three ser“Big Betty,” their largest flatbed, “It was a wonderful place to Today, the company employs five ories he made through the lens of ing. It was a very different era.” vice trucks. In 2020, Taylor’s added work and, being new in town, it full-time staff and two part-time See a 12-year-old who was often “in SeeTAYLOR’S LEGACY, Page Page6 6 CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
INSIDE News — 1-3— 3 Lifestyles Obituaries — 4 Death Notice — 4
Opinion — 5 Classifieds — 7 News Sports——8 8
People across Oregon are being urged to avoid contact with sick or dead birds as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to impact wild and domestic bird populations across the state, according to a release from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW).JEREMY C. RUARK Grove Sentinel ThereCottage is currently no effective Oregon’s is treatment for wildfire wild andseason domestic expected birds, and to thecontinue virus canthrough spread this rapmonth, but bird the mental scaresand and idly among populations impact of the season on the firepotentially to other wildlife. fighters who battle blazes in Lane ODFW is currently receiving County and across the state, and reports of HPAI-related deaths their families, may last bird a lifetime, across Oregon, with most cases according to Jeff Dill, the founder occurring in theBehavioral WillametteHealth Valley of Firefighter among migrating cackling geese and Alliance (FBHA). some Dillraptors. established the FBHA in 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. Additional detections have been He was in than a Battalion Chief reported eastern Oregon, where for a fire department northwest early-season duck and in raptor morChicago. talities and snow goose deaths have “I sawSporadic our brothers andalong sistersthe occurred. reports struggle from the devastation that Oregon Coast also include cases in they saw, so I went back and got gulls and other my degree andwaterbirds. became a licensed Since 2022, hasstarted expecounselor,” heOregon said. “We rienced widespread outbreaks tracking EMS and firefighter of suiHPAI wild America.” birds and domestic cides in across poultry. This virus has been detected Behavioral in nearly every OregonImpact county. It Dill, of firefighters has According caused the todeaths more than often don’t recognize the euthanasia behavioral 15,000 wild birds and the impact of their work. of more than 183 million domestic “We become cultural brainpoultry in North America. washed,” Dill said. “Whether it’s Other non-avian wildlife structural or wildland fires.conSo, we firmed with HPAI in Oregon include are meant to believe we are supraccoons, skunks, foxes, marten and posed to act strong, brave, be help, bobcats. mamdon’t askHowever, for help,nearly and weany don’t want tospecies look weak and not ask for malian that feed on affected help.” or is in a heavily contamianimals Dillenvironment added that while nated may befirefighters suscepare on the front lines battling the tible to disease. wildfires, one affected of the biggest chalNationwide, wildlife also lenges they face is the unknown. includes coyotes, wild cats, and “It’s how rapidly theses fires can bears fed is onwhere infected move,that andhave the likely unknown birds. Marine mammals have is it going to end? Where willalso this been impacted North fire go to and in how longand willSouth it last? America. animals affected And that Domestic is a struggle,” he said. by HPAI include poultry, waterfowl, “So, when you are fighting that fire, you’re tryingalpacas, to do your cattle, pigs, goats, andbest cats. toRisk stoptoit,humans and yet the wind kicks upThe at 60 an hour andthis it drags riskmiles to people from strain furtherinfluenza and further behind them. ofit avian is low. Since That aspect of the unknown is very 2024, there have been 71 human difficult in wildland fires. The firecases of avian influenza in the fighters have that stress and anxiety, United States, including two isdeaths. and that struggle to protect a very Most of these cases were difficult challenge for theexposed wildland tofirefighters.” infected dairy herds or domestic poultry The difficult U.S. Centers It is farms. often very for famfor Prevention ilyDisease membersControl of the and firefighters to understand whatupdated emotions there are, (CDC) provides information andhuman that many on cases firefighters of HPAI. don’t express according What totheir do emotions, if you encounter to Dill.of sick or dead wild birds groups “We ask the family Report groups of sickmembers or dead to try to understand the cultural,” wild birds to the Wildlife Health he said. “Be direct. Challenge lab at compassion 866-968-2600 or wildlife. with when something health@odfw.oregon.gov. ODFW doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound staff are monitoring and tracking right, and do an internal size up, continued Samples tomay which wemortalities. ask the firefighters bedocollected as well,”inhecases said.”involving Internal large size up meansofasking why or ammultiple I acting numbers dead birds this way, and why species. Single deadam birdI feeling reports this way? The best thing we can do is
FollowDEVELOPING Developing New: FOLLOW NEWS @ CGSentinel CGSentinel @ www.cgsentinel.com www.cgsentinel.com
Your new home is waiting for you... just listed. This beautiful spacious
See AVOID Page 6
See HEALTH, Page 6