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Wednesday October 9, 2024 | Number 39, 135 years
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City establishing mini homeless camp at 12th Street
CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
Cottage Grove closed out 2025 C. RUARK with theJEREMY near completion of a major Grove Sentinel publicCottage works project, civic leadership transitions, new business openPublic works crews are in the ings and a full slate of community process of establishing a new events that generated smaller homeless campmemories site at theand smiles. vacant lot on 12th Street in Cottage Here’s a look back at the Sentinel Grove. stories thatGrove shapedCity the Manager year. Cottage Mike Sauerwein said the city is MAINitsSTREET behind original Oct. 1 timeline is establishing the camp,PROJECT following REVITALIZATION theThe Aug.top22story closure and cleanup of 2025 was the of the Street 12th Street and Douglas Main Revitalization Project, Street camps. During which homeless closed Main Street to twothe transition, the adjacent Lulu Dog Park at 12th Street has been used as a homeless camp site with hours from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. “None of us have ever managed a homeless camp before, so we CINDY WEELDREYER knew that date was a bit aspiraCottage Grove Sentinel tional,” Sauerwein said. “We are hoping that this week we will be Hope Rides Again has played a able to make the transition. Our central role in organizing this year’s goal was to provide folks with free Thanksgiving and Christmas a safe and secure place to spend community dinners. the night and that’s what we are The organization, a relatively doing.” new all volunteer nonprofit now Sauerwein said city staff was based in Cottage Grove, is led by cleaning up the Lulu Dog Park to reestablish it as a dog park. Specific costs of that cleanup and establishing the smaller homeless camp at 12th Street were not immediately available.
The mental health impact facing Oregon’s wildlandEVENTS COMMUNITY firefighters
grant with a $1.25 million match way traffic for most of the year. from the city’s Street Fund. The five block overhaul brought While there is no final price tag new sidewalks, much needed ADA or completion date, city officials upgrades, landscaping, lighting and report the most significant downstreet furnishings to the Historic Crews began developing the smaller homeless town investment in decades is under Downtown District. camp site this week on the vacant lot at 12th Street. budget and far ahead of schedule. Business owners praised Wildish Construction employees, the Chamber of Commerce’s creative BUSINESS weekly contests and loyal customThe business scene saw new ers for helping them make the best retail and food establishments open, of a challenging financial situathe closure of Stacy’s Covered tion. Although a ceremonial ribbon Bridge Restaurant after more than cutting on Dec. 12 reopened the three decades downtown and the street to two way traffic, the project transition of the Coast Fork Farm remains a work in progress. The Stand into the Blackberry Food projected $6.25 million project Cooperative at the Cottage Grove leveraged a $5 million federal EDA Public Market.
Despite road construction, more than a half dozen new small businesses added fresh energy to the commercial core. On Main Street, five new shops opened: White Rabbit Gifts and Goods, a curated gift and artisan goods boutique; The Quarter Drop, a retro arcade; Cottage Groove, a books and music shop specializing in used books, vinyl and CDs; Mother Load, a vintage and resale shop; and Blackett’s Paper Trail, a paper and stationery store. Along Hwy. 99, The Grove Beauty Lounge opened with a wide range of services, and Bean There Done That began selling antiques,
crafts and collectibles while serving coffee at the South Sixth Street intersection.
Legacy Summer Events: The 93rd annual W.O.E. Heritage Fair, the 78th annual Cottage Grove Rodeo and the 66th annual Bohemia JEREMY C. RUARK Mining Days Celebration — drew Cottage Grove Sentinel thousands of locals and visitors wildfire season for Oregon’s old fashioned family fun.isTwo expected to continue through this newer annual events — the Cascade month, but the mental scares and Home Center Community Cookoff impact of the season on the and Oktoberfest on Sept. 27 fire— also fighters who battle blazes in Lane drew large crowds. County and across the state, and their families, may last a lifetime, according to Jeff Dill, the founder of Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA). Dill established the FBHA in 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. He was than a Battalion Chief for a fire department in northwest husband and wife team Edward Chartrand’s car broke down in front When COVID 19 shut down members Chicago. began donating food and Chartrand and Jennifer Ferraez. The of Hope Community Church in public meals soon after, Chartrand volunteering. “I saw our brothers and sisters struggle from Again the devastation two who bring decades of combined Springfield. After many years of saw that people living on the streets Hope Rides became athat they saw, nonprofit so I wentinback andDuring got experience working with unhoused homelessness and four decades of had nowhere to eat or even access 501(c)(3) 2022. JEREMY C.drinking RUARK / water. COTTAGE GROVEserving SENTINEL this my period, degree and becamebuilt a licensed individuals. addiction, he accepted PHOTO the church’s He began Chartrand an counselor,” he said. “We started Sauerwein andtoother city began officials currently which offer of a place stay and meals outdoing, a window of istheproviding small online following of supporters who The new mini homeless camp tracking EMS and firefighter suithe Sentinel, there achurch location for folks to spend the BACKGROUND what told he describes as a that healing building where he slept. believed in his approach to using will include the same restrictions as have cides across America.” are no additional plans to offer any night 7 p.m.noticed to 7 a.m.” rootslarger of thecamps. nonprofit journey. As from neighbors improvefood as a “tool of engagement” — a theThe former other long-term sheltering for the Readinprevious about trace back to October when ments the area,coverage community way toBehavioral build trust andImpact help people “The same rules will2019, apply,” homeless. the homelessness challenges in move toward stability rather than Sauwrwein said. “The camp will According to Dill, firefighters “Cottage Grove will follow Cottage Grove and follow new deeper dependency. be available from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. often don’t recognize the behavioral state law as we understand it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com impact their who work.connected with One ofofthose and the rules will be enforced brainSauerwein said. “That is what we and in the Wednesday print editions him“We wasbecome Ferraez,cultural a Cottage Grove through our contracting company, washed,” Dillwho said.has “Whether it’s are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. social worker spent her One Security of Eugene to help us structural or wildland fires. So, we the legislature. The city of Cottage career working alongside unhoused during this transition period. They are meant toShe believe weher arelong supGrove has no plans to do any kind individuals. shared are a very experienced homeless posed to act strong, brave, be help, of a shelter beyond what we are held dream of opening a local drop camp management company.” don’t ask for help, and we don’t inwant center where people access to look weak andcould not ask for food and resource support. The help.” twoDill began collaborating, married added that while firefighters the following year, and shifted the are on the front lines battling the nonprofit’s focus wildfires, one of to theCottage biggestGrove, challenges they hometown. face is the unknown. Chartrand’s “It’s how rapidly can In exploring local theses needs, fires the coumove, and the unknown is where ple observed growing divisions in is it going to end? Where will this fire go to and how long will it last? And that is a struggle,” he said. “So, when you are fighting that fire, you’re trying to do your best to stop it, and yet the wind kicks up at 60 miles an hour and it drags it further and further behind them. That aspect of the unknown is very CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL difficult in wildland fires. The fireMatchbooks from the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. fighters have that stress and anxiety, Arrests in Oregon in 2025 almost 10 times as high as previous year. and that struggle to protect is a very difficult challenge for the wildland immigration enforcement looked largest Latino labor union and a MIA MALDONADO firefighters.” like in Oregon by the numbers. Portland immigration law firm Oregon Capital Chronicle It is often very difficult for famOregon saw surge in arrests in suing his administration alleging it ily members of the firefighters to Federal immigration agents is blocking attorneys from accessing summer and fall understand what emotions there are, the way” during the construction helped us meet many of our future Nearly 50 people attended the arrestedCINDY about WEELDREYER 1,100 people in ICE agents arrested 660 people detained clients — the Beaver State For The Grove Sentinel that many firefighters don’t and project. bookstore customers,” Birdy said. Cottage Grove Historical Society’s Oregon thisCottage year, immigration in Oregon in the first ten months in 2025 repeatedly drew the admin their express emotions, according He said he was given an importShe shared a humorous mem“Farewell to the Village Green” at experts estimate a surge from the istration’s attention. Oregon now In 1975, when— Birdy Hoelzle to Dill. job of opening the boxes ory they made in the formal Iron the Community Center, Saturday, ant 113 recorded in all of 2024. and arrests her sister Gail opened The ranks among the top five states with “We ask the family members delivered to the guest rooms and Maiden Dining Room that drew Sept. 21. In August, thewere Trump administraBookmine they familiar with the largest year-over-year increases to try to understand the cultural,” recalled how cool he felt driving laughter from the crowd. The internationally famous resort tion “come after” states in The saidit Villagewould Green. ICE arrests, Stateline reported. he said. “Be direct. Challenge the orange golf cart around the “My sister and I were budding was created by Walter A. Woodard likeTheir Oregon with laws preventing father traveled a lot and with compassion when something The Oregon Capital Chronicle property 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 local enforcement from cooroften law brought its matchboxes home analyzed data from Deportation shocked by the sexism practiced in members of the family attended and later, another special memory was dinating with for federal immigration as keepsakes his girls. The sisright, and do an internal size up, Data Project, a database run by lawseeing the famous football player, the dining room,” she said. “The shared personal memories. officials. then, been ters were Since in their 20’sOregon’s when they which we ask the firefighters to yers and academics who collected O.J. Simpson, running on one of the do as well,” he said.” Internal size menu given to a woman had no at the forefront President Donald opened the MainofStreet bookstore national ICE arrest data from public THROUGH THE LENS up means asking why am I acting resort’s paths. prices on it and foot pillows were Trump’s renewedtheir immigration and, to enhance income, records requests between Sept. 1, Kris Woodard’s introductory this way, and why am I feeling this To the delight of those gathered, provided so ladies’ uncomfortable enforcement efforts. at the resort. worked as waitresses 2023, and Oct. 15, 2025, as well remarks included personal memway? The best thing we can do is Kris’ brother, Casey Woodard, shoes could be removed while dinFrom attempt to deploy “It wasTrump’s a wonderful place to as data from immigration advoories he made through the lens of ing. It was a very different era.” Oregon National Guard work and, being new in troops town, itto cates to understand what federal a 12-year-old who was often “in See LEGACY, Page 6 See HEALTH, Page 6 Portland in the spring, to the state’s
Grassroots effort fills void for holiday community meals
Oregon saw 1,100 immigration arrests in 2025
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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