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Souper
$1.00
Wednesday, March13, 2024
Number 11 • 135 years
bowl
Serving the communities of Cottage Grove and Creswell
Courtesy photo The large red signs held by South Lane School District employees read ‘Show us the $$$$.’
Payroll issues dominate school board meeting CINDY WEELDREYER COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL It was a full agenda and a full boardroom for the 2.5-hour-long March 4 meeting of the South Lane School Board. The room was filled with South Lane School District employees holding up red signs in protest over ongoing payroll issues. Four of the six individuals who testified before the board provided detailed accounts of payroll errors in the last 18 months that they said have created financial hardships for them and their colleagues. They informed board members of the on-going stress they feel and the lack of trust they now have in
SOUPER FUNDRAISER 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19 OLPH Catholic Church 1025 North 19th St. Cottage Grove
human resources staff and district administrators.
PAYROLL PROBLEMS Al Kennedy High School Teacher Danny Henson has worked in the district for nine years. He presented testimony from his perspective as a community member, teacher, and his school’s South Lane Educators Association (SLEA) union representative. He identified five issues of great concern: 1. Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) deductions not deposited into personal accounts due to district errors in its PERS reports. See SCHOOL Page 6
Fundraiser helps those in need
T
TODAY’S EDITION
CINDY WEELDREYER COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL he famous 18th century German composer when I had the Main Street Deli in the Cottage Grove Ludwig van Beethoven once said, “Only the Hotel from 1975 to 1987. I think that is probably why I pure in heart can make good soup.” was drawn to events that involved soup bowls.” This concept reflects the purpose of In 2008, she got a green light from the board of Community Sharing’s popular Souper Fundraiser in directors to proceed. She recruited ten cooks to prepare which community cooks use their culinary skills to raise their specialty soup for the inaugural “Community money so the agency can help people in need. Sharing Helping Hands Souper Fundraiser” and the This year’s event is Tuesday, March 19 from 5:30 to delicious tradition was born. 7:30 p.m. in the parish hall of Our Lady of Perpetual “We always have at least 10 cooks and some make Help (OLPH) Catholic Church at 1025 North 19th St. more than one soup,” McNamara explained. “The cooks Tickets are available at the Bookmine at 702 E. Main are all volunteers who make a commitment to make at Street, or at the door of the event. least three gallons of their soup of choice. Each cook is Sixteen years ago, Community Sharing Board responsible for the cost of their soup’s ingredients.” Member Mary McNamara was on the hunt for a Soup lovers choose how many different soups they creative idea to establish a major community fundraiser want to taste or eat. The $10 ticket price remains to support the nonprofit social service agency. After unchanged from the first year. All profits from conducting a thorough Internet search of existing the fundraiser go directly into the general fund at fundraising events from coast-to-coast, she was Community Sharing and provide support for many in captivated by ones that involved bowls. need in South Lane County. She particularly liked a “bowl fundraiser” in Eugene “I have always gone out in the community and sought that involved individual potters who made ceramic table sponsors who have responded magnificently,” bowls that were auctioned off. After pricing bowls she McNamara said. “The generosity of these local business decided it was too expensive to buy or get local potters sponsorships has formed the foundation of the Souper’s to make them. money-making success.” “I kept the bowl concept and integrated that with the She explained there are three levels of sponsorship: fact that I have been cooking for my family since I was See SOUP Page 6 13,” she said. “I also made soup as a daily menu item
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Courtesy photo from Cindy Weeldreyer Cottage Grove’s Main Street will receive much needed repairs thanks to a $5M grant and city matching funds.
$5M grant will help with Main Street improvements JEREMY C. RUARK COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Cottage Grove’ will use a $5,000,000 federal grant and local matching funds to make significant improvements to its downtown Main Street. Cottage Grove Public Works and Development Director Faye Stewart said the estimated construction
time is mid to late fall of this year and with possible completion by summer 2025. “At this point it is hard to predict when the project will be done or the impacts to businesses and or property owners during construction until we have a contractor on board,” he said. “It is our intention See GRANT Page 6