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CINDY WEELDREYER
C. RUARK Wednesday October 9, 2024 |JEREMY Number 39, 135 years Cottage Grove Sentinel
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The mental City establishing mini health impact homeless camp at 12th Street facing Oregon’s
Area residents are clearing up following the March 15-16 rainstorms The January-February edition that swelled local streams and rivers of 1859 Oregon’s Magazine causing flooding and mudslides. features Cottage Grove as An atmospheric river moved a small town to explore in across Southwest Oregon bringing 2025. wind gusts and heavy, continuous rain. EVACUATION JEREMY C. RUARK NOTICES ISSUED Crews began developing Cottage Grove Sentinel Throughout the weekend, resi-the smaller homeless camp site this week on vacant lot at 12th Street. dents living in low-lying areas the along Public works crews are in the the Row River and the Coast Fork process of establishing a new Willamette River and tributary smaller homeless camp site at the vacant lot on 12th Street in Cottage creeks watched with alarm at how JEREMY C. RUARK fast the waterways were rising. Cottage Grove Sentinel Grove. The National Weather Service Cottage Grove City Manager Oregon’s wildfire season is issued a Flood Warning on Saturday, Mike Sauerwein said the city is expected to continue through this March 15, for Lane County that month, but the mental scares and behind its original Oct. 1 timeline extended until Monday morning. impact of the season on the fireis establishing the camp, following Heavy rainfall on Saturday and fighters who battle blazes in Lane the Aug. 22 closure and cleanup photothe from Nancy CountyCourtesy and across state, andRyan Sunday caused flooding in isolated of the 12th Street and Douglas Residents of Riverstone Mobile Home Park sheltered in place until the floodwaters of the their families, may last a lifetime, areas throughout Lane County and Street homeless camps. During the nearby Coast Fork Willamette River receded. See more photos with this story cgsentinel. according to Jeff at Dill, the founder motivated county officials to issue transition, the adjacent Lulu Dog com. of Firefighter Behavioral Health a Level One (Be ready) Evacuation Park at 12th Street has been used Alliance (FBHA). Notice for areas of Cottage Grove as a homeless camp site with hours JEREMY C. RUARK RAIN INTENSIFIES Just after 8 a.m. Stewart received continued to rise along Silk Creek Dill established the FBHA in and in the Mohawk Valley, north of from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. Cottage Grove Sentinel 2010 Cemetery following Road Hurricane According to Cottage Grove a call from a property owner expefrom to theKatrina. Coast Springfield. “None of us have ever managed He was thanBy a Battalion Public Works Director Faye Stewart, riencing flooding at the corner of Fork River. 10:30 a.m.Chief Cemetery The Lane County Sheriff’s Cottage grove featured a homeless campisbefore, so in wethe for a fire 4.58 inches of rain fell locally Taylor and 7th Street. Public works Road was department unpassable in andnorthwest sevOffice issued a Level 1 (Be Ready) 1859 JanuaryChicago. knew Oregon’s that date Magazine was a bit aspirabetween Friday evening and midday staff assessed the situation and eral homes along the creek were Evacuation Notice for all areas February editions. said. “We are “I saw City our brothers andopened sisters tional,” Sauerwein Sunday. The amount of rain over reported there was street flooding flooding. utility staff south of Silk Creek to Bryant struggle from the devastation that A short feature hoping thatthree-paragraph this week we will be that period of time was considered on East Main Street at Walgreens a secondary road access connectthey saw, so I went back and got Avenue on the west side of town highlights the the citytransition. as one of Our the able to make equivalent to a 50-yearPHOTO event. JEREMY C.and on West Main Street at the Silk ing withaW. Main RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL my Cemetery degree andRoad became licensed and for the Riverstone Mobile Small Towns to Explore 2025 in goal was to provide folksinwith The city storm drainage system is Creek Bridge and Cemetery Road. Street allowing emergency vehicles counselor,” he said. “We started Sauerwein and other city officials currently doing, which is providing Home South 6th Street. the magazine article. Thetohalf page The Park new on mini homeless campA a safe and secure place spend designed to handle regular daily rain The utility worker on call conand property to accesssuitracking EMSowners and firefighter a location for folks to spend the Shelter in Place was issued for feature shows the Chambers will include the order same restrictions as have told the Sentinel, that there the night and that’s what we Railroad are up to a 15-year flood. firmed that all the drains were cides across America.” are no additional plans to offer any night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.” north of Silk Creek Road Coverage theareas former larger camps. doing.” Bridge and a photo of the all operational and flowing. The water Read previous coverage about accessed by Cemetery Cottage Grovesaid Historic Downtown “The same rules willBridge apply,”Road. other long-term sheltering for the Sauerwein city staff was See FLOODING, Page 6 Behavioral Impact homeless. the homelessness challenges in sign spanning Sauwrwein said. “The camp will According to Dill, firefighters cleaning up theMain LuluStreet. Dog Park to “Cottage Grove will follow Cottage Grove and follow new “We likedit Cottage for be available from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. often don’t recognize the behavioral reestablish as a dogGrove park. Specific state law as we understand it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com impact of their work. the things it has as much for and the rules will be enforced costs of that cleanup and as establish“We become cultural brainSauerwein said. “That is what we and in the Wednesday print editions the it doesn’t have,”camp 1859at through our contracting company, ing things the smaller homeless washed,” Dill said. “Whether it’s are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. Oregon’s Kevin One Security of Eugene to help us 12th StreetMagazine were notEditor immediately structural or wildland fires. So, we the legislature. The city of Cottage Max told The Sentinel. “Cottage during this transition period. They available. are meant to believe we are supGrove has no plans to do any kind Grove is an exceptional escape from are a very experienced homeless posed to act strong, brave, be help, of a shelter beyond what we are bustle. It’s a pastoral setting where camp management company.” don’t ask for help, and we don’t covered bridges allow us to time want to look weak and not ask for travel, perhaps to a better time. The help.” historic downtown is a great landing Dill added that while firefighters pad for visitors to explore good food, are on the front lines battling the CINDY WEELDREYER Gradually, only the largest mills, drink and antiques. Cottage Grove wildfires, one of the biggest chalCottage Grove Sentinel with timlengestheir theyprivately face is theowned unknown. is also dear to us for what is doesn’t berland, weathered the economic “It’s how rapidly theses fires can have–crowds and an overblown tourCottage Grove city leaders are disruption. Today, nearly years move, and the unknown is 40 where ist siege.” taking critical steps in efforts to later, leaders of Oregon’s many is it going to end? Where will this Max added that the trend for travdevelop future economic growth rural timber-dependent towns fire go to and how long will it last? elers today has shifted. for the community. And that is astruggle struggle,” he said. continue to to find other “We think travelers are looking for The Cottage Grove City “So, when to youreplace are fighting that industries the once escape and education about the way fire, you’re trying to do your bestthat Council and Cottage Grove plentiful high wage local jobs things were,” Max said. “Parents are to stop it, and yet the wind kicks Planning Commission have were lost. a nostalgic cohort. It’s only recently upInat 1970, 60 miles an hour and itadopted drags reviewed the completion of Oregon voters that television shows have drawn the it further and further behind them. a state-mandated Economic a complex land use system that younger generations into curiosity That aspect of the unknown is very CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Opportunities Analysis (EOA). A created grownfires. boundaries difficult urban in wildland The fireabout how we used to live, even the Matchbooks from the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. grant from Oregon’s Department (UGBs), which made fighters have that stressthe andprocess anxiety, ’80s. We are also looking for new Metro Creative Connection of Land Conservation and to rural cities bothischalandexpand that struggle to protect a very ways to get off our butts, and cycling The report listed numerous factors that make Cottage Development (DLCD) allowed lenging and expensive. Cottage difficult challenge for the wildland is an accessible and inclusive way city leaders to hire ECOnorthwest Grove attractive to residents and businesses that want a Grove has significant geographifirefighters.” for families to come together in rechigh quality of life where they live and work, including easy to complete the first EOA since Itconstraints is often very for famcal ofdifficult rivers and steep reation. Even better if you can cycle transportation access, water and wastewater services, small ily members of the firefighters to 2009. slopes and is surrounded by probetween covered bridges.” town charm and strong and amenities such CINDY WEELDREYER understand what emotions there are, the way” during the construction helped us meet many of ourof future Nearly 50 people attended local the services An advisory committee tected farm and forest resource When whatGrove smallSentinel towns, For Theasked Cottage as a hospital, library, Society’s school and project. recreation programs, and a and that don’t bookstore said. Cottage Grove Historical elected andcustomers,” appointedBirdy officials, land thatmany limit firefighters industrial and such as Cottage Grove, can do to nationally recognized historic downtown that a mix express their emotions, according He said he wasprovides given an importShe sharedmembers a humorous “Farewell to the Village Green” at community andmemstakeIn 1975, when Birdy Hoelzle commercial development. bring in more visitors to help boost to Dill. of and public spaces ant job of opening thethat boxesserve ory theymet made in the formal Iron thespecialty Communityretail, Center,restaurants, Saturday, holders with ECOnorthwest and her sister Gail opened The PURPOSE OF EOA the town’s economy, Max responded “We ask the family members residents and visitors. delivered to the guest rooms and Maiden Dining that the drew Sept. 21. consulting staffRoom to create Bookmine they were familiar with The primarythe goals of the to try tofour understand cultural,” with the following: recalled how cool he to feltthe driving laughter from thedocument. crowd. Beth The most internationally famous resort hefty 132-page The Village Green. document are to: For of the 20th century, after it was added list of he said. “Be direct. Challenge “For tourism revenue, I’m a firm the orange golf cart species. around the “My sister I were budding was createdGrove by Walter Woodard Goodman, theand consulting firm’s Their father traveled a lot and 1. Project the amount of land Cottage was A. a bustling endangered with compassion when something believer in places being their authenproperty for assigned errands. Years needed feministsdirector, at the time and were (W.A.) and hisfilled son, Carlton. Some project walked the quite often brought its matchboxes home to accommodate thesound lumber town with plentiful This shift in public policy doesn’t look right or doesn’t tic selves,” he said. “Find what later, another special memory was shockedmembers by the sexism practiced in members of the family attended and seriously council and planning as keepsakes for his girls. The sisfuture employment growth within right, and do an internal size up, timber-dependent family-wage reduced the ability to Cottage Grove does best and become seeing the famous football player, the dining room,” she said. personal memories. commissioners through the“The details shared ters were in their 20’s when they which we askGrove the firefighters to the Cottage between 2025 jobs. Mills were so prevalent it cut timber on vast tracts of puba world class experience in that O.J. Simpson, running on one aof the and menu to a woman of the given document prior tohad theno do as2045. well,” he said.” Internal size opened the Main Street bookstore was often said the town had “a licly owned land. It became space. Aim to be number one, so that THROUGH THE LENS up2.means asking am I acting resort’s paths. prices on itMarch and foot council’s 10 pillows regular were city and, to enhance their income, Evaluate thewhy existing mill on nearly every corner.” In complex and highly politicized even if you slip, you’ll still make Kris Woodard’s introductory this way, and why am I feeling this To the delight of those gathered, provided so ladies’ uncomfortable meeting. worked as waitresses at the resort. employment land supply within the 1980’s federal timber policies issue that severely reduced the the podium.” remarks included personal memway? The best thing we can do is Kris’ brother, Casey Woodard, shoes could be removed while dinBACKGROUND “It was a wonderful place to changed significantly to protect supply of raw timber to support ories he made through the lens of ing. It was a very different era.” work and, being new in town, it the habitat of the spotted owl Cottage Grove mills of all sizes. a 12-year-old who was often “in See Page 66 See LEGACY, Page 6 SeeGROWTH, HEALTH, Page See 1859, Page 6 Jeremy C. Ruark / Cottage Grove Sentinel
Cottage Grove gets 1859 Magazine exposure
wildland firefighters
New blueprint for Cottage Grove’s future economic growth revealed
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
INSIDE News —3 —3 Lifestyles Obituaries — 4 Death Notice — 4
Opinion — 5 Classifieds — 7 News Sports——8 8
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