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JEREMY C. RUARK
Cottage Grove October Sentinel Wednesday 9, 2024 | Number 39, 135 years
Cottage Grove residents supporting letter carriers and the U.S. Postal Service gathered along Main Street at the corner of 14th Street near the U.S. Post Office location. Those at the Hell No to Dismantling the Postal Service rally held signs that read, Keep Postal Service Public, U.S. Mail Not for Sale, and Hands Off Our Postal Service.JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel “I am concerned that privatizing thePublic post office goingare to close worksiscrews in thepost offices in rural areas,” processparticularly of establishing a new Cottage Grove resident smaller homeless camp Jessica site at the Bittner saidonas12th she Street stood at rally. vacant lot in the Cottage “We need to call it a public service Grove. andCottage supportGrove it through City taxes.” Manager “OurSauerwein whole federal system Mike said the city is under for failing follow the behindthreat its original Oct. to1 timeline rule of law,” said protester, is establishing theanother camp, following who declined to giveand his cleanup name. the Aug. 22 closure of the local rally held of Organizers the 12th Street and Douglas Sunday afternoon, MarchDuring 23, handed Street homeless camps. the out a flyer the thatadjacent stated: “Any transition, Lulu effort Dog to privatize restructure USPS Park at 12thorStreet has been usedis aasdirect threat to millions of housea homeless camp site with hours holds businesses, in from 7and p.m. to 7 a.m. especially daily. rural America.” “None of us have ever managed The flyer camp said the protests held a homeless before, so we across the nation areatobitprotect knew that date was aspira-the jobs of 640,000 USPS tional,” Sauerwein said.employees, “We are including 73,000 veterans. hoping that this week we will be ThetoCottage rally was able make theGrove transition. Our organized the Blackberry Pie goal was tobyprovide folks with Society in response to the a safe and secure place to signifispend cant changes to federal the night and being that’s made what we are institutions in the past two months doing.” under President Donald Trump’s Sauerwein said city staff was administration. 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.
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City Council deliberates stronger nuisance The mental ordinance health impact
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City establishing mini homeless camp at 12th Street facing Oregon’s CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
wildland firefighters
Cottage Grove City officials describe a proposed nuisance ordinance as “another tool in the toolbox” to address chronic nuisance properties. During the Cottage Grove City JEREMY C. RUARK Council’s February meeting, resiCottage Grove Sentinel dents of the Sunrise Ridge neighOregon’s seasonloud is borhood madewildfire their voices expected to continue through this and clear in opposing Community month, but the mental scares and Sharing’s request to create a tempoimpact of the season on the fireCourtesy photo from Greg Lee rary warming at its location fighters who shelter battle blazes in Lane (Top) Local citizens rallied atCounty 1445 Birch Avenue. and across the state, and along Main Street in support Thefamilies, residents’may testimonies their last a lifetime, of the U.S. Postal Service. described encounters accordingunpleasant to Jeff Dill, the founder with homeless individuals that made of Firefighter Behavioral Health Jeremy C. Ruark / Cottage Grove Sentinel Alliance (FBHA). them fearful and frustrated with (Bottom) Citizens gathered Dill established the FBHA inthe garbage left behind. They cited near the post office in Cot2010 following Hurricane Katrina. long vacant former hospital property tage Grove holding signs He Community was than a Battalion Chief and Sharing as locations protesting against the for a fire department in northwest that bring homeless people into their dismantling, restructuring, Chicago. neighborhood. or privatizing the U.S. Postal “I saw our brothers and sisters After the nonprofit’s request that for Service. struggle from the devastation the donation of 13 city-owned pallet they saw, so I went back and got The protest in Cottage Grove was and denied, at the end of the PHOTO JEREMY C. RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL shelters my degree became a licensed coincided with a similar rally and meeting, Mayor Candace Solesbee counselor,” he said. “We started Sauerwein and other city officials currently doing, which is providing The new mini homeless camp march held in Portland to support said she has hadand conversations with tracking EMS firefighter suia location for folks to spend the will include the same restrictions as have told the Sentinel, that there postal workers. cides across America.” the mayor of The Dalles about how are no additional plans to offer any night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.” the former larger camps. Sentinel reporter Cindy well its nuisance ordinance is workother long-term sheltering for the Read previous coverage about “The same rules will apply,” Impact Weeldreyer contributed to this story. homeless. ing. ForBehavioral discussion purposes, she the homelessness challenges in Sauwrwein said. “The camp will According to Dill, firefighters requested staff provide a copy of the “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 1998 ordinance to review with the state law as we understand it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com impact of their work. and the rules will be enforced city attorney. “We become cultural brainSauerwein said. “That is what we and in the Wednesday print editions through our contracting company, BACKGROUND washed,” Dill said.INFORMATION “Whether it’s are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. One Security of Eugene to help us The Dalles ordinance outlines 11 structural or wildland fires. So, we the legislature. The city of Cottage during this transition period. They statutory offenses in state law. It are meant to believe we are supGrove has no plans to do any kind are a very experienced homeless posed “It to act be for help, states, is a strong, public brave, nuisance of a shelter beyond what we are camp management company.” don’t ask for help, and we don’t to any person in charge of property want toorlook asktofor permit, any weak personand to not cause help.” exist, any place or business where Dill added that while firefighters patrons, employees, residents, guests, are on the front lines battling the visitors, or occupants engage in a JEREMY C. RUARK and underlying base materials can wildfires, one of the biggest chalpattern of behavior in a neighborCottage Grove Sentinel lenges they face is the unknown. become excessively damaged and hood thathow involves or more “It’s rapidlythree theses fires can complete replacement (e.g. reconOregon’s highway system is instances of the commission of any move, and the unknown is where struction) becomes necessary and facing ongoing challenges as the of the listed offenses.” is it going to end? Where will this can cost six to ten times higher, or condition of many roads continues The Dalles ordinance also requires fire go to and how long will it last? even more. Timely maintenance and to decline, according to the Oregon And that is a struggle,” he said. the Police Chief to document a preservation are by far the most effi“So, when you are fighting that Department of Transportation’s 2024 of behavior in the neighborcient way to preserve the investment, “pattern fire, you’re trying to do your best Pavement Condition Report. hood” where one or more patrons, ODOT officials state in the report. to stop it, and yet the wind kicks The report highlights that while employees, residents, guests, visiIn the past 20 years, ODOT has up ator60occupants miles an of hour it drags 87% of Oregon’s 18,000 lane miles theand place or the managed to maintain a paving cycle tors, it further and further behind them. of pavement are still in fair or betbusiness has been arrested or issued of about/ COTTAGE 25 years. GROVE However, this is That aspect of the unknown is very CINDY WEELDREYER SENTINEL ter condition, the quality of roads adifficult citation in forwildland violationfires. of three The or fireset to dramatically increase to a 500Matchbooks from the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. is slipping, with the percentage of more of any of the statutory fighters have that stress andoffenses anxiety, year cycle by 2030. This will limit “good” pavement reaching its lowest that over anyto12-month andoccur that struggle protect is period a very the ability to repair and preserve point since 2001. at the place or the business or within difficult challenge for the wildland many roads, particularly non-interThe report points to a significant 300 feet of it. firefighters.” state routes, which will see fewer decline in the number of roads clasIt is often very difficult for fam- a Once the Police Chief designates repairs moving forward. ily members of thethefirefighters to sified as in “good” condition. Over nuisance property, owner is given Over the last 20+ years, Pavement understand what emotions there Courtesy fromthe ODOT CINDY WEELDREYER are, the way” during the construction helped us meet many of our future Nearly 50 people attended the past decade, the amount of pave14 days to propose a course of action funding has been relatively flat at The outlook for state highway pavement is “caution rough For The Cottage Grove Sentinel and that many firefighters don’t project. bookstore customers,” Birdy said. Cottage Grove Historical Society’s ment rated as good has decreased, that the police chief agrees will stop around $100 million per year, with roads ahead, the executive states. the High-at express their emotions, He said he was given an import- the She shared a ”humorous mem- summary “Farewell to the See Village Green” 1975, when Birdy Hoelzle andInwithout adequate maintenance, prohibitive actions. Ifaccording an owner supplemental funds adding another way Condition by Region graph with this story at cgsentinel. to Dill. ant job of opening the boxes ory they made in the formal Iron the Community Center, Saturday, and her sister Gail opened The many roads in fair condition are at fails to respond to the legal notice or $20 to $40 million per year, accord“We ask the family members com. delivered to the guest rooms and Maiden Dining Room that drew Sept. 21. Bookmine they wereinto familiar with risk of deteriorating poor condiif the agreed upon course of action to try to understand the cultural,” ing to the ODOT report’s executive recalled how cool he felt driving laughter fromand thetocrowd. The internationally famous The within Villagethe Green. tion next few years. fails, the City may initiate litigation deterioration extend their Typical ranges of service liferesort are he said. “Be direct. Challenge summary. the orange golf cart around the “My life.” sister and I were budding wastocreated Walter A. Woodard Their father a lot and ODOT’s goaltraveled is to preserve the against the propertywhen owner. service 10 30 yearsbyfor asphalt-surfaced with compassion something “With this investment, ODOT property for assigned errands. Years doesn’t feminists BACKGROUND at the time and were quite pavements (W.A.) andand his 40 son,toCarlton. often brought its matchboxes home condition of Oregon’s highways It allows the City Attorney to take 60 yearsSome for look right or doesn’t sound accomplished an average paving later, another special memory was shocked by the practiced in memberspavements. of the family attended as keepsakes formaintenance. his girls. The sisthrough regular legal action to close the property or right, and do an internal size up, Pavements aresexism load-carrying concrete When pave- and cycle of 25 years with pavement seeing the famous football player, the diningthat room,” she said. sharedare personal memories. ters“As were in their 20’s when they roads age, maintenance needs structures which we ask the firefighters to impose civil penalties against any degrade over “The time due ments resurfaced at or before the conditions holding steady, although O.J. Simpson, running on one of the ordoallasofwell,” menu given to a woman hadtraffic, no he said.” opened the Main Streetand bookstore become more complex costly,” the persons in Internal charge ofsize to the cumulative effects of end of their service life, degradation we still weren’t able to get to the THROUGH THE LENS up means asking why am resort’s paths. prices on it and foot pillows were and, to enhance their income, ODOT states in a release. “Timely the property. Prior to goingItoacting trial, weather, and material aging. To keep is typically confined to the surfacing worst roads or the most expensive Kris Woodard’s introductory this way, and why amagree I feeling this To the delight of those gathered, provided so ladies’ uncomfortable worked as waitresses at the resort. maintenance, such as resurfacing and them properly maintained and out of only and theb pavement’s foundation if the property owners to stop projects,” ODOT officials state in 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 crack sealing, are the most effective and base layers remain protected. poor condition, they must be resurthe executive summary. ories he made through the lens of ing. It was a very different era.” work and, being new in town, it way to prevent roads from further However, if resurfacing is delayed faced or rehabilitated at periodic a 12-year-old who was often “in See LEGACY, Page 6 See HEALTH, Page 6 See ODOT, Page 6 See CITY, Page 6 for too long, the pavement structure intervals. Crews began developing the smaller homeless camp site this week on the vacant lot at 12th Street.
‘Caution - Rough Roads Ahead’ ODOT states in highway report
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
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