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CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
Metro Creative Connection
The timber harvesting funding provides local communities with the means to construct new county buildings; develop fairgrounds and museums; support libraries, schools, and jails; and build flood-control dams and reservoirs, according to the BLM.
The mental City establishing mini health impact homeless camp at 12th Street facing Oregon’s
In May, the Cottage Grove City Council and its citizens budget committee will begin the annual budget process. The process is often challenging in finding the needed revenues to support city services. With JEREMY a majorityC.ofRUARK first-time Sentinel and CottageCottage Grove Grove City Councilors budgetary challenges Public works crewsonaretheinhorizon, the an all-day setting and team process of goal establishing a new building retreat March brought smaller homeless camp8site at the the mayor, councilors andinthe city’s vacant lot on 12th Street Cottage leadership Grove. team together to share ideas and opinions andManager get to know Cottage Grove City each better said in a more casual Mikeother Sauerwein the city is environment. behind its original Oct. 1 timeline result created a agreement is The establishing the camp, following on outcomes city that thefuture Aug. 22 closure for andthe cleanup the consulting firmand andDouglas city staff of the 12th Street used a foundation to support an Streetashomeless camps. During the organizational framework of Dog goals, transition, the adjacent Lulu objectives andStreet teamhas values guide Park at 12th beentoused budget decisions for site the next as a homeless camp with fiscal hours year beyond. fromand 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. The council first “None of us reviewed have everthe managed draft of the goals objectives a homeless camp and before, so we with Facilitator knewRetreat that date was a bitAshley aspiraSonoff SSW Consulting during tional,”ofSauerwein said. “We are its Aprilthat 14 public session. hoping this week we will be Sonoff began process Our in able to make thethe transition. January on goal wasbytogetting providefeedback folks with goal-setting expectations the a safe and secure place tofrom spend mayor, councilors citywestaff. the night and that’sand what are Following doing.” the March 8 retreat, the city’s leadership Sauerwein saidteam city met staffwith was her on Marchup 14.theThey agreed cleaning Luluused Dogthe Park to upon retreatitoutcomes and drafted reestablish as a dog park. Specific five with 36 supportive costsgoals of that cleanup and establishobjectives to implement ing the smaller homelessthem. campThe at objectives that are 12th Streetincluded were notprojects immediately underway available. (some with a multi-year horizon) and planned projects that have not yet been started. In the meeting, the council approved a vision statement based on the goals: “Building a thriving,
Crews began developing the smaller homeless camp site this week on the vacant lot at 12th Street.
wildland Lane firefighters County receives $4.1M from timber revenue JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
Oregon’s wildfire season is expected to continue through this month, but the mental scares and impact of the season on the firefighters who battle blazes in Lane 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 FBHA in JEREMY C.the RUARK Metro Creative Connection 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. Cottage Grove Sentinel “Building a thriving, connected, and resilient community rooted in financial stability, susHe was than a Battalion Chief tainable growth and active engagement,” is the Cottage Grove City Council’s vision statefor a fire department northwest The Bureau of LandinManagement Chicago. ment in dealing with budgets and future growth. (BLM) has distributed more than “I saw our brothers and sisters $27.7 million timber revenuethat payconnected, and resilient commuObjectives for this goal include: user experience and information struggle frominthe devastation ments to 18 western Oregon counnity rooted in financial stability, Increase and improve communicaavailability. they saw, so I went back and got in Lane PHOTO meetJEREMY C. RUARKGOAL / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL ties, my including degree and$4,190,691.51 became a licensed sustainable growth and active tion about upcoming council 2: SAFE AND County. counselor,” he said. “We started engagement.” ing topics, Increase subscribers THRIVING COMMUNITY Sauerwein and other city officials currently doing, which is providing The new mini homeless camp The payments arefirefighter supportedsuiby tracking EMS and Council and to thetold city’s tools Foster afor safe andtothriving comthecommunication Sentinel, that there a location folks spend the willThe include thereviewed same restrictions as have cides across America.” the timber harvested from public approved the five proposed goals (texts, the City Manager’s Friday munity by enhancing public safety are no additional plans to offer any night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.” the former larger camps. lands and support local services, provided by staff Update and social media announceand improving infrastructure long-term sheltering for the Read previouscity coverage about “The same rulesand willSonoff. apply,”There other Behavioral Impactand including emergency response was discussion on proposed objecments), Increase promotion of and promoting community pride homeless. the homelessness challenges in Sauwrwein said. “The camp will According to Dill, firefighters education, according to a release tives for eachfrom goal7that city events, Grove Develop share through Grove engagement and beautifica“Cottage willand follow Cottage and follow new be available p.m.was to 7scheda.m. often don’t recognize the behavioral from theofBLM. uled to continue at the April 28 educational materials on civics, tion efforts. state law as we understand it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com impact their work. and the rules will be enforced “The is working to protect council meeting. city government operations and the Objectives for this goal include: “We BLM become cultural brainSauerwein said. “That is what we and in the Wednesday print editions through our contracting company, our national and economic security, washed,” Dill said. “Whether it’s GOAL 1: COMMUNITY tax structure; Increase in-person Improve street conditions, Pursue are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. One Security of Eugene to help us as directed in President Trump’s structural or wildland fires. So, we ENGAGEMENT AND TRUST community engagement opportunifunding opportunities for street the legislature. The city of Cottage during this transition period. They order, by immediately expanding are meant to believe we are supBuilding community trust and ties such as town hall meetings, improvements, Conduct a comGrove has no plans to do any kind are a very experienced homeless posed to act strong, brave, be BLM help, American timber production,” engagement by enhancing communi- of Proactively share positive outcomes munity clean-up to boost commua shelter beyond what we are camp management company.” don’t ask for help, and don’t Oregon/Washington StateweDirector cation, increasing transparency and of city projects and programs, nity pride, Increase public safety want Bushue to look weak and not ask for Barry said. “We manage expanding opportunities for public and Complete improvements to help.” more than 2.4 million acres of some participation in city government. the city website that improves the Dillworld’s added that firefighters See CITY, Page 6 of the mostwhile productive are on the front lines battling the forests in western Oregon, and are wildfires, one of the biggest chalcommitted supplying a reliable, lenges theytoface is the unknown. secure, and resilient domestic supply “It’s how rapidly theses fires can ofmove, timber, providingisjobs and andwhile the unknown where other supportto toend? local communities is it going Where will this through timber production.” fire go to and how long will it last? And is amanages struggle,” said. Thethat BLM thishearea, “So, when are and fighting that referred to asyou O&C CBWR fire, you’re trying to do your best lands, as well as the funds generated to stop it, and yet the wind kicks from timber harvests in accordance up attwo 60 laws. miles The an hour and and it drags with Oregon it further and further behind them. CINDY WEELDREYER California Railroad and Coos Bay kennel for cats and dogs. That aspect of the unknown is very CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Cottage Grove Sentinel Wagon Grant Lands Act In 1992, the ALCU became difficultRoad in wildland fires.Grant The fireMatchbooks from the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. of 1937 directs revenue from O&C the Humane Society of Cottage fighters have that stress and anxiety, Back in the 1980s, there was Lands is shared the isU.S. Grove (HSCG) and continued and that strugglebetween to protect a very a large feral cat population livTreasury and 18 western Oregon as a nonprofit animal welfare difficult challenge for the wildland ing in what today is known as counties. The Coos Bay Wagon Road firefighters.” organization serving South the Historic Downtown District. It is often very difficult famAct of 1939 directs revenuefor from Lane and North Douglas Compassionate people fed ily members of the firefighters to CBWR Lands be paid in-lieu of Counties. Overholser recalled and watered them, and the CINDY WEELDREYER understand what emotions there are, the way” during the construction helped us meet many of our future Nearly 50 people attended the tax payments to Coos and Douglas how attending a national conpopulation grew Grove larger Sentinel with For The Cottage and that many firefighters don’t project. bookstore customers,” Birdy said. Cottage Grove Historical Society’s counties. ference changed the original each kitten season. In 1986, a express their harvesting emotions, according He saidofhethe wasnew given an importShe shared a humorous mem“Farewell to the Village Green” at In 1975, when Birdy Hoelzle The timber funding mission nonprofit. group of animal-loving volunto Dill. ant“We job of opening the boxes ory they made in the formal Iron the Community Center, Saturday, and her sister Gail opened The provides local communities with attended the national teers, led by Helga Sonsken “We ask the family members delivered to the guestHumane rooms and Maiden Dining Room that drew Sept. 21. Bookmine they were familiar with the means to construct new county conference of the and Janetta Overholser, orgato try to understand the cultural,” recalled how cool he feltStates. driving laughter from the crowd. The internationally famous resort Society The Village Green. buildings; develop of the United he said. “Be direct.fairgrounds Challenge and nized the Animal Lovers Care the orange golf cart around the “My sister and I were budding was created by Walter A. Woodard Their father traveled a lot and museums; support libraries, schools, After learning what other with compassion when something Unit (ALCU) to address the property for assigned errands. Years and feminists at the time and were quite (W.A.) and his son, Carlton. Some often brought its matchboxes home jails; and build flood-control societies were doing and the doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound problem. later, anotherthey special memory was shocked by the sexism practiced in members of the family attended and challenges as keepsakes for his girls. The sisdams and reservoirs, according to right, and do an internal size up, faced, we They trapped, spayed and seeingback the famous football player, the dining room,” she said. “The sharedC.personal memories. Jeremy Ruark / Cottage Grove Sentinel came ters were in their 20’s when they which we ask the firefighters to the BLM. convinced that the neutered the cats to level off O.J. Simpson, the doBeyond menu given to right, a woman had no Society of Cottage Grove VolunFrom left to Human as well,” he direct said.” payments Internal size opened the Main Street bookstore these to shelter modelrunning would on notone beofthe the population and found homes THE LENS up means asking why am program I acting resort’s paths. pricesKathy on it and pillows were teer Jo foot Uutela, President MaryTHROUGH Kamm, Treasurer Catla and, to enhance their income, counties, the BLM timber best way to invest the local for many of the kittens. As the Kris Woodard’salong introductory this way,approximately and why am I2,000 feeling this To the delight those gathered, supports provided so and ladies’ uncomfortable Williams, Shop Manager Jacqui Brasseur, with worked as waitresses at the resort. local resources of ourofall-volunteer, community grew so did the remarks included personal memway? The best thing we can do is Kris’ brother, Casey Woodard, shoes could be Cat removed din-the Dog. Chester the andwhile Dexter “It was a wonderful place to problem of pet overpopulation ories he made through the lens of ing. It was a very different era.” work and, being new in town, it See TIMBER, Page 6 and some believed it was time a 12-year-old who was often “in to establish a humane society and build a fully operational SeeHUMANE LEGACY, Page Page6 6 See HEALTH, Page 6 See
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Humane Society of Cottage Grove serves animals and their owners
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
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