The Cottage Grove
entinel entinel The CoTTage grove State Revenue Forecast
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Wednesday May 21, 2025 | Number 21, 136 years
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Proposed Lifestyle Sports Life in Cottage Grove CGHS Football Incredible public safety Turnaround See page 8 utility tax presented to 9, 2024 | Number 39, 135 years Wednesday October www.cgsentinel.com city council
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WHERE WE LIVE
Gold fever burns again in the Bohemia Mining District
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The mental City establishing mini health impact homeless camp at 12th Street facing Oregon’s CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
Hundreds of gold-seeking minerwannabees, from near and far, Anticipating the upcoming budget flocked to Sharps Creek and Martin Creek to participate in the Bohemia committee meetings to develop the Mine Owners Association’s “Open city of Cottage Grove’s 2025-26 to the Public Day” on the Saturday budget, The Sentinel conducted a JEREMY C. RUARK recent poll on its webpage that asked of Mother’s Day Weekend. Crews began developing Cottage Grove Sentinel Laughter filled the air on a the smaller homeless respondents to prioritize big-ticket camp site this week on young the vacant lot at 12th Street. picture-perfect spring day for Public works crewssafety, are in library the items, such as public and old participants to learn placer process ofand establishing a new services, street repairs. Public smaller homeless camp site at the safety emerged as the top priority for mining techniques from BMOA vacant lot on 12th Street in Cottage members at several claims owned poll respondents. by the organization. Grove. In recent months, Cottage Grove The Bohemia Mine Owners Cottage Grove City Manager City Manager Mike Sauerwein Association (BMOA) was created in Mike Sauerwein said the city is and Police Chief Cory Chase have 1903 by Bohemia Mining District behind its original Oct. 1 timeline explored ways to fund personnel miners with the intent to share inforis establishing the camp, following increases in the understaffed police mation between miners and be the the Aug. 22 closure and cleanup department. voice of the miners when dealing of The the 12th Street and Douglas current police services budget with government agencies. Today, Street homeless camps. During the consumes nearly all of the annual it is a nonprofit organization that transition, the adjacent Lulu Dog property taxes that make up the owns 10 active claims with unusual Park at 12th Street has been used general fund for most City services. names: War Eagle III, Westside, as a homeless campand sitewith witha hours Cindy Weeldreyer / Cottage Grove Sentinel With this in mind, goal Placer, 4 Aces, Exodus, Little Red, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. (Top) Two cousins from Salem, Vincent Hope, left, and Kenny to develop a long-term sustainable “Noneplan of us ever managed Brown try their luck at gold panning for the first time on funding forhave the department, the Big Bend, Argintite, Ynot, and Teddy Bear. atwo homeless camp before, so we Sharps Creek. (Bottom) The BMOA Little Red Claim Sign presented the concept of creatWILLIAMS FAMILY knew that revenue date wassource a bit aspirawarns non-members not to pan for gold in that location. ing a new – a law It was a much-anticipated day tional,” Sauerwein arethe enforcement utility said. fee –“We during Springs. She has many cherished here to do gold mining. We all got hoping that this12week we will be City for Wayne and Rene Williams of Monday, May Cottage Grove Dorena. They invited their two childhood memories of gold mining excited when they invited us to this able to make the transition. Our Council meeting. PHOTO JEREMY C. RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL nieces and their children to join with her father on Plumb Creek near event so their great nieces and nephgoal was to provide folks with Sauerwein said the goal of the Sauerwein and other city officials currently whichwhat is providing The new mini homeless camp them on a gold panning adventure. Columa in Northern California’s ews coulddoing, experience we did apresentation safe and secure place to spend was to describe the have told the Sentinel, that there aaslocation for folks to spend the will include the same restrictions as The Williams’ two great nieces and gold country. Cousins Sara Hope kids.” the night and that’s what we are current department staffing and are additional plans to offer any night fromchildren, 7 p.m. toMaylee, 7 a.m.”Lori Jean the former larger camps. three great nephews are elementary and no Sabrina Brown loved their longSara’s doing.” how new hires will improve police other long-term sheltering forwith the Read previous coverage about “The same rules will apply,” students in Salem. ago summer visits to Dorena and Vincent and Sabrina’s two sons, Sauerwein said city staff was services going forward beginning in homeless. the homelessness challenges in Sauwrwein said. “The camp will Rene Williams grew up in the their aunt and uncle that included Kenny and Timmy, arrived with cleaning up the Lulu Dog Park to 2025-26. “Cottage Grove willfor follow Cottage Grove and follow new be available from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. foothills of the Sierra Nevada camping and panning gold. reestablish it as a dog park. Specific “Let me be clear, nobody is being lawrecalled, as we understand it,” about developments at cgsemtinel.com and the rulesnortheast will be enforced Mountains, of Sacramento, state Sara “When I was costs of and establishasked to that makecleanup any decisions this Sauerwein said. “That is what we and in theSee Wednesday print6 editions GOLD Page through our contracting company, in the small town of Shingle 10-years old they brought us down ing the smaller homeless camp at evening or whether or not you supare doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. One Security of Eugene to help us 12th Street were not immediately port or oppose the idea,” Sauerwein the legislature. The city of Cottage during this transition period. They available. said. “This is just the start of a conGrove has no plans to do any kind are a very experienced homeless versation to introduce the topic. This of a shelter beyond what we are camp management company.” is a policy for the council to decide outside this year’s budget process and could be part of a town hall JEREMY C. RUARK meeting discussing the future of the Cottage Grove Sentinel police department and getting feed“I’d say it is pretty tight,” back from citizens on the concept.” Cottage Grove City Manager Mike CURRENT STAFFING Sauerwein states describing his proThe current department structure posed 2025-26 city budget. “Last is a police chief with an adminisyear we looked at almost $1.5 miltrative assistant, two captains, sergeants, patrol officers and one detec- lion in cuts that we needed to make, tive. The administrative captain over- so we eliminated a lot of positions in several different departments.” sees the administrative sergeants, Sauerwein said this year, the detectives, school resource officer, city has restructured its community records and evidence coordinators and the South Lane 911 dispatchers. development department, the city CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL police department, the city finance The operations captain oversees the Matchbooks from officers the Village Resort in staff Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. department, moved from the patrol sergeants, police and Green community center to city hall and community resource officer. began leasing space in the commuPROPOSED BUDGET nity center. That has helped avoid The proposed total amount is Jeremy C. Ruark / Cottage Grove Sentinel layoffs and deep service cuts in the $5,218,792. This breaks down as Cottage Grove City Manager Mike Sauerwein holds his copy 2025-26 proposed budget, according personnel services ($3,713,639), of the 2025-26 proposed city budget document. CINDY WEELDREYER to Sauerwein. materials and services ($516,806), the way” during the construction helped us meet many of our future Nearly 50 people attended the For The Cottage Grove Sentinel But the restructuring could said. mean capital outlay ($216,000), and South bookstore project. customers,” Birdy Cottage Grove Historical Society’s have to make the Village huge cuts like we included a loss of grant “lowering levels of city service.” Lane Communications He said he was givenfunding an importShe shared a humorous mem“Farewell to the Green” at In 1975, when Birdy($772,347). Hoelzle did last year.” for the Cottage Grove positions become The budgeted amount anticipated ant job of opening theCommunity boxes ory“When they made in the formalvacant, Iron the Community Center, Saturday, and her sister Gail opened The Sauerwein is proposing a total Center. we aren’tDining automatically filling those for 2025-26they property is with delivered to the guest rooms and Maiden Room that drew Sept. 21. Bookmine were taxes familiar city budget of $46,973,783, slightly “Thosehow funds would have propositions,” Sauerwein said. “We $6,100,000, recalled cool he felt driving laughter from the crowd. The internationally famous resort The Village which Green.is about 85-perlower than last year’s overall city vided us with a generator and are“My analyzing those cent of the property tax arevenue. the orange golf cart around thean sister and reassessing I were budding was created by Walter A. Woodard Their father traveled lot and budget. The previous spending upgraded heating and ventilation UTILITY EXPLANATION positions sometimes property for assigned errands. Years feminists and at the time andthis wereresults quite (W.A.) and his son, Carlton. Some often broughtFEE its matchboxes home plan included $6 million for the system,” he said. So, are having is a separate fee girls. paid on in lowering of practiced services. in memory was shocked by the the level sexism members of the family attended and later, another special we as Itkeepsakes for his Thethe sisMain Street Revitalization Project. to look for other funding sources. monthly utility billwhen and they that Last year for example, we didn’t seeing the famous football player, the dining room,” she said. “The fill shared personal memories. ters wereCity in their 20’s Sauerwein said he figures about half ItO.J. is still a priority for usontoone do of thatthe revenue is established the City an opengiven position the library, Simpson, running menu to a in woman had noand opened the Main Streetbybookstore that will be in the 2025-26 budget. project. Our community center is the THROUGH THE LENS Council and dedicated for a specific we ended reducing the number resort’s paths. prices on up it and foot pillows were and, to enhance their income, FEDERAL AND STATE place when there is flooding or any Kris Woodard’s introductory purpose. can be adopted the of days thesolibrary open. So, I To the delight of those gathered, provided ladies’isuncomfortable worked asIt waitresses at theby resort. FUNDING other kind of community emergency, remarks included personal memCouncil a citizens am guardingly that itdinwill Kris’ brother, Casey Woodard, shoes could beoptimistic removed while “It wasoraapproved wonderfulbyplace to Thehe impact the Trump that’s where we ask folks to gather. ories madeofthrough the lens of be the course kind of ing.stable, It wasstay a very different era.” work and, being new in town, it Administration federal cuts It makesSee sense that we should a 12-year-old who wasbudget often “in LEGACY, Page 6have budget and that we are not going to See TAX, Page 6
wildland firefighters
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 the FBHA in 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. He was than a Battalion Chief for a fire department in northwest Chicago. “I saw our brothers and sisters struggle from the devastation that they saw, so I went back and got my degree and became a licensed counselor,” he said. “We started tracking EMS and firefighter suicides across America.”
Behavioral Impact
According to Dill, firefighters often don’t recognize the behavioral impact of their work. “We become cultural brainwashed,” Dill said. “Whether it’s structural or wildland fires. So, we are meant to believe we are supposed to act strong, brave, be help, don’t ask for help, and we don’t want to look weak and not ask for help.” a backup generator therefirefighters and it Dill added that while makes sense to replace the oldthe heatare on the front lines battling ing and ventilation system. It’s time wildfires, one of the biggest chalto replace it.” lenges they face is the unknown. Sauerwein said thetheses federal budget “It’s how rapidly fires can move, the unknown is where cuts areand beyond the control of cities is it Cottage going toGrove. end? Where will this like fire“Ifgothetofunding and howislong last? there,will weitwill And that struggle,” apply for is it,”a he said. he said. “So, when you fighting that Sauerwein is are hopeful the state fire, you’re trying to do your best will approve funding for what he to stop it, and yet the wind kicks describes as a major project Row up at 60 miles an hour and itondrags River Road. it further and further behind them. “Row River is one ofisthe That aspect of Road the unknown very main entrances into the city,” difficult in wildland fires. Thehefiresaid. “That road fighters have thatdefinitely stress andneeds anxiety, and that struggle to receive protect is some help, so if we thea very difficult from challenge for the funding the state, we wildland would be firefighters.” able to do that project.” It is often very difficult famSauerwein said the city isforalso ily members the firefighters seeking state of funding to continueto understand what emotions there are, expansion work at Bohemia Park. and that many firefighters don’t MEASSGE TO COMMUNITY express their emotions, according “We are not going to look at anyto Dill. thing going to raise the cost “Wethat askisthe family members of operating the city,” he said. “This to try to understand the cultural,” budget increases the three percent he said. “Be direct. Challenge with compassion when something in property taxes allowed by then doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound state.” right, an several internalmonths, size up, Overand thedopast which we ask to Sauerwein andthe thefirefighters Cottage Grove do asCouncil well,” he said.” Internallongsize City have discussed up means asking why am I acting term sustaining funding options for this way, and why am I feeling this the city’s and library way? Thepolice best thing we canservices. do is
City manager proposing a $46.9M city budget
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
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