The Cottage Grove
entinel entinel The CoTTage grove
Public Market Festival
SLSD Candidates Forum
See page 3
Cottage Grove
77 47
Wednesday, April 30 Mostly Sunny
See page 5
Wednesday May 7, 2025 | Number 19, 136 years
www.cgsentinel.com
$2.00
Lifestyle New 74 49 report outlines Wednesday ‘biggest The mental threats’City to establishing mini health impact Oregon’s homeless camp at 12th Street facing Oregon’s trees wildland
MEET THE CANDIDATES Sports
Life in Cottage Grove
Cottage Grove
CGHS Football Incredible Turnaround See page 8
See page 4
October 9, 2024 | Number 39, 135 years
JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel JEREMY C. RUARK PublicCottage worksGrove crewsSentinel are in the
www.cgsentinel.com
Wednesday, Oct 9 Mostly Cloudy
$2.00
Crews began developing the smaller homeless camp site this week on the vacant lot at 12th Street.
firefighters
process of establishing a new Drought, insect pests, and tree smaller homeless camp site at the diseases continue to be the biggest vacant lot on 12th Street in Cottage JEREMY C. RUARK threats to the Oregon’s trees. Cottage Grove Sentinel Grove. A new report on the state of health Sentinel photo by Cindy Weeldreyer Cottage Grove City Manager Oregon’s wildfire season is of Oregon’s forests is based on an The SLSD Board candidates took seats on stage in front of the audience inside the Cottage Grove High School cafeteria. Mike Sauerwein said the city is expected to continue through this extensive aerial survey of Oregon’s month, but the mental scares and behind its original Oct. 1 timeline forests completed last year by the impact of the season on the fireis establishing the camp, following Oregon Department of Forestry fighters who battle blazes in Lane the Aug. 22 closure and cleanup (ODF) and the USDA Forest County and across the state, and of the 12th Street and Douglas Service. their families, may last a lifetime, Street homeless camps. During the “A large part of this report is according to Jeff Dill, the founder transition, the adjacent Lulu Dog of Firefighter Behavioral Health devoted to looking at the impact Park at 12th Street has been used Alliance (FBHA). from climate change, specifically as a homeless camp site with hours Dill established the FBHA in drought,” ODF Forest Entomologist from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. Christine Buhl said. “Drought is “None of us have ever managed He was than a Battalion Chief often paired with rising temperaa homeless camp before, so we for a fire department in northwest tures, and together these are often CINDY WEELDREYER believe KNND Radio Owner Cameron and Customs Enforcement Agency Chicago.the adoption of curriculum knew that date was a bit aspirathe underlying causes for tree morCottage Grove Sentinel for“Ireading, and science that Reiten and Cottage Grove Sentinel (ICE) into schools to remove stusaw ourmath brothers and sisters tional,” Sauerwein said. “We are tality across our landscape. Drought struggle from the devastation that is more interactive and scalable to Editor Jeremy Ruark served a codents of families who entered the hoping that this week we will be A large field of eight candidates reduces tree growth and increases they saw, so I went back and got student learning levels will play an moderators. Before a crowd of more country illegally. able to make the transition. Our for four open seats on the South susceptibility to insect pests and PHOTO JEREMY C. RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL my degreerole andinbecame a licensed important bringing up test than 100 attendees, the candidates BOARD INCUMBENTS goal was to provide folks with Lane School District board appeared some diseases, which healthy trees counselor,” he below said. “We started Sauerwein and other city90-minofficials currently which is providing scores that are the state and fielded 12 questions in the Of the doing, eight candidates, three are new mini homeless a safe and secure place to spend in The a well-attended forum atcamp Cottage tracking EMS and firefighter suimay otherwise resist or tolerate.” have told the Sentinel, that there a location for folks to spend the national average. ute forum, six from the Chamber’s incumbents: 30-year veteran Sherry will include the same restrictions as the night and that’s what we are High School. cides across America.” Buhl said the report also measures Grove are no additional plans and to offer any night 7 p.m.Colleen to 7 a.m.” Each candidate said are proud of Legislative Committee six audiDuerstfrom Higgins, Valley theEach former larger camps. doing.” candidate stated a sincere other causes of trees being injured or other long-term sheltering for the Read previous coverage about the increases the district has made ence submitted questions. who is completing her first four“The same rules will apply,” Sauerwein said city staff was Behavioral Impact to offer their skills, abilikilled, such as insect pests, diseases, desire homeless. the homelessness challenges in in creating more career and techniThe wide-ranging questions year term, and Jeff Gowing, who Sauwrwein said. “The camp will According to Dill, firefighters cleaning up the Lulu Dog Park to ties and educational philosophies storms, and wildfires. “Cottage Grove will follow Cottage Grove and follow new cal education (CTE) options for stuincluded selecting curriculum, was appointed last year to fill the be make available from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. often don’t recognize the behavioral reestablish it as a dog park. Specific to beneficial changes in the Last year a record 1.9 million state law as we understand it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com impact of their work. remaining two years of an unexpired dents not pursing a college degree improving communication with and the rules will be enforced costs of that cleanup and establishdistrict. acres were affected by wildfire. cultural brainSauerwein “That is what we and the Wednesday printTaylor editions term.inCurrent Board Chair and“We the become importance of pushing parents andsaid. the community, defining through our contracting company, ing the smaller homeless camp at The April 29 event was orgaHowever, some of those acres conwashed,” Dill said. “Whether it’s are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. Wilhour did not seek reelection. career education down to the middle budgetary priorities, allowing cell One Security of Eugene to help us 12th Street were not immediately nized by the Cottage Grove Area tained sections that were not damstructural or wildland fires. So, we the legislature. The city ofincreasing Cottage The incumbents described postand elementary schools. phones in the classroom, during thisoftransition period. They available. Chamber Commerce Legislative are meant to believe we are supaged, not all of the burned areas Grove has no plans to do any kind pandemic challenges in raising low They believe the district’s comcareer/technical education options, are a very experienced homeless Committee and co-sponsored by posed to act strong, brave, be help, were forested, and not all forests of a shelter beyond what we are teaching sex education, addressing test scores, improving attendance mitment to Social and Emotional camp management company.” two local political advocacy groups, don’t ask for help, and we don’t burned with the same intensity. bullying situations, holding board and a addressing a persistent decline Learning (SEL) is aand powerful the Blackberry Pie Society and the want to look weak not asktool for Some areas that experienced lowmeetings in a larger venue, banning in district enrollment that reduces Cottage Grove 912 Project. help.” intensity wildfires, in many places books, allowing federal Immigration the amount of state funding. They See SLSD Pagefirefighters 6 Dill added that while because of fuel-reduction work, are on the front lines battling the may see a majority of their largerwildfires, one of the biggest chaldiameter trees survive, according to lenges they face is the unknown. the report. “It’s how rapidly theses fires can Areas hardest hit by drought, move, and the unknown is where such as the eastern foothills of is it going to end? Where will this fire go to and how long will it last? the Cascades and some parts of CINDY WEELDREYER And a struggle,” he High said. Dyethat is ais Cottage Grove northeastern Oregon, saw the largCottage Grove Sentinel “So, when youand are swimming fighting that School alumni est amount of non-wildfire tree fire, you’re best coach. He istrying proud toto do be your a protégé damage—some 2.26 million acres. Earlier this year, social media to stop it, and yet the wind kicks of the legendary Swim Coach Bud Within those 2.26 million acres is up at 60whose milesdecades an hour of andcoaching it drags posts sounded a false alarm that the Taylor, a mosaic of unaffected and currentit further and further behind them. City of Cottage Grove’s anticipated is memorialized by the numerous year affected acres of forest. In 2024, That aspect of the unknown is very CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL budget challenges might cut the championship bannersfires. displayed 580,000 affected acres of damage difficult in wildland The fireMatchbooks from the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. city’s annual payment to the South above the pool. Dye reported that from these agents were recorded. fighters have that stress and anxiety, Lane School District. the won championDamage consisted of 496,000 andAquaLions that struggle to state protect is a very City support ensures affordships thischallenge season. for the wildland affected acres of tree injury, most of difficult able access to the pool and qualDye and his brother Kipp moved firefighters.” which (463,000 acres) was caused It is often very in difficult to Cottage Grove 1980 toforbefamon by Swiss needle cast, a foliar disease ity instruction for those with low incomes and for seniors who depend ily members the firefighters Taylor’s high of school swim team.toHe from which trees may recover. But the warm water therapy WEELDREYER understand whatheemotions are, the way” during the construction helped us meet many of ourpool’s future Nearly 50 people attended the told councilors returned there here 18 84,000CINDY acres showed tree deaths, the on For The Cottage Grove Sentinel health benefits. and that many firefighters don’t project. bookstore customers,” Birdy said. Cottage Grove Historical Society’s months ago because “he wants to report states. express their emotions, Cottage Grove City Manager He said he was given an importShe shared a humorous mem“Farewell to the Village Green” at In 1975, Birdy Hoelzlethe continue his life’s work according of teaching “We maywhen be under-reporting to Dill. Mike Sauerwein told listeners durant job of opening the boxes ory they made in the formal Iron the Community Center, Saturday, and her sister Gail opened The every child how to swim, especially impact of many tree-killing disJeremy C. Ruark / Cottage Grove Sentinel “We ask the family members ing an interview on KNND Radio’s delivered to the guest rooms and Maiden Dining Room that drew Sept. 21. Bookmine theythe were familiar with in his hometown.” eases, because signs can often Cottage Grove High School Head Swim Coach Shane Dye to try to understand the cultural,” Beeper show, has kept the recalled how cool he felt driving laughtertalk from the he crowd. The internationally famous resort Themissed Villagefrom Green. POOL HISTORY be the air,” Buhl said. he said. “Be direct. Challenge explains a point during a team practice at the Warren H. current expenthe orange golf cart around the “My $75,000 sister andline-item I were budding was created by Walter A. Woodard Their father root traveled a lot require and In the 1940s, after thesomething two dams “For example, diseases with compassion when Daughtery Aquatic Center in December 2024. Swim meet diture in the 2025-26 budget hequite is property for assigned errands. Years were feminists at the time and were (W.A.) and his son, Carlton. Some often brought assessment, its matchboxes constructed and several youth ground-based suchhome as doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound competitions in the pool are a key economic driver for the preparing forthe review by practiced the Cottage shocked by sexism in members of the family attended and later, another special memory was as keepsakes for his girls. The sisdrownings in the lakes and rivers, right, and do an internal size up, a excavating roots, to verify the prescommunity. Grove Budget Committee this seeing the famous football player, the dining room,” she said.later “The shared personal memories. ters were in theirThis 20’siswhen which we ask the to firefighters to community effort build a public ence of disease. laborthey intenmonth. Each to year, prior tohad convenO.J. Simpson, running on one of the swimming menu given a woman no do as well,”pool he said.” size opened bookstore began Internal with a moral reportTHROUGH about pool operations and attracts envy from other Oregon sive so isthenotMain doneStreet routinely across THE LENS ing the city’s budget committee, up means asking why am I acting resort’s paths. prices on it and foot pillows were and, to enhance their income, and ethical commitment to teach management. communities,” said Shane Dye, the all forestlands.” Kris Woodard’s introductory the schoolsodistrict’s pool manager this way, and in why I feeling To the delight ofAquatic those gathered, provided ladies’ uncomfortable worked as waitresses at the resort. every student theam district howthis “The South Lane School District Warren Daughtery Center remarks included personal memway? The best thing we can do is provides the be cityremoved council while with adinKris’ brother, Casey Woodard, shoes could “It was a wonderful place to and of through Cottage the Grove Aquatic Center manager and swimoriestheheCity made lensenjoy of ing. It was a very different era.” work and, being new in town, it aa model 75-year-old partnership that ming coach. 12-year-old who was often “in See TREES, Page 6 SeeHEALTH, POOL, Page 6 6 See LEGACY, Page 6 See Page
SLSD board candidates talk policy, sex ed, ICE in schools
City support of local pool expected to continue
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
INSIDE News — 1-3— 3 Lifestyles Obituaries — 4 Death Notice — 4
Opinion — 5 Classifieds — 7 News Sports——8 8
FollowDEVELOPING Developing New: FOLLOW NEWS @ CGSentinel CGSentinel @ www.cgsentinel.com www.cgsentinel.com
Your new home is waiting for you... just listed. This beautiful spacious