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entinel entinel Spirit of Bohemia Mining Days: The CoTTage grove Summer Camps
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Wednesday June 11, 2025 | Number 24, 136 years
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Preparing Lifestyle Sports now for Preserving the past for7449 the future Oregon’s Wednesday wildfires Life in Cottage Grove
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CINDY WEELDREYER Grove39, Sentinel October 9, 2024 Cottage | Number 135 years
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Cottage Grove’s unique and colorful past is a source of great pride for many locals. JEREMY C. RUARK Beginning in the 1930s, Grovers Cottage Grove Sentinel began preserving the oral histories of the aging 19th century-era setPreparing crews for the summer tlers. In 1959, Bohemia Mining and fall Oregon wildfire season has Days became an annual celebrabeen ongoing for the past several tion of local history with a special weeks. emphasis on early mining endeavors. The rugged training has been on JEREMY C. RUARK The 2025 theme is “Striking the ground and in the air. Crews began developing Cottage Grove Sentinel Gold: A Legacy Reunited” and the smaller homeless The Oregon Department of camp site this week on the dates are Thursday throughthe vacant lot at 12th Street. Public works in the Forestry’s (ODF)crews Southare Cascade Saturday, July 17-19 in Coiner Park. process conducted of establishing a new District an introduction An announcement in late May smaller homeless camp site at the to aerial firefighting for ground firecancelled the 2024 festival citing vacant lot on 12th Street in Cottage fighters with a training component in a lack of funding and volunteers. Grove. the field on Weyerhaeuser’s property Former production team members Cottage Grove City Manager near Springfield, May 29. and area coordinators reunited and Mike Sauerwein said the city is “This training gives our boots on hurriedly organized the celebration’s behind its original Oct. 1 timeline the ground the opportunity to meet 65th anniversary under a “Spirit of is establishing the camp, following the pilots, become familiar with BMD” banner. the Aug. 22 closure and cleanup working with aircraft, see what the Last year’s strong community of the 12th Street andgetDouglas capabilities are, and practical support to produce the beloved Street homeless camps. During the experience in air-to-ground comJeremy C. Ruark / Cottage Grove Sentinel three-day summer celebration, on transition, the adjacent Lulu Dog munications,” ODF Public Affairs ( Top) Folks lined the route to its historic third weekend of July, Park at Jessica 12th Street has been Officer Neujahr said/ used “The watch the Spirit of BMD 2024 motivated BMD alumni to create a as a homeless with hours biggest benefitcamp of thissite training is parade. new year-round nonprofit organizafrom 7 ground p.m. to trainees 7 a.m. daily. getting a chance Cindy Weeldreyer / Cottage Grove tion, Spirit of Bohemia Mining Days “Noneone-on-one of us have with ever aircraft managed to work Sentinel (SBMD). The Board of Directors a homeless before, soaddition we outside of ancamp actual fire. In (Bottom) Spirit of BMD plans to continue producing the knew that date was aand bit aspirato meeting the pilots training Executive Director Matthew summertime event under a large tional,” Sauerwein said. “We are with live aircraft outside of a fire, Hewlett (aka The Bohemia administrative umbrella with other hoping that will this have weekawe will be firefighters chance for City Jailer) says planning for history-focused projects throughout able to make transition. feedback and the questions fromOur pilots the mid-July eventPHOTO is going JEREMY C. RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL the year. goal was provide folks with during an to after-action review.” very well and includes some Sauerwein and other city officials currently doing, which is providing SBMD Director The newExecutive mini homeless camp a safe secure place to spend THEand TRAINING new and returning features. have told the Sentinel, that there a location for folks to spend the Matthew Hewlett, known to many as will include the same restrictions as theTwo night and that’s what we are Type 3 helicopters from are no additional plans to offer any night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.” the “Bohemia City Jailer”, possesses former larger camps. doing.” Weyerhaeuser were to be used for He said he is delighted that this other long-term sheltering for the Read previous coverage about a burning passion for local history. “The same rules will apply,” Sauerwein said city staff was the training with approximately 20 year SBMD brings back the popular homeless. the homelessness challenges in The 29-year-old grew up in Cottage Sauwrwein said. “The camp will cleaning up the Lulu Dog Park to ground trainees. The aircraft practheatre troupe, the Bohemia City “Cottage Grove will follow Cottage Grove and follow new Grove and has multigenerational be available from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. reestablish it as a dog park. Specific ticed bucket drops with the ground Players. The thespians will presstate law as we understand it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com family roots in the area. and the rules will be enforced costs of that cleanup and establishfirefighters practicing communicaent “Bohemia’s Ghostly Gamble of Sauerwein said. “That is what we and in the Wednesday print editions Thanks to a generous Woodard through our contracting company, ing the smaller homeless camp at tion with the pilots. At the end of the 1918”, a mysterious, hilarious and are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. Family Foundation capacity-building One Security of Eugene to help us 12th Street were not immediately training, pilots participated with the historical theatrical adventure. theWritten legislature. The city by of Brett Cottage now helms a yearduringHewlett this transition period. They available. ground firefighters in the after-action grant, and directed Grove has no plans to do any kind round community initiative focused are a very experienced homeless review of the events. French, the play centers on three of a shelter beyond what we are on local history, youth leadercamp management company.” The training is designed to demmajor characters: Bernice Brown, ship, senior outreach and creative onstrate the coordination and coopa sharp-shooting, sharp-talking storytelling. eration between the ODF and it is cooperating agencies, See SBMD, Page 6 and to get the firefighters familiar with their resources through the opportunity to practice a non-emergency response to be better prepared, according to ODF Wildland Fire Supervisor Isaak Post. CINDY WEELDREYER Post said battling wildfires can be physically and mentally draining and Cottage Grove Sentinel overall, very challenging. In waning sunshine on a pleasant “There are many long days, the late spring evening, 21 kneeling artelements, like heat, and terrain is ists with colored chalk in hand, busoften very steep, and with the stress, ied themselves creating masterpieces it magnitudes the situation you CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL on downtown sidewalks during the are in,” Post said.from “That the cumulaMatchbooks Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. May 30 Art Walk. tive buildup of long hours, high Michele Rose, the former owner stress, high responsibility, and being of The Crafty Mercantile and the exposed to the wildfire environment organizer of the Historic District’s is probably what contributes to the monthly Art Walk, said the parphysical and mental fatigue.” ticipating artists in the Third Annual The CINDY ODF is WEELDREYER using new technolothe way” during the construction helpedFest us meet many of from our future Nearly 50 people attended the Chalk ranged in age eight FortoThe Sentinel gies helpCottage protect Grove communities project. bookstore customers,” Birdy said. Cottage Grove Historical Society’s to 65. during this summer and Hoelzle fall wildfire He said he was given an importShe shared a humorous mem“Farewell to the Village Green” at In 1975, when Birdy “There was less participation this season. ant job of opening the boxes ory they made in the formal Iron the Community Center, Saturday, and her sister Gail opened The year due to the road construction “We relythey heavily our detecdelivered to the guest rooms and Maiden Dining Room that drew Sept. 21. Bookmine wereonfamiliar with project, but we had very excited tion Post said, adding that artists recalled how cool he felt driving laughter from the crowd. The internationally famous resort The cameras,” Village Green. who were thrilled with the theTheir cameras aretraveled positioned high the orange golf cart around the “My sister and I were budding was created by Walter A. Woodard father a lotatand opportunity to decorate the sidewalks elevated sites, its such as mountain tops with property for assigned errands. Years feminists at the time and were quite (W.A.) and his son, Carlton. Some often brought matchboxes home art,” Rose said. “Since I sold in timbered “They later, another special memory was shocked by the sexism practiced in members of the family attended and as the keepsakes forareas. his girls. Thegive sis-us my store last year, I don’t have the the detect smokes seeing the famous football player, the dining room,” she said. “The shared personal memories. tersability were intotheir 20’s when(beginthey opportunity to recruit artists in the ning wildfires) andStreet that gets us into O.J. Simpson, running on one of the menu given a woman had no opened the Main bookstore weeks leadingtoup to the event and THROUGH THE LENS Cindy Weeldreyer an quickly after resort’s paths./ Cottage Grove Sentinel prices on it and foot pillows were and,area to enhance their detections, income, so that may be another reason for fewer Kris Woodard’s introductory Chalk Walk veterans Tracy Laub and her daughter, Baegathered, won To the delight of those provided ladies’ uncomfortable worked as waitresses at the resort. artists thisso year.” remarks included personal memthe “Best Copyright Infringement” Award this year for their Kris’ brother, Casey Woodard, shoes could beinremoved “It was a wonderful place to Participants all three while Chalkdinories he made through the lensthe of Cartoon Network’s animated TV depiction of scenes from ing. It was a very different era.” work and, being new in town, it Walks, Tracy Laub and her 10-yearSee WILDFIRES, Page 6 a 12-year-old who was oftenSee “in more photos show, Adventure Time. cgsentinel.com SeeatLEGACY, Page 6 old daughter, Bae, won the “Best
The mental City establishing mini health impact homeless camp at 12th Street facing Oregon’s 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.” Dill added that while firefighters are on the front lines battling the wildfires, one of the biggest challenges they face is the unknown. “It’s how rapidly theses fires can move, and the unknown is where is it going to end? Where will this fire go to and how long will it last? Copyright Infringement” Award this And that is a struggle,” he said. year theiryou depiction of scenes “So, for when are fighting that from the Cartoon Network’s fire, you’re trying to do youranibest mated to stopTV it, show, and yetAdventure the wind Time. kicks to draw so it’s up“We at 60love miles an hour andaitfun drags activity myfurther daughter and me,” it furtherforand behind them. That aspect of the is very Laub said. “It’s our unknown favorite event all difficult wildland The fireyear longinand we planfires. to continue fighters haveasthat stress anxiety, participating long as itand happens.” and that is aofvery The 13struggle winners,toinprotect a variety difficult challenge wildland categories, receivedfor giftthe cards to firefighters.” local businesses and other art-related It is often very difficult for famgifts. ily members of the firefighters to AWARD BY are, understand whatWINNERS emotions there CATEGORY and that many firefighters don’t • Firsttheir Timer: Makani according express emotions, Judges Award: Hito to •Dill. ask the family members •“We People’s Award: Shelly Dax to •try to Copyright understandInfringement: the cultural,” Best he said. “Beand direct. Tracy Laub Bae Challenge with compassion when something • Funniest: Ryder doesn’t look right or Shugar doesn’t sound • Happiest: Wendy right, and do an internal size up, • Inspiring: Oliva Stere which we ask the firefighters to Best Use he of said.” Space:Internal Orin McCoy do• as well,” size • Most Engaging: Alyssa up means asking why am I Shepherd acting • Interactive: Evieam andI feeling Rose Smith this way, and why this • Best Use of Color: Tracy Laub way? The best thing we can do is • Most Original: Andrew Garcia • Best Storytelling: See HEALTH,Karen PageThomas 6
Multigenerational artists decorate downtown sidewalks
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
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