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Wednesday June 18, 2025 | Number 25, 136 years
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School Board Election Results
Grovers celebrate, honor the Class of 2025 The mental City establishing mini health impact homeless camp at 12th Street facing Oregon’s Life in Cottage Grove See page 4
Wednesday October 9, 2024 | Number 39, 135 years CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
Graduation Day in Cottage Grove brought thousands of relatives and well-wishers to town to give graduates a big send off into their future. The day before the June 7 ceremony, the Cottage Grove High JEREMY C. RUARK SchoolCottage graduates-to-be were bussed Grove Sentinel to Lincoln Middle School, Bohemia works crews areSchools in the andPublic Harrison Elementary process of establishing a new for a “Grad Walk” down memory smaller homeless at the lane through their camp formersite schools vacant lot on 12th Street in Cottage receiving cheers and high fives from Grove. students and staff. current Cottage Grove City Manager COTTAGE GROVE Mike Sauerwein said the city is HIGH SCHOOL behind its original Oct. 1 On Saturday afternoon, timeline June 7, is camp, 142establishing students inthe bright bluefollowing caps the Aug. closure cleanup and gowns22took theirand seats on the of the 12th and final Douglas football fieldStreet for their shared Street homeless camps. During the moment as the Lion Class of 2025. transition, the adjacent Lulu Dog Despite afternoon temperatures in Parkmid-80s, at 12th Street has been used the thousands showed up as a homeless camp site with to sit in the hot sun to witnesshours the from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.indaily. graduates participate a beloved “None of us everofmanaged graduation day have tradition walking a homeless before, so their we through “thecamp tunnel” saying knew that date was a bit aspirafinal goodbyes to their teachers with tional,” hugs andSauerwein high fives.said. “We are hoping that this week will be Principal Chris Wellswewelcomed able to make the transition. Our the crowd and noted the significant goal was to provide folks with achievements of this year’s graduata safe andwhich securehad place spend ing class, fivetovaledictothe night and that’s what we rians and one salutatorian. are doing.” Academically, he praised the Sauerwein said city staff class for graduating with 116was cleaning up the Lulu Dog Park to advanced placement college credits reestablish it as a dog park. Specific worth $70,000 in tuition fees. He costs of thatofcleanup and establishnoted some the graduates earned ing the smaller homeless camp at enough credits to begin their sopho12th Street were not immediately more year in college this fall. available. Wells said 50-percent of the 2025 grads were career/technical education completers. Many participated in internships in high demand fields such as construction, engineering, fabrication, cybersecurity, medical, culinary, media and teaching.
Cottage
The Lane County Elections Position 7 Office has released the certifiedGrove Jeff Gowing (I) 1,927. results of the May 20 Special 49.99% Wednesday, Oct 9 Election, including results of Mostly Bill Parsons 1,925 49.94% Cloudy the two very tight races for the 3,855 votes cast South Lane School Board. An automatic recount for both Position 5 races is required. That result was Colleen Valley (I) 1,904 www.cgsentinel.com $2.00 to be certified June 16. 50.22% See the full story in the June Tony Lefler 1,887. 49.78% 25 print editions of the Sentinel. 3,791 votes cast
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CGHS Football Incredible Turnaround See page 8
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wildland firefighters
Crews began developing the smaller homeless camp site this week on the vacant lot at 12th Street.
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 Cindy Weeldreyer / Cottage Grove Sentinel 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. CGHS Senior Dakotah Bennett emerges from the “tunnel,” a He was than a Battalion Chief beloved graduation tradition for graduates to express their for aWeeldryer fire department inGrove northwest Cindy / Cottage Sentinel appreciation to faculty and staff. See more photos on page 8 Chicago. Children cool off at the Bohemia Park Splash Pad. and at cgsentinel.com “I saw our brothers and sisters struggle from the devastation that The class received a total of they helped turn around programs they saw, so I went back and got $200,000 in local scholarships to from winless to leaguePHOTO champions JEREMY C. RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL my degree and became a licensed attend trade schools, community and helped the softball program get counselor,” he said. “We started Sauerwein and other city officials currently doing, which is providing The new mini homeless camp tracking EMS and firefighter suicolleges and universities. into the state playoffs for the first a location for folks to spend the will include the same restrictions as have told the Sentinel, that there cides across America.” Athletically, the Class of 2025 time in school history. are no additional plans to offer any night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.” the former larger camps. outperformed many of the school’s “This class is roaring into he other long-term sheltering for the Read previous coverage about “The same rules will apply,” Behavioral Impact recent graduating classes. Eight future!” Wells said proudly. homeless. the homelessness Sauwrwein said. “The camp will JEREMYchallenges C. RUARKin According to design Dill, firefighters The original was cregraduates being sport AL KENNEDY SCHOOL Cottage Grove “Cottage Grove HIGH will follow and follow new Cottage Grove Sentinel be available fromthree 7 p.m. to athletes 7 a.m. often don’t recognize behavioral ated by Carol Mayer the Reed at all four years will of high school, which Earlier theunderstand day, Al Kenndy state law asin we it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com impact of their work. and the rules be enforced Mayer Reed in Portland and David Wells said no easy feat. He rec- Sauerwein High School (AKHS) “We become cultural brainsaid. “That celebrated is what weits and in theCity Wednesday print editions The of Cottage Grove has through ourwas contracting company, Dougherty at DLA Design created ognized Carter Bengston for being a 30 graduates at 10 a.m. washed,” Dill said. “Whether it’s are doing. To change thatceremony is up to at of opened The Sentinel. the Bohemia Park Splash One Security of Eugene to help us the Entry Plaza Design. four-sport for period. all four They years, the legislature. school in Saginaw. contrast structural or wildland fires. So, we the The cityBy of Cottage Pad at 10th and Main Street. during thisathlete transition added a splash swing are “We meant to believe wepad, are supand broke school, district and state to CGHS, the ceremony was an intiGrove has no plans to do any kind The splash pad will be open are a very experienced homeless set, and Historic Water Tower posed to act strong, brave, be help, recordsmanagement in track. company.” mate and personalized of a shelter beyond whatobservance. we are daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on camp to theask original design,” City of don’t for help, and we don’t He congratulated the student The school strives to engage its days when the temperature reaches Cottage Grove Public Works want to look weak and not ask for athletes that brought the school mul- students in authentic, cooperative 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, and Development Director Faye help.” tiple district titles and state chamaccording to a release from the city. Stewart Dill added that while firefighters told The Sentinel in a pionship appearances. Collectively, The water feature is designed to are on the front lines battling of thethis published update in January See 2025, Page 4 offer a safe, family-friendly, coolwildfires, one of the biggest chalyear, adding that the stone pillars ing down spot for residents and lenges is the the unknown. at the they plazaface represent historical “It’s how rapidly theses fires can visitors. themes that built Cottage Grove: move, and the unknown is where The splash pad is part of the Railroad, Farming, Mining, Timber/ is it going to end? Where will this new Bohemia Park entry plaza. A Lumber, andwill Native go to Recreation, and how long it last? date for a ribbon-cutting ceremony fire American History. And that is a struggle,” he said. to celebrate the park’s entry plaza restroom beenthat built at “So,Awhen you has are also fighting opening is pending. the site. fire, you’re trying to do your best Cottage Grove’s Bohemia Park “Theit,significance the kicks project to stop and yet the of wind is a 14.8-acre park owned by up at 60itmiles an hour andrecreit drags is that is creating new the Bohemia Foundation and is itational furtheropportunities and further behind for ourthem. youth, maintained through a cooperative That aspect of the unknown very CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL capturing the early history ofis our agreement with the City of Cottage difficult in wildland fires. The fireMatchbooks from the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. city and surrounding area, and fighters have that stress Grove. it will encourage touristsand to anxiety, visit and that struggle to protect is a very Bohemia Park,” Stewart said. difficult challenge for the wildland Cindy Weeldryer / Cottage Grove Sentinel firefighters.” The council agreed by consensus to adopt a one-year (instead of a 90-day) window for three It is often very difficult for famcomplaints to be made against a nuisance property before legal action can happen. ily members of the firefighters to CINDY WEELDREYER understand what emotions there are, the way” during the construction helped us meet many of our future Nearly 50 people attended the For The Cottage Grove Sentinel and that many firefighters don’t project. bookstore customers,” Birdy said. Cottage Grove Historical Society’s express their emotions, according He said he was given an importShe shared a humorous mem“Farewell to the Village Green” at In 1975, when Birdy Hoelzle to Dill. ant job of opening the boxes ory they made in the formal Iron it is the CINDY WEELDREYER “Idea behind not Community a hammer toCenter, be usedSaturday, on every and her sister Gail opened The “We ask the family members delivered to the guest rooms and that drew Sept.during 21. the council’s March 42 Cottage Grovewith Sentinel Maiden Dining Room offender,” Conley stated Bookmine they were familiar to try to understand the cultural,” laughter from the crowd. public session. “It is a The tool internationally in the tool belt famous to obtainresort vol- recalled how cool he felt driving The Village Green. he said. “Be direct. Challenge The Grove City the orange golf cart around the “Mycloser sister and I were createdwith by Walter A. Woodard untarybudding compliance bywas working a property owner. TheirCottage father traveled a lotCouncil and is inching with compassion when something to crafting an ordinance to serve as a “tool of last property for assigned errands. Years doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound feminists at the timeWe andare were his son, Carlton. Some not quite going to (W.A.) use thisand against targeted properties. often brought its matchboxes home resort” to address chronic on private shocked by the sexism practiced in try tomembers of thecompliance. family attended and later, another special memory was We’re going to get voluntary If this as keepsakes for his girls. nuisance The sis- problems right, and do an internal size up, property. seeing the famous football player, the dining room,” she said. “The shared personal memories. doesn’t work, we have a considerable record if it goes ters were in their 20’s when they which we ask the firefighters to City Attorney updated the council O.J. Simpson, running on one of the do as well,” he said.” Internal size menu givenon to a woman had no to court.” opened the MainCarrie Street Conley bookstore THROUGH THE LENS the the scenes work she has beenprices conducting up means asking why am I acting resort’s paths. on it and foot pillows were DEFINITION and,behind to enhance their income, Kris Woodard’s introductory with city staff and the municipal judge, since March, this way, and why am I feeling this To the delight of those gathered, provided so ladies’ uncomfortable worked as waitresses at the resort. remarks included personal memwhen the council first began discussing the be removed while dinway? The best/ thing weGrove can do is Kris’ brother, Casey Woodard, shoes could Jeremy C. Ruark Cottage Sentinel “It was a wonderful place publicly to ories he made through the lens of issue thenew finalinordinance written. It was a very different era.” The new splash pad at the Bohemia Park Entrance Plaza. work and and,how being town, it will being. See CITY Pagewho 4 was often “in a 12-year-old See LEGACY, Page 6 See HEALTH, Page 6
City Splash Pad now open to beat the heat
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
Decision pending on new nuisance ordinance
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