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entinel entinel New Main Street paving launched The CoTTage grove
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Wednesday July 30, 2025 | Number 31, 136 years
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JEREMY C. RUARK
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Sentinel Update
Cottage Grove
Wednesday, Oct 9
Transit services The mental City establishing mini health impact bidding homeless camp at 12th Street process facing Oregon’s wildland restarted firefighters See page Cottage Grove4Sentinel
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Wildish crews have begun the long-awaited process of pouring the new road surface October for Cottage 9, 2024 | Number 39, 135 years www.cgsentinel.com $2.00 Grove’s Main Street Revitalization Project. The black concrete was first poured along the west end of Main Street. City officials said the black concrete will last longer and is more durable than pavement. Concrete is a mixture of cement, water, and aggregates. Cottage Grove Project Coordinator Shauna Neigh said in JEREMY C. RUARK the next couple of weeks crews are Crews began developing the smaller homeless Cottage Grove Sentinel expecting to finish work at the intercamp site this week on the vacant lot at 12th Street. Publicofworks crews in the sections 7th and 8th are Streets and process establishing a new then startofworking on the north side smaller homeless camp the of Main Street, replacingsite theatold vacant lot on 12th Street in Cottage sidewalks. Jeremy C. Ruark / Cottage Grove Sentinel Grove. “We are envisioning the second (Top) Crews even out the Cottage Grove City Manager side of Main Street not taking as new road surface just after Mike Sauerwein said the city is long as the first side because we it had been poured along behind its original Oct. 1 timeline now have all of the infrastructure east Main Street in Cottage is establishing the camp, following in place,” she said. “The only thing Grove’s Historic District. the Aug. 22 closure and cleanup that they will have to do on the (Bottom)The new black of the 12th Street and Douglas north side of the street is just the concrete fits right in along Street homeless camps. During the landscaping irrigation and the streetside the new sidewalks that transition, the adjacent Lulu Dog light electricity, so all the underhave been install along Main Park at 12th Street has been used ground time-consuming work has Street. as a homeless camp site with hours been done. The waterlines and the from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. storm drains are in place.” come down and support them and “None adds of usthat haveasever managed Neigh of July 24, the just come down and see the progress arevitalization homeless camp before, so we project was on time that we are making. It is almost like knew that date was a bit aspiraand on budget. Cottage Grove, get six stamps, and weekly there are positive changes in access to all businesses is restored tional,” Sauerwein said. “We are “This project is running so as quickly as possible. turn the card into the Chamber of downtown right now.” hoping thatshe thissaid. week we will be smoothly,” Drivers are urged to exercise cauCommerce, located at 836 E. Main As an example, Neigh points to able make the transition.project Our Thetomulti-million-dollar tion when driving through the conStreet, a chanceGROVE to win SENTINEL $500 a PHOTO JEREMY C. RUARKfor / COTTAGE the city’s new Festival Street, along goal was to to provide folks is designed improve thewith street, struction zone. The speed limit has week in local gift cards. Sauerwein and other city officials currently doing, which is providing 7thThe andnew Main. mini homeless camp a safe and secure placecrossing to spend sidewalks, pedestrian areas, been told reduced to 10 mph, lane Follow for the folks downtown promothe Sentinel, thatand there a location to spend the “Itinclude is reallythebeautiful,” she said.as have will same restrictions the night and that’s what we are lighting, and landscaping along the sizes have been decreased within the tional events at the Chamber’s are no additional plans to offer any night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.” web“Theformer Farmers Market is able to the larger camps. doing.” busy route in the city’s Historic construction area. “It is crucial to site and previous Facebookcoverage page. about other long-term sheltering for the Read go“The back same into the park and use rules willarea apply,” Sauerwein said city staff was District. reduce speed and remain attentive to Regular construction updates homeless. the homelessness challenges in will the Festival said. Street, justcamp like itwill was Sauwrwein “The cleaning up thea Lulu Dog to While such project canPark be chalpedestrians and workers,” a release be posted on the City of Cottage “Cottage Grove will follow Cottage Grove and follow new meant to be used, be available from 7which p.m. is to really 7 a.m. reestablish as abusinesses dog park. Specific lenging for itlocal and by thelaw cityasofweCottage Grove Grove websiteat(cottagegrove.org), state understand it,”states. developments cgsemtinel.com nice the to see.” and rules will be enforced costs of that cleanup and establishfor customers, Neigh said the busi“Please be aware that traffic violathrough newsletters, the Sauerwein said. “That is what we and in themonthly Wednesday print editions The revitalization project began through our contracting company, ing the smaller homeless camp at nesses are “being resilient.” tion fines are doubled in construcFriday updates and TextMyGov. are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. in February year and is us One Securityofofthis Eugene to help 12th Street not immediately “They arewere thinking of all differtionlegislature. zones.” The city of Cottage Follow the Main Street expected totransition be completed by They the end the during this period. available. ent ways of bring folks in and they The City of Cottage Grove has Revitalization Project developments Grove has no plans to do any kind of 2025. are a very experienced homeless understand that this project needs partnered with the Cottage Grove online at cgsentinel.com and in the of a shelter beyond what we are According to Neigh, crews have camp management company.” to happen, and everybody is really Area Chamber of Commerce with Wednesday print editions of The been diligently working to keep looking forward to the end product,” a promotional stamp card. Go Sentinel. business owners informed of the she said. “It is a struggle for them, shopping in Historic Downtown project’s progress and to ensure so we do ask people to please still
Wednesday
CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
A third protest by South Lane Oregon’s wildfire season is Wheels (SLW) to continue ruralthis expected to continue through transit services has been successful, month, but the mental scares and easing about impactpublic of theconcern season on the potential fireservice reductions in Cottage fighters who battle blazes in Grove. Lane Lane Transit District County and across the has state, and their families, last a the lifetime, announced it is may reopening bidaccording Jefftransportation Dill, the founder ding processtofor of Firefighter Behavioral Healthfolservices in South Lane County, Alliance lowing the(FBHA). discovery of evaluation Dill discrepancies established theinFBHA in scoring its most 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. recent contract review process. He was than a Battalion Chief SLW provided over in 20,000 onefor a fire department northwest way rides in 2023, including hunChicago. dreds trips. “I of sawwheelchair-accessible our brothers and sisters The loss of service days is especially struggle from the devastation that hard vulnerable theyon saw, so I wentriders. back and got my degreeGrove and became licensed Cottage residenta Sally counselor,” he said. “We started Savage, a 90-year-old South Lane trackingrider, EMStold andthe firefighter Wheels Sentinel suicides across America.” she relies on SLW to reach PeaceHealth’s Riverbend Medical Behavioral Impact Center for doctor’s appointments According to Dill, firefighters and treatments and for the many daily often don’t recognize behavioral errands in Cottage Grove. She noted impact of their work. she “We is notbecome eligiblecultural for other transport brainwashed,”She Dillcalls said.the“Whether it’sof services. city’s lack structural or wildland“impossible” fires. So, we public transportation arenon-drivers meant to believe we areand supfor like herself posed to act strong, brave, help, expressed concern about thebe possible don’t for help, and we don’t loss of ask SLW. want to look weak and not ask for “This is a disaster for many of help.” us,”Dill she added wrote.that while firefighters LTD officials are on the frontemphasized lines battlingthat the the restart was not prompted wildfires, one of the biggest by chalpublic the conlengespetitions they facerelated is the to unknown. tract“It’s award, but by internal how rapidly theses confires can move,regarding and the unknown is where cerns how evaluation is it going end? Where will this criteria weretoapplied—specifically firecomparison go to and how long different will it last? the between And of thattransportation is a struggle,”experience. he said. types “So,review when raised you arequestions fighting about that The fire, you’re trying to do your best whether the scoring fairly distinto stop it, and yet the wind kicks guished up at 60public milestransportation an hour and itoperadrags tions from other service models, it further and further behind them. such Medicaid Thatasaspect of thebrokerage. unknown is very CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL A key issue involved the The ini- firedifficult in wildland fires. Matchbooks from the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. tial award to Eugene-based Direct CINDY WEELDREYER fighters have that stress and anxiety, discover curated goods with stoand thatTransportation struggle to protect is a very Medical (DMT), Cottage Grove Sentinel ries attached—furniture, books, difficult challenge for the wildland a Medicaid-focused provider clothing, crystals, antiques, and firefighters.” While Cottage Grove’s Main established in 2022. Stakeholders repurposed art—each selected It is often very difficult famStreet rumbles under the weight questioned whether DMT’s for limited with care and community in ily members ofbrokerage the firefighters to of reconstruction, a new business history and its experience mind. CINDY WEELDREYER understand what emotions there are, the way” during the construction helped us meet many of our future Nearly 50 people attended the hasForquietly opened its doors in were properly weighed against the For most of the 20th century, The Cottage Grove Sentinel and that many firefighters don’t project. bookstore customers,” Birdy said. Cottage Grove Historical Society’s the Historic District—offering operational record of longtime local the building housed the town’s express their emotions, according He said he was given an import- nonprofit She shared a humorous mem“Farewell to the Village Green” at In 1975,nostalgia, when Birdy warmth, andHoelzle practical South Lane Wheels (SLW). hardware store, a vital hub during to Dill. ant job of opening the boxes ory they made in the formal Iron the Community Center, Saturday, and hertosister Gailrich opened The reuse a town in heritage SLW Director Ruth the timber industry boom. While “We Executive ask the family members delivered to the guest rooms and Maiden Dining Room that drew Sept. 21. Bookmine they were familiar with and character. Linoz said she received direct conthe original cork boot-pocked to try to understand the cultural,” recalled how cool he felt driving laughter from the crowd. The internationally famous resort The Village Green. Mother-Load is more than a firmation from LTD CEO Jameson he said. “Be direct. Challenge wood floor is now covered, oldthe orange golf cart around the “My sister and I were budding was created by Walter A. Woodard Their fatherstore. traveled and secondhand It’s aa lot collabwith compassion when something that LTD’s decision was timers remember the hundreds of Auten property for assigned errands. Years prompted feminists at the time and were quite (W.A.) and his son, Carlton. Some often brought matchboxes doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound orative visionitsbrought to lifehome by by SLW’s third formal tiny holes left behind by loggers’ shocked by the sexism practiced in members of the family attended and later, another special memory was as keepsakes for his girls. The sisright, and do an internal size up, four friends who’ve spent years protest letter. That letter cited disboots—a legacy of hard work seeing the famous football player, the dining room,” she said. “The shared personal memories. ters were invintage their 20’s when they which we ask the firefighters to collecting treasures. crepancies in the scoring and evaluabeneath each step. Cindy Weeldreyer / Cottage Grove Sentinel preserved O.J. Simpson, running on one of the tion menu given to a woman had no do as well,” he said.” Internal size opened the Main Located at 737Street Mainbookstore Street, process. Later tenants included the THROUGH LENS Four on collectors friends a newTHE store in up means asking why am I acting resort’s paths. prices it and footand pillows were have opened and, enhancehome their income, in thetoformer of Pioneer Bohemia Gold Mining Museum Kris Woodard’s introductory the Historic District. From left to right are Kitty Berry, John this way, and why am I feeling this To the delight of those gathered, provided so ladies’ uncomfortable worked as waitresses at the resort. Hardware, the shop features included personal memGracy, Cathy Sayleswhile anddinBobbieremarks Sue Soshnick. way? The best thing we can do is Kris’ brother, Casey Woodard, shoes could be removed “It was a wonderful place to expansive, welcoming display ories he made through the lens of ing. It was a very different era.” work and, being new in town, it See FRIENDS Page 4 See TRANSIT, Page 4 windows that invite passersby the comfort inside. Shoppers to pause, peek in, and feel a 12-year-old who was often “in See LEGACY, Page 6 See HEALTH, Page 6
MOTHER-LOAD OF CHARM
Friends open secondhand store during Main Street reconstruction
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
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