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Wednesday August 20, 2025 | Number 34, 136 years
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CINDY WEELDREYER
Cottage GroveOctober Sentinel Wednesday 9, 2024 | Number 39, 135 years
For Katie Souliyalaovong, baking isn’t just a business—it’s a legacy built from childhood memories, family traditions and a deep love for sharing joy through food. Souliyalaovong is the owner of Soul Sweets & Things based in Cottage Grove. Born and raised in Eugene, she grew up watching her father and JEREMY C. RUARK uncle run a toy store. From a young Cottage Grovethe Sentinel age, she was behind counter, learning to count greet Publichow works crews money, are in the customers answer phones. process of and establishing a new “My dad taughtcamp me how smaller homeless sitetoat talk the to people handle register,” she vacant and lot on 12th the Street in Cottage said. “Now I do all of that with my Grove. kids. WhenGrove they help at events, Cottage Cityme Manager IMike showSauerwein them howsaid to count money, the city is follow talk to behind sanitation its originalrules Oct.and 1 timeline adults.” is establishing the camp, following husband theSouliyalaovong Aug. 22 closureand andhercleanup have for Douglas 13 years of thebeen 12thtogether Street and and arehomeless raising four children: two Street camps. During the 17-year-olds, 11-year-old transition, thean adjacent Lulu and Doga 6-year-old. saidhas motherhood Park at 12thShe Street been used has every aspect herhours busias ashaped homeless camp site of with ness. takes cooking for from She 7 p.m. to 7pride a.m.indaily. her“None familyofand eachmanaged birthday us makes have ever special by preparing the honoree’s a homeless camp before, so we favorite meal knew that dateand wasdessert. a bit aspiraThat tradition extends beyond tional,” Sauerwein said. “We are birthdays. decade, hoping thatFor thismore weekthan we awill be Souliyalaovong her closeOur friend able to make theand transition. Heavenly have hostedfolks baking goal was to provide withand craft with their a safenights and secure placefamilies. to spend “We laugh, listen to what musicweand the night and that’s are make crafts together,” she said. doing.” “Sometimes We Sauerweinthe saiddads cityjoin staffin.was still decorate ourLulu homes cleaning up the Dogwith Parkthings to we made years reestablish it asago.” a dog park. Specific PANDEMIC SILVER LINING costs of that cleanup and establishing the smaller homeless camp at 12th Street were not immediately available.
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The mental City establishing mini health impact homeless camp at 12th Street Missing facing Oregon’s Herbert Elroy Stout
Crews began developing the smaller homeless camp site this week on the vacant lot at 12th Street.
wildland 80-yearfirefighters old triggers intensive search 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 JEREMY who battle blazes in Lane C. RUARK CountyCottage and across the state, and Grove Sentinel their families, may last a lifetime, according to Jeff Dill, the founder The report of a missing Cottage of Firefighter Behavioral Health Grove man(FBHA). spiked to the number one Alliance viewed story this past oninThe Dill established theweek FBHA Sentinel’s website. 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. The Lane Sheriff’s He was thanCounty a Battalion ChiefOffice (LCSO) first issued a release Aug. for a fire department in northwest 8,Chicago. that it had launched a search for “I saw our brothers andStout, sisters 80-year-old Herbert Elroy struggle from thefrom devastation that who was missing his resiCourtesy photo they saw, so31600 I wentblock back of andRaisor got dence in the The entrepreneurial Souliyalaovong family, pictured from left to parents Katie and PHOTO JEREMY C. right, RUARK are / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL my degree became licensed Road, whereand he was last aseen Friday Tony, Kamea (17), King (11), Ian (17) and Ikaika (6) in front. counselor,” he said. “We started Sauerwein and other city officials currently doing, which is providing The new mini homeless camp morning. tracking EMS and firefighter suia location for folks to spend the will include the same restrictions as have told the Sentinel, that there The across LCSO America.” Search & Rescue team During the COVID-19 panto make treats for others to enjoy. Soul Sweets & Things officially cides are no additional plans to offer any night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.” the former larger camps. was actively searching the area, demic, her kitchen became a From there, word spread quickly, launched in November 2021. Her other long-term sheltering for the Read previous coverage about “The same rules will apply,” however Stout has been known to Behavioral Impact creative hub. She made her first friends and family began placing first public event was the Western homeless. the homelessness challenges in Sauwrwein said. “The camp will According to Dill, firefighters hitchhike and recently spoke about cake pops (German chocolate) for orders. Her middle son proudly Oregon Expo’s Christmas Bazaar, “Cottage Grove will follow Cottage Grove and follow new be available from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. often don’t recognize the behavioral going to California, according to Heavenly’s birthday. Watching how brought her business cards to state law as we understand it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com impactSgt. of their work. and the rules will be enforced LCSO Tim Wallace. much the guests enjoyed them, school, helping secure orders from “We is become cultural Sauerwein said. “That is what we and in the Wednesday print editions through our contracting company, Stout described as a brainwhite See SWEETS Page 6 Souliyalaovong decided she wanted teachers and staff. washed,” said. “Whether it’s are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. One Security of Eugene to help us male adult,Dill standing approximately structural or wildland fires. So, we the legislature. The city of Cottage during this transition period. They 5’6” tall and weighing about 135 are meant to believe we are supGrove has no plans to do any kind are a very experienced homeless pounds. gray hair in be a help, posed toHeacthas strong, brave, of a shelter beyond what we are camp management company.” shoulder-length ponytail, blue eyes, don’t ask for help, and we don’t and a white beard. He was last want to look weak and not askseen for wearing help.” glasses, a maroon shirt, and lightDill blue jeans.that Stout suffers from added while firefighters are on theand front lines battling dementia a seizure disorder.the CINDY WEELDREYER of a garage. In April 2024, Lane wildfires, one ofinformation the biggestabout chalAnyone with Cottage Grove Sentinel County invested $25,000 to help Tip lenges they face is the unknown. his whereabouts was asked to contact Top Grow expand operations to prirapidly thesesOffice fires can the “It’s Lanehow County Sheriff’s at Two $30,000 grants from the oritize child care access for county move, and the unknown is where 541-682-4141. Woodard Family Foundation (WFF) employees in Eugene. is it going to end? Where will this The Sentinel reached out to will fund major childcare expanfire go to and how long will it last? The foundation’s support ensures Wallace for any he additional sions in Cottage Grove, addressing And thatAug. is a 11 struggle,” said. the project can meet safety codes details about the search. “So, when you are fighting that what local leaders call a deepening and remain on schedule for a fall Theyou’re Sentinel: What is the fire, trying to do yourstatus best crisis for working families. opening on Sept. 1. The center will of the search for missing 80-yearto stop it, and yet the wind kicks WFF President Casey Woodard serve 11 infants, 14 toddlers and 10 old Elroy up Herbert at 60 miles anStout hour of andCottage it drags said the grants mark a turning point preschoolers in renovated church it further and further behind them. Grove? for Cottage Grove families navigatspace. That aspect of the unknown is very Tim Wallace: He is still missing, CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL ing limited childcare options and “Without this final investment, difficult in wildland fires. The firehowever based on the investigation, Matchbooks fromsupport the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. long commutes. They two even a broken window could derail havehethat and anxiety, itfighters is believed leftstress the area. initiatives: a new daycare center the launch,” Woodard said, citand that struggleWhat to protect is a very The Sentinel: resources is at First Presbyterian Church and a ing the need for HVAC upgrades, difficult challenge for the wildland LCSO using in this search and where therapeutic toddler classroom at the firefighters.” Metro Creative Connection flooring remediation and security is the Family Relief Nursery. It issearch oftenconcentrated? very difficult for famLane County has just one regulated child care slot for every improvements. Wallace: Lanefirefighters County to ily membersThe of the Local statistics reveal the motiva- seven children under age 3 and every three children under Historically, a Montessori preSheriff’s Search & Rescue CINDY understand what emotions responded there are, the way” theinconstruction helped us meet many of ourafuture 50 By people attended the tion behind theWEELDREYER Woodard family’s age 5—qualifying it as child careNearly desert. definition, a school wasduring located the church, For The Cottage Grove Sentinel to search the large property don’t and and that many firefighters project. bookstore customers,” Birdy said. Cottage Grove Historical Society’s strategic investment in Cottage child care desert is a community with more than three chiland the newly remodeled classrooms the roadway into town, as he has express their emotions, according saidagain he was an early importShefor shared a humorous mem“Farewell Grove. In 1975, when Birdy Hoelzle dren every regulated childcare slot. to the Village Green” at willHeonce be given used for to Dill. been known to hitchhike. SAR has ant job of education. opening the boxes ory they made in the formal Iron the Community Center, Saturday, Grove andCottage her sister Gailfamilies openedface The childhood “We ask the family members deployed ground searchers, SAR delivered the guest rooms and Maiden Diningit Room that care drewdesSept.forced 21. many parents out of the 5—qualifying as a child has 90-minute commutes to with Bookmine daily they were familiar Church to member David Hamilton to tryand to drones. understand the cultural,” K9s, recalled how cool he felt driving laughter from the crowd. The internationally famous resort led By definition, a child care desert workforce. Eugene for childcare, The Village Green. a burden exac- ert. infrastructure planning, while heThe said.Sentinel: “Be direct. Do Challenge you know if the orange cartKelsh aroundhelped the sister andwith I were wasNew created by Walter A. Woodard is a“My community morebudding than Daycare Center Eases erbated Lanetraveled County’s severe Theirby father a lot and grant writergolf Wendy withgentleman compassion when something this has gone missing property for assigned feminists at thefortime andregulated were quite (W.A.) and his son, Carlton. Some three children every Commutes, Expands Access shortage of licensed providers.home often brought its matchboxes secure $67,000 in totalerrands. fundingYears doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound before? later, Presbyterian another special memory was shocked by the sexism practiced in members the family attended and from childcare slot. The firstofgrant completes funding as According keepsakes to forthe hisLane girls.Workforce The sisright, and do an internal size up, Church (USA), Wallace: Thethe missing persontohas seeing the famous football player, theThe dining room,” “The shared personal memories. report notesshe thatsaid. among for a 35-child daycare center operPartnership Statethey ters were inand theirOregon 20’s when which we ask firefighters the Cottage Grove Community hitchhiked significant distances in O.J. Simpson, on oneThe of the do as well,” he said.” Internal size menu given a woman Oregon’s 36 to counties, 35 had are no clasated by Tip Top Grow, a licensed University’s ChildStreet Care bookstore Research opened the Main Foundation andrunning local donors. THROUGH THE LENS the past, and the investigation indiup means asking why am I acting resort’s paths. pricesasonchildcare it and foot pillows were sified deserts. With Eugene-based provider. The threePartnership, Lanetheir County has just and, to enhance income, Woodard grant provides the final Kris Woodard’s introductory that isand likely this time this way, whythe amcase I feeling this To the delight of those gathered, cates provided so ladies’ annual costs toppinguncomfortable $18,000 and year-old business began as a small one regulated child care slotresort. for worked as waitresses at the remarks included personal memway? The best thing we can do is Kris’ brother, Casey Woodard, shoes could be removed while dinwages for childcare workers averperforming arts-based child care every sevena wonderful children under “It was placeage to 3 ories he made through the lensout of ing. Itjust was$30,000, a very different era.” aging the shortage program—originally operating and under itage workevery and, three beingchildren new in town, a 12-year-old who was often “in See LEGACY,Page Page See HEALTH, Page See GRANTS 6 6 See SEARCH, Page 66
Grants to help expand local childcare access
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
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