The COTTAGE GROVE
entinel
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Sunny High of 71 and a low of 50
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Number 36 • 135 years
Summer tourism surges in Cottage Grove
JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
I
“ t’s big. It continues to be big.” Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce President Cameron Reiten said in describing the impact of the city’s summer tourism season. Reiten said multiple community and region summer events,
such as KNND’S Rock, N’ Roll Rumble vintage auto show and the annual Western Oregon Exposition Heritage Fair, and the Concerts in the Park series, helped to boost the city’s tourists figures this summer. “From working and living downtown, and constantly strolling around downtown, we
continue to be a place that a lot of people really like to come and see what we are all about,” he said. “The covered bridges, the lakes. I can’t say enough about how vibrant of a downtown district we have compared to other places, especially some of these other timber communities. We are so blessed for the downtown that we
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have.” Even summer regional wildfires brought firefighters to Cottage Grove to purchase food, supplies and shelter, helping to boost summer profits local businesses.
TOURISM cont. on page 4
WHO WE ARE
“We are so blessed for the downtown that we have.”
Cameron Reiten, Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce President
From farmer to coffee shop owner JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
Erika Peterson and her business partner Urban Moore opened Slabtown Coffee June 18 along Main Street in Cottage Grove’s Old Town District. It is nestled inside what was a former antique store. “We found out that this was available, and we actually brought the inventory
and had to opportunity to make it work,” she said. The antiques are part of Peterson’s booth at a shop across the street from Slabtown. Peterson estimated the investment of such a coffee shop business, with equipment, is approximately $75,000. Peterson designed the shop that includes a specialized small counter,
chairs, tables, even a coach in the back of the shop. Cakes from Sweet Life Patisserie in Eugene, ice cream from Prince Pucklers of Eugene, muffins, and cookies from Sugar Mouse Bakery of Cottage Grove, and coffee from Equator Coffee Company in Eugene, are on display
COFFEE SHOP cont. on page 7
CleanLane project moves closer to reality CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
TODAY’S EDITION
Lifestyles — 3 Obituaries — 4 Death Notice — 4
Opinion — 5 Classifieds — 6 Sports — 8
Lane County’s controversial Integrated Materials & Energy Recovery Facility (IMERF), is moved forward, despite a significant amount of public input calling for the $150 million dollar project to be placed before voters in May 2025. East Lane Commissioner Heather Buch, North Eugene Commissioner Pat Farr, and South Eugene Commissioner Laurie Trieger voted yes. Springfield Commissioner David Loveall and West Lane Commissioner Ryan Ceniga voted no, during a public session Aug. 20, to issue $35 million in bonds to finance the project. Now rebranded as CleanLane Resource Recovery Facility, county officials said the innovative
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public/private partnership’s long-term benefits will far outweigh the construction costs of creating a stateof-the-art waste sorting system that uses robotics and artificial intelligence in a more environmentally friendly way. According to county officials, its 25-year contract with Bulk Handling Systems (BHS), a Eugene manufacturing company, extends the life of the landfill, reduces methane escaping into the atmosphere, increases recycling, generates biogas for Northwest Natural, and creates local, sustainable economic development and jobs. They also value the more than 30-year partnership with the Emerald People’s Utility District. They said both partnerships
CLEANLANE cont. on page 7