The Cottage Grove
entinel entinel Cottage Grove strikes gold The CoTTage grove
Historic House Gets New Paint
Governor Outlines Budget Challenges
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Wednesday September 24, 2025 | Number 39, 136 years
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Cottage Grove Wednesday, September 24, 2025 Partly Cloudy
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Scammers 74 targeting 49 with world record panning event Oregonians with EBT Wednesday October 9, 2024 | www.cgsentinel.com $2.00 skimmers Sports
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CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
The promise of striking gold—literally—drew my husband Ralph and me to the Main Street construction zone on a cool, cloudy Saturday morning, Sept. 13. By 10:30 a.m., 194 hopeful panners had already checked in ahead of us, some traveling from as far away as Washington, California, and Eastern Oregon. We received running marathonJEREMY C. RUARK style participant numbers and a gold Cottage Grove Sentinel panning kit: a black plastic pan, a Publicbag works crews are in dirt, the a Ziplock of gold-bearing process of establishing a new long, thin eyedropper to extract tiny smallerofhomeless at in thethe pieces gold andcamp placesite them vacant lot on 12th Street in Cottage kit’s small vile. Grove. The day before, I spotted the set Grove City City Public Manager up Cottage crew, notably Works Mike Sauerwein said the city is Director Faye Stewart, Projects behind its original 1 timeline Coordinator ShaunaOct. Neigh, Spirit is establishing the camp, of BMD Director Matthewfollowing Hewlett the Aug. 22 closure and cleanup and Chamber of Commerce Director of the 12th Street and Georgia Haskell settingDouglas up 40 foldStreet homeless camps. Duringnorth the ing tables along the excavated transition, the adjacent Lulu Dog side of Main Street in front of City Park at 12thtable Street hasa handcrafted been used Hall. Each held as a homeless camp site with built hours sluice box lined with plastic, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. by Public Works staff and volun“None us havematerials. ever managed teers usingofdonated By aafternoon, homelessthe camp before, so weand crew was gone, knew that was a filling bit aspiraShauna wasdate patiently each tional,” Sauerwein said. “We are box with water from a garden hose. hoping that thisSTART week we will be DELAYED able to make the transition. Our Former Mayor Jeff Gowing— goal was to provide folks with dressed in his Lemati Gang Old a safecostume—stood and secure placeready to spend West with the night and that’s what a rifle to signal the start ofwetheare doing.” 30-minute attempt. But required city staff wassun 11 Sauerwein a.m. came said and went. As the cleaning up the Lulu Dog Park broke through the clouds, layersto reestablish as a off dogand park. Specific of clothing itcame strangers costs of that cleanup and establishbecame friends while waiting. ing the smaller homeless camp at 12th Street were not immediately available.
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Guinness World Records adjudicator Natalea Ramerez, in a bright Number 39, 135 years blue blazer and cheerful smile, certified each table and posed for countless selfies. At 11:55 a.m., with the 375th panner in place, Jeff fired the longawaited shot. Drones buzzed overhead, photographers roamed about, and volunteers rushed to deliver fresh dirt when needed. To honor Georgia’s herculean planning efforts he gave her the honor of firing the final shot at 12:27 p.m. It was folCrews began developing the smaller homeless lowed by a jubilant collective cheer camp site this week on the vacant lot at 12th Street. as Cottage Grove, Oregon, claimed its first world record. HISTORY INSPIRED IDEA Years ago, when city officials applied for a federal grant to fund Main Street’s reconstruction, they knew the yearlong project would strain local businesses. Mayor Jeff and City Manager Richard Meyers found inspiration in a 1913 Cottage Grove Sentinel article reporting traces of gold in the crushed quartz used to pave local streets. That historical nugget sparked the idea: use some excavated dirt to attempt a world record in gold panning. To honor Cottage Grove’s movie-making legacy, symbolic charms of each major movie filmed here were hidden in the dirt. After months of planning, the Courtesy photo from Greg Lee Guinness confirmation came JEREMY C. just RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Participants look for gold during the world recordPHOTO attempt. a week before the scheduled See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. Sauerwein and other city officials currently doing, which is providing The new mini homeless camp event. City Council President have told the Sentinel, that there a location for folks to spend the willThe include the same restrictions as Greg Ervin led the final push, record to beat: 268 people with a “failure is not an option” are no additional plans to offer any night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.” the former larger camps. and on September 8, the Council panning simultaneously, set by spirit—used social media posts other long-term shelteringpassersby, for the Read previous coverage about “The same rulesinwill apply,”on unanimously approved $19,000 Evolution Mining Australia and recruited spectators, homeless. the homelessness challenges into Sauwrwein said. “The camp will from the rural tourism budget October 14, 2023. even families with strollers. Cheers “Cottage Grove will follow Cottage Grove and follow new be Though availablenearly from 400 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. cover the Guinness fee. The Ervin participants erupted as each new participant state law as we understand it,” developments at cgsemtinel.com and the rules will be enforced preregistered, many were no-shows. joined the line. Sauerwein said. “That is what we and in the Wednesday print editions through our contracting company, Undeterred, organizers rallied See GOLD, Page 4 are doing. To change that is up to of The Sentinel. One Security of Eugene to help us the legislature. The city of Cottage during this transition period. They Grove has no plans to do any kind are a very experienced homeless of a shelter beyond what we are camp management company.”
The mental City establishing mini health impact homeless camp at 12th Street facing Oregon’s STAFF REPORT Cottage Grove Sentinel
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield is warning Oregonians about an uptick of scams involving card skimmers placed on payment machines at grocery and convenience stores across the state, especially in rural areas. These devices allow thieves to steal data from Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which are used by thousands of RUARK Oregon famiJEREMY C. lies to access food and Sentinel cash assisCottage Grove tance, according to a release Oregon’s wildfire season from is Rayfield’s office. expected to continue through this “This but is theft from Oregon month, the mental scares and families who leaston afford it,” impact of thecan season the fireRayfield “Families relyin on fighters said. who battle blazes Lane County and and programs likeacross SNAPthe to state, feed their theirand families, a lifetime, kids, those may who last depend on these according to Jeff Dill, the benefits deserve dignity andfounder security Behavioral –ofnotFirefighter to be preyed on whenHealth they’re Alliance just trying(FBHA). to get by.” Dill established the FBHA in Law enforcement has identified 2010 following Hurricane Katrina. aHe traveling group targetingChief Oregon was than a Battalion retailers, especially discount stores for a fire department in northwest and small markets, by installing Chicago. skimmers capture card PIN “I saw that our brothers and and sisters information, according to the release. struggle from the devastation that they saw, so I went back and got Once stolen, this information is my degree and country became toa licensed used across the make counselor,”purchases, he said. “We fraudulent oftenstarted draining tracking EMS and firefighter suifamilies’ benefits before they realize cides across America.” what has happened. ODHS has seen a reported 50% increase in dollars Behavioral Impact stolen from EBT cardsfirefighters in the first According to Dill, half of don’t September compared to July often recognize the behavioral and August combined. impact of their work. “Weknow become brain“We thatcultural many individuals washed,” Dill “Whether and families in said. Oregon rely on it’s the structural or wildland we food and cash assistancefires. theySo, receive are meant to believe we are supthrough their EBT cards to meet posed to act strong, help, their basic needs and brave, to get be enough don’t ask for help, and we don’t healthy food for themselves and their want to look weak and not ask for families,” help.” Oregon Department of Human Fariborz Dill Services added thatDirector while firefighters Pakseresht everyone are on the said. front “We linesurge battling the with an EBT to take action wildfires, onecard of the biggest chaltoday protect benefits.” lengestothey facetheir is the unknown. “It’s how theses fires can While manyrapidly retailers are takmove, and themeasures unknowntoisprotect where ing increased is it going to end? Where will this payment machines and consumers CINDY WEELDREYER fire go to and how long will it last? from skimmers – including installCottage Grove Sentinel And that is a struggle,” he said. ing security stickers or bars and/or “So, when you are fighting that regularly checking point-of-sale sysMore than 300 community memfire, you’re trying to do your best tems – these scammers are getting bers of all ages gathered under the to stop it, and yet the wind kicks increasingly sophisticated, Bohemia Park flagpole for a local up at 60 miles an hour andaccording it drags toit Rayfield. candlelight vigil honoring political further and further behind them. HOW THE WORKS commentator Charlie Kirk, who was That aspect of SCAM the unknown is very CINDY WEELDREYER / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • Scammers place an overlay shot and killed on Sept. 10 while difficult in wildland fires. The fireMatchbooks from the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove. See more photos with this story at cgsentinel.com. fightersonhave stressorand anxiety, device cardthat readers keypads, speaking at Utah Valley University and that struggleretailers to protect often at smaller suchisasa very dolin Orem, Utah. difficult challenge for the wildland lar stores or community markets. The American flag above them firefighters.” • These devices look nearly identiflew at half-staff, lowered under often very difficult for famcal Itto isreal machines but secretly cola national order from President ily members of the firefighters to lect card numbers and PINs. DonaldCINDY TrumpWEELDREYER to honor Kirk. understand what emotions there are, the way” during the construction helped us meet many of our future Nearly 50 people attended the • Stolen card firefighters data is thendon’t used in TheThe Cottage Grove vigilSentinel folFor Cottage Grove and that many project. bookstore customers,” Birdy said. Cottage Grove Historical Society’s other states to purchase high-demand lowed a large memorial gathering 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 items like baby formula or resold in Eugene the night before. On to Dill. ant job of opening the boxes ory they made in the formal Iron the Community Center, Saturday, and her sister Gail opened The goods Saturday, Sept. 13, roughly 1,000 “We ask the family members delivered to the guest rooms and Maiden Dining Room that drew Sept. 21. Bookmine they were familiar with SIGNS people marched from Alton Baker to WARNING try to understand the cultural,” recalled how cool he felt driving laughter from the crowd. The internationally famous resort Cindy Weeldreyer / Cottage Grove Sentinel The Village Green. he• said. Challenge Check“Be fordirect. unusual attachments Park to Hayward Field, chanting thethe orange golf cartPark around the “My sister and waving I were budding was created by Walter A. Woodard A large crowd flags and holding candles gathered around Bohemia flagpole Their father traveled a lot and with compassion whentosomething before using your card pay: If the “We are Charlie Kirk” and waving for assigned errands. Years doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound feminists at the 14 time and to were quite Charlie (W.A.)Kirk. and his son, Carlton. Some withproperty for the Sept. vigil honor See more photos this story at cgsentinel. often brought its matchboxes home card reader or keypad looks loose American flags. The event included shocked by the sexism practiced in members of the family attended and later, another special memory was com. as keepsakes for his girls. The sisand do an up,the orright, misaligned, do internal not use size it. Ask a moment of silence, group prayer, seeing the famous football player, the dining room,” she said. “The shared personal memories. ters were in their 20’s when they which we ask the firefighters cashier when the machine was to last and the unfurling of a garrison-sized 12 in connection with Kirk’s death. by investigators. He is being held Point USA received more O.J. Simpson, running on than one of the do as well,” he said.” Internal size menu given to a woman had no opened the Main Street bookstore checked. American flag that organizers said THROUGH THE LENS Authorities Robinson waswere iden- without bail on charges of aggra32,000 resort’sinquiries paths. to start new campus up means asking why am I acting prices on it said and foot pillows and, to enhance their income, • Look seals: had hung from the U.S. Capitol on Krismurder, Woodard’s introductory tified through surveillance footage vated felony discharge of a chapters the 48ofhours this way, for andtamper-evident why am I feeling this To theindelight thosefollowing gathered, provided so ladies’ uncomfortable worked as waitresses at the resort. Some machines have yellow Jan. 6, 2021. remarks included personal memand online andwhile turneddinfirearm, and obstruction of justice. Kirk’s death. Casey Woodard, way? The best thing we can security do is Kris’ brother, shoes couldmessages, be removed “It was a wonderful place to Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old ories he madetothrough lens of himself in after a family member According a USA the TODAY ing. It was a very different era.” work and, being new in town, it Utah resident, was arrested Sept. a 12-year-old who was often “in See Page See HEALTH, Page See SCAMMERS Page66 recognized him in images released report published Sept. 14, Turning SeeLEGACY, VIGILPage 6 6
Hundreds attend Cottage Grove vigil honoring Charlie Kirk
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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