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entinel
Friday, November 10, 2023
Cottage Grove City Update By David Clyne, Interim City Manager
TODAY’S EDITION
City Hall Closed City Hall will be closed on Friday, November 10 in observance of Veterans Day. Veterans Day Observance VFW Post 3473 invites you to a Veterans Day Observance ceremony on Saturday, November 11 at 11 a.m., located at 3160 Hillside Drive. Retired US Navy, Lieutenant Commander, David Spriggs will be the keynote speaker. All community members are welcome to attend to help honor all who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States of America. Business Plan Challenge Kickoff The Business Plan Challenge Kickoff was a great success last night. There were over 50 attendees, 22 businesses signed up to participate in the Business Plan Challenge and 15 registered for the Business Plan Class through SBDC – LCC that will be held at the Community Center. To learn more about the 2024 Business Plan Challenge call (541) 9422411. Cottage Grove Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan Open House Development Department staff, representatives from the project consultant firm HDR and ODOT hosted an open house on Wednesday evening at the Cottage Grove Armory. The purpose of the open house was to update the community on the progress of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan and to solicit input from the community. We would like to thank the 50+ community members for attending the event and for providing your input. There will be a Joint Work Session of the Cottage Grove City Council and Planning Commission at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 27 to present the current status of the Plan and to lay out the next steps in the 18-month long planning process. If you are interested in finding out more about the Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, please visit www. walkbikecg.com or contact Eric Mongan, City Planner, at (541) 9425501. Round 2 of Leaf Pickup will Start Monday, November 13 City staff will begin the second round of leaf pick
Obituary — A2 Opinion — A4 Sports — B1 Classifieds — B4-5
up, the week of Monday, November 13. Please place your leaves along City streets in approved parking areas. For more information go to https:// w w w. c o t t a g e g r o v e o r. gov/publicworks/page/ leaf-pickup-program. Please do not bag your leaves. Debris such as branches, shrub pruning, and grass clippings will not be picked up. If property owners do not have access to an approved location, leaves can be taken to the designated leaf drop off site at the Row River Water Treatment Plant, 3300 Row River Road. This site is only for leaves, combining leaves with branches makes it difficult to separate them for different uses. Leaves are composted for soil amendment and branches are chipped and used for mulch. Additional drop-off locations are along River Road in the parking pullouts. The final round will take place the week of December 4. If you have any questions please call the Public Works & Development Department at (541) 942-3340. Please take advantage of this service as it helps keep our storm drainage system clean and operating properly. Dispatch Center Upgrade The Cottage Grove Police Department / South Lane 9-1-1 are nearing completion of a project to relocate and upgrade the dispatch center within in the police department. With funding provided by the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, the 9-1-1 center is receiving new work consoles, server hardware, and software. The funding for the project is provided by the State to local Public Safety Answering Points, also known as PSAP. The funds allocated by the State are generated though the State 9-1-1 tax. Once the 9-1-1 center has relocated from the current police front lobby location, the lobby of the police department will temporarily close. During the closure, the lobby space will undergo a remodel to include replacing the carpet, patching and painting the walls, and installing new workstations. Once the update is completed and the lobby can be staffed, the lobby will reopen to the public. The public may still to come to the police department in person during See CITY page 2A
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Chief Chase says ‘yes’ to community engagement and staff expansion By Cindy Weeldreyer Sentinel Community Reporter
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. — Reporting for duty as Cottage Grove’s newest police chief, Cory Chase knew there was much to do in rebuilding the department. The aftermath of last year’s scandals committed by its top cops and other controversial issues resulted in low employee morale and a significant loss of the community’s trust in local law enforcement. Walking in the door on Sept. 11, he knew he was the right guy for the job. “On my first day I felt a sense of pride and an incredible sense of responsibility,” Chase said. “I was really excited to get to work and help provide some stability for the staff at the police department
New Police Chief Cory Chase revived the Coffee with Cops quarterly community outreach event. CGPD staff talk with two citizens at the Vintage Inn last month.(L-R) Captain Shawn Marsh, Administrative Assistant Brooke Crow, Patrol Officers Soleil Gordon and Ryan Blalack and Chief Chase (Photo by Cindy Weeldreyer) and for the community.” to be Cottage Grove’s inL E A D E R S H I P terim chief of police. Groth CHANGES worked with city officials Chase replaces Jeff on the investigation, which Groth who, in August of ultimately led to the Oc2022, came out of retire- tober resignations of Scott ment from Sherwood, Ore. Shepherd and Conrad
Gagner. Groth also hired new officers and added body cameras to enhance policing practices. Cameron Reiten, who covers city government issues for KNND Radio, believes the new police chief’s biggest challenges will be restoration of community trust in the police department and returning the department’s personnel to full strength. “In addition to the resignations of former Chief Shepherd and Captain Gagner and the allegations of misconduct reported in the media, we had three sergeants placed on leave with little information being released by the department and city manager’s office,” Reiten said. “We also learned that the city settled a $100,000 sex discrimination lawsuit See YES page 6A
Local veteran combats PTSD with book of poetry By Emily Hill for The Sentinel COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. — We Made It Back (Mostly Intact) is a book of poems written by Bill Gunn, a U.S. veteran drafted in 1968. Gunn was born and raised in Cottage Grove and joined the U.S. Navy to try and stay out of Vietnam, however, after boot camp in San Diego and electronics school in Memphis, his first permanent station was Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam. Gunn spent eighteen months in a combat zone on land. After his four-year commitment,
he returned to the U.S. and earned a B.A. from the University of Oregon. Gunn has been a landscape and irrigation contractor and nurseryman in Cottage Grove for over forty years. He is also an author and
his work of poetry, We Made It Back (Mostly Intact), reflects what happens with the longterm effects of a veteran having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). On the back of the book, Gunn states that people deal with PTSD in their own way. Some may have flashbacks and some turn to addiction to substances. His book explores the challenges people encounter in various aspects of life and the lessons they learn along the way, reminding us that even in the face of daunting trials, we have the capacity to not only survive, but to
emerge ‘mostly intact.’ His unique storytelling style and his ability to connect with readers on a personal level make this book a captivating and inspirational read that resonates with anyone who has confronted life’s obstacles and emerged with a newfound sense of purpose and determination. Finding the right words to accurately convey the depth of one’s traumatic experiences can be a difficult task. However, the act of writing can also provide a sense of purpose and accomplishment, allowing veterans See BOOK page 2A
Ceremony to honor Veterans Day at Oregon State Capitol Park
SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs will honor all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces on Veterans Day, Nov. 11 at 11:00 a.m. during its Statewide Veterans Day Ceremony this year in view of the Oregon State Capitol Building. This event will feature remarks by Doug Grafe, Office of Governor Tina Kotek, who will serve as the keynote speaker. Also speaking at the ceremony will be Colonel Russell Gibson, 82 Brigade Commander and Oregon Military Department Legislative Government Affairs Director, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, representative for the
541- 942-3325 ph | 541-942-3328 fax 1498 E. Main Street, STE 104 P.O. Box 35 Cottage Grove, OR 97424
people of Oregon’s sixth congressional district, and Oregon State Senator James Manning, Chair of the Senate Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs Committee. Other ceremonial elements will include a flyover, color guard, singing of the national anthem,
laying of the wreath, and the playing of “Taps.” Serving as the emcee for the ceremony will be ODVA Appeals & Special Advocacy Division Director Joseph Glover. The celebration will honor Oregon veterans of all eras and will be hosted at the Oregon State Capitol Park located on Court
Street Northeast in downtown Salem — directly in front of the Oregon State Capitol Building. The event is open to the public and uncovered seating will be provided for attendees. Accessible pathways and seating areas for those needing accommodations will also be provided. Attendees are reminded to plan accordingly for Oregon weather. For those unable to attend, the event will also be livestreamed on ODVA’s Facebook page at: https:// w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / odvavet. If you have any questions about this event, please contact ODVA at (800) 692-9666 or visit www.oregon.gov/odva.
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