Public works crews are in the process of establishing a new smaller homeless camp site at the vacant lot on 12th Street in Cottage Grove.
Injured driver rescued after crash
Cottage Grove City Manager
Mike Sauerwein said the city is behind its original Oct. 1 timeline is establishing the camp, following the Aug. 22 closure and cleanup of the 12th Street and Douglas Street homeless camps. During the transition, the adjacent Lulu Dog Park at 12th Street has been used as a homeless camp site with hours from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily.
One person is rescued after a vehicle plunges down a steep embankment in rural Lane County. Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSR) Search & Rescue responded early Jan. 22, to assist fire personnel with the rescue of a severely injured driver near the top of Wolf Creek Road, south of Veneta.
“None of us have ever managed a homeless camp before, so we knew that date was a bit aspirational,” Sauerwein said. “We are hoping that this week we will be able to make the transition. Our goal was to provide folks with a safe and secure place to spend the night and that’s what we are doing.”
“The vehicle had rolled down a steep embankment,” LCSO Sgt. Tim Wallace said. “Specialized equipment was needed to safely move the patient up to the road and waiting ambulance.”
Sauerwein said city staff was cleaning up the Lulu Dog Park to reestablish it as a dog park. Specific costs of that cleanup and establishing the smaller homeless camp at 12th Street were not immediately available.
Volunteers from Eugene Mountain Rescue (EMR), a group within the Lane County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue that tackles high angle problems, set up a rope rescue system. Using a wheeled litter, they safely hoisted the patient to the road, according to Wallace.
The identity of the person rescued, details of the injuries suffered, and what led to the crash, were not immediately available.
According to Wallace, nearly every week, Lane County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue volunteers assist residents in all types of environments.
Learn more about our Search & Rescue program at http://www. lanecounty.org/.../volunteers/ search_and_rescue
Local Food Pantry helping those in need
CINDY WEELDREYER
Cottage Grove Sentinel
New data from Oregon Food Bank reveals that hunger in Oregon is at its worst since the Great Depression.
The Oregon Hunger Task Force is urging state legislators to pass Food for All Oregonians. part of the Immigrant Justice Package, which it prioritizes immigrant justice and equitable access to resources.
In Cottage Grove and across the south county, Community Sharing has evolved to assist people in need.
on the
BACKGROUND
In 1982, the first large mill in South Lane County closed.
The closure displaced workers who had families to feed and most faced months of retraining for new jobs, so budgets were tight. A local church and concerned citizens responded to this critical community need and assisted the affected households find food, clothing, transportation and information about available resources. It soon became clear that Cottage Grove needed a nonprofit organization to coordinate these relief efforts.
The Community Sharing Program’s mission is to assist South Lane County’s low-income individuals and families obtain basic needs, life skill tools and resources toward self-sufficiency. In the past four decades the agency has continued to build on its original foundation of neighbors helping neighbors in Cottage Grove, Creswell, and the surrounding rural areas.
Community Sharing Board
and
The new mini homeless camp will include the same restrictions as the former larger camps.
He was than a Battalion Chief for a fire department in northwest Chicago.
sorts donations received for food boxes.
In 2001, the agency acquired the former Cottage Grove Hospital on Birch Avenue and moved there in 2007. Only needing the west end of the facility, the remainder of
Sauerwein and other city officials have told the Sentinel, that there are no additional plans to offer any other long-term sheltering for the homeless.
currently doing, which is providing a location for folks to spend the night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.”
the property was sold to a private developer. Today, Community Sharing provides South Lane residents with a variety of emergency assistance programs, which include a food pantry,
“The same rules will apply,” Sauwrwein said. “The camp will be available from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and the rules will be enforced through our contracting company, One Security of Eugene to help us during this transition period. They are a very experienced homeless camp management company.”
CINDY WEELDREYER
Cottage Grove Sentinel
Editor’s Note: Cottage Grove city leaders face significant budget challenges in 2025 requiring thoughtful discussion of how current city assets will be funded in the future.
This is part five of a six-part series describing the history and management of City-owned assets: the Historic Downtown District, the Library/Community Center, the Armory, Bohemia Park, the Skatepark and Middlefield Golf Course.
as keepsakes for his girls. The sisters were in their 20’s when they opened the Main Street bookstore and, to enhance their income, worked as waitresses at the resort.
“It was a wonderful place to work and, being new in town, it
“Cottage Grove will follow state law as we understand it,” Sauerwein said. “That is what we are doing. To change that is up to the legislature. The city of Cottage Grove has no plans to do any kind of a shelter beyond what we are
SPECIAL REPORT
Read previous coverage about the homelessness challenges in Cottage Grove and follow new developments at cgsemtinel.com and in the Wednesday print editions of The Sentinel.
“I saw our brothers and sisters struggle from the devastation that they saw, so I went back and got my degree and became a licensed counselor,” he said. “We started tracking EMS and firefighter suicides across America.”
clothing, bus tokens, laundry vouchers, prescription help, ID assistance, showers, energy assistance, water assistance, housing assistance,
Behavioral Impact
According to Dill, firefighters often don’t recognize the behavioral impact of their work.
“We become cultural brainwashed,” Dill said. “Whether it’s structural or wildland fires. So, we are meant to believe we are supposed to act strong, brave, be help, don’t ask for help, and we don’t want to look weak and not ask for help.”
Bohemia Park: A family’s gift to its community
Grovers gather to remember Village Green Resort
helped us meet many of our future bookstore customers,” Birdy said.
Former Mayor Gary Williams was once quoted describing the site as “14 acres of ugly” and now, a quarter of a century later, Bohemia Park is the realization of the late Loren “Stub” Stewart’s vision of a beautiful heritage park at the gateway to Cottage Grove’s National Historic District.
She shared a humorous memory they made in the formal Iron Maiden Dining Room that drew laughter from the crowd.
In a watercolor rendition of the park’s multi-phase master plan there are five heritage themes showcased: mining, timber, railroad, agriculture and recreation.
Watercolor drawing of the original Bohemia Park multi-phase
fighters have that stress and anxiety, and that struggle to protect is a very difficult challenge for the wildland firefighters.”
plan.
project (Phase 3) is nearing completion. Future phases include an interpretive center building and a water feature.
the way” during the construction project.
Stub was an owner of the family business, the Bohemia Lumber Company, and spent 50 years volunteering his time, services, and money developing Oregon State
“My sister and I were budding feminists at the time and were quite shocked by the sexism practiced in the dining room,” she said. “The menu given to a woman had no prices on it and foot pillows were provided so ladies’ uncomfortable shoes could be removed while dining. It was a very different era.”
Parks. For most of those years he served on the State Parks Advisory Committee and understood the intrinsic value of parks to the health and well-being of people of all ages. In the last season of his life, he laid the foundation to create a beautiful park in his own town as a gift to its future generations.
Nearly 50 people attended the Cottage Grove Historical Society’s “Farewell to the Village Green” at the Community Center, Saturday, Sept. 21. The internationally famous resort was created by Walter A. Woodard (W.A.) and his son, Carlton. Some members of the family attended and shared personal memories.
THROUGH THE LENS
a presentation on the history and future plans for the park.
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME
He said he was given an important job of opening the boxes delivered to the guest rooms and recalled how cool he felt driving the orange golf cart around the property for assigned errands. Years later, another special memory was seeing the famous football player, O.J. Simpson, running on one of the resort’s paths.
of the Oregon Pacific and Eastern Railroad.
It is often very difficult for family members of the firefighters to understand what emotions there are, and that many firefighters don’t express their emotions, according to Dill.
At the Cottage Grove Historical Society’s Jan. 18 meeting, Stub’s nephew, Faye Stewart, who is also the Public Works Director for the City of Cottage Grove, gave
Kris Woodard’s introductory remarks included personal memories he made through the lens of a 12-year-old who was often “in
To the delight of those gathered, Kris’ brother, Casey Woodard,
Faye said his uncle hired one of Oregon’s premiere landscape architects, Carol Mayer-Reed, to design a multi-phase master plan for the new park. Historically, between 1879 and 1991, some of the most memorable uses of the site were Southern Pacific Railroad warehouses, a flour mill, a sawmill and the home
“We ask the family members to try to understand the cultural,” he said. “Be direct. Challenge with compassion when something doesn’t look right or doesn’t sound right, and do an internal size up, which we ask the firefighters to do as well,” he said.” Internal size up means asking why am I acting this way, and why am I feeling this way? The best thing we can do is
From 1991 to 2000, the 14-acre site became a large weed-filled vacant lot along South 10th Street with only a few old buildings and the railroad’s roundhouse to remind a passerby of its past. Being an industrial site for more than a century, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality required the
Crews began developing the smaller homeless camp site this week
vacant lot at 12th Street.
PHOTO JEREMY C. RUARK / COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
JEREMY C. RUARK
Cindy Weeldreyer / Cottage Grove Sentinel
Member
pantry volunteer Larry Woody
Courtesy photo from the Bohemia Foundation
master
The Plaza Entry
Courtesy from the LCSO
First responders prepare the victim for an ambulance ride to the hospital.
Courtesy photo from the LCSO
The first responders used a rope rescue system and a wheeled litter to safely hoist the patient to the road above the crash scene.
Stolen trailers recovered following search warrant
Two Lane County residents face criminal charges following a stolen trailer investigation.
Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies learned two trailers had been stolen from a storage facility in the 86200 block of College View Road in Eugene.
The deputies determined the trailers had been stolen by renters, identified as Joshua Adam Hemion, 46, and Kimberly Ann Hemion, 48, both of Fall Creek, according to a release from the LCSO.
A LCSO detective applied for and was granted a search warrant for a suspect property in the 38800 block of Fall Creek. Detectives
The police blotter relates to the public record of incidents as reported by law enforcement agencies.
All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Information printed is preliminary and subject to change.
For specific details about cases listed, contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Cottage Grove Police
MONDAY, JANUARY 13
00:16: Suspicious vehicle, 100 block S. 10th St.
02:08: Business check, 1200 block Gateway Blvd.
02:25: Suspicious vehicle, 700 block Hwy 99
07:52: Warrant service, 200 block N. 12th St.
08:13: Criminal mischief, 300 block Gateway Blvd.
08:51: Death investigation, 2000 block S. 8th St.
10:17: Trespass, 82000 block Hwy 99
11:49: Illegal parking, 10th/Taylor
12:07: Theft, 100 block S. 21st. St.
12:24: Abandoned vehicle, 1700 block S. 6th St.
13:12: Warrant service, 300 block North J St.
14:07: Harassment, 900 block E. Main St.
14:44: Welfare check, 8th/ Whiteaker
15:56: Warrant service, 200 block N. 12th St.
16:23: Abandoned vehicle, 2800 block Row River Rd.
18:49: Business check, 1500 block Gateway Blvd.
and deputies served the search warrant on January 16
Both trailers and much of the property they had contained were recovered, according to a release from the LCSO.
Joshua Hemion and Kimberly Hemion were both arrested and lodged at the Lane County Jail for two counts each of Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle and Theft in the 1st Degree, and Theft in the 2nd Degree. Joshua Hemion also had a warrant for his arrest from the state of Washington.
19:03: Warrant service, 400 block E. Main St.
21:02: Business check, 900 block E. Main St.
21:07: Suspicious vehicle, 700 block E. Gibbs Ave.
20:37: Suspicious vehicle, 900 block Row River Rd.
20:51: Warrant service, 100 block Gateway Blvd.
21:10: warrant service, 400 block E. Main St.
Two alleged wire thieves arrested
JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) investigators have arrested two alleged wire thieves and launched a search for a third suspect as of, Jan. 22
At approximately 7 a.m. Jan. 16, a resident in the Triangle Lake area of Highway 36 observed three people who had started a fire on private property, According to LCSO Sgt. Tim Wallace, “They reportedly matched the description of suspects in a recent wire theft in the area,” Wallace said. “Deputies responded and contacted
POLICE BLOTTER
WEDNESDAY
JANUARY 15
00:58: Suspicious condition, 5th/Washington
02:45: Business check, 900 block E. Main St.
08:28: Illegal camping, 7th/Main
09:09: Warrant service, 1000 block E. Main St.
09:19: Fire, 1500 block E. Main St.
10:46: Fire, 33000 block Row River Rd.
12:26: Welfare check, 1100 block St. James Pl.
15:55: Theft, 700 block E. Main St.
16:01: Trespass, 200 block N. 12th St.
16:08: Warrant service, 200
block N. 12th St.
16:48: Trespass, 100 block
Tyson Dr.
19:27: Warrant service, 200
block N. 9th St.
19:48: Alarm, 1500 block S. 4th St.
22:14: Business check, 900 block E. Main St.
THURSDAY JANUARY 16
00:07: Citizen assist, 1300 block Anthony Ave.
04:17: Suspicious vehicle, 700 block E. Gibbs Ave.
04:42: Barking dog, 500 block Taylor Ave.
07:11: Criminal mischief, 1200 block E. Jefferson Ave.
09:01: Illegal camping, 12th/Main
10:07: Vicious dog, 1300 block Anthony Ave.
10:15: Trespass, 600 block E. Main St.
10:50: Illegal camping, 3300 block Row River Rd
12:27: Disturbance, 1700 block S. 5th St.
13:01: Alarm, 1000 block Taylor Ave.
13:20: Theft, 900 block Row River Rd.
15:37: Disorderly subject, Main/99
16:34: Theft, 1000 block Hwy 99
16:41: Suspicious condition, 600 block Arthur Ave.
17:27: Agency assist, 1200 block Ash Ave.
18:25: Warrant service, 400 block E. Main St.
22:52: Fire, 80000 block Sears Rd.
23:22: Suspicious vehicle, 1100 block Hwy 99
23:39: Disorderly subject, 200 block N. 12th St. FRIDAY, JANUARY 17
01:07: Suspicious vehicle, 2500 block E. Main St.
02:40: Suspicious condition, 900 block W. Main St.
06:29: Business check, 1500 block E. Main St.
07:40: Harassment, 300 block N. 9th St.
07:51: Traffic Hazard, 200 block Palmer Ave.
09:07: Illegal camping, 200 block N. 12th St.
10:34: Order violation, 100 block North H St.
11:45: Warrant service, 400 block E. Main St.
11:54: Criminal mischief, 1100 block Hwy 99
13:09: Assault, 200 block Gateway Blvd.
14:46: Dog at large, Hwy 99/Main
15:05: Harassment, 78000 block Hwy 99
15:44: Abandoned vehicle, 1200 block Birch Ave.
them. Two of the subjects had warrants for their arrest.
The third person, Craig Leon Beaty, 56, left the area.”
A Lane County Sheriff’s detective joined the investigation. Deputies soon located the stolen wire and developed probable cause to arrest all three subjects for a recent wire theft in the area., according to Wallace.
The subjects with warrants were lodged at the Lane County Jail on the following charges:
Kenneth Lee Wilson, 50, of Florence:
• Theft in the 1st Degree
• Burglary in the 2nd Degree
• Failure to Report as a Sex
Offender
• Three Lane County Circuit Court warrants, one Eugene Municipal Court warrant Kolby Timmothy Vandehey, 37, of Eugene:
• Theft in the 1st Degree
• Burglary in the 2nd Degree
• Four Eugene Municipal Court warrants
The third suspect, Craig Beaty, was is believed to be in the Triangle Lake area.
Anyone with information on his location is asked to call the Lane County Sheriff’s Office at 541-682-4141
20:16: Disturbance, 1700 block Hwy 99
22:39: Business check, 1200 block Gateway Blvd.
22:47: Illegal camping, 100 block South M St.
23:45: Suspicious vehicle, 7th/Whiteaker SATURDAY, JANUARY 18
00:48: Trespass, 300 block S. 5th St.
01:01: DUII, Main/5th
03:12: Business check, 900 block E. Main St.
05:07: Fire, 200 block Quincy Ave.
07:54: Suicide, 1000 block S. 10th St.
09:45: Suspicious vehicle, N. Lane/Villard
09:52: Found property, 100 block Gateway Blvd.
10:20: Dog at large, 1st/ Quincy
11:32: Abandoned vehicle, 15th/Main
11:50: Illegal camping, 3200 block Row River Rd.
12:07: Disorderly subject, 700 block E. Gibbs Ave.
12:52: Illegal camping, 200 block N. 12th St.
16:57: Suspicious condition, E. Whiteaker/7th
17:30: Found property, 1400 block N. Douglas St.
17:40: Info, 100 block N. 16th St.
18:30: Illegal camping, 3300 block Row River Rd.
18:38: Warrant service, 400 block E. Main St.
18:46: Business check, 1200 block Gateway Blvd.
18:51: Harassment, 300 block N. 9th St. 19:23: Disturbance, 77000 block Layng Rd.
19:27: Abandoned vehicle, 7th/Whiteaker
19:39: Reckless driving, 1200 block Gateway Blvd.
19:41: Business check, 1200 block E. Main St.
22:38: Welfare check, 300 block E. Madison Ave.
22:46: Alarm, 300 block North P St.
23:17: Welfare check, 1600 block Samuel Dr. SUNDAY, JANUARY 19
08:39: Illegal camping, 1100 block E. Main St. 10:01: Disturbance, 30000 block Sentinel Ln. 10:06: Juvenile, 700 block South
Local firefighters return from LA wildfires
Cottage Grove Sentinel
Seventeen of Oregon’s 21 strike teams will soon be heading home following a two-week mobilization to Southern California to assist with the wildfire response.
The teams began the demobilization process Thursday morning., Jan. 23
The strike teams were assigned to the Palisades and Eaton fires near Los Angeles and have spent the last two weeks working the fire lines and supporting the communities impacted by
these disasters. The Oregon State Fire Marshal mobilized 21 strike teams, 370 firefighters, and 105 fire engines and water tenders, marking the largest out-of-state deployment in the agency’s history.
“I am immensely proud of the work firefighters from the Oregon fire service and the Oregon Department of Forestry have done over the last two weeks in California,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “Their dedication and professionalism have made a meaningful difference for the
Courtesy photo from Looking Glass Rural Program
With the assistance of the Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce, well-wishers watched as Looking Glass Community Services President and Chief Executive Officer Chad Westphal cut the ribbon on the new home of the agency’s Rural Outreach Program during an open house at the facility Thursday, Jan. 16. The goal of the program is to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse of youth on the streets. Many of these youth are without basic survival aid ranging from the most basic of needs, including food, clothing, shelter, hygiene care, and education, according to Looking Glass administrators. The Cottage Grove facility’s amenities include a large lobby, laundry machines, a commercial-grade kitchen, therapists’ offices and a meeting room.
communities affected by these devastating fires. The willingness of our firefighters to step up and provide critical aid, often in challenging and dangerous conditions, is a testament to the strength and resilience of Oregon’s fire service.”
The Oregon State Fire Marshal has four remaining strike teams in California, two assigned to the Eaton Fire and two assigned to support initial attack efforts if any new fires start. There is no timeline yet for when the remaining strike teams will return to Oregon.
Looking Glass Ceremony
JEREMY C. RUARK
Oregon Legislature working on budget, transportation and many other issues
JULIA SHUMWAY
Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon’s 90 lawmakers are beginning their work in earnest with about five months to pass a spending plan for the next two years, figure out how to plug a transportation funding hole and make progress on the state’s housing crisis.
Lawmakers have introduced nearly 2,300 bills so far, with more to come. A group of legislators spent the summer traveling the state to solicit ideas about transportation needs and funding, while Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, drove thousands of miles to meet with senators at their homes in hopes that better relationships between lawmakers would lead to better laws and prevent a repeat of the six-week Republican-led walkout that derailed the 2023 session.
During a Thursday, Jan. 16, news conference, Gov. Tina Kotek and legislative leaders indicated that they generally agreed on the big issues facing Oregon — though not on the way to address those issues.
“We’ve got to make sure that our government is working, and that it’s working for everyday people,” said House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene. “What that means to me is that we’re moving forward on housing and health care and child care, and that there aren’t people sleeping on the streets, and that we’ve got an education system where students are showing up ready to learn and are getting a quality education and a transportation system that is safe and efficient.”
Passing a budget
Lawmakers’ chief task each odd-numbered year is approving a spending plan for the next two years. They have a starting point in the
Park
From Page 1
site to be cleaned up before it could become a park.
This major obstacle made early fundraising efforts difficult, so Stub bequeathed $750 000 to the Bohemia Foundation to begin the transformation. In early 2000, the Foundation received a DEQ letter stating no further action was needed, so the remaining $300 000 of Stub’s donation was used to begin shaping the park.
“Once we started moving dirt we demonstrated to the community and potential funders that the park was a viable project,” Stewart said.
PUBLIC/PRIVATE VENTURE
Grant writing began in earnest led by Christina Lund. A much-needed $325 000 local government grant from Oregon State Parks, to build the pond, amphitheater and bathrooms, required sponsorship from the City of Cottage Grove. This led to a unique public/ private partnership that resulted in a 99-year lease of the land to the City for recreational use.
$39 3 billion budget Kotek proposed in December, but members of the Joint Ways and Means Committee will spend the next several months vetting requests from agencies, local governments and other lawmakers for a share of state funds.
The state’s latest economic forecast, released in November, estimated that lawmakers could spend up to $37 8 billion. Lawmakers will see two more forecasts — one in February and one in May — before finalizing Oregon’s budget for the two years that begin July 1
Democrats now hold three-fifths of seats in both the House and Senate, giving them more flexibility to raise revenue. But they’ll face opposition from Republicans if they try to do so. Senate Minority Leader Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, pointed to a post-election newsletter from Portland Democratic Rep. Rob Nosse that said the supermajority meant Democrats wouldn’t be “held hostage” by Republican opposition to raising taxes.
“I’m struggling right now as a member of a minority party that doesn’t feel included to want to participate, especially when we have members of the Democrat leadership in the House saying they’re interested in going it alone, that they’re going to bypass any Republican feedback and pass taxes without us,” he said. “That’s just an absolute terrible approach to this conversation.”
Funding transportation
Along with the state’s budget for the next two years, lawmakers set themselves the task of coming up with a plan to sustainably fund Oregon’s transportation needs. The Oregon Department of Transportation estimates it needs $1 8 billion more
each year to pay for road maintenance and repairs, and that number doesn’t include expensive projects like the Interstate 5 bridge connecting Portland and Washington.
Transportation funding issues aren’t unique to Oregon. A recent report from the Pew Charitable Trusts noted transportation as one of five key debates expected in statehouses around the country this year as states deal with reduced gas tax revenue resulting from more electric and fuel-efficient vehicles. States including Maryland and Washington are looking at cutting transportation budgets, while Colorado has pulled more than $1 billion from its general fund to pay for transportation needs.
Kotek rejected the idea of using the state’s general fund to pay for transportation, saying it wasn’t feasible.
“Unless someone wants to bring a bill that takes $2 billion out of the general fund for transportation — that is $2 billion out of education, that is $2 billion out of mental services, that is $2 billion out of housing — (the) general fund will not fill this gap,” she said. “We know how to fund these things. We’ve done it in the past, and we need to do it again.”
House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said she didn’t trust the Oregon Department of Transportation to follow through on promises after it failed to complete projects that received funding from a 2017 transportation package.
“There were clear expectations in the legislation, there was clear authority in the legislation and yet they didn’t perform,” Drazan said. “And so now they’ve got their hand out, and they’re saying, we need more. We want more,
and from our perspective, we need them to succeed. What’s changed from the agency?”
Education
Education priorities for the year ahead look much like they did this time last year, centering on more money for the state’s 197 school districts, investments in programs and staff to improve student literacy and an urgent need for summer school funding.
Kotek said her primary education priority this session will be to make a few overdue tweaks to the school funding formula to add more than half-a-billion dollars to the biennial education budget. She is proposing a historic $11 36 billion for the next two school years. She’s also called for nearly $80 million in funding for summer learning programs, more than double what the Legislature passed in 2024 Kotek said with more money comes more responsibility and accountability. She supports legislation that would give the Oregon Department of Education more authority to intervene
in underperforming schools that have high absenteeism rates, low graduation rates and low student proficiency in key academic areas.
“That is something I want to see done in the legislative session, because we need more transparency and accountability. More money is just not enough,” she said.
Drazan said the shift should be toward giving the state education department less, not more, authority over student outcomes and to “move responsibility, to the extent that is possible, back to the students and the family, with supports from these larger education systems.” She said issues like high absenteeism rates are not a question of policy or how education is funded in Oregon, but a “culture question,” that needs to be answered at the school and family level.
“The pivot point shouldn’t be from small government to big government. The pivot point should be from the school to the family and the student,” she said.
Behavioral health care
Kotek and lawmakers are looking for ways to help
Oregon’s behavioral health care system. Problems run throughout the system. Oregon has a shortage of beds for people who need mental health and addiction treatment in a residential setting. And Oregon State Hospital, the state-run psychiatric residential facility, struggles to admit people who wait in jails and need care before facing criminal charges.
Kotek wants to see a new model of supportive housing — called “intensive permanent supportive housing” that helps people with serious mental health challenges live independently. It’s one way of helping people navigate beyond the streets and shelters into a long-term solution.
Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, has introduced House Bill 3146 to create a pilot program that offers emergency shelter for people who are on a waitlist for residential addiction treatment. The proposal is intended to shelter homeless people while they wait for care, and enable providers
See OREGON, Page 6
and enormous volunteer support.”
In the City’s published 2024-25 budget there is not a detailed breakout of Bohemia Park’s fiscal impact. The specific expenses for maintenance staff hours, water and electricity costs are included in the Public Works overall budget.
Lund credits the existence of Bohemia Park to the generosity and confidence of the early stakeholders who helped the Bohemia Foundation and the City of Cottage Grove launch the project.
PARK MILESTONES
2007: Groundbreaking to create Phase One of the Park’s Master Plan
2012: Pavillion
Completed & hosted the Oregon Covered Bridge Festival
She said, “The community needs to know that Bohemia Park exists today thanks to the generosity of major donors such as the Woodard Family Foundation, Pacific Power, the Oregon Community Foundation, the Ford Family Foundation, the Tykeson Family, Cottage Grove’s Economic and Business Improvement District, Starfire Lumber, Brad Cohen, the Faye and Lucille Stewart Foundation, Rexius Forest Products, Steve and Vera Kilston, Donna Shepherd,
2014: Amphitheater
began
The Bohemia Foundation, directed by an 11-member volunteer board, retained property ownership, design decision-making, and pays for bathroom cleaning and landscaping costs. The City controls the surface, provides water and electricity, and manages park reservations.
Ribbon Cutting & Concerts in the Park
2015: First Eugene Symphony Concert
2015: Playground
Installed
2018: Animal House Toga Party
2025: Entry Plaza completed
She proudly noted in the early stages of park development, more than 200 Friends of Bohemia Park volunteers helped with everything from planting trees to spreading bark. Some volunteers were individuals, and others came from church groups, garden clubs, and service clubs such as Rotary and the Lions. In subsequent years, the park became home to the Chamber of Commerce’s Summer Concerts in the Park, the annual Eugene Symphony Concert, and the Bohemia Mining Days Carnival. In 2018, it hosted thousands of toga-wearing attendees to celebrate the Animal House movie’s 40th anniversary. It is also a popular venue for birthday parties, weddings and class reunions.
NEWEST PROJECT
For the last seven months Grovers have watched the construction of the park’s new entry plaza at the corner of Main and 10th Streets, which has had several weather delays.
The $1 7 million dollar project includes a splash pad for warm weather fun, bathrooms, and eventually a water tower with a community reader board that can be used for public information, especially during emergencies.
To compliment the railroad heritage theme, the Cottage Grove Historical Society commissioned local artist Heather Endicott to create a colorful mural of the Blue Goose steam excursion train on the east side of the new bathroom building. The artist plans to complete the mural before summer.
FUTURE PLANS
While the water tower feature had to be cut from the original project, Stewart said he is committed to constructing it.
“We are writing grants to cover the construction of the water tower and we have included in the entry plaza design the infrastructure it will need to operate,” he said. “Historically speaking, the park’s water town is near the site of the original water tower that fed the steam trains in the early 20th century. The new tower will become an integral part of a future “river-like water feature” that meanders through the park and provides an outdoor classroom to learn more about our local rivers.”
Phase Four of the park’s master plan is a 16,000 sq. ft. two story building. It will serve as an interpretive center that showcases local history related to the
five heritage themes and will be a venue to host local events. The gravel base for the building is in place and the current estimated cost for the building is $12 million dollars.
Stewart said the 25 years he’s been involved with the development of the park have been rewarding.
“The park is a great asset in our community and its use has far outpaced my expectations with the symphony, concerts in the park, and all the birthday parties and weddings happening there,” he said. “It’s heartwarming to see adults and seniors walking and exercising. On the other side of the spectrum, there is nothing greater than watching a mom or dad teaching their kid to ride a bike.”
Join the conversation. Send your comments in a Letter to the Editor to jruark@countrymedia.net and follow this special series of reports online at cgsentinel. com and in the Wednesday print editions of The Sentinel.
Ron Cooper/ Oregon Capital Chronicle
House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, talks as House Speaker
Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, and House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, listen during a legislative preview on Jan. 16, 2025.
Unica Beatres Howard
March 13,1935 - November 30, 2024
Unica Beatres Howard passed away on November 30, 2024. She was born to Dale Melvin Crawford and Myrtle McCue in Cottage Grove, Oregon March 13,1935.
She attended Cottage Grove Schools and Graduated from Cottage Grove High School in 1953.
On November 14, 1953, she married the love of her life, Richard Stephen Howard. They were married for 66 years. They had 5 children, Sharon Winona, Stephen Dale, Marion Sidney, Ereena Dee, and Raymond Timothy.
She, along with her husband, owned the Cottage Grove Taxi Service from 1963-65. She worked at various jobs during the years, but her main focus was always providing a
loving home for her husband and 5 children.
She enjoyed bowling and taking care of her children and grandchildren. She always had the sweetest smile for friends and strangers alike. Her name was perfect as you would find it hard to meet anyone as nice as she was.
She was proceeded in death by her husband Richard, her son Marion Sidney (Sid), her grandson Anthony Glenn (Tony), 4 sisters, and 2 brothers.
She is survived by her brother Jesse Crawford, 4 of her children, 14 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was a member of the Cottage Grove Congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses.
or cgsentinelofficemanager@countrymedia.net
COTTAGE GROVE:
6th & Gibbs Church of Christ
195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822 10:00am
Christian Education: Pre-K through 5th Tim Baker, Senior Minister www.6thandgibbs.com
Cottage Grove Bible Church 1200 East Quincy Avenue 541-942-4771
Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Philip Benizi Catholic Churches 1025. N. 19th St. 541-942-3420 Father John J. Boyle Holy Mass: Saturday Vigil – 5:30 pm Sunday –
Carol Lynn Holbrook
January 8, 1949 - January 8, 2025
Carol Lynn Holbrook, 76, of Cottage Grove, Oregon passed away on her 76th birthday, January 8, 2025. Born to Dean and Ellen (Abbey) Heisey in San Jose on January 8, 1949, Carol’s journey was marked by an unyielding zest for knowledge and a heartfelt dedication to enhancing the lives of others through her work and passions.
A proud graduate of James Lick High School’s class of 1967, Carol furthered her education at San Jose State University, obtaining her Bachelor’s degree, and went on to earn her Master’s degree in 1973 from San Diego State University. On June 27, 1976, Carol’s heart found its match when she married Hal Holbrook in a ceremony in San Jose, a union that flourished over 50 wonderful years.
Carol’s professional life was as impactful as it was inspiring. For 40 years, she served as a speech and language therapist, approaching each day with a drive to make a difference in
the lives of those she worked with. Her innovative spirit led her to create “Funalogies,” a language game that brought joy and learning to many. Amidst her professional endeavors, Carol’s life was filled with varied interests. She found solace in the serenity of her garden, the intricate beauty of mosaic arts, and the love that could be shared through her cooking. These pastimes were expressions of the same love and creativity she poured into every facet of her life.
Carol’s legacy is carried on by her devoted husband, Hal; her son Justin Holbrook, daughter-in-law Lauren Newton, and daughter Hollye Holbrook; her siblings, Cynthia, David, and Andy; and her cherished grandsons Alder and Eero. Her memory will remain a guiding light for her family and all who had the honor of knowing her. She will be deeply missed. Services will be held at a later date. Arrangements are in the care of Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel.
Oregon challenges Trump’s birth right citizenship order
On Jan. 23, a federal judge in Seattle issued a national temporary restraining order that will prevent federal agencies from stripping people of their rights to citizenship. The lawsuit, brought by Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Illinois challenged President Trump’s executive order to deny birthright citizenship in the United States.
The coalition of states cite the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in this country.
Oregon joined efforts Jan. 22 against Trump’s executive
St. Andrews Episcopal Church
1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050 Rev. Lawrence Crumb “Scripture, Tradition, Reason” Worship: Sunday 10:30am All Welcome
Seventh-day Adventist Church 820 South 10th Street 541-942-5213
Pastor: James D. Boram
Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am
Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40
Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00
Trinity Lutheran Church 6th and Quincy 541-942-2373
Vacancy Pastor: Herb Percy Sunday School and Adult Education 9:15 a.m. Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tuesday 5:15 p.m. to 6:5 p.m. TLC Groups tlccg.com
United Methodist Church 334 Washington 541-942-3033 Worship 10am umcgrove.org
CRESWELL:
Creswell Presbyterian Church
75 S 4th S • 541-895-3419 Rev. Seth Wheeler
Adult Sunday School 9:15am Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am website www.creswellpres.org
Walker Union Church & Cemetery
32904 England Rd, Creswell, OR (541) 649-1800 Pastor: Randy Wood Sunday Service at 11:00 AM Everyone is welcome! Follow us on our Facebook page: WalkerChurchOregon Our Worship Directory is
If your congregation would like to be a part of this directory, contact us today!
order ending birthright citizenship.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the order violates the 14th Amendment of the constitutional right to which all children born in the U.S. are entitled.
14TH AMENDMENT
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, according to congress.gov.
LEGAL ACTION
Oregon is among 18 states are challenging President Donald Trump’s order.
“The administration’s attempt to sidestep the Fourteenth Amendment is a
clear violation of the United States Constitution,” Rayfield said is a release. “If allowed to stand, this order would break decades of established law that has helped keep kids healthy and safe. While the President has every right to issue executive orders during his time in office, that power does not extend to instituting policies that infringe on our constitutional rights.”
Trump issued the executive order on his first day in office, fulfilling his repeated promise to end birthright citizenship.
Rayfield said the unlawful action will harm hundreds of thousands of American children. The filing is a multi-state lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, seeking to invalidate the executive order and to enjoin any actions taken to implement it.
The birthright citizenship dates back centuries—including to pre-Civil War America.
“Although the Supreme Court’s notorious decision in
Dred Scott denied birthright citizenship to the descendants of slaves, the post-Civil War United States adopted the Fourteenth Amendment to protect citizenship for children born in the country,” the filing states.” The U.S. Supreme Court has twice upheld birthright citizenship, regardless of the immigration status of the baby’s parents.”
Rayfield said Oregon’s filing outlines the harms States will face with what he describes as a “historic shift in constitutional interpretation.”
According to the filing, the Trump Order will cause the States to lose federal funding to programs that they administer, such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and foster care and adoption assistance programs, which all turn at least in part on the immigration status of the resident being served.
“States will also be required—on no notice and at considerable expense—to immediately begin modifying their operation and administration of benefits programs to account for this change, which will require significant burdens for multiple agencies that operate programs for the benefit of the States’ residents,” the filing states.
According to the filing, the States should not have to bear these dramatic costs while their case proceeds because the Order is directly inconsistent with the Constitution, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and two U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
William ‘Bill’ Whiteman Celebration of Life Service
1st, 2025, at 2
6th & Gibbs Church
Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424
JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
Martha Ann Gatchell, 84, of Drain, Oregon passed away January 14 2025. Arrangements are in the care of Smith-LundMills Funeral Chapel and Crematorium.
NEWS & VIEWS
Stop playing whack-a-mole with vulnerable children
RICHARD WEXLER
Oregon Capital Chronicle
For nearly a decade, Oregon’s approach to child welfare has amounted to a pathetic game of whack-a-mole.
The “solution” to one crisis begets another, while everyone ignores the issue at the root of it all: Oregon tears apart families needlessly at a rate well above the national average.
This sick game began in earnest when news accounts exposed horrific abuse at one private agency’s group homes. They also revealed that the Oregon Department of Human Services knew about the abuse and did nothing. That investigation whacked the state into raising standards for foster homes. It wound up warehousing foster children in offices and jails.
So — whack — a child advocacy group brought a lawsuit to prohibit the practice. DHS settled. And children promptly wound up warehoused in hotels. Whack — there was another lawsuit and another settlement.
Then DHS shipped children to horrible out-ofstate institutions. That was exposed, so DHS went back to warehousing children in what they called “repurposed juvenile jails.”
Now, the game of whacka-mole may come full circle: Gov. Tina Kotek and DHS are backing draft legislation to repeal regulations curbing abuse in group homes and institutions.
The reason for each crisis is a supposed “shortage” of placements. But the shortage is artificial — created by the take-the-child-and-run mentality that has characterized Oregon child welfare for decades.
Although DHS has made some progress in reducing needless foster care, as of 2022, the most recent year for which comparative data are available, Oregon still takes away children at a rate more than 20% above the national average, even when
rates of child poverty are factored in.
The overwhelming majority of those cases are nothing like the horror stories of children beaten and tortured. Of all the children consigned to the chaos of Oregon foster care in 2022 52% were put there in cases that did not involve even an allegation of any form of drug abuse. Ninety percent did not involve an allegation of any form of physical abuse. And 97% did not involve an allegation of sexual abuse. In contrast, 57% involved “neglect” which often means the family was poor.
All of this is enforced by a massive system of surveillance. Nationwide more than one-third of all children and more than half of Black children will be subjected to the trauma of a child abuse investigation before they turn 18. In Oregon, it’s 42% of all children — and an astounding 72% of Black children.
This does enormous harm to the children needlessly investigated and even more harm to those needlessly forced into foster care. In addition to the emotional harm, multiple studies (two of them specific to Oregon) have found high rates of abuse in foster care. Even that isn’t the worst of it. The deluge of false allegations, trivial cases, poverty cases and needless foster care placements so overwhelms workers that they have no time to investigate any case thoroughly — so they make terrible mistakes in all directions.
All those children needlessly torn from everyone they know and love take places in good family foster homes that should go to the relatively few children in real danger. That’s what causes the so-called “shortage” of placements that Kotek is using as an excuse to loosen regulations about abusing those children.
But what about all those youth with “complex behavioral needs” who supposedly must be institutionalized? Last year, a U.S, Senate committee report pointed
out that the entire “residential treatment” model is a failure. There is nothing an institution can do that can’t be done better and at lower cost through wraparound programs. If the state got the children who don’t need to be in foster homes back into their own homes and provided wraparound services to foster parents, there would be plenty of room in family homes for the children Oregon now institutionalizes. Doing this requires becoming laser-focused on ameliorating the worst aspects of poverty. Even small amounts of cash can go a long way toward reducing what child welfare agencies call “neglect.” And COVID taught us it can even curb serious abuse. In addition, families need a system of high-quality defense counsel, with lawyers and social workers — not to get “bad parents” off but to craft alternatives to the cookiecutter “service plans” often doled out by agencies like DHS. This approach has been proven to reduce foster care with no compromise of safety.
These are real solutions. Maybe someday Oregon lawmakers will take a whack at it.
Richard Wexler is executive director of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform. Before that he spent 19 years working as a reporter for newspapers, public radio and public television. He is the author of “Wounded Innocents: The Real Victims of the War Against Child Abuse.”
Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@ oregoncapitalchronicle.com.
JEFF MERKLEY Sentinel Guest Column
As the new Congress begins, I’m hitting the ground running in 2025 to fight for the four foundations that working families need to thrive: good health care, decent affordable housing, quality education, and goodpaying jobs.
My work starts with hearing directly from you. Every year, I host town hall meetings in all 36 Oregon counties, including down the coast from Clatsop to Curry, to hear about the issues that matter most in your communities. Then, I take your ideas back to Capitol Hill to craft effective legislation. I’m kicking-off my 2025 town hall meetings in January, and you can sign-up to receive announcements about when I’ll be hosting a town hall in your county on my website, www.merkley.senate.gov.
A large part of my work on Capitol Hill happens through committees, where bills get debated and administration nominees get hearings, before going to the full Senate for final votes. Here are the committees I’ll be serving on this Congress:
I’m taking the top Democratic spot on the Senate Budget Committee. In this new role, I’ll fight back against the massive tax loopholes that enable the megamillionaires and billionaires to dodge paying their fair share in taxes. These loopholes drive a lot of well-justified
cynicism about our tax structure, but they also are adding trillions a year to our national debt.
I’m staying on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure that Oregon has a strong voice in national spending decisions. I’ll fight for strengthening programs that Oregonians highlight at my town halls, from forest management to reduce wildfires to investments in housing, mental health, fighting fentanyl, and affordable health care.
In addition, I’ll continue to serve on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. We need bold action to protect Oregon from the threats of climate chaos, like warming waters off our coast and this year’s record-setting wildfires. I’ll keep fighting to ban toxic chemicals, like the tire additive 6PPD that is deadly to coho salmon and address PFAS “forever chemicals” found in many household items that are hazardous to humans. And I’ll keep raising the alarm about plastic pollution, from plastic trash choking our sea life and waterways to dangerous micro- and nano-plastics poisoning our blood and breastmilk.
I’ll also keep pushing our government to work better from the Senate Rules Committee. And I’m staying on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where I’ll continue to champion democracy, the rule of law, and human rights around the world.
These are just few ways I’m hitting the ground running in the new Congress – and I look forward to hearing from you in-person at one of my upcoming town halls about your top priorities and ideas. Let’s keep working together to take on the powerful and deliver for the people! Jeff Merkley represents Oregon in the U.S. Senate.
In addition, I’ll use my Appropriations post to deliver projects highlighted as top priorities by our local leaders. Over the last three years, I’ve secured funding for 475 projects in all 36 counties. These investments have included $1 9 million to help the City of Astoria replace century-old pipes to deliver clean drinking water; $500,000 for Community Action Resource Enterprises, Inc. (CARE) to renovate a building to serve as Tillamook County’s navigation center for people experiencing homelessness; and over $360 000 to repair the dock and pilings of the Newport International Terminal in Lincoln County.
Gov. Kotek, state agencies brace for Trump impact on expanse of federal land in Oregon
ALEX BAUMHARDT
Oregon Capital Chronicle
In his first few hours back in office, President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders aimed at boosting fossil fuels production and mining on federal land and water and rolling back permitting processes and regulations he and his administration find burdensome.
Slightly more than half of all land in Oregon is owned by the federal government — including 60% of Oregon forests — and it’s managed
primarily by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. The two agencies oversee more than 32 million acres in the state, an area larger than the state of Kentucky, and federal agencies are responsible for funneling hundreds of millions of dollars to the state to manage those areas, including protecting endangered or threatened species.
State and federal land and water often spill over borders, requiring federal collaboration with Oregon agencies and leaders, who espouse
environmental values at odds with those of Trump.
Gov. Tina Kotek, her natural resources advisor, Geoff Huntington, and the heads of Oregon’s environmental protection and natural resource agencies said they’ve been planning for this second Trump presidency. In separate interviews, Kotek and Huntington told the Capital Chronicle they are hopeful for collaboration but prepared for conflict.
“We’re going to make our voice heard, and we’re going to figure out what is the right
channel for us to participate to ensure that the pathway that’s taken by the federal
government in land management in Oregon comports with our expectations just as
often do you shop
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley
to find them quickly when a bed opens up.
More housing Kotek wants the Legislature to expand on one of her biggest legislative accomplishments, a 2019 law that allowed duplexes, triplexes, cottage clusters and other “middle housing” to be built in areas that could previously only have single-family homes. House Bill 2138 would allow middle housing to be built in more places, including unincorporated lands, and limit the ability of local governments or homeowners associations to block those types of homes from being built.
“We still need lots of big apartments,” Kotek said. “We’re never going to stop building single family standalone homes. We have to have middle housing to fill in the gap, and I think we’re just at the cusp of seeing more of this happening because people are getting more comfortable with it. The bill I’m working on will make that easier.”
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assistance.
For the past 14 years
Executive Director Mike Fleck has managed the agency’s staff, volunteers and numerous hefty contracts with government agencies and human services grants that comprise the agency’s $1 7 million budget.
Fleck noted half that amount is the value of the food it receives. He said when he was hired the nonprofit was distributing 450-550 food boxes a month. Today, it is distributing 1,100-1,300 each month.
During the pandemic Fleck said his his agency increased its staff and provided more than $11 million dollars of rent assistance. Last spring, the afency distributed approximately $45,000 to provide food, gas, propane and laundry services to those community members affected by the January 2024 ice storm.
“The government programs are not keeping up with inflation and we are now relying more on grants,” Fleck said.
“In our 2024 budget $300 000 was grant revenue – which
Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama, D-Portland, said that lawmakers have done a lot in recent years to try to keep Oregonians from becoming homeless, help those who are homeless back into housing and help more Oregonians manage to buy homes. But there’s a lot more to do, he said.
“We have been underbuilding for decades, and we have to acknowledge that we’re trying to catch up,” Jama said.
Civil commitment changes Lawmakers will consider changes to how Oregon civilly commits people who face serious mental health challenges. Civil commitment puts people in care, usually a hospital, after a judge determines they pose a risk to themselves or others.
A state workgroup has suggested a slate of recommendations to lawmakers.
The Oregon chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, in particular, wants to make it easier for a judge to civilly commit people.
It would make changes like allowing judges to consider prior suicide attempts and other factors, like how likely a person is to harm others within the next 30 days and not immediately.
creates some uncertainty for our current services.”
FOOD DISTRIBUTION NETWORK
According to October 2023 data from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, nearly 28 million adults nationwide 12 5% of the adult population — were living in homes where there was either sometimes or often not enough to eat in the last week. This is the highest percentage since the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kotek said it’s important for people to have a place to go for care and for communities to have the resources they need.
Hospital discharges
This session lawmakers could pass changes aimed to helping people exit hospitals sooner when they are ready to be discharged.
Last year, a state task force made recommendations for improving the flow of patients through the state’s 7 135-bed hospital system.
They include changes to Medicaid to cut down on red tape and allow people to move to a long-term care facility sooner when they no longer need a hospital bed.
Oregon’s hospital system is strained. People who are ready to exit the hospital but have no place to go linger there while waiting for either a bed in a longterm care facility, Medicaid approval, or both. This means that patients who enter through the emergency rooms wait longer for a bed.
Environment
Kotek and her natural resources advisor Geoff Huntington told the Capital Chronicle that their primary environmental concerns for 2025 will be water quality and water quantity. Kotek
times each week. Grocery
Outlet does a food drive for us and the Creswell pantry every year and they give us a couple of pallets of donations three or four times each year. We are very blessed to have all this support!”
FAST FACT
One out of every eight American adults is struggling to afford enough food. usafacts.org
Most of the food Community Sharing receives comes from Food for Lane County. They receive the bulk of their food to distribute from the Oregon Food Bank. Oregon Food Bank receives most of its food from U.S. Dept of Agriculture via the Farm Bill.
“Oregon Food Bank and Food for Lane County also seek and receive other donations they pass on to us, Fleck said. “We also get food from all three of our local grocery stores. Walmart and Safeway are part of the Feeding America and Fresh Alliance programs and we receive past date food from them several
Fleck said in 2023 Community Sharing’s food pantry served 1,233 households with 5 260 individuals served. Protein items are always in need such as meats, canned tuna, and peanut butter. The pantry also distributes hygiene items, pet food and clothing.
PANTRY POWERED BY VOLUNTEERS
Larry and Della Woody are two of the pantry volunteers supervised by Pantry Manager David Pompa. The Woodys say they do whatever is needed to ensure the pantry maximizes the donations it receives to serve the most people. Most days they log four-to-six hours and on Holiday Food Box distribution days, it is not uncommon to work a 12-hour day.
is backing updates to the state’s Groundwater Quality Protection Act to which would modernize the state’s laws — including some more than 100 years old — around groundwater allocation. In less than a century, Oregon water officials have allocated all surface water under their purview, overallocated groundwater in several basins and have no clear accounting of how much water is still available in others.
Kotek and legislators also expressed a commitment to finding sustainable sources of wildfire funding for the years ahead. A wildfire funding committee convened by the Legislature in 2024, which met to discuss possible funding solutions throughout the last year, shared a document Wednesday of ideas for the Legislature to consider. Among them are increasing the transient lodging tax and sending the revenues to the state’s wildfire fund, and a one-time investment of the state’s $1 8 billion revenue surplus, known as the “kicker” tax rebate, into a fund where it would earn at least 5% interest per year. That investment would yield at least $180 million per biennium for wildfire
funding, according to Sen. Golden, D-Ashland, who proposed the idea. None of the proposals include new funding from insurance companies or private investor-owned electric utilities, responsible for some of the most expensive wildfires in Oregon history. Companies disproportionately responsible for pumping out greenhouse gases that are fueling climate change could, however, be on the hook for the real-world costs of their pollution. Golden is proposing Senate Bill 682, modeled after similar climate superfund laws passed in Vermont and New York,
which would allow the state to collect fees from fossil fuel companies to cover natural disaster expenses and climate adaptation. https://oregoncapitalchronicle. com/2025/01/21/oregonlegislature-gets-to-work-onbudget-transportation-andother-issues/ Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@ oregoncapitalchronicle.com.
and
agency’s clients.
Larry has been a Community Sharing board member since 2018. His responsibilities include packing the 265 weekend backpacks that are distributed to schools for students from families experiencing food insecurity.
the week from local grocery stores.”
The Woodys said the current inflationary economy has driven individuals to the pantry that have never received public assistance.
donated per year - and we can always use more,” Fleck said. “We appreciate all of the support we receive from the community.”
Della’s duties involve sorting donations from local stores, private donations and Food for Lane County freight trucks. They check expiration dates, set aside items needed in holiday food boxes and repackage supplies that arrive in large boxes such as diapers, baby wipes, pet food, and hygiene products. She also orders the food and supplies they need to restock the shelves and monitors social media to obtain items she knows the clients need.
Larry stocks shelves with sorted items and serves as the agency’s maintenance guy. The Woodys travel to the Greenhill Humane Society in West Eugene to pick up 600-1 000 pounds of pet food Community Sharing purchases at a reduced price.
“The public doesn’t know that approximately 100 volunteer hours per week are spent preparing items before they are placed on the pantry’s shelves,” Della said. “We get Food for Lane County freight trucks twice a week and receive donations throughout
Della said, “We like helping people. Some of the people we see are dealing with a divorce or have lost their housing and a few can become emotionally overwhelmed. It warms our hearts to be part of helping them. When they leave with a smile on their face it makes all the hours we volunteer so rewarding and worthwhile.”
Fleck said the agency has as many as 200 volunteers throughout the year. Some may only volunteer to help with the Holiday Food Box distribution, while others are daily volunteers.
“We typically have around 10 000 volunteer hours
HOW TO HELP The Community Sharing Food Pantry is located at 1440 Birch Avenue in Cottage Grove. Donated items can be dropped off during pantry hours: Mondays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monetary donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 351 Cottage Grove, OR 97424 or dropped off at the office on Mondays from 1:30 to 6:00 p.m. and on Tuesdays through Fridays between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. For questions or to find out the pantry’s current needs call 541-942-2176
Cindy Weeldreyer / Cottage Grove Sentinel
The Community Sharing pantry is powered by volunteers who sort
package food, pet food and hygiene products for the
Surrounded by donated food items are, left to right, volunteers Larry and Della Woody, Cyndi Owen and pantry manager David Pompa.
Ron Cooper / Oregon Capital Chronicle Gov. Tina Kotek answers questions from reporters during a press conference on Jan. 16, 2025.
Classified
LADD CONSTRUCTION, LLC
New or remodel, decks, siding, windows, doors, shops, fences. 541-913-1541 ccb# 239015
CGS 25-103
TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF SALE TS NO.:
24-70686 Reference is made to that certain Deed of Trust (hereinafter referred as the Trust Deed) made by
TONY L GALUSHA as Grantor to FI-
DELITY NATIONAL TITLE INSURANCE
CO, as trustee, in favor of COUNTRYWIDE BANK, FSB, as Beneficiary, dated 2/15/2008, recorded 3/5/2008, as Instrument No. 2008-012205, in mortgage records of Lane County, Oregon covering the following described real property situated in said County and State, to-wit: BEGINNING AT A POINT
19.0 CHAINS AND 98 LINKS EAST OF THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE WILLIAM G. SIMPSON DONATION LAND CLAIM NO. 55, IN TOWNSHIP 17 SOUTH, RANGE 6 WEST OF THE WILLAMETTE MERIDIAN; RUNNING THENCE SOUTH 5.0 CHAINS EAST 4.0 CHAINS, NORTH 5.0 CHAINS, WEST 4.0 CHAINS TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING IN SECTION 24 AND 25, TOWNSHIP 17 SOUTH, RANGE 6 WEST OF THE WILLAMETTE MERIDIAN, IN LANE COUNTY, OREGON. EXCEPT THEREFROM THAT PART WHICH LIES WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE WILLIAM SIMPSON DONATION LAND CLAIM NO. 55, IN SAID TOWNSHIP AND RANGE IN LANE COUNTY, OREGON. SITUATE IN THE COUNTY OF LANE, STATE OF OREGON. The street address or other common designation, if any for the real property described above is purported to be: 88837 FAULHABER RD ELMIRA, OREGON 97437-9714 The Tax Assessor’s Account ID for the Real Property is purported to be: 0514743 /17-06-25-20-00800 Both the beneficiary and the trustee, ZBS Law, LLP have elected to foreclose the above referenced Trust Deed and sell the said real property to satisfy the obligations secured by the Trust Deed and a Notice of Default and Election to Sell has been recorded pursuant to ORS 86.752(3). All right, title, and interest in the said described property which the grantors had, or had power to convey, at the time of execution of the Trust Deed, together with any interest the grantors or their successors in interest acquired after execution of
the Trust Deed shall be sold at public auction to the highest bidder for cash to satisfy the obligations secured by the Trust Deed and the expenses of sale, including the compensation of the trustee as provided by law, and the reasonable fees of trustee’s attorneys. The default for which the foreclosure is made is: The monthly installment of principal and interest which became due on 5/1/2024, late charges, and all subsequent monthly installments of principal and interest. You are responsible to pay all payments and charges due under the terms and conditions of the loan documents which come due subsequent to the date of this notice, including, but not limited to, foreclosure trustee fees and costs, advances and late charges. Furthermore, as a condition to bring your account in good standing, you must provide the undersigned with written proof that you are not in default on any senior encumbrance and provide proof of insurance. Nothing in this notice should be construed as a waiver of any fees owing to the beneficiary under the deed of trust, pursuant to the terms and provisions of the loan documents. The amount required to cure the default in payments to date is calculated as follows: From: 5/1/2024 Total of past due payments: $4,196.22 Late Charges: $81.50 Additional charges (Taxes, Insurance, Corporate Advances, Other Fees): $606.00 Trustee’s Fees and Costs: $2,130.00 Total necessary to cure: $7,013.72 Please note the amounts stated herein are subject to confirmation and review and are likely to change during the next 30 days. Please contact the successor trustee ZBS Law, LLP, to obtain a “reinstatement’ and or “payoff’ quote prior to remitting funds.& emsp; By reason of said default the beneficiary has declared all sums owing on the obligation secured by the Trust Deed due and payable. The amount required to discharge this lien in its entirety to date is: $73,143.00Said sale shall be held at the hour of 11:00 AM on 4/4/2025 in accord with the standard of time established by ORS 187.110, and pursuant to ORS 86.771(7) shall occur at the following designated place: At the front entrance of the Courthouse, 125 East 8th Ave., Eugene, OR 97401 Other than as shown of record, neither the said beneficiary nor the said trustee have any actual
notice of any person having or claiming to have any lien upon or interest in the real property hereinabove described subsequent to the interest of the trustee in the Trust Deed, or of any successor(s) in interest to the grantors or of any lessee or other person in possession of or occupying the property, except: NONE Notice is further given that any person named in ORS 86.778 has the right, at any time prior to five days before the date last set for sale, to have this foreclosure proceeding dismissed and the Trust Deed reinstated by payment to the beneficiary of the entire amount then due (other than such portion of the principal as would not then be due had no default occurred) and by curing any other default complained of herein that is capable of being cured by tendering the performance required under the obligations) of the Trust Deed, and in addition to paying said sums or tendering the performance necessary to cure the default, by paying all costs and expenses actually incurred in enforcing the obligation and Trust Deed, together with the trustee’s and attorney’s fees not exceeding the amounts provided by ORS 86.778. The mailing address of the trustee is: ZBS Law, LLP 5 Centerpointe Dr., Suite 400 Lake Oswego, OR 97035 (503) 946-6558 In construing this notice, the masculine gender includes the feminine and the neuter, the singular includes plural, the word “grantor” includes any successor in interest to the grantor as well as any other persons owing an obligation, the performance of which is secured by said trust deed, the words “trustee” and & lsquo; beneficiary” include their respective successors in interest, if any. Without limiting the trustee’s disclaimer of representations or warranties, Oregon law requires the trustee to state in this notice that some residential property sold at a trustee’s sale may have been used in manufacturing methamphetamines, the chemical components of which are known to be toxic. Prospective purchasers of residential property should be aware of this potential danger before deciding to place a bid for this property at the trustee’s sale. Dated: 11/19/2024 ZBS Law, LLP By: Amber L. Labrecque, Esq., OSB#094593 ZBS Law, LLP Authorized to sign on behalf of the trustee A-4829594 01/15/2025, 01/22/2025, 01/29/2025, 02/05/2025
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned will hold a Public Auction on Feb.10th, 2025, at 11:00AM at Simply Storage 79177 North River Rd. Cottage Grove, OR 97424. The personal property heretofore stored with the undersigned by: A06 - Adam McDaniel, A27 - Terissa Richardson, S07 - Terissa Richardson, A33 - Jen Hoch, E02 - Leon Nissen, H05 - Andrew Riley, T13 - Jackson Simmons, V14 Summer Tracy. Date of first publication Jan. 29th, 2025.
State program urges Radon testing
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is urging home radon testing during January, when winter heating season is at its peak and tightly closed windows and doors increase people’s exposure to the odorless, tasteless, invisible gas.
Each year, OHA promotes the annual observance by encouraging people in Oregon to take steps to reduce their exposure to radon by testing their homes for the gas and, if necessary, hiring a professional to reduce radon to a safe level.
Many parts of Oregon remain at risk of high radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes up from the ground and is drawn into buildings, where it can build up to dangerous levels.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
estimates radon is responsible for around 21 000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking, and it’s the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
OHA’s Healthy Homes & Schools Unit Program Manager Brett Sherry oversees the Oregon Radon Awareness Program.
“During the heating season or colder months, when windows and doors are closed for long periods of time, people have more exposure to potentially high radon levels because they are spending more time indoors,” Sherry said. “That exposure could significantly increase with so many people working from home.”
Sherry said testing is the only way for residents to know if they have high radon levels in their homes.
The Radon Awareness Program monitors which areas of the state have the potential for high radon levels and identifies regions where educational outreach efforts need to be focused.
The program is offering a free radon test kit to residents whose homes are in ZIP codes with fewer than 20 radon test results. Residents can learn more about the free radon test kit program and how to apply at www. healthoregon.org/radon. Free test kits are available while supplies last.
Home testing kits can be purchased at hardware or home improvement stores, with prices ranging from $20 to $30. You can also order a radon test kit online from the American Lung Association. If you would prefer to have a professional test your home, contact a certified radon measurement company.
January is National Radon Action Month.
For more information about radon, including which areas of the state are
at moderate to high risk of elevated radon levels, radon testing and mitigation options, or to order a test kit online, contact OHA’s Radon
Awareness Program at radon. program@oha.oregon.gov or visit www.healthoregon.org/ radon.
$30 Million for wildlife and sport fish restoration
JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
Oregon will receive $29,680,565 in federal funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to support Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) projects around the state.
“These Federal investments, matched with revenue from hunting and fishing licenses, are the foundation of ODFW’s capacity to care for Oregon’s diverse fish and wildlife, according to Oregon Department of Fish
Brace
From Page 5
said.
Huntington said a big part of his work will be ensuring the Trump administration follows through on commitments in previous agreements with federal agencies.
Examples include ensuring federal Inflation Reduction Act money geared towards climate change investments is received, habitat conservation plans negotiated between state and federal agencies are respected and that the Columbia River Basin Initiative is honored. That initiative, from the Biden administration, provides more than $1 billion for salmon restoration and clean energy production after 20 years of ongoing lawsuits against the federal government for violating
and Wildlife Director Debbie Colbert.
“Opportunities for win-win solutions that benefit working lands, wildlife, and communities are numerous—and we are grateful for the long-term support of hunters and anglers who have committed millions of dollars to this program for multiple generations,” Colbert said. “Federal investments like these help us make a real difference for fish and wildlife conservation.”
The Wildlife Restoration Program—authorized by the Wildlife Restoration (Pittman-Robertson) Act of
the Endangered Species Act and treaty rights with four Columbia Basin tribes.
“It doesn’t matter what administration is in power — that was signed with four tribes, the states of Washington and Oregon, and we put a stay on all of the litigation based on them (the federal government) following through on those commitments. So we’re going to expect those commitments to be fulfilled,” Huntington said.
Kotek echoed that sentiment.
“I hope the new administration doesn’t do any harm. I want to be very clear,” Kotek said. “I expect the federal government to stay true to the commitments they’ve made.”
Preparing for volatility
To prepare for potential volatility from the incoming administration, Kotek finalized four outstanding reviews with federal agencies
1950—provides funds to fish and wildlife agencies for projects to restore, conserve, manage, and enhance wild birds and mammals and their habitat.
The Sport Fish Restoration Program—authorized by the Sport Fish Restoration (Dingell-Johnson) Act of 1950—provides funds to fish and wildlife agencies for fishery projects, boating access, and aquatic education.
Oregon’s allocations can be found below:
• $21 783 103 for Wildlife Restoration. The program supports the operation and
in the final weeks of the Biden administration. They cover projects related to solar energy siting, protecting sage grouse territory, managing resources and wildlife protection in southern Oregon’s Lakeview District and in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
Those reviews ensure Oregon’s priorities are considered when the federal government proposes a policy or activity on land within the state. Kotek is working with other Western governors to ensure state and local priorities are not supplemental but key in federal policy making that affects Western land, she said.
“This isn’t just an Oregon thing. Western governors, Western states want to have more flexibility and more ability to partner to do things that have more appropriate local impacts,” Kotek said.
Leah Feldon, director of Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality, said in an email that her staff is keeping a close eye on any changes to funding or federal proposals touted by Trump
maintenance of 18 wildlife areas and 7 regional habitat programs which are designed to provide technical assistance and enhance wildlife habitats on public and private lands.
• $7 897 462 for Sport Fish Restoration (SFR). The funding supports important fisheries, monitoring, access, and education programs throughout Oregon. SFR funds are also used to keep a finger on the pulse of several of our iconic salmon/steelhead populations, including those in the Rogue, the Oregon Coast, Deschutes, Willamette, and Umpqua.
administrators that could conflict with state law.
“Agency leadership is already working to identify programs and funding streams that should be watched closely,” Feldon said, including money states receive to enforce the federal clean air and water acts, and the significant funds Oregon is still set to receive from the Inflation Reduction Act.
In 2019, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2250, which requires that the Environmental Quality Department evaluate changes to federal environmental laws and determine whether the changes result in less protective measures than previously established federal standards. If new federal changes undermine established ones, the agency must inform the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission and recommend action to continue enforcing the previous standards.
“We will continue implementing this legislative mandate,” Feldon said.
Vicki Walker, director of the Department of State Lands, said in an email that
Oregon Senators he federal funding Jeff Merkey and Ron Wyden announced the federal funding Jan. 21 “Our state’s lands and waters are integral to the futures of countless fish and wildlife, as well as many Oregonians’ quality of life and livelihoods,” said Merkley. “These federal funds will be used to manage and protect Oregon’s wildlife areas around the state, and to help Oregonians access and enjoy the great outdoors through our outstanding recreation opportunities.”
she and her staff are also focused on ensuring state regulations aren’t compromised by federal decisions. She’s also monitoring potential changes to federal funding the agency relies on for ongoing work with federal agencies. An example Walker offered was the South Slough Reserve in a national research estuary near Coos Bay. The state lands department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, have partnered on conservation and research in the estuary for 50 years and NOAA provides 60% of the funding.
“With any change in federal government comes unknowns,” she said.
“Federal efforts on Oregon lands or waters that disregard state regulations threaten not only our natural resources, but also good working relationships with federal agency partners. We will work to maintain those relationships.”
If conflicts emerge, Kotek and the state’s natural resource agencies can turn to lawsuits. During the last Trump administration, Oregon was involved in more
“Fish and wildlife are part of what makes Oregon the best state in America for recreation,” said Wyden. “That doesn’t happen by osmosis – it happens thanks to significant federal investments like these that support our state’s natural advantages and the benefits they create for our economy and environment.”
The Wildlife Restoration Program and the Sport Fish Restoration Program were reauthorized through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Merkley and Wyden supported.
than 16 lawsuits challenging Trump’s policies, though none was geared towards land management or the health of the environment.
“We’re not going to take that off the table,” Huntington said about lawsuits. Kotek said they’ll take a wait-and-see approach.
“In terms of any changes coming from the Trump administration, I mean, we’ll fight back if there are things that don’t align with our values,” she said. “But I think these are very long, complex conversations. It’ll be an interesting four years, let me just say that.”
Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@ oregoncapitalchronicle.com.
