Page 2
March, 2024
Volume 2, Issue #3
The North Douglas Herald Newspaper is
published once a month in Drain Oregon. The
North Douglas Herald is owned and operated
by Oregonians, published and printed in the
State of Oregon. It is our mission to bring the
news and information that our Readers will find
pertinent, useful and with some insight to our
common values and sensibilities.
The Herald is currently available by subscrip-
tion and at pickup locations across North doug-
las and South Lane counties in Oregon. Sub-
scription are free to Douglas county and Lane
county residents. Out of County Subscriptions
are $7.50 for 6 months and $12.00 per year.
Subscriptions can be obtained online at:
www.ndherald.com/subs.html
Free Classifieds for Lane and Douglas
county residents can be entered at:
www.ndherald.com/classifieds.html
To submit Photos, Recipes, Jokes, Cartoons,
artwork and the like:
send email to editor@ndherald.com
All online submissions can be sent and delivered
to the any one of the following departments:
editor@ndherald.com
submissions@ndherald.com|
schoolnews@ndherald.com
classifieds@ndherald.com
reports@ndherald.com
churchdirectory@ndherald.com
citydesk@ndherald.com
news@ndherald.com
sales@ndherald.com
vitalstatistics@ndherald.com
If you would like to receive a bundle of
newspapers to distribute to your customers
or visitors to your location, please go to:
www.ndherald.com/locations.html
If you see breaking news or if you
have a news report, you can email to
news@ndherald.com. Any photo attach-
ments preferred in .jpg or .pdf format.
OUR DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS
is the 25th of the month prior to publication
Free Papers can be found, upon availability, in all of
the following town’s and these fine establishments
Drain
Rays Food Place, 308 N 1st St
Country Cabin Coffee & Laundry, 438 W “B” Ave Hwy38
The Rose Bar, 413 Umpqua Hwy 38
Mildred Whipple Library, 205 W. “A” Ave
Drain Post Office, 228 W. “C” Ave
Yoncalla
Eagle Valley Supply, 2570 Eagle Valley Rd
Food Center & Deli, 2580 Eagle Valley Rd
Elkton
Arlene’s Cafe & General Store 14858 State HWY 38
Elkton Station 14940 State HWY 38
Tomaselli’s Pastry Mill & Cafe, 14836 OR Hwy 38
Scottsburg
Riverbanks Speedy Mart 32841 State HWY 38
Reedsport
Jacks Barber Shoppe, 1199 Highway Ave,
TRMF Smokes, 1898 Winchester Ave. US-101
Don’s Main Street Family Restaurant, 2115 US-101
Recreation Station, 1575 Winchester Ave US-101 S
Creative Mercantile, 392 Fir Ave
High Water Cafe, 427 Fir Ave.
Lower Umpqua Library, 395 Winchester Ave.
Cottage Grove
Old Mill Farm Store, 327 South River Rd
Kwik Pik Market #2, 925 E Gibbs Ave
Daves Corner Market, 633 N 9th St
Crafty Mercantile, 517 E Main St.
The Book Mine, 702 E Main St
Dari Mart, 1200 E Main St
Cottage Market, 603 OR HWY-99
Medication Station, 1041 N Pacific HWY-99
Winchester Bay
Beck’s Winchester Bay Market, 245 8th St
Pelican Market, 75298 Pacific Coast HWY US-101
Oakland
Bart’s Oakland Market, 204 SE 1st St
Sutherlin
Kwik Pik Market & Deli, 551 W Central Ave
Smitty’s Food Mart & Deli, 1367W Central Ave
Center Market, 1230 W Central Ave
Center Market #32, 206 E Central Ave
S-Mart, 333 E Central Ave
Central Food Mart, 1021 E Central Ave
DC Precision Lube & Tune, 489 E Central Ave
North Douglas Herald
PO Box 581
Drain OR 97435
541 221-3283
www.ndherald.com
North Douglas Herald
March 2024
Government
Editorial
By Rusty Savage
Finally getting the March issue out,
it has been a little tricky getting here this
month. Since the Ice Storm and Power
outages in January, we have been thrown
off of our schedule and it turns out it’ll be a
while yet till we get back to things as usual.
In order to collect stories, talk to advertisers
and process the newspaper in a one month
time period and still manage to get a spot in
the busy printing schedule, well one month
barely does it. So trying to cut a few days
off to get from mid month publishing to
the beginning of the month, it’s a chore. It is
important to have the North Douglas Herald
out in the field of readers for the full month
so to ensure that, the Herald will cut off a
few days each month and hopefully that will
bring us back to 1st of the month publishing
by June 1st. That’s the goal, don’t hold me
to it.
We also have a change coming in
our subscriptions. It’s not a secret that local
newspapers have a difficult row to hoe these
days - just look at the Eugene Weekly, NY
Times and dozens of newspapers that fail
every single month.
Just like the dedicated journalists at
the Eugene Weekly that you can read about
in this issue, the North Douglas Herald
has a mission to get, print and disseminate
the news to public that motivates us to
overcome the many obstacles thrown at us.
For us it important to provide that news and
information to our readers FOR FREE. Here
at the Herald, we think we have a plan to
be able to do that with only our advertising
dollars. We print monthly, instead of weekly,
so that means working to bring you content
that keeps the publication relevant and of
interest all month long. Also it is the goal to
do that with a bright and attractive product
that pleases the eye and is handy to retain.
Hence bright color on quality paper, trimmed
and stapled pages to keep it tidy. We are not
getting by on the cheap, it’s a premium
product that cost us a premium penny to
bring it to you. Additionally we have been
mailing just under 3000 copies through
the US Post Office and so, combined with
printing and distribution costs, we are under
the gun so to speak.
Thanks to our advertisers, we are able
to just about reach all of our initial goals. But
the truth is, to date, we are taking in probably
just a little over half of our expenses with
advertising dollars. I anticipate that as we are
growing we will be more and more able to
become more solvent as we become more
adroit at bringing you this publication in a
form that has value to you, the reader, and
our advertisers and venders. For now a lot
of funds that produces this newspaper still
Know your local Representatives!
comes out of my pocket.
In the coming months we will
be implementing a new model in our
subscription department. Currently we do
not charge for mailed subscriptions within
Douglas and Lane counties, although we
do charge for out of county and out of state
subscriptions, about 200 now. The cost of
those subscriptions do not cover the mailing
costs. It has taken this last 6 months to realize
that it is not sustainable. So I am working on
a new model for subscriptions. The North
Douglas Herald will transition to a hybrid
print and electronic model of publication.
Our print newspapers will continue to be
freely distributed across Lane and Douglas
counties through our distributors, albeit
we will be substantially increasing those
distributors and bundles.
Subscriptions will become electronic
and ALL subscriptions will be free as well,
no matter where the reader requests it from.
One thing that we don’t want to do is change
to the e-zine or web based type of internet
news broadcast. I will retain the newspaper
format and that will be downloadable and
viewable from devices from computers
and laptops to phones and tablets. The look
will remain the same. We are starting this
conversion now and are sending emails and
links to subscribers and I anticipate being
fully converted by the April issue, so please
bear with us. Check out our pickup locations,
where you can still get a copy and beginning
this month we will be loading about double
the amount of newspapers to each location.
As I navigate these new waters,
I want to renew my commitment to you to
provide a quality product and increase the
availability by increasing locations and we
are working on a newstand shelf that can
hold up to 50 or so newspapers for each
location. This will help the North Douglas
Herald to stand out and make it easier to
locate at each distributor. Along the way I
have put together a donation page through
PayPal for anyone who wishes to assist us in
our goal to provide free newspaper services
to the public at large. These funds are 100%
dedicated to print and distribution, not for
payroll or purchases.
Letters to the Editor
We welcome letters regarding personal, community or business topics, views,
observations, complaints, accolades and any other communications from our readers.
It seems our legal system has declined so far
from the time the constitution was written until
today, that isn’t just anymore. Now it seems
that whoever has the most money can just
buy it, whether right or wrong. For example,
someone of meager income can win the case
but still lose because the other side can appeal
the decision and in case of city, county or state,
use taxpayers money against you. So because of
politics the only justice is for the highest bidder.
I don’t think this is what the founding fathers
had in mind and wanted for everyone, rich or
poor, to have equality, this is called a monopoly.
(Corporations) These monopolies should not be
allowed to push you around. They all lined up
for easy money. This will offend some people
but I will list some of them anyway. Lawyers,
Doctors, Dentists and Churches. Another thing
I see that I think is wrong is when Lawyers get
more of the settlement than the person that was
damaged. You can see that is a problem. It is
hard for good things to happen to good people
with these practices ongoing. I hope I live long
enough to see the changes.
Robert Wykowski
Yoncalla OR
Drain
Mayor: Erin Sparhawk
Council Position #1: Grant Vaughan
Council Position #2: Kevin VanPelt
Council Position #3: Katie Decker
Council Position #4: Aaron Lymath
City Administrator: Jeni Stevens
City Council Meeting:03/11/24 6pm
Yoncalla
Mayor: Kathleen Wertz
Councilors: Dan Wagoner
Gene Vroman
Harold Gilpin
Bryce Wertz
City Administrator: Jennifer Bragg
Council Meeting: 03/14/24, 6pm
Elkton
Mayor: Daniel Burke
Council President: Joan Smith
Council Members:
Kim Moore
Dan Shepherd
Sandra Galli
Public Works Supervisor: Gary Trout
Council Meeting:03/0811/24, 8:30am
Oakland
Mayor:
Bette Keehley
Counselor: Jan Wier
Counselor: Kent Rochester
Counselor: Sky Ironplow
Counselor: Betty Tamm
Council Meeting: 03/13/24 7pm
Sutherlin
Mayor :
Michelle Sumner
Council President Debbie Hamilton
Councilor
Lisa Woods
Councilor
Joe Groussman
Councilor
Larry Whitaker
Councilor
Shawn Smalley
Councilor
Gary Dagel
City Manager
Jerry Gillham
Council Meeting: 03/11/24 7:15pm
Reedsport
Mayor :
Linda McCollum
Council Position #1: Rob Wright
Council Position #2: DeeDee Murphy
Council Position #3: Chuck Miller
Council Position #4: Allen Teitzel
Council Position #5: Rich Patten
Council Position #6: Debby Turner
Council Meeting: 03/04/24 7:15pm
Cottage Grove
Mayor: Candace Solesbee
Councilor Ward 1: Chalice Savage
Councilor Ward 2: Jon Stinnett
Councilor Ward 3: Dana Merryday
Councilor Ward 4: Greg Ervin
Councilor:
Mike Fleck
Councilor:
Alex Dreher
Council Meeting;: 03/06/24 - 6:55pm
03/20/24 - 6:55pm
County State & Federal
Douglas County Commisioners:
Tom Kress(Chair) Tim Freeman
Chris Boice
Jennifer Miller
Lane County Commissioners:
Dist 1: Ray Ceniga Dist 2: David Lovall
Dist 3: Laurie Trieger Dist 4: Pat Farr
Dist 5: Heather Buch
Oregon House Representative:
District 02:
Virgle Osborne
Oregon State Senator:
District 1:
David Brock Smith
U.S. Senate Oregon:
Jeff Merkley
Ron Wyden
U.S House of Representatives:
District 4: Val Hoyle
Secretary of State:
LaVonne Griffin-Valade
Attorney General: Ellen Rosenblum
Governor: Tina Kotek
Vice-President: Kamala Harris
President:
Joe Biden
It is important to know your representation
in your State, Districts and Municipalities. RE-
MEMBER it is vital to your freedoms to vote.If
you would like to have your own towns municipal
officers listed please send title & names only to
citydesk@ndherald.com