Creswell news — 10A
100 open mics — 3A
Boat people! — 11A
On the approach
Successful boys' golf team elects
to stay the course, page 1B
CG tidies
up, page
12A
$ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2015
SOUTH LANE COUNTY'S MOST AWARD-WINNING NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1889
Remains
found near
Brice Creek
identifi ed
Lloyd Ruiz had been missing
since 2011
T
he Lane County Sheriff’s Offi ce re-
cently identifi ed human remains dis-
covered in the Brice Creek area as those of a
camper who has been missing since 2011.
On Sunday, March 8, a local man who was
reportedly hiking in the woods near the Brice
Creek Trail discovered skeletal remains that
were later confi rmed to be human by the
Sheriff’s Offi ce. Joe Bedortha told Eugene
television station KVAL the next day that a
friend had located the remains while mush-
room hunting and asked Bedortha what to do
about them. Bedortha said he had experience
with such a situation, having discovered the
remains of a Cottage Grove woman while
camping several years ago.
The Sheriff’s Offi ce subsequently iden-
tifi ed the remains as those of Lloyd Flores
Ruiz, who disappeared from the Brice Creek
area while camping with a friend almost four
years ago, on March 18, 2011.
Crews with Lane County Search and Res-
cue searched for the then 53-year old Ruiz
after his disappearance was reported by a
man who had reportedly been camping with
him in an undeveloped campground along
the creek. The man said he spent the night
after Ruiz’ disappearance at the campsite af-
ter searching for Ruiz and before hitchhiking
into town to report that Ruiz was missing.
Crews searched the Brice Creek shoreline,
and divers conducted a search of the creek
that was not extensive due to high water lev-
els.
Ruiz reportedly went missing in the area
near Cedar Creek and Lund Park camp-
grounds. Sgt. Carrie Carver of the Lane
County Sheriff’s Offi ce described Lund Park
as the “entry point” to the area where Ruiz’
remains were found, adding that a news crew
attempting to access the site found it too re-
mote last week.
“It was a nasty, strenuous hike over steep
terrain,” she said. Carver said that “not much
else” besides human remains were discov-
ered. Ruiz’ next-of-kin have been identifi ed.
“It’s closure for the family, but not the way
we would have wanted it to be,” Carver said.
“We’re still waiting for word on the cause
and manner of death.”
VOLUME 126 • NUMBER 38
Starry,
Starry
Night
Also
inside:
The Cottage Grove Pub-
lic Library hosted a Star
Party on Monday evening,
along with the Eugene As-
tronomical Society and
NASA education ambassa-
dor Teena Della. This was
the fourth consecutive year
that all three parties have
joined for such an event.
In the parking lot, seven
telescopes were trained on
a variety of celestial ob-
jects, including planets Ve-
photo by Matt Hollander
nus and Jupiter.
With help from Eugene Astronomical Society member Kathy Oltion (left), Zoe
Despite wet and cloudy Goings peers at Venus with her grandma, Ruby Haskell (right).
conditions in the early
morning to mid-afternoon,
for,” said Society treasurer vious one, “Have you been was very pleased with the
the skies cleared to offer
to space?”
turnout, which numbered
some breath-taking views of Jerry Oltion.
Inside,
Della
—
who
had
Despite
making
it
into
the
around 50 at 8 p.m., and
the heavens.
“We plan these viewings at spent the day with high second round of the Cana- wouldn’t be surprised if an-
least a month in advance, and school students launching dian astronaut program, her other 50 people visited the
telescopes before the night
of course you never know rockets — was on hand to answer still is ‘no.’
visit
with
guests
and
answer
Community
Services
Di-
was over.
what the weather will be, but
this is as good as you can ask questions, including the ob- rector Pete Barrell said he
What a mess!
Sewage truck crash
hospitalizes driver,
threatens river, page 3A
City Council mulls Downtown
Refi nement Plan at another worksession
In-depth discussion ends
without any changes
recommended
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
T
here was much to say about the
Main Street Refi nement Plan at a
worksession of the Cottage Grove City
Council Monday night, though an at-
times heavy discussion concluded with-
out the recommendation of any changes
to the plan.
The City of Cottage Grove’s Plan-
ning Department initiated the forma-
tion of the plan, which aims to redesign
and refurbish the downtown historic
district between its historic buildings,
with the help of a Portland-based con-
sultant about a year and a half ago. The
City stated needs for downtown that in-
cluded fi xing the crown of Main Street,
repairing sidewalks, improving access
for those with disabilities and adding
outdoor utilities.
Since then, the plan has been the
subject of intense scrutiny and much
comment by members of the public, the
Planning Commission and a committee
of stakeholders.
The City Council began its exami-
nation of the Refi nement Plan in early
February after the Planning Commis-
sion recommended its passage with
a few conditions, and the Council has
the ultimate authority to adopt, reject or
modify it.
The Council held a lengthy public
hearing on Feb. 23, then got close to
voting on the plan at its March 9 meet-
ing before electing to have Monday’s
worksession to more intensely and
less formally hash out its stance on the
plan’s key issues.
The Council worked through a list
of the plan’s 22 basic components on
Monday night, though early on it ap-
peared that the discussion might only
involve the fi rst component: the cross-
section of Main Street and the plan’s
recommendation to widen sidewalks
from eight feet to 12 ½ feet; increase
parking lane width to eight feet and de-
crease the travel lane width from 16 feet
to 12 feet.
Double murderer
sentenced
Eugene Whitehall will
spend life in prison, page
10A
Please see PLAN, Page 12A
Chamber fi nalizing Deathmobile purchase
Insurance issues still to be ironed out
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
J
ust what is the current rate to
insure a beat-up Lincoln Con-
tinental with a place in movie his-
tory?
The Cottage Grove Chamber of
Commerce fi nds itself asking insur-
ance-related questions this week,
having completed (at least in prin-
ciple) the purchase of the “Death-
mobile,” the car made famous as the
one used by the fraternity brothers
of the Delta house to wreak havoc
in the climactic scene of the 1978
fi lm “Animal House.”
In late December of 2014, Cham-
ber Director Travis Palmer an-
nounced a fundraising effort on the
crowdfunding website gofundme.
com to try and keep the Deathmo-
bile in Cottage Grove through its
purchase by the Chamber. Palmer
said Monday that the Chamber has
raised the $5000 it was asked to
raise for the purchase but declined
to name the actual price of the car,
stating that the deal had not yet
been fi nalized.
As far as anyone knows, the orig-
inal Deathmobile was destroyed
shortly after the fi lm was com-
pleted. The car the Chamber has
its eye on was built from scratch
by Tom Meeks, according to Lin-
da Schmale, one of a group of the
Deathmobile’s current owners.
Meeks built his car from the ground
up, and it has appeared in parades
celebrating the movie’s anniversa-
ries, in addition to Bohemia Mining
Days, the Eugene Celebration and
other events.
Late last year, though, it was
discovered that Schmale would be
moving to Arizona and could be
taking the Deathmobile with her.
Schmale said she decided to wait
on transporting the car to see if the
Chamber could raise funding for
the purchase, which it has appar-
ently been able to accomplish.
Palmer said the biggest donation
toward the car’s purchase totaled
$2000, with another $1000 pledged
in the name of Cottage Grove High
School’s Class of 1978. He said
Please see CHAMBER, Page 12A
Sentinel fi le photo
The Chamber of Commerce hopes the Deathmobile from the movie "Animal
House" can become a local attraction at parades and other events.
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In person
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