4A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL May 6, 2015
O PINION
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Registration fee is
selective taxation
The superior method to raise revenue
is through user fees. For road use, in-
crease user fees such as gas taxes or
tolls. Measure 20-231 is poorly writ-
ten and advocates selective taxation.
Also, this type of tax must be admin-
istered statewide if user-generated fees
are insuffi cient. Notice how the pro-
posed levy intentionally punishes the
LANE COUNTY 99 percent, exempt-
ing road-busting 7.5-ton RVs, eight-ton
motor homes and six-ton trailers. It
will nearly double the basic two-year
registration fee from $86 to $161 just
in our county!
That is NOT the defi nition of a
“modest” increase. The law is written
“upside-down.” Motorcycles and light-
weight fuel-effi cient vehicles are taxed
for damage they have not caused while
exempting the real culprits.
Vote “NO” and send a message to
our “leaders” that we will no longer ac-
cept selective, “upside-down” taxation
so that the One Percent can destroy our
road infrastructure with impunity while
being exempt from taxes. User taxes
are fair because those choosing to haul
around houses pay an additional few
cents per gallon for their four-mile-per-
gallon behemoths.
Gary Vaughn
Cottage Grove
process for the Main Street Refi nement
Plan, and all those who participated
should be genuinely thanked for their
hard work on this endeavor. Even if the
referendum succeeds and the Refi ne-
ment Plan is put to a vote, this doesn’t
mean that the process was a waste of
time. Many ideas for what is needed
have been clarifi ed and weaknesses in
the plan have been reconsidered. Most
importantly, learning that improve-
ments need to be made in communi-
cating with public and encouraging
participation will, hopefully, enhance
the public comment process in the fu-
ture. Even if the plan is voted down in
an election, these lessons would help
to inform the next plan developed and
lead to a vision that refl ects the best of
what Cottage Grove can be.
I was also sorry to read that Mr.
Palmer is so opposed to the idea of al-
lowing an issue this vital to stand before
the people it will affect the most. For
good or ill, the Main Street Refi nement
Plan, if carried out, will have a dra-
matic effect on the face of our historic
downtown. The proposed streetscape
with its narrowed traffi c lanes on Main
Street will impact residents and busi-
nesses on a daily basis. The citizens of
Cottage Grove should have the right to
vote on an issue of this magnitude.
Cristina Hubbard
Cottage Grove
School Board
recommendations
The right to vote is
priceless
It is a pity that in the face of spend-
ing millions of dollars to permanently
transform Cottage Grove’s historic
downtown, Mr. Palmer feels spend-
ing $10,000 for the citizens of Cottage
Grove to have the right to vote is too
expensive.
Yes, there has been a lengthy public
The Blackberry Pie Society held a
public forum for candidates for the
South Lane School Board at Bohemia
School last week. Each candidate was
asked the same questions submitted
by the Blackberry Pie Society and by
members of the audience. Based on
responses given by the candidates at
that forum, the Blackberry Pie Society
endorses the following candidates for
the South Lane School Board in the up-
coming May 19 special election:
Position 1 - Tammy Hodgkinson
Tammy’s open and forthright com-
munication style make her an excellent
candidate. Tammy is running unop-
posed.
Position 3 – Merlene Martin
Merlene’s long standing, wide-rang-
ing experience with the South Lane
School District helps her bring thought-
ful and sound reasoning to her decision
making process.
Position 6 – Nevin Beckes
Each of the Position 6 candidates has
something to offer, but Nevin’s experi-
ence as a student in South Lane schools
and as a parent of young children helps
give him a solid, community-based
perspective that will be a valuable ad-
dition to the board.
Position 7 – Gary Mort
Gary’s research oriented approach to
problem solving will help ensure the
board will consider policies and deci-
sions from an objective point of view.
The Blackberry Pie Society thinks
this slate of candidates will result in a
well-rounded school board that refl ects
the community and will effectively
represent the community’s voice in the
South Lane School District.
The Blackberry Pie Society is a Cot-
tage Grove based political action com-
mittee dedicated to promoting good
politics and great people in South Lane
County and beyond, and having fun
while doing it.
Cathy Bellavita
Alice Doyle
Brian Forge
Gail Hoelzle
Steve Kilston
Julie Parker
Leslie Rubinstein
on behalf of the Cottage Grove
Blackberry Pie Society
Stripes are nice, let’s
make a walk
High-fi ves to Cottage Grove for
painting curbs and center stripes bright
yellow.
Down yonder in Hollywood, brass
and terrazzo stars inscribed with the
name of a local celebrity are embedded
in the legendary Walk of Fame. Let’s
place into our downtown sidewalks
brass, bronze or stainless steel squares
describing a local historic event, per-
son, place or building. Sponsors could
help defray costs.
Call it the walk of history.
Bob Hardy
Cottage Grove
Refi nement referendum aims to ensure broader representation
I
’m Mary McNamara, and
neither Michelle Rose nor
I, whose names are listed as the
chief petitioners on the petition
paperwork for the referendum
of The Main Street Refi nement
Plan, Ordinance 3053 are part
of the group, “The Friends of
Main Street. We do believe the
process of planning the Main
Street Refi nement Plan was not
adequate as refl ected by the 21
downtown businesses that are
opposed to the plan. We are col-
lecting signatures on a referen-
dum petition so the Main Street
Refi nement Plan can be put to
the voters of our community to
have the last word.
Why is that so worrisome to
Mr. Palmer? In his words, “The
process doesn’t include a public
vote for a reason,” suggesting
the general public is not capable
of voicing their opinion and
making an informed decision on
a plan that will completely gut
Main Street as we know it and
spend $9 million doing it. We
disagree.
A referendum is the right of
submission of an issue of pub-
lic importance to the direct vote
of the electorate, YOU. This
Refi nement Plan is an issue of
such public importance that, if
passed, will have the most pro-
found effect on downtown Cot-
tage Grove of anything that has
taken place in the 40 years that
I have lived here, including the
four years that I served on the
City Council.
Michele and I have under-
taken this petition process be-
cause we believe in the process
of democracy. The exchange of
views is integral to the demo-
cratic process. When turning
in our petition request I was
told by the Secretary of State’s
offi ce that we had to select the
fi rst upcoming election for our
referendum, and that was in
September. I don’t feel our tax
dollars are being wasted in this
process. It is a democratic pro-
cess, a decision by the people,
for the people.
I have lived in Cottage Grove
for 40 years. What I love about
Cottage Grove is the downtown,
the trees, friendly business on
Main Street, a quick walk from
99 to the river. That’s what at-
tracted me to Cottage Grove.
It’s the part I talk about when I
‘sell’ Cottage Grove. The city
has been awarded Tree City,
USA several times, yet much of
the new plan eliminates many of
the current trees, which may or
may not be replaced.
I owned and operated the
Main Street Deli here in Cottage
Grove for over 12 years, so I un-
derstand when a business owner
tells me that, “I don’t think I can
make it if construction blocks
my customer base for very
long.” That is just one of the le-
gitimate concerns for several of
the downtown businesses who
oppose this plan, yet it was ap-
proved by the City Council.
One of my main concerns is
the safety of our citizens related
to the changes to the roadway
plan, the much-widened side-
walks and effect on parking.
Come downtown, park out a few
extra feet from the current curb.
You now are about seven feet
from the sidewalk. Open your
car door, slowly, and see if you
feel safe. I did that and I was
afraid to open the door of the car
onto Main Street. You decide. I
am concerned about the condi-
tion of the sidewalks. They are
a safety hazard and need to be
repaired but not widened to the
degree planned.
Mr. Palmer’s comments seem
intended to squelch participation
in the larger democratic process.
This referendum is not a slap
in the face to those involved in
the planning of the Main Street
Refi nement Plan. It is simply in-
tended to ensure a broader rep-
resentation of views on a pro-
posed project that would have
huge implications for the future
of downtown Cottage Grove.
What can you do? Get in-
volved simply by signing the
petition (at The Bookmine) to
put this incomplete plan to a
general vote of the electorate.
Ask questions of the process
team and better yet, ask city of-
fi cials or the Chamber why this
Main Street Refi nement Plan
wasn’t brought to the voters in
the fi rst place. It is a $9 million
plan, not a small commitment.
MARY MCNAMARA,
CHIEF PETITIONER, REFERENDUM
OF ORDINANCE 3053
Diet-related endocrine disruptors linked to earlier menopause
BY JOEL FUHRMAN, MD
For the Sentinel
E
ndocrine disrupting chem-
icals (EDCs) are hormon-
ally active synthetic substances
that can mimic, alter or oppose
the actions of our body’s natu-
ral hormones. EDCs are con-
sidered by
scientists to
be a signifi -
cant pub-
lic health
concern.
Exposure
to EDCs is
associated
$ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM
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with reproductive abnormalities
and breast and prostate cancers.
Although we are exposed to
EDCs on a daily basis, there are
steps we can take to reduce this
exposure.
New research suggests that
exposure to certain EDCs is
linked to an earlier age at meno-
pause. Earlier menopause is sig-
nifi cant because it can represent
a premature decline in ovary
function. At earlier points in
time, this could cause reduced
fertility. A premature decline in
ovarian function may also in-
crease the risk of cardiovascular
disease and osteoporosis after
menopause.2,3
Awareness of bisphenol A
(BPA) and other EDCs in plas-
tics and food can liners is wide-
spread. However, we are ex-
posed to many EDCs in addition
to BPA, such as PCBs, DDT and
phthalates. The study used data
collected from women across
the U.S. on age at their last men-
strual cycle and blood or urine
concentrations of many differ-
ent EDCs. High blood concen-
trations of 15 EDCs—including
nine PCBs, three pesticides and
two phthalates—were associ-
ated with earlier age at meno-
pause (by 1.9-3.8 years).
How are we exposed to
these chemicals? PCBs have
been banned since the 1970s.
Although the quantity has de-
clined, PCBs still persist in the
environment and accumulate in
the fatty tissues of animals. So
we can be exposed to PCBs by
eating fatty animal products.
Some of the most contaminated
foods are fi sh, butter and ground
beef. Farmed salmon is one of
the most dangerous foods when
it comes to PCB content. Ac-
cording to data from the Envi-
ronmental Working Group on
certain PCBs, farmed salmon
has 16 times the PCB content of
wild salmon and four times the
PCB content of beef.
The pesticides that were as-
sociated with early menopause
in the study were DDE (a
breakdown product of DDT),
beta-HCH and mirex. Similar
to PCBs, all of these pesticides
were banned in the 1970s but
still persist in the environment,
and primarily we are exposed to
these chemicals by eating ani-
mal foods.
The strongest links to early
menopause were for the two
phthalates, which are indica-
tors of exposure to a plasticizer
called DEHP. Phthalates such as
DEHP are used to make plastic
materials (especially PVC plas-
tics) more pliable. Phthalates
are also used in cosmetics and
fragrances,
pharmaceuticals,
cleaning products and insecti-
cides. For DEHP, our exposure
comes primarily from plastic
food packaging, and limiting in-
take of packaged foods has been
shown to reduce urine DEHP
concentration. In a dietary inter-
vention study, participants were
instructed to eat fresh foods that
were not canned or packaged
in plastic for three days. Urine
levels of DEHP (and also BPA)
decreased during the three-day
intervention.
Ways to minimize exposure
to these EDCs:
Avoid or minimize animal
products, especially fi sh.
Minimize foods packaged in
plastic (especially plastics with
recycling code #3).
Check ingredient lists on per-
sonal care products for phthal-
ates.
Avoid cleaning products and
personal care products with
“fragrance” in the ingredient
list.
Dr. Fuhrman is a #1 New
York Times best-selling author
and a family physician special-
izing in lifestyle and nutritional
medicine. Visit his website at
DrFuhrman.com. Submit your
questions and comments about
this column directly to news-
questions@drfuhrman.com. The
full reference list for this article
can be found at DrFuhrman.
com.
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