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4A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL May 13, 2015 O PINION LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CG has a plan Mike Ritter Cottage Grove To plan or not to plan, that is the question. Changing the words of Shake- speare’s Hamlet seems appro- priate when discussing the Main Street Refi nement Plan and current petition for a referen- dum/vote. The City of Cottage Grove has a plan; though some may dislike parts of the plan, it is still a plan. Certainly no one can say that the City did not follow due process in developing the plan. The City should be commended for the substantial process pro- vided over the last 18 months. Multiple opportunities for the community of Cottage Grove to be heard allowed for fair and informed decision-making by City Offi cials. A “plan” is a detailed pro- posal for doing, achieving, ac- complishing, building or im- proving something. Plans can change; they allow for unfore- seen circumstances or change in direction and can be amended. Fortunately, the Main Street Re- fi nement Plan is such, and the absence of a well-thought out plan can have adverse conse- quences. Hamlet is thinking about life and acknowledges that, though it’s sometimes diffi cult, the al- ternative is worse. The City of Cottage Grove has a good plan. Are there risks and uncertain- ties, yes, but the far greater issue is to not have a plan at all. The petition for the referendum is looking to vote against the plan, thus leaving NO PLAN. This is why the Board of Directors for the Cottage Grove Community Development Corporation sup- ports the Main Street Refi ne- ment Plan as adopted. Cottage Grove Community Development Board of Direc- tors Let’s go Where do I sign up to volun- teer to help with the construc- tion on Main Street? I would love to help where I can. I’m just a phone call away. Red- mond, Oregon did a wonderful job on their Main Street last year. It’s super nice. Of course that is Central Oregon. They love to make their city beauti- ful. It looks like my town of 58 years is becoming like that city of Eugene to the north. Liberal whack-jobs. I could use the fi re- wood from the trees. Let the work begin now. One more mat- ter. Do not go by any of the so- called gun laws made recently. It’s against your constitution. Extremely expensive It has come to our attention that an editorial in the Cot- tage Grove Sentinel on April 29, made an important point: “Know the cost before you sign the petition” — that a special election to stop the “Main Street Refi nement Plan” could be “EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE”, possibly costing up to $10,000. When this plan was proposed by the planners, from Portland, it had an estimated cost of $8 to 9 million. From a business point it is still unclear as to the return on this investment. This sounds EXTRA EXTREMELY EX- PENSIVE! Other large expenses would be the negative impact on busi- nesses. When they tear out the sidewalks in front of the build- ing to narrow the streets, this will disrupt the traffi c into these businesses. And the ultimately result is a dangerous and less user friendly parking situation. And what about the potential damage to the buildings when the sidewalks are all torn up to their foundations? There is a solution to spend- ing $10,000, on a special elec- tion and/or $9,000,000+ on this fl awed plan. The city counsel could meet and reject the plan. Then walk several blocks and talk to the businesses owners. With this information, they could hopefully come up with a plan that has an obvious return on investment. If they will not walk the walk of representation: Let us demon- strate that democracy still works here in America. Ron Davis, The Rosebud Cottage Grove Be your best — without nicotine We are working to foster a healthier community, and we want to thank the Cottage Grove City Council for its recent pas- sage of the ordinance to restrict e-cigarette sales to minors and ban the use of e-cigarettes where smoking is not allowed. We sup- port passing measures such as this that protect our youth from nicotine addiction. Tom Wheeler and Beth Pool On behalf of the Be Your Best, Cottage Grove steering committee We support the plan I’ve been asked by the EBID (Economic Business Improve- ment District) board to address the current issue of the circulat- ing referendum petition for our Main Street Refi nement Plan. Our earlier public testimony zeroed in on the proposed rec- ommendations for All-America City Square, which was built under the voluntary auspices and fi nances of EBID, local property and/or business owners. I recognize that everyone who cares about this plan for the heart of our community, wheth- er they live within or outside the city boundary, only want what’s best for our town. Obviously, perceptions matter, and this has resulted in two sides dividing over a downtown controversy that most everyone agrees needs attention. Our Board has gone on record in supporting the fi - nal resolution as voted on by the majority of our elected City Council representatives. We un- derstand that it is a plan, imper- fect at best, but one that allows us to move forward for more fu- ture discussions because we all know that change is inevitable. In the end, I hope people will appreciate the thought that if this is our most diffi cult challenge, we should be the envy of every small town in America. Please feel free to contact any of your EBID representatives, which are as follows: George Devine, Karen Winters, Kevin Pillow, Liz Kline, Juli Timperley, Sha- ron Scarpelli, Danny Solesbee and Brent Hoover. We, like you, love our community. Jim Gilroy President Pro Tem EBID Kudos, CT We have just seen the last performance of the Cottage Theatre’s production of “Les Miserables” and wanted to pub- licly congratulate the theatre’s producers, actors, orchestra, and volunteers for the extraordinary job they have done. The play was a smash hit with us — the coordination of the hidden or- chestra and with the actors on stage seemed perfect, the action and staging was great, and the singing voices were very good. Thanks to all involved for a very special afternoon at the theatre. We have enjoyed theatrical productions from the big-city theaters in Washington, D.C., Cleveland, southern California, Eugene’s Hult and others, and this small city community the- ater ranks up with the be best. Ruth and Lew Kazebee Cottage Grove Hemenway for School Board I am writing to endorse the re- election of Darin Hemenway to the South Lane School Board. Darin has proven that he has the ability to recognize the best interest of our students and our community. Being a life-long resident of Cottage Grove, Da- rin also understands the specifi c needs of our school district and is able to make tough decisions when needed. You will fi nd that Darin is considerate of others and works well with all board members, staff and community members, making his role as a board member a productive one. Darin’s experience as a lo- cal businessman and a graduate of Cottage Grove High School gives him the background need- ed to help assure a stable direc- tion for our School District. Thank you for joining me in supporting Darin Hemenway for re-election to South Lane School Board. Bill Thompson Retired Teacher, CGHS Likes things as they are Well I think that it is foolish that we would spend $9,000,000 on downtown. I happen to like things as they are. Private prop- erty owners have every right to get rid of trees that are now caus- ing major problems with their buildings. I have nearly come to a nasty “face plant” a few years ago when in just a fraction of a second was not paying attention and my foot caught one of those irregularities in the sidewalk on Main Street. A little bruised and scraped, but otherwise ok. Yes, the crown on Main Street is too high, and this road can be re-profi led. Anyone who drives knows this. If you have ever had a passenger get in on the right side of your vehicle and now the right side door is stuck — well, need I say more? I have signed the petition to put this scheme on the ballot for September. I plan to vote against it. Re-profi le Main Street and put in better wheelchair acces- sible crossings. I think we can spend a good deal less than $9,000,000 and get an outcome that will work. Charles Ames Cottage Grove Main Street board supports plan The Cottage Grove Main Street Program Board of Direc- tors supports the decision that our elected City Councilors made when they approved the Main Street Refi nement Plan and the points made against a referendum by Chamber Execu- tive Director Travis Palmer’s re- cent letter to the editor. The purpose of the Main Street Program is to support activities that enhance Historic Main Street, so we are con- cerned about the damaged side- walks that are tripping hazards, high curbs that cause damage to car doors, building vacancies and lack of ADA compliance that the Main Street businesses, suppliers, customers and visitors deal with every day. The Main Street Coordinator discussed the refi nement plan with sev- eral, if not all of the downtown businesses during the planning process to educate, encourage participation in the process and advocate on their behalf. While there were strong opinions on certain portions of the plan, she heard agreement that the streets and sidewalks needed to be fi xed. Granted, these are only part of the improvements proposed in the refi nement plan, yet the Main Street Board believes that the public process did its job of providing ample opportunity for the community of Cottage Grove, business and property owners and subject experts to research the issues and voice their opinions throughout the planning process. Credit should be given to City staff, the Plan- ning Commission and the City Council for making changes to the plan that refl ected public in- put prior to adopting the plan. That is true public process at work, and we hope that public dollars will be spent on the re- fi nement project instead of a referendum to give us a vibrant heart for our community — a refi ned Main Street. Shauna Neigh on behalf of the Cottage Grove Main Street Program Board of Directors Expensive and unnecessary Looking through my ballot I received in the mail recently, I didn't see a measure regarding the $9 million facelift being pro- posed for downtown Main Street in Cottage Grove. Without any public vote, the city is planning on widening the sidewalks on both sides of Main Street, from Highway 99 to River Road. Aside from the unnecessary and expensive construction costs this will incur, my main concern is the back-channeling of this proposal. Something that affects all residents of Cottage Grove needs to be voted on by all residents of Cottage Grove. At least 80 percent of business owners along that stretch of Main Street (who would lose a lot of revenue from a lengthy construction project) are not in favor of this proposal. A public vote is needed. Another concern is how the widening of the sidewalks would affect the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists who frequent the downtown blocks. The current width of Main Street in the af- fected blocks is barely wide enough for two lanes of traf- fi c and curbside parking. If the street is narrowed, that area will shrink dramatically. Bicyclists will be put in much greater dan- ger of being hit by motorists or by car doors being opened. Any bicyclist who is injured as a re- sult of this proposal will have an excellent case to sue the City, costing us even more money. It will also be much harder for vehicles to see pedestrians step- ping into the crosswalks, since cars parked along the curb will reduce the visibility of pedes- trians until they're practically in the street. The idea that nar- rowing the street will cause ve- hicles to slow down is absurd: that stretch of Main Street is peppered with traffi c lights and crosswalks; I've never seen any- one speeding through it. Nar- rowing the street is unnecessary and potentially fatal. Finally, the removal of all the trees along that stretch of Main Street (allegedly due to the possibility of tree roots doing damage to the sidewalks) will not only make our All America City extremely ugly, it will also remove much-needed shady ar- eas of Main Street. Those shady areas are vital to anyone who attends the numerous annual outdoor events that bring lots of people downtown in the hot summer months. A public vote is needed. Let's not let a few special interests push their expensive agenda through the back chan- nels of the City Council. If you love the look and feel of historic downtown Cottage Grove, and do not want your tax dollars wasted, please make your voice heard and either put this issue to a vote or put it to sleep. Matt Emrich Cottage Grove How are diabetes and cancer connected? BY JOEL FUHRMAN, MD For the Sentinel O ver 29 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes. The danger- ously high prevalence of over- weight and obesity is at the heart of this problem. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, is the leading cause of blindness and kidney failure in adults, and doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke. Diabetes also increases the $ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM 116 N. Sixth Street · P.O. Box 35 · Cottage Grove, OR 97424 ADMINISTRATION: JOHN BARTLETT, Regional Publisher.............................. GARY MANLY, General Manager................942-3325 Ext. 207 • publisher@cgsentinel.com ROBIN REISER, Sales Repersentative...............942-3325 Ext. 203 • robin@cgsentinel.com E. SCURRY ELLIS, Sales Repersentative......... 942-3325 Ext. 213 • esellis@cgsentinel.com MELISSA WARE, Inside Sales Repersentative......... 942-3325 Ext. 203 SPORTS DEPARTMENT: MATTHEW HOLLANDER, Sports Editor...................942- 3325 Ext. 204 • sports@cgsentinel.com CUSTOMER SERVICE CARLA WILLIAMS, Office Manager.................942-3325 Ext. 201 • billing@cgsentinel.com LEGALS.............................................................942-3325 Ext. 200 • legals@cgsentinel.com NEWS DEPARTMENT: JON STINNETT, Editor......................................942-3325 Ext. 212 • cgnews@cgsentinel.com GRAPHICS: RON ANNIS, Graphics Manager (USP 133880) risk of sev- eral can- cers. In a number of studies, diabetic patients have been shown to have an el- evated risk of colorectal cancer and non-diabetics with elevated postprandial glucose levels also have a higher risk of colorectal cancer than individuals with nor- mal glucose tolerance. A review that analyzed data from several studies found that diabetic pa- tients are 30 percent more likely to develop colorectal cancer, 20 percent more likely to develop breast cancer, and 82 percent more likely to develop pancre- atic cancer. How could diabetes infl uence the development of cancer? The high blood glucose levels and the resultant elevated insulin response associated with type 2 diabetes, affect all tissues of the body. It has been hypothesized that diets high in sugars and white fl our increase the risk of cancers because of their impact on these factors, particularly el- evated insulin. Scientists think that insulin therapy and elevated insulin lev- els contribute to the association between diabetes and colorectal cancer. Insulin in high concen- trations may bind to the receptor for a growth factor called insu- lin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) — this interaction has the po- tential to promote the growth and division of cancer cells. Cancerous cells also often have elevated levels of insulin recep- tors, and when insulin binds these receptors it has growth- promoting effects. There is much evidence sup- porting the possibility that chronic exposure to diets rich in refi ned carbohydrates may act directly to promote cancer development. Foods with a high glycemic load (such as sugar and white fl our products) pro- duce dangerous spikes in blood glucose, consequently resulting in high insulin production. Di- ets including large quantities of high GL foods increase the risk of several chronic diseases, in- cluding cancers.8 For example, a meta-analysis of many studies found a 26 percent increase in colorectal cancer risk in people who consumed the most high glycemic load foods in their di- ets. I have observed in my medical practice that a Nutritarian diet combined with moderate exer- cise can reverse type 2 diabetes in 90 percent of patients, and that an aggressive nutritional approach is more effective and much safer than conventional drug-centered care. The best diet for preventing or reversing diabetes is also the best diet for cancer protection. It is a diet with a high nutrient per calorie ratio — including lots of green and non-starchy vegetables, beans, raw nuts and seeds, and some fresh fruit; limiting animal products; and avoiding sweet- eners, oils and white fl our. The high levels of dietary micronu- trients fuel cellular repair, re- duce body fat and heal the body from the inside out, resulting in a dramatic reversal of heart dis- ease, and diabetes, offering dra- matic protection against cancer. Dr. Fuhrman is a #1 New York Times best-selling author and a family physician special- izing in lifestyle and nutrition- al medicine. 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