COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL September 16, 2015
Sheriff's Offi ce releases
DUII patrol stats
T
New school takes lessons
from the great outdoors
'Nature's Mystery'
plans open house this
weeekend
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
A
Cottage Grove native has
come home to teach the
lessons he’s learned in the great
outdoors.
Nathaniel Nordin-Tuininga
has followed a meandering
path that’s led him back to his
hometown, and he’s hoping that
nature can be both playground
and teacher at his new endeavor,
Nature’s Mystery Forest Kin-
dergarten.
The program, Nordin-Tuin-
inga explains, is “based on the
time-tested and highly success-
ful European models of outdoor
education, where they have
demonstrated the positive corre-
lation between regular exposure
to prolonged outdoor explora-
tion and enhanced cognitive
development, balanced emo-
tional states, physical health,
improved concentration and a
general sense of well-being.”
The school will operate at an
area farm/homestead and is an
all-day program designed to
supplement other early child-
hood education.
“The vast majority of our
time is spent exploring the for-
est, meadow, creek and farm
surrounding the farmhouse,”
Nordin-Tuininga wrote. “Each
day is set to follow a consis-
tent rhythm that helps to keep
the children feeling safe and
secure.”
The full-day program typical-
ly begins with a morning circle,
followed by chores for adults
and free play for kids. Snacks,
nap and quiet time follow, and
afternoons offer a chance to
work in the garden, care for ani-
mals and for more exploration.
“We close our day together in
gratitude for one another and all
beings with whom we share our
home,” Nordin-Tuininga wrote.
In addition to the kindergarten
program for ages 3-6, Nature’s
Mystery will also offer a pro-
gram aimed at home-schooled
children that offers one day
a week to visit local forests,
farms, permaculture home-
steads, intentional communities
and project sites.
courtesy photo
Nathaniel Nordin-Tuininga has started a school based
on outdoor exploration designed to supplement other
early childhood education programs.
“During this time we will
have many opportunities to
learn about the native fl ora and
fauna and the practices of the
indigenous people of this land,”
according to the school’s bro-
chure.
For Nordin-Tuininga, the
school is the culmination of a
journey that brought him from
the University of Oregon, to
Lost Valley Educational Center,
where he made many of the con-
nections that led to the school’s
founding, and to the Amazon,
where his studies and interac-
tions with native peoples fos-
tered a desire to help enlighten
children back home.
“The children there were very
interested in what I had to of-
fer,” he said. “I was teaching
them what I was learning from
their elders, and it seemed to
make more sense to pass on the
knowledge to kids in Oregon.”
Nordin-Tuininga later started
an after-school program in the
area and a camp in Eugene, and
he said he already has a few kids
signed up for Nature’s Mystery,
which runs Fridays from 8:30-
12:30 for children ages 3-6.
The school is currently seeking
more enrollees and volunteers;
an open house is scheduled for
Sept. 18, and those interested
can call 541-521-8658 or visit
naturesmystery.org for more in-
formation.
Passport to History winners announced
C
ottage Grove’s 2015 Pass-
port to History – billed
as a “fun, free, history-based
activity aimed at encouraging
youth age 17 and younger and
their families to visit local his-
tory organizations” – recently
announced its six prize winners
drawn from the pool of partici-
pants who fi lled their passports
by successfully completing his-
tory related activities at each
of the fi ve participating history
organizations in Cottage Grove
LORANE
COUNTRY
NEWS
BY LIL THOMPSON
For the Sentinel
this summer.
Piper Bomall won the grand
prize of a tablet. Cheyenne
Jensen and Steven Watts-Silcott
each won Riverpacks – back-
packs custom equipped for a
trip to the river – and Tyeson
Williams, Zoe Goings and Paige
Watts each won third place priz-
es of $15 gift certifi cates from
Delight.
Passport to History activities
included a scavenger hunt at the
Bohemia Gold Mining Museum
A
ll in all, the Lorane Cel-
ebration 2015 was enjoy-
able for everyone. The outdoor
movie was also a hit.
Mark your calendars for Fri-
day, Sept. 25 for the return of
the spaghetti dinner and bingo
nights at Lorane Grange with
dinner at 5:30 p.m. Due to Duck
and Beaver games, it is Friday
night if there is a Saturday game
7A
and learning about family his-
tory at the Cottage Grove Ge-
nealogical Society.
Nearly 400 Passports to His-
tory were distributed to Cottage
Grove area youth. The project
was supported by a grant from
the Cottage Grove Community
Foundation, contributions from
the Cottage Grove Museum,
the Cottage Grove Historical
Society, the Cottage Grove Ge-
nealogical Society, the Cottage
Grove Library and the Bohe-
mia Gold Mining Museum, and
sponsored by Lane Community
College, Opal Center/Storybook
Theatre, Apple Pie Antiques and
Delight.
Those seeking more informa-
tion on the program may con-
tact Cottage Grove Historical
Society President Holli Turpin
at 541-520-1233 or turpinhol@
gmail.com, or Tara Sue Hughart,
Cottage Grove Museum Coordi-
nator, at 541-968-2254 or tara-
suehughart99@gmail.com.
through November.
Any-
one interested in rug hooking
classes can contact either BJ or
Lisa Livelybrooks. They had
a beautiful display of hooking
at the Grange during Satur-
day’s crafts/sales.
Rural Arts Council Movie
Nights return to Lorane Grange
on Saturday, Oct. 10 with soup
dinner at 6 p.m. Lorane Grange
will be serving.
Be sure to come out and en-
joy the coffee hour at the Re-
bekah Lodge every Wednesday
morning with coffee, muffi ns
and great visiting! Again, be
aware of students waiting for
school buses and the buses stop-
ping. We have been experienc-
ing some early-morning fog,
and daylight is growing shorter.
Participants are encouraged to
join at any time during the class.
For more information, call An-
drew Schrenk at 541-214-1288.
Cub Scout Launch
Party
he Lane County Sheriff’s
Offi ce recently released
statistics related to a saturation
of patrols meant to focus on im-
paired driving over the Labor
Day holiday weekend.
The Sheriff’s Offi ce states
that, between Aug. 22 and Sept.
7, its Deputies logged 46 hours
of overtime providing focused
DUII enforcement during the
nation-wide event. Overtime
funding was provided through
grants by the Oregon State
Sheriff’s Association (OSSA)
and Oregon Department of
Transportation (ODOT).
During this time, Lane Coun-
ty Sheriff’s Offi ce Deputies
made 88 traffi c stops and issued
a total of 69 citations. Deputies
made nine DUII arrests: seven
for alcohol impairment and two
for drug impairment. The Sher-
iff’s Offi ce said two arrests were
also made for drug possession
charges.
Eight citations were issued
for driving while a license was
suspended/revoked; 14 citations
were issued for driving without
insurance and 23 citations were
issued for speeding.
Over this period, deputies re-
sponded to two alcohol-related
crashes on grant overtime, one
of which was a fatal crash.
ODF: Fire season
remains in effect
throughout Oregon
Season generally lasts well into October, and
most fi res are caused by humans
D
on’t be fooled by the
cool mornings and short-
er days of September, says the
Oregon Department of Forestry
(ODF). Fire offi cials with ODF
say that on average more than
200 fi res burn in excess of 1,000
acres across the state each fall.
In fact, in the early fall of 2014,
the 36 Pit, Yellow Point and
Scoggins Creek fi res combined
burned about 6,500 acres.
More than 90 percent of the
fi res are caused by people dur-
ing this time of year. To date
in 2015, about 900 fi res have
burned more than 93,500 acres
on ODF protected lands.
“People are genuinely sur-
prised when their thought-to-be
safe actions result in a fi re,” said
ODF Fire Prevention Coordina-
tor Tom Fields.
Fields says that fi re season
remains in effect and generally
lasts well into October.
Open fi res remain prohibited
on lands protected by ODF in-
cluding campfi res outside of
approved campgrounds and the
burning of debris. Forest fuels
are at their driest after an entire
summer of limited rainfall. A
season ending event of several
days of substantial rainfall, usu-
ally well into the fall, will be
needed to erase fi re danger and
lift restrictions.
Other activities restricted dur-
ing fi re season include off-road
driving where hot exhaust and
sparks from muffl ers can ignite
dry grass; the use of tracer am-
munition and exploding targets
and the use of power equip-
ment such as chain saws and
lawn mowers cutting dry grass.
Check with your local ODF or
fi re protection association offi ce
for specifi c restrictions or log on
to www.oregon.gov/odf. Viola-
tors will be cited and fi ned and,
should a fi re result, held liable
for fi re suppression costs.
While many corporate private
lands remain closed due to the
continued fi re danger, hunting
season is still open. Hunters and
other outdoor enthusiasts must
have landowner permission
before entering and follow all
public fi re use restrictions listed
above.
a free monthly public meeting
series called the Coast Fork Sci-
ence Pub on the fourth Tuesday
of each month from 5-7 p.m. at
the Axe & Fiddle, 657 E. Main
Street in Cottage Grove.
This magical dramatization
of the C.S. Lewis classic faith-
fully recreates the adventures
of four children who wander,
quite by accident, from an old
wardrobe into the exciting and
unusual land of Narnia. A large
cast of approximately 30 actors
is needed for this production,
directed by Kory Weimer. There
are two roles for children ages
9 to 12; the remaining roles are
for teens and adults ages 14 to
70. “The Lion, the Witch, and
the Wardrobe” will run for 11
performances from Dec. 4-20.
These auditions are open to
any interested actors, and no ap-
pointment is necessary.
Additional details are avail-
able at www.cottagetheatre.org
or by calling Cottage Theatre at
541-942-8001.
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
Help with divorce
DivorceCare divorce recovery
seminar and support group meets
at the Sixth and Gibbs Church
of Christ in Cottage Grove each
Sunday night starting on Sept.
20, and running through Dec.
20 from 6-8 p.m. The church
is located at 195 N. 6th St. Di-
vorceCare features nationally
recognized experts on divorce
and recovery topics. Seminar
sessions include “Facing My
Anger”, “Facing My Loneli-
ness,” “New Relationships,”
“KidCare” and “Forgiveness”.
Birch Avenue Dental
Park W. McClung, DDS • Tammy L. McClung, DDS
Where dentistry is our profession but people are our focus
WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS!
Check out our exclusive Birch Avenue Dental Program that provides
all the rewards of dental insurance without the headaches.
For more information please call
541-942-2471
or visit us at
www.birchavenuedental.com
Pack 140 invites all fi rst
through fi fth-grade boys to join
a Rocket Launching Party at
Bohemia Park on Wednesday,
Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. The boys
and their parents will have an
opportunity to learn about the
Cub Scout program and launch
their own rockets made from
two-liter soda bottles. For in-
formation and to RSVP, contact
Christie Johnson at christiewel-
lerjohnson@gmail.com.
Science Pub
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, the
Coast Fork Willamette Water-
shed Council welcomes Marjo-
ry House, Agronomist and Soil
Nutrition Consultant, to Cot-
tage Grove for its Science Pub
presentation. Her talk, entitled
“Soil Nutrition: How It Re-
lates to Your Food and Health,”
will share resources on how to
achieve sustainable agriculture
for a prosperous future on both
an individual and community
level.
The Watershed Council hosts
912 Project
State Representative Cedric
Hayden of House District 7 will
be the guest speaker at the next
meeting of the Cottage Grove
912 Project on Monday, Sept. 21
at 6:30 p.m. at Stacy’s Covered
Bridge Restaurant, 401 E. Main
St. Hayden will speak about this
year’s legislative session.
The meeting is open to the
public and there is no cost to at-
tend.
Auditions for
“The Lion, the
Witch, and the
Wardrobe”
Cottage Theatre will hold au-
ditions for The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe on Sunday,
Oct. 4 and Monday, Oct. 5 at
6:30 p.m. This play, drama-
tized by Joseph Robinette from
the story by C.S. Lewis, will
be the fi nal offering in Cottage
Theatre’s 2015 season. Audi-
tions will be held at the theatre,
located at 700 Village Drive in
Cottage Grove.
St. Vinny golf
tournament
A golf fundraiser for St. Vin-
cent de Paul will be held at Mid-
dlefi eld Golf Course on Sunday,
Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. The local
Knights of Columbus is putting
on this event for $25 per per-
son, which includes a barbecue
lunch. Be there prior to 1 p.m.
to register. For more informa-
tion, go to: http://kofcknights.
org/CouncilSite/event-detail.
asp?ID=85749&CNO=3154&F
ROM=U
NEW: Digital X-Rays (use less radiation)
Implants •Teeth Whitening • Extractions
Lumineers (no prep veneers as seen on TV)
Cottage Grove Dental
Dr. Brent Bitner, DDS
350 Washington, Cottage Grove (behind Better Bodies)
541.942.7934