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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 2016)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL January 27, 2016 Body Balance 7A Arms-Core-Legs Get strong Dance and Tone + STAY STRONG Curves Circuit with Jillian Michaels Our All-New Boxing Class is Here! Strength + Balance + Cardio + Core All in 30 Minutes 1133 E. Main Street, Cottage Grove www.curves.com 541.942.9580 Everyone Can Ride to Local and Metro Destinations Providing Public, Accessible Transportation to the Region 541.942.0456 Cottage Grove, OR 97424 www.southlanewheels.org SOUTH LANE COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE The Only Emergency Medical Transport Service in South Lane County Community Public Education: • CPR/AED • Heart Attack Recognition • Fall Prevention • Stroke Prevention • Fire Prevention • Fire Extinguishers • Fire-Med Membership A classroom ham! A fter 30 years of teaching, Ms. Patty Wilson (Ms. Patty) wanted an ex- tra special classroom pet for her special education students. “In the past my class- rooms have had fi sh, rabbits, and a cat,” said Ms. Patty. “I searched for a mini-pig and discovered that most people selling them didn’t have background breed information or a clear direction on how to care for the animal, or they appeared to be getting rid of an unwanted animal.” Ms. Patty was waiting for the perfect pig! Not just any pig would do! Then she saw an ad from “Sharp’s Little Pig Town”. “Their pigs were neutered, box trained, and socialized,” said Ms. Patty. “They cared about their animals and were available for additional support and questions. I had cats, dogs and horses growing up and cur- rently live on a farm where we raise Black Angus Cattle, but I was unfamiliar with little pigs, so support while raising one was welcome.” Ms. Patty double-checked with Bohemia Elementary School’s administrators about having a classroom pig before adopting Hampton. The breeders felt that Hampton would be a good match for the P.C.H. (Pat- ty’s Classroom Helper) job of de-escalat- ing frustrated students or calming students struggling with behavioral expectations. Hampton’s job description also was to be the honored recipient (incentive) for stu- dents to earn prized “pig time”. During the school year, Hampton accom- panies Ms. Patty to her classroom, where he has a home-away-from-home area. His “playpen” has a bed, food and water, toys and a litter box fi lled with paper pellets from the farm store. And yes, he does use his litter box, just like a cat or rabbit! “Hampton was not named when I adopted him,” said Ms. Patty, “and on my drive to work, I heard the name ‘Hampton’ on the radio, which fi ts him perfectly.” Hampton is mellow in the mornings and rides to school in a pet carrier grunting soft- ly or sleeping. On their way home, he rides quietly for the fi rst 10 minutes and then loudly squeals the remainder of the way. He knows it is dinnertime and he loves eat- ing! He is defi nitely a ‘pig of routine’ who prefers that you stick to ‘his’ schedule! If his food does not arrive at what he thinks is the designated time, he lets you know by loudly squealing his demands. “Both male and female students equally enjoy Hampton.” said Ms. Patty. “They compliment him by calling him ‘handsome’ or ‘cute’. Some children have asked, ‘Does he have gel in his hair?’ and ‘Why isn’t his tail curly?’. One of my third graders, Sarai, said, ‘He squeaks cute and has a cute nose.’ Richard said, ’I like how Hampton squeaks loud, and the way he eats.’ And O’Shea said, ‘I like it when he puts his nose under your arm, and the way he gets dressed up. Hamp- ton is like the pig on Charlotte’s Web, but he doesn’t talk.’ Hampton has warmed up to our class, other teachers and the administrators. Ini- tially he squealed around everyone, but now is he more comfortable and gently grunts and squeaks. The children have learned that like any pet, when you approach them slowly the animal is more receptive to be- ing petted. While class is in session, Hampton wan- ders the room. The children give him a quick ‘Hello’, scratch or pet, then immediately re- turn to participating in class. He responds by wagging his little tail, grunting or squeal- ing (which sounds like a dog’s squeaky toy). He is a comfort, not a distraction, and has risen to meet all his job challenges. Hampton is intuitive with children! When some students do something “unexpected,” or another teacher sends them to my class for a break, we have discovered that the child is acting out because they are sad or frus- trated. When they ‘hang out’ with Hampton (to redirect frustrations or to de-escalate emotions) they relax and calm down with his full attention. Some students are even motivated to earn ‘pig time’ for excellent behavior.” During Ms. Patty’s breaks, Hampton has outdoor recess “play time” where he runs and plays to stretch his short legs. Down the hallway from Hampton’s class- room is Mrs. Stevens’ classroom. She has collected toy pigs for 25 years. Her class is referred to as the “Pig Pen”. However, Mrs. S. never thought to adopt a ‘real’ pig. “My students agree that ‘Ms. Patty’s Pig’ Photo by Mary Ellen “Angel Scribe” Osberto Pablo-Mendoza and Nery Perez Ramirez love their class’s baby pet pig, Hampton, who weighs 12 pounds and will top out at 30 pounds. motivates them to come to school. They just can’t wait to see Hampton! They’ve said that ‘having a pig helps them learn how to care for others (animals), and to be gentle and kind’. Which is what we aim to teach. Hampton has no worries that I might “Pig- nap” him to add to my Pig Pen collection, everyone knows that he loves his ‘job’ and Ms. Patty!” TIPS “Hampton still has a thing or two to learn at school,” writes Randy Peyser, author of “The Power of Miracle Thinking”, “Last year, I met a pet pig, Hamlet, being walked on a leash!” Share your pet tips and tales. angelscribe@msn.com “Follow” Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/PetTipsand- Tales Adopt Loving Pets www.PetFinder.com Humane Society for Neuter/Spay Assis- tance Program. (541) 942-2789 Call 541-942-4493 for info. FOR EMERGENCY DIAL 911 R OBERTS South Lane County Fire & Rescue @southlanefi re Continued from page 1A www.southlanefi re.org e v i t o m o t Au s e i t l a i Spec PRACTICING THE ART OF TRANSMISSION REPAIR SINCE 1991 Manual & Automatic Transmission Repair Tune ups 30-60-90K Services Brakes, belts, hoses and cooling system services Muffl ers & Custom Exhaust Drive-train repair such as clutches, u joints and differentials All makes and models. MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE AFFORDABLY WE LIVE IN THE SAME TOWN WE WORK IN “ NO MONKEY BUSINESS!” www.automotivespecialties.biz DUSTIN TULLAR & RUSS OWENS 541-942-8022 • COTTAGE GROVE diffi cult choice they faced. In fact, the worksession came and went without clear direction on which of the four candidates the Council would choose to ap- point. As a large crowd fi led in at the start of the regular meeting, the Council discussed how they might narrow down their op- tions, including what to do in the event of a tie vote, though a few minutes later, Councilor Jake Boone made a motion to appoint Kenneth Michael Rob- erts. The motion received a sec- ond, and Roberts quickly found himself being sworn in by City Attorney Carrie Connelly. Roberts, the KNND radio per- sonality and former Army Corps of Engineers employee, joined 20-year old student Henry Lan- caster, former Coast Fork Willa- mette Watershed Council Direc- tor Pam Reber and IT consultant Greg Ervin in seeking appoint- ment for the remaining year of a four-year term that Murphy could not complete, citing work and family commitments. Each candidate answered a slew of 14 questions in a 15-minute inter- view, questions designed to help discover what they felt were the roles of the City Council and the councilors who serve on it, in addition to the challenges the City faces now and in the fu- ture. Councilor Mike Fleck ap- plauded the interviewees for showcasing “more knowledge than we typically see” from po- tential appointees to the Coun- cil. Boone said he could po- tentially serve with any of the candidates, though he added that Roberts had “stormed the interview.” Perhaps a passion for the po- sition led the Council to lean Roberts’ direction. “I feel this is my destiny,” he had said. “I want to serve. I want to be involved.” Roberts listed activities with the altar society at his church among his community activi- ties, in addition to involvement with the Concerts in the Park series and KNND. He cited an outstanding school system and tourism opportunities among Cottage Grove’s strengths and the repair of important city in- frastructure as an ongoing chal- lenge. Roberts called himself a “public person” who has brushed up on the issues while covering Council meetings for KNND for the last year and a half. He would get his fi rst chance to weigh in on Council deliberations early on in Monday’s meeting, speak- ing and later voting in favor of the City’s purchase of a mobile camera that will be used to show city employees the inside of the City’s sewer system. After the appointment, Coun- cilor Boone addressed the other candidates, speaking of a year that will see three Council seats and the Mayor’s seat up for elec- tion in the fall. “2016 is an election year,” Boone said. “By all means, run.” there are ingenious marketing strategies including discounts, fl avored products, packaging that appeals to young people and strategic ad placement,” he said. The amended county ordi- nance, Leutke said, specifi es that the $200 fee charged for a license can only be used to ad- minister the licensing program. Penalties for selling tobacco products to minors were also added for the employee in addi- tion to the business owner. Four such violations in a two-year period would result in the revo- cation of the sales license. At the November meeting, Councilor Jake Boone pre- sented information that he said showcased that many of the functions the County’s program proposed to handle were already the work of the state of Oregon. After presenting the informa- tion, the issue was tabled to al- low the Council to review it, and the issue was tabled again at the Council’s Jan. 11 meeting due to the absence of two councilors. City Manager Richard Mey- ers put forth two versions of the proposed ordinance, and the Council eventually chose the version that exempted parapher- nalia sold in medical marijuana dispensaries from potential pen- alties and did not charge a $200 licensing fee for local retailers. Meyers said he felt the Cottage Grove Police Department could take on certain aspects of the monitoring of local retailers, including decoy operations to determine which retailers may be selling tobacco to minors. Councilor Mike Fleck said that he had proposed eliminating the fee prior to the meeting. “I spoke to several local busi- ness owners, and they were in favor of the ordinance,” he said. “The fee was their only heartburn. The money it raised was negligible, but its (the pro- gram’s) impact could be sub- stantial.” Several citizens, including many offi cials with South Lane School District, voiced support for the tobacco licensing pro- gram, many citing personal ex- periences with the devastation caused by long-term tobacco use. Dr. Jim Harrison said he’s been urging patients to quit for 30 years, though he said that the most effective deterrents to tobacco use had been increas- ing its cost, decreasing access to products and decreasing the modeling of such behavior in the community. “With this program, you have a chance to be more effective than doctors and nurses can be in reducing the damage caused by smoking,” Harrison said. Lincoln Middle School Prin- cipal Jeremy Smith also voiced support for the ordinance. “I encourage you to adopt this program to create licensing and sale regulations,” he said. “To- day’s kids are living in a world where they’re much more savvy, more independent, more ready to experiment than ever before. This is important to kids right here in our community.” Councilor Jake Boone was the lone voice to speak — and later vote — in opposition to the ordinance. “I’m not convinced that the problem is going to be helped by this ordinance,” Boone said. “Evidence that the County cites showed that kids by and large are not getting tobacco from re- tailers. They’re getting it from family, from other kids who get it from their family members. The vast majority of input on whether teens start using tobac- co is coming from their friends and family modeling that behav- ior. Smoking is bad, but I don’t think this is a tool that’s actually going to make that happen (de- crease tobacco use.) This ordi- nance is bad. It’s less bad than it was, but I can’t in good con- science support it.” Thus the licensing program, minus the licensing fee, passed by a 6-1 vote. As per the Coun- cil’s rules, the ordinance will be considered again for fi nal pas- sage at a subsequent Council meeting. T OBACCO Continued from page 1A Health Offi cer Dr. Patrick Leudtke touted the program as a way to curb tobacco use among young people. Luedtke said that licensing can help de- crease the initiation of youth to tobacco use, of interest because data shows that use among area 11th-graders increased for sev- en of eight varieties of tobacco products in 2014. “Kids tend to frequently stop in convenience stores, where 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. 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