'Annie'
gets the
laughs,
page 9A
Park plans
City to explore
updates to the
square, page 3A
Local students' European odyssey,
page 8A
$ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016
C LEARING THE CAMPS
Council mulls needle
exchange program
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
T
VOLUME 128 • NUMBER 42
SOUTH LANE COUNTY'S MOST AWARD-WINNING NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1889
he Cottage Grove City
Council requested that a
worksession be scheduled to hear
more specifi cs about a potential
needle exchange program in this
community at its Monday night
meeting.
The Council heard from Jim
Tandrow, a physician who spoke
on behalf of the HIV Alliance,
which operates exchange pro-
grams in Eugene, Roseburg,
Grants Pass and Brookings. These
programs exchange used syringes
for clean ones, Tandrow said,
a growing need thanks to a bur-
geoning use of intravenous drugs
such as heroin.
“It’s all about public safety and
health,” Tandrow said. “IV drug
use is increasing astronomically
along with opiate abuse in gen-
eral and the number of overdose
deaths.”
Last year, the HIV Alliance
exchanged 150,000 used needles
for clean ones, he said, while ac-
knowledging that there has been
a “public objection” to such pro-
grams in many areas.
“I think that’s changing,” Tand-
row said. “I think people realize
a program like this is important.
I’ve discussed this with (City
Manager) Richard Meyers and the
police chief, and they mentioned
incidents where city workers and
police offi cers received inadver-
tent needle sticks from contami-
nated syringes. It is agreed there’s
a problem with them being left in
public spaces.”
The site for such a program is
critical, Tandrow pointed out, as
anonymity is prized by many who
would exchange needles there, a
need that would be doubly impor-
tant in a small town where “ev-
erybody knows everybody.”
“People arrive there to do busi-
ness,” he said. “They’re not there
for a social event. They get their
equipment and leave.”
Tandrow asked the Council to
mull potential locations where
an exchange could be set up or a
mobile van could be located for
an exchange, or at the very least
where a drop box for used
photo by Jon Stinnett
Police offi cers Steven Biehler, Sean Branstetter, Tami Miles and Josh Dumas walk through a camp by the
Coast Fork on the northern edge of Cottage Grove. Police say they're warning campers that it's time to go.
Police warning illegal campers
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
Please see NEEDLES, Page 5A
O
First Lady plants
Territorial turnips
P
ersonnel with Cottage rian/photographer Eddie Gehm-
Grove-based Territorial an Kohan tweeted the company
Seed Company got a welcome a photo of Obama planting Ter-
surprise last week with news ritorial seeds in a raised bed
that some of their turnip seeds with two youngsters nearby.
had been planted at the White
“Want to #TurnipForWhat
House by First Lady Michelle like @FLOTUS in YOUR Veg-
Obama.
Garden? She planted @Territo-
Territorial’s Mel Reynolds rialSeed Just Right Hybrid tur-
informed the Sentinel on Friday nips at WH,” the tweet stated.
that White House culinary histo-
The tweet can be viewed at:
https://twitter.com/ObamaFoodorama/status/718091498487685121.
n a dazzling spring
Thursday
morning,
Cottage Grove Police Offi cers
Sean Branstetter, Tami Miles,
Steven Biehler and Josh Du-
mas gather near their patrol
vehicles at a turnout along
Highway 99 on the northern
edge of the City. Soon, the
offi cers walk a winding trail
that quickly slopes down and
off the highway and across the
nearby railroad tracks. Not far
in the distance, the Coast Fork
of the Willamette River spar-
kles in the sunshine.
Soon, the trail approaches
a collection of tents among a
camp littered with piles of de-
bris, and two offi cers approach
the fi rst tents, knocking on
their door fl aps to the best of
their ability as they announce
their presence.
“Hello! Cottage Grove
Police!” they half-shout, ap-
proaching fi rst one tent and
then another in a collection
of what appear to be about a
half-dozen distinctive camps.
Tarps have been erected at the
entrance of most tents; some
have clotheslines nearby, and
piles of rubble — suitcases,
coolers, bike parts, old camp-
ing equipment and lots and
lots of trash — surround most
of the makeshift dwellings.
Offi cers warn of the possibil-
ity of human feces and used
syringes in the area, but on this
day, there are none to be easily
observed.
At the last tent, a motion
sensor announces the police
presence, though there appears
to be nobody home throughout
the camp. At the end of the
trail, a rope dangling from a
tree spans the width of the riv-
er, and on the other side of the
Coast Fork, a group of golfers
can be seen approaching one
of Middlefi eld Oaks’ mani-
cured greens.
For the past several weeks
now, police say they’ve been
visiting this camp and a simi-
lar one on the south end of
town that’s also on private
property near the river and
Cottage Grove High School.
With each visit, they bring a
simple message they say needs
to be delivered in person to the
camps’ inhabitants — it’s time
to move on.
The visits are part of an ef-
fort to curb illegal camping
in the Cottage Grove area, in
these camps and other loca-
tions such as under the City’s
bridges, according to Interim
Police Chief Scott Shepherd.
Until recently, the City be-
lieved that the camp north of
town was located outside the
City Limits on property under
the purview of Lane County;
when the City discovered that
the camp was actually on land
owned by the Cottage Grove
Speedway and that the Speed-
way’s ownership did not ap-
preciate the campers’ presence
there, police began visiting the
camp to advise them
Please see CAMPS, Page 10A
South Lane Fire banquet honors it outstanding contributors
S
courtesy photo
Retiree Steve Pettit was recognized
for 36 years of service.
outh Lane County Fire and
Rescue recognized the ac-
complishments of its career and
volunteer personnel over the last
year at its annual awards banquet,
held Saturday evening at the Vil-
lage Green Resort and Gardens.
Division Chief Joe Raade ex-
plained that the evening is a chance
for the Fire District to say thank-
you to its personnel and celebrate
their contributions to district op-
erations.
Several fi refi ghters/paramedics
were recognized for reaching mile-
stones of service to the District,
while two — 10-year veteran Jake
Williamson and 30-year veteran
Steve Pettit — were honored on
the occasion of their retirement.
South Lane recognizes the fi re-
fi ghter that puts in the most vol-
unteer hours with its Drill Award,
won this year by Josh Fountain; the
Career Commitment to Communi-
ty Award recognizes commitments
to the community outside basic
fi refi ghting duties, and Raade said
the winner, Doug Lyda, earned the
honor for his work with Toys for
Tots and SLFR’s car seat clinics.
One of the most prestigious hon-
ors for the evening, the Volunteer
of the Year Award, went to Cliff
Horton, who gives of his time in
Creswell despite having a full-time
job; Horton’s wife, Tessa, was hon-
ored as Rookie of the Year.
The complete list of honors is as
follows:
Years of service
Retirement recognition
Steve Pettit — 36 Years
Jake Williamson — 10 Years
Rookie Of The Year
Tessa Horton
2016 Drill Award
Josh Fountain
Career Commitment To
Volunteer Training
Brad Mabie/Joe Millam
Ems Awards
EMT — Cliff Horton
35 Years — Danny Solesbee
30 Years — Bill Parsons
25 Years — Paul Hughes
15 Years — Matt Millam, Joe
Millam
10 Years — Doug Lyda
Five Years — Aaron Smith, Tim
Heuser
Career Commitment To
Community: Doug Lyda
Volunteer Of The Year
Cliff Horton
Fire Chiefs Award
Aaron Smith
courtesy photo
Cliff Horton was named Volunteer of
the Year.
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www.cgsentinel.com
On the Internet
(541) 942-3325
By telephone
(541) 942-3328
By fax
cgnews@cgsentinel.com
By e-mail
P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
By mail
Corner of Sixth and Whiteaker, Cottage Grove
In person
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