Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current, May 18, 2016, Page 6A, Image 6

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    6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL May 18, 2016
CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE
TREE LIMB PICK-UP
MAY 23, 2016
c.g.
Daytripper
The City of Cottage Grove Public Works Department will be conducting the annual Tree Limb
Pickup May 23, 2016. Property owners will be responsible for removing any branches or
limbs placed in the street after May 23, 2016.
Residents can not place branches in the street where curbside parking does not exist.
Bark in the Park
This is strictly a tree limb pickup, nothing other than loose tree limbs or branches will be picked up.
If you have questions regarding the Tree Limb Pickup Program, please call the Public Works
Department at (541) 767-4100 or stop in at the Public Works offi ce located in City Hall at 400 East
Main Street for a brochure.
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
E
ver since I began running with my
(mostly) chocolate Labrador retriev-
er, Jack, a little over two years ago, we’ve
longed for an event that allows dog owners
to jog with their pooches. On Sunday, our
wish came true, though prior to start time,
we both had to wonder what we’d gotten
ourselves into.
That morning, Jack and I joined what ap-
peared to be thousands of other pet/owner
combinations at Alton Baker Park in Eugene
for the 23rd annual Bark in the Park, which
raises funds for the Greenhill Humane So-
ciety. At the close of the race, we heard the
announcer proclaim the event, which raised
nearly $90,000 for Greenhill, the biggest
Bark yet, and judging by the sheer numbers
of canines and runners/walkers we encoun-
tered and, in Jack’s case, sniffed, we had to
believe the proclamation was accurate.
Actually, much of the morning reminded
me of the classic children’s book “Go, Dog.
Go,” with pooches of every shape and size
congregating for a dog party. There were
great big dogs (a man wearing a shirt that
read ‘Akita Rescue’ and a pink tutu with
three mammoth Akitas sporting the same
costume), teeny tiny dogs (Chihuahuas and
other small breeds that often rode in stroll-
ers and other conveyances as opposed to
running the route), purebreds and bona-fi de
mutts (some of the best dogs, as everybody
knows) and just about everything between.
Before the day was over, there would be
contests for the best dog/owner costume,
best dog/owner look-alike and most ap-
propriate dog name (won by a dark-colored
photo by Jon Stinnett
The 2016 Bark in the Park raised nearly $90,000 for Greenhill Humane Society.
hound named Molasses who’s slow and
sweet). Participants chose from two-kilo-
meter, fi ve and 10-kilometer jaunts around
Eugene’s famed bike path. Perusing the
vendor booths, we noticed a service for run-
ning dogs when their owners are too busy,
all manner of healthy pet foods and snacks
and even a church that welcomes dogs (and
seems to feature them prominently in its
services somehow).
From the start, the mania created by so
many canines in one place proved daunting;
a gregarious, ever-friendly type, Jack abso-
lutely refused to stand still. Even at the start
line, he jumped around like a marlin on the
end of the leash, trying to meet everybody
as I worked to get us into position to shove
off.
Once the starting bell sounded, though,
Jack and I were all business, and I had to ad-
mire the way he focused on the task at hand
as we watched other owners struggle with
pooches intent on taking in the smorgasbord
of sights and smells around them.
I should point out that it wasn’t always
this way. One day just after Christmas two
years ago, I opened the tailgate of our SUV
to fi nd Jack staring at me, wide-eyed and
anxious. At about two years old, my wife
and mother had rescued him from a life
chained to a tree, and for the fi rst few weeks
I endeavored to run out the energy he’d
stored all that time. He came with a harness
around his chest, and until we purchased a
gentle leader (which I wholeheartedly rec-
ommend), I lagged along behind like I was
being pulled by a draft horse.
In the time since, though, Jack has be-
come my trusted running partner and a great
friend. This winter, we trained every one of
hundreds of local miles together in prepara-
tion for the Cottage Grove Half Marathon,
though on race day, I had to exit out the
back door and crawl past the front window
to get out of the house without him noticing.
(It didn’t work, and he was mad at me for
days afterward.)
Hence our excitement for a race that Jack
could run, too. From the announcements
of results at the end of the race, it appears
that there are lots of fast Labs and owners
out there, and a yellow Lab named Turbo
took the honor of Fastest Furball. Jack and
I turned in a pretty fast time, though he
would undoubtedly have left me behind
and fi nished fi rst if I’d let him. So don’t be
surprised to see us on the streets of Cottage
Grove this summer; Jack has promised to
train me properly for our next race. And
who knows? Maybe you and your pooch
want to join us?
ODFW: Leave young wildlife in the wild
M
lifestyle as much as possible, so
the animal can eventually be re-
turned to the wild.
Before picking up any wild
animal, call ODFW, Oregon
State Police, or a wildlife reha-
bilitator for advice. Removing
or “capturing” an animal from
the wild and keeping it in cap-
tivity without a permit is against
state law (OAR 635-044-0015),
as is transporting many animals.
Last year, seven people were
cited for doing so.
South Lane County Fire & Rescue services a 132 square mile area
for Fire/Rescue/EMS services based on voter approved taxing
rates, levies, and bonds equaling $1.80/$1000, beginning with
fi scal year 2016-2017. The current voter approved permanent
and levied rate is $1.50/$1000 of assessed property value,
including a house and fi ve acres within the District’s boundaries.
The District further provides advanced life support ambulance
service to an area totaling 850 square miles. The area outside
the District’s 132 square mile area does not provide tax revenue.
The District operates from four fi re stations and staffs the
Cottage Grove and Creswell stations 24/7, with a combination
of career/resident and community volunteer personnel. The
Saginaw station is staffed 24/7 with off duty residents and the
Camas Swale station with community volunteers. The District
is managed by the Fire Chief who reports directly to the fi ve
member Board of Directors. All other District personnel report to
the Fire Chief utilizing a chain of command.
The district is seeking an individual who has the desire to
contribute to ongoing efforts aimed at enhancing and improving
Fire Services in the South Lane County community. Interested
applicants must be at least 18 years of age, be an elector, or a
property owner within the district.
The Civil Service Commission’s primary responsibilities involve
overseeing competitive examinations for Firefi ghters and Fire
Offi cers on an as needed basis. The Civil Service Commission
meets quarterly to comply with the provisions of the Oregon
Revised Statues.
Interested persons may secure an application from the Business
Offi ce Located at 233 E. Harrison Ave, Cottage Grove, OR
97424 or by going to our website at www.southlanefi re.org or by
calling the Offi ce at 541-942-4493.
All Applications due by June 8, 2016 at 5:00pm.
courtesy photo
Elk calves like this one should be left alone unless
someone witnesses their parent being killed.
Local support.
Lasting impact.
to do so, like when people and
dogs aren’t around.”
If an animal is injured, or
truly orphaned, it needs special
care. Oregon’s licensed wildlife
rehabilitators have the knowl-
edge and facilities to provide
this care. They use special meth-
ods that limit human interaction
and mimic the animal’s natural
14
12
BUSINESS
PARTNERS
IN COTTAGE
GROVE
to an early death by removing
it from its natural environment
and its parents,” said Julia Bur-
co, ODFW district wildlife vet-
erinarian.
“Never assume a young ani-
mal is orphaned unless you saw
its parent killed,” continued
Burco. “In almost all cases, the
parent will return once it is safe
RENEWABLE
PROJECTS
IN MID-WILLAMETTE VALLEY
We are proud to partner with more than 106,000 Blue Sky SM customers,
including the business leaders listed below. Thank you for supporting renewable
energy development and creating a more sustainable future for our community.
Join the movement and enroll at pacifi cpower.net/bluesky.
A OK Maintenance Janitorial
Family Relief Nursery
Assist 2 Sell
Herb’s Automotive
ATA Blackbelt Academy
Kalapuya Books
Big Stuff Barbecue
Koratschenko Mystical Closet
City of Cottage Grove
Rally Coffee Company
Cottage Grove
South Lane School District 45
Community Acupuncture
Cottage Grove Sentinel
© 2016 Pacific Power
ay and June are the
months when newborn
animals are getting their start
in the wild. Help them out by
giving them space and leaving
them alone.
ODFW and Oregon State
Police remind Oregonians that
taking young animals out of the
wild isn’t just against the law—
it’s also bad for the animal.
These animals miss the chance
to learn important survival skills
from their parents like where to
feed, what to eat, how to behave
as part of a group and how to es-
cape from predators.
Unfortunately, every year
about this time, ODFW offi ces
across Oregon get calls from
people concerned about “or-
phaned” deer fawns, elk calves,
seal pups and other animals
they fi nd alone. But the mother
animal is usually just off feed-
ing not far away. She will return
soon, so don’t interfere.
“People often pick up animals
they fi nd alone out of good in-
tentions, without realizing they
may be sentencing the animal
South Lane County Fire & Rescue has a
position open on the Civil Service Commission.
Sustainable Agricultural
Technologies, Inc.