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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 2016)
Taser talk, page 3A 'Scapino!' loads up on laughs, page 6A $ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016 SOUTH LANE AND NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY'S MOST AWARD-WINNING NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1889 Village Green up for auction VOLUME 128 • NUMBER 51 Police search for suspect in downtown assault C LASS OF '16 WRAPS IT UP Ownership seeking 'other opportunities' BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel A Cottage Grove landmark will be up for auction later this month. A listing with online platform Ten-X.com states that the Vil- lage Green Resort and Gardens will be the subject of an auction that begins June 28 and ends June 30, 2016. The 16-plus acre resort and gardens was built in 1959, and at the time, it was the fi rst fi ve-star hotel built in Ore- gon. It boasts nine buildings and 72 rooms, four meeting rooms, the reception/lobby area, restau- rant, bar and lounge. Last week, Tom Aura, Direc- tor of Operations at Moonstone Hotel Properties, the Cambria, Calif.-based company that owns the Village Green and six other hotels, said that the resort has been for sale for some time, add- ing that the upcoming auction will “not necessarily result in a sale.” A price threshold must be met to ensure a sale, he said. “Everything is for sale,” Aura said. “We’re looking to move into a couple of different areas; there are other opportunities we’re looking at. If the Village Green doesn’t sell, that’s fi ne, too.” Aura did not elaborate on the “different areas” or “other op- portunities” Moonstone may be pursuing. According to the auction list- ing, the starting bid for the Vil- lage Green will be $900,000, and there is a $10,000 participation deposit. However, Rick Lahkar of Marcus and Millichap, the principal broker for the prop- erty, said the word “auction” is itself a bit of a misnomer in this case. He said that Ten-X.com is an online platform that mar- kets commercial real estate to a worldwide audience, and as such the auction is a new tactic to try to reach a buyer. “Because a buyer could be anywhere, this gives all poten- tial buyers an opportunity to register online,” said Lahkar, who added that there’s already been interest shown in purchas- ing the Village Green. “Hospitality businesses have done very well across the coun- try lately,” he said. “When a segment of industry does well and somebody’s selling, you’ll see a lot of interest in that prop- erty. A lot of hotels have sold for a good price lately.” Lahkar added, though, that the minimum bid of $900,000 does not refl ect the price at which Moonstone would agree to sell the hotel. Lahkar declined to name that fi gure (the online listing shows a $3,500,000 sale price for the Village Green.) Speaking on behalf of Moon- stone, Lahkar pointed out that if the property doesn’t sell at the price the company requires, “nothing changes.” “It isn’t a situation of any stress that’s forcing them to sell,” he said. “He (owner Dirk Winter) feels that there may be other people in a better posi- tion to take the property to the next level. We hope the Village Green sells to a good buyer that can do it justice.” Rumors that the Village Green may have been on the verge of a sale to a company that intended to turn the resort into a truck stop in 2010 mobilized many in Cottage Grove to band together to save the hotel. The City of Cottage Grove reached out with a loan to help renovate many of its rooms; the renovation was later completed without a gov- ernment loan, and the purported sale never materialized. Vigil scheduled Tues. in response BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel photo by Sam Wright Benjamin Bauml delivers the fi rst speech of the valedictorians to the class of 2016 and proud friends and family. Seven valedictorians lead CGHS grad class BY SAM WRIGHT The Cottage Grove Sentinel I t was a sunny day at Cot- tage Grove High School’s football stadium, and the sun- light refl ected off of the bright blue caps and gowns of the graduates assembled on the fi eld in front of hundreds of friends and family fi lling the stands and crowding the fi eld around them. Saturday saw 186 gradu- ating seniors from Cottage Grove, with seven valedictori- ans and four salutatorians. The valedictorians this year were Scott Anderson, Benjamin Bauml, Carrie Calkins, Carol Crum, Maeve Dahlen, Jaylene Forrester and Shelby Kidd. Principal Iton Udosenata welcomed all the guests and made comments about the class of 2016. “This class has seen a lot of change during their time in high school, including the arrival of myself,” Udosenata said. The class has seen a whirlwind of change at the high school in terms of staff and even the implementation of lockdown drills. However, Principal Udosenata didn’t linger on these changes and instead focused on the success Please see CGHS, Page 11A Kennedy High salutes its 'cornerstones' BY SAM WRIGHT The Cottage Grove Sentinel S aturday was a day of celebration for many young adults here in Cottage Grove. Seniors of the Al Ken- nedy Alternative High School and Cottage Grove High School received their diplo- mas or GED equivalents. While both ceremonies celebrated the same types of achievements, each had its own twist. Kennedy High School’s cel- ebration kicked off at 10 a.m. at the OLPH Catholic Church Community Center. Friends and family fi lled the function room to watch the 34 gradu- ates receive their diploma. The entire event high- lighted and celebrated how the students had to overcome unusual obstacles and life cir- cumstances and have now set their lives on the path to suc- cess. April Sherrod was one of the student speakers who exemplifi ed this fact. “I had came from a life of poverty and a poor family environment,” she explained. “Now I stand here as a high school graduate.” Sherrod also received multiple scholarships for her future education. Please see KENNEDY, Page 11A Sunshine General Store marks 40 years on Main Street BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel F resh out of hyssop? Got a recipe that calls for kava kava root? Running low on coltsfoot or comfrey? For decades now, the store at 824 Main Street in Cottage Grove has been a premier outlet for such items, and this week (Tues- day, June 14, to be exact) its owner will cel- ebrate exactly 40 years of business in this community. Yes, it was on that date in 1976 that Gor- don Beaman, owner of Sunshine General Store, purchased the store called the Dande- lion at the same location and, along with two partners, began offering natural foods and herbal remedies with a side of free advice. Beaman has been the sole owner at Sunshine since the mid-80s, and he said many of the wood fi xtures and the dairy cooler at the store remain from those early years. Beaman moved to Oregon from Mary- land, and he said he was looking for work in Eugene when the store in Cottage Grove came up for sale. The rest, as they say, is his- tory, and Beaman said he’s witnessed many changes on Main Street and throughout Cot- tage Gove in his time here. Customers at Sunshine can discover bulk herbs and spices, honey and other items that are hard to fi nd in town, in addition to fresh produce as the season dictates and locally made Farmhouse bread. And customers of- ten receive more than they bargained for with their purchase. “We try to provide information on the products we offer,” Beaman said. “We have reference books that we can consult to help customers make healthy choices and change their lifestyle.” Most people, Beaman said, are aware of the changes that need to be made to live a healthier lifestyle. “All of us fall short, myself included, but with a little help, we can move in a new and Please see SUNSHINE, Page 11A photo by Jon Stinnett Gordon Beaman celebrates 40 years in business at Sunshine General Store on June 14. ottage Grove Police said Monday that they’re con- tinuing the search for the suspect believed to be responsible for assaulting a 27-year old Cottage Grove man over the weekend. Detective Doug Skaggs said that the victim was walking home from the Grove Tavern at about 3 a.m. Sunday when he encountered a couple walking in the other direction near the intersection of Sixth and Adams streets. As the couple walked past, Skaggs said the man began loudly accusing the victim of “touching his girlfriend’s butt.” The man allegedly then began assaulting the victim, knocking him to the ground and punch- ing him, using gay slurs while the man’s girlfriend screamed for her boyfriend to stop. An en- try in the Cottage Grove Police blotter states that the victim was also kicked while he was on the ground. Skaggs said the girlfriend was eventually able to pull her boyfriend off the victim, who he said was unable to give a very detailed description of the as- sailant to police. The suspect is described as in his 20s, about six feet tall, with short hair and a medium build. There was no description of his clothing. The girlfriend was described as be- ing about the same age but with dark hair. Skaggs said that “luckily, the victim wasn’t hurt too badly.” Police continued to attempt to contact neighbors who may have witnessed the incident on Sunday and Monday, he said, and returned to bars in the area to see if anyone may have men- tioned the assault. “Unfortunately, we’re at a loss without much of a descrip- tion,” Skaggs said. “The suspect isn’t going to come forward, so we hope somebody else does.” Skaggs said he was unsure if the incident was a “hate crime” but confi rmed that multiple gay slurs had been used. Meanwhile, supporters of the victim were re- portedly joining the Community Alliance of Lane County and the Rural Organizing Project in planning a vigil for the victim of this assault and the victims of a deadly mass shooting in an Orlando, Fla. nightclub over the weekend. The vigil, billed as “Standing Together Against Hate,” was planned for 5 p.m. at All-America City Square, also known as Opal Whiteley Park, at the corner of Seventh and Main streets downtown. Rain Country Realty Inc. NE TING S I L W On Hidden Valley Golf Course, Amazing custom home with 3 bedrooms, 2.1 bath. CONTACT US 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 WEATHER Teresa Abbott ..................221-1735 Frank Brazell....................953-2407 Broker Valerie Nash ....................521-1618 Licensed in the State of Oregon CONTENTS HIGH LOW 65 45 Some showers Principal Brokers HOME ... is where your story begins. 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