COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL June 15, 2016 T ASERS K ENNEDY Continued from page 1A Julianne Sullivan also gave a speech about her time at Al Kennedy High School. “I came here from Las Ve- gas,” she explained. “I was getting into trouble and was more concerned about being cool or how I looked in front of my friends than my own life.” Sullivan became pregnant at a young age, which is what moved her to Cottage Grove, where her grandmother lives. Kennedy gave all of these graduates second chances. Many of the students at Ken- nedy have been dealt tough hands in life, and the ceremo- ny was a celebration of their triumph. Principal Mike Ingman played a Bob Marley song that alluded to similar struggles that these students have faced. Ingman quoted the song “Cor- nerstone” that says “the stone that the builder refuses will always be the head corner- stone.” The quote conveys a meaning that those who have been rejected and denied will become the most important ones of all. “Like Bob Marley, you were all rejected and refused, but to- day you have become the head cornerstone, and you all will continue to do great things,” Ingman said. Of the 34 students in the Kennedy graduating class, 19 received a diploma and 15 re- ceived a GED. photo by Sam Wright Al Kennedy Alternative High School students stand excited after receiving their diplomas before heading to the processional social gathering. CGHS Continued from page 1A of his graduating seniors. Five of the seven valedic- torians elected to speak a few words before the class and family. Bauml, Crum, Dahlen, Forrester and Kidd all gave a short speech during the cere- mony. The speeches were typi- cal of a high school graduation commencement, yet were still heartfelt and moving to the class of 2016 and even attend- ees who have already gone through a similar ceremony. Quotes were taken from 11A Continued from page 3A no longer be Tased while they run away, as lawsuits have fol- lowed their use in subjects who fell after being Tased. Most of the time, Butler said, the Taser is effective, though he admits that its use is “not an exact science.” He also added that it’s better to attempt to talk subjects into compliance whenever pos- sible. “It’s not used as often as people think,” he said. “A lot of times, it’s as effective as a visual tool.” Data compiled by CGPD shows how often local offi cers deployed their Tasers in the past decade: 2007 – Nine 2008 — 11 2009 — Two 2010 — Zero 2011 — One 2012 — 13 2013 — Eight 2014 — Seven 2015 — Eight 2016 (to date) — Three Commander Conrad Gagner said that many offi cers have themselves been Tased as part of their training, though undergoing such training is still voluntary. He estimates that there are only two or three offi cers that have not done so. “When they take a hit, I write a nice letter saying that this puts them in the best possible posi- tion to understand at what point they would be willing to subject someone else to this treatment,” he said. “When you’ve been exposed to it and know what it feels like, it makes you think before doing it to someone else,” Butler said. The Taser is one of a series of weapons and deterrents that add about 30 pounds to the typical CGPD offi cer’s uniform, includ- ing a baton, fl ashlight, pepper spray, handcuffs, handgun and two magazines of ammunition. Butler said this array of weap- ons helps police match or exceed the level of force of a dangerous individual, and as such police are also wise to keep themselves in ex- cellent physical shape. “There are quite a few of us that train regularly,” he said. “An offi - cer should be in good shape, be- cause looking squared away is in itself a deterrent. And it’s always better to talk people into compli- ance.” S UNSHINE famous philosophers such as Confucius, who Bauml quoted: “choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” There were also original refl ections, such as those from Crum, who noted that the class had be- gun a journey in high school together, yet as they start to move on, “everyone’s journey is unique.” After some thoughtful words, the diplomas were then handed out by School Board Chair Tammy Hodgkinson and Superintendent Krista Parent. There was one particularly touching moment as Udosena- ta acknowledged Dave Pres- ley, who served as athletic di- rector for 15 years and is now leaving Cottage Grove High School along with all of the seniors. As Presley’s son, Pay- ton, approached the podium to receive his diploma, Presley was handed the microphone and announced his own son’s name and was able to congrat- ulate his son personally as he accepted his diploma. The class then moved their tassels from the left of their cap to the right, and in an un- organized fashion, threw their caps in the air in celebration. The class motto is from A.A. Milne, and it reads: “If ever there is a tomorrow when we’re not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” Continued from page 1A healthier direction,” he said. For 40 years, Beaman said he’s watched as new customers visit Sunshine seeking that new direc- tion. And, perhaps surprisingly, he’s seen other stores in Cottage Grove and elsewhere follow Sun- shine’s lead. “In the early years, if you want- ed tofu in Cottage Grove or certain kinds of supplements, we were the only store that offered them,” he said. “Now other businesses have adopted some of our products. The market has changed, and what was FIREMED JOIN TODAY 942-4493 Wh Whether W h et eth t h er it’ i it t ’ s a t rip i to t o the t th h e beach b ea each ch h or a dip d i i in n di t he community y or b backyard kyard pool, you can e ns nsure s ure that swimming swim mming i is as safe as it is f un by y following i a few basic c s safety tips. THERE TH T H RE IS NO N O SUBS SU UBSTITU TITUTE UTE FOR ACTIVE SUPERVISION ACT A ctively supervise ch children hild en in and arou around o pen bodies of f water, giving them your u ndivided attention. atte n. W h henever infants or toddlers ddlers are in or a rou round und water, wa r, an adult should be e within w a rm’s m’s reach to t provide ovide active supervision. W e know it’s hard har to get everything every thing done w ithout a little multitasking, but t this thi i s the time to avoid distr distractions ractions of any k ind ind. If children ld are near water, ater, then the they hey s hould hould be the only y thing hing o on your mind. S mal mall childr children can drown in as little li l as o ne in inch ch of water. watt EDUC ED UCAT UC UCATE ATE AT E YO Y O UR KIDS YOUR K ID IDS D S AB ABOU A B OU OUT T SWIMMING SWIMMIN ING SAFELY ELY E Every child ld is different, so enroll children dren in n swimming lessons lesson ssons when hen you feel they h hey are ready. d y Teach ch children ch how to tread t d water, fl oat and sta wate stay ay by the he s shore. Make sure ure kids swim s wim only in are areas s d designated ated for swimming. s ming. Teach children that swimm swimming in open pen water is i s not the same as swimming wimmi in a p pool. ol. Th They hey y need to be aware are of uneven u surfaces, river currents, ocean current cean underto undertow and nd changin changing g weather. Whether you’re yo re swimming in a backyard pool or in a lake, teach children n to swim with a p partner, every time. ti From om the start, teach ch children n to never go g near ne ar or in water without an adult dult p present. DON’T DON’ DON DO O N’ N’T T RE RELY LY O N SW SWIM W IM IMM IMMI M MI MMING MIN M I NG NG A AIDS IDS ID S • Remembe Remember ember b that th t swimming aids id s such h as w water wings i or noo noodles are fun toys for or kids, kids but b ut they should ould never ne be used i place in l e of a U.S. U S Coast Coas Guard Guard-app d appro app pprove ved d personal pers ersonal fl flo o otation tation device (PFD). TAKE THE TIME E TO LEARN EARN C EA CPR PR We know you y have a million things to do, do , but lear learning rning CPR shou should d be on th the t top of the list. It will g give you y tremendous peacee of mind – and the th more peace of mind m you have as a parent, the h better. better ter. Local hosp hospitals, itals, fi re departments de artments and recreation departments recreat p ents offer CPR tr i training. Have ve your children learn le n CPR. CPR It’s It’ a skill skiill that w will ill serve se them hem for a lifetime. h once on the fringe has now become more mainstream.” Still, despite the marching of the years, Beaman said it doesn’t feel like he’s been in business for so long. “It’s crept up on me,” he said. “Time goes by really quickly. A lot of the original crowd has moved on, but there are still customers we’ve had for 40 years. I’ve seen their children grow, and that’s part of the pleasure of having been here so long.” The store has persisted through ups and downs, Beaman said, but his main interest remains to try to promote healthy living in a welcoming environment. And he doesn’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon. M ULCH Continued from page 7A the newspaper still intact. Land- scape fabric or plastic would do the same, but aren’t free. “From my point of view, the best mulch is one we don’t pay very much for or is a waste product,” she said. An example of that is mint compost from local farmers, usually available in August and a good source of nutrients. An easier option for urban ho- meowners would be the wood chips generated by tree pruning or removal. Catch them as you drive around the neighborhood or call a few companies to see if they sell to the public and how much they charge. When applying mulch, how much depends on which type you’re using. Spread fi ner-tex- tured products such as yard de- bris compost or mint compost 1- 1½ inches deep. Coarser wood products such as bark dust, wood chips and arborist waste can be as deep as three inches. Keep any material at least two inches away from the base of trees, shrubs and woody peren- nials. 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