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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2016)
Debunking the 'newspapers are dying' myth page 4A 5-0! Lions stay undefeated after Homecoming triumph over Sisters, page 1B $ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 SOUTH LANE AND NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY'S MOST AWARD-WINNING NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1889 Council candidates take their turn at Chamber forum VOLUME 129 • NUMBER 15 S AYING G OODBYE BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel C ottage Grove’s candidates for City Council found them- selves right where they wanted to be last week — for one night, at least. Four council seats are up for election this November, and the seven candidates for those open positions joined the Cot- tage Grove Chamber of Commerce at the Council chambers at City Hall for its forum on Tuesday, Sept. 27 to outline their positions on city issues. The race for Ward II features candidates Bob Ehler, Henry Lancaster, Rodney Cimburke and Merlyn Adams. Kenneth photo by Jon Stinnett Michael Roberts and Ivan DelSol will vie for an open at-large Bohemia Park glowed with candles in remembrance of Rebecca McElroy Thursday. seat, while Councilor Amy Slay is unopposed for reelection in Ward IV. Moderators Cameron Reiten of Cottage Grove radio station KNND and this reporter prepared a list of questions to the candidates in advance, which were tackled in the fi rst half Lane early that morning. ebecca McElroy had recently shared her of the forum after opening statements; the second half of the The Lane County Sheriff's Offi ce said it is regret that her friends and loved ones in evening featured questions from the audience and, in a few unsure why McElroy's Kia Optima left the the Cottage Grove area had not been getting instances, from those watching at home on a live Facebook roadway, though two of her best friends, Tara together as much as they should due to the feed. Blount and Ona Secord, urged the group to In opening remarks, Ehler described himself as a 29-year demands of daily living. Cottage Grove resident with experience on the City and South On Thursday evening, many of those friends reach out to others in times of despair and not be afraid to be the "bad friend" and take gathered at Bohemia Park, this time to pay Lane Fire budget committees. a friend's car keys for the evening. their respects and offer condolences to each “This is my third time running, and hopefully it’s a charm,” McElroy was remembered as a vibrant per- other after the car crash that claimed the 24- Ehler said. sonality who brought joy to many lives. Lancaster, a homeschooled student, said he’s running to year old's life on London Road near Nichols make Cottage Grove a better place. “I want to try to help make this city be a better place,” Lan- caster said. “Regardless of who wins, I hope we can all do that together.” Radio personality Kenneth Michael Roberts is seeking elec- tion to the seat he was appointed to last year, and he listed budget committee appointments along with a seat on the St. Vincent DePaul board among his qualifi cations. For her part, Slay said she was disappointed to be running unopposed in Ward IV, as she was hoping the voters would have a choice in that contest. Slay, a longtime Grover, works at Weyerhaeuser and was also appointed to her position last year. Ivan DelSol founded the Opal Center in downtown Cot- tage Grove. He’s a computer programmer who moved here 12 BY JON STINNETT years ago and has served on the City budget committee and The Cottage Grove Sentinel served on the boards of two area nonprofi ts. “I’m running because I want to help Cottage Grove thrive here are rodents living in a classroom in modern America while maintaining its small-town magic,” at Harrison Elementary School, but no- he said. Ward II candidate Rodney Cimburke said that Cottage body’s worried. In fact, teacher Carolyn Jenkins lauds the Grove has offered much to him and his family in their decade two additions to the Owls Nest classroom, here. “I’m here because i want to give back a little bit,” he said. which works to educate students on the autism “I’m a pretty passionate person, and I have a lot of opinions spectrum, as vital teaching tools. Last spring, about this and that thing. But I’m not running so I can sit up the class welcomed Super Hoot and Cookie photo by Jon Stinnett here and fi libuster. I’m more concerned with your opinions.” Wallace Batman Willis McGee (named by the Students Jon Robertson, Vincent Smart Merlyn Adams volunteers on the boards of the Healing students), two guinea pigs, also known as ca- and Sean Butler compile "poop data" Matrix and Cottage Grove Gleaners and said that living near vies, that Jenkins said are capable of teaching on their classroom pets, guinea pigs Coiner Park helps make issues surrounding parks and recre- lessons that books can’t cover. Hoot and Cookie. Jenkins said she saw an advertisement for a ation important to her. “There are opportunities to still take your kids to our parks grant program through Pets in the Classroom, little bit “guinea pig crazy.” to have a wonderful picnic,” she said, “and I look forward to which, as its name suggests, places pets where “We checked out books, watched movies and students are ready to learn from them. continuing to improve those locations.” did a lot of research,” she said. “All the staff “We want to make sure that our students get here now have guinea pigs, and I even bought a all of the experiences that students in other little sling to carry mine around.” Please see FORUM, Page 10A classrooms get,” she said. “One of those is hav- In the Owls Nest, students learn to handle ing a classroom pet.” Hoot and Cookie, which Jenkins said is of- Guinea pigs are great classroom pets, Jen- ten comforting and soothing and offers good kins said, because they’re not overpowering or practice in keeping their bodies calm. Pets also scary for students like larger animals. They’re teach empathy for other beings, a lesson that is also not too small to be mishandled, as ham- often diffi cult to pass on to those on the autism sters may sometimes experience. Pets in the spectrum. Classroom adds that pets teach children re- Having the guinea pigs and knowing so sponsibility and leadership, compassion and much about them has also offered students in respect for all forms of life. the Owls Nest the opportunity to pass those “They’re a great size for the kids and their lessons on to their peers. motor skills,” Jenkins said. “For lots of kids on the spectrum, friendships Accepting the guinea pigs into the classroom can be tricky,” Jenkins said. “This gives them photo by Jon Stinnett set off a chain reaction at school, where Jen- Ward II candidate Rodney Cimburke addresses a kins said that staff as well as students went a Please see PETS, Page 11A question at the forum held at City Hall last week. Friends gather to remember 24-year old lost in crash R Pets getting credit for teaching students in Harrison classroom Teacher says guinea pigs teach empathy, responsibility and leadership, in addition to other qualities T School Board discusses easement near Kennedy, hears full-day K report Kindergarten students experienced their fi rst full day of school on Monday BY SAM WRIGHT The Cottage Grove Sentinel The South Lane School Board discussed a possible easement to the City of Cottage Grove at its Monday night meeting. The City has recently discovered that there is a need for a power line by the War- ren H. Daugherty Center and Al Kennedy High School in order to power water pumps to supply water to surrounding residents. The City has drawn up a contract which re- quests the permission of the School District to construct a power line and an electrical substation by Taylor Street. Parent was quick to inform the board that this was not a motion to approve the con- tract, but to request direction and negotia- tion ideas from the rest of the Board. The city sat down with legal representa- tion and informed the School District that they can give credit on fi xtures of old build- ings in the area as long as they can docu- ment the facilities that used to be present. The District also negotiated that a service fee for the school to tap into the electrical substation would be waived, which would normally be 25 percent. The School Board has yet to approve the contract, but there were no board members speaking against the easement and that the contract seemed benefi cial to both sides. Special Services Coordinator Chad Ham- ilton also gave a brief report on the fi rst day that South Lane School District’s kinder- garten classrooms held their fi rst full day of school on Monday. “Overall things went well,” Hamilton said, “We have every kid in kindergarten except perhaps two or three that success- fully fi nished a full day.” Superintendent Krista Parent said she heard that it was a trying time for the school district’s transportation department, but that they pulled it off with a lot of hard work. The School District recently implemented a plan to move kids to full days of school, but they started the school year with a “staggered start.” The staggered start came in response to reports from teachers about the diffi culty of starting full-day kindergar- ten at the beginning of school last fall, the fi rst year of mandated full-day kindergarten in Oregon. Hamilton says that the district’s kindergarten teachers are responding fairly well and are putting a lot of energy into the new schedule. However, he also said there isn’t enough information on whether this will be benefi cial for students and teachers in the long run. “We’re getting a lot of mixed feelings from schools in town,” Parent said of the new schedule, “We’ll fi gure out what’s best for the kids.” R AIN C OUNTRY R EALT Y I NC . 380 Durham, Eugene Here is an opportunity for large home with real hardwood floors, family room, dining room, fenced yard, plus much more. The value is going to really be hard to beat..... 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 HOME ... is where your story begins. 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