COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL MARCH 22, 2017 7A
The "Wright" Place
Another "golden" resident
A RESTAURANT REVIEW BY SAM WRIGHT
A goodbye to Jim Hornick
My husband and I recently attended a memorial service for Jim
Simply knowing how to type opened the doors to administrative
Hornick, our former neighbor and forever friend. Sitting in the mor- positions. After that, the sky was the limit. He skipped the rank of
tuary, amongst his family and friends, I realized that Jim was one Chief and Ensign and started climbing the ladder: Warrant Offi cer,
of those golden Cottage Grove residents that I spoke of in my last LJG, LT, LTC and fi nally, a full Commander with the rank of CD-R
column. This is his story.
(as high as he could go under his designation).
To all appearances, neighbor Jim was a good old boy just like all
The boy who had never left West Virginia quickly became a
the guys. He wore jeans, tended his garden and told tall tales. But he world traveler. He sailed the world’s oceans including around the
was so much more. He had a unique success story that began in the African Horn in a harrowing, ship-rolling storm. He served in both
hills of West Virginia where he was born in 1931. The cabin that he the Korean and Vietnam wars. His shore duties included coast-to-
and his brothers grew up in had nei-
coast tours from California to Florida.
ther electricity, indoor plumbing nor
His last duty station was at the
water. His family was truly destitute.
Pentagon in Washington, D.C. He su-
The town of West Milford, WV, had
pervised hundreds of offi ce workers.
a population of about 630. Jim was
How did he get along? With respect.
one of 15 graduates from his school.
He said, “If you want respect you give
(One of the student’s’ favorite pranks
respect.”
involved tipping outhouses!) Post
He met Charlene while serving in
graduation, his future was uncertain.
California. After a whirlwind court-
The only certainty was that all young
ship they married in San Diego in
men between the ages of 18 and 26
By Betty Kaiser For The Sentinel 1973. Jim retired after 30 years of
were required to register for Military
service in 1980 and they moved to
Training and Service. I.e. the draft.
Cottage Grove Lake where he quietly
Jim may have been a hillbilly (his
set aside the ever-changing military
words) but he was smart and he didn’t have many choices. Since lifestyle, his medals, ribbons and other awards and settled down
the draft was imminent, he enlisted in the Navy in 1950 at the age into civilian life.
of 19. Why the Navy? His answer: “I didn’t want to roll around in
In retirement, this offi cer who bled red, white and blue, loved to
the mud with the Army. Bed sheets on board every night were much golf, fi sh and hunt. Occasionally we could get him to tell us a story
better.”
about cruising the world. He would always end it by saying, “Even
His Navy career began on the fl ight deck as a “white hat” enlist- a hillbilly from West Virginia can do okay in the United States
ee or “mustang” meaning that he started out as an enlistee but ad- Navy.” In his last years he valiantly fought Alzheimer’s disease.
vanced to an offi cer—30 years later he retired as a full Commander. Sadly, he lost that battle in December 2016.
At the memorial, his wife Charlene shared how Jim’s life was
We will never forget you Jim. We are grateful to you and all those
a lesson in how to attain success. He had minimal education but a who choose to serve in the military. You are role models for all gen-
great desire to be more than he was. His life as a sailor was gov- erations on how to live disciplined, honorable and patriotic lives.
erned by goals, determination and self-education. If he didn’t know And thank you Jim, for reminding us that anything is possible if you
how to do something he went to the library and read up on it. That dream big and work hard enough. Rest in peace.
included books on etiquette and manners he hadn’t been taught.
The
Chatterbox
Among a variety of great
places to eat along Main Street
is Cottage Grove’s Buster’s
Main Street Café. The restau-
rant is known for its hearty
breakfasts and good old-fash-
ioned American grub.
The fi rst thing to notice at
Buster’s is the ambience. It has
the feel of a classic American
diner mixed with the warm
and cozy feeling of a café. The
kitchen sits in plain view of the
seating area behind a counter,
perfecting for dining solo.
Buster’s is an employer to
some of the friendliest staff,
and customers and employees
tend to know each other well,
giving a family-run business
feel to the restaurant.
I stopped in at around 11:30
for an early lunch, and I was
immediately welcomed by the
empowering aroma of breakfast
foods being prepared or already
being consumed.
The menu features a wide
selection of classic breakfasts,
omelets, meals from the griddle
and even special features such
as the chicken fried steak or the
Loco Moco, a Hawaiian favor-
ite which includes a beef patty,
white rice, two eggs and brown
gravy. The menu also features
an entire separate eggs benedict
section, where you can choose
traditional, Florentine or even
eggs benedict with crab cakes
or smoked salmon.
I decided to pick something
from the lunch menu, as Bust-
er’s is already renowned around
town for its great breakfast.
One specifi c item from the
lunch features caught my eye:
the pesto chicken sandwich. It’s
nothing particularly complex,
but a pesto aioli can defi nite-
ly make or break a dish. The
chicken breast itself was tender
and not dry, but even if it had
been, the dryness would have
been masked by the fl avorful
aioli and provolone cheese. The
aioli was spread appropriately
across the sandwich: not too
light, not too heavy. The choice
of bread was also well-chosen.
A ciabatta roll provides enough
weight to soak up the pesto ai-
oli and juices from the chicken.
So often is a great-tasting sand-
wich ruined because the bread
turns soggy, fl at and collapses
from the contents of the sand-
wich.
It was an enjoyable visit to
Buster’s and I shall defi nitely
be returning soon. Next time, I
may be seduced by the myriad
of breakfast items. The charm-
ing atmosphere is extremely
inviting and should I need an-
other hearty meal that sticks to
my ribs, I will be heading down
Main Street once again.
All of these pets are looking for their forever home...
To fi nd our more about adopting these pets contact the
Greenhill Humane Society, SPCA
at 541-689-1503
COTTAGE GROVE
SENTINEL
541-942-3325
COTTAGE GROVE
VETERINARY CLINIC
541-942-9181
DOUGLAS MADDESS,
DMD
541-942-1559
DOGGIE DO’S AND
DON’T’S
541-505-4298
DOGGIE DO’S AND
DON’T’S
541-505-4298
HEALTHY PET
EUGENE, OR
541-343-3411
FORT ROCK
CONSTRUCTION
541-767-1611
OLD MILL FARM
STORE
541-942-3042
HEDGE CARTER
GUTTER SERVICE
541-942-3630
HEALTHY PET
EUGENE, OR
541-343-3411
LITTLE CAESAR’S
PIZZA
541-942-2551
HEDGE CARTER
GUTTER SERVICE
541-942-3630
OLD MILL FARM
STORE
541-942-3042
COTTAGE GROVE
VETERINARY CLINIC
541-942-9181
FORT ROCK
CONSTRUCTION
541-767-1611
DOUGLAS MADDESS,
DMD
541-942-1559