10A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL APRIL 26, 2017
EARTH DAY IN COTTAGE GROVE Continued from A1
quest to clean up down town before tourists
begin fl ooding the city. Former commissioner
and new head of community development and
public works, Faye Stewart also came out to
give a helping hand. Volunteers cleaned weeds
from between sidewalk cracks, planted new
fl owers, power washed the side walk and poured
new dirt and cedar chips in the newly renovated
All-America Park.
According to Roberts, nearly 20 people an-
swered his call to volunteer and give back to the
community. He hopes to have the project com-
pleted by Memorial Day.
Local restaurants donated food to volunteers
all day long and included: Jack Sprats Café, Sub-
way, Safeway, Rally Coffee, & Grove Café. Mu-
sicians who donated their time to play in Coiner
Park includeD: Carol Palmer & Friends, Gause
Residents help clean-up Main St. during Earth Day on April 22.
Family Singers, Almost Home, Vantage, Diane Pat-
terson & Cowboy Cadillac.
Also on the schedule were guided tours of the
City of Cottage Grove's water treatment plant and
Aprovecho, a nonprofi t committed to renewable
energies and sustainable living and working.
"There's not a weed to be seen in All-America
City Square Park," Roberts informed the city coun-
cil during the Monday, April 24 meeting, referenc-
ing his Earth Day clean-up. "It looks better than it
has in fi ve years."
He noted that the event had such high attendance
and interest in the community that he planned on
holding a second clean-up event on May 20 to ad-
dress the areas of Main St. that were not completed
during the Earth Day efforts.
Roberts also enterted into the record his thanks
to all the volunteers and businesses that donated.
Neighborhood Watch Continued from A1
carry state making it legal for residents to carry
a fi rearm.
“If they have a concealed weapons permit, they
are allowed to carry a concealed weapon,” he said.
Mason said she was grateful Bailey clarifi ed
his intention to Shepherd but noted the comment
thread included violent and inappropriate state-
ments from individuals and was eventually taken
down.
The desire to stop property theft and stem the
petty crimes in town led to several neighborhood
watch-style groups. During Friday’s meeting, two
proposed models were addressed; one that would
split the city into the existing governing wards and
the other that would see Cottage Grove split into
three sections in order to simultaneously prepare
for natural disasters such as the Cascadia Quake.
“I don’t care what you call it,” Shepherd said
in regards to the neighborhood watch. “We will
support any effort to make our community safer
but we cannot be the drivers of it. That has to be
the community.” Shepherd went on to say that the
police department would not step in to conduct
background checks on group members.
In order to be an offi cial neighborhood watch,
residents must follow a strict procedure that has
accompanying fees including, posting notice of
their meetings and hanging signage.
“That’s
what I think
Chief Shep-
herd was say-
ing when he
said he doesn’t
care what you call it. I think it’s more important
to do something than be called something so you
could follow what a neighborhood watch does but
call yourselves something else,” Cottage Grove
Mayor Jeff Gowing said.
No offi cial decision concern-
ing the neighborhood watch
format or governing rules was
determined during Friday’s
meeting but the three residents
present agreed to schedule an-
other meeting to settle leadership and structure.
“If we could get the 65 people who were here
at the fi rst meeting,” said councilman Ken Rob-
erts, “if we could get them back in the room, that
would be great.”
Their first steps.
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Their first day
of college.
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Salute to
Admin Professionals
Workplace trends affecting administrative
professionals
Thank You
N
etworking is often seen as a
means to further one’s
career, but developing a
group of professional contacts can
also be a great way for professionals
to stay abreast of the trends in their
particular fi elds. Networking also
can benefit small businesses as
they look to connect with vendors
that can help them grow their
businesses.
A strong professional network
is not built overnight, and
many professionals spend
years nurturing relationships
with people in their networks.
Individuals and business owners
can take several approaches when
building professional networks
they will rely on for years to come.
Reconnect with your college or
university. Another great way to
build a professional network is
to reconnect with your college or
university. When meeting people
affi liated with your alma mater,
the ice has already been broken in
a sense, as the school is essentially
a built-in connection. You also
won’t have to worry about the
awkwardness that might come
when meeting a professional
W
Ask
around.
Some
individuals may hesitate to
seek networking advice out
of fear of appearing opportunistic.
But successful professionals
understand the need to network,
so your colleagues will likely be
glad to offer referrals if they’re
in a position to do so. When
receiving a referral, ask if you
can use the person’s name,
which should help you establish
a connection during the introductory
process. Resist the idea that using a
colleague’s name when meeting
a professional you hope to work
with is something sinister, as the
name will only help you with the
introduction. Once the introduction
has been made, it’s up to
you to do the rest.
professional organizations and
attending seminars and other
industry events is a great way to
expand your network. Volunteer
to work with professional
organizations when possible or
offer to host information sessions
or educational workshops at your
business.
Get active in your industry.
Referrals are not the only
way to develop professional
contacts. Being active in
your industry by joining
contact with whom you have less in
common. Alumni organizations and
local chapters can introduce you to
people who earned your degree at
your school, and many people love
to help out their fellow alumni.
Employ social media. Social
media is not just for kids. In fact,
social media is a great way for
professionals to make and maintain
professional contacts. LinkedIn, for
example, makes it easy to connect
with fellow professionals who are
looking to do the same. Twitter can
be used to promote professional
events such as seminars or
workshops you are working with.
These platforms can be used to
grow your network quickly and
easily, but be sure to vet each
person you connect with to make
sure you are affi liating yourself
with the right people.
Building a strong professional
network takes patience and hard
work. But the right network can pay
dividends for years to come.
Thank You to
For all you do every day.
We couldn’t do it without you!
Erik & Wendy Sue Benson
Administrative
Professional
Joni Garner
There is no
competition!
we appreciate
all you do.
AllState Insurance
130 Gateway Blvd
Cottage Grove, OR
541-942-2605
THANK YOU
LEESA
& Linda
For all you do
EVERYDAY!
From the Board of Directors
and the entire staff of
South Lane Fire & Rescue
for making
everyday
an adventure
and for all that
you do!
C ottage G rove
S entinel
A manda,
Joy Ward & Jill Kallinger
r o ld’s Greatest
Carla
ge
A huge
nk You
T hank
all l
for al
ard d
y o u ur r h ar
ork k
w or
W e
a ap pp pr re ec ci ia ate
o!
yo u do!
a al ll l yo
Matthew A. Parsons