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SPORTS
UO Women take home the historic
Triple Crown. PAGE B1
SOUTH LANE AND DOUGLAS COUNTY'S MOST AWARD-WINNING NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1889
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017
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HERE COME THE GRADUATES: CLASS OF 2017
500
BEDS
Oregon faces
shortage of
addiction
treatment beds
The state of Oregon current-
ly has approximately 500 resi-
dential neds for the treatement
of addiction. This, according to
Serenity Lane's Dr. Eric Geisler
who serves as the facility's di-
rector of medical services.
The number was fi rst men-
tioned in Cottage Grove at a
Rotary meeting last month.
"That number comes from
a report that was done for the
state of Oregon in 2012," said
Monique Danziger, director of
marketing and communications
for Serenity Lane. "But the state
no longer requires that report so
it hasn't been updated." She not-
ed that the facility can estimate
based on the companies and fa-
cilities they work with and refer
patients to.
Please see 500 BEDS PG A8
The Cottage Grove High School Class of 2017 left their high
school
experience behind on Saturday, June 10 as they offi cially
cmay@cgsentinel.com
graduated.
The ceremony was moved indoors in the days leading up to the
big day when weather reports called for thunder and lightening storms. However, the
weather did not dampen the mood of the approximately 1,500 students and residents
who packed into the high school's gymnasium to watch the class of 2017 cross the
stage.
It was an afternoon of reminiscing with three student speakers calling on their
classmates to remember the time spent in the halls of Cottage Grove High School and
By Caitlyn May
to take with them the lessons they learned there.
Star student and athlete Hannah Albrecht reminded her class of the story of a $20
bill relayed to them their freshman year. "If our time here was that $20, I got every
cent out of it," she said. Valedictorian Jessica Ray urged those in attendance to choose
good and not sin while salutatorian Madisen Howland reminded her classmates to
stay in touch and wished them hope.
The students of the graduating class, in their last moments as students, donated
80 cans of food to Community Sharing, a nonprofi t in Cottage Grove that provides
low-income individuals with necessities including food, hygiene products and hous-
ing assistance.
Community Sharing low on
food donations
Food supplies at Commu- of other services.
Currently, Community Sharing garners food
cmay@cgsentinel.com nity Sharing are low. This ac-
cording to executive director and donations from several resources. The lo-
Mike Fleck who says it's not cal grocery stores in Cottage Grove donate their
unusual for the program to be running short on nearly expired food while the largest contributor
supplies this time of year but a combination of is Food for Lane County through the USDA. The
factors have lead to an unusually short, shortage. program offers several offshoot deliveries includ-
"For the fi rst time in many years, we’re much ing a produce delivery on Thursdays.
shorter than we typically have been," he said.
"It could be potatoes, strawberries. Usually
The shortage could be attributed to multiple fac- they’re on the verge of going bad so we try to get
tors. According to
those out before
Fleck, the annual " It’s an interesting time. Either way we’ll
the weekend. We
postal
workers certainly do the best we can with what’s avail-
have agreements
food drive turned
with pig farms in
in fewer pounds able."- Community Sharing Executive Director the area for what
of food than in Mike Fleck
we don't utilize,"
years past.
Fleck said.
"We get local
Community
food from the three grocery stores when they have Sharing also receives donations from the local
dated items," Fleck said. "It’s possible they’ve community. However, due to short staffi ng levels,
been doing a better job of managing their inven- Fleck said local programs are in need of volun-
tory so we get fewer items. It’s not any one thing, teers to help better organize and execute them.
it’s a combination of a whole bunch of things."
"We would love to have someone who has a pas-
Pantry manager Bill SamMiguel said the num- sion for feeding people, to come in and volunteer
ber of those in need have increased while dona- to help with that program," he said.
tions are down.
Over the weekend, Community Sharing ran a
"A lot more people come in. We serve 800 fam- local donation drive that garnered approximate-
ilies coming a month, which is maybe 1,900 to ly 1,400 pounds of food. However, according to
2,000 people," he said. "We're not out of food. Ev- SamMiguel, the number falls short of what the
ery shelf is fi lled, it’s not that we’re out of food, program needs.
we’re just low on food."
"We usually give away 25,000 pounds. 800
Community Sharing is a non-profi t established families is a lot of people," he said.
in 1982 with the aim to create a safety net in Lane
To donate resources or time to Communi-
County for low-income individuals providing ty Sharing, or for more information, please call
housing assistance, food, hygiene items and a host (541) 942-2176.
By Caitlyn May
Popular donation
page in need of
space
When Jenifer Neil noticed that residents
posting on social media asking for help were
cmay@cgsentinel.com
not receiving any comments, she went to her
mother.
"She said, 'Mom, we should start something,'" said Mindy Beer,
the president of Pay it Forward--a non-profi t working to answer the
calls for help throughout Cottage Grove.
The group, a registered 501(c)(3), works by collecting items from
around the community and posting them on its Facebook page. From
there, residents can claim dibs on the items and every two weeks,
the gate at Beer's residence opens up and people are welcome to
pick up the items they claimed. The page has 6,000 members.
"In December it will be four years that we're doing this and we
probably serve about 500 people a week," Beer said.
Now, the group is looking for more room.
"We do this in my spare lot. We went from a one car garage to a
two car garage to a 30- foot building with a several additional build-
ings," Beer said. The group has a medical storage space for walkers
and wheelchairs for people without health insurance who can't af-
ford the equipment. There's a space for electronics and clothes. City
Councilman Bob Ehler has given away nearly 1,000 bicycles and
repairs all of the donated bikes that come through Pay it Forward.
The group also makes weighted therapy blankets for children with
autism. "We've given away hundreds of those," Beer said.
But space is running out and because they are in a residential
neighborhood, Beer said it's not fair to her neighbors to keep a rap-
idly growing operation in her backyard. "Most people are respectful
but we are growing more every day. So ideally, with all of the space
in town, maybe we can have space donated."
There's a monetary benefi t to moving into town as well, accord-
ing to Beer. "We're registered but because we're where we are,
By Caitlyn May
Please see SPACE PG A9
ENTERTAINMENT
Earnest
Students complete their
restorations of carousel
animals. PAGE A3
A Q&A with the cast and
crew of The Importance of
Being Earnest. PAGE A11
INDEX
COMMUNITY
Carousel
Calendar ...................................... B11
Channel Guide ............................... B5
Classifieds ...................................... B7
Obituaries ...................................... A2
Opinion ......................................... A4
Sports ............................................ B1
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P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
Corner of Sixth and Whiteaker, Cottage Grove
_______________
VOLUME 129 • NUMBER 48
SLSD
releases
statement
on Parent
Investigation
yields no
wrong-doing
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
The South Lane School Dis-
trict has released a statement
concerning the investigation
into a complaint fi led by local
residents regarding matters of
superintendent Krista Parent's
personal life.
"The South Lane School Dis-
trict Board of Directors received
the results of our legal team’s
investigation regarding the
complaints fi led against Super-
intendent Parent. The investiga-
tion found that Superintendent
Parent has not violated district
policy, Teacher Standards and
Practices Commission (TSPC)
Please see STATEMENT PG A8