10A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JANUARY 17, 2018
'Recycling police' start behind new laws, China crisis
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
If you found a piece of recycling left behind or
a tag on your recycling bin in the last month, you
may have been hit by the recycling police.
“Because the legislature passed a bill last ses-
sion that says all waste streams, which are mostly
municipalities, have to compile a contamination
plan, we are now the recycling police,” said Cot-
tage Grove City Manager Richard Meyers.
The new legislation bars contaminated material
in the co-mingled recycling containers meaning
paper milk containers coated in plastic and wax
cannot be recycled as paper. Likewise, plastic
cannot be found in a cardboard recycling bin oth-
erwise the bin is considered contaminated.
“If you have a pizza box and there’s pizza in
it and you put it in the cardboard bin, that’s now
contaminated and it’s no good, we can’t take it.”
Cottage Grove used to be able to take its re-
cycling to Eugene to a space that allowed trash
haulers to go through its recycling and sort it.
“They’re now saying they’re just doing theirs
so we can’t take it there anymore,” Meyers said.
“So, bins are going to be watched and tagged.”
The trash collection company is currently foot-
ing the bill for the tags that will notify residents
their recycling bin was contaminated. According
to the city, the second time a resident is caught
with a contaminated bin, the trash service may re-
fuse to take the bin.
Trash haulers that are found to have contami-
nated loads will be required to re-load their trucks
and take the loads to the landfi ll rather than recy-
cle the materials.
“I hear on the radio the ads that say, ‘When in
doubt, throw it out,’” Meyers said. “And I think,
how is that helping?”
The new recycling laws fall just as the indus-
try is struggling with a decision by China to no
longer take the world’s recycling. The country
announced it would no longer take plastic, in par-
ticular, after a documentary in the country showed
unsafe working conditions and children playing
among the trash.
Residents with questions about recycling can
contact Lane County at (541) 682-4120 or the
city of Cottage Grove at (541) 942-5501.
FIRST THEY GRADUATE THEN, THEY COME BACK
S
outh Lane School District
prides itself on its teach-
ing staff. Those teachers who
make up the staff however, ar-
en't new to the district at least,
not all of them.
At fi rst count there at least a
dozen current teachers and fac-
ulty working in the South Lane
School District who have either
attended or graduated from Cot-
tage Grove schools.
The Sentinel has reached out
to these teachers to talk about
their time in the district as stu-
dents and what brought them
back to South Lane as teachers.
Over the next few weeks,
teachers will answer a series of
questions detailing this experi-
ence.
Taylor Boxberger
American Literature at
CGHS
Sarah Parsons kinder
classes at Bohemia
Elementary
Q:What grades did you
attend South Lane School
District?
TB: I received my entire
K-12 education in the SLSD
(Bohemia Elementary, Lincoln
Middle School, and Cottage
Grove High School).
SP: I graduated from Cottage
Grove High School in 1995 and
attended 1st-12th grade in South
Lane School District
Q: What did you love about
your school at the time? Look-
ing back, what did you take for
granted?
SP: Growing up, the fami-
ly-like feel of this district and
the schools that I attended are
probably something that I took
for granted.
TB: At the time, I didn’t
have anything to compare my
educational experience to, so I
didn’t know that I had a lot to
be grateful for. I knew that most
of my teachers cared about me
and wanted me to be success-
ful, but in hindsight, I recognize
that this is not everyone’s edu-
cational experience. Now, as a
teacher that is starting to realize
how diffi cult teaching can be at
times, I am so grateful for the
teachers that took the time to
encourage me to step outside of
my comfort zone, to work hard,
and to enjoy what elementary,
middle and high school had to
offer.
Q:Where did you go after
leaving South Lane?
SP: I attended Western Ore-
gon University where I received
my degree in teaching
TB: After graduating from
CGHS, I attended the Universi-
ty of Oregon for both my Bach-
elors Degree in General Social
Science and Business Adminis-
tration and my Masters Degree
in Education.
Q:Why did you come back?
SP: I returned to Cottage
Grove with my husband after
receiving my teaching license. I
think I have always known that
I wanted to raise my own chil-
dren in this town and school dis-
trict and grew up watching both
of my parents, (Jan and Jerry
Settelmeyer) and my uncle (Jim
Settelmeyer) serve the students
and families in this communi-
ty in such a selfl ess and giving
way that serving this commu-
nity as a teacher myself, just
became a passion and direction
that I knew I wanted to follow.
I have always appreciated the
"smallness" of this district in
respect to really knowing and
caring for the people around us.
TB: Cottage Grove has, and
continues to, bless me with
countless opportunities. I know
that I have taken many of these
opportunities for granted (prov-
en by my statements in high
school that I was leaving and
never coming back), but with
maturity, I have learned that
Cottage Grove has the potential
to be a community that encour-
ages students to be the best they
can be. We are small enough
that we can really know our kids
and encourage them to do great
things with their lives. When I
was offered a job at CGHS, I
laughed, knowing that I was
about to do the very thing I had
sworn I wouldn’t, but I also re-
alized that I was being offered
an opportunity to bless the stu-
dents in SLSD in the same way
I was.
How to
fi nd
a hobby
C
ommitments to work
and family can make
adults feel like they have
little time for much else.
But fi nding time to pursue
hobbies can benefi t men and women in
various ways.
A form of escapism that can provide a
much-needed respite from the hectic
pace of daily life, hobbies can help men
and women reduce stress by forcing
them to focus on something other than
the source of their stress. In addition,
hobbies can be a great way to meet new
people, an important benefi t for working
parents who may otherwise fi nd it diffi -
cult to meet new people.
Finding a hobby may take some trial
and error, as adults may fi nd activities
that once appealed to them no longer do,
while other pursuits may require more
time than men and women can reason-
ably devote. Adults looking for a hobby
can consider the following strategies as
they begin their pursuits.
• Think back to childhood. A childhood
passion may provide the perfect starting
point as adults look for hobbies. For
example, adults who enjoyed painting as
children may fi nd they still know their
way around a canvas and palette.
• Ask around. Adults who want to fi nd a
hobby to foster social connections can
ask friends, family, neighbors, or co-
workers to recommend activities. This
can help men and women make connec-
tions in their communities and/or re-
connect with friends or family members
with whom they have fallen out of touch.
• Think small. Because there is often
some trial and error in fi nding a re-
warding hobby, it makes sense to avoid
making too big a commitment right off
the bat. Before buying lots of expensive
equipment or materials or making a large
time commitment, give yourself some
time to try a hobby on for size. The fi rst
activity you try might not necessarily
take, and walking away won’t sting as
much if you had not committed much
time or money.
• Consider coaching or mentoring. Ath-
letes who still have a passion for their
favorite sports but can no longer meet
the physical demands such sports require
can stay involved by coaching youth
sports. The same can be said for profes-
sionals passionate about their work who
choose to mentor. These activities might
not be traditional hobbies, but they offer
a great way for adults to pursue their
passions on their own time.
Hobbies can enrich our lives and provide
respites from the daily grind. Finding a
hobby that fi ts might take some time and
some trial and error, but such efforts will
ultimately prove worth it if adults fi nd
activities they are passionate about.
Any item BUY 2 get 1 FREE with this COUPON
MORE of EVERYTHING CAR COLLECTIBLES
2148 Main St. Springfi eld • 541 736 8200
- more of everything racing collectibles
www.oregonracecar.com
Coloring a popular adult hobby
C
oloring books are no longer just child’s play. In recent years, adult coloring
books have fl own off of the shelves at craft retailers and bookstores, turning
what was once a niche hobby into a popular and lucrative trend.
Studies show that coloring can have calming and therapeutic effects. In fact, re-
searchers at Johns Hopkins University suggest coloring as an alternative to medita-
tion. This form of art therapy can relax the mind and help a person learn more about
oneself in the process.
All types of coloring can stimulate a person’s creative juices while simultaneously
strengthening his or her mental well-being. Experts who study the impact coloring
has on adults have found coloring involves both logic and creativity. This activates
the areas of the cerebral cortex in the brain involved in vision and fi ne motor skills.
The relaxation that coloring provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, the part
of the brain that controls emotions. Participants who color can fi nd tranquility quite
easily. Marygrace Berberian, a certifi ed art therapist and Clinical Assistant Profes-
sor and Program Coordinator for the Graduate Art Therapy Program at New York
University, has said, “Coloring defi nitely has therapeutic potential to reduce anxiety,
create focus or bring about more mindfulness.”
Adults interested in coloring have a substantial catalog of adult coloring books at
their disposal. Start with something relatively easily by coloring mandalas, or circles
fi lled with other geometric
shapes. Intricate designs are
541-942-3941
hallmarks of adult coloring
books, including fi ne art
and design-themed coloring
books. Therefore, it’s best
to invest in a quality set of
colored pencils for a greater
level of precision.
www.bakerbay.com
Baker Bay Bead Co.
35655 Shoreview Drive Dorena, Oregon 97434