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SOUTH LANE AND DOUGLAS COUNTY'S MOST AWARD-WINNING NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1889
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018
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PayneWest.com/Cottage-Grove
SPORTS
Cottage Grove boys and girls
basketball tried to keep their state
dreams alive. B1
WED
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TEAMS HONORED
The Cottage Grove City
Council honored the high
school swim team, wrestling
team and cheerleading team
on Feb. 28 for competing for a
spot in the state championship
of their respective sports.
Mayor
Jeff
Gowing
awarded each team a
proclamation detailing their
accomplishments including
a second-place win for the
cheerleading team at the
Oregon Cheer Championship
and the win by wrestler Adam
Lamb in the 4A Division
to bring home the state
championship. Gowing said
he hoped to see all three teams
back next year.
The swim team did not
attend Monday's council
meeting.
School board votes to start superintendent search
Bohemia Park
vandalized
Board hopes to have interim in place for July
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
Facilities closed after wall,
electrical damage
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
of
Commerece
Executive
Director
Travis
Palmer
noted that Public Works and
Development Director Faye
Stewart and his crew would be
installing signs with the non-
emergency dispatch number for
Cottage Grove Police.
"There are cameras there but
when you have the cameras
combined with reports and
eye witness accounts, it gives
the police more to work with,"
Palmer said.
Repairs to the park facilities
were still underway as of press
time.
If you see unlawful or sus-
picious activity, contact the
non-emergency dispatch line at
(541) 942-9145.
COMMUNITY
SPORTS
Benefi t set
Teams try for state
A benefi t to raise funds for
the Swinging Bridge has
been set. PAGE A3
Did Cottage Grove teams
earn a spot in the playoff s?
PAGE B1
tin asked Kelley if the attention
surrounding
superintendent
Krista Parent’s pending retire-
ment would affect the appli-
cants for the position.
"... the attention surrounding superintendent
Krista Parent’s pending retirement would affect
the applicants for the position.
'It will,' Kelley said. 'I’ll be blunt, it will.'"
Oakridge, Klamath County and
Reedsport are also searching for
superintendents. According to
OSBA, the ideal time to close a
search for a superintendent po-
sition is in February.
Kelley informed the board
that current applicant pools for
superintendent positions were
not “very deep” and directed the
board to decide whether or not
to launch a search for an interim
or permanent superintendent.
Board member Merlene Mar-
“It will,” Kelley said. “I’ll be
blunt, it will.”
The school board reached an
agreement with Parent earlier
this year outing her retirement
from the district on June 30,
2018. The move came after a
complaint was fi led regarding
a personal relationship between
Parent and a district employ-
ee. A subsequent investigation
determined that Parent had not
violated school or state poli-
cy. In August, an anonymous
letter was given to the school
board in support of Parent and a
handwriting analysis funded by
the same resident who fi led the
initial complaint, concluded that
Parent likely wrote the letter.
District staff, including 110 em-
ployees and 17 administrators,
spoke out in varying degrees
asking the district to investigate
the letter.
Kelley noted that “putting
time” between Parent’s retire-
ment and the search for a per-
manent superintendent would
be benefi cial to the district.
“People have shared with me
that the experience we have
gone through, some people are
referring to the last few months,
I refer to it as the last sever-
al years in this district,” board
member Jerry Settelmeyer said
Monday night. “The concern
that has been shared is the cul-
ture of the district was led by
our former, by our superinten-
dent. That culture includes Bri-
an (McCasline) sitting there,
Please see SLSD PG. A8
INDEX
On Tuesday, Feb. 13,
authorities reported damage
to the men’s restroom and
picnic tables in Bohemia Park.
As a result, the city closed the
restroom facilities until further
notice.
Vandals reportedly created
holes in the walls of the men's
restroom and ripped an outlet
from the wall causing electrical
wires to be exposed. Additional
damage was reported to one of
the concrete chess tables in the
park.
This is the second time in six
months that the park restrooms
have been vandalized, sparking
a call from community leaders
for action.
Cottage Grove Area Chamber
The South Lane School
Board voted on Monday, Feb.
19 to begin a search for an inter-
im superintendent who would
be in place by July 1, a search
for a permanent superintendent
to begin work by July 1, 2019
and re-affi rmed Kyle Tucker as
acting superintendent through
June 30 of this year.
The work session, lead by
Oregon School Board’s Associ-
ation (OSBA) Director of Board
Development Steve Kelley out-
lined a training session as well
as a discussion surrounding the
search for a new superintendent.
“Can you run a search this
late in the year? Yes you can.
Have I run searches this late
in the year? Yes,” Kelley said.
“My recommendation to you is,
don’t rush it. You really don’t
have enough time.”
At least two superintendent
searches are underway in the
state of Oregon for districts
comparable in size to South
Lane—Crook County and Scap-
poose. Other districts includ-
ing Forest Grove, Reynolds,
COFFEE WITH THE EDITOR
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community events? Have a question?
Stop by Backstage Bakery.
The LAST THURSDAY of every
month from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Calendar ...................................... B11
Channel Guide ............................... B5
Classifieds ...................................... B7
Obituaries ...................................... A2
Opinion ......................................... A4
Sports ............................................ B1
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