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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 2018)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL FEBRUARY 28, 2018 5A Cottage Grove Retrospective A look back at Sentinel stories from 30 and 60 years ago New city manager plays devil's advocate: '88 By Pete Malliris Sentinel staff of 1988 Bill Bixby didn’t ride into town wearing a black hat over a furrowed brow and a six-shoot- er at his hip when he took over as Cottage Grove’s city manag- er last January. But if the cur- rent situation at city hall were a movie, Bixby would be the natural, albeit reluctant, villain. The horns and trident of the devil’s advocate might be a more appropriate costume for the Massachusetts native. Re- gardless of how you look at him, Bixby’s new job has made him the bearer of some bad news. While surveying the city’s fi nances, Bixby found that its 1988-1989 budget is about $350,000 shy of what it needs to maintain current services. The defi cit may require sub- stantial personnel cuts in city staff, Bixby told the city council at its last regular meeting. All indications say Lance Holmstrom’s position as the city’s one-man economic devel- opment department, although strongly supported by many community circles, can’t escape the inevitable budget axe. Bixby identifi ed other possi- ble reductions in funds for the parks, library and engineering. He suggested the possibility of cutting two police positions as well. Some public criticism is un- POLICE BLOTTER avoidable, no matter where the cuts are made. But Bixby said it’s important for the city to show taxpayers it can live with- in its means. “If a government can’t man- age its budget, then it loses credibility with its constitu- ents,” Bixby said. He realizes his recommenda- tions might be criticized when the time comes to make the cuts. “It’s the responsibility of the city manager sometimes to per- haps take unpopular positions. It gives the public somewhere to focus the discussion on,” Bixby said. Citizens will get a chance to make its position regarding the budget known Monday, March 14 at the city council’s regu- lar meeting during a scheduled public hearing. Bixby never enjoyed a hon- eymoon when he moved to Cot- tage Grove from the Arizona desert where he was the manag- er of Mohave County. Amid the turmoil of im- pending budget cuts and ques- tions from the public regarding the city’s fi nances, Bixby has burned the midnight oil to pre- pare himself. He is a familiar fi gure at city hall on evenings and weekends, examining the budget. “People ask very detailed questions and they expect an answer. We need to have an- swers,” Bixby explained. Cottage Grove Police Department 24-Hour Anonymous Tip Line: 767-0504 February 18 National Beat News from the state and around the nation From around the state • Oregon lawmakers are taking on net neutrality this week by debating a bill that would stop the state from working with internet companies that do not comply to the open internet rules that were in place prior to the Trump Administration’s reversal of net neutrality. The FCC announced in December that it would no longer enforce net neutrality—an idea that all online traffi c and websites would be managed equally by providers. • A confi rmed case of dog fl u has been reported in Grants Pass. The illness is highly contagious and is akin to the virus that affects humans. Symptoms in- clude lethargy, nasal discharge and coughing. • A Springfi eld man who was arrested on charges of making threats against President Donald Trump, will undergo a psychiatric exam. Thomas Murphy, 36, was arrested on Feb. 16 for making four threats via his social media against the president. Murphy reportedly has a history of mental illness. • The Southern Poverty Law Center—an organization that tracks hate groups around the country—released its yearly report, noting an uptick in white suprema- cy groups. The U.S. reportedly now has 954 active hate groups, four percent more than 2016. Oregon and Washington have a combined 14 active hate groups including two KKK groups and the National Socialist Movement. • According to the Oregon Department of Transporta- tion, 97 percent of the sidewalks adjacent to the state’s highways are not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The law requires that public spaces provide equal access to individuals with disabilities. In an audit of the nearly 30,000 curb ramps along state highways, 97 percent did not meet ADA standards. February 21 Three 10-year-olds reportedly started a small campfi re un- der a play structure at Harrison Park. The juveniles were con- Two cars were seen driving recklessly on River Rd. around tacted and transported to their parents. 1 a.m. The cars had left a bar in Creswell and one, that was possibly stolen, struck a parked vehicle and left the scene and Staff members at the Dollar Tree found a bag of syringes was then chased by the other. inside the men’s restroom at 10:22 a.m. A possible DUII was seen on Taylor St. after an individual A coffee shop employee reported a male customer loitering sat at a green traffi c signal for fi ve minutes and then proceed- in the seating area after being verbally aggressive towards ed to drive “all over” the road. staff and other customers. The individual was been asked to leave. A man on E. Madison St. was seen ransacking a utility trailer. The complainant reported that the man appeared to be tweaking. February 19 A male subject was seen passed out on the bike path area A woman reported that her soon-to-be ex-husband has been near the I-5 overpass. sending sexual pictures of her to third parties. A woman came to the police station to report fi nding infor- A woman on Hwy. 99 reported that she chased off two sub- mation on Facebook that claimed a student was going to take jects who were in a space that was supposed to be vacant and a gun to Cottage Grove High School. locked up but she was hearing noises that sounded like some- one is trying to break in again. From around the nation • The armed offi cer on site at the high school in Park- land, Florida did not enter the building on Feb. 14 as a former student shot and killed 17 people. Scot Pe- terson released a statement through his attorney con- tending that he was being falsely labeled as a ‘cow- ard’ and that his “actions were appropriate.” • The United States Supreme Court has declined to hear the challenge to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) brought by the Department of Jus- tice. The move protects DACA—a program that al- lows individuals brought to America illegally as chil- dren to work toward citizenship--through March 5. • The American Academy of Pediatrics announced on Monday that it recommends all children 12 years and over be examined for depression once a year through an online questionnaire. • President Trump announced this week that he would ban a gun accessory meant to simulate an automatic fi rearm with or without congressional support. The “bump stock” ban would need congressional approval according to the Department of Justice. February 22 February 20 An individual was brought into custody after being in pos- An individual making a delivery to Kennedy High School session of “multiple different drugs” in addition to needles. at 4:03 a.m. reported a suspicious condition when the alarm During a search incident, CGPD found an individual had a system was engaged. meth pipe. A man on K St. reported that an unknown subject threw a rock through their sliding glass door. An individual requested assistance to check a tool shed that someone had been living in and potentially storing drugs in- Disorderly subject was reported on Main St. when a man side of. was seen yelling in the middle of the road and threw an object at a nearby building. February 23 A suspicious condition was reported on 13th St. when an A disorderly subject was reported when an employee on individual saw two men exit a BMW and walk around a Gateway Blvd. confronted an individual for digging through house with fl ashlights. The individual was unsure if the home trash cans. was occupied. February 24 6 -day A woman on Main St. reported that juvenile females were pelting her residence with soda cans and paper cups. The woman reported that she had detained the juveniles and that they are trying to physically fi ght with her. weather forecast THURSDAY March 1 FRIDAY March 2 43° | 28° 44° | 26° Snow Showers SATURDAY March 3 SUNDAY March 4 45° | 30° 49° | 30° Showers Sunny MONDAY March 5 TUESDAY March 6 49° | 30° 53° | 34° Sunny Sunny Transmissions Plus & AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALTIES PayneWest can develop your business’ emergency plan. Call today (541) 942-0555. PayneWest.com/Cottage-Grove Oregon state representation Senator Floyd Prozanski District 4 State Senator PO Box 11511 Eugene, OR 97440 Phone: (541)342-2447 E-Mail : sen.fl oydprozanski@state.or.us PRACTICING THE ART OF TRANSMISSION REPAIR SERVICE SINCE 1991 Manual & Automatic Transmission Repair Tune ups 30-60-90K Services Brakes, belts, hoses and cooling system services Muffl ers & Custom Exhaust All makes and models. MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE AFFORDABLY 1 in 4 employees are ill prepared for emergency. State Representatives WE LIVE IN THE SAME TOWN WE WORK IN “WE MAKE SHIFT HAPPEN!” www.automotivespecialties.biz DUSTIN TULLAR & RUSS OWENS 541-942-8022 • COTTAGE GROVE Rep. Cedric Hayden, Republican District 7 State Representative 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 Phone: (503) 986-1407 Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/ hayden E-Mail : rep.cedrichayden@state.or.us Oregon federal representation Peter DeFazio (House of Representatives) 405 East 8th Ave. #2030 Eugene, OR 97401 Email: defazio.house.gov/contact/email-peter Phone: (541) 465-6732 Ron Wyden (Senator) 405 East 8th Ave., Suite 2020 Eugene, OR, 97401 Email: visit wyden.senate.gov Phone: (541) 431-0229 Jeff Merkley (Senator) Email: visit merkley.senate.gov Phone: (541) 465-6750