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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (May 30, 2018)
$1.00 S entinel C ottage G rove Est. 1889 PERSONAL | COMMERCIAL BENEFITS | SURETY (541) 942-0555 PayneWest.com/Cottage-Grove SPORTS The latest on Warriors softball B1 WED 72º/52º Serving the communities of Cottage Grove, Drain, Yoncalla, Lorane, Dorena and Elkton WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2018 FACEBOOK.COM/CGSENTINEL • TWITTER.COM/CGSENTINEL For a complete six- day forecast please see page A5. CGSENTINEL.COM Filings open for mayor, council seats Saginaw fire reduces mill to cinders By Caitlyn May cmay@cgsentinel.com PHOTOS BY ZACH SILVA/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Fire crews continued to fight the blaze at Whitsell Manufacturing mill in Saginaw on Monday morning, with days of mop-up expected to continue. Multiple agencies responded to an early-evening fire Sunday night that destroyed the 180,000-square-foot mill structure and nearly 46 acres of log piles By Zach Silva zsilva@cgsentinel.com On Sunday evening, just before 7 p.m., the Whit- sell Manufacturing mill in Saginaw caught fire, dam- aging nearly 10 acres. The blaze spanned an area of a quarter-mile, reach- ing heights of more than 4,000 feet, continuing until containment shortly after 10 p.m. The mill is host to four businesses that work in conjunction and, ac- cording to South Lane Fire Chief John Wooten, "they are a complete loss.” “We were here about 15 to 20 minutes when the structure collapsed, the whole thing came in,” said Wooten. “The fire had explosive growth. It was one of the fastest growing fires that I’ve seen in my career. It just engulfed the whole building.” Firefighters from across Lane and Douglas County tended to the blaze. More than 50 firefighters were on scene with the assistance of 11 water tenders (fire ap- paratus that transport thousands of gallons of water each, along with eight fire engines and aerial support. The height of the plume mixed with wind, causing the fire to push to the other side of Highway 99 and prompt a temporary closure before it was contained. “I was actually starting a plan to evacuate all the houses on the hillside. We were working with [Lane County Sherriff ’s Office] on that,” said Wooten. See FIRE A10 Cottage Village secures $100,000 grant C ottage Village is one step clos- er to seeing construction on its E. Madison Ave. proper- ty after Cottage Village Coalition an- nounced late last week that the project received $100,000 in grant funds from the Edwards Mother Earth Foundation. The grant, the latest in an ongo- ing fundraising effort, brings the total amount donated or pledged for the project to more than $500,000. "Cottage Village Coalition contin- ues to make steady progress towards building 13 tiny houses in our effort to prevent homelessness. This generous donation from EMEF moves us closer to achieving our goal," said Bruce Kelsh, Cottage Village Coalition Committee Chair. Based in Washington, the EMEF is a private family foundation that was founded in 1997, “with a broad vi- sion statement for a sustainable planet COMMUNITY Earth,” according to the organization’s website. Its mission statement notes the need to contribute to a sustainable and diverse quality of life by addressing global climate disruption. Cottage Village, while not specifically aimed at addressing climate change and environmental concerns, will certainly have a small carbon footprint. No more than 300 square feet to be exact. The project, which has been in the works for more than a year, is part of an ongoing effort to address affordable housing in Cottage Grove. Cottage Village Coalition joined forces with Eugene-based nonprofit SquareOne Villages to obtain a grant for $200,000 from the Meyer Memorial trust and subsequently purchased 1.1 acres on E. Madison Avenue to construct 13 tiny houses. Under the terms of the grant, the project must be completed by the summer’s end. But according to Cottage Village Coalition, that deadline may be extended. The project, estimated to cost just BMD adds kid zone By Caitlyn May cmay@cgsentinel.com COURTESY SQUAREONE VILLAGES DREAM HOME-A rendering of one of the models being considered for Cot- tage Village. over $1 million, has yet to submit plans to the city or go through the planning process. It has, however, recently released de- tails concerning possible renters and HEALTH Keeping Tradition No stone unturned The WOE is set to cele- brate 86 years of tradition South Lane Mental Health sets positive messages in stone. Literally. PAGE A7 PAGE A6 INDEX By Caitlyn May cmay@cgsentinel.com Beginning today, Cottage Grove residents who are interested in running for mayor or one of the four city council seats in November can get a candidate information packet from city hall. The position of mayor, currently held by Jeff Gowing, is not ward specific and is a two-year term. Councilors up for re-election in the fall hail from wards one (Jake Boone), three (Garland Burback) and four (Greg Ervin). Councilor at large, is also up for election. Ervin replaced former councilor Amy Slay who was no longer eligible for her seat after purchasing land outside of the city limits in February of this year. The council advertised her position and received one application - Ervin’s. Because Ervin is finishing out Slay’s term, he must run for the position in November’s general election. To qualify as a candidate, individuals must be a qualified elector and must be a resident of the city during the year immediately preceding the election. The city council and mayor positions are non-partisian and the governing body is responsible for passing city ordinances, adopting the city’s budget and overseesing subcommittees as well as the municipal court judge. For more information, contact the city manager’s office at 541-942-5501. COFFEE WITH THE EDITOR Have a news tips? Want to talk about community events? Have a question? Stop by Backstage Bakery. The LAST THURSDAY each month from Noon to 1 p.m. community structure. According to SquareOne Villages, See TINY A9 Calendar ...................................... B12 Channel Guide ............................... B5 Classifieds ...................................... B7 Obituaries ...................................... A2 Opinion ......................................... A4 Sports ............................................ B1 Bohemia Mining Days is set to inch closer to its 60th year this summer. But before it does, organizers are adding a new facet to the festival that will see more changes this year than it has in the last 10. Competing with county fairs around the state this year, BMD will host a kids’ zone designed to offer activ- ities and learning opportuni- ties for children. Before it can welcome new residents to the 7,000 square-foot kids’ zone, See BMD A11 cgnews@cgsentinel.com (541) 942-3325 ph • (541) 942-3328 fax P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424 Corner of Sixth and Whiteaker, Cottage Grove _______________ VOLUME 130 • NUMBER 34 Rain Country Realty Inc. RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Licensed in the State of Oregon RainCountryRealty.com • raincountryrealty@gmail.com 1320 Hwy 99 • 541-942-7246
