Cottage Grove sentinel., June 06, 2018, Image 1

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Mill begins process of deciding what's next
By Zach Silva
zsilva@cgsentinel.com
While the fire is out, the damage done by the
fire at Whitsell Manufacturing Mill in Drain that
occurred May 27 continues to impact the Cottage
Grove community. The immediate concern for
owner Walter “Fred” Whitsell are the more than
100 jobs that were lost in the blaze.
“Our goal, of course, is putting people back to
work. We’re going to do that,” he said on Saturday.
So far, Whitsell estimates that 25 employees are
back at work, some at other mills in the area while
others are now working in Medford. While the
hope is to one day rebuild the 194,000-square-
foot mill, it is not yet a guarantee.
“We’re optimistic. You have to be. What else
are you going to do?” said Whitsell. “It’s like 40
years of your life is gone in a moment. Something
I built from nothing, with like six people. I don’t
even like to stop and think about it. I really don’t.”
The property was handed back to Whitsell after
South Lane Fire and Rescue, and other agencies
from around the state, closely examined the
See FIRE A11
Remnants of last week’s Saginaw mill fire
continue to smolder as the long process of
assessing damages continues.
ZACH SILVA/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Testing deems
Cottage Grove
water safe
They know you call them...
‘Bad Kids’
But they’re taking back the title
because this is their school.
And their story.
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
Kennedy instructor Aimee Cooper informs student Zach
Chee that he passed his math essential skills test on May
24, the biggest obstacle standing between him and grad-
uation. With just 3.75 credits left to earn, Chee is expect-
ed to graduate on June 9.
CAITLYN MAY/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Editor’s Note: This is part of an ongoing series that began after a con conversation with staff members at Al Kennedy High School in early
September. The Sentinel had approached the district about chronicling the teachers and students at Kennedy to tell the story of alternative
education through the lens of those on the ground. District administrators thought it was a great idea; Kennedy staff had questions. Eight
educators sat in a room with a newspaper editor. At the end, they’d come to an understanding: The truth is the truth and the kids come first.
Over the course of the 2017-2018 school year, The Sentinel has ben telling the story of the educators and their students as they've navigated
a location change, funding gaps and the honest narrative that, sometimes, working hard isn’t enough — and an education doesn’t fix every-
thing. Kennedy's stories are of triumph, tragedy and truth as the tribe at Kennedy continues its efforts to slingshot students up and over the
barriers to progress through understanding, commitment and engagement... all the while acknowledging the unfortunate reality that some
kids won’t make it over.
“We’re not bad kids.”
Star Posthumus, 18, is a senior at Kennedy
High School. She arrived in Cottage Grove five
years ago from Michigan after she was caught
drinking at school. But life here hasn’t always
been easier. There were the times she was with-
out a home; the time her
clothes were stolen; or the time, while living
with a relative, she had to climb out of her win-
dow one night to avoid a drug-fueled argument.
“Sometimes life isn’t all great and we’re trying
to make the best of it,” she said.
Over the span of 45 minutes, Star shared her
story, dotted with the traditional themes shared
by many Kennedy students: a mental health di-
agnosis, sexual assault, homelessness.
“That’s what we’re trying to do, we’re trying
to make life better for ourselves. That’s why we
came to Kennedy,” she said.
equality. noun equal·i·ty. : The quality or state
of being equal: as. a: sameness or equivalence
in number, quantity, or measure. b : likeness or
sameness in quality, power, status, or degree.
equity. noun eq•ui•ty.: justice according to nat-
COMMUNITY
EVENTS
Memorial Day
Gran Fondo
The community honors its
fallen heros
Annual cycling event draws
crowd in Historic District
PAGE A6
www.homesteadcg.com
PAGE B1
Chair
Side
Tables
On
Sale!
INDEX
By Caitlyn May & Zach Silva
cmay@cgsentinel.com zsilva@cgsentinel.com
ural law or right; specifically: freedom from bias
or favoritism.
Enrollment is down at Kennedy. The high
school started the year with 94 students and, as
of last month, was down to 78. Some kids stop
coming to school, reaffirming their decision to
drop out despite how their chances at receiving a
diploma improved when Kennedy caught them
on their way out of Cottage Grove High School.
Meanwhile, others graduate. There may be fewer
kids but it’s never quiet at Kennedy. A group of
See KENNEDY A10
Calendar ...................................... B12
Channel Guide ............................... B5
Classifieds ...................................... B7
Obituaries ...................................... A2
Opinion ......................................... A4
Sports ............................................ B1
Early last week, officials in Salem
warned residents under the age of six not
to drink the city’s tap water after finding
an unhealthy level of toxins in the water
supply. A public safety alert was sent out
via robo calls and text alerts from Salem
to Eugene causing panic in three different
counties and triggering price gouging for
clean, bottled water.
The city of Cottage Grove released a
statement on Friday assuring residents that
the city’s tap water was safe to drink, citing
its source.
City water is garnered from the Dore-
na Reservoir, managed by the U.S. Army
Corp of Engineers.
“Dorena Reservoir has experienced al-
gal blooms in the past,” the statement read.
“Some of these blooms have resulted in a
recreational health advisory to be issued
for the users of the reservoir, due to the
presence of toxins being produced by the
algae.”
The toxin causing the health alert in
Salem and Marion County is known as a
cyanotoxin and is created by harmful algal
blooms. Boiling tap water increases the
danger of the toxin. Governor Kate Brown
has issued a state of emergency for Salem,
sending in clean water while city officials
reportedly knew of the heightened tests
for four days before reporting the issue to
the public after a May 23 test showed 6.96
parts per billion of the toxin. Children
under six and individuals with weakened
immune systems should not consume wa-
ter with more than 0.7 parts per billion.
Healthy adults should not consume water
with three parts per billion.
According to the statement from the city
of Cottage Grove, tests conducted at Row
River have sometimes detected the pres-
ence of very low levels of cyanotoxins.
“We do not expect that the harmful al-
gal blooms issue will go away but it will
continue to be more common so we are
pursuing alternatives to prevent toxins
in finished drinking water, should the in-
creased levels of cyanotoxins be detected
in Row River,” the statement read. “Should
toxins be detected in Cottage Grove drink-
ing water at a level that would require a ‘Do
Not Drink’ health advisory, the city would
work closely with the local and state public
health and emergency response agencies
as the city of Salem is currently doing, to
address the situation and quickly reduce
cyanotoxin levels in the tap water.”
The city of Salem lifted the restriction on
drinking water on June 2.
cgnews@cgsentinel.com
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