2A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • JUNE 6, 2018
RECORDS
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OBITUARIES
MACKENSEN—Ronald
Lawrence Mackensen, 74, of
Pleasant Hill, Ore., formerly
of Cottage Grove, died May
25, 2018.
No service is planned.
Arrangements by Smith-
Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel
in Cottage Grove.
GATES—James Rodney
Gates, 88, of Elkton, died
May 28, 2018.
Arrangements by Smith-
Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel
in Cottage Grove.
GILMAN—Barbara
E.
Gilman, 90, of Cottage
Grove, died June 1, 2018.
A memorial service and re-
ception will be held Thurs-
day, June 14, beginning at
2 p.m. at Smith-Lund-Mills
Funeral Chapel in Cottage
Grove.
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Interment will be in Sun-
nydale Cemetery in Drain,
Ore.
Arrangements in the care
of Smith-Lund-Mills Funer-
al Chapel.
Funeral & Memorial Planning
Cremation Options
e Monuments
& Memorials & e Memorials
Cemetery Options e
Monuments
Cemetery Options
e Funeral & Memorial Planning e Cremation Options e
Pertussis cases confirmed at N. Douglas Elementary
Douglas Public Health Network
confirmed two cases of pertussis, also
known as whooping cough, on June 1
at North Douglas Elementary School.
One case was confirmed in the be-
ginning of May and another case on
Thursday, leading public health offi-
cials to declare an outbreak of the high-
ly contagious and serious illness.
When an outbreak is declared, Ore-
gon Administrative Rule 333-019-0010
requires students who do not meet im-
munization requirements to be exclud-
ed from attending school: “Because
pertussis is a restrictable, reportable
disease, OAR 333-019-0010(3) re-
quires that exposed, undervaccinated
children be excluded from attendance
at school and children’s facilities (for
21 days after their last exposure) unless
the local health officer determines that
exclusion is not necessary to protect
the public’s health.”
Fourteen North Douglas Elementa-
ry School students who are either not
immunized, under-immunized or have
not turned in records of immuniza-
tion are subject to the exclusion period
that starts today. Public health officials
limited exclusions to under-vaccinat-
ed students in kindergarten through
fourth-grade because they had over-
lapping exposures.
“We fully support parents’ legal
rights and choice to determine whether
their children receive immunizations,”
said North Douglas School District
Superintendent John Lahley. “Howev-
er, we must obey the law that requires
schools to exclude students when cases
of pertussis are confirmed within our
district. Local health officials deter-
mine the threshold for this process,
and we must follow their directives.”
If excluded students receive vacci-
nations, they may be allowed to return
to school within the 21-day period.
Students affected by the exclusion-
ary period have completed state testing
for the year and will not be penalized
for missing any remaining class proj-
ects or tests. The last day of school for
students is June 14.
“Based upon a determination that
is out of the control of parents and
the district, school officials have de-
termined to not penalize any of the
excluded students with final projects
or test/exams,” Lahley said. “Students
will be graded based upon their perfor-
mance up to the date of exclusion.”
Numerous cases of pertussis have
been identified in Lane County. Several
schools in multiple school districts in
that county have active outbreaks that
have required exclusionary measures
to be implemented.
It is important for the community
to understand steps that can be taken
to prevent further spreading of the dis-
ease. Douglas Public Health Network
advises that students who have been
vaccinated may still be at risk of per-
tussis. Teachers and staff should be on
the lookout for symptoms.
Below are guidelines from the Ore-
gon Health Authority.
Pertussius facts from the Oregon
Health Authority
What is pertussis?
Pertussis, also called “whooping
cough,” is a respiratory disease caused
by bacteria. It often causes serious
problems in babies, but is usually mild-
er in older children and adults.
Who gets pertussis?
Pertussis can occur at any age, but
infants and young children are at the
highest risk of life-threatening conse-
quences. In Oregon, many pertussis
cases occur in newborns that are too
young to be immunized.
What are the symptoms of pertussis?
• The first symptoms - runny nose,
sneezing, mild fever and cough – usu-
ally appear five to 21 days after a per-
son is infected.
• After one or two weeks, the cough
gets worse and usually starts to occur
in strong fits of coughing. This may last
six weeks or longer.
• In children, coughing fits are often
followed by a whooping sound as they
try to catch their breath.
• After coughing, infected peo-
ple may have difficulty catching their
breath, vomit or become blue in the
face from lack of air. The coughing
spells may be so severe that it is hard
for babies to eat, drink or breathe.
How is pertussis spread?
• Bacteria live in the nose, mouth
and throat, and are sprayed into the
air when an infected person sneezes,
coughs or talks.
• Touching a tissue or sharing a cup
can also spread the disease.
• Older adolescents, adults and par-
ents who may have a mild illness can
spread the disease to infants and young
children in the household.
Is pertussis dangerous?
Pertussis can be very dangerous
for infants who have the highest risk
of pertussis-related complications and
death.
How is pertussis diagnosed?
A doctor may diagnosis pertussis
based on symptoms and laboratory
tests.
How do you treat it?
Pertussis is treated with antibiotics.
How do you prevent pertussis?
• Immunization is the best way to
prevent pertussis. Children need a se-
ries of five DTaP vaccinations starting
at 2 months of age until kindergarten.
Immunity wears off, so adolescents and
adults need a Tdap booster shot.
The booster helps protect adoles-
cents and adults from getting pertussis
and spreading it to vulnerable infants.
Pertussis vaccines are required for
school and child care attendance in
Oregon.
Pregnant women should ask their
health care provider about getting a
Tdap booster in their third trimester of
each pregnancy to protect their babies.
• Cover your cough and wash your
hands.
• Keep babies away from anyone
who is coughing.
Is the pertussis vaccine safe?
Yes, the vaccine is safe though there
is a slight risk of problems such as a
pain and swelling at the injection site
or fever. But the risk of the disease is
much more serious.
Is there any pertussis in Oregon?
Yes. In 2012 Oregon experienced a
pertussis epidemic with the most cases
seen since 1953.
Where can I get more information?
Ask your health care provider, con-
tact Douglas Public Health Network at
541-440-3571 or visit the Oregon Im-
munization Program’s website at www.
healthoregon.org/imm.
Umpqua Community Health Cen-
ter can provide vaccinations and has
ample supplies.
City of Cottage Grove information roundup
League of Oregon Cities
Housing Workshop
The League of Oregon
Cities will be hosting a
Housing Workshop in Cot-
tage Grove tomorrow, June
7. The workshop will be
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the
Cottage Grove Armory.
Communities that want
to make progress on hous-
ing issues can benefit from
technical assistance in a va-
riety of areas, including land
use, financing, tax credits,
special needs housing and
multi-partner collaboration
efforts.
The workshop is the first
step in assessing the partic-
ular needs, missing pieces
and key opportunities that
exist in various parts of
the state. A series of eight
workshops are being host-
ed across the state by LOC,
AOC and OHCS for city
and county leaders to help
accomplish two goals:
To register for the work-
shop, contact the City Man-
ager’s office.
RAIN Startup
Conversation
On Thursday, June 14,
from 10 a.m. to noon, the
Cottage Grove startup com-
munity is invited to a con-
versation about startups,
innovation, and how to bet-
ter support local business
growth with RAIN Eugene
mentors at a new location,
106 South 10th St. Any en-
trepreneur in the area that
has an idea and is not sure
where to go next, is encour-
aged to come by and take
advantage of free consulting.
The Startup Conver-
sations take place on the
second Thursday of every
month.
I-5 On/Off Ramp
Repaving
The Oregon Department
of Transportation is repav-
ing on- and off-ramps at the
174 Intersection.
Now through Thursday,
crews will be working on the
I-5 South bound ramps. The
construction work will start
at 7 p.m. and continue until
6 a.m., through Thursday.
Police Department
hires New Dispatcher
The Cottage Grove Police
Department welcomed Ga-
briela Iboa Pierce on May 22.
Pierce was hired as a Com-
munications Specialist.
New Planning Tech
The Public Works & De-
velopment
Department
hired a new Planning Tech,
Eric Mongan. His first day on
the job was June 1. Moirgan
graduated from the UofO
with a Masters in Planning.
Please Celebrate the 4th of July Safely!
123 South 7th,
Cottage Grove, Oregon
th
123
South
7
,
Cottage
Grove, Oregon
541-942-0185 •www.smithlundmills.com
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‡ www.smithlundmills.com
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JERRY DEE
COUCH
1936-2018
Jerry Dee Couch
passed away on May,
21 2018 in Roseburg,
Oregon. He was born
June 11, 1936 on
a family farm near
Powhattan, Kansas to
Beauford Leon Couch
and Myrta Beatrice
(Hewitt). He had 3 older brothers, Neal, Afton, and Hugh
who fought in WWII, while Jerry as the youngest helped
manage the farm.
Jerry graduated out of a class of ten from Powhattan
High School in 1954. He attended Baker University where he
met and married Vicki Sheldon. He received his Bachelors in
Education at Wichita State University, his Masters Degree at
Emporia State University and his Doctorate at the University
of Arkansas.
In 1971 the Couch family moved from Kansas to Oregon
where Jerry became vice principal at Douglas High School.
In 1976, he moved to Cottage Grove where he spent the
rest of his career in various administrative positions. Jerry
moved back to Roseburg in 2013 after being diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s.
Jerry loved the outdoors and spent many days camping
and hunting with his family. Jerry is survived by his children,
Dan (Joanne) Couch, Les (Linda) Couch, Christy Spencer and
his grandchildren Rebecca, Joshua, Caleb, David, Michael,
and Cidney.
An open house memorial service is planned for June 23
at Dan & Joanne Couch’s home in Roseburg from 1 to 4 with
story telling starting at 2:00 pm. Please RSVP by June 20th
at JerryCouch81@gmail.com.
Willa Battles
1920-2018
Willa was born December 1, 1920 in Toledo,
Ohio to Paul and Catherine Croninger. Willa
had 2 sisters, Paulagene (Ledford) and Maryann
(Mowry) both deceased. She attended school
in Los Angeles, California. Willa was preceded
in death by her loving husband of 58 years, Bill
Battles, who died in 1998. Willa and Bill had six
children, Paul, Sandy, Judy, Bonnie, Bill and John. Willa and Bill lived in Plush, Cottage Grove,
and Lakeview, OR as well as Winnemucca, Nevada and fi nally settled in Cambridge, Idaho.
She and Bill loved to roam the western deserts searching for rocks, artifacts and also enjoyed
fi shing. After Bill passed, Willa moved to Thompson Falls, Montana to be near her son Bill and
his family. After 10 years there, she moved to Springfi eld, Oregon to live the last 10 years of her
life with daughter Judy. She was a skilled cook, baker and candy maker. She enjoyed attending
her great grandchildren’s sporting events. Willa loved to watch both Cubs baseball as well as the
Springfi eld Police Department City softball team. She was made an honorary member of the
Springfi eld Police department team at the age of 96. Willa rarely missed a game and could be
heard coaching from the stands. She was a wonderful wife, mother and friend to many. Willa is
survived by daughters Sandra Fox, Judy Kuskie and Bonnie Retherford and son Bill Battles. She
had 13 grandchildren, 30 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren. Special thanks
for love and support from granddaughters Carla and Melissa and grandson in law, George. Willa
met each day with a positive attitude and when asked how she was, always answered, “Fine, fi ne,
fi ne. Pretty good for an old lady!” She will be missed. Her consistent kindness made us all a little
bit better. Willa requested no services. You may make donations in her name to a charity of your
choice or to Sacred Heart Hospice. Services are in care of Major Family Funeral Home in Spring-
fi eld. Visit majorfamilyfuneralhome.com to sign the on line guest book.