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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2018)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • JULY 3, 2018 • 3A Betty Kaiser’s Chatter Box: Immigration needs wisdom of Solomon Betty Kaiser “On the 4th of July, my patriotic heart beats red, white and blue.” T his quote (source un- known) pretty much sums up how I feel every year on the anniversa- ry of the signing of the Dec- laration of Independence. As a proud American cit- izen, I am also saddened by the current asylum/immigra- tion situation in our beloved country. It’s a mess. We were not prepared to deal with the thousands of people wanting to cross our borders illegally for work and family safety. We have never seen any- thing of this magnitude. Th is children situation is worthy of the wisdom of Solomon. Th e Declaration of Inde- pendence (for the most part) does not address immigra- tion. Th e document is pro- foundly basic: Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness if you don’t do anything il- legal or violate the rights of others. When this was written in 1776, it is estimated there were about 2.5 million peo- ple living in the 13 colonies. Th ey probably never envi- sioned a nation of 327 mil- lion residents. Undocumented immi- grants have always tested our entry rules but now we have a lot of unhappy U.S. citizens doing the same. Th e uproar is over the separation of undocumented immigrant families. As I sat mulling over recent headlines, I won- dered how our founding fa- thers would respond to this dilemma. I also realized how little I know about immigra- tion laws in the U.S. or other countries. My husband and I were 50-year residents and busi- ness owners in California We employed Mexican workers who were holders of green cards issued by the U.S. To be a resident and work in this country (legally) one needs a green card proving their identity and status. As employers, we knew that we would get in trouble if we hired undocumented employees. Th ey complied and so did we. Suddenly, immigration is a hot news topic all over the world. I haven’t thought much about green card hold- ers and illegal immigration since moving to Oregon. Now, thousands of people from war-torn, gang rid- den or famine situations are leaving their homelands and seeking refuge for safe living in other countries every- where. So, I Googled a few ques- tions to gain a current per- spective on immigration here and around the world. Th e top 10 countries ac- cepting the most immigrants in 2015: • Th e United States, 1,051,000 • Germany, 686,000 Th e United Kingdom, 378,800 • Canada, 271,800 • France, 256,500 • Australia, 226,22 • Spain, 194,900 • Italy, 160,900 • Th e Netherlands, 146,800 • Switzerland, 131,000. According to the U.S. News, our 1,051,000 fi gure does not include migration to the U.S. by other means. We are the top country for immigration in the world. We are also the top refugee resettlement country with most refugees coming from Myanmar, Iraq, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bhutan. Our foreign-born popula- tion is 13.3 percent. Immigration deals with the transit of people across borders but especially those that intend to work and stay in that country. Rules are dif- ferent everywhere but always confusing. Th e U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA) provides for the U.S., an annual worldwide limit of 675,000 permanent immi- grants, with some exceptions for close family members. Legal immigrants to the U.S. number about 1,000,000 per year of whom about 600,000 are already in the U.S. Th e total legal immi- grants living here are now at their highest level ever — just over 37 million. Th ere are also about 11 million undocumented im- migrants living in the U.S. Th e American Immigration Council says that — both documented and undocu- mented — contribute billions of dollars in taxes every year. If you are from a foreign country you must have a Per- manent Resident or Green Card to live and work in the U.S. A green card is a photo ID permit that allows you to stay here as long as you want. You may also apply for a So- cial Security Number. Th ere is a diff erence be- tween a green card and a visa. With a visa, your per- manent residence is outside the U.S. It is a temporary pass for a specifi c period of time. In both visa and green cards, you remain the citizen of an- other country. Th erefore, you do not have the rights of a U.S. cit- izen. i.e. to vote in elections, apply for a U.S. passport, etc. Th ere are also serious conse- quences for criminal behav- ior. Th ere is so much more to say about this subject but these are the answers that helped me understand the basics of immigration. I could fi nd no mandates to separate families. I hope this has been helpful to you as we go down this path of uncer- tainty. Despite our problems, we are blessed to live in Amer- ica. Together, like genera- tions before us, we can work through the uncertainties of this era with grit and deter- mination; respect for the law and diff erent opinions while helping others and our coun- try. We can also pray for the wisdom of Solomon. God bless America! Contact Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox at 942-1317 or email bchatty@bettykaiser. com. Cottage Grove Foundation awards nearly $100,000 in local scholarships Th e graduating classes of Cottage Grove High School and Al Kennedy High School were recognized for their achievements, congratulated by family and community members and awarded near- ly $100,000 worth of schol- arships as part of their fi nal senior year activities. CGHS students received awards a part of a Scholar- ship Night prior to gradua- tion and Kennedy students received their awards as part of their graduation ceremo- ny. Th e Cottage Grove Com- munity Foundation has provided 861 scholarships valued at a total of $867,680 since they formed 17 years ago in 2002. Th e foundation hopes to eventually be able to provide at least one schol- arship for every graduating student in the South Lane School District who plans to continue their education be- yond high school. Meet RAY MORELOCK Ray joined the service team at Brad’s in 2010 and is the Detail Manager. Ray is lifelong resident of Cottage Grove and in his free time he enjoys yard work, fi shing and camping. Stop in and say Hi. Th is year the foundation awarded 81 scholarships with a total value of $96,550. Most of the scholarships awarded each year are fund- ed through endowment funds created by various donors through the Cottage Grove Community Founda- tion. Recipients and donors are listed on the Community Foundation’s website at www. cgcfoundation.org Th e recipients of this year's scholarships are from Cottage Grove High School and Kennedy High School. Th e Cottage Grove Com- munity Foundation would like to congratulate: Chelsea Armstrong, Chandler Bascue, Sydney Boxberger, Katie Calkins, Serena Colbert, Tanner Coo- per, Faryn Dahlen, Hayley Evans, Spencer Falk, Keiara Faville, Brenna Feigles, Soleil Gordon, Jordan Hagewood, Trey Husko, Kate Johns, Markus Julien, Raymond (Cooper) Ladd, Cassidy Lus- son, Wyatt Lyda, Daniel Ma- geo, Hayle Maitia, Ashlynn Maudlin, Katherine Moreno, Michala Morris, Larah Muel- ler, Justin Munsell, Dana Nelson, Jackson Perkins, Jo- sef Pifer, Amber Sherman, Sophie Somerville, Melissa Spicer, Benjamin Vaughn and Miranda Wright. Several renewable schol- arships were also awarded to prior recipients who are still enrolled in post high school education programs. Th is year’s renewable scholarship recipients are all former CGHS School stu- dents: Scott Anderson, Jus- tin Bennett, Luke Bennett, Carrie Calkins, Carol Crum, Erin Foreman, Kale’a Gal- breath, Ronan Hall, Abigail Ladd, and Clover Rudicel. Anyone seeking informa- tion on how to support lo- cal scholarships or create an endowment can visit www. cgcfoundation.org or contact the Cottage Grove Commu- nity Foundation at 541-942- 0014. Another dental visit? Turns out, you have better things to do with your time. CLIP & SAVE • CLIP & SAVE • CLIP & SAVE OIL CHANGE SPECIAL $19.95 up to 6 qts of oil Gas Engines Only. Excludes Diesel Engines,Dexos & Synthetic Oils With this coupon offer good through 7/31/18 Not Valid with any other offer. We know your time is valuable. That's why we've invested in CEREC Service Now Open Saturdays 8am-5pm 541-942-4415 2775 Row River Rd. • Cottage Grove www.bradschevy.com technology that allows for a faster experience when you need crowns, fillings or veneers. With CEREC, there's usually no need for a temporary and return visit. Everything is done in one visit, in about an hour - leaving more time for whatever is important to you. 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