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CGSENTINEL.COM
Crowdsourcing health: Finding funds to fi ght cancer online
Local businessowner turns to online
donations in fi ght for cancer, citing
current health care costs, fl awed system
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
K
urt Walker has been advocating for aff ordable health care
for more than 30 years. Th is year, it became personal.
Walker, a Cottage Grove resident for the last 11 years,
has owned the Best Little Print Shop for the last 16 with his wife,
Teresa. It’s his latest shop in a 40-year career in printing that started
in California when Kurt was 18. Th e shop in Cottage Grove is a far
cry from the sunshine state. It sits a stone’s throw from the down-
town historic district between a local bar and the local newspaper
offi ce. Th e street, Whiteaker, is just one block behind Main Street
where art walks and car shows rotate weekends during the sum-
mer and fall farmers’ markets give way to the town’s Christmas tree
in December and the subsequent fi retruck ride that ushers in San-
ta, continuously played by a local city councilman despite a recent
weight loss.
It’s easy to get involved in Cottage Grove so it’s no surprise that
the Walkers came up with an arrangement. Teresa would man the
counter, covering for Kurt here and there when he had to slip away
to coach middle school football, mentor high school students, at-
tend a chamber of commerce or Kiwanis meeting or, as Teresa tells
it, help anyone who needed help whether he belonged to their or-
ganization or not. Lately though, it’s been Kurt behind the counter,
covering for Teresa.
On a Wednesday morning that saw a slight break in a heat wave
but not enough to be a relief, Teresa sat on a couch in her living
room in a fl annel, her hair in two braids. Th e room is just off the
kitchen where there are no dishes in the sink and the are counters
clear of clutter with just enough knick knacks that it makes sense.
Th ere’s a small table with chairs, a television and a well-used dog bed
that obviously belongs to something bigger than a lap dog. It turns
out, it’s for a “Greenhill mutt,” rescued from the animal shelter in
A DAY AT THE CAROUSEL
“By the time we’re done, we’re
looking at half a million.”
-Kurt Walker
Eugene that Teresa thinks may have a bit of Malamute in her due to
the markings on her face.
It’s 83 degrees outside but Teresa pulls a blanket over her chest.
It’s one of the few things that hint at the reason for her absence from
the counter at the Best Little Print Shop. Th e fl annel is just a bit too
big, there are bedroom pillows on the couch that’s been set up for a
longer stay than a morning chat. A blue emesis bag is tucked near
her feet.
“Th ere weren’t really any symptoms,” Kurt said in a phone conver-
sation as he worked a shift at the print house. Teresa had long lived
with a benign medical condition and attributed any health oddities
See HEALTH CARE A6
Downtown streets
not up to par with
federal law
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
COURTESY OF DUANE TADDEI
The Friends of the Cottage Grove Carousel gathered on Saturday to show off the progress the group has made in
bringing the carousel to Main Street. Volunteers hand-spun the ride as community members were given an insight into
future plans for the attraction. For the complete story, turn to page A9.
Th e city isn’t quite sure how many streets do not comply
with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) but it does
know there are a lot of them.
According to Cottage Grove City Manager Richard Mey-
ers, it’s diffi cult to keep track of the number of streets that
fall short of the requirements of the ADA because the city
tracks them diff erently. Some may fall under one category
while others, are listed elsewhere. Th e city has no one list that
tracks ADA noncompliant streets.
And Cottage Grove is not alone.
In February of this year, an Oregon Department of Trans-
portation audit revealed that 97 percent of the more 20,000
curbs and sidewalks inspected were not ADA-compliant. Th e
audit was part of a settlement with Disability Rights Oregon,
a group focused on the legal rights of individuals with dis-
abilities. Th e group sued the state in 2017, citing the lack of
compliance and the state was ordered to conduct the audit
and agreed to pay $23 million toward ADA improvements
for sidewalks and curbs to be completed by 2032.
“Even if someone complains, it’s pre-existing,” Meyers said
of the curbs in Cottage Grove and the city’s legal responsi-
bility in repairing them. Meyers did note that the city has
continuously spent more of its system development charges
(SDC) fees on upgrading curbs and sidewalks.
“If we do construction in an area and come across one that
needs to be done, then we do it,” Meyers said. “But if there’s
no new construction, no update to an existing business or
area, then we don’t have to.”
Th at isn’t to say the city has no plans to address the issue.
According to Meyers it comes down to two things: time and
money.
In June of this year, the city council voted to allow city staff
to apply for a $10 million grant that would go towards work
detailed in the Main Street Refi nement Plan. Th e plan in-
cludes several upgrades for downtown Main Street including
lighting, a water system, electricity, signage and improving
sidewalks and streets.
“If we get the grant, they’d all be done in fi ve years. If not, it
could be decades before we get them all done,” Meyers said.
Th e city could also garner the funds if it moved forward with
urban renewal, according to Meyers. Established federally in
1949 and in Oregon in 1951, an urban renewal area provides
a fi nancing mechanism for a city to complete projects aimed
at expanding the tax base. Projects can include streetscaping,
lighting, signage, storefront improvements or sewer and wa-
ter infrastructure improvements. To complete these projects,
the urban renewal area allows for the tax value within the
area to be frozen. Taxes in the urban renewal area are still
paid. However, tax growth within the area goes toward the
urban renewal district.
See ADA A10
SCHOOL'S BACK
School board meets
"Treehouse" starts its run
this week
The school board looks to
move on, discuss future.
PAGE A3
PAGE A7, A11
INDEX
SHOWTIME
New play coming
Calendar ...................................... B12
Channel Guide ............................... B5
Classifieds ...................................... B7
Obituaries ...................................... A2
Opinion ......................................... A4
Sports ............................................ B1
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
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 43
Marriage & Family Counseling
Learn to positively overcome confl icts
and create stronger relationships for life.
Alan D. Walker
A Masters Level Christian Counselor
Offi ces in Cottage Grove, Yoncalla, and Roseburg
541-817-6271
AlanWalkerPACf@gmail.com • AlanDWalkerCounselor.com