$1.00
S entinel
C ottage G rove
Est. 1889
PERSONAL | COMMERCIAL
BENEFITS | SURETY
(541) 942-0555
PayneWest.com/Cottage-Grove
SPORTS
The seniors of Elkton football
have found success. B1
WED
67º/38º
Serving the communities of Cottage Grove, Creswell, Dorena, Drain, Elkton, Lorane and Yoncalla.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2018
FACEBOOK.COM/CGSENTINEL • TWITTER.COM/CGSENTINEL
For a complete six-
day forecast please
see page A5.
CGSENTINEL.COM
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: In their own words
S
usan Jeppesen was never scared. She
wasn’t scared when she went in on
Dec. 5 for her routine mammogram,
something she never misses. She wasn’t
scared when they asked her to come back
and told her something was abnormal.
And she wasn’t scared when a patient ad-
CAITLYN MAY/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Susan Jeppesen was diagnosed with
breast cancer at the end of last year. Here,
she tells her story.
vocate was called into her exam room or
when the phone call came from her own
doctor with the news.
In that moment, Jeppesen crossed over
the line between those of us who have al-
ways lived knowing about breast cancer
and have worn pink in October — and
those of us who have faced death at the
hands of the disease and bear the scar of a
chemotherapy port.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC), 242,476 new cases of fe-
male breast cancer were reported in 2015
— the most recent year data is available;
2,954 of those cases were re-ported in Or-
egon. More than 40,000 women nation-
wide, died of the disease.
October serves as breast cancer aware-
ness month, bringing attention to the dis-
ease that needs no introduction; it’s
See WORDS 6A
Local women part Mayor helps Armory by having a ‘ball’
of nationwide trend
to join ballot races
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
Th ere are three women running for the
Cottage Grove City Council this election cy-
cle and many of their reasons for doing so are
generally the same: someone told them they
should run, they looked around and thought
they could make a diff erence and they were
already participating in various community
“I feel like a bunch of women are just
busting through that glass ceiling ...
There’s a lot of encouragement from
other women now.”
— Ashley Rigel, City Council candidate
organizations. Th e outcome of the election,
however, may make the council look dramat-
ically diff erent.
“When I walked into the council meetings,
there wasn’t a woman on the board. I’ve looked
at the stats and I don’t remember exactly but
it’s something like 50 or 51-point-something
percent of the population in Cottage Grove is
female. Th at’s like, three seats. Not no seats,”
said Jill Hermansen, one of the three female
candidates vying for an opportunity to repre-
sent their ward.
Currently, the seven-member board is
made up entirely of men, including the may-
or. Th e homogeneous representation was
The third annual Mayor's Ball was held on Saturday, Oct. 6 as a
fundraising event to help pay for the building's remodel.
GREG LEE
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
O
n Saturday night, the movers and
shakers of Cottage Grove packed
the Armory for the third annual
Mayor’s Ball and while the event aims to raise
funds for long-held dream of remodeling the
exterior of the building, it was the interior that
drew comparisons to a wonderland.
“It was absolutely wonderful,” said city
councilor Kenneth Roberts. “Th e ambience in
that room was absolutely beautiful. As some-
one who sets up lights professionally, it was
amazing.”
Lighted clouds hung from the ceiling and at-
tendees walked a carpet fl anked on either side
by white lights before taking their seats for an
evening that revolved around sustainability.
Th e Armory’s current existence has been
touted as an example of recycling aft er the
city purchased the building in 2009, restoring
windows, fl oors and treating the building for
lead paint and dust. It’s been the site of several
community functions including fundraisers,
banquets and for the last three years, the May-
or’s Ball.
Jeff Gowing has presided over the ball for
the last three years and this year was no dif-
ferent. He spoke about the ball Monday night
saying, “It was a lot of fun, I had a lot of fun.
Th ough, my wife probably had more fun be-
cause she spent a lot of money. I had fun, the
food was great, I went back and thanked the
caterers.”
See Ball 10A
See TREND 8A
Board to decide future of Latham Elementary this year
By Zach Silva
zsilva@cgsentinel.com
Th e fate of Latham Ele-
mentary School will be de-
cided by the South Lane
School District school board
in the coming months.
At this month’s school
board meeting, the district
announced plans to con-
duct a report on Latham to
determine the school’s long-
term status. Th e report, that
will be given to the board
before December’s meeting,
will include an examination
of staffi ng, transportation,
technology, educational im-
pact and maintenance.
Additionally, the district
will be gathering input from
community members and
both Latham staff and par-
ents.
“It’s not a Latham closure
report, it’s the Latham re-
port. Th e intent is to give all
the infor-mation and facts
… so the board can decide
if we maintain the building
or close the building,” said
SLSD interim superinten-
dent Larry Sullivan. “It’s not
a closure report but to look
at all the options we have and
COMMUNITY
Education for women
Local production of
popular muscial will make
resedents “believers.”
Soroptimists off ering
education funds for single
moms
PAGE A5
PAGE A6
INDEX
THEATER
Shrek: The Musical
make that decision based on
what are the costs and bene-
fi ts across the board.”
Th ese renewed conversa-
tions about the status Latham
has been ongoing since last
winter when the possibili-
ty of closing the school to
save an estimated $200,000
per year was brought up at a
school board meeting. Since
then, parents from Latham
Calendar ...................................... B12
Channel Guide ............................... B5
Classifieds ...................................... B7
Obituaries ...................................... A2
Opinion ......................................... A4
Sports ............................................ B1
have attended a meeting to
praise the opportunities that
have come from a school
with less than 90 students
this year and to discuss its
value in the area since it fi rst
opened its doors in 1853.
Last spring the board be-
lieved that if it was deter-
mined the school needed
to be closed, there was not
enough time left in the 2017-
18 school year to get every-
thing ready for that process.
It was determined that the
school would stay open for
the 2018-19 school year
while a decision would come
this fall. Th e board said the
fi nal decision will be made as
early as mid-December or as
late as February.
See LATHAM 11A
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 51
The Flower Basket Rain Country Realty Inc.
and Gift Boutique
RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
“A Flower Shop and so much more”
Creative Floral Arrangements • Jewelry • Balloons
Home Décor • Fine Gifts • Boutique Clothing & Accessories
119 South 6th Street • 541-942-0505
Licensed in the
State of Oregon
RainCountryRealty.com • raincountryrealty@gmail.com
1320 Hwy 99 • 541-942-7246