COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • OCTOBER 31, 2018
•
5A
Pet tips
‘N’ tales
By Mary Ellen
“Angel Scribe”
Shannon’s Shadow
COURTESY PHOTO
The Main Street Carousel will temporarily be housed at Brad's Chevrolet until a permanent home can be found.
CAROUSEL from A1
headed the repainting of the
animals for the carousel and
various businesses have donat-
ed material.
Th e group also estimates
that it has garnered more than
3,000 hours of volunteer ser-
vice but notes it could always
use more as it heads toward the
fi nish line.
“As we move into the more
SCHOOLS
from A1
same across South Lane in-
cluding Al Kennedy High
School, the district’s alterna-
tive high school that has ex-
perienced high rates of absen-
teeism in the past. Th is year’s
rate places regular attenders at
Kennedy at 44 percent, up 13
percent from last year. Cottage
Grove High School’s regular
attenders rate was 84 percent,
business format, we will need
additional volunteers for var-
ious segments of the opera-
tion of the carousel,” Williams
wrote, “For example, Albany
has 34 volunteers per week
to operate their carousel and
building operations. Most car-
ousels throughout the west are
operated with volunteer help.”
Th e group currently needs
someone to donate bookkeep-
ing experience.
“As chairman, I continue to
interview leaders of carousels
throughout the west,” Williams
wrote in an update on the sta-
tus of the carousel. “Th ey are
all experiencing good turnouts
and happiness with the com-
munity and visitors.”
And while Cash’s plan was to
have the carousel be part of the
Main Street landscape, and the
project has made progress, it
isn’t quite there yet.
Th e current plan for the car-
ousel is to house it at Brad’s
Chevrolet under a lease while,
according to Williams, the
committee establishes the
transition and works to secure
funds and land for a perma-
nent home for the carousel.
Th e next step, according to
Williams, is reviewing histor-
ical photographs to be placed
on the rounding boards of the
carousel.
For more information or to
volunteer for the carousel, visit
cgcarousel.com.
up 10 percent from last year.
Th e state average is 80 percent.
During a previous con-
versation surrounding the
successes at Cottage Grove
High School, principal Mike
Ingman said the school had
strived to improve attendance
by increasing opportunity for
school spirit, saying kids who
wanted to be in school, came
to school. Cottage Grove High
School has increased the num-
ber of clubs it off ers and has al-
tered its schedule to allow for
more undisturbed instruction
time.
And, it seems to be working.
Cottage Grove High School,
according to the state report
card, shows an increase of 2
percent in on-time gradua-
tions, placing the overall rate
at 96 percent. Th e rate is well
above the state’s rate of 77 per-
cent. Th e school’s on-track to
graduate rate (students earn-
ing one-quarter of graduation
credits as freshman) is also up
this year—by 2 percent—to 87
percent, beating out the state
average of 85 percent.
Kennedy, which underwent
a move in 2017 and received
updated classrooms this year,
also saw an increase in its on-
time graduation rate which
sits at 20 percent. Th at rate
is up 3 percent from the pre-
vious year. Th e school's fi ve-
year graduation rate is also
up, coming in at 51 percent.
And while both on-time and
the fi ve-year graduation rate
fall well below the 77 percent
statewide average, students at
Kennedy oft en enroll in the
school already behind in their
credits. Something Kennedy
administration has indicated
can explain the jump in rates
between on-time and fi ve-year
graduates.
Th e district's elementary
schools fell into the state trend
of below than average scores.
Harrison, Bohemia, Dorena,
Latham and Child's way all
fell below the state average in
math while London managed
a score that was either at or
above the state level but was
not on track for grade level.
English levels also fell be-
low state levels for all South
Lane School District school
except for Cottage Grove High
School which met the state
target. London also did not
fall below the state average but
did not score as on track in
English.
South Lane School District
has undergone several chang-
es and challenges since 2016
including the undertaking of a
$35 million bond to construct
the new Harrison Elementa-
ry School, the remodel of the
community pool and a new
superintendent, Dr. Sullivan,
who recently extended his
year-long stay to another year.
To view the individual re-
ports cards of each school in
the South Lane School Dis-
trict, go to: https://www.ode.
state.or.us/data/reportcard/
reports.aspx.
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Shanon’s black cat, “Shadow,” is her mobile park’s security
guard. He purr-oudly pat-rols it paw-tecting pets and dispatch-
ing rats. He is rewarded for his diligence with grooming and
kibbles by nearly everyone.
Th e young feral cat was surviving off the land, so Shanon’s
mother began feeding him. Th en to prevent him from fathering
kittens, Shanon had him neutered.
Aft er that things changed.
“He felt we owed him for our transgressions,” laughs Sha-
non. “He took up residence on our deck and when the weath-
er turned cold he invited himself into our home. Our elderly
cats, Desi and Lucy, accepted Shadow with no hissing or fi ght-
ing. We thought fur-sure he was our third inside cat, until the
Spring when he slipped outside to resume patrolling, returning
to us at night.”
Wisely, the cat had used the winter to rebuild his health. But
now, there was one major problem. Shadow was a shadow and
was constantly catching birds.
“Songbirds have a unique eye anatomy allowing them to see
bright colors,” said Shanon. “So, I purr-chased an eye catching,
break-a-way, anti-birding collar. It’s saved many feathery lives
and yet it doesn’t stop him from catching rodents. www.birds-
besafe.com
Cats wearing bells alert coyotes. Th is fancy-clown collar
keeps a cat’s whereabouts quiet, while indicating a feline’s pres-
ence to birds better than sound.
Shadow befriends neighbors with cat doors inviting himself
in for a meal, brushing, a visit with their kitty and a sleep-over.
Twice a day, he joins Shanon and her Chihuahua, Ben, for a
4,000 step (16,000 in cat steps) walk. Th eir buddies Bonnie and
her Chorkie, Inka, accompany them.
Shadow’s sense of humor has him dash ahead of everyone,
hide and then mischievously jump out startling them. He once
shockingly dropped out of a tree in front of Shanon like Spider-
Everyone has a black “Shadow,” but Shanon’s is an unusu-
al brave-black cat.
man, said Shannon, who explained he’ll sprint down the street
and through the unsuspecting group. Oft en, Shadow will dra-
matically fl op in the middle of the road as if he’s bored waiting
for the slow pokes to cat-ch up. Th ankfully the jet-black cat’s
collar is trimmed with refl ective piping, otherwise at night he’d
be bowling them over.
Roxy is his current feline girlfriend. He loved her predeces-
sor, Bella. When she passed, her pet parent adopted Roxy so he
transferred his purr-tective roll onto the rescued kitten.
“A neighbor was worried when her indoor cat snuck outside
because of the coyotes,” said Shanon. “She tried to catch her
pet, to no avail. Th en she saw Shadow walk over to the diffi -
cult-to-reach cat. She felt that if Shadow was on the job, her
cat would be safe because she knew he had saved a cat from a
raccoon. He stayed with her cat all night and in the morning,
the escapee marched home for breakfast.”
Th is special cat had a bewildering encounter with a man
setting up at the community hall for his mother's funeral. He
asked, “Who is the cat with the funny collar?”
Apparently, as he was putting out chairs, he couldn’t decide
to hold the service inside or outside. Th e decision was fi nalized
when, “Th at cat convinced me to have the celebration indoors
which made everyone laugh.”
“One day, I was riding my bike and asked Shadow if he want-
ed a ride,” said Shanon. “He meowed ‘Yes’, so I harnessed him
in the basket for safety. He loved the ride as much as my dog,
Ben, and Mary Ellen ‘Angel Scribe’s’ cats do in their bike basket.
Th is special cat is brave and trusting on so many levels. Last
spring, “our” community cat had a severely injured paw and
was forced to stay inside to heal. Th e veterinarian remarked,
“It is rare, based on his injury, to have a cat be patient with no
anesthetic.”
“I have learned that not only are people prejudiced against
people, they are prejudiced against black cats. More cats are
born black than any other color, so it is a problem fi nding them
homes,” said Shannon. “Th ey also don’t photograph well for
shelter websites. Th e Japanese, Latvian, and Scottish cultures
have it right believing that black cats bring a home good luck
and love!”
Adopt and enjoy love and luck.
TIP:
Play with your cat for relaxation, laughs and heart bonding.
Share your fun, amazing or crazing pet tips and tales at
angelscribe@msn.com or Follow Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/PetTipsandTales. Adopt loving pets online
at www.PetFinder.com. For spay or neutering, call the Humane
Society at 541-942-2789.
