4A • COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • DECEMBER 12, 2018
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LETTER
Thankful former
residents, teachers
We are former residents
and teachers from Cottage
Grove, who unfortunately
moved to Paradise, Calif.,
within the past year. Al-
though we lost everything
in the Camp Fire, we feel
fortunate to have wonderful
friends and family.
We left an amazing teach-
ing community that works
tirelessly to improve the
lives of students, oft en giv-
ing far more than for which
they are paid.
Aside from their dedi-
cation to teaching, it is im-
portant for the community
to understand the educa-
tion community's constant
demonstration of kindness,
generosity, compassion, em-
pathy, love and understand-
ing of those either less fortu-
nate or those experiencing
hardships in life.
Our devastation was
countered by cooperative
eff orts of Lincoln Middle
School, Bohemia Elementa-
ry School and the teacher's
professional support system
SLEA.
Th eir kindness, along
with fi nancial and emo-
tional support, are helping
to guide us through these
troubled times and is most
appreciated. Th ere are many
without our support sys-
tems who are struggling to
recover and suff ering far
more than us.
If this amazing commu-
nity can fi nd it in its your
heart to reach out and help
these families, please do so.
We feel like we are still part
of an amazing group of pro-
fessionals who are used to
giving on a daily basis.
Cottage Grove should be
proud of its teaching com-
munity and let them know,
much like we let the fi re
fi ghting community know
here.
We are humbled, grateful,
and proud to have been so
lucky to have been part of
that community. Th ank you
to South Lane School Dis-
trict and thank you Cottage
Grove for letting us be part
of you.
You will always be part of
us!
—Richard DeGeorge and
Candace Ford
Former area residents
and teachers
The importance of never forgetting our ‘Day of Infamy’
Yet, as the last shot was
being fi red in Vietnam, I al-
ready knew what Pearl Har-
bor was. I knew how a quiet
Sunday morning was trans-
Ray Chavez was a quarter-
master on the USS Condor
stationed at Pearl Harbor
the morning of Dec. 7, 1941.
Th is past Th anksgiving Day,
he died at the age of 106,
quieting one of the few re-
maining voices from that
horrifi c “Day of infamy” that
jettisoned us into the heart
of World War II.
Last Friday, Americans
took time to remember
the sacrifi ce made by those
2,403 servicemen killed in
the attack, along with the
1,178 who were wounded.
But this year’s remem-
brance also marked another
somber occasion: It was fi rst
time a USS Arizona survivor
wasn't present for the 7:50
a.m. commemoration of
the more than 900 service-
men who remain entombed
in the battleship.
All told, only fi ve crew
members are still alive from
that morning attack: Lauren
Bruner, 98; Lonnie Cook,
98; Ken Potts, 97; Lou Con-
ter, 97; and Don Stratton,
96. Th is year, old age and
failing health prevented any
of those USS Arizona survi-
vors from making the trip
to Oahu.
As a child, I was only pe-
ripherally aware of the Viet-
nam War and even less so
of the Korean War, which
ended before I was born.
like Time magazine and sto-
ries captured in movies im-
pressed upon me the virtues
of valor.
At the same time, and
From the Managing Editor’s Desk
Ned Hickson
formed into a fi ery night-
mare by Japanese planes —
and how, in less than nine
minutes, more than 900 men
became entombed in the
wreckage that now rests like
a shadow below the harbor’s
surface.
I also came to know how
the morning was fi lled with
as many acts of heroism and
sacrifi ce as moments of un-
imaginable horror.
Over the years, images in
text books, commemora-
tive issues from publications
perhaps more importantly,
those images and stories that
surface each year — much
like the slowly recurring
“black tears” of oil that still
bubble to the surface from
the USS Arizona — serve as
a reminder of the ultimate
price demanded by a world
at war.
In an age when many
entertain themselves with
gaming systems that center
around violent acts of war,
the lessons learned from the
sacrifi ces of the past are in
danger of becoming dilut-
ed by pre-packaged and re-
wards-driven “acts of valor.”
Underscoring this is the
gradual and inevitable si-
lencing of those voices who
lived through that infamous
day in our history.
As a result, the lessons
learned from those sacrifi c-
es in our past aren't digging
nearly as deep a groove in
the minds of our children
and our culture as they once
did.
History forgotten is histo-
ry bound to repeat itself.
As the voices of Pearl Har-
bor grow silent, it is more
important than ever that we
ensure the black tears slowly
surfacing from the USS Ar-
izona are never forgotten —
nor those for which they are
shed.
Send letters to:
nhickson@cgsentinel.com or cmay@cgsentinel.com
HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS
Oregon state
representatives
Oregon federal
representatives
• Sen. Floyd Prozanski
District 4 State Senator
PO Box 11511
Eugene, Ore. 97440
Phone: 541-342-2447
Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@
state.or.us
• Rep. Cedric Hayden
Republican District 7 State
Representative
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Ore. 97301
Phone: 503-986-1407
Website: www.leg.state.or.
us/hayden
Email: rep.cedrichayden@
state.or.us
• Rep. Peter DeFazio
(House of Representatives)
405 East 8th Ave.
#2030
Eugene, Ore. 97401
Email: defazio.house.gov/
contact/email-peter
Phone: 541-465-6732
• Sen. Ron Wyden
405 East 8th Ave., Suite 2020
Eugene, Ore. 97401
Email: wyden.senate.gov
Phone: (541) 431-0229
• Sen. Jeff Merkley
Email: merkley.senate.gov
Phone: 541-465-6750
C ottage G rove
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