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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019
LTD reduces
service, adds
MOD routes
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CGSENTINEL.COM
Rumor of
homeless
camp property
just that
Civic pride going ’round
By Caitlyn May
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
cmay@cgsentinel.com
“Th ere’s no way to say this
nicely, this is just ill-con-
ceived.” Th at was Cottage
Grove City Councilor Mike
Fleck’s summation of the pre-
sentation by LTD that rolled
out its new service changes
for the council Monday night.
During
an
unusually
packed meeting, the organi-
zation introduced Mobility
on Demand (MOD), a ser-
vice most equitable to Uber
or Lyft in the private sector
where individuals can sched-
ule rides from their home
and reach their destination
through ride shares compiled
through an algorithm. Th e
pilot program went into eff ect
on Monday in conjunction
with a reduction in LTD ser-
vices. Th e organization will
no longer off er its circulator
route through Cottage Grove
with the exception of its fi rst
two routes in the morning
and last route in the evening.
According to LTD program
organizer Cosette Rees, those
routes are the least popular
among those off ered.
“I can’t tell you how excit-
ed I am to be a part of this,”
said Ruth Linoz, director for
South Lane Wheels which
operates the Ride Around
Town route in Cottage Grove
which will also cease to op-
erate. However, South Lane
Wheels will still off er rides to
Eugene and individual sched-
uled rides.
Th e purpose of instituting
the MOD program, according
to Rees, is to increase diversi-
ty among riders and access to
transportation services.
“Let’s say I need to be at
the doctor at 8:15 a.m.,” said
bus rider Michelle Th urston.
“I schedule the ride but it’s
my understanding that it’s
not fi rst come, fi rst serve so
if someone else calls at 7:56
before the bus comes for my
ride and the system deter-
mines that’s the best trip,
they’ll get the ride. I won’t
get to Eugene in time and get
fi red by that doctor for miss-
ing an appointment.”
Several residents gave pub-
lic comment, echoing Th ur-
ston’s concerns, including
Jane Rapier, who said she and
her husband bought their
house with bus stop locations
in mind.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever
waited for a bus in the rain
but that seat gets wet,” she
said. “I’m 80 with a disability
and I’m sitting waiting on a
wet bench.”
Wait times dominated the
conversation with LTD no
See LTD 6A
O
n Monday, Jan. 14 members of
the Friends of the Cottage Grove
Carousel were awarded the Cottage
Grove Prospector and Gold Diggers Civic
Pride Award—a yearly award presented
to a business or group that has demon-
strated eff orts to better the community.
After the presentation, the board met
to choose 12 historical photographs
of Cottage Grove and the surrounding
area for the carousel’s running boards.
The carousel is currently located at King
Estate Winery on Highway 99 but the
group hopes to fi nd a permanent home
for the attraction closer to Main Street.
According to group president, Don
Williams, the main fundraising eff ort is
currently focused on obtaining a canopy
and other short-term accommodations
for the carousel at a cost of $60,000.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Th e city of Cottage Grove
has to fi nd a solution to its
lack of a designated homeless
camp aft er a Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals decision that
prohibits municipalities from
citing homeless individuals for
sleeping on public property.
Th e options range from alter-
ing operational hours at city
parks to developing land as an
alternative for the homeless to
sleep on. Th e city is still dis-
cussing the issue with its attor-
neys but curious residents and
local social media watchers
think they’ve discovered the
city’s plan.
However, according to City
Manager Richard Meyers,
they’re wrong.
“Th at has nothing to do with
the homeless camp,” Meyers
told Th e Sentinel in response
to questions surrounding the
property located behind the
post offi ce off Main Street.
For weeks, local social media
groups have been plastered
with messages and exchanges
that insist the property is set to
become a homeless camp.
“We are fi xing up the prop-
erty to be able to use it and
take care of it during the sum-
mer,” Meyers said. “We’re go-
ing to take care of the parking
lot because there was a large
pool there as more and more
people are using the dog park
and getting back there.”
Meyers also cited the need
to have additional space for
the yearly carnival that comes
to town in the event that the
existing space at Bohemia Park
is too wet — as it has been in
year’s past. “We thought it’s
See RUMOR 9A
South Lane
schools tackle
bullying
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
A
ccording to a recent
survey
conducted
by the Pew Research
Center—a nonprofi t organiza-
tion that follows social trends
MUSIC
State of the City
New singer in town
Mayor gives state of the
City address, swears-in
new coucilors
Buddy Monlock will
perform tonight in Cottage
Grove
PAGE A6
PAGE A3
INDEX
CITY COUNCIL
within the U.S.—six in 10 stu-
dents report being the subject
of cyber bullying. Th e statistic
adds to the traditional bullying
experienced by students at both
the national and local level.
In South Lane School Dis-
trict, administrators have part-
nered with experts—and each
other—to tackle the issue that
has jumped from school hall-
ways, locker rooms and cafete-
rias to social media platforms
and text messages.
According to the school dis-
trict’s policies, cell phone usage
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Channel Guide ............................... B5
Classifieds ...................................... B7
Obituaries ...................................... A2
Opinion ......................................... A4
Sports ............................................ B1
is limited on school grounds
but it is diffi cult for schools to
police behavior that occurs out-
side of the school day. During
class time, however, students
are held responsible for their
behavior based on district pol-
icy and a variety of behavioral
matrices at the 10 South Lane
Schools.
At Bohemia Elementary,
there is no distinguishing be-
tween bullying and cyber bul-
lying but teachers and admin-
istrators would rather there be
zero incidents of bullying and
so, they’ve joined other South
Lane Schools in taking a pro-
active approach. Buddies, not
Bullies was started last year as
a program meant to expand
students’ relationships across
grade levels and decrease inci-
dents of bullying. Once a week,
kindergarteners and fi ft h grad-
ers come together as buddies
and engage in diff erent activi-
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ties.
“Pretty strong relationships
are formed during that time
with the idea that we know a
cross section of the school and
they’re not isolated in their
grade level,” said principal
Heather Bridgens. “Th ey get
pretty excited when they see
their buddies in the cafeteria or
the hallway.”
Last year, Bohemia reported
just 14 referrals based on bul-
lying which accounted for one
percent of the total referrals at
the school. Th is year, that num-
ber is already up by .7 percent,
fi ve months into the school year.
According to Bridgens, the
school’s defi nition of bullying is
based on age-appropriate desig-
nations and may look diff erent
than bullying at higher grade
levels.
“We work really closely with
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Chair
Side
Tables
On
Sale!
See BULLYING 7A