4A • COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • MARCH 6, 2019
O PINION
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Political/Election Letters:
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Cold weather revealed many warm hearts
out. Do you all need anything?”
The following Facebook
exchange on What’s Going On
In Cottage Grove exemplifies
the general consensus with the
community during last week’s
“Snowmageddon.”
Debra Cooper Riordan:
“Veronica I think we’re
neighbors, my husband Jim and
I moved into the white corner
house with the big trees in
front...”
Veronica Lind:
“Debra Cooper Riordan, Hi
there! We are neighbors. We
live 2 doors down from you. Al-
isha told me your power is still
While the snow continued
falling silently throughout the
region and piling on more
challenges with every inch,
neighbors were reaching out to
neighbors and lending a hand,
a warm meal, clothes and in
many cases shelter.
outage challenges), some folks
like 21-year-old Remington
Moore were out on their day off
offering help to those stranded
on the roadside after being
caught off guard that first day.
And those acts of Good
Samaritanship are continuing.
As Donald Burton called me
Monday to tell me how a group
From the Managing Editor’s Desk
Ned Hickson
And it wasn’t just neighbors.
First responders, local organi-
zations and volunteers mobi-
lized despite the conditions to
make sure those most in-need
were checked on and cared for
wherever possible.
As we wrote about in our last
edition (a rare Friday publi-
cation due to our own power
of 20 or so members of Chris-
tian Aid Ministries (Oregon
Unit #7) met at the Koffee Kup
at 9 a.m. with a list of folks
needing help — including his
friend Scarlet Polgar, who was
essentially trapped in her home
located way up Abbott Lane
north of Cottage Grove. Using
Bobcats and strong backs,
cise. So thank you to whoever is
responsible for that thoughtful
action.
—Dick Gilkison
Cottage Grove
to communicate.
I also want to say what most
of us already know... We are
truly blessed to live in this car-
ing community of thousands of
do-gooders!
My husband Ralph and I
were snowbound on Weeldrey-
er Hill all of last week. Like
many, for four days we survived
without power, heat or water in
subfreezing temperatures.
We received dozens of calls
and texts from concerned
friends, relatives and neigh-
bors. Several of them trudged
through nearly 20 inches of
snow to bring us food.
It was heartwarming to
read social media posts and to
check-in with friends and col-
leagues. Everyone had stories
the group moved snow, mud
and uprooted trees to provide
access.
Meanwhile, in our own
way, The Sentinel news team
— though operating remotely
from different locations — was
doing what it could to keep the
community informed of road,
school, hospital and govern-
ment closures, as well as where
to get help, report emergencies
and offer support.
In the weeks ahead, our out-
lying neighbors in Dorena, Elk-
ton, Yoncalla and other small
communities will continue to
need our help and support.
When we look back at the
March 2019 Snowstorm of the
Century, I think we can be
proud of the example so many
in our community set, and
the legacy of neighbor helping
neighbor that our children will
carry with them from it.
Election-related letters must address pertinent or
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Letters must 1) Not be a part of letter-writing
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Candidates themselves may not use the letters to the
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As with all letters and advertising content, the
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general manager and editor, reserves the right to
reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above criteria.
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.floydprozanski@
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
LETTERS
Thanks for the
exercise
I shoveled my driveway a
couple times due to continu-
ing days of snow. Along came
a city snowplow and covered
the entrance to the driveway
— the rest of the driveways on
the street also. I will admit I was
upset.
“Now why would anybody do
something like that?” I asked
myself.
Well, duh! It dawned on
me: It was to keep people off
the street, lessen traffic and, if
someone needed to go shop-
ping, they would be able to get
the exercise that almost every-
body needs.
I probably needed the exer-
Proud of community
of do-gooders
I welcome this opportunity
to publicly thank all the utili-
ty and public works crews for
their Herculean efforts last
week. They worked tirelessly
in bitterly cold and dangerous
conditions to restore power and
to clear our roads for us.
To
reassure
concerned
friends and family, our first re-
sponders made countless wel-
fare checks on those with dead
cell phone batteries and no way
of how they were helped or how
they were helping others sur-
vive Snowmagedden 2019 —
the worst snowstorm here since
1969.
I’m proud of how folks
throughout Lane and Doug-
las Counties responded to this
winter emergency with com-
passionate care for others.
For years our government
leaders have encouraged us to
be prepared for situations like
this. Perhaps this unexpected
snowstorm can serve as a dress
rehearsal for “The Big One” and
motivate us to be more pre-
pared for the next emergency
event.
—Cindy Weeldreyer
Cottage Grove
C ottage G rove
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