8A | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2019 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Executive directorship changes hands at FOOD For Lane County
A major leadership change is
happening this week at FOOD For
Lane County. Longtime Executive
Director Beverlee Potter is stepping
into retirement and Tom Mulhern,
former E.D. at Catholic Communi-
ty Services, will take over Oregon’s
second largest regional foodbank.
“I have been at FFLC for 11 years,
nine of those as executive director,”
said Beverlee. “I’ve loved my job
working with our staff, our board
of directors, our volunteers, our
Royal
from A1
for the honor of being the
first BMD Queen. Amelia
Dunnavin (now Blowers)
was one of them, with Wey-
erhaeuser sponsoring her
candidacy. The contestants
competed in a swimsuit
contest and answered ques-
tions posed by the judges
on the Main Stage, which
was set up on 5th Street.
Amelia won the crown
and assumed her duty to
promote Bohemia Mining
Days in publications and
by attending celebrations
held in other Oregon com-
munities.
Amelia said at that time
being a BMD Queen was
a pretty big deal. The cor-
onation was covered by
both The Sentinel and The
Register-Guard. As the fes-
tival’s “The Nugget Girl”,
she participated in a photo
shoot with her picture used
in promotional brochures.
“I felt honored to rep-
resent Bohemia Mining
Days,” Amelia said. “There
was nothing negative about
the experience. As we trav-
eled along all those parade
routes what I loved most
was seeing so many people
having fun.”
In the spring of 1967,
Carolyn Cutts (now Rippy)
entered the BMD Queen
donors and our many, many com-
munity partners. This community
is special with its generous support
for the work we do and its com-
mitment to easing hunger for our
neighbors in need.”
During Beverlee’s tenure, FFLC
has expanded its capacity for re-
lieving hunger through the addi-
tion of new programs to provide
more food for the community. She
served for four years as the Chair
of the Oregon Food Bank Network
Pageant. She competed
with “four or five” of her
Cottage Grove High School
classmates in the swimsuit
and oral interview com-
petitions. She was cho-
sen First Runner Up with
Reba Wolford crowned as
Queen.
“Reba was unable to
complete her reign and
I was asked to fulfill her
duties,” Carolyn recalled.
“I accepted and was then
asked to continue as Queen
the following year. It was a
great honor for me to rep-
resent the Bohemia Mining
Days Celebration and my
hometown in many com-
munity events and parades
around the state.”
Ray Nelson is recog-
nized today as the “Father
of BMD”. His wife loaned
Carolyn an old-fashioned
swimsuit to promote local
parks and campgrounds.
Her duties also included
introducing the Old Time
Fiddlers Contest, presiding
at the Rodeo and attending
the festival’s Street Dance.
“In my opinion, the 1968
BMD Celebration was a
huge success due to so
much community involve-
ment, support and promo-
tion,” Carolyn said.
Carolyn was born in
Butler’s Maternity Home in
1948. She compared grow-
ing up in Cottage Grove to
JULY 2019 Calendar
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF WEEKLY EVENTS
VISIT THE CALENDAR CHOICES PAGE NEXT
TO THE COMICS PAGE.
1 – MONDAY
5 p.m. LEGO Club for Big People [ages 13 and up]
Cottage Grove Community Center 700 E. Gibbs
Ave
6:30 p.m. Bilingual Family Storytime Cottage
Grove Public Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
2 – TUESDAY
5pm History Pub Axe & Fiddle
5pm Board Game Tuesdays Cottage Grove
Community Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
3 – WEDNESDAY
5 p.m. LEGO Club for Big People [ages 13 and up]
Cottage Grove Community Center 700 E. Gibbs
Ave
6:30pm Concerts in the Park - Greg Nestler
Bohemia Park Amphitheater
4 - THURSDAY
HAPPY 4 TH OF JULY
5 – FRIDAY
2:30 p.m. Lego Club Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E Gibbs Ave
5 p.m. American Legion BINGO! 826 W. Main
Street For additional info call Jerry Kerns at 541-
942-0234
6 - SATURDAY
1 p.m. Saturday Crafternoon Cottage Grove
Community Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
1-4 p.m. Hats! Hats! Hats! The Cottage Grove
Museum Corner of Birch & H Street
7 - SUNDAY
8 – MONDAY
6pm The Little Prince (Great American Read Book
Club) Cottage Grove Public Library 700 E. Gibbs
Ave
6:30 p.m. Bilingual Family Storytime Cottage
Grove Public Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
9 - TUESDAY
5pm Board Game Tuesdays Cottage Grove
Community Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
of 21 food banks and four years
with United Way of Lane County’s
Board of Directors.
“The FFLC Board of Directors is
grateful for the tremendous leader-
ship Beverlee provided during her
nine years as executive director,”
said FFLC Board Chair Linda Ea-
ton. “Beverlee is leaving the legacy
of a compassionate and effective
organization, poised for future
growth and expanded service. We
wish her all the best in her future
growing up in Mayberry,
the town depicted in the
popular Andy Griffith tele-
vision show of that era.
“I have so many won-
derful memories from that
time,” Carolyn said. “Cot-
tage Grove was a small
town like Mayberry. I felt
safe and could walk to
school and downtown by
myself. We all knew our
neighbors and the commu-
nity was like my family. My
hometown and my lifelong
friends who still live there
remain dear to my heart.”
Amelia, like many babies
born before the Cottage
Grove Hospital opened in
1951, arrived in this world
in 1948 via SacredHeart
Hospital in Eugene. Like
Carolyn, she loved The
Grove’s small-town atmo-
adventures in life.”
The FFLC Board of Directors
also announced that Tom Mulhern
is joining the team as the new ex-
ecutive director. Mulhern is no
stranger to FFLC; he has been the
executive director of Catholic Com-
munity Services, one of FFLC’s
highest-volume food pantries, for
the past eight years.
“FOOD for Lane County plays a
pivotal role in the effort to end hun-
ger in Lane County. I’m honored
sphere and the opportuni-
ties it provided for a happy
childhood.
“I loved all the com-
munity involvement back
then; everyone knew ev-
eryone,” Amelia recalled.
“I have great memories of
shopping at J.C. Penney,
attending the little movie
theater and the many trips
to the lake to swim and wa-
ter ski.”
One of Amelia’s keep-
sakes from her reign is the
1965 BMD promotional
brochure. Events in that
year included the Bohe-
mia Pageant, Timber Show,
Fiddler’s Contest, Tal-
ent Show and Train Ride.
Carolyn and Amelia agree
broad community involve-
ment has fallen off since
the mid-1960’s.
to take on the role of executive di-
rector, and I’m excited to join the
board, staff, volunteers and partner
organizations working together
in this critically-important enter-
prise,” said Mulhern, new FFLC
executive director. “Joining FFLC
gives me the opportunity to have an
even wider and deeper impact on
the issues of food, hunger and pov-
erty in our community.”
Amelia recalls more peo-
ple dressed up in costumes
and most businesses dec-
orated their stores during
Bohemia Mining Days.
The parade came through
downtown and all the ac-
tivities were concentrated
in what today is known as
the Historic Downtown
District.
Both former Queens
went on to college (Carolyn
became a Duck and Amelia
a Beaver) then married and
started their families.
Amelia married Steve
Blowers in 1969.
Today, the Blowers live
on five acres in the Corval-
lis area and enjoy the time
they spend with their three
children and four grand-
children.
Carolyn married her
PROUD TO SERVE RURAL COMMUNITIES
IN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1939
Live Music Every Friday
CELEBRATING 80 YEARS
541-484-1151 | laneelectric.com
6 to 9 pm || No Cover Charge
June 21 • Ben Johnson and Company
blues, rock, soul, country
June 28 • Calvary Creek
pop, folk, rock
July 5 • The Mike Davis Band
60s thru 80s hits
July 12 • The Huckleberrys
sour mash country
Open Daily 11am for
Complimentary Tasting
5:30 p.m. Cottage Grove Area Chamber of
Commerce Business Afterhours with Lane Electric
at Bohemia Mining Days
19 - FRIDAY
ALL DAY - Bohemia Mining Days Festival Coiner
Park
11am Bohemia Mining Days Kiddie Parade Historic
Downtown
5 p.m. American Legion BINGO! 826 W. Main
Street For additional info call Jerry Kerns at 541-
942-0234
11 - THURSDAY
9 a.m. Ukulele Morning Jam Cottage Grove Public
Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
12 – FRIDAY
5 p.m. American Legion BINGO! 826 W. Main
Street For additional info call Jerry Kerns at 541-
942-0234
6:30 p.m. Cottage Grove Toast People (future
Toastmasters Group) The Cottage Events Venue,
2915 Row River Rd
13 - SATURDAY
9am Coast Fork Community River Project July
Work Party - Silk Creek Park located at Old Mill
Pl. & South River Rd., Cottage Grove (near the Old
Mill farm store)
1 p.m. Saturday Crafternoon Cottage Grove
Community Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
15 - MONDAY
6:30 p.m. Bilingual Family Storytime Cottage
Grove Public Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
16 – TUESDAY
5pm Board Game Tuesdays Cottage Grove
Community Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
7:30 p.m. Third Tuesday Poetry Night at
Axe & Fiddle, hosted by Kalapuya Books at
the Axe & Fiddle Public House 657 E. Main
Street
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10 – WEDNESDAY
6:30pm Concerts in the Park – Inner Limits Band
Bohemia Park Amphitheater
14 - SUNDAY
8:30 Breakfast Club Cottage Events Venue 2915
Row River Road. For more information call the
Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce
20 - SATURDAY
All DAY Bohemia Mining Days Festival Coiner
Park
1 p.m. Saturday Crafternoon Cottage Grove
Community Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
21 – SUNDAY
6am Miners Breakfast on the Mountatin Bohemia
Saddle Park 40 miles Southeast of Cottage Grove
(Use map at www.BohemiaMiningDays.org)
Events Venue, 2915 Row River Rd
24 - WEDNESDAY
6:30pm Concerts in the Park – Corwin Bolt and the
Wingnuts Bohemia Park Amphitheater
25 – THURSDAY
9 a.m. Ukulele Morning Jam Cottage Grove Public
Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
26 – FRIDAY
5 p.m. American Legion BINGO! 826 W. Main
Street For additional info call Jerry Kerns at 541-
942-0234
27 - SATURDAY
8am Rolf Prima Tri at the Grove Lakeside Park at
Cottage Grove Lake
ALL DAY - KNND’s Rock Roll and Rumble
Historic Downtown
11am Coast Fork Kiwanis Chili Cook Off Historic
Downtown
28 - SUNDAY
22 - MONDAY
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Oregon Trail Lace Makers,
Willamette Oaks Retirement Center, Eugene.
6:30 p.m. Bilingual Family Storytime Cottage
Grove Public Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
29 - MONDAY
1:30 p.m. Classic Movie Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
6:30 p.m. Bilingual Family Storytime Cottage
Grove Public Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
23 - TUESDAY
4pm VisionKeepers Meeting Reception Hall,
Cottage Grove Community Center, 700 East Gibbs
Street
5pm Board Game Tuesdays Cottage Grove
Community Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
6:30 p.m. Jazz Jam at The Cottage - The Cottage
30 - TUESDAY
5pm Board Game Tuesdays Cottage Grove
Community Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
31- WEDNESDAY
6:30pm Concerts in the Park – Calvary Creek
Bohemia Park Amphitheater
17 - WEDNESDAY
6:30pm Concerts in the Park – Rockin’
Reveleers Bohemia Park Amphitheater
18 - THURSDAY
9 a.m. Ukulele Morning Jam Cottage Grove
Public Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
4pm Bohemia Mining Days Festival Coiner
Park
fellow 1967 high school
classmate Bruce Rippy in
1983. They now live in
Swan Valley, Mont., where
her husband is a church
pastor. They have six adult
children who have blessed
them with 17 grandchil-
dren and nine great-grand-
children.
In 2016, BMD organiz-
ers invited the two former
Queens to participate in
the celebration. They had
Victorian-era dresses cus-
tom made for the occasion
and said it was an honor
they enjoyed immensely.
They eagerly look for-
ward to once again rid-
ing in a convertible in the
Grand Miners Parade and
being interviewed on the
Main Stage at 8 p.m. Friday
night.
Old Mill Farm Store
327 South River Rd. • Cottage Grove
541-942-3042
600 Jefferson Ave.
Cottage Grove
(541) 942-3371
www.nwcu.com
319 E. Main St.
Cottage Grove
(541) 942-7423