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Est. 1889
WEDNESDAY EDITION | JULY 3, 2019 | $1.00
S entinel
C ottage G rove
VOL. 131, NO. 27
S ERVING
THE COMMUNITIES OF
C OTTAGE G ROVE ,
D ORENA , D RAIN ,
E LKTON , L ORANE AND
Y ONCALLA
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PERSONAL | COMMERCIAL
BENEFITS | SURETY
Church at London bell to ring again July 4
By Damien Sherwood
The new bell tower on
the Church at London
was installed Sunday
and is slated to be cere-
monially rung on July 4.
dsherwood@cgsentinel.com
(541) 942-0555
PayneWest.com/Cottage-Grove
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or the first time in
more than a decade,
the Church at Lon-
don will sound its bell this
Independence Day fol-
lowing a rallying effort by
community members to
ensure its restoration.
“Our bell tower, I believe,
is very important,” said
congregate Donna Hol-
brook, who associates the
sound of the bell with her
childhood. “I know that the
hearing of that bell opened
my heart to the Lord. I
know that. And I think it
can serve the same purpose
today.”
Photos archived by
church members date the
bell tower as far back as
1910 and the church itself
is thought to have been
constructed in 1859.
Around 15 years ago,
church members stopped
ringing the bell due to an
odd development — flies
had made their home on
the bell’s rope.
Pastor Ron Smith made
the decision to cease bell
Family relief nursery marks 25 years
dsherwood@cgsentinel.com
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See CHURCH 10A
COURTESY PHOTO
By Damien Sherwood
Vintage airplanes,
cars and motorcycles
made their way to
CG
B1
ringing.
“I would ring it and the
sanctuary would get full of
flies,” he said.
By the congregates’ ac-
counts, pulling the rope
would swarm the church
with thousands of the little
insects and, with no other
discernable remedy, the
bell was simply left alone.
Church member Chuck
Berggren was bewildered
by the strange nesting
place.
“To this day I can’t tell
you why they like that
rope,” he said.
Just as the bell fell into
disuse, the exterior of the
church had fallen into dis-
repair. When Gretchen
Spears first moved to the
area, she took notice.
“The church was very,
very dilapidated, to the
point where when I first
Family Relief Nursery celebrated
25 years of operation at its annual
Sigh of Relief benefit on June 25.
Past and present leaders of the
local nonprofit took the stage in the
cafetorium of Cottage Grove High
School to honor the organization
and its contributors over a breakfast
buffet.
“Twenty-five years we’ve been
working to keep kids safe and fam-
ilies together and our community
healthy,” said Board Chair Jacque
Robertson at the event.
Family Relief Nursery provides
services to children under the age
of six with families who have multi-
ple risk factors linked to neglect and
abuse.
Since its inception in 1994, the
group reports having helped 2,500
children. This year alone, a reported
145 families have been aided and so
far zero children have been referred
to foster care.
“That’s one of our goals, is to help
families not go into the system,” said
Executive Director Peggy Whalen.
Last week’s event began with Rob-
ertson welcoming the crowd and
sharing memories of growing up
in the Creswell and Cottage Grove
area. She recalled her mother’s role
on the board of Family Relief Nurs-
ery and desire for a classroom to
open in Creswell. The summer after
she passed away, one was opened.
“She left me a legacy of love and
passion for things that are a good
deal. And Family Relief Nursery is a
good deal. It works,” Robertson said.
She also praised the community’s
enthusiasm for addressing the need
See NURSERY 6A
Alternative living option nears for veterans
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood@cgsentinel.com
541- 942-3325 ph • 541-942-3328 fax
P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
About an hour’s drive west from
Cottage Grove, the snaking forest by-
way of Siuslaw River Road briefly un-
furls into a treeless pasture where a
former inmate work camp has turned
into a haven for veterans in need.
The camp, dubbed Camp Alma, is
a recent purchase by the local non-
profit Veterans Legacy. The group’s
executive director Dan Buckwald has
spearheaded its revival in a befitting
return to the camp he’d served at for
13 years as a corrections officer.
“I’m a little connected out here,”
he said, pointing to trees he’d trans-
planted in 1994. “So for me I get to
retire after 29 years at the sheriff ’s
office and come back home.”
Veterans Legacy received its non-
profit status in 2016 with a mission
to provide veterans with a safe, sup-
portive environment for healing
and eventual reintegration into their
communities. The group takes aim
at veteran issues such as suicide,
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
The entrance to Camp Alma, a new veterans wellness center aimed at
helping those with PTSD transition back into society.
homelessness and unemployment by
addressing afflictions such as post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
substance abuse and associated trau-
mas.
At Camp Alma, the group is tak-
ing a unique and visionary treatment
approach, stressing “therapeutic ag-
riculture” and construction projects
which are intended to lead wayward
veterans down a skill-driven path of
personal ownership and agency.
“This is going to be an opportunity
for people to find themselves and
See CAMP 7A
Improv classes
coming to Opal
For those who love
being on stage in front
of an audience, the Opal
Center is offering a class
perfect for you. Or even
for anyone who is a little
uncomfortable in front of
a group and would like
to feel more relaxed, the
Opal Center for Arts and
Education is offering a
six-week class in Impro-
visational Theater.
The class will be 6 to 8
p.m., July 7, 14, 21, 28,
Aug. 4 and 11.
Those unfamiliar with
improvisation,
think
of the popular show
“Whose Line is it, Any-
way?” Players are given
a situation, a character or
a prop and asked to cre-
ate a short scene — usu-
ally comedic.
The class will be
geared for beginners
but will also be good
for those who haven’t
been on stage in a while
or for simply sharpen-
ing improv skills. It will
cover basic improv rules,
games and progress
through some creative
twists on old, familiar
games. Participants will
need to wear comfortable
clothes and shoes.
The class will con-
clude with a free show
for friends and family.
Class size is limited to
14 students. Register for
the class at Opal Center,
The Crafty Mercantile or
by calling 541-623-0513.
UPCOMING AT OPAL
IMPROVISIATIONAL THEATER
-6 week class with-Howard & Andrea Hummel
JULY 7,14,21,28 & AUG 4,11
From 6-8PM
$60
513 E. MAIN ST.
COTTAGE GROVE, OR 97424
5 41 . 6 2 3 . 0 51 3
VISIT US ONLINE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OPALCENTERCG.ORG