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4A | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2019 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Cottage Grove Sentinel 116 N. Sixth St. Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424 NED HICKSON , MANAGING EDITOR | Opinion 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ CGSENTINEL . COM The First Amendment C ongress shall make no law respect- ing an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Govern- ment for a redress of grievances. “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” —Thomas Jefferson (1800) USPS#133880 Copyright 2019 © COTTAGE GROVE SENTINAL Letters to the Editor Policy The Sentinel welcomes letters to the editor as part of a community discussion of issues on the local, state and national level. Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten or typed letters must be signed. All letters need to include full name, address and phone number; only name and city will be printed. Letters should be limited to about 300 words. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of letters received. Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumentative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or without documentation will not be published. Letters containing poetry or from outside The Sentinel readership area will only be published at the discretion of the editor. Political/Election Letters: Election-related letters must address pertinent or timely issues of interest to our readers at-large. Letters must: 1) Not be a part of letter-writing campaigns on behalf of (or by) candidates; 2) Ensure any information about a candidate is accurate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or hearsay; and 3) explain the reasons to support candidates based on personal experience and perspective rather than partisanship and campaign-style rhetoric. Candidates themselves may not use the letters to the editor column to outline their views and platforms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid political advertising. As with all letters and advertising content, the newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publisher, general manager and editor, reserves the right to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above criteria. Send letters to: nhickson@cgsentinel.com Just another day of fl ags at half mast derstand that free speech still doesn’t allow me to yell “Fire!” in the middle of a crowded theater. There are common sense rules that come with all freedoms in order to assure that those freedoms are not mis- From the Editor’s Desk used or manipulated to the detriment of others. Ned Hickson The current number of mass shootings in Amer- ica — and acts of gun be hypocritical since I, (GVA), a non-partisan, violence in general — too, am a gun owner. not-for-profit organiza- has us on a trajectory for I’m also a motorcy- tion that defines mass the deadliest year since shootings as “an incident cle owner and realize 2016, which was the first that the days of riding in which at least four time the number of mass helmetless without people are shot, exclud- shootings in a single year any formal training or ing the shooter.” (382) topped the number certification are long I realize there is some gone. That’s because laws of days in that same year. controversy over this It’s time we stop number, which some gun and rules were changed focusing on the division and adopted in order proponents argue is in- between who does and flated by including those to decrease the number doesn’t — or who should wounded and not killed, of senseless deaths that and shouldn’t — own as well as shootings that occured each year as a guns, and instead rec- occur in relation to gang result of not having any real oversight or personal ognize that the current and domestic violence. laws and rules regarding accountability. I would argue that our Second Amendment While I fully support anyone who has been a the Second Amendment, right are being misused victim of gun violence and manipulated — to I also support the First — wounded or killed, the deteriment of us all. Amendment — but un- gang member or family shootings has already outpaced that with 255 incidents since Jan. 1, averaging more than one mass shooting a day. This is according to the Gun Violence Archive The flags were once again at half mast as I drove to work, continu- ing a solemn and what has become an all-too- often acknowledgement of those whose lives have been taken during mass shootings in America. In the previous nine days, 37 people had been killed and 79 wounded, ranging in age from 3 to 90 years old. The attacks had occured from Ohio to Texas, California to Mis- sissippi and New York. And they had tak- en place at shopping centers, during festivals and at community block parties. At the time, we were 217 days into the year and the number of mass member — should count. If you are a gun owner, you probably assume I say all of this as an argument against gun ownership. However, that would LETTERS Placing the cart before the horse Life, for all of us, is a matter of priorities. Affordable housing is a definite concern in Cottage Grove, but it appears the city is unaware what is most important for its current citizens. The Harrison School asset could be leveraged for the City of Cottage Grove’s future for gener- ations. Generating revenue with a center for our youth and commu- nity is just one idea. Real estate prices are increasing in Oregon, so why take this precious asset and give it to a land developer? Developers arrive with big ideas, short-sighted goals, make the most money, then leave the community. Cottage Grove currently has many priorities of concern. Add- ing more people will only increase current issues of street repair, our children’s futures, maintenance of our skate park, police and fire response being stretched, failing sewer systems, water costs, ag- ing treatment plants, addiction issues, power resource shortages, and the very important lack of good paying jobs for its citizens. Before we add more people, it’s important to plan for the already stressed infrastructure. I urge the City of Cottage Grove administrators to please reconsider the future of selling off Cottage Grove’s land assets to developers. Get input before you impose development on existing neigh- borhoods. To increase Cottage Grove’s population without con- sideration of the related impact is a flawed concept. Cottage Grove administrators might instead focus on creating an environment that will bring companies that bring jobs. Our economic health is critical to the foundation and future of Cottage Grove. A one-time profit from the sale of a precious asset like Harrison School puts the cart before the horse. —Linda Yellin Cottage Grove Support CG Carousel through final concert The Friends of the Cottage Grove Carousel encourage you to attend the fourth and final musical program of the four-concert series. It has been an immense plea- sure presenting the Cascade Cho- rus, Windy Ridge, Calvary Creek and Jackie Jae and Jason Cowsill. And the final attraction: Men from SURF. Those of you who have followed the series, please remember and note that all these talented people gave their time and talent to bring awareness and promotion to the carousel project and its building fund needs. Friends of the Cottage Grove Carousel are deeply appreciative of the donated time. And our sincere thanks to Calva- ry Chapel and their Board of Direc- tors and Pastor Smith for their gen- erous dona tion of the use of their chapel to present our concerts. —Donald Williams Friends of The Cottage Grove Carousel HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS Oregon state representatives Oregon federal representatives • Sen. Floyd Prozanski • Rep. Peter DeFazio District 4 State Senator PO Box 11511 Eugene, Ore. 97440 Phone: 541-342-2447 Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@ state.or.us (House of Representatives) 405 East 8th Ave. #2030 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Email: defazio.house.gov/ contact/email-peter Phone: 541-465-6732 • 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 • 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 S entinel C ottage G rove 541-942-3325 Administration Jenna Bartlett, Group Publisher Gary Manly, General Manager... Ext. 1207 gmanly@cgsentinel.com Gerald Santana, Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1216 gsantana@cgsentinel.com Veronica Brinkley, Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1205 vbrinkley@cgsentinel.com Carla Summers, Inside Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1203 csummers@cgsentinel.com Editorial Ned Hickson, Managing Editor... 541-902-3520 nhickson@cgsentinel.com Damien Sherwood, Lead Reporter... Ext. 1212 dsherwood@cgsentinel.com Nick Snyder, Sports/Community News Reporter... Ext. 1204 nsnyder@cgsentinel.com Customer Service Meg Fringer, Office Manager, Legals, Classifieds... Ext. 1200 mfringer@cgsentinel.com Production Ron Annis, Production Supervisor... 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