4A | FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 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 2020 © 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anonymous, libelous, argumentative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or without documentation will not be published.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: LETTERS Thanks for Hearts on Main support You have probably seen the hearts on Main Street. This was for Main Street Cottage Grove’s Hearts on Main fundraiser. We would like to give a huge Thank You to our wonderful donors: Michele Lyn Rose, Alisha Slate, Danny Solesbee, Simone Johnson, Amanda Ferguson, Candace Soles- bee, Shane May, Ruth Linoz, Chal- ice Savage, Jim Gilroy, Judy Smith, Marnie Steber, Melanie Stuhlmill- er, Eddie Bock, Joyce Cameron, Carmen Dowell, Shanti Rios, Tracy Laub, Shauna Neigh, Richard Mey- ers, George Devine, Mandy Bie- hler, Melany Klemmer, Mike Cum- mings, Debbie Chalmers, and the Cottage Grove Police Department. The funds raised will support the Main Street Program activities and events. The Main Street Program works to ensure that Cottage Grove has a thriving local economy, is rich in character and features inviting public spaces that invoke a feeling of belonging among residents and visitors alike. The program was implemented to revitalize downtowns that had fallen into decline. The interstate system and the creation of shopping malls had an adverse effect on our downtowns. Thanks to the Main Street Pro- gram, downtowns across America are springing back to life, and our community is one of them. We appreciate the generous do- nation to the Main Street Program and support to the revitalization of Cottage Grove. —Molly Murai Main Street Program Th e message of Rufus Valentine As I’ve mentioned be- fore, I lived in the South for 10 years, with six of those years spent in the suburbs of Atlanta. In the early 1990s, I was a restaurant chef operating in one of Georgia’s largest shopping malls three stories of glass, sale banners and merchants spanning six football fields’ worth of mall space. As you can imagine, I’ve dealt with as many person- alities as there are seats in a 280-capacity dining room. The fact that Rufus Valen- tine dug such a deep groove in my memory should tell you a little something about the man’s character . The first time I saw Ru- fus Valentine was during the Braves’ heyday in Feb- ruary of 1992, when all of Atlanta was anticipating the spring and a run at the World Series. Essentially, you could be completely naked; but as long as you had a Braves cap on you were considered properly attired by most Atlantans. So, when Rufus appeared in his red tights, heart- shaped wings and Braves cap at the west entrance of the Lenox Square mall Valentine’s Day weekend, like most people I assumed he was there to express his love for Atlanta’s baseball team. At least until I saw the bow and arrows. But even then, I could see that he was harmless; the arrows in his quiver were tipped with foam rubber red, of course and in the shape of hearts. Considering the date, I made the connection and realized we had a Braves-loving Cupid on our hands. I’d dealt with worse things. The complaints started soon after we opened. Since our restaurant was situated closest to the mall entrance, we got the brunt of unhap- py mall dwellers. “Hey, there’s some guy shooting people with rub- ber arrows out there,” one of them said, brandishing the arrow in question and rubbing his cheek. With security nowhere to be found, I decided to settle the matter myself and noticed that his black hands were worn and callused. His fingernails had dried to the point of splitting. He gave me an appreciative nod and sipped, then blurt- ed “fettuccini Alfredo.” He laid the menu down and pointed to the item, as if I wouldn’t know it other- wise. “Coming right up,” I said, and took the menu. As I turned to ring in his order, I saw him reach for his quiver. “Hey,” I said, one hand on his drawing arm. “Here’s the deal. No matchmaking until after lunch.” From the Editor's Desk Ned Hickson strode out the door and was immediately tagged. “Got you! Spread the love, brother,” Rufus said, as if he’d tossed me a box of chocolates instead of nail- ing me with a rubber arrow. “Excuse me, but you’ll have to stop with the ar- rows. My customers are complaining,” I said. In that same instant, he plugged a passerby who turned and gave me a dirty look, spouting something about restaurant promo- tions getting out of hand. A sudden ebb in the shopping current allowed me to grab his attention. “Hey, it’s almost noon. How about lunch on me?” “What’cha got?” “Come in and find out,” I said, ushering him inside and up to the counter in hopes of containing him through the lunch rush. Sitting there at one of the stools, his wings protrud- ing from either side of the chair back, he drew more than a few stares. Handing him a soda, I He studied me for a mo- ment, then set his bow on the counter. “I’m no match- maker. I’m just tryin’ to spread the love one brother, one sister at a time.” “That’s a nice sentiment; just don’t do it in here, OK?” I said, and released his arm. I think everyone has said things they wish they hadn’t. In the top 10 of my own regrettable phras- es, that one ranks right up there. First, because of my tactics to control him. Second, because he called me on it. And third, because I wouldn’t get the chance to take it back. With the smell of parme- san and cream sauce in the air, this obviously hungry man stood from the count- er, grabbed his bow and quiver, and left the counter. “People need love more than I needed fettuccini Alfredo,” he said, and ex- ited the restaurant. When he kept going, I considered myself lucky. He could become some- one else’s headache. Unfortunately for Rufus Valentine, that’s exactly what happened. When my shift ended, it was near dusk. Along the sidewalks, automated lamps had started hum- ming to life. As I approached the parking tower, I noticed flashes of red and blue spilling from the shadows of the underground level where I was parked. The closer I got, the more patrol cars I saw. At the edge of the drive, yel- low crime scene tape had been strung. Taking a spot among a crowd of onlook- ers, I saw a white sheet and, portruding from beneath it, the callused hand of Ru- fus Valentine. Next to him, his wings lay in a crumpled pile. I later learned that Ru- fus Valentine born Rufus Jones in 1936 had left the mall that day and taken his message to the parking garage. It was there that he encountered a street gang and attempted to “spread the love.” He met the faces of prej- udice and hatred instead. With the approach of Valentine’s Day and the reflection on our nation’s history of racisim during Black History Month, he always comes to mind. And also, no small mea- sure of guilt. Had I left him alone to do his work or brought him lunch instead, things might have turned out differently. Even though he’s no lon- ger here to sling his arrows, I hope we can take his mes- sage to heart particularly in these times and spread the love: One brother, one sister at a time. 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 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. 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