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S ERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF C OTTAGE G ROVE , C RESWELL , D ORENA , D RAIN , E LKTON , L ORANE AND Y ONCALLA C ottage G rove THURSDAY EDITION | APRIL 2, 2020 | $1.00 S entinel VOL. 131 131, NO NO. 13 • VOL Your Local Loca al N News e wss Delivered D e l i v e r e d Your Y ou ur Way: W a y : In I n Print. P r i n t Online. O n l i n e On O n the t h e Go! G o ! Bundle home & auto to save $$. for The Sentinel WEATHER Stay updated on the latest COVID-19 news on our free-access webpage at www.cgsentinel.com/coronavirus Historic bipartisan CARES stimulus package enacted By Mark Brennan (541) 942-0555 Est. 1889 In a rare show of bipartisan co- operation, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously 96-0 last Wednesday, March 25, to approve a $2.2 trillion fiscal stimulus package, which the House of Representatives approved by a resounding voice-vote on Fri- day. The House Measure, H.R. 478, is designed to blunt the unprece- dented economic chaos created by the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. “Today, as we have all acknowl- edged, our nation faces an eco- nomic and health emergency of historic proportions,” said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a broad-based fiscal infusion which is designed to assist in a number of different ways in the form of direct payments, tax credits or penalty waivers, depending on the individ- ual or business involved. Pelosi worked closely with Trea- sury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on the creation of the package. COVID-19 and the measures put in place, at every level of gov- ernment, to limit the virus’s reach and impact have caused turmoil in nearly every aspect of life in the U.S. and across the globe. Millions of Americans are un- expectedly unemployed, major transportation and entertainment corporations have ceased operat- ing and the pandemic has essen- tially stopped commerce in many segments of the economy. Friday, the stimulus package was sent to U.S. President Donald Trump, who quickly signed the bill. However, pressure continues to build in the business sector in spite of the stimulus act as millions of Americans have suddenly found themselves out of work. New un- employment claims in Oregon alone shot up nearly 1,500 percent Showers with a high of 51 and a low tonight of 37. Full forecast on A5 See CARE 6A NDSD begins meal delivery for students STATE UPDATE By Nick Snyder nsnyder@cgsentinel.com In line with urban and rural areas all across the country, the looming specter of the COVID-19 virus has challenged the adaptability of the North Douglas School District (NDSD). Monday (March 30), NDSD superintendent Terry Bennett announced that their Mid-Columbia busses, staffed with dis- trict instructional assis- tants (IA), will run on a four-hour delay deliver- ing breakfast and lunch to all students at their regular bus stops. Two days later, on April 1, the district began using the same system to deliver educational pack- ets and resources to stu- dents so they may WH: Oregon state of emergency approved A3 SPORTS — B COURTESY PHOTO Staying active while staying at home. B1 • RECORDS Obituaries Police Reports Official releases A2 • LORANE NEWS A5 • CLASSIFIEDS Listings and public notices B5-B6 FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST NEWS : /CGSentinel Local quilter Robin Fouquette has been fabricating homemade masks for area distribution and donation. Mask makers sew community threads By Damien Sherwood dsherwood@cgsentinel. com W hile debate on the usability and effective- ness of the public wearing masks continues at the national level, local area volunteers have been bus- ily producing hand-sewn masks and distributing them to the community. the week. Though these home- made masks do not rise to the standards of surgi- cal masks worn by health workers, they can be used individually or as a re- usable cover over higher quality medical masks, Fouquette said. “Originally, the hospi- tals didn’t want them, but then they ran out of masks and the call came out to have quilters make masks,” she said. “First the Eugene Mission reached out to Emerald Valley Quilters in Eugene and then the hos- pital set up a coordinat- ing team to work with the sewers in the area to make these covers.” Last week, a spokesper- son for PeaceHealth Ore- gon stated that there was By Nick Snyder 541- 942-3325 ph • 541-942-3328 fax P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424 For students in the state of Oregon, the road back to normalcy may have got- ten a bit longer this week. On Monday (March 30), South Lane School District (SLSD) interim superintendent Yvonne Curtis sent out a message to all parents and students informing them that the school closure directive — “...we will be ensuring all students engage in Distance Learning quite possibly through the remainder of the school year.” — Yvonne Curtis , SLSD interim superintendent currently scheduled to end on April 28 — may in fact last the remainder of the school year. “Until last night, our intention was to remotely offer Supplemental Edu- cation and Learning Sup- ports through April 28,” Curtis wrote in the letter. “However, last night, I received a message from Elkton declares pre-emptive state of emergency By Damien Sherwood dsherwood@cgsentinel. com our director at the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), Colt Gill, with a new directive. Now we will be ensuring all stu- dents engage in Distance Learning quite possibly through the remainder of the school year.” While the message is vague on details and still leaves open the possibility of a re-opening in spring In response to the con- tinued spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 through Oregon, the City of Elkton declared a state of emergency on Mon- day, March 30, during a 9 a.m. emergency meeting of the city council. “Basically, it’s just pre-emptive in case we get hit with what they’re predicting could hap- pen,” said Gary Trout, Elkton’s city clerk and public works foreman. “We’re not actually in an emergency situation, but we’re trying to get things in place in case it happens because our city is so small-staffed. If we do have some illness or if we do have something come through, it could See SCHOOLS 9A See ELKTON 8A See MASKS 11A School closure possible for remainder of year nsnyder@cgsentinel.com @CGSentinel “I’ve been making masks every single day [since March 10] and just handing them out to in- dividuals and businesses,” said Robin Fouquette, a Cottage Grove quilter with the Eugene-based Pioneer Quilters group. So far, Fouquette esti- mates she’s distributed 75 masks in the area and has another 25 ready to be handed out by the end of See MEALS 8A Jim Goodling - Mike Grant 330 OR-99 Suite C • Cottage Grove, OR 97424 541-942-0165