COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | OCTOBER 22, 2020
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Lane County Commissioners adopts first Climate Action Plan for internal operations
Earlier this week, the
Lane County Board of
Commissioners adopted
the first Climate Action
Plan for County opera-
tions.
“We know that the fu-
ture of our community,
our children and our
wellbeing is dependent
upon making meaningful
changes to reduce green-
house gas emissions,”
said Chair Heather Buch.
“The goals in this plan
will help us safeguard
that future at a local lev-
el and I am so proud that
Lane County is moving
in this direction.”
The plan describes six
goals and targets that in-
clude carbon-neutral op-
erations by 2050.
The plan also describes
specific actions that
Lane County can take
to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions associated
with day-to-day opera-
tions.
“Lane County has sev-
eral opportunities to take
action to reduce carbon
emissions while saving
money in the long-term.
Investments in energy
efficiency, replacing se-
dans with electric ve-
hicles, and improving
landfill gas collection
are all low-hanging fruit
in terms of reducing
greenhouse gas emis-
sions,” said Lane County
Climate Strategist Mark
Nystrom.
Lane County began a
three-phase
approach
to developing a Climate
Action Plan in 2019 by
conducting an internal
Greenhouse Gas Emis-
sions Inventory and de-
veloping internal oper-
ations Climate Action
Plan.
The County is also be-
ginning the second phase
of this work — conduct-
ing a countywide green-
house gas inventory and
developing a countywide
plan that will outline
goals and strategies to
reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
The third phase of the
project will develop a
resiliency plan that will
identify strategies that
can mitigate the impacts
of climate change on
Lane County.
Learn more about this
project at www.lane-
county.org/climateplan.
OHA urges Oregonians to get flu vaccination in wake of COVID-19 case increase
Oregon Health Au-
thority (OHA) is urg-
ing everyone 6 months
and older to get an an-
nual flu shot, especially
as COVID-19 cases in-
crease in Oregon, and the
pandemic persists.
“Flu vaccines are safe
and effective, and with
ongoing COVID-19 out-
breaks, it is more import-
ant than ever to get a flu
shot to keep the people
around you healthy,” said
Paul Cieslak, M.D., med-
ical director for com-
municable diseases and
immunizations at the Or-
egon Health Authority.
While it is unclear how
the pandemic will affect
the flu season, OHA and
the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
(CDC) are preparing for
COVID-19 and seasonal
flu to spread at the same
time.
A “twindemic” of two
potentially fatal viruses
circulating at the same
time could burden the
state’s health care system
and result in many ill-
nesses, hospitalizations
and deaths, Cieslak said.
Getting a flu vaccine is
something easy people
can do to protect them-
selves and their loved
ones and help reduce the
spread of flu this fall and
winter.
Flu
vaccine
will
not
protect
against
COVID-19. But vacci-
nation has many other
benefits and is part of a
comprehensive
public
health strategy to reduce
the burden of flu.
Additional benefits:
• The vaccine is prov-
en to help protect preg-
nant women and people
with chronic health con-
ditions while reducing
the burden of flu on our
communities and health
care system.
• This year, especially,
it will be most important
to protect those at higher
risk for flu complications.
Many of these people
are also at high risk for
COVID-19 illness or se-
rious outcomes.
• It is also important
for caregivers and essen-
tial workers to protect
themselves and those
around them from flu by
getting a flu vaccine.
• The flu vaccine may
take up to two weeks to
become effective, so get-
ting it earlier in the sea-
son — like now is ideal.
That’s why OHA is
promoting a “Don’t Wait
to Vaccinate” campaign
with social media cards
and other messaging in
multiple languages start-
ing today.
Flu vaccine is available
from health care provid-
ers, local health depart-
ments and many phar-
macies.
The vaccine is free or
low cost with most health
insurance plans. To find
flu vaccine clinic, visit
http://www.flu.oregon.
gov/ and use OHA’s flu
vaccine locator tool.
Getting vaccinated is
the best way to prevent
the flu.
Additional ways Ore-
gonians can help prevent
the spread of flu include:
• Staying home from
work or school when you
are sick and limit contact
with others.
• Covering your nose
and mouth with a tis-
sue when you cough or
sneeze.
• Washing hands fre-
quently with soap and
water. Use an alco-
hol-based hand rub if
soap and water are not
available.
• Avoiding touch-
ing your eyes, nose and
mouth.
• Cleaning and disin-
fecting surfaces and ob-
jects that may have flu
germs on them.
Douglas County’s annual property tax assessments see average rise of 5 percent for 2020-21
The Douglas County
Tax office will mail out
the 2020-21 property tax
statements this week and
property owners on av-
erage will pay 5 percent
more than they did in
2019.
The changes that prop-
erty owners will note on
their tax bills this year is
Glendale School District
passed a bond to replace
a bond that expired this
year.
Winston-Dillard
School District had a
bond mature, but was re-
placed by a bond passed
in the previous year.
Lane Community Col-
lege also passed a new
bond, which affects those
properties in northern
Douglas County.
Tenmile Fire District
passed a 5-year local
option levy.
Proper-
ty owners will be billed
$113 million, up from
last year’s $108 million,
which will be distributed
to 117 taxing districts.
The County’s share will
be $11.46 million, up 5.2
percent from a year ago.
The average tax rate is
$10.06 per $1,000 of as-
sessed value.
That is a decrease of
less than 1 percent from
last year, when the aver-
age was $10.11.
The lowest tax rate in
Douglas County is $6.24
per $1,000 of assessed
value, which is in parts
of rural Douglas County;
the highest rate is $19.06
per $1,000, which is in
the city of Reedsport.
A review of 16 residen-
tial homes throughout
the county shows an av-
erage increase of 4 per-
cent in real market values
while the assessed values
also increased by 4 per-
cent. This is greater than
the allowed 3 percent due
to the sample properties
having new construction.
Property owners who
have questions or con-
cerns about their assess-
ment can contact the
Assessor’s office at 541-
440-4222.
Due to COVID-19, the
Douglas County Assess-
ment and Cartography
offices will be open by
appointment only from
now through Tuesday,
Nov. 17.
Property Tax payment
related questions can be
addressed with the Tax
Collector’s office. As a re-
minder, in order to help
mitigate the spread of
COVID-19, the Douglas
County Tax Collector’s
Office will be closed to
the public through Nov.
27. Their office will con-
tinue to provide service
to our customers remote-
ly via phone, email or on-
line: Call 541-440-4253;
email tax@co.douglas.
or.us or visit www.co.
douglas.or.us/finance/
tax_collection.asp.
Staff will be available
to assist customers via
phone and email be-
tween 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
Dissatisfied taxpayers
can appeal their assess-
ment to the Board of
Property Tax Appeals by
Dec. 31. Appeals hear-
ings are held in February.
In
Honor
of All
Veterans
The Cottage Grove Sentinel is preparing to publish its
“Honoring our Heroes” a special section devoted to all military veterans
who are Cottage Grove-area residents or have a connection to this
area.
If you are interested in sharing your military story in the annual
Veterans Day publication, or in updating information that we have
published previously, please complete the form below and submit
it to the Cottage Grove Sentinel. Service photographs are also
welcome.
Submit forms and photos (preferably) by e-mail to gmanly@
cgsentinel.com; or by mail to Cottage Grove Sentinel, Attn: Gary
Manly, PO Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424; or drop forms off at
the Cottage Grove Sentinel, 116 N. 6th Street, Cottage Grove.
Please be sure that all materials are carefully labeled with your
name and phone number. ALL FORMS AND PHOTOGRAPHS
MUST BE SUBMITTED BY OCTOBER 30, 2020.
Thank you for participating in this project to remember and
honor our veterans.
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available for new customers at an estimated 9.99% annual percentage rate for 132 months. Promotion available to qualified
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unaffiliated with LeafGuard, under terms and conditions arranged directly between the customer and such lender, all of which are
subject to credit requirements and satisfactory completion of finance documents. Any finance terms advertised are
estimates only. LeafGuard does not assist with, counsel or negotiate financing, other than providing customers an introduction to
lenders interested in financing its customers. Expires 10/31/20. † AII participants who attend an estimated 60-90 minute in-
home product consultation will receive a $25 gift card. Retail value is $25. Offer sponsored by LeafGuard Holdings Inc. Limit one
per household. Company procures, sells, and installs seamless gutter protection. This offer is valid for homeowners over 18 years
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LeafGuard operates as LeafGuard of Oregon in Oregon under license number 223377.
Rank Achieved (optional): ___________________________________________________________
Dates Served: _____________________________________________________________________
Where did you serve? _______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Special Information (E.G., POW): _____________________________________________________
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Has your veterans information been published previously in the Cottage Grove Sentinel Veterans Publication?
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Do we have your military photo(s) on fi le? YES
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(Note: If you have submitted photos in the past, we will still have them on fi le.)