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 | DECEMBER 3, 2020 | $1.00
S entinel
VOL. 131, NO. 48 •
Your Local News Delivered Your Way: In Print. Online. On the Go!
Get an insurance plan
—not just a policy.
Governor’s 2021-23 state budget proposes major cuts
Events from 2020 lead to changes in every aspect of the state’s forecast
By Chantelle Meyer
for The Sentinel
(541) 942-0555
WEATHER
Cloudy skies with a
high of 52 and a low
tonight of 32.
Full forecast on A5
HUMOR
Est. 1889
“What a year it has been. 2020
has tested Oregon in unimag-
inable ways,” Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown said as she opened a press
conference on Dec. 1.
Her address was primarily
about the proposed budget for
the 2021-23 biennium, including
shortfalls as well as places of em-
phasis.
According to the budget doc-
ument, “The Governor’s Recom-
mended Budget for 2021-23 pro-
poses $100.2 billion in total funds
spending, including $25.6 billion
in General Fund and Lottery
Funds. … The budget includes
over $293.8 million in increased
revenues and leaves $243.3 million
Brown said she found “inspira- and deepened political divisions
in the General Fund. In addition, tion” for the budget in 2020 and and the untimely deaths of Black
by the end of the 2019-21 bienni- the challenges it presented, includ- and brown neighbors from across
the country that inspired Orego-
nians to march in our streets with
a clarion call for racial justice.”
Oregon’s proposed budget will
specifically go toward “ensuring
all Oregonians’ basic needs are
met,” equity in education and the
environment, supporting small
businesses and workers, reform-
—Gov. Kate Brown
ing the criminal justice systems
and improving systems to better
um, the Rainy-Day Fund is pro- ing: “A global pandemic, which has outcomes.
jected to have a balance of $942.3 taken our dearest loved ones from
This includes investing into
million.”
us and forever changed the rituals housing
and
homelessness,
The full text of the 522-page of our daily lives; heartbreaking COVID-19 pandemic response,
budget document, as well as a con- loss from historic wildfires that senior long-term care, health care,
densed, 54-page version, is includ- ravaged our state and wiped entire
See BUDGET 6A
ed at budget.oregon.gov.
Oregon communities off the map;
“I think it’s so critically important during a global pan-
demic that every Oregonian have access to health care.
[But] we have a shortfall in meeting the funding needs
of the Oregon Health Plan.”
‘Freeze’ ends,
restrictions
continue
Lane County among
21 counties classifi ed
as ‘extreme risk’
James Kazad
Remembrances of
life before Covid
B1
By Ned Hickson
nhickson@cgsentinel.com
COLUMNIST
Marry Ellen
Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales
B1
JON STINNETT/FOR COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
• RECORDS
Bi-Mart Assistant Manager Shaillie Estrada and Aimee Sunkler join Joyce Settelmeyer at Bi-Mart’s
Tree of Joy. And, Walmart’s Kayla Lancaster with Joyce at the store’s tree. Both trees can be found near
their stores’ customer service desks.
Obituaries
Official releases
A2
Community ‘network’ puts joy under tree
• LORANE NEWS
This Saturday’s Jingle Rush 5K will benefit the Tree of Joy program,
which helps fulfill Christmas wishes for area youngsters
B1
• CLASSIFIEDS
By Jon Stinnett
Listings and public
notices
B5-B6
for The Sentinel
FOLLOW US FOR THE
O
n Christmas morning,
children in homes all over
Cottage Grove will awaken
to the most pleasant of surprises —
the realization that their holiday
wish has come true. And despite
their gratitude and the joy that
these gifts will bring, they may not
realize that their community came
together to help make their dream
a reality.
It’s been that way for about three
decades, as Cottage Grove’s Tree
of Joy program has helped fill the
gaps between local young people’s
Christmas wishes and the need
that often keeps area families from
fulfilling them on their own. And
this year, with restrictions meant
to curb the coronavirus pandem-
ic placing an additional financial
crunch on many families, the need
See TREE 8A
LATEST NEWS :
/CGSentinel
@CGSentinel
‘Desperately seeking Santas’ for Bohemia students
541- 942-3325 ph • 541-942-3328 fax
P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
By Damien Sherwood community for dona-
dsherwood@cgsentinel. tions of unwrapped toys,
com
clothes or gift cards to put
Bohemia Elementary smiles on the faces of stu-
School staff are working dents in need.
The program was ini-
to ensure that all its stu-
dents have presents under tially kickstarted by some
their Christmas trees this the school’s special edu-
year. Now in its seventh cation teachers, said Bo-
year running, the school’s hemia Elementary School
program is calling on the Principal Heather Brid-
gens.
“They felt very pas-
sionate about making
sure that all of their stu-
dents had something
during this time of year,”
she said.
The effort has since
grown in scope of both
volunteer partnerships
and children served. In-
EVERYONE DESERVES A GREAT SMILE!
EUGENE
CRESWELL
622 E. 22nd Ave Suite C
195 Melton Rd.
541.686.1732
541.686.1732
See RISK 7A
Hello, neighbor!
Matt Bjornn ChFC RICP, Agent
Bus: 541-942-2623
www.bjornninsurance.com
or visit us at www.thornton-ortho.com
GIVE US A CALL TO SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION TODAY!
cluding this year, the last
few annual efforts have
seen about 100 kids make
list.
Community involve-
ment, too, has grown
and includes staff, retired
teachers, families and lo-
cal businesses.
“It’s something that we
See SANTAS 5A
The governor’s offi ce
released a new chart on
Nov. 25 identifying 21
counties currently iden-
tifi ed as “extreme risk,”
with Lane County joining
Portland metro counties
Marion and Deschutes
due to a continued spike
in coronavirus spread.
Other counties deter-
mined as “extreme risk”
are Douglas, Baker, Ben-
ton, Clackamas, Colum-
bia, Grant, Jackson, Jef-
ferson, Klamath, Linn,
Malheur,
Multnomah,
Polk, Umatilla, Union,
Wasco, Washington and
Yamhill.
In addition, six coun-
ties — Clatsop, Coos,
Crook, Hood River, Jose-
phine and Lake — have
been classifi ed as “high
risk,” with four others
(Curry, Harney, Lincoln
and Morrow) determined
to be “moderate risk.”
Only fi ve Oregon
counties — Gilliam,
Sherman,
Tillamook,
Wallowa and Wheeler —
are categorized as “lower
risk.”
The Oregon Health
Authority will re-ex-
amine county case data
next week to make a fi nal
determination of where
each county will sit when
the freeze ends today,
Dec. 3, with counties
being re-classifi ed every
two weeks after that.
“We’re likely to be
in this place for sever-
al months until we can
complete vaccinations
for all who want them,”
1801132
Please stop by and say, “Hi!”
I’m looking forward to serving your needs for insurance and
financial services. Here to help life go right.
CALL ME TODAY.
®
State Farm, Bloomington, IL