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 29, 2021 | $1.00
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Lane among counties moving back to ‘Extreme Risk’ Friday
Douglas County will be be moved to ‘moderate risk’ beginning Friday
(541) 942-0555
WEATHER
SALEM — Due to the rapid
spread of COVID-19 in Oregon,
Gov. Kate Brown today announced
updates to county risk levels under
the state’s public health framework.
With hospitalizations rising above
300 people statewide, threatening
to overwhelm doctors and nurs-
es, 15 counties will move to the
extreme risk level effective Friday,
April 30, through Thursday, May
6. This includes Lane County.
In addition, nine counties will
be in the high risk level, four at
moderate risk, and eight at low-
er risk. Douglas County will be at
moderate risk.
“If we don’t act now, doctors,
nurses, hospitals, and other health
care providers in Oregon will be
stretched to their limits treat-
ing severe cases of COVID-19,”
said Brown. “Today’s announce-
ment will save lives and help stop
COVID-19 hospitalizations from
spiking even higher. With new
COVID-19 variants widespread
in so many of our communities, it
will take all of us working together
to bring this back under control.”
The governor is partnering
with lawmakers to approve a $20
million small business emergen-
cy relief package to immediately
support impacted businesses in
Extreme Risk counties through the
commercial rent relief program.
In an effort to speed up the re-
turn to normal business opera-
tions, county COVID-19 data will
be evaluated weekly for at least the
next three weeks.
Any updates to county risk lev-
els next week will be announced
on Tuesday, May 4, and take effect
on Friday, May 7. Counties that
Cloudy skies with a
high of 77 and a low
tonight of 45.
Full forecast on A5
See RISK 5A
Voters to
consider local
options
COLUMNIST
A guide to what
voters will see on
the May 18 ballot
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood@cgsentinel.
com
Mary Ellen’s Pet Tips
‘N’ Tales
A5
SPORTS
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Track & field,
baseball, softball
and more!
B1
• RECORDS
Obituaries
Official releases
A2
• LORANE NEWS
A5
• CLASSIFIEDS
Listings and public
notices
B9-B10
follow us for the
latest news:
/CGSentinel
@CGSentinel
M
embers of the Buster Keaton Mural Restoration Committee (from left) Gerald Santana, Lloyd
Williams, Kenneth Michael Roberts, Dana Merryday and Suzanne Hueber-Sannes celebrated a
night of music and suds as Coast Fork Brewing released its first Imperial IPA, “The General,” on
April 23 in honor of Keaton’s locally produced 1926 movie by the same name. A portion of the sales is
being donated to the Buster Keaton mural restoration project, which was just $1,100 shy of reaching
its fundraising goal before the event. More than $200 were collected in donations alone Friday night.
“I thought the party was wonderful and $200 exceeded my expectations,” said Williams. Coast Fork’s
Master Brewer Stephen Mathys created the new IPA while local musician Tobi D’Amore provided the
musical backdrop for last week’s fundraiser.
Q&A with SLSD Board candidates
541- 942-3325 ph • 541-942-3328 fax
P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
By Damien Sherwood
Candidates for Board Position 2
dsherwood@cgsentinel.com
Taylor Wilhour (incumbent)
We moved here in 2006 with our
first child and I’m proud to call Cot-
tage Grove home and strive to make
it better. We have kids in elementa-
ry, middle school and high school,
so I am involved at every level.
Since 2013, we’ve built a beautiful
new school, upgraded the swim-
ming pool, had the best high school
graduation rate in Oregon, and
much more. Through sound fiscal
management, we got extra money
from the 2016 bond measure. We
used it district-wide on technology,
security and critical maintenance
that had been delayed by years of
budget cuts.
I am a thoughtful, dedicated
board member who comes pre-
pared, offers suggestions, asks
tough questions and uses the best
available information in deci-
sion-making. I have been involved
since 2007 as a coach, parent and
Oregon is experiencing a high
turnout in school board candidates
this election season and South Lane
School District (SLSD) is no differ-
ent — three seats are up for grabs
and all are being contested.
When polls close May 18, this
special election will determine a
significant make-up of the sev-
en-person body which helps shape
the direction of local education.
Among its responsibilities, the
school board sets policy, influences
a $56 million budget and selects the
district’s superintendent. Elected
members serve a four-year term.
The Sentinel reached out to the
SLSD Board candidates in the May
18 Special Election and asked them
four questions about their potential
roles in this system...
now board member. I am excited
that we are leading once again in
expansion of pre-K, vocational ed-
ucation (CTE), equity and profes-
sional development. Please send me
back to the boardroom to continue
this important work.
Pam Duffy
I am a federal retiree having
worked for U.S. Secret Service
and the Federal Office of Workers’
Compensation. I moved to Cot-
tage Grove in 2003. I was involved
in a grade school/middle school
mentoring program in Seattle for
seven years. Upon moving here, I
mentored at London Elementary
for two years but stopped to care
for my mother who was diagnosed
with Alzheimer’s.
Candidates for Board Position 4
Melanie Stuhlmiller
I am a mother to three SLSD
See BOARD 6A
With ballots being
mailed and offi cial drop
sites opening today, vot-
ers will have until May 18
to submit their ballots for
this spring’s Special Elec-
tion.
While many board po-
sitions such as those at
Lane Community Col-
lege (LCC) and South
Lane School District
(SLSD) are being contest-
ed (see story same page),
several others remain un-
contested.
Creswell School Dis-
trict and South Lane
County Fire and Rescue
(SLCFR) races, for ex-
ample, may be foregone
conclusions as none of
the candidates are run-
ning with opposition.
In the Creswell board,
both incumbents Mike
Anderson and Lacey
Risdal have refi led for
their positions while Tim
Rogers, who previously
served on the board in
Position 3 from 2013-19,
is running for a seat be-
ing made vacant by Da-
vid Eusted.
SLCFR seats seem
to also be set as Deb-
by Stumph, who was an
applicant for the vacant
Postion 4 position in Jan-
uary, is now running for
a seat left open by Joel
Higdon, who did not
refi le. Incumbents Dan
Duff y, Th omas Munroe
and
newly-appointed
Chris Holloman are also
running unopposed for
their respective seats.
Creswell School District
Board
Position 4:
Mike Anderson (in-
cumbent)
Position 5
Tim Rogers
See BALLOT 9A