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4A | JULY 22, 2021 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Cottage Grove Sentinel 116 N. Sixth St. Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424 damien Sherwood, editor | 541-942-3325 | dsherwood@cgsentinel.com Opinion 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 2021 © 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anonymous, libelous, argumentative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or without documentation will not be published.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: BMD 2021 in Review (Editor’s Note: Viewpoint sub- missions on this and other topics are always welcome as part of our goal to encourage community discussion and exchange of perspectives.) duced as a new tradition in 2019. However, we had so many other activities from the past planned and not enough volunteers so the idea was shelved. After the cancellation of BMD 2020, we needed something to be the focus of a downsized event. Don reached out to the orga- nizers of the Outhouse Races in up, work long hours to make sure things go well, tear every- thing down and clean up the venue. It was especially exhaust- ing this year to do all that work for only a day-and-a-half instead BMD 2021 was different this of a three-day event. year. The BMD Production Team Producing Bohemia Mining annually makes appeals for vol- Days in a normal year takes a tre- unteers to help create this be- mendous effort by a small group loved summer tradition that of hard-working individ- brings happiness to thou- uals, who are passionate By Don Williams & Cindy Weeldreyer sands. When that help doesn’t about delivering an event BMD President & Vice-president come, we simply do the best that creates smiles and we can. Seeing thousands of happy memories for our Virginia City and they happily people, young and old, having community. Planning BMD 2021 was ex- helped us launch our own simi- such a good time makes all our planning efforts rewarding. ceptionally challenging for our lar tradition. We are delighted the new Feud The last time BMD was down- very small production team, both financially and operation- competition was so well re- town was in 1999 for its 40th ceived. We are grateful to mem- anniversary. COVID-19 restric- ally. We are grateful to our Main bers of the Bohemia Gold Min- tions forced us back to the his- Stage performers who donat- ing Museum, the Bohemia Mine toric district this year to allow ed their time and talent, to our Owners Association, E Clampus for social distancing if it was sponsors who gave us the means Vitus, Dana Merryday and Jake necessary. After 16 months of surviving to make the event happen, to the Boone for their valuable plan- downtown businesses and resi- ning contributions to introduce a global pandemic, we designed BMD 2021 to bring us together dents who were inconvenienced this fun new event. We knew Bohemia Mining again in fun ways, to financially for the greater good, to the vol- unteers who gave their all to Days would be different this year help our downtown business- make it happen, and to the City in many ways. Yet we were total- es that struggled to survive the of Cottage Grove for its opera- ly unprepared the week before lengthy closures and — most the event for the distraction of importantly — to celebrate the tional support. The backstory of BMD’s new a community controversy sur- return of some normalcy to our Mine Ore Cart races began in rounding our Grand Miners Pa- lives. From a logistical point of view, January 2019, in a dinner con- rade. It essentially robbed us of the it was convenient to have our of- versation Bill and Cathy Sim- mons and Ralph and Cindy second most critical week in our fice in the Cottage Grove Hotel Weeldreyer had with Wayne and annual planning process. Some on the east end of the venue and Evie White. The Whites own very important tasks, such as our storage unit in the Odd Fel- Wild West Events and rent us the outreach to downtown residents lows Building on the west end be cool Old West walls that give Bo- to learn more of their parking only a short golf cart ride away. needs, simply didn’t happen. It Yet this year’s hot location spread hemia City its specialness. Wayne produces lots of com- nearly pushed our politically di- out over six blocks just wasn’t munity events and suggested vided board of volunteers to the “home”. Our real home is the trans- BMD needed a fun “signature breaking point of cancelling the formation of Coiner Park into event” for its 60th Anniversary. event. In the end, it made us realize “Bohemia City” on the third Cindy did some research and found the Outhouse Races in the politically charged culture weekend of July. It’s cooler under Virginia City, Nevada. She liked around us today requires our the trees, all the attractions are the idea of a competition rooted small nonprofit volunteer orga- closer together and the Old West in a local historical event. (Res- nization to develop new policies walls create a vibe that cannot be idents of the Nevada Gold Rush and procedures to navigate these duplicated downtown. So Slabtowners and Lematians, mining town were so angry over situations in the future. We will begin that task next month after start planning your ore carts now proposed city taxes to install san- itary sewers they literally rolled we’ve had the opportunity to rest for a bigger showdown next year on July 14-16. their outhouses down to city hall and recover. It truly is a Herculean effort to to protest.) It was planned to be intro- raise the money, set everything Guest Viewpoint 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: dsherwood@cgsentinel.com HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS Oregon state representatives • Sen. Floyd Prozanski District 4 State Senator PO Box 11511 Eugene, Ore. 97440 Phone: 541-342-2447 Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@ state.or.us • Rep. Cedric Hayden Republican District 7 State Representative 900 Court St. NE Salem, Ore. 97301 Phone: 503-986-1407 Email: rep.cedrichayden@ state.or.us • Rep. Peter DeFazio (House of Representatives) 405 East 8th Ave. #2030 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Oregon federal representatives Email: defazio.house.gov/ contact/email-peter Phone: 541-465-6732 • Sen. Ron Wyden 405 East 8th Ave., Suite 2020 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Email: wyden.senate.gov Phone: (541) 431-0229 • Sen. Jeff Merkley Email: merkley.senate.gov Phone: 541-465-6750 • Heather Buch Lane County Commissioner - District 5 Email: Heather.Buch@lane countyorg.gov 125 E. 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