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 | NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | $1.00
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VOL. 132, NO. 45 •
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SLSD board votes to dismiss staff over compliance
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood@cgsentinel.com
(541) 942-0555
WEATHER
Five teachers were dismissed
from South Lane School District
(SLSD) on the grounds of “insubor-
dination and neglect of duty” while
one resignation was accepted in a
majority vote by the SLSD Board
this Monday (Nov. 8).
The virtual meeting, which was
held as a special session that morn-
ing, saw the board enter executive
session twice to consider informa-
tion regarding the dismissals. The
board also accepted testimony from
educators being considered for ter-
mination.
“We are very saddened that we
ended up in this spot,” said Superin-
tendent Yvonne Curtis. “It was my
goal originally … not lose one staff
member.”
The employees were dismissed in
a 6-1 vote, with only board member
Jerry Settelmeyer opposing.
Three Bohemia Elementary
School teachers, one from Harrison
Elementary School and one from
London School were terminated.
One Harrison Elementary School
staff member’s resignation was also
approved in the same vote.
The dismissals follow an Oct. 18
deadline for Oregon educators and
healthcare workers to be fully vac-
cinated against COVID-19, though
religious and medical exceptions
could be granted under the order.
All those terminated on Monday
had been approved for exceptions,
said Curtis.
For the nearly 50 staff in the dis-
trict who had been approved for
medical or religious exceptions,
SLSD provided a 15-page document
which included legal references and
directed unvaccinated staff on addi-
tional expectations.
These expectations include wear-
ing a KN95 mask at all times and
See SLSD A7
AM showers with a
high of 62 and a low
tonight of 52
Full forecast on A5
City opts into
state tobacco
licensure
program
COLUMNIST
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood
@cgsentinel.com
Mary Ellen
Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales
A5
SPORTS & REC
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
The Stony Point Realignment Project has moved some 70,000 cubic yards of earth to stabilize landslides,
soften the sharp curves in the road and provide six-foot wide shoulders for bicyclists.
Lane County celebrates Stony Point realignment
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood@cgsentinel.com
Warriors crowned
champs
B1
• RECORDS
Obituaries
Official releases
A2
• LORANE NEWS
A5
• CLASSIFIEDS
Listings and public
notices
B5-B6
follow us for the
latest news:
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@CGSentinel
Lane County Public Works cel-
ebrated the approaching comple-
tion of its Stony Point Realignment
Project at Lorane Grange on Mon-
day (Nov. 8), inviting community
members and stakeholders to hear
updates on its four-phase Territori-
al Highway project.
The Stony Point project, which
is just Phase 1 of a larger plan to
improve road safety on Territorial
Highway, targeted an area between
Gillespie Corners and the commu-
nity of Lorane by stabilizing three
landslides at Stony Point, softening
the sharp curves of the road, add-
ing six-foot shoulders to accom-
modate people biking and paving
the road.
The work began in June 2020 and
continued over two construction
seasons.
“We are so proud that — after
years of working with the commu-
nity and neighbors — the Stony
See STONY A10
Corps holds public input meeting
Input will inform management of Dorena, Cottage Grove lakes
541- 942-3325 ph • 541-942-3328 fax
P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
Basin Master Plan.
“We find going out in the com-
munity helps us understand where
our gaps in the data are,” said or-
ganizer Jill Schreifer. “A good plan
enables us to kind of have a good
sense of the existing conditions,
both good and bad, and it enables
us to really think toward future de-
velopment.”
Lane County Commissioner
Heather Buch and various technical
experts from the Corps were in at-
tendance.
Public input meetings were also
held in Eugene and Creswell in the
days prior.
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
The Coast Fork Basin Master
Community members mark areas of interest on Dorena and Cottage
Plan for Dorena and Cottage Grove
Grove lake maps during the public input meeting on Saturday.
lakes will provide a strategic land
By Damien Sherwood
cess regarding the management of use management document which
dsherwood@cgsentinel.com
Dorena and Cottage Grove lakes.
guides the management and devel-
The event was held by the U.S. opment of all project recreation-
Nearly 30 community members Army Corps of Engineers (or al, natural and cultural resources
gathered at the Cottage Grove Com- Corps), which manages both lakes, throughout the life of the water re-
munity Center on Saturday (Nov. 6) and input from the public will be
to participate in a public input pro- included in the agency’s Coast Fork
See CORPS A8
WE ARE HERE TO HELP
All services are completely free.
LOOKING GLASS COMMUNITY SERVICES
Rural Program
508 E. Whitaker Ave. Cott age Grove
Monday - Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm
Offi ce & 24/7 Crisis Line: (541) 767 - 3823
By unanimous vote Mon-
day night (Nov. 8), the Cot-
tage Grove City Council
opted into the Statewide
Tobacco Retail Licensure
Program to allow the State
of Oregon to operate and
enforce the provisions of
the State Tobacco Retail Li-
censure Program within the
City of Cottage Grove.
The Oregon Legislature
passed a bill this year which
created the Statewide Tobac-
co Retail Licensure Program.
The state program recog-
nizes that there are a few lo-
cal jurisdictions which have
created a local licensing pro-
gram and the legislation al-
lows communities to contin-
ue to administer the locally
adopted tobacco licensing
programs if they also agree
to enforce the provisions of
the state law.
To retain their local pro-
grams, local governments
must enter into an Intergov-
ernmental Agreement with
the Department of Revenue.
Local communities with an
established local tobacco li-
cense can choose to allow
the state to assume the en-
forcement and enter into
the state-operated tobacco
license program.
Cottage Grove is one
among few cities which has
a local tobacco licensing
program and had previously
partnered with Lane County
in operation and enforce-
ment.
The county, though, has
opted into the state-run pro-
gram, which will result in
the loss of coordination be-
tween the Cottage Grove and
the county.
Councilor Greg Ervin
asked what impact the state-
run program would have for
local retailers.
City Recorder Trudy Bor-
See CITY A5
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