COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL |
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | 5A
Pet Tips‘n’ Tales: ‘Grace’ and Gratitude
By Mary Ellen
“Angel Scribe”
“Animal
companion-
ship is a godsend paw-tic-
ularily when isolated from
our friends and family,”
admits Sandy. “During
the pandemic, my beloved
24-year-old cat passed,
then a month later my
comic–relief dog followed
her over the Rainbow
Bridge.
I was heartbroken, lone-
ly and thrust into solitary
confinement. I missed
sharing my cat-lap and
laughing with a couch-
dog who bark in my ear
protecting us from the
mailman! The house was
quiet and missed ‘heart’.”
To keep involved in the
world of animals, Sandy
began fostering from a pet
shelter. She has a health
issue so her new hobby
CITY
from A1
revik explained that the
city normally sends out
notices in November of
each to year to renew li-
censes, but the county has
not been doing enforce-
ment since 2019.
“We used to get reports
from them, but we hav-
en’t received anything for
[three] years now,” she
said.
It was not clear if the
licensure process would
be changing significantly,
though.
There will be no cost
to the city for the state-
run licensure program.
The existing local tobacco
retail license will be re-
pealed at a future meet-
ing.
In other city council
news:
Amendment of
Flood Damage
Prevention Code
The council voted
unanimously for an ordi-
nance amending the city’s
code regarding flood
damage prevention.
The amendment chang-
es the definition of “de
minimus development”
works paw-fectly in case
she needs hospitaliza-
tion. the animal already
has a safe place to go.
“Shelters desperately
need foster homes for
cats/kittens, dogs/pup-
pies, horses and hospice
pets, and I needed a fur-
ry friend,” said Sandy.
“I picked up a dog the
afternoon that my ap-
plication was approved.
The dog was the first of
many short-term guests
who all found forever
homes! Each one touches
my heart, whether they
are puppies or adults who
needed a short term stay.
One day, I was cruising
the internet and found
an abused dog in an out-
of-state shelter. The poor
girl was all bones. It was
difficult to tell what color
her fur was because there
was so little left. Her nails
were so long that they had
broken her toes. I knew
that she was going to be
my next foster! But how?”
Sandy said a quick
prayer, phoned the shel-
ter and applied to foster
the critically ill, 22-pound
underweight, four-year-
old, Boxer, hospitalized
on fluids and medications.
Every day, Sandy checked
on her little patient, and a
week later, she was on her
way to pick up ‘her’ girl!
“I was afraid to lift her
frail body into my vehi-
cle,” said Sandy. “She was
weak and unable to walk
more than a few steps.
The little bag of bones
arrived with a heaven-
ly host of angels helping
her body and brave spirit
make it through that first
stress-filled week. She
was so broken, yet she
made progress every day.
Her sad eyes spoke to my
heart and we became each
other’s nurse, healer and
biggest blessing!”
Sandy named her foster
after God’s ‘Grace’ to hon-
or her journey and the
dog healed her heart from
the loss of her purr-evious
pets. At the same time,
Grace healed with Sandy’s
loving care.
“We made many drives
back to her shelter for
her vet care,” said Sandy.
“Her fur grew little by lit-
and changes construction
requirements for electri-
cal, heating, ventilating,
air conditioning, plumb-
ing, duct systems, and
other equipment.
Now, the “de minimus
development” definition
does not include “pav-
ing or hardscaping of flat
areas.” The change can
be important, as paving
is considered “develop-
ment” in floodplains,
and all development,
including fill, new con-
struction, substantial im-
provements, solid fences
or other non-de minimis
development, are pro-
hibited in the regulatory
floodway.
Having paving as a “de
minimis”
development
causes confusion as to
whether it is exempt in
the floodway. Recent
guidance has said that
paving cannot be consid-
ered exempt development
in the floodway, hence the
need for a code change.
The text amendment
also makes a change to a
subsection related to the
elevation of electrical and
mechanical systems.
The subsection will
be replaced with lan-
guage which says that all
equipment must be raised
above the base flood ele-
vation as part of develop-
ment or flood-proofed if
possible.
The change will ensure
the city is in compliance
with the Community
Rating System prerequi-
sites that include the el-
evation of electrical and
mechanical systems and
the flood-proofing of any
systems that cannot be
fully elevated.
No comments were
made during the public
hearing of the ordinance.
6-day
weather forecast
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
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64° | 50°
Rain
Cloudy
SUNDAY
MONDAY
64° | 49°
58° | 44°
Cloudy
Showers
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
48° | 37°
Showers
Audit Committee
Council voted to ap-
prove the appointment of
the Jennifer Morrocco to
the Audit Committee for
a three-year term, to ex-
pire July 31, 2024.
Public Comment
Area resident Duane
Taddei clarified a previ-
ous appeal he had made
to the city council in pub-
lic comment regarding a
sidewalk order at Taylor
Avenue and implored
councilors to revisit the
order and overturn it.
COURTESY PHOTO
Dog-nurse Sandy and her nurse-dog, Grace.
tle and her muscles began
holding her up. She is in
her forever home becom-
ing my first foster failure
upon her adoption. This
happy dog loves sharing
my home and fur-niture!
She has a sweet spirit and
is a gentle girl who takes
on the role of assisting
‘our’ other foster pups
heal.
When I sit down on the
couch, Grace squeezes in
behind me and plops her
head onto my shoulder.
Then she rubs her head
on my cheek and breathes
into my ear. Luckily, she
does not bark in my ear
when the postal worker
arrives like my previous
dog. She’s a TV love bug
who cuddles in my lap.
Yes! We rescued each oth-
er.”
Taddei said he was con-
cerned that councilors
did not take the opportu-
nity during the previous
council session to discuss
whether the sidewalk or-
der was the right thing to
do. He sympathized with
the fear of a homeowner
receiving a notice from
the city that would put a
lien on one’s home for not
complying with the order.
Taddei pointed to other
sidewalks which needed
attention as examples of
unequal treatment.
“Unless the city is going
to go after every property
owner … Don’t ask any-
body or force anybody to
do it,” he said. “I’m asking
you to treat everybody
equally.”
Sharing Warming Shelter
is aiming to be in opera-
tion next week and con-
firmed the site will aim to
open at 32 degrees Fahr-
enheit.
Councilor Ervin said he
attended a Taylor Avenue
neighborhood meeting
regarding the recent side-
walk order on that street.
He said residents did
not seem to be asking
for the sidewalk order to
be withdrawn but were
aware the sidewalks need-
ed repair and preferred to
use the city’s resources to
do construction.
“The conclusion from
that was that they would
get a far better deal hav-
ing the city do it,” he said.
He said miscommuni-
cation seemed to be a key
issue behind some of the
residents’ frustrations.
Also, following his at-
tendance at a Lane Eco-
nomic Committee meet-
ing, Ervin recommended
the city look into using
Business Oregon as a re-
source for helping local
businesses.
Councilor Chalice Sav-
age praised the Cottage
Concerns from
Council
Councilor Jon Stinnett
reported he was pleased
with the public turnout
at a public input session
over the weekend regard-
ing the Master Plan for
Cottage Grove and Dore-
na lakes.
Councilor Mike Fleck
said the Community
long-term or emergency
foster-fur parent. Most
shelters require experi-
ence with previous own-
ership and those willing
to give pets love. Shelters
often supply food and vet
care.
Pandemic pet protec-
tion: In case you have a
health emergency, include
the name of your pets,
photos, vet, special needs
diet, recipe, where the
food is and phone num-
ber who will care for them
in your absence. Post on
your fridge and in your
vehicle.
Tell us how your dog/cat
arrived at your home.
angelscribe@msn.com
Pet Tips and Tales on
Facebook.
www.facebook.com/Pet-
TipsandTales
Adopt Loving Pets
www.PetFinder.com
Cottage Grove Humane
Society for Neuter/Spay
Assistance Program: 541-
942-3130
TIPS
Apply at animal shelters
to become a short-term,
Grove Chamber of Com-
merce for the Halloween
Hootinanny.
Councilor
Kenneth
Michael Roberts ques-
tioned whether bricks at
the old Moose Lodge on
Highway 99 had become
a nuisance.
“I think of our tourism
and people who come in
from the south side on 99
and one of the first things
they see are those bricks,”
he said.
Roberts then praised
the city for providing a
safe space for homeless
people in the back of the
Community Center.
He also suggested the
city may need to revisit
the sidewalk order issue.
Councilors
Stinnett,
Fleck and Ervin all sug-
gested revisiting rules
around public comments
at city council meetings
as a resident who wanted
to speak had been turned
away during the public
comment period due to
confusion around the
appropriate protocol for
sign-up.
LORANE COUNTRY NEWS
Contributed by Lil Thompson
for The Sentinel
• Lorane Grange Dessert and Bingo is this Friday,
Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. The Blackout jackpot has grown,
so maybe there will be a big winner this month. Tell
your friends and neighbors and come have a fun
evening. Masks required and distancing is easy.
• Stony Point Road project is wonderful. Every-
one is thanked for their patience. Please continue to
drive slower through this section. While the road is
finished, they are still finishing work on guardrails
and on the banks.
• Rural Art Center will not hold movie night in
November or December due to COVID concerns.
They hope to return in January. Everyone looks for-
ward to those delightful evenings.
• Lorane Christian Church will not have their an-
nual Thanksgiving dinner again this year.
• Lorane Grange will also not have their annual
Christmas Dinner in December due to COVID con-
cerns.
• Crow Middle School basketball has started.
Crow High School basketball practice starts on Nov.
15.
BATTERY POWER
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Partly Cloudy
60 % of small businesses
close within 6 months
of a cyber-attack.
(541) 942-0555
541-726-7689 541-942-9635
Eugene/Springfi eld Cottage Grove