COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | NOVEMBER 18, 2021 | 3A
LCSO takes CG resident into custody
Both the suspect and
the vehicle involved in
an armed carjacking in
Cottage Grove have been
found, according to author-
ities.
The Lane County Sher-
iff ’s Office (LCSO) has an-
nounced that 22-year-old
Travis Scott Rich, a Cot-
tage Grove area resident,
had been apprehended and
Jean Marie Miller
September 5, 2021
Jean Marie Miller died
peacefully on September 5
at the age of 87 surrounded
by family in her home in
Keizer, Oregon.
She
was
born
in
Minneapolis, Minnesota to
Juanita and Ray Falk. She
and her sister Darlene and
brother Ron lived across
the US, as her father played
in bands and worked as a
handyman. She attended
Eugene High School and
continued friendships made
there until her death.
She married Gary Miller,
the owner of the Cottage
Grove-Eugene
Freight
company, and lived in
Cottage Grove, raising
their children, Lisa, Tami,
and Todd. She was married
to Vern Coop, of Cottage
Grove, during midlife. Th e
last years of her life, she
enjoyed the companionship
of Gary Leslie, of San Diego,
in Keizer.
Jean worked at Lane
Community College in the
counseling
department
while raising her children.
She undertook the ambitious
challenge of becoming a
nurse during midlife. She
prided herself on being her
own property manager for
several rentals.
She had a lifelong passion
for Dixieland Jazz and big
band music. She enjoyed a
challenging game of Bridge,
and became a football fan,
especially following the U
of O. Back in the day, her
children recall her cutting a
rug at the Rod & Gun club
and the Elks in Cottage
Grove with friends, enjoying
drinks and laughs together.
During her last years, she
enjoyed European cruises
with Gary and relaxing
with him on the patio of her
home, watching the golfers
on the 17th green.
She is survived by
daughters Lisa Sargent
(Jim) of Sacramento, Tami
Nikitins (Dahn) of Creswell
and son Todd Miller (Connie
Smith) of Cottage Grove;
grandchildren
Heather
Casey of Cottage Grove,
Adam McCarty of San
Diego, and Tahni Nikitins
of Bothell, Washington;
and
great-grandchildren
Emilia and Eliana Casey
and Harrison, Francis, and
Charlie McCarty.
A private remembrance
gathering at the graveside for
immediate family was held.
Th e family has requested
that remembrances be made
in the form of contributions
to Meals on Wheels and
Willamette Valley Hospice.
would be lodged at the Lane
County Jail on charges in-
cluding but not limited to
Robbery in the 1st Degree
and Unauthorized Use of a
Motor Vehicle.
LSCO had been searching
for a suspect in a carjacking
incident that occurred over-
night in the 77000 block of
Mosby Creek Road.
Just before midnight on
Thursday (Nov. 11), a citi-
zen reported that he went
to check on the occupant of
a crashed vehicle.
The driver of the crashed
vehicle reportedly pointed a
black gun at the citizen and
stole the citizen’s blue 2005
Dodge Dakota pickup. The
stolen truck was last seen
traveling southeast from
the crash scene in the di-
rection of Blue Mountain
School Rd.
Deputies and officers
from the Cottage Grove
Police Department quickly
saturated the area but were
unable to locate the suspect
or stolen vehicle.
The suspect was de-
scribed as a white male
adult in his twenties with a
thin build standing approx-
imately 5’08”. The suspect
was considered armed and
dangerous.
On Nov. 12 around 3
p.m., the stolen vehicle had
been located and investiga-
tors continued working to
identify the suspect. By 4:36
p.m. that day, LCSO report-
ed that Rich had been iden-
tified and taken into custo-
dy.
Brown attends infrastructure bill
signing in DC
By Julia Shumway/
Oregon Capital
Chronicle
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Gov. Kate Brown was on
hand Monday in Washing-
ton, D.C., as President Joe
Biden signed a $1 trillion
federal infrastructure bill
that will bring more than
$5 billion to Oregon over
the next five years.
Brown described the new
law as a “game changer” for
Oregon.
“It will help us repair
and improve our roads and
bridges, build more (elec-
tric vehicle) infrastructure,
and support hardworking
Oregon families – all with a
focus on equity at its core,”
she said.
Most of Oregon’s funding
will go toward transporta-
tion, with $3.4 billion for
roads and highways, $268
million for bridges and $747
million for public transpor-
tation. The state also stands
to receive $529 million for
water infrastructure, $39
million to mitigate wildfires
and $100 million to expand
broadband access in rural
areas.
During Monday’s signing
ceremony, Biden said proj-
ects that receive funding
will need to align with his
administration’s priorities.
They must use supplies
from American manufac-
turers, employ unionized
workers and design proj-
ects with climate change in
mind.
A Brown spokesman did
not respond to inquiries
about how long she would
remain in Washington and
what else she would do in
the capital. She recently at-
tended the global climate
conference in Glasgow and
is facing growing pressure
in Oregon to call the Legis-
lature into a special session
to address housing, as the
state anticipates running
out of rental assistance
money by the end of the
month.
LCC opens application for $5 million in winter
term emergency student assistance grants
EUGENE, Ore. — Lane
Community College an-
nounced plans this week
to disburse approximate-
ly $5 million in student
emergency grants to stu-
dents for winter term,
which begins Jan. 4.
Funding is provided by
BMD Board President Resignation Letter
Board of Directors and Coordinators
Please accept my formal letter of resignation from the Bohemia Mining Days Board
of Directors as well as from the Bohemia Mining Heritage Association Board of Direc-
tors. It is effective, as of Wed, Nov 3, 2021.
I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to fellow board members for their support for
my two-year period as president. I thank the coordinators that, along with the board,
created a very successful 2021 abbreviated BMD celebration, bringing 3 new attrac-
tions to the event under very trying times, namely, the pandemic.
Each and every board member and coordinator, along with our wonderful sponsors,
and those who made the event successful with their attendance, can take great pride in
the fact we leave to the 2022 committee, a bank account of $15,000. In a normal year,
the budget around $50-$60,000 for a full-blown event.
The reason for my leaving: I have found that question needs to be answered in our
beautiful little community of Cottage Grove. I list the reasons to eliminate any gossip
or rumor mills that may occur.
The simple facts are:
Most if not all BMD meetings are held in the evening. With daylight ending at 4:30
pm, I fi nd it diffi cult to make evening meetings. This is all brought about by age. Win-
ter, and ice, will be coming. It is not logical or practical to get out in the dark in icy
conditions at an advanced age.
The modern way of communication is through texting and e-mail. Those who know
me and have worked with me in the community know I am a hands on, boots on the
ground, type of leader. A great deal of my enjoyment, in taking on these tasks, whether
it be efforts to save the Dr. Pierce Barn, or others, has been the face-to-face communi-
cation with the community members. In other words, texting and e-mail is a foreign
language to a person who enjoys personal communication with his fellow human being.
I believe it is time for new ideas and a different approach to the business design for
our wonderful festival, BMD. There are, in the wings, individuals who will fi ll that
new business model. I ask that each person reading this give the new leaders support.
For those reading this in the community, I want to thank each and every person who
has supported – fi nancially and physically – the many events that I have been involved
with, starting back in 1979.
I became a board member of the Chamber in 1978, assumed the duties of BMD
president 1979-1980 through 1984, followed by the president of the Chamber 1983,
president of community chest 1989, United Way fundraising president early 1980’s.
The hospital and fi re boards followed, plus many other committees and boards in the
meantime. When my term of offi ce for the fi re board was up, along with my term of
offi ce for the hospital board, I thought I was retired. But then I became involved with
the Chamber in 2010 when I was asked to come back as a board member to set up board
committees. Then the beautiful project of the carousel was presented. With the rebuild
of the carousel project fi nished, and the carousel operating, I once again retired.
Then, BMD and the pandemic came along, and I once again heeded the request to
come back as a board member of BMD.
With that, I once again give my deepest thanks to the supporters of BMD, the par-
ticipants, and those I worked with in the community for all these many happy years.
Thanks to all those who have supported my efforts.
As a fi nal thought, I would like to suggest those of us who are Chamber members,
or members of groups such as LIONS, Rotary, Prospectors, Kiwanis, that we support
Cindy Weeldreyer for First Citizen through the Chamber. And through the service
clubs, we nominate and support Cindy for Volunteer Service Award for her service to
the community
She has spent years volunteering for BMD, as well as working for other organiza-
tions, such as Beds for Freezing Nights, doing many graveyard shifts to help her fellow
man. Through the Chamber Tourism Committee,
Cindy and I formed Around the Grove, a communi-
ty-based organization out of which grew the Around
the Grove newsletter, which Cindy writes, and is
read by well over 400 community members, as well
as viewed on channel 47.5 on South Lane Transla-
tors. These are just three of the many things Cindy
has done for Cottage Grove. Many of you remem-
ber her service to Lane County, sitting on the Board
of Commissioners for 8 years and administrative
assistant to Marie Frazier for 2 years. Truly service
above self.
Don Williams
the federal Higher Edu-
cation Emergency Relief
Fund (HEERF).
The winter term grants
are part of a plan an-
nounced by the college in
August to distribute $8.8
million in emergency fi-
nancial aid grants during
the 2021-22 academic
year to students who are
or were enrolled during
the pandemic.
Approximately
$2.5
million was awarded to
3,000 students during fall
term as KickStart grants,
which are $500-$1500
grants that may be used
for tuition and fees or oth-
er costs as a result of the
pandemic. The grants are
considered non-taxable
income and do not impact
other financial assistance.
Students must apply for
consideration. New stu-
dents, once admitted and
enrolled, are also eligible.
Grant award amounts in-
creased for winter term
and range from $1,000 to
$2,000. The application
and additional informa-
tion is available at lanecc.
edu/KickStart.
Winter classes start Jan.
4 and registration is now
open. Browse the class
schedule at www.lanecc.
edu/schedule.
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