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 | DECEMBER 23, 2021 | $1.00
S entinel
VOL. 132, NO. 51 •
Est. 1889
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WEATHER
Light rain with a
high of 42 and a low
tonight of 37
Full forecast on A5
COLUMNIST
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Volunteers at Community Sharing pushed carts of holiday food boxes to cars
receiving drive-through dinners Monday.
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood@
cgsentinel.com
Volunteers are working
overtime this week to make
sure Cottage Grove families
are fed this holiday season.
While several groups have
already distributed food this
week, one more is poised to
serve up to 300 people on
Christmas Day as organizers
of the Community To-Go
Dinner will serve families
from 12 – 3 p.m. at the First
Presbyterian Church.
Sponsored by Soup’s On
and Rural Organizing Proj-
ect (ROP), the Dec. 25 menu
choices will include glazed
spiral ham, roast turkey,
mashed potatoes, gravy,
dressing, green beans, cran-
berry sauce, rolls with butter
and homemade pie.
Only four main volunteers
are helping organize the din-
ner, but many other groups,
businesses and individuals
have contributed as well.
Part of the inspiration for
the event was to honor the
memory of Jerry Vaverka,
well-known for his volun-
teerism, who passed away
last month on Nov. 17.
The Christmas dinners
began as a project for his
high school daughter more
than two decades ago. As
a member of the Catholic
Church, Vaverka received
aid from the church and
made a tradition of serving
Christmas dinners from that
venue. But as the cook and
key organizer of the event,
Vaverka’s passing left shoes
to be filled.
When organizers Duane
Taddei and Karen Munsell
See FOOD A7
County encourages
holiday safe
driving
Betty Kaiser’s
Chatterbox
A5
SPORTS & REC
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
The Holiday Bazaar featured 36 vendors in the Armory over the weekend, with
organizers hoping to see a return on other holidays.
CG girls take
third at Seaside
B1
• RECORDS
Obituaries
Official releases
A2
Local vendors get spotlight at
Holiday Bazaar
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood@cgsentinel.
com
The Cottage Grove Ar-
mory filled with a few dozen
local vendors last weekend,
attracting some 230 people
to the Holiday Bazaar. The
event was the bazaar’s first
appearance in the Armory,
presenting visitors with
wide selection of unique
products and handmade
items.
The couple behind the
bazaar, Joe and Sandy Pa-
lumbo, dubbed the show a
success.
“Virtually every vendor I
spoke to said they had the
best show they’ve ever had
and we’ve been doing this
since March of this year,”
said Joe, who also played
Santa during the weekend
See BAZAAR A8
• LORANE NEWS
A5
A Colorful Christmas
• CLASSIFIEDS
Listings and public
notices
B5-B6
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latest news:
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@CGSentinel
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Many residents along London Road display these
signs to encourage safe driving along the acci-
dent-prone corridor.
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood@
cgsentinel.com
As friends and families
gather for holiday festiv-
ities, the Lane County
Sheriff ’s Office (LCSO)
and Lane County trans-
portation planners are
reminding everyone to
drive sober and slow
down this holiday sea-
son.
“We typically see an
increase in impaired
driving during the holi-
days,” said Lane County
Sheriff ’s Sergeant Tim
Ware. “People are busy
celebrating and maybe
not tracking their al-
cohol or cannabis con-
sumption. We also tend
to encounter people who
are drinking or using
other substances more
during the holidays to
cope with family or sea-
sonal stressors — and
if they get behind the
wheel it can be deadly.”
Utilizing grant fund-
ing provided through
Oregon Impact, LCSO
will be staffing addition-
al DUII patrols this holi-
day season.
Drivers are reminded
not only to practice so-
ber driving, but to stay
aware on rural roads as
temperatures and road
See DRIVING A7
HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS:
541- 942-3325 ph • 541-942-3328 fax
P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Despite some dreary weather, radiant Christmas decorations adorning
Cottage Grove homes are adding cheer to the season’s evenings. Residents
on streets like Cedar Park Road (above) have untangled their lights, dragged
out giant Santa statues and dusted off inflatable reindeer to brighten neigh-
borhoods with holiday joy. (See more photos on A11)
Friday Dec. 23rd - Closed
Deadlines for the Dec. 30th
Edition is Thursday Dec. 23rd.
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