Councilman Bob Ehler, aka Town Marshall. Good guys don’t always wear white hats. Sometimes they don dusty, floppy cowboy hats with conchos and feathers, and pair it with a biker vest and cowboy boots. Mayor Jeff Gowing, remembering Bob Ehler, wasn’t sure what to think of him when they first[Read More…]
Author: DANA MERRYDAY - for The Chronicle
A welcome, cautious and much-needed Phase I
There are signs that things are cautiously easing in the direction of a more normal life. This glimmer at the end of the tunnel is a ray of hope that we are turning a corner. Last Thursday, Gov. Kate Brown, at a news conference, made several important announcements concerning our[Read More…]
Pickleball, peace and volunteering
The multi-purpose courts at Coiner Park aren’t getting much use these days. If you have driven by Coiner Park recently, you have probably seen a flash of bright green and blue jump out at you. The City of Cottage Grove is using the conditions forced upon it by the Coronavirus to[Read More…]
Front-yard dining a neighborly treat
As Coiner Park is wrapped in caution tape and sits mostly empty, residents look for ways to connect. A recent front-yard dining experience with neighbors was a fun way to safely interact during the pandemic.DANA MERRYDAY/PHOTO For a little break from the monotony of self-isolation some of our neighbors hatched[Read More…]
Council gives city manager more power
City leaders in Cottage Grove have taken a series of actions to mitigate the impact of the virus and support local business. DANA MERRYDAY/PHOTO COTTAGE GROVE – So how does it feel to live under a state of emergency? During its Monday, April 13 virtual meeting, the City Council voted[Read More…]
Everything is up in the air
As folks try to adjust to a new normal the goal posts keep moving. While it is frustrating not to have life as usual, there are things more important than being able to do exactly as you please. Such as life itself and those of the ones you hold dear. School[Read More…]
Social distancing is tough and working
With the stay-at-home order enacted, I am keeping close to home and really trying to observe the precautions set for the greater good. We are going through all the things in our pantry, including the emergency dry beans and rice. Only dare to dash out for true necessities. And then[Read More…]
Veteran teacher touched by colleagues’ care
A row of buses sit idle in the parking lot on what would have been a busy Monday back from Spring Break. Photo by Noel Nash/The Chronicle With the South Lane School District closed until April 28, teacher Aura Jocis, English and social studies teacher at Lincoln Middle School, said[Read More…]
Visitation restrictions makes loss especially tough
In the fast-changing conditions of our daily lives as we move through this new landscape due to the Coronavirus, Cottage Grove Rev. Karen Hill admitted she’s feeling a little overwhelmed. “This is a time when many people are feeling grief and have deep needs, said Rev. Hill, pastor at the[Read More…]
’Art is never canceled‘
As a small business owner and a nonprofit manager, Michele Rose has had a lot of difficult decisions to make lately. Rose, co-owner of The Crafty Mercantile, said she closed The Crafty Mercantile on March 13, before the order came down from the governor; however, the store, which sells arts[Read More…]
