There is a place for the community to be educated on a variety of subjects in Cottage Grove, and that group is the Cottage Grove 912 Project, said Pam Duffy, who founded the group in 2009. It’s a way to get information out there, to get the community involved and to become aware of what is happening on a local, county and state level.
Originally from Seattle, Duffy spent 35 years in the federal government. She retired in 2003 and shortly thereafter moved to Cottage Grove, where she has resided ever since.
Seeing how the American population unified after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, it has been Duffy’s goal to keep that support going among the population in the Lane County community.
Though that supportive “glow” in the aftermath of the Twin Tower attacks has since dimmed, Project 912 Chair Bill Anthony said their group aims to perpetuate that connection to others by educating attendees on a variety of subjects, spanning from emergency preparedness to hearing candidates speak from different offices.
At past meetings, South Lane County Fire Chief John Wooten discussed the extension of the fire levy; Lane Families for Farms & Forests discussed agriculture and forestry in Lane County; anti-gun Measures 43 and 44 were discussed; and recently featured a documentary that chronicled the global financial collapse. Speakers will discuss their topic for 45 minutes to an hour.
Project 912 is also part of Oregon Liberty Coalition as a way to keep tabs on legislation, Duffy said.
When the group first got started, Duffy said Project 912 was often compared to that of the Tea Party, an American conservative movement within the Republican Party. Duffy said that is far from the truth.
The group aims to be nonpartisan — unaffiliated with any political party, Anthony said, who is a retired contractor and has lived in Cottage Grove for 25 years.
The Project is largely self-funded, aside from profits made from raffle tickets and community donations. There are seven members on the board. Generally, 25 to 30 attendees show up for the meetings, and many of them have been the core group for several years.
The doors are open to everyone and the idea is to appeal to all age groups, Duffy said.
The 912 Project has support from several community organizations, such as Sustainable Cottage Grove, a group that hosts food preservation workshops, lectures on healthy eating and teaches self-sustainability.
“We want to tap into the resources we have all around us and make the community aware of what it offers,” Duffy said.
The next meeting is set for Tuesday, Aug. 7. The guest speaker will be Lois Anderson, who is the executive director of Oregon Right to Life. Project 912 meets twice monthly on the first and third Tuesday at Stacy’s Covered Bridge Restaurant, 401 E. Main St. Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.
For more info, email [email protected].
