Hometown Newspaper of Don Seiber
Serving the Sweet Home community since 1929
Wednesday, May 30, 2012 Vol. 83, No. 22
75 Cents
Remembering
fallen heroes
Mayor urges crowd on Memorial
Day to remember lost and living
By Scan C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Mayor Craig Fentiman said it was an honor to have
the opportunity to stand before veterans and community
members to thank the brave men and women who have
served the United States during Monday's Memorial Day
service held at Gilliland Cemetery.
"I am sure it is hard for many of us to comprehend
the magnitude of sacrifices made by our soldiers, missed
birthdays, anniversaries, deaths, births, holiday barbecues
and countless other celebrations with friends and family."
Fentiman said. "And this is done all in the name of
defending the freedoms that you and I enjoy each and
every day. I know that whenever I reflect on the dedication
required to serve in the United States military, I am always
humbled by the importance of this commitment."
Fentiman's father served in the U.S. Navy during
World War II, he said. His values and work ethic, learned
in the" military, made him a truly honorable man and a
hero.
His father was lucky enough to make it home,
Fentiman said. "Many of those who serve our country do
not find the same fortune. Many, in fact, pay the ultimate
price. That is why we are here to honor the fallen, those
• See Heroes, page 10
Photo by Sean C. Morgan
Cub Scout Jarett Owen of Pack 395 helps raise a flag during a Memorial
Day service Monday at Gilliland Cemetery.
Council
opts for
raises
By Scan C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Sweet Home City Council voted 4-2
Tuesday to allow employees not represented
by unions to receive a 3-percent wage increase
in 2012-13 based on merit.
The vote followed the 4-2 failure of a mo-
tion to freeze their wages.
Voting to allow the wage increases were
Greg Mahler, Mayor Craig Fentiman, Ron
Rodgers and Mike Hall. Voting to freeze
wages were Scott McKee Jr. and Marybeth
Angulo. Jim Gourley was absent.
The non-represented employees will re-
ceive the same increase as general city em-
ployees: The addition of a new 3-percent step
and the removal of the lowest step from the
five-step salary schedule. Employees may ad-
vance one step annually, based on a positive
evaluation. It is the second year of this ar-
rangement. Twelve employees are affected.
The council adopted a resolution grant-
ing the raises in July 2011. Following discus-
sion at the Budget Committee level earlier this
• See Raises, page 8
Photo by Scott Swanson
Linn County Parks Director Brian Carroll stands on the porch of one of the
new cabins recently completed at River Bend campground. The two cabins,
located on the bank of the South Santiam River, are open for rentals.
County parks business
heating up with weather
By Scott Swanson
Of The New Era
As the official tourism season
kicks in following Memorial Day,
visitors to Linn County and local
residents will find some changes in
local camping areas, with more ex-
pected in the Green Peter area.
Though chilly weather and
a cool economy resulted in fewer
campers than normal earlier this
spring, county Parks Director Brian
Carroll said "the phone has started
ringing and we're starting to see in-
creased reservations."
"We're trying to make Linn
County a destination," said Carroll,
who has been with the Parks and
Recreation Department since 1997.
Under his leadership, the county
has added eight new campgrounds
that it either owns or manages, and
made substantial improvements to
all of the 28 facilities it controls.
• See Parks, page 13
Fire victims learn
By caitlyn May
For The New Era
Foster Elementary teaching
assistant Jamey Fredricks never
thought she would find a commu-
nity like the one she left behind in
Nebraska four years ago.
However, since losing her home
to a fire on May 10, Fredricks says
she has seen just how charitable
Sweet Home can be.
Fredricks' home, at 1860 Tama-
rack St., caught fire late in the after-
noon of May 10, she and fire officials
said. The blaze, which firefighters
said they believed was started by a
space heater in the rear of the house,
destroyed "50 to 60 percent" of the
structure particularly in the rear,
Fredricks said.
"Unfortunately, I'm renting the
house and the owners don't have in-
what community is about
surance," she said. Her three sons
and she say they were simply glad to
escape unharmed.
"The parts not destroyed by
fire suffered water and smoke dam-
age. We basically lost 80 percent
of what we had. RJ and Kyle, they
lost everything they had," Fredricks
explained, noting that the fire had
• See Fire, page 10
Track & field
champion
Annie WhiO'ield of Sweet
Home gets a first-place
medal - an a little fa-
therly affection - from
her dad, Randy Whit-
field, Friday at the state
4A track and field cham-
pionships at Hayward
Field in Eugene. Annie
Whiq'ield, a senior, won
the javelin after plac-
ing second the last two
years. For more on that
and other Sweet Home
successes at the state
meet, see page 11.
Photo by
Scott Swanson
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