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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2015)
Views on Referendum — 5A This year's Catch a tagged trout — 3A class Hall-of-Famers to be Beyond the Grove — 6A enshrined, 1B $ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015 SOUTH LANE COUNTY'S MOST AWARD-WINNING NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1889 VOLUME 126 • NUMBER 45 Saturday-evening shooting leaves one dead, one injured S hots fi red in a Cottage Grove neighborhood early Saturday evening led to the death of one man and injuries for an- other. Cottage Grove Police respond- ed to a call indicating that shots had been fi red in a home on Cur- ry Avenue just before 6 p.m. Sat- urday, according to Police Chief Mike Grover. Arriving on the scene, offi cers located a male subject with a gunshot wound, who was subse- quently transported by a South Lane Fire and Rescue Ambulance for emergency medical care. Cottage Grove Police then requested assistance from the Lane County Sheriff’s Offi ce in searching for a possible suspect. The Lane County Sheriff’s Offi ce Special Response Team (SRT) used armored rescue vehicles to approach the location and locat- ed a deceased subject nearby. The Sheriff’s Offi ce was con- tinuing to withhold the identity of the two men at Sentinel press time Monday and offered no ad- ditional information on the cir- cumstances of the incident, cit- ing their ongoing investigation. But Grover indicated that a feud between neighbors may have played a part. “There’s been a feud for years and years,” he said. “We’ve been out here many, many times.” Also inside: photo by Jon Stinnett Police Chief Mike Grover and Offi cer Shawn Brans- tetter talk with an acquaintance of one of the men involved in Saturday's shooting. City gathers feedback on transit plan Trees topple Downtown business owners removing maples, page 3A Next open house tentatively set for late June BY MATT HOLLANDER The Cottage Grove Sentinel T he City of Cottage Grove is in the process of updating its Transportation System Plan (TSP), which will be used to identify the projects, strategies and priorities that will address the city’s transit needs through 2035. On Tuesday, April 28, the City hosted an open house at Stacy’s Covered Bridge Restaurant for the community to fi nd out more about the initial proposal and to share feedback. According to City Planner Amanda Ferguson, 15 to 20 people attended this session; however, she doesn’t believe this turnout is indicative of the community’s interest in this process. She said that the City has had the same materials available on its website for some time, and many people have already shared their thoughts through various ad- vocacy groups such as the Bicycle Safety Coali- tion. One of the key road segments in the plan is on Highway 99 between the Cottage Grove Connec- tor and Woodson Bridge. There have been 16 col- lisions on this segment over the past fi ve years of available data. Ferguson said that the proposed solution for this segment includes a roundabout, which would be the fi rst such road feature in the City. She added that this idea has prompted some people to ask why there couldn’t be more round- abouts in Cottage Grove. Ferguson was pleased to say that state transpor- tation authorities have already indicated an inter- est in this segment and have made preliminary plans to complete six separate projects at once, photo by Matt Hollander School Board candidate Nevin Beckes offers a comment during a forum hosted by the Blackberry Pie Society Thursday night. Communication key at School Board forum BY MATT HOLLANDER The Cottage Grove Sentinel ‘ Communication’ permeated much of the dialogue at the South Lane School Board forum Thursday evening at Bohemia Elementary. Given the recent, highly publi- cized saga of Eugene School District 4J, which hit a crescendo on April 29 when the Register Guard published secret emails between board mem- bers that showed potential violations of state public meeting laws, it’s no wonder that many questions and an- swers during Thursday night’s ses- sion centered on how the nine can- didates for the South Lane School Board would communicate should they be elected next month. During the forum, which was moderated by Rob Dickinson and broadcast live by KNND radio, each candidate was given a minute or a minute-and-a half to respond in turn to the same questions. “Frequently, openly and honest- ly,” said Cirila Appeloff of how she would communicate with her con- stituents. Appeloff, a stay-at-home mom, is running against incumbent Marlene Martin. Many candidates echoed similar sentiments of transparency in their responses and added that they would invite constituents to contact them through a variety of means, includ- ing email, social media and in-per- son. However, in a later question, the candidates were asked to offer their thoughts on South Lane’s decision to remove from its website personal contact information of current board members in lieu of district-issued emails. Martin, who had a 22-year career as an educational assistant in the district, said that while the policy could be interpreted as a limitation of access, it was introduced to avoid situations just like the one currently facing 4J; it keeps all of their com- munications in one place and leaves no doubt as to whether board mem- bers are complying with open meet- ing laws. Dickinson also asked the candi- dates how they would envision their relationship with Superintendent Please see PLAN, Page 8A For the Birds Daytripper discovers a bird paradise, page 11A Please see FORUM, Page 8A Bond committee recommends new Harrison, tech and security upgrades Initial estimates put the cost of a new school at $21.2 million BY MATT HOLLANDER The Cottage Grove Sentinel O n Monday evening, the South Lane School Board voted unanimously to to move ahead with plans to pur- sue a recommended 25-year bond that's estimated to gener- ate $29.8 million to replace Har- rison Elementary and address other areas of need in the Dis- trict. The next steps, which were outlined by the bond advisory committee in its recommenda- tion to the school board, include forming planning and outreach committees and submitting re- quests for proposals. The 47-member bond adviso- ry committee, which fi rst met in late January, recently completed a through and robust process of reviewing current facilities and prioritizing areas of need. While a replacement for Har- rison was always the focal point, the bond advisory committee offered unanimous support for four other items on its list, in- cluding deferred maintenance projects, upgrades to safety and security and hardware and tech- nology throughout the district, and a major renovation of the Warren H. Daugherty Aquatics Center. Initial estimates suggest that it would cost $21.2 million to con- struct and furnish a new elemen- tary school. While the amount of funding for other projects would ultimately be determined after the new school is completed, the bond advisory committee estimated that it would take just under $8 million to address the other top priorities. In addition, the bond advisory committee also offered sup- port for upgrades to the High School’s performing arts venue and relocating athletic fi elds that would be lost through con- struction of the new elementary school to the high school’s cam- pus. It’s estimated that these projects would cost $150,000 and $1.5 million, respectively. Members of the bond advi- sory committee who presented the recommendation on Mon- day expressed confi dence in their proposal in part due to a survey that drew 485 responses and showed the 89 percent of those respondents would sup- port a general obligation bond to replace Harrison if there was no increase to the high school bond tax levy rate. “The community has spoken, and we need to move forward on this,” said school board member Sherry Duerst-Higgins. The school board then passed its motion to move forward with next steps. Superintendent Krista Parent said that new committees will likely be formed out of the bond advisory committee. In addition to their knowledge of the pro- cess thus far, the bond advisory committee represents a broad cross-section of the community, including district employees, city employees, business own- ers and parents, among others. In addition to submitting RFPs for a new school, Parent also said that the district will seek a formal estimate for a ren- ovation of Harrison. Rain Country Realty Inc. SU AN E L C R PE 131 Chad Dr. Shines like a new penny! Very desirable adult community Middle Field Estates surrounded by golf course. New paint inside and out, new carpet. And of course, comes with all the clubhouse amenities! LAK A N E R DO E 1 acre at Dorena Lake with all utilities in. Private and treed. Ready for home or manufactured. UDLQFRXQWU\UHDOW\#JPDLOFRP CONTACT US www.cgsentinel.com On the Internet (541) 942-3325 By telephone (541) 942-3328 By fax cgnews@cgsentinel.com By e-mail P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424 By mail Corner of Sixth and Whiteaker, Cottage Grove In person Brokers Ron Schneider..................521-8713 Laurie Phillip....................430-0756 Valerie Nash ....................521-1618 $100,000 $215,000 5DLQ&RXQWU\5HDOW\FRP Principal Brokers Teresa Abbott ..................221-1735 Frank Brazell....................953-2407 Lane Hillendahl ................942-6838 36025 Shoreview Dr. +Z\ WEATHER CONTENTS HIGH LOW 60 40 Partly cloudy Licensed in the State of Oregon Calendar....................................... 11B Channel Guide ............................... 5B Classified ads................................. 6B Obituaries....................................... 2A Opinion .......................................... 4A Public Safety .................................. 5A Sports ............................................ 1B 75 CENTS