COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL February 11, 2015
Pot meeting
draws a crowd
R&B Revue features
talent of students,
local musicians
BY MATT HOLLANDER
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
Event raises funds
for camps and
competitions
T
he Oregon Liquor Control Commis-
sion (OLCC) stopped in Eugene last
Tuesday as part of its statewide tour of
“listening sessions” to gather input before
drafting rules for marketing and selling rec-
reational marijuana. About 500 residents
packed the Lane Event Center’s Wheeler
Pavilion to offer their opinions.
The term “colorful topic” took on literal
meaning as attendees were asked to ex-
press their level of agreement on a variety
of issues by fl ashing a green, yellow or red
card.
Two matters that produced a resound-
ingly green response: licenses for growing
should be for Oregon residents only, and
there should be limits to those operations.
In explanation of their votes, several
speakers said that these steps would keep
out-of-state interests at bay and maintain a
market that’s accessible to the “micro farm-
er.”
OLCC Chairman Rob Patridge presided
over the meeting. And from the beginning,
Patridge — who admitted he was against
Measure 91 — emphasized that the purpose
of the session was to discuss how the OLCC
might implement the measure in a safe, re-
sponsible and effective manner; it was not
to debate the measure, or, for example, dis-
cuss where marijuana can and cannot be
consumed — which will be an issue for the
state legislature to decide.
“My job as commissioner is to put in
place an industry that Oregon voters have
asked for,” he said.
Cottage Grove Mayor Tom Munroe, who
photo by Matt Hollander
Colored cards were used to gauge public opinion on priorities for marijuana
regulation during an input-gathering session in Eugene last week.
was in attendance, observed that the event
was more about fact-fi nding than commu-
nicating any new information, and that the
subject continues to have a “wait and see”
status. He was, however, surprised to hear
that medicinal and recreational marijuana
could be sold out of the same locations; he
recalled being told otherwise at the outset of
these discussions.
Mayor Munroe was also skeptical when
he heard during the presentation that state
police are to assume the majority of en-
forcement responsibilities.
“The reality is that the state police may
be overwhelmed by calls on marijuana, and
when that happens they will start diverting
some to the county sheriffs, who simply
don’t have the necessary resources to han-
dle those additional calls,” he said.
City Manager Richard Meyers did not at-
tend the symposium, but said the City did
not attempt to write-in any additional laws
or taxes with regards to recreational mari-
juana. He also does not believe that Cottage
Grove will be any more or less impacted by
this measure than comparable communi-
ties.
The passing of Measure 91 gave the
OLCC authority to license, regulate and tax
recreational marijuana and to adopt rules to
do so. It hopes to complete this process by
November. Personal possession and home
production in limited amounts for an adult
age 21 or older becomes legal on July 1.
Patridge said that the commission is mov-
ing forward “in the spirit of the law” but
that signifi cant work lies ahead. The OLCC
plans to complete its round of community
meetings by mid-March, and then begin
drafting rules while the legislature is still in
session — knowing that many Measure 91-
related bills could still be in play heading
into summer.
The OLCC must accepting applications
to license recreational marijuana produc-
ers, processors, wholesalers and retailers by
Jan. 4, 2016, with retail sales expected to
begin later that year. Producers will be re-
sponsible for colleting tax at the fi rst point
of sale.
Additional information can be found at
www.marijuana.oregon.gov.
Grant will fund Chamber tourism marketing
Bridges and Beyond
campaign targets
out-of-town visitors
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
A
campaign by the Cottage
Grove Chamber of Com-
merce to market this community
as a tourist destination for out-
of-town guests got a boost last
week from grant funding award-
ed by the Lane County Board of
Commissioners.
The Chamber’s “Bridges and
Beyond” campaign was an-
nounced as one of several recipi-
ents of a Tourism Special Project
Grant from the County’s Tran-
sient Room Tax grant program.
Other projects funded included
marketing efforts for the Eugene
Opera, the Vineyards Marathon,
a racetrack in Oakridge and the
Florence Chamber’s “Uncurbed
Adventures” campaign.
Grants
awarded
totaled
$100,087, and Chamber of Com-
merce Director Travis Palmer
said the Chamber was approved
for its full asking amount of
$10,000, which is contingent
on the Chamber raising its own
$5000 match.
The Bridges and Beyond
Campaign, Palmer explained, is
a multimedia campaign to target
out-of-area visitors for day and
weekend trips to Cottage Grove.
Last year, Chamber members
contributed $30,000 in funds
that were pooled to launch an
advertising blitz in television,
newspaper, brochure and web-
site marketing. Much of the
advertising was targeted toward
the Vancouver, Wash. area.
Palmer said the guestbook at
the Cottage Grove Community
Center — frequently signed by
visitors to the community — in-
dicated an infl ux of visitors from
the Vancouver area. He said the
Chamber applied for the Coun-
ty’s grant program last year, but
Bridges and Beyond was not
funded. Still, Palmer believes
the efforts by the Chamber to
launch the project on its own
with funds raised in the commu-
nity helped bolster its chances
of receiving the grant this year.
The grant funding will be
used for another cross-section
of television, newspaper and
online advertising, Palmer said.
He added that the money should
go further this year because the
Chamber has already funded
and already owns the advertis-
ing that will be used to further
market Cottage Grove as a tour-
ist destination.
M
id-February means it’s
time again for Cottage
Grove High School’s Metropol-
itan Rhythm and Blues Revue!
The musical revue, directed
by David Larsen, Cottage Grove
High School Music Director,
opens Feb. 19 for four shows
at the Cottage Theatre. When
the singing and dancing is over,
students at the high school will
have earned the $8,000 or so
needed to fund their way to mu-
sic camps and competitions.
The Jazz Band will entertain
with songs including “Alright,
Okay, You Win,” and “Friend
Like Me,” a tribute to everyone’s
favorite genie, Robin Williams.
Select band members will
step out to form the student jazz
combo, and many community
musicians will join with the high
school groups and adult vocal-
ists throughout the show. This
year’s adult musicians will be
Chuck Heritage on bass, Chris
Klein on guitar and sax, Travis
Wong on sax, Adam Harris on
sax, and Larsen on sax, along
with CGHS graduates Jacob
Marsh on bass and David Rich-
ards on sax.
The award-winning choral
group Shades of Jazz will also
be making several appearances
on stage singing hits like “Don’t
Stop Me Now” and “Sweet
Georgia Brown,” and through-
out the evening individual mem-
bers of the group will step out
on stage for solo performances
and as backup singers.
Choreographers Janet Rust,
high school drama teacher;
Mandy Conforth, South Lane
Ballet Academy instructor; Les-
lie Rubinstein and Annie Odean
have cranked it up again with
great dancing on lots of num-
bers throughout the show.
Organizers say the adults
from this community are what
make the Metropolitan Rhythm
& Blues Revue such an amaz-
ing event. Keith Kessler, Joan-
na Newton, Laurie Hammond,
Chris Klein and Shelley Dill
will be sharing their vocal tal-
ents again this year to help cre-
ate this show.
Performances are Thursday,
Feb. 19 through Saturday, Feb.
21 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 22
at 2:30 p.m.
Those seeking ticket informa-
tion may contact the Cottage
Theatre at 541-942-8001 or at
www.cottagetheatre.org. Tick-
ets are $15 adults or $12 for stu-
dents and seniors.
Happy 79th Birthday
JANICE PARRISH
The most amazing
wife, mother,
grandmother,
great-grandmother
and friend we could
ever have.
Love,
Will, Linda, Denny,
Christine & Kyle
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