Lion King recap — 8A
New dispensary — 3A
Volunteers pitch in — 9A
In the Zone
Courtney Hammel puts it together at
Ciochetti meet, page 1B
$ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2015
SOUTH LANE COUNTY'S MOST AWARD-WINNING NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1889
VOLUME 126 • NUMBER 46
Referendum discussion heats up as
deadline for petition looms
Petitioners believe they've gathered enough
signatures to place Refi nement Plan on ballot
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
C
ottage Grove’s Main Street
Refi nement Plan has been
the talk of the town since city offi -
cials convened public meetings to
begin the planning process a year
and a half ago, and in advance of
a deadline to put the plan before
voters this fall, it doesn’t seem like
the talk will be dying down any
time soon.
On Monday, petitioners hoping
for a referendum to place the plan
on the ballot this September were
confi dent that they had enough
signatures to get the job done.
“We’re going to make our quota
for certain,” chief petitioner Mary
McNamara said while gathering
signatures outside the Bookmine
downtown. As per state law, pe-
titioners are required to gather
signatures equal to 10 percent of
the registered voters in Cottage
Grove. Only those living in the
city limits are eligible to sign, and
the signatures have to be turned
in within 30 days of the passage
of the ordinance, giving petition-
ers until Wednesday, May 13 at 5
p.m. to gather 478 signatures. Mc-
Namara said she’s targeting a to-
tal of 600 signatures in case some
Please see REFERENDUM, Page 11A
Vision2037
presents
awards
photo by Jon Stinnett
Chief petitioner Mary McNamara, left, and Bedo
Crafts peruse signatures gathered for a referen-
dum of the Main Street Refi nement Plan.
Hwy. 99 repaving
may begin this week
Mother's
fi rst
ride
A
project to repave more than 12 miles of OR
99 between Creswell and Cottage Grove will
begin as early as this week with the grinding of as-
phalt on the Hill Creek Bridge, approximately one
mile south of Creswell, according to offi cials with
the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The project aims to repave two segments of OR
99 (Goshen-Divide Highway) from Creswell south
to near the junction with Interstate 5 — excluding
Cottage Grove — with a two-inch pavement overlay.
It will also repave much of the Cottage Grove Con-
nector and Row River Road on each side of Interstate
5 with a two-inch grind and inlay.
During construction, ODOT says travelers can ex-
pect daytime, single-lane closures with traffi c con-
trolled by fl aggers and pilot cars, with delays that
ODOT says should last no more than 20 minutes.
They add that accesses to all businesses will remain
open during construction with blue cones or “Busi-
ness Access” signs.
The agency says that the Cottage Grove Connec-
tor/Row River Road segments of construction are
planned to be done at night because of the need for
traffi c control at the I-5 ramps, which will be easier
to manage with the lower nighttime traffi c volumes.
Wildish Construction of Eugene was awarded the
low-bid contract of $1.16 million for the project,
which is scheduled for completion by June 26.
As a special event to
commemorate Mothers
Day, a local Harley Da-
vidson enthusiast group
from Cottage Grove
visited Magnolia Gar-
dens assisted retirement
living facility. There, they
presented fl owers to the
moms who call Magnolia
Gardens home, in addi-
tion to offering rides on
their hogs. Pictured at
left is 87-year old Bea
Schriber, who rode a
Harley for the fi rst time
at the event. The motor-
cycle's driver is
Rosemary Singhose.
Two men
involved in shooting
identifi ed
T
he Lane County Sheriff’s Offi ce last week
identifi ed the two men involved in a shooting
incident that occurred in a Curry Avenue neighbor-
hood on Saturday, May 2.
Cottage Grove Police initially responded to a
shots-fi red call just before 6 p.m., and upon arrival
they located a male with a gunshot wound that was
transported for medical care. The Sheriff’s Offi ce
was subsequently called on to help locate a suspect,
and its Special Response Team (SRT) reportedly
used armored rescue vehicles to approach the loca-
tion and located a deceased subject nearby.
On Wednesday, May 6, the Sheriff’s Offi ce re-
leased the names of the two men involved in the in-
cident, though many of the details that surround it
are still being kept quiet in light of an ongoing inves-
tigation. The injured male with the gunshot wound
has been identifi ed as 60-year old Dale Allen Lloyd
of Cottage Grove, while the deceased subject that
was located nearby has been identifi ed as 64-year
old John William Sidman of Cottage Grove.
A fundraising effort dedicated to Lloyd’s recov-
ery has been started at the website youcaring.com,
where its details state that Lloyd “was shot in the eye
to the brain and arm by a fellow neighbor.” The ef-
fort had garnered $145 of its $2000 goal by Sentinel
press time Monday.
The Cottage Grove Vision-
Keepers committee presented
its annual awards at the May
11 Cottage Grove City Council
meeting. The individuals and or-
ganizations who were honored
on Monday night were chosen
based on qualities that represent
the goals of Vision 2037.
Chuck and Dian Missar were
recognized for decades of de-
voted service to the community,
in particular for their work with
Partners in History, Aprovecho
Research Center, Parent Part-
nership and the Library.
Friends of the Pool, which
was formed in 2011, was hon-
ored for its invaluable role
in preserving the Warren H.
Daugherty Aquatics Center.
In the category of Expand-
ing and Integrating Community
Networks, South Lane Fire and
Rescue was recognized for its
efforts to unite the community
through fun, educational and
philanthropic events, including
summer movies at the fi rehouse
and the guns vs. hoses softball
game to support the CGHS se-
nior party.
The Bohemia Park Founda-
tion, which donated Bohemia
Park to the community, was
awarded for Enhancing Urban
Places and Spaces.
In the category of Investing in
Diverse and Sustainable Econo-
my, Coast Fork Farm Stand was
recognized for Scott Burgwin’s
passion and vision for a farmer’s
market in Cottage Grove.
The recipient for Preserving
and Promoting Environmental
Assets was Aprovech Research
Center for its ongoing efforts to
develop appropriate technology
solutions for health and envi-
ronment problems.
Sustainable Cottage Grove
and the Community Center
Therapy Pool were respectively
honored for Pioneering Future
and enhancing Community
Health.
photo by Mindy Bench
Gravel-pit
goats have kids
Quarry workers say they're
concerned about traffi c
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
S
everal minutes into my goat-observation
expedition, I had yet to encounter goat
one.
Given advance notice by Louie Knutson — the
loader operator with Portable Rock Produc-
tions who manages goings-on at the company’s
Sears Road rock pit — that the famed “gravel-
pit goats” that call the quarry home are typically
found high up on its rocky hillside this time of
year, I scanned the upper reaches of the quarry
for several minutes to no avail. Glancing back
down at the ground around me, however, I no-
ticed an excited handful of goats scurrying my
photo by Jon Stinnett
The quarry on Sears Road is now home to fi ve goats after the birth of two kids.
direction, a mere few feet away and as eager to
observe me as I was to fi nally meet them. Was it
strange that I was a little star-struck?
“Nobody knows the name of this place,” Knut-
son said. “But when you mention the goats, they
say, ‘Oh, yeah, I know where that is.’”
There have been goats to observe at the gravel
pit that’s visible from Interstate 5 for as long as
I’ve been around to observe them — even longer,
according to Tina Fornoff of Tina Fornoff Rocks,
LLC, who makes frequent trips to the quarry and
works part-time at its rock crusher.
Please see GOATS, Page 12A
Rain Country Realty Inc.
N
EW
1104 W. Main
Beautiful Victorian with
2098 sqft. 5 bedrooms
and study, 3 baths.
Incredible wood work,
clawfoot tubs. Large
Corner lot, detached
garage.
G
I
B
Huge home in quiet
location. 4 bedroom
(could be 5), 2 1/2
bath. Open floor
plan. Next to open
lot so has some
privacy.
$219,000
5DLQ&RXQWU\5HDOW\FRP
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
$179,000
UDLQFRXQWU\UHDOW\#JPDLOFRP
CONTACT US
Principal Brokers
Teresa Abbott ..................221-1735
Frank Brazell....................953-2407
Lane Hillendahl ................942-6838
1500 Harvey
+Z\
WEATHER
CONTENTS
HIGH
LOW
62 42
Mostly Cloudy
Licensed in the State of Oregon
Calendar......................................... 9B
Channel Guide ............................... 4B
Classified ads................................. 6B
Obituaries....................................... 2A
Opinion .......................................... 4A
Public Safety .................................. 5A
Sports ............................................ 1B
75 CENTS