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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (May 20, 2015)
City Beat — 2A Job Connections — 3A New Business News — 6A Barbershop goes 'old school,' page 6A NOTICE: EARLY DEADLINES The Sentinel will have Early Dead- lines for the May 27 edition, as its of- fi ce will be closed for Memorial Day. All deadlines will be 5 p.m. Thursday, May 21 for the May 27 edition. $ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 SOUTH LANE COUNTY'S MOST AWARD-WINNING NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1889 VOLUME 126 • NUMBER 47 Kaitlyne Wirth, 19, was be- lieved to have taken her child in violation of a court or- der Thurs- day, and police are now say- ing more people may have been involved in the inci- dent. The three-year old was recovered shortly after an Amber Alert was issued. More suspects likely in child's disappearance Also inside: Police say Kaitlyne Wirth may not have taken her child herself BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel P Sanctuary Oakland-based effort saves horses, page 8a olice continue to unravel details following the recovery of a child reportedly taken by her non-custodial parent who was recovered in Cottage Grove last week, and they say criminal charges will likely be issued to more people involved in the case than just the little girl’s mother. Oregon State Police, in conjunction with the Tillamook Po- lice Department, issued an Amber Alert on Thursday at 6:25 p.m. for three-year old Jocelyn Wirth, whose mother, Kaitlyne Wirth, 19, was suspected of taking the child in violation of a court order. By 6:43 p.m., a Cottage Grove resident had re- portedly heard the Amber Alert on the radio, then spotted and recognized the 1999 Chevy Cavalier sought in conjunction with the incident. (The Amber Alert also rang out from cell Please see WIRTH, Page 10A courtesy photo Referendum signatures turned in, to be counted BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel It's Magic Delight tournament hosts card hopefuls, page 3A T he signatures have been turned in, and all that’s left now is the waiting. Petitioners hoping to gather enough signatures to refer Cottage Grove’s Main Street Refi nement Plan to voters in a September election were confi dent they would be able to turn in the re- quired number by the Wednesday, May 13 deadline. A preliminary count based on the number of signature sheets turned in to Lane County’s elections department the next day showed that the fi nal tally could be quite close to the required number, according to Cot- tage Gove City Manager Richard Mey- ers, who said he turned the signatures in himself on Thursday. The Cottage Grove City Council approved the Main Street Refi nement Plan — a comprehensive plan for re- modeling downtown Cottage Grove be- tween its historic buildings — in April following hours of public testimony and approval by the Planning Commis- sion. Not long after its passage, chief petitioners Mary McNamara and Mi- chele Rose fi led paperwork to begin gathering signatures to refer the plan to the ballot. McNamara objected to the plan’s outline to widen sidewalks and Please see REFERENDUM, Page 10A P OETRY IN MOTION photo by Jon Stinnett Instructor Pamela Lehan-Seigel's Ballet 3/4 class performs at Saturday's recital hosted by South Lane Ballet Academy at Cottage Grove High School, an event that drew a large crowd of supporters and raised funds for the school. Pictured from left to right are: Maia Andrews, Mazie Halvorson, Ireland Ellis, Destin Halvorson and Hannah Mathis. They are dancing to "Songs without Words Op. 62," composed by John Mendelssohn. Eugene Symphony coming to play at Bohemia Park Free concert scheduled for Monday, July 20 BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel T he Eugene Symphony is coming to Cottage Grove. City Manager Richard Meyers stated as much to the City Council at its May 11 meeting, and on Monday Meyers confi rmed that the Symphony has booked a Monday, July 20 engagement to perform at Bohemia Park. The Symphony fi rst expressed interest in performing at the park last summer, Meyers said, when the Bohemia Foundation — in conjunction with the Cottage Grove Cham- ber of Commerce — installed a new stage cover at the park’s amphitheater. “They came and looked at our space, and they loved it,” he said. The Symphony travels to shows in com- munities like Roseburg each year, and Mey- ers said he’s hoping they’ll also consider making Cottage Grove an annual stop. But as it’s easy to imagine, a symphony doesn’t come cheap, and it’s going to take $30,000 to bring the ensemble to town. The Faye and Lucille Stewart Foundation has pledged $20,000 of the cost, and Meyers said he’s prepared to use $10,000 in city funds marked for tourism efforts to make up the difference. “We’d like to get started this year so that hopefully we can get the funding squared away and it can be an annual thing,” he said. Groups like the Chamber of Commerce are also expected to begin fundraising to cover the cost so that less City funding must be spent. The concert is expected to be presented to the public free of charge and should show- case many of the popular tunes often on display when the Symphony travels. With regard to the use of City funds to bring the group to town, Meyers said tourism dollars are used to promote Cottage Grove, adding that the event should bring visitors to town and promote spending at local businesses. “If we show how the venue could be used, maybe someone will take the initiative to do a big ticketed event,” he said. Faye Stewart said Monday that his Foun- dation felt that helping bankroll a symphony visit was a good way to celebrate Bohemia Park. “We’re at a great place with the park to be able to thank our donors and the community for their support,” he said. Pursuit of felon ends in family fracas C ottage Grove Police say their at- tempts to apprehend a man wanted on charges of being a felon in possession of a fi rearm led to an altercation with several of the man’s family members in a home off South 10th St. last Tuesday. Chief Mike Grover said offi cer Tay- lor Smith encountered 27-year old Ace Mathews on a bicycle on Tuesday, May 12 a little before noon, and when Smith pur- sued Mathews, he entered the home of his grandparents, Barbara and David Williams, at the corner of 10th and Taylor streets. Grover said this led to a scuffl e, fi rst be- tween Smith and Barbara Williams, 79, who allegedly infl icted a bite wound to the offi cer, and then David Williams, 84, who threatened to shoot the offi cer. Matthews’ mother, Monica Matthews, 55, arrived on scene next. “He had to fi ght her too, and we even- tually arrested all of them,” Grover said. Matthews was taken into custody for the outstanding warrant and for possession of methamphetamine. Barbara Williams was charged with assaulting an offi cer, resisting arrest and interfering with a police offi cer; David Williams was charged with resisting arrest and interfering with an offi cer, and Monica Mathews was charged with inter- fering with a police offi cer. All were cited into Lane County Circuit Court. courtesy photos From left, Ace Mathews, Barbara Williams and Mon- ica Matthews were arrested following an altercation wtih police at Williams' home on May 12. David Wil- liams was also arrested but not photographed. 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Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424 By mail Corner of Sixth and Whiteaker, Cottage Grove In person Laurie Phillip....................430-0756 Valerie Nash ....................521-1618 +Z\ WEATHER Licensed in the State of Oregon CONTENTS HIGH LOW 71 53 Cloudy Brokers $169,900 UDLQFRXQWU\UHDOW\#JPDLOFRP CONTACT US Principal Brokers Teresa Abbott ..................221-1735 Frank Brazell....................953-2407 Lane Hillendahl ................942-6838 1131 Ash Calendar....................................... 11B Channel Guide ............................... 6B Classified ads................................. 8B Obituaries....................................... 2A Opinion .......................................... 4A Public Safety .................................. 5A Sports ............................................ 1B 75 CENTS
