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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (May 20, 2015)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL May 20, 2015 Work to repave Highway 99 pushed back to May 26 Strong job market aiding connections efforts Nighttime paving of Cottage Grove Connec- tor tentatively scheduled for June 8-9 BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel S tatistics compiled statewide showcase a stronger job market than has exist- ed in Oregon for years, and the Goodwill Industries Job Connections site in Cottage Grove says it’s working to connect that mar- ket with area employers. The Oregon Employment Department re- ported in late April that businesses statewide reported 39,400 vacancies in the winter of 2015, an increase of 6,600 vacancies from the prior year. They say the growing number of vacancies refl ects the strengthening labor market across Oregon in the past year. In Cottage Grove, Ariel Smythe, an em- ployment specialist with Goodwill’s Job Connections effort, said job listings have similarly been on the rise. “For the last few weeks, we’ve been non- stop busy,” Smythe said. “These jobs are out there, and we think they need to be found.” Statewide, OED reports more higher- wage and less lower-wage vacancies, with health care and social assistance jobs show- casing the most vacancies at almost a quarter of the total listings. Occupations in demand photo by Jon Stinnett Ariel Smythe helps Rhonda Avants prepare job application materials at Goodwill's Job Connections site. included personal care aides, social and hu- man service assistants and registered nurs- es. Leisure and hospitality employers also reported many job vacancies, with recruit- ment for maids and housekeepers, waiters and waitresses and cooks. Listings for general labor help, mainte- nance, caregiving and fast food dominate local listings, Smythe said, though listings for higher-paying jobs are increasing. “We try hard to discover a variety of list- ings for our clients,” she said. “But people tend to rely on advertised listings, and we hope to help potential employees identify the hidden job market.” Last year, Goodwill Job Connections helped place 115 employees in new posi- tions, and Smythe said activities have cer- tainly been higher this year. Please see JOBS, Page 12A A small room in the old Cottage Grove Hotel became the domain of wizards from throughout the region Sat- urday. About two-dozen fans and players of the trading-card game “Magic: The Gathering” themselves gathered in Cottage Grove for a tournament that of- fered a chance for greatness on a larger scale for its victor. First published in 1993, “Magic” continues to draw new Workers with Wildish Con- struction have pushed back the start date of a project that will repave much of Highway 99 be- tween Cottage Grove and Cre- swell, according to Rick Little, a spokesperson with the Oregon Department of Transportation. Overall, the project will re- pave two segments of OR 99 (Goshen-Divide Highway) from Creswell south to near the junc- tion with Interstate 5, excluding Cottage Grove, with a two-inch pavement overlay. It will also repave much of the Cottage Grove Connector and Row River Road, on each side of In- terstate 5 with a two-inch grind and inlay. Wildish had planned to begin construction at the Hill Creek Bridge south of Creswell last week but reconsidered due to the Memorial Day holiday. Lit- tle said that work will now start on May 26, though he added that adjustments may need to be made on the manholes and drains on the Cottage Grove Connector and Row River Road, adjustments that could occur this week. Crews plan to start in Cre- swell and generally work south, Little said. Construction to re- pave the Connector and a por- tion of Row River Road will have to take place at night, and that construction is tentatively scheduled for June 8-9. During construction, ODOT says that travelers can expect daytime, single-lane closures with traffi c controlled by fl ag- gers and pilot cars, with delays of no more than 20 minutes. They add that accesses to all businesses will remain open dur- ing construction with blue cones or “Business Access” signs. Wildish was awarded the low- bid contract of $1.16 million. Saturday farmer's markets cancelled Delight hosts a Magic tournament with a regional draw BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel 3A I players, and regular Friday tour- naments at card stores such as Delight, located on Main Street in Cottage Grove, consistently draw local players. Put (very) basically, the game involves a 60-card deck of cards featur- ing lands, creatures and spells; its players each start with a life scale measuring 20, and the player in a head-to-head match- up that reduces an opponent’s life to 0 wins the match. Tournaments like the one held upstairs above Delight last weekend are far less common than a typical gathering, accord- photo by Jon Stinnett Matchups in the trading-card game "Magic: The Gath- ering" last 50 minutes, and players try to reduce their opponents life down to 0. ing to Ryan Wood, a certifi ed liminary tour qualifi er offered judge brought in from Corvallis a chance to graduate to regional to oversee the event. The pre- competition for its winner, and every three months, the top four players in regional competition are invited to join the profes- sional tour. “The stakes are a lot higher here,” Wood said, pointing out the need for an offi cial judge and an entry fee as proof. Play- ers competing Saturday had at- tained a Level 2 familiarity with the game, which Wood said takes about a year. The crowd at Delight seemed to skew largely male and of a From Baby to Graduate t looks like a Saturday farmer’s market may not be happening this summer in Cottage Grove after all. Last week, the Sentinel caught up with Coast Fork Farm Stand operator Scott Burgwin, who stated that the stand, in conjunction with the Cottage Grove Public Market next door, would begin offer- ing a farmer’s market on Satur- day afternoons this weekend. Shortly after this conversa- tion, though, Burgwin said he was informed that the Public Market will not be participat- ing in Saturday events and that he had made a decision to can- cel the markets. Cottage Grove’s Farmer’s Market previously fl ourished in conjunction with the Cham- ber of Commerce’s Wednesday afternoon Concerts in the Park series, but the relocation of the concerts to Bohemia Park, coupled with the permanent move of the Farm Stand to the corner of 10th and Washington Streets nearby, made hosting the market in conjunction with the concerts unfeasible. “It was the moves that killed it — our move and the con- certs,” Burgwin said. “It just didn’t work for the few farm- ers we had attending. Even if we had it here in conjunction with the concerts, it doesn’t re- ally work. You can see the con- cert from here, but it’s like it’s miles away.” Burgwin said the Farm Stand has recently begun of- fering more produce from lo- cal farmers anyway and that few farmers could commit to a Saturday market. The Con- certs in the Park series begins on Wednesday, June 17 with the classic covers of Brad Shepherd’s “Perfect Flavor.” Concerts take place from 6:30- 8 p.m. each Wednesday eve- ning until the Umpqua Valley Bluegrass Band closes out the series on Sept. 9. Please see MAGIC, Page 10A (it seemed like just a few short years) 8th Grade, High School, or College Grads name Another dental visit? Turns out, you have better things to do with your time. School: Birthday: Parents: Grandparents: Coming Wednesday, June 3rd “Baby to Graduate Review” Deadline is Friday, May 22nd Now is the time to reserve your graduates a spot in this special section just for them. Just bring in or mail, with the coupon below, your graduate’s favorite baby picture along with a current picture to be published side by side on June 3, 2015. What a special way to show off that graduate you are so proud of! Enclose check for $20 00 and mail to “Baby to Graduate Review” Cottage Grove Sentinel P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424 or stop by our office at 116 N. 6th St., CG Grad’s name: Grandparents: School: Your name: Birth Date: Address: Parents: Phone: We know your time is valuable. That's why we've invested in CEREC technology that allows for a faster experience when you need crowns, fillings or veneers. With CEREC, there's usually no need for a temporary and return visit. Everything is done in one visit, in about an hour - leaving more time for whatever is important to you. 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