COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL July 22, 2015 7A Another busy weekend approaches M AYOR READS TO AREA YOUTH Chili, triathlon highlight calendar T his Saturday, July 25 may be the busiest single day of the Cot- tage Grove area's calendar year, with the annual Tri at the Grove triathlon beginning with the fi rst wave of sprint course participants at 8 a.m. at Cottage Grove Lake. Blair Bronson of Best in the West Events, which purchased the Tri from dark:30 Sports following the 2014 Tri, said registration numbers are “looking good” for this year’s event. Again this year, the Tri at the Grove will take place on the same day as the Downtown Chili Cook-off and Rock, Roll and Rumble car show, which starts at Cottage Grove High School, continues with a show-and-shine downtown from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and a dance from 8:30-11:30 p.m. at the cor- ner of Seventh and Main Streets. LORANE COUNTRY NEWS BY LIL THOMPSON For the Sentinel T photo by Debra Fitzgibbons Cottage Grove Mayor Tom Munroe stopped by Bohemia Elementary School on Wednesday, July 15 for an hour of reading with local children at the Reading Spot held three days at week at Bohe- mia. The event offers an hour of reading and the chance to take home a free book every day. The program’s organizer, Chandler Duff, said the Summer Reading Spot will be held Tuesdays through Thursdays from 12:30-1:30 p.m., a time that occurs immediately after the free summer lunch offered at Bohemia by Food for Lane County. Duff said the Reading Spot is in need of volunteers through- out the summer who wish to read to kids, and those interested in volunteering are asked to contact Duff at cduff@unitedwaylane.org or at 541-741-6000 ext. 133. he Lane County Fair begins to- day, and it’s Grange Day at the Fair. All day, grangers from various granges in Lane County will be serv- ing cookies and beverages for FREE! There will also be information about the Grange. Be sure to stop by! Everyone is enjoying the “little cof- fee hours” each Wednesday at the Re- bekah Lodge. Coffee and muffi ns are served from 7-9 a.m. For everyone interested in having a table at the Lorane Celebration 2015 or putting your garage sale at home on a map, there is a sign-up sheet at the Lorane Family Store, or those interest- ed may also call Lil at 541-942-5701 to sign up. Remember, the date is Sept. 12 with activities all day. It is so hard to believe, but back-to- school specials are in all the stores! The last information from the CAL School District has the supplies re- quired for all grades, and many stores have them posted. Lorane Grange will be working on its roof all weekend starting early. Please slow down as you go by. Just a reminder of the pancake break- fast fundraiser for Michael Matchulat on Aug. 1 from 7-11 a.m. Exciting events are coming! There is a “Grange to Grange Cruz” on Sat- urday, Aug. 8. Crow Grange is the be- ginning and ending starting at 9 a.m. Each destination Grange has events planned and is raffl ing a basket with the winners drawn at Crow around 3 p.m. Lorane Grange is a destination Grange and is selling raffl e tickets. Call any Lorane Granger to purchase tickets. The proceeds go toward the Oregon Paralyzed Veterans and the host Grange. The “Cruz” is a fundraiser for the Oregon Paralyzed Veterans. Ten all-around great shrubs for water-wise gardens BY KYM POKORNY OSU Extension Service H otter-than-usual tem- peratures and longer stretches between measurable moisture this year mean plants need more water from the end of a hose. Choose plants that require less water and you’ll save time and money and help sustain Or- egon’s water supply, said Amy Jo Detweiler, a horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. Detweiler recommends these 10 plants for water-wise gar- dens: Cinquefoil (Potentilla fru- ticosa): A compact deciduous shrub that grows about three feet tall and fi ve feet wide and sports sunny yellow fl owers from June until frost. Best in full sun, but will tolerate light shade. Hardy to Zone 2. Flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum): Hummingbirds and butterfl ies fl ock to this large shrub that gets about 10 by fi ve feet. Long clusters of dark pink fl owers drip from branches in May and June. Give it full to partial sun. Hardy to Zone 5. Globe blue spruce (Picea pungens ‘Globosa’): A small conifer with striking silver-blue foliage that grows slowly to fi ve to six feet. Plant in full sun for best color. Hardy to Zone 2. Manazanita (Arctostaphy- los): A large genus of evergreen shrubs that run from two to 12 feet. Interesting in all four sea- sons with often twisting, ma- hogany bark and hanging clus- ters of bell-shaped white to pink fl owers in late winter to early spring. Hummingbirds love it. Hardiness varies by species and cultivar. Check your local nurs- ery for those appropriate in your area. Ninebark (Physocarpus opu- lifolius): Domes of white fl ow- ers in early summer show beau- tifully against the mid-green foliage of this six- to 10-foot de- ciduous shrub. It has the added attractions of peeling bark and superb fall color. Birds, bees and butterfl ies love the blooms. Two cultivars of note are ‘Dart’s Gold’ with chartreuse leaves and ‘Diablo’ with purple foli- age. Hardy to Zone 2. Spirea japonica ‘Little Prin- cess: Clusters of pink fl owers in summer prove irresistible to birds, butterfl ies and bees. A compact, mounding deciduous shrub that tops out at about three feet tall and six feet wide. Plant in full sun. Hardy to Zone 4. Russian sage (Perovskia at- riplicifolia): Fragrant, grayish- green foliage distinguishes this three- to fi ve-foot tall shrub that needs full sun. Spires of airy, lavender fl owers bloom mid- summer to fall and are good candidates for bouquets. Hardy to Zone 4. Serviceberry (Amelanchier): Here’s a shrub that has it all: showy white fl owers in early spring, edible purple-red ber- ries that attract birds and stun- ning red and yellow fall color. Wants full sun to perform its best. Grows six to 10 feet tall depending on the species. Har- dy to Zone 2. Snowberry (Symphoricar- pos): In spring, small, bell- shaped blooms appear at the end of branches on this fi ve-by six- foot, deciduous shrub. The best part, though, are the white ber- ries in fall. Birds love the ber- ries. Bees, hummingbirds and butterfl ies are attracted to the fl owers. Plant in full to partial sun. Hardy to Zone 3. Wayfaring tree ‘Mohican’ (Viburnum lantana ‘Mohican’): Flat-topped clusters of white fl owers come out in spring and are followed by fruits that start out pink turn to red and then to black. This seven- by eight-foot, rounded deciduous shrub turns deep purple in fall. Give it full You Can Help Cottage Grove Kids! GIANT YARD SALE Delight Valley Church of Christ 33087 Saginaw Road E. Exit 176 off of I-5 Date: Saturday August 1, 2015 Vendor set up: 8am – 9am Sales from: 9am – 3pm Bring your stuff, sell it, and make a buck! No Charge to vendors, bring a table or two! p th Grou Our You lling e will be s Pop s n’ Hot Dog raiser und For a F Please remember we are a Church, so bringing old Playboy magazines would be un-cool…Thanks Phone: 541-942-7711 or 541-517-8493 Volunteer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate A rewarding, professional volunteer opportunity in 10-15 hours a month helping Cottage Grove foster children to stay safe and healthy. Cottage Grove training begins this fall, with applications due by August 11th. Visit www.casa-lane.org. A powerful voice for abused kids