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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2015)
12A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL November 25, 2015 C ROSSWALKS Continued from page 1A street, Corporal Doug Skaggs await- ed drivers who failed to yield in the westbound lane. According to ORS 811.028, a driver commits an offense if the driver does not stop and remain stopped for a pe- destrian in a crosswalk if the pedestrian is following the instructions of a traf- fi c-control device such as a lighted sig- nal, if the pedestrian is in the lane the driver’s vehicle is traveling or turning or is six feet or less from the lane into which the driver’s vehicle is turning, is in a lane adjacent to that in which the driver’s vehicle is driving or turning if the intersection does not have a traf- fi c control device. Miles said pedes- trians have the right-of-way to cross at a crosswalk when they enter the roadway, though she added that many drivers seem unaware of the need to stop for pedestrians at uncontrolled in- tersections with a crosswalk. She said she gives out warnings during directed patrols for many drivers, but for those who require more coaching, a citation is issued. “When we’re doing these stings, we see one violation after another,” she said. “The worst intersection is proba- bly the corner of 10th and Main Street. The goal is to change the behavior, and if we can do that by simply advising them, we do it. But some drivers re- quire citations.” In addition to those who aren’t aware of the rule, Miles said other drivers get too caught up in their day-to-day lives to notice the need to stop. “It’s our job to remind them,” she said. Interim Police Chief Scott Shepherd, who has ramped up the use of “directed patrols” during his tenure, said that an incident such as the death of Claudia Kimery at an intersection on High- way 99 in 2013 can draw attention to the need to change driving habits in crosswalks, though he added that the Cottage Grove Police Department has fi elded “a number of complaints” re- cently about drivers refusing to yield for pedestrians. “We’re going to have to be constant- ly prepared to apply our focus to such issues in an effort to remind people,” Shepherd said. He said that, while it’s hopeful that any driver would slow down when they see a pedestrian ap- proaching an upcoming intersection, such is not always the case. “It seems to not be the norm,” he said. “As drivers or as pedestrians, we tend to get complacent, and the specif- ics of these situations are not thought of regularly.” In addition to crosswalk issues, Shepherd has ordered directed patrols in school zones and areas that tend to experience speeding drivers such as Highway 99 between the overpass and River Road and R Street. He said that offi cers have likely written more tick- ets since he assumed command, with many resulting from these targeted ef- forts. “Because of the directed patrols, we’re probably writing more tickets,” he said. “But we’re also writing more warnings, and it comes as a result of how many more people we’re stop- ping.” stained glass windows in the museum building. be taken at City Hall. Every 20 min- utes, a shuttle provided by South Lane Wheels will transport people from the Village Green, which is showcasing its fully decorated gardens and other holi- day opportunities from 5-9 p.m., to the festivities downtown. H OLIDAYS Continued from page 1A the American Legion Post will be hosting a “swap, don’t shop” event. Museum open house The Cottage Grove Museum, an old church at the corner of H and Birch Streets in the Northwest Neighbor- hood, will hold an open house and mu- seum tours in the evening hours Dec. 5 from 6-8 p.m. Entitled “Stained Glass and Candlelight,” the event also of- fers a chance to view the illuminated Tree lighting, block party Santa Claus will make a stop at Trailhead Park to help light the Down- town Christmas Tree at 5 p.m., and the Cottage Grove Faith Center’s block party will take place in the parking lot adjacent to Stacy’s Covered Bridge restaurant from 5:30-8 p.m. The block party will feature marshmallow roast- ing, caroling and a Christmas tree give- away. Pictures with Santa Claus will Art Walk In a rare move, Cottage Grove’s Downtown Art Walk will take place on a Saturday, Dec. 5, to coincide with holiday revelry, from 6-8 p.m. G RANT Continued from page 1A garden at Harrison and integrate cur- riculum into the school based on les- sons that could be learned in the gar- den. Students also took part in farm fi eld trips and “tasting tables” featuring local grapes that are now a regular part of Harrison’s menu. “We thought, why not expand the successes we’ve had here and go after a federal grant?” Fery said. Now, federal funding will allow South Lane to hire a Farm-to-School coordinator, according to Superinten- dent Krista Parent, a position equal to one-third of full-time. A “Harvest of the Month” newsletter will be sent to local families detailing the seasonal oppor- tunities for locally grown produce in the area. Tasting tables at local events will offer chances to try such produce, schools will receive funds to buy more produce from local farmers and farm- ers can be compensated for coming to schools to talk about their work and how it can foster healthy lifestyles and eating habits. In addition, Parent said an “Eat, Think, Grow” curriculum for two ele- mentary grade levels will be introduced to teach how food grows and fi nds its way to the family dinner table. Two farm fi eld trips will be offered to each grade level every year, and a trip to the Coast Fork Farmstand with a voucher to purchase local food items will also be given to each child. For parents, the Extension Service will offer a “Seeds to Supper” class that will explain the local food system, and the “Cooking Matters” class will talk about ways to prepare quick, easy and healthy meals on a tight budget. Each South Lane school will also be given $1000 for its garden and a “food play assembly” that helps act out healthy eating scenarios. For Fery, who works extensively with local farmers, the grant will func- tion not just to bring healthier options to local schools. “I’m excited to help local farmers produce more food for their commu- nities, helping them scale up and sell more of their products to schools,” she said. “This is a cool opportunity.” When planning your ‘Black Friday’ shopping, don’t forget to bring Bigfoot BY NED HICKSON News Media Corporation T here are times when, as a col- umnist, I am faced with the diffi cult decision of choosing be- tween two equally important topics in order to meet my deadline. Then there are times like this when, thanks to years of experience and accidentally consuming a qua- druple espresso meant for the person next to me at Starbuck’s, I realize both topics can be combined into a single, well-structured piece of jour- nalism. Which is why, today, we will be talking about how to prepare for holiday shopping with the help of Bigfoot. As some of you may have heard, a hiker in Utah posted video of what appeared to be Bigfoot rummaging through the brush. In addition, some of you may have heard about Thanksgiving. I don’t believe this is a coinci- dence. Especially when you consider how, year after year, Thanksgiving is followed by Friday — a shopping day so enormously frightening it has become known as “Black Friday.” Did I mention the Bigfoot spotted in Utah has black fur? As you can see, the correlations are staggering. (Note to writing students: This merging of seemingly unrelated top- ics at high speeds is extremely tricky requiring years of practice, and is a device referred to by journalists and railroad engineers as a “train wreck.”) Now that we have established the irrefutable connection between Big- foot and holiday shopping on Black Friday (I’m a journalist, so you can trust me when I say we have), I will now explain how, with a little preparation and an oversized SUV or cargo van, you can get all of your holiday shopping done this Friday with the help of Bigfoot. The fi rst step, of course, is to locate and enlist the help of a Big- foot. This is actually easier than you might think. All you have to do is drive to a heavily wooded area and NOT look for one. This seems to be when most Bigfoot sightings occur, right when the hiker, anthropologist, logger, marijuana grower, Fox News reporter, etc., is least expecting it, which is why every video taken of Bigfoot looks like a deleted scene from the Paranormal Witch Project. Once you have made contact, the next step is to convince Bigfoot to help with your holiday shopping. To do this, offer your help in obtaining something he wants for Mrs. Bigfoot but can’t fi nd in the woods — such as an Epilady shaver. Now that you have found Bigfoot and enlisted his help, it’s time to go SHOPPING! Given that Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, with retailers opening before dawn and offering outrageous deals, such as 50 percent off any six-toed socks sold between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m., you’ll be glad you brought Bigfoot along to play “whack-a-mole” with anyone who gets in your way. The same goes for sneaky sales people who try the old “bait-and- switch.” For example: Let’s say the clerk insists that the item on sale for $10 is a cheese spreader, and not the 55-inch fl at screen TV in your cart. Simply let Bigfoot do the negotiat- ing by turning the clerk into his own custom «Snuggy.» Now imagine the satisfaction of completing all of your holiday shop- ping in one day as you and Bigfoot breeze through the mall on matching Segways donated by mall security. Needless to say, when it comes to Black Friday shopping, there are many advantages to enlisting the help of Bigfoot. Plus, I’d suggest staying in touch; he also comes in handy when it comes time for gift returns. Ned is a syndicated columnist with News Media Corporation. His book, Humor at the Speed of Life, is available online at Port Hole Publi- cations, Amazon Books and Barnes & Noble. Write to him at nedhick- son@icloud.com Let us do the cooking this Th anksgiving! Th anksgiving Dinner at the Village Green Resort Served 11am to 7pm Featuring roasted turkey, baked ham and prime rib November 27 - December 25 v 5 - 9 pm at the Village Green Resort & Gardens in Cottage Grove Christmas Lights Fire Pits y S'mores Festive Beverages Free Admission $26.95 for adults, $23.95 for seniors and $13.95 for children Call today for reservations: 541-942-2491 Visit villagegreenresortandgardens.com for complete menu. Village Green Resort and Gardens 725 Row River Rd, Cottage Grove TAKE PHOTOS WITH SANTA! Dec. 12 & 13, 6 - 8 pm, Dec. 19 & 20, 6 - 8 pm Additional activities will be available on weekends, check villagegreenresortandgardens.com for details Fun for le the wh il o fam y! Stay at the VILLAGE GREEN RESORT starting at just with a CHRISTMAS PACKAGE $ 69! Village Green Resort & Gardens 725 Row River Rd., Cottage Grove 541-942-2491 concierge @ villagegreenresortandgardens.com Visit villagegreenresortandgardens.com for more information
