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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 2015)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL December 30, 2015 Many of the Sentinel's top stories of 2015 will continue to make headlines in 2016 and beyond. Here are some of the year's most impactful articles and how they'll continue to shape the future of Cottage Grove: Down on Main Street ‘15 School District's A.L.I.C.E. training replicates active shooter situation S outh Lane School District offi cials say that neighbors of Cottage Grove High School may hear the sound of gunfi re and notice a police pres- ence at the school on Monday, Jan. 4 as part of a scheduled training exercise for district employees. A change in approach to active shooter situations in schools will bring personnel with the Lane Coun- ty Sheriff’s Offi ce, Cottage Grove, Eugene, Spring- fi eld and other agencies to CGHS on Monday for training in the “A.L.I.C.E.” method of response. A.L.I.C.E., which stands for “Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate,” refl ects evolving thinking with regard to active shooter situations in schools, according to South Lane School District Superintendent Krista Parent. “In the past, you would generally lock yourself in, close the windows and wait,” Parent said. “Now, the best thinking says that there are other procedures that can be used to counter and confront a shooter.” Monday is not a school day for South Lane stu- dents, but Parent said staff members will witness seven different scenarios in seven different class- rooms, with two offi cers in each room to lead the exercises. Offi cers will use blank rounds in real weapons and Nerf guns for live practice situations, and Parent wished to caution those living near Cot- tage Grove High that they may hear the sound of shots fi red and witness an intense police presence during the drills. TOP STORIES M uch as they had in 2014, deliberations over Cot- tage Grove’s Main Street Refi ne- ment Plan, a comprehensive plan to redesign Main Street downtown between its historic buildings, dominated the local discussion early this year. The Cottage Grove Planning Commission recom- mended approval of the extensive document last year after work- sessions that packed the Council chambers at City Hall with those wishing to share their input on the plan, which aims to level the pro- nounced “crown” of Main Street, improve access for those with dis- abilities and add outdoor utilities downtown. The issue of whether or not to include the trees that currently line Main Street in the plan polarized opinion on both sides of the issue, and the Planning Department de- cided to shelve the tree issue for a later date. A group calling itself Friends of Main Street formed in opposition to the Main Street Re- fi nement Plan, particularly its non- inclusion of the trees and plans to alter All-America City Square at the corner of Seventh and Main Streets. The City Council got its fi rst look at the MSRP at a worksession held in early February. An exten- sive public hearing was held on Feb. 23, a hearing held over to in- clude more public testimony. The Council postponed a vote on the plan at its March 9 meeting, opt- ing to schedule another workses- sion on March 16. At that meeting, Training exercise to include police presence, gunfi re The year’s Refi nement Plan ignites local discussion Sentinel fi le photo City Councilor Jeff Gowing examines a copy of the Main Street Refi nement Plan at a February worksession. The Council approved the plan in April. the Council worked through a list of the plan’s 22 basic components, though much of the discussion in- volved only the fi rst component: the cross-section of Main Street and the plan’s recommendation to widen sidewalks from eight feet to 12 ½ feet; increase parking lane width to eight feet and decrease the travel lane width from 16 feet to 12 feet. The Council appeared deadlocked on the issue of widen- ing the sidewalks and decreasing the width of Main Street and in the end voted not to make changes. The Council recorded its fi rst ‘yes’ vote for approval of the plan on March 23, then adopted the plan without much fanfare at its April 13 meeting. By the end of April, a group hoping to refer the MSRP to local voters in a September election had begun gathering signatures for a petition to place the plan on the bal- lot, further intensifying the conver- sation surrounding the plan, partic- ularly on social media outlets. The group worked to gather about 600 signatures from local voters in a three-week span. Petitioners were c o n fi - dent that they had gathered enough signatures as the deadline loomed, though the effort eventually fell short by 55 votes, with many sig- natures deemed invalid after it was discovered that those who signed resided in the wrong district or were not registered to vote. What’s next The Cottage Grove Planning Department will now pursue grant funding to implement the changes spelled out in the Main Street Re- fi nement Plan. The City Council will hold a public hearing on Cot- tage Grove’s Transportation Sys- tem Plan, or TSP, of which the Re- fi nement Plan is a major element, at its Monday, Jan. 11 meeting. More on marijuana Legalization of recreational marijuana draws crowds to local dispensaries Coun- cil did not take action to ban busi- nesses that do not comply with state and federal laws, a move that could have prevented medical marijuana dispensaries from opening here. The Council later voted against attempting to place a local tax on recreational marijuana sales. By March of 2014, the fi rst dis- pensary opened in Cottage Grove, and by the end of the summer of 2015, the number of dispensaries in the City Limits had swelled to four. Oregon’s Measure 91, which won voter approval in November of 2014, legalized recreational marijuana use for those over age 21 and allowed individuals to pos- sess up to four mature plants or eight ounces of the drug; many of its provisions kicked in on July 1, 2015. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission opted to allow estab- lished medical marijuana dispen- saries to begin recreational sales of the drug on Oct. 1, a day that found crowds lined up outside dis- pensaries in Cottage Grove prior to their opening. Sales topped $11 million statewide during that fi rst weekend. String of holiday car break-ins reported T he Cottage Grove Police Depart- ment said a string of car break-ins occurred over the Christmas holiday weekend, break-ins concentrated in one area on the south end of town. Dispatcher Dawn Loshbaugh reported that six car break-ins had been reported near Arthur and Johnson Av- enue area in southern Cottage Grove just off Sixth Street between Christmas morning Please see 2015, Page 11A In 2013, the Cottage Grove City ore We Fetch You M yo ur door! …and deliver it all to 3A (Friday) and Sunday af- ternoon. One involved a bag of Christmas pres- ents reported stolen on Christmas morning that was recovered on Sun- day. Loshbaugh said the break-ins share a simi- lar lesson for local car owners. “It’s all about not leaving valuables in your car,” she said. “We shouldn’t have to be worried about it, but that’s the way it is.” Has Your Home Seen Better Days? You may qualify for a 3% interest No-monthly-payment Rehab loan with help from St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County, Inc. Call Andy Clay TODAY NMLS 791356 541-687-5820 Another dental visit? Turns out, you have better things to do with your time. Get FREE e-edition access with your subscription! Our e-edition gives you full online access to all of the valuable features included in our print edition, plus bonus weekly deals and shoppelocal.biz. Local Events, Entertainment & Special Off ers Local News Weekly Coupon Savings Restaurant & Dining Coupons Th emed Special Sections Local Jobs & Classifi ed Listings Local Real Estate Local Sports Reporting Games, Puzzles & TV Subscribe Today with our most fetching off er yet! 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