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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 2016)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL March 23, 2016 11A LCC Continued from page 1A dented enrollment fi gures, LCC fi nds itself searching for its “new normal,” and not just in Cottage Grove, according to Mary Jeanne Kuhar, Execu- tive Dean of LCC’s School of Professional and Technical Ca- reers. “Enrollment is a big, broad, gnarly problem that everybody’s struggling with, not just Lane,” Kuhar said. The geographical area served by Lane Community College is a large one, and satellite cam- puses such as Cottage Grove’s (LCC has had a presence here since the 1970s; its current cam- pus opened in 1995) were meant to bring the college’s education opportunities closer to rural stu- dents. Kuhar said community college enrollment tends to rise and fall with the condition of the econo- my, and the economic downturn that began affecting this area in earnest in late 2008 led to a large increase in enrollment as frustrated workers returned to school to hone their skills. Data provided by LCC shows that the rise in enrollment peaked in the 2011-12 school year, after which numbers began and have continued to fall. “The decrease happened Another dental visit? Turns out, you have better things to do with your time. slowly over a couple years, and we thought that it was prob- ably going to end up where it had been before the recession. But at Lane, it just continued to drop, and we haven’t yet found our ‘new normal,’” Kuhar said. During peak enrollment at LCC’s Eugene campus, Kuhar said many students living in the Eugene/Springfi eld area were actually coming to Cottage Grove to take core classes due to crowding at the main campus. But Cottage Grove’s enrollment has declined a whopping 80 per- cent since that peak. And Kuhar said the reasons why may in fact be quite complex. “It is diffi cult to know all the factors that affect enrollment, but some factors at play may be changes in federal fi nancial aid requirements, decreasing local high school graduation rates, perceived loss of value for a col- lege degree, fl attening state sup- port and an improving economy and employment,” she said. Still, Lida Herburger, who has been the director at LCC Cottage Grove for about a year, said that the direct path from high school to college for young people hasn’t really been the norm here in the past, either. She pointed out that the average age of an LCC student is 28. “The traditional path from high school to college isn’t tra- ditional anymore,” Herburger said. In response to the drop in en- rollment, LCC has offered fewer credit classes in Cottage Grove in favor of continued educa- tion courses that tend to appeal to an older audience with more disposable income, and a list of offerings these days includes an introduction to mime and light sabers. A recent series on historic preservation was well received, Herburger said, as are classes offered by the Booher family of musicians on musical improvisation. Cottage Grove’s campus still offers amenities that are useful for area students taking classes for credit, Herburger said, such as the ability to interact with an academic advisor, take tests locally and utilize computer labs. Tuition costs also tend to be much lower than a four-year university. “For the surrounding commu- nities, for a student in Dorena, not having to drive that extra 20-plus minutes into Eugene is a big benefi t,” she said. But Herburger said the col- lege has attempted to offer lots of classes that haven’t gone over as well as expected. “We need a critical mass of students to make them work,” she said. “And the numbers aren’t really huge. Ten or 15 students are all we would need in some classes.” Facing an uncertain future, both Kuhar and Herburger said that LCC remains committed to its Cottage Grove campus. “Lane is interested in working with Cottage Grove to see what offerings can be most benefi - cial,” Kuhar said. “We want the center to be vibrant, fi lled with students. But what we do here depends on what the community wants.” To that end, LCC has begun a process of outreach to gauge the community’s needs and wants regarding its campus, and the formation of an advisory com- mittee is also underway. “We’ve done some outreach to the CG Chamber and other organizations to try to fi gure out what our niche is,” Herburger said. “We want to see what’s out there, what people in Cottage Grove really want. The center in Cottage Grove has a lot to offer, and we want it to be a benefi t for everybody.” Meyers also said that the City will remain open to the idea of a bond to address road repairs. The City’s general budget does not include enough funding for major renovations, and many of its arterial roads that handle the most traffi c are in terrible shape. The gas tax that is earmarked for road repairs barely keeps up with basic maintenance and cannot fund renovations, Mey- ers said, pointing out that the current budget will only include about $320,000 in gas tax rev- enue. “The Council may be look- ing at what the School District and Fire District have chosen to do lately,” Meyers said. “They use their tax money to fi nance their day-to-day operations, and when they need equipment, they do a bond to pay for it. That’s what the Council seemed to be saying.” Hovet said, “In Luke 18, Jesus’ love for children is revealed. We love our town and it’s a privi- lege to recognize and participate in this important service. We are excited and praying, full of faith that we are going to make a positive difference and change a child’s future for the best.” Earlywine added, “This pro- gram is important because it allow us to meet the needs of a family in crisis upstream with intervention before a tragedy happens.” For additional information or to register your interest, go to www.Safe-Families.org, or email AngelaA@cafeweb.com or call 541-686-6000, ext. 870. B UDGET Continued from page 1A 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. Implants · Teeth Whitening · New State-of-the-Art Building Dr. Brent Bitner, DDS 350 Washington, Cottage Grove (behind Better Bodies) 942-7934 CEREC® is a registered trademark of Sirona Dental Systems. E R O T S E R WINTER HOURS: T HURSDAY , F RIDAY & S ATURDAY 10 AM -4 PM For Drop-off appointments, after hours, call the offi ce We need volunteers for the ReStore ~ a few hours each month! Will you help? complaint basis, most fre- quently in regard to the over- growth of yards and other veg- etation that happens in the early summertime. The City could be more proactive about dealing with nuisances, particularly in its “limbo houses,” if it hired someone to seek out and deal with nuisances before a com- plaint is issued, Meyers said. S AFE Continued from page 8A Church of Christ on Gibbs Pastor Aaron Earlywine and Cottage Grove Faith Center Pastor Isaac Hovet were part of the kickoff ceremony. Their churches got excited about the Safe Families after a 90by30 Child Abuse Prevention Initia- tive presentation last fall. EASTER SUNDAY CELEBRATION March 27, 2016 Delight Valley Church of Christ 33087 Saginaw Road East, Cottage Grove 541-942-7711 9:00-10:30am Free Breakfast 9:00-10:30am & After Service Free Easter pictures Props available, pictures received on the spot! 10:30-Noon-ish Worship Service – in the Gym 11:00am-Noonish Kid’s Program – in the Chapel Noonish Habitat Offi ce and Warehouse 2155 Getty Circle ~ Unit #1 in the Cottage Grove Industrial Park South on Hwy 99 past the High School S N O I T A DON S AL WAY ! ME O C L E W Call 541.767.0358 for more information Email info@habitatcg.org Easter Egg Hunt (after Worship Service lets out) Easter Egg Hunt 6,000 Candy or Toy fi lled Eggs! Please join us.