COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL April 27, 2016
'Every 15 minutes'
program at CGHS
New owners take over at
downtown gym
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
S
ara May asked her husband, Shane,
for a home gym. Instead, May bought
his wife two fi tness clubs.
Since April 1, the Mays have been the
owners of Emerald Fitness Club locations
on Main Street in Cottage Grove and at the
Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell.
For three years, Sara May said she’s en-
joyed a passion for fi tness that has steadily
grown. She started with Crossfi t, then be-
gan teaching classes at Anytime Fitness
before making the move to buy the gyms
from former owner Patty Feola.
“It got me to where I am now,” May said
of her drive toward improved health and fi t-
ness. “I started having people reach out to
me for advice and for help, and things just
kept going from there. I love it all, making
a difference and helping people choose a
healthy lifestyle.”
The Mays say they plan to extend Satur-
day hours soon in Cottage Grove, and the
club has added new classes, instructors and
equipment. Members now receive access to
both clubs.
Demonstration scheduled May 3
On Tuesday, May 3, Cottage Grove High
School, in partnership with the Lane County
Sheriff’s Offi ce and South Lane Fire and
Rescue, will be facilitating a drinking and
driving prevention simulation that features
a staged accident. The demonstration will
simulate a drunk driving car accident involving
teens, emergency responders and a Life Flight
helicopter. This event is part of the Every 15
Minutes program, a program designed to make
teenagers aware of the dangerous conse-
quences of drinking, alcohol and texting while
driving.
photo by Jon Stinnett
Sara and Shane May assumed ownership April 1.
Trial ends in reckless driving, endangerment conviction
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
I
t took a six-person jury a mat-
ter of a few minutes to convict
Geoffrey Jones on charges of reck-
less driving and reckless endanger-
ment in a trial before Judge Martin
Fisher at Cottage Grove Municipal
Court Thursday.
City employees, police offi cers and
others were present for much of the
trial, which began at 9 a.m. and last-
ed until the jury came back with its
verdict at around 5 p.m. Jones, who
had invited the entire Cottage Grove
City Council to a trial that features
a massive case fi le, explained that
he was representing himself in court
due to receiving too much income to
qualify for the services of a public
defender. During the proceedings,
he attempted to grill Cottage Grove
Police Offi cer Matt Walker and Re-
serve Offi cer Steven Sherwin about
their observations and actions in
the early-morning hours of May 16,
2015, when Jones was pulled over on
a traffi c stop in the Elks Lodge park-
ing lot.
From the beginning, however, City
Prosecutor John Woodworth ob-
jected to much of what Jones had to
say, including his opening statement,
during which Woodworth objected
that Jones was making an argument
as opposed to giving the six-woman
jury a roadmap of the evidence he in-
tended to produce. Jones responded
that “there is no evidence” to prove
his guilt on that night.
“It’s all going to be fabricated by
a master storyteller,” he said. Jones
added that he wasn’t concerned about
the outcome of the trial as much as
he was about “impeaching” Offi cer
Walker.
During his testimony, Walker told
the court that at 12:58 a.m. that early
May morning, he was parked in the
Koffee Kup parking lot observing
drivers as they drove down the Row
River Road connector onto Highway
99. He said he observed a vehicle go-
ing slower than the speed limit and
switched off his radar, at which point
another vehicle drove around the
fi rst, narrowly missing a stop sign
and driving through two medians
at a high rate of speed. Walker said
he subsequently had to accelerate to
60 miles per hour to catch and stop
Jones, adding that when he stopped
Jones, his fi rst words were, “Did you
see how slow that guy was going?”
Jones would attempt to cross-ex-
amine Walker and Sherwin, though
his cross-examination of each was cut
short by Judge Fisher, who warned
Jones that he was being argumenta-
tive as opposed to asking questions
of witnesses and was referencing
evidence that he had not introduced
pre-trial.
“It’s not possible for my van to
do what he said it did,” Jones said,
though the jury had been removed
from the room prior to that com-
ment. Jones stated that he would call
no witnesses, then attempted to call
both the offi cers as witnesses. His
line of questioning was again cut
short by Fisher.
“Six citizens came here today to
serve their civic duty,” Fisher said.
“It is our obligation not to have their
time wasted. This is not the Geoffrey
Jones show.”
Jones said he wished to call into
question Walker’s anger issues, his
vision, his health and state of being,
but questions about both offi cers’
vision were all he could manage be-
fore Fisher cut the proceedings short
again. He also offered to have both
offi cers drive his van to judge if it
was capable of the driving he was
accused of, though both declined.
Jones hinted that he intended to
appeal the decision to Lane County
Circuit Court and that he intended to
put Woodworth, the involved offi cers
and Fisher on trial in federal court
for civil rights violations.
Jones will be sentenced on Thurs-
day at 3 p.m. in Cottage Grove Mu-
nicipal Court.
Sidewalks shaved to curb tripping
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
P
roblem spots in Cottage Grove’s downtown
sidewalks got a “shave” of sorts early last
week.
Shauna Neigh, coordinator of the Main Street
Program in Cottage Grove, said a company called
Safe Sidewalks, LLC came to town on April 18
and smoothed out 27 places in downtown side-
walks that had become tripping hazards, often due
3A
to root damage created by the trees lining Main
Street.
“We wanted to have it done just in time for tour-
ist season,” said Neigh, who coordinated the ef-
fort along with the City of Cottage Grove and the
Economic and Business Improvement District.
The EBID contributed the $3000 for the sidewalk
improvements.
Neigh said there are still a few spots in down-
town sidewalks that require repairs.
“There are still a few tripping hazards,” she said.
“We’re working with the business owners to rem-
edy those situations, but they’re mostly in places
where the cement has to be completely removed
before it can be repaired.”
Neigh was also excited to announce that the
EBID has contributed funding to extend the hang-
ing fl ower baskets that typically line Main Street
down Main all the way to Gateway Blvd., adding
that the baskets should be in place around Moth-
er’s Day.
Art Walk
season kicks
off Friday
D
owntown Cottage Grove will welcome
visitors this Friday evening, as Cottage
Grove Art Walk proudly kicks off its 2016 sea-
son with the theme “Oregon Beauty.”
Art Walk begins Friday, April 29, at 6 p.m.,
the fi rst event of the season to showcase longer
hours — until 9 p.m. the last Friday each month
until October. Art Walk offers a chance for lo-
cals and visitors to peruse local art in charming
historic downtown Cottage Grove.
The fi rst Art Walk of 2016 will be dedicated
to “celebrating our beautiful state,” according
to organizers. A list of participants (who fl y an
Art Walk themed fl ag in front of their building)
includes:
Bookmine: Debbie and Reed Berrow of Bell
Pine Art Farm; Maria West, wire artist, who
will be making pieces during the event. Fea-
tured author will be the nationally known Janet
Fisher, and music will be provided by Ron
O’Keefe and Friends.
The Crafty Mercantile: The Basket Cases will
be demonstrating the art of pine needle bas-
ketry. Music by Pamela Sterling-Wear.
Five Flying Monkeys: Tinika, paintings and
constructions.
Kalapuya Books: Sarah Bast, farm animal
acrylics. Michael Wolick, abstract nature
photographs.
Apple Pie Antiques: Laura Berdeen, Sterling
and Copper Jewelry; Randy Deering, watercol-
ors with an animal theme.
Art Walk themes for the remainder of 2016 are:
April: Oregon Beauty
May: Trash Art
June: Cottage Grove Art History
July: Hot Summer Nights
Aug.: Budding Artists
Sept.: Cultural Art
Oct.: Fall into Art
FINAL
Irving Berlin's WEEKEND!
Cottage Theatre presents
Enjoy the made-from-
scratch quality and fl avor of
our creative menu.
Menu Offerings
Surf & Turf, New York Steak, Top Sirloin,
Beef Stroganoff, Hazelnut Encrusted Pork
Loin, Chicken Marsala Chicken Picatta, Crab-
Stuffed Rainbow Trout, Grilled Salmon,
Mushroom Ragout, Shrimp Penne Pasta,
Cajun Chicken Penne Pasta, Tri-Colored
Cheese Tortellini Pasta, Vegetable Pasta
Music & Lyrics
by Irving Berlin,
Original Book by
Herbert & Dorothy Fields,
As revised by Peter Stone
Serving Dinner
5-9pm nightly
Reservations Welcome
Prime Rib is back
every Friday!
Buy one entree, get
another 50% off!
Coupon required. Expires May 31, 2016
Must purchase minimum two entrees for discount.
Offer valid for both Early Bird and Dinner menus, 5-9pm, not
valid in the Fireside Lounge. Cannot be combine with any other
offers.
725 Row River Rd.
Cottage Grove, OR
541-942-2491
www.villagegreenresortandgardens.com
Season at the Green Restaurant
at the Village Green Resort
725 Row River Rd. Cottage Grove, OR
541-942-2491
A sharp-shooting musical comedy classic
April 8, 9, 10* • 14, 15, 16, 17*
21, 22, 23, 24* • 28, 29, 30, May 1*
Sponsored by:
*matinee
Directed by Tony Rust, Music Direction by Keri Davis, Choreography by Janet Rust
Tickets available online, by phone, or at the door one hour before performance
Thursday−Saturday 8:00 pm; Sunday 2:30 pm. $25 Adult, $20 Youth (age 6−18)
www.cottagetheatre.org • 541-942-8001 • 700 Village Drive • Cottage Grove