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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 2017)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JANURARY 11, 2017 3A Carousel project in need of funds After 20 years of planning, the Friends of Cottage Grove Carousel Project is closer to a fi nalized plan for the attraction but to move forward, the group needs money W hen Judy Cash arrived in Cottage Grove she had two thoughts. The town belonged in the picturesque 1950s and a carousel would fi t in perfectly. And from 1996 to now, she’s been working with people like Don Williams to make it happen. “If the three of us got hit by a BY CAITLYN MAY bus tomorrow, who’s going to cmay@cgsentinel.com continue this project?” Williams asked. And according to him, it’s a question that needs a quick answer. Williams is instrumental in the Rotary, was a member of the fi re board and is part of the chamber board but his latest project is 20 years in the making. “A gentleman passed away and left my husband and I some money. We didn’t know it was coming and so when it did he went to England and bought a tank. I went to Virginia and bought a carousel,” Cash said. The carousel, one of 200 vintage carousels left in the country, was disassembled and sent to Cottage Grove where it underwent some restoration and several attempts to utilize it for the city before the efforts fell to the wayside. In 2013, Williams joined forces with Cash and Russ McGuire to create the Friends of Cottage Grove Carousel Project which has resurrected the push to put the attract ion on Main St. “What we need now is money,” McGuire said. While the group has an idea for a location, before it can go to the city, it needs certifi ed engineering plans and a comprehensive, solidifi ed budget. It’s what McGuire calls “Phase One.” Once the proper studies and cost analysis are completed, the proj- ect can be submitted to the city. “They have to wave their magic wand over all of this but, again, we need to complete phase one fi rst,” McGuire said. The group has several ideas on how the project would operate once it was up and running. To man the attraction, Williams says the city could fashion a program like the one Elton utilizes for its butterfl y exhibit: training high schoolers as interns. “It’s a one button start and a dead man switch, it’s easy to oper- ate,” Williams said of the carousel. He went on to note it would be an opportunity for local teens to earn money. High school students are already involved in the project with a fi eld trip planned for several local teens. They’ll travel to Albany to visit the carousel repair shop and then head to Salem to ride the city’s own car- ousel. In the coming months, they’ll work with Williams and company to repaint and restore the 30 ani- mals contained in Cash’s carousel. That, in itself, poses another fi nan- cial hurdle. Due to the carousel’s age, the possi- bility of lead paint being present is a real possibility. The fl oorboards, canopy and mechanics of the carou- sel will also need to be restored in various degrees. “That’s a matter of insurance and making sure the people working on it are covered,” Williams said. It’s Judy Cash purchased the carousel in 1996 with the intention of fi nding a place in Cottage Grove also a matter of money. to install it. “We think it will be between $700,000 “This would be both for the community and for tourism. The Sea- and $900,000,” Williams said and noted that the group didn’t have enough man power to hold garage side carousel runs seven days a week. It was running on Christmas and people come to see it,” Williams said. sales and other fundraisers that only garner a few hundred dollars Current plans would see the carousel constructed on the corner at a time. And while the trio has considered social media as a of 9th and Main streets but without funds, the group is unable to funding source, they admit they’re aren’t versed in the platform lock-in any specifi c location. well enough to utilize it. For McGuire, the efforts mirror the campaign from 20 years ago. “If we would have a young person set up something like a Go- “Right now, the important thing to focus on,” he said, “is that we FundMe page, that would be great,” Cash said. In the meantime, the group is attempting to raise awareness for the need the money to get through this phase so that we can bring it to the city.” project and pursue grant opportunities. The carousel planned for Main St. would include a mezzanine, restrooms and gathering space. If the project were to come to fruition, owner Judy C said she would lease the fully functional carousel to the city of Cottage Grove until a non-profi t group came forward and illustrated a desire to "take care of" the attraction. The road to completion, however, is far from easy according to the group in charge of the efforts. After being stalled for 20 years, the project has made strides but is still in need of funds to complete the fi rst phase of the process. Buy a 2017 SEASON TICKET and SAVE up to 30%! February 3 – 19 April 7 – 30 A fantastical high-seas adventure to Neverland The Musical Comedy Whodunit Oregon Department of Transportation Public Hearing/Open House (STIP) Wednesday, February 8, 2017 Lane County ACT Open House 4:30-5:15pm; followed by Lane County ACT Meeting 5:30- 7:00pm June 9 – 25 August 11 – 27 A trivial comedy for serious people Comical Russian tales infused with American wit Lane County Public Works Complex 3040 N Delta Hwy, Eugene, OR, Goodson Conference Room The open house will feature maps to view and handouts about selected projects. ODOT staff will be on hand to answer questions and take comments. There will be comment cards available to leave comments regarding specifi c projects. October 6 – 29 The thrilling musical juxtaposition of good and evil December 1 – 23 A curious cavalcade of charismatic creatures The meeting is open to the public for comment. To view or comment on this document, please visit: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/STIP/STIP/DRAFT_STIP_18-21.pdf. You can also contact the Region 2 STIP and Financial Plan Manager John Maher at Ph. 503-986-2614 or his email address: John.D.MAHER@odot.state.or.us. Accommodations will be provided to persons with disabilities. To request an accommodation, please call John Maher the Region 2 STIP and Financial Plan Manager. 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove 541-942-8001 www.cottagetheatre.org Statewide Transportation Improvement Program Draft 2018 to 2021 STIP for Public Review
