COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JUNE 28, 2017
3A
Airport welcome center readying the welcome mat
fi nd within the city.
"The city is also going to be
providing a courtesy car," Kelly
said.
In theory, incoming pilots
would fl y in, have a code to a
lock box inside the building and
be able to access the car to trav-
el downtown to a restaurant, ho-
tel or local store. The specifi cs,
though, haven't been ironed out
just yet.
The car won't be the only
means of transportation, how-
ever. Kelly also houses two bi-
cycles on the property that she's
hoping will provide an easy ride
into town for tourists.
"Creswell, Florence, New-
port, they all have a car. Peo-
ple see that and they will come
back," she said.
"We want people to see how
much we have to do here in
Cottage Grove. We're more than
just a little town," Kelly said.
Firework reminders
The Cottage Grove Airport Welcome Center is close to completion and will welcome tourists from around the state
and beyond to the city. Photo provided by Nadine Kelly.
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
I
magine soaring through
the sky, over the Willa-
mette Valley, rivers, for-
ests and spanning landscapes
headed for Cottage Grove.
You've heard it's a charming lit-
tle community with restaurants,
parks, museums and covered
bridges. As you come in for a
landing, gliding to a stop you're
greeted by...a port-a-potty.
That's all the Cottage Grove
Airport Welcome Center was
comprised of. Until now.
Coordinator Nadine Kelly is
working on improving the space
at the air fi eld to make it more
welcoming and lure visitors off
the tarmac and into town.
"My husband and I went to a
meeting about promoting
tourism and I told him, 'We
really need a bathroom for the
airport.' And it just grew from
there," she said.
The Oregon Aviation His-
torical Society is construct-
ing the building that Kelly
raised $100,000 for. "I needed
$105,000 for everything," she
said.
Donors stepped into to help
including the Woodard Founda-
tion, Faye and Lucille Stewart
Foundation, Doyle and Donna
Shepherd, the Cottage Grove
Chamber of Commerce, the
City of Cottage Grove, Busters
and EBID.
"People were fl ying in, seeing
a port-a-potty and never coming
back," Kelly said.
Her husband Sean has en-
countered pilots who note their
wives don't make the trip to
Cottage Grove with them be-
cause of the restroom situation
and she tells a story of bikers
who may have taken their busi-
ness elsewhere if not for Sean.
"He caught them and they
were going to fl y somewhere
nearby but he told them about
downtown and they ended up
visiting Buster's and getting a
repair on their bikes done at the
bike shop," Kelly said.
Plans for the new airport
welcome center, slated to be
completed in mid-July, are
aimed at getting pilots to stay,
shop and eat in Cottage Grove.
Kelly said she plans on keep-
ing the unmanned building
stocked in brochures about the
city, restaurant menus, hotel
information and a binder full
of the activities individuals can
June 23 opened the season for fi reworks
sales in Oregon. Legal fi reworks may
be purchased only from Oregon permit-
ted fi reworks retailers and stands. The
Offi ce of State Fire Marshal has issued
more than 709 retail fi reworks permits,
and 211 display permits. Oregon law
prohibits possession, use, or sale of any
fi rework that fl ies into the air, explodes,
HB3030
Continued from A1
cision to move the bill for-
ward and the Governor’s sup-
port but they will continue to
work on restricting nitrous ox-
ide.
Munsell said she intends to
push the legislation to the fed-
eral level while Meyers noted
that HB3030 restricted the age
of purchasers but not the loca-
tion of where the nitrous can be
purchased. Moreover, the cur-
rent legislation reads that the
state prohibits the sale of nitrous
oxide canisters from which in-
dividuals may directly inhale
the gas. However, with the use
of a cracker, individuals inhale
the gas from a balloon, not the
canister.
"It's great. It's neat," Meyers
said of the passing of HB3030.
"In 90 days when it becomes a
law, it will be enforceable." He
noted that the youth advisory
council is considering sending
out notes to neighboring towns
to inform them of the law's ef-
fective date.
"Having a YAC member in
the house, they never pass up
an opportunity to say they had a
bill passed," he said.
ONE
STOP
SHOP
or travels more than 12 feet horizontally
on the ground, without a permit issued
by the OSFM. Fireworks commonly
called bottle rockets, Roman Candles,
and fi recrackers are illegal in Oregon,
without a permit. All fi reworks are pro-
hibited on all Oregon beaches, in parks,
and campgrounds.
Illegal fi reworks can be expensive. Un-
der Oregon law, illegal fi re-
works may be confi scated
and offenders fi ned up to
$500 per violation for pos-
session of illegal fi reworks
and endangering life and
property. Offenders may
also be arrested. Any fi re-
works causing damage, or
misuse of fi reworks carries
a liability for the offender,
who may be required to
pay for resulting fi re or
other damage. Parents are
liable for fi reworks-caused
damage by their children.
Costs may include as-
sessed fi nes as well as the
cost of suppressing fi re-
works-caused fi res.
Rash of local crimes solved
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
The restrooms at Bohemia
Park are up and running and sto-
len boxing equipment has been
returned after Cottage Grove
Police closed two high profi le
cases in the last month.
Cottage Grove City Manager
Richard Meyers reported that
park-goers in need of a restroom
would be out of luck after city
employees discovered a dam-
aged toilet. A review of video
surveillance showed two juve-
nile males in the act.
“We caught them on camera,”
Meyers said. “One of them held
open the door so a girl could see
what they were doing but they
should be worried because law
enforcement will be knocking
on their door.”
Meyers said the decision on
whether or not to allow the boys
to go through peer court had not
been made.
“It depends on their prior re-
cord. It depends on your past if
you’re eligible for peer court,”
he said.
Juveniles who are permitted
into the peer court system are
judged by a jury of their peers
and if they complete their sen-
tence, can petition the court to
have their record expunged.
The restrooms remained
closed for a period of time with
Meyers urging the public to re-
port crimes that occur during
the day and in plain view.
Peer court will not be an op-
tion that won’t be available to
Ian McKinnon.
McKinnon, 32, confessed at
the start of the month to being
responsible for the theft of ste-
reo and boxing equipment from
the armory in May of this year.
According to former Cottage
Grove High School Principal
and boxing club founder Iton
Udosenata, McKinnon got away
with competition boxing gloves
worth “a few hundred dollars”
as well as the club’s stereo.
“He had been in our work
crew program,” Meyers said.
“He stole one of the uniforms
and once he was out, he used it
to get back into the building.”
Another dental visit?
Turns out, you have better things to do with
your time.
for all your advertising needs
DIGITAL
websites • email-blasts
search engine optimization
PRINT
newspaper • magazine • logos
business cards • brochures • labels
banners • postcards • direct mailers
INTERACTIVE
social media •internet marketing
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
Cottage Grove Sentinel
116 N. 6th St. • P.O. Box 35 • Cottage Grove, OR
(541) 942-3325 • fax (541) 942-3328
www.cgsentinel.com
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.