COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL SEPTEMBER 6, 2017
Main St. program earns cash
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
The Oregon State Legislature
has invested in Main. St. to the
tune of $5 million. The money
comes from the lottery bond
bill, Senate Bill 5530 which was
signed into law.
The grant program was cre-
ated originally during the 2015
legislative session and placed
with the Oregon State Preser-
vation Offi ce. As a result of the
legislation, a permanent fund
for the Oregon Main Street
Reivitilization Grant was cre-
ated and provided an initial in-
fusion of funds from the sale of
lottery bonds.
Now, that money will trickle
down to Main Street organiza-
tions by the spring of 2019.
Cottage Grove's Main St.
program got a facelift just this
year with the instillation of a
new coordinator--who now falls
under the city as a city employ-
ee--Carlene Giroud.
Giroud is currently part time
and works under City Planner
Amanda Ferguson but after a
few weeks on the job she's go-
ing full force.
"That's great. I had heard
about the money but I didn't
know it had happened," Giroud
said of the $5 million.
The money will be split be-
tween Main St. organizations
as part of the revitilization pro-
gram that works to spruce up
Main streets across the state.
In the fi rst rounds of appli-
cations submitted last spring,
27 matching grants worth
$2,355,700 were awarded to
Main Street Network organiza-
tions.
Cottage Grove's Main Street
Program is part of the Main
Street Network.
Awards last spring ranged
from $17,00 to $100,000 for
projects that included improve-
ment to elevator access and seis-
mic upgrades. Klamath Falls
Downtown Association, Burns,
Independence and Enterprise all
received grants last spring for a
variety of different programs.
The revitilization program is
also responsible for downtown,
Main St. businesses in vari-
ous communities being able to
spruce up their store fronts with
paint jobs and new awnings. An
application process for historic
Main St. allows for funding of
the revamps.
"If we got the money, let's see,
that would be a lot of money. If
they split it without an applica-
tion process," Giroud said--the
program notes that last year's
winners were applicants.
"Honestly, I look at the plant-
ers on Main St. We have those
nice planters but then we have
those concrete planters that I
think could use a little love,"
she said.
Giroud is a landscape design-
er by trade and has owned her
own business for 30 years.
Currently, Giroud is working
on a website upgrade for the
Main St. Program as well as a
newsletter she said she hopes to
be released every quarter.
"This is just an introduction
of me to the community and a
thank you for all of the people
who sponsors and donated for
the hanging baskets because
people really do love them and
we do get a lot of compliments
about them," she said.
Aside from her two projects,
Giroud is tasked with getting to
know business owners down-
town--a daunting task that she's
begun.
Cottage Grove currently has
several organizations devoted
to tourism and economic devel-
opment including EBID, CDC,
the Chamber of Commerce and
now the city itself with the ad-
dition of Giroud's Main Street
Coordinator position as a city
employee position.
"There's a lot of groups doing
wonderful things," Giroud said.
"I don't want to mispeak. I went
3A
IN BRIEF
to a EBID meeting and they
were so helpful. I needed to get
a list for my newsletter and they
gave me 15 minutes to talk a lit-
tle bit about myself and I got the
list so it was helpful," she said.
"I am hoping to work with all
of the groups in Cottage Grove."
Money though, would help.
"The $5 million, divided up
would not be enough for the re-
fi nement plan," she said. "That's
about $8 million. But every-
one agrees that they love fl ow-
ers and so maybe a discussion
about the 11 planters and the
half wine barrell planters. More
fl owers would be good," she
said of possible future plans for
the money if the city of Cottage
Grove were to apply to receive
some of the funds.
According to a press release
issued by the Oregon Parks and
Recreation Department, "The
next round of the Main Street
Revitalization Grant will be
open in the spring of 2019. The
funds must be used to award
grants to participating Oregon
Main Street Network organiza-
tions to acquire, rehabilitate or
construct buildings to facilitate
community revitalization. The
program also requires that at
least 50 percent of the funds go
to rural communities as defi ned
in the initial bill."
For more information on the
Main Street Revitilization Grant
or the netwrok, visit oregonher-
itage.org.
Salsa class
Sustainable Cottage Grove is offering the opportunity to learn to
make salsa on Saturday, September 9 from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at
the Healing Matrix. Price varies on a scale from $10-$15. Register
by Thursday, September 7 by contacting Beth Pool at (541) 942-
2360.
Donations needed
QUILTS for CHARITY is in need of donations. We need fabric
(all sizes,) batting, fl eece, masking tape, and cotton crochet thread.
Volunteers to help tie these quits out are greatly needed, along with
people to help sew them together. The completed charity quilts go
to many different places throughout Cottage Grove, Veterans Hos-
pitals, Relief Nursery, Welcome Baby, Women’s Shelter, Parent
Partnership and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
Come and join the fun every Tuesday at the Cottage Grove Com-
munity Center from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
Please contact Ruth Fors at 541-953-6485 or you can drop your
donations off at the Community Center anytime.
Fire restrictions
South Lane Fire and Rescue fi re season restrictions are detailed
in a proclamation by chief John Wooten released on June 29. Mow-
ing of lawns and other activities are restricted. Fore more informa-
tion, visit southlanefi re.org.
City Council
The Cottage Grove City Council will hold its regular meeting on
Monday, September 11 at 7 p.m. in city hall.
Free concert
Eric and Monique Johnson will perform for free on Sunday, Sep-
tember 10 at 6 p.m. at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church on 10th
St.
Car show
The annual Cruise into Fall Car Show and Shine will be held on
September 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 77380 Hwy. 99S.
Blood drive
The Elks will host a blood drive on September 19 from noon to 6
p.m. at 755 N. River Rd. Call (541) 484-9111 for an appointment.
No kids club at Bohemia has parents looking for options
As the school year
approached,
Cottage
Grove's social media
sites quickly began fi lling up with one question:
What are parents doing about after school child
care?
While the usual frenzy for child care options is
typical, this year's hustle was fueled by the dis-
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
continuation of Kids Club at Bohemia Elemen-
tary School.
The club, which served as an after school child
care option and was a saving grace for some par-
ents who worked outside the area and well after
the typical school day lets out, was not included
in this year's child care options.
"It was actually run by a third party," South
Lane School District Communications Coordi-
nator Garrett Bridgens said. "It wasn't a South
Lane program and the person who was running it
wasn't able to continue this year."
While the absence of Kids Club has put some
parents in a bind, Bridgens said that South Lane
does offer a myriad of other options that serve as
childcare including homework club and a slew of
other programs either established or in the works.
For parents looking for an after school option
for kids, Bridgens said South Lane offers both
paid and free programs but the best way to fi nd
the program that best fi ts a families need, he said
parents are best suited calling their child's indi-
vidual school to see what options for child care
are available.
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