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C ottage G rove
Est. 1889
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2018
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Opal to host ‘Storybook Theater’ this month
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
In the early days of August, 15 teen-
agers will lock themselves in Opal Th e-
atre and four days later, emerge hav-
ing learned everything there is to know
about performing.
Storybook Th eatre has been in oper-
ation for the last fi ve years under the
leadership of Cottage Grove resident
Judy Smith. It operates as a non-profi t
under Opal Th eatre and started with a
realization.
Smith, a longtime supporter of the
arts and volunteer at Cottage Th eatre
looked around one summer and saw
theatre kids without an outlet for their
showmanship. Her daughter, who was
also active in the Cottage Grove theatre
community, was going to school in Se-
attle at the time, so Smith made a call.
“I thought, what are the chances her
and her friends would want to start a
program down here and teach these
kids?” She said. “So, I asked her and
she asked her friends and there was an
For a complete six-
day forecast please
see page A5.
overwhelming response.”
Th ere were 10 teenagers that fi rst
year who fi rst met at Smith’s house
where she gauged their interest before
embarking on what would become an
intensive seven-day theatre camp.
“Th ey’re mouths just fell open,”
See OPAL 10A
Kennedy High School gets new look
LCSO deadly
force incident
ruled lawful
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
Th e Lane County District
Attorney has ruled the fatal
shooting on July 12 to be a
lawful use of deadly force by
Lane County deputies.
Joey Loop was shot and
killed aft er deputies were
called to property on Ce-
dar Park Rd. Th e caller in-
formed deputies that Loop
was on the property and
threatening violence. Ac-
cording to a press release
on the ruling, Loop was
“banging on the house and
demanding the caller to exit
the residence.”
An additional 911 call
was recorded from a sepa-
rate resident in the area.
Deputies patrolled the
area, and according to the
district attorney’s offi ce,
re-ponded to the scene with
an armored Humvee aft er
reports of shots being fi red
were recorded.
“Upon arriving, deputies
attempted to contact Loop
via public address system
attached to the LCSO
See LCSO 10A
Mother seeks
return of son’s
stolen ashes
By Ned Hickson
nhickson@cgsentinel.com
The new family and consumer sciences room, featuring new appliances, was being completed on Monday, July 30 by Kennedy crew students and
instructors Matt Hall and Brandi Baker-Rudicel.
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
A fl urry of dollies and students were buzzing
around Al Kennedy High School on Monday mov-
ing desks, chairs, cabinets and everything else that
would fi t in their hands. Th e school isn’t relocating
for a second time in as many years but it is making
moves.
Kennedy made the transition from portable trail-
ers on Taylor Ave. last year to Delight Valley, a cam-
pus outside of city limits that they shared with Head
Start for the 2017-2018 school year. Now that the
preschool is moving out to a new building funded by
the $35 million bond passed by voters in 2016, Ken-
nedy gets to spread out a bit. Th e renovation, that
took place over two days earlier this week, included
a new space for family and consumer science classes,
a new library, music room, front offi ce and a rear-
rangement of existing classrooms.
“It’s exciting,” said Brandi Baker-Rudicel. She
teaches family and consumer sciences, formally
known as home economics, as well as careers and
health classes. Her new classroom is in a space uti-
lized by Head Start last year but just a day into the
renovation, it’s impossible to tell toddlers had ruled
the room.
Th e perimeter of the room is now outfi tted with
brand new cabinets and counter tops, interrupted by
two new stoves a few feet apart. Th ere’s also a new
dishwasher, sink, refrigerator and washer and dry-
er set. Th e spacious fl oor, now wood laminate, will
soon be broken up by brand new tables where stu-
dents will learn how to take the vegetables from the
See KENNEDY 10A
City awards sewer project bid to H&J Construction
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
On July 27, during a special city
council meeting, the board awarded
H&J Construction a sewer repair proj-
ect aft er the company bid $388,673 for
the repairs.
According to information provid-
ed by the city manager’s offi ce for the
meeting, “Two sanitary sewer jobs were
identifi ed and partially designated from
a couple of years ago … While staff
was completing the design on these
two jobs, the public works department
found two more jobs with their clean-
ing and video program.”
Th e original job was located on S.
First St. and the alley west of the street
between Quincy and Van Buren Ave.
During the completion of that project,
the public works department utilized a
technology known as pipe bursting that
replaces buried pipes without trench-
EVENTS
Chili cook-off
Car Show
Winners announced in CG
Chili Cook-off PAGE A5
Car enthusiasts get a look
at hot rods, racers and
more
PAGE A8
INDEX
COMMUNITY
ing.
H&J Construction was awarded the
secondary projects found during the
completion of the fi rst which includes
a pipe on Adams Ave from S. Seventh
St. east to the Napa parking lot. Th e
second portion of the project runs
from Highway 99 between Grover and
Woodson Ave.
“Both these projects are good candi-
dates for the pipe bursting technology.
Staff feels that adding these two proj-
Michili Monroi, LCSW
Counseling Services
See ASHES 11A
Calendar ...................................... B12
Channel Guide ............................... B5
Classifieds ...................................... B7
Obituaries ...................................... A2
Opinion ......................................... A4
Sports ............................................ B1
cgnews@cgsentinel.com
(541) 942-3325 ph • (541) 942-3328 fax
P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
Corner of Sixth and Whiteaker, Cottage Grove
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ects to the fi rst two would save money
because of economy of sale,” according
to city engineer Ron Bradsby.
Th e current budget for the project,
according to Bradsby is $3,822,955 and
is allocated for buildings and improve-
ments in the city’s budget.
Th e bid award was the only item
on the council’s meeting agenda. Th e
meeting was scheduled specifi cally to
award a bid due to timing.
In a very real way, Belinda
Renfro is dealing with the loss
of her son for a second time.
Christopher Wade Kimble
was just 29 when his life was
cut short by a drunk driver
Sept. 26, 2016.
"He was an awesome
human being who was loved
by all who met him," Renfro
said of her son during an
email conversation with Th e
Sentinel.
It was a devastating loss
for a mother who is now ex-
periencing that sense of loss
once again aft er her tent site
in Sharps Creek was robbed
Monday night. Among the
things taken was Christo-
pher's cremated remains,
which were housed in a black
plastic container with the
Norse god Odin on one side
and Th or's hammer on the
other. Inside, her son's ashes
were held in a clear container
wrapped in orange and gold
ribbon.
Renfro is asking for her
son's ashes to be returned, no
questions asked. "Whoever
has him, please don't discard
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