COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL AUGUST 8, 2018 3A
Tobacco retail inspections show underage sales remain widespread
An Oregon Health Authority (OHA) report re-
leased this week found that the rate of retail tobac-
co sales to underage people increased slightly over
the past year, as a new law took eff ect that raised
the minimum age to buy tobacco.
Enforcement of Oregon’s new tobacco sales law,
which raised the age for a person to buy tobacco
products from 18 to 21, began Jan. 1, 2018. Th e
Public Health Division, in collaboration with the
Oregon State Police, checks on tobacco retailers
across Oregon to make sure retailers are follow-
ing the law. Data from the fi rst six months of 2018
show that since enforcement of the new sales age
began, the retailer violation rate was 18 percent
statewide. Th at’s slightly higher than the 16 per-
cent retailer violation rate for the previous year,
when the legal age being enforced was 18.
"Selling tobacco to people under 21 years old
is illegal, but these data show that nearly one out
of every fi ve tobacco retailers in Oregon still sells
to people under the legal age," said Tom Jeanne,
MD, deputy state health offi cer at the OHA Public
Health Division. "Tobacco remains the number one
preventable cause of death and disability and kills
nearly 8,000 people in Oregon each year."
It also costs the state $2.5 billion per year in med-
ical costs and lost productivity. A key part of ending
tobacco addiction in Oregon is making sure youth
don’t start. Oregon was the fi ft h state to raise the le-
gal age to purchase tobacco products to 21.
Retailer owners that sell tobacco to underage per-
sons face up to a $500 fi ne for the fi rst or second vio-
lation and up to $1,000 for three or more violations.
For the fi rst time, the OHA Public Health Division
has taken the added step of publicizing the list of to-
bacco retailers that violated the tobacco sales law.
"Treehouse" world premiere set for this weekend
By Caitlyn May
I describe it as a young man who is 17 who is
convinced he’s his 53-year-old self trapped in
his 17-year-old body and he is pushed to relive,
because of traumas in his life, the extraordinary
those we love when we look at it through grown
up eyes.
Cottage Th eatre, this season, has done very
recognizable shows that are part of the cultural
lenges in not having the same references more
well-known shows have?
“Treehouse” will make its world premiere on
I think it’s a diff erent set of opportunities that
August 10 at Cottage Th eatre as part of the Amer-
come with working on a script like this. You don’t
ican Association of Community Th e-
have other work you can reference to prob-
atre’s 2018 NewPlayFest. Director Tera
lem solve but it means you have complete
Wibrew answered questions about her
creative control on how to solve problems
debut at Cottage Th eatre and why peo-
and there’s no standard to be compared to.
ple should see the show.
We don’t have to worry about roles being
What’s your history with Cottage
played by famous actors, we get to start
Th eatre?
fresh and it’s an opportunity that is under-
Th is is my fi rst Cottage Th eatre
valued.
show. I’ve seen a lot of shows there and
Were there challenges in casting due
worked with people who worked there
to the diff erence in age physically versus
but this is my fi rst time directing there.
age in the narrative?
I’m the associate producer at Oregon
He’s a young man who is convinced
contemporary theatre and have been
he is his 53-year-old-self trapped in his
directing professionally since 2013. I’ve
17-year-old body so fi nding a young per-
been directing, generally, since I was
son that could handle both of those ex-
about 15-years-old so I’ve been at it a
tremes who understands what it means in
little bit now. My masters is actually fo-
some ways what it is to be an adult and
cused on new play development.
be as playful as teenagers are, is a bit of a
Traditionally, Cottage Th eatre asks
challenge. Th at being said, we had a tre-
directors to pitch a play off season and
mendous amount of talent show up to
that’s generally how they build their
audition and there are universal truths re-
season of shows. However, “Tree-
gardless of your age.
house” is a new play and so how did
What should people be on the lookout
Cottage Th eatre develop that process
for in this play?
to fi nd a director?
For anyone who is a literary nerd, there
What happened was they applied
are tons of references in the script and the
and were accepted as one of the orga-
set and set dressing so keep an eye out for
nization to participate (in a program
that.
that paired new plays with theatres) so
Why should people come down and
at the time when directors normally
see it?
pitch, they didn’t know that this was the
It’s really important to support new
PHOTO BY EMILY BLY
script they would be producing. You
work and Cottage Th eatre is taking a
had to pitch why you were the person Alana (Clare McDonald), Johnny (Malakhai Schnell) in rehearsal for "Treehouse" a play by Joe Musso, making
tremendous risk and an exciting one to
to directo a world premiere. Once they its debut at Cottage Theatre this weekend as part of the American Association of Community Theatre’s 2018
show a new show to a community that’s
knew this was the play, they shared the NewPlayFest.
more use to shows they’ve heard of be-
script with the fi nalist pool and asked
fore. It’s beautifully written and a risk I
for a small pitch on the initial vision and take on spring and summer going into his senior year of fabric—Crucible, Legally Blonde, Shrek—so di- think people will be happy they took. It’s import-
the show.
high school where he and his friends and family rectors have a catalog to look at in terms of oth- ant that they support local theatre and get the
What’s your 15-second elevator pitch when fi gure out honesty and love and Shakespeare and er productions of the same show. Th is is a new chance to jump into this story with us before any-
describing what this show is about?
how it is we are able to understand ourselves and play by a newer playwright. Were there chal- one else gets to.
cmay@cgsentinel.com
Cottage Theatre presents
A riveting story of love,
loss, and healing
August 10-26 86th Annual WOE
By Joe Musso
World Premiere
Treehouse
HERITAGE
& LUMBERJACK SHOW
FAIR
AUGUST
17th-19th
NEW SUPERVISED KIDS
ZONE-FANTASY LAND
Friday & Saturday
10am-10pm
Activities, Arts & Crafts, 4H Barns,
Puppet Show, and More!
Sunday
10am-4pm
Admission- $3
$1 off with canned food
Kids under 13- FREE
MUSIC ALL WEEKEND
Featuring:
The Parson
Creek Band
Friday, August 17th
7pm-9pm
Carousel Display
Come see the progress!
LUMBERJACK
SHOW
GRAND PRIX
RACING
Friday, August 17th
Sunday, August 19th
Who will be the Fair Queen? Find out August 17th at 3pm
Directed by Tara Wibrew
Contains some mature themes.
99
With support from:
99
www.cottagetheatre.org
E. Cot
tage
Grove
Con
Os
tra
nd
er
5
2000 N Douglas Ave.
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
woehertiagefair.com
d.
er R
Riv
Row
541-942-8001 • 700 Village Drive • Cottage Grove
N.
Do
ug
las
Tickets available online, by phone, or at the door one hour before performance
Thursday−Saturday 8:00 pm; Sunday 2:30 pm. $25 Adult, $15 Youth (18 and under)
5
WOE
Part of the American Association of
Community Theatre’s 2018 NewPlayFest
Gateway
Sponsored by:
Event Schedule On Website
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