6A | WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2019 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Oregon Legislature approves funding for Cottage Theatre expansion
One of the bills passed during
the Oregon Legislature’s final
jam-packed weekend of the 2019
session was HB 5050, a 43-page
bill that includes some good news
for Cottage Grove. Under section
39 of this bill, Cottage Theatre’s
Theatre Expansion project was
approved for $375,000 in state
lottery bond funding during the
upcoming biennium.
Cottage Theatre will be ex-
panding its facility to add 50 addi-
tional seats, remodeling all public
spaces and upgrading technical
capabilities.
“We are absolutely thrilled to
receive this strong support from
the state,” said Cottage Theatre
Executive Director Susan Goes.
“Our ‘ACT III’ project will make
a significant economic impact on
our community, and we are ex-
ceedingly grateful to partner with
the State of Oregon to make this
project a reality. We send thanks
to all of the many legislators who
helped get this bill passed, espe-
cially Senator Floyd Prozanski,
who worked throughout several
legislative sessions to secure fund-
ing for this project.”
Cottage Theatre is beginning
work on the remodel this sum-
mer, with planned completion in
2021.
“Originally, we had planned to
do the entire project in 2019,” said
Cottage Theatre Board Treasurer
Mark Allen. “However, this spring
the total project costs unexpect-
edly jumped from $1.5 million a
year ago to $2.5 million due to the
current Lane County construc-
tion environment. So, we will
be implementing the project in
phases while we continue to raise
the needed funds.”
Cottage Theatre, founded in
1982, produces a year-round sea-
son of plays and musicals and
offers summer theatre camps for
children.
A member of the American As-
sociation of Community Theatre
(AACT), Cottage Theatre was
one of just six theatres in the na-
tion selected to give a world pre-
miere as part of the AACT 2018
NewPlayFest. The theatre offers
80 public performances each year
and serves an annual audience of
11,000 patrons. The ACT III ex-
pansion will allow for 4,000 more
patron visits annually.
Additional funding for Cot-
tage Theatre’s remodeling proj-
ect has come from the Oregon
Cultural Trust, Faye & Lucille
Stewart Foundation, Travel Ore-
gon, Autzen Foundation, Cham-
bers Family Foundation, Mildred
Baker Fund, and especially from
individual donors. Cottage The-
atre is selling seat sponsorships to
help raise the necessary funds to
complete the project. More infor-
mation is available from Cottage
Theatre at www.cottagetheatre.
org or by calling 541-942-8001.
The theatre is closed this sum-
mer for the first phase of the ACT
III remodeling. It will reopen and
continue its 2019 season in Octo-
ber with “The Complete Works of
William Shakespeare (abridged)
[Revised],” a zany romp through
37 plays in 97 minutes.
Tickets will go on sale Sept. 11.
Community input being sought for Wildfire Protection Plan update
Do you live in or near a
forested area? Are you con-
cerned about the growing
risk of wildfire?
Do you want a voice in
decisions addressing wild-
fire risk?
Lane County and its
partners want to hear from
you. Lane County, Oregon
Department of Forest-
ry and other partners are
updating the community
wildfire protection plan to
better reflect communities
and resources at risk of
wildfire.
The electronic survey
aims to gather residents’
perceptions of wildfire risk,
what type of help is needed
and ways to fund the work.
Lane County residents in
the wildland-urban inter-
face are encouraged to take
the survey at www.lane-
county.org/fireplan.
Results from the survey
will help local officials bet-
ter prioritize where to put
much of the Pacific North-
west,” said Lane County
Emergency Manager Pa-
tence Winningham. “Most
of Lane County is forest-
ed. The updated plan will
prioritize where work to
reduce wildfire risk should
occur and survey respons-
es will help us understand
how to get the most bang
for our buck.”
The survey will be avail-
able through July and Au-
gust. Residents living in
scarce resources. The ex-
isting community wildfire
protection plan was first
developed in 2005.
That plan identified
which places were most at
risk for wildfire and helped
direct grants and commu-
nity-funded fuel reduction
projects to lower wildfire
risk around homes and
property.
“We continue to expe-
rience hotter, drier and
longer fire seasons across
the wildland-urban inter-
face (typically in unincor-
porated Lane County) are
encouraged to respond to
the online survey.
Printed copies of the
survey are available by
contacting Lane County
Emergency Management
at 541-682-6999.
An updated CWPP is a
requirement for receiving
federal funds to reduce
wildfire risk. A collabo-
rative partnership among
Lane County Emergency
Management, Lane Coun-
ty Land Management Divi-
sion, Oregon Department
of Forestry, Lane County
Fire Defense Board, Ore-
gon State University Exten-
sion Service, the Bureau of
Land Management and the
United States Forest Ser-
vice is working together to
update the plan.
Learn more at www.lan-
ecounty.org/fireplan.
New Life Church gives ‘new life’ to students with college debt
New Life Church of the
Nazarene of Medford raised
and donated $30,000 to
RIP Medical Debt, a char-
ity based in Rye, N.Y., en-
abling the congregation to
free more than 1,200 Ore-
gonians from medical debt.
Historically, as a part of
its commitment to the com-
munity, New Life’s congre-
gation engages in an annu-
al fundraising project that
begins with the Christmas
season and is completed by
Easter. Money raised is then
used to help those most in
need, locally and some-
times farther afield.
New Life’s pastor, Dale
AUGUST 2019 Calendar
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF WEEKLY EVENTS
VISIT THE CALENDAR CHOICES PAGE NEXT
TO THE COMICS PAGE.
1 - THURSDAY
9am Ukulele Morning Jam Cottage Grove Public
Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
1pm Thursday Crafternoon Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
2 – FRIDAY
5pm American Legion BINGO! 826 W. Main Street
For additional info call Jerry Kerns at 541-942-0234
3 - SATURDAY
1pm Saturday Crafternoon Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
10am 41st Annual Jim Wright Memorial Stearman Fly
In Oregon Aviation History Center 2475 Jim Wright
Way, Cottage Grove
4 - SUNDAY
5 – MONDAY
5pm LEGO Club for Big People [ages 13 and up]
Cottage Grove Community Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
6:30pm Bilingual Family Storytime The Axe & Fiddle
657 E Main Street Cottage Grove
6 - TUESDAY
5pm Board Game Tuesdays Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
5pm History Pub (Partners in History) The Axe &
Fiddle 657 E Main Street, Cottage Grove
7 – WEDNESDAY
10:30am Preschool Story Time Cottage Grove Public
Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
2:30pm Lego Club Cottage Grove Public Library 700
E. Gibbs Ave
6:30pm Concerts in the Park – Gumbo Groove
Bohemia Park Amphitheater
8 - THURSDAY
9am Ukulele Morning Jam Cottage Grove Public
Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
1pm Thursday Crafternoon Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
9 – FRIDAY
5pm American Legion BINGO! 826 W. Main Street
For additional info call Jerry Kerns at 541-942-0234
6:30pm Cottage Grove Toast People (future
Schaeffer, learned of RIP’s
work in abolishing medical
debt a few years ago and re-
cently read an article about
a church in North Texas
that partnered with RIP to
abolish $10 million in med-
ical debt.
New Life committed to
this new campaign and set
about raising some $30,000,
directing RIP to use $20,000
of the campaign to locate,
purchase and abolish the
medical debt that was avail-
able on the Oregon market.
Any funds remaining
were used to search for
veteran and military med-
ical debt radiating outward
from Oregon – an addition-
al one million dollars.
Thirty-two of Oregon’s
36 counties had at least
one resident whose med-
ical debt was erased. In
Lane County, 162 residents
owed a total of $346,756 in
medical debt that was in
collections. Each resident
Community Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
5pm The Rotary Club of Cottage Grove’s Village
Uncorked “Havana Nights” The Village Green Resort
725 Row River Road
Toastmasters Group) The Cottage Events Venue, 2915
Row River Rd
10 – SATURDAY
11am Party in the Park/Emergency Preparedness Fair
Coiner Park 1319 E. Main
1pm Saturday Crafternoon Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
18 – SUNDAY
ALL DAY - W.O.E. Family Fair & Lumberjack Show
Western Oregon Exposition Fairgrounds 2000 N.
Douglas
11 - SUNDAY
19 - MONDAY
6:30pm Bilingual Family Storytime Cottage Grove
Public Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
12 - MONDAY
6pm The Lovely Bones (Great American Read Book
Club) Cottage Grove Public Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
6:30pm Bilingual Family Storytime Cottage Grove
Public Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
13 – TUESDAY
5pm Board Game Tuesdays Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
14 - WEDNESDAY
10:30am Preschool Story Time Cottage Grove Public
Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
6:30pm Concerts in the Park – Windy Ridge Bohemia
Park Amphitheater
15 - THURSDAY
9am Ukulele Morning Jam Cottage Grove Public
Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
4pm Bohemia Mining Days Festival Coiner Park
1pm Thursday Crafternoon Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
16 - FRIDAY
8:30 Breakfast Club Cottage Events Venue 2915 Row
River Road. For more information call the Cottage
Grove Area Chamber of Commerce
5pm American Legion BINGO! 826 W. Main Street
For additional info call Jerry Kerns at 541-942-
0234
ALL DAY - W.O.E. Family Fair &
Lumberjack Show Western Oregon Exposition
Fairgrounds 2000 N. Douglas
17 - SATURDAY
ALL DAY - W.O.E. Family Fair &
Lumberjack Show Western Oregon Exposition
Fairgrounds 2000 N. Douglas
9am Coast Fork Community River Project
August Work Party Silk Creek Park located at
Old Mill Pl. & South River Rd., Cottage Grove
(near the Old Mill farm store)
1pm Saturday Crafternoon Cottage Grove
20 - TUESDAY
5pm Board Game Tuesdays Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
7:30pm Third Tuesday Poetry Night at Axe & Fiddle,
hosted by Kalapuya Books at the Axe & Fiddle Public
House 657 E. Main Street
21 - WEDNESDAY
10:30am Preschool Story Time Cottage Grove Public
Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
2:30pm Wrap-Up Party & Stop Motion Film Fest
Cottage Grove Public Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
6:30pm Concerts in the Park – Gabe Schliffer and the
Sugar Pine String Band Bohemia Park Amphitheater
22 – THURSDAY
9am Ukulele Morning Jam Cottage Grove Public
Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
1pm Thursday Crafternoon Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
5:30pm Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce
Business Afterhours
23 – FRIDAY
5pm American Legion BINGO! 826 W. Main Street
Old Mill Farm Store
327 South River Rd. • Cottage Grove
541-942-3042
received a letter from RIP
informing him or her that
their medical debt had been
erased through the dona-
tion of New Life Church
and the charity of RIP Med-
ical Debt.
The average debt per
individual in Oregon was
$1,677.
For additional info call Jerry Kerns at 541-942-0234
24 - SATURDAY
25 - SUNDAY
4pm Carousel Benefi t Concert - Men of S.U.R.F
Calvary Chapel 447 N. Pacifi c Hwy (99)
26 - MONDAY
1:30pm Classic Movie Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
6:30pm Bilingual Family Storytime Cottage Grove
Public Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
27 - TUESDAY
5pm Board Game Tuesdays Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
6:30pm Jazz Jam at The Cottage - The Cottage Events
Venue, 2915 Row River Rd
28- WEDNESDAY
10:30am Preschool Story Time Cottage Grove Public
Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
6:30pm Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Magnolia
Gardens 1425 Daugherty Ave
6:30pm Concerts in the Park – Calvary Creek Bohemia
Park Amphitheater
29 - THURSDAY
1pm Thursday Crafternoon Cottage Grove Community
Center 700 E. Gibbs Ave
9am Ukulele Morning Jam Cottage Grove Public
Library 700 E. Gibbs Ave
30 – FRIDAY
5pm American Legion BINGO! 826 W. Main Street
For additional info call Jerry Kerns at 541-942-0234
31 – SATURDAY
600 Jefferson Ave.
Cottage Grove
(541) 942-3371
www.nwcu.com
319 E. Main St.
Cottage Grove
(541) 942-7423