COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2020 | 3A
Community News
Cottage Theatre holds new script contest for summer youth production
Jan. 31 is the deadline
for local writers to sub-
mit entries to Cottage
Theatre’s first new script
contest.
The theatre is seeking
a playwright collaborator
to help craft its 2020 sum-
mer youth production.
For more than a de-
cade, Cottage Theatre has
provided a unique oppor-
tunity for local youth to
participate in a summer
theatre camp where they
learn singing, dancing
and acting.
This has been accom-
plished through tech-
nique classes, where
students learn the craft
of those three major ele-
ments of theatre, coupled
with producing a full-
length production with
lights, costumes, props,
etc.
Since 2007, Cottage
Theatre’s summer youth
production has been an
original melodrama writ-
ten by Cottage Grove res-
ident Keith Kessler.
But since Kessler is di-
recting both “Arsenic and
Old Lace” and “Elf: The
Musical” for Cottage The-
atre in 2020, it seemed like
the perfect opportunity to
let others take a crack at
writing an original script
for CT’s talented 12- to
14-year-old performers.
Scripts are to be ap-
proximately 40-50 pages,
with roles for 25 young
actors.
Additional details and
submission requirements
can be found on the the-
atre’s website at www.
cottagetheatre.org/new-
script-contest or by call-
ing 541-942-8001.
The winning play-
wright will receive an
honorarium of $500 as
well as tickets to the July
2020 production.
New local weight-loss group to host open house today at Methodist Church
TOPS Club, Inc. (Take
Off Pounds Sensibly5M),
the nonprofit weight-loss
support
organization,
will hold an Open House
Thursday, Jan. 2, from 10
to 11 a.m., at the United
Methodist Church, 334
Washington St.
The Open House is free
and open to the public.
Activities at the open
house will include two
inspirational guest speak-
ers; the reigning Oregon
State Queen and a former
State Queen. There will
also be door prizes.
Founded more than
70 years ago, TOPS is
the only nonprofit, non-
commercial weight loss
organization of its kind.
TOPS offers an individu-
al approach to weight loss
and overall wellness, with
thousands of chapters in
the U.S. and Canada.
Members learn about
nutrition, portion con-
trol, meal planning, exer-
cise and more at weekly
meetings.
Consistent group sup-
port, health education
and recognition are all
key components to suc-
cessful weight manage-
ment. TOPS members
collectively lose nearly
300 tons of weight each
year.
For more details about
the open house, contact
Joanne Farris at 541-649-
1530.
Second phase of four-phase statewide gas tax now in effect under HB 2017
The second of four
planned increases in
the gas tax went into ef-
fect Jan. 1, 2020.
The increase is part
of House Bill 2017, the
“Keep Oregon Moving”
legislation passed by
the Oregon Legislature
in 2017.
Gas Tax Increase
Schedule:
• $.04 - Jan. 1, 2018
• $.02 – Jan. 1, 2020
• $.02 – Jan. 1, 2022
• $.02 – Jan. 1, 2024
The total after all four
phases will be.10 cents
by 2024.
For the first time, Or-
egon lawmakers set re-
quirements that ODOT
and Oregon cities and
counties must meet
in order to trigger the
increase. The Oregon
Transportation Com-
mission sent the Leg-
islature a report out-
lining how ODOT and
local governments have
met those requirements
on Nov. 26, 2019.
Two more 2-cent gas
tax increases in 2022
and 2024 are also on
deck — but only if
ODOT meets addition-
al accountability re-
quirements.
Requirements met
I-205 Projects
The gas tax increase
was tied to ODOT
completing two specific
projects to help address
congestion on I-205.
• I-205 Corridor
Bottleneck ($15.5M).
ODOT paved portions
of I-205 and construct-
ed new lanes between
interchanges in the
Sunnybrook and John-
son Creek areas to im-
prove safety and reduce
congestion.
• I-205 Active Traffic
Management ($15.2M).
ODOT installed sig-
nage giving motorists
real-time information
about travel times.
Road & Bridge Condi-
tion Reports
ODOT worked with
Oregon cities and
counties to produce a
website detailing the
condition of the major
roads and all Oregon
bridges. The site grades
the major roads in and
through communities
as good, fair or poor
so people can see what
they’re getting for their
increased taxes.
How the money will
be spent
Of the nearly $60 mil-
lion this increase will
raise, 20 percent goes
to Oregon counties, 30
percent to Oregon cit-
ies and 50 percent to
ODOT. ODOT will use
its share ($27.9M) of
the funds for:
• Highway mainte-
nance ($1.7M)
• Bridge projects
($11.2M)
• Seismic projects
($8.4M)
•
Preservation
and culvert projects
($6.7M)
“Accountability en-
sures that our state and
local
transportation
agencies are spending
taxpayer dollars wisely,”
said Governor Brown.
“In this report, Orego-
nians can see exactly
how we are building a
transportation system
that supports economic
development, reduces
congestion and related
vehicle emissions, and
creates more sustain-
able, livable communi-
ties,” Brown said.
“The
Commission
is proud of the excel-
lent work ODOT has
done to date to imple-
ment the 2017 trans-
portation legislation,”
noted Oregon Trans-
portation Commission
Chairman, Robert Van
Brocklin. “The addi-
tional funding that we
will see beginning next
January as a result of
ODOT’s work will al-
low us to make import-
ant new investments,
including projects to
reduce Portland area
traffic congestion.
It will also allow us to
build new and preserve
existing transportation
investments in every
region of the state.
“We look forward to
continuing the work we
have been charged with
undertaking to keep
Oregon moving.”
This first increase
would raise the Oregon
gas tax from 34 to 36
cents a gallon. The fed-
eral tax is 18.4 cents a
gallon. Oregon’s coun-
ties and cities are al-
lowed to add their own
local gas tax as well.
At full implementa-
tion in 2024, Oregon’s
gas tax will be 40 cents a
gallon, still less than the
gas tax in either Wash-
ington or California.
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