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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 2021)
S ERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF C OTTAGE G ROVE , C RESWELL , D ORENA , D RAIN , E LKTON , L ORANE AND Y ONCALLA C ottage G rove THURSDAY EDITION | MARCH 25, 2021 | $1.00 S entinel VOL. 132, NO. 12 • Est. 1889 Your Local News Delivered Your Way: In Print. Online. On the Go! Get an insurance plan —not just a policy. Increased vaccinations, adherence to guidelines credited with lower infection rates for The Sentinel WEATHER Rain with a high of 48 and a low tonight of 34. Full forecast on A5 COLUMNIST Find local Nonprofits and the TV Guide in our C Section Lane, Douglas county risk assessment to shift down Friday By Chantelle Meyer (541) 942-0555 Volunteers Make It Happen On March 23, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced up- dates to county risk levels for the community spread of COVID-19. Lane County will again shift down on Friday, this time into the “lower risk” des- ignation after a steady progres- sion from “extreme” to “mod- erate” risk assessments over the past four weeks. In addition, neighboring Douglas county, which has been in the “extreme risk” category, will drop to “high risk” on Friday. “As we work to open up vaccine eligibility to all Oregonians by May 1, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel get a little brighter.” — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown “This week, we continue to see the majority of counties at lower and moderate risk, and I want to thank Oregonians once again for making smart choic- es throughout this pandemic,” Brown said. Effective March 26 through April 8, there will be only two counties — Coos and Cur- ry counties — in the extreme risk level, six at high risk, 14 at moderate risk and another 14 at designated as lower risk. Under the lower risk desig- nation, more of Lane County will reopen, though still with COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Many activities that were restricted under higher risk lev- els are allowed. This includes increased people capacity and operating hours for several business types. For Douglas County, the high-risk level al- lows all business the oppor- tunity to be open, with some restrictions and limitations on capacity. Note that, as part of the state COVID risk and safety man- dates instituted in December 2020, Senior Centers and Hoo- kah bars are not allowed to op- erate regardless of the risk level in their county. See RISK 9A McCoy’s, City partner for drive-up vaccinations By Damien Sherwood dsherwood@cgsentinel.com Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox A5 SPORTS Lions fall narrowly to Pirates, 16-13 B1 COURTESY PHOTO • RECORDS Obituaries Official releases A2 • LORANE NEWS Three downtown businesses have been approved to add new “streateries” (known previously as “parklets”) as part of a pilot program authorized by the Cottage Grove City Council. Bringing eats to the streets A3 By Damien Sherwood • CLASSIFIEDS dsherwood@cgsentinel.com Listings and public notices B6-B7 follow us for the latest news: /CGSentinel T hough the events of this past year have caused streets to be more thin- ly populated than usual, a new feature coming to Cottage Grove next month may pro- vide a much-needed jolt of vi- tality to Main Street. Three downtown businesses, Bartolotti’s Pizza, Jack Sprats and Axe and Fiddle, have been approved to add “streateries” to their business as part of a pilot study and grant funding has finally allowed construction of the structures to begin. Streateries are extensions of sidewalks into parking spaces and provide a small space for people to dine or relax. The structures are promoted as a cost-effective way to add pub- lic gathering space and attract more businesses and consumer activity to an area. Initially introduced as “par- klets,” a two-year pilot pro- gram was authorized by the council in June last year to ac- cept applications through Nov. 15, 2021 and issue a total of See EATS 8A A weekly drive-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic in the Bohemia Park parking lot launched its fi rst distribution event on Friday (March 19), target- ing residents 65 or older. Th e vaccine clinic will be available every Friday from 10 a.m. to noon until fur- ther notice. “We are really, really wanting people in the com- munity to let those that are in that upper age bracket know that this is an option and an opportunity for them,” said City Manager Richard Meyers. McCoy’s Pharmacy has partnered with the City of Cottage Grove to help make sure members of the community get every opportunity to receive the vaccine. Th e drive-up clinic is op- erating in addition to the vaccine availability at sev- eral local pharmacies. Th e number of doses will be limited, so pre-regis- tration is strongly recom- mended. To register, contact Tere- sa Cowan or Jessica Klarr See CLINICS 3A @CGSentinel 541- 942-3325 ph • 541-942-3328 fax P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424 City Council weighs MUPTE opportunities, concerns By Damien Sherwood dsherwood@cgsentinel.com City councilors ran into their first hitch regarding the Multi- Unit Property Tax Exemption (MUPTE) program on Monday (March 22) while considering two new applications. Councilors and city staff have deliberated over the details of the program this past week in both the regular and agenda sessions. Two applications appeared before the council Monday night, one of which was ap- proved and the other post- poned. The MUPTE program allows new multi-unit housing de- velopments to avoid property taxes on the value of new res- idential construction for up to 10 years, though the property continues to generate taxes See MUPTE 6A Assisted Living & Memory Care Join us for a tour 170 Melton Rd. Creswell, OR • (541) 658-5301 1425 Daugherty Ave, CG 541-942-0054
