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 | DECEMBER 2, 2021 | $1.00 S entinel Est. 1889 Your Local News Delivered Your Way: In Print. Online. On the Go! VOL. 132, NO. 48 • Get an insurance plan —not just a policy. November Art Walk attracts variety of talent (A6) Carousel holds open house By Damien Sherwood (541) 942-0555 WEATHER Cloudy with a high of 52 and a low tonight of 40 Full forecast on A5 COLUMNIST Mary Ellen Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales A5 SPORTS & REC dsherwood @cgsentinel.com The long-awaited Cottage Grove Carousel passed an- other milestone on Friday (Nov. 26) when it opened its doors for eight hours to the public. “We had an amazing turnout for the open house,” said Friends of the Cottage Grove Carousel President Alice Nowicki. “In fact that was the longest the carousel has ever run. So, it was real- ly great to see that it works so well.” Nowicki estimated be- tween two and three hun- dred people came through the open house event, some even right up to closing time. The event represented a bit of a public stress test for the system, though the car- ousel passed its inspection on April 16 this year. That stamp of approval verified the carousel’s safety as final touches wrapped up. The carousel has been housed in the Cottage Grove Industrial Park in the King Estate warehouse see CAROUSEL on A9 PHOTO BY KENNETH MICHAEL ROBERTS Friends of the Cottage Grove Carousel members Carmen Dowell and Alice Nowicki try the ride for them- selves during the open house event. Gowing announces run for state legislature By Damien Sherwood dsherwood @cgsentinel.com Basketball returns to Douglas County B1 • RECORDS Obituaries Official releases A2 • LORANE NEWS A5 • CLASSIFIEDS Listings and public notices B5-B6 DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL The old Cottage Theatre, prior to remodeling, featured seating which wrapped 180 degrees around the thrust stage. “ACT III” will eliminate seating on the side, but increase capacity by 50 seats. Cottage Theatre announces April return By Damien Sherwood dsherwood @cgsentinel.com follow us for the latest news: /CGSentinel @CGSentinel 541- 942-3325 ph • 541-942-3328 fax P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424 Cottage Theatre has an- nounced it will at last pull back the curtain on its renovation project in April 2022. The project has en- dured several delays, but the theater’s Executive Di- rector Susan Goes said the end is finally in sight. “In terms of construc- tion, we’re pretty confi- dent,” she said. Showing off brand new seats, improved sightlines and better sound quality, the theater will open with “Mama Mia,” which was due for its first Cottage Grove production in spring 2020 until COVID-19 re- strictions shut down oper- ations. If all goes according to plan, the theater will re- open in its 40th year as a local theatrical staple. Cottage Theatre began construction on its “ACT III” remodeling project this spring, an effort that had been ten years in the mak- ing. The theater considers its “ACT I” as occurring in 1998 when its current facili- ty was first built. Next came The Flower Basket and Gift Boutique “A Flower Shop and so much more” Creative Floral Arrangements • Jewelry • Balloons Home Décor • Fine Gifts • Boutique Clothing & Accessories 119 South 6th Street • 541-942-0505 “ACT II” in 2006, which involved the expansion of its lobby and addition of a rehearsal hall. The latest remodel will add 50 seats to the theater’s auditorium and make a va- riety of safety and technical upgrades to enhance audi- ence and participant enjoy- ment. Previously, the audience seats wrapped around 180 degrees of the thrust stage, but the renovation is elim- inating the side seats and reducing the sections from five to three. see THEATRE on A7 Cottage Grove Mayor Jeff Gowing announced on Tuesday (Nov. 30) he is seeking the office of state representative in Oregon House District 12 (HD 12) in the 2022 election. “After support and en- couragement from friends and family, I have decided to officially announce my intent to run,” he stated. Gowing said a main mo- tivator for his decision was his sense of Salem’s loss of focus on rural communities due to a lack of legislators coming from local govern- ments. “I feel the majority of Oregonians are wanting a change in Salem and I feel I will be the change they are looking for,” he said, add- ing that his own approach would include more inter- action with constituents. Regardless of the out- come of next year’s election, Gowing has said this next year will effectively be his last in public office in Cot- tage Grove. Gowing’s bid for HD 12 will coincide with a recent remapping of Oregon’s dis- trict boundaries. On Sept. 27, 2021, the COURTESY PHOTO Cottage Grove Mayor Jeff Gowing state legislature completed the adoption of new con- gressional and legislative redistricting maps for Or- egon with the passage of Senate Bill 881 A and Sen- ate Bill 882. The redistrict- ing inserted a sixth U.S. House district based on the latest census. Governor Kate Brown subsequently signed both measures. The plan has been con- tested mainly by Oregon Republicans, however, with accusations of illegal gerry- mandering. Last week, a five-judge Special Judicial Panel up- held the congressional re- districting plan and the Or- egon Supreme Court had just days previously reject- ed two other challenges. see GOWING on A8 Rotary members are making an impact in our community. Rotary members around the world persevere. No challenge is so big that we can’t make a diff erence. Rotary Club of Co� age Grove 541-554-6946