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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2014)
welcome/opinion august7 2014 Thank You Jamboree Committee! Another Friendship Jamboree and Logging Show weekend has come and gone. From what I heard through- out the weekend and have read on social media following the weekend’s con- clusion, people around the community were very pleased with what they expe- rienced at Jamboree this year. The Jamboree Committee has been meeting throughout the year, work- ing on plans to expand and improve Jamboree. The committee had several goals this year: increase attendance and participation, increase the number and variety of vendors, and provide live en- tertainment and over-all make the event more family friendly. It seems like they succeeded on all fronts. Although sparsely attended at times, the entertainment was, for the most part, top notch. It was almost impossible not to notice the large in- crease in vendors along Bridge and Ad- ams Streets. Activities for kids were on prominent display from the large climb- ing wall to the magic show on Friday evening. And I think everyone noticed the increase in the size of the crowd. All and all it seems like the Jamboree Committee met their goals and provided for a fun and entertaining weekend for our community. All of this would not have hap- pened without the hard work of the nu- merous volunteers who help make Jam- boree happen each year. But this year involved a lot of extra work and several individuals need to be recognized for their outstanding efforts. Ernie Smith was the Chair once again and pulled together a terrific team. A very special thank you should be directed to four individuals who have been involved throughout the year and were just about everywhere, doing everything, during the weekend. Alicia Normand, Jessie Taylor, Randy Carlton and Lance Kem- per did an amazing amount of work on pre-event logistics and planning, adver- tising the event, pre-weekend set up and post-event clean up. Every time there was a need they volunteered. Without these four this weekend would not have happened. Thank you! Another special thank you goes out to Sarah Rumbolz who organized the entertainment and stage this year and did a wonderful job. Sarah was on-hand all weekend making sure the entertainers were taken care of and that the acts all had sound and power. Thank you also to Kim Bernardi who organized the parade and I thought did a great job! Also, to Bill Hawkins who organizes the softball tournament every year and pro- vided sage advice, ideas and encourage- ment to the rest of the committee. And to Kelly and Lindsay Baska and all the other volunteers who have revived and continued the tradition of the Logging Show. Again, without all of you this weekend would not have been the same. A special thank you needs to go out to the families of all involved in the Jamboree Committee. They willingly (and I’m sure unwillingly at times) gave up time with their spouses and partners and their moms and dads, and allowed the committee members to do this vol- unteer work that the rest of us get to enjoy. It’s a big sacrifice and deserves recognition. There were several new events this year. Thanks to Melissa Zavales for stepping up and making the Kid’s Zone a reality this year. To the West- side Cruisers Car Club for helping bring back the Car Show. And to Jack Finzel and Jay Anderson for setting up and running the Heritage Engine Exhibit. There are a lot of other events which take place during Jamboree weekend. I don’t want to miss anyone and it is almost impossible to name ev- eryone by name. Thanks to those who organized and volunteered at the Mo- torcycle Show, the Lawn Mower Races, the Book Sale, the Fishing Derby, the Black Powder Encampment, the Ridge Riders Play Day, the Fire and Rescue Golf Tournament and the 4-H Petting Zoo. Also, a big thank you to Jeff Burch and the City of Vernonia staff who helped out in innumerable ways. And finally a big thank you to Joann Glass and to Jill Hult who most recently served on past Jamboree Committees and who have helped keep Jamboree alive through some of those tough re- cent years. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed and are appreciated. As you can see, Jamboree week- end does not happen by itself. It takes an immense amount of planning, direc- tion, organization and just plain hard work. Almost all of the effort is done by volunteers who give up their time, and to be honest, some blood, sweat and tears, to make the weekend a success. Thank you again to all of you for pulling together and making this Jamboree Weekend one the best in re- cent memory. You are doing great work! Vernonia has hired a new City Administrator, which is good news. The bad news is they also have a problem on their hands. The City has been without a permanent City Administrator for over eight months, since the City Council voted to fire previous Administrator Bill Haack in December of 2013. Council always has a tough decision when they choose a new City Administrator. This time the choice was complicated by who was among the candi- dates. The new hire, Gian Paolo “Paul” Mammone will arrive on September 1 st with an impressive resume and list of credentials. He is upbeat about his new po- sition and seems in tune and suited to dealing with the needs of the community. He does come with some bag- gage as he has held four positions in four communities during the last six years. Vernonia also does not have a good track record in bringing in “outsiders” to be our Publisher and Managing Editor Scott Laird 503-367-0098 scott@vernoniasvoice.com Contributors Steven Leskin Stacey Lynn Gayle Rich-Boxman Michal Smith Natalie Wallace Grant Williams Photography Gayle Rich- Boxman Natalie Wallace Want to advertise? Have an article? Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com One year subscriptions (24 issues) $35 Vernonia’s Voice is published on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. Vernonia’s Voice, LLC PO Box 55 Vernonia, OR 97064 503-367-0098 Scott Laird Editor and Publisher An Opinion: Council Needs to Pull Together By Scott Laird 3 City Administrator. Without going through the long list of recent Administrators who have come and gone, let’s just say this scenario has had mostly mixed results. So the choice of Mammone does raise some eyebrows and opens the door for some questions. Since Haack was fired, Mayor Josette Mitch- ell has unselfishly stepped in to act as Interim City Administrator. Mitchell also filled in as Interim City Administrator when Haack was previously fired and then brought back to the position in 2011. During her time filling the dual roles of Mayor and unpaid City Administrator Mitchell has accomplished a lot. She has organized City Hall and dealt with the day-to-day operations of City business in a way that has not hap- pened in many, many years. She has managed several difficult projects with success and worked on repairing relationships with several city partners. She has been responsive to public issues as well as to the needs of city staff and the many City Committees which advise the City Council on policy. She has been a positive force for the City and has been willing to learn when www.VernoniasVoice.com she has not had the background or training to deal with the specifics the position calls for. Mitchell stepped up and did an excellent job and deserves praise and thanks for her effort on behalf of the citizens of Vernonia. Rather than just hire Mitchell for the full time position of City Administrator the City Council decid- ed they were going to start a full search for candidates to fill the role and they found themselves in a difficult situation. Mitchell declared that she was going to ap- ply. Numerous other candidates applied for the posi- tion, several who submitted excellent qualifications. The Council narrowed the field down to five and ended up interviewing three and were left with a difficult choice between their co-worker on City Council and two candidates they had just met. Mitchell was a known quantity, is a local who knows the community, knows the players, knows the projects and knows the lay of the land in Vernonia. On the flip side she had no previous experience as a City Administrator, except for her time filling in as Interim. She has no specific education or training for the posi- continued on page 13 Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7 Lady’s Night Wed 5-12 Cedar Side Inn “STILL BIKER FRIENDLY” Karaoke Events Every 2nd & Last Friday Taco Tuesday • Specialty hamburgers • Draft beer & mixed drinks • Pool tables & satelite TV • Special live music events • Free Wi-fi Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight • 733 Bridge St, Vernonia Pool Tournament Most Friday Nights from opening until 9pm 3 hardshell or 1 softshell $4.25 Ping Pong Every 2nd & Last Sunday Beer & Kegs to go Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM • 503-429-9999 iheck our Facebook page for daily specials and upcoming events 756 Bridge Street, Vernonia 503-429-5841
