Page 6
July 2024
Community Pages
Drain City Wide Yard Sale August 10th?
Story by Rusty Savage
By all appearances the Drain City
wide Yard Sale is a go for August 10th
2024. This was announced by Drain’s
Mayor Erin Sparhawk last month. At the
Drain city council meeting on June 10th, it
was determined that the Anna Drain Park
would be opened up for yard sale spaces
and some plans were to be made later for
the logistics and oversight for the setting
up and monitoring of the yard sale and for
locating the personnel who could facilitate
and help make it happen safely and without
liability to the city of Drain.
Mayor Sparhawk was approached a couple
of days after that council meeting and then
stated that she was no longer in charge of
the Yard sale and the council person Katie
Decker would take the helm from that
point.
Since the initial announcements there
have been no further word on the status
and searching the usual online groups
for the area and bulletin boards, has
not yielded any additional information.
Questions directed to the Herald regarding
information and status have been left
hanging at this point. It appears that a
point person is needed to communicate
and inform the public of any details, plans
or intentions for those who wish to be
involved with this traditional city wide
event.
In past years the City Wide Yard Sale
was planned, setup and organized by a
few dedicated citizens who ran the event
for many years. It was unfortunate that
those few hard working folks were unable
to continue year after year without some
Looking for Information
new blood to share their workload on this
worthwhile event. It has, at times, been
a great and a really positive event and
benefit to the local community.
The announcement that it was back
on created a renewed anticipation that the
event would be revived with a new vigor.
Hopefully there is some planning and
effort going on, albeit there isn’t much sign
of that at this point. If there is, it would be
ideal if that information would be passed
onto the public.
Editor’s note: At the end of the June council
meeting I offered to assist in any way that
I can, on the Herald’s behalf, especially to
inform and invite the public regarding the
rules and arrangements of the yard sale
and any other help I can offer. After Erin
informed me that Katie Decker was taking
over, I again offered my help and gave her
my contact info to pass on to Katie and she
informed me that she did. Still having had
no contact or otherwise getting any more
information, the Herald recently reached
out to Katie’s official email and there is
still no word. It would be great news to
find out that much is being done behind
the scenes in preparation and that we are
soon to be surprised with a well organized
event being revealed. There certainly has
been enough time to gather volunteers and
figure out the needed details. It would be a
shame to have been given the impression of
the revival of this event, only to see it peter
out. Please, let’s see some initiative and
communication from the planners.
North Douglas Herald
North Douglas Fair 2024
Continued from Front Page
contests, Cornhole games, a Gospel
hour with Shawna, Music by Joe Ross
and Friends and the Cebastion Layne
band and even Karaoke of the Stars.
Performances also include 2 Magic
shows and art classes and an Art Car
competition and a pie eating contest. Of
course there are exhibitor competions
for folks to show off their Food, Baking,
Craft and lots of categories of entry.
Check out all of the classes and consider
your own entry. All of the many classes
are listed on Pages 3 and 7.
There is still time to make your
preparations for the Fair and there are
still many volunteer and coordinator
positions to fill so please consider helping
out. According to Myndee Ferrill, Fair
Board Vice President, “ Our volunteers
are amazing!So much done by so few
and we are beyond grateful for their
dedication and hard work. We still have
a need. Openings at current positions
and some coming up in the next year.
We will need a Secretary, Coordinator
Director, and Outdoor Director, for the
Fair to Continue another year. We also
need a Car Show Coordinator, Fair
booth Coordinator, Ad Sales/Merchant
Raffle Coordinator, Media Coordinator,
Premium Book Coordinator, and Animal
Coordinator. Please Visit our Fair
Board Booth to Sign Up or Get Further
Information on Volunteering.”
Myndee went on to say, “Thanks to
all of our Fair Sponsors, we cant do this
without them.”
Check out the North Douglas Herald
centerfold for the list of Fair Sponsors,
and below are the dedicated hard working
folks behind this wonderful event.
Event Coordinators
Pie Aucon Coordinator: Dolores
Booher
Ice Cream Parlor: Trinity Atkins
Entertainment Coordinator: Shon Beer
Cornhole Tournament Coordinator:
LaNae Nelson
Gospel Hour Coordinator: Shawna Dicks
Logging Museum:
Lumberjack
Games
Coordinator:
Blomberg Logging
Art Car &Fire S ow Coordinator: Ame
Beard
Vendor Coordinator: Ame Beard
Ad Sales Coordinator:
Merchant Raffle Coordinator: Jenny
Duke
Archery Coordinator: Kim Cooper
Resident Clown: Reese Kersteter
Other Regular Volunteers: Dominic
Bradford & Family, Carrie Davis, Kae
Fitzpatrick, Shawn, Erin and Jaydin
Sparhawk, George Dicks
Director Board
Indoor Director: Dorothy Cooper
Assisted by Sue LaGrander
Outdoor Director: Marvin Atkins
Coordinator Director:
Execuve Board
President: Nathan Smith
Vice President: Myndee Ferrill
Secretary: Trinity Atkins
Treasurer: Jim Beard
Douglas County Public
Works to Begin Summer
Road Work
Douglas County, OR – With summer season
officially underway, the Douglas County Public
Water (DCPW), Operations and Maintenance
Division wanted to remind residents that
they have begun work on our annual
paving, striping and chip sealing programs
on roadways throughout Douglas County.
The work is scheduled to continue through
mid-September. As with any road project,
unforeseen delays due to weather, equipment
and material availability could possibly extend
the anticipated project timelines.
VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED AT
THE
ND COUNTY
FAIR
The North Douglas County Fair is
approaching fast and there is still a need
for volunteers of every persuasion. From
coordinators, help staff and all sorts of
positions to facilitate a safe, efficient and
eventful time will be held by the large
audience expected for this traditional
gathering of local and visitors from far
and wide. C’mon and be an important
part of this North County celebration
of entertainment, games contests and
exhibits. If you are inclined to be part of
something big, contact the North Douglas
Fair via Facebook or email to northdougla
scountyfair@gmail.com. Even if you wait
until fair time, all you have to do is go to
the Fair Booth and volunteer your time,
you will be directed to a needed position.
The Fair looks forward and appreciates
your participation.
2026 Tax Kicker at Risk
Oregon economists offered caution recently
that a financial rough patch could be on the
horizon, but that might not be enough to hold off
yet another “kicker” tax refund in two years.
Less than a year after lawmakers passed a
two-year budget, state economists once again
say they might have underestimated how much
the state would collect in personal income taxes
and other revenues.
State Economist Mark McMullen told
lawmakers that could mean Oregon will send
$582 million back to taxpayers in 2026, in what
would be the state’s sixth consecutive kicker
refund. The unique law refunds income tax
payments that come in at least 2% higher than
what lawmakers budgeted for.
“It’s far from a sure thing, because we have
another tax season to go,” McMullen said.
When general fund and lottery revenues are
combined, economists predict Oregon will reap
$1.7 billion more in the current two-year budget
cycle than expected when lawmakers set their
budget last year.
McMullen told lawmakers that high interest
rates meant to cool inflation could lead to the
“soft landing” federal policymakers have hoped
for. But the longer that interest rates remain
high, he noted, the larger the possibility they
trigger a downturn.