- JQnuQry l ], 2012 COtvlMUNITV OPINION/NEws Page 5
, Jamboree provid than $255,000 in 2011
The Sweet Home Economic
Development Group announced
Monday that the 2011 Oregon
Jamboree provided more
than $255,000 in community
contributions and payments.
SHEDG declined to report a
net profit or loss.
"What we want to focus on
is the Jamboree's impact in the
community given the competitive
environment for music festivals in
the area," said SHEDG President
Kevin Strong.
During 2011, SHEDG
provided $77,529 to help fund
the Sweet Home Economic
Development Office, which assists
local businesses as they grow and
helps make Sweet Home a more
inviting place for business. Strong
said.
It paid $44,732 to School
District 55 for field rental and
shuttle bus services during the
Jamboree.
Local community service
organizations and school parent-
teacher clubs raised $38,181
working as vendors.
SHEDG provided $27,587
to the Sweet Home Active
Revitalization Effort to help support
the downtown building fa9ade
improvements, community events
and mural refurbishment.
High school athletic teams,
music programs and clubs raised
$23.023 from the sale of soft drinks,
water, showers, parking and ice as
well as bottle recycling during the
Jamboree.
SHEDG paid $19,288 to the
city of Sweet Home for police
services and the use of city property
and $6.338 to the Sweet Home
Fire and Ambulance for on-site
paramedics.
Local churches raised some
$6,500 for parking and camping.
Through the Sweet Home
Community Foundation. SHEDG
contributed $12,000 to nonprofit
programs, such as Meals on
Wheels, Sweet Home Emergency
Ministries and the Boys and Girls
Club of Sweet Home.
The Oregon Jamboree has
been a huge community success
story, Strong said.
"Twenty years ago, Sweet
Home residents stepped up to the
plate when the spotted owl and
other environmental concerns were
shutting down local mills," Strong
said. "Rather than give up, they
had a vision for a country music,
camping and fund-raising event to
help diversify the economy.
"Thanks to their work along
with phenomenal volunteer and
fan support, the Jamboree has
become a homerun event for our
community."
In recent years, the Jamboree
has faced new competitive
challenges, Strong said. "We know
that people have a growing number
of entertainment options available
each summer.
"We greatly appreciate fans
choosing to attend the Jamboree
since the event is our nonprofit
organization's only fundraiser.
"At the same time, we realize
most fans attend the Jamboree
because they want to enjoy
sensational entertainment in a
beautiful park-like setting."
Due to the increasingly
competitive environment, Oregon
Jamboree Festival Director Erin
Regrutto Said the Jamboree is
spending more on promotions and
talent to maintain the high-quality
festival that Jamboree fans have
come to expect over the past 20
years.
The downside of having to
spend more on talent and promotion,
she said, is that cash contributions to
the community through the Sweet
Home Community Foundation will
likely be less than in past years.
"We know how important
the Jamboree is to Sweet Home
and all of Linn County, so we are
committed to producing a strong
commumty event that provides
a positive impact throughout the
area," Regrutto said.
The 2012 lineup will be one of
the best ever, Regrutto said. "Guest
response has been outstanding.
With talent including Rascal Flatts.
Dierks Bentley, Chris Young, Neal
McCoy, the Charlie Daniels Band,
Eli Young Band, the Kentucky
Headhunters and Steve Holy
already announced and additional
great performers to be named, the
20th anniversary 2012 Oregon
Jamboree will be one that you will
not want to miss.?
The Jamboree is an annual
three-day country music and
camping festival held on the
south lawn at Sweet Home High
School to raise funds for economic
development projects in Sweet
Home.
The 2012 Jamboree is
scheduled for Aug. 3-5. For more
information or tickets, call 367-
8800 or visit oregonjamboree.com.
From page 1
both of the vacated offices.
Jamboree Manager Erin Re-
grutto said the new facility allows
the Jamboree and Economic Devel-
opment staff members to cut costs
on duplicate functions and utilities.
"We were looking to consoli-
date office space with SHEDG and
the Jamboree for a number of rea-
sons." she said. "It's nice to be able
to split those costs. It gives us a lot
more space and gives staff mem-
bers their own offices to work out
of."
She said that although the
space in both the previous and cur-
rent offices totaled about 3.000
-square feet. the new office complex
also provides both staffs with meet-
ing facilities that were lacking in
their former locations.
"It give us a much more pro-
fessional atmosphere to work in."
Regrutto said. "In our old space it
was difficult to invite people to our
office because we didn't have a lot
of meeting space. Here it's differ-
ent. We can meet in Our own of-
rices or in the conference room
downstairs."
She said the old billboard used
to post performers' names and oth-
er community messages will stay at
the old office because is it owned
by Linn-Benton Community Col-
lege, which formerly occupied the
Long Street building.
"It's exciting," Regrutto said.
"It's certainly an upgrade for us, for
the staff. It's very cost-effective for
us to be together in one space."
From page 4
things they believe are important
enough to invest their time and en-
ergy into. Many of them are retired
and some of them don't have the
energy they used to.
Most of us younger folks are
working hard. trying to make a liv-
ing, trying to get the kids to sports
practice or music lessons, trying
to keep the grass mowed and the
roof fixed, trying to keep our heads
above water. Some have to com-
mute to work. which doesn't make
life easier.
The bottom line. though, is
that commitment is what makes our
world go 'round. in many ways.
Many of the people who understand
that are graying and aren't what they
were five or 10 years ago. It's time
for the younger generation to start
thinking like the man who came to
our counter.
If you believe activities are vi-
tal to a healthy community - festi-
vals and celebrations, youth sports,
clubs, beautification and other com-
munity-betterment projects, these
things don't just happen. People
make them happen.
"What can I contribute to make
Sweet Home a better place to hve.
That's a good question to ask our-
selves as we enter 2012.
LETTERS TO TIIE EDITOR
Great schools,
great teachers
Editor:
I think we have great schools
and people.
I love sports. I'm 9 ½. I used
to go to Hawthorne but now I go to
Oak Heights.
Teachers have gone out of
their way for me. Mrs. Danielson
recently got me NFL Saints divi-
sion game gloves signed and worn
by Pat McQuistan.
Then Mr. A at Hawthorne got
me a poster autographed by Boise
State football players.
Mr. Swanson. my teacher, got
me interested in reading by let-
ting me-borrow sports books and
watched me play b-ball. Then
Mrs. Keesecker watched my foot-
ball and baseball games. Last Mrs.
Clearwaters talked sports with me.
l think we have a great com-
munity and I hope you think so
too.
Joe MaQatish
Sweet Home
From page 1
in the Sweet Home High School
cafeteria. If necessary, it may be
held in the auditorium.
Supt. Don Schrader updated
board members Monday night.
Schrader has formed a study
team. including teachers and
classified staff members, and
they have Visited Coos Bay and
Harrisburg school districts, both
of which have four-day weeks.
They plan to visit Santiam Canyon
School District this week.
The team will begin
compiling reports and discussing
what they learned on Thursday,
Schrader said.
At the upcoming forum.
Schrader plans to present what
the team has-learned about the
four-day week in other districts
and further survey findings. The
district has received another 200
surveys since reporting about it in
December. a total of about 800.
Lisa Gourley, president of
the classified union, presented
petitions with some 650
signatures to the board members.
The petitions urge the board to
reject the four-day week.
The four-day week is an
option for reducing expenditures
by some $400.000 next school
year.
Officials are warning that the
district may need to find up to
$1.9 million by cutting or further
spending of reserve funds.
"What we're trying to do is
meet the needs of our students
with less resources." Schrader
said.
Board members present
Monday night: were Chanz
Keeney, Dale Keene. Chairman
Jason Redick, Mike Reynolds,
David VanDerlip and Jenny
Daniels.
Absent were Mike E. Adams.
Billie Weber and Kevin Burger
were absent.
In other business, the
board:
• Pas sed a resolution that will
allow half of tuition money paid
by Josai University High School
Japanese exchange students to be
used to help pay for transportation
and a coordinator for the summer
program.
The board approved the
proposal last month, but Keeney
said he didn't really understand
that the money was taken from
the general fund. and he voted
against the resolution Monday.
Voting yes were Keene.
Redick. Reynolds. VanDerlip and
Daniels.
He said someone raised
a point in a letter from a staff
member that originally had been
destined for the board members.
Keeney said he had a problem
taking funds out of the general
fund while the district is looking
at cutting programs for its own
students.
The Josai program pays
some $7.300 per student. This
year. there are two.
Normally, Sweet Home
students going to Josai have to
pay to get there, but Josai pays
expenses after they arrive in
Japan. said Principal Pat Stineff.
Josai students pay tuition while
here during the school year. and
they pay for their own expenses
during the summer program.
which lasts two weeks every
other year.
The tuition provides a
coordinator and travel through
this proposal. Stineff said.
The Josai exchange students
pay tuition because the district
does not receive state funding for
them. Strong said.
The district still must pay
the cost of educating them. The
tuition is set by dividing the total
high school budget by the number
of students, Strong said.
"It's a situation where it's
really kind of supporting itself."
Redick said. "If this program
didn't exist at all. we wouldn't
be getting these kids from Josai
at all."
If the exchange students
weren't here paying tuition.
the district isn't going to cut
programs. Schrader said.
"But it does make sense what
Chanz is saying. Our kids cost
money," Schrader said.
Keeney would have preferred
to continue using only 25 percent
of the tuition funds to pay for the
summer program, which serves a
dozen or more Josai students for
two weeks.
The 20-year-old program "is
to promote a cultural exchange
for our students, to see what it's
like in another country," Stineff
said.
• Approved and appropriated
a grant award of $3.000 from a
State Partnership Grant for the
ASPIRE program to be used for
the coordinator's salary.
• Accepted the resignation
of Seth Johnson. Sweet Home
High School alternative education
teacher, effective in March.
Johnson said he needed to resign
for personal reasons.
• Accepted a donation of a
20-inch Craftsman lawnmower
from Warren L. Brekke.
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