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:h* * "r - February 1,2012
Beautification Committee celebrates community facelifi
By Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Sweet Home Beautifica-
tion Committee honored Sweet
Home volunteers with a volunteer
appreciation dinner on Jan. 19.
The committee, an all-volun-
teer organization, maintains the
median strips throughout town
solely through volunteer time. It
also maintains numerous other
flowers throughout the city and at
the entrances.
"We couldn't do it without you
guys," Craig Martin, a member of
the committee, told those gathered
at Thursday's dinner at Fir Lawn
Lutheran Church. As city manag-
er, he received a call from "Good
Morning America," which wants
to interview him and Mayor Craig
Fentiman for a segment on small
towns, he said.
The producer told him he
would be talking about what
makes Sweet Home such a special
place to live, Martin said looking
at all of the volunteers gathered
at the dinner. "I really just truly
wish they could just be here right
now. That's what it is about Sweet
Home."
Economic Development Di-
rector Brian Hoffman said that
volunteerism is why he decided to
take his job here.
This group of volunteers does
important work for economic de-
velopment too, Hdffman told the
volunteers. He thought about the
meaning of beautification, what it
is, what comes to mind about it.
It's photo ops, he said. It's
educating the community about
Photos by Sean C. Morgan
Oregon Bill (aka Rod Fielder) of Brownsville describes life as a child growing up in a 1930s logging community.
Gail McCammon, right, presents a $300 check on behalf of the Sweet
Home Garden Club to Alice Grovom, who spearheaded the formation of
the Beautification Committee.
the image it wants to project. It's
hard work.
Around the room, volunteers
said it softens the appearance, it's
stewardship of God's beautiful
world, and it's working with other
folks and making friends.
One volunteer talked about a
friend from Portland who drives
down Main Street before head-
ing back down Long Street to the
volunteer's house when she visits.
There isn't anything like Sweet
Home where she is from, and she
enjoys the pleasant feeling and
colors.
People driving through have
even stopped at The New Era and
asked who they should call to thank
for the work, said Alice Grovom,
who organized the Beautification
Committee several years ago.
"It changed the looks of the
community," Grovom said. "When
we are working out there, they stop
and say thank you."
"Your hard work is really mak-
ing a difference," Hoffman said,
and his list of what beautification
means barely touches the surface
of what the committee and its vol-
unteers do in this community.
It definitely touches on his
work, he said. When helping plan
a tour for the new medical school
staff, he suggested holding off the
tour until the flower baskets were
hanging because they add so much
to Sweet Home's image.
"My decision to come to Sweet
Home was because of the volun-
teerism," Hoffman said. "Things
happen in Sweet Home because
of volunteers. It takes a passionate
person to make a difference. The
Beautification Committee is prob-
ably the best example of it in the
community."
Photos by Scott Swanson
Winter choir performance
Sweet Home's school choirs put on their winter performance Thurs-
day evening, Jan. 26, featuring the largest number of singers in
recent memory. Above, Men's Ensemble members, from left, Sam
Woosley, Cole Thompson and Sean Patton sing "A'Rovin'" while,
at right, the Eighth Grade Choir, led by Director Matthew Clark,
right, basks in applause after "Cantate Hodie t'' To see more concert
photos, visit the Choir photo gallery at sweethomenews.com.
Above, Symphonic Choir members, from left, Faith Harvey, AnneMarie Miller,
Kaitlyn Lucero and Shio Harada sing "Calling My Children Home." At left,
Soundcheck 49, the chamber ensemble, perform. *
