Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The City of Sweet Home celebrated the opening of its new City Hall Friday afternoon.
Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Sweet Home residents and visitors poured into the newly renovated former site of the Sweet Home Ranger District for guided tours and a look at displays provided by the Sweet Home Rock and Mineral Society and the East Linn Museum, and art pieces created by local residents.
“I’m excited about the future for our community, and today marks another step closer to that future,” said Mayor Greg Mahler. “Our City Hall serves as the headquarters for our city’s administration and houses the City Council. It serves a critical role in hosting municipal offices and services.”
The vision for the new City Hall began years ago, Mahler said, and it is due in part to past and present city councilors who set money aside with a vision for a new City Hall.
“As our city has grown, so has our need for a more substantial City Hall,” he said. “The new City Hall is centrally located within our incorporated area.”
Total, he said, the project cost approximately $2 million.
“Not only do we now have ample parking space but, more importantly, room to grow,” Mahler said, noting that the new facility has four meeting and training spaces, three of which are available for public use.
“We are proud of our new City Hall and how it embodies our town’s spirit, from the rotating artifact display to the wooden counter tops that were milled from trees pulled out of Foster Reservoir. This is a beautiful way to pay homage to our community’s rich logging history.”
The project was no small feat, Mahler said, and he publicly thanked several people, including retired Finance Director Pat Gray who was instrumental in negotiating the purchase. Among city staff, he thanked current Finance Director Brandon Neish, Public Works Director Greg Springman, Public Works Operations Manager Dominic Valloni, Facilities Crew Lead Kevin Makinson and Staff Engineer Joe Graybill.
“I also want to thank City Councilor Diane Gerson and our local artists for the beautiful art you see on display in the halls, along with Eric Gerson for the impressive foyer display cabinet,” Mahler said. “I want to thank Dustin Nichol for the wooden counter tops he milled.” Nichol teaches wood shop at Sweet Home High School.
“I also want to thank GBC construction for their hard work. It is because of the hard work of everyone involved that we are standing here today. I also extend a sincere thank you to the citizens of Sweet Home for your patience and support.”
Mahler recognized several in attendance, including Sprenger, Sheriff Jim Yon, County Commissioner John Lindsey, County Commissioner Will Tucker, planning consultant John Morgan, the staff of Cascade Timber Consulting, Don Hopkins of the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District Board of Directors, former Mayor Tim McQueary, former Mayor Jim Gourley, former Mayor Dave Holley, City Manager Ray Towry, Councilor Susan Coleman, Councilor James Goble, Councilor Dave Trask, Councilor Gerson and Councilor Lisa Gourley.
“I’m thinking back to the Christmas event, how that bubbled up,” said state Rep. Sherrie Sprenger. “This is just a continuation of that. This is a growth of the unity in this community that has been welling up.”
Among visitors was Brigette Harrington of Hillsboro, the 9-year-old who wrote the poem “My Oregon” that resulted in her selection by the governor to travel to Washington, D.C., in December to turn on the Capitol Christmas tree lights with then-House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Brigette said she had her poem illustrated and made into a children’s book, and she dedicated the book to the Willamette National Forest and to the City of Sweet Home. She presented four copies to Mahler, two for City Hall and two for the city library. She followed the ceremony by signing copies of her book at Sweet Things Boutique, 3035 Hwy. 20.
The new City Hall is serving as a local art gallery with dozens of two-dimensional art pieces hanging in the public halls and council chamber.
SHOCASE, a group of residents and artists dedicated to bringing art, all forms of art, into the community was able to develop an art show with the support of the city and Sherri Gregory Home Team and SHOCASE’s Public Arts Committee, Gerson said. The committee wanted City Hall to represent the past with the museum’s display, the present with local artists and the future with the new building.
The art will remain on display until December, Gerson said. The next exhibit will feature student art and be on display until April. After that, City Hall will display quilting and needlework.
The committee received 75 entries from 29 artists. The pieces were juried, and approximately 50 were displayed.
“Diane’s done a great job with this art display,” Mahler said. “Kudos to her.”
“It builds a good foundation,” said Chris Chapman, a member of the Public Arts Committee, said of the quality of the art submitted. “It creates an expectation, which is good.”
“I love this,” said local painter Don Ross of the building. The building and décor create a “homey” feeling, he observed.
“This is just absolutely awesome. What an opportunity to share with local artists a place to present their artwork.”
“This is a real success,” said Ken Collins, a member of the SHOCASE Board of Directors. “I’m impressed with it.”
“Very, very pleased, the different media of the two-dimensional art is really impressive,” said Towry. “The art is really impressive. We really hope this is a start of helping local artists to be seen in our community and drawing out that talent.”
Inside the display, built by Eric Gerson, Diane’s son, were Sweet Home area rocks and petrified wood presented by Robert Rosé, Joe Start, Ed Anderson, Cathee Bethel, Joe Cota, Richard Holtz and Dee David.
“I think it’s perfect,” said Rosé, a retired geologist who lives locally.
“It’s part of Sweet Home. Petrified wood has been known here for 150 years. It’s nice to be able to show people what’s available in Sweet Home.”
The exhibit will remain on display in the lobby until December, Rosé said.
“We’re going to have a rotating display,” said Terri Lanini, a member of the East Linn Museum Board of Directors. With a large collection of its own, the museum will join in the quilt display next year.
The current display is a general collection from the museum, Lanini said, to give visitors an idea what’s at the museum.
Lupe Wilson, retired from the Forest Service, explored the building, reminiscing about who sat where and which rooms were where.
“This is weird, coming in here,” Wilson said. “I’ve got 20 years of my life here.”
She worked in the building from 1986 when the Ranger District moved into the new building until 2006 when it moved down the street, into what used to be the district’s headquarters before they moved to the larger facility.
“I think it’s nice,” Wilson said; and, noting high lease payments for the building when it was used by the Forest Service, “the city got a better deal than we ever got.”