Sean C. Morgan
From parade to pole climbing, Sportsman’s Holiday turns out to be a pretty smooth shindig.
Punctuated by “shootouts” during the Grand Parade and a spectacular Saturday evening fireworks show, Sportsman’s Holiday unfolded without a hitch last weekend.
Newly crowned Sportsman’s Holiday Queen Isabelle Stratman opened the annual festivities Friday evening following a spirited western-themed Chips ’n’ Splinters variety show.
Sweet Home cheerleaders won the grand sweepstakes award in the annual parade Saturday morning, which was enlivened by gunfighter-themed entries by CH2M Hill and A&W’s Cheese Curd Corral.
CTS, Inc. won the team relay event at the annual Logger Olympics with a time of 1:31.85, the fastest of three teams that beat 2013 champion McCollum Logging’s time last year.
Hot weather turned hotter Saturday afternoon, reaching at least 96 degrees as working loggers competed and then made room for the second annual tractor pull, featuring garden tractors pulling an ever-increasing weight as far as they could along a track at the Events Center.
Several bazaars, including East Linn Museum, the Singing Christmas Tree’s Arts and Crafts Fair and a sale by the Fair Share Gleaners, kept local residents busy shopping.
Events kicked off Thursday night with the SHARC Showdown talent contest, a fund-raising event for the Sweet Home Auditorium Remodel Committee.
Brandi Vinson placed first in the SHARC Showdown tonight. She won a pair of weekend passes to the Oregon Jamboree and Guitars Under the Stars. Placing second was the band Evergreen, with Brady Severns, Spencer Knight and Gavin Redick, winning four passes to Guitars Under the Stars. Third place went to Markus Thedford, winning a pair of passes to Guitars Under the Stars.
Jacquline Ohmer won the People’s Choice based on unlimited voting, winning a pair of passes to Guitars Under the Stars, dinner at The Point Restaurant and video rentals from American Family Video.
The event raised more than $550 toward the Sweet Home Auditorium Committee’s project to repair and improve the Sweet Home High School Auditorium.
Friday, the annual Chips ‘n’ Splinters show featured a western theme and country music from local performers, including Vinson, Thedford, Ohmer, Michelle Swett, Cathy Cheshire and Paul Rowton. Coronation followed performances, prepared speeches and an impromptu question.
Judges included retired Police Chief Bob and retired Spanish teacher Cynde Burford, District Attorney Doug Marteen, junior high cheer coach Kayla Rosa and former Miss Oregon International Ashley Minaise.
Last year’s Queen Brittany Poteet crowned Stratman.
“I didn’t expect it,” Stratman said. “I was kind of like, wait, they just said my name!”
She is looking forward to serving as a role model, maybe even changing the lives of people she meets, she said. She hopes to set a positive example to others.
She thought the competition was close, she said. “I think they’re great. I think we were all pretty equal for everything. I think everybody did well.”
Her impromptu question was what she thought was the most important characteristic for a Sportsman’s Holiday queen. She said it was optimism, “so she can show people she won’t bring them down and will be there to lift them up.”
“I’m happy for her,” Poteet said after she transferred her title to Stratman. “She’s really nice.
“Last year was a lot of fun and a wonderful experience. I really liked when we were out in public. I really liked seeing he little kids, and they’d run up to us and ask if we were real princesses.”
Lilly Parker was named First Princess by the judges and Miss Congeniality by the members of the court.
“I feel excited because my best friend is queen,” said Parker, who led in raffle sales among the princesses. “It was fun. It was stressful, but it was fun. I like it better than being queen. It’s really amazing.”
Miss Congeniality is selected by her peers on the court, she said, and that means even more to her than what adult judges might think.
The court finished the evening visiting with family, friends and the public in the Husky Den, which provided frozen yogurt and brownies from The Point Restaurant.
In other Sportsman’s Holiday activities, finishing second in the Logger Olympics was Timber Harvest, Inc.; Rice Logging, South, third; Rick McKay Corporation Two, fourth; Rick McKay Corporation One, fifth; Rice Logging, North, sixth; and McCollum Logging, seventh. Other Loggers Olympics winners, and their photos, will be published in next week’s The New Era.
Arlene Paschen was named parade grand marshal.
Parade chairwoman Debbie Walvatne said that “Pashchen does a lot for our community.”
In addition to beautification, she also is in charge of the Living Nativity at Christmas time and helps with the bazaars.
“I had a good time,” Paschen said. “I hope I was able to stimulate people to volunteer to keep Sweet Home beautiful.”
Her biggest passion is the beautification effort. That’s why she was in her vest, gardening clothes and hat carrying gardening tools.
“I’m very honored that they should even ask me to be grand marshal,” Paschen said. She thinks all of the beautification volunteers who help her should have been there with her.
Paschen has lived in Sweet Home for six years. She has been involved in the Beautification Committee for five and was involved with the committee’s Arts and Crafts show during the Jamboree for four years.
The parade had 40 entries, Walvatne said. “I think it went over wonderfully. I’ve heard from many people it was the best we’ve had in awhile.”
Following are parade awards:
– Judge’s Choice Award: Ted Hufford Logging.
– Equestrian: Lone Ranger and Annie Oakley, first.
– Church-Affiliated: Sweet Home Evangelical Church, first; Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, second.
– Large Business: CH2M Hill, first; Keller Williams, the Gregory Team, second; Timberline Logging, third.
– Small Business: A&W, first; Cedar Shack, second; Growing Family Birth Center, third.
– Royalty Courts: Santiam Sweet Potato Queens, first; Sportsman’s Holiday Court, second; Lebanon; Strawberry Festival Court, third.
– Commercial Vehicles: Safeway, first; Ted Hufford Logging, second; Timber Tech, Inc., third.
– Youth Groups: Sweet Home Cheer, first; Linn County-Sweet Home Girl Scouts, second; Vertex Athletics Cheer, third.
– Fraternal/Nonprofit: Oregon Jamboree, first; Sweet Home AmVets, second; CARDV, third.
– Pre-1970 Vehicles: Roy Carpenter, first; Two Dam Bagel Company, second.
– Post-1970 Vehicles: Outside Initiated 67 CJ-5 Jeep Raffle, first.