Scott Swanson
Memorial Day kicked off what’s shaping up to be a very active summer for Sweet Home, as the city, the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations have a lot of things planned – many of them brand new.
Although we haven’t reported on all of these in any detail yet, we will. But meanwhile, it’s encouraging to look ahead and see a calendar filling up. More on that in a moment.
As reported on page 7, the Oregon Jamboree’s Tune It Up Tuesdays is returning for the third year, with free concerts on Tuesday evenings through the month of June, along with plenty of food and drink.
Then, on Saturday, the Chamber of Commerce is holding Volunteer Faire at Sankey Park (see page 6), which is intended to provide opportunities for local residents to find ways to get involved in the community.
As we’ve noted on this page in the past, one of the most noticeable characteristics of Sweet Home for most newcomers has been the preponderance of volunteerism. But in recent months we’ve heard that many local organizations – the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District, SHEM, the museum, parade organizers, the Jamboree, have all found themselves uncharacteristically short of help, trying to make something happen with less. Volunteers that remain active are aging and there’s a big need for younger people to get involved.
This isn’t news to anyone involved in public life, but in our post-COVID world, people seem less inclined to reach out in that way.
Which is too bad, considering that volunteer activity could be a very real antidote for those post-pandemic blues. Volunteering can provide self-confidence, self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment as we do good things for others and our community.
It’s no secret that volunteerism improves health, teaches life skills and can lead to building quality relationships with other people of similar interests.
This Sankey Park event is an effort to rekindle some of that volunteer spirit. Why not check it out?
There are plenty of other events coming down the pike: the June 16 kickoff to the summer Movies in the Park series at Sankey Park (“Lyle, Lyle Crocodile”), the June 17 community yard sale, the Jim Bean Safety Fair – also on June 17, the Sweet Home Sweet Ride Car Show on June 24.
All of these represent opportunities not only to have some fun but to connect with what’s going on around us and understand our community better – and hopefully grow in our appreciation for it. We’re hoping residents can tear themselves away from whatever occupies them and participate.
A lot of us developed habits during COVID that aren’t so great. These events, and others that are being planned, can be a really great antidote for all the bad things we’ve experienced.
Over time our staff has heard many complaints (including some from our own mouths) about the lack of progress we see – the inability to get past inertia and accomplish the same things that people were talking about 20, 30 years ago. (We know because we see reports of those meetings, those initiatives, in our archives.)
Well, things are happening. There’s a move afoot to brighten up the downtown. There’s an effort to put Quarry Park to use for dry camping. There are naysayers, but trying things is better than sitting around, sucking our thumbs and watching the tourists fly by on their way to their campsites.
New businesses are sprouting up in Sweet Home. We have a big-time Icebox barbecue event coming in a month to Radiator Supply House that is helping to put our name on the map in a positive way – just like the Oregon Jamboree, which follows a month after that, has for 30 years.
Yes, we understand that some of this is uncomfortable. Yes, some of it means change, adapting to new circumstances.
But there comes a point where talk is cheap and we’re actually well past that point in many citizens’ minds. They’re looking for action – and they’re starting to get some.