Editor:
The deterioration of the Sweet Home High School tennis courts has been a topic of discussion in recent weeks. There have been news articles, School Board meetings, and letters to the editor. I must take issue with the negative tone and questioning of SHEDG’s effectiveness, credibility, & motivation expressed in two recent letters to the editor (from Kenneth England on Oct 24 and Susan Kinney on Oct. 31).
Community members certainly have the right to voice an opinion regarding the courts and possible solutions. The type of unproductive criticism expressed in these letters is beyond the issue, unfounded and unfair.
SHEDG and the school district enjoy a positive and productive relationship. This will continue regardless of the outcome of the tennis court debate.
The Sweet Home Economic Development Group (SHEDG) is a 501C-4 non-profit volunteer organization. SHEDG’s mission is economic and community development in Sweet Home. The members of the SHEDG board and its committees are local citizens donating countless hours of time because they are committed to making a difference in their community. They are not paid. There are no perks. SHEDG receives no public funds.
Economic development has a broad agenda. It includes community development, business support, beautification, revitalization, marketing, charitable grants, tourism, and much more. It is about supporting projects that enable growth, expansion, build community resources and create jobs. It is not the exclusive job of one group.
Economic development is the shared responsibility of the business community, community leaders, and citizens who want to improve the quality of life and expand opportunities in Sweet Home. SHEDG’s programs support this objective.
Sweet Home Community Foundation Grants – $100,000 in SHEDG direct cash donations since 2002.
The Community Foundation grant program reaches out to fund charitable causes in Sweet Home. Applicants must be 501C-3 non-profit organizations. These annually distributed grants range from $250 to $2,500 each.
Past recipients include Little Promises, Senior Meals, Sweet Home Schools, The Boys & Girls Club, city of Sweet Home, The Rotary Club, The Kiwanis Club, South Santiam Watershed Council, Hawthorne School, Sweet Home United Methodist Church, Meals on Wheels, Sweet Home Gleaners, Samaritan Health Services, Sweet Home Genealogical Society, Sweet Home Pregnancy Center, and many others.
Downtown Revitalization – $85,800 in SHEDG direct cash donations since 2002.
Revitalization is supporting multiple projects to create an attractive retail environment. People are more inclined to stop, shop and return to places that look good. When selling a home you know that first impressions are very important. This applies to downtowns too. It is outside the scope of one or two businesses to accomplish. It requires a broad effort to be effective.
SHEDG has funded many revitalization projects including the Main Street median strip, repair of the Weddle Bridge, Shea Point Wayside, murals, downtown welcome banners, museum sculpture, downtown holiday decorations, the 12th Ave seating project, and the Scenic Byway Kiosk. Small business grants for sign-age and façade improvements have helped Sunshine Espresso, American Barbershop, L&S Bookkeeping, Rio Theater, Periwinkle Provisions, Levis’s Place, Rogers’ Floral, Unified Insurance, Cutloose, Friends of the Library, Steelhead Fitness, Dr. Hartman, Mollie’s Bakery, McCammon Furniture and many others.
Revitalization is about fostering a dynamic business environment. It is also about community pride.
Marketing – $20,000 in SHEDG direct cash donations since 2002.
Promotion and marketing is another important piece of economic development. It entails providing information to prospective new residents & businesses. It also includes outreach to travelers and. tourists. It is done with advertising, websites, brochures, etc. SHEDG funded the “Welcome to Sweet Home” brochure, the Chamber and SHEDG Web sites. In addition, SHEDG job-shares an administrative staff person with the Chamber of Commerce.
Tourism and Special Event – Tourism brings outside dollars into town, and special events drive tourism. SHEDG currently produces three events, the Sweet Home Rodeo, The Sweet Home Arts and Crafts Festival and The Oregon Jamboree.
This year the arts festival earned nearly $6,000, which will fund downtown beautification projects. The Rodeo is a traditional Sweet Home event that attracts hundreds of visitors. In 2006, SHEDG paid $5,000 to settle outstanding debts from the 2005 event.
Since then SHEDG and the Rodeo Committee have worked together to increase attendance and balance the event budget. The 2007 Rodeo landed soundly in the black for first time in several years.
This year SHEDG also funded the Sportsman’s Holiday Fireworks ($5,000). In addition to fund raising and tourism, special events also provide entertainment and cultural opportunities for local residents. They build community resources, foster volunteerism and are a source of community pride.
The Oregon Jamboree – Benefits provided by the Jamboree are many and substantial.
The tourism impacts are clear. On festival weekend 4,000-5,000 campers roll into town to attend. Fund-raising opportunities are significant for local groups including the Boys and Girls Club, the Rotary, Kiwanis, and the Senior Center. Sweet Home Schools earn nearly $40,000 yearly through rent and their Jamboree-related concessions.
The Jamboree donates thousands of dollars in tickets to local schools and non-profits for auctions and fund-raising events. Each year the festival pays thousands of dollars to the city in occupancy taxes ($5,200 in ’07). An economic impact study commissioned in 2001 reported that festival related spending generated $1.2 million into the local economy in that year alone. This number has certainly increased with the growth of the festival.
Festival attendance has grown by 40 percent since 2001. The festival also employs a multi-state marketing plan advertising Sweet Home in Oregon, Washington, and California.
The Jamboree is the primary funding engine for all of SHEDG’s projects. It is clear that SHEDG’s success is linked directly to the continuing success of the Jamboree. The Jamboree operates in a highly competitive and risky industry. Most of the festival’s competitors are well-funded private corporations. Among these are casinos, Live Nation, and venues such as the Rose Garden.
Next year the Jamboree will commit to over $700,000 in liabilities for talent and production alone. These contracts will come due regardless of whether 2,000 or 10,000 tickets are sold. Currently, SHEDG has a substantial cash reserve to ensure against a complete rainout, natural disaster or other catastrophic event. Such an event could result in a huge financial loss in a single year. In past years, the Jamboree had no such fund, and one bad year could be the end of the show. This nearly happened in 1995 and 1998.
Unforeseen disaster is not the only threat to the future vitality of the Jamboree. Trends in the entertainment industry dictate the need for increased capacity to keep up with the sharply rising cost of talent.
SHEDG/Jamboree has looked carefully at this and has concluded that property acquisition will be required to stay competitive in the future. SHEDG has a plan for this and is prepared to act when the appropriate opportunity is available. This will require a substantial cash investment.
A new Jamboree home will create many challenges both financially and operationally. It will also open the doors to many new opportunities for additional events, concerts, economic development, job creation, and tourism in Sweet Home.
SHEDG is making a difference in Sweet Home. To suggest otherwise is simply false.
Since 2003, SHEDG has expended over $200,000 in direct support of its programs. Clearly, one organization does not have the resources to do it alone. This is why the SHEDG Board prefers to require matching funds to enable specific projects. Then the project receives twice the bang for the buck. Therefore, this $200,000 has leveraged a much greater total investment.
This number does not take into account the immense amount of professional time donated by volunteers, including board members, in support of these projects. SHEDG has made a big difference in this community, and it will continue to take a leadership role in Sweet Home economic development.
It is the task of the Board of Directors to determine which projects to fund, and the best way to support the mission. One certain thing is that all of SHEDG/Jamboree funds will support community development.
All of this has only been made possible through the generous efforts of hundreds of volunteers including dozens of Oregon Jamboree committees, the SHEDG Board and their committees.
Sweet Home School District, the local business community, corporate sponsors, the City of Sweet Home, and others provide a great deal of cooperation and additional support. These community minded individuals contribute countless thousands of hours working to make a difference and improve Sweet Home. They are doers and they are committed to making a difference. They deserve our respect and our support.
Visit SHEDG’s Web site at sweethomeoregon.org for information about current/past projects and joining the organization.
Peter LaPonte
Oregon Jamboree Director