A festival by any other name… Is still Homer Days
March 2011 Posted in Community, NewsBy Brenna Wiegand 
Community members came out en masse for a town hall meeting March 9 with a clear mission: retain Homer Davenport Days.
Moderator Dixon Bledsoe has facilitated gatherings of big business leaders, but besides setting an open, casual and friendly tone, the meeting practically ran itself.
While the Homer Davenport Days board and members received praise and applause for their service over the past several years, the vast majority of the 55 in attendance were galvanized in their intent to form a
completely new organization to continue the first-weekend-in-August tradition celebrating Silverton’s most famous native son, albeit with a few tweaks. Gus Frederick advocated including a regional farmers’ market and returning to its original logo featuring cartoonist Homer’s self-portrait.
The meeting was the culmination of a grassroots movement that emerged last fall when the Homer Davenport Days board announced it was moving the festival to mid-July. Since then the board at various times has changed the date, suspended it until next year and at one point cancelled it altogether. The result was public outcry, the stepping down of several board members and much confusion.
The traditional weekend has been essential in funding many local service organizations. Silverton Lions Club has been holding its fund raising breakfast that weekend longer than the 30-year Homer Days tradition.
Silverton Alumni Association’s reunion and the festival complement one another, as does Silverton Flywheels’ annual Cruise-In.
After receiving good support at a previous meeting, March 7 Silverton Rotary Club voted to offer its support and organization in facilitating both the event and its main fund raiser, the Father’s Day Strawberry Festival.
Rotary leader Glen Barker said the organization has the non-profit status, the experience in planning events and fundraisers and the history of giving back to the community that equips Rotary to become the “umbrella” overseeing the festival.
“We have the structure already in place and the expertise to manage it, but we recognize this isn’t something we can do alone,” he said. The event leadership will include many from the community at large, he added.
A few current HDD board members came to the meeting and none disputed the new group’s ability to put on the August event.
Yet, as Larry Thomas said, they wished the upsurge of long-sought support would join the existing non-profit organization – something the new group was unwilling to do. Having spoken with a local attorney, Sam Sloper explained the primary reason.
“By joining the current organization you inherit anything done from way back to when the festival was incorporated,” Sloper said. “If any of you wants to put your personal assets at risk and join the current board, OK; but I can’t afford to do that.”
Organizations in general boil down to people, noted Ken Hector, former mayor of Silverton. “…and people’s lives change,” he said, “they move; they get burned out; they get sick or something else, so what you look for is a constant. One constant over the years is that Silverton has put on a quality event that gives back to the community.” However, due to its voluntary nature, said Hector, leadership often waxes and wanes.
“The Rotary Club has a great, worldwide history of philanthropy and, if anything, they’re inclusive,” Hector continued. “This event, whoever runs it, must be inclusive, but they cannot be pulled into the past and possible outstanding legal issues,” he said.
“This is a time when divorce makes sense,” Hector said. “We need fresh people and a fresh, clean, legal organization. Even if – in the worst case – it has to have a new name, people are still going to come.”
The room was full of people offering to assist. Dr. Michael Kim’s dentist office made a $2,000 donation. Many of the “new crew”represented years of experience making Homer happen. Former Homer president Richard Carlson encouraged people to sign up to help. “Now, it’s just a matter of putting the people together and making it happen.”
Those interested in volunteering may contact Richard Carlson, 503-551-1180.
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3 Responses to “A festival by any other name… Is still Homer Days”
By Larry Thomas on Mar 16, 2011
Thanks to all the people that came to the meeting last week and were so adamant about doing the summer festivals their way. As I have been involved with Hdd since 2002 by bringing the crafts from the Art Assoc. as part of the Board I have experienced the high and low of producing community festivals. After my first year with Hdd I found myself trying to regroup as Richard, Darren, Kyle, and Rosie had bailed and were nowhere to be found for help. With new help we made some of the best years 2004 and 06, never enough volunteers but always looking. I knew the end was near for HDD when I didn’t rehire the Chamber of Commerce (Stacey) to answer my Hdd information phone for $1200. The chamber’s scathing letter to me that made the paper lost a lot of support for Hdd. Taking a couple of steps back but not quitting I watched less and less support for the new Board by the community. Volunteers begging for help didn’t work so the only thing left was to get the community out of their complacency. (Get them Angry) Well, now that they are going to show the Hdd board that the community can do it better my work has been accomplished in revitalizing the real purpose. Don’t lose the mission of the old HDD it’s for the community not anyone’s private agenda.
Larry Thomas
By Tabitha Miller on Mar 26, 2011
This whole situation is so, so sad. I have been involved with HDD since 1998 volunteering in the parade, the races and the bbq and whatever else the commitee needed help with. It makes me sick to my stomach that people are actually fighting over this!! Homer would be turning in his grave if he knew the crap that was going on! I have always said to anyone that has complained about the festivities to get involved if they want to voice there opinion and I still say it. The HDD Board is made of humans and humans make mistakes, move on and help make the situation better instead of fighting over who is going to take over! Its not an easy thing to do, organizing a festival, I just wish everyone that has been fighting about this would put all that negative energy into making Homer what it should be, a fun, family event for EVERYONE to enjoy, year after year.
By Kristen Sweeney on Mar 26, 2011
This is NOT cool, rather embarrassing! Where is the love and support? Couldn’t the Rotary just help the current HDD without legally binding of personal assets? Giving is not legally binding is it?