Editorial: HR council opening provides opportunity to serve

Mayor Arthur Babitz, who served on the council before being elected mayor said that the position really depends on "what people choose to put into it - it's kind of open ended." Council members are at minimum expected to attend two meetings a month and read through their preparatory packet for each meeting, which can range from between 20-200 pages depending on the issues at the meeting. There are also voluntary committee assignments and weekly meetings during the city's budget month.

We would add that council members need to be prepared to answer questions from constituents, sometimes at odd times and places, and usually presented in civil tones.

Following her resignation from the position, Dawna Armstrong said she had learned a significant amount about local government in a short time and said the spot was a good way for citizens to volunteer for their community.

Replacing Armstrong will be a fairly long commitment, as appointments go. There are three years left on her term.

There is no November ballot planned in Hood River County, but now is the time to be thinking of stepping up to run for a variety of other local offices on the May 2012 primary ballot. These include county Sheriff, the Board of County Commission president and positions 1, 2, and 4, and several positions on both the Hood River and Cascade Locks city councils.

The deadline to file is March 6.

Sounds to savor

Sinfonietta offers musical bounty

Harvest Fest this weekend is not the only event where you can savor the joys of "locally grown".

Full musical pieces written by local composers will provide a full entertainment plate next weekend.

The Columbia Gorge Sinfonietta, all Gorge musicians, will perform four pieces of music written by Oregonians, including pieces by Sydney Stevens, a private music teacher in Hood River, and Mark Steighner, best known as man behind the baton at HRVHS music department director.

Stevens presents her new work, "Seasons Suite," and Steighner unveils "Nightmare Ballet, as part of the "Music Made in Oregon" bill.

The Sinfonietta will be performing a 10-minute dance number that opens the second act of Steighner's "Avalon: A Steampunk Musical," which premieres in full this November at HRVHS.

See page A1 for details on the Oct. 21 and Oct. 23 concerts. Also on the bill is "Two Poems" by German-born composer Ernest Bloch, who lived at the Oregon coast, and a piece by Seth Stewart, winner of the first CGOA Composition Prize for Oregon college composers.

The Sinfonietta is expanding its wings with this month's concert. In this season of bounty, the event is a chance to sample some of the freshest musical flavors available anywhere.