'NO' FROM GOLD HILL...

A firm “no” from Gold Hill—they do not want me as their city manager. I had figured after the interview (which was a short one) they’d already made their minds up, and it wasn’t me, and I was right. (Sometimes I hate being right.) It’s disappointing in part because so many friends in southern Oregon were hoping I would get the job, and be moving back. Oh, well… I’ll send Gold Hill The Letter (haven’t sent it to anyone else thus far), thanking them for interviewing me and wishing them luck with the path they’ve chosen.

There’s still one state job in southern Oregon I understand I’m on the short list to be interviewed for, but that’s about it. If I don’t get that—and I’m not feeling awfully hopeful right now—a southern Oregon job is probably just not in the cards. I’ll just have to visit when I get the chances.

Continuing to be a city manager is probably not in the cards, either—I’ve been away from it for over a year, and that’s probably too long. I still have a few city-manager applications in the pipeline, but I am getting interviewed for other things now, and expect I will just be re-inventing myself all over again. It was a nice 15-year ride; it financed most of my daughter’s growing up, and even allowed us to be the quintessential Donna Reed Family through most of that period. I can’t complain.

I think the way things are going to go is I’ll be here, living on the Coast, in the house I’m still paying for, and I’ll have either a collection of part-time jobs locally, or else one of those state gigs within commuting distance, and I’ll be spending my spare time (and income) in school, getting that degree I’ve wanted for over ten years. And playing music. Got a good band (need a lead player for the next several months, though, while Dick is out of town), and I can supplement that with solo performances—I just need to do a whole lot more marketing to make those gigs (especially the ones in Portland) pay for themselves. And there’s an album to put out, too (I gave bass player/sound engineer John the list of songs today). I want that out by Christmas, and that is easier to accomplish if I’m living here.

I got an invite to do a show in Portland Sat. 19 September, at a coffeehouse hight Urban Grind East; no more information yet—the gig is being arranged by Whitney, one of the ringleaders of the Burlesque Show. I’ll milk it for all the publicity I can, telling all the folks I’ve solicited gigs from and also the couple of newspapers that cover Portland entertainment news. Mandolinist Mason Smith is putting on a bluegrass show at a Portland church the same day, and maybe I can attend that, too. (Mason hasn’t said yet if he wants me to play, or just come listen.)

The Burlesque Show is the following Saturday, 26 September, at the Hawthorne Theater in Portland. And just two weeks later is the “Rocktoberfest” being organized by music teacher Mike Simpson—at which he wants our band to play. (Did I mention we need a lead player?)

I don’t have a date yet for the Harvest Festival, the Neskowin Valley School’s big annual fundraiser; that’s usually in late September or early October, and I told them last year I wanted to help them with publicity this time around (they didn’t do a very good job of it last year). I don’t know yet whether the band will be interested in performing there or whether it’ll be just me. The Harvest Festival benefit concert was usually the close of my summer Concert Season, back when I had a job and worried about being able to travel in bad weather. I don’t have to worry about that now.

Joe