Marazzani steps down and Newland takes over as president/CEO of M-I Chamber of Commerce
By Lance Masterson
For Trammart News Service
Nicki Marazzani’s new job will have her going in circles.
Next up for Marazzani, her new position as executive director of the Historic Carousel & Museum of Albany.
The door she’s closing is her three-year run as executive director, then president/CEO, of the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center. Her last day is Friday, July 19.
“I’m super excited … It’s going to be something totally different,” Marazzani said of the change. “It definitely is a culmination of everything I’ve done in my 35 years of nonprofit. Under one roof.”
Marazzani took over at MICC as pandemic era restrictions were easing. Public events were back, though masks were still mandated. It was tough going for business owners.
“When I started here, the Chamber was definitely floundering. Covid rocked our world, and I had to help make the chamber relevant,” she said.
Relevancy came via increasing MICC membership numbers to a record high, installing a new sign and reader board outside the Visitor’s Center, and helping to grow such events as the summer and winter editions of Make Music Day.
In the planning stages are such new projects as a turkey trot, providing more financial assistance to Central High School’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America, and offering emergency preparedness training to business owners. That way, they'll be better prepared for the next catastrophe, be it flood, fire, pandemic or the unexpected.
But the project that will keep Marazzani connected to the two communities is the painting of 20 MINET utility boxes in Monmouth and Independence.
Volunteers have painted a number of boxes. But some artists are still in school and won’t be available until after summer vacation ends. It will be mid-autumn before all the boxes are painted.
Marazzani will see the project through completion.
“There’s always unfinished work. So I will stay on as a volunteer with the nonprofit that I started, Friends of Monmouth-Independence Visitor’s Center. Because that’s kind of my baby. I want to make sure it’s done,” she said. “Those utility boxes that are painted look amazing. So many talented people.”
Mackenzie Newland is the chamber’s new president/CEO. She graduated from Central High School and Western Oregon University, where she earned her master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. Newland is experienced, having worked almost seven years with nonprofits. She was the community engagement counselor for Polk County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) prior to accepting her new position.
Newland is not a stranger to the MICC, either. She volunteered for the organization and served as its vice chair of fundraising.
Newland and Marazzani worked together this past week. Come Monday, though, Newland is on her own. She’s ready.
“I’m going to come in, open up the door and get to work,” Newland said. "Because I have extensive experience in community engagement events and working with our community, I feel like, with Nicki’s help, I can come in and really start connecting with people. That’s going to be the first step, making sure there’s a good trust and a good foundation with the new face coming in. And being there for people.”
That pledge extends to people who are online.
“One of my ideas is to connect with students, either from high school or local colleges, and with community members, who want to make fun videos of businesses in our community," and then post them online, Newland said. "Covid really did draw people to their homes and to social media. So being able to get into their homes a little bit more and connect that way, because we have so many businesses that are amazing.”
It’s part of Newland’s big picture strategy to take MICC into the 21st century.
“I bring a fresh look to things. I have lots of energy. I have fun new ideas,” Newland said. “Social media is something that I’m passionate about. It’s taking the world by storm. So you've got to get on board.”
MICC is a nonprofit. Its funding comes from such sources as membership dues, awards night and other special events, donations and grants, rent and the City of Monmouth. No funds come from the City of Independence, though its businesses benefit from the chamber’s efforts.
“I never do anything without considering both towns,” Marazzani said. “That’s why MINET boxes are perfect, because they’re in both towns. That’s why Make Music Day is perfect, because it’s in both towns. And if it would have been just one town, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Like her predecessor, Newland begins her directorship with local businesses in survival mode. Government aid and special programs, which were essential during the pandemic, are no longer available
One casualty is that chamber membership numbers are down. But its mission continues.
“It’s not because people don’t want to be a part of the chamber. It’s just the economy is definitely taking a toll. We are seeing it be harder and harder for businesses to do much more than pay their rent,” Marazzani said. "We want to make sure we are supporting them through the hard times as well. We want to make sure here at the chamber that we are promoting all businesses as well as our members. Because the success of one business really relies on the ones around them. Vacant buildings do not help anyone." ▪
By Lance Masterson
For Trammart News Service
Nicki Marazzani’s new job will have her going in circles.
Next up for Marazzani, her new position as executive director of the Historic Carousel & Museum of Albany.
The door she’s closing is her three-year run as executive director, then president/CEO, of the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center. Her last day is Friday, July 19.
“I’m super excited … It’s going to be something totally different,” Marazzani said of the change. “It definitely is a culmination of everything I’ve done in my 35 years of nonprofit. Under one roof.”
Marazzani took over at MICC as pandemic era restrictions were easing. Public events were back, though masks were still mandated. It was tough going for business owners.
“When I started here, the Chamber was definitely floundering. Covid rocked our world, and I had to help make the chamber relevant,” she said.
Relevancy came via increasing MICC membership numbers to a record high, installing a new sign and reader board outside the Visitor’s Center, and helping to grow such events as the summer and winter editions of Make Music Day.
In the planning stages are such new projects as a turkey trot, providing more financial assistance to Central High School’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America, and offering emergency preparedness training to business owners. That way, they'll be better prepared for the next catastrophe, be it flood, fire, pandemic or the unexpected.
But the project that will keep Marazzani connected to the two communities is the painting of 20 MINET utility boxes in Monmouth and Independence.
Volunteers have painted a number of boxes. But some artists are still in school and won’t be available until after summer vacation ends. It will be mid-autumn before all the boxes are painted.
Marazzani will see the project through completion.
“There’s always unfinished work. So I will stay on as a volunteer with the nonprofit that I started, Friends of Monmouth-Independence Visitor’s Center. Because that’s kind of my baby. I want to make sure it’s done,” she said. “Those utility boxes that are painted look amazing. So many talented people.”
Mackenzie Newland is the chamber’s new president/CEO. She graduated from Central High School and Western Oregon University, where she earned her master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. Newland is experienced, having worked almost seven years with nonprofits. She was the community engagement counselor for Polk County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) prior to accepting her new position.
Newland is not a stranger to the MICC, either. She volunteered for the organization and served as its vice chair of fundraising.
Newland and Marazzani worked together this past week. Come Monday, though, Newland is on her own. She’s ready.
“I’m going to come in, open up the door and get to work,” Newland said. "Because I have extensive experience in community engagement events and working with our community, I feel like, with Nicki’s help, I can come in and really start connecting with people. That’s going to be the first step, making sure there’s a good trust and a good foundation with the new face coming in. And being there for people.”
That pledge extends to people who are online.
“One of my ideas is to connect with students, either from high school or local colleges, and with community members, who want to make fun videos of businesses in our community," and then post them online, Newland said. "Covid really did draw people to their homes and to social media. So being able to get into their homes a little bit more and connect that way, because we have so many businesses that are amazing.”
It’s part of Newland’s big picture strategy to take MICC into the 21st century.
“I bring a fresh look to things. I have lots of energy. I have fun new ideas,” Newland said. “Social media is something that I’m passionate about. It’s taking the world by storm. So you've got to get on board.”
MICC is a nonprofit. Its funding comes from such sources as membership dues, awards night and other special events, donations and grants, rent and the City of Monmouth. No funds come from the City of Independence, though its businesses benefit from the chamber’s efforts.
“I never do anything without considering both towns,” Marazzani said. “That’s why MINET boxes are perfect, because they’re in both towns. That’s why Make Music Day is perfect, because it’s in both towns. And if it would have been just one town, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Like her predecessor, Newland begins her directorship with local businesses in survival mode. Government aid and special programs, which were essential during the pandemic, are no longer available
One casualty is that chamber membership numbers are down. But its mission continues.
“It’s not because people don’t want to be a part of the chamber. It’s just the economy is definitely taking a toll. We are seeing it be harder and harder for businesses to do much more than pay their rent,” Marazzani said. "We want to make sure we are supporting them through the hard times as well. We want to make sure here at the chamber that we are promoting all businesses as well as our members. Because the success of one business really relies on the ones around them. Vacant buildings do not help anyone." ▪
A piece of molding is a sticking point for window replacement for a home in historic district
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
A curved section of wood molding on the upper-floor windows of a historic house in Independence could be a barrier to installing safer, more energy-efficient windows for the homeowners there – a preservation dilemma now more common in American cities.
From Newport RI to Columbia SC, towns are grappling with how to preserve the historical appearance of old buildings and homes while facing challenges that make technology gains appealing to homeowners, particularly during temperature extremes. Window options, with double panes and weatherproof glazing, have become a major point of discussion – one example is the non-profit nationwide association, Window Preservation Alliance. (An Oregon board member of the group owns Willamette Window Restoration in Eugene.)
At a meeting of the Independence Historic Preservation Commission this week, Brian Land, who owns a house in the historic district, clinched approval to replace first-floor windows that will help the home retain heat in winter and keep cool in summer. They will be similar in size and design to the ones already there.
But, in a unanimous vote, the HPC stopped short of approving new second-story windows, which have a special molding that reflects one historic aspect of the home, a humpback on the wood that adds a curved appearance, a feature called “lamb’s tongue.”
Estimates so far indicate it would be $2,000 per window to include this small detail of “lamb’s tongue,” Land said, adding that he and his wife want to preserve the character of the home
while doing so economically. “We just want to keep the house the way it looks, correctly,” he
told the HPC.
The house, which is believed to date back to the 1890s, has thin glass windows – far from the shatter-resistant ones now available, Land said. Additionally, new windows would help keep the home from leaking energy to maintain indoor temperatures.
The HPC vote approved new windows for the first floor but opted for further research on the ones above after City Planning Manager Fred Evander explained that the lower windows weren’t part of the original home. In contrast, the windows on the second floor seemed historically authentic.
If the potential conflict between energy-efficient additions and historic preservation sounds new, it isn’t. The issue has been a part of historic preservation for more than 50 years.
The National Historic Preservation Act was established in 1966, followed by an Oregon statute with a similar goal: protecting the architectural legacy of the past. In 1968, The Association for Preservation Technology International was founded – a not-for-profit, multidisciplinary organization of engineers, architects and others with a goal of linking historic preservation and environmental sustainability.
In Columbia SC, the city administration now recommends an energy audit before any plans in historic homes are submitted; In Newport RI, the Newport Restoration Foundation has launched an energy efficiency project to collect data to improve the sustainability of historic residential buildings.
The decision on the Land’s upper-story windows, on property in the heart of the Independence Historic District, is expected to come back before the HPC in the near future.
A 2020 report in Governing journal titled “Historic Preservation Is Great, Except When It Isn’t” cited a study done by Realtor.com that included 2,885 historic homes, which
found these residences were 5.6 percent more expensive than similar-sized homes in the same ZIP code. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
A curved section of wood molding on the upper-floor windows of a historic house in Independence could be a barrier to installing safer, more energy-efficient windows for the homeowners there – a preservation dilemma now more common in American cities.
From Newport RI to Columbia SC, towns are grappling with how to preserve the historical appearance of old buildings and homes while facing challenges that make technology gains appealing to homeowners, particularly during temperature extremes. Window options, with double panes and weatherproof glazing, have become a major point of discussion – one example is the non-profit nationwide association, Window Preservation Alliance. (An Oregon board member of the group owns Willamette Window Restoration in Eugene.)
At a meeting of the Independence Historic Preservation Commission this week, Brian Land, who owns a house in the historic district, clinched approval to replace first-floor windows that will help the home retain heat in winter and keep cool in summer. They will be similar in size and design to the ones already there.
But, in a unanimous vote, the HPC stopped short of approving new second-story windows, which have a special molding that reflects one historic aspect of the home, a humpback on the wood that adds a curved appearance, a feature called “lamb’s tongue.”
Estimates so far indicate it would be $2,000 per window to include this small detail of “lamb’s tongue,” Land said, adding that he and his wife want to preserve the character of the home
while doing so economically. “We just want to keep the house the way it looks, correctly,” he
told the HPC.
The house, which is believed to date back to the 1890s, has thin glass windows – far from the shatter-resistant ones now available, Land said. Additionally, new windows would help keep the home from leaking energy to maintain indoor temperatures.
The HPC vote approved new windows for the first floor but opted for further research on the ones above after City Planning Manager Fred Evander explained that the lower windows weren’t part of the original home. In contrast, the windows on the second floor seemed historically authentic.
If the potential conflict between energy-efficient additions and historic preservation sounds new, it isn’t. The issue has been a part of historic preservation for more than 50 years.
The National Historic Preservation Act was established in 1966, followed by an Oregon statute with a similar goal: protecting the architectural legacy of the past. In 1968, The Association for Preservation Technology International was founded – a not-for-profit, multidisciplinary organization of engineers, architects and others with a goal of linking historic preservation and environmental sustainability.
In Columbia SC, the city administration now recommends an energy audit before any plans in historic homes are submitted; In Newport RI, the Newport Restoration Foundation has launched an energy efficiency project to collect data to improve the sustainability of historic residential buildings.
The decision on the Land’s upper-story windows, on property in the heart of the Independence Historic District, is expected to come back before the HPC in the near future.
A 2020 report in Governing journal titled “Historic Preservation Is Great, Except When It Isn’t” cited a study done by Realtor.com that included 2,885 historic homes, which
found these residences were 5.6 percent more expensive than similar-sized homes in the same ZIP code. ▪
Group pushes for fast-acting bid approvals to get turf installation and track refurbishment underway
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
A community group is doing a full court press to get new turf and a resurfaced track at Central High School, in a race to scale the hurdles before the clock runs out.
One of the organizers, Shannon Ball, spoke at the last school board meeting to emphasize the importance of the time, stressing that, by meeting certain milestones, much of the project could be completed by October 1. Some work needs to be completed in time to avoid football and soccer season, as the teams need daily access to those fields, she explained.
The Central School Board authorized an “Invitation to Bid” process to be published this week, according to Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for Central School District 13J. The expedited timeline allows for bids to be reviewed quickly – before the end of July – from a slate of bidders that meet the minimum criteria, Mentzer stated.
In a reminder that “time was of the essence,” Ball submitted a handout of the timeline at the school board meeting, which proposes that the turf building begin in late August, with an “ambitious” target for completion in mid-September.
The project aims to replace turf on the soccer-football fields this summer and resurface the track as well as install turf in the infield for baseball and softball fields this fall. “Our goal is to fund all three projects to provide to as many youth and residents in our community as possible,” Ball told the board.
Previously, in May, the group shared a list with the district showing hundreds of thousands of dollars of in-kind donations, fund-raising and construction discounts.
After Ball’s presentation, Board Member Jann Jobe commended the group on their efforts. “I want to say thank you again,” Jobe said.
The project hasn’t been without some controversy, but most of it seems centered on misunderstandings about the money. Some residents called for dipping into grant funds to help pay for the addition and reconditioning of turf and track – they apparently thought the cost would impact educational dollars.
“The money is coming from the capital expenditure fund and in-kind donations the community members received to help with the projects,” Ball explained after the meeting. The estimated cost, over $500,000, doesn’t involve any grant money, she said.
The capital expenditure money comes from the district selling assets or for the building fees from the standard excise tax. “These funds can only be used on capital expenditures,” Ball pointed out. “This money cannot be spent on teachers or does not come out of the current budget so it will not be impacting our teachers or classrooms,” she said. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
A community group is doing a full court press to get new turf and a resurfaced track at Central High School, in a race to scale the hurdles before the clock runs out.
One of the organizers, Shannon Ball, spoke at the last school board meeting to emphasize the importance of the time, stressing that, by meeting certain milestones, much of the project could be completed by October 1. Some work needs to be completed in time to avoid football and soccer season, as the teams need daily access to those fields, she explained.
The Central School Board authorized an “Invitation to Bid” process to be published this week, according to Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for Central School District 13J. The expedited timeline allows for bids to be reviewed quickly – before the end of July – from a slate of bidders that meet the minimum criteria, Mentzer stated.
In a reminder that “time was of the essence,” Ball submitted a handout of the timeline at the school board meeting, which proposes that the turf building begin in late August, with an “ambitious” target for completion in mid-September.
The project aims to replace turf on the soccer-football fields this summer and resurface the track as well as install turf in the infield for baseball and softball fields this fall. “Our goal is to fund all three projects to provide to as many youth and residents in our community as possible,” Ball told the board.
Previously, in May, the group shared a list with the district showing hundreds of thousands of dollars of in-kind donations, fund-raising and construction discounts.
After Ball’s presentation, Board Member Jann Jobe commended the group on their efforts. “I want to say thank you again,” Jobe said.
The project hasn’t been without some controversy, but most of it seems centered on misunderstandings about the money. Some residents called for dipping into grant funds to help pay for the addition and reconditioning of turf and track – they apparently thought the cost would impact educational dollars.
“The money is coming from the capital expenditure fund and in-kind donations the community members received to help with the projects,” Ball explained after the meeting. The estimated cost, over $500,000, doesn’t involve any grant money, she said.
The capital expenditure money comes from the district selling assets or for the building fees from the standard excise tax. “These funds can only be used on capital expenditures,” Ball pointed out. “This money cannot be spent on teachers or does not come out of the current budget so it will not be impacting our teachers or classrooms,” she said. ▪
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