As Morton celebrates its 82nd Loggers Jubilee this weekend, a dedicated hometown couple will be grand marshals of the big parade.
Greg and Janet Norris have volunteered with Jubilee for decades. In fact, when I reached them by phone Thursday night, they were literally in the middle of stuffing programs, but Janet took a few minutes to talk with me.
I asked her what she’d want folks around Lewis County know about Morton’s big annual festival aside from its celebration of old-time logging.
She said she wants people to understand how Jubilee raises funds that go to kids throughout East Lewis County, supporting youth sports, scholarships, tablets for schools and more.
She also pointed to the 140-plus volunteers who work together on this huge event.
“If it wasn’t for the volunteers and the dedication of the committee, it wouldn’t happen,” Janet said. “It’s a lot of coordination to get it organized and put together.”
She serves as secretary/treasurer of the organizing committee. She’s been treasurer since 2005 and this year added secretary to her job after two giants on the Jubilee committee, Sunny and Linda Mettler, retired last year after about 50 years of leadership.
Devin Peters is the new president/arena manager for Jubilee, building on the legacy of the Mettlers and other volunteers over eight decades of Jubilee
New committee memes are coming in with energy and vision to keep a beloved festival strong.
“Who knows what it’ll look like in the future, but it’ll always be about the old-style logging and donating to the kids,” Janet said.
This year Morton’s beloved logging statue, known as Big Ole, was remade. The old statue will go on display (as long as that battered old logger can stand up) in the arena. The new Ole will go back up to welcome people to Morton at Highway 12 and Highway 7 after Jubilee weekend.
The Norrises started volunteering at Jubilee in the mid-1990s, selling tickets at the gate. When Linda Mettler approached Janet in 2005 about taking over the books, Greg was recruited for security and coordinating the Sani-cans around town. An experienced fabricator and millwright, Greg also helps with welding and fabricating in the arena.
Both of them have deep ties to Morton. In fact, Greg grew up in Kosmos before it was flooded after construction of the Mossyrock Dam.
The couple now live in Onalaska. So does their daughter, Carlie Womack, and their 8-year-old grandson, Leonard.
Their daughter, Carlie, was Jubilee Queen in 2005-2006 — which was the last time the Norrises got to watch the parade. For the last two decades since then, they’ve been working in the arena setting up for competitions instead.
This year as grand marshals they’ll actually get to enjoy the parade. It’s a worthy honor for two busy volunteers who help make this such a great place to live, work and celebrate both our heritage and the youth who carry our communities into the future.
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Brian Mittge is a community enthusiast who has written for The Chronicle since 2000 as a reporter, editor and columnist. He can be reached at brianmittge@hotmail.com.
