HomeMy WebLinkAbout4.6 Appointment of City of Dublin Poet Laureater
DUBLIN
CALIFORNIA
STAFF REPORT
CITY COUNCIL
Agenda Item 4.6
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SU B.ECT:
February 7, 2023
Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
Linda Smith, City Manager
Appointment of City of Dublin Poet Laureate
Prepared by: Shaun Chilkotowsky, Heritage & Cultural Arts Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City Council will consider the appointment of a City of Dublin Poet Laureate for a term
beginning February 8, 2023 and ending December 31, 2024.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Confirm the Mayor's appointment of James Morehead to serve as City of Dublin Poet Laureate
from February 8, 2023 to December 31, 2024.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
None.
DESCRIPTION:
In 2007, the City Council approved the creation of the honorary volunteer position of Poet
Laureate, with the first volunteer appointed to the position in 2008. At its November 3, 2020
meeting, the City Council approved updated guidelines (Attachment 1) governing the position of
Poet Laureate.
Using the guidelines, Staff recruited for the position beginning October 14, 2022. The recruitment
closed on November 14, 2022 with two qualifying applications received.
On January 12, 2023, the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission (HCAC) reviewed the
applications and invited each applicant to read an original poem. Following deliberation, the HCAC
voted to recommend to the Mayor that James Morehead be appointed for a second consecutive
term as the City of Dublin Poet Laureate. The Mayor has concurred with this recommendation.
James Morehead's application is included as Attachment 2.
Page 1 of 2
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STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
None.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:
The City Council Agenda was posted, and a copy of this Staff Report was provided to those that
applied for the Poet Laureate position.
ATTACHMENTS:
1) Program Guidelines for the City of Dublin Poet Laureate
2) James Morehead Poet Laureate Application Redacted
Page 2 of 2
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Attachment 1
City of Dublin
Guidelines for the Poet Laureate & City Historian
Approved November 3, 2020
Poet Laureate
Overview
The Poet Laureate serves as a public advocate for the appreciation and advancement of literary arts in the
City of Dublin.
Duties
• Create and read poetry for civic events, public ceremonies, and dedications, as coordinated through
City Staff.
• Serve as a resource to Staff, the City Council, and the Commission; may act as a liaison between
the City and local schools, literary organizations, and bookstores.
• Assist with the development of classes and workshops devoted to poetry; potentially coordinate
and participate in staged poetry readings.
• On an annual basis, have at least one original poem displayed in a City facility.
Qualifications
• Be a Dublin resident; at least 18 years old.
• Be the author of published poetry or be willing to publish poetry during the term if selected.
• Be ready to serve a two-year term with no compensation.
• Affiliation with literary organizations is preferred but not necessary for appointment to the
position.
Service Term
The selected Poet Laureate will serve a term of two years, beginning with City Council appointment at a
public meeting. A term may be renewed upon submittal of a new application, unless or until a new Poet
Laureate applies and is appointed. A Poet Laureate shall be limited to four two-year terms.
Application Process
Between October and December of the year prior to the formal appointment by the City Council,
applicants will be required to submit the following:
• An application.
• A letter of interest, including what the applicant would like to accomplish if selected as Dublin's
Poet Laureate.
• Two original poems.
• A resume including a list of published poetry or other evidence of a body of original work
(published or unpublished).
• Attend a scheduled Commission meeting to read one original poem to commission.
Selection Process
If more than two applications are received, a Selection Committee coordinated by the Heritage and
Cultural Arts Manager will review all applications and submit the top two choices to the Heritage and
Cultural Arts Commission for final recommendation. The Selection Committee could include:
• Heritage and Cultural Arts Commissioner
• Las Positas English Department Representative
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Attachment 1
• Dublin High School English Department Representative
• Local creative writing professional or instructor
• City Staff person appointed by the City Manager's Office (e.g., Heritage and Cultural Arts Manager
or Parks and Community Services Director)
The Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission will present their preferred Poet Laureate to the Mayor for
recommendation to the City Council. Following City Council approval, the Poet Laureate will formally
begin the two-year term in January of each appointment year.
City Historian
Overview
The City Historian will assist researchers, students, librarians, and members of the public and press in
accessing resources for historical information.
Duties
• Maintain, add to, and facilitate access to City historical records.
• Respond to inquiries regarding the City's past.
• Serve as a resource to Staff, the City Council, and the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission; may
act as a liaison between the Commission and local schools, genealogical groups, and members of
the media and the public.
Qualifications
• A demonstrated interest in the history of the City of Dublin, including participation in City
Commissions, Committees, and other activities.
• A demonstrated ability to maintain records.
• Skilled in public speaking.
Service Term
The selected City Historian will serve a term of four years, beginning with City Council appointment at a
public meeting. A term may be renewed, upon submittal of a new application, unless or until a new City
Historian applies and is appointed.
Application Process
Between October and December of the year prior to the formal appointment by the City Council,
applicants will submit the following to the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission:
• An application.
• A letter of interest, including what the applicant would like to accomplish if selected as Dublin's
City Historian.
• A resume of positions held and/or activities related to the position of City Historian.
Selection Process
Review of applications and selection of the City Historian will be recommended by the Heritage and
Cultural Arts Commission, who will put forward a maximum of two applicants to the Mayor. The Mayor
will recommend final appointment for approval by the City Council, with the City Historian formally
beginning the four-year term in January of each appointment year.
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Attachment 2
Print
City of Dublin Poet Laureate - Submission #5347
Date Submitted: 10/15/2022
City Poet Laureate Overview
The City Poet Laureate serves as a public advocate for the appreciation and advancement of literary arts in the City of Dublin.
Duties
• Create and read poetry for civic events, public ceremonies, and dedications, as coordinated through City Staff. • Serve as a resource to
Staff, the City Council, and the Commission; may act as a liaison between the City and local schools, literary organizations, and
bookstores. • Assist with the development of classes and workshops devoted to poetry; potentially coordinate and participate in staged
poetry readings. • On an annual basis, have at least one original poem displayed in a City facility.
Qualifications
• Be a Dublin resident; at least 18 years old. • Be the author of published poetry or be willing to publish poetry during the term, if selected.
• Be ready to serve a two year term with no compensation. • Affiliation with literary organizations is preferred but not necessary for
appointment to the position.
Service Term
The selected Poet Laureate will serve a term of two years following City Council appointment at a public meeting, beginning in January
2023, ending in December 2024. A term may be renewed upon submittal of a new application, unless or until a new Poet Laureate applies
and is appointed. A Poet Laureate shall be limited to four two year terms.
Selection Process
If more than two applications are received, a Selection Committee coordinated by the Heritage and Cultural Arts Manager will review all
applications and submit the top two choices to the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission for final recommendation. The Heritage and
Cultural Arts Commission will present their preferred Poet Laureate to the Mayor for recommendation to the City Council..
First Name*
James
Addressl*
Last Name*
Morehead
Address2
City
Dub n
State
Ca forn a
Zip
94568
72
Phone Number*
E-mail Address:* Attachment 2
How long haw you lived in Dublin?*
22
Please upload a Letter of Interest. (Please include what you would like to accomplish.)*
James Morehead City of Dublin Poet Laureate Letter oflnterest.docx
Please upload a Resume of Positions Held or Activities Conducted Related to the Position.*
James Morehead Resume of Positions Held.docx
Please upload two original poems:
Poem #1: Poem #2:
At the crossroads (Dublin 40th anniversary poem).docx A Saturday Painted in Dublin Green.docx
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Attachment 2
Oct 15, 2022
James Morehead
Dublin, CA 94568
To whom it may concern,
Please accept this application for City of Dublin Poet Laureate. I have written poetry for over 40
years and have published two books ("canvas" and "portraits of red and gray"). I have a third
book that will be published in 2023 and a fourth book in development. Two of my poems have
been transformed into short films and several poems have been set to music. I've also had
poems published into numerous journals.
If given the opportunity to serve as City of Dublin Poet Laureate for a second term I would build
on my deep ties to the community to encourage a love and appreciation of poetry. For over 10
years I founded and led OneDublin.org (City of Dublin's 2011 Organization of the Year) and was
recognized in 2015 with the Mayor's Award for my service to the community. I've had leadership
roles on both Fallon Middle School and Dublin High School School Site Councils, and the Dublin
High School Engineering and Design Academy Advisory Council. In a second term I would
focus on launching programs at the middle and high school level (COVID recovery in local
schools made that impractical during my current term).
In addition to authoring and performing original poetry at City of Dublin events, I plan to continue
hosting opens mics (such as the successful Poetry & Pizza Open Mic held at Patxi's Pizza in
Dublin), coordinate poetry performances (e.g., at Splatter), and work with the Dublin Unified
School District to help make poetry more accessible to students. I would also continue to
coordinate an annual City of Dublin Poetry Walk during Poetry Month (April), building on the
success of the first event held in April 2022.
My love of poetry is thanks to a single teacher in high school; I want to continue giving back to
the community as City of Dublin Poet Laureate.
Thank you for your consideration and for recognizing the importance of poetry.
James Morehead
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Attachment 2
James Morehead Resume of Relevant Positions
City of Dublin Poet Laureate Application
To whom it may concern,
My poetry resume is available here: http://jamesmorehead.com/ (and my work resume here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/morehead/) Below are positions relevant to this application:
• Experience as a poet
o I'm currently serving as Dublin's Poet Laureate (July 2021-present)
o I've written and published poetry (to the web) for over forty years. I've published
two books: "canvas" (2021) and "portraits of red and gray" (2022), and have been
published in numerous journals.
o I host the Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast which interviews poets and provides a
platform for emerging poets to be published.
o I host the Poetry & Pizza Open Mic at Patxi's Pizza (Dublin) which takes place
(roughly) monthly
o Two of my poems ("tethered" and "Twilight in the Sculpture Forest") have been
transformed into short films, and several of my poems have been set to music.
• City of Dublin community service
O 2021 - Present: City of Dublin Poet Laureate
O 2010 - 2022: Dublin High School Engineering Academy Advisory Council
Member
O 2020 - 2021: Dublin High School Engineering Academy Mentor
O 2009 - 2019: OneDublin.org - Founder, Editor and Author
O 2010 - 2013: Dublin High School Site Council Co -President
O 2008 Fallon Middle School School Site Council
o Participant in multiple City of Dublin Pride Week events
• Awards and recognition
o City of Dublin 2015 Mayor's Award
o ACSA 2014 Partners in Education Award (for OneDublin.org)
o City of Dublin 2011 Organization of the Year (for OneDublin.org)
o Dublin High School Sue Hahn Spirit Award
If you have any questions please contact me at o
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Attachment 2
At the crossroads
by James Morehead, Poet Laureate - Dublin, California
Two decades ago
we drove over the Sunol Grade,
our move out west a blur.
A colleague suggested Dublin,
no more familiar than the collage of cities
between Oakland and San Jose.
We made our new home here
on a parcel carved from rich clay soil,
surrounded by immigrants
like us, a diverse chorus of voices,
languages and cultures.
In time neighbors became friends.
We learned about the Muwekma Ohlone
surveying hills and valleys
for ten thousand years,
and of Missions and prospectors,
their names embossed on school signs
from Murray to Fallon to Kolb.
We've felt Dublin winds soar
over Schaefer Ranch, Pacific fog in tow,
basked in midsummer's endless blue
and awoken to mountains
draped in white
by a fierce winter storm.
We've argued at Board meetings
as families do,
passionate and proud
then reconciled
in churches and playgrounds
in backyards and bleachers
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Attachment 2
and shoulder to shoulder
cheering Irish dancers and marching Gaels
in an emerald parade.
We've held hands in prayer
as loved ones passed
or drifted away
Yet —we'll always be here
gathering at the crossroads,
for the promise of tomorrow.
(for the 40th Anniversary of the City of Dublin)
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Attachment 2
A Saturday Painted in Dublin Green
For the grand opening of Don Biddle Community Park, Dublin, California (Sept. 24, 2022)
At dawn, shadows scatter,
chased by California sun over Altamont Pass
waking trees and trails and a red ribbon waiting.
There are speeches and thank-yous
while children tug their parents' hands.
With a snip and flourish the ribbon falls.
Squealing siblings race to slides,
a jogger with earbuds bouncing
passes two lovers strolling hand in hand.
Rackets are strung tight for serve and volley,
basketball gripped for three on three,
a group of friends meet for morning Tai Chi.
More arrive in numbered jerseys,
with a catcher's mitt or cricket bat,
soccer cleats or t-ball stand.
Families in lawn chairs sink into grass
cheering their favorite team
while a pair of corgis wrestle nearby.
This canvas dipped in Dublin green
is ready to be painted with fresh memories
of laughter, of play, of community.
Then shadows creep, opening day retreats
beyond the San Francisco Bay.
Silence settles, all retire, resting until tomorrow.
copyright 2022 James Morehead
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