Holloman wins first Crown of Yamhill County honor

Rachel Thompson/News-Register##“Crown of Yamhill County” winner Elise Yarnell Hollamon of Newberg croons “Part of Your World.” She was accompanied by bubbles, which left a film on the floor. Moments later, Tim Love knelt with a towel and wiped up the remnants before fellow contestant Mauricio Soto did his Latin dance number.

Rachel Thompson/News-Register##Contestants enjoyed getting to know each other during “Crown.” Sharing a laugh during “evening wear” competition are John Olson, left, Tim Love, Caitlin Nemeth and Beto Reyes. Behind them is emcee Larry Miller.

Elise Yarnell Hollamon of Newberg adopted an aquatic persona in winning the first Crown of Yamhill County contest on Friday, Oct. 4. The fundraiser for Henderson House was part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, marked across the nation in October.

The event was a success, raising $23,000, according to development director Rachel Flores of Henderson House. Proceeds support services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Yamhill County.

Gallery Theater hosted the event, in which 10 contestants were judged on talent, evening wear and their answers to a question. The first two criteria were light-hearted, but the question portion was serious, with contestants fielding answers centering on how to respond to and prevent domestic violence.

Flores said the answers indicated that the contestants not only cared deeply about the subject, but had researched and brought thoughtful ideas to the evening.

“You could see they really cared, and that reflected back the importance of what they were supporting,” Flores said.

The evening bolstered Henderson House’s message that domestic violence victims need to be believed and supported, and service offered to help them, according to Flores

She said the event underscored the fact that each individual can do some small or large thing to support individuals as well as wider prevention efforts.

“The change in the cycle of abuse really is the result of each person understanding they have something to offer,” she said

Hollamon said in her response to the question of what she would do if a friend disclosed they were experiencing domestic abuse: “Provide the space for them to share openly without moving to ‘fix’ the problem.

“Start by asking if they want support,” said Holloman, a health care professional and member of Newberg City Council, and herself a survivor of childhood sex abuse. According to Holloman’s event biography, after a string of youth deaths by suicide in Newberg in 2018, she and other community members founded the Community Wellness Collective, to decrease the stigma around accessing mental health and addiction services.

Also competing were: Kaytlin Ebora, Angie LaPointe, Dana Libonati, Tim Love, Jack Maxwell III, Caitlin Nemeth, John Olson, Beto Reyes and Mauricio Soto Botero.

Talent acts ranged from vocal solos and original piano music to break-dancing and stand-up comedy. Maxwell read an original poem about his experience with domestic violence as a child and the forgiveness he gave as an adult.

Nearly 200 people attended the “Crown” contest. Flores was pleased with the attendance and the event overall, adding, “because this was a first-time event we know we have room to grow.” Money was also raised via silent auction and a “paddle raise” with donations pledged from the audience. Henderson House hopes to garner additional support not only in attendance but in donations of auction packages, Flores said, “because we know the community is prepared to give.”

Hollamon sang the song “Part of Your World” from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” in a purple and green mermaid-style gown, accompanied by Ryan Vallance of Newberg wearing a lobster costume, with a field of bubbles coming from behind the curtain.

“We practiced a lot,” said Hollamon. “I tried to think of what I could do (for talent),” she said, noting she sang the National Anthem at games in high school and college.

The Crown contest featured emcees Larry Miller of McMinnville and Portland drag king Rolen Dice, who also performed a dance-and-lip-synch number.

Miller, a member of the city Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, read a definition of domestic violence as “a pattern of behavior used by individuals to establish and maintain power and control over their partner. Behavior includes abusive tactics, threats or actions that may or may not rise to the level of criminal behavior. The tactics may also include physical, emotional, financial and sexual abuse.”

“It is very important to understand why we are here today,” Dice said, citing historic acceptance of forms of domestic violence, including English Common Law expressly allowing wife beating, and the American legal “rule of thumb” dictating the maximum width of an object used to strike the woman. In 1871, Alabama was the first state to rescind the legal right of men to beat their wives; In New York state, in 1966, beating and cruel punishment becomes grounds for divorce, but the complainant need show that “a sufficient number of beatings had taken place,” they said.

Henderson House, 610 S.E. First St., McMinnville, offers a 24-hour Crisis Line, 503-472-1503. For general information, the office may be reached at 503-472-0244

Judges were State Rep. Lucetta Elmer, author and journalist Nicholas Kristof, Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce President David “Bubba” King, McMinnville Planning Director Heather Richards, and Asian Heritage Association of Yamhill County President Jade Wong Henness.

Biscuit & Pickles Catering and Bierly Brewing and Heater Allen provided food and drink and the band Sal and the Salamanders performed.

About the contestants:

- Ebora is a lifelong resident of Newberg, where she owns and operates Kayt’s Kitchen, a bakery food truck. She volunteers as board secretary of the Newberg Downtown Coalition, and volunteers in schools and with Yamhill Community Action Partnership, and A Family Place Newberg.

- LaPointe was born and raised in Yamhill County and is a broker at Berkshire Hathaway. She has volunteered as a youth soccer coach for 10 years. She is involved with the Newberg Chamber of Commerce as an Ambassador and volunteers at local events.

- Libonati is a composer, pianist and music teacher. He is retired from McMinnville High School and Linfield University after 30 years, and is currently teaching at the Delphian School. He volunteers with the Lions Club and the YCAP food bank.

- Love attended Linfield College, now university, where he did track while majoring in Education and English. For over a decade he has taught social studies at Duniway Middle School in McMinnville.

- Maxwell was born and raised in Yamhill County and is a child survivor of domestic violence. He owns the Jack Maxwell American Family Insurance Agency and is an addiction recovery life coach, and serves on boards including the Chamber of Commerce, Newberg Kiwanis, McMinnville Lions and the Yamhill County Historical Society.

- Nemeth is from Chesapeake, Virginia, and moved to McMinnville a few years ago. They work for Yamhill County Public Health and volunteer for the City of McMinnville’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council.

- Olson is the President and CEO of the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce and serves on the leadership team of the McMinnville Youth Collective, is a member of the Innovation Campus Project Advisory Committee, and an advisor to the McMinnville Economic Vitality Council.

- Reyes is the associate pastor at McMinnville Praise Church, an Ambassador for the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce, an advisory committee member for Leadership Mac, club advisor for Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Linfield University and the Community Engagement Specialist for Yamhill Community Care.

- Soto, originally from Colombia, is a Community Development Specialist at Embold Credit Union. He serves the Latinx community through financial literacy and inclusive practices. He is also a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) advocate.