We’re glad we don’t have to travel to New York City
to enjoy this SE Portland neighborhood fun fest …
“Definitely not your average Joe” Mishkin squeaks together an out-of-this-world balloon hat (or is it a sweater?) for Brooklyn neighbor Sophia Martin.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Although this SE Portland neighborhood isn’t the largest, or best known, we realized that residents take pride in their area by the number of folks we see wearing tee-shirts emblazoned with the text: “Brooklyn, 97202” when we visited their annual Ice Cream Social at Brooklyn Park.
“I’m not sure why, but I’m happy we seem to always have beautiful weather the first Sunday in September,” noted Brooklyn Action Corps’ Marie Phillippi on September 7.
“This is our seventh year for the Ice Cream Social, and it gets better every year,” Phillippi said. “It’s a good-time event where people come together as neighbors. Most of us live within walking distance of the park.”
She pointed out that Brooklyn now has about 2,200 total residents – and more than a quarter of them attend the annual event.
Free prize drawings for the kids are always an event highlight.
Volunteer Michael Vurgwin is cooking up hot dogs and sausages for Thelma Skelton Loaves & Fishes.
Easy-going event
A primary attraction, Phillippi noted, is the ice cream bars and ice cream sandwiches they sell for 25 cents each. “We sell it for less than we pay for it; it’s our way of giving back to the neighborhood. We ran out last year, so we purchased a few more cases this time.”
Folks also lined up for big, plump red-hots and sausages that were sizzling the grill, cooked up by volunteers from the Thelma Skelton Loaves & Fishes Center on S.E. Milwaukie Avenue ant Center Street, to raise money for their Meals On Wheels program.
Family fun abounded. “Definitely not your average Joe” Mishkin twisted unusual balloon hats and wearable sculpture for kids – and performed a juggling and circus-arts show later in the afternoon. A colorful bounce-castle with slides entertained kids of all ages, and art projects gave attendees a creative outlet.
Many family groups simply lounged on the lawn, enjoying the music of Kiri Kari.
Shane and Harrison Blitch, along with Ellery Ott, enjoy their hot dog lunch, as they spend a Sunday in Brooklyn Park.
Budding musicians play together under the wings of the colorful City Repair winged canopy truck.
Happy members of the group Kiri Kari (it means “To sing with joy” in the Shona Zimbabwe language) entertain with their lively-but-mellow music.
New volunteers enliven event
“This year, we have almost all-new volunteers helping out,” said Phillippi . “Everyone pitched in; I collectively thank everyone who is helping; we simply couldn’t do it without them.”
Learn more about the Brooklyn Action Corps neighborhood association online, CLICK HERE to be taken to their web site. CLICK HERE to visit Joe Mishkin’s web site!
Vending quarter-a-bar ice cream treats are the event’s organizer, Marie Phillippi, Amanda Stucke, and Daryl Phillippi.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
See why you should order your tickets NOW for year’s musical at David Douglas High School, starting its run on December 4 …
All of the townspeople – especially the girls – are enamored with Conrad Birdie (Sam De Roest, playing the lead role of the ’50’s rock star about to be drafted) in their production of Bye Bye Birdie, opening for a limited run on December 4.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
For the first time ever, the timeless musical Bye Bye Birdie will take the stage at David Douglas High School (DDHS), opening on December 4.
This lavish production, played out on a double-deck stage, will feature a singing, dancing, and acting cast of 70 students – and 12 DDHS staff members (including Principal John Bier as a Shriner!) – plus the school’s full orchestra.
Adapting to adoration
“It’s pretty nice to be adored both on and off stage,” DDHS senior Sam De Roest says with a smile, about his lead role of Conrad Birdie, a 1950’s rock-and-roll star modeled after Elvis Presley.
“Birdie is a character who is kind of a jerk – making him fun to play – but he learns about love and responsibility. You can’t beat that in a role,” De Roest told us.
Here’s the story:
A hip-swiveling rock and roll superstar (modeled after Elvis Presley), named Conrad Birdie (the name is a parody of the ’50’s singer Conway Twitty), is about to be drafted into the army in 1958. Birdie’s agent wants to cash in on new song, “One Last Kiss” on live television, and give one lucky girl from his fan club a real “one last kiss” during the Ed Sullivan Show.
“In reality, Conrad Birdie is a person of questionable character,” explained the show’s director, Judy Le Coq. “The comedy comes from the disruption his visit causes both in the girl’s family – and the entire town – by his actions, and the town’s new-found fame.”
Spectacular staging
“The two-story, multi-position stage that theater arts instructor Mark Taylor and his class created is just unbelievable,” Le Coq said.
Taylor agreed that building a set of this kind is an ambitious project.
“We came up with this two-story set,” commented Taylor, “as we thought about a number in the show called ‘The Telephone Hour’ – and started designing a setting reminiscent of the ‘Hollywood Squares’ game show. Each cubbyhole will accommodate rapid scene changes.”
Conrad Birdie (De Roest) is coached on his performance by the show’s director, Judy Le Coq.
Show opens December 4
Bye Bye Birdie opens on December 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Then, the show runs in the evenings at 7:30 p.m. on December 5, 6 11, 12 and 13. And, there’s a special Sunday Matinee show on December 7 at 2:30 p.m.
All performances are at the Howard Horner Performing Arts Center, 1400 SE 130th Ave., between SE Stark and SE Division Streets.
We understand that reserved seating sales are going at a brisk pace; we recommend you call for reservations (unpaid reservations are held only for 24 hours), or buy your tickets today. You can pick up your paid tickets at the theater’s box office in advance or before the show.
Tickets are $10 for adults; seniors/students are $7. Call to make your reservations at DDHS Box Office at (503) 261-8270.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Instead of grumbling as they rake, see why this family has so much fun with their leaf pile that they invite neighbors and friends over to play …
Esme Zehava flies through air before plopping in the fluffy leaf pile – this is her fifth jump of the afternoon.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
So many Portlanders love their trees – but hate the leaves that fall when the cold autumn winds blow. They grumble as they rake, blow, gather, and tote the brown, crusty remains of the summer’s lush green canopy to collection sites.
But, not the owners of the historic Young House in Southeast Portland!
“Welcome to our annual Leaf Jumping Party,” Angela Zehava greeted us on a bright-but-breezy November Sunday. “Our Copper Beech tree, planted in 1892 – the same year as the house is built – makes an enormous amount of leaves.”
Hostess Angela Zehava does a “test leap” into the pile of leaves.
She and others are raking the leaves into a six-foot high pile at the base of the tree. Kids giggled as they looked at the growing pile.
“About three years ago,” Zehava recounted, “it started as an impromptu event. Not only do invited friends jump into the pile of leaves – we’ve had passersby come and want to jump to the leaves, also.”
By “jump” – Zehava actually does mean “leap” into the leaf pile – as in from the crotch of the stately tree, about 10 feet above the ground. “Last year we had probably 50 people here jumping.”
Ely Alvaro is swimming in a pile of Copper Beech tree leaves.
After the leaves are piled and “fluffed” with rake handles, Richard Birke climbs into the tree and acts as the “tosser” – making sure the kids land in the center of the pile. Giggling, laughing, and screaming with joy – kids and adults fly through the air and plopp into the dark brown cushion below. So fluffy is the pile, smaller kids sink halfway down, and tunnel their way out of the stack.
Esme and Angela Zehava spend some quality leaf time together.
No leaf removal worries
We asked how long it takesthe family to cart off the leaves once the party is over.
“Beech leaves are only second to Oak for nutritional value in the compost pile,” Zehava noted. “Because a lot of folks around here grow their own food, they come to harvest leaves for their compost pile or mulch. I use quite a bit of them, too.”
In addition to learning about the way one Inner Southeast family shares their heaping leaf pile each autumn, readers now know that there is at least one Copper Beech tree in Sellwood – a type of tree which figured prominently in a famous Sherlock Holmes mystery story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Off … and away … Richard Birke takes his turn leaping into leaves.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Attention outer East Portland: Read this article and see why you should plan to see this wacky character, when she brings her outrageously funny show to Midland Library at the end of January …
Little guest Lana helps Mz. Pearl try to get her madcap act right.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Some entertainers haul in a truck full of props and equipment used in their act. Not so with “Mz. Pearl’s Variety Show”. Using minimal props, Pearl enchanted the children and entertained the adults at her January 17 show at the Woodstock Branch Library.
In show business lingo, they’d say that physical comedienne Heather Pearl (a/k/a “Mz. Pearl”) has mastered the art of “packing small, playing big”.
Mz. Pearl makes her big entrance.
While demonstrating the “death defying” skill of juggling silk scarves, Ms. Pearl became entangled in her costume. Never have we seen oversized underpants cause such laughter.
Her solo clown show was filled with physical comedy, juggling, magic, dance, and word play. Pearl got audience member really – and we mean really – involved in her show: In their seats, as volunteers, and in a mini-workshop at the end.
Members of the audience, even adults, are quickly drawn into Mz. Pearl’s wacky world.
Seriously, funny
Pearl started performing in 1990, and graduated from the Dell’ Arte School of Physical Theater located in Northern California. This well-educated clown also graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Arts. While living in San Francisco, she performed with several troups; she also taught clowning and circus skills to special populations.
Coming to Portland, several years ago, she performed with the “Do Jump! Extremely Physical Theater” troupe. In 2002, Pearl began working with Michael O’Neill as the Nomadic Theater Company. Together, they’ve created several shows, and continue to teach and perform throughout the region.
No matter how she tries to make it right, Mz. Pearl seems to continuously experience “wardrobe failures” – to the delight of her audiences.
Exposing truths
After her show, we talked with Pearl about her experience performing as a clown character. “What I love about clowning is that it’s not about being false; we seek to find human truths, then expand them.”
The best thing about doing shows in several branches of the Multnomah County Library system, Pearl says, is making parents and children laugh together. “Adults will laugh at some gags, the kids at others – they don’t always laugh at the same thing. It makes it a more layered experience as a performer.
Asked how she develops new ideas for shows, Pearl said, “I find an idea that interests and excites me, and then explore the possibilities in our studio. This show is a combination of my favorite routines. I can change the show to fit the need of the audience.”
About her vocational choice, she added, “I am forever grateful for meeting ‘the red nose’ 16 years ago, and for all the adventures working in it has brought me – and for the adventures yet to come.”
Mz. Pearl will stand on her head to make her audiences laugh out loud!
Coming to Midland Library January 29
With all of the “bad news” around these days, come take a few minutes to laugh like a kid – even if you don’t have children – when “Mz. Pearl’s Variety Show” comes to Midland Library on Thursday, January 29.
Seating is limited: free tickets for seating will be available 30 minutes prior to the program. Her one-woman circus of laughs runs from 3:30 until 4:15 p.m. at Midland Library, 805 S.E. 122nd Avenue. Call (503) 988-5392 for more information.
To learn more about Pearl and her comedic cohorts, check out their website by CLICKING HERE!
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Here’s why you should plan now to come see this powerful story presented by the Parkrose High School Thespians, starting February 26 …
The Parkrose High School actors practice a scene from their new play. A slave girl who did a little more than just dabble in the occult, Tituba (Kylie Simmons), professes her faith in God – and accuses other village women of witchcraft – to Reverend John Hale (Jason Newman), an expert in occultist phenomena.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
For their winter season production, Parkrose High School Thespian Troupe 1783 is taking on the challenge of presenting The Crucible by Arthur Miller.
This dramatic classic is based on historical events that led to the Salem Witch Trials. Playwright Miller wrote it during the early 1950s as a response to US Government “blacklisting” people like himself, who were accused of being (or associating with) communists by Senator Joseph McCarthy’s House of Representatives’ Committee on Un-American Activities, in 1956.
“The Crucible is a timeless play,” Ms. Zena, theater instructor and director, said as we watched the cast work on their parts this week. “Miller’s demons were wrapped up in the McCarthy era. This story still resonates today; we still face prejudices based on a lack of knowledge – and sometimes on selfish actions based on a desire to make ourselves feel better or safer.”
The show features a cast of 30 students, as well as a production crew of 20 more. From what we saw, this should be a great evening of theater. However, due to the adult themes (but not the content), it might be uncomfortable for very small children.
Giles Corey (Sterling Arkills) looks on as Betty Parris (Shannon Webb), daughter of a not-well-respected reverend, lies lifeless. Reverend Hale and the greedy Thomas Putnam (Derek Rathke) wonder if witchcraft had anything to do with the girl’s condition.
Show opens February 26
Opening night for this dramatic presentation of The Crucible is February 26. It also plays on the evenings of February 27 and 28 – then again on March 6 and 7. Curtain time is 7 pm for all shows.
Tickets are available at the door, and are only $8 for adults, $5 for students 18 and under, and $5 for honored citizens 65+. Come early to assure yourself a good seat.
The shows are on the stage of the Parkrose High School Theatre, 12003 NE Shaver Street, just west of NE 122nd Avenue.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Don’t pass up seeing this powerful story presented
by the Parkrose High School Thespians, now playing.
It closes March 7 …
Slave girl Tituba (Kylie Simmons) tends her witch’s brew, as village girls dance with wild abandon – in defiance of their parents wishes.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The Parkrose High School Thespian Troupe 1783 winter season production is the dramatic classic written by Arthur Miller, The Crucible.
The sparsely-decorated sets and evocative lighting focus audience members’ attention on the story, based on actual historical events surrounding the 17th Century Salem Witch Trials.
When Senator Joseph McCarthy set about “blacklisting” people like Miller, who were accused of being (or associating with) communists, during the infamous House of Representatives’ Committee on Un-American Activities hearings in 1956 – Miller said he wrote this story as an allegory as a response.
The sly and deceitful Abigail Williams (Taylor Grady) tells John Proctor (Olimpio Arellano), a man with whom she had an affair, that she will make sure his wife is charged with witchcraft.
About the story …
Teenage girls are caught cavorting around a pot of witch’s brew in the forest outside of a small Massachusetts hamlet in 1692. To keep from being hanged for practicing witchcraft, the girls, led by their cunning and devious friend Abigail Williams, start accusing other villagers of instigating devil worship.
Tituba admits she did little more than just dabble in the occult. To escape the gallows, she professes her faith in God – and accuses other village women of witchcraft – to Reverend John Hale (Jason Newman), a self-proclaimed expert in occultist phenomena.
The astute, yet weak of character, Ezekiel Cheever (Caesar Santizo), a onetime friend of Proctor, “finds” a doll planted by Abigail Williams with the aim of implicating Proctor’s wife in witchcraft, as an astonished Reverend Hale looks on.
Accusations start flying, as a visiting, well-meaning preacher – a self-professed expert in witchcraft – tries to find the truth. Instead, he accidentally fans the flames of deception. Some lie to advance in wealth; others tell falsehoods out of fear.
In the end, magistrates prosecute more than 150 townsfolk accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693 – and, sadly, many of the falsely-accused are put to death.
In the vestry of the Salem, Massachusetts, court, citizens and the accused make charges and countercharges of trickery, witchcraft and land theft.
Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth (Tom Crawford) is gulled by the performance of three of the girls caught dancing around the witch’s caldron, Margaret Parker (Amariah Moran), Lydia Foster (Amanda Coalwell), Betty Parris (Shannon Webb), when the treacherous Abigail Williams pretends to be plagued by spirits.
- Is it possible that Abigail Williams will get John Proctor all to herself, using her treacherous and deceptive means?
- Can “expert occultist” Reverend Hale find the truth – and convince magistrates of his findings – before innocent people hang at the gallows?
- Will Thomas Putnam get away with “appropriating” John Proctor’s land and animals while John languishes in jail?
Who will die? Who will be set free? Will slave girl Tituba really find her way back to her home in Barbados?
Come see The Crucible and find out!
“Miller’s demons were wrapped up in the McCarthy-era hearings,” noted Ms. Zena, the show’s director. “This story still resonates today; we still face prejudices based on a lack of knowledge – and sometimes on selfish actions based on a desire to make ourselves feel better or safer. This makes The Crucible a timeless play.”
Even though he seems to know that the witch trials in Salem are a sham, Deputy Governor Danforth (Tom Crawford) fears of being seen as weak – and of having his high government position undermined – if he releases any of the prisoners falsely accused of witchcraft.
John Proctor (center, blue shirt) professes his innocence, and holds to his convictions – but will this act cost him his life?
Production values add to the drama
Well-thought-out set design and decoration, period costumes, and dramatic lighting increase the realism of the story, as the drama builds throughout the evening.
The show features a cast of 30 students, and a production crew of 20 more. This production of The Crucible promises to be a great evening of theater. However, due to the dramatic adult themes (but not the content), it might be uncomfortable for very small children.
The cast assembles for a low-key curtain call at the end of this moving performance.
The Crucible runs through March 7
Opening night was on February 26; it plays on the evenings of February 27 and 28 – then again on March 6 and 7. Curtain time is 7 pm for all shows.
Tickets will be available at the door, and are only $8 for adults, $5 for students 18 and under, and $5 for honored citizens 65+. Come early to assure yourself a good seat.
The production is staged at the Parkrose High School Theatre, 12003 NE Shaver Street, just west of NE 122nd Avenue.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
You’ll be laughing out loud, as you try to figure out who is trying to romance whom in a hilarious play that has audiences saying, “Hello, Dolly!”
Dolly Levi (played by Kathryn Martin) – who states her principal occupation is “a woman who arranges things” – gives pre-nuptial advice to her late friend’s husband, the irascible merchant of Yonkers, Horace Vandergelder (John Ellis).
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Because so much grim news is in the headlines daily, David Douglas High School Theater Department instructor Michael Givler and the David Douglas Thespian Troupe decided to serve up a burgeoning buffet of laughter – by offering Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker as their winter production.
This classic comedy is based on an 1835 one-act farce in by John Oxenford called A Day Well Spent. Wilder adapted it into a full play, The Merchant of Yonkers, updating the play to the 1930s and moving the setting to New York; it closed after a few performances. At the urging of a Broadway director, Wilder extensively rewrote and renamed the play – and The Matchmaker became a hit, playing over 400 performances on Broadway before being turned into the Tony-Award-winning Broadway musical, Hello, Dolly!
Seeking to introduce some adventure in their otherwise dull lives as employees at Vandegelder’s grocery and hardware store, newly-named head clerk Cornelius Hackel (Sam DeRoest) hatches a plan for himself and his young associate, Barnaby Tucker (Carson Cook), to go on an escapade in New York City. A few ripe, exploding tomato cans later – they’re off to the big city!
Vandergelder thinks something fishy is going on (and he’s correct) when he and Dolly visit the hat shop owned by the woman he plans to marry, Irene Molloy. Irene certainly doesn’t love the grumpy, stingy Vandergelder, but she hopes to escape her dull life as a milliner.
Malachi Stack (Josh McKinney), Vandegelder’s newest clerk, listens from behind the potted plant with his boss, while Dolly advises young lovers – Vandegelder’s niece Ermengarde and her beau, poor artist Ambrose Kemper (Corey T-Cedarleaf) – of her uncle’s nefarious kidnapping plan.
About the story
This is a situation comedy about love and courtship, mistaken identities, and the desire for adventure and romance. This production of The Matchmaker is enhanced by the splendid sets and lighting provided by the student-run crew, led by theater manager Mark Taylor. The period costuming, supervised by theater instructor, Judy LeCoq, completes the characters.
Horace Vandergelder – a miserly old merchant of Yonkers, New York – is a wealthy widower. He wants to remarry, and engages the services of matchmaker Dolly Levi. As Vandergelder learns to his surprise, Dolly is determined to became his new wife.
Barnaby is nonplussed, and Minnie Fay (Vicki Walter), Irene Molloy’s clerk and Barnaby’s date, is shocked, as Cornelius demands that the foursome be given the exclusive use of the veranda at NYC’s exclusive Harmonia Gardens Restaurant – as Ruby (Audrey White), its snobbish senior waiter, tries to maintain dignity when dealing with the antics of the play’s main characters. The table Cornelius is upsetting was previously reserved for – who else? – Mr. Vandergelder.
After finding a wallet stuffed with money at the restaurant, Malachi Stack explains that he, a reformed petty thief, has decided to exercise one vice at a time, and he’s chosen booze! Not realizing it actually belongs to Vandergelder, Malachi “returns” the wallet to Cornelius – saving the two clerks from the embarrassment of taking Irene and Minnie to the pricy Harmonia Gardens – when they can’t even afford dinner at a hot dog stand.
Minnie, Barnaby, Cornelius, and Irene listen from behind the screen as Dolly tells Vandergelder that his intended – Irene Molloy – has fallen in love with another man, and won’t be joining them for dinner.
Dolly lectures and browbeats Vandergelder into feeling like he’s a small child who needs to be spoon-fed – telling him he’s not likely to find any woman who would want to be his new wife because of his unpleasant personality – except, perhaps possibly, herself.
Woven into this comedic tapestry is an assortment of characters associated with Vandergelder – including three of his employees, relatives, and friends who all yearn for romance and adventure in New York, and who end up pulling the wool over the blustery merchant’s eyes.
- Will Barnaby get kissed “by a real woman” for the first time?
- Can Ermengarde escape her uncle’s kidnapping plans, and marry Ambrose?
- Will Irene Molloy marry for money – or love?
- Is it possible for Cornelius to pay for an expensive date with the woman of his dreams when he’s broke, stay out of jail, and find the adventure he seeks?
- And, will Dolly be able to soften old Vandergelder’s heart?
Audiences are laughing as they discover the answers to these questions by watching performances of The Matchmaker, now playing!
Standing behind her sofa, the slightly addled Flora VanHuysen (Amanda Pred) – a friend of Vandegelder’s late wife – tells Ermengarde and Ambrose that she’ll have nothing to do with the uncle’s kidnapping plans, because she considers herself “a friend of all young lovers”. Cornelius is exasperated, because Flora has confused Ambrose with himself.
After love finds its way, and mistaken identities are cleared up and confusions are resolved, the cast accepts the applause of an appreciative audience.
Show runs through March 14
The Matchmaker continues its run on March 6 and 7; and on March 12, 13, and 14. Curtain time for all performances is at 7:30pm.
Order your tickets today: The cost is only $5 for students and seniors; $7 for adults. The Box Office is open from 3:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For more information, call (503) 261-8270 during Box Office hours.
The David Douglas High School Howard Horner Performing Arts Center is located at 1400 SE 130th Avenue, between SE Division and Stark Streets.
Theater arts instructor and theater manager Mark Taylor lends a hand backstage during one of the choreographed scene changes.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Are you a surfer (or ho-dad), looking for good time? Come out and enjoy this fun-in-the-sun musical, presented on March 19 and 20 …
Can these kids help save the Surf Shack from greedy developers? Come see this musical, that tells the story.
Story and photo by David F. Ashton
Even if you aren’t a surfer, you’ll enjoy the new musical being presented by Lent School called Wipeout! It will be playing on their stage on March 19 and 20.
“Our musical uses the talents of an all-star cast composed of 23 students from 5th through 8th grades,” said Rebecca Rothery, who occupies a triple role as the school’s eighth grade language arts teacher, the social studies teacher, and the drama director.
“The musical features students singing and dancing as they reveal life on sunny Avalon Beach,” Rothery explained, as the cast rehearsed a musical number. “This surf musical takes us back to a simpler time when life was groovy, the music was hip, and the world was about to change. It’s about a group of plucky teens who get together to save Mom and Pop’s ‘Surf Shack’ from being destroyed by a greedy, heartless land developer.”
In addition to the cast, five students serve as the show’s technical stage crew.
Show supports unique school program
“Lent School is the only elementary school with a dramatic program,” Rothery told us. “We have a music teacher, and a theater and an art teacher here.”
She added that many organizations have donated time and materials. “Some of our set design and props came from Michael Curry of Michael Curry Design – the man who won a Tony Award for ‘The Lion King’, and who has done work with Cirque du Soleil. We’ve had a lot of support generated to support these kids.”
Come hear The Verbtones live, as they rock out with surfer favorites before the March 20 show. Image used with permission
The Verbtones play before March 20 show
Pre-show entertainment is planned for both days. And, we learned that the fabulous Verbtones will be the ones to kick things off at the Friday, March 20 performance, at 6:00 p.m.
Formed in 2001, this band promotes their performances as “Showcase haunting, spine-chilling, vintage-yet-modern surf melodies for ho-dads and grimmys in Oregon and beyond”. They have a true love for today’s surf music – and “a respect for their surfin’ forefathers has influenced their unique sound, providing a time capsule from yesterday that somehow seems right for today.” To visit the band’s website, CLICK HERE.
Dinner and a show
During the pre-show entertainment, pizza and other refreshments will be available for sale as a part of the Lent Theater Program fundraising efforts, Rothery said.
The Lent SUN Community School proudly presents its musical comedy, Wipeout!, on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20 from 6:00 until 8:30 pm.
Admission to the performance is $3.00 at the door. Admission for children 12 years & younger is $1.00. Lent School is located at 5105 SE 97th Avenue (between SE Harold Street and SE Holgate Boulevard).
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
See how long it took kids to swoop in and collect fields full of Easter eggs at these two traditional events …
The Easter Bunny presents Poppy and Finnegan Friel with … fresh carrots!?!
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Volunteers prepared for days, for the April 11 Easter Egg Hunts – and then spent hours sowing parks with foil-covered chocolates and plastic-shelled eggs at two East Portland parks. We were fortunate to witness them both!
“This is a really fun event,” grinned Edwina Swart, President of the Oaks Bottom Lions Club, at Westmoreland Park, a few minutes before their 10:00 a.m. start time. “This is our sixth year doing this, and we always look forward to it.”
Westmoreland Park egg hunt organizers Edwina Swart and Fran Shaw, with the Oaks Bottom Lions Club, pause after all the eggs have been distributed.
At exactly 10:00 a.m., kids rush out to start gathering candy at this event.
Ten volunteers planted the south lawn of the park with thousands of foil-covered chocolate Easter Eggs, supplied by the Sellwood Moreland Improvement League neighborhood association (SMILE), while the Easter Bunny, as usual, gave kids real carrots, provided by New Seasons Markets.
Parents lined up their kids behind one of three section tapes, marking off areas for toddlers, little kids, and older youth.
Audrey Morris is looking for her next nest of Easter eggs to collect.
Alana, dad Tom Keepes, Andrew, and Olivia show off their Easter Egg collection.
Anticipation ran high, as kids – restrained by their parents – awaited the appointed moment to dash out and gather the goodies set out for them. Within minutes of the start, the whirlwind of children picked the lawns clean of goodies.
Easter comes to Woodstock
When we next arrived at Woodstock Park, organizers were minutes away from their own 10:30 a.m. start time.
“It’s the 11th Woodstock Park Easter Egg Hunt,” said event chair Tom Vice, as he kept a careful watch on the time using his cell phone. The hunt, originated and run for years by realtor Janis Wigg, was recently assumed by the Woodstock Neighborhood Association (WNA).
Tom Vice, one of this year’s organizers of the Woodstock Easter Egg Hunt, counts down to the start time of the 11th annual event.
Boys, girls, moms, and dads make a dash for the eggs and prizes at Woodstock Park.
Vice said that volunteers stuffed 1,900 plastic eggs with toys, a coupon good for merchandise or candy; they also distributed another 1,500 foil covered chocolate eggs on the lawn in the park.
“We’ve divided our hunt into two sections: one for older kids, and one for the little ones. Hopefully everyone will go away happy,” Vice told us.
Some run to the far corners of Woodstock Park; others start gathering nearby eggs as the Hunt begins.
Logan Hancock, Cedrus Barrett, and mom Samantha Hancock say they’ve got what they came for – Easter Eggs loaded with treats!
“This event helps connect our neighbors with each other,” Vice said about the egg hunt. “And, it involves area businesses with the neighbors. We have lots of sponsors this year, and we especially thank those who donated food: First Cup, Papaccino’s, Space Monkey, His Bakery, Sweetness, and Mehri’s Café and Bakery for helping out.”
The elapsed time between Vice calling “Go!” and the lawn being picked clean was about four minutes.
But, neighbors spent a good portion of the rest of the morning opening and recycling the plastic eggs, and networking. The kids? They were happily munching on the candy!
Volunteer Jodi Smith shows lucky ticket-holders the prizes they’ve won in the drawing, complements of Woodstock-area businesses.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Come on out and see bands, Portland Rose Festival Princesses, classic cars and much more during the 9 AM parade – and enjoy the Eastport Plaza Carnival that follows …
Here’s how last year’s parade looked as it began and headed north on 82nd Avenue of Roses. Organizers say this year’s parade will be even bigger, better, and more exciting.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
After working all year long, the committee behind the 2009 82nd Avenue of Roses Grand Parade says they’re ready to have a great time during this year’s edition – scheduled for Saturday, April 25, at 9:00 a.m.
“We’re thrilled that the event grows every year,” proclaims Ken Turner, president of the 82nd Avenue of Roses Business Association, “and this year’s parade will be better than ever.”
Parade starts at Eastport Plaza
The 2009 82nd Avenue of Roses Grand Parade begins at Eastport Plaza, just north of SE Holgate Boulevard. It marches north on the Avenue of Roses, and finally disperses in the Montavilla Neighborhood area, Turner tells us.
New this year will be a reviewing stand at Eastport Plaza, in addition to the bleachers and public announcement area, just north of SE Division Street – hosted by Portland Community College’s Southeast Center.
Help by volunteering as a “street monitor”, like these two did last year.
Worlds’ largest ‘standing’ marching band
One of the highlights of this year’s parade will be the “One More Time Around Marching Band” – “the world’s largest standing musical organization” – regularly featured in Portland Rose Festival parades and events. Kell’s Irish Pipes & Drums Corps will also enliven the parade this year.
The parade will be led by members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1442 color guard.
You’ll see the Portland Rose Festival Court Princesses in their first official group appearance – accompanied by the dapperly dressed Royal Rosarians, and members of the Portland Rose Society.
All kinds of specialty vehicles, from antique military trucks to classic cars, will cruise up 82nd Avenue.
“Many other unique, colorful individuals and groups are making arrangements to march in this lively parade. In all, about 50 entries will grace the parade this year,” Turner adds.
Check out Carnival Days after the parade at Eastport Plaza and make a fun day of it!
Community Carnival and Bike Rodeo after the parade
Several after-parade events are scheduled at Eastport Plaza and the Montavilla/South Tabor Business District.
From April 23 through 26, Eastport Plaza hosts “Carnival Days”, featuring FUNtastic amusement rides and games. “But after the parade, we have a ton of things happening here on April 25 in addition to the thrill rides,” reports Eastport Plaza’s Sadee Daniels. They include:
- Clown balloon artist and juggler;
- Stilt walkers;
- Pony rides;
- Caricature artist and face painting;
- Live music with The Carolina Pump Station, Trash Can Joe, Get a Life Marching Band, and a Strolling Barbershop Quartet;
- KGON 92.3 will broadcast live, and will provide a chance to win a Ford F150 and a Harley Davidson “Rocker”; and,
- There will be informational booths staffed by community service providers and civic groups.
And, on the north end of the parade, members of the Montavilla/South Tabor Business Association host a Bike Rodeo and safety clinic on S.E. Yamhill Street – where the parade disbands.
Don’t let this year’s parade pass you by! Make plans to come out on April 24 at 9:00 a.m.!
Not too late to volunteer
If you’re not content to sit on the sidelines watching a parade pass you by, consider volunteering on the day of the parade. “We need volunteers to help, by briefly closing off side streets as the parade passes,” said Johnni Jones, the event’s volunteer coordinator. “It’s easy – and you get to watch the parade!” Contact her by e-mailing: johnni.jones@gmail.com.
Registration for the parade begins at 7:30, and closes off at 8:30 am; the parade begins promptly at 9 am, Turner smiles, “Come out and enjoy the day, at this great family community event.”
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
See why many people now say that the most creative artists have moved to East Portland. Meet six of them right here …
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The annual SE Area ARTWalk, founded by Rin Carroll Jackson in 2002, started with a small group of artists, and has continued to be organized by a dedicated group of artists and business owners.
“The idea was to reach out to artists in the area, help them make new connections and show their talents and skills in a small, neighborhood art tour,” she said. “The growth of the event has been astounding, and we are thankful for all the support we have received from neighborhood/business associations, local area residents, business owners, and art enthusiasts. Without the network of passionate community-members, the event would not be where it is today.”
The group’s volunteer publicity coordinator, Kathi Drummond of RedKat Imaging, helped us coordinate our tour – during which we met seven artists who work in a variety of media.
Dorothy Steele and P. Anna Johnson show off their porcelain and ceramic original containers.
Ross Island Pottery / Dorothy Steele Pottery
1100 SE Woodward Street
Being a full-time artist in the area since 1990, many people have met potter Dorothy Steele. She said that over the years she’s done “all kinds of art”, until she settled on creating porcelain, hand-built pottery with plant impressions and bright colors.
“I’ve always seen clay is very organic in itself,” Steele told us. “By putting impressions of plants in the clay, it makes it even more organic – it looks almost like fossils. My color combinations come from observing nature.”
Steele said she looks forward to the ARTwalk each year. “It brings a community together, and showcases our creative community here. But it’s also a showcase for all the artists in Southeast Portland. It’s good exposure for people, general people in the community, to get to know the artist and that all this artwork is here. It’s great exposure, and a great community event.”
P. Anna Johnson – Ceramics
Another artist showing in the same studio during our visit was P. Anna Johnson. “Actually, I’m one of the six people who work in this studio, and share the space.”
She describes her work as “sculptural and functional”, adding that she was attracted to the process of making stoneware ceramics because she thinks “in a three-dimensional way. Before I was a potter, I was a dancer. Many potters are also dancers.”
Find out more about the artisans here by visiting their website: CLICK HERE.
Cheri Holly shows a ceramic vase. She first carved the bamboo scene with which it is decorated before imprinting it onto the vase.
Cheri Holly – Ceramics
At her home on SE Tibbits Street
Next, we met a woman who says she uses here hands to both create – and heal. “My real job is being a registered nurse at St. Vincent Hospital,” confided Cheri Holly, while showing her ceramic artwork to visitors. “This is the other half of my job, and my being.”
Although Holly said she now enjoys making ceramics by hand, her artistic impulses started her out illustrating, drawing, and painting. “When I started getting back into art, as my kids got older, I was having a hard time doing the quality of work that I did when I was younger. I thought I’d do something completely different.”
One of her favorite techniques, Holly noted, is to first make artistic carvings in clay, bisque the carving, and then use that to make an imprint in ceramic piece.
The professional quality of Holly’s work belies the fact she started learning pottery only four years ago. “It took off, now I have my own studio and kiln in the basement.”
Amber Oxford’s fine art drawings and paintings are on display on the mantle, as she creates a living work of art on the face of Gretta Baker.
Amber Marie Studios – Figure and Body Art
Also showing her artwork in Holly’s home was artist – and body art painter – Amber Oxford.
“I create art on paper, canvas, wood, and on whatever I can find,” said Oxford “I even have a toilet seat that’s been decorated. I like finding things and repurposing them.”
While she talks, Oxford is panting a design on Gretta Baker’s face. “People are my favorite subjects and objects. I enjoy drawing and painting figure studies, and also like putting art on the body.”
Her kind of “body art” isn’t done with tattoos: “I have a real fear of needles.” And, she’s not the typical “face painter” who splashes on crude, cartoonish paint. “In 1999, I learned what we call ‘body art’ from a mentor – it’s fine art, integrated onto a human body.”
Her day job as a website and office administrator hasn’t deterred her creative passion. “I’ve been drawing as far back as I can remember. I used to trace images of my favorite cartoons on paper off of the TV screen. I’ve been a cartoonist for awhile, then a comic book artist – and I kept drawing people. I like having a little creativity in my days.”
To learn more, visit her website: CLICK HERE.
Photographer David Duck says he loves the experience of capturing outdoor images.
David Duck – Landscape Photography
At his home on SE Tibbetts Street
At this home, we met three artists – including the homeowner, David Duck, a landscape photographer.
“It started when my mom told me to take a hike!” Duck grinned. “I thought, while I’m out, I might as well take some photographs. Since then, photography is always given me a license to dawdle outdoors.”
Even though Duck said he enjoys travel, “You can explore new images in your backyard just as well as you can in a foreign country.”
Eschewing the relative ease of digital photography, Duck says, he prefers the “slow and deliberate” process of capturing an image using a medium-format camera – a Hasselblad, shooting Fuji transparency film. Using a digital process, he creates large-format images that are “painted by light” onto genuine photographic paper.
Photography is actually a sideline for him, Duck mentioned. Nowadays, he’s a family man who works as a property specialist at Portland’s VA Hospital. “But, I still really enjoy getting outdoors and finding new images.”
Learn more by visiting his website: CLICK HERE.
Stephanie Meredith displays some of her colorful, abstract oil-on-canvas paintings.
Stephanie Meredith – Oil on canvas
A professional artist for two years now, Stephanie Meredith said she started drawing as soon as she could “pick up a pencil”, because her mother was also an artist. “When I was in college at Santa Fe, New Mexico, I dabbled in sculpture – but it just wasn’t as natural for me.”
Meredith added that she’s developed two styles – depicting micro-objects, and abstracts.
“I create paintings of things so small, like pollen for example, that you can only see them through a microscope. I also do abstractions of my own designs. These are all bright, monochromatic works, painted three-dimensionally so that they seem to pop out of the painting.”
Her favorite of the process, Meredith added, is coming up with the concept for a new work. “I enjoy figuring out what I’m doing, and why I’m doing it. From there, it’s more of the craft of making it come out the way I’ve imagined it.”
See more of her work at her BlogSpot page: CLICK HERE.
Jewelry artist Wendy Price says she likes creating wearable art.
Wendy Price – Handcrafted jewelry
Creating “wearable art” is the craft pursued by jewelry artist Wendy Price.
“I learned to make jewelry, a craft I could do with my mom when I was a teenager,” Price said. “We took classes together.”
The beads that Price uses are typically made of hand-blown glass, not plastic. “I like to let the components – the jewelry and the beads – inspire me. I pick out the colors, textures, and chains I like, and work from there.”
A great deal of her jewelry, she told us, is created using sterling silver and semi-precious gems. “But, I’ll use almost any material, if it works in the jewelry I’m creating.”
You can contact her by e-mail at wendyscollon@comcast.net.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
After you see why folks flocked to outer East Portland’s new ‘swimming hole’ to celebrate its grand opening, you may want to grab your swim trunks and head on over for a dip, slip, or splash, yourself …
After the “snip, snip, snip” of the ceremonial ribbon, it was “slide, swim, and splash” for hundreds of guests, at the East Portland Community Center Aquatic Center.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
A couple of months ago, we gave you a sneak-preview of the East Portland Community Center Aquatic Center, when we tagged along with Mayor Tom Potter during his December 19. (CLICK HERE to read that story and discover all of the features the center offers.)
It took contractors a few more weeks to complete the unfinished tasks and solve some unforeseen problems, but the new aquatic center officially opened – with a big splash – on March 14.
Portland City Commissioner – and the new “Parks Commissoner” – Nick Fish says his son, 5-year-old Chapin, takes to water like a … well …
Fish takes to water
Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish, the newly-named commissioner overseeing Portland Parks & Recreation, was grinning ear-to-ear, as he and his 5-year-old son Chapin toured the facility.
“This day is important,” Fish said before the official ceremonies began, “because it shows that we kept faith with people in outer East Portland when we promised them a new aquatic center many years ago. The folks here passed a [parks improvement] levy in 2002 to build this center.”
For many years, Fish added, many outer East Portlanders have said they’ve felt ignored. “As we open this pool – just as [the Portland City Council] adopted the East Portland Action Plan – these actions shows that we’re paying attention.”
Three generations of Parkrose residents, grandmother Bev Schafer, mom Mary Walker, and her kids, Ahnika Reavis and Elizabeth Walker, wait with anticipation to use the new pool.
Proving that the giant waterslide isn’t just for kids! Mario Lopez takes his first, fast ride. Afterward says, “This is really fun and exciting.”
Saltzman touts green building
As a crowd of more than 100 bathing suit attired adults and children gathered at the Aquatic Center’s main door (there are three pools in the center), former Parks Commissioner Dan Saltzman quipped, “It’s nice to see this throng of smiling faces, ready to ‘mow us down’ and go swimming!
Even with the parks levy, Saltzman commented, the project fell $4 Million short of being built. He commended former Mayor Tom Potter and outer East Portland parks advocates for moving the project forward.
“This is not only the best aquatic facility in Portland,” Saltzman continued, “but is probably the best aquatic facility in the nation, in terms of its sustainable features. This is a state-of-the-art building – the only aquatic facility that will achieve a LEED Platinum* rating, the highest rating a building can have for green building in this country.”
* LEED is the U.S. Green Building Green Council’s “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” certification.
Saltzman talked about many of the facility’s “green” systems, starting with the pool water filtration and sanitation system, which allows for lower levels of chlorine. He said heat from the center is captured and used to reheat pool water – and that they’d be installing solar cells on the roof that will generate as much as 50% of the building’s energy.
Watching over the splashing citizens at the new East Portland Aquatic Center is certified lifeguard Danielle McConnell.
Eric Ridenour, with SERA Architects, and his son Milo, are about to cut the cake at the grand opening ceremony of the East Portland Aquatic Center.
Scissors at the ready
As officials and kids got ready to snip the ceremonial ribbon, Portland Parks & Recreation director Zari Santner thanked all of those involved in the project, but singled out David Douglas schools’ District Superintendent Barbara Rommel, for providing some of the land on which the facility sits.
“The David Douglas school board recognized the benefit to the community,” Santner said, “and thanks also to the students of Floyd Light Middle School, immediately adjacent to the facility.”
With that, the ribbon was cut – and the fun began, as outer East Portlanders enjoyed an afternoon of splishing, splashing, sliding, and swimming.
Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish, the new Parks Commissioner, signs beach balls for the Shore family – Peter, Vida and kids Lola and Caleb.
Whatever the weather outside, the climate is always perfect for swimming and floating down the “Lazy River” feature in the new East Portland Aquatic Center.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
