10
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
The Bear is back
Spear signs for
beach volleyball
By erin Borla
Correspondent
“Skip” the bear and
her cub made her trium-
phant return to the Sisters
Elementary School foyer last
week.
More than 25 years ago, as
part of a class project for his
daughter’s first-grade class,
J. Chester “Skip” Armstrong,
a world-renowned chainsaw
sculptor from Sisters, made
the bear on the playground
during a recess with members
of his daughter’s class.
Made of Mt. St. Helens
Spirit Lake cedar, “Skip”
has been a mainstay in the
foyer ever since the day she
was created. After 25 years,
she and her cub needed a
little refinishing. Community
members approached
Principal Becky Stoughton
and asked if they could help
coordinate getting the bear
worked on — and the original
artist was happy to help bring
life back to the sculpture.
Sisters has always had
a unique way to showcase
community. This project was
just one of many examples
of caring and compassionate
individuals making an impact
locally on young Sisters
residents.
“I did this project for my
daughter’s first-grade class in
1987,” says Armstrong. “The
kids gathered around during
recess and watched as I cre-
ated the bear with their sug-
gestions. They even helped
finish it with a little elbow
grease and sanding.”
Armstrong was born and
raised in Berkley, California,
and attended UC Berkley,
receiving his degree in theory
and philosophy in the ’60s. In
the early ’70s he worked at a
YMCA camp outside of Spirit
Lake, Washington where he
discovered his natural gift for
shape and proportions.
His sculptures, made
primarily with chainsaws,
Savannah Spear, Sisters
High School graduate, has
officially signed a letter of
intent to play sand/beach
volleyball for Concordia
University Irvine. Spear was
a four-year letter winner for
the Outlaws and played in the
state playoffs all four years
while helping lead her team
to a third-place finish her
senior year.
She plans on pursuing a
focus of study in exercise and
sports science. She is very
excited to be an Eagle and is
beginning her beach work-
outs this week.
She is grateful to SHS
teachers, coaches, and
Rimrock Club coaches for
preparing her for academ-
ics and athletics at the next
level.
photo by Erin borla
Principal Becky Stoughton welcomed back Skip armstrong’s bear.
chisels and grinders, can be
seen in the collections of
Burt Reynolds, George W.
Bush, Clint Eastwood, Olivia
Newton John, Nic Nolte and
many more. Most notably
he created 16-foot cathedral
doors for St. Mary’s Church
in Boise, Idaho.
“The bear represents a
mother-and-child scene,
perfect for the Elementary
School,” says Armstrong. “I
wanted kids in kindergarten
and first grade to feel at home
when they came to school.
The mother-and-child rela-
tionship is the most primary
connection in nature.”
Armstrong picked the
roughly 750-pound sculpture
up in November, much to the
dismay of students and staff.
He touched up a few imper-
fections, fixed one minor
repair and added a fresh coat
of lacquer; then let the bear
dry throughout the month of
November.
“Students asked where
Skip had gone,” Principal
Stoughton said. “It was won-
derful to meet the man behind
the bear and hear the story of
how she came about. We are
all glad to have her back.”
photo providEd
Savannah Spear, right, will play for Concordia university.
It was a great way to
be connected to the
school and my daughter
so many years ago, and
now to be able to refinish
it for current students...
— “Skip” armstrong
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“I’m glad I was able to do
this,” says Armstrong. “It was
a great way to be connected
to the school and my daugh-
ter so many years ago, and
now to be able to refinish it
for current students — I was
happy to do it.”
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