Wednesday, July 13, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
‘Friends’ founder
publishes book
By Jim Cornelius
News Editor
Duncan Campbell has a
story to tell.
As the founder of the men-
tor programs Friends of the
Children and Sisters’ Circle
of Friends, he has seen the
power that a caring men-
torship relationship has to
change lives of children for
the better.
Campbell is sharing the
stories of this power in his
new book, “The Art of Being
There: Creating Change, One
Child At A Time,” written
with Craig Borlase.
Campbell told The Nugget
that the book is a tool for
expanding the reach of the
program, which currently
operates in Portland, Harlem,
NY, and several other cities.
“Friends is about 20 years
old now,” he said. “We’re
ready to move to the next
level. We want to be in at least
25 major cities, if not more.”
Campbell knows the pro-
gram works — he tested its
validity before launching it
and over the past two decades
has seen first-hand the impact
an engaged mentor has in
young people’s lives. And
that is the story the book tells.
“The core of the book is
the stories of the youth that
we serve and their successes,”
he said. “The book is meant
for anybody who wants to be
touched and read powerful
stories of children.”
It is hoped that those sto-
ries will help recruit more
Friends, more funders, and
expand the program’s capac-
ity to help children.
“This is an arrow in our
quiver,” Campbell said.
Friends is developing a
$25 million expansion fund
to move into five new cit-
ies and to deepen its work in
communities where it already
operates.
“The Friends are great,
amazing people,” he said.
“It’s a calling.”
Campbell notes that social
workers tend to burn out
quickly — within a couple of
years.
“The Friends, on average,”
stay seven or eight years,” he
said.
Some have been engaged
for 20 years.
“It’s because it’s real, it’s
fulfilling,” he said.
Friends of the Children
has very low overhead. Most
of its funds pay for Friends’
time. In Sisters, Circle of
Friends operates on a volun-
teer model, due to the scale
of the community. Campbell
notes that more Friends are
always needed.
“Even in Sisters, we have
children waiting for mentors,”
he said.
To learn more about
Sisters’ Circle of Friends,
visit http://acircleoffriends
oregon.com/mentor. For
more information about
Friends of the Children, visit
http://friendspdx.org.
“The Art of Being There:
Creating Change, One Child
At A Time,” is available
locally at Paulina Springs
Books in Sisters.
Sisters Movie House has new owner
By Erin Borla
Correspondent
It was cold day in 2005
and snow covered the ground
when Lisa Clausen and her
eight-week-old puppy, Ruby,
drove a golden shovel down,
breaking ground on the
Sisters Movie House. Fast
forward over 11 years and
Lisa, along with now-12-
year-old Ruby, are moving
on. Recently, Clausen quietly
sold the Sisters Movie House
to Drew Kaza; the ownership
change will take place at the
end of July.
Clausen did not make the
decision to sell quickly.
“I was approached by sev-
eral chains,” she said. “I knew
that wasn’t what was right for
the business or for Sisters.
With Drew and his investors,
I feel like I’m handing the
business off to people who
will love it and care for it.”
Kaza is a native
Oregonian, having grown
up in Beaverton. In the mid-
1980s, his career in a variety
of aspects of the entertainment
and film industry took him to
Philadelphia, Hollywood and
finally the United Kingdom.
Since 2007 Kaza worked for
Odeon Cinemas in Europe.
With more than 2,200 screens
across seven countries he
has had experience in many
aspects of running a movie
theater.
“I am worn out by the
big city,” said Kaza. “I am
delighted to be in Central
Oregon and looking forward
to carrying out a good run
photo by Erin borla
Lisa Clausen has sold Sisters Movie House to Drew Kaza, pictured here
with Yeeling Cheng.
here with the theater.”
“I know the new owner
will bring sophisticated sen-
sibility to the already unique
culture the Movie House has
developed,” said Clausen.
“They appreciate quality film
and quality environment and
fully understand what we
have developed here. I look
forward to them enhancing
that.”
Kaza’s business has been
searching for an invest-
ment in Central Oregon
for the last 18 months and
jumped at the opportunity
to purchase Sisters Movie
House. From the moment
they met Clausen, Kaza was
impressed with what she had
done.
“You want to go into busi-
ness with someone you like,”
said Kaza of Clausen. “It was
important to me that Lisa felt
like the business is going
to a safe pair of hands and
respecting it’s legacy. I know
we can build on that success-
ful relationship.”
Community members
can expect the same quality
film that has run through the
Sisters Movie House for the
last 11-plus years to continue
after the transition in owner-
ship. Sisters Movie House
will continue to be a place
where folks can get food and
drinks alongside the first-run
and unique movies. The new
owner anticipates maintaining
the friendly e-newsletter that
Clausen has crafted weekly
since the opening of the the-
ater in 2005.
“I’d like to think I can take
it to the next level,” Kaza
said. “But it’s really hard
to improve upon an already
great recipe.”
A celebration in honor of
the transition and Clausen and
her dog Ruby is planned for
September.
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