Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1997)
3 Lonnie Cline named honorary Estonian Feature The Clackamas Print Wednesday, March 5,1997 VeljoTormis. Cline, and then some,” af ber Singers who were joined by who had previously firmed Cline, “in the Estonian Mass Choir, a show heard the American cluding hospitality of Estonian folk dancers and, fi Music Instructor Lonnie group above anyone I’d nally, a keynote speaker, none Choral other ever met.” Cline was named an honorary Crossties singing than Estonian by the Portland- Estonian pieces, Kalle Cline Tallinn Friendship City Associa was impressed by and Helle Merilo, a hus himself. tion on Feb. 24. what he heard at the After the band and wife The event was held at the Symposium. Basically, I’ve who are very Chamber Latvian Center in Burton, Ore. “It was their mu chosen to bathe involved in the Singers While to know Lonnie Cline sic that suggested to my students in , finished local Estonian is to know his love for Estonia’s me that this was a singing, community, people and music, many do not country of warm, the culture of were instru Cline, know the full story of the artis gentle, steadfast another who was mental in tic adventure of Cline and his [people],” Cline said. country... bringing all already a choir. When he re member, this about. Last summer, the Clackamas turned from sabbati — Lonnie Cline Music Instructor of the Es- Since the ad Chamber Singers took, as they cal, he eagerly ob t o n i a n vent of Cline’s say, a fateful trip to Estonia, tained some Esto League and his choir’s where they, among other things, nian music for his musical Esto of the sang in the Estonian World Song students. He was nian journey, the West Coast, was presented with and Dance Festival in the capi able to determine a lot choir has sung in the plaque naming him an Honor tal of Tallinn. This is an honor about the Estonians each of these events ary Estonian—an event which he bestowed upon no other non themselves through had been looking forward to Estonian choir in history. their music. Photo by Joel P. Shempert on three different years. keenly for months. Already on The story, however, does “I could tell “With sincere appreciation, the Portland-Tallinn Cline views this an emotional high, it was truly not begin there but four years that they were into Friendship City Association recognizes Lonnie entire Estonian phe touching for him when the choir, ago, when Cline art Cline as an honorary Estonian. ” first encountered and culture ver showed up to listen and were nomenon as more than a musi led by Student Director Chris Chan, surprised him with the song the music of this sus money and touched. The Chamber Singers, cal opportunity. “Basically, I’ve chosen to “Koit” which describes the dawn war,” Cline ex from that small gesture, gained one-of-a-kind cul When I got ture. During his plained. “And opportunity after opportunity. bathe my students in the culture ing of a new day—a song which when I learned First, they sang in the Estonian of another country that regards the choir had prepared, as Chan sabbatical, Cline there, I found attended the that they West Coast Song and Dance Fes art as its top priority, so that they said, “behind his back.” On the that all I had World Choral Sym- stopped a take tival, held in Portland that year. forever will regard art and music verge of tears, Cline was in the posium in over by the Rus Then they sang for the local cel as their top priority and pass that grip of a real and sincere joy. dreamt of was Cline has difficulty describ Vancouver, B.C. sians by sing ebration of Estonia’s first Inde on to their children and grand true and then ing the experience. where he heard the ing, I was even pendence Day-Feb. 24- from Ger children,” stated Cline. some. “It’s hard to put into words,” With this understanding of all Estonian Philhar more im many. And finally, they partici — Lonnie Cline monic National pressed,” said pated in the aforementioned that has gone before, it is now pos he explained. “It’s more of a feeling Music Instructor sible to get a feel for the power of of unique privilege. I understand Chamber Choir, di Cline. World Festival in Tallinn. rected by Tonu The ball This was the thrilling culmination the events of that recent Sunday that with privilege comes responsi Kaljuste, singing truly got rolling of the choir’s previous experi night. The Independence Day fes bility and, therefore, am prepared tival consisted of four main events: to do everything, with all the scope when the choir ences. the music of their “When I got there, I found An Estonian folk orchestra concert, of my being, to honor Estonia and country, particularly the works sang their Estonian repertoire and of composers Arvo Part and the local Estonian community that all I had dreamt of was true a concert by the Clackamas Cham its people every chance I get.” Joel P. Shempert Staff Writer LL------------ 99 £ Bernie Nolan to retire in June after 26 years at Clackamas / Nolan looks forward to hav Karin Reds ton ing time for herself when she re Co-Feature Editor Counselor Bernie Nolan tires this June. One of the projects started as a student at Clackamas Nolan is working on is her family in 1969 and now, 26 years later, genealogy. She has developed her she is retiring. research into an exhibit at the Throughout the years Nolan Trail’s End Gallery featuring the has watched Clackamas grow Wright Family. This family in from a small college with few fa cludes her great grandparents on cilities to a large campus. Nolan’s mother’s side, who came here on “We had trailers and no the Or- buildings. Now e g o n we have build Trail. The exhibit ings and trailers again,” said will run Nolan. “When I through March. first came here, I “It ’ s had a class over my cur on Warner Milne Road in a rent pas sion, ge church, and I nealogy,” had a class here said on campus. And Nolan. we’ went over for —- Bernie Nolan It’s some jogging to one of Counseling department thing I’ve the junior highs, been inter or we had ested in classes in a for a long trailer. The first solid building time.” here on campus was Clairmont.” She has also written a chapter She has taught a variety of classes including math, psychol oh her family in the book Our ogy and reading. She helped de Proud Past. That book is currently velop Psychology 142, which is available at the campus library. Nolan has put together a fam Personal Development and Col lege Success. Teaching, for her, ily tree so her grandchildren could was the most fun part about be feel connected to their ancestors. She also found out that the ing at Clackamas. Ct-------------- We had trailers and no buildings. Now we have buildings and trailers again. _________55 Molalla Historical Society had her great-grandmother’s quilt. The quilt is on display at the exhibit at the Trail’s End Gallery. Nolan is also going to be more involved with her grandchildren’s schools and plans to reactivate her massage therapist license. “I’d like to be able to go to the beach in the middle of the week,” said Nolan. She and her husband also plan to travel. “I like to do traveling,” said Nolan. “We’ve done a lot of overseas traveling, but I would just like to be able to get into the car and go across country and stop and see friends,” Nolan feels one of her big gest accomplishments was her work on the Title III Grant. She spent five years on the grant, which was to develop student retention. The grant made many other projects possible. Nolan plans to stay active with the Focus On Women pro gram. She had been involved with the program since its cre ation. “That’s another thing I’m proud of,” said Nolan, “is to have been one of the pioneers of Focus on Women.” “The program was created when former counselor Buzz Evans had gone to a conference on women and was really im- Bernie Nolan’s family heritage is on display at the Trail’s End Gallery. pressed by that,” said Nolan. “She came back to Clackamas and decided we could have special programs on women. So Buzz Evans, Mary Oldford and inyself brainstormed and came up with Focus On Women.” Nolan said she would miss the people on campus the most, especially the students. “I really like having that kind of pipeline into another generation,” said Nolan. “I al ways feel very connected to all ages because I’ve been con nected to all ages through a community college.”
