Image provided by: Friends of the Sandy Public Library; Sandy, OR
About Sandy post. (Sandy, Oregon) 1938-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 1978)
10— SANOV (Ore.) POST Thur».. Aug 3. 1971 (Sec 2) Oregon £hamp at the fair Fiddling lady to stru t her stuff Special to the Host Oregon's champion old- time fiddler is a lady — and a mighty fetching one at that. Her long blonde hair, trim fig u re , and show-girl features are a long throw CD l CD from the traditional image of the old-time fiddler grinding and stomping out tunes in Grange and Farmers Union halls throughout the rural countryside. Be that as it may, Carol Ann Wheeler of Scholls plays a mean fiddle. That’s why she was selected Oregon champion for the second time at the state Old-Time Fiddlers Association com petition at Bend last May. It also explains why she placed second in the national women’s contest at Weiser, Idaho, in June. The Weiser contest, ending in a v irtu a l tie , was somewhat of a heart-stopper When it was over, the winner and Ms. Wheeler had amassed over 2,000 points each — Carol Ann lost by only one point. The contest was declared the closest ever held in national competition. Thirty-seven women and close to 400 men from all parts of the nation com peted at Weiser. The championship form that has won so much distinction fbr Oregon’s lady champ w ill be demonstrated this month at the Clackamas County F a ir which starts Tuesday, Aug 15 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 20. Ms. Wheeler w ill appear with the Old-Time fiddlers at the fair on Aug. 18 and w ill play at the talent contest Aug. 16. Like many other old-time fiddlers, Carol Ann Wheeler is an accomplished musician in the traditional sense. Three years ago she was playing violin with a sym phony orchestra in Alaska, but shortly thereafter gave up classical to devote herself to fiddling. She began her classical violin training in California when she was nine years old. Later she received a degree in music from San Jose State University and taught string instruments in seven San Carlos, Calif., schools After moving to Oregon she sub stituted as a music teacher in the Beaverton School District. ball game." It's possible to play both traditional music and fiddle tunes, but it's easier to choose one over the other and stick with it, Carol Ann reasons. “ I ’ve chosen fid dling because I like its relaxed style, its folksy heritage, its broad appeal and the good fellowship it generates,” she declares. When fiddlers get together, even with no audience but themselves, a rollicking good time ensues. Difference is the Music The m ain difference between violin and fiddle, Ms. Wheeler explains, is the kind of music you play, the way you play it, and the way you learn it. With a violin, she says, you learn and play from music already written by note. With a fiddle, however, you learn by listening to music as it is played. “ You may play it note by note, just the way you hear it, or what frequently happens, you play the way you think you hear it,” she observes. “ This,” she adds, “ is what makes for creativity in fiddling. A fiddler doesn’t change the basic tune, but he usually adds touches of his own that makes his rendition a little different from that of other players.” O ld-tim e fid d le rs are better today than they were 50 years ago, she believes, because of the electronics age. Fiddlers in years past, she’s been told by those who were there, had but fleeting time to grasp new tunes played by visiting fiddlers. Now they can tape or record a tune and play if over and over again until they’ve mastered it. Although many fiddlers, like herself, are trained musicians, others have had no form al training and can’t read music. “ Some of our best fiddlers are in this latter category,” Ms. Wheeler says. “ You learn to play by ear and that is an art in it self,” she explains, adding: “ I read music better than I do English, but when I turned to fiddling it was a brand new More Women Fiddlin' More and more women are taking up fiddling and a surprising number of them are top winners in contests throughout the country. It isn’t always the best fiddler who wins in contests, she observes. “ Sometimes I ’ve won and felt I should have lost, while other times I ’ve lost and knew I should have won,” she says. “ It all depends on how your per formance impresses the judges.” In a recent contest Carol Ann bested a talented man who had taught her much of what she knows. “ I knew in my heart he was a better fiddler,” she says. “ I beat him w ith style and showmanship.” Ms. Wheeler w ill perform in the annual Clackamas County Fair Talent Contest at the fairgrounds Wed nesday evening, Aug. 16. When not attending con tests, fairs and shows, Carol Ann Wheeler is busy developing the fid d lin g talents of others. Some two dozen students taken private lessons from her in the park like setting of her rustic home south of Scholls. And this you can count on. Most of her students w ill ultim ately become members of the Oregon State Association of Old-Time Fiddlers. I BUfTtPER TO BUmPER co . ‘auto parts professionals 6-Pack Sale Get 6 for the road. i 6-pack includes 5 quarts Valvoline 20W or 30W motor oil plus BTB saHL oil filter. Sizes to fit most U.S. cars, light trucks. Staff photo Carol Ann Wheeler Dogwood’s natural state is best for home growing I f the leaves of your dogwood tree take on an odd curl or discoloration every summer, the tree may be telling you it doesn’t like your soil or its exposure to the sun. Or it may not like the kind of care you are giving it. Ray M cNeilan, Home H o r tic u ltu r e E x te n s io n Agent, advises gardeners who are trying to grow a dogwood tree in their yard to look at the native habitat of this tree. In its natural state it is found growing in soil of average fe rtility with ex cellent drainage charac teristics. The dogwood does not do well in heavy, wet, poorly drained soils. Usually the dogwood is found in nature growing under or near tall trees which fu rn ish filte re d sunlight. Seldom are they found growing in full open sunlight. The open, sunny yard can cause problems for most dogwoods During hot, sunny weather the leaves may curl or fold to try to escape the hot sunlight. In areas with dependable hot sunny weather, sunburn damage to the trun k becomes a problem. In western Oregon we have more of a problem from mechanical damage to the trun k and crown area. Lawnmowers k ill their an nual share of dogwoods by skinning the tree trunk. The open wounds are an in vita tio n to wood ro ttin g fungus diseases which can enter and gradually k ill the tree. A newly planted dogwood w ill need watering regularly through its first summer in the yard. Once the tree is established, w ater in frequently. Fertilizer may be needed every several years Avoid using weed and feed lawn fe rtiliz e rs near dogwood trees. M cN eilan says if the dogwood is planted in well drained soil and given af ternoon shade it w ill become a valued member of the landscape. F ru stratio ns arise when one overlooks the natural requirements of this plant. NelTs notes Couple married on the Congratulations to Lucia (nee Fox) and Vince Keegan on their marriage on July 15. It was one of the loveliest ceremonies I have attended. Reverend Paul Gros of ficiated . They w ill be tra v e lin g in northern C a lifo rn ia and southern Oregon for some time so have purchased a large trailer and w ill move from place to place. They w ill get to see places they would probably never plan on taking a trip to, and besides I am a nomad at heart, and think everyone else should be also. Congratulations to Cindy and Tracy Bayliss on the birth of their first child, a son, Clinton Roy, who m ountain admit to birthdays because^ the kids always arrive to make it a very special day. There w ill now be two dentists in Wally McKenzies office. D r. James F ler- chinger, DDS, a graduate of Creighton U n iv e rsity of Omaha, Nebraska w ill have his office open on August 1. That means the office w ill now be open six days a week. Dr. Flerchinger w ill be there Tuesdays, F rid ays and Saturdays. a rriv e d J u ly 21 in the e v e n in g . A s o congratulations to the grandparents, Clyde and Tulia Phelps, and Georgia Bayliss, and the Great Grandmother Mrs Baker. Can’t understand how it happened to be a boy; that is the second one I have predicted wrong this month They are all thrilled. I even survived another birthday, and can not tell the difference between this one and the last one — guess when you get this old another one makes no difference. Our son and daughter surprised us by coming over to Madras for the day with lovely gifts and very special company. That is the main reason I Dr. Flerchinger and his w ife, Debbie, have p u r chased a home in Timberline Rim and we welcome them as new residents to the mountain as well as wish them the very best in their new office. 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