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About The Redmond spokesman. (Redmond, Crook County, Or.) 1910-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 2022)
A special good morning to subscriber Billl Bickers Tuesday, December 6, 2022 • Redmond, Oregon redmondspokesman.com @RedmondSpox Finding peace behind the podium Weekly Toastmasters meetings provide support for public speaking skills BY NICK ROSENBERGER Redmond Spokesman Nervous energy radiated through a room Nov. 29 at the Church of Christ in Redmond. Feet tapped, heartbeats raced and fingers flexed as members of the local Toastmasters club prepared for the opportunity — however excruciating it may be — to speak. Alayna Weimer’s knee bounced as she waited to stand in front of the 10 people scattered around the room. She stood up, smiled, walked to the po- dium and began to speak in a clear, smooth voice. “Thank you, madam president, fellow Toast- masters and guests ...” she began. Weimer is a member of the Redmond Toast- masters club, a nonprofit focused on improving public speaking and leadership skills for mem- bers. It is a nerve-wracking weekly event that is both an opportunity to bond with others and a fierce example of bravery. Gary Einhorn, an 80-year-old business consul- tant who has been involved with Toastmasters for about 14 years, was so nervous his first time at a club meeting that he knocked the podium over. “It was just total anxiety and panic,” said Ein- horn. He said it can take time to get comfortable with public speaking, but there are lasting, positive ef- fects for those who do. Einhorn said he saw an interest increase of about 30 to 40 percent after Toastmasters gave him the confidence to present and promote his business. “After a period of time doing it, my life changed positively,” he said. See Toast / A6 SPORTS Rendering courtesy Deschutes Public Library The front of the proposed Redmond Public Library, facing out to Centennial Park. Starting a new chapter Redmond library readies for demolition, reconstruction BY TIM TRAINOR • Redmond Spokesman T he former Jessie Hill School, current home of the Redmond Li- brary, will not live to see 100. Built in 1929, the historic build- ing in downtown Redmond will be torn down next month to make way for a new, two-story library that will be built at the same location. In the meantime, Redmond pa- Redmond’s public school, built in 1908, served grades 1-12. The building, which stood on the site of the present Redmond Pub- lic Library and former Jessie Hill School, was enlarged to double this size in 1911. trons will have to check out books, access the internet and do research in a smaller, less inviting space at 2127 S Highway 97 for the nearly two years of construction. But once the new building is fin- ished, Deschutes County Library officials say it will meet the needs of growing Redmond for decades to come. Spokesman file photo See Library / A6 Sewing school is in session Hit the slopes Hoodoo Ski Area opens for the season. A8 BUSINESS Cookie time New bakery, Kook’i, comes to Redmond. A5 ‘Professor Pincushion’ teaches basics of sewing via video, new book BY TIM TRAINOR Redmond Spokesman From her 500-square-foot studio built in her Redmond backyard, Tova Opartny makes in- structional videos for her more than half a mil- lion subscribers. Opartny has made more than 500 such films, posting them both to her website and her You- Tube page under the moniker ”Professor Pin- cushion.” In each one she teaches techniques that help DIYers overcome the hurdles that invariable pop up and stifle creative projects. It takes about a week to produce each video, each well-lit with plenty of transitions and post-production work. But the advertising on her website and video channels is enough to pay the mortgage and allow Tova to be a full-time content creator. “I’m not rich by any means, but (YouTube) has helped me make a living doing what I love,” she said. Now, Opartny is branching out. She recently wrote a book ”Professor Pincushion’s Guide to Sewing: Garment Making for Nervous New- bies.” During the process, Opartny was quickly reminded that writing and sewing have a lot in common. Both require consummate planning, a need for creative thought and — invariably — the creator finds themselves in a tight spot where the whole darn thing just seems impossible. “Writing is basically like sewing,” she laughed. “You’re crying all the time.” Opartny grew up in the Bay Area of Califor- nia. Her mother was a hobby sewer and taught Opartny the basics, but it wasn’t until a high school class that she found her passion for fabric arts. As a high-achieving student with loads of Advanced Placement classes, sewing freed up her Courtesy photo mind to think creatively. She loved troubleshoot- ing problems and making something meaningful Tova Opartny, with her beloved sewing machine. Together, the duo produce videos to help DIYers out of mounds of scraps. See Sewing / A6 complete complicated projects. WEATHER FORECAST INSIDE Calendar .......................................................A2 Opinion ........................................................A7 Coffee Break ............................................. A10 Classifieds ................................................. A12 THIS WEEK’S FORECAST SPONSORED BY Volume 119, No. 13 USPS 778-040 ur Book yo ties Pa r y a d i l o H now! TUESDAY Sunny WEDNESDAY Partly cloudy THURSDAY Rain/snow FRIDAY Partly cloudy SATURDAY Snow shower SUNDAY Snow shower MONDAY Cloudy 37/17 37/17 38/22 38/21 37/22 39/24 42/21 The Spokesman uses recycled newsprint The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner... Join us for a remarkable dining experience this holiday season Call in for a reservation now! 541.527.4336 646 SW 6th St., Redmond Wed - Sat 5 to 9 p.m.
