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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 2019)
PAGE A2, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 8, 2019 A B C ‘No Drama Lllama’ is spirit guide for WMS kindness By ERIC A. HOWALD and HUNTER BOMAR Of the Keizertimes Whiteaker Middle School students spent recent weeks focused on acts of kindness and they found the perfect spirit guide showed up in the Wol- verine’s gymnasium as part of an all- school assembly. Caesar the No Drama Llama and his handlers dropped in to offer en- couraging words and sparked a furor among the more than 700 students at the school. Caesar, a recent staple of the local charity and parade scenes, made head- lines in Portland when he and own- er Larry McCool took a trip on the Rose City’s light rail. Caesar and McCool visited White- aker and Kennedy Elementary School on Friday, March 1, be- fore stopping in at Keiz- er Mart on River Road for pictures with adoring fans. If you spot Caesar in the community, his social media directer – yeah, he has one – Ariel Knox has one request. “Stick to petting him on the white fur around his neck,” Knox said. Predators will typically attack the body of a llama and there is no better way raise the defenses of a no-drama-lla- ma than for it to mistake you for an enemy. Caesar is also a charity-driven lla- ma. He’ll make appearances at private events, like birthday parties, but the hosts are asked only to donate to one of his favorite charities in his name, either Marion-Polk Food Share or the Salem-based Arches Project, which fi ghts to end local homeless- ness. Selfi es and hugs are always free. A small number of paid business events allow him to continue the charitable work. For more information on booking Caesar, contact Knox at 503-569- 7542 or email caesarnodramallama@ gmail.com. Photos by Eric A. Howald Avenue Q headed to Salem Enlightened Theatrics’ 2019 Season opens with the multi-Tony award winning musical, Avenue Q at Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre on Fri- day, March 22. The bold and upbeat musi- cal tackles tough subjects like racism, unemployment, ho- mosexuality, homelessness, and love through catchy tunes and larger than life characters. The production also has adult situa- tions, and may be inappropriate for children under 17. The production runs through April 14. Performances are Wednesdays through Satur- days at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Preview performanc- es occur Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21. Tickets can be purchased by visiting enlightenedtheatrics. org or by calling 503-585- 3427. A: Members of Whiteaker’s Leadership team surround Caesar the No Drama Llama for hugs. B: Kelsey Jaragin and Reesa Ramirez report on a recent personal hygiene drive at the school. C: Bella Moore, Anna Sponable, Sydney Alfano, Savana Amnpreet Sandhu, Alauna Trautman, Maya Privratsky and Will Green crowd in for petting. D: Audrey Thomson, Bella Moore and Anna Sponable. D Brought ot you by Sponsored by Friday, March 15 11 am – 6 pm Saturday, March 16 9 am – 6 pm Sunday, March 17 10 am – 5 pm at OREGON STATE FAIRGROUNDS FREE ADMISSION! FREE PARKING! • Get ideas for Your Yard & Garden • Meet the Experts • Your Best One-Stop Shop for Home Improvement Ideas, Products & Services • Take Advantage of Home Show Discounts and Special Pricing • One entire building fi lled with landscape display gardens www.HomeBuildersAssociation.org