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
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