A4
V IEWPOINT
Hood River News,
Saturday, June 6, 2015
O ur readers write
JOE PETSHOW
Publisher/President,
Eagle Newspapers, Inc.
TOM LANCTOT
Past President,
Eagle Newspapers, Inc.
CHELSEA MARR
General Manager
Good story,
except …
KIRBY NEUMANN-REA
Editor
JODY THOMPSON
Advertising Manager
TONY METHVIN
Columbia Gorge Press Manager
DICK NAFSINGER
Publisher, Emeritus (1933-2011)
The front page story about the
Hood River Adult Center’s new Ex-
ecutive Director, Suzanne VanOr-
man, was a very good article.
She has most definitely taken on
a very difficult job. I have complete
confidence she will do a fantastic
job.
However, I’m disappointed and
very sorry the writer of the article
decided to make it appear that all
of the problem was due to the for-
mer Executive Director, Collice
Sinclair. The problem started long
before Ms. Sinclair took on the job,
and until 2014 she had very little
help bring up to date years of un-
filed taxes, and things many other
things that had been left undone.
I don’t understand why the third
paragraph was even included in an
otherwise very good story.
Shame on whoever it was who
wanted to hurt Ms. Sinclair.
Judith Riley
Hood River
DAVID MARVIN
Production Manager
Subscription $42 per year in Hood River trade area. $68 outside trade area.
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER
ASSOCIATION
OREGON NEWSPAPER
PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
Printed on
recycled paper.
Official Newspaper, City of Hood River and Hood River County
Published Every Wednesday & Saturday by Hood River News,
P.O. Box 390, Hood River, Oregon 97031 • (541) 386-1234 • FAX 386-6796
Member of the Associated Press
ON THE AGENDA
Hood River City Council meets Monday at 6 p.m. at
City Hall
Columbia Gorge Community College meets Tuesday
at 6 p.m. at The Dalles campus.
Hood River County School board meets at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 11, at Westside Elementary School.
These are the regular meeting times of governing
bodies for these agencies:
No parking
I try to walk to work as much as
possible, but like many, I have to
drive sometimes. Luckily the
“sometimes” is not enough to justi-
fy the cost of a monthly Columbia
lot pass — the parking lot where I
work.
When I have to run out at lunch,
I prefer the Columbia lot over the
residential area above 7th because
if I lived there, I’d be happier if
people didn’t fill my street. So I buy
a parking pass for the afternoon.
It’s worth it to be able to leave
work, not have to search for a
space, and not cram up downtown
streets.
I guess that’s not going to hap-
pen anymore. Today, I was limited
to 3 hours.
A new machine at the Columbia
lot means I either park somewhere
else or make darn sure I remember
Cascade Locks
Cascade Locks City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall Council
Chambers, 140 W. WaNaPa St., second and fourth Mon-
days of the month.
Cascade Locks Planning Commission, 7 p.m., City
Hall Council Chambers, 140 W. WaNaPa St., second
Thursday of the month.
Cascade Locks Port Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall
Council Chambers, 140 W. WaNaPa St., first and third
Thursdays of the month.
Hood River
City of Hood River Planning Commission meeting,
5:30 p.m., Hood River City Hall Council Chambers, 211
Second St., generally the first and third Mondays of the
month. Place and dates subject to change.
Hood River Port Commission, 5 p.m., 100 E. Port Ma-
rina Drive, board room, first and third Tuesdays of the
month.
Hood River City Council, 6 p.m., Hood River City Hall
Council Chambers, 211 Second St., second and fourth
Mondays of the month.
Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District
Board of Directors meeting, 4 p.m., OSU Extension Ser-
vice Building, 2990 Experiment Station Road, first
Thursday of the month.
Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District, 6
p.m., Aquatic Center, 1601 May St., third Wednesday of
the month. Place subject to change.
By KIRBY NEUMANN-REA
W HERE TO WRITE
President — Barack Obama, White House, 1600 Pennsylva-
nia Ave., Washington D.C., 20500
E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov
U.S. Senators — Jeff Merkley, SDB-40B, Dirksen Senate Office
Building, Washington D.C., 20510. Phone: 202-224-3753; E-mail:
oregon@merkley.senate.gov; Ron Wyden, 717 Hart Office Build-
ing, Washington D.C., 20510. Phone: 202-224-5244.
Web address: www.senate.gov/member/or/wyden/general/
2nd Congressional District Representative — Greg
Walden, 14 N. Central Ave., Suite 112, Medford, OR 97504.
Phone: 541-776-4646;
E-mail: www.walden.house.gov/contactgreg
Governor — Kate Brown, 254 State Capitol, Salem, OR
97310. Phone: 503-378-3111;
E-mail: www.governor.state.or.us/email.htm
Founded in 1905
419 State Street
Hood River, OR 97031
P.O. Box 390
Phone: (541) 386-1234
Fax: (541) 386-6796
Operations:
Joe Petshow
Publisher
President, Eagle Newspapers
(541) 386-1234
JPetshow@hoodrivernews.com
M
News editor
y first foray into com-
munity theater hap-
pened nearly nine years
ago when I was asked to
be in a production of
“Our Town” in which community
members were cast in the roles
matchiing their real-life jobs.
I played Editor Webb; Bruce Lud-
wig, then police chief, played the
constable; and Jack Trumbull of
Anderson Tribute Center played the
undertaker.
It was a great first experience
and I made new friends and gained
a big appreciation for what goes
into putting on a play: hard work
and a lot of fun. I’ve since acted in
another eight or so productions,
some “big parts” and some smaller.
All roles are important, even walk-
ons or those with one line to speak
or none.
Rule Number One of being in a
show is: have fun. Theater is time-
consuming, frequently exhausting,
only sometimes scary, and almost
always fulfilling.
Rule One also extends to the
preparation process: reading the
script, developing your character,
memorizing your lines and block-
ing (movements around stage) and
honing your vocal tones, gestures,
and ways you respond to other
characters.
Rule One also applies to the first
step — after you have decided to
give it a try — that of auditioning.
Auditions for several roles are
coming up in Hood River in coming
weeks (details on page A3) at CAST,
the theater arm of Columbia Center
for the Arts.
If you have the time and have
ever had an inkling to act, the op-
portunity is as good as ever, with
three plays that contain a wide va-
riety of roles for men and women.
One of those is Shakespeare’s
“Romeo and Juliet” and the others
News:
Kirby Neumann-Rea
Editor
HRNews@hoodrivernews.com
Ben Mitchell
Front Office/
Classified Advertising:
Stacey Methvin
Classifieds/Receptionist
HRNClass@hoodrivernews.com
SMethvin@hoodrivernews.com
are modern classics “Inherit the
Wind” and “The Night Thoreau
Spent in Jail.”
The first time I formally audi-
tioned was two years after “Our
Town” for “Off the Map,” directed
by Ken McCarty. I had one part in
mind, but Ken had another idea.
And therein lies a lesson: go to audi-
tion with flexible expectations. You
might want one part and the direc-
tor will cast you in another. It might
be a disappointment, or the other
way around: an added challenge.
I wanted one of the supporting
male roles, the guy who gave the
comic relief and moments of wis-
dom. Instead, I got the lead, which
involved fewer lines but more stage
time — a lot of sitting silent and
morose — and for much of it, in
only my underwear. And I ended up
thoroughly enjoying the experience.
I had a similar experience last
summer with the musical “Urine-
town.” I auditioned with one part
in mind and got another, one for
which I was much better suited.
The director knew that once he
saw real people read for imaginary
figures.
This points to what is probably
the big key to auditioning (other
than Rule One): the director has
that title for a reason. He or she
has studied the script and the his-
tory of its writing or the origins of
the story, as the case may be, and
generally has a strong sense of
what he is looking for in the cast,
and that feeds the director’s in-
stincts about who is best fit for
which part.
Additionally, do all you can in
advance to learn about the play,
and how the director conducts au-
ditions. It is okay to call them up
and ask. (Read the audition no-
tices carefully — directors will in-
dicate whether they want you to
bring something to read, or possi-
bly have already memorized, or if
you will be reading “cold” from
LisaAnn Kawachi
News/Features
LKawachi@hoodrivernews.com
Hood River is a great trail town
for the Pacific Crest Trail! I was in-
spired, renewed, and up-lifted.
I had wonderful tea at Dog River
Coffee, saw an amazing sculpture
by a local artist Kyle Ocean called
Northwest Sun and ate my lunch
with Ira at the Remedy Cafe!
I’m on my way to Canada on the
PCT, and I have about 600 miles to
go, but you can count on one thing
... I’ll be coming back to Hood
River! Thanks, wonderful towns-
folk, for being so nice to thru-hik-
ers!
Oscar Ikem SoFar (trail name)
Stephen Fosdick
Meridian, Idaho
Advertising Sales
Production:
David Marvin
Production Manager
Jim Drake
Advertising:
Jim Drake
Entertainment
Jody Thompson
Advertising Manager
JThompson@hoodrivernews.com
Production
JDrake@hoodrivernews.com
Trisha Walker
News/Features
TWalker@hoodrivernews.com
■
Kirby Neumann-Rea is still con-
sidering trying out this summer; he
is pretty sure he would not get cast
as Romeo.
Kirsten Lane
Ailene Hibbard
Archivist
BenMitchell@hoodrivernews.com
the script. Wherever possible, get
the script — for the Plays for Non-
Profits, they’ll be available at the
Arts Center starting June 15.)
There is the element of mystery
in each audition; how will Person
A read and what will it suggest
about the best role for them? That
is part of the fun of trying out.
But directors and fellow actors
want everyone involved to be as
informed, prepared, and comfort-
able as possible. If you know peo-
ple who have acted, or auditioned,
as them what it was like. And
again, feel free to talk to the direc-
tor and learn what you can ahead
of time.
On the point of preparation and
comfort: if you read for a part and
“flub” a line or feel you don’t do
well, keep in mind that directors
bear these things in mind. It’s all
about effort, not perfection. Also,
you will be given a second chance,
either that night or in “call-backs”
in which auditioners are asked to
read a day or two later. Not all di-
rectors do call-backs and they
might not know if they will until
everyone’s auditioned, but it’s one
of those things to ask about.
Above all, remember you are
among friends; directors and fel-
low actors are highly supportive of
each other. Little judgement is in-
volved; everyone who has ever au-
ditioned can relate to how it felt
the first time.
Yes, there is preparation in-
volved, but auditioning itself can
be a fun experience, especially
when you hear and see how others
present the same material.
Theater’s beauty is that it offers
new perspectives, and that phe-
nomenon starts at the audition.
Go and enjoy.
KLane@hoodrivernews.com
Patrick Mulvihill
News/Features
PMulvihill@hoodrivernews.com
News/Features
Circulation:
Esther K. Smith
Circulation Manager
(541) 386-1234 Ext. 205
ESmith@hoodrivernews.com
‘Great town’
Audition: an intimidating word for what
is an enjoyable community experience
Hood River County Board of Commissioners regular
session, 6 p.m., 601 State St., first floor conference room,
third Monday of the month. Time subject to change.
Library District Board meeting, 7 p.m., 502 State St.,
conference room, third Tuesday of the month.
Hood River County Planning Commission meeting, 7
p.m., 601 State St., first floor, generally second and
fourth Wednesdays of the month.
Hood River County Water Planning Group, 2 p.m., 601
State St., first floor conference room, generally first
Wednesday of the month.
Hood River County Commission on Children and
Families Board meeting, 5:15 p.m., Providence Hood
River Memorial Hospital boardroom, generally first
Tuesday of the month.
Hood River County School Board, 6:30 p.m., meets at
schools and district facilities on a rotating schedule
(visit hoodriver.k12.or.us for location), second and fourth
Wednesdays of the month unless school vacations or
other holidays interrupt the schedule.
Hood River County Transportation District, 9 a.m.,
Hood River County Transportation District Board
Room, 224 Wasco Loop, second Wednesday of the month.
Chris Stenberg
Bookkeeper
CStenberg@hoodrivernews.com
price for an arbitrary time limit.
John Metta
Hood River
EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
Hood River County
Chelsea Marr
General Manager
CMarr@hoodrivernews.com
to go out before 2:48 p.m. to buy an-
other pass. It’s not worth the risk
of an expensive ticket if I forget or
get stuck at work. So from now on,
I’ll be another person filling up the
residential area above 7th.
Why was that decision made? Is
it to prevent shoppers from spend-
ing too much time downtown? Is it
to prevent workers from using the
lot?
Coercion to force us to spend
extra on a monthly pass? I hope the
downtown residents are okay with
another car parking on their
street.
Sor ry folks, I tried. Maybe
there’s a plan to address that too,
with other consequences.
Why limit people from parking
in the lot for work? I hope there’s a
good reason. I can try to walk even
more, but I hope other downtown
employees less fortunate or with
less work flexibility don’t pay the
Liana Stegall
Advertising Sales
LStegall@hoodrivernews.com
DMarvin@hoodrivernews.com
JDrake@hoodrivernews.com
Allen Diers
Commercial Printing
ADiers@hoodrivernews.com
419 State Street
Hood River, OR 97031
P.O. Box 390
Phone: (541) 386-1234
Fax: (541) 386-6796
Tony Methvin
Plant Manager
(541) 386-1234
TMethvin@columbiagorgepress.com
Lisa Becharas
Commercial Printing
LBecharas@columbiagorgepress.com