ENTERTAINMENT
Saturday, June 2, 2018
East Oregonian
Page 3C
Kim Stafford named poet laureate
Poet follows
father’s footsteps
in appointment
East Oregonian
Kim Stafford recently
received a two-year appoint-
ment as poet laureate of
Oregon.
A poet, essayist and
founding director of The
Northwest Writing Insti-
tute at Lewis & Clark Col-
lege, Stafford is the son of
William Stafford, Oregon’s
poet laureate from 1974-
89. Appointed by Gov. Kate
Brown, the younger Stafford
is Oregon’s ninth poet laure-
ate since 1921. He succeeds
Elizabeth Woody, who has
held the post since 2016.
“There are many ways to
serve this state and among
them is clarity of language
and passion of purpose,
which may travel from one
soul to another through
poetry,” Brown said. “Kim
Stafford is one of our state’s
most generous literary
teachers and I am proud to
appoint him as our next poet
laureate.”
Born and raised in Ore-
gon, Stafford is the author
of a dozen books of poetry
and prose, and edited half
a dozen others. His book,
“Having Everything Right:
Essays of Place,” won a
citation for excellence from
the Western States Book
Awards in 1986. Stafford has
received creative writing fel-
lowships from the National
Endowment for the Arts,
a Governor’s Arts Award,
and the Steward Holbrook
Award from Literary Arts
for his contributions to Ore-
gon’s literary culture. His
work also has been featured
on National Public Radio.
“Generosity of spirit may
not be an explicitly stated
part of the criteria for Ore-
gon poet laureate, but it is
a central part of who Kim
Stafford is, both in his poetry
and in the flesh,” said Adam
Davis, executive director of
Oregon Humanities.
Stafford’s most recent
book, “100 Tricks Every
Boy Can Do,” is an account
of his brother’s death by sui-
cide, and the struggle of a
family to understand and
live beyond that event. It
is a story where “the writer
reaches back through the dif-
ficult end to grasp the beau-
tiful beginning, like pulling
a venomous serpent inside
out.”
“Poetry is our native lan-
guage,” Stafford said. “We
begin with imaginative
experiments as children, and
lyric language can be a realm
of delight throughout life.
For adults and communities,
poetry can help us be more
open to new ideas, emotion-
ally informed, and buoyant
in responding to challenges.
In a society of diverse back-
grounds and perspectives,
poetry builds community.”
Stafford holds a Ph.D.
in medieval literature from
the University of Oregon,
and has worked as a printer,
photographer, oral historian,
editor and visiting writer at
numerous schools. He has
offered writing workshops
in Italy, Scotland and Bhu-
tan. He lives in Portland
with his wife and children.
The Oregon poet laure-
ate fosters the art of poetry,
encourages literacy and
learning, addresses central
issues relating to humanities
and heritage, and reflects on
public life in Oregon. Staf-
ford will provide up to 20
public readings per year
to inform people about the
value of poetry.
For more information,
contact Mikaela Schey at
info@oregonpoetlaureate.
org, 503-241-0543 or visit
www.culturaltrust.org.
Contributed photo
Kim Stafford was recently
appointed as Oregon poet
laureate. His father, Wil-
liam Stafford, served in
the capacity from 1974-89.
WHAT TO DO
Festivals
Old Iron Show
•Saturday, June 2; 8 a.m.-dusk; Sun-
day, June 3; 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
•Roy Raley Park, 1205 S.W. Court
Ave., Pendleton
www.heritagestationmuseum.org
Free. Features exhibitors from across
the region with everything from antique
farm equipment and automobiles to en-
gines and fixtures. Includes demonstra-
tions and more.
Umatilla County Pioneer Days
•June 1-2
•Weston City Park, Elliott Park &
downtown Weston
www.westonoregon.com
Free admission. Firemen’s break-
fast, parade (Saturday, 10 a.m.), vendor
booths, carnival games, car show, benefit
barbecue and music ($10 cover) with Matt
Borden at the Long Branch Cafe (Satur-
day, 9 p.m.).
Prestige Wrestling 6:
Reality Unfolds
•Friday, June 8; 7-11 p.m.
www.prestigewrestling.net
•Eastern Oregon Trade and Event
Center, 1705 Airport Road, Hermiston
$20-$50. Features the best indepen-
dent talent in the Pacific Northwest as
well as former WWE superstars. Matches
include Simon Grimm, Super Crazy, DJZ,
Scorpio Sky, Leva Bates, Kikyo, Tom Law-
lor and more.
Art, Museums & Authors
“Wandering Through Nature’s
Solitude”
•Monday-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.;
Saturdays; 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
•Pendleton Art + Frame, 36 S.W.
Court Ave.
Free. Features nature and wildlife
photography of Pendleton photographer
Jack Simons. Runs through July 7.
Nixyaawii Community School
Student Print Exhibition
•Monday-Fridays; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
•Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts,
48004 St Andrews Road, Mission
www.crowsshadow.org
Free. Features student prints creat-
ed under the guidance of master printer
Judith Baumann. Runs through June 29.
Open Regional Photography
Exhibit
•Tuesday-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.;
Saturdays, noon-4 p.m.
•Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214
N. Main St.
www.pendletonarts.org
Free. Features 125 photos, taken by
65 adults and teens from across the re-
gion. Runs through June 29. Gallery vis-
itors can vote for people’s choice award.
“H2O Today”
•Monday-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.,
regular hours
•Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, near
Wildhorse Resort & Casino.
www.tamastslikt.org
$10/adults, $9/senior citizens, $6/
youths. Traveling exhibition from the
Smithsonian Institution explores the
beauty and essential nature of water, the
challenges of maintaining global water
sources and promoting conversation.
Runs through July 14.
Avantika Bawa
•Thursday, June 21; 5-7 p.m.
•Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts,
48004 St Andrews Road, Mission
www.crowsshadow.org
Free. An artist talk with Avantika
Bawa, who splits her time between her
hometown of New Delhi, India, and her
Park series opens with retro band
HEPPNER — Porter and
the Pale Ales will open the
2018 Music in the Park series
in Heppner.
Fronted by Sharon Porter,
who sings vocals and plays uku-
lele and percussion, the band
goes retro with music of the
1930s through the 1960s. The
lyrics are sweet and the melo-
dies are rich — think George
Gershwin meets the early Beat-
les. Porter and the Pale Ales
promises to deliver a sound that
is gentle and thoughtful, yet
zesty.
The group will perform Sun-
day, June 10 from 5-7 p.m. at
Heppner City Park, 444 N.
Main St. Thanks to funding by
the Morrow County Unified
Recreation District, there is no
admission charge. People are
encouraged to bring a blanket
or lawn chair and enjoy a relax-
ing evening listening to music.
Food will be available by
current home in Portland, will discuss
her work created during a print-making
residency.
Music
Evan Egerer
•Saturday, June 2 , 6-9 p.m. All ages
No cover
•Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon, 8
S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton
No cover, all ages. Music on the
Lawn series.
Oldies Night in Milton-Freewater
•Saturday, June 2; 7 p.m.
•Wesley Methodist Church, 816 S.
Main St., Milton-Freewater.
Free. BJ the DJ spins one-hit won-
ders of the 1980s. Snacks available.
Design
•Saturday, June 2; 8 p.m. No cover
•Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wildhorse Re-
sort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission.
Small Souls
•Thursday, June 7; 7-9 p.m.
•Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co.,
403 S. Main St., Pendleton
No cover. All ages. Features the ex-
perimental fold duo from Portland with
emotive melodies and lyrical songwriting.
Scott Wilson & Murray Dunlap
•Friday, June 8 , 6-9 p.m. All ages No
cover
•Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon, 8
S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton
No cover, all ages. Music on the
Lawn series.
The Phoenix
•Friday, June 8; Saturday, June 9; 8
p.m. No cover
•Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wildhorse Re-
sort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission.
Summer Pops Concerts
•Saturday, June 9; 6 p.m.
•HAPO Community Stage, 800 Jad-
win Ave., Richland, WA
A selection of popu-
lar pieces and show tunes
will be performed by the
combined ensembles of
the
Inland
Northwest
Musicians.
The 2018 Summer Pops
concerts will be held Sat-
urday, June 9 at 6 p.m.
on the HAPO Commu-
nity Stage, 800 Jadwin
Ave., Richland, Washing-
ton; and Sunday, June 10 at
4 p.m. in the Powder River
Pavilion at Geiser Poll-
man Park in Baker City.
People are invited to bring
a blanket or lawn chairs to
sit on. Admission is free,
although donations are
accepted.
“This will be an amaz-
ing set of pieces,” said Salli
Ketchersid.
The program includes
selections performed by
combined ensembles of the
Inland Northwest Orches-
tra and Inland Northwest
Chorale along with mem-
bers of the Willow Creek
Symphony.
Selections to be per-
formed includes Orchestra:
“American Salute” based
on “When Johnny Comes
Marching Home,” “Moon
River” from The Paramount
Picture “Breakfast at Tif-
fany’s,” “The Pink Pan-
ther” and “Selections from
The Music Man.” Cho-
rale: “Blue Moon,” “Java
Jive,” as recorded by Man-
hattan Transfer and “Some-
where Out There” From the
Universal Motion Picture
“An American Tail.” Com-
•Fridays; 8 p.m.
•Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St.,
Umatilla
DJ and dancing
•Fridays, 8 p.m.
•The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St.,
Hermiston
Karaoke
•Fridays; 9 p.m.
•Midway Tavern, 1750 N. First St.,
Hermiston
Cimmi’s Late Night Martini
Lounge
•Fridays; 9 p.m.-midnight
•Virgil’s at Cimmiyotti’s, 137 S. Main
St., Pendleton
No cover. Features martinis, mixolo-
gy and music.
Contributed photo
Porter and the Pale Ales will open Heppner’s 2018 Music in
the Park series. There is no admission charge for the June 10
concert at Heppner City Park.
donation by the Hopeful Saints
Ministry, a combined effort of
Hope Lutheran Church and
All Saints Episcopal Church.
The group is raising money for
well-building efforts through
Living Water International.
The menu includes pulled pork
•Sunday, June 10; 4 p.m.
•Powder River Pavilion in Geiser
Pollman Park, Baker City
www.inlandnorthwestmusicians.com
Free. Features a variety of pieces
performed by combined ensembles of
the Inland Northwest Orchestra and In-
land Northwest Chorale along with mem-
bers of the Willow Creek Symphony.
Porter and the Pale Ales
•Sunday, June 10; 5-7 p.m.
•Heppner City Park, 444 N. Main St.
Free. The band brings a retro sound
of music from the 1930s-1960s. Bring
a blanket or lawn chair for Heppner’s
Music in the Parks. Food available for
purchase. In case of inclement weath-
er, event held at Heppner Elementary
School, 235 E. Stansbury St.
Rockology
•Friday, June 15; Saturday, June 16;
8 p.m. No cover
•Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wildhorse Re-
sort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission.
Wade Aylett
sandwiches, coleslaw, cookie
and drink.
The concert series continues
monthly through the summer.
For more information, contact
the Heppner Chamber of Com-
merce at 541-676-5536 or hep-
pnerchamber@centurytel.net.
Hermiston
No cover. Join in for trivia fun and a
chance to win prizes. Also features DJ
music.
Hunks the Show
•Saturday, June 2; 6 & 9 p.m.
•Rivers Event Center, Wildhorse Re-
sort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission.
www.wildhorseresort.com
$29/general, $45/party seats $65/
business seats. The high-energy
21-and-older exotic male dance shows
feature dazzling lights, thumping beats,
singing, dancing and abs-solutely amaz-
ing choreographed dis-robing.
•Tuesday, June 5; 6-8 p.m.
•Neighbor Dudes., 405 N. First St.
Suite 104, Hermiston
No cover. Free brats and chips for
those who stay and play.
Wino Wednesdays
•Wednesdays, 2-6 p.m.
•Echo Ridge Cellars, 551 N. Thielsen
St., Echo
Karaoke at the Packard
Night life
Thirsty Thursdays
The Lucky Coyotes Beach Party
•Saturday, June 2; 8 p.m.
•Sub Zero Restaurant & Lounge, 100
W. Highway 730, Irrigon
No cover/if arrive by 8 p.m., $5/after
8 p.m. Fun includes kick volleyball, flat
screen TV giveaway, raffles, games and
dancing with The Lucky Coyotes.
Karaoke w/DJ David
•Saturdays; 8 p.m.
•Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St.,
Umatilla
Saturday Trivia Nights
•Saturdays; 9 p.m.
•Midway Bar & Grill, 1750 N. First St.,
bined Groups: “The Salley
Gardens’ Red, Red Rose,”
an Irish folk song, and
“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My
Brother.”
Founded in 1999, Inland
Northwest Musicians is
committed to providing
live musical performances
to rural audiences. It fosters
an atmosphere of encour-
agement and assists musi-
cians in developing their
talent.
These are the final
concerts of the 2017-
18 season. In October,
Inland Northwest Musi-
cians will return for its 20th
season.
For more information,
contact
541-289-4696,
inwm@machmedia.net or
visit www.inlandnorthwest-
musicians.com.
Theater, stage, film &
lectures
“The Wedding from Hell”
•Saturday, June 2; 7 p.m.
•Granada Theatre, 221 E. Second
St., The Dalles
www.granadatheatrethedalles.com
$40. A murder mystery dinner (served
buffet-style) theater experience. No host
bar available. (Call 815-993-6585 for
seating preferences).
“Saturday Church”
•Saturday, June 2; 7 p.m.
•Power House Theatre, 111 N. Sixth
St., Walla Walla
www.phtww.com
$15. The Pride Party features a
screening of the award-winning film
about a teen questioning his gender
identity, followed by a drag show with
Chardonnay and music by DJ Lotek. All
entertainment appropriate for ages 14
and up. (509-529-6500).
Kim Russo: The Happy Medium
•Saturday, June 16; 8 p.m.
•Rivers Event Center, Wildhorse Re-
sort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission.
www.wildhorseresort.com
$65. The 21-and-older event features
Russo, who has connected with the spirit
world since she was age 9. She has ap-
peared on several TV shows. Followed
by a camera, Russo will provide random
readings with interactions projected onto
screens.
Trivia Night
•Saturday, June 16; 9 p.m. No cover.
•Midway Bar & Grill, 1750 N. First St.,
Hermiston
Inland musicians close out season
with Summer Pops concerts
East Oregonian
Karaoke w/DJ David
•1st/3rd Wednesday, 9 p.m.-midnight
•The Packard Tavern, 118 S.E. Court
Ave., Pendleton
No cover.
•Third Thursday; 5-8 p.m.
•Midway Bar & Grill, 1750 N. First St.,
Hermiston
No cover. Special guest breweries
offer tastings.
LOL Comedy Jam
•Thursdays; 8 p.m.
•Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wildhorse Re-
sort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission.
No cover. June 7: DC Malone, Gary
Jones; June 14: Rio Hillman, Max Faulk-
ner
Wine tasting
•Fridays, 4-8 p.m.
•Sno Road Winery, 111 W. Main St.,
Echo.
Hot tickets
•John McEuen & the String Wizards
(June 30, $55-$75), at Granada Theatre,
The Dalles. Buy tickets via 815-993-6585
or www.granadatheatrethedalles.com
•Summer Concert Series: Kim Rus-
so: The Happy Medium (21-and-older,
June 16, $65); Naughty by Nature, hip
hop party w/ Sir Mix-A-Lot & Tone Loc
(18-and-older ,July 27, $49-$99); and Ra-
mon Ayala (all-ages, July 28, $49-$129)
at Wildhorse Resort & Casino. Tickets via
Wildhorse Gift Shop or www.wildhorsere-
sort.com
•Umatilla County Fair main stage
performers Sawyer Brown (Aug. 7), Ned
LeDoux (Aug. 8); Skid Row (Aug. 9)
Latino Night (Aug. 10) Blues Traveler
(Aug. 11) (free/general admission, $12/
reserved, $20/premium) www.umatilla-
countyfair.net (541-567-6121)
•Old Dominion. Sept. 8, Happy Can-
yon Arena, Pendleton. Tickets ($46-$150)
via 1-800--457-6336 or www.pendleton-
roundup.com.
———
Want to get your event listed in our
calendar? Send information to commu-
nity@eastoregonian.com, or c/o Tammy
Malgesini, 333 E. Main Street, Hermis-
ton, OR, 97838.
BOOK REVIEW
Texas romance lights a fire in Pendleton
A former Pendleton-area
resident and rodeo aficio-
nado has penned the fifth in
her Texas Rodeo romance
series, and the action moves
north and west to set-
tle back in her old stomp-
ing grounds. “Fearless in
Texas” is the newest con-
temporary western romance
by Kari Lynn Dell, set in the
heart of the Round-Up City.
An ill-advised office
romance turns into a burn-
ing slag heap after Melanie
Brookman discovers that
not only was the client she
was seeing married, but the
whole scenario had been
nudged along by her weasel
of a boss. In the fiery after-
math, Mel needs a place to
go while things cool off.
Her best option is a tem-
porary marketing job for
a floundering bar in Pend-
leton, the home of the
world-famous Round-Up
— but the bar’s owner, sil-
ver-spoon bullfighter Wyatt
Darrington, is the one per-
son that can set off her
famously incendiary temper
with nothing more than a
glance. And while Mel digs
for information that will
turn the Bull Dancer Saloon
from its run-down bor-
dello roots into a hot spot
for rodeo enthusiasts, Wyatt
desperately tries to hide the
secret that will destroy their
newly kindled relationship.
Dell knows rodeo, and
she weaves that world
seamlessly into her novels.
Her heroines are feisty, and
the heroes are that to-die-
for combination of tough
and tender. And a cast of
characters introduced in
earlier novels in the series
Cover photo courtesy Sourcebooks
Casablanca
will provide continuity and
added dimension for those
who want to get to know
the whole gang in greater
depth.
“Fearless in Texas,” by
Kari Lynn Dell. ©2018,
Sourcebooks Casablanca.