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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2020)
YOUR EO NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT Saturday, April 18, 2020 East Oregonian A9 School district honored with music education designation East Oregonian Photo contributed by R&M R&M’s Garrett Randolph. Photo contributed by R&M Brian Mandella of R&M. R&M makes music across the miles East Oregonian From a little town in Eastern Oregon, and from another little town best known for its Buffalo Bill Museum, two musicians have collaborated on a new folk rock album called “American Spirits.” The band R&M, led by Gar- rett Randolph and Brian Mandella, hopes to begin collaborating in person in June. Both Randolph and Mandella work full-time jobs, until recently, but now are focusing on the music and the art of story-telling. Both have recorded solo albums, but contributed to each other’s work to the point that “even though it was our solo material, it’s Album cover contributed by R&M “American Spirits,” a new folk rock album by R&M. all R&M,” said Mandella. Randolph and Mandella have been making music together since the fourth grade in Cody, Wyoming, trying to write songs before they even knew how to play instruments. Mandella went off to college, and Randolph stayed in Cody, but the music collaboration continued. Now, Mandella lives in Pilot Rock in rural Eastern Oregon, and the two have recorded a once- in-a-lifetime compilation of songs put together in isola- tion using technology, like FaceTime, to work together. Once social distancing pro- tocols are relaxed, Ran- dolph plans to move to Pilot Rock to join Man- della, and R&M will “take the plunge” into a full-time music career. “Most of the time when we play shows, one of us has to make a short trip to each other’s homes, but then promptly turn around and make the 900-mile journey back to our own homes,” Mandella said in an email. “Now we have fully committed to music, despite the challenges our communities face. In June, we are hoping things will clear up enough for Gar- rett to join us further West in Pilot Rock, living sim- ple lives until music venues get back on their feet. In the meantime, we are plan- ning live streams to keep our foot in the door, so to speak.” “American Spirits” is available now on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/ artist/3zKwoD1z75S4X- 4 W5 P p 6 C h d ? s i = 0 S o - c hY M mT 3y z d Ux Q S Y- dXlg), along with the band’s previous recordings. You can visit R&M’s web- site at randmmusicofficial. com to learn more about the band and its music. A virtual trip to Cabbage Hill’s wildflowers in bloom By BRUCE BARNES For the East Oregonian Two months ago, I was making plans to set up weekly field trips through the spring and summer, to be sponsored by the Native Plant Society and by Flora ID. However, keeping “social distance” on a field trip is difficult. So scrap- ping plans for field trips is one more outcome of the nasty virus. Though I can’t take people to see the flow- ers, I can at least provide some beauty, color, and information about them. Last weekend, I took a drive up Cabbage Hill to Deadman Pass to check out the progress of the ear- ly-blooming plants. Sev- eral people had told me there were many differ- ent plants already in bloom there. And as advertised, there was a good show- ing of flowers; enough to satisfy someone longing for a flower fix after being cooped up inside. The flower show wasn’t apparent at first, but get- ting out and looking in a few places paid off. By this weekend, a few more spe- cies and a lot more blooms will have appeared. The THANKS Photo contributed by Bruce Barnes Photo contributed by Bruce Barnes Photo contributed by Bruce Barnes Red Kitten Tails, Besseya rubra. Sagebrush Buttercup, Ra- nunculus glaberrimus. Grass Widow, douglasii. plants you can expect to find include those listed below: Yellow Bells (Fritil- laria pudica): This little lily fits its name, having one to three nodding yellow to yellow-orange bell-shaped flowers at the top of a 4-6 inch stem. Fawn Lily (Eryth- ronium grandiflorum): This showy lily is up to about 6 inches tall when fully mature, with one or two nodding yellow flow- ers about 3 inches wide. The petals have spread- ing, pointed tips. The plant is usually found in par- tial shade and is now just coming into bloom. It has several common names, depending on who you ask, including Dog-toothed Lily and Avalanche Lily. Grass widow (Olsyn- ium douglasii): Also known as Blue Eyed Grass, this plant often grows in mead- ows or partial shade, and stands nearly a foot high. The flowers are an inch wide and pink to pink-pur- ple. It is named for the Scottish botanical explorer David Douglas, who found it in our area in the 1820s. Sagebrush butter- cup (Ranunculus glaber- rimus): This little butter- cup is sometimes the first spring flower to bloom on Cabbage Hill. The bright yellow flowers are about an inch across, the leaves are of a variety of shapes, and the plant sort of sprawls on the ground. Red Kitten Tails (Besseya rubra): Kitten Tails is not yet ready to bloom, and won’t be for another two to three weeks, but it is worth watching for. Last weekend, it was just tall enough to tell what it was. Once mature, it will be about 8-12 inches tall, and have a single stalk topped with a cylindrical spike of dull reddish flow- ers that have no petals. The mass of tiny flowers on the spike provide the color with minute sepals and stamens. Olsynium JOSEPH — Join Fish- trap online for an evening of poetry and conversa- tion with Oregon Poet Lau- reate Kim Stafford. Log on to Fishtrap’s Facebook Page on Tuesday, April 28 at 5 p.m. for “An Evening of Poetry and Conversation with Kim Stafford.” Kim will share some of his Oregon poems, and answer questions about how the practice of writing can make life more emo- tionally open during this difficult time. Kim Stafford is the founding director of the Northwest Writing Insti- tute, and co-founder of Fishtrap. He is the author of a dozen books of poetry and prose, including “Hav- ing Everything Right: Essays of Place in 1986,” and the new poetry collec- tion “Wild Honey, Tough Salt: Poems, in 2019.” He has taught writing in schools, colleges, mead- ows, forests, and in Assisi, Glasgow, and a remote vil- lage in Bhutan. In May 2018, Gov. Kate Brown appointed him as Oregon’s ninth poet lau- reate. He is now writing a poem every day on the sub- ject of COVID-19 and how it affects our communities. Fishtrap began in 1988 with help from the Wal- lowa Valley Arts Coun- cil, Wandschneider, Staf- ford and Alvin Josephy, the famous journalist and historian of the American West. It has since grown and added programs, writ- ing classes, lecture series and youth programming to further the mission to pro- mote “clear thinking and good writing in and about the West.” For more infor- mation, visit www.fishtrap. org. Flora School moves pioneer celebration online FLORA — School Days at Flora School has been canceled due to the pan- demic. But the Flora School Education Center is work- ing on a Virtual School Days for 2020. Normally held the first Saturday in June, the pioneer celebra- tion will go virtual if at all possible on Saturday, June 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Flora School’s Facebook Pendleton AAU thanks Wildhorse Foundation East Oregonian The Pendleton Basket- ball Club wishes to express its thanks for a 2020 Wild- horse Foundation Grant allowing the club to provide new equipment and new uniforms for the AAU bas- ketball program. The Wildhorse Founda- tion Grant enabled the club to purchase equipment that helped Pendleton-area youth develop their athletic prow- ess. In an effort to develop the skills of area youth, PBC purchased a basketball shooting machine to assist Pendleton athletes at all lev- els (elementary, middle, and high school) get the repeti- tion and arch development necessary to develop their skills. Volunteer coaches were able to use the machine in practices to help build and improve Pendleton youth basketball programs. In addition, PBC was able to replace old and tattered uniforms and purchase new basketballs for each team. The group’s old basketballs will be distributed to local schools for use in physical education classes. The Pendleton Basket- ball Club is honored to be a recipient of the Wildhorse Foundation Grant for the year 2020, and more impor- tantly we are thankful for the opportunity to improve, and strengthen, Pendleton youth basketball programs. Steve Hoffert Pendleton Basketball Club BIRTHS BRIEFLY Fishtrap offers evening with Kim Stafford The Pendleton School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education desig- nation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstand- ing commitment to music education. Now in its 21st year, the Best Communities for Music Education designa- tion is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstand- ing achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the Best Commu- nities designation, music staff led by Emily Muller-Cary answered detailed ques- tions about funding, grad- uation requirements, music class participation, instruc- tional time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were veri- fied with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. “This recognition con- firms the combination of outstanding educators, great students and an amazing community focused on the values and benefits of music education,” said Pendleton School District Superinten- dent Chris Fritsch. This award recognizes that Pendleton School District is a state and national leader with learning opportunities as out- lined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA recommends music and the arts as important elements of a well-rounded education for all children. Andrew Wolotira, a PHS senior and member of the jazz and symphonic bands, and swing and A Capella choirs, said, “Being a part of the music program has been a highlight of my high school experience. I will be able to pursue music for the rest of my life because of the foun- dation that has been provided by Mr. and Mrs. Cary.” “I’m proud to work for this school district and continue to be amazed by the incredi- ble students we have and the level of support we receive in arts education in Pendleton,” said 16-year band instructor Andy Cary. “Pendleton School District is incredibly supportive of the arts,” said Emily Muller- Carey, “and we’re so fortu- nate to work in a district that recognizes that every student has different needs and ways to succeed.” Muller-Cary has been a music instructor for 12 years in the district, teaching strings/orchestra for grades four through 12 and the PHS choir. Research into music edu- cation continues to demon- strate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. After two years of music edu- cation, researchers found that participants showed substan- tially more improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers. Students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college as well. Every day listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than in those without music training. A 2015 study supported by The NAMM Foundation, “Striking A Chord,” also outlines the overwhelming desire by teachers and parents for music education opportu- nities for all children as part of the school curriculum. ST. ANTHONY HOSPITAL, PENDLETON page. More information will be made available on the school’s Facebook page, website and newsletter. Being cautious, the Flora School Board has also voted to cancel all classes and activities for the remainder of 2020, though some may be held when the “stay home” orders in all three states (Oregon, Idaho and Wash- ington) have been lifted. Since the Flora School is so close to the border, it is deemed necessary to abide by all three states’ proto- cols. Classes and activities will be rescheduled into 2021. For more information, or if you would like to demon- strate pioneer skill via live feed, call 541-828-7010 or email floraschool@tds.net. — EO Media Group APRIL 8, 2020 BERGSTAD — Alyssa Harvill and Jeremy Bergstad: a boy, Silis Bergstad. APRIL 10, 2020 GONZALEZ — Britain L. Bonser and Octavio Ramirez Gon- zalez Jr. of Pendleton: a by, Orlando Covey Gonzalez. APRIL 11, 2020 ROBERTSON — Katie L. Beach and Khai A. Robertson of Pendleton: a boy, Atlas Keith Allen Robertson. GOOD SHEPHERD MEDICAL CENTER, HERMISTON APRIL 9, 2020 WICKHAM — Amanda Wickham and Tyler Wickham of Irri- gon: a girl, Steelie Rhett Wickham. APRIL 12, 2020 ROSS — Hollyann Ross and Jacob Ross of Hermiston: a girl, Everlee Jane Ross.