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A18 News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, November 30, 2016 FILM CEO Continued from Page A1 Continued from Page A1 the EOU campus as part of the activities. Fitzgerald said it was a great honor to be named a dis- tinguished alumnus. “It just serves as further motivation to engage with EOU and be part of further- ing EOU’s footprint,” he said. “This place shaped me. I love this valley and I love this in- stitution.” His high school in the small rural town of Monu- ment didn’t offer a theater program, but he loved English and one of his teachers made an effort to put on plays for the school. When it came time for college, Fitzgerald wasn’t ready to head to a big city. “I didn’t want to live in the city,” he said, adding that he enjoyed the opportunity to be up in the mountains on his bicycle in just a few minutes. Deciding to go to Eastern, he said, was “one of the best choices I ever made.” Fitzgerald recalled two mentors, theater professor Mark Kuntz and English professor Mark Shadle, who helped mold him during his tenure as a college student. “I have both of them to thank for getting such a good education at EOU,” Fitzgerald said, noting that the one-on- one support from professors was invaluable. “As a young man, you need that kind of en- couragement.” That support and his small classes at Eastern, he said, opened his eyes to the arts and led him to pursue his pas- sions, originally theater and later film. Fitzgerald is drawn to doc- umentaries for their “ability to engage topical issues, to bring issues to the light of day and probably mostly to shine a light on everyday heroes that people might not otherwise know about,” he explained. His documentary career has taken him around the world to the Democratic Re- public of Congo, Rwanda, Cambodia and other places, often in conflict zones. Just before his visit to La Grande, he was on a search and rescue mission off the Libyan coast, where he wit- nessed the rescue of more than 2,000 refugees. “Being in that situation you see a scale of suffering that makes you sit up in your CEO for two and a half years of a Sanford-man- aged facility in the small town of Chester, Mon- tana, near the Canadian border. The organization was smaller than Blue Mountain Hospital, he said, but was of similar scope, with a critical ac- cess hospital, a clinic and nursing home and assist- ed living populations. Daly said he is excited for the opportunity to work in Grant County. “We’ve got a great team of medical providers, a re- ally great team,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of op- portunity and potential for great things here moving forward. There’s some new programs and services that I would hope to investigate to move forward with in 2017. ... “Obviously any time we have opportunity, there’s a lot of work that needs to come into it. Programs don’t build themselves overnight, and services don’t get added, but I think we’ve got the ability to continue to do some good things here.” Contributed photo A wooden boat off the coast of Libya with over 700 refugees evacuated during the course of a day where Skye Fitzgerald was filming recently. cosmic seat and say, ‘Suffer- ing is real,’” Fitzgerald said, noting that his two-man crew on occasion stopped filming in order to help with rescue efforts. That decision, he said, was a no-brainer, even if it meant the resulting footage might not be as strong. For the EOU theater grad- uate, the traumatic scenes invigorate his desire to share those stories. “I’ve got to bring this back and do whatever I can to touch people,” he said. “We need to be inspired. Documentaries allow us to show the horrors of the world, but mitigate that with the beauty of humanity through individuals willing to act.” Though Fitzgerald has en- joyed success with “50 Feet From Syria” — it was short- listed with nine other short documentaries for an Oscar Grant County Your Rural Fa mily Health Clinic HEALTH Department 528 E. Main, St. E, John Day nomination, won an award at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival and most recently was named recipient of the Audience Award at the Sebas- topol Documentary Film Fes- tival — his journey has been a long one. Following his graduation from EOU, he enrolled in a master’s of fine arts program at the University of Oregon for directing for the stage. A class on TV directing changed his trajectory. Just before graduation, he was lined up to go full-time with a Eugene cable company, but the company was bought out and a hiring freeze left him without prospects. Through a teaching assis- tant friend, he was hired on the set of “Ricochet River” as a production assistant. Re- leased in 2001, it was actress Kate Hudson’s first feature film. “I knew I needed to learn and just soak it all up,” Fitz- gerald recalled. “I did every- thing I could to be near the camera department.” His strategy paid off, as he was quickly assigned to the department. Then, after a conversation with the director as he drove her from one loca- tion to another, Fitzgerald was named Second Unit Direc- tor, a good credit for a recent MFA graduate. “I thought that would lead to a nice stepping stone to the feature film world,” he said. “But it didn’t.” That’s when he decided try another route: documentaries. As the founder and owner of Spin Film, Fitzgerald said he usually follows his instinct when looking for ideas. “Usually one story leads to another,” he said. And while interest in the subject is important, Fitzger- ald emphasized that complex issues must be explained through people in such a way that it elicits empathy among the audience. “Touch the heart first,” he said, “and then it goes up to the brain.” One of his favorite films he’s produced is “Finding Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm Services Provided: Karen Triplett, FNP • Primary Care • Acute Care • Women’s Health Exams • Men and Children Exams • Immunizations • Family Planning • Contraception • Pregnancy Testing & Referrals • HIV Testing & Referrals • Cacoon • WIC • High Risk Infants • Maternity Case Management Appointments available Call and schedule your appointment today! TOLL FREE Grant County Health Department does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activitie s, or in employment. the 888-443-9104 or 541-575-0429 corner’s HOT SUMPTER TREE L CHRIST IGHTING, MAS T PARAD RAIN E SH T DEC. 10 & 11, 9 AM - 3 PM at the MUSEUM. Vendors needed, call Nancy at 541-894-2264 POT Continued from Page A1 Face,” which tells the story of an acid attack victim in Cambodia. Many of his works highlight human rights issues, a topic Fitzgerald feels may not always be popular. “What’s different fun- damentally (about “50 Feet From Syria”) is it’s on a topic that more people care about, and it has more traction in the media,” he said. Fitzgerald has no de- sire to strike it rich making films, noting that the best films aren’t always the ones that makes the most mon- ey. Rather, he seeks to work within his own sphere of influence. “I do believe that if you do that and do it well, and your craft is good enough, your story strong enough, you will find an audience,” he said. The alumnus, who mi- nored in creative writing, said he enjoyed reminiscing with EOU President Tom Insko when he was back on cam- pus for homecoming. Former classmates, the two walked together out onto the football field during halftime of the football game. “That was a great mo- ment,” said Fitzgerald, who ran cross-country as a student. “It was nice to see that some- one’s in position at the helm of the university who deeply believes in its mission as a re- gional institution.” Learn more about Fitzger- ald’s work at spinfilm.org. comprehensive video sur- veillance and a well-lit ex- terior. “It’s like a vault,” Kidd said. The dispensary will an- swer to the Oregon Health Association, and all sales will be tracked by the state government. They are also hoping to strike a blow to the black market and give those in need a safe place to pur- chase their medicine. Kidd also anticipates picking up customers from Bend as more of their dispensaries convert to recreational fa- cilities. “It’s going to create jobs and keep people from having to travel outside the area, and keep the revenue here instead of Bend,” she said. The Grant County Court voted Sept. 28 to pass an ordinance allow- ing registered medical marijuana patients to pur- chase marijuana at dispen- saries in Grant County. The amended ordinance only allows medical mar- ijuana, not recreational, dispensaries. OREGON CAPITAL INSIDER Get the inside scoop on state government and politics! We’re investing in Salem coverage when other news organizations are cutting back. OregonCapitalInsider.com Debbie Ausmus 245 South Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845 OPEN WED. & THUR. 9 am - 5 pm 04866 EEK OF THE W 541-575-1113 24 hrs/7 days wk debbie.ausmus@ countryfinancial.com DRONE Starting at MAKENZIE JONES School: Prairie City Grade: 12 Parents: Tom and Jonie Jones Sport: Volleyball Position: Middle hitter What I like best about my sport: “I love them (my teammates) to death, and I’m really glad I had them to finish out my senior year.” Coach’s Comment: “MaKenzie was voted most inspirational by her teammates and the recognition was well deserved. She took charge of team meetings in a positive way, always keeping a healthy perspective and reminding the team what the bigger picture was - becoming contributing members of society, taking responsibility for your actions and representing yourself, your team, your school, your community and your family in the best way possible.” $39.99 HP LAPTOP Staring at $599.00 Sending Your Best At Christmas Time LG 43” TV Sale $439.99 Special Holiday Hours Monday - Friday, Dec. 1st - Dec. 23rd: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm SATURDAY -Co-coaches Lance and Louanne Zweygardt PROUD SPONSOR OF GRANT COUNTY ATHLETES Dec. 3rd , 10th & 17th: Retail Hours 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm to help with holiday shipping. 100 E. Main • Stoplight in John Day Back to regular hours Dec. 27th. 541-792-0425 04873 04801 JOHN DAY POST OFFICE 04795
