News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Contributed photo
‘Life,’ by Grant Union
senior Savannah Wyllie,
which received honorable
mention.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
A9
Contributed photo
‘The Tilted Tower,’ by Grant
Union sophomore Eli
Sheedy, which received
honorable mention.
Grant Union artists earn
honors at EOU exhibition
time that I love doing,” she
said.
Sheedy, who is in Collier’s
Art I class, said the honorable
By Angel Carpenter
mention came as a shock for
Blue Mountain Eagle
him.
He entered a clay sculpture
Two Grant Union art stu- titled “The Tilted Tower.”
dents received recognition for
“It was cool that it won
their creative works, which are honorable mention,” he said.
on display through March 21 “I was honestly surprised.”
at the Eastern Ore-
A total of 300
gon Regional High
entries are on dis-
play with just 25
School Exhibition
students receiving
in La Grande.
awards.
Collier
Senior Savannah
said 28 of her stu-
Wyllie and soph-
dents entered 40
omore Eli Sheedy
each received an
pieces.
honorable mention
“I am very
award at the juried
proud of the hard
art show held at the Savannah Wyllie work and imagi-
nation that Eli and
Nightingale Gallery
Savannah put into
in Loso Hall.
the works that were
“It’s a flower pot
selected by the ju-
with a bottle and
rors for awards,”
two oranges,” Wy-
llie said, describing
she said. “I love
her work she titled
that the Eastern
“Life” — yet, there
Oregon Regional
is more meaning
High School Art
Eli Sheedy
behind the piece
Exhibition is still
than a simple still
available to our
life.
students to show-
The watercolor with In- case all the great work done
dia ink washes shows one at the high schools through-
budding flower standing tall out our region.”
The contest has been
among others, which are
drooping slightly.
around at least since 1991,
“I kind of just went with when Collier was the Night-
how I felt,” Wyllie said of the ingale Gallery director.
“It is a wonderful opportu-
process. “It was looking at the
life of people who are down nity for the schools in Eastern
Oregon to showcase their art-
or depressed.”
She said she wanted to work in a professional gallery
convey that one should stay setting,” she said. “It is really
strong “when people around fun to see all the different type
works presented from the dif-
you put you down.”
Wyllie said she has main- ferent schools.
ly worked on art at home
Collier said she hopes the
and just joined Grant Union annual event continues well
teacher JJ Collier’s advanced into the future.
art class her senior year.
“The students have great
“It’s something I do all the imaginations,” she said.
Wyllie’s art
speaks of ‘Life’
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Tabby (Mindi Teague) pulls a cloth off Emily (Ellie Justice), who had been sleep walking, and Alex (Maggie
Justice) holds her back in Saturday’s Grant Union play ‘Maniac Manor.’
Grant Union actors take spotlight in two plays
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant Union Ju-
nior-Senior High School dra-
ma club kept their audience
guessing and laughing Satur-
day as they presented a com-
edy and a mystery-comedy on
the Grant Union stage.
“Cheating Death,” a one-
act comedy featuring junior
high students, and “Maniac
Manor,” with senior high stu-
dents, were the club’s debut
plays for the 2017-18 school
year.
Drama advisors Kathy
Sherwood and Angela Smith
directed 18 actors in the dou-
ble feature.
“I’m proud of all the kids,”
Sherwood said.
She said the junior high
students had to memorize
many lines as they stayed on
stage for the entire play.
“They did a great job,” she
said. “The high schoolers —
they’re older and have more
acting experience — really get
into character.”
She added, “Maggie Jus-
tice, Mindi Teague and Logan
Namitz did an outstanding job
memorizing their lines.”
Justice, who played a de-
tective in “Maniac Manor,”
had 141 lines, and her sidekick
Teague had 78. Namitz, who
played “Death” in “Cheating
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
‘Death’ (Logan Namitz) takes Sam (Mariah Kerr) by the hand in the play ‘Cheating
Death.’
Death,” had 137 lines.
“When you have a small
drama club, you have to be
flexible, and the kids really
stepped up,” Sherwood said.
Both Sherwood and Smith
have high school acting expe-
rience.
Sherwood was an assistant
adviser to long-time Grant
Union director Julie Reynolds
last school year, as well as
drama instructor for the Youth
Arts Program last summer.
Smith also took a college-lev-
el acting course.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Egor (Will Carpenter) saves Tabby (Mindi Teague) from
someone reaching out to grab her.
Monument Senior Center receives $21,000 grant
Upgrades to include
repairs and ramp
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Monument Senior Center is not
just a gathering spot for people in their
golden years, but for the entire commu-
nity.
The center, where 200 events were
held last year, will receive improve-
ments, thanks to a $21,000 grant from the
Dr. Issai and Dr. Ellen Hosiosky Fund of
the Gorge Community Foundation.
Lisa Neuburger, a Monument resident
and foundation board member, awarded
the grant on Feb. 6 to senior center of-
ficials.
Judy Harris, fundraising chairman for
the senior center, said the building is vital
to the community, and the funds will help
pay for building repairs and a wheelchair
ramp, as well as the purchase of an ice
machine and additional tables and chairs.
Neuburger, who has been on the
foundation board for 10 years, had been
attending the senior meals with her hus-
band, Harris said.
“She was impressed with everything
we’ve been doing in our community,”
Harris said.
The senior center is not just for se-
niors, she said, adding it sees a tremen-
dous amount of use.
“It is the hub of the whole city,” she
said. “We’re very proud of it, and we
wanted to have it right up to snuff.”
She said the grant means a lot because
no improvements have been made since
the facility was built in 1994.
Senior center board member Jimmy
Cole said the group has been working to
ensure the building is up to code. He said
the center recently received an additional
grant through the Collins Foundation to
replace the dishwasher and mixer.
Jan Ensign, a senior center board
member from Long Creek, said many of
“volunteer miles” have driven the activi-
ties and fundraisers at the center.
There were 56 volunteers last year
who contributed a total of 3,476 volun-
teer hours.
“We have a lot of wonderful support,
and we have some very knowledgeable
people who’ve helped,” Ensign said.
“We’re very thankful to the grantors
who’ve awarded us these funds, and we
need to offer a huge thank you to Elaine
Eisenbraun who has written grants for us
— she’s done a superb job.”
Cole said all the residents are behind
the fundraising efforts.
“That’s what is nice,” he said. “It’s a
blessing to our community that everybody
has come together. People in Monument
will put their differences aside for the bet-
terment of the community — not just the
young people, it’s everybody. It’s for the
community and by the community.”
Contributed photo
Monument Senior Center supporters accept a $21,000
grant award from Gorge Community Foundation for
facility updates and equipment. From left are Jeanne
Vaughan Strange (fundraising committee), Lisa
Neuburger (foundation board member), Judy Davis
Harris (fundraising chairman), and senior center board
members Jan Ensign, Jimmy Cole, Linda Abraham,
Lorynn Lawrence, Betty Richards and Karen Wibbels-
Stubblefield.
ATTENTION
HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
Don’t forget to apply for a
Silvies Valley Ranch Education Scholarship.
Open to Grant & Harney County students.
Postmark deadline is
Applications are available from your
school’s guidance counselor or online at
www.silvies.us
1883
44813
EST.
541-523-6377
541-963-6577
541-573-6377
541-576-2160
43712