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Clatskanie students take awards at Music Festival

Originally published in The Chief Vol. 131

April 28, 2023

LAUREY WHITE Chief Guest Article

The Clatskanie Middle/ High School (CMHS) Jazz Band and Concert Choir students have returned from the Heritage Music Festival in Anaheim, California.

The event April 21 through 23 was the first big trip outside Oregon for the two groups, allowing the students to showcase their prodigious talent.

The band and choir were originally scheduled to perform in Vancouver, Canada in 2020, but that trip was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. This left 50 disappointed students, but no worries.

“But all the music groups kept playing and singing,” CMHS Music Teacher Jaime Erwin said. “They learned their music over Zoom and continued to practice. They worked very hard to perfect their songs. They held practices and concerts outdoors. They wore masks to ensure everyone’s safety.”

“It was a long time com-

ing,” Erwin said. “Because they were freshmen when our original trip was cancelled. So, this trip was significant. It was really the rest time on a plane for most of them, the first time at Disneyland and the first time in California. It was significant for all of them.”

Erwin added that the overall experience in school band and choir gives the students life-long learning skills.

“I keep telling them, that the music world is a small world,” she said. “They can make life-long friends, lifelong connections, as well as learn live-long skills. Playing an instrument and vocalizing is not easy. It takes practice, dedication and self-discipline.”

Fast forward three years. With the threat of COVID safely behind them, the CMHS Concert Choir and Jazz Band traveled to Anaheim, ready to perform. Both groups came back from Anaheim with awards for their performances. Both groups placed in the Silver Categories, meaning they scored above 80 out of 100.

Senior Choir member Sommer Burnard received the

“Maestro Award” for her solo in Homeward Bound. Twelve students were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments, out of 1,000 total. Erwin said one of the highlights of the trip was the students and chaperones getting to spend most of Saturday in Disneyland.

The Clatskanie Community Choir will hold their second concert at 7 p.m. April 28, in the Donavon Wooley Performing Arts Center at CMHS. The concert is scheduled to last approximately 40 minutes. A variety of special songs will be included. The cost is free, but donations are welcome.

Park amphitheater design entering final stage

Originally published in

The Chronicle Vol. 141

April 26, 2023

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

Phase One of the Riverwalk Project is getting closer to actuality as the St. Helens City Council has authorized staff to move into final designs for the new Columbia View Park Amphitheater.

The city of St. Helens will address various needs of the riverfront park at 3 Strand Street during Phase One of the Riverwalk Project. In addition to constructing a new stage and seating infrastructure for Columbia View Park Amphitheater, the project will also expand Columbia View Park, add a new playground, and begin construction of the first part of the public river walk along the Columbia River, according to St. Helens Communications Officer Crystal King.

Under Phase One of the Riverwalk Project, the city entered an agreement

with Mayer/Reed in March of 2021. Mayer/Reed is a Portland-based landscape architecture firm. At the City Council meeting on April 5, St. Helens City Council gave the go-ahead to enter the final design stages.

“This is anticipated to take about a month to complete. Then we will apply for permits and bid the project,” King said. “We have also consulted with an audio and visual engineer and confirmed that there is adequate electrical capacity and AV capabilities.”

The total cost of the project is $2.9 million, according to King, which

would include the full scope of the Phase One work. This estimate is subject to change, and the city will have a “more accurate cost once the project is fully designed and bidding is complete,” King said.

Changes to Columbia View Park Amphitheater

The plans for the new amphitheater stage aim to increase capacity and functionality while maintaining the intimate atmosphere that currently exists.

The design was created to accommodate a larger audience, include a hard

surface dance floor and storage structure for equipment, and retain views of the river. The intimacy provided by the two-seat walls for small events balances with the need for additional capacity during large events, according to King.

“Moving the stage back, creating a berm for additional seating, and adding tiered seating will increase the seating and viewing options for event attendees,” King said.

The update to the stage and the seating is an effort to ensure that the location meets the needs of the growing community.

During the April 5 Council Work Session, council members brought concerns to the city planners about ensuring sound quality with the new stage location being further from the audience than before.

City planners assured the council that power outlets on the stage would have the ability to support additional sound systems and that they did not believe the new location would affect the quality of the shows.

After reviewing the new design, the project will move into final construction documents in anticipation of bidding

on the project this spring, with construction to begin after the 2023 13 Nights on the River concert series concludes, King told the Chronicle for a previous report. However, there is no exact date for when construction will begin.

“We will have an exact date once we bid the project, select the contractor, and develop a construction timeline,” King said. “Construction is anticipated to take one year once it begins.”

Follow developments at thechronicleonline.com and in the Wednesday print editions of The Chronicle.

Courtesy photo from Jaime Erwin

The CMHS musicians and CMHS student Sommer Burnard.

Courtesy photo from Jaime Erwin

Summer Burnard holds her award.

Courtesy from the City of St. Helens

The current lay out of Columbia View Park Amphitheater.

Courtesy from the City of St. Helens

The rendering of the new stage and open seating area.