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Local group makes pillowcases for ailing children

JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

To mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, members of the St. Helens Lions Club have been working on a special project to brighten the time children must spend at the Ronald McDonald House in Portland.

Lions Club member Kathy Syrstad said the group is assembling brightly colored handmade pillowcases for the children.

It gave all of us a wonderful feeling of doing something positive in a world that needs positive.

~ Kathy Syrstad, St. Helens Lions Club

This project was chosen because the St. Helens Lions Club supports Ronald McDonald House by saving tabs from beverage cans which they recycle for cash.

One of Lions Clubs International focus areas is Childhood Cancer, and Ronald McDonald House hosts guests affected by cancer, among other illnesses.

The Club delivers the accumulated tabs about once a year. Last fall when the 17 pounds of tabs were deliv-

ered, Kathy and Jim Syrstad had a tour of the facility and met one of the current guests who has spent a lot of time there in her young life.

“The guests receive a small blanket and stuffed animal when they arrive, but they really enjoy having bright pillowcases when they are available, Kathy said. “Meeting this positive, young guest personally gave us the idea of putting together a work party of members to construct pillowcases to donate.”

Kathy said she asked the Club for a budget to buy fabric and shopped carefully

to get the best deals she could.

“Hopefully this project will brighten the stay of children at Ronald McDonald House,” she said. “It gave all of us a wonderful feeling of doing something positive in a world that needs positive. With many hands, an afternoon’s work was a big accomplishment.”

The Lions Club delivery of the pillowcases to the Ronald McDonald House is pending. Syrstad said more pillowcases may be constructed in the future and the Club also plans to work on making dresses out of

gently used pillowcases that will be sent to Africa.

Members have also been working on knitting hats for cancer patients and for an anti-bullying group that does school presentations and gives all students a handmade hat.

You can find St. Helens Lions members displaying flags in the community on national holidays, picking up litter in parks and along roadways, helping to provide vision screening in local schools, among many other projects. The Lions provide help to local residents that can’t afford

glasses and hearing aids.

For more information about the St. Helens Lions Club, call 503-397-624.

About the Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Oregon and SW Washington provides access to medical care, a home away from home, and a community of support for seriously ill or injured children and their families.

In 1984, after years of planning, the first Oregon Ronald

McDonald House

opened its doors to families in need.

Just steps away from OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Shriners Hospital for Children, that first House began providing comfort and relief to families needing to be close to their child’s hospital bed.

Nearly four decades later, RMHC of Oregon and SW Washington has expanded from that first 17-room House into a statewide network of four Houses with 79 rooms and four inhospital programs serving thousands of families every year.

Unveiling set for renovated performing arts center

to start investing in a new system.”

Donation drive

A new sign with a donor wall is in the works as part of the renovations, according to Ewrin.

The new and improved Donavan Wooley Performing Arts Center at Clatskanie Middle/High School will be unveiled Feb. 23. The dedication follows a renovation of the center.

History

Donavan, or “Dee,” as he is called, came to teach in Clatskanie in 1968. When he first started teaching in this area, he taught classes at Quincy Grade School, Westport Grade School, Clatskanie Grade School and Clatskanie High School.

Dee taught beginning band, band and choir and traveled among the schools each day. As the music program grew, other teachers were hired to cover the grade and middle school. Dee then taught band and choir in the high school along with Stage Band (Jazz Band) at 7 a.m. each morning. He also had a pep band at all the games and a marching band in the local parades.

The bands won several awards during his years of teaching and his stage band competed at festivals in Oregon, in Vancouver, British Columbia and at the World’s Fair in Spokane, Washington. He retired in 1994.

The last concert before his retirement was a surprise

as the music students met with the school board and requested the auditorium be renamed in his honor. It became the Donavan Wooley Performing Arts Center.

During the concert the various hair and clothing styles of Dee were lovingly revisited. Students talked about the impact he had on their lives and their love of music. The choir and the band ended the concert with a joint musical piece and the announcement of the renam-

ing of the auditorium. This event was held in May 1994.

The community proved to be very supportive of the new auditorium when a bond levy was passed for the new high school. Before the auditorium, concerts were held in the grade school gym and all equipment had to be taken down the afternoon of the concert and loaded back up afterwards.

Supporters of the school’s music program said the auditorium was a dream, not only

from a performance aspect, but from the fact that the music groups could more easily rehearse in the space and move equipment easily across the hall from the band room.

But as years went on, the sound and lighting systems badly deteriorated and much more advanced systems were available.

However, there was no budget for a total upgrade, according to school officials.

Gels (color filters) were replaced but the light systems

became much dimmer. The sound system was old and had been installed in unideal locations.

“When I first arrived in Clatskanie eight years ago, I was so impressed by the auditorium, but the lighting system was failing,” CMHS teacher Jaime Erwin said. “I had a student and his father go through as many lights as possible to try and salvage what we could. But the reality was they didn’t make the lights anymore. It was time

“The donor wall started about five years ago and we raised about $5,550,” she said. “Then the COVID shutdown happened, and the project went on hold.” The Clatskanie School District was successful in gaining voter approval of a bond measure for district building improvements, which Erwin said is helping with the performing arts center’s renovation costs.

“Teachers Tim Kamppi and Deney Flatz, along with their Career Technical Education (CTE) classes are creating the music notes with each donor’s name (for the donor wall) plus a new Donavan Wooley Performing Arts Center sign,” Erwin said. “The sign design was created by student Hannah Isaacson, a sophomore. There is a pretty cool artistic surprise too. I am so excited to see the outcome.”

Erwin said the renovated auditorium space is almost completely transformed.

The Clatskanie Middle School Band, The Clatskanie High School Jazz Band and the high school choir will perform during an unveiling concert in the improved space at 7 p.m. February 23. A dedication ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. The event is free to the public. Donations will be accepted at the door.

Courtesy from the St. Helens Lions Club

The pillowcase makers from left to right, Lions Kim Karber, Rosemary Jeffrey, Kathy Syrstad, Niki Kirsch, Linda McCoy and Jim Syrstad.

Courtesy photo from Jaime Erwin

The CMHS performing arts center renovation in the works.

Courtesy photo from Jaime Erwin

Pool Manager Clatskanie Park & Recreation District is now accepting applications and resumes for a Pool Manager. Responsibilities: Train, manage and evaluate approximately 20 lifeguards; beginning in February and continuing into September. Plan, organize and schedule programs offered at our sea-

sonal outdoor pool. Be responsible for scheduling adequate staff for the safety, supervision, cleanliness, water chemistry and mechanical operation of the pool for youth and families in our District. Maintain pool and employee records. Perform such other duties as assigned by the District Manager and/or Board of Directors from time to time.

Knowledge and Skills: Strong administrative skills, recreational aquatic programming skills, leadership and managerial

skills, pool maintenance and water chemistry skills and good public relation skills are a must. Thorough knowledge of policies, procedures and equipment used in daily outdoor pool operations helpful. Work with pool related chemicals and be familiar with State and Federal regulations regarding outdoor pool operations. Experience and Training: Experience preferred. Or the willingness to work within an agreed upon time frame between applicant and Board

of Directors to obtain the required and suggested certifications for the position; First-Aid, CPR, AED certifications, Lifeguard Instructor and Training, Water Safety Instructor and CPO (Certified Pool Operator) certifications. You can request an application by phone at 503-728-2757, by email at csp@ cni.net or on our website www. clatskanieparksandrecreation.com.

Applications and resumes can be returned by mail to: Clatskanie Park & Recreation Dis-

trict, PO Box 737, Clatskanie OR 97016 or by email to csp@cni.net. If you have any questions, please leave message at 503-728-2757.

Applications with resumes will be accepted until the position has been filled.

For Sale

Very inexpensive: Treadmill, rowing machine, weightlifting machine, dumbbells, and more. Please call 503-351-4295.