8 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER March 2021
Solo Sisters
By CANDY FERGUSON
Charbonneau ’ s singles group : What ’ s going on ?
Due to popular demand , I ’ m back ! That doesn ’ t mean Solo Sisters has done anything , but let me put on my Seinfeld hat to see what I can come up with .
According to CCC , we can now hold gatherings of six or less people in the card room . Whoopee ! With close to 50 women on our roster , the only way we might find only six people who can attend one of our fun meetings in the card room is if we require people to have had both COVID-19 vaccinations . Since no one on our planning committee has had both vaccinations yet , a few have had one , there would be no leadership present that night in the card room . So much for that idea !
So perhaps we hold our meeting in the beautiful new Pavilion . We are allowed up to 50 out there ( two people to a table ), but food and beverage becomes a problem — not one that the Solo Sisters would welcome ! Also , since we meet in the evening , heaters or no heaters , I think we would find it a bit chilly outside until perhaps July .
I ’ m afraid going to a restaurant for happy hour is also out of the question , at least for now . Even when the restaurants offer us our own isolated areas , the way the Backstop Bar & Grill in Canby does , there is no way to socially distance within our space . However , at this point , I think I would cheat in order to enjoy a happy hour Backstop hamburger and fries ! With Chardonnay !
The Wilsonville Bowl is gone , so if we want to get bargain rates and have a fun time bowling and socializing , we will have to ingratiate ourselves at Bullwinkle ’ s Family Fun Center , a nationwide chain of bowling alleys that could probably care less about a group of older women , even though we are a lot of fun .
We enjoyed our bowling outings at Wilsonville Bowl , a local mom and pop business , even though at the end of the day , we ended up limping to our cars , as we hurried home to our bottles of Advil or Tylenol and a welldeserved respite on the couch .
If you are a single woman in Charbonneau , looking for a safe place to make friends with similar interests and many points of view , please give us a try . Contact Deanna Morgan at deannamorgan @ gmail . com , and she will be happy to add you to our mailing list .
And some day , we will gather together and have a fabulous time ! Until next time ... That ’ s all folks !
Charbonneau Arts Association
By CATHI MCLAIN
Donations benefi t local schools
MCLAIN
• Your local paper mailed to you every week .
• The Portland Tribune mailed to you every week .
• Unlimited access to the Business Tribune .
The year 2020 was a challenging year for everyone , including the arts community . Art festivals and gallery shows were forced to cancel or go virtual , including our own Charbonneau Festival of the Arts . We weren ’ t sure if we would receive enough from sponsorships , donations and silent auction sales to be able to make our annual donations to the art classes at Canby and Wilsonville High Schools . So , it was with great satisfaction that we were able to present each school ’ s art department with a check for $ 3,250 , just $ 750 less than the previous two years .
Canby High School art teacher , Jennifer Dorsey , exclaimed with delight when she saw the amount on our giant mock-up check : “ I didn ’ t expect anything this year and this is amazing !”
Last year ’ s donation allowed Jennifer to purchase watercolor sets and supplies for each of her students so they could paint at home during online classes .
Wilsonville High School ’ s Angenette ( AJ ) Escobar was also thrilled with the amount , since school budgets have all been affected by COVID-19 related expenses . Thanks to
MARCH WOULDN ’ T BE COMPLETE WITHOUT AN IRISH BLESSING :
MAY LOVE AND LAUGHTER LIGHT YOUR DAYS , AND WARM YOUR HEART AND HOME , MAY GOOD AND FAITHFUL FRIENDS BE YOURS , WHEREVER YOU MAY ROAM . MAY PEACE AND PLENTY BLESS YOUR WORLD , WITH JOY THAT LONG ENDURES . MAY ALL LIFE ’ S PASSING SEASONS BRING THE BEST TO YOU AND YOURS .
our donation , AJ was able to use some of last year ’ s funds to pay the fees for her students to participate in scholastic art competitions . She is proud of the fact that seven of her students made it to nationals . She also uses the funds to pay for supplies and guest artists .
“ These donations make a big difference in our ability to offer significant classroom opportunities and resources that we would otherwise not have available ,” Angenette said .
Much of our success in 2020 was thanks to Elaine Swyt , CAA vice president , whose skills as a web designer and marketer allowed us to present a first-class virtual exhibition that was second to none . One internet professional commented that if we had paid for comparable services to create our virtual event , their fees would have topped $ 30,000 ! We are not alone in celebrating Elaine ’ s talents and generosity , as she is one of three finalists for Wilsonville Rotary ’ s First Citizen award , which will have been presented when this article is published . Without a doubt , Elaine is our First Citizen . We are so proud that she has been recognized by the community for her many contributions of time and talent to keep people connected during the pandemic .
• Unlimited access to 26 Pamplin newspaper websites .
• Weekly newsletter and breaking news alerts .
• Unlimited access to 26 digital newspapers .
See ARTS / Page 9
GET MORE LOCAL NEWS AND SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISTS !
Our Pamplin All Access Pass is the deal for you .
SIGN UP TODAY – www . savinglocalnews . com