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Several summer camps for area youth have been put together by the Condon Arts Council, in collaboration with the North Central Education Service District (NCESD). The classes are funded by the 21st Century Learning Grant, a five-year grant that the NCESD was awarded – and by a grant from the Roundhouse Foundation, that the Condon Arts Council secured last fall. With the combined funds, the Condon Arts Council will hold four camps between July 8 and August 2nd for youth b...
The Library Summer Reading Programs in both Fossil and Condon invite everyone in the community to a special event called "Journey Under the Sea" presented by the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History. The program is part of this summer's theme "Read, Renew, Repeat" which focuses on the ideas of conservation, healthy ecosystems, and protecting biodiversity. Over 100 libraries across Oregon will host this great program and we are lucky to have it come to...
The sounds pouring off the front porch of the Spray General Store last Friday were not of the traditional Western Country variety. Jenny Don't and the Spurs, a four-piece group that plays what they call, "Surf Western" or "Cow Punk" music, brought their unique sound to Spray. It was a real treat for the 80 people in attendance. The group, which has been performing together since 2012, has steadily grown its audience over the years. The band typically plays to several hundred...
The Condon Elks Lodge hosted an event by the Condon Arts Council last Friday, which brought more than 50 people to the Lodge. Boots for youngsters and adults were polished and ready for the dance floor, as the arts group hosted line dancing instructor Natasha Rosenthal. Natasha is the childhood friend of Clara Steward, who joined the Condon Arts Council board of directors in May. Rosenthal and Steward grew up together in Midland, Michigan. Steward had been hoping to get...
Western band Jenny Don't and the Spurs have been booked to play the Spray General Store on June 28. This is a big get for the small community venue that is bringing in big-time talent. Jenny Don't and the Spurs describe themselves as a "Western Cowpunk" band. They are currently touring the United States and after the show in Spray, the band will head for Belgium to kickoff their European tour. With a new album being released on June 14, the show in Spray is sure to be a big...
The old Spray General Store has undergone a major transformation. As the recipient of the Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant in 2022, the old General Store underwent a significant renovation and restoration project, which was completed late last year. But equally impressive is the new life that has been breathed into the building. On May 22, classical pianist Daniel Adam Maltz performed at the General Store. Here is a question and answer with the artist: Q: Tell us about...
Montana based cowboy, horse trainer, songwriter, and storyteller Mike Beck performed at the Liberty Theatre in Condon last Saturday. More than 120 people attended the concert, and rave reviews were heard in the days that followed. The concert is the latest event for the Condon Arts Council, which purchased the Liberty Theatre in 2022 and has worked to bring more music and entertainment to Condon. Beck grew up in California and was influenced by the old California lifestyle of...
By Joni Kabana and Stephen Allen Artist Mary Tapogna led the first in a series of classes at the Spray General Store last week. The Spray General Store underwent a significant restoration project, supported by the Oregon Frontier Chamber of Commerce and funded by Oregon Main Street and Oregon Heritage. Today, the General Store serves as a community gathering space, event space, and now a classroom space. This year, the Spray General Store received the competitive Creative...
For the month of May, Russo Lee Gallery exhibits Some Kind of Lonesome by invited artist Daniel Robinson. This exhibition includes oil paintings permeated with light, shadow, and color. Robinson paints the rural, natural landscapes of Eastern Oregon. He states that, "Realist painters have always favored the mundane and ordinary and in Fossil where I live, we have it in spades". Recalling the social realist images of the 1930's and 40's, Robinson's body of work beautifully...
The Arlington Jackpot Rodeo is set for this weekend, and rain or shine it is one of the best rodeos in the northwest. The Arlington Saddle Club has been active in Arlington for more than 80 years. The Saddle Club put on the first Arlington Jackpot Rodeo in 1948. The Jackpot is not just a rodeo for Gilliam County or the Columbia River Gorge – it is one of the first rodeos of the season and draws talented athletes from across the country. Last year, the Jackpot Rodeo c...
CONDON, OR — The Condon Arts Council is proud to welcome the dynamic Mike Beck to Condon's Historic Liberty Theatre on Saturday, May 18. The show is free and for all ages. Mike Beck lives in Montana and performs extensively throughout the United States and Europe. He is known as an engaging acoustic solo artist who has played with some of the greatest cowboy country musicians of all time. Many consider him to be a protégé of his old friend Ian Tyson. He is a regularly fea...
Getting kids away from screens is no easy feat. But the Condon Arts Council did just that at a special camp over spring break. Twenty-two kids from Condon and Fossil took part in the class. Called "Ana Con" – short for Analog Convention – the camp had a no-electronics focus. Kids instead learned how to immerse themselves in role-playing games and character creation, while using their imaginations and improvisational skills to complete tasks. Wendell Seitz, the son of Wheeler C...
Joni Kabana says that it has been a true community effort. The once deteriorating Spray General Store is now a hallmark of the region and a central gathering place for the community. Last Saturday on September 23, the Spray General Store hosted its final concert of the summer series, with Cheyenne West returning to town and giving the crowd of spectators a show to remember. Five different bands were booked this summer and played on the front porch of the old store. The number...
An impressive turnout of people filled the downstairs of the Condon Elks Lodge on Saturday to commemorate the great Scottish bard, Robert Burns. Estimates of the crowd put about 100 people inside the Elks, with many of them being families and kids. Cameron Stinchfield and his wife Lara were in attendance, with their two children, as was Andrew Stinchfield with his three bairns. Also in attendance were Mike Durfey and his daughter Tula, along with grandma Rene Durfey. Also, a...
James Andrews remembers the first time that he came to Fossil. It was nine years ago when he moved to town as an AmeriCorps member with the ETHOS music program. Andrews got a ride from his dad and was dropped off in Fossil – sight unseen. "I was game for it – I'm used to culture shock," Andrews says. As his dad pulled away, James looked over at his neighbor's house and saw a young boy who was throwing knives at a fence. "I did wonder for a second what I had gotten myself into,...
For many years the community of Condon has been known to show its true Scottish colors by celebrating on the birth date of Scotland's national poet Robert Burns. The Condon Elks Lodge will continue the tradition by hosting a Robert Burns Celebration Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Lodge, 117 S. Main Street in Condon. Doors will open at 5 p.m. Perhaps less extravagant than some in the past years, the event Saturday will feature a traditional 'Burns Supper' of Scotch Eggs, Cullen...
The Gilliam County Cultural Trust held a special event in collaboration with the Condon Arts Council on Saturday, November 4. More than 100 people came out to see Buffalo Kin play the Liberty Theatre, along with Tony Furtado and Stephanie Schneiderman. Buffalo Kin is a two-person band made up of Fossil's Seth Brewster and his partner Kate Eisenhooth. The couple helped to arrange for renowned Americana performer Tony Furtado and his wife Stephanie Schneiderman to join them for...
Investigative journalist George Knapp was in Condon on Wednesday, digging into the cattle mutilation phenomenon that gripped Wheeler County from 2019 - 2021. With a camera crew in tow, Knapp interviewed Sargent Jeremiah Holmes of the Wheeler County Sheriff's Office. Sgt. Holmes has served as the lead investigator for the five incidents of cattle deaths that have gone unsolved in Wheeler County from 2019 to 2021. The crew is expected to continue into Wheeler County and is...
Calling all Halloween lovers. The Condon Arts Council has created a haunted house like you have never experienced before. Earlier this month, the Condon Arts Council purchased the historic Liberty Theatre in Condon, a frontier community located 35 miles off of I-84 in northcentral Oregon and 2.5 hours from Portland. Built in 1922, the theatre is 100 years old this year ... and it has many hidden secrets. The Condon Arts Council is excited to pay tribute to the theatre and its...
The Condon Arts Council held its first haunted house at the historic Liberty Theatre in Condon for three nights over Halloween weekend. In total, more than 350 people visited the haunted house over three days. Thirty-six kids from Arlington, grades 5– 12 made the trip in a bus on Friday, October 28 and enjoyed movies on the theatre's new projector and the haunted house in the back of the property. Most of the children had never experienced a haunted house before. Some kids a...
Daniel Robinson is a well-known painter that resides in Fossil. His works have sold across the country and his works are sought after by art collectors. Now, Robinson is offering a painting class for adults and serious youth above the age of 15 through the Condon Arts Council. Starting on July 12, the six-week series will be held each Tuesday from 6 PM to 8 PM. The class will use watercolors will culminate in an excursion to Cottonwood Canyon State Park, where participants...
HOOD RIVER, OR — The Safe Space Child Advocacy Center held its annual benefit on July 23 at the Stave and Stone Winery in Hood River and raised more than $40,000. The funds will benefit programming that offers lifesaving support for youth in Gilliam, Wheeler, Klickitat, Wasco and Hood River counties. Gilliam County Sheriff Gary Bettencourt served as auctioneer for the event and musical entertainment was provided by Moe Dixon. The event was a celebration of the nonprofit's w...
Zac Grooms grew up along Rock Creek in Gilliam County, near Olex and for a period of time, bounced between schools in Arlington and Condon. In those early years of life, Grooms developed an appreciation for country music from his parents and friends. He played extensively with his father, who played guitar, and his mom, Susie Crosby - a talented singer who also played piano and bass guitar. "We started writing music together when I was a little kid – all my sisters could s...
SALEM, OR - Make fishing part of your three-day weekend plans. Everyone can fish, clam and crab for free in Oregon on Saturday and Sunday of President's Day Weekend, Feb. 18-19, 2023. No fishing/shellfish licenses or tags (including a Combined Angling Tag or Columbia River Basin Endorsement or Two-Rod Validation) are required those two days. Both Oregon residents and nonresidents can fish for free. All other fishing regulations apply including closures, bag limits and size r...
The Sherman Parent Teacher Organization is only partway through the academic year, but it has already hosted a full slate of events for families and youths - and there's still more fun yet to come. Tonight, the Sherman PTO will host the Dr. Seuss Carnival on March 3 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Later this month, the Missoula Children's Theatre will put on two shows next month, March 24 at 7 p.m. and March 25 at 3 p.m. Sherman PTO is a group of parents and teachers of Sherman County...
