One constant road trip for the D’Amore family
For many musicians and performers, 2021 was a year about change, about making a statement, about moving forward … into a future that offers many reasons for hope and optimism, yet at the same time, many reasons to wonder if better times are ahead.
For Tobi D’Amore, who played at the Brewstation over the Fourth of July weekend, he and his wife Danielle (and their dog Leo) have turned their lives into one constant road trip, living full-time in their RV while traveling from show to show, making new friends everywhere they go.
“Living in a 24-hour RV has shown me that a lot of ‘things’ are not really ‘things,’” D’Amore said. It changes you. I lived a very pushy life before.”
The singer-songwriter estimates that during the last four years, they’ve traveled over 80,000 miles through 46 states while looping the U.S. twice. They finally made a home base in Lorane, where they grow their own vegetables and are part of a working community.
Comedy helps Blame escape his severe grief
When comedian James Blame lost his wife to cancer in 2010, it almost killed him, too. “I almost blew my brains out,” Blame said of his depression.
Blame found the perfect panacea – laughter.
“I wrote out a set in 2010 and went up to the stage, and for the first time in a year I didn’t feel any pain or grief,” said Blame, who later founded the Eugene Comedy Crescendo. “For the first time I could escape the tremendous depression that I was feeling.”
A festive atmosphere for Concerts in the Park
Because of Covid, live music had been missing for quite some time. So everybody was letting a lot of pent-up frustration out as Gabe Schliffer and the Sugar Pine String Band performed to open the Concerts in the Park series at Bohemia Park.
“It makes us happy to see everybody smiling, all the kids dancing, people back together, everybody gathering again, that’s what music is all about,” Schliffer said.
“I’m thrilled at the outcome,” Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce CEO Shauna Neigh said. “It’s so nice to see our community come together and be out again. Kids were playing, we had lots of good food, good beer … a good time was had by all! Plus, we had a lot of community involvement.”
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Bulldogs are set up well for next season
One lousy, stinking point.
That’s how close Creswell came to reaching the state high school football playoffs for the first time in a decade. A 30-29 loss to Monroe on Senior Night in the Sept. 29 season finale meant no postseason once again for the Bulldogs.
But wait till next year. Only a handful of seniors are graduating, while star quarterback Connor Hanson, versatile Jack Nguyen – a first-year player who used his soccer skills to excel on offense, defense and special teams – and defensive stalwart Juan Beltran will be back for their senior years. Look for the ‘Dogs to do some damage in the ‘22 playoffs.
BRIGHT LIGHTS, SMALL CITY
There’s a brand-new scoreboard, courtesy of the Bulldog Booster Club, that really lights up the sky during football games at Markley Field in Creswell.
The boosters have been staying busy. Last year they installed a Digital Scorers Table in the gym, which can be used to post lineups, stats, school announcements, etc. Bulldogs AD Brandon Standridge said he’d like to get the students more involved with running it.
GOOD SHOW, GIRLS!
Creswell’s match against Sutherlin in the opening round of the 3A state volleyball tournament was, by many accounts, the best match of the tournament. Unfortunately, it came out on the short end of a 33-31, 19-25, 25-16, 18-25, 15-8 decision. “I’ve never seen a state set go that high … we had a JV game that was 39-37 this year,” Creswell coach Anna Baltrusch said. “Afterwards, people told us our match was the best match of the whole tournament.” Creswell finished fourth, losing to Catlin Gabel in the third-place game, 25-10, 24-26, 20-25, 25-14, 15-13 triumph.
PLEASANT STYLE OF COACHING
There must be something good about Ryota Sugitani’s unconventional style of coaching. He gets results. His team outscored its first six opponents 50-1 on its way to reaching the state tournament, where it won its opening-round game over Western Christian/Amity 4-0 before bowing out to Riverside 4-1 in the quarterfinals. The Billies finished with a 16-1 record. “I’m pretty sure I’m the only coach in Oregon who lets the kids decide who starts and where,” Sugitani said. “Let them take control. If they fail, it’s their failure. I’m putting everything on them. The kids are in charge.”
NOTHING SO FINE AS A 59
Craig Ronne, a senior at the University of Oregon, did a number on the Emerald Valley Golf Resort course on Sunday, June 6. That number? A 59, recorded just 11 times on the PGA Tour. Furyk has both a 59 (2013) and the only 58 (2016) ever posted. Ronne, from Klamath Falls, Ore., led the Ducks this fall with a 69.56 scoring average.
HAMLIN COMPLEX A BIG HIT
After sitting on the sidelines for 50 years, Bushnell University is bringing back baseball with a bang. Hamlin Sports Complex, a state-of-the-art facility which will incorporate the already-existing ballpark at Hamlin Middle School, will also be home to Springfield High School and the Springfield Drifters, a new wood-bat team in West Coast League. Both fields have Astro-turf surfaces. “I think it’s great for the community, for us to be able to add some more options for people to do,” Bushnell AD Corey Anderson said. “Anybody who’s heard about it has been excited about having another summertime opportunity.” ß
