Choir of orphans shares hope

Choir of orphans shares hope

Written by Dee Moore

When the children of the Matsiko World Orphan Choir visited Cornell Estates last February, they brought a spark of hope, especially to those whose lives and history are becoming lost to Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The choir returns to Cornell Estates on Wednesday and for those who remember, expectations are high. According to Melissa King, community program director at Cornell Estates.

“They struck a chord with everybody,” King said. “The residents who had memory and independence issues loved the hugs, the music and the children, and it also struck a chord with those who were interested in the mission.”

The choir, which has as many as 20 members, is part of the nonprofit, secular International Children’s Network. The network was founded in 2004 by Don Windham, who lives in Covington, Wash., after he took a trip to Uganda. Through donations and sponsorships, the nonprofit helps orphaned and at-risk children complete their basic education and go on to get a college degree.

“There are 6 million orphans in the world,” Windham said. “I had the idea to put them together and have the kids represent themselves.”

The kids sing songs from their native lands as well as American songs and original songs. They also dance and perform skits.

The name “matsiko” means hope and it comes from the Acholi tribe of Uganda.

Before and after the performance, the children went into the audience hugging and talking to everyone. Most spoke English, but language wasn’t a barrier for those who didn’t — their smiles and effusive manner bridged the gap.

According to Windham, many of the students who have been helped by the program have gotten degrees in engineering. One of the leaders of this year’s team, a young Liberian man, recently earned his petroleum engineer degree.

“They perpetuate the cycle of hope,” Windham said of the program’s graduates. “They are starting their futures. The leaders help train kids in their own countries. They can actually be part of the solution.”

Copyright by the Hillsboro Tribune 

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Lady Cats challenge Royals

The Lady Cats hosted long time rivals Portland Christian Royals recently. Even though the Cats fought valiantly, they lost all three sets of the match.

Storming the Competition

The Nestucca Bobcats took on Warrenton a few weeks ago and despite the epic weather, pouring rain and high wind gusts, trounced the visitors 27 - 6.

Paddlers Make Waves

This story is a preview on about a seminar designed for intermediate and advanced sea kayaking.

To view the paper online, visit The Pacific City Sun at http://pacificcitysun.com/PCS/Home.html.

A Respite from the Classroom

Nestucca sixth grade school teacher, Kelly McMellon, supervises her students as part of the district's outdoor school program.

To view the paper online, visit The Pacific City Sun at http://pacificcitysun.com/PCS/Home.html.

Meek: bold but not Grizzly

Written by Dee Moore

Historian speaks about mountain man Joe Meek at Crossroads Lecture

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by: COURTESY PHOTO - Old Joe Meek

It might seem strange that rugged mountain man Joe Meek’s career was shaped by something as luxurious and seemingly superficial as fashion.

But it was the demand for beaver fur to make men’s hats — and the later decline of that business — that led to a lifetime of discovery and adventure for Meek.

John Terry, amateur historian and author of The Oregonian’s longtime “Oregon Trails” column, will discuss Meek’s life as a fur trapper in the Rocky Mountains at noon Wednesday, Oct. 16, at the Washington County Museum, 120 E. Main St. in Hillsboro. The Crossroads Lecture is free to museum members, $6 for nonmembers.

According to Terry, Meek’s career started in his teens, when he saw an ad in a Missouri newspaper looking for “young bucks” to work for the new Rocky Mountain Fur Company.

When beaver hats went out of style and silk hats became the rage — thanks to England’s Prince Albert — it meant Meek no longer had a job as a fur trapper. So he headed to “Oregon Country” and made history by helping set the territory on the right course to becoming a state.

While Meek is famous for his influence on Oregon history, little is known of his life as a trapper or the lives of mountain men in general. Terry plans to contrast Meek’s reality with the stereotype popularized by Grizzly Adams and film character Jeremiah Johnson.

by: COURTESY PHOTO - Young Joe Meek in his trapping days

He’ll explore the rivalry between the Hudson Bay Company and the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, as well as the trappers’ personal motivations and the rough and rowdy lifestyle these frontier men lived.

“He was pretty smarmy,” Terry said of Meek. While there was fun in that lifestyle, he said, more often there was hardship.

In addition to trapping, these men “built” the trails and passes that would later be used by settlers on their way to the Western territories.

Meek himself would use them to head west to Oregon and begin his political career. A native of Washington County, Va., it was his desire to be laid to rest in Washington County, Ore., in what he saw as a fitting end to his life and career.

Copyright by the Forest Groves News-Times and the Pamplin Media Group

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