We're gone

When I photographed these two little guys, they were getting close to the edge of a big drop off. They saw me taking their picture and decided they were gone. Well, we’re at the end of the year, and I have been peering over big drop off with this blog all year. So, just like these guys, I’m gone, (until next year). Have a great New Years celebration, and we’ll see you in 2013.

Holiday entertainers

The West Salem High School Percussion Ensemble performed a variety of Christmas pieces on Pioneer Courthouse Square on Saturday, December 22. The performance reflected the dedication and passion these students have for sharing music. They were the last of eighteen groups of entertainers to perform on the square after the tree lighting. Some of the other groups were: Holy Trinity Choir, Aloha High School Choir, Cloud 9, Centennial High School Choir, Buckman Elementary School Chorus, Sugarplum Elves and many others. Hundreds of talented people of all ages showed on the Square to entertain shoppers and downtown business people and me, during this holiday season. Everyone they entertained owes them a huge thank you!

 

Alone on Christmas

It’s the same every year. Umbrella Man ends up alone on Christmas day. After a month of holiday activities, the entertainers are gone, the shoppers are gone, and the hundeds of people photographing him are gone. The square is pretty much empty. I stopped by to say hello on Christmas, and noticed some tears running down his face. However, I know he will be fine tomorrow. He has New Years Eve to look forward to, and everything will return to normal. I’m sure if he could talk, he would want to wish all his friends a happy new year. The Square People Blog would like to wish all our readers a happy and prosperous new year.

Santa goes digital

Matthew Brady was one of America’s great photographers, shooting over 10,000 photographs of the Civil War.  He died penniless in New York City in 1896. Brady was always looking for ways to make money from photography. If he had only thought of photographing children with Santa, he would have made a fortune. I don’t know who first photographed children with Santa, but I’m sure the person died with a sizeable bank account. When I had my son photographed with Santa, it took several weeks to get the proofs, place the order and wait for prints. No more! With digital photography you can have your kids photographed, edit the photos on a computer, and walk out the door with prints. Santa has finally hit the jackpot! He just sets up a Santa’s House photo studio on Pioneer Courthouse Square, and thousands of other locations, and the money rolls in. It’s really sad that Matthew Brady didn’t cash in on this bonanza, and he wouldn’t have died penniless.

Tuba time

On Saturday as I strolled down Yamhill, heading for Pioneer Courthouse Square, I noticed more and more tubas coming from every direction, they were all going to play in the 22 annual Tuba Christmas concert. I began wondering where do all of these tuba players come from? It occurred to me that each high school in the Portland /Vancouver metro area graduates tuba players from their marching bands every year. There’s a never-ending supply! I decided to survey five tuba players. I asked each one two questions: Where did you learn to play the tuba, and did you play in your school band? All five said they learned to play in school, and they played in the school band. As I looked at the participants in the concert, I noticed they ranged in age from kids in middle school to people in there eighties. The musicians and the audience both seem to really love this event. As for myself, I’ll be looking forward to photographing this fun event next year.

 

Holiday preparations

It takes a lot of work to get the Square ready for the holiday events. The biggie is the holiday tree that arrives in early November. When it arrives on the truck, it’s missing hundreds of branches. Some have been cut off for shipping, and others have to be added from other trees to give it a perfect shape. Brackets are attached to the new branches and bolted to the tree trunk. It’s a tough job and it takes a long time. In the end when the branches are attached and the lights are added, it looks beautiful. Also, the fountains are drained, and small, lighted trees replace the water in the fountains. I don’t know what happens to the coins in the fountains? Winter flowers are planted. After weeks of preparation, everything is ready for the holiday season. Santa hangs out on the square, and there are numerous events happening each week. Keep a close watch on the “Square Calendar of Events,” so you won’t miss something you would enjoy. Happy holidays from the Square People blog.

Chess on the "Square"

Thousands upon thousands of chess matches are played on Pioneer Courthouse Square each year. People come from all over the area to get into a match. In order to accommodate so many players, they play various forms of speed chess. The players bring their own rolled vinyl chess mats and timers. There are a large number of regular players, but there always seems to be a lot of new people. I’ve stopped by many times to watch a couple of matches, and I’ve never seen a woman play in one of these matches. What’s up with that?

Le Grand Continental

This event turned out to be a surprise. When I went to photograph it last Sunday, I didn’t know what to expect. It turned out to be a fun experience that I really enjoyed. White Bird celebrated its 15th anniversary of bringing the best dance from around the world by presenting "Le Grand Continental," a thrilling line dance choreographed by critically acclaimed Canadian choreographer Sylvain Emard. There were two 30-minute performances, danced by 160 non-professional members of the Portland metropolitan community, of different ages and backgrounds. The dancers rehearsed for several months to prepare for the performances. There was a tremendous crowd, which I suspect was a result of the 160 members of the dance group constantly upgrading their status on Facebook and Twitter for the past few months. I saw thousands of photographs taken. It would be fascinating to know how many photographs posted on social media outlets of this event. Viewing space was at a premium, and people had to resort to finding unusual places to view the dancing.