He is a member of the Phi Betta Kappa Honors Society and is one of two recipients of the Global Duck Award from University of Oregon’s Office of International Affairs. University of Oregon, Eugene Laurel Sky Hiebert of Corvallis recently graduated valedictorian and summa cum laude from the University of Oregon with a bachelor of arts degree in biology. Megan, a 2001 graduate of Crescent Valley High School, began her classical ballet training at the Corvallis Academy of Ballet under the direction of Jutta Hardison and Catherine Levi. Girl Scouts Emily Klammer, Jessica Neilson, Whitney Rader, Nona Patcheck, Tessa Anderson-Ramos and Ellie Collins, of Santiam Council’s Benton Service Unit’s Troop 36, recently received the Bronze Award, the highest award possible for the junior level of the Girl Scout program. To earn the award, the scouts had to contribute a minimum of 15 hours of time to a community project and earn multiple awards and badges.
Well known for his artistic masterpieces the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper,” da Vinci also filled pages of his famous sketchbooks with ideas for machines, many of which he would never see materialize. San Antonio-based Evergreen Exhibitions, which purchased the exhibit from Italy, knew the Witte was interested in a da Vinci exhibit and made an offer the museum couldn’t refuse. Wall-mounted screens throughout the exhibit featured messages from a young virtual-reality tour guide, who led visitors past flying machines, a printing press, inventions for warfare and machines that use water to relay energy. Inventions in the fire category reminded adults how ahead of his time da Vinci’s sketches were — during his life in the 15th century, the ultimate “Renaissance man” envisioned a catapult, machine gun and mortar gun. Lining the ceiling of “The Genius of Leonardo” are several flying machines that curators admit are too heavy to ever fly, including a parachute, theater bird, mechanical wings and bicycle with mechanical wings. The interactive exhibit, which has already been viewed by audiences in Turkey and Mexico City, will be on display at the Witte Museum through Sept.
We begin to circle with the other paraglider pilots, and with the right-of-way rules, we should all be circling in the same direction. So there could be a plethora of antics out there to keep you on your toes, but generally there is more organization than chaos, and you can relax and enjoy the sensations and amazing views. We glide over Lac Annecy, toward the town of Annecy, toward the cliffs above launch, and then get a birds eye view of the castle we saw earlier. We folded the glider, packed it and the harness into the backpack and settled down at the local establishment for some sustenance and cheer. After the beer follies, Karen and I decide to go and chill by Lac Annecy for a picnic and to watch the beautiful sunset.
Paris is a city that takes pride in housing some of the greatest works of art and the Parisian love for art is evident in the umpteen museums scattered around the city. Originally built in the 12th century as a royal fortress and palace for Philip II, the Louvre evolved into an immense complex of buildings erected over a span of four centuries, and is now one the world’s greatest art museums. Most of the original décor is still the same as the one designed by the architect Eugène Emile Esnault-Pelterie in 1882. Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, a scene from Gone with the Wind, Arnold Schwachnegger, and Julia Roberts stood rooted in various parts of the museum alongside Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Napoleon. The 450 figures of the Museum are arranged in about 50 scenes bringing to life the highlights of French history. It is a hexagonal room where special effects have been created with the lights and multiple reflections from the mirrors that go from floor to ceiling and completely surround a visitor transporting one to the world of illusions.
