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Opinion Letters Letters and comments for September 4, 2009
Letters and comments for September 4, 2009
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Mason, Schiller
Help put La Grande on film festival map To the Editor: Hear ye, hear ye, citizens of La Grande! Among you are two incredibly, talented and awesome young men, Ian Clark and Michael Surber, both CEOs of La Grande’s first Eastern Oregon Film Festival (EOFF). I’m guessing that most of you reading this didn’t attend, but that’s OK. I didn’t even know about La Grande until my film, “Model Rules,” was accepted, so there you are. The purpose of this commentary is to hopefully nudge the townspeople and businesses into helping Ian and Michael prepare for EOFF 2010. La Grande is the perfect setting for a fantastic film festival, not unlike Bend and Ashland, but “it takes a village” to pull off a highly successful one. “Model Rules” was lucky and got accepted into both of those, so I do have a bit of experience in how they are run. Volunteers, volunteers, volunteers! Donations, donation, donations! Support, support, support! In return, all contributing businesses get free advertising for weeks and weeks before the event on the official poster, which would (or should) be placed in every store front. I gave the two young men a list of to-do’s to help them get started so I won’t list them here. Find Ian and Mike on the EOFF website, 2009 Eastern Oregon Film Festival under film and music in La Grande at http://www.eofilmfest.com/about.html. Contact them, pick their brains and volunteer. Donate! Support! You can help put La Grande on the film festival map! I so enjoyed my three-day stay and found the people of La Grande extremely warm and friendly. Next year’s festival will definitely be on my list as I hope to have my next film, “The Bag,” ready to go when submission time comes up. Who knows, maybe one of you reading this will be responsible for it getting accepted! How’s that for fun? Marlyn Mason Medford
To the Editor: I disagree with Benjamin Morgan’s letter printed Aug. 31 stating that he urges The Observer to use more editorial discretion in which letters they print, as he, his friends and colleagues are growing weary of “cries from the fringes.” With the exception of letters which defame another person’s character, I believe that people from all walks of life and backgrounds should feel free to state their opinions on issues that matter to them. I do not grow weary of reading any quality and heartfelt letter to the editor, and am only disappointed on the days which there are no letters to the editor printed. I would think that a person would find reading opinions from outside his or her own workplace or social group to be intriguing, and at times even refreshing. Sharon Schiller La Grande |
