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6A Daily News – Thursday, July 11, 2013 Pastimes & Arts entertainment Kite festival puts rainbows in the skies BROOKINGS, Ore. – The skies over the kite field at the Port of Brookings-Harbor will be a rainbow of colors at the 21st Annual Southern Oregon Kite Festival, July 20-21. This free, two-day event is one of the most unique kite festivals in the country. An invitational kite festival, it attracts nationally and internationally renowned kite flyers and kite makers to the community of BrookingsHarbor where they perform and display their fabulous rainbow of kites. More than 30 invited kite flyers are guests of the community and entertain the spectators with awe-inspiring routines choreographed to music, creating an atmosphere of fun and excitement for attendees of all ages. Returning this year are Team iQuad and The Bay Area Sundowners, two of the top kite flying teams in the world. Among the many other celebrated kite pilots attending are Ron Despojado, Rod and Cindy Thrall, Al Washington, Ron Gibian, and Penny Lingenfelter. An announcer keeps the crowds informed by introducing the kite flyers and educating the onlookers about what they are seeing on the kite field. Unlike at a typical kite festival, the kite flyers enjoy interacting with the crowds and can often be seen walking around the perimeter of the kite field displaying their kites up close to spectators – letting them inspect and sometimes even fly the kites. Through their performances the kite flyers show the crowd just how much fun kite flying really is. Attendees are invited to set up their chairs or blankets around the perimeter of the kite field and enjoy the performances. The weekend's activities also include free children's kite building workshops from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days. There is a vendor area with a variety of speciality food items and a multitude of arts and crafts for sale. A pancake breakfast sponsored by the Harbor Fire Volunteers is held on Sunday morning from 7 a.m. to noon. A kite auction banquet to which the kite flyers, kite makers and local businesses contribute collectible kites and other memorabilia to benefit the kite festival is a special attraction on Saturday evening. Attendees are encouraged to park next to the Chamber of Commerce building at the Port and take the free shuttle to the kite field. The Southern Oregon Kite Festival is free and fun for everyone. For additional information go to www.sokf.org or email www.info.sokf.org. New director for Chico Performances named Stephen Cummins, director of performing arts for the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill., has been appointed director of University Public Events for California State University, Chico. Cummins will start in his new position on Aug. 5. He replaces former director Dan DeWayne, who retired in late 2012. In his current position, Cummins oversees a multivenue performing arts center at the largest college in the Chicago metropolitan area and an annual budget of $3 million. At DuPage, he is currently overseeing a $35 million renovation of the McAninch Arts Center. Previously, Cummins served as assistant director for the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign, where he also taught theater. At CSU, Chico, Cummins will manage and direct the Chico Performances presenting program; the National Public Radio affiliate Northstate Public Radio, KCHO and KFPR; the University Box Office; and the historical performance venue Laxson Auditorium. "Stephen will hold a very important role linking the University with the community and our arts patrons through Chico Performances, the box office and Northstate Public Radio," said Rick Ellison, vice president for University Advancement. "His broad background in the arts will be a wonderful contribution to a department that seeks to enhance the cultural vitality of the community." Cummins received a doctorate degree in community college leadership from National Louis University. He holds a master's degree in theater from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor's in drama from the University of Texas at Austin. "My family and I are thrilled to be making Chico our new home," Cummins said. "The city and campus are gorgeous, and people have been so welcoming. I am excited about CSU, Chico's commitment to community and look forward to supporting that mission through Chico Performances and Northstate Public Radio. Chico is a place where people value art, culture, news and information - and one that I am proud to be a new part of." Each season, Chico Performances brings a diverse selection of world-class performers in theatre, music, dance and the spoken word to Laxson Auditorium, engaging the North Valley in celebrating the best in performance art. The not-for-profit Northstate Public Radio reaches a population of 480,000 in 12 counties with programming that includes international and national news, jazz and classical music and locally produced shows. Doctors: Randy Travis in congestive heart failure NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country music star Randy Travis is showing signs of improvement but remains in critical condition with congestive heart failure because of a viral illness, doctors said Wednesday. Drs. William Gray and Michael Mack of the Baylor Health Care System in Texas described Travis' condition and hospitalization in a video statement. ''His condition has stabilized, and he has shown signs of improvement,'' Mack said in the video. ''On behalf of Mr. Travis' family, friends and associates, we would like to express our extreme gratitude for the overwhelming affection and support that Mr. Travis has received.'' The 54-year-old Grammy Award-winning singer was in good health until three weeks before he was hospitalized, when he contracted a viral upper respiratory infection, Gray said. The viral illness led to a weakened heart muscle that eventually worsened into heart failure. Travis was admitted to Baylor Medical Center McKinney near his home in Tioga, about 60 miles north of Dallas, through the emergency room on Sunday. The singer underwent a procedure to have a pump inserted by catheter that helps increase blood flow before being transferred to The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano. The North Carolinaborn Travis is a traditional country purist who is a pivotal figure in the genre best known for his hits ''Forever and Ever, Amen'' and ''Three Wooden Crosses.'' His Warner Bros. debut album ''Storms of Life'' sold 3 million copies and helped return country music to its roots. The illness comes as Travis has been trying to put his life back together after a series of embarrassing public incidents involving alcohol. Travis pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated in January following an arrest last year and received two years of probation and a $2,000 fine. He was required to spend at least 30 days at an alco- hol treatment facility and complete 100 hours of community service. He recently made several public appearances, including a spot on the Country Music Association Festival's nightly concert lineup and a poignant performance at George Jones' funeral. His peers and fans have been watching Travis' progress closely. ''I always feel like he's part of our family, he's in our family,'' Keith Urban said Wednesday morning. ''And I was one of those guys in Australia that bought 'Storms of Life' and became a Randy fan very quickly in late '80s, and I really feel for him right now.'' Hasselbeck exits 'The View' with no hard feelings NEW YORK (AP) — Elisabeth Hasselbeck left ''The View'' after a decade on Wednesday, showing no hard feelings toward her colleagues even though her political views made for some awkward and heated exchanges on the daytime KWIK KUTS Family Hair Salon 20 % off ANY RETAIL PRODUCT with any chemical service of $50 or more 200 Regular $ Haircut off Reg. $13.95 Not good with other offers Expires 7/31/13 With coupon 1064 South Main St., Red Bluff • 529-3540 Get Moving Tehama Need low cost options for fun activities this summer? ➞ find ideas TODAY! View a complete list of activities in Tehama County at our website: tehamacountycaa.org USDA recommendations suggest: Adults: 2 1/2 hours of exercise per week Children: 1 hour of vigorous exercise per day chat fest over the years. Her exit came less than 24 hours after it was announced that Hasselbeck will join Fox News Channel and the ''Fox & Friends'' morning show in September. Fellow cast member Joy Behar joked about Hasselbeck being a ''fish out of water'' on the Fox show, which is popular with conservatives. Hasselbeck, who appeared at the Republican National Convention in 2008, usually found herself outnumbered on ''The View'' when she offered conservative political opinions. On Wednesday, she thanked the show's execu- Sierra Sound NEW & USED CD's Special Orders Avail. Car Stereo Sales - Service Installation We make house calls! 226 So. Main St., Red Bluff 527-3735 tive producer, Bill Geddie, for challenging her and telling her to ''never be fearful of voicing my opinion.'' Hasselbeck warmly thanked all of her colleagues. She said she calculated that she spent some 3,000 days working with show creator Barbara Walters, an experience that was like a master's class in communications and journalism. 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