Sisters movie showing helps Fossil Library

The documentary about the event that shaped Oregon legendary track and field coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman's life is being shown at Sisters Movie House on Thursday, April 19. The film screening, which starts at 7 p.m., is a fund-raiser for the public library in the tiny town of Fossil, Oregon, where Bowerman grew up.

The film, "One Day in September," was the 1999 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary and is about the 1972 Munich Olympics when Palestinian terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage (see movie review, page 11). Michael Douglas narrates the film.

Bowerman was coach of the the U.S. Track Team at the 1972 games in Munich. According to Bowerman's widow Barbara, the taking of the hostages and killing of the Israeli athletes powerfully influenced Bowerman's thinking for the rest of his life.

As an added treat at Thursday night's event, Barbara Bowerman's insights about the 1972 Olympics and "One Day in September" and her love of Oregon will be shared with all who are in attendance. Sisters filmmakers Doug Barry and Rick Cullis of Fluid Images Film and Video Productions recently captured her on film in Fossil.

"After the film we will share with you Barbara's memories of those events and some of her husband's," said Sisters Movie House owner Lisa Clausen.

Describing Barbara Bowerman, Clausen said: "She is a community activist, and her community is Oregon in the macro and Fossil in the micro. She is an environmentalist and worried about the health of the rivers she has lived on, the Rogue, McKenzie and John Day. She loves this state and wants to do everything she can to nurture and protect its beauty without pretension or ostentation. She lives in the moment, and each moment is grand."

The Deschutes Public Library Foundation is sponsoring its fourth annual "A Novel Idea...Read Together" program and is featuring Kenny Moore's book "Bowerman and the Men of Oregon." Moore, a former senior writer for Sports Illustrated, was a world-class runner under Bowerman's coaching. In his book Moore explores Bowerman's life, his coaching days at Oregon and his co-founding of Nike.

The library has scheduled some 20 events celebrating the Bowerman story throughout the county during the months of April and May, including Thursday night's film screening of "One Day in September" at the Movie House and a gathering at 2 p.m., on Sunday, April 22, at Sisters Athletic Club.

Geoff Hollister, Jeff Johnson and Nelson Ferris, who call themselves the "Three Amigos," will share the Nike story through their personal experiences and anecdotes.

Proceeds from Thursday evening's showing of "One Day in September" will be donated to the public library in Fossil, Bowerman's home town.

Sisters resident Terry Terhune, who is a member of the Friends of the Sisters Library, is very involved with the library in Fossil and made a generous donation that provided for its expansion.

"For me personally the public library has probably been one of the most significant institutions we have. The cost of books now is so high that a public library is probably more necessary now than when it was founded by Carnegie," Terhune said.

Tickets for Thursday's showing of "One Day in September" are $8 and may be purchased in advance. Movie goers are encouraged to come early, as the event is likely to sell out.