The Alchemist Weekly July 5th, 2011 by The Alchemist Weekly

WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM • VOLUME 4 NUMBER 183:52 • JULY 5, 2011

The former city manager on success and failure

For our application, we're just submitting our record score in Sim City 2000.

Nelson answers the questions from a creative community by Courtney Clenney p. 6

Jon Nelson gets the Third Degree p. 12

A L S O

"These are my 4 spirits" by Sarah Sullivan p. 4

Alchy Picks

p. 8

LETTERS

TO THE EDITOR

WHAT IT IS ABOUT CORVALLIS

I've lived here for a year now and think I have finally figured out what it is about Corvallis. You can walk around with your heart chakra open and not get slammed. And you pass people on the sidewalk doing the same thing. I've lived in many places in this world and this is the only place I've seen where you can do it. I love this town. I don't own a car and it's also very bike and pedestrian friendly.

Albany ● Corvallis ● Lebanon ● Philomath VOLUME 4 NUMBER 183:52 ● JULY 5, 2011 Editorial Editor: Courtney Clenney Staff Writers: Courtney Clenney, Noah Stroup, Stanley Tollett Bump Editor: Noah Stroup Contributors: T. Clarence, Compere, Jimbo Ivy, Sarah Sullivan

VOICE

Opinions and Editorials, be they ours or yours, this is where they be.

2 | Your letters

WORD

-Cynthia

SOUPLESSONS

SoupCycle is a Portland/Corvallis small business that delivers homemade soup, salads, and bread to subscribers (we call them SoupScribers) at your homes or offices. Jed Lazar, SoupCycle owner and one of the 5 Portland delivery people, shares some observations about life on the road as a SoupCyclist. SoupCycle has made 35,526 bicycle soup deliveries to 546 Souptarians in Portland and Corvallis. Here are 10 lessons I’ve learned delivering soup by bicycle to our customers: Lesson #1) Have a repertoire of soupy puns on hand at all times. Because what would a customer rather buy-- “three bean soup” or “Won’t You Bean My Neighbor”? Would your customers rather live in the “SoupCycle delivery area” or “The Kingdom of Souplandistan”? Lesson #2) Pulling a soup trailer as big

Art Art Tag Team: Ney Ney/So Stro Layout Tag Team Coco/Nono Cover photo by Courtney Clenney

Journalists call them features; we say it’s the word.

4 | These are my 4 spirits 6 | Former city manager on success and failure

Advertising Director of Marketing Stanley Tollett Account Executive Noah Stroup

BUMP

Business Publisher Noah Stroup The Alchemist Weekly is published by: CorvAlcheMedia LLC PO Box 1591 Corvallis, OR 97339 541.224.6873

It’s the calendar of all things Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, and Philomath.

8 | Alchy Picks

FUN BITS

As if your smart phone wasn’t distracting enough.

Alchemist Mission

11 | Crossword and Sudoku 12 | Third Degree 13 | Weekly Horoscope

As a publication, our goal is to facilitate greater understanding and appreciation for the diverse social and cultural groups found in the area. In doing so, we hope to create a greater sense of community between Oregon State University and Corvallis, between Albany and Corvallis, and between Philomath, Lebanon and Corvallis/Albany. The Alchemist recognizes the various interests of these groups and is dedicated to being as fluid as the community it serves.

L I T E R AT I

This is the home for local fiction, poetry and prose.

MERLIN’S MERLIN’S BAR BAR AND AND GRILL GRILL 25 W Sherman St • Lebanon, OR

Karaoke

Weeknights

*The Alchemist is available to you for free. Please limit yourself to one copy. If your picture is in it, you are welcome to take enough copies for your family.

14 | Detective Siempre

Steak Night

PREVIOUS ISSUES: Subject to availability, back issues can be purchased by mail for $5. Send your request with specific issue date to PO Box 1591, Corvallis, OR 97339 and include a check or money order payable to The Alchemist Weekly.

Thursday

5:00 5:00 -- 9:00 9:00 pm pm

Blues Jam Sunday

6:00 6:00 pm pm -- 10:00 10:00 pm pm

}

Celebrating 9 years!

The Alchemist Weekly welcomes coherent freelance submissions.

www.merlinsbarandgrill.com

. The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed in Voice are of their authors and do not necessarily represent the thoughts, views, or opinions of CorvAlcheMedia, LLC.

@thealchemistweekly.com

2 • JULY 5, 2011 • WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM

Last week's puzzle solutions

letters news submissions editor calendar ads

as ours are, be prepared for kids to point and stare. Lesson #3) Pulling a soup trailer this big, be prepared for adults to point and stare— but that’s OK. Hopefully, it will be memorable enough that they will remember to check out our website (www.soupcycle. com) when they get home. Lesson #4) Many of Portland’s homeless ride bikes with trailers. Before we had big signs on our trailers, I was mistaken for a homeless person—a driver pulled up next to me, rolled down the window, and offered me his bottles to recycle. I politely declined and offered him some tasty organic soup instead. Lesson #5) People in Portland and Corvallis react one way when you tell them about SoupCycle; people from other places react another way. People from Corvallis/ Portland will say “Great idea! What’s the website?” People from outside our cities will nod, wonder how to respond for a few seconds, and then ask “So, what’s your other job?” Lesson #6) Own good rain gear. Lesson #7) Own good snow gear. We deliver every week of the year, by bike. Lesson #8) You can trust Oregonians. There’s no way to lock our trailer with soup coolers. We leave the trailer unattended and unlocked every time we deliver to a building downtown. In the nearly 4 years we’ve been in business, no one has ever opened up the trailer or taken any soup. Lesson #9) Customers won’t always tell

Hip Pocket July 8th & 9th 9:00 9:00 pm pm

LETTERS you when you’re doing something wrong, but they’ll always tell you when you’re doing something right. One of our customers who is a vegetarian and works at the Oregon Zoo told me that if she found out our salad dressing was made of baby seal oil, she’d still eat it.

TO THE EDITOR

CORVALLIS VANITIES

Lesson #10) If you want to start a successful company, start one that makes it easy for people to feel good about the choices they make. -Kim Thackray, Corvallis manager of SoupCycle

The Alchemist Weekly red pen challenge strikes again! This one was Reader submitted so it counts for your team! But can you find our mistakes?

TAW- 4 | READERS- 1

www.thealchemistweekly.com

www[dot]facebook [dot]com [slash]thealchemistweekly WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM • JULY 5, 2011 • 3

www.thealchemistweekly.com

WORD

“These are my 4 Spirits” words and photos by Sarah Sullivan

4 • JULY 5, 2011 • WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM

WORD

here are some new spirits stirring in the old Camp Adair Air Force station buildings. 4 Spirits to be exact, in the form a distillery, the dream of Iraq War veteran, Dawson Officer. The building, the distillery, and Dawson himself speak to their purpose without the need of words: In remembrance and in honor of those who have died and those who are still fighting for our country. When you enter 4 Sprits Distillery through the fenced military compound gates, the architecture of the buildings and the barbed wire immediately remind you of discipline and the training that took place at Camp Adair during World War II and after when it became Adair Air Force Station until it was closed in 1969. Coming around the back end of the lot though, you can start to faintly hear Louie, Louie playing on a radio and the door to the smaller of the two buildings thrown wide. Before even entering the building, I can picture soldiers playing cards and listening to the radio in their down time. The building is marked with a single sign, a silhouette of four soldiers in current military gear, guns in hand, the words, “4 Spirits Distillery” across them like a banner. Inside the door is the tasting area, with tables made from reclaimed cedar planks collected by Dawson and his brother, topped with

molded concrete that you would swear was marble upon first inspection. The walls are hung with a mixture of historic photographs from Camp Adair during World War II, photographs from Dawson’s own tour of duty, as well as his platoon and company. The back half of the large room houses the equipment used to make 4 Spirits Distillery’s first alcoholic venture: Slaptail and Webfoot martinigrade vodka. After finishing his work, Dawson joined me back at the tasting area and I asked him the question that anybody asks themselves about first hearing the name, “4 Spirits Distillery”. “So what’s the story behind the name?” “Well, I served in Iraq in the Oregon National Guard 2nd Battalion, 162 Infantry Brigade and in 2004, I fought with these four remarkable combat soldiers who lost their lives in service to their country. Those are my four spirits. I keep their faces and their names sacred because they are personal. Someone else might have four different spirits that they’ve lost and want to remember. The important thing is to honor and remember them.” Coming from a cultural background where alcohol, death and remembrance go hand in hand, I understood the desire and the importance of drinking in someone’s memory. I asked him how he had come to the idea of a starting a distillery to honor them. “Before I started this business, I approached my platoon members because I thought that some might look down on this, by saying, ‘gosh you’re profiting off your friends, dead soldiers’ and surprisingly that was just what I was thinking, because every one of my military friends, my platoon, and my company didn’t even think about that. They thought this was an awesome way to honor them. I took the image to them for approval and everyone knows what it is and they gave me their blessing. I knew that as long as the people I cared about, the people who knew the four spirits were ok with it, then I didn’t really care what the naysayers said about it.” Making the leap from an excellent idea to a physical business was still quite a journey, especially with the wobbly economy and the fail rate of small businesses. I asked him what planning went into making this distillery his job. “This business came from a combination

of always wanting to be an entrepreneur and not wanting to have the run-of-the-mill 8 to 5 job. I was waiting for the perfect time to start and I had always thought, ‘what can I do that would be a good business and allow me not to struggle?’ I kept thinking and thinking…I was probably thinking while I was drinking whiskey, and the idea just formed. I always wanted to do a cider house, like Two Towns, and that morphed into, ‘Why would I do cider? I drink whiskey.’ So I started researching how to start a distillery. I read books, asked questions and then I talked it over with the family. I told my wife ‘if we’re going to do this, I’m going to go all the way and I’m not going to stop until I get there.’ She was so supportive and told me it sounded good if that’s what I wanted to do. So a year later, I made March 31st was my last day at a regular job and I started up 4 Spirits Distillery.” Staring around at the open room and the machinery lining the back wall, I asked him what had made him want to make vodka. His answer was somewhat unexpected. “I love whiskey. It’s what I drink. I have done whiskey tastings and figured out which whiskies are better than others. I decided that I wanted to make alcohols that I drink. The other part of my thinking was the business side. My forte was in the process of creating a business, that’s what my degree is in and with my experience in economics and finances, I felt I had everything I needed to have, in that regard, down. But everyone starts out with vodka. The reason for that is because you don’t have to age it. You can actually easily create it, create your own flavor profile and put your own spin on it. In my case, I created Webfoot and Slaptail. Next will be rum, and whiskey will be last. My goal is to create a whiskey as close as I can to Jameson. Needless to say, that statement made this Irish girl’s ears perk up. “That’s down the road though. I started with vodka, and rum will be next. Probably in the next couple of months. We have to work out the trends and really solidify our current status, but in the meantime I’d like to get the molasses and fermentation process going, find the right yeast, and start the process. I’m still not fully decided on just what kind of rum I want to make.” With alcohol being such a huge part of the Northwest and the

prevalence of local breweries, wineries, and cider houses, I had to ask Dawson what made 4 Spirits so special. “The way we’ve been marketing ourselves so far is ‘not your classical type of alcohol.’ Image wise, we don’t have a beautiful star on our labels. They are hand drawn by an artist and that’s what makes them cool. They’re kind of raw in form and comedic, colorful. It’s supposed to be funny. One of my first decisions was to come up with the names and the image I wanted. Most other alcohols are just generic or have the same classic-feel with the clean lines of their labels and I didn’t want that. I wanted something that was fun and a little artsy, and humorous. That was the big thing.” The label alone is enough to make me, a Kansas-transplant Beaver fan want to pick up a bottle of Slaptail, but how’s the taste? “It’s a premium, martini-grade vodka. It’s very good. I’m starting to feel very confident in saying that because of all the comments we’ve been getting from the people who have tasted it. We did blind tastetesting and 11 out of 13 chose my vodka over others. Even over some of the more expensive vodkas. Some people describe it as smooth, not a lot of nose, and no rubbing alcohol taste. Some people call it complex and layered.”

continued on p. 7

WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM • JULY 5, 2011 • 5

WORD

Former city manager on success and failure Nelson answers questions from a creative community by Courtney Clenney

...it’s the mixture that comes together that makes us what we are, not the single perspective of trying to meet one groups interest at the exclusion of all others.

on Nelson, former (as of recent) Corvallis City Manager, reads The Alchemist Weekly. I repeat, he reads THE ALCHEMIST! I like him already. Okay, maybe he’s “surfed in it.” Nelson was visibly at ease when I met with him last Tuesday, his demeanor gave it away, but if it hadn’t, the gold beads displaying miniature traffic signs with phrases like “STOP working,” definitely would have. The beads were a gift from some of his employees during their last weekly meeting. “They gave me a bad time today,” Nelson kidded. June 30, 2011 marked the end of Nelson’s 18-year-stint as Corvallis’ city manager, where, for the most part, the community has held his managerial skills in high regard. As Corvallis city manager, 6 • JULY 5, 2011 • WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM

Nelson has been responsible for Corvallis’ eight departments: police, fire, parks and recreation, library, community development, public works, finance, and administration; they are comprised of a network of over 400 employees. It has been Nelson’s responsibility to see that the visions and goals of the elected council members and mayor see the light of day. This organization of folks has brought Nelson the most pride in his career, “I really think I lead a team of professional employees that are very talented and very dedicated and when you have that as your base, good things can happen,” he said. Undoubtedly, when it comes to city government, its administrators are going to know disappointment. “You often times learn more from failures than you do from successes. I’ve had my share of failures.

We’ve had several measures that have been defeated by the voters,” Nelson recalls. One in particular was for the purchase of park land in order to preserve open space in and around Corvallis, the measure failed the first time, but after learning more about the project and the importance of it to the community, the measure eventually passed. Nelson has the same try and try again attitude when it comes to the current budget deficit the city is facing. While the operating levy the community just passed will help a great deal, Nelson laments budget issues are a “fact of life,” especially in Oregon. He’s been in the state since 1984 and recalls budget problems in the early 90s as well as the early 2000s. “It’s a cycle that repeats itself in this state and it will just mean elected officials, employees and citizens will have to learn either to live without some services or accept new funding arrangements to continue their services,” Nelson said. Part of the responsibility of being higher up on the food chain of city officials also means maintaining the kind of town Corvallis is and should become. As a small town with a large university, there are two (maybe more) distinct beliefs in the direction of our community. “Corvallis is rich in its current state in my opinion because of the variety of stakeholders and perspectives that each put their hopes and ambitions into our community, so for those that want us to become more like Portland, or more like Bend, there are others that want to make sure that the growth that occurs doesn’t ruin their livability and it’s the mix of all that that makes us, what I think, a top city to live in,” Nelson said. “And I think that mix will continue, so are we going to disappoint some people who would like to grow faster or like to have richer amenities as they see the world, yes, but it’s the mixture that comes together that makes us what we are, not the single perspective of trying to meet one groups interest at the exclusion of all others.” Perhaps it has been this attitude that has made Nelson such a successful city manager, even still questions have arisen about his seemingly sudden retirement. “There’s some creative writers and thinkers out there in the community,” he noted. In November 2010, it was reported in the Gazette-Times that Nelson’s five year contract had been rolled-over, as such Nelson has remained in a five year contract for a decade. Three months later, in February 2011, Nelson announced his retirement. The Gazette-Times ran an accompanying video to their story, in which Nelson said he was in a “magical time” where he had given 30 years of local government service (in three cities) and his youngest was graduating high school, so his retirement seemed appropriate. However, there have been speculations as to the details of his recent contract roll-over. “Certainly the retirement that I get like every other city employee, from PERS, the public

employer retirement system, I get benefits for a deferred compensation package, I get benefits for a retiree health savings account, those are pretty standard benefits provided to city managers,” he said. Most of the details of his contract were negotiated “years ago.” Nelson said there were no substantial changes and reminded that the details of his contract aren’t a secret. “In some instances like a retiree health savings account or a deferred compensation package I would negotiate, in lieu of salary, an extra five-hundred or a thousand dollars into those accounts, but that’s all pretty standard.” Furthermore, Nelson declined (as he did last year) a cost of living increase as well as a performance pay increase, noting the severity of the budget. Nelson has been praised for his underthe-radar sort of way of running the city. However, on the flip side can Nelson be criticized at all for his low-key tactics, would the city benefit from a stronger personality? He actually feels that he does show leadership, even if it’s not overtly obvious. “A lot of times the people that want leadership are the ones that aren’t getting what they want and they want someone to step in and do it for them, and I’ll never be their leader, and that’s just okay with me. Leadership is in the eye of the beholder based on, sometimes, what have you done for me lately,” Nelson said. As the council looks for a replacement for Nelson, it might make sense for him to weigh in on the sort of personality to succeed him, because, well, he's done the job for almost two decades, but Nelson won't do it. “You know, I think it would be presumptuous of me to encourage a certain type of profile to come and work for the city. The city council has worked with a professional recruitment firm to establish the profile for my successor and they will interview in July or August, candidates for the job," he said. "Whatever they come up with, they have that responsibility and right to determine that style of the next councilor. Certainly there are different styles that can work in a community and mine has been one of a facilitator and we’ll see who they gravitate towards.” He’s looking forward to vacationing and traveling for the remainder of the year and while he doesn’t know what’s on the table after that, Nelson has no intentions of getting involved in city government after retirement. There will probably be some golfing and fly-fishing in the future for Mr. Nelson, though. He’s spent almost 20 years in the public-eye and finding something shocking out about Nelson could be difficult. “What you see is what you get. I don’t have and deep, dark, fun, or not even dark, I don’t have any deep, dark, light or otherwise, surprises. Sorry!” Nelson remarked. However, that won’t keep us from trying— flip over to page 12 for the Third Degree with Jon Nelson.

WORD

continued from p. 5 I was sold. I asked him where a thirsty vodka-seeker could find a bottle of Slaptail or Webfoot (if you happen to be a Duck fan). He told me about OregonLiquorSearch.com where you can enter the site and type in either Webfoot or Slaptail to be taken to a list of liquor stores in the area that stock 4 Spirits’ products. Also in the Corvallis area, you can ask for Slaptail in your drinks at many of the bars including; Block 15, Aqua, Crowbar, 101, or Cloud 9 where you can try a Slap Happy, a drink formulated by Mr. Cloud Davidson which uses a healthy amount of Slaptail and will leave anyone happy. Though 4 Spirits is still in its early stages of business, this had to be too much of an undertaking for just one person. Dawson was quick to correct my assumption of this being a one-man operation, telling me about his marketing guru, Sarah Wayt, who jumped into this venture with him on June 1st. “I would say the reason we are doing so well and shipping out fifty cases a week is because of her. We are now up to 30 liquor stores carrying our product, within a month. That’s pretty out of the ordinary. Especially with vodkas because it’s such a saturated market, it’s pretty difficult to break into the market. If you don’t have something really good and really special, they’re probably not going to pick it up. But we’ve managed to get in one month to the range of marketing that other businesses like ours would strive for in eight months.” Marketing is definitely something that 4 Spirits has mastered. Between the high quality taste and the ingenious marketing of Slaptail versus Webfoot, they have found a way to stand out in the cloud of clear bottles of vodka lining the shelves in liquor stores all over Oregon.

“Sarah has just amplified our success. I would have to say that a major part of our success, especially in this first month, is due to Sarah. She’s a very highly motivated person, almost beyond belief. We’re in central Oregon and we’ve just continued to grow. We’re at the stage of monitoring growth to insure we have a healthy, stable growth rather than a spike where we can’t keep up with supply and demand.” Though vodka takes less time than rum and whiskey, it’s still a fairly slow process. “It takes a little over a week to make a batch, but that’s a seven day week, working every day. I knew it was going to be like this though when I started. People will talk about how the freedom of being a business owner must be great, but the truth is, you actually work more than you would be if you were working for someone else.” I felt that a good way to end my chat with Dawson was to go back to talking about the whiskey, both because it’s a fascinating topic and it’s a forecast of things to come down the road for 4 Spirits. I asked Dawson if he’d picked a name for the final product. “I’ve already decided the whiskey will be 4 Spirits whiskey. I’m working on the name and the visual for the rum. The 4 Spirits whiskey will be a complete change over from the leisure side. I already know what it’s going to look like. It will have four soldiers’ crosses on it; boots, gun, dog tags, and helmet. It’s a very clear and strong image of remembrance for a soldier dying. Rather than trying to just bring this to light as something shocking, I’m trying to remind people that soldiers are still fighting and dying and that we need to be mindful of what they’re doing and support our troops. The bottles will be the military green color with four offset soldiers’ crosses. It will be more subdued because it is more serious. Never forget your veterans.”

WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM • JULY 5, 2011 • 7

ALCHY PICKS

[week of July 5th

Thursday | July 7th | 5:30 pm The Arts Center ART IN THE MAKING

If you've ever stared at a work of art and wondered how the artist did it, this event is for you! Artists @ Work is an innovative exhibit, held at the Main Gallery in the Arts Center in Corvallis. Usually the gallery features art created by artists in their own private studios but for this exhibit, artists are encouraged to use the gallery as their studio and visitors are welcomed in to watch the art creation in motion. This exhibit will be running from July 2nd to July 27th with a Brown Bag talk on Wednesday, July 13th from 12pm to 1pm which will feature artists explaining what their goals were in their Artists @ Work creations. A reception So long, Jimbo and Sarah , and thanks for all the fish. will be held for the artists on July 7th from 5:30pm-7:30pm and the public are welcome to come celebrate with them. host a monthly poetry night that came to Thursday | July 7th | 5:30 pm Thursday | July 7th | 9:00 am Featured artists will be Gale Everett be called “Poetics”. From that association Monteith River Park Philomath Rodeo Grounds from Albany, Elaine Green and Julia Lont came a job running sound for all the lovely THE BLUES RUNS THROUGH IT JIMBO SAYS GOODBYE from Corvallis, and Kendal Hathaway from bands and DJs at Cloud 9. In short, I owe My poetical career in Corvallis began The Willamette River will ring this Phoenix, Arizona. All four artists welcome my entire existence here in Corvallis to The with The Alchemist Weekly. They were Thursday with the growl and hum of Coco the chance to talk with the public about Alchemist Weekly. kind enough to take pity on a poor, friendMontoya’s soulful blues as Albany Parks their works during the event. But now begins a brief season of goodless Kansas boy that had just rolled into and Recreation’s River Rhythms concert seGale's work is often inspired by plant life, byes. I am, as many of you know, returning town and looking for someone to publish a ries begins its 2011 season. often utilizing organic matter in her mixed to Kansas to pursue my so-called higher few of his poems as he endured the dreaded Held at the beautiful Monteith Riverpark media creations. She invites the public to education and thus this Thursday’s Poetics doldrums of Oregon unemployment. and sponsored by dozens of community come help her create seedpods and flowers will be my last. Similarly, my article in next From that first poem came a position businesses, the free River Rhythms concert from handmade paper that she will also be week’s Alchemist will be my last, not only writing with them, helping them create The series brings a variety of genres and musical creating at the Artists @ Work exhibit. because of my impending departure, but Alchemist each week and based on that styling to Albany every Thursday, concludElaine works with charcoal and draws also because this fine institution is also saysuccess Cloud Davidson agreed to let me ing on August 11th. much of her inspiration from the human Coco Montoya’s blues and R&B sensibilform and life captured in photographs. She ities were mentored by the legendary blues will be looking for volunteers to pose for a man Albert Collins, whose alchemical fusphotograph which she will create from or ing of the Texas, Chicago and Mississippi stay for a longer live drawing. blues traditions can still be felt in MonJulia, an art teacher at the Corvallis High toya’s current work. Montoya was awarded School, utilizes photography in a collage “Best New Blues Artist” in 1996 and his format when she creates, masterfully pairlatest album “I Want It All Back” was reing photographs and painting methods to leased in 2010. create her goal of sharing memories. Julia All River Rhythms shows start at 7:00 welcomes the public to bring their memopm, unless otherwise noted. The Blanket ries and snapshots to inspire her creations, Area opens at 5:30 pm for those of you that including the 'Laundry Line of Memories' like to get cozy, and no chairs are allowed she will be hanging in the trees outside the in the blanket area. Seating is available on Art Center Plaza. a first-come, first-served basis. A Children's The final artist, Kendal Hathaway is a Art Area, featuring fun art and craft activimosaic artist whose greatest influences are ties for kids is open from 5:30-7:00 p.m. drawn from landscape. Her usual works are No concert is complete without somesmaller and are created with hand cut glass thing to snack on, and River Rhythms does tiles, but for this event, she intends to use not disappoint, featuring area food vendors items from the Corvallis recycling center serving at 5:30 p.m. Alcohol is not permitto create a large work, capturing the beauty ted before 5:30 p.m. on concert days in of the Willamette Valley landscape. With Monteith Riverpark. Pets are not allowed the diverse styles of art offered by these in the park on concert days. four women, and their desire to include the Come enjoy some great blues music on community, there is sure to be something the river this Thursday, July 7th with Coco for everyone at Artists @ Work! I guess rodeos have their own version of the rally monkey. Montoya and River Rhythms! ~Jimbo Ivy ~Sarah Sulliva 8 • JULY 5, 2011 • WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM

ing goodbye to Corvallis. In my experience, life is filled with such bittersweet comings and goings and thus lamentation is often a waste of spirit. Thus I intend to spend my last Poetics thanking everyone; The Alchemist, Cloud 9, and most of all you. Cause without y’alls support, I would still be a poor Kansas boy wandering around this land of green and gray, unnoticed. Poetics at Cloud 9, Thursday July 7, 830pm. ~Jimbo Ivy

Thursday-Sunday | 9:00 am Philomath Rodeo Grounds FROLIC FOR THE AGES

To a certain sect of Pacific North Westerners, the Philomath Frolic and Rodeo represents something of a backwoods Hajj. It’s a rite of passage, and amongst a few diehards, young boys cannot call themselves men until they have attended the Frolic. There are no less than three separate rodeos taking place in Philomath this upcoming weekend. Between the days of July 7-10, the eternal clash between human versus beast will take place on an epic scale. Skills once learned and utilized out of necessity like bareback riding of wild bucking horses and cattle roping will now be performed for entertainment and in hopes of maintaining traditional down-home Western values in the age of crystal methamphetamine. Events such as bull riding lack a clear understanding as to their meaning or past relevant practical application. This makes bull

riding the most interesting to me and naturally the most popular event at most rodeos. There is something about the sight of a small-statured man, as many bull riders are, climbing onto the back of a 2,000 lb. bull and then, in a fit of pure animal power, being flung around and off their backs like an unwieldy sack of Jell-O, that fascinates the human mind. It reminds us all of the time when sheer courage and machismo to risk life and limb in a pair of chaps meant something more than $500 an hour during Fleet Week in Portland, Ore. It reminds anyone with an eye for history and nostalgia of the time when that sort of blind courage tipped the scales of life of death in favor of the man that blinked last when it was time to, as Hunter Thompson said, “Skin leather at high noon on Main Street.” Despite the plethora of animal vs. human contests populating the weekend, the bulk of the weekend lies in the frolicking. There will be music, crafts, food, worship services, two parades, two dances and even a 5K run. A full and easily navigable website offers literally everything a human being could or would want to know about the history, funding, location of the event, including a detailed schedule of the Philomath Frolic and Rodeo can be found at www. philomathrodeo.org. The Philomath Frolic and Rodeo takes place this coming Thursday, July 7 through Sunday, July 10th in Philomath, Oregon at or near the Philomath Rodeo grounds. ~Stanley Tollet

2010 Alchemist Winner FAVORITE MUSIC VENUE

FAVORITE APPETIZER

FAVORITE PLACE TO SPEND $10 FAVORITE PLACE TO GET PICKED UP

– LIVE MUSIC THIS WEEK – THURSDAY

JULY 7 8p | FREE

COLIN WOEKEL + JETTISON BEND

FRIDAY

JULY 8 9:30p | FREE THE EXIT ELECTRIC

SATURDAY

JULY 9 8p | FREE

THE SVENS

2527 NW Monroe

Corvallis, OR 541.757.7221 bombsawaycafe.com

Our summer menus are coming online with lots of good produce from the local farms. And, for those three or four hot summer nights, we have air conditioning! Come on in soon. weds through sun, 4:30–9 ish 541-753-4171 for reservations

134 Southwest Fourth Street (by Madison) i-love-luc.com (+ check us out on yelp.com)

UP ON ON THE ROOF

*Weather Permitting

Thurs. July 7th. 6pm Creed Acoustic

“Where the back alley meets the high road.” www.adpizza.com

214 SW 2nd Street Behind the Downtown American Dream Pizza 753-7373

WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM • JULY 5, 2011 • 9

tuesday05

thursday07

livemusic

Corvallis

CENTRAL PARK Community Band Concert: For the Kids, 8:00 pm, FREE [BAND] FIREWORKS James Wilson, 8:00 pm [CELTIC] SUNNYSIDE UP CAFÉ Celtic Jam, 7:00 pm, FREE [LISTEN/PLAY]

Corvallis

livemusic

Albany

CALAPOOIA BREWING Rusty Hinges, 7:30 pm [STRINGBAND] MONTEITH PARK Coco Montoya, 7:00 pm, FREE [BLUES]

Corvallis

CROWBAR ROOFTOP Creed, 6:00 pm, FREE [ACOUSTIC ROCK] FIREWORKS Performers Spotlight hosted by Gabriel Surley, 8:00 pm [SHOWCASE] OLD WORLD DELI Old Time Music Jam, 7:00 pm, FREE [OLD SKOOL]

sing&dance

ELKS LODGE Beginner Line Dance 7:00 pm, $3 [DANCE] IMPULSE BAR Cuban Salsa 7:30 pm FREE [DANCE] PEACOCK BAR & GRILL Main Stage: Karaoke with Sqwig-e-okie, 9:00 pm, FREE [SING]

Lebanon

DOWNTOWN DOG Country Jam, 6:00 pm, FREE [COUNTRY] PEACOCK BAR & GRILL EAST Blues Jam, 7:00 pm, FREE [BLUES]

MERLIN'S BAR & GRILL Karaoke, 9:00 pm [SING]

Philomath

Halsey

13TH ST Willamette Valley Old Time Musicians, 6:00 pm, FREE [ COUNTRY FOLK]

WOODY'S BAR & GRILL “Terry-oke” Karaoke with Terry Geil, 9:00 pm, FREE [SING]

Albany

stuff

Albany

sing&dance

EAGLES LODGE Line dance, 7:00 pm, $4 [DANCE]

Corvallis

CARNEGIE LIBRARY Jason Ropp’s Dragon Theatre Puppets [PUPPET]

PEACOCK BAR & GRILL Main Stage: Karaoke, 9:00 pm [SING]; On the Top: DJ Mike, 9:00 pm [DANCE]

Corvallis

Lebanon

APPLEBEE'S National Trivia Association Night, 9:00 pm, FREE [TRIVIA] BENTON COUNTY LIBRARY Teen writer’s group, 6:00 pm [WRITERS] ENOTECA WINE BAR Girls night out! Knit night, 7:00 pm [SHE'S CRAFTY] GRASS ROOTS BOOKSTORE Reading Group: “Zeitoun” by Dave Eggers, 6:30 pm [BOOKS] LASELLS STEWART CENTER Community Art Exhibit, 12:00 to 5:00 pm, FREE [ART] WINESTYLES Trivia Night Summer League Match #2, 6:00 pm, $10 per team [TRIVIA]

MERLIN'S BAR & GRILL Karaoke, 9:00 pm [SING]

stuff

Corvallis

wednesday06

ART IN THE VALLEY Kathryn Honey, 5:30 pm, FREE [RECEPTION] BENTON LIBRARY Leapin Louie Lichetenstein, 3:30 pm [KIDS] BIG RIVER Dine for the Arts, ALL DAY [EAT FOR ARTS] CLOUD 9 Poetics, 8:30 pm, FREE [OPEN MIC POETRY] DOWNTOWN CORVALLIS First Thursday Art Walk, 4:00 to 8:00 pm, FREE [WALK] ENOTECA WINE BAR Chocolate Truffle Thursdays, 6:00 pm, FREE [YUMMERS] FIRST ALT COOP NORTH BeerTasting, 5:00 pm [BEER ME] LIVE WELL STUDIO Free Teen Yoga by Reach Out Yoga, 4:00 pm, FREE [YOGA] WINESTYLES Argentine Wine Tasting, 5:30 pm, $5 [WINE ME]

livemusic

Corvallis

CENTRAL PARK Hilltop Big Band, 7:30 pm, FREE [BIG BAND] FARMER’S MARKET Jaqui Forney, 9:30 am, FREE [BLUES] OSU MU QUAD Ascetic Junkies, 12:00 pm, FREE [POPGRASS]

Lebanon

DOWNTOWN LEBANON Farmer’s Market, 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm [MARKET]

DOWNTOWN DOG Bluegrass Jam, 6:00 pm [BLUEGRASS] PEACOCK EAST The Brand, 7:00 pm [BLUES]

Tangent

DIXIE CREEK SALOON Blues Jam with Wild Bill, 7:00 pm [BLUES]

Albany

sing&dance

EAGLES LODGE Albany Senior Dance, 1:30 - 3:30 pm, $3 [DANCE]

Corvallis

APPLEBEE’S DJ Stoltz Dance Party, 9:00 pm, FREE [DANCE] PETER GYSEGEM’S STUDIO Argentine tango classes, 7:15 pm, $5 [DANCE] PEACOCK BAR & GRILL Main Stage: Karaoke, 9:00 pm, FREE [SING]; On the Top: Western Wed 9:00 pm, [DANCE]

friday08

Lebanon

MERLIN'S BAR & GRILL Karaoke, 9:00 pm [SING]

stuff

Corvallis

livemusic

Corvallis

BEANERY ON 2ND Bo Bestvima, 8:00 pm, FREE [ACOUSTIC] BOMBS AWAY CAFÉ CLOUD 9 FIREWORKS Tom & Ellen Demarest, 8:00 pm [AMERICANA FOLK]

ARTS CENTER Artists@Work with Elaine Green, Julia Lont, Gale Everett, Kendal Hathaway, 5:30 pm, FREE [ARTIST] CENTRAL PARK Chalk It Up: Chalk drawing contest, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, Ages 5 to 12 [CHALK] CLOUD 9 Infinite Improv! 9:00 pm, FREE [COMEDY] CORVALLIS BREWING SUPPLY Podere Ruggeri Cornsini Italian Wine Tasting, 5:00 pm, FREE [WINE] FIRST STREET DOWNTOWN Corvallis Farmer’s Market, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, FREE [MARKET]

Lebanon

DOWNTOWN DOG D.C. Blues, 6:00 pm [BLUES] MERLIN’S BAR AND GRILL Hip Pocket, 9:00 pm [ROCK]

Tangent

Philomath

DIXIE CREEK SALOON Crimson Guardian, Brudos, Still Measure, 9:30 pm, FREE [ROCK]

BENTON COUNTY MUSEUM Philomath Frolic Rodeo 6th Annual BBQ, 5:30 pm, $15 [BBQ]

Albany

sing&dance

RILEY'S BAR & GRILL Cutting Edge Production presents Ladies Night with Dj Tray, FREE [DANCE]

Corvallis

CLOUD 9 Rainbow in the Clouds, 10:00 pm [DANCE] CORVALLIS SENIOR CENTER Friday Night Dance by The Syncopators, 7:00 pm, $4 [DANCE] PEACOCK BAR & GRILL Main Stage: Karaoke, 9:00 pm [SING]; On the Top: DJ Heartburn, 9:00 pm [DANCE]

[POP GRASS] Wednesday | July 6th | 12:00 pm

Ascetic Junkies OSU MU QUAD

10 • JULY 5, 2011 • WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM

photo by Paul Colvin

Albany

stuff

BEHIND CAPPIE’S BREWHOUSE Movies by Moonlight: “Time Machine,” 7:00 pm, FREE [FILM] CRABTREE AUTOMOTIVE “Cruise In” Operation Homefront, 4:00 pm [CARS/BENEFIT]

Corvallis

DOWNTOWN CORVALLIS Crazy Days, ALL DAY [SALES] FIRST ALT COOP SOUTH Wine tasting, 5:00 pm [WINE ME] WINESTYLES Friday Flights, 5:00 pm [WINE]

Philomath

RODEO GROUNDS Beef BBQ, 5:00 pm, $7 per plate [FOOD] Kid’s Corner, 5:00 – 7:00 pm, FREE [KIDS] NPRA Rodeo, 7:00 pm, $13 [RODEO] After Rodeo Dance, 9:30 pm to 1:00 am, $5 [DANCE]

Albany

Across 1. Catch 8. Cry from the flock 11. Address sequence 14. Daniel Day-Lewis played one in 1992 15. Washington, e.g. 17. Portable form of imaginary meat? 19. Vegas article 20. “Take a long walk off a short ___!” 21. Modern military hazard, briefly 22. Disappointed interjections from Dirk Nowitzki 24. “___ Raiders” (late-1960s whistleblowing group) 26. Gallivant (about) 29. Cheesy bar carvings 31. Homemade, casually 32. Blue note? 33. Biblically perfect 35. Fresh kicks, as it were 38. Arctic beast subject to mood swings? 40. Conflict related to money and status 42. They’re loaded into planes 45. XXL alternative 46. Place where it takes months to get guns? 48. Stem cell research advocate Christopher 49. Bro’s counterpart 50. Big name in protection 53. Popeye’s ___’ Pea 54. Article with straps 55. Spanish eyes 57. “Can you turn off the A/C?” 58. Kid’s wheels used for extreme stunts? 63. Behaved like a character on “Gossip Girl” 64. Edits 65. Where a struggling major leaguer may get sent 66. Course for aliens: Abbr. 67. Barely contains one’s rage

livemusic

CALAPOOIA BREWING Jawbone Flats, 8:00 pm [ALT COUNTRY] FARMER’S MARKET Oldfield Road, 11:00 am, FREE [COUNTRY/FOLK]

Corvallis

BEANERY ON 2nd Gumbo, 8:00 pm [OLD TIMEY] BOMBS AWAY CAFE The Svens, 9:00 pm, FREE [COWBOY POETRY SURF ROCK] CLOUD 9 Ambush Party, 10:30 pm [FUNKY ROCK] ENOTECA WINE BAR Diana & Diego, 7:00 pm, FREE [LATIN] FARMER’S MARKET Rick and Lavina Ross, 9:30 am, FREE [FOLK/BLUES]

Lebanon

MERLIN’S BAR AND GRILL Hip Pocket, 9:00 pm [ROCK]

Albany

sing&dance

RILEY'S BAR & GRILL Cutting Edge Production presents DJ Tray, FREE [DANCE]

Corvallis

CORVALLIS DANCE CENTER CENTER Beginning Ballroom Lessons, 3:00 pm, Intermediate West Coast Swing Lessons, 4:00 pm, Beginning West Coast Swing, 6:00 pm [DANCE] ODDFELLOWS HALL Swing, 7:00 pm, Blues, 10:00 pm, $5 [DANCE] PEACOCK BAR & GRILL On the Top: DJ Heartburn, 9:00 pm [DANCE]

Lebanon

DUFFY'S IRISH PUB Karaoke, 10:00 pm, FREE [SING] MERLIN'S BAR & GRILL Karaoke, 9:00 pm [SING]

Albany

stuff

CITY HALL Albany Farmer’s Market, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, FREE [MARKET] LINN COUNTY EXPO Sick Town Dis-Orderlies vs Sis-Q Rollerz, 5:00 pm, $10 [ROLLER DERBY]

Corvallis

AVALON WINE Wine tasting, 12:00 – 3:00 pm [WINE-IN] DOWNTOWN CORVALLIS Crazy Days, ALL DAY [SALES] DOWNTOWN FIRST ST Corvallis Farmer’s Market, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, FREE [MARKET] Corvallis Artisan’s Market, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm [CRAFTS] ENOTECA WINE BAR Saketini Saturdays, 3:00 pm [SAKE-TO-ME] STARKER ARTS PARK Veggie Fest, 1:00 to 5:00 pm, FREE [FESTIVAL] TYEE WINE CELLARS Oregon Hazelnut Country Wine Dinner, 6:00 pm, $75 [EVENT] WINESTYLES Wine Tasting, 4:00 pm, $10 [WINE TIME]

Down 1. Rip off 2. Like some mild cleaning products

Lebanon

Inkwell Crosswords by Ben Tausig

saturday09

Opening Numbers

34. Animal on many a dairy council logo 36. Org. for fighters 37. Prepare, as some tuna 39. Italy’s ___ di Como 40. Drugstore chain 41. Year in the life of Pliny the Elder 43. Supervise 44. TV’s Miss Cleo, supposedly 47. Business and Nursing, for two 50. Trivia buff’s boast 51. Sprints, e.g. 52. Like some apartment rentals 54. Historian’s letters 56. Word processing menu option 58. Body-inspecting govt. gp. 59. Color TV pioneer 60. Japanese-American rock guitarist James 61. “Bad” cholesterol, briefly 62. Drill attachment

3. They’re skewered and grilled 4. Neighbor of Hond. 5. Rent-___ (teen thief’s nemesis) 6. ___ to go 7. The Supreme Court or the starting lineup of the Washington Nationals, e.g. 8. Conservative hairstyle 9. Up and about 10. Certain remains 11. WWII female enlistee 12. IMF collaborator 13. One may be tangled 16. Online lecture series name 18. Just some guy 23. Gary of “CSI: NY” 25. One being unsubtle, perhaps 26. #43 27. Give the heave-ho 28. Drunk’s shakes, for short 30. Nurses at the bar 32. Displays good preschool form

WILLAMETTE SPEEDWAY DAA NW Extreme Late Models, Modified, Sportsman, Classic, 6:00 pm, $14 [RACE DAY]

Philomath

To submit a calendar listing, notice of events must be received in writing by noon on Tuesday, one week before publication.

RODEO GROUNDS Lions Club Breakfast, 6:30 to 9:30 am, $6 [BREKY] Kids Parade, 10:15 am, FREE [KIDS] Grand Street Parade, 10:30 am, FREE [PARADE] Mary’s Peak Search and Rescue BBQ, 11:00 am, $7 [LUNCH] Kids Korner, Miss PF&R Queen Tryout, BINGO, 1:00 to 4:00 pm [FUN] NPRA Rodeo, 7:00 pm, $18 [YEEHAW!] After Rodeo Dance, 9:30 pm to 1:00 am, $10 [DANCE]

sunday10 Albany

livemusic

Send to calendar @ thealchemistweekly.com. For photo consideration please attach high resolution images with proper photo credit.

CALAPOOIA BREWING Blues Jam, 4:00 pm, FREE [BLUES]

Corvallis

FIREWORKS The Infallible Collective, 8:00 pm [JAZZ]

Tangent

DIXIE CREEK SALOON Acoustic Jam, 7:00 pm, Bluegrass Jam, 7:00 pm, FREE [iPlay]

Corvallis

sing&dance

PEACOCK BAR & GRILL Main Stage: Karaoke with Sqwig-e-okie, 9:00 pm [SING]

Lebanon

Philomath

RODEO GROUNDS Lions Club Breakfast, 6:30 to 9:30 am, $6 [BREKY] Musical Christian Cowboy Church Service, 10:00 am [CHURCH] Search and Rescue BBQ, 11:00 am, $7 [LUNCH] NPRA Rodeo, 1:00 pm, $13 [RODEO]

Albany

MONTEITH PARK The Willamette Valley Concert Band, 7:00 pm, FREE [CONCERT]

Corvallis

ENOTECA WINE BAR Non-Profit Monday: CASA Voices for Children, ALL DAY [BENEFIT] FIREWORKS Southtown Open Mic, 8:00 pm [LISTEN/PLAY] OSU GOSS STADIUM Corvallis Knights vs. Kitsap BlueJackets, 6:40 pm, $5 [BASEBALL] PEACOCK BAR & GRILL Main Stage: Karaoke with Sqwig-e-okie, 9:00 pm [SING] STARKER ARTS PARK Corvallis Community Band, 8:00 pm, FREE [BAND]

8 8

stuff

4 4

8 1

9 9

sudoku-puzzles.net

photo by Brian J. Bulemore

stuff

CHILDREN’S FARM HOME Tack Sale/ Open House for Therapeutic Horse Program, 8:00 am to1:00 pm [HORSE] DOWNTOWN CORVALLIS Crazy Days, ALL DAY [SALES] ENOTECA Saketini Sundays, 3:00 pm [SAKE-TO-ME]

monday11

Difficulty: Hard

MERLIN'S BAR & GRILL Karaoke, 9:00 pm [SING]

Corvallis

[ROLLER DERBY] Saturday | July 9th | 5:00 pm

Sicktown Disorderlies vs. LINN COUNTY EXPO in Albany

WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM • JULY 5, 2011 • 11

THIRD DEGREE Honest Abe- There’s a wonderful book… by Dorris Kerns Goodwyn and it’s called Team of Rivals and it’s about Abraham Lincoln as the president and how he took a cabinet that had a lot of divisiveness and people that just didn’t like each other and through strength of personality and persistence and leadership accomplish what needed to be accomplished for the country.

Q If you had to spend one million dollars in a

completely frivolous and selfish manner, how would you blow it? I’d set up a dummy corporation that made it seem like it was frivolous but that actually did good works…I’m all for hedonism but a million dollars seems a bit large for me.

Q What is a personal cure when you get nervous? A couple of things, you tell yourself not to worry about what people think of ya, because most people don’t think about you at all. And you tell yourself that they can’t take your family and your faith away from you and so what happens, happens. Q What is a personal cure when you get sad?

I would say, you need to go do something, preferably with a friend, so walking with Priscilla (Nelson’s wife), going to a movie…something to get your mind off of what’s making you sad or depressed so you can reconnect that there’s a bigger world out there than that little focus of your brain.

Q Where do we go when we die?

Oh, I would say we go to heaven.

Q Favorite Beatle’s song? Hey Jude, I really like that but there’s kind of a melancholy [feel] but we’ll go with Hey Jude. Q Favorite article of clothing? I can say that I’m not a clothes horse. I guess a shirt. I don’t have a favorite, sorry. Q One luxury item you cannot live without? (After me noting that I can’t live without my mascara, Nelson joked he couldn’t live without a hair comb.) I do enjoy my morning coffee, my morning coffee and newspaper are important to me.

Jon Nelson

former Corvallis City Manager

for 18 years gets The Third Degree. Now everyone leave him alone. He's retired.

you be? Why? I think I’d be a mountain, that way you could have a good perspective on the world.

Q Have you ever seen a ghost? Nope. Q If you had to give up one sense (sight, taste, hearing, touch, smell) what would it be? Why? Oh I’d give up hearing. All the others are more intimate, more fulfilling. I’ve heard enough in my life (chuckle).

Interview by Courtney Clenney

Q If you could be any inanimate object, what would

Q If aliens landed and asked you to go with them, would you? Yeah.

Q Would you rather have the power of flight or

invisibility? Power of flight. Yeah, even when you’re invisible you’re not really invisible. You’ve got a byproduct whether people see you or not.

Q What would your death row meal consist of? Oh, I’d have to go with steak and potatoes, Q If you were a bar drink what drink would you be? asparagus. Have to have some toast, good salad. Well, I’d have to go with a beer. Lager probably. German Chocolate cake. I like my steak Medium, Nice cold lager on a hot afternoon. my wife likes it Medium Well, so always have to Q If you could spend the day with one historical get it off the grill to meet everyone’s expectafigure who would it be? Why? tions. 12 • JULY 5, 2011 • WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM

Q Karaoke song of choice? Lousy at karaoke, don’t really have one. Q Favorite Painter? Harvey Dunn, I grew up on the Dakotas and he was a painter that did some nice pieces on the plains. Q What is more annoying, whistling or humming? I do both, but I try not to do it around other people and irritate them. I would say whistling is, it’s more disruptive.

Q Favorite Movie? Oh gee, that is really, really hard. I’m 55 I’ve been to so many different movies over the years. And I’m trying to think about the ones that wow, you know that first Godfather was like that. I really enjoyed Chariots of Fire, but my little brother walked out of that movie. Q Favorite Anatomical feature of the opposite or same sex? Priscilla. Q What is your earliest memory? Falling in a river. I had my parent pluck me out. I suppose why you remember it is the hullaballoo getting a little kid out of the river and I’m sure it was probably up to my ankles at the time. Q What do you drink when you are thirsty? Coffee in the morning and then a cup of tea in the afternoon. I drink more water than I do diet coke. I’m already on record as saying I like a cold beer and a nice glass of pinot is good too. Q Favorite holiday? Why? I like that stretch between Christmas and New Year’s just because it’s good family time, the kids are home. Q What has been the most defining moment of your life to date? Marriage and family Q Favorite Book? I did enjoy the Steig Larson trilogy recently, that was fun…I went through those pretty quickly, they were hard to put down. Q Favorite Disney Character? I always liked the interaction between the Road Runner and Wylie Coyote, that always tickled me. Q If you knew you only had 24 hours to live, how you spend your final day? With family, go to the beach or go on a hike. Q What question aren’t people asked enough? Really, truly what are your motivations? In city government, there’s usually, obviously motivations for people. Q Please answer that question? Well for me in my career, I went down a path of either getting a law degree or an MBA, or wanting to…you’re a trickster, that’s a tricky question… whether to try to find an occupation where I could feel I was giving to a greater good than my bottom line and I’m not saying that an attorney or somebody with an MBA doesn’t also do that, cuz they do. I think I wanted to do something in public service because it made me feel like I was giving something to the greater good that would help others into the future. Q Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all? Oh, you’ve gotta live. It’s better to love and lose. Life is not a spectator sport. Q Is it better to be lucky or skilled? Skilled, because that has a connotation of dedication and hard work, verses happenstance. Q Is there a God? Yeah!

WEEKLY A

overboard to recognize the deep emotions that we can’t always recognize or harness. Enter the Clown. Cancer, you of all the signs, know how to bring these feelings to the surface in others. Catharsis is in the Stars.

LOGER O R ST

●

Coyote Kate

2 , 5 ●July

Aries (March 21-April 19): Spotted an

American Dipper in action in a local river. This feathered critter is Halfling-like, an aquatic bird without webbed feet, of immense strength, that zealously searches under strong currents for fodder. Much like Hanner Dyn of British lore (a boy who could beat men at wrestling, and as an adult, out-tussled King Arthur) the American Dipper exhibits strength, determination and will. Through force of habit (direct translation of Hanner Dyn), the dipper survives. Aries, your strengths enhance your will, and your habits make you a moxie for the impossible. You will realize this more in the weeks ahead.

Taurus (April 20-May 20): Cloud one: you wallow on the ground. Cloud two: you wisp above all combined respirations. Cloud three: you’re up and off, floating, gaining potency. Cloud four: a spiritual congregation occurs. Cloud five: you collect the life blood of the Earth--water. Cloud six: magnificently your shapes soar. Cloud seven: Sense the gloaming of Nirvana. Cloud eight: Full, bursting, you are now a shape shifter of consequence. Cloud nine: Like the half Moon on Friday Taurus, you shine, an astronomical epitome of a cloud-- wind, water, particles of Earth, and air. Fly now. Gemini (May 21-June 20): For a long

time now, you’ve held yourself up to some ideal, a perfection that doesn’t exist, especially in relationships. Native Americans always include a tiny flaw within their creations to reflect real life. A beaded necklace may have one white bead amongst rows of red. One basket reed may be turned slightly, etc. Gemini, find yourself an imperfect object. Honor it. Then you will be able to renegotiate what fulfills or completes you.

Cancer ( June 21-July 22): Fellow Cancerian Robin Williams, whose long list of accomplishments include: Two Emmys, 5 Grammys, Best Supporting Actor, 4 Golden Globes, and 2 Screen Actors Guild awards, amongst others, has been described as ‘maudlin.' The definition of maudlin: drunk enough to be emotionally silly, and weakly and effusively sentimental. Williams portrays the Clown in all of us. We humans recognize this Clown knack because sometimes we have to be brought up and

GET R ADS YOUHERE! IN

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Uranus goes retrograde on Saturday, Virgo, offering an anchoring of sorts. Anchored ships or boats may travel, however only in a circular fashion. Now is the time to travel full-circle, finish up this particular leg of your pre-summer journey—a final goodbye to the consistently inconsistence of Spring. Feel the tug. Anchors ahoy!

ads@thealchemistweekly.com

B&J Bookbinding New Binding - Restoration Repairs - Bibles

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libra, I challenge you to participate in some made-up, quirky game such as kaleidoscope hockey, jump rope tweezing, mattress-trancing, or bald, blue-belly balderdashing. Humor yourself and your others.

108 SW 3rd St • Corvallis • 541.757.9861

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Sinking ships leave life-saving debris floating on the surface. The trick is to remain afloat. Scorpio, use the odds and ends to design something better. Half Moon on Friday gives greater opportunity for success. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Summer abounds with growth. Earth pushes life from within. Ever known someone in early stages of pregnancy? Strange desires, a quelling in the stomach, so much to do, so much to prepare for. So much change. Kind of like reloading a quiver, Sag. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I’ve decided to start the habit of talking to myself and answering. Perhaps, Cappi, you could make this your habit as well. If you speak out loud, you will listen. Perhaps, the forces not apparent in alchemy, energy focused upon, will bring about concrete ideas. Aquarius ( Jan. 20-Feb.18): Apparently those funky fungi have more uses than a rubber band, safety pin or duct tape. Besides being yummy, poisonous, decomposers, and recyclers, they can filter much better than the finest sieve. According to Paul Stamets of Washington state, they have the ability of ‘mycofiltration,’ meaning they can decrease amounts of E. coli in ground water, aid in healing of some cancers in women, and break down heavy oils. Aquarian, set yourself the task of ‘thinking inside the Earth.’ Perhaps we could become a mushroom planet. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): If you’re looking to increase the strength of the warrior within you Pisces, look to the Holly Tree. The Celtic month of the Holly Tree starts on Friday. Anyone who has ever come into contact with this tree knows the sting of its barbs and the beauty of the red berries and shiny leaves. Inside beauty; outside armor.

Thank you for naming us your Favorite Musical Instrument Store! Sales • Service • Rentals

137 SW Third Street, Corvallis • (541) 754-6098 WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM • JULY 5, 2011 • 13

LITERATI “dream; Imploding Star” - Part V

Anatomy

Chronicles of Detective Siempre by T. Clarence

e needs an outlet," Detective Candy Siempre had told Coach Wandreson sternly the day after Xander's Civil War dream, "He's a natural leader." 'The Wonder' had stared back at Candy coldly from across his desk, "That's it? You're trying to tell me that that's the answer to all his problems?" "He's always been team captain and in charge of his men," Candy sat up resolutely and continued as the coach tried to interrupt him, "I'm not suggesting you let Xander replace Peel as captain. Yesterday we spent an afternoon with him coaching some local kids and by the time we got into his dreams afterwards he wasn't leading, he was part of the team again. It was like he'd used up his leadership reserve." 'The Wander' opened his mouth to speak but Candy cut him off. "You order him around on and off the field and it stifles him. That's the root of the problem. If you can't let him loose in a game, set up some weekly scrimmages and have him captain the other team, something like that." The coach had held his mouth open the whole time, ready to speak, but now he closed it without a word and sat back, lost in thought. A week went by, then two. Xander's suspension ended and Number 10 returned to the football field playing better than ever. It had been a surprise for Candy when, after another week, Coach Wandreson showed up at his office. The look on his face was not humble, but if possible, 'The Wonder' looked a bit wiser. The detective hurried to stamp out his cigarette as Wandreson walked in, but the

older man paid no mind to it as he crossed the room and took a seat. "I have to thank you, detective," he spoke first. Candy wanted to respond, but waited; he could tell Wandreson had more to say. "Letting Xander captain the opposing team in scrimmages hasn't just been good for him, it's given me some new ideas as well," the coach seemed more relaxed than the detective had ever seen him, "Some day when Peel has moved on, Xander will be team captain, no doubt." "That's great," Candy said genuinely. He truly was a fan of the Cascadian 'Copias football team. "Is there anything more I can do for you, coach?" He had sensed the man had something in mind. "Call me Amos," the coach surprised him once, and then once more, "I'd like to do something for you, and for those kids he's been coaching. I don't want to seem like I'm trying to interfere with his, umm... project." "What can I do for you?" Candy repeated. "I have these front row tickets," Wandreson could barely hold them all in one hand as he set them on the detective's desk, "Right on the midfield line." And so they sat under the blaring stadium lights that Saturday night, Candy and his sister Derry, with ten starry-eyed kids to either side of them. "Goal!" they raised their hands triumphantly in the air and held their shout for as long as each of them had breath. With three goals already it was Xander's best game with the 'Copias yet. Number 10 ran triumphantly back towards midfield, cheered on by his teammates and thousands of fans. He raised a hand to high-five the detective and the kids before circling back to the field as the game went on.

by Amy Edinger

In certain morning lights, her skin grew transparent— so pale it faded into illusion, exposing the complex interplay of veins winding through her anatomy, pale purple and blue. Under the window, he would unfold her like a road map, and she would lie on her back with closed eyes and let him trace the lines, feeling the light touch as he followed their course with a single finger across stomach, arms, chest, until the veins entangled in intricate contours, a labyrinth of spiderwebs encircling her legs and wrists. His fingers could not identify the proper route to breach the distance of white skin, so he pressed his whole body to hers, feeling their forms align with each inhalation.

COBBLESTONE SQUARE • 14th and MONROE • Suite C • (541) 752-7463

He said she looked like a dreamcatcher, woven in precise patterns, forming immeasurable shapes letting the gold sun filter through her web of blue intersecting lines that diverged towards her edges. Maybe that’s why he could never dream when he lay with her, their breath synched, his chest rising as hers fell, respiration etching outlines of stories in the air. Instead, he woke seconds after he slept, feeling the soft press of a pulse navigating her veins, the rhythmic thrum a reminder of places still unseen.

DISC SKATE GLASS

Independently Owned since 2006

1110 NW Van Buren Corvallis, OR 541.754.4257

fresh • local • organic good-for-you foodchoices Your shopping make a difference.

South Corvallis 1007 SE 3rd St 541-753-3115 Open 7-9 North Corvallis NW 29th & Grant 541-452-3115 Open 7-9

www.firstalt.coop

14 • JULY 5, 2011 • WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM

He tried to travel with her, to follow the progression of a heartbeat through every vessel, vein and capillary, until it returned as she breathed. He tried to envision the trajectory of an internal network branching throughout her limbs to reach every cell.

The Co-op Thank you for Breakfast supporting a healthy planet. Solution!

South Store: Breakfast Bar $7.99/lb both stores: Hot Organic Oatmeal $1.59

honey

let's go out

Put on your 3D goggles.

Corvallis

...only works with LSD

Aqua Seafood Restaurant & Bar 151 NW Monroe Ave. 541.752.0262

Thursday, July 7th

Rusty Hinges

Albany

Albany Civic Theater

500 SW 2nd St 541.753.7442

Alleyoop Lounge

101 NW Jackson Ave. 541.757.0694

111 First Ave. SW 541.928.4603 901 Pacific Blvd 541.941.0977

Saturday, July 9th

Jawbone Flats

Bogey’s Bar & Grill

129 W 1st Ave. 541.929.8900

Calapooia Brewing

140 Hill St. NE 541.928.1931

Sunday, July 10th

Blues Jam

Cappies Brewhouse

211 1st Ave W 541.926.1710

Cascade Grill

110 Opal St. NW 541.926.3388

Chasers Bar & Grill

140 NE Hill St Albany, OR 541.928.1931

32994 Hwy 99E, Tangent, OR 541.926.2767

Favorite Mistake Sports Bar

2211 Waverly Dr. SE 541.981.2376

Humpty’s Dump Bar & Grill

916 Old Salem Rd NE 541.926.3111

JP’s Restaurant & Lounge

220 2nd Ave. 541.926.5546

Lariat Lounge 901 Pacific Blvd SE 541.928.2606

Linger Longer Tavern

145 SW Main St. 541.926.2174

Lucky Larrys Lounge 1296 S Commercial Way SE 541.928.3654

Riley’s Billiards Bar & Grill 124 Broadalbin St SW 541.926.2838

Wilhelm’s Spirits & Eatery Open Daily: 11 am - 11 pm • Happy Hour: 3-6pm & 9-close www.ﬂattailcorvallis.com

Bombs Away Café 2527 NW Monroe Ave. 541.757.7221

China Delight Restaurant 325 NW 2nd St. 541.753.3753

Clodfelter’s Cloud 9

GameTime Sports Bar & Grill

202 SW 1st St. • Corvallis, OR • (541) 753-8533

300 SW Jefferson Ave. 541.758.2077

Dixie Creek Saloon

2300 Northeast Front Ave. 541.926.2739

KLCC Microbrew Festival in Eugene, OR

Block 15

1501 NW Monroe Ave. 541.758.4452

Front Street Bar

“People’s Choice Award”

Big River Restaurant & Bar

435 SE 2nd Ave 541928.9634

5420 Pacific Blvd. 541.903.0034

Winner of the 2011

The Beanery on 2nd

1520 Pacific Blvd SE 541.926.7001

126 SW 1st St. 541.753.9900

Murphy’s Tavern

2740 SW 3rd St. 541.738. 7600

Papa’s Pizza

1030 S.W. Third St. 541.757.2727

Peacock Bar & Grill

125 SW 2nd St. 541.754.8522

Squirrel’s

100 SW 2nd St. 541.753.8057

Sunnyside Up Café

116 NW 3rd St 541.758.3353

Suds & Suds

1045 NW Kings Blvd. 541.758.5200

Troubadour

521 SW 2nd St. 541.752.7720

Tyee Wine Cellars 26335 Greenberry Rd. 541.753.8754

Wanted Saloon 140 NW 3rd St.

WineStyles

Crowbar

2333 N.W. Kings Blvd. 541.738.9463

Darrell’s Restaurant & Lounge

Artisian’s Well Lounge

DEL Alma

Cornerstone Café & Pub

214 SW 2nd St. 541.753.7373

2200 NW 9th St. 541.752.6364 136 SW Washington Ave, Ste. 102 - 541.753.2222

Downward Dog

130 SW 1st St. 541.753.9900

Enoteca Wine Bar

136 SW Washington Ave. 541.758.9095

Fireworks Restaurant & Bar 1115 SE 3rd 541.754.6958

Flat Tail Pub

202 SW 1st St. 541.758.2219

Greenberry Store & Tavern

29974 HWY 99W 541.752.3796

Harrison Bar & Grill 550 NW Harrison Blvd. 541.754.1017

Impulse

Lebanon

2250 South Main Rd. 541.451.3900

180 S 5th St. 541.847.6262

Duffy’s Irish Pub 679 South Main St. 541.259.2906

Fire Pit Lounge

2230 South Santiam Hwy 541.451.2010

GameTime Sports Bar & Grill

3130 South Santiam Hwy 541.570.1537

Merlin’s Bar & Grill 25 W. Sherman St. 541.258.6205

Peacock Bar & Grill East

76 E. Sherman St. 541.451.2027

Sports Shack & Deli

1250 Grant St. 541.259.0800

Philomath

1425 NW Monroe Ave. 541.230.1114

High 5 Sports Bar & Grill

La Bamba Mix Night Club

Meet’n Place Tavern

126 SW 4th St. 541.207.3593

Luc

134 SW 4th St. 541.753.4171

1644 Main St.-541.929.7529 1150 Mian St. 541.929.3130

Wine Vault

1301 Main St. 541.929.8496

Wing Sing Restaurant & Lounge 658 Main St. 541.929.6255

WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM • JULY 5, 2011 • 15

Three and half years of production One year of newsprint 184 consecutive weeks of community love

THE A LC H E M I S T

One night to celebrate Thursday, July 14th SubZero • 126 SW 4th St • Corvallis, OR

Locally owned and operated

20% off MSRP on most items for our military Veterans. Commercial,Agriculture, Business and Community Garden pricing too.

t igo

die te ime rt

lick sp

Mon - Sat • 10:00 am - 6:00 pm 32067 Old Hwy 34• Tangent, OR 541.928.3431 www.samuraigreenhousesupply.com

119 sw 4th corvallis, or, 97333

lickspigot.com

ter na

Home Fermentation Supplies & Packaged-Goods-To-Go!

541-758-1674

plex i