Gorge Local Magazine December 2022

Published by

Active Media Publishing Group

PO Box 672 · Aurora, OR 97002 info@ActiveMediaUSA.com 503.825.2111

ADMINISTRATION

Matthew Nelson, Publisher Catrina Nelson, CFO

Tara Weidman, Executive Assistant

Donovan Darling, Content Manager

PRODUCTION

Jeremy Okai Davis, Art Director

Stacy Benner, Sr. Graphic Designer

Holly Darling, Sr. Graphic Designer

Shawn Schmidt, Sr. Graphic Designer

Hilary Berg, Sr. Graphic Designer

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Tyler Francke Dennis McNabb

David Bates Robert Matsumura

Patti Jo Brooks Olive Gallagher

Angie Helvey Sherry Dorn

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Carly Carpenter Kara Langley

Laurel Bice Hayley Starkey

Malaina Kinne Angie Helvey Brittney Waterman Henry Schifter Andrew Sambuceto

ADVERTISING SPECIALISTS

Don Ormsby Bill Kistler

Stephanie Baker Jim Belan

Peggy Jacobs David Long

Chris O’Brien John Zobrist

Brad Marti Shelley Zeman Tina Toney Darren Dwyer Ashley Berotte

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COVER PHOTO BY HENRY SCHIFTER

Welcome to Gorge Local Magazine

Welcome to the preview issue of Gorge Local Magazine, a bi-monthly publication meant for you, the proud residents of the Columbia Gorge. Inside every edition you’ll find community and spotlight articles, as well as promotions from local businesses.

On the cover, Larry Williams, owner of Affordable Floors and Abbey Carpet & Floors in Hood River, welcomes customers to his new location on Osprey Drive. After 25 years on 13th Street, the company has moved to a new showroom, providing more space but with the same friendly service that has always been the company’s foundation. Free estimates, lifetime warranties, and a 60-day guarantee also play into the great success of the local flooring outfit.

Just as the Gorge offers ways of improving your home, the area also knows a thing or two about good food. Discover the story of El Puerto de Angeles III. Originally from Tepatitlán in Jalisco, Mexico, owner/operator Erik Lopez moved to Hood River and purchased the restaurant, then called El Tapatio, from the previous owner who came from the same Mexican hometown. Erik opened in January 2008 and has been serving authentic, delicious Mexican cuisine ever since.

This issue also highlights Les Schwab Tire Center, serving the Hood River community since 1960. Located south of I-84 off Exit 62, Hood River’s Les Schwab is led by manager Mark Russell who’s been with Les Schwab for 29 years. Come spring, Mark will be celebrating 15 of those years at the Hood River store, where a variety of automotive services — not just tires — are offered.

Ever curious about the story of Timberline Lodge, or the history of peppermint and gingerbread? If so, we have it covered. Both articles, no doubt, will get you in the festive winter mood, which brings me to shopping...

Packed throughout this publication are great local deals and specials from some of the Gorge’s finest restaurants, retail shops, home improvement specialists, and more.

Our next issue will be out just in time for February. Until then, we hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

Sincerely, Shelley Zeman

Gorge Local Magazine

PS: If you have a business that serves residents in the Gorge area and would like to partner with us, please give me a call at 541-490-3608.

From Tepatitlán with Love

El Puerto de Angeles III delights with mouthwatering Mexican cuisine

By Angie Helvey, Contributing Writer Photos by Henry Schifter

There are many aspects to love about Hood River, whether it’s the gorgeous views of Mount Hood, windsurfing on the beach, beer and wine tasting, exploring the quaint small-town shops, or the fantastic dining options. Just ask Erik Lopez, owner and operator of El Puerto De Angeles III. Originally from Tepatitlán in Jalisco, Mexico, Erik moved to Hood River and purchased the restaurant, then called El Tapatio, from the previous owner who came from the same Mexican hometown. Erik opened El Puerto De Angeles III in January 2008 and has been serving up the most delicious, authentic Mexican cuisine in town ever since.

The menu at El Puerto De Angeles III has a huge variety of classic Mexican dishes, all homemade recipes with high-quality, fresh ingredients. The Big Boy Platters are a popular item, especially ones that include the carne asada (juicy, flavorful charbroiled skirt steak), which can be paired with camarones (succulent prawns cooked either a la diabla — deviled — or al mojo de ajo — infused with garlic butter), chicken, or classic choices like enchiladas, tacos, tamales, and chile relleno. The seafood plates are also a customer favorite, offering lots of tasty selections such as pescado frito (whole fried fish cooked to perfection and served on a bed of lettuce, garnished with tomatoes, onions, and avocado slices, accompanied by rice, beans, and tortillas), raw oysters on the half shell, and more than 10 different shrimp dishes.

Customers can peruse the extensive menu and choose whatever strikes their fancy, such as chicken, steak, and pork entrées, as well as fajitas, enchiladas, burritos, soups, salads,

combination plates, and a large selection of vegetarian options. And don’t forget to save room for dessert. They serve everything from fried ice cream and creamy flan to crispy sopapillas and apple chimichangas

Erik crafts a fantastic margarita and El Puerto De Angeles III has plenty of other cocktail options as well. “We make micheladas, palomas, and we also have different flavors of margaritas: peach, kiwi, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, huckleberry, and prickly pear,” Erik says. More choices are available via the extensive cocktail menu, and a great beer and wine selection is also available, including crisp and refreshing Mexican beer.

Erik strives to maintain a comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere and El Puerto De Angeles III has a slew of local regulars. Customer service is his highest priority, and that’s what keeps people coming back, as well as the mouthwatering food.

Whether you’re a local looking for a new spot or a visitor making your way through the Columbia Gorge, stop by El Puerto De Angeles III to try the best Mexican fare in Hood River. Enjoy a hot, authentic Mexican meal inside, or take your icy margarita out on the patio if the weather is nice.

El Puerto De Angeles III is located at 1306 12th St. in Hood River. View their menu and order online at puertodeangeles3. com, or give them a call at (541) 308-0005. They’re open 10:30 am to 8:30 pm, six days a week, and Wednesday 4:30 to 8:30 pm.

Running Strong

Serving Hood River Since 1960

By Patti Jo Brooks, Contributing Writer

Did you know your local Les Schwab Tire Center has served the Hood River community since 1960? And that it’s the seventh store Les Schwab ever built? With history like that, it’s no wonder people look to the familiar red and yellow logo when they need new tires. And it doesn’t stop there. Les Schwab offers additional tire services to keep you safe on the road, as well as brakes, wheels, alignments, shocks, and batteries. They specialize in servicing commercial vehicles too!

Located just south of I-84 off Exit 62, Hood River’s Les Schwab is headed up by manager Mark Russell who’s been with Les Schwab for 29 years. Come spring, Mark will be celebrating 15 of those years at the Hood River store.

As severe weather hits the Gorge, Mark’s focus is on customer safety. Mark says, “My philosophy — and I was raised pretty old school — is that I personally will do anything and everything I can to make sure everybody’s completely safe on the road.” He adds, “We’re coming in early, and staying as late as we can to take care of every customer who walks through. Obviously, first responders don’t wait. They come in, and we take care of them.”

Just in time for winter, Hood River’s Les Schwab Tire Center completed a major remodel at their location and moved into the new space in early November. The bays, which had been outside and exposed to the brutal winter weather of the Gorge — known for freezing temperatures, wind, rain, and snowing sideways — now occupy four highly-efficient heated indoor areas. In addition, customers will be pleased with the new open

and inviting office setup. “When all is said and done,” Mark says, “it’ll be a night and day difference for the customers and the crew.”

As a manager and a person, Mark genuinely appreciates every member of his crew; many had come onboard even before he did. One of Mark’s duties as manager is hiring. He may look for an individual with some mechanical experience, but it’s not a requirement. “Les Schwab’s a different kind of company — it’s that simple,” he explains. “We like to teach and train people based on the foundation of what Les created in 1952.” The goal is to hire people who possess those old-school qualities. “When I interview someone, I look for character and an outgoing personality,” Mark states clearly. “Attitude is everything. How you approach your job, your customers, and your whole life.” Mark talks of the importance of his crew, that they are his “backbone.” He stresses that the crew is his top priority, and as such, these highly-valued, quality individuals will take better care of the customers by making them a top priority.

Mark sought out Les Schwab as a second career following his time in the Air Force National Guard, where he was hired as a civil servant to work full time on military airplanes. Coming from a family of “Les Schwab people,” he couldn’t help but consider the retirement benefits and long-term career opportunities the company had to offer. “People thought I was about half crazy to go from working on jets to changing tires,” he says and chuckles.

When Mark’s not “changing tires,” his No. 1 hobby is hunting and fishing. Hobby No. 2 is raising cattle on the side just for fun. However, family comes “very” first, he points out. Mark and his wife, Shawna, have called Hood River home for the last 15 years now. “I love it here,” he affirms. “I try to be involved with all the local community activities, especially schools.” Mark attends and donates to silent auctions for the schools, 4-H, and FFA. He’s all about supporting the community. “It’s not about the advertising,” he says candidly. “I want to give back to the community, because they give to me.”

Les Schwab Tire Center in Hood River is located at 3140 Cascade Ave. Call them at (541) 386-1123 or visit their website at lesschwab.com/stores/or/hood-river, where you’ll see Mark greeting you mid-page! Regular hours of operation are Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm and Saturday, 8am–5pm.

Manager Mark Russell

New Location, Same Fantastic Flooring

Affordable Floors and Abbey Carpet & Floors moves to spacious, new showroom

By Patti Jo Brooks, Contributing Writer Photos by Henry Schifter

Affordable Floors, a longstanding Hood River business, teamed up in 2002 with Abbey Carpet & Floors, a nationwide purchasing group. After 25 years on 13th Street, they recently moved to a spot on Osprey Drive. This new location provides Affordable Floors and Abbey Carpet & Floors with more space and features a much larger, newly remodeled showroom. “Everybody who walks in, is just in awe of the showroom,” says owner Larry Williams. “It’s eyepopping.” Supplying both residential and commercial flooring, Affordable Floors and Abbey Carpet & Floors offer customers “hometown service” along with the best prices available.

The new location allows larger trucks to get in and out easier, and load vans quicker and easier, too, which, in turn, serves as a benefit to the customers. Free estimates, lifetime warranties, and a 60-day guarantee play their part as well in the customer’s experience. Leading the list, however, would be the 30-plus years of local ownership by the same individual.

Never changing hands, all aspects of the business have stayed in house. Larry Williams, the owner, manages the showroom, takes orders, does the measuring, and completes installations. He does have help, but his own schedule finds him in the office

two days a week and installing three days a week. Jim Hart, who’s been with Larry at Affordable Floors for 30 years, works as a full-time installer, and a few subcontractors also help install. Rounding out the staff is Larry’s daughter-in-law, Noe Williams, who runs both the showroom and the office.

Larry and a business partner started Affordable Floors in 1992. With a college degree and some retail experience, they decided to “hop into floor covering,” Larry says. “We hit the ground running and never looked back.” Two years ago, his partner wanted to retire, so Larry bought his portion.

Larry grew up in Hood River, left for college, and came back to become a mainstay of the community. He raised three sons with his wife of 37 years, and is blessed with three granddaughters. When it’s his turn to retire, Larry hopes to pass the business onto a family member or a friend.

Customers have a deep appreciation for the personal owner/ seller relationship that Affordable Floors has to offer. They trust the experience and reputation of the business, and the quality product of Abbey Carpet & Floors.

Whether you’re looking for hardwood, carpet, vinyl, ceramic tile, or something else, Larry claims, “Our showroom has, by far, the biggest and best selection in the Gorge.” Check out the line of luxury vinyl plank wood look or tile look flooring. Upload a picture of your room on the website to see how the selections would look in your own home.

Visit Affordable Floors and Abbey Carpet & Floors Showroom at 1512 Osprey Dr. Unit B, in Hood River. Call at (541) 386-7799, email at floors@gorge.net, or visit affordablefloorshr.com.

From right: Owner Larry Williams, wife Lisa, daughter-in-law Noe with granddaughter Lacey, and longtime installer Jim Hart.

Peppermint & Ginger The History of Christmas Treats

By Donovan Darling, Staff Writer

German choir boys, Egyptian pharaohs, the Brothers Grimm, and Queen Elizabeth I all shaped our Christmas treats and their storied past.

Decorate your Christmas tree, stir your hot cocoa, or eat a classic treat, because candy canes are the most versatile and best-selling non-chocolate candy during December, with almost 2 billion produced every year. But did you know that candy canes were likely invented for fidgety German choirboys?

Data suggests the candy cane goes back to 1670, when the Cologne Cathedral choirmaster in Germany needed to quiet down his choir boys during the Living Creche ceremony (live nativity scene). Carly Schildhaus of the National Confectioners Association says “[he] handed out sugar sticks among his young singers to keep them quiet.” It’s rumored the church elders were upset because sweets were inappropriate in church, so the choirmaster shaped the sugar sticks into shepherd crooks (like the nativity scene) to appease the church elders. This could be a coincidence, however, as candy canes were likely hung on Christmas trees during this time, along with fruit and cookies.

11th century Europe when the Crusaders brought ginger back from the Middle East. Once ginger became more affordable, gingerbread gained popularity.

Early European recipes for gingerbread called for ginger, sugar, rosewater, stale breadcrumbs, and ground almonds, which were mashed into a paste and pressed into wooden molds. These work-of-art molds made a storyboard that told the major news and took the shapes of kings, queens, emperors, and more. Cookies were sometimes decorated with edible gold or flat white icing.

Interestingly, candy canes used to be only white for hundreds of years. It wasn’t until the early 20th century and the advent of mass production that the iconic red-striped peppermint candy cane came into existence.

According to Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Germanic mythology, honey was a gift of the gods with the power to heal, give life, and banish demons. Gingerbread, in its early form as spiced honeybread, was found in pharaohs’ tombs dating to 1500 BC. Later, a more modern gingerbread appeared in

In 16th century England, flour replaced the stale breadcrumbs, and sweeteners and eggs were added. Incredibly, Queen Elizabeth I is credited for creating the first gingerbread man, which shocked visiting dignitaries who were given cookies made in their likeness. At fairs, gingerbread was tied with a ribbon and exchanged as a token of love. The gingerbread house gained popularity in Germany after the Brothers Grimm published their fairy tales, including “Hansel and Gretel,” in the 19th century. Later, German immigrants brought this lebkuchenhaeusle to America.

Today, gingerbread is often made with ginger, anise, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweetened with honey, corn syrup, brown sugar, or molasses. It comes in many forms, such as gingerbread people, houses, ginger snaps, and more. So when you’re munching on a gingerbread man or hanging candy canes on your Christmas tree, remember the countless individuals who quite literally shaped these fascinating treats!

A legacy of vision and hope

The History of Timberline Lodge

By Robert Matsumura, Contributing Writer

What trip to Mount Hood is complete without a visit to Timberline Lodge? As an Oregonian you are likely familiar with this iconic landmark nestled at the base of the state’s most prominent mountain, but are you aware that this historic alpine retreat was developed as a symbol of hope during one of the bleakest periods in American history?

Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was established in 1935 as a program to boost the economy by funding state and city projects. These public works projects generated jobs for millions of unemployed Americans victimized by the catastrophic economic downturn triggered by the stock market crash of 1929—known today as the Great Depression.

Timberline Lodge was conceptualized by a number of individuals including Jack Meier of the Mount Hood Development

Timberline Lodge, summer

Association, Francis E. (Scotty) Williamson Jr. of the United States Forestry Service, and Emerson J. Griffith, the WPA Director for Oregon. Timberline Lodge was envisioned as a triumphant symbol of the WPA, and a shining example of what it could achieve.

After funding approval from the WPA in December of 1935, Gilbert Stanley Underwood was selected as the lead architect for the project. Underwood had already successfully designed lodges at many national parks, including Yosemite and Bryce Canyon. Similar to the other lodges Underwood had completed, Timberline was planned as a rustic, asymmetrical structure with a rough-hewn style reminiscent of the region’s early pioneers. Underwood also suggested the lodge incorporate native materials, and that decorative elements be implemented honoring both the area’s Indigenous peoples and the pioneer settlers who had arrived on the Oregon Trail.

Constructed between 1936 and 1938, the total cost of Timberline Lodge was $695,730, of which 80 percent of the cost went to labor. Skilled trade workers made ninety cents an hour, and unskilled laborers received fifty-five cents an hour. A number of

Ironwork at Timberline, Courtesy Oregon State Library

the stonemasons were Italian immigrants and had been brought over from their homeland to work on the Historic Columbia River Highway. Workers were housed in a nearby tent city at Camp Zig Zag and Summit Meadow.

Two key goals of the WPA were to foster independence through training and to encourage private enterprise. Ray Neufer, who was in charge of the Oregon WPA woodworking shop, explained that many of the men who crafted the newel posts (support pillars for stairwells) were inexperienced as carvers. Neufer recalled: “Most of the men came in from construction projects and they didn’t know they could do some of the things they did. Most of them had been out of work a long time, then on construction jobs, and they had lost their self-confidence.”

Material costs for the lodge were kept to a minimum by utilizing recycled materials. Female seamstresses wove upholstery, drapery, and bedspreads. Hooked rugs were fashioned from old Civilian Conservation Corps camp blankets. Discarded cedar utility poles became lodge posts, their crowns hand-carved in the shape of seals, birds, and bears. Tire chains were welded into fireplace screens. And the signature iron work, as well as andirons, were crafted from railroad tracks.

The decorative and stylistic elements of Timberline Lodge were directed by Margery Hoffman Smith, the Oregon Arts Project Administrator for the Federal Arts Project. Smith created many of the beautiful patterns for the textiles and rugs, and she designed the iconic “Snow Goose,”

the 750-pound bronze weathervane perched atop the lodge. Smith’s inspiration for the forms and motifs resplendent throughout the lodge are derived from the art of the Tenino, an Indigenous people of the area. Smith, too, recalled how many of the workers on the project successfully transitioned their skills into new areas: “Carpenters became cabinet makers, blacksmiths became art metal workers, and sewing women became expert drapery makers.” For her work on Timberline Lodge, Smith earned the title of “Grand Dame” of the Arts and Crafts style, and in 1979 Governor Vic Atiyeh awarded her the Governor’s Award for the Arts.

While on tour of government projects in the Western United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Timberline Lodge on September 28, 1937, five months before its opening to the public. He and his First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, arrived at the lodge via an open touring car, escorted by a motorcade of forty vehicles. As they wound their way up the Mount Hood Loop Road, horsemounted Forest Service personnel lined the roadway to salute and wave. From the terrace overlooking the main entrance, Roosevelt addressed a gathering of 1200 community members. “This venture was made possible by WPA emergency relief work,” he said, “in order that we may test the workability of recreational facilities installed by the government itself.” To this day, Roosevelt’s dedication on a bronze tablet is set in stone on the lodge terrace.

Following completion, Timberline Lodge was turned over to the U.S. Forest Service in January 1938, and opened to the public on February 4th of the same year. The Magic Mile chairlift was completed by the Riblet Tramway Company, and the WPA built the Silcox Warming Hut at the top of the lift.

Timberline Lodge was closed during World War II, but reopened again in 1945. However, discovering that the lodge and ski facilities had not been maintained properly, the U.S. Forest Service revoked the operating permit. Months later, Richard L. Kohnstamm was awarded an operating permit. He successfully restored the lodge, re-established ski education programs, and oversaw the construction of an outdoor swimming pool. In 1975, convention facilities were also added, and in 1981 the

Wy’East Day Lodge was built across the parking lot to serve the recreational skiers. Although Kohnstamm passed away in 2006, his family continues to operate the lodge through R.L.K. and Company.

Not surprisingly, Hollywood also found Timberline Lodge appealing. The exterior views of Timberline Lodge were used in the movie The Shining. Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the bestselling Stephen King novel depicted Timberline Lodge as the fictitious Overlook Hotel.

In 1975, the Friends of Timberline organization was formed to celebrate and preserve the heritage of Oregon’s signature mountain retreat. Two years later, on December 22, 1977, Timberline Lodge was designated as a National Historic Landmark, and the finest example of WPA mountain architecture. The next time you find yourself bound for Mount Hood, be sure to stop by Timberline Lodge. Stand atop the terrace where FDR stood, and appreciate the vision, commitment, and labor of the many men and women who made this grand concept into a reality, which generations of Oregonians have held so close to their hearts.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Timberline Lodge on September 28, 1937, five months before its opening to the public.

Timberline Lodge interior

Timberline Lodge plaque