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EXPLORE
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September | October
volume 70
You don’t have to go to the depths of the ocean to be a discoverer. Or produce one of the world’s first maps of the ocean floor, like Marie Tharp, a pioneering geologist and cartographer whose important work helped bring to life the unknown ocean world. You just have to chart your course to Discovery West. Nestled in Bend’s Westside, this community is alive with the spirit of discovery. Not to mention proximity to schools, parks, close-by trails and more. Visit discoverywestbend.com to learn about the neighborhood, Marie herself – and how you could even find your new home on Tharp Avenue. Or head on over to our Discovery Pod at the corner of Skyline Ranch Road and Celilo Lane and map out your future.
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Cornerstones TRACKING OREGON’S PROGRESS ECONOMIC MOBILITY
and
BELONGING IN OREGON
For the first time in U.S. history, young adults are less likely to earn more than their parents, shattering the timehonored belief that if you work hard, you’ll prosper. Family circumstances, educational experiences, race and ethnicity and a ZIP code all play a significant role on a child’s ability to get ahead — determining the rest of their life. To find out how a ZIP code impacts opportunity, download OCF’s newly-released report, “Cornerstones: Economic Mobility and Belonging in Oregon,” and learn about ways to advance economic mobility for future generations of Oregonians.
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6 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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Gorgeous Gastronomy photography by Aubrie LeGault FROM SALTED CARAMEL, passion and espresso truffles to chocolate bars named for iconic Hood River experiences, Jessica Wright pays homage to the fun and flavors of the community she loves through her culinary mastery and Columbia Gorge Confections. For instance, after kiteboarding all day you may get windburn, but try grabbing a bar of the same name. It’s Wright’s riff on an Almond Joy, upping the game and with dark Swiss and milk chocolate, almonds from Spain and toasted coconut from Hawaii. With deep roots in the Portland restaurant scene, her influence is something of a state secret. (pg. 64) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE 7
FEATURES SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021 • volume 70
80 Fantastic Fury
8
70
74
Form, Function, Financially Fit & Fabulous
Albina Rising
Oregon designers reveal the smartest ways to use $50,000 in home equity to boost your domicile style. Turns out, a little can go a long way.
An innovative path forward emerges after bulldozers, highways and development brought down Portland’s historic cultural hub of the Black community.
written by Melissa Dalton
written by Fiona Max
1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
Victor Jorgensen, courtesy Portland Art Museum © Estate of Victor Jorgensen
The compelling photographs of Portland-born Victor Jorgensen capture the fragility of human life under a guise of strength in the exhibit “Though There Be Fury on the Waves” commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the end of World War II last year.
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DEPARTMENTS SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021 • volume 70
LIVE 22 NOTEBOOK
Life off the grid, Oregon poetry and desert writing, Oktoberfest, meet the otter, spy swifts, a killer vintage market and music that uses living trees as instruments.
28 FOOD + DRINK ©dawndavisphotography, courtesy of Dawn and Brent Davis
A chef-butcher duo’s deli pop-up paves a path to a butcher shop/market/ restaurant in Portland. Jet to Bogota, Colombia and El Salvador through Portland’s best arepas. Top picks for the voracious vegan.
34 FARM TO TABLE
Oregon cranberries are not just for Thanksgiving anymore. Discover their juicy, tart-sweet versatility with four recipes, from savory to sweet.
42 HOME + DESIGN
Two 1920s Tudors’ renovations are a deft mix of old and new with a dash of the Parisian. DIY custom wainscotting to give any room dimension.
52 MIND + BODY
A yoga instructor once caught between two cultures creates yoga classes mixed with elements of powwow dancing.
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54 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
An Ashland playwright brings the Latinx experience to the stage, screen and the board of Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
THINK 58 STARTUP
A carbon manufacturing and aesthetic revolution in bike manufacturing in Bend is growing to meet demand and is poised to create buzz at the starting line of gravel races across the country.
60 WHAT’S GOING UP
Museums in Bend and Corvallis are positioned for a strong return after a rough year-and-a-half.
62 WHAT I’M WORKING ON
Jason McNeal Graham of Bend, better known as MOsley WOtta, discusses new frontiers he’ll tackle with his art after receiving a Fields Artist Fellowship.
64 MY WORKSPACE
40
Jay Yamada
Tambi Lane
Jessica Wright pays homage to the fun and flavors of the community she loves— through her artisan chocolate.
54 16 18 102 104
Editor’s Letter 1859 Online Map of Oregon Until Next Time
68 GAME CHANGER
Sudara of Bend brings services and economic opportunity to women trafficked in the sex trade, offering training and jobs in making and selling pajamas called Punjammies.
EXPLORE 90 TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT
Oregon’s best places for stargazing, including a few gaining global recognition as certified dark-sky destinations.
92 ADVENTURE
Challenge yourself to discover Oregon’s 100 best outdoor adventures with tips from a seasoned traveler who launched the idea.
94 LODGING
A historic hotel with an eccentric personality reflects the heart of Portland’s vibrant east side.
96 TRIP PLANNER
COVER
Venture ahead of the curve at the destination emerging as the next big wine-tasting town, with fun footgolf and epic hikes, too.
photo by Haris Kenjar Interior design by JHL Design (see Home + Design, pg. 42)
100 NW DESTINATION
Let Vancouver Island and Victoria, British Columbia satisfy a longing for bygone eras and culture.
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1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
COOK WITH ICONIC STYLE ACCLAIMED CHEF THOMAS KELLER U S ES HESTAN APPLIANCES IN A L L HIS RESTAURANTS I NC L U D I N G THE FRENCH LAUNDRY A N D BOUCHON. E A R N A F R E E D I N N E R AT T H E F R E N C H L A U N D R Y W H E N Y O U P U R C H A S E A Q U A L I F Y I N G H E S TA N PA C KA G E . ( $ 1 0 0 0 VA L U E )
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CONTRIBUTORS
TRAVIS HUGHES Writer Adventure “As a lifelong Oregonian and avid outdoor adventurer, nothing beats a rushing waterfall as far as I’m concerned. Three years ago, I embarked on a personal challenge to see 100 scenic places in Oregon. Because so many outdoor enthusiasts wanted to join in on the fun, I created the Oregon Outdoor 100 Challenge, which you can find on Facebook and Instagram @oregonoutdoor100.” (pg. 92) Travis Hughes strives to inspire readers to discover Oregon’s beauty and something about yourself along the way at www.oregonoutdoor100. wordpress.com.
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MELISSA DALTON Writer Form, Function, Financially Fit & Fabulous; Home + Design “I started my design writing career and bought a fixer-upper in Portland the same year. I’ve spent the ensuing decade listening to designers share their insights, while also overhauling my own house, often on a tight budget. So, I loved hearing the variety of tips and perspectives from Oregon designers on how to spend $50,000 on home improvements. As I’ve learned with my own home, good design can happen at any price point, as long as it’s personal.” (pg. 70) Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer, holds a master’s in English and studied at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies and Duke University Center for Documentary Studies.
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
AUBRIE LEGAULT Photographer My Workspace
AMANDA LOMAN Photographer Farm to Table
“Photographing fun entrées or beautiful cocktails is always a blast. However, the people behind the creations are my favorite images to capture. I love assignments where I get to photograph culinary experts in their realm. You can see the love they have for food, and photographing Jessica Wright with Columbia Gorge Confections was no different. She turned on tunes that put her in the chocolate-making mood and got to work pouring creamy milk chocolate into bars and whipping up marshmallows. The best perk of the job? Trying a few sweet treats.” (pg. 64)
“Generally when I think of cranberry farms, bright-red berries and flooded bogs come to mind, so it was really interesting to see the early season berries-in-progress at Peters’ Cranberries in Sixes. Hearing about the behind-thescenes work that Whit Peters; his mother, Sara Osborne; and their families put in on the farm was impressive, especially when you consider that this is a third-generation labor of love.” (pg. 34)
Aubrie LeGault is a freelance food and drink photographer. She lives in Portland with her husband and black lab.
Amanda Loman is an editorial photographer in the Willamette Valley. A native of New York state, she’s been lucky enough to explore in Oregon for most of the last decade.
Mount Baker Theatre
Leave Inspired. Treasure Hunt. Spark Museum of Electricity
Savor.
Marvel. Ready?
bellingham.org/plan Taste.
@BellinghamExperience T H E S TAT E O F W A S H I N G T O N
EDITOR-AT-LARGE Kevin Max
MANAGING EDITOR Cathy Carroll CREATIVE DIRECTOR Allison Bye
WEB MANAGER
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
OFFICE MANAGER
DIRECTOR OF SALES
HOMEGROWN CHEF BEERLANDIA COLUMNIST
Aaron Opsahl Elijah Aikens Cindy Miskowiec Jenny Kamprath Thor Erickson Beau Eastes
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Angela Ashberry, Melissa Dalton, Travis Hughes, Catherine LeMans, John Macdonald, Fiona Max, Sophia McDonald, Keith Moore, Ben Salmon, Lauren Sharp, Kelsey Swenson
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Brent Davis, Dawn Davis, Haris Kenjar, Tambi Lane, Aubrie LeGault, Amanda Loman
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All rights reserved. No part of this publiCation may be reproduCed or transmitted in any form or by any means, eleCtroniCally or meChaniCally, inCluding photoCopy, reCording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of Statehood Media. ArtiCles and photographs appearing in 1859 Oregon’s Magazine may not be reproduCed in whole or in part without the express written Consent of the publisher. 1859 Oregon’s Magazine and Statehood Media are not responsible for the return of unsoliCited materials. The views and opinions expressed in these artiCles are not neCessarily those of 1859 Oregon’s Magazine, Statehood Media or its employees, staff or management.
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FROM THE
EDITOR-AT-LARGE FALL IS HERE and with it, nesting. Maybe the kids are off at school, maybe not. Nevertheless, this is a moment when home and comfort become paramount, and our Home + Design issue is here to help. For better or for worse, home prices are soaring and, likely, so is home equity that can be put to higher and better use. On page 70, we probe the creative minds of trusted designers with the question of where to spend $50,000 in home equity for the best return on your money. In our regular Home + Design department, Melissa Dalton takes on alliteration and bathroom remodels in “A Tale of Two Tudors” on page 42. Two simply beautiful Portland bathrooms include one inspired by travels to Paris. The DIY component on page 48 teaches us how to install our own wainscotting for that extra classic touch. Our Trip Planner on page 96 takes us to northeast Oregon and to Milton-Freewater’s The Rocks District to sip wine in one of the best AVAs for syrah in Oregon.
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Turn to Gallery on page 80 to take in the stunning photography of Portland-born Victor Jorgensen, a Reed College student and a former editor of The Oregonian. Renowned modernist photographer Edward Steichen, a lieutenant commander who oversaw Naval photography selected him for his elite squad. Having celebrated last year’s 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, it’s amazing to look back on the young faces of the people who offered their lives to fight a fascist, racist dictator who sent millions of people to their death in concentration camps. The larger exhibit is on display at the Portland Art Museum until November 7. Finally, with all we’ve been through over the past year, it’s time to take a moment of healing and renewal for yourself. Read the inspiring story of Acosia Red Elk (page 52), who struggled to overcome race, loss and injury to find a new path of release through her own creation of powwow yoga. She invites all to join her.
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HAVE A PHOTO THAT SHOWS OFF YOUR OREGON EXPERIENCE? Share it with us by filling out the Oregon Postcard form on our website. If chosen, you’ll be published here. www.1859oregon magazine.com/ postcard photo by Dave Foley Just the right amounts of mist, sunlight and luck combine for a stunning view from Battle Rock Park in Port Orford.
A NEW WAY TO SHOP LOCAL
1859 ADVENTURE MAIL More Oregon, delivered to your inbox! Sign up for 1859’s Adventure Mail newsletter and get access to the latest trip ideas, contests, recipes and more. www.1859oregonmagazine.com/live/ subscribe-to-oregon-adventure-mail
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1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
Stop by Local, our curated online shop of cool goods made by businesses in the Pacific Northwest. Find home décor, jewelry, specialty foods and more. Or show your state pride with 1859 T-shirts, hats and other gear. Buy local. Feel good. www.1859oregonmagazine. com/shop
The Best Built Homes are Renaissance Homes
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NOTEBOOK 22 FOOD + DRINK 28 FARM TO TABLE 34 HOME + DESIGN 42 MIND + BODY 52
pg. 34 This quintessential fall berry is grown by 124 family farms across Oregon.
Amanda Loman
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 54
featuring
BEND DESIGN 2021 BEND DESIGN 2021 BEND DESIGN 2021 BEND DESIGN 2021 BEND DESIGN 2021 BEND DESIGN 2021 BEND DESIGN 2021 BEND DESIGN 2021 BEND DESIGN 2021 BEND DESIGN 2021 BEND DESIGN 2021 Angela Luna
Anisa Tavangar
Daniel Toole
Speakers, Films, Creativity & Conversation for Designers, Changemakers and the Curious
Dot Lung
Maya Bird-Murphy
Rob Lewis
BEND DESIGN 2021 BEND DESIGN 2021 in-person + virtual October 22, 2021
register today benddesign.org
Skye Morét
Robb Mills
notebook
camlark yo end ur ar
Tidbits + To-dos written by Kelsey Swenson
Mount Angel Oktoberfest Reflecting authentic Bavarian harvest festivals, Mount Angel brings Oktoberfest back for its fifty-sixth year September 16 through 19. Visit the Die Fruchtsäule symbol paying homage to the harvest before setting off on a cultural walkabout amid the sounds of alphorns, cowbells, brass, folk and polka, mingled with the wafting scent of sausages and performers kicking up their heels in the traditional Webertanz. Visit Mount Angel’s churches, monasteries, bookstores and biergarten before dancing into the night. www.oktoberfest.org Swift Watch Every September evening, as the sun slips below the Portland cityscape, humans flock to see tens of thousands of Vaux’s (pronounced vox’s) swifts, as the small, dark birds synchronously swirl into roosts on their annual migration from Canada to Central America. Onlookers gather at Chapman Elementary School in northwest Portland, the largest known roost of migrating Vaux’s swifts in the world, according to Portland Audubon. Take in the phenomenon of 16,000 swifts acrobatically darting into the tall chimney for the night. www.audubonportland.org/our-work/ rehabilitate-wildlife/having-awildlife-problem/vauxsswifts
ca mark le you nd r ar
ur r yo a k d ar m len
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Waterston Desert Writing Prize Kevin Fedarko, Kevin Fedarko author of The New York Times bestseller The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon, will speak at the High Desert Museum in Bend on September 30 as part of the Waterston Desert Writing Prize. A September 29 event celebrates prize honorees, including Joe Wilkins, author of the novel Fall Back Down When I Die, who also directs the creative program at Linfield University in McMinnville. www.highdesertmuseum.org
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Oregon Coast Aquarium
notebook
Fireweed Named for the first plant to grow after a fire, Fireweed, a treasured journal publishing Oregon poets, is living up to its name. After disappearing in 2002, its first digital issue has sprung forth through the ashes. To preserve the legacy of one of the longest running poetry journals, Fireweed’s archive project reaches back to its inaugural issue in 1990, creating a public timecapsule of state stanzas, digitally. Subscribe, submit work and indulge in the latest issue online. www.fireweedmag.org
You Otter Meet Earle Join the Oregon Coast Aquarium in welcoming Earle the sea otter pup, a success story that didn’t start out as one. Earle was found abandoned and was nursed back to health in Pacific Grove, California, before being brought to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, one of fifteen aquariums in the U.S. authorized to house rescued sea otters. Not only is Earle a charming subject for sea otter education, but a living example of wildlife support efforts. www.aquarium.org/earle
CA mark LE yo ND ur AR Rose City Vintage Market In a time when the unexpected seems inevitable, discover unexpected pieces and make them your own. The Rose City Vintage Market hits the Portland Metropolitan Expo Center September 24 and 25 with classic, on-trend classic threads, jewelry, decor and furnishings. After an unfortunate end to the popular Palm Springs Vintage Market, Mindy King has brought the project to a city it seemed made for. www.rosecityvintagemarket.com
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
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Elisa Terrazas Campbell
notebook
Musician
Deeply Rooted
Left Vessel’s music uses living trees as instruments written by Ben Salmon
Listen on Spotify
NICK BYRON CAMPBELL will say that he has been making music in the “normal” sense since his mid-teens. What’s normal? Playing instruments. Writing songs. Starting bands. Touring, recording, even signing to a record label. “It was an amazing experience,” said Campbell, who lives in Bend. “Wildly intense.” After a while, though, he felt his perspective shifting at about the same time the music industry was being revolutionized— not necessarily in a good way—by easily accessible recording software and digital streaming platforms. “I still love playing with bands, releasing records—that’s still a huge thing for me. But there’s just so much music and it’s been so intensely devalued as a good,” he said. “I think I just subconsciously started wondering how I could do this differently from the way 10,000 other people are doing it.” Inspired by a childhood encounter with the work of famed video artist Bill Viola, he started conceptualizing sound-driven art installations. He experimented with guitars and fishing line and sand, building “wild contraptions” that not only made music, but landed him a handful of gallery showings and bookings at art festivals. “That allowed me to keep building on it,” he says, “and that led me to where I am today.” 24
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In June, Campbell released his first solo album, One (and Driftless), under the name Left Vessel. It’s a twelve-track collection of buoyant, indie-folk songs built around the concept of connection—our connection with each other and our connection to nature. Four of the songs were written and recorded in the woods of Minnesota, where Campbell employed his latest invention: the “arbow”—a live tree that is strung and then played with a bow or by plucking, all in a way that doesn’t damage the tree. The result is a quartet of gorgeous tracks embellished by the chirping of birds, the crunch of dry leaves and the buzz of strings hanging from branches, pulled taut by the weight of rocks. Add Cambpell’s ethereal tenor and you end up with something that sounds like Sufjan Stevens singing forest hymns under starlit skies. The experience was eye-opening for Campbell, and it illuminated a path forward in his music career that he can’t wait to follow. “There’s a lot more experimenting to be done with this,” he said. “It’s a difficult instrument to play, but it lends itself to some interesting ideas and I’m excited to explore it more.”
HOOD RIVER
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Award-winning essayist Laurie Easter pens a rich memoir, All the Leavings.
Bibliophile
Wild Terrain A writer living off the grid navigates the wilds of nature and the human heart interview by Cathy Carroll
LAURIE EASTER LIVES off the grid on twenty-eight forested acres in a funky little cabin on the edge of wilderness in southern Oregon. Her essays have been awarded fellowships by the prestigious Vermont Studio Center and Playa in Summer Lake, published in many literary journals and anthologies, nominated for a Pushcart Prize and listed as notable in The Best American Essays 2015. She holds degrees from Southern Oregon University and Vermont College of Fine Arts. All the Leavings, being released in October by OSU Press, is her first book. The memoir navigates the rugged terrain of an alternative lifestyle and the hazards of the human heart, from encounters with cougars and the dynamics of mother-child relationships, to the destructive power of wildfires, the home birth of her second child and community bonds challenged by a tragic suicide. She takes readers deep into the heart of a stillwild Oregon, perilous yet rich with natural beauty. Tales of at-once relatable people unfold while capturing an interior life and the cinematic beauty of the West in prose that is, ultimately, a redemption song. 26
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Can you discuss your choice of a nonlinear, loosely chronological approach to this memoir? I find that even though life unfolds in a chronological fashion, the way our minds process memories—especially traumatic events—is not linear, but emotional and fragmentary. Sometimes a chronological narrative approach makes sense, and I tell a story that moves from A to B to C. Often, though, my writing reflects a nonlinear and experimental quality. I thrive on playing with fragments, their juxtaposition and metaphoric implications. The challenge is in the arrangement of each piece to create work that is formally creative yet still highly readable and engaging. Two of the essays in the book are in the forms of crossword and word-search puzzles. Tell us about life off the grid in southern Oregon and how it has helped and or hindered your writing. My husband and I moved to southern Oregon in 1989 when we were expecting our first child. We wanted to raise our family
rurally, in a place with strong community and an alternative lifestyle, and we knew a few people who lived here. I lost Steve to cancer in 2018, so life off-grid is much more challenging now, as I am solely responsible for the water and power systems, mowing and weed whacking, firewood, repairs, etc. This lifestyle has helped my writing by giving me lots of material to work with, although the events in All the Leavings take place before Steve’s death. Learning how to survive independently will be my next book. In writing about deeply personal things, how did you negotiate that territory knowing that others might recognize themselves in the book? One cannot write memoir without writing about other people because our experiences are relational to others. I commit myself as a narrator to a compassionate viewpoint. This does not mean I hold back from exploring challenging topics. But I try to be harder on myself than others. To protect privacy, I have changed a few names and identifying details.
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food + drink
Boneyard’s Blood Orange Pale Ale delivered joy during lockdown.
A LITER OR THREE OF BITBURGER PILS FROM STAMMTISCH A cold German beer on a hot day is always a good idea, but this summer, as Portland negotiated a record heat wave, the rounds of Bitburger were especially tasty. The Beerlandia staff was on an intense research mission that weekend and Stammtisch provided a much-needed home base—and a perfect all-day drinking beer.
HEDONIST IPA FROM SOLERA BREWING How about a hooray for good folks willing to share a picnic table with a stranger and watch your dog while you make beer runs inside? While attending a Covidpostponed wedding in Hood River in July, I made a detour into Parkdale’s Solera Brewing before the ceremony. Every outdoor seat was full, but two gals from Portland waved me and my pup over, shared their table and watched my 80-pound ball of energy during my multiple trips inside to grab what quickly became one of my favorite IPA’s of the year. Good beer, good people, great memory.
SILVER BULLETS IN SILVER LAKE Oh Coors Light, how you keep popping up in my life. In June, some bike-loving pals and I made a much anticipated bikepacking trip from Bend to the Cowboy Dinner Tree, just south of Silver Lake. The trip wasn’t that long—we camped just one night—but strong headwinds made the last half of the journey a bit more adventurous than expected. Arriving in Silver Lake a couple of hours before our reservation at the Tree, we celebrated our first buddies-trip in more than a year with a six-pack of Silver Bullets before we tackled 32-ounce steaks just down the road.
Beerlandia
Proof of God: Beer written by Beau Eastes THE QUOTE “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy,” is popularly attributed to Ben Franklin. While historians posit that he actually wrote this about wine, we have no doubt about the truth in this alleged misquote. The past year-and-a-half has been brutal for just about everyone we know. But beer, glorious beer, the cause and solution to all of life’s problems, has delivered some moments of happiness. Here are some beers that brought smiles to our faces during the past eighteen months:
Cocktail Card
28
DELIVERY BEERS FROM BONEYARD During peak pandemic, Bend’s Boneyard Beer pivoted hard and fast to cans, and their pub offered beer and food delivery. The world felt a little less depressing when Boneyard delivered a six-pack of Incredible Pulp, a blood orange pale ale, and a royale burger with fries to my house while I was out on a long gravel bike ride. I see it as just more evidence that whether Ben Franklin uttered that quote about beer or not, it’s right.
recipe courtesy of Hood River Distillers
• 1½ ounces Clear Creek • ½ ounce triple sec Pear Brandy • 1 tablespoon sugar • ½ ounce fresh(optional) squeezed lemon juice • Splash of soda water
Pear Sidecar
Shake brandy, lemon juice and triple sec with ice. Serve in a Collins glass and top with soda water. Sugared rim, optional.
1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
CRAVINGS: AREPAS
Glori Campbell
PURA VIDA
Locally sourced, ethically raised meat beefs up Pasture PDX’s classic Banhstrami Sandwich.
Gastronomy
Pasture PDX written by Lauren Sharp KEI OHDERA and John Schaible are working to cultivate and build a better Oregon for everyone—through meat. That belief is what has been driving the success of their Pasture PDX pop-up, #pastramiwithapassion, Sundays inside Tails & Trotters sandwich shop in Northeast Portland. The expansive deli counter is inspired by Ohdera and Schaible’s farm-to-table culinary roots. Following a two-year run, this chef-butcher duo is launching a brick-and-mortar butcher shop, market and restaurant in the Alberta Arts District, slated to open this winter. According to Pasture PDX’s philosophy, butchering and eating ethically raised meat is a lifestyle that serves the health of the land and community. This value rings true for both Ohdera, who was born in Japan and worked as chef in Tokyo before becoming fascinated by farm-to-table cuisine, and Schaible, who grew up hunting and butchering with his family of nine in rural Montana and became a veteran of Olympia Provisions’ butchery team. In the fall of 2018, Ohdera and Schaible began a quest to find high-quality meat reminiscent of what they’d served at chef Dan Barber’s landmark Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York, in 2014. They relocated to Oregon, assuming that serving the same kind of locally raised meat would be easy. They were seeking meat from mature cows. They scoured butcher shops and meat markets around the Portland metro area to no avail. The partners also discovered that meat “aged on the bone,” commonplace elsewhere, is not well-known in the U.S. The entrepreneurs created a concept that could maintain direct sourcing and support the whole system ethically and economically. “This took the help of the Oregon ranching community,” said Ohdera. “The ability for John and I to realize our vision for Pasture wouldn’t have been possible without our partners like Hannah Woods of Wandering Woods Farms and other Oregon ranchers seeking to raise cattle sustainably. Sourcing beef from retired dairy cows saves resources but (the flavor) also has an incredibly delicate, sweet, lactic, almost yogurt-like quality to it.” The new restaurant and butcher counter will include dishes such as roasted carrots in Ohdera’s house chili oil with garlic cultured cream, salad topped with braised beef shank and lunch classics such as cheeseburgers and pastrami sandwiches, and cured meats. #PASTRAMIWITHAPASSION AT TAILS & TROTTERS (THROUGHOUT THE FALL) 525 NE 24TH STREET PORTLAND PASTURE PDX (OPENING IN WINTER) 1413 NE ALBERTA STREET PORTLAND www.pasturepdx.com
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Wind down after a long day of wine tasting at McMinnville’s Pura Vida. Chef Ricardo Antúnez deftly interprets traditional Latin American dishes, drawing inspiration from that region, including Colombian classics. For arepas, stuffed cakes of fresh-ground cornmeal, choose between grilled chicken and smoked pork belly for savory adornment and playfully pair with a glass of crisp albariño. 313 NE 3RD STREET MCMINNVILLE www.puravidamac.com
TEOTE Stop by this Southeast Portland oasis’ colorful patio filled with lanterns and fire pits, and you’ll feel as if you’ve jetsetted to a Bogota cafetería. You won’t want to miss one of Portland’s largest selection of arepas, with options such as shredded brisket, plantain sauce and smoky pollo. 1615 SE 12TH AVENUE PORTLAND www.teotepdx.com/ teote-house-cafe
EL SITIO Owned and operated by the Monge family, this Eugene-based eatery serves the authentic flavors of Colombia and El Salvador. Try the house arepa llanera, topped with spiced shredded beef, fresh avocado, Cotija cheese, house-made pico de gallo and fried green plantain—add a side of the classic yucca fries for the complete experience. 4190 BARGER DRIVE EUGENE www.elsitiocolombianfood.com
Frame-Worthy Flavor Here in Corvallis there are distinct flavors for each season, locally sourced from regional farmers and foragers, brewers and winemakers. So no, you won’t find this at home. The memorable meals you’ll enjoy in Corvallis are truly farm to plate: a multisensory art form infused with regional character. Come taste and see what we mean by delightfully different.
visitcorvallis.com
food + drink
BEST PLACES FOR
TERRA VEG Plant-based cuisine gets Mediterranean flair here. Savor tangy tahini and za’atar-spiced eggplant in the “Zorba the Greek” sandwich and the satisfying house-made man’oushe hummus packed with fresh herbs and umami. Chef Liz Arraj’s passion for crafting delicious vegan dishes with healthy, environmentally sourced ingredients is evident in every bite. 249 EAST MAIN STREET KLAMATH FALLS www.facebook.com/KlamathVegan
Dining
ABOVE Left to right, Chefs Lauro Romero, Olivia Bartruff and Angel Medina. AT RIGHT Traditional quesadilla made of masa, stuffed with queso Oaxaca.
República written by Lauren Sharp
On their mission to serve as many vegan meals to the world as they can, this eatery offers flavor-packed comfort food minus the animal products. After choosing to switch to a vegan lifestyle in 2018, the owners crafted a menu inspired by their Midwestern roots. Try the creamy L.U.Y.S. mac n’ “cheeze” topped with chopped barbecued “ribz,” drizzled with dairy-free ranch and fresh green onion.
REPÚBLICA IS DISRUPTING the Portland food scene, taking a deep dive into the culinary roots of Mexican cuisine. It’s the brainchild of three chefs familiar to the city’s dining landscape: Angel Medina of Reforma Roasters; Lauro Romero of the acclaimed pop-up Clandestino PDX, and Olivia Bartruff, founder of Olivia B Sweets. In the spring, the trio launched the endeavor adjacent to the Pearl District in the contemporary Ecotrust building, ambitiously offering breakfast, lunch and a chefs’ tasting menu at dinner. Romero’s tasting menus pay homage to his country’s traditional dishes. He came to the U.S. from Mexico when he was 14, and began his industry career as do many—as a dishwasher. While climbing his way up in the culinary world, he fell in love with farm-to-table cooking, drawing inspiration from whole, fresh ingredients. The five-course culinary journeys are “Chef’s Table” episode-worthy. As each artfully prepared plate arrives at your table, the server adds insight into the heritage of the dish and its carefully selected ingredients. Each night, Romero includes new creations such as savory mushrooms adobados, tacos Yucatecos, a take on the specialty from that peninsula, memelitas Veracruzanas freshly tossed corn cakes with stewed meats, and other dishes reminiscent of those Romero’s family made back home in Mexico. Omnivores and vegans can also embrace the cuisine, as each night’s tastings can be prepared as meat- or plant-based versions. Don’t skip the sommeliers’ wine pairings curated by local winemaker Cristina Gonzales. The pairings and bottle list are exciting, with obscure imports including those of Lantinxand women-owned wineries, and elevate the flavors of each course. “We’re trying to level the playing field, serve some things you might not see elsewhere,” said Medina. Begin the experience by sipping Viña en Rosa by Solar Fortún, a mourvedre rosé from Valle de Guadalupe, or a craft cocktail. This all-star team strives to support small Mexican distillers, sourcing mezcals and tequilas for concoctions such as la media luna, a melange of agave cupreata, Campari, dry vermouth, fresh orange, and pineapple. Keeping it casual? Head there in the morning and afternoon when this well-rounded trio is serving a la carte “platos rotos,” a homestyle-Mexican way of highlighting a diversity of the country’s cuisine. Sample menudo, a soup of beef tripe with fresh red chilis, huaraches, heritage-grain tortillas topped with beans, salsas, onions, potatoes, meat, cilantro, Cotija cheese and seasonal guisados, a classic dish of slow-braised meats paired with stone-ground purple- and white-corn tortillas. Exploring the deep roots of Mexican slow food here as a guest also may demand the patience and persistence of a chef—table reservations go fast.
1661 NE 4TH STREET BEND www.livelyupyourselffood.com
721 NW 9TH AVENUE PORTLAND republicapdx.square.site
DITTO How can you go wrong with allday breakfast and lunch? Portland brunchers can now indulge in Ditto’s plant-based assortment of classic breakfast sandwiches and comfort food. Try the classic Bea sandwich layering of “eggy” chickpea-flour patty, tempeh bacon, grilled apple and vegan cheddar. Add the blackberry Habanero sauce for extra zing, and cool down with a toasted-coconut Ice Queen popsicle. You won’t leave hungry, or bored. 1027 NE ALBERTA STREET PORTLAND www.dittovegan.com
LIVELY UP YOURSELF
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Photos: Braulio Diaz
VEGAN
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farm to table
Farm to Table
Bogged Down Tart-sweet cranberries, as American as Thanksgiving, bring Oregon flavor to fall dishes written by Sophia McDonald photography by Amanda Loman
AROUND THE TIME Portland was welcoming its first train passengers, Morrow County was being incorporated and the Grants Pass Daily Courier was delivering its first newspapers, farmers began forming bogs and filling them with cranberry vines along the southern Oregon coast. These tart treats have been an important agricultural crop in a region which has been better known for animal-based foods such as seafood and dairy since 1885. They also deliver a fine option for locavores who can’t imagine a holiday season or a turkey sandwich without a spoonful of the ruby-red berry sauce.
Whit Peters walks between cranberry bogs at Peters’ Cranberries in Sixes.
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This thoroughly American berry (one of the few fruits native to North America) has been Whit Peters’ business for most of his life. He and his mother, Sara Osborne, own Peters’ Cranberries in Sixes, about twenty miles south of Bandon. The farm was founded by Peters’ grandfather in the mid-1960s. Grandpa Peters grew up on a farm and later drove a log truck, but when it came time to settle down and have a family, he wanted less time on the road. “This property came up for sale and already had a few bogs, so he built more and spent his whole life building it up,” Peters said. “My dad worked for him, so I grew up down here as a kid on the farm and fell in love with the work and the site and the whole thing. It was just what I wanted to do.” Today, there are fifty acres of cranberry-producing land on the property. Though bogs can form naturally near the edge of a lake or stream, the Peters family has made their own by using dirt to form three- to four-foot-high dykes to trap water, creating half-acre to five-acre bogs.
farm to table
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farm to table
Cranberries are a perennial plant that can live for quite a long time. Some of Peters’ plants are more than forty years old. After harvest, the small green plants turn the color of the berries and lose some of their leaves. “You can tell they’re sleeping,” Peters said. They “wake up” in April and produce a riot of tiny pink flowers in June, and the fruit begins developing soon afterward. During the summer, Peters is busy managing fertilizing and watering. His job is a lot of “just trying to talk to the darn things and figure out what they want at a given time so I can grow a good, healthy crop.” If he feeds them before they’re hungry, they won’t produce as many berries. (He keeps a growing journal to try and refine the best times to fertilize.) The plants should stay moist during the summer, but not be sopping wet. Cranberries need a lot of water when they’re ripe and ready to be harvested. In October, Peters floods the bogs and cuts the vines at the base so they float to the top. A machine called a beater (“it looks like a paint roller before the cover is put on”) spins through the vines and gently knocks the fruit from the plants. The floating red berries are corralled with a chain of flat panels called boom boards. The fruit is raked onto a ramp called an elevator and loaded into containers for transport. In an average year, Peters will produce around a million pounds of fruit—a fraction of the 54 million pounds produced by about 124 mostly family-owned farms on 2,400 acres in Oregon, according to the Cranberry Marketing Committee. Some of the fruit is sold through farmers’ markets or special orders, but most of it goes to large companies that use it for juice, sauce and other products.
The goal is always to finish the harvest right before Thanksgiving, so the family can have some time off during the holidays. As a child, Peters didn’t understand how challenging farming can be. “It’s unpredictable. I can do everything exactly the same, but the weather’s not going to be the same that year,” he said. Market forces, including the ever-changing supply and demand for cranberries, also make the business harder. But Peters still dreams that his own boys—ages 6 and 4—will carry on the family tradition someday. “Cranberries are an amazing fruit, and I hope people find fun things to do with them all year round, not just Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said the farmer. Peters makes his own juice, jam and chutney which he can store and savor long after the cranberry harvest is over. Oregon chefs also have suggestions for noshing cranberries no matter the season. Karl Holl, culinary director of Smith Teamaker in Portland and founder of Forager Goods & Company, makes a compound butter with roasted cranberries. He recommended topping steak with it, although it can be used in multiple ways. “It’s especially tasty under the skin of turkey or chicken and over roasted vegetables,” he said. Michael Zeman, chef at Dóttir, Kex hotel’s restaurant in Portland, grills cranberries and adds them to a salad with beans and smoked carrots. “This salad is all about getting everything ready ahead of time so that when your guests arrive, you can have a beautiful dish on the table in a flash,” he said. Never one for the conventional, Tyler Malek, coowner of Salt & Straw, adds cranberry and apple stuffing to ice cream—a thoroughly Oregon way to use a thoroughly Oregon fruit.
AT LEFT From left, Whit Peters; his wife, Samantha; their sons William, 4, and Warren, 6; Whit’s mother, Sara Osborne; and her husband, Steve, stand in front of a cranberry bog at Peters’ Cranberries in Sixes. ABOVE, FROM LEFT Cranberry juice and jams at Peters’ Cranberries farm stand. Whit Peters keeps a journal to refine the best times to fertilize his cranberry crops.
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Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface of the mixture and let it soak at room temperature for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Give the bread mixture a big stir, then transfer it to a standard-size loaf pan, pressing gently so it’s in an even layer. Add the cranberry sauce, dropping teaspoon-size dollops evenly on top and nudging them so they’re just below the surface of the bread mixture. Bake, uncovered, until the center is cooked through (a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean), 30 to 35 minutes. Let the stuffing cool, then cut it into ¾-inch chunks and refrigerate in the baking dish. Cranberries, native to North America, are harvested right before Thanksgiving.
Oregon Recipes
Cranberry Cornucopia Cranberry-Apple Stuffing Ice Cream Salt & Straw / PORTLAND YIELDS 2½ PINTS • 1 cup sugar, divided • 2 tablespoons dry milk powder • ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup • 11/3 cups whole milk • 11/3 cups + ½ cup heavy cream • 1 cup soft, sweet, eggy bread, such such as challah or Hawaiian, cut into ½-inch cubes • 1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch dice • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter • ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed • 2 tablespoons dried cranberries • 2 large whole eggs • 2 large egg yolks • ½ teaspoon kosher salt • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • ¼ cup jellied cranberry sauce • 12-ounce can Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda FOR THE ICE CREAM BASE Combine ½ cup sugar, dry milk and xanthan gum in a small bowl and stir well. Pour the corn syrup into a medium pot and stir
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in the whole milk. Add the sugar mixture and immediately whisk vigorously until smooth. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent a simmer, until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Add 11/3 cups cream and whisk until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 5 hours, or for even better texture and flavor, 24 hours. Stir the base back together if it separates during the resting time. FOR THE STUFFING Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer in a baking dish and bake until they are completely dried all the way through but not yet browned, about 15 minutes. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the apples, brown sugar and dried cranberries. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender but still slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks together until they’re homogenous. Whisk in ½ cup cream, ½ cup sugar, salt and black pepper, then fold in the dried bread cubes and the apple mixture so the bread is completely coated in the egg.
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
FOR ICE CREAM Pour the soda into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer vigorously until it reduces to ½ cup (pour it into a heatproof measuring cup to check), 10 to 15 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature, then cover and chill in the refrigerator until completely cold. Put the cold ice cream base and soda syrup in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and turn on the machine. Churn just until the mixture has the texture of soft serve. Working quickly, spoon a layer of ice cream into a freezer-proof container. Sprinkle with some of the stuffing and use a spoon to press it in gently. Repeat. Cover with parchment paper, pressing it on the surface of the ice cream so it adheres, then cover with a lid. Store it in the coldest part of the freezer (farthest from the door) until firm, at least 6 hours.
Salt & Straw’s cranberry-apple stuffing ice cream.
farm to table
The Last Summer Beans With Grilled Cranberries, Smoked Carrots and Cranberry Vinaigrette Dóttir, Kex Hotel / PORTLAND Chef Karl Holl’s tomahawk steak with roasted cranberry compound butter.
Tomahawk Steak With Roasted Cranberry Compound Butter Smith Teamaker / PORTLAND SERVES 2 • 1 sprig fresh rosemary • 4 sprigs fresh thyme • 2 sprigs fresh lavender • 10 ounces butter, divided • ½ vanilla bean • 4 ounces flaky sea salt • 1 cup whole cranberries • 2 to 2½ pound tomahawk ribeye steak FOR INFUSED BROWN BUTTER Remove the leaves from the rosemary, thyme and lavender and reserve stems. Finely chop leaves and flowers and place them in a bowl. Brown 2 ounces of butter by heating it over medium heat until it foams lightly and the milk solids caramelize on the bottom. Remove butter from heat and add the stems of the herbs. Let sit for 10 minutes to infuse. Strain out the stems while pouring the warm butter over the chopped herb leaves. Set aside and let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. FOR VANILLA SEA SALT Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and set aside. Add salt and vanilla bean pod to a jar and shake. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to infuse the salt. FOR COMPOUND BUTTER Allow 8 ounces of butter to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to broil. Place cranberries on a baking sheet and broil for 7 minutes until lightly caramelized on top. Remove from the oven and let cool. Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, crush cranberries to create a paste. Add roasted cranberry paste and butter to a food processor and pulse for 45 seconds. Add 2 ounces of infused brown butter and reserved vanilla bean seeds, then pulse for 5 to 10 seconds to incorporate. Finished butter can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated until ready to use. FOR STEAK Set smoker, grill or oven to 225 degrees. Add steak and cook until internal temp reaches 105 degrees, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove steak from heat and turn smoker/grill/oven to 500 degrees. Cook steak for 5 minutes on each side until internal temp is 125 degrees. In the last 2 minutes, add a spoonful of roasted cranberry compound butter. Remove steak from heat and let rest for 10 minutes. Finish steak with vanilla sea salt and serve.
SERVES 4 TO 6 • 1 yellow onion • 2 garlic cloves • ½ cup cranberries • 1 bunch tarragon, leaves removed, divided • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil • ⅛ cup sherry vinegar • 3 carrots • ⅛ cup cherrywood chips • ½ bunch thyme • 1 cup cranberries • ¼ pound Romano beans • ¼ pound yellow wax beans • ¼ pound green beans • 1 lime • ½ bunch dill • ¼ cup salt FOR THE CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE Roughly chop onion and garlic, then caramelize them in a heavy-bottomed pot in a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Once onion and garlic are caramelized, add cranberries and cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes until cranberries have just softened. Remove from heat and cool. Add cooled mixture to a blender with half the tarragon, sherry vinegar and ½ cup olive oil and blend on high until smooth. FOR GRILLED CRANBERRIES Toss berries in one teaspoon of olive oil. Place a basket strainer on a grill and add cranberries. Grill over extremely high heat until the berries are charred but not cooked to mush. After grilling, allow berries to cool. FOR CARROTS Toss carrots with one tablespoon of olive oil, then place in a cooking vessel with a lid. Soak cherrywood chips in water for about 10 minutes prior to smoking, then place on one side of the container with carrots. Using a torch or burner, use enough heat to get the chips smoking hard and cover the pot of chips and carrots with a lid. Allow carrots to infuse in smoke for 20 minutes. Then roast at 325 degrees, tossed with a bit of olive oil and covered with thyme, for 1 hour or until totally soft. FOR SALAD Clip the ends from the romano, wax and green beans. Bring a large pot of heavily-salted water to a boil, and cook the beans in batches for 2 to 3 minutes in the boiling water. Transfer boiled beans to an ice bath to cool. Remove from the ice bath and place on a tray lined with paper towels to dry. Place beans, carrots, some cranberry vinaigrette and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Squeeze half a lime into the mix and toss gently to coat. Place dressed beans on a plate and top with the grilled cranberries. Finish with dill and remaining tarragon.
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farm to table
Homegrown Chef
Cranberry Camps
Don’t relegate this luscious fall berry to remedying dry turkey written by Thor Erickson photography by Tambi Lane GROWING UP, when it came to Thanksgiving, where cranberries were concerned, there were two camps: homemade sauce, or canned jelly. The sauce folks followed a strict Norwegian family recipe for tranebær (cranberry, in the mother tongue) that was really nothing different than the ubiquitous recipe involving cranberry, sugar and orange juice. The only thing different was the name. The jelly camp, on the other hand, was more carefree, prioritizing enjoying a cocktail and reconnecting with family instead of spending more time in the kitchen. As a kid, I thought cranberry sauce was merely an antidote to dry, overcooked turkey. Later, I knew there had to be more to these juicy, tart, crimson cranberries. As I grew into a chef, I began using them in different ways— juicing them for drinks, infusing vinegars with them, pickling them and cooking them to bring out the natural sugars. Roasted cranberries proved to be a luscious complement to savory dishes such as grilled salmon, roasted lamb and grain-based salads. Here’s a favorite recipe for late summer and early fall.
Roasted cranberries proved to be a luscious complement to savory dishes such as grilled salmon, roasted lamb and grain-based salads. 40 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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Roasted Cranberry and Couscous Salad SERVES 8 • 2 cups of fresh (or frozen) cranberries • 1 medium butternut squash (21/2 to 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 medium red onion, halved and cut into 1/4 inch slices • 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided • 11/2 cups uncooked Israeli (pearl) couscous • 3 cups water • 2 tablespoons apple cider or white wine vinegar • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 small orange • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning • 4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup) • Kosher salt and fresh black pepper Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400 degrees. Place the cranberries on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. The berries will be plump when you remove them, but will quickly shrivel a bit, which is good. While the berries are roasting, place the squash cubes and onion slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and fresh black pepper and toss to combine. Spread into an even layer. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and the onions are starting to slightly brown, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool before combining with other ingredients. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and light golden-brown, about 3 minutes. Add the water and a big pinch of salt, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until the couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the couscous through a fine-mesh strainer. Whisk the vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, zest, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of salt together in a large bowl. Add the squash, onions, couscous and drained cranberries. Gently stir to combine. Taste and season the salad with salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle the goat cheese over the top of the salad. Serve at room temperature.
farm to table
Tart, crimson cranberries add a surprising zing to grain salad with a hint of sweetness.
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Bill Purcell
home + design
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home + design
A Tale of Two Tudors Remodeled bathrooms update the feel of Portland Tudors written by Melissa Dalton
Arbor Lodge: A Conventional Hall Bath Becomes Exceptional
Gold accents and live plants offset the wainscot in dramatic black-green, reminiscent of British racing green.
THIS 1920S TUDOR bungalow in the Arbor Lodge neighborhood of Portland had seen better days by the time interior designer Stephanie Dyer stepped inside in 2017. Still, Dyer noticed the particulars that had persevered—coved ceilings, original built-ins, scalloped archways and unpainted wood trim. “The archways really got us. It was a detail that we hadn’t seen anywhere else that just felt super unique,” said Dyer, who affectionately refers to the home as a “British biscuit of a dwelling,” or the “crumpet.” Dyer bought the house with the intention of fixing it up with her husband, Sam Dyer, who’s a contractor. They wanted to preserve that character while taking advantage of the potential proffered by the neglect. “No one had destroyed the cool things about it,” said Dyer. “We felt confident that we could integrate anything new with the existing style of the house.” To that end, the couple restored the original elements, including the windows, woodwork and plaster walls, saving the drama for the kitchen and the bathroom. Since the latter was the home’s only bathroom, they expedited the remodel by keeping the layout the same and concentrating on the finishes, creating a deft mix of old and new. That vision began by incorporating a former display case from a hardware store with nine wooden drawers and had been left behind in the garage. “We cleaned them up and knew we had to find a way to repurpose them,” said Dyer. They did so by filling an existing niche with a custom storage unit and surrounding the salvaged drawers with clean-lined sapele wood, which has a reddish tone that synced with the existing woodwork elsewhere in the house. Plus, sapele is similar to mahogany, “which was usually used in Tudor-style homes,” said Dyer. A custom wainscot treatment wraps the lower portion of the room, providing a backdrop for the sink and commode, and hugging the preserved window. Black nero Marquina marble hex tile on the floor “spans traditional and modern,” said Dyer, while other picks skew a bit more contemporary, such as the 2-by-8-foot shower SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
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home + design
Hilary Sander
“The archways really got us. It was a detail that we hadn’t seen anywhere else that just felt super unique,” said Dyer, who affectionately refers to the home as a “British biscuit of a dwelling,” or the “crumpet.”
tile stacked vertically and the floating cube of sapele that forms the vanity. The latter creates the illusion of more floor space in the small room, and topped with an integrated sink and counter, makes for easy cleaning. Dyer eked out even more function by running a shallow ledge atop the wainscot, and above the mirror, a shelf bejeweled with brass brackets from Anthropologie holds the designer’s plant collection. “I’m always looking for a place to put plants,” said Dyer. Even better was the “happy math” that emerged when the plant shelf aligned perfectly with the window and door trim, which in turn, allowed the shower tile to be stacked, so no cuts were needed. Perhaps the most unexpected element is the vibrant color in 50 square feet. There’s the rich green-black tone (Regent Green) on the wainscot that’s reminiscent of British racing green, a paler hue coating the ceiling (Templeton Gray) both from Benjamin Moore, and even asparagus-colored grout in the shower, the perfect medley for a “crumpet” of a bath. 44 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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Bill Purcell
ABOVE Vertical tile creates the illusion of more space in this shower in Portland’s Arbor Lodge neighborhood. AT RIGHT A set of drawers repurposed from the garage integrate well with mahogany-like sapele wood in classic Tudor style.
Concordia: A Luxe Bedroom Suite Inspired by the Parisian Life You could say that the look for this new bathroom suite began 5,123 miles away. A few years ago, interior designer Holly Freres was working with clients who were then based in Paris, but about to relocate to Portland’s Concordia neighborhood, to a 1940s Tudor home. Freres, a principal at JHL Design, teamed up with architect Thesis Studio and contractor Hammer & Hand to help them with a whole house remodel before the big move. “I was explaining to them how gray it is here, and how we don’t get a lot of sun, and showing them some
Photos: Haris Kenjar
home + design
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Whimsical blue tile, a shade found in the Musee Rodin in Paris, is seen through glass paneling, accenting the darker Moorish carvings of the wooden door. A teal-emerald headboard brings an old-world feel to the cozy room. Cream-toned tile creates a luxe backdrop for the walnut vanity.
light and crisp imagery,” Freres said of the early days in the process. “And they said, ‘No, we want something that’s really cozy and rich and saturated.’” Paint color samples were shipped back and forth, but it was a particular shade of blue found by the clients in the Musée Rodin, a museum housing the work of sculptor Auguste Rodin, that became a touchstone for the project. “They wanted colorful and whimsical, and a mix of antiques and new pieces,” said Freres, who devised a new look woven throughout the home. Downstairs, the team reorganized the floorplan and added just 150 square feet to make more room for a large kitchen and sun-filled dining room. Upstairs, a finished attic was transformed into a generous main suite, with the addition of a dormer for much-needed overhead clearance. The color story that started in a Parisian museum encompasses the first floor, continues upstairs to the bedroom, with a rich, teal-emerald, channel-tufted, custom headboard and bed frame, then spreads to a wall of handmade cement tile in the shower. “It has a lot of variation in depth and color. You can feel it when you walk on it, 46 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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or when you run your hand along it. It’s got an old-world feel,” said Freres. “It also creates an art moment. A glass panel between the shower and bedroom makes that “art moment” visible throughout the private quarters. “I had not done that before,” Freres said of the panel. “But I think it makes the bedroom feel a little more expansive and have a relationship with the bathroom.” Freres covered the other walls and the floor with a creamytoned zellige tile, its handmade edges adding luxe texture. Streamlined mirrors, a modern walnut vanity, and black faucets with knurled brass detailing are modern counterpoints. A sliding door, actually a wood panel with ornate Moorish carvings found in a French antiques market and shipped from Paris, is the finishing touch for the collected mix. The same tile from the shower covers the floor in a separate tub room, where a claw-foot bath is placed beneath a preserved arched, leaded-glass window and the lowest span of the ceiling, evoking the feel of lingering in a Parisian garret. “It’s just the most beautiful, picturesque place to sit,” said Freres.
home + design
Haris Kenjar
A claw-footed tub perched beneath a preserved, arched, leaded-glass window under a low ceiling lets you feel as if you’re in a Parisian garret.
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DIY: Tips for Installing Wainscot in Your Home
Bill Purcell
home + design
WAINSCOT, OR WOOD-PANELING installed on the lower section of wall in a room, can have a big impact, as seen in the custom treatment in Stephanie Dyer’s bathroom. Apply wainscot to one wall as an accent, or wrap the room, for instant depth and character. Here are our basic tips. MIND THE PROPORTIONS The key to getting wood paneling to look appropriate is to get the proportions right. First, measure the height from floor to ceiling. One approach is to have the height of the wood paneling, including any trim, be either ⅓ or 3/5 of the total wall height. Pay attention to how the paneling height will interact with all of the other elements in the room, such as windows, light switches, towel bars, the mirror and existing trim. Use a level and a pencil to draw a light horizontal line around the room that marks the desired height. A BASIC METHOD The simplest approach is to use tongue-and-groove wood boards to form the paneled base. Cut the boards to length with a miter saw, or have it done at your local lumber source. Beginning in one corner, install the boards one at a time by applying construction adhesive to the back and then securing them to the wall with nails at the top and bottom of each plank. Slot the next board in place and proceed until you’ve worked completely around the room. Mind the spots where additional holes will be needed for plumbing connections, etc. FINISH WITH TRIM Apply trim, or decorative molding, at the top, and baseboard at the bottom of the tongue-and-groove, to cover nail holes and tidy the transitions between the paneling and the floor and existing wall. Make sure the proportions of any trim also fit the scheme and that the profile works with existing trim elsewhere in the room. STAIN OR PAINT Stain or paint the paneling according to the desired aesthetic. If staining, use a matching, stainable wood filler and caulk for the nail holes and seams. Wipe-on stains and finishes make this work go fast. If painting, use a paintable caulk and filler before rolling on the color. Opt for a higher paint sheen for durability, or contrast. 48 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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DIY wainscotting in this bathroom adds dimension, interest and a shallow shelf, too.
AGIC
in Medieval Europe EXHIBIT ON VIEW BEGINNING OCTOBER 23
SERVING YOUR GLASS NEEDS FOR 68 YEARS
Welcome to the world of spirits and sorcery! MAGIC will take you on an enchanted journey to the roots of everyday superstitions, delving deep into the phenomenon of magical thinking—past and present.
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home + design
Bathroom Jewelry Form, meet function, in these pretty bath essentials
Of course, the bathroom mirror calls for flattering illumination, but it’s also an opportunity to mount an oh-so attractive sconce. Try the Rigdon Double Tube Wall Sconce from Rejuvenation. The brass coining detail provides ornament, while the opal glass shade offers just the right diffusion for applying make-up, or trimming a beard evenly. www.rejuvenation.com
Upgrade a plain shelf with an ornate bracket, like this Victorianstyle design that features a star and accompanying flourishes, available at House of Antique Hardware. It’s made of heavy cast brass with a lacquered coating, so it’ll provide much-needed support as well as adornment—that’s a win-win. www.houseofantiquehardware.com
The bathroom faucet no longer needs to be boring old chrome. Deck out the sink with Brizo’s Litze Wall-Mounted faucet. The modern knurl detail on the handle is perfectly complemented by an old-school, luxe gold finish. www.build.com
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Photos: courtesy of Acosia Red Elk
mind + body
Acosia Red Elk incorporates Powwow dance into her yoga classes.
Acosia Red Elk’s Spiritual Workout
Powwow yoga channels a universal vibe written by Kevin Max ACOSIA, WHEN HELD OUT as Acaaahsia, means young swan rising in the language of the Yakama Tribe. Though Acosia Red Elk is Umatilla, Cayuse and Walla Walla with some Colville and Nez Perce blood, her grandmother, nonetheless, had her way. Acosia grew up on the Umatilla reservation in Pendleton, with the Blue Mountains on its eastern edge and a life of peaks and valleys ahead of her. Born to a full-blooded Native American father and a mother of Scottish, Dutch, French and Norwegian heritage, Acosia lived in two worlds. Her father’s was one of closet drinking and a determination to raise his kids “white.” Her mother was a teetotaler and gardener who wanted her children to be brought up in the tribal traditions. Early in her life, Acosia’s ruffled velvet dress caught fire in an accident that put her in a hospital for three months and her legs and mind scarred for life. At 6 years old, this was a lot to bear. 52 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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Though powwows and jingle dancing were part of tribal culture, Acosia never felt comfortable imagining herself as a tribal dancer. “I was connected to the culture in ways that you learn about the seasons,” Acosia said. “You learn about the first foods that you eat. You learn about your huckleberries and how to hunt and the stories behind those. You learn about dancing and you learn about the Seven Drums and the longhouse, but it wasn’t something that was consistent.” Seven Drums is the main religion among tribes in the area and used throughout ceremonies. Acosia remembers it as songs and drumming that started funerals, weddings, food celebrations and other events. “Each man is holding his drum and they’re going to sing seven songs, the traditional songs, and these are usually done in the longhouse. It’s an honoring of our foods and our way of life. From Seven Drums comes the Seven Generation creation story. “Our creator is our plants, and our water and our animals, our food—our First Foods dedicated themselves to us in the beginning of time,” she said. “That’s why our people have a responsibility to be the caretakers for all of those First Foods that came forward to sacrifice their bodies and their tribes because they were the original people here before man.” One day, as a teenager who never ventured beyond merely watching tribal dancers, Acosia was drawn into traditional dance in the longhouse and then felt compelled to try her first powwow. “Once I got out there and stepped foot onto the floor, I just felt a sense of ease and at peace where my shoulders relaxed. I took a deep breath and I was like … this is where I was supposed to be,” Acosia recalled. “I had no idea all these years of living in dysfunction and living in fear and also pitying my legs and myself for catching on fire and bearing these scars.” That led to a life of powwow dancing on a circuit of reservations, considerable fame, a husband and more hardship for Acosia, who had left what she describes as a controlling marriage that brought them two kids. Relearning independence and finding her voice again, she decided to try her first yoga class. “We were raised to believe in the power of thought, because that’s what prayer is and that’s how medicine people heal you,” she noted. “So, when I went to that yoga class and the teacher said, “Take a deep breath and let it go, I just started crying.” She immediately set her mind on becoming a certified yoga instructor. Soon, Acosia took the ancient Indian practice and made it spiritual in her own way, the creation story of powwow yoga. “I gave it an indigenous vibe and a feel,” she said. “I opened up every class with an indigenous approach to the practice. I even started bringing Native music into it and bringing in Seven Generation philosophy. Then I started adding powwow dance.” Not long after she democratized powwow yoga throughout tribes, she realized that non-Native people who have also experienced pain and loss would glean many of the same benefits. “Dance is something that necessarily isn’t just ours,” she said. “Dance and drumbeats and music are universal.” LEARN MORE
Powwow yoga classes are held Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. at Pendleton Yoga. Learn more at www.pendletonyoga.com.
NEW EXHIBIT
September 18, 2021-March 6, 2022
59800 South Highway 97 | Bend, Oregon 97702 541-382-4754 | highdesertmuseum.com
X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out is organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). It was inspired by the book Ichthyo: The Architecture of Fish (Chronicle Books in association with the Smithsonian Institution, 2008) by Stephanie Comer and Deborah Klochko.
Made Possible Locally By:
HDM-26_xray_1859.indd 1
8/11/21 5:24 PM
Puget Sound’s Hidden Gem Activities abound in this coastal community, with views soaring from sea to sky.
Lighthouse Festival Sept. 10-12
Visit DiscoverMukilteo.org for upcoming events, hotel specials, and more.
artist in residence Jenny Graham/Oregon Shakespeare Festival
From left, Cedric Lamar as James, Amy Lizardo as Mo, Mark Murphey as William Joad and Tony Sancho as Martín Jodes appear in Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2019 production of Mother Road, written by Octavio Solis.
Heart and Solis
Octavio Solis brings the Latinx experience to stage, screen and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival written by Cathy Carroll
IT WAS 2013, and Disney had a problem on its hands. In developing the movie that would eventually be named Coco, it attempted to trademark the phrase “Día de los Muertos,” the day for honoring the dead, celebrated throughout Latin America. The holiday influenced the Pixar animated film centered on family (and would go on to win two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature), but the trademark filing had ignited an outcry among Mexican Americans. Disney dropped the request and, striving to get it right and create more accurately inclusive stories, brought on a triumvirate of standing members of the Mexican-American arts community to be cultural consultants for the film. With Octavio Solis as one third of the team, they knew they had what it would take to not only avoid cultural blunders, but to weave in details—from slang to nuances in humor—which not only helped the movie in general, it made it beloved by Mexican Americans. Considered one of the most prominent Latinx playwrights in America, his works draw on the Mexican-American experience, but don’t stop there. Whether Solis is divining for the 54 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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stage a sequel to John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, centered on a Latino American farmworker’s journey across the country (Mother Road, 2019), or as in his 2018 book Retablos: Stories from a Life Lived Along the Border, he seems always, in some way, to be exploring “how that skinny brown kid riding his bike out there in the desert made sense of his complicated, deeply beautiful and troubled world.” He does this while feeling grounded by the quotidian tasks of life on three acres outside of Medford, where his day begins with tending to goats, chickens and dogs before heading to his desk, in a small studio on the property, where framed theater posters of his productions adorn the walls. It has been this way since 2015, when he and his wife moved there from San Francisco, but they’d been enamored with the area for more than two decades prior. “Almost as soon as moving to San Francisco, we heard from friends that there was this amazing theater festival that happened in Ashland, and that there were so many things we could do, and it was a great getaway and we should go up there,” he said. That summer was the first of the next twenty in which they’d spend
about a week in Ashland, staying at one of the B-and-Bs named after a Shakespeare comedy, cram in five to seven plays, go to restaurants, and along with their daughter, go on rafting, cycling and hiking trips. He’d been making his way with his art, receiving a National Endowment for the Arts Playwriting Fellowship and the Roger L. Stevens award from the Kennedy Center, for playwrights who show “extraordinary promise.” When it came to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Solis said, “I was always dazzled by what they did, but I never entertained any notion that they would ever be interested in my work. I just thought ‘No, it’s out of my league, and it’s just not going to happen, but it did in 1997.” OSF staged a reading of El Paso Blue. “It was on the set of a play that was completely different from mine, something from the 1920s or ’30s, maybe an ocean liner, and mine was really, really rough and tumble and gritty and set in El Paso, and has knife fights and guys with metal plates in their head and girls who run around with water guns filled with ammonia to shoot in people’s eyes—it was a crazy play–with music, roadhouse Texas blues.” Solis was shocked that a 10 a.m. reading drew a house packed with a paying audience. “I was really impressed at how much audiences loved it,” he said. OSF was, too, and promptly booked it for the 1999 season. “That started my long relationship with the OSF. It’s one of my one of my artistic homes,” said Solis. Others include Magic Theatre and Intersection for the Arts, both in San Francisco, and South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California, where Solis’s works are frequently presented. At OSF, Solis also serves on the board of trustees. OSF Associate Artistic Director Evren Odcikin said, “Octavio was a giant of Bay Area theater when I arrived there eighteen years ago. Knowing that someone like him—whose brilliant poetry and expansive imagination was so beautifully rooted in community—could be so successful and so revered, helped me see a place for myself in the theater. And now, OSF feels like home because OSF is home to artists like him.” Solis is excited to be helping build on the festival’s history of equity and inclusion. “There is a real move afoot to make some changes that had been a long time coming,” he said. When the pandemic forced theaters to go dark, OSF had to lay off staff and disband its entire company. “Going back to zero meant that was the opportunity. Now we can rewrite the rule book again from scratch and really, really make these initiatives. I think a lot of companies across the country are doing the same thing, but because the OSF has such as high national profile, I would say, even a large international profile, they’re watching to see the kind of leadership role that the OSF is going to take in creating change within the company, creating more opportunities for people with disabilities and people of color and for women. He cited OSF’s commitment this year by creating the role of director of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. “This pandemic made us all stop and take stock and figure out who we are, what do we want coming back when the world opens,” said Solis. “This is a chance we have to really address the changes that we feel we need to see happen.”
Jay Yamada
artist in residence
FROM TOP Octavio Solis feels grounded by living and writing in the country outside of Medford. His compelling memoir, Retablos: Stories from a Life Lived Along the Border. Solis’s acclaimed play Quixote Nuevo premiers at California Shakespeare Theater in the Bay Area.
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STARTUP 58 WHAT’S GOING UP 60 WHAT I’M WORKING ON 62 MY WORKSPACE 64 GAME CHANGER 68
pg. 68 Sudara empowers Indian women through jobs making and selling pajamas called Punjammies.
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startup
Wheels of Fortune Argonaut Cycles drives a carbon manufacturing and aesthetic revolution written by Kevin Max THE ARGONAUT CYCLES bike manufacturing space in Bend may seem like many other modern maker spaces in Oregon—a stylish small array of furniture, an espresso machine, the latest craft Pilsner from a local brewer and a large screen TV to watch the Tour de France and other cycling events. Then there’s the Argonaut bike that, while motionless on a stand, feels like speed interrupted. Its lithe carbon frame has an appearance so clean and smooth that it feels as if no manufacturing process was involved in its creation. Indeed, none of this was accidental.
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Chris Fitzpatrick
Argonaut bikes are made with sealed resin and pressurized carbon for a sleek, stable ride.
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
Photos: Chris Fitzpatrick
startup
FROM LEFT Trapped rubber molding heats and pressurizes carbon, a manufacturing process used in aerospace. Ben Farver, Argonaut founder.
“I wanted more control over the material and more ability to differentiate,” said Argonaut founder and owner Ben Farver. When he first started making bikes in Portland in 2007, Farver was working with steel frames and what he describes as a lot of “sameness” in the industry. After moving with his young family to Bend in 2014, Argonaut became the vehicle for differentiation in both appearance and manufacturing. Behind Argonaut’s sleek bikes are manufacturing processes that speed customization and improve overall stability of the carbon frames through a process called trapped rubber molding used for aerospace parts. Trapped rubber molding is a process that allows the heated carbon parts to be put under high pressure and eliminate air between layers of carbon while keeping all of the carbon resin intact. Typically carbon frames are made through a bladder molded process, which doesn’t completely seal the part when curing, allowing for resin to be pushed out of the mold and for imperfections to creep in. “Trapped rubber molding is not done because you need expensive tools,” Farver said. “I sort of figured out that by 3-D printing the molds for the mandrels, we take out the C&C tooling step and then we take out the need for that
provider and get the added benefits of trapped rubber.” With differentiation, however, comes new obstacles. “With carbon and doing custom layup patterns and doing everything in house, we’re doing everything for the first time, so we have to rigorously test everything that we do,” said Farver. With this new process in place, though, Argonaut began making an average of four frame sets per month in 2014. As demand grew and Argonaut expanded its capacity, it now averages between ten and twelve custom frames per month. The bike frame, fork and stem cost $6,250, a complete custom build, $7,500 and the finished bike $14,500 to $15,500. Over the next few years, Argonaut still has room to grow without compromising quality. “This year we’re on pace for 150 frames,” Farver said. “We’re hoping to get to 200 frames next year. We have room to expand and still be in the high-end niche that we’re in.” The small startup in Bend is testing a newly designed gravel bike that will likely create buzz at the starting line of gravel races across the country and perhaps increase demand to reach that number.
“With carbon and doing custom layup patterns and doing everything in house, we’re doing everything for the first time, so we have to rigorously test everything that we do.” — Ben Farver, Argonaut Cycles founder and owner SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
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what’s going up?
The High Desert Museum will expand after receiving a $6 million gift.
Museums Bounce Back Art, culture and natural history are poised for a new chapter in Bend and Corvallis AFTER A ROUGH year-and-a-half of empty hallways and limited capacity from socially distanced guests who often had to reserve visitation times, museums are plotting a strong return. The new 19,000 square-foot Benton County Historical Society in Corvallis and designed by Allied Works will be located opposite a 125-year-old general store and the former territorial capital of Oregon. Bend’s High Desert Museum received a $6 million gift from Sisters-based Roundhouse Foundation to establish a new permanent art gallery, grow its Tribal art collection and to “create new perspectives into the objects and the history of the region through a range of curatorial strategies,” according to High Desert Museum’s website. “The High Desert Museum is a cultural hub and portal for learning about the High Desert, through its art, its history, its environment and its people,” Kathy Deggendorfer, an artist, a founder and trustee of the Roundhouse Foundation said in a press release. “There’s no place else in the region that does that.”
High Desert Museum
written by Catherine LeMans
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what i’m working on
Jason McNeal Graham of Bend leverages humor while addressing serious topics.
WOtta Fellow The artist known as MOsley WOtta embarks on a new chapter encouraging dialogue interview by Cathy Carroll
WHEN JASON MCNEAL GRAHAM of Bend, better known as MOsley WOtta, describes himself as a “multiethnic, multimedia, multivitamin artist,” it’s clear that humor doesn’t run counter to his writing, painting, and music. He recently received a Fields Artist Fellowship, a partnership between Oregon Humanities and Oregon Community Foundation to invest in individual artists and culture bearers and their communities. Four Fields Artist Fellows will receive $100,000 each during the next two years, along with robust professional development, networking, and community building opportunities. With this fellowship, he plans to produce multimedia performances, collaborative murals and stories addressing and explore system inequities in Oregon and encourage dialogue throughout the state. His work in music and writing has been featured on “TEDx, NPR, the NBA, and several other three letter acronyms,” according to Graham, and he was Bend’s first Creative Laureate, from 2018 to 2020. As MOsley WOtta, he works with longtime friend and multi-instrumentalist, producer and sound designer Colten Tyler Williams. 62 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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How will the Fields Artist Fellowship make a difference in your life as an artist? This fellowship expressly designates addressing Oregon’s various opportunity gaps. It’s nice to feel support for a theme that I have been asked to remove or reduce in my work in the past. Additionally there’s the synergy of working and learning from and with the other fellows in the cohort CarlaDean Caldera of Madras, Sharita Towne of Portland and Gabriel Barrera of Ashland. Personally and professionally I am experiencing a kind of freedom without compromise. This type of creative liberation is going to be invaluable to the vitality of my art for the next four or five decades. I’m done minimizing my work and myself to fit the comfort level of the communities I care about. This does feel like the whole state is giving ya a nod and a nudge. This feels like getting to a new plateau and resetting your baseline to zero from a new height. Can you elaborate on plans for creative projects? Wish I could but you will have to find out with the announcements. I can tell you, I heard this funny generalization that said as an artist, men, in particular cismen (one whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth) seem to make bigger and bigger work. This
to compensate for the other areas in which we might feel we are shrinking. In hip hop, 40 is more like 90. So while I can’t tell you what it is yet, I can say at 37, almost 38, it will be of a fairly good size. How did growing up in Bend foster your creativity after moving here at age 9 with your family after living in Chicago and Evanston, Ill.? Bend at a population of 30,000. You cannot see the Bend I moved to anymore. It’s all been severely altered by money markets and modernity. However it was this rapidly growing town that gave me my first hip hop crew, my first poetry team, my first art show. At some point, this town and I synced up— when I grew, it grew and vice versa. Now, though, Bend is on its own track, as am I. There are many other voices that need to be heard in this large little city. Complex(ion), Healing Justice Collective, Oregon Peace Keepers and Fathers Group to name a few. Bend provided what I was looking for artistically over and over. Basically though, just because you can’t get to Tokyo or Johannesburg or Amsterdam doesn’t mean you can’t get to work. If you’re really about your art, it will take you where you need to go. There are no shortcuts. It is work. If you can spend a lifetime trusting its direction, it will take you where you need to go.
New Ownership- now featuring Home Decor
201 SE 2nd St, Bend | (541) 383-9013 | AreaRugConnection.com
my workspace
Jessica Wright, originally from Coos Bay, launched Columbia Gorge Confections in Hood River in 2018 with $4,000. “I didn’t come from a wealthy family that said, ‘Here have a bunch of money.’”
A Chocolate Calling
One chef’s confection vocation demanded building a business from scratch written by Keith Moore photography by Aubrie LeGault
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Jessica Wright launched Columbia Gorge Confections in Hood River in 2018. AT LEFT A mix of Columbia Gorge Confections truffles.
A longtime savory chef, she knew nothing about chocolate, but read recipes and followed relevant accounts on Instagram to learn how to make great chocolate.
Jessica Wright pours milk chocolate into molds to make chocolate bars. Wright also makes several specialty bars whose proceeds support different causes. AT RIGHT, FROM TOP Wright dusts homemade marshmallows with a mixture of powdered sugar and cornstarch. Wright adds color to a mould with an airbursh.
Starting out was a lot of trial and error, but costly trial and error. “Chocolate is $6 to $16 a pound, so any mistake was a lot of money for me.” Today, Columbia Gorge Confections, with two-full time employees and a few part-time workers, is making approximately 1,000 hand-tempered chocolate bars per week.
“I do what I do because I want to make people happy. I want to spread happiness and give back to the community,” said Wright.
Wright has given back to Hood River and Coos Bay through her inventive chocolate bars. One bar called The Wind Cries Mary is a milk chocolate bar filled with lavender honey, and whose proceeds fund a dance scholarship dedicated to the memory of her dance instructor, Mary Matthews. Two other bars, Gorge Pride and Black Lives Matter, fund local needs in Hood River.
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game changer
ABOVE, FROM LEFT Sudara founder Shannon Keith with women at a sewing center in India. Sudara clothing is named for women who benefit from the company’s services. AT RIGHT Training and jobs such as sewing and selling pajamas called Punjammies offer opportunity to women trafficked in the sex trade.
Sewing Change
Sudara frees and empowers Indian women, one pajama at a time written by Kevin Max VARASI WAS JUST a child in India when her parents died. As they were dying, her parents put their faith in a brother and his wife to raise Varasi as one of their own. The uncle instead sold her to a brothel. Varasi was trapped in the brothel as a sex worker before escaping to a safe home where her body and mind could begin to heal. There were many girls like Varasi when Shannon Keith traveled to India in 2005 as part of a humanitarian effort. Though her profession was in corporate sales, Keith’s own childhood experience immediately infused her with empathy for girls who were being trafficked. Born to bi-racial teenage Mexican parents, Keith, as a child, never knew her biological father who was incarcerated most of her childhood. She watched her mother struggle to provide. When she traveled to India and encountered girls in brothel towns, she felt a bond. “These are kids who have, by no choice of their own, are born, bought, sold into this situation and are really just victims of circumstances by their parents’ choices. And I think that’s what really broke my heart.” Soon she began researching ways to help the girls and women in brothel communities in India. “When you invest in women, they, in turn, invest in their children and in their community, and then whole communities can rise out of poverty, particularly in the developing world,” said Keith. The plans for Sudara started coming together. In 2005, Sudara was launched, initially a nonprofit to provide services to help Indian women gain independence and to 68 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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have choices in life. They funded services in safe places, called restoration homes, for girls like Varasi. But over time, Keith realized the glass of opportunity was half empty. She wanted to bring economic opportunity to women by making and selling pajamas, or Punjammies, as they were later called, not merely offer prescriptive services. She consulted her network of business advisers. One of them framed it this way. “The Girl Scouts are a nonprofit. They sell cookies,” Keith recalled. In 2015, Sudara became a hybrid nonprofit and forprofit B Corp. Today the Punjammies line includes pajamas, robes, soft travel pants and tops. Each new print pattern is named for a woman in the program. There is, for example, the Varasi long robe. “The nonprofit addresses our mission from wraparound services and raising funds and awareness and donors and advocacy,” Keith said. “The business side has customers and products, sales and raw material sourcing in India.” What began as six women in one sewing center in Mumbai soon became an integrated model that has helped more than 7,500 women lead self-sufficient, productive lives through Sudara’s training and job placement for those who want to become seamstresses for the Sudara clothing brand. The next step for Sudara is turning its focus more toward business-to-business sales in hospitality, resorts and spas than business-to-consumer sales. “We want to empower more women in India through empowering companies here to leverage their purchasing power by working with us,” said Keith. Doing good in the world also conjures complex emotions. The uplifting part of Sudara, Keith said, is providing hope and witnessing people’s lives being transformed. “On the flip side,” she said, “I just have like, this righteous anger about the fact that poor people continue to get the short end of the stick, continue to get oppressed and taken advantage of and abused.”
game changer
“When you invest in women, they, in turn, invest in their children and in their community, and then whole communities can rise out of poverty, particularly in the developing world.” — Shannon Keith, Sudara CEO and founder
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Form, Function,
Financially Fit
Fabulous
Oregon designers spill the smartest ways to use $50,000 in home equity written by Melissa Dalton
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In the past year, our homes have taken on new significance. We relish the comfort they provide, while pondering possibilities for making them even better. We asked three Oregon designers to weigh in on how they’d recommend homeowners spend $50,000 in home equity. Turns out, a little can go a long way, if you know where to use it.
Textured bathroom walls can add soul to a bathroom without spending too much money.
HOUSE OF MILO, BEND
Sarah Westhusing | Remodel a kitchen or bathroom People tend to look at the question of remodeling in two ways, said Sarah Westhusing, interior designer and founder of House of Milo, a Bendbased studio which tackles everything from new builds to renovations. “The first are the people that really focus on return on investment,” she said. They only want to invest an amount in updates that they’ll recoup when they sell the house. For that group, Westhusing suggested remodeling the kitchen or a bathroom. Regarding the kitchen, several factors, such as the size of the room and the quality of finishes will affect project cost, and high-end kitchen remodels can easily soar past $100,000, so the designer offered tips for getting a custom look for less. For example, since bespoke cabinetry can easily eat up $40,000, Westhusing proposed researching prefab options, such as those from IKEA. These can be paired with semi-custom fronts in an array of styles and finishes, such as those from the Oregon-based Kokeena. For a built-in look, buy a cabinet-depth refrigerator that’s flush with the cabinets, hide appliances such as the dishwasher behind a cabinet front, or carry cabinetry up to the ceiling. In the bathroom, replace an outdated vanity, update the faucet, and change light fixtures for a
big impact. Costs rise significantly when moving plumbing, and a bathroom overhaul can clock in just as much as a kitchen refresh. “I’ll tell you, a bathroom and a kitchen are close,” said Westhusing. “Bathrooms always blow people away, how expensive they are, because there’s a lot of plumbing.” Westhusing grew up visiting the job site of her family’s commercial construction business and was trained from a young age to appreciate the details that compose a room. If return on investment isn’t a primary concern, the designer recommended thinking about the things that will inject personality. “Between Pinterest and HGTV, we’re all moving towards this really homogenous look,” said Westhusing. “So, I’ve been pushing people to think about, how do you make your home feel more special, or what are ways to add character?” For example, an accent treatment that incorporates texture, like wall paneling or applying tongue-and-groove to the ceiling “is really an affordable update that adds a little soul,” said Westhusing. Or, fit flexible solutions to rooms with multiple uses, such as installing a folddown Murphy bed in an office, to create a workspace that can be readied into a guest room.
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Sarah’s Top Tips Westhusing is seeing a lot of “living finishes,” such as unlacquered brass that will patina over time, handmade tiles with an old-world feel, and woodgrain in kitchens. People are moving “away from this man-made, made in a factory, mass-produced look, to things with subtle imperfections, color variation, and that connect more to human beings,” said Westhusing. Layer the lighting in a bathroom, including under-cabinet lighting for a soft, nighttime glow, and ensure the mirror has proper illumination for good grooming.
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Light fixtures are cost effective for creating a pleasing ambiance.
NEIL KELLY COMPANY, EUGENE
Matt White | New paint, light fixtures, flooring & entry door “The first question I’ll ask is, how long does a homeowner plan on staying in the home,” said Matt White, a design consultant and general manager at Neil Kelly in Eugene who has been in the business for about thirty years. “If someone is planning on selling that home within two years, then usually we’re talking about a much different project than if they’re planning on staying there forever.” For those that know they’ll be moving soon, White proposed that they first address anything that needs to be fixed, such as what might be singled out by a home inspector during inspection, so that you don’t run into issues during the selling process. (This could vary, depending on the homeowner’s strategy. Largeticket items that are not as visible could be a concession off the sale price, as long as leaving them as-is doesn’t create a bigger maintenance problem.) White advised using the $50,000 to spruce up dated features. That amount could cover a range of items, from faucets to new hardware: “Floor coverings, paint and light fixtures, those things are almost always going to be worth it,” said White. Also, take a hard look at the home’s curb appeal, such as the landscaping and front door. “Entry doors can make a really big difference in a first impression,” said White. “Put a brand-new entry door on an older home and it looks like a new home.” And if “return on enjoyment” is more important, feel free to go bold with the choices: pick a favorite paint color or make a statement with light fixtures, which can utterly transform a room, White said. “If you’re staying long-term, put quality items in that are going to last a long time, so that you’re not going to have to remodel again.”
Matt’s Top Tips Lead times can be long, especially now, with supply chains compromised by the pandemic. The front door and landscaping makes the first impression, making them a worthy upgrade.
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“The truth is it always costs a little more than you think, and it always takes a little longer than you think,” said White.
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Don’t rip out perfectly good materials to replace them with poor quality materials, or “the latest shiny thing on the shelf,” said White. Avoid putting new, expensive counters on kitchen cabinets that will need to be replaced shortly.
French doors open a room to create a more spacious feel, refreshing it with natural light.
EMERICK ARCHITECTS, PORTLAND
Melody’s Top Tips
Melody Emerick | Personalize
Hire local craftspeople to make beautiful goods that last.
Portland-based architect Melody Emerick, loved the question of the smartest way to spend $50,000 on your home because she had to answer it in her own home remodel. “I think everybody thinks about the big projects, like doing a kitchen, or bathroom or adding on,” said Emerick, co-founder of Emerick Architects. “But $50,000 doesn’t always get you as much as you’d hope, and those [types of projects] are more daunting. So, I’m looking for the biggest bang for the buck.” Emerick recommended a suite of changes that eke out more personal enjoyment from your home. For White, this included new paint and statement lighting. “Whenever I feel like I need a pick-me-up, I will paint rooms in my house,” said Emerick. “I love it, and it feels like a whole new room.” Emerick also advocated for creating a connection to the outdoors, possibly through new windows or French doors. This will bring in more natural light and frame views to the garden. Add on a patio or a deck, and you have the makings of an outdoor room that “feels like a little escape, and makes your house feel bigger,” said Emerick.
Another handy tactic with a big payoff is to identify architectural elements that you touch on a daily basis, such as the front door knob or the kitchen faucet, and swap out the flimsy for more substantial, higher-end pieces that look right for your house, and have a pleasing feel to them. “You’re touching them a hundred times in a week,” said Emerick. “Have it be an experience that you find beautiful and functional—that’s a great investment.” Lastly, consider hiring a local craftsperson to customize storage solutions, such as building a good-looking cabinet for a vinyl collection, or outfitting the pantry with top-notch shelving, or fashioning a gorgeous vanity that holds all of the odds and ends. As far as worrying whether such projects are too personal to be appreciated in resale, Emerick had some advice: “I’m a huge believer in always doing it for you. If you do, there’s somebody else out there who’s also going to value it. So, take a stand. Do whatever gives you beauty and meaning. This is your home.”
“Whenever I feel like I need a pick-me-up, I will paint rooms in my house. I love it, and it feels like a whole new room.” SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
“The world of TV shows has made it seem like you can have things done in no time for hardly any money, and that’s a false world,” said Emerick. If remodeling the entire house over a longer period of time, consider working with a design professional to create a master plan, so as not to waste money, or have to redo past work. “Even if it’s over five years or more, you know what you can chip away at,” said Emerick. Additionally, hiring a designer will bring in fresh eyes and can help to pinpoint what really needs to be tackled—and the solutions that they suggest may be entirely different than what you’ve identified.
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After bulldozers, highways and development brought down Portland’s historic cultural hub of the Black community, an innovative path forward emerges written by Fiona Max
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FROM LEFT Maxey’s Parlor on NE Weidler in 1953, one of many Black-owned businesses on the street. The Hill Block Building in 1910 was a safe, bustling hub for Blacks. The Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Sunday meeting spot. (photos, from left: courtesy of Albina Vision Trust, courtesy of Williams & Russell, courtesy of Albina Vision Trust)
On a Friday evening in the ’60s, locals of Northeast Portland’s Albina district could be found in the Hill Block building, an iconic, domed building on the corner of Williams and Russell Street. At the time, the place was home to the Cotton Club, a jazz club which had quickly gained popularity under owner Paul Knauls. Knauls had worked his way into the scene in Spokane, Washington, at the Davenport Hotel, and had gone to Portland in search of a venue of his own. He bought the rundown Cotton Club in 1963, and brought it back to life. Its fall, Knauls said, would come in 1968, after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., as tensions between the Black and white community ran high. “People came to the club because they knew they were going to be treated right, they knew they were going to be safe … and they knew they were going to be offered a drink,” said Knauls, dubbed the honorary mayor of Northeast Portland. As the club doors swung open, the sound of some of America’s biggest names in jazz, including Etta James, The Whisperers, Sunday’s Child, Duke Ellington and Mel Brown, spilled into the night. Knauls greeted folks at the door with a broad smile. Dancers, swayers and drinkers filled the place until closing time. The Cotton Club epitomized the Albina district—bustling, beautiful and black-owned. All around it, however, the bulldozing had already begun. By 1951, the Oregon Department of Transportation had leveled an estimated eighty Albina homes along the Willamette River for the construction of I-99. Eleven years later, ODOT demolished a strip of buildings through the center of Albina to build the I-5 freeway. At the time, Legacy
Emanuel Medical Center, originally called Emanuel Hospital, was making plans with the Portland Development Commission to build a new hospital. The hospital’s consulting firm proposed buying the 1.7-acre lot with the Hill Block building, but in 1971, Portland’s City Council adopted the Emanuel Hospital Urban Renewal Project, making way for demolitions that continued for the next two years. By then, the Hill Block building was home to a pharmacy, several restaurants, a laundromat and Knauls’ cocktail bar, Pauls. “That’s where everybody would meet on Sunday after church, and you could see everybody that you knew,” said Knauls. “That was the place to be.” The Emanuel Displaced Persons Association formed to protest the demolitions and demand compensation for the homeowners and businesses on the lot, but not before the city displaced 171 households–74 percent of which were Black–and destroyed thirty businesses. Knauls said he was never compensated for the loss of the cocktail bar. SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT In 1949, construction begins on Interstate Avenue. In 1958, a site is cleared for Memorial Coliseum. 1964 brought freeway construction. A 2016 aerial of the Rose Quarter.
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oday, a network of Black-led nonprofits are reimagining the neighborhood with their own urban renewal projects. At the forefront of the revitalization is the Black-led nonprofit Albina Vision Trust, which brings together property owners, public partners and investors committed to bringing Black wealth and joy back to Albina and its surroundings. In July, Albina Vision Trust hosted a virtual community workshop. Portland NAACP president Sharon Gary-Smith kicked off the meeting, saying, “What I love is we started with a hustle. Now we’re talking about cultivating and rooting and generational joy.” Gary-Smith was referring to the Vision Trust’s Community Investment Plan. Othello Meadows, who leads the investment plan’s community engagement efforts, said during the community workshop, “I say this lovingly … communities are fickle. We knew we had to come out of the ground with a big enough splash to give
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the community confidence that there was momentum and more to come.” That splash is a twenty-year construction that stretches north to south from the Steel Bridge to the Broadway Bridge and east to-west from the banks of the Willamette to I-5. A close-knit neighborhood will flourish with affordable and multi-generational housing. Green spaces and parks will weave through the neighborhoods, offering space for family and community gatherings. The east bank of the Willamette River will be transformed from an industrial wasteland to a rich swathe of parks and gardens which pay tribute to iconic Black Portlanders. Albina’s original downtown section will be lined with trees and alive with Black-owned restaurants and shops. A network of community centers, or “hubs,” will enrich the area. “They are business incubators, they focus on food, adult and youth education, health and wellness and art,” said Josh
Shelton of El Dorado Inc., an urban design and architecture firm for the investment plan. Green rooftops on the district’s highrises are key features. “For the first time, everyone living here would have access to that height, to turn 360 degrees and realize the views of Mount St. Helens and East Portland,” Shelton said. Starting dates for the construction of parks, greenways and affordable housing would be set by the end of September, according to the plan. “As much as we want this to be a sprint, we have to take our time and do it right,” Meadows said. “This model shows an ecosystem, an economy all unto itself … We’re not just shooting for quick solutions and programs.” Regulating housing prices so that the neighborhood stays affordable for locals is another issue which the community investment team is exploring, according to Yohannes. Engaging and prioritizing Black-owned lending institutions and construction companies is another key element of the plan. “That closed loop will create wealth that is intergenerational,’’ said Mike Wilkerson, senior economist for the Vision Trust. “That is the difference between what you would see in a typical project where money comes in and goes out of a project and the community is no better off. This is about growing those community resources for the benefit of all those future generations.”
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he model prioritizes healing the Black community and fulfilling its needs. It strives to avert conflicts which have arisen from previous projects with ODOT. For years, Albina Vision Trust was part of the executive steering committee working with ODOT to build highway covers—concrete overpasses reconnecting streets bisected by I-5. In June, AVT withdrew from the committee, believing ODOT’s plans fall short of the restorative justice Northeast Portland needed. Bryson Davis is a member of the Executive Steering Committee (ESC) for the Rose Quarter project. The committee was formed so local organizations and community members could advise and collaborate on the I-5 design. “The cover was effectively a big park. It was not going to fully connect the neighborhood, and there were doubts about how much you could even build on top of the covers,” said Davis, a lawyer. “Many felt it would fail to actually serve the community and provide economic benefits.” The plan for the covers continues to be a source of contention among representatives of the city, the community and ODOT. After the Vision Trust withdrew, ODOT created the Historic Albina Advisory Board to ensure the neighborhood would have representation in the project. Discussion surrounding the feasibility of covers and the efficacy of
That closed loop will create wealth that is intergenerational. That is the difference between what you would see in a typical project where money comes in and goes out of a project and the community is no better off. This is about growing those community resources for the benefit of all those future generations.” — Mike Wilkerson, senior economist for Albina Vision Trust
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BELOW A responsible project leader, The Williams & Russell Community Development Corporation engages the community and partners with local, Black-owned firms. (photo: Hailei Aberson/Flossin Media)
highway expansion will continue into September and could delay renovation of the highway for two more years. In anticipation of this, the Vision Trust’s community investment plan does not hinge on a specific outcome for I-5. “Regardless, we’re not going to be deterred from our plan to develop the neighborhood in line with the values of [the community investment plan],” said Winta Yohannes, executive director of the Albina Vision Trust. “We wanted to allow ourselves to dream without constraint on what’s possible and then have a grassroots movement around what can be.” To move the project forward, Gov. Kate Brown in August announced her support for a proposal that would include a highway cap designed to support three-story buildings. This time, Yohannes says, the proposal is in line with the values of the Community Investment Plan.
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t the same time, smaller projects within the Albina community are shifting the narrative and serving as a model for change on a larger scale. The Vision Trust just started their first housing project—turning a parking lot into affordable apartments and a theater. On the other side of I-5, the two entities that once clashed over the Hill Block building partnered in 2017 to begin restoring the 1.7-acre lot, which was left empty after the structure was moved to Dawson Park, in the Eliot neighborhood. The shift in focus to social and racial equity was reflected in the Portland Development Commission’s decision to change its name to Prosper Portland in 2017. “A name change doesn’t mean anything unless there is action that goes with it, so we’ve really tried to lean into it ever since,” said Shawn Ulman, communication manager for Prosper Portland. 78 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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Legacy Emanuel Medical Center shares that perspective. “We, as an organization, had an obligation to recognize the role that Emanuel Health played in the destruction of a Black neighborhood,” said Brian Terrett, communications director for Legacy Emanuel, which is part of the Legacy Health System. “But in one of our meetings, someone pointed out that as long as Prosper Portland, Legacy Health and the city are deciding what to do with the land, the Black community would not get behind it, and they were right.” The partners worked with the Albina community to form the Williams & Russell Project Working Group, a committee nominated by the community to lead the project. Since
CLOCKWISE FROM CENTER A rendering depicts a Black-owned ecosystem connecting the Willamette River to neighboring homes. Affordable housing is key to reviving the Black economy. Parks and gardens proposed for the riverbank. (renderings: Hennebery Eddy Architects/courtesy of Albina Vision Trust)
then, the group has morphed into the Williams & Russell Community Development Corporation, or CDC. Through community events and meetings, the CDC determined that the biggest demand for the lot was education and workforce training, affordable and rental housing and community and business spaces. The CDC recently partnered with several local firms including Adre, a woman- and minority-owned development company, and Cola Construction—the largest Black-owned construction firm in the Northwest—to bring the blueprints to life. Plans for the lot include twenty-two townhouse units, affordable apartments, a plaza, garden and communal offices. “We have demonstrated a pathway to bring property
back to the community,” said Justice Rajee, CDC co-chair. “The structure used here may not be the best fit for all situations, but the core principle of placing the decision in the hands of the community is a transferable principle.” The Albina neighborhood is a canvas for restorative justice, but by no means a blank one. The work of the Albina Vision Trust, the Williams & Russell project and other partners is poised to lay the foundations for Black healing, progress and celebration. A detail of the Community Investment Plan foreshadows that—a garden on the waterfront which may be named after Paul Knauls. It’s a place where, one day, the sound of jazz may fill the air in Albina again, resurrecting it for a new generation. SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
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FANTASTIC FURY IN 1942, PORTLAND-BORN photographer Victor Jorgensen—a Reed College attendee and editor at The Oregonian—enlisted in the Navy. Edward Steichen, the renowned modernist photographer and lieutenant commander who oversaw Naval photography during World War II, selected Jorgensen for his elite Naval Aviation Photographic Unit. Between 1943 and 1945, Jorgensen photographed on-board the aircraft carriers, a destroyer and a hospital ship in the Pacific during the world-altering conflict. The Portland Art Museum exhibition “Though There Be Fury on the Waves” draws from vintage prints given to the museum by Victoria Jorgensen Carman and Lee Jorgensen, the photographer’s daughters. The exhibition began last year, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. It continues through Nov. 7 at the museum. The poignancy and drama of the work is palpable in an online video tour with Julia Dolan, the museum’s Minor White Curator of Photography. Learn more at www.portlandartmuseum.org/exhibitions/though-there-be-fury-on-the-waves. 80 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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Untitled (USS Monterey), 1944. (photo: Victor Jorgensen, courtesy Portland Art Museum © Estate of Victor Jorgensen)
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Untitled (USS Monterey), 1944. (photo: Victor Jorgensen, courtesy Portland Art Museum © Estate of Victor Jorgensen)
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Untitled (USS Monterey), 1944. (photo: Victor Jorgensen, courtesy Portland Art Museum © Estate of Victor Jorgensen)
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Untitled (Wounded pilot is rushed below), 1943. (photo: Victor Jorgensen, courtesy Portland Art Museum © Estate of Victor Jorgensen)
Untitled (off-duty crew reading mail from home), 1945. (photo: Victor Jorgensen, courtesy Portland Art Museum © Estate of Victor Jorgensen)
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Untitled (the destroyer’s anti-aircraft battery in action), 1945. (photo: Victor Jorgensen, courtesy Portland Art Museum © Estate of Victor Jorgensen)
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Untitled (USS Grant), 1945. (photo: Victor Jorgensen, courtesy Portland Art Museum © Estate of Victor Jorgensen)
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TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT 90 ADVENTURE 92 LODGING 94 TRIP PLANNER 96
pg. 90 A few parks in Oregon are the best spots to stargaze in the world.
©dawndavisphotography, courtesy of Dawn and Brent Davis
NORTHWEST DESTINATION 100
travel spotlight
Twinkle, Twinkle Stargazing goes big in Oregon with global recognition written by Cathy Carroll EVERYONE MAY THINK there’s nothing to stepping outside and stargazing, but like many things in the world, some places are simply better for some things than others. When it comes to being knocked out just by looking up, a few places in Oregon have been designated as the best in the world. Prineville Reservoir State Park in Central Oregon is one. It’s the first Oregon park to be a certified International Dark Sky Park, the newest addition to the International Dark Sky Places Program. The only other such place in the state is in Sunriver, just south of Bend. It turns out that being a dark place requires effort. In Prineville, state park workers replaced harsh outdoor lights with softer yellow and red lighting that reduces “skyglow,” and they educated the public about light pollution. The reservoir joins 174 spots around the globe that followed the rigorous application process for dark sky certification. Bill Kowalik of Bend, chair of the Oregon Chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association, said the park not only gives visitors from light-polluted cities a premier stargazing experience, it helps show the public and officials of rapidly growing Central Oregon how the night sky benefits people and the greater wild ecosystem, and that battling light pollution matters. Kowalik offered these tips for catching upcoming celestial events: • New Moon periods during September and October the week of September and October 6. • The Draconid meteor shower October 6 through 10, peaking on October 8. For the best eye-full, start gazing shortly after dusk. Other prime viewing areas in Oregon include: • Jasper Point, east of Prineville Reservoir State Park • The Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory— reserve one-hour sessions including night-sky viewing through telescopes with staff astronomers and a guided constellation tour. • Cottonwood Canyon State Park, near The Dalles 90 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
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The pre-dawn Milky Way slides past “Dino Rock” along the entry road to Prineville Reservoir State Park.
©dawndavisphotography, courtesy of Dawn and Brent Davis
travel spotlight
When it comes to being knocked out just by looking up, a few places in Oregon have been designated as the best in the world. An effort to nominate a site in Lake County as an International Dark Sky Place is also underway. Community leaders including Bob Hackett, executive Director of Travel Southern Oregon, have been working for nearly three years, talking with public land managers, business owners, ranchers and county and tourism officials, forming the Outback Dark Sky Network, which meets regularly. “It’s slow work and work designed to build trust and advocacy,” said Hackett. “The word ‘designation’ is not necessarily viewed positively in the Outback … There is no legally binding anything—for private landholders or public lands agencies in (International Dark Sky) recognition. But it must be sustained with a community commitment to outreach and education and light-quality monitoring.” The bottom line is that the Outback of central southern Oregon is one of the darkest places in America, said Hackett. The Outback network is using sky-quality meters across the region to collect night-sky darkness data aimed at certifying the area’s stargazing prowess. The best places for Outback stargazing are, said Hackett: • Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge and Hot Springs • Summer Lake • Paisley • The Warner Canyon area • The Winter Rim area In addition to campgrounds in these areas, Summer Lake Hot Springs and Summer Lake Resort have cabins, RV spots and Airbnb options including the Fremont Point Lookout Cabin on Winter Rim.
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Photos: Travis Hughes
adventure
Take the Oregon Outdoor-100 Challenge Pro tips for your own challenge to explore 100 scenic state sights written by Travis Hughes
THE MARK OF a truly great adventure is when the memories outnumber the miles traveled. A few years ago, I embarked on a quest to see 100 of Oregon’s most scenic spaces. It took me just over three years to complete, and the memories will last a lifetime. As a lifelong Oregonian, I wanted to see Oregon’s iconic places, such as Blue Pool, Multnomah Falls, Crater Lake and Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, but I also wanted to see the state’s lesser-known gems. My final list included everything from crashing waterfalls and towering rock formations to mountain summits, stunning beach vistas, wind-whipped deserts and spooky caves. Taking the Oregon Outdoor-100 Challenge requires some planning. Here are some tips I learned along the way. ABOVE Over the last few years, Travis Hughes worked his way through a list of 100 of Oregon’s most scenic places, including (clockwise from top left) the Alvord Desert, the Painted Hills, Tamanawas Falls, Fort Rock, Crack in the Ground, God’s Thumb on the Oregon Coast, Rockaway Beach’s Twin Rocks and Hug Point.
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adventure
Think outside the box
Explore scenic byways, highways
Every corner of Oregon is worth exploring for its contribution to the landscape. On the coast, venture to the sprawling, multi-limbed Octopus Tree near Tillamook, or travel about 30 miles south along the coastline to the eerie Neskowin Ghost Forest, where spruce trees look as if they are marching into the Pacific. Visit Thor’s Well in Yachats, and watch crashing waves thrust up into the air, then dramatically plunge below the surface. From there, take a five-minute detour up to the Perpetua Rock Shelter. When the tides are right, explore the shipwreck Peter Iredale near Astoria or seek out the hidden sea cave at Short Beach just west of Tillamook.
Oregon’s scenic highways are pathways for adventure-packed road trips. Oregon has twentynine designated scenic byways and tour routes. Hole-in-the-Ground along the Oregon Outback byway and the Painted Hills, along the Journey Through Time byway, is a must. Other highways that are goldmines for adventure, include Highway 138, which I dubbed the Highway to Waterfall Heaven. More than a dozen waterfalls are along the route, including Toketee Falls and Watson Falls. Expand your reach to those far-reaching corners such as Hells Canyon and the Wallowa Mountains in northeastern Oregon.
To get the full scope of Oregon’s beauty, be willing to work for it. Dust off the hiking boots and gain some altitude by summiting South Sister near Bend, climbing God’s Thumb near Lincoln City and taking in a sunset atop McKenzie Pass at Dee Wright Observatory. Take your adventure underground around Bend and Redmond in Central Oregon, exploring subterranean sights such as Skylight Cave. At Crackin-the-Ground in Christmas Valley, hike below the earth’s surface into a large volcanic fissure.
Rock out Oregon’s rock formations invite adventures from mellow to amped. In Bandon, get some face time in with Face Rock, which looks as if a giant reclining under the ocean is peeking his head out just above the surface. Nearby, find the shape-shifting rock known as Howling Dog or Wizard’s Hat. At the Metolius Balancing Rocks in the Deschutes National Forest, rock spires have boulders precariously perched atop. Southeast of La Pine, visit Fort Rock, Oregon’s earthen version of the ancient Roman Colosseum. The volcanic monolith rose up from a lake bed of the Ice Age. North of Bend in Terrebonne, try rock climbing at Smith Rock State Park or check out Monkey Face along the Misery Ridge hike. My journey ended at the Pillars of Rome, rock formations which look like ancient painted columns. Paulina Falls, south of Bend, and Abiqua Falls, near Scotts Mills, are situated in spectacular rock amphitheaters sure to take your breath away.
Think seasonally Partake in adventures in all four seasons. In spring, waterfalls are rushing with snowmelt, making it an ideal time to visit Trestle Creek Falls east of Cottage Grove or the mighty Salt Creek Falls off Highway 58. Travel 130 miles southeast of Portland to witness Lost Lake disappearing down a lava tube. Cool off at the ocean and explore Boardman State Park on the southern coast and Devil’s Punchbowl near Newport. Take in autumn foliage in the Columbia River Gorge or at Silver Falls State Park near Salem. Trillium Lake reflects Mount Hood, and in the winter, get your powder fix at resorts such as Willamette Pass, Mount Bachelor or Hoodoo. Surprisingly, 100 outdoor adventures add up fast, because Oregon delivers. Once you’re done, get to work on your second 100, and you’ll likely cross paths with others doing the same.
• Boca Cave, Willamette National Forest near Detroit • Opal Creek Wilderness, Willamette National Forest near Lyons • Hug Point, off Highway 101 near Cannon Beach • Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City • Twin Rocks, off Highway 101 in Rockaway • Umpqua Hot Springs, off Highway 138, east of Glide • Angels Rest, Columbia River Gorge near Bridal Veil • Bridge of the Gods, spans from Highway 84 to Washington’s SR-14 • Three Arch Rocks, Oceanside • Terwilliger Hot Springs, Highway 126 between Eugene and Bend • Oregon Caves, off Route 46, 20 miles east of Cave Junction • Alvord Desert, Harney County, southeast of the Steens Mountains • Steens Mountain, Oregon’s southeast corner
Travis Hughes
Look high, low and below
MORE SPOTS FOR THE CHALLENGE
• Table Rocks, Jackson County, north of the Rogue River • Hobbit Trail, off Highway 101, north of Florence
Travis Hughes stands at the finish of his Oregon Outdoor 100 Challenge, the 100-foot high Pillars of Rome.
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ROOMS The three-story hotel includes 57 king, queen, and double guest rooms, and some have views of downtown. Each includes luxurious, French Diptyque toiletries, a retro Smeg mini-fridge stocked with local beverages and an original Nespresso for additional Euro-flair. The bedding and wall decor, a playful mix of millwork, textiles and patterns, combine florals, tartans and wovens to create dimension in the space, while vintage rugs and custom lighting add comfort and style.
FEATURES
Lodging
Hotel Grand Stark
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Hotel Grand Stark’s exterior reveals the building’s heritage from 1906, as the Hotel Chamberlin. Artistic flair in the deli reflects the Portland’s east side aesthetic. One of fifty-seven rooms influenced by the quirky, creative neighborhood.
written by Lauren Sharp AT THE HEART of Portland’s industrial Buckman neighborhood is the Hotel Grand Stark. This historic destination offers a whimsical nod to the Pacific Northwest with an eccentric twist—as a respite for those looking to embrace the Rose City’s eclectic central east side. It opened in the spring, the first Oregon property of Los Angeles-based Palisociety Hospitality Groups’ boutique hotels. Palisociety founder Avi Brosh set out to create a space embodying the Pacific Northwest experience, elevating the city’s creative, quirky character. “My hope is that guests feel that they receive the true experience of the place from the decor, accommodations and food in all of our properties,” Brosh said. “In turn, our team set out to pay tribute to the artistic spirit of the inner east side and create a place that serves neighborhood locals and travelers alike.” The property’s classic facade is the legacy of its historical roots. Built in 1906 at the corner of SE Grand and Stark, it premiered as the Hotel Chamberlin. Since 1936, it was home to the Shleifer Furniture Company, which closed in 2015. With Portland rebounding after an unforgiving year, the new hotel can reap the benefits of the city’s east side, bustling once more with cyclists, al fresco dining, gallery openings and outdoor concerts. It’s clear that even a global health crisis can’t wipe out this town’s personality, and for those looking to embrace it, you’ve come to the right place. 509 SE GRAND AVENUE PORTLAND www.palisociety.com/hotels/hotel-grand-stark
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The entrance offers impact, with a spacious lobby accented with green hues reminiscent of a Parisian bistro. Guests can easily bike to neighborhood eateries or stroll downtown in fifteen minutes, ideal for those looking to explore this vibrant area.
DINING Adjacent to the lobby, the Grand Stark Deli offers a casual atmosphere with counter service and café-style seating, evoking classic delis, vintage diners and European tabacs. The menu features a proprietary sparkling wine, Deli Bubs, a 2015 Chehalem Mountains AVA, Willamette Valley traditional method sparkling rose. Bar Chamberlain is Submarine Hospitality’s (Ava Gene’s, Tusk) re-envisioning of a classic hotel watering hole, delivering a warm, intimate allure for late-night cocktails.
AMENITIES Concierge service and highspeed wi-fi are gratis. Pets are welcomed by a friendly staff with items such as organic treats, luxurious dog beds and toys. A fee of $125 per stay applies. Self-parking outside the hotel is $25 a day.
Pursuing excellence through fitness 61615 Athletic Club Drive
(541) 385-3062
trip planner Milton-Freewater’s cobblestone soil, naturally enhanced by Walla Walla River deposits, yields distinctive wines.
A Destination AVA—Served on The Rocks Savor, hike and explore Milton-Freewater’s valleys in wine-tastings written by Angela Ashberry
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TravelOregon.com/Joni Kabana
FOR MOST WINE AFICIONADOS, Eastern Oregon’s Milton-Freewater doesn’t register as a wine tasting destination. Its location puts it far from anywhere convenient and 300 miles from the Willamette Valley. Its climate seems more suited to peppers and corn than wine grapes. Its hyphenated name sounds like a corporate law firm. Yet this small town with a population of 7,050 that’s 5 miles south of the Washington state line and 10 miles south of Walla Walla is emerging as a destination for those who are as adventurous with their travel as they are curious about a wine’s terroir. Welcome to The Rocks!
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
October 2nd & 3rd Over 15 artist studios throughout Baker County, OR
more info at www.travelbakercounty.com
HEARTY HIKING • WINE TASTING Start your day with an ambitious hike about 37 miles east of Milton Freewater. Head to the South Fork Walla Walla Trailhead 15 miles southeast of town. The Table Springs/Bear Creek Trail is a 14.6-miles long, which can be done nicely in shorter segments. It gets steeper after a gentle introduction. Be sure to bring water and check with the Umatilla National Forest for fire warnings and closures. This hike into the North Fork Umatilla Wilderness should get your blood pumping for the rest of the day’s events. What makes the Milton-Freewater winegrowing area worth the trip is the soil that earned it its own wine-growing appellation or AVA (American Viticultural Area). The Rocks District is defined by cobblestone land that stems from deposits of the Walla Walla River as it fans out coming out of the Blue Mountains. The cobblestones are believed to absorb the heat of the sun and transmit it to the roots of the grape vines and radiate heat to the grape clusters to enhance the production of phenols, which influence the wine’s color and feel in your mouth. Though last alphabetically in the AVA, Zerba Cellars should be one of the first to visit and taste in The Rocks District. Cecil and Marilyn Zerba started growing produce and plants as part of a nursery before transitioning to growing wine grapes in 2001. Try the award-winning syrahs or cabernet sauvignons. Tero Estates, on Windrow Vineyard, the oldest commercially planted vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley has distinctive single block cabernets and an enterprising super Tuscan cabernetsangiovese red blend to truly savor local terroir. For dinner, head north to Walla Walla’s Brasserie Four French bistro for steak frites or bouillabaisse. Sip another local wine from just outside The Rocks District and notice the difference between AVAs.
Day WINE • FOOTGOLF Start the morning with a hearty breakfast at Wee Bit O’ Heathers, a true American 98 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE
diner experience in a family-owned venue that serves breakfast all day. Don’t be foodshy at breakfast because you’ll need the energy for the ensuing 18-hole challenge. After breakfast, make way to the Milton-Freewater Municipal Golf Course, but leave your clubs behind. The city of MiltonFreewater nailed it with an 18-hole footgolf course, played with your feet and a soccer ball. For $10.50 per adult round, your day will be filled with long drives, chips and putts toward a 21-inch cup. The best rounds can get Messi. For the day’s tasting, start with The Rocks District syrahs from Watermill Winery, a small winery just two blocks from the footgolf course. Watermill, which began as an apple-growing operation, carries forward that tradition with its Blue Mountain Ciders. Bring a picnic lunch and sip syrahs under sunbrellas on Watermill’s patio. Spice things up a little in the evening with a visit to Castillo de Feliciana and their Spanish-style wines. The reserve tempranillo is a blend of grapes from The Rocks District and surrounding Walla Walla area. Likewise with the cabernet sauvignon. Make a reservation and transport yourself abroad from this pastoral setting in Milton-Freewater. For dinner, make reservations at Hattaway’s on Alder in Walla Walla. Start with the local heirloom tomato salad, followed by Pacific oysters, braised beef cheeks and a Hatty’s old fashioned.
Day HISTORY • BAKERY Before you leave, be sure to ogle the Frazier Farmstead Museum, listed on the National Register of Historical Sites, open Thursday through Saturday and by appointment. The past and the history of Milton-Freewater is well preserved here and perhaps can answer how the soils of Milton-Freewater became the basis for its wine appellation and how the city earned its hyphenated name. If Walla Walla is on your way, hit the Walla Walla Bread Company for coffee and breakfast tartines, and toast the farewell to your AVA destination getaway in The Rocks.
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
Ryan Westman
Day
TravelOregon.com/Joni Kabana
trip planner
trip planner
MILTON-FREEWATER, OREGON
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Watermill Winery ciders pay homage to the area’s apple-growing roots. William Samuel Frazier’s house is preserved as the Frazier Farmstead Museum. Footgolf is played on a municipal golf course. The Milton-Freewater Golf Course puts the valley on display.
EAT Brasserie Four www.brasseriefour.com Castillo de Feliciana www.castillodefeliciana.com Hattaway’s on Alder www.hattawaysonalder.com TERO Estates www.trwines.com Walla Walla Bread Company www.w2breadco.com Watermill Winery www.watermillwinery.com Wee Bit O’ Heathers www.facebook.com Zerba Cellars www.zerbacellars.com
STAY Marcus Whitman Hotel ww.marcuswhitmanhotel.com Out West Motel www.outwestmotel.net
PLAY Frazier Farmstead Museum www.frazierfarmstead museum.org Harris Park www.co.umatilla.or.us/ departments/parks
Tina Kain
TravelOregon.com/Joni Kabana
Milton-Freewater Golf Course www.mfcity.com/community/ page/footgolf
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northwest destination
A Victoria Venture
Free tours are offered daily at the Parliament Buildings overlooking Victoria, BC’s Inner Harbour.
Traipse back in time and across cultures on Vancouver Island, BC written by John Macdonald
Deddeda Stemler/Destination Greater Victoria
Note: At the time of writing in mid-August, Canada began welcoming back fully vaccinated leisure travelers from the United States who have proof of being fully vaccinated.
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WE ALL HAVE our own reasons for visiting Victoria. My reason was quite narrow. I wanted to walk Fan Tan Alley in Chinatown, also known as Canada’s narrowest street. In the era of social distancing and pandemics, I realize this may not resonate with everyone, but, for me, it was a grounding starting point to explore the history of Vancouver Island and Victoria. Vancouver Island’s largest ethnic groups are British descendants and Chinese, the former because it had been a fur trading outpost and then British colony, the latter population largely streaming in after the 1858 gold rush. Chinatown is Canada’s oldest and second in North America only to the famed San Francisco Chinatown. In 1995, it earned the distinction of a National Historic Site of Canada. The pandemic made me long for bygone eras and a lust for something different. A post-lockdown Victoria is jubilant and filled with old things that are on my itinerary. Chief among them are Chinatown, Beacon Hill Park, Helmcken House, Craigdarroch Castle, Parliament, the oldest pubs (of course), and winding down at the Fairmont Empress, Victoria’s oldest hotel. All of these venues lead down a path of time and cultural travel, places I need to be. You can stretch your arms out and touch shops on either side of Fan Tan Alley between Fisgard Street and Pandora Avenue in Chinatown. At your fingertips on either side are antiques, jewelry, fashion boutiques, chocolates and a bakery. This street was part of a larger network in the historic Chinese neighborhood that was home to small, wooden, ramshackle abodes and the dreams of people fleeing famine back home to start a new life in the West.
Destination Greater Victoria
Brandon McGeachie/Destination Greater Victoria
Deddeda Stemler/Destination Greater Victoria
northwest destination
Head south toward the Royal BC Museum, where the Helmcken House is just off of Belleville Street. This simple log structure was, from 1853 to 1920, the home of Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken, one of the few who negotiated British Columbia’s entry into Canada to abandon its formal colony status. Just steps farther south into Beacon Hill Park, Victoria’s oldest part, is a contrasting view of mid-nineteenth century living. Beacon Hill Park, a 180-acre Garry oak sanctuary, was first the home of the Lekwungen People, a camas-cultivating First Nations tribe. In 1882, the province deeded this plot to the City of Victoria to be a park. History takes on many states of being. An important cultural state was that of liquid form of ale dispensed by cask and firkin in the pubs of Victoria. Six Mile Pub is reportedly the oldest pub in the region, followed closely by Garrick’s Head Pub downtown. Don’t settle for the advice of others—investigate them both for yourself. Six Mile Pub,
a lovely Tudor circa 1855 and on former Hudson Bay land, lies about 6 miles west of downtown but well worth the distance. Back downtown in Bastion Square is Garrick’s Head Pub, of 1867 birth and a great spot to end the day with English pub fare while sipping a beer and nesting by its wood-burning fireplace. Make your last call a meander down past British Columbia Parliament Buildings and to the Fairmont Empress, one of the stunning examples of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s build-it-and-they-will-come-by-train portfolio, which includes Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City. Both magnificent structures—Parliament and The Empress—were designed by the Leeds-born English architect, Francis Rattenberry, whose life story, itself, is another scandalous chapter in history. The architect won the bid to design the Parliament Buildings by entering and winning a competition at age 25 and under a pseudonym. SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021
VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Fan Tan Alley’s eclectic shops in Chinatown on the narrowest street in Canada. Trees in Beacon Hill Park burst with color in autumn. The Fairmont Empress, built in 1908 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, offers luxury stays in historic surroundings.
EAT Garrick’s Head Pub www.garrickshead.com Six Mile Pub www.sixmilepub.com
STAY Fairmont Empress www.fairmont.com/ empress-victoria
PLAY Beacon Hill Park www.victoria.ca/EN/ main/residents/parks/ beacon-hill.html British Columbia Parliament www.leg.bc.ca Tan Fan Alley www.tourismvictoria.com/ see-do/activities-attractions/ attractions/fan-tan-alley
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1859 MAPPED
The points of interest below are culled from stories and events in this edition of 1859.
Astoria Seaside
Milton-Freewater Hood River Portland Tillamook Gresham
Pendleton
The Dalles La Grande
Maupin Government Camp
Pacific City Lincoln City
Baker City
Salem Newport
Madras
Albany Corvallis
Prineville
John Day
Redmond
Sisters Florence
Joseph
Ontario
Bend
Eugene Springfield
Sunriver Burns
Oakridge Coos Bay Bandon
Roseburg
Grants Pass Brookings
Jacksonville
Paisley
Medford Ashland
Klamath Falls
Lakeview
Live
Think
Explore
30 Pasture PDX
58 Argonaut Cycles
90
Prineville Reservoir State Park
30 Pura Vida
60 Benton County Historical Society
92
The Pillars of Rome
32 Terra Veg
62 MOsley WOtta
94
Hotel Grand Stark
34 Peters’ Cranberries
64 Columbia Gorge Confections
96
Milton-Freewater Municipal Golf Course
52 Pendleton Yoga
68 Sudara
100 Victoria, British Columbia
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Until Next Time Views from Angel’s Rest Trail in the Gorge. photo by Satoshi Eto/TravelOregon.com
