CRREADER.COM Vol. XXIII, No. 259 • October 15, 2026 • COMPLIMENTARY Helping you discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region at home and on the road
page 25
JERRY ROBESON
Transit Operator
People+ Place page 19–22
People Movers
TAKING TRANSIT TO HEART ALSO IN THIS ISSUE page 37 page 32
COLUMBIA RIVER
dining guide
• Forgetfulness poem by Billy Collins • Football season snacks • Lion’s Island pole rehab • Performing Arts Bonanza!
COLUMBIA RIVER READER PRESS • BOOK BOUTIQUE Giving Berth
• COMPLIMENTARY 176 • March 15 – April 15, 2020 CRREADER.COM • Vol. XVI, No. road River region at home and on the the good life in the Columbia
Helping you discover and enjoy
Helping you discover
25 Holiday 2024 • COMPLIMENTARY XXI, No. 237 • Nov. CRREADER.COM Vol. and on the road River region at home life in the Columbia MOSS IN and enjoy the good
YOUR LAWN? What to do page 15
WASHINGTON’S POET LAUREATE COMES TO WAHKIAKUM COUNTY page 14
GIFT BOOK EXTRAVAGANZA
People+Place
page
Cutting Edge
People+ Place
HOME FOR ALL-THE-DAYS
page 27
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
page 37
page 38
glad tidings
CRREADER.CO M Vol. XXI, er and enjoy No. 232 • June the good 15, 2024 life in the • COMP Columbia LIMENTARY River region at home and on the road
you discov
The indispens tugboat able
ONE RIVER, MANY VOICES
COLUMBIA RIVER READER’S HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE 3
Helping
RIVER RU
COLUMB
page 32
IA RIVER
dining guide
People+
NNER
Place
The art of the woodcut
page 19
page 28
COLUMBIA RIVER
dining guide
ESCAPE TO BARCELONA • “FEATURED
CHEF” RETURNS
A GORGE
HIKE WITH
DOGS •
MAKE YOU
R OWN
WINE •
LEWIS &
CLARK’S
Snowy Path by Gregory Gorham See page 21
COLUMBIA RIVER
dining guide
THE TIDEWATER REACH
By Robert Michael Pyle and Judy VanderMaten.
A LIFETIME OF ART 230 pages, vibrant color Author original manuscript Gift-boxed with easel $100 WORDS AND WOOD
In three editions:
• Boxed Signature Edition, with color $50 • Collectors Edition, with color $35 • Trade paperback B/W $25
Debby Neely is a Northwest artist and poet. This is her first book combining words and woodcuts.
Pacific Northwest Woodcuts and Haiku by Debby Neely •Boxed, Gift Edition with tasseled bookmark $35 This work is astonishing. The variety of moods and nuances Debby evokes in simple black and white — delicacy writ with a knife and gouge — testifies to her craftsmanship and to her love for her subjects.
Adding haiku to these dramatic images pins them in moments and memories and heightens our attention and interest. We’re proud to present Debby’s Words and Wood to the people of the Pacific Northwest and to lovers of art and the natural world everywhere. – The Editors
Gregory L. Gorham
Above: “The Blynman Bridge House Detail,” Acrylic
“Pines and Birches,” acrylic on canvas 30” x 40,” fourth in the series. Sold to Mike and Joy Kidd of Long Beach, Washington.
Baker sBay is the waterway that hugs against the landmass on the north, or Washington, side of the Columbia River. To the south, across Bakers Bay is Astoria, Oregon. After leaving Astoria and driving north over the Megler Bridge, the road heads west towards Ilwaco. The first small village you’ll come to is Chinook. Traveling further you’ll come to the fishing village at the base of the Long Beach Peninsula named Ilwaco. At the only intersection in Ilwaco turn north towards Long Beach. Further north you will first pass through the small Seaview community, the first community developed after Ilwaco on the Peninsula. Then the road heads into Long Beach, Washington, the largest city on the Peninsula, still heading north on Washington State Route 103 into Ocean Park.
COLUMBIA RIVER READER PRESS
words and wood
I sign my name with the red chops. The top chop is my name in Chinese. The bottom chop says, “I draw birds and animals.”
pacific northwest woodcuts and haiku
Debby Neely From Words and Wood
debby neely
COLUMBIA RIVER READER PRESS
Michael Perry has a collector’s eye, a scientist’s curiosity, and the Pacific Northwest in his heart. In thIs engagIng new book author Michael Perry takes a fresh look at the Lewis and Clark Expedition — what they set out to do, what they experienced, and where they failed and succeeded — from the layman’s point of view. Compiled from a popular monthly magazine series, and adding new notes and commentary, Perry’s Dispatches adds to the lore and legacy of the famous Expedition the insights, quirks, and wry observations of a gifted amateur historian. MIchael o. Perry is a retired environmental technician, avid collector and conservator, and student of Pacific Northwest history. He lives in Kelso, Washington.
“Michael Perry gets it right! Good storytelling is key to meaningful learning for all ages, and ‘Dispatches’ informs us in a relaxed, enjoyable way, perfect for anyone wishing to explore with the explorers.”
“‘Dispatches’ is a great read, well researched and documented, and presented in an appealing format. The perfect place to start learning more about the Corps of Discovery.” — ALLEN BENNETT President, Lower Columbia Chapter Traditional Small Craft Association
— DANIELLE ROBBINS Education & Public Programs Coordinator, Cowlitz County Historical Museum
dispatches from the discovery trail
Featuring the work of woodcut artist Debby Neely “Meadowlark” On the cover: “Whispering”
DISPATCHES FROM THE DISCOVERY TRAIL M I C H A E L O. P E R R Y
M I C H A E L O. P E R R Y
IN FULL VIEW Rex Ziak • $29.95 Southwest Washington author and explorer Rex Ziak revolutionized historical scholarship by documenting minute-by-minute the Corps’ dangerous days at the mouth of the Columbia.
Top left: “Bright Morning at Lydia Cove” Top right: “Chatham Sunrise Over Lydia Co Bottom left: “Old and New Provincetown” Bottom right “Red Bow Tie Down” In these four images I used warm red to compliment the blue and darker hues in each composition. The blue areas are a mix of cooler aqua blue and a warmer blue ultramarin “Red Tie Down“ is an interesting approach to making a simple subject more enticing by blurring the background and sharply focusing on the red iron tie-down bollard in the immediate foreground, giving an impression of depth. Next are four very different oil paintings, contrasting from what is seen in the imagery above.
Large format exhibition edition
Photo by hal Calbom
EYEWITNESS TO ASTORIA Gabriel Franchére $21.95 Rex Ziak’s edited and annotated edition of Franchére’s 1820 journal, The First American Settlement on the Pacific.
A Lifetime of Art
“Reflections at Wellfleet”
by Gregory L. Gorham
words and wood • debby neely
Field Guide to the Lower Columbia River in Poems and Pictures
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dispatches from the Discovery trail with HAL CALBOM woodcut art by dEbby NEELy
A Layman’s Lewis & Clark by Michael O. Perry. •BW Edition $35
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A
s we go to press, I regret to admit I had a scintillating column in my head — my best ever! haha — all ready to write, but as the pre-press process bogged down and the deadline hung overhead like a guillotine, evidently I was traumatized so badly that I completely forgot what I had planned to write about.
Sue’s
Forgetfulness by Billy Collins
Views
The name of the author is the first to go followed obediently by the title, the plot, the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel which suddenly becomes one you have never read, never even heard of,
Instead I share with you one of my favorite poems, “Forgetfulness,” by Billy Collins, who was the U.S. Poet Laureate in 2001-2003,
as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain, to a little fishing village where there are no phones.
Dubbed “the most popular poet in America” by Bruce Weber in the New York Times, Billy Collins is famous for conversational, witty poems that welcome readers with humor but often slip into quirky, tender, or profound observation on the everyday, reading and writing, and poetry itself. -- poetry foundation.org
Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses goodbye and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag, and even now as you memorize the order of the planets, something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps, the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a poem worth? In the case of “Forgetfulness,” I’m sure it’s worth many more than I might have written in my usual Sue’s Views. I hope you enjoy it, I hope it makes you smile.
Whatever it is you are struggling to remember it is not poised on the tip of your tongue, not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.
Deadline Trauma
Thanks for reading the Reader. My warmest wishes to you all.
It has floated away down a dark mythological river whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall, well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.
Sue Piper
Columbia River Reader ... helping you discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River Region, at home and on the road. ON THE COVER Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper Columnists and contributors: Jan Bono Hal Calbom Anne Carmada Nancy Chennault Alice Dietz Joseph Govednik Michael Perry Ned Piper Robert Michael Pyle Marc Roland Alan Rose Greg Smith Andre Stepankowsky Jim Tejcka Judy VanderMaten Dennis Weber Editorial/Proofreading Assistants: Merrilee Bauman, Michael Perry, Marilyn Perry, Susan Nordin, Tiffany Dickinson, Karen Pickett, Ned Piper
People+Place
Jerry Robeson, operator, River Cities Transit Photo by Hal Calbom See story, page 18-22)
Columbia River Reader is published monthly, with 13,000 copies distributed in the Lower Columbia region. Entire contents copyrighted; No reproduction of any kind allowed without express written permission of Columbia River Reader, LLC. Opinions expressed herein, whether in editorial content or paid ad space, belong to the writers and advertisers and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Reader.
Submission guidelines and Advertising info: page 3, 24. Ad Mgr: Ned Piper 360-749-2632
No wonder you rise in the middle of the night to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war. No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted out of a love poem that you used to know by heart.
In this Issue 4
Letters to the Editor
5
Civilized Living: Miss Manners
7
CRR Food Classics: Four merry Gentlemen’s favorite snacks
8
Astronomy / Night Sky Report
8
Feathered Friends
9
Roland on Wine / Notes from My Lives
11
Dispatch from the Discovery Trail • Episode 30
14
Biz Buzz
17
Museum Magic: Columbia County Museum’s New Digs
18
Glimpses of History: Simon Benson, Entrepreneur Extraordinaire
18-22
People + Place: River Cities Transit
23
Longview Landmark Gets Face Lift
24–28
Outings & Events / Performances / Exhibits
27
In the Spotlight: Phat Cats Swingers
28
Where to Find the Reader (24/7 and even in your bathrobe)
30
Northwest Gardener: Vermi-Composting
St. Helens ad contact: Mitzi Ponce: 252-675-3423
32
Columbia River Dining Guide
33
A Different Way of Seeing: CRRPress Book Excerpts
Columbia River Reader, llc 1333 14th Ave, Longview, WA 98632
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Quips & Quotes / Besides CRR What Are You Reading?
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CRREADER.COM Since April 2004 Visit our website for the current issue and archive of past issues from 2013.
Cover to Cover / Bestsellers List / Book Review
37
Where Do You Read the Reader?
38
Mt. St. Helens Club Hikes
38
The Spectator: It’s time to vote!?
38
Plugged In to Cowlitz PUD: Weekend for Warm Neighbor
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 3
Fancy footwork
Letter to the Editor
I always enjoy “Sue’s Views,” your letter to readers each month. September’s was especially good. Hailing the season and our region, yet zooming out to remind us of our place in the cosmos, is fancy footwork (from a literary standpoint J).
But, the best part was your last paragraph; reminding us of good living’s essentials, while we revel in the season... thanks for that! Brian Davern Kelso, Wash.
Editor’s note: For readers who don’t keep prior editions of CRR by their bedside for re-reading, here is the final paragraph Mr. Davern refers to: “...in this season of mellow fruitfulness, as we enjoy Earth’s bounty or think beyond the stars, may we all practice gratitude, humility, and find joy in this good life.”
READER SUBMISSIONS INVITED!
ME AND MY
PIANO* *or other instrument Share the unique story of you and your relationship with a musical instrument in 500 words or less and mail to CRR, 1333 14th Ave., Longview, WA 98632, or email to publisher@crreader.com. Note “Me and My Piano” in the subject line and if possible attach/include a current mugshot and/or a photo of you with your instrument, then or now. Don’t worry about perfect spelling or syntax. If your story is chosen, we will provide editing services and will contact you for additional details or embellishments as needed.
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Hosting your own shower; Please, no more stuff, etc. DEAR MISS MANNERS: I took a new
colleague to lunch. We were having a nice conversation about baseball when he said, “I’ve always felt inferior for being short.” Huh? I said, “Maybe you’ll grow up.” Stupid and mean, but what was I supposed to say? “Everyone loves you anyway”? How was I supposed to react? He IS short. Should I have told him he’s not, but that maybe he should get a better haircut? Kidding. It was like when I first met my sister-inlaw’s sister at a family dinner, and she said, “You know, Mom bullied both of us.” I was tempted to say, “Well, bully for Mom.”
a secret about themselves, that would be different. I would listen and offer sympathy. But with these folks, it’s like their problems are their identity. Are they warning me that I’m supposed to be especially nice to them, even though they haven’t shown any interest in me?
There are times when we visit a new location to mix things up. At new places, we find it awkward to politely ask the cost of things. Menus sometimes do not clearly define an item’s price. My wife and I are not the kind to simply order something without knowing the cost first. Without embarrassing ourselves or allowing those around us to overhear our request for the price, how can we (or should we) ask what a glass of wine or a favorite beer will cost?
I don’t want to be nasty, I just don’t want to be everyone’s therapist. That old saw “Thank you for sharing” sounds like a put-down, but is that what I need?
GENTLE READER: When you consider buying an item in a store, are you embarrassed to ask the price before deciding?
GENTLE READER: “I guess we all have
Miss Manners has always been puzzled when people fail to recognize that restaurants, however splendid, are businesses that sell cooked food. And atmosphere, sure. But they are not coy about charging you, and there is no reason for you to be coy about asking for prices.
something. But we soldier on, don’t we?” And back to the baseball conversation.
What is it with these instant confessions? It’s like they are bragging -- but about how miserable they are, not how important.
My wife and I enjoy weekly outings to local establishments. We make our rounds, rotating our visits to four or five different places.
Am I a monster for not wanting to hear all this? If a real friend finally told me
To keep costs low, we visit during these businesses’ happy hours, and we have
DEAR MISS MANNERS:
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband
and I have been godparents to the lovely daughter of very good friends. She is about to turn 18.
For her entire life, we have been attentive. We have attended baptisms, communions, school performances and graduations. We have faithfully given birthday and Christmas gifts. Never once have we received any recognition or a thank-you note. I am wondering how to gently cut the cord. I do not want to be mean, and my wish is not to comment on her manners. I am looking for a phrase that we can include with the final gift. Something along the lines of, “Now that you are an adult, you don’t need us anymore.” Do you have any thoughtful phrases that will let the relationship disengage? GENTLE READER: The phrase you are seeking exists, but you would be better not to express it.
Allow Miss Manners to explain. You want to -- but quite rightly know you cannot -- say, “You are a rude little girl and you should have acknowledged all those birthday and holiday gifts. Well, here’s the last one you will get from us. Good riddance.” So instead, you are looking for something that ends the obligation without being mean or critical. Any announcement that does that will, by its very lack of cont page 6
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 5
Miss Manners from page 5 information, imply things you do not mean. A curt “goodbye” is alarming, and if you soften it by talking about not seeing her as much, it will sound like you are feeling neglected and self-pitying.
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FIRST THURSDAY
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Would it not be far easier to cross her birthday off your calendar and go on about your business?. DEAR MISS MANNERS: I went to lunch
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It was so upsetting to me, my brain froze and I couldn’t think of what to say to this man. So I just quickly changed the subject. Please tell me
GENTLE READER: All one has to do these
days to be invited into a fight is to step out the door. So it is useful to know how to decline a fight while preserving a modicum of dignity. The proper pose is a strict neutrality -- neither agreeing nor provoking -- simply seeking the first opportunity to disengage. Miss Manners realizes that this lacks the moral victory of punishing those of whom we disapprove, even vehemently, but it has the advantage of not always going home bruised. .•••
Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McNeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
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At one point, he used the “r” word to describe someone that, in his opinion, was not very bright. I was astounded. He quickly repeated the word two more times as he talked.
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CRR Food Classics
When a party erupts...
Hot Latin Kisses
We need snacks!
By Fax Koontz
I was introduced to these appetizers by Elizabeth Hernandez, if you get my drift. Actually they were an appetizer at El Mercado restaurant in Austin, Texas.
Recalling Four merry gentlemen who shared their favorite appetizers for football season Nacho Dip
Hot Artichoke and Crab Dip By John Freeman
By Bert Jepson
Caprese Bites By Paul Thompson ith the holidays around the corner, I’ve been thinking about parties. At this time of year, I think it’s more important to gather with friends and family than to go shopping.
W
The best gift we can give each other is the gift of time — for catching up, reminiscing, laughing, celebrating and relaxing. At an event I attended recently, guests were charmed by the caprese bites served. I’ve long been a fan of the classic Caprese salad and have, in fact, written about it in my column. These colorful tidbits are perfect for the holidays and are simple to assemble: a cherry or grape tomato cut in half with a basil leaf and two small balls of fresh mozzarella cheese on a toothpick. Form the balls by “cutting” them out of the large mozzarella ball with a mini-melon baller or small teaspoon. Adding a dash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the platter is optional.The event hosts had garnished their platter with sprigs of rosemary poked into tomatoes, which added an amusing, festive touch. My friends, Fax, Bert and John, helped out this month by contributing their favorite appetizers for this column. We all look for ward to impromptu gatherings and drop-by visits with friends and family this holiday season. Stock your kitchen with a few basics and be ready when a party erupts. ••• Longview native Paul Thompson returned to his hometown after a career in Chicago and a few years in Sequim, Wash. He wrote CRR’s popular “Man in the Kitchen” column.
Ingredients
Hors d’oeurves, snacks, munchies – this time of year I start thinking about these things Friday night, as Saturday I want to watch, not work in the kitchen. (Everyone knows I am talking watching football, right?) Occasionally I need some-thing more than just a bag of chips. Maybe a buddy is bringing a significant other, a woman. Now, this does complicate things as not only do I need to put the chips in a bowl but I probably need a dip, and I haven’t got a lot of time because now I have to clean the bathroom, too. So all I do is get my trusty crock-pot and throw in the ingredients below and let them cook together for a couple of hours, add sour cream and/ or avocados in some form and there you are.
I found the recipe for this dip posted on a piece of paper on my mother-inlaw’s refrigerator. It looked intriguing and turned out to become one of my favorite appetizers. Having something warm to serve on a cold autumn or winter evening keeps things cozy. You can serve it before dinner, while playing cards, or your guests can just nibble on it while having drinks. The preparation time is negligible. I usually mix it in the serving bowl. The recipe makes about three cups. Ingredients
Ingredients
One can refried beans 1 cup shredded cheddar 1 cup Monterey Jack One-half package taco seasoning (you can do these spices yourself if you are of a mind to.) Add salsa or hot sauce to taste. Serve with sour cream and guacamole (options) with tortilla chips. ••• At the time of this writing, Bert Jepson was executive director f o r H . O . P. E . o f Rainier, a community food pantry. He loved football — especially the Oregon Ducks — reading, and cooking.
14-oz can artichoke hearts in water. 7-1/2 oz can chopped green chilies (these are fairly mild) 8-oz can of crab meat (you can use more or less, or omit if someone has allergies to shellfish) 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup mayonnaise Preheat oven to 350º. Coarsely chop artichokes. Combine all ingredients. Sprinkle top with a little more Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite cracker. •••
12 fresh jalapeno peppers 8-oz Philadelphia cream cheese 1 pkg pre-cooked shrimp (41-50 count) 1 lb. thin-sliced bacon 24 round toothpicks Select the largest, long, bright evenly balanced jalapeno peppers at the market. Cut off the stem end. Orient the pepper with the curve down and slice in half. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds and the white ribs for a mild taste. Leave some ribs for a hotter kick. Pick one shrimp for each pepper half. Rinse the selected shrimp, break off the crispy tail and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the curved inside of the shrimp to help straighten them out. Use the teaspoon or a knife to stuff each pepper half with cream cheese with a slight indentation down the middle.Press one shrimp into each pepper with the tail end pointed toward the curved tip of the pepper. Wrap a single piece of bacon around each jalapeno/shrimp, poking a toothpick through the pepper to hold it in place. Evenly space on a pan and broil about two inches from the element. Cook until bacon is crispy but not burned (5-10 minutes). When the top is done, turn each pepper over and cook until the bottom is crisp (typically half the top time).Serve hot, right out of the oven. •••
Retired Mark Morris High School math teacher John Freeman enjoys travel, music, opera and, when he lived in Longview, walking Lake Sacajawea every morning. He now lives in Federal Way, Wash.
Longview resident Fax Koontz is a retired business consultant. He enjoys fishing, playing bridge and going to football games.
Note: Since the original “Man in the Kitchen” column, Paul and Bert have both passed away. We remember them fondly. October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 7
Astronomy
Taking Flight
Looking UP
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS Nov. 1st
SKY REPORT
October 12th – November 12th
By Greg Smith The Evening Sky
A clear sky is needed. Looking east, the large constellation of Pegasus, (which has the shape of a large square as its main body), has risen midsky by 8:30 pm. It has two lines of stars running from the left corner of the square, that make up its hind legs that head toward the northern sky (to your left). It is up by 7:30pm along with the Andromeda Galaxy M31 sitting just above the legs of Pegasus. Viewed in binoculars, M31 appears as a bright smudge of fuzziness. Those two hind legs of Pegasus are actually the constellation of Andromeda. The Morning Sky A clear sky is required.
Around 5am Jupiter and Mars have risen fairly up in the Eastern Sky. Mars is located in a cluster of stars known as the Beehive Cluster. This is an open cluster with its stars spread out. Jupiter and sits below Mars. The well-known constellation of Orion is in the southwestern sky. It will reappear in the evening sky in mid-December.
MOON PHASES:
New Moon: Sat., Oct. 10th First Qtr: Sun., Oct. 18th Full Moon: Sun., Oct. 25th Last Qtr: Sun., Nov. 1st New Moon: Sun, Nov. 8th END OF TWILIGHT
When the brightest stars start to come out. Allow about an hour more to see a lot of stars. Mon., Oct. 12th • 7:01pm Mon., Oct. 19th • 6:48pm Mon., Oct. 26th • 6:37pm Mon., Nov. 2nd • 5:27pm SUNSET
Mon., Oct. 12th • 6:32pm Mon., Oct. 19th • 6:20pm Mon., Oct. 26th • 6:08pm Mon., Nov. 2nd • 4:57pm Mon., Nov. 9th • 4:48pm
Be on the watch for a possible brightening of Betelgeuse as it is approaching its death. If it should blow up, it will be impossible to miss. Night Sky Spectacle
Just rising in the east northeast sky by 8:30pm, the small group of stars known as the Pleiades, (that look like a small dipper) is part of the constellation of Taurus the Bull. And is well up in the eastern sky by late October. This is a beautiful cluster of six stars best viewed with binoculars. •••
Longview resident Greg Smith is past president of Friends of Galileo. Meet him and other club members at monthly meetings in Longview. For more info about FOG, visit friendsofgalileo.com.
FEATHERED FRIENDS
By Ann Kastberg
Dark-eyed Juncos: they’re cute, and they eat spiders, too!
E
veryone knows robins and crows, but who are those little gray and brown birds with dark hoods, dark eyes and light pink beaks? When alarmed, they suddenly pop up into brush or trees flashing bold, white outer tail feathers against dark inner feathers of fanned-out tails. Then, just as quickly, the white disappears when their tails fold and they go back to the business of hunting seeds from your feeder or the ground. This is the Dark-eyed Junco. Our common and widespread subspecies, the Oregon Junco, about the size of your hand, looks small next to spotted towhees and Steller’s jays. Their lightcolored beaks stand out like Jimmy Durante’s schnozzola, making it easier to pick them out of the crowd, when their little winter flocks dine with chickadees, sparrows and other small seed eaters in patchy wooded areas and around yards. Despite all that hopping around together, serious territorial disputes are uncommon. And if they decide your yard is a good place to eat, consider yourself fortunate. They don’t just clean up seeds; they also eat spiders. The next time a flock of little gray birds suddenly flashes white tails and disappears into the bushes, you can say with confidence: “I know who you are. You’re juncos—and you’re welcome here.” •••
Ann Kastberg spent seven years with her husband Russ as RV hosts, volunteering primarily at wildlife refuges, where they learned a lot about animals, their habits and habitats. Ann serves on the Willapa Hills Audubon Society board. Information about the organization may be found at willapahillsaudubon.org.
Mount St. Helens Club listings, page 38
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ROLAND ON WINE
NOTES FROM MY LIVES By Andre Stepankowsky
Experiencing pleasure together
The oddly-timed Commencement speech
by Marc Roland
A
merican drinking habits have changed dramat ic ally. In 1830, the average American consumed about 7.1 gallons of pure alcohol each year, roughly equivalent to four shots of whiskey every day. By 2022, consumption had fallen to 2.5 gallons per person. More recently, a Gallup poll found that only 54 percent of American adults drink alcohol. But an article in The Atlantic raises a more complicated and interesting question: As drinking declines, what are Americans doing instead, and are those new habits bringing us together or pulling us farther apart? What happens when Americans replace traditionally social vices with activities practiced largely alone? Recent Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory calling for cancer warnings on alcoholic beverages, but only two years before he said that there is a loneliness epidemic. While I believe less drinking may be welcome news, alcohol has historically been consumed in taverns, restaurants, clubs, and private gatherings. These settings encourage conversation and unplanned encounters. Even when drinking is not particularly healthy, having a drink with others can strengthen friendships and facilitate meeting new people. The social setting is often as important as the alcohol itself. At the same time that drinking has declined, marijuana use has grown substantially. Legal recreational cannabis is now available in Washington, as well as nearly half the states. But unlike alcohol it generally cannot be consumed where it is purchased. It is more likely to be
Your Columbia River Reader Read it • Enjoy it Share it • Recycle it Columbia River Reader is printed with environmentally-sensitive soy-based inks on paper manufactured in the Pacific Northwest utilizing the highest percentage of “post-consumer waste” recycled content available on the market.
used privately, often without the social customs surrounding a neighborhood bar or shared dinner. Online sports betting offers an even clearer example. Legalization has spread rapidly, and nearly half of American men between 18 and 49 reportedly have an online sportsbook account. Gambling once meant gathering around a poker table, visiting a racetrack, or sitting beside strangers in a casino. Today, the same risks and thrills are available through a phone, without requiring any contact with another person. Internet pornography follows a similar pattern. Sexual gratification that once depended upon human interaction, or at least required leaving the house to obtain, is now instantly and endlessly available through a screen. It can occupy hours while creating the appearance of connection without the reality of companionship. The argument is not that older vices were harmless. Alcohol, gambling, drugs, and compulsive sexual behavior can all cause serious damage. But when practiced moderately, some traditional vices also created reasons for people to gather, converse, and share experiences. “Community lies at the heart of our health and well-being”, according to Robin Dunbar, professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford. America may not be abandoning vice so much as changing its location. Instead of the taproom, we consume in the bedroom. This shift matters because habits do more than affect individuals. They help shape a society’s character. As American pleasures become more private, convenient, and digitally delivered, Americans themselves may become increasingly isolated. The danger is not simply that we continue to pursue unhealthy pleasures. It is that we may forget that, for better or worse, pleasure was once something we experienced together. ••• Longview resident and former Kelso teacher Marc Roland started making wine in 2008 in his garage. He and his wife, Nancy, now operate Roland Wines at 1106 Florida Street in Longview’s new “barrel district.” For wine tasting hours, call 360-846-7304.
T
Speaking to the student in all of us
his may seem an odd time for a commencement speech. But at a high school fundraiser the other night, I had an unexpected chance to relate a message I’d like all high school seniors to hear. Mine, at least, has the benefit of brevity. Emily, a Woodland resident, is a member of the 2027 class of Seton Catholic High School in Vancouver. We were introduced by my wife, Paula, who was Emily’s language arts teacher while she attended St. Rose Catholic School in Longview, Emily is tall, smart and articulate. She told me she wants to study biology, perhaps at the University of Washington. Sensing a chance to recruit this Cougar — the Seton mascot — and make her a Husky, I told her of my daughter’s experience as a chemistry student at UW. The UW profs, I told Emily, expect students to do more than just regurgitate facts and the periodic table of chemical formulas. Students can’t just memorize information and survive. UW chemistry lecturers expect students to learn how to use the information. How can a new compound be made from this chemical? How and why do electrons move as they do in a chemical reaction? They want evidence that you know why things work like they do and why they are important.
who become so enthralled that they think, talk and even toy with it. In other words: To burn with it. These are the students who become the leaders in their fields, I told Emily. What I didn’t get a chance to say was that I was lucky enough in my undergraduate days at Fairleigh Dickinson University to fall in love with the English language and English literature — largely due to the tutelage of two professors who became good friends. Like gravity, literature and writing always drew us back no matter what other topic we had under discussion. John and Jack taught me how to make parallels between my reading and real life. The love of English they instilled in me has endured a lifetime. More than 50 years ago, Jack introduced me to Francois Rabelais’s 16th-century comic novel Gargantua and Pantagruel. The famous passage in which Gargantua urges his son to dedicate himself to learning is relevant here. The message is somewhat dated now, but the impact it has on Pantagruel should inspire anyone to greater learning.
This shift from content to real mastery is the biggest challenge of the transition from high school to college.
“Pantagruel plucked up his heart, took a fresh courage to him, and was inflamed with a desire to profit in his studies more than ever, so that if you had seen him, how he took pains, and how he advanced in learning, you would have said that the vivacity of his spirit amidst the books was like a great fire amongst dry wood.”
Emily appeared interested. So I took the message up a step. What any good professor cherishes, I said, are students who soak up the subject and dedicate themselves to the discipline,
So my message to Emily and her fellow members of the class of 2027: Bring passion and dedication to whatever what you do or study. Love it, and it will love you in return. •••
Award-winning journalist Andre Stepankowsky is a former reporter and editor for The Daily News in Longview. His Columbia River Reader columns spring from his many interests, including hiking, rose gardening, music, and woodworking. More of his writing can be found under “Lower Columbia Currents,” on substack.com.
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 9
You’re invited to Harvest Fest at Stella Lutheran Chapel Oct. 24th
Y
ou’re invited to Stella Lutheran Chapel’s Annual Harvest Fest on Saturday, October 24, from 4–6 p.m. at 124 Sherman Road, Longview. Enjoy a scenic fall drive west of Longview along Ocean Beach Highway to the historic Stella area. Turn onto Germany Creek Road, continue approximately 2 miles, and look for the signs. Come enjoy an evening of good food, fellowship, and fall hospitality. We’d love to see you there!
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Harvest Fest proceeds will support the chapel’s Outreach Ministries. Stella Lutheran Chapel, the little church with a big heart, has been serving the community since 1948. Mark your calendar and come enjoy an evening of fun and fellowship! For more information or to reserve your ticket, call 360-703-1656. Seating is limited, so reservations are encouraged. ***
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Lewis & Clark
DISPATCHES FROM THE DISCOVERY TRAIL EPISODE 30
The End of the Journey for Meriwether Lewis By Michael O. Perry
A
After losing money in land speculation, he grew more depressed as debts mounted up. Worst of all, Lewis felt his honor had been tarnished when he was formally rebuked in July 1809 for unauthorized expenditures, and the government refused to pay some of his vouchers. A month later, Lewis decided he had to go to Washington to plead his case in person. Part of his reason for going may have been to deliver the original Lewis and Clark expedition journals to a publisher in Philadelphia.
fter the triumphant return of the Corps of Discovery, Meriwether Lewis’s life spiraled downward until, on October 11, 1809, the 35-year old lay dead in a pool of blood. What happened? How could this be?
A new job and life’s a mess
When Lewis met with Clark in St. Louis to explain his problems, he turned over deeds to his land to Clark to be used to pay his Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809), by Charles Willson Peale debts. Clark could see Lewis was in poor health, both physically and mentally. He tried to talk him out of the trip, but Lewis insisted on going. On September 4, Lewis and John Pernier, his free mulatto servant, along with The Natchez Trace was a 450-mile Lewis’s Newfoundland dog named Seaman, boarded a keel boat going from St. long trail from Natchez, Mississippi, to Louis to New Orleans. Nashville, Tennessee. James Neelly, an Indian agent, accompanied Lewis since Journey to the Big Easy: not so easy! robberies were common along the path. Lewis became ill during the trip, possibly from malaria he contracted in 1803. They left Fort Pickering with their two His journal contained several references to “bilious fever” and “pills of opium and servants on September 29. During the tartar.” Lewis wrote a will on September 11th designating his mother as his sole night of October 10, two packhorses beneficiary. The boat arrived at Fort Pickering (near present-day Memphis) on wandered off (one carried a trunk September 15. Gilbert Russell, the Fort’s commander, later wrote that Lewis had containing Lewis’s Corps of Discovery been drinking heavily and was in “a state of mental derangement.” The keelboat’s journals). Major Neelly stayed behind to crew told him Lewis had “made two attempts to Kill himself, in one of which he had look for the horses while Lewis, who was nearly succeeded.” Lewis was put on a 24-hour suicide watch “until he recovered” very sick, rode ahead to a tavern, or inn, a week later. called Grinder’s Stand (the two servants Detour to Nashville followed behind him). That night, Lewis Lewis originally planned to take a ship from New Orleans to reach Washington, cont page 12 D.C., but the presence of British war ships in the Gulf of Mexico worried him. In a letter to President Madison, Five years ago, we introduced a revised version of Michael Perry’s he wrote, “my fear of the original papers popular series which had begun with CRR’s April 15, 2004 inaugural relative to my voyage to the Pacific ocean issue and was reprised three times and then expanded In the book, falling into the hands of the British has Dispatches from the Discovery Trail, edited by Hal Calbom and induced me to change my rout and proceed published by CRRPress. It includes an in-depth author interview and by land through the state of Tennisee to the new illustrations and commentary. City of washington.”
Upon their return to St. Louis in 1806, Lewis and Clark, along with Big White, a Mandan Indian chief, headed east to meet with Thomas Jefferson. In 1807, President Jefferson made Captain Lewis governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory and gave him 1,400 acres of land. It took a year for Lewis to report to his new position in St. Louis, and he soon realized he was not suited for the job. Piles of paperwork relating to land claims, quarrels and feuds among Indian trading companies, and partisan politics made Lewis wish he had never accepted the appointment. His personal life had begun to fall apart, as well. While Lewis courted several women, none would agree to marry him. He drank too much and was taking opium to help him sleep. Both William Clark and President Jefferson were concerned about the lack of progress on the three-volume set of books Lewis had promised to write about the Corps of Discovery. After his initial efforts in 1806 to obtain help in publishing the proposed book, Lewis apparently never wrote a single page of the manuscript.
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from page 11
was shot and died. No completely satisfactory explanation for his death has ever been found. He said…
A week later, on October 18, Neelly wrote a letter to Jefferson saying that Robert Grinder had not been home when Lewis arrived, and that Mrs. Grinder, “discovering the governor to be deranged, gave him up the house & slept herself in one near it.” Neelly went on to say, “His servant and mine slept in the stable loft some distance from the other houses. The woman reports that three o’Clock she heard two pistols fire off in the Governors room; the servants being awakened by her, came in but too late to save him. He had shot himself in the head with one pistol & a little below the Breast with the other - when his servant came in he says; ‘I have done the business my good Servant, give me water.’ He gave him some, he survived but a short time.” Neelly said he didn’t arrive until “some time after” Lewis had died from the two .69 caliper (5/8” diameter) pistol balls. Neelly had Lewis’s two trunks forwarded to Washington, and told Jefferson two more trunks had been left at Fort Pickering. But Neelly stole Lewis’s horse, his silver watch, his rifle and both pistols. The money Lewis was carrying disappeared, too. She said…
Eighteen months later, in May 1811, Mrs. Grinder told Alexander Wilson a story containing more details than found in Neelly’s 1809 letter. “In the same room where he expired,” Wilson wrote, “I took down from Mrs. Grinder the particulars of that melancholy event.” She said Lewis “came there about sunset, alone, and inquired if he could stay for the night.” When asked if he was traveling alone, he said two servants would arrive soon. When Mrs. Grinder called Lewis to supper, he only ate a little before jumping up, “speaking to himself in a violent manner” with his face flushed, ranting about his enemies in Washington. Lewis suddenly calmed down, lit his pipe and remarked in a kind voice, “Madam this is a very pleasant evening.” Even though Mrs. Grinder had prepared a bed for Lewis, he told her he wanted to sleep on the floor and had his servant bring his bear and buffalo skins. Mrs. Grinder went to the kitchen by the main cabin to be with her four young children and a 13-year-old slave girl. Unable to sleep, Mrs. Grinder heard Lewis walking back and forth and talking to himself “like a lawyer.” Around 3am she heard
Lewis & Clark a pistol shot and something falling on the floor, followed by “O Lord!” Then she heard a second pistol shot.
…Lewis was shot and died…
In the light of the moon?
The controversy over Lewis’s death has continued to follow
A few minutes later Lewis was at her door, calling out: “O madam! Give me some water, and heal my wounds.” Through cracks between the logs, Mrs. Grinder said she saw “Lewis stagger back and fall against a stump that stands between the kitchen and the room. He crawled for some distance, raised himself by the side of a tree where he sat for a minute” before crawling back to his room. She said Lewis later returned to her door seeking water.
the Expedition and preoccupy subsequent historians. One certain, and tragic, fact is that Lewis suffered severely from depression and led an unhappy few years following his great feat of exploration. “At the end of his life he was a horrible drunk, terribly depressed, who could never even finish his journals,” says Paul Douglas Newman, a professor of history who teaches “Lewis and Clark and The Early American Republic” at the University of Pittsburgh. In an article in
How she saw all this is a mystery, since there had been a new moon just the night before. And with the waxing crescent moon setting at 6:21pm the night Lewis died, the sky would have been pitch black!
Smithsonian Magazine, Newman concludes that, “He came
Wilson wrote that after Mrs. Grinder “permitted him to remain for two hours in this most deplorable situation, she sent two of her children to the barn, her husband not being home, to bring the servants.” She said they found Lewis lying on the bed in his cabin, still conscious. Lewis “uncovered his side and showed them where the bullet had entered; a piece of his forehead was blown off… He begged they would take his rifle and blow out his brains,” in return for which “he would give them all the money he had in his trunk.” He told them, “I am no coward, but I am so strong, so hard to die.” He finally died around 7am, “just as the sun rose above the trees.” After Lewis was buried on the Grinder’s property, his dog Seaman kept a vigil at the grave, refusing to eat, and soon died with grief.
There’s a certain amount of stress to re-entering the world.
back and he just could not readjust. On the mission it was ‘how do we stay alive and collect information?’ Then suddenly you’re heroes. It was like coming back from the moon.”
Digging for the truth
Lewis’s grave was opened in 1848 prior to Tennessee’s construction of a 20-foot tall stone monument. A doctor examined Lewis’s remains to verify they built it in the right place and, without any explanation, the committee wrote: “The impression has long prevailed that under the influence of disease of body and mind Governor Lewis perished by his own hands. It seems to be more probable that he died by the hands of an assassin.” That was the first official mention of murder – and was the beginning of the many conspiracy theories that continue to this day!
marekuliasz/shutterstock.com
Meriwether Lewis monument and grave, on Natchez Trace Parkway, Tennessee. Controversy over Lewis’s death has both his descendants and many scholars lobbying to exhume his body.
Alternative facts?
In 1838, almost 30 years after Lewis died, an Arkansas schoolteacher visited Lewis’s grave. He was able to locate and interview Priscilla Grinder in her home 25 miles north of the old tavern (it had burned to the ground). Mrs. Grinder, then a 68-year old widow, had revised her story. She said three men had arrived after Lewis and the two servants. They left when Lewis drew a pair of pistols and challenged them to a duel. Mrs. Grinder said she heard three shots that night and saw Lewis crawling across the road on his
12 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
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Lewis & Clark from page 12
hands and knees. She was surprised to see the servants coming from the stables, because she thought they had shared the house with Lewis. She noticed Lewis’s servant was wearing the clothing Lewis had arrived in. After searching for Lewis, the servants found him across the road, badly wounded and wearing old tattered clothes. They brought him back to the cabin where he soon died. Whether these discrepancies were due to a blurred memory on the part of Mrs. Grinder or lies she had previously told, no one knows. However, Robert Smith, a post rider carrying mail along the Natchez Trace on the morning of October 11, 1809, reportedly came upon Lewis lying against a tree outside Grinder’s Stand with a bullet wound in his head. These and other conflicting stories have fueled murder conspiracy theories more than 200 years. History repeats itself
After Lewis’s death, his servant, John Pernier, traveled from Grinder’s Stand to Virginia. Pernier had worked for President Jefferson from 1804 to 1807 before he became Lewis’s servant. Pernier met with Jefferson on November 26, 1809, and told him Lewis had committed suicide.
Jefferson accepted Pernier’s judgment and later wrote Lewis “had from early youth suffered from hypochondriac affections... inherited by him from his father.” Pernier also visited Lewis’s family seeking $240 Lewis owed him for back wages. Lewis’s mother refused to accept the story of suicide. Then, seven months after Lewis’s death, the servant was dead. Pernier was described as “wretchedly poor and destitute” when he killed himself with an overdose of laudanum (tincture of opium) on April 29, 1810.
What happened to Seaman
N
ot much is known about the Newfoundland dog Capt. Lewis bought for $20 in 1803.
He was mentioned in the journals occasionally, and when some Indians stole him in 1806 on the return trip up the Columbia, Lewis was prepared to kill the Indians responsible if his dog wasn’t returned. The last official reference to Seaman was on July 15, 1806, when Lewis wrote the “musquetoes continue to infest us in such manner that we can scarcely exist. for my own part I am confined by them
While it seems almost certain Lewis killed himself, some people feel he might have been the victim of a random murder, since he was a distinguished traveler with money and goods. Maybe the two servants killed Lewis for his money? Or maybe Neelly was part of a political conspiracy that wanted him dead. Local legend holds that, a year after Lewis’s death, Robert Grinder was brought before a grand jury on a warrant for Lewis’s murder, but no records exist. So, yes, murder is a possibility. But if Lewis was shot by someone else, why didn’t he tell Mrs. Grinder or John Pernier or Major Neelly’s servant before he died? The debate will likely continue forever.
to my bier [a raised bed] at least 3/4 of the time. My dog even howls with
•••
Present made by you to our infant museum.” Unfortunately, Seaman’s collar
The next episode we will examine what Captain Clark did after he returned.
the torture he experiences from them.” No official record exists about Seaman’s fate after Capt. Lewis died. However, there are intriguing clues. In 1814, Rev. Timothy Alden published a book that described an interesting dog collar he had found in an Alexandria, Virginia, museum that was inscribed, “The greatest traveler of my species. My name is SEAMAN, the dog of captain Meriwether Lewis, whom I accompanied to the Pacific ocean through the interior of the continent of North America.” Alden added a note in his book saying, “After the melancholy exit of gov. Lewis, his dog would not depart for a moment from his lifeless remains… he refused to take every kind of food, which was offered him, and actually pined away and died with grief upon his master’s gave.” The museum was probably part of the Masonic Lodge in the AlexandriaWashington D.C. area that was established in 1812, the year Capt. Clark received a letter from a Lodge official thanking him for the “truly valuable doesn’t exist today – a fire in 1871 destroyed many artifacts in the museum.
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Biz Buzz What’s Happening Around the River Biz Buzz notes news in local business and professional circles. As space allows, we include announcements and news of improvements, new ventures and significant employee milestones. Please email to publisher@crreader.com
Port of Kalama Wins Two National Awards for Community Newsletter 2026 AIB advisors Jacques Schindle (far left) and Sue Amatangel (far right), with Castle Rock team members, left to right Tyler Stone, Lucas Richardson. Addie Ashby, Julia Collins;
The Port of Kalama brought home two national honors last week for its quarterly newsletter, “TradeWinds”. At the American Association of Port Authorities’ 115th Annual Convention in New Orleans on Sept. 28, the por t received 2026 Lighthouse Awards of Achievement in the small-port category for Public Relations Campaign and for Print or Digital Media Communications.
Castle Rock Receives National Recognition Castle Rock had a great night at the closing banquet for 2026 America in Bloom Symposium . September 26,
in Washington DC. The Symposium, (September 24-26) was attended by Tyler Stone, Castle Rock Public Works Director; Lucas Richardson, Castle Rock Public Works Waste Water Treatment Plant Operator; Addie Ashby , Castle Rock Communit y Development Alliance Board and Bloom Team Volunteer; and Julia Collins, Castle Rock High School CTE Director, FFA Advisor and teacher. Julia gave a presentation to Maryland High School Educators on the “How To’s,” and the benefits of involving youth in the America in Bloom activities within your communities. Castle Rock was a finalist for several national awards, ...Alive with Flowers ..Sunbeam Award; Beauty Through the Seasons; Outstanding Achievement for Landscaped Areas and Outstanding Achievement for Floral Impact.
Both recognized “TradeWinds : Four Years of Strategic Evolution in Port Communications.” Port Commission President Troy Stariha and Communications Administrator Dan Polacek accepted the awards. National 1st Place was awarded for Flower Power – Best Hanging Basket Program and the ‘Sunfinity’ Sunflower Award. Hats off to the Gardening Class at Castle Rock Middle School that started the seeds and displayed them in front of the school, and to CRES BGG garden for their great display! Completing the honors for 2026 was 1st place for Population Category. (1,350- 2,500)
14 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
--submitted by Nancy Chennault
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Dan Polacek and Troy Stariha
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from page 14 magazine-style fo r m at . M o r e than 5,000 copies are mailed each quarter to ever y Kalama address, and to readers who have requested a print edition. Anyone can read the latest issue anytime at portofkalama.com/ media-center/newsletter/, or pick up a copy at the Port’s administrative office or Mountain Timber Market.
UPDATE: Rotary project to restore Martin Dock progresses By David Minthorn, Longview Rotary Club member
R
otary Club of Longview announced new donations of well over $1 million for the Martin Dock restoration at the club’s centennial gala Saturday, Sept. 26, boosting fund-raising close to the multi-million-dollar goal.
Project leader Brian Magnuson said the Kirchner Family and the Wollenberg Foundation each pledged $300,000, and the Evans Family and JH Kelly industrial general contractor will donate and build the covered pavilion to be named for Dan Evans, the company’s late president. He revealed the donations to 170 gala attendees at the Monticello Hotel ballroom. A JH Kelly source said the pavilion donation amounts to several hundred thousand dollars plus construction services, a “big chunk” of the estimated $3 to $4 million for the multi-year project. The soaring pavilion will include a covered stage for music shows, outdoor movies, the annual Go 4th Festival and other events that annually draw tens of thousands to the grassy amphitheater on the lake bank—- “one of Longview’s most beloved gathering places,” Magnuson said. Earlier this year, Rotarian Pat Martin kicked off fund-raising for the dock rebuild at Lake Sacajawea Park with a $500,000 matching gift. Magnuson said he cited her pledge in obtaining a $60,000 grant from the Cowlitz County Tourism Fund.
“We are getting close to the funding we need,” Magnuson said, appealing
Architect’s conceptual drawing to gala attendees “to help us get over the threshold.” They responded with donations of more than $45,000 for event auctions and raise-the-paddle pledges. The dock campaign includes outreach to the communit y to purcha se commemorative bricks for the plaza in front of the dock, and to make individual financial donations. As the project progresses, more information will be available at longviewrotary.com. Meanwhile, email amynlongview.com for general information. The original Martin Dock -— a 20-by-40foot wooden platform -— was donated to the City of Longview by Rotarian Harry F. Martin in 1962 primarily to help kids angle for fish in the lake. It was eventually replaced by the city with a more expansive cement and wooden structure along the shoreline. It’s the second version along the marshy shore that is now sagging into the lake and must be replaced. cont next page
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 15
Martin Dock
into a lakefront recreation and entertainment venue designed to serve area residents into the next century.
from page 15
To mark its 100th year of ser vice to the community in 2026, Rotary Club of Longview decided to lead the most ambitious project in the club’s history to rebuild and expand the area
The restored dock will include the Dan Evans Pavilion, over 300 lineal feet of boardwalk ideal for fishing, and a kayak launch to be named
Somerset
Kirchner Landing in honor of family patriarch Bob Kirchner, who died earlier
this year. Magnuson praised Mason Evans, the current JH Kelly president and CEO, and his mother, Jackie Evans, for the pavilion donation. Also singled out for their major contributions were Pauline Kirchner and her children, and Rick and Barb Wollenberg.
“We will have a very nice donor board with a list of all the major donors and the
Rotary logo with the inscription, ‘This project was made possible by the Rotary Club of Longview,’” Magnuson said. The project has received approval from the Longview City Council and relevant city boards. Conceptual drawings were donated by the Attea architectural firm. A schematic design has been completed, Magnuson said, “and we are now working on the environmental review phase.” A construction date hasn’t been announced. •••
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I can’t wait to come in for a landing on the new Martin Dock. I wonder if the Dan Evans Pavilion roof will pose any problems for me.
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MUSEUM MAGIC
Columbia County Museum New Digs for Oldies But Goodies By Joseph Govednik, Director, Cowlitz County Historical Museum
I
n the heart of Halloweentown, otherwise known as St. Helens, Oregon, the Columbia County Museum has made some great improvements.
and logging roots. The museum is operated by an allvolunteer staff and they have been working tirelessly for months to relocate to this improved facility.
The museum recently relocated from the County Courthouse (Halloweentown’s City Hall) and found a new home at the John Gumm building, a former school located at 251 St. Helens Street, now renovated to serve as county offices with space for the museum.
The atmosphere is a tasteful marriage between old and new, with vintage exhibit cases complementing modern displays along the perimeter walls. There is a dedicated exhibit case for local military history and a display of old firearms, where visitors may scan a QR code for a short video about the history and mechanics of each one.
The museum celebrates the rich heritage of Columbia County, its maritime past, agriculture,
Although the space for the museum is technically slightly smaller than its previous location, the layout gives the visitor a feeling of open space. Creative use of exhibits are throughout the corridors of the John Gumm County Building where the museum shows prominence beyond its galleries. This provides visitors to the county building an enrichment when walking through the hallways and opportunities to learn about this county’s proud history. Halloweentown Special Event
This October 17 and 18, from noon5pm, the museum will have its own Halloweentown special event in the auditorium. The auditorium was the “Halloweentown Recreational Center” in the movie, and the
The Museum is open Thursdays, noon–4pm
museum will have it decorated along with one of the minor cast members, Jerry Cole, who played the postman. Please note that during this special event the museum galleries will be closed. Come for Halloweentown and see the new museum exhibits for a fun and family-friendly time! For more information and museum hours please visit www.colcomuseum.org. ***
Raymond/ South Bend
Oysterville •
Grays • River Chinook
101
101
Pacific Ocean
Cathlamet 4
Longview
Clatskanie
Birkenfeld
Vernonia
Oregon
Ape Cave •
Kelso
Rainier
Woodland
Columbia City
• Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce / Visitors Center 422 NE 4th Ave, Camas, Wash. • 360-834-2472. M-F 10:30am–3pm • Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce Kelso Visitor Center I-5 Exit 39. 105 Minor Road, Kelso,Wash. • 360-577-8058 • Wahkiakum Chamber 102 Main St, Cathlamet • 360-795-9996 • Castle Rock Visitor Center Exit 49, west side of I-5, 890 Huntington Ave. N. Open M-F 11–3. • Appelo Archives Center 1056 SR 4, Naselle, Wash. 360-484-7103. Local in • Pacific County Museum & Visitor Center for Hwy 101, South Bend, Wash. 360-875-5224 Points o mation f In Recreat terest • Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau ion S p e cia 3914 Pacific Way (corner Hwy 101/Hwy 103) Dining l Events Long Beach, Wash. 360-642-2400 • 800-451-2542 Arts & E ~ Lodging ntertain • Ocean Park Area Chamber of Commerce ment 1715 Bay Ave., #1, Ocean Park, Wash. • South Columbia County Chamber Columbia Blvd/Hwy 30, St. Helens, Ore • 503-397-0685 • Seaside, Ore 989 Broadway, 503-738-3097; 888-306-2326 • Astoria-Warrenton Chamber/Ore Welcome Center Maryhill 111 W. Marine Dr., Astoria 503-325-6311 or 800-875-6807 Museum
Goldendale
• Ridgefield
Scappoose•
To: Salem Silverton Eugene Ashland
503
•Yacolt
St Helens
NW lius Corne oad Pass R
Cougar •
Kalama
VISITOR CENTERS
FREE Maps • Brochures Directions • Information
Mount St. Helens
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WestportPuget Island FERRYk
Warrenton • Astoria
504
Castle Rock
• Naselle
Long Beach Ilwaco
Seaside
Washington
Vader
Ocean Park •
Columbia River
To: Centralia, Olympia Mt. Rainier Yakima (north, then east) Tacoma/Seattle
Sauvie Island
Skamania son Lodge Steven Col. Gorge Interp.Ctr as •Cam Bonneville Dam Cascade
Vancouver
14
Portland
Troutdale
Crown Point
Locks Bridge of the Gods
Hood River
The Dalles
To: Walla Walla Kennewick, WA Lewiston, ID
Map suggests only approximate positions and relative distances. Consult a real map for more precise details. We are not cartographers.
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 17
GLIMPSES
OF HISTORY
By Dennis Weber
CELEBRATING LIFE IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER REGION SUPPORTING LOCAL JOURNALISM SPOTLIGHTING COMMUNITY CAUSES
people+ place We appreciate our sponsors:
The Evans Kelly Family • Columbia Steel Services, Inc Weatherguard, Inc • Cowlitz PUD • Joe Fischer Wilcox+Flegel • George and Holly Roe Special Thanks to Friends of Longview For information about becoming a sponsor, please contact publisher@crreader.com or call 360-749-1021.
SIMON BENSON
Entrepreneur extraordinaire
W
hen I was a kid, I remember hearing the name Benson when my parents took the family to visit Portland. There were the fancy Benson Hotel, the Benson Mansion, and the “Benson Bubblers” – those iconic public drinking fountains. My dad even attended Benson Polytechnic briefly during the Great Depression. My folks said he made a fortune in lumber. Later as an adult, I discovered the Benson name in the Columbia Gorge, not as a lumberman but as strong supporter of the Good Roads Movement, especially paving the Columbia River Highway. Today it’s the old US 30 from Astoria to Umatilla. He purchased the entire bond issue for building the highway through Hood River, financed construction of the Columbia Gorge Hotel, and paid for the concrete pedestrian path at Multnomah Falls. Recently, I stumbled across the Benson name on land parcels in 1920s land maps at the Rainier Oregon Historical Museum. Benson’s fortune was based on 46,000 acres of timberland, mostly in Columbia County, but also across the river. So, who is Simon Benson? Born in 1851 as Simen Bergersen in Norway, he “Americanized” his name after immigrating to America in 1867, and reaching Portland in 1880. He saw an opportunity to acquire low-cost Douglas fir timberland from failed homesteaders who faced a rainy climate, muddy cow paths, steep ravines, and no prosperity. According to his biographer grandson Sig Unander, new technology was the key to Benson’s success. He replaced the slow oxen with steam engine “donkeys” and Shay locomotives designed for steep slopes. Then, he developed a way to bundle logs with heavy chains to create ocean-going rafts – the iconic “Benson cigar” rafts – and cheaply got timber to his California lumber mills.
THANK YOU to Longview Rotary Club for spearheading the plans and fundraising for the proposed restoration of Martin Dock at Lake Sacajawea — for the benefit and enjoyment of the whole community! BUY A BRICK • MAKE A GIFT For information about sponsoring a plaza brick or making a donation, please email amynlongview@gmail.com
The Evans Kelly Family Photos, from top left: A “Benson cigar log raft” (Oregon Historical Society); A Benson Bubbler in downtown Portland and Simon Benson, circa 1925 (Wikipedia).
One of Longview’s pioneer families Proud Sponsor of People+Place
Unander also highlighted this Benson saying: “A man owes his state and community which gave him his opportunity to make money.” In 1910 Benson sold his landholdings for a whopping $4.5 million – and spent a decade giving back – i.e. the school, the fountains, enhancing waterfalls, financing highway construction and more. Simon Benson died in Beverly Hills, California in 1942 and is buried in Portland. Read more about the remarkable Simon Benson in “Building Air Castles” by Sig Unander at sigunander.com ••• Dennis Weber, a retired Longview mayor, is an award-winning writer of local history, and works through Friends of Longview, and the Rainier Oregon historical Museum, both 501(c)(3) nonprofits, to enhance appreciation for local history and development. He serves on the boards of both organizations.
18 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
16 x 20 inches acrylic paint on canvas by Joe Fischer
“Leah & Steward”
Our world is full of ART! JOE FISCHER Proud Sponsor of People+Place
A monthly feature written and photographed
People + Place
by Southwest Washington native and Emmy Award-winning journalist
Hal Calbom
Production Notes Free Wheeling and a Walk to the Mill
Photos and story by Hal Calbom
people+ place Driving Success
Jerry Robeson
A personal story:
M
y maternal grandfather, my mother and grandmother truly suffered during the Depression, living in marginal rentals and eventually a place in West Kelso. During the worst of it, unemployed, he would walk, every day, to the distant mill sites simply to stand in line and hope they might be offering work that day. The two women would glance periodically out the window hoping, ironically, they would NOT see Grandpa coming home midday. An early return meant there was no work available, and he had trudged back home. On the other hand, if he were delayed until dinnertime, that often meant something had turned up, and he might have a couple of dollars in his pocket. My aunt told me this story late in life. My mother had never mentioned it, since it seems one of the most searing effects of the Depression was her associating their poverty with shame.
RiverCities Essential Service
I
n addition to his professional certifications in commercial driving, air brake deployment, and CPR, Jerry Robeson is a student of human nature.
Thinking this month about the way our cities offer services and assistance — in exchange for our taxes and cooperation — I thought about how agonizing those daily trips must have been.
“I believe it’s much more people-oriented than most people think it is,” he told us between runs. Jerry is a transit operator — “call me a bus driver” — for RiverCities Transit.
I thought of the miles walked and time spent in transit. Not even the mill managers necessarily had automobiles, so this was prior to our putting the horseless carriage into the category of life’s necessities.
“If you don’t like people then driving a bus is a bad job for you,” he said. “Because you’re going to see them every day, good moods, bad moods, let’s talk, or leave me alone.” cont page 20
Even today I’m not sure we “owe” our fellow citizens a job, an education, public safety and sanitation. And…do we owe people a ride? I think it’s a more difficult case to make, since we’ve enshrined the automobile as an essential and, whether we admit it or not, extend no particular empathy to people who lack transportation. Is public transit a right? An obligation? A hand up? A responsibility? A burden? Perhaps all of these. It’s not an easy issue. But it’s still a long walk from Kelso to Long Bell Lumber Company. •••
Transit operator Jerry Robeson, here welcoming passenger Heidi Webb, is an “extra-boarder” for RiverCities Transit, the jack-of-all-trades who fills in for colleagues and drives special routes. He’s been with RiverCities for five years and this year was named to the Washington State Department of Transportation Wall of Fame.
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 19
People + Place from page 19 When you need it ...
Transit boosters liken RiverCities to a public utility, more a vital service than a mere convenience. Buses may often ride less than full, but the retirement home patient needing a ride to the doctor, the commuting student catching a lift to school, and the mill worker doing an odd shift and stuck for a ride may not need that same bus every day at the same time. But, like our water and gas and electricity, when they do need it they really do need it. Like these other critical commodities, transportation is essential to our modern lives. Getting There
CDLs are valuable and hard-won. A vehicle up to 25,000 pounds is considered a “traditional” vehicle. Commercial vehicles weigh in above that: straight vehicles like a box truck or a bus are considered “Class B” vehicles. Class A’s are the true big boys, semi trucks and trailers. “And then you need an endorsement for air brakes if you’re using air brakes,” he said, “and you need an endorsement for passengers if you’re hauling people.” Robeson commends his RiverCities training. And it seems to have been effective. This year he and colleague Cheryl GrindleSpain were honored by the Washington State Department of Transportation and nominated to its Wall of Fame. Jerry received more nominations from his peers than any other employee in RiverCities Transit history.
“I grew up using TriMet down in Portland,” said Jerry. “So I rode public transit all the time because it was easier than driving. This is quite a bit different.”
The Fare Deal
Of course, drivers must master more than people skills. A “CDL” — Commercial Driver’s License — requires instruction, apprenticeship and practice.
“You can greet the person with, ‘Hey, good morning, good afternoon,’” said Jerry, “and you can tell by body language whether they want you saying anything to them or not.”
“It’s like a training school, like you were going into a trade,” said Robeson, “You have on-the- job stuff, some classroom stuff. It’s like you’re going to school to be a mechanic or a carpenter.
“Usually it’s their demeanor that gives them away: ‘I’m having a bad day. I just want to get on the bus. I don’t want anybody to talk to.’”
Not a sit-down college class.”
Like most people-centric jobs, driving a bus is not all sweetness and light.
I asked him about more serious encounters, such as impaired, belligerent, or angry riders, and he offered an enlightened response: “You get your drunk person. But wouldn’t you rather cont page 21
Capt. Michael King Smith
Top photo: Carl Perry rides the bus from Longview to Kelso every day. “It’s convenient,” he said. “It’s faster than walking, and it’s a reasonable price.” Bonnie Calkins rides every day, too. “I like the bus,” she said. And she likes the drivers; especially Jerry. “He’s one of my favorites.”
DRIVING A BUS IS NOT ALL SWEETNESS AND LIGHT
Proud Sponsor of
People+Place 20 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
Proud Sponsor of People+Place
People + Place
People Mover J
im Seeks has proven an effective mover of people both behind the wheel and behind a desk.
“We see ourselves as an essential service,” he said, as we rode Jerry Robeson’s route one recent afternoon. “Our system is not typical of places I drove, or like Portland or Seattle, that have a lot of commuters.” As transit manager, Seeks oversees 36 employees, including 28 drivers and 2 dispatchers. Reporting to the Cowlitz Transit Authority and its Board, Seeks runs a tight ship, with an emphasis on four “S” best practices: Safety, Security, Service and Schedule. “There are a lot of ways to serve people,” he said, “that go beyond just hauling them from point A to point B.”
Jim Seeks RiverCities Transit Manager
WOULDN’T YOU RATHER THEY RIDE THE BUS THAN BE DRIVING A CAR? they ride the bus than be driving a car?” More common are physical challenges — like managing people with mobility devices, bags of groceries, or kids. “I’ve never been robbed. Our cash box is sealed and people pay cash.” He admits collecting fares can be tricky, and requires more common sense and compassion than assertiveness: The two-dollar all-day pass may not be as easy to come by for some riders. “You get people who will pay and people who want to ride for free,” he said, “and since fares don’t make a big dent in the funding you try to think, ‘Well, the bus is going that way anyway…’” Fares represent less than 2 percent of the transit system’s budget. Half its $11 million dollar annual costs are funded by a voter-approved sales tax establishing the Cowlitz Transit Authority and the regional cont page 23
BEST DEAL IN TOWN River Cities Transit
“We had a building we serve and the AC went out, so we put all the people on a bus just to sit down and cool off for awhile.”
Monthly Pass: $14.00 Senior Monthly Pass: $7.00
Seeks is realistic about our historic reliance on automobiles. “Remember, this is still the wild west,” he said with a rueful grin. “You replaced the horses with cars. It’s hard in non-urban areas to get folks to realize this is an alternative.”
Students under 18: FREE Lower Columbia College Students with ID FREE Operation Hours: 6:30 am - 7pm
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“We started putting a bus out when we had a huge heat wave and a death in the community from the heat,” he said. “And why not do that regularly? So when the weather is extreme and there’s a heat advisory or freezing cold, we now get the word out.” River Cities finds creative ways to extend its essential services through all kinds of circumstances.
All-day Fare: $2.00 One Stop w/ Transfer $1.00 Senior: 1/2 price
M-F
He cited the fare-free Warm and Cool Program, completely unanticipated until a community tragedy prompted some creative thinking.
Vowing to keep trying to get more people on board, he spends a good deal of time maintaining funding and the public’s awareness of RiverCities’ essential service:
360-442-5663
“I’d love to be able to convince people that a minimum amount of sales tax isn’t too big a price to pay for these services,” he said. “I don’t want to put out a lot of service and have to take it back again.”
RCTRANSIT.ORG
W
e appreciate that Columbia River Reader helps us understand both the places and the people of the Columbia River region. The breadth of CRR’s reporting highlights the interconnections among us — past, present and future.
George and Holly Roe A Park Family Company A Longview Pioneer Family Proud Sponsor of
People+Place
We thank The Boeing Company for matching its retirees’ gifts. Proud Sponsor of People+Place
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 21
People + Place Buses serve popular shopping destinations like Fred Meyer, Three Rivers Mall, WinCo and Wal-Mart, as well as major regional employers.
get their exercise or maybe just get out of the house for awhile — simply enjoy riding the bus.
“ We ’ re e s p e c i a l l y popular with students,” said Robeson, “and we even have quite a few students from Vancouver that ride us back and forth to LCC.
According to Bonnie Calkins, who rides most every day, she especially looks forward to routes when Jerry’s at the wheel. “He’s one of my favorites.”
They ride free with a student ID.” And then there are people who — for entertainment or to
RIVERCITIES EXTENDS ITS SERVICES BEYOND THE LONGVIEW AND KELSO CITY LIMITS Customer service specialist Amy Waters helps passengers get on the right buses.
In contrast, Heidi Webb, just after a job interview at Canterbury Park (she got the job!) had ridden the bus for the first time that day. She plans to use RiverCities Transit to get to work and back. “I love looking out the window and listening to music.” RiverCities’ orbit is almost opposite to the stereotypical bus or commuter rail line. Instead of look-alike office workers and retail clerks, every RiverCities passenger has their own story. More often than not, theirs involve essential connections — appointments, interviews, assignations — with an occasional lark thrown in, because driver Jerry Robeson just happens to be everyone’s favorite. •••
cont from page 21
Commissioners who oversee the system. Another 40 percent depends on state and federal transportation grants. Most people are honest
“I’ve always taken the approach on fares of ‘Let’s get you where you need to go, maybe you catch me next time,’ rather than, ‘Oh, they kicked me off the bus because I didn’t have the fare, now I’m late for work and now I’m getting fired.’” More often than not, he said, courtesy and good will seem to prevail. “Maybe there’s somebody that caught a free ride with you two days ago and they were between payroll checks or at a new job. A lot of time they’ll get on again and they’ll put in a five and say, ‘Oh I rode free two days ago, this covers part of it.’”
Allan Jones
“Most people are honest.” RiverCities extends its services beyond the Longview and Kelso city limits, including runs to Lexington, Kalama, Woodland, Vancouver and the Cowlitz Reservation at Ilani.
Hal Calbom, a third-generation Longview native and author of Empire of Trees: America’s Planned City and the Last Frontier, produces CRR’s People+Place monthly feature, and is CRRPress associate publisher.
“FCA is such a blessing to me and all those that get to be a part of it. Not only has FCA helped me grow in my faith but also taught me how to better be a light in my school, pouring out the love that Jesus pours into me everyday. I’m truly thankful for the way God has used it to work both in and through me!” Allan Jones, Kelso High School FCA Huddle Leader
Kelso High School FCA Huddle Leader Weatherguard supports the FCA vision: To see the
world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and Proud Sponsor of People+Place athletes.
360-577-7200
22 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
CELEBRATING LIFE IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER REGION SUPPORTING LOCAL JOURNALISM SPOTLIGHTING COMMUNITY CAUSES
people+ place We appreciate our sponsors:
The Evans Kelly Family • Columbia Steel Services, Inc Weatherguard, Inc • Cowlitz PUD • Joe Fischer Wilcox+Flegel • George and Holly Roe Special Thanks to Friends of Longview For information about becoming a sponsor, please contact publisher@crreader.com or call 360-749-1021.
Community Landmark
Pioneer Lions give facelift to historic “story pole” at Longview’s Lake Sacajawea The Longview totem pole at Lake Sacajawea is getting some attention! Back in the 1970s, Kelso resident Rex Losey (no tribal ties), carved a totem pole out of cedar. He had a love for
carving and carved many. He and his wife Rose completed it and gifted it to the City of Longview. On May 10, 1980, the pole was placed on Lions Island at Lake Sacajawea. On July 5, 1980, the pole was dedicated by the City of Longview, as part of the Go 4th celebration. The Pioneer Lions Club are the custodians of Lions Island and of this totem pole.
Story submitted by Club Member Anne Camarda • Courtesy photos
In 2001, the pole was brought down and restored by the Pioneer Lions Club. Many local businesses donated labor, equipment and materials. The pole was re-dedicated by the City of Longview. On July 31, 2026, the totem pole was brought down by JHKelly, and restored by the Pioneer Lions Club. JHKelly, Sherwin Williams Paints,
Cowlitz Beekeepers, and Interstate Pest Management donated labor, equipment, and materials. Pioneer Lions held work parties with as many as 22 people working together to clean, restore and repaint the totem pole. On September 14, 2026, the pole was again raised up. A re-dedication ceremony is in the works
Note: This landmark claims local no tribal ties, and is often called a “story pole” to avoid any confusion.
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 23
Outings & Events 1984 Through Oct. 25. Stageworks Northwest production of the
Submission Guidelines Letters to the Editor (up to 200 words) relevant to the publication’s purpose — helping readers discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region, at home and on the road — are welcome. Longer pieces, or excerpts thereof, in response to previouslypublished articles, may be printed at the discretion of the publisher and subject to editing and space limitations. Submitted items will be considered for publication unless the writer specifies otherwise. Writer’s name and phone number must be included; anonymous submissions will not be considered. Political Endorsements CRR is a monthly publication serving readers in several towns, three counties, two states and beyond, and does not publish Letters to the Editor that are endorsements or criticisms of political candidates or controversial issues. (Paid ad space is available.) Unsolicited submissions may be considered, provided they are consistent with the publication’s purpose. Advance contact with the editor is recommended. Information of general interest submitted by readers may be used as background or incorporated in future articles. Outings & Events calendar (free listing): Events must be open to the public. Non-profit organizations and the arts, entertainment, educational and recreational opportunities and community cultural events receive listing priority. Fundraisers must be sanctioned/ sponsored by the benefiting non-profit o r g a n i z a t i o n . C o m m e rc i a l p ro j e c t s , businesses and organizations wishing to promote their products or services are invited to purchase advertising.
ADVERTISING Deadlines, see page 10 Ned Piper, Manager 360-749-2632 nedpiper@gmail.com General inquiries: 360-749-1021 publisher@crreader.com Mitzi Ponce - St. Helens, Ore Ad Rep: mitzi@mdponce.com 252-675-3423
stage adaptation of George Orwell’s book. Fri and Sat 7:30pm; Sun 2pm. 1433 Commerce. Tickets: stageworksnorthwest.com, at the door. Phone: 360-636-4488. Fall Bazaar & Rummage Sale Oct. 17, 9am–2pm. Makers,
Bakers, Writers, Crafters, Artists! Discover handcrafted gifts, artisan & homemade baked goods, seasonal & fall-themed delights. Or find your next treasure among the Rummage Sales tables. Faith Family Christian Center. Info: faithfamilycc.org or phone 360-749-9218. 38th and Ocean Beach Hwy (2203 38th), Longview, Wash. Quincy Grange Halloween Carnival
Revolutionary Choices: Exploring Loyalist and Patriot Roots at 250 Years, by Kathryn Lake Hogan, a Canadian
Genealogist and Lecturer. Lower Columbia Genealogical Society’s Nov. 12 zoom meeting; doors will open at 9:30am. Speaker’s program 10:00am. The public is invited to attend. Please consider joining our society for $20/yr. For a link to join the meeting or to join the society contact lcgsgen@yahoo.com 24hrs prior to the event Deck the Halls Holiday Bazaar Sat., Nov. 21, 10am–4pm. River Life interpretive Center, upstairs at Redmen Hall, Skamokawa, Wash.. Local artists invited to sell their handmade
Oct. 31, 5–8pm, at grange hall, 78314 Rutters Rd., Clatskanie, Ore. (follow signs from Clatskanie). Games, bingo, prize store, dinner & snacks in Tombstone Cafe. Fun & affordable for the whole family. Info: Barb 605-431-5992 or Ellen 503-728-2886. Proceeds benefit scholarships, youth programs, and community needs and events. Annual Doll Tea Thurs., Nov. 5, Calvary Community Church, 2655
38th Ave., Longview, Wash. Doors open 1:30pm, Tea served 2pm. $25. Ticket: MaryJane Reinke, 360-560-179. Tickets not available at the door. Benefits Gilmore/Knowles Children’s Community Center. Checks payable to G/K CCCC. Harvest Bazaar Sat, Nov 7, 9am–3pm. First Lutheran Church, 360 Wyeth St., St. Helens, Ore. Vendors, baked goodies, quilt drawing, Scandinavian foods, crafts, café. Proceeds donated to local agencies. Harvest Chamber Music Concert Nov. 8, 3pm. Emmanuel
Lutheran Church, 2218 Kessler Blvd., Longview, Wash. Guest musician Alison Houglum for concert featuring works for flute by Handel, Debussy and Grieg. Autumn- themed concert with classical music and hymns celebrating God in nature and harvest. Also featured is Haylee McFadden, winner of the Young Artists Award from the Southwest Washington Symphony on alto saxophone. Food Drive: Bring a shelf-stable breakfast, lunch, or dinner item like a soup can, single serving oatmeal, or trail mix to support over the weekend food for kids. Backpack Mount St. Helens Club Buddies is a partnership with Family Promise See and Kelso Public schedule, Schools. Hear a page 38. message from Sara Wallaceabout this good work. Watercolorized sketch by the late Deena Martinsen,
HOW TO PUBLICIZE YOUR NON-PROFIT EVENT IN CRR Send your non-commercial community event info (incl name of event, non-profit beneficiary/sponsor, date & time, location, brief description and contact info) to
publisher@crreader.com
Or mail or hand-deliver (in person or via mail slot) to:
Columbia River Reader 1333 14th, Longview, WA 98632 Submission Deadlines Events occurring: Nov 25, 2026 – Jan 18, 2027 by Nov. 1 for Nov. 25 Holiday issue.
HIKES
Calendar submissions are considered for inclusion, subject to lead time, relevance to readers, and space limitations. See Submission Guidelines above.
24 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
ANNUAL GALA AUCTION
Celebrating Children Saturday Nov. 14, 2026
5pm DOORS OPEN • SILENT AUCTION BEGINS 6pm SMOKED BRISKET DINNER 7pm LIVE AUCTION $55 per person
FORMAL ATTIRE ENCOURAGED
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM A KIWANIS MEMBER OR EMAIL: CLATSKANIEKIWANIS@GMAIL.COM
AMERICAN LEGION HALL • CLATSKANIE, OREGON design services courtesy of columbia river reader
2026 2026 Fall Concerts Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, 7:00 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, 3:00 p.m. Wollenberg Auditorium LCC Rose Center for the Arts 1600 Maple Street, Longview, WA
Jan 18 – Feb 18 by Dec. 28 for Jan 15 issue
Kiwanis Club of Clatskanie
Thanks to generous donors all concerts this season are free! www.swwsymphony.org
Enjoy a program from outer space, featuring Gustav Holst’s The Planets and soundtrack highlights from Star Trek.
Outings & Events arts and crafts. Demonstrations encouraged. Details: 360-795-3007 Tues or Thurs, 10–2. Email fos1894@gmail.com. Parkinson’s Caregiver Support Group
Every third Thursday, 1:30–3pm. Delaware Plaza, 926 Delaware St., Longview, Wash. RSVP and questions: Shawna Crook, 360-423-3333 or email delawareed@ koelschsenior.com
BROADWAY GALLERY 1418 Commerce Avenue, Longview Tues thru Sat, 11–4. Visit the Gallery to see new work. For event updates check our website: the-broadwaygallery.com, at Broadway Gallery on Facebook, and broadway gallery longview on Instagram.
FEATURED ARTISTS
October Guest artists TJ Frey and Remy Frey (both (2D art November Tom Becraft (wood-turning & sculpture); Hans Schaufus, (photography).
FIRST THURSDAY Nov 5th• 5:30–7pm Join us for art & refreshments. HOLIDAY OPENING Sat, Nov. 14th Refreshments, live music, artisan cards & gifts
THE MINTHORN
COLLECTION OF INTERNATIONAL ART
Check out our Winter Classes, Teachers & Workshops by visiting our gallery or website.
OPEN
Tues - Sat 11–4
Voted one of top 3 Galleries in SW Wash.
GIFTS • BOOKS ARTISAN CARDS • TREASURES See ad, Free Gift Wrap on request page 6
Find a unique gift! We have beautiful artisan cards, jewelry, books by local authors, wearable art, original paintings, pottery, sculpture, photographs and more.
Sunday,Nov 15• 3pm Tickets: Adult $15; Senior/ Students $13, Child $10 CLATSKANIE ARTS COMMISSION
A gift to the community from Dr. and Mrs. H. Minthorn via Lower Columbia College Foundation. The Minthorn Collection of Chinese Art encompasses a wide range of styles and is displayed in the upper level of the Forsberg Gallery in LCC’s Rose Center, open M-Th 10–3. Free.
Performance at Birkenfeld Theatre, Clatskanie Cultural Center, Clatskanie, Ore. Tickets / Info: www.clatskaniearts.org
OUR STAFF
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 25
Northwest Voices Celebrates 40 Years of Wintergreen
Outings & Events
A landmark book. A remarkable local story. 40 years of Wintergreen. Join the Longview Public Library for a special installment of Northwest Voices celebrating the 40th anniversary of Robert Michael Pyle’s classic book, Wintergreen on Thursday, November 5th. Published in 1986, Wintergreen explores the ravaged forests and struggling human communities of Southwest Washington’s Willapa Hills, weaving together nature, environmental change, and the people who call this region home. Thursday, November 5th events
2:30–4pm | Workshop 5–6pm | Reception 6:30–8pm | Reading Come learn, listen, join the dialogue, and celebrate the voices of our region. All events are free and open to the public. Funding for Northwest Voices comes from the Longview Public Library, the Longview Library Foundation, and the Friends of the Longview Library. All events are free and open to the public. For more information about these events and all the activities at the Longview Public Library, please call 360.442.5300, or visit longviewlibrary.org.
Cascadia Chamber Opera Welcomes Ping & Woof Opera for Menotti’s Haunting piece, “The Medium” ASTORIA, Ore. — Just in time for the Halloween season, Cascadia Chamber Opera welcomes Ping & Woof Opera to Astoria’s Charlene Larsen Center (588 16th St) for a performance of Gian Carlo Menotti’s gripping supernatural opera “The Medium” on Saturday, October 24, at 7:00pm. Part psychological drama, part ghost story, “The Medium” follows Madame Flora, a fraudulent spiritual medium whose staged séances take a terrifying turn when she experiences something she cannot explain. What begins as deception quickly becomes a story of fear, doubt, guilt, and the unsettling question at the heart of every good ghost story: what if something really is there? And for anyone who thinks opera means a long evening in a foreign language—this one may be a surprise. “The Medium” is sung in English and runs approximately 1½ hours, including an intermission, making it an especially accessible introduction to opera as live theater. The performance features several artists who have become recent favorites with Cascadia Chamber Opera audiences, including Zachary Lenox, Jocelyn Claire Thomas, and Aaron Lange, along with exciting new voices joining the CCO community, including Alexis Hamilton.
EVENT AT A GLANCE: “The Medium” by Gian Carlo Menotti, presented by Ping & Woof Opera and hosted at the Charlene Larsen Center for the Performing Arts by Cascadia Chamber Opera; Saturday, October 24, 2026; doors and pre-show activities at 6:15 p.m.; performance at 7:00 p.m.; sung in English; approximately 1½ hours
Audiences are invited to make an evening of it. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with pre-show entertainment and an informal pre-show discussion about the opera, offering some background on Menotti, the story, and what to listen and watch for during the performance. No opera expertise required—just come curious. Wr it ten by It alian- Amer ic an composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti, The Medium is an intimate theatrical work in which the music and drama are inseparable. Its small-scale setting brings the singers and audience unusually close to the action, allowing the tension to build almost like a live psychological thriller.
26 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
North Coast Symphonic Band members span all ages and professions. Photo from July 3, 2026.
photo by Kathleen Barber
North Coast Symphonic Band gets toes tapping with “The Art of Dance” Nov. 8 In music, dance-style works take on many forms to create an exciting eclectic mix that stretches from marches to ballet theater. Playing selections from symphonic works to polkas, the North Coast Symphonic Band presents “The Art of Dance” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8 at the Liberty Theatre. “There will be something for everyone, even those of us who have two left feet!” said conductor Terry Dahlgren. The program includes “Belle of the Ball” by Leroy Anderson, “Beguine for Band” by Glenn Osser, and “A Short Ballet for Awkward Dancers” by Herbert Hazelman. NCSB Board President Brian Bergman will be the concert’s emcee.
The North Coast Symphonic Band is composed of local musicians of all ages who enjoy networking, learning from each other, and maintaining their skill levels in a positive and supportive environment. Rehearsals are from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays at the Charlene Larsen Center for the Performing Arts (PAC) in Astoria. All sections are currently full, but musicians interested in joining a waiting list should email Personnel Director Lee Stromquist at encore1@ charter.net or call (503) 861-1328. Potential new members should read music, own their own instruments, and have advanced high school level performance skills or higher.
Local saxophone quartet Quadrophone will perform concert prelude music from 1:30 to 1:55 PM while the audience gathers.
For more information on the North Coast Symphonic Band’s 47th season, visit www.northcoastsymphonicband. org, e-mail cablebri@charter.net, or call (503) 298-1087.
Admission is free for high school students. Middle school students and younger are also admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Regular admission is $15 in advance; $20 the day of the concert. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Liberty Theatre Box Office from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays or online at www. libertyastoria.showare.com. Tickets will also be available at the door starting at noon the day of the concert. The Liberty Theatre is located at the corner of 12th and Commercial streets in Astoria.
IF YOU GO North Coast Symphonic Band
“The Art of Dance” Conductor Terry Dahlgren 2pm. Sunday, Nov. 8 The Liberty Theatre.Astoria Prelude at 1:30 p.m.
Outings & Events
in the spotlight What’s old is new again And the latest skinny is PHAT Playing this month
IN THE SPOTLIGHT... by Hal Calbom
Phat Cats! The Columbia Theatre swings and rarely misses
I
continue to be amazed by the variety, energy, sheer talent and genuine entertainment that show up, week after week, at our own Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts — CTPA. I’ll completely disregard my objectivity and herewith offer heaps of praise and appreciation to the woman who puts all this together, CTPA Managing Director Kelly Ragsdale. It struck me, doing my monthly phone interview with two of the performers coming this month to the Columbia, that they were entirely typical of the acts Kelly lines up and brings to our theatre: •Talented with great resumes
Courtesy photo courtesy photo
Kelly Ragsdale Managing Director Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts, Longview, Wash.
•Enthusiastic, with love of their craft •Embracing both classic and modern •Appreciative of their audiences •Surprising, quirky, and good-humored This month’s headliner — playing the Columbia Friday, October 23rd at 7:30pm — is a classic CTPA all-star act: the intergenerational big banders Phat
Cat Swinger picking up American Idol alum Blake Lewis for a barnstorming tour to beat all tours. Phat Cat Swinger was founded by Marco Palos more than 20 years ago, impressive longevity in a profession with lots of ups and downs. “I was, and am, a horn player,” said Marco in our conversation recently, “but my dream was to play big band music, with a lot of swing.” Phat Cat is true to the roots of Big Band, with a five-piece horn section, driving percussion, and a passion for great melodies from all eras.
Hal Calbom is associate publisher with CRRPress, and produces “It’s my true privilege to start playing CRR’s monthly with these guys,” said the newest “People+Place” feature, see page 19.
acts — even those on the national or even international circuit — coming to the Columbia have heard of the place.
IF YOU GO: Phat Cat Swinger Friday, Oct. 23, 7:30pm Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts Longview,Wash. 1231 Vandercook Way Longview, Wash.
In fact, they’ve heard great things about it and look forward to their performances. It’s a reputation based not just on the Columbia’s historical remodel and majesty the majesty, but also on the TLC and professionalism offered by staff and volunteers to those coming to town to sing, strum, dance and play.
Ticket details, page 25.
Phat Cat, Blake Lewis, himself an experienced performer and Pacific Northwest native. “We’re proud to call it, ‘Welcome to the new era of swing,’” he said. The band has maintained its contagious energy by playing seemingly everywhere, from Disney theme park gigs to Vegas residencies. “We look for ward to coming to Longview and rocking the house,” said Marco. A remarkable feature of the Kelly Ragsdale Magic is that many of the
Audience members and potential attendees: TRUST KELLY! She could be the judge on American Idol, but instead she’s working for all of us, spending countless hours evaluating talent and judging its suitability for our regional audiences. She and her team at CTPA rarely disappoint, no matter what your own tastes and biases. Don’t miss Phat Cat Swinger, simply the latest premiere offering in the superb chorus line that is the Columbia. •••
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 27
Where to pick up YOUR copy of Columbia River Reader
It’s delivered all around the River by the 15th of each month (except the Holiday edition, which comes out Nov. 25th). Here’s the handy, regularly-refilled box and rack locations where you can pick up a copy. LONGVIEW
Post Office Forever Fit - 1211 18th Ave Bob’s (rack, main check-out) In front of 1232 Commerce Ave In front of 1323 Commerce Ave In front of Stash Records 1420 Commerce Teri’s on Broadway (side entry) In front of Freddy’s 1110 Commerce YMCA Fred Meyer (rack, service desk) Grocery Outlet, OB Hwy Fibre Fed’l CU - Commerce Ave Monticello Hotel (front entrance) Kaiser Permanente St. John Medical Center (rack, Park Lake Café) LCC Student Center Columbia River Reader Office 1333 14th Ave (box at door) Omelettes & More (entry rack) KELSO
Visitors’ Center / Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce KALAMA
Etc Mercantile Fibre Fed’l CU Kalama Shopping Center corner of First & Fir Columbia Inn McMenamin’s Harbor Lodge (rack) Luckmans Coffee, Mountain Timber Market, Port of Kalama WOODLAND
Grocery Outlet Luckman Coffee Park &Ride lot (former Vis. Ctr) CASTLE ROCK
CLATSKANIE, ORE
Post Office Mobil / Mini-Mart Fultano’s Pizza WESTPORT
Berry Patch (entry rack) RAINIER
Post Office Cornerstone Café Rainier Hardware (rack, entry) Earth ‘n’ Sun (on Hwy 30) El Tapatio (entry rack) Grocery Outlet (rack by front door) Senior Center (rack at front door) DEER ISLAND
Deer Island Store COLUMBIA CITY
Post Office ST HELENS
Chamber of Commerce Sunshine Pizza St. Helens Market Fresh Olde Town (near 2-Cs Vendor Mall) Big River Tap Room Safeway WARREN
Warren Country Inn SCAPPOOSE
Post Office Road Runner Fultano’s Ace Hardware WARRENTON
Fred Meyer
In front of CR Blooms Center Cowlitz St. W., near Vault Books & Brew Visitors’ Ctr, 890 Huntington Ave N., Exit 49, west side of I-5 Cascade Select Market Fibre Fed’l CU
CATHLAMET
VADER
Appelo Archives & Café Johnson’s One-Stop Oakie’s (Box outside)
Little Crane Café RYDERWOOD
Café porch TOUTLE
Drew’s Grocery & Service
Cathlamet Pharmacy Tsuga Gallery (entry rack) Puget Island Ferry Landing SKAMOKAWA
Skamokawa General Store NASELLE
ILWACO
Time Enough Books (entry table) FORT CLATSOP VISITOR CENTER
Rack in lobby
Outings & Events
YOU’RE INVITED: 35th Annual Portland Sacred Harp Singing Convention When:
Sat, Oct. 17 & Sun, Oct. 18th 9:30am-3:00pm (registration 9am) Potluck Lunch 12noon-1pm Where: The Laurelhurst Club 3721 SE Ankeny St, Portland, OR 97214 FREE!! On Saturday & Sunday, October 17th and 18th, the Sacred Harp singers of Portland are happy to invite one and all to join us for two days of singing from the 2025 edition of the Sacred Harp Songbook! This is a FREE community event, open to all ages and no singing experience is required. Songbooks will be available to buy or borrow for each day! What’s Shapenote Singing?
Shapenote singing is a 200-year-old American folk tradition of a capella, four-part harmony community singing. “Sacred Harp” refers to the human voice (there are no harps or other instruments involved in this music). This music is experiencing a revival across the country among a diverse group of singers of many ages and backgrounds, who are drawn to its primal harmonies and social approach to singing.
Mt. St. Helens Gifts
What’s an All-Day Singing?
People from all walks of life and various corners of the globe come together to make raucous, exuberant music for two full days of singing in unaccompanied, uninhibited four-part harmony. This community music-making is fun and social, and there is no audience other than the singers themselves. All levels are welcome, including those with no music background. As part of the tradition, a potluck dinner is provided at noon by local singers each day, open to all participants. Childcare provided 9:30am3:00pm. Covid Protocols: We kindly request all singers to test each day attending, preferably less than 2 hours prior to entering the venue. Portland Sacred Harp is a fully inclusive, community-run group and is not affiliated with any religious or political organization, denomination or credo. •••
Souvenirs • T-Shirts • Hoodies Ash Glass & Hellenite Jewelry
Bigfoot HQ Castle Rock • I-5 Exit 49
1254-B Mt. St. Helens Way
360-274-7011
223 NE 1st Street, Kalama 9–8 M-Sat, 10–7 Sun • 360-673-2200 Submission Guidelines and contact info, page 24.
AD DEADLINES. Nov 25 Holiday issue: Nov 5 Jan 15 2026 issue: Dec. 28 IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE!
Call us! 28 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
Visit Historic St. Helens
20 miles from Longview • No sales tax • Free parking Quaint buildings & shops Old-fashioned friendliness Scappoose
Experience the Rainier & Longview
Spirit of HalloweenTown in St. Helens!
St Helens
Historic Riverfront
Selected dates through Nov. 1. Amazing décor, special guests, photo opps, costumes, vendors, music, entertainment! COME SEE! Schedule: spiritofhallowentown.co
Houlton Shopping District
275 Strand Street.
HOT PIZZA FRESH COOL SALAD BAR THE BEST AROUND!
IN ST HELENS • 2124 Columbia Blvd
503-397-3211
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 29
Northwest Gardener
Vermicomposting
Story & Photos by Nancy Chennault
Nature’s garbage disposal
T
is the season of goblins, ghouls and gooey worms …. EEEE---YYEWWWW! ….. Go ahead and cringe, but before you shield your eyes or flee the room, take a moment to review the procedures and benefits of having worms as family. Well, maybe not family, but how about pets? “Vermi-composting system” is the scientific name for the cultivation of worms, red wigglers (Eisenia foetida), in a “bin” or “condo.” This process gives the homeowner a process for disposing of a multitude of household waste items. This “garbage” is then quickly turned into rich humus — humus that includes the nutritious, organic ingredients gardens need to grow healthy plants. It’s the perfect symbiotic relationship. We have had a kitchen scrap compost bin for almost 30 years and the amount of kitchen scraps and garden debris it has consumed is staggering. The 50 gallon worm bin was filled to the brim countless times for four and a half years before we dug out the incredibly gooey mass of fresh, earth-scented compost. We decided to see how long we could continue to fill the bin and still see the level drop. We just kept adding material to it and it would always be ready to accept more after just a few days. It was amazing to see how efficiently thousands of two- inch worms voraciously consumed everything we tossed into the bin. Finally, Jim used the compost for hills of pumpkins the fifth summer. Using only the worm compost as fertilizer, the Big Max pumpkins more than lived up to their name. His and Hers
Ours has been a two-worm-bin family. Jim has used a stackable “condo” (see top photo at right). Available at garden centers, these can also be ordered from the “Greenhouse Catalog” store, www.greenhousecatalog. com. They come with initial bedding material (second photo). They can be placed on a work bench in a garage and are set up for vermi-“fine dining.” The household scraps (third photo) should be chopped small and egg shells crushed. Jim liked the condo for his coffee grounds. The resulting Compost Tea, an elixir of potent nutrients (and caffeine!), can be used for houseplants, containers or in the garden. Jim now composts directly into the garden 12 months a year. He rotates the spots where he dumps the kitchen scraps and leaves etc., and works them in as he chops them into tiny pieces. Then he buries them under several inches of soil. Jim’s garden is full of worms and rewards us each summer with abundant harvests.
30 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
The worms crawl in . . . the worms crawl out . . . the worms play pinochle on your snout This little ditty, sung by grandmothers to generations of children, is from “ The Hearse Song.” The first printed version was a passage in the ballad “Alonzo the Brave and Fair Imogene,” which was included in The Monk, published in 1796. This romantic gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis was banned at the time because of its “explicit nature.” To read all of the stanzas and follow the fascinating evolution of this childhood nursery rhyme, visit: www.mamalisa.com/blog/ the-origin-the-worms-crawl-in-the-worms-crawlout/
The original 50 gallon plastic tub and its generous acceptance of garden trimmings, weeds, paper plates and dirt clods occupied a spot against the north foundation of the house for years. It was old and faded and I used it until it fell apart. It was a favorite because I could toss in everything from 6 foot banana leaves to banana peels, (see photo) and the zealous population of red worms were more than happy to be of service. I received the original worms from local Master Gardener Mara Williams, also known as the “worm lady.” While sharing memories of the late nature enthusiast and conversationalist, Ruth Deery, Mara told me that my worms were decedents of some that Ruth had given her many years before. I was pleased to be able to carry on the tradition as so many others have
Nancy Chennault and her husband, Jim, operated a landscaping business and independent nursery/garden center for 20+ years. She wrote CRR’s Northwest Gardener in CRR’s early years. After a hiatus, she re-joined CRR to reconnect us with some of her favorite gardening topics. Nancy is founder of “Castle Rock Blooms” community team of volunteers.
Vermi-composting
from page 30
done because of Ruth’s generous spirit. Mara Williams passed away in February 2025. She would be thrilled that decedents of those many generations of ‘red wigglers’ are still working hard to make such rich and nutritious soil.
Worms Eat My Garbage: How to set up and maintain a worm composting system by Mary Appelhof (published 1997), is a reliable source of information and instructions of how to begin your adventure into worm composting. You will reap the benefits of yet another way to garden “green.” At first glance they may appear to be a revolting Halloween “trick” but soon you will have plenty of red wigglers to share with neighbors and family. A seasonal “treat” for any gardener during fall harvest and cleanup. ••• What is Compost Tea?
It is a liquid version of solid compost material that introduces beneficial bacteria, fungi, and protozoa to garden soil. It helps break down organic matter so roots absorb nutrients faster.
Benefits
Improves soil health and microbial diversity. Delivers gentle, balanced nutrients to plants.
How to Make Compost Tea
Place compost mixture in a large jar of water and let sit in the sun. Shake it up and then pour through a piece of cheese cloth to collect solids, or shake it vigorously and use as is.
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 31
COLUMBIA RIVER
Clatskanie, Ore. Fultano’s Pizza 770 E. Columbia River Hwy Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more! Dine-in,Take-out and Home Delivery. Visit Fultanos.com for streamlined menu. 503-728-2922
Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant 640 E. Columbia River Hwy
Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials. Dine-in, curbside pickup. M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–10:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-728-3344
Rainier. Ore. 102 East “A” Street Microbrews, wines & spirits 7am–8pm Daily. Inside dining.
Interstate Tavern
119 E. “B” St., (Hwy 30) Crab Louie/Crab cocktails, crab-stuffed avocados. 17 hot and cold sandwiches. Amazing crab sandwiches. Full bar service. Catering for groups. 503-556-9950. interstatetavern@yahoo.com
El Tapatio
117 W. ‘A’ Street Mexican Family Restaurant. Open Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, rest of week 11am-10pm. Full bar. 8-11pm. Patio seating. 503-556-8323.
Longview, Wash. Formerly The Carriage Restaurant & Lounge located on 14th Ave. 3353 Washington Way Chinese & American cuisine. Full bar, banquet room stage room with balcony; available for groups, special events. Restaurant: 11am–9pm, Lounge 11am–1:00am. 360425-8680.
The Corner Cafe
796 Commerce Ave. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Daily Soup & Sandwich, breakfast specials. Tues-Fri, 7am-8pm. Sat 7am-3pm. Closed Sun-Mon. 360-353-5420. Email: sndcoffeeshop@comcast.net
dining guide
Freddy’s Just for the Halibut 1110 Commerce Ave. Cod, Alaskan halibut fish and chips, awardwinning clam chowder. Burgers, steaks, pasta. Beer and wine. M-Wed 10am–8pm, Th-Sat 10am–9pm, Sunday 11am–8pm. Inside dining, Drive-thru, outdoor seating. 360-4143288. See ad, page 4.
Castle Rock, Wash
L
uckman’s Coffee Company 239 Huntington
924 15th Ave., Longview Tues–Thurs 11am–8pm; Fri & Sat 11am–9pm. BBQ meat slow-cooked on site. Pulled pork, chicken, brisket, ribs, turkey, salmon. World-famous mac & cheese. 360-5771541.
Fultano’s Pizza 51511 SE 2nd. Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more! “Best pizza around!” Sun–Th 11:30am–9pm; Fri-Sat 11:30am–10pm. Full bar service ‘til 10pm Fri & Sat. Deliveries in Scappoose. 503-543-5100. Inside Dining.
Ave. North, Drive-thru. Pastries, sandwiches, salads, quiche.
Vault Books & Brew 20 Cowlitz Street West, Castle Rock. Coffee and specialty drinks, quick eats & sweets.
Hop N Grape
See ad, page 34
Kalama, Wash.
Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant
33452 Havlik Rd. Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials. M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–11:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-543-3017
Warren, Ore.
Kyoto Sushi Steakhouse 760 Ocean Beach Hwy, Suite J 360-425-9696. Japanese food, i.e. Hibachi, Bento boxes, Teppanyaki; Sushi. Mon-Th 11-2:30, 4:30-9:30. Fri-Sat 11am10pm. Sun 11am-9pm. 360-425-9696.
LUCKMAN’S COFFEE Mountain
Lynn’s Deli & Catering
215 N. Hendrickson Dr., Port of Kalama. A Northwest pub and unique bars serving DREW’S GROCERY & SERVICE breakfast, lunch & dinner daily. daily. 5304inside Spiritout Lake Info & reservations, bar hours at Ned Piper7am–8pm assists with CRR, andHwy fr Exit 49) 24-hour fueling (gas & mcmenamins.com. 8am–midnight daily. 360all around(10themi.edges. diesel), card at pump, Red Leaf Organic 673-9210. Indoor dining, covered outdoor Coffee. See ad, page 6. seating.
1133 14th Ave.
Soups & sandwiches, specializing in paninis, box lunches, deli sandwiches and party platters. Mon-Fri 8-3, Saturday 10-2. 360-577-5656
OMELETTES & MORE 3120 Washington Way Open M-F 7am – 1:30pm, Sat and Sun til 2pm. Home-cooked comfort foods. Breakfast & lunch classics. Dine in or order online at omelettesandmore.com. 10% Senior Discount everyday. 360-425-9260.
Roland Wines
1106 Florida St., Longview. Authentic Italian wood-fired pizza, wine, beer, specialty cocktails. Casual ambience. 5–9pm Wed-Sat, 360-846-7304. See ad, page 39. Scythe Brewing Company 1217 3rd Avenue #150 360-353-3851 Mon-Fri 11:30am -8pm; Brunch Sat-Sun 11:30am -10am–1pm. Family-friendly brewery/restaurant, lunch and dinner.
Eclipse Coffee & Tea
In the Merk (1339 Commerce Ave., #113) 360-998-2139. Mon-Fri 8am–4pm. Specialty coffees, teas, bubble teas and pastries....drinks with a smile. Takeout and on-site.
Scappoose, Ore.
Teri’s on Broadway
1133 Broadway. Lunch and Dinner, full bar. Mon12–8pm. Tues-Thurs 11am–8pm, Fri 11am–9pm; Sat 12–9pm. Live music on Wednesday pms. 360-577-0717
Timber Market, Port of Kalama. Open 8am–7pm. 360-673-4586.
Toutle, Wash.
Antique Deli
413N. First. M-F, 10–3. Call for daily sandwich special. 360-673-3310.
Woodland, Wash.
L
uckman
FIRESIDE CAFE 5055 Meeker Dr., Kalama. Open Wed-Sun, 9–4. 360-673-3473.
Coffee Company 1230 Lewis River Rd. Small batch on-site roasted coffee, breakfast, lunch. Inside seating. M-F 5:30am–4:30pm, Sat 6am–4:30pm, Sun 7am–3pm. 360-841-8699.
St. Helens, Ore. Sunshine Pizza & Catering
2124 Columbia Blvd. Hot pizza, cool salad bar. Beer & wine. Limited inside seating, curbside pickup and delivery. 503-397-3211 See ad, page 29. Big River Tap Room 313 Strand Street on the Riverfront. Lunch/Dinner Tue-Thurs 12–8pm; Fri-Sat 12–9pm. Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef, pastrami. Weekend Burrito Breakfast, Sat 8-11, Sun 8am-3pm.
The Klondike
The Klondike
71 Cowlitz St, Historic “The Finest Fare in the County” Riverfront District. Steaks, seafood, burgers. Daily specials M-Th. Catering. Visit klondiketavern.com and explore: Full bar. klondiketavern.com. 503-396-5036. •New Winter Menu! •New Catering Offers! •Daily Monday-Thursday Value Specials! •Online takeout, reservations, giftcards and more!
32 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
Warren Country Inn 56575 Columbia River Hwy. Fine family dining. Breakfast, lunch & dinner. Full bar. Call for hours. 503-410-5479. Check Facebook for updates. Dine-in. M-Th 9–9;F 9–9:30; Sat 8–9:30; Sun 8am–9pm
Restaurant operators: To advertise in Columbia River Dining Guide, call Ned Piper
360-749-2632
A Different Way of Seeing
THE TIDEWATER REACH
FIELD GUIDE TO THE LOWER COLUMBIA IN POEMS AND PICTURES
WORDS AND WOOD PACIFIC NORTHWEST WOODCUTS AND HAIKU
by Debby Neely
Orca 1
Poem by Robert Michael Pyle Photograph by Judy VanderMaten
Apex predator Feared by sharks and whales alike Humans not so much
EMPIRE OF TREES
by Hal Calbom
AMERICA’S PLANNED CITY AND THE LAST FRONTIER The Pacific Northwest topography challenged the midwestern lumbermen
Pencil Shavings I love the brown butterflies that fly among canyon walls, where the scent is juniper, that flit above San Luis Valley’s floor — Nabokov’s satyrs, Alamosa wood nymphs — flecks of fawn and otter on the wing. How
Postcard from the private
their papery vanes make hope
collection of
Michael O. Perry
from nothing but nectar and dust. Yesterday in Astoria, a world away from San Luis, I moved my desk. Discovered in a disused drawer a small paper bag:
Telescoping Time This was the world’s last temperate zone coastline to
pencil shavings I’d somehow kept. How
yield its secrets to Euro-Americans…
could I throw them in the trash now,
The region’s geographical isolation in turn contributed
having saved them all this time?
to a pronounced time lag in its historical development.
The open window winked.
The frontier seemed to linger longer, and social and
Without a thought, I cast the cedar chips out the window. onto the crabshell breeze. Pale brown butterflies flickered past the wall,
economic changes that evolved over a period of decades elsewhere often were telescoped into a much briefer span of time in the Northwest or skipped entirely.
all down to the valley pavement of the street —
Carlos Arnaldo Schwantes
and for a moment, the scent was juniper.
The Pacific Northwest: An Interpretive History
This page and pg. 11 feature excerpts from CRRPress books.
CRRPRESS was founded in 2020, with the first printing of Tidewater Reach, followed by Dispatches from the Discovery Trail (see current episode, page 11), Empire of Trees, Words and Wood, and A Lifetime of Art. Purchase info, see page 2.
BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 33
Q
Cover to Cover
UIPS & QUOTES
BESIDES COLUMBIA RIVER READER...
Monthly feature coordinated by Alan Rose
What are you reading?
Collected by Jim Tejcka
The Wandering Jew of St. Salacious
L
ive! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing. Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish author, poet, and key figure in the Aestheticism movement.
T
he ballot is stronger than the bullet.
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th president of the United States, 1861-1865, until his assassination. He led the United States through the Civil War, and played a major part in the abolition of slavery.
F
orgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed
it.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain; an American writer, humorist, essayist, miner, world traveler and lecturer.
I
f liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. Eric Arthur Blair also known as George Orwell (1903-1950), his name became the basis of the adjective, Orwellian, which describes totalitarian and authoritarian social paradigms.
By Ron Turker
Review by Jan Bono Po r t l a n d - b a s e d r e t i r e d pediatric surgeon Ron Turker worked his way through medical school as a stand-up comic. And that’s no joke. Not surprising, his debut novel uses an abundance of humor to raise its fist with a battle cry for change at the deplorable state of health care in the United States. St. Salacious is an aging Catholic hospital in a large Pacific Northwest city. Dr. Martin Fischer, a newly-hired surgeon and self-proclaimed agnostic Jew, is surrounded by rosary-carrying nuns, a crucifix on every wall, and an administration that is committed to the financial bottom line more seriously than quality patient care. Counterbalance that with Fischer’s oath to provide the best possible
had to dare a little bit. Who am I kidding—I had to dare a lot. I don’t wear one ring, I wear five or six. People ask how I can play with all those rings, and I reply, ‘Very well, thank you.’
Jim Tejcka is a retired civil engineer, most recently working for Bonneville Power Administration. He enjoys playing guitar and ukulele and lives outside of Woodland, Wash., overlooking the Lewis River. We welcome him to CRR’s elite fellowship of quote wranglers.
Dr. Turker works much food for thought into a book that keeps us reading with guilty delight, filled with just enough drama and romance to help St. Salacious live up to its name. I did not expect to enjoy his novel nearly as much as I did. It’s witty, sly, thoughtful, and extremely entertaining. His tonguein-cheek writing had me laughing out loud—literally—while shaking my head, realizing how much of his hyperbole is true. I recommend this to those who enjoy reading books that make the reader think, providing plenty of factual information tucked cleverly between comedic lines.
Jan Bono is the author of the Sylvia Avery Mystery series, set on the Long Beach Peninsula, and most recently Two Cozies for Christmas, which she adapted from her own “Hallmarkstyle” movie scripts.
Wladziu Valentino Liberace (1919-1987), American pianist, singer, and actor, with a career spanning four decades. From the 1950s to the 1970s he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world.
•••
medical help regardless of one’s ability to pay, and the table is set for a metaphorical tug-of-war. It’s a classic compassion versus greed scenario.
•••
I
Why I prefer hunting rocks over squirrels: They don’t bite, they’re easier to catch, and with the right rock you can make fire…try that with a squirrel. David N. Purkerson (1951–present), lifetime friend and backwoods philosopher,
ATTENTION READERS Read a good book lately? Share your impressions and thoughts with other C R R re a d e r s . E m a i l alan@alan-rose.com or publisher@crreader.com for info. Writers and nonwriters welcome, editing services provided, and can be based on phone miniinterview if preferred.
Drink Good Coffee, Read Good Books
Located in the historic Castle Rock Bank Building 20 Cowlitz Street West Mon-Sat 8:30–5 • Sun 10–4 360-916-1377 Local authors: For info about participating in a collective advertising opportunity in CRR’s holiday issue, contact Alan Rose at alan@alan-rose. com by Oct. 30.
BOOKS ARE
GREAT GIFTS
Presented by Northwest Voices, In partnership with the Longview Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Longview Public Library
At St. Stephen’s Church 1428 22nd Ave., Longview
Nov 10th
For information visit
www.alan-rose.com
34 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
SECOND
Cover to Cover Brought to you by Book Sense and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, dated Sept. 27, 2026, based on reporting from the independent bookstores of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. For the Book Sense store nearest you, visit www.booksense.com PAPERBACK FICTION
PAPERBACK NON-FICTION
1. Crossing the WineDark Sea Emily Wilson, Liveright, $19.99 2. Dungeon Crawler 2. Braiding Sweetgrass Carl Robin Wall Kimmerer, Matt Dinniman, Ace, Milkweed Editions, $22.00 $20.00 3. Raising Hare: A Memoir 3. Carl’s Doomsday Chloe Dalton, Vintage, Scenario $21.00 Matt Dinniman, Ace, $21.00 4. A Walk in the Park 4. Project Hail Mary Kevin Fedarko, Scribner, Andy Weir, Ballantine $22.00 Books, $22.00, 5. Mother Mary Comes 5. The Women to Me Arundhati Roy, Kristin Hannah, St. Scribner, $20.00 Martin’s Griffin, $21.00 6. Is a River Alive? 6. Wild Dark Shore Charlotte McConaghy, Robert Macfarlane, W. W. Norton & Company, Flatiron Books, $18.99 $19.99 7. I Who Have Never 7. Enshittification Known Men Jacqueline Harpman, Cory Doctorow, Picador, Transit Books, $16.95 $20.00 8. The God of the 8. A Marriage at Sea Woods (Indies Introduce) Liz Moore, Riverhead Sophie Elmhirst, Riverhead Books, $19.00 Books, $20.00 9. East of Eden 9. Murderland John Steinbeck, Penguin, Caroline Fraser, Penguin $25.00 Books, $21.00 10. The Odyssey 10. All About Love: New Homer, Emily Wilson (Transl.), Norton, $18.95 Visions bell hooks, William Morrow Paperbacks, $17.99 1. Theo of Golden
Allen Levi, Atria Books, $20.00
BOOK REVIEW The Left and the Lucky Willy Vlautin Harper Collins Publishers $18 Paperback
S
cappoose writer Willy Vlautin has attained a distinctive place in modern American literature. Ann Patchett (Bel Canto, State of Nature, Whistler) has said “Vlautin writes about people overlooked by society and overlooked by literature.”
Alan’s haunting novel of the AIDS epidemic, As If Death Summoned, won the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award (LGBT category). He organizes the monthly Word Fest gathering (info on facing page). Reach him at www. alan-rose.com.
HARDCOVER FICTION
HARDCOVER NON-FICTION
1. Hollywood, Ending
1. End Times Fascism
2. Exit Party
2. Happy Snacking, Don’t Die!
3. The Pirate Queen
3. An Unexpected Life: A Memoir
John Green, Dutton Books, $32.00
Emily St.John Mandel, Knopf, $32.00 Ariel Lawhon, Doubleday, $32.00
4. The Disappearers
Naomi Klein, Astra Taylor, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $32.00 Alexis Nikole Nelson, S&S/Simon Element, $35.00
Gloria Steinem, Random House, $30.00
Marlon James, 4. Swan Song: Diana, my Riverhead Books, $32.00 sister Charles Spencer, Penguin Press, 5. The Calamity Club $35.00 Kathryn Stockett, Spiegel & Grau, $35.00 5. The Nerd Reich Gil Durán, Avid Reader Press / 6. Yesteryear (Indies Simon & Schuster, $30.00 Introduce) Caro Claire Burke, 6. Regime Change Knopf, $30.00 Maggie Haberman, Jonathan 7. Taipei Story (Deluxe Swan, Simon & Schuster, $34.00
Limited Edition)
R.F. Kuang, William Morrow, $32.00,
7. How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time Sarah Longwell, St. Martin’s
8. The Gate of the Feral Press, $29.00 Gods 8. Actually, Nevermind: Matt Dinniman, Ace, Essays $30.00
9. Dead Beat (Ninth House Series #3)
Leigh Bardugo, Flatiron Books, $29.99
10. Whistler
Ann Patchett, Harper, $30.00
Taylor Tomlinson, Gallery Books, $32.00
9. The Art of Fighting
Priya Parker, Riverhead Books, $30.00
10. The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State Jill Lepore, Liveright, $29.99
Top 10 Bestsellers
CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATED
1. Room on the Broom Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illus.), Dial Books, $9.99 2. Gruffalo Granny Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illus.), DialBooks, $19.99 3. Wonderful Halloween Emily Winfield Martin, Random House Books for Young Readers, $9.99 4. 1, 2, 3 Salish Sea: A Counting Book for Toddlers Nikki McClure, Little Bigfoot, $10.99, 5. The Secret Dragon Briony May Smith, Anne Schwartz Books, $18.99 6. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle, World of Eric Carle, $10.99 7. The Skeleton and the Cat Brandon James Scott, HarperCollins, $19.99 8. Midnight Manor: A Backwards Bedtime Book Sid Sharp, Annick Press, $19.99 9. Working Boats: An Inside Look at Ten Amazing Watercraft Tom Crestodina, Little Bigfoot, $19.99, 10. For the Fans! (KPop Demon Hunters) Golden Books (Illus.), Golden Books, $6.99
Saved by imperfect saints In such novels as The Motel Life, Lean on Pete, Don’t Skip Out on Me, and The Night Always Comes, he tells stories of people who are struggling to get by and who live on the outer edges of hope. His stories have been compared to John Steinbeck’s best work. Like Steinbeck, he writes from the lower registers of the human soul. “No one anywhere writes with such power and such stark beauty about American desperation and want, American loneliness and heartache,” says Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box, Horns). “We need Willy Vlautin like we needed Johnny Cash, like we needed Larry McMurtry….” Vlautin’s new novel The Left and the Lucky may be his most tender and redemptive work yet. (The title suggests those people who are left-behind and those who are lucky.) Eddie Wilkens is a kind, hardworking house painter in his early forties whose wife has recently left him for another man. He focuses on his work, still hoping she’ll return once she gets sober. Living next door is a family in the process of disintegrating: a single
EARLY & MIDDLE READERS
1. Dogtown
Katherine Applegate, Gennifer Choldenko, Wallace West (Illus.), Square Fish, $8.99
2. Snow & Rose
Emily Winfield Martin, Yearling, $9.99
3. Frindle
Andrew Clements, Brian Selznick (Illus.), Aladdin, $7.99
4. Mexikid Dreams: A Graphic Memoir
Pedro Martín, Pedro Martín (Illus.), Dial Books, $14.99
5. The Grace of Wild Things
Heather Fawcett, Storytide, $9.99
6. It’s The End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit
justin a. reynolds, Scholastic Press, $8.99
7. The New Girl: First Crush
Cassandra Calin, Graphix, $14.99
8. A Kind of Spark
Elle McNicoll, Yearling, $8.99
9. A Wolf Called Fire
Rosanne Parry, Mónica Armiño (Illus.), Greenwillow Books, $9.99
10. Esperanza Rising
Pam Munoz Ryan, Scholastic, $7.99
By Alan Rose
“Your mom says you never called. Is she lying, or are you?” “But she doesn’t care,” Russell said. “She said she doesn’t care what I do as long as I’m home when it gets dark.” “That might be the case,” Eddie said, “but the problem is that you lied to me…It makes you look like you’re a bad kid. Now I know you’re not bad, but you gotta start acting like a man once in a while and not like a little dude. I’m going to ask you one question, Russell. Did you call your mom?” “No,” he said. Eddie smiled. “See, it ain’t so bad telling the truth.” -- from The Left and the Lucky mother consumed by her own loneliness and desperation; Curtis, her violent teenage son by one man; and Russell, her timid, frightened 8-year-old by another man. The target of Curtis’s rage and cruelty, Russell seeks an escape
from his bleak and dangerous home life. He waits each afternoon for Eddie to return from work. With Eddie, he finds kindness, food, and safety, while in Russell, Eddie finds a reason to keep going another day. Shafts of light penetrate the darkness in Vlautin’s stories—unexpected moments of tenderness, glimmers of hope, the possibility of redemption. Even his villains, such as the sadistic Curtis, are permitted their humanity, where we glimpse their pain and despair, and can begin to understand their misguided, self-destructive attempts to make sense of life. Recently, Willy Vlautin talked about his new novel at WordFest. Like his books, he conveys a decency, a compassion, and a humility that we need now more than ever. His works remind us that, yes, we are flawed creatures, but that we can also be imperfect saints. We can make the difference between someone left behind and someone “lucky.” •••
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 35
Port of Kalama news • LAMINATE brief provided by Dan • CARPET Polacek, Port of Kalama Legislative • VINYL/ Public Relations Administrator. • LVP LUXURY
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MD, FACP
VINYL PLANK • HARDWOOD • TILE
LOWER COLUMBIA CURRENTS Commentary by
Andre Stepankowsky Alina Gis, PA-C
Christine Johnson, APRN
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Former longterm reporter and editor for The Daily News invites you to explore the issues of the day through his free online newsletter.
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36 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
Find it on substack.com Search for “Lower Columbia Currents”
Where do you read
THE READER?
On the sidewalks of New York Longview residents Vince and Karen Penta at the Carnegie Mansion in New York City this summer.
Friends since high school Mark Morris Class of 1965 members Jane Graichen, Cheryl Reding, Pat Spencer, Judy Schlecht, and Shirley Little, all from Longview, Wash., and Portland, Ore. resident Verna Reardon enjoyed visiting Graceland while on a Mississippi River cruise.
Summer blooms
Karla Dudley, formerly of Longview and recently re-located to Woodland, Wash., at the Oregon Garden in late August.
Timber faller extraordinaire Michael Perry recruited his cousin, Kelso resident Ken Beck, to cut down his Sweet Gum tree since his own electric chain saw was too small. Here, Mr. Beck is taking a break while thinking about cutting down the tree. Note the official CRR coffee mug resting on his chainsaw.
WHERE DO YOU READ THE READER? Send your photo reading the Reader (high-resolution JPEG) to publisher@crreader.com. Choose the largest file size up to 2 MB. Include names and cities of residence. Expect an acknowledgment within 5 days of submission; otherwise, please re-send. Thank you for your patience. We usually have a small backlog!
October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 37
Mount St. Helens Club HIKES
the spectator
October 17 - Saturday Archer Mountain (S) Drive 145 miles RT. Hike 4.7 miles with 1550’ e.g. under a dense forest canopy with several viewpoints with gorgeous views of the Columbia River. Leader: Jacob S. 971-216-9716 October 21 - Wednesday Coffenbury Lake (E/M) Drive 120 miles RT. Hike 5-7 miles with 225’ e.g. around Coffenbury Lake through coastal pines and large spruce trees. Leader: Barbara R. 360-431-1131 October 24 – Saturday Palmateer Point (S) Drive 204 miles RT. Hike 6.2 miles with 800’ e.g. or 9 miles with 1500’ e.g. via the Twin Lakes Trail. Views of Mt. Hood through old-growth trees. Leader: Bruce M. 360-425-0256 October 28 - Wednesday Castle Rock River Trail (E) Drive 30 miles RT. Hike out and back 4+ miles alongside the Cowlitz River on a paved trail with little e.g. Climbing “The Rock” is optional. Leaders: Ingrid S. 408-890-0439, Barbara R. 360431-1131 November 4 - Wednesday Lake Sacajawea (E) November 6 - Friday Salmon River November 11 - Wednesday Battleground Lake November 13 - Friday Hidden Falls November 18 - Wednesday Rainier City Walk
For more information please visit: Mtsthelensclub.org.
Call before you go !
“I make house calls”
Safeguard what you worked for with a Living Trust.
THE LAW OFFICE OF
Vincent L. (Vince) Penta, P.S. 1561 11th Ave. Longview
360-423-7175
38 / Columbia River Reader / October 15, 2026
PUD
by ned piper It’s time to vote!
sketch by the late Deena Martinson.
(E) - Easier: relatively flat ground (up to 5 miles and/ or less than 500 ft. e.g.) (M) - Moderate: Longer, more elevation gain (over 5 miles and/or 500+ ft. e.g.) (S) - Strenuous: Long and/or elevation gain (over 8 miles and/or 1200+ ft. e.g.) Call leader to join outing or for more info. Nonmembers welcome. Driving distances are from Longview, Wash. (SS) – Snow Shoe (XC) – Cross Country Ski (K) – Kayak (B) – Bicycle RT - round trip e.g. - elevation gain
PLUGGED IN TO COWLITZ
I
n recent weeks, I’ve been receiving a lot of emails and text messages from people I don’t know, encouraging me to vote in the November mid-term elections. First of all, I don’t need to be encouraged to exercise my Constitutional right to vote. Second, how did so many strangers acquire my e-address and cell phone number? If they read the Reader, my cell number is visible as the Advertising Manager for the paper. Actually, the only text from a stranger that I followed up on was from someone who directed me to a website that allowed me to confirm that I’m qualified to vote in the coming election. With all the chaos on the television talk shows and on social media, I appreciated the opportunity to confirm my voting status. As to which candidates I will be voting for, again I shall turn to the Constitution to keep those decisions to myself. Because the Reader invites political advertising from candidates who are Democrats, Republicans, Independents and Nonpartisans, Sue and I maintain a neutral stance and don’t decorate our yard with political signs. The single exception to that practice was a yard sign for a certain PUD Commissioner candidate named…Ned Piper. The most difficult candidates for whom to cast my votes are for judges. For those decisions, I rely on the Voter Pamphlet that comes in the mail. I have found that very helpful. I watch way too much television and find the large number of political attack ads, for the most part, unreliable. Wouldn’t it be nice if every candidate presented the positive things they will support if elected, instead of talking about what a scumbag their opponent is? Probably too much to ask for, but one can hope. At any rate, won’t we all be pleased when the election is in the rearview mirror? I know I will. And finally: Don’t forget to vote. ••• Longview resident Ned Piper is mostly retired, but assists with CRR ads, distribution, and proofreading when he is not enjoying TV sports, movies, or political talk shows (shouting matches) .
Alice Dietz Cowlitz PUD Communications/ Public Relations Manager
Weekend for Warm Neighbor
F
or more than 25 years, Cowlitz County residents have demonstrated what it means to be a good neighbor. Through Cowlitz PUD’s Warm Neighbor Fund, community members, local businesses, and PUD employees come together each year to help families facing financial hardship keep the lights on and their homes safe and comfortable. Through the combined efforts of volunteers, sponsors, donors, and event participants, Cowlitz PUD’s 2026 Weekend for Warm Neighbor campaign raised more than $59,000 for the Warm Neighbor Fund, making it the program’s most successful fundraising year. The Warm Neighbor Fund helps Cowlitz County families struggling to pay their electric bills who may not qualify for other assistance programs. Funded entirely through donations, employee contributions, and community fundraising efforts, the program serves as an important safety net for neighbors experiencing temporary financial challenges. A major contributor to this year’s success was the continued growth of Weekend for Warm Neighbor, made possible through the support of title sponsor Trammell Crow and countless community partners. The event brings together two popular fundraising traditions: Eat for Heat and the Warm Neighbor Golf Tournament. Now in its ninth year, Eat for Heat continues to connect community members with locally sourced meal kits while supporting area restaurants, breweries, wineries, and farms. Since launching in 2017, the program has served more than 2,000 meals, generated over $80,000 for the Warm Neighbor Fund, and directed approximately $70,000 back into local businesses. The Warm Neighbor Golf Tournament, introduced in 2024, has quickly become another important fundraising effort, bringing community members together for a day of friendly competition and giving. Together, these events have expanded awareness of the Warm Neighbor Fund and increased support for families in need. This year also highlighted our community’s willingness to support neighbors facing unexpected challenges. In addition to Warm Neighbor fundraising, employees and supporters raised more than $600 for families affected by Nippon’s closure, offering assistance during a difficult and uncertain time. This year’s campaign succeeded because of everyone who participated, volunteered, sponsored, donated, purchased a meal kit, or attended an event. Every contribution, large or small, helps ensure that local families have access to support when they need it most. In Cowlitz County, being a good neighbor is more than a tradition. It’s a commitment. And thanks to this community’s generosity, that commitment continues to make a difference every day. ••• Reach Alice Dietz at adietz@cowlitzpud.org, or 360-501-9146.
A Different Way of Seeing... FIVE SPECTACULAR BOOKS! Published by CRREADER.COM/CRRPRESS
THE TIDEWATER REACH Field Guide to
the Lower Columbia in Poems and Pictures THREE EDITIONS • $25, $35, $50
Purchase at 1333 14th Ave., Longview, Wash.
By Robert Michael Pyle and Judy VanderMaten
GREAT GIFTS!
M-W-F, 11–3 • INFO: 360-749-1021
“Tidewater Reach is a pleasure to hold; it provokes delights, both intellectual and emotional. I commend all who were involved in bringing us this treasure. It deserves a place on your bookshelf and in your heart.” -- Cate Gable, “Coast Chronicles,” Chinook Observer, Long Beach, Wash. Below are four oil paintings using bright red, some orange and yellow, complemented by blues, especially ultramarine blue.
a fresh look at the Lewis and experienced, and where they Compiled from a popular mentary, Perry’s Dispatches insights, quirks, and wry
n, avid collector and e lives in Kelso, Washington.
at read, well researched and ented in an appealing format. tart learning more about the — ALLEN BENNETT ent, Lower Columbia Chapter ional Small Craft Association
DISPATCHES FROM THE DISCOVERY TRAIL
dispatches from the discovery trail
or’s eye, nd the heart.
A Layman’s Lewis & Clark $35
CRR PRESS
• Columbia Gorge Interpretive Museum Stevenson
dispatches
WORDS AND WOOD Debby Neely is a Northwest artist and poet. This is her first book combining words and woodcuts.
from the Discovery trail
This work is astonishing. The variety of moods and nuances Debby evokes in simple black and white — delicacy writ with a knife and gouge — testifies to her craftsmanship and to her love for her subjects.
with HAL CALBOM woodcut art by dEbby NEELy
Collectors Edition
Adding haiku to these dramatic images pins them in moments and memories and heightens our attention and interest.
781734 672565
We’re proud to present Debby’s Words and Wood to the people of the Pacific Northwest and to lovers of art and the natural world everywhere.
Pacific Northwest Woodcuts and Haiku by Debby Neely $35 – The Editors
I sign my name with the red chops. The top chop is my name in Chinese. The bottom chop says, “I draw birds and animals.”
Photo by hal Calbom
Debby Neely From Words and Wood
COLUMBIA RIVER READER PRESS
All books Include author Interviews
Top left: “Bright Morning at Lydia Cove” Top right: “Chatham Sunrise Over Lydia Cove” Bottom left: “Old and New Provincetown” Bottom right “Red Bow Tie Down” In these four images I used warm red to compliment the blue and darker hues in each composition. The blue areas are a mix of cooler aqua blue and a warmer blue ultramarine. “Red Tie Down“ is an interesting approach to making a simple subject more enticing by blurring the background and sharply focusing on the red iron tie-down bollard in the immediate foreground, giving an impression of depth. Next are four very different oil paintings, contrasting from what is seen in the imagery above.
words and wood • debby neely
M I C H A E L O. P E R R Y
53500>
Books also available at:
M I C H A E L O. P E R R Y
A LAYMAN’S LEWIS & CLARK
$35.00 ISBN 978-1-7346725-6-5
A Lifetime of Art
“Reflections at Wellfleet”
by Michael O. Perry
• Broadway Gallery Longview • Cowlitz County Historical Museum Shop Kelso
Gregory L. Gorham
Above: “The Blynman Bridge House Detail,” Acrylic
“Pines and Birches,” acrylic on canvas 30” x 40,” fourth in the series. Sold to Mike and Joy Kidd of Long Beach, Washington.
Baker sBay is the waterway that hugs against the landmass on the north, or Washington, side of the Columbia River. To the south, across Bakers Bay is Astoria, Oregon. After leaving Astoria and driving north over the Megler Bridge, the road heads west towards Ilwaco. The first small village you’ll come to is Chinook. Traveling further you’ll come to the fishing village at the base of the Long Beach Peninsula named Ilwaco. At the only intersection in Ilwaco turn north towards Long Beach. Further north you will first pass through the small Seaview community, the first community developed after Ilwaco on the Peninsula. Then the road heads into Long Beach, Washington, the largest city on the Peninsula, still heading north on Washington State Route 103 into Ocean Park.
COLUMBIA RIVER READER PRESS
• Kelso-Longview Visitor Center, Kelso words and wood
pacific northwest woodcuts and haiku debby neely
A LIFETIME OF ART Catalog Raisonne by Gregory L. Gorham ‘Easel-y Art’ Exhibition Edition $100 • Boxed, easel included For Longview’s Centennial!
EMPIRE OF TREES
America’s Planned City and the Last Frontier
Tidewater Reach and Dispatches books feature original woodcut art by Debby Neely
Mail Order Form, page 2. Or call 360-749-1021 FREE local delivery. Or purchase online: crreader.com/crrpress Shipping charge applies
by Hal Calbom Signed, Gift-boxed $50
• Vault Books & Brew Castle Rock • Tsuga Gallery Cathlamet • Redmen Hall Skamokawa • Skamokawa Store Skamokawa • Appelo Archives Naselle • Time Enough Books Ilwaco • Marie Powell Gallery Ilwaco • Godfather’s Books Astoria, Ore. • RiverSea Gallery Astoria,Ore. • Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum The Dalles, Ore.
Please support our local booksellers & galleries
BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS • BOOKS October 15, 2026 / Columbia River Reader / 39
Question 1 What does "public power" mean? A. Power owned by a private company B. Power owned by investors C. Power owned by and operated for the community it serves D. Free electricity for everyone Question 2 How long has Cowlitz PUD been serving our community? A. 50 years B. 75 years C. 90 years D. 100 years Question 3 Who owns Cowlitz PUD? A. A national corporation B. The federal government C. Local residents and customers D. An investment group Question 4 What is one advantage of public power? A. Decisions are made locally B. Decisions are made on Wall Street C. Customers cannot attend meetings D. Rates are set by stockholders Question 5 What power source provides much of the Northwest's electricity? A. Coal B. Hydropower C. Oil D. Wood
Cowlitz PUD's 90th Anniversary Trivia Challenge How to Play
Question 6 What is a PUD? A. Public Utility District B. Power Use Department C. Public Utility Division D. Primary Utility Department
Test your knowledge of public power, local history, and the community-owned utility that has been serving Cowlitz County for 90 years!
Question 7 When storms cause outages, what is usually the top priority? A. Checking social media B. Restoring power safely C. Installing new streetlights D. Reading meters
Submit an image of your finished trivia with your contact information to adietz@cowlitzpud.org for a chance to win a 90th Anniversary Basket.
Question 8 Which of these is NOT a benefit of electricity? A. Lighting homes B. Powering businesses C. Keeping food refrigerated D. Making vegetables grow faster Question 9 What is one way public power utilities give back to communities? A. Local investments and community programs B. Paying dividends to shareholders C. Funding overseas offices D. Selling stock
40 / Columbia River Reader /• October October 15, 15, 2020 2026