CRR April 2017

CRREADER.COM • April 15 – May 15, 2017 • COMPLIMENTARY Helping you discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region at home and on the road

page 28

COLUMBIA RIVER

dining guide

ECLIPSE • AUGUST 21 • 2017

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105 B. Street West Rainier, OR Phone: 503-556-0171 Toll Free: 800-886-0171 2 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader

Sue’s Views

M

aybe we’ve been looking at this relentless rain in the wrong way. Yes, it can cast gloom, cause mudslides and mess up your car’s fresh wash job.

But April showers also bring — besides May flowers (we hope) — waterfalls! And we have a lovely, natural double attraction right in the center of CRR territory.

It’s Beaver Creek Falls (upper and lower), well worth a visit on your next Sunday drive. Or better yet, make it a Saturday drive and visit Quincy Grange’s Trash, Treasurers & Plants Sale on May 6. The event runs from 9am–3pm and you can enjoy a delicious homemade lunch and desserts.

I messed up in the last issue and left out the calendar listing for the Quincy Grange’s recent chicken dinner, so I thought the least we could do to make up for it was to help them promote their next event.

Lower Beaver Creek Falls Driving directions: From Lewis & Clark Bridge drive west on Hwy 30 about 4.7 miles. Take Delena exit onto Beaver Creek Rd., continue 1.8 miles to a wide pullout offering view of upper Beaver Creek Falls.

Continue 2.7 miles to the large pullout past the end of the chain-link fence. Park and walk back about 500 feet for a great view of the lower falls. Continue driving 6 miles, following signs to Clatskanie and proceed from there to further adventres, or turn right onto Quincy-Mayger Rd, then onto Rutters Rd to the Quincy Grange at 78314.

Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper Columnists and contributors: Ron Baldwin Tracy Beard Becky Bell Dr. Bob Blackwood Nancy Chennault Brooke Hendrickson Suzanne Martinson Michael Perry Ned Piper Perry Piper Marc Roland Alan Rose Alice Slusher Greg Smith Gordon Sondker

Production Staff:

Production Manager/Photographer: Perry E. Piper Editorial/Proofreading Assistants: Merrilee Bauman Lois Sturdivant Michael Perry Marilyn Perry

Advertising Manager

Ned Piper, 360-749-2632 Columbia River Reader, llc 1333 14th Ave •Longview, WA 98632 P.O. Box 1643 • Rainier, OR 97048 Website: www.CRReader.com E-mail: publisher@crreader.com Phone: 360-749-1021

Subscriptions $28 per year inside

U.S. (plus $2.34 sales tax for subscriptions mailed to Washington addresses).

On the way To Quincy: Thank God for the rain and for our own local “Niagara Falls.”

On the way to the Grange, stop and admire the waterfalls. It won’t be exactly like standing under Niagara Falls. You won’t get any spray on your face. But if it’s raining, just look heavenward. Remember, this is God’s country!

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 April Showers Bring May Flowers Hand lettering/umbrella image ©sudowoodo-fotolia Background: Blossom into spring ©ngocdal66-fotolia

Cover Design by

Columbia River Reader is published monthly, with 13,500 copies distributed free throughout the Lower Columbia region in SW Washington and NW Oregon. Entire contents copyrighted by Columbia River Reader. No reproduction of any kind allowed without express written permission of the publisher.

Opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, not necessarily to the Reader.

Reader submission guidelines: See page 26.

For ad info: Ned Piper 360-749-2632.

CRREADER.COM Access the current issue, Dining Guide and Columbia River Reader Past Issue Archives (from January 2013), under “Features.”

Event organizer Colleen Ericksen set up a “Where Do You Read the Reader?” station at the Quincy Grange’s 42nd Annual Chicken dinner on April 9, where 16 CRR staff members and friends joined the festivities, along with Kennedy Johnson, 8, who was the youngest entrant in this year’s Haikufest.

In this Issue

4

Northwest Wines ~ The Future in a Barrel

5

Miss Manners

6

Besides CRR...What Are You Reading?

7

Cover to Cover ~ Book Review / Bestsellers List

10

Dispatch from the Discovery Trail

12

Biz Buzz

13

Grab the Chance to Dance

15

Northwest Gardener: Let the Sunshine In!

16

Meal Kit Madness

18

Pampered in Portland: Moms’ Getaway Spa Weekend

21

Cinema: Blackwood on the Movies

22

Cooking with the Farmer’s Daughter

24

Lower Columbia Informer ~ Three new devices for health

25

Astronomy ~ Spring Has Spring

26-27 Outings & Events Calendar 28

Columbia River Dining Guide

30

Quips & Quotes

32

Master Gardener ~ Growing tomato plants from seed

33

Where Do You Read the Reader?

34

The Spectator ~

30

What’s Up Under the Bridge?

Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 3

Northwest Wine

The future in a barrel

Spring tastings give sneak preview of wines’ promise

By Marc Roland

S

pring is here. Even if the weather doesn’t seem like it. I can tell by the croaking frogs I hear at night and the faint activity of the birds in the morning, which will only increase, soon waking me up. I love the changing seasons and that’s one reason I love living in the Pacific Northwest.

For those of us who also love wine, we look forward to Spring barrel tasting. This is a ritual that is going on at wineries throughout the state and the world.

Why spring? This is the time when the new wine is starting to show its potential after being locked up in the barrel since harvest. I don’t just make wine, I raise wine. Like raising children or raising vegetables, there are phases—time when we question the outcome and wonder how they will turn out.

It’s hard to evaluate wine early in the process, even for the experts. When wine is making its transition, chemical processes — some we don’t even understand — are taking place. Often out of the hands of the winemaker, the vintage enforces all that happened throughout the year to shape the final outcome. Many call it terroir. It’s everything from the influences of the weather, the soil and the loving care the vines

Marc Roland extracts a sample from a barrel of wine.

receive during the growing season, to when the buds began to form and when the decision was made to pick the grapes. All contribute to the quality and, ultimately, the enjoyment of the wine.

When I did my first barrel tasting

I had a difficult time getting past the fact that the wine didn’t taste that good. It just wasn’t complete. I wondered how it could possibly become what would be considered fine wine. It was a similar experience as the first time I tasted grapes picked directly from the vine right before harvest.

How in the world could I know what to taste for in order to know if the Call me at the first sign of trouble grapes were ready to pick? It seemed in your home... swelling of floors, impossible to know. I have found out that it is impossible to know perfectly! crumbling drywall, musty smells.

What we can know can only be learned through experience. Not in a book, or in a classroom, but by the lessons that come through our interactions over time. This is a discouraging thought because if you are a slow learner, like WATER. FIRE. SMOKE. MOLD me, time becomes a problem.

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The most famous barrel tasting in the world is now happening in Bordeaux, France, where some of the most expensive and venerable wines are being evaluated. This is the annual rite of spring, the en primeur tastings. This is a “welcome to the world moment” when the wines are blended and exposed to the critics. But what are they looking for? The same thing wine lovers are looking for here in Washington or California— something to be excited for, yes an existential experience, some indication that something great is waiting for us soon. Barrel tastings are only approximations of the final blends of the wine. I’m in the process of assembling my wines as I write, but I will have four more months to tweak them before bottling. We recently gave a barrel sample of our Red Mountain cabernet franc to our wine club members. An intimidating endeavor because, like Bordeaux, everything rides on the impressions.

Fortunately for me, everyone liked the wine, but of course, I had a good idea they would because I picked the best barrel for them to try!

So the question remains, why do wineries have barrel tasting events?

In the case of Bordeaux, all the wine is offered as futures, for delivery once they are bottled. The wines will be available at the best price they will ever be if the vintage turns out to be fantastic.

Excitement and brand loyalty

Most Washington state wineries don’t use barrel tasting as a way to sell wine ahead of time. They use them as a marketing strategy to build excitement for a future release and to build brand loyalty. I doubt that most wine consumers really know what they are looking for in an unfinished wine, but I also think it’s a crap shoot for the experts to really know if the cont page 5

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4 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader

Civilized Living

cont from page 4

wine is destined for greatness. That, my friends, will only be realized in due time. What is it about wine and time? All good things experience their fruition in time, so in all ‘raising’ enterprises, be patient and ride it out. Yippee!

Never tasted from a barrel?

Head to Yakima!

Check out the Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail Barrel Tasting April 2223 and the Yakima Valley Spring Barrel Tasting April 28-30. Eleven different wineries participate in these two events and spring barrel tasting is celebrated throughout the entire Yakima Valley. Music, food, sunshine and wine make it fun for all, according to the Rattlesnake Hills website. “This celebration of wine straight from the barrel is your sneak peak of what is to come.”

Expect a small tasting fee, but the experience is well worth it.

You can also purchase a $10 Passport (for discounts, tasting fee waivers and other benefits at the wineries) online, at the Yakima Valley Visitors Center, just off I-82 East, Exit 33a; I-82 West, Exit 30, or at the first winery you visit along the Trail in Yakima. A wineglass is required, which may be purchased at your first stop. For more info or to purchase a Passport, visit rattlesnakehills.org.

••• 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.

You’re invited to a shapenote singing

O

By Judith Martin DEAR MISS MANNERS: Many restaurants serve shrimp with the tail on, which presents a question about how to eat this gracefully. Does one pick up the shrimp by the tail to eat it? How does one eat the tiny morsel left in the tail? If the shrimp is cut up, do you leave the tail untouched?

I want to enjoy every bit I can.

GENTLE READER: Having conducted a long and unsuccessful campaign to persuade restaurants to peel shrimp entirely, ready to be properly eaten in their entirety, Miss Manners would appreciate your support.

She gives you permission to bite into the tail to dislodge the meat, after having used it as a handle if no seafood fork was provided. Shrimp cocktails are expensive enough without sacrificing that morsel.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My son is graduating high school this year.

I would like to send announcements to my husband’s and my aunts and uncles.

While I know an announcement is just that, announcing the graduation, there is sometimes an expectation of sending money or a gift. Many of these relatives are on a fixed income and cannot afford a gift.

I know they would want to know about my son’s graduation, so I want to send them an announcement; however, I do not want them to feel

obligated to send a gift. Would it be appropriate to include a note stating that gifts are not necessary?

GENTLE READER: Graduation announcements do a lot of damage, Miss Manners has observed. Although you are quite right that they are not demands for presents — ­ the only response required is congratulations — recipients are hard put to think what other purpose they actually serve.

Formal announcements are made when there is an event that would be of such interest to so many people that other means of notification are impractical.

So before buying the school’s package of announcements, you should ask yourself how many people who would really care to know about this, such as relatives and close friends, don’t already know, and how many people who don’t know would much care.

As you have already said that you could write notes to the people on your list, there can’t be hundreds of them. So why not just send them friendly notes, inquiring about themselves as well as mentioning the graduation? Or post the information wherever you put family news?

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I have lived in this neighborhood for over 30 years, and many of our neighbors have lived here for over 40 years. As you have surmised, we are all older than dirt.

Over the years we have done many favors for the neighbors, like taking cont page 29

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Shapenote singing is a 200-year-old American folk tradition of a capella, four-part harmony community singing.

The Sacred Harp and The Christian Harmony are the names of two tunebooks which singers use. “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 sound and social approach to singing.

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While we searched, she was efficient in our appointments, covering a lot of ground. She listened to what we wanted and stayed within our budget. During negotiations, she was realistic and fair, but fought hard to get us above and beyond what we wanted. She shared her honest feedback and expertise. We appreciated her time-saving online signing process.

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n Saturday & Sunday, May 6-7, Portland Sacred Harp cordially invites all who love to sing to add their voices to their Double All-Day Shapenote Singing, 9am–3pm (come and go as you please) at The Little Church, 5138 NE 23rd Ave, Portland, Ore. This free community event is open to all ages; no singing experience is required. Songbooks will be available to borrow for the day.

Saturday: Four-shape singing from The Sacred Harp (1991) Sunday: Seven-shape singing from The Christian Harmony

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April 27-28 Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 5

BESIDES COLUMBIA RIVER READER...

What are you reading? By Alan Rose

A

“big fan of short fiction,” Marquita Green recently read Colum McCann’s Thirteen Ways of Looking, which consists of a novella and several shorter stories.

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“Many might recognize the title’s reference to the Wallace Stevens poem ‘Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,’” said Green. “Each of the poem’s 13 stanzas introduces a section of the novella, which slides between the inner thoughts and exterior actions of Mendelssohn, a retired New York judge, as he tries to maintain his dignity in a failing body.

Mendelssohn is proud, funny, and self-deprecating.

“But this is more than a story of an old man fiercely resisting his increasing infirmity,” Green said. “It also involves love and family, mystery and murder.

I’m not sure what I expected, but this novella delivered far more.”

I n t h e s t o r y, “Sh’kohl,” (a Hebrew word for a mother who has lost a child) a deaf teenage boy terrifies his adoptive mother when he disappears. “Treaty” turns on old, unhealed wounds when a nun sees her torturer of 30 years ago on TV, this time in the role of a peace negotiator.

McCann, best known for his novel, Let the Great World Spin, helped form Narrative 4, an organization that leads workshops to foster empathy by pairing unlike participants and having them tell the other person’s story from a 1st person point of view. “Through story, they walk in another’s shoes, see through another’s eyes,” Green said. “McCann has certainly captured empathy by creating compelling characters in these stories.”

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If you’ve read a good book lately and would like to be mini-interviewed by CRR Book Reviewer Alan Rose for a future “What Are You Reading?” spotlight, please contact him at alan@alan-rose.com or contact the publisher/editor at publisher@ crreader.com.

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Cover to Cover

Top 10 Bestsellers PAPERBACK FICTION 1. Milk and Honey Rupi Kaur, Andrews McMeel, $14.99 2. A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman, Washington Square Press, $16 3. The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood, Anchor, $15.95 4. Everyone Brave Is Forgiven Chris Cleave, S&S, $16 5. Lilac Girls Martha Hall Kelly, Ballantine, $17 6. The Sympathizer Viet Thanh Nguyen, Grove Press, $16 7. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry Fredrik Backman, Washington Square Press, $16 8. The Summer Before the War Helen Simonson, Random House, $17 9. Big Little Lies Liane Moriarty, Berkley, $16 10. Britt-Marie Was Here Fredrik Backman, Washington Square Press, $16

PAPERBACK NON-FICTION

HARDCOVER FICTION

1. On Tyranny Timothy Snyder, Tim Duggan Books, $7.99 2. The Zookeeper’s Wife Diane Ackerman, Norton, $15.95 3. Strong Is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves Kate T. Parker, Workman, $17.95 4. Lab Girl Hope Jahren, Vintage, $16 5. We Should All Be Feminists Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Anchor, $7.95 6. Hidden Figures Margot Lee Shetterly, Morrow, $15.99 7. The Immortal Irishman Timothy Egan, Mariner, $15.99 8. Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens Steve Olson, Norton, $16.95 9. The Soul of an Octopus Sy Montgomery, Atria, $16 10. Furiously Happy Jenny Lawson, Flatiron, $15.99

1. Norse Mythology Neil Gaiman, Norton, $25.95 2. In This Grave Hour Jacqueline Winspear, Harper, $27.99 3. Lincoln in the Bardo George Saunders, Random House, $28 4. The Collapsing Empire John Scalzi, Tor, $25.99 5. The Underground Railroad Colson Whitehead, Doubleday, $26.95, 9780385542364 6. All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr, Scribner, $27 7. Man Overboard J.A. Jance, Touchstone, $25.99 8. The Idiot Elif Batuman, Penguin Press, $27 9. A Gentleman in Moscow Amor Towles, Viking, $27 10. New York 2140 Kim Stanley Robinson, Orbit, $28

BOOK REVIEW

HARDCOVER NON-FICTION 1. Hillbilly Elegy J.D. Vance, Harper, $27.99 2. The Hidden Life of Trees Peter Wohlleben, Greystone Books, $24.95 3. The Book of Joy The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Avery, $26 4. Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Knopf, $15 5. The Little Book of Hygge Meik Wiking, Morrow, $19.99 6. Upstream Mary Oliver, Penguin Press, $26 7. The Stranger in the Woods Michael Finkel, Knopf, $25.95 8. When Breath Becomes Air Paul Kalanithi, Random House, $25 9. South and West Joan Didion, Knopf, $21 10. Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean Jonathan White, Trinity University Press, $28

Brought to you by Book Sense and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Assn, for week ending April 2, 2017, 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 MASS MARKET

CHILDREN’S INTEREST

1. 1984 George Orwell, Signet, $9.99 2. The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss, DAW, $9.99 3. American Gods Neil Gaiman, Morrow, $9.99 4. It Can’t Happen Here Sinclair Lewis, Signet, $9.99 5. It Stephen King, Pocket, $10.99 6. Good Omens Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, HarperTorch, $7.99 7. Dune Frank Herbert, Ace, $9.99 8. The Gunslinger Stephen King, Pocket, $9.99 9. Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut, Laurel Leaf, $7.99 10. A Game of Thrones George R.R. Martin, Bantam, $9.99

1. The Hate U Give Angie Thomas, Balzer + Bray, $17.99 2. The Girl Who Drank the Moon Kelly Barnhill, Algonquin Young Readers, $16.95 3. Everything, Everything Nicola Yoon, Ember, $10.99 4. Strange the Dreamer Laini Taylor, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $18.99 5. 13 Reasons Why Jay Asher, Razorbill, $10.99 6. Fish in a Tree Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Puffin, $8.99 7. Ghosts Raina Telgemeier, Graphix, $10.99 8. Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea Ben Clanton, Tundra Books, $7.99 9. Smile Raina Telgemeier, Graphix, $10.99 10. Pokemon Deluxe Essential Handbook Scholastic, $11.99

Trapped in the limbo of his grief

By Alan Rose

Lincoln in the Bardo

By George Saunders Random House $28

O

n February 20, 1862, William Wallace Lincoln died in the White House of typhoid fever. “Willie” was eleven years old, and President Abraham Lincoln was shattered by the death of his favorite son (“He was the kind of child people imagine their children will be, before they have children.”) Willie’s small casket was entombed in Georgetown’s Oak Hill cemetery.

There were reports in some newspapers that Lincoln was seen returning alone late at night to the crypt, opening the coffin on

these occasions to hold his son’s body once again. From these possibly apocryphal accounts, celebrated short story writer George Saunders (Tenth of December) has written his first novel.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the bardo is the state of transition from death to rebirth when the spirit of the deceased is in a kind of limbo before moving on to…wherever deceased spirits move on. Saunders populates the Oak Hill cemetery with departed spirits who for various reasons haven’t departed.

(Apparently, the denial of death persists even after one’s died.)

Garrulous, argumentative, petty and noble, these spirits recount their former lives in ways reminiscent of Thornton Wilder’s play “Our Town” and Edgar Lee Masters’s Spoon River Anthology. Some stories are funny— the self-declared genius, still bitter because he wasn’t recognized as “the greatest mind of his generation”— while some stories are heartbreaking, such as that of the pretty mulatto slave who had been raped and abused ever since she was a young girl by her

Alan Rose, author of The Legacy of Emily Hargraves, Tales of Tokyo, and The Unforgiven, organizes the monthly WordFest events and hosts the KLTV program “Book Chat.” For other book reviews, author interviews, and notes on writing and reading, visit www.alan-rose.com.

We embraced the boy at the door of his white stone home.

He gave us a shy smile, not untouched by trepidation at what was to come.

Go on, Mr. Bevins said gently. It is for the best.

Off you go, Mr. Vollman said. Nothing left for you here.

Goodbye then, said the lad.

Nothing scary about it, Mr. Bevins said.

Perfectly natural.

Then it happened. An extraordinary occurrence.

Unprecedented, really.

The boy’s gaze moved past us.

He seemed to catch sight of something beyond.

His face lit up with joy.

Father, he said.

surprising and secret night visits of the grieving president to the boy’s crypt.

Understandably, Willie is reluctant to leave this place, desiring to see his father again and to feel his touch.

Aided by several other helpful and not so helpful spirits, Vollman and Bevins must use their supernatural influence on the president to overcome his grief and release his son so Willie’s spirit will be free.

The resulting story is at times deeply moving, at times very funny, at times confusing, altogether an amazing and original work of imagination from a master of the short story.

•••

~ from Lincoln in the Bardo

master and her master’s sons, by the overseer and pretty much any white man who felt the urge.

Two of these in-limbo spirits, Hans Vollman and Roger Bevins III, take a particular interest in Willie, wanting to help him on his way since it’s especially not safe for children in the bardo state. (“The young are not meant to tarry.”)

Their kindly efforts to help the boy move on are frustrated by the

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Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 7

Music & History

River City Singers present “Over There!”

Barbershop concert, costumes and choreography recall WW1 “Over There!,” a barbershop-style concert, will be performed by River City Singers of St Helens on May 20 and May 21. This innovative and exciting concert presents traditional choral and barbershop-style arrangements of World War I songs

by Bill Sulser, long-time barbershop music lover, singer and arranger.

War I is probably the least well understood. The concert will address how World War I and the Treaty of Versailles together helped to create the conditions out of which the Great Depression and the rise of dictatorships in Europe in the interwar years arose, culminating in the Second World War 25 years later.

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of America’s entry into World War I, this very original concert will focus on music of the era from five cultures: American, British, Canadian, French and German. The multi-lingual performance will involve multimedia presentations, costumes from the era and choreography. Music from the era will be presented to commemorate the efforts, experiences and sacrifices of the men, women and children who participated in — or just lived through — that war.

IF YOU GO

Out of all the wars in which the United States has participated, World

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Lewis & Clark

Hoofin’ it for home We’re working our way back to you, babe (President Jefferson)!

W

hile anxious to return home, the Corps spent the first nine days of April 1806 camped near Washougal, across from the Sandy River. Indians told

We are pleased to present

Installment 23 of Michael Perry’s popular 33-month series which began with CRR’s April 15, 2004 inaugural issue. During the 2004-2007 Bicentennial Commemoration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, each installment covered their travels 200 years prior. We are repeating the series for the enjoyment of both longtime and more recent readers.

To find prior installments visit

crreader.com Click “Features,” then “Archives.”

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them people were starving upstream since the spring run of salmon had not yet arrived. So the Corps spent the time hunting and stockpiling meat for the journey to the Nez Perce villages where they had left their horses the previous fall.

Upon resuming their journey, they found it very tough going due to the high water and fast current. Rapids they had easily passed through in October 1805 were now impossible to traverse. They had to unload all their baggage and carry it around the rapids while the men tried to pull the five empty canoes upstream with ropes.

One got crosswise and was swept away.

The four remaining canoes couldn’t carry all the baggage and Lewis had to buy two more.

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On April 11th, some Indians stole Seaman, Captain Lewis’ black Newfoundland dog. Lewis wrote, “I… sent three men in pursuit of the thieves with orders if they made the least resistence or difficulty in surrendering the dog to fire on them.” He got his dog back. Lewis described this particular band of Indians as “the greates thieves and scoundrels we have met with.”

By April 15th, it was evident they would need horses to continue upstream. Attempts to buy some from three Indian villages failed because the Corps had nothing of value they were willing to trade.

Finally, Clark crossed the river and obtained 12 horses, and another six were obtained two days later. On April 18th, they reached a point where the two largest canoes could not go any further, so they were cut up for firewood. They needed more horses. Reluctantly, they traded two large kettles for four more horses.

Lewis was furious when one of them wandered away that night after one of the men failed to picket it.

The Indians caught the first salmon of the long awaited spring run on April 19th, but it would be awhile before they had enough to sell to the Corps of Discovery. Meanwhile, Lewis was becoming very mad at the Indians for the daily loss of goods. Six tomahawks, a knife, and two spoons were stolen on April 20th. And, horses started to disappear. Charbonneau lost three horses in two days. Three more were purchased, and one was found and returned by an honest Indian.

On April 28th, Clark traded his sword for a “very elegant” white horse. He heard about an overland

shortcut they could take from Pasco to Lewiston. Food was becoming a real problem, but since their supply of trade goods was almost gone, the Indians would not give them any. Clark started trading medical treatments for food.

His reputation was well known since he had provided similar treatments on the journey down the river the previous fall.

Abandon ship

On April 30th, they sold their remaining canoes and set off overland with 23 horses. A Walula Indian caught up with them and delivered a steel trap he had found near his village — one of the men had forgotten it.

The steel trap was a very valuable item, and based on all the other things that had been stolen from the Corps, it was remarkable that it was returned.

By May 4th, the Corps reached the Snake River and a Nez Perce village. A day later, they reached the Clearwater River. A Nez Perce man brought two lead powder canisters his dog dug up from one of the supply caches the Corps had dug the previous year. The Indians had dug another cache to store the remaining material, but some saddles and other things were missing. cont page 11

Michael Perry enjoys local history and travel. His popular 33-installment Lewis & Clark series appeared in CRR’s early years and began an “encore” appearance in July 2015.

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cont from page 10 Impassible? Impossible!

On May 7th, the Indians told the Corps that the Rockies would be impassible until June. That was not something they wanted to believe.

Everyone wanted to get back to St. Louis! They found Chief Twisted Hair and arranged to get their horses back.

Then, on May 10th, they awoke to find 8 inches of snow on the ground.

Maybe the Indians were right after all? On May 15th, they decided to build camps and wait for the snow in the passes to melt. The men were encouraged to partake in contests of strength with the Indians to keep from getting too out of shape. The upcoming journey over the Rockies would be a real hardship, especially if the men sat around very long doing nothing.

With their supply of meat exhausted, they had a choice – eat roots and dried fish provided by the Indians, or eat horses. Everyone remembered how sick the party had become when eating roots and fish the previous year, so horse sounded pretty good. Even though the Nez Perce were appalled, they provided the horses the men needed. Some men ate the roots, but several got sick again. Some men cut the buttons off their uniforms to trade for food.

Big Medicine

In addition, Clark continued his practice of trading medical treatment for food. On May 24th, a Nez Perce chief who had not had use of his arms or legs for three years was brought to Captain Clark. He had no idea what was wrong, but gave him a painkiller and tried to give him a sweat bath.

The man was too stove up to sit up inside the sweat house, however, so Clark had the Indians dig out the floor so he could get inside. Four days later, the Indian could move his arms and sit up unaided. On May 30th, he could move his legs and was able to stand up on June 8th. No wonder the Indians thought Clark was big medicine!

Hit the road, Jack

By May 31st, the Corps had 65 horses and was anxious to leave. But the Nez Perce had sent messengers across the mountains to visit the Flat Heads in Montana and when they returned on June 3rd, they said the passes were still full of snow and the Corps should wait another two weeks. The men decided to wait another week, but ended up waiting until June 15th to begin their assault on the Rockies. Surely, the passes would be clear of snow by then?

We shall see next month.

Newfoundland issued a 1/2-cent stamp, its first stamp commemorating an animal, and a 14-cent stamp in 1930, also honoring the country’s namesake dog.

Original • Local Carefully compiled All about the good life More than fluff and filler Crinkles in your hands We try hard!

Remembering Seaman

T

he Newfoundland Dog was the first animal commemorated on a postage stamp by any country. In 1894, Newfoundland issued a ½ penny stamp showing the head of a Newfoundland dog. In 1930, they issued a 14-cent stamp honoring their namesake dog.

While preparing for the Expedition in 1803, Meriwether Lewis paid $20 for a “dogg of the newfoundland breed.” While Lewis failed to write about his reasons for buying this particular breed of dog, I believe it was no accident. Lewis knew his men would be traveling on water most of the journey, and that many were not good swimmers. So, he needed a lifeguard.

Newfoundland dogs are webfooted and have natural lifesaving instincts, so Lewis may have bought his dog with the idea it might save someone who fell overboard. Fishermen on the island of Newfoundland used them as water rescue dogs more than 1,000 years ago. They are big – over two feet tall and weigh up to 150 pounds. While larger than a St. Bernard, they share a tendency to slobber profusely.

They were used for draft work, such as helping pull in fishermen’s nets. Newfoundland dogs almost became extinct, and today the breed owes its existence to a single stud dog that lived 80 years ago.

Scannon, Seamon, or Seaman?

Until 1987, every book about Lewis and Clark referred to Lewis’ dog as Scannon. In 1984, while examining one of Clark’s maps,

MAY ISSUE

a historian noticed that a creek near Missoula, Montana, was named “Seaman’s Creek.” Since there was nobody associated with the Corps of Discovery named Seaman, and since they were a thousand miles from any ocean, it seemed odd. Whenever the Corps named a geographical feature, they usually picked a name of someone involved with the Expedition (Sacajawea’s River) or that reflected the particular landmark (Milk River). It turned out historians had mistakenly interpreted the dog’s name in the hard to decipher journals as “Scannon” while, in fact, the name on the map was correct – “Seaman.” Sgt. John Ordway’s journal also verified the dog was named Seaman – Ordway wrote it as “Seamon.”

No records exist as to the fate of Seaman. He was last mentioned in the journals on July 15, 1806, two months before the journey ended in St. Louis. Some people have speculated that the men got so desperately hungry they ate him, but that seems very unlikely. Others think he may have died or wandered off, never to be found. If anything like that had happened to Seaman, it seems almost certain one of the men would have recorded it in their journal. In all probability, Seaman returned to St. Louis and stayed with Lewis until either he or Lewis died. Newfoundland dogs typically live only 8 to 10 years, and very few of them walk more than 3,700 miles across the continent — and back!

~ Michael Perry

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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 will include news of innovations, improvements, new ventures and significant employee milestones of interest to readers.

Please email publisher@crreader.com to share the local buzz.

Country Inn in Warren, Ore.

Several years ago, Scappoose residents Joe and Sheena Scharf, avowed foodies from Scappoose, discovered the fine Mexican food at Ixtapa. They not only became regulars at the restaurant, but also developed a fast friendship with its owner, Jose Soltera. The Scharfs, who had developed an itch to own a restaurant, discussed their dream with Jose and the brainstorming began.

The Country Inn, located in nearby Warren, Ore., had been vacant for about five years when the three friends purchased it in January 2016 and began the remodeling process. Joe Scharf put his carpentry skills to work, Sheena Scharf became the decorator and Jose applied his knowledge in the restaurant business to the project. The result is a classy family restaurant managed by Jose Soltera’s son, Able Soltera. The Country Inn offers a full bar and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. It is located at 56575 Columbia River Hwy, Warren, Ore. University of Washington Medical School will honor Longview native Dr. Richard Kirkpatrick (Class of 1972) with its Distinguished Alumnus Award to be presented June 2 at the UW School of Medicine’s Reunion Weekend. The award recognizes an alumnus or alumna whose professional

achievements and cumulative contributions have brought personal distinction, enhanced the general health and wellbeing of the public through professional practice or research, and brought honor to their alma mater.

Since 1976, Dr. Kirkpatrick Dr. Richard Kirkpatrick “has worked tirelessly to improve the infrastructure, facilities, cultural offerings and youth sports programs in Longview, Wash., all while maintaining a respected medical practice,” UWMS said in a press release. He “recruits outstanding internal medicine clinicians and subspecialists to the region, and advocates tirelessly for affordable quality primary care physicians in non-urban communities.”

Beyond patient care, Dr. Kirpatrick is deeply committed to his community.

He served on the Longview City Council and as a team physician at Mark Morris High School and Lower Columbia College for decades. For 35 years he hosted a local medical talk show called “House Calls.” Dr. Kirpatrick is a musician who performs in the Southwest Washington Symphony, helps sponsor Longview’s Concerts at the Lake summer series, and has refurbished and donated more than 500 used musical instruments to local middle school students in need.

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Cow litz Amer iCor ps Network recently held a service project, “Love Your Barns” at the Cowlitz County Fairgrounds, where AmeriCorps alumni and volunteers gathered early on a Saturday morning to work (shown above). They scraped paint, cleaned, replaced old boards on the barns, painted the inside of both barns, and painted an artistic wall mural for one of the beef barns. Cowlitz AmeriCorps thanks the local organizations that donated tools and materials in order to achieve the goal, including Rodda Paint, Kapstone, Safeway, Cash & Carry and Red Leaf. “It just goes to show when the community pulls together we really can get things done,” said Heidi Spencer, a financial education specialist at CAP and Cowlitz Americorps member. The next Americorps community service project will be April 29th in Castle Rock, she said.

100 Men Who Care Lower Columbia Chapter recently presented $13,090 to the Community House on Broadway in Longview. “Just two weeks after our first event, we are happy to present our ceremonial check ... for more than our $10,000 goal,” said Jeff Wilson, one of the group’s five organizers. “Our event was a tremendous success, thanks to the generous men of Cowlitz County and their donations. The Community House serves a valuable role in our community and we are proud to support their work.”

The group raised more than $6,500 on the night of their first event and, according to organizers, more donations continued to come in from attendees and individuals who couldn’t attend the event and additional pledges and contributions from inspired community members.

“We are so incredibly thankful for the outpouring of support,” said Mike Wallin another of the five organizers, “and we welcome additional

men to join us in June.” The start-up chapter followed in the footsteps of local women who started a chapter of 100 Women Who Care earlier this year and the five men hope to recruit at least 95 more men to join them.

“We saw the amazing work the ladies were doing and we were so proud of them and their love for our community,” Wilson said. “We were so inspired by the leadership shown by the ladies’ group that we felt compelled to follow their lead.”

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 14, at the Longview Eagles Lodge, starting at 5:45pm. The 100 Men’s group is the first of its kind for men in Washington State.

For more info visit: 100mwcLowerColumbia.com or

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Port of Longview sees tonnage surge in record breaking year

I

n a record breaking cargo handling year, the Port of Longview moved more than 8.3 million metric tons of cargo across the dock in 2016 — the most cargo handled annually in the last three decades. 2016 saw a nearly 30 percent increase over the 6.4 million metric tons handled in 2015.

Pushing the Port over the 8 million mark was grain terminal EGT, llc, which alone moved over 6 million metric tons of primarily wheat, soybeans and corn. This marks EGT’s best year since coming on-line in 2012.

“This is precisely the tonnage outcome we were aiming for when EGT signed on at the Port of Longview,” said Chief Executive Officer Norm Krehbiel in a press release. “EGT utilizes key infrastructure, such as the Port’s dedicated Industrial Rail Corridor and our position on the deep-draft navigation channel, designed to efficiently move bulk commodities for the benefit of the entire region.”

Although dry bulks made up the majority of the tonnage in 2016, the Port had a strong year in breakbulk, as well. The resurgence of wind energy cargo, coupled with oversized project cargo, made for a well-rounded year and demonstrated the Port’s flexibility in cargo handling.

With a new year underway, cargo prospects for 2017 predict another successful year at the Port of Longview, a Port spokesperson said.

My Slant

Grab the chance to dance Lift your mood, unleash romance

By Becky Bell

W

hen I was 5, my sequined Good Ship Lollipop dress got attached to another Lollipop. We were told no matter what, keep dancing. We tapped closer.

At age 12, I was among the chosen 12 from Mrs. Riley’s class to perform the French Can Can for the all-school talent show. The requirement was to be able to kick those saddle shoes really high. Nailed it. My dance career for many years after that was dancing, babes in arms, to John Denver and Alabama while I cleaned house. As time flies, my husband and I have done ballroom dancing and attended any dance class I could find to fill my need. He is such a good sport. Rick is not surprised when I grab him on his way out and insist he dance with me. If not, I dance around him.

Music makes my body rock and my spirit sing. I can’t really sing, but I can dance.

Dance is not only fun, it is excellent exercise. Some dances are more exercise-specific, such as Zumba.

Zumba is exercise to mostly Latin music. Ballroom dancing is a grand, dramatic expression. The tango is one of the most dramatic dances, but my rule is no dipping. I am stiff and worried about being dropped.

There are hundreds of different dances — interpretive dance, folk

“ Every day

brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.”

Put on your dancin’ shoes!

~ Oprah Winfrey

dancing, square dancing, waltzes, jitter bug, Lindy hop (swing), salsa, mambo and the Melbourne shuffle, just to mention a micro-few. There is a dance for everyone in every culture. Dancing has been a form of art and expression since the beginning of time, when dance was used to honor and plea with the spirits.

In ancient Egypt, dancers performed for the mourning family at funerals. In Bali, dance is closely related to religion.

for a catalog.) We have taken these and they are fun and the teacher is very good. Lower Columbia College and Clatsop Community College also offer dance classes. Vancouver has several dance studios. Arthur Murray Dance Studio has been around since 1938 and is international. Another dance studio in Vancouver is Groove Nation, which offers six-week courses and has a ballroom dance twice a month.

Ballroom dancing is offered in most areas for a reasonable price. These classes offer basic steps and become more advanced as you move on and learn you love it.

Some classes hold dances monthly or bi-monthly to put your new skills to use.

A cruise also offers free dance classes and dances. On cruise ships, extra men stand by in case a lady is without a partner or if the partner doesn’t dance.

The benefits of dance are threefold. It’s good exercise, it’s good for the spirit and it’s good for the couple. What better way to re-connect than to hold each other, step for step to soulful music.

Romance... unleashed!

Longview’s Parks and Recreation Dept. offers several dance classes (including salsa, square dance, waltz, line dance and modern line dance; call 360-360-442-5400

Becky Bell, who lives in Longview, Wash., with her husband, Rick, says, “When there is no wind, we row...making every day a good one.”

Dance is all around us. Senior Centers offer dances, some offer lessons and many of them have live music occasionally for dances. Most are free or very minimal cost. It is so varietypacked, there is a place for whatever shuffles your feet and moves you.

Lower Columbia College Community Ed Country 2-Step Dance (Beginner), Tues, May 9–June 6. $39. 360-442-2311.

Groove Nation Year-round enrollment for 6-week classes 8-9pm. Intro to Hip Hop (Mon), Ballroom (Tues) salsa/swing/waltz/ foxtrot/rumba/chacha. 5411 E Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver, Wash. 360-699-7150.

Arthur Murray Dance Studio Ballroom, Latin, Country Western lessons.

808 SE Chkalov Dr #9, Vancouver, WA 360-699-4500 Longview Senior Center Ballroom-2-Step, Tues 1:45-2:45pm. $3 non-members. Line Dancing T-Th-Fri 9am advanced, 10am beginners. 1111 Commerce Ave. • 360-636-0210 Kelso Senior Center 106 NW 8th Ave • 360-232-8522 Square dancing: 2nd Friday, 7–10pm $6 Lessons Tues-Wed 6pm $5 St. Helens Senior Center 1070 Columbia Blvd • 503-397-3377 Square dancing, 6–8pm Sundays, $5 per lesson.Line dancing or 2-Step, Fri 1–3pm.

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Let the sunshine in

Northwest Gardener

By Nancy Chennault

Why plants and people need sun

S

unshine! We have had far too little of it lately. You don’t have to be a gardener to appreciate a sunlit morning. A day beginning with glistening drops of moisture, left by the previous evening showers, sparkling in the morning light.

We can only hope. Longing for sunshine doesn’t make it so. The months of February and March were not kind to Northwest gardeners. There were only two days without precipitation in March, which began in the form of snow showers. The lions that ushered in the month were celebrating to the very last day. Just two days for the lambs of spring to frolic without downpours; and one of those was foggy.

Photosynthesis is how plants make food. They combine energy from sunlight with carbon dioxide and water to produce glucose. All animals, including humans, consume plants in one form or another. If we aren’t eating a plantbased diet directly, we are eating animals that have eaten plants. A bi-product of photosynthesis is oxygen that we breathe.

How does the sun directly impact people?

Away from the sunny source of our light and warmth, distant planets cool to below minus

Photosynthesis

Go outside

Will the sun shine in April?

Did you have feelings of being sad and depressed because it never stopped raining? Those were real and not just a figment of your imagination. Whatever the weather, bundle up and spend some time outdoors. Even on cloudy days, the fresh air and natural light, even in its diminished form, will help alleviate depression and bolster your sense of well being.

You would think we should begin to experience some ‘“normal” sometime.

“April Showers”? With showers come clouds and clouds mean gray days, not sunny days. Our gardens, as well as gardeners, need sun.

Why is the sun such an essential part of our life?

According to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the sun is important to Earth because it warms the seas, generates weather patterns, stirs the atmosphere and provides energy to growing plants. The plants are responsible for the oxygen and the food for life to exist. Electromagnetic radiation from the sun travels through the Earth’s atmosphere and is the most critical factor in a process in plants known as photosynthesis.

The sun also contributes to our overall sense of well being.

There is a very real form of depression associated with lack of exposure to sunshine. Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, known as SAD, cycle with the seasons’ availability of sunlight. SAD is experienced by people where there is little winter daylight and/or extended overcast periods.

350 degrees. Do you have a hard time warming after venturing outdoors in a drippy 45 degrees? Imagine 450 degrees below zero! Even on a drizzling day the Earth is warmer with the sun than it would be without it.

Humans also need direct sunlight to make Vitamin D, which allows calcium to be absorbed from the food that we eat. Calcium helps build bones and strong tooth enamel. Calcium is also necessary for general good health. It is important for muscle contraction and nerve function. Regardless of the many supplements available, sunshine is still the best source of Vitamin D.

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Minimal sun exposure has also been linked to fertility problems, several forms of cancer and general poor health. We’ve heard a lot about the evils of sun exposure. The results of recent scientific research, however, is now reporting that sun exposure isn’t all bad. In fact, it is mostly good. That’s right: Sun exposure is good for you. Avoiding it for all these years may have done more harm than good. As always, moderation is the key.

Hopefully, we all find the sun shining in our gardens this month. It’s about time!

Nancy Chennault, has written Northwest Gardener since CRR’s early years. She leads Castle Rock’s successful volunteer Bloom Town USA effort. She and her husband, Jim, have devoted their professional lives to local horticulture, landscaping and community activities.

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Home Cuisine

Meal Kit

MADNESS B

By Ron Baldwin

lue Apron, Plated, Tera’s Kitchen, Purple Carrot, Home Fresh, Martha Stewart — the company names just keep on coming.

The meal kit subscription business is the hottest business model in America and it doesn’t look like the expansion will stop anytime soon. Even though research shows that most people cancel their subscription in less than six months, new start-ups come online every day. Recent estimates value the industry at over $5 billion and climbing.

The concept itself is attractive. You get quality ingredients for two or three meals for two or four people in an insulated cold-box. All the items to make the meals right down to the herbs and spices are individually packaged and the recipe comes on a beautifully color-photographed sheet ready for a three ring binder. All delivered to your door once a week.

Trendy subscription services deliver dinner to your doorstep and if your schedule is variable you’re going to have that meal leftover when you get to the next one. This could lead to science projects in the refrigerator.

If your partner is Clyde or Clara Boring, they may not go for the Moroccan Chicken Stir-fry, or the Coconut-breaded Sweet Potatoes, or the Smoked Trout Tartines. If your dinner partner is a teenager, good luck getting them to eat that Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad. There are no meal kits out there that feature hamburger steak with mashed potatoes and gravy. Lastly, the packaging can be overwhelming. Everything is individually wrapped so you end up with a pile after the meal.

The advantages are many. You don’t have to spend a half hour or more shopping at the supermarket or face the waiting lines. There is no waste since the portions are intensively researched. The ingredients are high quality. The recipes are good since they too are researched and tested. The cost is what I would call moderate, around $10-$12 per person, per meal.

There are some drawbacks

If you are single you’re out of luck; you always have one meal leftover

Let’s face it, in active families members really don’t eat together anyway. Many modern families barely know each other. The kids have sports or other activities that are never planned to begin or end at the same time. Mom and Dad are on call, on variable shifts or just plain working all the time. Family members either grab some fast food on the way or slam a pizza pocket in the microwave. Meal kits save shopping and planning time.

And there are some appealing benefits

Crispy catfish with root vegetables in mustard sauce. Photo by Ron Baldwin.

The Broadway Gallery Local Art “I look at a rock and wonder what is inside” Lee Boone • Gallery Member

Every First Thursday New Art, Music and Nibbles

360-577-0544

In Historic Downtown Longview

Lee Boone, Gallery Member

Blue Apron (www. blueapron.com) is one of many online meal kit subscription services.

Ingredients arrive icepacked as needed and attractively packaged.

Courtesy images.

www.the-broadway-gallery.com 1418 Commerce Longview, WA 10am - 5:30pm • Mon - Sat

Your Local SW Washington Artist Co-op since 1982

16 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader

For those people who are cookingchallenged, looking to impress someone, or just bored with their own cooking and don’t want to spend their ever-shrinking spare time sourcing quality ingredients, it’s a boon.

Since Blue Apron is currently the most-talked about subscription meal service, I chose to try them. My first week’s meals were: Stuffed Delicata Squash with Quinoa, Broccoli and Pickled Raisins; Cavatelli Pasta

with Sautéed Cabbage and Chestnut Breadcrumbs, and Crispy Catfish with Root Vegetables in Mustard Sauce.

It’s a good thing my dinner partner is an adventurous pescatarian (person who does not eat meat but does eat fish) and not my Aunt Chloe, who never met a piece of meat or a vegetable she couldn’t cook until unrecognizable.

The contents of the box are actually quite beautiful

No wilt or brown on the vegetables.

The fish looks perfect without any waste. The other ingredients are packaged in a brown paper bag labeled “Knick-Knacks.” All you need is some cooking oil and a pan of boiling water.

The instructions are clear and easy to follow and they have pictures of what it’s supposed to look like at every step.

My only complaints are that the company should choose wild-caught fish and that the amount of packaging is excessive. I do like the reusable ice packs which I’ll use camping next summer.

The meals turned out very good and I would recommend them for anyone who is a beginning cook or has little time for shopping. For me, the best part is no leftovers.

•••

Chinook, Wash. resident Ron Baldwin grew up in Longview.

He hosts a jazz radio show on the 2nd and 4th Wed. from Astoria, Ore., on KTCB (89.5), KMUN (91.9) KCPB (90.9) or live stream online at coastradio.org, He may be reached at redravenradio@hotmail.com.

OUT • AND • ABOUT

New historical photo opp at Cowlitz county Museum

T

Plus, at the mini Oregon Trail wagon kids can load it up for the trip. And all around the exhibit kids can experience “sniff and guess” jars, scavenger hunt sheets, push the buttons to see and hear the sights and sounds of logging, and much more. Spring is the perfect time to come check it all out.

he Cowlitz County Historical Museum in Kelso, Wash., has a brand new pioneer kids’ dress-up area next to the real log cabin… perfect for pictures!

The Philadelphia Story, by Philip Barry April 21 – May 7, 2017 Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2:00 pm Tickets $15 general admission / $12 students & seniors This Broadway hit starred Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Lord, of the Philadelphia Lords, a headstrong and spoiled daughter of the privileged. Divorced from C.K. Dexter Haven, she is engaged to a successful young snob. A society weekly sends a reporter and female photographer to cover the wedding arrangements. Tracy finds herself growing interested in the reporter Mike Connor, but events following the pre-wedding bash result in some surprising twists and turns!

Don’t miss this classic romantic comedy, set in the lavish high society of the 1930s.

The Museum is located at 405 Allen St., Kelso, Wash. and open Tuesday through to Saturday, 10am– 4pm. For more information, call 360577-3119.

Stageworks Northwest...a great place to enjoy great theatre!

1433 Commerce, Longview, WA • (360) 636-4488 • www.stageworksnorthwest.org Photo courtesy of Cowlitz County Historical Museum

Proud to be Longview’s Premier Seafood Restaurant OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

M–W 10–8 • Th–Sat 10–9 • Sun 11–8 Dine in or use our drive up window

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101

Chinook

Cathlamet 4

101

Seaside

Pacific Ocean

WestportPuget Island FERRYk

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• Woodland Tourist Center I-5 Exit 21 Park & Ride lot, 900 Goerig St., 360-225-9552

Mount St. Helens

Skamokawa

• Grays River

• Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce Kelso Visitor Center I-5 Exit 39 105 Minor Road, Kelso • 360-577-8058

504

Castle Rock

• Naselle

Long Beach

Washington

FREE Maps • Brochures Directions • Information

Winlock

Raymond/ South Bend

Ocean Park •

VISITOR CENTERS

Birkenfeld

Ape Cave •

Longview Kelso

Clatskanie Rainier

Woodland

503

• Ridgefield

Scappoose•

To: Salem Silverton Eugene Ashland

Local in

for

Points o mation f In Recre terest Special ation Dinin Events Arts & Eg ~ Lodging ntertain ment

• Pacific County Museum & Visitor Center Hwy 101, South Bend, WA 360-875-5224 • Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau 3914 Pacific Way (corner Hwy 101/Hwy 103) Long Beach, WA. 360-642-2400 • 800-451-2542 • South Columbia County Chamber Columbia Blvd/Hwy 30, St. Helens, OR • 503-397-0685 • Astoria-Warrenton Chamber/Ore Welcome Ctr 111 W. Marine Dr., Astoria 503-325-6311 or 800-875-6807

•Yacolt

St Helens

rnelius NW Co ad o R s s a P

• Naselle, WA Appelo Archives Center 1056 SR 4, Naselle, WA. 360-484-7103.

• Seaside, OR 989 Broadway, 503-738-3097; 888-306-2326

Columbia City

Vernonia

Oregon

Cougar •

Kalama

• Wahkiakum Chamber 102 Main St, Cathlamet • 360-795-9996 • Castle Rock Visitor Center Exit 49, west side of I-5, 890 Huntington Ave. N.

Sauvie Island

Vancouver 12

Portland

Col Gorge Interp Ctr Skamania Lodge Bonneville Dam

Troutdale Crown Point

97

Goldendale Maryhill Museum

Stevenson Hood River Cascade Locks Bridge of the Gods

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.

Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 17

OUT • AND • ABOUT

Spa Getaway

M

cont from page 19

The following day we shopped, explored Portland boutiques, c h e c k e d o u t P o w e l l ’s Bookstore, and brunched at La Petite Provence.

Brunch began with coffee, tea, and mimosas or champagne cocktails. We each chose something different for our entrées: Banana French Toast; The four friends each ordered different brunch entrées, the Alsace Omelet with including the Colette Omelet (below). bacon, balsamic caramelized onions, and Parmesan cream; a Meurette Ham Benedict served on a croissant with a side of provencal potatoes and butternut squash; and the Colette Omelet stuffed with artichoke hearts, tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese melted over the top.

Goodbyes

Sunday morning came peppered with sadness. After dropping everyone off, I headed home. It was a special weekend filled with reconnecting, relaxation, silly talk, and some indulgence. We felt refreshed and renewed, supported by friends, and physically pampered. It was time to get back to the reality of families, jobs, and life’s routines, but the escape from responsibilities was rejuvenating.

other’s Day is a time to honor and cherish moms. Moms are “on call” 24/7, so one of the best gifts to give is time off with no responsibilities. Give your mom, wife, or sister a spa getaway weekend with her girlfriends for some well-deserved respite and pampering. Portland has an ample supply of outstanding restaurants, luxurious and interesting spas, and cozy, quiet places to stay.

~Tracy Beard Editor’s note: If you can’t send Mom away for a weekend, you can still pamper her with a Gift Certificate for a facial, pedicure or massage at a local salon.

SUGGESTIONS FOR MOM’S GETAWAY WEEKEND Charming Woodlawn Craftsman 827 NE Rosa Parks Way Portland, OR 97211 Airbnb.com Firehouse Restaurant 711 NE Dekum St. Portland, OR 97211 503-954-1702 The Matador Restaurant 1438 NW 23rd Ave Portland, OR 97210 503-228-2855 Petite Provence 1824 NE Alberta St. Portland, OR 97211 503-284-6564 Tasty & Sons 3808 N. Williams Portland, OR 97227 503-621-1400 Sole 2 Sole Foot Reflexology & Massage 1901 N. Killingsworth St. Portland, OR 97217 503-283-7688 The Dragontree 2768 NW Thurman St. Portland, OR 97210 503-221-4123

Former Longview resident Tracy Beard, now of Vancouver, Wash., enjoys travel, cooking, dining out, wine tasting, hiking and skiing.

She writes travel, food and adventure stories for several publications.

Read more about her at http://tracysblog.blogspot.com.

Give the gift of pampering by sending your mom, wife, or sister on a girl’s spa weekend with her friends. It could be the best Mother’s Day gift she receives.

•••

Family Fishing Night FRIDAY

April 21st 4 pm to 8 pm

Beginning Fishing Techniques Since

1947!

Learn From The Pros!

Hands-On Stations

Learn Knot Tying, Basic Rigging, Best Tackle for Fishing our Local Lakes, and more!

Local Fishing Opportunities 1111 Hudson St. Longview, WA (360) 425-3870

& Info on Stocked Lakes

Fishing Basics Seminar

Open Mon.- Sat. 9 - 8 • Sun. 9 - 6

with Cameron Black

More Info: www.bobsmerch.com

Giveaways & Special Pricing!

FREE Event! FUN for the Entire Family. Don’t Miss It! 20 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader

Cinema

DR. BOB ON THE MOVIES

Two horror thrillers: one in outer space, one in suburbia By Dr. Bob Blackwood

Y

ou won’t go broke doing a horror thriller unless you run up a big production bill upfront. Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” with an estimated budget of $5 million, a ticket sale of $33 million by its February opening week, and an estimated total of well over $150 million by the end of March—is quite successful, thank you.

Keep in mind that Ridley Scott’s latest version of “Alien” (1979)—“Alien: Covenant”—will open in mid-May of this year. While the alien in “Life” eventually becomes very busy with murder and mayhem, I suspect he will never be as busy with the audience as Ridley Scott’s alien. As the old song goes, “There’s no business like show business.”

We look forward to handling your next real estate transaction.

Since 1982, Cowlitz County Title has been the trusted company the community turns to when buying, selling or refinancing a property.

Its central character, Daniel Kaluuya (Chris) and Rose (Allison Williams) take a moment C h r i s ( D a n i e l in “Get Out.” Kaluuya) is a wellmannered young African American photographer who travels to a pale-skinned, affluent suburban world where he is definitely in the minority, particularly because he has an attractive white girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams). Her father is an affluent neurosurgeon (played by Bradley Whitford); her psychiatrist mother (Catherine Keener) has a gift for hypnotism. Her brother is the token family bigot.

Ridley Scott’s Alien killer has become an industry within the film industry.

I count at least seven motion pictures now with “Alien” in the title. Though I have not seen all of them, I think the name on the marquee along with Scott’s reputation will bring big box office. If not, I’ll be surprised.

•••

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1159 14th Avenue, Longview, WA 98632 • Phone: 360.423.5330 • Fax: 360.423.5932 • www.cowlitztitle.com

But surely there must be some African Americans—sure, the rather distant black servants — who have a place in the palatial family dwelling. But the servants seem distant to everyone, including the new boyfriend. I couldn’t imagine why. Chris can’t figure what’s with everyone in this bourgeoisie world of seeming white do-gooders. But Rose laughs off Chris’ concerns. As a result, the only time Chris seems at all himself is when he calls his bro, played by LilRel Howery, back home in the old neighborhood.

Chris’ tension just builds.

The film’s conclusion is quite nasty. It is a bitter satire, not simply a comedy of manners. It is stuffed with more than gags; it shows a very dark side of the white experience. You may like the film or dislike it, but it does have a sting to it.

Dr. Bob Blackwood, professor emeritus of the City Colleges of Chicago, coauthored with Dr. John Flynn the book, Everything I Know about Life I Learned from James Bond. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

www.weatherguardinc.net

O

n the other hand, Daniel Espinosa’s “Life” begins quite differently. We have a crew of scientists running an International Space Station who get along just fine, featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds and Hiroyuki Sanada. Of course, we do have another life form aboard the ship, a cell from Mars which functions and grows rapidly and more hostile in the Earthlike atmosphere of the space station.

Does this plot sound familiar to you?

Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 21

2017 Small 2016 Small Business Business

BOOT CAMP 2017 Series continues Friday, May 12 Friday Mornings ★ Lower Columbia College

7:30 am - 9 am ★ Heritage Room at LCC - Admin. Bldg.

SOCIAL MEDIA six pack

Sponsored by:

May 12

Website vs. Facebook Facilitator: T.B.A.

May 19

Everything you need to know about Facebook.

Facilitator: Tom May, May52, Inc.

May 26

Advertising with Facebook Facilitator: Tom May, May52, Inc.

June 2

Media Panel Facilitators: Panel from Radio, TV and Newspaper

June 9

Integrated Digital Marketing Strategy Facilitator: Fox Wu, Northwest Innovation Works

June 16 Technology, Computers, Data Security Facilitator: Jayson Rogen, Technalytix

Register at www.kelsolongviewchamber.org

TE! E THE DA

SAV

Monday, June 12, 2017

Three Rivers Golf Course • Shotgun at 1 p.m.

Make your Reservations Early!

Early Entry Fee: $500 per Team of 4 (Price goes to $600 on May 26) $125 per Individual ($150 after May 26) Includes: Lunch, driving range, $5,000 putting contest, awards ceremony, BBQ dinner, 18 holes of fellowship, $10,000 hole-in-one opportunity and two carts per team.

Teams will be confirmed the last week of May.

Register at www.kelsolongviewchamber.org

360-423-8400

www.kelsolongviewchamber.org

Everyone deserves music!

Piano Lessons A great investment in yourself or as a gift

Martin E. Kauble Longview, WA

360-423-3072

(www.kaublepianostudio.com)

technique • theory • performance 22 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader

COOKING WITH THE FARMER’S DAUGHTER

Always on Sunday

Nothing equals good food like family plus farm

By Suzanne Martinson

M

y brother, sister and I grew up next door to Gram and Gramp’s white, two-story centennial farmhouse, where my dad and his four sisters were raised. On sultry summer days when the kitchen door was open and a southern breeze was blowing our way, we were close enough to smell Gram’s Sunday pot roast cooking.

When I was born, my parents were living in a drafty upstairs bedroom in Dad’s parents’ house, so they brought me directly from the hospital to an extended family that included an aunt, uncle and cousin Ann. As a yowling baby with scarlet fever, I had enough kin to rock me both day and night. Survival may be as much about love in a rocking chair as medicine.

During my first year of life, my parents set about building their own two-story farmhouse right next door. It had gables and a shady front porch that faced the dusty road named Garner after our family. My parents loved to say I waited to take my first steps in our brand new house, which was built from lumber logged off the farm’s Back Forty.

In the country, “next door” is not the same as next door in the city.

Our house was two gravel driveways, a stone milkhouse, a row of spirea bushes and a big-red-barn’s-length from the homeplace.

Three squares 365 days a year

Farm wives in my family cooked three meals a day and prepared a dish to pass for Sunday dinner, which was the centerpiece of family life for us 11 cousins.

Early Sunday morning, from our kitchen table we could watch Gram appear in her kitchen window to start a long day at the stove. For a would-be cowgirl like me, “home on the range” was not chasing cows, but cooking beef roast.

With mashed potatoes and gravy, of course.

It is a mystery how my father turned out to be a vegetable hater. After all, his mother was always bandying about talk of such debatable delicacies as rutabaga, cucumbers and squash. We all loved potatoes, of course. Did they count? Calories did pile up, especially after slathering the spuds potatoes with butter made from our cows’ cream.

I learned how to set the table in Brownies. I practiced each Sunday morning on Gram and Gramp’s long oak table, which stretched from one end of their dining room to the other, the last two chairs ending up in the parlor.

Sitting at the far end of the table had its disadvantages, as the platters of food were passed left to right, end to end.

Uncle Dorr, husband of Aunt Gladys, Dad’s eldest sister, sat at the tail end of the table. “I’ve been in this family cont page 23

for Aunt Norma to interrupt with a message for my mother while I was having one of those long, important conversations with my first boyfriend.

How long had she been listening anyway?

Fashion trumps food

As a working woman, Mom was more interested in fashion than food, She and a neighborhood friend started a dress shop, serving their customers in what we’d describe today as personal shoppers.

Many variations and garnishes can dress up a Seven-Layer Salad. cont from page 22

for 25 years, and I’ve never gotten a cream puff,” Uncle Dorr groused, but with a grin.

Never mind. There was usually banana cake, as well as apple and banana cream pies, too.

Forever Sunday

In those long-lost days, the farm had a rhythm, summer or winter, spring or fall. Sunday dinner defined our family life. Barring unforeseen other obligations, Gram was cooking dinner for her four daughters’ families, two from town, two on nearby farms, as well as her son’s. My dad was the only boy, my mother, the lone daughterin-law.

Marrying into a family of cooks couldn’t have been easy for my mother. The sisters-in-law’s standards were high. Mom’s early pies were an embarrassment: An unsightly patched top crust. Filling too sweet or too sour.

The bottom of her oven emitting the smell of a crusty mess of burned-on sugar. How could this newlywed’s pie compete, pie after pie boiling.

My mother had been a career woman.

While her mother made the best cinnamon yeast rolls in the county, Mom was working as the telephone operator in her tiny hometown of Fostoria, Mich. In her 80s, my mother admitted that she may have “listened in” to a couple of calls.

I understood. In my growing-up years we were on a party line. It was nothing

Kelso resident Suzanne Martinson grew up on a farm with a big garden, which she hated hoeing.

My mother was introduced to my father by his sister, Alice, when the young women were students at County Normal, a program to train teachers for the one-room country schools that dotted the state.

Teaching was something she had in common with all four of Dad’s sisters.

Cooking was not. She learned to cook on the job — as a farmer’s wife.

“I stayed home from a lot of Sunday dinners,” she once said with a sigh. “I just couldn’t take my horrible pies.”

Eventually, she learned to make a more than passable piecrust, which is not to say that she didn’t love it when Pillsbury came out with readymade crusts. (These aren’t so bad, she said, partly because they contain good oldfashioned lard.)

Let them eat cake

At our Sunday dinners, often there was a 9-by-12 glass loaf pan of banana cake with fluffy white frosting. Once the cake was cut, Gramp would hold the pan up to the light and rotate it until he spotted the piece with the thickest frosting. Not that Gramp couldn’t stand a few extra calories.

Always in running trim, he seemed to rattle around in his bib overalls — like navy beans in a metal bowl.

On the farm, dinner was served at high noon. Supper was at 6 pm sharp, once Dad and the hired man were

Call before you go …

Spend time traveling, not worrying about estate taxes.

“I make house calls”

THE LAW OFFICE OF

Vincent L. (Vince) Penta, P.S.

SEVEN-LAYER SALAD 1 lb bacon (we used hickory smoked) 1 large head iceberg lettuce, rinsed, dried, and chopped 1 red onion, chopped 1 10-oz-pkg frozen green peas, thawed 10 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese (we used Tillamook) 1 cup chopped cauliflower 1-1/4 cups mayonnaise 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 /3 cup grated Parmesan cheese Place bacon in a large, deep skillet.

Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Crumble and set aside.

In a large flat bowl, place the chopped lettuce and top with a layer of onion, peas, shredded cheese, cauliflower and bacon.

Prepare the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, sugar and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle over salad and refrigerate until chilled.

Note: A long-handled spoon is needed to dive to the bottom of the bowl to enjoy every single layer of this delicious salad. finished milking our Guernsey cows. I was always a meat, potatoes and gravy kind of girl. I did love our homegrown corn on the cob, and there was a time early in the season when there weren’t enough ripe ears for seconds.

That was when cousin Ann, the eldest granddaughter with a wily penchant for acquiring stray corn kernels, swung into action.

“You munch your ear and I’ll munch mine, then we’ll trade,” she said.

Because I was missing my two front teeth, she usually got the best part of that deal.

The first vegetable dish my mother taught me to make was cabbage salad.

In our house, that healthful cruciferous vegetable was our go-to green. Cabbage salad was simple: Wash the head of cabbage, removing the outside leaves.

On a wooden cutting board, cut the head in half. Slice off slabs, chopping into bitesized pieces. Dump in bowl.

No onion, ever. (Onions make your breath smell, said Mother.) Douse with Miracle Whip. Never mayonnaise. We had salad dressing.

When Mother said, “Make a salad,” it was always cabbage. But then one of my aunts hit upon Seven-Layer Salad.

The bacon alone was enough to lure my father and me to dip in.

1561 11th Ave. Longview

360-423-7175

Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 23

the Lower Columbia

Informer

By Perry Piper

Technology and the good life New health devices

I

t’s easy to be pessimistic about what ails us. We’re haunted by that shaky hand or being confined to a wheel chair. But today and each passing year, our future is getting brighter as new medical inventions enter the market.

GyroGlove

A London-based group developed a gyroscopic glove that stabilizes hand

Member SIPC

Welcome to the practice, Dr. Furman!

tremor and is projected to launch on the market for about $550 to $850 sometime this year in the UK, with more countries to be added in the future. It will be lightweight and built for indoor and outdoor use. Patients testing prototypes of the device reported that tremors were reduced by 90 percent and that the sensation is like having your hand in a pool of jelly; giving you deliberate control GyroGlove of motion.

A gyroscope, for those that didn’t grow up with the toy, is a spinning disc that can counteract shaky movement and also determine the facing direction within a sphere, like on our modern smartphone virtual reality applications.

Accepting children & adults as new patients for Dr. Furman ...

Readi-Steadi® Glove

Rick Furman, dmd

Now scheduling appointments.

• Full Range of Sleep Dentistry Options • Now offering Laser Dentistry Services

Daniel Haghighi, dds • New LCOH Dental Advantage Plan

In-office benefit plan with substantial discounts for anyone paying out of pocket.

Fillings and many other procedures can be completed without drilling or anesthesia injections

Lower Columbia Oral Health Center for Implant Dentistry

&

“Where Dentistry Meets Medicine” 1538 11th Ave. Longview, WA • www.lcoh.net • 360-636-3400

On the more affordable and non-electric side of things, there is also the ReadiSteadi® glove, for $300, which is covered by many insurance plans. You’ll also need to pay the $150 assessment since the glove is a custom-fitted medical grade product. See order instructions here: www.readi-steadi.com/order.html.

Looking at the Readi-Steadi® glove though, you could probably make your own for $50 using heavy washers, some double sided velcro tape, a glove and some stitching.

Body Robotics

The market for exoskeletons and other robotics to regain walking ability or enhance natural strength and ease of movement is still in its early stages, but growing fast. Many of the following devices are medically regulated and can only be tried or acquired through insurance or specific hospitals. Ekso Bionics offers a therapeutic unit for walking rehabilitation.

ReWalk makes a similar device, available at Portland’s Oregon Health and Sciences University.

Another company called SuitX makes a $40,000 24 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader

lightweight device called the PhoeniX. While not a wheelchair replacement due to its slow walking speed and four-hour battery life, the device lets below-the-waist paralyzed and recovering patients stand upright, walk and regain confidence.

For amputees, Mobius Bionics is working on a battery-powered Star Wars style robotic arm, called LUKE, that gives users 10 “joints,” preprogrammed grips, mechanical strength and d e x t e r i t y. I t can also be used outdoors.

The arm can be controlled by flexing various muscle groups or activating a foot controller. Pricing and availability are unknown, but watch for it to be released in the next three years and cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.

For legs and feet, we have the BiONX emPower by Hugh Herr, available through many insurance plans but not Medicare, and for veterans who have served two or more consecutive years in the US military. The device lasts eight hours or more and charges in 90 minutes. It allows for moderately paced running and a full range of motion.

For the budget-minded, 3D printing will deliver prosthetic arms and hands with basic grabbing functionality, a socially empowering and cool look and a materials price point of around $50, not including the printer. Various companies offer tailored designs or designer help, printing at their factories and mail order packages, and a non-profit group called Enabling The Future has helped many people, as well. The non-profit provides resources to help you build your own project or seek help from others in the community as well as access to 3D printers if you don’t have one.

If you or a loved one suffers from physically-limiting conditions, be on the watch for new technologies.

Help is on the way, thanks to insurance, non-profits and enthusiast communities.

••• Perry Piper enjoys learning about emerging technology and is looking forward to the August 2017 total solar eclipse and the 2020 Toyko Olympics.

Astronomy

Spring has sprung

Speaking of Binoculars –

Longer days, warmer nights

By Greg Smith please skygazers

C

an you tell spring is here? The days are getting longer (not fun for amateur astronomers, but we do appreciate the warmer temperatures). With all these clouds, the daylight and flowers are the only ways we know that spring is here. If we could see the night sky we would see: The Big Dipper in Ursa Major is high overhead right now, with the handle pointing to the northeast. If you follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper (The Raccoon’s tail from last month) you will come upon the star Arcturus. This bright star is one of the brightest of the spring and summer stars. It marks the bottom of the constellation Boötes (Boo-ohtees) meaning the herdsman, literally the Ox driver. The ancient Greeks saw the asterism, now called the “Big Dipper,” or “Plough,” as a cart with oxen. Boötes was the ploughman who drove the oxen in what is now known as Ursa Major. To some modern star gazers, Arcturus is the tail of a kite-shaped constellation.

Arcturus is one of the closer stars to our sun. It’s only 37.5 light years away, just a bit further than the bright star Vega. Look up Boötes on Wikipedia and you’ll learn more than you wanted to know about Arcturus and the other stars in the constellation.

I will get more into Boötes and the stars of summer in a couple of months.

Hoarder’s Paradise!

Oregon’s best insulated units Largest size selection

Clatskanie Mini Storage 503-728-2051 503-369-6503

On May 2nd the first quarter moon will be just to the left of the Beehive star cluster (M44). The moon will also be just above the open cluster known as M67 (or King Cobra Cluster). This conjunction of the moon with these deep sky objects will make it easier to find them. Find the moon and sweep your binoculars around till you find these pockets of stars.

May 6th will see the full moon very near Jupiter in the constellation of Virgo. The two brightest objects in the spring evening sky will be virtually side by side. So get out your binoculars and view both of them. Yes, you can see the moons of Jupiter with binoculars. Small 7x35’s will bring out the Galilean moons of Jupiter. The larger the magnifying powers the more detail you will see on Jupiter.

With that increased magnifying power, you will also need a wider main viewing opening to gather more light. 10X50 is the best for hand held viewing in binoculars. If we get a couple clear evenings in a row, you can watch the moons change places. In fact if you watch them a couple hours apart, you will notice that they change positions as they orbit the big planet.

If you are using binoculars for star viewing, be sure you brace your arms on something, like the side of the house, the roof of your car or the arms of a reclining lawn chair as these will keep your hands and arms from shaking with your body’s movements due to breathing and the pulse of your heart. The higher the magnification of your binoculars the more you need the bracing. The higher magnification of your viewing will also magnify the shaking of your arms and hands that you see through the eyepiece. 7X35 and 7X50 binoculars do not need much bracing but 10x35 and 10X50 do need some help. Bigger than these, you absolutely need bracing, if not a tripod to hold them steady.

Let’s hope for clearer skies this spring.

We could use some drying out and warming up.

Every Day is a Star Filled Day and Every Night is a Starry Night.

•••

Arcturus

Mother’s Day Gifts Spring Things Party Décor & Favors Gifts, Wrap & Cards Fun stuff for outdoors

Kitchen gadgets Home décor Jewelry & Toys Surprises!

Clatskanie Town Center 640 E Columbia River Hwy. Suite B • Clatskanie, OR

503-728-3300 • M-Sat 10-6 • Closed Sun

Longview resident Greg Smith is an active member of Friends of Galileo, a family-friendly astronomy club which meets monthly in Longview. Visitors are welcome; telescope ownership is not required. For info about the club, call Chuck Ring, 360-636-2294.

SHOP CLATSKANIE FOR ALL YOUR YARN NEEDS

The Bag Ladies Yarn Shop Come see the great new yarns in vibrant spring colors!

Free Knitting Lessons GIFT CERTIFICATES

Tues - Thurs - Sat 10am - 3pm or by appointment, 360-431-0194.

265 W. Columbia River Hwy Clatskanie, OR • 503-728-9276

Country Life Fair with herb & plant sale set for April 29-30 at Pomeroy Farm

T

he public is invited to Pomeroy Farm’s annual “Country Life Fair” at the Pomeroy Farm, 20902 NE Lucia Falls Rd., Yacolt, Washington the weekend of April 29-30. Hours are 10–4 Saturday, 11–4 Sunday.

There is no admission fee; donations are gratefully accepted.

Thousands of herbs and plants, including organic vegetables, will be available for sale as a fundraiser for Pomeroy Living History Farm’s school programs, which teach local students about 1920s farm life.

In addition to the sale, there will be many local vendors selling their goods, including a variety of handcrafted trinkets and home décor, skin care products, jewelry, pottery, local honey, clothing, and more.

County Life demonstrators, placed around the farm, will show off various skills such as blacksmithing, tin smithing, bow making, fly tying, and handcrafts. Kids will enjoy the farm animals, hayrides (small fee), and other fun activities.

Particularly fun for kids is the “Country Life Passport”—all kids are encouraged to get a passport and gather stamps around the farm as they complete various activities. Kids who have completed their passports get a small prize.

The historic log house will be open both days from 12-4 for tours. The farm is set as a 1920s farmhouse, with displays throughout.

Driving directions: Take exit 14 from I-5 S. Drive 15.9 miles, following signs and taking NE 259th St, NE 82nd Ave, NE 299th St, WA-503 N and NE 152nd Ave to NE Lucia Falls Rd. For more info, visit pomeroyfarm.org or Facebook.com/PomeroyFarm.

•••

Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 25

Outings & Events

Performing & Fine Arts Music, Art, Theatre, Literary

HOW TO PUBLICIZE YOUR NON-PROFIT EVENT IN CRR Send your non-commercial community event’s basic info (name of event, 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 Ave Longview, WA 98632 Submission Deadlines Events occurring May 15–June 20:

by April 25 for May 15 issue.

Events occurring June15 to July 20: by May 25 for June 15 issue.

Calendar submissions are considered for inclusion subject to lead time, general relevance to readers, and space limitations. See Submission Guidelines, below.

FIRST THURSDAY • May 4 Downtown Longview Teague’s Gallery 1267 Commerce Ave. 360-636-0712. Open until 7pm.

Teague’s Interiors & Gallery Artwork by local artists in the gallery. Iconography and Chalk Paint workshops. Call to reserve or for more info: 360-636-0712. Hours: 10–5:30 M–F, 10–3 Sat. 1267 Commerce Ave, Longview, Wash.

Across the Cowlitz River: Cowlitz County Museum 405 Allen Street, Kelso, Wash.

360-577-3119 Mt. St. Helens Hiking Club, with Bruce McCredie and Nancy Harris.

The club’s rich history, incl photos from the 1930s to present. 7pm.

Redmen Hall Season Opening Exhibit “Moments of Reflection” featuring Megan Blackburn, Laurie Michaels, and Teddy Townsend, whose photographs show the natural world of Wahkiakum County and capture the essence of this amazing place on the Columbia. Through May 5th.

Presented by Friends of Skamokawa at Redmen Hall, 1394 State Route 4 (Ocean Beach Highway), Skamokawa, Wash. Open Thurs-Sun, 12–4. For more info, call The Hall, 360-795-3007.

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 previously-published articles, may be printed at the discretion of the publisher and subject to editing and space limitations.

Tsuga Gallery Fine arts and crafts by area artists. Thurs-Sat 11–5. 70 Main Street, Cathlamet, Wash. 360-795-0725.

Koth Galler y Longview Public Librar y Longview Public Library, 1600 Louisiana Street, Longview, Wash. Mon-Wed 10am-8pm, ThursSat 10am-5pm. 360-441-5300.

The Art Gallery at LCC Thru April 27: Artwork

by Kathleen Secrest. Rose Center for the Arts, 1600 Maple St., Longview, Wash. Gallery hours: Mon–Tues 10–6, Wed-Thurs 10–4. Info: lowercolumbia.edu/gallery.

Put some spring in your step at the Columbia Various, see Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts ad, page 20.

Northwest Voices April 26. Joe Wilkins, author of The Mountain and the Fathers: Growing up on the Big Dry. Writing workshop 3:30–5pm, Lower Columbia College, Main 145; a reading at Longview Public Library, 7–8pm Free. Also see story, page 30, re Workshop and Reading by Maggie Stiefvater, April 20.

Lewis and Clark, or How the Finns Discovered Astoria original Vaudeville-style musical melodrama by Astor Street Opry Company.

Through April 29. Fri-Sat, 7pm, Sunday matinee 2pm, April 23. Astor Street Opry Company Playhouse, 129 West Bond Street, Astoria, Ore. The house opens 30 mins before performance. Tickets $5-16; all Fridays $5 for any seat. For advance tickets call 503-325-6104, or visit www.astorstreetoprycompany.com.

Cowlitz County-wide Piano Recital Sunday, April 30, 3pm., St. Stephen’s Church, 1428 22nd Ave., Longview Wash. The public is invited to enjoy piano solos, duets and ensembles (piano with instruments or voice).

Sponsored by Cowlitz County Chapter, Washington State Music Teacher Association.

Students of members and non-members are welcome to play. Piano teachers: Call to reserve time slots for students (no registration fees) by April 25: Karla Dudley, 360-577-1366.

I’m Ginger, Victoria Findlay’s new dog. Some people call me Gretchen. I live in Corvallis.

Sometimes your publisher visits my mistress and sleeps on my bed!

Items sent to CRR 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 different 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.)

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 will receive listing priority. Fundraisers must be sanctioned/sponsored by the benefiting non-profit organization. Businesses and organizations wishing to promote their particular products or services are invited to purchase advertising (contact info, page 3).

Call for artists: “April Showers Bring May Flowers,” floral-themed art, deadline April 28. Details: the-broadway-gallery.com

Broadway Gallery Enjoy refreshments and meet the artists! See artists listed at right.

Reception, 5:30-7:30pm.

Appetizers, & beverages.

Live music by John Henry.

1418 Commerce Ave. www.the-broadway-gallery.com

Submission Guidelines

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.

Broadway Gallery Artists co-op. Yearround classes for all ages, workshops and paint parties. April: Guest artists Penny Cox (metal sculpture) and Pam Sharp (painting); gallery member Mirabelle Hobson (paintings); May: Guest artist Irene Bacon (oil paintings); Masami Kusakube, (jewelry). Gallery hours: Mon-Sat 10-5:30.

1418 Commerce, Longview, Wash. 360577-0544. www.the-broadway-gallery.com

Stageworks Northwest proudly presents By Philip Barry April 21 – May 7

Fri-Sat 7:30, Sun 2pm $15 Gen’l • $12 students/seniors For tickets and more info visit stageworksnorthwest.org

360-636-4488

26 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader

HOT PIZZA FRESH COOL SALAD BAR THE BEST AROUND!

IN ST HELENS 2124 Columbia Blvd.

503-397-3211

Outings & Events

Recreation, Outdoors, Gardening History, Pets, Self-Help Cowlitz County Museum New permanent exhibit, “Cowlitz Encounters.” Open TuesSat 10am–4pm. 405 Allen St, Kelso, Wash. www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/museum. Info: 360577-3119.

Wahkiakum County Historical Society Museum Logging, fishing and cultural displays. Open 1-4pm, Th-Sun. 65 River St, Cathlamet, Wash. For info 360-795-3954.

Appelo Archives Center Historic exhibits, Naselle-Grays River area. 1056 State Route 4, Naselle. T-Fri 10–4, Sat 10–2, or by appt.

360-484-7103. appeloarchives.org.

What Culture Means to Me Lower Columbia College Community Conversations speaker series. Thurs, April 20: Culture Shift: Growing up Poor in a Middle Class World, by Mark Gaither, business technology instructor; April 27: Thriving Across Cultures, by Dana Cummins, business instructor; May 4: Multiculturalism, by John Killian, education planner and multicultural adviser; May 11: Cajun 101, by Melinda Harbaugh, interim dean of instruction and learning resource.

12 noon, Laufman Lecture Hall (Room 101, LCC Health & Science Bldg), 1600 Maple St., Longview, Wash. Free Trash, Treasures & Plants Sale Sat., May 6, 9am–3pm. Quincy Grange, 78314 Rutters Rd., Clatskanie, Ore. Lunch & dessert served. Vendor tables $10. Info: Ellen, 503728-2886 or Barb, 503-728-4143.

PEO Mother’s Day Garden Sale Thurs, May 11, 4–7pm; Fri, May 12, 9am–6pm; Sat, May 13, 9am–4pm. Cowlitz Expo Floral Bldg, 1900 7th Ave, Longview, Wash.

Large hanging baskets, unique and unusual planters, birdhouses, vegetable and herb gardens, shabby chic, painted furniture and more. Cash/check/credit card. No early sales please. Proceeds help provide scholarships for future education of women.

Annual Spring Arts & Crafts Fair May 19-20, Ryderwood, Wash. Creators of fine hand-crafted arts and crafts are invited to participate. Community Hall’s two large rooms at 305 Morse St. accommodate 30plus vendors. $30 for a 6 ft. space for both days; tables available. Applications can be printed off of the “What’s Happening?” page of ryderwood.org or call 360-295-0069 for information.

Longview Bridge Club Weekly duplicate bridge games Mon, 10:30am and Thurs 6:30pm, Kelso Senior Center, 106 NW 8th Ave., Kelso. New players welcome. For info or help finding a partner: Rich Carle, 360425-0981 or rhcarle@msn.com.

GFWC AMALAK women’s service club welcomes all women to its meetings 7pm, every first and third Thursday, Sept through May. Community Center, 216 Elm St., Kalama, Wash. Info: 360-901-1791.

Kalama Garden Club meets first Wednesday of month. 11am. Meeting locations change monthly, for current meeting info contact Sherwood Pattisherwood@scattercreek.com or 360-673-2809. Visitors are welcome.

Cowlitz Table Tennis welcomes all ages and abilities! Free to first timers, six tables, come have fun! Bring a paddle or use one of the spares. Come when you can Sundays, 5-9pm at the Family Link Building gym, 907 Douglas St., Longview, Wash. Questions: Vance, 503-556-9135.

R Square D Dance Club Kelso Senior Center, 106 NW 8th Ave, Kelso, Wash.

Round dance lessons Tues 6–10pm, $5.

Square dance lessons Wed, 6:30–9:30pm, $5. Plus: 6:30–7:30pm, Basic 7:30–9pm, Mainstream 9–9:30pm. Details: www.rsquare-d.info/ or call 360-414-5855.

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME

Info: stacydalgarno@ comcast.net or Trish Wilson: 360-560-0902

Next Meeting: April 18 • 6-8pm Regent Restaurant, 3353 Washington Way, Longview, Wash.

We know beer and wine

We’ll help you develop your “inner connoisseur” World-class Beverages

600 Beer Varieties 700 Wines 14 Tap Handles & Growlers Filled

BBQ Restaurant Meats Slow-Smoked On site

Open Daily for Lunch and Dinner

Home Brew Supplies 21 & Older

Bulk Grains, Extracts & Hops

360.577.1541 • 924 15th Ave • Longview WA

KIDS’ FISHING OPPORTUNITIES

Hooked for life

E

ven a kid can “bring home the bacon” for dinner and feel proud about it. Community-sponsored events like the following can be great ways to introduce a child to the joys of fishing. Once “caught,” the desire to fish seems to last a lifetime — it has for me. ~Paul Thompson CRR’s Man in the Kitchen Longview: Lake Sacajawea Kids’ Fish-In Saturday, April 29, starting at 8am with seven 45-min sessions starting on the hour, until the last session at 2pm.

This event is being held through Longview Parks and Recreation. Each youth, ages 5–14, must pre-register online at www.mylongview.com/ recreation or at Lgv Parks & Rec, 2920 Douglas St. $10 fee.

All equipment will be provided by an ALEA grant and each participant may keep the equipment they use. Register early to be sure to get the session you prefer.

Woodland: Horseshoe Lake May 20 with registration 8am–1:30, with fishing ending at 2pm at the Lake. Ages 3–14. Coordinated by the Woodland Moose Lodge. $3 registration fee; all equipment will be provided for use during the event. Those ages 3–5 must be accompanied by an adult.

Oregon Family Fishing Events ODFW provides equipment, instruction. No licenses required under 14 years.

Rainier: At Trojan Pond, April 22, 9:30am–2pm. Info: Jeff Fulop, 971-6736034.

Vernonia: At Vernonia Pond, May 5, 9am–2pm. Info: Ron Rehn, 503-8422741, ext. 244.

Annual Elochoman Valley Kids Free Fishing Event WDFW-sponsored, every weekend from April 22–May 28. Ages 8 and under start 8:30am, after 9:30am all kids 14 and under can begin.

Pond is located at the Leroy Burns rock pit site, approx. 4 miles up the Elochoman Valley Rd., Cathlamet, Wash. All fishers must bring their own bait and tackle and must be accompanied by parent or guardian.

Limit 5 fish. Ponds close 7pm. Info: 360-795-0124.

TAKE A

HIKE

with

Mt. St. Helens Club This friendly club welcomes newcomers. For more info please call the hike leader or visit mtsthelensclub.org. RT(round trip) distances are from Longview.

E=easy, M=moderate, S=strenuous, e.g.=elevation gain.

Sat, April 15 • Japanese Garden (E) Drive 100 miles RT. This is a chance to take photos or just enjoy the beauty of the gardens. There will be an opportunity to hike in Washington Park. Entry and parking fees apply. Leaders: Tarja, 360-562-0001 and Belinda, 360-4309879.

Wed, April 19• Lake Sacajawea (E) Walk around the whole lake (3 miles+) or walk half the lake (1 mile+). Leaders: Trudy & Ed, 360-414-1160.

Mon, Apr il 22 • Gales Creek (M) Drive 140 miles RT, hike 9 miles with 900’ e.g. along scenic Gales Creek in a remote section of the Tillamook Burn.

Leader: Bruce, 360-425-0256.

Thurs, April 27 • Crown Zellerbach Trail, Scappoose (E). Drive 65 miles RT Hike 3+ miles on smooth gravel trail. Leader: Art, 360-425-3140.

Sat, April 29 • Siouxon Creek (M) Drive 110 miles RT, hike 8 miles with 900’ e.g. along a scenic, crystal clear creek with many waterfalls. Leader: Rich, 360-442-8566.

Mon, May 8 • Tumwater Falls Park, Olympia (E) Drive 134 miles RT. Hike 5+ miles on an urban trail along Capital Lake to downtown Olympia. Smooth trail with both gravel and sidewalks. Two waterfalls to enjoy. Leader: Art, 360-425-3140.

Sat, May 13 • Rock Creek Bike Ride (M) Drive 100 miles RT. Bike 10–20 miles on hard-surface bike trail and neighborhood streets in the Tualatin Hills. Leader: George, 360-562-0001.

Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 27

Clatskanie Flowers ‘n’ Fluff Coffee Shop 45 E. Columbia River Hwy Wine Tasting, Dinner & Live Music Fridays 5:30–8:30pm. Unforgettable scones, On-the-go breakfast & lunch.

Coffee Shop M-F 5:30am–6:30pm; Sat 7am–6pm; Sun 8am–6pm.

503-728-4222.

Fultano’s Pizza 770 E. Columbia River Hwy Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more!

M-Sat 11am–10pm; Sun 11am–9pm.

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. Sports bar.

M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–11:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-728-3344

Rainier Alston Pub & Grub 25196 Alston Rd., Rainier 503-556-4213 11 beers on tap, cocktails.

Open daily 11am.

503-556-9753 See ad, page 10.

Conestoga Pub Cornerstone Café 102 East “A” Street Microbrews, wines & spirits Prime rib Friday & Sat. Open M-F 6am–8pm; Sat-Sun 7am–8pm.

503-556-8772. See ad, page 10.

COLUMBIA RIVER

dining guide

Luigi’s Pizza 117 East 1st Street, Rainier 503-556-4213 Pizza, spaghetti, burgers, beer & wine.

See ad, page 10.

Goble Tavern 70255 Columbia River Hwy. (Milepost 31, Hwy. 30) Food, beer & wine + full bar, Live entertainment. 503-556-4090.

See ad page 10.

Hometown Pizza 109 E. “A” St. Take-and-bake, Delivery, To-Go and dine-in. Lunch Buffet M-F 11–2.

Open daily 11am; close M-Th, Sat 9pm, Fri 10pm. 503-556-3700

Parker’s Restaurant & Brewery 1300 Mt. St. Helens Way. I-5 Exit 49.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Burgers, hand-cut steak; seafood and pasta.

Restaurant opens 8am, Lounge 12 Noon. Closed Monday. 360-967-2333

St. Helens

Kelso Grounds for Opportunity 413 S. Pacific Ave. 360-703-3020 Wed–Sun 7am–3pm. Breakfast and Lunch available all day. See ad, page 15.

Longview

1329 Commerce Ave., Longview (alley entrance). Fine dining, happy hour specials. wine tastings. Tues-Sat open 5pm.

360-425-2837. See ad, page 18.

Homestyle cooking from the 1960s-1970. All natural ingredients. Beer and wine available. Open Wed. thru Sun, 7am–8pm. See ad, page 8.

The Carriage Restaurant & Lounge

Full breakfast, lunch and dinner. Daily drink special: Bloody Mary $5. Homemade soup 6am–2pm. Full bar in lounge, open 6am.

1334 12th Ave. 360-425-8545.

Locally roasted espresso, fine teas, fresh pastries daily, smoothies, beer & wine, homemade soups. Breakfast and lunch. 1333 Broadway. 360-425-7700 See ad, page 21.

Country Folks Deli 1329 Commerce Ave., Longview. Open for lunch and dinner. 360-425-2837.

Evergreen Pub & Café 115-117 East 1st Street Burgers, halibut, prime rib, full bar.

503-556-9935. See ad, page 10.

1210 Ocean Beach Hwy., Longview. Fish & chips, burgers, more.

Beer & wine. 360-577-7972.

Castle Rock

Freddy’s Just for the Halibut. Cod, halibut & tuna fish and chips, oysters & clams., award-winning clam chowder. Prime rib every Thurs. Beer and wine. M-W 10–8, Th-Sat 10–9, Sun 11–8.

1110 Commerce 360-414-3288.

See ad, page 17.

Hop N Grape 924 15th Ave., Longview M–Th 11am–8pm; Fri & Sat 11am–9pm; Sun 11am–7pm. BBQ meat slow-cooked on site. Pulled pork, chicken brisket, ribs, turkey, salmon. World-famous mac & cheese. 360-577-1541 See ad page 27.

28 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader

1260 Commerce Ave. Serving lunch & dinner Mon–Sat 11am–10pm. Full bar, banquet space, American comfort food. 360-703-3904. www.millcitygrill.com. See ad, page 9.

My Thai Kitchen

421 20th Ave., Authentic Thai food, i.e. Drunken Noodles, Pad Thai, Green Curry. Tues–Sat 11:30– 2:30pm, 4:30–7:30pm. 360560-3779.

The Original Pietrio’s Pizzeria

614 Commerce Ave., Longview. 18 varieties of pizza. Salad bar, Lunch buffet all-you-can-eat. Beer & wine. Mon-Fri open 11am, Sat-Sun 12 Noon. 360-3533512.

Porky’s Public House 561 Industrial Way, Longview Slow-roasted prime rib Fri & Sat, flat iron steaks, 1/3-lb burgers, fish & chips.

33 draft beers. Full bar. Family-friendly, weekly jazz and acoustic dinner hour sets on Weds. 360-636-1616. See ad, page 17.

Ice cream, oldfashioned milkshakes, sundaes, local coffee, healthy lunches, Fun atmosphere in The Merk. 1339 Commerce. 360-4234986. See ad, page 9.

Teri’s 3225 Ocean Beach Hwy, Longview.

Lunch and dinner. Fine dining, with specials, fresh NW cuisine. Happy Hour.

Full bar. Mon–Sat open 11am. Closed Sundays. 360-577-0717. See ad, page 34.

Fresh-roasted coffee, snack and pastries. 1335 14th Ave., M-F 9am–4pm, Sat-Sun 9am–4pm.

360-232-8642 Second location: 931 Ocean Beach Hwy (Inside seating plus drive-thru).

M-F 6am–8pm, Sat-Sun 8am–8pm.

360-232-8642. See ad, page 9.

Sunshine Pizza & Catering 2124 Columbia Blvd.

Hot pizza, cool salad bar. Beer & wine.

503-397-3211 See ad, page 26.

Scappoose Fultano’s Pizza 51511 SE 2nd.

Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more! “Best pizza around!”

M–Th, Sat 11am–10pm; Fri 11am– 11pm; Sun 11am–9pm. Full bar service ‘til 11pm Fri & Sat. Deliveries in Scappoose. 503-543-5100.

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 Warren Country Inn 56575 Columbia River Hwy. Fine family dining. Breakfast, lunch & dinner. Fri Prime Rib special, Taco Tuesday. Karaoke Fri-Sat. Full bar.

M-Th 8am–9:30pm, Fri-Sat 8am– 10:30pm, Sun 9am–9pm.

503-410-5479.

Woodland The Oak Tree 1020 Atlantic Ave., Woodland. Full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. Fresh from scratch cooking. Great happy hour menu. Sun 7am–9pm, M-Th 8am–9pm, Fri-Sat 7am–10pm. 360-841-8567

To advertise in Columbia River Dining Guide call 360-749-2632

Miss Manners

cont from page 5

in mail or feeding cats when they are out of town, and were glad to do these favors.

Now some people are getting to the point that they cannot stay in their houses without sustained weekly help — and they expect us to provide this help. I feel that I created this expectation by gladly doing so much in the past, and their feelings will be hurt if I draw the line.

But I want to draw the line. How do I handle this?

GENTLE READER: By stating that you are similarly older than dirt and don’t have the energy or means. As a kinder way to do this, Miss Manners suggests: “Oh, I’m afraid we don’t feel properly equipped to help you with the frequency and manner you require. Perhaps we can help you look into a service that checks in on you and does errands on a weekly basis. We may need the same service ourselves someday soon, so we would be happy to help do the research.”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a dear friend who just turned 80. I really do not believe he suffers from memory problems, as he has very good recall of both recent events and names, as well as those from the past.

Yet my friend has, for many years, brought up in our conversations the same facts or details of cases he has handled as a lawyer, or a lengthy retelling of one of his distant vacations or some event that occurred in his life.

He never prefaces these with “Have I told you this before?” or “Did I ever tell you about the case I handled?”

Instead, he proceeds to describe in detail the facts as if he were telling them to me for the very first time.

I have, on occasion, told him as he begins one of these oft-told tales that he had already told me about it.

But I was hoping there is a polite, non-condescending way of saying to him, before he begins to repeat one of these stories, that he should first ask me whether he has already told me about it. He is a good friend and I don’t wish to hurt his feelings, but I have grown weary of having to listen to the same thing over and over again.

GENTLE READER: Retelling one’s stories is human nature at any age, as is boredom and impatience among unwilling audience members.

While it might be helpful if your friend vetted his stories before telling them, getting him to do so should not be your goal. Your goal is to stop him once he has begun and you recognize the story.

As Miss Manners deals in etiquette, which often contradicts inclination, you have come to the right place. Use your knowledge of your friend’s punch lines: “I remember that, that’s a great story. I can’t believe you spent five days in Guam while they tried to find a replacement engine.”

Then change the subject.

Miss Manners does not recommend changing it to one of your own well-worn stories, although she understands the temptation.

••• Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www. missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Where you can find the new Reader It’s delivered all around the River by the 15th of each month, but here’s a list of handy, regularly-refilled sidewalk box and rack locations, most of which you can visit any time of day and even in your bathrobe ...

LONGVIEW Post Office Bob’s (rack, main check-out) In front of 1232 Commerce Ave In front of 1323 Commerce Ave YMCA Fred Meyer (rack, grocery entrance) US Bank (15th Ave.) Fibre Fed’l CU - Commerce Ave Monticello Hotel (side entrance) The Masthead Kaiser Permanente St. John Medical Center (rack, Park Lake Café) Cowlitz Black Bears box office LCC Student Center Mini-Mart next to Regents Indie Way Diner Columbia River Reader 1333 14th Ave.

RYDERWOOD Community Center RAINIER Post Office Cornerstone Café Glaze, Gifts & Giggles Rainier Hardware (rack, entry) Earth ‘n’ Sun (on Hwy 30) El Tapatio (entry rack) DEER ISLAND Deer Island Store COLUMBIA CITY - Post Office WARREN Warren Country Inn

ST HELENS Chamber of Commerce Sunshine Pizza Post Office KELSO Wild Currant Heritage Bank Olde Towne (near Bemis Printing) Visitors’ Center/ Kelso-Longview Safeway Chamber of Commerce SCAPPOOSE For more locations KALAMA Post Office or the pick-up Fibre Fed’l CU Road Runner point nearest you, Kalama Shopping Center Fred Meyer visit crreader.com

corner of First & Fir (east entrance) and click “Find the WOODLAND Fultano’s Magazine” under Visitor’s Center Ace Hardware “Features.”

The Oak Tree CATHLAMET CASTLE ROCK Cathlamet Pharmacy Lacie Rha’s Cafe (32 Cowlitz W.) CLATSKANIE Four Corners General Store Post Office Parker’s Restaurant (rack, entry) Hump’s (inside entry) Chevron / Mini-Mart Wauna mill (parking area) Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 29

QUIPS & QUOTES Selected by Gordon Sondker

•You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man’s freedom. You can only be free if I am free.

~ Clarence Darrow •He that waits upon fortune is never sure of a dinner.

~ Benjamin Franklin •I must be getting absent-minded.

Whenever I complain that things aren’t what they used to be, I always forget to include myself.

~ George Burns •If an animal does something, we call it instinct. If we do the same thing for the same reason, we call it intelligence

~Will Cuppy (1884-1949), American humorist and literary critic •May you live all the days of your life.

~ Jonathan Swift

•An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.

~ Dwight D. Eisenhower •Anybody who goes to see a psychiatrist ought to have his head examined. ~ Samuel Goldwyn •In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life.

It goes on..

~ Robert Frost •I never think of the future. It comes soon enough. ~ Albert Einstein •If Patrick Henry thought that taxation without representation was bad, he should see how bad it is with representation.

~ The Old Farmer’s Almanac

•It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, as long as you’ve got money. ~ Joe Lewis •You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake. ~ Bob Hope

NW Voices presents bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater

N

orthwest Voices welcomes New York Times best-selling author Maggie Stiefvater to the Longview Library for two events on Thursday, April 20. The first is a Creativity Workshop for Teens from 3:30-5:00pm in the auditorium. Registration is required and space is limited. Call 360.442.5300 or visit the library to register. The second is an author talk at 7pm upstairs in the Main Reading Room. This event is open to all ages. Books will be available for purchase, and Stiefvater will sign up to four books per person.

Stiefvater is the bestselling author of library staff favorite the Raven Cycle, which begins with The Raven Boys, as well as the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, which begins with Shiver, and the Printz Honor Book The Scorpio Races. She has also been a wedding musician, a technical editor, a portrait artist, and, for several fraught weeks, a waitress. She plays several musical instruments (most infamously, the bagpipes), and continues to make art. She lives in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia with her husband, two children, some cows, three dogs and a criminally insane cat. Learn more about her at www. maggiestiefvater.com.

All events are free and open to the public. Northwest Voices is funded by the Longview Public Library and Lower Columbia College, Friends of the LPL, LPL Foundation, LCC Foundation, and LCC’s ASLCC.

Longview resident Gordon Sondker recommends the Lower Columbia region as a great place to retire due to its fine medical and senior living facilities and beautiful natural surroundings.

Why are there never any quotes about cats?

After all, we rule the world.

~ Smokey

Also see listing, page 26, of Workshop and Reading

by Joe Wilkins, April 26.

Man in the Kitchen’s cat

The closest thing to living at home 10 locally-owned, privately-operated adult family homes in Longview serving our community

30 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader

Internal Medicine & Preventative Care Open Every Day for Your Convenience Holidays & Weekends Included

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Most cars and lite duty trucks • Modified vehicles extra Some vehicles may require additional charges.

Hazardous waste and taxes extra. Good thru 5/14/17.

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1100 Vandercook, Longview WWW.STIRLINGHONDA.COM Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 31

Master Gardeners

Tomato plants ~ Next Steps Get those tomato starts re-potted!

A

luscious, juicy, fragrant summer tomato from your own garden—the Holy Grail quest for gardeners in SW Washington. Our short, cool summers are a challenge, but here are some guidelines to help you on your quest!

Recap: If you read the article in last month’s edition about starting your tomato plants indoors by mid-March, then you should have small tomato plants re-potted into 4 inch pots. They are getting 12-14 hours of artificial light per day and are being kept evenly moist.

2nd Repotting: Tomato plants are heavy feeders, and they will soon outgrow the small pot’s ability to feed them. You will need to transplant them into a larger pot when they are about 3 times taller than the width of their pot or if the leaves start to yellow and the plant gets “leggy” with more stem than leaves. A clean plastic milk jug with the top cut off and plenty of drainage holes in the bottom is a good choice. Fill the jug with good quality planting medium mixed with compost.

In order to give your plants a healthy root system, here’s a great tip.

Carefully pinch the leaves off the lower 2/3 of the stem, and plant the roots and the bare stem deep into the soil so that just the leaves are above ground. Water thoroughly, and keep them evenly moist as they grow—and keep them under the lights.

Don’t rush things! We are in no hurry to get our tomato plant outside into the garden. They are warm weather plants, and you gain no advantage in planting them when the night time temps are below 60º and daytime temps are below 70º because they just won’t grow. Wait and plant your tomatoes in the garden until the first or second week of June. Let your tomato plants grow in their pots. Put them in the sunshine on warm days, but bring them back in later in the day. As the weather warms up, you’ll be able to keep them out longer. This is known as “hardening-off” and is a gradual process that lets the plants adjust before being transplanted in your garden.

Where will you plant them?

Your garden location should be: •Convenient so that you will pop in and keep a close eye on it •Close to an irrigation source •Get at least 6 hours of sun a day, more if possible •Have good air circulation •Have good drainage (or raised beds) Prepare your garden for transplanting

I’m assuming that you are starting with good, well-drained soil with

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32 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader

Coming up!

By Alice Slusher

LONGVIEW • Info: 360-577-3014 Training Center, 1942 1st Ave. • Plant & Insect Clinic, Weds, 9–12 • Earth Day Celebration April 15 Visit WSU Master Gardeners’ booth at Cowlitz County Fairgrounds Floral Bldg.

• Tomatopalooza & Plant Sale May 20-21

organic material mixed in. You may want to purchase an inexpensive soil-test kit to check the pH and soil nutrients.

•pH: Chances are, the pH is fine, slightly on the acidic side. If it’s lower than 6.0, mix in a little dolomite lime and recheck. Because tomatoes are heavy feeders, fertilizer must be added before transplanting.

•Fertilizer: Two choices — add an organic or chemical fertilizer with the numbers 5-10-10 (NPK) on the label in the recommended amounts, by making a furrow in the soil about 8 inches below your planting location. Pour in a narrow line of fertilizer. Or, your other choice is to add organic material at a deeper level, such as rotted manure or composted leaves. For either choice, cover up your fertilizer with at least 3 inches of soil so the roots don’t come into direct contact with it.

•Transplanting: Finally! Transplant your tomatoes in the furrow you just made—use the same technique as

ST HELENS • Info: 503-397-3462 • Spring Native Plant Sale, 9–3, behind Scappoose High School • Bonsai, April 27 6:30pm • April 29 9am–3pm Columbia County Master Gardener 22nd Annual Spring Fair / Tomato Sale, St. Helens High School, 9–3.

4,800 plants, 34 varieties @ $1.50 per plant.

Check with your local Extension office for other events and opportunities.

when you transplanted into the larger pot—peel off some of the lower leaves, lay the stem and roots in the furrow, cover with soil and water. To help warm the soil early in the season, you can place a strip of black plastic over your row area before transplanting, poke holes in it, then slice openings for plants.

••• Kalama resident Alice Slusher is a Master Gardener and volunteers with WSU Extension Service Plant & Insect Clinic.

Drop by 9am–12noon Wednesdays at 1946 3rd Ave., Longview, with your specimen, call 360-577-3014, ext. 8, or send questions (with photo, as appropriate) to cowlitzmastergardener@gmail.com.

Where do you read

THE READER? WHERE DO YOU READ THE READER?

Lost in his reading “Anonymous” (Roman

Fedorka, of Kelso, Wash.) in front of the Freetown International Airport, Sierra Leone, Africa, January 2017. Photo by Jeannette Fedorka

Send your photo reading the Reader (highresolution JPEG) to Publisher@ CRReader.com.

If sending a cell phone photo, choose the largest file size up to 2 MB. Include names and cities of residence.

Thank you for your participation and patience, as we usually have a backlog. Keep those photos coming!

She must love wildlife Longview

resident Joan Nelson in Kasilof, Alaska, while visiting her daugther, Tracy Foister and her husband and extended family, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren

Honeymooners! Longview residents Aspen Clontz and Chuck Meade in Thailand.

Cruising along Longview resident Beverly Waiting for Castro? Longview resident Ann Wright, Gavin Mills, of Castle Rock, Wash., Chris Roalsvig, of Longview, Wash., and Cathlamet resident Nancy McCoy, drinking mojitos and smoking cigars in the tobacco fields near Vinales, Cuba in January 2017.

At right: Vintage yellow taxi reflects local color.

Goilmore, Joyce Merz, of Castle Rock, Wash., and Shirley May Toney, of Cathlamet, Wash., step off the Norwegian Pearl at Victoria, B.C., during their Alaska Inside Passage cruise in September.

Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 33

the spectator by ned piper

F

Sowing seeds of good will in the neighborhood

ive years ago a Chinese family of four moved into a house three doors down from us. They are very friendly. The son and daughter speak a little English. I don’t know about the dad, but the mother speaks only Chinese. Whenever we are both in our respective front yards, she and I wave to each other and yell “Hi,” the only word we have in common.

At about this time last year, I was in our front yard pulling weeds from our raised bed garden. I heard a hearty “Hi!” and responded with a wave, then resumed working. A minute later, I looked up to find my neighbor helping me pull weeds. I tried to tell her that she didn’t need to help, but of course she didn’t understand me. She just kept weeding, with a smile on her face.

Suddenly, she stood up and literally ran back to her house. She came back carrying four plants. I tried to tell her that we were planning to plant only flowers that year. She obviously didn’t understand, even though I was speaking very loudly and clearly. After planting what turned out to be four different varieties of squash, she again ran home, this time returning with two cups, each containing dried peas. Holding out one cup, she explained with hand gestures that these seeds would produce tall pea plants. The other cup contained seeds, assuming I understood her gestures, for shorter pea plants.

Then, without a word, she poked holes in the dirt and planted the seeds.

Every seed she planted produced a fine crop of peas. At the end of the harvest, while digging out the dried

plants, I discovered several pea pods hidden by the leaves. I collected the peas from the pods and put them in our shed to dry.

Three weeks ago I planted the 50 dried peas (now seeds) an inch deep in three rows along the edges of the raised bed.

I have since pounded stakes into the dirt and strung twine the plants will climb up, increasing their access to the sunlight. Not knowing which of the plants would grow tall and which were of the shorter variety, it will be interesting to see how they come up.

Frankly, I wasn’t positive they would even sprout — they looked so shriveled up — but a week ago the plants in all three rows peeked through the dirt as if they had talked among themselves and decided to appear together. I marvel at how they are growing, a half-inch taller every other day. I look forward to harvest time.

If last year is anything to go by, we will also discover a number of volunteer cherry tomato plants appearing in our garden, uncalled for but welcome, nonetheless.

I plan to pick a bowl of peapods and present them to our neighbor who planted the seeds that produced this batch of seeds. Remember, what goes around, comes around.

••• Lifelong Longview resident Ned Piper is enjoying life embellished by his role in CRR’s ad sales and distribution. He is hooked on “Designated Survivor,” and looks forward to the next season of “House of Cards” coming soon.

m p 0 :3 9 – 0 :3 6 c i s Live Mu : Raeann

Friday • y k c u B : y a d s e n d We Make reservations for

Mother’s Day

May 14 FREE Strawberry Shortcake for all Moms dining with us!

Mon-Sat Open 11am Closed Sunday

3225 Ocean Beach Hwy Longview, WA

34 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader

360-577-0717

boxes to filter and purify stormwater runoff from buildings and using water treatment facilities to clean water used during operations. What you may not know is while the Port prides itself on being an industrial powerhouse, it also takes great pride in being an environmental steward.

WHAT’S

UP

UNDER THE BRIDGE?

By Brooke Hendrickson

M

y life has been a bit of a mixed bag. I have been a diligent student, a proud athlete, a fearless adventurer and outdoor enthusiast, a loving daughter and sister, a devoted communications associate, and more. I take pride in being authentically myself in all situations and hold my values close to my heart, particularly values involving protecting and maintaining our beautiful planet.

Working at the Port of Longview has introduced me to a new vantage point of environmental stewardship.

A view asking me to look closer to see what’s going on behind the scenes at the Port.

The Port is protecting the environment in a variety of ways, some which are easier to identify than others. Removing old pilings from docks and using covered conveyors to reduce dust and improve air quality can be clearly seen. Other things are less evident, like introducing grattix

Following intense environmental regulations, the environmental department operates with high expectations. With environmental protocol for vessel operations, waste and storm water systems and vigilant inspections of equipment, the Port of Longview is committed to sustainability. The Port takes protecting and maintaining its waterfront seriously, not just for business purposes, but also to ensure that the citizens of the Port District can access the beautiful waterway that we have in our backyard.

We only have one planet; I am proud of the steps the Port of Longview is taking to ensure our industrial and business needs are fulfilled while protecting the environment. Through environmental stewardship, the Port of Longview is preserving economic opportunities for the future of the Port District and the natural environment we call home.

•••

Brooke Hendrickson is Communications Associate with the Port of Longview. Reach her at bhendrickson@portoflongview.com or 360-703-0256.

2017

OPENING NIGHT • JUNE 1 • 6:35pm ANOTHER EXCITING SEASON IN STORE

Home games at Story Field at Lower Columbia College, Longview

PORT TALK PORT OF LONGVIEW NEWSLETTER

The Port’s stormwater infiltration pond naturally filters rainwater runoff using specialized plants and soils.

WATER TREATMENT FACILITIES KEEP THE PORT GREEN Pacific Northwest waterways are vital to the region’s economic engines, such as ports. Moving millions of tons of cargo and supporting tens of thousands of jobs annually, a healthy Columbia River is critical to the economic health of our region.

Sean Kelly has worked for the Port since 2011.

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: SEAN KELLY, ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD MANAGER What does Earth Day mean to you?

Every day is Earth Day when you’re working in this capacity.

I think it’s a wonderful way to remind people of the beauty and fragility of our region.

To filter stormwater, which comes as a result of rainfall, the Port constructed a half-acre treatment area with specialized plants and soils to naturally filter rainwater collected from areas with no active cargo operations. The water remains in the treatment area to eventually allow plants to grow.

The Port of Longview takes great pride in actively managing its environmental systems, including both its stormwater and wastewater facilities, that treat water to ensure the Port’s environmental foot print remains small.

“Maintaining and improving our water treatment facilities allows the Port to handle a wide variety of cargo, while maintaining our beautiful waterfront,” said Environmental Field Manager Sean Kelly.

Wastewater, which is water contained and collected during a cargo operation, is pumped to a settling pond capable of holding up to 1.5 million gallons. Debris and contaminates in the water settle to the bottom of the pond allowing water to move to a treatment facility for further processing. The water is then discharged to Three Rivers Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant.

These are just two of the nine actively managed water treatment systems at the Port. Through multiple permits, including wastewater and stormwater permits, the Washington State Department of Ecology regulates environmental expectations to ensure operations are sustainable and reflective of the Port’s commitment to the natural environment.

What’s the best part about being an Environmental Field Manager?

THE ENVIRONMENTAL WAY

Maintaining the air quality around the Port, as well as wastewater and stormwater systems, means my office is outside. I definitely prefer that over sitting at a desk all day!

The Columbia River is the Port of Longview’s lifeblood and the responsibility of managing the Port’s environmental ties to the river lies with the Port’s environmental team. The Port employs an entire department that works to ensure that we are good stewards of the environment.

What is one thing you want the community to know about the Port’s environmental department?

The environmental department wears two hats. We’re working as environmental stewards to keep the Port green through compliance with environmental regulations, while also ensuring the Port continues to generate economic benefits for our community.

WILLOW GROVE PARK UPDATE

“Maintaining the quality of the Columbia River is a top priority at the Port,” said Environmental Manager Lisa Willis. “We take proactive steps every day to ensure our waterways remain healthy for both our community and business partners.”

Covered conveyors reduce dust and other debris during operations.

With diverse cargos at the Port, the environmental team works closely with our operations department to develop cargo handing plans prior to each vessel. These plans outline environmental measures necessary during cargo handling and ensure proper clean up to protect our natural resources.

As part of the ongoing effort to improve Willow Grove Park, the Port is seeking a Willow Grove Park Host. To apply for this volunteer position and to learn more, visit www.portoflongview.com/community or stop by our office to pick up an application.

COMMISSIONERS

COMMISSION MEETINGS

Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and pass a background check.

Jeff Wilson / District 1 Doug Averett / District 2 Bob Bagaason / District 3

Regular meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month at 10:00 am and are open to the public. Meeting times are subject to change. For more information, visit portoflongview.com.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Norm Krehbiel

PORTOFLONGVIEW.COM

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PORT Is there information you would like to see in Port Talk, or do you have questions related to a story that was featured? Please email info@portoflongview.com, or call 360.425.3305

T. 360-425-3305 F. 360-425-8650

10 PORT WAY LONGVIEW, WASHINGTON 98632 Columbia River Reader / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / 35

Longview Orthopedic Associates The Sports Medicine Specialists Longview Orthopedic Associates has been providing sports medicine care to local prep, club, college athletes, and recreational athletes since 1983.

Several LOA physicians have subspecialty training and certification in sports medicine and have provided services to professional sports teams in Seattle and Los Angeles.

If you suffer a sports-related injury, you can count on Bill Turner, Jon Kretzler, Peter Kung, A.J. Lauder, Jake McLeod, and Tony Lin to get you back in the action as quickly as possible.

We welcome Kaiser patients with a referral! www.longvieworthopedics.com

360.501.3400

36 / April 15 – May 15, 2017 / Columbia River Reader