CRR April 2020

CRREADER.COM • Vol. XVI, No. 177 • April 15, 2020 • COMPLIMENTARY Helping you discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region at home and on the road

People + Place

Wmade hat we’re of...

page 26

COLUMBIA RIVER

dining guide

MISS MANNERS ON DOOR OPENING

• THE SPRING SKY

SEEKER SCIENTIST ENTREPRENEUR GUARDIAN AMBASSADOR CREATOR ENGINEER EXPLORER TRANSLATOR WARRIOR MAVERICK •

A WALK IN THE WOODS

COLUMBIA RIVER READER COLLECTORS CLUB

LEWIS AND CLARK REVOLUTIONIZED What really — truly — happened during those final wind-blown, rain-soaked thirty days of the Lewis and Clark Expedition? Southwest Washington author and explorer Rex Ziak revolutionized historical scholarship by providing the answers: day by day and week by week. We’re delighted to offer In Full View, and Rex’s other two books, one with an extraordinary fold-out map, as our inaugural offerings from CRR Collectors Club.

CRREADER.COM Helping you • Vol. XVI, No. 176 • discover and enjoy March 15 – April 15, the good life in the 2020 • COMPL Columbia IMENTARY River region at home and on the

road

MOSS IN YOUR LAWN ?

What to do page 15

IN FULL VIEW Rex Ziak

ONE RIVER MANY VOIC , ES WASHINGTON POET LAUREA ’S TE COMES TO WAHKIAKUM COUNTY

$29.95

page 14

People+Plac

e

A true and accurate account of Lewis and Clark’s arrival at the Pacific Ocean, and their search for a winter camp along the lower Columbia River.

EYEWITNESS TO ASTORIA Gabriel Franchére

$21.95

The newly edited and annotated by Rex Ziak version of Franchére’s 1820 journal, Narrative of a Voyage to the Northwest Coast of America in the Years 1811, 1812, 1813 and 1814, or The First American Settlement on the Pacific.

COLUMB

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Field Guide to the Lower Columbia River in Poems and Pictures Robert Michael Pyle and Judy VanderMaten.

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Robert Michael Pyle Judy VanderMaten

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DOWN AND UP Rex Ziak $18.95 A unique fold-out guide mapping day-byday Lewis and Clark’s journey from the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean and back.

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IA RIVER

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“It’s a different way of seeing.” A one-of-akind Field Guide to the lower Columbia, in poems and pictures. Now available from Columbia River Reader Press for pre-order in two editions, to be published in May..

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W

e’re here. And grateful for it. Thanks to you — our readers and advertisers — for making it clear that you’re depending on us each month and anticipating our usual mix of features, photos, columns and whimsy. We intend to continue publishing on schedule — the show must go on! A couple of notes:

Sue’s Views

•Most events are on hold and anything date-specific mentioned in ads, the calendar, or dining guide this month are, of course, subject to change.

•Many of your favorite pick-up locations are closed, but we are regularly re-filling all CRR sidewalk boxes around the region. I’ve long joked that these are places you can pick up the Reader any time, day or night, even in your bathrobe. It’s no longer so funny! See page 28 or consult the “Find the Magazine” tool online at crreader.com. Here, you can also click on “Archives” to catch up on back issues, going back seven years!

•Our Columbia River Reader Press book launch and reading scheduled for April 22 at the Cowlitz County Historical Museum is postponed, we hope for just a month or two, subject of course to continuing developments.

Stand by for an announcement!

Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper Columnists and contributors: Tracy Beard Hal Calbom Alice Dietz Joan Enders Joseph Govednik Ted Gruber Jim Lemonds Sue Marble Charmaine Nawrocki Michael Perry Ned Piper Perry Piper Robert Michael Pyle Marc Roland Alan Rose Alice Slusher Greg Smith Ian Thompson Paul Thompson Debra Tweedy Production/Graphics Manager: Perry E. Piper Editorial/Proofreading Assistants: Merrilee Bauman Michael & Marilyn Perry Debra Tweedy Advertising Manager: Ned Piper, 360-749-2632 Columbia River Reader, llc 1333 14th Ave Longview, WA 98632 P.O. Box 1643 • Rainier, OR 97048 Office Hours: M-W-F • 11–3* *Other times by chance or appointment Website: www.CRReader.com E-mail: publisher@crreader.com Phone: 360-749-1021

in Maui, but couch surfing is perfectly appropriate, too. We’re counting on readers to send some amusing photos!

signed by the authors; and a black and white trade edition. Signature Editions are limited, so get your order in now!

•Please give special attention to our Page 2 “Store.” Subscribing by joining our Collector’s Club is now an especially good way to receive the paper in your own mailbox. And our selection of books — curated and now (ta da!) including one published by CRRPress — continues to grow.

With the world and our region facing the challenge of a pandemic, job losses, and businesses shuttering (we hope and feel it will be a shorter term than most prognosticators think…) we have been reflecting and, frankly, counting our blessings. In this issue contributing writer Hal Calbom takes a look back at two years of People+ Place features and takes stock: Who are we? What do we do? What are we made of?

Added to Rex Ziak’s trailblazing tales of Lewis and Clark and early Astoria is The Tidewater Reach, a spectacular and groundbreaking new collaboration between our own Robert Michael Pyle and Cathlamet photographer Judy VanderMaten. In fact, this month’s cover offers a preview of one of Judy’s photographs from the book.

The show must go on!

•While social distancing continues, please submit your “at home” photos for “Where Do You Read the Reader?” (page 22). You may not be on the beach

The Tidewater Reach is available for preorder in two formats — a Signature First Edition in color and black and white and

Columbia River Reader . . . helping you discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region at home and on the road.

In this Issue

“Brookfield” Photo by Judy VanderMaten

Cover Design by

Columbia River Reader is published monthly, with 15,000 copies distributed free in the Lower Columbia region.

Entire contents copyrighted

by Columbia River Reader. No reproduction of any kind allowed without express written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed herein, whether in editorial content or paid ad space, belong to the writers and advertisers, and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Reader.

Wishing you glorious walks, talks, and homecooking … and appreciation of the good life we still enjoy.

Sue Piper

ON THE COVER From The Tidewater Reach: Field Guide to the Lower Columbia River in Poems and Pictures by Robert Michael Pyle and Judy VanderMaten.

Columbia River Reader Press, anticipated release May 2020.

What brought us here in the first place and gives us the resilience to stay? And what will keep us optimistic about our shared future?

2

CRR Collectors Club

4

Miss Manners

6

Roland on Wine:

6

Lower Columbia School Gardens

7

Dispatch from the Discovery Trail

9

Looking Back: The Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918

10

Northwest Gardening: Love and Discovery during COVID-19

12

Maintaining Literacy during a Pandemic

13

Me & My Piano: Sue Marble

14

A Walk in the Woods

15

Museum Magic

16

Quips & Quotes

17-21 People + Place ~What We’re Made Of 21

How to Read CRR online

23

Essay by Robert Michael Pyle: The Great Indoors

22

Where Do You Read the Reader?

24

Besides CRR, What Are You Reading?

25

Cover to Cover ~ Book Review/ Bestsellers List

26-27 Lower Columbia Dining Guide 28

Man in the Kitchen Classic: Potatoes Melva

Submission guidelines: page 30.

29 Lower Columbia Informer: Join the Congregation

General Ad info: page 8

30-31 Outings & Events Calendar

Ned Piper 360-749-2632.

CRREADER.COM Visit our website for the current issue and archive of past issues from 2013.

33 34 34

Astronomy ~ The Sky Report / Stargazing for Newbies The Spectator: The People Stayed Home Plugged In to Cowlitz PUD during COVID-19

Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 3

Civilized Living

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Can you eat baked chicken with your hands?

Also, can you use a regular teaspoon for soup when serving several guests?

GENTLE READER: No doubt you can. But please don’t. Your fingers will be greasy, and your guests will take forever to finish their soup.

Your Columbia River Reader Read it • Enjoy it Share it • Recycle it

Columbia River Reader is printed with environmentally-sensitive soybased inks on paper manufactured in the Pacific Northwest utilizing the highest percentage of “post-consumer waste” recycled content available on the market.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A few years ago, we bought an old house Dracula wouldn’t have been willing to live in, tore it down, and replaced it with a spiffy modern house. The nextdoor neighbors were enraged at this and did their best to block our plans.

When that failed, they continually called the city to complain about the inconvenience to themselves of our project.

Now we are done, and these same neighbors have embarked on an extensive renovation project. They are doing the same things they complained about us doing: starting work too early, storing materials in the street, workers playing loud music, and so on.

I don’t want to be difficult the way they were, but I can’t help wanting to ask them why this is OK when they do it. Yet I also realize saying this would make a bad situation worse.

GENTLE READER: Tell your neighbors that you completely understand, from experience, that neighbors get upset because sometimes homeowners do not realize that workers are being inconsiderate -- but could they please ask the contractor not to block the driveway?

Miss Manners does not promise this will be effective; the only guaranteed solution is to wait it out. But it may embarrass them. And even if it does not, it will be satisfying to demonstrate how a good neighbor behaves.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When my wife and I hosted some family members, one of our female guests took it upon herself to go through our pantry and select every item that was past its “sell by” or “best by” date. She then proceeded to pour the contents into our garbage disposal and toss the containers in our recycling bin.

We have some other friends who experienced the same thing when they hosted a family member recently.

We are over 65, as are our friends.

I’m sure these women think they are doing us a favor, but most of the discarded items were condiments, and I have never gotten sick from a “bad” condiment.

Has it become commonplace for family members to go through an elderly person’s pantry or refrigerator and toss expired items without their consent?

GENTLE READER: Certainly. And while they are at it, they might chuck out any family members they deem similarly past their prime.

Miss Manners suggests that you do your best to keep these helpful guests out of the kitchen -- or give them a quick, dramatic scream upon finding any food that was unceremoniously tossed out by them. They might concede that your stunned reaction is far worse for your health than the consumption of any recently expired items.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Approaching the heavy wooden doors of a local university building, my husband and I were a few feet behind a man in a wheelchair who bypassed the door-opening button. My 84-year-old husband said, “I will get the door.”

The man addressed us with profane language, grabbed the door handle, jerked it open, and proceeded down a hall. He then yelled, “Yeah, help the d___ handicapped man.” cont page 5

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Now — when we all need to keep our DISTANCE from others It’s a good time to COZY UP and review recycling basics on our website.

Please do not place your recyclables in plastic bags Place directly into your BROWN recycling container In an effort to serve you better, the City has compiled common information that residents often request, plus created an easy way for you to communicate with us.

Got a question? Just Ask Longview!

Most plastic bags are a solid color, preventing sorters from seeing the contents. Used needles or other hazardous materials are sometimes found; for safety reasons, such bags are not opened up.

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Miss Manners

from page 4

We were stunned. Should we not have tried to assist him?

GENTLE READER: Just what the world needs now: more people trying to stamp out the little courtesy that is left.

Opening a door for someone else, for whatever reason — they have their hands full, you got there first — is not an insult. By taking it as such, the person to whom you deferred is only making life more unpleasant for himself and everyone else.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: After a long career in the public eye, and at age 74, I am withdrawing from most public activity to enjoy some years of traveling with my wife and contemplating nature. This means that the serious and very popular cultural events I produce must end, to the regret of the community. No one else is really able to continue the work. The events have been a major cultural and social success.

I’ve been asked several times how I feel about the sum of my experiences.

Each time I’m asked, I consciously

restrain myself from remarking that only twice in the past years have I been personally thanked, in any way, for any of the complimentary tickets I distribute lavishly. (And in those two instances, I received two separate thank-you notes from the same person.)

I was never motivated by a desire for personal credit. I have no interest in spreading bad feelings. But since I am not YOU, is there any way I can make a comment or take some action to let others know that it’s polite to express gratitude? Or do I remain silent — politely?

GENTLE READER: Silence should not always be the price of politeness, Miss Manners believes. You could say, “I’ve loved doing this, and I hope others enjoyed it, but I don’t really know, because I never got any feedback.”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My partner of 24 years has developed a habit, the past year or two, of finishing my sentences for me. I guess he seems to think that he knows me so well, he knows what I plan on saying.

When he finishes, I say, “May I finish what I was saying now?” as a way of trying to nicely say, “That’s not what I was going to say.”

It has gotten to the point where I don’t even want to tell him anything, because it is so frustrating to be constantly interrupted. When he speaks to me, I give him my undivided attention, and don’t interrupt him.

Although I am disabled, and home all the time, I make it a point not to chatter all the time about things he has no interest in. If it wasn’t for my dog, I would probably be asking my doctor for antidepressants!

GENTLE READER: Your partner may not be as easy to train as the dog, but Miss Manners recommends trying, rather than reaching for pills.

She recommends not finishing what you were going to say. Instead, let him finish, and then say in the smug tone of someone judging a contest, “No! That wasn’t it!”

This forces him to ask, “Well, what was it?” to which you reply, “Oh, take another guess.” Repeat as often as necessary. With any luck, he will eventually tire of this little game.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I live in an area where the residents have been ordered to stay at home because of COVID-19, and I’ve spent more time recently communicating with my friends and family through phone calls, emails or text messages, as most are in the same situation.

It has been a good opportunity to reconnect and catch up, swapping stories and comparing our similar tales of inconvenience and adjustment.

However, a friend who is also in confinement, and who usually phones once a month, now calls four times a day. Her conversations range from her impassioned views on news and politics to her running low on toilet paper.

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At first, it was nice to hear from her more frequently, but now it’s becoming a nuisance. What can I possibly say to make her limit her calls? There’s no sense telling her that I’m too busy to talk or that I have somewhere else to be, because obviously she knows that neither excuse is true.

GENTLE READER: It is a sad situation, and if you and your friend have any mutual acquaintances, you might suggest that they check in with her. But Miss Manners does not expect you to devote your days to endless socializing with one person.

You do have things to do: keeping in touch with other people, and perhaps that dreaded fallback of the quaran-tined — household organization and chores that you had always claimed never to have the time to perform. And only under these special circumstances — ­ namely, that your devices are currently your only way of making sure everyone is all right — Miss Manners will allow you to sign off on one rambling call to take another.

However, the best excuses are always no excuses. That way, there is no danger of being misbelieved or found out. So you need to learn to say, “Sorry, can’t talk now.”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: While dining at a restaurant, my husband signaled our server to our table by saying, “Oh miss, I’d like more coffee.”

I told him that addressing her in such a manner was no longer appropriate, but he countered that calling her by her first name or her job title, such as “Oh waitress,” was even worse.

How exactly does one address a server these days, particularly those who are female, without wandering into a minefield of words that could be considered outdated at best and offensive at worst? Normally, I ask people how they’d like to be addressed, but doing so while being served dinner does not seem appropriate, either.

GENTLE READER: Etiquette exists to solve such problems, which is why Miss Manners slaps the hands (metaphorically) of people who actively seek reasons to be offended. A waitress who takes offense at being called “miss” -- a perfectly proper and respectful form of address -- should steel herself for less pleasant alternatives.

••• (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.)

Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 5

Roland on Wine

While the Beast runs rampant

By Marc Roland

A

most appropriate and comforting saying for the last month or so, when most of us are sitting quarantined at home and drinking copious amounts of alcohol!

People are indeed drinking more as the “beast” is running rampant in our land.

In the week ending March 21, sales on alcoholic beverages have increased by 55 percent according to Nielsen research. Hard liquor seems to be the favorite, but wine sales are up 42 percent.

Why do we drink wine during a crisis? It may be to ease our weary minds, but it is probably because it is so stinking good.

The reason a waiter in a restaurant opens wine at your table and has you sample it is not to see whether you like it, is to find out if it is spoiled or as Louis Pasteur would say “has maladies.” This is rarely the case today except for maybe cork taint. But back in the day, spoiled wine was an issue and became a crisis in France — and when it comes to wine, to the French it was probably a bigger crisis than a viral outbreak!

The wine economy of France was a big deal and as wine exports increased, wine spoilage also increased. This problem threatened France’s prominence in the world of wine. Not to lose this important source of income, Emperor Napoleon III enlisted Pasteur’s help to discover why some wines “went south” on the high seas.

Napolean suspected that winemaking, as well as other processes like distilling, was not just a chemical breakdown of sugar, but a process that included living organisms. Voilá! The birth of microbiology. No one had ever looked at spoiled wine under a microscope.

Pasteur had been doing research before the wine project and learned there was a difference between living and nonliving organisms. Pesky germs!

“Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages.”

~ Louis Pasteur

From a winemaker’s perspective, I have learned that by using vigorous commercial yeast that is free of unwanted bacteria, the growth of unwanted organisms present in natural yeasts on the grapes will be overwhelmed. However, many of my winemaker friends only use natural yeast, believing it produces better wine, more true to the character of the vineyard. But there are risks.

So whether wine is fermented with natural or commercial yeasts, today winemakers have a tool that was not available to Pasteur— sulfites to control spoilage. So Pasteur saved the wine industry by discovering that heating a liquid to a certain temperature and then cooling it (pasteurization) would kill unwanted organisms.

Pasteur’s germ theory of disease not only saved the wine industry, but it also began the whole idea of preventive medicine, which led to the development of many vaccinations.

We are right now experiencing a new threat from a virus that we know very little about. We have come a long way from Pasteur to the development of DNA research which will ultimately, we hope, conquer the coronavirus (until the next enemy comes along).

In the meantime, aren’t we thankful for those who are working so hard to keep us safe and aren’t we thankful that we have alcoholic beverages that are tasty, healthy, and hygienic to get us through it?

•••

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.

6 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

A note from the School Gardens Dear Village, We miss you!

We hope you are keeping well and healthy as you do your best to stay home (if at all possible) during this time full of so many question marks. Our team worked from home for that first week until we were able to access our 19 gardens starting on March 23. But in such a different way: no students, no volunteers, no teachers. As is the case for each of you, we’re facing a lot of unknowns right now, and thinking hard about how to move forward in safe and helpful ways.

We do know a few things: • Our work is even more important in these times. Locally grown food is a critical part of a resilient community, as are many of the accompanying values such as sustainability, equity, and collaboration.

• We’re focusing much of our energy on growing LOTS of good food for our community; thousands of seedlings are being planted in the ground with more being sprouted in the greenhouse.

• We’re planting and delivering free container gardens, so that kids and families can grow veggies where they live, and enjoy some of the therapeutic and educational benefits that go along with that.

• We’re expanding our partnership with Three Rivers Christian School.

This is our second year using their giant beautiful greenhouse to start

thousands of annual crops; right now we’re planting in one of their open fields to produce even more food.

• Many of you look forward to our annual School Garden Plant Sale to source your veggies, herbs, flowers, and perennials; we are moving that online. We’ll take orders and offer weekly curbside pick up and delivery once that’s up and running.

• We’ll do our best to stay connected with you, our village! Look for how-to resources and the like in the coming days via email as well as “The Faces Book “and “Instant Grams” (you can find these on something called “The Inner Net” sounds exclusive, doesn’t it?)

Thank you for all the ways you support School Gardens! We know we are not alone in this, and we know that you too are looking for ways to help out neighbors and do good work, and that together we can strengthen, support, and heal our community (from 6 feet away, of course!).

Take care and please keep in touch, so to speak, Gratefully, Your School Garden Team PS: We are happy to announce the 2020 Spring Matching Campaign, generously sponsored by The HealthCare Foundation.

Thanks to their significant donation, your gift will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to our goal of $20,000! Mail your contribution to LCSG, PO Box 785 Longview WA 98632, or donate online at lcschoolgardens.org

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Lewis & Clark

Homeward bound, still!

What’s the hold up?

W

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

Lewis & Clark Encore 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.

“Dispatch from the Discovery Trail” helped define and shape Columbia River Reader in its early years during the Bicentennial Commemoration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Each installment covered their travels during the corresponding month 200 years prior. We are repeating the series for the enjoyment of both longtime and more recent readers.

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to the Nez Perce villages on the Clearwater River, 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 canoe got crosswise and was swept away. The four remaining canoes were unable to carry all the baggage, so Lewis bought two more from the Indians.

Doggone!

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.”

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The Newfoundland Dog was the first animal to be 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.

Newfoundland Dogs While preparing for the Expedition in 1803, Meriwether Lewis paid $20 for a “dogg of the newfoundland breed.” Lewis failed to write about his reasons for buying this particular breed of dog, but 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. They needed a lifeguard.

Newfoundland dogs are web-footed and have natural life-saving 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

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 that they were willing to trade. Finally, Clark crossed the river and obtained 12 horses, and another six two days later. On April 18th, they reached a point where the two largest canoes could go no further, so the canoes were cut up for firewood. They needed more horses and, reluctantly, traded two large kettles for four more horses. Lewis was furious when one of the horses 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 Michael Perry enjoys local history and travel. His popular 33-installment Lewis & Clark series appeared in CRR’s early years and began its second “encore” appearance in April 2018.

– over two feet tall and weigh up to 150 pounds. They are larger than a St. Bernard and 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 100 years ago.

Scannon, Seamon, or Seaman?

Until 1987, every book about Lewis and Clark referred to Lewis’s dog as “Scannon.” In 1984, while examining one of Clark’s maps, a historian noticed that a creek near Missoula Montana was named “Seaman’s Creek.” Since there was nobody associated with the Corps cont page 9

19th. However, it would be a while before the Indians 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 was also told 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 food. Clark started trading medical treatments for food.

His reputation was well known from his having 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 cont page 9 Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 7

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Dispatch

from page 7

horses. A Walula Indian caught up with them and delivered a steel trap he had found near his village that one of the men had forgotten. 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 had 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.

I don’t want to hear it On May 7th, the Indians told the Corps the Rocky Mountains 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 eight inches of fresh 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.

Doctor Duck?

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

Newfoundlands from page 7

of Discovery named Seaman, and since they were 700 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 (such as Sacajawea’s River) or that reflected the particular landmark (such as 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 (more on that in a future Dispatch). Newfoundland dogs typically live only 8 – 10 years, and very few of them walk 4,000 miles across the continent!

•••

unaided. On May 30th, he could move his legs and on June 8th he was able to stand up. No wonder the Indians thought Clark was big medicine!

Hit the road, Jack

By May 31st, the Corps had 65 horses and were anxious to leave. The Nez Perce recently had sent messengers across the mountains to visit the Flat Heads in Montana. 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.

Learn, take comfort from the past Joseph Govednik, Director, Cowlitz County Historical Museum

D

uring these uncertain times, we must keep perspective that throughout our history, humans have persevered among immense challenges. The current COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder that although there is great concern, we should focus on standing strong together. I have been inspired by the efforts of our community to support each other in any way possible.

We have seen our medical professionals work long hours, grocery store workers making best efforts to keep shelves stocked, people making masks from home for medical workers, and distilleries transition to make hand sanitizer, all in the combined effort to combating and containing this disease.

Throughout history we have triumphed through depressions, wars, natural catastrophes, and pandemics. Our Cowlitz Historical Quarterly from 1996, Volume 38, Number 1, contains the article, “The 1918 Spanish Flu: A Pandemic Strikes Cowlitz County,” and will give insight to what our recent ancestors did during similar times just over a century ago. To access this article, visit the Museum’s website at: http://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/Museum Scroll down to “Downloads” and click on the article. In recording the radio segments “Today in Cowlitz County History”, which airs on 101.5 FM The Wave, we discovered historical content from 100 years ago that mirrors current events. Theaters and public dances, among other social gatherings, were prohibited in order to contain Spanish Influenza, in the same way we are “Staying Home, Staying Safe” today. Just as the Spanish Flu passed and became history, this too shall pass.

As a repository of Cowlitz County history, we have a responsibility to preserve, collect, and maintain a record of this event for future generations.

Just as we can learn from the historical Publicity used by the Treasury Department United States Public Health Service record of the Spanish Flu pandemic, we strive to preserve our stories for the benefit of our children, grandchildren, and beyond.

We look forward to reopening the museum to the public in the near future. Please watch Columbia River Reader for announcements.

Until then, stay safe and take care of yourselves, loved ones, and neighbors.

More historical images, page 16

••• Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 9

Northwest Gardening

Love and Discovery in the Time of COVID-19

By Alice Slusher

I

feel a deep love for spring wildflowers — their unique beauty, their fleeting moments in the sun — and love learning their names and where they live.

My mom, a self-taught amateur naturalist, would take me as a child on long walks in the woods in early spring to revisit her “spring ephemeral friends.” Every year, before the leaves appear on the trees, some of those tiny, beautiful plants with their blues and yellows pop up to be greeted and admired until they are shaded over by the trees.

When I moved to the Pacific Northwest more than eight years ago, my addiction to Midwestern wildflowers followed me. I have a couple of well-worn Pacific Northwest wildflower field guides and a notebook filled with entries of my newest plant friends that I greet each year when they appear. It’s a great way to enjoy your enforced social distancing!

Many families in rural areas live on undeveloped property, which is a great place for wildflowers to grow and prosper. You don’t even have to leave home. And new mobile apps make it even easier to identify plants. My favorite free apps are i-Naturalist and

Washington Wildflowers, available for both Android and iOS. If you have kids at home, make a game of it. Learn with each other — keep notes, take pictures (don’t pick the flowers, though), and share your finds on Facebook, with classmates, and family, and maybe engage with other friends to find locations for wildflowers you haven’t seen yet. Make a scrapbook and use it as a guide next year when you go on your own “Spring Ephemerals” walk!

It could become a spring ritual you’ll look forward to every year.

Speaking of those small, noisy persons now living in your home during normal school hours: I’ve asked a couple of Master Gardener friends with young children for ideas to feed those thirsty little brains with interesting activities.

One of the best things you can do is spend time learning something new

Kalama resident Alice Slusher volunteers with WSU Extension Service Plant & Insect Clinic. It does not have office hours now, but you can still reach them for free gardening advice about any problem or question.

Email cowlitzmastergardener@gmail.com, call 360-577-3014 , Ext. 8 and leave a message, or PM us on Facebook: Cowlitz County Master Gardeners. Drop by 9–12 Mon-Wed-Fri. at 1946 3rd Ave., Longview, with your specimen, call 360-577-3014, ext. 8, or send question via cowlitzmastergardener@gmail.com.

with them and talking about it. Make a habit of posting what you did on Facebook or Instagram so you can share it with others. If you don’t have little ones at home, why not call a friend who is desperately trying to manage working at home with bored kids, and offer to watch something with the child on Skype, Zoom, or Hangouts, or read them a book. The half hour or so will give your friend some very welcome breathing room.

LOOKING AHEAD The WSU Extension Service/Master Gardeners offer the “Looking Ahead series on its website, with problems to watch for and tasks to do in your garden in the upcoming month: cowlitzcomg.com/lookingahead.

For April: Spring is here! The daffodils have bloomed, and it’s time to get your garden ready to plant…in fact, you can begin planting some of the cool weather veggies right now! We’ve got info about slugs, horsetail, weeds, and, of course, problems that may be appearing in your yard this month.

If you’re looking for some quiet time with the kids, check out these YouTube videos. Watch them with the kids. Depending on their ages you can “assign” activities to show what they learned, or you can just ask them questions you can all research if you don’t know the answer. Feed that curiosity! Learn something new with them.

For Littles: • SciShow Kids. Sample topics: Worms are wonderful, How does a seed become a plant, Don’t be afraid of spiders, What’s inside a camels hump, Why do we cry?

• It’s Okay to be Smart tackles questions such as: How does an igloo keep you warm? Will we all eat bugs in the future? Do trees talk? Why do some deadly insects look like flowers? How does poop shape the world? Why is your brain in your head?

‘Tweens: • King of Random. Experiments--the “don’t try this at home” kind. The kind they’d LOVE to see!

• Comma Niddy. Rap songs on a science based topic...nothing works better than music for memory retention!

Bored teens •Minute Physics. Entertaining-minute bits of science that will capture the attention of the most bored, blasé teen.

• Marty Music. Learn how to play guitar!

• Crash Course. All kinds of topics taught by recognized and entertaining instructors. Sit down and learn new stuff with your teen.

Here are some kids’ activities to search for on the Internet: Leaf rubbings, coffee filter flowers, sprouting beans in a jar, transpiration with celery and cabbage, apple mummy, grow food from kitchen scraps (celery and carrot replays!), grow sprouts on a sponge, mason jar terrarium, butterfly puddles. The list really is endless. One of our favorite sites for general fun, inexpensive gardening activities for adults and children alike is the Empress of Dirt.

Encourage the kids to see the world in a different way.

Download a magnifying app for your cellphone and explore lichen and bugs in detail. Let the kids use your binoculars to bring distant places closer.

And for the motherload of kids’ ideas, google “WSU learning-links-4-h-and-more.” You’ll find enough to keep inquiring minds busy forever!

Be well, be safe, everyone!

•••

10 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

COVID-19 casts shadow on events, gatherings

L

ast month’s Reader was full of announcements of upcoming e v e n t s . W h e n t h e C OV I D - 1 9 reaction began, we started a list of cancellations, but soon realized the it would be EVERYTHING! It is safe to assume all gatherings are canceled or postponed, for now. Watch the Reader for news as life, hopefully soon, returns to “normal!” Columbian Artists Association’s Spring Art Show will be rescheduled, at the Kelso Red Lion, if possible. New information to follow.

Community Home Health & Hospice: In compliance with the national and state directives to not hold public gatherings, drop-in bereavement groups will not meet through April 30. We will reassess for the ability to meet leading up to that date.

Check www.chhh.org, for updates. For urgent grief needs, call 360-703-0300.

After hours, leave a voicemail for a call back the next business day.

Longview-Kelso Community Concerts Sons of Serendip postponed; New date to be announced.

The Kids’ Fish-In on April 25 at Lake Sacajawea has been canceled and those Etc., etc., etc....... already registered will receive a refund per Longview Parks & Recreation.

Fibre Federal Credit Union leads effort to feed kids during school shut-down You’re invited to join FFCU’s efforts to support local school-age children without reliable access to food during this time. By contributing funds to local school districts, we can help provide much-needed resources to our most vulnerable students and families. For more information and an easy step-bystep process on how to remotely make your donation remotely, visit.fibrecu. com/covid-19-resources and select “support our students.”

FFCU donation account numbers for the school districts in CRR’s distribution area: • Castle Rock School District: 1344913 • Clatskanie School District: 1344906 • Kalama School District: 1344910 • Kelso School District: 1344909 • Longview School District: 1344908 • Naselle/Grays River: 1344903 • Rainier School District: 1344905 • Toutle Lake School District: 1344890 • Wahkiakum School District: 1344907 • Woodland School District: 1344911

Message from Cowlitz Humane Society

By Charmaine Nawrocki, Executive Director

W

e want our community to continue helping each other in any way possible. If you are a lowincome household within Cowlitz County, and in need of emergency pet food, please call us and we can provide some for your pets. Please note: We are on limited supplies, but we will try to help in any way possible.

Being prepared will help you and your furry family members stay ahead of any unexpected situations.

Emergency preparedness steps to implement at home: •Identify a family member or friend who can care for pets if someone in the household becomes ill.

•Have crates, food and extra supplies on hand for quick movement of pets.

•Keep all animal vaccines up to date in the event boarding becomes necessary.

•Ensure all medications are documented with dosages and administering directions. Including the prescription from your veterinarian is also helpful.

•Pets should have identification: collar with ID tag and microchip (best practice is microchipping).

Please don’t hesitate to call us at 360577-0151 or email us to ask questions Animal Control Services Animal Control is on limited services due to the stay-at-home order, as well.

Our reduced services are per NACA recommendations: Animal Control will continue responding to emergency calls, including law enforcement assistance, injured or sick stray animals, cruelty and/or neglect complaints, bites, and dangerous/aggressive dog complaints.

Officers will suspend for 14 days low priority/non-emergency activity.

Including non-aggressive stray animal pick-up, leash law and licensing complaints, and barking/nuisance complaints. The public can still bring in stray animals as normal. We are discontinuing owner released animals until May 4th, as well, unless a true emergency. We are asking if someone comes to the shelter to drop off a stray animal, that they call first (360-577-0151), then stay in their vehicle until told to come inside. Our main lobby doors will be locked, but a staff member will be posted at them to answer questions or open them for stray intake. If someone has lost a pet and needs to come redeem that animal, they must call first, and wait in their vehicle until told to come inside.

Adoptions and events We have started “virtual” adoptions to help get more pets into homes. We are still offering foster options as well as “foster to adopt,” and encourage everyone to understand our foster contracts before applying because there are guidelines and requirements.

We are discontinuing all events, public spay/neuter clinics, microchip/ vaccine clinics at this time to comply with the stay at home order. We hope to re-open these services once this is lifted.

You can help We can always use donations of any kind large and small! We also ask that people consider shopping locally as much as possible to support all of our small town business during these uncertain times.

•••

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On the Light Side

MEDICAL MATTERS

McLeod combines work, play at Colorado conference By Jim LeMonds

B

efore the coronavirus arrived in the United States, Jake McLeod of Longview O r t h o p e d i c Associates attended and lectured at a foot and ankle conference in Vail, Colorado.

The event was hosted by Highlands/ Presbyterian St. L u k e ’s F o o t a n d Ankle Institute, which is where Dr. McLeod completed his residency.

“I lectured on minimally invasive treatment of ankle fractures,” McLeod said. “The conference was a great opportunity to discuss with my colleagues some of the difficult cases and pathologies that I’ve had in my practice and get their opinions on how best to manage them.”

The Vail area received nearly two feet of snow Dr. Jake McLeod while McLeod was at the conference. “The skiing was fantastic,” he said. “If you enjoy “The conference was a comprehensive winter sports like I do but your feet are overview of foot and ankle pathology keeping you from doing them, please and surgery,” he said. “It was an honor come see me once the virus passes so to be an alum and have the opportunity we can get you back out there.” to come back and teach a session.”

Dr. McLeod completed a foot and Highlights included courses on new advancements in total ankle replacement, the use of shockwave therapy to treat plantar fasciitis, and debate panels on the practicality of minimally invasive bunion surgery.

Former R.A. Long High School English teacher Jim LeMonds is a writer, editor, and marketer who rides his mountain bike whenever he gets the chance. He lives in Castle Rock, Wash.

His published books are South of Seattle and Deadfall.

Market swings making you uneasy? Let's talk.

ankle sports medicine and surgical fellowship at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. While at Virginia Mason, his clinic treated professional athletes from the Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Reign FC, and the Seattle Storm. He is a member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, the American Podiatric Medical Association, and the Washington State Podiatric Medical Association.

He treats sprains, fractures, and other foot pain due to bunions, flat feet, or arthritis and specializes in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery, total ankle replacements, and ankle arthroscopy. Call Longview Orthopedic Associates for additional information.

•••

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Coping during a crisis How to maintain your literary well-being during a pandemic

By Alan Rose, CRR’s Book Reviewer

S

heltering in place is a great opportunity to discover your Inner Introvert and to develop your creative powers. But first...

Ideas to help you survive (revised guidelines) 1. Stay at home except to get essentials: food, medications, more guns and ammo (It’s your 2nd Amendment right.)

2. Leave six feet between you and other people. Maybe a challenge for your dentist and barber, but they should at least make the effort.

3. Try to keep your breathing to a minimum. Think about it: Do you really need all that oxygen?

4. Do not touch your face. Ever again.

5. Wash your hands with warm water and soap regularly. In fact, better to wash your hands continuously. Don’t stop. This will also help keep you from touching your face.

6. Avoid going to the hospital. Sick people are there. If you believe you may have been exposed to the coronavirus, think pleasant thoughts.

Ideas to help you thrive: If you’re among the fortunate ones who have the basics covered (food, shelter, heat), then address your higher needs.

1. Use this time for those projects you never have time for: painting the bedroom, writing your memoirs, raising chickens (city codes may apply), digitalizing the family albums or organizing the 12,000 slides you haven’t looked at since 1996.

2. Host your own NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month.)

Since you’re stuck at home anyway, write that novel that’s been simmering in you for years. Set the next 30 days for the challenge. Maybe call it CoRoNaNoWriMo. 3. Libraries are closed but you can still check out audio and e-books through their websites. Read all of Jane Austen (again.) Or read what you’ve always wanted to read: Gibbons’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Sue Grafton’s complete alphabet of mysteries. Hot romances. Historical fiction. Survival epics. Trash.

4. Support your local bookstore: Longview’s Paperbacks Galore will send out books ordered through email (pbgalore@msn.com) and through Facebook Messenger. They also provide curbside pick-up service by appointment. A personal library is a wonderful source of entertainment and edification, plus, if the nation does run out of TP…well, you make the connection.

5. Tired of reading? Re-watch the complete Cheers! seasons to cheer you up. Or The Jeffersons. Or Star Trek (again.) Take up hobbies: Quilting. Watercolors. Scrapbooking.

Gardening (Thank you, Spring. You arrived just in time.) No garden? No problem. Work in your neighbor’s.

They’ll thank you. Probably. (Hint: Best ask them first.)

6. Use this time for self-improvement: Commit to reading all of Wikipedia; learn to meditate online (Check out Headspace.) Write a whimsical 17-syllable haiku about the global pandemic. Co-ro-na-vi-rus—that’s five syllables already. You’re almost a third of the way there! Re-discover the lost art of letter writing. Help people re-discover the lost art of letter reading. (Yes, Virginia, people once actually wrote in complete sentences.)

7. Need to get out of the house? Go for a walk, commune with nature rather than people. Less social pressure to be nice. Do something kind for others: pick up groceries for your elderly neighbor; walk her dog; walk her thirteen cats.

There are opportunities even in the bleakest of times. Chances are good you will survive, so why not decide to thrive?

••• Expanded from a presentation at the March WordFest by Alan Rose who coordinates the monthly WordFest events.

His next novel, As If Death Summoned, will be released on December 1, 2020, by Amble Press, an imprint of Bywater Books. For more announcements, photoreflections and literary news, go to www. alan-rose.com.

ME AND MY

PIANO*

“Me & My Piano” Reader Submissions INVITED

By Sue Marble

*or other instrument

S

uch a long history, the ins and outs of my life with the cello! The best news is that now, at age 78, I am a full-fledged member of the Southwest Washington Symphony cello section.This is a dream I never thought would be realized: to play real music with real musicians.

My story begins in 1949. Fourth grade. I was fortunate to grow up in San Jose, California, where schools had a fine music program, and able to borrow a cousin’s cello. I was also blessed with private lessons and many opportunities to perform all the way through high school. The cello was then returned to my cousin. Even though I was musically gifted, it didn’t occur to me or my family that I could have a music career. So, like many “good girls” of the 1950s, I went away to university with the subtle message to major in teaching or nursing and marry a good man (all accomplished s u c c e s s f u l l y, t h a n k goodness).

But over the years the longing to play was still there. Finally, in my 40s I purchased a lovely cello and practiced and played for a few years with a small community symphony. But careers and moves happened and I let music go again.

Over the next decades I had some unsettling nights with vivid dreams of

warehoused cellos and thrown away, forgotten cellos. Finally, I got the message!

For the last two years I’ve been playing again, and — Lo and behold! — I found two cellists who live within

five minutes of my home and we are playing cello trios. Last April my husband and I attended the Southwest Washington Symphony spring concert and I knew immediately I wanted to be a member. But I was horrified to discover that prospective players must audition; I hadn’t auditioned since age 16! The only thing to do was just to make up my mind to audition and let the chips fall. I practiced like crazy and with the generous coaching of Dr. Rob Davis and two members of the cello section, I managed to successfully audition in August. It even was a bit fun. Well… a bit.

It’s been a wonderful and challenging year.

I invite you to come hear us play at our next concerts, April 18th and 19th (see editor’s note). It will be my birthday weekend and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.

••• Editor’s note: The concerts were canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but we can all look forward to hearing the Symphony play at their next concert.

And Happy Birthday, Sue!

Share your unique story of you and your relationship with a musical instrument in 500 words or less and mail to CRR, 1333 14th Ave., Longview, WA 98632, or email to publisher@crreader.com. Note “Me and My Piano” in the subject line and if possible attach/include a current mugshot and/or a photo of you with your instrument.

Don’t worry about perfect spelling or syntax. If your story is chosen, we will provide editing services and will contact you for additional details or embellishments as needed.

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NEW PERSPECTIVES

Nature Walk

A hike at Seaquest State Park through trekking guide’s eyes

By Tracy Beard

E

ach of us sees the world from a unique perspective.

Occasionally it is fun, inspiring and educational to view things through someone else’s eyes. This helps give us a new understanding of the universe and to see things we might have missed through our singular angle.

I asked my friend, trekking guide Denise Bardal, to take me out into the woods on a hike and guide me along as if I were a guest on one of her treks.

For our adventure, Denise took me to Seaquest State Park, located at 3030 Spirit Lake Highway, east of Castle Rock, Washington (Note: at press time State Parks had been closed due to Coronoavisur-related social distancing guidelines).

A Walk in the Woods

Before getting out of the car, she hung her Discovery Pass on the rear view mirror. This pass is required for parking at the park. Seaquest is a fantastic place to hike. It aligned perfectly with the next goal in my road to recovery from a previous injury to my feet. My neighborhood strolls had made me stronger, and now it was time to don my hiking boots and see how I would do in the mud, rain and elements of the Pacific Northwest.

Before heading down the trail, Denise shared with me the safety precautions they teach when trekking Vancouver, Wash. resident Tracy Beard writes about luxury and adventure travel, traditional and trendy fine dining and libations for regional, national and international magazines and is a regular “Out & About” contributor to Columbia River Reader.

Scenes around Seaquest State Park. Lower right: Denise Bardal, who with Jeff Fiskar of Wa Llamas (www. wallamas.com, takes hikers on packing trips in the Washington wilderness, using llamas to pack all the gear.

with clients, warning about any potential animal hazards, any dangerous or strenuous parts of the terrain and expected elevation changes throughout the hike.

As we made our way down the trail, Denise pointed out the many Douglas-firs in this part of the forest. These tall evergreens have thick bark, dark wood and saggy cones. They are part of the pine family.

I am very familiar with this type of tree, as our family typically cuts one down each year for Christmas. Mixed amongst the Douglas firs, we spotted the Alnus rhombifolia, or white alder tree. This tree is native to western North America and is deciduous, meaning it drops its leaves each year. The bark is a pale gray or almost white. When the tree is young, the bark is smooth; but as it ages, it takes on a scaly appearance.

We found only a few western red cedars.

These stunning trees boast needles that

form spray-like branches. They produce small cones, and I think the needles have one of the best scents in the forest.

Another fun tree is the western hemlock. We spied a few that reached high above the Douglas firs. You can recognize them by their droopy top.

The flat needles have rounded tips and two white lines underneath. The cones are small, under one inch long, and the bark has a reddish color inside.

Throughout our hike, we found only one maple tree. We meandered through a section of forest and discovered it when we spotted the leaves covering some of the lower bushes. cont page 32

14 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

Local Culture

MUSEUM MAGIC

We’re cleaning house!

Story and photo by Joseph Govednik Cowlitz County Historical Museum Director

T

he unprecedented events worldwide, nationally, and locally have impacted our daily life. Though it’s easy to focus on the negative, there are some positives that are byproducts of forced closures, particularly in the museum field.

I talked with many colleagues prior to and, recently, after the governor’s ordering museums and art galleries to close to the public. One common theme was the opportunity to catch up on backlogs of work. Just as residents

at home are digging through closets, garages, and boxes in storage, so are we! Most museums are non-profit organizations, which by nature are understaffed, creating backlogs. This is the opportunity to “clean house” and be ready for re-opening to the public.

In a conversation with my friend and colleague, John Larson, director of the Polson Museum in Hoquiam, he said, eagerly, “With the museum empty, we are tearing up the old carpets, and repainting walls that have been in need for years!”

I felt similar sentiments about the meeting room at the Cowlitz County Historical Museum, which was overdue for a repainting. Now is the opportunity. Carpe diem!

Other museums are embracing the opportunity to install new exhibits,

catch up on collections cataloging, updating policies and procedures, and administration.

rare opportunity, we need to make the most of this!” This summer may be the best time to visit your local museums, there may be something new to see!

Museums will be ready to open our doors, exhibits, programs, and hearts to your visitation soon!

This is a rare circumstance where museums are closed to the public for several weeks. Another colleague from King County said, “This is a very

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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, 2020 / 15

Govednik (Museum/Spanish Flu story)

Thank You!

from page 9

P+P Sponsor Partners Leaders in our community supporting excellent journalism and spotlighting worthy organizations and programs.

people+ place For information about joining the P+P Partners Circle, Ned Piper, 360-749-2632 or Sue Piper, 360-749-1021.

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Message from the Director Emergency Preparation Tips for Pet Owners Virtual Adoptions Status of Current Services please see article, page 11

Letter from the Kelso School superintendent published in The Kelsonian, 10/23/1918 and an ad of the time. See full article(s) and more at http://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/Museum

Q

UIPS & QUOTES

Selected by Debra Tweedy

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us. ~ Helen Keller, American author and political activist, 1880-1968

Ponder for a long time whether you shall admit a given person to your friendship, but when you have decided to admit him, welcome him with all your heart and soul. Speak as boldly with him as with yourself. ~Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher, writer, and statesman, 4 BC-65 AD

Something deep in the human heart breaks at the thought of a life of mediocrity. ~ C. S. Lewis, British writer I am still determined to be cheerful and to be happy in whatever situation and lay theologian, 1898-1963 I may be, for I have also learnt from The mark of the immature man is that experience that the greater part of he wants to die nobly for a cause, while our happiness or misery depends upon the mark of the mature man is that he our disposition and not upon our wants to live humbly for one. circumstances. ~Martha Washington, ~J. D. Salinger, from “Catcher in the American First Lady, wife of George Rye,” American writer, 1919-2010 Washington, 1731-1802 I always liked fog; it lends such If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be...where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe.

--Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States, 1743-1826

a soft, beautifying light to things that otherwise in the broad glare of day would be rude and commonplace.~Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochran Seaman), American journalist and inventor, 1864-1922

Nothing is more important than empathy for another human being’s suffering. Nothing. Not career, not wealth, not intelligence, certainly not status. We have to feel for one another if we’re going to survive with dignity. ~Audrey Hepburn, British actress and humanitarian, 1929-1993 16 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

Longview native Debra Tweedy has lived on four continents. She and her husband decided to return to her hometown and bought a house facing Lake Sacajawea.“We came back because of the Lake and the Longview Public Library,” she says.

Proud Sponsor of People+Place “I believe God can use anybody in any position to bring Glory to His name.

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Hal Calbom

Who are we? What do we do? What are we made of?

HOME OFFICE On the walls the fruits of my labors, CRR covers. Housebound, reflecting. Have I learned from these people and places, these stories and pictures?

What more can they tell us?

I WONDER Are their stories particular, or universal, or both? Taken as a group, can they reveal some larger truths about themselves?

About the habitat we share with them? About the rest of us? unexplained. What had gone virtually unremarkedupon emerged as one of the most perilous and significant episodes of the entire Expedition.

He helped shape the eventual National Park to include the Washington side of the Columbia and its significance. He testified, speechified, and lobbied in Washington DC, hobnobbed with the Jeffersonians at Monticello, re-wrote the book and changed the narrative.

He made history.

It was my personal puzzle. Every word Clark writes in his journal was scrutinized.

I asked, ‘Where was he standing when he said this?’ Then I walked it, measured it, and photographed it. ~ Rex Ziak

THE SEEKER

is comfort in shared experience. In briefly revisiting these stories, these Northwest Types, I hope we’re reminded of the spirit and ethos that binds, feeds, and sustains us.

life changing for me,” said Abi Groskopf, “to be outside doing science. And the first-time realization I had that math is really applied, that it relates to the real world.”

In challenging times we find comfort in shared experience Besides the particulars — geology, biology, volcanology — Abi deals in wonder, awe, and amazement. As a science educator, her students are of all ages. She fosters curiosity, exploration and engagement, and insists it’s the adults who are most often humbled and rendered speechless.

A working scientist, she has collected stream data, taught youth about bison and grassland ecology, developed a greenhouse education program for an elementary school, and helped salvage and restore native plants. When not on the mountain, she’s assisted Olympia’s stormwater public outreach and involvement programs.

Inquisitive • Self-Reliant • Tireless

REX

WE KNOW In challenging times we find

Ziak

Naselle, Washington Freelance Historian

He re-wrote the history of Lewis and Clark.

Rex Ziak grew up six miles from what we now call Dismal Nitch, where the expedition stalled on its very last leg and within sight of its prize. He retraced and channeled William Clark and his rainsodden colleagues, step by step; walked the ground, parsed every phrase from the journals, checked the vistas and the tides and the phases of the moon, the weather and the weariness and the words.

THE SCIENTIST Logical • Curious • Dedicated

With only his high school diploma and nomadic cultural indoctrination — touring the world as a documentary photographer — he took on the Ph.Ds, the celebrity authors, the Chambers of Commerce, and the Columbia’s Conventional Wisdom.

ABI

He wrote, designed, and published his revisionist history in a magnificent book called In Full View.

With maps, journal citations and four years of his own relentless detective work, he recounted eighteen days of struggle previously glossed over or

She was a math whiz who didn’t like math class.

She wasn’t sure why. Then a teacher suggested a week-long winter trip to Teton Science School, a week on skis studying ecology. “It was completely

Groskopf

Yacolt, Washington Mount St. Helens Science Educator

Abi’s relationship with Mt. St. Helens blends both conservation and curiosity. She’s alive to the challenges of its volatile environment — balancing the way humans interact with, utilize, and potentially exploit this wondrous natural laboratory.

She reminds us that the St. Helens eco-scape — home to apes and bigfeet and hundreds of campfire conjurings — is province also of the National Park Service bureaucracy, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Here, hundreds of research scientists, biologists, geologists, and engineers protect downstream communities lest the mountain roar back to life.

The kids get it. This is a huge engineering challenge. This is the “E” in STEM. The sediment issue is not going to go away. There’s an entire top of a mountain that’s now down in a valley. It’s loose material. It’s slowly trying to make its way to the ocean, and gravity always wins. ~ Abi Groskopf

cont. page 18

Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 17

People from page19

With downtown office and rental space now booked solid, and waiting lists lengthening, the old home town has never looked better.

People are fighting over space and to become part of this community. Probably at least twice a week I get a phone call, “Is such-and-such a space available? No, sorry, it’s been rented out and they’ll be moving in in two weeks.” ~ Jason Vorse

I love giving tours to groups, seeing it through their eyes. I remind myself to lift up my chin and look up at the world around me. People say, “Look at those trees! We don’t have anything like that at home!”

And I’m so glad I’m walking with those people, and I’ll say, “Wow, you’re right!” ~ Sally Freeman

THE ENTREPRENEUR Innovative • Visionary • Creativee

JASON

Vorse

THE AMBASSADOR

Castle Rock, Washington Floral Designer

He came back to the town he swore he’d never return to. He’d made a splash doing glamorous gigs in Los Angeles, styled sets and flowers for movies and gala events, met and married the man he loved. His only world left to conquer? His sleepy little home town, Castle Rock, Washington. He moved back.

Meanwhile, thanks to a spirited band of merchants, community boosters, and proud citizens Castle Rock was transforming itself. Through a program of community beautification it’s won national renown: first place winner in the America in Bloom program for cities under 3,000 population. Streets and storefronts are alive with flowers, innovative designs, and classical facades restored.

Jason hopped on the bandwagon when he moved north a few years ago, and has brought California Cool to the Cowlitz. He offers monthly classes in design and decor, does all the special events business he can handle, and makes use of sophisticated social media to encourage Castle Rock connectivity.

Diplomatic • Engaging • Articulate

THE GUARDIAN Reverent • Empathetic • Protective

SALLY

Freeman Warrenton, Oregon National Park Ranger

Park Rangers seem to follow no natural career path.

According to Sally Freeman, of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, you can quiz 20 rangers and get a different creation story from every one.

Some have academic backgrounds, in history or the sciences. Some recall camps, outdoor retreats, summer programs. Many, like Sally, savor a moment with a parent or family member amidst a memorable vacation. “We went to Crater Lake. And I remember Mom telling me that this was Oregon’s only national park, and saying it with a kind of awe and reverence.

So you figure it must be something very special.”

TONY

Kischner Ilwaco, Washington Restaurateur, Gourmet

First of all, you’re a welcoming voice and face. He’s probably greeted and seated thousands of us over the years. Then, you’re an advisor and confidante: “The scallops look especially good this evening.”

Of course, you must know the wine list backwards and forwards. But, above all, you must know and like people.

For forty years Tony Kischner has invited Pacific Northwest diners to join him and his wife Ann at their tables — in Seattle, Seaview and now Astoria, at the riverside Bridgewater Bistro. He’s represented Northwest tastes, diners and ingredients to the rest of the country and the world. James Beard and Julia Child have joined him for many a meal, a glass, and a continuing conversation on the experience

Avamere at St. Helens, celebrating 20 years providing excellent care to our residents in Columbia County and standing by our mission:

“It’s easy to give back when things are good.

It’s hard to give when things get tough.”

Proud sponsor of “People+Place” 18 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

“To Enhance the Life of Every Person We Serve.”

Proud sponsor of People+Place

For more information contact Jenny Hicks at 503-366-8070

+ Place of turning a basic need — to be fed and nourished — into an art form. No snob he, Tony thrives in Astoria’s culture of fishing, arts, and the good life at the mouth of the river. And claims his is also the best burger in town.

It all comes down to the ingredients, and the sourcing of the ingredients. Chefs and restaurant owners don’t just cook the food, they go looking for it. ~ Tony Kischner

paste, imprints her two chops, the ancient Asian ideograms and identifiers, their translations as straightforward as she: “One of these is my name and the other says,”I draw birds and animals.”

You get one chance at it. It puts pressure on your sense of design. You make a decision with a gouge, it’s done. It always comes down to the design. Anybody can carve. ~ Debby Neely

and intricately piecing the components together; precisely labeling them; then disassembling the finished structure, hauling it out of town, and reassembling it on that pristine, perfect site. It may begin in the woods, 30 to 40 truckloads of raw logs a year, but it ends in heaven — all those dreamers curled up like privileged pioneers by their stream sides, mountains or shores.

There is so much art and craft. All the years of practice. You can’t take a class or just read a book. Maybe you can build a picnic, table but not a home. ~ Kevin Moehnke

THE ENGINEER Practical • Honest • Self-sufficient

THE CREATOR

KEVIN

Imaginative • Nonconformist

DEBBY

Neely

Moehnke

Yacolt, Washington Log Home Designer and Builder

THE EXPLORER Free • Brave • Adventurous

He builds dreams.

Woodland, Washington Woodcut Artist, Teacher

She creates out of strength, determination and purpose, not a fragile or precious “sensibility.”

A former marathon runner, physical education instructor, and Olympic-class archer, Debby Neely commands her studio and her medium, the ancient and venerable art of the woodcut. Perfectly grained blocks of basswood await her gouges and knives. She cuts steadily, surely, and with care. She rolls Japanese ink, a jet black jello, onto the completed woodcut, then presses thick, artisan-crafted paper by hand onto the inked block. And finally, in a brilliant red

At Mountain Log Homes, in Kalama, Washington, owner Kevin Moehnke uses CAD software and immense cranes when need be, but his art and craftsmanship are old as the forests themselves.

Northwest Douglas-fir yields the best of all logs, laser-straight and consistent: Thirty per cent of Kevin’s business is people simply buying logs for their own use.

The rest is magic. Clients hire him for his experience and engineering — laying out, sizing, notching,

LEVI

Helms

Skamokawa, Washington Kayaking Instructor and Guide

He lives in two worlds.

He spends his days researching, reconnoitering, and reconciling them: the ancient river, with its timeless tides, and the toeholds and footholds made by “civilizing” influences, the ship captains, cannery bosses, loggers and fishermen.

cont. page 20

The annual $70,000 Emergency Support Shelter fundraiser was canceled, a victim of the Coronavirus. This event was founded by Sister Rose Marie Nigro who passed away four years ago. The prestigious Advocate of the Year Award that bears her name will be announced when the fundraiser is rescheduled.

Sister Rose Marie Nigro

In the meantime, please mail much needed donations to: Emergency Support Shelter 1330 11th Avenue, Longview, WA 98632.

The Evans Kelly Family One of Longview’s pioneer families.

Proud Sponsor of People+Place

Proud sponsor of People+Place Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 19

People + Place from page 19

According to Levi Helms, Skamokawa wouldn’t have survived if the road didn’t run through it. Its backwaters and basins reveal our own stories, and the tidal reach — where the Columbia surges up, or down, every six hours or so — reveals to us its own past, present and future every day.

Northwest. Crossroads, cultural melting pot, economic force — both our region and our museums preserve and amplify who we are and what we do.

We need to be a convener. I want the arts and community service groups and lots of great events! ~ Joseph Govednik

We’d like more eco-tourism here. We think this area is under-utilized ~ Levi Helms

THE MAVERICK Independent • Original • Quirky

SUSAN

THE WARRIOR THE TRANSLATOR Connected • Intuitive • Analytical

JOSEPH

Govednik Longview, Washington Museum Director

Joseph Govednik believes history does more than decorate shelves and populate exhibits: it’s a powerful force for connecting people. He presents his Cowlitz County Historical Museum as a veritable roadside attraction, a dynamic centerpiece to community life, not a repository for the faded, used, or worn.

He promotes sharing and exchange of collections, artifacts, significant exhibits. He encourages the community to participate, contribute, lead.

Ultimately he inspires in us pride and ownership in our roots and our environs, which have played no small part in the history of the larger Pacific

Fearless • Durable • Committed

DEAN

Demers St.Helens, Oregon Marine Miner

You can make a pretty good case that most of the world runs on sand, gravel and cement. Especially in the developing world it’s not just high-tech building new cities and societies, it’s concrete.

The second largest mine in the Pacific Northwest is Santosh Aggregate Plant near Scappoose, Oregon.

The river boss is Dean Demers, who after a career in the Coast Guard opted to take on something even more challenging — dredging rock, gravel and sand from the river and river sloughs, then barging it to CalPortland concrete plants upriver. Never heard of maritime mining? Meet Dean and his team at Santosh.

The first time I saw the Columbia was when I crossed it at Tri-Cities, and I was excited already.

~ Dean Demers

Wellington

Rural Oregon near St. Helens Horsewoman, Trails Advocate

We’ve heard the old adage, “When you fall off the horse get right back on it.”

Easier said than done if you’re Susan Wellington, with two new knees, a repaired shoulder and a helicopter evac to her credit, all thanks to her lifelong passion for horses. Raised on a farm in the southern California desert, she rode work animals, owned horses off and on during a career as a teacher, and retired to her own “ranch” near St. Helens, with enough acreage and forage to suit her and her two Icelandic ponies just fine.

When not on horseback she lobbies for the Oregon Equestrian Trails Association, making sure we include horses and horse campers when we talk land use, recreation, and the future of the lower Columbia.

I have green grass around me, horses out in the pasture, apple trees dappling my horses from the shade and sun, apples for the horses to eat later in the fall. This is paradise.

~ Susan Wellington

Merrilee Bauman and Sue Lantz appreciate the role of United Way in supporting our community The COVID-19 RESPONSE FUND is designed to receive community contributions so funds can be deployed swiftly to the most critical areas in need in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Counties.

Please give online at cowlitzunitedway.org or send donations to United Way, 1338 Commerce Ave,#206, Longview, WA 98632

More Info, page 11

Sue Lantz donates a portion of every commission to a local non-profit of her clients’ choice

slantz@windermere.com www.suelantz.com 20 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

Proud sponsor of People+Place

360-636-4663 360-751-5157

People + Place

GHOSTWRITERS IN THE SKY

The Introvert’s Party

By Hal Calbom we writers savor the coffee and the solitude. We may be among the few actually savoring this enforced isolation, too.

up early on bright mornings

Let’s have an introvert’s party — no one’s invited!

I actually invite three prominent guests to my party — introverts make an exception if in fact you’re deceased and are thus, quite literally, a Ghost Writer. Tom Eliot is uptight and uncomfortable when I ask to call him T.S. His eyes gleaming, Carl Jung inquires where are the women? Dylan Thomas fumbles through the refrigerator looking for beer.

I need help this month with People+Place. Summing it all up. I have eleven people, eleven great stories. What do they mean? Are they significant somehow as a whole or simply a series of solo engaging solo performances?

I asked Eliot because of his pronouncements about time: “To apprehend the point of intersection of the timeless with time is the occupation of a saint,” he said.

Is that what I’m looking for? Events or experiences of the moment that resonate beyond themselves? That endure — timelessly? Is it the blasted cone of Mt. St. Helens holding Abi Groskopf and her students rapt?

The footsteps of Lewis and Clark luring Rex Ziak on ten years of detective work? The shifting tides of the Columbia Reach buoying Levi Helms’s explorations?

Of course, most of our types make a practice of playing against type, as they say, which complicates our generalizing. Hence, Susan Wellington, the Maverick, who lives to confound expectations.

My survey leaves certain lasting impressions.

These are people who have strong passions, nursed and nurtured, then made manifest in their careers.

Their work enables their lives. It’s an essential activity, not a necessary evil. They are unbound by tradition, since most have come from someplace else and been here a relatively short time.

They radiate an intangible satisfaction and sense of well-being. They breathe free air. They’re grateful to get to do what they do, where they do it.

I clean up the remains of the party. Jung has sketched a mandala on a crumpled napkin. Eliot seemed obsessed with my coffee spoons. Thomas left early, the “Local” opening at 11:00am.

•••

Reading CRR online

Back issues, book orders, reader services Thumbnail portraits in this month’s People+Place are drawn from previous issues of the Reader which, along with the current issue, are viewable online at www.crreader.com. CRR’s web page also hosts subscription, book order, and electronic payment services, advertising information, and a “Find the Magazine” feature to locate nearby, always-accessible CRR sidewalk boxes. An archive link leads to “stacks” going back seven years, for paging through (and sharing or printing with the “larger view” button) a full-screen-sized replica. To read the original P+P story on those making a cameo appearance this month, refer to the corresponding issue as shown below.

Is it the timeless made timely? And vice versa?

I’m impressed also by those who’ve made a classic art or craft uniquely theirs. Debby Neely’s command of her woodcuts, Kevin Moehnke’s old-time, new age log cabins, Jason Vorse composing symphonies of leaves, stems, and flowers. Dylan Thomas speaking of genius says it’s finding a craft, a form, an obsession that is both “forever shared and forever all your own.” He’s reticent to share his beer, however.

Oct and Nov/Dec 2019 Rex Ziak The Seeker

January 2019 Jason Vorse The Entrepreneur

July 2018 Abi Groskopf The Scientist

March 2020 Debby Neely The Creator

CRREADER.COM • Vol. XVI, No. 5 • August 15 – September 15, 2019 • COMPLIMENTARY Helping you discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region at home and on the road

MARC ROLAND’S FAVORITE SUMMER COOLERS page 14

SUMMER READING

READER WRITERS RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Is it the universal made personal? And vice versa?

Old Jung, the psychologist, made much of the personal but also the transactional — human to human — when he formulated his theory of archetypes: eternal truths, universally familiar characters that transcend time, place and culture. Our People+Place survey is replete with these — restaurateur Tony Kischner, the Ambassador and host; ranger Sally Freeman the Guardian and Protector; Curator Joseph Govednik the Translator and Connecter; Dean Demers, the Warrior, cruising the shorelines in a Coast Guard cutter.

Hal Calbom is a third generation Longview native who makes his living as a film producer, educator, and writer.

His new book, Resourceful: Leadership and Communications in a Relationship Age, serves as basis for keynote speeches,

workshops, and online training. He is editor of The Tidewater Reach, Field Guide to the Lower Columbia River in Poems and Pictures, to be published soon by Columbia

River Reader Press.

page 28

People+Place

SEAMAN’S DAY at FORT CLATSOP page 21

page 38

COLUMBIA RIVER

Natural Resource

Bringing Lewis & Clark to Life

dining guide

May 2018 Tony Kischner TheAmbassador

September 2019 Levi Helms The Explorer

October 2018 Joseph Govednik The Translator

Aug. 2019 Sally Freeman The Guardian

June 2019 Kevin Moehnke The Engineer

January 2020 Dean Demers The Warrior

July 2019 Susan Wellington The Maverick

Read these and more past issues at CRREADER.COM/Archives Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 21

WHERE DO YOU READ THE READER?

Send your photo reading the Reader (high-resolution JPEG) to Publisher@ CRReader.com. Include names and cities of residence. We make it a practice to acknowledge photos received; if you don’t receive an acknowledgment within 5 days, please re-send. If sending a cell phone photo, choose the largest file size up to 2 MB. Thank you for your participation and patience; we usually have a small backlog. Keep those photos coming!

Where do you read

THE READER?

Land of the Midnight Sun Sandi and Ryan Ziegelmeyer of Kelso Wash. and Connie and Mac McEvoy of Warren Ore., while on an Alaska cruise. They took the train from Skagway up the white pass and on the return trip down the mountain, stopped at the Canadian border where their guide took this photo.

In New Zealand

Roger and Jeannie Amundson and the whistling frog read the Columbia River Reader at the Whistling Frog in Papatowai New Zealand where they ate and stayed overnight while exploring the south scenic route on the South Island for lighthouses, waterfalls, excellent sandy beaches, a giant sea cave and seeking the yellow eyed penguin and other elusive marine wildlife. The frog’s thumbs-up extrudes from Jeannie’s head in agreement of a superb dinner and service, invigorating exploration and outstanding literature.

E

NG CHALLE

Nobody is traveling during the Coronavirus situation, but OF COURSE we hope you are still reading the Reader, whether hard copy or online ... Please send photos showing us where. Extra points for creativity and signs of HUMOR! 22 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

The Natural World

The Great Indoors

O

By Dr. Robert Michael Pyle

n a recent airline flight, having finished one book and forgotten to bring another, I read a piece in United’s Hemispheres magazine by Patrick Thorne, titled “Outside In.” The opening spread showed a scene I assiduously avoid, a throng of human beings arrayed in attitudes of leisure upon a tropic beach. A closer look revealed clearly phony coconut palms and an overarching . . . not sky, but ceiling. “The outdoors is moving indoors at some of the world’s largest and newest resorts,” enthused Mr. Thorne, in the commerce-speak common to such rags, “with exciting implications for the future of vacation travel.”

I was transfixed like a deer in the headlights. “Do you fancy snowskiing during the summer? Or how about some tropical sunshine to go with the snow in winter? Or maybe you’d just like to have a rain-free vacation guaranteed? No problem.”

No problem? The appalling truth is that such antidotes to an inconvenient world actually exist, and more are in the works. Thorne acknowledges that such facilities as indoor ice rinks and swimming pools have existed for a long time. “But some of these new resorts feature a rink that’s 20 times larger atop a snow-covered slope or a pool the size of a small sea with tall waves where you can surf every hour on the hour.” And that ain’t all! “Throw in an elegant hotel,” he oozes, “plenty of retail shopping, and fancy restaurants under that very large roof, and you’ll appreciate the scope of these indoor/outdoor

resorts.” Well, some might. Or rather, many must—or the billions these synthetic environments cost would never be spent. After all, as the author asserts, these are places “where money can be made year-round.”

Almost every day I see, hear, or read something that makes me feel as if I’ve somehow missed the whole damn zeitgeist—if not the evolutionary limb to which I’m supposed to belong. Hummers and Cadillac SUVs, big-screen TVs in bars and restaurants, the blogosphere in general, and nationalisms of all kinds whether played out on battlefield or soccerfield—these I just don’t get. But few features of modern life give me such a sense of separation from the culture at large as the hell-on-Earth hideaways that so beguile Mr. Thorne.

To be fair, I am not among their target clientele. I will take almost any day out-of-doors over almost any day within. As I write, Thea and I have just returned from North Cascades National Park and Okanogan National Forest, where the unpredictability of the weather, biting insects, rough roads, steep trails, wildfires, wind, and washouts all affected our days and nights afield.

The closest we came to an elegant resort was either a five-dollar campsite at Harts Pass or the Country Cabin Motel in Quincy—it’s a tossup. And apart from gasoline and fruit stands, our retail shopping consisted chiefly of buying a bandanna at the Mazama

Robert Michael Pyle is a naturalist and writer residing along Gray’s River in Wahkiakum County for many years. His twenty-three books include the Northwest classics Wintergreen, Sky Time in Gray’s River, and Where Bigfoot Walks, as well as The Thunder Tree, Chasing Monarchs, and Mariposa Road, a flight of butterfly books, and three collections of poems. His newest titles are Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest, Magdalena Mountain: a Novel, and The Tidewater Reach, Field Guide to the Lower Columbia River in Poems and Pictures (set to be published by CRRPress in May, or as soon as possible, subject to Coronavirusrelated business closures). Photo by David Lee Myers

This is the 22nd in a series of selected essays to appear in Columbia River Reader. These were originally published in Orion Afield or Orion Magazine in the author’s column, “The Tangled Bank” and, subsequently, in the book of the same name published by Oregon State University Press in 2012.

Store and a six-pack of Busch N/A “beer” as legal tonic for the long drive home across the overheated plain after a fortnight in high, cool places. We encountered fewer fellow vacationers than we would see in a single visit to Safeway, and had to settle for refreshing ourselves in lonely mountain lakes and streams instead of stewing with a crowd in tepid tropic waters. To these deprivations should be added the psychic toll of exposure to sixty species of butterflies and at least that many birds; pikas and marmots, chipmunks and squirrels, deer and fawns; and miles of roadside verges lined with tall white orchids and china-blue lupines. It was rough.

Our recent experience is further incomparable to the artificial paradises

in that the pleasures of our days came largely in the form of the unexpected.

Sure, there is a tremendous buzz to be had when you predict the presence of an animal based on botany and maps and your own field experience and desires, and then the beast actually shows up. But the unanticipated encounters—discoveries, if the word may be stripped of its imperial baggage—bring a joy still keener than the fulfilled quest. Seeking Freija’s fritillary, find instead a giant sawfly?

Cool! In contrast, the outside-in resorts promise an experience where “All of the uncertainties of a traditional vacation are removed. If you want snow, you get snow. You needn’t worry about the elevation of your resort, a sudden thaw-inspiring warm spell, or any extreme weather”—not to mention global warming.

I suppose these artificial destinations might be considered cousins to the butterfly houses I support and enjoy; after all, both revolve around fabricated habitats and come up short on surprise. But surely there is a significant difference between Butterfly Rainforest in Gainesville, with its ecological and educational mission, and Tropical Islands, a vast, cont page 24

Browse our website as we are currently closed. Stay Safe & Well!

“My Paintings Move to an Inner Music” Gallery Member Lorena Birk

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Your Local SW Washington Artist Co-op since 1982

Every First Thursday New Art, Music and Nibbles 360-577-0544 1418 Commerce Longview, WA Mon - Fri 10 - 5:30, Sat 10-4 Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 23

Tangled Bank domed rainforest near Berlin, replete with a half-mile winding path and camping on a bogus beach. Or the Ocean Dome at the Phoenix Resort in Japan, “where a water screen generates a 230-foot-long, 40-foot-high sheet of water on which lights, images, and lasers are projected for maximum dazzle”; Ski Dubai, where a 1,330-footlong, black-diamond ski run abuts the 350-store Mall of the Emirates; or the $155 million Swedish passenger liner that simulates a tropical cruise in northern waters in winter, under a protective plastic hatch—all of which already exist. Xanadu, a $1.3 billion indoor snow confection in New Jersey, and the $5 billion Dubailand, complete with a dinosaur park, are under construction.

Though I love the butterfly houses for their wafting longwings and shimmering morphos, I would swap my nth face-to-face with a rice paper butterfly under a glass roof for any pleinair encounter with a little copper or skipper in its home habitat. Curiosity flourishes only when the outcome of experience is in question, which happens through random, grounded encounters in the real world. We learn most from nature when we meet it on its own terms.

Of course “reality” these days is relative, as is a sense of what constitutes worthwhile experience. Some have argued that these fake places might serve as honeypots to reduce the pressure of the masses on real habitats, much as multifamily dwellings relieve pressure on undeveloped land— and that they could save fuel, by

allowing thousands of New Yorkers, for example, to ski in New Jersey instead of Colorado (though their own operations must suck energy like water). Others might dismiss the likes of Xanadu and the Phoenix Ocean Dome as merely another decadent display of wealth beguiling a credulous and easily amused public. But I think they present a real danger, to the extent that they actually meet—and condition— people’s expectations of experience. If enough folks fall for the blandishments of the bogus, will it not erode humanity’s concern for the authentic? Few will vote or pay for what lies outside their own perceived needs, and when the building tab for one of these techno-wens exceeds the total budget for the national parks and forests combined, surely they can’t promise anything but ill for the future of the actual landscapes that support life on Earth. Seeking a simulacrum of perfection in the ultra-ersatz will only insulate people from our imperfect yet wonder-filled world, and hasten its destruction.

On that note, Stephen Hawking recently suggested that the collapse of ecological systems may oblige us to seek new homes in space. If he is right, maybe the counterfeit resorts can furnish tips for the endeavor. But I, for one, do not believe there will ever be anywhere else for us to go, nor any reliable way to get there. Even contemplating such an out distracts us from caring for the home we have.

When it comes to planets, there really is no substitute for the original.

BESIDES COLUMBIA RIVER READER...

What are you reading?

Monthly feature coordinated by Alan Rose

By Joan Enders My Name is Asher Lev

By Chaim Potok

O

ne measure of a book is how it wiggles into your thoughts long after reading it. The Fountainhead, Unwind, The Book Thief, Chime, Boys in the Boat, Unbroken….

My Name is Asher Lev has now crowded into my mind. You may have read it when it was first published (1972), but, true to my procrastination tendencies, I read it only recently.

Asher is a solitary, thoughtful boy, the only child of powerful members of a strong orthodox Jewish community.

His father is an international ambassador, saving Jews from Russia particularly. Asher’s mother doggedly pursues her education, earning a doctorate in Russian studies. All three of them are strict orthodox Jews. Nonetheless, Asher doodles and draws and his parents are aghast.

Ironically, with the help of their religious leader, Asher is apprenticed to a famous Jewish artist. Asher’s heathen gentile creativity is at war with his obedient orthodox faith

•••

24 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

•••

Read Dangerous Obsession Book One of the Christian Fiction

Sophie Star Series

Committed to helping you find

Programs available to qualified borrowers. Rates and programs subject to change without notice. Underwriting terms and conditions apply.

Interestingly, I just finished reading Inheritance by Dani Shapiro. The question continues, can people co-exist with their faith and their passions? Is that a relevant question still today? Are we bound to expectations?

Joan Enders was librarian for 28 years, at Monticello Middle School and then RA Long High School. Now retired, she volunteers as director of the Longview Family History Center and as a FamilySearch Support Team member who answers questions via phone, email or chat at FamilySearch.

If you enjoy org. She is the author of Evidence is Lacking, Yet ACTION, I Still Hope: A Primary Source CRIME, and Glimpse into a World War I Soldier’s Life.

OBSESSION

NMLS# 186805

THE RIGHT MORTGAGE.

throughout the book. In this story of the 1950s, the father lives his passion.

The mother, unlike most 1950s wives and mothers, follows her passion.

Yet when Asher follows his own passion, their reaction leads to the potential destruction of their family. Pained by his parent’s judgment, Asher eventually chooses to live apart. Potok paid a similar price.

ljwebbauthor.com

Carrie Lynn Medack Sr. Loan Officer 360.431.0998 NMLS#190268

1541 11th Ave., Suite A Longview, WA NMLS#1164433

on AMAZON

ATTENTION, READERS Read a good book lately? To be miniinterviewed by CRR Book Reviewer Alan Rose for a future “What Are You Reading?” spotlight, please contact him at alan@alan-rose.com or the publisher/editor at publisher@crreader.com.

Cover to Cover

Top 10 Bestsellers PAPERBACK FICTION 1. Little Fires Everywhere Celeste Ng, Penguin, $17 2. The Overstory Richard Powers, Norton, $18.95 3. Pachinko Min Jin Lee, Grand Central, $16.99 4. Station Eleven Emily St. John Mandel, Vintage, $16.95 5. A Gentleman in Moscow Amor Towles, Penguin, $17 6. Girl, Woman, Other Bernardine Evaristo, Grove Press/Black Cat, $17 7. The Island of Sea Women Lisa See, Scribner, $18 8. The Fifth Season N.K. Jemisin, Orbit, $15.99 9. Recursion Blake Crouch, Ballantine, $17 10. The River Peter Heller, Vintage, $16

PAPERBACK NON-FICTION 1. The Story of More Hope Jahren, Vintage, $15 2. The Library Book Susan Orlean, S&S, $16.99 3. Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $18 4. Say Nothing Patrick Radden Keefe, Anchor, $16.95 5. Sapiens Yuval Noah Harari, Harper Perennial, $24.99 6. Wow, No Thank You: Essays Samantha Irby, Vintage, $15.95 7. So You Want to Talk About Race Ijeoma Oluo, Seal Press, $16.99 8. The Body Keeps the Score Bessel van der Kolk, Penguin, $19 9. A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II Sonia Purnell, Penguin, $18 10. Classic Krakauer: Essays on Wilderness and Risk Jon Krakauer, Anchor, $15

BOOK REVIEW

By Alan Rose The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

By Erik Larson Crown Publishing Group $32 Hard cover

A

new book by Erik Larson (Isaac’s Storm, The Devil in the White City, Dead Wake) is always an occasion for celebration.

But this latest book is also well-timed, about a people hunkering down amid a national crisis.

From August 1940 to June 1941, Britain stood alone against the Nazi juggernaut that had rolled over Europe in less than a year. Waves of 1000 German aircraft darkened the skies

Alan Rose organizes the monthly WordFest gatherings. His next novel, about the AIDS epidemic, As If Death Summoned, will be published in 2020 by Amble Press/ Bywater Books. More book reviews, author interviews, and news updates can be found at www.alan-rose.com.

HARDCOVER FICTION 1. The Night Watchman Louise Erdrich, Harper, $28.99 2. The Glass Hotel Emily St.John Mandel, Knopf, $26.95 3. The City We Became N.K. Jemisin, Orbit, $28 4. The Mirror & the Light Hilary Mantel, Holt, $30 5. Where the Crawdads Sing Delia Owens, Putnam, $26 6. The Dutch House Ann Patchett, Harper, $27.99 7. American Dirt Jeanine Cummins, Flatiron Books, $27.99 8. A Long Petal of the Sea Isabel Allende, Ballantine, $28 9. Writers & Lovers Lily King, Grove Press, $27 10. Offerings Michael ByungJu Kim, Arcade, $24.99

HARDCOVER NON-FICTION 1. Untamed Glennon Doyle, The Dial Press, $28 2. The Splendid and the Vile Erik Larson, Crown, $32 3. This Is Chance!: The Shaking of an All-American City, A Voice That Held It Together Jon Mooallem, Random House, $28 4. Educated Tara Westover, Random House, $28 5. Save Yourself Cameron Esposito, Grand Central, $27 6. House Lessons: Renovating a Life Erica Bauermeister, Sasquatch Books, $24.95 7. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Charlie Mackesy, HarperOne, $22.99 8. Why We’re Polarized Ezra Klein, Avid Reader Press/S&S, $28 9. One Long River of Song: Notes on Wonder Brian Doyle, Little Brown, $27 10. A Pilgrimage to Eternity: From Canterbury to Rome in Search of a Faith Timothy Egan, Viking, $28

Brought to you by Book Sense and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Assn, for week ending March 29, 2020, 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 1. The Stand Stephen King, Anchor, $9.99 2. Dune Frank Herbert, Ace, $10.99 3. Lord of the Flies William Golding, Perigee, $11 4. The Shining Stephen King, Anchor, $8.99 5. The Last Wish Andrzej Sapkowski, Orbit, $8.99 6. The Wise Man’s Fear Patrick Rothfuss, DAW, $9.99 7. The Goldfinch Donna Tartt, Little Brown, $10.99 8. American Gods Neil Gaiman, Morrow, $9.99 9. The Fiery Cross Diana Gabaldon, Dell, $9.99 10. The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss, DAW, $9.99

EARLY & MIDDLE GRADE READERS 1. Pax Sara Pennypacker, Jon Klassen (Illus.), Balzer + Bray, $8.99, 9780062377029 2. New Kid Jerry Craft, Harper, $12.99 3. Little Women Louisa May Alcott, Puffin, $8.99 4. The BFG Roald Dahl, Puffin, $7.99 5. Get Ready for School: More Kindergarten Heather Stella, Black Dog & Leventhal, $18.99 6. Because of Winn-Dixie Kate DiCamillo, Candlewick, $7.99 7. Wonder R.J. Palacio, Knopf Books for Young Readers, $16.99 8. Bob Wendy Mass, Rebecca Stead, Nicholas Gannon (Illus.), Square Fish, $7.99 9. The Phantom Tollbooth Norton Juster, Jules Feiffer (Illus.), Yearling, $7.99 10. The Call of the Wild Jack London, Puffin, $6.99

For times of trial and tribulation with near-daily bombings, testing the mettle, moxie, pluck and courage that has defined the British people ever since.

As in his other books, Larson captures history on the day-to-day level where it was lived. Yes, there are inspiring speeches by a bulldog prime minister, but Larson also records the more mundane matters that preoccupied people, like falling in love, or trying to, or hosting an elegant dinner party on war rations.

In his usual vivid writing (Searchlights sabered the sky) Larson reports how people carried on with remarkable grace and fortitude amid the daily tragedy and mounting losses. “Citizens brought gas masks to church and began wearing small metal identity disks on bracelets, in case they got blown into unidentifiable pieces.” Caught in the street as bombs fell around him “like hailstones,” one of Churchill’s secretaries sums up the experience in his diary as “quite a disagreeable walk.”

After watching an aerial battle over Portsmouth, couples return to their game of tennis.

Over that year London was devastated, whole sections of the city reduced to ruins. Even Buckingham palace was hit,

The one universal balm for the trauma of war was tea. It was the thing that helped people cope.

People made tea during air raids and after air raids, and on breaks between retrieving bodies from shattered buildings. Tea bolstered the network of thirty thousand observers who watched for German aircraft over England, operating from one thousand observation posts, all stocked with tea and kettles…Tea was comfort and history; above all, it was English. As long as there was tea, there was England.

friend of Pamela Churchill’s—though the experience didn’t always live up to expectations. One young woman wrote in her diary: “Well, that’s done, and I’m glad it’s over! If that’s really all there is to it, I’d rather have a good smoke or go to the pictures.”

We are now in one of those times that try us and test us and that will show what kind of people, what kind of nation we are. We may well take lessons from the British of 1940. For a people whose history stretched back 2,000 years, it was their finest hour.

••• See “How to Maintain Your Literary Wellbeing During a Pandemic,” page 12.

~ from The Splendid and the Vile causing the Queen to remark: “I’m glad we’ve been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face.”

But the unrelenting bombing didn’t break the people’s will. Instead, Larson finds, “What the attacks on London seemed clearly to unleash was a new sexuality.” The young didn’t want to die virgins. “A big bombing raid is a very good way to get into bed with somebody,” noted a

May 12 • Cassava 1333 Broadway Longview

SECOND TUESDAY

www.alan-rose.com

SUSPENDED DUE TO COVID-19 Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 25

SUBJECT TO CHANGE / LIKELY CLOSED TEMPORARILY EXCEPT AS NOTED

Clatskanie, Ore.

k

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

Sun-Thurs 11am–9pm. Fri-Sat 11am–10pm. 503-728-2922

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

Open daily 11am.

503-556-9753

dining guide

Kelso, Wash.

El Ranchero Kelso

The Original Pietrio’s Pizzeria

k

1626 West Side Hwy Family Mexican restaurant. Full Mexican menu. Daily specials. Liquor, beer & wine.

Mention this listing for $5 off purchase of $30 or more. Open Mon–Sat 11am–9pm.

360-423-3704.

Longview, Wash.

k 716 Triangle Shopping Center.

18 rotating craft brews, pub fare.

M-W 12 Noon–9pm, Th–Sat 12 Noon– 11pm. Sun 12 Noon–8pm. Local music.

Follow us on Untappd.

See ad, page 5. (Moving in May)

Restaurant & Lounge

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 next page Listing for Restaurants open to serve you!

COLUMBIA RIVER

The Carriage Conestoga Pub

k

The Carriage Restaurant & Lounge 1334 12th Ave. Open from 6am to close. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Full bar, banquet room available for groups, parties, family reunions, etc. in lounge, open 6am. Three happy hours daily (8–10am, 12–2pm, 5–7pm). Group meeting room, free use with $150 food/drink purchases.

360-425-8545.

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.

360-353-3512.

k

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.

Red Kitchen, 848 15th Ave., Longview.

Cocktails, taps, vino. Traditional diner fare, breakfast, lunch, dinner. Healthy options. Full service bar, incl 12 taps.

7am–10pm, M-F, 8am–10pm Sat-Sun.

Regent & Woodshed

k

3353 Washington Way Chinese & American food. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Full bar. Food to go during open hours. Families welcome. Deliveries available after 5pm. Call for Live Music on Saturdays. Open Tues-Sun, 8am–9pm. Phone: 360-423-8680

k

Kalama

215 N. Hendrickson Dr., Port of Kalama.

A Northwest pub and unique bars serving breakfast, lunch & dinner daily.

Handcrafted beer, wine & cocktails, burgers, specialties, incl Kamikaze Seared Ahi & more. Live music, art, history & riverfront hotel rooms. Info & reservations at mcmenamins.com. Bars hours vary; see website for details. Pub open M-Th 7am – midnight; Fri-Sun 7am– 1am. 360- 673-9210.

St. Helens, Oregon

k Sunshine Pizza & Catering 2124 Columbia Blvd.

Hot pizza, cool salad bar. Beer & wine.

503-397-3211 See ad, page 32.

Scappoose, Oregon

k

Fultano’s Pizza 51511 SE 2nd.

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

Sun–Th 11am–9pm; Fri-Sat 11am– 10pm. Full bar service ‘til 10pm Fri & Sat. Deliveries in Scappoose. 503-5435100.

k

Roland Wines

Evergreen Pub & Café

115-117 East 1st Street Burgers, halibut, prime rib, full bar.

503-556-9935

Goble Tavern

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

Luigi’s Pizza

k

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

Restaurant operators: To advertise in Columbia River Dining Guide, call 360-749-2632

26 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

k

1106 Florida St., Longview. Authentic Italian wood-fired pizza, wine, and beer.

Casual ambience. 5–9pm Wed-Fri, Sat. 11–3. See ad, page 11.

Freddy’s Just for the Halibut.

Cod, halibut & tuna fish and chips, oysters & clams, award-winning clam chowder.

Prime rib every Thurs. Sunday Brunch 9am–1pm. Beer and wine. M-W 10–8, ThSat 10–9, Sun 9am-8pm.

1110 Commerce 360-414-3288.

See ad, page 11.

k Teri’s, 3225 Ocean Beach Hwy, Longview. Lunch and dinner.

Burgers, steak, seafood, pasta, specials, fresh NW cuisine. Happy Hour. Full bar.

360-577-0717.

Castle Rock Hop N Grape

924 15th Ave., Longview M–Th 11am–8pm; Fri & Sat 11am– 9pm; Sun 11am–7pm. BBQ meat slowcooked on site. Pulled pork, chicken brisket, ribs, turkey, salmon. Worldfamous mac & cheese. 360-577-1541

Grant’s at the Monticello

Hotel on Longview’s historic Civic Circle. Casual upscale dining. Seafood, steaks, pasta, burgers. Happy Hour specials 3pm. M-Th 11-9, Fri-Sat 11-10.

360-442-8234. See ad, page 8.

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

Lunch, Dinner. Burgers, hand-cut steak; seafood and pasta. Restaurant opens 11am, Lounge 12 Noon. Closed Monday.

360-967-2333.

Vault Books & Brew 20 Cowlitz Street West M-Sat 7am–6pm • Sun 10am–4pm Open 7 days. Coffee and specialty drinks, quick eats & sweet treats. See ad, page 6.

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

k Mark’s on the Channel

34326 Johnson Landing, Scappoose, Ore. Floating restaurant. Fish & Chips, Oysters, Steaks, Daily Specials. Happy Hours 3–6pm daily. Free Live Music Fri-Sat. Open year-round, Sun-Mon 11:30–8; W-Th 11:30–8:30; F-Sat 11`:30–9. 503-543-8765.

See ad, page 11.

Warren

k

Warren Country Inn 56575 Columbia River Hwy. Fine family dining. Breakfast, lunch & dinner. Fri Prime Rib special, Taco Tuesday. Full bar. M-Th 8am–9:30pm, Fri-Sat 8am–10:30pm, Sun 9am–9pm. Karaoke Fri & Sat.503-410-5479.

COLUMBIA RIVER DINING GUIDE

kDrive-thru,

Curbside service Take-Out & Delivery Options

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

See listings at left for locations and contact info

Fultano’s Pizza: Take-out and Delivery. Call for info.

Ixtapa Clatakanie and Scappoose. Take-out and delivery (delivery $20 minimum, 10 mile range 11am- 9 pm).

Roland Wines Regular days

Luigi’s Pick-up window, de-

livery (no minimum, delivery range from Goble Tavern to Alston Pub).

Teri’s Curbside service, full menu. Beer, wine and cocktails to go. Mon-Sat 11:30am -7:30pm.

El Ranchero: Take out Mon

Sunshine Pizza Order at

thru Sat 11am -9 pm

Antidote Take-out everyday from 3–8 pm

Freddy’s Drive-thru, Wednes-

www.sunshinepizz.net for delivery, $12 minimum, 10:30 am --8:00pm, in the St. Helens area.

day thru Sunday 11 am - 7 pm, delivery in Longview / Kelso

Mark’s on the Channel

Porky’s Curbside. Take-out,

Warren Country Inn

growler fills and kegs. Delivery available via Deliver Kings.

M-Th 11:30am–8pm; Fri-Sat 11:3-am8pm; Sundays TBA. Menu at porkyspublichouse. com, updates on Facebook.

Regent / Woodshed Curbside

take-out, Limited delivery within 5 miles, $20 minimum

WE DO ULTRASOUND

and hours, call 360- 846-7304 to order pizza and wine for curbside pick-up Teri’s Curbside service, full menu. Beer, wine and cocktails to go. Mon–Sat, 11:30– 7:30pm

Take-Out and growler fills.

Take-out and delivery (delivery $20 minimum, 10 mile range 11am- 9 pm).

Summerland Catering Call

Mike, 360-957-1025 or email mike@summerlandinc.net for delivery of box lunches or dinner mainly to businesses.

Richard A. Kirkpatrick, M.D., FACP

Dara M. Newberry, RN, MSN, DNP

Brooke Wethington, BS, MPAS, PA-C

Rachel Roylance, BS, MPAP, PA-C

Nicholas Austin MSPAS, PA-C

Melanie Hughes, BS, MPAS, PA-C

Karen L. Joiner, RN, MSN, ARNP

Dr. Toddrick Tookes, DPM, Podiatrist

Vlad Bogin, M.D., FACP

We Accept Most Insurance Plans Telemedicine Visits Available Temporary clinic hours: Mon-Fri, 8am to 6pm Sat, 9am to 1pm Sun, Noon to 4pm

360-423-9580

1706 Washington Way, Longview

ON THE CIVIC CENTER www.kirkpatrickfamilycare.com

Kirkpatrick Foot & Ankle

Dr. Toddrick Tookes, DPM, Podiatrist

• American Board of Podiatric Surgery • Diabetic Foot Care • Ingrown Toenails • Heel & Arch Pain • Foot Surgery • Fungal Conditions • Wound Care • U.S. Navy Veteran

360-575-9161

783 Commerce Ave. Suite 120 BOTH BUSINESSES UNDER SAME OWNERSHIP Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 27

Northwest Foods

MAN IN THE KITCHEN CLASSICS

To-Die-For ‘Potatoes Melva’ a timeless treat

By Paul Thompson Originally published April 2010

O

ccasionally, I’m assigned a recipe to try and then write about. I’m happy to do it, but it’s sometimes difficult to become inspired, particularly when it’s time to write. Not this time.

This assignment brought back memories of the real home cookin’ many of us grew up with.

It all started with a CRR writers’ party a t H u m p ’s Restaurant in Clatskanie, O r e g o n .

Potatoes Melva was served, along with a home-style buffet. We all went back for seconds. You will, too.

Pam and Eric Sellix, Hump’s owners, later shared with us the recipe for Potatoes Melva, originated by her Aunt Melva Clarke. Most restaurants won’t do this.

You’ll be pleased Hump’s did.

Like many casserole recipes from our youth, cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup is the basis for this one. What would a church potluck be without casseroles made from those and cheese soups as a base?

Potatoes Melva is several notches above scalloped potatoes and much easier to make. The recipe included here is cut to one-fourth Hump’s quantity.

Paul Thompson grew up in Longview, Wash., and later moved to Oak Park, Illinois and taught speech and drama at Chicago’s Wright College. After retirement, he lived in Sequim, Wash., until returning to his hometown. He wrote the popular Man in the Kitchen column from CRR’s beginning, attaining the status of Man in the Kitchen Emeritus and enjoys seeing his old favorites appearing from time to time

RECIPE Potatoes Melva (serves 6-8) 1 /2 C. diced yellow onions 4 Tbl. butter 1-1/2 lbs diced hash brown potatoes One 14.5-oz. can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup 1-1/4 C. cheddar cheese, grated 1/2 C. sour cream Salt and black pepper to taste Corn flakes

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray (I used a 6” x 10” x 2” dish); fill with potato mixture and cover with crushed corn flakes. Cover and place in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes.

Remove the cover and continue cooking another 25 minutes.

The crunchy, browned top covers tender morsels of cheesy potatoes.

The addition of chives, frozen peas or a dash of hot sauce might be fun to try. When I prepare it next time, I may substitute potato chips for the Saute the onions in butter until corn flakes. It won’t stay as crispy for softened, about 5 minutes. Add all leftovers, but I’ll like the salty taste. the ingredients except the corn flakes Thank for sharing, Humps. You were and mix well. Humps made their own a favorite stop, going to and from the hash browns. I used diced, frozen beach. (Editor’s note: Hump’s has since closed...and is missed.) hash browns.

28 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

Where to find the new Reader

It’s delivered all around the River by the 15th of each month. Here’s the list of handy, regularlyrefilled sidewalk box and rack locations where you can pick up a copy any time of day and even in your bathrobe ...

LONGVIEW RAINIER U.S. Bank Post Office Post Office Cornerstone Bob’s (rack, main check-out) Rainier In front of 1232 Commerce Ave Hardware (rack, In front of 1323 Commerce Ave entry) YMCA Earth ‘n’ Sun Fred Meyer (rack, service desk area) (on Hwy 30) Teri’s El Tapatio Grocery Outlet (entry rack) Fibre Fed’l CU - Commerce Ave Grocery Outlet Monticello Hotel (front entrance) DEER ISLAND Kaiser Permanente Deer Island Store St. John Medical Center COLUMBIA CITY - Post Office (rack, Park Lake Café) Cowlitz Black Bears box office WARREN LCC Student Center Warren Country Inn Mini-Mart next to Regents ST HELENS Indie Way Diner Chamber of Commerce Columbia River Reader Office Sunshine Pizza 1333 14th Ave. Post Office KELSO Olde Town (Wild Currant) Heritage Bank Safeway Visitors’ Center/ Kelso-Longview SCAPPOOSE Chamber of Commerce Post Office For more KALAMA Road Runner locations or the Fibre Fed’l CU pick-up point Kalama Shopping Center Fultano’s nearest you,

corner of First & Fir Ace Hardware visit crreader.

McMenamin’s Harbor Lodge com and click WARRENTON, OR “Find the WOODLAND Fred Meyer Magazine” Visitors’ Center under CATHLAMET CASTLE ROCK “Features.”

Lacie Rha’s Cafe (32 Cowlitz W.) Cathlamet Pharmacy Tsuga Gallery Parker’s Restaurant (box, entry) Puget Island Ferry Landing Visitors’ Center 890 Huntington Ave. N. Exit 49, west side of I-5

RYDERWOOD Café porch CLATSKANIE Post Office Chevron / Mini-Mart Wauna mill (parking area)

SKAMOKAWA Skamokawa General Store NASELLE Appelo Archives & Café Johnson’s One-Stop

the Lower Columbia

Informer

Settling in for a rainy night at home, online.

by Perry Piper

Join the congregation of consumers Family home time experiences “revival” Home Entertainment During this period of social distancing and continuing our bunker quarantine lockdown lifestyle, we’ve heard about the approaching “SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection,” to be held free online, courtesy of Amazon; all you need is an account.

I came across an interesting fact: More modern Americans subscribe to Amazon Prime than attend church! So join the congregation of consumers and pray to Jeff Bezos for more offerings like this!

The festival will occur over a 10-day time frame in late April, although the exact dates have yet to be announced.

Feeling isolated, lonely?

Miss your grandkids?

Working at home?

HBO has also announced that a select number of their popular TV shows and movies are now available to all for free. AMC is doing the same, with titles like the Walking Dead and others. Free trials are, of course, also available for most services.

Family Communication While the face-to-face Internet phone service, Zoom, has become very popular, their current security problems are making us switch back to the old household classic, Skype, from Microsoft, as well as Facebook’s Messenger app that supports multiple people in group calls and Apple’s Facetime if everyone has an Apple product.

These services are all free to use, over wifi, with laptop or smartphone being the best choice with their built-in cameras and microphones.

A more fun way to keep in touch with young kids or generally silly people is through the smartphone app, Snapchat, allowing users to turn their faces i n t o f u n n y c o m p u t e rgenerated lens animations, like a real time dog with ears and the tongue that flies out when opening your mouth, making you become

I can help over the phone • Technology to help stay “in touch” during Social Distancing • Home office setup • Mobile Apps • Home Entertainment

Call or text: 360-270-0608.

PERRY PIPER PRODUCTIONS

an cartoon character on the screen. Facebook’s Messenger does the same thing although at a lower quality. Both apps, though, let users dive into AR — or augmented reality — the next jump in computing, where a kind of graphical digital internet is overlaid on the world, seen through your phone screen.

Don’t forget that when using the normal smartphone,, it’s often faster to send audio clips than it is to call or text, something very popular in Whatsapp, another messaging service owned

by Facebook, and available around the world.

The speech detection AI can often miss those last five percent of words, so if you want the job done right and to be more personal, but also quick, do it yourself! Like a button on a walkie talkie, the iPhone clip recorder icon is right next to the send button in the iMessage or text messaging app and with Android it’s usually a plus (+) button left of the send button and then scrolling down to the microphone logo and following the previous iPhone step.

Remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds, wear a mask over your nose and mouth in public, and keep up that social distancing! Maybe we’ll all finally have time to finish that one season of that favorite show still lingering from before we had so much spare time on our hands.

•••

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P In Home Doctor Visits P Home Cooked Meals P Locally Owned P 6 to 1 Caregiver Ratio P Small Homelike Setting P 24-Hour Registered Nurses Support P Memory Care Experts P Therapies in Home P Licensed facilities that exceed state standards

www.thehavenslongview.com

The Havens are now hiring Licensed Caregivers 360-442-0758

No scams • No cookies We don’t steal your info No need for a charger PREMIE

Reading CRR does not count as screen time

R SENIO

R CARE

The Havens is a group of 11 premier, independently owned and operated homes.

Drop in for a tour any time!

Thoughtful and polite ads, not rude pop-ups Nothing bad happens if you drop CRR into the toilet, just don’t flush it.

Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 29

Outings & Events

Performing & Fine Arts, Music Art, Theatre, Literary

Submission Guidelines

Recreation, Outdoors Gardening, History, Pets, Self-Help Updates coming next issue!

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.

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 towns, three counties, two states and beyond and does not publish Letters to the Editor that are endorsements or criticisms of political candidates or controversial issues. (Paid ad space is available.)

Unsolicited submissions may be considered, provided they are consistent with the publication’s purpose. Advance contact with the editor is recommended.

Information of general interest submitted by readers may be used as background or incorporated in future articles.

Outings & Events calendar (free listing): Events must be open to the public. Non-profit organizations and the arts, entertainment, educational and recreational opportunities and community cultural events 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 8).

HOW TO PUBLICIZE YOUR NON-PROFIT EVENT IN CRR Send your noncommercial community event basic info (name of event, beneficiary, sponsor, date & time, location, brief description and contact info) to publisher@crreader.com Or mail or hand-deliver (in person or via mail slot) to: Columbia River Reader 1333-14th Ave Longview, WA 98632

Submission Deadlines Events occurring: May 15 – June 20:

by April 27 for May 15 issue.

June 15 º July 15:

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, above.

Dear Friends of Stageworks Northwest: We at Stageworks Northwest wish to thank you again for your continued support of our theater. Like so many others business around the world, we understand that the Coronavirus, COVID-19, is a deadly virus and each of us must all do our part to stop its spread. Although the virus has not been reported yet in our community, we* in the state of Washington must be diligent and consider the health and well-being of everyone who enters our facility. *Note: This has since changed In light of the current situation, Stageworks Northwest has made an extremely difficult decision, and one that will cause a severe hardship for our theater, to postpone and reschedule our productions of Clue and Arsenic and Old Lace until a time that we can ensure the safety and health for our community. Our Box office is also CLOSED until mid April.

Cover your coughs & sneezes.

Keep your distance.

Wear a mask in public.

Take your dog for a walk.

Smile.

FIRST THURSDAY May 7

Broadway Gallery Rosemary Powelson, drawings, paintings and clay. Live music by local artists.

5:30-7pm.

1418 Commerce Avenue Longview, Wash.

MAYBE / WE HOPE!

It is impossible to reschedule performances without creating serious and lasting hardships for our business, our volunteers, and our artists. We ask for your patience and support during this incredibly difficult time, as we navigate these challenges.

At this point we are suspending all ticket sales until we can establish new dates to resume the production of these shows. If you have tickets for either of these shows, we will be in contact with you over the next few weeks to provide you with options for ticket exchanges for future productions or refunds.

This difficult situation is creating hardships in all areas of our economy and we appreciate your understanding. It is times like this that can shut down small nonprofit theater organizations like ours and we hope that you consider the exchange program over a refund.

However, we will honor all refund requests.

It is very hard to ask for even more support at a time like this, however, if you are able to give a donation right now, there is no better time for your added support. Even the smallest donation will make an impact!

Donations are accepted at our webpage, www.stageworksnorthwest.com. Click the Donate button.

Our hearts go out to all those in our own community and around the world who are being impacted by this epidemic.

Thank you for your continued support of Stageworks Northwest.

30 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

Our Parts and Service Department is OPEN Regular business hours.

The Sales Department is closed to keep our sales staff and our customers safe.

We are here to serve you, now and in the future.

Outings & Events

Performances re-scheduled in Clatskanie With the restrictions of the Coronaviris and concern for the safety of not only our audience members but our performers, the Clatskanie Arts Commission has canceled the rest of its 2019-20 season which includes the Fern Hill Bluegrass Band and the Bloomer Family and pianist Sarah Hagan.

These are both wonderful performances that we don’t want you to miss.

They have graciously allowed us to reschedule them in our 2020-21 season: Fern Hill Bluegrass Band and the Bloomer Family Oregon Symphonic Band

TBA, October 2020

Christmas with Sundae and Mr. Goessl Missoula Children’s Theatre

Sept. 20, 2020 Dec. 6, 2020

Late Feb/Early March, 2021

Karen Carpenter Tribute Band Pianist Sarah Hagan

April 18, 2021 May 7, 2021

Tickets for the two canceled performances will be honored next season.

For more information please call Elsa Wooley at 503.728.3403.

Mt. St. Helens Club

HIKES

Suspended for now.

bia m u ol e fall C r h You k in t ! . e c er e ba ineup h l l sti e’ll b new l e r ’ We tre. W hole w a The ith a w

www.columbiatheatre.com • 360.575.8499

Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 31

Trekker

Seaquest State Park boasts a variety of plants and wildlife. Sword ferns and Oregon grape carpet the forest floor.

The berry on the Oregon grape is edible and tart in flavor. The root and root stems are used to make medicine for several stomach and intestinal ailments.

Although most adults are familiar with these plants, Denise enjoys pointing them out to the Boy Scouts who join them on treks. We found some salal, an evergreen plant with fuzzy white or pink bell-shaped flowers. The flowers then become a purple berry. The salal was a staple for the Native Americans and was written about in the Lewis and Clark Expedition journals. Salal berries are safe to eat and can be used to make jams, jellies, compotes and fruit leathers.

from page 14

The Pacific Northwest is home to several different types of lichen. According to the USDA Forest Service, “A lichen is the combination of two organisms, a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium (or both in some instances) that function as a single stable unit.” There are about 17,000 species in the world.

These lichens enable algae to live all over the world and to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. We found lichen dangling from the trees throughout the forest, but Denise was excited to show me one particular area on this trail, where a unique type of lichen known as Methuselah’s Beard or Old Man’s Beard (Usnea longissimi Ach) enveloped the trees. This rare type of lichen can reach 20 feet long. It is found in open and shaded forests typically located by water. It grows in the crowns, or tops, of coniferous, cone-bearing seed plants or trees. According to the USDA Plants Database, “Its habitat is shrinking and instead of establishing itself via spores, parts of it break off and reestablish themselves elsewhere.”

Although it is always nice to hike on a dry sunny day, mud reveals a great deal about what lives in the forest. During our trek, we found several excellent deer and raccoon tracks.

Seaquest State Park offers hikers 505 acres of land to wander near Silver Lake.

Trails weave back and forth throughout the property and around the exterior.

After hiking the trails, check out the Mount St. Helens Visitors Center across the road from the park.

As we meandered through the woods, Denise shared how some people love the architecture of buildings, but that she loves the architecture, bark and structure of the different trees in the forest.

REAL ESTATE TIPS

Denise and I traversed approximately 2.25 miles at Seaquest. I received an

by Mike Wallin

Cabin fever got you down?

Transform your home, transform your mood With the new year in full swing, and the holidays a fond memory, reality begins setting in. The gloomy, cold, icy weather – the constant grey pallet we’re faced with daily – isn’t about to end anytime soon.

You aren’t the only one suffering from a bout of cabin fever. Hundreds of thousands of us suffer from mildwinter depression, of feeling isolated and cooped up around mid-winter.

Thankfully, there are ways to combat the gloom.

Get outdoors This may seem like a nobrainer to most and an impossibility to those in the more wild-winter-struck areas of the country.

But even just a few minutes spent in nature can lift spirits, according to Michelle Gielan, an expert in positive health and wellness. Bundle up and, if there’s a body of water nearby, make that your destination.

“One study shows that just five minutes a day walking by the water boosts our mood,” Gielan says at PsychologyToday.com.

Bring the outdoors in If it’s just too frosty to get outdoors, it’s time to bring nature into the home... (continued)

For the full article visit www.mikewallin.com https://mikewallin.com/real-estate-blog/cabin-fever-gotyou-down-transform-your-home-transform-your-mood/

Mike Wallin

Five Star Broker, REALTOR

Highest Rated Locally 360-560-3636 CELL

michaelkwallin@gmail.com 1140-11th Ave., Longview, WA By appointment only

32 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

Feel free to reach out to us if with questions on this or any aspect of the home purchase process.

excellent education in the local wildlife, trees and plants of the area.

The next time you head out into nature, bring along someone with knowledge about things that are unfamiliar to you and get a new perspective of the region.

And don’t forget food! Before heading out, pack a snack...perhaps try my recipe for Poached Eggs and Asparagus and Tapenade Toast (below).

•••

RECIPE

By Tracy Beard

PROVISIONS ALONG THE TRAIL Poached Eggs with Asparagus and Tapenade Toast

4 large eggs 1 Tbl white or apple cider vinegar Salt and pepper 1 French baguette 2 Tbl olive oil 1 lb asparagus spears,

cleaned and trimmed Dressing 1Tbl orange zest 3 Tbl fresh-squeezed orange juice 2 Tbl olive oil 4 tsp white vinegar Whisk together orange juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, white vinegar, orange zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Tapenade 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted 1/2 cup picholine olives, pitted 1/2 Tbl sun-dried tomatoes

(preserved in oil) 1 tsp capers ½ clove garlic ¼ tsp anchovy paste 1 tsp chopped fresh basil 1 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano 1 tsp fresh thyme 2 Tbl olive oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until chopped and well blended. Set aside.

Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill on BBQ or on a grill pan on the stove until crisp-tender.

Drizzle sliced baguette with olive oil and grill on both sides.

Poach eggs in 4 cups of gently boiling water mixed with one tablespoon vinegar for 3–5 minutes until preferred doneness.

Place one or two tablespoons of tapenade on each grilled slice of bread. Place cooked asparagus on the plate alongside toast and top toast or asparagus with the poached eggs.

Drizzle everything with dressing.

HOT PIZZA FRESH COOL

SALAD BAR THE BEST AROUND! IN ST HELENS • 2124 Columbia Blvd

503-397-3211

Astronomy

SKY REPORT

April 15 - May 20

Many sky delights for night owls and early risers practicing social distancing!

By Ted Gruber Evening Sky Venus continues to dominate the west-northwest evening sky. The bright planet becomes visible at twilight and sets just after midnight in mid-April, and about an hour earlier by mid-May. Venus will start becoming slightly dimmer in May because its orbit is taking it farther away from Earth, but it will still be the brightest object in the night sky other than the Moon.

Mercury returns to the evening sky in mid-May. Like Venus, look for Mercury in the west-northwest sky, but because it is nowhere near as bright as Venus, Mercury won’t become visible until about 30 minutes after sunset. Mercury gets closer to Venus each evening until May 21.

That evening the two planets appear just 1° apart, providing what might be the easiest chance to spot Mercury.

Morning Sky Like last month, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are visible in the southeast morning sky. In mid-April, Jupiter

Kelso resident Ted Gruber is president of Friends of Galileo. He makes a regular report to fellow members of the family-friendly astronomy club which meets monthly in Longview. For info about FOG, visit friendsofgalileo. com.

rises just before 3:00am, Saturn about 20 minutes later, and Mars about 30 minutes after Saturn. By mid-May, Jupiter rises just past 1:00am, with Saturn following about 15 minutes later, and Mars just before 3:00am.

All three planets remain visible until fading into the morning light.

The next month provides more close encounters between the Moon and our three morning planets. The Moon passes just south of Saturn on April 15 and just south of Mars the next morning. Then on May 12, the Moon passes just south of Jupiter and Saturn.

Mars isn’t left out, as the Moon and the red planet appear about 3° apart the mornings of May 14 and 15.

Meteor Showers The Lyrid meteor shower is active from April 14 to 30, peaking the night of April 21-22. Predictions call for 15 to 20 meteors per hour at the peak, and the Moon won’t be an issue this year for the Lyrids. The best viewing is expected in the pre-dawn hours during the three-day period centered on the peak. The meteors appear to radiate from a point in the eastern sky in the constellation Lyra, marked by the bright star Vega.

Unfortunately, the Moon isn’t as meteor-friendly for the Eta Aquariid meteor shower. The Eta Aquariids are active from April 19 to May 28, peaking in the early morning hours of May 5. The shower is predicted to produce 10 meteors per hour at the peak, but with the bright Moon, expect to see about half that many.

This year, viewing the Eta Aquariids might be better a few nights before and after the peak when the moon doesn’t interfere.

The shower is so named because the meteors appear to radiate from a point in the constellation Aquarius in the southeast sky.

223 NE 1st Street, Kalama 9–8 M-Sat, 10–7 Sun • 360-673-2200

•••

FOR NEWBIE STAR GAZERS How to find stuff in the night sky

By Greg Smith

F

or those new to looking at the stars, I have something you can see with a pair of binoculars. In the southwestern sky is the faint constellation Cancer, which lies between Gemini and Leo. This is where you will find what is known as an open cluster. In a dark viewing location, you can just make out a cloudy patch of stars, but with binoculars you will see dozens of stars in a wide bunch. It looks like a cloud of bees near a hive. This cluster of stars is actually known as the Beehive cluster (M44). It is “only” about 500 light years away. A light year is the distance light travels in one year, or just over 6 trillion miles.

Wait, how did I find the constellation of Leo and the Beehive Cluster? This is a process of familiarizing yourself with the patterns of the night sky. If you can find the Big Dipper you can find many other constellations. The stars on the end of the bowl of the “Dipper” point to the North Star. Now you know where north is. The handle of the “Dipper” is curved. Follow that curve to the southeast to a very bright star. That is the star Arcturus in the constellation of Boötes (high in the east). Don’t worry about how to pronounce it. Just know that you found another major constellation. If you continue to follow the curve from Arcturus, you will come upon another bright star, this is Spica, in Virgo (the lazy Princess).

Bingo three constellations! Look up and to the right from Spica and another bright star, not as bright as Spica, will be Regulus in Leo. You have just crossed the realm of galaxies. Continue to the right (southwest) and there will be two bright stars right above each other. You are at Gemini. You also passed over Cancer and the Beehive. Point your binoculars about halfway between Leo and Gemini and you will find the Beehive cluster.

A good way to learn the placement of constellations is to get a current issue of an astronomy magazine (Astronomy or Sky and Telescope) and go to the middle of the magazine and find the star chart listed for that month. The constellations are all marked, along with the major star names. It may even show you where to find some deep sky objects and viewable planets. For just a few bucks you are on your way to be an amateur astronomer!

While you have the magazine , read all the articles. Several are for the beginning star gazer and will help you find things to see in the sky. They even have at least one article on using binoculars. Be careful — you may get hooked and want to buy a telescope. Don’t! Get to know the night sky first just by naked-eye viewing.

A pair of binoculars will also show you many amazing things.

Longview resident Greg Smith is past president of Friends of Galileo. Meet him and other club members at monthly meetings in Longview. For more info about FOG, visit friendsofgalileo. com.

PET DEPARTMENT Finally, they’re taking me for plenty of walks!

~Ginger

Victoria Findlay’s dog

Wash your paws.

~Smokey

Man in the Kitchen’s cat

Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 33

PLUGGED IN TO

the spectator

COWLITZ PUD

by ned piper

During the COVID-19 Situation

And People Stayed Home

A

friend recently emailed a poem to me that she understood to have been written 151 years ago by an Irish woman named Kathleen O’Meara.

The poem’s first line was “And the people stayed home.” It was allegedly written in 1869, ten years after a famine had devastated Ireland. In addition to being a beautiful poem, it seemed to have incredible relevance to what our world is experiencing today with the Coronavirus pandemic. The poem is racing through the Internet like a wind-blown grass fire, with hundreds of thousands of views.

I thought our readers could well find inspiration in Ms. O’Meara’s well written verse. As I began typing my column into my laptop, suddenly a Wikipedia “Fact or Fiction” message popped up on my screen, triggered by the words, Kathleen O’Meara.

The message announced that the poem was not penned 151 years ago by Kathleen O’Meara, but, rather, according to Wikipedia, it was written in March 2020 by a woman named Kitty O’Meara from Wisconsin, a former teacher and chaplain.

I guess everything we read online is not true. No matter who wrote this poem, it is timely and, I think, beautifully presented.

I have been house-bound for more than a month recovering from pneumonia; feeling a bit like a slacker as Sue continued to slave daily on the Reader. Wanting to contribute without putting others at risk, I decided to tend the rose garden in our backyard.

With a garden hoe, I broke the dirt around the 20 bushes that had been neglected for several years. Next, I pruned the stocks and sprinkled the colorful Miracle Gro pellets around each bush to nourish the plants, hopefully bringing them back to their former beauty.

My way to heal one little corner of the earth.

Stay at home. Wash your hands. Stay well.

By Alice Dietz And the people stayed home and read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still.

And listened more deeply.

Some meditated, some prayed, some danced.

Some met their shadows.

And the people began to think differently.

And people healed.

And in the absence of people who lived in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, The earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully as they had been healed.

~ By Kitty O’Meara

Ned Piper coordinates ads in CRR, oversees its distribution, and brings the publisher breakfast in bed — except on rare occasions when he is sick in b or recuperating in his easy chair — a treat she appreciates and misses.

•••

MAY ISSUE ON THE STREETS MAY 15

Featuring • People+Place, featuring Robert Michael Pyle and Judy VanderMaten • Out & About Tracy Beard hikes Silver Falls • Farmers Market Listings (subject to opening dates) Ad Deadline: April 25 Submission Guidelines, p. 32.

34 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020

A

s of March 20th, Cowlitz PUD suspended disconnects for nonpayment while the community is managing the COVID-19 crisis.

Now more than ever, if you are experiencing, or anticipate, hardships in paying your bill please contact our customer service department as soon as possible.

We plan to continue sending out monthly invoices as close to the normal schedule as possible. It is important that we continue releasing monthly bills, rather than suspend billing for a time, in order to avoid delivering unexpectedly large bills to customers later on.

You may experience some delays in your bill or longer wait times as we deal with reduced staffing levels and customer call volume. If you are in a position to help vulnerable community members, please consider donating to our Warm Neighbor Fund at https://www.cowlitzpud.org/ donate-now-to-warm-neighbor/ The lobby is currently closed to the public. Customer service representatives are available by phone 360.423.2210 or email customerservice@cowlitzpud.org Monday – Friday 8am to 5pm.

•For up-to-date Cowlitz County COVID-19 information, visit www.

COWLITZCOVID19.COM Payments can be made through any of the following options: PHONE 1-855-288-1570 ONLINE COWLITZPUD.ORG MAIL PO Box 3007, LONGVIEW WA 98632 KIOSK Located in the Main Office lobby entrance DROP BOX – Main office parking lot, drive-thru and lobby entrance.

••• Alice Dietz is Communications/Public Relations Manager at Cowlitz PUD. Reach her at adietz@cowlitzpud.org, or 360-5019146.

W

A Message to Patients from Longview Ortho

e understand the importance of continued access to orthopedic care during the COVID pandemic. Our office will remain open and our providers will be available. We continue to provide service to St. John Hospital and will continue to see patients in our office.

In cooperation with local, state and CDC guidance, we have instituted public safety protocols in our facility. Visitors to our office will be greeted, asked to answer screening questions, and have their temperature checked. Our providers and staff are screened in the same way to protect your health. We are working to minimize the number of patients in our waiting area at any one time and ask visitors to our facility to use good judgment in personal spacing.

In order to conserve essential resources, we are in agreement and compliance with Governor Inslee’s directive to cease all elective and non-urgent surgeries. We have been contacting patients about the postponement and assure you that we will be in contact to reschedule as soon as the restrictions are lifted.

We understand that postponing surgery can have significant physical, emotional, and financial impact. If you would like to discuss your circumstances further, we are available.

Stay safe.

We are contacting patients with existing appointments and, based on individual circumstances, we may see patients as scheduled, substitute a video or phone appointment, or postpone the appointment if appropriate.

Dr. William Turner

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

360.501.3400

Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020 / 35

36 / Columbia River Reader / April 15, 2020