CRR July 2013

Page 1

CRREADER.COM • July 15 – August 14, 2013 • COMPLIMENTARY Helping you discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region at home and on the road.

Skating Summer page 23

THROUGH

OUT•AND•ABOUT

NEIL DIAMOND’S MUSIC IN LONGVIEW page 21

ROLLER DERBY page 17 GIRLS ON FAST WHEELS page 18

page 30

COLUMBIA RIVER

dining guide

GOOD FOOD FOR THE GRILL

CATHEDRAL TRAIL PICNIC

page 16

page 32


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2 /July 15 – August 14, 2013 / Columbia River Reader

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any local yards and gardens seem to have reached their peak. Soon, many — including the Pipers’ — will begin to look overgrown and wild. Our raised beds, their little plants so adorably tidy and tentative just a few weeks ago, are now spilling out. This profusion of lush, thriving plants and vines amazes me every year. I wish my mother were here to see the produce department in our front yard. She would have found it charming and taken great interest. And she could have helped us eat some of this lettuce! My mom was very good at gardening. She adored plants and flowers. She knew their names. She transplanted within her flowerbeds to get the most pleasing visual arrangement and optimal conditions for the plants. She enjoyed making cuttings and digging up starter clumps for friends and family. She paid attention to her rosebushes and shared the blooms. She’s been gone almost a decade now. But I still feel, somehow, “connected” to my mom, especially in the garden. So many memories are rooted there. The wrought iron gazebo, custommade to resemble quaint structures she admired in European gardens, now graces our backyard. Mother would be pleased we finally got clematis to

Sue’s Views

“She was such an inspiration to all,” said Master Gardener spokesperson Betty Manes. “The demo garden has flourished because of her work.” It was her pride and joy.

Memories in the garden entwine its frame. The two little blue and black polka dot flower pots that once hung in brackets by my mother’s back door now hang by mine, sweet and frequent reminders of her. Another one: when Tom Myklebust installed a new curved, crushed gravel path in our back gate last summer, we had him incorporate some stepping ON THE COVER Roller derby team

Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper Columnists and contributors: Dr. Bob Blackwood Nancy Chennault Erin Hart Ashley Helenberg Suzanne Martinson Ned Piper Perry Piper Diane Pond Alan Rose Randy Sanders Greg Smith Paul Thompson Staff: Production Manager/Photographer: Perry E. Piper Accounting Assistant: Lois Sturdivant Editorial & Proofreading Assistants Kathleen Packard, Sue Lane, Michael Perry, Marilyn Perry, Ned Piper Columbia River Reader P.O. Box 1643 • Rainier, OR 97048 Website: www.CRReader.com E-mail: publisher@crreader.com Phone: 360-749-1021 Subscriptions $26 per year inside U.S.A. (plus $1.98 sales tax if mailed to Washington addresses)

stones accumulated over the years. Most of the stones were gifts to Ned. But there’s one, embossed “Welcome to my garden,” which is a keepsake from my mother’s yard. Any garden is a good place for resting, remembering Local Master Gardeners recently placed a bench at the WSU demo garden at the Cowlitz County Fairgrounds in memory of their longtime member June Machleid.

Photo © sumnersgraphicsinc - fotolia Chris Waggoner in his “Play Me” Neil Diamond tribute show. Courtesy image

COVER DESIGN BY

Columbia River Reader is published monthly, with 13,500 copies distributed free throughout the Lower Columbia region in SW Washington and NW Oregon. Entire contents copyrighted by Columbia River Reader. No reproduction of any kind is allowed without express written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, not necessarily to the Reader.

VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE

CRREADER.COM To access the Columbia River Dining Guide and Archive of complete back issues from January 2013, highlight “Features,” then select “archive” or “Dining guiDe.” Selected new articles will be posted monthly in “articles.”

The Master Gardeners hold demonstrations and workshops there, open to the public, on subjects like composting, pruning, and what grows here in the Pacific Northwest, along with native plants.

Visit the WSU demo garden: From 3rd Ave near the Hall of Justice, turn onto Washington Street, drive 3 blocks and turn into the entrance to Cowlitz Exposition Center (formerly the fairgrounds). The garden is on the right of the entrance. Parking is allowed on the grass as long as no other activities are taking place in the area.

“It needs to be known we welcome people to come and take a look anytime to see our different display beds and composting site,” Manes said. Stop by and try out June’s bench.

May all gardeners and visitors who rest there enjoy the surroundings, while tending their fondest memories.

Sue Piper

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 4 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17-18 19 21 23 24 26-27 28 29 30 32 34 34

Quips & Quotes ~ Letter to the Editor Biz Buzz Miss Manners Cover to Cover: Top 10 Bestsellers/ Book Review Astronomy: Celestial Fireworks Farmers’ Market Listings My Slant: The Class Reunion Experience Let the People Drink Wine Northwest Gardener: Garden Fairies Northwest Foods Out & About ~ Roller Derby / Girls on Fast Wheels Summer Serendipity Play Me Where Do You Read the Reader? Art in the Park Outings & Events Calendar / Music Scene Movie Reviews: “World War Z” and “This is the End” Lower Columbia Informer ~ Live Long and Prosper Columbia River Dining Guide Cooking with the Farmer’s Daughter: Cathedral Tree Picnic The Spectator ~ WordFest: Looking for a home What’s Up Under the Bridge? Port of Longview

Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 3


Letter to the Editor 5 Years Ago Favorites re-run in memory of Jean Carnine Bruner

I intend to grab as much life as I can from the years that I have. --Jacquelyn Michard, best selling novelist and mother of seven

My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it’s on your plate. --Thornton Wilder The most dangerous phrase i n t h e l a n g u a g e i s : “ I t ’s always been done that way.” --Admoiral Grace Cooper Do not believe that it is very much of an advantage to do the unnecessary three times as fast. --Peter Drucker

I’m a country girl and say whatever is on my mind. But I’m 24 and have a lot to learn. --Miranda Lambert, country singer/songwriter

If you get a negative thought, you can cancel it with two positive ones. --Richard Simmons, exercise and health guru (Note: People tell me it takes more than two)

I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them. --Phyllis Diller

Never doubt the courage of the French. They are the ones who discovered snails are edible. --Doug Lane, humorist

Happiness is contagious. When you reflect happiness then all others around you catch the happy bug and are happy, too. --Jennifer Leese

Never explain. Your friends don’t need it and your enemies will not believe it, anyway. --Elbert Hubbard

Considerations. . . •You cease to live if you cease to dream.

•The journey to success in life starts with a single step.

•The price of success is endurance; the price of failure comes much cheaper.

•People won’t succeed in acheiving their goals unless they are challenging and achievable.

•A man with the greatest imagination is far ahead of the crowd.

•Alter your life by altering your attitude.

•Cherish your dreams, they are the stepping stones to your achievements.

•Success on any major scale requires you to accept your own responsibilities.

Jonnie Knowles lives in Cathlamet, Washington. She enjoys writing poetry and affirmations, a sampling of which appear above.

CONTACT US Columbia River Reader P.O. Box 1643, Rainier, OR 97048 www.CRReader.com Publisher@CRReader.com General inquiries 360-749-1021 or 503-556-1295

Advertising reps Washington: Ned Piper 360-749-2632 Sue Lane 360-261-0658 Oregon: Debi Borgstrom 503-728-4248

CRR Print Submission Guidelines Letters to the Editor (up to 200 words) 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 may be considered for publication unless the writer specifies otherwise. We do not publish letters endorsing candidates or promoting only one side of controversial issues. Name and phone number of writer must be included; anonymous submissions will not be considered. Unsolicited submissions may be considered, provided they are consistent with the publication’s purpose—to help readers

“discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region, at home and on the road.” However, 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. The arts, entertainment, educational and recreational opportunities and community cultural events will receive listing priority. See submission details, page 26, Businesses and organizations wishing to promote their particular products or services are invited to purchase advertising.

4 /July 15 – August 14, 2013 / Columbia River Reader

CRR helps reader keep in touch Just wanted to say “Thank You” for your continued efforts with the publication of the Columbia River Reader. It is such a joy to receive it each month, as it allows me to keep in touch with all the wonderful happenings in the Lower Columbia Region. Of particular interest is the Outing & Events column that helps me plan many adventures that I might otherwise not attend. Also, your Dining Guide has introduced me to restaurants that I had not experienced. The trip sharing that several of your writers have produced encourages me to visit the various destinations. I particularly enjoyed the recent article by John Freeman on their trip to the National Parks. Keep up the good work, I hope the printed word never disappears! Judy Wehenkel Longview, Wash. Editor’s note: Mr. Freeman’s story, “Seven Wonders,” appeared last month on page 5. The June issue (along with all previous issues in 2013) can be read online by visiting crreader.com and clicking on “Features,” then click on the image of the issue.

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Lil’ Squatches on the Run Ash Kicker organizers host kids’ run benefiting local schools Organizers of the Ash Kicker Adventure Run are hosting the first annual Lil’ Squatches Kids Fun Run on September 14th at the Toutle River RV Resort in Castle Rock, Washington. Children entering kindergarten through 6th grade in the upcoming school year are eligible to participate in the mini-version of the adult course that drew more than 1,500 racers and raised more than $60,000 for local charity last spring. Designed with kids of all athletic abilities in mind, obstacles will challenge their balance, agility and willingness to get dirty. Many of the same obstacles seen at the adult race have been modified for the upcoming event, including the mud crawl and foam wash. 100% of registration proceeds will be donated directly to local elementary and middle schools. During the online registration process, registrants can select one of more than 20 schools to benefit from their entry. This is the first children’s event organized by newly formed Bigfoot Community Events (BCE), a nonprofit foundation established by Ash Kicker’s founders Travis and Shannon Wickham. “As the mother of two young children myself, I understand how important it is to provide opportunities for kids to be active,” said Shannon Wickham, “Our goal is to promote the importance of healthy choices early on so children will grow to be active, healthy adults and families.” For info about sponsorship opportunities, additional information and to register, visit bigfootcommunityevents. org. •••

Biz Buzz What’s Happening Around the River Biz Buzz notes news in local business and professional circles. As space allows, we will include news of innovations, improvements, new ventures and significant employee milestones of interest to readers. Please phone (360)636-1143 or (503)556-1295 to share the local buzz. Stageworks Northwest recently announced that it has been awarded a challenge grant of $334,000 as part of the State of Washington “Building for the Arts” capital program. Selected in a very competitive grant process that began two years ago, Stageworks Northwest received the only award extended to southwestern Washington. The group views the grant as an important component in the capital campaign about to begin. The organization previously secured an additional $200,000 in capital improvement monies toward the 4:1 State award. The overall project goal of $1,670,000 converts the old downtown Longview Theater into a viable “black box” theater. The building is seen as a replacement for The Pepper Theater that was lost during the renovation of the CTPA. The nonprofit organization is led by a volunteer Board of Directors, for which Longview resident Tim Cusick is the chairman. George Broderick, artist and international art dealer, recently closed Broderick Gallery in Rainier and will soon be re-opening at 1416 Commerce Avenue, Longview, in the former location of Lord & McCord ArtWorks, which is closing the end of July. Suitable opening festivities will be announced soon. Broderick was the first American artist to exhibit in Cuba in a one-man show in June 2005.

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www.pennyparviagency.com Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 7


Civilized Life

Miss Manners

Dislike the In-laws, suffering through a performance, noseBy Judith Martin blowing

1. DEAR MISS MANNERS: I dislike my in-laws for many reasons, but I struggle with one issue because I think my bias clouds my judgment. They live two hours away from my husband and our two children, and like to visit frequently (every four to six weeks), often staying for two nights or so. They are very much set in their ways. They drink a particular kind of soda and must bring it with them. They also bring their own cereal and sometimes other snacks and food. My pantry is not barren. We have other drinks in the refrigerator. We have a wide variety of food. As a hostess, do I have the duty to stock our refrigerator and pantry with the foods they like? My instinct is to be upset because what we have isn’t good enough, but I do not know if that is because of my bias.

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GENTLE READER: It is because of your bias. Actually, Miss Manners understands what a strain it must be to have frequent houseguests whom you dislike for whatever reasons. As you suspect, that makes their every little move irritating in a way that might not affect you from people you like. But that does not excuse you from being gracious to your guests. Knowing their modest preferences and yet refusing to stock them is just mean. These visits will be more bearable for you if you do not hunt for more ways to justify your dislike. 2.DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have to sit through quite a few recitals/concerts/performances of my children and their peers during the school year. Sometimes I will bring something to keep me busy before and, yes, sometimes during these performances (usually a crossword puzzle). I take great pains to make sure this is done as unobtrusively as possible (no crinkling of papers, etc.). In fact, other than the people directly behind me or on my side, I am quite confident no one even knows I am doing this. Plus, I always make it a point to applaud when appropriate and pay attention to what is happening on the stage. Is this considered rude or not?

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However, she regrets to tell you that the lady sitting next to you is the aunt of the child performing, and the gentleman behind you is the grandfather. She therefore recommends passing the time woolgathering like everyone else. 3. DEAR MISS MANNERS: How do I politely tell parents that when my 13-year-old daughter invites their girls for a sleepover, it’s not an invitation to let the parents spend a night on the town, then retrieve their children very late that night? Often a parent will reply to our overnight invite by telling us they’ll come by to get their girl at 10 or 11 p.m. This means I’m unable to close up my house, get into my pajamas, relax and get to bed -- because I’m waiting for these parents to show up at the door. Their responses are always couched very politely: “We would love for Lucy to come over! But we need to retrieve her at 10 because she has an early morning appointment.” I can’t really say, “Sorry, this was a sleepover invite, not a baby-sitting job.” Advice? GENTLE READER: Just some judicious editing to the remark you admit you cannot make. Miss Manners’ version is: “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry -- and Lily will be so sorry that Lucy can’t be here for the sleepover. I’m sure she’ll want to invite her another time, when Lucy can stay overnight.”

5. DEAR MISS MANNERS: As a child and young man, I was advised by my late mother that a gentleman should always carry a handkerchief, which I continue to do to this day, in my 60s. A good friend of mine, a distinguished young man in the community, scoffs at such a notion and says no one does that anymore. I fear he might be right. I often see male dining companions blowing their noses on restaurant napkins and leaving them for restaurant staff to attend. Having waited on tables in my youth, I find this disgusting. Perhaps you have some kind advice about the use or non-use of handkerchiefs in modern times. GENTLE READER: Carry them, use them, and leave the napkins alone. Presumably, your young adviser was referring to the use of paper tissues, and not cloth napkins, in place of handkerchiefs. Still, he is less of an authority on modern etiquette than your late mother remains. ••• Please send your questions to Miss Manners to her email, dearmissmanners@ gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

4. DEAR MISS MANNERS: What should you do with the seeds of the watermelon while you’re eating it? Spit them on your plate? GENTLE READER: Watermelon spitting contests are properly held outdoors, not at a dining table. There the seed should be quietly slipped into the cupped hand and then unobtrusively transferred to the plate.

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Cover to Cover

Top 10 Bestsellers

Brought to you by Book Sense and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, for week ending Sunday, June 30, 2013, 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

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PAPERBACK NON-FICTION

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HARDCOVER NON-FICTION

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CHILDREN’S INTEREST

1. Flight Behavior Barbara Kingsolver, Harper Perennial, $16.99 2. Beautiful Ruins Jess Walter, Harper Perennial, $15.99 3. The Orchardist Amanda Coplin, Harper Perennial, $15.99 4. World War Z Max Brooks, Broadway, $14.95 5. Where’d You Go, Bernadette Maria Semple, Back Bay, $14.99 6. The Light Between Oceans M.L. Stedman, Scribner, $16 7. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald, Scribner, $15 8. The Art Forger B.A. Shapiro, Algonquin, $14.95 9. Joyland Stephen King, Hard Case Crime, $12.95 10. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Rachel Joyce, Random House, $15

1. Wild Cheryl Strayed, Vintage, $15.95 2. Quiet Susan Cain, Broadway, $16 3. Proof of Heaven Eben Alexander, M.D., S&S, $15.99 4. The Black Count Tom Reiss, Broadway, $16 5. The End of Your Life Book Club Will Schwalbe, Vintage, $15 6. Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel Kahneman, FSG, $16 7. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened Jenny Lawson, Berkley, $16 8. How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You Matthew Inman, Andrews McMeel, $14.99 9. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) Mindy Kaling, Three Rivers, $14 10. Monkey Mind Daniel Smith, S&S, $16

1. Inferno Dan Brown, Doubleday, $29.95 2. And The Mountains Echoed Khaled Hosseini, Riverhead, $28.95 3. Bad Monkey Carl Hiaasen, Knopf, $26.95 4. The Ocean At The End Of The Lane Neil Gaiman, Morrow, $25.99 5. The Silver Star Jeannette Walls, Scribner, $26 6. A Dance With Dragons George R.R. Martin, Bantam, $35 7. Gone Girl Gillian Flynn, Crown, $25 8. The Son Philipp Meyer, Ecco, $27.99 9. Transatlantic Colum Mccann, Random House, $27 10. Life After Life Kate Atkinson, Reagan Arthur Books, $27.99

1. Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls David Sedaris, Little Brown, $27 2. The Boys in the Boat Daniel James Brown, Viking 3. I Could Pee on This Francesco Marciuliano, Chronicle, $12.95 4. Lean In Sheryl Sandberg, Knopf, $24.95 5. The Drunken Botanist Amy Stewart, Algonquin, $19.95 6. Cooked Michael Pollan, Penguin Press, $27.95 7. Vader’s Little Princess Jeffrey Brown, Chronicle, $14.95 8. The Guns at Last Light Rick Atkinson, Holt, $40 9. Dad Is Fat Jim Gaffigan, Crown Archetype, $25 10. Darth Vader and Son Jeffrey Brown, Chronicle, $14.95

1. A Game of Thrones George R.R. Martin, Bantam, $9.99 2. A Clash of Kings George R.R. Martin, Bantam, $9.99 3. Ender’s Game Orson Scott Card, Tor, $7.99 4. World War Z Max Brooks, Broadway, $9.99 5. A Wanted Man Lee Child, Dell, $9.99 6. A Storm of Swords George R.R. Martin, Bantam, $9.99 7. The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss, DAW, $8.99 8. 1984 George Orwell, Signet, $9.99 9. The Wise Man’s Fear Patrick Rothfuss, Daw, $9.99 10. A Feast for Crows George R.R. Martin, Bantam, $9.99

1. The Fault in Our Stars John Green, Dutton, $17.99 2. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Ransom Riggs, Quirk, $10.99 3. Looking for Alaska John Green, Speak, $9.99 4. The Apothecary Maile Meloy, Ian Schoenherr (Illus.), Puffin, $7.99 5. Wonder R.J. Palacio, Knopf, $15.99 6. The One and Only Ivan Katherine Applegate, Patricia Castelao (Illus.), Harper, $16.99 7. The 5th Wave Rick Yancey, Putnam, $18.99 8. Paper Towns John Green, Speak, $9.99 9. An Abundance of Katherines John Green, Speak, $9.99 10. The Book Thief Markus Zusak, Knopf, $12.99

CLIP AND SAVE for easy reference at your bookstore or when browsing at your local library, bookshop, e-book source or book-loving friend’s shelf.

BOOK REVIEW By Alan Rose

Time and time again

the very next chapter, she is born on with vastly different consequences. February 11, 1910 (“A bonny, bouncing When she’s 16, she is casually raped Life After Life baby girl”) to live a full By Kate Atkinson by a friend of her Little, Brown & life, or several. older brother, and Co. She was eager to get on and earn she grows up to be $27.99 Probably most people her independence rather than be a timid woman who have wondered: What cloistered in another institution. marries an abusive if I had married that “Time’s winged chariot, and all husband, who winds Life After Life person rather than that,” she said to her parents. up killing her. opens with this one; if I had the heroine accepted that job; “Well, we all get on,” Sylvie said, Take two: As a assassinating if I had taken more “one way or another. And in the 16-year-old girl, Adolf Hitler. It’s 1930. Not bad for a risks; if I had played it end we all arrive at the same place. she punches her beginning. safer; if I had chosen I hardly see that it matters how we brother’s friend in differently. Life is a get there.” the jaw as he tries When a novel starts this way you series of daily choices, It seemed to Ursula that how you to kiss her, and he know that either you are setting out w i t h e x t e n u a t i n g winces away. Same go there was the whole point.” on an extraordinary journey of the circumstances girl, different story; imagination, or the novelist has an ~ from Life After Life and unforeseen different life. abysmal sense of history. In the case consequences. This is of Kate Atkinson (Case Histories), it’s The book has been a novel about the great clearly the former. compared to the “What Ifs” of history film Groundhog Day, where Bill On February 11, 1910, Ursula Todd and our personal lives. Murray’s character awakes each is born, and dies at birth (No breath. Ursula is an odd duck, out of step with morning to live the day all over All the world comes down to this.) In time and her family much of the time again. But Atkinson’s story rather (“Try not to be precocious,” Sylvie sighed. suggests parallel universes, as if “It’s a not a pleasant thing in a girl.”) and Ursula were living all these lives her life contains different scenarios simultaneously. In one, she is an airraid warden in London during the Blitz; in another, she is huddling with Alan Rose, author of Tales of Tokyo and The Legacy of Emily her small daughter in Berlin as the Hargraves, organizes the monthly WordFest gatherings. His new book, Russians approach. In its imaginative The Unforgiven, was recently published by Bold Strokes Books. He can be reached at www.alan-rose.com.

reach, the novel, I think, more closely resembles Slaughterhouse-Five—“Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time.” Typically, life comes with regrets—for what we did or didn’t do, and with the knowledge that we could have chosen differently, accomplished more, been better persons. It is a kind of consolation of the imagination to think that, maybe in some other universe, we were. And that in that universe Hitler never lived to become Chancellor of Germany. •••

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Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 9


Astronomy

Summer’s Celestial Fireworks

By Greg Smith

Meteor shower, Saturn & Spica, Venus and other sky delights you can see

T

he Fourth of July is not the only time you will see fireworks in the sky. The skies of August always bring the fiery remains of Comet Swift-Tuttle as they plunge into the atmosphere of the Earth. This event — the Perseid Meteor Shower — is best seen with no optical aid (other than eyeglasses for the nearsighted). Otherwise, all you need is a reclining lawn chair (facing Northeast to East) to lean back in and enjoy the show. When to watch The best time to see the Perseid Meteor Shower is in the early hours of August 10th through the 12th. But they actually begin July 17th and run through August 24. The numbers of “shooting stars” begin their numerical climb the last half of July and reach a peak of 100 an hour from a very dark sky on the night of the 11th- until early hours of the morning of the 12th. You can see some in the evening hours before midnight, but the best number come after midnight, as the earth rotates into the stream of cometary debris. The moon will not be much of a hindrance, as it is in the “dark” phase the week before the 11th and at only the first quarter phase on the 12th and will be setting before the real show starts.

can tell them apart by looking through binoculars. Spica is an intense bluewhite point of light. Saturn is actually a creamy white oval. The oval shape is due to the rings. A small telescope will allow you to definitely see the rings and the moon Titan to the north of Saturn on the 17th and the 25th. A 4-inch diameter scope will bring out three other moons of Saturn, Tethys, Dione, and Rhea, all closer to Saturn than Titan. Venus is still visible in the evening just before sunset and extremely bright, low toward the horizon. Pre-sunrise pairing The hours before dawn will bring forth Mars and Jupiter. Jupiter will be the brighter of the two. They will be extremely close to each other on the morning of July 22nd, just 45 minute before sunrise.

Magnificent rings Saturn still is high in the sky the rest of July, and will be progressing towards the west through August. If you have a telescope or spotting scope, now is the time to be observing Saturn and its magnificent rings. To the right (west) of Saturn is the bright star, Spica. You 10 /July 15 – August 14, 2013 / Columbia River Reader

Binoculars are a great tool for learning the night sky. What else can you use binoculars for other than viewing the moon? How about a pair of star clusters? Use the “W”-shaped constellation of Cassiopeia in the northeastern sky. Follow the left north sloping pair of stars (kind of like a backslash “/”) and follow in that direction about an equal length down and two loose grouping of stars, a bit thicker than the background density of stars, will appear.

Just sweep your binoculars across the sky and see how many interesting things you can see. How about a coat hanger? (Yep it’s true. It lies between Altair and Vega near the small constellations of Sagitta and Vulpecula. A star chart for August will show you where these constellations are located.) Of course you can see many double stars. Just to the left of Vega is a great pair. Vega is the brightest star right overhead in August. So look for them.

Center of the galazy Now you are looking at stars 7,000 light years away and known as NGC884 and NGC869. This is real astronomy stuff. Of course there is the galaxy in the constellation Andromeda, M31. Best viewed in mid- to late-August, this is the farthest astronomical structure you can see with just your eyes (2 million light years away). It looks like a fuzzy spot in the sky. That is the center of the galaxy. If you could see it the way photos show it, the galaxy would be six times wider than the moon! Binoculars won’t show much more but it will be brighter than seeing with just your eyes.

Buy a copy of the August issue of Astronomy or Sky and Telescope magazines and open to the middle, and you will find a star chart showing you where to look for all these objects in the night sky. This is the cheapest way to start learning the night sky.

Greg Smith was recently elected president of Friends of Galileo, an astronomy club which meets monthly i n L o n g v i e w. Visitors are welcome. For more information about the club or public viewing events, call Chuck Ring, 360-636-2294.

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The tour will close in a private garden with a lecture by architect Jerry Ward, who designed three of the homes, and refreshments.

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Tour Castle Rock in bloom Aug 8-11 The Castle Rock 2nd Annual Bloomin’ Tour of area gardens, greenhouses and nurseries gets underway Thursday, August 8th, with self-guided tours continuing through Sunday, August 11th, with each venue choosing their hours to be open. Beginning August 1, informational flyers will be available at Castle Rock businesses. The schedule will also be posted on the Castle Rock America In Bloom Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/#!/CastleRockAmericaInBloom 2012 participants Castle Rock Lavender, Castle Rock Nursery, Cowlitz River Dahlias, Still Meadows Garden and Retreat and The Gardens @ Sandy Bend (The Plant Station) will have special hours and sales. Visitors may also enjoy a selfguided walking tour of downtown Castle Rock highlighting the landscapes and floral displays of the Castle Rock America In Bloom program. Come spend the day in Castle Rock and experience the joy of the whole Bloomin’ Tour. For more information, contact Committee Chair, Teresa Bergman of Cowlitz River Dahlias at www.dahlias4u.com.

All proceeds go to the St. Helens Art Commission. Tickets are limited and cost $25 per person. For reservations or further information, contact St. Helens Arts and Cultural Commission member Ben Merrill at 503-705-7348

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Community & Farmers’ Markets

Salmon Creek Market Tuesdays • 11–3pm thru Sept. www.salmoncreekfarmersmarket.com Info: Ann Foster, 360-574-5093 At Legacy Hospital entrance 2211 NE 139th St., Vancouver, Wash.

Astoria Sunday Market Sundays • 10 – 3 thru Oct 14 Downtown on 12th, just west of Hwy 30, Astoria, Ore. Info: Cindi Mudge, 503-325-010

Thursdays • 3–7 thru Sept 1315 NE 134th St., Vancouver. Behind Biscuits Café

Battle Ground Outdoor Village Market Saturdays • 10 – 4 thru Sept 28 At Battle Ground Village SE 10th Ave & SE Commerce Ave Battle Ground, Wash. www.bgvillage.com Info: Susan Walters, 360-608-9778 Columbia-Pacific Farmer’s Market Fridays • 3 – 6 thru Sep Downtown Long Beach, Wash. Info: Sarah Shapiro 503-621-6311 www.longbeachwa.gov Cowlitz Community Farmers Market Tues and Sats • 9 – 2 7th Ave, Cowlitz Expo Center, Longview, Wash. Info: John Raupp Jrshamrockhill3@aol.com www.cowlitzfarmersmarket.com Downtown Bridge Market Sundays • 10 - 3 The Merk parking lot, 14th Ave between Hudson and Broadway, Longview, Wash. Info: Betty Erickson 360-957-2515 Ilwaco Saturday Market Saturdays • 10 – 4 thru Sept 26 Port of Ilwaco, Ilwaco, Wash. Info: Bruce Peterson 503-338-9511 www.portofilwaco.com

Rainier Saturday Market 1st & 3rd • 10 - 3 thru Sept 5 Riverfront Park www.rainierchamberofcommerce Info: Mike Kreger 503-320-8303 michael.a.kreger@gmail.com Two Islands Farm Market Fridays 3–6:00 pm 59 West Birnie Slough Rd, Cathlamet, Wash. Info: Mike and Kim 360-849-4492 or Rob and Diane 360-849-4145 Check us out on Facebook St. Helens Open Air Market Thursdays • 2–9 Live music 6–9 at the Amphitheatre St. Helens Plaza, St. Helens, Ore. Info: Heather Ebert 503-750-1918 Scappoose Community Club Farmers Market Saturdays • 9 –2 E. 2nd Street (street closed during market), Scappoose, Ore. (between City Hall & Library - visible from Hwy 30) Info: Bill Blank 503-730-7429 wwwscappoosefarmermarket.com Toledo Saturday Market 2nd & 4th Saturdays • 10 - 3 thru Sept Corner of 2nd and Cowlitz Downtown Toledo, Wash. Info: Tonya 360-864-2121 Woodland Farmers Market Fridays • 3–7 Jun 15 thru Sept Downtown Woodland, Wash. Info: 360-225-9552

Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 11


My Slant

The Class Reunion Experience

By Diane Pond

What a difference the decades make

I

attended my 50 year high school class reunion last fall and my husband, Steve, did his the fall before, so we are both breathing free and eating all the fats and carbs we want this summer. My 50th was my first high school reunion, as it had taken me a while to realize my real connection was with the school I attended until I was 15 — a small 350-student school in southeastern Idaho — rather than the 4000-student Los Angeles high school I graduated from. Who are these people? When my small town schoolmates tracked me down and invited me to join in their 50th, I couldn’t resist. However, even with their names and high school photos around their necks, I scrambled to figure out who these people were. I had been nearly 6 feet at age 15 and taller than most of them the last time we had seen each other. Still it was really fun and everybody was warm and friendly. Well, almost everybody. At dinner Steve and I were seated across from a guy I finally recognized as Carl, the popular “upper classman” who had married a cheerleader in my class. She was not seated by her husband yet, still glitzing about the room. He was very tan in his white shorts and golf shirt and was frantically surveying the immediate area for somebody worth talking to, tossing us only a mumbled, “Hello Diane.”

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I was suddenly a tall, awkward and very intimidated 15 year old again. Recovering, I turned to Steve and could hardly suppress a giggle as I confided, “What do you know: I’m still not cool.” Steve had been very supportive of my 50th since we had gone to his 10th, 30th and 50th. He was also from a smallish town, Taft, California, a little oil community on the edge of the Mojave Desert. Although located in the land of desolation, it had a great tax base and, thus, superb schools and incredibly loyal students. That is why I found myself in Taft’s Petroleum Club in June of 1971 for Steve’s 10th reunion. The 10-Year Reunion I was hugely pregnant with an August baby and it was so hot. Steve should never have perused his yearbooks and read all the florid last-day-of-school drivel. He had decided it would be truly selfish to deny Taft a returning hero. In reality, of course, they were all returning heroes and I met some awesome people. Fairly soon after dinner, however, everything quickly degenerated as the booze began to flow, the noise hit a new high and the bragging became pure hyperbole. It was so bad that we jumped at an opportunity to go with a classmate and her husband to his parent’s house to watch the slides of her recent Caesarean section. “Gag” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Twenty years later Because I am crazy about my husband, I reluctantly agreed to go to Steve’s 30th and surprise! — it was a huge improvement. All of us had been humbled by life’s realities, the posturing was nearly over and everyone was sober and simply thrilled to see each other, to get clued in on how friends were doing.

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We did return and it was for even a more wonderful experience. Enough time had gone by that people had aged according to what life had dealt them: at 68 some seemed 80 and some seemed 50, but all were valued. Most were now retired from their careers and as they talked about them it was for the most part with a desire to entertain and connect with their classmates with no effort to impress them. They reminded me of kids who had been to camp and were thrilled to be home among friends who would listen to their tales and understand. The spirit of love and caring was really touching. Unlike Steve, I haven’t had the privilege of growing up and then old with my class but even so, despite my continuing “uncoolness,” I would like to attend my 60th and we will certainly be at Steve’s. Don’t give up on your class reunions. It is likely that the best is yet to come. ••• Diane Pond and her husband Steve may attend their high school class reunions in the arid areas of Idaho and California, but green and rainy Cowlitz County has been their beloved home for 40 years.

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I marveled at the change in everybody’s demeanor and at how much these classmates really liked each other. We would be returning for Steve’s 50th, as now I, too, was invested in the lives and exploits of these people.

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Let Them Drink Wine

Barrel tastings, growlerstyle wine sales now legal in Oregon

Story & Photos by Randy Sanders

G

Randy Sanders on wine & the good life

reetings, your trusty wine guy here and this go ‘round I bring grand news for all Oregon wine lovers! With the passing of Oregon House Bill 2443 by an unfounded, sweeping majority (with only four legislators from both houses combined voting “No”) Oregonians may now purchase local wine right from the very barrels it was designed to age in. Just like the micro beer lovers who faithfully hold their “growlers” in the same fashion as the Artful Dodger proclaiming, “Please sir, may I have more,” this means barrel tastings will certainly be stepped up. Better wines, better prices It’s also important to note that since wine makers may choose to pass on the laborious and expensive step of bottling their products, better wineries will pass the savings on to their customers, which means better wine at better prices.

For novice wine lovers, this also means no more confusion about how long to stash a bottle away; with a “vessel,” (this is what wine “growlers” are called) the aging has already taken place in the barrel. To clarify a very common American misconception Wine purchased from the barrel directly into a container to take home is not synonymous with the lesser quality wines, like the Mosacto brand, for instance. Again, it’s no different than microbreweries that sell their best beer to be taken home in growlers. Many beer drinkers actually prefer a growler of draft beer to a bottle or can. Some of the world’s greatest wine destinations such as Tuscany, Burgundy and Piedmonte have been offering their wines from barrel to the vessel for ages. So go ahead — enjoy some of the best quality wines in the Pacific Northwest from barrel to vessel. It can often be a much better tasting experience and it’s also a big win for the environment. Maybe the only down side is the deposit on the vessel (at about $8, refundable and reusable) or if you are purchasing a wine that you want to stash away for quite a while or give away as a gift. Mark Strelcheck (pictured above), owner of Cask Wine Brokers (caskwinebrokers.com) was the “pour captain” in my maiden voyage of the initial Oregon barrel tasting where participants could purchase a vessel to take home. He was also instrumental in his appeal to the Oregon Legislature for the astounding success of the bill. The tasting took place the last week of June and I took home a scrumptious Tempranillo for $12 plus deposit. This Italian had cont page 14 Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 13


Randy Sanders on Wine tasting notes of black currant jubes, plum fruit, a tad tart with dry tannins and was from Wooldridge Creek, a very respected name in Oregon wine (Grants Pass- http://www.wcwinery.com/). I also enjoyed their Cabernet which was certainly on par with the Napa superstars. (818 Slagle Creek Road, Grants Pass, Oregon, 541-846-6364). Oh, about that vessel I purchased from Wooldridge (see photo, page 13) with its Euro-sleek lines and

slender shape: It actually appears more like a time capsule. Perhaps that’s where all the time went that you save by not having to age your traditional bottle. On another tasting note, I sampled some wonderful wines from Washington’s Locati Cellars located in Walla Walla, Washington. Locati Cellars, like other great vintners in the Pacific Northwest, attempts to capture the traditional grapes from the fertile growing areas of Italy. I tasted their 2008 Barbera and, like Barolo and Nebbiolo, this is a grape that hails from the Piedmonte region in northwestern Italy. Barbera is the second-most planted grape in Italy. Locati holds true to the chunky, juicy blue and black berry notes of the Italian original, lacking only in that fresh, sun-blessed soil aroma found only near the Ligurian Sea — or “mare Lugurian” — an arm of the sunny Mediterranean. I can also recommend their 2008 San Giovesse (the most planted grape in Italy). This gem is usually used to blend with Cabernet and Merlot in the Tuscanny region to produce a government-standard Super Tuscan, perhaps the greatest of all Italian wines. Tasting notes of cherry, licorice and pomegranate with powdery tannins. Again, Locati does very well matching the Italian originals, stopping short of their deep, robust nose or maintaining their ridiculously long finish on the palate. Both Locati wines sell for about $25 a bottle (6 West Rose St, Suite 102, Walla Walla, WA 99362) Phone: (509) 529-5871, locaticellars.com). ••• Randy Sanders is the founder and original publisher of Columbia River Reader. He operated Wayne’s Chicago Red Hots in St. Helens and until recently in Portland. A drummer by profession, he loves music, photography, travel and, of course, wine.

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Northwest Gardener

Magic!

Enjoy the enchantment of fairy gardens Story & Photos by Nancy Chennault

Shopping the unlimited selection of miniatures to decorate your special fairy garden is part of the fun.

D

o you believe in fairies? Of course you do! Children and gardeners (of all ages) believe in the magic of fairies. How could you not? The simple act of planting a seed, watching it sprout and grow to abundant harvest is just one astonishing illustration of fairy magic. To prepare a place in your garden for fairies, be sure to leave a small area of your landscape natural and untouched. Within this safe haven, you can build a house for your garden fairies using bits of twigs and other forest litter (see photo, above). Early European immigrants, who came from England to settle in the Ozarks in the 18th and 19th centuries, brought with them the tradition of leaving a special corner of their homestead for fairy

At left: Inspired by a photo from Fairy Houses Everywhere, Nancy’s granddaughter, Nora, created this domed fairy house by gluing moss to an old straw hat.

Fairy Houses . . . Everywhere! from The Fairy Houses Series by Barry and Tracy Kane, is a charming book of photographs and tips that has inspired for many builders (www.fairyhouses.com).

habitat. Fairies need a safe cover in which to hide in the daytime. The site should be left undisturbed year around. According to fairy lore, once the house you have built meets fairy approval, they will reside in your garden forever. Rarely seen, garden fairies come out to play at dusk when they begin to busily work through the night to care for ladybugs as they rest and to protect the Praying Mantis when she lays her eggs. Sometimes fairies are quite mischievous and will tip over a new terra cotta pot or spill a bag of soil. And you were blaming that on the cat! Whether you believe in fairies or not, the tradition of leaving a corner of the garden untilled and untouched reserves a safe haven for beneficial insects to thrive.

I really don’t think I would trust any gardener who claims they don’t believe in fairies. Either they aren’t being truthful, or they don’t believe in the magic of sprouting seeds and blooming things. Gardening is always an adventure in hope and imagination ...

~ Herbalist and author Jim Long of Long Creek Herbs, Blue Eye, Missouri. Enjoy his gardening blog at http:// jimlongsgarden.blogspot.com/2012/08/ fairy-gardens-garden-fairies.html

The recent popularity of creating and building a fairy garden has generated a multitude of cottage industries and books as references for the aspiring mini-gardener. One of the most popular is Betty Earl’s Fairy Gardens: A Guide to Growing an Enchanted Miniature World, available from B.B. Mackey Books (www.mackeybooks.com).

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Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 15


Northwest Foods

Perfect summer grill fare

MAN IN THE KITCHEN

I

Story by Paul Thompson Photo by Perry Piper

t hasn’t rained much this summer, except the day I invited guests to a cookout in my backyard. The feast proved movable, and the salmon entrée was baked, not grilled. I had planned to grill the salmon on watersoaked cedar slabs. Cedar roof shingles from the last windstorm work. But, alas, we moved indoors and baked the salmon fillet in the oven instead.

By Sandy Carl Recipe on page 33

Salmon – a moveable feast

Our dinner plates were filled out with a salad from local gardens and red potatoes, sliced and mixed with parsley, butter and dashes of salt and black pepper. Frazzle-headed drunken woman lettuce, baby spinach, sorrel, basil and Italian parsley, all tamed by a splash of vinaigrette made a spectacular salad. A full fillet of Sockeye salmon just fit my shallow baking pan. Pull out all of the bones that stick out along the center-line of the filet. A pair of

needle-nosed pliers will do the job. Lather the fillet with melted butter, sprinkle it lightly with salt and black pepper and slide it into a 325-degree oven. There is no hurry cooking the fish When it is pink through, remove it and dress it or serve it. I like to remove the skin from the salmon, either before or after it’s cooked. That’s easy when the fish is grilled, as the skin sticks to the grill for easy removal when it dries. Serve the filet on a bed of butterhead lettuce, with slices of lemon alongside, and a garnish of chopped Italian parsley on top. ••• Charter columnists Paul Thompson remains a regular food writer for CRR.

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Make your dinner reservations online at.thebistrobuzz.com or call 360.425.2837 16 /July 15 – August 14, 2013 / Columbia River Reader

Tropical Hens P

regnant with my daughter years ago, I bought a cute little house on Field St. near Lake Sacajawea. Instantly, it became THE place to be for the Fourth of July among my friends and family. When the above-ground pool was installed with a surrounding deck in the backyard, my fate was sealed. Our cute little house transformed each year for a single day like Brigadoon. Only it wasn’t a quaint Scottish village that emerged. Instead, it was a riot of friends and family, barbecue and fireworks with enough love and laughs to go around.

Behind the pool area was a covered patio we affectionately called the Copa Cabana. There you would find a handmade bar stocked with Jell-O shots and soda pop, two barbecues and some wicker furniture to relax upon. “Bring your own meat” was the typical mantra, with barbecues smoking all day. Many a masterpiece was cooked in that backyard, my guests competing for the most outrageous. My job was to mix up the five gallon container of potato salad, and make sure there was plenty of ice and toilet paper. (Two staples at a party that must not be neglected.)

Fortunately, the end of the party was pre-ordained as the beginning of the fireworks show at the Lake. The house would empty of guests, and we’d walk to the show together. Afterwards, back home our neighbors would emerge for the traditional firework wars. I suspected our neighbor, the cop, visited the Indian reservations for illegal fireworks, but I could never prove it. Funny, though he denied it, but he always had a bigger bang. The morning after, the smell of sulfur in the air accompanied us as we drug around the garbage can, picking up all the spent firework casings and whatever debris was left behind. Exhausted from all our revelry, we’d slowly put things back to normal. Nevertheless, the next year I always found myself looking forward to the chaos once again. When I sold the house, my daughter was 14 and we took with us the happy glow of all those July 4th memories. Barbecuing became such a central part of our holiday, we still gather ‘round the Webber on the 4th, querying in chorus: “Is it done yet?” cont page 33

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OUT • AND • ABOUT

Roller Derby ~ No rinky dink sport

By Perry Piper

T

he squeaking of folding lawn chairs in a sea of spectators is the first clue. Whistles screech and echo across the skating rink. Distant sounds of tough skaters crescendo as they approach the audience’s side and perform waves, exchange high-fives and shout battle cries. Add this all up and you have the opening of a roller derby match.

teams are what draw the fans. But recently, a growing interest in roller derby for women has launched this evolving sport into the limelight. Competitive roller skating originated in the early 20th century, but in just the last few years took off in its modern form. Women have popularized the sport through theatrical costumes and performances, spunky nicknames, and “tough-girl” body slamming similar in aggression to football tackles — all on roller skates. Every player has her own stage name or alternate identity like “Pixie Hollow,” “Jo Hurt,” “Ivana Thrasher.” There’s even a local coach named “Shreddy Mercury.” Team A roller derby jam in Utah. Photo by Chris Bojanower, from Wikipedia names can be equally clever: Rainy City Roller Dolls, Guns n Rollers and Wheels of Justice.

Everyone loves sports. There’s soccer, football, baseball, basketball and hockey. Although there are female leagues for these pastimes, the men’s

Oysterville •

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Cathlamet 4

101

WestportPuget Island FERRYk

Astoria

Pacific Ocean

Washington

VISITORS CENTERS FREE Maps • Brochures Directions • Information

Mount St. Helens

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• Grays River

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Longview Kelso

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• Kelso Visitors Center I-5 Exit 39 105 Minor Road, Kelso • 360-577-8058 • Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce 1560 Olympia Way, Longview • 360-423-8400 • Castle Rock Exhibit Hall I-5 Exit 48 or 49 Follow signs to 147 Front Ave NW. 360-274-6603 • Woodland Tourist Center I-5 Exit 21 Park & Ride lot, 900 Goerig St., 360-225-9552 Local in formati • Wahkiakum Chamber 102 Main St, Points on of In Cathlamet • 360-795-9996 Recrea terest ti o n Specia • Appelo Archives Center 1056 SR 4 Dinin l Events Naselle, WA. 360-484-7103. Arts & g ~ Lodging Enterta • Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau inm

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Long Beach, WA. 360-642-2400 • 800-451-2542 • South Columbia County Chamber Columbia

Woodland

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• Seaside, OR 989 Broadway 503-738-3097 or 888-306-2326 • Astoria-Warrenton Chamber/Ore Welcome Ctr 111 W. Marine Dr., Astoria 503-325-6311 or 800-875-6807

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July 27 - Rainy City Roller Dolls vs. Scandalous Brawl Stars Centralia Rollerdome, 216 W. Maple St. Centralia, Wash. 360- 736-7376. Estimated admission under $20. Bring a chair around 7pm (Please check the website for final details.) www.rainycityrollerdolls.com

cont page 20

Castle Rock

Warrenton •

Seaside

August 23 - Wheels of Justice vs. Rat City All-Stars 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland, Ore. Doors 7pm, event 8-9:30pm $14 Free parking. Food and beverage is cash only. ATM located in Oaks Park. No outside drinks are allowed in except sealed water bottles. www.rosecityrollers.com

504

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Columbia River

“The stamina and coordination these girls have to have in order to make a jam successful,” is impressive, said Kelso resident Chris Orth, who frequents derby bouts. At first, he was surprised by “how they have to focus on their footwork” and always be “conscious of their teammates and the opposing team’s blockers and jammers so they don’t get hurt.”

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The game, or bout, is made up of two 30-minute halves containing shorter jams, or rounds, lasting up to two minutes each. The girls exhibit a fierceness in the action-packed

Two roller derby jammers (of the Rainy City Roller Dolls and Oly Rollers) at their starting position. © Masonite Burn Photography, from Wikipedia

To: Centralia, Olympia Mt. Rainier Yakima (north, then east) Tacoma/Seattle

The method to their madness The game takes place between two teams, each with five players active at a time: Four blockers wear solid colored helmets and function like the defensive wall in football. One blocker, wearing a striped helmet, serves as the pivot, a sort of mini field captain who can become a jammer. The blockers’ goal is the prevent the opposing team’s jammer, wearing a star helmet, from passing and lapping them for points. Despite its theatrical playfulness, roller derby is a rigorous and serious physical pursuit.

St Helens

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Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 17


OUT • AND • ABOUT

Girls on Fast Wheels Rediscovering roller skating

I

f you grew up near a roller rink, you probably have some of my “wind-in-your-hair” memories of joyfully drifting at high speeds in pointless circles to the pinched-nose vocals of the Bee Gees. Maybe you had your own set of skates, complete with glow-in-the-dark laces. Maybe you still have that “glowing rose” they sold at the snack bar leaking battery acid in a keepsake box. It was these kinds of memories that sent me on a quest to rediscover what we’ve lost since our local Skate World closed nearly a decade ago.

Just like you remembered:The Golden Skate,Vancouver Of all the local options, the Golden Skate (www.goldenskateandlazer. com) seemed to come closest to my childhood memories of the old Kelso Skate World. As you walk in the door, you smell that skate leather, warm popcorn and gym sock smell that unmistakably says “skating rink.” With long open skates, you can select from regular roller or blade skate rentals. The rink is large, which is important

Those fast wheels are out there waiting for you, and they’re not a far drive from our area, so gather your young family members and start making weekend plans. Here are your options:

Story & Photos by Erin Hart because this place gets extremely crowded with birthday parties on the weekends. If you’re chaperoning small children and you haven’t been skating in a while, make sure to rent “Skate Mates” cont page 20

Above: Alex Rushmer, ready to take a rolling spin Near left: Kari Rushmer helps Scarlet Hart and Evangeline Rushmer with their “Skate Mates.” Far left: Golden Skate in Vancouver.

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18 /July 15 – August 14, 2013 / Columbia River Reader

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OUT • AND • ABOUT

Summer serendipity

Story and Photos by Suzanne Martinson

From the Oregon Garden to Astoria

S

erendipity is precious, but it can quickly go south. On the family farm, we had two choices: laugh immediately, or file away a good story to embellish at the supper table. Sometimes both. I got both during a great visit from my college roommate, also named Suzanne. (In the dorm, our joke was to spell her name Siouxzanne and mine, Saultzanne.) Our Woman’s Time Out went well, until it didn’t. My plan was to pick Suzanne up at the Portland airport, drive south to Silverton, Oregon, check into the Oregon Garden Resort, dine at the marvelous Silver Grille Cafe, spend the next morning in the beauteous The winding path to the 300-year-old Sitka Spruce known as the Northwest gardens and catch a noon tour at The Gordon House, Cathedral Tree starts at the Astoria Column. the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Oregon open to the public. Suzanne, a resourceful hiker and excellent map reader, Plans went awry. We had our room, but Silver Grille was closed guided us to Silverton via Mount Angel, home of the for a private party. My mouth was left watering for their fabulous glockenspiel. We missed its scheduled pealing by 20 farm-to-table food. minutes. Not to worry. We ate German sandwiches. Our room was ready. We shopped in Silverton and later dined at the Creekside Grill. Heading back to the resort on the two-lane road, a silvery moon set the rural farmland aglow. The other source of light was the gas gauge in my red Honda Element. EMPTY. What part of the Scout pledge to Be Prepared didn’t I understand? Though I didn’t even know which direction I was driving, Suzanne spotted a road sign: Sublimity, 10 miles, Stayton, 15. Suzanne, a big city girl raised in Chicago, worried that we’d run out of gas in the country. For me, the country girl, it wouldn’t be the first time I’d knocked on a farmhouse door long after dark. The interplay of beautiful flowers — with water, rocks or sculptures — at the Oregon Garden near Silverton changes with the seasons.

“Look for a farm with a gas tank,” I said. “Farms have gasoline.” The miles ticked away. Finally, in Sublimity, a gas station with its lights on. Unfortunately, its pumps were off. cont page 31

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Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 19


Fast Wheels

OUT • AND • ABOUT cont from page 21

for your little ones. Made of PVC tubing, these “skate walkers” will make the process of learning to stay upright much less frustrating. My three-year-old was skating independently after about 15-minute of me leaning over her. I’m pretty sure it saved me from major back trauma. Golden Skate also has a “lazer tag” area, which is nearly guaranteed to be crowded with adolescent boys (and a few husbands). They also advertise

free wi-fi and TV, allowing you to “watch sports while the kids skate.” But don’t do that – you’ll miss out on the fun. Family Fun in Centralia T h e C e n t r a l i a R o l l e r d o m e ( w w w. centraliarollerdome.com) has been a mecca of family fun since 1904, and the current owners have cornered the market on cleanliness and variety. The Rollerdome has a classic wooden floor, and while it’s slightly smaller than other rinks, it has a great deal of “extras” including inflatable bounce houses (which my children may have spent more time in than on skates), air hockey, carnival prize games, and a large snack bar with pizza. Even the restrooms here were incredibly clean (which seems to be a challenge in roller rinks – but so is using the toilet on skates). They host a variety of skate nights and special skates, and are also frequently home to the “Rainy City Roller Dolls,” (www.rainycityrollerdolls.com) a flat track roller derby league. The Rollerdome also has many complete lines of skates and accessories for sale, which must point to our northern cousins having some seriously skate-obsessed residents. They rent a variety of skates, as well as my favorite “skate mates” for the little ones.

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20 /July 15 – August 14, 2013 / Columbia River Reader

The Classic: Oaks Park The roller rink at Oaks Park (www.oakspark.com) is a classic beauty, complete with an organ for those who like their skating in the vintage style. They are often hosts to many Roller Derby events, and have a large schedule of skating classes (even for speed skating or derby-daring female adults!).

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They are often packed on the weekends, and if the weather is nice, your kids will almost certainly hard-sell you into taking them on the amusement rides while you’re there. If you’re willing to spend a whole day at it, Oaks has some Erin Hart, a Longview native, is an average rollerskater with an above-average penchant for getting blisters. After more than 30 years trying to skate, she still can’t “shoot the duck.”

Roller Derby

from page 17

rounds, commanding spectators’ full attention at every second. Each team’s jammer is the scoring player, and the goal is to pass the opposing team’s players and lap them multiple times for points. About the Girls One local team, the Rainy City Roller Dolls, plays regular bouts in Centralia at the Rollerdome, a skating rink in the heart of downtown. They also play in other cities around the area, like Tacoma and Portland. According to the RCRD website, the group hopes to create a positive force for strong, independent and capable women in our communities. They also provide a family-friendly activity. Compared with other sports, Orth said he especially enjoys derby. “The girls do it,” he said, “not in the hopes of becoming rich and famous, but in the true meaning of being an athlete.” “It by far is one of the most technical and involved sports I’ve ever been a part of.” If you’re looking for something fun to do, add roller derby to your list of spectator sports. If, like me, you don’t usually watch sports, you may be pleasantly surprised by this one. Maybe I’ll see you at an upcoming bout.

Perry Piper discovered roller derby when a friend invited him to a bout at the Rollerdome in Centralia. He writes the monthly column “Lower Columbia Informer,” see page 29.

good family fun to offer, including a new miniature golf course. Check out their webpage under the “specials” tab for good deals. I must admit, I miss hearing the Bee Gees while roller skating. (The common denominator for all of these rinks was the fact that they all played “Gangnam Style” at least twice.) Regardless, the skating soundtrack that’s worth listening to is your child’s whooping laughter when they finally get to coasting, wind-in-their-hair, and fearless. And after all the exercise you’ll get, you can afford to eat some cotton candy before you go home. •••


Musical Theatre

Longview native brings Neil Diamond’s music to his hometown

A

Play Me!

s part of his Seattle-LongviewPortland mini-tour, Longview native and musician Chris Waggoner will bring his Neil Diamond tribute show, “Play Me,” to Longview’s Columbia Theatre on July 26. Area residents may remember Waggoner, a 1980 Mark Morris High School graduate, who has worn many musical “hats.” He sang in the Studio One Singers, King’s Chorale and the school’s concert choir. His mother, Elaine Edwards, owned the Stella Tavern, then a lively music venue, where Waggoner played piano bar, ran the talent show and played in a bluegrass band. He also played piano bar at Peter’s Lounge in Kelso and sang as a paid vocalist at many local weddings. “I don’t know how ‘sensational’ I was back then,” he joked, “but people liked me.” Waggoner’s senior week activities and even finals were cancelled, due to Mt. St. Helens’ eruption. Soon after graduation, he joined the Navy. “I didn’t know what I was doing,” career-wise, he said. After two years in the Navy and two years out, he rejoined for six more years. Later, he went to college to become an ER trauma nurse, then a nurse practitioner. Today,

COLUMBIA RIVER READER

he operates a clinic in Las Cruces, New Mexico, “serving truckers, dairymen, farmers and poor people.”

IF YOU GO

“It’s $30 per For info about the visit — the Longview and Portland s a m e p r i c e shows, see ad, page 2. f o r b o t h , ” For info about CRR’s h e j o k e d , Dinner Show Package, c o m p a r i n g see page 4. a m e d i c a l Friends are invited to appointment’s an after-show party at c o s t t o a the Longview Moose, “ P l a y M e ” featuring Rob Leggett’s show ticket b a n d , G e n e r a t i o n . in Longview. Cover charge $5. Wa g g o n e r arranged a special price for his hometown show. Tickets for “Play Me” in Seattle and Portland are about $40. Besides his medical clinic, Waggoner also operates Boba Cafe & Cabaret in Las Cruces. Along with musical theatre, he has produced shows based on “iconic” figures such as James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, and the Mamas and the Papas and Neil Diamond music. “People loved the Neil Diamond show,” Waggoner recalled. Two shows sold out. An invitation to do the show as a special benefit concert served as the “catalyst for what became the ‘Play Me’ show,” he said. The show has been wellcont page 29

Chris Waggoner on stage, at a music-inthe-park performance; and performing with Carla DeBellagio (a Barbara Streisand impersonator). In his upcoming show, the part will be sung by Lori Gayle Wilcutts, of Longview. Courtesy photos.

Join our fun group! Sign up for Columbia River Reader’s Dinner Show Package. See info, page 4.

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Where do you read

THE READER? WHERE DO YOU READ THE READER? Send a photo showing where YOU read the Reader (high-resolution JPEG, 2 MB max) to Publisher@CRReader.com. Include name and city of residence. Thank you for your participation and patience. Keep those “Where Do You Read the Reader?” photos coming!

Michael Steele, former Republican National Committee chairman and current MSNBC political analyst, after speaking to the American Public Power Association convention in Nashville, Tennessee. At previous conferences, his colleagues Howard Fineman and Eugene Robinson also took copies of CRR, saying they would read it on the plane back to Washington, D.C.

Below: Lonnie Knowles, manager of Stewart Title in Longview, on vacation in Las Vegas.

Longview resident Joe Brozman, in front of “Huggo’s” in Kona Hawaii. “Great coffee and scenery,” he noted. Photo by Susanne Piche.

Comedienne Paula Poundstone on the stage of Angelico Hall at Dominican University in San Rafael, California, a few days after performing in Longview.

At Mt. Cook, New Zealand Nov 2012: Ron Emerich, Margie Clark, and Laritta Edwards, of Rainier, Oregon; Becky Myhre, Longview; Judy Brown, Rainier; Jean Lessollen, Kelso, Charlene Darby (holding paper) and Pauline Thomforde, Longview; Shirley Emerich and Betty Rupp, Rainier.

Mark Sturdivant, La Habra, California Chamber of Commerce director. Photo by Ned Piper.

Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 23


ART IN THE PARK 5th annual event set for August 17th

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City of Longview Parks and Recreation Department. In 2009, recalled Longview resident Carol Boudreay, the Columbian Artists Association resurrected Art in the Park after several years with no events in the park. She chaired the committee organizing the event from 2009 through 2012. The event’s goal is to provide a venue for local artists to display their art for viewing and for sale in a local setting.

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Boudreau, also an exhibiting Art in the Park artist, works in watercolor and favors cats, dogs, frogs, rivers, mountains, plants, lakes, and flowers. She paints what pleases her visually in order

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“Synchronized Swimming,” by Carol Boudreau, an exhibitor at this year’s Art in the Park at Longview’s Lake Sacajawea (Hemlock Plaza near RALong High School at Nichols Blvd).

T

he fireworks are over, but another visual feast is about to come to Lake Sacajawea. On August 17 from 10:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the afternoon you will find more than 50 artists displaying their work in a beautiful park on a (hopefully) sunny, pleasant day. Artists include painters, potters, photographers, sculptors, jewelers, weavers, carvers and more. You will find activities for children to participate in the creation of art. Food vendors will offer drinks and food for purchase. Art in the Park, held in Hemlock Plaza at Longview’s Lake Sacajawea, is sponsored by the Columbian Artists Association along with the

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to share that pleasure. She shows yearround at the Broadway Gallery and will be exhibiting at the Koth Gallery in the Longview Library this October. Art in the Park is the perfect venue for the public to talk with actual artists while being surrounded by their artwork, Boudreau said. It is also a chance to buy gifts or art for their home. Boudreau’s favorite aspect of Art in the Park is giving artists a chance to show their work. “In Longview, we don’t have very many venues where these incredible people can display their work,” she said. “I hope Art in the Park will become a Pacific Northwest event that will draw artists from all around the area . . . (and)

increase in quality year after year as it increases in participation both by the artists and the viewing public.” Come and be a part of the explosion of art at Lake Sacajawea on August 17.For more information or an application, artists, food vendors and prospective volunteers can visit www.columbianartists.org, email artintheparklv@gmail.com or call Kathryn Lloyd at 360-430-7985. ••• Scott McRae creates and teaches art in Longview and is CRR’s resident art reporter. He holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from Linfield College.

Northwest Gardener from page 15

It pays to advertise. Call us at 360-749-2632. Ad Deadline: 25th of each month.

OMG! It’s the 15th of the month!

Where can you find the Reader? It’s delivered all around the River, but here’s a list of handy, regularly-refilled sidewalk box and rack locations you can visit any time of day (almost), even in your bathrobe ...

Sidewalk Box/Rack Locations

Always include a ‘house’ for the fairy to live in. A top to an old lamp and 4 bamboo sticks made a simple shelter. The addition of a ‘found’ object such as the moss tipped chair finial will make the fairies feel right at home. Garden centers and nurseries sell tiny furniture and garden accessories, as well as daintily detailed fairies. Choose a container that has drainage and fill with a light potting soil mix. Select plants that will not grow rapidly nor get too big. The bonsai section of your local nursery is a good place to start. The addition of creeping Thyme or Scotch/Irish Moss as a ground cover will complete the garden nicely. Plant your selections and water gently, but well. Add the decorative features and display where it will not be exposed to the hot afternoon sun

for a week or so. Then, depending on the sun tolerance of your chosen plants, it can be moved to a spot to be enjoyed by all. ••• Longtime local gardener Nancy Chennault and her husband, Jim Chennault, operate The Gardens @ Sandy Bend in Castle Rock. They grow veggies to feed the body and flowers to feed the soul.

LONGVIEW Post Office Bob’s (rack, main check-out) YMCA Fred Meyer (rack, grocery entrance) Dollarland Plus Fibre Fed’l CU - Commerce Ave Hometown Bank Monticello Hotel (side entrance) The Masthead Kaiser Permanente St. John Medical Center (rack, Park Lake Café) Cowlitz Black Bears box office LCC Student Center Mini-Mart next to Regents Indie Way Diner KALAMA Heritage Bank Columbia Inn WOODLAND Visitor’s Center The Oak Tree CASTLE ROCK Castle Rock Exhibit Hall Four Corners General Store Parker’s Restaurant (rack, entry) RYDERWOOD Community Center

RAINIER Post Office Cornerstone Café Rainier Hardware (rack, entry) Lucky Town Chinese Restaurant (on Hwy 30) DEER ISLAND Deer Island Store COLUMBIA CITY Post Office ST HELENS Chamber of Commerce Sunshine Pizza Post Office Wild Currant Olde Towne (near Bemis Printing) Safeway SCAPPOOSE Post Office Road Runner Fultano’s Ace Hardware ARK Real Estate CATHLAMET Cathlamet Pharmacy CLATSKANIE Post Office Sporty’s (rack, entry) Wauna mill (parking area)

For more locations or to find the pickup point nearest you, visit crreader. com and highlight “Features,” and click on “Find the Magazine.” Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 25


Live Music Scene around the River To learn which band is playing when and where, go online or call the restaurant or bar.

The Bistro 1329 Commerce Ave, Longview 360-425-2837 • Music Thurs 6–9; Fridays 6–10, Sats 6–9 thebistrobuzz.com

Outings & Events

STAGEWORKS PRESENTS a staged reading of

“The Harder Courage” Original play written and directed by Leslie Slape The true, tragic and touching story of Sheriff Ben Holmes and prisoner Robert Day, who was hanged for murder in 1892. Featuring Scott Clark as Ben Holmes and Michael Cheney as Robert Day.

Aug 16,17,18,23,24,25 For more info, visit www.stageworksnorthwest.org or call 360-636-4488.

Flowers ‘n’ Fluff 45 E. Col River Hwy, Clatskanie, Ore. 503-728-4222 Live Music Friday evenings clatskanieflowersnfluff@gmail.com Goble Tavern 70255 Col. River Hwy, Rainier 503-556-4090 • gobletavern.com

Mark’s on the Channel 34326 Johnson Landing Rd Scappoose, OR 503-543-8765 Live music on Saturday nights. marksonthechannel.com Monticello Hotel 23 CLUB 1405 17th Avenue, Longview 360-425-9900 ”The Original Monticello” Karaoke every Thursday Weekend Music 9 pm–1 am Fireside Lounge Porky’s Public House 561 Industrial Way, Longview 360-636-1616 facebook.com/pages/Porkys-CafeLounge/11041404898298

HOW TO PUBLICIZE YOUR EVENTS IN CRR List your community event’s basic info (name of event, sponsor, date & time, location, brief description and contact info) and email to: publisher@crreader.com or mail or hand-deliver to Columbia River Reader 1333-14th Avenue Longview, WA 98632

Deadline: Submissions received by the 25th of each month will be considered for inclusion in Outings & Events listings in the next issue (published the 15th of the month), subject to timing, general relevance to readers, and space limitations.

Avi avimuzo.com avimuzo@facebook.com

To list your music venue here, call Ned Piper, 360-749-2632

Broderick Gallery Temporarily closed pending re-location. See item in Biz Buzz, page 7. Info: 503-703-5188. www. broderickgallery.com

Lord & McCord Artworks Michael Metz (crystalline glazed and carved ceramics, jewelry). Regular gallery hours. TuesFri 11-5, Sat 12-4. 1416 Commerce, Longview, Wash. 360-423-9100. Closing Party July 27, 12–4pm. Teague’s Mezzanine Gallery Vintage images; acyclic paintings on canvas and paper by Wendy and Shirley thru Aug 28. Open till 7:30 pm on Aug 1. MonFri 10-5:30, Sat 10-3. 1267 Commerce, Longview, Wash. Tsuga Gallery Fine arts and crafts by 30+ area artists. Summer classes available. Thurs-Sat 11-5; Sun, 12–4. 70 Main Street, Cathlamet, Wash. 360-795-0725. Info: tsugagallery.org. Pacific Northwest Gift Gallery Local artists and authors. Tues - Sat, 11 am to 5 pm. If interested in showing your work contact Terrie at 360-274-8583. 1316 Mt St Helens Way, Castle Rock, Wash. Annie Shoestring Community Players summer production. July 11-13, 1820 7pm; July 13 2pm.. Scappoose High School, 33700 SE High School

Way, Scappoose, Ore.. Tickets $12 at Bertucci’s, St. Helens, or online: www. sscpmusicals.com/tickets. Children under 5 free. Dirty Deeds at the Depot Stageworks Northwest melodrama. July 12–28. Longview Theatre, 1433 Commerce. Tickets $12. See ad, page 18. Play Me The music of Neil Diamond. Show by Chris Waggoner. July 26, 8pm. Columbia Theatre, Longview, Tickets $30. See ad, page 2, CRR Dinner Show info, page 4. First Thursday Downtown Longview, Wash. Aug. 1 (See Broadway Gallery and Teague’s listings, above). The Meaning of Wood. Group Art Exhibit. LCC Gallery at the Rose Center. July 23–Aug 21. Mon-Wed 10-6, Lower Columbia College, 15th & Washington Way, Longview, Wash. 360-442-2510. Koth Galler y Summer Reading Program through August. Mon, Tues, Thurs 10-8, Wed 10-5, Fri 10-6, Sat 12-5. Longview Public Library, 1600 Louisiana, Longview, Wash. Info: 360442-5300. Art in the Park 5th Annual event at Lake Sacajawea, Hemlock Plaza Sat, Aug 17, 10am –5pm. Meetings are held first Tues 10-noon at The Broadway Gallery, 1418 Commerce Ave, Longview, Wash. More info at www. Columbiartists.org Shanghaied in Astoria July 11-Sep 14. Astor Stree Opry Company Playhouse. Astoria, Ore. 503-325-6104. www. seasideor.com Music on the Mountain Free concerts at Johnston Ridge Amphitheatre, Mt. St. Helens. July 27 Daniel Kirkpatrick and the Bayonets; Aug. 31 The Brown Edition. See ad, page 20.

FREE OUTDOOR CONCERTS

To learn when and where your favorite performer or band is playing check these websites: Raeann raeannphillips.com phillipspettitr@facebook.com

Broadway Galler y Artists co-op. July: Charles Funk, Stan Gibson (pottery),Janice Newton (painting), Jane Gerdon (knitting). August: Mark Anderson (pottery), Alan Brunk (paintings), Eiler Gutierrez (drawings), Paul Nicholas (pottery). Artist reception Aug 1st, 5:30-7:30 pm, Music by Dave Mongeau. Regular hours: Mon-Sat 105:30. 1418 Commerce, Longview, Wash. 360-577-0544

LCC Galler y at the Rose Center Through May 31: Student Art Exhibit. Gallery hours: Mon-Tues 10-6,Wed-Fri 10-4. Lower Columbia College, 15th & Washington Way, Longview, Wash. 360442-2510, lowercolumbia.edu/gallery

The Birk Pub & Eatery 11139 Hwy 202, Birkenfeld, Ore 503-755-2722 • thebirk.com

The Mansion 420 Rutherglen Rd, Longview 360-425-5816. rutherglenmansion.com Wed 5-7 pm Winetasting Buffet $20

Performing & Fine Arts Music, Art, Theatre, Literary

13 Nights on the River St. Helens, Ore. July 18 The New Iberians July 25 Michael Allen Harrison Aug 1 Hit Machine Count the Ants Aug 8 Sweet Baby James Aug 15 Lulu LaFever The Hot Tamales Aug 22 The Steve Hale Trio Aug 29 Jujuba

6–9pm Thursdays, St. Helens Columbia View Park, Olde Town, St. Helens, Ore. Info: 13nightsontheriver.com

26 /July 15 – August 14, 2013 / Columbia River Reader

Concerts at the Lake Longview, Wash.

Hot Summer Nights on the Plaza • Woodland, Wash.

July 18 Harmonious Wail jazz, swing, gypsy

July 19 Rode Hard

July 25 Max’s Midnight Kitchen American folk, Bluegrass

Aug 1 Stone in Love Journey tribute Aug 8 Joni Harms Band Country & Western Aug 15 The New Iberians Zydeco & Blues 6–8pm Thursdays, Martin’s Dock, Lake Sacajawea Park, Longview, Wash. Bring blankets, low-backed chairs. Picnics OK, food available. No alcohol. Info 360-442-5400.

Classic country & rock

July 26 Stifler Contemporary, high energy rock Aug 2 Silver Rose Country rock Aug 9 Betty on the Rocks Country & classic rock

Aug 16 Half Step Down Blues 7–9pm Fridays, Hoffman Plaza, downtown Woodland, Washington. Bring lawn chairs. Alcohol-free. Info: revitalizewoodland.org


Outings & Events

Recreation, Outdoors, Gardening Pets, Self-Help, Living History Hometown Heroes BBQ Recognizing military veterans, police, firefighters, EMTs. Hometown heroes eat free. Donations accepted for Wounded Warrior Project. RSVP 360-575-1778. Monticelllo Park Retirement & Assisted Living. 605 Broadway, Longview, Wash. Maritime Heritage Festival July 2628 at Courthouse Plaza, St. Helens, (Oregon) Historic Downtown. Familyfriendly activities, art show benefits St. Helens Arts & Cultural Commission. St. Helens Home Tour Aug 10, 12–4pm. Visit 7 homes, some architecurallydesigned, some with river views. $25 per person, Benefits St. Helens Arts & Cultural Commission and gateway landmark sculpture project. For reservations or more info: St. Helens Arts and Cultural Commission member Ben Merrill, 503-705-7348. Squirrel Fest Aug. 17, Longview’s Civic Circle. Unveiling of new squirrel bridge, music, food & craft vendors, wine and beer garden. Chainsaw carving, Kiwanis Kids parade, fun run. lvsquirrelfest.com (see ad,below). Long Bell Reading Room Info on Longview history, including sports, photos and memorabilia. 9am-6 pm, Mon-Sat. In The Merk, 1337 Commerce Ave, Longview, Wash. 360-636-0993.

Cowlitz County Museum invites you to the Bush Cabin

This year’s Cowlitz County Fair theme “Dancing with the Steers” has sent museum staff on a roundup of historic facts, photos, and fun information about cows in Cowlitz County. Visit the Bush Family log cabin with its display about cattle, featuring topics from Peter Crawford crossing the Oregon Trail as an ox team driver to local dairy farms, and even revealing the cabin’s own tie-in with cattle. This year’s Fair will be held Thursday, July 25 to Sunday, July 28. The Bush Cabin will be open daily from 11am to 7pm with kids’ crafts, historic toys including the ever-popular stilts, a kids’ pie eating contest on the first day at 1pm, and butter churning Saturday morning. Come and join us, one and all!

Original • Local • All about the good life • Fit for any coffee table

MT. ST. HELENS NATIONAL VOLCANIC MONUMENT

BEYOND THE ERUPTION

July happenings around the Monument

By Alice Dietz, Director of Programs, Cowlitz Economic Development Council

Woodland Hot Summer Nights, a free event that happens every Friday from 7pm-9pm in Downtown Wo o d l a n d . They are a family friendly concert series that you do not want to miss ( s e e d e t a i l s , Music on the Mountain offers beautiful music in a beautiful setting, Outings & Eventsall for FREE. This month’s concert is a home grown listings, facing page). band, Daniel Kirkpatrick and the Bayonets. They will be performing on Music on the Mountain - 2013’s July 27th at 6:30 pm at the Johnston first concert in the series, Music on Ridge Observatory. Come out and the Mountain was a great success. enjoy an amazing venue! If you want Cowlitz County really came out to make a full day of it, check out these to represent what the monument helpful websites: means to them. We had around www.fs.usda.gov/mountsthelens 200 familiar faces in attendance that enjoyed the folk, Americana www.cowltizedc.com music by Sassparilla, cold beverages www.mshinstitute.org served by Kelso Rotarians and an www.kelsolongviewchamber.com overall good time of celebrating www.kalamachamber.com this world www.woodlandchamber.com wonder that is www.castlerockchamber.com our Mount St. Helens. www.visitmtsthelens.com Alice Dietz collaborates with Mt. St. Helens Institute and the US Forest Service. She enjoys good food, good Northwest beverages, good people and good fun. Reach her at dietz@ cowlitzedc.com

LCC Summer Musical ROSE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

August 7-10, 7:30 p.m. August 11, 2 p.m. Wollenberg Auditorium Tickets may be purchased in advance from the LCC Bookstore in the Student Center, at Encore Concession in the Rose Center, from the online ticket store, or one hour

adlZgXdajbW^V#ZYj$i]ZVigZ (+%#))'#'')% Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 27


Movies

World War Z and This is the End Is that all there is?

By Dr. Bob Blackwood

I

just finished an interesting book, Fantasy Film Post 911 by Frances Pheasant-Kelly. The author maintains that the 9/11 attack has led to a dark emphasis in fantasy films in the 21st Century. Now, it could be argued that Marc Forster’s “World War Z” (MPAA: PG-13) is a science fiction film, but since in conversation “Z” is always regarded as a horror film, I think “zombie fantasy” trumps science fiction here. Brad Pitt, pictured as a loving family man with Mireille Enos as the mother of his children, is caught in an early zombie attack in Philadelphia. Before you can say, “Holy Man of Steel” or “faster than a speeding bullet,” every American city is swarming with zombies. This speed of contagion is definitely fantasy, particularly if you have read Max Brooks’ novel of the same name, which is a remarkably realistic study of Brad Pitt, Pierfrancesco Favino and Daniella Kertesz await an attack how each culture throughout the globe might deal with a major by zombies in “World War Z.” Photo: Paramount Pictures epidemic of this nature. did not enjoy Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen’s “This Is the End” The film is (MPAA: R), the portrayal of a big fast-moving as party at James Franco’s home where Pitt searches all of the actors—Jonah Hill, Seth the globe for Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, the source of Craig Robinson and others—play the epidemic. 1265 14th Ave #130 • Longview themselves. Yes, they are Hollywood The airplane actors having a “high” old time with sequence in liquor, drugs, sex, the usual…. After “Z” will be awhile, I thought, “Seth, this is the remembered; in longest bad ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit, fact it reminded ever.” Trapped, hungry and thirsty me of a flight in Franco’s home, the English actress I had over the Emma Watson robs them. That, I continental USA. Though I Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos and their film family are panicky in Philadelphia in liked. Then, the Apocalypse comes, and Red Hat Too and some of the jerks go to heaven. was enjoying the “World War Z.” Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures suspense in “World War Z,” I fear the hardcore horror fans will demand more gore. Not in my world. Furniture • Clothing • Books I never hated my parents or my neighbors enough to want strangers to be chomping ••• Collectibles • Household & More on their bones in their living rooms, but whatever turns you on seems to be the rule

I

The Red Hat

1245 Commerce Avenue 360-578-1733 1233 Commerce Avenue 360-636-4127

with some folks. I prefer films with sexy women in gorgeous clothes, a brave sheriff on a dusty street, or clever comedies such as “The Ugly Truth” with Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler. If you like Shakespearean comedies, you might enjoy Joss Whedon’s black-and white“Much Ado About Nothing” (MPAA: PG-13). The lines are delivered beautifully.

Emergency Support Shelter

Should you see “World War Z”? If you like an action film, sure. As it made about $66 million on its opening week-end in the USA, you may be seeing a sequel eventually.

~

Dr. Bob Blackwood taught at Wright College in Chicago and, now retired, lives in Albuerqueque, New Mexico. He hopes to be up to Longview in October to chat with his editor and his publisher, his friend Paul “Man in the Kitchen” Thompson, and his fellow writers.

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the LowerColumbia

Informer By Perry Piper

H

Live long and prosper

umanity is always using its stories and imagination to conjure up new possibilities. We create technology to help us achieve them in reality. The television series, Star Trek, has generated a stream of ideas we want to realize in our future: things like the holodeck, faster-than-light space travel, galactic and planetary exploration and other things. Today, it seems that the Star Trek tricorder device has inspired a real-life copy that aims to enhance and personalize medicine for everyone. Taking medical readings usually done in the ER or checkup with your doctor, the Scanadu Scout and subsequent devices pair with your mobile device to give you quick readings. These measurements will be organized and delivered to you and your doctor in simple charts and notifications. Finally, people will have medical power as often as they check their news or Facebook status. Scanadu does not want to replace doctors, but enhance This shows the concept of the device the relationship with them and let you contact we should see in the coming months. them when the time is right, rather than It will work in conjunction with your mobile device, like iPhone or iPad. whenever you have a mystery ache.

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The Scanadu device is the product of the growing technological and startup hub on a southern California NASA campus, where both Google and the Singularity University are located. The Scout was crowdfunded on Indiegogo, a site much like Kickstarter. Scanadu collected $1.3 million dollars — more than 13 times the amount of funding they originally asked for. This indicates that people really wanted the medical device in their homes. Entering the market in 2014, the Scout will sell for $200 and report an individual’s temperature, heart rate, oximetry, ECG, heart rate, blood pressure, markers in urine and stress level, all in about 10 seconds, mostly by scanning your temple. (It is unclear how urinalysis can be conducted by scanning the temple!) This new device might be the first step, however, in a coming medical revolution and before we know it, we’ll be healthy and flying on the Enterprise to save the galaxy. ••• Perry Piper lives in Longview and works as CRR’s production manager and technical consultant (see ad, page 12). He serves on the Southwest Washington Symphony Board of Directors.

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received and was picked up recently by the prestigious online booking agency, Music Zirconia. While Waggoner, surprisingly, has never attended a Neil Diamond concert, he patterned “Play Me” after “Love at the Greek,” an album released in 1977, the second album (after “Hot August Night” in 1972) made from a live performance at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. He makes no attempt to impersonate Neil Diamond or exactly copy his style. “I reflect it,” Waggoner said. “This is more of a show than a concert, more of a performance piece.” Each of Neil Diamond’s tunes captures a different emotion and tells a different story, he said. “That’s the beauty of his music. I love that.” Diamond is “very creative about how he approaches live shows,” Waggoner said. “He changes them up all the time,” and his repertoire contains two or three different versions of certain songs. Diamond’s music is “more complicated and challenging than some people might think.” Ironically, The Monkees recorded Neil Diamond’s song, “I’m a Believer” in 1966 before Diamond had a chance to make it a hit. Now, 40-some years later, Waggoner will perform “I’m a Believer” in Seattle just two weeks before the Monkees appear there to play it on the same stage.

“Play Me,” is a tribute show that doesn’t stop until intermission. There’s an overture prior to the second act, typical of musical theatre.

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cont from page 21

“It’s a little joke on The Monkees,” he said. Neil Diamond has since recorded “I’m a Believer” on his own albums. “He sings it as a rock song and as a ballad,” Waggoner noted.

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“It’s like going to a Broadway show,” he noted. “You get all the great songs.” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers is the show-stopper,” Waggoner said. Local singer Lori Gayle Wilcutts will sing the female part in Longview. “We get the hard core (fans) and I think we (also) convert people.” And many people who aren’t Neil Diamond fans, per se, still appreciate this show. “If you love “Sweet Caroline,” Waggoner says to prospective audience members, “come see this show. You’ll love the show even more.” •••

Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 29


Clatskanie Conestoga Pub & Grill 85 N. Nehalem. Lunch & Dinner; homemade soup, Dive Burger Special, steaks, ribs, burgers. Full service bar & grill. 10am to close. New ownership. 503-728-3702

Flowers ‘n’ Fluff Coffee Shop 45 E. Columbia River Hwy Wine Tasting, Dinner & Live Music Fridays 5–8:30pm. Unforgettable scones, On-the-go breakfast & lunch. Coffee Shop M-F 5:30am– 6:30pm; Sat 7am–6pm; Sun 8am–6pm. 503-728-4222

Fultano’s Pizza 770 E. Columbia River Hwy Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more! M-Sat 11am–10pm; Sun 11am–9pm 503-728-2922

Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant 640 E. Columbia River Hwy Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials.Sports bar. M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–11:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-543-3017

COLUMBIA RIVER Goble Tavern 70255 Columbia River Hwy. (Milepost 31, Hwy. 30) Food, beer & wine + full bar, Live music. 503-556-4090 See ad page 8.

Kathy’s 218 E. “B” St. Breakfast and lunch. Homemade soups & pies, espresso , latté coffees, Dine in or take out. 503-556-4502

Luigi’s Pizza 117 East 1st Street 503-556-4213 Pizza, spaghetti, burgers, beer & wine. See ad, page 8.

Longview Cassava

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

Country Folks Deli 1329 Commerce Ave., Longview. Opens at 10 for lunch. 360-425-2837

Rainier Conestoga Pub Cornerstone Café 102 East “A” Street Microbrews, wines & spirits Prime rib Friday & Sat. 503-556-8772

The Bistro Restaurant & Wine Club

1329 Commerce Ave., Longview (alley entrance). Fine dining, happy hour specials. wine tastings. Wed-Sat opens 5pm. See ad page 16.

dining guide Castle Rock Links on the Corner

Ginger’s Restaurant (located in the Monticello Hotel), Longview Traditional breakfast, lunch & dinner – homestyle Sunday dinners. Full bar (‘23 Club). 360-425-9900. See ad page 12

1210 Ocean Beach Hwy., Longview Fish & chips, burgers and more. Beer and wine. 360-577-7972

Morenita Tacos

1045 - 14th Ave. All fresh ingredients. Tortas and green sauce enchiladas are our specialties. Mon-Sat 11:30am–9pm; Sun 11:30am–6pm. 360-425-1838

Porky’s Public House 561 Industrial Way, Longview Slow-roasted prime rib Fri & Sat, flat iron steaks, 1/3-lb burgers, fish & chips. 28 draft beers. Full bar. See ad, page 18. 360-636-1616

Rutherglen Mansion 420 Rutherglen Rd. (off Ocean Beach Hwy. at 38th Ave.), Longview Open for dinner Tues – Sat, Wednesday wine tasting, Sunday brunch. Full bar. 360-425-5816 See ad page 27.

4858 West Side Hwy 5am–8pm, 7 days Fresh soup daily. Burgers, deli, chicken, breakfast, pizza. Daily specials. Super Value Sunday. Clam chowder every Friday. 360-274-8262 Parker’s Restaurant & Brewery 1300 Mt. St. Helens Way Exit 49 off I-5. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Home of the Rockin’ Burgers, hand-cut steak; seafood and pasta. Restaurant 8am–9pm (‘til 10pm Fri & Sat); Lounge 11am–midnight. 360-967-2333

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

Mark’s on the Channel floating restaurant. 34326 Johnson Landing Rd. McCutty’s Marina, South Scappoose. 503-543-8765. Live music Sat nights. Full bar. See ad, page 19.

Toutle

St. Helens Sunshine Pizza & Catering 2124 Columbia Blvd. Hot pizza, cool salad bar. Beer & wine. See ad, page 11. 503-397-3211

Fire Mountain Grill at Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center. 15000 Spirit Lake Hwy fmgrill.com Burgers, sandwiches, beer & wine .360-274-5217

Woodland

Bertucci’s

2017 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens Mon–Fri 9–5; Sat 10–4. Breakfast sandwiches, deli sandwiches, espresso, chocolates. See ad, page 11. El Tapatio 2105 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens Authentic Jalisco cuisine from scratch. Full bar. Karaoke Fri & Sat 9pm–2am Sun-Thurs 11am–10pm; Fri-Sat 11–11, Bar til 2am 503-556-8323

Scappoose

The Oak Tree 1020 Atlantic Ave., Woodland. New ownership. Full lunch, breakfast and dinner menu. Fresh from scratch cooking. Great happy hour menu. Sun-Thurs 7am–10pm, Fri-Sat 7am-11pm. See ad, page 16. 360-841-8567

To advertise in CRR’s Dining Guide call 360-749-2632.

Lexington El Tapatio 117 West “A” Street, Rainier Authentic Jalisco cuisine from scratch. Full bar. Karaoke Fri & Sat 9pm–2am Riverview dining. Sun-Thurs 11am–10pm; Fri-Sat 11–11, Bar til 2am. Karaoke. 503-556-8323. Evergreen Pub & Café 115-117 East 1st Street Burgers, halibut, prime rib, full bar. 503-556-9935 See ad, page 8.

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

JT’s 1203 14th Ave, Longview Fine dining, Happy Hour. Full bar. Specials, fresh NW cuisine. 360-577-0717. See ad page 18.

30 /July 15 – August 14, 2013 / Columbia River Reader

3 miles north of Kelso on West Side Hwy, or take I-5 Exit 42, turn right (north) after crossing Cowlitz River.

Ernesto’s Espresso & Deli 1626 West Side Hwy Specialty sandwiches, breakfast, build-your-own sandwich, homemade soups, desserts, smoothies, espresso, Italian sodas. Open Fri 6am, Sat-Sun 7am. 360-353-3507

Fultano’s Pizza 51511 SE 2nd. Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more! “Best pizza around!” M–Th, Sat11am–10pm; Fri 11am–11pm; Sun 11am–9pm. Full bar service ‘til 11pm Fri & Sat. Deliveries in Scappoose. 503-543-5100

Professor Epicurious

COMING SOON

Dining Reports from CRR’s roving restaurant reviewer. Watch for Professor Epicurious out on “The Circuit.”


Serendipity

cont from page 19

Eons later, we pulled into Stayton. “Oregon is a civilized state — they’ll pump our gas,” I said in my never-adoubt voice. Three-quarter gallon to spare. Here’s the best part: lights still glowed at the Dairy Queen. “Ever had a Blizzard?” I asked. She hadn’t. I bought. The Oregon Garden was spectacular, and my friend Molly Murphy set us up with one of the best Gordon House tours ever. The other two visitors had toured two other Frank Lloyd Wright houses I knew well Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob near Pittsburgh. Serendipity again.

It wasn’t a walk, it was a hike of unknown duration. No sign told us how far, or how long. Again, what part of Be Prepared didn’t I understand? We were in sandals, Suzanne’s sturdier than mine. We carried no water. We’d left our cell phones in the car. We had neither map, nor compass. Nobody knew where we were. Only a few signs tacked to the trees were there to spur us on.

From sandals to salmon Not willing to let Suzanne leave our Lexington house without a meal of fresh-caught Columbia River salmon, we set out for Astoria. The Astoria Column is always part of my to-do list. How many fantastic views can you see for a buck (for parking)? On this sunny day, the park was crowded, so Suzanne decided not to take the 164 steps up, and down. (I am afraid of heights.) “How about the Cathedral Tree Trail?” I asked. I’d spotted the sign many times, and this was our chance. I figured a short sprint. It wouldn’t take long. Ha!

“We are doing what I make fun of other hikers for doing,” Suzanne said. The trail zigged and it zagged. If gnarly roots didn’t trip us up, the muddy forest floor tried. Worse, the trail divided — no sign pointed which way to go. My trusted leader kept us going, but even she was frustrated. We lost track of time. Were we close? Could we last another hour? I dropped behind. “Let’s give it five more minutes, and then turn around,” I said. Just past the five-minute deadline, the primitive trail dead-ended into a wooden boardwalk. Still no sign. She turned left. I waited. She stopped, retraced her steps to me, paused, and turned right, down the hill.

Above: Day lilies at the Oregon Garden in Silverton, Oregon. At right: Approaching the destination, a 300-year-old Sitka spruce on the Cathedral Tree Trail, near Astoria.

Take your own serendipitous summer jaunt! See “If You Go” logistics page 33 Make Suzanne’s Cathedral Trail Picnic page 32

“Here it is! We made it!” she called. I scrambled to join her. The Cathedral Tree is a Sitka Spruce, more than 300 years old. The sign at the trailhead is named for the late Richard Fencsak, a longtime trail advocate and owner of Astoria’s Bikes and Beyond. As it turns out, the trail to the tree and back is about two miles. Whew. STORY FIELD AT LOWER COLUMBIA COLLEGE

Other questions remain. What if we’d continued left? Would we have reached the Columbia River? If we’d stumbled and fallen, would we drink from a mud puddle? When the park closed at dusk, what would have they done about that red Element still in the parking lot? Unanswered questions, all. “It always seems shorter on the way back,” Suzanne promised. It was. Suzanne, who lives in the hills of Malibu, and I found out where to buy Columbia River salmon so fresh it practically flipped its tail. Our source was a guy who had moved to Astoria from Hollywood. The California one. He said he liked what we might once have called the “funky vibe” of the city, the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies. “Astoria wasn’t quite what I expected,” Suzanne said on the way home, the gas tank practically overflowing. “I thought it would be more touristy, what with the Shakesperean plays and ...” “Oh, you mean Ashland.” I said. Another trip for serendipitous possibilities. The salmon was delicious. No surprise there. ••• Freelance writer Suzanne Martinson has lived on both sides of the Columbia River. Questions? Email her acesmartinson@ comcast.net. Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 31


COOKING WITH THE FARMER’S DAUGHTER

Cathedral Tree Picnic By Suzanne Martinson

Nothing can be quite as cooling as skewered fruit from a Spiky Watermelon after your hike down (and back up) to the Cathedral Tree. Complete your picnic with Mac’s Meatloaf Sandwich with Tomato Jam (good hot or cold) and a cool drink. The trailhead is at John Jacob Astor Park, home of the historic Astoria Column. See related story, page 19.

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f you would like to picnic with one of the best views in the Pacific Northwest, pack a cooler with Mac’s Meatloaf Sandwiches — the Tomato Jam is wonderful — and Spiky Watermelon and head for the Astoria Column in the oldest American city west of the Rockies.

Keep the delicious sandwich in a Pyrex Portable with a thermal hot pocket. (This generally keeps food warm for more than an hour, enough time to drive to Astoria via Highway 30.) Spread a tablecloth on the grassy cont page 33

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Picnic

cont from 32

hill near the gift shop, which is where you buy the one-dollar parking pass (it lasts all year).

IF YOU GO

The Spiky Watermelon fruit skewers can be carried in the cooler and then stuck in the half-melon on arrival. Bottled fruit juice and water are good accompaniments. Mac’s Meatloaf Sandwich This delicious sandwich recipe came from the late, great 820 Bistro on West Side Highway in Lexington, Wash. 2.5 pounds ground beef or turkey 1 egg 1 Tbl. granulated garlic (or use fresh minced garlic) 1-1/3 cups ketchup, divided Artisan bread (focaccia or other) Swiss cheese Tomato Jam (recipe follows) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients (we used ground beef). Reserve half of the ketchup for topping. The higher the fat content of the meat, the “wetter” it will be. Place mixture in pan with at least 1-inch sides (we used a glass 9-by-13 inch pan). Press evenly into pan. Top with reserved ketchup. (The mixture can be molded into loaf shape.) Bake until the meat is no longer pink inside, about 20 to 30 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes to set; this will make it easier to cut. (If taking it on a picnic, place the hot loaf in a heated carrier.) To make sandwich: Cut bread into thick slices (lightly browned in butter, if desired). Cut meatloaf to fit bread. Top meat with slice of Swiss cheese and Tomato Jam. Makes 6 to 8 hearty sandwiches. Tomato Jam This was the 820 Bistro’s signature accompaniment. 1/2 cup olive oil (in hot pan) ½ onion, peeled and chopped Salt and pepper 12-ounce can stewed tomatoes (we used a 14.5-ounce can) 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 12-ounce can tomato sauce, or spaghetti sauce (we used a 16-oz can) In heavy saucepan, saute onion, salt and pepper in oil until onions are caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat. Add stewed tomatoes, vinegar and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until caramelized. Add sauce and cook an additional 15 minutes on medium low.

The Astoria Column has served for more than 80 years as a beacon on the Pacific Northwest Coast. It sits in a wooded area 600 feet above sea level on Coxcomb Hill, Astoria, Oregon’s highest point. On a clear day, the views from John Jacob Astor Park are stunning — the Columbia River meeting the Pacific Ocean, the Astoria-Megler Bridge from Oregon to Washington, and the area around Fort Clatsop, where the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter. To support the spectacular site, buy a $1 bio-degradable balsa wood plane to fling from the top of the column after your 120-foot climb. It’s just 164 steps! Driving directions: Take Oregon Hwy 30 west to Astoria, turn left on 15th, turn onto Coxcomb Drive and follow signs. $1 for yearly parking. Info: astoriacolumn.org, 503-3252963.

Spiky Watermelon See photo, opposite page

The more fruits purchased at your local farmers market, the better. Personal, or miniature, seedless watermelon Small pineapple, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces Cantaloupe or muskmelon, cut into balls or triangles Seedless grapes Wooden or metal skewers Any or all fruits can be used.

Cathedral Tree Trail The winding path to the 300-plus-old Sitka Spruce known as the Cathedral Tree starts at the Astoria Column. The hike is not flip-flop friendly. The Oregon Garden Silverton, Oregon 80-acre botanical garden, featuring more than 20 specialty gardens showcasing the diverse botanical beauty found in the Willamette Valley and throughout the Pacific Northwest. Complimentary narrated tram tour April – October. Petfriendly. Hours: May-Sept 9–6, Oct-April 10–4. Admission: Adults $11, discounts for seniors, students & kids. Info: oregongarden.org Driving directions: Take the Brooks Exit, exit 263 off I-5 Southbound. Turn left off the ramp to head east towards Silverton. Follow signs. The Gordon House Adjacent to The Oregon Garden. The house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1957 and moved to The Oregon Garden in 2002. It is the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building in Oregon and the only one in the Pacific Northwest that is open to the public. For tours call 48 hours in advance: 503-874-6006. Oregon Garden Resort 503-8742500. Room includes breakfast and garden admission. Dogs welcome. Dining options Silver Grille Café 503-873-8000, or Creekside Grill, 503- 873-9700, both in downtown Silverton, Ore. Garden View Restaurant at Oregon Garden Resort Breakfast, lunch and dinner. 503-874-2500 To prepare serving piece, cut watermelon in half. Remove melon with a melon baller or knife. Wash grapes, if using. Cut pineapple and cantaloupe into bitesized pieces. (As fresh pineapple was not available, we tried canned. Don’t do it.) When fruit is prepared, thread onto skewers — leave some space at each end — and carefully stick skewer into watermelon rind. Be sure to add the used skewers to your trash and carry out of the park. Note: The easiest way to make melon “triangles” (actually, the bottom will be rounded) is to slice the melon, run a sharp knife close to the skin, and slice it into pieces. The advantage to triangles over balls is that there is no waste. (On the other hand, the cook can snack on the leftover irregular pieces.)

Tropical Game Hens cont from page 16

Pineapple Game Hens with Tropical Glaze 4 Cornish game hens, thawed 3 quarts cold water ½ cup salt 2 Tbl. sugar 5-6 sprigs fresh parsley, rosemary or sage Brine the birds overnight in the above ingredients, or at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat the barbecue to 350º. Dry the birds and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. 4 6oz cans pineapple juice, paper labeling and glue removed. 4 slices fresh lime 2 tsp onion powder, divided Pour ¼ cup of juice out of each juice can into a medium saucepan and set aside. To each can of juice add 1 slice of lime and ½ tsp onion powder. Position the birds on the juice cans, bottom first. Push them down firmly over the cans and place the hens on a flat baking sheet. Barbecue those cuties over indirect heat, using smoke pellets, if desired. Meanwhile, to the juice in the saucepan add; ½ cup rice vinegar ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup cognac 3 Tbl. soy sauce 1 Tbl. grated fresh ginger Juice of ½ lime Bring to a rapid boil on the stovetop and simmer to reduce by half. About 30 minutes should do it. You are then ready to brush the glaze on your hens, re-applying every 5 minutes or so. The hens should be done in about 1 hour cooking time, or when thigh juices run clear if pierced with a fork. ••• Sandy Carl says this recipe is a knockoff of a recipe featured in her book, “Tasteful Memories,” available at Lower Columbia Esthetics in Longview and St H e l e n s Cellars Ta s t i n g Room in Castle Rock.

•••

Refrigerate any leftovers. Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 33


the spectator by ned piper

I

WordFest: Looking for a home

t’s hard to believe that WordFest, Longview’s literary salon, has been meeting for 10 years. Once a month local writers gather with folks who enjoy listening to these budding authors read from their original manuscripts. I don’t know if anyone has kept count of the number of poets, novelists, essayists, humorists, short story writers and playwrights that have stepped up to the microphone, but with three or four authors per month, it must be an impressive list.

Not every reading is compelling, but often the works are surprisingly good. For some, WordFest has been a stepping stone to getting their manuscripts published. For others, reading in front of 40 or 50 listeners meets their goal as a writer. A side benefit has been to simply meet fellow authors from which writing groups form. I have been in three such groups in past years. The format for the groups I attended was to send two or three chapters to the other members of the group, then meet a week or so later to critique those chapters, while hearing

what the others had to say about your work. This is a highly beneficial exercise.

WHAT’S

UP

Most recently, WordFest has met on the first Tuesday of the month at The Brits, a charming Britishthemed restaurant which, regrettably, is closing. WordFest is looking for a new home. The room needs to accommodate up to 60 people. It would be nice to have food service available and, if possible, beer and wine. We realize that we may have to compromise on this at some locations. If you have suggestions as to where we might hold our monthly readings, please contact Alan Rose at alan@ alan-rose.com. WordFest was Alan’s brainchild. You may know Alan from his monthly book reviews in Columbia River Reader. The creative writers in the region owe Alan a huge THANK YOU for his faithful promotion of WordFest. In addition to arranging for WordFest readers each month, Alan keeps an e-mail file of attendees and sends out e-mails to announce the next gathering and other pertinent information. Drop Alan a note if you wish to be added to the e-mail file. We are taking the month of August off, but we’d love to see you at WordFest on September 3rd (for our location, check the WordFest ad in the August Reader), whether you wish to read what you’ve written, or just want to listen to one of our many talented local writers bare their souls to the world. ••• Ned Piper serves on Stageworks Northwest’s board of directors.He enjoys golf and driving CRR’s excursion bus.

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UNDER THE BRIDGE? By Ashley Helenberg, Port of Longview Communications/Public Affairs Manager

H

ere in Longview, summer is pretty perfect. The region is bursting with fresh fruit and vegetables to eat, there are family road trips to experience and even good books to devour while enjoying some welldeserved time off. As you enjoy your summer, take a moment to think about all those great pastimes in a different light, because your Port of Longview has a little something to do with each of those summer pursuits. Here on the Columbia, we’re known for shipping grains worldwide. To grow that grain and the abundant fruits and vegetables we’re enjoying right now, fertilizers come and go through the Port by the ton to be delivered to farms throughout the Pacific Northwest and around the globe. And those memorable family road trips will undoubtedly take you over an amazing array of bridges and overpasses that cross the rivers and streams in the area, but how did the materials to build that infrastructure get there? What about that book on your summer reading list? One of the Port’s steady cargos is used in the pulp and paper industry that may have been part of printing that great mystery novel. And for those who are venturing into the digital reader world, the Port handles the giant wind turbines, towers and even the delicate blades that recharge those devices as well as helping to keep the lights on with renewable energy. There’s an incredible variety of cargo that comes and goes through our community via the Port and you can be sure the commodities we handle here are having a big impact on lives throughout the Pacific Northwest. •••

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Steve Pond, dmd • Jordan Young, dmd • Emily Young, dmd

34 /July /July 15 15 –– August August 14, 14, 2013 2013 // Columbia Columbia River River Reader Reader 34

To submit comments about this column please send us a note at ahelenberg@ portoflongview.com


Columbia River Reader / July 15 – August 14, 2013 / 35


Longview Urology Uses Latest Technology for Treating Kidney Stones If you suffer from kidney stones, the most modern and effective stone treatment technology is available at Longview Urology. Doctors Chad Chesley, Patrick Lassen and John Mansfield are certified to use the Delta II Lithotripter, a device that combines x-ray technology and shockwave treatment to precisely target and break up kidney stones. This procedure is non-invasive, so recovery is quick and there is typically no need for a hospital stay. Call the board certified specialists at Longview Urology at 360.425.3720 to schedule an appointment. Longview Urology is located at 625 9th Avenue at Pacific Surgical Institute.

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www.longviewurology.com 36 /July 15 – August 14, 2013 / Columbia River Reader


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