The Gorge Magazine - Summer 2016

SUMMER 2016 thegorgemagazine.com

COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY “King of Roads” Turns 100

FUTURE OF THE GORGE Mapping Our Way Forward

ONE COMMUNITY HEALTH Promoting Wellness For All

look inside for the gorge

sipping guide a special advertising booklet

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Visit Historic Downtown

TROUTDALE the gateway to the gorge Take Exit 17 off I-84

Visit our many Specialty Shops, Art Galleries, Antique Shops, Fine Restaurants, and more!

CELLARS

OPENING SOON!

Taste of Village

DOWNTOWN TROUTDALE

Chinese RestauRant & Lounge

now available online

{ Cantonese and Mandarin Cuisine }

Troutdale Vision Clinic

503.618.VINO (8466)

CalcagnoCellars.com

277 East Columbia River Hwy Appointments (503)-328-8455 www.meltmassageme.net

Eye exams, diagnosis and treatment Eyewear styling to fit your lifestyle Most insurance accepted

(503) 492-3897 • troutdalevision.com 226 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy

oRDeRs to go: (503) 666-7768 302 e. historic Columbia River hwy sun-thur, 11-10pm • Fri & sat, 11-10:30pm

gifts HomE dECoR EspREsso

ANTIQUES • DÉCOR • GIFTS

(503) 618-9394

celebratemehoameonline.com 319 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy

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We buy antiques Tuesday - Saturday 10 - 6 Sunday 11 - 4

(503) 328-6278

149 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy.

café • gifts • candy • souvenirs espresso • ice cream parlour

(503) 492-7912

289 E. COLUMBIA RIVER HWY

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CONTENTS : FEATURES

40 TO OUR HEALTH Launched 30 years ago with a mission to serve migrant farmworkers, One Community Health has grown into a vital cornerstone of healthcare in the Gorge

BY JANET COOK 46 MAPPING THE FUTURE Where will the Gorge go next?

BY DON CAMPBELL

The “King of Roads” Turns 100 The Historic Columbia River Highway marks its centennial with celebrations throughout summer and fall

BY JANET COOK

p.56

Peter Marbach 4

SUMMER 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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Discover your adventure…experience ours!

MARYHILL WINERY Wine Press Northwest’s “2015 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year”, 50+ award-winning wines, Tuscan-style terrace with views of Mt. Hood, Bocce, picnicking, live music every summer weekend from 1pm-5pm, tasting room, gift shop.

TRELLIS Fresh Flowers & Gifts We provide unique fresh cut flower arrangements delivered with a smile.

We are known for our exceptional service and attention to detail that we put into each arrangement. Give us a call for expert floral guidance!

(877) 627-9445 • maryhillwinery.com 9774 Hwy 14 • Goldendale

(509) 493-4844 • trellisfreshflowers.net 165 E Jewett Blvd • White Salmon

MARTIN’S GORGE TOURS

MUGS COFFEE

Guided tours for individuals, groups, families, or couples. Including waterfalls, wildflowers, wineries, breweries, trail hikes, scenic drives and more. Sit back and relax as we explore the hidden treasures of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

Delicious, locally roasted, fair trade, organic coffee, and fresh pastries.

For lunch try a savory panini or wrap with a fresh organic green salad. We also serve local wine and NW beer.

Dine inside or on our private patio.

Ask about our catering services.

(503)349-1323 • martinsgorgetours.com

(509) 281-3100 • mugsco.com 120 West Steuben St • Bingen

WET PLANET Rafting + Kayaking + Café

ANICHE CELLARS

Discover the adventure of whitewater rafting and kayaking on the scenic and exhilarating White Salmon River—spring thru fall. Last minute bookings possible, but call fast!

We are a small family owned and operated winery located in the heart of the Columbia Gorge. The fruit we use comes from Washington’s plethora of renowned AVAs, including our very own Columbia Gorge AVA.

(800) 306-1673 wetplanetwhitewater.com 860 Hwy 141 • White Salmon

(360) 624-6531 • anichecellars.com 71 Little Buck Creek Rd • Underwood

HUSUM RIVERSIDE BED AND BREAKFAST

KULA CHIROPRACTIC SPORTS & WELLNESS CENTER

European inspired family run B&B along the bank of the wild White Salmon River. Five rooms with queen beds, private entrances and baths, and breakfast in the morning.

Seasonal summer patio café.

509-281-1181 • GorgeRooms.com 866 Hwy 141 • Husum

Integrating chiropractic, soft tissue therapy, sports injury rehabilitation, and nutritional guidance. Kula’s active treatment approach bridges the gap from pain to performance.

(509) 493-4000 • kulachiropractic.com 410 E. Jewett Blvd • White Salmon

VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER: 1 Heritage Plaza, White Salmon, WA 98672 • (509) 493-3630 • www.mtadamschamber.com

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CONTENTS : DEPARTMENTS

12

PERSON OF INTEREST

14

VENTURES

16

BEST OF THE GORGE

20

HOME + GARDEN

24

LOCAVORE

28

STYLE + DESIGN

30

EXPLORE

32

WINE SPOTLIGHT

76

PARTAKE

82

EPILOGUE

30

28

32

72

Clockwise: Adam Lapierre, Del Munroe and Ben Mitchell

our gorge

outside 64

A CRUISE THROUGH TIME The Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler and its longtime captain bring the river’s history to life

BY DON CAMPBELL

arts + culture 68

THE SHOW MUST GO ON After lying dormant for many years, the Bingen Theater is alive and well—and a little offbeat

BY PEGGY DILLS KELTER

wellness

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SUMMER 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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KITING FOR A CAUSE Marking its 10th year, KB4C helps cancer fighters and survivors find renewal through adventure

BY BEN MITCHELL

Michael Peterson

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SINCE 1994

JEWELRY

+

HOME

305 OAK STREET • HOOD RIVER (541) 386-6188

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Presented by Griffith Motors

EDITOR’S NOTE

L

ast summer, in anticipation of this year’s centennial celebration of the Historic Columbia River Highway, I took a drive on the old road with my daughter, Tate. As a long-time Hood River resident, I’ve been on different segments of the highway over the years—some of them many times over. But I’d never traveled all 73 miles from Troutdale to The Dalles (or, as much of it as you can in a car) in a single road trip.

TRACY

Lawrence Live in Concert Saturday July 30 free with fair admission!

THE 89th ANNUAL

CARNIVAL LIGHTS & COUNTRY NIGHTS HOOD RIVER CO. FAIR

JULY 27TH -30th

with a wide variety of entertainment nightly

Thanks to the foresight, perseverance and hard work of many individuals and entities, most of the Historic Columbia River Highway has been restored and reconnected over the past 20 years—no small feat as many sections had been abandoned and purposely obliterated after I-84 was built in the 1950s. Now, all but a few miles are open to either cars (the Historic Columbia River Highway) or bicyclists and hikers (the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail). And what a treasure it is! Take in as much of it as you can this summer, by car or bike or your own two feet. Beginning on page 56 we profile the historic highway and some of the commemorative events happening to celebrate its 100th year.

From a journey through the past, we turn to the future by taking a look at what’s in store for the Gorge in the years ahead (page 46). Unique in so many ways, the Gorge faces myriad challenges as more people come here to live, and to visit. Writer Don Campbell delves into the work that some disparate entities—both public and private—are doing to map a positive, sustainable future for the Gorge and its communities.

Thirty years ago, La Clínica del Cariño was launched in Hood River to provide healthcare for migrant farmworkers. Now known as One Community Health, the clinic serves more than 10,000 patients in its two locations (Hood River and The Dalles) providing medical, dental and behavioral health services to people from four Gorge counties. It’s a remarkable story of dedicated people fulfilling a vital need and doing it right. We feature the evolution of the health center beginning on page 40.

Other stories in this issue include a look at Kiteboarding for Cancer (KB4C) as it marks its 10th year (page 72), and a story on Moonshine MFG skateboards (page 28). And to help you partake of the bounty of beverages around here, we’ve compiled the Gorge Sipping Guide, with useful information on wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries. With that, here’s to summer in the Gorge! —Janet Cook, Editor

SUMMER 2016 thegorgemagazine.com

admission: wed. thurs $8 fri. & sat. $10 Kids 6-12 $3 & under free ride bracelets will be on sale until 5pm wed. july 27th

It was pretty fantastic. We took in the first breathtaking views up the Gorge from Chanticleer Point near Corbett. We toured Vista House at Crown Point (where, by the way, there is an informative gallery devoted to the history of the highway) and ambled along the “waterfall corridor,” just as the road’s first travelers did a century ago in their Ford Model T’s. We stopped for side treks along the way, including a wade through the slot canyon of Oneonta Gorge, a hike to Elowah Falls and a walk to the Mosier Twin Tunnels. (I never tire of seeing the graffiti on the tunnel wall left by motorists stranded there during a snowstorm in 1921.) At Rowena Crest, we gazed down at the famous Rowena Loops and imagined all the journeys made on this old road in the past hundred years.

COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY “King of Roads” Turns 100

FUTURE OF THE GORGE Mapping Our Way Forward

ONE COMMUNITY HEALTH Promoting Wellness For All

Serving Hood River County since 1921

hrfair@hrecn.net look inside for

the gorge sipping guide a special advertising booklet

ABOUT THE COVER Heidi Beierle has been riding bikes since childhood. While living in Eugene, she went car-free, bought a road bike and quickly recognized the joy of pedaling longer and longer distances. She went on her first overnight bike tour in 2009, pedaling from Eugene to San Francisco. In 2010, she rode solo from Eugene to Washington, D.C., in 80 days. Beierle lives in Portland, where she is a community planner and writer. Our cover photo was taken at Horsetail Falls near Cascade Locks, on the Historic Columbia River Highway.

Photo by Michael Peterson michaelpetersonphotography.com

When you have read this issue please pass it on to a friend or recycle it.

Together we can make a difference in preserving and conserving our resources.

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SUMMER 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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SUMMER 2016 JANET COOK Editor

RENATA KOSINA

Creative Director/Graphic Designer

MICKI CHAPMAN Advertising Director

JENNA HALLETT Account Executive

LIANA STEGALL

Davies Dunn, LLP is a full service law firm with the talent, resources and know-how needed to handle even the most complex legal issues.

Ms. Davies is one of the Columbia Gorge’s most respected commercial and real estate attorneys. Her work for both private and public sector clients combines local expertise with a sensible, results-driven approach.

She represents individuals and businesses in both Oregon and Washington.

Account Executive

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Don Campbell, Ron Engeldinger, Adam Lapierre, Peggy Dills Kelter, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell, Connie Nice

430 Industrial Way, Hood River, OR 97031 541-386-2221 • gorgelaw.com

LISA KNIGHT DAVIES Managing Partner

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Michael Peterson

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS David Hanson, Renata Kosina, Adam Lapierre, Peter Marbach, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell, Michael Peterson

RING IN THE SUMMER Created exclusively for you in the Gorge

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

mchapman@thegorgemagazine.com

SOCIAL MEDIA

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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We appreciate your feedback. Please email comments to: jcook@thegorgemagazine.com

The Gorge Magazine is published by Eagle Magazines, Inc., an affiliate of Eagle Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of Eagle Magazines, Inc. Articles and photographs appearing in The Gorge Magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of The Gorge Magazine, Eagle Magazines, Inc., Eagle Newspapers, Inc., or its employees, staff or management. All RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE : SUMMER 2016

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OUR GORGE person of interest p. 12 ventures p. 14 best of the gorge p. 16 home + garden p. 20 locavore p. 24 style + design p. 28 explore p. 30 wine spotlight p. 32

Fields of purple adorn the Hood River Valley, where two U-pick farms grow dozens of varieties of lavender. p. 20

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OUR GORGE : PERSON OF INTEREST

Mary Dodds Schlick

Renowned writer, teacher and weaver helps carry on Native American basketry traditions STORY BY PEGGY DILLS KELTER • PHOTOS BY RENATA KOSINA

F

ive creative women gather together at a home in Stevenson, Wash., just as they have once a month for more than 20 years. Their hands are busy with weaving projects. Their laps hold their supplies—yarn, twigs and native plant materials with poetic names like dogbane and sweetgrass. The group has no official title, but their mentor does. She is YFL ( Your Fearless Leader), also known as Mary Dodds Schlick—a teacher, accomplished fiber artist, award-winning writer and researcher of Native American basketry.

Schlick has been gathering friends, weaving materials and literary awards for most of her 90 years, in different venues and with different peoples from different cultures. What has remained constant are her hands busy weaving. “What I wanted to do as a child was to make something out of nothing,” Schlick recalls. “From the time I could pick up stuff I wondered, ‘What can I do with this?’ My fingers were always busy.”

When asked to name some of the first mentors in her life, Schlick mentions her parents. Her mother was the daughter of a journalist, and a writer herself. Her father was a real people person. “When I was a bitty kid I was interested in everybody,” she says. “My mother was like that too. And my dad was always bringing people home for dinner.”

Schlick grew up in Ames, Iowa, but spent summers in northern Minnesota in a cabin 50 miles by boat from the nearest town. There she not only collected materials for creative projects, but also got to know Native peoples of that region. “The Indians would stop by at our house on Rainy Lake,” she recalls. “They didn’t think anything about landing their canoes, coming up to the house and expecting to be fed.”

For most of her adult life, Schlick has lived among the Native peoples of the Columbia Plateau. Her husband’s work as a forester and B.I.A. superintendent brought her to live in and near the Colville, Warm Springs, and Yakama reservations. Her three children were raised there; her husband and one of those children are buried there.

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In the early 1970s, after 25 years of living among the Columbia Plateau people, her fascination with Columbia River baskets (including root-digging and storage bags and berry-picking baskets) turned into a serious study. At first, she says, she hung over the weavers and asked lots of questions. The artists would answer with stern looks. One woman said, “Questions, questions, don’t ask questions. Sit down and watch.”

Schlick continues, “So I sat there and shut up.

I took out a notebook and began to write down whatever I had seen and heard.” Those close observations resulted in her 1994 book Columbia River Basketry—Gift of the Ancestors, Gift of the Earth, which won the Benjamin Franklin Award, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award and the National Federation of Press Women Book Award.

Schlick is also the author of a memoir, Coming to Stay—A Columbia River Journey. In it she writes, “As my fascination with Plateau basketry grew, I realized it had chosen me…I simply wanted to be able to understand how and of what each

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Mary Dodds Schlick (far left) still weaves with nimble hands at 90.

She mentors a group of Gorge women (below), who meet with her monthly to glean weaving knowledge and general wisdom.

would concur with Schafroth’s praise. These are the women who gather each month to learn, laugh and sit, sometimes literally, at the feet of the remarkable Mary Dodds Schlick. From Schlick, Lape has learned how to gather materials “wherever you are in nature” and to “let the basket show you what it wants to be.”

Penchoen says, “She helped open my eyes to look closely for things. Whenever I’m on the beach I sit down and use seaweed, or add a feather to my work.” Paulus, who first studied with Schlick at a

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Making History Come Alive… was made, for what purpose, and if possible, by whom. If I wanted to know more about the basketry, I needed to learn to twine.” Thus began her own serious work as a basket maker.

Schlick not only learned from the Columbia Plateau people and wrote about them, but also taught traditional basket-making techniques to younger members of the tribes through such programs as the Traditional Arts Apprenticeships of the Oregon Historical Society Folklife Program. Many of those initial basket makers are now mentoring other weavers.

Colleen Schafroth, director of the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, Wash., sings Schlick’s praises.

“Mary helped the museum to connect with Native American speakers, artists and elders, helping to bring together people from different tribes, nationalities and backgrounds to share each other’s culture, ideas and art,” she says. “On a more personal note, Mary is an inspiration . . . I feel very blessed to know her.”

Gorge artists Gretchen Lape, Colleen Paulus, Marie Louise Penchoen and Melody Robichaud

Portland Basketry Guild workshop in the 1980s, learned from her how to properly gather natural materials to ensure sustainability. For Robichaud, Schlick’s influence was instrumental in her art changing. “I became a 3-D artist because of Mary,” she says. “I was a 2-D artist before that. Working with Mary opened up roundness in my work.”

All five women agree that their time together each month has been extraordinary. They laugh and cry, and enjoy sharing not only materials, but also a fascination with words. “We always have a word,” Paulus says. “We get the dictionary out and talk about it.”

On a recent day, the word was “detritus,” which Robichaud brought to the group. “I started following the street sweeper around,” she recounts, “and I said, ‘Oh my, this is great stuff. Beautiful long stringy things of detritus!’” Proof that Mary’s influence—that a person can make something out of nothing—endures.

Peggy Dills Kelter is a retired elementary school teacher, and an artist and writer. She lives in Hood River.

VISIT OUR HISTORIC Hood River Photo Blog: historichoodriver.com DISCOVER culture and history through fresh, engaging exhibits, and exciting programs EXPLORE hands-on activities and educational displays for families and children of all ages

300 East Port Marina Drive • Hood River thehistorymuseum.net • (541) 386-6772 hoodriverhistorymuseum.org OPEN: Monday-Saturday, 11am-4pm

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OUR GORGE : VENTURES

Fermenting for Life

With a little help from friends, One Breath Beverage brings kombucha and kefir water to the Gorge and beyond

E

verything feels alive in the basement of this refurbished old house in the Hood River Heights. And truly, there is a whole lot of living happening. Barrels with live yeast cultures and tea fill the space, in various stages of fermentation on their way to becoming kombucha.

Ditto glass containers brewing kefir water. And then there are the women at the heart of all this living: Kim Lofgren and Shannon Tortolano, very much alive and loving what they’re doing.

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STORY BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS BY ADAM LAPIERRE

Lofgren and Tortolano are the founders of One Breath Beverage, a Hood River start-up that makes kombucha and kefir water. For the uninitiated, kombucha is a beverage made by fermenting tea and sugar with a culture known as a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). The result is a nutrient-dense beverage loaded with B vitamins, vitamin C, antioxidants and probiotics.

Similarly, kefir water (often called “water kefir”) also is a fermented drink made with a SCOBY and sugar water. Unlike the kombucha SCOBY, which resembles a mushroom, the kefir SCOBY is made up of translucent, gelatinous “grains” or crystals that create probiotics and enzymes during the process of breaking down natural sugar.

“The resulting product is alive, and it’s amazing for your gut,” said Lofgren, who had been making her own kefir water at home for a few years before she met Tortolano. “I wanted a natural way to get probiotics into my kids,” she said. Kefir water is a light, slightly bubbly drink with low sugar content. “My kids’ friends would come over and say, ‘Where’s the kefir?’ I was inspired by the children.”

Tortolano also started out brewing kombucha at home. After battling colon cancer, she began looking for ways to boost her own gut health. She developed a taste for kombucha by trying brews made by her sister, who owns a kombucha company in the Midwest. Eventually, she began experimenting with her own recipes and soon she was brewing larger and larger batches to share with friends in Hood River, who couldn’t seem to get enough.

Eventually, Tortolano got to a point where she wanted to take her kombucha brewing to the next level.

She also wanted to have a kefir product as part of her business. Tortolano and Lofgren, who had attended the same yoga class together for years but didn’t really know each other, inadvertently met up while purchasing supplies for their respective home brewing. They immediately connected over their passion for brewing fermented beverages, and within weeks they’d formed a partnership and created One Breath Beverage.

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Hood River Team

Kim Lofgren (left) and Shannon Tortolano brew their kombucha and kefir water at the One Breath Beverage headquarters in the Hood River Heights. They also have a mobile bar (below) which they take to farmers’ markets and other regional events.

The Dalles Team

Two Locations One Great Team Hood River • The Dalles We are a team of professional Realtors who are committed to our communities throughout the Columbia Gorge and on both sides of the river.

Two years ago, they moved into their space in the basement of The Good Medicine Lounge, Hood River’s popular tea house. Like the cultures used for brewing kombucha and kefir, the location proved symbiotic for One Breath. The Good Medicine Lounge, run by Nikol Clark and Randy Goetz, sources its tea from organic, sustainable growers; Tortolano and Lofgren source the tea for their kombucha from them. With acupuncturists and other healers as well community-oriented nonprofits also sharing the building, it seemed like a perfect fit. “It effortlessly happened,” Tortolano said.

Earlier this year, One Breath held a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds. “We were at the make-orbreak point,” Tortolano said. “We needed to grow and be sustainable.” Launched in January, the campaign raised more than $21,000 in just four weeks.

“Part of being out there with the Kickstarter was it raised awareness of us,” Lofgren said. “It also made us realize how many people care. This is a great community and they get behind things.” Tortolano agreed, adding, “One thing we learned from it is that it’s not all about me, or us. It’s the whole community. We couldn’t do it without the community.”

The money raised has helped One Breath increase production to meet demand, as well as ramp up to start bottling their products. The company now has the capability to produce about 500

gallons of kombucha and 65 gallons of kefir water every 10 days. Lofgren and Tortolano also create unique blends of the two beverages.

One Breath recently started fermenting its kombucha in old French oak wine barrels sourced from Maryhill Winery. “We chose older barrels as we don’t want a strong oak note,” Lofgren said.

She and Tortolano know of only two other kombucha makers who brew in barrels, and both believe the SCOBY thrives in the wood environment. “Most of the premium beverages in the world, from wine to whiskey, are fermented in oak barrels,” Lofgren added. “I imagine kombucha was originally brewed in wooden vessels back in the earliest days.”

Along with distribution at many local outlets throughout the Gorge, One Breath has a mobile bar that it takes to farmers’ markets and other fairs and festivals around the region.

As Tortolano and Lofgren gear up for their busiest season (“Tourists drink a ton of kombucha,” Tortolano said), they’re relishing the growth of their company and the chance to bring their product to more people.

“It’s such a powerful way to generate health in the community,” Tortolano said. “If we nourish and take care of them, it’s good for everyone.”

For more information, go to onebreathbeverage.com.

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We know the Gorge.

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Hood River 541-386-2330 The Dalles

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OUR GORGE : BEST OF THE GORGE

Josh Partee

Plein Air at Maryhill Museum

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Maryhill Museum hosts this year’s Pacific Northwest Plein Air in the Columbia River Gorge event Aug. 22-28. More than 40 of the finest painters from the Northwest and across the country converge on the Gorge to spend a week painting “en plein air.” They will go out to various locations in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to capture the stunning light and inspiring vistas, and their work will be on exhibit and available for purchase at the museum Aug. 26-28, with an opening reception Friday, Aug. 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. maryhillmuseum.org

Summer at Meadows

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Mt. Hood Meadows expands its scenic chairlift rides and events schedule this summer to eight weekends, beginning July 16 and running through Labor Day. The Stadium chairlift is open to riders; from the top of the lift, the Timberline Trail is accessible for hiking.

The sundeck at the base lodge hosts a barbecue and live acoustic music. There are also special events throughout the summer, including a wine festival, an adventure race and a geocache dash. skihood.com

Maryhill Winery Concerts

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The Maryhill Winery Summer Concert Series is back this year, with a talented line-up. The series includes Tears for Fears (June 18), Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy (August 20), and Chris Isaak (September 3). The Maryhill Winery amphitheater seats 4,000 people and, with its perch high above the Columbia River in the eastern Gorge, is a dramatic concert venue. Vendors onsite provide food, or you can pack your own picnic. And, of course, a variety of Maryhill’s wines are available by the glass or bottle. maryhillwinery.com

Jesse J Larvick

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SUP Yoga

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Jennifetr Gulizia

Big Winds and instructor Rayna Dhara are teaming up for another summer season of SUP yoga. Classes meet at the Big Winds Event Site Beach Center, on the waterfront in Hood River.

Dhara teaches a gentle, vinyasa style yoga and classes are accessible to everyone—those new to standup paddling and yoga, and advanced paddlers and Yogis. Dhara works with each individual in the class depending on their skill level. She also offers group and private classes. bigwinds.com

Mike’s Turns 30

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Mike’s Ice Cream turns 30 this summer, and the iconic Hood River ice cream shop and popular hangout is throwing a party Aug. 13 to celebrate. Festivities include live music, ice cream giveaways and more. Mike Kitts and Tassie Mack bought the building on the corner of Oak and 5th streets (which had most recently been Tum-a-Lum Lumber Co.) in the mid-1980s and renovated it.

They built the ice cream shop next door as a place for kids to gather. Since 1986, the shop has been open every year from April through October. Many Hood River youth have had their first job there; hiring requirements include good grades. check Facebook for updates

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OUR GORGE : BEST OF THE GORGE

Bridge of the Gods Run

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Adam Lapierre

The third annual Bridge of the Gods Run is Aug. 7, with a halfmarathon and 10K. Participants start on the Washington side of the river and run across the scenic bridge. From there, the course continues on the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, where runners head west toward Dodson. Both half-marathon and 10K runners return to Cascade Locks, and cross the bridge over the historic locks to Thunder Island, where the finish line party includes lunch and a beer garden. bridgeofthegodsrun.com

King of the Hook

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This annual windsurfing “contest” was started 15 years ago by local instructors. It’s now sponsored by the Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association and has become a communityand industry-supported event that shows a goofy, family-friendly side of windsurfing. Held at the Hook on Aug. 20, the event is open to anyone.

Bring your gear (vintage equipment encouraged), dress up and aim for silliness as you vie for the crown. Or just come for the entertainment. gorgewindsurfing.org

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Renata Kosina

Paddling Festival

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The Gorge Downwind Championship, July 18-23, is a weeklong festival of downwind paddling with prize money for winners in three divisions: outriggers, SUPs and surfskis. Downwind courses include Viento to Hood River and Stevenson to Home Valley. Shuttle service is provided, and the festival includes clinics, a silent auction, a daily beer garden sponsored by Full Sail Brewing and an awards dinner. The event is a fundraiser for Rivers for Change. gorgedownwindchaps.com

Gorge Sailing

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Cascade Locks is a major hub for sailboat racing all summer long.

The Columbia Gorge Racing Association is headquartered here and hosts a nonstop series of regattas, clinics and sailing events from June through August. Highlights this year include the Laser Gorge Blowout, an 18-mile downwinder from Cascade Locks to Hood River, held on July 20; the 2016 Laser North American Championships, July 21-24; and the RS Aero U.S. National Championship, Aug. 13-14. There are also youth sailing events and learn-to-sail programs, and weekly “Open Community Sailing” evenings. cgra.org

Antique Car Tour

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The Friends of the Historic Columbia River Highway hosts its annual Antique Car Tour July 23. This year, the centennial celebration of the historic road promises extra fanfare for the tour.

The antique cars will lead a parade marking the beginning of Troutdale’s Summerfest, then set out on the 73-mile drive to The Dalles. The tour stops at Vista House before proceeding through the “waterfall corridor” on the historic highway. After lunch in Cascade Locks, the tour continues to Hood River for a parade through downtown, and on to the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail through the Mosier Twin Tunnels.

After driving through Mosier, the tour continues on past Rowena Crest and ends at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center just west of The Dalles.

Participating cars must be from 1949 or earlier. hrch.org

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OUR GORGE : HOME + GARDEN

The Color Purple Lavender farms in the Hood River Valley put on a show during summer

STORY BY RON ENGELDINGER • PHOTOS COURTESY OF HRLF

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estled among the orchards and vineyards of the Hood River Valley, fields shimmer in hues of blue, violet and purple throughout the summer. With Mount Hood as a backdrop, the colorful and fragrant rows of lavender beckon summertime visitors to the Hood River Lavender Farm and Lavender Valley Farm.

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While lavender grows in many places around the world, some regions are better suited to the hardy perennial plant than others. The Hood River Valley is ideal. “Lavender thrives in dry areas with hot summers and cool winters,” said Joe Orcutt, who owns Hood River Lavender Farm with his wife, Diane. “That makes the Gorge perfect for growing this popular herb.”

In 2002, the Orcutts decided to move back to their hometown of Hood River from Alaska. They did some research, looking for crops that are ideal for climates similar to here. “We found out that summer in the Gorge is a lot like a Mediterranean climate where lavender flourishes,” Orcutt said. They started their farm with a test plot in 2002 and it took off from there.

In the summer of 2004 the Orcutts opened their mid-valley farm to U-pick visitors. They also have two more farms in the valley where they grow lavender for wholesale only. “Today, we have more than 80 varieties in the ground,” Orcutt said. He explains that, for quality and safety, they do not apply any pesticides or herbicides and use only organic fertilizers.

In 2014, Brian and Lynn Camastral bought Lavender Valley, a lavender farm in operation since 2001.

They moved the farm from its previous location on Hood River’s Westside to the community of Mt. Hood in the upper Hood River Valley. With rows of lavender planted to take advantage of breathtaking views of Mount Hood, Lavender Valley has become a popular summer wedding destination.

Lavender is a member of the mint family with more than 450 varieties identified worldwide. Lavender has been grown for a variety of uses since the days of the Roman Empire. Ancient Greeks cultivated it for medicinal purposes and it is still one of the most widely used therapeutic herbs today.

“Lavender oil is very beneficial for the skin,” Orcutt said. “It has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties so it is a wonderful addition to soaps, balms, perfumes and cosmetics.”

Using a steam distillation process, the growers extract the essential oil from lavender flowers immediately after the flowers are harvested. With their own on-site distilleries, they’re able to produce the freshest oil possible. The oil has many uses and is especially popular for aromatherapy.

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DRAPER GIRLS COUNTRY FARM

You Pick, Country Farm Store & Petting ZOO Cherries June & July - Sweet & Tart Peaches & Flowers July & August Nectarines & Plumbs August Apples September & October Non-Pasteurized Sweet Ciders Apple, Pear and Cherry

Located about 12 miles South of Hood River at 6200 HWY 35, Mt. Hood, OR 97041 (541) 490-8113 Hood River Lavender Farm grows more than 80 varieties of lavender. The farm is open for U-pick (at left) and makes a colorful backdrop for artists. Lavender from the farm—and from Lavender Valley, another U-pick lavender farm in the Hood River Valley—is made into a variety of products, from essential oils to tea and other culinary items.

“Lavender oil has calming and relaxing properties,” Orcutt said. “It is known to soothe aching muscles, reduce stress, decrease anxiety and relieve sleep disorders.”

The versatility of lavender provides an endless list of uses. Lavender plants are often a component of backyard flowerbeds, adding a splash of brilliant color and a pleasant aroma. Lavender flowers are frequently used in home décor, creating a purple accent to liven any room. Lavender buds and flowers are popular for potpourri, and lavender’s mothdeterrent properties make the dried buds and flowers excellent for sachets.

The leaves and flowers provide a fresh, unique flavor to many culinary dishes. Whether it is used as a distinctive accent to salads, candied for use in cake decorations, or as part of a savory herb blend, lavender adds a special touch to many foods. It pairs especially well with chocolate. Lavender is also used to make a soothing tea and even flavors gourmet ice cream.

Both farms produce special signature blends of food-grade lavender suitable for any culinary use, and willingly offer some of their favorite recipes.

Lavender lies dormant over the winter and awakens in late spring. It begins to flower in May and blooms throughout the summer. From May to September, both Hood River Lavender Farm and Lavender Valley welcome visitors to delight in the color and savor the aroma of their U-pick fields.

Guests can shop for farm-crafted lavender merchandise or gather fresh cuttings to take home.

With vibrant rows of color and Mount Hood as a backdrop, the farms offer a pleasant spot to have a picnic or while away a sunny summer afternoon.

Every year in July, the farms celebrate the season with fun activities. This year, the Hood River Lavender Farm holds its 12th annual Lavender DAZE festival July 2-3. Lavender Valley hosts its annual Lavender Festival on July 9-10. The events showcase the varieties and uses of lavender and highlight the locally-produced goods available at the farms. With live music, food and beverage vendors, crafts and self-guided tours of the fields, the festivals provide fun activities for all ages.

Hood River Lavender and Lavender Valley each have extensive catalogs of farm-produced lavender

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OUR GORGE : HOME + GARDEN

HOW TO GROW LAVENDER Harvested lavender is bundled and ready for sale at Hood River Lavender Farm (above). Lavender thrives in the Hood River Valley where summers are similar to those in the Mediterranean, believed to be the region where the plant originated.

Lavender is an easy-to-grow plant. It likes warm, dry conditions and is drought tolerant once established. Here are some growing tips:

goods available throughout the year on their websites. Whether it is essential oils, body care products, home care merchandise or signature blends of culinary-grade lavender, the growers proudly manufacture and market their products in small batches. “Our customers can be assured that they are receiving the freshest and highest-quality products because we control every step of the process,” Orcutt said.

• Plant lavender in areas with good drainage, and spaced far enough apart so the plants get good air circulation. Lavender likes full sun.

For more information, go to hoodriverlavender. com and lavendervalley.com

• Prune lavender regularly both for appearance and to help encourage new growth. Pruning should be done in spring or at harvest time. Tall lavender varieties should be cut back by about a third to keep from becoming too woody. If a plant becomes too woody, take out the oldest branches. Some lavender plants will need to be replaced after about 10-12 years.

Ron Engeldinger is a freelance writer based in Portland.

• Lavender should be watered frequently when it’s first planted, but needs little once established. Water when the soil is almost dry.

• Lavender plants are ready for harvesting after about a year (depending on the variety). Harvest early in the day by cutting the flower spikes or stripping the flowers from the stems. Dry upside down in a cool, dark place for 1 to 2 weeks.

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Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For use only by adults twenty-one years of age or older. Keep out of reach of children.

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OUR GORGE : LOCAVORE

Farmers’ Markets INFORMATION COURTESY OF GORGE GROWN FOOD NETWORK • PHOTOS BY BEN MITCHELL

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he Gorge has nearly a dozen farmers’ markets, each with its own unique character. The best way to visit them is to make market trips part of a fun adventure with friends and family. Add in a hike, a museum visit, a scenic drive or wine tasting after you’ve done your market shopping. Below, you’ll find market details plus suggestions for day-trip adventures for each market. (Information courtesy of Gorge Grown Food Network.)

HOOD RIVER FARMERS’ MARKET May 7 — November 19 Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

5th and Columbia parking lot, downtown

More than 20 vendors every week (and up to 40 in the peak summer season) bring the finest and freshest local foods to the market including meat, cheese, berries, veggies, breads, honey, jams, fruits, mushrooms, baked goods, and much more to celebrate the harvest of the season. Live music, children’s activities, cooking demos, and hot food vendors are also at the market every week. In addition, the market showcases work and products from some of the finest artisans and craftspeople in the area. (SNAP and debit card transactions accepted, as well as WIC and FDNP coupons.)

Day-trip attractions: Take a drive on the Hood River County Fruit Loop, a scenic 35-mile route through the Hood River Valley. A downloadable map guides you to nearly three-dozen attractions along the way, including fruit stands, U-pick orchards and wineries.

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MERCADO DEL VALLE June 18 — September 24 Saturdays, 4 to 7 p.m.

Downtown Odell

This year celebrates the third season of the Mercado del Valle in the heart of Odell at the Mid Valley Elementary School. Local farmers and food producers, artisans, hot food vendors and musicians are on hand to share the bounty of goodness the Hood River Valley provides in the summer months.

MOSIER FARMERS’ MARKET June 19 — September 25 Sundays, 4 to 7 p.m.

Downtown Mosier

The Mosier Farmers’ Market is the place to be on Sunday afternoons. Each week, there’s a great line-up of food vendors, artists, musicians, kid’s activities and events. Come dance and chat amongst the veggies in downtown Mosier. It’s for kids, oldies and anyone who eats. (SNAP and debit

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Celilo Restaurant and Bar Pacific Northwest cuisine with an emphasis on locally grown products, extensive wine list, and full bar.

Oregon A-List Award Regional Spotlight Recipient

Beets and radishes from Saur Farming and basil starts from Raices Cooperative Farm on display at the Hood River Farmers’ Market (far left).

At the Cascadia Creamery booth, sampling is encouraged (top); ditto at Blue Bus Cultured Food (bottom).

card transactions accepted.)

Day-trip attractions: Take a hike on the Mosier Plateau Trail, which begins in downtown Mosier, follows Mosier Creek past the falls and ends up on the Mosier Plateau. Or take a walk or bike ride on the Historic Columbia River Highway from the Mark O. Hatfield trailhead just west of town.

THE DALLES FARMERS’ MARKET June 4 — October 8 Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

City Park, Union and E. 5th Street

The Dalles Farmers’ Market features 30-some vendors selling fresh produce, meat, eggs, flowers, jams, jellies, flour, honey, plants, lotions and salves. The last day of the market is the Annual Harvest Festival, including a pie contest, a “Dress Your Veggie” contest and pumpkin painting for the kids. (EBT, WIC and FDNP coupons accepted.)

Day-trip attractions: Head to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center for a journey through time, with its fascinating multimedia exhibits detailing the

geologic and sociologic history of the Gorge. Or take a walk or bike ride on The Dalles Riverfront Trail.

541-386-5710

GOLDENDALE FARMERS’ MARKET

Open Daily

May 7 — September 25 Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ekone Park, Broadway and Wilbur streets

LUNCH 11:30-3 DINNER 5pm-close

Local vendors sell fresh seasonal produce, home-baked goods, jams and jellies, farm fresh eggs, Klickitat County wild honey and more. An ever-changing array of artisans and crafters are at each market, too. There’s space provided for those selling antiques and collectibles, as well as a fresh produce consignment booth.

Day-trip attractions: Explore the Presby Museum, which details the history of the region and farm life.

Or head to nearby Maryhill Museum for its worldclass collection of art, ranging from early 20th century European works to an extensive Native American collection. On your way home, take the scenic Lyle-Centerville Highway for a beautiful Gorge driving adventure.

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OUR GORGE : LOCAVORE

More market favorites: eggs from Quercus Farm in Underwood (above left) and asparagus from Outback Farms in Parkdale (opposite page). Ben Saur and Anastasia Mejia of Saur Farming work hard during a busy market day (above right). During the summer, the Hood River Farmers’ Market features up to 40 vendors.

STEVENSON FARMERS’ MARKET

TROUT LAKE FARMERS’ MARKET

Jun 18 — October 8 Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Courthouse lawn, downtown Stevenson

June 25 — September 3 Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Trout Lake Grange, downtown

The Stevenson Farmers’ Market features local produce, fish, meat, flowers and crafts from Stevenson area farmers and artisans. Located on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse lawn on the main street through Stevenson on S.R. 14.

Day-trip attractions: Check out the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center for a comprehensive look at the cultural and natural history of the Gorge. Or take a hike on nearby Dog Mountain, Wind Mountain or Beacon Rock.

The Trout Lake Farmers’ Market provides a direct marketing venue for Pacific Northwest artisans, craftspeople and food vendors. Popular features range from quilts (created by 20 different quilters 1 2/9/16 from Trout clark_lewies_Gorge16.pdf Lake and elsewhere in the Northwest)

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to hot huckleberry cinnamon rolls. Breakfast and authentic Mexican food are available weekly.

Day-trip attractions: Head to the nearby huckleberry fields for U-pick berries.

Or go for a hike on one of the many trails in the area. Stop by the Mt. Adams Ranger Station for maps and hike suggestions.

WHITE SALMON FARMERS’ MARKET June 21 — October 4 Tuesdays, 4 to 7 p.m.

Feast Market, 320 E. Jewett Blvd, downtown

A wide array of local farmers and food producers sell produce and other farm-fresh and locally produced products. Every market features live music.

Grab some dinner at Feast and relax on the picnic tables after you’ve done your shopping.

Day-trip attractions: Head a few miles north to Husum and BZ Corner and go rafting on the White Salmon River with one of the many whitewater outfitters there. Or drive a few miles east and hike the Syncline.

For more information, go to gorgegrown.org.

Artisan Bread, Pastries, Coffee & Cafe

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LYLE, WASHINGTON

THE NEXT GENERATION OF WASHINGTON WINE can be found in the heart of the incredible Columbia Gorge, only 75 breathtaking minutes east of Portland.

For individual winery info: WINERIES OF LYLE.COM

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OUR GORGE : STYLE + DESIGN

From Moonlight to Mainstream Design and manufacturing innovation drive the success of Moonshine MFG longboards STORY AND PHOTOS BY ADAM LAPIERRE

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orth Bonneville is a sleepy little town nestled on the north shore of the Columbia River, pinched between Bonneville Dam and Beacon Rock. It’s a humble speck on the map, one you’ll blink and miss along the highway if you’re not paying attention.

Just down the road from the country’s first government-owned marijuana shop, next to a factory that makes tasty treats out of local fruits and berries, lies a nondescript building that looks like an ordinary warehouse but sounds like a beehive on a busy day. It’s here, in the shadow of the dramatic cliffs of Table Mountain, where the magic happens for one of the hottest new skateboarding brands in the world.

Moonshine MFG is a grassroots brand, founded on the factory floor by a group of workers who were given the unique opportunity to experiment with machinery and materials on their own time. While hand building high-tech wood-core kiteboards and wakeboards for Slingshot Sports—founded in the Gorge in 1999 by brothers Jeff and Tony Logosz—workers at the factory, many of whom were passionate skateboarders, realized they could apply the same materials, machinery and manufacturing techniques to produce longboards completely unique from anything else on the market.

Initially, employees were simply allowed to experiment and build boards for themselves on their own time. Moonlighting after hours, they created prototypes, refined the process and tested designs.

Their boards got better and better, and before long they realized they were onto something unique, and something marketable.

“Our factory guys really got into it,” said Jeff Logosz, Moonshine MFG and Slingshot Sports CEO. “They’re passionate about what we build, and they’re passionate skaters. They had the vision to recognize that Slingshot’s unique high-end manufacturing could be applied to create something new and innovative.

It’s not every day that workers are given the freedom to experiment in a factory, and it’s even more exceptional that they came up with something truly game-changing for an industry.”

Moonshine entered the skateboarding market—which has been stagnant, if not in decline, for at least the last decade—in late 2014 and saw almost instant success. The reason this was possible, according to Logosz, can be traced back to Slingshot’s decision to invest in establishing a high-tech factory in the United States, rather than sending production work overseas like most of the competition.

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“That has been one of the most significant moves in our company history,” said Logosz of the decision six years ago to return production of Slingshot’s twin-tip kiteboards and wakeboards to the U.S.—to the factory in North Bonneville—from Asia. “‘Hand-crafted in the USA’ is a label that we are proud to stamp on every one of our boards,” Logosz added. “In an industry where many brands have moved their operations overseas to increase production and cut costs, we have moved in the opposite direction. Having our board factory so close to home has made an enormous difference in our brand and the unique quality of our boards. It’s is a key reason Moonshine MFG is here today and is making such a strong statement in the industry.”

Moonshine boards feature a number of technical innovations never before seen in skateboard

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THE GORGE GREEN CROSS

Hood River’s First Licensed Cannabis Dispensary

Moonshine MFG skateboards are hand-built by a small staff of Slingshot Sports factory employees in North Bonneville, Wash., including Nick Cole (above). Far left, the wood cores of a Slingshot kiteboard and a Moonshine skateboard sit on a worktable. Moonshine team rider Brandon Desjarlais tries out a board (below left). Above left, Moonshine boards cool after being pressed.

Moonshine boards are currently sold in 19 countries around the world, with six retail locations in Oregon and Washington, including Doug’s Sports in Hood River (moonshinemfg.com).

Superior Quality • Fair Pricing Knowledgeable, Friendly Staff

541-490-5441 602 Oak Street, Hood River www.TheGorgeGreenCross.com TheGorgeGreenCross@gmail.com Open Everyday to Anyone 21 and Over!

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Brian’s Pourhouse

Mike’s Ice Cream

5th St.

E S

6th St.

these boards are sought after by more technicallydemanding skaters who want a deck that can handle higher speeds, higher impact and more challenging conditions.

“I made the switch to Moonshine because they have an innovative manufacturing process that, so far, is unmatched in the industry,” said Emily Pross, 2015 International Downhill Federation World Champion. Pross recently changed board sponsors to join Moonshine’s list of elite team riders. “I also really like Moonshine’s brand story—where they came from and where they’re headed. They care about the growth of their riders and the sport as much as they care about the growth of their own brand, and in this day and age that is very hard to come by.”

Pross, who races under the nickname “The PROSSecutor,” has been essentially unbeatable in the world of women’s downhill racing for the past couple of years.

“Getting Emily on board was a huge score for Moonshine,” Trullinger said. “Not only is she one of the best overall longboarders in the world, but she’s someone who breaks the mold. She defies expectations, sets her own goals and goes after what she wants full steam ahead. For a grassroots brand like Moonshine MFG, that’s exactly the type of rider we want out there representing us.”

7th St.

manufacturing. “To start off, each board is built from a vertically laminated wood core, rather than the stacked maple plywood that most longboards are made from,” said Bryan Trullinger, factory president.

“This utilizes the collective strength of the wood’s end grain and results in stronger, lighter boards that maintain their intended flex and rebound characteristic over time.” Moonshine boards also are lined with a protective rail and sealed from the elements with a fiberglass wrap. “This means they’re waterproof and impact-resistant, which in turn means more durability and a much longer life for your board.”

Other unique features of Moonshine boards include compression molded Triaxle glass, compression molded wheel wells, vibration dampening urethane truck mounts and precision level CNC truck mounts. Additionally, the Pacific Albus lumber used for production is sourced from a sustainable tree farm not far from the factory.

“When you hold one of our boards, or put it side-by-side with a different brand, it’s pretty easy to see why Moonshine has been so well received,” Trullinger said. “Skateboarding is a difficult industry to tap into. The fact that we are bringing genuine innovation and a truly superior product to the market has been the secret to our success.”

Moonshine is tapping into three general categories of longboarding—crusing/carving, freeride and downhill racing. Trullinger says growth in the cruising/carving category has been slow but steady.

In freeride and racecategories, monshine has grown rapidly and performed exceptionally well;

Oak St. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For use only by adults twenty-one years of age or older. Keep out of reach of children.

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OUR GORGE : EXPLORE

Husum, Wash.

With community life revolving around the river, this Washington hamlet is worth a visit—or a longer stay STORY BY CONNIE NICE • PHOTOS BY MICHAEL PETERSON

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he river runs through it. The mountains surround it. The stately firs and strong oak trees weathered through generations spread their branches open as if to say, “Welcome.” Husum, Wash., is a hidden gem in the Gorge waiting to be discovered.

This rural hamlet, a 10-minute drive north of the Columbia River on Highway 141, is steeped in the history of early community life along the banks of the White Salmon River. Prior to 1855, the Klickitat native village Nakipanic sat near Husum Falls, at the confluence of Rattlesnake Creek and the White Salmon River.

With several hundred natives living here, the village was the center of cultural life for the Klickitat tribe.

Shaman Chief Jake Hunt, founder of the Feather Religion, was born at Nakipanic in 1804. He died of smallpox in 1913 and is buried at the Husum Indian Cemetery. He is believed to have been the oldest man to live in the Columbia Gorge. Chief Jake Hunt maintained a deep connection to the river and the mountains throughout his life—a legacy that lives on today with the residents that now call Husum home.

It was the river and the mountains that also drew the first white settlers to the area. In 1876, Mattheus and Christian Wilkens homesteaded near the falls where Nakipanic once sat. On March 8, 1880, they opened a post office in their home and called it Wilkensheim. Several German families followed the Wilkens, including a man named Martin Thompson. Soon the community became known as Husum— after Husum, Germany, on the North Sea where Thompson was from.

The Native American village site once teaming with lodges and racks filled with drying salmon, and later the homestead of Husum’s founders, continues to be a hub of activity revolving around the river. Along with the Husum Riverside Bed & Breakfast, Wet Planet Whitewater and River Drifters whitewater outfitters are based here, a stone’s throw from Husum Falls—now known as the highest commercially raftable waterfall in the country.

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In the neighboring community of BZ Corner to the north are three more outfitters: Zoller’s Outdoor Odysseys, All Adventure Rafting and Blue Sky. Mark Zoller returned to the Husum Valley 15 years ago with his wife, Sherri, and their kids to take over the family business. Zoller’s Outdoor Odysseys was started by Mark’s dad, Phil, more than 40 years ago as, first, a guided fishing outfitter and later the first whitewater rafting company on the river. Mark turned his back on a demanding career with UPS to return to his roots and a lifestyle that allowed him to spend more time with his family and carry on his father’s legacy.

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Husum, Wash., seen from above (far left). The town straddles the White Salmon River. Rafters take a thrilling vertical plunge over Husum Falls, the highest commercially raftable waterfall in the country. Above, left to right: the Indian Cemetery; the Husum Post Office, which was established in 1880; and the Husum Riverside Bed & Breakfast.

“Life on the river is blossoming, but we can’t forget the history,” Zoller says. “We have to know about the Native Americans, the logging industry, and the fruit and agriculture industry as well as fishing and river rafting. What we are doing now is new history being made.”

While many families in the Husum area have lived here for generations, there is an influx of young people answering the call of the White Salmon River. It brought Derek Race and Heather Kowalewski to the Husum Valley three years ago. Derek came seeking a job that connected him to the recreation industry and the river.

Heather came to pursue schooling in Washington. They now own and operate All Adventure Rafting. Both Heather and Derek say that along with recreation, the family-based community culture is what keeps them here.

Along with the high concentration of river outfitters, the community hub of Husum and BZ Corner includes a neighborhood church, an active volunteer fire station and several restaurants. For those wishing to stay a bit longer, Husum also has two bed-and-breakfast inns and several vacation rentals. In addition, The Logs Inn in BZ Corner reopened this spring with four newly-renovated log cabin units.

The river continues to capture the hearts of locals and visitors alike. A 7.7-mile section of the Lower White Salmon River has been federally protected as a Wild and Scenic River since 1986. With the removal of Condit Dam in 2011—the second largest dam removal ever in the U.S.—the wild and free-flowing river is gradually returning to the waterway so intimately known and loved by Chief Jake.

Newcomer Rachel Short, who moved to the Husum area with her 6-year-old son two years ago partly to instill in him a deeper connection with nature and family, sums up a sentiment felt by many here. “In ancient times, the river was the center of civilization,” she says. “The same is now true for Husum. The river is the life force of the community. It is the river that decides what the quality of life will be for those who choose to live with it.”

Connie Nice is a freelance writer who lives in Husum.

RESOURCE GUIDE Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce, mtadamschamber.com

Where to Stay

• Husum Highlands Bed & Breakfast husumhighlands.com • Husum Riverside B&B gorgerooms.com • The Logs Inn thelogsinn.com

Dining and Drinking

• Big Man’s Rotisserie 799 Highway 141, Husum facebook.com/BigMansRotisserie

• Icehouse Patio Café at Riverside B&B 866 Highway 141, Husum gorgerooms.com • Taste of the Gorge 820 Highway 121, Husum tasteofthegorge.com • The Logs Restaurant 1258 Highway 141, BZ Corner thelogsinn.com • Wet Planet Café and Grill 860 Highway 141, Husum wetplanetwhitewater.com

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OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT

Hood Crest Winery Wine, music and wood-fired pizza with a view STORY BY DON CAMPBELL • PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOOD CREST WINERY

T

he day is nigh, when Patrik Barr may finally get his workshop back.

Ross Steffey

That shop has been wholly consumed by the rampant success of Hood Crest Winery, owned by Patrik and his wife, Tess Barr, and set on a plump and verdant hunk of land in the shadow of Mount Hood’s majesty off Orchard Road in Hood River. For the last six years, the couple have grown grapes and made a variety of award-winning wines with a focus on big reds including Merlot, Malbec, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel, and red blends, plus Pinot Noir, Chardonnay,

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Gewürztraminer and Riesling. Roughly 30 to 35 percent is estate bottled, as their growing acreage has increased to nearly 7½ acres, with additional fruit coming from Washington’s Waving Tree Winery and other local growers.

The big news—and the reason for the imminent possibility of Patrik reclaiming his woodshop— is the duo’s nearly completed new two-level, 8,000-square-foot tasting room and production facility. The building’s design includes the use of large pine logs as upright supports, reclaimed when they were cut to make room for the building, and native rock from the property.

As well as the makers’ wines, Hood Crest will continue to feature its famed wood-fired pizza, al fresco seating (with a dreamy view of Mount Hood to the south), and soon an amphitheater to feature the Tess Barr Blues Band (which includes Patrik) and other local talent.

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Oregon Wine of the Year 2014 Pinot Noir Wine Press Northwest

Tess and Patrik Barr (far left) pose with some of the award-winning wines they produce at Hood Crest Winery. Their new tasting room and production facility (below left) is up and running for summer.

The couple will continue to make their popular wood-fired pizza in the winery’s outdoor pizza oven.

The grand reopening is set for late spring. “It’s taking on a life of its own,” Tess admits. It is remarkable progress for a business that began on a lark.

Tess’s family goes back several generations working the fruit near Dee, and she grew up with a deep appreciation for the area’s agricultural bounty. She moved to Washington at age 21, living on both San Juan Island (on a sailboat for seven years) and 18 years in Port Townsend, where she met Patrik.

Her musical career got its start in country-western bands, but she made the leap to rock and then blues, working Seattle clubs and elsewhere. She and Patrik were wine lovers and dabbled in winemaking. At the close of fishing season each year in Washington, where Patrik fished commercially, they would gather local apples, crank up the apple press, and make juice to include in their children’s lunches.

One year, making 10 gallons too much, a friend suggested they round up a couple of carboys from the local wine and beer supply store and make apple jack. “At this point,” says Patrik, “I’m going, ‘What’s a carboy?’”

They got a couple of the demijohns (cylindrical containers for transporting liquid), and stared at the excess. “We were going to make apple wine,” offers Tess, “but we don’t like apple wine.”

The pair instead found a recipe for making a kind of champagne-style sparkling wine using apples.

“It was unbelievable,” says Patrik. “It was dry, you couldn’t even tell it had apples in it.”

When the pair relocated to the Gorge in 2003, they saw apple orchards everywhere surrounding their Orchard Road home, and decided to further pursue their apple champagne. “Maybe we can make this a commercial thing and it’ll be my job,” Patrik recalls thinking.

Specializing in Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling & Chardonnay.

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Photo by Jennifer Gulizia

farmed, fermented and bottled — Pouring at Memaloose / Idiot’s Grace Tasting Room — 34 State Street (HWY 14) Lyle, WA 98635 • WinesoftheGorge.com

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OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT

They got to know local growers, including Dave Ryan from Ryan’s Juice, who, enthused about the champagne idea, happily delivered several 55-gallon drums of apple juice for the Barrs. Tess, gulping audibly, says, “It was a lot more than a carboy!” Undaunted, they followed Ryan to his facility, quickly realizing that without the proper equipment, it would be a formidable task.

“It was so labor-intensive with that amount,” Tess says. “We decided it was too much.” But the consensus among their winemaking friends was that if they could make apples taste that good, imagine what they could do with grapes. And with

Tess and Patrik, part of the Tess Barr Blues Band, often play for guests at the winery. A small amphitheater onsite is in the works where the Barrs and other local talent can perform. At left is the winery’s bottling line.

their Orchard Road property, they could likely grow high-quality fruit as well.

Getting and planting some grape starts from friends in Wishram, two barrels turned into five, and then 11. Patrik reworked the space. “When it crept into 25 barrels and she tells me I have to move my woodshop and car shop out of here,” says Patrik, “I’m saying ‘Honey, your hobby is out of control.’”

Tess’s famous quote after the first year, according to Patrik, was, “A barel just doesn’t last as long as you think it should.” One thing led to another—including procuring an actual winemaking license, and other legal hoops through which they had to jump, including operating for a spell as the Secret Winery, only open for private events—and they found themselves in the wine business. Tess convinced Patrik to follow her five-year plan, to see if they could make a go of it, and for which she had an exit strategy should things not work out. “If we don’t make it,” she told him, “you can have your shop back.”

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541-386-2882 4200 P ost C anyon D rive , H ooD r iver or, 97031

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EXTRAORDINARY WINES.UNPARALLELED DESTINATION.

Award winning wines, friendly staff, bocce courts and a beautiful deck.

Come see us!

welcoming tasting room & patio

5.5 scenic miles south of hood river on hwy 35

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Take a scenic drive to our tasting room this summer and enjoy stunning VIEWS of the Columbia River and Mount Hood. Our BOUTIQUE WINERY takes pride in producing high-quality wines sourced from the FINEST VINEYARDS in the region, something we’re positive you will appreciate. Come sample our wine and relax on our patio…we look forward to seeing you soon!

LIVE MUSIC every Saturday afternoon July-August and Labor Day weekend

Open Daily 11-5 or so

Open Daily 10am-6pm jacobwilliamswinery.com (541) 645-0462 Find us on Facebook 3 Avery Rd (Avery Park HWY 14) Wishram, WA

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OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT This year marks the fifth year. With the new facility open, the opportunity for increased production, and a new larger pizza oven, a new fiveyear plan is likely to follow.

“I love everything about wine,” says Tess, a patent formulator by training and trade. With their wine and music-making, she says, “It’s all about the red, white and blues.”

Hood Crest Winery is located at 1908 Orchard Road in Hood River. For more information, go to hoodcrestwinery.com.

Don Campbell is a writer and musician. He lives in Portland and Mosier and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

GENERAL TIPS FOR VISITING GORGE WINE COUNTRY Courtesy of the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association

• Consider hiring a designated driver.

• Refrain from wearing heavily scented items, such as perfumes and lotions. Even lipstick can affect your wine tasting experience. Allow the day to be filled with the aromas of wine!

• Explore varietals unfamiliar to you. Often these can be a delightful surprise.

• Ask tasting room staff questions. Gorge residents are proud to live here and serve local wines, and love to share wine knowledge with others. Ask staff where to have dinner, or where to stay, hike and play.

• Try a mid-week excursion. Often tasters who visit on a weekday find the tasting rooms more intimate and the experience more one-on-one.

• Have fun. Don’t take it too seriously. After all, wine is about enjoyment on your personal level.

Drink what you like and enjoy with others.

Wine is made in the vineyard.

Come taste our hand-grown Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Malbec, Riesling & Syrah.

Enjoy our Columbia River and Mount Hood views.

White Salmon vi n eya r d ®

Just 1.8 miles w. of Hood River Bridge, Hwy 14, Underwood, Washington • Fri–Sun: 12–6 • Mon–Wed: 11–5 tastingroom@wsvwine.com • 509.493.4640

Elegant, Vibrant and Pure Gorge From exclusive estate vineyards, on both banks of the Columbia… Our wines express this breath-taking place.

Fresh, intense and spicy–without excessive oak and alcohol. Bring the brilliance of the Gorge to your table.

Memaloose / Idiot's Grace • 34 State Street (HWY 14) Lyle, WA 98635 • 509-774-9050 • WinesoftheGorge.com

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Discover Beautiful

HOOD RIVER OREGON :

Summer brings a flurry of activity to Hood River, from watersports and outdoor adventures to special events happening throughout town. The beautiful (if windy) weather all summer long makes it a great time to explore Hood River, from the unique shops, jewelers and eateries in the historic downtown district to the many retailers and other worthy attractions in the Heights. Come see what all the excitement is about in the hub of the Gorge. Come, stay, shop and play in Hood River!

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S P E C I A L

A D V E R T I S I N G

S E C T I O N

marketpl ace: ho od ri ver

APLAND JEWELERS

PLENTY

Craftsman jewelers and designers, we sell and repair in our state of the art shop. A second generation jeweler, Ken Apland brings 33 years of experience. Our other goldsmiths and designers bring an additional 31 years of combined experience.

We have an intimate understanding of what an item might need, from rebuilding an heirloom to creating your own unique design from scratch.

Feel Beautiful Everyday.

Clothing & Beauty for Women.

Open 11-6, closed Wednesdays.

Established 2002

216 Oak Street • (541) 386-3977 info@aplandjewelers.com

310 Oak Street • (541) 386-5000

HOOD RIVER COFFEE ROASTERS

HOOD RIVER JEWELERS

We have changed our name from Hood River Coffee Co. to Hood River Coffee Roasters to better reflect what we do! For 26 years we have been the Gorge’s premier roaster supplying fine restaurants, espresso bars, grocery stores, and we even sell our fresh-roasted coffee by the pound to retail customers, like you! We are open MonThurs, 9am-5pm and Fri, 9am-3pm.

1310 Tucker Road • (541) 386-3908 hoodrivercoffeeroasters.com

Plenty Hood River

We are artists and professional jewelers. If you are looking for something special, we can custom design it. We work with silver, gold, platinum and more. We can use your stone or work with you to find the perfect stone for your needs. Hood River Jewelers also carries beautiful timepieces, diamond jewelry and designer collections.

415 Oak Street • (541) 386-6440 hoodriverjewelers.com

ROSAUERS

WAAAM

At Rosauers Supermarket you will find: a floral, deli, bakery, and meat department as well as Huckleberry’s Natural Foods section.

We offer you one-stop shopping for a broad array of natural and organic products that are viable and wonderful alternatives to the conventional supermarket world.

We bake everything from scratch using only the finest, fresh ingredients… let us help you create the perfect wedding or special event cake!

Visit the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum and see one of the largest collections of still flying antique vehicles in the country. A large new expansion has recently opened to accomodate more cars and antique engines, and allow for an expanded Kid’s Zone. Open daily from 9am-5pm.

1600 Air Museum Road • (541) 308-1600 waaamuseum.org

1867 12th Street • rosauers.com

GORGE DOG

GOOD NEWS GARDENING

With our love for animals and longtime relationship with retail, we set out to offer great canine products with excellent service and a fun store environment. We invite you to dig through our vast collection of animal accessories, bedding, treats and more. And of course, friendly dogs are always welcome.

Find everything you need for your summer veggie garden plus herbs, vines, roses, shrubs, trees, annuals and perennials. We also have a great selection of seeds, fertilizers, soil, tools, and decorative pots. Visit our Garden Café for breakfast or lunch, the daily menu includes: salads, sandwiches, homemade desserts, tea, espresso. We use fresh, organic sustainably-grown food right from our garden.

412 Oak Street • (541) 387-3996 gorgedog.com

1086 Tucker Road • (541) 386-6438 goodnewsgardening.com

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : SUMMER 2016

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TO OUR

HEALTH

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Story by Janet Cook • Photography by David Hanson

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LAUNCHED 30 YEARS AGO WITH A MISSION TO SERVE MIGRANT FARMWORKERS, ONE COMMUNITY HEALTH HAS GROWN INTO A VITAL CORNERSTONE OF HEALTHCARE IN THE GORGE When La Clínica del Cariño opened its doors on West May Street in Hood River in 1986, much of the furniture and medical equipment in its two small exam rooms was from Rajneeshpuram, the defunct commune located in southeastern Wasco County that had recently been populated with followers of the self-proclaimed spiritual leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

As it happened, the nonprofit Hood River health clinic was preparing to open its doors as Rajneeshpuram was dissolving amid controversy, and the resourcefulness of board and staff members helped it procure some top-notch, little-used equipment and office furnishings at bargain prices.

“Everything was pink and mauve because that’s what they had,” said Tina Castañares, the first doctor and medical director for La Clínica del Cariño (which means “The Caring Clinic”).

That resourcefulness has been a hallmark of the clinic, now called One Community Health and marking its 30th year serving patients in the Gorge.

From its roots as a migrant farmworker clinic, OCH has grown to serve more than 10,000 patients at its clinics in Hood River and The Dalles, providing medical, dental and behavioral health care, plus a variety of programs and services that promote health and wellness.

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HUMBLE ROOTS n the late 1970s and early ‘80s, the migrant population in the area was growing, but resources for farmworkers and their families were scarce.

The Migrant and Indian Coalition (now the Oregon Child Development Council), which was then headquartered in the Hood River Valley, was one of the only social service agencies serving migrant farmworkers. That agency was started after a tragic farm accident involving young migrant children who had no other option but to accompany their parents into the orchards while they worked.

The mission of MIC was to provide daycare and Headstart programs for Native American children and the children of migrant farmworkers.

“They saw a real need for healthcare among the children and families they served,” Castañares said. The coalition applied for a federal grant and received $200,000 to establish a migrant health clinic. Initially under the auspices of MIC, La Clínica became a stand-alone, non-profit clinic with its own board upon opening in June 1986—a requirement of the federal monies. Although located in Hood River, the clinic saw patients from Hood River and Wasco counties in Oregon, and Skamania and Klickitat counties in Washington.

Some of the original La Clinica staff pictured with its sign, circa 1988. (Photo courtesy of Tina Castañares.)

Under the leadership of its first executive director, Colin Wood, the clinic grew quickly, both in staff and patients. Castañares and a physician’s assistant, Jenny Harris, along with two office staff members—all of whom were bilingual in English and Spanish—were soon joined by two medical assistants. More doctors followed. An outreach worker filled the important role of visiting migrant camps and informing farmworkers of the services offered at the clinic.

From the outset, La Clínica offered healthcare to anyone who walked through the door. Those with no insurance could pay on a sliding scale

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“WE CARE FOR A VERY DIVERSE PATIENT POPULATION. THEY COME FROM FOUR COUNTIES, TWO STATES, SPEAK A VARIETY OF LANGUAGES, HAVE NUMEROUS COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN AND VARIOUS SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, YET ULTIMATELY FORM THE ‘ONE COMMUNITY’ OF THE GORGE WHOM WE SERVE. based on income. Many patients were able to make only the minimum office visit payment of $5.

“We waived that if they couldn’t pay,” Wood said.

“In the beginning, the vast majority of patients were paying $5 or less.”

It soon became apparent that farmworkers weren’t the only ones seeking care at La Clínica.

“Almost from the day we opened our doors, up to half our clients were non-Latinos, non-farmworkers who had been having trouble accessing healthcare,” Castañares said.

Less than two years after opening, La Clínica was awarded a second federal grant, along with designation as a “community and migrant health center” to help it meet the growing need and diverse population seeking care. By 1988, La Clínica’s doctors were delivering nearly half the babies born in Hood River County. By then the clinic’s reach had made a significant impact on prenatal health in the county, reducing by half the number of babies born to mothers who had received no prenatal care.

Also in 1988, La Clínica launched the first of many promotora de salud (health promoter) programs. Called El Niño Sano (The Healthy Child), the program sent health workers out to farm labor camps, churches and people’s homes to promote

pediatric health. The health promoters were bilingual community members—laypeople—trained to provide education and some clinical work in the field. The health promoter program was innovative at the time, according to Castañares. “We were the only ones on the West Coast that had this,” she said.

During the first year of El Niño Sano, health promoters found that the biggest need among children (and their families) was dental care. The next year, health promoters focused on that in their field visits. “It led us to believe we needed a dental clinic,” Castañares said.

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1909 Boutique Hotel Farm Fresh Breakfast Diverse Vacation Homes Pet Friendly Options 541-386-3845

OakStreetHotel.com One Community Health offers medical, dental and behavioral health care for anyone seeing it at its Hood River (above and opposite) and The Dalles clinics. The OCH clinic in The Dalles (previous pages) opened in 2013 in a brand new, LEED-certified building. Together, the clinics serve more than 10,000 patients from four counties in the Gorge.

La Clínica, which had expanded as much as it could in its leased space on May Street, was bursting at the seams by 1990. In just four years, staff had grown from seven to more than 40; numbers of outpatient visits had gone from 800 per year to nearly 20,000. Board members found a fitting property for a new facility on Pacific Avenue in the Hood River Heights, and the process of obtaining funding through grants and loans began. Ground was broken for the new clinic in the fall of 1990, and the 14,000-square-foot building opened in 1992. Three years later, a long-anticipated dental clinic opened at the facility.

Throughout the 1990s, La Clínica continued to expand its health promoter work, adding a program focused on diabetes and another aimed at women’s health—screening for and educating about breast and cervical cancer. Health promoters also had long been working on perinatal health with the farmworker population.

“The model of the ‘village health worker’ had a lot of efficacy in the rest of the world,” Castañares said. “But there were very few of us in the U.S. piloting this work.” La Clínica earned awards and recognition for its health promoter programs over the years, and in 2000 Dr. Marilyn Gaston, Assistant Surgeon General of the United States, came to Hood River to visit the clinic and learn more about them. “They were sitting up and taking notice that this was an important model,” Castañares said.

EXPANSION a Clínica had long had a large patient population from The Dalles, and in 2003 the clinic obtained federal grant money to establish a small health center there.

In a rented, 5,500-square-foot space, the clinic saw a steady increase in patient numbers as more and more people from Wasco and eastern Klickitat counties sought healthcare now that they didn’t have to drive to Hood River.

In 2010, La Clínica received a $5.8 million federal grant to construct a new building in The Dalles. The result is a state-of-the-art medical facility with more than 20,000 square feet of space, which opened in 2013 in a central location on Webber Street. The new clinic includes medical, dental and behavioral health services as well as a lab. A large conference room and two group meeting rooms provides space for health education programs.

With La Clínica’s changes and expansion, the board decided in 2013 that it needed a name change to better reflect its mission. “For years we’ve battled the concept that we’re just for migrant workers,” said Susan Gabay, a board member since 1991. Research conducted by an independent marketing firm indicated that many non-Latinos assumed, because of the name of the clinic, that it was meant only to serve Latinos. In reality, about half of OCH’s patients are White/Anglo and half are Latino.

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610 Oak Street Hood River, OR 97031

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A memo to staff from the board upon choosing the new name stated, “We care for a very diverse patient population. They come from four counties, two states, speak a variety of languages, have numerous countries of origin and various socioeconomic backgrounds, yet ultimately form the ‘One Community’ of the Gorge whom we serve. Our new name is an opportunity to better communicate this fact—that we are a community health center dedicated to serving everyone.”

INTO THE FUTURE

W

ith their feet firmly planted in its very busy present, One Community Health’s leaders and board members are, with practiced foresight, looking to the future. Once again, the clinic is faced with running out of space—this time at its once seemingly expansive Hood River clinic. Several thrifty remodels over the years have turned closets and storage rooms into exam spaces and other needed areas at the clinic, but there’s no more room to grow—even as the clinic’s patient numbers continue to rise: over the last two years, OCH has grown by 600 patients a year, many of them at the Hood River location.

“Our plan is to build a new clinic on the same lot,” said Dave Edwards, CEO. The proposed facility would be twice the size of the current clinic. Like the facility in The Dalles, the new Hood River clinic will be designed for modern needs, with stateof-the-art space for the clinic’s integrated health services—including its growing behavioral health program—but also with room for health education programs and potentially other community services whose presence at the clinic would be helpful to those who use them.

“It might be coming here for an AA support group, a Zumba class, or food stamps,” Edwards said. “We’re looking at it as a broader community health center—a ‘health neighborhood.’”

Along with growing the clinic’s physical presence, OCH is maturing in other ways as it turns 30. In partnership with Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, OCH is part of an innovative rural residency training program in which family medicine residents work and train full time at the clinic during the last two years of their residency.

The program graduates its first residents in July.

Last year, OCH opened its first school-based health center at Hood River Valley High School.

The center serves students as well as children in the preschool and daycare located onsite. In addition,

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“WE’RE LOOKING AT IT AS A BROADER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER—A ‘HEALTH NEIGHBORHOOD.’”

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A community garden on the grounds of OCH’s Hood River clinic has been in operation since 2004 (far left). Some 65 garden plots are used by individuals and families living nearby who don’t have space for a garden at their home or apartment. The community garden is just one of many programs fostered by OCH aimed at public health outreach in the Gorge.

OCH is looking at opening a small health center in Stevenson, Wash.; OCH currently has about 400 patients from the Stevenson area who drive to Hood River for clinic visits.

“We have no empire-building plans,” Castañares said. “We just want to be where we can provide access.”

Even with all the growth and success of OCH, its work with migrant and seasonal farmworkers remains an important mission. “Special outreach to labor camps during harvest season is still undertaken by teams of staff and volunteers,” Castañares said.

In addition, the health promoter program spearheaded by OCH long ago has been emulated by other health care organizations. The model itself has become part of the healthcare landscape; the state-run Oregon Health Authority now provides Community Health Worker certification. At OCH, there are currently five Community Health Workers on staff, providing health promotion outreach in Gorge communities.

One Community Health has come a long way from the days when patients sat on pink, hand-me-down furniture in its tiny waiting room. But its mission to advance health and social justice for all members of the community hasn’t changed. The health center continues to serve anyone who walks through the door—both insured and uninsured.

The social and economic benefit to the Columbia Gorge region from OCH is undeniable. “Not only are we an employer of well over 100,” said Castañares, “but we also have provided vital health care to the uninsured, underinsured, and others who would otherwise stress the health care system and potentially experience lost productivity at workplaces or reduced school attendance or social engagement.”

Castañares is understandably proud of not only where OCH began, but also how far it’s come in 30 years. Now semi-retired, she has served on the OCH board of directors for the past six years.

“To me, a community health center is a linchpin institution, and OCH is no exception,” Castañares said. “As an institution, we are every bit as vital and central as our libraries, hospitals and schools.”

For more information, go to onecommunityhealth.org

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e h t g n i p p a M e go ne g r o G e h t l il Where w

xt?

pbell

By Don Cam

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e r u t Fu

Stand upon her timbered mountain Look across her silver strand See the crops and orchards springing To the touch of nature’s hand – Woodie Guthrie THE GORGE MAGAZINE : SUMMER 2016

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I don’t need to paint you a picture. Each of us fuels our spirit with the heavenly beauty of the Columbia Gorge. Others may lust after its natural bounty and opportunity. We live it every day.

The view west down the Gorge from Hood River.

Looking east past historic Vista House at Crown Point (previous page; photo by Michael Peterson).

Says writer Kathie Durbin, in her book Bridging a Great Divide, “It’s a gift bestowed by nature and protected by far-sighted, public-spirited people …”

Bestowed by nature and protected by people. That perfectly describes the 85-mile, 292,500-acre stretch of the mighty Columbia River—from Troutdale and the mouth of the Sandy River, and Gibbons Creek on the Washington side, east to the mouth of the Deschutes River—that would become the nation’s first federally designated National Scenic Area. Eleven others in eight states have followed, but ours is certainly the largest, boldest, and most dynamic.

It is a region born of scenic beauty, but nurtured as a community—a community of two states, five counties, multiple cities, federal agencies that include the Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Forest Service, Corps of Engineers, and scores of industrial, private and collective interests that share a mighty river. You can drive both sides in a day. It is neither strictly urban nor wholly rural. The Gorge has come far in the 30-year history of the NSA designation, skillfully avoided overdevelopment, and appears poised for a bright future—but is certainly not without its challenges.

Where will the Gorge go next? If we climb to a suitable altitude and look out at its future, what do we see? What have we done right? Considering the daunting job of coordination and collaboration between and among two disparate states, various municipalities, agencies and fiefdoms with their own laws, MOs, and interests, you begin to realize the level of vitality and vision required to keep the area livable.

It would serve no one in these pages to drown in statistical analysis and studies to weigh where we’ve come and where we may go, save for possibly optometrists and the sleep-deprived. Better to listen to those individuals and entities who work tirelessly to help guide and shape the Gorge, those who work for balance, alignment, our best interests. They can cite you chapter and verse, of course, but more, hear their passion and ardor.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of missions or people, but more a taste of what our future holds from those who are working hard toward it. What you will find is a strange and wondrous non-partisanship, a strong desire to roll up our collective sleeves and get the work done, and a sense that we’re all in this together. You might even find a way to help.

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The Land The wind gusts are fierce atop the Mosier Plateau.

Kevin Gorman steers me up a trail to a viewpoint that tingles you to your core. It was our first stop on a tour of lands around the Gorge in stewardship by the Friends of the Columbia Gorge. FCG, co-founded and shepherded by revered activist Nancy Russell, works to preserve the scenic beauty and vitality of this place. And the Friends, all 6,000 of its members and full-time staff, do it old school, with education, stewardship, and perhaps most importantly, outright public-interest ownership.

Their work is broad, storied, and deep. Gorman, the group’s executive director, says that the Mosier Plateau was Nancy’s last of her 33 purchases in her personal quest to preserve Gorge land before her passing in 2008. “This is a singular place,” he says of the Gorge. “The geography, the people, the culture, all aspects of it. There is something pretty visceral about this place.”

Where we stand is now part of a comprehensive plan called Gorge Towns to Trails that includes three phases: a stretch from Washougal to Stevenson on the Washington side, a 20-mile trek from Hood River to The Dalles—that includes this piece in Mosier—and a six-mile trail that will connect the urban area of Lyle to the top of the Friends’ Land Trust-owned 550-acre Cherry Orchard. It will ultimately run 200 miles along both shores, with some 78 percent of the corridor in place, and 46 percent of the trails complete.

Nineteen miles of public corridor is now in place from Hood River to the Discovery Center in

A plan called Gorge Towns to Trails includes a stretch from Washougal to Stevenson, a 20-mile trek from Hood River to The Dalles, and a six-mile trail that will connect the urban area of Lyle to the top of the Friends’ Land Trust-owned 550-acre Cherry Orchard.

Wildflowers (top) and hikers (above) on the Mosier Plateau overlook. (Top photo by Joe Urmos; above photo courtesy of Friends of the Columbia Gorge.)

The Dalles, says Gorman. Within the missing piece are several landowners with wineries—potential touch points. “We’ve been talking about taking a piece of the trail into the wineries,” he adds, adding to the experience along the Towns to Trails corridor and encouraging its economic-development mandate.

Gorman mentions often the particulars of preserving the land, of working with cities and other entities to preserve and protect this land for public use and enjoyment. It is a theme that will be echoed many times in the ways groups like Friends work within the tenets of the NSA to not only preserve, but to help build the economy. “I don’t like the term ‘balance,’” he says. “It is more about alignment.”

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Where We Work Did you know that the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, headquartered in The Dalles, has operated as a bi-state, regionally focused economic development agency since 1969? Organized as government non-profits in both Oregon and Washington and under the Economic Development Administration, the five-county agency (three in Oregon and two in Washington) understood early that there was strength in working together.

“There’s been a cross-river partnership for decades,” says MCEDD executive director Amanda Hoey, a lifelong native daughter of this region.

“There is definitely a lot that economic development touches. The ecosystem here, everything relates to workforce, financing, housing, and transportation.”

The driving forces behind MCEDD’s formation, she explains, realized that this region shared workforce, geography and economic opportunities. MCEDD’s focus includes regional planning, industry development, and business assistance. A good deal of their work involves significant collaboration with its community representatives to develop its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, done in five-year stretches, to take a longer look at the region’s future. But it also includes private-industry development, including technology, renewable energy, arts and culture, winegrowers and cider makers, plus direct business support through its revolving-loan funds.

You can’t underestimate MCEDD’s influence and impact on the sustainability and vitality of the region. “We are a non-partisan entity,” she says, “so we work across both sides of the aisle. It’s a

The Mid-Columbia Economic Development District has operated as a bi-state, regionally focused economic development agency since 1969. It goals include regional planning, industry development and business assistance.

Jester and Judge, cidery and contract brew/bottle plant in Stevenson.

joy working with a wide variety of perspectives.

Our most successful projects are ones that are supported across the aisle. Anything that caters to one party or another really isn’t going to survive.”

To that end, MCEDD is part of a pilot program called the AGORA Development Platform. It’s a program that utilizes online technology “to match up community projects with funders across state and local sources,” Hoey says. “We are slow to adopt new technology, so to see that one take off is a really pleasant surprise.” And it’s a program that’s growing.

OneGorge Anyone who’s kept an eye on the waterfront development in Hood River has seen the Port of Hood River in action. Through comprehensive development and planning, major changes have added to the vitality of the area. The wheels are turning for a new Hood River/White Salmon interstate bridge— under discussion for many years and now at a point where it’s cost-prohibitive just to maintain—which will have a huge impact on both sides of the river.

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Change Your Perspective Weekends July 16 through Labor Day

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OneGorge is an informal group of Washington and Oregon private and public interests that collaborate and support each other on issues with regional and local impact.

The Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks. (Left and above photos by Michael Peterson.)

“We have so many more layers of jurisdiction to deal with than your average rural county that’s not in a scenic area and not on a state border,” says Genevieve Scholl, communications and special projects coordinator for the Port of Hood River. It’s one of the reasons that a novel concept called the One Gorge Advocacy Group, of which Scholl is a coordinating member, was born (and to whom the Port donates Scholl’s time).

OneGorge is an informal group of Washington and Oregon private and public interests that “collaborate on just information sharing,” she says.

There’s no board of directors, no tax status, no membership fees. “What they really are is a shared habit,” she adds, “among professionals throughout the Gorge to come together monthly, and support each other on issues that either have a broad regional impact or a critical local impact.”

If you thought letter writing was old-school and ineffectual, OneGorge makes you think again. Scholl shows me a paper trail with profound impact.

In a nutshell, OneGorge got wind of a federal transportation funding bill that could potentially benefit the Gorge if language that included the NSA were included. A detailed letter was written on Nov. 12, 2015, to Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, signed (and logoed) by some 16 scions of Gorge government and business, with copies going to Washington senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, and Oregon senator Ron Wyden. On Nov. 16, a letter was drafted to the congressional committee in charge of the appropriation by Oregon and Washington members of Congress in full support of the change.

The result, says Scholl, “was an inclusion in the FAST Act of language that specifically calls out National Scenic Areas as eligible for project funding. That’s very helpful to those of us in transportation in eventually applying for federal funding.”

The group boasts many such informed campaigns that are earning the group a reputation for sound, practical and non-partisanship advocacy. U.S. Congressman Greg Walden offered during a recent meeting and press conference in Hood River, as reported in a OneGorge press release, that “OneGorge’s ability to quickly gather signatures on advocacy letters for regional issues has been very helpful to him and his staff in D.C., and we have heard the same from Oregon state house and senate reps.”

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Where We Live “Home matters” goes Mid-Columbia Housing Authority’s maxim. Joel Madsen lives it every day.

Madsen is executive director of MCHA and Columbia Cascade Housing Corp., which conducts business for Columbia Gorge Housing Authority through a federally recognized consortium agreement.

He is charged with addressing housing challenges across the Gorge, a critical component of livability and sustainability.

“We have organizational complexity,” says Madsen, “with how we are able to straddle the river and work within five counties. We are a special hybrid of organizations.”

Affordable housing is integral to the vitality of a community. And for many it is becoming unreachable. All three entities work across a dizzying mix of bi-state funding, landlord-tenant laws, and other complexities to be able to provide a number of rental assistance programs to help pay a portion of monthly rents for privately owned residences.

Beyond that, says Madsen, “It’s very clear that it’s much more than housing that we are involved in.” Businesses aren’t able to attract and retain employees without it. “People who are in stable affordable homes are able to recharge from their work day. Without it, it’s hard to stay focused on your core life activities.”

To that end, the consortium is heavily involved in developing and building affordable housing in the region as well as offering programs that help participants toward home ownership. CCHC currently has some 365 apartment units within its portfolio, with another 24 on the way by the end of July. It also holds title to land in Skamania County

Affordable housing is integral to the vitality of a community—both for people’s stability and for businesses to attract and retain employees. The Mid-Columbia Housing Authority works to address housing challenges across the Gorge, including developing and building affordable housing as well as offering programs that help participants toward home ownership.

Carson Springs, an 8-unit low-income housing development in Carson, Wash.. (Photo courtesy of MCHA).

that will be used for future development. “We are constantly looking for our next opportunity to produce more affordable homes throughout the Gorge,” says Madsen. “We are experts on housing issues and we are involved in all the discussions.”

A Culture of Art Strong societies know the place of art. Though not an artist himself, Lloyd DeKay knows full well the value. A retired geologist, DeKay spent his career traveling the globe—including a stint at Bonneville Dam in the ‘70s—before he and his wife found their way back to the Gorge.

DeKay developed an appreciation for art in college and prior to moving to White Salmon met a woman who served on the local White Salmon Arts Council and promised to plug them in. He eventually volunteered there, served as president

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The Columbia Gorge Arts and Culture Alliance, with funding from a MCEDD grant, created a detailed map of arts venues throughout the Gorge. The most recent printing was 10,000 copies.

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Portland Poetry Slam: A Raw Evening of Poetry

AUGUST 13

Comics & Graphic Novels with Author Paul Tobin & Illustrator Colleen Coover

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AUGUST 27

Windsurfers at “The Hatchery,” near Underwood, Wash. (Photo by Michael Peterson).

The Gorge is a well-loved playground for visitors of all stripes. But coalescing tourist development in smaller communities continues to be a challenge. To that end, the State of Oregon’s Travel Oregon bureau, funded by the lodging tax, began an outreach called the Gorge Tourism Studio, which also covers the Washington side of the Columbia, an unprecedented alignment.

Un Día de Teatro: A Night of Mexican Theatre with Angel Reyes COLUMBIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS 215 Cascade Avenue Hood River, Oregon 97031 (541) 387-8877 | columbiaarts.org

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How We Play

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poTENtial

for four years, and continued to serve in various capacities before hitting a wall. Artists are by nature an independent bunch. “It was going nowhere,” he says. “One thing I thought may help is expanding the reach a bit to get involved with a larger area.”

He reached out to several arts activists in the region, including Maryhill Museum executive director Colleen Schafroth, who had been having similar thoughts, and Lee Weinstein of Weinstein PR and an arts activist. An initial group of 30 met, leading to the formation of the Columbia Gorge Arts and Culture Alliance. A strictly volunteer group, their efforts, with funding from an MCEDD grant, led to the publication of a detailed CGACA tour map of arts venues. The latest printing was 10,000 and offers stops along both sides of the river.

There are a lot of prolific artists in the region, says DeKay. “The Alliance is a piece that’s maybe a way to do something singular in a larger scene. The map is just an example of what can be done. There’s art in everything we do and it’s deeply ingrained.”

“Green Home helped us achieve our goal to be sustainable and also showed us how choosing solar would be the right dollars and cents decision.”

Tickets available online, at Waucoma Bookstore, & in the Gallery.

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TO’s Kristin Dahl, a Hood River resident, has been working overtime on the program which included a series of tourism development workshops designed to aid small communities intent on stimulating their local economies with sustainable tourism as the heartbeat, but also on protecting and enhancing local resources.

Dahl’s job is to deep dive within these communities. “We help them figure out their vision and where they want to head in 15 years,” she says, “and then work back from there.” From that point they help communities form action teams and find funding.

The bi-state Columbia Gorge Visitors Association helped bring Travel Oregon’s “Gorge Tourism Studio” to the Gorge. The program included a series of tourism development workshops aimed at helping communities in the Gorge increase sustainable tourism while also protecting and enhancing local resources.

The tourism studio idea began in 2009 as a pilot program and has now covered 10 regions including the Gorge. “They have self-identified,” Dahl says, “that they want help with tourism and destination development.”

The Gorge, under the bi-state Columbia Gorge Visitors Association, applied a year ago for help after a reorganization and rededication to its mission to promote Gorge tourism. “They wanted help in bringing the region together,” says Dahl.

The push united some 30-plus organizations in the Gorge, including the Forest Service, MCEDD, Oregon State Parks, ODOT, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association, destination marketing organizations, and others. “They were all very excited and a focused and dedicated group,” offers Dahl. “We were really blown away.”

Significant work and organization ensued.

“What we all steered to in the end,” Dahl says,

“was this formation of an alliance, a body of about 35 entities that would essentially be the holder of this tourism industry, knowledge, and help providing some strategic direction.”

It is the birth of a new wave of planning and serving the increasing number of tourists who will flock to the Gorge, hopefully for multi-day stays to enjoy a broader range of activities, with an eye toward reducing the congestion that more bodies bring. It is a lovely herald of the days to come.

How We Sip Steve Bickford is the gorge. He’s an orchardist, makes wine and cider, and sits on the board of the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association, founded in 2002.

Working a family farm that goes back several generations, he’s had a keen eye on Gorge agriculture for many years.

A CGWA board member for five years, Bickford has helped build and sustain the tremendous growth of the Gorge’s wine industry, including the group’s initial mission to apply for and receive the region’s important American Viticulture Area (AVA) designation. “I’ve been involved in the wine industry for years,” Bickford says, “first as a consumer and then as a producer. It was important to get the AVA, because we were in nowhere land. It gave us a name. It was important to have a nationally recognized area that we could build around over the last 15 years.”

The 40-mile stretch of the Columbia Gorge AVA grows some 30 grape varietals. There are more than 30 wineries and 45 vineyards in the Gorge, most of them part of the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association.

The 40-mile stretch of the Columbia Gorge AVA boasts some 30 varietals in a truly unique growing area that includes 30-plus wineries and 45 vineyards, rivaling many of the world’s best

Resources

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Friends of the Columbia Gorge gorgefriends.org • One Gorge onegorge.org Mid-Columbia Economic Development District mcedd.org Mid-Columbia Housing Authority mid-columbiahousingauthority.org Columbia River Gorge Visitors Association crgva.org Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association columbiagorgewine.com Weinstein PR weinsteinpr.com

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Visit our

Tasting Room

The vineyard at Analemma Wines (above) lies on a gently sloping hill overlooking the Mosier Valley. (Photo by Michael Peterson). Lee Weinstein, head of Weinstein PR as well as volunteer and activist (below; photo by Pete Perry).

wine regions. Though it has enjoyed tremendous growth and recognition, it has its own challenges.

But with the CGWA, “It allows us to build our recognition as a significant place to raise grapes and make good wine,” he says. “As much as it’s about the wine, it’s about the community we live in in the local Gorge, just how nice it is for everyone to visit and the variety of things we have to do.”

The Activist Lee Weinstein perhaps embodies much of what the Gorge has become. He is an expat of corporate Portland who hung up a shingle in The Dalles some nine years ago in the pursuit of a more fulfilling

It was a hike up Dog Mountain that cemented his relationship with the Gorge. “It was cold and snowy,” he says, “and I had been driving all around Oregon on the back roads, thinking wouldn’t it be fun to live in Halfway, or somewhere like that. Then I thought wouldn’t it be fun to buy a ranch in the Gorge.”

He left his job at Nike, and he and his wife Melinda did just that. He started a successful business and lends considerable time to the issues we’ve explored here. He lauds a huge list—far too long to include here—of Kathy Durbin’s “far-sighted, publicspirited people,” who have put their noses to the Gorge’s grindstone toward a vision that looks five, or 10 or 20 years down the road. For all of us.

“This is the beginning of a new era here,” he

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“This is the beginning of a new era here,” Lee Weinstein says, “that necessitates doing things differently. It’s an exciting time in the Gorge, but it’s also precarious.

We have to be smarter to build, sustain and grow.

We have an opportunity to up our game.”

lifestyle. He lives and works here, and applies his talents in public relations, volunteerism, and vision to help find a delicate alignment among the various things make the Gorge what it is.

Weinstein’s list of board memberships, advisory councils, clients and other interests in Gorge livability would reduce lesser people to heaps of exhaustion. He has been a volunteer and activist most of his life.

says, “that necessitates doing things differently. It’s an exciting time in the Gorge, but it’s also precarious. We have to be smarter to build, sustain and grow. We have an opportunity to up our game.”

And it looks like there’s a pretty good team in place.

Don Campbell is a writer who lives in Portland and Mosier and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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The “King

100 Turns

The Historic Columbia River Highway marks its centennial with celebrations throughout summer and fall Story by Janet Cook • Photos by Peter Marbach

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of Roads”

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his summer, communities up and down the Gorge celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Historic Columbia River Highway.

Hailed as the “King of Roads” when it opened in 1916, it was the first major paved road in the Pacific Northwest and the first scenic highway in the country. It was renowned not only for its breathtaking views but for many engineering marvels along its 73-mile route from Troutdale to The Dalles. It was a source of pride for the planners and laborers who built it, as well as for motorists from around the region who took to the road in droves during its first decades.

After the construction of I-84 in the 1950s the highway fell into disuse and disrepair. Many sections of the road—some of which were disconnected to make way for the new freeway—were all but abandoned. Some portions were purposely obliterated, including several iconic tunnels that were filled in or blocked with rockfall.

Then in 1986, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, which designated the Gorge as the first federal National Scenic Area in the country, directed the State of Oregon to rehabilitate and reconnect the highway—some of it as drivable sections, others as a pedestrian and bike trail.

Over the past 30 years, the Oregon Department of Transportation has worked with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and the State Historic Preservation Office to reconnect and rehabilitate the entire highway. Today, 63 of the original 73 miles of the Historic Columbia River Highway are open to travel either by cars or pedestrians and

A cyclist cruises along the new McCord Creek pedestrian bridge, part of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.

bikes. By September, another two-mile section of pedestrian and bike trail from Lindsey Creek to Starvation Creek—about seven miles west of Hood River—will be completed, with work underway on an additional three miles of adjoining trail. The last five miles of trail—including the former Mitchell Point Tunnel segment—is still in need of funding in order to be completed.

Another component of the Historic Columbia River Highway and State Trail project is the creation of several “Gorge Hubs,” which are multi-use rest stops that serve as a sort of welcome center for hikers, bicyclists and community members. The Hubs provide a variety of amenities, from bicycle repair stations to information kiosks with maps

and community calendars. The goal of the hubs is to provide a connection between the Historic Highway and State Trail and the towns along the route—encouraging visitors to explore the communities. Gorge Hub locations include Wood Village, Troutdale, Cascade Locks, Hood River, Mosier and The Dalles.

“We are very excited to welcome visitors near and far for the Historic Columbia River Highway celebrations,” said Sofia Urrutria-Lopez, tourism manager for Cascade Locks. The Cascade Locks hub is located on WaNaPa Street, near the post office, and the city has added bike racks throughout town. “We have extended our invite to motorists throughout the years and are thrilled to further our welcome to cyclists.”

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Highlights of the Centennial Celebration Yearlong exhibits

KING OF ROADS EXHIBIT at Troutdale Historical Society. This exhibit features restored photographs and stories of the people who made the building of the highway possible. kingofroads.org SAM HILL & THE COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY at Maryhill Museum of Art. In celebration of the centennial of the Columbia River Highway, the Sam Hill Room will host a temporary exhibition of black and white prints showing both the construction photos of the highway and early scenic views of the Columbia River Gorge. maryhillmuseum.org

June

June 11 WESTERN ANTIQUE AEROPLANE & AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM ACTION DAY. The Centennial Celebration is the theme for the second Saturday event at WAAAM in Hood River, where antique cars and airplanes will be operating between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. waaamuseum.org June 18 10TH ANNUAL GORGE RIDE. The route will extend from the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center to the Senator Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead and back, on the eastern portion of the Historic Columbia River Highway. hcrh.org June 18 COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY LECTURE. Author Peg Willis has had a life-long love affair with the Columbia River Highway, and years of research culminated in her book Building the

Old meets new while navigating the Rowena Loops, at the eastern end of the historic highway.

Columbia River Highway: They Said it Couldn’t be Done. Willis will speak at 2 p.m. at the Maryhill Museum of Art. marhillmuseum.org

July

July 15 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE EAGLE CREEK RECREATION AREA. Celebrate the oldest campground within the U.S. Forest Service in the country. fs.usda.gov/crgnsa July 23 TROUTDALE SUMMERFEST. This annual, family-friendly event will be focused on the centennial celebration of the Historic Columbia River

THE ANDREW’S EXPERIENCE

Highway, including an antique car tour. westcolumbiagorgechamber.com

July 23 FRIENDS OF THE HISTORIC COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY ANTIQUE CAR TOUR. A parade of antique cars will travel from Troutdale to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles, stopping in towns along the way. hcrh.org July 23 MOSIER PARADE. This communityfocused event, celebrating the historic highway’s role in Mosier’s past, present and future, includes the antique car tour, a parade and picnic.

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August

August 7 BRIDGE OF THE GODS HALF MARATHON AND 10K. This event will take runners across the scenic Bridge of the Gods before connecting with the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. bridgeofthegodsrun.com

Relax&Recreate IN SCENIC HOOD RIVER Just minutes to the Columbia River, Outdoor fun, Waterfront Park, and Hood River’s many retail stores, dining, breweries, as well as world-class wine tasting.

August 27 PORTLAND WOMEN’S FORUM STATE SCENIC VIEWPOINT CELEBRATION. Celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Historic Columbia River Highway from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at this beautiful viewpoint overlooking the Gorge. Activities include an official ceremony, historic displays, music, artwork and more. portlandwomensforum.com

October

October 1-November 15 THE HISTORIC COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUNG ARTISTS. Students of all ages from around the region will exhibit works of art inspired by the highway. maryhillmuseum.org

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September

September 9 DINNER AND LECTURE SERIES at the Discovery Center. Bob Hadlow from ODOT will speak about the history of the highway. Dinner at 6 p.m., with the program starting at 7 p.m. gorgediscovery.org

September 10 TOUR OF THE GORGE. Friends of the Historic Columbia River Gorge and Architectural Heritage Center will host a speaker’s series tour of the Gorge visitahc.org

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between Lindsey Creek and Starvation Creek near Hood River, and will only be accessible to cyclists and walkers. oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/HCRH

October 9 ON THE ROAD IN WASHINGTON; HISTORIC ROADS AND SAM HILL. Explore the role Sam Hill played in the development of roads in the Northwest, including the Historic Columbia River Highway. maryhillmuseum.org

November:

November 5 FAMILY FUN AND THE COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY. Celebrate the historic dedication of Maryhill Museum of art 90 years ago and the centennial of the opening of the Historic Columbia River Highway. maryhillmuseum.org

September 18 LANTERN SLIDE SHOW. Using vintage projectors, more than 100 hand-colored glass slides from the collection of the Oregon Historical Society will be shown at the Maryhill Museum of Art, starting at 2 p.m. maryhillmuseum.org September 23 DINNER AND LECTURE SERIES at the Discovery Center. Dr. Tim Davis will speak about National Park Roads and the Historic Columbia River Highway. Dinner at 6 p.m., with the program starting at 7 p.m. gorgediscovery.org September 24 HISTORIC STATE TRAIL DEDICATION at Starvation Creek. This new segment of the Historic Highway State Trail system is located

311 Oak Street • Hood River {541}387.2787

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The Historic Columbia River Highway from Tom McCall Preserve (top). The Monument to Sam Hill at Women’s Forum State Park (middle). An original milepost marker (bottom).

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A brief history of the highway

Uneek by keen

The bridge at Latourell Falls (above). The original railing at Horsetail Falls (middle). Vista House at Crown Point not long after it was built; photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Transportation (below).

T

he Columbia River Highway was the brainchild of Sam Hill, an attorney, investor and entrepreneur who served for many years as president of the Seattle Gas and Electric Company. He was also the first president of the Washington State Good Roads Association, and became a vocal advocate for good roads in America—and Washington State in particular.

In 1907, Hill bought 7,000 acres of property on the north shore of the Columbia River in the eastern Gorge. He changed the name of the small community located there to Maryhill (after his daughter), and began building a mansion on the bluff overlooking the river (today’s Maryhill Museum).

Hill spent the next few years trying to convince Washington state officials that they should build a road through the Gorge, connecting the more populous western side of the state with the more rural eastern portion. When no one would take up his cause he turned his attention to Oregon, where he found support in state legislators and Portland businessmen.

After years of lobbying, the pieces finally fell into place and planning the route for the highway

began in the late summer of 1913, with construction starting shortly thereafter. Gifted landscape architect and engineer Samuel Lancaster, hired to design the highway, combined European-style road-building techniques with advanced American engineering practices. Italian stonemasons were hired to build the many retaining walls along the route. Bridge engineer Karl Billner designed many of the signature bridges, which influenced future bridge design throughout Oregon and beyond.

Sam Hill wanted motorists to be able to experience the “beauty spots” of the Gorge up close, and Lancaster did not disappoint. The western portion of the highway, after leaving the Sandy River and climbing up through the fields of Corbett, traversed a steep cliff wall to a promontory then known as Thor’s Heights (now Crown Point).

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Early drivers on the Columbia River Highway enjoyed the Mitchell Point Tunnel, just west of Hood River; photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Transportation (above). The tunnel was demolished when I-84 was built. The Rowena Loops, at the eastern end of the highway (below).

along this vertical drop-off, Lancaster not only prevailed but also took the road around the outside edge of the promontory, complete with a sidewalk that jutted out beyond it, supported by piers.

From Crown Point, the highway descended some 700 feet to near-river level (Lancaster accommodated for the steep grade by creating a series of figure 8 loops) before following along the “waterfall corridor,” which took motorists past a dozen high waterfalls—one of the largest concentrations in North America. The road passed so close to some waterfalls that motorists could actually feel the spray.

Some of the most challenging sections of the road’s construction occurred just west of Hood River, at Shellrock Mountain and then Mitchell Point. Heavy-duty retaining walls were built to hold back the rockfall at Shellrock, and a section of railroad track there had to be moved to accommodate the road.

At Mitchell Point, Lancaster and his protégé, John Elliott, who had taken on most of the road design and engineering for the Hood River County portion of the highway, wanted to build a tunnel through the massive basalt outcropping modeled after tunnels on Switzerland’s famous Axenstrasse on Lake Lucerne. Detractors thought it couldn’t be done, but once again, the engineers prevailed. The Mitchell Point Tunnel took motorists for nearly 400 feet through the basalt cliff. Five portals cut into the rock let in the light and the dramatic views.

East of Hood River, engineers faced yet another obstacle in the form of a steep cliff wall affording no way around. The result was the Mosier Twin Tunnels—an 81-foot tunnel followed by an open

space, and then a 288-foot tunnel. In the longer, easternmost tunnel, two side passages led to windows overlooking the Columbia River several hundred feet below.

East of Mosier, the highway meandered along the plateau until it reached Rowena Crest, where engineers created a viewpoint and parking area for motorists. Beyond that, Lancaster’s famous figure 8 loops were employed again—known here as the Rowena Loops—as the road descended to near riverlevel at the village of Rowena. From here, the last few miles of the highway’s route to The Dalles were built on an abandoned railway bed.

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WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO SERVICES BY MICHAEL PETERSON (541) 399-2259 · michaelpetersonphotography.com

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OUTSIDE

A Cruise Through Time The Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler and its longtime captain bring the river’s history to life

STORY BY DON CAMPBELL • PHOTOS COURTESY OF COLUMBIA GORGE STERNWHEELER

C

aptain Tom Cramblett has spent half his life aboard the pride of Cascade Locks, the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler. Looking much like previous steamship captains who plied these waters during the shipping industry’s heyday along the mighty Columbia River in the late 1800s and early 1900s—big, robust, fully bearded—Cramblett affably greets passengers in full period uniform, and welcomes them aboard this fully functional and authentic 147foot, three-decked craft that is as much time machine as transportation.

A long ship’s whistle echoes across the water, as the vessel sits docked at the original stone locks structure along the waterfront in Cascade Locks.

Deckhands drop lines. Steam power has long given way to the hum and rumble of a powerful diesel-electric engine that turns the craft’s impressive paddle wheel, and Capt. Tom soon eases us into

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the middle of the water heading east upriver, on a cloudless afternoon.

You can’t miss the modern day—sleek kiteboarders, fast and loud and flashy bass boats, I-84 and SR-14, the commerce of rail cars being pulled east and west. But your imagination quickly fires, and it’s not hard to envision an olden time, when this river ran wild, pre-dam, and steamships were the mode of the day.

You’ve likely never had history taught like this. Cramblett’s gentle sonorous voice will be our companion for the one-hour ride. A wealth of geologic, nautical, cultural, social and commercial information, he breaks up long stretches of hearing only the churn of the paddle wheels, the wind, and the occasional waterfowl cry with a running narration of interesting bits of a time long ago—when back a thousand years the legendary Bonneville Landslide slipped off the Washington side, making an inland sea of the Columbia River, then eroding, creating a natural bridge over treacherous cascading water, before it too crumbled with time.

Native Americans tell a different story, of the great spirit Manito, who helped his people ford the wide river by building them this bridge of the gods. Cramblett draws you in with his history, and before long you are both Native and visitor. He points out nesting osprey on channel markers, gives you chapter and verse on the boom, subsequent economic bust and hopeful recovery of the small riverside towns of Stevenson, Wash., and Oregon’s Cascade Locks, tracing back to a time when timber was king. He talks of gold rushes, of wheat farming, of fishing and canning.

Cramblett is a native son of Cascade Locks, born and reared. He worked at the Wind River Lumber Company, built by Wisconsinites, before he found work in 1984 aboard the newly christened sternwheeler.

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Captain Tom Cramblett has been navigating the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler up and down the Columbia River for three decades, regaling passengers with his extensive knowledge of his ship, the Gorge and area history. Far left, the sternwheeler passes under the Bridge of the Gods.

“I have the best gig in the world,” he says with a smile. From his perch in the pilothouse, the view of the river is at once wondrous and intimidating. But then, so is his craft. He offers a lesson in steerage, talks of weather and water currents and how this ship responds, all at a gentle amble upriver.

As lumber markets fell into decline, several forward thinkers sought new ways to revitalize the Cascade Locks economy, including the vision of building a nearly 3,000-foot tramway up from the town some 3,500 vertical feet above the river to the Ruckel Creek Spur in 1972. A federal grant was secured, but citizen opposition squelched the project for its environmental impact and general eyesore-ness.

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OUTSIDE

When not plying the river, the sternwheeler lies dockside at the Port of Cascade Locks, much as the paddle boats of the past did. The modern Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler has a diesel-electric engine that turns its paddle wheel.

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With the grant still on the table, several enterprising souls, seeing the need to increase tourism as a way out of economic doldrums, hit on the idea of an authentic riverboat that would attract visitors.

“The Port had it built,” says Cramblett. “They kept the jobs local. Nichols Boat Works in Hood River built it, though they’d never built a tour boat.”

Cramblett waxes eloquent about maritime architect Don Hudson’s design, Dick Nichols’ building skill, councilman Carroll Tyeidt, his own dad and port commissioner Harry Cramblett, and other local movers and shakers who wrestled the project to fruition. “It became their baby,” he says.

Its maiden voyage was in 1983, and soon thereafter one young Tom Cramblett signed on as a deckhand. “I had no experience,” he says with a laugh.

“I had worked in the lumber mills.”

Finding it to his liking (and offering that there’s no rush hour traffic ever for his commute—he still lives in Cascade Locks), he worked his way up to piloting the craft and earned his captain’s license.

“This is a Cadillac,” he says. “It’s well built. Actually it’s over-built, especially in terms of most boats in the tour-boat industry.”

The Port of Cascade Locks still owns the sternwheeler, though it’s now operated as part of the Portland Spirit fleet. Capt. Tom works 80-hour weeks in the summer, with multiple trips of one and two hours, plus dinner and brunch cruises (which offer a

delectable array of food, and beverages available on all cruises), and special events. It draws thousands of cruisers and history buffs a year for its season, which basically runs from May through October from the Cascade Locks Marine Park Dock (and November through April along Portland’s waterfront).

Capt. Tom still pegs his own “wow” meter, despite having steered the sternwheeler on its east route (upriver just past the town of Stevenson) and west (down through the Bonneville Dam locks) on certifiably thousands of trips. With little provocation, as he effortlessly guides us through emerald waters, he will tell you earnestly about watching thunder storms roll in from the west, will invoke the names of the fearless daredevil pilots of the late 1890s who ruddered their boats on the merciless upper section of the Columbia River as far as Lewiston, Idaho, of gold and wheat, of fortune and loss, of the treacherous Cascades Rapids, of the Natives who still fish for salmon on rickety platforms with dip nets.

As long as he passes his once-every-five-year physical, which he just satisfactorily completed, he will continue with his sure hand nudging the brass controls and sound the steam whistle of the sternwheeler. It just might be the best job in the world.

For information, go to portlandspirit.com

Don Campbell is a writer and musician. He lives in Portland and Mosier and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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ARTS + CULTURE

The Show Must Go On After lying dormant for many years, the Bingen Theater is alive and well—and a little offbeat

STORY BY PEGGY DILLS KELTER • PHOTOS BY RENATA KOSINA

I

f you’ve lived in the Gorge for a long time, you may have visited the Bingen Theater (built in 1949) for a movie or an evening of live music. But it’s equally likely you didn’t even know there was a theater in downtown Bingen. The building’s unassuming institutional green exterior, void of signage, makes the theater easy to miss.

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But at one time, this was the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night. “It was the only place to go,” says longtime Bingen resident Marilyn Winter. “There wasn’t a park or anything in Bingen. On Saturdays the theater had a running movie—at the best part they would stop it and you’d have to come back the next week to see more of it.” You can almost hear Winter blush when she adds, “I got my first kiss in the Bingen Theater!”

The last movie that locals remember being screened here was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1990.

Then, the theater went quiet. Hood River residents Rod Krehbiel and Theresa North first looked at the abandoned building in 2000 as a possible investment. They finally purchased it in 2008.

To say the theater was a fixer-upper would be charitable. “It was raining on the inside when we got here,” Krehbiel says. “The roof was really bad and the sound paneling stuff was rotted and soaked.” The “bones” of the building were still good, according to the building inspector that Krehbiel consulted, so the couple laid down the money and became owners of a nearly 60-year-old theater. Remodeling the decrepit building has been a laborious chore, according to Krehbiel. “I was out here for years dragging stuff out,” he says.

Krehbiel works full time as an emergency room doctor in Goldendale, Wash., but in his free time he plays music with The Funkship, a local band, and carries on the legacy of the late Rick Hulett, a local musician whose dream was to have a recording studio available to local artists. After Hulett’s death, Krehbiel bought his recording equipment. The Bingen Theater, when it’s not hosting bands such as Pigs On the Wing (a Pink Floyd cover band) or opening its doors to the Independence Eve celebration each July, is used primarily to record local artists, both solo acts and full bands.

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What are Krehbiel and North’s visions for the Bingen Theater? They both are community activists, and would like to see more connections between the theater and the community. The theater’s been used for a high school “Battle of the Bands” competition, and local school singing groups have performed. They’d like to get more high school students involved, and offer a place where young people can learn about live audio and video techniques. But Krehbiel admits it’s a huge drain on resources.

“The thing has to somehow look good on paper or my accountant will kill me.”

For now, Krehbiel and North are satisfied putting on occasional events. Their daughter has even used the theater as a venue for her birthday party, complete with a movie on the big screen and a slumber party afterwards.

Owner Rod Krehbiel (far left), sits in one of the original theater seats at the historic Bingen Theater. Along with being a venue for live music, the theater has a recording studio onsite. It also has become a depository of interesting collectibles, including a pair of airplane seats.

PLAYS for NON-PROFITS presents two plays this summer Directed by Lynda Dallman

Much Ado about Nothing William Shakespeare’s

Stonehedge Gardens July 7, 8, 14, 15 7pm dinner | 8:15 pm show July 10 matinee 5pm dinner | 6:00pm show Tickets: $40.00 /adults $35.00 /students, seniors & groups of 10 or more Ticket price includes an Italian Buffet Dinner & Show

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Hood River Middle School August 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 at 7:30pm Tickets: $20.00 / adults $15.00 / students, seniors & groups of 10 or more

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INDEPENDENCE EVE at the Bingen Theater

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Sunday ★ July 3 ★ 2016

The word “bridge,” whether it’s used as a verb or a noun, is a metaphor for coming together from disparate places. For those of us who live in or visit the Columbia River Gorge, the local bridges do just that. I myself am quite nervous crossing the narrow Hood River Bridge to Washington, but I’ll risk oncoming log trucks and anxiety attacks in order to attend yoga, enjoy a beer at Everybody’s Brewing or hike the Klickitat Trail.

Nothing will stop me from crossing the bridge to Bingen to attend the fabulous Mayors’ Independence Eve extravaganza, slated this year for Sunday, July 3. Last year’s standing-room only event, on one of the hottest days of the summer, bridged cultures and communities throughout the Gorge and beyond and celebrated the U.S.A.’s rich cultural diversity. Attendees were treated to multilingual music and entertainment by local talents—folk singers; a mariachi band; harmonizing singing groups; performances of poetry, tongue twisters and the Declaration of Independence; and more.

The idea to put on an Independence Eve event grew from a Christmas performance of It’s a Wonderful Life at the Columbia Center for the Arts a couple of years ago. One of the creators, Gary Young, is also a board member of Radio Tierra (KZAS 95.1 FM), a non-profit local radio station whose mission is to bridge cultures and communities. A group of singers, the Columbiaires, performed live singing advertisements in the style of the harmonizing Andrews Sisters. They were so popular at the December event that Young thought it would be wonderful to book them for another event—this time with songs celebrating

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some of America’s best qualities: independence, diversity and tolerance.

But Young needed help to bring his idea to life. “I always say you get enough ideas out there, they work better in other people’s heads and others bring the ideas to a wonderful reality,” he says. His fellow Radio Tierra board members enthusiastically joined the project.

This year’s Independence Eve event promises to be just as spirited. Once again, it’s being organized and sponsored by Radio Tierra. Last year’s event was emceed in English and Spanish by two of Radio Tierra’s most popular radio hosts, Leti Valle and Humberto “El Portrillo” Calderón. Lack of technology thwarted last year’s efforts to broadcast the event live. Some of the donations from this year’s event will go toward upgrading equipment to allow for truly live radio events throughout the Gorge area.

Mayors of three Gorge communities—Paul Blackburn from Hood River, Betty Barnes from Bingen, and David Poucher from White Salmon— are hosting the event. Remaining donations will to be used to support college scholarships in the mayors’ respective communities. Generous community members, including Bingen Theater owners Rod Krehbiel and Theresa North, hope their volunteer efforts will result in lots of funds going to the deserving causes.

The Bingen Theater is located at 210 Oak Street, Bingen, Wash. For more information, go to bingentheater.com Peggy Dills Kelter is a retired elementary school teacher, and an artist and writer. She lives in Hood River.

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STAY, PLAY & ENJOY KLICKITAT COUNTY WASHINGTON

Finish a beautiful driving loop tour with a visit to our premium wineries, museums, colorful shops, farmers markets, and festive restaurants. Oh, and meet some of the friendliest folks around.

Life is just better on the northside, join us…WE KNOW SUMMER. Enjoy a scenic whitewater rafting excursion, kiteboarding or windsurfing, world-class fishing, cycling trails, or star-gazing at the Goldendale Obeservatory…Klickitat County has it all!

Whitewater Rafting

Farmer’s Markets

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WELLNESS

Kiting for a Cause

Marking its 10th year, KB4C helps cancer fighters and survivors find renewal through adventure

STORY AND PHOTOS BY BEN MITCHELL

A

s a teenager, Scott Farman faced many of the same issues other kids his age deal with. He was smart and creative, but he was uninspired by school. He was rebellious. He sought change in what he saw as a flawed world, but struggled to figure out how he fit into it.

Eventually, Scott would have to deal with a much bigger problem, one that shouldn’t ever be on the mind of a teenager. Not long after graduating from high school, Scott was diagnosed with leukemia and began to undergo a battery of chemotherapy, radiation and clinical tests.

His sister, Tonia Farman, watched her little brother battle the disease. On June 5, 2007, 13 months after being diagnosed, Scott died at Seattle Children’s Hospital on a “beautiful, sunny day,” Farman wrote in a 2013 blog post on the anniversary of Scott’s death. Nearly everything in Farman’s life took a backseat to her brother and his illness that year, with the exception of one driving force—doing something to honor her brother.

“I only had the energy for one focus at the time, which was to honor Scott somehow while attempting to glean something positive from what we had just been through,” she recalls. “It’s in my wiring that I can’t control—try to pull something positive out of every experience. It’s not always a great mantra to have, especially when someone close to you dies. But it’s all I knew how to do, so that was my mission moving forward after Scott’s death.”

Less than three months later, Farman, with the help of her friend Garret Zallen, a pediatric surgeon at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, hosted the very first Kiteboarding 4 Cancer (KB4C) event at the Hood River Waterfront. The event, which featured an eight-hour kiteboarding endurance race (symbolic

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of the battle those who face cancer have to fight every day), raised money to help young survivors and sufferers of cancer.

Originally, Farman said, she “set expectations low,” hoping to raise $5,000 through pledge money. At the August event, however, 85 athletes turned up and raised $30,000. Since then, the celebration has grown into the largest amateur kiteboarding festival in North America, with last year’s event featuring 210 athletes and a fundraising total of $127,000. Farman’s goal this year, the event’s 10th anniversary, is $169,000.

“I think we can do it,” she says.

The money raised by athletes goes to Camp Koru, an adventure retreat program for both cancer fighters and survivors ages 18-39. The camp is run through KB4C’s parent nonprofit, Athletes 4 Cancer, which Farman co-founded and currently manages as its executive director. Participants in the program

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Kiteboarders on the beach at the Hood River Event Site during KB4C (above). At left, kiters participate in the kite derby, a six-hour endurance race that athletes can do with a team or individually.

get to go on outdoor adventures, such as snowboarding at Mount Hood or stand-up paddling in Hawaii. The goal is to help them heal and get their lives back together after dealing with cancer. Tonia says that her brother, too, “eventually attended two outdoor-based education programs that challenged him, helped ground him, and shift his perspective, profoundly impacting his life before and during his cancer.”

The Kite Derby is probably the most wellknown aspect of KB4C. The mass start at the event is breathtaking, with a swarm of colored kites and

bright shirts tearing across the Columbia River toward the Hood River Event Site and the stentorian pounding of Japanese Taiko drums, while throngs of people cheer them on from shore.

Many participants have teams to help complete the six-hour race, but some hardcore individuals do it all on their own.

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Drummers from One World Taiko Drums perform at the start of the Kite Derby (top).

Survivors, family and friends write tributes on the Storyboard (bottom). An entry in the Boards of Hope auction (right).

off as prizes. Along with the derby on Saturday, there is the annual Boards of Hope Auction, where old kiteboards, surfboards, snowboards, skateboards and skimboards are recycled and turned into works of art, then auctioned. Boards of Hope serves as a tribute to Scott, who Farman said turned to art while confined to the hospital during his cancer treatments.

On Sunday, kiting neophytes compete in a Never-EverKiteboarded-Before “race,” while those more familiar with the sport compete in the Relay-on-the-Green event. There’s also plenty of live music, food, beer and kids activities.

“With this year being our 10th anniversary, we are turning up the entertainment a notch, adding some visual features highlighting the 10 years of the event, and adding more unique wind-themed art projects to the Kids Art Area,” Farman says. “With the support of Full Sail Brewing, we are hosting a huge 10th anniversary party to recognize top fundraisers and sponsors over the years that is open to the public on Friday, July 15.”

KB4C continues to grow both in participation and in scale (at last year’s event, Farman hovered above the Event Site in a helicopter where she could observe the field of derby participants), but Farman isn’t surprised at its popularity. Everyone knows someone affected by cancer, she notes.

“I am not surprised, but I am very grateful for all the support that this event receives each year from individuals and businesses, especially here in the Gorge,” she says. “On top of the monetary or in-kind support that is so important to putting on this huge event, individuals and businesses also give their time to help make the event happen. The Gorge is an amazing community like that.”

This year’s KB4C takes place July 15-17 at the Hood River Waterfront. For more information, go to kiteboarding4cancer.org.

Ben Mitchell is a writer and frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine. He lives in Hood River.

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Enjoy the sunshine

Family Friendly

HOOD TO COAST

HEALTHCARE Hood River • Portland • Oregon Coast

NATUROPATHIC PRIMARY CARE • MASSAGE THERAPY CHIROPRACTIC CARE • LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH COACHING

Photo by Shelly Peterson

Remember to protect your eyes...Stop in and see our sunglass collection.

Maui Jim | Zeal Optics | Spy | Smith | Babiators Salt | Sperry | Ann Taylor | Nike | Adidas

Rebecca Chown, OD FAAO 541-386-1700 // www.icfec.com // find us on Facebook 1700 12th Street, Suite A // Hood River, Oregon

HEALTH care so CLOSE and PERSONAL, it’s like you haven’t left HOME.

HoodtoCoastHealthcare.com • 800.277.0117 Our Specialties are: Hormone Balancing, Women’s and Men’s Heath, Thyroid and Metabolism Issues, Auto-Immine Disease Management, Cardiovascular Disease Preventions, Nutrient IV Therapy, Pediatrics, Pelvic Floor Therapy, Massage and Chiropractic Therapies and many more...

Our doctors strive to optimize each patient’s health and well-being utilizing years of first-hand knowledge, extensive training, and the most effective treatments currently available.

S K YLI NE HOSPI TAL Inpatient Care • Transitional Care Surgical Services • Digital Radiology Physical Therapy • Full-Service Laboratory 24/7 Emergency Services

S PECI ALT Y CLI NI CS W H I T E S A L M O N , WA S H. Serving the entire Columbia Gorge area

General Surgery • Orthopedics Cardiology • Neurology • Podiatry Pain Management (509) 493-1101 • skylinehospital.com

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : SUMMER 2016

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OUR GORGE : PARTAKE

Grilled Chicken with Chimichurri RECIPE AND PHOTOS BY KACIE MCMACKIN

Ingredients:

This recipe is summery, fresh, and great for a big family dinner. My kids love it so much they sit around the table chanting, “Chimi-churri! Chimi-churri!” The grilled chicken is moist and tender and the chimicurri sauce packs a ton of flavor. It’s great served alongside grilled corn, steamed wild rice, or a fresh summer salad.

• • • • • • • • • • •

2 heads of garlic 1 whole chicken, backbone removed, and butterflied 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/2 cup coarsely chopped basil 1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley 8 chives, coarsely chopped 1 tbsp thyme leaves extra virgin olive oil non-stick cooking spray kosher salt freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Take one head of garlic, peel and gently smash the cloves. Place 1/2 cup olive oil in a small saucepan along with the garlic cloves. Over medium heat allow the oil and garlic to cook gently for 5 minutes, until the oil is fragrant and the cloves are just barely golden. Pour the garlic and oil into a glass bowl, allow to cool.

Preheat your grill on high heat, or prepare plenty of charcoal. Place the charcoal around the edges of your grill as you will be cooking the chicken over indirect heat.

Season the chicken with lots of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Take one whole head of garlic and cut the top half off, exposing the cloves. Place the head of garlic on a square of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Seal up the aluminum foil around the head of garlic.

Turn off the center burners on your grill. Spray the section of the grill where the chicken will be with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken breast side down on the grill over indirect heat.

Weigh it down with a large skillet or two bricks wrapped in aluminum foil. Place the head of garlic next to the chicken to roast. Grill the chicken and garlic for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the chimichurri. Place the cooled garlic and oil, basil, parsley, chives and vinegar in a small food processor or blender and pulse until the garlic and herbs are minced.

Transfer to a small bowl, thin with olive oil if desired, and allow to settle while you finish cooking the chicken.

Remove the garlic from the grill, checking to see if the cloves are tender. If desired you can place the head of garlic upside down on the grill for a few minutes to get nice grill marks.

Carefully remove the skillet/bricks using an oven mitt. Spray the underside of the chicken with non-stick cooking spray and carefully flip it over. Replace the skillet or bricks on top of the chicken, and cook for another 30-40 minutes, making sure to check the internal temperature of your chicken before removing it from the grill. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving with the sauce.

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Wine Pairings

From left to right:

• Blue Chip Pinot Noir, 2013 — Wy’East Vineyards • Anjola Pinot Grigio, 2015 — Marchesi Vineyards • Estate Pinot Noir, 2014 — Mt. Hood Winery (worth noting that this wine won the Cole Danehower Award for Best Oregon Wine 2016)

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Kacie McMackin is a food blogger, writer and photographer at gorgeinthegorge.com. She lives in Hood River and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : SUMMER 2016

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EAT + DRINK

THE ANDREW’S EXPERIENCE (541) 386-1448 • AndrewsPizza.com 107 Oak Street • Hood River Pizzeria • drafthouse theater • arcade • frozen yogurt It’s the pizza -25 years of authentic east coast thin crust pizza On-line ordering • Eat in • Take out • Delivery

BENEVENTI'S PIZZA

• Our meats are smoked using local cherry wood • Dry rub and BBQ sauces are all made in-house • Pulled pork, chicken, ribs, burgers, salads, vegetarian items • Nightly dinner specials • Local draft beer, wine, hard cider • All desserts fresh-made by Apple Valley Country Store • Outdoor seating available • Ask about catering Open: Wed-Sun at 11am to 8pm. Closed: Mon & Tues.

BRIAN’S POURHOUSE

(509) 493-2177 • Find us on Facebook 201 West Steuben Street • Downtown Bingen

(541) 387-4344 • brianspourhouse.com 606 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

We are a family owned and operated business Serving one of the best pizzas in the entire Gorge!

Hand-Tossed Pizza • Lunch Buffet • Pasta Dishes 40 Item Salad Bar • Oven Toasted Grinders • Daily Soups Hot Wings • Homemade Sausage • Beer and Wine Kids Play Area • Video Arcade Special Event Catering Dine in or take out, local and Hood River delivery

We are located in a charming historic house in the heart of downtown Hood River. Our guest dining experience is optimized by tastefully and passionately blending nature’s finest ingredients with impeccably friendly service, our mission since 1998. Outdoor patio for private parties, groups, and rehearsal dinners. Lunch 10:30-3pm, happy hour 3-5pm and dinner daily 5pm to 10pm.

casa el mirador

CELILO RESTAURANT & BAR

Quality Mexican food prepared with the freshest and finest ingredients. Warm, friendly service and a lively atmosphere.

Indulge in generous portions of flavorful sizzling fajitas,fish tacos, savory enchilada dishes and daily specials. Happy Hour margaritas, drink specials and 1/2 off appetizers from 4-7pm, Mon-Fri. Full service bar, take-out menu, gift certificates and catering services. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

Celilo began with a desire to honor the bounty of this region and a commitment to a healthy and sustainable future. Our ever-changing menu reflects the seasonal highlights of the region’s growers and foragers. We offer the most innovative in fresh, local cuisine as well as an award-winning wine list, full bar, small plate menu, and happy hour daily from 5-6pm.

2016 Oregon Wine A-List Award Recipient

(541) 298-7388 • casaelmirador.com 1424 West 2nd Street • The Dalles

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APPLE VALLEY BBQ

(541) 352-3554 • applevalleybbq.com 4956 Baseline Drive • Downtown Parkdale

(541) 386-5710 • celilorestaurant.com 16 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

BACKWOODS BREWING COMPANY (509) 427-3412 • backwoodsbrewingcompany.com 1162 Wind River Hwy • Carson Backwoods Brewing is family owned and located in Carson, WA. Established in 2012, we offer delicious beers, handmade pizzas, have outdoor seating, and welcome all ages.

Open daily: 11:30am-9pm

BRIDGESIDE

(541) 374-8477 • bridgesidedining.com Exit 44 off I-84, Cascade Locks Stunning views next to the Bridge of the Gods – Bridgeside (formerly Charburger) still serves tasty char-broiled burgers plus an extensive menu of breakfast items, chowders, fish & chips, fresh salad bar, sandwiches, and desserts. New name, new management, but historic charm and western artifacts remain. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Gift shop • Special event room & terrace

CLOCK TOWER ALES

(541) 705-3590 • clocktowerales.com 311 Union Street • Downtown The Dalles Located in historic downtown The Dalles. Clock Tower Ales is the family friendly place to be! Extensive outdoor seating on our deck, live music on the weekends, upscale pub style lunches, chef inspired dinners, handcrafted cocktails, local wines, and over 30 craft beers on tap! Enjoy a bit of history, sit back and relax, it’s always a good time at the tower!

Open Daily: 11am-close

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EAT + DRINK

CROOKED TREE TAVERN & GRILL

(541) 352-6692 • cooperspur.com 10755 Cooper Spur Road • Mt Hood/Parkdale Home cooking takes on a broader significance at the Crooked Tree Tavern & Grill. Draw a 30-mile circle around our cozy community bar and restaurant, and chances are your meal is sourced from a combination of the outstanding local farms, ranches, wineries and breweries that are part of the Hood River Valley’s culinary renaissance.

CRUSH CIDER CAFÉ

DIVOTS clubhOuSe ReSTAuRANT

Hood River’s 1st Cider Bar with 20 taps of local and regional ciders. Experience the incredible diversity of ciders from the Pacific NW. Fill up your growler or take home a bottle from a selection of over 40 regional ciders. Light menu served. Kids welcome. Please call or check Facebook for hours.

A scenic choice with excellent food and personal service located in the heart of the Hood River Valley just minutes from downtown. Unwind with breathtaking views of Mt Hood and Mt Adams from our covered, wind protected patio. Relax with a beverage from our full service bar or enjoy some fabulous northwest cuisine at a reasonable price.

Open Daily for lunch & Dinner. happy hour 3-6pm.

(800) 447-1539 • Facebook: Crush Cider Café 1020 D Wasco Street • Hood River

(541) 308-0304 • indiancreekgolf.com 3605 Brookside Drive • Hood River

everybodysbrewing.com White Salmon, WA

dog river coffee

DOPPIO COFFEE

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

(541) 386-4502 • dogrivercoffee.net 411 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

(541) 386-3000 • doppiohoodriver.com 310 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

(509) 637-2774 • everybodysbrewing.com 151 Jewett Boulevard • Downtown White Salmon

Named one of 'America's top 10 coffeehouses' by USA Today

Relax on our patio, right in the heart of downtown…enjoy a hand-crafted espresso drink made with locally roasted, fair trade and organic coffee. Serving breakfast and lunch all day: panini, salads, smoothies, and fresh baked goods (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free options). Local beers on tap, and local wines by the glass or bottle. Free Wi-fi and our patio is dogfriendly. Open daily at 7 a.m.

See for yourself why Everybody’s Brewing is a local favorite!

We brew 12 different styles of beer plus seasonal selections onsite. The menu is filled with affordable food choices made with high-quality local ingredients. The atmosphere is warm and family-friendly. Enjoy the stunning Mt. Hood view from the outdoor deck, listen to free live music on Friday nights.

Open 7 days a week, 11:30am to closing

Full service espresso bar featuring Stumptown coffee Breakfast burritos, pastries and more caffeinating your adventures since 2004 open: Mon-fri, 6am-6pm & Sat-Sun, 7am-6pm

Photos by Michael Peterson

FULL SAIL BREW PUB

(541) 386-2247 • fullsailbrewing.com 506 Columbia Street • Downtown Hood River If there is one thing a brewer loves more than great beer– it’s great food and great beer! Our northwest-inspired menu complements our award-winning brews and features seasonal, local ingredients. Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery or just soak up the view. Open daily at 11am serving lunch and dinner. Guided brewery tours are offered daily at 1, 2, 3 and 4pm and are free of charge.

GRACE SU’S CHINA GORGE

LOGSDON BARREL HOUSE & TAPROOM

While visiting the Gorge…take a trip to China.

Great Szechuan-Hunan taste.

No airfare. Free Parking. Very happy family.

Finally, a place to imbibe Logsdon Organic Farmhouse Ales right in downtown Hood River, OR! Enjoy our award winning Belgian inspired brews and food menu and take home some bottles to share! Weekday & Service Industry Happy Hour.

Cheers - Op un gezondheid!

(541) 386-5331 • chinagorge.com 2680 Old Columbia River Drive • Hood River (Located off I-84 and the base of Hwy 35)

Great plates for more than 30 years.

(541) 436-0040 101 4th Street • Hood River

Mon Closed • Tue-Thu 3-8pm* • Fri & Sat Noon-8pm* Sun Noon to 7pm* *Sometimes later...

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : SUMMER 2016

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EAT + DRINK

McMENAMINS EDGEFIELD

OVINO MARKET & DELICATESSEN (541) 436-0505 • ovinomarket.com 1209 13th Street • Hood River Heights

(541) 321-0490 • pfriembeer.com 707 Portway Avenue, Suite 101 • Hood River Waterfront

Quench the summer sun and heat with your favorite handcrafted beverage, all of which are made onsite. A crisp and hoppy IPA, tart cider, zesty Riesling or fresh-squeezed cocktail pairs perfectly with a meal on the patio or stroll through the gardens.

We offer house-made sandwiches, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cheeses, charcuterie and other gourmet items. We also have craft beers on tap, wine & hard cider made in our shop. In the summer we fire up our BBQ to serve classic bratwurst & homemade sauerkraut and other menu items at our Beer Garden, which is catered by our rustic outdoor trailer bar.

pFriem artisanal beers are symphonies of flavor and balance, influenced by the great brewers of Belgium, but unmistakably true to our homegrown roots in the Pacific Northwest. Although they are served humbly, each glass is overflowing with pride and a relentless aspiration to brew the best beer in the world. We’ll let you decide.

Open Daily: 11:30am-9pm | Fri-Sat: 11:30am-10pm

RIVERTAP PUB & RESTAURANT

SOLSTICE WOOD FIRE CAFÉ & BAR

Showcasing delicious local foods, hand crafted beers, wines and spirits of the Columbia River Basin in a relaxed atmosphere. Friendly staff, family dining, and the best garden patio in The Dalles!

Inventive pizzas with perfectly blistered crusts, seasonal salads, fresh pasta and amazing s’mores. Creative cocktails, craft beers, wine & ciders on tap. Family dining & kids play area.

Vegan and gluten-free options. Local. Seasonal. Organic.

Waterfront views, across from the park!

(503) 669-8610 • mcmenamins.com 2126 SW Halsey Street • Troutdale (off Exit 16)

jenjones.co

Ales, wines, ciders and spirits are crafted onsite.

PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS

RIVERSIDE & CEBU LOUNGE

(541) 386-4410 • riversidehoodriver.com Exit 64 off I-84 • Waterfront Hood River Diners seek out Riverside for some of the best food in the Gorge—and Cebu for great bar food and drinks. With amazing panoramic river views and seasonal deck dining, Riverside offers fresh menu choices that change seasonally for breakfast, lunch & dinner—plus an award-winning wine list.

Check our website for current menus.

Cebu Lounge: happiest hours in town, Mon-Fri 4-6 pm

(541) 296-7870 • rivertappub.com 701 East 2nd Street • Downtown The Dalles (I-84, Exit 85)

Enjoy Happy Hour daily, 3pm-6pm and Live Music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

(541) 436-0800 • solsticewoodfirecafe.com 501 Portway Avenue • Hood River Waterfront

SPRING 2012 thegorgemagazine.com

Look for our next issue, June 2016.

Towns to Trails

Linking Gorge Communities

Brewery Scene

A Comprehensive Guide

Cascadia Creamery

Trout Lake’s Cheesemakers

An effective marketing tool for your business. { Print & Online }

View the eMagazine on your iPad, iPhone, Mac or PC. To advertise your business contact Micki Chapman (541) 380-0971

Celebrating

FReSH LOCAL FOOD

A publication by the Hood River News highlighting the growing array of producers and the flourishing “LOCAL FOOD FIRST” movement in the Gorge.

Available at select businesses and these newspapers: Hood River News, 419 State St., Hood River The Dalles Chronicle, 315 Federal St., The Dalles

An marketing 80 effective SUMMER 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE tool for your business.

Distributed throughout Oregon, Washington and parts of Idaho.

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EAT + DRINK

stonehedge gardens

SUSHI OKALANI

TAD’S CHICKEN ‘N DUMPLINS

(541) 386-3940 • stonehedgeweddings.com 3405 West Cascade Avenue • Hood River

(541) 386-7423 • sushiokalani@gorge.net 109 First Street • Downtown Hood River

(503) 666-5337 • tadschicdump.com 1325 East Historic Columbia River Hwy • Troutdale

“The best outdoor dining in the Gorge.” –NW Best Places We are a favorite among locals and visitors. Our cuisine is a classic, European blend that utilizes fresh, local ingredients and pairs well with our select wines. Our gardens are the perfect setting for weddings. Full-service catering available.

“Romantic setting and the best meal I had in town.”

–The Los Angeles Times

Come find us in the basement of the Yasui Building, the local’s favorite spot for fresh fish, Pan-Asian Cuisine, and a rockin’ atmosphere! Lots of rotating specials, creative rolls, and a large sake selection means you’re always trying something new! Private rooms are available for groups up to 20 people. Take-out menu available online. Open for dinner nightly at 5:00, closing hours change seasonally.

We are nestled on the banks of the Sandy River in Troutdale, OR–the gateway to the Columbia River Gorge. We are located halfway between Portland and Multnomah Falls. Serving exquisite American cuisine since the 1930s. The menu includes: Seafood specialties as well as traditional steak, chicken, and pasta dishes; a full bar, and our famous home-style chicken ‘n dumplins. Open every night for dinner.

TARWATER TAVERN

THUNDER ISLAND BREWING CO

(509) 281-3075 tarwatertavern.com 130 E Jewett Blvd White Salmon This town hasn’t seen a bar like this! Tarwater Tavern is a intimate cocktail bar in the heart of White Salmon.

We serve local and regional beer, wine, cider and SPIRITS. Our cocktails and small bits are hand crafted with fresh quality ingredients. Check our online calendar for live performances and events. See ya there!

WALKING MAN BREWING

(971) 231-4599 • thunderislandbrewing.com 515 NW Portage Road • Cascade Locks

(509) 427-5520 • walkingmanbeer.com 240 SW 1st Street • Stevenson

An adventure-based brewery that is handcrafting creative and innovative beers in the Pacific Northwest. Thunder Island Brewing makes original beers inspired by a love for outdoor adventures, with a nod to local history and with a respect for all that the scenic Columbia River Gorge has to offer. Bring the family in for a meal, well behaved dogs onleash are welcome on our patio. CALL FOR HOURS

Walking Man Brewing began impacting the Northwest craft beer scene in late 2000. Garnering medals in some of the top beer competitions in the world, it has long since become a destination for beer enthusiasts and gorge travelers. Enjoy our dog-friendly beer garden or cozy up with a pint and a bite in the brewpub. Please visit our website for seasonal hours and happenings.

A local resource guide for the discerning foodie.

Reviews, recipes & more: gorgeinthegorge.com THE GORGE MAGAZINE : SUMMER 2016

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OUR GORGE : EPILOGUE

The Columbia River Highway, from Hood River to Mosier, depicted in a hand-colored postcard from 1918. (Photo courtesy of Weinstein PR.)

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We’ve got Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner covered!

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We grill everything over

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Soups • Salads

Beer & Wine Selection

Sandwiches • Hamburgers

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Summer Patio Adjoining The Shed Bar

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(541) 386-1127 1313 Oak Street, Hood River eggrivercafe.com

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