WILLAMETTE

LIVING FEB / MARCH 2014

T H E L I F E S TY L E M A G A Z I N E O F O R E G O N ’ S W I L LA M E T T E V A L L E Y

THE DOG DAYS OF WINTER

RECORD SNOWFALL

AGAIN!

IN THIS ISSUE:

WILLAMETTE VALLEY WEDDINGS HISTORY • FOOD • BEER • FUN

Save the Date!

Mercedes Benz of Salem Presents The Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

“It’s a Style Rebel” “We have transferred the expressive design of the Concept Style Coupe seamlessly into series production. With its unique design language, I am convinced that the CLA will make a powerful mark on the image of the Mercedes-Benz brand.” Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars

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Volume 5 No 1

FEATURES 28 Whistler

Our Day Tripper Feature for Feb (OK, maybe more than a day)

54 23 Hoyt

Big City Dining, in Portland

20 Warbirds

Oregon supplied the Allies in WWI

32 Our Annual Willamette Living Wedding Guide

Local Wedding Pros Ready to Serve

Tickets Available for $60 Online at www.theartscenter.net

Willamette Living Departments

Regulars 14 13 16 12 52 48

Ask Annette Mike on Health In the Garden Publisherâ€™s Note Ask a Designer Reading List

The 411 10 20 22 18

Charity Spotlight Valley History Dedicated to the Cup Photo Album

HEALTH

FITNESS AND FUN

Eating Well in the Valley

62 Cabbage & Color 58 The Beer Prof Out and About 24 27 56 66

Yaquina River Museum Art Events The Dining Guide The Hot Ticket

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February / March 2014

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The 411

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT

HELPING H A N D S

Trillium Family Services and The Historic Old School Trillium Family Services is the only provider in Oregon offering a full continuum of children’s mental and behavioral healthcare services. We treat children in the safest and least restrictive level of care in order to provide lasting change for children and families. Left untreated, children’s mental health challenges often lead to significant disruptions in the home, classroom, and other settings. Trillium offers programs that help children and their families learn new skills and develop the ability to stay on track. The Trillium Children’s Farm Home (CFH) campus, located in Corvallis, Oregon, was originally founded in 1922 by women of the Oregon Women’s Christian Temperance Union as a way to help orphaned youth. Today, this beautiful 300 acre property is home to a psychiatric residential program for young people. Our clinical staff, comprised of child psychiatrists, mental health therapists, nurses, and skills trainers offer support and therapeutic interventions rooted in Trauma-Informed Care. Although it is no longer an orphanage, it continues to support

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the strength of the family and enrich our community through its treatment programs. In the summer of 2013, Trillium re-opened the completely restored Historic Old School, a building initially constructed in 1925 that served as the academic hub for thousands of children who lived on the Farm Home campus until it closed in 1978. The upper level of The Historic Old School is now a community center, offering rental event space for business meetings and social gatherings, and boasts a gift shop, museum, and high-end lunchroom café, all run by volunteers. The lower level of the Old School offers comfortable, family friendly rooms for children currently in CFH programs to visit with loved ones. This community project was funded by major contributions from local philanthropists, as well as regional charitable foundations, for the purpose of better serving our community and children in our care. Trillium Family Services is a not for profit organization and its mission is to build brighter futures with children and their families. Generous gifts from the community

help create and improve services for the children we work with. Tax deductible gifts often include monetary donations or specific items that support our interventions, such as those provided by the Therapeutic Horse Program and Special Clients Needs Fund. Community members can also promote Trillium’s mission by making a purchase at the Historic Old School Gift Shop or dining at the Café.

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How to Help Make a Donation

Mail your donation to: Trillium Family Services 4455 NE Highway 20 Corvallis, OR 97330 Online: Visit www.trilliumfamily.org and select Donate Now February / March 2014

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Publishers

Scott & Gayanne Alexander Willamette Living is published every two months by Willamette Life Media LLC General Inquiries:

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All editorial material, including comments, opinion and statements of fact appearing in this publication, represents the views of the respective authors and does not necessarily carry the endorsement of Willamette Living or its officers. Information in Willamette Living is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed. The publication of any advertisements is not to be construed as an endorsement of products or services offered unless it is specifically stated in the ad that there is such approval or endorsement. www.willametteliving.com

“Each time a new issue comes out, I get more phone calls and new clients. With a small marketing budget, I look for advertising that “sticks around.” Not only does Willamette Living Magazine stick around for more than a few days, I know that readers are looking for the next issue. Thank you for a great publication!”

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From the Publisher

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow Good grief! Can you believe it? For those of you who are locals, you know what I’m talking about. In case you’re somewhere south of the valley, we just got our second “20 year snow event” -- in 2 months. But it’s fun -- when you aren’t trying to have electricity, or drive, or stay warm without a polar bear hide or 3 sled dogs (OK maybe a couple of dachshunds) in your bed.

Now that this issue is wrapped up, I know what we’re doing. We’re hittin’ the slopes at Hoodoo. For a while there we thought it would just not open this year, but as of this writing they’ve gotten 13 inches of new snow in the last 24 hours. Not hard to believe since I got about 12 in my driveway -- in Corvallis!

contributors about home improvement, gardening, real estate, cooking, beer and your health. And we put together our annual wedding section, even if we had to do it in a blizzard. It’s hard to imagine spring weddings this week, but I’m sure it will be birds chirping and bulbs blooming in a few short weeks, love will be in the air.

We hope you love this issue, with our regular great content from our

For now, you’ll just have to rub noses in your igloos. Stay warm!

Scott Alexander, Publisher

Get a

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February / March 2014

MIKE ON HEALTH

The 411

The Health -- Life Course Perspective I’ve been a part of the new era of health and fitness in American society for close to 40 years. An older generation of physicians, exercise physiologists, nutritionists researched and studied humans showing the benefits of exercise and good nutrition. But it’s been my generation of boomer professionals that have gone into cities and communities to deliver and teach individuals the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Defining the different health and fitness pursuits In looking at health and fitness there are two predominate areas of fitness & diet promotion that quite often get confused: • Healthy physical activity and nutrition is recommended to reduce biological risk factors from heart disease and certain cancers. • Human performance physical activity and nutrition is recommended for athletic and competitive type performance. These are two totally different biological health pursuits. But yet both are needed and have a clear place in generational sociology. The Psycho-Social aspects of aging and health through the Lifespan There’s another huge component in the biohealth model we don’t talk about. In the

medical model of checkups in health and disease prevention, physicians know what to check for at certain ages. This system has a fantastic model and biological “spreadsheet” on when to do certain screenings, and look for certain things in the blood, based on the biological age of the patient. But there’s an emotional maturity part of us that happens as well. There are a litany of gerontologists, and gerontology psychologists that help us see the emotional stages we go through. We not only change biologically but emotionally, and psychologically as well. These changes in us carry over in our health and fitness interests, and pursuits. Our ego, which is very important in our personal development shows up in various ways throughout our life span. When we’re young our physical prowess, and appearance is very important. These are years where the human performance aspect of physical activity and nutrition captivate us. To perform physically better we “train” and seek diet compositions to enhance higher levels of biology As we age, we lose these abilities. The “Athletic personality” may struggle with this transition. Life stage gerontology experts tell us that for a lot of us, we go through a grieving period. This part of our “self” is now behind us.

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What is healthy? Gerontologist Robert Peck PhD believes that a healthy, mature person goes through what he calls “Body Transcendence” We make the transition from our ego of being physical, into a more mature person. A person that’s more well-rounded on how they contribute to family and society. Health becomes less about “looks” and being competitive, and more about being functional for a bigger contribution to society. This takes us back to the healthy physical activity, nutrition for risk reduction plan. Most middle age adults don’t need a high performance plan. Why do I write about this? It’s important for our personal wellbeing that we understand our personal health, through these life transitions. Although we’re in a society that’s getting older, we’re still bombarded with messages that we need to be and think younger. Defy the normal aging process is sometimes the subtle message. Boomers, and future generations will live longer, and benefit from the great preventive health knowledge that we now have. But we will age biologically. The challenge is to age with maturity and wisdom.

Mike Waters MA is the health promotion director for Timberhill Athletic club. He can be reached at timberhill.mike@comcast.net or 541- 207-4368 to discuss this topic, or any other topic in the area of health and wellness

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The 411

ANNETTE ON REAL ESTATE

Pricing to Sell Although I am sitting at home, cloistered in by the most severe winter storm in decades, looking at the results of the ice storm and watching the big thaw start, my mind is with my new and upcoming listings and the just-starting selling season. Pricing is one of the most important conversations I have with my selling clients. Too low, and there might be money left on the table, too high and the property might sit and grow stale. Finding the correct pricing that enables the seller to move on soon after listing is not always a straight forward process. The more unique a property is, the more variables there are to consider. 20 acres of fertile farmland with a farmhouse will sell for a very different price than 20 steep wooded acres with a nicely finished home on it. We as brokers are often confronted with what Zillow (or Trulia or Homes.com...) says, and what the “Real Market Value” on the tax bill shows. None of those represent the true current value of a home. Zillow has (of course in tiny print on the very bottom of the web page) a disclaimer: “about Zestimate.” There they disclose their margin of error in different markets, and the margins can be highly significant. The more streamlined a home is, and the easier it is to compare, the more accurate those evaluations can be, but the minute your home has granite counters and new cabinets, and the similar house next to you has never had a kitchen facelift, it all goes to the birds. Most web pages that give you ad hoc value information rely only on public records and recent sales, regardless of whether the specific property they are comparing yours is a foreclosure, a dump or a palace. Therefore, the best bet to get accurate pricing recommendations is a local broker who has not only access to the specific property data, but also most likely personally knows the comparable properties, and has experience in making appropriate adjustments.

As pricing too low is relatively rare, we often encounter overpricing. The reason we see overpricing is often because sellers want to have “wiggle room.” But often that wiggle room is oversized and keeps buyers from submitting an offer in the first place, as they do not wish to “insult” the seller. The reality is that in Corvallis, and in most other surrounding markets, the correct pricing leads to full price, or veryclose-to-askiing offers. Statistics show that clearly. Another issue with overpricing is perceived value -- sellers set a price based on what they think they deserve for their property. When it comes to negotiating the result of a lower final price is perceived loss. But that money that is thought to be lost... was never really there. Perception is reality though, therefore overpricing leads to the quintessential knot in the stomach, feeling one has been disappointed by the agent, the buyer, the market. It also must be understood that although a broker can give rather accurate price opinions, none of us has a crystal ball, and it certainly happens that a property sells at a lower price we all gasp at (most likely for cash at it would never appraise at that price) or that a property we all think is a great offer, just sits. Those instances should be taken for what they are, anomalies, not rules. Pricing a property correctly will in fact most likely lead to shorter days on the market, and close-to-asking offers. After all, this is still a market, and by definition, the market will tell a seller loud and clear what it thinks the property is worth. All the seller’s perception and opinion of higher value will not change that. The clearer a broker can present that fact, the better and closer to the market opinion pricing will be, and the faster and better a property will sell. Have a great spring!

Annette

Annette Sievert is a top performing real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Valley Brokers in Corvallis, OR. Do you have a real estate question?

Ask Annette: 541-207-5551

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February / March 2014

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The 411

IN THE GARDEN WITH BRENDA

Bouncing Back We’ve just experienced the coldest winter since 1972. I remember the consequences of that cold event . My dad had to throw away a lot of inventory. There were subsequent winters with fairly cold temperatures and snow. After a few years passed, I remember still suggesting that certain plant species just weren’t guaranteed to be completely hardy through the Willamette Valley’s winters. Plants like Hebes, Ceanothus and Phormiums. Sometimes, okay every 25-40 years, it gets too cold for a lot of the plants that we feel should grow here. Fast forward to 2013. The Willamette Valley has been moved to a warmer climate zone by the USDA. The love of all things tropical means we’re seeing many more “marginally hardy” plants being grown here. The winters have been so mild that even I was encouraging people to try what 20 years ago I believed was not reliably hardy, like the bay laurel (Laurus nobilis). Mine survived 10 years in a container in my herb garden without any winter protection! Even my Persian Queen Pelargoniums (Geraniums) lived through last winter unprotected. Well, I got lazy and complacent and guess what happened? The coldest winter in the last 40 years! In late January I finally felt brave enough to assess the damage in my own yard. Granted, I did nothing to protect my plants so I was expecting a lot of loss. At least for now, I was pleasantly

surprised. I’ll have to cut all my evergreen Viburnums back, but the Viburnum davidii is already showing bud growth only 4-6 inches in. They needed a good trimming anyway, as they had overgrown their beds. Yes, the Phormiums and Creeping Wire vine are dead. And the Agapanthus, Soft Caress Mahonia and Purple Passion Nandina may not recover. They look dead at this point. But I am patient and I remember good advice, recently reiterated, that it may take until June to see whether a plant will come back from its roots. Both of the semi-evergreen vines in my yard (Hall’s Honeysuckle and variegated Akebia) will definitely drop all their leaves this winter, but I don’t think they are dead. I am hoping that my Yuletide Camellia regrows. It needed pruning, too, but I (and the hummingbirds) would dearly miss it if it was gone completely. Surprisingly, there were happy signs of spring in my garden: the yellow primroses and white snowdrops were blooming away. There are some advantages to a cold snap, too. If the cold kills even a portion of the voracious slugs and snails, I will be quite happy. If some of the plants don’t survive-well that gives me a chance to try something new or different. Above all, I have added some insight and experience to my gardening knowledge. I got my value out of even the Phormiums. Some plants are just worth planting even if they last only a year or two. Kind of like pretty shoes or a really good bottle of wine. Brenda Powell is a fourth generation owner of Garland Nursery. Her passions include gardening, cooking, reading, writing and photography. Follow her writing at

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February / March 2014

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Photo Album

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February / March 2014

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The 411

Valley History

Offbeat Oregon

History WARBIRDS MADE FROM OREGON SPRUCE Photo: Martin Bergner The Spad C.VII flown by Italian pilot Ernesto Cabruna, on display at the Museo Storico dell’Aeronautica Militare in Vigna di Valle, Italy. This aircraft almost certainly contained at least some Oregon spruce.

B Y: J O H N J . D . F I N N

In the First World War, Allies flew planes made of Oregon spruce

he last year of the First World War saw an explosion in Allied aircraft. The forces of Imperial Germany put up the best fight they could, and fielded probably the best aircraft of the war — the Fokker D.VII, which famously could hang on its propeller — but the few they managed to make were overwhelmed by swarms of the latest SPADs, Nieuports and DeHavilands, which were close to equal quality and far more numerous. The fact is, after Oregon got involved in the war, the German air force didn’t have a chance. At least one out of every three Allied fighter planes built during 1918 was made with primarily Oregon spruce — spruce that just months before had been growing in the hills of Lincoln County, probably close by Yaquina Bay. The wonder wood When airplanes were first created, they were essentially giant box kites with crude gasoline engines on board, made with wood and fabric. As with any kite, weight was a big issue, so the wood used in these early machines had to be strong and light. After experimenting with lots of different types, early aviators quickly figured out there was one type of wood that was head and shoulders above the rest: Old-growth spruce. And of all the different types of spruces, the variety known as Sitka spruce was among the very best. It was certainly the biggest. Sitka spruce trees can get over 200 feet tall, with trunks over 10

feet in diameter. One 500-year-old Sitka spruce tree can provide enough straight, clear spruce to build about 150 Nieuport 28s. The wood is extremely rigid and lightweight. Furthermore, as it turned out, it wouldn’t shatter when hit with a rifle bullet.

There was always far more demand than supply, though, and spruce production was not rising very quickly in response. So when the U.S. stepped into the conflict, the government decided it was time to make a more serious effort to get the wood out.

By the time the war had broken out in Europe, the belligerents all knew what to make airplanes out of. Germany, with access to plenty of Norway spruce in its northern reaches, was in the best shape. Not much spruce grows in France, and even less is found in Britain.

The War Department sent Col. Brice Disque into the timber country, with an eye to seeing how production might be boosted, and he soon learned that mill owners were locked in a struggle with the Industrial Workers of the World union. After talking the situation over with everyone involved, Disque concluded that nothing would change unless the Army took over.

But the Allies, as it turns out, had a secret weapon … the central coast of Oregon.

An army of loggers, literally The mighty Sitka spruce Sitka spruce grows all along the West Coast of North America, from northern California all the way up to — well, Sitka, Alaska. But the biggest, thickest stands of the most massive Sitka spruces were found in Washington’s Clallum County, and Oregon’s Lincoln County. They still are. As soon as the war broke out, prices for clear spruce started shooting up. British and French buyers were lined up to snap up as much of the golden wood as they could get their hands on, to be slipped across the sea in convoys past German U-boats and turned into airplanes: spindly British B.E. 2 deathtraps and Bristol Scouts, and agile French Nieuport 11s. Even before the war broke out, a hefty percentage of Allied aircraft could trace their origins back to a deep forest somewhere near the central Oregon coast.

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So it did. The War Department promptly formed the Aircraft Production Board, which immediately got busy acquiring as much sprucebearing timberland as it possibly could. Then a detachment of soldiers was issued crosscut saws and deployed to the forests east of Newport. This intervention was resented by almost everyone in the field — the mill owners feeling like they’d been robbed, the union feeling their strike had been broken. But, as Disque frequently pointed out, there was a war on, and everyone just had to suck it up. And so, with few exceptions, they did. Soon the soldier-loggers and other crews were sending rail car after rail car back northeast, loaded with spruce logs. The logs were processed at a massive sawmill in Vancouver, Wash., and sent off to aircraft factories from there.

February / March 2014

U.S. Army “soldier-loggers” take a break around a massive rough-sawn spruce timber in 1918. Photo: University of Oregon Special Collections

The town of Toledo as it appeared in 1911, before the Army’s spruce mill was built on the island in the bay. Photo: Postcard image

A year or so later, a group of investors headed by C. Dean Johnson and his son, C. Dean Johnson II, came forward with a $2 million offer, which has to have been the deal of the decade. By the early 1920s, the Pacific Spruce Co. was a thriving concern, with roughly 1,000 employees, and Toledo was, for all practical purposes, a company town.

But it made a lot more sense to have the sawmill where the trees were, so they could be handled less. And so the government started looking around for suitable places to build a massive sawmill.

Soon soldiers and laborers were hard at work on a massive, state-of-the-art sawmill, a milliondollar mill. But before they could finish, the Germans surprised everyone by abruptly losing the war.

Toledo becomes spruce capital of the world

Now what?

The Coast Range town of Toledo turned out to be perfect. Toledo sits on the Yaquina River, just inland from the sea, close to the upstream limit of the estuary. In 1917 it was a small timber town with several hundred people, most of whom worked at one of the three sawmills on its outskirts.

That put the brakes on the sawmill project fast. After the end of hostilities, Americans were in no mood to continue spending money building warplanes that they thought they’d never again need. Congress, feeling that President Wilson had been altogether too eager to get the government into businesses, pulled back sharply on the reins.

Toledo is situated on a wide bend in the Yaquina River, and there’s a broad, low 60-acre island of reclaimed tidal flats in the middle of it. It was on this island that the War Department decided to build its mega-mill.

So the War Department put the whole works up for sale — the mammoth almost-finished sawmill, a short railroad line, timberlands with nearly a million board feet of standing timber, everything.

It was also, for many years after that, the spruce capital of the world — and the spawning grounds of some of the world’s best aircraft, even well into World War II. (Sources: Cox, Ted W. The Toledo Incident of 1925. Corvallis: Old World, 2005; Johnson, Bolling, ed. Pacific Spruce Corporation. Chicago: Lumber World Review, 1924)

Finn J.D. John is an instructor at Oregon State University and the author of “Wicked Portland,” a book about the dark side of Oregon’s metropolis in the 1890s. To contact him or suggest a topic: finn@ offbeatoregon.com, @OffbeatOregon (on Twitter), or 541-357-2222. Soldiers and residents of Toledo pose with a giant spruce log, which is ready to be sent to the government’s spruce mill in Vancouver. Photo: University of Oregon Libraries

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The Weight of Expectations By Elaine Rea people I knew and admired had seen the world and made me want to do the same.

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We’re proud to bring you excerpts from the book “Dedicated to the Cup - Nine Ways to Reinvent a Life!” a collection of inspiring stories from many Willamette Valley locals who have overcome adversity and reinvented their lives.

Imagine if, upon your birth, a single expectation was placed upon you. And imagine that, at the age of 19, you failed in your attempt to meet that expectation. I am the daughter of two academics, highly educated scientists, and grew up in a college town. The parents of my friends and classmates were highly-educated people who, like my own parents, were from far away. They were widely-traveled, had broad interests, and told terrific stories of places they had been and things they had done. The town may have been off the beaten path, but the

My dad worked long hours during the school year to keep up with the demands of teaching, research, and graduate students, often returning to his office after our family dinner and staying late into the night. In the summer, though, his time was ours, and we looked forward to spending it with him. We got to travel (in our trusty ’68 Buick Special station wagon) to national parks and monuments and to visit relatives. My brother and I both learned to swim in motel pools on hot summer afternoons when we just couldn’t stand driving another mile in a sweaty car. Those trips also often included stops at colleges and universities to visit my parents’ colleagues. We’d tour the manicured grounds and admire the ivy-covered walls, and it was on those visits that I learned what that single expectation was: I must earn a college degree. I didn’t fear the expectation. In my mind, colleges were exciting places. Places I had happily visited with my family and where we had made fun memories. There was one thing I could influence: which college I would attend. It was fun deciding that. When I was in ninth grade, my class had to watch a series of films called “The World of Work.” (I can still hear the catchy soundtrack,

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“The world of work, reach out and take it,” which made it all seem like a big adventure.) The accompanying lessons had each student answer questionnaires about personality and aspirations. Here it was revealed to me: you are suited for a career in the “travel business.” My young life filled with meeting people from other places and taking trips with my family had generated a spark. I wanted to visit interesting places, spread the word, and help other people see them too. I frequently visited the career center in my high school, poring through college catalogs and the Comparative Guide to American Colleges, searching for schools with a travel management program. It was there that I landed on the idea of attending the University of Hawaii. It had a fairly easy admissions process, wasn’t expensive, and sounded really exotic. And best of all, it would make my friends insanely jealous! I thought my plan for my future seemed solid: apply to just one school (UH), get accepted, and never look back. The questions of distance and culture didn’t cross my mind, so I made the first steps confidently. That is how I found myself alone on an airplane flying out of the Eugene, Oregon, airport with two suitcases and the address of my dormitory in Honolulu, Hawaii, a school that despite my not having visited was certainly the perfect match for me. I got off to a great start: settling into my dorm, making friends, joining the marching band, enrolling in classes, and enjoying the freedom of being away from home. Slowly during my first year, though, imperceptible cracks began to appear in the façade of a full university experience. I was certainly not mature enough to recognize that certain things left behind in my hometown were impacting my life away. The people who influenced and mentored me had been of all ages—family, friends, teachers, and pastors and members at my childhood church—and now I was limited to the constant company of college students between the ages of 18 and 24. The courses I took were typical of any freshman: broad, survey classes taught in huge auditoriums, which meant that I wasn’t having meaningful discourse with instructors outside of the lecture hall. So I did what the rest of the 18- to 24-year-old students were doing by enjoying the sun and the beach, and, more often than not, consuming alcohol. The constant stream of tourists visiting the bars and clubs in Waikiki ensured a non-stop, revolving door of new people to meet and party with. I had bouts of homesickness, especially for February / March 2014

dinnertime favorites, and missed the solitude and wide-open spaces not easy to find on a densely populated island. Disappointed in my 2.8 GPA at the end of the first year, I knew my less-than-dedicated study habits were to blame. But, I was having too much fun majoring in “life” and “growing up,” so I accepted mediocre results because it was easier than changing. Spending that summer at home was great, and I was refreshed and still fearless as I flew to Hawaii for my second year. But, some of my closest friends had moved on, and because I had skated through the easy classes on momentum and not rigorous studying, I found myself quickly falling behind. The courses were more challenging, and even the most basic strategies for being successful still eluded me. The tide was shifting, and I became hopelessly backlogged with my assignments. Then my life-long lucky streak ended when I came down with strep throat and landed in the emergency room. For the first time, I felt the plan for my life was slipping away and was filled with a sadness that wouldn’t go away. Sitting alone in my dark dorm room in the middle of the night, I looked out the window where the year before a distraught student had chosen to jump to his death and wondered what more would have to go wrong in my life before I would reach the same conclusion he had. To this day, I don’t know why, but I sought the advice of a university psychiatrist in the Student Health Center who recommended that I immediately withdraw from classes and fly home to be with my family. Not able to break the news to my parents myself, that call came courtesy of my academic advisor. I was a college dropout and had therefore failed to meet THE expectation. My dad picked me up at the airport, and we rode home in silence. I was now pioneering a new trail, this time without the familiar sense of confidence but rather with uncharacteristic fear. It would take more than a year before all of the sadness was gone and I felt like I was once again standing on firm ground. Trying to play it safe, I took secretarial classes at the nearby community college and, still interested in the travel industry, worked as a front desk clerk in hotels for a while. Without ever saying it, I knew my parents wanted me to enroll in the local university. After all, my high school classmates were all still in school. Also, I knew it was tough for them stay positive about my prospects when they were constantly being asked what was I going to do next by their friends and acquaintances who had seen me ride off to Hawaii in a blaze of glory only to return with my flame out.

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Some of my former luck returned when I was hired to assemble calculators for a large manufacturing company with a factory in my hometown. The company had a strong reputation, and the pay and benefits were pretty good. My parents were hopeful, but the production line job was mind numbing, and I suffered a repetitive-motion injury that I internalized as another failure. How could I not even be good at the simplest of jobs? I stayed as positive as I could, having daily conversations with myself to be grateful, stay motivated, and under no circumstances slip back into dark sadness. I had an unconscious need to find something gratifying and started helping out at a community theater in the next town where I had done a couple of plays during high school. Besides offering a creative outlet to my uncreative work routine, I found myself in the company of people of all ages who had interesting life stories and experiences they openly shared with me. And I could share my stories (and failures) with them. It had been a piece of the puzzle I didn’t realize was missing, but I embraced their mentoring and influence. It was from one of these newlyfound mentors that I received a profound piece of advice: “Never play when you should be working, and never work when you should be playing.” I wouldn’t come to understand that phrase’s importance right away, but it resonated in my brain. After several years of making the best of it on the assembly line, I learned of a job opening for an entry-level secretary and somehow landed it. One of the girls in my department was signing up for an evening accounting class at the community college, and although my new manager wasn’t particularly encouraging, he agreed to pay for me too. It was a big step to return to school, but one class felt manageable to me. We carpooled to the class one night per week for a year. I did well and it felt great. I probably don’t need to mention that my parents were elated! I found a better secretarial position and continued to take one class per term in night school. This time, my manager saw my potential and suggested that he could live with a part-time secretary if I wanted to attend college full-time. I am still grateful for his generous gift because he shone a light on a new path for me, one that I hadn’t dared go looking for on my own. Taking four classes in that first term, I drew upon the advice of my mentor. I worked hard, but when my homework was done, nothing would stop me from taking the break I deserved. After earning straight A’s, my parents took me out for a celebratory dinner. For the first time since graduating from high school, almost eight years earlier, I felt on track and ready to

complete my college education. My choice was to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business and, as a nod to my high-tech employer, minor in computer science. My life was balanced. I had a steady job, was attending the university where my father taught, and stayed involved in the community theater. At the beginning of my final year of college, my manager delivered a blow: my part-time position was being eliminated due to a poor economic forecast and budget pressures. Keeping my job meant I had to return to full-time status. I had come so far, had control of my emotional stability, and was driven to meet a long-desired goal. Seized with fear, I thought losing momentum again might mean never finishing my degree. I asked my parents for a loan, borrowed against my life insurance, sold all of my company stock, cashed in retirement accounts, and handed in my resignation. It was a huge risk but one I knew was worth taking. Counting my pennies, I lived like all college students—frugally—knowing that I would run out of money within a few weeks of graduation. Ten years after graduating from high school and wearing a “high honors” cord on my shoulder, I took part in the university’s commencement ceremony. No parents in the coliseum that day were happier or prouder than mine. I had a college degree. Expectation met. Weight lifted. The following week, I interviewed with a high tech firm about 100 miles away. Ten days later, I started my new career and the next phase of my life, which came with new expectations: get married, own a home, become a mom. I met those expectations, too, but none has ever felt as good as graduating from college because I had to regain lost confidence and believe in myself again.

MILLETTO Bonnie Milletto is a Portland, Oregon, based international speaker who finds joy in all things and loves a great cup of coffee. Her new book “Dedicated To The Cup, Nine Ways To Reinvent A Life!” is a tribute to the power of the human spirit to persevere and triumph in the face of challenging life lessons. The perfect blend of real life stories meant to inspire, encourage and motivate is now available for purchase on her website www. bonniemilletto.com/books or on Amazon.com for Kindle. Willamette Living Magazine

The Arts

Yaquina River Museum of Art

BOARD MEMBERS COLLECT

Art show features selections of the personal art collection from the Directors of the Yaquina River Museum of Art. For the 2nd year, those curious about what art a museum board might have at home will have the opportunity to enjoy this popular eclectic show. Artists both historical and contemporary are being shown including Emil Carlsen; Martin Eichinger; Michael Gibbons; Ivan Kelly; Becky Miller; Michael Rangner; William Shumway; Derek Wilkinson, James Longacre Wood and ancient Asian jade carvings. The Museum Gift Shop features original jewelry by Sondra; scarves by Paulette; gently-used art books; and the ever popular Shoe-Print Book for kids that carries a donation with each sale to purchase shoes for those in need. BOARD MEMBERS COLLECTâ€š Feb. 1-March 23 at the 1887 School House Exhibit and Office of the Yaquina River Museum of Art, 151 NE Alder St., Toledo. Open hours Noon-4:pm Wednesday-Sunday. Free admission and donations gratefully received. For more information and to schedule free group tours of the Vicarage House Museum and the School House please call 541 336 2797. Contact the School House at

yrmaoffice@qwestoffice.net

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February / March 2014

Get Your Style On, Shop Downtown Corvallis

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Irenes' Boutique is your local source for Lucious jewelery. Designed and manufactured in Portland, Lucious Jewelery is beautiful and constantly evolving with new pieces introduced regularly. Shop Irenes' for the best, local fashion, gifts, accessories, bath & body products, and home decor.

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Stories. Get Inspired!

Dedicated To The Cup Nine Ways To Reinvent A Life!

Life is a series of circumstances, events and experiences. We are all connected through the stories we share. We all have a story to tell, our own. 18 short stories, many from local contributors, will move and inspire you.

Visit www.bonniemilletto.com For More Information

Get Your Copy or Audio Book www.bonniemilletto.com/books or on Amazon.com for Kindle.

Harry and Annette’s FISHING VESSEL SILVERQUEST REGISTRY: NEWPORT OREGON

fresh fish, direct from the docks to you!

Crab! From the cold water, to the hot water, to the butter!

• Crab! Crab! Crab! So good...

• LOCAL FISH DELIVERED DAILY

• PARTY TRAYS & APPETIZERS • OUR OWN, ALL NATURAL FRESH SMOKED FISH & CANNED TUNA

MILLETTO Bonnie Milletto is a Portland, based international speaker who finds joy in all things, and loves a great cup of coffee.

Willamette Living Magazine

• FRESH CRAB CAKES • FRESH SALMON

• LIVE LOBSTER FROM OUR SALTWATER TANK • OUR SIGNATURE COCKTAIL SAUCE

541-286-4198 • 151 NW MONROE, IN CORVALLIS February / March 2014

The Arts Center presents Chocolate Fantasy Benton County Cover-up: 19th Century Coverlets and Quilts Benton County Cover-up is an exhibition of 19th century coverlets and quilts from the museum’s permanent collection. Coverlets are decorative woven bedspreads that often have intricate, dazzling, patterns. Most of these coverlets were woven on looms in homes across North America. Many of them came to Oregon via wagon train and have been treasured by Oregon families since the mid-1800s. These cozy covers have never been shown together and some have never been exhibited publicly. The exhibition is scheduled for January 24-March 8, 2014 at Benton County Museum, Philomath, Oregon.

Saturday, March 8, 2014 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Old School at the Children’s Farm Home 4455 NE Hwy 20, Corvallis, OR Join The Arts Center for our annual signature event! Chocolate Fantasy features confections from some of the area’s premier chocolatiers plus hors d’oeuvres and wine from some of your favorite local purveyors. Also included is a fabulous silent auction and on-site ArtShop. All proceeds benefit art and education programs at The Arts Center. Our venue, the Old School at the Children’s Farm Home has been recently renovated and brought back to its original beauty. Join us for this not-to-be-missed event! This year we have a limited number of tickets to sell purchase your tickets today! Patron Ticket: $100 ($40 donation to TAC, $70 tax deductible) Individual Ticket: $60 ($30 tax deductible)

Purchase your tickets at:

www.theartscenter.net

The Arts Center invites residents of all ages from Linn & Benton Counties to share your art with the community! All residents of Benton and Linn counties are invited to participate in the annual Howland Community Open exhibit at The Arts Center. Artists may contribute one piece of art to the show. The annual Howland Community OPEN Exhibition is one of our most popular exhibits. Saturday, March 1 bring in artwork from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Exhibit runs from March 4 to April 11 Reception and announcement of awards: March 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

For more See: http://bit.ly/1fFFvRj www.willametteliving.com

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Day Tripper

DESTINATION: Whistler BC

Compliments of Tourism Whistler