Portland Interview Magazine - 2018 by Portland Interview Magazine

INTERVIEW

ISSUE N ยบ 26 2018

dave dahl' s

KILLER INTERVIEW CR E ATO R /FOU N DE R

DAVE'S K ILLER B RE AD pg. 52

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CONTENT ISSUE 26 2018

COVER INTERVIEW DAVE DAHL CREATOR/FOUNDER DAVE'S KILLER BREAD

SPECIAL FEATURE INTERLACED FASHION/INTERIOR DESIGN

DAVE DAHL

FEATURE INTERVIEW TODD & TANIA MORAVITZ NUESTRA MESA

KELSEY TUCKER FILMMAKER

JAE RUTH ARTIST

DAN BARBATO ASIA AMERICA

EVERETT CARSON CARSON FOOTWEAR

TERRY SPRAGUE CEO LUXE PLATINUM PROPERTIES

PAT ZAHN STEEL DOOR GALLERY

INTERLACED

KELSEY TUCKER

TRIBUTE THOMAS PAUL AUGUSTINE ARTIST

NEWS VANCOUVER, WA CAMAS/WASHOUGAL LAKE OSWEGO DOWNTOWN NOB HILL PEARL DISTRICT MILWAUKIE SELLWOOD

94 95 96 96

TODD & TANIA

JAE RUTH

DAN BARBATO

EVERETT CARSON

TERRY SPRAGUE

PAT ZAHN

97 97 98 98

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LETTER

As each issue of Portland Interview comes together, a theme often emerges organically, revealing a common thread running through the articles. Spring is a time of rebirth, rejuvenation, and redemption, and this issue is imbued with the same significance. Poring over each person’s life – the struggles they’ve been through, what they’ve accomplished, and where they’re going – often feels like a family gathered together for open and honest discussion and introspection. We strive to let the stories unfold from the interview subjects themselves, and the result is very personal, as if these members of our family are living between the pages.

The New Pearl Perspective

For two of our interview subjects in this issue, Dave Dahl (pg. 52) and Terry Sprague (pg. 72), the road to success was loaded with potholes, twists and turns, and ultimately long straightaways leading to success and fulfillment of lifelong dreams. The heroe's journey is illustrated best in their own words, devoid of gossip and inuendo, sensationalism or embellishment. Though the writer brings us closer to understanding the full story, the words of our interview subjects themselves provide the most thought-provoking insight. Whether past, present, or future, the interviewees are revealing their journey through the interview process. I often think about the people we interview and how that impacts our readers. There is wisdom to be gained from reading their words, and I encourage you to fully immerse yourself in their stories, just as our writers have. Their accounts of demons battled, and obstacles overcome, are a source of inspiration to us all.

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CONTACT REACH OUT

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Portland Interview Magazine and the entire contents of this issue are copyright 2018 Choose Local Media Inc., all rights reserved and may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or part without written permission from Choose Local Media, Inc. Published by Choose Local Media, Inc. Portland Oregon Â© 2018

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FEATURE

Owners, Nuestra Mesa

Nuestra Mesa means “our table” and it’s obvious that owners Todd and Tania Moravitz strive to bring that sentiment to their restaurant in downtown Camas. After meeting in Mexico, Todd and Tania worked at restaurants throughout the Pacific Northwest before they finally settled in Camas and opened their own restaurant in 2010. Nuestra Mesa lives up to its name with a dark, warm interior that encourages diners to linger over great food and good conversation. Their menu offers salads, an extensive selection of tacos, their signature Tinga Nachos, and other large plates crafted with local and sustainable ingredients. The tradition and care put into each dish sets Nuestra Mesa apart. Locals love this spot for the delicious food, inviting atmosphere and top-notch margaritas.

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OUR

TABLE

W O R D S Justin Fields / Emily Penn | P H O T O G R A P H Y Tim Sugden

Todd, tell me about your first travels in Mexico. What drew you in and captivated your attention? Mexico has been a passion in our family long before I was born. Beginning with my grandparents love of both coastal and interior Mexico, my parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honeymooning in Mexico City in 1965 and my own surfing trips, I always knew I was destined to become a part of this culture. In 1994 an opportunity presented itself to move to Sayulita and open a restaurant with a childhood friend. Being able to enjoy two of my biggest passions, surfing and food, was a perfect match. What is Sayulita like when you compare it to say, Puerta Vallarta, or Cabo San Lucas? Having lived in Sayulita, a quaint fishing village, for nearly 7 years, I got to know the real culture. Places like Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas are beautiful, but they are busy and very touristy. Sayulita was special because there were only a handful of us North-Americans. What kinds of culinary wonders did you discover there? While I lived there, I had the opportunity to visit places like San Miguel Allende, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, Mexico

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City, and immersed myself in the daily culinary celebration: Chiles en Nogada, true enchiladas, mole, tacos al pastor and tinga. Tell me more about your wife Tania. How did you two meet? One day, getting out of the water, I saw the most beautiful woman my eyes had ever seen, and it has been the best journey. Tania and I married 20 years ago in Sayulita, where her parents live. Her father left Germany at the young age of 21. Found his way to Canada and ultimately Mexico where he met Tania’s mother. Tania was born and raised in Mexico City. She attended the German School in Mexico City and speaks three languages fluently. How did having your first child influence your life and career choices? When our first child Luke was born, it put a fire in my belly that I wasn’t aware of up until that point. What restaurants did you work at in Seattle and Portland? What was your most formative or

valuable takeaway from those experiences? After moving to the US, I first worked at Southpark in Portland, catering companies such as Food in Bloom and Art of Catering, and then Blue Water Bistro on Lake Union in Seattle. One of the owners of Blue Water Bistro put me through a “boot camp” that I will never forget. What inspires you about food? What ingredients are most important to you? When it comes to food, I love the sense of community that it brings. At Nuestra Mesa, local and sustainable ingredients, accompanied by authentic Mexican items have proved to be a key factor in our lives. What menu item are you most proud of? What’s most popular? We are proud of ALL our menu items because we feel like they each represent Mexico in its true glory. The most popular are our Tinga and Chile Relleno. Our Chef, Johnathan Curial, has done a great job and puts his heart into everything he does.

When it comes to food, I love the sense of community that it brings.

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Do you have any advice for young aspiring restaurateurs who may be unsure about whether they can reach their dreams? If there is one bit of advice I give to young aspiring restaurateurs, it’s that if you look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you are happily willing to do all that is required to do, and not just holding a glass of wine in your hand and saying hello to customers, then you have a chance.

Your father sounds like a great guy. What other ways did he impact your becoming a restaurateur? My father is responsible for igniting the passion I have for food today. His back story is so inspiring and tells the tale that simply because you come from a family that may not pursue the “arts” does not mean that you cannot. He has been an inspiration, a mentor and a hero. I don’t know if he even truly knows this. That’s where my love of food and serving the community comes from.

Nuestra mesa means “our table.” What was the process that led to your decision to name your dream? What does it mean to you? Nuestra Mesa, Our Table, started as a dream in our home kitchen, on our family table. As a child growing up, I was raised in a house that really cherished the art of cooking. My father was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and lived a very modest life with little exposure. He knew that there was a lot to discover in the world and made a conscious point to learn it. He became a very successful money manager and took a liking to the culinary world. As a child and still to this day my father has prepared various things in the kitchen that absolutely can be called treasures. Night after night growing up our family was treated to nothing ordinary.

Tell me about the interior design of Nuestra Mesa. What kind of feelings do you want your guests to experience? What mood do you strive to evoke? The interior design was inspired by our desire to create a warm, inviting ambiance. My wife Tania did an amazing job designing the space and making it a welcoming place. There’s something special about Camas. What is it? We feel incredibly blessed to be in a community like Camas. There is a strong, true sense of community and the city has been incredibly supportive of our restaurant. PI

ÜÜNuestraMesaCamas.com

LOCATION:

228 NE 4th Ave Camas, WA 98607 HOURS:

Monday - Thursday 11:30am - 9:00pm Friday & Saturday 11:30am - 10:00pm Sunday 10:00am - 3:00pm (brunch only) HAPPY HOUR:

Monday - Saturday 3 - 5pm - food & drinks PHONE NUMBER:

360-210-5311

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FEATURE

Filmmaker

KELSEY TUCKER

HAIR/MAKE M'chel Bauxal-Gleason | ON SET PHOTOS Todd Siechen

W O R D S Stephanie Von Allmen | P H O T O G R A P H Y Tim Sugden To know Kelsey Tucker is to love her, so when I had the opportunity to feature my eccentric neighbor in Portland Interview Magazine I jumped at the chance. The spotlight is on Tucker this issue to celebrate the recent success of her movie, The Competition, which premiered earlier this year. The hilarious rom-com was written and produced in Portland and starred well-known actors, Thora Birch and Chris Klein. Think American Beauty and American Pie, respectively. Tucker’s passion for acting started in the seventh grade and continued throughout her teenage years. As an adult, Tucker enjoyed a fruitful career as a lawyer. But following her marriage to husband, Will Tucker, and the birth of their son, Dash, she gradually removed herself from the practice of law and re-engaged with the acting world. “It was like returning home after a long spell of amnesia when you didn’t know where home was, or recall ever missing it,” said Tucker. She immediately responded to the material and to working with actors again. She signed with Dennis Troutman at Option Model and Media and soon started booking commercials and films. One evening Tucker expressed to Will how reinvigorated she felt acting again, and she told him she was curious what it would take to make her screenplay, The Competition, into a film. It’s a story about a girl who thinks that all men are pigs, and a guy who challenges her to a competition to prove her wrong – using their own friends as test subjects. Will encouraged her to explore the idea.

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What inspired you to write, produce and act in your very own film? I was inspired by the local filmmakers in Portland who were filming their own stuff – short films, PSAs, even full-length features. I became aware that the digital camera made it possible to produce your own projects on small budgets. I thought, “I wonder if I could make my movie happen? What would that take?” I started taking several filmmakers to lunch and asking questions. I don’t think I had any idea the size of the project I was taking on. I knew I had my legal background to rely on, so I wasn’t daunted by the paperwork, and I had great relationships with the actors and the crew in Portland. But I didn’t realize that there is so much more that goes into making a film. I learned a great deal about film editing, song licensing, sound editing, VFX, distribution, and marketing. And I became very close to our entertainment lawyer. And none of this would have been possible without Executive Producer Scott South. He is a film buff like I am, but he’s also a wicked smart entrepreneur. He pushed me to have a bigger vision for where the film could go, and he became a trusted friend. It’s a very funny concept for a movie. Where did you get the idea for The Competition? The inspiration came during my college years. I had two back-to-back relationships that were my first experiences in love. Both were deep connections that lasted for a few years. Both ended with the guys cheating on me. That hurt of course, but the thing that got me thinking was how devastated they both were when they came clean, and how much they wanted to make it right and stay together. I really struggled with why it is that people who are in loving relationships will still sometimes fall for temptation. That was the beginning. I’m an optimist at heart, and I also find humor in anything. So, when I began writing about this topic, I created a protagonist who herself struggles with these serious issues, but the people around her lighten the mood. Life is funny. People are funny. It had to be a comedy. What where some of your biggest challenges you encountered while creating your first film? Money. As a producer it all comes down to money. If our budget had been higher we could have used an Alexa 35 mm camera. The images are just richer. We could have scheduled more days, allowing for more takes, which gives the actors freedom to play with their lines and come up with spontaneous moments. We could have added locations so that long conversations could have taken place in different places, breaking up the scenery for the audience. None of that was possible on a small budget. We just went at break-neck speed. And we did it! I have Director Harvey Lowery and our DP Emmanuel Vouniozos to thank with that along with my producing partners and the hard work of our cast and crew. I was lucky. We finished on time and on budget! How did you decide where to film your scenes around Portland and who to cast? Primarily it was what I had available to me. I used my house for various sets for several scenes. I asked my old law firm if we could shoot the corporate scenes in their offices. I asked my neighbors if we could use their decks, homes and yards. Then I approached local business owners to ask if we could use their restaurants and bookstores. I didn’t have money to offer them. Every set location agreed to help in exchange for a movie poster and an invitation to the premier. I think they wanted to help

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a local filmmaker. And people in the Portland area aren’t burned out like the people in LA are. If you want to use a location there, you pay for it. Casting local actors in the supporting roles was very important to me. One of my missions in making the movie was bringing more work to Portland. I want to show the world how beautiful and friendly Portland is to filmmakers, and how talented our actors are. Our casting sessions were so great. Lori Lewis of FreeSpirit Casting did some of the early local casting, and L.A.-based casting director Ricki Maslar cast our leads and filled in the remaining supporting roles with local actors. The local actors we cast were awesome, and so professional. And our leads killed it. Thora is such a pro, and Chris Klein always cracks me up! He’s such a comedian. I caught the film on On Demand a few months ago. Where can our readers view The Competition now? Gravitas Ventures is our domestic distributor and we were thrilled when they arranged for a theatrical release and release nearly all On Demand platforms the same day. The Competition can now be purchased or rented On Demand and on iTunes, with the direct iTunes link here: apple.co/2BJZpda. The movie can also be purchased or rented on Amazon, Fandango Now, Google Play, Vimeo, Vudu, AT&T, Charter, Cox, Dish, Suddenlink, and Time Warner Cable. I’m also really happy with our foreign sales team at VMI Worldwide. So far, they have successfully sold the film to China, the U.K., the United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand! As a new filmmaker in the Portland area, what advice can you give to others in the industry from writers, producers to actors to investors? Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to approach successful people and to believe you deserve a seat at the table. Surround yourself with people who know more about making movies than you do. Have all your money in the bank before day one. For writers and actors my advice is to keep working at your passion. We hear lots of “no’s.” Don’t take it personally. Keep at it. Don’t quit. Continued on page 92

"I’m an optimist at heart, and I also find humor in anything."

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FEATURE

Artist

From

Doodles

to Digital

It doesn’t take long to figure out that Jae Ruth is not your typical fourteen-year-old. Quirky, with a strong sense-of-self meets contemporary with a dark edge; traits that are personified throughout her characters. She is observably articulate, expressive and, according to her mom, “very intense and silly.” Having been raised by artistic parents, she speaks the language of the art world as you would expect from a seasoned artist. This talented, self-taught, digital artist has success and opportunity already knocking at her door. Jae’s interest in art began at an early age and has since established recognition with showings at Crafty Wonderland. After delving into Photoshop and Manga Studio, Jae has built quite a following on Instagram. Her passion and talents lead her into the future: a successful a career. Although, recently having been commissioned for a local advertisement, a career is already in the making. Jae immerses herself in art finding inspiration in graphic novels, cartoons, animation films, art and photography classes and even a playlist ranging from Indie to K-Pop that helps her “get into the mood of the character.” As she maneuvers around the computer searching through hundreds of images, clicking, dragging files and typing faster than these adult eyes can keep up with, I find myself thinking, "I want to be her when I grow up."

JAE

RUTH

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W O R D S Adelle McLean P H O T O G R A P H Y Josh Burnett

When did you get into digital art? My parents bought me a beginner’s tablet about five years ago. At first, I really hated it. It was hard with the hand-eye coordination, but as I went on, it looked cleaner in a way; more professional. After a while, I started using my dad’s old tablet. Even now, it’s just kind of become what I do. You mentioned your dad had a tablet, is your dad an artist as well? He does it like a hobby. He’s more into photography, but he definitely does a lot of drawing; more traditional than digital. But, I do think I’ve taken some inspiration from him. How would you describe your art? It’s very cartoony. There’s really not a lot of realism in it besides the proportions. I feel like my art style is taking inspiration from other artists. It just feeds into my own style. I have the opportunity to doodle in art class and I’ll bring it home, scan it, and digitize it. When I do digital art, I try to keep a line list with something called, cell shading. It’s basically, no blending. Usually, the shading is on a top layer so, if you erase it, you don’t have to erase the whole entire thing. I end up with around ten layers because I mess with the opacity and the colors a lot. Your home is filled with creativity and various styles of art, how does this impact your life as an artist? Both of my parents are very creative and that’s seen all around the house. Like, my mom does crafting, fabric, sewing and a lot of work with felt that’s very intricate. My dad does illustration, photography and editing visuals. They both, like me, have a love for artists, graphic novels and just anything where you can really see art shining. It’s the main focus of how they decorated their houses. So, I feel like I’ve always grown up knowing that art was a big thing in my family. Is there a particular artist or style of art that stands out to you? There’s a comic called, Snot Girl. I just really like the color palettes and the way that she shades and draws the characters. You have a lot of graphic novels on your bookshelf, do you have a favorite? To be honest, probably Scott Pilgrim because I really like the story. It’s just super quirky and the art style is very cartoony. As I read it, I got really attached to the characters. I always like something where I can see character development and really connect with them. So, when you’re creating your own characters in terms of character development, what is that process like for you? I find that it’s really hard because I make this character and start writing for it. I find out that it’s really difficult to write a character with a personality and with different traits. I have to make a lot of changes and add new characters so there’s more content. How does your art reflect your own life? I think it’s mostly in my characters. A lot of times I will base them off of things that I’ve had happen or just different traits of myself to make them seem more realistic. This also applies to my friends. I will take something like, a habit and subtly mix it in to make them seem more human-like. What is your favorite piece that you’ve created and why? One of my most recent digital drawings of a character. I really liked the color palette and it was one of the first times I got out of my comfort zone. I went from doing very bold line-art to just having no line-art and working more with shading; making it detailed despite not having black lines. Lineless art is kind of hard when one of the biggest things, that gives it a lot of personality, is just gone.

Top to Bottom "Body Positive" 2017 | "Tobi" 2018 | "Hanahaki" 2017

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"Momo" 2018

Gildaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ITALIAN RESTAURANT

1601 SW Morrison Street, Portland 97209

Authentic Regional Italian Cuisine 503-688-5066 | GildasItalianRestaurant.com

interview

When you dream of your future, in regards to art, where do you see yourself going? My biggest dream is to be a freelance artist. You’re not under a really big management, but it’s also probably one of the more difficult ones because you have to rely on people seeing your art and commissioning you, going to art shows or places where you sell your prints and stories. But, I also think that concept art such as, video games or movies with character designing would be kind of cool! What advice would you give to a budding artist of any age? Just practice. That’s how you get better. Also, by going out of your comfort zone and taking reference from other artists: noticing details and incorporating it into your own style, but continue adding your own personality. I think it’s important to be willing and brave enough to help yourself learn different things. Just keep getting out of your comfort zone. PI Instagram: Isobelru Twitter: Isobelrue

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"Tracer" 2016

Portland’s Original

experience the joy of fine fragrances

Perfumery

ThePerfumeHouse 3328 SE Hawthorne Boulevard ¥ Portland OR 97214 5047 ¥ United States www.theperfumehouse.com ¥ info@theperfumehouse.com 503 234 5375 phone ¥ 503 234 0063 fax

Owner, Asia America

PORT S N I A Dan Barbato

FEATURE

W O R D S Merlin Varaday P H O T O G R A P H Y Tim Sugden Asia America (79 SE Taylor, Suite 200) owner Dan Barbato wants to provide an opportunity for you to “travel to Asia right here in Portland”. After accepting a Peace Corps assignment in China in his youth (as he puts it, “the flourish of someone else’s pen set the course of my fate”), Dan spent over fifteen years in various Eastern countries. His travels even led him to his wife, Ningshu. Returning to the United States to raise their children, Eli and Kaia (now seven and four), the couple decided to settle in the Pacific Northwest. Serendipitously, Dan met former Asia America owner Nick Louthan, and the two hammered out a deal transferring ownership of the vast import business. Dan recounts with delight how similar the endeavor is to a business plan he created while pursuing his MBA at Thunderbird, an international management school in Arizona.

Asia America

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N G I

Don’t skimp on time when you visit Asia America’s two locations, one in close-in Southeast, one at 0315 SW Montgomery Street, Suite 330 on the South Waterfront. The journey is worth the time. Dan has brought back design elements from as far away as Sichuan, China, Bangkok, Thailand and Jaipur, India. And there is a story to be told behind each piece.

U RO

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You spent fifteen years in Asia. How did those experiences influence you? Travel is an education that continues to inform my life every day. The conclusion I came to after all those years of travel is that there are a million ways to live life, and none of them are more right or correct than any other. I think it’s important to bump yourself out of your frame of reference, or what people call their “comfort zone”. It helps me remember what is important to me on a day-to-day basis, and what I want to pass on to my kids. Most of that relates to trying to keep what I call a “blue sky” in my mind – it’s an openness to other cultures and other ideas, and all of those things that are really valuable. I find if you are too focused on your daily routine, it can be easy to forget to stay open to new experiences. Those two years in the Peace Corps were tough, but it was worth every minute, because of the trajectory that it has launched me onto. I think about the fact that Eli and Kaia have been to China and Japan, and seen lots of things, and they are only seven and four! I didn’t travel until I was about 20. It’s fun to see them absorb all of these different experiences without an overly critical mind. Thinking about Portland and Shanghai, what do you feel is most similar and most different? How did these two experiences shape you as an individual and as a business leader? Shanghai is a coastal city. The two characters that make up the name mean “on the ocean”. And Portland isn’t on the ocean, but it is pretty close. Cities along the coast lines have an openness to outside influences. Shanghai has historically been known for being open to different ideas, making them its own. It was a very cosmopolitan city in the 1930’s or so, with the French Quarter and Japanese Quarter. That willingness to accept outside ideas is one of the main similarities between Portland and Shanghai. What inspires you? Whatever promotes human connection. Experiences that are informative in ways that you wouldn’t expect them to be. For example, in China the majority of tables are round. Why is that? Because it is a very collaborative culture. Round tables facilitate every-

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body contributing to a decision-making process, versus having a head of the table with everyone seated along the sides. It’s one of those art-reflecting-life-reflecting-art things. At a round table, you are surrounded by people who are a part of the decision-making process, and the decision sort of gets made collectively by the structure of where you are seated. I am inspired by ideas culturally that have a lot of historical value, and there was intention behind it. Ideas that are distilled down through time and generations are what inspire me. Different cultural perspectives fascinate me - you can drill down on each one in terms of why they do things the way that they do. For example, in Japan design is so much about man-made objects melded with the natural environment. For example, the air and space in a vase – the negative space – is considered part of the vase. Those concepts are influenced by Taoism and Confucianism. And they consider warm and cool, the yin and yang, and Feng Shui. I like the fact that exploring these ideas makes you shift your sense of reality in a very fundamental way.

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Asia America supports an organization called Bridges Between. Can you describe what their work is about? In the DNA of Asia America is the idea that in your everyday life you can be doing more to help communities that could use help or resources. Our staff member Katherine Demsky is the Founder of Bridges Between, and we support her in that and promote the effort. Katherine travels to Nepal to provide resources to women educators in the community. We will have events from time to time where 10% of sales go to Bridges Between. For more information, please see www.bridgesbetween.org. What makes you feel most comfortable/comforted at home? One of the things that I really like about this work is that every piece here has a story, and every piece comes with its own history. That’s what I want to be surrounded by, rather than something that is new or trendy, and was made in a factory. From the incense we carry that was made by a Buddhist friend in Shanghai – it’s just sandalwood, no perfumes or additives - all the way to large-scale projects, like lamps made from grain-sifting pots from India, we’re all about bringing back things that really speak to us, that we would want in our own homes. That’s how we make our decisions about what to get when we go on purchasing trips: “Is this something that I would want in my own home?” Our target audience is people who find the history in objects interesting. PI

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P H O T O G R A P H Y Choiyee Wong H A I R / M A K E - U P Heidi Gravier

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Christiane Millinger From my earliest age I have enjoyed fabrics, wool, interior beauty and human behavior within beautiful environments. I also benefited from a very tight-knit community in my childhood. While Portland is bigger, it still is a wonderfully connected community. Over the past 25 years I have enjoyed incredible connections to people in Portland, working so closely with them trying to express their version of beauty and joy in their homes. Some families I am honored to work with are 3rd generation now. Since I am never short on an aesthetic opinion or an historic anecdote about rugs, it has been and continues to be a remarkably joyful journey. PI

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Sonia Kasparian I've been a designer for over 33 years. I've worked for some pretty major companies building brands and expanding markets, which was great fun for the most part and allowed me to use the business side of my brain. But for the last eight years or so I have been making bespoke couture which is artistry, and my true love, out of my home base of Portland, Oregon. My process of building is almost exclusively draping. That means I work 3-Dimensionally on either a tailoring form, or on my clients' own bodies. This gives me a fit and aesthetic that simply cannot be achieved through a flat pattern drafted garment. Each piece I create is one of a kind, and non-reproduced. My clients come from all over the nation, and contract me to design garments for galas, red carpet events, and for their own weddings. They find me through either word of mouth, referrals, having seen my work in stores from back when I used to keep a small retail presence, or through randomly finding me. I work with them both remotely, and also through their coming into town for fittings.

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I'm also a sculptor and an incredibly detail and process oriented person by nature, so couture is a perfect fit for me. I also like the process and challenge of working directly with clients, and creating one of a kind pieces, which would be much more of a challenge if I did not have amazing, inventive, and wonderful clients. I feel very fortunate to be able to live here in Portland in this beautiful place, and be part of this amazing vibrant, creative and supportive community. There are, of course, challenges choosing to be a bespoke couture designer here as opposed to a major city where there would be a much larger clientele for my work. There would be many more high-profile functions, and resources to find local materials and at lower prices. But the benefits of designing in Portland far outweigh the challenges. URCHIN: Re-Design Couture, vintage re-created from heirloom fabrics, ephemera, flotsam and jetsam. PI

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FEATURE

Owner, Carson Footwear

W O R D S Jyssica Yelas | P H O T O G R A P H Y Tim Sugden Entrepreneurs are notorious for their love of freedom. This typically brings to mind creating one’s own hours, flexibility for travel, and bringing creative ideas to life without running it by the next one up the ladder. For Everett Carson, though, this materialized through the design of a shoe. After trying barefoot running, he desired a shoe that could provide the next best experience, but he couldn’t find it. Prior plans to begin a brewery were pushed aside, and he took matters into his own hands to create something that was badly needed in the market. Carson Footwear was born in Milwaukie, Oregon, where every shoe is made to this date.

Your website says, “We believe your run should not be about our shoes...RUN YOUR OWN RUN.” What does it mean to run your own run? A good friend of mine told me that one day when we were out on a trail run. Basically, it helped me change my focus from what was around me, and more on what I was doing. I realized at that point that the shoes I had on my feet were influencing my run more than they should. That said, I haven’t had a running injury since I have been logging miles in my shoes. I am approaching five thousand miles injury free.

D e s i g n e d Has running always been an important part of your life? When do you remember first experiencing a connection to running? I hated running as a kid. To me, it was punishment for whatever sport I was in at the time.

Everett Carson

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Carson Footwear is another product of that Born to Run book. My wife Nicole was reading it one night, and I read just enough to want to try running barefoot. I thought it was just another exercise gimmick. I went downstairs with a glass of wine and ran on the treadmill to see what the hell they were talking about. After one mile I thought ‘this is totally crap, this isn’t natural.’ Then I realized what I just said. ‘Of course, it’s natural, dumbass, it’s as natural as it gets.’ I ran another mile or so - I think about three and a half miles total. It felt super-efficient, super clean, with less impact and I was sold. Then my feet started to bleed and I knew I needed shoes! The adventure began.

You’ve been known to say, “In my hunt for the perfect running shoe, what I saw was an industry that had been abandoned by the American entrepreneur.” Can you elaborate on that? What I found at first was that all the shoe experts were just graphic designers with 3D printers that could make models of shoes out of sample quality materials. That was an expensive, frustrating lesson, but the more I looked the more I found that there was no infrastructure to support footwear or apparel production in the USA. We still have our production molds made overseas, but we have managed to find all but a very small amount of raw material from US companies. I am excited about the growing infrastructure. It is moving this way, and I am sure we will have one hundred percent US-sourced raw materials before the end of the year. The next big challenge will be to revitalize the manufacturing equipment supply chain. All our equipment is manufactured overseas. Unless we can get some equipment manufactured here, we will never be able to match production efficiencies. I know there are lots of possibilities with automation and robotics coming online, but what I have seen is they don’t yield a better product, just a more profitable product.

What about the design of Carson Footwear shoes makes them unique? The big difference with Carson footwear is the polyurethane sole. They are perfectly flat with zero drop from heel to toe. Poly gives such better proprioception it’s almost laughable to compare to EVA and rubber. The upper

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is minimal as well. We are just now introducing a little more reinforced toe cap, but other than that it’s barebones, all you need to run your own run.

Can you explain the process of designing a Carson shoe? How has that process evolved since the beginning? Most of our shoes have a story behind them. The first pair, the Iguana Racer, is taken from an image of a little day gecko, now our mascot, Iggy. The process is pretty much the same. We don’t have quotas to meet or anybody to answer to, so we just look for inspiration in our travels. I will admit, there is a lot of loud music and beer to help nurture inspiration! We let everybody on the team create, and we do some custom shoes for folks who have fun ideas. Inspiration drives the design. If you run in the snow, we will make you a wool shoe. If you like zombies,

There is

we will make you a killer shoe for that too. Fun is the key element.

What did the first shoe you ever designed look like? The first shoe was the carbon neutral. The sole looked like the 10/10, except when you take a drawing and throw it into the typical manufacturing process, it comes back with a huge heel lift, like twenty millimeters. The toe was twentyfive millimeters, and the heel was fortyfive millimeters. It took two more rounds of development to get footwear people to understand flat! Why footwear? Well, my primary business, Pacific Marketing & Publishing, was maturing and I like making things. I had set up a small microbrewery in the garage and was planning to invest in a brewery. Drinking more beer, I was running more, and after injuring myself for the second

time in a year I decided that I could get plenty of good beer, but good minimal running shoes made in the USA were impossible to find.

Your shoes are 100% made by in USA. What influenced this decision, and have you encountered any obstacles with this decision? The reason was to change the paradigm - the shoe buying process is such a wreck. Typically, you go to a store looking for a shoe that you bought last summer, and it’s not there. They’ll say, “Hey, here’s the new model,” but it doesn’t fit the same as last year. I wanted to make shoes that you can reorder and know they will fit the exact same way, and really the only way to do that was to run your own factory. There is a theme: Run your own run, and run your own factory. Being in highvolume production environments my

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whole adult life, taking on the obstacles of starting a shoe factory sounded fun to me. Crank up the tunes, let’s do some battle, and have some fun. The industry standard for glue was a toxic endeavor. We had to grind the poly to break the skin, oxidize both sides, then use industrial contact cement. Toxic toxic toxic, and it didn’t work on poly! I thought we were done. We had glue experts from several companies trying to find a solution, then an old guy at Northern got ahold of me and told me about a new TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) film glue they were working on. It was the perfect solution. We close the molds with the sheet, and we get a mechanical bond on both surfaces! Now the biggest obstacle is just skilled people, and of course sales. We can always use more to help sustain the supply chain. If you could outfit any athlete, who would it be and why? Lindsey Vonn. We are mountain lovers, we ski, and we run. Our shoes are meant for the alpine trails, and running downhill with our super sticky responsive polyurethane soles reminds me of skiing. I might have a chance to beat her in that downhill race! PI

ÜÜCarsonFootWear.com

I am sure we will have one hundred percent US-sourced raw materials before the end of the year.

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FEATURE

Creator/Founder, Dave's Killer Bread

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GooDSEED the

dave dahl

W O R D S David Bentley P H O T O G R A P H Y Tim Sugden

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We have seen throughout history how the power of a single driven individual can affect the lives of countless people. Our cover-featured interviewee this issue is Dave Dahl, the “Good Seed” creator of Dave’s Killer Bread. Known as a champion of “second chance” jobs, personal ambassador for mental health issues, avid collector of African tribal art, writer and musician… ok, he’s basically a badass. Dave’s maverick ambitions in the organic food and baking industry have made him a baker of legend. Today, millions of bread lovers coast-to-coast enjoy the bread bearing his iconic cartoon-figure, guitar-jamming likeness. His journey goes from a restrictive religious upbringing, to high-speed police chases, finishing with a lifestyle that rivals an MTV “Cribs” episode; going from bad seed to good. Dave’s Cinderella story has never been lacking in hard knocks and gut punches, beginning even before his teenage battles with depression, acne, girls, and drugs. With a rap sheet leading to 15 years’ incarceration within multiple states, Dave decided to raise the white flag in desperation during his fourth and final prison stint. This provided a chance to see if anti-depressants would alleviate some of his internal anguish. That fateful decision changed everything in his life and the “good seed” was born that would impact innumerable lives in the process. Today, I find myself 27 stories up in a penthouse with 360-degree panoramic views of downtown that occupies the entire top floor. It happens to look down upon the Portland Farmers’ Market where Dave sold his first loaves of bread. The decor is contemporary with accents of tribal art from his private collection. In front of me is a relaxed Dave Dahl in jeans, tee shirt and boots with his guitar just an arm’s reach away…

Dave Dahl: Over there. That’s where the ‘good seed’ started to blossom. Good memories. Still seems unreal. All the things that have happened. The failures and successes. The growth. Narrator: He takes a drag on a Camel Wide, his last addiction besides a steady fitness regimen. Addicted to something most of his life, Dave was in and out of trouble, and in and out of prison for about half of his life because of those addictions. Dahl: You see that homeless guy down there? I was probably worse off than THAT guy when I was in Detroit. At one point, I was so useless that I got kicked out of the slums and started living in abandoned houses. Swarms of cockroaches would scatter in all directions when I woke up and lifted my head from my coat, or whatever I slept on. Narrator: I am thinking… How is that possible? How does any person go from sleeping with cockroaches to living in a multi-million-dollar penthouse in any one lifetime? How does one go from stealing from strangers to giving futures to ex-cons? Let alone doing it in record time while still fighting addictions and mental health issues along the way? Portland Interview: What’s the secret to going from the sidewalk to where you sit now? Why don’t you bottle that up and sell it?! Dahl: (Laughing) I wish I could! But really, anyone can change. In my own past, I had the power to change at any time, all I had to do was the next right thing. Then the next, and the next. And so on. But if you want a secret, mine was: don’t make excuses. Stop blaming others. Take charge of your life. Excuses and blame - they’re stall tactics to growth. Narrator: Years back, I had heard the legend about his one-of-a-kind, organic, expensive—and as I found out—addictive bread. Is there a theme here? As we start to walk back in his pad, I spot a loaf of the yellowbagged Killer Bread.

54 | PORTLANDINTERVIEW.COM

"Excuses and blame

they’re stall tactics

to growth.”

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Good Seed is the epitome of my recipes. But for me, it’s personal. Very personal. All I’ve been through, my journey, my family legacy, my Dad’s legacy - it’s all literally wrapped up right there.

PI: I love the yellow flavor. That’s my favorite. Yours too, I take it? Dahl: Yeah, “Good Seed”. Say it out loud! The name means something very important. Good Seed is the epitome of my recipes. But for me, it’s personal. Very personal. All I’ve been through, my journey, my family legacy, my Dad’s legacy - it’s all literally wrapped up right there. Narrator: Dave’s father James Dahl was decades ahead of his time, a 1950s baker making a healthier bread before hardly anyone anywhere cared. If you follow the seed back to the beginning, you might conclude that Dave’s Killer Bread (né Nature bake, né Survival Foods, né Nature’s Storehouse, né Midway Bakery) was HIS baby. His dream of creating a revolutionary natural alternative baked product would culminate 60 years later through the success of his sons’ own organic bread line, when Dave’s Killer Bread was sold to the 2nd-largest bakery in the country in 2015 for $275M. Jim Dahl was a hard-working hard-liner. A Richard Nixon Republican who had disdain for the very liberals who comprised the majority of the “underground” market that kept his business, then named Nature’s Storehouse, from being a complete failure. When they were old enough, his four kids (Glenn, Linda, David, and Albert) were required to work there after school and on Sundays. For the Dahls, bread has always been a family business. Jim, by all accounts, had a heavy-handed, authoritarian approach to raising a family. They were raised as he had been, as Seventh- Day Adventists, attending SDA schools and church on Saturday, the Holy Sabbath. But he did not attend church, himself. According to Dave, his father typically had a “do as I say, not as I do” parenting style. Wanene, Jim’s wife, was also a strict SDA fundamentalist in her beliefs and approach to life. She was kinder and gentler, and unlike her husband, she followed to the letter the interpretation of the Bible she had been taught. Everything ultimately revolved around church and family. Sending her kids to a strict SDA school, she dutifully helped her husband and tried to teach the children the right way. “My folks were ill-equipped to handle me,” Dave admits, “I think I was uncommonly sensitive, and I had a lot of feelings going on inside that I could never really express so that anyone could understand.” His Dad was focused on bread and his mom was focused on God. Dahl: From as early as I can recall, I was uncomfortable in my own skin. We didn’t fit in, anywhere. I was ashamed of the way my family was and how we lived. If it were a movie, there would be a soundtrack reminiscent of “Deliverance,” though we didn’t live in the boonies. But if we had, we probably would’ve shared living quarters with the livestock (grins). We were essentially barely getting by, financially, and we lived a very poor quality of life, in so many ways. My socially inept parents, run-down living quarters, ratty cars, and tattered clothes were all a source of shame for me. PI: What were some of their qualities you valued that might have been passed on? Dahl: I think my dad had a saving grace, and that was his offbeat creativity. But Mom was the grounded one, even if I felt that the

foundation she was grounded to was essentially not reality-based. Undeniably, they were honest folks, and worked very hard for very little return. I’m sure this ethic served me over time. My dad was full of off-the-wall ideas, but he was angry and depressed so much of the time. I bet he would be diagnosed as bipolar, today. If he could’ve overcome the demons that ruled him, I bet he would have accomplished a lot more. But people didn’t discuss their mental health problems in those days. He would’ve never admitted a problem, and therefore he could never overcome it. PI: Challenge can often enhance or empower other talents… Dahl: In time I’ve come to believe that independent, creative thinking and mental illness can be two seemingly conflicting aspects of the same personality. The same thing that makes you laugh, can make you cry. Makes me slower to judge my dad, others, and myself. But when I was 12, I just saw my dad as a slob, a dummy, and a prick. I hated everything I was born into. I felt increasingly trapped. PI: Sounds like you were battling an identity crisis. Dahl: Yes. I’d been basically taught that everything was strictly black or white. Particularly God and religion. And, more and more, I wasn’t buying any of it. My few misfit friends and their families were SDA believers as well, so for fear of losing what little social acceptance I had, I just kept my non-belief to myself. What was happening was very uncomfortable—screwing with my mental wiring. When I was about 12-13 years old, I just didn’t believe what I was being taught anymore, but in desperation, I gave one last chance to the God who it seemed was such a real and essential part of everyone else’s life. Would “He” answer just one prayer or give me just one sign, like those given to the doubters in the Bible? So, I went on a sort of spiritual quest. After church school every weekday, I got down on my knees and prayed for belief to return. Then, I read a section of the Bible, and finished once again on my knees. The more I did this, the less of the Bible and many other “facts” rang true for me. My mother was aware of my doubts, and I know it was tough on her. She tried to counter it but wasn’t equipped for it—she had never “been there.” As my spiritual disillusionment fed a new kind of hopelessness about ‘the meaning of life,’ I began turning to drugs to fill the despair. My behavior started to change, and my mom was so concerned that she sent me to church leaders, who seemed irritated and dismissive of my doubts, like my thoughts weren’t valid. They weren’t there to counsel lost souls like me. Narrator: The universal existential crisis. Dave had a big one at age 12 that would change the course of his life and everyone around him for the next 40 years. We talked more about his emotional state being entirely dependent upon things like the weather, girls, and of course his authoritarian parents and church. “I think my loss of faith in the god that ruled the world in my childhood had a devastating effect on me. I had a very hard time believing in anything, especially myself. The only things that brought me some relief were exercise, playing my guitar and watching Blazer games with my dad.”

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PI: You and your dad were Blazer fans? Dahl: Indeed! My dad and I shared a passion for the Blazers that gave us a basis for at least a little bit of a relationship. They were rarely televised back then, but Bill Schonely’s killer radio voice made those games come to life on my little red, donutshaped Panasonic transistor radio. I was 11 years old when Bill Walton was drafted in ‘74, and my dad and I had something to hope for. For a couple of years, they did lose more than they won. But when they did win, I won. My dad won. When they won the NBA title in ‘77, it was magic! Narrator: What comes up, comes down. And for the newly hopeless Dave, it came down hard. Dahl: Suicidal thoughts were a regular thing in my teen years. I probably had what would now be called ADHD. It was bad. Couldn’t maintain concentration long enough to finish a conversation. By 14, I remember that I had discovered rock music, alcohol, and marijuana. Whether I was sober, or I was buzzed on something, I steered clear of anything that required paying attention. PI: Early teen years are tough for many… Dahl: Well, I had face and body acne so bad that I was often too ashamed to go in public, let alone on a date. If I could get enough sun on me to dry and clear the skin, I would begin to get hope—and occasionally, even hook up—but it was a chronic and debilitating problem. My low self-esteem and inability to concentrate kept me from trying a lot of things, made me feel stupid, and all those things just fed upon each other. So yeah, suicide seemed like a reasonable option. I increasingly hated my dad and everything about my family and I just wanted out. All the winners in life seemed to believe that suicide was the weak and easy way out, but I felt pretty damn weak, and it didn’t seem easy to me at all. I guess ‘cuz deep down, I knew I wasn’t done just yet. I had unfinished business. Narrator: I glance over at a picture of a young man, clean cut, 70’s garb and swagger. Dave catches my eye-line and says, “That’s me.”

58 | PORTLANDINTERVIEW.COM

Dahl: I was hopeless and deep down, searching. Crazy stuff always happened—I scared even the other loser/outcast/misfits and on the second day of my senior year at Gresham High, I was sitting alone at lunch when I decided to leave it all behind and run away. I had about $500 and I packed a bag and hit the road, hitchhiking eastbound. I think this was the first time I tried to find a geographical solution to my problems. Long story short, I was back in 10 days. Got stuck in Nebraska, and I got a bus ticket back to Portland, disillusioned once again. After all, the real problem, my broken heart and empty soul, were always there, wherever I went. Narrator: Dave trying to escape his negative circumstances and internal angst would become a pattern. He would soon move out and move in with his 7½ yearolder brother, Glenn. Dahl: Glenn had grown up way ahead of us kids, he seemed to have a better foundation. He was also my boss at the bakery, which he was taking over because our 50-something dad was starting to have health problems. I really looked up to my older brother and thought he had it all figured out and I guess I unfairly assumed he’d have it figured out for me too… Narrator: By age 17, Dave was attending a lot of rock concerts, along with a loose little clique of weed-smoking, acid-eating, and drinking buddies. Dahl: None of us were ladies’ men, but I always felt like the unluckiest of the bunch. And to this day, I don’t think I was overreacting. Life was shit, and I made it worse by using substances that rarely had a positive effect. At 18, one of my misfit buddies joined the Marine Corps, and something amazing happened… He came home from boot camp a very different, better man. It was my first indication that people can change. I was inspired to join up myself, hoping they could make a man out of me, too. PI: Uncle Sam going to whip you into shape? Dahl: Yeah. While I was near the top of my 55-member platoon in physical performance, I had no chance in the classroom. Partly due to my inability to concentrate,

and partly cuz I couldn’t see the chalkboard or anything else. I wouldn’t wear the thick poindexter glasses I was prescribed for nearsightedness. If that wasn’t enough, my body acne was at perhaps it’s all-time worst. I had it everywhere. My zits had zits. We had nightly shirt-off inspections by the drill instructor team, and they began to single me out for ridicule as an unwashed pig. Why else would I have acne so bad? It was all crushing to an already broken kid. So, what did I do? I ran away. I waited till Thanksgiving Day, when I knew most of the staff would be home with their families, and we were given the opportunity to attend the church service of our choice. I was the only Seventh-Day Adventist in the platoon, so this was my chance. I dressed in my “K-Mart issue” PT shorts and Hanes white undershirt beneath my dress khakis and made off like a worshipper. But instead, I walked to the tall fence, jumped it and started running thru the airfield that borders MCRD. I took off my khakis and dumped them in the trash. I just kept running, for hours. Finally, an off-duty MP chased me down and tackled me. Took me back to the depot and I spent the next 3 days in CCP (Correctional Custody Platoon) sanding wood blocks and PT’ing all waking hours. I refused to go back to my platoon, and they eventually realized I was a lost cause. It was a new all-time low for me. Another clear sign that I was a loser and a ne’er do well. Took a few weeks to get me out of there, with a General Discharge Under Honorable Conditions, basically blaming my recruiting gunnery sergeant for all of it. Narrator: After his short stint in the Marines, Dave got married and had a baby girl, (Davene Michelle—now 33 and living in Sweden) somehow thinking all of that would finally fill the void. PI: They say having a kid can make a man out of you? Dahl: Not so much. Not a lot of critical thought went into it until we were both trapped and miserable. And of course, fighting over everything. I kept leaving her, running away again and again but always getting lonely and returning.

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"Life was shit, and I made it worse by using substances that rarely had a positive effect.â&#x20AC;?

60 | PORTLANDINTERVIEW.COM

Finally, she had enough of my BS and left me, and didn’t come back. I got an overdose of my own medicine, and the desolation returned, greater than ever. I had trouble getting out of bed to go to work in my dead-end bakery job, and after work and my days off, I would lie on my bed for hours, essentially unable to move a muscle. That’s what serious depression is like. Narrator: After the marriage, Dave took the first steps to becoming a true-blue drug addict. Dahl: At this point, I had nothing left, I was certain that I was a born loser—dead last in the rat race. And if I had known what the next 15 years were gonna be like, I probably would’ve taken myself out at that point. Instead, I hooked up with my next-door neighbor and started drinking, doing a little coke and having sex. I used to keep my shirt on when we were intimate to hide the bulk of my acne—that had to seem weird to my partner. But she had her own appearance issues, so it kinda evened the playing field (chuckles). Narrator: Unimpressed with the amount of coke Dave could afford, she suggested they do “crank” for a cheaper, longer high. Dahl: I had heard nothing but bad things about crank and the people who do it. But at this point in my life, I felt that I had nothing to lose. Narrator: What happened next amounted to what Dave calls “my first transformation.” Dahl: My neighbor called ‘The Man’ and this seriously wildlooking wiry, long-haired freak showed up. I was getting ready to snort a line when he said, “Come on, man—you wanna take the bus, or the rocket?” Being a pussy, but not wanting to seem like one, I said, “The fucking rocket, man”. One marvelous injection later, I was reborn. Gone was the depression and low self-esteem. I felt powerful. The world was instantly everything I wanted it to be. I wanted to be around people, and women seemed to want to be around me—and, of course, my dope bag. I could focus on things, like conversations. I seemed to be better at everything, maybe cuz I suddenly wasn’t overthinking things anymore. Even my acne began to clear up! PI: Were you working at the bakery? How did you afford this? Dahl: Yes, I was working at the bakery. Barely. I would eventually come down from the high and couldn’t even stay awake. My relationship with the family and work deteriorated, and eventually, I lost my ability to maintain my job. I soon began my criminal career with jockey boxing car stereos, then burglaries of all sorts. I was never very skilled at any of it, but my addiction gave me a temporary chemical courage. That “courage” got me in a whole lot of trouble. Narrator: Dave shows me numerous pictures of mugshots. More than I can believe, and all very different looking.

Dahl: Crazy isn’t it? Those mugshots represent various arrests, sanctions, and county bits in multiple states - totaling close to 15 years of time served out of what could have been a lot more. Narrator: I’m incredulous hearing how “Be the Change” Dave lived a real-life mix of “The Wire,” “Dog the Bounty Hunter” and “Breaking Bad” for decades. Dave wants to make it very clear that he never killed anyone, and the bread was named ‘Killer Bread’ just because it was ‘killer good!’. Although the law usually caught up with him, he twice turned himself in out of desperation. Dave continues… Dahl: In the earlier days of my ‘jackassery’, I followed my then girlfriend up to Detroit where things went from bad to worse, and fast. Her heroin-addicted sister and brother-in-law took her in but saw no use in me. Earning less than $25 a day repairing shippingpallets, it was hardly enough for food, let alone decent shelter, and if I was going to maintain a drug habit I had to do more stealing. When I found out my now-pregnant ex was stripping to make ends meet, I was hurt, jealous and angry - and my chronically-low self-esteem was at a new low-point. All it took was getting shot at after a burglary to say, ‘enough is enough’ and turn myself in for a free trip back to Oregon and a seven-year prison sentence for outstanding warrants. It was actually a relief. Narrator: The result was his first state prison sentence, 7 years (though he only did about a year before parole) for a 1st-Degree Burglary conviction. He points out that amid all the darkness of this time, his second daughter, Jessica, was born. Dave now counts all his struggles as blessings, but this time, due to the “Jess Miracle”, has special significance. She now works with Dave and is mother to two little girls that Dave never stops gushing over. Dave continues with abbreviated story after story of desperate violence and “criminal stupidity” taking place over a dozen years: stealing cars and the gasoline to operate them, robberies with and without weapons, sawed-off shotguns, serious drug dealing and dangerous debt collecting, running from the law, dozens of arrests and multiple beatings by cops and corrections officers. Dahl recounts his final stretch as an “aspiring gangster”, an 18-month whirlwind of “successful”, “not-so-successful”, and disastrous illegal activity beginning in early 1996 and wrapping up with a wreck at the end of a high-speed chase, and an arrest by federal, county, and state authorities that effectively ended his reign of terror. After serving multiple sentences in Oregon, Massachusetts, and Wyoming, “I knew this one was gonna leave a mark,” he laughs. “I had gone for broke, gambled big and lost, one last time.” He was facing mandatory minimum 15 years federal under the Armed Career Criminal statute, and another 5 years for gun possession. Dave’s story becomes even more incredulous. PI: I mean, how do you crawl out of such a deep pit where you are federally recognized as a “very serious bad guy,” to creating a business that receives an Ethics in Business Award from the very state that last locked you up? Dahl: That’s the rub. If I can do it, anyone can do it!

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PI: So, what was your last prison stint like? Dahl: For years, it was a lot of suffering, being depressed and not being able to sleep. I was dreaming and fantasizing about dying. I was thinking it would have been great to have enough pain pills or heroin to take me out, but I didn’t have access to that. I was now in my mid-30s, and I wasn’t a kid anymore. This was kid stuff. The strip searches, beatings, fights—they’re over quick. The rest of the time, the worst part was being alone in my cell at night, facing the bleakness of my situation and the fact that I didn’t have any answers. The dope was no longer an answer. I had lost way too many times. Most of all, I had years of excruciating boredom and self-reflection and self-loathing to do. Long, dark tunnel ahead. Not a glimmer of light at the end. I knew that most everybody out in the street who may have been an ally had abandoned me, like every other time. I was at Snake River, about 400 miles from home in Ontario, on the Idaho border. That’s a drive I didn’t want to put anyone through. People have lives. What was there to live for? How could I take myself out of this twisted, cruel game, forever? Narrator: We walk back to the kitchen and he offers me a Vitamin Water or diet soda. Being in the presence of a gym rat, I enthusiastically choose the Vitamin Water. We move over to the living room and sit down amongst his collection of guitars and museum quality African tribal art. I’m taking it in slowly because I feel a little bewildered and almost raw after hearing more details about his past. How did such a bad seed go good and turn his life around in a country where ex-cons are thought of as hopeless? Dahl: Ironically, this is where the story gets good! I was entering my longest stretch of Hell ever. I suffered daily with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Could I find an easy way out? I seriously considered dismantling the prison-issue bic razor for the tiny little blade. PI: I guess inside you’d get a lot of rest and recovery? Dahl: A lot of nights, I just never could get to sleep, with endless thoughts of hopelessness and despair, and when I did doze off, nightmares. A recurring one was that I was out on the bricks and dealing, and got busted for something very serious and with my record, I was going down for the count. I would be on my way back inside, with no hope of ever getting out. Then, I would wake up, breathless, shaking, sweating, and look around at my cell with a sense of relief. I still had a chance. And it would motivate me, if only a little, to not give up.

be depressed with a shit life like mine?” Not a subtle distinction. And if you think it’s easy to reverse that mentality, think again. I don’t know how the seed was planted, but I know I felt a lot of hopelessness before I finally made the pivotal first courageous step. I reached out to psych services, knowing this decision would likely mark me as a mental case and a weak player in the eyes of the majority of my peers, but, (he puts heavy emphasis on the following words) it was the best move I had ever made in my life -- the part of the story when the bad seed is reborn as the good seed. PI: Sort of a Matrix pill moment? All the lights turned on? Dahl: I may never know how much of my transformation was due to the depression meds (Paxil), and how much was the result of simply surrendering, and for the first time accepting myself exactly as I am. Just being that guy—no more and no less. And then, showing up as that guy to every battle and opportunity. Narrator: (Meow) We both look over at Dave’s little long-haired gray and white cat, Lil’ Bittie, roaming through the living room. Dave calls to her in a sort of kind, fatherly tone: “Hey Bittie, Bittie. Come on, baby.” Bittie comes over and jumps in his lap. He starts to pet her and continues: Dahl: I think, for me, the meds were a huge factor. But I’ve found that not everyone benefits from them. I think I was ready in a way that could only come thru the kind of adversity that leaves you no choice but to find a solution. The Paxil seemed to help me to short-circuit my negative mental pathways. Essentially, my mind became a whole lot clearer. Between that and my new ability to accept myself just as I was, I became teachable. First obvious benefit was music. After my body’s initial medication adjustment period, I began to get excited about practicing my guitar, and grateful to have that privilege at all. Then, a very short time later, my name came up for entry into the AutoCAD training program—which had a waiting list of about 3 years, so it was amazing timing…and I killed it. I really began to excel at drafting after quickly overcoming the self-doubt that I had when I looked around and saw how quick everybody else seemed to be at things—like even turning the computer on!

PI: How long was this period of adversity?

Ya know, it was 2001, I was 38, and right in the middle of a long prison sentence. And guess what? For the very first time in my life, I was free! I began to see that I could let go of resentment and anger, that I had a choice in my thoughts and actions, and just as I was learning to design furniture and buildings on the computer, I could do that very thing with my life!

Dahl: Basically, from fall of ‘97 to fall of 2001. Periods of “tough guy” bravado, a letter and photos from some girl, getting my hopes up. A lot of external bullshit that just didn’t last. My peace was entirely dependent on my circumstances, so usually I just felt powerless, freaking screwed. Up to this time, I had always believed that my devastating, suicidal, depressive dips were just “normal” reactions to having been born to lose—in other words, I was a realist, right? Never occurred to me that life sucked because of the way I saw and reacted to it. It had always been, “who wouldn’t

I forgave myself. It was incredibly powerful to accept who I was, with my many faults and failures. And with the gift of forgiveness, I was able to feel compassion for others. I forgave my dad and began to honor his memory (he had passed away in 1998, at 75). Through the power of compassion and forgiveness, I started to look at my captors differently. When they came to work with the seeming objective to ruin our day, I began to wish peace for them. After all, they got to go home every day, so why were they so hateful and miserable? I wanted them to get it, like I had begun

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"Ironically, this is where the story gets good! I was entering my longest stretch of hell ever.â&#x20AC;?

"I forgave myself. It was incredibly powerful to accept who I was, with my many faults and failures.â&#x20AC;? 63

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"The ingredients in my transformation began with adversity and the desire, even necessity, to change.”

"If you’re not willing to surrender, be vulnerable, humble, and teachable... forget it.” 64 | PORTLANDINTERVIEW.COM

to…that’s the essence of “giving back”, I think. You want everyone else to have this amazing thing that you’ve found. This became the way that I approached my life, going forward. PI: Sounds like prison helped you? We rarely hear of stories where being locked up works out positively... Dahl: No cut and dry answer. I know firsthand that you can come out of prison a transformed human. The ingredients in my transformation began with adversity and the desire, even necessity, to change. Not to expect people, places, and things to change. What could I change about me? Then came surrender. If you’re not willing to surrender, be vulnerable, humble, and teachable...forget it. Also, as I said, I think the antidepressants worked wonders. From there came opportunity, in the form of meaningful, practical education. So, from my experience, all those things added up to my success. Change your mind, act on it, change your future. Personal accountability. Stop blaming and making excuses and take control. Nobody is going to, nor should they, do it for you. PI: Do you feel that your transformation was destiny? Dahl: Maybe. People may be surprised to learn that throughout the DKB years, I thought I was doing a sort of spiritual work. The Good Seed recipe and the deeper intention of “good seed” was a major milestone in my life which was, and always will be, extremely personal. A lot of what DKB stood for and accomplished was always beyond bread and marketing and making a buck. I believe I found the ultimate and purest form of marketing - I did what I believed in. “From the moment I stepped off the bus, I haven’t stopped busting my ass. So much time to make up, and not a minute to lose,” wrote Dave Dahl about getting out of prison for the final time, in a 2008 memoir called, Good Seed. “I can’t count how many times I’ve been released from jail or prison, but this time was much, much different. I had experienced a rebirth. I hadn’t ‘found Jesus’, but I had found a way of life that gave me the strength to leave the needle behind.”

“...The story of my life so far: mental illness self-medicated with drugs, funded by crime...This time around, my plan was tempered with the hard-won humility borne of prolonged adversity. That humility gave me the courage to accept my ‘lowly’ position in life, even embrace it, owning responsibility for my past, present, and future.” If all of that isn’t enough, he wrote this, which was on the verge of prophetic: “Dope and money were the monsters, and I must never forget their power over me or my love for them. I’m not that well, and I never will be.” According to the same memoir, Dahl “was fortunate” to have a place to go upon release from prison -- his mom’s garage. He was also fortunate for the opportunity his brother, Glenn, gave him to return to the family bakery. “Unlike every other time, I was ready, even excited, for the opportunity. I looked forward to applying my confident creative mind to the family’s endeavors. I knew the family aspect would be a challenge—as it always had been from the point of view of a third child, my point of view. I had no idea how difficult this would be. I won’t get into the family dynamics. Somehow, with help, we managed to make it through.” He started quickly out of the gate at $12 an hour, filling in for absent production workers. It wasn’t long before he was working full-time. He doesn’t remember how long it was before he started working on his own bread line. He had to fulfill his first mission, to reformulate the Trader Joe’s cookie line. “That first assignment was straightforward, but I had my eye trained on creating killer new cookie recipes when Glenn pulled on the reins and pointed out that what we were about was bread. That’s what the shop was optimized for.” Dave was reluctant to get off the cookie train but couldn’t argue with Glenn’s reasoning. “It was the opportunity, and a much greater challenge. After testing so many good bread varieties on the market at the time, I was a little sheepish about my potential for creating something better. This objective didn’t feel comfortable at all. But, you know, fuck comfort. Whoever made their mark in comfort?”

PI: Clearly, you’re not afraid to take risks. Did you apply that same philosophy to your marketing approach at the time you were creating your bread? Did you study the science of marketing, or were you just a natural? Dahl: I read a short marketing book around that time. My takeaway was that I needed to think in terms of endowing my products with features and benefits. What features do people want in healthy bread? What benefits? Could I find out by doing surveys? I certainly tried and found that folks really couldn’t define what they wanted that was different from the status quo. But I could envision what I wanted, “killer bread!! Narrator: So, he settled into creating a bread that was kind of a hybrid of chewy hot cereal and whole grain bread. He made many trips across town to Bob’s Red Mill to find additional healthy ingredients for even more flavor, texture, and nutrition. Nutrition analysis software was a powerful tool for choosing ingredients and combinations for subsequent testing. Dahl: The first formulation was ‘Blues Bread, the “mother of killer breads”. The second was “Killer Bread” (soon changed to Nuts and Grains to avoid consumer confusion), then ‘Good Seed’ and ‘Rockin’ Rye.’ Visually, the breads were almost “works of art” but most importantly, they were simply killer. People were having ‘out of body’ experiences over the stuff. (Laughs) Narrator: We’ve stepped back out on his back patio, so he can take a smoke break, “Right down there,” Dave points down to a park area. Dahl: The first real test was at the Summer Loaf artisan bread festival sponsored by Portland Farmers’ Market in summer of 2005. We were incredibly fortunate that this event existed for the short time that it did, because it turned out to be the perfect test market. My nephew, Shobi, who Glenn appointed as my partner in the bread project, accompanied me to the event and we gave out samples and within minutes, had small raving crowds in front of our booth. Within the next few months, it was clear that we had a sensation, and 65

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the media was noticing. People started asking where they could get the bread when the farmers market was over in November. I pushed for them to request it wherever they shopped. At first, finding outlets was a real struggle. And while nothing about it was smooth or easy—or, for a long time, lucrative—it was obviously a worthwhile endeavor. It took all my time and then some. I worked tirelessly to find, create, and take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace. Glenn’s desire for this brand was for it to be ‘separate’ from Naturebake because he had begun to feel that the name and the products it stood for had not aged well since he had taken over and renamed the family bakery in the 80s. The company had been successful particularly with private label production for Trader Joe’s, but Naturebake, as a brand, wasn’t doing so well. Glenn felt that a “new, hip” brand was in order. His name for my creations was, “Dave’s Bread”, and since I had named one of my first 4 varieties, “Killer Bread”, the name, “Dave’s Killer Bread” just caught on. From that point on, of course, all varieties I created were called that. It was an obvious opportunity—probably a necessity—to tell my story. So, I began writing a bread bag-friendly short and sweet version of my story, focusing on my transformation beginning in 2001. I can’t remember the timeline of everything, but after talking with a copyright attorney, Mike Heilbronner, it was clear that we needed a distinctive logo for a distinctive brand. I sketched my idea— which was basically a guy representing “Dave” holding a guitar, painted on a gray brick wall and “Dave’s Bread” in big, block letters next to him. Someone has graffiti-tagged “killer” in red paint over the words, “DAVE’S BREAD”. I was always a little disappointed that none of us, including the artist who drew the final version of the logo, Ryan Alexander-Tanner, could execute the original idea. It was just too much for a logo. The current logo was a nice compromise. Ryan and I made cute logos for each variety—it was a lot of extra work. After I was gone from the company, however, so were the logos—except that first one. Narrator: Dave and I sit down, and he fondly reminisces about how some farmers’ market fans got Food Front Co-Op to first stock the bread, and then New Seasons began stocking it by 2006. Later that year, Fred Meyer came on board. “It was like, 2 steps forward, one back, a step sideways, or a trip,” he says, “Always making corrections along the way, often learning a very valuable lesson. Critics were everywhere especially in my own backyard. But the more they criticized me, the more I knew I was onto something. The status quo would eventually be replaced with a new paradigm”. Because of the growing volume and commitments, the family business moved into a former Bob’s Red Mill location in 2007. Dahl: This was a time of great struggle, getting a loan for the new location, the move itself, and endless fighting between partners. We almost didn’t make it. Glenn, Shobi and I were in a family bread business from our births through DKB. It’s not just a product. For us, our entire lives were literally wrapped around a loaf of bread. It cost a lot. Along the way, Glenn had to put his home on the line so that we could get a loan to finance our rapid growth. Later, when we had something to lose, large credit transactions were secured by the three of us. The one thing I had to give, from the beginning, I gave all of. My very being. I can’t emphasize the importance of 66 | PORTLANDINTERVIEW.COM

being fully invested in one’s success. Nobody was going to make up for the effort I wasn’t willing to give. That effort, up to the advent of Costco and for a couple of years after that, was indispensable. Narrator: The Good Seed memoir was completed in 2008, and Dave was being asked on a regular basis to tell his story to many groups. Recognizing the “perfect storm” of product promotion and the opportunity to give back, he asked his partners to approve a budget to make a DKB story video. Dahl: I believe I had a budget of a grand. I knew that wasn’t enough, but I felt that my ‘sweat equity’ would payoff here too. I would do the writing, and the videographer would shoot me telling the story. Simple, right? Well, the video dragged. It sucked. Content was there, but it just wasn’t fun to watch. Right around that time, I met a music producer from Nashville, Michael Nelson Rizzo, who had discovered the bread while in PDX. As an experiment to show what great music could do, Michael took just the first two minutes of the video, edited it for flow, and put his original music to it. The result was an entirely different animal. We worked out a deal for him to re-edit and produce an entirely new video. Michael finished the video (several versions of which you can see on Dave’s website, davedahl360.com) and I began a speaking tour that lasted until 2013. Like clockwork, the more I toured, the more in demand my message was. Several times a week, sometimes twice in a day, covering multiple states. It was grueling, but very rewarding, personally and professionally. This happened to be about the same time we secured Costco and were getting help from other bakeries fulfilling production demands. We did ambitious Costco “road shows” in every location, while I would present my story in each area, and we got media attention at most stops. It was simply phenomenal. PI: You’re well known for giving ex-felons second chances. Any insight into that? Dahl: With the fast growth, we were hiring employees. Since it had been so successful in my case when Glenn gave me a chance, it was a no-brainer to me that it could work. I had experienced this transformation and I knew there must be people like me out there who were ready. What I believed from my own experience is that others would be grateful, perhaps more than non-felons. Of course, you want to get those who are ready. What is their answer to questions like, “What have you been doing with your time while you were locked up?” If they’ve been taking all the programs and taking advantage of every opportunity—even if it was cleaning toilets—they pass the first test. You want success, so you pick the best person available, felon or otherwise. To me, the rewards are exponential: your business benefits, the person benefits, his family benefits, the community does, and—by extension—the world is a better place. We had failures—some doozies—but overall, it worked, and apparently is still working today. PI: How tough was the competition? Dahl: Bakeries started mimicking the recipes and branding. I knew early on that there would be knockoffs of my stuff, but I didn’t foresee the dirty tricks and blatant and uninspired one-

visit my website:

DAVESKILLERBREADDOTCOM

I was a four-time loser before I realized I was in the wrong game. 15 years in prison is a pretty tough way to find oneself, but I have no regrets. This time around I took advantage of all those long and lonely days by practicing my guitar exercising, and getting to know myselfâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;without drugs. To my utter amazement I star ted liking what I was seeing. I can testify that adversity is not always a bad thingâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;if I had not suffered, I can safely assure you that you would not be reading the label on a loaf of a my killer bread. A whole lot of suffering has transformed an ex-con into an honest man who is doing his best to make the world a better place...One loaf of bread at a time.

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"My brand, Good Seed, represents my turnaround in life from Bad Seed to Good.â&#x20AC;?

68 | PORTLANDINTERVIEW.COM

upmanship that was to come from competitors. The most obvious was Franz, the local big boy on the block. First, they made us an insulting offer to buy a part of us. We had the good sense to reject that. But, I’ll tell you a story, and you draw your own conclusions. In 2008, I was spending more and more time on the road, largely in the Puget Sound, dealing with the monumental challenges of adding scores of stores, from Fred Meyer and Whole Foods to Central Markets and PCC (a major chain of co-ops in the Puget Sound). Continuing to work days, nights, and weekends demoing and rotating stock, while manning booths at all kinds of events, doing speaking engagements, and dealing with the media. We advertised to fill the position of operations manager at “Killer Breadquarters” in Milwaukie. We were very green at hiring at this level, and we thought a “former” Franz employee might be able to help us. But, from day one, the guy was ineffective, non-communicative, and overall, a pain in my ass. Somehow, we let him stay around for approaching two years, but Shobi and I agreed that he had to go—right about the time that he gave his notice, citing retirement on the Oregon coast and some “consulting work.” We had mixed emotions: happy to see him go, but a little concerned about what he was going to do next. Coincidentally, a few months later, products and packaging imitating DKB started appearing on store shelves. The most obvious—though flattering—imitation they came up with was “Great Seed”. What does that even mean? My brand, Good Seed, represents my turnaround in life from Bad Seed to Good. It represents everything good—every seed I’ve planted to make a difference. I’m proud of the work I have done and plan on continuing til the day I die. If I had made Bad Seed Bread, and it had been successful, would they call theirs Worse Seed? Somebody should be ashamed of themselves. Such is the condition of the Big Bread world. More changes and growth happened north, south and to the Midwest. We had logistics issues, quality control issues and employee issues that eventually required bigger players in the corporate world. The union was starting to give us trouble and misaligning our reputation, amongst other falsehoods. (Dave says with some force) Narrator: To help with this new level of corporatocracy, DKB partnered up with venture capital firm Goode Partners in January of 2013. That solved some issues but created new ones that it appears led to a very dark point in Dave’s life. Bringing on partners meant control and focus started to shift. Dahl: It wasn’t a family bakery anymore. It was big business. We were now in hundreds of stores and had grown to over 300 employees within a matter of years. Unforeseen pressures were mounting. With business success, came partying. I hadn’t taken a vacation since it all started in ‘05 ‘til 2009 when Michelle—my new girlfriend and I went to Indio, CA and I spent the whole week getting acquainted with my alcoholic side. Drinking really seemed to agree with me. (he chuckles.) For several years, it was fun, and since work always came first, it didn’t get out of control for a long time. PI: Was there a turning point?

Dahl: I got to a point where I needed a driver, because I was traveling so much, and I had ongoing social media, correspondence, quality assurance, and other things that I needed to keep a handle on. Michelle was my first driver, and I would do my work in the passenger seat. We would stop somewhere, and I would get a good buzz on and get back on the road. By 2012, this was a regular thing. We were working hard. I was doing my presentations and events. And I was celebrating my success—and relieving stress— by drinking. All seemed innocent, though a bit on the edge. By mid-2013, I was beginning to lose control of things. Small incidents were occurring—I was drinking more, and I was alienating some folks. Looking back, so much was dependent on me continuing the transformation that had begun way back in 2001, and I was putting everything in peril. I don’t remember the moment, but it was decided that I would go to treatment in Utah, to keep it sort of on the down low. Thinking it was my last hurrah, I drank like a fish for the 24 hours or so before checking in. When I did check in, I had a .5 blood alcohol level, which probably should’ve killed me. Forty-five days later, I drove my brand-new Corvette back to Portland with good intentions. But within two weeks, I was making my annual appearance at the Waterfront Blues Festival, signing autographs, shaking hands, taking photos. Afterwards, we moseyed over to the bar and had some shots of tequila. The next day, word of my dalliance had gotten around, and I was called to the principal...er...CEO’s office. My title was President, but I had stopped being involved in any day to day stuff by then. It was decided I would take a sabbatical. I was even forbidden to come onto company property. It was the beginning of devastation, the end of the magic. What did I do? I sure didn’t stop drinking… In August, some buddies and I took a “boys night” at my cabin on Mt Hood. Three of us got drunk. The fourth wanted something different—cocaine—and though I hadn’t used coke in over 15 years, in my then state, I was game. I let him take off in my Escalade, and we never saw him again. Fifty-four days later, he was found decomposing in some briars on the Springwater Trail. People started coming onto the DKB Facebook page and accusing me of many things, particularly, killing him. Things were beginning to crash in on me. I got an attorney and I got counseling. I quit drinking for several weeks. But I was becoming resentful and angry, particularly that I was exiled from everything I loved, what I had created and built, my baby. Resentment building, I made an appointment one day for a photo op with an athlete DKB was sponsoring, and I agreed to meet him at Bread quarters. I entered the little bakery outlet store and saw a life size cardboard cutout of me and had the feeling, “How the hell can my cardboard image be here, and I’m banned?” -- and took a swing at it. Cops came, but I just drove away—they didn’t follow. Things escalated from there. My mind started racing and I was literally going crazy. I would learn later that I was having “a manic episode.” I drove toward Seattle with Michelle and had pretty much lost it at this point. I had never experienced my mind being so intense. It was beyond anything I’d ever experienced before.

interview

PI: Were you on drugs or drinking or anything else? Dahl: Nothing. Hadn’t been for weeks. But on that surreal drive to Seattle, I asked Michelle to stop at a liquor store in Tumwater for some tequila. As wound up as my mind was, I thought that the booze might take a little of the edge off. Narrator: They decided to turn back from there. When they got to Portland, they stopped at a friend’s house. But Dave’s behavior was so bizarre that they kept the alcohol away from him and called Washington County Mental Health. Instead, the police came and parked in various places in the neighborhood. Dave didn’t know about the police and decided to drive home— “to comfort, and hopefully, sanity.” What happened after that is unclear. Police reports contradict each other. Dave can’t remember enough to tell the story. Three cop cars were damaged, as was his Escalade. “They tased me, then beat me up pretty good. One day, when I write a book, I’ll read every report and talk to everybody who’s anybody who will talk to me and maybe I can come away with the truth. One thing is for sure, I lost my mind that night.” At this point, there’s a heavy feeling. Dave obviously doesn’t like to talk about this period in his life. He really lost a lot. But it’s clear to me that the system just wasn’t set up to handle a big guy with a mental health breakdown. He tells me about the media and police reports that made him look like a bad guy all over again. “I’m certain of this: I had no motive except for a wish to be in a safe place. Somewhere between my memory, and those police reports, is the whole truth.” He ended up agreeing to accept a verdict of “guilty except for insanity” and has years left under the watchful eye of the Psychiatric Security Review Board. We continue to discuss the mental health system and his lifelong battles with drug and alcohol addiction, the correlation with mental health and his bipolar manic episode, and the continuing effect on his life. “With everything going on at the level it was, I learned that I was in a hypomanic state for several days which evolved into a full-blown manic episode,” he says. “Being bipolar does not define me but it does explain what can happen and tendencies I might have,” he continues, “I have to be vigilant about it.”

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In Dave’s case it seemed to be a ‘perfect storm’ of serious life changes and stress from the bringing on new partners and Dave’s ‘baby’ growing up in a way he wasn’t ready for. And if I consider how that must have felt, how can anyone be ready for something like that? PI: Your face, name and beloved guitar are an icon on millions of bread bags nationwide. What the hell is that like?! Dahl: After the incident, the vast majority of my history as creator, president, brand ambassador and community impactor all disappeared. It hurt. (he looks down.) I had let my ego overtake my former, powerful humility, which had been a fundamental part of my earlier success (refer to the prophetic 2008 memoir). I think above everything, no matter who was right or wrong, what probably hurt me most is letting my fans down and all the people who looked up to me - knowing they’d never hear the whole story - or even believe it. Narrator: Over the next two years Dave would settle into a more minimal role at the bakery and begin some new endeavors of his own. One of which would grow to become one of the largest collections of African tribal art in the nation with Dave becoming a serious high-end collector in the process. “I didn’t intend for this hobby to become what it has, but it has been a beautiful and timely diversion from stress.” In 2015, Dave’s Killer Bread was purchased 100% by Flowers Bakeries, Inc. for $275 million. “Flowers is the 2nd largest bakery in the country and wanted to make a serious move into the organic foods market,” Dave says with some bitter-sweet satisfaction. Today, the Dahls have nothing to do with the company that bears their legacy. PI: Wow. Your name and face are on a bread bag in millions of homes every day from coast to coast, but you have nothing to do with that endeavor. What’s that like? Dahl: In one sense it’s hard to see my ‘baby’ out there and not have anything to do with it. But with how things went, it had to be. And, for the most part, I’ve moved on emotionally. The bread is all over North America. But the story has changed. My part has been diminished. The links to my accolades are disabled. The company has moved on from my story.

PI: That must be disappointing. But you don’t strike me as the type of guy who likes to dwell on the negative… Dahl: In the early days when I put my name on the bag, I wondered how long it would take before I could see how this influences people and makes a difference in their lives. Years later, it seems like every day someone comes up to me and let’s me know how they themselves or someone they know has been inspired by my story. Say, to start their own business, overcome mental illness or addiction, or to find the courage to go in a new direction that fulfills them. That’s what all of this is really about to me. Everyone can benefit from the lessons of my story. It’s about finding success in the purest form, regardless of circumstances. PI: In what other ways are you using your life experiences and wisdom to help others? Dahl: I’m working with organizations like Central City Concern to help disadvantaged folks find resources and inspiration to build better lives. I’m also working to support NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). It’s a core value of mine to help those who are ready and serious about bettering themselves. I’m keeping my eyes open for ways that my experience can make a difference. PI: What other things are you doing to keep busy and stay out of trouble? What’s the next chapter? Dahl: My story continues. I’m getting back out there playing with my band, The Killer Granddaddies. So far, we’ve played a few charity events and parties of friends’. Come check us out! I’ve got a new podcast called Felony Inc., in which I interview— fittingly—ex-felons starting their own businesses. I want to spend serious quality time with my daughters and granddaughters. I want to work on improving opportunities for felons, at-risk kids, and others, and promote the power of humility and accountability, inside and out. I’m working with others on business and brand development opportunities and doing some writing—maybe a book is coming. I’ve been asked to speak to groups all over the country. As long as my sweet n’ sour story resonates with people, and matters, I’ll be finding new ways to tell it. PI

ÜÜDaveDahl360.com

"As long as my sweet 'n' sour story resonates with people, and matters, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be finding new ways to tell it."

interview

FEATURE

CEO Luxe Platinum Properties

72 | PORTLANDINTERVIEW.COM

For some particularly driven people, achieving the pinnacle of personal and professional success can be a long and circuitous journey, replete with obstacles that would permanently derail the dreams of most. Such is the case with Terry Sprague, the Owner and CEO of LUXE Platinum Properties, an exclusive affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate.

W O R D S Justin Fields | P H O T O G R A P H Y Tim Sugden

A Journey to Exceptionalism

TERRY SPRAGUE

Terry grew up in a modest home in North Portland with his five siblings, where he attended Holy Cross Elementary and Roosevelt High. From a young age he was extremely driven to succeed, but also prone to pursuing adventure. After a series of rewarding early career moves, he launched a stock broker career that started at Shearson Lehman Hutton. Over time, Terry realized he had a drinking problem. His decision to seek professional help came at a time when treatment for alcoholism was not openly talked about. “Hunter S. Thompson and Hemingway were my life heroes. I was fascinated and entertained by their out-of-the-box antics and life experiences,” says Terry. “They lived life boldly, but also excessively. Unfortunately, they were not able to adapt to change. I saw how that worked out for them, and wanted to choose a different path.” Today, Terry has been sober for 18 years, and is one of the top real estate brokers in Oregon, focusing on new and lifestyle homes in the Lake Oswego, West Linn, Sherwood and Wilsonville real estate markets. He specializes in working with families relocating to Portland, executives and athletes with the NBA, Nike employees, major health organizations and other local companies. His company, Christie’s International, serves clients around the world, providing a concierge-based experience, complemented by his extensive knowledge of the local real estate market. Terry lives with his wife Maureen and his daughters, Tallulah Belle (11), and Savanah Jane (9) in Lake Oswego, where he is often seen coaching his daughters’ soccer and basketball teams at Our Lady of the Lake School. He’s also been an active supporter of organizations serving at-risk youth, including the Boys and Girls Club, Casa, and Self Enhancement, Inc. He feels strongly about sharing his story and inspiring others to seek help for alcoholism and addiction and realize their full personal potential. His unabashed candor regarding his personal travails, coupled with an authentic storytelling ability, make him an inspiration to many. Those attributes also made for a very interesting interview…

interview

You grew up in North Portland in the '60s and '70s - what was that like for you as a kid? I guess you could say I had a rambunctious upbringing. I went to Holy Cross Elementary and Roosevelt High in North Portland and lived the life of a sociable kid. My mom and dad were great parents, but with six kids, let me just say there was plenty of unsupervised life. My Dad was traveling, and my Mom was going to school to finish her teaching degree. Older sisters and friends with older brothers in the neighborhood led to exposure and early entry into recreational experimentation with drugs and alcohol. At that time, it was weed and drinking, starting in about sixth grade. This was just kind of normal with my group of friends. We were all still very active in sports and activities. I just remember playing on the varsity soccer team as a freshman, and it was not unusual to get stoned before a game. It was normal. Our playgrounds in the neighborhood included the industrial area of Mox Bottom, fishing on the log jams on the Willamette, Columbia Park, and The Villa, which at the time were considered the housing projects. There was plenty of mischief available. By the 7th grade, it wasn’t unusual for me to go over to my friend’s house who's mom dated a Gypsy Joker, and watch her boyfriend roll joints. We did all the normal things kids do, but we were just exposed to a different ‘normal’ as well. Who is one of your favorite NBA players you've worked with? When I met (former Portland Trailblazer) Zack Randolph, I got offered to sell his house and we became good friends. I could relate to his background. While not the same, we had similar distractions that existed in our neighborhoods and the friends we kept as kids. In my opinion Zack has an amazing heart and has strived for wisdom. I have a lot of empathy for people who struggle. I’m so impressed with his maturity and character now that I have gotten to know him. Our life experiences are building blocks to wisdom we pass on, and that includes trials and errors. Believe me, maturity has been a long road for me. You’ve garnered quite a reputation for excellence with Luxe Platinum Properties. Where did you get your drive to achieve exceptionalism? Were you always set on being in the real estate business?

Actually, when I was 16 I knew I had to change environments. I moved out on my own away from Portland to Eugene and went to work for a wonderful life mentor. I started out as a landscaper with Teller Landscaping. I was a little guy for construction. I rented the owner's garage fully furnished with lawn mowers and a waterbed -- that was my source of heat. The job started at 5am and I was revving to go each morning. My mentor in landscaping taught me how to perfectly complete every task. Kevin had me believing that I was a part of a very small group of professionals, like NBA and NFL stars, when I was a professional landscaper! At the end of the evening we packed up the trucks and turned headlights towards the house so that we could perfectly wash down the job sight before the clients returned. Funny thing, I’ll always remember 1976 we went to see the movie Rocky. The lesson from the movie was Rocky prepared, and he went the distance. That was winning! That’s something I strive for today and teach my children. You may not win, but if you've prepared with all your heart, and you go the distance, you have succeeded. I became the foreman for TLC and ran the crews.

Sounds like your mentor instilled in you an early sense of professionalism and a hard work ethic. What came after your landscaping career? Next, I was fortunate enough at a young age to get a job at Meier & Frank, another lucky moment of many in my life. On Christmas Eve of my first year, I hand-delivered two McDonald’s gift coupon books to the 14th floor where Mr. Meier & Mr. Frank’s offices were. Soon I received a personal thank you from management, and they decided to send me through an executive assessment program along with all the college recruits. I went through a full-day interview, so they could see how I handle supervision, how I set up my day, and how I prioritize. At 18, I had already built up credibility to be respected in the workforce and was an executive in training. That’s impressive for an 18-year-old. It must have felt like a lot of responsibility. Was there also a lot of pressure? When I look back at my time in management, it was one of my first times I realized I had a drinking problem. It was a progressive disease, and I fell into a pattern. During that formative job at Meier & Frank, while I was still in management training, they moved me down to Eugene and I managed toys, candy and gourmet departments, which included alcohol sales. So, I was under 21 and around alcohol. I was also a DJ

74 | PORTLANDINTERVIEW.COM

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interview

at night a club in Eugene, where the party scene was very different from North Portland. I was 18, making $150 a night, which was a lot back then. I started doing a bit of recreational drugs that were popular in the disco scene and drinking a lot. Drugs were never really my addiction, but many who drank a lot in the early '80s would also do other stuff that was available. This crazy behavior came with setbacks, but I just thought it was par for the course of living like every day could potentially be the best day of my life. When was the first time you began to experience serious repercussions from your drinking? I was on my way home during Christmas to visit my family and I had rented a car to fill it with gifts. I was drinking on the way and ended up passing out and running into a semi-truck on I-5. I woke up in the hospital and still have scars from the accident on my face. My family was never reactive -- they were supportive. It was normal back then, DUI’s just weren’t considered a big deal. After that event, a woman in management at Meier & Frank's sat down with me and asked, “Terry, why don't you go be a kid? Why don't you go to college? Why are you working at such a young age?” I took her advice, buried myself in books for a month and studied for my GED. Back then I was able to get into the University of Oregon based on my scores. I knew I wasn't going to go for four years but I succeeded in taking every communication and speech course. Three things came from that year: lots of living on the edge fun behavior, gaining lifelong friends and the ability to communicate in the white-collar world. I went home for the summer and got a job at Mario’s, then decided to buy myself a one-way ticket to Hawaii where I got a clothing buying job in Italian clothes. I was putting on an act every day, constantly trying to hide how I was feeling. I think that all of us carry some sort of weight, an uncomfortableness. Drugs and alcohol reward you, and then beat you up. I was already juggling a life that wasn’t sustainable. So, you were really living life in the fast lane during that time. Was that kind of par for the course for young, hip professionals then? Do you remember Dudley Moore’s role in the movie Arthur? I was kind of like that guy – smaller build, very likeable and fun, still lovable but every activity included drinking and celebration. There were plenty of wonderful women in my life at the time, but I was too irresponsible to succeed at meaningful relationships. With alcohol abuse, I saw things through my own selfish lens and optics. During this time, I was a binge drinker. I could go all week sober, but about Thursday night my tea kettle needed to let off steam, and I began my weekend roll! That's what we called partying among close friends – “Rolling!” I was still wearing great suits from Mario’s and top designers, and trying to stay fit. I worked harder than any of my competition but destroyed myself on the weekends. I would be hungover as hell and run miles 76 | PORTLANDINTERVIEW.COM

six days a week, then use Sundays as a recoup day before each Monday. I thought that was completely normal behavior. I called it, “John Wayne’n it!” That’s how you roll! I was a great actor and even fooled myself into believing life was ok. What happened in your personal life that made you get serious about seeking help? I remember one of the moments that really hit me the hardest. I was an uncle to my two nephews up in Seattle. They looked up to me as their ‘Master of Fun Uncle’, and unfortunately, I drank one night in front them while they were staying at my house. They ended up getting scared and calling their mom, and my sister. It ripped my heart apart and stunned me. It made me suddenly stop and look in the mirror. That was my turning moment -- it wasn’t a car accident or losing a job -- it was that evening with my nephews that became the perfect storm of a moment for me. I went to the doctor and ended up taking antidepressants, which turned out to be a bad combination with alcohol. I had what was my own abyss, but I continued acting like everything was fine. I didn’t really know where to turn for help. Ten years earlier, a friend of mine came into work after a three-day bender, and I did not know how to help him, or what to suggest. I thought, “let's go see my Uncle Peter, a Jesuit Priest.” Treatment centers were not a thing like they are today. But we all agreed that day that was the answer for my friend. I’m happy today to say his life has been lived brilliantly since that intervention. I did tell him, “If you ever see me looking like you do today, please do the same for me.” At that, point ten years before my own intervention, I knew it was inevitable. Continued on page 90

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interview

FEATURE

Owner, Steel Door Gallery W O R D S David Zahn P H O T O G R A P H Y Danelle Painter

When a person walks up to Steel Door Gallery in NW Portland, he or she might be surprised by its unique presence in a residential area of NW Portland, on Raleigh, with an openness, enhanced by a garage-door entry. Or maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because it's the only gallery in the United States...maybe in all the world... that offers a 6' by 6' 175-pound portrait of Babe Ruth made, laboriously, from twenty-five thousand tiny Lego pieces. After five years in the NW Industrial area, happily, and semi-secretly, tucked away on Upshur and 19th, Steel Door Gallery has come out of the shadows, and moved to the trendy Slabtown area of Nob Hill adjoining KIVA cafe/tea bar/spa. Why it's called Steel Door...that's an answer to the unasked question on everyone's mind, since there is no Steel Door: "Why Steel Door"? Different from most galleries in the area, Steel Door Gallery seeks out local, emerging, cutting edge talent, representing them and their work with integrity and strength while developing them with great success. Simply put the artists make the art, Steel Door Gallery makes the artist. I sat down with the owner and curator, Patrick Zahn, in his new gallery on North West Raleigh, to ask some questions about just how this remarkable place came to be and what we can expect from Steel Door Gallery in the future:

T PA

H ZA

AN O PE

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Are you from the Northwest? How did you come to own and operate an art gallery? I grew up in a large Catholic family in Orchards, Washington. I was the fifth of six children. After leaving home, I started work in the corporate world, landed a dream job and moved to the East Coast. I loved the people that I worked with, but over time I realized that what I was being asked to do in my job didn't match my ethics. When I challenged my employer on the issues I was having, I was told “well that's just business.” I hate that phrase; apparently being in business absolves you of any wrongdoing. I had a choice: fall in line and compromise or get the hell out of there! So I left. When life bites you in the rear sometimes you just have to turn the other cheek and laugh because it was at this time that I got sick. I started to swell up constantly and was diagnosed with a very rare autoimmune disorder. I almost died several times. You might say I am on the third of my nine lives. There is nothing like being on the edge of death that will make you really want to live! I began to paint as a path toward healing. After dabbling in painting for a while I threw my first art show and over 100 people showed up. Apparently, I found that my talent for marketing translated well toward getting the word out to sell art. I also found that, for many artists, that specific skill and business acumen was lacking. It was for this reason that I started Steel Door Gallery. I wanted to open paths to success for artists. How do you choose which artists to work with? Choosing who to work with is tricky. It’s been a long journey to figure out who is willing to put in the time and effort to make themselves marketable. I usually work with artists for over a year or more before they start gaining traction. For a lot of artists, that’s difficult. I’ve found that large egos, while sometimes adjacent to talent, can get in the way of selling art and making art that customers want to buy. It’s a shift towards helping the artist understand that they can express their truth while also thinking of their audience.

interview

Many artists are enthralled by their work and are passionate about how they want to portray their labor of love. I take all of this into consideration, but at the end of the day I have a job to do and it requires work and compromise. In order to hang at Steel Door Gallery, artists must be willing to take criticism, work at least 30 hours per week on their art, and be ready to adapt. This last part can get in the way of success. You have to believe in yourself and be humble at the same time in order to be successful in the art world. It’s extremely difficult to do, and I try to help artists with this issue as much as I can. How do you make an artist marketable? Well, it involves getting the artist to understand their story and their artworks’ story. What is their technique and how is that different from what other people are doing? What is the message of their art and is it part of a series? What is the medium of their art and is it archival? If the art isn’t selling, what might we adjust in the future about our story or our approach that makes it connect to customers? I’ve found telling the artists’ stories to be an integral part of the presentation of the artist. Customers who purchase art often do so because of a connection to the work, but also

s h t a p n e d to op

I wante

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to succe

ss for ar

tists.

interview

buy art because they want to help that artist and see them grow as much as they want something fun or impactful to look at. Most of the artists that work with me are either emerging or are advanced in their ability to sell and have hung in a gallery before. I’ve found that a client's ability to connect to a specific work is the key ingredient to selling artwork. In some form it must move them. That is where a sale normally takes place. Your gallery is extremely diverse in comparison to others I have seen. How do you choose what to hang? Choosing what goes up on these walls is difficult. I think we cycle artwork out every six to eight weeks to keep things fresh. As you can see, the artwork is varied throughout the gallery and I like to hang pieces that complement each other, while also highlighting the differences in the art. It is easier to gauge the types of art a customer is going for by seeing which paintings they react to initially, and then I

steer them towards what I think they might be interested in from there. When I choose what to hang I look at marketability, diversity of color and scheme, whether or not it is in a series, and a host of other things that makes my menagerie of art into a bit of a wonderland. In this way, artists have to be okay with being shown next to others and the artists I work with very much are. They are gracious in allowing me creative direction and leeway in how I present them and this allows for better results, sales-wise. What can we expect from Steel Door in the future? I would love to get my artists onto the national level. If I had my dream of dreams come true, it would be to bring my artists to Art Basel, which is basically the Super Bowl of the art world. I want to take my artists to the Super Bowl. PI

ÜÜSteelDoorGallery.com

Steel Door Gallery can be found at 2412 NW Raleigh St, Portland, OR 97210. It is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10-6 and hosts events bi-weekly on the weekends. To get in touch with Patrick, you may email him at patrick@steeldoorgallery.com. FEATURED ARTISTS:

Brian Hanna, Adrienne Wannamaker, Christopher Pothier, Brezzy Anderson, Donivan Sinclair, Christopher Vazquez, Palo Ferraris, Bob Volke.

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Beau Monde Academy

ABOUT TOWN

events

beau monde academy of cosmetology

Over 100 students came to watch famed Sebastian international artist Omar Antonio perform a demo on multiple models. In addition he gave an inspirational speech on the cosmetology industry much to the pleasure of the students in attendance.

Omar Antonio and Tawnee Reed

Robert Peterson, Dianna Peterson, Omar Antonio

Omar Antonio, Carole Soueidan, Renato VanDine

Omar Antonio, Rie Yamada, Jorgeane Aslan, Kelley Hopkins, Carole Soueidan, Tawnee Reed, Ashlyn Sherer, Renato VanDine

Omar travels all over the globe performing and speaking to students and professionals alike. If he isn’t backstage styling a model for a show he is likely onstage as the show. Beau Monde Academy hosted the event in their new, top of the line space inside Lloyd Center. Dianna and Robert Peterson opened the competency-based facility recently after more than 40 years downtown. The new, state of the art space includes styling stations shipped from Italy and an area for presentations used by the celebrity stylist.

ÜÜBeauMondeCollege.com

special

SPECIAL

Tribute

Thomas Paul Augustine A Loverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tribute to The Man Who Named The Pearl W O R D S Janice Jada Griffin

Thomas Paul Augustine Left & Right: High Stepping Photo: Peter H.S. Foster

If you think that someone is speaking to you from outside of time and space, they probably are. On the afternoon of Wednesday, January 31st, I lost Thomas Paul Augustine, the love of my life. That morning I’d witnessed the total lunar eclipse, where Earth lies in-between Sun and Moon, casting an orange shadow upon our smaller satellite-companion. I’d put my mind into a more expansive place knowing difficult news lay ahead whether Thomas survived the day or not. Thomas thrived in parallel universes. Comfortable with not having all the answers, he knew that, as humans evolved within a grand universal timetable, we’re barely escaped from primeval goo and far too limited to fathom the mysteries of the cosmos. Today, just 3 days after losing my beloved, when things felt terribly dark and as if I’d never paint or write again, kaboom, I sell Nebula Pueblo Beyond Time, one of the last works I had painted in my Santa Fe, New Mexico, studio and that Thomas and I had examined together. Thomas, at heart a sculptor, loved bronze, glass and the precious agates and jade that he fashioned into jewels. A problem-solver, he had a positive mind-set and could do anything. Our conversations, which seemed so straightforward at first, always blossomed into something magical. His input, always epiphanic, invariably caused me to make small, yet significant, adjustments to my pictures. Thomas was not locked in by dragons in life and he was not confined by celestial monsters now. This was his way of refocusing me, of telling me to keep faith, to continue the program we’d started some 20 years ago - first, after we’d met and my work was represented by

the Lawrence Gallery at NW 9th and Davis Street, and secondly, after he and I formed our own art studio and gallery, the Janice Griffin Gallery, at NW 12th and Overton Street. “Remember,” he said. “Remember who you are. Everything you did was not a lie.” Thomas’s contact was a reminder - the paintings I create, (most of them large-scale female figurative pieces,) are consequential, an expression of our shared love and impulse to offer what we considered an important philosophical statement for society. My female figures are on the vanguard because they contain an underpinning of pro-women’s advancement ideals that have become even more potently relevant today. Thomas was thrilled about the #MeToo movement. We both knew women’s personal power and sexuality - their sex drive - to be inextricably linked. My pictures take on a political stance against patriarchal systems that seek to silence women’s voices and confiscate their worth through barbaric practices such as institutionally sanctioned rape and genital mutilation. Thomas despised the subjugation of women. “This has happened millions of times,” he said, never shying away from being a spokesperson for the freedom, strength and beauty of my gender. In this capacity Thomas remains a true warrior, a warrior for human justice and equality. Thomas and I were mutually inspired to bring my likenesses of women to life. Thomas performed the majority of physical labor involved in stretching, framing and curating the canvases. He was pure brilliance in being able to speak about the work, its ideological significance, and in joining with the emotional force it contained,

communicating that eloquently in words to a mesmerized audience. He could put into vocabulary with no rehearsal whatsoever what people barely knew they sensed and bring everyone in the room into connection. Folk in the Pearl still remember his Valentine’s Day talk and the penetrating relevance of what he had to say about male/female power dynamics. Speaking from knowledge of his own physical body, he channeled his personal experience of what carnality could be when a woman felt safe, felt held, when a woman was truly awake and free. Many of you will recognize Thomas Paul Augustine’s name in the context of the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon. It is here that Thomas had his art gallery, The Augustine Gallery, from the early 1980s when the neighborhood was still known as the Northwest Industrial Triangle, to the end of the decade. It’s no accident that Thomas is famous for naming the Pearl District. His charismatic genius was absolute. A spark of recognition ignited the moment we met. Larry Peetz, a local collector of my paintings, became Thomas’s instant fast friend. “Thomas,” he says, “was the real deal. He was not someone you could compete with, but he had compassion. We were brothers, Thomas told me, we just had different mothers.” Like Larry Peetz, the men and women who could appreciate and love Thomas, left their egos at the gate. You had to offer something of yourself to inhabit the same space with this man. Articulate and non-competitive, he had authority in the realm of art. He knew that some people wanted only the facts and figures of the academic. But for Thomas, life, like the act of making and selling gorgeous things, could never be a mechan-

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ical process. Art that was true came from a mysterious, unnamable inner force. It had the power to move us and deepen the meaning of existence. Thomas’ contribution was not to be taken in the usual sense, the sense of what it might be worth in a capital-driven marketplace. His contagious joie de vivre came from a position of mutual-benefit. He had something to teach and something to give and people were thirsty for the message. Many have speculated over which of Thomas’s two stories related to the naming of the Pearl are correct. Margie Boulé interviewed him in 2002 for The Oregonian. Initially, Thomas said that he loved the image of the rough neighborhood of the then named Northwest Industrial Triangle being filled with crusty, archaic buildings with exteriors that looked like oyster shells. Inside they were filled with pearls, heroic individuals who, like fishermen and priests, lived a faithbased existence. Like Thomas, these innovators - painters, poets, sculptors, dancers, musicians, wine-makers, software designers and filmmakers such as Gus van Sant, knew that originally inspired work was an offering to civilization. It necessarily came before financial reward. Thomas, the consummate visionary, catalyzed creativity in a utopian, bohemian counter-culture that echoed Paris’s Left Bank in the early 20th century. Painters like James Macko, whose work Thomas carried at his NW13th and Hoyt Street showroom for 7 years, were doing exploratory experimentation akin to Picasso and Matisse on the Rive Gauche almost a century earlier. In his interview with Boulé, Thomas elaborated on how the Pearl District acquired its name by revealing that his friend, Pearl Marie Amhara, an Ethiopian woman who had introduced him to Oregon and who

held women’s empowerment gatherings in “the hood,” had rightly anticipated that it would become filled with creative types of all sorts and eventually gentrified. Amhara was enigmatic. There has been speculation as to whether she ever truly existed. But James Macko once met Amhara at the Augustine Gallery. “She was a gracious, elderly black woman who spoke highly of Thomas,” he said. It was Amhara who Thomas thought of when asked at a block party by an Alaska Airlines magazine writer what the neighborhood was called. “It’s Pearl’s District!” he declared, and the appellation stuck. “In truth,” Thomas told me, “the naming of the Pearl District came from twin sources, both of which belong to me: the image of the pearl-treasures inside the calloused mollusk shells and from Pearl Marie Amhara, my friend.” It’s easy to believe that Thomas Paul Augustine named the Pearl District, for he lived, not in the world of the ordinary, but in the world of the extraordinary. Thomas was tactile, warm, compelling. Whether making coffee, making love or making art, everything about being with this man contained eroticism, eroticism in equal measure. We were limited only by the contours of our imagination, because everything we did was always rooted in love. Thomas Paul Augustine, the Thomas I adored, had many challenges in life, all of which stemmed from physical health issues coming out of the Vietnam era in America and with which I was intimately familiar. He was physically wounded, but through discipline and force of will, he made his mind non-desperate. He stayed in the present, never pushed the river, allowing inspiration to flow like water over stone. Thomas moved with ease between the parallel universe that art at its Janice Jada Griffin Torso 4

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best is, and the “real” workaday world, never limiting himself by preconceptions. A person of extreme intelligence, a true artist, he danced along the razor’s edge between imagination and fantasy, for his was the quintessential hero’s journey. The Tommy I shared a home with for two decades, this Thomas that his family, friends and associates knew, was replete with vitality, unafraid to follow his heart’s desire. He lived the “soul’s big adventure,” as Joseph Campbell described, choosing art as his work because it was that which excited him. He was filled with verve, uncompromised courage, kindness and wisdom. A product of the 1960s, where Thomas’s pilgrimage was at times a pilgrimage to save himself, his vitality made others come alive, and in many ways, he saved the world.

~ Loss ~ I see him in my living room and in my dreams.

I feel him as if he were a ghost, a phantom limb that should be there but isn’t. He is in the sculpted clay that his hands fashioned into form. He is in the gentle breeze and in the storm. He is in the mountain stream.

The liberty of Thomas’s imagination knew no bounds. Recently he said to me, “You must have the feeling that a dream can come true. You will see how that feeling can also take a step over the line, but you must still keep the feeling.” Thomas loved rich metaphors, metaphors contained in mythology and fairy tales. He loved them because they held an ultimate truth. Metaphorically speaking, Thomas kept doors open in the night, for he knew that at any time, a person could find the unexpected, the pearl in the oyster shell.

As the sharp, cutting edges of my grief soften,

My darling Tommy, I can entirely you only love - your greygreen eyes as deep as a well, your strong sculptor’s hands caressing me, the radiant genius of your Buddha-mind. You talk to salamanders and stones. The riches you give me are of a different kind. This is not goodbye. We wrap around and around each other, a swaying Indian raga, infinitely repeating, warming the blood and stirring the bones. PI

At dawn he rolls the rayed disk of the sun across the sky.

ÜÜJaniceGriffinGallery.com

Janice Jada Griffin janice@janicegriffingallery.com

I am a great fallen tree dissolving into time. I see him in the shadow and in the silhouette.

I touch him in the wet, overcast sky that brings relief to the High Desert light. I hear him in the raging thunder and in the lightning’s gleaming rod.

And the lotus rises again from the underwater and opens its flower.

He is softly sleeping, resting in the stone. His blood beats, alive in the canyons that are the veins of the Earth. Husband, you are with me. You are with me in chaos, and you are with me when I lean into the wind. We are flowing with the river. We are in free play now with the eternal current of life. ~ Janice Jada Griffin ~

Dear Friends, Thomas Paul Augustine has left us far too soon. He had much yet to contribute in the realm of art. To those who knew and loved Thomas, I would like to hear from you. I am developing an art piece that will incorporate some of the many extraordinary thoughts and words that have been shared with me about this remarkable man. Please email me at < janice@janicegriffingallery.com > WIth thanks from the bottom of my heart, Janice Jada Griffin.

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Janice Jada Griffin Pueblo Beyond Time

interview

Continued from page 76 Did you eventually end up seeking help at a treatment center? How did you start to turn your life around and strive for sobriety? I was a Vice President at a major brokerage firm in Seattle, and my manager came in like any other day to say hello and asked how I was doing. I was drinking a lot every day now and I was becoming scared for my safety. I couldn't think straight. But I was an actor, I always showed up dressed sharp, and somehow continued to be a high performer. I said, “Not good. I’m scared, unhappy, and sad. And I’ve always been a happy guy.” Fortunately for me, he had unsuccessfully intervened a few times for his father-in-law. I said "let's get a phone book out, I want to go to one of those 30-day places." I said I want you to follow me to my home and then to a treatment center, because I don't want to change my mind. I went in and answered all the questions honestly and they said we have a bed for you today. It was the most amazing relief! But that wasn’t quite the end of your problems – there were more difficult times to come? After a year of sobriety, there was another dark time. I remember talking with my dad and saying I don’t crave a glass of cabernet with my steak, I crave an escape. I just want to turn off all these feelings. Then two of my friends killed themselves in the same week. In that moment, I just thought, “I‘m scared now.” I called my doctor and said I needed to go to a treatment center because I was going through such a hard time with the death of my friends. But no treatment center would take me because I had not relapsed -- I wasn’t using. I panicked and got

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out the phone book and started calling counselors. I found one late at night and drove to her house, where she did the Burns Anxiety test on me. She said I was through the roof, on suicidal level basically. You really have no idea how sick you are until you have a moment of clarity. Tell me more about that moment of clarity. How did your decision to seek help in Antigua unfold? I watched an interview with Eric Clapton about his journey to sobriety at the Crossroads Centre in Antigua. That was the beginning of my own five-year journey, and it became one of the best periods of my life. It was an amazing experience, almost like a fantasy. I was doing a lot of photography, so I got a press pass to take photos of sailing events. Pretty soon, the captains of the sailboats asked me to shoot their races from helicopters. I also started to explore painting and sculpture as a way to unwind and enjoy self-reflection. In 2000 I opened Heavenly Hills, a gallery featuring the work of native artists in Antigua. That really lifted me -- I began to live a much freer life. Getting sober doesn’t make you a good person, it allows you to be in touch with yourself. That must have felt like the beginning of a major transformation! And didn’t you meet your wife in Antigua? I was at a friend of mine’s beach restaurant learning how to cook sea bass. A taxi drove up and I heard the American accents. That was the night that I met Maureen. She came up to my place Heavenly Hills

the following evening. On Friday nights we had live music, lobster and beautiful sunsets. We ended up hanging out the entire evening. Her friend told one of my staff people that Maureen was going to marry me. Her friend set me up for a date the following evening. A friend of mine was doing a book reading at the Antigua National Museum. I had done the artwork for her novel. When the writer publicly thanked me for doing the artwork, I think that gave me a little credibility. I still wasn’t used to dating sober. I knew this was a really important date, and we ended up going to a friend’s resort and talking all night. The following day she called me from Puerto Rico and told me she liked me. I began to fly backand-forth to New York. Maureen was a schoolteacher at an elementary school. I would show up in New York wearing flip-flops and shorts. Maureen was Irish Catholic, close to my age, never married, and had her master’s degree in early childhood education – everything way above my pay grade (laughs). But there was no doubt that we were soulmates. I asked her 6-foot-5 Irish father from Long Island if I could marry her, and he said no. We worked things out and became very close. The biggest gift of all we gave him was two grandchildren whom he was able to spend a lot of time with until he passed away last year. Family has been the greatest gift of all. Then you started a family. Was that something you wanted to do right away? Maureen always told me she could never be a stay at home mom, but when her mom passed, an unconditional love came over her for our daughter, Tallulah Belle. Maureen is an amazing mom -- we celebrate every holiday from Chinese New Year to Cinco de Mayo. She is making memories that I don’t know how to do. I can’t take credit for how amazing our two girls are and how they have excelled at everything. Second graders reading Harry Potter books is unheard of! Sounds like you have an amazing family! After all the demons you battled in your life, what does it feel like to finally achieve an idyllic home and family life? I think being normal is fascinating. Being a dad, and being a husband is fascinating to me. Trying to run a company and manage human relationships around you, while

also trying to answer a 9-year-old’s complicated questions is fascinating. I find that far more interesting than the wild nights I spent out. I have no resentment or regrets, but I’m in this moment now. When my mom got sick and was on dialysis, I knew she was going to pass. But my mom got to see me get married, and she got to see the birth of my first daughter, Tallulah Belle. I will always be grateful for that. Let’s switch gears to your real estate career now. What made you decide to partner with Christie’s? While I’ve always been in the top five of the higher end sales guys, it’s not about my volume, but what I sell. I now sell more of the three or four million-dollar homes. There was just moment where I wanted more control of my destiny, so I called Christie’s and said I wanted something different. I flew out to Christie’s in Beverly Hills and expressed my philosophy that we were more of a marketing company and were trying to form client relationships. When I started it here, one prominent guy that got excited about it was (Portland Developer) Jordan Schnitzer; he had been buying art from Christie’s for 25 years. We do a lot of big events, since Christie’s is the only real estate company owned by an auction house. So, there is a direct relationship – we talk art, and what furniture to look for. We have a program called Collectrium that helps you curate your collections online. Christie’s is also working with Dave Dahl (Founder, Dave’s Killer Bread) to curate a nice collection of African tribal art. What is unique about Luxe Platinum Properties? What do you offer that other real estate companies do not? What is comes down to is this: If you think of Christie’s, it’s been around for 200 years, and started in London when everybody was losing their money. It is one of the top brand names in the world. I don’t ever want people to get ego confused with enthusiasm. I have reached a peaceful place, where I am enthusiastic. I do not have an ego. What is neat about Christie’s is the products we have throughout the world, surrounded by talented people who have been in this industry for years. Their numbers are shocking, they are crushing the glass ceiling with sales. I thought, “Why can’t I be doing this in Portland?” We are promoting Kengo Kuma (modernist architect) which has never been done before.

He’s been selected as the architect of the next Olympic stadium. This relationship has just begun, and it is already incredible. It sounds like you have been able to leverage the brand prestige of Christie’s to list some of the most impressive properties in Oregon. We just closed about a 7-million-dollar vineyard in Southern Oregon without even going through the RMLS. Seventy million people visit the Christie’s site a year. Sixty percent of them are from different countries. When people say international marketing isn’t important, being sandwiched in between Seattle and San Francisco, we have a lot going on here for us. About 125 people a day are moving to Portland. We sometimes take for granted how beautiful is it here. People from California aren’t moving here for a gated community, they become Portlandized very quickly. People are coming here to embrace and be a part of Portland. How I work is I surround myself with people like myself, self-made, successful men and women. For instance, the athletes and agents in the NBA really like me. I have an NDA with the Blazers, and I respect them like they are my own family. You’ve built a really amazing client base and community through your business… The world is my neighborhood. I go to Christie’s meetings two or three times a year. I am always up on stage talking about the client experience and innovation. What I try to do is hire brokers that have special skill sets. We all work together like a law firm, no one works for me, we work together. Portland Business Journal named us number one in Oregon for price per sell. How does your ability to tell a compelling story translate into building great client relationships? Our intention from the very beginning has been to be a market leader in terms of the client experience and results. Real estate is much like owning a retail store – you are trying to invite certain people in to have a great customer experience. In the art world, every piece of art has provenance. The same should be true of a real estate transaction. Shouldn’t you be responsible to maximize the event? Shouldn’t you have to understand the story, the history, the architecture, even personal experiences that that customer has had in that house? If you convey that through storytelling, you have the best potential of reaching the right client for all the right reasons. PI

ÜÜTheTerrySpragueGroup.com

interview

Continued from page 22 CONCLUSION Well you heard it here from the newlyminted movie producer, writer and actress. That girl never quits. Neither should you! PI

ÜÜTheCompetitionTheFilm.com

*You can find links to trailers, bios, purchase links and more on the official movie website TheCompetitionTheFilm.com. Please share with your friends! *To see the full catalogue of movies distributed by Gravitas Ventures check out their website GravitasVentures.com. To see the full catalogue of films represented by VMI Worldwide check out their website www.VmiWorldWide.com. To see more of director Harvey Lowry’s work, go to his website www.harveylowry.com. To see more of DP Emmanuel Vouniozos’ work, go to his website Evdp44.com. *To see more on the stars of the film check them out on IMDB or view their actor websites including: ClaireCoffee.com, David-Blue.com, TiffanyFallon.com, GabrielleStoneActress.com, BetsyHume.WordPress.com, MichaelJosephDraper.com, CatherineJohnsonActress.com.

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WASHINGTON METRO NEWS VA N C O U V E R , WA W R I T T E N B Y MER LI N VARAD AY

Night Market Vancouver Light up those long summer evenings at the Night Market Vancouver, the first Friday of each month from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., held at Boomerang and Union Chapel’s third floor event space (808 Main St.). This summer’s events will be held on June 1st, July 6th and August 3rd. Local makers and artisans will be there with treasures to delight your senses. Eat, drink and shop local. FREE. www.nightmarketvancouver.com

Get Crafty Don’t miss the Craft Beer & Wine Fest June 8th through 10th at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver (301 W 8th St.). Enjoy over 50 craft brews and ciders, 150 craft wines from Oregon and Washington, craft bourbon tastings and delicious food, like pizzas from Rusty Grape Vineyard, ramen from Boke Bowl and islandinspired Asian food from Pidgin Hole. Then, groove to the tunes of Gold Dust - A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac. The Craft Beer & Wine Fest benefits Evergreen School District Foundation. www.thecraftwinefest.com/event-details

Celebrate Flag Day Join in the festivities at the 23rd Annual Flag Day at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (1501 E Evergreen Blvd.) on Thursday, June 14th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. This free, familyfriendly event will feature a ceremony, including a US History Quiz (Sunset Elementary 5th Graders will square off against Clark County Mayors), a Declaration of Independence Skit by Marshall Elementary 5th graders and the Clark County Mayors Patriotic Tie Contest. After the ceremony, families can tour a historic landmark,

learn how to march, sing patriotic songs and get the 411 on proper flag etiquette. Flag Day is presented by Davidson and Associates Insurance. www.thehistorictrust.org/patriotic-events/flag-day

Love Theater?

Magenta Theater (1108 Main St.) will present Boeing, Boeing from June 15th through 30th, written by Marc Camoletti, translated by Beverly Cross and Francis Evans and directed by KC Cooper. In this 1960’s French farce, which won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, Bernard juggles Italian, German and American fiancées - each one is an airline hostess. All goes smoothly until unexpected schedule changes result in all three arriving at Bernard’s Paris apartment simultaneously. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on June 15th, 16th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 28th and 29th, with 2:00 p.m. matinees on June 23rd and 30th. www.magentatheater.com

Treasures Reborn

The 13th Annual Recycled Arts Festival will be held June 23rd - 24th at Esther Short Park (301 W 8th St.). Get ready to explore works of art made of items that have been given a new life and learn about how to conserve the environment at the same time. Kids can create Eco-art and everyone will tap their feet to renegade Celtic folk rock group Castletown, 1960’sstyle Portland band Green Tambourine and more. Watch out for the juggler! On Saturday, June 23rd the festival will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Sunday, June 24th it will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. FREE. www.recycledartsfestival.com

Score A Goal!

Adidas Clash At The Border, presented by Summit Mortgage Corporation, will take place June 22nd through 24th at the Harmony Sports Complex (NE 192nd Ave. at NE 18th St.). At this action-packed soccer tournament top-level premier, select, classic, and travel teams will face off. Teams hail from Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California, Idaho, Hawaii, Texas, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Montana, Minnesota and Canada. Matches will be in Camas/Vancouver, WA and at Delta Park in Portland, OR. timberstournaments.com/adidas-clash-at-the-border-2

Best In Show Make the most of your summer during Fort Vancouver Rose Society’s 65th Annual Rose Show at the First Evangelical Church (4120 NE St. Johns Rd.) on June 23rd from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Competitors from across the Pacific Northwest will bring their “A game” in rose-growing. Those new to growing roses are encouraged to enter! This is your chance to enjoy the area’s most beautiful blooms. While you stop and smell the roses, ask about Rose Care Seminars. The Fort Vancouver Rose Society, established in 1953, is a proud member of the American Rose Society (ARS). FREE. www.fortvancouverrosesociety.org

Race To The Stars Join in the race at the Twilight Half Marathon, 5K and 10K July 7th at Vancouver Lake Park (6801 Northwest Lower River Rd.). The race, sponsored by Axiom, starts at 6:00 p.m. Participation fees range from $49.00 to $79.00. This is a race for everyone! Since it is in the evening, it’s perfect

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for people who love to run but aren’t morning people. Additionally, the event is beginner- and walker-friendly. Everyone will finish a winner with the following souvenirs: an owl finisher's medal, super soft tank or shirt, post-race meal, and two craft beers or ciders from Hopworks Urban Brewery. The evening’s events will benefit the Children’s Cancer Association, whose mission is to bring joy to children battling illnesses. www.eventsbyaxiom.com/twilighthalf.html

Those Summer Nights Get treated to live music in the balmy summer evenings, Sundays from July 8th through August 12th, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Columbia Tech Center Sunday Sounds Concert Series (1498 Southeast Tech Center Dr.), presented by Gaynors Automotive. This event is free and family-friendly. Bring a picnic blanket and basket, and settle in to enjoy the sounds of Patrick Lamb, Curtis Salgado, Prom Date Mixtape and more! Food vendors will also be on site, if you prefer to grab a tasty, locally-prepared bite. cityofvancouver.us/parksrec/page/columbia-

tech-center-sunday-sounds-presented-gaynors-automotive

Get Ready To Dance! Grab a spot on the lawn and savor food by food purveyors, as you enjoy live music at the Imagine Homes Realty Concert Series each Wednesday from July 11th through August 15th from noon to 1:00 p.m. at Esther Short Park (301 W 8th St.). Featured performances this summer will include the Vancouver Pops Orchestra, Skybound Blue, One of a Kind Drumline and more! Parking is available at the Vancouvercenter garage at 601 Columbia St.

www.cityofvancouver.us/parksrec/page/imaginehomes-realty-llc-noon-concerts

Camas First Fridays Camas First Fridays are a time to hit the streets of downtown and enjoy after-hours shopping, art, activities and fabulous dining from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The theme of Friday, June 1st’s event will be “Dog Days of Summer” - check out the doggie talent and fashion shows. There will also be a dog and owner look-alike contest! On Friday July 6th, celebrate with “Camas Poker Tour and Game Night” - collect a “poker card” from each participating merchant you visit and turn them in to the dealer at Camas Antiques at 8:00 p.m. The five highest hands will win a fabulous prize from a local business. Friday, August 3rd will bring “Small Town Summer Fun” - Savor the summer with outdoor games like cornhole, ring toss, marble grab and a duckie race. Everyone will get a free Otter Pop for participating! downtowncamas.com/events-and-festivals/first-fridays

Just Cruisin’! Don’t you just love scoping out remodeled classic cars? You’ll get the chance to see plenty of beauties on July 7th from 4:00 to 8:30 p.m. in historic downtown Camas at the Camas Car Show. The Best In Show Award will be presented by Camas Mayor Scott Higgins, and the winning vehicle will be featured on next year’s Camas Car Show poster! The first 100 car submissions will receive a goodie bag and dash plaques will go to the first 200 cars. There will also be a raffle, live music by Bluez Cruizer, dance by the Virtuosity Performing Arts Studio and a Kid’s Coloring Contest. The Camas Car Show will benefit the Camas Washougal Treasure House Food Bank. If you bring two cans of food to donate, you get a free raffle ticket. Admission for spectators is FREE! www.downtowncamas.com/event/camas-car-show

Grains of Wrath

Grains of Wrath Brewery (230 NE 5th Ave.) has opened in downtown Camas. Located in a 1930’s era auto shop, the new hangout is the passion project of Michael Hunsaker, Brendan Greenen, Shawn Parker and Brendan Ford. Try the Papermaker Pale (with malt, grapefruit and pineapple notes), the Chocolate Stout (tasting of roasted coffee, chocolate and vanilla) or the Brewhouse Bully (with complex flavors like candied plum, dark cherry, clove and fig). Can’t decide? There’s a Beer Sampler – four five ounce pours of your choice.

There is also a seasonally rotating menu; all ingredients are sourced with quality in mind. Dig into next-level small plates like Braised Pork Belly with crispy rice, mint, cilantro, scallion salad, lime and extra virgin olive oil or Bone Marrow with onion jam and grilled bread. A tad hungrier? Try a larger plate like Steak Frites with Italian herbed salsa verde, crispy onions, house fries and aioli or the Smoked Steelhead and Asparagus Salad with roasted asparagus, eight-minute egg, shaved turnip, arugula, lemon, extra virgin olive oil and maldon salt. For afterward, there is Chocolate Stout Cake with peanut butter cream, Jacobson’s coffee salt and chocolate sprinkles or Lemon Orange Cheesecake with rhubarb compote. People are important at Grains of Wrath Brewery – the owners give props to their team on the web site, including Executive Chef Fabiola Ponce Wyatt, Sous Chef Jackson Wyatt, General Manager Mindy Carte and Assistant Manager Roberto Montes. Families are welcome, including minors, in the restaurant. www.gowbeer.com

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Camas Days “Celebrate Papermaker History” Friday, July 27th and Saturday, July 28th at the 2018 Camas Days! This annual tradition is in its 44th year, and draws about 10,000 to 15,000 attendees. There will be a gated wine and microbrew street, as well as a food street, arts and crafts vendors, concerts in the park, two parades (a kids’ parade will be on Friday, the main parade on Saturday) and, of course, the famous Bathtub Races in front of City Hall! Camas Days is organized and sponsored by the Camas Washougal Chamber of Commerce. Don’t miss the softball tournament, and be sure to swing by the Kids’ Street with your family. www.cwchamber.

R Blooms Hosts Painters R. Blooms (267 ‘A’ Ave.) of Lake Oswego is a gift and floral shop located in a restored Italian Victorian building circa 1889. This summer, R. Blooms of Lake Oswego hosts local artists in outdoor Parisian Plein Aire-style painting. Visit and meet the artists outside creating art along the sidewalk in front of and to the side of our historic building every third Saturday from June through September. You can also browse the gift boutique on the main floor and stop in the second floor floral design studio to watch and meet the floral designers.

New Boys Fort Location Have you been to the FORT lately? BOYS FORT's new location (1001 SW Morrison St.) is a carefully assembled collection of local handbuilt, U.S. made and vintage one-of-a-kinds. The offerings range from grooming products, like mustache wax and beard oil, to hand-forged jewelry and leather goods. BOYS FORT has now brought beautiful plants and cacti into the mix, along with local hand-thrown pots. The new location (one block from the old one) is a bright, sunny corner, perfect for highlighting some of the Northwest's best makers. Go forth and BUILD YOUR FORT!

Where History Lives Walk through the doors of the Two Rivers Heritage Museum (1 Durgan St., Washougal), “where history lives”, and find yourself captivated by the immense variety of items that tell the history of Washougal and Camas. Displays of artifacts and information about local education, business, medicine, industry and home life are featured. A popular display is an impressive collection of Native American baskets, representing tribes from throughout the Northwest. Guests with an interest in genealogy or other historic research are amazed at the extensive records available to them, including Donation Land Claim and Homestead documents, census and cemetery records, family files (including news clippings and family documents), business files, more than 200 oral history tapes and 6,000 historic photos.

Star Spangled Parade & Spectacular Fireworks

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www.2rhm.com

NuestraMesaCamas.com 228 NE 4th Ave | 360 210 5311

www.rblooms.com Plein Aire 2018 Schedule

Saturday, June 16th | Saturday, July 21st Saturday, August 18th | Saturday, September 15th Join your community for a patriotic celebration Wednesday, July 4th. The festivities will be kicked off at 10:00 a.m. with a parade down ‘A’ Ave. watch for classic cars, an authentic Fife & Drum Band, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and a performance from Last Regiment. Veterans will be honored for their service to the country. Kick the fun up a notch by dressing your pets up in patriotic garb! Or catch some candy from parade participants. The celebration continues through 1:30 p.m. in Millennium Plaza Park (200 First St.) with live music from Gospel Hooligans, food vendors and a pie eating contest. At 9:30 p.m. the dynamite fireworks show begins – the best viewing location is George Rogers Park Upper Ballfield. The fireworks can also be seen from both Foothills and Millennium Plaza Park. Bring a blanket and your loved ones and enjoy the show! www.ci.oswego.

or.us/parksrec/star-spangled-parade-and-celebration

www.boysfort.com

Relax and Sip Wine The Domaine Serene Wine Lounge is now open in the Sentinel hotel (1038 SW Alder St.). The comfortable and welcoming space will feature the award-winning wines of Domaine Serene, alongside selections of Château de la Crée and Maison Evenstad wines from our Burgundian winery, located in the Santenay region of the Côte de Beaune. The new Wine Lounge will offer an elevated wine experience for both novices and aficionados looking to relax and unwind with a glass of world-class Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. The Domaine Serene Wine Lounge is conveniently accessible from both bustling SW Alder Street and Sentinel’s lobby, and is open to the public, wine club members and hotel guests Thursday, Friday and Saturday 4:00 to 11:00 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8:00 p.m. www.domaineserenewinelounge.com

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Portland Craft Beer Festival The 4th Annual Portland Craft Beer Festival will be held July 6th through 8th at The Fields Park (NW 11th Ave. and Overton), kicking off Oregon Craft Beer Month. Beers, meads, ciders and wines crafted within the city limits will be featured. There will be over 100 beers from more than 50 breweries. This year’s guest trailer will showcase seven breweries from Central Oregon: Boneyard, Cascade Lakes, Crux, Good Life, Sunriver, Wild Ride and Worthy Brewing. Beer aficionados can also enjoy tasty eats from several local food carts, including Urban German, Pig Sauce BBQ, PDX Sliders and Boke Bowl. There will also be games including corn hole, pinball and ping pong. 10% of the proceeds from the event will benefit CaskAide, Inc. and its partner charities.

The Fullerton Tasting Room opens their doors for the

lauded Memorial Weekend Open House, a Willamette Valley tradition. Celebrate with delicious appetizers and elegant and distinctive Chardonnay and Pinot noir crafted by Alex Fullerton. Tasting Fee $25 Saturday, May 26th 12-9pm, Sunday, May 27th 12-8pm, Monday, May 28th 11-6pm $25 for flight of five wines + appetizers 1966 NW Pettygrove St, Portland Youth Jazz At Mission Theater June 6Th The Portland Youth Jazz Orchestra is Oregon’s largest Jazz Program! PYJO has trained musicians from the Portland Metro Area since 2001. Many alumni have attended prestigious music schools across the country on scholarship. Many have continued in music or music education. All ages, Doors at 6pm, Show 7pm, $10 advance 1624 NW Glisan St. Portland OR 97209 www.pyjo.com

New Business Spotlight Gastro Mania takes inspiration from the old world, mixed with Portland’s food cart culture. Chef Alex Nenchev blends hipness with his background as a classically trained Mediterranean executive chef. Gastro Mania keeps things simple – delicately grilled seafood, crisp salads, herbs, lots of olive oil and lemon, and creative original sauces and marinades. They prep and cook everything the same day until they run out. Fast and fine can go together – come and treat yourself. 1986 NW Pettygrove St, Portland, OR 97209

Return to Within the

Float Shoppe Center for Wellness

Oregon’s #1 Spa/Wellness Center on Tripadvisor 1515 NW 23rd Avenue

www.floatshoppe.com

www.portlandcraftbeerfestival.com

Love Beautiful Things? Thea’s Vintage Living (1204 NW Glisan St.) and Potted in Portland are hosting a Mother’s Day First Thursday in the Pearl District. May 5th from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. upstairs in Thea’s open studio space. Enjoy wine by Tumwater Winery while you shop Glassbaby’s beautiful hand blown glasswares, and luxurious Lavender Pillowette’s from Portland artist Farfalla Designs. Potted in Portland will have lovely fresh plants and a new selection of tempting local artisan planters. Thea’s will, as always, have vintage finds and jewelry that will satisfy your need for beautiful things. From June through September our First

Thursdays in the Pearl will have special tastings by Leikam Brewery. www.theasvintageliving.com

Original Favorite, New Look

Brewing Company (1318 NW Northrup St.), Oregon’s original craft brewery, is proud to unveil their newly renovated space. Inside the newly refreshed front dining room, guests will find an updated bar featuring BridgePort’s experimental tap system. The new system will house 15 beers, featuring old favorites like the KingPin Nitro, Tiny Horse Pils, and Old Knucklehead, while also introducing a rotating selection of up to seven beers. This new tap system marks the next generation of innovative IPAs for BridgePort, an important step in the legacy brewery’s beer production program. For longtime fans of BridgePort, the tap list will also always feature a Heritage tap, which will pay homage to BridgePort beers of the past.

BridgePort

BridgePort will also unveil a new beer cocktail menu, created by local cocktail consultant and author of Cocktails on Tap: The Art of Mixing Spirits and Beer, Jacob Grier. Look forward to trying creations like Winter Shandy (Kingpin Double Red Ale, ginger beer, Indio curacao lemon) and Cascades Sour (Aria Gin, Original IPA, lemon, ginger syrup, Cascadia liqueur). A new classic cocktail menu and barrel-aged cocktail menu will also be available.

www.bridgeportbrew.com

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Tideman Johnson Park Help clean up a treasured area near Milwaukie. Tideman Johnson Park is located at S.E. 37th and S.E. Tenino St. Work parties are usually on the first Saturday of each month. The next is scheduled for June 2nd. Volunteers of all ages are welcome and refreshments and work tools are provided. RSVP Today! 503 786 7555 for more info.

Something Amusing? Plan some summer fun at Oaks Amusement Park (7805 SE Oaks Park Way). In addition to offering you a trip back in time to the roller rink and fair rides that were a beloved part of your youth, Portland’s own amusement park is hosting the 2018 Scandinavian Midsummer Festival on June 9th from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You can expect live music, dancing, games, a beer garden and your favorite Nordic foods. There will also be a Kids’ Area. Bring the whole family for the Raising of the Maypole at 2:00 p.m. Brought to you by Nordic Northwest.

First Friday Downtown Milwaukie hosts a multi-block community celebration monthly May-October, 5-9pm, featuring art/craft vendors, live music, food carts/booths, as well as an art-walk of hosted venues along Main Street and beyond; events are all ages and open to public. This is the FIRST First Friday of the current season. Come see this charming cute Oregon town, enjoy some food, beverage, art and music... and eat, drink and play! Map will be posted here along with shared events, so check it all out. Visit our Instagram page First Friday Milwaukie. Farmers Market

Milwaukie Sunday Farmers Market!

Starting in May and every Sunday through October, you can find produce, a wide variety of prepared foods, cut flowers, plants, and countless gift items at the Market the Oregonian called the Best of 2012. By foot, by bike, by bus, by car — however you come, you can find our busy Market at the intersection of Main and Harrison in Downtown Milwaukie, from 9:30am to 2pm every Sunday. Every week we bring you live music and over 75 vendors. Beyond shopping and eating, there’s seated massage, face painting, and a Community Booth with information about projects around town, too.

www.oakspark.com

Tap Your Feet

Muddy Rudder Public House (8105 SE 7th Ave.), Sellwood’s “friendliest pub”, is the place this summer to catch some live tunes and connect with your squad. Acts to watch for include The Junebugs (Friday, June 1st at 8:00 to 11:00 p.m.), Dan and Fran (Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.) and Lloyd Jones (Monday evenings from 8:00 to 10:30 p.m.). Additionally, Happy Hour is every day from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. There are personal-size Cheese Pizzas to munch on, as well as fresh treats like Bruschetta and Chickpea Salad. There’s also a variety of IPAs, Porters, Pilsners and other fantastic microbrews on tap. www.muddyrudderpdx.com

Seen It Yet? Sometimes the best thing to do on a hot summer day is duck into a cool, dark cinema. The stylish and cozy Moreland Theater (6712

SE Milwaukie Ave.), which opened originally in 1926, plays first run movies at affordable prices, making it one of the best deals in town. General admission is $7.50, with tickets for children 11 and under, Seniors and active duty military (with I.D.) coming in at $5.50. While you are there, ask about when vaudeville was performed in the theater, and the original organ that was a part of each show. What happened when “talkies” came? You will be able to journey back into time, learn some fascinating Portland history and enjoy that new movie you were dying to see presented with the latest technology.

www.morelandtheater.com

For Extra Emphasis Tilde (7919 SE 13th Ave.) means an access or extra emphasis. The modern lifestyle shop at 7919 SE 13th Ave. features jewelry, handbags, artwork and items for the home created by independent artisan makers from Portland and around the world. Founded in 2006 by Debbe Hamada, everything in Tilde is handpicked with thoughtfulness and love. Need to find a special gift? There are candles, planners, lotions and soaps, stationary and accessories. Ask about the lovely handbags by Latico Leather. For the home, you can find dishware, coasters and trivets, vases and art. Stop by and visit soon! www.tildeshop.com

windhorsecoffee.com 7857 SE 13th Ave 503.928.3099

BREAKFAST TOASTIE'S | LUNCH PANINI'S FRESHLY BAKED PASTRIES

10611 SE Main St. milwaukie | 503.659.1000

The largest selection of culinary herbs & spices in the Paciﬁc NW. Hundreds of fresh-ground, hand blended flavors to choose from. Locally owned and operated since 2012 in the heart of the Sellwood district. Open 7 days a week!

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MULTNOMAH VILLAGE 7501 SW CAPI TOL HWY · POR T LAND.OR 97219 MONDAY - FRIDAY 12PM - 10PM SA TURDAY - SUNDAY 10AM - 10PM PH 503.889.0682 FIDUSPDX.COM Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For use only by adults twenty-one years of age and older. Keep out of reach of children.