Field Guide to the Lower Columbia River in Poems and Pictures By Robert Michael Pyle and Judy VanderMaten.
Rex Ziak’s edited and annotated edition of Franchére’s 1820 journal, The First American Settlement on the Pacific.
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Pacific Northwest Woodcuts and Haiku by Debby Neely •Boxed, Gift Edition with tasseled bookmark $35
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•220 historic photos •Boxed, signed. $50. IN FULL VIEW
Southwest Washington author and explorer Rex Ziak revolutionized historical scholarship by documenting minute-by-minute the Corps’ dangerous days at the mouth of the Columbia.
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A Layman’s Lewis & Clark by Michael O. Perry.
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Those of you attuned to the Reader
Part of that is the nature of the job. Journalists and editors walk the line between curiosity and skepticism. It can be a humbling vocation — asking who, what, why, where, and how — usually showing up knowing very little, and hoping to leave knowing at least a little more.
Take this month’s Reader: Just a few of our questions posed this issue: Do plants think? (Let’s ask Nancy Chennault.) What about the Surgeon General’s proposed cancer warning label on alcohol? (Let’s ask Marc Roland.) And to you, dear readers: Can you find time to write and submit your HaikuFest entries by March 1?
We were bursting with questions on our visit to Little Island Creamery in Cathlamet for this month’s “People+Place” feature. To wit: Why do they call it a milking parlor? Who are “the girls” running the show? What’s with all the semantics: cow, bull, steer, heifer? And how on Earth does a humble, 20cow operation make cheese chosen the Best Brie in North America?
Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper
Columnists and contributors:
Jan Bono
Hal Calbom
Nancy Chennault
Alice Dietz
Joe Fischer
Joseph Govednik
Michael Perry
Ned Piper
Robert Michael Pyle
Marc Roland
Alan Rose
Greg Smith
Andre Stepankowsky
Debra Tweedy
Judy VanderMaten
Editorial/Proofreading Assistants:
Merrilee Bauman, Michael Perry, Marilyn Perry, Tiffany Dickinson, Debra Tweedy, Ned Piper
Advertising Manager: Ned Piper, 360-749-2632
Columbia River Reader, llc 1333 14th Ave, Longview, WA 98632
And while we’re at it, a nursery rhyme question. Hal Calbom insisted on leading his piece with Little Miss Muffet, and her precious curds and whey, but discovered a raging
controversy on what exactly is a “tuffet.” The experts and web mavens are divided. It seems there’s a critical chasm between those favoring a miniature milking stool, and others advocating a simple, but welcoming, prominent mound of grass.
Don’t worry, we’re not without some answers in this issue, beginning with Miss Muffet. A hint: The answer to the tuffet question and the reason a modest little Puget Island Creamery could be the best on the continent are one and the same.
Still looking for answers? Welcome to the February Reader. While I am still “secretly” hoping for at least a dusting of snow, spring is just around the corner and soon our paths will be popping with primroses!
Sue Piper
HaikuFest 2025
Haiki is a Japanese poetry form of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world, giving a glimpse of an idea or feeling, and conveying the sense of a single moment. Details, pg 25.
Submission Deadline: March 1, 2025. Selections chosen by the judges will be published in March 15 Columbia River Reader.
In this Issue
Columbia River Reader is published monthly, with 14,000 copies distributed in the Lower Columbia region. Entire contents copyrighted; No reproduction of any kind allowed without express written permission of Columbia River Reader, LLC. Opinions expressed herein, whether in editorial content or paid ad space, belong to the writers and advertisers and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Reader.
Submission guidelines: page 32.
General Ad info: page 6.
Ad Manager: Ned Piper 360-749-2632.
Visit our website for the current issue and archive of past issues from 2013.
photo by Jacq Justice
See story, page 17. photo by hal calbom
Never too late for fame
I never imagined that, at our age, we would be famous! Your story of Gregory Price and his wonderful gym was so good to see on the front page of the CRR.
And it was such a good surprise to find our picture on page 20!
Victoria Block Longview, Wash.
Letter to the Editor
Editor’s note: Victoria is a longtime friend of CRR. She and her husband, Henry, happened to be working out at Forever Fit when Hal Calbom was on the scene shooting photos for last month’s “People+Place” feature.Hence, their achievement of “fame.” Maybe next we’ll see them on Oprah?
Appreciates Longview Police
After spending several weeks in Southern California, I was on my way home to Longview from the Portland Airport; I picked up my truck and was very tired. When I got into Longview at about 10:30pm, I made a mistake and hit a curb with the front left tire. Blew that! Tired and confused, I drove about a mile on Ocean Beach Highway, shredded the tire and ended up at Walmart’s parking lot.
At this point, one of my heroes -— Longview Police Office Stewart — showed up, assessed the
situation and decided to help change my tire. I had a spare in the back, but zero tools for tire-changing. Officer Stewart called for help; after a few minutes, Supervisor Mortensen arrived with the required tools. Officer Stewart changed my tire and I was on the road again, and got home about 1:15am. These two of Longview’s finest are my heroes. I wish for them all they desire in life.
cartoon by Joe Fischer
Carl D. Durham Longview, Wash.
DISPATCHES FROM THE DISCOVERY TRAIL
M10
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
By Michael O. Perry
any of us have heard weather reports of the extraordinarily low temperatures experienced in the upper Midwest. When the Lewis & Clark Expedition was camped at Fort Mandan (near present-day Bismark, North Dakota), they recorded temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees on several nights in 1805 (that was as low as their thermometer went!). Does it still get that cold? On January 30, 2019, it got down to minus 27 at today’s reconstructed Fort Mandan – and that same morning, it got down to minus 56 degrees in Cotton, Minnesota. Those are actual temperatures, not the hyped “wind-chill” factors we often hear about. Nowadays, people live in insulated homes heated by natural gas, oil or electricity… but, that is still cold!
All Iced Up
After spending five months in present-day North Dakota during a bitterly cold winter, the Corps of Discovery was anxious to continue their journey to the Pacific Ocean. They had made a major mistake by leaving their keelboat and two smaller pirogues in the Missouri River after arriving at the site of Fort Mandan in November, 1804. With temperatures down to 45 degrees below zero, it hadn’t taken long for the boats to become trapped in the ice.
The obverse design for the 2005 nickel commemorating the Lewis and Clark bicentennial contained a new likeness of America’s third president, Thomas Jefferson. The “Liberty” inscription on the coin is based upon Jefferson’s own handwriting. The reverse featured the American bison. Expedition journals described the buffalo as an animal of great significance to many American Indian cultures. Nickels minted between 1913 and 1938 also had a buffalo on the reverse, while an Indian was depicted on the front; many people feel it was one of America’s most beautiful coins.
... all iced up ...
They made a mistake and left the boats in the water and they froze in place and the part that’s also kind of funny is you’ve got a boat that’s in the water here when the ice comes along, but then the water quits flowing. The water drops down, another layer of ice forms with air between. So they had to chip through multiple layers to get their boats out.”
The Indian depicted on the so-called “buffalo nickel” is a composite of three Indian chiefs: Two Moons, John Big Tree, and Iron Tail, the chief that faced Custer at the Little Big Horn. Creators of the coin wished to capture a Native American portrait but not to associate the facial features with any specific tribe.
On January 22, 1805, the men began trying to chop the boats out, but they soon realized it was not going to be easy. The fluctuating level of the river had resulted in several layers of ice, and as soon as they chopped through one layer the void filled with water. An attempt was made to heat large rocks in the fire and then place them in the boats to melt the ice; however, upon placing the cold rocks in the fire, they exploded. It took over a month of chopping to free the boats, just as the ice was breaking up. If they hadn’t managed to get them out at that time, the boats would almost certainly have been crushed as the ice began breaking up and moving downriver.
March 5th was the first day the temperature reached 40 degrees in 1805. The boats were put back in the water on April 1st, 1805, and the next week was spent packing. The Missouri was too shallow to take the keelboat any further, so it was loaded with all the mineral and botanical specimens, animal skeletons and skins (along with some live animals) collected between St. Louis and Fort Mandan. Many
cont page 6
Five years ago, we introduced a revised version oF Michael Perry’s popular series which began with CRR’s April 15, 2004 inaugural issue and was reprised three times and then expanded In the new book, Dispatches from the Discovery Trail, edited by Hal Calbom and published by CRRPress. It includes an in-depth author interview and new illustrations and commentary.
Lewis & Clark from page 5
of those items are still on display at Jefferson’s home at Monticello and in the Smithsonian. Jefferson planted some of the seeds, and many of those plants are still growing at Monticello. Clark had spent all winter drawing a map of the area west of the Mississippi River, based on his observations and information obtained from Indians and fur traders. A copy of that map was sent to Jefferson, along with a 45,000 word report, when the keelboat headed back to St. Louis with 15 men of the return party on April 7, 1805.
On the road again
On that same day, the 33 members of the permanent party, including Sacajawea and her 55-day old son, began the journey up the Missouri into uncharted territory. Lewis wrote, “Our vessels consisted of six small canoes, and two large pirogues. This little fleet altho’ not quite so rispectable as those of Columbus or Capt. Cook, were still viewed by us with as much pleasure as those deservedly famed adventurers ever beheld theirs… we were now about to penetrate a country at least two thousand miles in width, on which the foot of civilized man had never trodden.”
On April 9th, Clark wrote, “I saw a Musquetor to day” and the following day he wrote “Misquetors troublesom.”
This is surprising since it had been so cold all winter; all precipitation between October 15 and March 23 had been snow. After fighting mosquitoes the previous year, this was a bad omen! On April 14th, they reached “the highest point to which any whiteman had ever ascended.” From that point on, only Sacajawea had first-hand knowledge of what lay ahead.
Next month we will learn about the vast open plains filled with herds of buffalo, elk, and antelope. And we’ll witness the Corps of Discovery’s first encounter with grizzly bears.
Exercise
and Thurs – 10 AM
TCHI Certified Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention (Standing/Seated) Tai Chi & Qigong for Health and Wellness (Standing/Seated)
The Administration on Aging (AoA) has rated the TCHI Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevent (TCA) program as the highest evidence-based program for older adults and wellness. More information at www.taichiforhealthinstitute.org.
By Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin
House rules for grandkids; response to wrong restaurant order, etc. etc
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My son and his family live four hours away, and visit often with our two grandchildren. One rule I have is no food or drinks in the living room or bedrooms. Growing up, we were never allowed to have food anywhere but on a table.
Their family are big fans of a certain coffee business, and during a recent visit, drinks from this business were brought into their bedroom. The younger child, who is sometimes silly and constantly jumping around, caused a spill on the carpet.
I had his sister and him clean up the mess. I ended up feeling stressed, angry and guilty. My son, on the other hand, just worried that his money and drinks were wasted.
It is a constant struggle when they visit, because the parents allow food and drinks in their rooms at home. They feel that my not allowing this is valuing my furniture over the kids’ comfort. These kids also make their mom sleep on a cot while they take the guest bed. The mom goes along with it and never complains. Am I wrong?
GENTLE READER: Your son cannot have his coffee and his jumping kids, too. If he does not want to waste things, he should have an interest in keeping food and beverages safely at the dining table. You might point out this discrepancy. But while Miss Manners generally agrees that guests’ comfort takes precedence over rugs and furniture, she has her limits, and they usually apply to children. Just because they want to jump on the furniture and throw things in the house does not mean it should be allowed. A reiteration of that, and your other house rules, is reasonable and warranted.
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As for the displacement of your daughterin-law, that might better be left to their family. You could try saying loudly, “Margo, wouldn’t you prefer to sleep on the bed? I’m sure the kids won’t mind the cot. It will be like sleepaway camp.”
Incidentally, they may soon find out that sleepaway camp has so many rules, they’ll long for the simpler ones at Grandma’s house.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am throwing a 50th birthday party for my spouse that will include lunch, games and an open bar, which I’m paying for. (The open bar is a surprise for guests!) I’ve saved up for this party, and for the large gift I purchased: a nice, but not too extravagant, musical instrument. I am very excited.
While talking to a family member, they told me I should not give my spouse their gift at the party because it would be showboating. Is it in poor taste to present a gift I’m proud to give my spouse at their party?
GENTLE READER: Doing so, and touting the open bar as a surprise, do betray some grandstanding -- drawing attention to how wonderful a host and spouse you are, rather than to the honoree. Rather, Miss Manners suggests giving the present to your spouse just before the party -- and letting them do the bragging on your behalf.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is there a word for a married couple’s parents to call each other?
We all live relatively close to each other and visit semi-regularly. No one I’ve asked has an answer. Maybe you can come up with something. I don’t really want to call them my “out-laws.”
GENTLE READER: Actual names usually work.
I have gently pointed out that it’s the law, and safer, to walk facing traffic so they can see the cars coming. Their answer is that “the dog tells me when cars are coming.” The dog also walks to their left, into the traffic lane, further endangering the animal.
Yes, motorists are careful when they pass my neighbor on the road, but they also must be nervous that the walker does not fully acknowledge them.
I sincerely care about this person and do not want to see them (or the dog) hurt. How can I impress upon them to follow the rules on walking safely?
GENTLE READER: You have tried. Now you are going to have to hope for the best -- and remember that both etiquette and personal autonomy allow your neighbor to make their own choices.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: How do I talk about my preferences for the art I consume without demeaning others’ tastes or seeming like a snob?
For example, many of my friends enjoy superhero movies and cartoons. I do not; I don’t find these movies interesting or original. I recognize, though, that the love my friends have for these big-name franchises is deep!
I don’t want to make my friends feel lesser for their tastes. I also don’t want to feign interest, or say, “I wouldn’t watch that myself, but I’m glad YOU like it!” as both feel condescending. How can I respectfully discuss art when there are such diverging tastes?
GENTLE READER: Friendship requires reciprocity, so if you are unwilling to listen, at least occasionally, to them talking about the entertainments they enjoy, you will either have to limit your discussions with them to topics of known mutual enthusiasm -- or find other friends.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Some relatives and I were told of a baby shower for a distant cousin. No formal invitations were sent; we were invited by word of mouth and received a gift registry link by text message. After that, some of us received an invitation via text, while others did not.
No one in the family really knows the couple, who live out of state. They will not even be present at the shower: We are told they are attending “virtually.” When the couple visited our state several months ago, they did not have time to meet any extended family members, nor attend another baby shower in person at that time.
We feel like this shower is just a tacky gift-grab. Do we have to attend? Do we have to send a gift?
GENTLE READER: Why do you even ask?
Miss Manners finds it curious that people who are presumably inured to scams from strangers are intimidated when it comes to social connections, however tenuous.
Why would you want to give presents to people you hardly know, and who have shown no interest in knowing you? Are you afraid that if you ignore their gift demands, they will turn you over to a collection agency?
DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the appropriate thing to do or say when one’s restaurant order is wrong?
When I had lunch with a group of eight people, the waiter did not write down any of our orders. That was not a good start. He brought me a spicy salad drenched in dressing, when I had asked for the non-spicy salad, dressing on the side. Judging from the looks on my colleagues’ faces, I was not the only one who received the wrong order.
What would have been appropriate to say? I didn’t want to be a whiner. Should I have said, “Oh, dear, I must have gotten someone else’s order. Mine was ...”?
I am certain that writing down the orders would have helped. I simply ate the salad and said nothing.
GENTLE READER: And you are never going back to that restaurant, right? It is in the interest of restaurants to have dissatisfied customers speak up, so that errors are corrected and they go home happy. In other business transactions, people know that they are entitled to get what they asked for, and not swallow others’ mistakes, so to speak. But they turn all funny and squeamish about restaurants. Columbia River Reader is printed with environmentally-sensitive soy-based inks on paper manufactured in the Pacific Northwest utilizing the highest percentage of “post-consumer waste” recycled content available on the market.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My dear neighbor regularly walks their dog on our fairly remote suburban streets, which don’t have sidewalks, counter to the recommended method: They walk with traffic rather than facing it. They also walk with earbuds, listening to who knows what, making it difficult to hear traffic coming behind them.
As a lifelong opera lover, Miss Manners believes that if you can sit through a cartoon or two in exchange for introducing them to the right opera -- one filled with the sex and violence they relish, which shouldn’t be hard to find -- you might find that the art itself is its own best champion. cont page 30
Can plants think?
Story and photos Nancy Chennault
embellishment by Perry Piper
Charles Darwin compared root tips to animals’ brains
Consider this: Do plants ponder? Contemplate? Deliberate? Can plants think? Posing those questions causes one to step back and think about the possibilities. Scientists of all persuasions have passionately pursued the answer.
In 1880, in his book, The Power of Movement in Plants, Charles Darwin documented the deliberate action of root tips, writing: “It is hardly an exaggeration to say that the tip of the radical ….Having the power of directing the movement of the adjoining parts, acts like the brain of one of the lower animals.”
Since then, the scientific community has continued to invest years and dollars to dispute or confirm the existence of a cerebral capacity in plants.
Follow the sun
Immature sunflower plants follow the sun’s path from east to west across the summer sky. Always returning
to the east during the night to face the rising sun the next morning, it appears the plants are “thinking.” Are the sunflowers intentionally turning their young leaves and buds for the most lifegiving exposure, similar to an animal that basks in the sun’s warm rays? This phenomenon is called heliotropism, also known as “solar tracking.” The deliberate movements that seem to be calculated thoughts are actually the result of the young plant stem growing more rapidly on the side away from the sun. This elongation of the immature tissues causes the plant to tilt in the direction of the sun. At night the opposite side of the stem grows and the plant again faces east. Once the blossoms open and mature, the “tracking” ceases and the open blooms permanently face east.
The gardener embraces the concept of a plant’s ability to communicate and think, based on human experience. We want to know if our efforts to cultivate a garden provide comfort and security for the flowers, shrubs and trees we grow. We rejoice in the splendor and are inspired by the beauty that surrounds us. Gardeners would like to think that our floral friends return the favor and think kindly of us, as well. Do the plants we care for inherently feel our devotion? Do our feelings translate to the plant kingdom or is the cognitive thought process reserved for organisms with a brain?
Heavy breathing helps
thrives with merely the addition of a doting caregiver. Scientific analysis reveals that more carbon dioxide, which plants need, is exhaled by the hovering gardener. Also, an increase in air circulation, also beneficial, results when gardeners dart about from one project to another.
Whether plants have brains or we are assigning our own behavior characteristics to the relationship, maintaining the innocence of childhood gives human beings an emotional link to the plant kingdom. This surely benefits both. So give a tree a hug. I think you’ll feel a hug in return.
Read more
The following expand on Charles Darwin’s book and the research and opinions connected to the question: Do plants think?
•Scientific American, “Do Plants Think?” article by Daniel Chamovitz, June 2012 (available online, scientificamerican.com)
•The New Yorker Magazine Dec. 2013. “The Intelligent Plant,” by Michael Pollan (available online: newyorker,com).
•The Secret Life of Plants book by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird
A universal trait of a person who cares for another life form is to want to impart human attributes to them. We do it readily with our pets. Whether warm and cuddly kittens or cool, slippery Koi, our pets are often referred to as “family.” Pets are non-human organisms that are part of everyday life. We communicate with them and they learn and respond because they have a brain.
We like to think that plants know when they are loved. But there is a biological explanation as to why one plant grows well when all its cultural needs are met and another not only grows, but
•A letter in rebuttal, “Plants Neither Possess nor Require Consciousness,” published in Trends in Plant Science, Aug 2019, signed by several plant scientists
•Botany of Desire book by Michael Pollan
Nancy Chennault and her husband, Jim, operated a landscaping business and independent nursery/garden center for 20+ years. She wrote CRR’s Northwest Gardener in CRR’s early years. After a hiatus, she re-joined CRR to reconnect us with some of her favorite gardening topics. Nancy is founder of “Castle Rock Blooms” community of volunteers.
February 15, 2025 / Columbia River Reader
Photo
Mature sunflower blossoms remain fixated on the rising sun. As with the limbs of older human beings, their aging stems stiffen, which restricts movement.
Mount
St. Helens Hiking Club
(E) - Easier: Usually on relatively flat ground (up to 5 miles and/or less than 500 ft. e.g.)
(M) - Moderate: Longer and more elevation gain (over 5 miles and/or over 500 ft. e.g.)
(S) - Strenuous: Long hikes and/or elevation gain (over 8 miles and/or over 1200 ft. e.g.)
Call leader to join outing or for more info. Non-members welcome. Driving distances are from Longview, Wash.
(SS) – Snow Shoe (XC) – Cross Country Ski (K) – Kayak (B) – Bicycle RT - round trip e.g. - elevation gain
Feb 15 - Sat Chocolate Falls and Beyond Snowshoe (SS) (M)
Drive 120 miles RT. Snow shoe 7 miles in and out with 1000’ e.g. on southern slopes of Mt St Helens from the Marble Mountain Sno-Park; forest and open terrain; great views of Mt St Helens. Leader: MJ R. 360-355-5220
Feb 19 - Wed Rainier H.S. (E)
Drive 12 miles RT. Hike 3.5-mile loop with 100’ e.g. on Rainier Nature Trail. Leader: John R. 360-431-1122
Feb 22 - Sat Coffenbury Lake –Ft. Stevens State Park (M)
Drive 120 miles RT. Hike a 5.5-mile loop with minimal e.g. through coastal pines and large spruce trees around Coffenbury Lake. Leader: Bruce M. 360-425-0256
Feb 26 - Wed Salmon Creek Greenway Trail (E)
Drive 76 miles RT. Hike a 3+ mile loop. The trail is paved, with 39’ e.g. This trail passes two ponds along the creek. Leader: Art M. 360-270-9991
Mar 5 - Wed Pacific Way Dike (E)
Hike 5 miles R.T. on level gravel path. Leader: Julie (360) 747-1415
Mar 12 - Wed • Dry Creek Falls via PCT (E/M)
Drive 165 miles R T. Hike 4.4 miles out and back with 900’ e.g. This is a beautiful forested hike on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Leader: Dory N. 213-820-1014
Want to go to Mars? Better count the cost
By Greg Smith
Have you heard that Elon Musk is planning to send unmanned ships to Mars by 2026 and maybe manned crews by 2029? Hope he is on one of them.
But before he goes, he is going to have to learn how to land his rockets on a barren rocky desert. Without the luxury of a catch tower or a flat concrete landing pad.
This is a pipe dream of his. Colonizing Mars is a lot more difficult than it may seem. There is the radiation problem, as Mars has a very tenuous, thin atmosphere and no magnetic field — like Earth does —to shield it from the sun’s radiation. Plus, the difficulty of making oxygen and nitrogen for breathing. The soil of Mars is absolutely barren and devoid of anything to nourish plant life. The movie and the book “The Martian” got it wrong in using human waste to grow potatoes or anything else.
There is also no protection from meteorites striking the buildings that would have to be set up for habitation. The spaceships would also have no protection from the supersonic rocks. Those rocks would be coming in at hundreds of miles per second. Like large bullets being fired from a cannon. The walls of buildings and spaceships would be easily punctured with large holes.
The only way you could be shielded would be to find caves or old lava tubes to hide in. There was a TV show a few years back that did have the colonizers using caves to hide in. But the Earth would have to continuously supply material to keep the colony going, a very expensive proposition. Well, Elon is rich enough he could fund it for a while, but let’s not make us taxpayers pay for his folly.
The psychological toll on the colonizers could be quite hard. Being so isolated and there being no real way to get back home. The trip to Mars at about five or six months could be psychologically taxing enough. Then, getting there and fully realizing you can’t leave, suicide may be a real problem for the stability of the organization of the people there. A new supply of people coming every few months might help alleviate the feelings of isolation.
Columbia River Reader / February 15, 2025
Looking UP
SKY REPORT
By Greg Smith
Feb. 17th
– March 17th
The Evening Sky
A clear sky is needed. The parade of planets ends this month with Venus and Saturn setting in the west just before sunset and Jupiter bright and high in the south. If you know exactly where to look, you will find Neptune, faint at +7.8, near Venus is just beyond naked eye viewing but with large binoculars or a telescope you may find the blue dot among white stars. Mars is the red colored dot in the high eastern sky, in line behind Jupiter.
The Morning Sky
A cloudless eastern horizon sky is required. Though it is mid-winter in midFebruary, summer constellations are starting to rise in the morning before sunrise. There is hope for warmer weather on the way.
Night Sky Spectacle
A clear sky is a must. Here is a treat for you just a fingers width at arm’s length to the 4:30 clock position, below the Pleiades is
Pacific Standard Time ends, Daylight Savings Time starts Mar 9
MOON PHASES:
Last Quarter: Thurs, Feb. 20
New: Thurs, Feb 27
First Quarter: Thurs, March 6
Full: Sat., Thurs, Mar 13
END OF TWILIGHT:
When the brightest stars start to come out. Allow about an hour more to see a lot of stars. Sun., Feb.15th • 6:08pm Sun., Feb 23rd • 6:19pm Fri., Mar 7th •6:36pm Sun., Mar 9th • 7:38pm Sun., Mar 16th • 7:48pm
SUNSET
Sat, Feb. 15th • 5:37pm Sun., Feb 23rd • 5:48pm Sun., Mar 2nd • 5:58pm Sun., Mar 9th • 7:08pm Sun., Mar 16th • 7:17pm
the planet Uranus (Ur – uh – nus) it is a faint bluish color. There are a couple of white stars nearby that you can contrast the blue color with their whiteness. If you can locate this you can claim amateur astronomer kudos. It’s brightness is supposed to be 5.73 just above naked eyes viewing. It will require a very dark sky to catch it. Best seen before midnight.
Then there is the medical problems that will occur. You would need the facilities of a hospital to take care of sickness and injuries. If you put that many men and women together in isolation, pregnancies will happen. How do you care for newborns in that low gravity? There could very well be, at first, a high mortality rate for those newborns. Humans are not made to live in a low-gravity environment, especially infants and children.
Me? Go to Mars? No, thanks —- I’m not willing to go, nor would I want to see others endure those hardships of being so isolated. Looking up in the sky to see home as a pale blue dot could be demoralizing enough.
Longview resident Greg Smith is past president of Friends of Galileo. Meet him and other club members at monthly meetings in Longview. For more info about FOG, visit friendsofgalileo.com.
ME AND MY PIANO*
*or other instrument
Share your unique story of you and your relationship with a musical instrument in 500 words or less and mail to CRR, 1333 14th Ave., Longview, WA 98632, or email to publisher@crreader.com. Note “Me and My Piano” in the subject line and if possible attach/include a current mugshot and/or a photo of you with your instrument, then or now.
Don’t worry about perfect spelling or syntax. If your story is chosen, we will provide editing services and will contact you for additional details or embellishments as needed.
sketch by the late Deena martinson
ROLAND ON WINE
ITHE SHAKES!
by Marc Roland
U.S. Surgeon General’s sobering pronouncement and NY Times article cause pause
have recently been shaken to my core by an article in the New York Times concerning the Surgeon General’s pronouncement that alcohol is a preventable cause of cancer and that there should be warning labels on alcoholic beverages. Eric Asimov, food and wine critic, wrote a heartfelt article that prompted me to rethink my relationship with wine and the wine business. How should I respond? I write about wine, and often give advice about the use and benefits of it. I have written about the positives and negatives of consumption, running on the guidance that a couple of drinks a day for men and one for women fall in the safe area. Moderation has been my motto.
If I take this new alert seriously, I am now considered at risk if I continue to consume alcohol every day, no matter what amount, and that I shouldn’t be encouraging others to enjoy the beverage that I love. My first reaction is that there are so many foods and drinks that we know are bad for us. Just think about our beloved snacks and sugary drinks. I’m not saying that the new warning should be ignored, but I am saying that there is more to the picture.
In 2023, coming out of the same Surgeon General’s office was a warning that there is an epidemic of loneliness due to social isolation. This warning started more than 20 years ago with the publication of the book Bowling Alone, but it has gotten worse. Our winery slogan is “where the community gathers.” My experience is that alcoholic beverages that are used in a responsible way lubricate our conversations and enjoyment of life. For me, wine is more than a beverage, it is connection with the world, with agriculture, and culture itself. I drink wine with meals. It is a ritual. It makes the food and the conversation more tasty.
NOTES FROM MY LIVES
The problem with this new announcement is it doesn’t discern whether there is a difference between wine, beer, cider, and distilled alcohol, or any other forms of alcohol, and how it is consumed.
Let me be clear: I have never consumed wine or any alcoholic beverage with the belief that it was medicine and would improve my health. Despite the popularity of the Mediterranean diet and the health benefits it touts, including red wine, there are still risks with over-consumption. Now, we have to face the new recommendations.
Frankly, I’m confused. If these new pronouncements are true — that any amount of alcohol could lead to a cancer diagnosis — then I’m bothered that no new guidance is given. There are numerous other studies that show the connection between cancer and our food supply, for instance. Does this mean we need to stop both eating and drinking?
Last month, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine found that, when reviewing all the available evidence, moderate consumption of alcohol — compared with zero consumption — was associated with lower all-cause mortality.
You can do what you want with this new declaration. Let’s keep an eye on where this goes. As far as what we should all do now, let’s weigh the risks. My moderate consumption of wine will not change, because the benefits continue to enhance my enjoyment of life. And at my age, it is more likely that other factors will get the best of me!
So what should new, younger wine drinkers do? Consider the risks. Of course, don’t drink too much alcohol. And most importantly, stay connected with your social groups, wine on the table or not..
Longview resident and former Kelso teacher Marc Roland started making wine in 2008 in his garage. He and his wife, Nancy, now operate Roland Wines at 1106 Florida Street in Longview’s new “barrel district.” For wine tasting hours, call 360-846-7304.
by Andre Stepankowsky
Memories and Pastrami
Old New York City deli treasured for both
Ino longer have much reason to visit New York City, where I was born 69 years ago and spent the first 21 years of my life.
My family members there are all gone, and I’ve been to the theaters, museums, ball parks, zoos and other attractions multiple times. The Big Apple is a fascinating, ever-changing city, but there are so many other places I won’t have life enough to explore.
There is, however, one place that I especially miss and, like a salmon returning to its natal stream, I will visit whenever fortune brings me close.
It’s called Katz Delicatessen, a Jewish restaurant founded in 1888. It’s the place at East Houston and Orchard streets where actress Meg Ryan, fully clothed and eating lunch, fakes an orgasm for Billy Crystal in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally. The scene led to the famous deadpanned line of another patron who witnesses Ryan’s faux ecstasy: “I’ll have what she’s having.”
I’ve never ascertained what dish Ryan was eating. In my mind, it had to be Katz’ famous pastrami on rye — layer cakes of juicy, hot meat large enough to satisfy an NFL lineman.
The table where the scene took place is memorialized with a sign: “Where Harry met Sally... hope you have what she had!”
Except for that sign, little has changed at Katz since my first visit there in the early 1960s when I was a little boy helping my father deliver his handbags to customers on Orchard Street.
The brown wood paneling is slathered with neon beer signs and hundreds of photos of celebrity patrons. Plain white dishes are stacked behind glass at the order counter where workers slice steaming hot pastrami and other meats right in front of you.
The Jewish personnel who sliced the meats have been replaced mostly by black and Latino workers, but just as
in the old days the new generation still hands you free samples and dishes out cheek-puckering Kosher dill pickles.
You still get a ticket that is punched to document your order, although the portly man who used to hand them out is long gone. A sign urging customers to “Send a salami to your boy in the Army” remains, a reminder that the owning family sent food to its three sons who were fighting in World War II.
Katz was in the center of a Lower East Side neighborhood teeming with Jewish merchants who displayed their wares on sidewalk tables. The neighborhood had been home for waves of immigrants early in the 20th Century. Katz was often filled with actors, singers, and comedians during the peak years of the Yiddish theaters on Second Avenue.
Through the decades, that ethnic flavor has waned. But Katz survived, even though a high-rise surrounds it today.
I’ve been to Katz many times, sometimes sharing three-generation meals with my mother and daughter, who has become a devotee, too. For Christmas she ordered me vacuumed-packed pastrami from Katz.
Anastasia knows how to reach her dad’s heart.
Any time I hear Katz mentioned, a flood of memories washes over me. Katz, because it was often a stop on business trips, is linked with memories of my father’s master craftsmanship and his struggles to keep our family afloat. I recall the ethnic richness that blessed so much of lower Manhattan — and the entire nation — in those days.
In time of fast-paced change, we need mnemonic anchors like Katz, places that remind us of the people and places that made us who we are and what we value.
I hope Anastasia continues gifting me Katz pastrami for Christmas.
Award-winning journalist Andre Stepankowsky is a former reporter and editor for The Daily News in Longview. His Columbia River Reader columns spring from his many interests, including hiking, rose gardening, music, and woodworking. More of his writing can be found under “Lower Columbia Currents,” on substack.com.
“Big River” Book Festival March 1-2 at Cathlamet’s Little Island Creamery
Little Island Creamery is presenting the Big River Book Festival on Saturday and Sunday March 1 and 2 in Cathlamet, Wash. The event will feature more than 25 local and regional authors. Readings, writing workshops, and open mic opportunities will be offered throughout both days.
Keynote speakers are Emmett Wheatfall (noon, Saturday) and Cliff Taylo (noon, Sunday).
The festival will showcase local authors of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Some of the genres represented include fantasy, young
adult, novels, short stories. Authors will read from their books and writings and offer workshops. They will also have books for sale.
Other activities include a Youth Writing Contest, scavenger hunts and raffle prizes. Refreshments and concessions will be available for sale. Admission for both days is free.
See ad, page 25
An Evening of Poetry and Conversation with Kim Stafford
Saturday, March 1, 7:30-9:30pm 448 E. Little Island Road, Cathlamet Wash.
Kim Stafford is the founding director of the Northwest Writing Institute at Lewis & Clark College and is the author of some 20 books of poetry and prose. Kim will read poems from two recent books: As the Sky Begins to Change and A Proclamation for Peace Translated for the World
Admission: $15 at the door or Eventbrite. Info: events@littleislandcreamery.net
Cliff Taylor
Emmett Wheatfall
Kim Stafford
Biz Buzz notes news in local business and professional circles. As space allows, we include news of innovations, improvements, new ventures and significant employee milestones of interest to readers. Please email to publisher@crreader.com
Cristy Auckland recently earned ARNP certification, qualifying her for promotion to mid-level provider at Longview Orthopedic Associates . She joined the LOA staff as a nurse in 2010. Previously, she worked as a physical therapy aide at Longview Physical & Sports Therapy. She earned her associate degree in nursing from Excelsior University and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Walden University with a focus on family medicine. By completing her graduate nursing program, she became eligible to apply for ARNP certification. As an ARNP, she treats and diagnoses a wide range of patient issues, orders imaging as needed, handles nonoperative fractures, and much more. She
County
Southwest Washington.”
is the third ARNP on the LOA staff, joining Nichol Halverson and Ashley Hawkes.
Cristy grew up in the local area and graduated from Toutle Lake High School. She is very involved in youth sports and coaches basketball and volleyball tournament teams. “I have a good relationship with many area coaches and athletic directors,” she said. “My plan is to serve as a liaison to expedite care of local athletes.”
from Interim Jim Duscha, to whom Mayor Spencer Boudreau expressed thanks for his time serving as Interim City Manager the past 10 months. Wills will continue to oversee the Parks and Recreation Dept. while the City begins an external recruitment process for a new Parks and Rec director.
Jennifer Wills has been promoted from Longview Parks and Recreation Director to Longview’s new City Manager, responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of the City, implement policies set by the City Council, managing the City’s budget and staff, and ensuring the efficient delivery of municipal services to Longview residents. Wills takes over
Diane Kenneway Escrow Closer / Assistant
Celinda Northrup Escrow Officer / LPO
Alison Peters Escrow Officer / LPO
Cristy Auckland
Jennifer Wills
New 4k video wall installed inside Port of Kalama Interpretive Center
Twelve-foot wide display will play historical content, movies, and more
Amajor upgrade was made inside the Port’s Interpretive Center with the installation of a 4K LED video wall. The “wall” is made up of nine 55-inch monitors, making an almost seamless image measuring 7.5 x 12 feet.
Complete with surround sound, the display will add more of a dynamic experience to the space, captivating visitors with engaging historical content and providing a deeper understanding of the vital role transportation has played in the development of both the City and Port.
The display will also be used for the Port’s popular “Polar Express” movie event, advertisements, welcome messages and more.
Port of Kalama news brief provided by Dan Polacek, Port of Kalama Legislative / Public Relations Administrator.
Elizabeth Marrs Branch Manager
Sandy Fromm Escrow Officer-LPO
MUSEUM
AMAGIC
Story & photos by Joseph Govednik, Director, Cowlitz County Historical Museum
BROWSING THE STACKS
Eccentric new exhibit of Washington State’s history and quirkiness
new exhibit taking visitors across the State of Washington recently opened at the Cowlitz County Historical Museum. This exhibit was produced by the State of Washington Secretary of State’s office and is titled “Browsing the Stacks,” which is a “Greatest Hits” of Washington State history, literature, culture, industry, and lifestyle all rolled into a journey across our state.
Gathered from archival resources of the state archives and libraries, “Browsing the Stacks” has something for everyone. From arts and culture, to geography to maps, to UFOs and civil defense, this exhibit features just a few examples of the plethora of topics one could explore while visiting the state archives or libraries.
Professionally curated and designed, this exhibit pops with brilliant color and warmth.
Complementing the panels on display are artifacts from the Cowlitz museum’s collections and objects on loan that add to this experience. Authentic and original booklets and monorail promotional materials from the Seattle World’s Fair
cont page 23
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To: Walla Walla Kennewick, WA Lewiston, ID
Production notes
Simple Pleasures
A populAr theme in this column and its accompanying feature is getting back to basics. Simplifying. Savoring.
Take Dick McDonald, former chief economist for the Chicago Board of Trade, now chief cattle wrangler and creamery owner on Puget Island, that heavenly little hamlet a bridge-trip away from Cathlamet, a ferry ride from Westport, Oregon.
Besides his two dozen Jersey cows and a stable-full of awards and plaudits for his cheese, Dick McDonald is particularly proud of his homemade rolls, artisanbaked from hand-milled flour, enriched with farm-raised buttermilk, delectable with Little Island Creamery brie.
Like so many of the rest of us — at least many of those I encounter every month writing and photographing People+Place — Dick has embraced the simple things. Revels in them.
We seem to want to drive away with our muscles, hands, and hearts the noise and stress that assault our minds and senses. A lot of us Northwesterners are going back — to the land, to our roots, to what got us here. Or to the “artisinal” pleasures of life — creating things, building things, exploring things, collecting things.
Something about the frenetic pace of today’s world, the seething screens, is building our appreciation for its simpler pleasures.
We’re using our hard-won time, be it spare time or retirement time, to experience them anew or go back to them at last.
The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.
The soul of sweet delight, can never be defiled.
William Blake, 1757 – 1827
people+place Cheese Wizards
Puget Island’s world-class cheesemakers
O“We work for the cows,” announced Kathleen McDonald when we showed up for this month’s People+Place. “They’re the stars of the show.”
And to underscore this divine bovinity, when asked the secret of making some of the very best brie cheese in the world (yes, the world, as judged by contests, competitions and customers) her brother Dick McDonald took it one step further.
“It’s the cows, of course, but especially it’s the grass they eat.”
n pastoral Puget Island, home to Little Island Creamery, eons of drifted volcanic silt have deposited and built up a dairy person’s paradise smack in the middle of the Columbia River. Their grass really is greener: perhaps not to the human eye, but certainly to the sophisticated stomach (s) of their Jersey milk cows, queens of the countryside.
“JUST ORDINARY PASTURE GRASS. BUT GREAT GRASS.”
“The climate’s mild, that helps,” said Dick McDonald. “But mainly it’s the soil and the grass: lava flow, volcanic ash, lots of nutrients. Just ordinary pasture grass. But great grass.”
It’s a rather similar story to that told by Palouse wheat farmers and Yakima Valley winemakers. The legacy of our region’s volcanic origins isn’t just columnar basalt and channeled scablands. It’s this amalgam enriched by lava and ash that forms virtually perfect, nutrient-rich soil.
Small Farmstead, Big Cheese
The same volcanic alchemy that grows world class wine grapes and bumper crops of grain produces a brie cheese coveted both by connoisseurs and neighbors down the road. And in 2022, at the American Cheese Society competition, it produced a finalist, admittedly an underdog. Or undercow, as it were.
“You’ve got to understand, we’re tiny,” said Kathleen McDonald.
“I mean, we milk four cows at a time,” added brother Dick. “We were at the very back of the hall, trying to be small,” recalled Kathleen, “and all the heavyweights were there — you’re up against Wisconsin. Colorado has a great cheese industry. California. Vermont.”
“And it’s a blind tasting, everything unmarked,” said Dick. “Using our own milk. A lot of east coast people buy and import milk and make their cheeses out of it.”
“So, we were ready to leave because we thought if anything won, our butter might,” said Kathleen. “And it didn’t. So then they got to the brie and announced third, and then they announced second. And then the winner...was us! We started to scream and I started to cry.”
Little Island Creamery shares 55 acres of prime Puget Island farmstead land with two dozen pampered Jersey cows.
Siblings Kathleen and Billl McDonald
Jersey Girls
It all begins with the cows.
“We call them the girls, and every one has a name, of course,” said Kathleen. The herd averages about two dozen Jerseys, a breed known for producing the very best milk, literally the creme de la creme. “Jerseys came from the island of Jersey, in Great Britain, and produce the best milk in the world, bar none,” she said.
“The only downside to Jerseys is they don’t produce as much as some other breeds,” said brother Dick, who gladly trades quantity for quality. Their cows tend to produce milk for 18 to 24 months, and after that time their milk supply begins to diminish.
“We need to keep the cows pregnant, of course,” said Kathleen, so once the milk production begins to slacken, the cows are put out to pasture for an interim period, eventually to be visited by the creamery’s impregnation specialist, a Black Angus bull described by Dick McDonald as “the happiest guy in the county.”
“ “I DIDN’T WANT IT TURNED INTO A MOTORCYCLE COURSE OR A SUBDIVISION.”
The pregnant Jerseys will then take nine months of gestation, eventually birthing a calf and beginning another cycle of milk production.
“The Angus-Jersey calf is not a milk producer,” said Dick. “We raise those only for beef production.” To the farm’s good fortune Angus-Jersey beef is
deemed flavorful and desirable. “We sell all that beef we can put on the market,” said Kathleen. Home on the Land When Dick bought this land he wasn’t sure what to do with it. After
a successful career as an economist in Chicago, he wanted both to preserve a great piece of Pacific Northwest ground and figure out something good for it. “I didn’t want it turned into a motorcycle course or a subdivision,” he said. He toyed with goat ranching and milking, and made
Connor Emelin-Petterson helps feed two dozen prized Jerseys.
CHEESE IS SCIENCE, ART, TRADITION, AND CULTURE ALL ROLLED INTO ONE.
improvements to the barn that’s now the centerpiece of the entire enterprise — and an attractive venue used for weddings, parties and other special events.
“We’re excited to be doing the first-ever ‘Big River Book Festival,’ here at the creamery the weekend of March first and second,” said Kathleen.
Preservation
“And we’re always hosting tours, with cheese, butter and buttermilk for sale as long as the supply lasts. And three types of curds, of course,” she said. They’re the most popular thing we’ve got.”
cont page 20
“I glorify God as a Christian athlete by keeping my attitude high and controlling my tongue, on and off the court. I help out and lead in prayer during my pre-game huddle. The Lord has gifted me the ability to play, so win or lose, I still praise the Lord because sports is what I do, not who I am.” – Mirandia Guinto
Weatherguard supports the FCA vision: To see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.
SAY CHEESE!
The Modest and Astonishing Story of Curds and Whey
For most of us, a common nursery rhyme sums up what little we know about the origins of cheese:
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey ...
In fact, cheese is science, art, tradition and culture all rolled into one: part of our civilized life for 10,000 years. And a lot more than a snack for Miss M.
Cheese emerged shortly after people domesticated milk-producing animals.
Preserving milk, like so many other perishable foodstuffs, was a huge challenge. Cheese — made from processing curdled milk — began as a way to preserve the valuable milk, make it more durable, and store it for consumption later.
References to curdled milk and cheese date as far back as the Mesopotamians and Egyptians.
Curdling
The process of cheesemaking begins with curdling — acidifying the milk by adding an enzyme (naturally occurring as “rennet”) and bacterial cultures. The milk begins to separate into rubbery curds and liquid “whey,” which is continually drained off (and will be used for other dairy products.)
Curd Gel Processing
The emerging curds are treated in myriad ways: combing the curds to separate them, adding salt, or color and flavoring, continuing to drain moisture, heating and cooling. Timing and temperature vary, where art meets science. The formative
cheese can be stretched (mozzarellas and provolones), cheddared (piling up and mixing cut curds) or washed (to remove or enhance flavors and lower acidity).
Depending on the amount of moisture removed and other creative flourishes, the processed curds are then either pressed into a form — such as in cheddar or colby cheeses — or pressed into a hoop and brined — in cheeses such as mozzarella and Swiss.
Ripening
The final stage is aging and ripening. Some cheeses go straight to packaging and market. Others are formed, coated and stored for weeks, months, or even years, like fine wines.
Along its journey, various derivatives, from cottage cheese to butter to yogurt, emerge from the milk that’s the heart of the process. The simple curdling of this one basic staple — a mammal’s milk — yields a remarkable profusion of products still essential to our history, culture and cuisine.
Northwest hydropower produces no carbon emissions, thereby significantly reducing the total carbon footprint of the region’s energy production.
Mirandia Guinto
Rainier High School Basketball
Photos from left: Curds in process; near left; cheese whizzes Connie Bassi and Renée Jones; cooling buttermilk, a prized by-product; award-winning brie.
from page 19
The McDonalds have built a topquality chef-style kitchen adjacent to the main barn and anticipate a good business in destination weddings and special events this summer.
Vanishing Species
The island used to be covered with dairies; now the Creamery is the only one left. This in some ways reflects a larger trend: Although 95 percent of the farms in this country are still family-owned, the economies of scale, especially in dairying, have prevailed. The percentage of dairy farms with fewer than 100 cows has dropped from 40 percent to 7 percent in the last 30 years, according to the USDA Census of Agriculture.
Siblings Dick and Kathleen McDonald operate Little Island Creamery, which produces brie, three kinds of curds (pictured below), and other dairy products. Snack-friendly cheese curds have become their most popular items.
For more info about Little Island Creamery and local vendors carrying their products, visit littleislandcreamery.net
“WE LOVE THIS MICRO-ENVIRONMENT AND INTEND TO STAY HERE.”
Meanwhile, the percentage of mega-dairies, supporting more than 1,000 cows, has grown from 40 percent to 65 percent of all farms over the last 15 years.
Like so much of our agriculture and industry, the emphasis on “economies of scale” has hit the dairy industry hard. And, of late, many farms have run afoul of environmental regulations that
Hal Calbom, a third-generation Longview native and author of Empire of Trees: America’s Planned City and the Last Frontier, produces CRR’s People+Place monthly feature, and is CRRPress associate publisher. See his “In the Spotlight,” page 33.
look askance at two of the industry’s notable by-products, manure and methane.
“We love this micro-environment,” said Kathleen, “and intend to stay here. That’s our whole mission, just to be here and serve the community. Most of our employees live right down the road. We’re a family.”
Editor’s note: CRRPress represented by publishers Sue Piper and Hal Calbom, will be attending Big River Book Festival, hosting a workshop, and exhibiting books. See story, page 13.
Joe Fischer
Returning home
Going down to Downingtown
Below: Longview, Wash. resident John Reed visiting Downingtown, Pennsylvania, standing at the Downingtown Log House, founded in the 1700s, and the earliest surviving example of European settlement in central Chester County, Penn.
Longview, Wash. resident Inga Walter reading the Columbia River Reader in Merklingen, Germany. She enjoyed the sights and visiting with family in her original home country.
On
WHERE DO YOU READ THE READER?
No rocking chair for THIS lively lady!
Age 101 and going strong!
Longview resident Evelyn Firth celebrating her 101st birthday in December, at the “Sit or Stand” exercise class at the YMCA in Longview, Wash.
Send your photo reading the Reader (high-resolution JPEG) to publisher@ crreader.com. For cell phone photos, choose the largest file size up to 2 MB. Include names and cities of residence. Expect an acknowledgment within 5 days of submission; otherwise, please re-send. Thank you for your participation and patience, as we usually have a small backlog!
On the Road to Ephesus (or was it Damascus?)
a recent trip to Turkey, Craig and Debra Downs of Kelso (left) and Kay and Steve Lippard of Longview (right) visited the Ancient city of Ephesus. Here, they are reading their copy of the Reader in front of the Library.
photo by merrilee bauman
Museum Magic cont from page 16
in 1962 and models of nuclear fallout shelters from the Office of Civil Defense are just a few of the items you will see when you are ‘browsing the stacks.”
Don’t forget to explore our own state and national award-winning permanent exhibit, Cowlitz Encounters, during your visit.
This exhibit walks visitors through the richness of our local history to include the area’s first inhabitants, the Cowlitz People, the birth of Washington Territory in what is now Longview, the legacy of the timber industry, and a special display on Mt. St. Helens and life before and after the eruption.
The Cowlitz County Historical Museum is located at 405 Allen Street and open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10am-4pm. Admission is free, although donations are welcome. The museum’s gift shop has many locally-themed gifts and books for that someone special.
For more information visit www. cowlitzcountyhistory.org. This winter, stay indoors – visit a museum!
Washington Representative Joel McEntire sponsors Rochester student in House Page Program
Kami Soria, a student at Rochester Middle School, served as a page for the state House of Representatives the second week of the legislative session, Jan. 21-25. She was sponsored by 19th District Rep. Joel McEntire.
“I am always happy to sponsor the young people from our district in the House Page Program,” McIntire (R-Cathlamet) said in a press release. “I am grateful for Kami’s work during the week. She has a bright future and I hope she has an interest in public service in the future.
“The House Page Program is an excellent way for students to learn how our state
government operates. It is important they understand how our Legislature works and the issues before us.”
Each year students from around the state apply to become a page. Applicants must have a legislative sponsor and be between the ages of 14 and 16. Pages must obtain written permission from their parents and school. Pages are paid $65 a
day. Applicants who need financial assistance for the expense of traveling and staying in Olympia may also apply for the Gina Grant Bull Memorial Legislative Page Scholarship, which helps to offset expenses.
For more information about the House Page Program visit: leg.wa.gov/ learn-and-participate/civic-educationprograms/page-program/
Kami Soria and Rep. McEntire in the Washington State Capitol. Courtesy photo
Longview Ortho Adds Two Surgeons to Staff
Increasing demand has led Longview Orthopedic Associates to add Dr. Herbert Mao and Dr. Tiffany Liu to its staff. They have already begun seeing patients.
Dr. Mao, DO
Dr. Mao earned his Bachelor of Science at the top of his class in kinesiology at California State University, Long Beach. His interests in studying biomechanics, exercise physiology, and rehabilitation led him to participate in numerous research projects and laboratory simulations to improve human function.
Dr. Mao’s desire to restore anatomy and body biomechanics led him to pursue a degree in medicine at Campbell University in North Carolina, where he graduated with honors. During medical school, he focused his research at Novant Health Rowan Medical Center on access to joint replacement education and care in a rural setting. His training in an underserved region, as well as his passion for the musculoskeletal system, led him to complete orthopedic surgery training at Valley Orthopedic Surgery Residency in Modesto, California, a region with a critical need for orthopedic services.
Dr. Mao specializes in providing total hip and knee treatment, including anterior hip replacement. He was drawn to LOA by “the outstanding team and the opportunity to practice orthopedics in a community setting.”
In his free time, Dr. Mao and his wife enjoy hiking, fishing, and international travel.
Dr. Liu is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand and upper extremity orthopedic conditions. She provides comprehensive care of conditions affecting the hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow, with a focus on skeletal and soft tissue trauma, arthritis, and peripheral nerve injuries.
She earned her undergraduate degree cum laude from Princeton University and attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Liu completed her orthopedic surgery residency at the University of California, San Francisco, followed by a fellowship in hand and upper extremity surgery at the prestigious Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, ranked the top orthopedic hospital in the United States.
Dr. Liu, MD
Dr. Liu is board eligible with the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and is also a candidate member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH). Additionally, she has been selected for the ASSH Young Members Steering Committee. She has authored peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, and her research has been showcased at regional and national conferences.
Outside of her professional life, Dr. Liu enjoys hiking, yoga, baking desserts, and, most recently, learning to knit.
Call Longview Orthopedic Associates at 360.501.3400 if you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment.
Get out your quills and quiet your mind, it’s time to submit your haiku entries
CRR’s GARY MEYERS MEMORIAL
HAIKUFEST honors the name and spirit of founder Gary Myers, who proposed the event back in 2008. After 17 years, HaikuFest is going strong and now inviting entries in three categories: Traditional, Pop, and Youth under age 18.
Submit up to five previously-unpublished haiku with three lines of five, seven and five syllables. Judges will place special emphasis on: regional themes, flora and fauna; our Columbia River
heritage and traditions; and the essence of “the good life” we evoke in our own mission statement.
Gary recognized that haiku has evolved into a poetry form where line and syllable counts are blurred in some circles, but insisted CRR maintain the traditional format, i.e., first line five syllables, second line seven syllables, third line five syllables. Gary would remind us that haiku is a meditative medium, not a limerick in 17 syllables!
Please submit your haiku via email to: Publisher@crreader.com , noting “HaikuFest” in the subject line; or via US mail to CRR HaikuFest, 1333 14th Ave. Longview, WA 98632. Haiku submitted become the property of CRR.
Submissions deadline: Must be postmarked or received via email by 12:00 Midnight PST, March 1st, 2025. Selections chosen by the judges will be announced and published in the March 15 CRR.
A few entries from previous HaikuFests for your enjoyment and inspiration:
Traditional Dusk settles on pond
Wisps of fog creep from the woods
Loons trumpet their song.
Darkness ebbing in Like ink clawing at fibers
Of a tattered cloth
Twelve hungry robins light on lawn, listening for worms underground
Pop
A shroud of fog hides
All but the tallest tree tops
From the logger’s saw
New phenomenon
Teens running into lamp poles
Cell phones found at scene.
Where else would you go
To see bushy-tailed rodents
With their own bridge?
Youth
Bunches of clovers
Wait! Stop at bus stop in rain
I can find beauty
The magnetic poles
Are we alone in the sky? Too bad I can’t fly
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Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant
640 E. Columbia River Hwy
Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials. Dine-in, curbside pickup. M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–10:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-728-3344
119 E. “B” St., (Hwy 30) Crab Louie/Crab cocktails, crab-stuffed avocados. 17 hot and cold sandwiches. Amazing crab sandwiches. Full bar service. Catering for groups. 503-556-9950. interstatetavern@yahoo.com
El Tapatio
117 W. ‘A’ Street
Mexican Family Restaurant. Open Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, rest of week 11am-10pm. Full bar. 8-11pm. Patio seating. 503-556-8323.
Longview, Wash.
1335 14th Avenue
18 rotating craft brews, pub fare. M-Th 11am–9pm. Fri-Sat 11am–10pm; . Local music coming soon. 360-232-8283. Wine Wednesdays: $5 pours.
Bruno’s Pizza 1108 Washington Way. Pizza, breadsticks, wings, salads, fish & chips. WE DELIVER. Four beers on tap. 360-636-4970 or 360-425-5220.
Formerly The Carriage Restaurant & Lounge
located on 14th Ave.
3353 Washington Way.
Chinese & American cuisine. Full bar, banquet room stage room with balcony; available for groups, special events. Restaurant: 11am–9pm, Lounge 11am–1:00am. 360-425-8680.
Eclipse Coffee & Tea In the Merk (1339 Commerce Ave., #113)
360-998-2139. Mon-Fri 8am–4pm. Specialty coffees, teas, bubble teas and pastries....drinks with a smile. Takeout and on-site.
Freddy’s Just for the Halibut 1110 Commerce Ave. Cod, Alaskan halibut fish and chips, award-winning clam chowder. Burgers, steaks, pasta. Beer and wine. M-Wed 10am–8pm, Th-Sat 10am–9pm, Sunday 11am–8pm. Inside dining, Drive-thru, outdoor seating. 360-414-3288. See ad, page 25.
Hop N Grape 924 15th Ave., Longview Tues–Thurs 11am–8pm; Fri & Sat 11am–9pm. BBQ meat slowcooked on site. Pulled pork, chicken, brisket, ribs, turkey, salmon. World-famous mac & cheese. 360-577-1541.
Kyoto Sushi Steakhouse 760 Ocean Beach Hwy, Suite J 360-425-9696. Japanese food, i.e. hibachi, Bento boxes, Teppanyaki; Sushi (half-price Wednesdays); Kids Meal 50% Off Sundays. Mon-Th 11-2:30, 4:30-9:30. Fri-Sat 11am10pm. Sun 11am-9pm. 360-425-9696.
Lynn’s Deli & Catering 1133 14th Ave.
Soups & sandwiches, specializing in paninis, box lunches, deli sandwiches and party platters. Mon-Fri 8-3, Saturday 10-2.
360-577-5656
Castle Rock, Wash
Luckman’s Coffee Company 239 Huntington Ave. North, Drive-thru. Pastries, sandwiches, salads, quiche. See ad, pg 34.
Vault Books & Brew 20 Cowlitz Street West, Castle Rock. Coffee and specialty drinks, quick eats & sweet. See ad, pg 28
treats.
(Parker’s former location), 1300 Mt. St. Helens Way. 360--967-2333. Open daily, 11am–10pm. Steaks, pasta, calamari, salads, sandwiches, fondue, desserts. Happy Hour, full bar. See ad, menu QR code, page 8.
Kalama, Wash.
LUCKMAN’S COFFEE Mountain Timber Market, Port of Kalama. Open 8am–7pm. 360-673-4586.See ad, pg 34.
Scappoose, Ore.
Fultano’s Pizza 51511 SE 2nd. Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more! “Best pizza around!” Sun–Th 11:30am–9pm; Fri-Sat 11:30am–10pm. Full bar service ‘til 10pm Fri & Sat. Deliveries in Scappoose. 503-543-5100. Inside Dining. Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant 33452 Havlik Rd. Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials. M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–11:30pm; Sun
Warren,
Toutle, Wash.
Roland Wines 1106 Florida St., Longview. Authentic Italian wood-fired pizza, wine, beer, specialty cocktails. Casual ambience. 5–9pm Wed-Sat, 360-846-7304 See ad, page 22.
Scythe Brewing Company 1217 3rd Avenue #150
360-353-3851
Mon-Thurs 11:30am -8pm; FriSat 11:30am -10pm. Sun 12-8pm. Family-friendly brewery/ restaurant with upscale, casual dining, lunch and dinner.
Stuffy’s
804 Ocean Beach Hwy
360-423-6356
8am–8pm. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. American style food. Free giant cinnamon roll with meal purchase on your birthday with proof of ID. Facebook: Stuffy’s II Restaurant, or Instagram @ stuffys2.
Teri’s
Café on Broadway
1133 Broadway. Lunch and Dinner, full bar. Mon12–8pm. Tues-Thurs 11am–8pm, Fri 11am–9pm; Sat 12–9pm. 360577-0717
215 N. Hendrickson Dr., Port of Kalama. A Northwest pub and unique bars serving breakfast, lunch & dinner daily. Info & reservations, bar hours at mcmenamins.com. 8am–midnight daily. 360673-9210. Indoor dining, covered outdoor seating.
Antique Deli 413N. First. M-F, 10–3. Call for daily sandwich special. 360-6733310.
FIRESIDE CAFE 5055 Meeker Dr., Kalama. Open Wed-Sun, 9–4. 360-673-3473.
St. Helens, Ore.
Sunshine Pizza & Catering 2124 Columbia Blvd. Hot pizza, cool salad bar. Beer & wine. Limited inside seating, curbside pickup and delivery.
503-397-3211 See ad, page 30.
Big River Tap Room 313 Strand Street on the Riverfront.
Lunch/Dinner Tue-Thurs 12–8pm; Fri-Sat 12–9pm. Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef, pastrami. Weekend Burrito Breakfast, Sat 8-11, Sun 8am-3pm.
A Different Way of Seeing
A Different Way of Seeing
THE TIDEWATER REACH
Poem by Robert Michael Pyle • Photograph by Judy VanderMaten • Field Note by Hal Calbom
River Pubs: The View from Maria's Ernesto brings a pint of Aye Aye IPA and a brace of tongue taquitos. Outside, fugitive sun on work-release from the constant cloudbank skitters the river with tinsel. A minute later, iron filings.
The railing out the window is the same color as the bottles of Cholula and Tapatio on the table. Beyond their red ranks, through the rain, Wright's Hardware hulks beneath the longest tarpaper roof in the county: admission by appointment, call Wally; he's probably got what you need. It rests its rangey gambrels against the biggest red camellia anywhere, carmine blossoms fixing to rot on the wet turf alongside, where a skirted old airboat holds up its end. Six Brusco tugs stand ready to push from the other side, if needed. Here's where they filmed Snow Falling on Cedars, because nowhere else, Humboldt County to Juneau, looked old enough. "If I had Wright's Hardware in Hollywood," said the production designer, "I could retire." Cathlamet on the Columbia: a county seat that just sits and sits, and shows no sign of going anywhere, very fast.
RIVER VILLAGE: CATHLAMET
Cathlamet remains the only incorporated town in Wahkiakum, the smallest of Washington’s counties, and is the site of one of the region’s oldest Native American villages. The name “Cathlamet” (Kathlamet) is said to come from the local Chinookan language referring to the area as a “rocky shore.” Cathlamet became the Wahkiakum County seat in 1854 and was officially incorporated in 1907. The old waterfront still hosts tugboat operations, boat building, and other commercial businesses.
This page and pg. 5 feature excerpts from CRRPress books.
CRRPRESS was founded in 2020, with the first printing of Tidewater Reach, followed by Dispatches from the Discovery Trail (see current episode, page 5), Empire of Trees, Words and Wood, and A Lifetime of Art. Purchase info, see page 2, 35.
EMPIRE OF TREES
by Hal Calbom
AMERICA’S PLANNED CITY AND THE LAST FRONTIER
We may have been built on the timber business but it’s paper making that sustains us today.
Longview has reached an astonishing milestone: Pound for pound and combining the production of its three local paper-making companies, Longview is the number one paper-producing city in the entire country.
photo courtesy oF longview public library
Chickadee III
UIPS & QUOTES Q
Selected by Debra Tweedy
The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies, were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff.
--Carl Sagan, American astronomer and planetary scientist, 1934-1996
I scarcely know where to begin, but love is always a safe place.
---Emily Dickinson, American poet, 18301886
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.
--Isaac Asimov, Russian-born American writer and professor, 1920-1992
Every storm runs out of rain.
--Maya Angelou, American writer and civil rights activist, 1928-2014
Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow firm there, firm as weeds among stones.
--Charlotte Bronte, English novelist and poet, 1816-1855
Nothing is so necessary for a young man as the company of intelligent women.
--Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer, 1828-1910
Love is something eternal--the aspect may change, but not the essence. There is the same difference in a person before and after he is in love as there is in an unlighted lamp and one that is burning. The lamp was there and was a good lamp, but now it is shedding light too, and that is its real function. --Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch painter, 1853-1890
It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages. --Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher and critic, 1844-1900
If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it’s lethal.
--Paulo Coelho, Brazilian writer, 1947-
Anyone who doesn’t take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones, either.
Erebia magdalena, the all-black alpine butterfly, lives and dies only in the highaltitude wilderness of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Dr. Robert Michael Pyle, using his poetic prose to mesmerize the reader, weaves a fascinating intertwined story about several characters of varying backgrounds, as well as motivations, who seek this fragile butterfly.
Mary Glanville is trying to remember why it’s so important for her to complete her pilgrimage to the mountain. James Mead, a graduate student at Yale, has chosen the erebia magdalena as the subject of his doctoral work. October Carson collects butterflies for museums. Oberon is a
member of The Grove, an eclectic group of monks who worship nature. And the mountain is a character in its own right.
I particularly enjoyed Pyle’s vivid descriptions. In the first chapter, a yellow Karmann Ghia sails off a winding mountain road into space. Who stops to think about the fragrance of the alpine flowers mingling with the smell of gasoline and oil as they penetrate the car’s grill?
It took me several weeks to read this book. I’m a slow reader, but also Pyle’s word choices painted pictures so vivid,
Jan Bono is the author of the Sylvia Avery Mystery series, set on the Long Beach Peninsula. Jan will be a vendor and a workshop instructor (“Creating Character Sketches”) at the Big River Book Festival at Little Island Creamery on Puget Island, March 1-2; see ad, page 25, and story, page 13.
I found myself stopping frequently to re-read passages aloud, to fully appreciate the sound and texture of the images.
Pyle’s first novel is a breathtaking blend of viewpoints and values, all wrapped up in lyrical, magical prose. I recommend this book to those who love the sound of language as much as they love a good story.
ATTENTION READERS
Read a good book lately? Share your impressions and thoughts with other CRR readers. Email alan@alan-rose. com or publisher@crreader.com for info. Writers and non-writers welcome, editing services provided, and can be based on phone miniinterview if preferred.
360-916-1377
Longview native Debra Tweedy has lived on four continents. She and her husband decided to return to her hometown and bought a house facing Lake Sacajawea.“We came back because of the Lake and the Longview Public Library,” she says.
Monthly feature coordinated by Alan Rose
1. Fourth Wing
Rebecca Yarros, Entangled: Red Tower Books, $20.99
2. Martyr!
Kaveh Akbar, Vintage, $18
3. The Frozen River Ariel Lawhon, Vintage, $18
4. Orbital
Samantha Harvey, Grove Press, $17
5. The Handmaid’s Tale
Margaret Atwood, Anchor, $18
6. Parable of the Sower
Octavia E. Butler, Grand Central, $19.99
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19
8. Demon Copperhead
Barbara Kingsolver, Harper Perennial, $21.99
9. Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury, Simon & Schuster, $17
10. North Woods
Daniel Mason, Random House Trade Paperbacks, $18
Brought to you by Book Sense and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, for week ending Feb. 2, 2025, based on reporting from the independent bookstores of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. For the Book Sense store nearest you, visit www.booksense.com
Rebecca Yarros, Entangled: Red Tower Books, $29.99
5. The God of the Woods Liz Moore, Riverhead Books, $30
6. All Fours
Miranda July, Riverhead Books, $29
7. Small Things Like These Claire Keegan, Grove Press, $20
8. Water Moon
Samantha Sotto Yambao, Del Rey, $28.99
9. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls Grady Hendrix, Berkley, $30
10. The Women Kristin Hannah, St. Martin’s Press, $30
1. The Let Them Theory
Mel Robbins, Hay House LLC, $29.99,
2. The Serviceberry
Robin Wall Kimmerer, John Burgoyne (Illus.), Scribner, $20
3. The Sirens’ Call
Chris Hayes, Penguin Press, $32,
4. The Harder I Fight the More I Love You Neko Case, Grand Central Publishing, $30
5. CABIN
Patrick Hutchison, St. Martin’s Press, $29, 6. The Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Press, $30, 7. Want
Gillian Anderson, Harry N. Abrams, $28
8. The Creative Act
Rick Rubin, Penguin Press, $32
9. On Freedom
Timothy Snyder, Crown, $32
10. The Message
Ta-Nehisi Coates, One World, $30
BOOK REVIEW A novel for our time
By Alan Rose
PPlayground
Richard Powers W.W. Norton & Co.
$29.99
eople read novels for different reasons. Probably most read for a good story. We read some novels for the beauty of their language (Think Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead) or to learn something new, or experience vicariously what we would never experience in our own lives. We also read novels to expand our world. It’s rare to find one novel that can do all this, but Richard Powers’ amazing Playground does just that, and more.
Author of the 2018 Pulitzer-prize winning
The Overstory, Powers
tells interlocking stories of four people over a half century. Todd Keane is on the cutting edge of Artificial Intelligence (“I was helping to build the next big way of being.”) He shares a close and competitive relationship with best friend Rafi Young, for whom life is decanted through literature. Both are in love with Ina Aroita, who finds her meaning through art. Meanwhile, ninety-something Evie Beaulieu, whose father developed the first aqualung, has found life most fulfilling in the ocean. Together, these characters’ lives embody the novel’s main themes. Powers’ story is as capacious as the Pacific which Evie spends her life exploring. Through his exquisite prose, we share her exhilaration in the watery underworld, amid its abundant life. He makes an argument that our planet should be called Ocean rather than Earth. (“Ninety percent of the biosphere is underwater!”) We terrestrials are in the minority.
Through Evie’s eyes, too, we see the continuing degradation of the planet
Alan’s haunting novel of the AIDS epidemic, As If Death Summoned, won the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award (LGBT category.) He organizes the monthly Word Fest gathering (info at left). Reach him at www.alan-rose.com.
Top 10 Bestsellers
1. The Bakery Dragon
Devin Elle Kurtz, Knopf Books for Young Readers, $18.99
2. Little Blue Truck’s Valentine Alice Schertle, Jill McElmurry (Illus.), Clarion Books,$13.99
3. Knight Owl and Early Bird Christopher Denise, Christy Ottaviano Books, $18.99
4. Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd (Illus.), Harper, $10.99
5. I Spy Love Walter Wick (Illus.), Dan Marzollo, Dave Marzollo, Cartwheel Books, $14.99
6. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle, World of Eric Carle, $10.99,
7. Jamberry Bruce Degen, HarperFestival, $9.99
8. Chooch Helped
Andrea L. Rogers, Rebecca Lee Kunz (Illus.), Levine Querido, $18.99
9. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Bill Martin, Jr., John Archambault, Lois Ehlert (Illus.), Little Simon, $7.99
10. I Love Lunar New Year
Eva Wong Nava, Xin Li (Illus.), Scholastic Press, $7.99
Halfway through the twentieth century, in a cold northern city on the other side of the globe from Makatea, a father threw his weighted-down twelve-year-old daughter into the water, hoping she would sink to the bottom. Forty pounds of metal pulled the girl downward. Twisting in animal dread, she looked from the world she’d fallen into back up into the world she came from. Through the shimmering layer in between, the girl saw the quicksilver outline of her father stabbing a finger toward his own face and mouthing, Tu n’as qu’à respire. All you need to do is breathe.
From Playground
and the impact of the resulting climate change. In 1896, “the soon-to-be Nobel laureate Svante Arrhenius published a paper showing how rising carbon dioxide levels would soon cook the planet’s atmosphere.” 1896? We can’t say we weren’t warned.
1. Warriors: The Prophecies Begin Erin Hunter, Natalie Riess (Illus.), Sara Goetter (Illus.), HarperAlley, $15.99
2. Impossible Creatures
Katherine Rundell, Ashley Mackenzie (Illus.), Knopf Books for Young Readers, $19.99
3. The Squad
Christina Soontornvat, Joanna Cacao (Illus.), Graphix, $12.99
4. Working Boats Tom Crestodina, Little Bigfoot, $19.99,
5. Frizzy
Claribel A. Ortega, Rose Bousamra (Illus.), First Second, $14.99
6. The First State of Being Erin Entrada Kelly, Greenwillow Books, $19.99,
7. Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat
Li Chen, Andrews McMeel Publishing, $12.99
8. Super Duper Extra Deluxe Essential Handbook (Pokémon) Scholastic, $16.99
9. Marshmallow & Jordan
Alina Chau, First Second, $17.99
10. Haru: Spring Joe Latham, Andrews McMeel, $14.99
Along with environmental concerns, Powers brings us into the world of today’s “techno-utopians,” showing both AI’s promise and its peril. (“We were putting the future on autopilot.”)
Powers, a computer scientist by training, displays a vast encyclopedic grasp of the latest technology, of the natural and social sciences, philosophy, history, globalization, yet he is also capable of conveying moments of transcendent vision, filled with awe and wonder. (“Bliss was so simple. Just hold still and look.”)
This is a book for our time. In a nutshell, it’s about “machine intelligence and human ignorance.”
He offers no easy answers. Facing the challenge of planetary catastrophe, one longs for hope, even amid the growing truth of the biosphere’s slow killing. Like Evie, we may find that “hope and truth could not be reconciled.”
The earth is 4 billion years old. Homo sapiens has been around only 300,000. Taking the long view, there may be hope for life on earth. It just might not include humanity. •••
Clatskanie Mini-Storage
Temperature conditioned units -15 sizes!
RV Storage • Boat Moorage
Quality since 1976
On-site Manager
503-728-2051
503-369-6503
Manners from page 7
However, Miss Manners does not consider this permission to critique the waiter. Perhaps someone in the kitchen was at fault. You should merely state, politely, that you got an incorrect order.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: People often ask if I am an artist. I think it is because of the offbeat way that I dress: no paint spatters, but oversized glasses, angled haircuts, quirky shoes, etc.
It seems like a way of commenting on my appearance, and I think it is meant to be complimentary. But when I simply say “No,” there is an awkward silence that follows. I don’t want to volunteer what my actual profession is; that invites a lot of other questions, and I don’t
Mt. St. Helens Gifts
think they are really interested in my job. I don’t necessarily want to engage in a whole conversation, but I don’t want to come across as rude, either.
What would be a polite and friendly response?
GENTLE READER: Rarely one to seek out offense where none is intended, even Miss Manners wonders why these strangers feel the need to label your appearance. And the awkward pause afterwards is betraying any honorable intentions they may have had.
Miss Manners suggests you let them live in the silence a bit to draw attention to it, followed by, “I just like to wear fun things.” That they do not will only be implied.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is there a proper way to let someone know of my feelings for them? Does a proper courtship have to, at least initially, be hinted at and read between the lines?
Where to find the new Reader
GENTLE READER: Despite the appeal of love at first sight, Miss Manners would think that a declaration of love would be more flattering when you have gotten to know something about the person.
But this is not the Lovelorn Department, so she consulted her dear friend Stendhal, who declares in his book “On Love” that it is doubt that fuels love -- and certainty that cools it.
Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
Castle
It’s delivered all around the River by the 15th of each month. Here’s the handy, regularly-refilled sidewalk box and rack locations, where you can pick up a copy any time of day and even in your bathrobe:
LONGVIEW
U.S. Bank
Post Office
Forever Fit - 1211 18th Ave
Bob’s (rack, main check-out)
In front of 1232 Commerce Ave
In front of 1323 Commerce Ave
In front of Elam’s 1413 Commerce
In front of Freddy’s 1110 Commerce
YMCA
Fred Meyer (rack, service desk)
Grocery Outlet, OB Hwy
Fibre Fed’l CU - Commerce Ave
Monticello Hotel (front entrance)
Kaiser Permanente
St. John Medical Center
(rack, Park Lake Café)
LCC Student Center
Indy Way Diner
Columbia River Reader Office 1333 14th Ave. (box at door)
Omelettes & More (entry rack)
Stuffy’s II (entry rack)
KELSO
Visitors’ Center / Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce
KALAMA
Etc Mercantile
Fibre Fed’l CU
Kalama Shopping Center corner of First & Fir
Columbia Inn
McMenamin’s Harbor Lodge (rack)
Luckmans Coffee, Mountain Timber Market, Port of Kalama
WOODLAND
The Oak Tree
Visitors’ Center
Grocery Outlet
Luckman Coffee
CASTLE
ROCK
In front of CR Blooms Center
Cowlitz St. W., near Vault Books & Brew
Visitors’ Ctr 890 Huntington Ave. N., Exit 49, west side of I-5
Cascade Select Market
Amaro’s Table (former location of Parker’s) inside rack
VADER
Little Crane Café
RYDERWOOD
Café porch
TOUTLE
Drew’s Grocery & Service
CLATSKANIE
Post Office
Mobil / Mini-Mart
Fultano’s Pizza
WESTPORT
Berry Patch (entry rack)
RAINIER
Post Office
Cornerstone Café
Rainier Hardware (rack, entry)
Earth ‘n’ Sun (on Hwy 30)
El Tapatio (entry rack)
Grocery Outlet
Senior Center (rack at front door)
DEER ISLAND
Deer Island Store
COLUMBIA CITY
Post Office
WARREN
Warren Country Inn
ST HELENS
Chamber of Commerce
Sunshine Pizza
St. Helens Market Fresh
Big River Tap Room
Safeway
SCAPPOOSE
Post Office
Road Runner
Fultano’s Ace Hardware
WARRENTON
Fred Meyer
CATHLAMET
Cathlamet Pharmacy
Tsuga Gallery
Realty West/Computer Link NW
Puget Island Ferry Landing
Little Island Creamery
SKAMOKAWA
Skamokawa General Store
NASELLE
Appelo Archives & Café
Johnson’s One-Stop
ILWACO
Time Enough Books (entry table)
Marie Powell’s Gallery (inside rack)
Welcome to Historic Downtown Longview!
• Buy local
• Support entrepreneurs
• Enjoy seasonal festivities & fun
Columbia River Reader BOOK BOUTIQUE Gift Books Lewis & Clark, Longview’s Centennial, Columbia River poetry, art, history, see pg 21-24 Gift Subscriptions for yourself or a friend! Mon-Wed-Fri • 11am–3pm Other times by chance or 1333 14th Ave, Longview Free local delivery of books 360-749-1021
Dining Guide, page 26
Nice crinkly paper
Hold it in your hands Never needs re-charging Doesn’t break if you drop it Made with love And it’s all local Thanks for reading
Teri’s Café on Broadway
Submission Guidelines
Letters to the Editor (up to 200 words) relevant to the publication’s purpose — helping readers discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region, at home and on the road — are welcome. Longer pieces, or excerpts thereof, in response to previously-published articles, may be printed at the discretion of the publisher and subject to editing and space limitations.
Items sent to CRR will be considered for publication unless the writer specifies otherwise. Writer’s name and phone number must be included; anonymous submissions will not be considered.
Political Endorsements CRR is a monthly publication serving readers in several towns, three counties, two states and beyond, and does not publish Letters to the Editor that are endorsements or criticisms of political candidates or controversial issues. (Paid ad space is available.)
Unsolicited submissions may be considered, provided they are consistent with the publication’s purpose. Advance contact with the editor is recommended. Information of general interest submitted by readers may be used as background or incorporated in future articles.
Outings & Events calendar (free listing): Events must be open to the public. Non-profit organizations and the arts, entertainment, educational and recreational opportunities and community cultural events will receive listing priority. Fundraisers must be sanctioned/sponsored by the benefiting non-profit organization. Commercial projects, businesses and organizations wishing to promote their particular products or services are invited to purchase advertising.
HOW TO PUBLICIZE YOUR NON-PROFIT EVENT IN CRR
Send your non-commercial community event info (incl name of event, beneficiary, sponsor, date & time, location, brief description and contact info) to publisher@crreader.com
Or mail or hand-deliver (in person or via mail slot) to: Columbia River Reader 1333 14th, Longview, WA 98632
Submission Deadlines
Events occurring: Mar15 – April 20 by Feb. 25 for March 15 issue. April 15 –by March 25 for the April 15 issue
Calendar submissions are considered for inclusion, subject to lead time, relevance to readers, and space limitations.
See Submission Guidelines above.
FUN AFTER 50! Kelso Senior Center, 106 NW 8th Ave., Kelso, Wash. presents various events and activities, i.e. book club, genealogy intoductory class, crafts, bingo, pinochle, mahjong, bridge, dancing, and more. Info: 360232-8522 or seniors98626@gmail.com
Dementia Support Group Fridays, 1–3 pm, Catlin Center (Kelso Senior Center), 106 NE 8th Ave, Kelso, Wash. Sponsored by HOPE, an organization serving Oregon and SW Washington. offering support, education, and advocacy for care partners and individuals living with dementia. For more info, visit:hopedementiasupport.org or contact Debbie Docksteader: 360353-8253.
HIKES see page 10
THE MINTHORN COLLECTION OF CHINESE ART
A gift from Dr. and Mrs. H. Minthorn to the community via Lower Columbia College Foundation, The Minthorn Collection of Chinese Art encompasses a wide range of styles and is displayed in the upper level of the art gallery in LCC’s Rose Center, open M-Th 10–3 during current Forsberg Exhibition only. Free.
Columbia River Reader / February 15, 2025
Outings & Events
Paintings of Mike Swift Through Feb. 28. Longview Public Library, Koth Gallery. Featuring 55 oil and acrylics, realistic and impressionistic; automotive, landscapes, etc.. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Feb 22, 7pm, Feb 23, 3pm. Skyview Concert Hall, 1300 NW 139th St., Vancouver,Wash. Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique” and Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 (“Prague”). Tickets: vancouversymphony.org or 360-735-7278.
Rainy Day Series Feb. 23, Mar 30. Familyfriendly shows. Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts, Longview Wash. See ad, page 13.
Basement Sale, Rainier Church of God Feb 28–Mar 1, 9am–4pm. 321 West C St., Rainier, Ore. Find your treasures and stay for lunch! Hot soup, cinnamon rolls, and pie.
BROADWAY GALLERY
1418 Commerce Avenue, Longview Tues thru Sat, 11–4. Visit the Gallery to see new work. For event updates check our website: the-broadway-gallery. com, at Broadway Gallery on Facebook, and broadway gallery longview on Instagram.
FEATURED ARTISTS
Feb Scott McRae (paintings); Diane Springer (gourd 3D art) March Guest artists Kirt Minnich (pottery); Holly Minnich (mixed media)
Big River Book Fair Mar 1-2. A celebration and showcase of authors of the Pacific Coast. 448 E. Little Island Road, Cathlamet,Wash. See ad, page 25.
Volunteer Fair March 8, 10am–1pm, Longview Public Library main reading room. Free. Meet non-profit organizations to learn about community services and volunteer opportunities in Cowlitz County. Non-profits, call Jacob Cole, 360-442-5309 to sign up. General info: 360-442-5300 or longviewlibrary,org.
Multi-family inside yard sale Sat. March 9, 8am–3pm. Hosted by Rainier Senior Center, 48 West 7 St, Rainier, Ore. Info: Call 503- 556-3889, M-F 9:30am –2pm. Table rental $10.
FIRST THURSDAY Mar 6• 5:30–7pm Join us for Art , Refreshments Music by Brad Matthews
New winter classes & workshops available on our website or in store.
Linda McCord’S Free Friday workshops & demos starting March 28th: Acrylic Pouring 10-11am. Plus “Green Sales” of 10% off her work through March. Fashion Fridays: Bring any garment in for assistance with accessories to make a fashion statement.
OPEN
Tues - Sat 11–4
Free Gift Wrap on request.
Voted one of top 3 Galleries in SW Washington.
Unique gifts!..beautiful artisan cards, jewelry, books by local authors, wearable art, original paintings, pottery, sculpture, photographs and MORE!
watercolorizeD sketch by the late Deena martinsen
Outings & Events
St. Patrick Day Lunch with Corned Beef Cabbage Mon, Mar 17. 12pm. Luck of the Irish Raffle 1pm. 50 prizes. Tickets $1 ea, 6 for $5. Addl raffles for lottery tickets and April 6 Blazer tickets, two courtside seats valued at $3,800, raffle tickets $10 ea, only 350 sold. Visitor side seats two rows back, val.$600, raffle tickets $5 each, 300 tickets sold. Rainier Riverfront Center (Senior Center), 48 West 7 St. Rainier Ore. 503 556-3889 (M thru F, 9:30–2).
Kids' Fish-In 2025
Saturday, April 26. Lake Sacajawea, Longview, Wash. Register at Longview Parks and Recreation. Nine sessions with 50 participants each, every 45 mins, 8am–4pm. First session starts at 8:00am; last session ends at 4:45pm. Please arrive 15 minutes before each session begins. The registration fee is $10 for each participant, ages 5 –14. Register as soon as possible at Parks & Rec office, 2920 Douglas St., Longview,Wash., or online: www.mylongview.com/ Rec. Sessions fill quickly (in recent years by April 1). No personal fishing gear allowed; everything is provided for each registered participant. Volunteers will be available to assist and will man a fish cleaning area. Questions? 360-4425400. Sponsored by Early Edition Rotary Club.
CALL FOR ARTISTS!
Columbian Artists Association’s 52nd Annual Spring Show
March 18–April 12 at the Cowlitz County Historical Museum, 405 Allen St., Kelso, Wash. Reception on March 22, noon - 4pm.
Enter your artwork on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, from 10am–12 noon. Bring your original artwork to the Columbian Artists Association 52nd annual spring show at the Cowlitz County Historical Museum,
Open to artists 18 years and older from Cowlitz, Clark, Wahkiakum, Lewis, Pacific, Clatsop, and Columbia counties. Need not be a CAA member to enter.
For the prospectus of artwork accepted, visit www.columbianartists.org
Contact: Lisa Harrington at lmbharrington@gmail.com
I keep my show tickets in my briefcase, in alphabetical order. Lots going on in the performing arts world this month. Look for me at local theatre(s) and say Hello!
Umbrella Man
Sunday, Feb. 23, 3pm
Tickets: Adult $20; Senior/ Students $18, Child $15
CLATSKANIE ARTS COMMISSION
Performance at Birkenfeld Theatre, Clatskanie Cultural Center, Clatskanie, Ore.
Tickets / Info: www.clatskaniearts.org
by Hal Calbom
in the spotlight
His Four Note Piano Academy has 100,000 followers. His arranging and producing have attracted over three million online views.
He’s Jason Lyle Black, coming to Southwest Washington March 16, and this month IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
THE ENTERTAINER
The remarkable Jason Lyle Black returns to Longview
He counts among his proudest moments putting on a show featuring both Beethoven and Rachmaninoff and drawing raves from a five-year-old in the audience.
According to Jason Lyle Black, it’s right up there with his note-perfect rendition of “The Entertainer” — played upside down and backwards, supine on his piano bench — gobsmacking Ellen DeGeneres, live on her TV show: “That’s unbelievable!” she said.
“Everything I do is to try to make music more accessible to people,” Black said in a phone conversation in early February from his home in Nashville. “All ages, all musical tastes.”
Still only in his mid-thirties, Black has an extraordinary following across diverse media and in a variety of venues, from cruise ships to concert halls, and especially among music lovers in towns very like Longview.
“There’s something special about these communities, with the 500-seat theater and a real love for musical performance,” he said.
As part of the local Community concert series, Black will perform his new show — “100 Hits of Stage and Screen” — Sunday March 16th, 3:00pm at the Columbia Theatre.
Black’s touring resume reads like an America Road Atlas — Hibbing, Minnesota; Harlingen, Texas; La Porte, Indiana; Watertown, North Dakota; Fairbury, Nebraska;
Hal Calbom is associate publisher with CRRPress, and produces CRR’s monthly “People+Place” feature, see page 17.
photo by Jacq Justice
photo by vicky phillips
In the Spotlight from page 33
Grand Bend, Kansas. Lest he seem merely a rural troubadour, he also lists a staggering trove of producing and arranging credits, from Hal Leonard classic compilations of popular tunes to Disney film score videos, from original classical preludes to novelty numbers like “Songs Not to Play at People’s Weddings and Funerals.”
IF YOU GO
Jason Lyle Black
100 Hits of Stage & Screen
Sunday, Mar 16, 3pm
Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts 1231 Vandercook Way, Longview
Inlc. with Lgv-Kelso Community Concert membership
Single Tickets: $40 columbiatheatre.com
Box Office 360-575-8499
At the Door before concert
“I started writing for piano when I was about 15,” he said. “And I always liked the entertaining side of it. It was cool to make my friends pay attention and laugh.”
Raised in the Bay Area community of Livermore, California, Jason now call calls Nashville home, due to its central location (he seems to travel constantly) and the availability of musicians and tour services in the Tennessee music mecca.
Black describes his Longview show as “packed with hits and fun for the whole family,” putting together a sonic melange of different influences, from Broadway shows to heavy metal rock to television soundtracks, all interspersed with his trademark humor, high spirits and creativity.
CRR readers are:
“I so much believe in the massive power
By Alice Dietz Cowlitz PUD Communications & Public Relations Manager
APLUGGED IN TO COWLITZ PUD Energy Efficiency Funding Streams
s a public utility, it is our job to ensure we are good stewards of our ratepayers’ money. The more creative we are in using our funding sources, the farther these dollars can go to fund energy efficiency assistance, incentives, and rebates for all residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Below is a list of funding sources the Energy Efficiency Department uses to stay compliant with energy efficiency in the State of Washington.
Alice Dietz is Cowlitz PUD’s Communications /Public Relations Manager. Reach her at adietz@cowlitzpud.org, or 360-501-9146.
of music,” he said. “And I approach it from every way I can possibly think of.” Even as a prodigy in high school, he resisted the classical approach — conservatory, orchestral apprenticeship, the concert stage.
“My dad told me — and he’s a real fan, I’m pleased to say — that ‘the show you do is possible because you didn’t go to music school.’ I take that as high praise.”
LOWER COLUMBIA CURRENTS
NORTH FORK DECAF
Ithe
by ned piper
Senate passes Wilson bill to make “Evergreen State” nickname official
always thought “The Evergreen State” was Washington’s official title. Apparently not. Senator Jeff Wilson (19th Dist., R-Longview) is leading an effort to correct a 132-year-old oversight. Here’s a recent press release CRR received and which I found enlightening:
OLYMPIA – For the third year in a row, the Washington Senate voted to correct a 132-year oversight and declare Washington to be “The Evergreen State.”
Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, said he hopes the House will follow suit this time and make the state’s longtime nickname official. Though Washington has been calling itself The Evergreen State since 1893, no record exists of the nickname’s adoption by the Washington Legislature.
The Senate voted 49-0 to pass Wilson’s measure, SB 5000, and send it to the House for further consideration.
A Different Way of Seeing...
In brief remarks on the Senate floor, Wilson related the history of Washington’s nickname, coined by 27-year-old real estate promoter Charles Conover of Seattle for an advertising circular. The nickname caught on quickly, and in 1893, newspapers reported that the state Senate passed a resolution adopting it as an official moniker for exhibits and advertising at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. But if that vote occurred, it was not recorded in official records, no copy of the resolution has been found, and there is no indication that it was ever considered by the House.
THE TIDEWATER REACH Field Guide to the Lower Columbia in Poems and Pictures
THREE EDITIONS • $25, $35, $50
By Robert Michael Pyle and Judy VanderMaten
“Tidewater Reach is a pleasure to hold; it provokes delights, both intellectual and emotional. I commend all who were involved in bringing us this treasure. It deserves a place on your bookshelf and in your heart.” -- Cate Gable, “Coast Chronicles,” Chinook Observer, Long Beach, Wash.
DISPATCHES FROM THE DISCOVERY
TRAIL
A Layman’s Lewis & Clark $35
by Michael O. Perry
“Let’s just take a moment to think if the nickname was penned otherwise,” Wilson said. “What if we were called the ‘It Rains Too Much State?’ Or the ‘It’s Too Hot State’ or the ‘It’s Too Cold State?’”
It’s the rain, the sun and the snow that keep the state evergreen, he said, and it is hard to imagine a more fitting name.
“After 132 years, we have an opportunity today to correct an oversight,” Wilson said. “We can do this, Mr. President. We can make this a forever nickname for everybody today and tomorrow.”
Books also available at:
• Columbia Gorge Interpretive Museum Stevenson
• Broadway Gallery Longview
• Cowlitz County Historical Museum Shop Kelso
• Kelso-Longview Visitor Center
• Vault Books & Brew Castle Rock
• Morgan Arts Center Toledo
• Tsuga Gallery Cathlamet
• Redmen Hall Skamokawa
• Skamokawa Store Skamokawa
• Appelo Archives Naselle
• Time Enough Books Ilwaco
• Marie Powell Gallery Ilwaco
• Godfathers Books Astoria, Ore.
• RiverSea Gallery Astoria,Ore.
• Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum The Dalles, Ore.
Please support our local booksellers & galleries
Ned Piper assists with CRR, inside out and all around the edges.
