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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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.
•BW Edition $35
As we greet another New Year, three recollections — like Dickens’s ghosts — visit me as past, present and future.
Missing our son Perry this holiday season — he continues to sojourn in Portugal and greets his loyal readers with a special appearance in this issue — I’m reminded of a memory triggered by the passing of our centenarian President, Jimmy Carter.
Perry and I were on an East Coast road trip and took a side trip south. We timed our visit in order to attend a Sunday School class led by President Carter in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, famously open to passersby as well as regular attendees. As many who’ve met him and wife Rosalynn have commented, I was struck by the humanity and humility of this great man who seemed not to aspire to greatness, but rather to service and living his faith.
In the present tense, it’s Perry who, even from halfway across the world in Portugal, keeps me on my toes. Always on the cyber beat, Perry offers a “guest” column this month, warning us of the
Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper
Columnists and contributors:
Hal Calbom
Nancy Chennault
Alice Dietz
Joe Fischer
Joseph Govednik
Tom Larsen
Michael Perry
Ned Piper
Perry Piper
Robert Michael Pyle
Krysten Ralston
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
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and to the legacy left by our late founder, Gary Myers. The ‘Fest has always seemed to embody the spirit of the Reader , appreciating and approaching the good life with curiosity, a sense of humor and good cheer.
latest Internet tricks and traps. I hope to keep him writing, and appreciate the regular queries from Reader readers: “How’s that son of yours doing?”
The future of CRR’s HaikuFest is assured, thanks to your participation
Greg Price in his Longview gym, Forever Fit. See page 17. photo by hal calbom
Kids at play, photo by Krysten Ralston, story page 22.
Terron Brooks performs “Soul of Broadway,” in Longview Feb. 7. Courtesy photo, see story, page 33
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issues from 2013.
We treasure our readers and your oft-expressed appreciation of our idiosyncrasies and quirks. The coexistence of an astronomy column,
dirt-on-your-hands horticulture, excerpts from best-in-class poets and authors, and an appeal for selfgenerated Japanese verse, surely fits the very definition of “idiosyncrasy.”
We’re grateful for another New Year and look forward to sharing it with you, celebrating the constant intermingling of past, present and future.
Sue Piper
Perry Piper, President Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Sue Piper, after Sunday School at Plains Baptist Church, June 2008.
Join us for a Reader tradition HaikuFest
CRR’s HAIKUFEST honors the name and spirit of founder Gary Myers. The HaikuFest is 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.
As Gary was fond of saying, haiku is a meditative medium, not a limerick in 17 syllables!
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Please submit hour 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.
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 April 15 CRR. Haiku submitted become the property of CRR.
The Indispensable Sacajawea
By Michael O. Perry
There are more statues of Sacajawea in the United States than of any other woman. She has appeared in paintings and films, on postage stamps, and on a golden dollar coin introduced in 2000. Nobody knows what she really looked like, but we have all heard the embellished stories of the teenager who carried her baby across half the continent and back while guiding the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In truth, while she did little, if any, guiding, her presence undoubtedly contributed to the success of the Expedition. Without her, the Lewis and Clark Expedition would have likely ended in failure. Sacajawea, Sakakawea, or Sacagawea?
What is the correct spelling for the name of the American Indian woman who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their western journey 220 years ago? That depends on which source one consults; there is no uniform consensus. “Sacajawea” is the Shoshone spelling and means “boat pusher” while “Sakakawea”
is the Hidatsa spelling and means “bird woman.” Lewis and Clark had no idea how to spell it; they usually referred to her as “Squar” or “Indian Woman.”
The few times they attempted to write her name, they spelled it phonetically. In 1805, Lewis wrote that they named a river after her in present-day Montana, “this stream we called Sah-ca-gar-we-ah or bird woman’s River, after our interpreter the Snake woman.” Thus, many people believe the Hidatsa pronunciation (“Tsakaka-wea”) is correct. However, in 1825 Captain Clark made a list of the expedition members where he wrote, “Se car ja we au – Dead.” Today, most people spell it Sacagawea, but we will use Sacajawea in this book to conform with the spelling of the lake in the center of Longview, Washington.
Subject to Interpretation
... oral traditions ...
Pointing the way westward
The Indians told Lewis and Clark they’d have to get horses if they were to go all the way to the ocean. Lewis and Clark said, ‘How are we going to get them from these Indians? We can’t speak their language.’ Charbonneau’s two wives had both been kidnapped by Hidatsa Indians who sold them to the French trapper. He had no skills whatsoever, but in order to join the Expedition as an interpreter, the captains insisted he bring one of his wives. The part I find most ironic is here’s one that’s six months pregnant and they don’t say, ‘No, we don’t want the baby on a journey.’ You’d think they would’ve said, ‘Bring the other one.’”
Michael Perry enjoys local history and travel. His popular 33-installment Lewis & Clark series appeared in Columbia River Reader’s early years and helped shape its identity and zeitgeist. After two encores, the series was expanded and published in a book. Details, page 2, 35.
One of the first things Lewis and Clark did in November 1804 when they arrived at the Mandan Indian villages in present-day North Dakota was to hire a FrenchCanadian fur trader named Toussaint Charbonneau as an interpreter through his wife. Charbonneau, born about 1758, could not speak English, but he did speak a little Hidatsa. There were other Frenchmen they could have hired, but Charbonneau had something that Lewis and Clark knew would be most valuable in the coming year — he had two Shoshone wives.
A Big Disappointment
The most famous statue of Sacajawea was sculpted by Alice Cooper (Hubbard), of Denver, Colorado, and was dedicated during the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial in Portland, Oregon. The heroic-sized statue contains 20 tons of copper. It was moved to Portland’s Washington Park in 1906.
During the first weeks at the Mandan villages, they had talked with many Indians, and had come to realize there was no direct water route to the Pacific Ocean. It was clear they would have to portage across the Stoney (Rocky) Mountains. The Shoshone (Snake) Indians lived near the headwaters of the Missouri and had horses that Lewis and Clark would need to make the passage. But to obtain horses, they would need some way to communicate with the Shoshones.
Charbonneau was hired on the condition he bring one of his wives with him. The fact the two captains didn’t care which wife he brought seems a little surprising because one of his wives (Sacajawea) was six months pregnant and would give birth to a son just two months before the Expedition resumed their trek to the Pacific in April 1805. They just wanted someone who could speak Shoshone. Even then, communication would be difficult — Captains Lewis or Clark would speak to Private Francois Labiche, who would repeat it in French to Charbonneau, who would then translate it to Hidatsa so Sacajawea could translate it into Shoshone.
four 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.
The Sacagawea dollar (also known as the “golden dollar”) is a United States dollar coin that has been minted every year since 2000, although not released for general circulation from 2002 through 2008 and again from 2012 onward due to its general unpopularity with the public and low business demand for the coin. These coins have a copper core clad by manganese brass, giving them a distinctive golden color.
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By the time the answer came back, six translations would take place, so errors were bound to creep in.
Oral Traditions
Surprisingly little is known about Sacajawea. Indians did not keep written histories, so the journals kept by the men of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and a few letters and records kept after the journey was over are the only factual information modern-day researchers can rely on. But there are several oral histories about Sacajawea that have been passed down among different Indian tribes over the last 200 years that offer tantalizing (and often conflicting) information that makes it impossible to know for sure what the truth is.
While no records exist, it is likely Sacajawea was born in 1788 near present-day Salmon, Idaho. Shoshone Indians made annual trips into present-day Montana to dig roots and hunt for buffalo, elk, and deer. In 1800, while at their summer camp west of present-day Bozeman, Montana, Sacajawea and several other Shoshone girls were taken captive by a band of marauding
...
reunited with her birth tribe ...
Translation among the captains and the Indians resembled the modern party game of “Telephone.” Sacajawea could speak Hidatsa and Snake which she addressed to her husband Charbonneau. Charbonneau’s languages were Hidatsa and French, so the co-captains used the French engages, who spoke English and French, to address Charbonneau.
Indians and later sold to some Hidatsa Indians who lived near the Mandan villages in North Dakota.
One of the kidnapped girls escaped enroute, but Sacajawea believed it would be impossible to find the way back to her people and accepted her fate as a 12-year-old captive. She learned the Hidatsa language and was adopted into their tribe. When just 14, she was sold (or lost in a gambling bet) to Charbonneau. A year later, she was pregnant and told to prepare for the long trip.
On February 11, 1805, Sacajawea gave birth to a boy. It was a long and difficult labor, so Captain Lewis was called to help. A French trader told him a small portion of the rattle from a rattlesnake would hasten the birth process. Since her pain was so violent, Lewis reluctantly administered two rings of the rattle and within 10 minutes the baby was delivered. Charbonneau named him Jean Baptiste after his father, but his Indian name was Pomp, meaning “first born.”
A tense moment occurred shortly after Sacajawea returned to her people. Lewis wrote, “The father frequently disposes of his infant daughters in marriage to men who are grown or to men who have sons for whom they think proper to provide wives. the compensation given in such cases usually consists of horses or mules which the father receives at the time of contract and converts to his own uce. the girl remains with her parents untill she is conceived to have obtained the age of puberty which with them is considered to be the age of 13 or 14 years... Sah-car-gar-we-ah had been thus disposed of before she was taken by the Minnetares, or had arrived to the years of puberty. the husband was yet living and with this band. he was more than double her age and had two other wives. He claimed her as his wife but said that as she had had a child by another man, who was Charbono, that he did not want her.”
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After leaving Fort Mandan in April 1805, it took four months for the Corps of Discovery to reach the place Sacajawea had been captured five years earlier. She began to recognize familiar landmarks and told Lewis and Clark they were getting close to the Shoshone lands. In August, Sacajawea was reunited with her birth tribe. One of the women who rushed to greet her was the girl who had escaped after Sacajawea was captured. The journals state the chief of the Shoshone tribe turned out to be Sacajawea’s brother, but since all men in the tribe were referred to as brothers, fathers, or grandfathers, there is some question if he was her biological brother.
Surprisingly, Sacajawea showed little or no interest in staying with her people. Most of her family was dead, and she had enjoyed life with the Hidatsa Indians. When the Expedition returned from the Pacific in 1806, they found no trace of the Shoshone Indians. Thus, Sacajawea returned to the Mandan villages with Charbonneau and their son and probably never saw her native family again..
Next episode we will learn more about the Mandan-Hidatsa villages. They were a major trade center and, during the winter months, Lewis and Clark would learn a lot about what to expect west of there as they talked to visitors.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My fiance and I moved to a new neighborhood, and our neighbors have been really friendly, dropping by to introduce themselves. One of our neighbors really likes to talk and comes over a little more frequently. One night, he rang the doorbell at 9
By Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin
p.m. just as we were sitting down to a late dinner (we had been painting all day). He was bringing us some oranges from his tree. He chatted with us for about 10 minutes and then left.
After he was gone, I started wondering: Are we supposed to always invite our neighbors inside when they come over? We’re still unpacking, our house is far from tidy and sometimes when they stop by, it’s at an inconvenient time. At the same time, I don’t want to be considered rude.
GENTLE READER: You cannot reasonably be expected to receive uninvited guests -- particularly after a recent move -- so there is nothing wrong with accepting the oranges and saying, “We look forward to being able to have you over when we are unpacked and ready for guests.”
Miss Manners is only relieved that your neighbor also had the good manners -and situational awareness -- to leave after 10 minutes. She was afraid, when you mentioned the time, that your question was going to be how to perform a polite eviction.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: A friend from college works in Europe now and asked to stay with me for 10 days when he was here visiting. I made sure he had fresh towels every day.
His first day here, he flooded my bathroom floor while taking a shower (he said he “forgot how shower curtains work”) and called for help. I quickly grabbed a towel and threw it down to wipe up the water before it seeped onto the hardwood outside the room. I immediately put the towel into the washing machine.
He was appalled, and said I should have grabbed a mop instead of putting a towel on the floor.
It’s not like it’s a bus station bathroom -- I don’t have kids or pets, I don’t wear shoes in the house and the floor is always clean.
After that, he said he couldn’t trust my towels. He went out and bought his own towel to use and kept it with his things until he left. I offered to wash it so he wasn’t using the same towel for days, but he refused.
Am I really that disgusting?
GENTLE READER: Why are you accepting criticism from someone who cannot figure out a shower curtain? And who made the mess in question in the first place?
Regardless of your towel hygiene, Miss Manners finds this person’s attitude
appalling. To chastise you for attending to his mistake and then act as though your laundry were now tainted is rude and hypocritical. He is the one who should be apologizing, not you.
That said, Miss Manners’ personal preference would be to use a mop or non-guest towels to clean the floor. But as a guest in your house, she would never have said it.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My oldest child is about to turn 4, and we plan to invite other local children to celebrate. We live in a very small town where the custom seems to be to invite the entire preschool (around 20 kids). After talking with another preschool mom, my husband and I have decided to rent a local event space to host the party. This will allow us to invite all of the kids without worrying about having room.
Because of the extra space, I would like to indicate on the invitations that parents may bring their older and younger children if they wish. We would also like at least one adult from each family to plan to stay at the party. This is important for us because we do not know most of these children or their parents.
I do not wish to be rude and am struggling with the wording for the invitations. Is this too blunt? “Older and younger children are welcome, and we invite parents to stay. Please let us know how many plan to attend.”
GENTLE READER: Perhaps “Siblings and parents welcome” is a little more succinct, but asking how many will attend is fine.
Miss Manners will warn you, however, that blunt does not always yield a response. And that you may well have opened the floodgates for guests to bring anyone they want -- now and for the life of your children’s birthday parties.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I spent a few days with some friends at a house in a rural setting near a small lake. During our stay, the electricity went out.
The toilets did not work for over 24 hours, and we had to use buckets for the waste we generated. After the toilets were working, our host disposed of our collected waste in the lake. Doing so was against the law in the state we were in. It was also an ecological crime because even an infinitesimal amount of feces will pollute a lake.
Below-freezing temperatures may halt the camellia’s flower display temporarily, but don’t despair. Right behind the frozen flower are more buds which will be opening soon.
Valentine’s Day was first associated with romantic love and outward expressions of that love by royalty in the 10th through 13th centuries. In 18th Century England, Valentine’s Day evolved into an occasion when couples expressed their love with gifts of flowers, candy and greeting cards.
Roses and chocolates — traditionally the most-gifted items for your sweetheart — unlike your professed love are not long lasting. Beautiful? Delicious? Yes, but not permanent. In the gardener’s world, a “perennial” is a plant that comes back year after year. Could 2025 be your year to include a gift of perennial love? What better way to say “I Love You!” on February 14th than with a plant, tree or shrub that will grow and mature over time?
Eye candy
Blossoms are, of course, a big part of flowers for the occasion, and local nurseries offer several choices in blooming shrubs. Winter camellias in bud, and bloom, are a colorful choice (see top two photos). Blossoms begin to open in December and will continue blooming all winter long. Choose a site with protection from hot summer sun and good drainage. Be sure to plant these where you will enjoy the blossoms through the winter months.
Don’t overlook the hardy Hellebores (bottom right photoabove). Known for
PLANT A KISS Demonstrate your growing love with Valentine garden gifts
generations as “Christmas Rose” or “Lenten Rose,” the newer European cultivars have been developed to be heartily blooming now. Pink, cream and several variations of white greet the garden visitor with cheerful, nodding blossoms during the darkest days of winter.
Hydrangeas (at right) will be deciduous and dormant in nurseries and garden
centers in February. However, florist shops offer blooming hydrangea plants. They have been encouraged to bloom this time of year by manipulation of the light and temperatures in greenhouses. These hardy plants will transition to the garden quite nicely if you wait until late spring to plant.
Romance flourishes!
Gifts for the garden are gifts from the heart. Roses are still an option, of course. New shipments each year arrive at local nurseries just in time for Valentine’s Day. Creative romantics may want to celebrate the strength of the relationship by giving structural plants such as an ornamental tree.
Acer palmatum (“Sangu Kaku”), often called Coral Bark (at left), has delicate branches that turn scarlet red with winter cold. For cut flower lovers, forsythia, flowering cherry or plum will provide armloads of late winter blossoms for fragrant arrangements indoors or out for years to come.
A perennial favorite is the rising-inpopularity Heuchera cultivars (Coral Bells). These evergreen plants are developed for their interesting foliage. A beacon of light for a winter garden, Heuchera Citronelle glows in the late winter sun. A newer variety from famed plant breeder Thierry Delabroye of France, radiates romance.
Having lost all its leaves for winter hardiness, the terminal buds on landscape hydrangeas may swell during periods of mild temperatures. TIP: Except for the removal of old blossoms, don’t prune hydrangea shrubs in the garden until mid-March.
For the less adventurous, a gift certificate from your sweetheart’s favorite garden shop, tucked into a greeting card smothered in hearts and flowers, will surely please. With so many “living” choices for Valentine’s Day, the gardener in your life will be touched by your personal declaration of your growing love.
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.
Story and photos by Nancy Chennault
Camellia sasanqua varieties bloom all winter.
Hellebore ‘Jacob’ from the Gold Collection developed in Germany by plant hybridizer Heuger is just one of more than a dozen cultivars available locally.
Framed against the winter sky, the filigree branches of the Coral Bark Maple are breathtaking in February.
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.)
skEtch by thE latE dEENa martiNsoN
Looking UP
SKY REPORT By
Greg Smith
Call leader to join outing or for more info. Nonmembers 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
Jan 18 - Sat Hummocks Trail Loop (SS) (M)
Drive 120 miles RT. Snow shoe 5 miles with 300’ e.g. through canopy and open terrain with great views of Mt St Helens and the Toutle River drainage. Leader: Mary Jane R. 360-355-5220.
Jan 22 - Wed Whipple Creek (E)
Drive 70 miles RT to North Vancouver. Hike 4 miles with 190’ e.g. through forest and farm land. Leader: John R. 360-431-1122
Jan 25 - Sat Powell Butte (M)
Drive 110 miles RT. Hike 4 mile loop with 610’ e.g. through large meadow on top of volcanic cone. Excellent view of SE Portland and surrounding mountains. Leader: Bruce M. 360-425-0256
Jan 29 - Wed Julia Butler Hansen Refuge (E)
Drive 60 miles RT. Hike 6 flat miles out and back along the main road and on the White Tail Trail. Common to observe a variety of wildlife here! Leader: Dory N. 213-820-1014
Jan 31 - Fri Kalama Falls Trail (SS) (M/S)
Drive 108 miles RT. Snow shoe 4 miles RT with 311’ e.g. or hike 5.5 miles if there is no snow. A DISCOVER PASS IS REQUIRED.
Leaders: John & Mary Jane M. 360-508-0878
Feb 5 - Wed Lake Sacajawea (E)
Walk a 4 mile loop around the lake or a shorter loop around the lake. Very little e.g. mostly flat gravel path. Leader: Art M. 360-270-9991
Feb 7 - Fri Stub Stewart State Park Loop (M)
Drive 108 miles RT. Hike 7 miles RT with 1100’ e.g. through a forest canopy of oldgrowth trees. LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS. Leader: Bill D. 503-260-6712
Feb 12 - Wed Lewis and Clark State Park (E/M)
Drive 70 miles RT. Hike on a 5 mile loop with 200’ e.g. through one of the last old-growth stands in Lewis County. DISCOVER PASS REQUIRED PER VEHICLE. Leader: Bruce M. 360-425-0256
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
Miss Manners from page 7
We said nothing at the time. When a host commits both a crime and causes an ecological disaster, what is a guest supposed to do? Should we have stopped our host? Should we have said something?
GENTLE READER: It is not an unreasonable expectation that the owner of a house be familiar with the laws and idiosyncrasies of its state. Deferring to your hosts and their expertise is indeed logical and polite.
But if you know that a crime is being committed, speaking up is imperative. Because even Miss Manners will admit that etiquette is not above the law. If your friend gets caught and you are named as an accessory, “I was just being polite” will probably not serve to exonerate you.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is there a polite way to avoid shaking hands with strangers? I was in a car dealership, and every employee I encountered extended a hand to me, expecting me to shake it.
I know that they were just trying to appear friendly and open. But I also know that this is a good way to transmit diseases and pathogenic microorganisms. Many people do not have good hand-washing practices, especially after using the restroom, and it grosses me out to have to touch their hands.
An infectious disease specialist has even stated that the practice of shaking hands should be abandoned.
GENTLE READER: Miss Manners generally agrees with you, but worries that the social disease of being unwilling to participate in formalities is also dangerous. If you can gracefully finesse another gesture -- waving, or, in less formal situations, a fist bump -- Miss Manners will allow it.
Mid-Jan to mid-Feb 2025
The Evening Sky
A clear sky is needed.
Jupiter is high in the southern sky, not far from the Pleiades (the small group of stars that looks like a very small cup). The end of January will find Venus very low on the western horizon by 8:45pm. Orion will be midway through the southern sky by 8:30pm, early enough to view in binoculars and telescopes — it might be just a quick trip outside if it’s really cold weather.
The Morning Sky
A cloudless eastern horizon sky is required. Though it is still winter in mid-February, 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.
January brings out the full Winter Hexagon. The six bright stars of winter are Rigel in Orion, Sirius in Canis Major, Procyon in Canis Minor, Pollux in Gemini, Capella in Auriga, and Aldebaran in Taurus. Mars is about at its brightest; a good time to view it in your telescope. It is rising just above the Beehive cluster (M44) in the constellation of Cancer. Mars is just below the bright star Pollux in the constellation of Gemini.
Adding “I’m healthy, but don’t want you to risk it” will perhaps take away some of the sting. If all else fails, carrying hand sanitizer with you and discreetly applying it after handshakes may be a short-term solution.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Should pie a la mode be served on a plate with a fork, or in a bowl with a spoon?
I am always frustrated when I am served a dessert topped with a scoop of ice cream on a flat plate with a fork. The ice cream invariably melts and is impossible to eat, especially if the pie is warm!
When I suggest that it should be served in a bowl with a spoon, I am told that is not how pie should be served. What says Miss Manners?
GENTLE READER: That the fork and spoon are not like a couple who had a nasty divorce and are forcing their friends to choose between them. Rather, they are like a couple who should be invited together, unless there is an obvious reason to ask only one of them.
Pacific Standard Time
MOON PHASES:
Full: Mon., Jan. 13th
Last Quarter: Tues., Jan 21st
New Moon: Wed., Jan. 29th
First Quarter: Wed., Feb 5th
Full: Wed., Feb. 12th
END OF TWILIGHT:
When the brightest stars start to come out. Allow about an hour more to see a lot of stars.
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.
For people, such an occasion might be a ladies’ spa day, where the husband would not be invited. In the case of flatware, the analogous dish might be ice cream alone, where the fork would be superfluous. (Miss Manners will refrain from the case of ice cream forks, because she hasn’t seen a lot of them around lately.) So both fork and spoon should be provided when the dessert has both gooey and dry elements. They may be used separately or together, with the fork in the left hand and the spoon in the right. You might want to eat the ice cream before it collapses, because you should, indeed, use a plate for pie -- to avoid squishing it into a bowl.
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.
by Marc Roland
Marc’s picks for 2025
Washington wines make great wine collection starters
This year you don’t have to go far to procure world class wines. In fact, Washington State has an array of wines that have reached icon status and more are being added every year. If you are inclined to start a wine collection, you couldn’t do better then seeking out bottles from the following wineries. They will set you back a few bucks, but not as much as those in neighboring Oregon or California.
We are blessed to live in the state that is the second-largest producer of wine in America. To visit the wineries mentioned here you will have to make a trip to Walla Walla or Woodinville. However many of the wines can be purchased online or at a good wine shop in Vancouver, or maybe at Costco if you’re lucky. Most will run about $40-$100 a bottle. Most of these wines will age and get better after a few years. Every wine lover needs a few classic Washington wines to share with visitors to our state. January is a good time to check out wine shops like Total Wines and see what gems you can find. Be aware that many tasting rooms are closed during the winter months so call before heading out. Here are my picks:
1. Cayuse Vineyards (Walla Walla)— Known for biodynamic practices and Rhône-style wines. Their Syrah and Grenache wines are highly sought after.
2. Quilceda Creek (Snohomish)—Famous for their Cabernet Sauvignon, which has received multiple 100-point scores from critics like Robert Parker. Recognized as one of the premier Cabernet producers in the U.S.
3. Leonetti Cellar (Walla Walla)— Washington’s first commercial winery, established in 1977. Produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
4. DeLille Cellars (Woodinville)—Known for Bordeaux-style blends. Consistently earns high ratings for its Chaleur Estate red blend and D2 blends.
5. K Vintners (Walla Walla)—Founded by Charles Smith, known for bold, expressive Syrah and Cabernet wines. Their single-vineyard wines often receive high critical acclaim.
6. Château Ste. Michelle (Woodinville)—Washington’s largest and most iconic winery. Renowned for their Rieslings and collaborations with esteemed winemakers like Ernst Loosen for Eroica.
7. Woodward Canyon (Walla Walla)—One of the state’s founding wineries, known for consistently producing elegant Cabernet Sauvignon.
8. Betz Family Winery (Woodinville)—Specializes in Bordeaux and Rhône-inspired wines. Known for meticulous winemaking and rich, age-worthy wines.
9. Gramercy Cellars (Walla Walla)—Focused on Rhône and Bordeaux varietals with a minimalist winemaking approach. Esteemed for balance, complexity, and elegance.
10. Long Shadows Vintners (Walla Walla)—Unique concept featuring collaborations with international winemaking legends. Wines like Pedestal (Merlot) and Pirouette (Bordeaux blend) are exceptional.
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.
NOTES FROM MY LIVES
Mby Andre Stepankowsky
My heart is willing... But are my aching knees up to this alpine hike?
y time, and luck, are running out.
For more than a decade, my buddy Bob Grant and I have wanted to hike through the Enchantments, a jagged mountain range that is part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in North Central Washington.
The Enchantments are well named. The range is known for its pristine lakes, glacially polished granite peaks, abundant wildflowers and, in the fall, for the blazing yellow needles of its Larch trees. It is indeed among the most gorgeous wild areas in the nation.
It’s also one of those beauteous natural areas that’s being loved to death. And so there’s a lottery permit system, to limit use.
However, you’d think that Bob and I have a better chance of winning a megamillion drawing than landing a permit for overnight camping in the Enchantments. Our repeated annual applications have failed for more than a decade, and now my biological clock is ticking.
Judging from photos and other sources, the Enchantments are as grueling to hike as they area exhilerating and sublime to experience. You can hike the entire 20-mile route in a day without a permit, but that’s a challenge involving more than a mile of elevation gain and nearly 7,000 feet of elevation decline over rugged trails. I ache just thinking about it.
I’ve always followed the mantra that wilderness walks should pack moments into miles, not miles into moments. Why rush over beautiful places? That’s the bane of nature appreciation and tourism in general.
So a permit for an overnight stay to break up the exertion into two or three days is absolutely essential to experience the Enchantments well. But as I said, time is running out. At 69, I have plenty of energy, but my knees may not be able to take the pounding of this alpine trek.
If a permit doesn’t come through this year, I may have to settle for a shorter day hike in the area.
Settling for something less, though, irks me, as much as I know it is part of aging. Life eventually takes away more than it gives, but when is it time to back off?
When will a compromised sense of balance keep me from cleaning out my own gutters? When will arthritis make it too painful and difficult to play the piano, something I’ve done all my life? When will I no longer have the energy, the passion, and the insight needed to write? And, a question that haunts me, how long will my wife and I be able to continue caring for our autistic son?
So, you see, whether I get to hike the Enchantments has become part of a larger concern about aging gracefully — but not to capitulate too soon to the accumulation of aches and years.
I sure hope that Bob and I get that permit for the Enchantments this year.
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.
reetings, CRR Readers. While having fun here in Portugal, I thought about you all when I read a concerning FBI alert and have seen many of the specific dangers in AI, first hand.
I don’t want to make everyone fearful and paranoid on a daily basis, but this is becoming a serious risk, and we all need to take precautions and stay skeptical. I’ve read news stories using even primitive versions of the technology to scam Americans out of their life savings!
Checklist to Remember:
1 No matter who is calling / messaging you, if they ask for private information or money, be suspicious
2 You’ll have hopefully set up in person with family, a code word to say
in conversation to prove it is the real person OR you can ask them a question about the distant past that only they would know and can’t easily be looked up online.
3 If they don’t say the code or can’t answer the question, be suspicious and make an excuse to get off the phone
4 Try immediately calling the person back using their official number, not the call back button, to see if it was really them who was calling.
5 If you think it was a scam, or if you got scammed and didn’t realize until later, report it (see below). For any information that you gave, like a credit card number, call your bank and tell them so you’ll get new cards and watch your statement to report fraudulent charges
cont page 13
The most important takeaways are to consider all media as entertainment, and not believe it without very strong evidence across multiple sources, including waiting several days on especially unsettling events, to see where the dust settles as news comes out.
Our normal daily kindness and trust will be taken advantage of. We need to protect loved ones from themselves. Help elderly or forgetful family, or anyone with lower technology skills — to get set up with a lifestyle preventing them from getting scammed. This might include taking away their traditional phones, computers and digital devices and replacing everything with very limited, possibly parental control devices, where through an encrypted app like Signal, they can only contact preloaded people, call 911, and specific trusted apps for news and Internet usage.
While not existing yet, a new security and trust standard will, I believe, be created within 5-10 years, possibly using Bitcoin blockchain technology or similar, combined with your own AI assistant, to at least tell you the likelihood of something being fake and what you can do to authenticate it. Until then though, we have to be hyper vigilant.
Meet in person with your closest friends and family, devices all left in a pile far away (or discussed over an encrypted call like through Signal, on a brand new or factory reset device when in doubt). Agree to a secret password, like a somewhat rare word, to say over phone conversations in cases where family might call saying they’ve been kidnapped and need $200,000 in cash within 24 hours or they’ll be executed! Because such a panic-inducing call can now be easily faked!
Or, for example, a somewhat mundane call from your brother, mentioning
something from a recently hacked email back-and-forth, that there’s an alteration in the business deal and you need to wire the money to this new account.
The code word should be something like a nonexistent pet, that is not easy to guess and not present on any of your accounts, birthdays, important lifetime addresses, phone numbers, codes, or anything like that.
If you suspect you’ve been scammed in this type of AI phone call, after calling the same person to try to verify if they really did call you or not, you can report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Audio
For several years now, the phone system has been basically broken for security. And now with AI, it’s on the next level with voice cloning of loved ones. It has already been the case that hackers can spoof phone numbers. This means that if they know your address book, obtained through various account hack methods, they can fraudulently make a call matching the number of your mother, son or cousin. They’d need an audio source, but privacy is bad these days and most people have digital record of them speaking in some place or another, whether they were a public figure, in a radio ad or did Youtube videos. So the phone will display ‘’Mom, Dad, Sister,’’ etc when the phone rings, just like you’re used to, lowering your guard.
Something as simple as a hacker recording your voicemail voice greeting, which is public, can be enough to clone your voice! The latest AI models, as they are called, are capable of a clone with only 1 to 10 seconds of audio! The older models a few years ago needed hours and hours of source material, limiting this to celebrities.
While digital messaging apps like Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger or maybe the best for privacy is Signal, are a
cont page 24
New providers join Longview Orthopedic group
Hand specialist Tiffany Liu md, and Herbert Mao do, have joined the staff at Longview Orthopedic Associates and are now seeing patients. Bill Turner md, managing partner at LOA, attributed the hires to “an increase in overall patient volume and our growing reputation for expertise in hand surgery and joint replacement.”
Dr. Tiffany Liu
Dr. Liu earned her undergraduate degree cum laude from Princeton University and attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. She then completed her orthopedic surgery residency at the University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. Liu completed her hand and upper extremity fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, where she trained with national leaders in hand, wrist, and elbow surgery.
She has authored peer-reviewed publications and book chapters that have been published in the Journal of Hand Surgery, the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research. Dr. Liu will provide 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 was attracted to the local area by the people and the community. “Also, I was impressed by how much the surgeons and staff at Longview Ortho care about their patients and each other.”
Dr. Herbert Mao earned his Bachelor of Science degree at the top of his class in kinesiology at California State University, Long Beach. His interests in studying biomechanics, exercise physiology, and rehabilitation motivated 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, Dr. Mao 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 during medical school led him to complete orthopedic surgery training at Valley Orthopedic Surgery Residency in Modesto, California. He continued to conduct research and publish articles in The Journal of Orthopedic Experience & Innovation that investigated the regions of the country and identified those in need of orthopedic care.
His interest in total joint replacement led him to complete a manuscript that focused on using modular hip components to better restore patient anatomy. He has furthered his interest and expertise in anterior hip replacement by regularly attending conferences hosted by the AAHKS, AAOS, IMAC.
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.”
Biz Buzz
What’s Happening Around the River
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
Restored Lelooska totem poles returning to Port of Kalama waterfront
After a years-long restoration process, the Port of Kalama will reinstall two of its renowned totem poles to its waterfront this spring. The largest of the two (at 65 feet), stood proudly for nearly 50 years before weathering and decay forced its removal in 2019. The smaller pole, the 30-foot Lelooska campfire totem pole, stood in downtown Longview for decades before it was donated to the Port of Kalama in 2020 for restoration and display. Both totem poles (along with three others) were originally created as commissioned art pieces in the late 1960’s by Chief Don Lelooska, who’s descendants—including his brother Chief Tsungani—have spent the last several years working to restore in partnership with the Port of Kalama. The returning totem poles follow the restoration of the largest of the five, the monumental 140-foot Lelooska
Totem Pole, which was hung inside the Port’s Mountain Timber Market in 2023. Once the two restored poles have been reinstalled later this spring, the remaining two will be transported to the Lelooska Foundation and Cultural Center (in Ariel, Washington) for similar restoration work, which is due to wrap up in 2026.
Dr. Herbert Mao
Chief Tsungani (right), brother of original carver Chief Lelooska, oversees restoration work of the 65-foot totem pole.
Photo courtesy of the LeLooska foundation and cuLturaL center
Port of Kalama news brief provided by Dan Polacek, Port of Kalama Legislative / Public Relations Administrator.
Americans to spend $12 billion less on gasoline in 2025 than 2024
I
n its 2025 Fuel Price Outlook, GasBuddy is forecasting a third consecutive year of lower gas and diesel prices. The outlook highlights key trends in gasoline and diesel prices utilizing specific inputs, potential impacts on production, supply and demand changes and a change in leadership in Washington, D.C..
The national average for gasoline in 2025 is projected to decline to $3.22 per gallon, down from $3.33 in 2024 and significantly below the record highs of 2022. This decline represents continued relief for American drivers, but comes amid emerging uncertainties surrounding geopolitical tensions, potential tariffs and a change in energy policies that add risk to the forecast.
Report Highlights:
•Lowest Monthly Average in December: The national average price of gasoline is expected to hit its lowest point in December, averaging $2.89 per gallon for the month.
•Springtime Spike: Gas prices could peak in April at a monthly average of $3.53 per gallon, while the daily average could top out as high as $3.67 per gallon, driven by seasonal increases in demand and the change to summer gasoline that occurs coast to coast at a varied pace.
•Regional Variations: Most major U.S. cities will see peak gas prices around $4 per gallon, West Coast cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco could return to the mid-$5 per gallon range due to high fuel taxes, unique fuel requirements and other state mandates.
•Lower Consumer Spending: Americans are expected to spend a combined $410.8 billion on gasoline in 2025, an 8% decrease from 2024’s estimated $423.1 billion.
“While declining fuel prices in 2025 will provide welcome relief to American drivers and businesses, emerging risks could lead to increased volatility,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Geopolitical
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uncertainties, potential disruptions from extreme weather, and policy shifts under the new administration could create challenges for fuel markets. But expanding global refining capacity and moderating demand are expected to support lower prices for most of the year.”
Diesel prices are also forecast to decline in 2025, with a projected yearly national average of $3.48 per gallon. This reduction will benefit industries dependent on diesel, such as freight and agriculture, offering some respite from recent cost pressures.
Call before you go ! Wills are critical to protect minor children (and PETS!)
Source: GasBuddy, a technology company headquartered in Dallas that offers mobile apps and websites for tracking crowd-sourced locations and prices of gas stations and convenience stores in the U.S. and Canada.
RMUSEUM MAGIC
By Joseph Govednik, Director, Cowlitz County Historical Museum
Gem of Grays Harbor
ecently, I visited the Polson Museum in Hoquiam, Washington, for a research project. Situated on two acres of parkland, the Polson Museum lies along the banks of the historic Hoquiam River.
The museum is housed in Arnold and Priscilla Polson’s 6,500-square foot mansion built in 1924. Boasting 26 rooms (of which 17 are dedicated to exhibit space), the mansion includes four fireplaces and six bathrooms. In 1976 the mansion was gifted to the City of Hoquiam and converted to a museum devoted to the history of Grays Harbor County.
POLSON MUSEUM
The museum holds extensive collections of Grays Harbor history interpreted through exhibits, and if you wish to dive deeper, the research library and archives.
The richness of Grays Harbor’s timber industry and maritime trade are deeply represented in new exhibits opened since the complete interior restoration of the mansion during the pandemic. A permanent exhibit on logging
and sawmilling history includes a meticulously-detailed 160-square-foot HO scale logging railroad and the just-opened “Maritime Grays Harbor” showcases artifacts related to the Harbor’s once thriving shipbuilding industry.
The museum’s executive director, John Larson (pictured below), has worked at the Polson for 28 years and has spent countless hours making improvements to the museum and surrounding structures during his tenure.
“The Polson is such a gem for Grays Harbor,” Larson said, “and we pride ourselves in the preservation, presentation and promotion of this county’s history. From the 45-ton Polson Logging Co. locomotive in our Railroad Camp to the intricate doll house furniture in our mansion’s master suite, there is something for everyone to enjoy at the Polson.”
Stepping into the Polson is an enriching experience where visitors learn about Grays Harbor history surrounded in a building saturated with its own history, all testament to an era when timber was king in Western Washington. To learn more about the Polson Museum and its hours of operation, please visit www. polsonmuseum.org or call 360533-5862. Admission is $5 for adults.
30, St. Helens, OR • 503-397-0685
• Seaside, OR 989 Broadway, 503-738-3097; 888-306-2326
I seek out inspired people doing great things in cool places. I take pictures, listen, and write it all up in a monthly feature called “People+Place.”
Our list is diverse. We choose subjectively. We seek out people you can meet, places you can visit, not just interesting in their own right, but of interest to you, our readers.
These were our 2024 subjects:
Orthopedic surgeon
Salmon habitat restorer
Tugboat crew
Artist autobiographer
Family homecoming
Sustainable sawmilling Columbia Theatre
Paved hiking trails
Kalama boomtown
Fish hatcheries
Jazz drummer
We recognized several trends in these photo shoots and conversations:
We’re in a relationship age Services dominate products, people skills are paramount. Markets are tight for goods, more flexible for services.
Generations are co-mingling.
More and more families are living together inter-generationally. Seniors are not forced into retirement. Kids are more mature, elders more youthful.
Health is as much mental as physical Wellness and prevention now dominate the health conversation. Depression, addiction, anxiety, obesity are now recognized as major addressable health problems.
We’re walking not just talking. Quietly, a lot of the idealistic talk of past decades is translating itself into real results and positive outcomes — in the environment, in business, in social progress, in community action, in innovation and invention.
Communities are winning.
Despite our pre-occupation with sensational national news, smaller communities are thriving, empowered, working together, realizing and appreciating their own quality of life.
2025 is here. Be of good cheer!
people+place
Fit Forever: Greg Price More
than pumping iron
Greg Price
It’s pretty clear the old tag “gym rat” may have gone the way of the buggy whip and the clunky mobile phone, at least if this particular rat’s nest is any example.
At Forever Fit in Longview the lights are bright, the giant machines gleam like movie Transformers, the juice bar is state of the art, balloons hang in wait for an upcoming party, and none of the cast of characters — of all ages, shapes, and sizes — bears much resemblance to that endangered species Gymnicus Rodentia.
“We’re actually one of the longest-lived businesses in KelsoLongview,” said owner Greg Price.
“We started in 1992 and are still at it.”
Pretty impressive for an avocation that — like dieting and New Year’s resolutions — would seem maddeningly susceptible to fits and starts, inertia, failed intentions, mood swings, and plain old-fashioned laziness.
I told Greg I didn’t expect to begin our conversation talking so much about eating habits.
MY GOAL IS ‘HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I HELP TODAY?’
“We really have to work on the whole person,” said Greg. “The commitment level isn’t as high as it used to be — people have such busy lives — and they need more than just machines.”
The whole person
Visiting Greg Price involves more than simply walking through the mechanics of weightlifting and exercise routines. The actual workouts themselves seem to be left mostly to the individual, with personal training and coaching available, customizing their own program as they see fit.
The emphasis instead is on today’s more holistic vision of improving both our physical and mental health, together. Call it fitness or wellness, the “whole person” approach attends not simply to building biceps and quads but also to feeling, looking and even behaving better.
“Fitness begins before people even get here, and after they leave.” said Greg. “Even figuring out what I want to eat at what time of day.”
“It’s a huge factor today. Drive around and there’s nothing but fast food, very few regular restaurants,” he said. “People grab what’s quick and convenient, and it’s not doing them any good nutritionally. A lot of what we do is just trying to get people to eat less of the bad stuff.”
You’ve got to create the right expectations, and adjust them, he said, avoiding the “fit or quit” syndrome. “People say, ‘I want to get this result’ but they’re eating out and drinking beer every night. That just doesn’t work as a long-term strategy, and it’s going to fail.”
The whole person approach extends beyond nutrition, too: medical rehabilitation, improved family dynamics, better mental health, even pathways from addiction to recovery.
And that juice bar serves no-sugar-added protein drinks, not high-fat snacks, by the way.
Greg Price’s Forever Fit promotes fitness for everyone — all ages, shapes and sizes — and is noted as especially family-friendly.
Changing workplaces, changing homeplaces
Changes at Forever Fit mirror those in the society at large: More families are working out together, as busy schedules and child care pressures make that easier. There is more age disparity, including many seniors taking advantage of Medicare benefits and physicians’ recommendations. And the gym is now open 24/7, to reflect the busier lives and flexible working hours of many members.
“Jobs have changed,” said Greg. “For one thing they’re a lot less physical than they used to be.”
“People were in better shape and were more aware of their bodies.” Our work lives have become more sedentary, our muscles used less, and overeating and obesity are a growing epidemic.
“People used to be at a certain physical level just to do their jobs,” he said, “like pulling the green chain at the sawmill.”
Our home and school lives are often less physical, too. “We’re the only gym that allows kids,” said Greg. “And we encourage all age groups. There’s a lot of kids lacking exercise. They used to have recess, PE. I’ll
resident David
a
wager you there was less attention deficit and such, just because they got a lot more exercise. Mental health just doesn’t develop as much if physical health doesn’t develop, too.”
Small successes, big results
There’s a tangible camaraderie and closeness among gym members. Greg says he sees it every day — people of all ages working out not just for pleasure and fun, but to relieve the effects of stress, anxiety and depression.
“You get a lot of small successes here,” said Greg. “When you finish something, accomplish something, you get an endorphin release. The brain works that way. Lifting weights, yoga, the runner’s high — those are all endorphins, your natural chemicals, the good stuff released.”
Lest I portray him as too much guru, too little power lifter, I ask Greg to do a few sets of presses for the camera. “We work out almost every night, around 2:30 in the morning, said Forever Fit Nutrition’s juice bar manager Brandon Martin. “Greg and me and two other guys. We call ourselves the Fabulous Four.”
The Lower Columbia College Foundation's mission is to provide financial support where public funds are insufficient and to gather support for enhancing educational opportunities at Lower Columbia College. The Foundation was formed in 1976 with the help of Phillip and Jeanne Wertheimer. The mission as a college foundation remains the same today as it did 40-plus years ago by providing Avenues for Excellence in Education.
The Evans Kelly Family One Of LOngview’s piOneer famiLies.
Cierra Johnson, 20, does sets of elevated squats. She joined the National Guard two years ago and works out regularly to excel in fitness tests and exams.
Ryder Emmons, 19, of Rainier, Oregon, has worked out “pretty much every day,” in the last four or five years
Longview
Jones,
selfdescribed “former gym rat,” at age 42 still comes to the gym at least twice a week.
It’s about the only time the busy owner / manager / coach / nutrition guru has free.
“We opened in January 1992. I had about five bucks in my pocket,” said Greg. “You have to work a lot of hours, no matter what business you’re in.”
Greg had started lifting weights when he was 11, born and raised in Clatskanie, Oregon. After moving to Longview, he found himself frequently riding his
Brandon Martin serves up colorful concoctions under the “Tastes good, good for ya’” philosophy. “A lot of people don’t get enough protein,” added Greg Price.
Brandon (above, left) and customer Seth Sternagel enjoy juice bar favorites. Forever Fit is working up a complete nutrition component coming soon, including meal plans and shopping lists.
bike by an old car dealership near Longview’s Civic Circle, and early on, imagined it as a home for his dream, his own gym.
“It’s really become like a big family,” he said. “Most of them know each other by name. I have some people that started with me in 1992 and are still working out!”
The wellness prescription
Some things remain the same: the clank of the weights dropping, the booming metal music, the mirrored muscles, the concentrated effort and energy.
Some things are different, and will continue to evolve: a new remodel, new incentive offers for membership, new relationships with other people and businesses invested in wellness, too.
FITNESS BEGINS BEFORE PEOPLE EVEN GET HERE
Weatherguard supports the FCA vision: To see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.
“We have nutrition software we’ve purchased that’s going to make a huge difference,” Greg told me. “We’ll be able to assist in meal planning, getting required vitamins, just eating better and with a purpose.”
Several local companies and organizations now pay for gym memberships for their employees: Study after study (mainly from insurance companies who know the value of every
Alexis Guerrero Moorilloin, 18, has been coming to the gym part-time for three years, but has amped up to daily workouts. It just feels better, she said, and she wants to look her best for her upcoming high school graduation.
Northwest hydropower produces no carbon emissions, thereby significantly reducing the total carbon footprint of the region’s energy production.
Peppermint Bark, Pink Terminator
from page 19
single dollar) show there are documented improvements in worker productivity through weight loss, lowered absenteeism, smoking cessation, and other benefits among people working out regularly.
“We’ve even started collaborating with physician groups,” said Greg “They’re prescribing fitness programs for cardio health and weight control. When people start working out they genuinely end up feeling better.”
Ultimately it seems Greg Price is presiding over an entire fitness ecosystem, not just pushing his weights around. “My goal is not
Henry Block, age 85, gets coaching and support from wife Victoria, 84. The Longview couple are among the gym’s biggest advocates, citing the friendliness and good fellowship among the members.
WE REALLY HAVE TO WORK ON THE WHOLE PERSON
‘How much money can I make today?’ It’s ‘How many people can I help today?’ he said. “Every day I want to give people a reason to join here and keep coming here.”
“Maybe you’re getting ready for the prom. Maybe you’re rehabbing an injury, or your doc put you onto us. Maybe your six year-old said, ‘Oh, wow, look at Dad’s stomach!’”
Interviews are edited for clarity and length.
Owner Greg Price spends most of his time helping members, but can be found grabbing his own workout around 2:30 in the morning. It’s about the only time the busy owner / manager / coach / nutrition guru has free.
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.
Joe Fischer
Where do you read THE READER?
On the Silk Road
Roman Fedorka of Kelso in Khiva, Uzbekistan at an ancient Silk Road oasis in the Kyzylkum Desert.
WHERE DO YOU READ THE READER?
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!
Enjoying a good
Fresh air of France Jan Everman and Mary Mitchell of Rainier, Oregon, at the rooftop lounge of their hotel in SaintMalo, France, following their river cruise along the Seine.
Nick Lemiere CFP®
Fish, cut bait...or read!
read while fishing with Dan O’Neil of Secret Cove Charters: Mike Murphy of Camino, California; Joe Murphy of Longview, Wash.; Ken Wiseman of Placerville, Calif.; Pat Murphy of Meridian, Idaho; Dan O’Neil of Petersburg, Alaska
Indoors with kids or grandkids and no special toys or equipment? What to do?
In the Pacific Northwest the winter season is often a restless and weary one, as a gray January stretches into a gray March with hardly a sliver of sunshine between. As a mom to two toddlers, I find this season to be the most difficult in parenthood. Trips to the park are rare and let’s face it, we spend most of our days indoors between the short days and sideways rain.
These rainy days can be a damper, but they don’t have to be! They can also be the perfect opportunity to slow down, get creative, and connect with little ones.
Keeping young ones entertained on rainy days can be challenging, but a little creativity goes a long way, so here are a few tried-and-true activities to beat their boredom and winter blues.
1. Build a blanket fort
Gather up your sheets, blankets, and pillows and arrange your furniture to create a cozy hideaway. To take the ambience up a level, hang up some string lights. Once everyone is huddled inside, you can take turns telling stories, looking at books, or even have a movie marathon. This rainy day activity has certainly stood the test of time and was certainly a delight for my kids.
2. Foraged art portraits
If you have a crafty kid, this one is for them! Simply print or draw a picture or hand a blank paper for your kids to fill in with foraged bits of leaves, buds, and twigs. I walked three steps out my door and found plenty of flora in varying shapes, shades, and textures to complete this activity and the foraging is half the fun, so feel free to involve the kids! After you have done your gathering, sort the leaves into separate piles, grab some glue, and scissors (optional). Then the real fun begins.
Rainy Daze
Let the kids start building their foraged masterpieces! Note: If it has rained recently, you may need to blot your leaves and buds dry before using any adhesive. We have found the best results with Mod Podge and liquid glue, though clear tape or stick glue, could work as well. (pictured, far right: my 4-year-old son’s art of an erupting volcano.) The beauty of this activity is that it can be replicated with practically anything. Think buttons, bits of fabric, ribbon, old magazines etc.
3. Paper and cardboard creations
Post holidays, many of us probably have a cardboard box or two lying around, and maybe some empty paper towel rolls. To kids, those things are a blank canvas! Hand them some markers, crayons (perhaps
even scissors if they’re older) and let them get to work. You can let their imaginations go, or you could offer ideas of a cardboard city, a boat, a puppet theatre. Even if you only have some empty wrapping paper tubes (like me) or an empty paper towel roll, those can instantly become telescopes, rockets or castle turrets. The possibilities are endless and that’s the beauty of this activity. You may even find time to sip that coffee before it gets cold! (Pictured above, right: my daughter decorating her paper roll “telescopes” with odds and ends and crayons).
4. Sock puppets and cardboard box theatre
Head to your sock drawer and source some sad, lonely unmatched socks needing a new life. If you have buttons, beads, and a needle and thread, it doesn’t take long to re-purpose the sock(s.) If you do not have any of these things, fret not, a marker could do the trick just as well. Create a few characters and then get to work on creating the theatre. If you have a large cardboard box, prop it up, cut out a large square, and sketch out a stage curtain on each side, fill in with red marker or paint. Let the kids take it from there, sit back and enjoy the play.
5. Listen to an audiobook together or have a movie marathon
There are winter days where we are down sick, or our own cups are running a bit empty, so this activity is about as low key as it gets. There are so many options now for audio stories, but your local library and digital library app will most likely have the widest variety of audiobooks for young listeners, and many music streaming services now offer educational podcasts, story time, and audiobooks for kids.
The cold, wet months can wear on our bodies and souls, but it can also be a time to teach our children it is okay to slow down and rest; it can be a time to show them that this season can be one of creating and connecting. Allow yourself to sink into a winter rhythm and remember spring isn’t all that far off.
Krysten Ralston is a freelance writer and poet based in Longview where she resides with her husband, Ryan, and their two (soon to be three) children. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her garden, thrifting at local shops, or exploring nature.
Story and photos by Krysten Ralston
Alaskan Halibut or Cod Fish ‘N’ Chips Award-Winning Clam Chowder Seafood, Burgers, Steaks & Pasta Beer, Wine, Spirits & Cocktails
Call ahead
360-414-3288
Dine-In, Drive Thru, or Delivery with Door Dash
360-431-6286 1110 Commerce Ave. Longview
Scams from page 13
step in the right direction with message encryption for safer private chats and calls vs. standard phone calling and messaging, they also have problems. Whatsapp, for example, saves audio files of voice notes in your phone directory, which is a popular way people communicate these days. This means anyone you’ve ever interacted with via voice note, has a digital file of your voice.
Video
Video calls of a loved one can also be faked, puppeteering their face with their own, just from a single photo and voice recording, but it’ll be more
convincing if the target has video of them online. News on social media of warfare, explosions, terrorism, etc., can be faked. While it is becoming very cool with normal untrained people now being able to create Hollywood-grade scenes to build their own movies and TV shows, it’s also very dangerous.
Perry Piper lives in Lisbon, Portugal, where he enjoys board games, technology, hiking, and socializing with his numerous “digital nomad” international friends. Once a regular CRR columnist, he still contributes occasionally and it is great to hear from him!
Diane Kenneway Escrow Closer / Assistant
Celinda Northrup Escrow Officer / LPO
Alison Peters Escrow Officer
Nearly
60 million Americans suffer from arthritis, and it isn’t simply an inconvenience. It is a painful, debilitating condition caused by joint inflammation that primarily affects the hands, lower back, knees, hips, feet, and neck.
If you have arthritis, consider having your condition assessed at Longview
Orthopedic Associates as the first step to regaining your mobility and quality of life. The LOA staff will determine what treatment is appropriate for your condition. One option may be a joint replacement procedure.
The American College of Rheumatology reports that 790,000 knee replacements
and 544,000 hip replacements are performed in the U.S. annually. These numbers continue to grow as the population ages. Total joint replacement is one of the safest and most reliable treatments in any area of medicine.
Call LOA today to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Kung, MD
Dr. Lauder, MD
Dr. Lin, MD
Dr. Turner, MD
Dr. McLeod, DPM
Dr. Liu, MD
Dr. Mao, DO
Clatskanie, Ore.
Fultano’s Pizza
770 E. Columbia River Hwy
Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more!
Dine-in,Take-out and Home Delivery. Visit Fultanos.com for streamlined menu. 503-728-2922
Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant
640 E. Columbia River Hwy
Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials. 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 24.
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 8
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 13.
Kalama, Wash.
LUCKMAN’S COFFEE Mountain Timber Market, Port of Kalama. Open 8am–7pm. 360-673-4586.See ad, pg 8.
Scappoose, Ore.
Fultano’s Pizza 51511 SE 2nd. Family style with
Warren, Ore.
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 28.
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 26.
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.
THE TIDEWATER REACH FIELD GUIDE
ROOTS Like river pilings and other man-made features, the natural flora of the lower Columbia have adapted remarkably to the extremes of tides, river flows, and weather. The Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge and other preserved portions of the river offer access to these rare environments, known as part of the “estuary eco-system.” Natural adaptations include vast swamps of Sitka Spruce which have flourished for centuries in the hybrid environment of fresh and salt water, high and low tides. Dense thickets of coast willow, Sitka willow, twinberry, and Nootka rose line the channels along with abundant sedges, wildflowers, and bulrushes.
WORDS AND WOOD
by Debby Neely
PACIFIC NORTHWEST WOODCUTS AND HAIKU
Moon sneaks up on sun
Slides across and darkens all Magpies fly to roost
Lesser Lives
Mostly, we tend to think of the big lives on the river — the ospreys and eagles, salmon and sturgeon, seals and sea lions and otters, and all of their ilk. But underlying, undergirding, underwriting all those grandees are the lesser lives, at least in matters of size.
The fry and the copepods, the worms and the gastropods, all the large legions of invertebrates, whose mass far exceeds that of all the migratory whales.
The surprise is how many of these little creatures are no more native in these waters than the Chinese cannery workers, Finnish loggers, or the name “Columbia” itself. Whether riding Japanese tsunami or some flag’s ballast, they hail from elsewhere, just as most of us surely do.
Have you seen the yellow mayflies, big as grasshoppers and sometimes as thick as locusts? Noted the serried drifts of shiny olive clamshells on some wake-whacked beach? Who knows whose bilge they came in on. But someone eats them all, in this great flowing chowder, this soup-bowl of a river, where we are the least life of all in the long run.
EMPIRE OF TREES
by Hal Calbom
AMERICA’S PLANNED CITY AND THE LAST FRONTIER
A January Disaster
Crowds gathered on New Year’s Day 1923 as the storm-swollen Cowlitz, running “savagely” in the words of one writer, hurled logs and debris against the (Allen Street) bridge supports. Two days later:
Suddenly a cable supporting the center of the bridge snapped. Those walking across who could escape ran frantically to safety….at least four cars backed off in time. The rest were not so lucky.
-- Virginia Urrutia, They Came to Six Rivers
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.
The scene was quickly one of panic. Screams of victims were heard two blocks away. The cars that fell sank quickly to the bottom, past the tangle of bridge cable and timbers, and it was never determined precisely how many lives were lost. The known count was 19.
--John M.
McClelland, Jr., R.A. Long’s Planned City
Poem by Robert Michael Pyle • Photograph by Judy VanderMaten • Field Note by Hal Calbom
By the Dark of the Moon
photo courtEsy of cowlitz couNty historical musEum
QUIPS & QUOTES
Selected by Debra Tweedy
The first fall of snow is not only an event, but it is a magical event.
--J.B. Priestley, English novelist and critic, 1894-1984
Medieval people never worried about being medieval, but modern people worry horribly about being modern.
--G. K. Chesterton, English author, philosopher and critic, 1874-1936
What men value in this world is not rights but privileges.
--H.L. Mencken, American journalist and writer, 1880-1956
Move or die is the language of our maker in the constitution of our bodies.
--John Adams, Founding Father and 2nd President of the U.S., 1735-1826
The house was very quiet, and the fog—we are in November now—pressed against the windows like an excluded ghost.
--E.M. Forster, English author, 1879-1970
I do an awful lot of thinking and dreaming about things in the past and future—the timelessness of the rocks and the hills—all the people who have existed there. I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape—the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show.
--Andrew Wyeth, American artist, 19172009
I know the look of an apple that is roasting and sizzling on the hearth on a winter’s evening, and I know the comfort that comes of eating it hot, along with some sugar and a drench of cream...I know how the nuts take in conjunction with winter apples, cider, and doughnuts make old people’s tales and old jokes sound fresh and crisp and enchanting.
--Mark Twain, American writer and humorist, 1835-1910
SWhat are you reading?
Sunset Bluff
by
Laurence Shames
by Tom Larsen
ummer is coming (eventually) and when it does, you’ll want to be ready with your summer reading list, the kind of books that you can read on the beach, on the water, or in the mountains. Books that are relaxing and fun to read. War and Peace? Not a summer book. The Key West Capers? Better than a summer book, an entire series of them.
I just finished reading Sunset Bluff, by Laurence Shames, the eighteenth book in the series. There are very few authors for whom I will go to the trouble of pre-ordering their books. Shames is one of the select few. His writing appears effortless, and his story lines are alternately hilarious and poignant.
A host of interesting characters appear sporadically throughout the series: Joey Goldman, the illegitimate son of a New York mafia boss. Pete Davidson, the reluctant private detective. Pineapple and Fred, two fixtures in town who have
Monthly feature coordinated by Alan Rose
taken up residence in an abandoned hot dog stand. Bert “The Shirt” D’Ambrosio is a ninety-plus-year-old retired mobster from Brooklyn. His nickname comes from the fact that he was once a snappy dresser. Bert still won’t leave the house without being properly decked out, but his clothes are now thirty years out of style. Bert’s constant companion is a wizened, perpetually constipated Chihuahua named Nacho.
One of the great things about this series is that you can read them in any order as they are all stand-alone stories, easy to read with simple plots and fun story lines.
Tom Larsen is the author of six novels in the crime genre. His short fiction has been published in “Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine”, “Mystery Tribune”, “Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine”, and “Black Cat Mystery Magazine.” Tom’s short story, “Pobre Maria”, was selected to appear in Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2023 from Mysterious Press.
the historic Castle Rock Bank Building 20 Cowlitz Street West Mon-Sat 8:30–5 • Sun 10–4 360-916-1377
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.
1.Orbital
Samantha Harvey, Grove Press, $17
2. Demon Copperhead
Barbara Kingsolver, Harper Perennial, $21.99
3. Fourth Wing
Rebecca Yarros, Entangled: Red Tower Books, $20.99
4. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Gabrielle Zevin, Vintage, $19
5. North Woods
Daniel Mason, Random House Trade Paperbacks, $18
6. A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19
7. The Berry Pickers
Amanda Peters, Catapult, $17.95
8. The Frozen River
Ariel Lawhon, Vintage, $18
9. The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman, Penguin, $18
10. Project Hail Mary Andy Weir, Ballantine, $20
Brought to you by Book Sense and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, for week ending Dec. 29, 2024, 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
PAPERBACK NON-FICTION
1. Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $20
2. The Backyard Bird Chronicles
Amy Tan, Knopf, $35
3. On Tyranny Timothy Snyder, Crown, $12
4. The Art Thief
Michael Finkel, Vintage, $18
5. A Fever in the Heartland
Timothy Egan, Penguin, $18
6. Trail of the Lost
Andrea Lankford, Grand Central Publishing, $19.99
7. The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine
Rashid Khalidi, Metropolitan Books, $19.99
8. All That the Rain Promises and More
David Arora, Ten Speed Press, $17.99
9. Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America
Heather Cox Richardson, Penguin, $18
10. Astoria: Astor and Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire
Peter Stark, Ecco, $19.99
1. James
Percival Everett, Doubleday, $28
2. Small Things Like These Claire Keegan, Grove Press, $20
3. Wind and Truth
Brandon Sanderson, Tor Books, $39.99
4. Intermezzo
Sally Rooney, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $29, 5. The City and Its Uncertain Walls
Haruki Murakami, Knopf, $35
6. The Grey Wolf Louise Penny, Minotaur Books, $30
7. The Women Kristin Hannah, St. Martin’s Press, $30
8. All Fours Miranda July, Riverhead Books, $29, 9780593190265
9. Playground Richard Powers, W. W. Norton & Company, $29.99
10. Tell Me Everything Elizabeth Strout, Random House, $30
1. The Serviceberry
Robin Wall Kimmerer, John Burgoyne (Illus.), Scribner, $20
2. The Message Ta-Nehisi Coates, One World, $30
3. Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir Ina Garten, Crown, $34
4. The Creative Act: A Way of Being Rick Rubin, Penguin Press, $32
5. Revenge of the Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell, Little, Brown and Company, $32
6. What I Ate in One Year: (And Related Thoughts)
Stanley Tucci, Gallery Books, $35
7. The Wide Wide Sea Hampton Sides, Doubleday, $35
8. Patriot: A Memoir
Alexei Navalny, Knopf, $35
9. Ottolenghi Comfort: A Cookbook
Yotam Ottolenghi, Ten Speed Press, $37.99
10. Nexus
Yuval Noah Harari, Random House, $35
Top 10 Bestsellers
1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Dr. Seuss, Random House Books for Young Readers, $19.99
2. Knight Owl and Early Bird Christopher Denise, Christy Ottaviano Books, $18.99
3. Santa’s First Christmas Mac Barnett, Sydney Smith (Illus.), Viking Books for Young Readers, $18.99
4. The Mitten Jan Brett, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, $9.99
5. Alice in a Winter Wonderland Jan Brett, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, $19.99
10. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen (Illus.), Candlewick, $18.99
BOOK REVIEW Bigfoot and his followers
By Alan Rose
IThe Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster
John O’Connor Sourcebooks
$26.99
n preparation for this month’s sQuatch Fest at the Cowlitz County Expo Center, you might bone up on the legend and lore of the big, hairy guy with this recent (2024) book by John O’Connor, which offers “the secret history” of Bigfoot — as against, what, the standard, well-known history? (One suspects the influence of a marketing department.)
O’Connor began by reading Robert Michael Pyle’s 1995 Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide, judging it “far and
away the most literate of the Bigfoot literature.” “It was the first book I’d read during my research, which was probably a mistake, as it seemed to have said it all.” (We’ll return to this point.)
O’Connor starts his own exploration by visiting the sage of Grays River, finding the good gray poet-naturalist to be a delightful, entertaining raconteur.
From Grays River, O’Connor begins a wide-ranging trek that takes him to Maine, Ohio, Kentucky, Louisiana, Florida, northern California, as well as familiar parts of the Pacific Northwest.
He recounts the first documented Bigfoot sighting, called “the Barrington Beast,” in colonial Massachusetts in 1765, and follows the many later sightings of “wild men,” including Native American legends of the mythical being. He revisits well-known accounts—Fred Beck’s tale of the creatures attacking a cabin-full of Skamania miners in 1924, and the famous Patterson/Gimlin film from 1967.
Alan’s haunting novel of the AIDS epidemic, As If Death Summoned, won the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award (LGBT category.) He can be reached at www.alan-rose.com.
Some Bigfooters, like devout Trumpists, hard-core wokesters, and religious fanatics, have a way of spinning belief into an ever-widening web that entangles and devours everything in its path. But we all do this on some level: bend reality to be what we want it to be. We interpret events based on our convictions rather than on evidence, leap from rational to nonrational assumptions when it suits us, especially when we’re protecting our pet ideas, and cling to false beliefs in the face of facts. Another way of putting it is our brains aren’t great at discerning the truth. They’re good at telling stories, stories that attempt to resolve or give context to our uncertainty, fear, and confusion, stories we want to believe are true.
From The Secret History of Bigfoot
His field notes go far afield, discussing delusions, mass hallucinations, the enduring attraction of pseudoscience, the flexibility, malleability, and fallibility of memory; cryptozoology (the study of legendary, unknown, or
1. Impossible Creatures Katherine Rundell, Ashley Mackenzie (Illus.), Knopf Books for Young Readers, $19.99
2. The Squad: A Graphic Novel Christina Soontornvat, Joanna Cacao (Illus.), Graphix, $12.99
3. Super Duper Extra Deluxe Essential Handbook (Pokémon) Scholastic, $16.99
4. Warriors Graphic Novel: The Prophecies Begin #1 Erin Hunter, Natalie Riess (Illus.), Sara Goetter (Illus.), HarperAlley, $15.99
5. The Bletchley Riddle
Ruta Sepetys, Steve Sheinkin, Viking Books for Young Readers, $18.99
6. The New Girl: A Graphic Novel Cassandra Calin, Graphix, $12.99
7. Hatchet Gary Paulsen, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $9.99
8. Greeking Out Heroes and Olympians Kenny Curtis, Jillian Hughes, National Geographic Kids,$19.99
9. The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young La- dies of Mad Science Kate McKinnon, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $17.99
10. Pax Sara Pennypacker, Jon Klassen (Illus.), Balzer + Bray, $10.99
extinct animals), as well as individuals like Peter Matthiessen, Henry David Thoreau, Thomas Merton, and Donald Trump (he’s not a fan), and devotes an entire chapter to the ivory-billed woodpecker (once thought extinct) that seems a long and puzzling detour.
As intriguing, colorful, and controversial as Bigfoot himself are the “Bigfooters,” who comprise a fascinating sub-culture of believers. He brings a skeptical, though generally open mind to the stories and the people who tell them.
Carl Sagan notably threw down the challenge that “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” Unfortunately, in our current age of alternative facts and FAKE NEWS, “evidence” is pretty much in the eye of the believer, or non-believer.
For a “secret history,” there is not much that’s new here, though O’Connor is an enjoyable and humorous companion. But if you’re going to read only one book on Sasquatch & Co., it’s still best to stay with Bob Pyle’s—at least until truly extraordinary evidence turns up.
Services
•
•
•
•
•
•
Where to find the new Reader
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:
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
cartooN by JoE fischEr
Welcome to Historic Downtown Longview!
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
Nice crinkly paper Hold it in your hands Never needs re-charging Doesn’t break if you drop it And it’s all local
Made with love
Thanks for reading
Teri’s
Broadway
Outings & Events
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 9863
Submission Deadlines
Events occurring:
Feb 15 – March 20 by Jan, 25 for Feb 15 issue
Mar15 – April 20 by Feb. 25 for March 15 issue.
Calendar submissions are considered for inclusion, subject to lead time, relevance to readers, and space limitations.
See Submission Guidelines above.
Friends of the Longview Library Pop-up Book Sale Friday, Jan 17 and Saturday, Jan. 18 from noon to 4pm in the Library Gallery, (1600 Louisiana St., Longview, Wash). The sale will consist exclusively of Specialty Books (priced as marked) and Gardening books ($2 each). Get ready to plant some seeds and show some leaves!
Car Seat Clinic Saturday, Jan 18, 10am to 12pm at Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue, 701 Vine St in Kelso. Qualifying participants will receive one free car seat per car/family.
1980 Census presented by Sara Cockran, genealogist/lecturer. Lower Columbia Genealogical Society Feb. 13, Zoom meeting. Virtual doors open 6:30pm, program 7pm. Public invited. For a link to join meeting: lcgsgen@yahoo.com
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.
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: 360-232-8522 or seniors98626@gmail.com
Quilt Show
Bethany Lutheran Church Fri-Sat, Feb. 7th & 8th, 10am–3pm
Quilt Raffle • Men’s Table Soups, Sandwiches, & Pie, Eat In or To Go Quilt Consignments, Arts & Crafts Vendors ,
34721 Church Rd., Warren OR
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-broadwaygallery.com, at Broadway Gallery on Facebook, and broadway gallery longview on Instagram.
FEATURED ARTISTS
Jan Alan Brunk (paintings) Feb Scott McRae (paintings)
Chris, 503-888-7540
FIRST THURSDAY Feb 6• 5:30–7pm
Join us for Art , Live Music & Refreshments
January 14–25 Studio Clearance Sale
OPEN
Tues - Sat 11–4
Free Gift Wrap on request.
Find a unique gift! We have beautiful artisan cards, jewelry, books by local authors, wearable art, original paintings, pottery, sculpture, photographs and so much more.
watErcolorizEd skEtch by thE latE dEENa martiNsEN
Voted one of top 3 Galleries in SW Washington.
Storytellers invite slammers!
How to Slam: Do you love telling personal stories — or have you always wanted to tell one but didn’t know where to begin? Free workshop 10am to noon Saturday, Jan. 18, Stageworks Northwest Theatre annex, 1433 Commerce Ave., Longview. Storytellers DebZ Briske and Leslie Slape will coach the techniques of story slam. Info: columbia.storytellers@gmail.com
Seven Minute Story Slam: Tell us a story about an “Object of Desire.” The story must be true, on theme, must have stakes, and must be your story to tell. Plus, it must come in under the time limit. 7pm Saturday, Feb. 8, Stageworks Northwest Theatre, 1433 Commerce Ave., Longview. Admission by donation. Info: columbia.storytellers@gmail.com
Dementia Support Group to assist affected people in Cowlitz County and nearby areas meets Fridays, 1–3 pm., Catlin Center (Kelso Senior Center), 106 NE 8th Ave, Kelso, Wash. The group is sponsored by HOPE, a regional organization that serves Oregon and SW Washington, offering Support, Education, and Advocacy for the care partner and the individual living with dementia. (PLWD). For more info and details on resources, visit:hopedementiasupport.org. Or contact Debbie Docksteader: 360353-8253.
Performance at Birkenfeld Theatre, Clatskanie Cultural Center, Clatskanie, Ore.
Tickets / Info: www.clatskaniearts.org
in the spotlight
It’s not simply soul music. It’s head and heart and history music, too. The Soul of Broadway - Impossible Dreams is a powerful re-imagination and retelling, classical and modern, coming to town now. And this month it’s IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
by Hal Calbom
HEART AND SOUL
Terron Brooks brings Broadway to life in Longview
There’s still a brand called Broadway.
Despite all our streaming, spotifying, and 24/7 jangling jingles, the legacy, energy and extravagance of the great Broadway shows, and their music, remains with us.
“We don’t do a Broadway show,” Terron Brooks told me in a phone call from Las Vegas in early January. “Instead, we tell the stories, stories behind the great Broadway songs, and then we perform those songs, re-imagined.”
Terron’s show, “The Soul of Broadway – Impossible Dreams,” plays the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts Friday night, February 7th.
Brooks has outstanding credits as an actor and performer, and now brings his own arrangements and interpretations to the stage.
IF YOU GO
The Soul of Broadway Friday, Feb. 7 • 7:30pm Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts 1231 Vandercook Way, Longview
“I’m so thrilled to do my own show,” he said, “not sitting around and auditioning for parts. Everybody that leaves that theater is going to get something completely from my heart, and something they’ll remember.”
Hal Calbom is associate publisher with CRRPress, and produces CRR’s monthly “People+Place” feature, see page 27.
Based on our conversation, expect also a rich immersion in the history, culture and magic of Broadway. Brooks is a gifted communicator and apostle for his craft.
“I try to give context to these tunes,” he said. “You may have heard a song fifty times, but I think hearing my approach to it, the frame I can give it, will be completely unique.”
He grew up in Orange County, one of the few African Americans attending the prestigious Orange County School of the Arts. “I was the chocolate chip,” he said, laughing,
“Later, I was attending USC, and the chance came to go to New York and audition for the traveling company of ‘Grease,’ and I took it.”
He’s built an impressive resume with lead roles in “The Lion King” and “Hairspray,” among others, and starring as Eddie Kendrix in the NBC awardwinning mini-series “The Temptations.”
“I consider myself lucky to be so busy,” he concluded. “I think part of it is sharing with the audience, being transparent. I have the power not just to entertain, but to create a special, very human experience every night.”
courtEsy photo soulofbroadway com
You know, when I opened my laptop to write this column, the first thing I typed were the words, Spectator, January 2025. It’s almost a shock to think that we have lived to see the year 2025. I remember a time I was visiting my friend and neighbor Don Soderlund. We must have been 15 or 16 years old. It was a hot summer day. We were in his backyard, two houses down from our house on Pacific Way here in Longview. I don’t recall what brought up the subject, but we were discussing the probability that neither of us would live to see the year 2000. It seemed so darned far into the future. Sadly, Don passed away a year ago, but we both outlived our prediction.
I have a hunch that a fair number of our readers and friends are going to notice our son Perry has an article in this month’s paper. It’s a frequent occurrence that I’m asked what Perry is up to these days. Some are aware that he’s moved to Portugal, others are surprised to learn that he has.
Not only does he have a column about guarding yourself from scams
generated by the world of modern technology, but Sue’s Views on page 3 features a photo of herself and Perry in the company of two rather famous individuals. Perry is the one with the unique hair style.
And it’s interesting to note that Sue and I now live in the house that was previously owned by Dr. H. H. Minthorn and family. David Minthorn, his wife and their son, Matt, now live in the house that Don Soderlund grew up in.
What goes around...
I just had my 85th birthday. I honestly don’t know how that happened. It seems like a few years ago I was in my 20s, in college at the University of Washington, studying drama.
Had I been able to read into the future, I would have taken some courses in journalism. How was I to know that I’d one day be married to a publisher and beholden to her editor’s red pencil?
PLUGGED IN TO COWLITZ PUD
By Alice Dietz, Cowlitz PUD Communications / Public Relations Manager
GoForth Electric Carshare Program
You are invited to take advantage of a complimentary ride in the all-electric Chevy Bolt at 961 12th Ave (for first-time reservations only).
Advantages of driving electric:
•No need for gas stations
•Enhanced performance
•Cost-effective solution
•Beneficial for both the economy and the environment
Carshare reservations are available until March 31, 2025. Download the MDO Carshare app from Google Play or the App Store, or scan the QR code on the back cover of this month’s CRR to get started!
When registering, choose “Go Fourth” as your community and provide your payment card details. A one-time fee of $10 will apply but will be credited back to you as driving credit for your next trip. The trip costs are $5 per hour or $50 per day, plus $0.35 per mile after the first 150 miles.
For support, visit goforthcarshare. com or call
Elizabeth Marrs Branch Manager
Sandy Fromm Escrow Officer-LPO
Plugged in
Clean Your Filters
Start off fresh in January, with clean filters. What filters, you ask? Heat pump water heaters, ductless heat pumps, ducted heat pumps, and forced air furnaces all have filters that help protect the equipment from dust and gunk. If these filters get clogged, your equipment will stop working efficiently or stop working altogether.
Where to start
Set up a schedule or alarm to help you remember to clean and/or replace your filters. The table below can help you manage your filters:
Alice Dietz is Cowlitz PUD’s Communications /Public Relations Manager. Reach her at adietz@cowlitzpud.org, or 360-501-9146.
A Different Way of Seeing...
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
Mail Order Form CRRPress center pull-out section, this issue, pg 24. FREE local delivery
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
by Debby Neely
When registering, select “Go Fourth” as your community and enter your payment card info A onetime $10 fee will be charged but credited back as driving credit for your next trip Trip costs are $5/hour or $50/day, plus $0.35 per mile after 150 miles. For assistance, visit goforthcarshare.com or call 503.850.0007
