What really happened during those final wind-blown, rain-soaked thirty days of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s trek to the Pacific? Southwest Washington author and explorer Rex Ziak revolutionized historical scholarship by providing the answers: day by day and week by week.
Rex Ziak
$29.95
A true and accurate account of Lewis and Clark’s arrival at the Pacific Ocean, and their search for a winter camp along the lower Columbia River.
EYEWITNESS TO ASTORIA
Gabriel Franchére
$21.95
The newly edited and annotated by Rex Ziak version of Franchére’s 1820 journal, Narrative of a Voyage to the Northwest Coast of America in the Years 1811, 1812, 1813 and 1814, or The First American Settlement on the Pacific.
We’ll send your recipient a printed gift notification card.
In three editions:
• Boxed Signature Edition, with color $50
• Collectors Edition, with color $35
• Trade paperback B/W $25
• Audiobook $15 read by Hal Calbom (online only)
DISPATCHES FROM THE DISCOVERY TRAIL A Layman’s Lewis & Clark by Michael O. Perry. •BW Edition $35
Alongtime wish of mine for CRR has finally been fulfilled. Since the early days, I’ve always imagined a tugboat trip making a great story. But I never seemed to find the right connections to make it happen. Thanks to a tip from Dan Polacek at the Port of Kalama, however, and the generosity of Rob Rich of Shaver Marine, the tugboat adventure has finally occurred!
Join Hal Calbom in this month’s People+Place feature (page 19), aboard a small-but-mighty tugboat on the even mightier Columbia River. I tagged along and enjoyed the experience immensely. Rob is also a Woodland Port Commissioner with a wealth of insight and experience on everything to do with the river.
I was especially enchanted by the barking sea lions lounging on the dock in Rainier as we headed out (see photo), as if wishing us a good day. I must say I thought Hal was a tad mean in his story
Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper
Columnists and contributors:
Hal Calbom
Nancy Chennault
Alice Dietz
Joseph Govednik
Joanna & Tom Lee
Michael Perry
Ned Piper
Robert Michael Pyle
Marc Roland
Alan Rose
Greg Smith
Jeff Stookey
Debra Tweedy
Judy VanderMaten
Editorial/Proofreading Assistants: Merrilee Bauman, Michael Perry, Marilyn Perry, Tiffany Dickinson, Debra Tweedy
Advertising Manager: Ned Piper, 360-749-2632
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to refer to the sea lions as “obese.” I would say they are pleasantly plump. Or pudgy. And I think they’re cute, though I realize not everyone agrees.
Political ads
The 2024 political season is underway and you may notice our first political ad in this issue. I’d like to remind readers that while Columbia River Reader’s editorial content is strictly non-partisan, we do welcome and appreciate all kinds of ads. Ad revenue helps make it possible for us to continue providing CRR for free to the community. We encourage all readers to vote, and for all voters to become informed. The first step is to know who is running;
candidates’ ads give basic information for readers to consider and follow up on, in order to make a thoughtful choice. Political ads do not necessarily reflect my or CRR staff members’ preferences, views, or opinions, and should not be interpreted as implied endorsements by CRR.
Thanks for reading CRR, thanks for advertising (those who do), and thanks for voting when the time comes.
Columbia River Reader is published monthly, with 14,000 copies distributed in the Lower Columbia region. Entire contents copyrighted; No reproduction of any kind allowed without express written permission of Columbia River Reader, LLC. Opinions expressed herein, whether in editorial content or paid ad space, belong to the writers and advertisers and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Reader.
Submission guidelines: page 34.
General Ad info: page 9.
Ad Manager: Ned Piper 360-749-2632.
archive of past issues from 2013.
Garden ornamentals gone rogue I read the Shiny Geranium article in the May paper, I thought, “Surely, Ned is not alone in this experience.” Noxious weed control letters often surprise landowners, especially when some of those plants are former garden ornamentals.
The shiny geranium infestations have increased since last year and pose a significant threat to our environment. What’s more alarming is that it’s not our highest priority species.
We also diligently survey for class A noxious weeds like False Brome (a grass, yikes!), Milk Thistle, Eggleaf Spurge, and Giant Hogweed (toxic), which are not widely distributed and required for eradication by RCW 17.10.
We seek containment of common class B and C species like Tansy Ragwort, Poison Hemlock, Italian Arum, and Yellow Archangel. Sometimes, we stumble upon species new to our area,
like Hanging Sedge or Myrtle Spurge. Each species has its own unique weedy profile: threatening characteristics, identifiable features, and control strategies.
Our program notifies landowners when prioritized noxious weeds are found, it’s crucial that the landowner plays a role in preventing the spread of these noxious weeds. Their active participation is key to our success. To learn more, contact our office or check out the Washington noxious weed laws (17.10 RCW), they are a unique set of requirements aimed at protecting our agricultural and natural resources.
Jennifer Mendoza Cowlitz County Noxious Weed CoordinatorShe took a closer look
I’ve picked up the Reader before, but not really read it cover to cover. I got lots of neat information this time from the hike options, wild flower viewing, restaurant options, the Cowlitz osprey webcam and the “Where Do You Read the Reader?” photo op!
It’s a great paper! I’ve looked at lots of small community papers and I’m a former librarian so I read lots of stuff and I’m impressed with the quality of the layout, the articles, everything. It’s just pleasant to find that there’s still professionalism out there.
Sonja McCully Centralia, Wash Editor’s note: We appreciate the compliment! Watch for Sonja’s photo — reading CRR while celebrating her and husband Jim’s 37th anniversary — in the August issue.
Escorted by a colonial-themed color guard dispatched by the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution, on May 30th local citizens celebrated an epochal event in local history.
“It’s been 172 years since delegates to the Monticello Convention met near here and pledged themselves to creating a new territory, north of the Columbia,” said Cal Fowler, the ceremony’s co-presenter with Jackie Kelly Evans (pictured at left and below) “That territory eventually became our state of Washington.”
“Cal and I grew concerned about the state of the historical marker,” said Evans. “At one time I tested the wood and my finger went right through it — it was rotting away.” Out on walks together, she and Fowler developed a passion for preserving the historical marker on Olympia Way near the Longview Public Library. The two galvanized a host of volunteers to help refurbish the interpretative panels that commemorate the convention.
The interpretive marker has been refreshed and reinvigorated, the overhanging trees cut back to add light and a sense of space, the grounds replanted and landscaped.
By Hal Calbom
Several speakers and contributors reminded the crowd that there is more to Longview than just Longview, and of the extraordinary period from the 1840s to the 1920s that preceded and prepared the way for The Planned City and, indeed the growth of our entire region and State.
“We appreciate the craftsmanship and hard work that went into this restoration,” said Fowler, whose family owned the land that later became Lake Sacajawea. “We fully expect this to be here a hundred years from now.”
POLLUTION IN THE OCEAN
“It hurts animals and it’s hurting our Earth.”
Twenty-four of Kelso elementary schools’ highly capable (Hi-Cap) students, blending lofty ideas with practical problem solving, showed their work recently at the program’s ninth annual Hi-Cap EXPO.
Students chose their own topics for independent study, then created displays at the EXPO in the Kelso High School Library. They picked real-world problems and obviously have given real thought to their proposed solutions, said program coordinator Misa Reardon. “We want them to grapple, not just regurgitate things off Google,” she said, “and to think about it, not just pick a topic from a list.”
J’aime Graff and Misa Reardon coordinate the Hi-Cap programs at all elementary and secondary levels in the Kelso School District. Rather than pulling out “gifted” students and segregating them from their peers, their program “clusters” highly capable students within their home classrooms and augments their instruction with special projects.
Reardon’s colleague J’aime Graff added, “We want them to be critical thinkers and contributing members of society. That’s our goal.”
EXPO participants offered up more than the traditional science fair displays on tagboard. They proposed concrete steps to address their highlighted problems — from plastics in the ocean and the effect of pesticides on bees, to endangered species — and even supplied Frequently Asked Questions to stimulate engagement with the audience of parents and fellow students.
“This is such a great age to engage these students,” said Reardon. “They’re quite precocious. As they get past elementary school they can get more self-aware and self-conscious.”
“They’re on the cusp of a revolution with AI,” said Graff. The time for developing critical thinking for all students is now!
Roden (left) talks passionately about hunger and food insecurity as real and painful problems. Her proud mom Brittany Roden (above) has another daughter at the EXPO, Charlotte’s older sister Madeleine Roden, who spotlighted the declining numbers of bees.
Hi-Cap focuses on the “Five C’s” essential to student development in the upcoming age of proliferating information and artificial intelligence: 1. Critical Thinking — digging deeper
2. Creativity — putting imagination to work
3. Communication — listening and sharing 4. Collaboration — working well with others
5. Curiosity — energizing interest
ow would you convince 45 young men to join a two-year expedition into the unknown? The promise of free land and a paycheck made many men eager to sign up, but Lewis and Clark were concerned desertions might be a problem later, when the going got tough. As an extra perk, they took about 300 gallons of whiskey. By the time the “bar” ran dry a year later, the explorers would be too far from civilization for anyone to risk leaving.
Every night, each man got a gill (a quarter-pint) of whiskey — enough to ease the rigors of the day and, by today’s standards, make him legally drunk.
This is why they didn’t backpack
When the Corps of Discovery departed from the location of present-day St. Louis Gateway Arch, they were a party, but a sober one. The group left at 4 pm on May 14, 1804, “under a jentle brease” and progressed only four miles up the Missouri River that day. The 55-foot keelboat, carrying 12 tons of supplies and 25 men, could be rowed, sailed, pushed, or pulled. Two pirogues (flat-bottomed dugout canoes) and four horses carried the additional supplies.
While most men were members of the U.S. military, French Canadians were hired as interpreters and to help get the heavily-laden boats up the mighty Missouri. It is unknown exactly how many men began the journey.
This painting commemorates the two pirogues and 55-foot keelboat used by the Corps of Discovery, perhaps the best moment the keelboat ever enjoyed. It was a continuous source of blood, sweat and tears as the Expedition worked its way up the Missouri.
… disciplinary problems …
This is hard for us to comprehend today. But it reminds us this was a military expedition, which might have been key to their survival. I could see this happening once, but these same guys were court martialed again later for stealing whiskey and get lashed again. I mean, 50 lashes. And the Indians were appalled when they saw that. They just could not believe that anybody was that cruel.” “
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 has been expanded and published in a book. Details, page 2.
Captain Clark was in charge the first week, since Captain Lewis was still in St. Louis procuring supplies. In reality, “Captain” Clark was only a Lieutenant. The Army had refused to assign him the rank of Captain as Lewis had promised. So, for the entire journey, Lewis treated Clark as a coCaptain and the men never knew the difference.
Just three days into the journey, disciplinary problems arose. Three men sneaked away from camp to get some whiskey. When they returned, they were court martialed by a jury of their peers. One man received 50 lashes across his bare back with a cat-o’nine-tails. This punishment was harsh but not unusual. In the six months it took to reach North Dakota, five courts-martial would be held to hear nine cases involving six members of the crew.
The keelboat was so heavily loaded that it often became stuck on sandbars or snags, sometimes requiring the off-loading of enough supplies to refloat the boat. An event described in Clark’s May 24th journal entry was to be repeated many times:
“The swiftness of the Current wheeled the boat, Broke our Toe rope, and was nearly over Setting the boat, all hand Jumped out on the upper Side and bore on that Side until the Sand washed from under the boat…” Part of the problem was the way supplies were loaded: “The barge ran foul… several times on logs… this was ca[u]sed by her being too heavily laden in the stern.”
Not all of the men rode in boats; some walked along the riverbank and hunted for food. Records indicate they carried 30 tons of supplies, including a ton of whiskey and seven tons of parched corn, meal, flour, pork, and other food — enough to last just 45 days. Thus, hunting for bear, deer and birds was very important.
A week into the trip, they traded two quarts of whiskey to some Kickapoo Indians for a pheasant and four deer. By the middle of June, two-thirds of the men had scurvy. They were eating practically nothing but meat and no fresh fruit or vegetables. The men consumed up to ten pounds of meat per day just to resupply the calories burned.
In AprIl 2021 we Introduced A revIsed versIon of Michael Perry’s popular series which was 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. This month’s episode begins the series anew.
June 15, 2024 / Columbia River Reader
Lewis & Clark from page 5
The going was slow against the strong current in the lower Missouri, with progress averaging only about 1.5 miles per hour (a leisurely walking pace is 2mph). The work was extraordinarily hard: “I observe that the men Swet more than is common from Some cause, I think the Missouri’s Water is the principal Cause… the Sweet pores off the men in Streams…” A day spent walking along the river hunting was a welcome relief from the drudgery of rowing, poling, or pulling the boats upstream.
Food: A constant problem Days would pass without the hunters killing anything. But as they went upriver, they began to find different varieties of fruits and berries:
“a butifull bottom Plain of about 2000 acres covered with wild rye & Potatoes intermix’t with the grass… wild rice was plenty groeing on the bank of the River, Strawberyes…” and “The Praries Come within a Short distance of the river on each Side which Contains in addition to Plumbs Raspberries & vast quantities of wild apples… great numbs. of Deer are seen feeding on the young willows & earbage in the Banks and on the Sand bars in the river.”
As the Expedition progressed up the Missouri, they met several fur traders returning with a load of pelts. Whenever time allowed, they would stop to talk to boats coming downstream, hoping to learn more about what to expect upstream. Although they started out between 5–7am each morning, only 10–15 miles was covered each day. After a month, they had traveled only 250 miles. It rained much of the first month, leading to journal entries like “The Ticks & Musquetors are verry troublesome.” They purchased 300 pounds of buffalo grease (or bear lard?) and tallow from a French fur trader to be used as insect repellent.
On June 14, a crew member reported an amazing encounter that Clark recorded: “he heard in this Pond a Snake making goubleing noises like a turkey, he fired his gun & the noise was increased…& may be herd Several miles, This Snake is of emence size.” Maybe that man received an extra ration of whiskey the night before?
These displays are part of a permanent exhibit at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum at The Dalles, Oregon.
To emphasize the sheer weight and mass of the supplies carried when they embarked, a Bicentennial exhibit amassed canisters and cargo representing 33 tons. Above are replicas of 52 lead canisters, each containing four pounds of gun powder and eight pounds of lead, devised by Lewis. Once emptied, each canister was melted down to make lead bullets in a mold. In addition, 33 metal canisters were made to hold 193 pounds of “portable soup.”
By June 26, the Expedition had covered 400 miles, reaching what is now Kansas. On June 29, two more courts-martial were held. The previous night, the sentry in charge of guarding the whiskey helped himself to an extra ration (or two or three), resulting in his becoming very drunk. Another soldier came along and helped himself to the whiskey, too. These were the same men court martialed on May 17. The next morning, other crew members were very upset to learn what happened. After all, it was the crew’s whiskey that the two men had been drinking. The sentry was sentenced to 100 lashes and his cohort got 50, administered by their crew mates. As Clark wrote, “we have always found the men verry ready to punish Such crimes.”
William Clark’s spelling has amused and amazed people over the years. I didn’t go through and verify them all, but the story is that he spelled the word ‘mosquito” either 26 or 32 different ways during his journaling, and never got it right. It helps to remember they had no dictionaries on the trip. It’s amazing some of the spellings are as uniform as they are.”
On July 11, one of the two guards fell asleep on his post. This was one of the most serious offenses that could be committed, punishable by death. The poor soul may have preferred death; his sentence was 100 lashes — 25 lashes a day for each of the next four days. While it is hard to imagine such brutal punishment, it isn’t hard to imagine what might have happened if a roving band of Sioux had come upon the camp while the guard was asleep.
The crew celebrated Independence Day by firing the bow cannon on the keel boat in the morning and then “closed the [day] by a Discharge from our bow piece, an extra Gill of whiskey.”
We offer discounts from date of hire; 401K, PTO, Medical, Dental, Vision, Chiro with eligibility reqs
Next episode we will continue our trip up the Missouri River and learn of the only Corps of Discovery member to die on the Expedition.
By Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I have suffered from several years of infertility, and I am often asked why we don’t have children. As it’s none of their business, and for privacy reasons, I typically answer with, “Though it’s a desire, it has not come as easy for us as others.”
Whenever someone inquires further, I would like to know how to politely tell them it’s none of their business.
GENTLE READER: In polite language, “None of your business” is translated as “That is a personal matter.”
DEAR MISS MANNERS: When you are involved in a friendly, random conversation with a stranger while traveling, what is a polite way to end it?
I am a friendly person, and I have no problem with the stranger sitting next to me striking up a conversation — though I rarely initiate it. I’ve had some very interesting conversations in these circumstances, and on a couple of occasions, I’ve made a valuable contact or learned something new or useful. But after several hours, any conversation gets old. So how do I politely say, “I’m finished talking now”? (I don’t enjoy napping, except for overnight flights, so that’s not an option.)
GENTLE READER: Time was when you had to bring a book in order to say,
July/Aug • Tai Chi for
Tues and Thurs – 10
“Nice talking to you, but I’m going to catch up on my reading” or a briefcase for “... but I’d better get back to work.”
Now, Miss Manners notes, you have a device enabling you to say either one.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: When sleeping at someone else’s house, should one flush the toilet in the middle of the night? Does it matter if the bedroom doors are all closed or not? I sometimes have to go several times.
GENTLE READER: There is, no doubt, a long thought process there — thin walls, noise, light sleepers, a medical condition Miss Manners has not yet heard of, about which someone would like to enlighten her. But as we would all like to go back to sleep, she will hastily assure you that you may flush after each use.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have two amazing girls who are 4 years old and 18 months old. For the most part, they are really good eaters for me when we’re at home or at restaurants.
But I have found that when we’re at Nana and Papa’s house, they are pickier eaters — to the point that I have to feed them a second supper when we get home.
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Should I start bringing foods I know they’ll eat, just in case? I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but I also want my kids to eat well at other people’s houses. I am aware of the menu ahead of time, but it’s so hard to know when my kids are going to object to certain foods.
GENTLE READER: Which is why you should not encourage this.
Children’s tastes change all the time. Who is to say that they will not soon develop a taste for Nana’s kreplach or Papa’s liverwurst sandwiches?
If you have to feed them a few second suppers while they are young, Miss Manners suggests you do so. But as they get older, they may start to weigh the relative merits of trying something new versus being hungry.
Maybe they will never love organ meat, but the lesson to be polite and graciously accept what is being offered — or to politely decline — is far more important.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: For more than a decade, we had a close bunch of friends who socialized frequently. Then came Josh and Jenna’s horrid divorce. We all cut ties with Josh over his cruelty, and supported his shattered wife through cancer treatment. She beat the cancer, but then spiraled into mental instability — drinking, hospitalizations, etc. One couple in our group eventually ghosted Jenna, saying she was “high-maintenance, too much drama.” Slowly, others did the same.
We are the only ones of the group who still check in, take Jenna to lunch if she’s feeling up to it, bring groceries if she’s not, etc. We are not looking for a medal here; to us, it’s what friends do. But it incenses me when our other friends occasionally furrow a brow, put on a sad face and ask, “And how is Jenna doing?” I realize that snarling,
“Maybe you could call her and find out!”would be impolite. What could I say that would convey my annoyance with their performative “concern” about our mutual friend they abandoned — without being rude myself?
GENTLE READER: Say that you had lunch with her the other day and offer to share her contact information.
Miss Manners realizes that your neutral tone will only provide a measured level of revenge, but it will do so within polite bounds, and it will take all the fun out of their asking.
We were scheduled to have dinner with two friends at the tail end of a fun week — several days of entertainments, parties, drinking and late nights. When the day of our dinner date came up, my wife and I were so miserable that we had to cancel our dinner plans. Eating another bite of food was the last thing we wanted to — or could — do. We were burned out, and it was selfinflicted. We felt horrible for canceling on our friends, and we apologized profusely, but nothing prepared us for the onslaught of guilt and anger spewing from them, to the point that this might end our friendship. We’ve known them for more than 30 years, yet it turned on a dime.
My wife thinks I should have lied and told them we were sick, but instead I told them the truth. Now they feel like trash thrown out the window.
This happened more than a month ago and they are still very angry with us. I managed to have a chat with the husband the other day, and he expressed the bitterness and hurt they still feel.
We’ve apologized a half-dozen times, written notes, offered rain checks for dinner, basically done everything we can think of to make things right. Nothing is working.
ast of Hood River, Oregon, amid towering basalt columns and windswept plateaus lie the Mosier Twin Tunnels. Once a mere portion of that engineering feat colloquially known as the “Old Gorge Highway,” the Mosier Tunnels are now a motor vehicle-free portion of
the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. The Mosier Tunnels portion stretches 4.2 miles between the towns of Mosier and Hood River, Oregon.
As loyal readers of this publication likely know, this column’s husbandand-wife authors are the owners/
guardians/string cheese dispensers for two paw-dorable golden retrievers, Wilbur and Winston. On a gorgeous May morning, we took Wilbur and Winston for a jaunt at the Mosier Tunnels.
Sitting on the Oregon side of the Columbia River, we found the views reliably magnificent, although Wilbur and Winston’s opinions of our jaunt may vary. Our walk started from the eastern parking lot, nestled above an old quarry outside Mosier. The tunnels are about a mile away, up a paved gradient winding around basalt columns bordered by grassy plateaus bespeckled with wild sunflowers. As one approaches the tunnels, the Columbia River’s deep blue hue provides a grand juxtaposition against the rugged landscape.
An imposing cliff with a cavernous arch adorns the tunnel’s entrance, beckoning the passerby to enter. After a supposedly arduous onemile walk uphill, Wilbur and Winston were relieved to find shade in the tunnel.
Throughout the tunnels, lookout portals allow visitors to gaze outside
Black
Kids 12 and under
and
at the landscape. Drilled through more than 15 feet of solid basalt, these lookouts provide the visitor a real appreciation and admiration for the craftsmanship and sheer force required to build the tunnels. About halfway inside the easternmost tunnel a waist-high stone holds carvings from a group of trapped, snowbound motorists. These motorists took shelter for several days during the winter of 1921. See photo, bat right..
After walking the length of the tunnels, Wilbur and Winston staged a protest and refused to continue on. We turned around and stopped at a stunning overlook outside the tunnel’s eastern entrance, where Wilbur and Winston unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate being carried to the car. After meandering our way back, Wilbur and Winston were thoroughly hydrated and basked in air conditioning.
Next, we continued east on a drivable section of the Old Highway to Rowena Crest. This highway loop is famous in Pacific Northwest automobile commercials for hairpin turns, stunning views and, as we were fortunate to witness, fields of spring wildflowers in bloom.
Our last stop was the town of Hood River for a leisurely lunch break along the new waterfront area surrounding the Hood River Waterfront Park (Exit 63, towards the outflow of the Hood River into the Columbia). The Waterfront Park area boasts large open spaces with picnic tables,
food carts, restaurants with dog-friendly outdoor seating, and plenty of brew pubs offering a wide array of local and regional beers, ciders and distilled spirits.
At the (highly) dog-friendly Camp 1805, Wilbur and Winston were treated with multiple pitchers of ice water, fresh dog bowls, and unlimited attention from passersby. By the time our food arrived the pooches were passed out, allowing us to enjoy our cocktails for a few uninterrupted minutes.
River Reader
Gift Books Lewis & Clark, Longview’s Centennial, Columbia River poetry, art, history, see pg 2 Gift Subscriptions for yourself or a friend! Mon-Wed-Fri • 11am–3pm Other times by chance or
Outdoor Gallery Unique sculptures along the sidewalks of Downtown Longview, both sides of Commerce Ave.
Call leader to join outing or for more info. Nonmembers welcome. Driving distances are from Longview, Wash.
(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.)
June 19 - Wed
Summer Solstice Kalama Waterfront Park (E)
Drive 20 miles RT. Let’s celebrate the start of summer and the longest day of the year with a 3.5 mile walk through town and over the waterfront on a level and paved path along the Columbia River. Leader: Barbara R. 360- 431-1131
June 22 - Saturday Falls Creek (S)
Drive 204 miles RT. Hike 8.5 miles RT with 1100’ e.g. past Falls Creek Falls to scenic meadows. Leader: Bruce M. (360) 425-0256
June 26 - Wed Millersylvania State Park (E) Drive 120 miles RT. Hike 5 miles with little e.g. around the perimeter trail. Discover Pass needed for each vehicle. Leader: John R. 360-431-1122.
June 28 - Fri Dog Mountain (S)
Drive 120 miles RT. Hike 10 miles out and back with 1,714’ e.g. on the Boundary Trail up to the observatory. Great views of the Toutle River drainage on the north side of Mt. St. Helens. Leader: Bill D. 503-260-6712
June 29 - Sat Forest Park
Wildwood Trail to Nature Trail (M/S) Drive 100 miles RT to Portland. Hike 6 miles in Forest Park. Considered moderately challenging with 662’ e.g. Leader: John M. 360-508-0878.
July 12 - Fri Silver Star Mountain Leader: Bill D. (503) 260-6712
July 13 - Sat Lake Sacajawea (E) Walk 4 miles on flat ground around the whole lake or any portion for a shorter walk. **This walk is designed for super seniors and/or people with physical limitations at a slow pace.** Leader: Susan S. 360-430-9914
July 13 - Sat Observation Creek Leader: Dory N. 213-820-1014
July 19 - Friday Coyote Wall Leaders: John M. 360-508-0878, Mary Jane M. 360-430-9914
I hope you don’t get tired of seeing me throughout every issue. I’m trying to get a job as a CRR paperboy. She says I can’t carry enough in my briefcase to be cost-effective. I’m persisting.
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The Evening Sky
A clear sky is needed.
No planets in the evening sky at this time. Saturn returns to the night sky in late July. The Summer Triangle is back for the Summer. See Night Sky Spectacle (end next column) for more.
The Morning Sky
A cloudless eastern horizon sky is required. By 5am the planets Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn, the brightest visible ones, can be seen in the eastern sky. Jupiter will be lowest to the horizon with Saturn further to the south. The non naked eye planets of Uranus and Neptune will be visible with a telescope. Uranus will be between Jupiter and Mars, while Neptune will be between Mars and Saturn (closer to Saturn). Venus is on the other side of the Sun from us now.
Night Sky Spectacle
A clear sky is a must.
The three stars of the Summer Triangle are back in the evening sky, with Vega in Lyra, Altair in Aquila, and Deneb in the Swan Cygnus. The Summer Triangle contains some of the best telescopic objects: M57, the Ring Nebula in Lyra, and the double star Albireo at the head of Cygnus (an orange and blueish white pair of stars). At 26 light years away, Vega is an extremely bright star Magnitude of 0.0, the second star to come out in the early twilight of the evening. Altair is just a bit dimmer a magnitude +0.75; Deneb at 3,200 light years is at magnitude +1.25. Remember, the larger the number, the dimmer the star.
High in the eastern sky is the constellation Hercules with its star cluster M12, a very nice object in binoculars, beautiful in a telescope. Hopefully we will see the supernova in Corona Borealis soon so there will be another night sky spectacle to see.
May 18 – June 17, 2024
All times are Pacific Daylight Savings Time
MOON PHASES:
First Quarter: Fri., June 14th
Full: Fri., June 21st
Last Quarter: Fri., June 28th
New: Fri., July 5th
First Quarter: Sat., July 13
END OF TWILIGHT- when the brightest stars start to come out. It takes about another hour to see a lot of stars. It’s getting later and later to begin to see the stars; this is why Greg says he doesn’t like Daylight Savings Time.
Fri., June 21st, 9:45pm Fri., June 28th, 9:45pm Thurs., July 4th, 9:43pm Mon., July 15th, 9:34pm
I’m going to lead you to a new site in the sky. It is in the head of Draco the Dragon. It is a very northern constellation; you can see it all year long as the Draco constellation winds itself around the north star Polaris. The head of Draco is not far from Hercules and has a rhomboid shape with four stars. The star I want to share with you is called Nu Draconis. It is the faintest of the four. If you use your binoculars, you will see a pair of bright white stars, like a pair of eyes staring at you. These two stars orbit around a common point between them in a 44,000-year orbit, according to Astronomy Magazine (Wikipedia says 640-year orbit. I don’t know which to believe). They are located only 100 light years away. All four stars of Draco’s head are binary stars. Nu is the brightest pair and easiest to split. Draco is one of the original constellations from the Ptolemy Constellations of 2,000 years ago. Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter was named after this constellation.
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.
1425 Maple Street Longview, WA 98632
360.425.2950
www.cascade-title.com
Consistent, Courteous and Complete Title and Escrow Services
Support your local Businesses & Restaurants!
Hearing Life
945 Washington Way, Suite 111 Longview, WA 98632
360-425-7960
Longview Pioneer Lions P.O. Box 1102 Longview, WA 98632
360-636-1239
Quality Inn 723 7th Avenue Longview, WA 98632
360-414-1000
Mostly Moto 717 Vandercook Way, Suite 110 Kelso, WA 98626 360-682-1375
ServiceMaster by JTS 2305 Columbia Heights Longview, WA 98632
360-600-2324
Computer Link Northwest, LLC 1318 Commerce Ave. Longview, WA, 98632 360-795-5000
Lower Columbia Human Resource Management Association P.O. Box 812 Astoria, OR 97103 360-751-5092
July 19 5:30-8 pm – Island Bingo AWPPW Hall, 724 15th Ave., Longview Great Prizes. Good Food. Island Atmosphere. You don’t want to miss the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce’s annual Island Bingo. Purchase general admission and VIP tickets by July 8 for early bird discounts. VIP tickets include food, dauber and drink ticket. Ticket purchase online only at:
www.kelsolongviewchamber.org or call 360-423-8400 No WALK UPS This is a 21+ Event
Fibre Federal Credit Union has purchased the iconic Longview Daily News building at 770 11th Ave. with plans to restore the building and establish a stateof-the-art Member Experience Center at the site. The property is 45,702 square feet on three acres. The project reinforces Fibre Federal’s commitment to the local community while providing world-class multichannel service to its members.
“The Daily News building holds a special place in the history of Longview,” said Fibre Federal’s President/CEO, Christopher Bradberry in a press release. “We’re honored to breathe new life into this historic property and cement our roots right here in the community we’ve called home for 87 years.”
Keeping pace with its members’ rapidly-evolving technological expectations, Fibre Federal’s contact center staff has experienced tremendous growth, resulting in the need for a larger space. Renovations will preserve the 54-year-old building’s iconic architecture while modernizing the interiors into a centralized location for a majority of the Contact Center employees, who are currently housed in multiple spaces at their Main financial services center two blocks away.
The new space will house all the virtual representatives who provide service to the 28 (and growing) fleet of ITMs (Interactive Teller Machines) across the 11 counties the credit union serves. In addition to the ITMs, the Contact Center serves the membership via phone, chat messaging, and video chat. “The current Contact Center and Virtual Contact Center will become the Digital Member Experience Center,” said Carrie Crape, VP of Digital Member Experience. It will consolidate and streamline the credit union’s virtual member services under one roof, enhancing efficiency and improving the overall member experience. “We’re so excited to finally have a dedicated space, 12 years in the making,” said Lori Dickie, Virtual Contact Center manager. “We’re thrilled to get people out of the hallway and into the same room.”
The renovation is slated to begin this year, with completion in 2025.
Steve Carson, of Skamokawa, Wash., and technician
Ed Lane, of Puget Island, Wash, recently opened a new office in Downtown Longview, at 1318 Commerce Ave. Computer Link NW has provided service locally for 6 years, and several years prior in the Vancouver area. The company specializes in computer support and repairs for small businesses, organizations, and residental technical services. Carson said helping individuals is especially satisfying. “Customers say things like ‘Thank you! Thank you! I never would have figured this out for myself.”
For information or service, visit CLNW.com or call 360795-5000. The Longview site is open Tuesday through Friday, 11–4; the company’s Cathlamet office is also open with the same hours.
Tasha Pickens has joined the staff at Cattermole Funeral Home in Winlock, Wash., as a funeral director intern and embalmer intern. Pickens grew up in Longview, Wash., and said she “moved to Centralia 11 years ago to play roller derby and stayed because I fell in love with Chehalis.” She recently graduated from Lake Washington Institute of Technology with an associate’s degree in Funeral Service.
Jenny Beal and her husband, Chino Lopez, of Ariel, Wash. recently opened Nutrition for All, inside Forever Fit, at 1211 18th Ave., Longview. The business is open Mon-Fri, 7am–4pm. It’s convenient for gym users, but also open to the public, with counter seating and to-go service. Specialties include tea bombs (a healthy energy drink), meal replacement shakes, protein coffees, protein donuts and waffles. For phone orders or questions, the number is 503-679-8817.
In the Zone Three Rivers Christian School students on an “Impact” trip pose with CRR and a tank near the 3rd tunnel by the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in South Korea.. While often in the national news for its tense proximity to the dictatorship to North Korea,the group’s South Korean hosts wanted the students to understand their desire for the reunification of their country. TRCS students experienced the DMZ through the stories shared by various citizens and tour guides, being constantly encouraged to pray for reunification. (Fun Fact: Dr. Turner, on the cover of the Reader shown in the, performed the hip surgery for one of the student’s great-grandparents!)
Longview native and current Winter Park, Florida resident Dave Koenig and his wife and 14-year-old son at Disneyland. Watch for Koenig’s Blues Brothers Show in Longview sometime this summer.
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!
he modern airport is more than just a place to embark to and arrive from places afar. In recent decades airports have acknowledged they are places of community for travelers. Often, this is a temporary community of travelers waiting for flights, on a layover, locals heading out, and people from far away coming in. Airports are the first contact an outsider has with a local community, as a welcoming place, and highlight of community pride.
One method airports do this is utilizing public exhibition spaces and museum
exhibits. The Portland International Airport (PDX) has a thriving public art program highlighting both regional and national artists as part of its visitor experience. These public exhibit spaces are often located in the sterile area and provide travelers with stimulation beyond the plentiful choices of shopping, eating, and of course, the most iconic carpet.
The PDX Art Program “provides a dynamic portal into the cultural life of our region,” said Virginia VanDine, a spokesperson for the program. “In addition to our rotating art program, we have amazing permanent art that has been installed throughout PDX both pre and post-security. The growing permanent art collection — made up of more than 65 unique artworks and art installations—includes fine work by
RYAN! Feddersen, Jacob Hashimoto, Brenda Mallory, Ko Kirk Yamahira, and many more.”
She said PDX also partners with the Hollywood Theatre with a free microcinema in Concourse C which features
30, St. Helens, OR • 503-397-0685
• Seaside, OR 989 Broadway, 503-738-3097; 888-306-2326
• Astoria-Warrenton Chamber/Ore Welcome Ctr 111 W. Marine Dr., Astoria 503-325-6311 or 800-875-6807
from page 17
short films tailored in length for an audience with limited time of just a few minutes. Before your next trip, check https://pdxart. portofportland. online/ to see what PDX has to offer.
Look at destination airports, too. You may find some pleasant surprises, such as I did at Oakland International on a recent family trip (informational panel, above).
Do you recognize these high school graduates?
Blake Chrisler, Toutle Lake High School
Gracie Kvalvik, Rebecca Lopez, Shaun Jordan, Carson Moses, and Lexi De La Trinidad, R.A.Long High School
Lara Perissinotto, Charlize Blain, Natalie Mejia, and Charlotte Curry, Mark Morris High School
This year, each will continue their education using a $2,000 scholarship from Rotary.
Ten students will receive assistance to attend a college or trade school of their choice.
During the past ten years, Rotary has awarded more than $180,000 to 112 students. We believe that the education of students is a positive force in our community.
Congratulations, students! We wish you continued success!
THE ROTARY CLUB OF LONGVIEW
Join those who are
For information about becoming a sponsor, please contact publisher@crreader.com or call 360-749-1021.
Big River
Big Business
A fter my d A y on the big river , some reflections:
We’re exporters
The Columbia River ports are mainly export ports. Most vessels heading up the river ride high, empty or in ballast, and pick up goods for export to the rest of the world. We are outbounders.
We’re cargo-diverse
Of the four principal ports on the lower Columbia — Longview, Kalama, Vancouver and Portland — only Portland is a container port. The rest handle a wide and sometimes wild diversity of cargoes. A recent listing of five ships ready to depart the Port of Longview showed two carrying wheat and one each carrying urea — a chemical used in fertilizers — bulk salt, and Hyundais.
We’re systemic
The maritime cargo system is interdependent with roads and rails. Ships, railroads and highways are the friendliest of competitors. Port lobbyists in Olympia seek ground transportation improvements and re-tunneling through the Cascades to accommodate bigger rail cars, most likely Seattle- and Tacomabound containers.
We ship other states’ stuff
Although a lot of the wheat that goes out is ours, most of our export shipments originate somewhere else. Why else would the Columbia be second in the nation in corn and soy exports? And where are these Hyundais coming from? And where are they going? Our “footprint” of where our cargos originate is staggering and virtually “everyplace.”
We’re an expensive parking lot
Time is money in shipping, and only delicate coordination gets products to pier to ship to sea. A lot of ships are simply waiting their turn, parked midriver, including those 5,6,8,10 ships usually anchored at Astoria waiting for their trip upriver.
More than 1,300 big ships plied the river last year, around 450 each using Portland and Vancouver. The remaining divided between our Lower Columbia ports, Longview and Kalama.
deAd in the wAter
It’s not just a dread metaphor. For the pilots, crews and owners of commercial cargo ships, it’s an occupational hazard.
“Very few big ships can land themselves, or even steer well at low speed,” said Rob Rich of Shaver Marine, our guide for a morning on the Columbia River. “That’s why we need — we have to have — tugboats.”
Because their steering is based on water flowing forcefully past a rudder influencing their forward motion, big cargo ships lose steering as they decrease speed. Despite their size, their inertia, their tons of bulk, commercial ships share an extreme vulnerability: When not under power — slowing down, or still in the water — they’re virtually helpless.
On rivers and oceans this is hardly a problem. But, ironically, during their most delicate and deliberate maneuvers — near ports, infrastructure, and people — they grow impotent.
“There are over a thousand ships visiting the Columbia River system every year,” said Rich, “and every one of them is using a ship assist, at the very least. A tugboat.”
Both homely and heroic, magnificent and indispensable, tugboats assist in docking and anchoring, maintenance, fire prevention, personnel transfers, and “whatever comes up,” according to those who make their living on the river.
Commercial ships visiting the Columbia River will have at least three required guests during their transit. Off the river mouth, a bar pilot will board and guide the ship over “The Graveyard of the Pacific,” the notorious Columbia Bar. At Astoria, a river pilot takes over and navigates the ship to its upriver destination. And, when the metal monster anchors mid-river or at a port dock, and slows its speed accordingly, a nimble tug or two provides “ship assist.”
Rob takes us aboard the Portland, one of 16 tugs owned and operated by Shaver Marine, a company family owned since its founding in 1880. “We’re the secondbiggest tug and barge company on the river,” he told us, “with 22 operating barges, too.” Shaver operates from the mouth of the river up past its eight dams and locks, ultimately to the barge port at Lewiston, Idaho. We meet Captain John Haglund and Mate Clark Rintala, who’ll spend this pristine morning introducing us to tug boating on the river.
The weather and conditions are perfect. As we clamber over the gunwale and the familiar row of rubber truck tires tugs wear as a protective skirt, our hosts interrupt this congenial meet and greet.
“Seems to be a change of plans,” say John and Rob, phones glued to their ears, in constant contact with Shaver’s dispatchers at Portland headquarters.
“Looks like you’re going to get some real work this morning, not just pretty pictures.”
We couldn’t be happier.
Tackling the Texas
Portland quickly leaves the Shaver dock in Rainier and heads upriver. Barking sea lions loll on an adjacent dock and mock our industriousness. “We’ve been asked to help Foss out with a job they couldn’t crew,” says Rob, Shaver’s vice president of marine services and
cont pg. 21
a veteran of decades on the Columbia. “Pretty common practice, something comes up, one company can’t commit, they look for help from the others. It’s a family on the river.”
The Portland is tasked to escort the tanker Texas, which has slipped its moorings in Kalama and will need ship assist to anchor mid-river at Longview. “No idea what they’re up to,” says Rob, “We’re on three-hour notice and our job is to assist where and when we can.”
The infinitely-complex ocean shipping system is an interplay of local, regional, national and international players, millions of tons and dollars crisscrossing the waterways in real time. Texas is in the charge of a regional ship’s agent while on the river, but her cargo, crewing, schedule and routing are most likely dictated and monitored from halfway around the world.
The tugs have specific instructions but little sense of the larger forces in play. “This could be a repair or some extra stores or anything, really, “said Rob, “our job is just to show up.”
We climb a steep ladder to the wheelhouse, where John, the Captain, scans upstream for the crawling tanker, just rounding the bend in the river. He makes radio contact with the river pilot on board Texas , and the choreography begins. We’ll be tying onto the ship, then guiding her to anchor in mid-river at one of two buoys fixed there for just that purpose.
Magnificent Midgets
The Texas looms ever larger, gigantic despite being termed a “moderate- sized” tanker. Meanwhile Portland’s sister tug, the Washington, is steaming up from Rainier to join the maneuver. Below, on deck, Clark lays out the eight-inch lines.
Rob Rich is clearly enjoying it all.
“I take hundreds of people out on tours every year and they beg for some action like this,” he beams. “You picked the right time to be on the river!” Again, we couldn’t be happier.
The movement among the three ships is deliberate and calm, with an almost balletic grace. Beneath the hatch covers, two huge diesel engines provide the tug’s staggering power-to-weight ratio and the thrust needed to keep these big boys in line. The Washington ties on at the stern as Portland increases her leverage on the massive bow, John’s hands on the dual thrusters maintaining a steady distance between the Portland and Texas.
“Portland’s a day boat,” Rob tells us, “Mostly on call. The Washington is equipped for overnight and can spend a couple of weeks on the water if necessary.”
As our three boats move downstream in concert, we climb another steep ladder down to the engine room, at Rob’s bidding, fortified with ear plugs and shouting to be heard.
Horses for Courses
All the humble accouterments of a working tug — the old tires, the scratched paint, the ungainly shape, compared often to a floating bathtub — are suddenly insignificant once you descend into the heart of its power, the throbbing engine room. “Behemoth” doesn’t begin to do justice to the magnificent diesel power plants.
“Tugs are incredibly expensive to build and maintain,” says Rob, “so we’re always upgrading the engines, keeping
from page19
the same boat but building its power.” The boat we’re on, the Portland, is over 40 years old but sports two mammoth diesel engines installed in 2020, a total of more than 4,000 horsepower.
“It doesn’t pay to replace the engine in a 10-year-old truck. You just buy a new truck,” says Rich. “We, on the other hand, continually retrofit these perfectly good boats.” Our accompanying tug, the Washington, is due for re-powering next year.
Tugs are unassuming by nature. Their macho heart and soul reveal themselves in their power-to-weight ratio. To wit: Most of the cargo ships working here on the river boast a power-to-weight (tonnage) ratio around .35 to 1.20. Tugs sport a formidable ratio between 2 and 9.
Betting on barging
On deck, the delicate dance continues. John holds the line taut and keeps the hulls four feet apart. Giving way to the Washington once they’re near the mid-river buoy, the mates connect umbilical lines to the big tanker, then moor them to the mid-river floating metal platform. The anchor drops, thanks are exchanged by radio, and the two tugs head back to dock in Rainier, the Texas safely at anchor.
Returning to Rainier, I ask Rob about the other major part of their business, barge trafficking.
“I’ll tell you one thing, we’re not in favor of removing four dams on the Snake,” he tells me.
“Forty percent of our country’s wheat exports come down the Columbia on barges right here, and it’s by far the cheapest and most efficient mode of transport from here to there.”
He’s right. A Texas A&M Transportation study researched the amount of cargo shippable with
one gallon of fuel for one mile: Trucking moves 151 tons; rail a hefty 472 tons; and, sure enough, barging transports 675 tons one mile for every gallon of fuel expended.
At Home on the River
At dockside in Rainier, the obese sea lions remain unimpressed, barking and basking in the sun. We bid goodbye to Captain John Haglund and Mate Clark Rintala. Like their sturdy boats, they are versatile, strong and unassuming.
“The entire maritime industry would collapse without these boats,”says Rob Rich as we take our leave. “It’s a pretty special part of this river, and this region.”
from left: Mates attach 8-inch lines to floating mid-river buoy; Captain John Haglund feathers the Portland into position; Tugboat Washington stands by as Texas secures lines to mooring buoy. Hal Calbom with Shaver Marine’s Rob Rich oboard Portland.
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.
thereby significantly reducing the total carbon
of the region’s
You say you don’t have enough room for a vegetable “garden” but would enjoy growing some fresh produce? With the development of compact hybrid vegetables, you don’t have to cultivate an acre to reap the benefits of home grown food. Now, anyone with a spot for a pot can harvest at home.
Choose an area that gets at least 6-8 hours of sunlight a day. For convenience, you should have easy access to a garden hose, but watering with a sprinkling can is an option, as well. Containers can be of any size or type. Old buckets or tubs lend a rustic look to a patio. Oversized, classic pottery adds flare to deck or front porch. The size of the container will dictate the type of vegetable grown, but there are many possibilities for even the smallest of spaces. Make sure the pot has drainage holes. Fill with loose potting soil. Avoid using garden soil unless it is at least a three-fourths mixture of peat moss, vermiculite and perlite for aeration. Plain garden soil will compact in the container and will not drain well. Adding a handful of organic all purpose fertilizer will assure your vegetables get enough nutrients throughout their growing season.
Choose a “determinate” type and plan on using at least a 5-gallon container. Look for “compact” or “bush” in the name. Signage or plant labels will tell you if it is less vigorous than the “indeterminate” types. A dwarf, such as “Tumbling Tom” is perfect for a hanging basket. Your tomatoes will appreciate the maximum amount of sunlight.
SALAD GARDENS
Lettuces, green onions, radishes and cucumbers can easily be grown in containers. All but the cucumbers will thrive in minimum sunlight and you can repeat several crops throughout the summer. Cucumbers also can be grown in a basket.
FRESH HERBS
Herbs such as cilantro and basil are perfect for containers. Avoid overwatering and harvest regularly. To assure tender foliage for harvesting, repeat sowings are recommended. Have several plants “waiting in the wings” of these popular herbs. Nothing says “summer” like homemade pesto or salsa fresh from your garden.
POTATOES
Potatoes easily adapt to container gardening and the larger the pot, the more spuds you’ll harvest. Nestle a seed potato in 4-6 inches of soil in the bottom of the pot. When the sprouts reach 3-4 inches, cover with straw and repeat as the plants grow upward until you reach the top of the container. The potatoes will develop within the straw bedding and be clean when you hunt for them in late summer. Harvest “new” potatoes when the first flowers appear. Larger bakers will be ready to dig after the foliage dries up in late summer.
Carrots and other root vegetables can be grown in a pot as long as the soil is deep enough to accommodate the length of their tap roots. Choose seed that will grow stubby carrots instead of traditional garden carrots (See top photo).
There is no limit to the variety of vegetables that you can grow in containers. Select your favorites and experiment as your space allows.
Nancy Chennault is a member of “Castle Rock Blooms’” team of volunteers. She and her husband, Jim, operated a landscaping business and independent nursery/garden center for 20+ years. She wrote CRR’s Northwest Gardener column with great spirit and pizazz from 2006 until early 2017. After a seven-year hiatus she has come out of “retirement” to reconnect us with some of her favorite gardening topics.
Miss Manners from page 9
What am I missing? Do you have any advice on what we can say or do to mend this relationship, or is it time to move on?
GENTLE READER: Miss Manners is keenly aware that many of her Gentle Readers believe that anything other than “total honesty” is wrong. These are your friends, after all, you tell yourself — they will understand. Except they do not. Telling people with whom you had longstanding plans that you had too much fun with other people the rest of the week to
muster up the energy to be with them at the end of it is insulting. And if you were truly as miserable as you say, telling them you were not feeling well would have been accurate. You simply did not need to tell them the source of the misery.
While a month of anger and hurt is a lot, Miss Manners has sympathy for your friends for not rushing to make plans with you again. Perhaps time and a solid future of kept plans will eventually soften them.
But next time Miss Manners gets chastised for telling her readers not to
By Linda Keller
“just be honest,” she may well point to your example with its obvious collateral damage.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My adult brother asked my husband (a lawyer) and me (a professional writer) to “take a look at” a business letter he planned on sending. We both assumed he was asking for editing advice, and we proposed a radical rewrite. My husband dealt with the letter’s legal aspects, and I addressed its tone and approach.
My brother responded coldly to our proposed changes. His response was
along the lines of “You have your style and I have mine.” We obviously hurt his feelings, and in hindsight, I wish we had simply rubber-stamped the project.
What would have been the appropriate way to handle this situation? And should we now apologize? He hasn’t spoken to us since, but he may just be busy.
GENTLE READER: No, he is sulking. Miss Manners has learned that “Tell me your honest opinion” is seldom an honest request.
There is no need to drive to Portland-Vancouver for an MRI.
With cutting-edge equipment and experienced technicians, Pacific Imaging Center in Longview provides patients with excellent scans without the hassle of fighting traffic or spending a good portion of a day on the road.
Also, while wait-times at many imaging clinics are often several weeks or more, waittimes at PIC are typically just a few days because we offer extended hours for your convenience.
PIC partners with the nationally-renowned radiologists at National Orthopedic Imaging Associates (NOIA). This means that a radiologist with subspecialty training will read each MRI; in other words, if you have an MRI of your knee, it will be assessed by a radiologist who works primarily with knees. Additionally, NOIA has a reputation for rapidly returning results to the patient’s primary care physician.
Miss Manners from page 25
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I live in an old, established neighborhood where new homes are being built on the available plots. The one behind my own home is angled so that its back porch and dining room/kitchen are basically within a foot of my property line. The owners also replaced much of the lawn with a patio and pool, which reflect sound rather than absorb it.
When they entertain, or just dine at their kitchen table, the acoustics are such that I can literally hear every single word of their conversations. This is not only distracting, but also makes me uncomfortable about being privy to their conversations.
When they moved in pre-pandemic, I went over and brought some welcome gifts, but I am now unsure of how to approach this problem. Shout “Too
loud!” over the fence? Drop a note in their mailbox? Text them, if I can find their number?
And how do I avoid looking like some old neighbor who just seems too fussy and sensitive?
GENTLE READER: Paranoia will be of greater assistance to you than bluntness: Tell your neighbor that you feel they should know that -- in spite of
your strenuous efforts to keep windows closed and not to listen -- the sound from their dining room can be clearly heard in your living room.
The more embarrassed you can look while confessing this, the more motivated Miss Manners believes they will be to do something about it.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m 75 and in reasonably good shape, physically and mentally. Recently in my water aerobics class, someone who is one month younger asked me, in a crowded area, “How does it feel to be the oldest one in the group? Ha ha.”
Then my brother-in-law, who is six months younger, said at a family gathering, “How does it feel to be the oldest one here? Ha ha.” I would love to have a snappy/sassy response ready if this happens again. Any suggestions?
GENTLE READER: “It feels good to have outgrown the need to answer silly questions. I guess that’s what you have to look forward to. Ha ha.”
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.
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
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 Comm.
YMCA
Fred Meyer (rack, service desk)
Teri’s on Broadway
Grocery Outlet, OB Hwy
The Gifted Kitchen (711 Vandercook Way)
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)
Luckman’s Coffee, Mountain Timber Market, Port of Kalama
WOODLAND
The Oak Tree
Visitors’ Center
Grocery Outlet
Luckman Coffee
CASTLE ROCK
Lacie Rha’s Cafe (32 Cowlitz W.)
Parker’s Restaurant (box, entry)
Visitors’ Ctr 890 Huntington Ave. N., Exit 49, west side of I-5
Cascade Select Market
WINLOCK
Rowdy Rooster Cafe (rack inside)
IPA Market (rack by left door)
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
Olde Town: Wild Currant,
Big River Tap Room
Safeway
SCAPPOOSE
Post Office
Road Runner
Fultano’s
Ace Hardware
WARRENTON, OR
Fred Meyer
CATHLAMET
Cathlamet Pharmacy
Tsuga Gallery
Realty West
Puget Island Ferry Landing
SKAMOKAWA
Skamokawa General Store
NASELLE
Appelo Archives & Café
Johnson’s One-Stop
ILWACO
Time Enough Books (entry table)
Temperature conditioned units -15 sizes!
RV Storage • Boat Moorage
Quality since 1976 On-site Manager 503-728-2051 503-369-6503
have made wine using grapes for a long time (and I still love it) but recently I have imagined savoring a glass of wine infused with the vibrant essence of the Pacific Northwest. Yes, I’m thinking fruit — ripe berries, crisp apples, and succulent pears. No matter your age, if you have lived around here for any length of time you know the flavor of lush berries as they show up at the farmer’s market. Irresistible!
o time is ripe if you have a love for unique, locally sourced experiences or are just looking for a new hobby. Here’s why and how you should dive into this DIY project.
As famous as Washington wine is, it may surprise you that until 1965, dessert wine made from fresh fruit was the dominant style. We have a long history of making wines from whatever fruit is available. Only as recently as 1965 did dry table wines overtake dessert wines as Washington’s dominant style. Westport Winery, just west of Aberdeen in Grays Harbor County, first built its reputation with delicious fruit wines. They used fruit from their farm and from nearby farmers. Today, a third of the Roberts family’s more than 30 bottlings still feature fruit other than grapes. You should take a road trip to see what they do with fruit wines.
The Pacific Northwest is a mother lode of fresh, organic fruits. I bet you have some right in your own backyard. But not far from where you live is an abundance: apples from Hood River, plump blackberries that line the trails, and you-pick places a short drive away. By making your own wine, you support local farmers and reduce your carbon footprint, all while creating a product that’s authentically Pacific Northwest.
Unlike store-bought wines, homemade fruit wine is an open book for your creativity. You control the sweetness, alcohol content, and flavor profile. Want a tart, crisp apple wine? Or a sweet, aromatic peach blend? The choice is yours.This \flexibility allows you to be in control. Nothing is more satisfying than crafting something special to share with your friends.
A good bottle of wine can be pricey; making your own fruit wine is surprisingly affordable. You will have to invest in some basic equipment. The primary cost is the fruit itself, which you can often source for free. ere are countless online marketplaces where you can get some great deals on used equipment. Now go out and buy The Beginners Guide to Making Wine from Juice and Grapes, by Daniel Pambianchi.
To get started, you’ll need some basic winemaking equipment:
• A primary fermenter (a large foodgrade bucket)
• Some wine yeast and sugar
•A secondary fermenter (a glass carboy)
• An airlock
• A siphon
• Sanitizing solution
• Bottles and corks
Aby Andre Stepankowsky
Nature’s bounty offers much more than mere food
s I strolled through my garden a few weeks ago, a little winged critter darted in front of me, stopped and hovered. Its wings beat the air with a gentle vibration that I could feel and hear.
The hummer lingered a few seconds, stared at me with some sense of expectation, then streaked eastward faster than I could track.
I didn’t have anything to give it at that moment, but the little bird gave me a moment of joy and connection.
This list will grow as you learn and develop, but you can get started on a budget. I will spare you the details of how to make great fruit wine. Trust me you can do it and you will be glad you did. When your first batch is done, I would be glad to sample it and tell you how good it is even if it isn’t.
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.
In my imagination I wondered if it was acknowledging me for planting the nectar-rich flowers that attract hummers to my garden every summer. Generations of hummers have fed off the feast of crocosmia, Russian sage, bee balm and other plants that I cultivate. Maybe this little critter, flapping its wings thousands of times a minute, was beating me a tune of thanks.
Virtually any garden is full of such little epiphanies if we stop and take time to be receptive to them. If all we do is rush to prune, weed and water, we’re failing to harvest much of the bounty a garden has to offer.
Often, while I spade in compost or dig a planting hole, crows, jays and sparrows line the surrounding trees, power lines or shrubs, ready to swoop in on worms my labors turn up. Who is the smart one here? I‘m doing their work.
I used to grow a variety of an old Damask rose that is raised in Saudi Arabia to make fine perfume. Growers there fertilize the rose with camel dung. So there’s a garden miracle for you: Nature converts camel poop into the world’s finest cologne. I thought of that each time I took a whiff of that rose’s old-world scent.
All those dozens of shallow holes clawed into the soil of my rose garden mark where squirrels have stored holly berries for the following season. They often forget those stores by then, but I rediscover them when the seedings sprout. I curse the critters, but I admire their industry. It’s their means of survival, and they’re good at it.
Bumble bees especially are fond of my twin rows of lavender. I get to gently, carefully pat their fuzzy black bottoms while they nectar. They don’t seem to mind. My caress is a small acknowledgment that they bring a peaceful humming tune to the garden, helping make it a refuge from the cares of this world.
Then there are nature’s paratroopers: the hundreds of tiny black and yellow clusters of spiders that hatch in the spring and huddle together in a weblike cocoon against the white planks of my house. When danger approaches, they scatter to confuse predators, plummeting down on filaments of silk. Their survival ensures that I have natural allies to help control pests later in the year.
I even get fascinated by my compost bin, where tens of thousands of red worms squirm and eat the grass clippings, coffee grinds, banana peels and other kitchen scraps. Our tomatoes love all that rotten stuff.
When I sink my teeth into the ripe fruit, I’m often reminded that nature never wastes anything — and that I need to be alert to even more epiphanies the next time I’m in the garden.
Award winning journalist Andre Stepankowsky is a former reporter and editor for The Daily News. His CRR 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
I am never bored anywhere: being bored is an insult to oneself.
--Jules Renard, French author, 18641910
Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.
--Mark Twain, American writer and humorist, 1835-1910
I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it.
--Edith Sitwell, British poet and critic, 1887-1964
Laughter connects you with people. It is almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you’re just howling with laughter. Laughter is a force for democracy.
--John Cleese, English actor, comedian and screenwriter, 1939-
This is what you shall do: love the Earth and the Sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your labor and income to others….
--Walt Whitman, American poet and writer, 1819-1892
When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent.
--Isaac Asimov, American writer and professor, 1920-1992
Our culture made a virtue of living only as extroverts. We discouraged the inner journey, the quest for a center. So we lost our center and have to find it again.
--Anais Nin, French-born American writer, 1903-1977
Life is an admirable arrangement. So clever of it to have a June in every year and a morning in every day...let alone things like birds, and Shakespeare.
--Elizabeth von Arnim, English novelist, 1866-1941
his 1918 novel draws on Cather’s childhood for that of the narrator, growing up in rural Virginia and moving to rural Nebraska at the age of 10. Set in the 1880s, around the time that Cather herself arrived in Nebraska, the story focuses on young Antonia Shimerda and her Bohemian immigrant family (from what today is the Czech Republic) and her relationship with the narrator Jim Burden, a childhood friend from a neighboring farm. It is also the story of a community. We meet all manner of unusual and interesting characters, some likable and some not. There are the established American farmers, townspeople, and businessmen, but more prominent are the European immigrants from various countries, starting out and struggling to make a living on their prairie farms.
The first-person narrator writes: “Antonia had always been one to leave images in the mind that did not fade — that grew stronger with time.” The book, too, is filled with vivid images: a grave at a crossroad, a lonely elm tree, Russian wolves, large rattlesnakes, sunsets and many beautiful nature descriptions. And just as this novel is a framework on which to hang these images, it is also a place to gather many peculiar stories that Cather must have heard growing up.
The rural farm contrasting with its nearby small town draws comparisons to Middlemarch by George Eliot, Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry, and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. It is a “homely” novel, in the British sense of the word — a big-hearted and truly lovely read.
Jeff Stookey is the author of the Medicine for the Blues trilogy (Acquaintance, Chicago Blues, Dangerous Medicine) which describes the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in 1920s Portland.
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.
PAPERBACK FICTION
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19
2. Just for the Summer
Abby Jimenez, Forever, $17.99
3. Happy Place
Emily Henry, Berkley, $19
4. The Three-Body Problem
Cixin Liu, Ken Liu (Transl.), Tor, $18.99
5. A Court of Mist and Fury
Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19
6. Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea
Rebecca Thorne, Bramble, $19.99
7. Never Whistle at Night
Shane Hawk (Ed.), Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (Ed.), Vintage, $17
8. A Court of Wings and Ruin
Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19
9. A Gentleman in Moscow Amor Towles, Penguin, $18
10. This Summer Will Be Different Carley Fortune, Berkley, $19
Brought to you by Book Sense and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, for week ending June 2, 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 Hundred Years’ War on Palestine Rashid Khalidi, Metropolitan Books, $19.99
3. The Backyard Bird Chronicles
Amy Tan, Knopf, $35
4. All About Love bell hooks, Morrow, $16.99
5. The Body Keeps the Score Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., Penguin, $19
6. Killers of the Flower Moon
David Grann, Vintage
7. Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge Craig Romano, Mountaineers Books, $21.95
8. Everything I Know
About Love Dolly Alderton, Harper Perennial, $18.99
9. Crying in H Mart
Michelle Zauner, Vintage, $17
10. The Boys in the Boat
Daniel James Brown, Penguin, $19
FThe Ministry of Time
Kaliane
Bradley Avid Reader Press
$28.99
or a light and fun summer read, you might try this time travel fantasy. It offers a love story, humor, an enigmatic government agency, along with the requisite twists and turns of your standard mystery.
The unnamed narrator works for the Ministry of Time, which is conducting a top-secret experiment to bring people from the past into the present. (And someone thought this was a good idea?) Since the Ministry of Time is a top-secret government agency, it
1. The Women Kristin Hannah, St. Martin’s Press, $30
2. Funny Story
Emily Henry, Berkley, $29
3. James
Percival Everett, Doubleday, $28
4. All Fours
Miranda July, Riverhead Books, $29
5. Fourth Wing
Rebecca Yarros, Entangled: Red Tower Books, $29.99
6. You Like It Darker
Stephen King, Scribner, $30
7. First Frost
Craig Johnson, Viking, $30
8. The Ministry of Time
Kaliane Bradley, Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, $28.99
9. The Familiar
Leigh Bardugo, Flatiron Books, $29.99
10. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
James McBride, Riverhead Books, $28
1. The Demon of Unrest
Erik Larson, Crown, $35
2. The Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Press, $30
3. A Walk in the Park Kevin Fedarko, Scribner, $32.50
4. The Creative Act
Rick Rubin, Penguin Press, $32
5. Rebel Girl Kathleen Hanna, Ecco, $29.99
6. An Unfinished Love Story
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Simon & Schuster, $35
7. The Wager David Grann, Doubleday, $30
8. In My Time of Dying Sebastian Junger, Simon & Schuster, $27.99
9. The Light Eaters
Zoë Schlanger, Harper, $29.99
10. The Age of Magical Overthinking
Amanda Montell, Atria/ One Signal Publishers, $28.99
of course has a top-secret nefarious mission, which the narrator gradually discovers.
Called “expats,” the time travelers include a woman from the Great London Plague, another from the French Revolution, and an English officer from World War I. We are also taken aboard the Franklin Expedition (1845-47), the ill-fated British attempt to fine the Northwest Passage. Its two ships, the Erebus and the Terror, became ice-locked for over a year and all the men and their officers perished.
All perished except one. Commander Graham Gore is brought into the present — through what mysterious means this happens or how the expats are chosen we are never told. The narrator is assigned as his “bridge” to help him acclimate to the 21st Century. And he definitely has some acclimating to do; for example, women’s attire (Good Lord, pants?) to say nothing of their attitudes (They really believe they’re equal to men? Extraordinary!), and don’t get him
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.
1. Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Dr. Seuss, Random House Books for Young Readers
2. Bluey: Camping Penguin Young Readers, $5.99
3. Jamberry Bruce Degen, HarperFestival, $9.99
4. Bluey: The Beach
Penguin Young Readers, $4.99
5. Dinosaurs in Trucks
Because Hey, Why Not?
Sandra Boynton, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $7.99
6. Little Blue Truck Feeling
Happy Alice Schertle, Clarion Books, $14.99
7. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle, World of Eric Carle, $10.99
8. Taylor Swift Wendy Loggia, Elisa Chavarri (Illus.), Golden Books, $5.99
9. Buffalo Fluffalo Bess Kalb, Erin Kraan (Illus.), Random House Studio, $18.99
10. Grumpy Monkey
Suzanne Lang, Max Lang (Illus.), Random House Studio, $8.99
“I’m not going to insult you by feeding you aphorisms about omelets and broken eggs… you signed up for this job. You thought, as much as I did, that what we were doing was world-changing. That’s what you wanted, remember? Do you think the world changes by being asked politely? Or do you think there has to be risk?” She took a deep breath. All the emotions I normally watched her puree into professionalism were churning on her face. “I came here,” she said, “because you—because—I thought you would understand. Don’t you? Being the experiment.”
–from The Ministry of Time
1. The One and Only Family
Katherine Applegate, Harper, $19.99
2. A Wolf Called Wander Rosanne Parry, Mónica Armiño (Illus.), Greenwillow Books, $9.99, 3. Hatchet
Gary Paulsen, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $9.99
4. Plain Jane and the Mermaid
Vera Brosgol, First Second, $14.99
5. Working Boats
Tom Crestodina, Little Bigfoot, $19.99
6. The Moth Keeper
K. O’Neill, Random House Graphic, $13.99
7. Swim School
Penguin Young Readers, $5.99
8. Twins
Varian Johnson, Shannon Wright (Illus.), Graphix, $12.99
9. Leonard Carlie Sorosiak, Walker Books US, $8.99
10. Fifty-Four Things Wrong with Gwendolyn Rogers
Caela Carter, Quill Tree Books, $7.99 started on sex. Gore is aghast that the narrator so brazenly bares her calves. Has she no shame?
In spite of the difference in their age and ages, the narrator becomes romantically involved with Gore who is 200 years her senior. Questions of “age-appropriateness” aside, can the Victorian officer and the hip modern woman find a time zone in which they can live together? I mean seriously now, after the initial infatuation and sexual frisson, what would they have to talk about?
This fantasy reminds one how “historical dramas” are often really just modern sensibilities and attitudes dressed up in period costumes ( Bridgerton , anybody?) At the very least, this should certainly make one think twice about time travel. The visa and passport may be the least of your concerns.
Note: For more about the Franklin Expedition, you might enjoy Paul Watson’s fascinating historical account, Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition (2017), or Dan Simmons’ horror novel, The Terror (2007), which was made into a popular HBO series.
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–11:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-728-3344
102 East “A” Street
Microbrews, wines & spirits
7am–8pm Daily. Inside dining.
Interstate Tavern
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. Karaoke Fri-Sat 8-11pm. Patio seating. 503-556-8323.
1335 14th Avenue
18 rotating craft brews, pub fare. M-Th 11am–8pm. Fri-Sat 11am–10pm; Sunday 11am–6pm. 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,
Restaurant & Lounge
formerly The Carriage Restaurant & Lounge located on 14th Ave).
3353 Washington Way. Chinese & American cuisine. New menu in the future. Full bar, banquet room available for groups, special events. Restaurant: 11am–9pm, Lounge 11am–1:00am. 360-423-8680.
The Corner Cafe
796 Commerce Ave. Breakfast & Lunch. Daily Soup & Sandwich, breakfast specials. Tues-Sat 7am-3pm. Closed Sun-Mon. 360353-5420. Email: sndcoffeeshop@comcast.net
Country Steak House
936 Ocean Beach Hwy. Lunch & Dinner. Great steaks, pot roast, burgers, Friday night smoke BBQ, banquet room. Open Mon-Thurs 11am–8pm, Fri-Sat 9am–10pm. 564-217-4129.
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, awardwinning clam chowder. Burgers, steaks, pasta. Beer and wine. M-Sat 10am–8pm, 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–7pm; Fri & Sat 11am–8pm. BBQ meat slow-cooked on site. Pulled pork, chicken, brisket, ribs, turkey, salmon. World-famous mac & cheese. 360577-1541.
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 11am9pm.
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
Roland Wines 1106 Florida St., Longview. Authentic Italian wood-fired pizza, wine, and beer. Casual ambience. 5–9pm Wed-Fri, Sat. 1–9. 360-8467304 See ad, pg 30.
Scythe Brewing Company 1217 3rd Avenue #150 360-353-3851 Sun-Thurs 11:30am -8pm; Fri-Sat 11:30am -10pm. 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. Mon-Sat 11am–8pm. 360-577-0717
Luckman’s Coffee Company 239 Huntington Ave. North, Drive-thru. Pastries, sandwiches, salads, quiche. See ad, pg 38
Parker’s Steak House & Brewery 1300 Mt. St. Helens Way. I-5 Exit 49. Lunch, Dinner. Burgers, hand-cut steak; seafood and pasta. Restaurant open 1-8pm Tue-Th, 1-9pm, F-Sat. Lounge Happy Hours 4pm. 360-967-2333. Call for status/options.
Vault Books & Brew
20 Cowlitz Street West, Castle Rock. Coffee and specialty drinks, quick eats & sweet treats. See ad, page 28.
LUCKMAN’S COFFEE Market Timber Market, Port of Kalama. Open 11–7. See ad, pg 34
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, curbside take-out
Antique Deli 413N. First. M-F, 10–3. Call for daily sandwich special. 360-6733310. See ad, page 39.
FIRESIDE CAFE
Open Wed-Sun, 9–4. See ad, pg. 39
Birrieria La Vaquin The best Birria Tacos! Mountain Timber Market, Port of Kalama. 360-431-7732. Open 11–7. See ad, pg. 39
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 28.
Big River Tap Room 313 Strand Street on the Riverfront.
Lunch/Dinner TueThurs 12–8pm; Fri-Sat 12–9pm. Chicagostyle hot dogs, Italian beef, pastrami. Weekend Burrito Breakfast, Sat 8-11, Sun
8am-3pm. Scappoose, Ore.
Fultano’s Pizza
51511 SE 2nd. Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more! “Best pizza around!” Sun–Th 11am–9pm; Fri-Sat 11am–10pm. Full bar service ‘til 10pm Fri & Sat. Deliveries in Scappoose. 503-543-5100. Inside Dining.
Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant 33452 Havlik Rd. Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials. M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–11:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-543-3017
Warren Country Inn 56575 Columbia River Hwy. Fine family dining. Breakfast, lunch & dinner. Full bar. Call for hours.503-410-5479. Check Facebook for updates. Dine-in.
DREW’S
(when open). Red
11am–6pm; Fri–Sat 11am–10pm; Sunday 11am–6pm. 360-841-8941. Wine Wednesdays: $5 pours uckman
Company 1230 Lewis River Rd. Small batch on-site roasted coffee, breakfast, lunch.
Restaurant operators: To advertise in Columbia River Dining Guide, call 360-749-2632
by
Robert Michael PylePhotograph by Judy VanderMaten
Field Note by Hal Calbom
Cathlamet remains the only incorporated town in Wahkiakum, the smallest of Washington’s counties, and is the site of one of the region’s oldest Native American villages. The name “Cathlamet” (Kathlamet) is said to come from the local Chinookan language referring to the area as a “rocky shore.” Cathlamet became the Wahkiakum County seat in 1854 and was officially incorporated in 1907. The old waterfront still hosts tugboat operations, boat building, and other commercial businesses. River Pubs: The View from Maria's Ernesto brings a pint of Aye Aye IPA and a brace of tongue taquitos. Outside, fugitive sun on work-release from the constant cloudbank skitters the river with tinsel. A minute later, iron filings.
The railing out the window is the same color as the bottles of Cholula and Tapatio on the table. Beyond their red ranks, through the rain, Wright's Hardware hulks beneath the longest tarpaper roof in the county: admission by appointment, call Wally; he's probably got what you need. It rests its rangey gambrels against the biggest red camellia anywhere, carmine blossoms fixing to rot on the wet turf alongside, where a skirted old airboat holds up its end. Six Brusco tugs stand ready to push from the other side, if needed.
Here's where they filmed Snow Falling on Cedars, because nowhere else, Humboldt County to Juneau, looked old enough. "If I had Wright's Hardware in Hollywood," said the production designer, "I could retire." Cathlamet on the Columbia: a county seat that just sits and sits, and shows no sign of going anywhere, very fast.
AMERICA’S PLANNED CITY AND THE LAST FRONTIER
by Hal Calbom
Vandercook’s Report was Forward-looking and Prescient
With an eye to this dual strategy, Chief Engineer Wesley Vandercook led a team of scouts up and down Columbia River watersheds and began looking for desirable mill sites. They evaluated sites upriver, on Swan Island near Portland, and downriver, near Warrenton south of Astoria, and points in between. Deep water anchorage was a must; a railroad terminus ideal. And, of course, the greatest possible proximity to the timber itself.
Vandercook’s boots-on-the-ground study produced a 140-page report dubbed “the most remarkable of the documents
The extraordinary room-sized topographical map created from Vandercook’s survey
that record the beginnings of Longview,” according to author John McClelland, Jr. The Chief Engineer named eight possible options, but had become enamored of a site mid-way between them, at the confluence of the Cowlitz and Columbia Rivers.
“His report proved far more than a topographical study; it became a Michelin guide for lumbermen entering new territory where everything — climate, timber, terrain, labor — was different than in the south.” -- Lenore Bradley describing the Vandercook Report
PACIFIC NORTHWEST WOODCUTS AND HAIKU
This page and page 5 feature samples from CRRPress’s four books.
Salmon and seals fear
The killer cruising their space Orcas’ teamwork eats
CRRPRESS was founded in 2020, with the first printing of Tidewater Reach, followed by Dispatches from the Discovery Trail, Empire of Trees, and Words and Wood.
For purchase info, see page 2.
Send your non-commercial community event info (name of event, beneficiary, sponsor, date & time, location, brief description and contact info) to publisher@crreader.com Or mail or hand-deliver (in person or via mail slot) to: Columbia River Reader 1333-14th, Longview, WA 98632
Submission Deadlines
Events occurring:
July 15–Aug 20 by June 25 for July 15 issue. Aug 15–Sept 20 by June 25 for July 15 issue. Calendar submissions are considered for inclusion, subject to lead time, relevance to readers, and space limitations. See Submission Guidelines below
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.
Summer Solstice Festival June 21-22, Commerce Avenue in Downtown Longview, Wash. Pacific NW bands, night market with hand-crafted items, pizza, fun. 3–10pm, FriSat. Free. TCB Entertainment.
Tacos and Tequila June 21-22, R.A.Long Park, Civic Circle, Longview, Wash. Craft beer, margaritas, taco vendors, live music. Fri 5–10pm, Sat 12noon–10pm. Portion of proceeds benefit Kelso Rotary Lads and Lassies ADA Park, and Longview Downtowners. Tickets: craftnation. ticketspice.com
Astoria Scandanavian Midsummer Festival June 21–23. Vendors, food, live music. Queen’s Coronation, bonfire, dance. Info: AstoriaScanFest.org
Summer Solstice Sidewalk Soiree Friday, June 21, 4-7pm. Free ice cream treats (while supplies last) and good cheer (we never run out). Columbia River Reader office, 1333 14th Ave., Longview, Wash.
Rainier City-wide Garage Sale Sat., June 22, 8-3. Sign-up deadline June 17. Call Sheryl Teuscher, 503-556-0186. Rainier Senior Center, multiple sales inside. BBQ lunch 10–2, Info 503-556-3889.
Hot Rods for HEVIN Annual car show to benefit veterans. Sat., June 22, 9–4. Cowlitz County Event Center, 1900 7th Ave., Longview, Wash. Questions? 360-749-2016. Sponsored by Help Every Veteran in Need.
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.
Spotlight on Roses Fort Vancouver Rose Society’s 69th Annual Rose Show. Sat., June 29. 1–4pm. Free,open to public. First Evangelical Church, 4120 NE St. Johns Rd., Vancouver, Wash. See story for more details, page 35
Stella Historical Society Museum Season Opening Sat, July 6, 11–4. Kids’ Day. Treasure hunt, old-fashioned games, i.e. hopscotch, bean bag toss, string games (remember cat’s cradle?) Kids may earn pennies to spend in the General Store.
Museum open Sat-Sun through Aug. 26. Buildings handicapped-accessible. Free admission, donations appreciated. Info: 360-423-3860 or 360-423-8663.
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.
JUNE: Gallery artists
“Repurpose, Recycle, Upcycle”
JULY: Guest artists Ken Spurlock, (paintings)
Zorro’s Grape Adventure July 12–28. Stageworks Northwest Theatre, 1433 Commerce Ave., Longview, Wash. Tickets at the door or online: stageworksnorthwest. com. Book and lyrics by Rainier, Ore. playwright Leslie Slape. Tropical Vacation Paint ‘n’ Sip Sunday, July 14, 1–4pm, Kalama Community Bldg, 216 Elm St., Kalama, Wash. Sponsored by Kalama Artists and Makers Assn (KAMA). Tickets $40 per person. https://kalamarts.org/ event/tropical-vacation-painn-sip
FIRST THURSDAY
July 11th, 5:30–7
Join us for New Art, Nibbles & Music by Guy Live & Miz Mary
CALL TO ARTISTS
Annual August Community Show “FLOW” All ages welcome. Work accepted July 20-31. Free Drop-in Light & Shadow Workshop Supplies included. Sat, June 27, 12:30–3pm.
Tues - Sat 11–4
Free Gift Wrap on request.
Trish Harding “Clothed Figure Drawing Workshop July 7-8, 10:30-3, $150 for both days. Bring sack lunch. Age 18+. Some drawing experience needed. Classes & Workshops are back! Check our website or visit the Gallery for details.
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.
Cathlamet Writers Open Mic (Quarterly) Sponsored by The Writers Guild of Astoria. Thurs, July 25, 5:30pm; Thurs, Oct. 24, 5:30pm. River Mile 38 Brewing Co., 515 - 2nd Street, Cathlamet, WA 98612. Info: Dayle Olson, 360-703-8948.
Summer Concerts at the Lake Free concerts Thursdays July 11 – Aug 22. Martin Dock, Lake Sacajawea, Longview, Wash. Longview Parks & Rec Dept + local sponsors.
SCHEDULE
July 11 Wally & the Beaves (oldies variety band)
July 18 The West Coast Feed (electrifying soulful rock)
July 25 Red Light Romeos (super sounds of the 70s)
Aug 1 Danny Vernon (Illusion as Elvis starring The DeVilles;
Aug 8 Caleb Klauder, Reed Willms & Guests (high profile bluegrass)
Aug 15 Roll On (Alabama tribute)
Aug 22 Cedar Teeth Band (Americana)
The Fort Vancouver Rose Society will hold its 69th Annual Rose Show, “Spotlight on Roses,” Saturday, June 29. This free public event is anticipated to be the largest rose show in the State of Washington.
Juried exhibits of beautiful roses grown in the Northwest — hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, old garden and shrub roses, climbers, miniatures and mini floras — will be on display along with arrangements of large roses and miniatures. A juried photography section is new this year.
Entries from all rose growers will be accepted from 7-10:15am. Photos (5x7) may be mailed by June 27 to Kathy Fry, 13108 NE 22nd Street, Vancouver, WA 98684 or entered by 8am on the day of the show. Novice and Junior rose exhibitors are welcome; assistance available 9–10am. Trophies and Queen of Show awarded 3pm.
The Rose Show opens for the public from 1–4pm. in the large gymnasium at the First Evangelical Church, 4120 NE St. Johns Road in Vancouver, Washington.
For more information regarding Horticulture and Artistic Design (Arrangements) exhibits, contact Julie Goggin or Margaret Snitzler at 360-609-1749. Contact Kathy Fry at 360-832-3155 regarding Photography exhibitor information. Also visit: www. fortvancouverrosesociety.org or Facebook.
Fri, June 21, 4-7pm
Columbia River Reader 1333 14th Ave, Longview FROZEN
kevin selfe and the tornados|august 3th| liz chibucos and far out west|august 10th sonny hess|august 17th lisa mann|august 24th laRhonda steele|august 31st
Wind instrument players — including current players, former and “alumni” players interested in dusting off their horns — are invited to join the fun and strike up the band! The group will be part of the Go Fourth parade from Downtown Longview to Lake Sacajawea on July 4th.
Rehearsals are set for 5-7pm, June 18, 25, 27, and July 2 at Monticello Middle/R.A. Long High School Band Room in Longview. Everyone from 8th grade and up is welcome.
Repertoire is based on middle school level music, said organizer Bill Ofstun .Anyone interested or who needs more information may call him at 360414-9218 info.
I’ve got a piccolo in my briefcase
n addition to delivering copies throughout the CRR realm, one of my favorite jobs is clipping out the ads from the new issue, to be attached to the advertiser’s invoice. Another is inserting papers into large envelopes for mailing to subscribers around the country. CRR’s subscribers are a mixed bag; some are local residents, but the majority are from around the United States. I’m guessing that some, based on their last name, received gift subscriptions from local relatives. Other subscribers may have once lived here, or discovered the Reader while passing through the area on a vacation, a visit to Mt. St. Helens, the beach, or as a passenger on a cruise ship docked at the Port of Kalama.
Why would someone who lives here subscribe? One day, a local retired businessman stopped by our office to subscribe to the Reader. Sue asked him why he would want to pay to have the paper mailed to his home when he could pick up a copy for free at any number of local locations. “I want to support what you’re doing,” he replied. “This paper is important to our community.” I hope this is a widespread sentiment.
I do know, when I’m out-and-about re-filling our racks and sidewalk boxes, I’m often stopped by folks who ask, “Is that the new one?”
Some readers read the Reader on our website, www.crreader.com, paging through a “flip book” of the current and even back issues online. But I’ve hear the comment, “What I like about the Reader is holding it in my hands. It’s not the same reading it on a screen.”
Wherever, or however, you receive your copy, we’re glad you’re “aboard” CRR. We appreciate every reader, along with our advertisers, writers, proofreaders, distributors, Eagle Web Press. And even Kirby Kee of the Lions Club, who picks up and recycles those few extra copies leftover..
Sue is into her 21st year of publishing her pride and joy. Between you and me, I still don’t know how she puts the paper together. It’s nothing short of a miracle. (Editor’s note: Flattery will get you everywhere.)
Longview resident Ned Piper coordinates CRR’s advertising and distribution, and enjoys meeting/ greeting friends, both old and new.
Energy-efficient financing and rebate programs benefit ratepayers
Cowlitz PUD and Fibre Federal Credit Union have teamed up to offer residential homeowners financing on five energy-efficient programs: insulation, windows, ducted and ductless heat pumps, and heat pump water heaters. Loans ranging from $2,000 to $12,000 are available through the credit union. The PUD rebate is applied to the loan’s annual percentage rate, lowering it to zero in most cases.
How do I get started?
1. Contact Cowlitz PUD’s Energy Efficiency Services
2. Complete the Residential Energy Efficiency Loan Program Participation Form located on our webpage at www.cowlitzpud.org.
3. Obtain project pre-approval by contacting Cowlitz PUD Energy Efficiency Services at 360-501-9514, or email eeservices@cowlitzpud. org.
Heat Pump Water Heaters
A heat pump water heater is a smart upgrade from your standard electric water heater. It delivers the same reliable supply of hot water while saving up to 60% on your water heating costs. That means you’ll be saving money for many years to come. Learn more at www. cowlitzpud.org.
Customers can visit the Cowlitz PUD website for information on current programs and rebates at www.cowlitzpud.org/efficiency/
Sign Up Today, Receive a $10 Credit!
Sign up for eBill and AutoPay and receive a $10 credit on your next bill! With eBill you’ll receive your bill electronically instead of waiting for a paper bill in the mail. When you set up AutoPay using your checking account or credit card, your bill will be automatically paid on its due date. Sign up on SmartHub today or contact Customer Service for assistance at 360-423-2210.
Alice Dietz is Cowlitz PUD’s Communications/Public Relations Manager. Reach her at adietz@cowlitzpud.org, or 360-501-9146.
T
he Longview Public Library invites readers of all ages to embark on an exciting journey filled with books, activities, and events designed to inspire a love of reading and exploration in its summer reading program, themed “Adventure Begins at Your Library.”
Program Highlights:
•Exciting Reading Challenges: Participants can earn badges and rewards by completing reading challenges and activities. Track your progress online through Beanstack. Pre-registration starts on June 1st.
•Interactive Programming: From storytelling sessions and music group visits to movie matinees and theatre workshops, there’s something for everyone. Check our schedule of events.
•Fun and Games: Engage in teen challenges, messy art day, and an escape room. These activities are designed to test your knowledge and creativity while having loads of fun.
•Grand Prizes: Participants will be eligible for exciting prizes, including books and other surprises.
“Our theme this year...aims to spark curiosity and encourage lifelong learning through the magic of stories and adventures,” said Jacob Cole, Library Director. “We’re excited to offer a diverse range of programs that cater to all age groups, ensuring that everyone can find their own adventure at the library this summer.”
The Summer Reading Program kicks off on June 17th and runs through August 10th. Registration is free and open to all community members. To sign up or learn more about the program, visit www.longviewlibrary. org/956/Summer-Reading, stop by the library, or call 360-442-5300.
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